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[Candidate 88766]

 In the GameInformer article ages ago it was mentioned that there'd be several paths to defeat the Reapers, at least one of which may turn out to be a 'red herring'. Assuming this is still true, what plot lines do you think are most likely and which do you think is the most likely to be the one that leads to failure?

I can think of at least four potential plot lines for ME3 that could lead to the Reaper's defeat. They are based purely on my speculation, so feel free to disagree with what I've come up with.

Assembling a massive fleet.
Paragon decisions tend to lead to the strengthening of all races in the galaxy, resutling to much more trust and co-operation between races. Saving the Council, giving the Rachni Queen and the Heretic Geth a second chance, promoting peace between the Quarians and the Geth - all these decisions pave the way for some kind of combined galactic force that may be strong enough to take on the Reapers. However, the Reapers also have strength in numbers, as well as superior technology and firepower, so victory would be difficult. I do think victory could be possible with this path though.

Trusting Cerberus.
Renegade decisions tend to lead to the strengthening of humanity, particularly Cerberus. Saving the Base, establishing a human-led Council, giving Legion to Cerberus, allowing Project overlord to continue - all result in Cerberus potentially becoming the strongest faction in the game. While we know that at least part of Cerberus is after Shepard in ME3, I still believe that players will be able to choose to trust them and I can't imagine Bioware would repay this loyalty to Cerberus with failure. I think this path will lead to the Reaper's defeat, but potentially at great cost to galactic society as humanity will be the dominant force afterwards.

Investigating the Protheans.
There were hints in LotSB that there may be more Prothean technology hidden in the galaxy that may provide salvation from the Reapers, most likely through some kind of weapon. I personally feel that this plot, if it arises in ME3, is the most likely to be a red herring plot that leads to failure: it feels a bit too much like deus-ex machinima, there has been very little foreshadowing of it and I think Bioware will want to go against the grain with the story of ME3. Finding long lost weapons by the previous civilization seems a little too cliche for them.

Dark matter.
This was mentioned a lot in ME2. While I don't know how or even if it will figure into the Reapers' defeat, I imagine it will play a major role in ME3 and possibly be one of the paths to explore in the search for something to defeat the Reapers. 


There are potentially dozens of other unexplored plot lines that players may be able to choose from in ME3. Mentions of things like the Beings of Light in ME1 could turn out to be something, or maybe the Thorian storyline has yet to be finished. I've just listed what I think are the four most obvious plot paths that have been hinted at.

So what do you think? Are there other plot paths that you feel will be available for exploration in ME3? And which do you think will be the 'red herring' path that will lead to failure and the cycle continuing?

[neubourn]

Conrad Verner saves the Galaxy, so recruiting him should be top priority.

[Candidate 88766]

neubourn wrote...

Conrad Verner saves the Galaxy, so recruiting him should be top priority.

Blasto, Conrad and the Biotic God team up and destroy the Reapers on their own.

[neubourn]

Candidate 88766 wrote...

neubourn wrote...

Conrad Verner saves the Galaxy, so recruiting him should be top priority.

Blasto, Conrad and the Biotic God team up and destroy the Reapers on their own.

NOTE TO BIOWARE: please make a DLC that lets us use this trio of characters. It can even be tongue-in-cheek, a game within a game, maybe Shepard goes to that video game seller at the Citadel and buys the Conrad/Blasto/Niftu Cal and we can play a fake mission with that Squad.

[Candidate 88766]

neubourn wrote...

Candidate 88766 wrote...

neubourn wrote...

Conrad Verner saves the Galaxy, so recruiting him should be top priority.

Blasto, Conrad and the Biotic God team up and destroy the Reapers on their own.

NOTE TO BIOWARE: please make a DLC that lets us use this trio of characters. It can even be tongue-in-cheek, a game within a game, maybe Shepard goes to that video game seller at the Citadel and buys the Conrad/Blasto/Niftu Cal and we can play a fake mission with that Squad.

I would pay a lot of money for that.

[Aimi]

James Vega is a red herring character.

[Fatemaster]

Well...

