Mass Effect 3 - - - Part 12

[SolarTiger]

Should Bioware get congrats for putting stuff in that should have been in the game day one?

I'm probably going to youtube the EC after work as I have no desire to go through Cronos station/Earth again.

 

[Matt]

The real question is, should they be congratulated for pure passive aggression?

 

[Master Chief]

For some reason it overwrites the autosave before the final choices so I can't be bothered to look up the other ones since I would have to sit through all the TIM stuff and the irritating Catalyst two more times. I went with my original choice, control, and it played out exactly how I originally envisioned it would.

Spoiler

Shepard would combine with the catalyst and control the reapers to rebuild and police the galaxy.

It fixes almost all the technical stuff that was wrong with the ending so there's no way this is content they didn't want to include, even though they're playing it off like that. They haven't regained my trust and haven't earned any points for delivering what they should have done in the first place but meh, the ending I got was fairly fitting and I can't complain anymore. And why the hell wasn't this the original post-game message?

 

[Matt]

They still haven't fixed the key problem, IMO...choice. They gave the player the choice to [blackout]reject the Star Child, but doing so just results in the player having their face spit in more or less while Shepard sits around and scratches his nuts.[/blackout] No matter what you do, no matter how much you've worked or built, you're still screwed and either have to take Star Child's word as gospel (rendering everything Shepard has done obsolete in the name of some deus ex) or you say no and [blackout]let the universe die[/blackout]. I think I would've been perfectly content if the new [blackout]reject[/blackout] ending took into account EMS and based on that decided [blackout]whether the allied forces live or die[/blackout], but instead it is just a way for BW to be snarky toward their fans once again and give them what they want at the expense of [blackout]killing off every character they've come to love.[/blackout]

 

[Philly Phanboy]

Extended Cut is now (finally) up on Origin. Slackers.

EDIT: You can add to cart but download craps out. *groan*

 

[Master Chief]

They still haven't fixed the key problem, IMO...choice. They gave the player the choice to [blackout]reject the Star Child, but doing so just results in the player having their face spit in more or less while Shepard sits around and scratches his nuts.[/blackout] No matter what you do, no matter how much you've worked or built, you're still screwed and either have to take Star Child's word as gospel (rendering everything Shepard has done obsolete in the name of some deus ex) or you say no and [blackout]let the universe die[/blackout]. I think I would've been perfectly content if the new [blackout]reject[/blackout] ending took into account EMS and based on that decided [blackout]whether the allied forces live or die[/blackout], but instead it is just a way for BW to be snarky toward their fans once again and give them what they want at the expense of [blackout]killing off every character they've come to love.[/blackout]

They did a good job of creating the illusion of choice though, and really that's more than I was expecting. If the EC were the original ending I would have been in the camp that felt it could have been better but it's fine, that's how they wanted to end it so that's that.

Extended Cut is now (finally) up on Origin. Slackers.

EDIT: You can add to cart but download craps out. *groan*

Hahah, Origin.

 

[Matt]

They did a good job of creating the illusion of choice though, and really that's more than I was expecting. If the EC were the original ending I would have been in the camp that felt it could have been better but it's fine, that's how they wanted to end it so that's that.

For me it is just too little too late. I think what particularly irks me is the addition of the [blackout]refuse ending[/blackout]. It stinks of passive aggression. If they left the original three and just expanded on them, fine. That is what they said they were going to do. But to add one, to give fans hope of actually having choice....[blackout]and "reward," that choice by killing all of the characters[/blackout], that comes off as petty, childish, passive aggressive mockery of their customers' opinions and to me and indicates to me that Casey Hudson, Mac Walters and the entire BW staff just don't appreciate their fans.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

Every character in the game screams at Shepard that the Reapers can't be defeated conventionally. Is it a shocker that trying so doesn't work?

Anywho - just finished the DLC. My rating for the ending goes from an F to a B+. Really happy with the work they put into it, actually finished ME3 for the first time feeling satisfied.

 

[Master Chief]

For me it is just too little too late. I think what particularly irks me is the addition of the [blackout]refuse ending[/blackout]. It stinks of passive aggression. If they left the original three and just expanded on them, fine. That is what they said they were going to do. But to add one, to give fans hope of actually having choice....[blackout]and "reward," that choice by killing all of the characters[/blackout], that comes off as petty, childish, passive aggressive mockery of their customers' opinions and to me and indicates to me that Casey Hudson, Mac Walters and the entire BW staff just don't appreciate their fans.

