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[The Twilight God]

PART I: The Reapers’ Capture of the Citadel
 
I found this problematic as it contradicts what was already established in Mass Effect 1

 
1. The Citadel’s defenses. The ward arms have impervious exterior armored plating coupled with the ability to close its arms to protect its interior.
 
Logic would dictate that the approach of a reaper fleet through the Widow mass relay would trigger one reaction from Citadel Control: The closing of the ward arms. Mass Effect established that the reapers no longer have a means to gain control of the Citadel remotely.
 
How did the reapers manage to take it so easily?
 
A. The Catalyst?
 
No, this invalids the entire plot of Mass Effect 1. However, from a sheer efficiency standpoint, it would make the most sense for the Catalyst to have acquired this capability (via an upgrade) at some point during the countless extinction cycles. This alludes to the absurdity of the Catalyst’s introduction into the story at all. But that is a topic I’ll get to at a later time.
 
B. Cerberus sleeper agents?
 
Possibly. However, it isn’t alluded to in the game. And given the events that transpired during Ambassador Udina’s attempted coup against the Council, I would think precautions would have been taken to prevent this. We are informed in-game that C-Sec was successfully cracking down on the Cerberus presence within the Citadel.
 
C. Indoctrinated C-SEC officers?
 
Possibly, but it is never alluded to in the game.  Still, it is the only option that is believable given what we know. As in, the Reapers literally attached themselves to the Citadel’s hull and indoctrinated people within the interior from the exterior. Quickly enough to break their minds, but not so fast as to render them so mentally lethargic that they were unable to perform the reapers’ objective. A detailed compilation of the varying effects of indoctrination intensities has never been fully revealed.
 
However, this would introduce another plot inconsistency…
 
 
2. The Citadel is the master control for the entire Mass Relay network. If the reapers are in control of the Citadel they could have shut down specific mass relays throughout the network. Essentially, rendering everything you accomplished in Mass Effect 1 null and void.
 
In Mass Effect 1 Vigil explains that the reapers used the citadel to isolate each star cluster. Given the importance of the Citadel in relation to the mass relay network, why did they not take the Citadel from the very beginning? With this tactic the reapers could have shut down any sustained resistance and prevented any form of functional cooperation between the various species.
 
But there is an alternative.
 
One could deduce that the reapers never actually gained control of the Citadel. They simply enveloped it in a combined mass effect field and moved it without ever having gained the consent of those inside. In this scenario it is possible to include the concept that indoctrinated sleeper agents onboard, although not able to gain full control, were able to establish the Conduit connection to the interior.  Assuming these areas were cut off and fortified from the Citadel at large. Of course the reapers would then send in reinforcements via the Conduit. This opens the doors for new subplot in which Commander Bailey, Aria and Aeythta rally the Citadel Militia forces which can explain why the reapers did not have full control of the mass relay system. This scenario would also explain why the reapers brought the Citadel to one of their controlled worlds versus simply holding it within the Widow Nebula: They needed a means to get a steady supply of reinforcements to whatever forces were already inside to maintain control of the ward arms.
 
However, this all needs to be expressed in-game.
 
Closing Notes: The Citadel Militia actually having an observable role would be a nice addition.  It would be nice to see characters like Aria and Aeythta in action. The final approach doesn’t have to be the solo route for Shepard.  Wrex (or Coates is Wrex is KIA) could have made it to the Conduit beforehand and become a temporary squad mate like Anderson in the beginning.  Your group (consisting of Shepard, Anderson and Wrex/Coates) enter together and fight their way through.  Wrex/Coates and Anderson protect and escort a wounded Shepard (who is limping) to the control console area.  They communicate with Militia via radio. Wrex/Coates eventually break from your squad to hold the line with Aria and Aeythta. We would have an “Aleena” reunion if Wrex is present.  Anderson scouts ahead since he is faster that injured Shepard, which explains how he got to the control room first. Why are they escorting Shepard vs. handling it themselves?  He has the Prothean Cipher and is the best candidate to interface with the Crucible. As it incorporates Prothean tech, but cranial interface modifications tailored to council species, Javik isn’t the best candidate.  I’ll get into that in the next segment.
 
When my squad was evacuated I expect to have to fight my way to the control console by myself as in the Arrival DLC. I found it odd that the London Conduit lead directly to the ward arm control console. Where were the processing facilities?  A few dead bodies laying around in one corridor is not a processing facility.  Anderson's claim to have followed you in, but somehow beat you into the Citadel made no sense. And they wonder why people seem to NEED to believe it was an indoctrination event rather than believe Casey Hudson and Mac Walters writing is this bad.

Modifié par The Twilight God, 10 juillet 2012 - 08:32 .

[The Twilight God]

PART II: The Crucible

This device has too much unnecessary mystery attached to it.

It seems that the question, "What is the Catalyst?" wasn’t enough of an unknown for the galactic community. The galaxy is also in the dark about exactly how the Crucible itself will eliminate the reaper threat. This is somewhat problematic for a few reasons.


