The Mass Effect thread

[J.T.]

 

In Offline mode, you can kill the driver of an Atlas with a Sniper Rifle, and then jump in and pilot the thing yourself. Wish that worked in online too.

 

There is even an achievement/trophy for doing this

 

Yep.  If you have the From Ashes DLC, you have an earlier opportunity to get the achievement than you normally would.  Otherwise your first opportunity to hijack an Atlas mech is going to be at Grissom Academy. 

 

 The first mech you fight at Grissom is a boss and you have to blow it up. The second mech you just commandeer and it doesn't count towards the achievement.  There will be a third mech that you fight as the students are boarding the escape shuttle.  Instead of fighting the Atlas with your own mech, use a weapon (preferably a sniper rifle) to shatter the canopy and then take out the pilot with a headshot.

 

Then run to the mech and hit whatever action button shows up and you will dump the pilot and hijack the Atlas mech.  Sometimes the action button entry will glitch because the quick time animation that dumps the dead pilot on the ground puts the body too close to the feet of the mech and prevents Shep from jumping into the cockpit.

[The Man Known as Dan]

*chuckles* As someone who viewed the ending as so terrible that I have very little interest in getting future Mass Effect games...

 

In it's original form before fan outrage got the ending "expanded", there was more plot holes in the ending then there were things about the ending. Why does Joker go AWOL and run away from the biggest space battle ever were if we don't win, everyone dies? Why are the people you were on the ground with you suddenly in the ship all for this stupid Adam and Eve metaphor with Joker and EDI? etc.

 

But, bigger picture, adding a god character to the end of this story was bullshit. Giving us no choice but to play by the terms of someone responsible for trillions of deaths is bigger bullshit. Especially when we have 0 reason to believe any of his "options" won't result in things going terribly wrong. Why would he give a shit? Not to mention his presence in and of itself makes the main enemies of the entire series, the Reapers, into just mindless devices used by this stupid god child. Fuck that noise.

 

So... yeah, fuck the ending. I could have more reasons too, if you wish, but I really don't like getting into this anymore. 

[Robert C]

Dan beat me to it, but part of it is that you didn't see the original ending.  You saw the new, super duper extended dance remix.  It fixes some issues people had with the original, but for me at least adds one giant new plot hole, when the Normandy magically shows up at just before you get to your destination and rescues your companions.  If that was possible, why the hell didn't we try it in the first place.

 

I didn't actually hate the ending, but I did think it was by far the weakest part of the otherwise excellent storyline of part 3.  Outside of Anderson's last bit, there wasn't much that really gripped me.

 

Some people may have thought the endings we got were too much of a downer.  I really didn't feel that way at all.  I'd heard that there was a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth before I got there, so I was prepared for something much bleaker than what I actually got.  I would've been fine with Shepherd, the Normandy, and the entire crew dying heroic deaths, especially if it meant I didn't have to spend a bunch of time limping around and talking to something I wanted to shoot in the face.

[The Man Known as Dan]

Dan beat me to it, but part of it is that you didn't see the original ending.  You saw the new, super duper extended dance remix.  It fixes some issues people had with the original, but for me at least adds one giant new plot hole, when the Normandy magically shows up at just before you get to your destination and rescues your companions.  If that was possible, why the hell didn't we try it in the first place.

 

That, AND why didn't Harbinger just fucking shoot the Normany there. It already had the Beam on super death kill mode, all it had to do was aim up a bit. And if it did, that would cause the Normany to explode, killing everyone around. It gave the Reapers an easier out.

[BurningBeard]

I didn't hate the ending either but my first exposure was the extended one too.

 

Alot of ME3 seems to be mending bridges and putting right the wrongs that happened before humanity joined the Council, and there's definitely an atmosphere of self-sacrifice for the greater good that's pervasive throughout the game... which was why I chose control at the end.

