(with a special guest) #masseffect #masseffect #commandershepard #masseffectlegendaryedition #masseffect2legendaryedition #masseffect3 All voices heard are AI generated and not meant to confuse or misinform anyone.
You are so right ...which makes it even more disappointing how our "leaders" deal and approach each other in reality on almost every issue that needs action that leads to the best outcome that resolves each and every one of them...seems to hardly ever happen. The worse thing is that even when we all can agree and acknowledge a problem or issue exists that needs to be resolved /done/solved...( especially when its already something we can action /have the means to action already!) someone or something ensures that we haven't even been able to do what we knew had to be done (and not valid on any grounds /by any reason) and are still talking/arguing about it... Doh.
@brettcourtenay569 Most ppl can't even name a single federal policy passed or know what policies each candidate supports or want to put into law despite being on their campaign websites. It's not leaders it's ppl too apathetic to care about policy or vote.
The best ending is the one where Marauder Shields saves the player from all the heartbreak and disappointment of those three terrible endings by stopping Shepherd right before the final push to the Citadel.
Citadel DLC is the true ending for me, but between the other 3, it would have to be Destroy. As sad as it is having EDI and the Geth die, everyone knew the risks of fighting the Reapers, and they wouldn't even be the only genocide either, as the Elcor suffered severe casualties on their homeworld and may go extinct
Yeah, I always end on this DLC. I like to pretend it's after everything, when the Citadel is rebuilt. And I conveniently don't hear the lines about reapers.
ah but you see everything(and one) currently alive with synthesis is retained in every other synth so even if their bodies finally gave out before reproducing they and their knowledge would live on in the synth ending, so nothing would truly be lost
Don't even get me started on the Batarians. Kar'Shan was the first planet to be hit by the Reapers, and if you don't know Kar'Shan is the Batarian homeworld.
I’m a Destroy loyalist; leaving the Reapers alive in any form is taking a huge risk. You’re putting one race of synthetics ahead of the rest of the galaxy, and you’re sparing the race of genocidal super-synthetics in the process. Also, who’s to say the Reapers couldn’t find some way around the Control/Synthesis reprogramming? They probably could, considering how powerful they are, and how previous attempts at control have failed.
Literally not possible The AI has a core function design. It is not like edi where it can create and find new hobbies. It is programmed to find a solution. You dont have to like it, but it literally says synthesis is what the conclusion it has been looking for for countless cycles is. It also explains why it couldnt synthesize till shepard. Also synthesis literally returns each INDIVIDUAL REAPER BACK TO ITS RACE (that it was created out of) The catalyst is/are "the reapers" (the remotes controller) The actual Reapers are literally the toy helicopter/car being controlled I am a synthesis loyalist, but i will concede glowing eyes are retarded and the one thing i cant defend it is how theres not been a single other race with enough synthetics conjoined Also reminder that even Leviathan defended the AI. The only rebutal points he had were its organic ego. He says multiple times indicating he and his race simply due to organic reasons will not let themselves be overtaken by machines - STILL Defends the AI, its purpose and programing. Nothing other than organic ego as to why they are still alive
Same. On multiple playthroughs I decided to try another ending; to try control (because synthesis is so evil I can't even consider it). But when I'm standing there at the blue handles... I just can't do it. Only Destroy makes sense. And you can be damn sure that Edi would tell you to do it! And the Qorians can remake the Geth. There's no reason to believe that organics will inevitably repeat the mistakes of the Leviathons and those before. Destroy is also less "space magicy" than the other options. The crucible sent out a signal/pulse that destroyed/corrupted the reaper CODE. That's why they didnt blow up. There's no reason to believe that combining organics and synthetics (thus destroying both anyway!) will prevent conflict. All conflict in the mass effect trilogy revolves around the reapers which are already organic-synthetic hybrids. As for control... this is only safe if Shepard immediately steers all reaper tech into the stars to remove them. But it's untrustworthy. To be fair all options are untrustworthy. Even Destroy could be a trick to to make Shepard break the crucible.
Unlike Donald there I absolutely love and care for the Geth and Edi, but I still choose the perfect destroy ending every time. The other endings, even rejection, plays perfectly into the Catalysts plans and it also plays into the whole space opera story we have going on where Shepard clearly needs to have a heroic end, and I reject both of those. Perfect destroy may not bring the most peace or save the most lives in the end, but it gives all living beings, organics, the most freedom and lead to more interesting stories going forward.
@@gianlu5077 That was my logic as well. It pained me to wipe out the Geth. But I believed there could be a chance of reconstituting them, and arriving at a more equitable and real peace with sythetics without the reapers. We did it in that cycle, we could do it again, but this time with everyone aware of the need to get it right. The crucible says organics and sythetics can't cooperate, but he's always operating from the same reset point of civilizations inventing synthetics and not knowing how to handle them. Organics never were able to evolve past that initial point of conflict...until Shepard.
Also, the geth would understand. This is the only choice that allows the life to advance the way they want. And this is exactly what the geth wanted for themselves.
I have quoted admiral Hackett several times on this, "It will take time, but we can rebuild everything that was destroyed" -Admiral Steven Hackett Destroy ending, every time, all the time.
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
Rebuild everything just to destroy it again. The cycle never stops. With the Reapers destroyed, races fight for galactic dominance until they destroy each other.
I liked the idea of Refusal, as a way of essentially telling the devs that all of their ideas sucked and rejecting the very premise of the ending. Unfortunately, the devs only coded that one as a “screw you” to their critics, so yeah, it’s intentionally a horrible result.
@@JakeBaldwin1 The very least make it a low/mid level destroy esque ending in terms of damage (-the relay arrays and loss of geth+edi). With major damage and losses. It would make everything make sense and give a good scenario for rebuilding a majorly fractured galaxy with a lot of resentment.
@@JakeBaldwin1 that would have been cool but it kinda ruins the premise of them and its too anime and generic, the power of friendship and teamwork that defeats anything, even unstoppable space monsters like the Reapers, i think the idea of them being unbeatable in battle unless they are less than one or so is actually unique and thats what makes them terrifying, form ME1 we knew that the defeat of them was going to be some deactivation/control/magic sorta stuff and its fine that way, the problem is how they executed it...
@@Spillow-C I'm not talking about the power of friendship. I'm talking about a cruel, grueling, multi-century war of attrition that is only slightly better than the reapers wining. The galaxy is unrecognizable afterwards, many species are exterminated, entire star systems are obliterated, those who survive are nearly as cruel as the reapers themselves. What you fight for is survival, but was the cost worth it? Plus it would be a cool, nearly impossible to get, fourth option that requires you be as evil, cold, and calculating as the reapers themselves. Basically to get it you would have to go full evil bastard mode.
This is unironically the best coverage of each of the endings and the points supporters make. Like if any non-Mass Effect fan wanted to learn about the whole debacle, I'd straight up just show them this video. The only innacurate part is how articulate the three presidents are and that they rarely talked over each other lol. That's gotta be the most civilized political debate I've ever witnessed.
Strange that Donald makes all the right and correct observations and explanations. Destroy ending really stays to true to the whole point of the Reaper war.
Donald makes a number of extremely valid observations, which isn't undercut by him ignoring how his own preferred ending does the same thing as the one he's criticizing like how it is with Obama and Biden criticizing Synthesis and Control, respectively. Hell, Biden actually essentially admits it when he shuts down Barack by saying that God-Emperor Shepard shutting down conflict with the Reapers post-war is just a roundabout way of imposing his will on the galaxy, just the same as Synthesis is. He acknowledges his ending basically brainwashes everyone because it creates a peaceful future. Trump's main issue is just his disdain for synthetics, but his argument doesn't actually fundamentally change even if you're the most pro-AI player in the franchise. Hell, you could argue that you're actually respecting the wishes of EDI and the Geth by ensuring a future for everyone where they can advance on their own terms without the threat of the Reapers. Even if it leads to their death, it's bought something priceless.
Literally the only part of the Destroy ending that sucks is that all synthetics die, but I don't understand how if synthesis can do some weird magic to turn everyone into hybrids, why can't the Crucible only target the Reapers? It just doesn't make sense
@@alpacawithouthat987 It's my belief that the Catalyst was lying about that, and Destroy is basically just throwing out a kill code for anything running Reaper OS... which unfortunately by this point includes EDI and the Geth.
as a gamer, I wanted synthesis to really work, but being completely immersed into Shepard after conversation with Catalyst there was no way for me to make such volatile last minute decision, after all the AI fuck ups witnessed - and so I chose destroy
I'm going with Donald here, Destroy was the way to go. It was everything we were going to do since ME1. Plus, Saren was the definition of synthesis, but he was still indoctrinated. Illusive Man was the definition of control. He was for sure indoctrinated. Only option left to not be indoctrinated, destroy, and not just regular destroy maxed out war assets destroy. Indoctrination Theory gives a lot of support behind this. This is why I think the perfect destroy ending is the way to go and will be the Canon ending. I will say I love the Geth and EDI, unlike Donald lol, but the Reapers needed to go.
