schoolofmonkey  posted on Mar 13, 2012 4:14:49 PM - Report post

I actually liked the Synthesis ending the best, EDI doesn't die and Joker is happy (Yeah I'm a big softy).

I do understand Shep should die, its the end of his story, Not the other crewmates, so we should at least know a little more of what happens to them, a 2 minute ending is in my opinion too short.
What I find interesting with the Synth ending is the cut scene at the end, the kid asks for another story about Shep, maybe they'll do a spin off, ie: prequel to the Reapers story.
Now that would be interesting and its not like it hasn't been done before..

[Edited by Supersize, 3/13/2012 4:15:30 PM]

Skyheart  posted on Mar 13, 2012 4:15:53 PM - Report post

More like "Last one to the Normandy has to make out with Wrex!".

Though I'm sure someone would write a lemon fanfic where Garrus would be first there.

@Supersize: Yeah, agreed on the shortness of the ending. However, I went back and chose the Destroy option, and Joker, Tali and Javik exited the Normandy after crashing. Tali has been in both endings, so I think whoever is your LI (if you have one) will be the one to exit after Joker, and then I have no clue what decides who the last person to exit is. But based on that, it's pretty safe to assume your whole squad survives.

Also agreed on the Synth ending being the best, based solely on Joker and EDI surviving, and seeing Tali. Yeah, big softie here too, so sue me. I just wish there was a way for Shep to survive in the Synth ending... like I said, having him die in the good ending and live in the bad is kinda backwards.

Also, having seen the endings, I've revised my opinion in the other thread that a new ending DLC wouldn't cost more, simply because there isn't any dialogue at all after the "Avatar" gives you your choices. Though it would be nice to have some dialogue, especially between Shep and your LI (if both survive in a new ending).

Maybe they could change it so Anderson survives being shot, somehow makes it up to where Shep is, is gets taken up with him and runs into the beam in Sheps place... Hmm.

[Edited by Skyheart, 3/13/2012 4:22:14 PM]

Zurvan  posted on Mar 13, 2012 5:24:49 PM - Report post

Sure there were a lot of good and funny times/points.

But we were also let down, they made a lot of promises, but probably during production a lot of things had to go.

Now here is what I miss, or what I expected to be present:

1.) Endings: I will not comment on the lack of a proper ending, epilogue or closure and the multitude of questions they raised or left unanswered - I can answer them myself, but I wanted them answered that is why I played the game - it is just sad and I feel sorry for BioWare and the team.
Up till now every game they made, up to a point even ME1, ME2 and DA2 had a proper ending + epilogue: ME1 - showed the future power of humanity, and the hopeful note that we will eliminate those sleeping Reapers; ME2 - warned us that the Reapers are no longer sleeping, but are coming, nevertheless we gained their blueprints so we could find a weakness, also they were both marketed as part of a trilogy, so we couldn't expect an ending; DA2 was marketed as a prequel to DA3 and used an interesting framing narrative so they couldn't describe the future as it hasn't happened yet.

It is true that it is easier to find faults then to create, but please bear with me.

