Mass Effect 3 - military effectiveness, endings, and you! (spoilers)

[MahrinSkel]

Am I mistaken or is there what amounts to an extortion racket going here if you want to get the "better" endings?  You can't get a high enough "Galactic Readiness" rating without completing DLC, which you have to pay extra for?

--Dave

[rk47]

Wrong.

[Trippy]

MP is part of the base game, which is what raises your readiness. Also other's have said if you do enough side missions you don't need to do any MP.

[Maledict]

That's incorrect BTW. There is at least one addition to the endings that you need 5000 effective military readiness for, which you can only get via multiplayer or months of playing the iPad app.

[Trippy]

You only need >=5000 though if you don't do one part. If you do that part you only need >=4000 though I'm not sure if that's possible to get at 50% readiness (no MP) either now that I've checked my final War total. I ended with like 6850 points with 96% readiness and the only side mission I think I didn't finish was the Eden Prime one.

[Jeff Kelly]

I'm now at 7115 galactic readiness and I've done ME 3 with a paragon Femshep that I've played from 1 through 3. With all of the DLC missions (bring down the sky, overlord, shadowbroker and even from ashes) and everybody from ME2 surviving the suicide mission.

So that would be ~3500 at 50% readiness. I can't imagine how the score could reach 8000. maybe if keeping the collector base adds points but I've made that playthrough with only Paragon choices. You're supposed to get ~8000 points max but I don't see how. For all I know it should be more than enough to get the best end.

I don't really get the galactic readiness and reputation system in ME 3. I've played that Shepard by the Paragon book, scanned every system collected and finished every sidequest, saved the geth and the rachni queen, saved wrex, made everybody in ME 2 loyal and played that Shepard 100% paragon in ME 3.

Yet I'm still nearly 800 points from the supposed max score of ~8000 and even though I have a maxed out reputation bar at 100% Paragon I could'nt even select the final paragon response option in the game.

I suppose the readiness score is coupled to the same trigger as the "Master and Commander" achivement, which would mean that you'd need the score at Priority: Cerberus (second to last story mission).

[Maledict]

In terms of maximum readiness I believe it is theoretically possible to get 8000 points but only with one precise set of choices - some renegade, some paragon.

Re. That final conversation, it is not tied to your paragon / renegade score. To unlock those options you need to have used the paragon / renegade conversation options at every relevant point in the game.

[Merusk]

I'm now at 7115 galactic readiness and I've done ME 3 with a paragon Femshep that I've played from 1 through 3. With all of the DLC missions (bring down the sky, overlord, shadowbroker and even from ashes) and everybody from ME2 surviving the suicide mission.

So that would be ~3500 at 50% readiness. I can't imagine how the score could reach 8000. maybe if keeping the collector base adds points but I've made that playthrough with only Paragon choices. You're supposed to get ~8000 points max but I don't see how. For all I know it should be more than enough to get the best end.

I don't really get the galactic readiness and reputation system in ME 3. I've played that Shepard by the Paragon book, scanned every system collected and finished every sidequest, saved the geth and the rachni queen, saved wrex, made everybody in ME 2 loyal and played that Shepard 100% paragon in ME 3.

Yet I'm still nearly 800 points from the supposed max score of ~8000 and even though I have a maxed out reputation bar at 100% Paragon I could'nt even select the final paragon response option in the game.

I suppose the readiness score is coupled to the same trigger as the "Master and Commander" achivement, which would mean that you'd need the score at Priority: Cerberus (second to last story mission).

They changed the fundamentals of the system.  As Maledict says, "Pure" choices don't matter anymore as every choice advances your social meter thing for conversation branches.  I get why they did it, but after 2 games it's a dumb system to have altered for the 3rd and final the way they did.

[tmp]

I don't really get the galactic readiness and reputation system in ME 3. I've played that Shepard by the Paragon book, scanned every system collected and finished every sidequest, saved the geth and the rachni queen, saved wrex, made everybody in ME 2 loyal and played that Shepard 100% paragon in ME 3.

That's, apparently, key mistake.

[Maledict]

Yeah regarding paragon / renegade - I'm not sure why they even bother mentioning it in the final game. It has no impact on choices in the game at all - all that matters is your overall reputation. If it is high enough, you'll be able to chose the renegade or paragon option. Your reputation comes from the combined total of your paragon + renegade, rather than them cancelling each other out, so there is never a 'wrong' way to do something roleplaying wise.

I never had a point in the game where I couldn't chose the renegade option, even though my reputation bar was completely paragon and maxed out. It's a change for the better to be honest as everyone should be able to punch a quarian in the stomach, but it is confusing coming off the other two games.