I actually really wish that even if Indoctorination might have not been the plan, they make it canon (nothing really contradicts it so it isnt even a redcon anywhere other than their internal documentation on lore). I personally am even fine with the "consequences" of Destroy being fake and a way for the Star Kid to manipulate us into other endings. A way to convince us its not the choice to make (even if it is). That way everyone is happy as the things they value are maintained and the ending actually becomes good by accident
Edi straight up declares she will die to broker piece in the galaxy. Legion proves the same by his actions. Destroy ending is the only way to go. The synthetics have every right to live just as much as the organics, but if you have to kill a few species to let the rest of the galaxy live--that's the cold equation we must accept. (I should say, I thoroughly adhere to the indoctrination theory. It's the only thing that makes any real sense--with the last boss battle being whether the player can see through the Star Child's indoctrination-driven deception. As you pointed out, TIM and Saren are both foils to Shepard. Both act as representations of how one can be led to fall into the Reaper's indoctrination without realizing--just as every control and synthesis selecting player does. It's the Star Child's last ditch effort to survive. From a literary standpoint, you don't make examples like the story did with those two antagonists unless they're meant to be warnings. It's also funny to note how, best case scenario, if you talk them to reason, both Saren and TIM realize destroying themselves is their best option.) Though indoctrination theory aside, destroy is still the best choice. Yes, it's only a temporary peace that could follow--but every option is. Much better than a virtually impossible to stop Control God Shepard inevitably going against organics/synths after being given infinite time to evolve away from their empathy, or magicking everyone into hybrids against their will--hybrids who have no reason to not continue their warring ways.
is it just me or are the quarian admirals embodiments of each ending? xen is control, gerral is destroy and koris is synthesis, and i guess raan is refusal? is that a coincidence?
It's more of a pattern. 3 viewpoints that were repeated in the trilogy. Saren is Synthesis, TIM is Control, and Alliance is Destroy. If you wanna get metaphorical, Engineer is Synthesis, Adept is Control, and Soldier is Destroy.
@@bengunn9670 he said that he wanted to merge with machine so that there will be strength for both and weakness for neither he even implanted himself with technology it's clear that sovereign was indoctrinating him to become a machine.
The problem with these endings is they're not built up to, explained properly, well written or explored enough for a true decision to be made. The star child is a new character only revealed at the very end of the third game and you basically have to trust them implicitly despite other characters throughout the series being shown to be untrustworthy and Reaper indoctrination being a very well known issue throughout the story. In fact you're reminded minutes before that this is a possibility when it becomes clear that the Illusive Man has become indoctrinated. As someone who believes in working together and solving problems and sees the Geth as people with a right to live I still choose perfect destroy even as a full paragon Shepard because you simply know so little about the catalyst and whether you can trust anything it is says that at least sticking to the original plan and not doing what it says seems the best option, even if a huge sacrifice is made, it just seems the other two options are traps. I think if you replaced the star child with Liara who had gained enough knowledge to work out what the Crucible would actually do then it would remove all the trust issues immediately as she is known to be loyal and honest. That said the lack of writing still holds this back as the endings need to be fleshed out more to really know what the player is choosing and quite frankly even then it would still be poor and disappointing. The Mass Effect Trilogy ending just sucks.
Right if the reapers really had the galaxy best interest at heart then the player should have been given something to open them up to that around the start of the game not in the final 3 minutes of the game.
Same reasoning here. There's every reason to distrust the Catalyst whether in terms of accuracy or intention. My head canon is that it was a last ditch effort at indoctrination and that EDI and the Geth aren't really dead, at least not permanently.
What i dont get is the fact that ME1 Soverign states there are worse threats than Reapers in dark space yet it wasnt explored at all. I was hoping ME3 would tease a threat worse than Reapers. Like we find out Reapers harvested races but kept them alive in VR or life pods like some matrix shit and we find out if the universe has too many intelligent races some bigger threat just wipes the universe completely..including reapers and non intelligent life.
I will not forget nor let it be forgotten that the original story for the third, as hinted by the discarded side plot mentioned in Tali's missions, was the use of Mass Effect fields (dark energy manipulation) was drawing too much energy from the whole of the universe and was accelerating its end, hence why stars in ME2 were burning hydrogen faster and dying sooner than should be. The ultimate choice of ME3 was to choose either to abandon ME tech and plummet the galactic civilizations dependant on it back to pre-warp drive technology, eliminating all things dependent on dark energy field manipulation (which also includes the Reapers/Leviathans) to keep the universe going, stranding everyone where they are; or, keep the tech to keep civilizations going with the hopes of finding an alternate energy source, not only hastening the end of the universe but keep the problems of the Geth, Rachni, Krogan population, tensions between Salarians and everyone else, and everything you've manipulated and cajoled into joining the war effort against the Reapers now coming down to bear. That would've been a very grim ending and I don't think Bioware had the creative balls to go that route for their mainstream juggernaut franchise. That's why the original writer for the first two games left after ME2; things were in place and not followed through right at the end, on top of what they arbitrarily changed in ME2's design. I will also never forget playing ME3 on launch, and the original endings all ending with the same static image in a different color option, then a pop-up saying, "Buy future DLC for continuing ME content!" was the last thing after the credits rolled. That was the biggest middle finger I've ever experienced playing a game, and the fact Bioware hastily rushed to put out the "expanded" ending patch for free which did nothing but add epilogues over artwork read by Lance Henriksen to smooth things over was just hilarious to me. No one got what they wanted, no one was happy, and nothing could be done about it. I couldn't help but laugh. That was the real ending to Mass Effect. EDIT: Oh, and Perfect Destroy is the only ending. It's morally questionable that we kill the synthetics and millions more, but to spare them is to elevate them above others. All life should be mutually disrespected if it is to be be seen as truly equal. We also built the synthetics and we could do it again later, it's not that big of a deal. We should also be reminded that the Geth were the most susceptible to indoctrination and some even willingly joined the Reapers without indoctrination (they are the recurring enemies of all three games). As much as I liked Legion and EDI, to keep them alive is to also keep alive the threat to all organic life. They are the easiest to sacrifice in that regard.
Original story seems dumb too tho. Frankly organics vs Synthetics is more interesting than environmentalism. The problem is just that is was executed poorly in the 3rd game.
"but to spare them is to elevate them above others" no, its not its to put synthetics/machine intelligence on PAR with organic life, with the destroy ending, your implying that organic life is the only living life there is, which is false...not to mention closeminded
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
I am glad they ditched that unbelievably clownshoes story about using up "too much" Mass Effect energy leading to accelerating the death of the universe. Its preposterous that what is essentially just using the electro magnetic spectrum(ME), from which reality is made up of, is being played into the already bogus special relativity "bending space" theory, which has been BTFO'd by real physicists(Not nobel prize chasing celebs.) for decades, and is the reason why coping article headlines about Einstein theory being "proved right again!" have to be created every year to distract from that fact. On top of that, a scenario where not even a millenium's worth of ME use in a single galaxy of a massively expansive universe(we are talking beings and constructs that are microscopic in the grand scheme of the universe.), is actually accelerating the death of the universe, is MASSively stupid. This proposal is some really bad elite, neofeudalist coping rhetoric and INDOCTRINATION, pushing a false scarcity/sustainibility scenario onto a nigh endless frontier. It was as stupid as when the Marvel Cinematic universe did this with Thanos by pushing their pitiful depopulation narrative onto all of fucking space, of all scenarios, when in the comics Thanos was not some population controller, he killed EVERYONE in the universe, for his own selfish desires toward a love interest. Letting elite, wealthy Malthusians(Closet Nazis if anything.) influence our writings and media was always a mistake.
If the Happy Ending Mod is an option, 100% with Bernie. Out of the three canon options tho, I usually go with either Destroy or Control depending on the Shepard I’m playing. More aggressive (not renegade. Aggressive.) Shepards who are soldiers and Vanguards usually pick destroy, while Adept and technicians usually go Control. Synthesis is weird, no one has the right to rewrite dna without consent. Bernie also brings up a point that the violent of the galaxy will still be that. I honestly think the best ending would have been a 5th where you let the battle of earth play out. If you have enough war score the Reapers get defeated through military might.
@@thomascarpenter715 Exactly. Make it really difficult to reach, so side missions throughout all 3 games are a necessity, but possible. Out of all the races purged by the reapers, this cycle is in the best position. They’ve gotten better armour and weapons through defeating Sovereign and have circumvented their Citadel Hack.
I never trusted synthesis. Why should people become peaceful, just because they are now half-synthetic-half-organic? Organics and Synthetics aren't even peaceful to their own kind. Reapers are even made out of organics, so they already are part synthetic, part organic. Does that make them peaceful? I don't think so! My guess is, that despite what the game tells you, nothing would actually change, and the catalyst just wants shepard to jump into an energy beam that disintegrates them, so they are out of the way and can't harm the reapers anymore.
