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[SwobyJ]

When Leviathans enthrall people through QE, they enter a 'dark and cold place'. When the Leviathans want to speak to these people, they show themselves as people from memory.

Leviathan states that the Intelligence/Reapers took what Leviathans did, and perfected it into 'Indoctrination'.

So when Reapers indoctrinate and huskify people, where do their minds go? Are they simply overwritten, or killed, or... is there a heaven (Reapers --> Grim Reapers --> Dark Angels) .. or perhaps... PURGATORY they go to?


(NOTE: Signs show that it may not have been Sovereign that was *directly* indoctrinating Benezia. Instead Sovereign may have been just directly indoctrinating Saren, and because indoctrinated individuals are confirmed to exhibit their own relaying of the signal, others can get caught up to it, meaning that Benezia's experience may be more of an example of what happens to people that 'follow' or become a 'henchman' of the primary indoctrinated specimen.

The Derelect Reaper was also a special case; it was largely mindless by that point (potentially having lost its 'avatar', I'm guessing) blasting its signal in all directions and catching everyone in it. What's interesting there is that when that happened, all the Cerberus people were sharing memories and eventually becoming one, mentally. )

Modifié par SwobyJ, 12 novembre 2013 - 02:15 .

[eyezonlyii]

My mind has been blown by reading some of these posts...I have no words besides what I just typed...

[SwobyJ]

eyezonlyii wrote...

My mind has been blown by reading some of these posts...I have no words besides what I just typed...

Just remember that I'm probably wrong and Bioware are probably horrible writers and stuff and things.

If you're reading everyone else, that's good. Because my posts are useless.

Modifié par SwobyJ, 12 novembre 2013 - 02:13 .

[eyezonlyii]

SwobyJ wrote...

eyezonlyii wrote...

My mind has been blown by reading some of these posts...I have no words besides what I just typed...

Just remember that I'm probably wrong and Bioware are probably horrible writers and stuff and things.

If you're reading everyone else, that's good. Because my posts are useless.

doesn't matter. the game is overm the endings are thus, but fanfics continue on. And this is the type of ending talk I can get into instead of the usual I hate (insert color/choice here)

[SwobyJ]

eyezonlyii wrote...

SwobyJ wrote...

eyezonlyii wrote...

My mind has been blown by reading some of these posts...I have no words besides what I just typed...

Just remember that I'm probably wrong and Bioware are probably horrible writers and stuff and things.

If you're reading everyone else, that's good. Because my posts are useless.

doesn't matter. the game is overm the endings are thus, but fanfics continue on. And this is the type of ending talk I can get into instead of the usual I hate (insert color/choice here)

Well I'll just say that my trilogy playthroughs absolutely fascinate me as I'm playing them now, when I take this interpretation.

Poor Shepard. Go Shepard! :happy:

[SwobyJ]

Oh yeah and my guess is:

1)Some other species made the Crucible plans and first attempts, but Leviathans may have been involved

2)Leviathans piggyback on it and develop it, encourage other species every cycle to try to make it, but use allies/pawns to take control of those efforts and turn the Crucible towards their own use
(remember that Leviathans may be trying super hard to not be discovered; their manipulations may run deep and vague, but exist nonetheless)

3)Reapers do not use the Crucible as part of their default Cycle plan, but it also offers the chance to surpass current Cycle logic, so the Intelligence can easily support it being made if it decides to (which imo, it does in ME3, or even after the Prothian cycle, it depends on a few things..).

Other Reapers are either stuck in their hellhole of an existence and thus don't care ("The Cycleee...musstt...continueeee..."), or they're Harbinger that probably doesn't quite support it being made, but bows to Intelligence authority in the end.

Read some Hyperion in order to get a possible insight into the invisible Reaper politic.

Modifié par SwobyJ, 12 novembre 2013 - 02:23 .

