Mass Effect 3 - The Arrival Thread!

[Upset Spideyfan]

Use the terminal on the left and [BLACKOUT] Miranda should appear. [/BLACKOUT]

 

[Harriet Tubman]

As i figured, most of those that didn't like the endings completely blew it out of proportion. I felt it the ending(at least the one i got) was great, sad, but still a great end. Granted it offered up more questions, but I'm assuming that will be answered in DLC. I dont really see how they could give us any more DLC and make it fit into this story without it being some kind of epilogue.

Also, a question about the ending i got:

Spoiler

I chose to destroy the reapers. In doing so that also destroyed the mass relays correct? And I'm assuming that means humanity basically went back to square one in terms of space travel? Is that what the little after credits scene was basically saying?

Spoiler

If you are fine with the ending, can you explain how your squad members appeared on the Normandy at the end, despite being told that no one survived? If you look on the ground after you wake up, your squad members are nowhere to be found. Does this mean that my guys (Garrus and Javik) left me to die? That doesn't seem like Garrus. Could you explain to me why the Normandy wasn't near Earth? Or could you explain why in ME2's DLC "Arrival", after a mass relay is destroyed, it destroys its star system, but in ME3, destroying mass relays doesn't do this? Also, does the ending with the Normandy inspire hope? Not with me, seeing as Turians, Humans, and Quorians cannot survive with the same food, meaning that someone will die barring help ASAP.

Oh wait, help isn't coming, since the Mass Relays have been destroyed.

I don't mind a sad ending. Just don't give me a lazy one. Even if they gave us some epilogue via text, ala Fallout, I'd be fine. Let me know what I have done to help/hurt the galaxy. Right now, we have no idea what any of us have done.

Spoiler

Wow, you really did miss people. You should've already encountered Mordin and Wrex in the main quest line and gotten an opportunity to see Jack and Grunt in side missions.

Spoiler

I think Thane is on the Citadel after Palaven, meaning he would come before any of the other characters

 

[The_Shadow]

Use the terminal on the left and [BLACKOUT] Miranda should appear. [/BLACKOUT]

Yea did that and she wasn't there.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

If you are fine with the ending, can you explain how your squad members appeared on the Normandy at the end? Could you explain to me why the Normandy wasn't near Earth? Or could you explain why in ME2's DLC "Arrival", after a mass relay is destroyed, it destroys its star system, but in ME3, destroying mass relays doesn't do this?

Spoiler

I'm with you on the Normandy nonsense, but we don't know the science of what the Crucible did to the Relays, it may have discharged a lot of its power in spreading the effect of the Crucible throughout the galaxy. Regardless they were not physically destroyed and we don't know the mechanics behind the Crucible so I don't think we can call BS on that particular point.

 

[Donut]

So according to the theory

Spoiler

Shepard gets knocked out from the beam & hallucinated the entire ending we witness. He was being controlled by the Reapers etc. There could be possible DLC where Shepard wakes up & is free from that control & say he is still in London & he & his team keep going towards the Citadel ?

Correct ?

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

I completely doubt any of that's going to happen. It sounds like fans grasping for straws.

 

[Harriet Tubman]

This is pretty much how I am taking the ending for the time being. I'm sorry, but I could not believe someone who said that this isn't better than what we got.

[YT]PoVnvJ4OxRg[/YT]

Spoiler

I'm with you on the Normandy nonsense, but we don't know the science of what the Crucible did to the Relays, it may have discharged a lot of its power in spreading the effect of the Crucible throughout the galaxy. Regardless they were not physically destroyed and we don't know the mechanics behind the Crucible so I don't think we can call BS on that particular point.

Spoiler

If that is what happened, I'm fine with that, but still, it should have been explained in further detail. Just going off what mass relays have done in the past? The galaxy should be destroyed.

So according to the theory

Spoiler

Shepard gets knocked out from the beam & hallucinated the entire ending we witness. He was being controlled by the Reapers etc. There could be possible DLC where Shepard wakes up & is free from that control & say he is still in London & he & his team keep going towards the Citadel ?

Correct ?

Pretty much

Spoiler

I completely doubt any of that's going to happen. It sounds like fans grasping for straws.

I don't disagree that it is unlikely, but if Bioware makes post ending DLC, its basically the only way it could even be possible.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Spoiler

If you are fine with the ending, can you explain how your squad members appeared on the Normandy at the end, despite being told that no one survived? If you look on the ground after you wake up, your squad members are nowhere to be found. Does this mean that my guys (Garrus and Javik) left me to die? That doesn't seem like Garrus. Could you explain to me why the Normandy wasn't near Earth? Or could you explain why in ME2's DLC "Arrival", after a mass relay is destroyed, it destroys its star system, but in ME3, destroying mass relays doesn't do this? Also, does the ending with the Normandy inspire hope? Not with me, seeing as Turians, Humans, and Quorians cannot survive with the same food, meaning that someone will die barring help ASAP.

