Mass Effect 3

[Reverend]

I'd be surprised if ME3 is just about getting allies together for the big show down. I imagine most of that is already determined by the groundwork laid in the first two games. I suspect the core mission will be chasing after another Prothean mcguffin that'll either destroy the Reapers or drive them back for good. Remember that there was a mention in LotSB that the Shadow Broker believed that the Protheans were onto something other than the conduit So my prediction is that Liara finds something and sends you off on a new treasure hunt.

I don't think the Reapers will be in any hurry to spread beyond Earth in a hurry, remember that it took them centuries to methodically wipe out the Protheans...of course back then they had control of the Citadel and the relay networks and could afford to pick the systems off one at a time...

Which races show up for the big fight will probably only determine the state of the galaxy after the dust has settled; e.g. the Reapers are gone but...galactic civilisation is in ruins and it's going all Mad Max in space/the galaxy is OK but Earth is gone and humanity is all but extinct/the galaxy is OK, Earth will recover and the galactic civilization enters a golden age/the galaxy is OK, Earth will recover and all hail our new human overlords!

 

[Jax]

^
I get a SG-Vibe "find the ancient device to beat the bad guys".

 

[Jono]

Was always going to get ME3 but now I'm a bit excited for it.

 

[TheGodBen]

I don't think the Reapers will be in any hurry to spread beyond Earth in a hurry, remember that it took them centuries to methodically wipe out the Protheans...of course back then they had control of the Citadel and the relay networks and could afford to pick the systems off one at a time...

We don't yet know how the Reapers got back into the galaxy, so it's impossible to say what their effect on the relay network will be. I read an interesting idea that if the Reapers did manage to deactivate the relay network so only they could use it then the Normandy would be the only ship capable of traversing the galaxy as it has the Reaper IFF. That seems like a cool idea, and it would give you a reason for travelling around the galaxy looking for help as everyone would be isolated and nobody would know what's going on. Otherwise, one would imagine that the council races would be forced by law to help Earth in its hour of need and you wouldn't need to go around the place convincing people.

Anyway, a Bioware rep on the ME forums confirmed that there will be more ME2 DLC released to bridge the gap between the games, so there's a small chance we may get some answers about how the Reapers entered the galaxy in those.

 

[bullethead]

^
I get a SG-Vibe "find the ancient device to beat the bad guys".

The entire Reaper plot is pretty Stargate-ish, so this fits.

 

[Reverend]

I don't think the Reapers will be in any hurry to spread beyond Earth in a hurry, remember that it took them centuries to methodically wipe out the Protheans...of course back then they had control of the Citadel and the relay networks and could afford to pick the systems off one at a time...

We don't yet know how the Reapers got back into the galaxy, so it's impossible to say what their effect on the relay network will be. I read an interesting idea that if the Reapers did manage to deactivate the relay network so only they could use it then the Normandy would be the only ship capable of traversing the galaxy as it has the Reaper IFF. That seems like a cool idea, and it would give you a reason for travelling around the galaxy looking for help as everyone would be isolated and nobody would know what's going on. Otherwise, one would imagine that the council races would be forced by law to help Earth in its hour of need and you wouldn't need to go around the place convincing people.

Anyway, a Bioware rep on the ME forums confirmed that there will be more ME2 DLC released to bridge the gap between the games, so there's a small chance we may get some answers about how the Reapers entered the galaxy in those.

What we do know from the first game is that Nazara apparantly had no choice but to make a direct run on the Citadel AND have Saren flip the switch on the tower in order to take control of the network and open the relay to dark space. So however they've made it back, unless they've taken the Citadel already then the relays should still be open.

If it could be done another way then surely Nazara would have done it that way in the first instance. It certainly had plenty of time since there's evidence to suggest either it or Harbinger have been actively messing with events this time around since at least the Rachni War.

Even leaving all that aside; the idea of playing the games as the only ship that can jump around (thanks to the IFF) is an interesting one...but there's not a lot of point recruiting help in the form of a massive multi-species fleet if they're all scattered across the galaxy and can't use the relays.

^
I get a SG-Vibe "find the ancient device to beat the bad guys".

The entire Reaper plot is pretty Stargate-ish, so this fits.

Stargate-ish, Babylon 5-ish, H.P. Lovecraft-ish, Arthur C. Clark-ish...take your pick.

 

[Arrqh]

Mass Effect 2 was pushed back from Q4 2009 to Q1 2010, and quite a few games get pushed back in there development. I don't know how Bioware manage to make 3 games at once (ME 3, DO 2 & SW:TOR) there gods among nerds

I don't believe ME2 was delayed, it was released in Q4 of EA's 2009 fiscal year as originally announced, which is the same as Q1 2010 on a real calendar (EA's fiscal years go from April to March). As to doing 3 games at once... Bioware employs over 800 people across 4 studios.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

I don't think the Reapers will be in any hurry to spread beyond Earth in a hurry, remember that it took them centuries to methodically wipe out the Protheans...of course back then they had control of the Citadel and the relay networks and could afford to pick the systems off one at a time...

