Mass Effect 3 Spoiler Thread [Spoiler tag free, beware]

[kaid]

I stuck with my original choice so only saw destroy ending.  It was better, enough that if had been there in the first place I wouldn't have nerdraged so much.  Still flawed, but I don't see how that changes as long as space-kid is there.  I did really like the expanded ground and space battle cutscenes, they did a good job capturing the whole epic scale.

If you're worried about readiness, don't.  They lowered the requirements.  I had 7k+ assets but I hadn't done multiplayer for a while so I was down to 54%.  Still got the gasp at the end.

They changed the requirements only need a bit over 3k for max endings so can get it with 0 multiplayer just doing most of the in game stuff.  Honestly if the endings that are there now were the original ones I would not have really complained. I still don't understand why they went the deus ex space kid route which just feels silly and jarring but the endings work okay enough for me now.

[Ingmar]

Ironically I didn't get the Traynor romance because I wasn't going to be so forward with a chick I just met.

You'll never move in with her after the first date that way.

[Ratman_tf]

Extended Complaining

As usual, I agree with his assesment. They sucessfully polished their turd. Congrats, Bioware, for having the shiniest turd of an ending. 

[Lantyssa]

You'll never move in with her after the first date that way.

I'm glad I wasn't drinking something when I read that.

[MournelitheCalix]

Hahaha,

I can't believe i am going to do this but I am going to defend that ending.  That choice has weight to it.  If you don't choose the lights, yeah this cycle doesn't win.  If you don't choose the lights, the result is that the reapers are so weakened that the next cycle does in fact win because of your defiance.  I was o'k with that, though I wish there would have been more fleshing out of that ending.  I wish we could have seen some of the soul ripping, gut wrenching consequence of system after system taken down by the reapers, dieing by dissolving, being reaped, being made into new reapers, new reapers being destroyed, the beacon being planted, and then the beacon and the voice from the next cycle.

[rk47]

First time finisher here:
The completely uninvolved squad mates killed the ending for me.
Of all people , Colonel SANDERSON is the one that stayed with me to the end? Him passing away was the most emotional moment in the end sequence.

What the fuck?

I was half expecting the squad to burst in when Shepard collapsed at the control room and Javik going 'nice work ma brava. this cycle of primitives outdid itself' or some shit as he pressed the button of awesome to wipe out the reaper - Victory.

But nope. Nothing. Shepard had enough. Hackett went 'SNAKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe'
Majestic platform rose - and I'm treated to some bullshit about this dream kid going 'i herd u hate synthetics so we put moar synthetics to synthesize you. Do you accept y/n?'

I scratched my head, laugh nervously as the explanation, full of holes, is droned out of the synthesized voice of man, children, and woman. This isn't the kind of ending Mass Effect needs, it won't even please the mainstream fanbase, while the intellectuals will find lots of illogical shit to gripe about.

I'm happier if I just blow this joint without listening to this crap. Shepard dies in the explosion. I accept it.
So the most logical answer is to shoot the VI.
And I was treated to a 30 sec cutscene. And credits roll.

  Fuck. That was my first ME3 Ending Experience. Way to go, Electronic Artistic Integrity!

[Ingmar]

If you liked the extra music, they put it up for free:

http://social.bioware.com/me3ecsoundtrack.php

[rk47]

I love this ending the most

[TripleDES]

So, Stormwaltz, I'm just watching Andromeda on Justin.TV, and an episode came up, where there's lots of scrap with minimal AI floating in space, creating a hivemind called The Concensus, who sent an entity to the ship always addressing itself with "We" and throwing around a lot statistics and probabilities around. Sounds familiar? Inspiration or what?

[Stormwaltz]

I watched a few episodes of Andromeda in its first season, before it lost the awesome opening theme and became The Kevin Sorbo Show. I don't recall that being among the ones I saw.

How I wrote Legion (and EDI) came from sitting down and thinking about how a "real" machine intelligence free of glandular distractions, subjective perceptions / mental blocks, and philosophical angst (fear of death, "why am I here?") would view the world. Star Trek was a minor inspiration, though in the negative -- I didn't want the geth to be either the Borg ("You are different, so we will absorb/destroy you") or Data ("I am different, so I want to be you").

My broad approach with the geth was that they observed and judged (Legion used that word a lot), but always accepted. "You hate and fear us? Very well. We will go over there so we don't bother you. If you want to talk, come over whenever you want."

[TripleDES]

Ah well.  Curious coincidence. I had it running in background on my second display, and suddenly I was "Wait, what?"

[Ingmar]

Oh, internet:

http://blog.bioware.com/2012/08/13/what-is-a-community/

We recently posted an innocent looking piece of fan art on Facebook that was created by one of our community members. The image playfully mashed up the themes of Mass Effect and My Little Pony, depicting the Pinkie Pie character in N7 armor. We thought it was hilarious and wanted to let the rest of our community in on the fun. Those of you that had front row seats during the aftermath know that’s not exactly what happened.