It is too little too late, even though one of the epilogue slides got a smile out of me. But I didn't feel that the rejection ending was a passive aggressive slight against the fans. When I saw the dialogue option to reject I went straight for it. People said they wanted that option and they worked it in, along with reasoning for why it turns out the way it does. Maybe if it were done in a half-assed way I'd get behind that idea but eh, I don't see it.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

And it ties into the Liara time capsule element which is a plus.

 

[smashmode]

heh.

EA is trolling us with

Spoiler

the new ending. You want to tell the starchild FU? Well then you lose.

 

[Matt]

Spoiler

Every character in the game screams at Shepard that the Reapers can't be defeated conventionally. Is it a shocker that trying so doesn't work?

Anywho - just finished the DLC. My rating for the ending goes from an F to a B+. Really happy with the work they put into it, actually finished ME3 for the first time feeling satisfied.

I call B.S. on that. As Javik says, there was never a true last stand against the Reapers in the last cycle. There is no reason to that if your EMS is strong enough (maybe 4,500 or more) and the player puts in enough effort that a force of that size couldn't beat the Reapers.

It is too little too late, even though one of the epilogue slides got a smile out of me. But I didn't feel that the rejection ending was a passive aggressive slight against the fans. When I saw the dialogue option to reject I went straight for it. People said they wanted that option and they worked it in, along with reasoning for why it turns out the way it does. Maybe if it were done in a half-assed way I'd get behind that idea but eh, I don't see it.

I just gotta disagree with you there. They knew that the players wanted more choices. And they gave them the biggest one that they were asking for....in the bleakest way possible. If that isn't passive aggression, I don't know what is.

Anyway, I watched the new endings on Youtube. I am still replaying ME3. I forgot how great the battle on Palaven's moon is. Seeing the Reapers bare down on Palaven....it gives me goosebumps. Sigh, it is really unfortunate that they ****ed up the ending so badly.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

I call B.S. on that. As Javik says, there was never a true last stand against the Reapers in the last cycle. There is no reason to that if your EMS is strong enough (maybe 4,500 or more) and the player puts in enough effort that a force of that size couldn't beat the Reapers.

The last stand is to get the Crucible into position, nobody has any illusions that they can beat them in a straight up fight. If you can point me to a spot where it says that the allied forces can assemble a large enough fleet to defeat the Reapers you'd have something, but every military leader in the game says the Reapers cannot be defeated conventionally. You're asserting something that the game says is completely not true on multiple occasions. That's all there really is to it.

 

[Master Chief]

And it ties into the Liara time capsule element which is a plus.

Heh, that was pretty nifty. I didn't feel anything when I saw it though. I think I said, "Oh." And immediately started to slog through the whole beam sequence to see the other endings.

I call B.S. on that. As Javik says, there was never a true last stand against the Reapers in the last cycle. There is no reason to that if your EMS is strong enough (maybe 4,500 or more) and the player puts in enough effort that a force of that size couldn't beat the Reapers.

I just gotta disagree with you there. They knew that the players wanted more choices. And they gave them the biggest one that they were asking for....in the bleakest way possible. If that isn't passive aggression, I don't know what is.

Anyway, I watched the new endings on Youtube. I am still replaying ME3. I forgot how great the battle on Palaven's moon is. Seeing the Reapers bare down on Palaven....it gives me goosebumps. Sigh, it is really unfortunate that they ****ed up the ending so badly.

They set the stage that a losing battle was being fought so it's not like it's gonna blind side anybody. It would have been nice to see a happy-ish rejection ending, and I still have a whole bunch of things I didn't like about the ending but eh, I'm not gonna complain anymore. I'm still gonna be wary of BioWare but at least now the trilogy has an ending.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

I'll also say while I would have still liked Harbinger to actually talk, the HISS he makes when he spots Shepard was pretty damned effective.

 

[Donut]

Heh, that was pretty nifty. I didn't feel anything when I saw it though. I think I said, "Oh." And immediately started to slog through the whole beam sequence to see the other endings.




They set the stage that a losing battle was being fought so it's not like it's gonna blind side anybody. It would have been nice to see a happy-ish rejection ending, and I still have a whole bunch of things I didn't like about the ending but eh, I'm not gonna complain anymore. I'm still gonna be wary of BioWare but at least now the trilogy has an ending.

