New material will be marked by asterisks. (***New Material***)
By now, everyone on this forum has a position regarding the endings to Mass Effect 3, and thus the entire trilogy we have all come to know and love. Some are outraged, some are satisfied, but there is a vast population in between who are just disappointed.
Why are we disappointed? I will try my best to answer that in this post as constructively as I can. There are many grievances that I will attempt to organize and present to you, the BioWare community - fan, moderator, and developer alike.
Before I begin, however, I want to make this abundantly clear: neither myself, nor many fans who consider themselves part of the movement to secure a “better ending” for the franchise, are seeking anything more than to inform BioWare of our problems with the endings, and perhaps hope upon hope that something will be done to make sense of them. Whether it be a statement, a piece of DLC, or something else...we want answers. We need answers, and we are appealing respectfully in order to find some closure on the subject.
In fact, much of the writing in Mass Effect 3 was sublime. In the first 7 hours alone, I experienced a full range of emotions: anything from fear, to excitement and happiness, to a sense of loss and despair that made me curl up on my couch and cry. After the mission on the geth dreadnought, I got to have some very satisfying words with Admiral Han’Gerrel. When I defeated Kai Leng, I got to avenge one of my favorite characters of the franchise with a battle cry dedicated to him. For the most part, the fan base agrees here: Mass Effect 3 was a fantastic game. It was a story for the ages, and did justice to the greatest sci-fi universe of our generation. That is...until the last 10 minutes.
Repeat, the game was amazing. It's just the last 10-20 minutes we have problems with. Otherwise, the trilogy is definitely the science fiction story of our generation.
We have already received media attention. In general, we have been construed as being entitled, whiny fans who didn’t get their “warm-fuzzy” ending, or an ending we would have envisioned. This is simply not the case. I feel safe speaking for many people here when I say that the endings were never expected to be perfect...but surely an ending that leaves a bad taste in the mouths of loyal fans, makes them feel sick to the stomach, and leaves more questions than answers isn’t what BioWare wanted to give us.
Without further ado, I will attempt to break up and organize a list of grievances people have aired over the past week or so. I do not claim to be the first to say any of these things: just the first to organize them all in one place.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIST OF GRIEVANCES:
Disclaimer: Not everyone who dislikes ME3's endings agrees with all of these points. These are points I have gathered from many fans; most are common themes, but even I don't agree with them all. Don't take this to mean everyone here agrees with everything listed, or that you should.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Guardian/Catalyst
What is it, exactly? We get that the kid was a visual representation of the Guardian, but there is so much that isn’t explained. Who or what was the Guardian? What was its origin? Obviously, the answer helps us understand more about the Reapers, but we’re never given that answer. The Guardian’s justification for creating the Reapers to “end the cycle” raises questions in of itself. What’s the Guardian’s story specifically? We’re left to kind of figure that one out for ourselves. An “Investigate” option would have been really handy right there at the end.
All of those questions, however, are small in comparison to the problem with the Catalyst's logic: it says that created and creators will always war with one another. It assumes a lot, especially considering how Shepard can choose to resolve the geth/quarian conflict. The choices it presents also don't really solve anything: there is no way to guarantee Control will last, supposedly Destroy delays the inevitable, and who says that Synthesis will keep life from creating synthetic life again in the future?
Also, why was Sovereign necessary if the Catalyst was on the Citadel the entire time? Couldn't the Catalyst have just opened the Citadel relay when the time was right? Why didn't the Catalyst try to stop the Protheans from sabotaging the Keepers' signal?
Where are the “wildly divergent endings?”
Okay, so there are variations on Earth being destroyed/not destroyed within the three ending choices we can make: Control, Destroy, and Synergy. You can Control the Reapers and send them back to dark space, you can Destroy the Reapers (and consequently the geth/other synthetic life) at the risk of the cycle eventually starting over again, or you can Synergize...you can somehow combine the synthetic and organic, so that a mutual understanding can be reached and true peace can finally be achieved. Shepard can live in two of the Destroy endings if your Effective Military Strength is high enough (the variable being what happens to Anderson). Effectively, though, the same things happen: the Reapers are stopped, the mass relays are destroyed, the allied fleet is stuck at Earth, and the Normandy somehow crashes. The implications for the future might be different in the three endings, but the immediate consequences are all the same.
Prior to the release of ME3, we were told that the story was more free to diverge into different endings. (Yep, it was said in 360 Magazine) What we have is three different flavors of practically the same ending for Shepard and crew. Sure, there are variations, but none that affect your character - your Shepard.
