Bioware Answers Unsolved Mysteries of the Mass Effect Universe | Ars Technica

[@ilgamingdellaterzaeta7154]

"Dude, are you going to answer the question?" "Nice question here"

[@NoInfoAvail]

He did skip a few and others he chose to not answer.

[@colt4531]

That is exactly what i thought watching this, just, question? Oh, um, next question

[@fayezfawzi3255]

"the Illusive man is illusive" this entire video in a nutshell.

[@GivettheGAS]

I don't have time to explain what I don't have time to explain.

[@TheDeadAlewives]

"I didn't exactly bother coming up with an answer".

[@100nb6]

😂😂😂😂

[@glencoco9159]

The canonical the canonical

[@TheUnknown285]

A lot of these were non-answers. However, it was cool to hear about how the planet stuff came about and to hear definitively that there's nothing left of the host when a husk is created.

[@linkenski]

Unfortunately it's not news. Casey has explained it before, other writers talked about it before. Cool he captured real footage of it though.

[@jcfan1979]

I just want to know why the Normandy by the end of Mass Effect 2 can blast through the huuuge Collector ship but doesn't fire a single blast at a single reaper. Why the heck did Garrus bother meticulously calibrating the stupid gun for you if you weren't going to use it but one time?

[@rianrichardson4297]

It probably because the material of collector ship and reapers are different and they knew so they didn't bother... At the beginning it's established that the collector is an alien creature but they're not a reaper, so they fired the Normandy laser as a speculation and the only option... And calibration are not equal to upgrade, Garrus maybe just optimizing accuracy, power consumption, lock on system, etc, etc.....

[@ramjb]

Because the Normandy is a light recon ship almost immune to detection. She's able to get in and out of "hot zones" undetected, and that's exactly what she does in most moments where she's at play in the Mass Effect games. For that role the LEAST thing you do when you need to, say, go through a whole Reaper Blockade to put the ship in the proper position to launch a shuttle that could land Shepard and his team at London, is to emit a ray of death that NOBODY is going to not see, only to kill a reaper or two when there were hundreds, if not thousands, at play, so everyone can look and say "hey! that's shepards ship! let's destroy it". The only time where the Normandy had to stay and fight was against the Collector main base, and even there she wasn't going to use the weapons - the plan was to go in undetected and deploy the team on the base without firing a single shot. But she was seen in the run in ruining the whole plan, and once detected there was no reason to hold back at all, it was all-in, and that was it. Rest of the situations that come to mind during the games, Normandy's ability to go stealth and undetected was far more important than firing a death ray gun and attract everyone's attention on her.

[@ForsakenKrios]

@@rianrichardson4297 The codex States that the weapon Garrus is calibrating is a miniature Reaper weapon and can destroy reaper/dreadnought level vessels after multiple hits. It's just bioware being lazy + trying to up the drama by making your situation seem hopeless until the magical Crucible appears.... Also the codex says they can MOUNT that weapon onto almost anything even fighters. Wtf they didnt? Plot...bioware stupidity....combination of the two

[@metzen0]

@@ForsakenKrios It still seems like a needless risk. shoot one reaper to death just to get dog piled by a dozen and fail the whole mission.

[@ForsakenKrios]

@@metzen0 Thats why you mount the gun on every ship you possibly can. So they can snipe them from a distance, like the Normandy did to pierce the armor of the collector ship. They only got closer for dramatic flare

[@brokengames9020]

1999: Bioware magic. 2019: Bioware tragic.

[@clairemadeinheaven]

@@ahblooloo8639 because you touch yourself at night

[@GenericUsername-qp1ww]

@@ahblooloo8639 they did

[@MrChupacabra555]

This is great, but it also makes me feel kind of sad that we may not get any more 'Classic' Mass Effect ever again :-(

[@GameWizzard2843]

I've got a good title for that. The Tragic Tale of Bioware the Great

[@krim7]

EA tarnishes everything it touches

[@ConflictedBacon]

It seems like he’s avoiding answers just so he doesn’t accidentally close any windows they might want to explore in later content. I hope.

[@heyjoji1954]

ConflictedBacon I mean.... depends on the sequel... If it’s a continuation of andromeda then he can answer it ACTUAL answers but if it’s a new whole cast then yeah best to be vague

[@jamiemiller5269]

It seems to me that things change as a game is developed and I suspect that he does not want to give answers to questions because the answers may change in the future. He is probably trying to avoid being branded as a "liar" later by the more excitable members of the fan base.

[@LuisManuelLealDias]

I think we got what a main writer of such an extended world like mass effect, created by lots of writers, could ever answer for. It's not so much "avoiding answers", much as "there is no answer" to a lot of this stuff. Think "black mistery boxes" ala JJ Abrams for a lot of these things, and you'll get it. Most of this stuff was concocted in a "What if this is X" way, and someone else comes along and nods "sure, write that in, but quickly we have so much to do this week". IOW, in a lot of this stuff, there's really no "there there" written in a comprehensive established way.

[@maxrander0101]

@Eric Barnes if the info i got from a memeber of the Bioware team is true then its going to be in the andromeda galaxy but may take into consideration what your other games did during them (the three endings ) as this would explain why no word had been received before this point as the plan was to send a massive amount of com relays to provide comms between the milky way and andromeda if we lost the war or destroyed everything with the destroy ending these would most likely not function plus the planned other races coming to andromeda may still be explored not in the planned (scrapped ) dlc but in maybe the next game

[@SamuraiBonesie]

He can’t answer anything that the writers and artists haven’t confirmed yet. If he does, people will come back to this like people did with No Man’s Sky and obviously they don’t want to promise anything that they can’t keep.

[@a.vasquez771]

This interview: Q: So what's going on with X? A: Yeah isn't x amazing? ??? Literally answered little to nothing

[@cman12698]

Probably because they're holding out some of these things for future titles or lors

[@LandBark]

Yeah, this question anwering was a joke.

