ME3 - let's discuss stuff OTHER than the ending (probably spoilers)

[Xathos]

My BIG question though...in regards to the Citadel at the end...

Spoiler

So like...are all the people on the Citadel dead? Like, did the Reapers just move the Citadel or did they send some of their minions inside it as/before they moved it? There was a Citadel Defense Force as a War Asset dammit, I have to know if at least SOME people got out of it OK...

Yeah! That was something that people haven't been discussing, but really, really bothered me when I first played.

Spoiler

My guess is... they died. It seems like the Citadel was captured and moved pretty quickly---literally in the span it takes you to attack the illusive man's base. Seeing as how the Reapers took the most fortified space station in the galaxy in the time it took you to attack the cerberus base, it seems to me that implies the reapers squashed resistance.

Then there's all the stuff that would kill the residents that isn't even related to filling the Citadel with husks or blasting it with lasers: They closed the arms and stopped the rotation of the station, which means that it became 0 gravity. And for all we know, they vented the thing as well. That would make for the fastest holocaust in the galaxy.

My guess is some people managed to escape before they closed the arms, but most people died. I'd imagine Aria made it. I doubt Bailey did.

And see the thing is

Spoiler

I'm almost fine with everyone on the Citadel dying. I mean, the enemy is able to obtain a giant space station filled with millions of people with refugees from all over flocking to it; something tells me nothing good happened you know? I just wish the game told me what happened.

Though I guess on a more personal level, I was thinking we were going to do a ME1 thing, and fight through the citadel trying to get to the Catalyst. I mean, we SORT OF fought through it when against Cerberus, but I imagined that this time it would be on a larger scale somehow. Lol, of course, that was just how I initially perceived how it would go down, so I'm just a tad disappointed it didn't happen obviously. I mean, I enjoyed making TIM shoot himself in the head and having that super sad moment with Anderson...but I wanted a slightly more epic end with a proper Final Boss I suppose. Perhaps someone who was a major villain in the last game? Someone who has a habit of ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL? Don't have to necessarily kill him, but you know.

Argh, I'm conflicted. I'm mostly OK with what happened (except for that which shall not be named of course), but there could have been slightly more I guess is my problem. But you can' win the all; the rest of the game is just so damn awesome, so the above isn't really even a big deal.

 

[MomoElektra]

In ME 2 you have one mission where you can find data that could mean trouble for Cerberus. In Kasumi's loyalty mission you find data that could mean trouble for the Alliance. I thought both of those decisions keep/send/destroy would make an impact in ME 3, but didn't.

Kasumi has a small side quest thing in ME3 that relates to her greybox, but due tp it being DLC I don't think they could have done a big mission since it wouldn't be fair on people who didn't shell out the extra money.

I read about that. Missed her, sadly. Yeah, I get that they can incorporate everyone, and I don't mind. It's just that that decision doesn't matter. And they could just easily have added another war asset, small one even, according to those choices.

 

[boag]

I hated Kai Lang, seemed out of place.

Kai Leng (and to a lesser extent Kahlee Sanders) were an interesting inclusion.

They're both prominent characters in the Mass Effect novels, so for a nerd like me that's read them, seeing those characters in the game was an awesome thing. In fact if you've read the novels, it'd be stupid for Kai Leng not to be in the game. He's established as an ultimate, ultimate badass - hell, Anderson crippled both Kai Leng's legs in their final encounter, and the guy still managed to make a getaway by monkey-swinging his way across an entire space station to the shuttle bay. He's a prominent character within Cerberus, portrayed as being very close to the Illusive Man, so given the role Cerberus plays in ME3 it's natural for him to be there. Assassinating the Council is exactly the kind of mission the Illusive Man would use him for.

That said, I'm certain I'm in a significant minority as someone who's read the books. For people that are meeting the character for the first time, I don't think Bioware did a particularly good job of explaining who the hell this random space-ninja was.

All i know about it, is that He stole Andersons Cereal, and for that my rage held no bounds.

 

[boag]

In positive news, who here gave the finger to the quarians and let the Geth blow them up?

I almost did, fuckers shot at me, but in the end Decided agaisnt it, because it was Han Gerrel that pulled the dick move.

 

[Shock and Awe]

In positive news, who here gave the finger to the quarians and let the Geth blow them up?

I almost did, fuckers shot at me, but in the end Decided agaisnt it, because it was Han Gerrel that pulled the dick move.

I did it because they decided to go to war with a potential ally right after the galaxy ending reapers appeared. Thats not just reckless for them, but for the whole fucking galaxy.

 

[Tilted_Logic]

This post will probably contain mild spoilers.
I originally thought I would dislike Allers. Honestly, your first impression is that she's a news reporter pandering to the male masses (cough). I had no inclination to bring her along with me, as our first conversation gave me no reason to trust/like her. Playing a paragade Shep though I figured I'd give her a shot; I'd have the option to kick her off the ship if I didn't like her.

