[Megathread] Mass Effect 3

[Oerba Yun Fang]

I quite liked it. I remember reading the whole thing, and a video that Angry Joe did on Youtube and i was like "Whoooaa , slow down son, wuttt? how come i hadn't noticed that" . I brainstormed the whole thing for hours, and then i ended up replaying all 3 games on a Paragon shepard (my original character was a Renegade) , to watch all the dialogues and scenes that the indoctrination theory referenced as proof that Shepard was indoctrinated. That said, the endings were left satisfiable after the free Extended cut dlc, and more so after Leviathan DLC which explains the origins of Star Child and the Reapers.

I had two main problems with it:

A) I don't really like it when protagonists have that sort of weakness. It's just a personal thing but I like the idea of the protagonist somehow being above the influence of the enemy.

B) There were points that I felt were seriously grasping at straws. For instance one of them was James asking if anyone else heard a hum while aboard the Normandy. A hum in the cargo bay of a space vessel? Surely not, no!

I don't really have a problem with people believing in the indoctrination theory, I just did not like it and did not want it to actually be what was happening in the game. If people want that to be their head cannon I'm good with that. lol

[Statix]

I quite liked it. I remember reading the whole thing, and a video that Angry Joe did on Youtube and i was like "Whoooaa , slow down son, wuttt? how come i hadn't noticed that" . I brainstormed the whole thing for hours, and then i ended up replaying all 3 games on a Paragon shepard (my original character was a Renegade) , to watch all the dialogues and scenes that the indoctrination theory referenced as proof that Shepard was indoctrinated. That said, the endings were left satisfiable after the free Extended cut dlc, and more so after Leviathan DLC which explains the origins of Star Child and the Reapers.

Hmm, once again it's obvious I should have downloaded and installed all of the DLC before completing the game and not just the Extended Cut DLC. I really wanna experience those DLCs, but it's quite hard knowing how it's going to end. Even with my own ending.

Though, if the Starchild and Reapers were explained in the Leviathan DLC, I'm not even sure if I wanna experience it. Because it could ruin my epilogue.

Could have been yet another oversight, considering the amount of oversights the original endings had. Albeit a huge oversight.

All those things pointing to the Indoctrination Theory; that's quite a lot of oversights. It's probably one of the biggest coincidences in the history of coincidences that they all point to the same thing. I'll watch a 2-hour vid on YouTube about the Indoctrination Theory after the Extended Cut tomorrow, see what comes out of it.

I guess the question still stands, how can I know if I like a thread or not without freaking reading it?

That's actually quite easy.

.... and there we fucking go again.

You said again, so you knew the thing you were talking about had already happened, implying that you have already read this thread in the past.

[Razael]

I had two main problems with it:

A) I don't really like it when protagonists have that sort of weakness. It's just a personal thing but I like the idea of the protagonist somehow being above the influence of the enemy.

B) There were points that I felt were seriously grasping at straws. For instance one of them was James asking if anyone else heard a hum while aboard the Normandy. A hum in the cargo bay of a space vessel? Surely not, no!

I don't really have a problem with people believing in the indoctrination theory, I just did not like it and did not want it to actually be what was happening in the game. If people want that to be their head cannon I'm good with that. lol

I'll give you that some points could have been a coincidence. My opinion differs on your A). I quite like it when the heroes aren't portrayed as demi-gods. It helps to feel connected to the characters. At least for me. Although surely there were some points that left you in doubt? His dreams (the oily shadows the Rachni queen references in the first game) , the whole scene when Shepard enters the Citadel for the last time. How the FUCK did Anderson get in there? Or the Illusive Man for that matter? It was awhile ago but im pretty sure i was the last man standing when Harbinger went over 9000. How come everyone that enters in contact with Reaper artifacts or technology gets Indoctrinated, except Shepard? The star child . I HATE it when they pull out stuff like this, introducing some sort of heavenly character to end the story .

[Nazrark]

In other news, Harrier I and Black Widow I. I should probably go buy a lottery ticket.

[Oerba Yun Fang]

Yeah there were things that didn't make sense but there were a lot of things that didn't make sense. And honestly, Anderson and TIM being up there isn't entirely outlandish. I think Anderson was with you when you started the final charge, so it's not entirely inconceivable that he somehow managed to get to the beam. And TIM was indoctrinated so it's entirely possible the Reapers simply brought him there beforehand, perhaps as a last line of defense if Shepard somehow managed to slip through. As for the dreams, seeing things in dreams that you've heard of isn't really strange.

[Razael]

Anyways Statix, to end this "Ending" discussion, i'm sure the other frequent users are tired of seeing it =p , i definatly recommend at least buying the Leviathan DLC . It's the one "must buy" to provide some closure to the ending. The others are mostly irrelevant to the main plotline.

---------- Post added 2013-02-11 at 02:44 AM ----------

Yeah there were things that didn't make sense but there were a lot of things that didn't make sense. And honestly, Anderson and TIM being up there isn't entirely outlandish. I think Anderson was with you when you started the final charge, so it's not entirely inconceivable that he somehow managed to get to the beam. And TIM was indoctrinated so it's entirely possible the Reapers simply brought him there beforehand, perhaps as a last line of defense if Shepard somehow managed to slip through. As for the dreams, seeing things in dreams that you've heard of isn't really strange.

I very much doubt a guy in his mid 60's would be a match to Shepard, after all he/she had went through to get there. Still it definatly isn't inconceivable.

---------- Post added 2013-02-11 at 02:45 AM ----------

In other news, Harrier I and Black Widow I. I should probably go buy a lottery ticket.

