23455 réponses à ce sujet

[Koona]

I just wanted to know if anyone had
seen/posted this on this thread, and to get some thoughts on it. This
seems to be yet another inspirational dispatch from the desk of
Hudson, in which he councils patience while assuring fans that their
feedback will be considered eventually, but also seems to insinuate
that the ending will remain unrevised .
_______
(originally posted by a certain 'evil' Chris P.)

There’s been a lot of
discussion and debate about the conclusion of Mass Effect 3, so I
thought I’d share my  perspective with you here. I’ll avoid
outright spoilers, but I’d still recommend finishing the game and
experiencing it for yourself before reading this. 

For
the last eight years, Mass Effect  has been a labor of love for
our team; love for the characters we’ve created, for the medium of
video games, and for the fans that have supported us.  For us
and for you, Mass Effect 3 had to live up to a lot of expectations,
not only for a great gaming experience, but for a resolution to the
countless storylines and decisions you’ve made as a player since
the journey began in 2007. So we designed Mass Effect 3 to be a
series of endings to key plots and storylines, each culminating in
scenes that show you the consequences of your actions.  You then
carry the knowledge of these consequences with you as you complete
the final moments of your journey.

We always intended that the
scale of the conflict and the underlying theme of sacrifice would
lead to a bittersweet ending—to do otherwise would betray the
agonizing decisions Shepard had to make along the way.  Still,
we wanted to give players the chance to experience an inspiring and
uplifting ending; in a story where you face a hopeless struggle for
basic survival, we see the final moments and imagery as offering
victory and hope in the context of sacrifice and reflection.

We've
had some incredibly positive reactions to Mass Effect 3, from the New
York Times declaring it “a gripping, coherent triumph”, to
Penny Arcade calling it “an amazing accomplishment”, to
emails and tweets from players who have given us the most profound
words of appreciation we've ever received.  

But we
also recognize that some of our most passionate fans needed more
closure, more answers, and more time to say goodbye to their
stories—and these comments are equally valid. Player feedback such
as this has always been an essential ingredient in the development of
the series.

I am extremely proud of what this team has
accomplished, from the first art concepts for the Mass Effect
universe to the final moments of Mass Effect 3.  But we didn't
do it on our own.  Over the course of the series, Mass Effect
has been a shared experience between the development team and our
fans—not just a shared experience in playing the games, but in
designing and developing them.  An outpouring of love for Garrus
and Tali led to their inclusion as love interests in Mass Effect 2. 
A request for deeper RPG systems led to key design changes in Mass
Effect 3.  Your feedback has always mattered.  Mass Effect
is a collaboration between developers and players, and we continue to
listen.

So where do we go from here? Throughout the next
year, we will support Mass Effect 3 by working on new  content. 
And we’ll keep listening, because your insights and constructive
feedback will help determine what that content should be. This is not
the last you’ll hear of Commander Shepard. 

We look
forward to your continued support and involvement as we work together
to shape the remaining experiences in the story of the Mass Effect
trilogy.

Thanks for taking this journey with us.
 
Casey
Hudson

_______
I
I cannot comprehend what other
adventures we could partake in after that...atrocity Bioware
considers an ending, especially since 2/3 Shepards were incinerated
by giant energy beams and the other was already bleeding to death
when struck by an immense explosion. What exactly compulsory
incineration has to do with integrating an organic consciousness into
an AI construct, the total destruction o synthetic life or the
galactic dissemination of genetic and physiological alterations, I'm
quite sure we'll never know. One would assume, however, that the
ancients capable of such epic feats would also be able to design a
much better delivery system for their miracles. Perhaps one that
targeted the true enemies more precisely, or didn’t explode (or
otherwise incinerate its operator) when fired. The point is, that
when you operate in the sci-fi genre, the fans will always look at
the result with slightly critical eyes. I cannot express my
disillusionment and heartbreak when all my hand work boiled down to
such a slapdash cliche. There are many more plot holes, discrepancies
and glaring question marks like these hanging over the current
ending. Given these scenarios it seems only logical to suggest that
this is the very last we will see of our Cmdr. Shepard, bur it wasn't
down to lack of effort on my part that's for sure. Mr. Hudson can
preach all he wants about bittersweet endings, I'm not going to list
the innumerable ways one logically asserts the monumental tragedy
which occurs in all the endings, but I will say that if I had know
the series would have an ending of 95% forced martyrdom, I would have
skipped ME 1! Bioware needs to address, in an unequivocal way these
problems because true fans will simply walk from the burning husk of
the Mass Effect universe if they don't. We deserve an entirely new
set of endings, which accurately reflect the myriad of choices
available to players, just as Bioware has promised us in many of
their quotes, soundbites and interviews of the past. I do think the
opportunity for a happier ending is part of that, because a
completionist who makes every resource count towards victory should
be rewarded for all the extra love they put into 120+ hours of
gameplay. Conversely, an ending resulting in total Reaper dominance
should be there for those who go in half cocked and skip most of the
side-missions, along with three in-between endings for good measure.
Giving paying customers a product that 'does what it says on the box'
is not some revolutionary concept that supplants creative freedom,
it's the law and a basic rule of customer service.




