Please DON'T go with the indoctrination theory. It's just their way of somehow justifying everything that happened, when they should actually want a better ending.
I am a space battle porn lover. The battle you had was pretty good, I have to say, but there could always be more of it. Take a page out of Star War's book, and cut back to the space battle a couple of times, showing its progress. Hackett has a larger role than ever before, so I'd like to see him not only directing his fleet, but also in combat. The Normandy should also get in the fight, with the upgrades that you have. And I want to see more damage done to the Reaper side, especially if you have a high EMS.
Also, those people who expressly said that they'd be helping you fight on Earth should make an appearance. Like Kirrahe, Jondum Bau, and many others.
To my bigger point, EMS shouldn't just be a number. I'd like to see how the different things you've acquired add to the battle on Earth and in space. It's a fantastic way to reward the player.
Also, there needs to be an ending where the Reapers win. You're fighting a war, and everything you do impacts the war in some way. If you don't prepare enough, you should lose. This is no different than doing the Suicide Mission in ME2 without upgrades for the Normandy or crew loyalty.
We'd also really like closure for the major characters. Perhaps one final playable segment, where we can talk to them. Or even a DA style epilogue would work.
Anyway, I've come up with my own version of the ending incorporating some of my suggestions. If it's too much work to factor in your old acquaintences, I wrote this only taking EMS scores into account. Be warned, this is extremely long.
If you have a low EMS:
First off, the space battle needs to be different. You get fewer ships, and the tone is more desperate. The Sword fleet is not effective at all, they really amount to only a distraction. The Allied fleet is fighting, but it's immediately obvious that they can't win.
Most of Hammer group is shot down. When Shepard reaches the ground, the Allied FOB is overrun with Reaper forces and you have to fight your way to Anderson in his command center. The tone is very desperate. Hammer doesn't have nearly enough men or firepower to mount an effective attack. All they can do is one suicidal thrust. Hammer and the resistance try pushing to the Conduit but are repulsed by the Reaper ground forces. The fight with the destroyer remains the same.
Cut back to the battle in space. The Reapers break through Sword Fleets lines, throwing them into disarry. Sword begins to be overwhelmed. Admiral Hackett does his best to keep control, but even he knows that he doesn't have much time. If the Destiny Ascension is present, it is destroyed. Hackett's dreadnought takes damage but keeps fighting.
There isn't much left of Hammer group for the final push to the Conduit. They charge, but are met by Harbinger. Shepard takes a Reaper laser to the face. This sequence plays out pretty much as it does in the game.
Badly injured, Shepard limps through the Citadel, eventually finding Anderson. TIM shows up, but in this scene, he is dissappointed and angry with Shepard. Shepard is forced to kill Anderson. TIM knows how the battle is going, and knows that the Crucible won't reach the Citadel. Shepard has failed. TIM is conflicted as he actually finds some joy in that the Reapers will win, to which Shepard points out that he is indoctrinated. TIM kills himself. Shepard goes up to the console to open the Citadel's arms. He can now see the battle outside, and tunes his radio in.
Sword fleet is mostly destroyed or routing. Over the radio, Shepard hears Admiral Hackett give the order for Shield fleet and the Crucible to enter the system before his dreadnought explodes. Shepard also hears chatter from the battle on the ground.
Cut to London. The dead of Hammer group and the resistence litter the battlefield. The survivors attempt to retreat, but find that in their push to the Conduit, the Reaper forces have encircled them. It is chaos. All of Shepard's squadmates and other characters are cut down, one by one. Shepard attempts to tell them to get out of there, to no avail. As the last radio falls silent, Harbinger comes on, and gloats.
The Crucible tries make one last run at the Citadel. Shield fleet attempts to protect the Crucible, but they are destroyed in the effort. The Crucible itself makes it far, thanks to the sacrifice of the Shield fleet ships. Joker and the Normady attempt to help, doing major damage to a Reaper before being chased off. The Crucible doesn't reach the Citadel. As it gets close, Reaper lasers destroy it.
