Update: Fan "Fixes" Mass Effect 3 Ending With A 539-Page Rewrite

viranimus

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the hidden eagle said:
viranimus said:
So its a fan fiction that makes its version of the ending both wrong and inferior. I really wish people would get over their own self importance as it relates to ME3 that tells them that the ending is "Wrong" and what they think SHOULD happen somehow make it better. In fact it is that very aspect that is at the heart of why so many people took exception to the ending. If they could only see beyond their own internalized visions of the ending of the trilogy, perhaps they could see that the ending was far far better than anyone gives it credit for.
Please explain why the ending is better.Provide a objective explanation for all of the plotholes of the original and extended endings,the problem is you and several others who thought the ending was perfect can't do that.


Oh I can. It is better because it was what was released.It is what was intended. Anything that starts off saying things like "I love the game, but I cant see Shepard go out like that" automatically sets itself to be in conflict with what the developers intended and invariably wrong because it disregards the ending as if it was somehow invalid.

No, the problem is that the overwhelming majority of those who played ME3 expected their own interpretations and their personal playthrough to be validated instead of looking at the greater picture of the narrative. If people could get over their own personal expectations of the story, then perhaps they could actually see what the story is supposed to be, Instead of what they think it should be.

Edit: Just know I did answer you, but your demand echos a sound similar to Atheists who demand those with faith to prove that God exists, because they know the burden of proof is the other way around and they cannot disprove that existence. You made a hostile response. I did respond to you, I provided the answer that needed to be made, but make no mistake Ill not argue about the subject.
 

viranimus

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the hidden eagle said:
your demand echos a sound similar to Atheists who demand those with faith to prove that God exists, because they know the burden of proof is the other way around and they cannot disprove that existence.
Backing out? No. As I said, you are responding in a very hostile manner. One of which that illustrates that no matter what answer you are provided you are ready to refute it as you already have your mind made up and nothing will sway you from what you think is right. It is not my job to comprehend the game for you. It was all right there in the original endings. You would need to figure out what you are missing that causes people to say the ending was not the gaping plot hole you would claim it to be. Not the other way around.

As I said, I will not argue with you about it, which is exactly what you seem determined to do. It simply is not worth my time or being goaded into an argument begging for mod wrath trying to convince you of something that you will only believe if you come to the conclusion on your own.
 

chstens

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Hafrael said:
chstens said:
I've followed Mass Effect since the beginning, and consider myself a huge fan of the franchise, and I just found the original ending underwhelming at worst. It wasn't good, but it's not even close to as bad as the majority claims. So does that mean I'm just better at managing my expectations than most of the vocal Internet?
Sounds more like you never listened to any press about Mass Effect at all.
I deliberately didn't follow the marketing for ME3, because I know hyping myself up to fever pitch levels is a really stupid idea that will only hurt my enjoyment of a thing.
 
Mar 9, 2012
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CloudAtlas said:
Another site reporting on the this fanfic:

http://badassdigest.com/2014/01/20/super-fan-believes-hes-better-than-the-entire-mass-effect-3-writing-staff/

Not quite as positive as some other articles out there.
Hoo, boy. More "gaming journalist" whining from "Badass Digest" about how "GAEMR ENTITALMANT RANZ AMUCK!!1!"

What is it with with the attitudes of guys like that? The argument from this and similar articles is basically:

"When you, as a consumer, buys something, you have a right to get what you pay for and complain if you don't get what you want. Unless, of course, some third party - like ME(!) for instance - determines that what you've paid for is Art, in which case: Shut up, you dirty, ungrateful, stupid, self-entitled pleb! Why? Because: Fuck you! That's why!"

Look, I really, really don't care about the ending anymore, what has happened has happened, I accepted that long ago. But that argument and the kind of pompous, self-righteous attitude that spawns it still makes my blood boil.

Especially because I fully expect to one day read something along the lines of "Well, Halo 7 sure had a weird and anti-climatic ending, but at least it was no Mass Effect 3, amirite guize?!" And it will be written by one of these hacks.
 

CloudAtlas

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the hidden eagle said:
viranimus said:
Ah yes..the "you can't comprehend the endings/you don't get it arguement".Stop beating around the bush and give a objective analysis for why the ME3 endings are good instead of using pseudo intellectual BS arguements.
Except that this wasn't his argument at all. It was more along the lines of accepting that the ending was, thematically , what it was, instead of what you might have expected it to be.

I didn't expected it to be what it was either, but I did have the feeling, I had to have the feeling, that something different and, dare I say, more profound was coming than just epic but simple reaper buttkicking. And it wasn't an unpleasant surprise to see that all this business with the Protheans, Cerberus and indoctrination, the Quarians and the Geth, the nightmares, the Crucible and the Citadel, with Leviathan and what not was actually there for a deeper reason.
 

irishda

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God, let it die people. A creative work you liked had a "bad" ending. Suck it the hell up. All the work this guy put into a pet project and he could've used that to write something that actually contributes to literature.
 

CloudAtlas

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Caramel Frappe said:
This is.... so impressive. Since I have Mass Effect 3 on my Xbox 360- there's no way of trying this baby out.

However, taking such a long time altering a game and releasing it with promising features that I wish Bioware had... I must say I salute the fan. Sure, he may of taken the disappointment to far by doing this- but it also opens new doors. Think about it! Other people might be motivated to write/create their own content in a game.

