9972 réponses à ce sujet

[Dane Seagal]

Ey guys, just wanted to say I'm holding the line too! Seems pretty useless to join the discussion in this topic at the 250th page so I'll just leave it with that

[Sypher_KoS]

Signing off for the night. Keep the fires burning and the line strong. For those that remain, a message from an old friend.

Incoming transmission from Cpt. Kirrahe:

You all know the movement and what is at stake.
I have come to trust each of you with my Shepard's life, but I have also heard rumors of discontent.
I share your concerns.
We are gamers, toppling the status quo is not our way.
Think of those who came before us, the fans of Fallout 3, who convince Bethesda to shine some light into a dark and dreary world.
This fact does not offer us solace, but it is not all we may look to.
Before the bottom line there was integrity.
Before statistics there were people.
Our influence got rid of the Mako, but before that we held the line.
Our influence got more Liara and the Shadow Broker, but before that we held the line.
Our influnce will retake ME3, in the forums today, we will hold the line.

[cyrrant]

SkaldFish wrote...

cinderburster wrote...

maki0129 wrote...

This is just a suggestion, but since Bioware's PR department, and specially sites like IGN and the such are giving us the finger and dismissing our movement for being idiotic in trying to change the ending, I think we should agree on the semantics of our movement.

Let's be analytical and honest about our desire here.

We don't want the endings changed.

The endings are crap, but if people still wanna pick the ****ty ones we got and love them, and honestly belive they're great, I think most of us can agree that those people (crazy as they are) have that right. What we want really is MORE endings. You know, as we were promised, we were promised sixteen, VASTLY different endings, and let's be charitable and say we got 6 different endings. That still means they owe us 10 endings.

And preferably these new 10 endings, would... y'know, not suck.

That's just a suggestion, though. Because I think that A) It would make us look more rational and not as antagonistic with the people who loved the ending. And It would reduce the amount of ridicule we would get from faux gaming news site like IGN, which sadly still hold some power over public opinion.

So... thoughts?

I agree.  I've been saying all along that the endings as they are should be expanded on, not changed, since there are people that enjoy them and I think they deserve to be happy too.

I agree in principle, but I don't see how the current endings can be made to make sense without a lot of work. It's hard to incrementally turn a Rube Goldberg machine into something really functional; you pretty much have to tear it apart and start over. I'm not disagreeing, I'm just skeptical. Maybe it depends on exactly what we mean by "expanding on the endings as they are."

Also, another thought regarding people who like the ending: a person who's never had steak is probably happy with textured vegetable protein. That's no reason to withhold the steak, right?

All it requires is a divergent point in the plot.  There's a bunch of them that are handy.  Harbinger landing at the Conduit, arrival on the Citadel (C-sec forces could be dug in still depending on how well you prepared them), dealing with The Illusive Man, or as you're sitting there with a dying Anderson in the aftermath.  We should not exclude the current endings from any possibility, because there are people that genuinely like them.

In addition, there's no need to insult the intelligence or life experiences of those who like the endings, I think.  If they're happy with them, we should be jealous, because if we were as they are, we'd all be playing the game right now, instead of here, fighting to save a franchise we feel has gone down the wrong path.

Our Choices Should Matter - Hold the Line

Modifié par cyrrant, 20 mars 2012 - 07:51 .

[IndustrializedTaco]

Joystig is reporting that the game is selling at 39.99 on Microsoft store online. Here is the story. http://www.joystiq.c...t-store-online/

[Nadtsat]

I won't play anymore until it's sorted out. Too bad for them, I planned to spend about €200 on ME merch (spent about €400 hundred on ME2 era merch). None of this is going to happen now.

[Fulgrim88]

Ajx- wrote...

Why hasn't anyone wondered about the time frame. It was a over a week before they acknowledged the distraught community. Does anyone honestly think they CAN make a Dlc that satisfies everyone ? Honestly I see mp Dlc in our future, Dlc that has been worked on since before ME3's release. But an endings Dlc? As I said, a week to acknowledge. This is going to take time. Lots of it. Maybe 2013. Maybe.

I'd appreciate it to have some sort of an estimate from people who are familiar with the process of creating CGI, recording VO's etc on a corporate scale.

Because that's where the bulk of the work lies, if we are to get a satisfying ending (or better yet, the multitude of different endings we were promised).
It would go a long way to help understand why Bioware is so secretive right now, as well as what we can expect - and when.

So...anybody up to it?
I mean we already have corporate PR around here, corporate sales managers and designers...somebody oughta know something about this?

