Scofthe7seas

@Potts:

I'm confused by you saying the 3 endings couldn't merge into one, and then your next post says that all three endings have the exact same outcome. My theory is that if something like a new game comes out, they're just going to have a kind of blanket statement. "Well, that was some kind of crazy (insert color) fireball! Man, we really (insert verb)'d those reapers gud!"

There were a lot of tangents going on through this topic. I'm going to stick to my guns and claim that my first post is "canon" and everything I said below diverged into nonsensical drivel. Mostly because I don't want to re-read what I wrote.

@mikeerik

I made my own ending here, but nobody looked at it. http://www.giantbomb.com/mass-effect-3/61-29935/create-your-own-mass-effect-3-ending/35-540446/

ALSO, does anybody have any idea how to "follow" a forum thread (get emailed when new posts or put up)? I had no idea people were still posting in this because nothing informed me as such.

@onan: Well, I don't think Shepard is going to be any kind of real presence in the next game, I didn't mean to make it sound like the focus of my theory was on Shepard coming back, or still being alive. He may or may not pop up, but that's actually inconsequential. The real point is that all of the characters (or most? some?) went to that weird planet, the reapers were defeated, and the mass relays were destroyed. That's mostly what I meant. Just that the three endings merge into one, from which a nearly direct sequel can come. It's just an explanation for why the ending was the way it was. Just a simple setup for future games.

@onan: My theory is speculation based on future possibilities, not nonsensical interpretation regarding something that has already happened. The reason you gave for saying no is exactly why I think what I said will happen. They funneled the ending down specifically so they can "reboot" it like you said. Negating all the choices by making all your choices lead to the same conclusion. Also, Shepard didn't die. Perhaps in a traditional sense, his/her body is gone. Maybe. But at least two of the endings have him/her somehow merging into the "system" in some way. You are right that the reaper threat is negated, and I don't believe they will have much/anything to do with future games. I think Shepard is going to pop up all Lawnmower man style.

I'm not saying this is good news, or that I'm excited about this possibility.

I wasn't complaining about the ending, just my theories on why it ended the way it did. I don't believe EA had nothing to do with how the ending played out. If nothing else, it was rushed. It's only logical to think that they would have future games in mind. This is just a theory, but we'll see how it pans out.

@onan said:

Edit: Also, no.

(This couldn't go in an existing ending thread?)

You know that this doesn't mean anything, right?

And Jesus guys. Like fuckin' piranha. You jumped on this shit seconds after I posted it.

(Spoilers, obviously)

So, I've been spending some time off and on, thinking about what the ending of ME3, and how it can/probably will affect inevitable future games. First off, if you've already drank the indoctrination bullshit kool-aid, this topic isn't for you.

Like many, when I found out about the truth behind the ending, I was.. I'd say enraged. My story was a simple one. I'm kind of old, and like the old man that I am, I picked the wrong ending; not the ending I actually wanted. I thought the two paths to either side weren't paths, but like.. just backdrop. So I went up the middle thinking it would present me with some kind of tree to choose what I wanted. It didn't. I fell in, and thought.. "oh, well I didn't want to do that, but Ok. Well, that ending was weird. I guess I'll go back and.... hmmm. I'm actually before the whole illusive man base? So, I have to play like an hour's worth of game to try a different ending? Let's see if YouTube tells me it's worth it... wait.. they're all the same...? FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"

Unlike many, though, I've actually come to terms with it, and realize the series as a whole was a really fun experience. Watching videos of all the different shit that could have gone down if you chose different paths is crazy. It was a good game, and a good series.

So, that out of the way, I really think it's safe to say that nobody, NOBODY actually wanted a simple a b c ending like what was presented. I feel it's impossible that anybody played the whole series and didn't at least want some kind of customized tailored ending that was based on all the choices you made through the game, regardless of how you ultimately felt about the ending. Like it or not, or whatever, you had to have wanted and expected more when the ending finally came. I literally can't believe anybody going into this ending really was just hoping for something as funneled as what we got. Sorry, I started ranting there.

