There are some really really great ideas for how the game could've ended out there
Taken from here
After you take out the Cerberus base, TIM says that all the Reapers have retreated to Earth.
There's a very easy way to defeat the Reapers, if they've collected themselves in one handy solar system.
Specifically, a solar system with a mass relay.
I wish there had been an option for Shepard to say, "Earth is a gutted hellhole and we have a chance to end this without relying on any Prothean space magic. Just drive the damn Crucible into the Charon mass relay."
Sol goes nova, and all the Reapers die. Earth is sacrificed to end the Reaper threat.
That would be the PERFECT Renegade ending. I'm just saying.
That would've been pretty damn awesome
Funny, but
After playing Arrival, I had assumed that destroying the Charon relay and sacrificing earth was going to be part of the game somehow. Kind of surprised it didn't.
But I'm pretty sure I would have hated that ending.
I also want to say that the more I think about the Dark Energy scrapped ending, the more I'm glad they didn't go that way. The current endings need fleshing out, but as compared to a lot of other suggestions they look better.
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
if the kid is harbinger trying to indoc you, why does he even tell you about the destroy ending
he could just tell shepard his only choice is synthesis or control and hope shep doesn't get the bright idea of using that gun
it just doesn't work
it seems like fans grasping at straws because the ending they wanted is the destroy all reapers, you're a hero, everything returns to normal ending
it was never going to happen that way
the reapers devastated the galaxy far too much
ending
Obviously there are some people that are upset that we didn't get a happy action movie ending. That group would have existed no matter what the ending was.
Most people though are just fine with the ending being bittersweet, or having serious consequences for the future, or whatever. What people are mad about is how the ending as presented doesn't make a lot of sense, doesn't use your war assets in an interesting way, and feels emotionally detached from the rest of the story. The indoctrination interpretation is an attempt to fix the "doesn't make sense" part. It fails for a few reasons and I agree that it's fans grasping at straws, but they're grasping at straws because of some pretty legitimate complaints, not just because they didn't get their way.
Yeah. I'm almost sure that the indoc theory is correct now. But I'm really not sure about the delivery. I mean, they should have given the player a chance to talk to star child and slowly realize what is going on. Sure, letting people figure it out is rewarding if they can figure it out, but the clues are kinda vague.
The audience is not detective novel fans, but people who likes to shoot and enjoy a story at its face value.
There is zero chance this is correect based on how the ending is presented. The information the game gives you does not support it, and it is all supposition based on the player wanting something else.
You care to elaborate? Specifically, please watch the video embedded in the quote tree.
ending
Again
it's possible, by playing poorly, to only have the option to destroy the reapers
silver bullet, interpretation's dead
Aaaaaaaaand that's a problem how?
You know, war assets really shouldn't affect how star-child treat you.
But I agree with your point, it's an argument against the theory. It's just not "silver bullet."
Irrefutable proof that the ME3 endings are visually similar. Good or bad is up to your interpretations and tastes. Visual similarity is not.
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
if the kid is harbinger trying to indoc you, why does he even tell you about the destroy ending
he could just tell shepard his only choice is synthesis or control and hope shep doesn't get the bright idea of using that gun
it just doesn't work
it seems like fans grasping at straws because the ending they wanted is the destroy all reapers, you're a hero, everything returns to normal ending
it was never going to happen that way
the reapers devastated the galaxy far too much
Hell, they wouldn't even speak to Shepard at all. The Crucible failed, Shepard has no idea how to fix it, and he just collapsed and is bleeding out
And the video is stupid for the whole "The kid lives in this ending, but dies in the other." Well Duh. He specifically tells you that destroying the power conduit kills him and the reapers, while control doesnt kill anything (except Shepard). Is it an interesting theory, that's fun to pretend is true? Sure. But it's clearly not what bioware intended.