Modifié par Fulgrim88, 20 mars 2012 - 07:56 .

[cyrrant]

Dane Seagal wrote...

Ey guys, just wanted to say I'm holding the line too! Seems pretty useless to join the discussion in this topic at the 250th page so I'll just leave it with that

Thank you for giving us your support here.  If you haven't already done so, head out into the BSN and continue to lend us your presence.  Just please keep it civil, as not turning into the rabid fanbase the media wants us to become will significantly increase our chances at getting the endings fixed.

As well, if you can, please come back in the following days and weeks ahead.  Lend us your support once or twice a day, to show Bioware that even though you're not actively posting at all hours, you are still paying attention and you won't be ignored.

Our Choices Should Matter - Hold the Line

Modifié par cyrrant, 20 mars 2012 - 07:54 .

[musicaleCA]

SkaldFish wrote...

cinderburster wrote...

maki0129 wrote...

This is just a suggestion, but since Bioware's PR department, and specially sites like IGN and the such are giving us the finger and dismissing our movement for being idiotic in trying to change the ending, I think we should agree on the semantics of our movement.

Let's be analytical and honest about our desire here.

We don't want the endings changed.

The endings are crap, but if people still wanna pick the ****ty ones we got and love them, and honestly belive they're great, I think most of us can agree that those people (crazy as they are) have that right. What we want really is MORE endings. You know, as we were promised, we were promised sixteen, VASTLY different endings, and let's be charitable and say we got 6 different endings. That still means they owe us 10 endings.

And preferably these new 10 endings, would... y'know, not suck.

That's just a suggestion, though. Because I think that A) It would make us look more rational and not as antagonistic with the people who loved the ending. And It would reduce the amount of ridicule we would get from faux gaming news site like IGN, which sadly still hold some power over public opinion.

So... thoughts?

I agree.  I've been saying all along that the endings as they are should be expanded on, not changed, since there are people that enjoy them and I think they deserve to be happy too.

I agree in principle, but I don't see how the current endings can be made to make sense without a lot of work. It's hard to incrementally turn a Rube Goldberg machine into something really functional; you pretty much have to tear it apart and start over. I'm not disagreeing, I'm just skeptical. Maybe it depends on exactly what we mean by "expanding on the endings as they are."

Also, another thought regarding people who like the ending: a person who's never had steak is probably happy with textured vegetable protein. That's no reason to withhold the steak, right?

The truely wonderful thing is that, in the end, this is our story. And your story. Adding more choice won't subtract meaning from those who really do like the endings. They're free to not get any extra endings and accept that those really were the end of their Shep.

BW has said often, there is no canon in ME. It's up to each player what their own "canon" is. Even with new endings, it's up to the player to either accept what they got at face value, or reject it and take any new endings BW provides as their own personal canon.

Heck...that makes our demands even more reasonable. This is quite possibly the perfect game for rewriting the ending. Going back and rewriting the end to a linear story like Halo, or Saving Private Ryan, or Babylon 5, would be crazy, because it shoehorns fans into accepting new canon. With ME, players are free, as they always have been, to decide what their personal canon is. It's one of the things that made this series great. I really love those moments on the forums when I see "Who else was disappointed that the Geth and Quarians couldn't get along? Suck the Destiny Ascension was blown-up too..." "What do you mean? They made peace and got along swell! And I saved that Asari BFS."

[Nithe]

Dane Seagal wrote...

Ey guys, just wanted to say I'm holding the line too! Seems pretty useless to join the discussion in this topic at the 250th page so I'll just leave it with that

Constructive dialogue is only useless if it's allowed to be, in my experience. However, I too was reluctant to join given the odds of ever being rewarded for my efforts.

We will, as they say, hold the line.

[Darth_Trethon]

What blows me away is simply how ridiculous their reasoning behind the ending must have been....did they REALLY for one second think that ending would be acceptable? They probably thought they could get away with it....most people mad at the ending but ultimately accepting it....which did not happen at all, the whole situation detonated with a massive boom right in their faces.

[cyrrant]

Nithe wrote...

Dane Seagal wrote...

Ey guys, just wanted to say I'm holding the line too! Seems pretty useless to join the discussion in this topic at the 250th page so I'll just leave it with that

Constructive dialogue is only useless if it's allowed to be, in my experience. However, I too was reluctant to join given the odds of ever being rewarded for my efforts.

We will, as they say, hold the line.

Every voice that joins us here gives us better odds of seeing our efforts come to fruition.  Hold the line and don't lose hope.  We are Retake Mass Effect, and we're in this for the long haul.

