MASS EFFECT 3 PLAYTHROUGH WITH SPOILERS!

[nail bunny]

Whoa! Mass Effect Animated Series (e.g. Cartoon):
Warning: May contain spoilers for the alternative ending DLC:

That was just as horrible as an '80s cartoon should be.

[Ulrik]

Dammit Ulrik! I was gonna say something very similiar to this!

Too slow.

Whoa! Mass Effect Animated Series (e.g. Cartoon):

Brilliant!

[Bagpuss]

New theory perhaps they thought people wouldn't finish it until today and the end I an elaborate April Fool's joke.

[Dark Jezter]

Whoa! Mass Effect Animated Series (e.g. Cartoon):
Warning: May contain spoilers for the alternative ending DLC:
Mass Effect Cartoon - Debut Trailer - YouTube

I find it especially amusing that they have Wrex playing keyboards, the wussiest instrument you'll typically find in a rock band. I liked Shepard's omni-guitar, too.

But the sad thing about that cartoon is that Shepard & friends using the power of rock to defeat the Reapers makes more sense than the ending they gave us.

[Dark Jezter]

Found this interesting rumor on the Bioware forum from a person who claims that they met Lance Henrickson (Admiral Hackett) at a sci-fi convention in Sweden:

Yesterday I met and talked to Lance Henriksen at a Sci-fi convention in Sweden. For those who don't know, Lance is the one who does Hackett's voice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Henriksen He was really friendly and we talked for a few minutes.

EDIT: For those who don't believe me, here is the link of the convention I visited. http://www.scifiworld.se Look at the guest list.

EDIT2: Another person met him at the convention social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/323/index/10873964

I said he did a good job with the voice casting. I told him I recognized his voice as soon as Hackett spoke. Lance asked me what I thought about the game itself, and my reply was that it was great until the ending. He has heard a lot about the people's reactions and he understands them because there was not much closure. Also, he also knows what is going to happen in the future with the story of ME3 but he is not allowed to say anything. Finally, he said Bioware are planning to announce something big and amazing at PAX next friday.

Just letting you know

Source: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/to...index/10869458

[Tabloid Believer]

Maybe, but I don't think I have. Let's discuss!

Then I will be very surprised and disappointed in the new direction and backtrack. This will be made even more stark since (according to ME3 Final Hours) Bioware was at the very least considering indoctrination/Reaper control of Shepard for something associated with the ending.

Okay, fair enough. You haven't backed yourself into a corner.

There was no way in hell they were going to please everyone in the end.

No, they weren't going to please everyone, but I think they could have done better than they did. I think that's it. It's not like I'm looking at the ending and saying, "Well, given the scope Mass Effect and its universe, they could not have done any better than that."

I don't blame anyone for thinking that ME3 was rushed (certainly felt like it for things like the mission journal). [/quote]

I don't feel like the ending was rushed. It just felt like the ending was not well-thought out. It felt like a bad ending.

I get that it's logistically impossible to create 16 different endings and make them all really good. But I also disagree that it's "hard" to create a good ending. I don't buy that Bioware "does bad endings" or that most stories have bad endings. Plenty of games have good, great, and even spectacular endings. Hell, Mass Effect 2 had a fantastic ending.

I didn't want to necessarily see 16 different endings. Just a solid one.

Something on the scale of Dragon Age: Origins ending would have been awesome. DA:O had, essentially two different endings. However, inside those two different endings were a bunch of different variables that made your ending personal to you.

Another idea, since we are just shooting the shit, would be just to add onto the ending. Keep the three options you have now, but add three more to the very end. Have those three other options be something new and different. I would accept that as well.

[Dark Jezter]

Something on the scale of Dragon Age: Origins ending would have been awesome. DA:O had, essentially two different endings. However, inside those two different endings were a bunch of different variables that made your ending personal to you.

DA:O isn't even the first Bioware game to have that style of ending. Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark, and Jade Empire also have one or two different endings, followed by a series of personalized "where are they now"-style text epilogues describing what became of your companions and other people you met along the way.

I wouldn't have minded ME3 having something similar.

[JC]

I get that it's logistically impossible to create 16 different endings and make them all really good. But I also disagree that it's "hard" to create a good ending. I don't buy that Bioware "does bad endings" or that most stories have bad endings. Plenty of games have good, great, and even spectacular endings. Hell, Mass Effect 2 had a fantastic ending.

Perhaps I should have been more specific. Most stories that span more than one book/game/TV shows have endings that are okay at best. Usually they are poor and only every so often they are spectacular. It's certainly not the norm. Why? Endings are frickin' hard to do right with so many balls in the air. And in a situation with Mass Effect, where interactive story had never been done before to this scale there certainly isn't a guidebook.

I didn't want to necessarily see 16 different endings. Just a solid one.

Bummer. I got one in my game. One might even call it bold and thought provoking.

Something on the scale of Dragon Age: Origins ending would have been awesome. DA:O had, essentially two different endings. However, inside those two different endings were a bunch of different variables that made your ending personal to you.

Aiming for average is something I'm really glad they didn't try with the Mass Effect series.

[Red Baron]

From what I've been reading, getting the very best ending requires a score of over 5,000, which is simply not possible through single player alone. You will need to play either multiplayer or Mass Effect: Infiltrator for iOS to get the best possible ending (which contradicts what Bioware was saying prior to the game's release).

