Mass Effect 3

[Master Chief]

Spoiler

I think the ending as is can be fixed with a bit of an overhaul without making 2/3 choices in the retail game wrong and creating a rather bizarre canon divide between people who get some kind of potential DLC vs those who don't.

Spoiler

What makes 2/3rd of the choices wrong? It just means we get 3 different endings.

 

[SpideyVille]

Also

I was just going to mention Heavy Rain because [BLACKOUT]people are complaining about how the ending felt like a lack of choice and consequence, and I feel like that was a game where the endings did vary a lot to some extent based on the choices you made or didn't make throughout the game. And it was actually very fun trying to unlock each of those endings on separate playthroughs.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

What makes 2/3rd of the choices wrong? It just means we get 3 different endings.

Spoiler

I'm not going to get into semantics over the issue, invalidating 2/3 endings as GOTCHA post release is a bad idea imo - simply that.

If it had been in the game as is and was made clearer, I'd be less against it - but it wasn't and so drastically changing the end is not the way to go.

 

[Balthus Dire]

I suppose, but I'm taking an Occam's Razor approach, the most likely answer is usually right. If [blackout]Indoctrination[/blackout] were in play, odds are it would've been specified in a much clearer manner. It was at best vaguely hinted at. It takes more of a stretch to believe it than believe that Shepard was [blackout]indoctrinated[/blackout] than it does to believe that Bioware just left a lot of **** on the cutting room floor (in fact, we have evidence through scripts and what not to support that).



There are PLENTY of folks treating it like absolute, word of God, fact. Right now it is at best a theory supported by some evidence (but really not much). Most of the evidence relies heavily on fan inference. There is no direct evidence. To believe it, it takes connection of dots that just aren't there. Not that they're wrong, just that we don't have the evidence to be defending it as adamantly as some are.

I almost don't even know what to say anymore. Nobody is making stuff up...there are clear signs within the game that could support the theory. It's not tin-hat fan boys connecting dots that aren't there.

The funny thing is, the theorist's "evidence" has less holes than the actual "so-far" game ending itself. In addition, many of the theorists think that Bioware planned it all along, so all the arguments about "zomg it would be so stupid if they gave into fanboys" would be completely redundant in that case.

Again, not saying it's true or false...but to completely dismiss it when there's very clear evidence to support it is just dumb. Sorry.

 

[Reek]

ah i see, i dont know where i heard the demo stuff would transfer.

i enjoy the multiplayer. im pumped about the new DLC characters for it.

 

[spiderbob]

I think you guys are all over looking one very important fact. And that is that [BLACKOUT]Conrad Verner positively contributed towards the building of the Crucible.[/BLACKOUT]

Yeah. Just think about that.

 

[Master Chief]

Spoiler

I'm not going to get into semantics over the issue, invalidating 2/3 endings as GOTCHA post release is a bad idea imo - simply that.

If it had been in the game as is and was made clearer, I'd be less against it - but it wasn't and so drastically changing the end is not the way to go.

Spoiler

They wouldn't be changing the ending! They would be showing you the true consequences of your choice. They're not INVALID. They're just DEPRESSING because you didn't win.

I think you guys are all over looking one very important fact. And that is that [BLACKOUT]Conrad Verner positively contributed towards the building of the Crucible.[/BLACKOUT]

Yeah. Just think about that.

That was a moment for me.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

They wouldn't be changing the ending! They would be showing you the true consequences of your choice. They're not INVALID. They're just DEPRESSING because you didn't win.

Spoiler

By making them required add-ons they're also cheaper than what we have currently

 

[Master Chief]

Spoiler

By making them required add-ons they're also cheaper than what we have currently

Spoiler

No doubt. That's why I'm hoping that whatever they have planned, because it's pretty obvious they have something brewing, is free.

 

[zenith16]

lol your right spider bob it's all his fault . let's get him

Spoiler

( part interesting though he finally became the hero he wanted to be well if you don't count the ending)

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

I think by the deafening silence from BW in the last few days they're in crisis mode and seeing how they can salvage this. I sincerely doubt they've planned any of this indoctrination business. Again, its interesting - even clever that the fans put it together, but I don't for a moment believe it was actually planned.

If that's the route that BW plans to go, then *shrug* I think its a shame because I will be utterly shocked if its free. I think there are less extreme ways about addressing the problems brought up by the end.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

I think the silence is probably more to do with all the ME 3 import and Galaxy at War bugs that people have been complaining about since day one.