Our Choices Should Matter - Hold the Line

[Ajx-]

@beetlebailey123

me too. I really hope it is made. But part of me watched the resistance to this whole movement. The whole thing came out of left field for Bio and I hope/think they never saw this coming. This is why I also don't see ending Dlc coming any time soon.

[thoreauscabin]

Sbj220 wrote...

Maybe it's just because I've been feeling lonely the past few days, but something about watching this guy talk to me is comforting. He's seems pretty chill.

[IndustrializedTaco]

Ajx- wrote...

@beetlebailey123

me too. I really hope it is made. But part of me watched the resistance to this whole movement. The whole thing came out of left field for Bio and I hope/think they never saw this coming. This is why I also don't see ending Dlc coming any time soon.

Just remember, if it's made we won.  

[SkaldFish]

cyrrant wrote...

SkaldFish wrote...

cinderburster wrote...

maki0129 wrote...

This is just a suggestion, but since Bioware's PR department, and specially sites like IGN and the such are giving us the finger and dismissing our movement for being idiotic in trying to change the ending, I think we should agree on the semantics of our movement.

Let's be analytical and honest about our desire here.

We don't want the endings changed.

The endings are crap, but if people still wanna pick the ****ty ones we got and love them, and honestly belive they're great, I think most of us can agree that those people (crazy as they are) have that right. What we want really is MORE endings. You know, as we were promised, we were promised sixteen, VASTLY different endings, and let's be charitable and say we got 6 different endings. That still means they owe us 10 endings.

And preferably these new 10 endings, would... y'know, not suck.

That's just a suggestion, though. Because I think that A) It would make us look more rational and not as antagonistic with the people who loved the ending. And It would reduce the amount of ridicule we would get from faux gaming news site like IGN, which sadly still hold some power over public opinion.

So... thoughts?

I agree.  I've been saying all along that the endings as they are should be expanded on, not changed, since there are people that enjoy them and I think they deserve to be happy too.

I agree in principle, but I don't see how the current endings can be made to make sense without a lot of work. It's hard to incrementally turn a Rube Goldberg machine into something really functional; you pretty much have to tear it apart and start over. I'm not disagreeing, I'm just skeptical. Maybe it depends on exactly what we mean by "expanding on the endings as they are."

Also, another thought regarding people who like the ending: a person who's never had steak is probably happy with textured vegetable protein. That's no reason to withhold the steak, right?

All it requires is a divergent point in the plot.  There's a bunch of them that are handy.  Harbinger landing at the Conduit, arrival on the Citadel (C-sec forces could be dug in still depending on how well you prepared them), dealing with The Illusive Man, or as you're sitting there with a dying Anderson in the aftermath.  We should not exclude the current endings from any possibility, because there are people that genuinely like them.

In addition, there's no need to insult the intelligence or life experiences of those who like the endings, I think.  If they're happy with them, we should be jealous, because if we were as they are, we'd all be playing the game right now, instead of here, fighting to save a franchise we feel has gone down the wrong path.

Our Choices Should Matter - Hold the Line

I see. You're just saying don't worry about any of the nonsensical problems with the current endings; just ignore them. Ouch. I'll have to think about that. It's just that I'm a software architect and it kills me to see such glaring defects left as they are. I'd rather say "Hey, I know you really liked that can of Spam, but here -- try this filet mignon."

But, like I said, i see the merits of the approach, and so I'll let it rattle around up there for a bit.

[IndustrializedTaco]

beetlebailey123 wrote...

Joystig is reporting that the game is selling at 39.99 on Microsoft store online. Here is the story. http://www.joystiq.c...t-store-online/

This means sales are going down, at least for this lender. Either way good news, I hope.

[Janus382]

maki0129 wrote...

This is just a suggestion, but since Bioware's PR department, and specially sites like IGN and the such are giving us the finger and dismissing our movement for being idiotic in trying to change the ending, I think we should agree on the semantics of our movement.

Let's be analytical and honest about our desire here.

We don't want the endings changed.

The endings are crap, but if people still wanna pick the ****ty ones we got and love them, and honestly belive they're great, I think most of us can agree that those people (crazy as they are) have that right. What we want really is MORE endings. You know, as we were promised, we were promised sixteen, VASTLY different endings, and let's be charitable and say we got 6 different endings. That still means they owe us 10 endings.

And preferably these new 10 endings, would... y'know, not suck.