1. The way it is introduced is - for the lack of a better word - LAZY…

… Lazy, uninspired and demonstrates that the writer put absolutely no thought into how they were going to wrap the series up until the absolute last minute. The Crucible or some proto-form of the concept should have been introduced in Mass Effect 2; even something as little as a clue within the collective collector data recovered by EDI from the Collector Ship and Base. These clues would ultimately guide scientists to the right libraries within the Mars Archive. Instead of Joker handing Shepard useless photos of a Reaper family vacation it should have shown some preliminary form of tech that would later be learned to be the Crucible. As it stands ME2’s only purpose was establishing groundwork for the Quarian/Geth conflict and the Genophage resolution: Two major themes in ME3 which only amounted to about 5% of ME2. I doubt Bioware would update ME2’s ending with even something as minor as presenting the form of a proto-crucible concept instead of presumably useless photos of Harbinger posing for Fornax.

The way it is presented in the Mars Mission was in a way that gives the impression that it could have been found at any time, but that the scientific community just now decided to "look in the right places". Because, apparently, for the past 3 years nobody was even making a serious try at getting anything useful from the Mars Archive. *rolleyes*


2. All the species are supposed to abandon their own defense plans to support a device that failed in previous cycles. Not only did it fail, but they don’t know exactly what it is supposed to do to even ascertain why it failed. Despite this everyone seems so easily ready to throw all their resources at it with no tangible reason to have any faith in it at all.

From inception, there is no hint that the Crucible is anything more than a weapon capable of destroying a single reaper dreadnaught at any given time from anywhere in the galaxy: A Mass Relay Cannon. Later Admiral Hackett seems to assume it will do more than that. We should have known exactly what it was going to do and how it was going to do it.

A. Obviously, we already know Destroy is a choice. That is the principle purpose behind constructing the Crucible. However, we should know exactly what it does and how it does it even if we don’t know what this catalyst is that makes it do it. We don’t have to learn this right away; information can be acquired over the course of the story when Hackett updates Shepard on its progress. But at a certain point these scientist have to know the details. They are building it for Christ’s sake.

B. The Control option should have been introduced by The Illusive Man on Thessia as more than a theory. He should have explained how he KNOWS it is a possible function of the Crucible (he has the archive data), not how he THINKS it might work. These decisions should be better foreshadowed and points in the story should weigh the possible pros and cons of this choice. Players should have had more time to consider it. Also, so it does not present itself as a ploy by the Catalyst to convince Shepard to commit suicide.

　
3. The current cycle’s species do not add any fundamental improvements to it. They simply build it using the components they have, which are superficial alterations out of sheer necessity.


It would make more sense if they came to understand what it was and how it would work. Then in conjunction with the Prothean design, implemented design alterations that made it a fundamental improvement over the Prothean design. This would coincide with the "Legacy of Improvement" concept introduced later in the game. Given the way the protagonist’s choices are presented at the conclusion of ME3 I feel the interface being in the form of a chair (ala Total Recall) would work best as it can incorporate each ending’s function without the contrived preset interface stations in the current ending. The fact that it was reverse engineered from a prothean design would give a reason why Shepard is the best candidate to activate it as it's interface is made for the current humanoid races, but the user would need the prothean cipher to interact with it.

Only Synthesis would be a choice unknown by Shepard until he reaches the Crucible Chamber. All three endings can be achieved through a single interface; an interface that you were well aware of beforehand. Instead, we have the Control and Destory interface pre-built into the Citadel. This makes no sense.

The Crucible itself is the large Jedi datacron looking object within the spherical enclosure. The elevator should lift Shepard up through the interior of Crucible so that you see the magnificence of the energy-matrix-field-generator-core-whatever. The interface Chair would then be above the actual weapon on the "roof" so that we don’t lose the 360 degree view of the battle taking place over Earth. The surface of the Crucible, which would have a mass effect fields holding in atmosphere, allows for a more extravagant local. You can have a Tron-like area with energy running through conduits and whatnot.

I found the entire level design of the Catalyst Chamber too pre-contrived. If the Control and Synthesis options are something the Catalyst didn’t preconceived and just now presented itself at the moment the Crucible docked why are there three paths already on the Citadel itself that fork to these three options when two of those three options just came into existence?

Modifié par The Twilight God, 12 juillet 2012 - 02:23 .

[The Twilight God]

PART III: The Catalyst
 
What is the Catalyst and What Purpose does it serve?

 
1. Its Connection to the Citadel
 
The Catalyst is housed within the Citadel.
However, the Catalyst has no direct control over any of the Citadel’s functions.
The Catalyst cannot stop Shepard from activating the Crucible.
The Catalyst can deactivate the Crucible (It does just that in Refusal ending).
The Catalyst has... wait! WHAT!?!?
 
This entity that is housed in the Citadel cannot control the relay network, cannot open or close the ward arms, cannot affect life support and cannot activate the Citadel relay. I believe it has been established in-game that the reapers are at least 37 million years old. In 37 million years of harvesting various species, and no doubt having had trillions of husk variations throughout that time to perform manual labor, this supposed ultra advanced AI never once considered acquiring upgrades. This is absurd.  Mass Effect 1 should never have occurred if the Catalyst exists.
 