Bioware, you owe it to your most loyal
fans to make the conclusion of Mass Effect 3 what it is meant to be,
not necessarily how you intended, but what we all hoped it would
aspire to. Please keep in mind how cold it feels fighting for
something when when the bulk of gaming media openly mocks and
insults, and the company who should be defending its dedicated
fanbase is strangely silent. Some have accused us of being
'demanding' or 'entitled,' we just want you (Bioware) to take another
look before a golden opportunity is missed. We challenge you to do
better, and in the doing, uplift the standards of an already great
trilogy.



-that's it, I could have said more, but
it just wasn't in my for a long rant & rave.

[Azorgamer]

I posted on here before, but after finishing my 2nd playthrough just now, I wanted to follow up. I still think 98% of the game is awesome, and I can live with the 3 choices at the end (even though I would have liked a bit more conversation and argument with the Catalyst kid) but the thing that still leaves me completely confused is the Normandy "escape" and crashing on that planet.

Honestly, what just now made me feel a bit better when I finished the game was imagining that the Normandy picked up the rest of the squad and actually crash landed on Earth. I know that's not what happened but it made more sense and I just liked the feeling more than - escape and crash on mysterious planet.

Anyways, just wanted to say one last thing - I scanned every planet and did every sidequest I could possibly find in the galaxy map and the Citadel and could not reach 4,000 EMS to get the Shepard breathing video after I destroyed the Reapers. I guess I'll have to play a NG+ to get that ending but it would have been nice to be able to reach the Shepard survives ending without having to play Multiplayer or an NG+.

Well, that's all, I'm gonna get some sleep after finishing my second playthrough - you all have a great night!

[hchadw]

Akael_Bayn wrote...

Quick, deflect the topic to something positive!

...yeah, we're not stupid, you know?
Don't give us this "We don't want to spoil things for people who aren't done BS. 

How about a straight answer about where all the many and varied endings we were promised went?




“There are many different endings. We wouldn’t do it any other way. How could you go through all three campaigns playing as your Shepard and then be forced into a bespoke ending that everyone gets?”

“Mass Effect 3 is all about answering all the biggest questions in the lore, learning about the mysteries and the Protheans and the Reapers, being able to decide for yourself how all of these things come to an end.”

“Every decision you've made will impact how things go. The player's also the architect of what happens."

“You'll get answers to everything. That was one of the key things. Regardless of how we did everything, we had to say, yes, we're going to provide some answers to these people.”

Agreed............ I was not happy about this... looks like all the time they spent on multiplayer Actually did Hurt Singleplayer..... I feel it was a lazy ending and .... what was the point in all my playthroughs ... Descisions... Save council Kill Council... ... seems every choice really had no meaning.....

so let down.... great game....

Loved 99% of it

up in till the ending.      thumbs down.

[Jvolikas]

Dap Brannigan wrote...

DCYNIGR8 wrote...

bwFex wrote...

I really have been trying to let myself get over this nightmare, but since you guys promise you're listening here, I'll try to just say it all, get it all out.

I have invested more of myself into this series than almost any other video game franchise in my life. I loved this game. I believed in it. For five years, it delivered. I must have played ME1 and ME2 a dozen times each.

I remember the end of Mass Effect 2. Never before, in any video game I had ever played, did I feel like my actions really mattered. Knowing that the decisions I made and the hard work I put into ME2 had a very real, clear, obvious impact on who lived and who died was one of the most astounding feelings in the world to me. I remember when that laser hit the Normandy and Joker made a comment about how he was happy we upgraded the shields. That was amazing. Cause and effect. Work and reward.

The first time I went through, I lost Mordin, and it was gut-wrenching: watching him die because I made a bad decision was damning, heartbreaking. But it wasn't hopeless, because I knew I could go back, do better, and save him. I knew that I was in control, that my actions mattered. So that's exactly what I did. I reviewed my decisions, found my mistakes, and did everything right. I put together a plan, I worked hard to follow that plan, and I got the reward I had worked so hard for. And then, it was all for nothing.

When I started playing Mass Effect 3, I was blown away. It was perfect. Everything was perfect. It was incredible to see all of my decisions playing out in front of me, building up to new and outrageous outcomes. I was so sure that this was it, this was going to be the masterpiece that crowned an already near-perfect trilogy. With every war asset I gathered, and with every multiplayer game I won, I knew that my work would pay off, that I would be truly satisfied with the outcome of my hard work and smart decisions. Every time I acquired a new WA bonus, I couldn't wait to see how it would play out in the final battle. And then, it was all for nothing.

I wasn't expecting a perfect, happy ending with rainbows and butterflies. In fact, I think I may have been insulted if everyone made it through just fine. The Reapers are an enormous threat (although obviously not as invincible as they would like us to believe), and we should be right to anticipate heavy losses. But I never lost hope. I built alliances, I made the impossible happen to rally the galaxy together. I cured the genophage. I saved the Turians. I united the geth and the quarians. And then, it was all for nothing.

When Mordin died, it was heartwrenching, but I knew it was the right thing. His sacrifice was... perfect. It made sense. It was congruent with the dramatic themes that had been present since I very first met Wrex in ME1. It was not a cheap trick, a deus ex machina, an easy out. It was beautiful, meaningful, significant, relevant, and satisfying. It was an amazing way for an amazing character to sacrifice themself for an amazing thing. And then it was all for nothing.