Split the Military Strength/War Assets into 4 parts:
Citadel (Low - Cerberus/Reapers take the station; Mid - you get the chance to defend against Cerberus, similar to current; High - you get the chance to evacuate from the Citadel when Reapers come; Ultra - you hold the station, but you have to sacrifice some other War Assets)
Crucible (Low - you don't finish the Crucible and have to try conventional warfare; Mid - as current, you finish the Crucible, but have no idea what it does; High - you know what it does)
Sword (Low - you are toast; Mid – current low state; High – current best state; Ultra – you have the mightiest fleet in the galaxy)
Hammer (Low – current state, aren't they always killed?; Mid – kill a Reaper, loose all of them; High – can take down a Reaper, but with losses; Ultra – a Reaper? a pyjak is more dangerous)
Now here the endings would be based on the levels/states: do you control the Citadel and have the Crucible? Pick door A, B or C. Don't like the doors? Try to take Earth on your own. Did you lose the battle? The doors are still there. Or do you have sufficient forces, why don't you sacrifice alien forces. Are the Reapers gone? Why don't you open fire on the aliens a la Star Wars III's Order 66?
2.) Scanning: The pinging is interesting, but it would be better to know, how far I actually scan. Also the planetary scanning is redundant and it ought to be skipped and a return to ME1's scan would make it easier.
3.) Impact of ME1 or even ME2: I have not seen any major decision, which was not checked in ME2, to have any impact on ME3 – other than the Conrad subplot. Council, Rachni, Wrex, Rana, Kirrahe, Shiala all were in some form checked in ME2. Where are those thousands of variables?
Even ME2 handled this better, those emails were fun. Now we got only 3 or so from ME2 and that's about it others are from ME3.
Wouldn't it have been interesting to see info from Hackett or Lira on Cerberus based on to whom we gave the data in ME1, or that some assets have lower strength because Lord Darius continued his Red Sand production. Also EDI, Hackett or maybe Miranda could have decoded the data of that Cerberus agent from ME2...
Or a line from Anderson that the Reds have joined the Resistance...
Similarly, where are the Citadel news? We have a journalist on board, but get no news. They could have used Emily Wong, when you arrive at the Citadel for the first time you would see her death on news - that is impact.
4.) Crucible: Why I agree that it came out of nowhere after the archives on Mars were just sitting there for 30 years. Why not use:
Hackett: Our scientists found similarities to the data you obtained from the Collector Base in corrupted parts of the Mars Archive, so we asked Dr. T'Soni to take a look there.
But really, the Alliance and may be also the Citadel had Reaper blueprints for more than half a year and they still wait for Shepard to tell them what to do?
5.) Upgrades: this is something I miss from ME2, why can't I convert credits into equipment/War Assets. If you are playing Xth NG+ you may have credits to spare, why not use them to give Thanix cannons to Quarian ships or Asari ships or ... Also, why not give Rocket launchers to Krogan infantry...
6.) N7 missions: They could have made them repayable and or giving a permanent boost to readiness, but alas...
To this I was watching the Bioware forums before launch and Hudson gave a direct answer several days before launch after the early reviews /space launch leak that we would be able to raise readiness in SP, not EMS or just War Assets, but readiness. Now was he lying or was the reason for his mistake that he didn't keep up to date on the current, biggest BioWare project?
7.) Appearance: Is it just me or do the ME2 characters look differently than in ME2? I can't put my finger on it, but Miranda, Jacob or Kelly seem somewhat strange to me.
I see also a problem with the Alternate appearance of squadmates, in ME2, when I changed their appearance then this new appearance would be used on the Normandy, in cutscenes and so on, but now the new appearance is used only in battles...
And what about the old problem from ME1 when we used weapons we didn't have? Now it is back.

Still ME3 has many good points: banter, genophage, quarian/geth problem solving, background talks: like the asari huntress with mental problems a la Hawkeye in the ending of MASH, the talk with Liara's father, even that volus talking about Sanctuary (is he the same as the one buying prefabs on Illium in ME2?)
I was so sad when I brought Charr's note to Ereba, when it was me who brought them together; well at least the little one is on the way...

Zurvan  posted on Mar 13, 2012 5:25:13 PM - Report post

All in all ME3 is a great game; just the endings are unlike a BioWare production. There is talk of ending DLC or an expansion, but wouldn't it be more of a slap, more like getting a Christmas present during the following summer.
Well they said that ME3 is the end of Shepard's story, but they may create a ME3: Rebirth game and call it part of the trilogy...
We shall see.

Skyheart  posted on Mar 13, 2012 5:57:27 PM - Report post

Sorry, I'm far too tired and distracted to read your wallo'o'text, but I can answer point 7 at least.

Yes, a lot of characters look different from ME2. It's similar to how faces looked different from Assassins Creed II/Brotherhood to Assassins Creed: Revelations. The character models and textures have been updated, and thus some have unintended side effects, such as Kelly not looking like Kelly any more. You'll notice that, no matter how close you get your Shep to look like Shep in ME2, it'll never be quite the same.

Clothing appearance makes sense. The alternate appearance packs are basically armour. They don't need to wear their armour on the ship. They wear their default clothes/uniforms on ship, and wear their armour during missions. Makes sense to me.

The other points which I can read or understand seem like personal nitpicks, rather than faults or flaws with the game or its writing.

Clamj00ce  posted on Mar 13, 2012 10:14:20 PM - Report post

Man I feel the same, This ending crap has ruined the franchise for me.

I wish they could have put some thought into it, or at least have a little exposition on the galaxy after the terrible endings.

Something good did come from this though.
Link

yobo  posted on Mar 13, 2012 11:04:47 PM - Report post

lol that link is funny lol 26k lol,

schoolofmonkey  posted on Mar 14, 2012 12:14:10 AM - Report post

Its passed 27k now...lol

Just for giggles:

Link

[Edited by Supersize, 3/14/2012 12:14:35 AM]