Zomba13
Member
It bugged me too, especially as it wasn't used for anything. Not even Javik went in there to give his thoughts on Thane via reading his essence or whatever.
Mass Effect 3 SPOILER THREAD: LOTS OF SPECULATION FROM EVERYONE
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It bugged me too, especially as it wasn't used for anything. Not even Javik went in there to give his thoughts on Thane via reading his essence or whatever.
TheSchwab_7
Member
How is Shepard surviving evidence for indoctrination? According to the video and what I've been reading lately, the control and synthesis endings are a victory for the reapers. Shepard didn't choose to destroy the reapers which means that indoctrination worked. The reapers tricked Shepard since they presented those two options as being paragon.
If he chooses to destroy, then he breaks whatever hold the reapers had on him, kills all the Reapers, etc etc. BUT Shepard survives. I agree he wouldn't survive the re-entry, but if the Reapers planted that whole sequence of events in his head, then his choice wouldn't matter because it would have just been a dream. He would wake up on earth right next to the beam and Reapers would still be there blowing everything up. He beat the indoctrination, but he didn't defeat the Reapers since it was all in his mind.
Does this make any sense? I'm just trying to understand wtf is going on since I love the fiction of the game.
That's the appeal of the Indoctrination theory for those who believe in it. The last set of scenes never happened because Shepard never left London--and thus, it would allow for a new and better set of endings. Or so it goes.
I think it's pretty clear now that Bioware never intended such a thing, though, and moreover are quite incapable of such subtlety beyond what was put in accidentally.
Zomba13
Member
He never left Earth. The whole end game, since he wakes up and enters the conduit up to waking up back on Earth was the indoctrination and all in his mind. The AI is actually Harbinger, he makes the destroy ending the sound the worst, say it'll kill you and the geth and painting it renegade red while making the other two sound more attractive. By picking destroy you are breaking free of the indoctrination and waking up but by picking one of the other two you are giving in.
TheSchwab_7
Member
Oh okay. So they're hoping that Bioware released an unfinished game. I'm just gonna make my own ending up :|
TheSchwab_7
Member
I don't think Bioware is smart or creative enough to do an ending like that anyway. If they want to make $ and make the game appeal to dudebros they have to dumb down the game.
I don't think it would take much creativity on Bioware's part to pull off the indoctrination thing if that ends up actually being viable. Had they planned it from the start(yes, sleazily planning to have an actual ending as DLC later from the start), it'd be a lot easier to have random hints of what's to come throughout.
Randy Lanzarote
Member
Bethesda gave us an alternate dlc ending in Fallout 3, as did Prince of Persia. The precedent is there, and if there is money to be made...... Indoctrinated Shepherd who dreamt that ending can be easily cast aside.
Difference being, I hadn't spent 5yrs of waiting and 100s of hours invested in the 3 games to be told "insert 800pts to continue"
Difference being, I hadn't spent 5yrs of waiting and 100s of hours invested in the 3 games to be told "insert 800pts to continue"
Metroidvania
People called Romanes they go the house?
Edit: whoops, misread.
If Shepard chooses to destroy the reapers, he breaks the indoctrination process, and wakes up the real world, where the real ending is waiting. It's also a sign that he's not yet fully indoctrinated, and represents his subconscious trying to fight the indoctrination process by offering a way to still destroy the reapers.
As the theory goes that's the only way he "breaks" their control. The biggest support of that is it being the only ending showing him breathing again in London, and earlier I read that there's apparently a subtle music change only down that path.
I'm shocked people still need to argue for the indoctrination theory. It's pretty obvious that is what was intended.
Go look at the codex entry for Reaper - indoctrination.
Gouda Jouji
Member
I just wrote 3 new endings for ME3. Damn you BioWare for turning me into a fan ficcing asshole.
Don't know if I should post them or not, ya'll might get a kick outta em.
Don't know if I should post them or not, ya'll might get a kick outta em.
I am starting to think of my own ending in my head so not the tarnish the otherwise GREAT game ME3 was up to this point.
Sorta like this ending some dude eddited together:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uDQHTWvurc&feature=watch_response
Zomba13
Member
I checked. It's the same down all paths.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Now people are hearing differences in their head. I wonder if the next theory will involve how Disc 2 smells different from Disc 1.
Haha really? I haven't checked on that myself yet, I figured if that really did happen it'd be pretty big evidence in support of that.