We don't yet know how the Reapers got back into the galaxy, so it's impossible to say what their effect on the relay network will be. I read an interesting idea that if the Reapers did manage to deactivate the relay network so only they could use it then the Normandy would be the only ship capable of traversing the galaxy as it has the Reaper IFF. That seems like a cool idea, and it would give you a reason for travelling around the galaxy looking for help as everyone would be isolated and nobody would know what's going on. Otherwise, one would imagine that the council races would be forced by law to help Earth in its hour of need and you wouldn't need to go around the place convincing people.

Anyway, a Bioware rep on the ME forums confirmed that there will be more ME2 DLC released to bridge the gap between the games, so there's a small chance we may get some answers about how the Reapers entered the galaxy in those.

What we do know from the first game is that Nazara apparantly had no choice but to make a direct run on the Citadel AND have Saren flip the switch on the tower in order to take control of the network and open the relay to dark space. So however they've made it back, unless they've taken the Citadel already then the relays should still be open.

If it could be done another way then surely Nazara would have done it that way in the first instance. It certainly had plenty of time since there's evidence to suggest either it or Harbinger have been actively messing with events this time around since at least the Rachni War.

Even leaving all that aside; the idea of playing the games as the only ship that can jump around (thanks to the IFF) is an interesting one...but there's not a lot of point recruiting help in the form of a massive multi-species fleet if they're all scattered across the galaxy and can't use the relays.

Unless, of coruse, one of the goals is to use a Prothean Cool Thingy to hijack the relay network back from the Reapers, allowing you and your fleet/army to charge Earth.

Which would be a pretty effective way to lock the player out of the endgame scenario till its the appropriate time.

 

[Jax]

^ Even if the species combined forces, to take out every reaper seems out of our hands with the current level of tech. I do wonder if the ME 2 ending of saving the station might help ? some powerful tech there after all.

 

[Jax]

Heres a thought...

When does the import file of ME 2 kick in ? At the end of ther story but what about other side stuff you do after but more important the last DLC "Lair of the Shadow Broker" changes a lot of things so how will that be in ME3 because not everyone would of played it.

Also I got Kasumi in my male playthrough after the main quest (DLC was not out at the time) but got her before in my female one. So how will she be in ME 3 ?

I loved the DLC but it seems that it could complicate ME 3 a little with the transfer save.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Especially the Shadow Broker one. I haven't dl'ed Lair of The Shadow Broker yet , so if I start ME3 now, how would I have to deal with the Broker, I wonder....

 

[eastman23]

^
I get a SG-Vibe "find the ancient device to beat the bad guys".

Maybe it won't be a device, it could be a person. The turian councillor perhaps. He could dismiss the Reapers with his air quotes.

 

[bullethead]

Heres a thought...

When does the import file of ME 2 kick in ? At the end of ther story but what about other side stuff you do after but more important the last DLC "Lair of the Shadow Broker" changes a lot of things so how will that be in ME3 because not everyone would of played it.

Also I got Kasumi in my male playthrough after the main quest (DLC was not out at the time) but got her before in my female one. So how will she be in ME 3 ?

I loved the DLC but it seems that it could complicate ME 3 a little with the transfer save.

Apparently any save after dealing with the Collector base can be imported into ME3, at least according to a dev statement I read a long time ago (just before/after ME2 came out).

 

[Skywalker]

Anyone who didn't play LotSB or any other bridging DLC (assuming there will be any more) will probably have the decisions made for them, just like people who never played ME1 and started out with ME2.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

I hope I can choose, so I'm not stuck with Renegade or Paragon choices I wouldn't have made.

 

[TheGodBen]

What we do know from the first game is that Nazara apparantly had no choice but to make a direct run on the Citadel AND have Saren flip the switch on the tower in order to take control of the network and open the relay to dark space. So however they've made it back, unless they've taken the Citadel already then the relays should still be open.

Remember when the ME2 teaser trailer was released? Most people thought that Shepard wasn't really dead, that he had just gone into hiding. Some people thought that he really was dead and we'd play a new character in ME3. Some people even thought that Shepard transferred his personality into a Geth somehow. The idea that Shepard actually died and would be brought back to life by Martin Sheen wasn't the most popular one around, but that's what ended up happening.

We can't tell much from a teaser trailer, all we know is that at some point in the game the Reapers will attack Earth. That might be at the very start of the game, and Earth might be the first step of their invasion, or they could have taken control of the Citadel before moving on to Earth. All they'd need to do is get 1 ship into the galaxy and activate the Citadel relay, the Citadel would fall instantly, and then their fleet would move on to Earth.

