[Megathread] Mass Effect 3

[Valedus]

Spoilers:

The biggest upset to me, about the ending, was that none of the hopes and dreams of the crew amounted to anything. Tali wanted to go back to Rannoch and rebuild their homeworld, get out of exile, etc. Shepard wanted to finally retire after saving the galaxy one last time, etc. None of that happened. Even if the galaxy barely survived, that's the ending I would have liked. I got so invested in the character stories, cared about most of my crew, etc, and none of it meant a damn thing. Either way, I ended up dooming the galaxy. (Red ending, still blew up mass relays, screwing over the inter-connected council races, etc as was said before.)

That deviant art ending a couple posts up is exactly what I would have liked to see. It didn't have to be super happy, but I wanted a sense of actually winning. Beating the odds. Each of the endings right now, still feels like the Reapers won in the end. Synthesis isn't survival, it seemed more like giving up to me(green ending). Controlling the Reapers isn't really an ethical decision(blue ending), and nothing I would have done in Shepard's position (I can see why it's a choice though, I like that.) The red ending, what I chose, allowed me to kill off the Reapers, but it had side effects I didn't like.

Because of this, it makes me really like that ending on the deviant art page. With every fleet, and the combined power of every race, how is that not able to fight off the Reapers, even with heavy casualties? I'm inclined to believe the dream sequence theory. Too many impossibilities happened, so it was either a dream, or rushed like hell right at the climax of the game(terrible idea for any game company, Bioware is smarter than that...). (No helmet in space, Anderson beating you there even though he didn't charge with you and even said nobody made it to the beam, etc.) And don't even get me started on the Normandy crash landing after leaving the fight... so doubtful that your loyal crew would do that. They've gone to hell and back with Shepard, even gone on a mission they knew they had terrible chances. Hell, in my ME2 playthrough, Jack died instantly before we even got to the Collector Base. They know casualties are always a possibility, and fight anyway. They wouldn't leave. It has to be a nightmare of Shepard's.

Edit: Holy crap sorry haha, wrote a wall of text and forgot to do the tags. Mah bad. >.<

[obdigore]

Hardcore spoilers there Capt. Why don't you use the spoiler tags [spoiler] and [/spoiler]?

[Reah]

Interestingly, the poll linked above has now broken 31,000 votes in favour of "Endings sucked", and it's climbing steadily.

I think if Bioware does decide to fix the endings up via dlc, they "have" to make them free, not doing so would be like pouring gasoline on a forest fire at this point.

Sorry but I disagree.

If Bioware decides in their generosity to release a DLC that provides other endings then I'm all for them charging for that DLC. The 60 dollars people have spent so far is for the game in it's current and COMPLETE form. No matter how much of a majority of the fanbase hate the endings Bioware owes nothing to anyone. The game is finished and anything else is just additional content that Bioware would be well within their right to charge for.

[Valedus]

Sorry but I disagree.

If Bioware decides in their generosity to release a DLC that provides other endings then I'm all for them charging for that DLC. The 60 dollars people have spent so far is for the game in it's current and COMPLETE form. No matter how much of a majority of the fanbase hate the endings Bioware owes nothing to anyone. The game is finished and anything else is just additional content that Bioware would be well within their right to charge for.

Yeah, it's totally within their right, but even a lot of loyal fans would be real ticked off. Especially after the Day 1 DLC thing. It wouldn't be a good PR decision for Bioware.

[sidelsky18]

So let me get this straight. These are the endings?

Left path - "Blue Ending" - Shepard gains control of the Reapers (and dies? His body disintegrates). The Reapers fighting on Earth retreat. The Mass Relays are destroyed, and Joker piloting the Normandy escapes barely, crash landing on an unknown planet. Joker, Liara, and the others of Shepard's squad emerge from the downed ship. The scene changes to an older man telling a boy the story of Shepard in a snowy forest with Earth in space in the background.

Center path - "Green Ending" - Shepard sacrifices himself to merge Synthetics and Organics. The Reapers fighting on Earth retreat. The Mass Relays are destroyed, and Joker piloting the Normandy escapes barely, crash landing on an unknown planet. Joker, Liara, and the others of Shepard's squad emerge from the downed ship. The scene changes to an older man telling a boy the story of Shepard in a snowy forest with Earth in space in the background.

Right path - "Orange Ending" - Shepard shoots a part of the crucible that releases its energy, destroying the Reapers. The Reapers fighting on Earth are deactivated. The Mass Relays are destroyed, and Joker piloting the Normandy escapes barely, crash landing on an unknown planet. Joker, Liara, and the others of Shepard's squad emerge from the downed ship. The scene changes to an older man telling a boy the story of Shepard in a snowy forest with Earth in space in the background.


