User blog comment:The Milkman/Everybody Shut Up./@comment-4933332-20120423072223/@comment-4933332-20120423122652

Ok I feel that we have gotten off on a bad foot and you are reading intentions by me that doesn't even exist.

To summarise my thoughts on the indoctrination theory. I do not believe the indoctrination theory is true in a sense that bioware design these clever clues to trick the players. I do believe that if it was true than Bioware would have stuffed up the game even more than what we got now because they release the game incomplete with an ending to be release later. It is a terrible ending to have Shepard lying in the streets of london whilst the reapers is destroying earth.

I believe that all the so-called "evidence" that indoctrination theorist put out is due to the fan doing the writing for bioware and essentially filling in the plot hole for them and fans creating meaning and fixing bad writing from bioware.

I think the indoctrination theory was created when during the starchild scene, everyone believed that shepard was behaving out of character for not being antagonistic to starchild. That the players was being compliant to starchild who admitted to controlling the reapers and shepard accepted their "choices" without any challenge. People then create their own interpretation and fan fiction explaining why shepard was behaving out of character and believed that it was a deliberate clue by bioware instead of just bad writing.

HOwever, even if I don't believe it's 'true', I believe it is excellent fan fiction and it would have been awesome if it was incorporated in the original ME3 (in a sense that it would have been awesome if there was an indoctrination test just before the final showdown with harbinger). If Bioware wanted to write an alternate ending, it would be a great if they co-adopt it and used the indoctrination theory because it has great potential for drama (and you can create a completely new ending that ignores the starchild as well without retconning the original ending). At no point where I said that my personal preference is "objective fact"

I only like the indoctrination theory because I think it's good fan fiction and a great writer could have work wonders with it rather than "bioware are genious, you are idiot for not seeing the clues"

Now my criticism of Milkman isn't to say that his points against indoctrination theory is false. I actually agree with most or all of his arguments. However I just point out the idea that having the "wrong choice" invalidates the indoctrination theory. When I mean "wrong choice", I mean choices that results in the negative consequences to the universe There are plenty of "wrong choices" throughout the game. Such as letting Rana live or letting the murderer survive etc.

That a good writer would be able to used the indoctrination theory to create a puzzle (the intelligent test you mention) and then have the game branch out and continue and then have branching levels (you know people complain about how Bioware games are too linear) and have a indoctrinated ending and non-indoctrinated ending whilst still allowing the reapers to be destroyed in each.

After the extended cut. I would like it if Bioware worked on a alternate non-canon indoctrinated DLC as an olive branch to someo f the fans.

So yeah, my feelings is that I love the theory but I don't believe it's true.