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[Riddledim]

Leem_0001 wrote...

Anyone at Bioware - could we ask for a little more discussion? A little more transparency from your side, and we calm down and keep things civil?

I think one of the reasons for the anger, justified or (probably) not, is that when we do give constructive crtisism, it is ignored completely in statements and twisted into something else.

Could you maybe give us feedback on some of the specific points we have raised please? Such as lack of choice, lack of variet in endings, lack of previous decisions counting in the ending, huge gaps in logic and lore, introduction of such a major plot device (star child) right at the end?

It is not a case of us 'wanting to say goodbye to our stories', we feel like we did not get what was advertised to us. What was promised.

Could we ask, respectfully, that Bioware give us some feedback on this constructive crticism?

Thanks

One of the most important posts thus far! This is exactly what we need! Feedback on our feedback! Two-way communication!

[Lordambitious]

 

[uke2se]

Thought a bit more on the ending, and here's what I'd want. I'd buy everything up to the Crucible giving you the three choices. There are some problems, but the acting and emotion was so good, I wouldn't want to skip those parts. However, when the three choices are presented, I didn't recognize Shepard. Shepard wouldn't settle. She wouldn't just give in. Sure, she's tired and she's worked so hard, but she'd find a way... the fourth option.

Wounded, Shepard takes on the Crucible in a climactic battle of wits. The outcome determines if the galaxy survives in any recognizable form or not. Bioware gets their bleak endings as a possibility, and they get to finish their point about the evolution of life. The rest of us gets our Shepard at the moment of his or her greatest achievment, and we get to close the story in a way that lets us get closure.

Simple DLC.

[Jere85]

Id like to thank Bioware for their decision to help us, fans may still be worried about the vagueness of the posts you made, but you took the steps for the fans, and that alone is worth alot, Thank you.

[dreigiau]

Paulomedi wrote...

Fero1984 wrote...

 Dear Casey,
Dear Mass Effect Team,
Dear fellow Mass Effect players,


First things first: There is no interest in this letter to cause you, or your employees and fellow colleagues at the Mass Effect Team, any harm. Quite honestly, I'm deeply grateful that you delivered to us, your fans and out most importantly, your customers, such a great piece of entertainment. Because Mass Effect, and I include in this phrase all three games, is exactly that; a great piece of modern entertainment. It was a cinematic movie, a fantastic novel; we all have been able to be part of in many means. It might be that it is the direction sign for future participating entertainment. And I really had to raise myself to get going writing this letter.


But before I go into what I want to say, some words on why I had to raise myself. I'm not actually the type of human being stomping in the first line onto something. I tend to make my mind up before I get to the point where I'll take my move. Especially if the topic is something that has had a pretty big impact on me - and again to be quite frank, the last minutes of Mass Effect 3 had quite an impact on me.
So before I boarded the other ships, which rode the wave of critics, frustration, feedback and demand, I made my mind up. I followed the news; I read the social discussions, analysis and pretty most everything else. I discussed with many people about their experience, among them close friends, family, but complete strangers as well. I tried to understand what outraged or disappointed my fellow Mass Effect 3 players. And I tried to understand what might have happened. I didn't want to be part of any discussions and guessing about what you might have had in mind or what might is there to come - which was obviously difficult. And I won't.


This is what you have finished after 5 years of writing and project management and surely 2-3 years of coding. And finally this is what you have shipped and sold. So, this is the ending you wanted the community, and let's face it, you have created with Mass Effect a huge, faithful community of people around the world from what ever descent, to experience. There is no need or outcome of discussing possibilities and reasons, unless we, as a community, would get any hint from you.


I think there are a lot of messages, posts, videos, pictures, and what kind of input, for feedback out there which will easily explain, what the community felt was 'wrong' with the ending, and what their feelings have been. So I don't need to wrap all this up, and I don't feel that my word is needed there.
But I feel that it was about time, that someone would address something different about the endings which we were able to see.


Let's face it, from a business point of view, the endings, maybe changed or not in the future, won't matter. The copies are sold, and the copies will still be sold in the future. And quite sure it won't change that we will buy a new BioWare product in the future. It might not even change that we'll buy the DLC, you might provide in the month to come. And, last but not least, it won't stop people play the Multiplayer of ME3.
But we're all facing a different world in the business of game development. In the past, the Studios and Publishers created something, and where then about to sell it. With success or not. There have been analyses of the market and the possible customers. Age, descent, income, access to media, culture, selling figures of other products etc., etc. On the basis of all this information, games have been created and sold. And it worked quite well.


Now, you're about to experience that this is going to be the past. What you actually are realising is that there are not just customers which you can analysis with this market data. By now it's quite easy to see how the different products on the market are going to move into more or less the same directions. You could name casual gaming, you could name ego shooter, you could name action cinematic game play, you could name simulation. Examples are there en mass: Racing games are offering surprisingly a lot of customisation of cars and differ only in race and arcade or street racing and race tracks; Sports games are getting a lot more into the role of buying/selling players, developing simulation a side the real sports part of the game; Ego Shooters are basically all providing a cover system, weapon customisation, close combat, group command system, etc. etc.
I think you get what I mean.


Don't get me wrong, this happens because all this things have been good and fun ideas for the players. But there is a small difference between a product which is sold regularly which fit's in one of this areas and it's finished. Even if we talk about a series of a game, players normally experience a new story or setting, it's all about the mechanism and the graphical improvements, as long as the story/theme fit's. That is not much magic: The Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, Need for Speed, Madden NFL, etc.
But then we've a game which is called Mass Effect. A game that call's it self somehow RPG, but is actually a lot more then just a RPG. It's an adventure, is a interactive story, where it's about choices of the customer. You have invested a lot of money and time, which means even more money, to give your customers - and I'll refer from now on to the Mass Effect players only as customers - this understanding of the game. You fostered that it was their choice, which the game is all about - you proofed that for BioWare it's about storytelling, about dialogs, about characters. Not about the best combat movement, or about the best RPG stats, or about the best space combat simulation, or even about the best mini games. And that's what the customer bought.


And they have bought this gratefully and with pleasure. Looking forward for more. But what you did with this approach as well is, and you might have done this in the history of gaming really for the first time, you generated something else on the side of your customers, aside from just the will to buy and go on with the story. You generated requirements.


Let's face it, when you are creating a product, you have different requirements: from the finance department, from the strategy department, from the technology department, from HR, from the management, you have your own requirements, your own goal and so forth. And all this is influencing your project/product, because you have to fulfil these requirements, or you will not deliver anything. I understand that - and I'm not questioning, who had what influence at what point.
But, what I want to point out is on the other side of all this, you have the requirements from the customer: he will have 'need to haves', he will have 'wants to have' and he has 'delighters'. And clearly not every requirement is visible, and as within every project or product development, you can miss one. You can misinterpret. No offense if this happens. It happens everywhere.