I don't know if anyone addressed this, but I finished the game with 5706 in military strength and I think only 75 of that was from the multiplayer. I could be wrong.

Of course, I guess having the readiness rating changes the effective rating. So multiplayer is necessary for the game.

[Dark Jezter]

One might even call it bold and thought provoking.

[JC]

The problem is that there is exactly one interpretation (so far) that doesn't suck.

So far is a good way to put it. Also, taking what the game showed as literal and what happened for realz isn't an interpretation at all. It's going on face value with zero thought. No thought, no interpretation.

And even that has internal consistency problems.

The version of how the ending played out for me (based on quite a bit of the IT)has little to no inconsistency just different permutations. All of which make sense.

It's cool with endings that are open to interpretation, but when most of the interpretations means the ending is terrible, is that a good thing?

I'd argue that only one interpretation is terrible and that is the one where everything aboard the Citadel is taken at face value and it's just assumed that crap writing is at play. Ignore the kid that only Shepard notices the entire game who happens to show up and make no sense in the end. Ignore the multiple dream sequences. Ignore all the blatantly obvious ploys at misdirection after Harbinger's beam. Do all these things and face value doesn't offer very much.

Take the Blade Runner example mentioned. It's not like the ending was a massive letdown that only works if Deckard is, in fact, a replicant.

Blade Runner is a perfect example of what happens when someone fucks with a creative vision. I have yet to see anyone write up any ending that's better than what was in the game.

Those demanding changes to the ending need to be careful what they wish for because in no way does any change, alteration or addition guarantee to be more like what they were expecting.

Blade Runner tangent: Some folks hated the ambiguity in BR's ending and still do. One could even say outraged. In the end it was considered groundbreaking by many. Others thought the whole damn movie was a massive bore. Other people are just annoyed at the multiple versions floating around that have been released over the years. There is a lesson to be learned from Blade Runner.

[JC]

[nail bunny]

I get that it's logistically impossible to create 16 different endings and make them all really good.

Eh? It's not impossible, just would have taken more time and cost more money than EA was gonna to allow.

But I also disagree that it's "hard" to create a good ending. I don't buy that Bioware "does bad endings" or that most stories have bad endings. Plenty of games have good, great, and even spectacular endings. Hell, Mass Effect 2 had a fantastic ending.

I know JC ignored my earlier post about 50% of rpg/story games endings are good, so I'll reiterate:

Atleast 50% of the rpgs and story games I've played had pretty good endings. The majority of Bioware games had very good endings.

So far is a good way to put it.

No, it's a poor way to put it.

Mass Effect 3 has had it's ending. Anything here forward is like will either be revisionist bs or "behind the scenes" clarificationing.

Also, taking what the game showed as literal and what happened for realz isn't an interpretation at all. It's going on face value with zero thought. No thought, no interpretation.

It's plenty of thought. All the thought and consideration that comes from around 100+ hours of playing through 1-3, of talking about the game over the years, of thinking about it. Then faced with interpreting the ending: you have one at face value and one that requires the end to be an asspull/mind-screw.

Which one is more likely following what Bioware has shown of themselves to date? The face value one.

Now, we'll see what happens when the "new ending" DLC is released and you slap down your 15$ for it...

The version of how the ending played out for me (based on quite a bit of the IT)has little to no inconsistency just different permutations. All of which make sense.

You also thought Falling Skies was intelligently written.

Ignore the kid that only Shepard notices the entire game who happens to show up and make no sense in the end.

What? The kid that has no chance to interact with anyone else and is in only 3 scenes and was alone for one of them? That kid?

It's not just a stretch to say the kid is part of the indoctrination, it's one of the inconsistencies.

Ignore the multiple dream sequences.

There are two interpretations for the dream sequences. The more liekly one: it's a stab at Shepard's slowly crumbling morale and a face to the millions Shepard has failed to save. The other requires for Shepard to have been indoctrinated and showing no signs of indoctrination from the begining of ME3.

Ignore all the blatantly obvious ploys at misdirection after Harbinger's beam.

What "obvious" ploys at misdirection? The Illusive man? Anderson getting onboard first when Harbinger was clearly aiming at Shepard? Shepard somehow surviving an anti-ship weapon?

Blade Runner is a perfect example of what happens when someone fucks with a creative vision.

No one fucked with any "creative vision". The Director (replicant), Screenwritter (ambiguity), and Producer (human) all had different ideas there, they settled on going with the middle road as appeasement and Ridley Scott fucked it all up with his "director's cut" bullshit.

Hint: In the original book, Deckard is human.

Blade Runner tangent: Some folks hated the ambiguity in BR's ending and still do. One could even say outraged. In the end it was considered groundbreaking by many. Others thought the whole damn movie was a massive bore. Other people are just annoyed at the multiple versions floating around that have been released over the years. There is a lesson to be learned from Blade Runner.

I can't think of anyone (critic or joe on the street) whom thought the "ambiguity" was a problem. The only compliant I've heard was "it's too slow" and that's from fans of Micheal Bay style insipidity.

No, the only lesson learned from Blade Runner is that occasionally Ridley Scott fucks up.

[JC]

No, it's a poor way to put it.

Mass Effect 3 has had it's ending. Anything here forward is like will either be revisionist bs or "behind the scenes" clarificationing.

Not the way I meant it. Meant it in a "more ideas will surface as time go by" thing.

[Bagpuss]

and Jade Empire

Now ME is out of the way maybe we can see a Jade Empire 2. Man that game was cool.