That's just a suggestion, though. Because I think that A) It would make us look more rational and not as antagonistic with the people who loved the ending. And It would reduce the amount of ridicule we would get from faux gaming news site like IGN, which sadly still hold some power over public opinion.

So... thoughts?

I agree, hesitantly.  

I've always said that whatever their solution to the ending fiasco is, it should preserve the endings already available for those who like them.  I'm hesitant, however, because simply asking for "more endings" doesn't seem quite as important / doesn't draw attention to the fact that the ones we got were so unnacceptable.  

And call me cynical, but that also seems like an open-invitation for BW to just churn out more endings of similar quality and style to what we already have (they haven't even used all the primary colors yet!).

While I do feel it would do us well to bring some more clarity and specificity to our stated purpose, I also feel that the semantics of it is something we need to be very careful about, and changes should not be made in haste.  Besides, we've most likely got some time 

I'd love to discuss, but its foh-oh-foh in the AM here, and I've gotta sleep.
Hold the Line.

[thoreauscabin]

Consider returning and re-purchasing the game.

http://social.biowar.../index/10300185

http://social.biowar.../index/10299996

Just a thought.

Modifié par thoreauscabin, 20 mars 2012 - 08:09 .

[nikola8]

Based on Bioware precedent, I would expect a standalone expansion rather than new/replaced endings - similar to Dragon Age: Origins Awakening. It would be cheaper to make, it would not offend those who like the ending, and it would clear up plot holes for those who hated it. It would most likely allow for your ME3 save file to be imported and therefore the individual decisions of the trilogy would be addressed.

[Nithe]

Ajx- wrote...

@beetlebailey123

me too. I really hope it is made. But part of me watched the resistance to this whole movement. The whole thing came out of left field for Bio and I hope/think they never saw this coming. This is why I also don't see ending Dlc coming any time soon.

@Ajx-: I sympathize with the desire to speculate, but at this point we're shooting in the dark and it could easily go either way, depending largely on how intentional all of this was.

Of course, for the sake of morale and pressing EAware, speculation is probably our best and only true option, as uninformed as it may be.

Modifié par Nithe, 20 mars 2012 - 08:09 .

[Kanner]

This might be militant, but no, I don't want anything much past the 'middle' of London to remain as an ending. No god-child, especially (remove all that dreary stuff from the entire game, imo).

I want to play Mass Effect, not StarWars, Deus Ex, or some other weird bible-study crossover metaphor that I'm not clued up on.

[coolbeans]

London checking in, ground forces back in the field

Hold the line

[blurryhunter]

I've played dozens of MMOs and I never saw them as anything other then another game. It's just a different business model. There's nothing about MMOs that say they can't be engaging, have stories, and invest you the same way a game like Mass Effect has. It's just that no one has done it; successfully or at all. I believe it is simply the fault of the industry just settling for what's been done before.

I played Star Wars: The Old Republic and I liked the way they wove story into it and all of the throw backs they had to the Knights of the Old Republic series (there were a lot; pretty impressed by them considering how long the series had been mothballed). In the end, however, the 'MMO' portion of the game was just too similar to games of that genre that came before it, so I left it. Do I regret getting the collectors edition of the game? At first, yes. But looking back on it, I am a fan of the Star Wars universe and BioWare didn't really do wrong by me, they just didn't change the parts of the genre that have become so stale. They simply added something new to it; story. Sadly, the way they implemented it wasn't something that I found lasting enough to overthrow what I'd come to dislike about the MMO games prior to it.

Anyhow; I've thought about this whole thing involving the endings. Both sides of the situation, though I'll say with certainty that out of the number of people talking about the game, more of them feel injustice compared to those that say they were fine with it. The vocal are heard, simply by being vocal. That being said, while I was taken aback and felt the culmination of everything lacking, I believe that regardless of whether BioWare steps out and actually does something to remedy the issues people have been voicing or not, nothing but good can come of this.

Any developer, at least in the near future, is going to think twice (or it would behoove them to, anyway) before settling on an ending to any well loved series. Regardless of any thoughts on justification, both for or against, this is a PR backlash that just can't be ignored by anyone in the industry for fear of a repeat.

I'm on the fence though, about whether the endings were meant to be final or, as the Indoctrination Theory would lead one to believe, meant to be added upon; expanded if you will. I've seen many things that would lead someone to think one way or the other. At the moment, I'll ride out the storm and see what the outcome is.

In the end, however, I'm impressed by the sheer number of people willing to put forth concise and thorough input on their issues. Especially when you consider how this could (and based on past history with forums, should) have turned out.