At least with Dragon Age 3. If that were to be advertised as the last Dragon Age. There wont be any real outcry over anything they do. Due to the fact that the second one has almost nothing to do with the first one in any real big way. There is no character attachment there. Which I wonder if it will be how Bioware will from now on do their games

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

I honestly wouldn't mind a self contained ME game.

 

[Master Chief]

If they release a strategy game I'll get it, I'm getting burnt out on shooters.

At least with Dragon Age 3. If that were to be advertised as the last Dragon Age. There wont be any real outcry over anything they do. Due to the fact that the second one has almost nothing to do with the first one in any real big way. There is no character attachment there. Which I wonder if it will be how Bioware will from now on do their games

There is character attachment in DA, at least there was for me. But yeah, I see what you're saying. If they can survive after DA2, Old Republic and ME3 I'll be surprised if they put out any new IPs. They're gonna be all about appealing to the casual market now because they kissed a lot of their die-hard fans goodbye.

 

[Matt]

If they release a strategy game I'll get it, I'm getting burnt out on shooters.



There is character attachment in DA, at least there was for me. But yeah, I see what you're saying. If they can survive after DA2, Old Republic and ME3 I'll be surprised if they put out any new IPs. They're gonna be all about appealing to the casual market now because they kissed a lot of their die-hard fans goodbye.

Part of me thinks that we are going to be looking at some EA ordered shakeups at Bioware. They can't be happy about all of this.

 

[sacripanta]

The last stand is to get the Crucible into position, nobody has any illusions that they can beat them in a straight up fight. If you can point me to a spot where it says that the allied forces can assemble a large enough fleet to defeat the Reapers you'd have something, but every military leader in the game says the Reapers cannot be defeated conventionally. You're asserting something that the game says is completely not true on multiple occasions. That's all there really is to it.

And ME2 was set around a supposed "suicide mission" where, if you played your cards right, everyone could have survived. Hell, since the first game Shepard has pretty much beat the odds left and right. Why does ME3 necessarily HAVE to be different? They gave you that choice in ME2 and never gave it to you in 3. That's the problem.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

A ME strategy game could be pretty awesome in the right hands.

I also wouldn't mind a C-SEC point and click adventure game. I mean it won't happen... but I wouldn't mind it.

 

[Donut]

There is character attachment in DA, at least there was for me. But yeah, I see what you're saying. If they can survive after DA2, Old Republic and ME3 I'll be surprised if they put out any new IPs. They're gonna be all about appealing to the casual market now because they kissed a lot of their die-hard fans goodbye.

If there were to ever be a proper KOTOR 3 after TORs failure. I say Keep Bioware away from that as far as possible

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

And ME2 was set around a supposed "suicide mission" where, if you played your cards right, everyone could have survived. Hell, since the first game Shepard has pretty much beat the odds left and right. Why does ME3 necessarily HAVE to be different? They gave you that choice in ME2 and never gave it to you in 3. That's the problem.

Except ME2 is all about reminding you to prep your team for the final battle, the direct connection is made that the more ready you are - the better your team will do. Characters outright state this. Therefore the idea that you can "win" the suicide mission with enough preparation is introduced to the player.

ME3 positions the need for fleet building as 1. a delaying tactic to ensure they survive long enough to build the crucible and 2. In order to get enough forces into the final battle to successfully deliver the Crucible.

It never pretends for a second that, even combined, the allied forces have enough firepower to win conventionally.

 

[X Knight]

I've watched the extended endings on Youtube, including the new Refusal option.

The situation is still not perfect, but, on the whole, it's alot better than the original endings. If all of the extra stuff had been included in the 1st place, I think the backlash would have been alot less severe.

I'm still a bit iffy on the new Refusal option. I can see Matt's point that it feels like a slap in the face of fans, but I guess it doesn't bother me too much.

Now, with all of that said, does this make me want to go out and finally buy ME 3?

Not quite. I'm certainly more open towards buying it now, but I'm still going to wait till it's at a deep discount ( like in the $20 area ).

I guess I just don't care as much about the ME franchise. There are other games on the horizon that I'm more interested in. Plus, since they are still including the "Shep Lives" scene at the end of the Destroy option ( and that's the "hardest ending" to get ), that means Bioware has plans for ME 4 or whatever.

So, right now, I'm kind of more interested in what they are going to do next. Or what they're going to do with DA 3.........

 

[Soapy]

It never pretends for a second that, even combined, the allied forces have enough firepower to win conventionally.

Except Casey Hudson said the exact opposite.