When Thane died, it was tearjerking. I knew from the moment he explained his illness that one day, I'd have to deal with his death. I knew he was never going to survive the trilogy, and I knew it wouldn't be fun to watch him go. But when his son started reading the prayer, I lost it. His death was beautiful. It was significant. It was relevant. It was satisfying. It was meaningful. He died to protect Shepard, to protect the entire Citadel. He took a life he thought was unredeemable and used it to make the world a brighter place. And then it was all for nothing.

When Wrex and Eve thanked me for saving their species, I felt that I had truly accomplished something great. When Tali set foot on her homeworld, I felt that I had truly accomplished something great. When Javik gave his inspiring speech, I felt that I had inspired something truly great. When I activated the Citadel's arms, sat down to reminisce with Anderson one final time, I felt that I had truly accomplished something amazing. I felt that my sacrifice was meaningful. Significant. Relevant. And while still a completely unexplained deus ex machina, at least it was a little bit satisfying.

And then, just like everything else in this trilogy, it was all for nothing.

If we pretend like the indoctrination theory is false, and we're really supposed to take the ending at face value, this entire game is a lost cause. The krogans will never repopulate. The quarians will never rebuild their home world. The geth will never know what it means to be alive and independent. The salarians will never see how people can change for the better.

Instead, the quarians and turians will endure a quick, torturous extinction as they slowly starve to death, trapped in a system with no support for them. Everyone else will squabble over the scraps of Earth that haven't been completely obliterated, until the krogans drive them all to extinction and then die off without any women present. And this is all assuming that the relays didn't cause supernova-scaled extinction events simply by being destroyed, like we saw in Arrival.

And perhaps the worst part is that we don't even know. We don't know what happened to our squadmates. We didn't get any sort of catharsis, conclusion. We got five years of literary foreplay followed by a kick to the groin and a note telling us that in a couple months, we can pay Bioware $15 for them to do it to us all over again.

It's not just the abysmally depressing/sacrificial nature of the ending, either. As I've already made perfectly clear, I came into this game expecting sacrifice. When Mordin did it, it was beautiful. When Thane did it, it was beautiful. Even Verner. Stupid, misguided, idiotic Verner. Even his ridiculous sacrifice had meaning, relevance, coherence, and offered satisfaction.

No, it's not the sacrifice I have a problem with. It's the utter lack of coherence and respect for the five years of literary gold that have already been established in this franchise. We spent three games preparing to fight these reapers. I spent hours upon hours doing every side quest, picking up every war asset, maxing out my galactic readiness so that when the time came, the army I had built could make a stand, and show these Reapers that we won't go down without a fight.

In ME1, we did the impossible when we killed Sovereign. In ME2, we began to see that the Reapers aren't as immortal as they claim to be: that even they have basic needs, exploitable weaknesses. In ME3, we saw the Reapers die. We saw one get taken down by an overgrown worm. We saw one die with a few coordinated orbital bombardments. We saw several ripped apart by standard space combat. In ME1, it took three alliance fleets to kill the "invincible" Sovereign. By the end of ME3, I had assembled a galactic armada fifty times more powerful than that, and a thousand times more prepared. I never expected the fight to be easy, but I proved that we wouldn't go down without a fight, that there is always hope in unity. That's the theme we've been given for the past five years: there is hope and strength through unity. That if we work together, we can achieve the impossible.

And then we're supposed to believe that the fate of the galaxy comes down to some completely unexplained starchild asking Shepard what his favorite color is? That the army we built was all for nothing? That the squad whose loyalty we fought so hard for was all for nothing? That in the end, none of it mattered at all?

It's a poetic notion, but this isn't the place for poetry. It's one thing to rattle prose nihilistic over the course of a movie or ballad, where the audience is a passive observer, learning a lesson from the suffering and futility of a character, but that's not what Mass Effect is. Mass Effect has always been about making the player the true hero. If you really want us to all feel like we spent the past five years dumping time, energy, and emotional investment into this game just to tell us that nothing really matters, you have signed your own death certificate. Nobody pays hundreds of dollars and hours to be reminded how bleak, empty, and depressing the world can be, to be told that nothing we do matters, to be told that all of our greatest accomplishments, all of our faith, all of our work, all of our unity is for nothing.

No. It simply cannot be this bleak. I refuse to believe Bioware is really doing this. The ending of ME1 was perfect. We saw the struggle, we saw the cost, but we knew that we had worked hard, worked together, and won. The ending of ME2 was perfect. We saw the struggle, we saw the cost, but we knew that we had worked hard, worked together, and won.

Taken at face value, the end of ME3 throws every single thing we've done in the past five years into the wind, and makes the player watch from a distance as the entire galaxy is thrown into a technological dark age and a stellar extinction. Why would we care about a universe that no longer exists? We should we invest any more time or money into a world that will never be what we came to know and love?

Even if the ending is retconned, it doesn't make things better. Just knowing that the starchild was our real foe the entire time is so utterly mindless, contrived, and irrelevant to what we experienced in ME1 and ME2 that it cannot be forgiven. If that really is the truth, then Mass Effect simply isn't what we thought it was. And frankly, if this is what Mass Effect was supposed to be all along, I want no part of it. It's a useless, trite, overplayed cliche, so far beneath the praise I once gave this franchise that it hurts to think about.

No. There is no way to save this franchise without giving us the only explanation that makes sense. You know what it is. It was the plan all along. Too much evidence to not be true. Too many people reaching the same conclusions independently.

