As I stated in the title this is my opinion feel free to argue against or submit your own I'll happily read it or have a sensible debate with you. I wouldn't mind starting the end the way it does you reach the portal, confront the Illusive Man,and then open up the Citadel so they can attach the crucible. It would be at this point I would diverge skipping the whole god child bit and work from the console already present. Hackett calls says something needs to happen on your end you go to the console hit the activate galaxy's last hope key and the crucible powers up and....Hey it activates a reaper control signal crap the Illusive Man was right. Here is were choice comes in or more accurately were all of your choices come into to play. What do you do with the reapers? Do you ask to kindly fly themselves into the nearest star (pragon), or establish the new galatic empire of Darth Shepard(renegade), or possible construct and participate in full contact gladiator-robot combat for the entertainment of the masses(awesome). This way the crucible has an actual intended use which all of these civilizations were working toward bit by bit not a giant hypothetical space wand that phones a space god and then releases space magic and kills everything. The epilogue can be the Normandy finding your either your corpse or your still functioning body depending on the readiness level and how quickly it can untangle it self from the chaos outside. Then it can end how everyone believes it should have ended with some distinct resolution with the major characters. Which can be followed up with some awesome dlc which is pretty much the "Hangover" in space. After a night of drunken celebration spanning the galaxy you left Joker somewhere and must retrace your steps to find him halarity ensues.
YEAH, that's my ending right there!!!!--Nuveena7 19:23, April 5, 2012 (UTC)Nuveena7
How I believe it should have ended.
OK you have made it to the Citadel, although you are half dead after being fried by Harbinger. You overcome TIM, but Anderson dies. Then you pass out.
You revive hearing Hackett calling you claiming the crucible is not working. You pull yourself back to the console and activate it again. You get taken to a control room containing an AI, a power conduit, and a interface panel. Questioning the AI will reveal 2 options. Attempt to control the Reapers or atempt to destroy the Reapers.
If you choose control you go over to the interface panel and take hold. In doing so you slowly start to get cooked alive, however you can now commune directly with Harbinger. At this point you have to convince Harbinger that synthetics are no longer the problem it believes them to be. Having EDI in your party is a good start, and if you have been helping her and Joker fall in love then it is better (Note that EDI needs to have the possibility of dying in the attack on Cerberus HQ). If you have the geth on your side then more credit to you and if you reached a peaceful resolution between the quarians and geth then so much the better. If you can manage three out of four then Harbinger will offer up a compromise. You must allow Harbinger to absorb your essence and in return it will postpone the termination of the advanced races until such times as synthetics again become a problem. If you do so allow this then your body is reduced to a pile of ash, only part of your N7 plate remaining and the control end game cut scenes play. If you failed to convince Harbinger or refuse the compromise then your body is reduced to a pile of ash as you die and the failure end game cut scenes play.
If you choose to destroy the Reapers you begin firing at the power conduit. However this triggers an attack by swarms of Keepers. You have to alternate fire between the keepers and the conduit. The keepers are easily killed but each attack against you has serious consequence to your health bar, at higher difficulty only a few keeper attacks will kill you. If the keepers kill you before you destroy the conduit then the failure end game cut scenes play. If however you destroy the conduit there is a massive explosion that engulfs everything in the chamber and the destroy end game cut scenes play.
The Control End Game Cut Scenes.
After the Reapers withdraw the survivors of your team board the Citadel and find your remains. Then we get various cut scenes as we see what happened to your squad mates, from all three installments, after the Reapers depart. We then get a picture gallery presentation of those who died aiding you, both squad mates and significant others such as Anderson from all installments. Then a series of cut scenes explaining the fate of the major worlds/species. Then roll end credits. After the end credits a new cut scene, this one set several centuries after the departure of the Reapers. Your exploits are now largely seen as a myth and a thousand year old Liara is the only surviving squad member. On the Citadel a debate is in full swing regarding a new synthetic race and its treatment by their creators. The asari, led by Liara, are warning that if measures aren't taken to change the treatment of the synthetics then the Reapers will return. Change scene to dark space and see Harbinger powering up and then announcing that the compromise has failed and that the cycle will resume.
The Destroy End Game Cut Scenes.