Sovereign: Keepers, this is Big Sov. Activate the Citadel Relay pronto.
Keepers: What-everrrrrr.
Sovereign: Son of a b…  Hey, Bossman, mind starting up that Citadel relay?
Catalyst: Sure thing, Sovvy.  Let me just extend my arms and fire up the old girl because that is way more practical and efficient than using keepers.  And we synthetics are all about efficiency and practicality, right? No windows!!!
 
Well, our best friend the Catalyst can’t do any of this. Yet this entity can deactivate an alien device that is not a part of Citadel? Ooo-kay. Funny how "my previous Solution won't work anymore", by virtue of Shepard’s arrival. But apparently it does work if you choose Refusal. More proof that Refusal is just an F.U. ending that accomplished nothing but adding more plot holes. EDI was been around for 3 years, give or take, and she is constantly seeking to better herself and improve efficiency. The galaxy should be relieved that EDI (or any non-retarded life form for that matter) isn’t the Catalyst.
 
 
2. Its Flawed Logic
 
1. Organics, if allowed to self determinate, will inevitably create synthetic life to compensate for organic limitations.
2. Synthetics, because they are created by organics, are initially limited by the imagination of their creators.
3. Synthetics, if allowed to self determinate, will improve themselves and thus surpass their creators. 
4. Organics seek perfect through technology. Synthetics seek perfection through understanding.
5. This, in and of itself, will lead to conflict… somehow.
6. The created (superior) will destroy the creator (inferior).
 
And presumably the destruction of their immediate creators won’t satisfy the synthetics’ bloodlust.  For they will then reach out across the stars and systematically wipe out every pocket of organic existence in the known galaxy just for kicks. 
 
Correct me if I missed anything.
 
It’s not just the huge leap of logic between #4 and #5 that is the problem. The very conditions that supposedly led to the creation of the Reapers are self contradicting. 
 
The extinction of all organic life in the galaxy? This has never happened prior to the creation of the Reapers. Otherwise, there would be no organics.  So the Catalyst is working on an assumption, not a mountain of proof. Organics created the Catalyst in order to find a solution to an inevitably violent organic-synthetic schism; a conflict that obviously did not affect these organics as they obviously had the means to not go extinct before the Catalyst’s introduction into the equation. They had the means to police the galaxy themselves evident in their creation of the reaper technology (i.e. being at the top of the technological ladder).  And assuming they were afraid of the mere possibility that synthetics would eventually destroy all organic life, their solution - create a synthetic and put it in charge - is… bizarre. 
 
The Catalyst’s research into the matter? Obviously none if it was conclusive since organics are very much still here. As far as we are able to deduce the Reapers harvest organic civilizations once they reach a certain technological level. This is irrespective of rather or not there is an imminent non-reaper synthetic threat. They did not wait for the Geth to initiate our “inevitable” genocide. They did not wait for the Zha’til to “inevitably” wipe out the Protheans. Like the Geth in our cycle, the zha’til only became aggressive after reaper influence. Who knows how long ago it has been since the Catalyst decided to predict the future based on what can only be partial evidence taken from an insufficient sample size.
 
Question: What kind of sample size does one need to calculate a probability when measuring in infinity?
Answer: Not enough
 
The writers want to convey this idea that the reapers have a mountain of evidence spanning millions of years when they can only have a dirt pile at best.  A dirt pile next to the hole they dug themselves. The Catalyst is created to find a solution to the problem of synthetics destroying all organic life.  A problem that cannot have actually existed to begin with as any power on the part of organics to do anything against it is contrary to the idea of there being a credible threat.
 
So to recap:
1. Organics fear possibility of synthetics destroying organics.
2. Organics create the very thing they fear, a synthetic, to figure out how not to destroy them.
3. Synthetic concludes that in order to prevent synthetics from killing organics, synthetics need to kill organics since organics can’t be killed if they are dead.
4. Hilarity ensues for millions upon millions of years to come.
 
The human reaper would have never been human. Humanity would have been harvested and the human race would be lost forever. Liquefying a person and pouring that ooze into a bottle doesn’t preserve their way of thinking, their culture, their history, their identity nor their feelings; it does not preserve anything but a genetic sample; nothing else. The Catalyst is delusional if it thinks it is saving anyone by killing them. And preserving them in reaper form to what end exactly? None apparently as a reapers duties are not a reflection of the species whose goo they are hauling around.
 
And this is what bothers me more than the ridiculousness of the Catalyst’s logic is the fact that it is portrayed as “working as intended”; as if it is making rational decisions and its solution makes any sense. This thing needed to be portrayed as degraded or malfunctioning.  It could have been the product of an organic-synthetic mind melding procedure similar to Project Overlord. This is in line with its purpose to find a common ground between synthetic and organic life. If synthetics and organics could not find a common ground how is adding another synthetic to the mix going to make a difference?  So in my version it would have been working as intended for several decades, but the physical body of the organic died and the death trauma affected it. This leads it to eventually becoming more disturbed and its logic becomes more twisted and perverse. This does not reconcile with Sovereign’s comments in Mass Effect 1, but all I can do is sprinkle glitter on this turd. The Catalyst is still a horrible idea for the reasons listed above and below.
 
