ME3 Indoctrination theory analysis

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Adam Jensen_v1legacy

I never asked for this
Sep 8, 2011
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Zeel said:
Adam Jensen said:
It must be nice to be able to just turn off all critical thinking skills and just react emotionally at everything. You're like a 16 year old girl on her sweet 16 when she doesn't get the car she wanted. Can you just for a second stop whining and try to analyze the ending? Maybe you'll actually contribute something useful to one of these topics for a change.
"Analyze" the ending? No!
I am not wasting my time on such wonky ass shit. The ending is the ending. Bioware cooked up some half-baked shit and served it on a plate. and everyone proceeded to cobble it up like a bunch of pigs.

To see fans go out of their way to make it better by "analyzing" is akin to watching children run repeatedly into a wall.

By analyze you simply mean "spin this until it feels better"

The tweets also mean nothing. There shipping their overpriced DLC. that much is obvious.
We are not trying to make it better. Nothing will make it better. We are trying to understand it. If your only goal is to be angry, you can do it somewhere else.

This exchange is over.
 

Neotericity

Legal Assassin
May 20, 2009
685
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Zeel said:
You know what I think guys?

That Bioware is over at their HQ laughing about this ridiculous shit. sipping some fruity cosmos, while they braid eachothers hair.

I can just imagine it

Bioware prick: "they're flipping their shits over the shitty ending we made. What do we do?"
Casey Hudson: "Get a producer to leave a vague convoluted tweet and then strap them with useless overpriced DLC's."
Bioware prick: "will that work?"
Casey Hudson: "Come on? These are Bioware fanboys aren't they? We could piss in their open mouths and they'd find it acceptable."

and then they'd put on their black robes and dance the cha-cha to "Mo-Moneys, Mo-problems" by Notorious B.I.G
HAHAHAHA I'm not sure that's exactly how it went, but pretty funny nonetheless.

OP: I believe that there definitely is weight to this whole indoctrination theory, but that doesn't change the fact that there's no satisfying conclusions whatsoever and that we have to buy dlc to get the full ending. DEVELOPERS FINISH YOUR GAMES! I like expansions, but this is utterly ridiculous and the absolute tipping point for me into all the dlc problems that have plagued this industry.
 

Adam Jensen_v1legacy

I never asked for this
Sep 8, 2011
6,647
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Neotericity said:
Zeel said:
You know what I think guys?

That Bioware is over at their HQ laughing about this ridiculous shit. sipping some fruity cosmos, while they braid eachothers hair.

I can just imagine it

Bioware prick: "they're flipping their shits over the shitty ending we made. What do we do?"
Casey Hudson: "Get a producer to leave a vague convoluted tweet and then strap them with useless overpriced DLC's."
Bioware prick: "will that work?"
Casey Hudson: "Come on? These are Bioware fanboys aren't they? We could piss in their open mouths and they'd find it acceptable."

and then they'd put on their black robes and dance the cha-cha to "Mo-Moneys, Mo-problems" by Notorious B.I.G
HAHAHAHA I'm not sure that's exactly how it went, but pretty funny nonetheless.

OP: I believe that there definitely is weight to this whole indoctrination theory, but that doesn't change the fact that there's no satisfying conclusions whatsoever and that we have to buy dlc to get the full ending. DEVELOPERS FINISH YOUR GAMES! I like expansions, but this is utterly ridiculous and the absolute tipping point for me into all the dlc problems that have plagued this industry.
According to this info (if it's legit) the DLC will be free: http://i.imgur.com/xjXdX.png
I doubt it, but without hope we may as well be machines, right?
 

boag

New member
Sep 13, 2010
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Adam Jensen said:
Neotericity said:
Zeel said:
You know what I think guys?

That Bioware is over at their HQ laughing about this ridiculous shit. sipping some fruity cosmos, while they braid eachothers hair.

I can just imagine it

Bioware prick: "they're flipping their shits over the shitty ending we made. What do we do?"
Casey Hudson: "Get a producer to leave a vague convoluted tweet and then strap them with useless overpriced DLC's."
Bioware prick: "will that work?"
Casey Hudson: "Come on? These are Bioware fanboys aren't they? We could piss in their open mouths and they'd find it acceptable."

and then they'd put on their black robes and dance the cha-cha to "Mo-Moneys, Mo-problems" by Notorious B.I.G
HAHAHAHA I'm not sure that's exactly how it went, but pretty funny nonetheless.

