How to follow up Mass Effect 3's Ending with a Real One (spoilers included)

[VerverkS]

For those who have played through Mass Effect 3 and know the ending and are contemplating a new one, please take a look at this.

http://social.bioware.com/3461157/blog/212213/

I wrote this a couple weeks back. All my friends have given me a thumbs up from it, but I'm looking for some other input.

 

[Erttheking]

Damn, I gotta say that would be pretty kick ass. You know I wasn't too fond of the indoctrination theory before, but if it means we can move on from that crappy ending then hey, full speed ahead.

 

[370999]

It's alright. honestly, I prefer just avoiding the indoctrination angle and changing the game to give you an option to refuse the Star child. But I do like how your option ties up with keeping your old saves

 

[Goofguy]

That's pretty cool. However, I question the means in which you are treating players who made different choices. Should those of us who chose to cure the genophage be "punished" because we didn't have the crafty Salarians aiding us? Sure, it's war and it's very much a numbers game in this case but you'd be deterring players from ever siding with the Salarians if they knew the outcome would be a lost ground war on Earth and a dead Anderson.

I won't refute your point about the Geth and Quarians. More of them means more occupied Reapers who don't have the time or chance to engage the Normandy.

Plus, fighting Harbinger WOULD be a bit more epic than Marauder Shields.

 

[PaganAxe]

That's pretty cool. However, I question the means in which you are treating players who made different choices. Should those of us who chose to cure the genophage be "punished" because we didn't have the crafty Salarians aiding us? Sure, it's war and it's very much a numbers game in this case but you'd be deterring players from ever siding with the Salarians if they knew the outcome would be a lost ground war on Earth and a dead Anderson.

I think if Wrex was dead on Virmire and Wreav assumed control of the krogan and you chose to sabotage the cure, then you should get the same ending as you would if you cured the genophage for real with or without Wrex, but have a better result if Wrex is the leader. The idea I got was that Wreav is a power hungry dictator like character and the krogan can't be trusted with him as the leader. Wrex would be a much more stable and diplomatic ruler especially with Eve as his...erm...queen...?

 

[scorptatious]

While I would be happy with at least a text scroll talking about what happens to the galaxy based on my choices, something like this could be really awesome.

Also, INB4 Zeel...

...Wait, he's banned??

HOORAY!!

 

[Smeggs]

The problem with that ending is that those who chose "LEAVE THE REAPERS ALL INTACT" and "SPACE MAGIC" ending would feel betrayed, and some might have to play all the way through the game again.

 

[Dalek Caan]

For those who have played through Mass Effect 3 and know the ending and are contemplating a new one, please take a look at this.

http://social.bioware.com/3461157/blog/212213/

I wrote this a couple weeks back. All my friends have given me a thumbs up from it, but I'm looking for some other input.

*Shakes hand*

You've done us proud. Keep up the fight soldier.

 

[MiloP]

This is certainly a good idea, but I have three reasons why it shouldn't be implemented:

1) Smeggs reason above, this really fucks over anyone who DIDN'T pick the destroy option.

2) I think BioWare chose this ending specifically to avoid having a "manly space marine run in guns blazing and having a cigar on a pile of dead Reapers" ending, and have something a bit more thoughtful and reflective. Whether or not that was the right move, or whether the ending was thoughtful and reflective, is a matter of opinion (despite what some people on these forums may have you believe), but if that was the reason they did an ending as crazy as this, I think their decision to end on a non-guns-and-ammo note should be respected. Hell, blasting the Reapers manually using the Crucible tracks awfully close to the last bit of Halo Reach.

3) While I'm personally fine with BioWare tacking on a bit more to the end of ME3, they should ABSOLUTELY NOT pick a fan-made ending. Now, this is not meant as an insult to you, OP, but I think that using fan-made endings would be very disrespectful to BioWare's immensly talented writing staff if, should a new/improved ending be written, they are completely circumvented by a fan-made ending and end up not being able to finish a series that they've all put their heart and soul into. Not to mention that using fan-ideas sets a bad precedent - if game companies could just use fans to write their stories, then they wouldn't bother hiring paid writers, and lots of talented people could be out of work. Not that I'm saying all fan-ideas are crap, but letting the fans decide the integral backbone of a plot is bound to backfire for somebody.

 

[SajuukKhar]

The biggest problem I have with this is the first line where you say

"BioWare has decided to make an alternate DLC ending to Mass Effect 3 to more effectively wrap up the story in a fan-friendlier way. "

Content initiatives that provide more detail to the ending =/= a new ending. People are taking Bioware's words, yet again, in the completely wrong way.

Beyond that, it isn't that bad, it isn't great, but it isn't bad either.

 

[wintercoat]

The problem with that ending is that those who chose "LEAVE THE REAPERS ALL INTACT" and "SPACE MAGIC" ending would feel betrayed, and some might have to play all the way through the game again.

Not the whole game. Just Cronos Base and London. The game autosaves to right before you start the Cerberus Base mission. Hell, if you didn't do anything after beating the game with that file, you can restart right from when Shepard gets up after being blasted by Harbinger by choosing the restart Citadel: The Return.