Yeah. I'm almost sure that the indoc theory is correct now. But I'm really not sure about the delivery. I mean, they should have given the player a chance to talk to star child and slowly realize what is going on. Sure, letting people figure it out is rewarding if they can figure it out, but the clues are kinda vague.
The audience is not detective novel fans, but people who likes to shoot and enjoy a story at its face value.
There is zero chance this is correect based on how the ending is presented. The information the game gives you does not support it, and it is all supposition based on the player wanting something else.
You care to elaborate? Specifically, please watch the video embedded in the quote tree.
ending
Again
it's possible, by playing poorly, to only have the option to destroy the reapers
silver bullet, interpretation's dead
Aaaaaaaaand that's a problem how?
You know, war assets really shouldn't affect how star-child treat you.
But I agree with your point, it's an argument against the theory. It's just not "silver bullet."
Ending
Because it means that there's a very real chance that the Reapers don't actually try to indoctrinate you at all? If the synthesis and control endings are both secretly indoctrination, and destroy is the option that breaks free from indoctrination, then why on earth would they ever only offer you the option to break their indoctrination attempt? It makes no sense.
There are some really really great ideas for how the game could've ended out there
Taken from here
After you take out the Cerberus base, TIM says that all the Reapers have retreated to Earth.
There's a very easy way to defeat the Reapers, if they've collected themselves in one handy solar system.
Specifically, a solar system with a mass relay.
I wish there had been an option for Shepard to say, "Earth is a gutted hellhole and we have a chance to end this without relying on any Prothean space magic. Just drive the damn Crucible into the Charon mass relay."
Sol goes nova, and all the Reapers die. Earth is sacrificed to end the Reaper threat.
That would be the PERFECT Renegade ending. I'm just saying.
That would've been pretty damn awesome
That's an interesting idea for an alt ending.
A Freespace ending of sorts would've been pretty interesting.
For me, the biggest problem with the ending wasn't the choices or the Architect Catalyst Kid, it was the lack of denouement. I want to know what happened to my surviving squad members. I want to see them a few weeks later, figuring stuff out, talking about how the galaxy is doing without certain things. I want to know the explicit consequences of my final choice as Shepard.
For me, that is the biggest sin of the ending: a lack of the characters and the consequences I've come to expect from this series.
if the kid is harbinger trying to indoc you, why does he even tell you about the destroy ending
he could just tell shepard his only choice is synthesis or control and hope shep doesn't get the bright idea of using that gun
it just doesn't work
it seems like fans grasping at straws because the ending they wanted is the destroy all reapers, you're a hero, everything returns to normal ending
it was never going to happen that way
the reapers devastated the galaxy far too much
This actually makes sense.
If Shepard has been constantly trying to use the crucible to destroy the reapers, not giving that option might wake him up. Instead, give that option and make it look really bad. You know how giving 90% of truth but lie about 10% is more effective than straight lying?
Irrefutable proof that the ME3 endings are visually similar. Good or bad is up to your interpretations and tastes. Visual similarity is not.
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
}
"Orkses never lose a battle. If we win we win, if we die we die fightin so it don't count. If we runs for it we don't die neither, cos we can come back for annuver go, see!".
if the kid is harbinger trying to indoc you, why does he even tell you about the destroy ending
he could just tell shepard his only choice is synthesis or control and hope shep doesn't get the bright idea of using that gun
it just doesn't work
it seems like fans grasping at straws because the ending they wanted is the destroy all reapers, you're a hero, everything returns to normal ending
it was never going to happen that way
the reapers devastated the galaxy far too much
Hell, they wouldn't even speak to Shepard at all. The Crucible failed, Shepard has no idea how to fix it, and he just collapsed and is bleeding out
And the video is stupid for the whole "The kid lives in this ending, but dies in the other." Well Duh. He specifically tells you that destroying the power conduit kills him and the reapers, while control doesnt kill anything (except Shepard). Is it an interesting theory, that's fun to pretend is true? Sure. But it's clearly not what bioware intended.
