Ok while I think we all want the Indoctrination theory to be true so we know we didn't get worthless ending and a meaningless 90+hrs of gameplay. Think about what this means from our standpoint. Yes, it could be the most awesome mind fuck a video game and it's developer has ever pulled. But it also means Bioware/EA have deliberately given us an incomplete game so that they can charge us more to finish it.
This worries me. We've already paid 60USD for this game, DLC averages about 10-15 per, for something like Arrival, Shadow Broker, and Javik. So for just a simple ending, what might be the actual ending to the game we're gonna have to pay another $10. This is further emphasized by the DLC comment the game ends on. This is robbery; even if Indoctrination Theory is real, and I doubt it is/was (might be now depending on how Bioware plays this off). I want the actual ending to my game with my game, not with DLC.
fatcat
it never ends, Event Organizer, Supporter, Gaming Leader
Pretty sure it mentions in Bobby's video that Blue is Renegade and Red is Paragon when in indoctrination phase.
Control - You can't control the reapers when they are already controlling you. There is a vision of TIM trying to do this. Even Shepard says "So the Illusive Man was right."
Synthesis - Saren went down this path. 60% of you went down this path. Trolololol
Destroy - Star Child IMMEDIATELY vanishes when you pick this option. Shepard wakes up. The dream is over...or has it just begun.
Thrax
Professional Shill, Fashion Police, Complex Hierarchy Interpreter, Community Leader, D&D Supernerd, Supporter, Dance Commander, Official Rep, Expo Attendee
Even if BioWare provides an epilogue through DLC, I don't care. An ending that leaves much and more to my imagination is as compelling to me as one that's spelled out. This thread alone was worth the money.
I'm not saying that the game isn't worth $60 I'm just saying I don't like the idea of being charged an additional $10 just for an ending. That's a very slippery slope. Either we're going to get an ending through DLC or Bioware has decided to make the Trilogy into a Saga. That would actually make me stupid happy if we could get one more game out of Mass Effect.
UPSLynx
The Dean of Computer Graphics Community Leader, Supporter, Writer, Official Rep, Sonic
RE: Thrax's two posts - those are two incredible points that I hadn't considered. Shooting Illusive Man with the renegade option mind-tripped me so hard that BOTH TIMES it popped up, I didn't go for it. Anderson died, and then I was killed. I had to re-load and go through the entire sequence again.
I'm about 95% convinced of the indoctrination theory at this point. There's just too much evidence. Too much about it that makes it right.
It really blows my mind to consider what the game does in its final hour. The mind games it plays with you, especially if you roll paragon, is substantial. The renegade option of shooting Illusive Man, the colored choices at the end pushing you from the destroy option, offering a third, harder to get option that doesn't truly bring a best end, trusting the child we know acts for the reapers because we feel Shepard's guilt... This stuff is incredible.
I can't believe a video game did this to me. This is the definition of immersive. We feel indoctrinated ourselves, because as we played it, we had no idea that this manipulation was happening to us.
And I would agree, I don't feel that the ending is incomplete, and I'm glad that closure is left to the imagination. It was the only real way they could end a game like this. Every person playing these games built their own stories around their own Shepards. It's practically impossible to make a concrete, detailed ending while appeasing all of these gamers. I'm fine with what they've done.
Though you're also right, @koreish. It's obvious by the ending message (and it's EA we're talking about) that they're going to milk this ending out for gamers via DLC. I don't want them to do it, but they've already confirmed that they're going to do it. I'm not going to play these DLCs. I'm keeping my ending intact.
If they release more gameplay and story beyond Shepard waking up from indoctrination and try to charge for it I think the backlash from it will be stronger than the rage they're already dealing with. Unfortunately this probably won't stop people from paying for it, even those who would be truly furious about it. Sad to think that what is potentially the most ingenious thing they've done with the series might also double as a way to exploit their customers (again). If this theory turns out to be true and they release the rest of the story for free it might be enough to win me back over my disgust with the multiplayer setup. If they charge for it however they will only have solidified my decision, I'll just watch it on youtube.