The reason they are being flippant about the ending and not caring too much about 'fan outrage' is most likely because there is DLC coming that extends the game in some way.


Also, I still think they should in no way have to 'correct' the ending. For people to expect that is simply atrocious and for them to actually do that is something they would never live down. Better to have a black mark on your record than to have no one take your commitment to your own product seriously, ever again.

 

[Donut]

It would be hard to do anything after the ending for this one no ?

 

[Fenrir]

This is going to be a long one, so bear with me here, fellas.

I finished Mass Effect 3 yesterday after a 33 hour marathon session spanning the entire weekend and half a Monday. Needless to say, by the end I was just as battle-weary as my paragon Shepard himself, whose utter selflessness and dedication to achieving the most perfect and complete outcomes has stayed in tact from the very first game. Though I chose Kaiden as the sacrificial lamb, everyone came out of the suicide mission in Mass Effect 2 alive and loyal to me. Going in to the third one, I was aware that my character will now have to make the most difficult decisions he has ever made in the entirety of the series - the genophage, the Geth-Quarian conflict, how to deal with Cerberus tainting the image of humanity...

Spoiler

After the relatively balanced tone of the first two games, nothing could have prepared me for the horrors of Mass Effect 3. Mass Effect 3 is filled with so many gut-wrenching moments that it's hard to count. What makes your connection with everything in the game so much stronger than in anything in the likes of Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy, is the fact that it is effectively your story. It is your past decisions that effectively determine who and what your character is and how your squadmates relate to you. And man, oh man, does Mass Effect 3 leverage that connection to its fullest.

With moments like Liara coming over to your cabin and talking to you about preserving the legend of Commander Shepard, Tali finally returning to her homeworld after having reconciled with the Geth, having a shooting competition with Garrus on the Citadel and Thane during his last breaths getting his son to say a prayer for you or Mordin queitly humming his way to revive the very species he helped destroy...every single such instance only solidifies your bond with these characters who, in a dazzling display of Bioware's technical and artistic wizardry, truly come to life as the end approaches. The awe-inspiring presentation and poignant musical score that accompanies accentuates the heart, care and sincerity of the developers to ensure that these moments have the kind of impact they are supposed to. It is what made the whole 'farewell' sequence before the final push in London such a damn tearjerker. What made it even more tragic for my Shepard was that I had romanced Ashley in the first game but stayed loyal to Miranda for ME3. Not only did my Shepard not get to spend enough time with his love, but also didn't get the chance to properly say goodbye in person before charging off to certain death, even after curing the genophage and reuniting all the races in the galaxy.

Now coming to the ending: I won't lie, it hit me like a 2-ton punch to the gut. After all the struggles and sacrifices that led to this point, I was hoping for a Lord of the Rings type - an extended epilogue if you will. However, the terrifying finale of Mass Effect 3 left me in complete shock and utterly speechless. It's not that I hated the ending, but I wasn't expecting it to be so abrupt. There was no catharsis and you were never really shown the complete outcome of all of your decisions. You are only given a brief glimpse into the ultimate fate of the people you fought so hard for. It was devastating.

Now that a day has passed and I've gotten over the initial shock, in hindsight I realised that it was not the ending itself that hurt me, it was the culmination of my 250-hour journey with the series over a period of 5 years. I had developed an emotional attachment to this virtual world and its inhabitants that I genuinely cared about them, and when it was finally finished, it was like saying goodbye to a very dear friend for the last time. Maybe you knew all along that it was coming, but nothing could have really prepared you for the sheer emotional impact it would have on you. I can't remember anything ever evoking such a reaction in me. It is why so many people are enraged right now, I think. They have so much investment in this series that the payoff was always going to be unsatisfying, and it speaks to the credit of the developers that they got us gamers, generally an overly finicky and skeptical lot, to care so much about this series. There have been countless disappointing endings in many franchises, but none have evoked this level of response. I salute Bioware for not going the safe route and delivering such a dark and depressing climax. The grim reality and more-bitter-than-sweet conclusion of the Mass Effect universe will take some time to settle in, but believe me when I say that this will, in retrospect, only elevate this epic journey of this franchise as the most ambitious that gaming has ever been.

Looking back, the entire Mass Effect experience for me surpasses any film I watched or any game I ever played in all my life, and that is the loftiest of praise I can shower it with.

It is now the new benchmark in entertainment.

