Mass Effect 3 - Page 15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwartz 

Having just replayed ME1 (lost my hard drive, couldn't bring myself to play a prefab Shephard in ME3), we actually know quite a bit more about the Reapers' methods and why we sorta have a chance than you guys are recalling.

 

The normal method is to bring in the Reaper fleet through the Citadel and then shut down the entire mass relay network.  At that point, the entirety of galactic civilization that has grown around that network is crippled and each system is cut off from the others, preventing any coordinated defense.  The Reapers then spend decades if not centuries idling from system to system wiping out pockets of civilization at their leisure.  They missed a spot in the form of a handful of Prothean scientists in stasis, who took a one-way trip to the Citadel after they left and programmed the Keepers to disrupt the Reapers ability to warp in.  Hence Sovereign needing Saren to retake the Citadel and get the plan back on track.

 

But Shephard weren't having none of that, so we're facing a Reaper invasion with a functional galactic civilization whereas the Protheans and all their predecessors had just been plunged back into the Dark Ages when they were attacked.   Not that Lauren's point about Lovecraftian villains doesn't stand, but it's not just Shephard being the ultimate badass that gives us a chance.  In fact, no matter how things shake out, most of the credit for defeating the Reapers should go to the Protheans.

Point taken. I was a bit hazy on the details. Still what I said still stands. Seeing the power that Sovereign had and multiplying that by hundreds if not thousands means the Reapers would have to be de-powered in order for Earth to hold out for minutes, much less for enough time for Shepard to do whatever it is he has to do.

Anyway, we'll know soon enough. 

Every surviving squad mate will make a reappearance, though word round the campfire is anyone who saved Morinth is in for a 'surprise'...

I've heard the explanation for Miranda's initial absence and it seems reasonable enough:

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaurenOrtega 

If anything the third game actually has to sell me on the Reapers being legitimately frightening antagonists again. First game pulled this off without any problems, but man the second game made them kind of a weak element all around.

Yeah, kinda reminds me of the Daleks in Doctor Who: trapped in a bunker with just one on its own? Terrifying, nigh-on-unstoppable alien death tank. A couple of series finalé with millions of the buggers? Cheaply disposed of in a variety of increasingly lame and unsatisfying ways.

I was apprehensive/disappointed when it was revealed that the final game was going to consist of a straight, all-out war with them simply because on the basis of how powerful Sovereign was shown to be, it shouldn't even close to a war, more an extermination. A handful of them could probably conquer the galaxy, never mind hundreds of the bloody things. They're millions of years old, their shields are impervious, their cannons rain death and, even if rendered inert, they're still able to warp and corrupt anything that approaches them by the very nature of their existence.

I'd much have preferred a story built around delaying and/or trapping them, leaving them forever 'out there' simply because they've already built up as something too terrible, ancient and powerful to defeat if they did arrive and it's hard to imagine a way of actually beating them that isn't some cheap, hastily cobbled together bobbins pulled out of someone's arse. I'd also prefer that we don't find out what they are or why they do it, the mystique is undoubtedly part of their charm.

That said, it's true that the Protheans have fucked with the cycle big time and so the Reapers have lost a lot of the advantages they're accustomed to. If the Rachni were Plan B (as opposed to just finding a leftover indoctrination device somewhere), then things are already 2000 years overdue past the usual technological barrier the Reapers like to call a halt at. Then throw in Sovereign's remains leading to a bunch of reverse engineered tech to bring things up to more of an even footing and I guess you could argue there's a chance...

But not much of one.

That's a whole lotta words about some videogame, damn.

Right, I mean all the ideas about the Protheans and how the Reapers operate is probably true. You'll do some leg-work, have the alliance get it's shit together and find some way to kick robo-squid ass. Which is all well and good, and I'm probably going to be giddy with glee the whole time.

But I dunno, I just think finding out more about them and reducing them to arrogant aliens who will pay for underestimating organic life forms is far too typical. 

I get that desmystifying the Reapers to the point you can actually fight them makes them less, well, mystifying.  But HP wasn't designing sci-fi shooter video games when he Lovecrafted his mythology.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryoken 

 

Well, perhaps that means the Reapers have other plans this time; maybe theyŕe giving the hybrid/proto reaper idea another turn, and they need the raw material...or maybe they developed another reason for having a special interest in earth and humanity; the demo clearly states at one point that human colonies and sectors have blacked out, so if the Reapers are focusing on humanity first...well, that cant be good.