 

[Matt King]

the only thing i disagree with is the destruction being the only ending
how about you play as indocrtinated sheperd with repear tech in him and you have to fight through the armies you had gathered before then fight onto the main vessel and kill hacket?
and it's harder the more species you have

 

[370999]

3) While I'm personally fine with BioWare tacking on a bit more to the end of ME3, they should ABSOLUTELY NOT pick a fan-made ending. Now, this is not meant as an insult to you, OP, but I think that using fan-made endings would be very disrespectful to BioWare's immensly talented writing staff if, should a new/improved ending be written, they are completely circumvented by a fan-made ending and end up not being able to finish a series that they've all put their heart and soul into. Not to mention that using fan-ideas sets a bad precedent - if game companies could just use fans to write their stories, then they wouldn't bother hiring paid writers, and lots of talented people could be out of work. Not that I'm saying all fan-ideas are crap, but letting the fans decide the integral backbone of a plot is bound to backfire for somebody.

They kinda did already. A lot of ME 3 ending was based on a letter a kid sent to Hudson. So I don't think we can say suddenly know that they can't base their ending on some fans idea. Not outright steal, that silly, but incorporating good ideas is always useful to do.

 

[boag]

I want to care, but apathy has now consumed me, i hope the DLC actually does something that rekindles my interest, but your idea sounds pretty cool.

 

[Tomeran]

I quite liked the suggestion. It is fairly well thought out and I would not mind seeing something like that implemented. Sure, may not be as "artisticly genuine and unique" as some curiously describe the ME3 endings, but its not a bad one.

It needs adjustments though. As some have pointed out, making the "red option" the only way out to a "true ending" is an uncomfortable path that will probably have half of the ME3 players do a re-run of the last earth mission. Its a fairly big mission, and might rub some people the wrong way. And if the red option has to be the right one(and it actually was for me personally the option I was most comfortable with), make some subtle hints(or more subtle hints) that the other two choices are wrong. Give players more of a chance to take the "intended" path to a decent ending, and not just purely a choice of taste. For example, I reckon the fact that EDI and the geth die if you choose the red ending was fairly off-putting for many.

I've always liked the indoctrination theory even if I've never actually belived it(the voices in my head keep telling me its garbage), but I really like the way its implemented in this suggestion.

Overall, thumbs up.

Captcha says "Wide berth". How inaccurate!

 

[WanderingFool]

For those who have played through Mass Effect 3 and know the ending and are contemplating a new one, please take a look at this.

http://social.bioware.com/3461157/blog/212213/

I wrote this a couple weeks back. All my friends have given me a thumbs up from it, but I'm looking for some other input.

Very nice, I like it. But my only problem is, as mentioned already, it basically says "fuck you" to the players who chose the Green/Blue endings.

Honestly, I say keep the three original endings, and add a refuse type of ending, where Shep turns around and walks away instead of towards the three choices. Than, based off of the readiness rating, have basically three or four different endings from this:

-Below 50%: Your basic lose scenario.
-At 50%: Heavy casualities. Mass devistation. You win, but really its a pretty fucking hallow victory.
-Above 50%: The Victory fleet manages to decemat the Reapers, either driving them back into retreat, or out right utter destruction.
-100%: This would be the same as the previous, but we find out Shep didnt actually make it up the beam. S/He was knocked out, and wakes up with the two squad mates you braught standing over them. You find out that you didnt need the crucible at all, and its also implied that you were dreaming from the point where you got hit with the beam (thus allowing the endings to be considered indoctrination, but this only comes up with the refuse option and 100% EMS.)

Also, yes, this is based off of that Deviant Art Fanfiction.

 

[Flailing Escapist]

It's still too late. Most of the ways I've seen people suggest Bioware "fix it" is just in the last minutes and after. They would have to change most of the game to make the ending "good" (of my tastes) not to mention that I already sold my copy of ME3. Anything they do at this point would be way, way too goddamn late.

 

[Seanfall]

For those who have played through Mass Effect 3 and know the ending and are contemplating a new one, please take a look at this.

http://social.bioware.com/3461157/blog/212213/

I wrote this a couple weeks back. All my friends have given me a thumbs up from it, but I'm looking for some other input.

*slow clap for genuine creativity*

 

[TheOneBearded]

My problem is with the "having a full 5000 EMS" (which can only happen if you play the multiplayer). Personally, I don't care about multiplayer, so I don't pay for gold membership and I know of many people who don't have internet access on their 360. Can't I have the maximum amount of EMS (around 3000, I think) from playing the single-player only and still get the best ending? My renegade Shepard doesn't take no for an answer.

 

[TheOneBearded]

3) While I'm personally fine with BioWare tacking on a bit more to the end of ME3, they should ABSOLUTELY NOT pick a fan-made ending. Now, this is not meant as an insult to you, OP, but I think that using fan-made endings would be very disrespectful to BioWare's immensly talented writing staff if, should a new/improved ending be written, they are completely circumvented by a fan-made ending and end up not being able to finish a series that they've all put their heart and soul into. Not to mention that using fan-ideas sets a bad precedent - if game companies could just use fans to write their stories, then they wouldn't bother hiring paid writers, and lots of talented people could be out of work. Not that I'm saying all fan-ideas are crap, but letting the fans decide the integral backbone of a plot is bound to backfire for somebody.

You do know that Bioware got the idea of adding the "Starchild" from some kid in middle-school? At least this sounds good and can give the ending that ME deserves.