Gouda Jouji
Member
Well, here are my endings that I came up with. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT VENT/WIZARD KID FREE YA'LL:
"Normal" Ending:
The Crucible successfully attaches to the Citadel. The console activates, Shepard uses it to fire. As the super weapon begins to wind up, Shepard staggers back, easing him/herself down next to Anderson's body. The Cruicible fires. A green shockwave is sent out, permanently shutting off every Reaper in the Sol system. The shockwave is also sent through the Charon relay to every Mass Relay in the Milky Way (NOT destroying/disabling them), effecting every Reaper in the rest of the galaxy. Shepard succumbs to his/her injuries at peace, knowing that the mission had been a success. Memories of his/her Love Interest and crew members fill his/her head, as life leaves his/her body.
Epilogue:
Cutscenes of various races are shown celebrating, rebuilding. A voice over remembering Shepard plays, with various surviving squad members from all 3 games speaking a different line each.
Post credits:
Similar to the actual post credits scene, a human grandfather is telling his young grandson about the galaxy, and about Shepard.
"Bad" Ending:
The Reapers destroy the Crucible before it could attach to Citadel. Shepard and the player watch in horror as it falls to Earth in ruins. A red hologram of Harbinger appears on the console, similar to Sovereign on Virmire. It berates Shepard (e.g. "You were destined to fail. The cycle is infinite, your end was already written") as he/she dies next to Anderson's body, knowing he/she had failed.
Epilogue:
Cutscenes of various races being harvested by the Reapers are shown, with Harbinger continuing to talk over them. Scenes of surviving squad members being killed are also shown.
Post credits:
Tens of thousands of years into the future, an alien race finds Liara's records of our cycle, which include details about the Crucible and Shepard.
"Good" Ending:
Events play out the same as the "Normal" ending, except that Shepard only loses consciousness instead of dying. Keepers appear, and carry Shepard away.
Epilogue:
4 months later, Shepard wakes in a hospital on Earth. Various members of his/her crew are there to welcome him/her back. His/Her Love Interest, or Joker if no Romance occurred, explains what happened in the past 4 months, how he/she got here, etc. The nurse enters and asks everyone to leave, giving Shepard some time alone. A Shepard monologue begins over the cutscene, as he/she watches a family outside his/her window play. Like the "Normal" ending, scenes of various races rebuilding and celebrating are shown. Shepard's monologue could be different depending how Paragon or Renegade you are, and maybe what you did over the 3 games. The final scene before the cut to credits is of the Milky Way.
Post credits:
A scene with your Love Interest (or if you didn't enter a Romance, with Joker) set some time after Shepard is discharged from hospital. Depending on your Love Interest the scene will be different, a different location, discussing some different things, etc. Basically it comes down to Shepard and the person he/she is with discussing their future.
"Normal" Ending:
The Crucible successfully attaches to the Citadel. The console activates, Shepard uses it to fire. As the super weapon begins to wind up, Shepard staggers back, easing him/herself down next to Anderson's body. The Cruicible fires. A green shockwave is sent out, permanently shutting off every Reaper in the Sol system. The shockwave is also sent through the Charon relay to every Mass Relay in the Milky Way (NOT destroying/disabling them), effecting every Reaper in the rest of the galaxy. Shepard succumbs to his/her injuries at peace, knowing that the mission had been a success. Memories of his/her Love Interest and crew members fill his/her head, as life leaves his/her body.
Epilogue:
Cutscenes of various races are shown celebrating, rebuilding. A voice over remembering Shepard plays, with various surviving squad members from all 3 games speaking a different line each.
Post credits:
Similar to the actual post credits scene, a human grandfather is telling his young grandson about the galaxy, and about Shepard.
"Bad" Ending:
The Reapers destroy the Crucible before it could attach to Citadel. Shepard and the player watch in horror as it falls to Earth in ruins. A red hologram of Harbinger appears on the console, similar to Sovereign on Virmire. It berates Shepard (e.g. "You were destined to fail. The cycle is infinite, your end was already written") as he/she dies next to Anderson's body, knowing he/she had failed.
Epilogue:
Cutscenes of various races being harvested by the Reapers are shown, with Harbinger continuing to talk over them. Scenes of surviving squad members being killed are also shown.
Post credits:
Tens of thousands of years into the future, an alien race finds Liara's records of our cycle, which include details about the Crucible and Shepard.
"Good" Ending:
Events play out the same as the "Normal" ending, except that Shepard only loses consciousness instead of dying. Keepers appear, and carry Shepard away.