What I'm content to toss my chips into, however, is Nadtsat's 'signature note'. Justice to Tali's picture. Didn't mind the setup. Nice concept. A bed-stand picture to look at and a nice, simple, sweet scene with music during the interaction with it, but to put so little into the effort just disappoints me. They have, and can, do better. Their series deserves it. They themselves deserve to see their series do better. That goes for the conclusion to the series as well.

Sorry, this is getting longer then I wanted, but to that last part, I wanted to add something I recalled. I once told a friend of mine that, because he was a good friend, I expected him to tell me, straight to my face, when I screwed up. I didn't care what words he used, but I wanted the truth. I expect my friends to call me out when I make errors, no matter how big or small.

BioWare has become more to many then just a developer of games they look forward to. They have become friends, directly or indirectly. And I, for one, believe the right thing to do is to call your friend out when their wrong, no matter the cost.

Modifié par blurryhunter, 20 mars 2012 - 08:14 .

[SkaldFish]

Janus382 wrote...

maki0129 wrote...

This is just a suggestion, but since Bioware's PR department, and specially sites like IGN and the such are giving us the finger and dismissing our movement for being idiotic in trying to change the ending, I think we should agree on the semantics of our movement.

Let's be analytical and honest about our desire here.

We don't want the endings changed.

The endings are crap, but if people still wanna pick the ****ty ones we got and love them, and honestly belive they're great, I think most of us can agree that those people (crazy as they are) have that right. What we want really is MORE endings. You know, as we were promised, we were promised sixteen, VASTLY different endings, and let's be charitable and say we got 6 different endings. That still means they owe us 10 endings.

And preferably these new 10 endings, would... y'know, not suck.

That's just a suggestion, though. Because I think that A) It would make us look more rational and not as antagonistic with the people who loved the ending. And It would reduce the amount of ridicule we would get from faux gaming news site like IGN, which sadly still hold some power over public opinion.

So... thoughts?

I agree, hesitantly.  

I've always said that whatever their solution to the ending fiasco is, it should preserve the endings already available for those who like them.  I'm hesitant, however, because simply asking for "more endings" doesn't seem quite as important / doesn't draw attention to the fact that the ones we got were so unnacceptable.  

And call me cynical, but that also seems like an open-invitation for BW to just churn out more endings of similar quality and style to what we already have (they haven't even used all the primary colors yet!).

While I do feel it would do us well to bring some more clarity and specificity to our stated purpose, I also feel that the semantics of it is something we need to be very careful about, and changes should not be made in haste.  Besides, we've most likely got some time 

I'd love to discuss, but its foh-oh-foh in the AM here, and I've gotta sleep.
Hold the Line.

It occurs to me reading this that maybe we're taking on more than is reasonable. It probably makes more sense for us to stick with what we consider to be the problems with the current ending instead of suggesting solutions. In the end, assuming this is all taken seriously and theteam starts debating change control options, the team will end up with a list of "approved" issues/defects, then they'll use their knowledge of the game implementation, schedule, budget, resource availability, and estimated effort to determine what they can actually do. It's always going to be about tradeoffs even if they decide to do something.

[kalamity116]

redknight38 wrote...

I sigh at myself. I really did promise to stay out of this, but that's clearly me lying to myself since last night. I've been involved...

So I am about to get a PhD in military history, with a specialty on insurgencies and conflict management. I'm not active military but what the hell. The gentleman in active duty was right-- this movement needs to get organized. Bioware has been getting better at playing by the PR handbook because they're getting a handle on things. Therefore they are in for the long haul and therefore people here have to be as well. That means getting organized and having consistent, coherent, simple and clear tactics and messaging. The Tea Party and the Occuppy movements both had to do that, hence their staying power after initial passionate outbursts.

How do insurgencies or even COIN ops operate?

1) Get a message out. So this Retake movement has to get a message out. Some suggestions have been offered: google bombing and review bombing. I have a lot of qualms about the latter because it has the potential to irreparably drive down the reviews to the point of not being able to repair it. Later, when this movement has become more articulated, you might be able to promise to attempt to drive that review rating up, however.

Either way, find a way to spread this on the Internet and build awareness for it. Have simple talking points and try to agree on them.

I suggest remaining polite and even being a little positive. You like ME, you don't hate Bioware. You just want changes. That'll build a sympathetic message because a key point in COIN and insurgencies is winning over neutrals.