[eyezonlyii]

Personally, I would like a game that takes place from CloneShep's POV. I mean, think about being not the son of, or brother of someone famous you for all intents and purposes ARE that person. What do you do? GASP!!! What if ME2 was CloneShep and then you met RealShep in ME3? THAT would have been cool.

[SwobyJ]

eyezonlyii wrote...

Personally, I would like a game that takes place from CloneShep's POV. I mean, think about being not the son of, or brother of someone famous you for all intents and purposes ARE that person. What do you do? GASP!!! What if ME2 was CloneShep and then you met RealShep in ME3? THAT would have been cool.

Hehe

Well my thoughts are that we were CloneShep the whole time. Citadel DLC was just the breaching of this mental barrier for a brief time. I mean really, CAT6 enemies with Geth weapons?

Imagine CloneShep, aka REALShep (but we all know the Shepard we play as is the REAL one, right? He's the awesome one!!), to be a Shepard:
1)With basically all White answers to things
2)Never or almost never Investigating things
3)To be acting more like Saren than even a Renegade Shepard

No WONDER 'Ashley/Kaidan' didn't trust us! No WONDER Anderson is keeping tabs on us. No WONDER the Council doesn't believe us.

'CloneShep' is trying to overwrite OURShep. He alters the 'Citadel Archives' to fit 'his' story. Zakera Ward destroyed? Sure! 'Commander Shepard' in CloneShep's armor. Turians are bigger jerks. Spectres are massive jerks. An Ark of the Covenant.. what could THAT mean? Isn't that the big prize that ends up facemelting the antagonists who sought it the whole time?

What if his story is the more objectively real one, and we've been exploring a fantasy this whole time? Paragonnnn *angel wings*

Dark times But I can see hope!

Modifié par SwobyJ, 12 novembre 2013 - 02:33 .

[SwobyJ]

I don't wanna play as CloneShep. I just want to fight him more.

And then help him up and inspire him to greatness.
*Breath-Destroy Ending Required

Maybe we won't be getting Shepard 2.0 in ME4. I mean, we already got him in ME2-3.

/lamespeculation

I think the Crucible is key to all of this though. I honestly can't believe it is what it is said to be on the face. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think there's something more.





http://pixelenemy.co...13/02/me310.bmp

Modifié par SwobyJ, 12 novembre 2013 - 02:37 .

[eyezonlyii]

SwobyJ wrote...

I don't wanna play as CloneShep. I just want to fight him more.

And then help him up and inspire him to greatness.
*Breath-Destroy Ending Required

Maybe we won't be getting Shepard 2.0 in ME4. I mean, we already got him in ME2-3.

/lamespeculation

I think the Crucible is key to all of this though. I honestly can't believe it is what it is said to be on the face. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think there's something more.
*snip*

I get you. It does seem a little fortuitdous that at the exact moment the galaxy was in need we found the tool to help us. (darkest hour and brightest light and all that jazz) anyway, I haven't actually played the Citadel DLC yet, but I'm on ME3 in my trilogy run. But honestly, I ship Cloneshep/Miranda. Just sayin...

Modifié par eyezonlyii, 12 novembre 2013 - 02:42 .

[SwobyJ]

Have fun in Citadel DLC. Listen to and read *everything*.
IMO it reeks of fanservice, but that's only to aerosol-spray cover up the stench of actual symbolism as it rubs your face into it more than any other point in the game save for London+Citadel+Crucible

Miranda is great in it. Perhaps her best time in the trilogy, ironically enough.

On the final fight try to listen to every line of dialogue.

Make sure to do the Party after you're done everything else (to properly conclude your visit to the DLC).
And to visit everyone, I like to complete Arena quests which count as a mission which will trigger more friend emails/invites.

Understand it all as Shepard's refuge as times get tougher, and it'll be fine. Sometimes all you need is a pat on the back and ... well, you'll see.

Modifié par SwobyJ, 12 novembre 2013 - 02:49 .

[SwobyJ]

I had trouble with the idea of CloneShep and what you just said. "What if ME2 was CloneShep and then you met RealShep in ME3?"