All remaining Allied ships attempt to flee but are destroyed. Like the ground forces, they are also encircled. Joker attemps to break through to escape, but the Normady is cut apart by multiple Reaper ships.
Shepard can only watch as the wreckage of the Crucible drifts toward his location, and then impacts.
The epilogue is narrated by Harbinger, who talks about the continuation of the cycle.
So that's the downer ending. Everyone dies.
For a medium EMS:
The space battle is similar to that of the game, but we get to see more of it. While still outmatched, Sword fleet has enough firepower to hold it's own against the Reapers. Ships get destroyed on both sides.
The ground war is also similar to that of what happened in the game. The FOB has a decent amount of Allied units. The enemy is at the walls, but the base holds it's own. The tone is tentatively hopeful. Hammer is able to push to the Reaper destroyer, and your allies help you on the ground during the fight, making it easier.
Cutting back to space, Sword fleet is still holding it's own. Both sides are losing ships. Hackett notes that they won't be able to keep up these losses forever.
Hammer attemps to push to the Conduit. Harbinger and some other Reapers break off from the space battle to intercept. Hackett orders his dreadnought and the Fifth Fleet to pursue them. With some of Harbinger's allies taken out, Harbinger engages Hackett and his fleet. Hackett's dreadnought is disabled, and many of the Fifth Fleet's ships are lost.
Instead of Harbinger, it is another Reaper destroyer that meets Hammer at the Conduit, and it begins to cut Hammer down. Hammer fights back. The Normandy makes a thanix and javelin run on the destroyer and takes it out. Hammer reaches the Conduit. Shepard is uninjured. Anderson and Shepard agree that a small team should go through, while the rest of Hammer stays behind to make sure nothing follows the team through the Conduit.
Anderson, Shepard, and his squadmates enter the Citadel. They make their way to the control room. They reach the console and Anderson begins to open the Citadel arms. He is then shot by TIM who appears out of nowhere. TIM controls Shepard and his squadmates. He is about to force Shepard to kill one of his squadmates, but Shepard overcomes this at the last second, shooting TIM in the head instead. Something about Shepard being the only person to have the strength of will to resist the control of the Reapers. This is what makes him able to break TIM's control. One of your squadmates attends to Anderson.
Opening the arms, we can see the battle still raging in space. Sword fleet has taken heavy losses, but has also weakened the Reapers as well. The Reapers begin to press their attacks, gaining them the advantage. Hackett orders the Crucible and Shield fleet into the system. Shield fleet relieves Sword, and together they sucessfully push through to the Citadel with the Crucible. It docks with the station. The Reapers go after the Crucible in droves only to be repulsed. The Reapers retreat.
The fleet claims victory, but Reaper reinforcements appear in system. They come from Palaven, Thessia, and all over the galaxy. Hackett urges Shepard to get the Crucible working quickly. It won't be long before they are able to destroy the Crucible. Hackett orders the remaining ships to defend the Crucible at all costs.
Shepard then recieves word on what's happening on the ground. His squadmates and the rest of Hammer are dug in around the Conduit., but are in heavy fighting and are taking casualties. Again, Shepard must work quickly or else Hammer will be overrun and the Reaper forces will storm the Citadel.
Shepard begins the sequence for charging the Crucible. Somehow, TIM gets up, and dusts himself off. The hole in his head reveals only more synthetic structures. Your squad opens fire, blowing away TIM's skin. He is fully cybernetic. Shepard is apalled. He states that you've just done his work for him, and the Reapers will be under his control soon. Harbinger interjects, and assumes direct control of TIM through his cybernetics. TIM dies screaming. The Crucible is finished charging, and you attempt to go for the console, but Harbinger blocks you. You must now fight Harbinger. Cue a boss fight similar to when we fought Saren. During pauses in the action, there will be cuts to the space battle, ground battle, and dialogue with Harbinger.
Harbinger confirms that the races of the galaxy are harvested in order to make more Reapers, making their side stronger. They are destroyed before they can advance to a point where they could actually fight the Reapers. **** the bull**** about synthetics versus organics. Keep it simple.