 

The Catalyst was a created VI so viewed the cycle's as nothing more than an equation to be perfected whereas Shepherd taking over control gives the role more of a humane POV

 

The reason the Reapers/cycle was flawed was because it had become an equation devised by an AI for maximum efficiency. Shephard sacrificing himself for the greater good to control them essentially negates that flaw because it gives the machines an organic outlook which is what was missing. And one of the most pervading themes I found when playing through ME3 was the concept of self sacrifice for the greater good (Mordin, Legion) so it just felt right to me.

 

I know that DESTROY is the quintessential video game ending and all Shepherd wanted to do but it forces you to ignore everything that has happened over the course of the series (Geth/Quarians peace, EDI growing as a unit etc) which is just daft

 

Synthesis - I'm not comfortable making that decision for the galaxy.

 

Inactivity just didn't sit right with me

[J.T.]

The philosophical debate endings really didn't bother me.  Destroy was an easier choice to make pre extended cut because the fate of the Geth and EDI were vague.  Once it was confirmed that you wipe out all AI in the galaxy, it became a not so desirable choice.

 

I still found Destroy to be far more preferable that Control (which leaves the Reapers around to repeat the extinction cycle should Shepard's "humanity" deteriorate as a result of merging with the Reapers AI consciousness) or Synthesis (the antithesis of the free will concept as the game as you are making one broad decision that affects all sentient life in the galaxy.  Beneficial or not, the rest of all life in the galaxy has no say so in their evolutionary future).

 

The only thing that annoyed me was the meta of the ME3 ending.  Shepard is the most formidable warrior in the galaxy.  He / She deserved to go out in a better fight than that and he / she deserved to survive the war and hook up with his / her love interest. 

 

If you chose Ashley in ME1 and hooked up with her before the final battle, you never do find out what she wanted to say to you after she made you promise to come back to her.

[Robert C]

There's also the option of shooting the stupid AI in the face.  It has the same ultimate result as do nothing, but it's much more satisfying.  I went that way for one playthrough.

 

Synthesis just felt the worst of the three options for me.  Control was a little better, but I still found the all knowing/seeing/powerful thing a little to creepy.  I was ok with wiping out EDI and the Geth to rid the galaxy of the reapers.  I always had this spidey sense thing going on about the crucible, where I thought it was going to do something completely unexpected - like kill all life above cellular level or something.  Compared to that, losing the Geth/EDI didn't seem like that big a deal.

[Big Fresh]

Whatever. None of it happened anyway. Shepard was indoctrinated the whole time.

[AxB]

And where the fuck have you been?

[Big Fresh]

And where the fuck have you been?

 

Right behind you.

[The Man Known as Dan]

There's also the option of shooting the stupid AI in the face.  It has the same ultimate result as do nothing, but it's much more satisfying.  I went that way for one playthrough.

 

Synthesis just felt the worst of the three options for me.  Control was a little better, but I still found the all knowing/seeing/powerful thing a little to creepy.  I was ok with wiping out EDI and the Geth to rid the galaxy of the reapers.  I always had this spidey sense thing going on about the crucible, where I thought it was going to do something completely unexpected - like kill all life above cellular level or something.  Compared to that, losing the Geth/EDI didn't seem like that big a deal.

 

 

Also keep in mind the shoot the stupid AI in the face option was NOT in the original ending. Trust me. I tried. 

 

To my Shepard, the only acceptable conclusion is to turn down the the one responsible for literally trillions if not hundreds of trillions of deaths. Control seemed doomed to be corrupted, Destroy involves knowingly committing Genocide, and Synthesis is just..... no, fuck Synthesis.

 

If I may quote my Inquisitor in Dragon Age: That is the times for ideals and remembering why you are better then your enemy. I'd rather lose on my terms then win on any of those terms.

[The Man Known as Dan]

Oh, and Fresh, don't leave again or else I will hunt you down and find you.

[Big Fresh]

 

If I may quote my Inquisitor in Dragon Age: That is the times for ideals and remembering why you are better then your enemy. I'd rather lose on my terms then win on any of those terms.

 

 

I started playing this game, by the way. Despite my hatred of fantasy, I had an itch for a Bioware game.

[Big Fresh]

Oh, and Fresh, don't leave again or else I will hunt you down and find you.