My point is: your customers are sensing that you just missed their requirement. And they are asking themselves, why.
It's obvious that there is quite a big movement at the moment, and that we can not see, or at least I cannot see, how many of all the customers are really feeling upset, because of a not kept requirement. But there is a movement, and in most other sectors of business, this would have led to a lot of refunding. Up to now, we don't have this kind of relationship between producer and customer in the sector of entertainment. Or not to the extend like in the electronic market for example, as it's obviously more difficult to draw a line between promised matter of subject and delivered matter of subject in entertainment.


But this might have changed with Mass Effect, and the requirement which has formed itself on the side of the customer.
This requirement is quite simple as well. "It's about the choices of the customers." The outmost of the customers, as far as I have followed the movement, just want a ending, wants last 15 minutes of game play which stay to what they wanted to buy. The cinematic, participating story. I don't say that the ending is terrible, honestly it's quite brave, but and that is the point where it might have been broken between you and your customers, and what have made them so upset:


It had been told in the media, that this is the ending you have wanted. And thereby I mean the Mass Effect team. This is to a specific point your right, as long as we're talking about art. Now, we're not talking art. We're talking business.
Your customers have a requirement, and this requirement, has not been delivered. 


They had the requirement, that at the end of 5 years, of an invest of a three numbered amount of money, of many hours of game play, of merchandise and so forth: The ending would deliver what has been the leading light through whole of the trilogy. It's about our choices, not about the last choice, about the choices we made in the past. How do they impact the galaxy after the last bittersweet choice. It was about to be our ending.


What you are getting by now, is feedback. Honest feedback of a faithful community, which sticks to you and still believes in you. You are not doomed to recall or refund your product, like you would have been in most other sectors.
And overall of this, your customers are supporting you in finding a way to give them what they have wanted and expected from your product. What they have expected from your quality. What they have expected from your abilities to entertain them on a new level.


I'm not kindly ask you to please deliver a DLC with an improved ending, not to deliver optimisation, nor to give us ME4 – even if I think that a legion of people would really appreciate it, which would include me.
What I would like to kindly ask you, plain and simple, is to go on with developing games and be innovative, but to take better care of the requirements your customers have in the future. 


I'd like to close this letter with a quote from Charly Wilson, due to its quite fitting and still honours what you all have performed:


„These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world… and then we ****ed up the end game.“




With the best regards and yours sincerely,


Thomas

I would snip it, but this is the best summarization of all that's being said everywhere. I honestly think this should be transformed in a written letter and sent to Bioware.

I'll second that. :happy:

[zombiehat8r]

Everything about mass effect 3 was amazing. Course the ending was.... well we all know. But what really got me completely and emotionally involved in the game and what made the hours and hours i've spent on the other 2 games was the part where shepard and garrus fly to the bridge on the citadel and they just hang out with some drinks and shooting their rifles at **** as best buddies do. Garrus has been my favorite character in the series and to get this kind of fan treatment, even if it was only for a good 5-10mins was just so fulfilling to me. Thank you Bioware. Now fix the ending

[DuncanId]

BrotherFluffy wrote...
5.  NO "GOOD" ENDING OPTIONS-Yes, I want an option for a "happy" ending.  Look, I'm not talking victory parade, giant speeches happy.  But I'd like an ending in which I don't doom the entire galaxy to the dark ages.  An ending where Shepard can shut down the Reapers(maybe, by say, convincing the Catalyst to turn them off.  He DOES control them), and survive to live another day.  I know that people keep saying "This isn't going to be a rainbows and unicorns type game," and the game makes it VERY clear from the beginning that it isn't.  I don't think it would be too hard to imagine a ray of hope at the end.  

Agreed, but I would like to add that even a "complete victory" ending could be bittersweet. Just remember those ho died to make that ending possible. All that would be possible because Legion and Mordin died, among many others.

[Ryryk]

I just wrote something on your Facebook page. I'll post that here, too


RE: Ray's message (contains spoilers!)

Hey there guys!
Probably you won't read this, but I read Ray's message and just wanted to tell you, that there are also fans, who like what you did with ME3. While there are a few minimal things that bothered me (like the missing Krogan squad member ;D), the whole game was just awesome. From the beginning until the end I had much fun with the story, the returning characters and of course, the impact of some decisions from ME1 and ME2.

While I can't understand, why everyone is hating about the whole game because of the ending now, there are some parts that were strange.
I have to admit, the ending lacks the typical Mass Effect moments, because the result is, in all choices, the same. I can live with that, I actually really much like the synthesis version.
But I think it was, kind of, depressing that using the Crucible will destroy the mass relays (which causes to wipe out all life in those systems, as seen in Arrival). Makes you feel that everything you did from ME1 to ME3 was for nothing. I had hoped to hear news from Mordin - and I mean Wrex son

My thoughts to the ending were, that Shepards last decision could have been a dream or near death experience. If I add the final words from the stargazer to my thoughts I hoped that you wanted to release a real addon. I'd appreciate that.
Though I think that releasing a new ending in a DLC would make everything worse. But that's up to you, I am satisfied with the game

Anyway, I just wanted to send out some criticism and thougts. The overall game was close to perfect and belongs to the best games I own. So keep your heads up guys and keep up the good work

-- Pingu

[Jobasha]

sorry, wrong post

Modifié par Jobasha, 21 mars 2012 - 11:01 .

[Tessa09]

This is my first post ever in this forum. I've been playing BioWare games for about 5 years now, and lurking here for nearly as long, and the "need for more data" was a call I felt I had to answer. So here are my thoughts, in summary.

The series is fantastic. ME3 is fantastic. Yes, there are little things I would have liked to have seen. I miss, like many, the vehicle missions. I wonder why the Rachni subplot kind of just simmered away to nothing at the end. I think the mass relay explosions suddenly no longer causing supernova is an oversight.

But these were by no means game ruiners for me. They were vastly outshown by the entire cure the genophage plotline, the new baddies like marauders, brutes, and banshees, and the extraordinarily open-feeling universe. You guys are great. You created a universe that you clearly loved, and populated with characters that never ceased to entertain. Bravo.

That being said, I must join in with so many others who have expressed displeasure with the endings. Approximately halfway through the starchild scene, I have to admit, I dropped a few "Wait, what the [derp]'s?" I didn't understand who this kid was, what he was, or what he was explaining to me. I reloaded a save and listened to him again, and still thought I must not get it. I mean, it seemed like all three choices were terrible and essentially boiled down to "The galaxy is irreparably screwed up but hey, no Reapers, maybe, for a while." So I picked the middle choice. Not because I liked it in particular, but because it was in the middle. Yeah, it was in the middle. During the Cure the Genophage mission, I AGONIZED over my choice. Every time someone said "What's wrong Shepard?" I sat there and sweated and had this internal debate over my response. But the final choice of the game? I shrugged and picked middle.