 
3. Shepard’s Submission and Irrational Trust
 
Here is the setup:
 
1. Shepard hits some random buttons and a magic lift appears out of thin air and brings him to the Catalyst chamber on a beam of light.
2. The Catalyst identifies itself as the collective will of the Reapers.  Ergo, it is the spokesman for the Reapers for all intents and purposes.
3. So now the Reapers want to assist Shepard. Now that the Catalyst is installed they’ve turned a new leaf.  The current solution is no longer viable accept for the fact that they are still engaging the allied fleets.
4. Now the reapers want to work with Shepard (now that he presumably has them by the balls). They even offer two additional “suggestions”.
Option 1 – Destroy the Reapers. They are quick to sour this one by stating it will destroy all synthetic life, possibly screw with the relays and imply that it will lead to Shepard’s death; painting your intended purpose as the worst possible outcome.
Option 2 – Control the Reapers. All Shepard has to do is act like a fuse between two live electrical conduits and be incinerated.
Option 3 – Synthesis organic and synthetic life. The last option is to jump into a deadly particle beam and be incinerated.
 
Note that if Shepard chooses option 2 or 3 and it turns out the Reapers are lying (*gasp* Perish the thought!) he has just committed suicide and doomed the current cycle to utter destruction on the word of the Reapers, the beings he is in a position to destroy and who presumably don’t want to be destroyed.  The Catalyst is the personification of the things that are responsible for perpetrating the carnage going on around him for over 37 million years. Why would Shepard risk trusting it? Your guess is as good as mine. No reason is ever given to legitimize Control or Synthesis being taken seriously by Shepard.
 
Shepard never gets to debate the Catalyst or question its assertions. He just mindlessly nodes and accepts whatever this thing says. Shepard is never allowed to argue against the Catalyst's assertions by bringing up his relationship with EDI. Shepard is never allowed to argue against the Catalyst's assertions by bringing up his work to resolve the conflict between the Geth and the Quarians. The game itself can be split into 3 main parts: Genophage, Cerberus and Quarian/Geth conflict. That was a fairly important chunk of the game and it is completely trivialized; a third of the plot is utterly ignored.
 
 
4. The Sheer Pointlessness of its Inclusion
 
Yes, the argument for its absurdity continues.
 
Oddly enough this entity we have come to know as the Catalyst is NOT the Catalyst. The Citadel is the Catalyst.  It is the Citadel’s function as the master control of the relay network that facilitates its designation as catalyst. Without the Citadel to distribute its energy throughout the relays the Crucible can only affect a relatively small portion of the galaxy at any given time. This is why it failed in previous cycles.  The being, aptly named “Star Brat”, was not known to anyone prior to Shepard reaching its chamber so the idea that the Crucible was designed to work in concert with the Reapers themselves is absurd.
 
So what exactly is the purpose of the “Star Kid”?
 
In the original ending it is nothing but a glorified option menu. A role that could easily be filled by the Crucible’s onboard advanced VI. Vigil, anyone? I could trust a "vigil" and this trust would make Control and Synthesis acceptable options.
 
In the Extended Cut it is wrapped in a weak Deus ex Machina. If you played the Arrival DLC you are aware that Harbinger appeared to Shepard and communicated with him via some form a link associated with gradual indoctrination.  As there is very little solid lore on indoctrination there is no precedent against this form of communication reoccurring given Shepard’s proximity to so many reapers.
 
So why not make “the collective consciousness of the Reapers” actually be the collective consciousness of the reapers (or at least just Harbinger) with no implied connection to the Citadel? Why throw everything we’ve learned under the rug in the last 10 minutes? Why lower the Reapers from unknowable, immensely power, genocidal tyrants down to some bratty AI’s toys? None of this was necessary.
 
The saddest part about the Catalyst is that if the game simply cut to the Destroy Ending after Anderson dies and the relays weren’t severely damaged to the point of being non-functional the ending wouldn’t be so bad. The ending would still lack closure if Shepard supposedly survives, but the epilogue wouldn’t contradict established lore and what the player has just seen occur moments beforhand.

Modifié par The Twilight God, 17 juillet 2012 - 02:08 .

[The Twilight God]

PART IV: The Ending(s)

 
The Original Endings: I feel I should first comment on the original endings. The point is to show just how out of touch the writers who authored the endings are. Because remember: They were supposedly surprised at how the ending was received. Ending (singular), as let's face it; there was only one.
 
1. The Mass Relays Exploded.
The Arrival DLC showed us that the destruction of a mass relays, equal in power to a supernova, results in the destruction of the star system it occupies. The player witnesses the Sol relay explode and is then shown a galaxy map depicting each relay being hit by the Crucible’s payload in succession. The only outcome, given what we know, is that Earth is destroyed; Along with Thessia, Kur'kesh, Palaven, Tuchanka, Rannoch, Irune, Dekuuna, Kahje and many other worlds. And presumably many other non-space faring species, many we've never seen or heard of, are all destroyed before they ever reached their Bronze Age as the Reapers tend to put relays in systems where life is or will develop. Shepard has in one moment exterminated more life forms that even the Reapers would dare attempt. And in doing so dismantles everything he has been fighting to preserve.
 
