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[Majestic Jazz]

No matter what you did in Mass Effect 1, Udina was always the counselor.

 

No matter what you did in Mass Effect 1, the Rachni queen lived. 

 

No matter how supportive you were of Cerberus/Illusive Man in Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3 (especially the beginning) always implies that you had a major fallout with Cerberus and was never truely on their side. 

 

Was the retcons ever explained or just pushed under the rug? Also what do you think this could mean for Mass Effect 4? Asside from the possible endings of Mass Effect 3, what other major plot points of the trilogy do you think will be retconned to fit into the narrative of Mass Effect 4?

[teh DRUMPf!!]

 1.) Udina as councilor was explained in his/Anderson's codex entry.

2.) Rachni queen does not survive. It is replaced by a hacked-up Reaper version that looks alike.

3.) TIM did not trust you enough to keep you on board, so he dumped you. It is what it is.

[WarChicken78]

 1.) Udina as councilor was explained in his/Anderson's codex entry.

2.) Rachni queen does not survive. It is replaced by a hacked-up Reaper version that looks alike.

3.) TIM did not trust you enough to keep you on board, so he dumped you. It is what it is.

 

Correct. Let me ellaborate on it a little more.

1 - Udina got onto the council, since Anderson got bored of politics and stepped down. This is not only explained in the codex entries, but also in their dialogue.

 

2 - If you kill the Rachni Queen in ME1 it will be present in ME3, but it's a clone created by the Reapers. If you free that clone, the rachni workers will betray and leave the crucible project after some time - so it's better to kill the pseudo-queen and by that save Arlach-Company.

 

3 - If you blow up the Collector base at the end of ME2 instead of purging it, your "betrayal" is clear, but if I remember it right, even if you purge the station, the final dialogue between you and TIM isn't on best terms, so this also does not really qualify as a retcon.

 

 

Since ME4 will not include save imports, it will use a "canon" ending to ME3 if it plays after ME1-3. So if you chose a different ending than the one the authors of ME4 choose as the canon one, your choice will not be reflected.
Especially if you chose synthesis, I guess you'll not get this in the new game, since a universe completely consisting of organic/synthetic-hybrids is most likely too bizarre, to base a whole game on.

[Outrider42]

The easy retcon will be saying that the entire galaxy was not in fact effected as planned by whichever rainbow colored light you choose in ME3.

 

That gives them an easy out to make it really vague as to how ME3 ends, as there is supposedly no canon ending. So you'll see elements of all 3 endings in play. The game can take place a number of centuries later. You'll probably find a number of characters that are synthetic hybrids in places as a nod to that ending. But with the passage of time, many of those hybrids are gone.

 

Nobody knows what Shepard did to stop the Reapers, which is actually true. There wasn't anybody around to witness what went down with starkid.

The reapers just suddenly stopped, which is also true. And again, if the gates didn't effect the whole galaxy, there would still be surviving reapers. But the reapers disappear soon after regardless of ending. Were they destroyed, nobody actually cares, they are just happy that it is over. You might even have stories of reapers that suddenly regained their past memories, and those reapers either helped out or committed suicide realizing what they were. This could be the control ending, or once the control center was destroyed, they regained some conscience. So it would be very easy to actually combine these 2 endings. Even if Shepard controls the Reapers, I would think of it as being a Madoka Magica kind of deal where he/she cannot directly contact people. And since the Reapers disappeared, it would be very hard to confirm.

 

Even the races that Shepard could have eliminated could still appear with proper explanation, just like the Rachni.

 

We already know that the game takes place in an area of space that is less explored and farther away, and that exploration will be a focus of it. This area was probably not too effected by the reaper conflict. It might even be a different galaxy all together, removing us from the reaper conflict entirely.

It might even have a Star Trek Voyager thing going on, where you end up so far away, you have no contact with home.