OP: I believe that there definitely is weight to this whole indoctrination theory, but that doesn't change the fact that there's no satisfying conclusions whatsoever and that we have to buy dlc to get the full ending. DEVELOPERS FINISH YOUR GAMES! I like expansions, but this is utterly ridiculous and the absolute tipping point for me into all the dlc problems that have plagued this industry.
According to this info (if it's legit) the DLC will be free: http://i.imgur.com/xjXdX.png
I doubt it, but without hope we may as well be machines, right?
Put a grain of salt in that, its true that /v/ and /vg/ were right about a lot of the leaks, but sometimes a troll is just a troll.
 

Neotericity

Legal Assassin
May 20, 2009
685
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0
Adam Jensen said:
Neotericity said:
Zeel said:
You know what I think guys?

That Bioware is over at their HQ laughing about this ridiculous shit. sipping some fruity cosmos, while they braid eachothers hair.

I can just imagine it

Bioware prick: "they're flipping their shits over the shitty ending we made. What do we do?"
Casey Hudson: "Get a producer to leave a vague convoluted tweet and then strap them with useless overpriced DLC's."
Bioware prick: "will that work?"
Casey Hudson: "Come on? These are Bioware fanboys aren't they? We could piss in their open mouths and they'd find it acceptable."

and then they'd put on their black robes and dance the cha-cha to "Mo-Moneys, Mo-problems" by Notorious B.I.G
HAHAHAHA I'm not sure that's exactly how it went, but pretty funny nonetheless.

OP: I believe that there definitely is weight to this whole indoctrination theory, but that doesn't change the fact that there's no satisfying conclusions whatsoever and that we have to buy dlc to get the full ending. DEVELOPERS FINISH YOUR GAMES! I like expansions, but this is utterly ridiculous and the absolute tipping point for me into all the dlc problems that have plagued this industry.
According to this info (if it's legit) the DLC will be free: http://i.imgur.com/xjXdX.png
I doubt it, but without hope we may as well be machines, right?
Hope is dead.
 

Xathos

New member
Jun 7, 2010
350
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Sadly, I don't really like this theory. I mean, yeah it can work, but there isn't exactly a lot of foreshadowing for it in the game to support this (unless of course they add some in with DLC and make the Indoctrination an Ending).

Indoctrination was never some big dream sequence of a battle of wills; it simply made people sway to the Reaper side, and they would almost never know it. Sure, hearing voices or seeing something move on the wall when nothing is there would be probably signs, but having a whole Dream like event happen? Seems to slightly go against what has been established. Characters have shown being able to resist, but they always knew that the Reapers were pressing onto their minds and tried to stop them. Benezia from ME1 and Paul Grayson from the novels are prime examples.

Ugh, I'm having a real hard time trying to get my thoughts down correctly. Basically, a battle of wills against the Reapers Indoctrination or Harbinger himself I don't mind. However, I don't believe thinking it starts right when Harbinger fires his laser at you is the right way to go about it; nor thinking that the Reapers are tricking you with the 3 big choices. I would see it similar to the Morinth situation in ME2, where she tries to convince you to have meld with her and you have to pass Renegade/Paragon checks. Indoctrination would sort of be like that, though considering it is Reapers and not an Asari Vampire, it would probably be different.

I mean, there is nothing that says we can't have a level where we fight manifestations of Harbinger or other Reapers in the confines of our own mind, using the memories of what we have done so far like our choices and reactions to our friends as "ammo" for our weapon as we kick their ass as we work out way to try and make the Crucible work.

Again, sorry if I don't make sense. What I'm trying to say is that while I'm not AGAINST the idea, I just don't think it works given with what's currently been established, as well as what's in ME3 at the present time.
 

boag

New member
Sep 13, 2010
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Xathos said:
Sadly, I don't really like this theory. I mean, yeah it can work, but there isn't exactly a lot of foreshadowing for it in the game to support this (unless of course they add some in with DLC and make the Indoctrination an Ending).

Indoctrination was never some big dream sequence of a battle of wills; it simply made people sway to the Reaper side, and they would almost never know it. Sure, hearing voices or seeing something move on the wall when nothing is there would be probably signs, but having a whole Dream like event happen? Seems to slightly go against what has been established. Characters have shown being able to resist, but they always knew that the Reapers were pressing onto their minds and tried to stop them. Benezia from ME1 and Paul Grayson from the novels are prime examples.