2. Your Friends are Stranded or Dead.
Somehow the SSV Normandy, whose thrusters clearly explode and break apart in the middle of FTL travel, somehow crash lands on an unknown jungle world outside the blast range of a relay explosion. Without thrusters the Normandy would be unable to decelerate. Note that in Mass Effect ship thrusters fire in both directions. This is why the Normandy’s thrusters cover the entire span of its wings from forward to aft.  And if the mass effect field generator were damaged where they would collapse while the ship is moving at FTL speeds, the effects would be catastrophic. The ship would be snapped back to sub light velocity, the enormous excess energy shed in the form of lethal Cherenkov radiation.
 
Tali and Garrus presumably starve to death unless this planet’s biosphere is dextro-protein based. In which case, everyone else starves to death after some very violent diarrhea. But more than likely the levo-amino acid types among the Normandy crew live out the remainder of their lives hunting and/or gathering.
 
Conclusion:
It is a horrible ending based on what players are left to speculate on. And that would be the "good" ending? How was there even room for a bad one? What exactly did the fans not get? What exactly were they supposed to take from the original ending? It amazes me that anyone at Bioware actually wrote that ending and it withstood peer review. No one, not a single writer, opened up their cliff notes to point out the inconsistencies with the established lore?
 
How exactly was Bioware surprised by the backlash?
 
In reality this is exactly what Mac Walters originally wanted per his own admission. This shows just how out of touch Bioware is with players. They actually thought players would accept such an ending.
 
Now, on to the Extended Cut endings.
 
I have already gone over the Catalyst in the previous segment. To recap, the Catalyst identifies itself as the collective will of the Reapers. It goes on to state that it controls the Reapers. The Catalyst is, in effect, the personification of the Reapers. With the Crucible docked it claims to have been altered in that it now has new capabilities, which present new possibilities.  Now the reapers want to work with Shepard (who presumably has them by the balls).  They suggest an additional second and third option.
 
Option 1: Destroy the Reapers
This is the purpose for which the Crucible is constructed. This is what Shepard planned to do all along. The Reapers are quick to paint this option in a negative light. They explain that the Crucible will indiscriminately destroy not only the Reapers, but all synthetic life. The Crucible is made out to be the equivalent of a sawed-off shotgun being used to create an incision for open eye surgery. 
 
They also note that Shepard’s body contains synthetic parts to imply that the destroy option will kill him as well. The Reapers make an appeal to Shepard’s sense of comfort stating, “Could you imagine life with such technology?” This implies a total technological blackout. And don't forget that "The Chaos" will return. Can't have that, right? Now that the Reapers have soured the taste of using the Crucible for its intended purpose they offer their own suggestions.
 
Option 2: Control The Reapers.
The Reapers introduce the idea that Shepard, a sole human, can take control of the entire Reaper Armada. The Reapers, as we have been told in the past, are each a nation. Legion explained that there were a multitude of programs within Sovereign; perhaps equal in measure to the entire Geth Collective. And that is just one reaper. The Reaper forces at earth alone outnumber the entire allied fleet assembled by Shepard and even that is merely a fraction of their forces.
 
“TIM could not do it, but you? Oh, you’ve got it in the bag, Champ.” Sorry, but indoctrinated or not this proposition sounds fishy. Also note that the Control option doesn’t give Shepard control over all synthetics; just the reapers. The Geth, with their fancy reaper code upgrades, are spared this thralldom. Whatever happened to the indiscriminate sawed-off shotgun that is the Destroy Crucible?
 
All Shepard has to do is act as a fuse between two live electrical conduits and be disintegrated. Shepard has no prior data to suggest that being disintegrated via high voltage current will do anything except take his life and leave the Reapers free to continue destroying everything he has fought so hard these past 3 years to protect. It’s quite the gamble considering the option to destroy the Reapers and guarantee victory is right there.
 
Just moments earlier, Shepard argued with The Illusive Man against this very course of action. His exact statements were, “You're playing with things you don't understand. With power you shouldn't be able to use” and Shepard can question TIM asking, “Are you willing to bet humanity's existence on it?” Yet all it takes is one confirmation from the Reapers that it can work for Shepard to completely reverse his position on the subject. So now, betting humanity’s existence on the endorsement of the Reapers (who are currently doing their best to destroy all space-faring species) is now an acceptable risk. Recall what indoctrinated TIM said to Shepard when he asks, "Why waste your time with us if you can control the Reapers?" TIM (under Reaper influence) answers, "Because... I need you to believe." But you see, it's not TIM who needs Shepard to believe. Tim has the physical capacity to open the arms himself. It's the Reapers who need Shepard to believe. They are trying to indoctrinate Shepard through TIM as the Reapers tried to indoctrinate Kahlee Sanders through Paul Grayson. This is why this ending cannot be taken seriously.
 
Now we see why the Catalyst wishes to imply Shepard will die if he chooses to destroy the Reapers; to prevent any notion of self preservation from playing a role in the decision. Oh, and the Reapers are supposedly uncomfortable with Shepard taking control of them. This comment is thrown in to give the false impression that Shepard is in some way acting against the will of the Reapers with this action. He’s not.
 