That's incompatible with the lore and everything that goes down during ME3. The Milky Way races are not capable of defeating the Reapers through conventional military means, even at full power and mobilization. And we don't even have that, because the Humans and the Asari got suckerpunched by the Reapers. The Turians were the only ones putting up an actual fight, but even with Krogan support, they were just buying time. Adding the Geth and Quarian fleets would only delay the inevitable. Even the Protheans, a galaxy spanning empire with techonlogy superior to that of the species of the current cycle, was eventually defeated. The writers wrote the lore and ME3 in such a way that a Deus Ex Machina was the only way to win in the end.
@@justastudent1423 they could go the route of xcom 2. And invent some tecnology capable of hiding from the reaper. So you could do it and open the gate for a forth game when you destroy the reapers one by one. Its only a matter of time until you eliminate then all
Regardless of whether Bioware intended it or not, I am convinced that the Catalyst is lying (or at least bending the truth) throughout the ending. I mean, Shepard just arrived at the device that is supposed to be able to destroy the Reapers (presumably by sending out a signal that overrides their programming and commands them to shut down) and suddenly the entity that created them appears and is like "hey, cool, so here are the three ways you could use this, btw one is *definitely* worse than the others so don't do that"? No way. It's obviously a last-ditch effort by the Reapers to continue to exist in some form by convincing Shepard not to use the Crucible the way it was intended. My interpretation, then, is that Synthesis, as the Catalyst's preferred option, simply allows the Reapers to do what they were planning to do all along, with Shepard being none-the-wiser after "sacrificing" herself. Control sends out the signal to take control of the Reapers as planned, but instead of commanding them to shut down, Shepard gives in to the temptation to use them to her own ends; the Catalyst is fine with this option because it is confident that over time, Shepard will start to think like it does. And finally, Destroy follows through with the original plan and shuts down the Reapers as expected while doing *nothing* to the Geth or EDI because destroying them was never what the Crucible was designed to do anyway and including that "price" was just the Catalyst's way of trying to dissuade Shepard from using the Crucible as intended. So yeah. Destroy all the way.
Unfortunately, EDI and the Geth aren't just normal synthetics. EDI is literally the rogue Luna Base AI running significant amounts of Sovereign code, and the Geth upload Reaper code into themselves if they survive Priority: Rannoch. From the perspective of a kill code for the Reapers, they might very well count.
I disagree in that it has to actively bring you to it, otherwise, the battle would unfold as normal. It lying only makes sense if theres a shot of it losing. Which hey, I think it could, but bioware tells us repeatedly that it cannot while showing us killing reapers a bunch. It choosing to kill the Geth and EDI though, out of spite or last ditch programming, I'd buy that.
I never understand how AI could become organic/synthetic hybrid in the first place. They don't have body, they are data. EDI's robot form is just a platform she uses to help Shepard, she still exists within Normandy's system at the same time.
The endings only make sense as they are presented if you take the Star Child at it's word, which you shouldn't. The "destroy" ending destroys all synthetics, and the Star Child specifically tells you that Shepard is "part-synthetic"; which doesn't make any sense since with a high enough score Sheppard can survive the destroy ending. There's always the possibility that the entire ending sequence happens exclusively in Shepard's head, which has a lot of well reasoned argument behind it as well. There's a certain logic in the idea that why the ending is so "bad" is because it feels off, and it was intentionally designed to feel off, since it was entirely allegorical. Mass Effect 4 could take any path, but considering the degenerating state of modern AAA game development, including Bioware; it's not going to "fix" the Mass Effect 3 ending, but make things worse.
"There's always the possibility that the entire ending sequence happens exclusively in Shepard's head" *No, there isn't. We, the player, see the outcomes of our actions, not in Shepard's mind.* "There's a certain logic in the idea that why the ending is so "bad" is because it feels off, and it was intentionally designed to feel off, since it was entirely allegorical." *It's doesn't feel 'off', it's just not good.*
Indoctrination theory is not cannon. Everything being inside Shepard's head would also be awful. That would honestly be an even bigger middle finger than the endings we got.
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
Shepard cant survive the destroy ending. He takes a final breath before he dies. All of the technology used in the intro sequence for the lazarus project are the only things keeping him alive. if you destroy all technology then all of those micro machines in him are destroyed too and those are the only thing keeping him alive.
My biggest gripe with the destroy ending is that if you managed to get the geth to be on your side, you are essentially destroying them. And if you're a Legion fanboy like I am, it just feels like everything you did was for nothing. But other than that, I do see the Destroy ending as the best possible option.
Honestly the geth can only be dead if the quarians let them stay dead. They started out as automated labour equipment who eventually became smart enough for self awareness, same with edi being a training facilities vi on the moon. Whose to say they can't simply replicate the process to "bring them back" from the dead. Besides even the destroy ending isn't a guaranteed way that Ai are gone for good. The energy field that destroyed the reapers would have to as a by product destroy all mass effect technology that allows for the creation of ai in the first place and in the ending everyone is still able to travel the galaxy and rebuild their society's back to what it once was. What's stopping anyone from doing the same with the geth and edi but like i said they're not gonna be the same but a very close second. At least in theory or something idk im not a robotics expert
The issue with the endings really is that you never ever get to see a real summary of the impact of you choice. I mean literally before the extended cut patch we saw quite literally nothing, but now we just get a slide show which is still woefully inadequate. There really needed to be an extended epilogue chapter, maybe you just play a few missions as Liara or something. Don’t understand why they phoned it in so hard.
Dragon Age Origins and Inquisition did this, where all your choices have get a dedicated epilogue to them where you get to read about the extended consequences of your choice. Dunno why they couldn’t have done that.
Refusal ending is the best because Liara seeds your image and advice to the next generation so that a galaxy of worthwhile organisms can win instead of fighting to preserve a bunch of mouthbreathers who didn't listen to you until it was too late. I was hoping to do something like that before I even knew what the reapers were.
The fact BioWare wasn’t even aware of the indoctrination theory while making the game tells me there is no meta. The colour endings are supposed to be blue=paragon, red=renegade and green=compromise, at least in BioWares mind.
Indeed that theory is obviously not correct, thankfully. Fans were disappointed with the ending, and some of the more cringe ones managed to come up with an idea 50x worse to try and 'fix' it.
I'll still always be absolutely astonished that it wasn't intended. They literally gave you bizarre dreams almost identical in description to Saren's own in the first game. The Illusive Man literally uses his indoctrination control powers to make you shoot Anderson. There isn't a damn way they didn't see that implication.
@@Kylephibbsky There is no implication. Indoctrinating someone's conciousness takes months of prolonged exposure to reaper tech. It's a dumb theory and I wish it would die in a fire.
The renegade option would actually be blue, and to confirm this we just need to think about what the Illusive Man wanted. The colors don't represent the morality system, maybe it was a trick to play with the players minds, all thinking "oh I'm going for blue because I'm paragon" and they do exactly what the Illusive Man wanted which sounds outrageous if you are going for paragon.
(only about halfway through the vid so if this is already mentioned sorry) trump unsurprisingly had the best take in the bunch destroy is the only good ending. not only is it the only way shepard can "survive" but it concludes what you've been trying to do for 3 games, stop the reapers. control and synthesis are the Illusive man and sarens respective ideologies and you kill both of them if you choose either of those endings then you might as well have sided with either of them. Edit: keep in mind EVERY race showed up to stop the reapers everyone laid down their lives to protect not just the billions alive but the future trillions to be born. The sacrifice of the geth and edi is unfortunate but compare one race to thousands of ones in the future.
My first playthrough, which I went into totally blind, I got the refusal ending. I was poopin' around trying to make up my mind about the endings when I shot the catalyst just for kicks. And that was that. And honestly, I'm actually happy with that ending. None of the other choices actually seem like reasonably good ones. I'm willing to accept that Shepard and his team ultimately failed, and that it was an unknown group of heroes in the next cycle that saved the galaxy from the reapers.
Destroy is the only good ending It removes the Reapers ENTIRELY, meaning there’s never a change of a harvest happening again. In control, Shepard holds the reapers as a gun to the galaxy’s head, forcing peace. Synthesis has the reapers co-exist with you, which for a race of synthetics that actively mind control entire civilizations the Star child could change the code whenever they want and become hostile again. It’s also a MASSIVE decision that Shepard is in no decision to make. Destroy removes the reapers entirely. This will never be an issue. Yes, EDI and the Geth are now dead, but this is a result if horrendous writing. Geth have ALWAYS described themselves as software, the hard constructs are just tools, it’s not really them. Even after what Legion did. The individual pieces of code are what make them, them. Does the Crucible have the ability to literally wipe all electronics? It doesn’t, because the Normandy gets repaired and still works. If anything, all we’ll see happen is EDIs body is destroyed but her AI is still on the Normandy. The Geth platforms go silent but their servers still exist. There’s nothing that we see that can say that the Geth can’t just rebuild themselves, or EDI gets another body. Hell, the Catalyst even tells you you will die as you are partly synthetic, whereas the one ending where Shepard doesn’t literally turn to mush it’s the one where he can live.
