Mass Effect 2 *spoilers around pg 29/30*

[Lantyssa]

It will likely be technology plus numbers.  You have the Rachni who were corrupted by the Reapers but can be on your side.  You have the Krogan, unified by Wrex, and possibly cured with Moradin's aid.  You have the Geth.  You have the Quarian fleet which may not need to waste resources on the Geth.  Then you have the recently rebuilt Alliance and Council ships, which might just benefit from all your recent discoveries.

The third one will be getting all those forces focusing on the same thing, finding some more weaknesses in the Reapers, and maybe recruiting a few more allies.  (Batarians given a way to earn some respect, maybe?)

[Ingmar]

It will likely be technology plus numbers.  You have the Rachni who were corrupted by the Reapers but can be on your side.  You have the Krogan, unified by Wrex, and possibly cured with Moradin's aid.  You have the Geth.  You have the Quarian fleet which may not need to waste resources on the Geth.  Then you have the recently rebuilt Alliance and Council ships, which might just benefit from all your recent discoveries.

The third one will be getting all those forces focusing on the same thing, finding some more weaknesses in the Reapers, and maybe recruiting a few more allies.  (Batarians given a way to earn some respect, maybe?)

Unless of course your import game killed the rachni, destroyed the genophage cure, and turned Legion over to Cerberus...

[tmp]

Unless of course your import game killed the rachni, destroyed the genophage cure, and turned Legion over to Cerberus...

Since default ME2 game has the rachni dead if i remember right as well as Wrex, can't quite imagine these being used for anything more significant than another "Still Alive" mail in Shepard's spam box. They'll have to set up the ME3 with this continuity in mind and that means rachni/Wrex become optional drain on resources, competing with development of main game which has to be fully playable without them.

[Ingmar]

Unless of course your import game killed the rachni, destroyed the genophage cure, and turned Legion over to Cerberus...

Since default ME2 game has the rachni dead if i remember right as well as Wrex, can't quite imagine these being used for anything more significant than another "Still Alive" mail in Shepard's spam box. They'll have to set up the ME3 with this continuity in mind and that means rachni/Wrex become optional drain on resources, competing with development of main game which has to be fully playable without them.

Technically the Wrex thing shouldn't matter, the "genophage cure yes/no" choice comes during Moridin's loyalty mission. But yeah same problem even so.

[caladein]

New weapon on Cerberus Network, the Cerberus Arc Projector.  Same deal as last time for PC folks: head to the Registered Game Promotions page and the download is called Cerberus Arc Projector (Cerberus Network).

[Lantyssa]

Technically the Wrex thing shouldn't matter, the "genophage cure yes/no" choice comes during Moridin's loyalty mission. But yeah same problem even so.

Yes, however Moradin is going to feel a whole lot less hesitant about restoring their virility if they are starting to act civilized.

As for how the loss of races affects the final story?  Either they can make it easier for you to accomplish things or they could be brave and make it so choices you made in a trilogy impact the final outcome.  That doesn't mean you have no outs, however I would really like to see it matter, at least if the choices are going to actually be significant.  Otherwise it's Shepard wins, humanity is saved, let's all go have dinner with our crew, none of whom died.

[Koyasha]

Personally what I would really hope is that they actually push through with negative consequences for some of those 'feel good' decisions that are unsound.  Especially the genophage thing.  Lots of people talk about curing the genophage, nobody seems to consider that the krogan have in no way advanced in a societal manner in a direction that would lead to this becoming a smart idea in the slightest.  Even Wrex's leadership isn't pushing them toward that.

If their society isn't willing to practice voluntary and very strongly limited birth control, then removing the genophage leads to exactly the same thing it did in the first place - krogan overpopulation, followed by aggression as they seek to expand into their neighbors' territory.

[NowhereMan]

Yeah, I didn't destroy the genophage cure but it bothered me that the Paragon option was, "The Genophage was wrong Mordin, look at all the suffering caused in trying to cure it and with the Krogan running around acting uncivilised" when the alternative would almost certainly be Krogan flooding the galaxy and war. It's one of the few points in the game I could not justifiably choose the paragon option, so I guess good work in not making one route good Shepard and one route dick Shepard. I'd say with Wrex in charge maybe we should cure it but a lot of his power seems to be based around support of the female clans and I imagine that curing the genophage would rapidly transform into everyone telling him to go suck a dick, they're going to take this party inter-galactic. Yes it would be cool to see trilogy wide impacts for choices made so that, if you've made some questionable choices you don't get a perfect happy ending.

