As I was playing the Mass Effect trilogy (still one of my favorite series and my favorite sci-fi universe EVER!), I couldn’t help but feel at certain points that the story fell short of its potential. In answer to that I’ve put together a plotline that I think could have helped push them to the next level, and made the ending the satisfying, amazing conclusion it could have been.
Were there any ways you would have changed how the story played out?
Hopefully this thread can provide the devs with some more insight into the ways we’d like to see the games play out in the future.
MASS EFFECT 1:
* You did Wrex, Garrus, and Tali’s respective missions (Getting the armor for Wrex, helping Garrus deal with Saleon, and giving Tali the Geth data): bonus gear or ability points for Garrus, Tali, and Grunt in ME2 (the latter as a gift on Wrex’s part).
* You saved Wrex on Virmire:
Cure for the Genophage will happen as it did in the game. Hope for the Krogan species is restored, as Wrex and Eve guide their race onto a more cooperative, far-sighted, and hopeful path, eventually bringing about social change that begins to show signs that the species is harkening back to the ancient Krogan Golden Age.
* You killed Wrex on Virmire:
Wrex (and in turn, Eve’s) goal of a restored Krogan race and a hope for the future dies with him, and Wreav’s single-mindedness and warlike convictions set into motion a second coming of the Krogan Rebellions (this time without the numbers), igniting the galactic races in war that again doom the Krogan to a slow, savage extinction, in the perpetual dark age they’ve been in since the Genophage was unleashed. (Genophage cannot be truly cured in ME3, as Mordin will see Wreav’s ideas for the future of the Krogan as spelling doom for the rest of the galaxy, and refuse to cure it.)
* You saved the Council:
Old Council prepares the Citadel and (to a lesser extent, though to the best of their ability) their respective races for the Reapers in ME2. Large Citadel War Effort boost with moderate boosts to the Turian, Salarian, and Asari powers. The other races are grateful to humanity for their sacrifice and selflessness in the face of Sovereign and the Geth, and are much more supportive of humanity throughout the course of the series.
* You let the Council die to focus on Sovereign:
The other races are more understanding that you made the sacrifice for the greater good of all races in the galaxy, but are not as supportive of humanity as they would otherwise be. New Council does not believe the Reaper threat, but some of the general population does, resulting in a substantially smaller boost than if you had saved the Council.
* You simply chose not to help the Council:
The other races are hostile and resentful to humanity for their selfishness, and refuse to help them in their hour of need, only coming toGether grudgingly when the galaxy on the whole is threatened. No war effort boost.
* You put Anderson on the Council:
Anderson’s presence on the Council strengthened the Citadel as a whole, and made C-Sec more in line with noble methods and carrying out justice. As a result, Udina’s communications with Cerberus are noticed ahead of time, and the coup is stopped before much damage/loss of life can occur. Despite the scare, people in the Citadel are able to turn it around, and boost their morale, giving a boost to the War Effort from the Citadel. Udina is arrested and convicted/killed.
* You put Udina on the Council:
His actions as councilor have furthered mistrust against humanity, resulting in a reduced Citadel War Effort and greater hostility against humans in the Citadel. Udina’s coup is attempted as it was in-game, but is unsuccessful, although many lives are lost, including Bailey’s.
MASS EFFECT 2:
* You saved Maelon’s data during Mordin’s loyalty mission:
Game proceeds as normal with the cure the Genophage route.
* You destroyed Maelon’s data:
Mordin will still be able to develop a cure, but will not be able to save Eve, resulting in a lower Krogan War Effort.
* You re-wrote the heretic Geth during Legion’s loyalty mission, and gained Tali’s loyalty in ME2:
You are able to upgrade the Geth in ME3 as you were in the game, enabling the truce (provided Tali is alive). The Geth gain introspection as a result of their experience with the schism, providing another argument against the Catalyst in ME3.
* You destroyed the heretic Geth during Legion’s loyalty mission:
You are able to upgrade the Geth as you were in the game, enabling the truce (provided Tali is alive), but with a penalty to Geth numbers.
* You destroyed the Collector Base:
The game continues as it did in game, if you took this option.
* You spared the Collector Base:
Cerberus use the scavenged Human-Reaper to attack Shepard and crew in the final assault on Cerberus HQ.
MASS EFFECT 3:
Cerberus is given a smaller role in the story, with many of the Cerberus-centric missions being re-written as Heroes vs. Reaper armies instead, to be consistent with lore. They can still be a thorn in the people’s sides, but more in keeping with an organization of the size described by EDI in ME2 (even if their forces were augmented by indoctrinated humans)
* Garrus died in ME2: The attempt to retake Palaven is still successful, but without his advice and early warning about the Reapers, the forces are less prepared, and losses on Palaven are catastrophic, significantly reducing the Turian military force in the final battle.
* Mordin died in ME2: Genophage cure is impossible without his assistance. Tuchanka mission still happens as it does in the game when Mordin is absent, but Paddok is unable to provide a working cure. Krogan (and, in turn, Turian) numbers falter. Big penalty to Krogan/Turian War Effort, slight boost to Salarian War Effort.
* Tali died in ME2: Peace between the Quarians and the Geth is unachievable. One race will have to be sacrificed so that the other can live.
* Legion died in ME2: The Geth VI appears as it does in-game if Legion is dead, only is much more distinct in appearance and character – not a palate swap with a different name. Peace between the Quarians and the Geth is unachievable. Mission into the Geth consciousness is removed.