“Gilligan’s Planet”
This is the fate of the Normandy SR-2 and her crew: when the mass relays are destroyed, the Normandy is caught in transit between two relays (more on the “how in the world did that happen?” later) and is thrown out, ultimately crashing on a tropical planet. This is a point that has a lot of people irked, myself included. In my own case, if BioWare was willing to fix just this ONE thing, I’d be perfectly happy with everything else the way it is.
Why is it such a problem? We spent the better part of three epic games building relationships with our crew, the other characters in the story. We were even encouraged to do so: there were great rewards to be won. Some characters we could fall in love with, others we had to gain their loyalty in order to survive a mission that would have otherwise been a suicide mission. In encouraging these interactions, BioWare built up a huge theme of friendship - a sense of true togetherness - that really catapulted the Mass Effect story above and beyond other sci-fi and video game stories. Now, if our Shepards are alive, they will most likely never see their friends again. No one knows where they are, and FTL travel at its fastest will still make a cross-galaxy journey take decades even if the Normandy somehow became operational again or a rescue party was sent out. (Star Trek: Voyager, anyone?)
Joker bugging out of a huge battle also seems pretty cowardly. Why would he do that? It just isn't in Joker's nature to do something like this; he has stood by Shep no matter what...but at the very end he bugs out? I can't figure out how any of that is supposed to make sense.
Then there's everyone getting off of the crash-landed Normandy. They all seem way too happy to have just gotten stranded in No Man's Land. What's up with that? I think this is a great analogy:
Madecologist wrote...
It's analogous counterpart would be LotR, Gandolf just died and the Fellowship escapes the Mines of Moria, finally fresh air and away from the grasps of the Balrog and orcs. So they all start smiling at the beautiful scenic view of the mountaintops. Afterall they survived a Balrog of Morgoth, why not be happy.
There are many people who are not happy they won’t have their “happily ever after” with their LI. Whether or not that should happen or if it’s too “happy” of an ending is a different debate for a different day (some of the LIs are on Earth still, so that is a possibility for some options). What I’m most concerned about are the characters I’ve come to care about after hundreds of hours invested into their stories. We’ve already permanently lost several beloved characters, why can’t we be able to share our victory with the ones we have left? They were by our side in the beginning...they should be there at the end. Everything is already bittersweet enough without this.
The Normandy also became a character in of herself. Maybe it’s my own sentimentality, but I find her death one of the hardest to bear. I love that ship.
The Epilogue
So, at the end of it all...it’s a grandfather telling a story to his grandson? What is this? I don’t think anyone has any issue with this other than a straight-up “Huh?”
The Flashbacks
These flashbacks are supposed to include the most important people in Shepard's life. They include Anderson, Joker, and supposedly your LI...only if your LI was Kaidan, Ashley, or Liara. Any other LI, and the flashback defaults to Liara. This has many fans understandably upset, especially if they feel their Shepards didn't have a strong connection to Liara in the first place.
Plot Holes
Plot holes everywhere. Shepard is supposed to live during one of the Destroy endings...but the Citadel is blown to smithereens. How in the world is he/she supposed to survive that? Does he/she get magically teleported back to London? Speaking of the Citadel, why didn't the Reapers just take control of the mass relay network when they took control of the Citadel? In the Control ending, why do the relays have to be destroyed? How does Shepard get them back to dark space? Where did the Guardian come from? (See above “Guardian” topic) What happens to the 2 squadmates you bring with you, and how in the world do they get back onto the Normandy just in time to be flung across the galaxy? Why in the world is the Normandy using a mass relay when the relays get destroyed, leading to its subsequent crash and stranding the crew? Surely Joker wouldn’t take the Normandy away from the battle, especially at its most dire. Is there food for Tali and Garrus on Gilligan's Planet? Questions, questions, and more questions.
Of any issue previously listed, this one sorely needs to be addressed. We were told loose ends would all be tied up. I would assume that means the plot should be airtight, as well. You can’t just leave us scratching our heads trying to figure out what’s going on. BioWare, you tell the stories; it’s up to you to tell them in a way that makes sense. With all these plot holes, the ending just flat-out didn’t make sense.
Organics and AIs: Coexistence Impossible?
Shepard is the one force in the galaxy that can finally end the Reaper threat. In the end he/she accepts the Guardian's options as his/her only options. He/she accepts the Guardian's logic that AIs will only ever destroy their creators. This is a soldier who has defied all odds and got the quarians and geth to work together peacefully. Shepard knows that the geth are perfectly willing to co-exist peacefully. Despite all this, Shepard has no choice in the matter? He/she must either destroy them, control them, or forcibly (with no one else's consent) merge the two? This makes no sense, and is out of character for Shepard, who is naturally an inquisitive being that always wants to find the best path for everyone.
