@Skullkid_IX: In fact, you have two choices. To do what the kid wants (red, green, blue), or to refuse (and receive in the process a middle finger from Supermac an Casey Hudson).
I did a long response to a fellow gamer so if you don´t mind I´ll use the same response about the endings.
"You have the possibility of choice between, totalitarianism (blue), massive rape (green) and genocide (red). Remember, this has nothing to do with a good or bad ending. This is about respect by the ambience of ME1 and ME2 and especially, shepard personality.
Blue - You become the dictator of rules, everything needs to be in your line of thought or the reapers will be in control of the situation. It´s a Catalyst 2.0. In the beginning everything is fine, but what about the long term? Remember how the Catalyst not 2.0 has ended...
Green - Massive rape, everything and everyone will be changed against their will. Some may like it, but it's irrelevant, you act like a god who changes people without respect for freedom of choice. Also, in order to synthesis to work you need to have as a result, brain wash. Otherwise, synthesis would not work. You can give comprehension, but without feelings control, comprehension means nothing.
Red - This depends on your choice. But if you are friend of the Geth you know that in that moment they are a new race, not only machines. So you do a genocide, the killing of race without justifications.
And no, the kid´s logic can be proved wrong. If the Shepard in those endings were endings were ME1 and ME2 Shepard he would argue that Geth are allies, not enemies. And if you are thinking, well, that can change over time, you are right, but I´m using the same absolutism the kid is using in his argument of total extinction."
If you want a real ending with effective choices you have ME2 as example. ME3 is all about losing hope and choose a colour. You are gathering a huge army, an united galaxy, for nothing at all. Deux ex Machina device, three colours, the Kid wins... The end...
@KerrinScott: First: I'm sorry about the bad writing. I´m not English, I'm portuguese, but I´ll do my best to make myself clear.
ok... It´s been a long time since I did this but... let´s get it on... again.
You need to keep in mind that everything I´m going to say is based on "in game" comments, especially the glowing kid.
Distance is irrelevant, except dark space. But then again, even dark space needs to be affected by the end explosions. Otherwise, and I´m going to explain this in a few lines, the ending choices would be based on a lie. Ok, almost all the lines of the kid are based on stupid logic, but not in the effects of the explosions.
So, let me respond your questions:
a) distance doesn't matter?
Let´s use the Catalyst logic. We have a problem, synthetics are going to destroy all organic life. The kid is trying to solve this problem but needs the crucible in order to change everything and everyone. The comprehension and understanding bullshit.... If you don't change all life, or destroy all synthetics, the sole purpose of the last choices are empty shells. You have the three choices because of the absolute characteristic of such choices. Otherwise it would be no effective choices... I know that some of this may look stupid to you, I will explain the stupidity of the endings later and you will understand what I mean.
b) the endings simply do not make sense?
About the ending choices. Oh boy, I'm going to explain what I understand of those endings, you are free to disagree, in the end I can justify everything.
You have the possibility of choice between, totalitarianism (blue), massive rape (green) and genocide (red). Remember, this has nothing to do with a good or bad ending. This is about respect by the ambience of ME1 and ME2 and especially, Shepard personality.
Blue - You become the dictator that rules, everything needs to be in your line of thought or the reapers will be in control of the situation. It´s a Catalyst 2.0. In the beginning everything is fine, but what about the long term? Remember how the Catalyst not 2.0 has ended...
Green - Massive rape, everything and everyone will be changed against their will. Some may like it, but it's irrelevant, you act like a god who changes people without respect for freedom of choice. Also, in order to synthesis to work you need to have as a result, brain wash. Otherwise, synthesis would not work. You can give comprehension, but without feelings control, comprehension means nothing.
Red - This depends on your choice. But if you are friend of the Geth you know that in that moment they are a new race, not only machines. So you do a genocide, the killing of race without justifications.
And no, the kid´s logic can be proved wrong. If the Shepard in those endings were ME1 and ME2 Shepard he would argue that Geth are allies, not enemies. And if you are thinking, well, that can change over time, you are right, but I´m using the same absolutism the kid is using in his argument of total extinction.
c) it's bad writing that somehow destroyed the franchise.
