(XL) Was the Ending a Hallucination? - Indoctrination Theory Mark IV!

Raistlin Majere wrote:

I would never watch a playthrough of a game I might buy and had not yet played myself. It ruins the suprises, turns, twists and challenge.

But I do usually look at comments and reviews from non big sites to try and get an idea. I never go for just one score or opinion.

But never a playthrough.

I'm slightly ashamed to admit that since ME3 I've taken to reading a plot synopsis of most films I'm going to watch. That game taught me to dislike surprises. I find spoilers don't really take away my enjoyment anyway, they just remove some of the stress. I think I'll be thoroughly you-tubing Andomeda before I even consider picking it up, on sale, with all the DLC thrown in, IF it gets spectacular reviews.

windsurfing wrote:

ericformans_sisterisdead wrote:http://m.ign.com/articles/2016/06/13/e3-2016-your-mass-effect-3-ending-wont-affect-mass-effect-andromeda

LMFAO   oh mac

Oh didn't see this one, okay then not much purpose in speculating anymore. The ARK mission start is not after ME3, it was done during or before the final war with reapers, both of which are totally irreconcilable with current lore since it breaks the logic of many subplots in the games we have played so far. ME:A is shaping up to be a turd no doubts about it.

The amount is stupidity involved to go this way is just ...wow...just wow... pretty sad. An Ark ship with full armada of alliance vessels to escort, not to mention the technology and a ship (Tempest) that looks way more advanced than anything in the timeline we know of, all of it just because EA/Bioware needed a new game in the franchise without having to fix their sorry mess of ME3's conclusion.



Good luck with that Biohazardware.

The sudden appearance of this miraculous, galaxy-hopping technology is quite easy to explain. The ark is clearly powered by directly harnessing EA's ferocious desire for more money.

dorktainian wrote:the thing is many will buy it and many will play it.  i'm still a bit amused that they have not shown anything gameplay wise.  almost like they're either hiding something really good or REALLY BAD.

also, i posted a little snippet of an interview (in french) in the speculation thread, and the person being interviewed (in french) stated we will learn more about the protheans.  Now call me an idiot and cover me in marmite, but the protheans are related to ME1-3, now we have to go to andromeda to find out more about them?

wtf?

Bioware's favourite plot device seems to be some powerful ancient mcguffin, or race, resurfacing. The Reapers, the Lizard people from Neverwinter Nights, the Red Lyrium Idol, Solas... It wouldn't surprise me if the "Remnant" turn out to be Prothean. If they bothered to come up with some another ancient species that stuffed their tombs with technological do-dads, everyone would just call them the "Not-Protheans" anyway.

Eryri wrote:
The sudden appearance of this miraculous, galaxy-hopping technology is quite easy to explain. The ark is clearly powered by directly harnessing EA's ferocious desire for more money.

^^ In a nut shell yup.

I wouldn't be surprised if Bioware pulls something like this entire Ark effort was a top secret thing right after sovereign's attack because they need a convincing amount of time between build of ARK and the Andromeda ARK crew setting sail for Andromeda. Years of building, timeline between ME1 - ME2 might offer that. From what I recall the Batarian system going kaput and the reapers attacking was just a few weeks right? correct me if am wrong. There was simply not enough time between ME2 and ME3 to place this ARK project to start and finish at that point. Project going on during the war is, well yeah Bioware could pull that too but that is just      logic and lore fail of EPIC proportions. The right after ME1 timeline only being a little less of a fail, but still a fail nonetheless.

Also noticing Bioware are now using twitter a lot these days to drip feed the public, maybe their way of softening the blow of the sheer stupidity of their new story line. Come launch day I guess there will not be even the slightest uproar over everything. Bioware have garnered enough people screaming Take my money!

clennon8 wrote:

Nice. Never seen a gif of that. Although I've always thought it would make an excellent "Player 3 has entered the game." gif.

Indominus Rex. Another example of synthesis gone wrong.