Also, the Reapers remain dormant for quite a while in the space outside the galaxy, which might put a huge drain and impact on their energy and power; they might not be at the top of their game when they invade Earth at all, thus the need for superior numbers and their lack of power; Sovereign invaded the Citadel after being active for quite some time, maybe thats why he was so powerful; the whole "mass relay hidden in the citadel" plan from ME1 gave the Reapers an edge in not having to travel and deal with defense forces after awakening; with the Events in ME1 and the "Arrival" dlc in ME2, the Reapers clearly have to invade through traditional means.
 

 

And perhaps having to take "the long road" to get to their traditional invasion means they've depleted resources/power that they otherwise wouldn't have?  That could be a semi-plausible explanation for somewhat reduced power levels.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sentinel Red 

 

Every surviving squad mate will make a reappearance, though word round the campfire is anyone who saved Morinth is in for a 'surprise'...

 

I've heard the explanation for Miranda's initial absence and it seems reasonable enough:

 

 

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

She's unable to get near Shepard/Earth due to her known Cerberus affiliations, the Alliance sees her as a wanted terrorist or something.

 

 

 

I was apprehensive/disappointed when it was revealed that the final game was going to consist of a straight, all-out war with them simply because on the basis of how powerful Sovereign was shown to be, it shouldn't even close to a war, more an extermination. A handful of them could probably conquer the galaxy, never mind hundreds of the bloody things. They're millions of years old, their shields are impervious, their cannons rain death and, even if rendered inert, they're still able to warp and corrupt anything that approaches them by the very nature of their existence.

 

I'd much have preferred a story built around delaying and/or trapping them, leaving them forever 'out there' simply because they've already built up as something too terrible, ancient and powerful to defeat if they did arrive and it's hard to imagine a way of actually beating them that isn't some cheap, hastily cobbled together bobbins pulled out of someone's arse. I'd also prefer that we don't find out what they are or why they do it, the mystique is undoubtedly part of their charm.

 

That said, it's true that the Protheans have fucked with the cycle big time and so the Reapers have lost a lot of the advantages they're accustomed to. If the Rachni were Plan B (as opposed to just finding a leftover indoctrination device somewhere), then things are already 2000 years overdue past the usual technological barrier the Reapers like to call a halt at. Then throw in Sovereign's remains leading to a bunch of reverse engineered tech to bring things up to more of an even footing and I guess you could argue there's a chance...

 

 

But not much of one.

 

That's a whole lotta words about some videogame, damn.

The explanation re: Miranda makes sense.  Heck, I found myself wondering after "Arrival" if she and Jacob were going to start the next game in prison cells.

As for fighting the Reapers, I'd note we haven't really seen any actual Reapers getting taken down (arguably one is getting highly annoyed by a Thresher Maw, however).  Lots of Husks getting battled, but I don't think any Reapers have blown up...yet.  Plus, there may be aspects of their society we don't know.  Caste systems where Sovereign may have represented a "top caste" and the smaller ones we seem to be seeing might be a "lower caste" and thus less powerful.  But it's all spitballing at ths point.

Personally?  I'm thinking those references to "Dark Energy" in Mass Effect 2 are going to have a big deus ex machina payoff in ME3.  Though how exactly said plot device is utilized will probably constitute the chief/climactic Paragon/Renegade choice of the game.

That or you'll just use Jeff Goldblum and his iOmnitool to install a computer virus in the Reapers.  The old classics always work, right?

I'd think as a Spectre, I'd be able to keep my girlfriend out of jail for being a terrorist.

Well obviously, and I'm not asking for fidelity to the works of Lovecraft here either. The Reapers in the end might be homages but they are distinct creations, and obviously shown to not be omnipresent GodsofDeathFuck in the complex universe of Mass Effect. But I can't help feeling that I'm probably going to care a lot more about what can happen to Liara than any of the plot machinations and background reveals that might be going on.

But you know I'm also the crazy person who probably would have made each the Mass Effect games semi-stand alones, so I'm probably not a perfect judge.