 

It really comes down to this: the Reapers were stopped. And no matter which ending happened, while they were all very dramatic, nothing lasts forever. While some might think of it as a cop out, what it really does is show just how insignificant everything is on the scale of the universe and the passage of time. It ultimately makes you realize just how small we, and everything in existence, really are.

[PCThug]

I don't see why those three plot points would even come up, as the new game isn't a continuation of Shepard's story.

[Majestic Jazz]

It really comes down to this: the Reapers were stopped. And no matter which ending happened, while they were all very dramatic, nothing lasts forever. While some might think of it as a cop out, what it really does is show just how insignificant everything is on the scale of the universe and the passage of time. It ultimately makes you realize just how small we, and everything in existence, really are.

I really like this explanation.

[Messi Kossmann]

There's no Retcon in ME3, at least none of your example is. Retcon is a change in the story or the lore.

The fact that Anderson abandon the council makes sense; Reapers using a Rachni clone to build an army makes sense; and Elusive Man not trust in Shepherd makes sense too. You say it's retcon only because we all know that not matters what we chose, the path will be the same in ME3.

You can say that its a lazy work, but not a retcon.

[SilJeff]

Udina was canonically made Councilor by Drew Karpyshin in one of his novels [can't remember if it was Ascension or Retribution], not in ME3

[AsheraII]

Since ME4 will not include save imports, it will use a "canon" ending to ME3 if it plays after ME1-3. So if you chose a different ending than the one the authors of ME4 choose as the canon one, your choice will not be reflected.
Especially if you chose synthesis, I guess you'll not get this in the new game, since a universe completely consisting of organic/synthetic-hybrids is most likely too bizarre, to base a whole game on.

 
There won't be any "canon ending of ME3". The reason we won't have to worry about our saves is the DA Keep. They've said right from its start that the Keep will expand to include other games.

[WarChicken78]

I don't see why those three plot points would even come up, as the new game isn't a continuation of Shepard's story.

 

Sure, but if the new game plays after ME3 timewise, Shepards actions did affect the galaxy.
But as Outrider42 described, with some good writing the chosen ending is irrelevant in the end, so you may be right after all.

[NM_Che56]

Those are not retcons, as nothing was changed.  A story not going the way YOU thought it should go is not retroactive continuity.  

 

Retroactive continuity is putting creatures into a previous work to match the new work, going back and CHANGING PREVIOUS stuff so that the inclusion of it in the NEW stuff makes sense.  

 

Anderson didn't like politics.  Seems logical given he's a military man through and through.

Rachni Queen did not live.  She was cloned.  A concept that was not inserted retroactively.

If you read the books and comics you'd know that TIM was never to be trusted and never really had humanity's interests at heart.  Not to mention: Why would you trust a man with eyes that resembled an indoctrinated Saren who has reputation for doing shaddy stuff?  

 

As a matter of fact, Cerberus was not initially planned to be as central to the Mass Effect story as they turned out to be.  

[NM_Che56]

Udina was canonically made Councilor by Drew Karpyshin in one of his novels [can't remember if it was Ascension or Retribution], not in ME3

I don't remember reading that.  I remember how the novels (except Deception...that garbage...) took great care to avoid too much discussion about Shepard related things.

[PCThug]

Sure, but if the new game plays after ME3 timewise, Shepards actions did affect the galaxy.
But as Outrider42 described, with some good writing the chosen ending is irrelevant in the end, so you may be right after all.

True enough. I was referring more to the idea that Udina being made councilor or Shepard's relationship with Cerberus would have any reason to come up in the next game.

[SilJeff]

I don't remember reading that.  I remember how the novels (except Deception...that garbage...) took great care to avoid too much discussion about Shepard related things.

After doing a search on the Mass Effect Wiki, it was Retribution, not Ascension. In Retribution, Udina is the human Councilor with Anderson as his advisor.

[JasonShepard]

After doing a search on the Mass Effect Wiki, it was Retribution, not Ascension. In Retribution, Udina is the human Councilor with Anderson as his advisor.