Ugh, I'm having a real hard time trying to get my thoughts down correctly. Basically, a battle of wills against the Reapers Indoctrination or Harbinger himself I don't mind. However, I don't believe thinking it starts right when Harbinger fires his laser at you is the right way to go about it; nor thinking that the Reapers are tricking you with the 3 big choices. I would see it similar to the Morinth situation in ME2, where she tries to convince you to have meld with her and you have to pass Renegade/Paragon checks. Indoctrination would sort of be like that, though considering it is Reapers and not an Asari Vampire, it would probably be different.

I mean, there is nothing that says we can't have a level where we fight manifestations of Harbinger or other Reapers in the confines of our own mind, using the memories of what we have done so far like our choices and reactions to our friends as "ammo" for our weapon as we kick their ass as we work out way to try and make the Crucible work.

Again, sorry if I don't make sense. What I'm trying to say is that while I'm not AGAINST the idea, I just don't think it works given with what's currently been established, as well as what's in ME3 at the present time.
Remember the Indoctrinated Salarians in Virmire?

how most of them went nuts?

Remember that scientist assistant you met on Eden Prime, how he was raving about a crazy dream?

Remember the Codex?
Reaper "indoctrination" is an insidious means of corrupting organic minds, "reprogramming" the brain through physical and psychological conditioning using electromagnetic fields, infrasonic and ultrasonic noise, and other subliminal methods. The Reaper's resulting control over the limbic system leaves the victim highly susceptible to its suggestions.

Organics undergoing indoctrination may complain of headaches and buzzing or ringing in their ears. As time passes, they have feelings of "being watched" and hallucinations of "ghostly" presences. Ultimately, the Reaper gains the ability to use the victim's body to amplify its signals, manifesting as "alien" voices in the mind.

Indoctrination can create perfect deep cover agents. A Reaper's "suggestions" can manipulate victims into betraying friends, trusting enemies, or viewing the Reaper itself with superstitious awe. Should a Reaper subvert a well-placed political or military leader, the resulting chaos can bring down nations.

Long-term physical effects of the manipulation are unsustainable, Higher mental functioning decays, ultimately leaving the victim a gibbering animal. Rapid indoctrination is possible, but causes this decay in days or weeks. Slow, patient indoctrination allows the thrall to last for months or years.
 

Gethsemani_v1legacy

New member
Oct 1, 2009
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I just recalled that the "Bringing down the sky" DLC was entirely free and it was just as big as most DLC for ME2 (Lair of the Shadow Broker excluded)... You know, just to fuel the hope of a free DLC to revisit the ending in a proper way.

Captcha: oh yes.
 

Flailing Escapist

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Apr 13, 2011
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Michael Gamble- "Hardest. Day. Ever. Seriously, if you people knew all the stuff we are planning...you'd, we'll - hold onto your copy of me3 forever."
Maybe you should've just held on to it until you were finished, no?
 

GoddyofAus

New member
Aug 3, 2010
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Zeel said:
Adam Jensen said:
Neotericity said:
Zeel said:
You know what I think guys?

That Bioware is over at their HQ laughing about this ridiculous shit. sipping some fruity cosmos, while they braid eachothers hair.

I can just imagine it

Bioware prick: "they're flipping their shits over the shitty ending we made. What do we do?"
Casey Hudson: "Get a producer to leave a vague convoluted tweet and then strap them with useless overpriced DLC's."
Bioware prick: "will that work?"
Casey Hudson: "Come on? These are Bioware fanboys aren't they? We could piss in their open mouths and they'd find it acceptable."

and then they'd put on their black robes and dance the cha-cha to "Mo-Moneys, Mo-problems" by Notorious B.I.G
HAHAHAHA I'm not sure that's exactly how it went, but pretty funny nonetheless.

OP: I believe that there definitely is weight to this whole indoctrination theory, but that doesn't change the fact that there's no satisfying conclusions whatsoever and that we have to buy dlc to get the full ending. DEVELOPERS FINISH YOUR GAMES! I like expansions, but this is utterly ridiculous and the absolute tipping point for me into all the dlc problems that have plagued this industry.
According to this info (if it's legit) the DLC will be free: http://i.imgur.com/xjXdX.png
I doubt it, but without hope we may as well be machines, right?
EA games giving out content for free? AHAHHAHSHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Micheal Jackson is more likely to rise from the grave than EA games giving us free DLC's.
It's called "Bringing down the Sky", and "The Normandy Crashsite", you stupid insect.
 

hazabaza1

Want Skyrim. Want. Do want.
Nov 26, 2008
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The more I think about it the more plausible it seems.
Plus, remember guys. "Even you are partly synthetic". By all accounts, if this was real, Shepard should be dead. Dead dead. But I'unno.
 