What's odd is that in the blue and green endings (?) sometimes a body will be shown among the rubble with an N7 tag that takes a breath, it may be Shepard. Also, some of the options aren't available, probably depending on the choices you make during the game. For me, only the path leading to the right (orange ending) was built, there was no path to the center or left sides.

[Xuvial]

Well, I found out what happened to my beloved Kelly Chambers.

She was on the citadel, when Cerberus raided the docks they approached her asking "Are you Kelly Chambers?". Being the innocent cute little redhead she was, she answered "Yes" and they immediately shot her in the head. I saved her from being melted-down in the Collector Base and she ended up getting murdered in cold blood by Cerberus anyway, she died innocent and clueless.

I sat there in front of my laptop in silence for a good 2-3 as it sank in, she was easily my favorite crew member from Normandy. I hope there is an option near the end to torture and kill the Illusive Man with my bare hands. Actually add Bioware to that list too since they believe in killing everyone important to me.

[llDemonll]

Is it really that hard to make sure your spoiler tags are working?

[Gorthezar]

Just thought i would stop in and say i cried man tears at the end.

[Deleted]

I haven't played this game and have no intention of doing so but I've been reading about the endings out of curiosity since reading a news article about people demanding a new ending to the game.

At first I thought it was downright cheeky of anyone to demand such a thing and I still do. I'd never ask George Lucas to re-write Episodes 1 -3 or re-make Indiana Jones 4. I may ask him to slowly back away from his typewriter (or whatever he writes his formulaic drivel on these days) before putting two slugs into his head and then spending the rest of my life on deathrow pretending that those last movies never happened. But they did and we just have to move on with our lives seething with resentment.

However, it struck me that this apocalyptic ending might end up being a ruse on bioware's behalf to sneak in more DLCs which people WILL pay money for in order to get some decent closure. I hope they do because bioware, as a developer, and EA, as a publisher, have been taking their dicks and been wiping them all over the players's faces for far too long and they really need to be kicked back down to reality.

I hate it when developers or hollywood shit all over people's dreams / memories like they seem so fond of doing these days just to make a shit load of money.

[obdigore]

I haven't played this game and have no intention of doing so but I've been reading about the endings out of curiosity since reading a news article about people demanding a new ending to the game.

At first I thought it was downright cheeky of anyone to demand such a thing and I still do. I'd never ask George Lucas to re-write Episodes 1 -3 or re-make Indiana Jones 4. I may ask him to slowly back away from his typewriter (or whatever he writes his formulaic drivel on these days) before putting two slugs into his head and then spending the rest of my life on deathrow pretending that those last movies never happened. But they did and we just have to move on with our lives seething with resentment.

However, it struck me that this apocalyptic ending might end up being a ruse on bioware's behalf to sneak in more DLCs which people WILL pay money for in order to get some decent closure. I hope they do because bioware, as a developer, and EA, as a publisher, have been taking their dicks and been wiping them all over the players's faces for far too long and they really need to be kicked back down to reality.

I hate it when developers or hollywood shit all over people's dreams / memories like they seem so fond of doing these days just to make a shit load of money.

Funny, I think the endings in the game are the best endings I could have thought of. Much better than if they were all sweetness and light. I would have loved some more info on different people/places or what happens after the mass relays are destroyed, but the message of the endings were good, I thought.

Not to mention the fact that it will be awesome if we find out the whole thing is just Shepard getting indoctrinated by a Reaper and the ending you chose is Shepards response.

[Deleted]

I didn't like the ending not because it was sad(although I would have preferred a happy choice too) but because it felt odd, incomplete and left more questions than answers.

It's kinda like you play it, the conclusion draws near and then a wizard pops up and makes you choose between a heart, a rainbow and a kiss. That's exactly how I felt in the very end, like WTH? Your choices since ME1 didn't matter for anything. Nothing was explained and some things were just plain odd.

It either means they decided to make ME4 in the very end and wanted to funnel everything into a canon ending and end ME3 with a cliffhanger, there is a "real ending" coming or they really don't care about selling more DLCs for the game.

[Notos]

Funny, I think the endings in the game are the best endings I could have thought of. Much better than if they were all sweetness and light. I would have loved some more info on different people/places or what happens after the mass relays are destroyed, but the message of the endings were good, I thought.

All the endings don't have to be bright and sunny. If you don't gather enough war assets then you should fail at the end. If you gather some then you should sort of succeed but with heavy casualties. And if you take the time to scrounge up every possible asset, including a bunch of stuff from the previous games and DLCs, then you should get an ending rewarding you appropriately for your effort. As it is the only extra thing you get is a 5 second clip showing that Shepard is a live or dreaming or whatever people want to think, and you have to sacrifice the Geth and EDI so that Shepard can live. Nothing else about the crew or the fate of the galaxy or anything. At least the whole Joker flying away part makes sense in the "Earth gets destroyed" endings (the worse ones). It feels like the "better" endings should have had something else happen to the Normandy.

