I think I'm finally over ME3 now...

[distortedreality]

snip

Just on the Quarian/Geth thing - I think the lack of build up can be explained by the fact that the build up has really happened over the three games (and has been a central theme of each), whereas the Krogan/Salarian one wasn't as central a plot point (apart from Virmire obviously).

Somewhat agree about Thessia though - I felt attached to Thessia because of Liara, but there was a certain lack of build up there which was disappointing. The overall pacing may have to do with the setting - I definitely felt a sense of urgency in completing missions and side missions, and this just became more apparent as the game progressed.

As for the story - I guess in a way I can understand the streamlining that was done. I mean the game is meant to be tying loose ends up and providing closure for the overarching story - not introducing a ton of new material which then also needs to be finished within the confines of the game. I can also understand fans dislike of this approach given the story-rich settings of the previous games though.

I really enjoyed the game, but like you, I did feel it was a bit short compared to what I was expecting. I know DLC will fill that out (and i'm happy to pay for good DLC), so i'm not too fazed by the length.

But for me, the emotional arc and the writing, from Mars through Tuchanka and parts of Rannoch in particular, was more than enough to catapult the game into my top 5. Reuniting Wrex with Garrus and Liara on Sur'Kesh, and then Mordin on top of that, was one of the funniest/most dramatic missions of my gaming career... or losing Mordin, then Legion/Tali in such quick succession... I don't think I shed any manly tears, but even if I didn't, it's by far the closest a game has come to eliciting that powerful a response. And EDI's speech on Earth... yikes.

Very much this.

 

[Vault101]

And various other minor issues I had with the game. The one thing I thought actually got improved in ME3 was the combat. That was it.

Although most of your points are entirely valid, I'd like to add a few other improvements for consideration: 1) more weapon/skill customization, 2) getting to see such a multi-layered, atmospheric Citadel, 3) more meaningful interaction with the squadmates you have, even if you don't romance them - them moving around the ship; them having a life outside of you and going to the Citadel or talking to each other; important + emotional roles for Wrex, Mordin, and VS, arguably Garrus, Liara, EDI, and Tali* as well - and 4) great set-pieces/level design. Explosions might have been over-the-top, but there's no denying the main levels were more creative than last time around.

.

one thing I liekd abotu ME3 was the crew memberd actually talked/interacted with each other..they felt like a realy team

in ME2 you can a colurful cast of charachters and the games focus was on "the team" excpet they were too seperated, each existing in their own little room..I didnt know what Thne thourght of Jack or what Samara or Mordin would talk about....that kind of stuff

[qAs for the story - I guess in a way I can understand the streamlining that was done. I mean the game is meant to be tying loose ends up and providing closure for the overarching story - not introducing a ton of new material which then also needs to be finished within the confines of the game. I can also understand fans dislike of this approach given the story-rich settings of the previous games though.

.

I was actually really really impressed with the story

there were a few eyebrow rasing things...like crucible "fix for everything comes out of nowhere" and illusive man going all "cartoon evil"...and the quarians..(you guys are at war?...now?...DID YOU ALL CATCH A VIRUS THAT MAKES YOU RETARDED???!!)

but overall considering how they had to bring everything together I wasnt dissapointed

 

[Gennadios]

I just tell myself that the one true ending is Shepard shagging Morinth in ME2. Made things a whole lot easier.

 

[Vault101]

Council? Nope. Killed the Council? Good thing we had emergency clones made before that incident!
.

not really a retcon since anderson left the council anyway because he wanted to go back to alliance military

and to be fair theres no way they wouldnt have eventually replaced the other council representitaves

I mean if you assasinate the president that doesnt mean you simply do without a president

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I'm guessing you're not over it since you felt compelled to make this thread telling us about it.

 

[pure.Wasted]

Council? Nope. Killed the Council? Good thing we had emergency clones made before that incident!
.

not really a retcon since anderson left the council anyway because he wanted to go back to alliance military

and to be fair theres no way they wouldnt have eventually replaced the other council representitaves

I mean if you assasinate the president that doesnt mean you simply do without a president

I'm with Joccaren on this one. Being faithful to ME1's choices, if Anderson was on the council, he shouldn't have been allowed to leave. And if you're tempted to say "but that's who Anderson is, the fact that he would abandon governing is the reason you picked him for the job in the first place" - and I think I would agree - then they should have invented a reason why it was impossible for him to do that. He was running out of his office on the citadel and broke his leg. ...whatever.

When we make an important decision, we don't want a good justification for why our decision doesn't have huge consequences, we want huge consequences, even if THOSE require a good justification to keep in play.

 

[Vault101]

you know what could have made the crucible less of a "magic fix from nowhere"

was that in ME1 or ME2 the prothian beacon is showing to mess with shepards mind, and you know if movies when charachters are crazy they start scrawling stuff on walls and such?

well what if the designs for the crucible were in the prothian beacon on eden prime?

with delayed effect shepard starts sketching it all down...he/she doesnt know why or what it is but its in his/her head and she has a complusion to write it out

wow..I now almsot understand fanfic writers

 

[Vault101]

I'm with Joccaren on this one. Being faithful to ME1's choices, if Anderson was on the council, he shouldn't have been allowed to leave. And if you're tempted to say "but that's who Anderson is, the fact that he would abandon governing is the reason you picked him for the job in the first place" - and I think I would agree - then they should have invented a reason why it was impossible for him to do that. He was running out of his office on the citadel and broke his leg. ...whatever.