 

[Balthus Dire]

I think the silence is probably more to do with all the ME 3 import and Galaxy at War bugs that people have been complaining about since day one.

The reason they are being flippant about the ending and not caring too much about 'fan outrage' is most likely because there is DLC coming that extends the game in some way.


Also, I still think they should in no way have to 'correct' the ending. For people to expect that is simply atrocious and for them to actually do that is something they would never live down. Better to have a black mark on your record than to have no one take your commitment to your own product seriously, ever again.

Even if Bioware doesn't go with the

Spoiler

indoctrination

theory, are you saying you'd be totally satisfied with the plot holes and inconsistencies left in the wake of the current ending? Or are you just saying you wouldn't be cool with

Spoiler

indoctrination

specifically?

Not passing judgement either way, just curious.

 

[spiderbob]

This is going to be a long one, so bear with me here, fellas.

I finished Mass Effect 3 yesterday after a 33 hour marathon session spanning the entire weekend and half a Monday. Needless to say, by the end I was just as battle-weary as my paragon Shepard himself, whose utter selflessness and dedication to achieving the most perfect and complete outcomes has stayed in tact from the very first game. Though I chose Kaiden as the sacrificial lamb, everyone came out of the suicide mission in Mass Effect 2 alive and loyal to me. Going in to the third one, I was aware that my character will now have to make the most difficult decisions he has ever made in the entirety of the series - the genophage, the Geth-Quarian conflict, how to deal with Cerberus tainting the image of humanity...

Spoiler

After the relatively balanced tone of the first two games, nothing could have prepared me for the horrors of Mass Effect 3. Mass Effect 3 is filled with so many gut-wrenching moments that it's hard to count. What makes your connection with everything in the game so much stronger than in anything in the likes of Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy, is the fact that it is effectively your story. It is your past decisions that effectively determine who and what your character is and how your squadmates relate to you. And man, oh man, does Mass Effect 3 leverage that connection to its fullest.

With moments like Liara coming over to your cabin and talking to you about preserving the legend of Commander Shepard, Tali finally returning to her homeworld after having reconciled with the Geth, having a shooting competition with Garrus on the Citadel and Thane during his last breaths getting his son to say a prayer for you or Mordin queitly humming his way to revive the very species he helped destroy...every single such instance only solidifies your bond with these characters who, in a dazzling display of Bioware's technical and artistic wizardry, truly come to life as the end approaches. The awe-inspiring presentation and poignant musical score that accompanies accentuates the heart, care and sincerity of the developers to ensure that these moments have the kind of impact they are supposed to. It is what made the whole 'farewell' sequence before the final push in London such a damn tearjerker. What made it even more tragic for my Shepard was that I had romanced Ashley in the first game but stayed loyal to Miranda for ME3. Not only did my Shepard not get to spend enough time with his love, but also didn't get the chance to properly say goodbye in person before charging off to certain death, even after curing the genophage and reuniting all the races in the galaxy.

Now coming to the ending: I won't lie, it hit me like a 2-ton punch to the gut. After all the struggles and sacrifices that led to this point, I was hoping for a Lord of the Rings type - an extended epilogue if you will. However, the terrifying finale of Mass Effect 3 left me in complete shock and utterly speechless. It's not that I hated the ending, but I wasn't expecting it to be so abrupt. There was no catharsis and you were never really shown the complete outcome of all of your decisions. You are only given a brief glimpse into the ultimate fate of the people you fought so hard for. It was devastating.

Now that a day has passed and I've gotten over the initial shock, in hindsight I realised that it was not the ending itself that hurt me, it was the culmination of my 250-hour journey with the series over a period of 5 years. I had developed an emotional attachment to this virtual world and its inhabitants that I genuinely cared about them, and when it was finally finished, it was like saying goodbye to a very dear friend for the last time. Maybe you knew all along that it was coming, but nothing could have really prepared you for the sheer emotional impact it would have on you. I can't remember anything ever evoking such a reaction in me. It is why so many people are enraged right now, I think. They have so much investment in this series that the payoff was always going to be unsatisfying, and it speaks to the credit of the developers that they got us gamers, generally an overly finicky and skeptical lot, to care so much about this series. There have been countless disappointing endings in many franchises, but none have evoked this level of response. I salute Bioware for not going the safe route and delivering such a dark and depressing climax. The grim reality and more-bitter-than-sweet conclusion of the Mass Effect universe will take some time to settle in, but believe me when I say that this will, in retrospect, only elevate this epic journey of this franchise as the most ambitious that gaming has ever been.

