-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Mass Effect 3 Spoiler Thread |OT2| Taste the Rainbow
- Thread starter Patryn
- Start date
Blue Ninja
Member
I expected that to be bound to EMS, actually. When the kid tells me "nothing more will be lost" (or something like that), I figured it meant my EMS was high enough, and only the Reapers would get wiped from existence. Turns out I was wrong.
Oh well.
Wouldnt you try to run away from a gigantic explosion anyway? Do we really need an explanation for that?
But were any other ships affected in the same way? They show ships flying off normally when Hackett does his speech.
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
Well, at least we can assume that the race that created the Reapers looked like the Reapers. From this line: "The Reapers are a synthetic representation of my creators" so says the Space Ghost.
Edit: Something confuses me with Refusal ending. Why is Stargazer and her child talking? If the cycle continues after refusal, there would be no humans, right?
Is the Extended Cut thread the new ending spoiler thread because this one seems to be dying out....
Edit: Something confuses me with Refusal ending. Why is Stargazer and her child talking? If the cycle continues after refusal, there would be no humans, right?
Is the Extended Cut thread the new ending spoiler thread because this one seems to be dying out....
HDgaming42
Member
From my perspective:
Control still doesn't make sense if you've paid attention to the nearly full 3 games worth of narrative warning you against it.
Destroy wipes out the Geth. I suppose no option is perfect?
Synthesis seems to be what BioWare has a hard-on for, but I'm not super stoked.
Refuse is at least an option now, though it does feel like a "fuck you" to the people that demanded BioWare deliver on their promises.
If IT is dead (much like the "matrix within a matrix" before it) then this version of the skittles ending is by far my favourite. I think I'm going to consider it my personal canon. That guy "got it". Especially his closing paragraphs of what we expected to see out of all our war asset collecting.
And truth be told, I would have much preferred ACTUAL stills with VO. Cutting shit out in 2D and then moving it in 3D space looks terrible. I mean, contrast that with the commercial CG we were fed to buy the game. Night and day.
The ending should have had a lot more muscle to it. If not proper CG, at least some in-game engine shit...
At least now I feel like I can abandon this universe forever. I've found my canon ending, and BioWare has seen their last dollars from me. I couldn't give two shits about DLC guys. Not now...
Control still doesn't make sense if you've paid attention to the nearly full 3 games worth of narrative warning you against it.
Destroy wipes out the Geth. I suppose no option is perfect?
Synthesis seems to be what BioWare has a hard-on for, but I'm not super stoked.
Refuse is at least an option now, though it does feel like a "fuck you" to the people that demanded BioWare deliver on their promises.
If IT is dead (much like the "matrix within a matrix" before it) then this version of the skittles ending is by far my favourite. I think I'm going to consider it my personal canon. That guy "got it". Especially his closing paragraphs of what we expected to see out of all our war asset collecting.
And truth be told, I would have much preferred ACTUAL stills with VO. Cutting shit out in 2D and then moving it in 3D space looks terrible. I mean, contrast that with the commercial CG we were fed to buy the game. Night and day.
The ending should have had a lot more muscle to it. If not proper CG, at least some in-game engine shit...
At least now I feel like I can abandon this universe forever. I've found my canon ending, and BioWare has seen their last dollars from me. I couldn't give two shits about DLC guys. Not now...
Not until I have my way with you, my sweet!
Just watch them on Youtube.
Complistic
Member
I hate to say it but destroying the reapers once and for all is totally worth the price of edi and the geth.
HadesGigas
Member
What Joker did:
See big ass "explosion".
Haul ass away from it in one of the fastest ships ever made.
Don't notice that the other ships aren't blowing up in the "explosion" cause he's busy outrunning it.
Keep outrunning it till the Nnormandy is at it's limits.
Crash on some random planet while the explosion finally catches up.
Realize that red stuff wasn't all that harmful.
Wait for EDI to make a joke about it...
...
...
Cry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNWw03sfn8g
here's the low EMS ending for destroy, it's the opposite of a happy ending lol. Not really sure how anyone was supposed to survive that, judging by how it's depicted (more in line with the original ending)
here's the low EMS ending for destroy, it's the opposite of a happy ending lol. Not really sure how anyone was supposed to survive that, judging by how it's depicted (more in line with the original ending)
CG is extremely expensive to produce. That's why it's limited to promo stuff and main trailers. They had less than 3 months in order to rework the endings. 2D stills with some flash anim is really the best we could have asked for.
HadesGigas
Member
Well, they did more than just that thankfully. Like the part right before the beam where i had to say a quick goodbye to a badly wounded Liara(my LI), i felt bad for her more than Shepard.
