What I had in mind was a little more...well, tragic.
Basically, they load the Crucible onto the Normandy and take it into the battle. Ships are all around them getting blasted apart, the Reapers are massacring the fleet. For every Reaper that falls, a hundred Allied ships are burning. EDI finishes her analysis of the Crucible's design and determines that the Catalyst is a still-live Reaper. In mid-battle, they're going to have to board a Reaper (Harbinger, almost certainly) and deliver the Crucible to his core. Normandy nails Harbinger with several GARDIAN shots that open a way, and then Shepard and the squad board Harbinger, Crucible in tow. They fight their way through, every step of the way one or two staying behind to secure their flanks. Finally, all that's left is Shepard and his/her love interest right before the Core. But at this point, Harbinger is trying everything he can to indoctrinate Shepard. An epic final conversation occurs where Harbinger and Shepard lock wills, Harbinger trying his best to force/convince Shepard not to deploy the Crucible. The conversation ends, one way or another, with Shepard essentially saying "Fuck you." and activating the Crucible. She then radios her crew, telling them to get the hell out of here. But they receive a message from EDI or some other tech specialist on the crew - they're detecting Harbinger trying to make a transmission, transmitting something massive, like his entire mind somewhere far, far away from here.
And this is the final choice of the game. Stay behind and detonate the Crucible before Harbinger has a chance to escape, or set a timer and run like hell. Either way, the Crucible detonates and wipes out the Reaper fleet. If you chose to stay behind, Shepard and his/her lover die together destroying the Reapers for all time. If you chose to set the timer, Shepard stands on the Normandy receiving the cheers, and it's all a happy ending, celebrations and whatnot.
No matter whether Shepard lives or dies, we see what effects Shepard's efforts made across the galaxy, whether it's at the victory celebration or at Shepard's memorial service. Shepard's friends and allies from all across the series show up to mourn/celebrate, while all throughout we see cuts to the worlds and civilizations Shepard affected.
But if you chose to set the timer, at the very end it cuts to Dark Space and an ancient hulk of a ship. It looks similar to the Reapers, but is obviously millions of years older, an ancient design perhaps. The ship comes back to life and speaks in Harbinger's voice.
"We must begin anew."
Essentially, a bittersweet ending either way - Shepard dies, but saves the universe, or Shepard lives, but the Reapers could return someday.
That's how -I- would have written the ending.
Oh, also, at some point in the ending, this would be playing.
Basically, they load the Crucible onto the Normandy and take it into the battle. Ships are all around them getting blasted apart, the Reapers are massacring the fleet. For every Reaper that falls, a hundred Allied ships are burning. EDI finishes her analysis of the Crucible's design and determines that the Catalyst is a still-live Reaper. In mid-battle, they're going to have to board a Reaper (Harbinger, almost certainly) and deliver the Crucible to his core. Normandy nails Harbinger with several GARDIAN shots that open a way, and then Shepard and the squad board Harbinger, Crucible in tow. They fight their way through, every step of the way one or two staying behind to secure their flanks. Finally, all that's left is Shepard and his/her love interest right before the Core. But at this point, Harbinger is trying everything he can to indoctrinate Shepard. An epic final conversation occurs where Harbinger and Shepard lock wills, Harbinger trying his best to force/convince Shepard not to deploy the Crucible. The conversation ends, one way or another, with Shepard essentially saying "Fuck you." and activating the Crucible. She then radios her crew, telling them to get the hell out of here. But they receive a message from EDI or some other tech specialist on the crew - they're detecting Harbinger trying to make a transmission, transmitting something massive, like his entire mind somewhere far, far away from here.
And this is the final choice of the game. Stay behind and detonate the Crucible before Harbinger has a chance to escape, or set a timer and run like hell. Either way, the Crucible detonates and wipes out the Reaper fleet. If you chose to stay behind, Shepard and his/her lover die together destroying the Reapers for all time. If you chose to set the timer, Shepard stands on the Normandy receiving the cheers, and it's all a happy ending, celebrations and whatnot.
No matter whether Shepard lives or dies, we see what effects Shepard's efforts made across the galaxy, whether it's at the victory celebration or at Shepard's memorial service. Shepard's friends and allies from all across the series show up to mourn/celebrate, while all throughout we see cuts to the worlds and civilizations Shepard affected.
But if you chose to set the timer, at the very end it cuts to Dark Space and an ancient hulk of a ship. It looks similar to the Reapers, but is obviously millions of years older, an ancient design perhaps. The ship comes back to life and speaks in Harbinger's voice.
"We must begin anew."
Essentially, a bittersweet ending either way - Shepard dies, but saves the universe, or Shepard lives, but the Reapers could return someday.
That's how -I- would have written the ending.
Oh, also, at some point in the ending, this would be playing.