While neat, it wouldn't really make sense to me.

Until I took the plunge into madness and started seeing most of ME2-ME3 as a subjective recount of events while progressively getting stuck into Indoc-Land.

"That which you know as Reapers are your salvation through destruction" indeed. But how? What's so bad about Shepard, if perhaps Harbinger is also speaking directly about Shep?

Well if the *real* Shepard is more like CloneShep, a nice Purgatory (realm of spiritual cleansing before ascending into heaven) would be necessary into order to create a Reaper out of him. "Salvation"...huh.. ok...

It would make the Reapers still villains, but dramatically misunderstood ones. Any husk we see is just the remains of a 'spirit' that ascended already into the Reaper Matrix. Any indoctrinated agent was living in a dream where every action they make it heroic, not evil. We live in the Realm of Chaos, but they can help us ascend to a Realm of Order, beyond our comprehension.

"The Reapers gave you a purpose, and you accepted the challenge. (...) One way or another, this war ends today!" -Renegade Shepard, London

"Finish your war. We, will be waiting."

Modifié par SwobyJ, 12 novembre 2013 - 02:59 .

[dorktainian]

"there is no war"

"there is only the harvest"

Notice how Leviathan hesitates when the crucible is mentioned....almost like it doesnt want to tell shepard too much information - or indeed exactly what it does. Which goes back to a previous comment of mine in as far as the reapers want information on the crucible. But changing that slightly the crucible could be something really bad and the reapers mission being to stop us developing this weapon of mass destruction which will enable leviathan to create a technological singularity. There are no good guys here. leviathan and the reapers seem to me to be just as bad as one another.

once again. there is no war. there is only the harvest. nom nom nom.

[N7Gold]

SwobyJ wrote...

I don't wanna play as CloneShep. I just want to fight him more.

I feel the same way. CloneShep put up a more challenging fight than that pushover Kai Leng.

[SwobyJ]

N7Gold wrote...

SwobyJ wrote...

I don't wanna play as CloneShep. I just want to fight him more.

I feel the same way. CloneShep put up a more challenging fight than that pushover Kai Leng.

*highfive*

You heard the man, Bioware! Give us another Revan twist situation, AND let us fight him several times throughout a story in a JRPG-ish manner! (am I the only one who loved the repeated encounters with the same guy in those?)

We'll have the Real Shepard in our hearts and in our Trilogy and everything. It'll be ok. <3:wizard:

Modifié par SwobyJ, 12 novembre 2013 - 12:38 .

[N7Gold]

SwobyJ wrote...

(NOTE: this is all just a crazy interpretation of mine. Don't bother insulting me - I know it is silly or at least assumes a lot -  but critiquing the idea is OK)

N7Gold I love your post.

I agree with a lot of it.

However, I think two things.

1)Shepard really is undergoing indoctrination, but it is of the most subtle form of anyone else. They DO want Shepard to outright choose it, and enforcing it on him ruins the plan.
To me, the real Shepard is 'CloneShep', and as you advance through the series, we play more and more of Shepard's 'headcanon' of saving the galaxy, instead of leading everyone... including the Rachni...Geth...Krogan... , into one location.

The second half of ME3 in particular, is weirder than any other parts of the series because indoc is reaching a more advanced stage after years. Thus, events we see 'happened', but are 'subjective', just as Varric's narration of DAII means that the entire game 'happened' but is 'subjective' to his storytelling and POV. This also allows Bioware to handwave a lot of stuff, infuse a game with more humor and fun than there otherwise would have been, and more.

Citadel DLC is especially creepy, yet heartwarming in this context. Shepard is seeking refuge in his own mind, but is also connected to his allies and can use this 'safe haven' as a place of rest before (if the player so chooses..muahaha) continuing on to defeat the Reapers.... or not... he can just stay there forever if he so chooses...


