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The thing I most hated about ME3 was the fact that the "galactic readiness score" depended not just on achievements in the single player mode, but also on time

The thing I most hated about ME3 was the fact that the "galactic readiness score" depended not just on achievements in the single player mode, but also on time spent in multiplayer. It totally wasn't clear in (earlier release builds of) the game, and I didn't want to Google it because I was afraid of spoiling the ending. I felt like I had done a pretty good job getting the whole galaxy together under my banner, and my readiness score was quantified by the game in a way that made it seem decent, so I initiated the final sequence and found that I'd been denied the best outcome simply because I had never played multiplayer. Whatever I thought about the actual ending, the fact that EA and Bioware decided to pull the rug out from under me at the last second after I'd spent something like a decade really invested in their story and universe was a real blow. To me, it demonstrated an astonishing lack of integrity as storytellers. I was so upset that I just couldn't get myself to go back in and replay the re-done ending or any of the DLC.

zzalpha 10y ago
That's not true. I never played multiplayer and got the best ending. I believe you need most (all?) of your crew alive, among other things, but it's absolutely doable (I did it by accident... I just assumed that was the proper ending... and honestly, wasn't really a fan :S).
- caconym_ 10y ago
  > Keep most of your crew alive through the three games and you can do it I did that. I just Googled it and the general opinion seems to be that in the original release with no DLC, no multiplayer, and no messing around with phone apps (?) it was at best extremely difficult to do (scan every single planet, that sort of thing) and at worst impossible. People seem to disagree on the exact degree of impossibility, but it seems that some early DLC brought the threshold down into a more reasonable range. I guess my mistake was being so excited to play it that I finished it before they "fixed" the ending.
  - zzalpha 10y ago
    Honestly I never bought any DLC for my first run through either. Maybe my completionist tendencies and 100% paragon with no crew deaths meant I got lucky...
    - AdeptusAquinas 10y ago
      I wasn't 100% paragon, but like you had all crew alive and no dlc or multi-player. Still surprises me that people didn't get the best ending - i thought it was the default. Unlike most, I also enjoyed it quite a bit.
      - deleted 10y ago
        [deleted]
      - dogma1138 10y ago
        What did you chose at the end? The best ending is only if you chose destroy iirc.
        AdeptusAquinas 10y ago
        I chose control. Destroy made no sense due to allying with the Geth and the Qunari, not to mention your robot companion, but also, it seemed as silly as the merge option - both seemed to be 'magic', unreal, whereas the control option seemed at least possible. People only say the destroy ending was the best because Shepard seems to live at the end. But, for me, the beginning and entire content of ME3 said 'Shepard dies': it feels odd for him/her to live. And I think this is ultimately why the game is so polarising: some people saw the game as being a chance for Shepard to finally 'win', whereas I and others expected (and got) a bittersweet ending.
- enraged_camel 10y ago
  Getting the best ending without playing multiplayer was possible, but you had to do every single thing perfectly - which the overwhelming majority of players won't do due to the nature of the game.
  - klodolph 10y ago
    The green ending is not that hard without multiplayer---it's having Shepard survive that wasn't possible, and this is what was changed with the DLC.
    - dogma1138 10y ago
      The green ending isn't the best it was control I think Shepard surviving was tied to destroy which is why you see the smoldering armor move at the end.
- klodolph 10y ago
  To clear things up: Effective Military Strength = War Assets (single player) x Readiness Rating (multiplayer). Maximum War Assets is ~7500, so with no multiplayer, you get ~3750 EMS. Former squadmates aren't worth much, like 25-50 War Assets each. Current squadmates are worth zero, but they can help in other ways (Rannoch). Kaidan/Ashley are only worth points if they don't join your squad. Garrus doesn't affect War Assets at all, and Wrex is actually worth more dead than alive. Endings are unlocked by having a higher EMS score. The red ending requires no EMS, blue requires 1750, and green needs 2800. So if you are shooting for the green ending you can do it in single player no problem. However, EMS also affects some of the details of what happens in each ending: whether your squadmates survive, whether the Normandy is destroyed, what happens to the Earth... and whether Shepard lives. Shepard lives if you pick the red ending and have 4000 EMS, which is not possible with single player, until the Extended Cut DLC lowered the requirement to 3100 EMS. This is what people were talking about, besides the fact that the ending is just awful in other ways.
