Mass Effect 3

[Vengeance]

^ sweet, some pretty nice ideas there

 

[Reek]

well i am thinking the first 1/3 of mass effect 3 is the reapers attacking earth. Shep and crew stopping it. the 2/3rd is all about the humans and shep gaining the trust of the other races and all joining as one. the final 3rd, shep and his crew attack the reapers at their base...take em out...then come back to earth to have the final battle. if it even goes that far.

**prays for a 3 disc bad ass epic game**

 

[Vengeance]

Never really thought about how they'd lay out the game but that makes a lot of sense Cory with the getting other races joining in, etc.

Arrival DLC trailer released two days ago...if nobody hasn't already seen it before to have a nerdgasm

 

[Soapy]

Well, given the events of The Arrival, I think ME3 will open with [BLACKOUT]Shepard on trial[/BLACKOUT] on Earth. I could see the Reapers beginning their attack on Earth during or immediately after that. Especially if Shepard [BLACKOUT]is found guilty[/BLACKOUT]. I haven't given much thought how the rest of the game will shake out, but I'm pretty sure that will be the first or at least one of the first major events in the game.

 

[imaperson2]

Haven't played Arrival yet...but I hear something about [BLACKOUT]killing off Batarians?[/BLACKOUT]
Do you think that

Spoiler

that's why we see him in the trailer just watching as Earth is being attacked? He's probably barred from doing any fighting but once the humans get desperate, they call upon him? Feel free to spoil Arrival for me if I'm completely wrong.

 

[Soapy]

Haven't played Arrival yet...but I hear something about [BLACKOUT]killing off Batarians?[/BLACKOUT]

Yeah, pretty much. Read at your own risk: [BLACKOUT]Shepard shoots an asteroid into a mass relay which explodes and destroys an entire solar system along with over 300,000 Batarians[/BLACKOUT]. As I said in the ME2 thread, it's kind of an interesting twist on [BLACKOUT]the ME1 DLC Bring Down the Sky[/BLACKOUT]. Which if you haven't played it, [BLACKOUT]involves Shepard stopping a group of Batarians from doing nearly the exact same thing, except to humans[/BLACKOUT]. It would be really great if both of those things play into [BLACKOUT]Shepard's Trial[/BLACKOUT] in some way.

Do you think that

Spoiler

that's why we see him in the trailer just watching as Earth is being attacked? He's probably barred from doing any fighting but once the humans get desperate, they call upon him? Feel free to spoil Arrival for me if I'm completely wrong.

It's possible. Obviously this is just pure speculation on my part, but since my first playthrough of ME1 I've always thought that one of the big decisions in ME3 is whether or not Shepard is going to save Earth or perhaps sacrifice it for the greater good or something like that. And I think perhaps if [BLACKOUT]Shepard is found guilty, humanity might turn its back on him[/BLACKOUT] and I could definitely see how that might factor into such a theoretical quandary.

So yes, I think it's entirely possible that's Shepard in the trailer just watching Earth get burned away because [BLACKOUT]he's not allowed to fight[/BLACKOUT], or it could be him prepping to take a ship down there and kick ass, or it could be him quite literally turning his back on Earth.

We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

 

[Matt]

Yeah, pretty much. Read at your own risk: [BLACKOUT]Shepard shoots an asteroid into a mass relay which explodes and destroys an entire solar system along with over 300,000 Batarians[/BLACKOUT]. As I said in the ME2 thread, it's kind of an interesting twist on [BLACKOUT]the ME1 DLC Bring Down the Sky[/BLACKOUT]. Which if you haven't played it, [BLACKOUT]involves Shepard stopping a group of Batarians from doing nearly the exact same thing, except to humans[/BLACKOUT]. It would be really great if both of those things play into [BLACKOUT]Shepard's Trial[/BLACKOUT] in some way.



It's possible. Obviously this is just pure speculation on my part, but since my first playthrough of ME1 I've always thought that one of the big decisions in ME3 is whether or not Shepard is going to save Earth or perhaps sacrifice it for the greater good or something like that. And I think perhaps if [BLACKOUT]Shepard is found guilty, humanity might turn its back on him[/BLACKOUT] and I could definitely see how that might factor into such a theoretical quandary.

So yes, I think it's entirely possible that's Shepard in the trailer just watching Earth get burned away because [BLACKOUT]he's not allowed to fight[/BLACKOUT], or it could be him prepping to take a ship down there and kick ass, or it could be him quite literally turning his back on Earth.