The crucible discharges an energy pulse at the mass relay, this ampifies it and releases it both locally and towards the other relays in the network. These energy waves spread out and destroys all synthetic life, including EDI and the geth in addition to the Reapers. With the synthetics destroyed your surviving team members come aboard and find your charred corpse. If Chakwas is alive and the Normandy's medical officer, you are found to be alive and rushed away for treatment. If not then you are dead. Then we get various cut scenes as we see what happened to your squad mates, from all three installments, after the destruction of all synthetic life. We then get a picture gallery presentation of those who died aiding you, both squad mates and significant others such as Anderson from all installments. Then a series of cut scenes explaining the fate of the major worlds/species. Then roll end credits. After the end credits a new cut scene, this one set several centuries after the destruction of all synthetic life. Your exploits are now largely seen as a myth and a thousand year old Liara is the only surviving squad member. On the Citadel a debate is in full swing regarding a new synthetic race and its treatment by their creators. Enter a thousand year old Liara who informs the council that while they debated the synthetics have eradicted all organic life on their world. Everyone looks to Liara and someone asks the question what should they do?
The Failure End Game Cut Scenes.
We get to see a series of scenes where each surviving squad member from each installment is ultimatley killed off by the Reaper forces. The combined fleets are carved up by the vastly superior reaper forces. On each major world reaper forces exterminate entire armies of organics. Harbinger then uses its beam weapon to remove the crucible from the Citadel. Then we see Joker at the controls of the Normandy making a suicide run at Harbinger. Switch to exterior view showing the Normandy firing at Harbinger to no effect and then the Normandy rams Harbinger. Pause here and visit each significant person onboard at the moment of impact. Switch back to exterior view and witness the Normandy detonate harmlessly against Harbinger's hull. Harbinger then contemptuously turns and destroys a dreadnought before it fires straight at the screen and everything goes black. We then get a picture gallery presentation of those who died aiding you, both squad mates and significant others such as Anderson from all installments. Then roll end credits. After end credits a new cut scene. Set several thousands of years after the defeat of humanity and its allies. An alien ship encounters the Citadel. It docks and the crew go aboard. Everywhere the crew go that section of the Citadel comes to life. At first the aliens speach is unrecognizable but as they progress further more of the speach becomes recognizable. Once it is all recognisable an Avina VI materializes and welcomes them to the Citadel, and that all of the stations facilities are at the disposal of this new race. Switch scene to dark space and Harbinger stir briefly stating that the cycle begins again before again shutting down.
Well hope you like and let me know what you think.--TSwiftFan1346 03:13, April 15, 2012 (UTC)
TSwiftFan1346, I think your ideas are brilliant. If whoever constructed the mediocre ending scenes at BioWare had had your vision, then ME3 would be truly deserving of a GOTY award, and would truly be the best of the three games. I would even be satisfied with an ending sequence like the epilogue of Dragon Age: Origins, with no cinematics, but simply a set of images and text telling what happened afterward.--TarquiniusModestus 02:14, April 17, 2012 (UTC)
Thanks, TarquiniusModestus, for the kind words. But the sad truth is that I doubt that there was a genuinely original idea in the entire post, just an encyclopedic rememberance from other sci-fi shows over the past 3 to 4 decades. For example, the new race arrival on the citadel is a merging of ideas from Star Trek (the slow adjusting of the alien language to a recognisable language) and the arrival of the team on Atlantis in the opening episode of Stargate Atlantis, which also had John Sheppard leading the fight.
Still the whole of Mass Effect is just another retelling of the robots attempt to kill humans fromat (as in Terminator, Battlestar Galactica, Captain Power, etc). So the series already makes use of re-used ideas.--TSwiftFan1346 17:23, April 19, 2012 (UTC)
_Much_ better endings than what we really got. Having finished the game just yesterday - alright, today at an unholy hour - I am firmly in the Indoctrination camp now, since I refuse to believe that someone could have hoped to get away with this poor excuse of an ending. Bioware, please, look around for inspiration and try again. --Ygrain 12:48, April 22, 2012 (UTC)
- A hell of an ending, wasn't it?