Although considering that's utterly unforseeable I can see people whining that now they've got to a full three game playthrough because they didn't trust the Rachni queen back in ME1. I can also see people getting pissy if the default ME3 choices don't let you get a perfect ending although it would kind of make sense (Want the best ending? Put in the work)

[MournelitheCalix]

Since were discussing Mass Effect 3 in the open let me add my three theories about 3:

1.  Every Mass Effect game to date has had the entire endgame tied to the relays.  In Mass Effect 1, it starts the Citadel sequence.  In Mass Effect 2 of course it starts the suicide mission.  In one we learned that the protheans were on the verge of unlocking the mass relays.  In Mass Effect 2 we learned that the relays can be programmed to respond to different individuals and that they can be programmed to execute percise jumps.  I think in 3 there is one huge problem.  There are literally reapers as far as the eyes can see.  Its my first theory that Mass Effect 1 will make use of the relays again.  I think the PC will have to aid somehow in rediscovering the relay tech and reprogramming the relays to jump the reapers into the sun or a black hole for instance before they have the ability to reach the citadel and commence with the extermination procedure.  This will not work of course for all of them, but I do believe it will work for the majority of the "fleet."


2.  In Mass Effect 1 Vigil claims that Sovereign has multiple indoctrinated individuals.  Saren was only the most "visible."  After seeing the Invisible Man, I would bet he is not only indoctrinated but also implanted by sovereign and that his "endgame" scenario has yet to play out.


3.  In Mass Effect 1 Saren had three primary assets the rachni, the krogan and sovereign.  At the conclusion of mass effect 2, something really familiary happened.  My shepard had the Rachni pledge to help, Wrex was king of the Krogan, and your ship was made from pieces of Sovereign.  Sounds real familiar.  How this plays out I am not sure, but I am sure its not an accident.

[Khaldun]

My assumptions about ME3.

a. Shepard will spend time mobilizing allies to deal with the Reaper threat as per the plot structure of Dragon Age. Maybe we'll get more on some of the non-Council races who've appeared in side roles in ME1 and ME2.
b. There will be a big confrontation with the The Illusive Man, who I suspect may turn out to be tied to the Reapers in some kind of double-triple-agent sort of scheme (or maybe will be compromised at some point by them via his integrated electronics). He may also be the Shadow Broker. If not, the Shadow Broker will turn out to be a separate important plot thread.
c. The Keepers will become a very important plot element--maybe the key to victory via connection to the origin of the Reapers? Or to some other transcended galactic race (a la Fire Upon the Deep) who can counteract the Reapers.

[Fabricated]

What'd be kinda funny is that if the only way to really effectively make sure the reapers were defeated would be to abandon their technology entirely, meaning no more relays or citadel.

[Khaldun]

Dan Simmons' Hyperion series has a moment pretty much like that. Could make for a really poignant conclusion to the series: convincing all the various races that they'll have to say farewell to each other and give up FTL for now until someone comes up with a different FTL tech. You go from planet to planet dropping off members of your crew, knowing it is the last time you'll ever conceivably see them, or some of them elect to stay with you and end up on whatever planet you end up on (or maybe go with you on a one-way mission to turn off the last mass relay, which will strand the Normandy in interstellar space without a way home).

[Reg]

It's a cool idea but be realistic. It could never, ever, possibly happen. People would rather put up with having to have a war with the reapers every 50,000 years than give up something as fundamental as their FTL travel.

[Stormwaltz]

If they end it that way it'll be as stupid as the last episode of BSG where a bunch of spacemen gave up all of their technology so they could die wretchedly and young on a primitive planet for no good reason.

I guess I don't need to watch that now...

[ajax34i]

Since were discussing Mass Effect 3 in the open let me add my three theories about 3:

2.  After seeing the Invisible Man, I would bet he is not only indoctrinated but also implanted by sovereign and that his "endgame" scenario has yet to play out.

3.  In Mass Effect 1 Saren had three primary assets the rachni, the krogan and sovereign.  At the conclusion of mass effect 2, something really familiary happened.  My shepard had the Rachni pledge to help, Wrex was king of the Krogan, and your ship was made from pieces of Sovereign.  Sounds real familiar.  How this plays out I am not sure, but I am sure its not an accident.

If TIM is indoctrinated, then so is Shepard (he's also got implants inside, which show up on his face if Renegade).  So perhaps ME3 will involve loss of control over your character; being forced to play the companions to kill yourself.