Put that into the context of the developer specifically saying the ending would be customized, and it wouldn't end the way it did (ABC). Here's my theory on that: They originally wanted a finale to the series. The developers really wanted to close the series off with exactly the endings they said. They wanted an actual cap, and conclusion on the Shepard story with all of the different possibilities dependent on what you did.

In marches EA. The problem with ending it that way, would be that there could be no further ME games involving those characters and specific settings. They say, no. This story doesn't end here. This is a franchise, and average Joe doesn't want to start a new story with a new "epic" plot of some kind with an all new cast. Let's continue with what we have.

It was hard enough incorporating all of the choices you had made to make the third game as it is, but making some kind of reconciliation with whatever you ultimately chose would literally make it impossible to work with all of those kinds of endings, and put those characters into some kind of future game. The only way to continue the "series" is with some kind of easily incorporated ending that can be picked up on for a new game. So, all three endings; reapers defeated, mass relays destroyed, Joker et al end up on mystery planet, Shepard's current status: Unknown.

I really think they are literally taking this down the Deus Ex path. They specifically mentioned that "This is NOT the last time you hear from Commander Shepard." I think they are going to do some kind of thing where Shepard is merged with the Reapers, or synthetics, or some shit, and his newfound virtual omnipotence will play some kind of role in upcoming games. I think there will be another game, essentially Mass Effect 4: The Search for Spock (err, Shepard.)

What do you think?

I don't want to hear a "be better." shitty answer. I will wish to my local gypsy for you to die for saying something like that. I have been able to get through EVERY difficult fight in the game so far, not the prettiest, but a war of attrition kind of thing, slowly whittling down a boss. Until this one. Start with the whittling, and then? Oh, no magic for everyone, so I will pitter peck at you until you die. There's no stopping this. I could use that dispelga, but you know what? There's only five of those, and this happens at around the 6000000 hit point mark, so I'm pretty sure it's going to happen more than 5 times. So, I hear people saying, "have this item, have that item, use this item" except I don't HAVE those items. You know why? Because I've never needed them for any other fight. Through the whole game. You ever want to go boating? Or take a plane ride somewhere? Well, just have a plane. Have a boat. Are you an idiot noob for not having a plane and a boat?

I could just load an earlier save (though, because I used all 99 save slots on my way through the game, and just started saving over the same one, my last save is like 10 hours ago.) I could also go back to before Orphan, wander back, mush through battle after battle, gaining items, selling them, buying items, buying components, upgrading weapons, but for how long? Another 5 hours of grinding for this shit? If this game had some kind of ramp up to this thing, fine. I would have put more effort in getting things sooner.

At this point on this boss? I've tried three times, and know for a fact I'm not going to win this fight. This is the first time, in my 25 years of gaming that I've ever gotten to the end of a game and given up. Fuck this boss. And fuck anybody who says it's easy. It's not easy. You just worked really really hard, harder than I'm willing to, to win.

This isn't a request for strategy. Just a venting rant. Troll away.

Apparently he's officially stated that there would be no PC version on his twitter. Major poop. I really wanted this on my arcade cabinet. :(

@VelourMustache said:

@Scofthe7seas said:

For everyone blaming "the internet" (editor included) Guess what? You're part of the internet. Did you vote in this pole? No? Then shut the fuck up.

I voted in this poll (two Ls) and not for EA. I blame the internet.

I have absolutely no complaint with you, sir.

For everyone blaming "the internet" (editor included) Guess what? You're part of the internet. Did you vote in this pole? No? Then shut the fuck up.

Well, if you go by the nonsense spouted by the ghost baby, TIM wasn't the one they wanted to make the choices presented at the end. So maybe they were swaying TIM with their own indoctrination to fail in his own goal. Maybe TIM could kind of sense this and was trying to get Shepard on board to help him with his own agenda (shrug).