[@clockworkdeity]

This is the same as any interview with leads of creative projects: “Read and Find Out”

[@karimsonsafehold9233]

This is the lead writer that Assumed Direct Control of Me3's ending and created the fiasco, almost single handedly. What did people expect...

[@ianjedi1282]

He doesn't actually know

[@tonycmac]

Long live Marauder Shields, may he not be forgotten!

[@justsomedangerbigfootwithweb]

people always talk about maruader shield but no one mentions husk health and his twin brothers.

[@tonycmac]

@@justsomedangerbigfootwithweb Good call! They are all heroes.

[@Null_Vampyrr]

@@justsomedangerbigfootwithweb and what about Banshee Barrier?

[@revenantkombant]

@@Null_Vampyrr imagine a banshee trying to stop you from getting the ending. I would be terrified! I love it! 😂

[@TheEsdaniel]

Hail

[@Matt-bg5wg]

Mac dodged Drew's Dark Energy storyline from ME2 so well... We all know the truth.

[@bakomusha]

That they rapidly changed story direction during development after firing/pushing out a bunch of key staff?

[@CatastrophicDisease]

That would have been just as bad as what they went with.

[@MirandaAndUh]

@@bakomusha That they switched story direction because the dark energy plotline was too esoteric and sci-fi for a general audience, as mandated by EA who wanted a pretty straightforward narrative/military shooter.

[@mishmashmarsh9499]

"I'm not sure" Is this video in a nutshell.

[@smudboy]

"Oh yeah, we forgot about Gianna Parasini. And about 30 other things." "What, TIM has telekinesis? Why? Why would he? What is 'is?'" "What are questions? Let's use questions to respond to questions."

[@martindiaz6481]

smudboy, I love your channel and I really wish you could interview this guy. Doubt he’d ever agree to that, but it would be epic.

[@smudboy]

@@martindiaz6481 I doubt anything I ask would be much different than the responses he gave.

[@Kodiie]

Can we be expecting a video eloquently tearing this apart.

[@GiovanniZaluchi]

Please get UDP back and tear this thing apart @smudboy

[@vlad78th]

My 2 cents: TIM has leviathan' power dominate, not telekinesis. Which is interesting because Morinth also has the very same power which is a clue about leviathan being behind the creation and uplifting of the asari through its previous thralls, the protheans. Asari are the perfect diplomats and are capable of seducing any sentient species (or at least species without specific resilience to mind control) because they benefit from an unconscious mind control ability. Ardat Yakshis suffer from an unintended mutation of the asari soft mind controlling power which allows them to directly control people but stop them from being able to meddle their mind with their mate, their power is so great is fries the mind of their partners. This is why Samara tells Morinth in ME2 she's a disease to be purged and Morinth replies she's the destiny of the asari species. TIM has the dominate ability at the end of ME3 because he's the tool of leviathan and Harbinger (the first reaper made of the leviathan race). Control was the initial goal of leviathan, not the reapers which explains why the reapers attacked the cerberus facility on sanctuary, synthesis if possible is a solution beneficial both to leviathan and Harbinger. (leviathan gave mandate to the reapers to find a solution to organics vs synthetics wars and it cost him the control of the universe) It could even be theorized the Artificial intelligence never existed (or is Harbinger or at least is not the child), the child is leviathan in disguise simply because if the AI had been located on the citadel, Sovereign would not have been needed to activate the mass relay hidden there in ME1. And McWalter indeed didn't answer to any interesting question.

[@HowlingWolf518]

Keep in mind that Karpyshyn was the real brains behind Mass Effect - Walters has always kind of been his Benioff & Weiss understudy.

[@warmybear437]

Hudson wrote the lore bible for ME universe, Karpyshyn wrote main quest & oversaw writers like Walters (who wrote Garrus & Wrex in ME1 for instance) and filled out other stuff. Like. Karpyshyn's own idea for Dark Energy was that the Reapers knew dark energy would eventually kill the universe & reset civilisations every 50k years in an effort to find the biotic master race. A shackled AI machine logic at least makes more sense lol

[@linkenski]

Chris L'Etoile was also important. Very hard sci fi writer, writer of the codex too. Also left before ME3.

[@ArveEriksson]

Heh, that "I love you, Grunt." "Hur hur hur!" exchange is almost worth a new playthrough by itself!

[@b33lze6u6]

"Bioware tries to rise from its grave while the fans beat the zombie back into its casket with anthem shitposts"

[@TheLastSaint7]

Lol true

[@linkenski]

More like BioWare just keeps digging their grave which has nothing to do with Anthem.

[@JackTwoFingers]

haha best comment ever! 🤣

[@johnblauze1947]

EA is the reaper, Bioware is the husk.

[@johncisney15]

Lmao

[@UncomfortableGameShorts]

I only found ARS Technica recently and I totally love it. Thanks for the awesome content!

[@migamaos3953]

He’s so corporate about his answers

[@linkenski]

How do you think he made his career.

[@Lee86THUNDER]

Replies like a politician

[@MaXiMoS54]

Idk why people expected anything else tbh

[@cybergun01]

He's one of the big reasons why Mass Effect sucks now. He basically threw out Drew Karpyshyn's (writer for ME1&2) vision for the game.

[@TheGingiGamer]

@@cybergun01 His writing was great in ME3

[@tonyquera6484]

Kinda just brushed off some of those unsolved mysteries without a real answer.

[@linkenski]

What did you expect from the guy that wrote Mass Effect 3's plot.

[@DextroDNAOfficial]

Yeah Mac Walters is a hack

[@Eminar5]

Well yeah, he does so when there is no answer to give. Writers are essentially explorers of the universe they create, not encyclopedias. Though perhaps a bit of a tease to include those questions in the video in the first place.

[@stephenkelly18]

Yeah, this wasn't a live video. Even if he didn't know something himself, he had the time to get an answer. Why include a question if you have no intention of giving a real answer?

[@JohnsDough1918]

@@linkenski exactly, thank you.