EDIT:  matter of fact, the fact that Cerberus suddenly seems to be this nice, altruistic organization out to help Shepard and everyone could be the indoctrination talking.  Matron Benezia did say that everything Saren said started seeming reasonable and helpful.

[Ratman_tf]

If they end it that way it'll be as stupid as the last episode of BSG where a bunch of spacemen gave up all of their technology so they could die wretchedly and young on a primitive planet for no good reason.

I guess I don't need to watch that now...

He probably saved you a ton of frustration there. nuBSG is like a television version of the Coyote Ugly situation.

[TripleDES]

It's a cool idea but be realistic. It could never, ever, possibly happen. People would rather put up with having to have a war with the reapers every 50,000 years than give up something as fundamental as their FTL travel.

IIRC, in Hyperion, it was a convoluted plot by Meina Gladstone to get that shit blown up, exactly because no one would voluntarily have given these things up.

Come to think of it, I have to reread these books, because I can't remember at all what the issue was with these farcasters to begin with, apart from sapping microseconds of brain power each transition.

[bhodi]

3.  In Mass Effect 1 Saren had three primary assets the rachni, the krogan and sovereign.  At the conclusion of mass effect 2, something really familiary happened.  My shepard had the Rachni pledge to help, Wrex was king of the Krogan, and your ship was made from pieces of Sovereign.  Sounds real familiar.  How this plays out I am not sure, but I am sure its not an accident.

Just a minor point - the Thanix cannons use operational theories only and were reverse engineered from the main gun of the Sovereign. The damn thing was a miles long spinal mount weapon. It's not actually pieces of any reaper. As far as I can tell, the Normandy had no actual Reaper tech. The armor was made from asari tech, I think, and the shields I don't recall if it was mentioned.

[Rishathra]

Come to think of it, I have to reread these books, because I can't remember at all what the issue was with these farcasters to begin with, apart from sapping microseconds of brain power each transition.

That was pretty much it.  She basically knew that in the long term, the TechnoCore had it out for us, and so decided to cut them off from one of their primary sources of computational power.  That and, at the time, it was theorized that the TechnoCore resided primarily within the farcaster network, so blowing it all up could potentially get rid of them for good.

[PalmTrees]

One thing I'm curious about is the dark energy destabilizing suns mentioned inTali's recruit mission and again by Reegar during her loyalty mission. Destroying stars seems counter productive to the Reaper's 50k harvests so I'm wondering what's it about. Maybe the reapers are done and planning on taking everyone with them? Or more likely it's something unrelated to them altogether. A side effect of all the e-zero ftl travelling perhaps, but then why is an out of the way place like Haestrom suffering first?

[Mazakiel]

Element Zero is formed by stars going super nova.  My guess would be that the dark matter destabilizing the star to cause it to go supernova is to basically seed the system with eezo for harvest later.  I'm guessing it's something the Reapers, or agents of theirs, do as part of their cycle of harvest.  To use to build new Reapers, or used by the Reapers for the various things they get up to when active.  As the material that enables travelling the stars, it'd at the very least be needed as something to leave around for developing civilizations to 'discover' and use, like what was left on Mars for the humans. 

[Koyasha]

3.  In Mass Effect 1 Saren had three primary assets the rachni, the krogan and sovereign.  At the conclusion of mass effect 2, something really familiary happened.  My shepard had the Rachni pledge to help, Wrex was king of the Krogan, and your ship was made from pieces of Sovereign.  Sounds real familiar.  How this plays out I am not sure, but I am sure its not an accident.

Just a minor point - the Thanix cannons use operational theories only and were reverse engineered from the main gun of the Sovereign. The damn thing was a miles long spinal mount weapon. It's not actually pieces of any reaper. As far as I can tell, the Normandy had no actual Reaper tech. The armor was made from asari tech, I think, and the shields I don't recall if it was mentioned.

I believe EDI noted that some of her systems are recovered reaper components, presumably from Sovereign, actually.  At the very least I'm sure she has reaper code, because she mentioned having reaper viruses as part of her cyberwarfare systems.

[Bunk]

It's a cool idea but be realistic. It could never, ever, possibly happen. People would rather put up with having to have a war with the reapers every 50,000 years than give up something as fundamental as their FTL travel.

Actually, I could see them using this as a viable way to end it. You don't ask the entire galaxy to give up FTL, you just go from relay to relay blowing them up yourself. We know they don't understand the tech well enough to rebuild it on their own.

The reason they wouldn't use an approach like this is simple - it would pretty much put an end to the IP.