[Deleted]

Well, I found out what happened to my beloved Kelly Chambers.

She was on the citadel, when Cerberus raided the docks they approached her asking "Are you Kelly Chambers?". Being the innocent cute little redhead she was, she answered "Yes" and they immediately shot her in the head. I saved her from being melted-down in the Collector Base and she ended up getting murdered in cold blood by Cerberus anyway, she died innocent and clueless.

I sat there in front of my laptop in silence for a good 2-3 as it sank in, she was easily my favorite crew member from Normandy. I hope there is an option near the end to torture and kill the Illusive Man with my bare hands. Actually add Bioware to that list too since they believe in killing everyone important to me.

About Kelly.

you can talk to her before this incident shes in the docks, by a crate near where you heard this info about her death, theres an option to tell her to change her ID, if you do that she changes names and lives so BW didnt kill her you did by your inaction or wrong choice

[Xuvial]

About Kelly.

you can talk to her before this incident shes in the docks, by a crate near where you heard this info about her death, theres an option to tell her to change her ID, if you do that she changes names and lives so BW didnt kill her you did by your inaction or wrong choice

.......

SHIT.

Reloading that save.

[OrcsRLame]

For those disappointed with the ending, fans are trying to make their voices heard.
http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/to...ndex/9845819/1
http://retakemasseffect.chipin.com/r...ct-childs-play

[Deleted]

The count on the Facebook petition page is also rising steadily: http://www.facebook.com/DemandABette...gToMassEffect3 Holy crap that's one long link!

A friend linked that to me yesterday and within 12 hours there's already 5000 more members than last night... When I saw the page there were a bit over 13000 people joined at that moment and now the numbers are over 18000. Wow.

[jtgizmo]

Well here are my dissections of the ending

Couple of questions or so to speak thoughts to think about

1. Illusive Man was all torn up - why? We know that when Shepard talked to Catalyst, when the choices are shown, we see illusive man getting ripped appart and not being able to do it. We also see Anderson shoot the other option. One could argue that Illusive Man represented the synthetics, where as Anderson represented organics. So maybe thats why it was shown like that.

2. The conversation between illusive man and Shepard (with Anderson) starts off as a dream sequence, but if you look, the black edges only really come around when Sheppard is being controlled (why couldnt anderson move?), especially visible when IM makes him shoot Anderson.

There is a definite plot hole for Joker to be travelling somewhere/basically running from explosion - so I think this will be explained in future DLC.

Something to think about Stargazer is that speaks/walks (imho) from the same planet that the Joker and the crew crash landed. When Joker crash lands and crew looks onto horizon - there is 2 planets, same with Stargazer.

Sheppard surviving - this is most probably imho to explain in future DLCs what happens after reapers/synthetics are killed.

In general for the first time play through - the endings are tough choice and not ideal, not something I wanted, but satisfying. But then finding out that they are pretty much identical with just diff colors - thats just sucks.

So I am pretty sure things will be corrected in future DLC....milking the cash cow as much as you can EA

[Kaneiac]

I found an interesting bit in the codex to lend strength to the indoctrination theory...

It mentions those in early indoctrination see "ghostly presences"...

The Catalyst was a "ghostly presence", wasn't he?

Holy fucking shit. I swear, if this turns out to be the way it goes down...

http://i.imgur.com/WKTtT.jpg - there's the entry

[Deleted]

I found an interesting bit in the codex to lend strength to the indoctrination theory...

It mentions those in early indoctrination see "ghostly presences"...

The Catalyst was a "ghostly presence", wasn't he?

Holy fucking shit. I swear, if this turns out to be the way it goes down...

http://i.imgur.com/WKTtT.jpg - there's the entry

Holy crap, that's really something. I mean when TIM controls you with his Reaper-kind powers you hear the ringing in your ears and all, so the ghostly presence thing couldn't be far fetched. And yes, the Catalyst was in a ghostly form that just kinda vanished when you chose which ending to go for.

[Kaneiac]

Holy crap, that's really something. I mean when TIM controls you with his Reaper-kind powers you hear the ringing in your ears and all, so the ghostly presence thing couldn't be far fetched. And yes, the Catalyst was in a ghostly form that just kinda vanished when you chose which ending to go for.

This entire thing...

I keep getting images of that Giorgio Tsoukalos guy going ANCIENT. ALIENS.