ZerebusPrime wrote:I gotta give Clennon points for that one.

In my defense, that's not the dinosaur I linked. :)
The one I showed is Rexy, which you can see briefly on the left roaring back at Indominus before the mosasaur pops out and drags the Indominus under. Excellent movie. Highly recommend. Bit of trivia: the tyrannosaurus rex in the movie, nicknamed Rexy, is the same one from the original Jurassic Park. Lorewise, not as in reused animatronics. When the angle and lighting allows, you can even see the scars on her neck from the battle with the velociraptors in the first movie. I love when they put little details like that in.

dorktainian wrote:also, i posted a little snippet of an interview (in french) in the speculation thread, and the person being interviewed (in french) stated we will learn more about the protheans.  Now call me an idiot and cover me in marmite, but the protheans are related to ME1-3, now we have to go to andromeda to find out more about them?

I don't know. I got a more vague impression of the translation. The interviewer asked about Protheans in specific but the person responded in a more broad sense, basically saying that we'll learn more about the Mass Effect universe in general.

windsurfing wrote:Oh didn't see this one, okay then not much purpose in speculating anymore. The ARK mission start is not after ME3, it was done during or before the final war with reapers, both of which are totally irreconcilable with current lore since it breaks the logic of many subplots in the games we have played so far. ME:A is shaping up to be a turd no doubts about it.

The amount is stupidity involved to go this way is just ...wow...just wow... pretty sad. An Ark ship with full armada of alliance vessels to escort, not to mention the technology and a ship (Tempest) that looks way more advanced than anything in the timeline we know of, all of it just because EA/Bioware needed a new game in the franchise without having to fix their sorry mess of ME3's conclusion.

You and I... we have reached consensus.

...

:(

Eryri wrote:I'm slightly ashamed to admit that since ME3 I've taken to reading a plot synopsis of most films I'm going to watch. That game taught me to dislike surprises. I find spoilers don't really take away my enjoyment anyway, they just remove some of the stress. I think I'll be thoroughly you-tubing Andomeda before I even consider picking it up, on sale, with all the DLC thrown in, IF it gets spectacular reviews.

I've heard that, shockingly, people often enjoy fiction even more when they've been spoiled. The theory is that since their mind isn't busy trying to figure out what's going to happen next, they can instead focus on just enjoying the movie. They can just, if you can forgive the cliche, stop and smell the flowers.

maybe people will buy it because they're wanting to forget the car crash ending that was the literal ME3 ending? Start again?

I want to know wtf happened to shepard at the end of ME3 first.


if we do say that the ark was built during the Mass effect arc, then surely it would have been after the fall of thesia? one question is where is it being constructed? Another is how come the reapers do not know about it? Another is where are all the resources coming from considering we're apparently throwing all of our resources at the crucible?

If we're not doing the latter then is that not a betrayal of those still fighting?

dorktainian wrote:
if we do say that the ark was built during the Mass effect arc, then surely it would have been after the fall of thesia?  one question is where is it being constructed? Another is how come the reapers do not know about it? Another is where are all the resources coming from considering we're apparently throwing all of our resources at the crucible?

Exactly, all logical questions but logic doesn't apply to EA/Bioware anymore because reasons, profits, storyz. Everything will be hand waved with putrid backstory that would make the worst writers look like Shakespeare.

dorktainian wrote:maybe people will buy it because they're wanting to forget the car crash ending that was the literal ME3 ending?  Start again?

I want to know wtf happened to shepard at the end of ME3 first.


if we do say that the ark was built during the Mass effect arc, then surely it would have been after the fall of thesia?  one question is where is it being constructed? Another is how come the reapers do not know about it? Another is where are all the resources coming from considering we're apparently throwing all of our resources at the crucible?

If we're not doing the latter then is that not a betrayal of those still fighting?

There is a fleet of ark ships that need answers. it took MONTHS to build the crucible and EVERY scientific mind was working day and night on it. ALL assets we find were the most intelligent minds in the galaxy and all resources were directed AT the crucible.