Option 3: Synthesis.
Somehow the energy of the Crucible can rearrange and/or replace the molecular structure of organic material with synthetic molecules using Shepard's "energy".  Never mind the fact that Shepard is not an organic-synthetic hybrid himself.  I believe EDI, Liara (if romanced) and Doctor Chakwas dismiss this notion.  The EC epilogue gives the visual impression that nanotech attaches itself to the organic genome in the same manner as a husk.  I don’t understand why this would require Shepard’s “energy”. Not exactly sure how, but synthetics magically understand organics after this occurs which hints at the establishment of some form of shared psycho-perceptual functionality. In the same vein as those on the Derelict Reaper in ME2 who were under the effects of indoctrination and shared feelings, memories and thoughts. The Catalyst says, " The cycle will end. The reapers will cease their harvest.  And the civilizations preserved in their forms will be connected to all of us." Do we want the Reapers connected to all of us?
 
When Saren promotes Synthesis is Mass Effect 1 Shepard states, " Sovereign's controlling you through your implants." Saren replies, "The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the future, Shepard."
 
The Catalyst says, "Organics will be perfected by fully integrating with synthetic technology. Synthetics in turn will finally have full understanding of organics."
Saren says, "The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither."
 
The Catalyst says, "Synthesis is the final evolution of all life."
Saren says, "I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life."
 
The Catalyst says, "it is inevitable that you will reach Synthesis."
Saren says, "This is our destiny."

Synthesis is submission to the Reapers. Saren beseeches Shepard saying, "Do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms" and follows with, "Is submission not preferable to extinction?"

Recall the Catalyst states that synthesis is "inevitable".  We've heard this word used before.  Is this the same logic that it uses to justify the galactic extinction cycles? Does the very possibility of something make it "inevitable"? It goes on to say that Synthesis cannot be forced and immediately follows this up by explaining to Shepard that he can, in fact, force it on everyone in the galaxy via the Crucible. Ooo-kay. Funny how synthesis is inevitable, but the Reapers continue reaping if you refuse. It is difficult for organics and synthetics to "inevitably" reach synthesis if we are dead. The Zha, of the Prothean cycle, chose synthesis for themselves and the Reapers culled them anyway.

All Shepard has to do is jump into a deadly particle beam and be disintegrated. Shepard has no prior data to suggest that being disintegrated via particle beam will do anything except take his life and leave the Reapers free to continue destroying everything he has fought so hard these past 3 years to protect. It’s quite the gamble considering the option to destroy the Reapers and guarantee victory is right there.
 
Shepard: Sovereign's controlling you through your implants
Saren: The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. the strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the future Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a truth rebirth.
Shepard: I'd rather die than live like that.
 
As is mentioned above with Control, Shepard denounces Synthesis stating, " Some part of you must still realize this is wrong. You can fight them".  But all it takes is a mere suggestion by the Catalyst, the embodiment of the Reapers' will,  to cause a complete 180 degree change in Shepard's position on the subject?  Shepard now believes in synthesis and will sacrifice his own life to fulfill this reaper agenda. Just like Dr. Kenson in the Arrival DLC. 

 
Refusal:
This is just an F.U. ending thrown in by the developers because they cannot handle legitimate criticism. The fact that they took the time to make shooting the Star Kid initiate this ending is telling as forum members often posted about how they would shoot the kid out of frustration with the poorly written endings.  As an “ending” it doesn’t even deserve to be dignified with a response. However, I’ll list two oddities that cast doubt on the legitimacy of the Catalyst’s claims in regard to Synthesis and Control.
 
1. Shepard’s arrival demonstrates that the current solution will not work anymore; unless, of course, you refuse. At that point it’s just fine and dandy. “So be it”, says the Reapers forgoing all pretenses and returning to their menacing machines of doom voice. The Catalyst is therefore lying when it brings up Shepard’s presence invalidating its current solution. What else is it lying about?
2. Synthesis is inevitable, but the Reapers continue reaping if you refuse. They won’t allow it to occur naturally at our own pace. If the Catalyst is sincere about the inevitability of Synthesis, Refusal can’t play out. Continued Reaper harvesting eliminates the inevitability of Synthesis and catches the Catalyst in another lie.
 
 
Conclusion:
I’d like to go back to the selectiveness of the Crucible. Or should I say the selectiveness of the Catalyst. The Geth did not exist when the Crucible was designed. The Geth are unique among AIs in that they are software only. So how is it that the Control option does not affect them (despite their reaper code), but Destroy and Synthesis options do? How does the Crucible identify geth programs when the Geth did not exist when it was designed? Given the layout of the Catalyst’s chamber it seems it was, in fact, expecting the Crucible. It even had a piece of hardware set up to prevent the Crucible from firing which Shepard must disable to initiate the Destroy ending. It seems to me that it is the Catalyst who vindictively includes the Geth and EDI in the Crucible’s target list. Assuming the Catalyst couldn’t stop the Crucible from firing indefinitely since Shepard could eventually trigger it if he started shooting the place up, it can at least alter it enough to take out all synthetics it has on record. No matter what you do you are fulfilling the goals of the Reapers in some respect because whatever choice you make is on their terms. Their will is always done.
 