Looking back, the entire Mass Effect experience for me surpasses any film I watched or any game I ever played in all my life, and that is the loftiest of praise I can shower it with.

It is now the new benchmark in entertainment.

This.

That pretty much sums up my feelings on the series. Mass Effect has forever endeared itself to me, and I'll definitely be playing more of this series in the future, be it new games or replaying the old ones.

 

[zenith16]

Mass Effect 3 Datapad companion app now available

(1 hour ago)
22

​

It's brunch. You and your friends are having a heated debate on the intricacies of Elcor inflection and what caused their massive, elephant-like genetic evolution. Your friend is dead wrong about all of it.

Sure, you could open up your phone's browser and head over to Wikipedia, searching for something that would help you win this argument and harvest the subsequent experience points. Or you could open up your Mass Effect 3 Datapad and access its rich codex database spanning all three games.

Aside from the aforementioned codex, Mass Effect 3 Datapad sends you messages from your in-game cohorts and from the Alliance News Network. There's also a mini-game called Galaxy at War, which lets you deploy ships to increase your Galactic Readiness level for the Mass Effect 3 single-player campaign.

The app is free to download on iPhone 3GS and later iDevices, and available in the App Store right now.

Source: iTunes

 

[Matt]

A couple of new thoughts on the ending:

Spoiler

Why were the Reapers massing in London? Anderson mentioned it a few times, them being up to something in London but they never said what.

Other thought....Kelly Chambers and Captain Bailey are dead. So is the Council. I assume that the Reapers killed everyone on the Citadel when they moved it. That is kind of sad.

 

[Speedball]

ARGH!!! I can't beat the game till next monday now!
I've gone home for the next few days, and the only tv I can use it a crappy old tube tv.
Anyway I'm at [BLACKOUT]the Horizon mission, where i know it is possible fir Miranda to die. But I warned her about Kai Leng, so she should survive, right? I'm at 3300 readiness rating, so I'm pretty close to the ending I want. I already know I'm going to destroy the Reapers. Dem ****** need to die![/BLACKOUT]

 

[zenith16]

A couple of new thoughts on the ending:

Spoiler

Why were the Reapers massing in London? Anderson mentioned it a few times, them being up to something in London but they never said what.

Other thought....Kelly Chambers and Captain Bailey are dead. So is the Council. I assume that the Reapers killed everyone on the Citadel when they moved it. That is kind of sad.

Spoiler

kelly's death is avoidable if you tell her to change her name before Cerberus shows up looking for people and executing them.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Even if Bioware doesn't go with the

Spoiler

indoctrination

theory, are you saying you'd be totally satisfied with the plot holes and inconsistencies left in the wake of the current ending? Or are you just saying you wouldn't be cool with

Spoiler

indoctrination

specifically?

Not passing judgement either way, just curious.

Im fine with them because iv come to expect them, not just in video games but in all media. Every long running series has em. I still have debates over the inconsistencies in LOST. It happens.

 

[Matt]

Spoiler

kelly's death is avoidable if you tell her to change her name before Cerberus shows up looking for people and executing them.

I know....but....

[blackout]She shows back up on the Citadel after the Cerberus invasion and doesn't give any indication of leaving. So since I assume that the Reapers did not evacuate the people on the Citadel when they took it over, she's dead. [/blackout]

 

[zenith16]

I know....but....

[blackout]She shows back up on the Citadel after the Cerberus invasion and doesn't give any indication of leaving. So since I assume that the Reapers did not evacuate the people on the Citadel when they took it over, she's dead. [/blackout]

now you've gone and depressed me

Spoiler

I was my shep love interest and I was hoping for her to hook up with my shep after all this so I can have that decedent thing happen for ME4.

wishful thinking I know .

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming...s-director-addresses-the-games-controversies/
What are your thoughts on the reaction to the game’s endings?
Casey Hudson: I didn’t want the game to be forgettable, and even right down to the
sort of polarizing reaction that the ends have had with people–debating
what the endings mean and what’s going to happen next, and what
situation are the characters left in. That to me is part of what’s
exciting about this story. There has always been a little bit of mystery
there and a little bit of interpretation, and it’s a story that people
can talk about after the fact.

 

[Master Chief]

The datapad app is awesome! I wish I had it during my first playthrough though, the messages from the app don't show up in the game.