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Mass Effect 3 Spoiler Thread |OT2| Taste the Rainbow

T

thechristoph

Sir!
ME3 GAF Poll

  • What color did you pick? Green
  • How do you feel about the ending? I thought it was alright at first, until I started to think about it.
    • Please describe why you feel this way.
    I knew that it was almost universally reviled because the Internet was intent on making it known to everyone in the world, so I was expecting to get cancer from it. It's not THAT bad, but it still makes no sense.
  • Are you indoctrinated (believe in the theory)? I doubt it. But it's a good backdoor to DLC.
  • In general will you buy ME3 DLC? Yes. It's still a good GAME, ending notwithstanding.
  • Would you buy a revised interactive ending DLC? If there's gameplay, sure. I won't pay money for a video.
  • Have you played previous ME games? Yes
  • In what order have you played the games? 1, 2, 3
  • Favorite game in the trilogy? ME2. ME1 has good story, but it's kind of a chore to play. ME3 is a lot like ME2, but it seems to lack a lot of the variety of ME2.
 
T

Typographenia

Member
Zeal said:
I still sticking with Indoctrination Theory. It still makes more sense than anything else.
Click to expand...

I like to think that Shepard didn't leave the Geth hivemind properly, he was brain damaged, and the ending events we witnessed were his incoherent mind creating it as he stared up at his collection of spaceship models. The rest of the universe looks on in terror, as their inability to function sans-Shepard sets in. The vacuum of space fills with the ashes of civilizations and uninhabited planets as the Reapers take no chance at letting the next cycle possibly find anything related to the device known as "The Crucible."
 
M

Mindlog

Member
ME3 GAF Poll

  • What color did you pick? R/G/B? Blue
  • How do you feel about the ending? Like/Dislike/Hate/Neutral (Indifferent)? Hate
    • Please describe why you feel this way.
    It's inconsistent
  • Are you indoctrinated (believe in the theory)? Yes/No No
  • In general will you buy ME3 DLC? Y/N? NA
  • Would you buy a revised interactive ending DLC? Y/N NA
  • Have you played previous ME games? Y/N? Yes
  • In what order have you played the games? 1, 2, 3 ? 1->2->3
  • Favorite game in the trilogy? Why?
 
D

Deleted member 13876

Unconfirmed Member
Typographenia said:
I like to think that Shepard didn't leave the Geth hivemind properly, he was brain damaged, and the ending events we witnessed were his incoherent mind creating it as he stared up at his collection of spaceship models.
Click to expand...

Whether you're serious or not, the Geth consensus mission is optional.
 
I

Ivan A Nguyen

Member
ME3 GAF Poll

  • What color did you pick? R/G/B? Green
  • How do you feel about the ending? Like/Dislike/Hate/Neutral (Indifferent)? Dislike
    • Please describe why you feel this way.
    It was done better in Tengen Toppa Gurren Laggan. There are also too many plot holes. If the citadel is the reapers, then why not fix the keepers post prothean involvement? Why was joker fleeing the final fight? Why were my squad mates, who were clearly shown in health bars during my final charge to the beam, not killed by the reaper beam? It hurt to think they were dead, but in a good way. It made the walk to the console though all that gore more meaningful.
  • Are you indoctrinated (believe in the theory)? Yes/No Yes. My friend had a convincing argument and I think if Bioware was restrictive enough to give only 3 endings, then they'd also go as far as to give only one true ending.
  • In general will you buy ME3 DLC? Y/N? Nope, I'm going to try and get a refund out of Amazon. If they don't want to refund then I'll just trade it in somewhere. I'm done.
  • Would you buy a revised interactive ending DLC? Y/N Nope.
  • Have you played previous ME games? Y/N? Yes
  • In what order have you played the games? 1, 2, 3 ? 1->2->3
  • Favorite game in the trilogy? ME 2 held so much promise. It was a game where I felt I had fully exhausted the story presented to me and I enjoyed the stories.
 
M

MechaX

Member
You know... some one brought up "Reaper logic" and I wonder about something.

If the Catalyst (or its race, whatever) had the technology to build the Reapers, it probably could have built the Crucible too. If the Crucible has a magic beam that can erase synthetics, which was apparently the Reaper's goal, why didn't the Catalyst just work on... anti-synthetic magic instead of the entire "save you every 50k years with godly synthetics" logic? That seems like an infinitely easier way to make sure organics aren't killed by synthetics.
 
