Mass Effect 3

[Tale]

It's weird. The game has the best two sequences for practically Bioware's entire existence. But it also includes two of the worst. I'm not sure what to do with that variance.

[Nepenthe]

I support enhancements to the original game like CD Projekt did with the Witcher - it was a great improvement overall, but changing established endings is bs. Whose ending is it going to be? If they "fix" it is it Bioware's game, or a fan project?

 

They made a sucky ending, so what - its neither the first nor the last game to do so. Video games have short and unsatisfactory endings in general.

 

Fans are wrong in demanding a fix for a finished game but Bioware is also wrong for justifying bad decisions with "artistic freedom". There's nothing worth doing at this point except deciding if this is the reason you wouldn't buy a BW game in the future, or if you're willing to overlook it.

Either decision is fine, crying over spilled milk is pointless.

Bah, there's nothing established about the endings, they were a last minute ass-pull which went terribly wrong. If it'd been their intention since, say, the beginning of ME3 development, never mind the whole trilogy, this would never have happened. Instead, it's something Walters and Hudson decided a couple of months ago when they were dead-ended. This also shows in the execution.

 

That's probably right, but they still packaged it and put their "reputation" behind that (bad) call. If the original creators had no idea where to take the story, and couldn't even be bothered to give it a meaningful ending who's going to do it? The fans? What's the point of that?

Eh, movie's have focus testing, get reshot, get director's cuts. I just believe they made a bad judgment call in a massive crunch, which they now have the opportunity to correct.

 

I dare say this has taught me to never be emotionally invested in a game to not be able to accept it letting me down in a colossal way. Should've learned it from women years ago.

[Krookie]

• 3 endings = destroy, control, and merge
  

The colours just represent the three different endings.

 

Why do people feel the ened to lie? It's embarassing.

 

 

Not all of us are entertained by bright pretty colors enough to consider those "endings".

[Janmanden]

No matter what happens, you have to admit, the majority of the game was quite good.

 

The game feels a lot better afterwards, than when you are actually playing. It's funny that indoctrination is such a big word in this game, because it sure as hell use it a lot itself. It's such a strange combination of things that work really and things that doesn't. It's quite smart actually because the things that work makes you forgive or forget about the things that doesn't.

 

Like the option to reset and 'fix' your powers, which saves a lot of face. Like the regular autosaves which makes combat and replay less tedious.. MP taught me to stop using the defective 'pause' button..

Defeating Kai Leng in the first run is a hell of a lot easier (as Vanguard) without the use of the 'pause' screen, because using the keyboard always works

 

Edited March 21, 2012 by Janmanden

[HoonDing]

It's not exactly difficult to end the series on a positive note, they should just remove all mass relays being destroyed along with the Reapers, remove the part where the Normandy crashes on Planet Random, and maybe add a few ending slides.

 

The Star Child and the dream sequences are something that should be purged from memory.

Edited March 21, 2012 by virumor

[Gorth]

No matter what happens, you have to admit, the majority of the game was quite good.

I think it had some good parts and some very good parts, but it also had a lot of not so good bits, not just the ending. All the stomach acid about endings just make people overlook the other annoying bits, like long and boring intro, frustrating slow "dream sequences", mostly boring and annoying party members (James and EDI being possible exceptions, Javik if you've got him), tedious, boring "side quest" system (fly around and scan planets to find 'x' for somebody on the citadel) and while the citadel was nicely made, it was about the only non combat location you got to set foot on when off the Normandy. Only redeeming factor for the combat was the improved enemy AI, otherwise it's as boring as ever and there is a *lot* of it. That's just from the top of my head.

 

The story? Some of it was good and some of the characters delivers outstanding performances, but the overall story has more plot holes than a sieve. You feel it was written by a committee rather than a visionary.

[Oblarg]

DA2 sold more than DA:O in week 1, then nosedived and ended up a relative failure.

[greylord]

No matter what happens, you have to admit, the majority of the game was quite good.

I think it had some good parts and some very good parts, but it also had a lot of not so good bits, not just the ending. All the stomach acid about endings just make people overlook the other annoying bits, like long and boring intro, frustrating slow "dream sequences", mostly boring and annoying party members (James and EDI being possible exceptions, Javik if you've got him), tedious, boring "side quest" system (fly around and scan planets to find 'x' for somebody on the citadel) and while the citadel was nicely made, it was about the only non combat location you got to set foot on when off the Normandy. Only redeeming factor for the combat was the improved enemy AI, otherwise it's as boring as ever and there is a *lot* of it. That's just from the top of my head.