Epilogue:
4 months later, Shepard wakes in a hospital on Earth. Various members of his/her crew are there to welcome him/her back. His/Her Love Interest, or Joker if no Romance occurred, explains what happened in the past 4 months, how he/she got here, etc. The nurse enters and asks everyone to leave, giving Shepard some time alone. A Shepard monologue begins over the cutscene, as he/she watches a family outside his/her window play. Like the "Normal" ending, scenes of various races rebuilding and celebrating are shown. Shepard's monologue could be different depending how Paragon or Renegade you are, and maybe what you did over the 3 games. The final scene before the cut to credits is of the Milky Way.
Post credits:
A scene with your Love Interest (or if you didn't enter a Romance, with Joker) set some time after Shepard is discharged from hospital. Depending on your Love Interest the scene will be different, a different location, discussing some different things, etc. Basically it comes down to Shepard and the person he/she is with discussing their future.
I'm digging those, and the excellent edited Catharsis ending. Good job.
The moment Hackett said shepard needs to press a switch on his side, instead of the elevator, they should've done a scene akin to the MGS4 microwave ending, where you see were all the other crewmates are and their struggle, while you crawl toward the final switch.
Oh my god am I citing MGS4 as a good example now? Bioware what have you done.
Oh my god am I citing MGS4 as a good example now? Bioware what have you done.
Congrats, you're a better writer than the ones at Bioware. That's the way I expected and wanted the game to end.
In your bad ending, a cutscene of Liara's records describing Shephard, being found by a new civilization 50,000 years after the Reapers destroyed our one, well, I really wish that ending is real :-(
In your bad ending, a cutscene of Liara's records describing Shephard, being found by a new civilization 50,000 years after the Reapers destroyed our one, well, I really wish that ending is real :-(
PjotrStroganov
Member
Shepard should die anyway. The good, bad and neutral part of the ending should be about the galaxy with your choices affecting the specifics.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
If you wanted to be cheeky, you could have one of the BioWare doctors find the data thing and then go, "Hey, this is a great idea for a video game..." and go all meta.
Yes, agreed. I would not have liked a super happy ending where everyone lives and all is well forever more, that would not have fit with the franchise and especially the tone of the third game at all.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Is that any different from a suicide mission where no one dies? They already copped out in ME2, so there's no reason not to cop out in ME3 - and in fact, "Shepard lives" is one of the cop out endings.
Randy Lanzarote
Member
Here's my choice of endings:
1. You are told you can fire the crucible, but all reaper and reaper tech will be destroyed. This includes the citadel and mass relays. The cycle of extermination is ended, though the species of the galaxy now have to rebuild without the tools the Reapers left for them. Shepherd, being on the citadel, is killed.
2. You can adjust the crucible to take control of the reapers in the name of humanity. Humans are now all powerful, and TIM and Udina think your super cool for giving human kind this power.
3. You are invited to join the Reapers, offering you ultimate power and immortality. you infuse with the human reaper, extermination cycle continues forever with you at the helm.
4. This child you saw die at the beginning of the game turns up as the living embodiment of the crucible and...... Actually no, that's a stupid idea.
1. You are told you can fire the crucible, but all reaper and reaper tech will be destroyed. This includes the citadel and mass relays. The cycle of extermination is ended, though the species of the galaxy now have to rebuild without the tools the Reapers left for them. Shepherd, being on the citadel, is killed.
2. You can adjust the crucible to take control of the reapers in the name of humanity. Humans are now all powerful, and TIM and Udina think your super cool for giving human kind this power.
3. You are invited to join the Reapers, offering you ultimate power and immortality. you infuse with the human reaper, extermination cycle continues forever with you at the helm.
4. This child you saw die at the beginning of the game turns up as the living embodiment of the crucible and...... Actually no, that's a stupid idea.
The Liara box was such a great idea that it's crazy it never shows up again. You could actually use it and have both a happy and sad/intriguing ending. Say shep lives, it shows people rebuild, yadda yadda, then the after credit sequence is a race finding the box and you see him with terror in his voice with something regarding synthetics. Not necessarily as hokey as "the reapers were right", but they would have been able to hint something that would also leave open a continuation of the series in a less universe fucked way.
No, I suppose you're right on that. I wish they'd done ME2 in sort of the same way they did ME1, with there always being some loss. They could've easily bumped Jacob off really.
Only ending I need.
"And then they had babies."