[@valecrassus7835]

He seems to have forgotten that "Illusive" and "elusive" are two different words.

[@nutella_drifter]

A random planet generator written in Excel is one of the coolest gaming stuff I heard of recently.

[@abigor3817]

Thank you Ars Techica for the interview, as usually the presentation of the vids is top notch. Unfortunately the issue this time is with the guest, I had really high hopes for it as ME universe is one favorite ones, but almost all questions got unanswered or avoided.

[@allanrune]

He didn't really answer the most interesting questions.

[@Tranceplant82]

Probably saving those answers on a potential sequel or origin story...

[@fozzibab]

Assume that anything he didn't answer directly is because they're holding it in reserve as potential story/plot material for another game. Like the Jupiter-Brain at Ploba. He completely ignored that. Expect the next ME game, whenever that is, to involve Ploba in some way.

[@freddieharrisgothambygaslight]

Allan Lemos exactly!!!

[@derlich09]

Red Green Blue? GIMME A REAL ANSWER!

[@GamerbyDesign]

Nobody asked about the Asari's true form.

[@LMarti13]

Crazy that a video starring the guy who wrote the ending to ME3 is hacky and unsatisfying

[@stopaskingforrealnames3853]

Remember the guy also wrote a lot MORE than just that. Good stuff.

[@lukemiller7450]

A lot of people were mad at how he gave few conclusive answers, but for me the ambiguity of it fits perfectly with the Mass Effect Universe. It really is breathing a world that we couldn't possibly know all the answers to, so I kind of like that the developers themselves left a lot in the air and a lot left to interpretation

[@GoodGuyNeji]

6:48 So it's NOT the Reapers... Conclusion: It's the Reapers.

[@Tyleya]

I’m not saying Aliens but.....👽

[@titanjakob1056]

Ah yes “reapers”

[@TheFly212]

The real, and only legit question, is. Was Shepard indoctrinated at the end of Mass Effect 3, and/or, was Shepard undergoing an indoctrination attempt by Harbinger at the end of ME3? That is, forever, and always, the BIG Mass Effect question.

[@-_-5470]

What a question, If course He was indoctrinated!

[@pelgervampireduck]

yes, and we never saw the real final battle after shepard rejected the indoctrination and woke up on the floor

[@cyphi474]

Thats question they never going to answer for simple reason. Its not truth, but its better let fans in the dark and pretend "we might be so smart guys". Extended endings destroyed entire premise of choice, but it also answered question, if so called 'Indoctrination theory' was ever thing. It wasnt, because then there would be no need making it posibility ex facto.

[@KnotsOfWonders]

For sure he was, or at least there was an attempt. If not how else did the Reapers know about the child Shepard has been having nightmares about, and why did they choose the child as their avatar when speaking to Shepard. They are trying to manipulate Shepard by playing with his emotions.

[@onen6942]

The point of the extended cut DLC was in part to definitively tell people that it wasn’t indoctrination. That’s a damn shame, because at least the Indoctrination Theory would have been a really clever outcome to the story instead of forcing everyone to take the Red/Green/Blue endings literally.

[@SonicSP]

Mass Effect lore and codex is amazing, thanks for making it so detailed. It is my favorite example of world building in video games. Like if you don't care about it you can just ignore it and it will mostly not affect your experience but if youre into that stuff like I was you can spend hours and hours reading the codex.

[@linkenski]

The writer who did that left after Mass Effect 2 and Mac never wrote a single word in the Codex.

[@staffsargemobuto]

He does realize the games have been out for a while now, right? There's no need to be secretive and vague.

[@c.michaelcarver7541]

Well yeah... I mean, you'd be crazy to give out important plot spoilers to a series that wrapped up over 7 1/2 years ago. Sheesh.

[@alienfromarea51wecomeinpea91]

Unless theres a prequle MAN I AM COUGHING LIKE ARTHUR MORGAN IRITATING (sorry bout that)

[@user-cj3ik9qq6m]

Just carry on the war with reapers in ME4 have Shepard indoctrinated in ME3 but have the one you romanced to help bring Shepard back and carry on

[@krim7]

I think it is because there is hope to one day make more games, so he does not want to fully tie his hands or reveal anything too juicy.

[@krim7]

Also, there may not be a strict answer. Often times when designing large campaign settings/worlds you pose questions and sprinkle them around your map. Then, in the future, you can pluck that question up and craft a story around it. It is a trick DMs do all the time in D&D when designing their settings. It gives the illusion of depth without actually requiring a lot of upfront work.

[@nathan4758]

The mass effect trilogy is by far one my best childhood memories that still fills me with happiness

[@benvids]

Final mystery: Why is there no Trilogy Remaster?

[@tiago4158]

and even more importantly: will there be a REAL mass effect 4 with shepard? and did they consider a netflix series with mass effect? (shouldnt be one with shepard as main character, but in the trilogy timelime, would be awesome i think)

[@celticurse]

I think an even better question is, why doesn't the trilogy come with controller support on PC, instead I'm having to download a mod (which I don't mind but it feels like an unnecessary step)

[@TGBurgerGaming]

You would enjoy that so it will never happen.

[@Madrock7777]

@@tiago4158 It would have to be a prequel since all but one ending has Shepard dead.

[@tiago4158]

@@Madrock7777 yea, but that's it, maybe you have to survive on ME3 to pass on to ME4, that would be kinda funny in my opinion

[@vedritmathias9193]

"For sure, not the Reapers." Scourge is Reaper, confirmed.

[@hanzo8120]

"For sure, not Milky Way Reapers." -fixed that part ;-) Perhaps a grey goo scenario? Nanomachines AI going rogue or so?

[@Jenny-eg3uh]

@@hanzo8120 Stellaris?

[@hanzo8120]

@Autismo Also true....

[@BoogerLeader]

@Autismo I definitely want a sequel to it. I loved the main characters and some of the missions. I just want the art style to be closer to the original ME, better characterization for companions, and better writing overall.

