User blog comment:JediSpectre117/ME3 Ending we want & last mission improvments/@comment-25305799-20120323012426

Go with the indoctrination theory that is circulating around and have Shepard fail and the Reapers win, if the player chooses synthesis. However, if the player chooses control or destroy, Shepard would be woken up in the rubble back on Earth by his/her squadmates and proceed to the Citadel, where we could have an extended chapter that would deal with figuring out the Citadel's mysteries and perhaps getting in contact with Bailey, and/or anyone else still alive up there, then getting to the control console wherever it may be. Now, after the whole final confrontation with TIM, I'd make Shepard actually crawl to that control console Anderson was standing at (instead of passing out, etc.) at which point Shepard would be contacted by Harbinger itself. Since Harbinger is, according to ME3 in-game codex, believed to be the oldest and largest of the Reapers and their de-facto leader, I'd have it reveal the Reapers' true purpose (or not), which would not be the same as the crap served by the Starchild AI, but rather something that might make more sense considering everything we have learned about the Reapers and their demeanor and attitude towards the organic and synthetic races of the galaxy. After that part of the conversation, Harbinger would propose what it would label as "synthesis". However, this version of "synthesis" would actually have Shepard configure the Crucible to emmit an amplified indoctrination signal that would affect the entire fleet and ground forces on Earth. Obviously, in order for the player to actually consider this option, Harbinger would have to give some pretty serious arguments. Hackett would, of course, argue for the Reapers' destruction (which wouldn't include wiping out the Geth and EDI, unless you don't have enough Crucible war assets), while TIM's control option would remain as the renegade option. At that point the player would choose between destruction, control, and Harbinger's "synthesis", after which the Crucible would emmit the appropriate signal ("shut down", "stand down", or "boost indoctrination" respectively). Each of these endings would be as successful as the Crucible-related war assets would allow. The epilogue would briefly show various main characters and their fates, ending with whatever happens to Shepard. The epilogue could perhaps be narrated by Hackett (for destroy, or control) or Harbinger (for "synthesis").