I'm curious to see what it looks like with Ashley/Kaidan/Tali/Garrus.If all the new ending "content" was just 2D stills with small animations, people would complain a lot more than right now.
Joe Molotov
Member
Hum. Well. I guess if I saw those ending to begin with I would just be like "Meh" instead of "WORST ENDING EVER".
So yeah, good job Bioware. Clearly 3 months well spent.
So yeah, good job Bioware. Clearly 3 months well spent.
Typographenia
Member
Because EDI's robot tears make the bad things go away.
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
I'm just amazed they made the climax of this game a Q&A session about some shit that was in no way relevant to all the shit prior to. This stuff is good, but I'm just still kind of dumbfounded they didn't just leave you with Anderson as the crucible fired* & all the same CG endings for destroy rolled. They made it so hard on themselves.
*As the original ending, not extended cut, which is really just the "we actually had time to finish the game" cut.
*As the original ending, not extended cut, which is really just the "we actually had time to finish the game" cut.
Adorable!
I still don't understand why poor military strength would change the damage caused by an explosion from the sky. "Well, the grenade did explode at my feet, but fortunately my morale was high, so I wasn't hurt by the blast!"
HadesGigas
Member
Well, they did more than just that thankfully. Like the part right before the beam where i had to say a quick goodbye to a badly wounded Liara(my LI), i felt bad for her more than Shepard.
Here's the Tali version, "I have a home..."
(Also, didn't know EDI could bleed, lol)
Well, they did more than just that thankfully. Like the part right before the beam where i had to say a quick goodbye to a badly wounded Liara(my LI), i felt bad for her more than Shepard.
The Shepard/Kaidan goodbye scene pretty much redeems the EC for me. It was worth it just for that scene.
Just played it myself (I kinda missed Shep :3) and it is indeed better, but doesn't really fix anything, and the slides are piss poor bad, specially compared to real post-game narration like Fallout's. Reject ending feels like the only one that makes sense for me, so I picked that one, then tried magical Synthesis and I still think it's too "good" to really be acceptable as part of a choice.
I also found it hilarious that the Normandy gets stranded on the magical Garden of Eden planet, but now it's in perfect condition and they just fly back to civilization, basically scratching the original idea...
I also found it hilarious that the Normandy gets stranded on the magical Garden of Eden planet, but now it's in perfect condition and they just fly back to civilization, basically scratching the original idea...
Indeed. It's the most pointless event in the game.
I get it. I get the Catalyst now. Caution, some of this is speculation.
I was reading on the BSN forums, and they had some interesting ideas on what the Catalyst really is, but i think I cracked the code, and it's actually tragically funny. Why funny? Because that memetic image of using synthetics to kill everyone so they won't get killed by synthetics... is true. Because that's pretty much what the Catalyst does, except it doesn't see the contradiction.
What is the Catalyst? As the extended cut tells us, it's an ancient AI made by the first race to be Reaped. A race that apparently looked like cuttlefish. This race was very good at making synthetic lifeforms, but each and every time they did, it backfired and they had to fight them. And that got old. So they built the biggest, most powerful AI they had ever made, and installed it on the biggest hardware they had: The Citadel. This AI had one job: "Find out how to end the constant warring between organics and synthetics while preserving life." In retrospect, a poor choice of words.
So it started observing, calculating, planning. War after war, always the same. Synthetics attacking their creators, but a pattern emerged: Organics needed to reach a certain level of technology before making apocalyptic levels of synthetics. So if there was a way to end civilization, but preserve life, organic/synthetic wars could be minimized. It wouldn't be a perfect solution, but it was the one fulfilling the goal of maintaining peace between organics and synthetics the most. And so the first Reaper was made, from the very race that had created the Catalyst. They would no longer fight any war against synthetics, and their life was preserved in Reaper form. But new life and civilizations emerged, and they too would have to be prevented from waging war with synthetics. Thus: The cycle is created. Every 50,000 years, the Reapers purge all organic civilizations capable of making synthetics as well as the synthetics they had created. These civilizations would also be preserved. As Reapers.
So, what is the Catalyst? A result of extremely poor judgement and sloppy programming of the most powerful AI in galactic history. It doesn't hate, it wasn't programmed to. It runs the same flawed solution over and over and over, as it has found no better solution. Until our cycle.