[@maxdunord2451]

@Autismo I want it. MEA is such an awesome game

[@ApoJake13]

"...because it does get people asking questions. And often we found out that our fans will come up with answers that are better than anything we would've come up with ourselves..." cough.... INDOCTRINATION THEORY ... cough

[@orestesbastos]

If only they adopted that and made a sequel based on it... But I can see how that would be problematic if Shepard was indoctrinated on Earth, the game could be too short, feel repetitive or like a slap on the face if he wasn't on Earth and had to unite the Galaxy again or something. (They could go for it and try some creative way to do it)

[@Byzantine_Orthodox_Christian]

The indoctrination theory was hot garbage with more holes than a cheese grater that sank as soon as the EC came out.

[@orestesbastos]

@@Byzantine_Orthodox_Christian It just works

[@majormarketing6552]

The whole game says kill reapers and control is wrong. Pre DLC those were the only choices. Indoctrination is obvious ending. When you choose the options it either shows Anderson nodding for destroy or Illusive man for control. Illusive man is who you just fought and destroyed his base. If anyone doesn’t understand indoctrination in this game and it is the ending, they are just not paying attention.

[@Byzantine_Orthodox_Christian]

@Autismo Og endings were hot garbage i agree

[@hilkovanwalraven3111]

the mass effect universe was so cool to bad its was destroyed (by that evil race called the investors)

[@maxrander0101]

@NerfBeard ' to be fair Anthem was EA's game they just force pulled people off of mass effect to try and fix it due to them being know for making better games this left andromeda with less than half the team it started with thats the reason so much was cut from the game and the real reason for it going the way it did they lost most if not all of the lead team members and they were replaced by people that had no idea what they were doing

[@arronstone177]

Corporate Kett.

[@alexanderforbes1452]

At least with Andromeda they went in a totally different direction, they didn't continue the main story or even feature any of those characters. All the events following the reaper war are still as yet unexplored, they can just call a mulligan with Andromeda, take the L, and move on with things in the milky way galaxy as they probably should have in the first place. There's lots of cool stories left to tell there, if they pick things up a few hundred years in the future rather than just after then we can see the long term effects of the reaper war, whether or not they were able to repair the relays, whether or not the krogan did become a problem, etc. Plus with how long asari and krogan live we could see some familiar faces, Liara was only 100 during the trilogy and Grunt was a baby essentially, still about a thousand years ahead of them.

[@ianjedi1282]

Two garbage games in a row. It's too bad bioware has gone to the dark side.

[@chinojosa4563]

Naw, it was all the crying about bugs that were fixed within a week.

[@Ohwhin]

Mac: it's really great to flush out the lore Me: which it seems you haven't done

[@stevewise622]

One disk, the trilogy, all the dlc’s ... Do it

[@Scatt2k7]

Do it bioware or we riot!

[@sn0wyc0sm0]

Apparently they are releasing that in september

[@uros.u.novakovic]

Legendary Edition :D

[@coolmastamanga1278]

Hey there, Nostradamus!

[@lovely.]

Nice, a bunch of non-answers.

[@Supadrumma441]

@@danieladler3210 agreed the bioware that made the mass effect, dao, kotor series no longer exists

[@narata1541]

@Lovely True. I think this is more for the American audience that needs answers for the obvious questions. But for the rest of us, this was a bit lacking.

[@robertagu5533]

Only thing he "answered" was the fate of everyone on Citadel Station after the Reapers seized control.. not really they're MO. Considering before Shep seizes THEM Reapers dont really tolerate sentient species presence that much unless you serve them. An how it looked when Anderson and Shep was on it at the end after all that fighting... pretty sure most all of them died. Maybe they went out fighting some them but no way Reapers just left them... its bout the only question he answered.

[@ruslanmamedaliyev3912]

what did u expect?

[@AntzolY111]

Made more mystery than answers.Thanks bioWare another F you to the fans.

[@howawlyfalloookenhool7495]

"Why does Saren look different?" *Because it looked cool* *Hi I'm a creator of a sci-fi universe with tons of mysteries, and I have ZERO scientific answers to any of them* 😶

[@sandrobsnake]

But he has artistic integrity...

[@niaure6516]

In my head cannon, the family line the Arterius' come from have genetic abnormalities or at least, unfavorable traits (fringe length, thicker waists and legs). Desolas has the same extended cheekbone and middle-point fringe as his brother. Perhaps their ancestors fought their way through to survive and become as renown as they were/are in spite of their looks outing them. I do wish there was a more comprehensive listing of where the various turian tribes were, what in-fighting they had and what tribes survived before being forcefully reunited with the Hierarchy. I enjoy the lore for Mass Effect quite a bit lol.

[@deathrooster14]

I think it's because of either reaper implants or implants added to enhance his abilities as a Spectre. If you notice when Nihlis meets Saren in ME1 he barely recognized him.

[@haziqtheunique]

He's actually not the creator. He took over as writer for Drew Karpyshyn after he left in the middle of ME2. Walters is responsible for ME3 on.

[@krismate2895]

Most likely to differentiate him from other Turians. As Mass Effect was brand new, with all these never before seen aliens, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of players would potentially get confused between Garrus and Saren lol. It's very possible no one came up with a scientific reason for his slightly different appearance. If there was a scientific reason, Mac Walters was only a character writer for ME1, you'd have to ask maybe Casey Hudson or whoever was in charge of character/alien appearances for ME1 or the concept artist responsible for Saren.

[@stephenkelly18]

Wow thanks for 15 minutes of dodging questions and giving non-answers. Have you tried politics?

[@metalnat27]

lol He's definitely doged some questions! But I can understand why. At the end of the day, they still want the audience to have that inner mysteries connection. It's RAWR and tangible. And keeps the franchise at its peak no matter how old the original titles are.

[@alienfromarea51wecomeinpea91]

You expect them doing me5 than

[@gio1203cm]

@Char Aznable Stop bitchin about the ending, I think with the extended cut was pretty clear that was the ending they wanted in their games, their history and franchise, after the extended cut I can't relate with the salty dude about the ending.