What I wanted was to ask the Starchild to explain his rationale, to explain what he was and why he looked like a dead kid. Or maybe at least shoot him for screwing up my galaxy. But I couldn't do that, and I still don't know anything about him. I can't fathom why he was even thrown in there. We didn't need a mystery tossed in five minutes before the credits. It seems, in retrospect, almost lazy to have included him at all. Like no one could agree on how to make the ending totes epic, or come up with a gratifying way to summarize the Reapers, so they just settled on a mysterious god figure who had been pulling the strings all along. It didn't feel epic or mind-blowing. It felt cheap.

Following my middle choice, I was treated to seeing a pretty cutscene of the final seconds of the battle. I thought, huzzah, finally I will see these war assets start kicking butt or something! Nope. In fact, I'm still not sure what purpose the war assets even served. Of course, at the conclusion, my squad appears on some apparently unpopulated planet, somewhere, again with no explanation.

So I reloaded, decided to go with the red choice. I figured this would be a good and gut-wrenching choice. Joker loses EDI, the Geth that I worked my buns off trying to secure peace for all blowing up, what a terrifically tragic ending! No, it's... the same ending. How are green and red endings, although both crappy outcomes, resulting in the same basic scene? They have radically different potential repercussions, I would think. I felt like, if BioWare wasn't going to invest in radically differing final scenes, why not just invest in one absolutely extensive and extraordinary ending? Why give three near-identical scenes? What's the point of even choosing then?

Essentially, I found the ending anti-climactic, lacking in closure, and feeling thrown together at the last minute. The cutscenes were cut and pasted. We never saw how our actions, even our last choice, changed anything. We never knew how the rest of the cast fared. We were left with a hundred questions about the starchild, a character who apparently was the most central character to the whole series, but we never even knew existed until a hot minute before we blew up our own solar system. BioWare can do better. That's a fact illustrated in this very game. And I want to see the resolution I KNOW this team can create.

[CronosVengence]

  You want constructive, and not destructive. And so I will try and do my best. 

The series as a whole, is absolutely amazing. While I really wish some characters had more time spent on them, and others I could have done with less, I think all in all, you have done an amazing job with making these fictional characters seem three dimensional. Tali, my series favorite obviously, started with the overly sweet exterior, but as the series grew you see a "religious" hate inside. It gave her real world depth. Then, based on my choices you slowly begin to melt away that hate with reason, with a hint of understanding and kindness. 


It was moments like these that gave me so much hope for the third in the series. And you know what, you did fulfill that hope and then some. The emotional ride you crafted was amazing. Even though I hated to see Mordin's death, I understood. It was acceptable. It made sense. And it was emotional for all the right reasons. I liked Mordin, I wanted Mordin to live...but he NEEDED to fix it for himself, and died trying to save an entire race. And better yet, I knew that choices such as these were part of the cake's layers, based on the first Mass Effect Ashley/Kaiden decision. Based on two games of the series, I was expecting more of the same; Endings that ranged from losing almost everyone based on choices, to being able to do everything right for the ultimate ending where you are able to save everyone you were emotionally invested in if they had lived up until that point.
I don't honestly mind the three "basic" endings...as many multiple endings were never a series staple. But I am going to be honest here, despite what some would like to say or label me, I did want a "happy ultimate ending" if I worked hard enough. If I made sure to do the extra work to save everyone's interests from first game on. I expected it based on the experience from the first two games. I don't want to sound demanding, as I don't DEMAND a new ending, but there was expectations. And when those are shattered, when I see two of the characters I have enjoyed the most, Tali and Garrus, stranded on a planet where their special needs are likely not met due to a lack of evidence to the otherwise. I absolutely feel as though eveything I have done, the countless playthroughs to get everything perfect in each stage of the story...was usless. I could have done nothing, and their ending would not have changed...death. In the mass effect series, I always had a choice most of the time, one character or another...or just have enough work put into the paragon system. With the exception of Thane, but we all knew he was doomed from the start, so I could accept his heroic end. But nothing I do, from start to finish will save them (Tali and Garrus). Shepards death I can deal with, because as i see it, it is a choice between my happiness (as Shepard) or EDI and Jokers. I can make a choice, I can decide. Though, addmittedly, I still want the Mega good ending. 


And I also understand the want to be artistic. I do, and I do believe games have every right to be concidered that way. But artistic does not always make people enjoy the experience. There is a reason that indie films are rarely seen outside film festivals and Micheal Bay grosses 1.5 billion dollars. NOT that I am comparing the Mass Effect Series to a Micheal Bay film. I am just saying, that there is a price to trying to be overly artisitc, expecially when you start alienating a extremely strong and successful fan base. It is an balencing act. You did so succesfully through most of the game, even when you forced us to have one of our beloved characters die...we loved the experience. It added to the atmosphere, it made you wonder who could be next. And made you emotionally invested in the experience. That is spectacular story telling. I still remember telling friends and family about Mass Effect 1, and how it was so much better than any movie, because of the depth of the Universe the story telling and the fact that I was part of it. I felt like everyone should experience this, and if you don't...your missing out on an amazing part of life. I felt that way about ME3, up until the end. 


I am now, unfortunately, a doubting Thomas. On the next Dragon Age or future installment of the Mass Effect Universe. I will have to read or see proof that the next has a ending that is worthwhile, before I jump. 


But, I don't want to only be here for negative things, Up until the you know what, I absolutely had an amazing time with the series and especially ME3 after the "training" section and before the ending. Powers had become perfected and enjoyable to use. Characters still were created with enough care to make them feel real. And the guns had good variety to add to the enjoyment of the shooting sections. I still miss the interactions with less important characters for side missions and extra parts in main story lines that ME 1 had. Talking to the Volus and Elcor and Hannar was always an enjoyment of mine...but, I could see that some wouldn't like it and why it would be taken down a notch. But all in all, the game was really well done and really showed how much you had learned and grown with the series. Even if you choose to not change the ending, which would be dissappointing to me personally, I still look foward to seeing what you can accomplish in the future. Just will not be doing pre-orders for a long while...or possibly ever. 


To finally end this extremely long message, I hope you will throw a bone to those of us who would like a "extra" good ending. I am not asking you to change anything about your ending, your art, your love...just throw some DLC, which I will be happy to pay for, with a alternate ending for those of us who would find it completes the stories we long for. To have my male Shepard standing beside an unmasked Tali on her homeworld would be AWESOME...although not realalistic, understandably. I would settle for just enough of an add-on that I could believe that the scene could happen...and would. Hell, I would settle for just Shepard standing up and saying, "time to go find my crew" and fade to black. And, I kow that if you had plans for future Mass Effect Universe games this could mess up your plans...just a disaclaimer that says that chosing the "extra" choice, at the end when you choose which path to take, from the DLC...that the save will not be tranferable or will not provide an accurate ending to the beginning or the other content (DLC). I personally could deal with that. 