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
Destroy may kill the Reapers entirely but it still leaves their corpses lying around all over the galaxy, there is no way that this is not going to lead to disaster with the unscrupulous having unlimited access to them.
True ending, the fleet beats the reapers in a straight up fight. Then reason why the reapers used the Citadel as a trap was to remove the leadership and destroy the capital fleet. They did this every cycle. Every cycle, that is, except for this one. Javik's people made their sacrifice, honor it. The reapers have never fought a fleet this large and this coordinated.
Destroy all the way: -Reapers are the combination of organic beings living in a Robotic body! -The geth are always willing to lay their lives down as is EDI. -Synthetics can be REBUILT even if we know they may not be the same but we can make amends. -Our goal was to stop the Reapers NOT sympathize with them. -Our Shepard was told they would die and yet Shepard lives. Highlighting that the Destroy ending didn't do it's job. -Sacrifice is what had to be done regardless if it was organics and sythetics as that is the theme od ME3 sacrifice at all cost. Thane, Mordin, Legion, Kirrahe, Miranda, Jack, Talyor, Victus Son, Char the krogan, jacks biotic students/biotic classmate, and more. Too many lives died hoping to beat the Reapers and the countless races that sacrifice everything just for this one chance to beat them. -Control was only possible when the Reapers allowed it to divide the organics and synthesis was their end goal. -saren wanted to believe synthesis was possible but was a puppet for the Reapers. T.I.M believed in control yet was a puppet of the Reapers. Because our Shepard is not a slave to the Reapers they are in a desperate position to find someway to continue their ideas. -Anderson in the Citadel DLC sums up why Destroy ending is the best and canonical choice. When doing an interview he mentions on how a good leader should value their men over the success of the mission, but sometimes the success of the mission is more important than your men. -if your shepard can leave certain squadmates to die because you don't like them -can betray friends when faced down to it -willing to do horrible or kind acts that can put other peoples lives on the line then what is your excuse for synthesis ans control when logically you have followed the path of Destroy ever since ME1. -kill wrex or not -sacrifice the council or doom more human lives to stop the Reapers/Saren. -leave kadien or ash beyhind because you don't like either character..... Thus Destroy from both a story, moral, and logical mindset makes the most sense as neither control nor synthesis should be when you factor in everything.
I've definetely gotta go with Donny T on this one, but only because the other two endings have much more unpredictable, and thus much more dangerous, implications. Control is by far the worst of the three, given how A. the starchild is still around, a being whose actual motives can never be discerned or understood, and thus still poses a threat in of itself, but also, as Bernie put it, no one individual or conciousness could never rule over a people, let alone the entirety of organic life, while still keeping their best interests in mind. "It" (which I say as can we even consider that voice to be Sheperd anymore? I mean it even refers to human Sheperd in the third person, implying how detached they are from one another) will undoubtedly come to the same conclusion that the catalyst did and just repeat the cycle again, irrespective of what fragments of ideals it wished to preserve when it was first "born". The bottom line is that it leaves too much up to chance, and so I just would not sit right with me if it were to happen. Now, as far as the Synthesis ending, something seems to offputting in how "perfect" they try to make the ending out to be. An ending that just puts a magic band-aid on all of the problems that we, as Sheperd, have fought over the course of the three games almost feels like it underminds the philosophy of what "life" (both organic, and free-thinking synthetics in this case) serves to accoplish: struggle. By going through with this ending, (which to my understanding links the conciousnesses of all organic and synthetic life in a way similar to pre-Legion Geth) it gives an impression that stuggles like hunger, conflict, sadness and all these other things that make us, not just human, but alive, just... disappear. I mean, be honest, would any of y'all still have a hard-on for Tali or Liara if you couldn't see them suffer hardships and grow, both emotionally and as individuals as a result of their hapless circumstances, and instead just be other being that happens to exist at the same time as you? Now, of course, something that makes us or someone else feel "alive" outside viewer contrastly starkly to something still, nonetheless, being better. To those who mention this, I would ask that you reflect upon your own life: how have your struggles, hardships, and perserverence shaped you into the person you are today? Would you have preferred if any and all of these misfoutune never happened and were replaced by perfection? Of course, this is a bit extreme and my theory of all conflict being resolved by this ending is a bit speculative, but I mean... this entire ending is about using some space-magic bs to link the minds of all life anyway, so it's not like everything else I've said about this ending is any less realistic. In summary, while this ending does seem appealling, it does ultimately undermind what makes life... life. This leaves us the Destroy ending, which, may have felt like a worse ending when we got it, but I feel is still the best choice for the galaxy. Yes: it did wipe out the entirety of the sentient Geth we tried so hard to brooker piece for, as well as the only lass that was going to let Joker's goofy ass hit, but it still allows what life that does remain think and behave freely: to struggle and make mistakes on their own accord. THIS is what seperates organic life from something like the Geth before Legion "liberated" them all: it is not an algorthic or code that always finds a right or wrong answer, or may even intentionally pursue an incorrect answer. Life is not a force of nature that stays constant so long as it exists, such as how an object will always fall down if it is released from a height, or how water will evaporate if and only if it is hot enough (or any other condition like pressure or volume, but you get my point). It is intentionally capable of defying what may "seem" ideal because that is what makes it alive, unique, not just a component of nature, but a force of nature itself. Getting back on topic, the Destroy ending is the only fate that ensures that this quality of life is maintained indefinitely, something that cannot really be said about the other two ends. Yes, with this ending, conflicts will inevitably re-arise, and life will continue to slay life (which isn't entirely bad because fuck Batarians), but (assuming life in the Milky Way learn from history and don't make Reapers 2.0) it nonetheless allows this idea of "what life is and what does it stand to accomplish" to be maintained in the end. Plus, you already know my man's got that Quarian gwak-gwak the second he got out of intensive care, so... take that as you will. And, if you bothered to read this far, just know that the "Happy ending" mod is the actual canon ending, because, as far as I'm concerned, Mass effect 4 is nothing but a myth, and so whatever makes me feel better is objectively correct.
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
I'm gonna go with Donnie my man. I believe that Hackett said in that ending something about AI being regulated and controlled, to ensure that this kind of war never happens again. This is like in wh40k when they restriced all use of Advanced AI after a big war with synthetics. Surely loosing EDI and Legion is sad however there are sacrifices to be made and no decision can be ideal. Contoll is also a considerable option, however, no guarantee that Shepard will remain sane after having his consciousness merged with an AI. Synthesis imho is a typical happy ending, which does not seem real. I believe it was added after a patch where they reworked all endings. Seems like Bioware were just trying to satisfy those who were crying about bad endings by adding a new happy one. Also yeah, hard to believe that all it takes to change the DNA of all galactic species and Synthetic programming and merge it all together is Shepard suiciding into an energy beam.
Synthesis has been there since the beginning. The only thing patched in were two things. 1. The Galactic Readiness was dropped to where you could actually reach the best possible end state without the multiplayer (which was promised pre-release but originally impossible before said patch) 2. Ending slideshows, a modified Ending cutscene, and detailed Ending narrations. Originally you picked a color and the only bit shown was the cutscenes in space, and the relays originally straight exploded like the one in ME2's Arrival DLC rather than simply breaking the rings. Also, I personally would've liked the ability to end on a better note after multiple games worth of investment, but Synthesis is definitely the bottom of the possible runners up behind a happy end imo.
Synthesis was always an option, however it was the hardest one to unlock, this was part of the argument for it being the best ending. Shepard lives/Destroy is the hardest ending in the game, but since Destroy is already unlocked, and in the worst case scenario your literal only option, this is kind of waved off
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
The Destroy ending feels like the entire point of the trilogy completed, we came to defeat and destroy the reapers for good, this is the one ending that actually achieves that, the other two are deviations from the origional goal, the sacrifice was designed to give you a sense that your actions have consequences, but your goal from the start was to make the choice nobody else could. Your supposed to destroy the reapers, even if that means the geth die, EDI dies, and millions more synthetics die, because its the only ending where the destructive outcome actually gives anyone a chance to rebuild. In irony, its not impossible that we couldnt find ways to rebuild EDI or the Geth, but it is literally impossible to trust the outcomes of Control or Synthesis. Both effectively end with AI winning and the Reapers winning which is not the end you came to achieve, understanding the Reapers may help us see a better grasp of them, but the reapers are, and always have been the enemy. Remember, Sovereign wanted to wipe out every last person on the Citadel and begin the destruction of the Reapers goal, Habringer literally harvests species to turn them into its constructs. There is literally no benefit, at all, to trying to reason with the Reapers.