Assembling a fleet to f**k up the Reapers? Good.
Trusting Cerberus? Maybe... we´ll see how that turns out.
Investigating the Protheans? Trust me, if Bioware doesn´t put at least a small colony of Protheans in this game, it´s dead for me.
Dark matter? Again, if Bioware doesn´t give dark matter a major role against the Reapers, game´s dead for me.

[They call me a SpaceCowboy]

Dark Energy actually, and yeah I;'m sure it will play a big part.

[CannotCompute]

The quest to go out and destroy all of Harby's Horcruxes.

[Dean_the_Young]

Candidate 88766 wrote...

Assembling a massive fleet.

Trusting Cerberus.

Investigating the Protheans.

Dark matter.

So what do you think? Are there other plot paths that you feel will be available for exploration in ME3? And which do you think will be the 'red herring' path that will lead to failure and the cycle continuing?

There wouldn't necessarily be one red herring path... or any, if the 'Red Herring' path(s) are dependent on variables. Specifically, the end-game choices from the previous Mass Effects.


The way I'm increasingly seeing it, the choices you made at the end of ME1 and ME2 should define the outcomes of the 'save Earth' options. While any Shepard could pursue any of these options, for example, whether they would succede or not would depend on past history.


Take the 'Massive Fleet' approach. It's standard, it's conventional... and at the end of the day, it's almost certainly going to be dependent on the willingness of the Council species. (Probably) good news if you did the Paragon path and saved the Council in ME1. Probably less good news if you left them to die: when the chips are down, they may well go 'hey, we'll help', and then leave Shepard in the lurch during the Liberation... even if losing Shepard's other allies, and their own discord and lack of unity, then dooms the galaxy.

Alternatively as a default 'red herring' the Reapers could be planning an ambush and trap for this massive force. While Shepard may or may not be able to resolve it/defeat the trap, the Liberation of Earth could turn into a decisive battle in which the Reapers will beat the galaxy's forces, winning the war.



The 'Trust Cerberus' option would be a good opportunity to make the Collector Base a decisive factor in some way. While TIM will be playing the best Machivillian Bastard he can, whether Cerberus can succede depends on the Collector Base gains (or lack of them): without them, Cerberus is too weak and too compromised by indoctrination to succede. With the Base, Cerberus can pull out a surprise or three from what it's discovered and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

As a default 'red herring' the Cerberus path could be a 'lose' path regardless. I doubt this, however.



The 'Investigate Protheans/Ancient Mysteries' itself strikes me as a red herring path entirely. The idea that other species in the past with far less development and knowledge of the Reapers just left Reaper-beating superweapons around strikes me as a little... unsubstantial. As one great undead villain said, the greatest of dead heroes and villains is still just a collection of second-rates who couldn't stay in the game.

BUT-

The 'Ancient Secrets' path could be an enabler for victory in other aspects, while a Red Herring if it is relied on exclusively. Ancient super weapons/other assets could be a supplement to other forces and paths to victory. While a Red Herring if relied upon exclusively to the neglect of other paths, they could still help shape/win the war.




Dark Energy is unlikely to be a weapon at all, let alone one we could use against the Reapers. More likely Dark Energy is a factor in the Reapers motivations (possibly the basis of why they are 'saving' humans from an 'inevitable' extinction).

Dark Energy may be the crux in another path to victory, however: negotiation. If we expand our understanding and figure out why the Reapers are acting, we may be able to coax/force a compromise by ensuring/threatening their entire basis for action.

[Grand Admiral Cheesecake]

Candidate 88766 wrote...

neubourn wrote...

Conrad Verner saves the Galaxy, so recruiting him should be top priority.

Blasto, Conrad and the Biotic God team up and destroy the Reapers on their own.

They are...the Mass Effect B team!

The team also includes Urz, Shiala, and Friend zone Turian.

[kyg_20X6]

You will be tasked with going back in time to 1980s Earth to acquire a red Herring (now extinct): on the rumor that it may be the Reapers' only weakness.

[ODST 5723]

I think it will either be Cerberus or Dark Energy.

Let's not forget that the Javelin disruptor torpedoes the Normandy used to take down Soverign after its kinetic barriers failed use DE.

[Medhia Nox]

It's a cook book!