Thanks for the experience, the countless hours of fun, tears, and smiles that you have provided. I didn't like your ending, but that does not mean I don't like you. I am still a fan.

Modifié par CronosVengence, 21 mars 2012 - 11:03 .

[Riddledim]

Modifié par Riddledim, 21 mars 2012 - 11:04 .

[Riddledim]

Paulomedi wrote...

Fero1984 wrote...

 Dear Casey,
Dear Mass Effect Team,
Dear fellow Mass Effect players,


First things first: There is no interest in this letter to cause you, or your employees and fellow colleagues at the Mass Effect Team, any harm. Quite honestly, I'm deeply grateful that you delivered to us, your fans and out most importantly, your customers, such a great piece of entertainment. Because Mass Effect, and I include in this phrase all three games, is exactly that; a great piece of modern entertainment. It was a cinematic movie, a fantastic novel; we all have been able to be part of in many means. It might be that it is the direction sign for future participating entertainment. And I really had to raise myself to get going writing this letter.


But before I go into what I want to say, some words on why I had to raise myself. I'm not actually the type of human being stomping in the first line onto something. I tend to make my mind up before I get to the point where I'll take my move. Especially if the topic is something that has had a pretty big impact on me - and again to be quite frank, the last minutes of Mass Effect 3 had quite an impact on me.
So before I boarded the other ships, which rode the wave of critics, frustration, feedback and demand, I made my mind up. I followed the news; I read the social discussions, analysis and pretty most everything else. I discussed with many people about their experience, among them close friends, family, but complete strangers as well. I tried to understand what outraged or disappointed my fellow Mass Effect 3 players. And I tried to understand what might have happened. I didn't want to be part of any discussions and guessing about what you might have had in mind or what might is there to come - which was obviously difficult. And I won't.


This is what you have finished after 5 years of writing and project management and surely 2-3 years of coding. And finally this is what you have shipped and sold. So, this is the ending you wanted the community, and let's face it, you have created with Mass Effect a huge, faithful community of people around the world from what ever descent, to experience. There is no need or outcome of discussing possibilities and reasons, unless we, as a community, would get any hint from you.


I think there are a lot of messages, posts, videos, pictures, and what kind of input, for feedback out there which will easily explain, what the community felt was 'wrong' with the ending, and what their feelings have been. So I don't need to wrap all this up, and I don't feel that my word is needed there.
But I feel that it was about time, that someone would address something different about the endings which we were able to see.


Let's face it, from a business point of view, the endings, maybe changed or not in the future, won't matter. The copies are sold, and the copies will still be sold in the future. And quite sure it won't change that we will buy a new BioWare product in the future. It might not even change that we'll buy the DLC, you might provide in the month to come. And, last but not least, it won't stop people play the Multiplayer of ME3.
But we're all facing a different world in the business of game development. In the past, the Studios and Publishers created something, and where then about to sell it. With success or not. There have been analyses of the market and the possible customers. Age, descent, income, access to media, culture, selling figures of other products etc., etc. On the basis of all this information, games have been created and sold. And it worked quite well.


Now, you're about to experience that this is going to be the past. What you actually are realising is that there are not just customers which you can analysis with this market data. By now it's quite easy to see how the different products on the market are going to move into more or less the same directions. You could name casual gaming, you could name ego shooter, you could name action cinematic game play, you could name simulation. Examples are there en mass: Racing games are offering surprisingly a lot of customisation of cars and differ only in race and arcade or street racing and race tracks; Sports games are getting a lot more into the role of buying/selling players, developing simulation a side the real sports part of the game; Ego Shooters are basically all providing a cover system, weapon customisation, close combat, group command system, etc. etc.
I think you get what I mean.


Don't get me wrong, this happens because all this things have been good and fun ideas for the players. But there is a small difference between a product which is sold regularly which fit's in one of this areas and it's finished. Even if we talk about a series of a game, players normally experience a new story or setting, it's all about the mechanism and the graphical improvements, as long as the story/theme fit's. That is not much magic: The Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, Need for Speed, Madden NFL, etc.
But then we've a game which is called Mass Effect. A game that call's it self somehow RPG, but is actually a lot more then just a RPG. It's an adventure, is a interactive story, where it's about choices of the customer. You have invested a lot of money and time, which means even more money, to give your customers - and I'll refer from now on to the Mass Effect players only as customers - this understanding of the game. You fostered that it was their choice, which the game is all about - you proofed that for BioWare it's about storytelling, about dialogs, about characters. Not about the best combat movement, or about the best RPG stats, or about the best space combat simulation, or even about the best mini games. And that's what the customer bought.


And they have bought this gratefully and with pleasure. Looking forward for more. But what you did with this approach as well is, and you might have done this in the history of gaming really for the first time, you generated something else on the side of your customers, aside from just the will to buy and go on with the story. You generated requirements.


Let's face it, when you are creating a product, you have different requirements: from the finance department, from the strategy department, from the technology department, from HR, from the management, you have your own requirements, your own goal and so forth. And all this is influencing your project/product, because you have to fulfil these requirements, or you will not deliver anything. I understand that - and I'm not questioning, who had what influence at what point.
But, what I want to point out is on the other side of all this, you have the requirements from the customer: he will have 'need to haves', he will have 'wants to have' and he has 'delighters'. And clearly not every requirement is visible, and as within every project or product development, you can miss one. You can misinterpret. No offense if this happens. It happens everywhere.


My point is: your customers are sensing that you just missed their requirement. And they are asking themselves, why.
It's obvious that there is quite a big movement at the moment, and that we can not see, or at least I cannot see, how many of all the customers are really feeling upset, because of a not kept requirement. But there is a movement, and in most other sectors of business, this would have led to a lot of refunding. Up to now, we don't have this kind of relationship between producer and customer in the sector of entertainment. Or not to the extend like in the electronic market for example, as it's obviously more difficult to draw a line between promised matter of subject and delivered matter of subject in entertainment.


But this might have changed with Mass Effect, and the requirement which has formed itself on the side of the customer.
This requirement is quite simple as well. "It's about the choices of the customers." The outmost of the customers, as far as I have followed the movement, just want a ending, wants last 15 minutes of game play which stay to what they wanted to buy. The cinematic, participating story. I don't say that the ending is terrible, honestly it's quite brave, but and that is the point where it might have been broken between you and your customers, and what have made them so upset:


It had been told in the media, that this is the ending you have wanted. And thereby I mean the Mass Effect team. This is to a specific point your right, as long as we're talking about art. Now, we're not talking art. We're talking business.
Your customers have a requirement, and this requirement, has not been delivered. 