The indoctrination theory doesn't just save this franchise: it elevates it to one of the most powerful and compelling storytelling experiences I've ever had in my life. The fact that you managed to do more than indoctrinate Shepard - you managed to indoctrinate the players themselves - is astonishing. If that really was the end game, here, then you have won my gaming soul. But if that's true, then I'm still waiting for the rest of this story, the final chapter of Shepard's heroic journey. I paid to finish the fight, and if the indoctrination theory is true, it's not over yet.

And if it's not, then I just don't even care. I have been betrayed, and it's time for me to let go of the denial, the anger, the bargaining, and start working through the depression and emptiness until I can just move on. You can't keep teasing us like this. This must have seemed like a great plan at the time, but it has cost too much. These people believed in you. I believed in you.

Just make it right.

This is the best thing I have ever read on the internet. Ever.

Bravo, bwFex.

I just have to add my own support to this.  This is beautiful and expresses my sentiments exactly.  Your first playthrough of ME2 lost Mordin, mine lost Kelly and the crew because I took too long to get to the Omega 4 Relay.  SO what did I do?  I reworked, made a new plan, and took the action to save them.  OUR CHOICES MATTERED then and they should have for that starchild too.  It's just unfathomable to me how this could happen.

Anyway, I applaud you bwFex and all I can say is HOLD THE LINE. 

[diver_gr]

The worst thing with the end of ME3 and that they took away player chocies is that they have killed The replaye value of the title.

I finished ME 3 times , i Finished ME2 4 times because they gave me replay value , because my actions did matter and the end was entirely depenting on my choices .But in ME3 with my choices being thrown away and the end remains 99% the same (except the colour from Cruscible beem ) they took away the replay value in an instant . Why bother playing again when whatever i choose the END will be always the same.

Bioware promised us a galaxy and a journey that our actions and choices was driving the story . You promised us 16 Differnt endings?????? this is a big LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.......

I don't want16 endings . I want 3 but each one to be entirely differnt and not just a minor colour change of the beem.

1)Why bother give as Paragon and Evil from the beggin when it doesn't matter?
2)Why give us choices that doesn't matter?
3)Why you promised and said to us that Mass effect is all about the player Choice and action when in the end what they have done doesn't matter?


Why ?????????????

[Flyers215]

jeweledleah wrote...

James is not an LI.  even if you wanted to dump anyone for him, you woudln't be getting him. Kaidan is the only male LI for femshep you can start a romance with in ME3.  Garrus is the only ME2 LI that has proper continuation.

yet another one of the issues with ME3.

I don't consider that an issue.  Not everyone in the galaxy would want to do the no pants dance with Shepard, especially her subordinates like James.

However, I did think that James was a love interest since he's actually quite a flirt.  He makes a lot of remarks and gets surprised if you don't tell him to shut his mouth.  On my newest run, though, he's not so keen since I told him not to call me Lola.  I wouldn't want to dump Traynor for anyone except maybe Miranda, but she's not on the table.

[Mcfly616]

@ Teacher50
I was just saying that the main concern with the endings is not the fact that he dies....its that there's no closure, and your choices seem to not matter.
I'm not saying he should die. There should be the same possibilities as the second game, but on a larger scale....Shep can either live or die, you can keep everybody/some/nobody alive....all/some/no species can survive....all/some/no homeworlds can be saved. A ceremony to celebrate the squad as war heroes, with the councel pinning medals on them. If Shep survives, one of the last scenes should be him and his love interest embracing eachother or settling down. There should be a perfect ending exemplifying a new theme of hope and over all gratification and relief. There should be the complete opposite ending with the Reapers winning and completing the cycle, exemplifying utter doom....and then there should be a variety of endings in between with all the variables of your decisions deciding which squadmates/species live or die and also deciding which homeworlds are reclaimed or forever lost....

[xxskyshadowxx]

hchadw wrote...

Akael_Bayn wrote...

Quick, deflect the topic to something positive!

...yeah, we're not stupid, you know?
Don't give us this "We don't want to spoil things for people who aren't done BS. 

How about a straight answer about where all the many and varied endings we were promised went?




“There are many different endings. We wouldn’t do it any other way. How could you go through all three campaigns playing as your Shepard and then be forced into a bespoke ending that everyone gets?”

“Mass Effect 3 is all about answering all the biggest questions in the lore, learning about the mysteries and the Protheans and the Reapers, being able to decide for yourself how all of these things come to an end.”

“Every decision you've made will impact how things go. The player's also the architect of what happens."

“You'll get answers to everything. That was one of the key things. Regardless of how we did everything, we had to say, yes, we're going to provide some answers to these people.”

Agreed............ I was not happy about this... looks like all the time they spent on multiplayer Actually did Hurt Singleplayer..... I feel it was a lazy ending and .... what was the point in all my playthroughs ... Descisions... Save council Kill Council... ... seems every choice really had no meaning.....

so let down.... great game....

Loved 99% of it

up in till the ending.      thumbs down.

Actually....that quote of his is spot on accurate to the craptacular ending we did get. It's not in any way a traditional ending....it's nowhere near THAT good. And you can't say how many endings there are or whether you get ending A, B, C.....because whether you choose A, B, or C, you get the same bloody abortion; Shepard dies and the galaxy is destroyed...and the next Cycle is hopeful cuz Liara made a home vid. So, he didn't lie....exactly...dude should run for President.