When we make an important decision, we don't want a good justification for why our decision doesn't have huge consequences, we want huge consequences, even if THOSE require a good justification to keep in play.

fair enough...I mean I think its kind of silly to think "hey! the council is dead! humans rule the space government!"

I think perhpas the intended effect of the councils death was resentment against humans..*shrug*

now that I think about it its been 2 years in ME2 and they still didnt bother replacing the council?

 

[NoNameMcgee]

I coped by not giving a shit. I loved the Mass Effect series, probably more than you, especially if you think the entire game or entire series is ruined because of the ending. Which is ridiculous. 99% of Mass Effect 3 was excellent, so the sloppy ending did nothing to deter my enjoyment of it.

 

[scorptatious]

snip

As much as I hate to admit it. I have to agree with you on almost all of your points.

In retrospect, ME3 did sort of feel rushed compared to the first two games, and I'm not really happy with some of the design and story choices it has made. I mean people who romanced Jacob were pretty much screwed because

Spoiler

he went and impregnated some other girl after Shepard was gone for only six months. (I never actually did romanced Jacob, but I can definitely understand people who did getting shafted like that.)

 

[pure.Wasted]

snip

As much as I hate to admit it. I have to agree with you on almost all of your points.

In retrospect, ME3 did sort of feel rushed compared to the first two games, and I'm not really happy with some of the design and story choices it has made. I mean people who romanced Jacob were pretty much screwed because

Spoiler

he went and impregnated some other girl after Shepard was gone for only six months. (I never actually did romanced Jacob, but I can definitely understand people who did getting shafted like that.)

I don't think the Jacob thing is that bad for that reason. I don't think people who romanced Jacob would have had (such) a problem with him doing the same thing, if he then went on to become a main character with plot importance, great character moments of self-doubt and conflict, redemption, etc.

The problem is that between him abandoning Shepard and him not having any depth or meaningful contributions to the story, it felt like a huge "Fuck you" from Bioware to the 3 people who liked him enough to romance him.

It's the difference between how the VS was handled in ME2 compared to ME3. In ME2 they caught a lot of flak for being a douche, even if you were into them in ME1, but in ME3 the situation became so much more complicated that it was easy to understand their perspective, and they mattered. Even if they betrayed your trust, it was a meaningful betrayal, not off-handed like Jacob's.

 

[Roroshi14]

I loved the ending.

Yes, the last second of Joker didn't make since to me, but I wasn't mad. If I had to stop and take a brake of playing a game not cuz I was doing bad, but cuz my friend died and I needed to recollect myself. I died and I was happy that I won, Ash and Liara died in the final blast as did Wrex, so my best friend and girlfriend died after that my death at the end was perfect.

 

[Vault101]

snip

As much as I hate to admit it. I have to agree with you on almost all of your points.

In retrospect, ME3 did sort of feel rushed compared to the first two games, and I'm not really happy with some of the design and story choices it has made. I mean people who romanced Jacob were pretty much screwed because

Spoiler

he went and impregnated some other girl after Shepard was gone for only six months. (I never actually did romanced Jacob, but I can definitely understand people who did getting shafted like that.)

I guess Jacobs a bit of a playa

that would be annoying..at least with thane you know he's dying soo....

I guess since it was clear jacob wasnt a popular choice they could get away with that, which yeah...kinda sucks...esepcially if you look at it in-universe

"oh hey shepard...yeah, I really liked you but Im with somone else...and were having a baby...we uhh...she wants to name it after you though?"

surprised shepard didnt punch him

 

[RatRace123]

surprised shepard didnt punch him

I didn't find it too surprising.

Sure he cheated on her, but he didn't say anything disingenuous.

 

[Vault101]

I coped by not giving a shit. I loved the Mass Effect series, probably more than you, especially if you think the entire game or entire series is ruined because of the ending. Which is ridiculous. 99% of Mass Effect 3 was excellent, so the sloppy ending did nothing to deter my enjoyment of it.

but giving a shit is the problem

its because we gave a shit...ALOT that the ending was such a punch in the face

granted Im now on my secodn playthrough so Im more or less over it, I cared so much..especially about shepard

I guess its liek an investment, the more you invest (emotionally) the bigger the payoff (like Portal 2..I hit the jackpot there)...and when thease things happns you lose...

I lost about 3 million worth of emotion

 

[pure.Wasted]

surprised shepard didnt punch him

I didn't find it too surprising.

Sure he cheated on her, but he didn't say anything disingenuous.

Just as they're saying goodbye, FemShep should have had renegade interrupt to say "Oh, by the way, I found out I'm pregnant. Have a nice life, though."

Two weeks later Jacob's new wife finds a suicide note.

 

[Vault101]

surprised shepard didnt punch him

I didn't find it too surprising.

Sure he cheated on her, but he didn't say anything disingenuous.

I havnt seen the scene in question (if you romanced jacob)

but I mean I dont know what things were like when they parted ways...but if shepard didnt know..and then "hey shep! Im gonna be a daddy!"

that would hurt....alot

 

[Vault101]

Just as they're saying goodbye, FemShep should have had renegade interrupt to say "Oh, by the way, I found out I'm pregnant. Have a nice life, though."

Two weeks later Jacob's new wife finds a suicide note.

I dont think jacobs wife would comit suicide over another owmen getting pregnat

now if shepard had said

"oh by the way Jacob...turns out I've got the assari equivalent of HIV...its liek the human kidn but worse"

hehehehehehe....

 

[tzimize]

I got hyped up about D3. After playing the open beta weekend there has been nothing else on my mind. 15th of may...time just seems to snaaaaaaaaaaaaaail byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...................