Re: ending
That's the weirdest part of the ending. And it actually supports the indoc theory. I mean, if you take everything at face value, why does star-child want to talk to Shepard? Shepard has seemingly collapsed, and reapers have won.
If you think Shepard didn't collapse and star-child is messing with his head, making him not able to operate the console to actually activate crucible, then it makes more sense.
Not a lot more, but a little more.
Irrefutable proof that the ME3 endings are visually similar. Good or bad is up to your interpretations and tastes. Visual similarity is not.
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
I love fan interpretations like the indoctrination thing, it's a neat bit of headcanon
but as for actually setting it forth as the actual truth,
well
if you think the catalyst is lying to you then why would you trust anything that it says? That could be the power conduit to the Not Killing All Organic Life Forevermore system or something else roughly as ridiculous as what it apparently is
maybe the game's ending is a huge ARG and the people defending it are playing reaper indoctrinated agents
emergency
induction
straws
Loo. I actually am wondering if all the cloak and dagger "You guys just don't know yet!" is part ARG.
As part of the indoc theory
Someone or other suggested that part of that ending is making the player feel what it's like to be indoctrinated.
As for Shep passing out, she does get up a few seconds later after getting to the top of the elevator. Presumably if she had stayed down by the console, she'd have figured out how to fire the crucible, so she had to be ported away.
I also agree with the suggestion that if it was an indoctrination attempt, then providing no way to destroy the reapers would have snapped Shep out of it. Then maybe she'd do a radio call to Hackett to focus fire on the Citadel to stop the reapers. In order to prevent Shep from giving that order, they present three choices, and just make the destroy option look bad to try to keep Shep from choosing it.
I agree that this is probably not what was intended by the writers. But it fits surprisingly well, much tigher than what was actually presented, and (to me) far fewer holes.
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
look, pretend that's the ending all you want, but there are definite, unavoidable blocks for why it isn't the case as the game presents the ending.
I addressed peccavi's point in my post right above this one.
Also, I admit I'm just trying to make sense of what they gave us. I'm not exactly "pretending" that's the ending. I mean, it either they botched the beginning and and ending so horribly bad that no one can make sense of what is what, or they actually had something in store. I guess I'm being somewhat optimistic.
Irrefutable proof that the ME3 endings are visually similar. Good or bad is up to your interpretations and tastes. Visual similarity is not.
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
I love fan interpretations like the indoctrination thing, it's a neat bit of headcanon
but as for actually setting it forth as the actual truth,
well
if you think the catalyst is lying to you then why would you trust anything that it says? That could be the power conduit to the Not Killing All Organic Life Forevermore system or something else roughly as ridiculous as what it apparently is
No no no. I'm not setting it forth as the actual truth. I'm trying to sell it as the actual truth. There is a fine distinction between the two.
Irrefutable proof that the ME3 endings are visually similar. Good or bad is up to your interpretations and tastes. Visual similarity is not.
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
maybe the game's ending is a huge ARG and the people defending it are playing reaper indoctrinated agents
emergency
induction
straws
Loo. I actually am wondering if all the cloak and dagger "You guys just don't know yet!" is part ARG.
As part of the indoc theory
Someone or other suggested that part of that ending is making the player feel what it's like to be indoctrinated.
As for Shep passing out, she does get up a few seconds later after getting to the top of the elevator. Presumably if she had stayed down by the console, she'd have figured out how to fire the crucible, so she had to be ported away.
I also agree with the suggestion that if it was an indoctrination attempt, then providing no way to destroy the reapers would have snapped Shep out of it. Then maybe she'd do a radio call to Hackett to focus fire on the Citadel to stop the reapers. In order to prevent Shep from giving that order, they present three choices, and just make the destroy option look bad to try to keep Shep from choosing it.
I agree that this is probably not what was intended by the writers. But it fits surprisingly well, much tigher than what was actually presented, and (to me) far fewer holes.