I had the Harrier but not the Black Widow when i stopped playing MP. You're definatly having a lucky day =p

[Statix]

Sure, it's almost a year later. But people are still talking about the IT, so it has not been disproved yet. Nor confirmed of course.

Curious though, since I completed the game, can I play the Leviathan DLC with a post-ending but pre-Cerberus HQ mission save? Or does it have to be a save where you have not completed the game with yet?

[Oerba Yun Fang]

I very much doubt a guy in is mid 60's would be a match to Shepard, after all he/she had went through to get there. Still it definatly isn't inconceivable

Hey he managed to keep up well enough in Vancouver, and he survived all that time on Earth while Shepard was off playing politician. Don't underestimate the old bastard! :P

---------- Post added 2013-02-10 at 04:47 PM ----------

Curious though, since I completed the game, can I play the Leviathan DLC with a post-ending but pre-Cerberus HQ mission save? Or does it have to be a save where you have not completed the game with yet?

There's no post-ending saves as far as I know (none playable at least, it just flags your career as completed for NG+ eligibility). I don't think it autosaves after you completed the game, you'd just have to start from your pre-HQ save to do it on that career.

[Razael]

Sure, it's almost a year later. But people are still talking about the IT, so it has not been disproved yet. Nor confirmed of course.

Curious though, since I completed the game, can I play the Leviathan DLC with a post-ending but pre-Cerberus HQ mission save? Or does it have to be a save where you have not completed the game with yet?

A pre-cerberus HQ mission save isn't for all intents and purposes a finished game. Its the point of no return. I'm almost positive you can, though, i can't confirm as i did all DLCs on a third character as soon as i could. Once you buy the DLCs you should be able to do them if you have the Pre-Cerberus HQ save.

[Cat1337]

I'm pretty much on the same boat as Moontalon. I never really found the Indoctrination Theory very plausible (or liked it), to me it seemed people were just looking into things too much than they really should be. It's just my opinion though. I don't have a problem with other people believing it, it's just I personally never really felt like it could ever happen.

In other news, Harrier I and Black Widow I. I should probably go buy a lottery ticket

I still need the damn Harrier...and Paladin...and Reeger....those are the only guns I'm missing...RNG hates me.

[Oerba Yun Fang]

A pre-cerberus HQ mission save isn't for all intents and purposes a finished game. Its the point of no return. I'm almost positive you can, though, i can't confirm as i did all DLCs on a third character as soon as i could. Once you buy the DLCs you should be able to do them if you have the Pre-Cerberus HQ save.

Aye you should be able to do anything in the game before you start Cerberus HQ, but once you start the Cerberus HQ you're locked in until the credits roll. That's why it saves before the Cerberus HQ. I think they might have actually designed it that way specifically so players could use their "main" Shepard career to do the DLC that would be released later on.

[Statix]

Right, I thought as much. Still, the pop-up telling you Shepard is now a legend and you can enjoy the DLCs is quite confusing. Shepard becomes a legend because of what she accomplishes in those final two missions, yet technically, they haven't happened yet.

Pre Cerberus HQ also makes a lot of sense because of the From Ashes DLC, where you have to do to Eden Prime to remove Cerberus.

I did find it very annoying you could not save the game prior to making the final choice. There is an autosave just before you do, but once the cutscenes start playing, there's no way of loading that autosave before you roll into the credits and return to pre-Cerberus HQ and the game is autosaved. Of course, with Youtube, you can watch all endings there. :P Still, seeing my own Shepard is better.

[Statix]

Don’t get me wrong, the discussion about the game ending isn’t a problem at all ~ !

It’s bound to show up time to time no matter what, and it’s actually a good thing, at least is a topic I enjoy. The only thing that can become a problem here, is as I said, the “Rhole Effect”, if not carefully dealt with, it can give a lot of users a massive headache… I would even link you the last case of a “Rhole Effect” but even I am afraid to go back there again =(

Feck, you just sparked my curiosity. Now I need to know. :O

[Oerba Yun Fang]

I think he means Rhorle. He's a user here. Go back a few pages and you can see some of his posts. He posts pretty often.

[Statix]

I think he means Rhorle. He's a user here. Go back a few pages and you can see some of his posts. He posts pretty often.

Hmm, he actually responded to my first post here. Read a few of his posts, but still don't know what "Rhole Effect" or "Rhorle Effect" actually means.

[Adam Jensen]

Aye you should be able to do anything in the game before you start Cerberus HQ, but once you start the Cerberus HQ you're locked in until the credits roll. That's why it saves before the Cerberus HQ. I think they might have actually designed it that way specifically so players could use their "main" Shepard career to do the DLC that would be released later on.

Yes, but I like the game too much and end up starting new playthroughs when a new DLC comes out

and sometimes a few times between DLCs

[Oerba Yun Fang]

Yes, but I like the game too much and end up starting new playthroughs when a new DLC comes out

and sometimes a few times between DLCs

I know the feeling. lol

[Cat1337]

Yes, but I like the game too much and end up starting new playthroughs when a new DLC comes out

and sometimes a few times between DLCs

This. It's just not the same playing a new DLC without playing the game again. It just feels more Complete (Just imagine a rainbow suddenly appearing and angels harmonizing)

[Very Tired]

I wonder how Cerberus makes its money. I never seemed to find it on my own. They just seem to have an infinite source of income.

[Deleted]

Seems like I have not missed anything this weekend besides the 100000th time anyone in here discussed the endings.

Yeah old news and stuff

---------- Post added 2013-02-11 at 10:03 AM ----------

I wonder how Cerberus makes its money. I never seemed to find it on my own. They just seem to have an infinite source of income.

You know I should not talk about it (company secrets you know ) but I just say rich humans that like to see humanity on top

That´s how it works ... for real !!