Synthesis - "Master Race" overtones?
Some fans have expressed concern over how the Synthesis ending creates a "master race" and plays down the importance of diversity. Some have even gone so far as to say that it makes them feel uncomfortable that there is even such an implication. Given the fact that StarChild says this is the next step in evolution and the best option, I can see their point, and it brings up other questions for me, personally. What is so wrong with genetic/organic/synthetic diversity? Why is this the only way we can evolve? Who is Shepard to choose this next step of evolution for everyone else? Perhaps these are questions the developers wanted us to ask, but they're morally ambiguous, and I don't see why they would want us to ask these questions if they are morally ambiguous.
Lack of closure
We were told the ending of the trilogy would bring closure. It didn’t, not for a lot of people. It left us empty, confused, and in some cases, sick to the stomach. Endings should be inspired, even bittersweet...but not confusing. You can’t have a satisfying ending that brings closure to a series when it raises more questions than it answers. Given the complicated nature of variables in this game trilogy, it would probably be very difficult to give us anything terribly detailed, but we need...something. We need answers of some kind, not the questions we currently have.
Where do we go from here?
I'm not talking prequels. I want to know what this means for the future. What is going to happen to the Mass Effect universe now? The relays are all destroyed and galactic civilization is devastated...any story that happens after this trilogy is going to have to answer for that. The fans want to know how all of this is going to work moving forward.
Was the galaxy worth saving?
In its current state, it seems like it was almost more worth trying to give the next cycle a fighting chance and go down fighting the Reapers, possibly softening them up, instead of leaving galactic civilization the way it was after the end of ME3. Sacrifice was going to be necessary...but all of civilization now seems to be doomed. In the end, the player is wondering if it was all really worth it.
War assets MIA
In the final scene, the massive fleets arriving through the Charon relay is an awe-inspiring sight. However, there is no variation in this scene based on what fleets you have massed. There are no batarian fleets, no STG ships, no volus bombers. On Earth, there are no elcor shock troops (such a sight would have been amazing), STG infiltrators, or krogan hoardes. Many fans want to see visual evidence of the hard work they have put into the game forging alliances and gathering assets.
Important characters (mostly from ME2) that are War Assets in ME3 are also fairly absent. We get short conversations with them before the final push, but many want to see these characters in their roles on the battlefield. They want to see Miranda, Jack, Zaeed, Kasumi, even Joker and the Normandy, and current squadmates fighting the good fight, supporting Shepard and Hammer team. But we don't get any of that, which narrows the scope of the battle considerably.
Where is the climax?
After much deliberation with myself as an avid writer, and with other writers and literary buffs, I came to the abrupt realization that there is no climax in Mass Effect 3. In literature and great stories, the climax comes after a very low point in the story, where events will build back up, leading to the climax in the action, where all the previous potential energy build up in the story releases, and the resultant energy ripples throughout the story until it reaches its resolution.
This happened in Mass Effect 1. The Council grounds the Normandy and forbids Shepard to go after Saren in the Terminus Systems, even though Shepard knows that if he/she doesn't chase Saren, the galaxy is doomed. This is the low point, where the hero feels defeated. Events build momentum again when Anderson offers to and succeeds in his attempt to unlock the Normandy, allowing Shepard and crew to chase Saren to Ilos. The battle on Ilos culminates in a grand, climactic battle against Sovereign and Saren on the Citadel. The story resolves itself with the naming of Earth's new Councilor.
This happened in Mass Effect 2. The Collectors steal your crew right out from under you, leaving only Joker behind. This is a very personal and crushing defeat to Shepard, but if your force is ready, you can kick the momentum in the other direction by going straight through the Omega-4 relay to get them back. You make the Collectors pay dearly and the drama builds as you move through the Base. The climax occurs when you defeat the Human-Reaper embryo, destroying the Base (by explosion or radiation pulse), and escape alive in spite of all odds. The story resolves itself with the conversation with the Illusive Man; either amicable or defiant, depending on your actions. There is also a hopeful cutscene that reminds you that while the situation is still grim, you are as ready as you will ever be.