2)In itself, I'm completely with you on the Leviathan stuff. They want all this stuff to happen, or at least have passive to active interest in events, and are only against the Reapers because the Intelligence figured them as part of the problem (and ohhhh yes, they ARE).

However, we may see that the ME3 choice is minimized to the narrative, like ME1 and ME2's were. In the end, Bioware presents moral choices and only does the cause-and-effect thing sparingly.

So my personal interpretation was that the Intelligence was essentially attempting to make an Ultimate Intelligence to decide how to improve or fix the Cycle system.

So we made a Reaper. We just only got clues about it. For some reason, we only saw corpses sitting everywhere

The final choice we make determines what this Ultimate Intelligence, or I guess MegaReaper (hahaaaa), becomes. Does it fight for the free will of organics and synthetics (Shepard!)? Does it fight to protect or rule over the galaxy, for their own good or safety (Intelligence 2.0)? Or does it take the plunge and fight to continue the struggle to bring peace to the synthetic and organic conflict, despite the Order and Chaos naysayers ('EDI')?

The visions of the future in the Extended Cut explain all we need to know for now. Destroy monologue explains the spirit of our struggle. Control monologue explains the outright result of our actions (WOOPS WE'RE IN A REAPAH). Synthesis monologue explains the conflict we'll be facing onwards in the franchise. All are messages of hope, one way or another.


But we will be facing the Leviathans, and maybe more. And our choice matters for that. The Shepard 'events'... ehh... not so much, structurally. As they were 'subjective'


"Did it all really happen?"

Thanks, SwobyJ, I've put a lot of thought into this, especially since I love the trilogy even though I was one of the gamers who used to be mad about the endings last year, I'm trying to make some sense out of them, since BioWare hasn't changed them.

1.) The Reapers and Catalyst do prefer that Shepard chooses to control them or reach synthesis, I agree with you there, but they don't want to take away his/her ability to think for himself/herself, that is what indoctrination does, turn the indoctrinated person into something similar to a machine, a machine that unconditionally follows the commands of his/her master.

Shepard (paragon dialogue): "But you're taking away our future. Without a future, we have no hope. Without hope, we might as well be machines programmed to do what we're told."

Shepard (renegade dialogue): "The defining characterisitcs of organic life is that we choose our own fate. Make our own choices. If you take that away, then we might as well be machines just like you."


2.) The Catalyst already knows what it needs to do to fulfill its purpose, it's just that no one has came close to completing the Crucible... Or maybe those who have completed it always chose to control the Reapers, who knows?

If we do end up facing the Leviathans in the next games, and I believe that we will, I can't help but wonder what other tricks they have up their sleeves. They are rumored to be more powerful than the Reapers, but I have a hard time imagining that. I guess I'm in for some surprises.

[SwobyJ]

I believe there is the process of indoctrination, and there is the eventuality of becoming a husk/slave.

And the key point in between, where they may want Shepard to be. Everything Saren said may have been true, but just as true was that he was under indoctrination. It's not mutually exclusive, and that may be one of the biggest points (in the long run) about ME3. Understanding how this whole... thing... works.

I don't believe, Indoc Theory whateverstuff or not, in any ending, that Shepard has *fallen* to indoctrination at any point. But he's basically right on the brink in Synthesis, and the only organic to survive through it to such an extent with his free will intact. And it may be that survival that at least demonstrates that hey, there may be another way to make this whole Reaper plan work. Or we can just take aim (at least morally) and still try to kill em all. lol