shard 10y ago
That really depends on what you consider the best outcome. For me, synthesis was preferable to destroy or control, and was worth the sacrifice of Shepard's life to achieve. It broke the current cycle, prevented future cycles from starting, and preserved the lives of EDI and the geth.
- TeMPOraL 10y ago
  I chose "control" for similar reason. I spend ~10 minutes thinking about it, but ultimately decided that with pretty much full-Paragon character the risk is worth it, and synthesis means altering the very essence of every living being in the galaxy in a huge, life-changing way without asking anyone if they want it. Of course the other choice(s) were out because of the Geth.
onli 10y ago
That was what irritated you most? Granted, that sucked, and I'm happy I played it when multiplayer was not necessary. But it is just exactly like said in the interview: The ending voided all the promises the games made before. Mass Effect 1 and 2 set up such a big universe, so many decisions you could do, and then came the third game and it all came crushing down. The spider-aliens you freed? Just a few points in a score. Killing the kronyan leader? Another will take its place. Siding with humanity over aliens? Get the same points in red instead of blue. And that for every decision, nothing had any meaning. That killed the whole series' purpose, and that irked me most. And it was not only that the game promised it, the developers promised it. They literally said "There will be no ending where you choose between button 1, 2 and 3. All you decisions will influence the final outcome". And what had the game? Button 1, 2 and 3, and your decisions had no influence whatsoever. Liars. I'm not at all interested in ME: Andromeda. I'll never play another Bioware game again, till they deliver a proper ending for ME3. And no, the extended video they delivered later on is not enough. Not even close.
- daemin 10y ago
  Not to sound snide or cynical, but the ending feels like life to me. You make all of these choices that matter through out the story (your life), but then in the end everyone finishes in the same place (you die). It pretty much brings home the notion that it's the journey that should matter and not just the destination.
  - onli 10y ago
    It's not that kind of ending. You are still Shepard, you still were the one and only that could fight the big evil, you just saved the universe, in a way. In no way does the story or the game itself bring your point across. ME3 still acts like your choices had big impact, but is just unbelievable bad at it. Choices in life can have meaning, during your life and for others. In good games, even linear ones, your choices have meaning, take Witcher (though I didn't play the third game yet), Shadowrun, Baldur's Gate, Fallout (1, 2 and New Vegas). ME 3 just sucked.
    - 10y ago
seer 10y ago
This all resonates with the feelings I also went through with the ending of Mass Effect - deep disappointment. But then they delivered the "Citadel DLC" - probably the best DLC ever made for a game, a gentle and humorous farewell with all the characters that I got to know during all those years, I swear I never thought I could cry and laugh so hard at a game, but it turned out I could. Totally redeemed Bioware in my eyes and gave me the sense of closure with the series that I wanted. Definitely recommended for everyone who got through all the 3 games and was bummed out with the ending.
- onli 10y ago
  But it doesn't alter the ending itself, does it? Does it give meaning to your decisions you made the games before? If it did, I missed it in the reviews - which is possible - thus I'm seriously curious.
- TeMPOraL 10y ago
  I was late to ME3 party, so I was doing my first playthrough with Citadel DLC (and extended endings) already bought. I must say I absolutely loved it, and I agree it's probably the best DLC to any game I've ever seen. I was heavily emotionally involved with the ME storyline, and throughout the third game, I always felt overwhelmed by what was going on in the galaxy and the importance of my character's responsibilites. I could see the same tiredness and despair in the crew, too. And then, suddenly, we all get the so-desperately-needed break for R&R. It fixed the morale of not just characters, but also me as the player. And in retrospect, indeed it does feel like "a gentle and humorous farewell". I still have a screenshot of the group photo actually printed out.
- caconym_ 10y ago
  I could not make myself play any of the DLC because I'd already finished the game. For me, the characters' arcs were already concluded, and in a way that left such a bitter taste in my mouth that I didn't want to revisit any of it. I really did love the characters and the universe, which makes it all that much worse.
Kiro 10y ago
Probably not your intention but this comment makes me want to play ME3 (+ 1 and 2) really bad. Sounds awesome.