DLC ending needs to have the camera zoom out a bit and have a bloodied Marauder Shields sit next to them.
Zomba13
Member
Apparently you can hear gasping/breathing in the Destroy ending when Shep fires the gun at the thingie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AdWqlsQjWo
Again it's most definitely nothing but kinda interesting I guess.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AdWqlsQjWo
Again it's most definitely nothing but kinda interesting I guess.
I didn't love or hate the endings, my main problem is with the kid.
When the Prothean VI reveals that the Crucible is a design that gets added to every 50,000 years I honestly yelled allowed 'THIS GAME IS SO GREAT I LOVE THE STORY'. That was an amazing premise.
Then combined with the reveal that at some point (don't remember when) that the Reapers too have a master that is influencing their will. I really feel like this set up never really got its full pay off.
I really dislike the whole idea of kids being used a conduit for a higher authority or wisdom above that of an adults in any medium. So I *really* disliked that here.
The Reaper's master needed to be explored at depth if it was going to be introduced at all. Organic life has been fighting a mechanical entity for millions of years, but organics work gets reset every 50k? That's awesome. That's amazing. Shame it got revealed and then discarded in the last 3 seconds.
---
Also was I the only one who thought there were only two options, not three?
Also, was I the only one who walked half way up the steps on one side, only to walk straight to the other?
When the Prothean VI reveals that the Crucible is a design that gets added to every 50,000 years I honestly yelled allowed 'THIS GAME IS SO GREAT I LOVE THE STORY'. That was an amazing premise.
Then combined with the reveal that at some point (don't remember when) that the Reapers too have a master that is influencing their will. I really feel like this set up never really got its full pay off.
I really dislike the whole idea of kids being used a conduit for a higher authority or wisdom above that of an adults in any medium. So I *really* disliked that here.
The Reaper's master needed to be explored at depth if it was going to be introduced at all. Organic life has been fighting a mechanical entity for millions of years, but organics work gets reset every 50k? That's awesome. That's amazing. Shame it got revealed and then discarded in the last 3 seconds.
---
Also was I the only one who thought there were only two options, not three?
Also, was I the only one who walked half way up the steps on one side, only to walk straight to the other?
The simple answer is BioWare tried to do an ambiguous ending but fail!
Mac fucking Walters wrote the Mass Relays destruction scenes simply forgot the other writer wrote the imprecation of a Mass Relay destruction.
And he wrote the fucking Normandy scenes simply didn't thought it through about the supply issue and how everybody is going to starve to death in the jungle planet. That's the true answer.
The two fucking guys who are defending the ending are obviously the two who directly responsible to the ending. They are doing it because they don't want to be fired for potentially causing EA millions to make a new DLC in order to save the shitstorm that's cause by this worst ending of all time.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Fixed that for you.
I don't know if making a choice like Kaidan/Ashley would have been any good simply because they'd be going back to the well... but when you build a whole game on the possibility of anyone dying, I guess that's all you have.
lastplayed
Member
But his loyalty mission was all right, and no one would've bothered if he was gonna die anyway.
+1
I was after military strength, the Quarians had prove themselves incompetent and poorly organised. Shame Tali died but I know who I'd rather fight with.
lastplayed
Member
Only ending I need.
"And then they had babies."
One of my most favourite and bittersweet shots..
That's a really good ending right there. I am convinced BioWare won't make a DLC ending better than this.
Now we just need to edit a close up scene of Shepard pressing the button on the control panel. And also before the credit roll, maybe a slow pan of the blue planet earth with more piano playing in the background., and dissolve in the credit a tab slower. Plus you have to put in "Story Repair: Mass Effect Community".
Somebody package it and put it in the PC version. I am ready to accept that as Canon.
jakershaker
Member
Pros save both!
Shake Appeal
Member
Cold truth.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
That's the essential RPG experience.
This is such a great ending right here. It's so tragic that Bioware were so close to a great ending, then they just brain farted and sharted out the final 10 minutes we have now.
Okay, I lost it when I read the bolded. It's gonna be okay, man. Desperate situation requires desperate measure, even if that means going the fanfic route. XD
Ventilaator
Banned
EDI: "Shepard, I think Joker wants to fuck me, you have first hand sexual experience, how do you know when someone's romantically interested?"
...*ALT+F4*
*uninstall*
*gasoline over computer*
...*ALT+F4*
*uninstall*
*gasoline over computer*
I love this video. It's like a hokey UFO documentary, but on ME3.
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