46 réponses à ce sujet

[cap and gown]

Most people will tell you that you should do Arrival after the SM. I think that is mostly premised on Harbinger's final line: "Prepare yourself for the Arrival." Boom, time for ME3!

 

But there are reasons that it makes sense to do Arrival before the SM.

 

First, Hackett's toleration of Cerberus makes more sense since Cerberus and Shepard are working on the Collector threat which the Alliance is not able to handle. Second, Hackett's line about "do what you have to do, but be ready to answer when Earth calls" makes a bit more sense if what Shepard has to do is destroy the Collectors. We also get to find out what the Alliance is doing about the Collectors and Hackett's hope that Shepard and Cerberus will figure out a way to stop them.

 

One line from Hackett clearly argues for doing Arrival post-SM, which is that the Normandy is not really a Cerberus ship anymore, but you only get that line if you destroy the Collector Base. If you keep the Collector base you don't get that line. So if you are going to keep the Collector Base it might be better to do the mission before the SM.

 

[themikefest]

Playing arrival before the suicide mission still gives you the 'prepare yourself for the arrival' line.

 

It wasn't that the Alliance couldn't handle the situation it was because they ignored the colonists because they were in the traverse. I would also say they just turned their backs on humanity like Anderson and Udina does. The only way they would've done anything is if it actually affected them personally.

 

When Hackett mentions the ship not really being a Cerberus ship anymore I wanted to smack him upside the head. It was the perfect time to ask him why he gave your dogtags to T'soni(if you did the broker dlc) why he didn't send a team to investigate the destruction of the SR1 and gather the dogtags to give closure for the families(if you do the dlc).

[cap and gown]

It wasn't that the Alliance couldn't handle the situation it was because they ignored the colonists because they were in the traverse. I would also say they just turned their backs on humanity like Anderson and Udina does. The only way they would've done anything is if it actually affected them personally.

 

No, it is clear the Alliance is outclassed not that they are doing nothing. Hackett mentions losing some ships to the Collectors and how Alliance ships are unable to deal with the Collectors. He also mentions evacuating smaller colonies and stationing ships around the larger ones.

[Xilizhra]

Playing arrival before the suicide mission still gives you the 'prepare yourself for the arrival' line.

 

It wasn't that the Alliance couldn't handle the situation it was because they ignored the colonists because they were in the traverse. I would also say they just turned their backs on humanity like Anderson and Udina does. The only way they would've done anything is if it actually affected them personally.

 

When Hackett mentions the ship not really being a Cerberus ship anymore I wanted to smack him upside the head. It was the perfect time to ask him why he gave your dogtags to T'soni(if you did the broker dlc) why he didn't send a team to investigate the destruction of the SR1 and gather the dogtags to give closure for the families(if you do the dlc).

Hackett doesn't have that line unless you blow up the Collector base, so that's on you.

[themikefest]

Hackett doesn't have that line unless you blow up the Collector base, so that's on you.

Under what assumption are you basing that on that I didn't know about that line?

 

For your information I always get that line since I always blow the base up.

[Xilizhra]

Under what assumption are you basing that on that I didn't know about that line?

 

For your information I always get that line since I always blow the base up.

Because you'd have no logical grounds to be upset about that line otherwise, as destroying the base is a pretty blatant severance of yourself from Cerberus.

[themikefest]

Because you'd have no logical grounds to be upset about that line otherwise, as destroying the base is a pretty blatant severance of yourself from Cerberus

 I trust Cerberus more than I trust the Alliance regardless if I destroy the base or not. And if I don't like Cerberus, I would never of handed the ship over to the Alliance.

[Xilizhra]

 I trust Cerberus more than I trust the Alliance regardless if I destroy the base or not. And if I don't like Cerberus, I would never of handed the ship over to the Alliance.

Shepard being an Alliance soldier is a pretty inextricable part of the character. I think you'll recall "There's no such thing as an ex-Marine?"

[themikefest]

Shepard being an Alliance soldier is a pretty inextricable part of the character. I think you'll recall "There's no such thing as an ex-Marine?"