Fighting on the ground is intense. Shepard's squadmates and other important characters rally and weather the Reaper assault.
The battle in space is desperate. The Allied fleet has been severely weakened by the initial assault on Earth, but Hackett rallies his forces to hold their lines. Cut to shots of the Normandy engaging a Reaper and winning if it has the thanix cannon. One Reaper breaks through the Allied lines and move toward the Citadel: Harbinger. Hackett's dreadnought is the last ship in a position to protect the Crucible, and he positions himself directly in Harbinger's path. Hackett's ship takes heavy damage. He retaliates with a javelin strike to take down Harbinger's shields, and then follows up with his ship's main gun. Harbinger is badly damaged but, keeps advancing. Hackett's ship is out of javelins and then has it's main gun knocked out. Hackett order's his ship to full thrust forward. Harbinger tries firing on Hackett's ship, but is unable to destroy it. The two impact. Hackett's ship explodes. It is his finest hour.
This sever's Harbinger's link with TIM's body, and allows Shepard to finsih it off. Shepard walks over to the console, and a Prothean VI appears. It informs Shepard about using the Crucible. Shepard has questions and they are answered. The Crucible can do one of two things. It can either destroy all Reaper technology in the galaxy, or allow Shepard to control all Reaper technology in the galaxy. Shepard's squadmates point out that the Mass Relays and the Citadel were also made by the Reapers, so if Shepard chose that option, for one thing they would all die, because the Citadel would be destroyed with them on it. And that whole long list of things that would be bad when all the relays are destroyed. Shepard considers the other option. The Prothean VI informs Shepard that he would have to be infused with the Reapers in order to control them. He'll die. Controlling the Reapers is a huge unknown and a huge risk. Would Shepard be the same person afterward? What would he do with that power? As Shepard contemplates, his squadmates notice something.
From the debris of Hackett's dreadnought, Harbinger emerges, badly damaged. It's lasers no longer work, so it limps toward the Crucible. He gets one last report from space and the ground. The fleets are at the breaking point, with more Reapers slipping through their lines and advancing on the Citadel. His friends on the ground are reduced to fighing in close quarters, and are close to being overrun. Whatever decision Shepard makes, he is now has limited time.
You could decide to do nothing: This choice has Shepard decide that no one should have the power to both destroy the galaxy as we know it, or to control the Reapers. Both are not worth the cost. Shepard destroys the console. He hopes that the next cycle will be able to do what he couldn't. He shares some words with Anderson. Shepard spends his last moments with his squadmates, or his love interest if he brough them. They watch as Harbinger descends on the Crucible.
The epilogue is largely the same as the downer ending. The Reapers win. Everyone is dead. But at least Shepard wasn't constrained by a difficult choice.
If you choose to destroy the Reapers: The Crucible powers up, and activates right as Harbinger gets to it. Harbinger is blown away. This sequence appears mostly identical to what happened in the game. The surviving Allied fleet ships stop and watch. Some Reapers try to run, but they can't escape. The wave of energy hits Earth and spreads all over the world. All Reaper forces are disintigrated. The Conduit collapses. Your friends on the ground emerge from the rubble. The Citadel then aims at the Charon Mass Relay. It fires once more, pumping the relay full of it's energy, and the relay fires toward it's sister relay. The relays themselves are destroyed, but all their energy is released as Reaper killing energy. Cut to Palaven, Thessia, and other worlds as it shows the Reapers being destroyed.
Shepard observes these results on the console. The Citadel is rocked by explosions. I've thought of some 'sub endings' for this part:
The first one is that you and your squadmates die. It's a scene somewhat similar to choosing not to do anything at all. You share some words with Anderson, and then you spend your final moments with your squadmates. Shepard takes solace in the fact that the Reapers will no longer be a threat. He's concerned about what will happen to the Galaxy, but hopes that they'll be able to figure the future out themselves.