They had the requirement, that at the end of 5 years, of an invest of a three numbered amount of money, of many hours of game play, of merchandise and so forth: The ending would deliver what has been the leading light through whole of the trilogy. It's about our choices, not about the last choice, about the choices we made in the past. How do they impact the galaxy after the last bittersweet choice. It was about to be our ending.


What you are getting by now, is feedback. Honest feedback of a faithful community, which sticks to you and still believes in you. You are not doomed to recall or refund your product, like you would have been in most other sectors.
And overall of this, your customers are supporting you in finding a way to give them what they have wanted and expected from your product. What they have expected from your quality. What they have expected from your abilities to entertain them on a new level.


I'm not kindly ask you to please deliver a DLC with an improved ending, not to deliver optimisation, nor to give us ME4 – even if I think that a legion of people would really appreciate it, which would include me.
What I would like to kindly ask you, plain and simple, is to go on with developing games and be innovative, but to take better care of the requirements your customers have in the future. 


I'd like to close this letter with a quote from Charly Wilson, due to its quite fitting and still honours what you all have performed:


„These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world… and then we ****ed up the end game.“




With the best regards and yours sincerely,


Thomas

I would snip it, but this is the best summarization of all that's being said everywhere. I honestly think this should be transformed in a written letter and sent to Bioware.

Also one of the most important posts on the forum. But we also need feedback from BioWare on our feedback to them.

What's going on inside the castle?

Modifié par Riddledim, 21 mars 2012 - 11:06 .

[Chasimo]

 I know that alot of what I'm about to say has already been said before, but after reading what Dr. Rat Muzyka wrote on the blog(urging us to write construktive criticism) I desided to put my vote in here.

First of, I'll start by saying I've loved playing through ME3, the emotions involved was extreme, an absolute masterpiece. Wouldn't know where to start if asked to say which parts where my favorits:D, even finished it twice so far, and may even finish more times even if the "ending" isn't addressed. (And yes I'm gonna keep calling it "ending" since I don't belive the real ending has been revealed yet).

The first time I finished it, it just fealt wrong when I came to the citadel part, and after being presented with the starchild, I just sat there dumb struck for 15'ish min. until I got the text "Mission failed, the crucible was destroid"(or something like that). I simply couldn't belive what had just happend, sitting and thinking this just can't be how it ends....after then loading and half in bewilderment walking to the destroy ending, I watched the ending cinematics(and yes cinematicS since after seeing the destroy ending I had to see if I had choosen wrong so played the hole citadel over again.....grrrrr no fast skipping in the dialogs.....and watched the other 2 only to see there was no big diff's in them) After that I had 2-3 days where I was fealing down.
But as I started thinking more about it the "ending" was so full of wierd inconsistensies, that the same company that had made the first 95% of the game so rich on details couldn't possibly have made this many mistakes if not on purpes:

1) How is it that when running down to get hit by Harbinger u have ur armor of choise on, but when u wake up u have a burned version of a standard N7 armor on?
2) How is it that all of a sudden u have found a gun that has unlimited ammo(I've tried stand and shooting the dahm thing for 5+ min strait and never runs out) when all the rest of the game we have had no 1 weapon that had anything like that?
3) When u first enter the Citadel, u start talking with Anderson who tells u he jumped into the beam right after u, yet he was no where to be seen on the ground before entering?
4) Staing on the topic of Anderson, he end up in a nother location as u(wierd but guess that could happen), he starts walking ahead of u and finds a terminal, but the room he is in when u see him standing at a terminal, only has one entrains which is the one u come from, which only leads back to the room u start out in, so there isn't really any way he could have gotten there without passing by u, which he doesn't.
5) The starchild tells u he is the one controling the Reapers, why did the Reapers then need Sovereign to aktivate the Citadel relay if the starchild is the citadel?
6) In the cinematic after choosing a color, u see Joker running away in the Normandy, which seems very out of character for Joker, only to see all of your crew that was in London all of a sudden are onboard the Normandy, which would mean that they all left u there for dead, in the middle of a giant spacebattle, to try and run away from the Reapers....which again is very out of character for them or else they would have run away a long time ago(mission to Ilos in ME1, mission to the Collector bace in ME2, Earth ME3 just to name a few...)

That was what I could think of right now.
But as I said I loved the first 95% of the game, and looking forward to the last 5% to come out so we can all get the real ending(heres to hoping atleast:P)

PS: Sorry for the wall of text, kinda hard stoping again once I got started

Modifié par Chasimo, 21 mars 2012 - 11:08 .

[kimuji]

I'll try to synthesize my feelings about what went wrong with ME3 ending.

But first, what went good: almost everything in the 3 games, these are an impressive piece of work. Incredible experience, countless hours of fun and wonder, enthralling universe, interesting meditation themes, sublte humor and earthy dialogues. I don't know if the comparison is appropriate but David Cage, Heavy Rain's creator, has been bragging so much on how much his game was the biggest step into the gamer's emotional involvement, but he was wrong, you Bioware guys beat him at that with the Mass Effect franchise. I'm 32, I've been into video games since my  early childhood and this is one of the most outstanding gaming experience I've ever had. What he did with Heavy Rain you did it ten fold and even more. And just for that you deserve our most sincere and grateful thanks.


Now to the subject. First I remember the first meeting with a Reaper in the game, Sovereign on Virmire. That was grand:  "We have no end and no begining", "I am beyond your comprehension", "you touch my mind incapable of understanding", "we simply are", "we are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution and existence", "before us your extinction is inevitable we are the end of everything", "you exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it". That was Epic, that was grand!! I had really the feeling to meet something huge, an overwhelming entity. One of the best moments in the whole Mass Effect adventure. And nothing in what Sovereign says means that they are only a mean that someone or something thought of to solve the organics extinction, this is quite the contrary in fact, he presents himself as the dominant species, the "pinnacle" of all evolution, they see themselves as gods, not tools to acheive a specific end and certainly not serving the organics' interests.

The "child" we meet in ME3 says something totally different, he says the reapers are a simple creation in order to solve a problem, a problem that isn't all beyond our comprehension, a very simple idea : they are here to prevent  the organics extinction caused by the synthetics. And well... that is not epic at all, to say the least. He is supposed to be the superior entity behind the mighty Reapers, and truely we can't see him as such. What he says is simple, and worse than that, what he says are simplifications and tautologies when Sovereign was actually making Shepard feel small. And that brings me to one of my major complaint regarding the end: the "child" isn't charismatic, he is not consistent regarding what Sovereign says, and more than that the "child's" logic far form beyond our compehension is flawed and poor. I'll explain why:

- he presents the Reapers as simple machines designed to periodically "reset" organic civilization for their own survival, which is incompatible with what Sovereign says.
- he says that they are preventing organic life's inevitable extinction, but he has no proof of that, because if that  truely  happened once in the past the galaxy would be empty of all organics. And even if those supposed wars between organics and synthetics "only" ended on the end of organic civilizations but not the end of organic life (that would explain the galaxy isn't free of organics) then the Reapers are useless, because that's precisely what they are meant to do, no need to create them for something that happens naturally anyway without their interference.
- according to him synthetics are the problem, to that end they destroy civilizations advanced enough to build IAs, VIs, androids and such. But the game proves us that the synthetics are not the problem: the Geths are not an agressive species, EDI is working willingly with Shepard and means no harm to the organics "she" knows. The truth is that the Reapers are the problem and not a solution to a problem that in fact does not exist.
- the fact they are  just tools to an end kinda breaks the feel that they are mighty beeings, a dominant species with "no end and no beginning", it breaks the epicness of the confrontation. They are a powerful weapon at best, which is not that epic...