THERE is no way in hell that anyone built a NORMANDY 3.0 ship called the Tempest a FLEET of ark ships, came up with NEW tech, new designs, hand pick races to go on the ark ship, didn't have indoctrinated agents working on the area and from what we gathered it was a PLANET that was not attacked.

Hackett HAD to have known about this considering after Udina and the Ambassador die in the coup attempt. Hackett is the LEADING voice of everyone at this point. He keeps on saying he is buying Shepard time, and you mean to tell me the galaxy can get together to build arc ships when NOBODY really believed Shepard about the Reapers at all. Yet won't help you build a crucible till after they get their asses handed to them because they built ark ships FIRST rather than help Shepard and build the crucible. I mean we know Krogan WILL be on this ship so they BETTER have the option to have the genophage cured because no way in hell the Krogan will survive. Also Salarian Union wouldn't even dare let the Krogan want to go in the first place. Weave in charge should affect WHAT the Krogan will do and Wrex vise versa. I mean come on all special forces over every race are staying and fighting.

But no we have an N7 soldier and probably "other" special forces with the ark ships and a FLEET is protecting them..... ALL aliance FLEET are with the crucible. NO WAY IN HELL did the the fleets guard this at all.

Liara not knowing ALL about this would be a slap to the face, i mean if Wrex knows about the females, knows about liara being the shadow broker i am sure as hell he knows about the Ark ships for hey Krogan are on the tempest.

It's Bioware, it'll be hand waved with some short contrived story of "The Levithan's did it" or "The Salarian's did it" or "They found some other blueprints in the Crucible plans and this was plan B".

People will play Andromeda, the die hard literal fans and maybe some newcomers also some hardcore fans of the series but i think a lot of their core audience who supported them from 1-3 have been alienated too hard. I'll be surprised if ME: A sells well enough to get a sequel and i'll be less shocked if we see "Bioware dissolved into EA" soon enough.

Still would be better than ME:A's logic.

WeAreHarbinger wrote:

People will play Andromeda, the die hard literal fans and maybe some newcomers also some hardcore fans of the series but i think a lot of their core audience who supported them from 1-3 have been alienated too hard. I'll be surprised if ME: A sells well enough to get a sequel and i'll be less shocked if we see "Bioware dissolved into EA" soon enough.

Mac Walters has admitted this first game at Andromeda was not made with a trilogy in mind unlike Shepard's story.

If this game's sales are low EA will ensure it will face the same fate as Dead Space. EA execs care only about revenue, it is not in their understanding to give anything a second chance or more importantly admit they were the very reason why the IP went down the toilet.

Even though it's all a mess story and plot wise. I wonder why, despite confirming that Mass Effect 3 was the end of Commander Shepard's story, the original trilogy and the new game might not be entirely unrelated. Although not confirmed, associate producer Mike Gamble has hinted that it "wouldn't be a bad idea" to hold onto your Mass Effect save files.

As stated in different ME:A articles.

Jusseb wrote: Although not confirmed, associate producer Mike Gamble has hinted that it "wouldn't be a bad idea" to hold onto your Mass Effect save files.

As stated in different ME:A articles.

Never heard or read that, you recall any link for that?

Wouldn't be a big deal it might be just for stuff like did you save the council in ME1, did you save the collector base? et cetera. You know, stuff to fill some backstory for the new codex. Bet your save file at best could be used to give the now legendary Shepard a detailed codex entry based on your trilogy play throughs but this also raises a question, what if you are entering the ME franchise with ME:A, what will Bioware pick as default Shepard codex entry material? Canon choices incoming at least for events prior to ME3's climax.

by the time the games saves of me3 will be required, it'll be pointless anyway as the game will be on a system incompatible with your saves.

They told us to keep our saves from ME3 too.
Later, they clarified they meant for all the "awesome" DLC like Omega and Shitadel.