I don’t necessarily hate Synthesis and Control in theory. Synthesis is pure fairy magic, but I can live with this albeit with a few changes I’ll elaborate on in my next segment. I find those two endings - as is - illegitimate. Why are they illegitimate? They are both chosen by an indoctrinated Shepard and don’t accomplish the goal of the protagonist. They are actually variations of a “Reapers Win” ending. Now I'm not saying they are invalid endings. Quite the contrary; Shepard succombing to indoctrination is a believable outcome. Given the fact that Shepard has no reason to trust the Reapers his willingness to kill himself to advance their agenda makes it quite clear he was overcome by the indoctrination process in those last moments.  As far as I’m concerned those endings - as is - are delusions of a dying man playing out during the last seconds of his life. Or the narrators are narrating them from a Reaper imposed mentality (Synthesis) or a delusional interpretation of ongoing events from the perspective of Shepard's broken mind (Control). Shepard died and the cycle continued albeit in his minds eye he is "helping" and "looking out for people" or organics and synthetic were brainwashed into Repaer thralls.  Destroy, although the only logical ending for a non-indoctrinated Shepard, doesn’t give the galaxy the ability to say, “No, you’re wrong. We are going to prove it or die trying. If synthesis will happen it will be at the time and place of our choosing. OUR choice.” Instead, we lose this ability when the Catalyst adapts the Crucible to also destroy non-reaper synthetics. The reapers get to die on their own terms, taking with them the one dynamic that would represent their imminent failure (and negate our choices as a player). They are allowed to eliminate the short term necessity of their envisioned solution and therefore die with a grin on their smug mugs.
 
So there is no triumph of the organic-synthetic spirit. We capitulate to the Reapers themselves or their ideals. The End.
 
To Be Continued...
 
Next Up: Narrative and Consistency Problems… and Band-Aids

There is too much stuff to go over concerning the ending for just one post.

Modifié par The Twilight God, 29 juillet 2012 - 09:52 .

[Kasrkin]

Looking forward to reading your critiques on the catalyst and the endings. You raise some valid points in your first two posts in this thread.

Kudos.

[saber00005]

Agreed, but do you seriously think Bioware will take the time in reading this? yet alone explain the ending more than what they did? Don't get me wrong, I love ME3, but I still am not happy with the ending. Does NOT have that much clossure. I want to know about our squad mates, including the Love Interest. That's what we want!

[PanzerGr3nadier]

Interesting... I'll be following this threat, Like Kasrkin said; Lots of very valid points in your posts!

[PanzerGr3nadier]

saber00005 wrote...

Agreed, but do you seriously think Bioware will take the time in reading this? yet alone explain the ending more than what they did? Don't get me wrong, I love ME3, but I still am not happy with the ending. Does NOT have that much clossure. I want to know about our squad mates, including the Love Interest. That's what we want!

I'll give you 3 words;

EA
DLC
Sequel

[SpamBot2000]

I think it could do with a bit more C.

[The Twilight God]

saber00005 wrote...

Agreed, but do you seriously think Bioware will take the time in reading this? yet alone explain the ending more than what they did? Don't get me wrong, I love ME3, but I still am not happy with the ending. Does NOT have that much clossure. I want to know about our squad mates, including the Love Interest. That's what we want!

They can't explain the ending. There is nothing to explain. It's a train wreck of narrative, thematic and lore inconsistency and contradiction. This makes the current ending illegitimate. If you have an ending that is self contradicting, then only one of the two opossing parts can possibly be true. However, if any part is false the entire ending is invalidated.

If they have any real "artistic integrity" they will correct their mistake. As it stands ME3 has no legitimate ending unless Bioware adopts the Indoctrination idea. But even then they would still have to release a proper ending or continue the story in ME4.

[The Twilight God]

Kasrkin wrote...

Looking forward to reading your critiques on the catalyst and the endings. You raise some valid points in your first two posts in this thread.

Kudos.

Did anything I wrote not make sense?

[Kildin_of_the_Volus]

Bookmarked.

looking forward to part IV

[kyban]

Really well thought out. A must read for ME3 fans, no matter what your view on the ending is.

[darkchief10]

true, true, and true. I would pay hundreds of dollars for this information

[Pantanplan]

I read the whole thing OP, and you pretty much describe everything that's wrong with the endings. Looking forward to seeing you rip the ending itself to pieces.

[Reddof Nonnac]

Wonderfully written, too bad they more then likely won't see this.

[Yaos]

To me, it's not "C" enough. Cut the starbrat and I'm happy

[Krunjar]

Very very nice post. Hope bio-ware reads.

[Femlob]

Krunjar wrote...

Very very nice post. Hope bio-ware reads.

They will. They will not, however, respond to it. All but handful of them will not because they are not allowed to, while the remaining handful will not because they're too busy circle-jerking eachother over their deep and brilliant ending.

[Soultaker08]

Began reading it , so far a nice read, will complete it later

[GreyLycanTrope]

I'm of the opinion that there is not enough E make Part III not look like BS. Everything else could easily have used further elaboration.

[elitehunter34]

God damn you Twilight God I was working on making a post very similar to yours on why the ending is still bad. If you don't believe me I got the word document to prove it.

