Originally posted by UsualSuspect

Originally posted by Zairu

The fixed name is just easier for the developers to create cutscenes where people can call you by name. If anything Shepard was used because the character brings together the different races of the universe, 'herding' them to one primary goal. As for the ending with the ghost-child, it said to Shepard that, "The fact you (Shepard) are even here proves that my plan will no longer work.". Or something along those lines. It then went on to say that it had three alternatives to the Reapers; Destruction, Control or Synthesis.

 great reply.

the whole reason i focused on the name being Shepard is because of how he led the galaxy (he hearded them) and the word 'shepherd' has strong religious connotations. i brought this up several times while discussing it in previous posts. so i guess you are just agreeing with me then?

i have never played an RPG where i had a fixed last name (or at least that i remember). it is easy in cutscenes to use pronouns to reference your character. or a title. a lot of fantasy games use monikers from a prophecy to refer to your character. games do it all the time so that you can make your own birth name. they specifically went against that with this RPG for the sake of calling you Shepard, because they wanted it to mean something to you by the time you get to the end. if the name was Braxton, or Williams, i would have never entered this thread.

i never saw a 'ghost-child ' in the game. that child was a psycological manifestation projected on Shepard. in the intro when the kid talks to Shepard and escapes through the air duct (i think that is what it was), he says something that hints to Shepard that his work was all in vain. then as the game continues, Shepards subconscious is invaded by the Catalyst through his dreams.

fuuny though. you pointed out a line.

"The fact that you are here proves that my plan will no longer work."

then, you said there was not 'proving or defying'  to a god-like being. but obviously the Catalyst has some control over the universe. the concept of a 'god-like being' is commonly attributed with universe-controlling tendencies in most religion and even much popular 'fiction'. and Shepard 'proved' to him that his 'plan' (a word commonly used to describe a divine being's actions) would no longer work. then Shepard is given a choice, which is clear evidence that the sentient being 'allowed' his 'plan' to be overturned by a 'man' who 'proved' himself by 'shepherding' the galaxy. so really, the defying/proving was all in the same.

funny again, you say Shepard got to a point where he 'beat' the reapers.... leading up to the confrontation with the Catalyst, you see that even the army he 'shepherded' was not enough to stop the reapers. he was laying on the ground, his buddy already dead, and him looking like he was follwing. then you are lifted on the platform into a great white light to the above level of the Crucible. i pause a moment on the writers decision to use the word 'crucible'.

Crucibe- A place or set of circumstances where people or things are subjected to forces that test them. also, another definition of crucible. a severe trial. i mean really... trial? test? do i really have to explain more on that part? to say there was no 'proving' goes against the writers choice of the word 'crucible'.

again, i am not telling anyone to like it. i never played the games, and only watched them played by a good friend, who also fills me in of details i might be curious about. i found it odd that three 'non-religious' people all watched it, saw it for what it was, yet so many claimed follwers of the series don't see it.

liking or disliking is opinion, and i never entered the discussion to defend writing style, worth, future dlc, or even the company or game behind it all. i stick to my points, and that is simply that is is a parable of many occult/religious ideas about the cycle of the universe, and the forces that (might) control it.  to say that there is no spiritual parable goes against very obvious words selected by the writers. you can say it is not fitting for the series, and goes against the other games. i have no opinion on that. it has nothing to do with my posts in any way.

Originally posted by Zairu

funny again, you say Shepard got to a point where he 'beat' the reapers.... leading up to the confrontation with the Catalyst, you see that even the army he 'shepherded' was not enough to stop the reapers. he was laying on the ground, his buddy already dead, and him looking like he was follwing. then you are lifted on the platform into a great white light to the above level of the Crucible. i pause a moment on the writers decision to use the word 'crucible'.

This part makes me think you're right. Up until the white light I'm not so sure though, as the game as a whole doesn't bring in these religous style elements at all before then. But considering Shepard was bleeding out and passed out unconscious before being lifted up sort of points to something else going on. It would explain why he was stood on a platform open to space and could still breath - because he was only there in spirit. Nothing from that point would have been physically there, it would be a spiritual thing, the three choices merely icons for him to understand his surroundings.

But then, how is this possible in the confines of the Mass Effect lore? Reapers are machines, the Citadel is a space station, how is this 'God-child' able to appear to a dying man and allow him three choices? Also, why? If Shepard is unconcious and dying then surely the Reapers are still in control and have 'won', the cycle can continue, there's no reason for this being to suddenly give up when nothing is challenging his plan at that point.

On top of that, there has never been anything spiritual about the Mass Effect games, they've always been gung-ho action movie-esque, fight for survival, Starship Troopers meets Star Wars, explosions and gunfire. The only time anything spiritual appears is in those last five minutes and even then, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. To have a God-like being appear when you're dealing with solid facts for three games - sentient machines, big guns, space ships, various races, even the biotics are created with technology - just isn't a good idea for an ending to the series. It's just too out of place.

Originally posted by gestalt11

I am actually a little surprised at the backlash to some extent.

