Mass Effect 3 Catch-All

MoonDragon wrote:

Is there a crack somewhere that can be downloaded on PC to give full benefit of MP? I played one game of MP and don't ever want to touch it again. But I also want to experience the full gamut of what this game has to offer, story wise.

Save editor will let you manipulate your readiness level.

You would have thought they could have made something like a giant progress bar easy to understand /grumble

From what I am understanding it sounds as though I am probably ok, or nearly ok... Thanks for the help!

There are 2 scores. Total Military Strength and Effective Military strength. There is also a percentage, that is Galactic Readiness. Total Military Strength is increased by gaining War Assets, which you get by completing missions, side missions, DLC missions, and by having conversations with certain NPCs in the game, and also by promoting characters in co-op. Galactic Readiness percentage defaults to 50% and can be increased by playing co-op or by using the iOS-only datapad app, or collecting intel in the iOS/Android Mass Effect Infiltrator game.

Total Military Strength X Galactic Readiness = Effective Military Strength

Effective Military Strength is what you need to be above a certain threshold to have various options at the end game. You can get the maximum Effective Military Strength that you need even with the base 50% Galactic Readiness. With the most recent patch, the Effective Military Strength required to get all possible endings is 3100 (according to the ME Wiki). If you get a bit more than that, you can get some extra footage in the Extended Cut endings.

Origin will make sure you have the most recent version to get the benefit of the lowered EMS requirements, but you need to download and activate the Extended Cut DLC, and you should, because it's free.

EDIT: See this spoiler-sensitive chart from the IGN Mass Effect 3 guide for details of EMS levels and what effects they can have:

http://www.ign.com/wikis/mass-effect...

According to that source, you only need 2800 EMS to make all three endings available, but higher levels of EMS will do other things.

Astonishingly, the game never tells you to play multiplayer to increase Galactic Readiness, nor does the game tell you what possible effect a high EMS would have.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Astonishingly, the game never tells you to play multiplayer to increase Galactic Readiness, nor does the game tell you what possible effect a high EMS would have.

Well, if you periodically check the "More Information" button as you play, you might notice that your chances of beating the Reapers increases. I don't think in the context of the game it should really say "just collect 500 more War Assets to unlock the Synthesis ending!"

Fair enough, the EMS rating is kind of intuitive.

BadKen wrote:

Origin will make sure you have the most recent version to get the benefit of the lowered EMS requirements, but you need to download and activate the Extended Cut DLC, and you should, because it's free.

This was my problem. I did not explicitly download the "fixed" ending. I did 100% completion to the best of my knowledge, and my ending did not feel like it was all that great. I got two choices that both sucked donkey balls. Another thing that pissed me off... I could not use Paragon choice in my final conversation with TIM. Apparently I was not Paragon enough, even though I pretty much played Paragon by the book.

I've since downloaded the DLC, but I'm not sure if I'll have the patience to go through the game again.

No need, just go through the Tuchanka and Rannoch missions, and you´re set. Everything else...not as excellent. Well maybe you should swing by the Citadel, just for the Garrus material. That´s gold.

I've only downloaded the extended cut free DLC. Not any of the mission DLC.

MoonDragon wrote:

This was my problem. I did not explicitly download the "fixed" ending. I did 100% completion to the best of my knowledge, and my ending did not feel like it was all that great. I got two choices that both sucked donkey balls. Another thing that pissed me off... I could not use Paragon choice in my final conversation with TIM. Apparently I was not Paragon enough, even though I pretty much played Paragon by the book.

The final Paragon choice

Spoiler:

also requires to you have made the Paragon choice in each of your conversations with TIM throughout the game, and some of these only show up if you go past the first level of conversation choices

One bit of faint praise for the ending: I really don't think it matters much what your completion percentage is or your reputation score is or the extended cut or anything, besides maybe the Leviathan DLC. The core of the ending is such that I don't think any specific ending is really going to make much of a difference to anyone's opinion.

CheezePavilion wrote:

One bit of faint praise for the ending: I really don't think it matters much what your completion percentage is or your reputation score is or the extended cut or anything, besides maybe the Leviathan DLC. The core of the ending is such that I don't think any specific ending is really going to make much of a difference to anyone's opinion.

This isn't true for me. After seeing all three Extended Cut expositional parts that play out after the ending choice, my preferred choice makes a big difference to me, just because of the way my Shepard's story plays out.

