Mass Effect 3: Thread Restart And Spoilers!

[Doc Holiday]

Ok enough of the PSC poo I thought this was interesting enough to post but I didn't want it lost in the other thread

about the ending of the game:

Why the Dark Energy Ending Would Not Have Been Any Better.

The Dark Energy Ending was the ending written by Drew Karpyshyn that basically boiled down to the Reapers were harvesting organics to, in essence, save them from Dark Energy eventually destroying the Milky Way Galaxy. Once learning this you would have to decide if you agree or disagree with the Reapers' plans. Make your choice to allow current state of the galaxy to continue and face eventual destruction from Dark Energy or Harvest organic life perhaps in an attempt to stop the Dark Energy threat so the next cycle could prospire.

Now the choice seems greater, has a broader scope, and ties in better with the plots of ME and ME2 better than the current ending's organic v. synthetic arguement and its ABC resolution. However, scientifically the Dark Energy Ending generates as many if not more plot holes than the current ending.

Dark Energy is not necessarily the cosmic antithesis of Dark Matter. Dark Matter is this mysterious space stuff that gives the Universe its ability to form anything. Dark Matter is basically what gives galaxies enough gravity to hold together and be galaxies, clusters of galaxies, Superlusters, and filaments. Dark Energy is what causes the universe to expand at an accelerated rate; forcing galaxies away from one another, essentially moving large masses of Dark Matter away from other large masses of Dark Matter. This is a exponentially slow process, billions of billions of years before the superconstructs of the universe drift apart to the point where the only visible stars in the night sky are your own galaxy's, effectively an island universe.

Ignoring the previous, and allowing Dark Energy to overwhelm the Dark Matter in the Milky Way presents more problems. Galatic stability would erode, if Dark Energy was increasing in the galaxy, Heastrom's sun aging faster than normal wouldn't be the biggest problem in the system, more than likely that star cluster would no longer be in the Milky Way. Dark Energy would basically weaken the galaxy's gravitational pull, by dispersing the galaxy's Dark Matter, to a point where the outer most parts of the galaxy would simply just drift off into Dark Space, eventually working it's way inward until reaching a point of equilibrium with the Supermassive Blackhole at the Galaxy's core which in all actuallity could be the event horizon meaning there is nothing left. Again take into acount that this would be a billions of years process, unless of course the universe was expanding so rapidily that the density of Dark Matter decreased as rapidly, but that would be quite noticable.(However, unlikely and illogical, I definitely find this a greater threat than synthetics wiping out organic life, seeing as this would destroy any form of life, organic or synthetic. Unless of course there is something inside a Blackhole, and one could survive crossing the event horizon.)

Given the emensely long period of time for Dark Energy to rip apart our galaxy, the Milky Way would more than likely be already destroyed. Our largest galatic neighbor, Andromeda, is expected to collide with the Milky Way in 4.5 billion years, not a small time frame by our means, but smaller than Dark Energy ripping apart our galaxy? Probable. Note that at such time Earth would not be habitable and most likely all habitable planets of the present would no longer be due to the aging of the systems' stars.

Now that is our current manifestation of the galaxy, now let's fast forward a hundred years or so to the Mass Effect timeline. We have Element Zero (possibly an allusion to Dark Matter?) that is the basis for every technological advancement we know of, the Mass Relays, Biotics, FTL, etc. and it's Reaper tech. "Element Zero, also known as 'eezo', is a rare material that, when subjected to an electrical current, releases dark energy which can be manipulated into a mass effect field, raising or lowering the mass of all objects within that field." So basically by using Eezo we are slowly filling our galaxy with dark energy. The thing that allows intragalatic civilization, is also slowly but surely ripping it apart. So in one way the current ending has it right, destroying the Mass Relays would be a necessary "evil" to ensure Dark Energy doesn't destroy the galaxy. However, knowing that, why would the Reapers (Catalyst) make organics evolve technologically along that path knowing that using the Relays is damaging the galaxy with (Dark Energy) which they are ultimately trying to preserve it from?