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
Under Control or Synthesis, the Reapers are no longer following the logic of the AI to kill and harvest every race until it finds a better solution or understanding. Control literally turns Shepard's consciousness into the Reapers, finally granting them understanding. They were the first to achieve peace between organics and synthetics. Synthetic is the solution by removing the lines between organics and synthetics. There is no individuality, everyone understands everything about everyone. There is no reason to fight. An immoral decision to force it upon everyone, sure. But I appreciate the irony to sacrifice morality in order to achieve true utopia for all. To bring heaven to the Galaxy, Shepard literally sacrifices everything. Destroy is the ending where nothing changes in the long run. Every race is still looking out for their interests, and fighting for dominance. There's going to be another Illusive Man, or Urdnot Wreave.
@@federicodicampli3624 They may not be hive-minded, but Synthesis still changes people at a molecular level, our neurons and our brainwaves define who we are, our human behavior, and the decisions we make. What does Synthesis entail for such? Does it make the Yahg pacified and peaceful? The new DNA framework transforms us completely, so for all we know... Synthesis EDI in the ending may not be the same EDI you know, but she believes herself to be. We just don't know for sure. Control Ending is likely the only Ending that saves EDI but doesn't change who she is. If even extreme and hostile personalities like Sovereign and Harbinger as Reapers are fundamentally changed as a whole... then it is still reprogramming. Synthesis changes everything. It makes the races of the Milky Way accept the help and aid of the Reapers who have killed trillions of innocent life, I'm pretty sure no one sane would allow this, no amount of understanding and interlink network between species is enough to change this fact. The Reapers are still Reapers, they are super-weapons designed to kill and devour, if Synthesis cannot change this, then the cycle can still repeat itself in a different way, but if Synthesis can change the nature of the Reapers... then this is considered reprogramming. So Synthesis is genetic reprogramming.
Destroy is the best ending. The Reapers are bullies. True bullies NEVER think the tables are gonna be flipped and THEY'LL be the one without power. When you reach the Catalyst, the Reapers are suddenly under threat for the first time, and they try to fool you into doing anything but pressing the button. That's why they metaphorically hold the geth hostage. But it's the "we don't negotiate with terrorists" situation. You can't let the survival of one prevent you from prioritizing the survival of many.
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
Also as terrible as it is that all the synthetic personalities you know are presumed gone. They are just that, synthetic. They can be remade or in the image of new creators with all the lessons of the war learned. Organic life in the other 3 endings get annihilated by the reapers, have imposed threat for some Pax Shepherd by a God AI, or forcing all life, Synthetic and Organic into some kind of alike state. Even if it removed conflict in a genuine manner, this was not something that should have been arbitrarily done by one individual among Trillions. Perfect Destroy is the only ending that truly respects the miracle that is Random chance of Life. Its very spontaneous ability to form as opposed to Synthetics who need an engineer, proves its inherent and superior worth when the option of sparing EDI takes precedent over all other life.
@@nathanlobono5818 Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
I used to like synthesis because I didn't want the Geth and Edi to die but seeing the discussion I realise that Edi and Geth would probably want us to pick destory if it means a galaxy free from the Reapers in which life is free to dictate it's own path.
Perfect Destroy remains the best ending. Synthetics are still machines, and machines can be rebuilt/fixed just like the Mass Relays. It gives the best chance at organic life having freedom and allows for future stories to be told. Control turns Shepard into an AI dictator, even if he's a Paragon. He's no longer the player character and, therefore, no longer under the player's control. He could and would make decisions fitting for a soulless AI just like the AI that created the Reapers. As for Synthesis, it might be the worst of all. Every organic and synthetic being in the galaxy is changed without choice or consent. There's no more conflict, but is there free will? Are people still making choices, or is the galaxy now just the Collectors on a larger scale? A big thing to note is Shepard's eyes during each ending. BioWare made it a point to show that Shepard's eyes turn into the Illusive Man's eyes in the Control and Synthesis endings but remain the same during the Destroy ending.
Control sounds alot like the plot to portal, where they turn a human consciousness into an ai and made that ai in charge of everything. A facility will end up dead because of this but in this case the facility is the entire milky way.
Perfect Destroy is the the only ending that makes sense to me. Through the entire series Commander Shepard constantly reiterated the desire to rid the galaxy of the Reapers. Saren wanted Synthesis, TIM wanted Control; why choose their way when we fought against them and their ideals throughout the entirety of Mass Effect? Both of them are essentially seen as foils to Shepard; and the end result of their chosen paths are displayed in full view to the player. Not to mention Javik can be seen as the 'Commander Shepard' of his time; and his only goal was to see the destruction of the Reapers. Javik: "Among my people, there were... avatars of many traits: bravery, strength, cunning; a single exemplar for each." Shepard: "Which are you?" Javik: "The embodiment of vengeance. I am the anger of a dead people. Demanding blood be spilled for the blood we lost. Only when the last Reaper has been destroyed will my purpose be fulfilled. I have no other reason to exist." *Shepard motions to the marines to leave* Regarding Control: Many seem to forget what the Prothean VI, Vendetta, mentioned on Thessia in ME3. Shepard: "What happened to the Crucible in your time? Why didn't the Protheans deploy it?" Vendetta: "We were sabotaged from within. A splinter group argued we should *dominate* the Reapers rather than destroy them. It fractured our order of battle. Later we discovered the separatists were indoctrinated." Javik: "I always suspected as much." Regarding Synthesis: Shepard plays God and rewrites all life in the galaxy without consent (perhaps more Renegade than Destroy). Could essentially be tied into what Vendetta mentioned on Thessia as well. It rids the Catalyst and Reapers of their biggest threat in Shepard.
I have a issue with this. TIM wanted to weaponize the reapers AS WEAPONS, tools of war against other races. He wasn't going for the control ending, as control have Shepard keeping the peace and using the reapers and it's tech to rebuild and create, something TIM always used to subvert and destroy. I wouldn't give ten days for humans to become husks if TIM could control the reapers without the catalyst. Saren didn't even got close to synthesis, he was just a "collector", people get that notion by a single phrase "the advantages of both, the weakness of neither". All the game he wanted to SERVE the reapers, not reach a consensus with them, just like people eras ago served the leviathans as thralls, which isn't even close to synthesis. So if Shepard is RENEGADE and pissed off, yeah, destroy works. However if he actually thinks about his enemies and their m.o, then no destroy makes no sense. Not only can he NOT control another reaper creation in the future but he left REAPER FUCKING TECH ALL AROUND for...lemme see...just about EVERYONE. It takes no genius to know that leaving reaper tech, even if it isn't functioning... isn't a good move. In Tali loyalty mission you can see that totally deactivated geth could be activated again, and in destroy ending the Normandy can still function, so they can be reactivated. This could also be the plot for ME4, reaper activation.
@@Palatinus-Z Regarding your first point: Weapons are tools. Tools are used as a means to an end; be they inanimate objects or sentient beings. A tool does not choose to accomplish its task; it is *controlled* by whoever or whatever to accomplish said task (regardless if a tool is used to destroy/kill or construct/create). Second point: In regards to that phrase by Saren; synthetics are machines, albeit sentient ones. Saren's point, while under the guise of indoctrination, still stands in regards to Synthesis. The strengths of both organic and synthetic life are intertwined. He goes on to mention that "I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true *rebirth.*" Essentially during the Synthesis ending, all life is reborn as a "union of flesh and steel" (synthetic). Saren uses a bit of colorful rhetoric, but the meaning is the same. Mordin also makes a small pass at Synthesis/Saren and the aforementioned strengths in ME2 during the conversations aboard the Normandy regarding the Protheans-turned-Collectors: "No glands, replaced by tech. No digestive system, replaced by tech. No soul. Replaced by tech. Whatever they were, gone forever." Now of course this doesn't mean organic life in the galaxy lose their organs, but he raises a good point: At what point during this merging does organic life lose individuality and what made them what they are? Mordin further explains: "Disrupts socio-technological balance. All scientific advancement due to intellegence overcoming, compensating, for limitations. Can't carry a load, so invent wheel. Can't catch food, so invent spear. Limitations. No limitations, no advancement. No advancement, culture stagnates. Works other way too. *Advancement* before culture is ready. Disastrous." For example: How would the Krogans live without conflict in a future utopia of Synthesis; without the crucible of survival that shaped their evolution (and the very being of who they were as a people)? Third point: Shepard does not have to be Renegade to pick Destroy. Paragon Shepard has had to make 'Renegade' choices throughout the series regardless of what the player picked in terms of morality. The biggest example was during the Arrival DLC when they had to choose to destroy an entire Batarian system to stop the Reapers from swarming through its Mass Relay. Slightly different context, but the principle remains the same: Destroy one group of sentient life to save another (majority). Another way to think about it is that Shepard is a soldier. Their job is to eliminate a threat and not worry about the consequences afterwards. To quote Javik again, "You and I, Commander... War is our sculptor. And we are prisoners to its design." But yes, I do agree with you in that tech is not completely destroyed during the Destroy ending. Otherwise the fleets would not be seen making their way back from Earth. Perhaps the plot for ME4 is Reaper reactivation; maybe in regards to a bigger threat from outside the Milky Way (or that encompasses the universe as a whole? ex. dark energy plot). Or maybe just to bring the Reapers and Commander Shepard back for another go-around. Will be interesting to see for us Mass Effect fans.