This never happened in Mass Effect 3. After your crushing defeat at Thessia by Cerberus, the mood is grim, and you have no choice but to assaut Cerberus head-on to obtain the Catalyst, and remove the threat once and for all. The Cronos Station mission is filled with drama and build-up; it reveals your past with them, reveals what they have become (in conjunction with the Sanctuary mission), and TIM ups the ante by moving the Citadel to Earth orbit. The stage is set for the battle of the ages: never before has the galaxy united so completely against Reaper forces. This is our last stand, but it fails to deliver as such. After saying "goodbye" to your old teammates and comrades, the action piddles out. You run towards the beam to make an attempt to activate the Crucible, you barely make it, then you walk through an unknown part of the Citadel, have a confrontation with TIM, and then StarChild speaks to you and tells you to make a choice. None of these events by themselves or together are all that climactic. It could be argued that the implementation of your choice is the climax, but it doesn't feel like a climax. It's just as exciting as everything that came before it, and those weren't even all that exciting, either. The action plateaus after Cronos Station, and you're left wondering what just happened. There is also no proper resolution, which convolutes the "what exactly is the climax?" question even more.
Abandoned Themes
Themes of hope and unified diversity. Themes of never giving up and friendship. All of these are thrown out the window in the last 10 minutes in favor of themes of despair, loss, and inevitability of defeat. Sure, we knew that taking down the Reapers would involve the themes of loss and despair, but if ME1 and ME2 taught us anything, it's that we can stare those evils down and come through triuphant regardless of how hopless things look. The last thing we expected was the blatant and abrupt nihilism we got; that’s never what Mass Effect had been about. No previous game gave in to such negativity, and it had no place in the final minutes of the game.
I think a quote by Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings movies applies here:
"It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
Shepard was certainly holding on to something all throughout the trilogy...up until the end.
Never say die: So much for my "happy" ending
It's very easy for the media to cling to the, "the fans just want a happy ending" excuse, so this is a fairly touchy topic. Some did want their "happy endings," though, and should have the option. You'd think, that in a game built on choice, one of the choices would be (almost) complete victory in the face of all odds, for those who play "never say die" Shepards. It was possible in ME2, so why not in ME3? Granted, the "never say die" ending was pretty easy to obtain in ME2, and should be harder in ME3 given the complexity and sheer force of Shepard's foe, but it shouldn't be impossible. This is a game, after all...it's there for entertainment, not to teach us "life is tough, kids" type of lessons that we learn from real life perfectly fine. It's escapism, and in the case of Mass Effect, it's the player's adventure. If they want to play a "never say die" game, let them!
Options? What are those?
I think, more than anything else, fans want more options out of the endings. More options based on previous choices, more options on who can be saved, what can be saved, and what can happen when all is said and done. This ties in with the "Where are the wildly divergent endings?" topic, but I think the fact we were railroaded/pigeonholed/forced into so many outcomes makes the "options" topic deserve its own section.
While, historically, the Mass Effect franchise has not had too many "options," the final installment had many variables to consider, which should have made other options possible. Also, many would argue that Shepard should have been able to challenge StarChild's logic, thus making his/her range of options even broader for the endings. No matter how you look at it, the endings of Mass Effect 3 do not respect the trilogy's promise of choice and having the option to shape your Shepard's adventure however you see fit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEDIA COVERAGE:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Punk4Real has collected a bunch of articles, which tell us that the media has gotten wind of this issue. They aren’t all that nice in some cases, but any attention at this point is good attention. Eventually, with enough time, effort, and good grace, we can use this attention to help us.
It is imperative that we treat the media, devs, and anyone involved with respect. We won’t get any respect if we don’t give it!
The older articles are in the Archive section. Newer articles (usually within the past week) can be found in the Recent News section. They are alphabetized by news outlet, and stories appearing from multiple outlets are in more or less chronological order. Articles are also color-coded based on their views about the endings. Green articles generally agree with the Retake Mass Effect movement, and agree that the endings are lackluster and should be changed/modified. Red articles claim the endings are fine as is, and/or they shouldn't be changed. Blue articles are neutral, not giving a firm opinion one way or the other, or just straight-up reporting facts. Please note that the views of the authors of these various editorials might not reflect the views of other editorial authors from the same outlet, and perhaps not the views of the outlet itself.
Recent News:
Forbes: EA Cleared of False Advertising Charges Over ‘Mass Effect 3’ Ending [13 June]
Forbes: Mass Effect 3 Is About The Journey, Not The Destination According To New GameStop Ad [15 June]
GameFront: Mass Effect 3’s Advertising Was Never the Issue [15 June]
Kotaku: Strikingly Accurate Tipster Resurfaces with Info on Mass Effect 3’s Alternate Ending DLC [9 June]
StickTwiddlers: Kimberly Brooks Interview: The Voice Behind Mass Effect’s Ashley Williams [12 June] (References to Extended Cut)
G4TV: The Feed: Admiral Hackett and EDI Will Be Back In Mass Effect 3 Ending Content [18 May]
The Archive:
Advertising Age: Mass Effect 3 Struggles With Social-Media Furor Over Ending
Ars Technica: Protests over ending of Mass Effect 3 show fan investment in story control
Attack of the Fanboy: Mass Effect 3 fans upset over creative direction of end game
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Mass Effect 3 ending: who hates it, who doesn't and why?