A funny thing about is, bioware could decide at any point that the ending present is just an indoctrination attempt, and we would be none the wiser..
I'd fucking love it though. While I am certain the outcry would be bigger than having tali have tila tequila's face, it would be immeasurably awesome and probably the most unforgettable game ending to date.
autono-wally, erotibot300 on
0
Options
DepressperadoI just wanted to see you laughingin the pizza rainRegistered Userregular
What I dislike most about these alternate ending theories is that they are - in essence - just an elaborate construct that excuses the poor ending that BioWare provided. It's like the fan community is so unwilling to believe that the ending is bad that they're jumping through these ridiculous hoops to theorize that it's actually great, and the community is just too dumb/ignorant to realize it. It's the worst kind of masochism, deflecting blame onto the customers rather than the developer.
Plus, it's way overblown in significance. It's a letdown, for some, but for many it's just the end and nothing more egregious. They just don't care. It doesn't really break the game, just tarnishes it. But the way some people who are annoyed by it seem to be shifting all blame onto themselves instead of onto the developer seems peculiar at best, downright sinister at worst.
I also think donating to charity as a form of protest is also quite underhanded. It's as though they are holding the needs of the sick and infirm to ransom for what they want, which is a better ending. It's as though because they are giving money to charity, their position and stance is unimpeachable. As though because they are funnelling their desires through a charity, any criticism of their demands/desires is - in part - an attack on the good will it is providing. That's wrong. That's abusing the good work that Child's Play does to strengthen your own personal stance on an issue. An issue that, many would agree, is utterly insignificant in the face of what the people who need Child's Play actually have to deal with.
I love fan interpretations like the indoctrination thing, it's a neat bit of headcanon
but as for actually setting it forth as the actual truth,
well
if you think the catalyst is lying to you then why would you trust anything that it says? That could be the power conduit to the Not Killing All Organic Life Forevermore system or something else roughly as ridiculous as what it apparently is
Well essentially,
even if the fan interpretation is wrong, I don't believe what Catalyst says. Or that is to say, I believe him about as much as I believe TIM - some of what he says he believes, even if it's bullshit; some of what he says is outright lies; some of what he says is a mixing of the truth to make the lie stronger.
So shooting bullets into it seems like a good call. Maybe shooting bullets won't do anything, but if that ends up being the case then I can allways call on my bro Hackett to bring in bigger guns.
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
Posts
Funny, but
But I'm pretty sure I would have hated that ending.
I also want to say that the more I think about the Dark Energy scrapped ending, the more I'm glad they didn't go that way. The current endings need fleshing out, but as compared to a lot of other suggestions they look better.
ending
Most people though are just fine with the ending being bittersweet, or having serious consequences for the future, or whatever. What people are mad about is how the ending as presented doesn't make a lot of sense, doesn't use your war assets in an interesting way, and feels emotionally detached from the rest of the story. The indoctrination interpretation is an attempt to fix the "doesn't make sense" part. It fails for a few reasons and I agree that it's fans grasping at straws, but they're grasping at straws because of some pretty legitimate complaints, not just because they didn't get their way.
http://www.audioentropy.com/
I do need a new camera.
Steam: YOU FACE JARAXXUS| Twitch.tv: CainLoveless
Aaaaaaaaand that's a problem how?
But I agree with your point, it's an argument against the theory. It's just not "silver bullet."
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
I'd be happy about it
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
And the video is stupid for the whole "The kid lives in this ending, but dies in the other." Well Duh. He specifically tells you that destroying the power conduit kills him and the reapers, while control doesnt kill anything (except Shepard). Is it an interesting theory, that's fun to pretend is true? Sure. But it's clearly not what bioware intended.
Ending
http://www.audioentropy.com/
That's an interesting idea for an alt ending.