What's ignored in the destroy argument is that EDI and the geth would likely choose destroy themselves. Every good person, every person uncorrupted by the reapers or head on straight, is consistently pro "Destroy the reapers" or "Dead reapers is how we win this" only thought being mind-controlled even partially think working with (Saren or read Synthesis) or control them (TiM) is a good idea. EDI's personal arch conversations of her finding a personality and humanity is saying she'd die for Joker to protect him. The geth only wanted to exist and defended themselves from the quarians attempting to shut them off, but are willing to basically revert to a serving group to the quarians in the Control ending extended cut with them and the quarians working together, with the geth helping to jumpstart the quarian immune system that those alive can even live suit less on the planet. They still love their creators and want to serve or help them. Both show they're willing to die if it protects the things they care for. Every good, not indoctrinated person in the series is consistent with wanting to destroy the reapers. Destroy is the best ending.
EDI yes, the geth I'm not so sure. I think any individual geth would happily die for the greater good, but genocide is a whole other thing. Can you think of any cause where you'd willingly exterminate the entire human race with the push of a button? I couldn't make that decision.
This is the best discourse on this series ending that I’ve ever seen, legitimately the only piece of media I’ve seen go over all the angles. You’re an OG for that
Even though the destroy ending destroys Edi and the Geth, what’s stopping everyone from rebuilding them. Surely the Normandy after being repaired may have vestiges of EDI in its memory core or something and the quarians could easily rebuild and restore the geth. If anything it can be a second chance for the geth at least
Exactly Literally nothing It doesn’t destroy technology. It just destroys hard constructs and the reaper AI (assuming the Catalyst is the sole server they operate out of) If it wiped ALL AI/VIs, the destroy ending would easily be the worst in the game, as now everyone is marooned on earth with no hope of rebuilding or escaping without advanced tools and machinery.
@@TheOriginalPoon I mean we literally see Hackett and the fleet going past a destroyed mass relay all fine and dandy, so I think people overreact to the damage that the good destroy ending causes, well unless it’s the bad destroy ending
People have been saying this since the game came out and it has always seemed like cope to me. Could a version of EDI be reproduced? It's very possible but she would in no way be the same as she had been before because she had been shaped by her experiences over the course of 2 games, that's the entire point of her personal story, it's how she finds her humanity. Based on this logic I could say that in an ending where Shepard dies you could just clone him and solve the issue that way, but we see how this works out in the citadel dlc. The clone had the body and the mind of Shepard but none of the formative experiences and so was an inferior product in every way. If you have to insert your own headcanon to wipe away the negative consequences of destroy then you don't really like the destroy ending at all. Which would make sense because obviously none of the endings are all that satisfying. Also just so we're clear I'm guilty of cope too. I like control because I know that my Shepard would use the reapers to rebuild the mass relays and restore peace and then pilot them into the nearest sun and rid the galaxy of them once and for all. Sometimes the mental gymnastics are necessary lmao.
@@TheLaserJim I see your point but I think it ignores that Shepard is a Human and Edi is a Robot. We can actually perfectly recreate a line of code, we can’t recreate a human mind. Edi’s “experiences” are just additions to her line of code. There’s nothing in the game that says or implies that AI won’t function in the future, and there’s nothing that says that AI isn’t still fundamentally a machine. I don’t think it’s headcannon or cope, I think it’s basic logic tbh That doesn’t mean that destroy is the best choice necessarily, but it does mean that the original commenter’s point is solid.
Unless I'm mistaking the Star Child doesn't actually say that all synthetics are guaranteed to be wiped out with the destroy option, it says something like that it might or could happen..At least that's how I remember it, but maybe it's just my brain malfunctioning.. On top of that it also says that the Crucible appears to be mostly intact, which suggests that it's missing a few nuts and bolts that could affect it's power output.. Both points leave a tiny bit of wiggle room for at least some of the Geth to survive, EDI seams unlikely because she fails to outrun the blast.. But to make sure I will immediately jump into the game and finish the playthrough that Ihat I abandoned over a year ago..
These are all very good points and counter points. I'm a destroy ending loyalist also. I'd like to add that in the destroy ending we never actually see the Geth or Edi killed from this cataclysmic event but more so implied. If Bioware are going down the path I think they are going this is about reforming a galaxy with battle scars. Reconstruction in the slides is something we may actually get to work on first hand. That and I don't think the Geth are dead I think Bio are going to explain an aspect of the crucible not targeting all synthetic life like we were told by the lying, conniving, visage of the Reapers known as star child. I will always be convinced that the star child apparition is an attempt to indoctrinate and control Shepard by playing on the nightmares they had leading up to this point. I am excited for closure and if we don't get the game we want eh we have the trilogy and personalized head cannon. EDIT: Wow you know what yeah if they just rearranged the Citadel DLC and tweaked some dialogue that honestly would have been fantastic are as a final hurrah but I'm still with Perfect Destroy.
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
Im with donny on this. However its so gimmicky how it just happens to kill geth and other synthetics, when the crucible was designed before they existed and was created to kill reapers. Odd how it would even recognize synthetics that weren't even around. Also! "Even you are part synthetic" what the child says to Shep. Meaning he would die. Yet perfect destroy they are breathing! What even classes as "synthetic" reapers are a sentient machine. Not like metal parts in a quarians suit or Shep. I COULD understand some geth being fried that have reaper code since the crucible again, was made to stop them, and geth having that code would classify as a reaper sure. But they could be rebooted no doubt. Or remade, problem solved, also EDI was an AI. "Data" she could also be rebooted and uploaded onto a "suit" again. The endings do ruin the whole journey tbh, its a big contradictory mess that feels lazy. If they went indoctrination route and after we complete it, it makes us think we beat it but it goes back, tricking us, and Shep snaps out of it, I'd be down for that. The destroy ending has 3 versions, its also silly how kills everyone if bad, why the heck does it change based on EMS rating? What's that have to do with altering a decision, like the machine somehow changes it's purpose because you have a few more troops. God its actually senile the whole ending in general... But out of the 3, perfect destroy is the best by far. Every time. The other 2 are silly, I'd expect no less from sleepy Joe, get him his meds
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
Whilst far from perfectly excecuted, it being a moral dilemma is a fantastic idea for a story like ME I usually go Destroy because I think that the sysnthetics are equals, and choosing a worse option to save some elevates them above the others, its still a moral failure - but like so many things in life its not a perfect solution Control places you as a dictator - an interesing reflection on our agency as a player, but consider that our understanding of others remains limited, like any dictator and no matter how well meaning, misunderstanding will inevetably lead to failure. Worst option of the 3 imo - but I have personal greviences with power figures failing Synthesis is werid. It is non-consentual but does give us all the ability to understand one another. If it had been setup better it might have worked but it seems to easy/what the catalyst wants - also reminds me of saren back in ME1. Whos to say who is in control?. Ideally its probably the best but is too poorly explained. Also neither the Geth/ EDI / myself wanna loose our individuality, maybe it remains but again, poorly explained and rammed in by Bioware at the end. Still the no clear answer apporach keeps people debating it and thats whats interesting, even if its not what ME deserved, its still better then so many other stories ending and ME3 is still incredible.
It's headcanon, but I won't be dissuaded from the idea that, under a good Destroy ending, the geth and EDI can be repaired. The Normandy includes Reaper-derived technology and we see it flying again, and Hackett talks about rebuilding the mass relays which are entirely Reaper-derived. If we can rebuild the mass relays, we can fix EDI and the geth, no sweat. That's why, for me personally, it's no contest. That said, have to love how much debate it stirs up even so many years later.
@@TCM_Hutchie Thats an intesting debate on life right there. Could EDI / Geth be rebuilt - or "if this unit has a soul", what would become of it when they died - then again shepard dies for 2 years. Its one of many interesting layers of meaning in the mass effect story that makes me love it
Honestly they made excellent points for all of the endings and at the same time all of those points were flawed because all of the endings have their moral dilemmas. Im all for synthesis though!