Just remember that Indoc doesn't have to create Insta-Slaves. Its nature has been consistently elaborated upon and developed throughout the games and media, never retconned (afaik), but only grown to be more complex and interesting. With the newer knowledge that it is but an evolution of the 'enthrallment' that Leviathans do, we found that perhaps the Reapers could affect others without it being as brutal and will-destroying as normally witnessed in more disposable tools and spies.

~~~

Leviathans may be more 'powerful' than the Reapers because they don't really stop to 'manage the garden' via the Cycle mandate. Instead, they may just demand worship where they go, utterly take over whole populations with their orbs, and the 'tribute' they wish to 'flow' from us is our BLOOD. NOM NOM NOM.

Crude. Chaotic. Vengeful. But of course, like the Reapers, they 'care for' us. *eyeroll* haha

The sooner we deal with both species properly, the better. Until then, we're pawns in a battle of order and chaos.

Modifié par SwobyJ, 12 novembre 2013 - 01:30 .

[N7Gold]

SwobyJ wrote...

I believe there is the process of indoctrination, and there is the eventuality of becoming a husk/slave.

And the key point in between, where they may want Shepard to be. Everything Saren said may have been true, but just as true was that he was under indoctrination. It's not mutually exclusive, and that may be one of the biggest points (in the long run) about ME3. Understanding how this whole... thing... works.

I don't believe, Indoc Theory whateverstuff or not, in any ending, that Shepard has *fallen* to indoctrination at any point. But he's basically right on the brink in Synthesis, and the only organic to survive through it to such an extent with his free will intact. And it may be that survival that at least demonstrates that hey, there may be another way to make this whole Reaper plan work. Or we can just take aim (at least morally) and still try to kill em all. lol

Just remember that Indoc doesn't have to create Insta-Slaves. Its nature has been consistently elaborated upon and developed throughout the games and media, never retconned (afaik), but only grown to be more complex and interesting. With the newer knowledge that it is but an evolution of the 'enthrallment' that Leviathans do, we found that perhaps the Reapers could affect others without it being as brutal and will-destroying as normally witnessed in more disposable tools and spies.

~~~

Leviathans may be more 'powerful' than the Reapers because they don't really stop to 'manage the garden' via the Cycle mandate. Instead, they may just demand worship where they go, utterly take over whole populations with their orbs, and the 'tribute' they wish to 'flow' from us is our BLOOD. NOM NOM NOM.

Crude. Chaotic. Vengeful. But of course, like the Reapers, they 'care for' us. *eyeroll* haha

The sooner we deal with both species properly, the better. Until then, we're pawns in a battle of order and chaos.

Where's the difference between the process of being indoctrinated and becoming a husk? They're all the same to me, the only difference is husks are used as ground soldiers, and indoctrinated people are used as infiltrators that are meant to spread the ideas and beliefs sponsored by the Reapers to the non-indoctrinated people to bring them out of the "we destroy them or they destroy us" way of thinking without actually controlling them.

Just remember that becoming indoctrinated is not instantaneous, it is subtle. Very subtle. So subtle, you think that there's nothing out of the ordinary in your change of behavior and beliefs. Over a few days or weeks after exposure to Reaper tech, the subject stops thinking for themselves and just obeys, eventually becoming a mindless servant.

Shepard is not on the brink of Synthesis, synthesis is not the pinnacle of evolution, it's not even an evolutionary phenomena. If it was, the Leviathans would show signs that they have reached synthesis. Shepard is simply drowning in stress over the war, and even Joker and EDI noticed that. In my playthrough of ME3, after Thessia, Joker said that EDI took metabolic scans of Shepard's armor and found that he is under much more stress than his heroics in the Skyllian Blitz. That means it could mean Shepard may let his/her doubts and fears drive him/her to make the wrong choice when the Crucible is completed. The Reapers somehow know how stressed Shepard is, that's why the Catalyst took the form of the kid in Shepard's dreams, to "remind" him/her that his/her goal is to stop the Reapers without making "petty" sacrifices, not to ensure that they are destroyed.