[Sky]

It also doesn't make a lot of sense from a roleplaying angle. As much as I want to go around punching people sometimes, it doesn't mean I do it. Not a fan of the new system.

Hell, it was a 'renegade' option to do some military chant thing in the bar with Dudebro? Wow. I saw the prompt come up and thought Shep was going to do something like throw a bottle or whatever...and by not pressing it I sit there like a dick while everyone does the military bro thing. Whatever.

[Lantyssa]

She's an officer.  It's not appropriate to fraternize with NCOs.  That's why it's a renegade option.

I'm fine with the system, since it lets me choose the option I want, and doing it or not is what affects my reputation.

[Miasma]

I assumed it was renegade because the nature of the war chant is dark and violent.  Not too many paragons going around saying stuff like "Kill them all, let God sort them out".

[Sky]

Fair enough. He just sits in the shuttle bay and sulks because he's not on Team Awesome.

[Ingmar]

That's incorrect BTW. There is at least one addition to the endings that you need 5000 effective military readiness for, which you can only get via multiplayer or months of playing the iPad app.

You only need 4000, which means playing like 3 MP matches.

[Maledict]

That's incorrect BTW. There is at least one addition to the endings that you need 5000 effective military readiness for, which you can only get via multiplayer or months of playing the iPad app.

You only need 4000, which means playing like 3 MP matches.

Depends on whether you blew up the collector base in ME2.  Can't remember which way round it is, but one choice means you need 5000 EMS.

[Ingmar]

That's incorrect BTW. There is at least one addition to the endings that you need 5000 effective military readiness for, which you can only get via multiplayer or months of playing the iPad app.

You only need 4000, which means playing like 3 MP matches.

Depends on whether you blew up the collector base in ME2.  Can't remember which way round it is, but one choice means you need 5000 EMS.

I thought it was based on whether you


or not.

[Jeff Kelly]

Which ending you get only depends on the effective military strength

[Ingmar]

Dude, this is NOT the spoiler thread. Fix that.

[Trippy]

That's incorrect BTW. There is at least one addition to the endings that you need 5000 effective military readiness for, which you can only get via multiplayer or months of playing the iPad app.

You only need 4000, which means playing like 3 MP matches.

Depends on whether you blew up the collector base in ME2.  Can't remember which way round it is, but one choice means you need 5000 EMS.

I thought it was based on whether you


or not.

That's correct. Collector Base decision changes what happens at some of the lower point totals but it doesn't affect the higher points.

[Trippy]

Dude, this is NOT the spoiler thread. Fix that.

It is now

[Jeff Kelly]

Sorry about that. With all the switching between both threads I dropped the ball there for a moment. Terribly sorry about that.

One thought that I somehow missed in my last post

[Ingmar]

You can get the 'best' end without multiplayer if you go with 'synthesis is the best ending' as your assumption, which I think is probably what they meant. The Shepard living thing does require a higher score than you can get through single player alone, but it also requires you to assume that Destroy is the 'best' ending, which is probably not their intention since it wipes out the Geth and kills EDI.

EDIT: We're in a spoiler notated thread now. 

Also looking at your list of default things, I didn't realize how 'bad' the default ending of ME2 is assumed to be, that's pretty rough.

[Maledict]

John Shephard was willing to sacrifice Centauri Prime to end the Shadows and Vorlons. As harsh and horrible as it is, destroy is the only option that *ends* this. It's certainly better than Shepherd deciding to rewrite the basic genetic code of every life form in the galaxy on the say so of a genocidal insane reaper. (a solution that makes absolutely no sense at all in any way ).

[Tannhauser]

Endings
No imported ME2 save or collector's base destroyed.  The word 'saved' used loosely below.

RR <1750 Earth destroyed regardless
RR @1900 Earth devasted by lives if you kill Reapers
RR @2350 If you choose to become a Reaper Earth is saved
RR @2650 If you choose to destroy the Reapers Earth is saved (My ending)
RR @2800 You can create synergy, saving Earth and the galaxy (Saren was right!)
RR @4000 If you choose to destroy the Reapers and save Anderson, Shepard lives
RR @5000 If you choose to destroy the Reapers and Anderson dies, Shepard lives

Collectors base saved
RR <1750 Earth destroyed regardless
RR @2050 Earth saved if you become a Reaper
RR @2350 Destroy Reapers, Earth devastated but alive
RR @2650 If you choose to destroy the Reapers Earth is saved
RR @2800 You can create synergy, saving Earth and the galaxy (Saren was right!)
RR @4000 If you choose to destroy the Reapers and save Anderson, Shepard lives
RR @5000 If you choose to destroy the Reapers and Anderson dies, Shepard lives

Source:  Strat Guide

[Ingmar]

John Shephard was willing to sacrifice Centauri Prime to end the Shadows and Vorlons. As harsh and horrible as it is, destroy is the only option that *ends* this. It's certainly better than Shepherd deciding to rewrite the basic genetic code of every life form in the galaxy on the say so of a genocidal insane reaper. (a solution that makes absolutely no sense at all in any way ).