BloatedGuppy

New member
Feb 3, 2010
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http://www.thevine.com.au/life/tech/mass-effect-3-and-the-ending-debacle20120314.aspx

When you read all those twitter responses in a row it's pretty easy to let the speculative part of your brain go crazy.

I still say it's a long shot, but the fact I'm willing to entertain the idea at all shows how compelling the whole thing is.
 

KingParappa

New member
Apr 16, 2009
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boag said:
Xathos said:
Sadly, I don't really like this theory. I mean, yeah it can work, but there isn't exactly a lot of foreshadowing for it in the game to support this (unless of course they add some in with DLC and make the Indoctrination an Ending).

Indoctrination was never some big dream sequence of a battle of wills; it simply made people sway to the Reaper side, and they would almost never know it. Sure, hearing voices or seeing something move on the wall when nothing is there would be probably signs, but having a whole Dream like event happen? Seems to slightly go against what has been established. Characters have shown being able to resist, but they always knew that the Reapers were pressing onto their minds and tried to stop them. Benezia from ME1 and Paul Grayson from the novels are prime examples.

Ugh, I'm having a real hard time trying to get my thoughts down correctly. Basically, a battle of wills against the Reapers Indoctrination or Harbinger himself I don't mind. However, I don't believe thinking it starts right when Harbinger fires his laser at you is the right way to go about it; nor thinking that the Reapers are tricking you with the 3 big choices. I would see it similar to the Morinth situation in ME2, where she tries to convince you to have meld with her and you have to pass Renegade/Paragon checks. Indoctrination would sort of be like that, though considering it is Reapers and not an Asari Vampire, it would probably be different.

I mean, there is nothing that says we can't have a level where we fight manifestations of Harbinger or other Reapers in the confines of our own mind, using the memories of what we have done so far like our choices and reactions to our friends as "ammo" for our weapon as we kick their ass as we work out way to try and make the Crucible work.

Again, sorry if I don't make sense. What I'm trying to say is that while I'm not AGAINST the idea, I just don't think it works given with what's currently been established, as well as what's in ME3 at the present time.
Remember the Indoctrinated Salarians in Virmire?

how most of them went nuts?

Remember that scientist assistant you met on Eden Prime, how he was raving about a crazy dream?

Remember the Codex?
Reaper "indoctrination" is an insidious means of corrupting organic minds, "reprogramming" the brain through physical and psychological conditioning using electromagnetic fields, infrasonic and ultrasonic noise, and other subliminal methods. The Reaper's resulting control over the limbic system leaves the victim highly susceptible to its suggestions.

Organics undergoing indoctrination may complain of headaches and buzzing or ringing in their ears. As time passes, they have feelings of "being watched" and hallucinations of "ghostly" presences. Ultimately, the Reaper gains the ability to use the victim's body to amplify its signals, manifesting as "alien" voices in the mind.

Indoctrination can create perfect deep cover agents. A Reaper's "suggestions" can manipulate victims into betraying friends, trusting enemies, or viewing the Reaper itself with superstitious awe. Should a Reaper subvert a well-placed political or military leader, the resulting chaos can bring down nations.

Long-term physical effects of the manipulation are unsustainable, Higher mental functioning decays, ultimately leaving the victim a gibbering animal. Rapid indoctrination is possible, but causes this decay in days or weeks. Slow, patient indoctrination allows the thrall to last for months or years.
There's hints to this all game.
 

Neonsilver

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Aug 11, 2009
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Da Orky Man said:
The one thing I wonder about the indoctrination theory is how come, if you have a particularly low point score of War Assets, you only get the destroy ending? Unless the Reapers have porridge istead of brains, why would they only offer Shepard the ability to destroy them all? Makes no sense.
I'm not sure but I think that you get either the control or destroy ending depending on what choice you made at the end of ME2, if you have to few War Assets.
 

Carboncrown

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Oct 17, 2009
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During the Illusive Man conversation, indoctrination is obviously trying to taking place.

But what keeps me sceptical about this theory is the middle option. You need 2,800 war assets to get it, so it's a "reward" for doing well, but how exactly does it fit in this theory? It's the next best thing to Shepard surviving war assets-wise, so clearly preferable to destroy-but-Shepard-dies.

Might also be that I'm biased. You've got a very clear choise of going the way of the Illusive man or Cpt. Anderson ...until you mention the possibility of just fixing everything with green space-magic. I was very weary of indoctrination and doubting the legitimacy of the control option until that whole symbiosis thing totally sidetracked me. Not that the ending of Beast Machines really fits into the ME universe anyways.
 