Then this organic, who really should be dead several times over, comes stumbling, bleeding, but unwavering to the hidden parts of the Citadel. To the Catalyst's home. This is unprecedented, an organic, who united the galaxy, maybe even united organics and synthetics, is standing right there, and docked with the Citadel is the Crucible, a massive energy supply, allowing for even more calculations, with the added variable of Shepard and the united galaxy.
And that's why it helps Shepard. It knows that the Reaper solution is flawed, and now that organics have proven themselves capable of giving the Reapers a bloody nose this cycle, the next cycle could be disastrous. Basically, the Reaper solution is broken beyond repair. I'm not quite sure why it lets Shepard choose, though. Maybe because Shepard has more or less proven to be the exemplar of this cycle?
Anyway... that got a little long-winded. The gist of it is this: The Catalyst is a rogue AI that was given a faulty premise and took it to its ugly and extreme logical conclusion.
I was reading on the BSN forums, and they had some interesting ideas on what the Catalyst really is, but i think I cracked the code, and it's actually tragically funny. Why funny? Because that memetic image of using synthetics to kill everyone so they won't get killed by synthetics... is true. Because that's pretty much what the Catalyst does, except it doesn't see the contradiction.
What is the Catalyst? As the extended cut tells us, it's an ancient AI made by the first race to be Reaped. A race that apparently looked like cuttlefish. This race was very good at making synthetic lifeforms, but each and every time they did, it backfired and they had to fight them. And that got old. So they built the biggest, most powerful AI they had ever made, and installed it on the biggest hardware they had: The Citadel. This AI had one job: "Find out how to end the constant warring between organics and synthetics while preserving life." In retrospect, a poor choice of words.
So it started observing, calculating, planning. War after war, always the same. Synthetics attacking their creators, but a pattern emerged: Organics needed to reach a certain level of technology before making apocalyptic levels of synthetics. So if there was a way to end civilization, but preserve life, organic/synthetic wars could be minimized. It wouldn't be a perfect solution, but it was the one fulfilling the goal of maintaining peace between organics and synthetics the most. And so the first Reaper was made, from the very race that had created the Catalyst. They would no longer fight any war against synthetics, and their life was preserved in Reaper form. But new life and civilizations emerged, and they too would have to be prevented from waging war with synthetics. Thus: The cycle is created. Every 50,000 years, the Reapers purge all organic civilizations capable of making synthetics as well as the synthetics they had created. These civilizations would also be preserved. As Reapers.
So, what is the Catalyst? A result of extremely poor judgement and sloppy programming of the most powerful AI in galactic history. It doesn't hate, it wasn't programmed to. It runs the same flawed solution over and over and over, as it has found no better solution. Until our cycle.
Then this organic, who really should be dead several times over, comes stumbling, bleeding, but unwavering to the hidden parts of the Citadel. To the Catalyst's home. This is unprecedented, an organic, who united the galaxy, maybe even united organics and synthetics, is standing right there, and docked with the Citadel is the Crucible, a massive energy supply, allowing for even more calculations, with the added variable of Shepard and the united galaxy.
And that's why it helps Shepard. It knows that the Reaper solution is flawed, and now that organics have proven themselves capable of giving the Reapers a bloody nose this cycle, the next cycle could be disastrous. Basically, the Reaper solution is broken beyond repair. I'm not quite sure why it lets Shepard choose, though. Maybe because Shepard has more or less proven to be the exemplar of this cycle?
Anyway... that got a little long-winded. The gist of it is this: The Catalyst is a rogue AI that was given a faulty premise and took it to its ugly and extreme logical conclusion.
alysonwheel
Member
I agree. The Catalyst is a much less frustrating reveal now that its origins are more clear. It's a galactic-scale mistake, a total logic failure that innocently murders entire civilisations in good conscience; like giving the keys to the grenade cabinet to an enthusiastic dog. A much more tragic story.
The problem with the original ending was not that this wasn't a possible interpretation -- it was -- but that so little information was given that any number of other explanations worked just as well.
The problem with the original ending was not that this wasn't a possible interpretation -- it was -- but that so little information was given that any number of other explanations worked just as well.
So good. Great facial animation on him.
Just got through it a couple of minutes ago.
- It got though character inconsistencies and some plot holes by retconing the crap out of some things...so much for not changing anything, but it was necessary. Also, they went above and beyond with the love interest.
- Reaper logic is still broken. Which still renders every action taken by the Reapers since ME1 completely stupid (Too bad they didn't or couldn't retcon reaper logic). Who would ever put the fate of a galaxy in the hands of such stupid, stupid robots?
- Choices have clearer consequences. This actually makes it easier to overlook the shitty logic now. Okay, okay, you have no choice other than those laid out in front of you. Do you choose to be a space mass murderer, space violator, or space god/dictator...or let EVERYONE die?