Mike Gamble is biggest lying motherfucker in the industry.  Remember that quote about not A, B, and C endings?  Mike Gamble.  Remember the one about there being a "Reapers win" ending which the speaker later said he was referring to the game over screen and complained about being quoted out of context (another lie)?  Mike. Fucking. Gamble.

Yeah keeping your saves meant "Buy Omega and Citadel DLC" Nothing else. The only system that could possibly go backwards with saves is PC and that leaves out all the consoles. The only other way around that would of been to bring ME 1-3 remastered on new gen consoles, something i don't see happening between now and ME: A.

Buy dlc and ovaltine!

Aaryn Flynn and Walters going on record to let everyone know what we all knew anyway. They are going to ignore ME3 ending choices totally. No green skinned circuit borgs or reaper god Shepard controlled armada. Neither does Refuse ending nor Destroy matter. Cuz trolololo we ain't gonna be there when shit goes down!

Man this horseshit is going to be gold to watch and laugh about at best, ARKCON (ARK Contingency) happens before ME3's endings all without us ever knowing about in all 3 games. FAIL   They just know the types of people who would yell take my money anyway at this travesty are going to buy it in glee.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2016/06/22/whichever-terrible-mass-effect-3-ending-you-picked-it-wont-affect-andromeda/#4d4047361806

I love the way that article is worded.

Bioware's answer to the ending debacle is pretty much "Brb popping to a new galaxy"

ME1 re-skinned à la Battlefield Hardline

windsurfing wrote:Aaryn Flynn and Walters going on record to let everyone know what we all knew anyway. They are going to ignore ME3 ending choices totally. No green skinned circuit borgs or reaper god Shepard controlled armada. Neither does Refuse ending nor Destroy matter. Cuz trolololo we ain't gonna be there when shit goes down!

Man this horseshit is going to be gold to watch and laugh about at best, ARKCON (ARK Contingency) happens before ME3's endings all without us ever knowing about in all 3 games. FAIL   They just know the types of people who would yell take my money anyway at this travesty are going to buy it in glee.

Whichever way you twist and turn it, ARKCON makes no goddamn sense.

Massive amounts of ressources, workers and all of the galaxies greatest minds were working on the Crucible, so who the fuck was working on this ARKCON contingency which is a project far greater in scope. While also keeping Shepard out of the loop on it...

The sheer stupidity is mindboggling, but I guess that was established early on.

the weird thing (although not weird to us I suppose) is how Bioderp have not shown anything of consequence as far as gameplay is concerned. You would have thought that after ME3 they would be trying to hype up their shit, but so far...not a lot.

Then again this is the company that gave us survival from planetary re-entry (at an oblique angle i might add, which is even worse), a human reaper with glass tubes to shoot, Plastic Ashley, the Extended Cut of Bitchslap, and finally the ultimate fucktarded ending - Synthesis.

Raistlin Majere wrote:...
Massive amounts of ressources, workers and all of the galaxies greatest minds were working on the Crucible, so who the fuck was working on this ARKCON contingency which is a project far greater in scope. While also keeping Shepard out of the loop on it...
...

Ah, there you have it then: Galaxy leadership had Shepard pegged as the primary indoctrination vector all along, and fed them misinformation and scraps, to keep reaper attention away from their true plan. :P

dorktainian wrote:the weird thing (although not weird to us I suppose) is how Bioderp have not shown anything of consequence as far as gameplay is concerned.  You would have thought that after ME3 they would be trying to hype up their shit, but so far...not a lot.

Simple, they are running late, very late. This game wont even make it for Q1 2017 without serious strips to features (admitted by Bioware E3 2016), characters (Javik anyone?), missions. Oh yeah plenty of DLC will be available a few months after launch, stuff that should have been in the main game.

How awesome is that hey?

I thought you guys/gals would get a kick out of this!
http://www.pointandclickbait.com/2016/06/mass-effect-andromeda-import-saves/

I know I can't wait to see how all my negative criticism will impact on a game I won't buy :)