R

randomwab

Member
MechaX said:
You know... some one brought up "Reaper logic" and I wonder about something.

If the Catalyst (or its race, whatever) had the technology to build the Reapers, it probably could have built the Crucible too. If the Crucible has a magic beam that can erase synthetics, which was apparently the Reaper's goal, why didn't the Catalyst just work on... anti-synthetic magic instead of the entire "save you every 50k years with godly synthetics" logic? That seems like an infinitely easier way to make sure organics aren't killed by synthetics.
Click to expand...

Because video games. Because BioWare. Because cupcakes.
 
R

Rapstah

Member
Friedreich said:
that would be ridiculous huh

Maybe it's because of the Yahg's predisposition to violence; more so than the Krogan's? They figured the Yahg will continuously destroy themselves enough to hinder their progress or into extinction.

Man, I don't know. All I know is that the Shadow Broker being a Yahg was kind of a bummer.
Click to expand...

They and the Raloi both are within two hundred years, less in the case of the Raloi, from reaching the Citadel normally. If we assume the Reapers kill every race that achieves FTL travel while they're still cleaning up, let's say they can go there in a thousand years to be safe.

The Raloi definitely know about the races in our cycle because they actively cut ties with them in order not to get harvested (as mentioned in a Citadel newscast). The Yahg may not even be organised enough to have any kind of general knowledge sphere that there are other races, but they are at least advanced and unified enough to be close to space flight, something that requires some cooperation.

It's just an odd situation in the plot that doesn't appear in our cycle because the Protheans were jackasses who killed all semi-intelligent species, and even then they actually built a facility on our nearest planet, left an obelisk there with blueprints for a superweapon and a couple of FTL ships parked (mentioned by TIM in dialogue). How fucking bad are the Reapers at cleaning up?
 
J

Jake Tower

Banned
MechaX said:
You know... some one brought up "Reaper logic" and I wonder about something.

If the Catalyst (or its race, whatever) had the technology to build the Reapers, it probably could have built the Crucible too. If the Crucible has a magic beam that can erase synthetics, which was apparently the Reaper's goal, why didn't the Catalyst just work on... anti-synthetic magic instead of the entire "save you every 50k years with godly synthetics" logic? That seems like an infinitely easier way to make sure organics aren't killed by synthetics.
Click to expand...
mind-blown_thumb.gif
 
H

hateradio

The Most Dangerous Yes Man
heliosRAzi said:
NPR talks about the ending
Click to expand...
I clicked on that, and it spoiled the end for Read Dead Redemption, awesome.

However, I liked how the woman sounded appalled that you could effectively only choose the color of the explosion. :lol


Edit: I also caught up with the poll. I didn't think there would be more than 100 people, maybe 30 or so who would do it.
 
G

Galactic Fork

A little fluff between the ears never did any harm...
MechaX said:
You know... some one brought up "Reaper logic" and I wonder about something.

If the Catalyst (or its race, whatever) had the technology to build the Reapers, it probably could have built the Crucible too. If the Crucible has a magic beam that can erase synthetics, which was apparently the Reaper's goal, why didn't the Catalyst just work on... anti-synthetic magic instead of the entire "save you every 50k years with godly synthetics" logic? That seems like an infinitely easier way to make sure organics aren't killed by synthetics.
Click to expand...

Because he'd be committing genocide against synthetics, and that'd be wrong... Plus it would blow up the mass relays every time. So he'd have to build new relays every time the organics made a new synthetic race and he had to wipe them out. Much easier just to kill the organics. Those mass relays are probably expensive.
 