 

The story? Some of it was good and some of the characters delivers outstanding performances, but the overall story has more plot holes than a sieve. You feel it was written by a committee rather than a visionary.

 

Hmm...now that's an interesting idea. I don't know how to say it without making it sound bad...because it's actually a good thing. Yes, from my understanding...ME3 WAS written by a committee.

 

Perhaps it would make you feel better if I said that committee did have a HEAD writer who was sort of the person who had to make it all fit together and work?

[Gorgon]

As regards sales the show is over by the time word of mouth from people who have actually played it starts getting around and you can start taking stock of the game as a whole. So it all ends up with marketing. If you can drum up enough exitement you can probably peddle that day one DLC as well. People are stupid, they only want what's new and hot. Tried and tested is so much more preferable.

[Oblarg]

As regards sales the show is over by the time word of mouth from people who have actually played it starts getting around and you can start taking stock of the game as a whole. So it all ends up with marketing. If you can drum up enough exitement you can probably peddle that day one DLC as well. People are stupid, they only want what's new and hot. Tried and tested is so much more preferable.

 

That didn't work for DA2, what makes you think it'll work for ME3? What makes you think a game can be wholly successful on nothing but week-1 sales? I'd argue most of those are guaranteed no matter what sort of product you put out - fanboys are fanboys.

[Gorth]

Perhaps it would make you feel better if I said that committee did have a HEAD writer who was sort of the person who had to make it all fit together and work?

Heh, time for heads to roll

[Volourn]

DA2 was cheap to make comapritvely speak. It sold 2mil in a month. It made a healthy profit most likely. But, the backlash my pathetic internet crybabies even though the game is no worse than DA1 have intimiated the EA BIO execs. I hope tyhe same doesn't happen with ME3 thoguh it probably well.

 

BIO's biggets wekaness is they take the internet crybaby warriors too seriously.

[Giantevilhead]

I think it was a mistake for Bioware to make the game about a full scale Reaper invasion.

 

It would have made much more sense if the Reapers were only able to send a small force due to the destruction of Sovereign and the Collectors while the rest of their fleet remains stranded in dark space.

 

Their goal should have been the same as Sovereign's, take over the Citadel so they can activate its Mass Relay and call the rest of the Reaper fleet from dark space.

 

The attacks on the various worlds should have been a feint, to draw their fleets away from the Citadel. In fact, it should have been part of the Reaper's plan to let Shepard gather a fleet to retake earth. While the bulk of the galaxy's forces are attacking earth, the Reapers assault the Citadel.

 

You could then have an ending where the Reapers are defeated for the time being but their fleet is still out there and will reach the galaxy in a few centuries. Shepard's journey would be over but the story isn't and there's the potential for a lot of sequels.

Edited March 22, 2012 by Giantevilhead

[GhostofAnakin]

It's not exactly difficult to end the series on a positive note, they should just remove all mass relays being destroyed along with the Reapers, remove the part where the Normandy crashes on Planet Random, and maybe add a few ending slides.

 

The Star Child and the dream sequences are something that should be purged from memory.

 

This. Especially the last paragraph.

 

If BioWare was insistent on sticking with a "mystery" ending, I'd even have rather they simply ended the game after the Illusive Man part, with Shepard and Anderson staring out at the galaxy after Shepard pushes the button to activate the Crucible. It might have also been open to interpretation, but atleast it isn't nonsensical like that gibberish from the Star God Child Deity Phantom.

[Bos_hybrid]

Also, I'd like to announce that I am a believer of the indoctrination theory. Call me desperate optimist all you want, but everything else is just too stupid to me to believe.

 

Too smart for bioware. I mean I like this ending, parts of the game make more sense (ie the whole ending, but dream sequences too), but I feel it fit's too well.

 

But another question has to be asked, if indoctrination was the ending, doesn't that mean bio failed in telling it's story? So many people missed it and it's only after video evidence, reruns and information collected from all three games, that more people are starting to believe it. Sure you could say it was an ending for fans of the series but it goes against bioware's mainstreaming of the game.

 

Then you have the Normandy and stargazer ending scenes, and bioware basically apologizing for the ending it's just seems far more likely that bio screwed the ending.

 

I sit in the camp of this would of been a great ending, but the reality is bio screwed up.

[Guest Slinky]

Also, I'd like to announce that I am a believer of the indoctrination theory. Call me desperate optimist all you want, but everything else is just too stupid to me to believe.