zzalpha 10y ago

That's not true. I never played multiplayer and got the best ending. I believe you need most (all?) of your crew alive, among other things, but it's absolutely doable (I did it by accident... I just assumed that was the proper ending... and honestly, wasn't really a fan :S).

caconym_ 10y ago
> Keep most of your crew alive through the three games and you can do it I did that. I just Googled it and the general opinion seems to be that in the original release with no DLC, no multiplayer, and no messing around with phone apps (?) it was at best extremely difficult to do (scan every single planet, that sort of thing) and at worst impossible. People seem to disagree on the exact degree of impossibility, but it seems that some early DLC brought the threshold down into a more reasonable range. I guess my mistake was being so excited to play it that I finished it before they "fixed" the ending.
- zzalpha 10y ago
  Honestly I never bought any DLC for my first run through either. Maybe my completionist tendencies and 100% paragon with no crew deaths meant I got lucky...
  - AdeptusAquinas 10y ago
    I wasn't 100% paragon, but like you had all crew alive and no dlc or multi-player. Still surprises me that people didn't get the best ending - i thought it was the default. Unlike most, I also enjoyed it quite a bit.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
    - dogma1138 10y ago
      What did you chose at the end? The best ending is only if you chose destroy iirc.
      - AdeptusAquinas 10y ago
        I chose control. Destroy made no sense due to allying with the Geth and the Qunari, not to mention your robot companion, but also, it seemed as silly as the merge option - both seemed to be 'magic', unreal, whereas the control option seemed at least possible. People only say the destroy ending was the best because Shepard seems to live at the end. But, for me, the beginning and entire content of ME3 said 'Shepard dies': it feels odd for him/her to live. And I think this is ultimately why the game is so polarising: some people saw the game as being a chance for Shepard to finally 'win', whereas I and others expected (and got) a bittersweet ending.
enraged_camel 10y ago
Getting the best ending without playing multiplayer was possible, but you had to do every single thing perfectly - which the overwhelming majority of players won't do due to the nature of the game.
- klodolph 10y ago
  The green ending is not that hard without multiplayer---it's having Shepard survive that wasn't possible, and this is what was changed with the DLC.
  - dogma1138 10y ago
    The green ending isn't the best it was control I think Shepard surviving was tied to destroy which is why you see the smoldering armor move at the end.
klodolph 10y ago
To clear things up: Effective Military Strength = War Assets (single player) x Readiness Rating (multiplayer). Maximum War Assets is ~7500, so with no multiplayer, you get ~3750 EMS. Former squadmates aren't worth much, like 25-50 War Assets each. Current squadmates are worth zero, but they can help in other ways (Rannoch). Kaidan/Ashley are only worth points if they don't join your squad. Garrus doesn't affect War Assets at all, and Wrex is actually worth more dead than alive. Endings are unlocked by having a higher EMS score. The red ending requires no EMS, blue requires 1750, and green needs 2800. So if you are shooting for the green ending you can do it in single player no problem. However, EMS also affects some of the details of what happens in each ending: whether your squadmates survive, whether the Normandy is destroyed, what happens to the Earth... and whether Shepard lives. Shepard lives if you pick the red ending and have 4000 EMS, which is not possible with single player, until the Extended Cut DLC lowered the requirement to 3100 EMS. This is what people were talking about, besides the fact that the ending is just awful in other ways.

shard 10y ago

That really depends on what you consider the best outcome. For me, synthesis was preferable to destroy or control, and was worth the sacrifice of Shepard's life to achieve. It broke the current cycle, prevented future cycles from starting, and preserved the lives of EDI and the geth.