Sovereign's statements were so much better in many ways. 

Now let's see what are the "child" solutions to the fact that Shepard reached the Citadel with the crucible. First and obvious comment, we have to choose a solution based on false statements and flawed logic. That is really unsatifying and repelling. The choice we are given answers to a false issue. We are not here to end a war that doesn't exist between synthetic life and organic life, we are here to end the Reaper threat. The only synthetics we are at war with are the Reapers, they are not a solution they are the very issue. And what is very odd about all this is that Shepard can't argue with the child's statements, they are easy to deconstruct and counter but he just doesn't  argue with them and accepts that there are only 3 solutions. That is hard to believe given the countless more complicated problem he was able to figure out.

There is even more, I explained the solutions have no justification given they are based on false issue but they are also all unethical. And that is something that really disturbed me. I know we were able to make many unethical choices during the game, but we were also able to choose ethical alternatives. The fact that all the solutions are unethical has a deep and disturbing meaning: there's no room for ethic, the end is more important than the means even if by using such means you betray what you are fighting for. I just can't imagine that the people who write the whole game decided to end it with such an aweful last message. As Ray Muzyka said and I second him on that, Mass Effect is a piece of art just as any SF film or novel, and as a piece of art I refuse to believe that Mass Effect ends with such a message to its player/fans/readers. Let's see why I consider the 3 ending as unethical:

- Shepard takes control of the reapers, well in fact that one is unethical but it does makes sense actually, that's the bad guy end we need an end like this so that one is ok (though it doesn't solves the fact that the child is not consistent with what Sovereign said and that he doesn't feel at all like a "superior" beeing.) 

- Shepard forces the fusion between synthetics and organics. It looks like the most ethical solution, but it is not. That solution's meaning is terrific. It means against all what the game always suggested about species able to live without decimate the others that on the contrary conciliation is impossible, synthetics and organics can't live together and that if we don't erase all differences between them the war is inevitable. What a SAD, POOR and SIMPLISTIC way of thinking! That's the most common justification for genocides: "we can't leave together". I can't accept that and I don't believe Mass Effect 3 writers truely think that way, this is not possible, not after all what the game showed us, the whole games (the 3 mass effect) is the proof that they are not like this so why does it ends that way?

- Shepard destroys the Reapers but also kills the Geths, all synthetic life (including EDI) and technologies. That one is almost as terrific as the previous one. For similar reasons, it sends the message that to win the war we have to sacrifice allies, we have to accept that the extinction of a whole form of life is a solution: "better the Geths than us". Once again It breaks game's logic and message which was "united we stand". It says that sometimes we have to sell those standing by our side, even our friends "united we fall, divided we stand" .  That is once more unacceptable. And I still can't believe that this is what the writers meant. But the problem is that no other choice is given besides these three. This is more that a failed conciliation attempt, it just tends to prove that ethics is meaningless and that stomping on it is necessary: "don't let ethics stand in your way". Really? I can't believe that's what I saw at the end of Mass Effect.

These are not simply  sad endings, this is a sad, depressive, poor and weak artistic message that is sent. This is really disturbing, all what happens in the game, the genophage, the geth/quarian the way they have been treated was irreproachable, brilliant. The end totally negates this, it answers for us: ethics is useless and unefficent. I would accept unethical endings if they were not the only choice we're given, but for the moment there is no other path. This is not how I'm expecting such a brilliant game to end, not with that kind of message, it deserves better than that and the people who worked so hard to bring us Mass Effect deserve better than that.

Like I said I still want to believe that these weren't your intentions, I still want to believe that you had something else in mind. That's why I'm still hoping you've been thinking of something similar to the indoctrination theory, you had been planning from the begining a way to retcon all what happens in the Citadel and that all the contradictions were intentionnal in order to bring us later the most amazing turnaround in video games history. And if you did not, well this isn't too late, everybody makes mistakes, you can still correct it. For the Mass Effect spirit sake and all the incredible work and energy you guys put into that awesome game. Don't get into thinking there is a war between you and the fans, we refuse it. And this has nothing to do with going against artistic freedom, artists sometimes take advice to impove their creations, that's what it's all about: improving.

Modifié par kimuji, 22 mars 2012 - 12:17 .

[RUDAL]

Favourite moment? Hmm... Let me think...

My favourite moment in ME series is almost any conversation in ME1 and ME2 where I can actually choose what I want to respond with and not just sit and watch as characters say what they want to say without me being involved...

[Edleen]

Know that with the final of Mass Effect 3 not agree even in distant Russia.

[Sgt. Thompson]

Thank you Dr. Muzyka for addressing this issue with a clear message. I respect Bioware's decision to keep the current ending and am delighted that the add ons that you are working on will help us understand what those endings mean as well as provide closure to various questions about characters and what not. We were not part of the team that wrote the game or the endings so thank you for attempting to clue us in on what you guys were thinking and the direction you were going with the game. I understand that some of the criticism hurts at times. You worked hard and did a great job. We only want what is best for the series just like you. We love the series and we love Bioware. We ask because we care. I hope that some of the ideas many have presented here and elsewhere are able to be easily incorporated by your team without sacrificing your original vision. We want to work with you, not against you. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Knock 'em dead, Bioware.

Modifié par Sgt. Thompson, 21 mars 2012 - 11:23 .

[Darsig]

 I hope you guys change the ending. The series has no replay value what so ever after the endings. I have been thinking about it a lot, trying get myself to like the current endings, but I simply can't. I want my choices in all 3 games to matter in the end. That's what you promised us and it's time Bioware, to fullfill that promise.

[Riddledim]

Everyone on this forum should NOT forget that no one in the history of video games have made a video game so damned near perfection as BioWare did with Mass Effect (the franchise) and the third installment alone stands as an example to this!

Therefore I feel that some support is needed, right, and well deserved while we wreak havoc on the forums.

Although most of us remain professional, calm and respectful, our criticism is painful and heavy to deal with for the developers.

I can only imagine how they felt when the celebrated release turned into an inferno of uproars and cries for change.

If I'd been in their shoes I'd be downright devestated.

Nevertheless the criticism is necessarry, and therefore it is so important to remain respectful, calm and supportive.

