Guest_john_sheparrd_*
"The presence of the Rachi will have huge consequences, even just in the final battle against the reapers" - SuperMac
For a full list go here (I can't find the BSN links)
thanks
kind of depressing to read this thinking about what could/should have been
"The presence of the Rachi will have huge consequences, even just in the final battle against the reapers" - SuperMac
For a full list go here (I can't find the BSN links)
Well, we all bought the snake oil, so they got the money anyway.
Overall, yeah I'd say I was personally satisfied with the trilogy. Of course each game has its flaws, (some more than others) but I think that raises two big points.
First, the fact that a fanbase is so passionate about what should and shouldn't have been done nearly three years after the final game of the trilogy was released tells you that the games did something right. I'd be much more worried if NO one had any passionate debate about the game because it would mean we didn't care. People get all up in arms about the ending because they have so much love for this created universe.
(I know there's video game trilogies out there, but for sake of argument I'm using film trilogies to make the point, also please note this is just my opinion.)
Anyway. Secondly, while the trilogy on the whole has its problems, I compare it to other major contemporary sagas like Star Wars, LOTR, etc. If you look objectively at these sagas, each is RIDDLED with plot holes and inconsistencies. Even the vaunted original trilogy of Star Wars that no one ever dares to question has a TON of story-driven problems, but this is how my point reconciles these different stories:
While the stories have their flaws, the parts that are good are SO GOOD that they greatly overshadow the bad parts. Those moments when you tear up over a fictional, pixelated character, or the times where I physically struggled to carry out some decisions, those are the moments I treasure and remember from this series, and are more memorable to me than the moments where I questioned the stories' consistencies.
I am satisfied with this series. Warts and all, this is a series that made me feel things that I never thought a video game could make me feel.
Satisfied with the overall story? Yes. I started another trilogy playthrough the other day
ME2, I'd cut Morinth out completely.
I agree with everything but this. I liked her and saw no reason for my Renegade to keep Samara around after she pretty much states that once the contract ends she may kill me if I violate her precious code. I do think there should have been some consequences for bringing Morinth on though.
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As for the overall story. I think it was pretty good and I enjoyed playing Shepard. The trilogy combined with the MEHEM + Citadel ending gives me a satisfying story and conclusion to the series. To the point where I know I'll play it again, probably soon.
Overall, yes.
I like all of it, except for... blablabla, et cetera, et cetera.
But there is no game as far as I am concerned, that comes close to making the gamer as invested in the world and the characters and relate to it's protagonist as much as Mass Effect.
Before I played Mass Effect Tomb Raider was my favourite game series. After I played Mass Effect Mass Effect was my favourite game series. Now I wish that Tomb Raider was more like Mass Effect. 
I'm not petty enough to write off an entire franchise based on 10 minutes, even if it was the ending. I am happy with the story as a whole, even if it isn't perfect.
That being said, yes there are some things I would like to change:
ME1-
Remove this game's autodialogue. Let me explain: I mean, get rid of any dialogue wheels where every single option leads to the same exact line, or come up with different lines for each choice.
ME2- This is the game where most/all future problems stem from in my opinion since it does nothing for the trilogy aside from waste two years. As such, I would radically change it [sorry, TC, I am breaking your guidelines here, but I can't help it]
Make this game actually matter. None of the daddy issues, none of the "ah yes, Reapers" retcon, drop the Collectors plot we have. Replace the story with one where the galaxy is working on building up their militaries in preparation for the war, and the Collectors are not slaves to Harbinger. Instead, the Collectors are a race that, while using seemingly cruel and harsh methods, are out to stop the reapers too. They are working on a super-weapon that is capable of severely weakening the reapers to where they could be conventionally beaten. Their weapon runs the risk of killing millions of the galaxy's population because it would throw out a lot of radiation that would severely damage technology and people's DNA. [The collectors are okay with this because they are immune to its effects since they are advanced enough to have technology that could counteract it]. Of course, the galaxy doesn't know exactly what the collectors are doing, so everyone just assumes they are just being bad for the sake of being bad. By the end of the story, Shepard discovers the partially built super-weapon at the collector base. He would then have a choice to destroy the weapon so that they won't have to deal with its side effects, but setting the galaxy back in terms of preparing. Or he could keep the weapon, giving the galaxy a boost in terms of preparing, but leaving the galaxy with a need to try to find a way to counteract the effects of the weapon.
