Mass Effect 3 - The Arrival Thread!

[TheCorpulent1]

So did anyone notice that the life support room on the crew deck is never occupied by a character or squad mate? This is leading people to believe we may get another squad mate down the line.

I did notice that. Same thing with Jack's old hole at the bottom of Engineering. But I totally checked Life Support and Jack's hole every single time I ran around the ship talking to people, just in case.

ME seems to bring out the worst OCD in me.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Apparently going by what I am reading on the net, it is possible but you have to take an extremely STRICT path to get the effective military score to what you need it to be.

However, unless you're planning to pick [BLACKOUT] Destroy [/BLACKOUT] its a moot point since that is where the benefit comes in.





[BLACKOUT] He dies either way, the difference being he dies peacefully and talking to Shepard vs. Illusive Man shooting him a second time. [/BLACKOUT]

So then why the f*** are you making it sound like [blackout]you could save the ratty old bastard?[/blackout] QUIT PLAYING WITH MY EMOTIONS, DAMN YOU!

 

[Balthus Dire]

So I've been avoiding this thread until I completed the game, and now that I have, I'm surprised about the insane backlash around the net regarding the ending(s). Spoilers, obviously:

Spoiler

For me, like Pat, the only problem I had with the ending was the lack of closure with squad-mates, and the general lack of visible impact regarding your decisions. For the end of a trilogy, it's insane to not have closure about what happens to the vast amount of characters you come to know and love. It's a crime that they didn't think to add some kind of post-credits narration or something explaining each character/faction based on your choices throughout the games.

BUT...other than that, I found the ending to be very satisfying. I fully expected Shep to die from the get-go, so having him/her sacrifice themselves at the end of the Paragon ending was perfectly fitting in my eyes and very emotional.

So, all in all, I thought the end was fine apart from the lack of closure.

As for the theories about the possible ending "fixes:"

Spoiler

I'll be floored if Bioware retcons the endings with the indoctrination thing. It's a sound plot device for those who are unhappy with the end, but it'd be a huge slap in the face to anyone else. Seriously...what about those who can't afford/don't want/don't have access to DLC? They're just left in the dust with an "indoctrinated" ending? Lol no way, hose. I think what we got is what we got.

And, on an unrelated yet spoiler-worthy note:

Spoiler

Was anyone else NOT able to convince Illusive Man to shoot himself? I had FULL Paragon bar and had access to both Paragon and Renegade options throughout the entire game, including all but the final convo option with Illusive Man. By all rights, I should've been able to convince him, but both options were blocked in the end. I've seen on the Bioware forums others have experienced the same issue despite having full Paragon/Renegade, so WTF? Is it a bug??

It's great to be able to finally come to this thread and talk about stuff lol.

 

[Harriet Tubman]

Is that the [BLACKOUT]Shepard lives[/BLACKOUT] rumor going around?

Not a rumor. I got that ending with only playing a single MP game.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

So then why the f*** are you making it sound like [blackout]you could save the ratty old bastard?[/blackout] QUIT PLAYING WITH MY EMOTIONS, DAMN YOU!

Spoiler

Was anyone else NOT able to convince Illusive Man to shoot himself? I had FULL Paragon bar and had access to both Paragon and Renegade options throughout the entire game, including all but the final convo option with Illusive Man. By all rights, I should've been able to convince him, but both options were blocked in the end. I've seen on the Bioware forums others have experienced the same issue despite having full Paragon/Renegade, so WTF? Is it a bug??

It's great to be able to finally come to this thread and talk about stuff lol.

Spoiler

You need to use primarily Paragon choices throughout the entire game with him.

 

[iamlegend]

[BLACKOUT] As in not let Illusive Man kill him and then pick the Destroy ending. Again this is Effective Military Score at 4,000 or over, not Total Military Score. [/BLACKOUT]

Ahh...

Spoiler

Looks like I just missed the "secret" ending, then. My EMS was just a wee bit shy of 4,000. Knew I should have found a way to incorporate the Geth rather than having the Quarians destroy them...

I'm still assuming that, since this is apparently the last time Shepard's appearing anyway, the default ending is that he does, in fact, live? And only high scores get to see it.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

No, I don't think so since he only lives in Destroy at or near the max score.


Honestly, Shepard lives is reminding me of Mona Lives at the end of MP2 on the highest difficulty, the difference being that I don't think ME3 is going to mention whether or not Shepard lived.