Assuming Eezo is the enemy, and even more so its "mass effect" effect on the galaxy. Sorry, Paragons you can't have your cake and eat it too. There would be no way to ensure saving the galaxy and everybody in it. In order to completely halt further Dark Energy from destroying the galaxy besides sending the galaxy back into a pre-mass-effect technoloigical dark age: Destroying the Mass Relays and all tech based on them; such as the FTL drive cores, in essence stranding people in places they may not survive, you would have to neutralize all biotics. Does that mean xenocide of the entire Asari race? Not necessarily, but really it's the only way to make sure they don't spread more Dark Energy, bullets or Harvesting? And then what about the Rachni, if you saved them? Brood Warriors had biotic ability. I hope Earth still has a stock pile of old fashioned fire arms with all the death you'd need deliver without your Dark Energy spewing "mass effect" propelled weaponry. Perhaps this is why the Reapers allow organic growth to a certain point before "cleansing" the galaxy: to allow the galaxy to survive as long as possible. Playing God to galaxy so others won't have to.

Granted the Mass Effect universe doesn't strictly adhere to our own's laws of physics, and some "device" could be written in to compensate for my arguements.

I must say I'm not a fan of the current ending, as I saw it as abrupt shift in the overall story and a lackluster conclusion of an overall good, if not great story. However, after writing this, had the Catalyst used Dark Energy as its motivation, gave greater exposition behind its reasoning, made you make the tough choices; should you decide to end the cycle. If so, perhaps then, I wouldn't hate the Catalyst, nor dislike the ending as much.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/Mass-Effect-3/Mass-Effect-3-Story-and-Campaign-Discussion-Spoilers-Allowed/Why-the-Dark-Energy-Ending-May-Not-Be-Any-Better-10442924-1.html

thoughts, I personally would have liked this option better

[rodeo]

It seemed like this was the direction that the series was taking, with Tali investigating Haestrom's prematurely dying sun. To my knowledge (unless I missed it in one of the novels) they never revisited why that was happening.

It's late and I'll put more time and thought into it tomorrow, but honestly the issue to me was less about "the ending" and more about... the scenes. By that I mean I think the Catalyst creating the Reapers to purge the galaxy of advanced life to be a really awesome idea, and I think the Dark Energy idea is also pretty awesome. My issue was just that the ending in the game seemed rushed and abrupt and not as well written as the rest of the trilogy. It would have been great if they had used the same Catalyst idea, but had gone more in depth with it, told us more, followed up on what happened after the events, tied up loose ends, gave closure on all of the characters, etc. Something more than "I'm the Catalyst, here are your 3 options, fade to black. Oh, unless you have enough multiplayer points to see Shepard take a breath after the cutscene."

I loved the idea of the ending, just not the execution.

[Doc Holiday]

Mass Effect 3 Ending will be changed, or at the very least given a more complete ending

Never underestimate the power of an outraged fan base.

Bowing to pressure from a loud segment of players, Bioware has announced that changes are in the works for the controversial ending to role-playing smash Mass Effect 3. Details about those plans will be revealed next month.

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/bioware-change-mass-effect-3-ending-194431568.html?fb_action_ids=10150661587224221&fb_action_types=news.reads&fb_source=other_multiline&code=AQAWyrgIQ8RUK9aGMw4qZgDehDM_QFNBhR4nf4lkAo5zE63V_l_uyLBtvb3yiwrMsZXJheY9oQpQKzoUh3pSLZpH1zRANlXEPPN92PYHS0QsIGSlDFkhWH4jYYb224ov1BBvpGkDV_cHyActklK1xLhrfmm1ww9-uD9KKhE98bLyuHvensS268dlbB_pEHnPnfk#_=_

[Porn Shop Clerk]

this thread is win x 10!