The whole plot of the Mass Effect Trilogy is simple from the beginning: "Destroy The Reapers" - Control is what an indocrinated Illusive Man proposed, so what makes anyone think the Reapers, an ancient and legendary genocidal race would give a mere human the knowledge to subjulgate them? It makes no sense at all. Oh, and let's not forget that even if it were true, the Reapers could find a way to break Shepard's hold over them after some time, as they are known to be uncontrollable. Not to mention that Shepard as an all-powerful being would not make everyone happy, so wars and rebellions against the Reapers would probably happen. - Synthesis is even worse. You just have to blindly follow the advice of a mythical out-of-control AI that has been commiting mass genocide for the last billions of years. You would alter the very fabric of organic life, trying to create a perfect utopia that would probably end in an authoritarian galactic regime by the Reapers or an outright collapse of all civillizations, and eventual extinction of life as we know it. No one should have the right to decide such a fate for an entire galaxy. And don't even get me started on the Refusal ending. Destroy is the only logical ending to the Trilogy. You are Commander Shepard, and you are the vanguard against the Reapers, as you have been so for years. I agree that killing all organic life is morally questionable, but they can be rebuilt. In the end, this might be the only viable outcome by a long shot.
Gotta go Paragon Control me for. Allows Shepard to continue to exist in some form, ensures the Leviathans don't start getting uppity without the Reapers to keep them in check, lets the geth and EDI live, preserves genetic integrity unlike Synthesis, and I just like the idea of Harbinger trying to dance. On another note, I love how wholesome these guys' friendship is in these videos. If only we could translate it to reality...
I gotta say, these are ALL so good and well-written that I’m convinced you have a talented writing staff. If you’re coming up with this all on your own, you’ve a brilliant mind.
Destroy all the way, the death of edi and the geth are regrettable but it is overall the best possible ending. The AI you leave in charge in control is a copy of sheppard, not the real deal, and there is no guarantee it won't shift with time and reach a similar conclusion to the original catalyst. Synthesis is utter nonsense that not only forces a change on every living being in the galaxy, but also assumes that fundamental flaws in organic and synthetic nature can be overcome with technology alone.
I always thought Bioware should've gone with their original idea to kill the Reapers by luring them into the Mass Relays and then blowing them up. I'll take Control since it's A. The only ending where *everyone* I care about survives in one way or another and B. The only ending where your choices seem to matter since Shepard's ending speech is different depending on how Paragon or Renegade you are, but I woulda preferred to kill the Reapers on my own terms.
I pick Control but not for the reasons that Barak gives. I feel like my Shepard, the Shepard who values people’s freedom, who let Jack decide how best to react to Pragia, who respected Tali’s choice for a harder life for herself, who lets people make choices, Would not enforce her will on the Galaxy. I’ve always figured that if controlling the Reapers was possible, a surrender order would be the best option. Tell the reapers to flee to Andromeda, or make their programming think that flying into a sun means safety. Control gives you the option to safely destroy the Reapers without destroying the Geth
Best POTUS AI channel! Have to say ME3 bad writing started in ME2. I have to go with Destroy, yes you kill synthetics but in war, there are casualties. Also, the catalyst is TRYING to get you to pick control or synthesis so they can survive. Synthesis is also forcing change on organic beings without their permission. Control is leading to Power corrupts absolutely, even for Shepard. You went all over the great points pro and con for each one. I am siding with Donald in this one and also IRL. I am not his biggest fan, but that kangaroo court b.s. will come for us next. Lastly, Shepard NEEDS to die for the Messiah crap in ME2 to make sense. Birth, death, rebirth and sacrifice. Happy Easter to Jesus Shepard to you Prime and to the subscribers...even though I am Buddhist
Agreed on the bad writing starting in Mass Effect 2. I kinda wish they went with the Dark Energy ending where Element Zero was accelerating the Heat Death of the Universe. Also giving the Reapers an explanation kinda takes the wind out of their sails regarding being unknowable monsters from beyond our galaxy.
@@astroboy6515 Great point! Yes, the dark energy thing was just dropped and I thought it would be a moral dilemma about how the Reapers might be able to fight it
Agree with both of you, ME1 is the best story of the series hands down, 2 is just considered the best because of the amazing squad and recruitment missions. I think the dark energy plot was far superior, more terrifying, mysterious, and amoral. I wish they went with it
One possible counterpoint to the point of Geth and EDI being killed in the destroy ending is that as the catalyst rightly reminds us Shepard is a significant percent synthetic and he survives perfect destroy so it seems possible, but not confirmed that perfect destroy may specifically target the Reapers thereby sparing other synthetics.
I honestly dont understand why in these ending debates the one thing that always gets missed or ignored is the clear, set, and dry intention of all 3 endings, which is to end the Reaper harvest, and how each ending tries to solve this issue on their way. First of all, he catalyst doesnt have a reason to lie to Shepard. Leviathan DLC suggests that the AI considered everything and reached a conclusion. Since then everything that the AI learned was about how to complete the cycle in a better way, but the moment the cycle can be broken for a new one, the catalysts quickly considers it, just as how quickly it got to the conclusion that all synthetics must kill organics. The Geth lie because they want self preservation and by liying they achieve it. EDI lies for the same reason. The catalyst only purpose, only goal, is not self preservation, but to solve the problem of "organics and synthetics always end up fighting". If the catalyst cared at all about self preservation, Destroy ending would never exist to begin with. Destroy not only kills the Geth and EDI, but it is incredibly important to remind ourselves that ever since the first game and the sidequest of that one VI who gained consciousness and then wanted to hoard enough credits to upload itself to a warship to kill organics, to EDI herself being previously a VI, made with careful consideration of the Alliance to not make an AI, suddenly gained individuality and started defending itself. Because of this, Destroy only removes the Reapers, but does not remove the possibility of another AI race coming to the same conclusions, going full circle. Destroy is in my eyes, a terrible ending, but only because its the only ending that doesnt suffer from plotholes, and instead, just dismisses what we knew beforehand in the series. Control suffers from the same problems as Destroy. It does not address the fact that Shepard is flawed no matter if it is Paragon, Renegade, or Paragrade. Shepard was not able to make peace with TiM or Saren until it was too late, so how can we expect Shepard AI to be free from their past human flaws? How does this Shepard-Reaper AI balance galactic politics? Will it be interested in politics to begin with? The series is not set up for such an ending, which baffles the mind as to why its a possibility to begin with. Theres too many unknowns, even considering the Codex journals, for this ending to be anything but insufficient. It removes the harvest, but leaves the Reapers with a new AI, that doesnt guarantee a similar conflict in the future. Synthesis offers the one true solution to ending any and all harvest cycles. Because there is no longer any fundamental difference between organics and synthetics, there is no end conclusion of direct conflict between them. It doesnt matter if the Reapers are or are no longer in the picture. Even if they were as they were in the beginning, their own hivemind AI would soon realize there is no longer a need for the harvest if synthesis happens. This isnt to say Synthesis is the perfect ending, far from it. It suffers from many of the same issues of Control, which is being severely undercooked. Case in point, the writing of the ending suggests there will be a rainbow colored ending where there is endless peace. I can understand what the 3 writers meant and were trying to get at, but as it stands, its just not enough. Its not meant to be an end to all possible conflict ever, but an end to any conflict between organics and synthetics reaching the previous conclusion. As such, it also is insufficient. Honestly speaking there is no wonder the one true ending adopted by us fans is the Happy ending mod, where we remove reapers and everyone lives and is happy about it. The base endings are one side of a coin, insufficient, and incomplete. Its also no wonder why so many default to Destroy when you put it this way. However, im a green ending guy myself because if the endings were thought out to begin with, i can honestly see Synthesis being the best ending regardless of your morals. One last note, id like to point it out right away since i know someone might, Saren did not and never advocated for Synthesis as the crucible presents it. Saren wanted subjugation. Just because he used that word does not mean the ending is exactly what he wanted.
The real best ending was mass effect ones', with that credits song. Also, Indoctrination could work if Shepard killed themselves to paralyze the reapers, just like how killing Saren paralyzed Sovereign. Like, Shepard finally realizes they are indoctrinated and calls Joker to blow them up, or Shepard uses their gun to kill themselves.
Nothing in the ending implied they are hivemind in synthesis. And having "access to knowledge". Does not mean having people stuck in your head. You have access to knowledge on the internet that doesnt mean it's all been downloaded in your brain. Synthesis does not destroy individuality but It destroy the distintion between synthetics and organics. Allowing them to truly share commonality of ability and scope. The hole reasob that synthetics/organics was a problem is that the synthetics inevitable outcompete organics. And anyone familiar with Evolution knows that you cant have two lifeforms in a single niche. One Will eventually go extinct. The existence of the divided Is what created the inevitability of organic extinction. So Destroy only has the problem off to some future generation. Control Is basically becoming a caretaker and in some senses making all of sentient Life your prisoner. By solving all their problems for them. You have reduced them ti infants. The only way to actually bring peace in a way that doesnt cripple the scope of sentient Life Is to erase the distintion between the life forms and them leave them to work it out for themself. SO IN MY OPINION SYNTHESIS IS THE BEST ENDING PERIOD Have a nice day XD
This is so so good, very well written and surprisingly wholesome! Thanks man! Oh, and of course the Citadel DLC + Happy Ending Mod is the only true ending!