[Sydeno]

May I say that you shloudn't let Casey Hudson speak anymore about this game and about fan's reactions?

It could be really bad for Bioware and its crew...

... I think...

[JulienJaden]

Damien Nightwind wrote...

Neuthung wrote...

TheBandit554 wrote...

I don't know how much flame I'll get for this or if I'll get banned, but I have to ask you "fans" this:

Who the ****K gave YOU the right to spam, bother, and make fun of Bioware just because they made a game, that YOU LOVED, with an ending you didn't like?

Do you not realize the possibility for DLC? The possibility for future Mass Effect games? You people are so self-righteous, but when you finally get your way, are you going to be satisfied? How will you look at your self when they make more content you love? Maybe the staff were right to be sarcastic, with you rating their amazing game low just because of the ending. Where was this upheaval at ME1 and ME2's linear endings? All three took you to the same end, the same resolution.

Lay off and be patient you entitled pricks

I'll be pretty damned happy that they listened to their fans and allowed us to finish the brilliant game with an ending it deserved. Now get off your high horse and enough with the insults, it doesn't help that the side asking for endings is the side giving the rational arguments, the most rude posts I've seen in the past week and a half have all been from people telling us to stop asking for something we want.

I completely agree with you, the ones being rude and harrassing are the ones saying that nothing should be done. The rest are just pointing out what they see as flaws to an otherwise great game.

Exactly. We have a right to our opinion. Granted that many were angry at the outcome and voiced it in a stern manner; some people went over the line and openly harrassed BioWare staff, insulted their people over at twitter or thought it was really funny to go and change Casey Hudson's Wikipedia page. Yet, I can understand those extremes, even though I don't agree with them, because we were promised a lot and BioWare has shown us in the past that they can keep their promises, that they can deliver such things, that they could give us the cornucopia of distinctly different endings they told us would conclude ME3.
Also, you have the admit that the game, while it was great overall, had other flaws than the ending, too; but the ending is simply the biggest and most significant one because it is the opposite of what was promised and because pretty much everyone who has some experience writing agrees that it is not mysterious but simply bad. And that makes us twice as angry because we KNOW that BioWare has amazing writers and we can't understand how anyone couldn't see this coming.

Plus: The people who are being the most aggressive right now, even when they finished the game some time ago and would have had time to relax, are those feeling we are 'entitled' and who thought the ending was perfect. Well, it was not. I'd say that BioWare shouldn't overwrite it but simply offer what we want as an optional download. That would make everyone happy. But I have to admit that I kinda feel like those who are fiercely defending it are even more desperate than we are. You guys don't just say you liked the ending but you say we are dumb for not liking it. Could it be that you just don't want to admit that, even if you played all the previous games and are a big fan, didn't see the flaws we are pointing out and that most of us came across independently from each other?

It doesn't matter. I don't want to start a fight over this.
The point is, EVERYBODY should stay civil. And as of now, that's an appeal to both those who have just finished the game and are unhappy (we feel you guys, we know why you're frustrated) and to those who insult us for showing the devs that we are not just a handful.

[Lena Grozi]

What I want to know is this: this thread is titled "Yes, we are listening." So. What are you guys going to do about it? I'm not attacking anyone, I think that this is the question we all desperately want an answer to.

[Mcfly616]

I play videogames everyday....yet I haven't touched my Xbox since Monday....this was supposed to be my Favorite game of all time, in my favorite series of all time.....and it was, and it was....up until the end. I figured you know, there's always going to be "the best game in the series label" and I never had doubt that Bioware would create a great game...even if it wasn't the best, I could always go back to ME1 and cherish its unique place in the series...however, ME3 blew me away, and by the time I got to Palaven, I knew that this was by far the greatest game in the series...yet in 5 minutes they managed to ruin not only the best game in the series, but ruin the series entirely to me. My whole plan was to beat ME3 and go all the way back to ME1 and play through the whole series from start to finish(most likely making the same decisions lol) There's no point in going back...what's the point now...all the characters I get close to and become attached to, I'll always know that they are going to die and there's nothing I can do about it....can't go through sorrow of going back to see them, knowing that I'm just marching them to an inevitable death.....unless the indoc/dream theory is true(which is exactly what I believe. Imo its Biowares tell-tale plot twist)....however this whole post was writing my feelings as if the ending were to be taken at face value....which still could be true, and the ending we got is the real end...then this post would be how I feel about it

[N-Seven]

Well, it's 3:30 am here and I just finished the game, (reloaded last mission a few times to see the different endings) and have to say that I'm pretty disappointed that there are basically 3 endings that aren't affected by what you did in the rest of the game, or in the past 2 games. As far as video games go, 3 different endings isn't awful, but it's not very ambitious. It doesn't stack up to the rest of the game(s), which are frankly...amazing.

I think one of the most upsetting things is that it seems that this 'ends' the Mass Effect universe. Like most I'd like to see Shepard (my Shepard) survive, be reunited with everyone and have further adventures. But I'm probably more bothered by the finality that was brought about concerning..everything. I want to see adventures AFTER the events of ME3. New heroes, new villains, new conflicts. Spin-offs where I can take part in another story. Playing these games felt like I was starring in a recurring sci-fi show. How awesome is that?! And like your favorite sci-fi shows, you never want them to run their course and be cancelled. You want that mythology to persist and move forward.

