EA The Official Mass Effect Thread - Part 2

[Six]

With the renewed interest in Mass Effect and with so many streaming services looking for their next epic show, I'm surprised no one has tried to make Mass Effect a big budget Sci Fi show.

It has all the material you need for at least 5 seasons with amazing characters, and a chance to have an iconic female lead (I'd have the series lead be a FemShep). Hell you can bring back the voice actors for the aliens since they'd all be CGI anyway.

Boggles my mind.

It doesn't even have to be Shepard and crew. There is so much lore to pick and choose from, it really seems like a no brainer to make a series set in this universe. And I'd with a proper Disney/Amazon budget, I'd imagine these alien species could look incredible in live action.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

I mean, I'd put it down as one half "Video games aren't real art, why would we need to use one of them as a source", one half "Wow, we don't want our show to have the baggage of ME3". I do agree that its good source material to work with, but I'm not surprised no one touched it.

They can easily fix ME3 in the script room though.

I mean I've thought about jokingly writing a ME1 script to showcase that it would work beautifully as a show haha

 

[Marvolo]

I finished the trilogy again, and maybe its cause I'm getting older, but I teared up a lot more. Even a simple message that Kal Reegar sacrificed himself on Palaven had the waterworks going. The message that he was dead totally blindsided me.

Say what you will about the ending, I think the destroy ending is good, but the third game handled the characters, relationships, and emotions well.

I really hope I can carry my save file over to Mass Effect 4.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

I finished the trilogy again, and maybe its cause I'm getting older, but I teared up a lot more. Even a simple message that Kal Reegar sacrificed himself on Palaven had the waterworks going. The message that he was dead totally blindsided me.

Say what you will about the ending, I think the destroy ending is good, but the third game handled the characters, relationships, and emotions well.

I really hope I can carry my save file over to Mass Effect 4.

I'm about to do the Citadel DLC again before I finish the game and yeah, some of the things definitely hit a more emotional chord now than they did then, like Mordin and his sacrifice.

I think Destroy is definitely the canon ending, but I wish that having a high Military Strength would make it so that it specifically targeted Reapers and not ALL AI, or if you resolved the Quarian War with peace between the Geth and Quarians that you could convince the Catalyst that Organics and Synthetics CAN live in peace.

Those two little changes I think would have bigger, and more satisfying, endings.

Someone also said that ME3 should've been longer, than it should have taken course over two games, one being the Cerberus plot, and the other the final offensive on Earth, and I kind of agree.

Either way, the trilogy can EASILY be adapted into, at minimum, 5 seasons worth of great content.

 

[metaphysician]

They can easily fix ME3 in the script room though.

I mean I've thought about jokingly writing a ME1 script to showcase that it would work beautifully as a show haha

Oh, they absolutely could, its just that they would have to spend a good chunk of their marketing time promising just that, rather than promoting the show. Normally people use licenses for their stories so they can gain improved exposure and hype, not so they can gain liabilities where they need to literally go "Don't worry, *we* won't screw it up".

 

[Marvolo]

I'm about to do the Citadel DLC again before I finish the game and yeah, some of the things definitely hit a more emotional chord now than they did then, like Mordin and his sacrifice.

I think Destroy is definitely the canon ending, but I wish that having a high Military Strength would make it so that it specifically targeted Reapers and not ALL AI, or if you resolved the Quarian War with peace between the Geth and Quarians that you could convince the Catalyst that Organics and Synthetics CAN live in peace.

Those two little changes I think would have bigger, and more satisfying, endings.

Someone also said that ME3 should've been longer, than it should have taken course over two games, one being the Cerberus plot, and the other the final offensive on Earth, and I kind of agree.

Either way, the trilogy can EASILY be adapted into, at minimum, 5 seasons worth of great content.

I agree with all this.

I managed a military score of 8173, give or take a few points, and made peace between the geth and quarians so it would have been nice if the ending was a bit different from the ending I got when my military strength was around 4100.