If it's a free DLC and they didn't include the ending proper so that people could make their decisions; possibly wrong decisions. That would actually be a fucking brilliant move but again, I doubt that EA would allow for free DLC. Places like Xbox Live charge you just to post DLC, so the chances of it actually being a free DLC is pretty slim.
fatcat
it never ends, Event Organizer, Supporter, Gaming Leader
also, I was right on a LEAST FOUR THINGS ;)
here is my take on ME3 (Oct 2011)
You run in to the Illusive Man again, but he slips away (Kill him in DLC)
You run in to Jacob and Miranda and try to convince them to leave Cerberus. Jacobs joins you but Miranda is hesitant, and just when you think you got her, Liara shoots her in the back.
Mortin cures the genophage.
Wrex and Grunt show up, but Wrex dies and Grunt becomes leader of the Krogan.
Garrus becomes commander of C-Sec and makes his father proud.
Ashely/Kaiden replace Anderson on the council when Anderson dies in one final glorious battle on Earth
Joker brags about his iEDI
Tali is known as the hero of the Quarian for finally eliminating all the Geth with the help from Legion (DLC)
A cure for Thane is found, but he dies saving Jack from Cerberus
You and Liara make blue alien babies and cruise the galaxy in the Normandy (there is also a three-way with Kelly)
heh, I'll think of some other things for the other squad mates sometime :p
Based on my play-through you were correct on exactly none of those.
1. Only encountered TIM at the end at which point he killed himself. 2. Jacob and Miranda left Cerberus on their own. Liara never even met Miranda. 3. Modin* would have cured the genophage had I not shot him. 4. Wrex has been dead since half way through ME1 and Grunt was never a Krogan leader. 5. Garrus don't give a fuck about C-Sec. 6. Anderson was never appointed to the council in the first place and neither was Ashley. 7. Joker wants robo-babies or some shit but I wouldn't say he brags about it. 8. Tali helped unite the Geth and Quarians. 9. Thane got stabbed. Jack was nowhere near him. 10. Liara is forever alone and Kelly is so dead it's not even funny. 11. Nope
He died but nothing about him being on the council was right. I'll give you half a right for calling Anderson's death if you want. (Unless indoctrination theory). Not sure what you mean by iEdi but I don't remember him saying anything like "hey check out how awesome my "something related to EDI" is"
Yeah, I'm only seeing two - Mordin cures the genophage, and Joker sexytimes with EDI.
Illusive Man doesn't slip away Jacob and Miranda both left Cerberus, neither come with you Grunt doesn't lead anything Garrus /quit C-Sec Nobody replaces anybody on the council, and Anderson doesn't die on Earth, if we're being technical I don't really know about the Tali and the geth one; I know she kills herself if you save the geth and aren't pro enough to talk her out of it, but I don't know about the other side Thane dies incredibly sadly Liara is an on-again-off-again bitch that asks if you want to stay together when you meet in the beginning, then ignores you until the end, when she acts like you're just friends.
All solid predictions, but I am interested in your fourth - are you calling the Anderson and Tali ones correct?
fatcat
it never ends, Event Organizer, Supporter, Gaming Leader
Pulls on Politician's pants...
also, I was right on a LEAST FOUR THINGS ;)
here is my take on ME3 (Oct 2011)
You run in to the Illusive Man again, but he slips away (Kill him in DLC)
You run in to Jacob and Miranda and try to convince them to leave Cerberus. Jacobs joins you but Miranda is hesitant, and just when you think you got her, Liara shoots her in the back.
Mortin cures the genophage.
Wrex and Grunt show up, but Wrex dies and Grunt becomes leader of the Krogan.
Garrus becomes commander of C-Sec and makes his father proud.