- And how about that new DNA in the third choice ending? Damn, I thought DNA only provided for manipulating organic cellular structure; but this new DNA must provide some sort of mechanism for modifying metallic structures such as steel, and for creating inorganic circuitry using materials such as silicon chips and wafers... Gonna take a lot of energy to create and modify the synthetic elements of those organic/synthetic synthesis creatures but I guess that's just a bunch of minor details... that new DNA is really magical stuff! Oh, I almost forgot about the trillions of organics that get wiped out; but what the hell, who needs organics when you can have magic? Screw the organics. WarPaint 00:44, April 24, 2012 (UTC)
- I started at about 9 p.m., with the mission to the Sanctuary, and simply couldn't stop, I was totally absorbed - up till the moment Shep passess out of blood loss. Then... good that I was forewarned.
- I absolutely refuse the synthesis. First, I don't think it's possible, second, it sounds like an ideal Reaper solution, third, every instinct I have yells at me that there's something wrong with it. NO WAY I'm doing it!
- To keep on-topic: I stumbled over the codex entry which stated something about a Volus financing archaeological expeditions to find information about "being of light", which were supposed to protect people from "devilic machines". Some kind of extra help would come handy, and since no-one knows what the Crucible is supposed to do, it might as well be a giant transmitter to send a mayday to some other plan of existence. After all, we have the dark energy and, uh, darkspace? where the Reapers stay meanwhile, so why not connect to some light equivalent? - A bit Babylon 5 style, and still deus ex machina, but given the way the war went, I have a feeling that even the united galaxy can't have defeated the Reapers on their own, anyway. --Ygrain 05:10, April 24, 2012 (UTC)
- Sounds like you picked up on a plot element supporting the originally conceived Mass Effect ending. See Mass Effect writer Drew Karpyshyn reveals original Mass Effect 3 endings.
- The dark energy aspects of the Mass Effect story were abandoned in ME3. There are various threads at different spots on the net debating the merits of Karpyshyn's original conception for the ending as compared to the current ME3 ending. Putting those debates aside, the abandonment of the dark energy plot elements of the game raises a significant question of artistic integrity in my mind. As I see it the ME3 developers effectively tossed artistic integrity out the door by abandoning a significant aspect of the ME1 and ME2 story.
- Regards. WarPaint 14:39, April 24, 2012 (UTC)
- /waves/
- Both artistic integrity and concept are in question here. Whatever the ending should have been, there is a significant lack of clues for almost anything in ME3 (the only being the revelation that Reapers are controlled by something), and possible clues from ME1 and 2 are not developed on. ME3 concentrates very hard on the war efforts, which is understandable, but on the other hand, it fails to build the pathway that would bring us to plot resolution. What we get is a soldier's pathway, and the only ending which would make sense in this setting would be the Crucible going off in a magnificent blast that might, or might not, destroy the Reapers. Practically everything else will inevitably be deus ex machina, because of the lack of clues.
- The link at the originally intended ending is very interesting and I wonder why this was dropped - I suspect that someone freaked out at the idea of committing genocide of our own species for the greater good (much like providing the "rescue all" option at Redcliffe, without the need to sacrifice anyone). However, it could easily have been tweaked into something more palatable while still logical.