BBC: Mass Effect campaign demands new ending to series
BBC: Mass Effect 3 row prompts change to add 'further closure'
Better Business Bureau: Mass Effect 3 is Having a "Mass Effect" on Its Consumers for Better or Worse
California Literary Review: Reaping the Harvest of Poor Choices
Cinema Blend: Penny Arcade Lets EA's Charity Slide But Not Retake Mass Effect 3
CNET: Friday Poll: Should BioWare change Mass Effect 3's ending?
CNN: Fan Controversy Over Mass Effect 3 Ending (Skip to about 4 minutes into the video)
CVG: Mass Effect 3's ending: Why the backlash is idiotic - but inevitable
CVG: Mass Effect 3's ending: Did BioWare blow it? (Poll)
CVG: Mass Effect 3: 86% think BioWare blew the ending (Follow-up to the previous link)
The Damnlag: Skimming the End: Why Mass Effect 3's Reviews Are More Disheartening Than Its Conclusion
Dealspwn: Mass Effect 3 Review - Reaping What You Sow
Destructoid: Mass Effect 3 fans petition BioWare to change the ending
Destructoid: Why BioWare should change the Mass Effect 3 ending
Digital Spy: 'Mass Effect 3' fans campaign to change ending
Edge Magazine: Jennifer Hale on Mass Effect 3's Ending
Entertainment Weekly: In defense of the Mass Effect 3 ending
The Escapist: Mass Effect 3 Ending Controversy
The Escapist: Who Really Owns Mass Effect 3?
The Escapist: The Story Doesn't Matter
The Escapist: Mass Effect Fans Stand By Child’s Play
Examiner.com: Mass Effect 3 Ending: Retake Mass Effect movement
Forbes: How BioWare Could Find Redemption Using Mass Effect 3
Forbes: Mass Effect 3 and the Pernicious Myth of Gamer 'Entitlement'
Forbes: Why Fan Service is Good Business
Forbes: BioWare to Fans Protesting Mass Effect 3's Ending: We're Listening
Forbes: Upset Mass Effect Fans Entitled Gamers or Responsible Consumers?
Forbes: Did Casey Hudson Leave the Door Open For Changes to the Ending to Mass Effect 3?
Forbes: Why Fans Are So Angry About the Mass Effect 3 Ending
Forbes: Paragons of Protest: Retake Mass Effect Raises Money For Kids
Forbes: Story-Telling In Video Games and the Mass Effect 3 Ending
Forbes: Why the Mass Effect 3 Protests are Good for Video Games
Forbes: BioWare Co-Founder Apologizes To Fans For The Mass Effect 3 Ending - Sort Of
Forbes: BioWare Founder Ray Muzyka Steps into Debate Over Mass Effect 3 Ending
Forbes: Did the Real Mass Effect 3 Ending Go Over Everyone's Heads?
Forbes: Is BioWare Setting A 'Dangerous Precedent' By Considering Alternative Endings?
Forbes: Mass Effect 3, Gears of War 3, and Why Reviewers Fail
Forbes: Commander Shepard Actor Mark Meer Weighs In On Mass Effect 3 And DLC
Forbes: Why Child's Play Stopped Taking Donations From Retake Mass Effect
Forbes: Further Thoughts on Mass Effect 3's Ending and Future DLC
Forbes: Six Reasons Why Changing the Mass Effect 3 Ending Won't Threaten Its Artistic Integrity
Forbes: Mass Effect, Web Campaigns and the Five Stages of Bereapment
Forbes: Spoiled Little Emperors: Mass Effect And The Three Other Most Severe Cases Of ‘Gamer Entitlement
Game Front: Player Starts Poll Asking BioWare for New Mass Effect 3 Ending
Game Front: Mass Effect 3 Ending Hatred: 5 Reasons The Fans Are Right (The best article I've seen so far)
Game Front: Why Changing Mass Effect's Ending Won't Compromise Art
GameFront: The Mass Effect 3 Ending Change: How BioWare Can Get it Right
GameFront: Mass Effect 3 Ending: Change Could Have Empowered Game Writing
GameKudos: On the Appropriately Named "Retake Mass Effect 3"
Games On Net: Editorials: RPG on Rails: Mass Effect 3 and the Illusion of Choice
GameStar: Mass Effect 3 - Fans wütend über Story-Ende
GameStar: Mass Effect 3 - "Retake Mass Effect" Aktion knackt 50.000 $ - Grenze
Game Tourists: Why StarChild is Wrong (shorter version)
Geekosystem: BioWare Working on New Mass Effect 3 Ending Content
GotGame: The Customer is Always Right. Why Bioware Should Change Mass Effect 3's Ending
International Business Times: "Mass Effect 3" Ending: Did Fan Protests Cause EA Stock Price To Drop?