The length and pace of the game is unfortunate. The story literally opens in a sprint with Shepherd and Anderson speed walking to an emergency meeting, and then its wide open with Shepherd making one alliance after another. The whole galaxy is conquered off screen. Even the Citadel, the thing that is pretty much tied into every major element of the trilogy is captured and hijacked off screen. Its bonkers that Bioware did that.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

I agree with all this.

I managed a military score of 8173, give or take a few points, and made peace between the geth and quarians so it would have been nice if the ending was a bit different from the ending I got when my military strength was around 4100.

The length and pace of the game is unfortunate. The story literally opens in a sprint with Shepherd and Anderson speed walking to an emergency meeting, and then its wide open with Shepherd making one alliance after another. The whole galaxy is conquered off screen. Even the Citadel, the thing that is pretty much tied into every major element of the trilogy is captured and hijacked off screen. Its bonkers that Bioware did that.

I've put in over 30 hrs into 3 with this playthrough and it still feels too short lol I do agree that a lot of things happening off screen was a strange choice, not spending enough time in each planet also hurts. The Quarian Conflict and Tuchanka got some decent time but I feel like so much more could've been done on Rannoch than just a quick final mission, and Thessia was just one short mission and it falls.

3 could've easily been a giant war epic over two games but cest la vie.

 

[Iceman]

I agree with all this.

I managed a military score of 8173, give or take a few points, and made peace between the geth and quarians so it would have been nice if the ending was a bit different from the ending I got when my military strength was around 4100.

The length and pace of the game is unfortunate. The story literally opens in a sprint with Shepherd and Anderson speed walking to an emergency meeting, and then its wide open with Shepherd making one alliance after another. The whole galaxy is conquered off screen. Even the Citadel, the thing that is pretty much tied into every major element of the trilogy is captured and hijacked off screen. Its bonkers that Bioware did that.

I was hoping that the big battle cut scene at the end would vary depending on exactly who you recruited.

 

[BrollySupersj]

Mass Effect 3 while having good gameplay and some decent moments, was a rushed chaotic mess that completely imploded after the Cerberus base assault.

The Reapers....which know....that we know the Citadel is the final piece to the Crucible, took the ****ing thing....to Earth.

To Earth. Where the entire combined galactic fleet is headed. When I think of all the ways the Reapers could have ****ed us, it gives me a migraine.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

The Catalyst: I am giving you three choices to end this war.

Shepard: But why? You control The Reapers. I pressed the button and the crucible did nothing. You guys are winning! Why are you offering me anything?

The Catalyst: Because the writers wrote themselves into a corner and this is the best they could come up with. Just roll with it.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

Finished ME3 and the endings still annoy the hell out of me. Like each ending should've had a + mode where it expanded on it depending on choices you made.

For example, for Destroy, which should have been the Paragon choice, if you pick up certain stuff, or even if you manage the easiest thing in the world to miss which is Conrad Verner's Dissertation, it should open up the ability for it to simply destroy Reapers not all AI life.

Or for Control, if you didn't destroy the collector base and Cerberus data relating to indoctrination then Shepard could control the Reapers without having to die.

Or if you brokered peace between the Quarians and Geth, rewrote the Heretics, and other things, then the Catalyst can see it plausible that Organics and Synthetics CAN coexist thus making the Reapers stop attacking and become an ally.

I don't get it, it seems like such small things they could've done and made the ending like a million times better.

 

[Marvolo]

I think their goal was a bittersweet ending no matter what.

I think the most heartbreaking aspect of destroy is the effect it will have on the Quarians if you make peace between the Quarians and Geth. Tali is so excited about what the Geth can offer them. Building their homes, cities, their new planet based society, and jump starting their immune systems so that they can live without their suits in a few years rather than a century. Then Shephard and the crucible yanks that hope away from them and they're right back where they were. Maybe worse off. Stuck on a planet they cant yet survive on, and no mass relays to receive quick help or any fast escape.