That being said, what an awesome experience this has been playing through these games. I can't believe it's already been 5 years since ME1. Thanks Bioware.

Modifié par N-Seven, 17 mars 2012 - 08:35 .

[topher_sherman2283]

These are just some thoughts I've had and I just wanted to get them out there, sorry if they have been posted before but it is a lot to read the entire thread lol

Many posts I have read are about how people are so mad that the ending(s) destroyed the mass relays The mass relays are reaper technology. I don't think it would be right to have an ending where we kill the reapers but still get to use all of their technology. I do think that makes sense in the real world, kill the enemy and take everything they have, but not so much in ME.

This is something brought up in the series time and again; what knowledge can you gain from technology that is just given to you? It is the reason the cycle continues time and time again, every species uses the relays without understanding them and then conforms to how the reapers want life to be (stated many times in the game). It is also the entire basis for the Salarians vs. Krogans, the Krogan were given technology that they were not ready for, hence they had to be dealt with (genophage).The Asari bartender on Iilum talked about how we need to make our own relays for this same reason. Basically, I think killing the reapers but keeping the relays would be “cheap.”

Just because the "Reaper" mass relays were destroyed in the ending(s) doesn't mean "All the fleets you brought to Earth are destined to starve and die" (I’ll admit, not so good for the Normandy crew as it would take years to make new relays) And yes, many, many people would no doubt suffer. But, in fact it gives them incentive to create new and better technology and figure out how to survive. This is what actually fuels innovation today, to make something that is needed and to make something better than your competitors. The Reaper tech that built the Mass Relays just made the galaxy complacent, the Asari bartender (I apologize I don't remember her name) was right, The moment we discovered them we should have tried to deconstruct and improve upon them, which if ME was real, is most likely what would have happened, but we have to take that as fact that up until now that the galaxy just "went with it".

I'm not saying I liked the ending, I'm not saying everyone is wrong, I'm not saying I don't want a better ending. I'm simply saying in this one instance, I have a different view. The galaxy can build new relays, the Protheans did it, (see ME1 entire plot line: the conduit). Just because the relays the galaxy had blew up doesn't mean they can’t be rebuilt in some way, hell, maybe they can be built to be better (instead of system to system link all systems together simultaneously? whatever) I think that is a fundamental argument that the Mass Effect series has mad, we need to do it ourselves, we can't rely on the "old ways" or what is just given to us. I think if the ending(s) are changed, there should still be the option to destroy the relays, destroy anything and everything to do with the Reapers. We don’t need their millions of year old tech, we can do better!

And I think a major thing that might have made everyone so upset about the relays being destroyed is, we love the ME universe, without the relays, it messes everything up, the relays are destroyed the ME universe is destroyed. But I don't think it was, there is an infinite number of ways to get around it besides what I've said here (it is fiction after all). And again, this has nothing to do with the overall ending, I want everyone to Hold The Line as much as the next person, so if you want to attack me, attack my logic (which I'm sure is flawed because I’m already down a bottle of wine lol) This is just what was on my mind right now and I hope someone can take something away from it at least.

[Silveralen]

Sydeno wrote...

May I say that you shloudn't let Casey Hudson speak anymore about this game and about fan's reactions?

It could be really bad for Bioware and its crew...

... I think...

Too little too late I'd say. The damage is done, I can' imagine how they could make this worse. If someone came out and said "We made the ending terrible so you will all pay 10$ for DLC which fixes it in 3 months" I'd just be happy aobut the honesty.

How could they make it worse at this point?

[Alex-_-]

Silveralen wrote...

Sydeno wrote...

May I say that you shloudn't let Casey Hudson speak anymore about this game and about fan's reactions?

It could be really bad for Bioware and its crew...

... I think...

Too little too late I'd say. The damage is done, I can' imagine how they could make this worse. If someone came out and said "We made the ending terrible so you will all pay 10$ for DLC which fixes it in 3 months" I'd just be happy aobut the honesty.

How could they make it worse at this point?

I agree, at the moment I don't care about having to pay for it. i just want to see the ending(s) that this great series deserves

[jeweledleah]

Flyers215 wrote...

jeweledleah wrote...

James is not an LI.  even if you wanted to dump anyone for him, you woudln't be getting him. Kaidan is the only male LI for femshep you can start a romance with in ME3.  Garrus is the only ME2 LI that has proper continuation.

yet another one of the issues with ME3.

I don't consider that an issue.  Not everyone in the galaxy would want to do the no pants dance with Shepard, especially her subordinates like James.

However, I did think that James was a love interest since he's actually quite a flirt.  He makes a lot of remarks and gets surprised if you don't tell him to shut his mouth.  On my newest run, though, he's not so keen since I told him not to call me Lola.  I wouldn't want to dump Traynor for anyone except maybe Miranda, but she's not on the table.

the issue is that there's only one male LI avaialble to femshep in ME3.  and he can be dead if you want to save Ashley.  it didn't have to be James.  it could have been Joker.  or some other character.  but no.  its an issue.  it might not seem like an issue to you, but its still an issue.  straight male shepard gets at least one guaranteed female LI plus a female fling (another LI could potentialy be dead).  gay male shepard gets at least one guaranteed LI (second Li could potentialy be dead).  lesbian female shepard gets 2 guaranteed LI's plus a fling.  straight femshep gets.. no guaranteed LI's.  moreover. male shepard gets all 4 of his imported female LI's transfered over.  1 is a guaranteed suadmate, another is potential squadmate if you play your cards right.  last 2 get relatively significant cameos.  imported femshep romances?  one male LI dumps her and the other barely gets screen time before dying heroicaly.  still don't see the problem?