In addition, if Reapers are as all powerful as advertised, then I can't imagine a satisfying way of winning the game. They have to be beatable, ultimately, or the series is going to try something with maybe more profundity than is required. As Parker said above, this is a space marine saga, at the end of the day, and I'd kind of prefer they just deliver a Return of the Jedi than try to reinvent the wheel.

There will probably be some horrible choices you have to make in this, like that Ashley/Kaiden dilemma except with characters we gave a damn about. When it comes to Garrus or Liara, I'm miserably fucked.

Well yeah, it's a big conundrum with characters like that. I'm totally less is more with them though.

Again though, I think I come across as the most boring person possible in these gaming boards. Like I'm an old lady who hates loud music.

You're openly gay and happen to be the only girl on a board full of male dorks.  I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it's going to be an uphill fight to achieve "boring old lady" status in this context. 

And I'll be choosing Garrus in that conundrum.  But I will see my whole crew and the majority of the galaxy burn before I let anyone hurt Tali.

My prediction/preference for the end:

Like a less extreme version of Stelios's proposal, this would still severely limit the potential for further sequels, but if it's not at least a possible ending I'll be...well, lightly miffed anyhow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwartz 

You're openly gay and happen to be the only girl on a board full of male dorks.  I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it's going to be an uphill fight to achieve "boring old lady" status in this context. 

Let alone the fact that she is, ya know, Lauren Fuckin Ortega, one of our MVP's.

I never said she didn't kick all the ass the world has ever produced plus a fair amount on spec.

On a related note with the deaths, finished my ME3-ready FemShep playthrough yesterday (though Im taking care of Arrival next week).....no playable character casualties, but since I did Shadow Broker after the Collectors snatched my crew (I sorta saw it as Shepard's personal loyalty mission), half my crew's dead. Including poor, sweet Kelly Chambers. From an objective standpoint, that was the perfect way to lend some weight to the ending. From a subjective standpoint......

Awwwwww...I wanted melty-face Nuclear-blasted Kaiden.

"Kaidan is now able to use the following skills: Drip, Howl, Lament, Pee Hydrochloric Acid, Cannibalism"

"Shep..shep...sheppmgghpppperd"

*Shepard wipes long stream of puss and unidentified goo from the giant gaping hole that used to be Kaiden's jaw*

"It's okay old buddy! Just try to talk a little slower and don't try so hard. Remember too much thought causes your scalp to bleed again."

*Kaiden's one non-mutated eye just lets yellow pussy tears drop*

Whhhygmyh whyyyyy can't I.....dieghghghghgghghghghgh?!!!!!!!!"

*Ten minutes of shrieking follow*

With Ashley just standing there blank-faced every time. As if she knows in her heart that everything you've said is true.

Then she goes into her room and writes poetry while listening to Bauhaus for a few hours.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmacq1 



Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Except that from what the demo shows us, as of the beginning of Mass Effect 3, you're no longer a Spectre (Shepard's Spectre status is spoken of by Anderson in the past tense) and all-but in jail yourself.  In fact it's heavily implied that it's only Anderson's good word that's kept you from getting locked up someplace dark and unpleasant and forgotten about.  Shepard lost a shitload of pull/cred due to the one-two punch of cavorting with a known terrorist organization for most of Mass Effect 2, and being saddled with the blame for what happens in "The Arrival" DLC.

 

Boo, when they said you were above the law, you should be above the law.

"THE WRONG SON DIED!"

Although I do not regret leaving that insufferable bore to die. Not one bit.

Man, I hope Ashley gets eaten by a Thresher Maw.  Or, she gets turned into a husk and you have to "put her out of her misery."

Somewhere out there, the moldy, decaying husk of Brad Milette's genitals are stirring just a bit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoolong 

Quote:

Boo, when they said you were above the law, you should be above the law.

Well, the Council has proven time and time again that political expediency trumps all.  Even their "reinstatement" of Shepard in ME2 was basically more a gesture than anything else. Didn't they flat-out say "If you fuck this up, we're gonna pretend like this conversation never happened?" in so many words?  When things got too hot, they almost certainly dropped Shepard like a bad habit.  "What're you talking about?  We didn't even know he was alive again, no really....those poor Batarians."

Plus it looks like even if you named him Councilor, Anderson's been recalled back to military duty (and promoted), though I could easily envision a scenario where his "stepping down" from the Council was a condition of Shepard not getting tossed in the slammer (more based on pressure from Earth than the Council itself).