[@Rensune]

Nah, just a typical interview for EA or Bethesda

[@cybergun01]

@@gio1203cm I think they were pretty clear about it not just being the ending. Learn to read

[@AnthonyAllenJr]

Everybody is complaining about the answers, but I just appreciate hearing a conversation about this amazing series.

[@orestesbastos]

Well, yes... But a few more detailed or serious answers would've been nice :/

[@linkenski]

By the guy that made the series suck and irreversibly damaged?

[@Jonatron101]

I guess Mac still believes there's a future for the franchise since he's not cracking open the keys to the kingdom.

[@linkenski]

An open key to the house you burned.

[@justinpaglia616]

I really hope Mass Effect isn’t gone forever. ME2 is my favorite game of all time.

[@kevinfromsales6842]

It's not. They'll do another one for sure. I mean, why not? People will buy it. I know I will.

[@ladyjoker6897]

I sure as hell will.

[@Darkmountaindweller]

Best Game I've ever played, I was angry tho with all the DLC not being part of the original game,DLCs should be New Armor, weapons and vehicles not characters or story content.

[@ladyjoker6897]

Well ME2 and ME3 did have Weapon and Armor packs with Alternative Costumes, Weapons and Pre - Order Weapons and Armor.

[@NatsNotHere]

"Often we found out that our fans will come up with answers that are better than anything we would've come up with ourselves..." Mmm... Yeah... My canon is definitely the indoctrination theory. Shepard lives and the Reapers die. Wish I'd gotten so see it.

[@larryzeka5011]

nattitude me too

[@pelgervampireduck]

shepard rejected the indoctrination and woke up on the floor, just before charging against the reapers in the epic massive final battle we never got to see.

[@Voodoochild-xu9fd]

I think they should of just bit the bullet and made the destroy ending cannon for ME3 I wasn’t a fan of andromeda because I wanted to see old faces again and there were still places in the Milky Way that weren’t explored (I’m still salty that we never got to actually step foot on Palavin)

[@EdTzani]

They should add some side quests like they did on Tuchanka and Rannoch... Missions like rescuing Garrus's Dad and sister getting out of Palaven would be great

[@tonycmac]

@@EdTzani BioWare needs to hire you. Perhaps you could replace Hack Walters.....

[@BlueBoxRevan]

Most of the video: good question, i won't answer that. Next question.

[@dend1]

Bring back Mass Effect, but do it right this time

[@Shotgun93Alexander]

Vortex there is another mass effect game in development right now

[@zachhunter6125]

Shotgun93Alexander I’d love to hear your source on that

[@Shotgun93Alexander]

Zach Hunter www.google.com/amp/s/www.ladbible.com/technology/gaming-new-mass-effect-games-are-coming-confirms-bioware-20191016.amp.html

[@AliothAncalagon]

​@@Shotgun93Alexander Lol who the hell cares. The franchise is as dEAd as it gets.

[@Shotgun93Alexander]

Alioth Ancalagon I still have some hope

[@madd9668]

When he answered the commingling question, and started talking about how the mass effect universe is a "free love zone", tears came to my eyes. I don't really know why. This franchise has a really special place in my heart, and definitely shaped my teenage years for the better.. The way that the universe felt to be in, I felt so welcomed; even if deep down I know it's all ones and zeros that my computer spits out. The franchise gave me a place I liked to be in while I struggled the most with PTSD. I guess i'm just trying to say I love you, Mass Effect.

[@ROBANN88]

I wanna know, what happens with the Husks in the Synthesis ending? The one we see almost looks like he ahs some existential crisis, are they sentient now? if so, how do they deal with being monsters, some being like 5 people biologically welded together?

[@linkenski]

I want to know if the Normandy breathes oxygen and gives EDI back pain with its organic metal tissue.

[@arcadius6770]

As he said, the reaper husks are non sentient. What you was saw the reaper whom was controlling it reacting to what occured.

[@ZacksRockingLifestyle]

@@arcadius6770 I like that sentiment. Hopefully they just drop after a bit

[@arcadius6770]

@@ZacksRockingLifestyle They were probably used by the reapers to aid in reconstruction efforts in tandem with the other species efforts. But I imagine at some point they were discarded seeing as most were built for combat

[@rogue109]

I think he answered most of these in his little wrap up at the end. They developed mysteries to have a deeper sort of lore, so they had mysteries in the game that didn't have answers in cannon, they were simply to make the universe feel fleshed out.

[@Camelotsmoon]

My unsolved mystery: "Why does the starchild ignore Geth and Quarian peace?".

[@FancyHitla]

The Wanderer he doesn’t though, it’s the geth and quarian peace that allow you to access synthesise ending

[@Camelotsmoon]

@@FancyHitla That's not true, it's entirely based on your war asset count. All you need is 2800 or more.

[@linkenski]

@@FancyHitla if the Geth and Quarians like each other and stopped being down each other's throats then what problem is Synthesis even solving? That's the question the ending to the game hinges on yet the problem doesn't even exist within the frame of Shepard's story. This is the entire reason why we hated the ending.

[@Minimeister317]

Really facinated by how he said that Cerberus has various factions within the organization. That is something they certainly didn't talk much about in the games.

[@Kenjamin7]

Mass Effect and Game of Thrones suffer from the same problem that irreversibly damaged the franchise permanently and that was a build up to a bad ending that destroyed all lore and universe building that took a decade+ more to build.

[@gyice]

this was a true Bioware Q&A and it also shows exactly how much they really care about Mass effect. I understand that they may be considering developing and bringing out a New Mass Effect I really hope they farm it out to another company to develop and market it otherwise Andromeda will be a highlight reel compared to Bioware's new take on the franchise. Also someone might want to explain the concept or Q&A to Bioware you know the Answer part.

[@Agiranto]

Bioware Answers Unsolved Mysteries more like Bioware Vaguely Babbles About Unsolved Mysteries

[@stephenkelly18]

Bioware acknowledges that there are mysteries, and indeed unsolved ones. Isn't that neat? Please like us.