They'll "care for" us when we pay tribute to them. Hahaha, as if. Oh, by the way, I figured out a fairly logical reason why the Reapers and the heretic geth oppose the beliefs of Legion and the mainstream geth. Legion and the mainstream geth believe that all life should have the right to make their own fate, build their own future without the influence of higher forces. The heretics believe that by servingthe needs of the Reapers, the Reapers will help them ascend to the pinnacle of synthetic evolution. If every race in the galaxy, organic and synthetic followed Legion's beliefs, it would be very hard for the Leviathans to demand tribute from the "lesser" species. When the Leviathans had control of every race in the galaxy a very long time ago, they had a "You scratch our backs, we'll scratch your backs" relationship with the races they enslaved.  The Reapers are trying to make the galaxy easier for the Leviathans to control, and it wouldn't be easy to do so if all organics and synthetics knew how to scratch their own backs.

[LoopyMama]

N7Gold wrote:
Shepard is not on the brink of Synthesis, synthesis is not the pinnacle
of evolution, it's not even an evolutionary phenomena. If it was, the
Leviathans would show signs that they have reached synthesis. Shepard is
simply drowning in stress over the war, and even Joker and EDI noticed
that. In my playthrough of ME3, after Thessia, Joker said that EDI took
metabolic scans of Shepard's armor and found that he is under much more
stress than his heroics in the Skyllian Blitz. That means it could mean
Shepard may let his/her doubts and fears drive him/her to make the wrong
choice when the Crucible is completed. The Reapers somehow know how
stressed Shepard is, that's why the Catalyst took the form of the kid in
Shepard's dreams, to "remind" him/her that his/her goal is to stop the
Reapers without making "petty" sacrifices, not to ensure that they are
destroyed.


Shepard has been through the Skyllian Blitz, the initial fight with Saren and Sovreign, the destruction of the original Normandy, his own death + reserection, a suicide mission to stop the collectors and being jailed for the destruction of the Alpha relay that caused the death of thousands of Batarians. All without a major freak out.
Now when the reapers arrive and the he's vindicated and people actually listen to him and give him a bit of respect (as his initial conversation Garrus implys) is not the time to suddenly crack in such a major fashion that he's actually yelling at his best friends (i.e Joker) and start blaming himself for every failure. Yes he's stressed, but he's got so much more support than he's ever had before. I can only believe that the cracks are so bad because the reapers are interfering with his mind. To me it's more proof of indoctrination.


N7Gold also wrote:
They'll "care for" us when we pay tribute to them.
Hahaha, as if. Oh, by the way, I figured out a fairly logical reason why
the Reapers and the heretic geth oppose the beliefs of Legion and the
mainstream geth. Legion and the mainstream geth believe that all life
should have the right to make their own fate, build their own
future without the influence of higher forces. The heretics believe that
by servingthe needs of the Reapers, the Reapers will help them ascend
to the pinnacle of synthetic evolution. If every race in the galaxy,
organic and synthetic followed Legion's beliefs, it would be very hard
for the Leviathans to demand tribute from the "lesser" species. When the
Leviathans had control of every race in the galaxy a very long time
ago, they had a "You scratch our backs, we'll scratch your backs"
relationship with the races they enslaved.  The Reapers are trying to
make the galaxy easier for the Leviathans to control, and it wouldn't be
easy to do so if all organics and synthetics knew how to scratch their
own backs.



On this point above can you just clarify if the reapers realise they are paving the way for Leviathan's return or will they be as blindsided as the rest of the galaxy?

[tiazgriff]

I explain why destroy in one sentence; Cause I'm a maximalist, and thats where Shep lives.

Fck me but I don't like to see my heroes die in games

[LoopyMama]

I agree.

TBH I'm probably a bit sad. I have ME3 on Xbox and PC. When I want to play the game as intended, I play xbox. When I want to wear my rose tinted specks, I play PC where I have MEHEM v0.4 installed.
Thank you. Mr.Fob. Thank you so much.

[N7Gold]

LoopyMama wrote...