Personally I prefer to avoid dooming anyone if I could help it. So that left me with 2 choices. I don't like the idea of subjecting everyone to an eternal dictatorship either. So yes, if it means EDI and the geth get to live (as they have every right to as anyone else); and I only commit a temporary act of force, I would violate the whole lot of the galaxy one time. Besides, in society we already give up some right to act as we please in order to accommodate others, and the circumstances in ME3 are quite extreme.
Anyway my initial impressions of this ending, which actually does include changes, are positive.
- It got though character inconsistencies and some plot holes by retconing the crap out of some things...so much for not changing anything, but it was necessary. Also, they went above and beyond with the love interest.
- Reaper logic is still broken. Which still renders every action taken by the Reapers since ME1 completely stupid (Too bad they didn't or couldn't retcon reaper logic). Who would ever put the fate of a galaxy in the hands of such stupid, stupid robots?
- Choices have clearer consequences. This actually makes it easier to overlook the shitty logic now. Okay, okay, you have no choice other than those laid out in front of you. Do you choose to be a space mass murderer, space violator, or space god/dictator...or let EVERYONE die?
Personally I prefer to avoid dooming anyone if I could help it. So that left me with 2 choices. I don't like the idea of subjecting everyone to an eternal dictatorship either. So yes, if it means EDI and the geth get to live (as they have every right to as anyone else); and I only commit a temporary act of force, I would violate the whole lot of the galaxy one time.
Besides, in society we already give up some right to act as we please in order to accommodate others, and the circumstances in ME3 are quite extreme.Anyway my initial impressions of this ending, which actually does include changes, are positive.
Yeah, the problem with the original ending was that it implies that the Catalyst's way is the right way. But in this one, it's somewhat retconned into that the Catalyst is basically galactic-sized HAL gone amok. I'm just slightly disappointed with the options to end this monstrosity (we can only choose one of his 3 options). I wish there was a way that does not involve his options. But that way is pretty much doomed to failure in this story.
Ah well, like I said before, I'm disappointed but that last goodbye between Shepard/Kaidan pretty much made the EC better for me. I think that's what disturbed me about the original ending: lack of emotional warmth and connection during the last few moments of the game. Even if it had to end badly, I want to see more emotions from the characters. And the EC provided a bit of that.
The Stargazer in that ending is an alien from the next cycle.
When the choice is then to either sacrifice the Geth randomly or I have no fucking clue in Synthesis, Control seems the best option.
If you call Control fan fiction simply because everyone lives, then whatever. But the whole of ME3, with the arguments with the IM, definitely build towards it.
I don't really agree with this. In the original ending too, the Catalyst implied that this is how it had always worked, but now that Shepard is here, the solution had obviously been faulty and doesn't work anymore. That is why he offers Shepard the rainbow choice. They just made it a bit clearer in the EC.
Blue Ninja
Member
I like Destroy best only because the music that plays during Control sucks.
I think his problem is not that everyone lives, but that Shepard become some sort of invisible god able to control Reapers. When you think about it, it is pretty silly. Mass Effect never had gods(or rather, you never meet one in person or hear them talk) or things like that, so it kinda come out of nowhere.
Well the Reapers are pretty God like.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
now that's what I would like to know.
Also:
from: "...you touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding."
"you're a mistake by an old AI"
The EC does make the ending tolerable-ish, but to the series as a whole, and with the refusal ending, it's still a giant "go f yourself" to me. And I don't think that's going to change for me either.
They are, but they were always shown as very powerful and evil giant machines since the first game. It's not quite the same as true gods.
But that was because they were being run by the malfunctioning/badly programmed AI that was the Starkid. Now that Shepard's uploaded her mind/whatever, it makes sense that they're a bit nicer.
Think of it like Shepard replacing the Starkid.
Shepard becomes a Reaper God and controls the remaining Reapers to help everyone return to a life of peace. Subsequently Reaper Space Jesus protects everyone and maintains peace for as long as we know.
I'm not saying the alternative endings to Control are that much better (synthesis is probably the most offensive and unethical of them all), I'm just saying the premise of Reaper Space Jesus is so horrible that it would be something I'd expect from the Bioware forums.
But it actually fits thematically, what with everything the IM says over the course of the game. It doesn't exactly come out of left field.
GungHo
Single-handedly caused Exxon-Mobil to sue FOX, start World War 3
Look closely (like full screen if you youtube it). That's not a human. Unless she has Phoenix Wright hair.
That's the ending I want.