I'm not sure how it could be implemented, but the other scene has Joker going on one last extraction run. I don't know what you'd have to do to get this ending over the other one, but somehow, Joker is able to get to you and your Squadmates and pull you guys out at the last second. This is the semi good end.
Both epilogues will be narrated by Shepard. The galaxy has survived, but at an extremely high cost. Without the relays, everyone is now cut off, and isolated. The Alliance got busy disposing of the Reaper corpses by launching them into Sol. Cleanup and rebuilding began around the world. Due to the destruction of the relays, Earth had to become self sustainable. Thanks to ingenuity and technology, this was achieved after some time.
The alien forces considered attempting to return to their worlds, but all knew that the distances were too vast to be overcome, even through FTL travel. Earth was no longer the home of just humans.
The krogan were granted land. While the clans were united during the war, eventually internal conflicts broke out. Such is the krogan way. They eventually scattered, living out their long lives alone, all over the planet. They became more rare as time went on, eventually becoming the stuff of legends. Due to their long life spans, it was a while before they died out.
The salarians, knowing they wouldn't be around for much longer, did what they could to help the humans with what time they had left.
The turians had few women on their ships, barely enough for a viable gene pool. They integrated with humans in a few of their cities. They could either struggle to keep their numbers up, die out, or they eventually make it.
The quarians did okay for themselves. If you had the geth help them too, the quarians would be able to adjust to Earth and live there in their own enclaves. If the geth were not present, the quarians would live on their warships. With a good mix of males and females, the Quarians were able to maintain a steady population. The greater concern was food. They worked with the Turians to synthesize dextro amino acid food.
It's the asari who were able to thrive. Thanks to being mono gendered, it didn't take many of them to grow into a sizable population after a few generations. They also integrated with the humans.
The geth helped immensely in the rebuilding. If they were there with the quarians, then they integrated back with quarian society. If not, then they kept to themselves in space. Eventually, some geth left in order to explore and seek out the rest of the collective. Aging wasn't a concern, so decades of FTL travel seemed feasible.
Other places in the galaxy were able to rebuild as well. Some were not so fortunate. Many colonies and space stations starved, or ran out of energy. Element zero became exceptionally rare and valuable, because almost no one had access to raw eezo.
As soon as they were able, Earth's top scientists began studying how to replicate the mass relays. Without the resources and scientists of the rest of the galaxy, progress was slow. It would not be for hundreds of years more that anyone would come close to solving this problem.
Insert individual epilogues of Shepard, his love interest, and his squadmates of the things they do on Earth if they are alive. If Anderson is alive, then he becomes head of the Alliance. A final scene should focus on the memorial for all who lost their lives in the Reaper war, and for Shepard if applicable. Any living squad members and important characters should be present.
If you choose to control the Reapers: Shepard makes his decision, and his squadmates are distraught. Especially his love interest. He shares words with Anderson and his squad, and then steps up to the console. Shepard is elevated to a thing basically like what we have in the game to control the Reapers. He uses it and dies. Harbinger is about to reach the Crucible, but the Crucible powers up, and releases a pulse. Harbinger goes dark. And then it's eyes and other light colors change to blue. It stops, and turns to face the other Reapers. One by one, they also change their colors. The Allied fleet ceases fire. The ones on Earth do the same. The ground forces attacking your friends suddenly fall over dead. The Reapers on the planet take off and leave. This sequence is more or less the same as the one in the game, but without the destruction of the mass relays. Instead of an explosion, the relays recieve the signal, and then emit a pulse. Eventually this turns every Reaper in the galaxy. Cut to scenes of Thessia and Palaven. Every Reaper ship then makes its way to Earth, and they gather around the Citadel. Your squad and the Allied fleet are wary, but the Citadel begins to glow with dark energy. And the Reapers use the Citadel as a mass relay, and use it to leave.
No one knows where they went. As the various fleets move through the relay network to survey the damage from the war, they find no trace of the Reapers. It becomes apparent that they have left the galaxy. People speculate as to the reason. Perhaps Shepard had the Reapers banish themselves, or remove themselves from the galaxy to stop hurting it. Maybe there is an unknown threat outside the galaxy and Shepard had the Reapers leave to fight it. They could have gone to a different galaxy. Will they return? No one knows except Shepard, and he is dead.