Joystiq: Hudson: 'Your feedback has always mattered' in Mass Effect 3, even now
Kotaku: So There's a Fan Campaign to Change the Ending of Mass Effect 3
Kotaku: Why Mass Effect 3's Ending Was So Damn Terrible
Kotaku: Mass Effect 3's Ending Disrespects Its Most Invested Players
Know Your Meme: Mass Effect 3 Endings Reception
Lazy Gamer: Mass Effect 3 players are demanding a different ending
Lazy Tech Guys: BioWare, Cupcakes, and PAX
Mana Tank: The Endings to Mass Effect 3 Suck (Apparently)
MSNBC In-Game: Some 'Mass Effect 3' players demand a happier ending
Neoseeker: 'Retake Mass Effect' movement earns over $30k for Child's Play Charity in 24 hours
The Paranoid Gamer: Why Gamer "Entitlement" is a Bull**** Buzzword
PC Gamer: What do game writers and designers think about BioWare changing the Mass Effect 3 ending?
Penny Arcade: The PA Report - Why the ending of Mass Effect 3 was satisfying, and worthy of the series
Piki Geek: Gamers Continue to Find Faults with Mass Effect 3, Especially the Ending
Pixelated Geek: Mass Effect III - Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
Play: Why The Mass Effect 3 Ending Sucked
PSX Extreme: Mass Effect 3 Online Petition: Give Us A New Ending!
RobotGeek: Editorial: The Mass Effect 3 Backlash
RobotGeek: Why the 'Retake Mass Effect 3' Movement is Making History
Rock, Paper, Shotgun: Mass Effect 3: The End Of An Epic
SPOnG: Mass Effect 3 Endings See PAX East Protest Call
Stuff: Can gamers really demand a new ending? (Author of article has not played the game)
The Tampa Bay Times: Mass Effect 3's ho-hum finale is now a low point in video games
The Telegraph: Mass Effect 3 gamers campaign for new ending
Venture Beat: Mass Effect 3 is an unfitting finale for an outstanding franchise (review)
The Vine: We Held the Line! Bioware Announces Mass Effect 3 Ending Will Be Changed!
VG247: Gamers start campaign asking BioWare to change Mass Effect 3 ending
Wired: Why BioWare Needs Gamers to Make True Art
Xbox 360 News: Shepard take warning: fans start petition for new Mass Effect 3 endings
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WAR ASSETS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will be gathering relevant tweets from relevant people, as well as awesome quotes on the subject from fans to add to this section as we go along. Please note some of the fan quotes are probably not original ideas, but have been put very eloquently, and that’s why I put them here.
A few Tweets from Miracle of Sound:
https://twitter.com/...572709867954177
https://twitter.com/...831978068586496
https://twitter.com/...229005793345536
What We Were Told to Expect From ME3's Ending:
Pre-release developer quotes (compiled by BSN user cato_84)
Fan Groups:
Hold The Line Forums
Hold The Line on Twitter and Facebook
Retake Mass Effect on Twitter and Facebook
Retake Mass Effect's List of War Assets
Retake Mass Effect:
Pure Sophistry: Big News from RetakeME3: Save Point, Extended Cut and RetakeGAMING!
http://www.holdtheli...ndy02-jpg.1374/
HOLD THE LINE INITIATIVES:
HTL Podcasts:
HTL Podcast Episode 1: Mass Effect 1 & 2
HTL Podcast Episode 2: Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer
HTL Podcast Episode 3, Part 1: Mass Effect 3 (I’m in this one as well as Part 2 below)
HTL Podcast Episode 3, Part 2: Mass Effect 3
HTL Podcast Episode 4: The Ending of Mass Effect 3 (Featuring Laura, aka MissFish, frequent poster in this thread)
HTL Podcast Episode 4 Outtakes, Cut Content, and Donkeys (For shiggles)
HTL Initiatives:
For the most up-to-date information on current initiatives, head over to the HTL War Room!
#ForOurLI Poster Campaigns: (***Current***)
These are poster campaigns for our beloved LIs.
Shepard needs to #FindMiranda!
Kaidan needs your help to find Shepard! #KaidansWaiting
Shepard needs #MoreTimeWithTali!