 

[Marvolo]

Mass Effect 3 while having good gameplay and some decent moments, was a rushed chaotic mess that completely imploded after the Cerberus base assault.

The Reapers....which know....that we know the Citadel is the final piece to the Crucible, took the ****ing thing....to Earth.

To Earth. Where the entire combined galactic fleet is headed. When I think of all the ways the Reapers could have ****ed us, it gives me a migraine.

At that time the most concentrated Reaper military force is at Earth. Its the one location the Reapers believe they can control and defend the best. Sure they could have jumped the Citadel to dark space, but there it wouldn't have nearly as much protection and with Shepherd's ability to work miracles the Reapers can't be sure Shepherd wouldn't find it and take the Crucible in dark space while the reapers were at earth.

And its mentioned that the Citadel was altered to process people like the Collectors were doing with the colonists but the Citadel was doing it more efficiently. The Reaper's were intending to fast track production of a human reaper at earth.

 

[BrollySupersj]

At that time the most concentrated Reaper military force is at Earth. Its the one location the Reapers believe they can control and defend the best. Sure they could have jumped the Citadel to dark space, but there it wouldn't have nearly as much protection and with Shepherd's ability to work miracles the Reapers can't be sure Shepherd wouldn't find it and take the Crucible in dark space while the reapers were at earth.

And its mentioned that the Citadel was altered to process people like the Collectors were doing with the colonists but the Citadel was doing it more efficiently. The Reaper's were intending to fast track production of a human reaper at earth.

They should have destroyed the Citadel, it was our only trump card. I'm sure the catalyst AI could upload itself onto a Reaper, or whatever. Throw the Citadel into the sun, and rebuild. They're the Reapers, they created the Mass Relays, building another Citadel would be nothing. Our cycle was the biggest threat to their plans, and the Citadel was the key. Take away the key and we are ****ed.

Or if they absolutely need to keep the Citadel, then turn off the ****ing sky beam that teleports Shepard there. Surely they could have destroyed that. If no one can get to the Citadel during the final battle, then it's over. Harbinger was right there!

 

[Iceman]

I hope modern Bioware are having a playthrough of these games to see what made them so good.

 

[Karelia]

Completely new to the series. I bought the PS3 trilogy collection upon release, never got around to playing it. Got bored, decided to stick it in.... man, absolutely loved the trilogy. I understand why people were upset with the ending, but it didn't bother me as bad. I will say my favorite part of ME3 was definitely the Citadel dlc.


For the people who bought the PS4 Legendsry edition, does it include all DLC? And is the game remastered? Etc

 

[AndrewGilkison]

For the people who bought the PS4 Legendsry edition, does it include all DLC? And is the game remastered? Etc

Yep. Its got everything except the Mass Effect 3 multi-player and the Pinnacle Station DLC in Mass Effect 1 (the PS3 version doesn't have that one either, because the source code for it has long been corrupted and they would have to remake it from scratch).

I

 

[Karelia]

Yep. Its got everything except the Mass Effect 3 multi-player and the Pinnacle Station DLC in Mass Effect 1 (the PS3 version doesn't have that one either, because the source code for it has long been corrupted and they would have to remake it from scratch).

I

I'm definitely going to pick it up. I don't know if it was just my discs, ps3, or a TV setting... but all the games would freeze up throughout. The second and third not as much, but the first one did quite a bit. Mainly after hitting an auto-save.


But I can't wait to play this series again for sure. I was male Shephard and romanced Jack. I loved her story. So many great characters! So many great choices throughout the games too.

I saw this on the official Mass Effect page, thought I would post this on here. Some interesting data haha

 

[Marvolo]

Its odd that 93% save the Rachni queen in ME1, but only 33% save her in ME3.

 

[Karelia]

Its odd that 93% save the Rachni queen in ME1, but only 33% save her in ME3.