 

[Harriet Tubman]

Spoiler

I'll be floored if Bioware retcons the endings with the indoctrination thing. It's a sound plot device for those who are unhappy with the end, but it'd be a huge slap in the face to anyone else. Seriously...what about those who can't afford/don't want/don't have access to DLC? They're just left in the dust with an "indoctrinated" ending? Lol no way, hose. I think what we got is what we got.

No offense, but that is a pretty stupid way at looking at it.

Spoiler

What about the people who had their Shepard die in ME2, only to come back in ME3. What if they can't afford/don't want/don't have access to ME3? They're just left in the dust with a "Shepard lives" ending? Lol, no way, Jose.


Even still, you could have another ending that leaves the galaxy in a similar state as the 3 current endings. To ignore any other possibilities is just being silly.

Spoiler

I don't think we're going to see Shepard live/die so I don't there there is going to be a default ending at all.

This is what I'm thinking.

Spoiler

No one is upset that Shepard dies, so if he lives/dies, it doesn't really matter. The reason why people are upset isn't due to Shepard dying, but due to the increadibly lazy and plothole ridden ending of the Starchild deal. That said, we still have people who think that the guys upset with the ending are only looking for a Disney ending, when no one is saying they want one. They just want Bioware to keep up their standard of excellent writing in the ME universe by not treating their consumers like babies.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

Bioware was very vocal that Shepard dying in ME2 was not canon prior or that at the very least that's the end of Mass Effect for that Shepard. In addition you need to go out of your way to get Shepard killed so I wouldn't say its quite the same thing.

 

[iamlegend]

Spoiler

See I don't mind Shepard dying - as soon as I turned the game on I was fairly confident that there was no way the guy was getting out of this thing alive. I was just kinda... meh... as to how it all went down. Even when he does die, dude just shoots a transformer and it's game over (at least in the destroy version).

That said...

Spoiler

Are we sure Shepard dies in the control ending? Has this been confirmed in any way? I thought, as it was explained, that he just kinda banished the Reapers and that was that. Obviously he dies in the synthesis version... but I thought he lived if he just ran the Reapers outta town, "died" if he blew them up. Hence the secret ending only appearing in the destroy version.

And...

Spoiler

Has anyone done/seen the synthesis ending? It's just... creepy...

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

Shepard disintegrates in the Control ending so he's dead there as well. It also looks like the more painful ending of the 3, my poor Shep died real good.

 

[Harriet Tubman]

Spoiler

Bioware was very vocal that Shepard dying in ME2 was not canon prior or that at the very least that's the end of Mass Effect for that Shepard. In addition you need to go out of your way to get Shepard killed so I wouldn't say its quite the same thing.

Spoiler

Bioware also said that our choices in 1 and 2 would come back to aid/hurt us by the end of ME3, and yet, my playthrough as an evil prick is the same as the perfect saint. I could have everyone die in ME2, but still have the same ending in ME3 if I had everyone survive. I could have the Quorians die in ME3, and get the same ending as a guy who has them live. I could kill Wrex, therefore taking away the Krogan from the final fight, and I would get the same ending if I pleased Wrex.


Either way, my previous post was just an extreme version of something. Add in the fact that Bioware has already put out post ending DLC to "fix" complaints that fans had of ME2 shows that they are willing to listen.

 

[Balthus Dire]

No offense, but that is a pretty stupid way at looking at it.

Spoiler

What about the people who had their Shepard die in ME2, only to come back in ME3. What if they can't afford/don't want/don't have access to ME3? They're just left in the dust with a "Shepard lives" ending? Lol, no way, Jose.


Even still, you could have another ending that leaves the galaxy in a similar state as the 3 current endings. To ignore any other possibilities is just being silly.

Wow, take it personally much?

Spoiler

For Bioware to put out a DLC that completely retcons the ending that shipped with the game would be ridiculous. If they were to expand on it, as in Shep is recovered from the wreckage and continues missions or whatever, that'd be different. But to have the default ending(s) be completely retconned is an insane expectation IMO.

And in regards to your ME2/3 comparison, it'd be more like if you let squadmates die in ME2 and they magically showed up in ME3 via DLC because people cried about it. That would be dumb.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

Endings aside I was very happy with how the ME1 and 2 choices played into Mass Effect 3.

As for the post-end DLC, something like Shadowbroker is quite a bit different than rewriting the end.

Now again I hope they fix the end, as in expand on the content that's already there and present it better. I will be totally on board for something like that; but if they do a "Hey it was all an indoctrination dream," I will be disappointed. That's not how the creative process should work.