Rebuilding the galaxy was difficult, but not impossible. Thanks to the Reapers, the galaxy was united as never before. The Citadel was eventually moved back to it's old position in the Widow system. It returned to being the center of galactic politics.
With the heavy losses incurred by the Allied fleet, there was a definite power vacuum for a while. If Shepard didn't do enough to unite the galaxy, smaller wars for power would break out.
Due to it's part in the war, and thanks to Commander Shepard, humanity finally earned the respect and trust of the whole galaxy.
Relations with the krogan would depend on whether or not the genophage was actually cured. If so, then the Krogan expanded rapidly. Eventually, overpopulation occurred, but they had learned the lessons of the Krogan rebellions. The Krogans expanded into unknown space, exploring, and developing many colonies. They also limited their breeding.
If the genophage was not cured, then it eventually became apparent that the krogan had been used. They went on a bloody rampage that set fire to many worlds, and even the Citadel. The Krogan would be wiped out.
If the geth were able to work with the quarians, then they both settled on Rannoch. The quarians adapted quickly to the environment and thrived. And by working with the geth, their society grew rapidly. For their part in the battle for Earth, the quarians rejoined the Citadel, and were given an embassy.
If the quarians won their war with the geth, it's largely the same outcome, just that they wouldn't have expanded or adapted nearly as fast.
If the geth won, then they would eventually complete their dyson sphere and achieve unity.
Other than that, things should go back to normal with the mass relays still working. Again, the final scene should bring together the characters who are still living and have them at Shepard's memorial, either on the Citadel or Earth.
These two are bittersweet endings. And these ones actually make sense.
If you have a high EMS:
The space battle will go very well for the Sword fleet. You'd be bringing in an overwhelming amount of ships. Morale is high. I want to see every dreadnought that the Allies have. I want to see javelin missle swarms taking down Reaper shields. I want to see thanix cannons. The Reapers simply aren't prepared to do battle with this many ships. The initial assault is a success. The Reapers get hit hard, and while they still have alot of firepower, the Allied fleet is able to deal them heavy losses. Hackett's dreadnought and the Normandy both get kills.
As a consequence, almost all of Hammer group makes it to the ground. Hammer group is also larger this time. They gain several footholds in London and begin taking the city back. The FOB you go to is flowing with troops. More are arriving by the second, and are advancing from the perimeter. There is heavy fighting during the push to the Conduit, but Hammer group is cutting deep into the enemy. They have enough forces to secure their flanks as well. The Reaper ground forces are actually driven back to the destroyer. There is no fight with the destroyer as it gets overwhelmed by Hammer group.
Back in space, the Reapers have regrouped, and reengage the Allied fleet. Maintaining some control of the area, Hackett orders in Shield fleet and the Crucible, instructing them to set up near the Citadel. They are waiting for Hammer to open the Citadel. The Reapers realize what's happening, and try to intercept the Crucible, but Sword and Shield fleets repulse their attack. They are also become aware of the situation in London. Harbinger and a few other Reapers break off from their main group to go after the Conduit. Hackett sees this, and orders the Alliance fleets to intercept them. The Reapers take withering fire from the Alliance ships, many being destroyed. Harbinger attempts to engage Hackett's dreadnought, but he has support and Harbinger is driven off. Some reapers make it to the Conduit, but they are destroyed by Hammer and by the Alliance ships in orbit. Harbinger and the reamaining Reaper forces withdraw, going to FTL and escaping through the Relay. The Allied fleets celebrate. Hackett reminds them to stay on their guard, the Crucible will be what ends the war.