Samantha is great.  and Liara won me back over. but.  I like guys.  its my preference.  and I'm not the only one.  but somehow?  this particular preference, have fallen by the wayside.

[greengrunt]

Alot of the posts here have made some very good points about the ending, both its pros and cons. I find myself in the camp of disliking the ending. It doesn't conclude the series in a satisfactory manner for many of the reasons the previous posters have described. For me, it raises too many questions and answers nothing except for the fact that Shephard is no more. I would recommend that Bioware addresses the blatant ambiguity of the ending by answering some of the questions, especially the fate of the crew of the Normandy. The ending is what it is, I hated it, but this is just my opinion. And the fact that Mr. Hudson has stated that ME3 is the last adventure with Shephard and his crew, leaving us hanging with the Normandy crashed and Joker and Shephard's last squad mates (the last to have seen him) gazing off into the sunset... It just plain sucks.
What's done is done, making another ending won't cut it for me. ME3 was a great ride, but the ending was a major disappointment for me, more in its ambiguity than anything else.
At the very least I would've like to have seen Garrus and Wrex (or a perspective from the last squad mates to have seen him) observing a monument to Shephard and what he'd done to 'save' the galaxy and waxing philosophic about the consequences... Too little too late for the ending as I see it.
Making another alternate ending won't make me happier. The ending is what it is, but I don't have to like it.

Modifié par greengrunt, 17 mars 2012 - 08:46 .

[Unlimited69x]

I really hope these endings were just a form of a dream indoctrination. Why, did I invest countless hours into each game only to experience 3 endings which gave were similar, did not in any way follow my choices, and left so many plot holes? Please do not let this game end on some sort of cliff-hanger or "let it be whatever you can imagine it can be" crap. We all worked hard and have been loyal fans to the ME series. There definitely has to be a CLEAR Renegade, Paragon, and neutral ending.

As a Paragon Shepard, I was disappointed to see the "Destroy the Reapers" decision (which I believe is a Paragon choice) undo everything I have done. EDI, who I have grown to care and love is wiped out. The Geth whom I have united and created peace with the Quarians are gone. The entire Alien race is now stuck on Earth since no matter what choice, the Mass Relays were destroyed. So, sure let's say somehow the destruction of the Relays don't wipe them out. How will they survive on Earth that most likely lost 90% of its resources? Also, like in the DLC Arrival, the destruction of a Mass Relay destroys an entire solar system...So I guess Bioware is saying in the end everything died?

I feel like this is one of those moments where someone jokingly says, "everyone dies!" Is actually right. If these endings are truly meant to be, than I'm not sure if I am confident in any future games created by Bioware because I don't wish to be trolled in the end.

[Funker Shepard]

I was surprised by Casey's post. The point is, ME3 doesn't really convey that sense of hopelessness. If you've made "correct" (or consistent) choices in past games, you can pull off some absolutely amazing feats. Sure, the starting situation is grim, but by, say, curing the genophage and forming the alliance between geth and quarians, you do some absolutely amazing, epic, stuff. The game plays out like an epic, not a tragic story. And that's why the tragic ending is so jarring. It comes from a different story, one where you were doomed to fail, or not succeed completely, at the very least, from the beginning.

The point being that the ending is out of touch with the rest of the game! On a personal level, I don't feel like it's up to the quality of the rest of the game, either, but that's more subjective.

Personally, I think you should embrace the indoctrination theory posited by the fans (I believe that the ambiguousness of your ending provided this option by design) and take a page out of Bethesda's Fallout 3 playbook and give those who are unhappy with the ME3 ending (for the IMO very valid reasons I tried to describe) the option of reaching an ending that reflects the epic achievements of their Shepard. This would go a good way of reflecting the "there is no canon but what you make" rule you've had with Mass Effect so far.

[Asclepus]

I'm still not certain they are listening. I think they are stonewalling, buying time to hope and pray they make their sales figures so they can then safely ignore us. Frankly, I think we need to make it plain to them that we won't buy their products or recommend their products until they fix this monstrosity of a so called ending of theirs...for free. I paid for Mass Effect 3 based on the promises that had been made regarding the final product. As such I want the fulfillment of those promises.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it'll be a long, long time before I buy anything from Bioware again after this. Perhaps the sound of our money going somewhere else will motivate them from the listening stage to the doing stage.

[remy.p]

The entire time I played ME3, I adored it. From the moment I played the opening sequence with MY FemShep, to the moment I had my final words with Liara on Earth, I felt my heart would explode with how happy the game made me. Minor glitches aside, everything I was seeing was perfect. While I wished I could see more of all the companions from previous games, I understand it wasn't realistic to have them all fight with you again. Sad, but realistic.

And then the ending.