Ashely/Kaiden replace Anderson on the council when Anderson dies in one final glorious battle on Earth
Joker brags about his iEDI
Tali is known as the hero of the Quarian for finally eliminating all the Geth with the help from Legion (DLC)
A cure for Thane is found, but he dies saving Jack from Cerberus
You and Liara make blue alien babies and cruise the galaxy in the Normandy (there is also a three-way with Kelly)
heh, I'll think of some other things for the other squad mates sometime :p
fatcat
it never ends, Event Organizer, Supporter, Gaming Leader
Matt, there is a known bug with the Liara LI storyline in which she forgets all about LotSB rekindled romance. Also, Tali doesn't kill herself (or even try) if your Reputation is high enough. Legion sacrifices himself Grunt leads a pack of commandos when you meet the Rachni Queen again
Comments
This worries me. We've already paid 60USD for this game, DLC averages about 10-15 per, for something like Arrival, Shadow Broker, and Javik. So for just a simple ending, what might be the actual ending to the game we're gonna have to pay another $10. This is further emphasized by the DLC comment the game ends on. This is robbery; even if Indoctrination Theory is real, and I doubt it is/was (might be now depending on how Bioware plays this off). I want the actual ending to my game with my game, not with DLC.
I don't know, just my two cents.
Control - You can't control the reapers when they are already controlling you. There is a vision of TIM trying to do this. Even Shepard says "So the Illusive Man was right."
Synthesis - Saren went down this path. 60% of you went down this path. Trolololol
Destroy - Star Child IMMEDIATELY vanishes when you pick this option. Shepard wakes up. The dream is over...or has it just begun.
I want the Bioware Mass Effect team to make all games now :)
But we got hope.
I'm about 95% convinced of the indoctrination theory at this point. There's just too much evidence. Too much about it that makes it right.
It really blows my mind to consider what the game does in its final hour. The mind games it plays with you, especially if you roll paragon, is substantial. The renegade option of shooting Illusive Man, the colored choices at the end pushing you from the destroy option, offering a third, harder to get option that doesn't truly bring a best end, trusting the child we know acts for the reapers because we feel Shepard's guilt... This stuff is incredible.
I can't believe a video game did this to me. This is the definition of immersive. We feel indoctrinated ourselves, because as we played it, we had no idea that this manipulation was happening to us.
And I would agree, I don't feel that the ending is incomplete, and I'm glad that closure is left to the imagination. It was the only real way they could end a game like this. Every person playing these games built their own stories around their own Shepards. It's practically impossible to make a concrete, detailed ending while appeasing all of these gamers. I'm fine with what they've done.
Though you're also right, @koreish. It's obvious by the ending message (and it's EA we're talking about) that they're going to milk this ending out for gamers via DLC. I don't want them to do it, but they've already confirmed that they're going to do it. I'm not going to play these DLCs. I'm keeping my ending intact.
if you did the Zaeed loyalty mission in ME2, you'll notice the planet has 2 moons and lush jungle
1. Only encountered TIM at the end at which point he killed himself.
2. Jacob and Miranda left Cerberus on their own. Liara never even met Miranda.
3. Modin* would have cured the genophage had I not shot him.
4. Wrex has been dead since half way through ME1 and Grunt was never a Krogan leader.
5. Garrus don't give a fuck about C-Sec.
6. Anderson was never appointed to the council in the first place and neither was Ashley.
7. Joker wants robo-babies or some shit but I wouldn't say he brags about it.
8. Tali helped unite the Geth and Quarians.
9. Thane got stabbed. Jack was nowhere near him.
10. Liara is forever alone and Kelly is so dead it's not even funny.
11. Nope
Hiding things is not bragging about them. Also, how did they get Shepard to look up and read the text?
Illusive Man doesn't slip away
Jacob and Miranda both left Cerberus, neither come with you
Grunt doesn't lead anything
Garrus /quit C-Sec
Nobody replaces anybody on the council, and Anderson doesn't die on Earth, if we're being technical
I don't really know about the Tali and the geth one; I know she kills herself if you save the geth and aren't pro enough to talk her out of it, but I don't know about the other side
Thane dies incredibly sadly
Liara is an on-again-off-again bitch that asks if you want to stay together when you meet in the beginning, then ignores you until the end, when she acts like you're just friends.
All solid predictions, but I am interested in your fourth - are you calling the Anderson and Tali ones correct?
Also, Tali doesn't kill herself (or even try) if your Reputation is high enough. Legion sacrifices himself
Grunt leads a pack of commandos when you meet the Rachni Queen again
I WAS TOTALLY RIGHT
Oh man I knew it! There IS a Reaper on Earth!