Here’s some news for all the Scott Ryders out there: you will soon be able to romance Jaal, the dreamy Angaran, in the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda update.
Many players have been lamenting the shallow romance pool for Scott Ryder ever since Mass Effect: Andromeda was released. But soon, another eligible bachelor to pursue will be available in the next update, patch 1.08.
According to Bioware, there are “several important reasons” why Scott can vie for Jaal’s affections.
“Scott Ryder did not have a same-sex squadmate available as a romance option, nor could the achievement for completing three romances be achieved with only male same-sex partners,” reads the developer update.
“We understand that a character’s orientation is an important part of what makes them feel real. The relationships with your crew are some of the most loved and cherished parts of our games, so we wanted to make sure we got it right.
“We consulted with members of the LGBTQ community, both externally and within our own studios. After carefully considering all feedback, we decided this was an important change to make, and one that made sense for Jaal, Scott, and the Angara.”
Considering the Angara have “expressed their fluidity in how they perceive gender,” Bioware said it only seemed natural for Scott to have a relationship with Jaal.
The writing, editing, and animation teams worked to make sure this “made sense” Jaal’s character, and the end result if a relationship the team hopes will feel “as fulfilling and memorable” for Scott as it does for Sara.
Along with being able to fly off into the sunset, er, star-laden galaxy with Jaal, patch 1.08 also improves the character creator.
Expanded options will provide players with more control over Ryder’s appearance. These include two new head options –
one male and one female – a new complexion option and a greater range of skin tones. All hairstyles for both sexes have been unlocked along with a new bald option because that’s been hot since Yul Brynner sported the look.
Players can also adjust their look mid-game and this ac be accomplished on-board the Tempest.
Finally, those who are fond of “Alec Ryder’s iconic appearance,” they can now choose to keep the default Alec instead of it being based on the custom Ryder.
The full list of changes and improvements patch 1.08 are below. A release ETA was not provided, but we’re checking around on that for you.
Mass Effect: Andromeda Patch 1.08
Single player
- Ryder’s appearance can now be changed onboard the Tempest
- Expanded the range of options available in the character creator
- Jaal can now be romanced by Scott Ryder
- Dialogue for Hainly Abrams was adjusted to change the flow of personal information she discusses with Ryder.
- Fixed issue with Nomad upgrades Shield Crafting quest
- Nexus level and cryo pod points are retroactively granted
- Vendors now carry weapon mods for Level 60-71 players
- Vendors now sell weapon augmentations for automatic fire, burst fire, and single-shot fire
- Improved clarity of descriptions for augmentations
- Plasma Charge system now works properly for shotguns
- Beam Emitter augmentation now causes guns to fire a constant beam with scaling damage based on the weapon’s damage per second
- [PC] Added experimental support for Dolby Vision™ technology
Multiplayer
- Stealth Grid challenge now increments properly
- Fiend no longer sprints when within 10 meters of target, and will decelerate to base speed
- Enabled movement correction during Fiend attacks to reduce incidence of players seeing Fiends attacking in the wrong direction
- Improved movement prediction for some enemies in tight spaces to reduce appearance of teleportation
- Fixed issue that prevented melee attacks if the revive icon was near center screen
- Fixed issue where ammo pick-up audio incorrectly played
- Fixed issue where Backlash could malfunction while moving
- Using Stealth and Recon Visor together no longer increases duration of invisibility for Turian Agent
- Fixed issue where weight reduction modifications wouldn’t reduce weight
- The Revive Pack Transmitter now displays the revive radius in the loadout screen
- Equipping the Cobra RPG now interrupts reloading
- Player turns to Adhi when getting synced to avoid teleportation issue
- Fixed issue where enemies would occasionally enter T-pose when hit
- Improved visual and audio cues for player ready status in Multiplayer lobbies
- Added “Lights” option to customization options