I kind of guessed the theme of the reapers in ME2.  I don't think the plotholes and dumb "star child" revelation are from rushed writing or eveil EA stuff.  I think it had a dumb premise from the beginning.  I was hoping they would be smart enough to make it a flawed premise of a character that could be proven wrong.  But instead it was just a dumb premise of the writers that didn't jive with what actually happened in the game. 

 

I agree that ME 2 already dropped the ball.

The giant terminator baby reaper built from human goo was almost as ridiculous and lore-breaking as ME3's ending. And many people already made fun of that nonesense back then - but i guess everbody (including myself) thougt that was an awful misstep that Bioware wouldn't repeat. And at least your choices kinda mattered in ME2 (even though the actual choices were simplistic and the consequences felt kinda random).

F.e. check out what this guy has to say about ME2's ending:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpjKqHi5Y1M&feature=like-suggest

The premise of ME1, however, was different. At least what i got from it was that the reapers regarded all organic life that is "natural" and "grows" as a form of cancer that needs to be wiped out before it becomes a problem. Also, the reapers liked to pretend that they weren't just created by organic lifeforms at some point - they claimed to be "eternal". Which added an interesting brainfuck, imo.

I mean, just listen to Sovereign in ME1 again. That was good stuff, but Bioware simply never went anywhere with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvrIFIjTGt0

exactly what Totalbisquit was talking about

and people are already falling for their marketing ploy by claiming they will by the alternate ending. Cmon seriously you'd fall for that just to have a different ending to a story however epic you might find it. That's like saying you didn't like that Golum was thrown over the side and fell in the Lava to destroy the ring so you paid to see the ring be thrown over and Golum live and was eventually healed by the light of the Eldar in LOTR. and you paid an extra $10 to see it. seriously folks.

Originally posted by Xerith

Originally posted by thamighty213

Oh come on like this wasnt planned from the get go.

 

What can single handidly guarantee DLC sales -  An alternate ending

 

What can guarantee purchase of said DLC -  A ambigious original ending

 

 

The backlash of this would be so amazing to watch. I can't wait to see them answer questions about the ending at the PAX East panel. 

all i can say to this is...there will be blood!

Originally posted by itgrowls

exactly what Totalbisquit was talking about

and people are already falling for their marketing ploy by claiming they will by the alternate ending. Cmon seriously you'd fall for that just to have a different ending to a story however epic you might find it. That's like saying you didn't like that Golum was thrown over the side and fell in the Lava to destroy the ring so you paid to see the ring be thrown over and Golum live and was eventually healed by the light of the Eldar in LOTR. and you paid an extra $10 to see it. seriously folks.

I agree with him 100% and this is the main reason I did not buy this game.  I would have bought this game on day 1.  I have both 1 and 2 and enoy them alot.

But Bioware has apparently become scum.  They can go to hell.  I am quite sure I would enjoy 90% of the game.  But they are scum so eff them.  It sucks.   I feel exactly the same way biscuit does, I would like to buy this game, but I can't.

https://twitter.com/#!/masseffect/status/184769555774709761

WARNING ** POSSIBLE SPOILERS **

I wasn't just dissapointed in ths lack-luster ending, but also the smaller, more emotionally driven story lines...

My Shep Romances Ash in ME1, noone in 2, Ash in ME3 - With the ending the way it is.. Shep dies, Ash standed on a remote planet...  What about the emotional trauma she has to face, why isn't any mention of my romance decisions made to gain closure, that "She never loved another like she did shepard, ect" -- What about Garrus, he was my left hand throughout all 3 games, we were the "Old rough vets fighting for the survival of humanity" ~ 

Furthermore, what about this planet they land on? IN age galactic travel is as basic as a afternoon cruise, how is a lush planet like that just hanging out and noone knows about it, i mean all races of colonized some pretty shity class planets, how did this one go unnoticed? ...

Sad to say the least.

About the DLC - Nah, it's too late, as the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression, the first ending sucked regardless what they do to change it, with price not withstanding - what's done is done, they ruined a great series with 10 minutes of retardism at the end /yay :(

The trilogy was wrecked with Mass Effect 2 and all this Collector and terminator reaper nonsense. 

Ptach or DLC that is the question. I think we are talking DLC to give more closure. 

Originally posted by AdamTM

Originally posted by Suzie_Ford

In the best interests of the game, it would be nice if any 'alternative ending' type DLC would be offered to customers for free. But, even if it's not, I'll buy it because I am THAT dissatisfied with the lack of closure and the lack of even a minute chance of a happy ending for Shepard. A 10-20 purchase price would be OK with me for the gigantic number of hours and replays that the series has brought to me over the years.

Thank you for proving my point and continuing to make this industry a worse place Suzie.

At some point its time for us gamers to admit to ourselves that we will buy anything to get our fix, even if the cocaine is cut with flour and costs twice as much as last week.

Anything in the entertainment industry costs a lot. They are trying to rip us off all the time. But I will not not buy the DLC out of principle. I will buy it because I did love ME all the way up to the ending. If I am having fun doing something I will pay for it. I am not one of those hippies who will not buy something only as a matter of principle.

The ending was god-awful...even the GOOD ending was terrible.  M. Night Shamylan could have written a better ending.

Wasted my time with this series.