MoonDragon wrote:

I've only downloaded the extended cut free DLC. Not any of the mission DLC.

The only changes are in the end game. Pick up from the start of the endgame (I think Bioware's recommended place was)

Spoiler:

from the Cerberus base assault

and you'll be able to see all the EC changes in your original game.

Something I just learned from reddit: you can use the Galaxy at War feature on the N7HQ site to launch missions and increase your galactic readiness score. You can do this on both the desktop and mobile versions of the N7HQ site. The newly released mobile version of the site means that the Mass Effect Datapad app is obsolete (and will soon be retired according to this EA article.)

Yeah, the app was removed: Mass Effect 3 Datapad app retired from iTunes today @ Polygon
This makes me incredibly sad as the datapad was a great companion app for playing the game. Sure it got your galactic readiness up to snuff if you couldn't/didn't play multiplayer, but what I really, really like was getting messages from characters hours after I'd turned the computer off.
Hey, I'm so happy. That's all. How can the future be so unsure and so bright at the same time? Yours, Kaidan.
Seriously, how can you not squee? [size=8]Yes, I know, I'm a fan girl, and I'm okay with that.[/size]

Eleima wrote:

Yeah, the app was removed: Mass Effect 3 Datapad app retired from iTunes today @ Polygon
This makes me incredibly sad as the datapad was a great companion app for playing the game. Sure it got your galactic readiness up to snuff if you couldn't/didn't play multiplayer, but what I really, really like was getting messages from characters hours after I'd turned the computer off.
Hey, I'm so happy. That's all. How can the future be so unsure and so bright at the same time? Yours, Kaidan.
Seriously, how can you not squee? [size=8]Yes, I know, I'm a fan girl, and I'm okay with that.[/size] :)

I have no issue with the fan girl stuff, hell my wife became a Sherlockian practically overnight after watching the BBC version, but... Kaiden? Bleh.

It's not all that complicated, really: he's a good guy; yes he has issues, but he doesn't ask you to fix every single aspect in his life; he's strong and capable, but also lets his guard down from time to time. Perfect match for my FemShep. Plus, he's voiced by Raphael Sbarge. 'Nuff said.

Eleima wrote:

It's not all that complicated, really: he's a good guy; yes he has issues, but he doesn't ask you to fix every single aspect in his life; he's strong and capable, but also lets his guard down from time to time. Perfect match for my FemShep. Plus, he's voiced by Raphael Sbarge. 'Nuff said. :)

Yup. He's great. I also love how he greets my Femshep for the first time in the Citadel DLC.

I can conceive how someone could be a Kaiden fan, that's not a radical-bordering-on-impossible assertion, like, I dunno, that matter can be spontaneously created, or being a big Ashley fan, or something equally insane.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

I can conceive how someone could be a Kaiden fan, that's not a radical-bordering-on-impossible assertion, like, I dunno, that matter can be spontaneously created, or being a big Ashley fan, or something equally insane.

To be fair, I really don't like Ashley either, all that much. If I could have, they both would have died on Virmire and I would have recruited Kirrahe.

They may have taken the Datapad app off the iTunes store, but it still works. Just got a bunch of messages from my crew after completing a mission this morning.

Speaking of which, I started a new run of ME3 since I finally got all the DLC, and still had 2 Sheps left to 'complete'.

And you know what? Romancing Jack in ME2 pays off so much in ME3.

nel e nel wrote:

They may have taken the Datapad app off the iTunes store, but it still works. Just got a bunch of messages from my crew after completing a mission this morning.

Speaking of which, I started a new run of ME3 since I finally got all the DLC, and still had 2 Sheps left to 'complete'.

And you know what? Romancing Jack in ME2 pays off so much in ME3.

You know, she's like the only character I haven't tried to romance, other than the late additions to ME3... my game did bug out during my last run... maybe I'll try that again and romance Jack. Kill off Ashley so she isn't bugged into romance for me... just never talk to her or Liara.

Demosthenes wrote:
nel e nel wrote:

They may have taken the Datapad app off the iTunes store, but it still works. Just got a bunch of messages from my crew after completing a mission this morning.

Speaking of which, I started a new run of ME3 since I finally got all the DLC, and still had 2 Sheps left to 'complete'.

And you know what? Romancing Jack in ME2 pays off so much in ME3.

