Mass Effect: Andromeda - 10 Core Improvements Fans Haven't Considered

9. Colony Building For Resources

The planet-scanning system to collect resources in Mass Effect 2 and 3 was at best incredibly time consuming, and at worst a downright chore. Instead of being able to crack on with the next mission, or even just do some good old fashioned planetside exploration, you were forced to spend ages just wandering from planet to planet, hoping it had minerals in any sort of quantity, and even then they might not necessarily be the ones you were looking for. Andromeda could avoid repeating this mistake, especially given that the game is likely going to involve exploring a new expanse of space, by using a system of being able to establish colonies on planets with viable resource reserves. Different planets would contain different resources - and you could visit your colonies to guarantee a supply of a particular mineral. This is a similar prospect to how the city renovation system works in the Assassin's Creed games - colonies would drip-feed your supply of resources over time. This system, however, would actively encourage you to explore the galaxy to find more viable planets for mining - and once you've found them, you can make one trip to your colony instead of wandering about aimlessly for a while. There would need to be some balancing - providing too much of a resource would remove much of the challenge - but this way, one of the most tedious parts of the previous games gets revamped into something much more interesting.