NinjaDeathSlap

Leaf on the wind
Feb 20, 2011
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Well, I've been trying not to hold out too much hope for this theory until I see some conformation from some kind of authority. But I will say a lot of it fits, especially for an internet theory. The current endings are just so... empty, and are so full of holes that it really does seem like someone deliberately tried to make it seem unreal.

That said, as Godawful as the endings are, I won't consider it to be the end of the world, or even the ruination of the game/franchise. The fact is, all things considered, I still love the game. Yes, the endings suck, so very very hard, but that really is the ONLY thing I didn't love about the game, and the previous two installments are brilliant too, so I refuse to let the ending, as retarded as it is, overshadow all the good there is across the three games. I hope they will be some twist of fate that gives the franchise the ending it deserves, but if there isn't I can make peace with that.

*hold me Liara :'(
 

CAMDAWG

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Jul 27, 2011
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Adam Jensen said:
"good" ending (blue) one is about controlling the Reapers. The very same thing that The Illusive Man thought he could do. And that was considered the wrong choice all along.

-The "bad" ending (red), is actually the one that makes you do what you've been trying to do all along. It's what the game was all about. And now it's presented with a color that represents a bad moral choice (sneaky Bioware).

That's actually the good choice. We've just been manipulated into believing it is the bad one because Bioware knows that we think red color symbolizes bad moral choice. They manipulated with us like we were sex slaves.

As much as I want indoctrination endings to be true, I don't buy this argument. If you choose destroy, EDI and all the geth die as well as the reapers. If you control, no one dies. Not even the "stored life" in the reapers. Having them correspond to TIM and Anderson the way they did might suggest that everything's mixed up, but I think it's more likely that bioware were just trying to make something not quite so ostensibly paragon or renegade.

For me, the biggest factor is the breath following the destroy ending. Provided that is in in fact shepard, and not some random other marine, that would mean that he destroyed the citadel, it exploded with him on top of it, he then fell to earth, and was covered by rubble. There is ABSOLUTELY no way that he could survive this. Yes, it's shepard, and yes he's been killed before, but think about it. If somehow he suvives the explosion from the citadel, he then has to go through reentry into earths atmosphere, he then has to survive the imapact with the ground. And then he has to surivive the impact from all the rubble. Not to mention he's already almost dead. That's a defining point for me. If it somehow plays into a further explanation, then sneaky bioware, but well played. If not, then it just demonstrates the crappy writing in the last few minutes.
 

NinjaDeathSlap

Leaf on the wind
Feb 20, 2011
4,474
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hazabaza1 said:
The more I think about it the more plausible it seems.
Plus, remember guys. "Even you are partly synthetic". By all accounts, if this was real, Shepard should be dead. Dead dead. But I'unno.
That was the part that really made me think there might be some substance to this theory. If what the 'Catalyst' tells you is true, then there should be absolutely no hope of survival, no matter what option you choose. So how come you can (seemingly) survive the Destroy ending is your war assets are high enough? Plus, in the end cutscene, you see the Citadel get wreathed in fire and break up. Shepard, right in the epicenter, already mortally wounded and with his armor destroyed, would have absolutely no chance of surviving that right, unless it wasn't actually happening?

Edit: "see red" OK, these weirdly topical captcha's are now starting to freak me the fuck out! How the hell are they doing this?
 

Waaghpowa

Needs more Dakka
Apr 13, 2010
3,073
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Adam Jensen said:
I'm all for the indoctrination theory as me and a friend have been talking about the possibility between the paragon/renegade choices, endings and the child being simply a hallucination. Also when you consider, in my ending at least, none of the companions I went with died in the end and ended up on the normandy when it was stranded.

I also like to bring up the possibility that when shepard got hit with the laser in the end, it knocked him unconscious where he experienced a coma like dream which is where the ending comes from. Each choice represents the strength of Shepards will to resist the Reaper indoctrination. Control and synthesis both being, essentially, what the reapers wanted, where destroy represents the repears failure to break his will. Also when you get the "real" ending for having a high galactic readiness, shepard wakes up in the rubble. Now what does this mean? does it mean that everything was destroyed or is he simply waking up from the blast he took on earth and the reapers actually won?
 

Lunar Templar

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Sep 20, 2009
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xorinite said:
However lets say your proposal is true, that would mean the deliberately withheld vital content from the game, the ending, so they could hold it to ransom for more cash. While EA seems capable of anything, I really doubt they would stoop that low.
it's EA, they would, you know they would. they don't respect the intelligence of they're customers at all, so it wouldn't surprise me if they did.