You know, she's like the only character I haven't tried to romance, other than the late additions to ME3... my game did bug out during my last run... maybe I'll try that again and romance Jack. Kill off Ashley so she isn't bugged into romance for me... just never talk to her or Liara.

I kinda lucked into it. Apparently you have to interact with her very specifically in ME2 in order to get her as your LI. But man, the Grissom Academy stuff with her as your LI is great!

It is funny though, how they pretty much shove Liara down your pants in ME1. You have to forcefully tell her NO the entire game, and even then she might still come and try to offer herself before the final mission.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

I can conceive how someone could be a Kaiden fan, that's not a radical-bordering-on-impossible assertion, like, I dunno, that matter can be spontaneously created, or being a big Ashley fan, or something equally insane.

I really dislike both. I just don't like Kaiden more.

cube wrote:
SpacePPoliceman wrote:

I can conceive how someone could be a Kaiden fan, that's not a radical-bordering-on-impossible assertion, like, I dunno, that matter can be spontaneously created, or being a big Ashley fan, or something equally insane.

I really dislike both. I just don't like Kaiden more.

Basically this... Ashley is a racist, but continues to try to justify it. Kaiden... I know he gets headaches and he killed some dude who was wailing on his crush... but it just seems to be almost a cypher to me outside of those moments. Maybe he just annoys me because of his exclamation when I inevitably kill a gasbag at the beginning of the first mission.

Demosthenes wrote:
cube wrote:
SpacePPoliceman wrote:

I can conceive how someone could be a Kaiden fan, that's not a radical-bordering-on-impossible assertion, like, I dunno, that matter can be spontaneously created, or being a big Ashley fan, or something equally insane.

I really dislike both. I just don't like Kaiden more.

Basically this... Ashley is a racist, but continues to try to justify it. Kaiden... I know he gets headaches and he killed some dude who was wailing on his crush... but it just seems to be almost a cypher to me outside of those moments. Maybe he just annoys me because of his exclamation when I inevitably kill a gasbag at the beginning of the first mission.

And the fact that he's always like "I'm sorry, I don't want to burden you with thinking I'm a head case that's going to fall apart in combat" when that's pretty much the only thing he brings up when you talk to him.

Demosthenes wrote:
cube wrote:
SpacePPoliceman wrote:

I can conceive how someone could be a Kaiden fan, that's not a radical-bordering-on-impossible assertion, like, I dunno, that matter can be spontaneously created, or being a big Ashley fan, or something equally insane.

I really dislike both. I just don't like Kaiden more.

Basically this... Ashley is a racist, but continues to try to justify it. Kaiden... I know he gets headaches and he killed some dude who was wailing on his crush... but it just seems to be almost a cypher to me outside of those moments. Maybe he just annoys me because of his exclamation when I inevitably kill a gasbag at the beginning of the first mission.

I love both, I just love Kaiden more (until ME3 where he was just...weird. I guess it was all those space steroids he took so that by the time he wound up sick bay his pecs could cut glass had an effect on his brain).

I think Ashley was an attempt to explore a topic where the first reaction is to see space species as an analog for race like in simplistic sci-fi, but the nuanced reaction was to ask some serious questions about biology--like I think back how vociferously some of us have argued in this forum that race is a myth, and how to reconcile that with race being anything BUT a myth in a universe with aliens.

Of course, any attempt at that fell under the waves of SPACE RACISTS HERP DERP! and so they just gave up and went with the bog standard 'all sentient races are the same, just dermatology continues to be a problem in the future' script.

cube wrote:

And the fact that he's always like "I'm sorry, I don't want to burden you with thinking I'm a head case that's going to fall apart in combat" when that's pretty much the only thing he brings up when you talk to him.

To which my silent replay is always "don't worry Kaidan, I know the game isn't sophisticated enough to have you actually fall apart in combat." But damn I wish it were.

Aw, Kaiden just seemed like a laid-back, uncomplicated, head-down, nose-to-stone professional guy, just there to do a job.

I've ranted extensively about Ash before, and I like that I have that much to rant about. I think the fact that I hate her so much is a sign of how well written she and the other characters are. There are some limited thinkers who can't process how hating a character improves and enriches a narrative, but, whatever.

Ashley is interesting. Kaiden is boring.

Ashley even got more interesting in ME3, but Kaiden just stayed boring. I didn't romance him, though. Maybe he turns wonderful if you love him.