@Languid_logic Well we clearly have different opinions and I think I articulated mine pretty well in the post re: Cat's Cradle. BUT one thing to consider is that a game is a product of many people, a team, vs. most art coming from a singular perspective. So with Mass Effect 3 you had writers like Patrick Weekes saying the writing team was shut out of writing the ending, only Hudson had input, actors like Jennifer Hale implying that they don't agree with how things turned out, and I'm sure an untold number of programers and other Bioware employees with lower profiles who could point out flaws in the work and unhappiness with the final product. So whose point of view is this coming from? If you have people involved in the creation of the product expressing views to the effect that 'this is not a product I stand for,' then IS that product complete and true fulfillment of an artistic vision? That's a complex question and I'm not sure there's an answer.
But again, you've played the ending, recall the tacky DLC announcement at the end? More content was ALWAYS planned. Until we know what Bioware originally planned for the DLC and whether those plans changed after the backlash, we're not able to determine whether or not Bioware has changed the story or is giving in to fans or is trying to revise or whatever. Until we have more information, this argument is moot IMO. We were never given the final product. I feel like I've said this seventeen times so I won't point it out again. :P
@MAILER_DAEMON I really do think the game is damn near perfect until the ending, love the characters and want to get back to them, haha. Being a huge Dragon Age fan I can deal with substandard endings, that's what fanfic and head canons are for. ;) Also this is something you don't deal with, but being a female gamer I LOVE playing Bioware games because it's a place I'm represented and feel comfortable. Getting bored of playing white male dude hero #23479873... so I don't play those games as much anymore. I just enjoy spending time with Bioware's characters and getting to play as a female character that isn't packaged for the male gaze. So I keep coming back. :)
@MAILER_DAEMON ahaha! I like the new comments thing I'm just not quite sure how it works yet. But as for the ending, I'm sort of the opposite, I blame tumblr, totally can't get out of the fandom hole and I'm on my third replay of ME1 since I finished ME3 trying to go back and get all the achievements. ALMOST DONE. :) Dying to play ME3 again but trying to fiddle around in 1 and 2 while i wait for the extended cut. Just prepping Shepards. :P God that first game is terrible but i only have 6 achievements to go!!
@MAILER_DAEMON @david1230 I'm getting so confused, my first time to play around in the comments with the new format and I'm getting lost, ahaha. :) *shakes fist* Back in my day you couldn't even comment on news stories! you had to go to the forums for that! :P
@williebazerka @LtReviews @destiny_falcon No? I haven't said that and I don't think anyone else has? It's contentious of course but I'd classify Mass Effect as "low art." I tend to view all products of creativity on a sliding scale from low art to high art, where it falls on that scale being determined by presence of commercial purpose, skill of the artist, the aim or purpose of the work, and thematic success.
@Languid_logic actually, Whitman DIDN'T have a similar policy with Leaves of Grass, the changes were substantial. My point is not to compare what is better art but just to say that revision doesn't mean that a work lacks integrity.
@LtReviews @destiny_falcon Nope, she'll never be on my ship again. I don't need her 5 war asset points that much. She demeans Mass Effect's value as a work of art and as insulting to me as a female character. And it's not just the poor voice acting - the character's sensationalistic style of reporting is a classic example of sensationalist and manipulative journalism. NOPE.
@JarlStreamus right - if the Indoc theory is true, then I'm cool with that and can be happy with the final ending we get. I will still take issue with how it was handled and be kind of pissed at Bioware's release of an incomplete product, but as long as I'm not expected to take the current ending at face value then the story could be artistically successful. But as we have it now, it's not. Can't say more until we get the extended cut.
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