2) Repeat the message as often as you can. Self-explanatory. However, it can't just be "I hate the ending" or "hold the line." You'll have to keep repeating your simple, bullet-pointed list of complaints. Groups like the IRA don't repeat long treatises (as I've been seeing on the boards) on their complaints. Nobody will read that. Keep it simple and keep it consistent.

That clearly means people on this forum will have to come to an agreement of the basic points they all agree with. The majority of resistance movements have internal problems and divisions that are often more important than external ones. The IRA, the VC, Mao, they all killed as many or more of their own members as their enemies. Failed insurgencies like the Philippine NPA did so to the detriment of their mission.

Incidentally, that means that instead of saying "bump" or "hold the line" or "I support this thread" you might want to say "don't play SP or MP" in trying to bump it. Something  constructive. The message.

3) Disrupt the enemy's internal cohesion. Attacking Bioware people is highly counter-productive so no ambushing or isolating. These people are just doing their jobs and I sincerely doubt they're maliciously laughing at your discontent. Neither are they having money fights at your expense. Come on people, this is the gaming industry, not Goldman Sachs. These people are not rolling in it.

They try to humanize themselves to win your sympathy. DO THE SAME. Stop attacking Casey Hudson and the like but instead tell them you love the game, you always liked his writing and you always had faith in him. This will be easier because it's essentially true. Tell them you don't hate them, that you'll go back to the fold if they meet your demands.

What you are trying to do is build sympathy and win defectors. The biggest prize for an insurgency movement are defectors, especially high profile ones. In the case of this Retake thing, you want to do it so that during their meetings there will be someone advocating for you. Hopefully more than one someone. Incidentally, this might involve having to accept paid ending DLC. Much earlier in this thread I opined why it would have to be paid: remember, they claim the game is done. The story is finished to their satisfaction. Any ending DLC they release they can legitimately (i.e. in court) claim as bonus. You don't need to get it.

Be careful of them trying to do the same. They'll try to win you over so someone here will suddenly be advocating for them. Hence the skepticism regarding Mr. Lee. He came here and suddenly everybody was telling others to back off, the Bioware guys had a long week. This is true, and don't be rude to him. However, nobody was, but people were losing their skepticism and resolve.

4) Disrupt the enemy logistics which means disrupting sales. Since you can't meet them head-on, this is one thing you can do. However, threatening to boycott products not yet made is absolutely meaningless. Newsflash, if you threaten not to buy something a company has not yet made, what will they do? Not make them. Bioware hasn't lost money on products not yet made because they haven't sunk resources into making them and marketing them. If you threaten not to buy it, they will find another product, one which does not cater to you. The next Bioware game could therefore very well be a multiplayer game or a shooter. That being said, threatening to boycott Bioware in the future is not a bad idea since AGTHunter noted that it turned you into cautious consumers. You just have to do more.

However, they have ME3 now. I can guarantee you the sales of ME3 and its future content are part of their current budget plan and profit projection. It's part of their logistics. Disrupt that and you are actually making a message regarding their money.

You don't need to do anything dramatic but it might be hard. Too hard. Playing SP offline and not playing MP is honestly the best way to do it-- they track your playtime so by not playing you are telling them you are unhappy with the current product and will therefore not buy future DLC or anything of the sort. Since they alread have money sunk into your product, one likely response from Bioware is to attempt to find ways of luring you back since that would be easier than making an entirely new game. If you keep emphasizing you would love to be lured back if they meet your demands, even better. Remember that video games are actually cheaper than you think and a lot of their profitability comes from DLC so you do hold some leverage here.

Discouraging others from buying it works as well.

Not playing MP seems a no go since too many people want to. So be it-- it's their right and they're being smart consumers still. They paid for it, why not enjoy it? Don't criticize them for it. Someone suggested continuing the protest on MP and if it is possible change your name to reflect Retake or Hold the Line. Add it to your online avatar's name. I don't know if that's possible.

Basically-- if you kids are serious about this, remember a) this won't be easy and it'll take a while, there will be no clear win, insurgencies or COIN ops don't end cleanly, c) there is risk. There is always risk and you'll have to accept that. The biggest risk is that Bioware might simply abandon you and ME3. Another is that you might damage Bioware to the point that it can't make its games. I don't like that, you don't like that and it's why a lot of "haters" are mad at you. They have good cause, but that's beside your point.

One last cynical thing you can offer Bioware: if they meet your demands and you are happy... well you can essentially offer this online advocacy network to them. Most companies would give their right arms to have a passionate, far-reaching and dedicated group of people pushing their products for free.

So good luck to you kids.

This advice is worth listening to.