Shepard has been through the Skyllian Blitz, the initial fight with Saren and Sovreign, the destruction of the original Normandy, his own death + reserection, a suicide mission to stop the collectors and being jailed for the destruction of the Alpha relay that caused the death of thousands of Batarians. All without a major freak out.
Now when the reapers arrive and the he's vindicated and people actually listen to him and give him a bit of respect (as his initial conversation Garrus implys) is not the time to suddenly crack in such a major fashion that he's actually yelling at his best friends (i.e Joker) and start blaming himself for every failure. Yes he's stressed, but he's got so much more support than he's ever had before. I can only believe that the cracks are so bad because the reapers are interfering with his mind. To me it's more proof of indoctrination.


On this point above can you just clarify if the reapers realise they are paving the way for Leviathan's return or will they be as blindsided as the rest of the galaxy?

I know that, but still support from so many allies is sometimes not enough to build confidence. The Reapers vastly outnumber Shepard and his/her allies and friends, Shepard knows that deep down there will be a lot of losses before the war comes to an end, and since it seems like every sacrifice made has little to no effect on the war, Shepard is worried that by making  many sacrifices for victory, they are just helping the reapers rack up war casualties.


I'm pretty sure they realize they know who they are working for, after all, the Leviathans created the Catalyst and programmed him to do whatever it needs to do to find a solution that'll bring peace between organics and synthetics and establish a connection between them.  The Leviathans created the Catalyst, the Catalyst harvested most of the Leviathans to create Harbinger.

"My creators gave them form, I gave them function, they in turn give me purpose." - The Catalyst

Oh yeah, do you remember what Harbinger said in ME2 after Shepard killed the human reaper in the Collector base, running back to the Normandy SR-2?

"Human, you've changed nothing. Your species has the attention of those that are infinitely greater." - Harbinger

"I have witnessed your actions in this cycle-- the destruction of Sovereign, the fall of the Collectors. The Reapers percieve you as a threat, and I must understand why." - The Leviathan

According to what Harbinger said in ME2, I think the Reapers are not blindsided at all.

[LoopyMama]

OK, if we take the most common or convincing themes from this thread then the ending choices are:

Control = Keeping the reapers in power. Either by reaper Shep and eventual continuation of the cycles or (my own belief) Shep giving in to indoc and the reapers winning.

Synthisis = Handing power to the Leviathan and living as thralls for the rest of time. OMG that's a nasty thought!

Refuse = Give up and quickly usher in the next cycle.

Destroy = Beating the reapers with variable losses and having to face the Leviathan at some time in the future now that they are not hiding from the reapers anymore. (Good ending for a next game)

Now these would be excellent endings that are very different and I think would have satisfied most players!

[StarcloudSWG]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Crucible is a Leviathan creation. That would explain how the plans for it kept evolving over time AND how every cycle seemed to discover them.

[LoopyMama]

I'm seriously starting to come round to N7Gold's theory on Synth ending.

N7Gold says..

The Catalyst decided that the only way to stop the conflict is to make
peace between the organics and their creations, while at the same time,
"ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION" between them and the Leviathans so the
Leviathans will have a new way of controlling organics, rendering their
crystal balls obsolete. Synthetics will also be controllable to the
Leviathans.

That is what Synthesis does. It connects all organic
and synthetics in the galaxy with a special DNA, turning them into
living "Quantum Entanglement Communicator" devices for the Leviathans to
use. In this way, they will have full control of the galaxy again, a galaxy with billions of worlds in one fell swoop.


Since Mass Effect has already established that organic Quantum Entanglement is used by Rachini as a means of communication and by the Leviathan to enthrall the 'lower races' without eroding the mind, then it stands to reason that the Synth beam would be an amplification signal that perminently stimulates the 'reception' part of out brains, allowing us to be controlled. It creates the 'connection' and puts us in an natural state of indoctrination as opposed to a forced state from the reapers. This could be seen as the enevitable evolution that the Catalyst refered to while describing Synthesis as an organic race has already developed this. No more space magic, instead an explanation that doesn't break the laws of the ME universe.

Thank you N7Gold. You have changed my endings. But I'm now very scared of the people who picked the Synth option....