Not only bad writing, stupid and moronic writing. Also full of nihilism.
But let's start step by step.
ME3 beginning and the arrival of the reapers in less than three years. This results in the destruction of ME1 plot. Sovereign jeopardizes everything, allowing everyone to know about the reapers presence. Why? For the control of the citadel? The surprise attack? But, if the reapers can arrive in less than three years why not relax and wait? The reapers are an unstoppable force with the universe united. Also, and this is me going forth, the citadel is the strategy point for the control of the relays, that´s the whole point of ME1, but in ME3 they waited, and waited, and waited, to control the citadel. Very clever guys...Right?
Now, the crucible. Let´s forget for a minute the obvious Deus Ex Machina device. We are talking about a weapon that no one knows what it is, what it does, if works or even if the schematics are complete. Have you ever though about this? You are relying all your strategy in a weapon that may or may not be completed. But things get even worst... it´s a weapon that needs to dock in a struture that no one knows where it is or what it is. From a engineered perspective this is the most stupid thing ever made.
Now you have Shepard... The man with honor, dignity, pride, a man who loved diversity (i´m going for the paragon side), who would not make a crime no matter what. That guy died just before the "Arrival" dlc. That was his first crime. That was our warning of what was coming with Supermac on the lead writing position. In tuchanka and rannoch, Shepard is back, and those missions are by far the best part of the game. But then final mission arrived, and the coward Shepard returns more coward than ever. ME1 and ME2 Shepard would never agree with the kid. Not the Paragon, not the Renegade. Because no matter the perspective, submission was never in the mind of Shepard, remember the discussion with Saren or the rebellion against Cerberus. ME3 Shepard is a man without words, he listens the kid without counter arguments, and then chooses one crime without a sweat...
This is getting a bit long, so I'll choose destroy to explain bad writing. You are hit by an explosion (and you were already dying, or in very bad shape), then you are again hit by a super explosion (probably with the power of several nukes), then you are exposed to espace without protection (no armor or helmet), but that´s cool, because even so you wake up on the rubble... Do you really need more... Because I do have much more to use...
“You keep saying "no...that's not right" -- yet you seem to refuse to offer any further explanation.”
Do you feel the same now?
“not to be a jackass, but it really makes me question if perhaps you don't understand the distinction between GALAXY and UNIVERSE.”
You are using logic (which I can respect) in a game who uses no logic to justify decisions. I'm supporting everything I say in the kid logic, distance needs to mean nothing. Otherwise his solution is not a solution and the red, green or blue crap becomes even more stupid.
@Mogan: Are you saying the main plot of ME3 is good... Let me refresh your mind. ME3: To create a giant dildo that no one knows what it is, what it does, if works or even if the schematics are complete. And this is the only strategy... Also... Have you ever wondered how can they creat a device (crucible) to couple with an unknown device (citadel structure)?
@KerrinScott: "Distance does matter. It ostensibly has no control over ships or people which might somehow pass beyond the power it..."
It is a fine explanation but you're forgetting one very important point. Think about this. If what you are saying is a possibility in what way doing any of the three choices will solve the glowing kid problem?
You realize that if what you were saying is a possibility ME3 endings are even more stupid than what they already are. (And I thought that was already impossible to do worse)...
Really? That depends on perspective. If you are playing for the Pew Pew (shooting), ME is a fine series. If you are playing for the whole pack, specially the story... well... no.
ME3 beginning kills ME1 plot, the giant dildo makes it even more stupid, and in the end the enemy wins (yeah, three choices, but his choices). So, ignorant may be a possibility, but what makes of other people who not even understand ME1 and ME2 plot? And this last sentence is not meant for you but for the clever guy above.
@magnetite2: If you like ME3 I'm an ignorant to you. And that´s fine, I´ll never try to look clever to a person who love ME3. The combination of intelligence and ME 3 is impossible. That goes for ME3 fans too...
@Xan26: "What or who is this Supermac you keep mentioning, in any case?" Mr Mac walters, lead writer of ME3 and ME4 (Andromeda). The men who destroyed ME1 and ME2 plot because... artisticity.
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