The idea that Earth is attacked and the council fleet doesn't respond within a week doesn't make much sense. I know that the Turian councillor doesn't like humans (or the theory about "Reapers") very much, but surely once word got out about an attack, or communication with Earth was lost, Anderson/Udina would have demanded action. But it would make sense if the various council fleets were unable to make it to Earth, or even knew that there was a problem there.

Another interesting idea: normal FTL communication works through the relays, right? But the Normandy is fitted with that special quantum entanglement comm terminal, so it's not reliant on the relays. Sure, you'd only be able to communicate with the Illusive Man, but it's a start, and who doesn't enjoy talking to him?

Which would be a pretty effective way to lock the player out of the endgame scenario till its the appropriate time.

Yeah, they'll need something like that, otherwise I'd be thinking about the thousands of people that died on Earth because I chose to help an Asari stripper who is being stalked by an obsessed Hanar.

^ Even if the species combined forces, to take out every reaper seems out of our hands with the current level of tech. I do wonder if the ME 2 ending of saving the station might help ? some powerful tech there after all.

I hope so, I'd hate to think that I handed the most advanced technology in the galaxy over to the Illusive Man without any benefit. All you guys that blew up the base will sure look stupid then.

Maybe it won't be a device, it could be a person. The turian councillor perhaps. He could dismiss the Reapers with his air quotes.

I have two wishes for ME3:
1) I want to punch the Turian councillor.
2) I want to punch Khalisah Al-Jilani again.

 

[Skywalker]

The Collector Base won't play any significant role in the end. If it were key to defeating the Reapers, we wouldn't have been able to destroy it. Same goes for the rachni queen. We'll be able to beat the Reapers without either, because BioWare's going to want to make it possible for people who have only played ME3 to defeat the Reapers.

 

[Jax]

The Collector Base won't play any significant role in the end. If it were key to defeating the Reapers, we wouldn't have been able to destroy it. Same goes for the rachni queen. We'll be able to beat the Reapers without either, because BioWare's going to want to make it possible for people who have only played ME3 to defeat the Reapers.

Possibly though I read that stuff from ME 1 choices will play a role in the game and the 2 endings of both previous games will play a crucial part. Bioware will obviously set up ME 3 for total failure as one of the choices ...

One reason why I love Mass Effect is because unlike most games you know the ending is going to be the villian being defeated 99.9% of the time...ME 3 could go so many ways its a little unsettling I could actually fail after years of playing the franchise

 

[Skywalker]

I'm sure there will be specific endings for people like us who have played through both games at least once. And I'm sure there will be an ending where you fail, or one where at least Shepard dies, like in ME2. But saving the rachni queen, sparing Wrex, overwriting the geth, saving the Collector base, etc., won't be required to beat the Reapers. Like I said, they're going to want new gamers to be able to win even though they've only just started with ME3. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a specific ending where doing all the stuff in ME1 and ME2 makes the victory easier/more difficult, though.

 

[TheGodBen]

The Collector Base won't play any significant role in the end. If it were key to defeating the Reapers, we wouldn't have been able to destroy it. Same goes for the rachni queen. We'll be able to beat the Reapers without either, because BioWare's going to want to make it possible for people who have only played ME3 to defeat the Reapers.

I don't think saving the base will be required to win, but I do think it will make victory easier or lower the death-count in ME3. I've watched a couple of let's plays and I've read some comments online where people blew up the base because it seemed like the right thing to do, and while I understand that decision, I decided to save it because I was thinking ahead to the third game. If that decision doesn't have a big impact on ME3 I'll be disappointed and made to look like a chump. I don't want that, I want everyone else to feel like chumps.

Possibly though I read that stuff from ME 1 choices will play a role in the game and the 2 endings of both previous games will play a crucial part. Bioware will obviously set up ME 3 for total failure as one of the choices ...

There's already a way of doing that in most games and it's called dying. I imagine there will be scenarios where Shepard will die or Earth will be sacrificed to save the rest of the galaxy. The question is, will there be people that made poor decisions in the first two games that will find it impossible to have a truly victorious ending to the game, or will the choices you make in ME3 be able to override poor decisions you made in the past? I'm hoping for the former, I'd love it if my decision to let the council die in ME1 significantly hurt my chances of surviving in ME3.

One reason why I love Mass Effect is because unlike most games you know the ending is going to be the villian being defeated 99.9% of the time...ME 3 could go so many ways its a little unsettling I could actually fail after years of playing the franchise

Yeah, I remember Shepard making that leap onto the Normandy at the end of ME2 and just holding my breath. I knew that I made mostly right calls during the mission, but knowing there there was a possibility Shepard would die made me nervous right up until the moment the ship "warped" away.