Even though the image was posted in jest, it raised the ire of a portion of our Facebook community. Some fans felt compelled to “unlike” our page, while others even went as far as to post their intention to “sell all their Mass Effect games.”

[Paelos]

What happened?

If you don’t enjoy a particular post, that’s okay. You can’t please everyone, as they say. However, rather than become hostile and turn against the community, we have an alternate suggestion: Create something better. Instead of raving about what you don’t like, show us an example of something that appeals to you.

For a social media coordinator, I think this guy just showed up to the internet yesterday. Also, you are working for an entertainment company. It's your job to entertain us, not the other way around, Chuckles.

[lamaros]

I got about one paragraph in and then my wanker sensors kicked in and I saved myself the trouble.

[Miasma]

"Social Media Coordinator" posts a blog, the blog's title is a question - and then keeps comments closed so that no one in the social media or his community can yell at him.  Fucking internet.

And where is the link to this image that I now want to see?  A "Social Media Coordinator" would be too stupid to include a link but what's your excuse Ingmar? 

[Ingmar]

I'm mostly just amused that they continue to not really understand the Internet.

I believe this is the pony abomination in question:

[MournelitheCalix]

I'm mostly just amused that they continue to not really understand the Internet.

I don't think they understand their audience either anymore.   The collective actions of EaWare in ME3 has made me appreciate the truth of the saying, "pride cometh, before the fall."  I am hoping that EaWare stays fallen down, face first in the mud and Bioware somehow manages to pick itself back up again.


I am not holding my breath that this will occur.

[Merusk]

And what, exactly, should he have said instead? "Oh, sorry, we'll never post ponies again so you all can continue to tell yourselves how macho and teen you are by loving cats but hating pink.  From now on only grimdarkserious fan art that appeals to the 16-29 year old male crowd will be accepted.  Bioware: we're hardcore like you!"

The post was certainly better than what I would have said.  "Oh, grow the fuck up."

[Paelos]

I still don't understand what went wrong, even seeing the picture.

My guess is this might be one of those times where it's not about the actual item. It's carryover from other perceived slights.

[Lantyssa]

I'm failing to understand why there needs to be an officially sponsored "ME3 Community" to get into uproars over about furry art.

[Miasma]

And what, exactly, should he have said instead? "Oh, sorry, we'll never post ponies again so you all can continue to tell yourselves how macho and teen you are by loving cats but hating pink.  From now on only grimdarkserious fan art that appeals to the 16-29 year old male crowd will be accepted.  Bioware: we're hardcore like you!"

The post was certainly better than what I would have said.  "Oh, grow the fuck up."

Why did he post anything, there was nothing that needed to be addressed.  They posted an image and some people didn't like it, who cares.  Who the hell goes out and writes a corporate blog post addressing such a mundane, trivial occurence that happens about a million times a minute on the internet?

[rk47]

His post can be summed up into two words: 'Butthurt detected.'

  "Ooooh he clarified the post and the aftermath of that pony image, now I must like the facebook page again and not sell my ME3 copy."

If the above is the reaction he expected from the community, then he needs to get another job.

[Merusk]

I still don't understand what went wrong, even seeing the picture.

My guess is this might be one of those times where it's not about the actual item. It's carryover from other perceived slights.

I'm failing to understand why there needs to be an officially sponsored "ME3 Community" to get into uproars over about furry art.

There's a large segment that enjoys bashing "Bronies" and everything related to MLP.  Are Bronies creepy with their obsession? They can be but not all are.   I think a part of it is the 16-year-old demo backlash as if they aren't catered to enough with the ass shots and lipstick lesbian romances.

And what, exactly, should he have said instead? "Oh, sorry, we'll never post ponies again so you all can continue to tell yourselves how macho and teen you are by loving cats but hating pink.  From now on only grimdarkserious fan art that appeals to the 16-29 year old male crowd will be accepted.  Bioware: we're hardcore like you!"

The post was certainly better than what I would have said.  "Oh, grow the fuck up."

Why did he post anything, there was nothing that needed to be addressed.  They posted an image and some people didn't like it, who cares.  Who the hell goes out and writes a corporate blog post addressing such a mundane, trivial occurence that happens about a million times a minute on the internet?

Well, since they removed it and the posts about it from their Facebook page from what I can tell, I imagine it generated enough hate and bile that they felt it needed to be addressed.  This wasn't totally random trolls on a forum, after all.  Those are easy to ignore.

[Paelos]

The pony thing is bizarre, but no weirder than some of the anime shit some dudes are into.

I want no part of either, but I'm not going to firebomb a forum over a fanpic either.