 

Aye. Aria makes a comment along those lines when she first notices that Anderson is involved in events. I always felt it was a bit odd that she thought of him as an advisor, rather than an ex-Councillor...   (But it does arguably fit with both versions of ME1's final choice.)

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

If Shepard is on Earth at the end of the destroy ending, then they'll just ignore the ending. Indoctrination Theory would then be true.

[NM_Che56]

After doing a search on the Mass Effect Wiki, it was Retribution, not Ascension. In Retribution, Udina is the human Councilor with Anderson as his advisor.

Sounds like he couldn't stomach the gig...

 

"Mass Effect: Retribution 

Just less than a year after the defeat of the Collectors, Anderson continues his role on the Citadel by leading the Alliance trade negotiations alongside the elcor, volus and turians. However, his feelings of resentment at his work continues, becoming increasingly frustrated at the slow pace and difficulty of getting things done in politics, and yearning for the happier and more decisive time he served as a soldier. After receiving a message asking for help from his old friend Kahlee Sanders, Anderson abandons the trade negotiations to Udina, and convinces the Turian Ambassador ".

[GalacticWolf5]

If Shepard is on Earth at the end of the destroy ending, then they'll just ignore the ending. Indoctrination Theory would then be true.

Shepard is on the Citadel. Confirmed by devs.

[Valmar]

Why would you trust a man with eyes that resembled an indoctrinated Saren who has reputation for doing shaddy stuff?  

 

That is a very superficial thing to judge The Illusive Man on. It's also hypocritical considering Shepard has the same eyes, only a different glow. Reminds me of Joker's joke about how "I don't know how he can look at himself in the mirror with those freaky eyes" when my Shepard is standing here with glowing red eyes and scars. Thanks, Joker.

[Han Shot First]

I don't remember reading that.  I remember how the novels (except Deception...that garbage...) took great care to avoid too much discussion about Shepard related things.

 

That was one of the few exceptions. People were complaining about it on the forums after the book released.

[NM_Che56]

That was one of the few exceptions. People were complaining about it on the forums after the book released.

In refreshing my memory from the book, they explained by having Anderson grow tired of politics and leaving it behind to help Kahlee Sanders. Udina stepped in.

[NM_Che56]

That is a very superficial thing to judge The Illusive Man on. It's also hypocritical considering Shepard has the same eyes, only a different glow. Reminds me of Joker's joke about how "I don't know how he can look at himself in the mirror with those freaky eyes" when my Shepard is standing here with glowing red eyes and scars. Thanks, Joker.

 

Except when you read the comics to learn how TIM received aforementioned eyes.  Also, the more Paragon you are the less Terminator your eyes become.  

[Display Name Owner]

Yeah, none of these are retcons. They're just handwaves - not the coolest thing, but there it is.

 

Also, IIRC you never really had a proper falling out with TIM (unless you chose to in ME2) until the Mars archives, where it becomes clear that Cerberus is playing at games Shep doesn't agree with. And yeah, maybe it would be nice if Shep did have the option to agree with TIM, but again, there it is. Anyway, at the end of ME2 even a pro-Cerby Shep just kind of goes "you'd better not use this base for anything stupid" and generally acts weirdly high and mighty before walking head first into prison for reasons. Not quite a falling out, but not exactly the friendliest of terms.

[SilJeff]

In refreshing my memory from the book, they explained by having Anderson grow tired of politics and leaving it behind to help Kahlee Sanders. Udina stepped in.

then that would leave a hole for playthroughs that chose Udina in the first place.

 

Retcon or explained, it was still a head writer putting his foot down and choosing to tell a story over making sure every choice is without "leaks"

[Fixers0]

The Rachni situation being 95% same regardless of your decision on Noveria was extremely contrived and poorly concieved but not truly a retcon.

 

One thing that I would qualify as a retcon is the fact that Cerberus gets their hands on the Human Reaper and the Remains of the Collectors base regardless of the player's decision at the end of ME2