The following is an open letter to the Mass Effect Staff, and is the most honest I could come up with. I took some time, looked back and reflected upon this. Tried to view it from their point if view.
Therefore I wrote this.


Congratulations! You've made a masterpiece of a game! I enjoyed everything! Tears stung my eyes when Moridin sacrifised himself for the genophage cure. And I got mad chills when we took down the first reaper on Tuchanka!
I can't believe how entertained I was throughout that game. You outdid yourself, and I am allowed to say that, because I started playing your games with Baldurs Gate in the basement of my older brother.

I know things arent great within the community now. And I am one of the agetators aiming to get a better ending for the saga. I'll be honest enough to mention that.

But I support you. Right down to the marrow of my bones. I admire you and praise your games, each and every one of them.

I sincerely feel that some support is in order for all the chaos we create on the forums now. And I know that most of us think that payment is in order to recieve an aditional ending.

Nevertheless, we, the fans will remain forever faithful. For in truth, no one has created a game so damned near perfection as you have.

I salute you!

[Mr.Clark]

  Ok, see if I can gather some thoughts together.
I loved Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. No question. I loved 98% of Mass Effect 3. The neat little improvements over the previous versions, the combat system, weapon weights and mods, the crew move around and interact with each other, it's great. 

But the ending. Oh, the ending. 

Don't get me wrong. Having seen "people complain about Mass Effect 3 ending" post titles (never read them, tried really hard to avoid spoilers!), I went back to Earth fully prepared to sacrifice whoever I had to to save Earth and the galaxy from the Reapers, even if that meant Shepard herself.

But the "destroy the Reapers" price was too high, even for me. And the reasoning was faulty. To destroy the Reapers, I had to wipe out ALL synthetic life in the galaxy. Not just the Reapers. Not just EDI. The Geth. An entire species. And why? Because apparently creating synthetic life guarantees it'll turn on the organics.

But guess what? I'd solved that problem. EDI had decided she'd rather die fighting the Reapers than join them. She'd fallen in love with an organic. And the Geth and the quarians were working together, peacefully. AIs aren't special, once they become truly "alive" ("does this unit have a soul?" "Yes, Legion"), they're no different from the squishy biological machines that already populate the galaxy. The asari, turians, humans etc. 

And even THEN, that wasn't the whole price. I'd also have to destroy all the Mass Relays. Now, last time I blew one of those bad boys up, it wiped out an entire solar system. 300,000 dead.  This time? I'd not only destroy Earth itself, along with the entire quarian fleet (and thus most of the quarian species), Geth fleet (ditto), turian, asari, salarian, elcor and volus fleets. AND not just that, but the quarian, turian, asari, krogan and salraian homeworlds. I'm sure it's not a co-incidence that all the homeworlds were in a system with a Mass Relay in.

So in order to "save" the galaxy from the Reapers, even using the Synergy option, I'd actually become a murderer on a Reaper scale. Entire galactic civilisations destroyed. Multiple total species genocides. 

And my problem with the ending is - all choices caused the above. Control, Destroy or Synergy. All of them led to the destruction of the Mass Relays. Now, everyone knows about eezo, scientists would eventually be able to re-create them. The protheans were unlocking Mass Relay technology just as the Reapers came for their cycle. It can be done. But so many species might not have sustainable population numbers to continue anyway. 

To me, that's not bittersweet. That's losing. I wasn't fighting to avenge the protheans. I wasn't fighting to save the pyjacks if they became the dominant species in 50,000 years. I was fighting for Earth. For humanity. For the the council races, for the elcor, the volus, the krogan. Even the vorcha. Hell, I put aside my deep and justified desire to shoot Balak in the face so that I could get the surviving batarians on board, and believe me, that wasn't an easy decision.

Maybe I'm missing the point of the ending. But in that case, I'd like some exposition. Some reason why any of the three choides presented to Shepard were acceptable. And how any of the decisions I'd made up until that point mattered. Because what was the point of getting that gizmo from the Consort, using it on that sphere thing and getting the vision of the protheans observing the primative humans? I'm metagaming a bit now, but if I remember, that was logged explicitly in the save game carried over to ME2. And I found another prothean sphere in ME2, I had it as a paperwieght in my cabin. What was the point of curing the genophage on Tuchanka if I was only going to blow it up regardless? What was the point of saving Earth, if I had to blow up the whole solar system to kill the Reapers? Who was that holo-kid to decide the fate of the entire galaxy. If it hadn't been a projection, I'd have shot it in the head and reprogrammed the whole damn Crucible if I'd had to.

Also, how did Joker pick up EDI from Earth and get to the Mass Relay before I blew it up? And why was he allowed to leave the solar system before the battle was over? And why did he want to? Intuition?

Was the moral of the trilogy "it doesn't matter what choices you make, you're boned anyway"? Because that's a massive downer, and basically renders some of the most moving moments of the game, the sacrifices of Kaiden, Mordin and Legion, as moot. 

As I said, maybe I missed the point of the ending, but I didn't understand it and I didn't personally like it.

Modifié par Mr.Clark, 21 mars 2012 - 11:31 .

[DuncanId]

Riddledim wrote...

Everyone on this forum should NOT forget that no one in the history of video games have made a video game so damned near perfection as BioWare did with Mass Effect (the franchise) and the third installment alone stands as an example to this!

Therefore I feel that some support is needed, right, and well deserved while we wreak havoc on the forums.

Although most of us remain professional, calm and respectful, our criticism is painful and heavy to deal with for the developers.

I can only imagine how they felt when the celebrated release turned into an inferno of uproars and cries for change.

If I'd been in their shoes I'd be downright devestated.

Nevertheless the criticism is necessarry, and therefore it is so important to remain respectful, calm and supportive.

The following is an open letter to the Mass Effect Staff, and is the most honest I could come up with. I took some time, looked back and reflected upon this. Tried to view it from their point if view.
Therefore I wrote this.


Congratulations! You've made a masterpiece of a game! I enjoyed everything! Tears stung my eyes when Moridin sacrifised himself for the genophage cure. And I got mad chills when we took down the first reaper on Tuchanka!
I can't believe how entertained I was throughout that game. You outdid yourself, and I am allowed to say that, because I started playing your games with Baldurs Gate in the basement of my older brother.

I know things arent great within the community now. And I am one of the agetators aiming to get a better ending for the saga. I'll be honest enough to mention that.

But I support you. Right down to the marrow of my bones. I admire you and praise your games, each and every one of them.

I sincerely feel that some support is in order for all the chaos we create on the forums now. And I know that most of us think that payment is in order to recieve an aditional ending.

Nevertheless, we, the fans will remain forever faithful. For in truth, no one has created a game so damned near perfection as you have.

I salute you!

Even DAII? Just kidding...