G

Galactic Fork

A little fluff between the ears never did any harm...
  • What color did you pick? Red
  • How do you feel about the ending? Hate
    • Color coded. Random space child just talks at you, and he's kinda a prick about it. The inclusing of the horrible green ending (and I die a little inside when I see others picking it). The obvious attachment of the Geth to the Red ending for emotional purposes and nothing else (basically to make it seem less obvious when compared to blue and green). Stranding everybody who joined the war effort in the Sol system. Joker's escape made no sense.
      I'd have been happier if the Catalyst didn't work, and they had to lead a huge retreat, then finding a way to destroy the Sol relay and all the Reapers in the system.
  • Are you indoctrinated (believe in the theory)? No, I like the idea and think it'd have been great if it was intended by Bioware. But it's not, so it isn't.
  • In general will you buy ME3 DLC? Ha ha ha... No.
  • Would you buy a revised interactive ending DLC? Buy? No. If it was free, I'd maybe download it if I hadn't traded it in yet.
  • Have you played previous ME games? Yes
  • In what order have you played the games? 2, 3 (I don't have an xbox to play ME1.)
  • Favorite game in the trilogy? 2
 
R

Rapstah

Member
Having now seen what they could do with ME2 DLC, my hopes are slightly raised for what they will end up possibly doing with ME3. There was some heavy modification of the game in those ME2 packs, especially the air car in Shadow Broker. Arrival was surprisingly the most like the actual game.

The lack of ME1 -> ME3 face import is sadly, I've realised, because there are a lot fewer hair styles and colours in ME3 than ME1 and 2. The great brown-red colour I used in both was most closely replaces with dark brown which looks like another person, a shame. They're probably not going to patch that. :/
 
Haunted

Haunted

Member
MechaX said:
You know... some one brought up "Reaper logic" and I wonder about something.

If the Catalyst (or its race, whatever) had the technology to build the Reapers, it probably could have built the Crucible too. If the Crucible has a magic beam that can erase synthetics, which was apparently the Reaper's goal, why didn't the Catalyst just work on... anti-synthetic magic instead of the entire "save you every 50k years with godly synthetics" logic? That seems like an infinitely easier way to make sure organics aren't killed by synthetics.
Click to expand...
The best part about deus ex machina as a writer's crux is that you don't have to explain them at all. Just plop em in there and you're done.
 
R

Rapstah

Member
Haunted said:
The best part about deus ex machina as a writer's crux is that you don't have to explain them at all. Just plop em in there and you're done.
Click to expand...

That is the very definition of a deus ex machina, and the Crucible isn't really one because it follows us through the entire game. Space kid might be a deus ex machina.
 
J

JimtotheHum

Member
After I beat the game and go through all of the credits and the post credit epilogue. I get the pop-up, click A, and nothing happens.

Aren't I supposed to go back to the main screen or something? Or go back to before I go to the illusive man mission. I just get black screen.
 
E

Eljay

Neo Member
hateradio said:
Edit: I also caught up with the poll. I didn't think there would be more than 100 people, maybe 30 or so who would do it.
Click to expand...

I believe there's a pretty strong echo chamber of opinion, the silent folks smartly don't need to add to the repetition.
 
H

HollovVpo1nt

Banned
Galactic Fork said:
  • What color did you pick? Red
  • How do you feel about the ending? Hate
    • Color coded. Random space child just talks at you, and he's kinda a prick about it. The inclusing of the horrible green ending (and I die a little inside when I see others picking it). The obvious attachment of the Geth to the Red ending for emotional purposes and nothing else (basically to make it seem less obvious when compared to blue and green). Stranding everybody who joined the war effort in the Sol system. Joker's escape made no sense.
      I'd have been happier if the Catalyst didn't work, and they had to lead a huge retreat, then finding a way to destroy the Sol relay and all the Reapers in the system.
Click to expand...


  • Why? I picked green. Seemed like a fitting conclusion. There were many times in the campaign where you could choose to destroy a species. The Rachni made peace, Krogan made piece, even the Geth made piece. Choosing the red option kills synthetics, but Shepard would never kill a 'race' if you go by the in-game diologue (paragon). That said, the whole synthetics vs. organics crap can be dealt with by making organics synthetics and sythetics organics, the hybrids.
 
B

Brawndo Addict

Banned
Rapstah said:
That is the very definition of a deus ex machina, and the Crucible isn't really one because it follows us through the entire game. Space kid might be a deus ex machina.
Click to expand...

Wait what? How could you see the Crucible as anything other than deus ex machina? Just because it's introduced at the beginning of the game doesn't somehow excuse it, especially when you have to consider the Mass Effect story as the three games in totality. Even more so since the entire game's worth of references to it are hilariously direct in overtly saying, yeah it's a deus ex machina.

