DarthParametric Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 it may well be that I'm a) giving Bioware more credit than they perhaps deserve and b) rationalising it all away because I don't particularly like it/can't satisfactorily explain.Both of those. It is explicitly clear from the Final Hours app that there is no deeper meaning to the end. It's just half-assed writing coupled with a purposeful intent to make things vague. They wanted something "memorable" that caused "lots of speculation". Well they sure got that, although I suspect not quite in the manner they intended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salzella Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 I heard that the final hours app actually only mentions gameplay mechanics, not story factors, with regard to the viability of the theory. Depends on how you read it. Or choose to read it. Either way, it gives me a lot more satisfaction to imagine I'm right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Sure, self-delusion is always satisfying - until the delusion ends of course. Good luck with that I guess. There's a thread over on the official site that provides transcripts of the Final Hours videos, including the ones that deal with the specifics of the ending, both plot and mechanics-wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) Did the synthetic/organic merger destroy the relays? Because it looked like it did. Why would it do that? The Catalyst never told me that would happen. Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) http://youtu.be/_5S-SX13rp0?t=4m4s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoffe Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) What the happened to the people I took with me? What happened to the planets? Is Earth okay? Palaven? The other ones? The fate of Earth depends on what ending you pick and get... Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) There are variations of the Control Reapers and Destroy Reapers that damage earth, and a poor outcome of Destroy that blows up the planet. I'd assume the Bad Destroy/Control wave has similar results on other worlds it hits. If your strength value is high enough only the Reapers are hit though and the planet remains unharmed by the blast. (This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.) Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) The cinematic was just a color-coded wave of light with no change based on choices you made, it didn't follow up on the stories of people you met, it destroyed the mass-relays (snip) the Citadel is destroyed Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) There are some slight differences depending on your military strength value and the ending you pick. Apparently the Citadel and Mass Relays survive if you get the (good) Control the Reapers ending, while they're destroyed if you get any of the Destroy or Synthesis endings. Presumably since Shepard integrates into the Citadel in the Control ending, and so it needs to stay intact for her to remain in control of the Reapers. But indeed, the ending left a very bad aftertaste. Sort of like if Mass Effect (1) had ended with Anderson digging out Shepard's squished corpse under Sovereign's wreckage in the council chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Apparently Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) the Citadel and Mass Relays survive if you get the (good) Control the Reapers ending, while they're destroyed if you get any of the Destroy or Synthesis endings. Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) No, the relays are destroyed in all endings. Casper says that's the part of the cycle ending. The Citadel is always blown up in the destroy (red) and synthesis (green) endings, and always survives in the control (blue) endings. There is no "bad" synthesis ending btw, as it doesn't unlock as an option until you have enough EMS to be past the "bad" cutoff. It's clearly what Bioware considers the "best" ending, the one that can be unlocked without multiplayer. That compilation you posted is all the ending BIKs that are in the game files. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Blue ending cuts off shortly as the Mass Relays are being damaged. Unlike the other endings, you don't see bits of it flying far away, implying that it may just be badly damaged and not entire destroyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Heh. Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) Looks pretty fubar'd to me. At the very least there are giant cracks and holes in it with bits flying off in all directions. Granted it cuts away right at the point where it is explicitly shown flying apart in the other two endings that use a recoloured version of the same animation. Not sure why they would do that, but then again not much of the endings makes any logical sense so that's hardly surprising. And as I said, Casper explicitly states before you choose any particular ending that the relays will be destroyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) True enough, but it seems Casper isn't entirely reliable and/or the Crucible/Catalyst may not be working properly, as in the Destruction ending it's possible to erase all of Earth even though Casper specifically states that only all synthetics will be destroyed. ...or was Earth itself a giant synthetic? DUN DUN DUNNNNN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Another illustration of top notch writing. That Walters is a freaking genius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) Since it depends on your war readiness, I'm going to guess it means that the Crucible just wasn't completed properly. Sounds like an apt, if unannounced punishment for those who skipped through the side-quests and extras. Does anyone know how the Action-only mode works out? What choices are canon and how do the endings work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 No idea. Presumably they follow some sort of pattern similar to whatever criteria they used to determine the default Shep if you start a new game. Which maybe leans towards Renegade? As for the ending, I would guess that Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) the Destroy ending would be the most logical. I can't see that Synthesis would be likely as if they stick to the EMS requirements they some players wouldn't qualify. Edit: Angry Joe has put up a list of problems with the endings. Covers all the main points most people have. Extreme spoiler warning obviously. He missed one it seems. All the others were bleeped. The title is "10 Reasons We Hate Mass Effect 3's Ending" for those that want to search for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totenkopf Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 The fate of Earth depends on what ending you pick and get... Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) There are variations of the Control Reapers and Destroy Reapers that damage earth, and a poor outcome of Destroy that blows up the planet. I'd assume the Bad Destroy/Control wave has similar results on other worlds it hits. If your strength value is high enough only the Reapers are hit though and the planet remains unharmed by the blast. (This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.) Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) There are some slight differences depending on your military strength value and the ending you pick. Apparently the Citadel and Mass Relays survive if you get the (good) Control the Reapers ending, while they're destroyed if you get any of the Destroy or Synthesis endings. Presumably since Shepard integrates into the Citadel in the Control ending, and so it needs to stay intact for her to remain in control of the Reapers. But indeed, the ending left a very bad aftertaste. Sort of like if Mass Effect (1) had ended with Anderson digging out Shepard's squished corpse under Sovereign's wreckage in the council chamber. The ending was slightly more varied than I realized. I did the out of the box default for 1st playthrough and had just south of 4000 TMS, but apparently got the "2nd" option w/my two choices. Discovered what Stoffe was talking about after watching a YT vid claiming the/a "worst ending" based on 1600 pts (EMS, I presume...or they made a ton of bad choices and skipped stuff for TMS to be that low). So, I guess I got the middle ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Just out of curiosity, how much did you skip to get an EMS of only 2,000? Didn't do any side-quests? Or was the default Shepard just too borked to get any decent assets from the main quests? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDR Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Just throwing this out there: Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) That's exactly what they were hoping for. Outcry about the ending so that they had an excuse to sell us the real ending for another $10-15 on top of the original $60 and the From Ashes DLC (if you didn't get the N7 Edition). Think Fallout 3 and Bethesda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimartin Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 I can't wait to see the outcry from trying to sell a new ending from DLC.... Oh, EA would love that...every game for the next 100 years would have a crappy ending, but no worries for $19.99 that can be fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mur'phon Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Given how bad most game writing is, I'd almost like to see them try. Also, Beth kinda did this already with Fallout 3, and the world didn't end because of it. @LDR: If only you were right, at least then we could be fairly certain that said DLC would give us a good ending, instead of a "fanfic" style ending which is the main reason I'm not sure I want them to make a new ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logan23 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I believe if their PR tactics fail,..and the pressure is still there....EA suits will worry about the IP in terms of movies and other spin offs as well as DLC,..etc. This is as if the original star wars trilogy had a ending that made you go what the?!....That makes no sense and breaking the emotional bond with the Series....If this happen then you would see the Prequels bomb. The reasons for the star wars prequel trilogy, even with some flaws, brought in the money and fans because of the connection to the original episode 4-6. If that wasn't there the movies would have not made as much money as they did and fans would be less incline to wait in line for midnight showings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimartin Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 EA suits will worry about the IP in terms of movies and other spin offs as well as DLC,..etc.EA worried about upsetting a few gamers...Look to see if Origins is still up and running...Nope they are not worried. Now if EA can make mega $$$$ with a new DLC ending to ME3... Then you may get you new ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Regardless how bad the masses might feel the ending is (I haven't finished so I'll reserve judgement), the same fans would go bananas if a movie was made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logan23 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 A non free DLC ending,...might not be a good idea....it opens a door of trouble They can use the DLC they plan to sell, but up the price or alter production cost so a dollar from each of the new DLC planned can be used to finance the production of a free alter/tweak ending DLC. Win - Win Fans get free ending DLc and Bioware can use other DLc pricing to make up the cost of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I haven't finishedIf you make it to the end... well, you'll probably want to take your own life. Here, you better have this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logan23 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Hey here is something that will make you laugh,.... These are two fan made endings to ME3 - one is with the breakfast club music and the other is animal house style ending...lol Animal House style ending (Does Have Spoilers) Show spoiler (hidden content - requires Javascript to show) (This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthParametric Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I gather you'll be getting a red note about the first one. The Animal House one was great. Btw, there's an extended cut of that now - the Vega bit was gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taak Farst Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Well, it's done. I have completed Insanity, and thus completed my quest to get all of the ME3 achievements. Until DLC is announced, and except for the Multiplayer, when I get round to playing it, Goodbye for now, Mass Effect. It's been one hell of a ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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