Heck, a group of people are already remaking Morrowind as a massive DLC for Skyrim. (I could be wrong on the details though). Either way, I again am deeply impressed and it takes massive dedication to pull through a project like this. Because Mass Effect is all about choices, and if he fulfilled what people wanted with the ending... well god dang! Mission accomplished I say!
He didn't actually release a mod though. He just wrote a script.
 

Johnny Novgorod

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Seems like an exercise in futility (game's out and patched), unless he's going to use this as leverage for a job at Bioware.
 

Czann

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What makes this automatically better than the official version is that this guy cares, while Bioware couldn't care less.
 

Tono Makt

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CloudAtlas said:
Another site reporting on the this fanfic:

http://badassdigest.com/2014/01/20/super-fan-believes-hes-better-than-the-entire-mass-effect-3-writing-staff/

Not quite as positive as some other articles out there.
Of course not. I'm actually quite surprised that there is much official support for this guy out there among game journalists - game journalists were... rather protective of ME3. To come out and support this sort of re-write would be to admit that they were wrong to support Bioware back in the day, which calls their judgement into question.


OT: After reading a bit of the re-write, it's not bad. I don't think it would be all that great, though there are some great additions to it (the Elcor Reapers instead of Rachni, if you killed the Queen in ME1, for instance). Some of it is too fan-fictiony, and would really need to be toned down or entirely cut (The "Shepard Has Babies!" endings... don't sit well with me, for some reason. I'm not sure what it is about them make me uneasy, but something about them does).

Good on the guy for putting all the effort into it. Would be nice if it had some sort of reward, but not likely. Ah well.
 

GARforGunman

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I remember one of my favorite ME3 analysis video series coming to the conclusion that, since the narrative, characters and thematic cohesion essentially imploded in the last 10 minutes (especially with the Extended Cut. THE NORMANDY IS LITERALLY WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE ONE OBSTACLE TO THE PORTAL AND ARMED WITH A CANNON DESIGNED TO KILL REAPERS! WHY THE FRAK AREN'T YOU FIRING THAT THING POINT BLANK AT HARBINGER, JOKER!), nothing after the transport beam makes enough sense to fit within the context of the trilogy's previous events. Therefore, we should feel free to imagine whatever ending we like in its place since the one Bioware vomited out at best didn't mesh with the established universe and, at worst, completely ignored almost everything that took place within the series, both the games and expanded universe.

So to anyone that wants to imagine and/or create something different, I support you. Yes, artistic ownership and vision is important, but I'm pretty sure Bioware sold their artistic integrity when they become part of the EA collective and replaced Drew Karpyshyn as lead writer with Hack Walters.

I think its important to remember these moments of artistic dissonance because it serves as lessons and examples for future creators to learn from. Those who fail to learn from history and all that.

So, with that said, MY personal head-cannon works with parts of the Marauder Shields comic, Indoctrination Theory and other story ideas that were left hanging (seriously, the expanded universe has the Reapers heavily interested in organics with biotic abilities. That could have made for and interesting twist on the original dark energy ending).

Of course, I'm more than open to other ending ideas. Case in point:

[http://s874.photobucket.com/user/Church0/media/HardLightOccularConstructs.png.html]
 

CloudAtlas

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Caramel Frappe said:
Thank you for letting me know lol. If he becomes popular enough with the fans, Bioware might hire him. Maybe?
I doubt it (and I hope not). First, because the quality of what he wrote is... debatable. Second, would you hire anyone who talks about your work like this:

"So yes, I know how arrogant this will sound, but I feel, via the changes, revisions, subtractions and additions, I present in ME3V, I make ME3 a far better game than what the entire staff at BioWare spewed forth."

Claiming that you know everything better than people who have done these things for a living for many years doesn't sound like a good strategy for job applications to me.
 

Generalissimo

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irishda said:
God, let it die people. A creative work you liked had a "bad" ending. Suck it the hell up. All the work this guy put into a pet project and he could've used that to write something that actually contributes to literature.
That's only the quadrillionth time that's been said. Don't bother, people won't listen if they intent to talk about the subject rather than hope that if they whinge loud enough, everyone will drop it like a hot potato
 

Something Amyss

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Fox12 said:
*Looks at 600 page fan rewrite complete with DLC and concept art*

*Looks at own unfinished novel lying on floor*

Well, fuck.
It's easier for most people to work with someone else's framework.

ZippyDSMlee said:
For the most part that would only count if the game was not cheaper than new DLC.
What does that have to do with anything related to the topic at hand?
 

ZippyDSMlee

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Zachary Amaranth said:
Fox12 said:
*Looks at 600 page fan rewrite complete with DLC and concept art*

*Looks at own unfinished novel lying on floor*

Well, fuck.
It's easier for most people to work with someone else's framework.

ZippyDSMlee said:
For the most part that would only count if the game was not cheaper than new DLC.
What does that have to do with anything related to the topic at hand?
It matters ME3 is worth more like 20 or less to me and its going sub 10 on ebay, if they released DLC that fixed a few things and fixed the mess of an ending it be worth under 30 to me.
 

TristanBelmont

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"The length is a testament to his self-discipline and lack of respect for BioWare's original script."

While this is debatable, as some might see it as a sign of obsession rather than devotion, I will admit (as someone who didn't hate the ending) that this is pretty impressive.