People all seem to assume that the endings in the Extended Cut are all changes that take place from the moment Sheppard jumps into the beam. Well, on Bioware's FAQ page for the DLC, they state:

What save game should I load to play the Extended Cut?

[SPOILERS] After completing Mass Effect 3, a 'Legend' save is created prior to assaulting the Cerberus Base. To experience the Extended Cut DLC, load this save game and play through to the end of the game. The Extended Cut endings will differ depending on choices made throughout the Mass Effect series, so multiple playthroughs with a variety of different decisions will be required to experience the variety of possibilities offered by the new content.

So that's what I did, sorta. I couldn't find this new save file they're talking about, but I started from a save right before I went to Cerberus HQ. I saw several things that I *think* were changes, such as new dialog from TIM in the recordings on the computer consoles. Also, some additions to the cut scene where you call all the fleets in to the final Earth battle.

But as I've stated elsewhere, it's been 3 months since I last saw any of this, so my memory is fuzzy.

I just wanted to create this thread where people can mention changes and additions they noticed before the point where Sheppard enters the beam...

I did the same thing. I think the biggest change before the beam was my squad getting picked up by the Normandy which, while a little bit impractical (I mean, both of them were hurt, but could still run to the beam) makes a lot more sense then them magically materializing onto the Normandy like the last ending.

There's a scene right before you jump in the beam that explains where your squadmates go and why the Normandy left.

Uh... yeah. There's a whole bunch of changes...

The scene of Shepard waking up on the citadel after jumping in the beam is different. Not sure why they changed it. I don't remember anyone having a problem with it.

I believe some of the biggest changes are Illusive man dialog of "reaper" and not "prothean." That's about all I noticed from playing on the attack on Cerberus base

@Red said:

I did the same thing. I think the biggest change before the beam was my squad getting picked up by the Normandy which, while a little bit impractical (I mean, both of them were hurt, but could still run to the beam) makes a lot more sense then them magically materializing onto the Normandy like the last ending.

That's not accurate. It still doesn't make sense, but at least it's no longer a massive continuity error.

@JeanLuc said:

The scene of Shepard waking up on the citadel after jumping in the beam is different. Not sure why they changed it. I don't remember anyone having a problem with it.

They changed that to get away from Indoctrination theory. Instead of letting people wonder how long Shepard had been on the Citadel unconscious, or question if he got there before or after Anderson, he gets flung in from the beam instead. It's less disjointed. Also, in the old ending, Anderson says he goes in after you, but he gets to the control panel well before you, and there's only one hallway. That's still a little confusing, to be honest, because he says he showed up in a different location. Oh well.

Oh. Nice of them to make that obvious, even if there is no "Legend" save in my game.

@N7 said:

@onan: I'm pretty sure that entire level was edited because now panels in the wall start moving like he described and also there are clearly multiple walkways all around you.

Are you sure? I went through it multiple times before and after and that last area looked exactly the same to me. The big issue is there's only one path to the control panel and you're on it, even though Anderson says he came up in a different part than you. Also, he starts talking about the "moving wall" area about half a second before my door opened onto that area and he was nowhere in sight. Granted, I started hoofing it toward the door the moment I had control so it might have been a loading issue, but still.

@N7 said:

@onan: I'm pretty sure that entire level was edited because now panels in the wall start moving like he described and also there are clearly multiple walkways all around you.

Are you sure? I went through it multiple times before and after and that last area looked exactly the same to me. The big issue is there's only one path to the control panel and you're on it, even though Anderson says he came up in a different part than you. Also, he starts talking about the "moving wall" area about half a second before my door opened onto that area and he was nowhere in sight. Granted, I started hoofing it toward the door the moment I had control so it might have been a loading issue, but still.

Javik no longer wishes to kill himself after the war is over. He says he might go live with the Hanar and be treated like a king. At least I think this is new.

Could you shoot star child before and get a fourth ending? I "accidentally" shot him in the face, in the EC.

Also did you notice that the mass effect relays no longer gets blown to pieces?

@Schatzy23: Javik still wanted to kill himself in my EC ending, so maybe some other choice governs that?

@JayDarco: The "refuse/shoot starchild" ending is new. And it's pretty cool.

@JayDarco said:

Also did you notice that the mass effect relays no longer gets blown to pieces?

Yup, and not only that, but this piece of dialog is missing now:

Catalyst: The Crucible has altered my function. I can't proceed. I can only guide you in it's use. It's energy can be released as a destructive force. Organics will prevail at our expense. All synthetic life will succumb. As will much of the technology your kind rely on. Including the relays you depend upon.

That was one of the points where I did a forehead-smack double-take. "Did he just say 'destructive force' and 'relays' together in the same paragraph?", and all Shepard can think to ask (after destroying a relay himself, and knowing what happens) is "But the Reapers will be dead?". Forehead smack again. My forehead hurt so much at that original ending...

On-topic: I guess if you started at the beam (or watched a youtube vid that starts at the beam), you might also miss the part where the Normandy comes to pick up your squadmates so you can go into the beam alone, solving that inconsistency somewhat clumsily, but better than before. For me at least, one of my squadmates was Liara, who was also my romance, so that goodbye sequence was a nice touch that made me feel at least a little bit of the epic cinematic closure I was hoping for in the original endings.

@Schatzy23: Thats not an EC thing, its a choice you help him make. It involves the memory shard of his.

@JayDarco: That was probably to fix the plot hole that was set up in earlier games which said that a relay blowing up takes the entire system along with it.