- It is all so very frustrating. I really can't believe that no-one saw the terrible inconsistence and plotholes! Whatever they are going to do with the DLC, it had better be grand. --Ygrain 15:29, April 24, 2012 (UTC)
Did anyone else feel like the moment where Shepard and Anderson are sitting together, dying, and about to watch the Crucible firing, was the ending? I mean, I had actually gone into this total zen mode and accepted that this was going to be Shepard's death, and it was going to be a damn good one. Going out in a blaze of glory as she succeeds in giving her final F*** You to the Reapers. Of course then the call from Hackett came and "zen" was quickly replaced by "wtf?" But it reminded me quite a bit of the first fade-to-black at the end of Return of the King. It genuinely felt like a proper ending, and I would've been fine if they'd cut it off at that point. Kestrella 18:29, April 25, 2012 (UTC)
- Totally. It was an awfully strong moment; an acceptance of death, at the end of things. Even that call from Hacket, the last strain to fulfill the duty ("What is needed of me?" - that broke my heart), was still fine, and would also make a perfect ending if Shepard, with his last breath, managed the final touch on the console that would make the Crucible fire. Sigh. --Ygrain 18:45, April 25, 2012 (UTC)
One more ending idea. After the glorious zen moment, Hackett calls, Shepard crawls to the console. As he struggles to his knees to touch the console, he loses balance and passes off for some time. Meanwhile, we see some tough fighting, both on the Earth and on the orbit, with things looking Really Bad, and we see a reaper squad landing on the Citadel. Afterwards, Shepard comes to, hearing Hackett yell desperately that if he doesn't do a thing, the fight is lost, that no-one else can reach the Citadel in time. Marauders and banshees are rushing towards the centre of the Citadel and enter the room at the moment when Shepard presses something on the Console, and the Crusible fires a wave of white light. The Reapers, as well as their creatures, remain standing still, while above the console, some hologram appears asking about instructions. It turns out that the Crucible is, in fact, a megatransmitter which managed to tap into the Reaper conscience and is ready to reprogram them, much like the geth were. Unfortunately, Shepard is already barely holding onto life, and definitely not in the state to produce something coherent, except "leave us alone" ("go to hell" in the renegade option, which is also the last choice of the whole game). He slides down along the console, and when he looks up, the room is empty. The last thing Shepard sees are the Reapers leaving the Earth, while around the Citadel and the Crucible, an aura of white light starts to gather, until both disappear in a flash of white light. The Mass relays are preserved, life can go on, the Reapers may return, or may not. --Ygrain 13:59, April 26, 2012 (UTC)
- Oh, that would work too. To avoid claims of space magic it might be better if the white light was graphically somewhere between an explosion and FTL jump. Not entirely sure what that would look like, but something that could be interpreted either way. They'd also have to be very careful with the dialogue options so people don't automatically assume paragon=rewrite and renegade=destroy. Kestrella 07:32, April 27, 2012 (UTC)
- Personally, I feel that a little mysterious ending might fit best - there is an absolute lack of clues towards anything, therefore any explanation will almost inevitably feel like a deus ex machina. And you're right, the white flash should leave doubts whether it was an explosion, FTL jump or yet something else. In fact, it might even become the basis for a future legend of The Shepard who saved the galaxy and will return again when the need arises :-) --Ygrain 16:53, April 27, 2012 (UTC)
I feel that the whole ending should be redesigned to include the war assets you've acquired over the course of the trilogy. For starters, instead of the scripted Alliance, turian, asari, quarian and/or geth fleets, Joker would also add in the salarian fleets (don't know if he already says that, he doesn't for me), the volus, hanar and elcor fleets, and finally the rachni fleet if the queen was saved both times you encounter her. On the ground, instead of just humans, turians, asari, salarians and krogans fighting Reaper forces, you would also witness things like quarian marines working alongside geth platforms to eliminate several brutes and ravagers, rachni soldiers and brood warriors attacking Collector squads from behind while they're attempting to fight off a krogan frontal assault, elcor warriors and drell assassins ambushing a squad of any Cerberus forces that weren't wiped out when their main base was destroyed.
And by the time we get to the ending, for the destroy ending (haven't come up with one for the control ending, probably won't), if the total military strength is high enough, only Reaper forces would be destroyed while EDI, the geth, and other synthetics are spared. We are then treated to a cutscene that takes place several centuries later and the Council gets some new members, such as the krogan (if united under Wrex), the quarians and the geth (if peace was achieved between the two), and the rachni (if the queen was saved both times). There would be no synthetic-organic conflict as any new synthetic race would be taught by the geth that conflict is undesirable. And finally, built right next to the krogan statue would be the Heroes of the Normandy memorial, a statue depicting Shepard leading all the squad members you've acquired over the three games to victory. Looking upon the statue is either a direct descendant of Shepard (if Shepard romanced Ashley, Jack, or Kaidan), an asari daughter (if Liara was romanced), or a direct descendant of Shepard's adopted child (if Tali, Garrus, Miranda, Samantha, Steve, or Kaidan was romanced). The descendant looks proudly upon the statue and salutes before the cutscene ends. --GodzillaMaster 16:32, April 26, 2012 (UTC)
I like that ending GodzillaMaster. I like how it accounts for some of your choices and how tms determines your destroy ending. I can't think of awesome things like that. Even though I didn't care for the ending, I also know I couldn't write anything better like many of you. --Nuveena7 00:58, April 27, 2012 (UTC)
Been replaying the ME saga again recently to explore game content that I previously missed, such as Alenko surviving Virmire. As I was playing thru one line was repeated over and over again.