News spreads of the battle to those on the ground. Hammer is advancing past the Conduit, pushing the Reaper forces out of the area. Shepard and Anderson decide to lead a strike team through the Conduit and onto the Citadel. Several of Hammer's squads go through the Conduit and then Shepard steps through. He is greeted by a firefight. Every Cerberus soldier who didn't die on their base was called to the Citadel by the Illusive man. The strike teams are heavily engaged. Anderson and Shepard are separated, with Shepard and his squad fighting through to the command console. They reach it, expecting to find the Illusive man there. But there is no one. So Shepard opens the Citadel's arms. He radios Hackett and tells him that they are ready for the Crucible.
Just then, several Phantoms decloak with their blades aready in front on Shepard and your squad's throats. You and your squad drop your weapons. TIM emerges, applauding. You did what he needed, and now he will get the Crucible. Shepard tries to communicate with Hackett or anyone else, but TIM is jamming their comms. You talk back and forth. You can weaken his resolve, but eventually the Phantom guarding you gets shot in the head, Anderson steps out. He throws a flashbang grenade into your group. Shepard rolls out of the way and TIM escapes the blast, but it stuns your squadmates and the Phantoms guarding them. Boss fight. The Phantoms go after you while TIM fights Anderson.
All the while in space, the remaining Reapers, pulled off of Palaven, Thessia, and countless other worlds arrive with Harbinger. They pour through the relay. Hackett orders the Allied fleet to engage. He tries telling Shepard to activate the Crucible, but Shepard can only hear Hackett, not respond.
After killing the Phantoms, Shepard tries to help Anderson. TIM reveals that he's had upgrades done, and overpowers Anderson, shooting him in the gut. He's about to finish him, but Shepard tackles him. TIM throws him off. Boss fight. Shepard disables TIM. He's in pain, but thanks to his implants, he can't die. Your squad comes to, and one of them helps out Anderson.
Meanwhile, the space battle rages outside. The Allied fleet is holding its own, but they are taking losses in the center. The Reapers are attempting to break through to the Citadel, but are taking heavy losses. Harbinger and a few other large Reapers emerge and advance.
Shepard gets to the console and brings up the Prothan VI. He is informed of his options. Like the medium EMS version, both are apalling. As Shepard weighs his options TIM begins to glow and surge with energy. Harbinger is trying to assume direct control. TIM cries out for help. Shepard can talk to him. Blah blah blah fight the indoctrination. If you've got a high enough paragon or renegade score, you can talk down TIM who asks you to put him down. If you don't, Harbinger assumes control of TIM and you have to go through the boss fight from the meduim EMS ending. But this time it will be harder.
After defeating Harbinger/TIM, you again step up to the console. Harbinger sees how close you are to winning and charges the Allied fleet. It and other heavy Reapers break through. Hackett does his best to engage Harbinger. Again, you only have so much time before Harbinger destroys the Crucible. But you have another option. Again, you can choose to not do anything, but instead of resigning yourself to death, you inspire the fleets.
The choices from before are laregely unchanged: If you control or destroy the Reapers, the same basic things happen. In the epilogue, the size of the surviving fleet is much larger.
But when you refuse to take either choice: Shepard opens the console radio. Thanks to the Citadel, it is broadcast to all Allied ships and ground forces around the world. Shepard goes into the inspirational speech to end all inspirational speeches. He inspires and rallies the fleet. In turn, they destroy Harbinger. With their leader dead, the Reaper forces are left in disarray. In their push to the Citadel, they left themselves open to encirclement, and are now surrounded. The fleet destroys every Reaper present. On the ground, the resistence movement ignites all over the world. Hammer group is inspired to push the Reaper forces out of London. Victory.
Again the epilogue is narrated by Shepard. After the battle, the fleets went about liberating planets from Reaper forces. Shepard hunted down every last Reaper. Whenever a new one showed up it was met with overwhelming force. After a few years, the war was declared over.
The rest of the epilogue occurs like the epilogue for controlling the Reapers. Things go back to normal. The galaxy enters a new era of peace and prosperity. For the first time ever the entire galaxy is united.
The final scene should actually be playable. Shepard talks to all the important characters at a war memorial ceremony. Good times.
So yeah, this is the golden ending.
Modifié par G3n0c1de, 19 mars 2012 - 11:20 .
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