Save it for someone else. The Shepard I play doesn't give a flying crap about the Alliance

[Xilizhra]

Save it for someone else. The Shepard I play doesn't give a flying crap about the Alliance

Except that's wrong, because Shepard's loyalty to the Alliance is hardwired into the character and autodialogue.

 

Your Shepard is also sorry about Thessia.

[themikefest]

Except that's wrong, because Shepard's loyalty to the Alliance is hardwired into the character and autodialogue.

 

Your Shepard is also sorry about Thessia.

Your upset that I mentioned T'soni's name aren't you?

[Xilizhra]

Your upset that I mentioned T'soni's name aren't you?

I'm aware of your fixation, but no longer moved by it. Don't worry.

[themikefest]

I'm aware of your fixation, but no longer moved by it. Don't worry.

I don't have a fixation for a useless character. So don't worry.

[Xilizhra]

I don't have a fixation for a useless character. So don't worry.

Why'd you bring her up in a topic that had nothing to do with her, then?

[Randy1012]

Well, now I feel silly. I wrote this post for a completely different thread because I hadn't seen this one. Oh well, suppose it won't do any harm if I repost it in a more appropriate thread...

 

I agree with you that there are several good reasons to do Arrival pre-SM. I used to do it after post-SM simply because that's the way it was supposedly meant to be done, but then just for the heck of it I went ahead and did it pre-SM in one playthrough and now I prefer it that way. I think it helps the story of ME2.

 

I feel that for all the talk about them, the Collectors themselves really don't have a very large presence in the story, and the Collector General is the closest thing ME2 has to a central villain. By having the General appear to Shepard at the end of Arrival it gives him more of a role and makes him seem more menacing. That, and I think Arrival post-SM actually kind of undermines ME2's terrific ending. Shepard looks out into space and knows that the Reapers are on their way--and then we actually see that happening out in dark space, as Harbinger and the rest of the Reapers prepare to unleash themselves upon the galaxy.

Also, I think the epilogue with Shepard and Hackett actually works better if you do Arrival pre-SM rather than post. Hackett acknowledges the Collector threat to humanity and tells Shepard that the Alliance is at least trying to do something to help, whereas in the vanilla game it feels like the Alliance is either unaware of the problem or unwilling to do anything about it. Shepard says that he'll turn himself in, but only after his mission is done. Well, if you do Arrival post-SM, then exactly what mission does Shepard have left to do? His mission was to stop the Collectors, and he did that. So really there's nothing keeping him from turning himself in to Hackett right then and there.

I don't do it immediately after Horizon, though. I know the game pretty much forces you to take Hackett's call right away, but I head-canon it by saying that the call comes in later on. I prefer to do it at some point after the Collector Ship, because after that you don't see the Collectors again until the Suicide Mission, which is a really long time if you do all of the loyalty missions and N7 missions before the Reaper IFF. So now I actually like to do Arrival somewhere in-between the Collector Ship and the Reaper IFF, roughly after half of the loyalty missions have been completed.

[themikefest]

Why'd you bring her up in a topic that had nothing to do with her, then?

Just to get a reaction from you.

 

The other reason is that if you do the dlc, its the only time you see Hackett and could ask that question. Unfortunately we don't get that option to ask or not. Its something I like to know the answer to that question.

[Xilizhra]

Just to get a reaction from you.

 

The other reason is that if you do the dlc, its the only time you see Hackett and could ask that question. Unfortunately we don't get that option to ask or not. Its something I like to know the answer to that question.

Well, outside of Cerberus, whom Hackett doesn't like, Liara is the one who's done the most for you.

[Steelcan]

Well, outside of Cerberus, whom Hackett doesn't like, Liara is the one who's done the most for you.

 

Anderson, Udina got you the SPECTRE job

[Steelcan]

I always do Arrival as the last thing in ME2

[Xilizhra]

Anderson, Udina got you the SPECTRE job

There's that, but I don't know if that compares to resurrecting you.

[Steelcan]

There's that, but I don't know if that compares to resurrecting you.