Reading all pre-launch statements is clear that they knew what we wanted and what we were expecting. When they did an endig that was exactly what they said they wouldn't do, they should have expected this reaction.

Just read all the promises made. They knew.

But we are actually supporting them. We are asking them to fix a mistake, not telling them that we are done with bioware.

Maybe we are not doing it in a very cheerful way, but they must understand how bad we feel.

Modifié par DuncanId, 21 mars 2012 - 11:40 .

[Riddledim]

DuncanId wrote...

Riddledim wrote...

Everyone on this forum should NOT forget that no one in the history of video games have made a video game so damned near perfection as BioWare did with Mass Effect (the franchise) and the third installment alone stands as an example to this!

Therefore I feel that some support is needed, right, and well deserved while we wreak havoc on the forums.

Although most of us remain professional, calm and respectful, our criticism is painful and heavy to deal with for the developers.

I can only imagine how they felt when the celebrated release turned into an inferno of uproars and cries for change.

If I'd been in their shoes I'd be downright devestated.

Nevertheless the criticism is necessarry, and therefore it is so important to remain respectful, calm and supportive.

The following is an open letter to the Mass Effect Staff, and is the most honest I could come up with. I took some time, looked back and reflected upon this. Tried to view it from their point if view.
Therefore I wrote this.


Congratulations! You've made a masterpiece of a game! I enjoyed everything! Tears stung my eyes when Moridin sacrifised himself for the genophage cure. And I got mad chills when we took down the first reaper on Tuchanka!
I can't believe how entertained I was throughout that game. You outdid yourself, and I am allowed to say that, because I started playing your games with Baldurs Gate in the basement of my older brother.

I know things arent great within the community now. And I am one of the agetators aiming to get a better ending for the saga. I'll be honest enough to mention that.

But I support you. Right down to the marrow of my bones. I admire you and praise your games, each and every one of them.

I sincerely feel that some support is in order for all the chaos we create on the forums now. And I know that most of us think that payment is in order to recieve an aditional ending.

Nevertheless, we, the fans will remain forever faithful. For in truth, no one has created a game so damned near perfection as you have.

I salute you!

Even DAII? Just kidding...

Reading all pre-launch statements is clear that they knew what we wanted and what we were expecting. When they did an endig that was exactly what they said they wouldn't do, they should have expected this reaction.

Just read all the promises made. They knew.

But we are actually supporting them. We are asking them to fix a mistake, not telling them that we are done with bioware.

Maybe we are not doing it in a very cheerful way, but they must understand how bad we feel.

Wow! Even though I felt like a prisoner in Kirkwall I did enjoy the story, but I see your valid points.

And don't get me wrong. They have both my support and gratitude for ME3.
But the ending is flawed, with plotholes and the works.
But it is damned near perfection. Everything is perfect, except the cherry on top. And I guess the dealsealer is the most important part.

But think about it, they stuck home, bullseye all the way. Right up to the A B C choice. And yes, it is hard to play it through again, but I feel I have to.

So I set the difficulty to insanity, hopefully I get to download a better ending for the insanity playthrough!

[Gurke00]

 Alright so first of all I loved ME 3. I love the whole series, I enjoyed seeing all the old characters again and honestly Tuchanka and Rannoch just blew my mind.
BUT as great as the main part of ME3 might have been, a screwed finale leads to a bad impression about the whole game. The defeat of sovereign was epic and made Mass Effect that popular. The Suicide Mission was even better and together with The Arrival it just put our expectations for ME3 damn high. Compared to these finales the final mission in part 3 lacks of sooo many so important elements I would really like you to add in the next DLC.
Just to name the most important ones:

- A huge space battle YOU can controll with your own decisions (e.g. where to use which fleet - similar to the Suicide Mission). Right now its only a 2 minutes cinematic. Thats totally not worthy the big final of the ME series. 

- In part 2 Harbinger just couldnt shut up (and I enjoyed his lines). In part three his one appearence is sick but it's just one, it's way to short and ... WHY is he not saying anything?!??!? A final confrontation between Shepard and Harbinger (AND especially Javic!!!) together with a boss fight and some epic final words after kicking his ass would have made the final so much better.

- Every ME game contained tons of great moments where you had to make obviously very important choices. Even in ME3. Too bad most of their results were just put into this one big pod called Crucible. In the end it didnt matter at all wether you killed the counsil or the actual Rachni queen in part 1. It didnt matter wether you chose between Salarian or Krogan / Quarian or Geth as long as your total strenght was high enough. 

- ME2 had some AWESOME scores. Just think of Suicide Mission's, The Arrival's or Shadowbroker's OST. I totally missed them. Please include them as well.

Alright, it would be great if you could at least consider most of it in your announced upcoming DLC.

[Cross429]

Wow. Just finished. Which results in my very first post.

Let me first say: I don't make a habit of criticizing art and - Roger Ebert's cask-aged scruples aside - the Mass Effect series is nothing less than a work of art.

I love this series. Because, in playing, you become a part of it: there are moments in these games where you are Shepard. 

That said, if these really are the endings Bioware had planned for arguably the greatest gaming series of all time: the first real virtual epic driven by each player's free will having ended in a casual denial of freedom and summary dismissal of will, then the Mass Effect series has not only betrayed the fan base but - more imporantly - betrayed itself. Perhaps this sounds melodramatic, but the signficance of art lies in its effect on the person interacting with it. Braveheart would hardly resonate as it does if it ended with a last minute air raid by B-22's. War Horse steps on a land mine: whoopsie, turns out none of this journey mattered at all. Roll credits, and maybe an old man can stand in front of a tree and tell the audience that the exploded horse was "legendary" because the land mine he chose was identically explosive to the other two land mines he could have opted for to become glue.

But:

I don't think that Bioware planned these endings. I've spent too much time immersed in their writing to believe it. Either these resulted from a simple misplaced brushstroke - stemming from "leaks" or a rushed Go to Gold timetable or whatever the rumors are - or these "endings" were never intended to be "endings" at all.

Continuing the thread in spoiler territory: there are too many well placed clues as to Shepard's Indoctrination: throughout the series, throughout the game, and throughout the all-too-brief "ending." I suspected from the beginning with Ashley's and Chakwas's mentions of "Cerberus Control,"  the early discussion of Indoctrination in the Codex, the dreams with "oily shadows."

If this is where Bioware intended to go, we are breaking new ground in terms of the art form. Think about it: we've all been Indoctrinated! At the pinnacle of the series, we've truly shared space with Shepard: knowing we had player free will based on a series which allowed for it, only to find that very will manipulated towards the enemy's desired outcomes. Certainly, the "perfect" ending with him awakening in rubble, resulting from the least Indoctrinated choice, represents one big ball of evidence. 

So: assuming Bioware has hit its peak vice it's rock bottom, we need a conclusion that flows from the player's decisions. We've been Indoctrinated: what happens next?