"The thing essentially builds itself"....."we both don't know anything about it, yet also know it's a super weapon that can destroy the reapers, so we're gonna build it anyway despite having no idea what it is or how it works at all"....."good thing we double checked those Prothean Mars Records that we've had access to since the very start of our space-faring era, sure would have been bad to miss that".....ugh.
 
H

heliosRAzi

Banned
Haunted said:
Nah, the in-game explanation of the Reapers culling the civilisations in the universe is not really the problem.
Click to expand...

Yes it is since some of us have actually disproved the Catalyst's assertions and reason for the culling. Also, it takes a sub-theme and elevates it to the main conflict.

Haunted said:
The best part about deus ex machina as a writer's crux is that you don't have to explain them at all. Just plop em in there and you're done.
Click to expand...
And that's why deus ex machinas suck.
 
R

Rapstah

Member
Brawndo Addict said:
Wait what? How could you see the Crucible as anything other than deus ex machina? Just because it's introduced at the beginning of the game doesn't somehow excuse it, especially when you have to consider the Mass Effect story as the three games in totality. Even more so since the entire game's worth of references to it are hilariously direct in overtly saying, yeah it's a deus ex machina.

"The thing essentially builds itself"....."we both don't know anything about it, yet also know it's a super weapon that can destroy the reapers, so we're gonna build it anyway despite having no idea what it is or how it works at all"....."good thing we double checked those Prothean Mars Records that we've had access to since the very start of our space-faring era, sure would have been bad to miss that".....ugh.
Click to expand...

It's not a deus ex machina within the story of ME3, I'll agree with what you said if we're counting the entire series as the story in which it becomes the DEM.
 
S

shamanick

Member
What color did you pick? G
How do you feel about the ending? Hate
Please describe why you feel this way. Inconsistent.
Are you indoctrinated (believe in the theory)? No
In general will you buy ME3 DLC? Y
Would you buy a revised interactive ending DLC? Y
Have you played previous ME games? Y
In what order have you played the games? 1, 2, 3
Favorite game in the trilogy? 2
 
G

Galactic Fork

A little fluff between the ears never did any harm...
HollovVpo1nt said:
Why? I picked green. Seemed like a fitting conclusion. There were many times in the campaign where you could choose to destroy a species. The Rachni made peace, Krogan made piece, even the Geth made piece. Choosing the red option kills synthetics, but Shepard would never kill a 'race' if you go by the in-game diologue (paragon). That said, the whole synthetics vs. organics crap can be dealt with by making organics synthetics and sythetics organics, the hybrids.
Click to expand...

Moral issues aside... It's a magical beam that spreads through the galaxy and alters every single living thing (and some some inanimate objects). Somehow perfectly integrates circuitry into them. Plus this is supposed to end synthetic vs organic aggression. Good thing there's no organic vs organic aggression. Or synthetic vs synthetic aggression.

But really? It makes everything partially synthetic. where did all the metal and wires come from anyway?

At least with Red, you can say it's attached to the thing that controls them so it's basically an off switch, and with Blue, it's attached to the thing that controls them so it's an override. But Green? No.
 
I

InaudibleWhispa

Member
HollovVpo1nt said:
Why? I picked green. Seemed like a fitting conclusion. There were many times in the campaign where you could choose to destroy a species. The Rachni made peace, Krogan made piece, even the Geth made piece. Choosing the red option kills synthetics, but Shepard would never kill a 'race' if you go by the in-game diologue (paragon). That said, the whole synthetics vs. organics crap can be dealt with by making organics synthetics and sythetics organics, the hybrids.
Click to expand...
He went there to destroy the reapers. It has been his sole goal and it is what everybody expects of him, accepting that millions will die in the war attempts. Shepard would underatand that the death of the Geth and himself is an unfortunate casualty of the war if it's his only viable option.

I don't believe Shepard would think he is capable of making such a decision alone to force everyone into becoming a hybrid against their will. Not to mention he argues with Javik about having a diversity of species rather than forcing everybody to be one thing whether they want it or not. Unless the hybrid option also messes with everyones minds, which would be even more disgusting, nothing would have changed much anyway. Species would still hold grudges, start wars and eventually build more synthetic slaves. Also, the very idea of it is dumb in every way imaginable.
 