I would also make Cerberus do some very strange things at different points to better foreshadow their indoctrination thanks to TIM
ME3-
In this game, no forced of when to do Tuchanka and Rannoch. Instead, you would get to choose where to take the game first. Would you cure the genophage at the expense of a weaker Quarian/Geth, or stop the Geth/Quarian conflict at the expense of a weaker Krogan military? Should you go to Rannoch first, the Krogan will be weaker and thus, the Turian fleet will in turn be weaker. That would then cause a stronger Reaper presence on Earth itself because the Turian fleet would be less able to stop the reaper advance in the battle of Earth. Should you go to Tuchanka first, The Geth and Quarians would both be weaker, and because of them having more time to fight with each other, would be harder to make peace between the two. Since the Krogan are stronger, the Turian fleet will be stronger, and thus fighting on the ground on Earth would be easier thanks to the Turian fleet being able to slow the advance better. However, the Geth and Quarian fleets are weaker meaning more civilians will die because the Quarians wouldn't be able to assist evacuation as much.
Before I get into the plot, I will go ahead and say that Shepard is not locked up between the games, but still working as a SPECTRE. He doesn't lose access to his Normandy crew.
As for the plot itself, honestly, I am not quite sure how to write a war story, so I will just write details I would like to see used. After taking the crucible [as it is now named] from the collectors, Shepard has a good head start of preparing the galaxy. With the fleets built up, we get reports of Khar-shan [that is the Batarian Homeworld, right?] being hit with the blunt force of the Reapers. The council then green-lights the fleets to get ready for the war, sending them to various worlds. Shepard is given control of a second ship by the Council in addition to the Normandy SR-2 which the Alliance let Shepard keep after ME2. The Normandy is now the name referring to both ships, with one being named Omaha and the other named Juno. Shepard then splits the crews among the two ships [You choose where Miranda, Zaeed, Kasumi, Grunt, Samara/Morinth, Garrus, Tali, Mordin, Jacob, Jack, Virmire Survivor, Liara, Thane, and Legion will be. In the event where there is an odd number of squadmates, James Vega joins the ranks of the Normandy team].
Having 2 ships, Shepard can command both at the same time [when ashore, both ships are available to enter so you aren't stuck with going into just one of the ships]. And use one for meeting with race leaders such as Wrex and the Dalatrass. You can send one ship to take care of war asset quests that would replace the fetch quests while you can take the other ship with you on another side quest. At any time, you can call on members of one ship's crew if you are in the other ship and want to do a mission/assignment, but only if the other ship isn't busy with a War Asset quest, with said person [you would need to swap squadmates beforehand. With main missions, both ships are with you so you won't need to plan ahead of time who to bring. Joker pilots one with Chakwas as the Med-Bay person, while another pilot, I guess Steve Cortez, controls the other ship with Dr. Michel as its Med-Bay person.
Eventually, you would get word of something happening at Eden Prime, and if you go, you run into either James Vega, who would be a very talented soldier stationed there in charge of the other soldiers of Eden Prime sent there to fight off the inevitable reapers, or a replacement person doing the same thing. After doing your stuff there, and get Javik out of his popsicle, both he and James join your team [or just Javik if James was already in your team]. This would NOT be DLC.
As for Cerberus, I would keep them as indoctrinated. I was okay with them being that.
By the end of the war, once we get to earth, I would make it be a grander version of the Suicide Mission that actually uses the war assets. Instead of Destroy, Control, Synthesis, and Refuse at the ending, I would just have reapers defeated or reapers win. The way you played the trilogy in general, how well you did ME3, and how well you do in the final mission all determine how the galaxy fares against the reapers
Not satisfied, but... content? Resigned? I don't know.
ME3 is where most of the problem spots were, though there are plenty throughout the trilogy. ME2 is the game I would change least, ME3 would be changed most. I would add more explanation to ME2 that explained how the Council and the alliance came to the conclusion that the Reapers did not in fact exist. I don't mind that plot element at all. I prefer it in fact.
I personally think one reason ME2 doesn't feel like it progresses the plot forward is because it isn't really reflected a lot in ME3. To me, ME3 doesn't get a pass for that like ME2, as it being game 3, it should be following the tone and and narrative of ME2. ME2 meanwhile is more about building on what ME1 introduced. I'd also make more of a foreshadowing of the Crucible throughout ME2, possibly even with information on it being located within the Collector Base, and its existence being one thing you search for in the base. In the end, you'd confirm its existence, but not have the plans for it. Instead, you'd find the copy of the information on Mars in ME3.