I was honestly surprised how many saved Ashley.

Yeah, I agree. I saved the Rachni Queen both times.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I was honestly surprised how many saved Ashley.

Yeah, I agree. I saved the Rachni Queen both times.

Ash has always been the preferred squad mate. Why they gave her the very personalized updated look in 3. She was the most likely to be there.

 

[Marvolo]

I always save Ashley. Kaiden's too clingy with femShep. He's harmless, but I feel like I have to tiptoe around him to avoid getting into a relationship with him.

 

[Karelia]

Ash has always been the preferred squad mate. Why they gave her the very personalized updated look in 3. She was the most likely to be there.

She came off a little too anti-alien for my liking in the first game. I'm sure eventually she accepts them, but I was like ehhh. Lol. Plus I always liked Carth Onasi from KOTOR, and Kaiden has the same voice actor.

That said, I didn't really care too much for Kaiden in ME3. I play as male Shep so he wasn't hitting on me as far as I know lol.

 

[Marvolo]

Ashley's racism clashes hard with most decent 21st century sensibilities. But I think she's got understandable reasons for not trusting aliens given the history of her time period. The salarians all but castrated an entire species for thousands of years, the Quarians are reclusive and shunned by the council, the Asari are a weird bunch by human standards, and the Turians are an extremely martial society that murdered the first humans they met sparking a war. Even after the war, despite the Turians causing the first casualties, the Council species treated humans like warmongering aggressors and lesser beings. Plus Ash grew up in a military family with members that fought in the first contact war. A bit like families after WW2. Then when you factor in that at the time of ME1 Ash hasn't been stationed with aliens. She only has what she's been told, and whats she's been taught by humans, and what she's read which is influencing how she feels about aliens.

Humans have trouble trusting members of their own species. We're extremely tribalistic. I dont think we in the real world can really appreciate how difficult it would be to place our trust in members of an extraplanetary species, especially ones that are equally distrustful and secretive and even more martial than us. Especially species that are vastly more advanced than us.

But as the trilogy progresses Ashley shows growth. She doesn't trust or side with the prohuman organization Cerberus, and even rejects Shepherd because of her involvement with Cerberus. And she rejoins the Normandy in 3 and works well and fights alongside aliens.

If anything I wish the trilogy had dealt more with Ash and the arc of her xenophobia and her getting over it.

 

[Karelia]

Ashley's racism clashes hard with most decent 21st century sensibilities. But I think she's got understandable reasons for not trusting aliens given the history of her time period. The salarians all but castrated an entire species for thousands of years, the Quarians are reclusive and shunned by the council, the Asari are a weird bunch by human standards, and the Turians are an extremely martial society that murdered the first humans they met sparking a war. Even after the war, despite the Turians causing the first casualties, the Council species treated humans like warmongering aggressors and lesser beings. Plus Ash grew up in a military family with members that fought in the first contact war. A bit like families after WW2. Then when you factor in that at the time of ME1 Ash hasn't been stationed with aliens. She only has what she's been told, and whats she's been taught by humans, and what she's read which is influencing how she feels about aliens.

Humans have trouble trusting members of their own species. We're extremely tribalistic. I dont think we in the real world can really appreciate how difficult it would be to place our trust in members of an extraplanetary species, especially ones that are equally distrustful and secretive and even more martial than us. Especially species that are vastly more advanced than us.

But as the trilogy progresses Ashley shows growth. She doesn't trust or side with the prohuman organization Cerberus, and even rejects Shepherd because of her involvement with Cerberus. And she rejoins the Normandy in 3 and works well and fights alongside aliens.

If anything I wish the trilogy had dealt more with Ash and the arc of her xenophobia and her getting over it.

You make a lot of sense. I do plan on replaying this trilogy down the road. I will probably let her live in the next play through haha. I am going to play Andromeda soon. My expectations are low lol.