Oh wait, help isn't coming, since the Mass Relays have been destroyed.

I don't mind a sad ending. Just don't give me a lazy one. Even if they gave us some epilogue via text, ala Fallout, I'd be fine. Let me know what I have done to help/hurt the galaxy. Right now, we have no idea what any of us have done.

Spoiler

Eh, none of that is really important. I think its just simple oversight on the dev's part. I mean i agree its odd, but you can simply say, oh well there was enough time to get your squad back to the Normandy and book it while you set off the crucible. So there, theres how your squad got back to the Normandy.

Again, my only issue was there was too much left open considering this is the end of the trilogy, but then again, countless other movies and tv shows have taken this route. I also think it was done like this because there will be some sort of follow up DLC.

I mean it was still a great ending overall. Sheppard sacrificing himself to save the galaxy thus making him a legend that future generations talk about, but yet at the same time forcing the galaxies inhabitants to "start over" so to speak was really powerful.

 

[Harriet Tubman]

Spoiler

Eh, none of that is really important. I think its just simple oversight on the dev's part. I mean i agree its odd, but you can simply say, oh well there was enough time to get your squad back to the Normandy and book it while you set off the crucible. So there, theres how your squad got back to the Normandy.

Again, my only issue was there was too much left open considering this is the end of the trilogy, but then again, countless other movies and tv shows have taken this route. I also think it was done like this because there will be some sort of follow up DLC.

I mean it was still a great ending overall. Sheppard sacrificing himself to save the galaxy thus making him a legend that future generations talk about, but yet at the same time forcing the galaxies inhabitants to "start over" so to speak was really powerful.

Spoiler

Again, if that is the case, where were they when Shepard woke up? Their bodies weren't on the ground. Are we expected to believe that your squad members ditched Shepard when Harbinger attacked? Either way, if you have even read my previous posts, you perfectly sum up my complaints with the bold line. Its not just one oversight. Its many.

Also, you guys should listen to this. It is the journal entry on indoctrination from ME3. It says "Organics undergoing indoctrination may complain of headaches and buzzing or ringing in their ears"

[BLACKOUT]Didn't Vega ask a few times "What is that buzzing noise?", only for Shepard to shrug him off?[/BLACKOUT]

"As time passes, they have feelings of 'being watched' and hallucinations of 'ghostly' presences.

[BLACKOUT]Similar to the dreams that Shepard had of the boy, leading to the boy to be the Catalyst?[/BLACKOUT]

Spoiler

I think Shepard could have been indoctinated. In two of the three endings, Reapers live on, but Shepard doesn't. In the "Destroy Reapers" ending, Shepard can live? That just makes too much sense.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Interesting. So what does that mean? Where does it go from there?

 

[Harriet Tubman]

Interesting. So what does that mean? Where does it go from there?

Spoiler

I think that even if Bioware didn't set it up this way, they have placed a ton of smaller details into the game that allows for post game DLC to "fix" the issues that fans have with the ending. My complaint, again, isnt the choices we get. I never expected to die, and like you say, it makes sense for Shepard to sacrifice himself for the greater good. That said, the rest is pretty lazy, and if they wanted to "fix" it, they have a great base to start with.

Oh, and one other thing. It may be more minor (and possibly totally wrong), but for 2.99 games, we are told that reapers are evil and we need to stop/destroy them. When we get to the catalyst, that is the renegade option? Becoming a reaper, which we just saw Illusive Man attempt and fail at, is the paragon option? For the entirety of the series (minus the last five minutes) it is the opposite, but for some reason it changes? Its almost as if the Catalyst (a Reaper construct) is telling you "Hey, the evil option is to kill the Reapers, so don't kill the Reapers" when just minutes earlier, you fought Illusive Man so that you could destroy the reapers. It makes little sense......unless you are indoctrinated.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

At this point I don't want them to rewrite the ending, I think that would be kind of a ****** thing to do and would send all the wrong messages and ultimately I'm fine with most of it. Like Pat said [BLACKOUT] I'm fine with the Relays biting it and Shepard dying. The idea of the universe sort of having to undergo this monumental shift following the end of the Reaper threat lends them weight as an event that the galaxy won't shrug off as a really crazy month. [/BLACKOUT]

What I think most fans really want is a much larger expansion and a re-presentation of the ending, more dialogue options reflecting our Shepard's actions throughout the series and better closure is what was needed.