B

Brawndo Addict

Banned
Rapstah said:
It's not a deus ex machina within the story of ME3, I'll agree with what you said if we're counting the entire series as the story in which it becomes the DEA.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I wish I could do some kind of brain wipe and play the first part of the game up to the Mars mission. I'd be curious how I'd interpret it if I literally started at 3 with no prior information at all. It's extremely difficult to try to honestly imagine how I'd react if I didn't know what I know.

I still think it would be egregious, but that all depends on how the dialogue is written I suppose. I'm not exactly predisposed to give Bioware the benefit of the doubt on this issue though.
 
J

Jintor

Member
  • What color did you pick? Green
  • How do you feel about the ending? Severe Disappointment
    [**]Please describe why you feel this way. Deus Ex Machina, Disregard of Player Choice, Non-explanation of what the choices actually meant, Lack of satisfying closure for series as a whole.
  • Are you indoctrinated (believe in the theory)? Yes/No Nope.
  • In general will you buy ME3 DLC? Y/N? Nope, unless word of mouth places it at brilliant
  • Would you buy a revised interactive ending DLC? Nope.
  • Have you played previous ME games? Y/N? Yes
  • In what order have you played the games? 1-2-3
  • Favorite game in the trilogy? 2, even if it didn't have much of an actual story
 
D

devilinanewdress

Banned
What color did you pick? Blue
How do you feel about the ending? Ambivalent.
Please describe why you feel this way. It felt aptly massive and looked fantastic, but in terms of narrative it was a big 'fuck you' to the fans of the franchise as a whole.
Are you indoctrinated (believe in the theory)? No
In general will you buy ME3 DLC? No
Would you buy a revised interactive ending DLC? No, the whole notion of such DLC is a perversion of art.
Have you played previous ME games? Yes
In what order have you played the games? 1, 2, 3
Favorite game in the trilogy? 2
 
R

Rapstah

Member
Brawndo Addict said:
Hmm, I wish I could do some kind of brain wipe and play the first part of the game up to the Mars mission. I'd be curious how I'd interpret it if I literally started at 3 with no prior information at all. It's extremely difficult to try to honestly imagine how I'd react if I didn't know what I know.

I still think it would be egregious, but that all depends on how the dialogue is written I suppose. I'm not exactly predisposed to give Bioware the benefit of the doubt on this issue though.
Click to expand...

Someone should check what the Action Mode picks are for that conversation with TIM on Mars. If they actually go into the Investigate tab at all to try to explain, because my assumption has to be that almost every single Action Mode player started with ME3.

Of course Bioware can't possibly have written a game that works for new players in that sense though, but a Deus ex Machina has to be considered as compared to the story it is contained within, and none of the story can possibly make sense for someone new to the series.
 
M

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
This might be ignored, but could anyone somehow link me to the first Eatchildren post in the first spoiler thread? I want to see it, but man, 20000 posts...
 
R

Rapstah

Member
mattiewheels said:
This might be ignored, but could anyone somehow link me to the first Eatchildren post in the first spoiler thread? I want to see it, but man, 20000 posts...
Click to expand...

It wasn't as glorious as you imgaine, it was more of a "Meh, it was bad but it didn't ruin the series for me", if I'm remembering.

Why do I remember this? :/

EDIT: Oh god, I'm reaching Rebel Leader levels of post density here, going to not post in here for a couple of days.
 
Admiral Snackbar

Admiral Snackbar

Member
ME3 GAF Poll

  • What color did you pick? R/G/B? Green
  • How do you feel about the ending? Like/Dislike/Hate/Neutral (Indifferent)? Hate
    • Please describe why you feel this way.
    Poorly explained, poorly implemented, poorly executed and discards everything the series stands for with no payoff.
  • Are you indoctrinated (believe in the theory)? Yes/No Yes
  • In general will you buy ME3 DLC? Y/N? No
  • Would you buy a revised interactive ending DLC? Y/N No, but only because there's no Maybe option. I WANT CHOICE DAMNIT.
  • Have you played previous ME games? Y/N? Yes
  • In what order have you played the games? 1, 2, 3 ? In proper order.
  • Favorite game in the trilogy? Mass Effect 1 for tone, Mass Effect 3 for combat.
 
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