User blog:AdmiralPedro1stFleet/Goodbye Indoctrination and Hello Beings of Light

The Mass Effect 3 ending is not indoctrination theory. I will repeat that one more time to let that sink in. The Mass Effect 3 ending is not indoctrination theory. As comforting as this theory is to many gamers, it is simply a brilliant theory constructed by the fan base. I like it, I think it's cool, and I understand why fans want it implemented as well as why it will not be implemented into the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyZCGSQip90&list=FL72M9DqnqWxTXvKLGQXQhLg&index=2&feature=plpp_video

Observe. This video clearly show parts of the Citadel in intricate detail that explain the following:

shown in the video are among the rubble. Secondly, it just makes sense that Shepard is where he/she was last given Bioware's direction.
 * Shepard's Breath Scene- metal parts that are identical to the parts

wounded like Shepard is (meaning he can move faster) and the various tunnels are shown in the video. The shifting and changing explains why some paths were closed off by the time Shepard reached the chasm.
 * Anderson getting to the console first- Anderson is not fatally

Not much else to heavily point out. Unfortunately for indoctrination theorists, all the dreams are the guilt that Shepard feels for losing the people he/she has lost to the war. Obviously, the most significant one is the child. (it even states in the art of the mass effect universe that the child represents all those individuals that Shepard can't save)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=iv&src_vid=nyZCGSQip90&v=lqCFkTEAM-8&annotation_id=annotation_600483

Observe once more. Most if not all of the pieces indoctrination theorists used to explain their side are accounted for. Probably the biggest one that just makes fans go what the f*ck is the Catalyst. What is that thing and what is its purpose. To answer this question, I believe one must be very aware of lore and its significance. Bioware had a few choices on the table here as to what could have represented chaos. They could've used dark energy, organics committing acts of evil amongst one another (genophage) or synthetics vs. organics (geth vs. quarians). We obviously know they chose the third. To shed light on the Catalyst as well as the ending we got, I present you with a planet codex for Klencory here:

“Klencory is famously claimed by the eccentric volus billionaire Kumun Shol. He claims that a vision of a higher being told him to seek on Klencory the "lost crypts of beings of light."These entities were supposedly created at the dawn of time to protect organic life from synthetic "machine devils."

With this in mind and Jessica Merizan saying on twitter that the Catalyst can be “presumed to be a being of light,” it quite literally (pun intended) sheds light on the situation. Take a look.

https://twitter.com/#!/JessicaMerizan/status/189420195968847873

However, the Catalyst is just one being of light. I imagine there are a few more, but not many. I'd say five tops. Sort of like a panel of beings that overlook the evolution and growth of organic life. The machine devils are also important to note. While many want to say “AHA! Reapers!” No, the machine devils are not the reapers. The machine devils are synthetic beings. Fully synthetic I might add as opposed to partially synthetic like the reapers are. The reapers are the solution of the beings of light. If you can prevent the birth of machine devils, you can prevent the chaos that the beings of light believe will inevitably follow. Mainly, war and the annihilation of organics.

I must also point this out that the Catalyst is not a god. It is not all powerful. The fact that it needs to have Shepard help it activate the Crucible is evidence of that. That being said, I also believe the Catalyst to be a deceiver. Bear with me here. The Catalyst is lying to Shepard.(especially about the implications of the destruction ending.) The fact that there is a possibility that EDI can walk out of the Normandy after the destroy ending is proof. However, if EMS is too low, I would argue the Crucible misfiring and destroying all synthetics (and all organics if it's even lower). Anyway, the Catalyst wants Shepard to believe that by destroying the solution that the beings of light have put into place, the synthetics would inevitably wipe out all organics. That way, Shepard is turned to the other options. With the control option, the Catalyst is actually very supportive. With this choice, I can say it's being pretty honest.(mainly because it knows the cycle will continue and its ulterior motives will not be compromised.) If this option is chosen, the strategy guide says Shepard becomes a reaper. I don't think that's accurate and that prima was misinformed. What I think Shepard is becoming is a being of light. So the control option is really a “join us” option. Except they actually let Shepard join them, which is weird. I don't know if I'd let an organic work alongside me to command the Reapers. Especially if that organic chooses to end the cycle and risk the chance of the organics getting wiped out. But I guess they really are impressed by Shepard. Finally, there's synthesis. The pinnacle of evolution where synthetics get organic parts and organics get synthetic parts, each compensating for weaknesses. The Catalyst isn't close minded to this because it know the Reapers, its solution, will not be destroyed. It will still have the Reapers serving it in the event that things turn sour. As a result, it is willing to give it a chance. It's skeptical, but it's willing to try. Then the rest is history.

So, the endings and their consequences. What we know.


 * Main plot characters should be assumed to have survived on the Citadel


 * The relays didn't go supernova. They overloaded. Overloads can still cause explosions, but nothing as bad as what the alpha relay caused.


 * No one's starving and relays can be rebuilt. The speed and efficiency in which the relays are rebuilt depends on your choice.

Okay. So we're probably going to see some stuff related to those three points in addition to squadmate closure and stuff like that. I'm not particularly worried about the extended cut dlc and where it's going. This new information seems to clarify some stuff in and of itself. Looking forward to what the content contains. Thoughts?