Mass Effect

[jimmuhpage]

Haha, I'm just not a shotgun person. But given your persuasive arguments, I'll give it a shot.......

 

 

 

...gun

[Waldorf and Statler]

Vargras.... how did I miss that video you posted earlier?

 

Best thing ever. Subscribed to the channel in a matter of seconds. Oh god that was awesome.

[CorgiShinobi]

Actually got to finish the game myself, which required a little late night rundown. Still, I couldn't see myself starting the final mission and picking it up 18 hours later.

 

To start off, I have had an amazing time with the game. It was really only today when things became frustrating like being disconnected from EA servers during multiplayer and my game freezing twice. Still, I'll say it again, the character dialogue and interaction is amazing. Garrus has amazing lines, as well as others we've mentioned. I made sure to check all of the Normandy for the dialogue bits.

 

That said, this leads into what has bothered me for some time: the DLC and multiplayer. I won't go into detail because, again, it has been discussed, but Javik actually had some plot driven moments for an "optional" teammate. I really don't like the randomized pack system for multiplayer because I feel like it limits my potential. I have so many shotguns, but I don't use them. I want to use another assault rifle, but the three other rifles are still at Lv 1 whereas my M-8 Avenger is now Lv 6. Thankfully I've unlocked a few other classes I want to try playing.

 

You can completely see the manipulative nature to Mass Effect 3. I mean, I will never pay money for multiplayer packs, but there's a sucker born every minute and so there's another source of revenue added to the game. I collected more than enough assets in my 40 hours, actually to the point I nearly had 7,000. With 3,500 at 50%, I would definitely have to play a little multiplayer to get the good ending for...

 

the Destruction choice. However I chose Synthesis.

 

YES I WILL EXPLAIN WHY, BUT HOLD ON!

 

 

It's true what everyone has said about the last ten minutes. It's like running a marathon, but not crossing the finish line because you tripped over a beaver. It's not that you didn't finish that's so perplexing, it's that you tripped over a damn beaver. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!

 

It hasn't ruined the game for me though, and there's a lot of ridiculous crap going on for both parties as we've discussed. Here's the thing though, it really didn't have to end up the way it did, even with the same plot if they were so inclined.

 

SPOILERS!

 

 

It's that you're given that extra choice that completely offsets the ending. I didn't have enough Paragon points (hard to believe) to have the Illusive Man shoot himself, though his final words while laying on the ground after I shot him were still a great moment. That's an example of my choices making a difference in the ending. I follow the thought that, yes, the ending incorporates more than the final cutscene. I would say the part where you're running to the beam is the beginning of the ending. I say this because you just got done with fighting off a crap ton of Banshees and Marauders (I died seven times) that everything else is more cinematic than typical gameplay.

 

Anyway, to the actual "final" decision. I can get why I'm talking to a child persona, I can get the whole Catalyst-Repear-Citadel connection, but the logic isn't sound (as said before). The original plot involving dark energy should have been preserved. I mean, even Mass Effect 2 still had factoids about the influence of dark energy. I don't care if it was going to be a rendition of Gurren Lagann, it still would have made sense. No, instead I'm told that something like the geth would happen and we would be doomed.

 

Except I made the quarians and geth become allies to the point that the geth were helping the quarians rebuild on Rannoch and improving the quarians' immune system.

 

OH JEEZ!

 

It was like deja vu because the Catalyst reminded me of the salarians who were always certain the krogan would become a threat. They came up with a "solution" that didn't have any other "alternative." Except when the magical Shepard comes in and makes nice-nice. As for the three ending variants, I'll start with Destruction as it's the easiest.

 

It makes sense to the point that it was your goal to destroy the Reapers and now you have the means to. The only downside is that you'll destroy all synthetic life too. That means the geth (as was said) and EDI. This might also mean that synthetic enhancements would be... disabled? Who knows, but that's about it. You can easily choose this option if you didn't give a crap about the geth and didn't bother to have Joker and EDI hook up. Of course, you're warned of the inevitable doom your cycle will come to with... SYNTHETICS!

 

Control didn't have enough of an explanation as to the overlaying results aside from, "Well you aren't under our control, so you could control us." Why? So you can somehow hypothetically advance civilizations? It's subtlety implied, but under this choice you would also keep the Citadel. I guess that would help all the aliens trapped on Earth, as well as rebuilding Earth. Why did this have to destroy the mass relays though? I'll tell you why, but after the last choice...