 

[Harriet Tubman]

Wow, take it personally much?

Spoiler

For Bioware to put out a DLC that completely retcons the ending that shipped with the game would be ridiculous. If they were to expand on it, as in Shep is recovered from the wreckage and continues missions or whatever, that'd be different. But to have the default ending(s) be completely retconned is an insane expectation IMO.

And in regards to your ME2/3 comparison, it'd be more like if you let squadmates die in ME2 and they magically showed up in ME3 via DLC because people cried about it. That would be dumb.

Oh yes, the "u mad brah" response

Spoiler

How is it a retcon. If you were indoctrinated, you still get the ending YOU chose. You want sythesis? You still get it. You want to control the reapers? You still get it. Nothing is retconned here. You just seem to want to ignore this fact, along with the fact that I DON'T WANT them to change up the ending. Like USF, I want more explanation. Why was the Normandy out in the middle of nowhere during the fight for earth? Why were my squad members on the Normandy at the end, when they, according to Anderson, died running up to the beam?

I know I posted this earlier, but again, even people who enjoyed the current set of endings have said this is a much better ending


[YT]PoVnvJ4OxRg[/YT]

 

[iamlegend]

Spoiler

Bioware also said that our choices in 1 and 2 would come back to aid/hurt us by the end of ME3, and yet, my playthrough as an evil prick is the same as the perfect saint. I could have everyone die in ME2, but still have the same ending in ME3 if I had everyone survive. I could have the Quorians die in ME3, and get the same ending as a guy who has them live. I could kill Wrex, therefore taking away the Krogan from the final fight, and I would get the same ending if I pleased Wrex.


Either way, my previous post was just an extreme version of something. Add in the fact that Bioware has already put out post ending DLC to "fix" complaints that fans had of ME2 shows that they are willing to listen.

This is true.

Spoiler

I mean, short of potentially getting the "Shepard lives" ending, was there really any benefit to collecting so many war assets? You win the war one way or another regardless, so long as you cross that "minimum" line in the war room.

The only differences my friends and I have noted thus far really pertain to character plugs... I had someone who actually got Mordin through Tu'Chanka alive (A series of things set this up, first among them being he killed Wrex in ME1).

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

I know I posted this earlier, but again, even people who enjoyed the current set of endings have said this is a much better ending


[YT]PoVnvJ4OxRg[/YT]

Sure but we're already past that point. Hindsight is 20/20 I would rather work with what we have than just try to start retconning everything.

 

[Harriet Tubman]

Sure but we're already past that point. Hindsight is 20/20 I would rather work with what we have than just try to start retconning everything.

It really just goes to show how Bioware had an ending that made sense, but decided to go another direction. Its fine that they did that, but if they do, they really need more of a post game explanation.

Either way, I used to see Vigil as peaceful and full of hope, but now?

[YT]T7bE3hUwylQ[/YT]

ALL THESE TEARS

 

[Balthus Dire]

Oh yes, the "u mad brah" response

Spoiler

How is it a retcon. If you were indoctrinated, you still get the ending YOU chose. You want sythesis? You still get it. You want to control the reapers? You still get it. Nothing is retconned here. You just seem to want to ignore this fact, along with the fact that I DON'T WANT them to change up the ending. Like USF, I want more explanation. Why was the Normandy out in the middle of nowhere during the fight for earth? Why were my squad members on the Normandy at the end, when they, according to Anderson, died running up to the beam?

I know I posted this earlier, but again, even people who enjoyed the current set of endings have said this is a much better ending


[YT]PoVnvJ4OxRg[/YT]

LOL You're obviously pretty upset here, "brah." I don't know what said that could've possibly offended you to be so confrontational, so I'll assume you're just mad at the game. Which is fine.

Spoiler

It's a retcon because if you are indoctrinated for the entire ending(s), and thus get to chose a new ending in the assumption that the indoctrinated endings are a hallucination, the other endings are therefore moot. Thus, it becomes a retcon, because those other endings are no longer valid. That's pretty much exactly what a retcon does, and it would be a slap in the face.

And I'm not even sure WTF you're arguing with me for anyway, because I completely agree that there needs to be story closure for supporting characters. You don't need to retcon Shep's ending to incorporate that.

 

[Harriet Tubman]

LOL You're obviously pretty upset here, "brah." I don't know what said that could've possibly offended you to be so confrontational, so I'll assume you're just mad at the game. Which is fine.