[@Softweed1]

' You have failed we will find another way, releasing control".

[@D8alusPrime]

I liked the part where he read a question and then loosely talked about a topic that was only partially related to what was asked. It always displeases me when I get direct answers to literally anything I ask.

[@ZariaAiko]

4:04 Saren looked different because he was turned into a cyborg by Geth and Sovereign. The game even makes a plot point out of it, in the sense that when Saren shows himself to the Council he projects a false image of himself - before he had a Geth arm grafted onto him. So saying "it looks different because it was cool"? is just... Oh please... do your homework or let Drew Karpyshyn answer these question.

[@thomasjoychild4962]

IIRC, he was actually meant to look completely turian to start with and only get the cybernetics later after you first encountered him on Virmire (Remember how he talks when you confront him on the citadel about sovereign sensing his doubts and giving him the augmentations to put them to rest), but they ran out of time to do multiple models of him for different parts of the story.

[@MikMoen]

2:42 There's nothing in the world more heart warming than cuddling with Tali.

[@TheHiddenSpider101]

Prefer Miranda

[@suckmymiddlefinger4350]

Team Tali all the way

[@ccw139]

He didnt answer anything....

[@majormarketing6552]

Just like ME3 ending

[@dancooper-z]

@@majormarketing6552 lol right

[@AntzolY111]

ME3 ending blah blah I choose this I choose this damn.

[@alex21390]

Me: oh cool a 15 minute video answering some cool questions Fandom 2 minutes in: WHAT ALIENS CAN BANG OTHER ALIENS

[@roeckinsogg6855]

Her: ... Me: we'll bang, ok? Highest level of comedy achieved

[@bacon3703]

The real sad part is at the end when he mentions he hasn't thought about this stuff in awhile. Mass Effect is too good a series to let die, Andromeda was a bit of a letdown, but still better than most of the games they make, especially anthem

[@TheHippyProductions]

I like the idea that the reapers indoctrinated the Illusive Man on a subtle, maybe even subconscious level because then there's the possibility of the classic "bad guy's own undoing" trope if they were influencing him before the Lazarus project

[@Mech299]

"Bioware re-reads unsolved mysteries of the mass effect universe"

[@funfurther1]

I for one appreciate specific answers where they were appropriate, and vague answers were they were appropriate. Leaving creative space for future development. too many creators paint themselves into a corner by delving into all of the specific minutiae.

[@ProjectChaos77]

He literally pissed in our ears and told us it was raining. He didn’t answer a damn thing 😑

[@blissface]

Waste of an interview honestly.

[@blissface]

@Alistair Then why title the video Bioware ANSWERS Unsolved Mysteries, if no questions were going to be actually answered? Rather disingenuous don't ya think?

[@AntzolY111]

DARK ENERGY WAS ME3 ORIGINAL ENDING PLOT BUT GOT THRASED THE REASON DARK ENERGY GOT IN STORY CAUSE REAPERS HARVEST EVERYTHING TO PERSERVE LIFE SAVE IT. DAMN WATH BIOWARE????

[@jamiemiller5269]

Rain is usually cold, so we should be able to tell the difference.

[@daaknait]

"I loved the Synthesis ending" Thanks for opening 8 year old wounds...

[@DarthPlato]

Guy answered the Q&A the way a Husk would.

[@adamb89]

Well the fact that this video even exists is a good sign. If the series were well and truly dead, I don't know that anyone would bother.

[@ThudFudgins]

Corporate Suit: "How do we make a profit on these people?" Johnson: "Why don't we put up a video about lore questions and not answer them, but save them for an dlc video that they have to have membership for." Corporate Suit: "Someone give Johnson a raise."

[@Afunnylittlefellow]

You really gotta love how little the development team knew going into designing the universe. In a big way, the ambiguity of this stuff is why the setting is so compelling, and I can't really blame him for giving ambiguous answers. I hope some of the flat out refusals to answer questions mean we'll get some more ~good~ Mass Effect content in the future.

[@linkenski]

I beg to differ. There were lots of intelligent writers and staff on these games but Mac was not one of them, or at least not their best. Unfortunately for company, corporate, political reasons he advanced his career at the expense of his fellows and became the guy in charge but creatively one of the least deserved candidates to do it. It's been clear across so many interviews and evidenced by things he wrote in the games that he is not the best writer on the trilogy, and that he doesn't know how to get in detail with the lore, which is something several others could. Because everything started going through him it eroded the quality of Mass Effect. It is all his fault how far down the drain the franchise got, and I bet to him this is all about getting a higher salary and grinding his way to an even higher paycheck. Other writers cared and had genuine passion. It is so revealing when he phrases it "wow you have so much thought put in that I haven't considered before" that he didn't think twice writing anything for Mass Effect. He wrote whatever seemed cool and didn't consider its ramifications to the world or the fiction. Only the other writers did that and that's how you get the franchise ruining ending where Mac's writing got the last word and the last thing fans would remember, a purely Mac piece of writing that stands naked for everyone to realize just how bad his writing is.