Anyways, I am so, so glad that someone FINALLY brought up the points you did in a single thread. A lot of people have been saying the Catalyst was a terrible idea, but few have given good reasons why. I'm very much looking forward to you finishing it.

EDIT: Twilight fix the thread name, why does it say "Mass Effect 3 EC not E enough"?  Take out that random capital E.

Modifié par elitehunter34, 18 juillet 2012 - 01:54 .

[Cheviot]

How did the Reapers manage to take it so easily?

Cerberus would've taken the Citadel the first time if it hadn't been for Shepard. Since Shepard wasn't there
the second time, Cerberus and the Reapers were able to succeed.

The Crucible or some proto-form of the concept should've been introduced in Mass Effect 2.

Why? Were the Collectors introduced in Mass Effect 1? No. Anyway why would the Collectors have information
on the Crucible? The Catalyst says that even it was sure all evidence of the Crucible had been destroyed in previous Cycles. And if the Collectors and Reapers had any indication of the existence of
the plans and where they were, then ME3 would've been a short game: their first target would've been the Mars Archives, and the galaxy would be doomed.

Despite this everyone seems so easily ready to throw all their resources at it with no tangible reason to have any faith in it at all.

The various races only started joining the construction effort once the Alliance started understanding the
plans and started building it, and once Shepard solved the centuries-old divisions between them. The resources weren't given easily.

The current cycle’s species do not add any fundamental improvements to it. They simply build it using the components they have, which are superficial alterations out of sheer necessity.

Even if we ignore all the improvements made to the Crucible, the current Cycle's main improvement was uniting so that the Crucible could be put into place and an Organic can reach the Catalyst for the first time in millions of years.
That's a pretty fundamental improvement.

In 37 million years of harvesting various species, and no doubt having had trillions of husk variations throughout that time to perform manual labor, this supposed ultra advanced AI never once considered acquiring upgrades. This is absurd.

Of course it's absurd, because it doesn't need husks, it's got the Keepers. It's also absurd because it doesn't need to do anything. Why? Because it isn't concerned with making sure that the Reapers win at any cost. It only starts
getting involved once it becomes clear that it's previous solution no longer works.

1. Organics, if allowed to self
determinate, will inevitably create synthetic life to compensate for
organic limitations.
2. Synthetics, because they are created
by organics, are initially limited by the imagination of their
creators.
3. Synthetics, if allowed to self
determinate, will improve themselves and thus surpass their creators.
4. Organics seek perfect through
technology. Synthetics seek perfection through understanding.
5. This, in and of itself, will lead to
conflict… somehow.
6. The created (superior) will destroy
the creator (inferior).

Legion's conversations in ME2 and the mission in the Geth Concensus suggest what would cause this conflict;
once the Organics realise the possibility that the Synthetics can surpass them, they worry that the Synthetics will eventually want to enslave them, since that's what Organics are doing to the the newlyself-aware Synthetics. Pre-emptively, Organics will attempt to solve this by shutting down the Synthetics, who will refuse because to
them, it will be like death. This is where the rebellion and the conflict starts.

The extinction of all organic life in the galaxy? This has never happened prior to the creation of the Reapers. Otherwise, there would be no organics.

Yeah, the extinction of all higher forms of life happened. This is why the Catalyst sees the Reaper
Cycle as the best solution until Shepard reaches it: it is better that organic life be reduced to a small number of young but sapient races every 50,000 years than to the level of plants and small mammals.

Note that if Shepard chooses option 2 or 3 and it turns out the Reapers are lying (*gasp* Perish
the thought!) he has just committed suicide and doomed the current cycle to utter destruction on the word of the Reapers, the beings he is in a position to destroy and who presumably don’t want to be destroyed.

You should stick around and watch the new endings in the EC, I think you'll enjoy them. If the Stargazer
scene in the original or that text that tells you the Reapers were defeated wasn't enough evidence that the Reapers were defeated, then the new endings show without a doubt that the Catalyst's offer was genuine and what it described happening in each ending did come to pass.

Shepard is never allowed to argue against the Catalyst's assertions by bringing up his work to resolve the conflict between the Geth and the Quarians

Why do you think the Catalyst is offering the three choices in the first place? Because the very fact that Shepard is there in front of it shows that this Cycle is different, and so a new solution is needed. The Quarian/Geth
conflict is vital for understanding the Catalyst's motivation.

The being, aptly named “Star Brat”, was not known to anyone prior to Shepard reaching its
chamber so the idea that the Crucible was designed to work in concert with the Reapers themselves is absurd.

Again I agree it is absurd, because  hat's not what the Catalyst (I guess that's what you were referring to) is doing. It isn't designed to work in concert with the Reapers. It designed the Reapers to solve the problem of the
organic-synthetic conflict. It left them to their work while it waited for them to fail, at which point it involved itself in the
conflict again to create a new solution.

Also, Vendetta reveals that the Protheans inferred the Catalyst's existence.

Modifié par Cheviot, 18 juillet 2012 - 02:51 .

[JohnP]

elitehunter34 wrote...
EDIT: Twilight fix the thread name, why does it say "Mass Effect 3 EC not E enough"?  Take out that random capital E.

He means the Extended Cut is not Extended enough.