The indoctrination theory that is. There is already an astounding amount of evidence supporting the theory in the game itself. But apparently after you beat the game, you get sent these messages on the app.

If ashley is alive she sends.

"Hey, skipper. They might actually let me see you today. Hang in there."

Counter argument: Some people are suggesting that this is sent because the game thinks you're back at the start, and this is the message they send before they see you at the start of the game.

I'm becoming a believer in the Indoctrination theory, but this is inconclusive. It also doesn't really fit too much.. would they skip to Shepard being in a medical bay? Who knows.

Also, this is also sent to people who did not choose Destroy, and didn't get the breathing ending.

@Pinworm45 said:

Counter argument: Some people are suggesting that this is sent because the game thinks you're back at the start, and this is the message they send before they see you at the start of the game.

I'm becoming a believer in the Indoctrination theory, but this is inconclusive. It also doesn't really fit too much.. would they skip to Shepard being in a medical bay? Who knows.

Also, this is also sent to people who did not choose Destroy, and didn't get the breathing ending.

But that wouldn't make any sense. At the beginning of the game you aren't really on speaking terms with Kaiden or Ashley, and are surprised to see them at the beginning of the game. Why would they send you a message hoping they could come see you if they are allowed when you aren't even speaking to eachother based on what happened in ME2.

@CL60 said:

@Pinworm45 said:

Counter argument: Some people are suggesting that this is sent because the game thinks you're back at the start, and this is the message they send before they see you at the start of the game.

I'm becoming a believer in the Indoctrination theory, but this is inconclusive. It also doesn't really fit too much.. would they skip to Shepard being in a medical bay? Who knows.

Also, this is also sent to people who did not choose Destroy, and didn't get the breathing ending.

But that wouldn't make any sense. At the beginning of the game you aren't really on speaking terms with Kaiden or Ashley, and are surprised to see them at the beginning of the game. Why would they send you a message hoping they could come see you if they are allowed when you aren't even speaking to eachother based on what happened in ME2.

I really don't know, that's just the counter argument I've read towards this. I don't know what I personally believe one way or another, as it doesn't seem to really fit the ending all that well, or the beginning all that well. I really don't know.

How does this prove anything.

They're obviously planning something. Like it's blatantly obvious. Their twitter account is full of cryptic bullshit.

Do you want to clarify for someone that has pretty much ceased reading ME ending threads exactly what the theory is beyond the basics?  Is all of ME3 a dream then or something?

I like the indoctrination theory. It actually makes a lot of sense to me. But what do these messages have to do with that, exactly? Maybe I'm just a little fuzzy on some of the details.

@Turambar said:

Do you want to clarify for someone that has pretty much ceased reading ME ending threads exactly what the theory is beyond the basics? Is all of ME3 a dream then or something?

Basically, there's a lot of "evidence" (how much you consider it evidence is directly correlated to how much you want to believe the theory, in my experience) that shows shepard was indoctrinated, and the 3 choices are his "test". They make Destroy sound bad, because they don't want him to choose it, because it means he still has the will to destroy the reapers. They make Synthesize and Control sound good, because both of them are conducive to their goals and means they have indoctrinated shepard, just like the Indoctrinated TIM by offering "control'. Synethesize is their goal, so that is also conducive.

@Turambar said:

Do you want to clarify for someone that has pretty much ceased reading ME ending threads exactly what the theory is beyond the basics? Is all of ME3 a dream then or something?

There's all of it http://w11.zetaboards.com/Theorycraftng_HUB/topic/7688087/1/

I don't know developers willing to put a fake ending in their game.

Why the hell would they text you if you are presumably either in a hospital, or under some sort of military supervision--in which case why would you even have a phone?

@Turambar said:

Do you want to clarify for someone that has pretty much ceased reading ME ending threads exactly what the theory is beyond the basics? Is all of ME3 a dream then or something?

Basically, there's a lot of "evidence" (how much you consider it evidence is directly correlated to how much you want to believe the theory, in my experience) that shows shepard was indoctrinated, and the 3 choices are his "test". They make Destroy sound bad, because they don't want him to choose it, because it means he still has the will to destroy the reapers. They make Synthesize and Control sound good, because both of them are conducive to their goals and means they have indoctrinated shepard, just like the Indoctrinated TIM by offering "control'. Synethesize is their goal, so that is also conducive.

@Turambar said:

Do you want to clarify for someone that has pretty much ceased reading ME ending threads exactly what the theory is beyond the basics? Is all of ME3 a dream then or something?

There's all of it http://w11.zetaboards.com/Theorycraftng_HUB/topic/7688087/1/

@Turambar: The original ending planned by the writer of ME1&ME2 concerning the reapers continuing the cycle to combat 'Dark Energy' would have been a good ending, shame they cut it. I am fine with the ending we have though.