That's why I went with Destroy (which is pretty clearly the "Renegade" choice) even with my nearly-all-Paragon Shepard.

[Simond]

Endings
No imported ME2 save or collector's base destroyed.  The word 'saved' used loosely below.

RR <1750 Earth destroyed regardless
RR @1900 Earth devasted by lives if you kill Reapers
RR @2350 If you choose to become a Reaper Earth is saved
RR @2650 If you choose to destroy the Reapers Earth is saved (My ending)
RR @2800 You can create synergy, saving Earth and the galaxy (Saren was right!)
RR @4000 If you choose to destroy the Reapers and save Anderson, Shepard lives
RR @5000 If you choose to destroy the Reapers and Anderson dies, Shepard lives

Collectors base saved
RR <1750 Earth destroyed regardless
RR @2050 Earth saved if you become a Reaper
RR @2350 Destroy Reapers, Earth devastated but alive
RR @2650 If you choose to destroy the Reapers Earth is saved
RR @2800 You can create synergy, saving Earth and the galaxy (Saren was right!)
RR @4000 If you choose to destroy the Reapers and save Anderson, Shepard lives
RR @5000 If you choose to destroy the Reapers and Anderson dies, Shepard lives

Source:  Strat Guide

So with the assumption that Bioware meant "Shepard lives" as best ending then, no, you cannot get the best endings without multiplayer/facebook/ios game.

[Ingmar]

They almost certainly didn't intend that, the synergy one is pretty clearly presented by the game as the 'best' one - it is the only one where all your allies live, etc.

"Shepard Lives" isn't an ending, it is just a little bonus scene.

[Miasma]

You can't get the merge ending without ME2 data, so the game as sold on its own without multiplayer only gets you the control/destroy.

[Ingmar]

You can't get the merge ending without ME2 data, so the game as sold on its own without multiplayer only gets you the control/destroy.

It looks like you can from Tannhauser's post?

[Miasma]

The 2800 number is right but you can't get to it, so you need to run multiplayer.

Edit: As mentioned merging was what the bad guys wanted to do initially so it's not really a good ending imo.

[Trippy]

They almost certainly didn't intend that, the synergy one is pretty clearly presented by the game as the 'best' one - it is the only one where all your allies live, etc.

It's implied all your allies survive if you become a Reaper too since you see EDI in the Normandy post-crash scene, though Joker and EDI don't hold each other like they do in the synergy version.

The 2800 number is right but you can't get to it, so you need to run multiplayer.

Are you sure? How many military points can you not get if you didn't start with a "good" ME2 save?

[luckton]

At the rate this forum is generating Mass Effect threads, maybe we should just create a sub-forum so all the bullshit and whining hypothetical discussions about the fate(s) of the galaxy can be deposited there. 

[Miasma]

The 2800 number is right but you can't get to it, so you need to run multiplayer.

Are you sure? How many military points can you not get if you didn't start with a "good" ME2 save?

That's what me and others without an import have found, I got to a little over 2700 but that was with extra points from the "Ashes" mission/companion in my CE.  I had done all missions and gotten all systems to 100% discovered.  Only thing I can think of is that maybe if I had faked curing the genophage I could have gotten both the krogan and the salarians.

I only had to run one multiplayer mission so it wasn't a big deal, just annoying.  And in the end I decided I didn't like the merge option and just stuck with destroy(good) anyways.

[Tannhauser]

The 2800 number is right but you can't get to it, so you need to run multiplayer.

Are you sure? How many military points can you not get if you didn't start with a "good" ME2 save?

That's what me and others without an import have found, I got to a little over 2700 but that was with extra points from the "Ashes" mission/companion in my CE.  I had done all missions and gotten all systems to 100% discovered.  Only thing I can think of is that maybe if I had faked curing the genophage I could have gotten both the krogan and the salarians.

I only had to run one multiplayer mission so it wasn't a big deal, just annoying.  And in the end I decided I didn't like the merge option and just stuck with destroy(good) anyways.

Without an import, you CAN get both krogan and salarian fleets.  You have to convince or force Mordin into lying to the krogan AND if you convince him, you get Mordin alive as a war asset to work on the Crucible.

So the 'best' decision is to allow the genophage to continue for the greater good of the war.