[@Your-Least-Favorite-Stranger]

"Canonical ending" - There isn't one, all headcannons are cannon. "Husks" - No memories, robozombies "Volus" - ugly by human standards, basically a blobfish in a compression suit so they don't die. "Alien sex compatibility" - dodged "Galaxy map" - dodged "Seran vs normal turians" - he looked cool "Krogan advancement" - They coming back with vengeance. "Dark Energy" - It everywhere "Lazarus Tech" - Expensive black market, highly unethical tech type deal. "Mass Relays" - magic "Scourge" - magic "Andromeda" - we wanted to expand and hope you like less serious "Reaper Variants" - Assimilate, adapt, conquer, repeat "Gianna" - retconned/forgotten "Consort" - forgotten "Leviathans" - Gone "Protoreaper" - Human terminator war machine "Citizens on citadel during reaper invasion" - dead. "Illusive Man powers" - Reaper tech, controlled by Reaper's will, well-indoctrinated, dodged "Cerberus regrowth between 2 and 3" - magic. You were given no info so it's not lying to say we retconned and added an army. "Andromeda" - don't care, planned before ME1 "Jupiter Brain" - No answer "Hypothetical" - Vorcha master race irl

[@Zomdra]

You got a lot of that wrong. Here, I'll revise it for you: "Canonical ending?" - There isn't one, all head-canons are canon "Do Husks retain memories?" - No memories, robo-zombies "Volus appearance? Hot or not?" - Soft, white, delicate, smooth folks. Beauty is subjective. "Alien sex compatibility" - Anyone can bang, offspring maybe possible through tech "Galaxy map writing process" - Basics generated by program, lore writing divided between most writers "Any planets you wish were explored more?" - Not answered "Why does Saren look different from other turians?" - Because it's cool (isn't it obviously tech body modding?) "Cured krogan future" - Lots of war. "Nature finds a way" so hopefully things will work out eventually. "Dark Energy loose plot threads" - Dodged, just talks about dark energy in general being integral to series "Lazarus Tech" - far too expensive/difficult/time-consuming to be used all the time "Prothean Sphere contents" - not telling. they're _supposed_ to be mysterious "Inside Mass Relays" - deliberately mysterious (dumb question anyway, "the tech that allows them to work" I assume) "What is the Scourge?" - Not telling. Not Reaper related though. "EU events you wish were in main series?" - no, they're good where they are since they can be fleshed out more there "What are Adjutants?" - bizarrely dodged by talking about unrelated stuff "Where'd Gianna go?" - dunno, maybe we'll give her a comic to explain it "Is the Consort magic?" - not answered (question possibly misunderstood, forgivable since it was phrased a little vaguely) "Leviathan survivors on other planets" - probably not "Completed Human-Reaper appearance" - blend of Leviathan-style Reaper and humanoid look "Citizens on Citadel during Reaper invasion" - left alive to be husked later "Illusive Man powers=Reaper tech he made?" - maybe he did, maybe the Reapers let him believe he did "Cerberus regrowth between 2 and 3" - they had more secret factions and funds than it seemed (implicitly: EDI didn't know everything about Cerberus' structure and resources) "ODSY based on Reaper tech?" - no, in development pre-Sovereign "Jupiter Brain" - deliberately mysterious "Refuse ending: leading races next cycle?" - Vorcha, maybe not leading but they'll be there

[@PsilentThunderer]

I like that he did this video. I know a lot of people say he is dodging the answers but this guy and his company have seen some horrid days and some great ones so to still give us time is a great respect and maybe a nod to the future of ME.

[@18Rada89]

"maybe" "i think" "i don't think" "i believe" and my favorite "oh wouldn't you love to know?" yeah... really clear answers lmao

[@beastmode1331]

When the extended cut was made my Shepard lived. Then built a house on the rannoch with my tali lol

[@ld1449]

The biggest unsolved question of ME universe. Why do you still have a job after ME3???

[@niospartan]

Why did they switch from overhearing guns with unlimited ammo to guns that need thermal clips? Conrad verner: yeah thats stupid.

[@birabull5]

If it's not Drew Karpyshyn answering I don't really care.

[@shmoeyshamboni4287]

YES!!!!!!!!!

[@tonycmac]

Especially when it's Hack Walters mumbling about how much he is a clueless gump with no answers.

[@shmoeyshamboni4287]

@@tonycmac "HACK WALTERS" DAMN YOU GOTTA DRAG THE DUDE LIKE THAT 😭😭

[@tonycmac]

@@shmoeyshamboni4287 Haaaa! Hey, he earned it by failing upwards - because it sure wasn't his writing skills that got him to Creative Director.

[@chrischris824]

Thanks for making this video. Ive been gaming for 30+ years...and ME Trilogy is my all time fav series. I even have tattoos of Liara and a Husk. Please continue more content and games on the original storyline/ galaxy. And pmease release a switch remastered Trilogy!

[@forrestpenrod2294]

He can’t answer too directly because I bet at the back of his mind there’s always the chance another installment will be ordered and he won’t want to be tied down to anything.

[@TastyGamingQc]

Salarian: So don’t...ingest. Me: ... Salarian: You already did, didn’t you ? Me: AM I GOING TO DIE?!

[@johnitella]

What about the most important question: At the end...was Shepard indoctrinated or not?

[@sandrobsnake]

No... Just bad writing and plot holes...

[@MatthewJones-jg4eu]

@JeremyCuddles they did answer they said no

[@darkowl9]

Mass Effect peaked at 2 and it was all down-hill from there. Still, I much preferred the cohesive world design on ME1 over ME2 where "mission" space and "narrative" space were clearly delineated with start and summary screens, whereas in ME1 a fight could break out anywhere (eg. the bar in the Citadel)

[@Castitalus]

I loved how ME1 felt more open where ME2 was basically on rails.

[@arzkaful1]

I loved ME2s darker tone

[@tonycmac]

I love ME1 and 2, and still play them.

[@mr.goldfinch3681]

ME3 was like the best one in it´s work with the crew members, tension and overall storytelling. Not to mention great music and gamplay. Yes, the ending was garbage but the rest of the game was an amazing experience.

[@joshuajefferson3504]

If you truly think about it the journey through all 3 mass effect games is more memorable then the ending of mass effect 3. 😢😢😢👍👍👍

[@themagnus2919]

The Synthesis ending is the worst possible ending that could be chosen as cannon.

[@Byzantine_Orthodox_Christian]

galaxywide peace, immortality, unification, enhanced physical/mental capabilities, and the ability to communiacte with an unfathomable amount of harvested consciousness's from past cycles. Truly the worst ending

[@themagnus2919]

@@Byzantine_Orthodox_Christian "Peace"-"Immortality","Unification"= all lies. It would be HELL.