 

SYNTHESIS! I chose this one because I actually cared about synthetic lifeforms. The geth were now helping the quarians, and in fact the geth had advanced due to the Reaper code Legion downloaded. Not to mention I was a little sympathetic after the geth's true origin. This was in my story, so obviously this will be different for others. I also had Joker and EDI hook up and now they're pretty much the same kind of being. Why did this have to destroy the Citadel though? I can understand the mass relays, but a synthesis shouldn't really have that kind of effect on it. Destruction, yeah that makes sense because to destroy the Reapers you technically have to destroy the Citadel with the Crucible.

 

Now the reason why these all have problems is because... IT'S ALL NEARLY THE SAME! Anyone who has finished the game has seen the comparison video in this thread. It's lazy, really frickin' lazy to have multiple endings that have minor differences marked by three different colors.

 

 

If they forced an ending on you based on prior actions, that's kinda what people expected, right? I mean, if you're going to have multiple endings anyway. If there were only two, I think people would indeed be pissed if they were stuck with the bad ending, but I guess we would have to say, "It's how you played Mass Effect, it's your doing."

 

I'm starting to ramble as it's late for me... and I have taken quite some time typing this, so there.

 

EDIT: Oh wait, WAIT! Was about to log out, but I remember the other

 

part of the ending. The whole stargazer and child scene. While, yeah, the whole scene is unoriginal, it made me wonder if "Shepard" was named according to the eventual "shepherding" of the different galactic races. At least, that whole "tell me more of the Shepard" line would sound reasonable rather than mystical.

 

Edited March 21, 2012 by Atomsk88

[Hot Heart]

Got my pack for killing a load of Brutes. And it gave me a Widow II. Yay.

 

I just want my Krogan back though.

[TheMightyEthan]

Oh yeah, I want to see what I got in my packs...

 

*Edit* - The most exciting thing I got was the Viper II. I got the N7 Hurricane, but I don't use SMGs on any of my characters.

Edited March 21, 2012 by TheMightyEthan

[TheMightyEthan]

That said, this leads into what has bothered me for some time: the DLC and multiplayer. I won't go into detail because, again, it has been discussed, but Javik actually had some plot driven moments for an "optional" teammate.

 

I think this is a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." If the DLC character is integrated well into the rest of the game like Javik then people will say "this is central to the game, it should have been included!" Whereas if the DLC is just tacked on and not integrated well like Kasumi and Zaeed of ME2 people will say "this is shoddy work, you should have put more effort into integrating it!"

[jimmuhpage]

I feel like if development wasn't so expensive, it could have had multiple endings like Chrono Trigger (there are already a few similarities between Trigger and the first Mass Effect), where you can get two or three endings based on your past choices and then let you try to take back Earth at any point in time in NG+. Then those endings show only the consequences of not doing what you were supposed to do next, with a few bonus endings that are just silly.

[Vargras]

Vargras.... how did I miss that video you posted earlier?

 

Best thing ever. Subscribed to the channel in a matter of seconds. Oh god that was awesome.

 

Same guy has made some other videos about 'Legion & Friends', and plans to make it a running series. Which is basically the best news ever.

 

[TheMightyEthan]

http://blog.bioware.com/2012/03/21/4108/

 

... Exec Producer Casey Hudson and the team are hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey. You’ll hear more on this in April. [...] This is in addition to our existing plan to continue providing new Mass Effect content and new full games...

 

w00t!

 

Unlike some, I don't actually want them to change the events of the ending (except perhaps

the magical teleportation of your team back to the Normandy

), but I do want them to expand on the events to give us more understanding of what ultimately happens.

[Johnny]

That said, this leads into what has bothered me for some time: the DLC and multiplayer. I won't go into detail because, again, it has been discussed, but Javik actually had some plot driven moments for an "optional" teammate.

 

I think this is a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." If the DLC character is integrated well into the rest of the game like Javik then people will say "this is central to the game, it should have been included!" Whereas if the DLC is just tacked on and not integrated well like Kasumi and Zaeed of ME2 people will say "this is shoddy work, you should have put more effort into integrating it!"

 

The solution? Don't make characters DLC. I'm fine with extra side missions and mini-expansion style things, but when you start making characters it DLC it gets kind of messy.

[TCP]

I think post-game content was always in the works. Hopefully they don't change the actual ending though.

[TheMightyEthan]

You're right, there was always some in the works, that's why I also quoted the part where they said "this is in addition to our existing plan..."

Edited March 21, 2012 by TheMightyEthan

[Strangelove]

It's a sad day for artistic integrity. Sigh....

[TheMightyEthan]

Oh please, there was no artistic integrity in the ending of this game to start with. The behind-the-scenes app shows that the ending was cobbled together at the last minute.

