EXTomar

@theredcoat24 said:

Mirror Universe Shepherd (the same as your Shepherd but with a goatee)

Even Fem-Shepard?

Hornet from Sega's Fighters Megamix.

@onan + @jmic75 Legion dying was the exclamation point on the seminal question constantly asked: Do we/I have a soul?

I must say the flames against Patrick are a bit unwarrented. I don't think Patrick was trying to defend the ending of Mass Effect 3 but explore the idea of player entitlement when a show or a game fosters it.

If there is a fault, it is that he likes Lost. ;)

I agree that the Tuchanka is a complex and complete example of what Mass Effect is all about. Did you save Wrex or Mordin? Did you do Mordin's loyalty mission? Did you save the data? Do you go with the plan or take the secret offer? Do you tell anyone that you were given the offer? All of that has twists and turns that result into an facinating situation that can play out very differently.

The tiny problem is they've already won. The XBox 360 and PS3 are "hardened" DRM platforms. The completely open platforms like PC are getting less and less cross platform ports. For ISVs and the platform holders, DRM clearly makes money and is going nowhere but bigger next generation.

You want a scary thought: The reason why "The Star Child" was created and inserted into Mass Effect 3 as the ending is so they could have an opening for the Mass Effect Online MMO. Think about it: By pulling out "The Star Child" out from nowhere and forcing only three, limited decisions that ignore the original "stop the reapers" goal onto the ending leaves the game universe in a stage where the reaper threat isn't finished. The Destroy option doesn't kill all the reapers across the galaxy. The Control and Synthesis option only seems to send the reapers away. Plus with the relays destroyed, they now have "gates" which can be opened per content updates and expansion.

It isn't like the Mass Effect universe wouldn't lend itself to a more creative upgrade system: You buy plans on the store while you win parts and components as rewards from missions. Out of mission you can go to your weapons lab to build new arms and armor.

I don't believe this has been an issue with "player entitlement" but with a developer promsing something they didn't deliver on. This has happened before where Fable 3 is an example I can think of off the top of my head where it feels like the difference with Mass Effect 3 is the degree.

One of the worst features of RPGs is grinding. This mechanism is grinding and worse is the real world money angle. The general "risk vs reward" balance is terrible. No one should be surprised people complain about this.