For me, the biggest problem with the ending wasn't the choices or the Architect Catalyst Kid, it was the lack of denouement. I want to know what happened to my surviving squad members. I want to see them a few weeks later, figuring stuff out, talking about how the galaxy is doing without certain things. I want to know the explicit consequences of my final choice as Shepard.
For me, that is the biggest sin of the ending: a lack of the characters and the consequences I've come to expect from this series.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
This actually makes sense.
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
Someone posted my fake script up on another forum that I've never heard of and tried to get credit for it
And some random (presumable mod) informs me and apologises
What the hell. Who are you people and do I need to change my email address
Amazing callback to Virmire.
"Orkses never lose a battle. If we win we win, if we die we die fightin so it don't count. If we runs for it we don't die neither, cos we can come back for annuver go, see!".
induction
straws
Re: ending
If you think Shepard didn't collapse and star-child is messing with his head, making him not able to operate the console to actually activate crucible, then it makes more sense.
Not a lot more, but a little more.
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
but as for actually setting it forth as the actual truth,
well
if you think the catalyst is lying to you then why would you trust anything that it says? That could be the power conduit to the Not Killing All Organic Life Forevermore system or something else roughly as ridiculous as what it apparently is
But I loved Garrus and Tali's conversation about elevators in ME2!
That is so horribly depressing.
good good, carry on
overall spoilers
http://www.audioentropy.com/
Loo. I actually am wondering if all the cloak and dagger "You guys just don't know yet!" is part ARG.
As part of the indoc theory
As for Shep passing out, she does get up a few seconds later after getting to the top of the elevator. Presumably if she had stayed down by the console, she'd have figured out how to fire the crucible, so she had to be ported away.
I also agree with the suggestion that if it was an indoctrination attempt, then providing no way to destroy the reapers would have snapped Shep out of it. Then maybe she'd do a radio call to Hackett to focus fire on the Citadel to stop the reapers. In order to prevent Shep from giving that order, they present three choices, and just make the destroy option look bad to try to keep Shep from choosing it.
I agree that this is probably not what was intended by the writers. But it fits surprisingly well, much tigher than what was actually presented, and (to me) far fewer holes.
I addressed peccavi's point in my post right above this one.
Also, I admit I'm just trying to make sense of what they gave us. I'm not exactly "pretending" that's the ending. I mean, it either they botched the beginning and and ending so horribly bad that no one can make sense of what is what, or they actually had something in store. I guess I'm being somewhat optimistic.
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
No no no. I'm not setting it forth as the actual truth. I'm trying to sell it as the actual truth. There is a fine distinction between the two.
2 minutes. No commentary. Spoiler obviously.
Pretty good custom dude. I remember people having so much trouble with the ME2 customizer.
priority: tuchanka renegade
I'd fucking love it though. While I am certain the outcry would be bigger than having tali have tila tequila's face, it would be immeasurably awesome and probably the most unforgettable game ending to date.
also
Wrex. Shepard.
That seems
important
Plus, it's way overblown in significance. It's a letdown, for some, but for many it's just the end and nothing more egregious. They just don't care. It doesn't really break the game, just tarnishes it. But the way some people who are annoyed by it seem to be shifting all blame onto themselves instead of onto the developer seems peculiar at best, downright sinister at worst.
I also think donating to charity as a form of protest is also quite underhanded. It's as though they are holding the needs of the sick and infirm to ransom for what they want, which is a better ending. It's as though because they are giving money to charity, their position and stance is unimpeachable. As though because they are funnelling their desires through a charity, any criticism of their demands/desires is - in part - an attack on the good will it is providing. That's wrong. That's abusing the good work that Child's Play does to strengthen your own personal stance on an issue. An issue that, many would agree, is utterly insignificant in the face of what the people who need Child's Play actually have to deal with.
Well essentially,
So shooting bullets into it seems like a good call. Maybe shooting bullets won't do anything, but if that ends up being the case then I can allways call on my bro Hackett to bring in bigger guns.