I wouldn't be surprised if they pretend this is what they planned all along.

All this theory stuff has already made the ending better. And I didnt even mind it before

There's already tons of threads on this, but it's hard to find one that's good to consolidate more info. I feel like there should be one thread specifically about this, but I also feel like creating another one will just get it locked since it's redundant.

Either way, I'll just leave this here: (hint: look at the name of the model) http://o.imgbox.com/aarTjQEM.png?temporary-url---please-use-the-provided-share-codes-instead

GOD DAMN IT YOU GUYS WHY ARE YOU PLAYING WITH MY EMOTIONS LIKE THIS. FUCK. @Pinworm45: @CL60: 
 
I want to beeeeeleeeeeeeeve!

@Wrighteous86 said:

I wouldn't be surprised if they pretend this is what they planned all along.

And the Biodrones will eat their bullshit excuse right up.

@Hailinel said:

@Wrighteous86 said:

I wouldn't be surprised if they pretend this is what they planned all along.

And the Biodrones will eat their bullshit excuse right up.

Depends how soon they announce it. If it's within a month, that means they have been working on it since now, so that's fine. If it's 3-4 months or later from now, yeah, I won't buy the excuse, but, I will accept it.

There's already tons of threads on this, but it's hard to find one that's good to consolidate more info. I feel like there should be one thread specifically about this, but I also feel like creating another one will just get it locked since it's redundant.

Either way, I'll just leave this here: (hint: look at the name of the model) http://o.imgbox.com/aarTjQEM.png?temporary-url---please-use-the-provided-share-codes-instead

@Sackmanjones said:

All this theory stuff has already made the ending better. And I didnt even mind it before

This. I found reading all the crazy indoctrination crap to be very entertaining, even if it's not true.

I think it's kind of sad that this is what it has come to. Trying to make sense of the ending through a couple lines of text in a separate phone app. The fate of Shepard, the crew and the galaxy would be fine if they just didn't present it in the piss poor way they did. People should have been saying "This was the greatest series I've ever played" and had discussions about what's next for the universe and what burning questions were left unanswered at the end of ME3. Instead people are trying to gin up a reason for the ending to the point where they are expecting DLC later onthe links to the "true ending". It's sad that Bioware made it come to this.

There is only one logical conclusion: Shepard is a replicant.

@Skald said:

There is only one logical conclusion: Shepard is a replicant.

Liara: You're reading a magazine. You come across a full-page nude photo of a girl.

FemShep: Is this testing whether I'm a replicant or a lesbian, Ms. Tsoni?

yeah well for me both kaiden and ashley are dead so I guess santa claus sends me this message.

@Pinworm45 said:

There's already tons of threads on this, but it's hard to find one that's good to consolidate more info. I feel like there should be one thread specifically about this, but I also feel like creating another one will just get it locked since it's redundant.

Either way, I'll just leave this here: (hint: look at the name of the model) http://o.imgbox.com/aarTjQEM.png?temporary-url---please-use-the-provided-share-codes-instead

Hmm, interesting.

@Sackmanjones said:

All this theory stuff has already made the ending better. And I didnt even mind it before

This. I found reading all the crazy indoctrination crap to be very entertaining, even if it's not true.

@Pinworm45 said:

@Hailinel said:

@Wrighteous86 said:

I wouldn't be surprised if they pretend this is what they planned all along.

And the Biodrones will eat their bullshit excuse right up.

Depends how soon they announce it. If it's within a month, that means they have been working on it since now, so that's fine. If it's 3-4 months or later from now, yeah, I won't buy the excuse, but, I will accept it.

Odds are whatever they announce will need to be before PAX East... that ME panel would just be an absolute shit show without something to sedate the internet horde.

What I don't get about the indoctrination ending, is how does that explain any of that stuff with joker and the grandpa?  Why would they even show you that since it's after the conclusion of the thing that... didn't happen?  And it's hard to imagine someone ending their trilogy with a fake ending.
 
I think I want to be done thinking about Mass Effect for a while, but I'm really interested in how/if Bioware responds.

@ExplodeMode: It could be Harbinger making you think that your friends got away safely, thus decreasing your will to fight. It still fits the theory. Hell, I think it actually makes more sense than the completely illogical and physically impossible one that currently exists.

however, if you have to PAY for the DLC than it's still fucking terrible

@Korwin said:

@Pinworm45 said:

There's already tons of threads on this, but it's hard to find one that's good to consolidate more info. I feel like there should be one thread specifically about this, but I also feel like creating another one will just get it locked since it's redundant.