[Stormwaltz]

I believe EDI noted that some of her systems are recovered reaper components, presumably from Sovereign, actually.  At the very least I'm sure she has reaper code, because she mentioned having reaper viruses as part of her cyberwarfare systems.

I forget the precise wording, but yes, her attack programs are based on computer data recovered from Sovereign's wreckage.

One doesn't upload a virus into the mothership from a laptop unless one's had a few years to figure out how the enemy's software works.

[Tebonas]

So, this was you getting even with Independence Day for us? My heartfelt thanks! 

[Khaldun]

It's a cool idea but be realistic. It could never, ever, possibly happen. People would rather put up with having to have a war with the reapers every 50,000 years than give up something as fundamental as their FTL travel.

Actually, I could see them using this as a viable way to end it. You don't ask the entire galaxy to give up FTL, you just go from relay to relay blowing them up yourself. We know they don't understand the tech well enough to rebuild it on their own.

The reason they wouldn't use an approach like this is simple - it would pretty much put an end to the IP.

Nawww. Again, to cite Simmons, that's the basic gimmick of the sequel series to Hyperion--there's a new FTL tech, with new implications.

So say ME3 were to end with the Normandy 2 drifting in interstellar space. Maybe there's a star system that they can reach in a year or so at full boost. Shepard toasts the survivors of the mass relay destruction missions and they go off into the sunset.

Open a new franchise trilogy: an older Shepard and some other Normandy character are climbing through a ruin on the planet they've been living on for several decades. They find an old machine and accidentally activate it. It sends a signal--and suddenly in the sky, there's a hyperspace gate opening and a starship coming through....

Or some such. There's always a way to keep the story going.

[Fabricated]

I remember Star Trek TNG having an episode that implies their warp technology will eventually destroy the universe and then they never revisit it. lol.

[Reg]

I think they all flew at warp 5 for a couple of episodes before discovering a new technology to let them stop worrying about it.

[Merusk]

I don't remember the tech to fix it ever being discovered.   There IS a line in one of the later episodes where they say they have permission to break the warp 5 prohibition.

[Ratman_tf]

I remember Star Trek TNG having an episode that implies their warp technology will eventually destroy the universe and then they never revisit it. lol.

I caught that episode on rerun recently. It wasn't going to destroy the whole universe, just the part of space where the aliens of the week lived.

[Khaldun]

So they just moved the aliens of the week, probably. Relocation camps on Proxima Centauri XI. Then they can go ahead and make a region of space into the equivalent of a time-space Superfund site.

But yeah, one of the most we-just-changed-everything-no-we-didn't moments in the history of the show. Of which there were many.

[Job601]

But yeah, one of the most we-just-changed-everything-no-we-didn't moments in the history of the show. Of which there were many.

The "warp drive damages the fabric of space" thing was clearly supposed to be a metaphor for global warming, or maybe for the destruction of the ozone layer which was a still a big deal in the early 90's.  The point was that there wasn't really a solution; they know they're causing long-term damage, but the benefits are so good that they keep doing the same thing anyway, the same way that we're still putting tons of carbon into the air despite some knowledge of the consequences.  If there had been a resolution to the situation it would have destroyed the analogy.

[Surlyboi]

So they just moved the aliens of the week, probably. Relocation camps on Proxima Centauri XI.

Nope. Chiron Beta Prime.

[Velorath]

Kasumi DLC coming April 6th.

While Mass Effect 2's in-game DLC pipeline, The Cerberus Network, continues to transport new weapons (and soon, a new vehicle) to players for free, BioWare has announced the game's first pack of paid downloadable content. "Kasumi's Stolen Memory" finally completes Commander Shepard's dirty dozen, adding a confident female thief to your anti-Reaper repertoire. It's currently scheduled to launch for Xbox 360 and PC on April 6.

After downloading the DLC, players can get in touch with Kasumi on the Citadel, either in the middle of an ongoing Mass Effect 2 game or after the completion of the main story (lesson learned from Mass Effect 1 DLC!). Once recruited, Shepard aids Kasumi on a secretive mission of recovery, which requires a suave disguise and a run-in with an influential and predictably corrupt art collector. The content, which also provides the "Locust" SMG, a flash-bang grenade loyalty power and a new Achievement, should take about an hour and a half to complete.

BioWare is currently in the midst of "internal discussion" to determine the price of the DLC, but we'll keep you updated as soon as it's finalized. Look for some impressions of "Kasumi's Stolen Memory" coming soon to Joystiq as part of our ongoing GDC coverage. Spoiler: It looks great.

[Fabricated]

She'll have to be a lot less tacked on than Zaheed for me to give a shit.