* The Rachni were spared in ME1: Shepard still has the choice to spare her or destroy her. If she is spared, the Rachni assist in the War Effort and the final battle.
* The Rachni were killed in ME1: The Ravagers you fight are shown to be the remnants of the Cerberus cloned Rachni from Noveria that were sent across the galaxy and have since been weaponized/breeded by the Reapers. There is no cloned Rachni Queen, and the Rachni do not become a War Asset in any capacity.
THERE IS EXPOSITION TO DEAL WITH THE RATHER LARGE PLOT HOLE OF WHY THE REAPERS DON’T JUST TAKE THE CITADEL AND MASS RELAY NETWORK LIKE THEY DID LAST TIME. (Maybe the Protheans sabotaged the Citadel relay, preventing it from working, or maybe it was somehow removed and destroyed by the Council, following the attack on the Citadel in ME1. Reapers don’t attack the Citadel because power isn’t centralized throughout the Galaxy like it was in the last cycle, etc.)
It is explained that the Conduit on Illos either stopped working or was destroyed by the Geth, preventing its use during the final battle to get to the Citadel.
* You convinced EDI to pursue a relationship with Joker, and/or convinced her to embrace altruism and selflessness: Has impact on the final choices in the ending argument against the Catalyst’s theory.
N THE FINAL BATTLE, WE SEE THE FORCES WE’VE GATHERED FIGHTING!
We are able to direct troops ala the Suicide Mission. Which ones we have available/how many we have available depends on our actions during the game(s). If our EMS is high, the battle is easier, and the outcome looks more hopeful. Conversely, if the EMS is low, the battle is tougher, with reports and situations similar to what was in the default game.
The Catalyst (and the Reaper’s) motives are explained in greater detail:
DESTROY IS THE ONLY ENDING
They were created by the Leviathans to preserve organic life at any cost. Noticing that organic life would create artificial life and war with it, the Catalyst deemed it necessary to exterminate this advanced organic life and the artificial life it had created. Leaving simple, primitive forms of organic life alive, the Catalyst deems that in doing so, it prevents this conflict between organics and synthetics from utterly wiping out all life, and gives the next cycle a chance to not make the same mistake. Its mandate is to continue this cycle of purging advanced life until organics can either exist without making synthetics, or co-exist with them.
Upon explaining this, Shepard has the chance to argue that the Catalyst’s logic is flawed and that it is fundamentally wrong: by purging all advanced life in the galaxy, the Reapers are robbing organics of the chance to reach that goal of coexistence.
The Catalyst will deny this, saying that, in the millions of years it has existed, its theory of inevitable organic/synthetic conflict has been proven time and time again (and in this cycle as well, the Geth, various other AIs, the anti-AI sentiment among the galactic races) (Although it does not admit the large part that it and its Reapers play in this, not only for the harvest, but because they don’t give organics and synthetics a chance to make peace), and that in harvesting organics, they are giving the galaxy a chance at a future.
If Shepard has negotiated a truce between the Quarians and the Geth, listened to the Geth newfound introspection, if he has chosen to re-write them instead of killing them, persuaded EDI to get with Joker and/or embrace altruism over simple programming, and/or experienced the Geth consciousness in the Geth Collective mission and seen that they desire peace, Shepard can press his argument and demonstrate that the cycle has indeed been broken: synthetics are just as worthy of life as organics, and are capable of co-existence and more. If Shepard has done at least 3 of these 5 things, The Catalyst will agree with Shepard, and Shepard will ask if there is any way that the synthetics can be spared.
* Catalyst Check:
Geth/Quarian peace.
EDI = altruism.
EDI/Joker LI.
Geth introspection.
Geth Collective experience.
At Least 3 out of 5 True: Offering to merge its programming with the Crucible, so that it only targets the Reapers, the Catalyst is disseminated into the Crucible’s beam, which eliminates the Reapers and the Catalyst forever
Less than 3 out of 5 True: The Catalyst says that it will not spare synthetics, as Shepard could not prove its theory wrong to its satisfaction.
Depending on who/what was saved over the course of the series,, the beam from the Catalyst will fire at different strengths, corresponding to how many Reapers are left. This is explained in-game by the Catalyst.
If greater numbers join the fight in the final battle, the Reapers will have fewer numbers, resulting in a weaker beam that still destroys all the Reapers, but without damaging the mass relays or Citadel much. The galaxy will come together with a new sense of unity and rebuild, and Earth will be saved. Conversely, if the fighting force at the endgame is small, the beam will be much more powerful, resulting in extensive damage to the mass relays and Citadel, Shepard’s death in the explosion, and greater loss of life in the battle. The immediate future will look bleak, and humanity will be devastated by the destruction on Earth.
High EMS:
Reapers destroyed
Light damage to relays/Citadel
Fewer casualties
Shepard lives
Hopeful future for galaxy
Hopeful future for humanity
Earth is saved
Low EMS:
Reapers destroyed
Heavy damage to relays/Citadel
Large amount of casualties
Shepard dies
Bleak immediate future for galaxy
Earth is in ruins
Bleak future for humanity
For the sequel, only a few checks would be required to import:
Krogan = Genophage = cured?
Eve = alive?
Quarians = alive?
Geth = alive?
Truce = ?
Shepard = alive?
Shepard’s LI = alive?
…and maybe something with Conrad Verner.
Retour en haut
But the weak point here is no any chance for Renegade to get the "good" ending. 