 

Ordinarily though I'd be inclined to agree with you.

[Vargras]

It's a sad day for artistic integrity. Sigh....

 

Bioware doesn't do anything involving the endings:

-"Bioware is run by greedy bastards who don't listen to their fans!"

 

Bioware does something involving the endings:

-"It's a sad day for artistic integrity. I can't believe they crumbled to pressure from the fans."

 

As was mentioned earlier, damned if you do and damned if you don't.

 

Oh please, there was no artistic integrity in the ending of this game to start with. The behind-the-scenes app shows that the ending was cobbled together at the last minute.

 

Ordinarily though I'd be inclined to agree with you.

 

Regardless, it was their ending that they decided upon. Were this any other game, folks probably would have just gone "Well, that sucks. Time to move on".

Edited March 21, 2012 by Vargras

[Strangelove]

It doesnt manner why the ending exists as it is. It was their decision. Whether it was laziness or idiocy or greed, it was their choice. Its not up to you or anyone else to change it.

I personally didnt hate it, but I didnt like it either. Id be down for dlc to expand on it, but I dont want it to change. Nothing should be altered. Nothing should be replaced because whiny assholes demanded it.

Shit, I hate the rave scene in Matrix Reloaded. If it was up to me I would have never put it in the movie. Its a sin against God, thats how bad I think that scene is. But it is what it is. Im not going to pester the directors, writers, or the studios to change it or remove it. Thats a shit move. At this point, shitty parts of art and media exist to mock or discuss. That in itself is worth it i think.

 

All that being said, I want them to change the ending too because I know they can do better. But if they dont change it, I wont care. Im in no place to demand anything from anyone else.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Strangelove

[TheMightyEthan]

I personally didnt hate it, but I didnt like it either. Id be down for dlc to expand on it, but I dont want it to change. Nothing should be altered. Nothing should be replaced because whiny assholes demanded it.

 

I agree with this. I don't want anything changed (again, except for I'd be okay with them changing that one wtf plot hole I mentioned in spoilers above), I just want it expanded upon.

[Strangelove]

If anything, there should be more endings to pick from. I hate the Fallout 3 approach, but adding a bunch of screenshots and a narrator saying what happened to each living character would be fine with me, then followed by the regular ME3 endings we all got. That way those endings would make more sense to people. It wouldnt change it, but it would add to it.

 

I have a feeling people would still be pissed though.

[TheMightyEthan]

Yeah, I've been saying from the beginning that a slideshow like that is all I want.

[TCP]

Personally, I'd like to see an expansion pack where you play as a Liara/Garrus/whoever survived on that weird jungle planet. At least in my ending, Shep sacrificing himself to save the galaxy was a fitting end for him, time to move on.

[TheMightyEthan]

Oh yeah, unlike a lot of people, I'm perfectly okay with

 

 

Shep dying no matter what. I just want to see what happens to the characters/species after that.

 

 

*Edit* - An after-the-end DLC where you

 

 

Play as someone else, maybe Zaeed, to help Aria retake Omega could be really cool.

 

Edited March 21, 2012 by TheMightyEthan

[TCP]

I just want to see what Tali and Garrus' children will look like. Do they need suits?!?!

[Waldorf and Statler]

I can already tell what they're gonna do. The indoctrination theory would be admitting they completely fucked up. Here's my honest to god theories of what is likely

 

 

 

They'll cut to joker and the rest of the team discussing in the jungle what's next and why they did what they did. They might cut into Shepard somehow telling Joker to get everybody to safety before the laser thing happened. They might discuss what an honor it was to serve under Shepard.

 

Then they'll probably show a near future scene where the galaxy somehow has a mass relay-like FTL speed machine so they can travel again. There will probably be a scene in the Citadel with a huge service for those that lost their lives, most importantly Shepard. Then Garrus will have to do some calib...

 

OH GOD. From behind the statue Marauder Shields pops out and shoots everybody

 

"Bitches, Shepard didn't kill me. Nuh uh. I killed Shepard [shk shk] with guns [POW]."

 

Then he kills everybody. Then he looks at the screen and extends a giant middle finger saying "you wanted closure well here it is. everybody fucking died. fuck you. THE END.

 

[TCP]

That'd be one ballsy fucking ending, W&S.

[Waldorf and Statler]

At this point they said they want to give CLOSURE not to give us a better ending. Giving an alternate ending would be generally fucking over any chance a future game could come back and mention this one without choosing a canon ending. they need to extend this one. people want to know that we didn't fuck over the entire galaxy and unfortunately, they will need to probably give more plotholes.