 

Too smart for bioware. I mean I like this ending, parts of the game make more sense (ie the whole ending, but dream sequences too), but I feel it fit's too well.

 

Yeah, that's part why I hope this turns out to be true. I feel like I'm watching someone doing something awesome who nobody thought was able to do. If he fails miserably, I go meh and move on. If he actually does it, I stand up and cheer like never before.

 

But another question has to be asked, if indoctrination was the ending, doesn't that mean bio failed in telling it's story? So many people missed it and it's only after video evidence, reruns and information collected from all three games, that more people are starting to believe it. Sure you could say it was an ending for fans of the series but it goes against bioware's mainstreaming of the game.

 

Again, this is so unlike bio that I hope it's true. I really think that they want people to talk about it and wonder what the hell is going on. The more confused (and desperate) people are, the bigger the bang is going to be IF they announce a DLC/whatever that continues the story. And for the angry uproar that has risen, I don't think they much care for that, they might be pretty immune for that already. Also I very much doubt this whole thing has had that negative effect for sales.

 

Then you have the Normandy and stargazer ending scenes, and bioware basically apologizing for the ending it's just seems far more likely that bio screwed the ending.

 

I sit in the camp of this would of been a great ending, but the reality is bio screwed up.

 

No idea where the normandy scene fits in this theory, but the stargazer thingy is clearly just a "continues in the next episode" scene. And for the blogs from bio, well, they might be just a way to tell people they are listening, but they aren't yet ready/willing to say anything what they have (hopefully) planned.

 

That said, I've never was that interested in the story of ME. The chance of something that has never seen before happening just got me on this "you can do it man!" mode. I wont go postal if this whole thing takes a nosedive, just going to be disappointed their inability to pull off something that is practically screaming to them to use it.

[Majek]

Man i'm having a hard time finishing his. It's gone downhill more or less after Tuchanka, but Cerberus base and London so far take the cake.

[Bos_hybrid]

http://www.gameranx.com/updates/id/5695/article/mass-effect-3-writer-allegedly-slams-controversial-ending/

[Nepenthe]

If you go with "indoctrination", you almost certainly have to continue the story. I think it boils down to what they've been doing and if they can repurpose it/cut content for post-ending DLC, or if they're just gonna go with *drumroll* slides.

 

I'm kind of wondering if the reason for axing the DA2 expansion was "You can code?! You're on the ME3 ending DLC team now!"

Perhaps it would make you feel better if I said that committee did have a HEAD writer who was sort of the person who had to make it all fit together and work?

Heh, time for heads to roll

You guys do realise that the lead in writer mostly means that he's in charge of coordinating the writers' pit and that overall strategic story etc. approval is done by people above him?

[Nepenthe]

http://www.gameranx.com/updates/id/5695/article/mass-effect-3-writer-allegedly-slams-controversial-ending/

If that is true... Well, it does show, Patrick Weekes was behind essentially all of ME2's good bits. (Though to be fair, Mac Walters was similarly behind ME1's good bits, having written Wrex among others). Edited March 22, 2012 by Nepenthe

[HoonDing]

Even if Shepard did get indoctrinated after being zapped by Object Rho during Arrival DLC and the Reapers being unable to ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL of her because Shepard's mind is so remarkably strong (and the Cipher), it's pretty lame how the Reapers merely contend with invading her dreams with the images of some stupid and annoying little kid.

 

Not to mention Cerberus managed to figure out how to control them in turn. What was the crap Sovereign blurted out in ME1 again? "Beyond your comprehension, yadda yadda?". What a pathetic bag of wind.

 

BioWare better churn out this true ending DLC quickly because I'm about to finish my Paragon playthrough and move on.

Edited March 22, 2012 by virumor

[BobSmith101]

Rushing and getting it wrong would just make things worse.

[Morgoth]

http://www.gameranx....versial-ending/

 

What a "brilliant" marketing feat. The proper endings were already finished.

 

Colorful ending(s) --> fan butthurt --> massive free media coverage --> Bioware listening to 'fan feedback' --> Bioware releasing the original endings as paying DLC --> Bioware fans claiming 'Bioware is teh best developer evar!'

 

 

Just brilliant...

[Majek]

Why did i force myself to finish the game. Now i'm going to have an even harder time playing MP. arrrgh

[Morgoth]

Why did i force myself to finish the game. Now i'm going to have an even harder time playing MP. arrrgh

Nobody forces you to play a ****ty game, son.

 

MP? I didn't even touch that segment.