 

[spiderbob]

Agreed.
I've enjoyed the endings, as well as the 90+ hours it took to get there. Just a bit more clarification would have been nice, maybe akin to Dragon Age.

 

[spiderbob]

Old issue, but this made me chuckle.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

Oh, and one other thing. It may be more minor (and possibly totally wrong), but for 2.99 games, we are told that reapers are evil and we need to stop/destroy them. When we get to the catalyst, that is the renegade option? Becoming a reaper, which we just saw Illusive Man attempt and fail at, is the paragon option? For the entirety of the series (minus the last five minutes) it is the opposite, but for some reason it changes? Its almost as if the Catalyst (a Reaper construct) is telling you "Hey, the evil option is to kill the Reapers, so don't kill the Reapers" when just minutes earlier, you fought Illusive Man so that you could destroy the reapers. It makes little sense......unless you are indoctrinated.

Spoiler

I think the alignment flip works because Shepard has perspective that neither of them did.

Illusive Man wanted to control the Reapers to make humanity more powerful whereas Shepard orders them to cease hostilities and leave. Its not about power which is the fundamental difference between the two.

And as for destroying all Synthetics the price at this point is murdering EDI at the very least and likely the Geth as a whole if Shepard has a paragon alignment. A Shepard with the Geth as allies has likely been arguing that the Geth are sentient creatures that have as much the right to live as organics and deciding to sacrifice them reflects a Renegade's At all Costs mentality.

 

[iamlegend]

I... I just don't know.

About the ending in general...

Spoiler

There were a lot of plot holes, and the explanation for why the Reapers show up every 50,000 years was really pretty bunk. I mean, okay, I can't blame Bioware too much - endings are hard. Especially when you've told such an epic story. But this just came off as a colossal fail. And then everything's so open-ended... No resolution at all for the side characters/what happened to the galaxy...

And am I the only person that was pretty annoyed that there was NO direct confrontation with Harbinger in ME3 after the buildup in ME2?

One thing that REALLY annoyed me...

Spoiler

The "secret" ending that was basically awarded exclusively to multiplayer users... Shepard surviving. It's almost impossible to complete in standard play, and I just feel cheated. And, because it's a "secret" ending, there's no confirmation that it's legit. Is this just a bonus scene, or actually what supposedly happened? Is my Shepard dead because I didn't get enough of a Military Force (which would be stupid, since I don't see how a military force rating effects whether or not a guy survives a huge space station blowing up).

 

[spiderbob]

Ending:
[BLACKOUT]Harbinger shows up at the end. He's the one that hits you with the beam.[/BLACKOUT]

One thing that REALLY annoyed me...

Spoiler

The "secret" ending that was basically awarded exclusively to multiplayer users... Shepard surviving. It's almost impossible to complete in standard play, and I just feel cheated. And, because it's a "secret" ending, there's no confirmation that it's legit. Is this just a bonus scene, or actually what supposedly happened? Is my Shepard dead because I didn't get enough of a Military Force (which would be stupid, since I don't see how a military force rating effects whether or not a guy survives a huge space station blowing up).

I took [BLACKOUT]the secret ending to be akin to the legendary ending in Halo 3. So, pretty legit.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

[BLACKOUT] I suspect the Harbinger thing is a lot of people on the ME boards complained that Harbinger was too meme-y and they couldn't take him seriously as a threat.

Kind of a stupid thing to give into because after Rannoch I was almost sure Harbinger and Shepard were going to have some kind of a face off. Oh well. [/BLACKOUT]

 

[iamlegend]

Spoiler

I think the alignment flip works because Shepard has perspective that neither of them did.

Illusive Man wanted to control the Reapers to make humanity more powerful whereas Shepard orders them to cease hostilities and leave. Its not about power which is the fundamental difference between the two.

And as for destroying all Synthetics the price at this point is murdering EDI at the very least and likely the Geth as a whole if Shepard has a paragon alignment. A Shepard with the Geth as allies has likely been arguing that the Geth are sentient creatures that have as much the right to live as organics and deciding to sacrifice them reflects a Renegade's At all Costs mentality.

See, here's my take on the situation...

Spoiler

The "control the Reapers" fate is the Paragon move because it spares Synthetic life (EDI, the Geth, etc.) and saves the universe's technology.

The "destroy the Reapers" fate is Renegade because it decimates all that and, while saving the galaxy, basically blows it backwards in time hundreds (if not thousands?) of years by destroying all that Tech.

While there were certainly some fireworks in the Paragon ending, I'm fairly certain that the Catalyst made it plain that the Tech only blew up in the Renegade ending?

Who knows.

That said, I destroyed the Reapers.

