My biggest problem with the ending is the fatalism that you end up running into. After having so many choices made throughout the game, you get to make what is, practically, a cosmetic change that pretty much ruins the point of most of your choices up until now. In effect, I don't feel there are three endings (or 11), I feel there's 1 (with possible allowances of the "everyone dies" and "Shepard lives" variations being distinct - that's right, there's more difference between the different flavors of the destroy ending than there is between the three endings).
So let's throw out two things that make the ending so weak:
1) The necessity of destroying the Mass Relays. It was a handwaved line so let's handwave it out. I'm not saying it shouldn't be an option (I'll get to that), but it shouldn't be necessary. The necessity of destroying the galactic community gives an element of helplessness - and the stranding of so many members of your allies - important members at that - in the Sol system makes this a painful handwave. With this is also throwing out the necessity of ending the cycle (which, when you think about it, kinda means the Catalyst wins because he still got to end the cycle rather than you preventing the end....even if you saved Earth)
2) The certitude of the "Synthetic Singularity" - a little push back on Commander Shepard's part - particularly one that has become good friends with EDI and Legion and repaired relationships between the geth and quarians - on the certitude of this would be nice. A renegade variation would be vigilance.
Now, ignoring the massive plot hole that the Catalyst brings, we'll keep the basic premise of his existance, his beliefs and the three options - destroy, control or synthesis. However, I want to make them have very divergent themes and impacts upon the rules and give slightly different motivations and possibly flavors for Renegade and Paragon Shepard (though some are clearly weaker than others) and clear reasons for the player to pick it and reasons not to. I also want to identify replacement sequences for the scene where Joker exits the Normandy with two of your companions, and the Buzz Aldrin sequence post-credits. I'd love to try and figure out ways to replace the "Joker is running for his life" sequence but I don't have them. Yes - I'm trying to avoid the post-decision sequence too drastically because I think this makes it easier to justify doing it. In an ideal case, we'd get an actual epilogue, but this could work without one.
Destroy: The idea that the destruction of the Reapers means the destruction of most technology makes a heck of a lot of sense. If you work from the premise that the use of it will destroy all technology built by the Reapers - which includes the Mass Relays, the Citadel, and the Reapers themselves - then you can easily argue that all technology that's derived from the Reapers must all be destroyed - which is all the advances since uncovering the Protheon archives and their equivalents for other species. In this one, you're telling the Catalyst "I don't believe this is a problem worth worrying about". You also make the argument that it doesn't end the cycle - you're completely shattering all of his plans. Yes, the galactic civilization being destroyed creates attrocities, but it brings about a possible future independent of his plans
Reason to do this: leave this as the only option that lets us keep Shepard alive.
Reason not to do this: collapse of galactic civilization
Renegade motivation: I want to live
Paragon motivation: Continuing a theme from Legion: advancement independent of the Reapers/finding your own path
Pre-credit clip: Shepard and Love Interest/crew looking over Vancouver as it's being rebuilt ("we are recovering and it will be ok")
Post-credit clip: Shepard is telling his/her tale to a kid
Control: As before, you take over the Reapers. In effect, the Catalyst, realizing his solution has failed, entrusts you with finding a solution to the problem - and you have a fleet to do it with. If we remove the destruction of the Mass Relays, this creates a lot of interesting options - and a heck fo a lot of versatility. The biggest problem is it is far too tempting of an answer - the Paragon Shepard already has a hard time believing the Catalyst after uniting the geth and quarians and the Renegade Shepard gets more power than any organic in history. One of the nice things about it is that it, along with my synthesis solution, revives a theme that existed in (at least what we know of) the dark matter ending - this is the one where you believe the galaxy can find a solution. I'd love if you could throw in a little option right before you begin the upload where you call Hackett and tell him the conflict and your belief in its resolution - either "conflict between organics and synthetics is not certain" or "we must be vigilant about the possibility of the emergence of an AI". (I'd love to have that show up in the destroy clip as well, though its impact isn't as simple)
Reason to do this: allows a return of status quo of the galaxy after the war is over.
Reason not to do this: depends on how much you like the idea of being upload in a manner similar to ME2's colonists
Renegade Motivation: Become the most powerful organic in history
Paragon Motivation: Believe that the galaxy can overcome this problem
Pre-credit clip: Crew and allies looking over a statue of Shepard in the Presidium
Post-credit clip: A crew member or ally (I personally favor Liara or EDI simply so this could happen well into the future) talking about their friend Shepard.
Synthesis: As I said before, I'd like to restore a theme from the dark matter ending - therefore, this ending is letting the Reapers continue with their plans - and basically accepting the Catalyst's proposed solution. You can even go farther and have the Catalyst basically admit that it had created the initial blueprints to the Crucible so the synthesis possibility could eventually happen - it just needed a species and individual worthy enough to be the organic component to this so it had to be whoever successfully built the Crucible and made it onto the Citadel in one piece. In this ending, you basically accept his fatalism and agree to seed this new DNA - BUT it requires the cycle to be ended so that, when the new race emerges, it isn't competing against the incumbent organic races.
Reason to do this: If you accept his fatalism, this provides a true solution
Reason not to do this: Plenty of logic flaws with the argument (not the least of which being that both organic and synthetic life have to lay down and die for a new type of life to emerge.... right....) plus it means the Reapers win
Paragon Motivation: the ultimate sacrifice for the ultimate victory
Renegade Motivation: you're the blue print for a new species. Ok, it's weak but work with me here
Pre-credit clip: A new, hybrid looking race, appears out of the jungle. This could be achieved by re-skinning and changing the face of Husks so they don't look monstrous and zombie like. It would be ideal if they could have a unique look but with the game already released, I have little faith this is possible
Post-credit clip: I think we could actually revive the Buzz Aldrin clip for this.
The basic advantage of this change is that they are small changes - easy to do without changing the basic structure. They also restore a lot of the themes that exist throughout the game: The assumption of the inherent conflict between organics and synthetics and the possibility to overcome them. The ability for one person to drastically alter the fate of the galaxy. The question of whether we're worthy of the gifts we've been given and using them. Also, you can do it with minimal VA's coming back - just need both Shepards, the kid and one of probably Liara, EDI or Hackett (or any other options, but I think the above 3 would be ideal).
Modifié par forgottenlord, 11 mars 2012 - 05:13 .
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