I watched this video randomly two years ago, it just popped up in my feed for no reason at all. I knew nothing about mass effect, but I found it hilarious how 3 presidents were arguing about madeup words like Quarians and Krogans, and kept listening to your AI tier lists until I bought the legendary edition just for fun. Man, all I want to say is THANK YOU. Without you I may have never experienced these great games, and their beautiful story. Thank you very much!
This is crazy scary how good AI is. If it wasn't for the obvious convo topic, the only other tell would be them sounding completely monotone. (7:29 "Don't you put words in my mouth!" for example.)
Refusal is the best ending on principle of not bowing down to bioware's insanity, staying true to what our shepard used to do and shooting the starchild. We got robbed of actually having a choice and debating it. That aside, destroy is the only logical choice when one consider that reapers will indoctornate you even if dead as proven in me2, bots can be rebuilt and likewise the cost of completing the goal of ending the reapers and likely ending the field of making you a husk as previously it can be assumed that the core of reapers is active even if dead less fried/shoot up. Even if they were humans on the geth question, id still do it on the basis that it ends the reapers. Being machines just makes it easier imo due to backup files and such that realistically extended cut or not would be a thing plus furthermore its also a bloody war and we also know that every sane person and or machine like geth would support the choice if it means a safer galaxy that isnt harvested gruesomely like reapers do.
Control is an attractive idea on paper but, looking at the story of how many people tried to control the reapers only to end up being controlled by them, that’s all it is, a power trip and the reaper stroking at your ego. Synthesis is utilitarianism brought to its extreme, alongside the mental slavery said option would bring, besides, if organics already fight each other, why would they stop? Unless synthesis brings also mind control, which brings the question of if free will is less important than wars (no), destroy to me, is the only sensible option, it brings its negative effects, sure, but they’re better than the other two 🤷🏻♀️
I always felt we ought to get a remake for ME3. Give it actual development time as well. The idea I like though, is to scrap the Promethean super weapon idea. But have something truly cool. A craft that would rival the Citadel, even planets in size. Maybe a bit extreme but imagine a Jupiter size craft. With the sole purpose of encompassing the Earth, housing trillions. The idea isn't to fight and win. But to fight and survive. Humanity knew that they can't win against the Reapers. Even if they started preparing at the start of ME1. Instead they plan on going to deeps pace, either to Andromeda or to return hundreds of years later. Cerberus is involved. But not a cartoon villain like in ME3. Instead they're more consistent with ME2. Where they are pro-human, everything else comes second or third. Depending on how much you use their resources and power, you can gain tons and tons of boons to the project. But then the politics of the project start going away from " Save humanity and Aliens" to "Save Humanity" So this would be more the renegade route. Then there are other council races. All wanting their own planets to get entombed in this behemoth. But it wouldn't be possible. So sacrifices would need to be made. Only some races could save their planets and their ancient culture. But then there is the projects to house and store all these lifeforms cryogenically. A Jupiter sized craft would be massive. Easily being able to hold the entire galaxy. But that doesn't mean that there's enough pods. So there is another resource issue. Would Shepard go down the " Get anyone no matter who on" or the " Get the Alliance, and her allies on" One leads to more strain on resources, the other is easier. But with the council races on board helping, they then want to push their control over the project, if Cerberus and the council are helping, this can lead to infighting. There would also be thing such as who to save first. Turians for their military might? Asari for their economy and experience? Salarian's for their great minds? The Quarians for their sheer naval fleet and engineering prowress. Then you could get smaller species like the Krogan who are considerably smaller in population. So not as tough to get them onboard. I also feel this could fit a lot better then " Magical MacGuffin Promethean Weapon found last minute" As I could see something like the Alliance not being fully forthright with their Promethean findings, and they keep some technology hidden. It's only now cause of the invasion that this item is being brought to light. I've thought a ton of times about how they could fix ME3. Not sure how great my idea sounds to others, but I always thought there should've been more to the game. Plus I love the idea of a Jupiter size spacecraft. Really reminds me of some older Sci-fi's. Something truly outrageous. Imagine how great something like this would actually look in-game. You can look up from the middle to the craft. And barely be able to see the walls. I love to imagine an atmosphere inside of this thing as well. Maybe as the centuries go by, civilizations start expanding and building more and more. Like imagine a civilization built around the walls of this thing. I also like to imagine the politics once this is settled. If Earth was the only planet entombed or so. Then Earth will then become a place for the Elite. Assuming other races are on the craft. Then humanity starts to become the upper class. If Cerberus was heavily involved then Humanity is the upper class. They prioritize human expansion over the craft. Then if Aliens are too involved then it's a weird clash. Humans on Earth are upset how the council has made themselves rulers over humans, and the surge in aliens on Earth causes tension. I also love the idea of something this big, that centuries later. You have people starting to explore the craft, areas that haven't been seen by living eyes in decades. Explore run down areas. Just seems cool. I also went a bit too far on this topic I see now.
It's interesting but It would take centuries or even more to build something like that Geth took 300 years to build their Dyson sphere And the amount of resources to build something like that would be beyond reckoning
I chose Synthesis, because by calculations it's the one ending that ensure's the least amount of casualties. Not just from ending the war, but also post war. Ok 2nd worse if you count Refuse. Destroy would have the worst casualty rate of all, and I'm not just referring to the loss of all synthetics. Any organic being who requires some sort of synthetic organ or device would instantly die. Not to mention that no synthetics means no Medical VI's like the one we saw in Novaria in ME1, thus millions more who were wounded during the war would die from their wounds without enough medical care for everyone. AND the relays would take the longest out of all possible endings to restore, thus thousands of Turians and Quarians on Earth would die before the network could be restored. Supply lines to colony planets would be cut off too, which could result in mass starvation all over the galaxy. Control's casualties would be close to Synthesis' endings, but the bulk of the casualties would come after the war, fuelled by people attacking the Reapers for a wide variety of reasons. There would still be plenty of wounded that would die from a shortage of medical care, but Medical VI's can mitigate that number. Plus since the Citadel wasn't destroyed in this ending, Turians and Quarians can reside there until the relays are fixed by the machines that built them. Synthesis would allow for shared knowledge almost instantly, thus urgent medical care would be easily accessible. Thus saving the majority of wounded lives. There would still be stranded Turian and Quarian casualties, though only slightly higher than Control. And almost at zero compared to post war. For the sake of argument. Let's say that the casualty rate of the Galaxy from the Reaper War was already at 40% prior to the firing at the Crucible. Synthesis would have a 45% Galactic Casualty Rate. Control would be 50% and Destroy would be 75%
Well as much as I want the Reapers destroyed the price for the destroy ending is too high. So my Shep came up with a workaround - initiate the control ending then control their giant space cuttlefish asses into a black hole with their shielding off. All the Reapers are not only dead but they don’t leave their incredibly dangerous corpses lying around for the unscrupulous to play with.
LOL!! i love these videos. big fan! -I always chose the synthesis ending, which is like the happy ending, but if you think about it, it's kind of BS, in the 3 games they've doubled science fiction a lot but synthesis is "magic" for me. -And since I heard Shepard's indoctrination theory, the destruction ending is the most logical. -and control the Reapers, Shepard has the potential to become a tyrant/dictator. Imagine having an army of giant machines, who will dare to question Shepard.
SO i think the ending that will be cannonized is the ending that's the best but not in that it's the straight ending from the game. I believe destroy is cannon but destroy in a way that only whipped out the reapers. One thing that never sat right with me was that it would whip out all synthetics, that's just the catalyst trying to trick shepard. I believe Shepard did destroy and that the beam only targeted the reapers because the geth and EDI are not high enough tech. After all if you have a low army prep level the destroy wave damages everything technological, however when you have high army prep level the fleets of the unified forces of the galaxy come out fine, which to me means that the wave loses focus with all the damage the crucible takes. Thus the cannon ending, the one that will be cannonized, is a destroy ending where the ability to protect the crucible allowed shepard to focus the attack on just reapers, deleting their minds and indoctrination ability while leaving edi and the geth and all of the technology alive.
I think Refusal is actually the best ending for the story, but it’s too much of a downer for anyone including myself to pick. It really does make sense. No cycle can last forever, even one that has lasted for a billion years. Nobody helped the Protheans, but they got closer to stopping the cycle than anyone before. With the Protheans help, the Milky Way species of the games got closer still. It only makes sense that organics will continue to get closer and closer until the cycle is ended through conventional means. More importantly, it means the characters of Mass Effect end up playing the same role that the Protheans did for us. It’s a really nice parallel, and it makes sense for the story.
I feel like everyone forgets that it's stated by the crucible, "some pockets may survive, but the majority of geth will die." Straight up tells you that in the destroy ending some geth will survive. Also at the end you see the Normandy flying off if you're paragon Shep, so who's to say they can't restore Edi. Yes her name is on the memorial but still.
Listening to 3 different presidents debating my favorite all time video game series while on VR and baked to hell is one of the few things that I am happy to be alive but also never would have imagined would ever happen. What a time to be around lol