Either way, I'll just leave this here: (hint: look at the name of the model) http://o.imgbox.com/aarTjQEM.png?temporary-url---please-use-the-provided-share-codes-instead

Hmm, interesting.

Shoop da whoop. They mention that in the bsn thread. But still...I kind of want to believe.

@N7: Not to mention he decided to head to the relay and escape, even though the explosion hadn't started yet, and he had NO REASON to anticipate such an explosion. More importantly, radiochatter had people say that no one made it, and to continue pushing to the beam (shepard nor anderson never tell anyone any different). Joker should have been helping get to the beam, not the opposite. And that if he did start to flee, based on the speed of the explosion itself, there's no way he could have physically made it to the relay before it did, too. Plus, the fact that there was no point to try and run anyway since the explosion from the citadel didn't actually destroy non-reaper ships!

And why didn't any other alliance or turian or whatever ships try and flee also?

Pure and utter nonsense

On my app I got a bunch of messages from the crew including Ashley who are alive. The last message I got was the one from Caidan who is dead. I guess he's in heaven thinking about coming down to visit Shepard in hell.

Man, I've went from hating the ending, reluctantly accepting it, to possibly kinda loving it. I know it's sort of awful to offer your real ending as DLC, but man, BioWare is leading me on. It's as if I was flirting with Emma Stone, and she seemed interested. Odds are I won't get her number, but if I do, that'd be pretty awesome.

@Pinworm45 said:

There's already tons of threads on this, but it's hard to find one that's good to consolidate more info. I feel like there should be one thread specifically about this, but I also feel like creating another one will just get it locked since it's redundant.

Either way, I'll just leave this here: (hint: look at the name of the model) http://o.imgbox.com/aarTjQEM.png?temporary-url---please-use-the-provided-share-codes-instead

Hmm, interesting.

Finished the game, almost finishing Infiltrator. Have the app. 0 messages. I'm doing missions to raise some point in my GA but still 0 messages.

Those messages are from when Kaiden/Ashley are in the hospital...no mystery...no theories.

@benjaebe: Which twitter account are you talking about, exactly? I see nothing on the Bioware or Mass Effect twitter.

Those messages are from when Kaiden/Ashley are in the hospital...no mystery...no theories.

@CL60 said:

@Hector

Those messages are from when Kaiden/Ashley are in the hospital...no mystery...no theories.

Kaiden is going to come down and see Shepard if they let him, while Kaiden is the one that's in the hospital? Don't think so.

Don't you remember after he/she accepts Spectre status they still don't let her go and she tells you she is getting bored and he/she will find a way to sneak out (sarcastically)?

@CL60 said:

@Hector

Those messages are from when Kaiden/Ashley are in the hospital...no mystery...no theories.

Kaiden is going to come down and see Shepard if they let him, while Kaiden is the one that's in the hospital? Don't think so.

Don't you remember after he/she accepts Spectre status they still don't let her go and she tells you she is getting bored and he/she will find a way to sneak out (sarcastically)?

@CL60 said:

@Hector

@CL60 said:

@Hector

Those messages are from when Kaiden/Ashley are in the hospital...no mystery...no theories.

Kaiden is going to come down and see Shepard if they let him, while Kaiden is the one that's in the hospital? Don't think so.

Don't you remember after he/she accepts Spectre status they still don't let her go and she tells you she is getting bored and he/she will find a way to sneak out (sarcastically)?

The messages make no sense in that context. Ashleys for example tells Shepard to hang in there. If she were he injured one sue wouldn't be telling Shepard to hang in there, unless he's really obsessed with sex or something and needs it NOW

Here I made a mistake. It's before she becomes a spectre.

and I'm sure the datapad iOS message relates to this because I got the message a bit later from when I got this message.

@Hector said:

Those messages are from when Kaiden/Ashley are in the hospital...no mystery...no theories.

Did you even comprehend the message or did you just read words and did not process them?

@Grixxel said:

@Hector said:

Those messages are from when Kaiden/Ashley are in the hospital...no mystery...no theories.

Did you even comprehend the message or did you just read words and did not process them?

Yes. In my NG+ I received this message while Ashley was in the hospital...what isn't there to understand.

@Hector: Surely the phrasing seems odd if it's YOU (Sheperd) going to see THEM.

"Thought I might come down to see you today."

Come down from where? Come down to where? It's odd to phrase it like that, no? Wording it like 'they said I could have visitors' (or something like that) makes much more sense if you're talking about going to see them in hospital.

And Ashley's "Hang in there." Also odd phrasing. Along the lines of 'Hang in there commander and you'll might come get to see me' - awfully egotistical of her(!)

It's silly either way though.