I'd also make more of a foreshadowing of the Crucible throughout ME2, possibly even with information on it being located within the Collector Base, and its existence being one thing you search for in the base. In the end, you'd confirm its existence, but not have the plans for it. Instead, you'd find the copy of the information on Mars in ME3.
This. It's obvious that they had no concept of the Crucible in ME2 and only came up with that during the development of ME3 because the Collector base would've been the perfect spot to introduce the Crucible...
There is small bit of foreshadowing about other Prothean plans to fight the Reapers in Lair of the Shadow Broker, but it's so small and the fact that it happens on a DLC doesn't help.
Not satisfied, but... content? Resigned? I don't know.
ME3 is where most of the problem spots were, though there are plenty throughout the trilogy. ME2 is the game I would change least, ME3 would be changed most. I would add more explanation to ME2 that explained how the Council and the alliance came to the conclusion that the Reapers did not in fact exist. I don't mind that plot element at all. I prefer it in fact.
Hum... I understand now.
"The presence of the Rachi will have huge consequences, even just in the final battle against the reapers" - SuperMac
Here's the actual segment that this quote came from, which is part of a broader discussion and involves a paraphrased insert from EW.
I saved the Rachni in the first game, and there was a little tease about them in Mass Effect 2. How big of a repercussion do choices like that have in this game? Will get to play a mission that someone who killed the Rachni wouldn’t get?
The thing I will say about Mass Effect 3 is that the choices you’ve made previously, and the differences that those choices represent, are much bigger than they’ve been in the past. There are certain missions that are simply not available at all because of something you’ve done in the past. Those are usually on a smaller scale. Is Conrad Verner alive or dead? [The presence of the Rachni] has huge consequences in Mass Effect 3. Even just in the final battle with the Reapers.
what story? All i see is a beginning, and a middle. We're still waiting for the end of the story.
Hum... I understand now.
I'm certain you certainly understand something that we don't. I don't know what that speaks about you or us.
The endings are ironic because the both eclipse and reveal the other problems with ME3 and by extension the other games.
Prior to the ending, I think a lot of people were just caught up in the joy of the games. I certainly was. Like other people have said if something is satisfying and entertaining, a lot of flaws can go unnoticed. And so it was until the endings hit and shattered the illusion. And once shattered, saying "but you were enjoying it before" doesn't quite cut it. What has been seen, and all that.
What I can say is that it really is a testament to the strength of the franchise as a whole that I can still call it good (even the third game) despite the pitfalls. That it's still the most immersive game I've ever played. That's what the credit of my previous enjoyment buys. Not amnesty for the ending, or indulgence for the other flaws. So no, I am no longer satisfied with the story of the trilogy. But I was very satisfied with the feel of the games, once.
And what beef does everyone have with Morinth? I wouldn't mind a psychopath on the team, it makes for far more excitement. Morinth was underdeveloped and underutilized because she was technically half a character. Provide a more compelling reason to have her on the team and more resulting development and she could've gone places.
Were it my creation, I'd have done lots of things differently, and very much so.
But yes, with all three games and all their DLC story, I am satisfied overall.
Overall, yes.
I like all of it, except for... blablabla, et cetera, et cetera.
The above pretty much covers my feelings on the matter.
Of course, I might want to do a little work on the game that suffers from railroading, plot holes, both a MacGuffin and a deus-ex-machina contrivance, "magical" hand-waved inconsistencies in the lore/science, and forced sacrifices that include an ending which won't let me "win" without throwing a good number of individuals under the bus.
You know, Mass Effect 1.
Guest_alleyd_*
I don't see Mass Effect's story as being any worse than other Anthropomorphic First-Step North Americans In Space type space opera franchises like Star Wars, Star Trek, BSG, Firefly, etc, etc, etc. In some ways I see Mass Effect has many improvements over these franchises. I certainly felt more connected to characters in ME than I did in any other franchise with much reduced screen time.
Damn, I've gotten bitter.
You're welcome
Here's the actual segment that this quote came from, which is part of a broader discussion and involves a paraphrased insert from EW.
Quote
QuoteI saved the Rachni in the first game, and there was a little tease about them in Mass Effect 2. How big of a repercussion do choices like that have in this game? Will get to play a mission that someone who killed the Rachni wouldn’t get?