There is #NoShepardWithoutVakarian
Show some #LoveForLiara[/ulr]
Help Shepard #SaveThane!
Operation: Letter Tsunami: (Completed, but still open)
We sent out letters to BioWare on May 11th and 12th, in a letter campaign that specifically targeted what EA stands to lose, and what needs to be done in order to save the Mass Effect universe. If you missed out on this and still want to send a letter, visit:
Operation: Letter Tsunami @ HTL
M&M Campaign (Completed)
This campaign was also successful! The red, green, and blue M&Ms were sent to BioWare and are even being consumed by BioWare employees.
M&M Campaign @ HTL
There is also a tweet from Chris Priestly specifically about the M&Ms being delivered. I will be looking for that tweet to put in here, but if someone could help me out, that would be appreciated!
Turn on / Turn off BioWare: (Completed)
On April 28th, play your SP game of Mass Effect 3 to show your love of the story! Turn the game off on the next day, 29 April (including MP!), to let your discontent be known! Origin is easy to track, so play PC if possible! More details at:
Turn On/Turn Off @ Holdtheline.com
Turn On/Turn Off @ BSN (All the pretty banners are here!)
****UPDATE: This was a HIGHLY successful event! We were trending with the #turnMEoff hashtag for 10 minutes worldwide! Stay tuned for more events like this!***
The Cupcake Campaign: (Completed)
The Cupcake Campaign was highly successful and BioWare decided to donate all those tasty treats to a local kids' shelter, where they were consumed happily. BioWare took the intended message and fan feedback for their own review. These guys have a lot to be proud of, it was amazing publicity!
BSN Thread
Hold The Line Forums
Bitscreed Covers the Cupcake Campaign!
Global Edmonton: Gamers get creative in protesting Bioware's Mass Effect 3
Radio Interview with Sam (BSN user LoganKey), organizer of the Cupcake Campaign
Want to become involved in an initiative? Join HTL today!
***Circle Time With Chris Priestly: Chris Talks to HTL***
Keep it on-topic and respectful!
What do you expect to be in the Extended Cut?
So what happens after the Extended Cut? (Poll and Thread)
Do you believe in the Indoctrination Theory?
What was one BEST thing in ME3?
What was the one WORST thing about ME3 (not including ending)?
~HTL~
http://www.holdtheli...ndy02-jpg.1374/
Child's Play Charity Drive:
The Child's Play Charity Drive was a rousing success! They have done amazing work, and each and every member of the Retake Mass Effect movement should be so proud. We turned our frustration into almost $80,000 for the charity, and helped the community realize that we are as selfless as we are passionate. Kudos!
http://retakemasseff...ect-childs-play
http://social.biowar.../9845819/1 (BSN discussion thread)
Petitions:
http://www.gopetitio...-dlc-patch.html
http://www.change.or...tes-of-the-game
Polls and Petitions at HTL
Blogs:
Talking About Tech (Belongs to user Chrissbarr)
The Metagames
Mike Rambles About Stuff: Thoughts On Mass Effect 3 and BioWare
Twenty Sided: Mass Effect 3 Ending Deconstruction (Pretty much my thoughts EXACTLY)
Guardianangel42's Blog: The Ending of Mass Effect 3: Why it's Bad (Belongs to user GuardianAngel470)
The Writer's Block: All That Matters is the Ending, Part 2: Mass Effect 3
Blistered Thumbs: A Socratic Debate: Dialogue Between A Paragon and A Renegade ***NEW*** (BioWare user LinksOcarina)
Polls:
http://social.biowar...m/633606/polls/
Comprehensive ME3 Endings Poll (In German)
Polls and Petitions at HTL
Videos:
Retake Mass Effect 3!