"The created will always rebel against their creators."
Now I think about it, I think that the ending we got, thanks to the Extended Cut DLC, is not that far from a valid ending. That plus a few other things.
Allow me to explain.
ME1.
A Reaper, Sovereign, fully under the control of the catalyst and detecting that galactic life is reaching a stage where it could become a threat to the catalyst, the creation of the geth/AIs, that it initiates a plan culminating in the Battle of the Citadel. In that battle the catalyst identifies Commander Shepard as a nexus around which the events of the galaxy will unfold and sets in motion a plan to use Shepard to its own ends.
ME2.
A Reaper, Harbinger, not fully under the control of the catalyst and also being aware of Shepard's role in the catalysts plan, makes use of a species that it indoctrinated to act against Shepard, the collectors, while at the same time building a new Reaper, one that has no connection to the catalyst.
The catalyst, thru an indoctrinated human, TIM, brings Shepard back to life and puts them on a collision course with the collectors. Remember that the mission to save Dr Kenson from Aratoht was give to you by Hackett and not TIM. Shepard succeeds in destroying Harbinger's Reaper, and then wipes out 300K batarians.
ME3.
The Reapers return and make an initial strike against Earth. Shepard escapes in the Normandy, despite being in full view of a Reaper destroyer, which conveniently ignores it. (What, don't Reapers have visual detection devices like video cameras? After all it is only the ships EM signature that is stealthed, not the ship.) This is all the catalysts plan.
On Mars Liara makes a discovery of the crucible device. Convenient huh? Again this is part of the catalysts plan. The device is actually a means for the catalyst to reassert its control over the Reapers, which have been growing more and more independent with each passing cycle. Harbinger is the most independent of the Reapers, being the oldest, but even it can't take direct action against the catalyst.
Shepard goes off on their tour of the galaxy, saving or exterminating as the player sees fit, hampered by cerberus and Reaper forces. The catalyst is using TIM and cerberus as a distraction to keep Shepard off balance till all is ready, it wants you to build the crucible.
With the crucible finished TIM goes to the citadel to act against Shepard should they not follow thru on the catalysts plan, and the cerberus organization is sacrificed. The combined fleets escort the crucible to the citadel and Harbinger's Reapers attempt to prevent this. On Earth Shepard launches a raid to penetrate the citadel and get the arms open. The catalyst actually has no ability to control the station.
Shepard charges the transport beam while Harbinger personally tries to interfere. The Normandy comes to recover the wounded, in full view of Harbinger and escapes unharmed, Harbinger doesn't want to kill us just stop the catalyst. Shepard, despite narrowly escaping death makes it to the citadel. Shepard meets Anderson and TIM. Both plead for their option, but come across as zealous nut jobs. Job done TIM insures that he and Anderson are removed from the equation. Because the citadel can't be controlled by the catalyst, it needs Shepard to trigger it.
And so begins the end game.
You meet with the catalyst after it brings you to it. You do the whole talky thing where your 3 options are laid out. Now you have to choose.
Destroy.
Destroy causes the crucible to wipe out all synthetic life, basically puting them back several thousand years. Enough time for the catalyst to build a new crop of Reapers once more under its control. Pretty much follows the existing set up with changes to epilogue to reflect catalyst rebuilding. (A moderate end. Reaper threat stopped, but they will return. However you die and relays are wrecked).
Control.
Control causes the crucible to once more put the Reapers fully under the catalysts control. It then withdraws them for a few thousand years before once more beginning the harvest. Pretty much follows the existing set up with epilogue choices to reflect how the Reapers are amassing for a return. (A moderate end. Reaper threat stopped, but they will return. However you die and relays are wrecked).
Synthesis.