 

Which was done by Cerberus,. Liara was a glorified mailman for that

 

 

Besides, its only a matter of time before we see that it was all Brooks

[Xilizhra]

Which was done by Cerberus,. Liara was a glorified mailman for that

 

 

Besides, its only a matter of time before we see that it was all Brooks

The point is that Liara did it.

[themikefest]

Well, outside of Cerberus, whom Hackett doesn't like, Liara is the one who's done the most for you.

What is it that she did? Oh right gave my body to Cerberus. Hold on for a moment while I jump for joy. She found the plans for the crucible. Again, hold on for a moment while I jump for joy.

 

Funny thing about finding the plans is that when Hackett mentions that its not Prothean specific it means anybody could've found them.

 

Let's not forget the mind meld crap in ME1 that led to Ilos when all we had to do is find someone who studies Protheans(her teachers) to tell us about Ilos.

 

After Shepard is killed, why didn't she go back to Ilos and study the ruins? Or why didn't she go to Eden Prime to see if there's anything more than just the beacon that was found? Or why didn't ask Hackett(since the two of them know each other) or even Anderson about checking out the Prothean ruins on Mar's?

[Xilizhra]

What is it that she did? Oh right gave my body to Cerberus. Hold on for a moment while I jump for joy. She found the plans for the crucible. Again, hold on for a moment while I jump for joy.

 

Funny thing about finding the plans is that when Hackett mentions that its not Prothean specific it means anybody could've found them.

 

Let's not forget the mind meld crap in ME1 that led to Ilos when all we had to do is find someone who studies Protheans(her teachers) to tell us about Ilos.

 

After Shepard is killed, why didn't she go back to Ilos and study the ruins? Or why didn't she go to Eden Prime to see if there's anything more than just the beacon that was found? Or why didn't ask Hackett(since the two of them know each other) or even Anderson about checking out the Prothean ruins on Mar's?

The writers having to change the plot when ME3 was already in development, if I had to guess.

[JeffZero]

Well, now I feel silly. I wrote this post for a completely different thread because I hadn't seen this one. Oh well, suppose it won't do any harm if I repost it in a more appropriate thread...

 

I agree with you that there are several good reasons to do Arrival pre-SM. I used to do it after post-SM simply because that's the way it was supposedly meant to be done, but then just for the heck of it I went ahead and did it pre-SM in one playthrough and now I prefer it that way. I think it helps the story of ME2.

 

I feel that for all the talk about them, the Collectors themselves really don't have a very large presence in the story, and the Collector General is the closest thing ME2 has to a central villain. By having the General appear to Shepard at the end of Arrival it gives him more of a role and makes him seem more menacing. That, and I think Arrival post-SM actually kind of undermines ME2's terrific ending. Shepard looks out into space and knows that the Reapers are on their way--and then we actually see that happening out in dark space, as Harbinger and the rest of the Reapers prepare to unleash themselves upon the galaxy.

Also, I think the epilogue with Shepard and Hackett actually works better if you do Arrival pre-SM rather than post. Hackett acknowledges the Collector threat to humanity and tells Shepard that the Alliance is at least trying to do something to help, whereas in the vanilla game it feels like the Alliance is either unaware of the problem or unwilling to do anything about it. Shepard says that he'll turn himself in, but only after his mission is done. Well, if you do Arrival post-SM, then exactly what mission does Shepard have left to do? His mission was to stop the Collectors, and he did that. So really there's nothing keeping him from turning himself in to Hackett right then and there.

I don't do it immediately after Horizon, though. I know the game pretty much forces you to take Hackett's call right away, but I head-canon it by saying that the call comes in later on. I prefer to do it at some point after the Collector Ship, because after that you don't see the Collectors again until the Suicide Mission, which is a really long time if you do all of the loyalty missions and N7 missions before the Reaper IFF. So now I actually like to do Arrival somewhere in-between the Collector Ship and the Reaper IFF, roughly after half of the loyalty missions have been completed.

 

Fascinating read. I'm doing my next series run sometime this summer and I think I might follow suit.

 

Question though: do you run through LOTSB after the ending at least? You pointed out that you feel Arrival kind of messes with ME2's "beautiful ending", but that's "supposed" to be played afterward as well.