Mass Effect 3 Ending Mysteries
Mass Effect 3 Ending and Why We Hate It
Ending Comparison - All the Colors
The REAL Mass Effect 3 Ending: What it should have been
Angry Joe: 10 Reasons We Hate Mass Effect 3's Ending
Mass Effect 3 Ending: What Could Have Been, What Should Have Been
Hold the Line - Retake Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3 - Shepard's Indoctrination (A great video on the Indoctrination Theory)
Mass Effect 3 Ending: Tasteful, Understated Nerdrage (SPOILERS)
Tasteful, Understated Nerdrage: A Tale of Two Companies
The Mass Effect 3 Indoctrination Theory: Tasteful, Understated Nerdrage (SPOILERS)
Retake Mass Effect - Fan Testimonies
Retake Mass Effect - This is Me #1
Mass Effect 3 - My Brother's Reactions (Secretly Recorded) to the Ending
Suggested Change to Mass Effect 3 - Renegade Interrupts in the Final Conversation
Where Mass Effect 3 Went Wrong
The Indoctrination Theory - A Documentary (***NEW*** 5/18)
Fan Opinions, Thoughts and Suggestions:
http://social.biowar...x/9878789/1 (in reference to a response to Penny Arcade article, written by Unigolyn and re-posted here by BSN user Skirata129)
http://social.biowar.../1#9875365 (BSN user Spyre2001)
http://social.biowar...index/9908623/1 (BSN user Reptilian Rob)
http://social.biowar...51623/3#9855289 (BSN user RubiconI7)
Shepard's Option (a fan-created, ending suggestion by dA user arkis)
Musings of a Screenwriter (BSN user Eternalsteelfan)
DA:O Writer Brent Knowles Responds (Thanks to BSN user Legend78731)
BioWare/EA in Full Damage Control Mode (BSN user Bachuck)
An Open Letter To Casey Hudson (BSN user ninjaNumber1)
How the Endings Could Work: A Flowchart (if this is yours, please tell me so I can credit you!)
Final Mission Sequence - Poorly Done Last Chapter to a Trilogy (BSN user iamtienpham)
Google Document: A Logical Breakdown of Why the Mass Effect 3 Ending Makes No Sense (by letjemari)
Face the Video Game Nation: The Mass Effect Effect (A podcast by a fan)
ME3 and BioWare games, a French point of view (BSN user monsieur_wiseman)
Science is Awesome - Why I dislike the MESSAGE in ME3's ending (BSN user RSOG)
The ending we want (A complete summarization) (BSN user DarkShadow)
A Search for Answers (BSN user R558A)
Thoughts on the Crucible/Catalyst/Citadel issues (BSN user Arisugawa)
"Lots of Speculation for Everyone" - Plot Twists, Indoctrination, and Interpretation (BSN user Lochias WH)
Dear BioWare: The 'Constructive Feedback you asked for (BSN user pikey1969)
[POLL] Ending compromise: Saying 'no' to the starchild. Option for conventional victory (BSN user a.m.p.) ***NEW***
I made a Happy ending as animated storyboard (BSN user Joroelcapo)
A Literature PhD OWNS the ME3 ending. Hard. (BSN user drayfish, a.k.a. "the Professor") Must read!
Regarding the Extended Cut DLC:
BioWare Blog: Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut
OFFICIAL: EA announces Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut DLC (FREE!)
Angry Joe: ME3: Extended Cut DLC Preview & Discussion
Tasteful, Understated Nerdrage: Additional Clarity and Closure
Banners!!!!
Fleet Banners, Marauder Shields, Hold the Line, and more!
[url=http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/CDHarrisUSF/MassEffect3/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ28]More Banners: Your favorite character deserves a better ending!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Banner Tutorial:
Right click on any banner above, and select "Copy image URL." Then, go to Forum Settings (top right when you're in the forums, not the home page) and Paste (Ctrl+V works best) into the box. Put the tags [ img] Insert Image URL here [/ img] around the URL you pasted. If you want to link to the thread here with your banner, use this format: [ url= Insert Thread URL here ] [ img] Insert Image URL here [/ img] [/ url] Make sure nothing is already hyperlinked, and that there are no spaces.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A special shout-out to JeffZero, SoHARDCORE, Punk4Real (media coverage), and plnero (Retake Mass Effect). Without them, this would be one skimpy post.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINAL THOUGHTS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We, the fans of Mass Effect, do not wish to attack, belittle, or otherwise demonize the writers who have no doubt pour their hearts and souls into this epic trilogy. However, we do want to hold BioWare accountable for the fan reaction: they warned us “some” might not like the endings, but it turns out “a lot” are not fans of the endings. I can’t imagine why fans should be willing to accept an ending to an otherwise amazing sci-fi epic that makes no sense and is riddled with plot holes.
***That said, there will be a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY in this thread for bashing, harassing, etc against other forum members, devs, moderators, or any other violation of the BSN’s Code of Conduct. Anyone not adhering to those rules will be reported immediately.***
Please, be excellent to each other. We need to present a united front if there is any chance of BioWare legitimately addressing our concerns. This is a fight that can win, but it is also one that can turn ugly very, very quickly and get us labeled as “crazy disgruntled fans” very easily. Keep all of that in mind when you post on this thread. Thank you!
HOLD THE LINE!!!!!
P.S. Have something to add? Don't be shy! Shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do.
Contributors:
Brilorodion
Chrissbarr
G
Modifié par CDRSkyShepard, 16 juin 2012 - 07:09 .
Retour en haut