 

You can always keep up with me by "Liking" Facebook.com/CoopingTowardHatred !

[TheVileOne]

This is why CD Projekt RED deserves every bit of their awards The Witcher 3.  Not only did they make a fantastic, immersive RPG, but they actually gave players multiple ending that catered to whatever play style they decided to choose.  If you make the wrong, bad choices, you get the bad ending, but it's still a powerful and dramatic ending.

.  

There's no truly "right" female character for Geralt to end up with.  It's really whatever the player wants or however they play.  All the players have opinions on who the best girl, right girl is, but CD Projekt RED built it so really Geralt could end up with whoever...OR...no one at all.  Some people just think Geralt should be a lone wolf and fly solo, and that's fine.  

 

The reason why this is relevant to Mass Effect 3 is because go back and look at the promises for Mass Effect 3 and the ending.  Every word BioWare made in regards to the ending can actually be applied to the end of The Witcher 3.  The Witcher 3 actually lives up to what Casey Hudson said about Mass Effect 3.  It's almost prophetic because fans were in such disbelief and angry about this.  Yet The Witcher 3 strangely lived up to what Hudson was saying.  And the one true ending is actually up to the player and his/her decisions.

[SirFozzie]

Started playing ME1 again. So much fun, but I didn't miss the equipment system

[The Man Known as Dan]

You know, we covered Mass Effect ending Bullshit, but can we talk about how stupid it was that this massive trilogy didn't end with an actual god damned fight? The biggest question about the Mass Effect ending isn't "Why Star Child (that prick...)", but "Why can't we kill Star Child (Fuck that prick!)"

[Big Fresh]

You fought Marauder Shields, what else do you want?!?!?

[J.T.]

You know, we covered Mass Effect ending Bullshit, but can we talk about how stupid it was that this massive trilogy didn't end with an actual god damned fight?

 

Dude, I have been talking about that for years now.  Where have you been?

 

Shit, I talked up that point a couple of weeks ago.

 

The philosophical debate endings really didn't bother me.  Destroy was an easier choice to make pre extended cut because the fate of the Geth and EDI were vague.  Once it was confirmed that you wipe out all AI in the galaxy, it became a not so desirable choice.

 

I still found Destroy to be far more preferable that Control (which leaves the Reapers around to repeat the extinction cycle should Shepard's "humanity" deteriorate as a result of merging with the Reapers AI consciousness) or Synthesis (the antithesis of the free will concept as the game as you are making one broad decision that affects all sentient life in the galaxy.  Beneficial or not, the rest of all life in the galaxy has no say so in their evolutionary future).

 

The only thing that annoyed me was the meta of the ME3 ending.  Shepard is the most formidable warrior in the galaxy.  He / She deserved to go out in a better fight than that and he / she deserved to survive the war and hook up with his / her love interest. 

 

If you chose Ashley in ME1 and hooked up with her before the final battle, you never do find out what she wanted to say to you after she made you promise to come back to her.

[BurningBeard]

It did end with a fight! The lead up to the ending conversation was absolutely brutal!

[J.T.]

It did end with a fight! The lead up to the ending conversation was absolutely brutal!

 

It was a pretty overstuffed affair but I think we would've all preferred to have led a boarding party onto Harbinger and blew it up from the inside.  Shepard deserved a better boss battle than the one he/she got.

[BurningBeard]

Ah I see your point, yeah that would have been cool. Wouldn't that have been too similar to infiltrating the geth ship though?

[J.T.]

Ah I see your point, yeah that would have been cool. Wouldn't that have been too similar to infiltrating the geth ship though?

 

Just saying that Shepard should've gotten to deal with Harbinger in some form or fashion.  The battle in London was very interesting from a gameplay standpoint but you were fighting minions. 

 

Live or die, IMO Shepard's final showdown with the Reapers should've ended in combat, not conversation.

[DMN]

So, there's a solid chance I'll be getting the Cerberus logo tattooed on the back of my neck in the next few days. I'll report back with pictures if/when it happens.

[RIPPA]

How similiar to this?