 

[iamlegend]

[BLACKOUT] I suspect the Harbinger thing is a lot of people on the ME boards complained that Harbinger was too meme-y and they couldn't take him seriously as a threat.

Kind of a stupid thing to give into because after Rannoch I was almost sure Harbinger and Shepard were going to have some kind of a face off. Oh well. [/BLACKOUT]

Spoiler

If that's the case it's pretty stupid. The (thing?) was the established face of the Reapers and got what amounted to one small mention in ME3. I thought for sure he'd be some kind of boss battle, or at least get a few scenes where he taunted Shepard. Instead... nothing.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Spoiler

That would've been a nice way to personalize the fight with the Reapers. Instead, Harbinger's just one among many of those identical crab-looking motherf***ers.

 

[iamlegend]

Spoiler

That would've been a nice way to personalize the fight with the Reapers. Instead, Harbinger's just one among many of those identical crab-looking motherf***ers.

Spoiler

Yep. Did it bother anyone else that the final real boss battle we got in the ME trilogy was... Kai Leng? Seriously?

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

I didn't mind the last sort of confrontation being a conversation against the Illusive Man. If anything I kind of appreciate that they went with a more quiet finale than a big bombastic one.

That being said we should have fought Harbinger on Earth.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Spoiler

I didn't mind it. He's a pretty cool villain. History with Anderson, kind of a badass anti-Shepard, disciple of the anti-Anderson (the Illusive Man), etc. He was a nice evil mirror version of Shepard, which makes for a great showdown. Plus he totally f***ed with Shepard hard all through the game, so there was definitely adequate buildup to make him a memorable boss. Shepard dealing with his/her first real, tangible loss against Kai Leng on Thessia was a great emotional moment in the narrative, too.

That said, I do agree that a personalized battle with a Reaper (ideally Harbinger) would've been nice. Maybe have an indoctrination level where you get to push the Reaper out of Shep's mind. Although, that might put a kink in the indoctrination theorists' ideas.

Spoiler

I think Thane is on the Citadel after Palaven, meaning he would come before any of the other characters

Oh, well, shows you what I get for running my mouth off before I've played a game where everyone survived ME 2.

 

[Master Chief]

As i figured, most of those that didn't like the endings completely blew it out of proportion. I felt it the ending(at least the one i got) was great, sad, but still a great end. Granted it offered up more questions, but I'm assuming that will be answered in DLC. I dont really see how they could give us any more DLC and make it fit into this story without it being some kind of epilogue.

Also, a question about the ending i got:

Spoiler

I chose to destroy the reapers. In doing so that also destroyed the mass relays correct? And I'm assuming that means humanity basically went back to square one in terms of space travel? Is that what the little after credits scene was basically saying?

You were ok with no emotional closure whatsoever? You're very easy to please.

The Normandy as a whole may kind of suck (who knew "military standards" included the replacement of virtually every bit of aesthetically pleasing design with mounds and mounds of clutter and boxes and s***?), but that memorial wall was a great idea.

They were in the middle of retrofitting when the Reapers attacked lol, and yeah, I really liked the memorial wall too.

This is mainly what I want to know. Are they BIG differences? Earth shattering? etc...According to the wiki the comic allows you to choose 6 points from ME1 that are important before you pick things up in ME2. And I'm cool with that, I just want to know more about the differences.

Also appreciate the responses.

ME: Genesis is the worst. It cuts out Ilos among other great little things. The differences might not be earth shattering, but I can't imagine playing through Mass Effect 2 and 3 without Conrad Verner. Or having a gun stuck in my back coz I let a terrorist go in ME1. Or proving to Tali that I'm really Shepard because I helped her complete her pilgrimage. Little things like that are what make the series one of my favourites, and that's what made all of 3 such an emotional ride.

Spoiler

I think the alignment flip works because Shepard has perspective that neither of them did.

Illusive Man wanted to control the Reapers to make humanity more powerful whereas Shepard orders them to cease hostilities and leave. Its not about power which is the fundamental difference between the two.

And as for destroying all Synthetics the price at this point is murdering EDI at the very least and likely the Geth as a whole if Shepard has a paragon alignment. A Shepard with the Geth as allies has likely been arguing that the Geth are sentient creatures that have as much the right to live as organics and deciding to sacrifice them reflects a Renegade's At all Costs mentality.

Interesting, but...

Spoiler

You can't control the Reapers! THEY CONTROL YOU!!

It doesn't matter the perspective. Indoctrination makes you think you're doing the right thing of your own free will, that's how deep in your head they get.

I went around the ship after every mission to see what folks had to say and Vega did complain about a buzzing sound on one than more occasion... awesome.