Synthesis causes the crucible to place all Reapers fully under the catalysts control, as well as, executing an advanced form of indoctrination across all life in the galaxy, essentially enslaving everything to the catalysts will. Changes to current epilogue to reflect that we are now all the catalysts puppets. (A bad end. Reaper threat appears to have been stopped but really we are now just advanced forms of husks and the Reapers are back in the catalysts thrall. However you die and relays are wrecked).
Shoot it.
You turn and shoot the catalyst. This triggers the critical mission failure message, and results in the Reapers continuing the harvest before returning to dark space. At this point the catalyst and Harbinger patiently wait for the board to be set and the game to begin again. (A bad end. The obvious fail scenario. This cycle is harvested and it is now down to the next cycle to try and stop the catalyst).
Give up.
You tell the catalyst that you aren't going to be its pawn any more. The catalyst tries to force you to choose but thru dialog choices you have to piece together what the past few years have actually been all about. The fact that the Harbinger and the Reapers are trying to break away from the catalysts control. If you can get thru these choices you then have to talk the fleets into standing down.
An order would exist to follow, but this would be affected by how you interacted with members of that faction, meaning it may be easier to get the following faction before the current one. Positive interaction result in improved chance while negative interactions make things harder, war assets also come into play here with higher scores improving your chances.
Order could be something like geth, salarian, asari, alliance, quarian, turian, all others in any order as they have limited assets. Each fleet that stands down improves the chance of subsequent fleets to do so. Note that as krogan don't have fleets they are not part of the need to convince chain.
If you fail at any point, then the catalyst kills you with some sort of energy pulse and things play out as if you shot it (A bad end). If you succeed in getting the fleets to stand down you get a new set of 3 options. (Possibly a good end?)
Convince the catalyst to let the Reapers go.
Catalyst refuses, and Reapers are sent back to dark space, where they will await their masters call. (A moderate end. Reapers are gone but will return. However everyone lives and can start trying to educate following generations about the Reaper threat).
Have Joker destroy the Crucible.
The Normandy crew evacuate the ship, with the exception of EDI and Joker, who pilots the vessel against the crucible. Reaper destroyers, but not dreadnaughts attempt to stop it knocking out its weapons. Joker then uses the Normandy to ram the crucible destroying it, and the Normandy with Joker and EDI aboard. This causes a feed back and reveals the location of the catalysts CPU, which Shepard destroys with an appropriate grenade, tech, or biotic power.
This end results in a tentative peace existing between Reapers and the rest of galaxy. Reapers help restore the galaxy and then begin departing for dark space. Just prior to departing Harbinger gives a cryptic message about some unknown treat beyond the galactic rim that has not yet troubled our galaxy because the harvests have kept populations down, it also informs you that they will be there to aid us when the time comes. In the epilogue Joker gets recognized as the hero of the battle, and they various races being to investigate Harbingers warning. (A good end, depending on how you feel about Joker, EDI and the Normandy SR2. Reapers help put things right before leaving and their warning about what is out there is treated as real).
Have Harbinger destroy the Crucible.
You convince Harbinger that the crucible is not part of the citadel and that as such it can destroy it. Harbinger moves to destroy the catalyst. The catalyst quickly realizes that it can't stop Harbinger. It tries to get the other Reapers to stop Harbinger but they all remain where they are. Harbinger effortlessly destroys the crucible but a feed back destroys the catalysts CPU and the room where you are, killing Shepard. Also in a last act the crucible attempts to wipe out the the Reapers. About 80% of destroyers and 40% of dreadnaughts are wiped out.
The Reapers depart for dark space. Just prior to departing Harbinger gives a cryptic message about some unknown treat beyond the galactic rim that has not yet troubled our galaxy because the harvests have kept populations down, it then leaves for dark space. The races that are left are now forced to rebuild and put there lives back together, but without the Reapers helping it takes significantly longer. In the epilogue Shepard is honored as the hero of the battle and Harbingers warning is quickly forgotten. (A good end, depending on how you feel about Shepard and the Reapers. The catalyst is now gone but the Reapers hod a grudge against the younger races. Harbingers warning is dismissed as false).
--TSwiftFan1346 (talk) 16:37, October 23, 2013 (UTC)