Anyway, I warmed up to her. The outfit choice was cheekily explained and she was restrained enough not to broadcast certain stories (That made me see her as more of a person, not just a journalist looking for more viewers). Anyway, yeah. She didn't add much to the game for me, and I was thoroughly devastated when I saw what had been done to Zaeed's room. But she wasn't bad.

Multiplayer I had no expectations for, and I was extremely impressed. I play it nightly with friends, and I'm constantly looking forward to it. You're free to dislike the idea of multiplayer added to a game like this, but if Bioware can be taken for their word, the development of it didn't infringe on time required by the core single-player team.

And lastly... The Prothean. This is a hard one, as I don't have the perspective to state what the game is like without him. However, for certain parts of the game I could not wrap my head around the fact that he wasn't mandatory. For instance, I brought him along on Thessia (details in spoiler tag):

Spoiler

And he felt crucial during the temple portion. Every artifact Liara and I looked at, Javik had something to say about. In a matter of minutes he had completely shattered any assumptions Liara had about the accuracy of ancient Asari mythos. He was completely integral to that portion of the story, and by him being there it changed Liara, having further impact later in the game.

I have not gone back to play that portion with a different squadmate, so perhaps Javik is not as integral as he seemed there... But I have a very difficult time seeing any other squad mate replicating the importance of his encounter on that planet.

 

[AD-Stu]

And see the thing is

Spoiler

I'm almost fine with everyone on the Citadel dying. I mean, the enemy is able to obtain a giant space station filled with millions of people with refugees from all over flocking to it; something tells me nothing good happened you know? I just wish the game told me what happened.

Though I guess on a more personal level, I was thinking we were going to do a ME1 thing, and fight through the citadel trying to get to the Catalyst. I mean, we SORT OF fought through it when against Cerberus, but I imagined that this time it would be on a larger scale somehow. Lol, of course, that was just how I initially perceived how it would go down, so I'm just a tad disappointed it didn't happen obviously. I mean, I enjoyed making TIM shoot himself in the head and having that super sad moment with Anderson...but I wanted a slightly more epic end with a proper Final Boss I suppose. Perhaps someone who was a major villain in the last game? Someone who has a habit of ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL? Don't have to necessarily kill him, but you know.

Argh, I'm conflicted. I'm mostly OK with what happened (except for that which shall not be named of course), but there could have been slightly more I guess is my problem. But you can' win the all; the rest of the game is just so damn awesome, so the above isn't really even a big deal.

From reading the art book, apparently there was a plan on the table at some point for the Illusive Man to fully transform into some kind of husk-monster and have him as a final boss.

Personally I'm glad that they didn't go down that road - after all, it was the Illusive Man's mind that was always the real enemy, not his physical form. Also, "boss" fights have never really been a big part of the series so I didn't mind that there wasn't one. I don't know how exactly we could have had a physical Shepard-vs-Harbinger fight as the climax, but if they could have pulled that one off I would have been cool with it

As for fighting through the Citadel... particularly with the current ending, I think it would probably have been a bit too much. We'd already been fighting through London for what feels like ages so while it might be cool, I think it might also feel like just needlessly delaying the climax. Done right I could see it working though.

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

How about the confirmation of free DLC that's going to be the "true" ending of the game? I'm looking forward to all the new Multiplayer stuff it's going to have myself.

 

[wintercoat]

Let me tell you something. Over the years I've played many, many games, and several of them struck an emotional chord with me, pretty much covering the full spectrum of emotions. But I never felt as disgusted with myself as I did while watching Legion fall to his knees and ask "Tali'Zorah...does this one...have a soul..." The Quarians getting destroyed and Tali nosediving off a cliff weren't as bad as that. I hated myself. That was, with out a doubt, the most depressing cutscene in the game. And, oh fuck, thinking about it, and my radio is playing Summer Overture and I'm near tears. God damn you Bioware!

Speaking of which, what the fuck is with all of the best characters from ME2 being killed off?! Mordin sacrifices himself to cure the genophage, fuck there's even the option to kill him yourself. Kai Leng killing Thane(though, to be fair, Kepral's Syndrome would have killed him sooner or later anyways). Legion dying for his people, or killed to prevent the massacre of the Quarians. And there's nothing you can do to save them. At least with Samara there's an interrupt to stop her from killing herself. And Grunt survives, even after suiciding off a cliff while fighting Ravagers.

 

[AD-Stu]

...and yet Jacob lives, possibly as a result of being too boring to kill. There ain't no justice, huh

I guess that's part of the reason they did it though. It has to be the best, most likeable characters that get killed so that it has some impact.