Spoiler

It's a retcon because if you are indoctrinated for the entire ending(s), and thus get to chose a new ending in the assumption that the indoctrinated endings are a hallucination, the other endings are therefore moot. Thus, it becomes a retcon, because those other endings are no longer valid. That's pretty much exactly what a retcon does, and it would be a slap in the face.

And I'm not even sure WTF you're arguing with me for anyway, because I completely agree that there needs to be story closure for supporting characters. You don't need to retcon Shep's ending to incorporate that.

Spoiler

My god, touchy touchy. How are the other endings no longer valid? You chose that direction. You thought that was the proper way to finish the game. Even if you were indoctrinated, YOU as the player, deemed that to be the right action to take. I'm not arguing for the idea, merely presenting it, believing it to be an amusing thought, and the debate provides us with something other than "OMG MORDIN OMG THANE OMG LEGION OMG TALI" posts every other hour.

Either way, I'm guessing you haven't read my posts in which I have said that the previous 32.99 hours of the game were pure joy. I'm not mad at the game. Just disappointed in Bioware for presenting us this tripe. I would have expected some sort of resolution, and yet, we get none in terms of our squad/galaxy. Even a Fallout 3 ending pre Broken Steel would have been fine, like Bioware did for DAO before Awakening (another reason why post game DLC from Bioware is likely, because DAO had Awakening made in response to fan outcry over the ending).

Again, for the billionth time, I AM NOT FOR THE CHANGE.

 

[iamlegend]

LOL You're obviously pretty upset here, "brah." I don't know what said that could've possibly offended you to be so confrontational, so I'll assume you're just mad at the game. Which is fine.

Spoiler

It's a retcon because if you are indoctrinated for the entire ending(s), and thus get to chose a new ending in the assumption that the indoctrinated endings are a hallucination, the other endings are therefore moot. Thus, it becomes a retcon, because those other endings are no longer valid. That's pretty much exactly what a retcon does, and it would be a slap in the face.

And I'm not even sure WTF you're arguing with me for anyway, because I completely agree that there needs to be story closure for supporting characters. You don't need to retcon Shep's ending to incorporate that.

Spoiler

I'm hesitant to believe that we'll get any kind of epilogue for the supporting characters. This is Bioware. They have no qualms with having characters just kinda wander off and have no resolution.

I mean I hope we get something... but who knows. The DLC for this ME will be interesting, since it either has to act as an epilogue or as an in-story addition. No post-game stuff like LOTSB.

 

[iamlegend]

Spoiler

My god, touchy touchy. How are the other endings no longer valid? You chose that direction. You thought that was the proper way to finish the game. Even if you were indoctrinated, YOU as the player, deemed that to be the right action to take. I'm not arguing for the idea, merely presenting it, believing it to be an amusing thought, and the debate provides us with something other than "OMG MORDIN OMG THANE OMG LEGION OMG TALI" posts every other hour.

Either way, I'm guessing you haven't read my posts in which I have said that the previous 32.99 hours of the game were pure joy. I'm not mad at the game. Just disappointed in Bioware for presenting us this tripe. I would have expected some sort of resolution, and yet, we get none in terms of our squad/galaxy. Even a Fallout 3 ending pre Broken Steel would have been fine, like Bioware did for DAO before Awakening (another reason why post game DLC from Bioware is likely, because DAO had Awakening made in response to fan outcry over the ending).

Again, for the billionth time, I AM NOT FOR THE CHANGE.

Spoiler

IDK how much we'll see here, though. Yes, Bioware made Awakening, but they also went out and made Witch Hunt, which had the player character and Dragon Age's most prominent supporting character potentially disappearing to parts unknown (which Bioware has or less said they may never get around to explaining).

We'll get something, yes, but I doubt it'll be everything fans want.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Yea agreed. The dlc for this will be very interesting.

What's everyone thoughts of "hang on to those saves" tho?

 

[Harriet Tubman]

Yea agreed. The dlc for this will be very interesting.

What's everyone thoughts of "hang on to those saves" tho?

To be fair, I don't think anyone is going to delete their saves, honestly.

That said, the same guy who said that also said that From Ashes isn't on disc, and yet, when you look into the game files, the only thing missing seems to be the mission itself.

 

[iamlegend]

To be fair, I don't think anyone is going to delete their saves, honestly.

That said, the same guy who said that also said that From Ashes isn't on disc, and yet, when you look into the game files, the only thing missing seems to be the mission itself.

From Ashes is in there somewhere, since...

Spoiler

The closing scene in my version had Javik be the first guy out of the Normandy after Joker.