TeMPOraL 10y ago
I chose "control" for similar reason. I spend ~10 minutes thinking about it, but ultimately decided that with pretty much full-Paragon character the risk is worth it, and synthesis means altering the very essence of every living being in the galaxy in a huge, life-changing way without asking anyone if they want it. Of course the other choice(s) were out because of the Geth.

onli 10y ago

That was what irritated you most? Granted, that sucked, and I'm happy I played it when multiplayer was not necessary. But it is just exactly like said in the interview: The ending voided all the promises the games made before. Mass Effect 1 and 2 set up such a big universe, so many decisions you could do, and then came the third game and it all came crushing down. The spider-aliens you freed? Just a few points in a score. Killing the kronyan leader? Another will take its place. Siding with humanity over aliens? Get the same points in red instead of blue. And that for every decision, nothing had any meaning. That killed the whole series' purpose, and that irked me most. And it was not only that the game promised it, the developers promised it. They literally said "There will be no ending where you choose between button 1, 2 and 3. All you decisions will influence the final outcome". And what had the game? Button 1, 2 and 3, and your decisions had no influence whatsoever. Liars. I'm not at all interested in ME: Andromeda. I'll never play another Bioware game again, till they deliver a proper ending for ME3. And no, the extended video they delivered later on is not enough. Not even close.

daemin 10y ago
Not to sound snide or cynical, but the ending feels like life to me. You make all of these choices that matter through out the story (your life), but then in the end everyone finishes in the same place (you die). It pretty much brings home the notion that it's the journey that should matter and not just the destination.
- onli 10y ago
  It's not that kind of ending. You are still Shepard, you still were the one and only that could fight the big evil, you just saved the universe, in a way. In no way does the story or the game itself bring your point across. ME3 still acts like your choices had big impact, but is just unbelievable bad at it. Choices in life can have meaning, during your life and for others. In good games, even linear ones, your choices have meaning, take Witcher (though I didn't play the third game yet), Shadowrun, Baldur's Gate, Fallout (1, 2 and New Vegas). ME 3 just sucked.
  - 10y ago

seer 10y ago

This all resonates with the feelings I also went through with the ending of Mass Effect - deep disappointment. But then they delivered the "Citadel DLC" - probably the best DLC ever made for a game, a gentle and humorous farewell with all the characters that I got to know during all those years, I swear I never thought I could cry and laugh so hard at a game, but it turned out I could. Totally redeemed Bioware in my eyes and gave me the sense of closure with the series that I wanted. Definitely recommended for everyone who got through all the 3 games and was bummed out with the ending.

onli 10y ago
But it doesn't alter the ending itself, does it? Does it give meaning to your decisions you made the games before? If it did, I missed it in the reviews - which is possible - thus I'm seriously curious.
TeMPOraL 10y ago
I was late to ME3 party, so I was doing my first playthrough with Citadel DLC (and extended endings) already bought. I must say I absolutely loved it, and I agree it's probably the best DLC to any game I've ever seen. I was heavily emotionally involved with the ME storyline, and throughout the third game, I always felt overwhelmed by what was going on in the galaxy and the importance of my character's responsibilites. I could see the same tiredness and despair in the crew, too. And then, suddenly, we all get the so-desperately-needed break for R&R. It fixed the morale of not just characters, but also me as the player. And in retrospect, indeed it does feel like "a gentle and humorous farewell". I still have a screenshot of the group photo actually printed out.
caconym_ 10y ago
I could not make myself play any of the DLC because I'd already finished the game. For me, the characters' arcs were already concluded, and in a way that left such a bitter taste in my mouth that I didn't want to revisit any of it. I really did love the characters and the universe, which makes it all that much worse.

Kiro 10y ago

Probably not your intention but this comment makes me want to play ME3 (+ 1 and 2) really bad. Sounds awesome.