[Fabricated]

To be fair the whole Brony thing is pretty fucking shameful, annoying and stupid even compared to the rest of nerd culture which is on the whole shameful annoying and stupid. Most nerd/geek culture stuff is in the little fan enclaves and you have to intentionally expose yourself to it, so it's not as reasonable to be frothing mad/hateful over it. If you didn't want to see grown-ass men cosplaying as Bridget don't go to cons, problem solved.

The Brony stuff is obnoxious and a non-insignificant portion of the people who are into it (ironically or unironically) are I repeat; pretty fucking obnoxious about putting it everywhere and inserting it into conversations/random topics on the various corners of the internet I go to. Also it's connected to the crown kings of loud internet drama and traumatizing porn fanart, furries. It's sort of like everything I hate on the internet rolled into one. I dunno why people would get so mad about a single piece of fanart when you can just unfollow Bioware for it if you don't feel like seeing it, but there you go.

Also the cartoon itself is pretty bad/not funny/not entertaining IMO, so it doesn't get my "dumb fans like good thing" sympathy.

[Paelos]

It sounds like hipster furry crap when you put it that way.

Which in that case, I'd firebomb a forum.

[Ingmar]

The hipster comparison is pretty apt.

[Zetor]

Loyalty Level 6.

That is all.

[MournelitheCalix]

And what, exactly, should he have said instead? "Oh, sorry, we'll never post ponies again so you all can continue to tell yourselves how macho and teen you are by loving cats but hating pink.  From now on only grimdarkserious fan art that appeals to the 16-29 year old male crowd will be accepted.  Bioware: we're hardcore like you!"

The post was certainly better than what I would have said.  "Oh, grow the fuck up."

I honestly don't care about the my little ponies.  I don't think the "nerd rage" as others have coined it has anything to do with the art not being "grimdarkserious fan art."  What the "rage" was really about was a lingering anger in a community that has been marginalized, dismissed, and categorically disrespected despite years of loyalty.

The response which was quickly closed to comment was more of the same.  If your in a community, more people than just you get to talk.  EaWare needs to grab a clue and fast and more importantly they need to get back to what made them in the first place.  They need to swallow that damn blue whale size ego and get back to making first class RPGs.  They need to stop lying and they need to start delivering on what they promise. 

[tmp]

To be fair the whole Brony thing is pretty fucking shameful, annoying and stupid even compared to the rest of nerd culture which is on the whole shameful annoying and stupid. Most nerd/geek culture stuff is in the little fan enclaves and you have to intentionally expose yourself to it, so it's not as reasonable to be frothing mad/hateful over it. If you didn't want to see grown-ass men cosplaying as Bridget don't go to cons, problem solved.

The Brony stuff is obnoxious and a non-insignificant portion of the people who are into it (ironically or unironically) are I repeat; pretty fucking obnoxious about putting it everywhere and inserting it into conversations/random topics on the various corners of the internet I go to.

It's simply a cartoon that isn't really any sort of unique snowflake when it comes to getting mentions out of the blue -- you'll see people routinely referencing on the intrawebs Disney stuff, South Park, Spongebob, Batman animation, some random anime series/movie or whatever else they happen to like. I have yet to see someone snap in response that it's fucking shameful, annoying, stupid and obnoxious to bring any of those up, when it happens. So maybe it's not so fair after all to single this one out for doing what a much bigger bunch of people does.

edit: anyway, more on topic... aparently new DLC is coming. Introduces a Friendly Reaper(tm) and microtransactions

[Paelos]

The response which was quickly closed to comment was more of the same.  If your in a community, more people than just you get to talk.  EaWare needs to grab a clue and fast and more importantly they need to get back to what made them in the first place.  They need to swallow that damn blue whale size ego and get back to making first class RPGs.  They need to stop lying and they need to start delivering on what they promise. 

EA has never been able to do any of what you suggested since the CEO change in 2007. I doubt they can start now just because one section of their fanbase got tired of their bullshit. They've been promising to stop meddling in their acquisitions since 2008. I'll let you decide how that's going.

[Sjofn]

Was the picture even drawn by a dude? I can't tell from the pink squiggle. Still, I just find it bizarre that a) MLP became a THING and b) that the backlash about it has managed to be just as (if not more!) irritating.

Did they finally give a date for the new DLC? Last I heard it was waved around at E3 or whatever and was "coming."

[Trippy]

Do you mean "‘Leviathan"? That's Aug 28th

http://blog.bioware.com/2012/08/15/leviathan-dlc-officially-dated/

[Sjofn]

That was what I meant! I couldn't remember the name off the top of my head. Thanks!

[Ratman_tf]

Did anyone cap that blowup thread and post it somewhere? I have no context for people wigging out over a stupid picture on the internet.

Though I'm willing to put $5 on "Fans still butthurt, Bioware needs to lay low".