We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

I don't think its the case of him being not allowed to fight, after all, the marine in the trailer said "If Shepard doesn't bring help soon, there won't be an Earth left to save." So clearly Shepard isn't a pariah if a lowly marine is expecting him to bring help. Besides, would it really matter if a government told you you're not allowed to fight? You have the best ship in the galaxy (which isn't under government control) and you just sit around and watch your home get destroyed because a bureaucracy says no? Finally, Shepard is outside of the authority of the Alliance. As Captain Anderson says in ME1, Shepard is no longer a member of the Alliance Fleet and he has the right to tell that admiral that he is not allowed to search the Normandy due to Shepard's Specter status. As long as you except reinstatement from the council, there is not much the alliance can do.

I think people are overthinking it. I think its more of a matter that Shepard is on a mission to get reinforcements. Although I doubt Shepard is actually observing the destruction of London. I think that part of the trailer is more thematic and less of an actual part of the story. While I'm sure that the trial will come up, I doubt it will result in Shepard being forbidden to fight in the midst of a genocide which claimed nine million lives in one week.

 

[Soapy]

I don't think its the case of him being not allowed to fight, after all, the marine in the trailer said "If Shepard doesn't bring help soon, there won't be an Earth left to save." So clearly Shepard isn't a pariah if a lowly marine is expecting him to bring help. Besides, would it really matter if a government told you you're not allowed to fight? You have the best ship in the galaxy (which isn't under government control) and you just sit around and watch your home get destroyed because a bureaucracy says no? Finally, Shepard is outside of the authority of the Alliance. As Captain Anderson says in ME1, Shepard is no longer a member of the Alliance Fleet and he has the right to tell that admiral that he is not allowed to search the Normandy due to Shepard's Specter status. As long as you except reinstatement from the council, there is not much the alliance can do.

I think people are overthinking it. I think its more of a matter that Shepard is on a mission to get reinforcements. Although I doubt Shepard is actually observing the destruction of London. I think that part of the trailer is more thematic and less of an actual part of the story. While I'm sure that the trial will come up, I doubt it will result in Shepard being forbidden to fight in the midst of a genocide which claimed nine million lives in one week.

No, I definitely think he'll be kicking reaper ass. That would be crazy if he was [BLACKOUT]wasn't allowed to fight[/BLACKOUT] during a reaper attack. Again, this is all just speculation on my part, but I could potentially see [BLACKOUT]Shepard being found guilty at his trial, getting his ship grounded, being forbidden from fighting, etc.[/BLACKOUT] But then the reapers show up and the powers that be reverse their decision real quick.

 

[Matt]

I'm thinking the trial will be more of a way for the Illusive Man to try to reassert control over Shepard, assuming Shepard did not give him the base. Its been implied that the Illusive Man has very high ranking political allies. If Shepard cut ties with the Illusive Man at the end of ME2, he may use the trial to regain control over Shepard. Otherwise, he may help Shepard due to the fact that Shepard is his ally.

 

[Soapy]

I'm thinking the trial will be more of a way for the Illusive Man to try to reassert control over Shepard, assuming Shepard did not give him the base. Its been implied that the Illusive Man has very high ranking political allies. If Shepard cut ties with the Illusive Man at the end of ME2, he may use the trial to regain control over Shepard. Otherwise, he may help Shepard due to the fact that Shepard is his ally.

Hmm...that's an interesting theory I hadn't considered. My take on it was the central issue of [BLACKOUT]the trial[/BLACKOUT] was going to be Shepard's involvement with Cerberus. For a couple of reasons:

1: If there is definitely going to be [BLACKOUT]a trial[/BLACKOUT] in Mass Effect 3, then it can't be solely about [BLACKOUT]Shepard killing 300,000 Batarians[/BLACKOUT] because probably only a small portion of players will have played The Arrival. It would have to be about something that everyone that played ME2 took part in.

2. If you read Admiral Hackett's file on the Shadow Broker's base, then you'll know that the Alliance has been gunning for him since he hooked up with Cerberus.

 

[El Bastardo]

I'm more curious about how ME3 will shoehorn all players together.

Some players will have kept the base and delivered it to the Illusive Man, for the most part staying on as part of Cerberus in that case.

Most players, I think, will have destroyed the base and told the Illusive Man to shove it. These Shepards are no longer part of Cerberus, and their position with the Alliance is up in the air. Some will have been reinstated as a Spectre by the Council, and for some this will not be the case.

Basically, my main Shepard falls in the "No" column for all instances. She had Bailey leave her declared dead. The human-led Council wanted nothing to do with her, so she's no Spectre, and couldn't care less. And she told the Illusive Man to shove it.

So exactly who is going to be giving her orders come ME3?