Choosing synthesis, because the entire game I fought for the right of ALL life to live, be it geth or rachni or krogan, I couldn't bear to destroy even one of them. And my Shepard doesn't believe in slavery, no matter the reason. I watched my Shepard jump into the light, and I sobbed hysterically. I sobbed as I watched the relays explode, I sobbed as I watched Joker run away (wait, what? Wasn't he fighting right above Earth?), I sobbed as they crash landed and Joker, EDI and Liara stepped off the ship onto a new planet, sparkling green (wait, what? Didn't I bring Liara with me on the final mission? Wouldn't she have been there on the final charge to the transporter beam? Wasn't EDI down there as well? I remember talking with her right before I went to go fight Reaper forces, so how the heck did they both end up back on Normandy?) I sobbed as the credits rolled. I sobbed as I watched some old man talk to his kid about "The Shepard" on a planet that wasn't Earth.

Then I got pissed (while still sobbing). Because, really? This is all a Princess Bride moment? Some story told to a kid about the stars? Shepard's the "savior" and it gets all religious?

Wait, what the hell was up with the Catalyst being some stupid machine mind/god figure?

WHAT THE HELL?!?

I felt gypped. I felt like I was being treated like a child, and I felt that every single choice I made up to that point meant nothing. I got no closure on what happened to the rest of my team, both the ones from ME3 and all the ones I said goodbye to from ME2. Where was their fight? Where was their victory/defeat? What happened to them?!

What the hell happened to Liara?! I mean, I gave her everything throughout three games, and she abandons me to go off with Joker and EDI? Not in her makeup anymore than it is in my Shepard's. Hell, it's not in any of my companions' makeup. They all have proven time and again that they'd die for my Shepard, and to just cut and run isn't like them. Maybe, if there'd been a scene right beforehand where Shepard talks to Joker and says, "Look, if we lose, I want you to grab everyone you can and make a run for it. Find some abandoned world and live to fight another day. In another 50k years we'll be so far advanced there's no way we couldn't take the Reapers down." Then maybe I could've dealt. But there was nothing.

(Incidentally, why isn't it an option, once the Catalyst says it's the Citadel and it controls the Reapers, doesn't Shepard get on the horn with Adm Hackett and tell him to blow the Citadel sky high? It's wide open as a flower, and with the combined efforts of the fleet they could do it. It'd be a death my Shepard could be proud of, and the Reapers would no longer have a master.)

The worst part? I have three more ME2 playthroughs waiting for me to import into ME3, and I just can't find it in me to do it. I have no desire to go through that emotional wringer again, just to get the same three choices that boil down, essentially, to the same ending. I have no desire to sweat blood and tears trying to win back Earth, knowing in the end it all boils down to a story told to some kid in the future. Knowing that no matter what, I won't see what happens to my darling Liara, who is the only true Love Interest this game has ever given me, the only one that makes sense, the only one I believe is right and true the entire time. No doubts, just love and loyalty and a promise to be together forever.

I'm crying again. I'm so disappointed, so upset, so depressed with the way this ended. I'm not even angry anymore. I just don't want to feel like you all at BioWare broke my heart.

But you did.

[Senario]

I'll try to be civil despite my anger, frustration, and just general questions of "Why?" about the ending. The endings we got did not seem to take into account many of the main decisions we made throughout the game. There is no closure after the endings with the Starchild either. At best the consequences for blowing up the mass relays is severe. At worst it means extinction.

It really is saddening to see a game series I liked so much, become a game series I could not play again because no decisions mattered. In my opinion there should have been more endings that didn't deal with the starchild. One where Shepard lives and is your typical "disney" or happy ending maybe incorporating your LI (possibly only high EMS), One where Shepard dies and the reapers are dead, and one where you lose to the reapers. Just make it so our choices mattered.

There are other small things I am annoyed at but nothing serious, Tali's photoshop pic with the bad hand editing (theres a space between those fingers..though if you fixed that I would have been fine with the picture), the downgraded journal compared to ME2, all the fetch quests with no landing on a planet. But I forgave these because of the rest of the game was great until the ending. Please Bioware do something. I really do want to play the game a second time, but as is I can't.

[xxskyshadowxx]

topher_sherman2283 wrote...

Just because the "Reaper" mass relays were destroyed in the ending(s) doesn't mean "All the fleets you brought to Earth are destined to starve and die" (I’ll admit, not so good for the Normandy crew as it would take years to make new relays) And yes, many, many people would no doubt suffer. But, in fact it gives them incentive to create new and better technology and figure out how to survive. This is what actually fuels innovation today, to make something that is needed and to make something better than your competitors. The Reaper tech that built the Mass Relays just made the galaxy complacent, the Asari bartender (I apologize I don't remember her name) was right, The moment we discovered them we should have tried to deconstruct and improve upon them, which if ME was real, is most likely what would have happened, but we have to take that as fact that up until now that the galaxy just "went with it".

The problem that I think folks are focusing on is that earth can't sustain all those millions of people, and some races can't eat the food on earth...so they are stuck with the limited supplies on the ships they have, and so they don't have the time it would take to remake the relays and survive. The real problem (if you see it as a problem that is...some players and indeed the developers like this scenario) however, is destroying the relays destroys the galaxy, so the Cycle basically ends anyway and it's up to the next Cycle to accomplish rebuilding the relays (if they choose to) and avoid the chaos caused by Organics creating/overutilizing synthetics....and they have a much better chance than in Shepard's cycle, because of Liara's project.

[Devils-DIVISION]

All of it... Except the end!
That is all you need to know! Stop wasting time with the benign PR routine! Don't ask questions and expect answers if you're not answering ours. I think I need to be upfront with you people from now on, especially after Hudson's remarkably vague response today!