The thing I will say about Mass Effect 3 is that the choices you’ve made previously, and the differences that those choices represent, are much bigger than they’ve been in the past. There are certain missions that are simply not available at all because of something you’ve done in the past. Those are usually on a smaller scale. Is Conrad Verner alive or dead? [The presence of the Rachni] has huge consequences in Mass Effect 3. Even just in the final battle with the Reapers.
LOL...the underlined. I would actually like to know which mission or quest is available or unavailable based on your previous choices. Even the conrad verner quest happens whether he is alive or not. It just plays out slightly different based on your decisions to save conrad or kill him or etc...
Sooooo...what mission did we get or not get if we saved/killed the rachni in ME3?
What Huge impact did the rachni make on the battle for earth? Did they make any impact in the gameplay? Was there a cutscene? Did you get a different copy of ME3 than me?
No. ME3 failed ME2's build up. It's almost like Vince McMahon wrote that ****. "Hey pal, here's what we're gonna do... the reapers aren't really bad! There is no point to all of this, the fans will forget about the first two games. YEAH!"
But really for me, ME2 built up the reapers and primed my expectations for all out war accross the galaxy. I never got my war. Instead I got people telling me how devastating everything is without truly seeing this devastation outside of Menae. Sure Thessia and Earth looked bad, and we're told the reapers are too strong, but sorry bub, I just broke my foot out of their elite troops' and two of their actual units' ass while also roflstomping their ground forces to such an extent that everytime I see a guy get killed by a husk in passing along each mission I laugh. Hey Shepard, remember that time when you had a ship full of the most badass/best ____ in the galaxy? Remember how you were whooping ass all around the Milky Way with just that ragtag crew and no open support? Hey Jacob, remember how you only left the Alliance cause you were like 'eff this red tape!' and now you're refusing to rejoin them or nut up with the Normandy? It's like every expectation I had got underwhelmmed. There were definitely great moments, but overall we got a story that constantly told me one thing yet showed me another in the final chapters. Hell, you'd think after the events of Retribution that the reaper threat would be officially recognized and that Cerberus would be shut down to a bare minimum. roflmao
Damn, I've gotten bitter.
Hey, come on! Red, green, and blue are very different areas of the visual spectrum. And those slideshows... I felt like each offered a whole new ME3 expansion.
Hey, come on! Red, green, and blue are very different areas of the visual spectrum. And those slideshows... I felt like each offered a whole new ME3 expansion.
"Experience the beginning, middle and end of an emotional journey where your choices COMPLETLY shape what color you can choose from and what slide show you get at the end"
You know...If bioware said that before releasing ME3...I don't think there would have been such an outrage.
exactly my point.Not exactly high praise here, given Matrix 2 and especially 3 are kinda jokes.
Puffery. ...
Puffery...
Puffery.
I just wanted to be with Liara again in the end. Instead they left me buried under a pile of rubble, and left her stranded on a planet god knows where. And because I didn't have the iOS app I never knew. ... that is if it ever worked the way it was supposed to work.
Puffery. ...
Puffery...
Puffery.
I just wanted to be with Liara again in the end. Instead they left me buried under a pile of rubble, and left her stranded on a planet god knows where. And because I didn't have the iOS app I never knew. ... that is if it ever worked the way it was supposed to work.
I did have the iOS app and never got this message. And even if it did work, I shouldn't have needed it.
Instead I get to leave As alone again, because "art" (not that I found it particularly artistic the first time around in ME2)
I did have the iOS app and never got this message. And even if it did work, I shouldn't have needed it.
Instead I get to leave As alone again, because "art" (not that I found it particularly artistic the first time around in ME2)
If they did have artistic integrity then the ending wouldn't have been tied to multiplayer, or facebook, or iOS apps, or any other cynical cross-platform merchandising tie-ins. The ending would have stood on its own merit. This doesn't even take into account any of the real or perceived problems with the ending.
The entire "galactic readiness" mechanism invalidated any claim to artistic integrity from the outset.
At the end of the day, I just wish I could go back to a time where the game was enjoyable to me, and I wanted to play. Since I went through my accidental ending (I ended up choosing the wrong choice by accident because I thought there would be more info as I approached), I have not loaded any of the trilogy. I got the closure I could watching the ending on youtube. And every time I miss the game it feels utterly pointless to start again.
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