 

[Soapy]

Well, a while back in an interview or maybe a forum post or something, one of the lead designers of Mass Effect said that ME3 can play out in wildly different ways because they don't have to worry about importing any data into a new game. I don't know if that will make it to the final game, but it sounds great.

 

[Matt]

I'm more curious about how ME3 will shoehorn all players together.

Some players will have kept the base and delivered it to the Illusive Man, for the most part staying on as part of Cerberus in that case.

Most players, I think, will have destroyed the base and told the Illusive Man to shove it. These Shepards are no longer part of Cerberus, and their position with the Alliance is up in the air. Some will have been reinstated as a Spectre by the Council, and for some this will not be the case.

Basically, my main Shepard falls in the "No" column for all instances. She had Bailey leave her declared dead. The human-led Council wanted nothing to do with her, so she's no Spectre, and couldn't care less. And she told the Illusive Man to shove it.

So exactly who is going to be giving her orders come ME3?

Which is percisely why Mass Effect is one of the most ambitious franchises of all time and why Mass Effect 3 will be the most innovate game ever, that basically redefines the medium and takes it to a whole new level of interactivity and player control, or a total flop that couldn't live up to its promises and original goals (sort of like Alpha Protocol).

From the very beginning, we've been told that we were shaping Shepard's story. Think of all the choices we've made. Who dies on Virmire, what becomes of the Rachni, the fate of the council, the fate of the Collector Base, which members of your squad lives and dies, the human council member, etc. Even little things like which squad members Shepard is close to, who he dates, and did he cheat on his significant other have been left in the hands of the player.

Interviews with the producers of ME3 have indicated that every player will have a unique experience and story that serves as the conclusion to the trilogy that the player designed. If it lives up to this and creates a story that can have several outcomes and paths Mass Effect 3 will be a landmark game. If it shoe horns it all together into a paragon ending and a renegade ending that plays out in essentially the same manner regardless of past choices then it will be the biggest disappointment in video game history since players realized that Solid Snake wasn't the main character of MGS2.

 

[El Bastardo]

You know, I never minded Raiden.

 

[Matt]

Nor did I, though I think the problem was the suprise. Had people not been expecting Solid Snake it wouldn't have gone over so bad.

 

[Master Chief]

It would have been nice if we got to play as Snake for more than a half hour too.

 

[Soapy]

I liked Raiden.

 

[Havok83]

I liked Raiden.

Me too but I guess it also helps that I never played MGS1 by that point so I had no attachment to Snake

 

[Havok83]

I liked Raiden.

Me too but I guess it also helps that I never played MGS1 by that point so I had no attachment to Snake

 

[Benstamania]

I didn't like Raiden and I TRIED to like him just so I wouldn't be one of those "I hate Raiden" guys... but... I just hated Raiden. I think I hated Rose more than Raiden though.


I would have rather been playing as "Plissken" during all of the events of MGS2.

 

[Benstamania]

Stupid Hype...

 

[Tron Bonne]

I never understood the hate for Raiden. I got that people wanted more Snake, which I understand, and the protagonist swift was very jarring, but this deep hatred of a overall decent character always escaped me.

 

[Havok83]

I didn't like Raiden and I TRIED to like him just so I wouldn't be one of those "I hate Raiden" guys... but... I just hated Raiden. I think I hated Rose more than Raiden though.


I would have rather been playing as "Plissken" during all of the events of MGS2.

MGS2 wouldnt have worked with Plisken as the main protagonist. The entire premise was built around Raiden and what they were going for (which worked effectively) would have changed had they stuck with Snake. I thought they made a good choice. What I thought they should have done and many people thought they would is let us play from Plisken's perspective in MGS2S but the Snake Tales included with that was non-canon scenarios which didnt add or affect anything from MGS2

I never understood the hate for Raiden. I got that people wanted more Snake, which I understand, and the protagonist swift was very jarring, but this deep hatred of a overall decent character always escaped me.

I always found it funny how people vehemently hated him in MGS2 but all of a suden loved him in MGS4 bc he had a blade, was a ninja and total badass which made him all of a sudden cool

 

[Benstamania]

I didn't care for him in 4 either.... I still dislike the whole "old Snake" part of 4 as well. I mean, I LIKE it... but I don't like it. And... I know that makes zero sense.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

I never played MGS2 but of what I encountered of him I didn't like him in 4. I felt like he threw the whole thing out of whack for me, I was having a blast with the whole escape at the end of act 2 and then he suddenly shows up and it was like the entire game stopped so I could marvel at how cool he was (and to be honest I found him more silly than anything else).