So anyway, random plot-based side-question on the demo:

Meh, shoulda stolen the Normandy II and became a pirate with Jack.

My money's on it being a side effect of spending so much cumulative time hanging around Reaper artifacts/shells, and especially the object in Arrival (wasn't Shep out cold near it for a couple of days almost? That can't be good)

Re. the DLC character:

Or he just went backwards when Shep wasn't looking.

I did like how the demo's character creator included the choice of

Damn, don't really want to play through ME2 again completely, but I kinda want a save where only Zaeed is left alive.  He'll hatefuck the Reapers into submission.

Hindsight being 20/20 yes this would have been a much better idea.

They'll be making "Shepard was right" t-shirts before the game is over.  Well, if there's anybody left alive.

Interesting geekouts on the whole Reaper demystification thing.   Will anyone be satisfied if the only deep thoughts the game has on it are in the form of an email at Shepherd's console from a Drell philosopher who ponders the irony of the Reaper's own extinction cycle working too well for too long and causing a stagnation in their species that demanded their own extinction?

I like the idea someone posted on Sovereign being a heavy hitter among the Reapers.   No matter what a lot of their aura of invincibility is built on that first strike they usually get.   And their arrogance is just them believing their own b.s. 

I do think the game is too smart to just have Mordin "modify" the Thanix canon so it one shots Reapers.   "Here, I'll just upgrade your assault rifle for 5000 element zero."   But I'm perfectly okay with the idea that they can be beaten with an extremely concerted galactic effort, a little bit of Prothean/Mordin science and one bad ass Shepherd.    

I'd probably be so frustrating with how I handled the Reapers if I had any control. Like you'd probably never see or interact with another one all the way until the end of the 3rd game, you'd never be able to call them out on any bullshit, and I'd make everybody so miserable because I'd never show earth in the first place.

I'd also probably put more Hanar in the game than people could handle. Like every place you go there's another goddamn Hanar just hanging out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaurenOrtega 

I'd also probably put more Hanar in the game than people could handle. Like every place you go there's another goddamn Hanar just hanging out.

 

There's always room for jello.

"Have you ever fought a Hanar commando force? Few humans have"

*The greatest firefight in Mass Effect then begins*

Goddamnit

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaurenOrtega 

"Have you ever fought a Hanar commando force? Few humans have"

 

 

*The greatest firefight in Mass Effect then begins*

I'd love to see an Elcor-Hanar throwdown, prefaced by a long winded debate between sides.

This one thinks you can go fuck yourselves

Spitting vitriolic anger - you're mother is a Volus

ME2 question for you guys:  I'm doing a playthrough and trying to expand my horizons by playing a vanguard.  I'm through the Mordin and Archangel recruitment missions and thinking about starting over as something else.  The charge power has been completely useless on Insanity.  I have it fully upgraded, but if I charge even 2 of the weakest opponents, I'm cut down by the other in the space of 2-3 seconds before I can find cover.  And once I'm down to a single opponent, I don't need a special power to take out the last.  What am I doing wrong?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwartz 

ME2 question for you guys:  I'm doing a playthrough and trying to expand my horizons by playing a vanguard.  I'm through the Mordin and Archangel recruitment missions and thinking about starting over as something else.  The charge power has been completely useless on Insanity.  I have it fully upgraded, but if I charge even 2 of the weakest opponents, I'm cut down by the other in the space of 2-3 seconds before I can find cover.  And once I'm down to a single opponent, I don't need a special power to take out the last.  What am I doing wrong?

Playing on Insanity with a new untried warrior class?

I didn't have any problem as a soldier or infiltrator.  I figured I'd get the hang of life without a sniper rifle eventually, but I really can't figure out how charge is supposed to be useful.

Insanity kind of necessitates Soldier, in my opinion, which in turn necessitates not playing on Insanity.

What was everyone's favorite? I love Adept, but I never tried Engineer.

I ended up playing Soldier most of the time.  Bland, but the global cooldown is just annoying.  I know it's so you can't spam powers, but still.

Soldier, I'm a meat and potatoes type myself.

Vanguard 4 Life, motherfuckers.  Charge is useless until it's all the way upgraded on higher difficulties, though. Going for the Advanced Powers upgrade, and grabbing Reave has been my almighty savior, though.