[@CoercedJab]

People who started mass effect with mass effect 3 choose synthesis. IDK how you become a fan of shepherd, his crew, or his mission, for THREE games and not recognize that destroying the reapers was the original goal. Synthesis is how the reapers fooled the species that were smart enough to be stupid. Like humans. Like the illusive man. Or Saren.

[@GigaHurtzGaming]

@@CoercedJab I think becoming a fan of his crew and his mission is the main reason why you would consider choosing synthesis. If you only played ME1, destroy would be the sane option as you only know the Geth as the evil AI menace that they're presented to you as. However, the subsequent games show you just how little you actually knew about not only them but the whole galaxy and by the end of 3 you'd have spent so much time and effort connecting and bonding together the various races of the galaxy that the destroy option almost feels like it invalidates all of your work - the relays are destroyed, the Geth are wiped out and everything is now disconnected again - back to the stone age. How you can go through Legion's section in ME3 and still choose destroy to condemn the Geth is alien to me; sure they can be rebuilt but it's not the same.

[@santiagoburnet4064]

@@GigaHurtzGaming True

[@SunlightGwyn]

The biggest unsolved mystery: How soon is EA closing Bioware?

[@ElectromagNick]

My guess? One or two major project delays.

[@c.michaelcarver7541]

As soon as they're done completely misusing the studio enough to justify liquidating it to the shareholders. I mean, EA buys the most respected RPG studio in the western world, and then assigns them games like "Command & Conquer Generals 2" (A Real-Time RTS. Which was canceled. Wonder why...) and "Anthem" (A MMO-looter-shooter.) And then, if that wasn't dumb enough, while BioWare Main is working on Anthem, they have a sub-studio (BioWare Montreal) create a new Mass Effect game. (Andromeda) It's like buying a Shelby Mustang GT350, and then trying to tow your fifth-wheel, or haul a ton of gravel in it, and then wonder why it sucks at those tasks.

[@ElectromagNick]

@@c.michaelcarver7541 That is a bizarrely good analogy

[@suckmymiddlefinger4350]

Once they're done milking their games like Disney is with star wars

[@ducky36F]

So straight up he could come up with answers (that may change) or he can discuss the topic but keep it open ended if future mass effect material is released. Not sure what everyone was expecting him to say

[@HyPNoTiKx]

10:23 - Anderson should have been like "bruh have u looked in a mirror lately?"

[@peraxelaamot3796]

The only thing we want to know is when ME remastered will come....

[@kingmasterlord]

The fact that he's refusing to answer questions about Andromeda means that that trilogy isn't completely dead.

[@ArtemisMS]

Made my way halfway through this before quitting (after the dark energy "answer"). He doesn't really give answers to most of these. It's almost as if he doesn't know his own universe or simply didn't put much thought into his own creation. Who HASN'T thought about the krogan overpopulation problem? But his response made it seem like he genuinely never had.

[@stopaskingforrealnames3853]

Seems to me like they were waiting for when they could announce a sequel. LIke they did. Did you actually think ME got dropped?

[@ltdowney]

I mean, a lot of the questions he doesn't answer, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't *have* answers yet. I'm sure a lot of people on the various teams have opinions on how they *should* be answered, but I doubt they've ever sat down collectively and come to a consensus on everything.

[@linkenski]

Look, they just made all those things he was asked about with no discussion at all. Most pertains to the ME3 ending which he literally wrote alone with the director. They didn't know why they made it the way they did, there was nothing discussed and the other writers can only interpret what Mac did. Since Mac can't address it here, it means he had no reason to do any of it.

[@austinm5630]

I honestly cannot believe he uttered the words "kinder eggs." Dude, when your company is the SOURCE of the meme, you don't get to use it yourself. That's not how this works.

[@jaminschmitt]

My question would be, “If synthetics will ALWAYS destroy organics (according to the brat) what was the point in uniting the Quarian’s and the Geth!?” Anyway.... The Destroy ending is the most ethical ending. Yes you lose the Geth and EDI but you maintain the fabric and cultures of every species in the galaxy. I don’t mind Shepard dying but I think the Destroy ending with Shepard alive is the only way to go. That means that all the choices you made ended up converging into one ending but at least the illusion of choice remains somewhat respectable. It’s still the worst conclusion to a great franchise. I can’t accept that the majority of writers in BioWare agreed to the ending (when dark energy was a viable path), but that’s what you get when you have Hudson and the lead writer being sol decision makers in regards to a Star Brat running things.

[@parkerdinhwilliams15]

God I want Mass Effect to come back to its full glory. The 2nd game was SO SO SOOO good. It had the potential to be bigger than Star Wars and Star Trek in terms of the world they built and the amazing alien races and characters. I would love a remaster or reboot of the series.

[@Hardytier]

Ah of course the canon ending is the one you as the player believe, irrelevant to the actual future of the Milky Way if you were to make a true ME4. Excellent. That’s exactly what canon means.

[@Castitalus]

"Speculation"

[@davidg4612]

Shepard lives

[@Hardytier]

@@davidg4612 If only that were canon. Apparently, it is and isn't at the same time. How fun and definitive!

[@Overlord734]

@@Hardytier Shepard got drunk during Citadel dlc party and had a bad dream about storming Cerberus base, fighting in London and meeting some crazy AI boi. That's my canon. :)

[@peidoatomico]

Shepards story is meant to end at 3 and you choose the end. Thats why Andromeda is another Galaxy 600 years later. We can still hope for a first contact war prequell and the rest of andromedas story

[@manofculture1089]

Vorcha: we will control the galaxy Yahg: hold my beer

[@StealthDocs]

I just need the big question answered: how did Mass Effect 3 end so badly when BioWare was absorbed by EA, one of the biggest game publishers out there? ... ...I've just answered my own question, haven't I.

[@joevile240]

It's sad 😥

[@TheNerdyOne]

I think they ran out of file space. They had to limit the game to two discs.

[@StealthDocs]

@@joevile240 Agreed.

[@thomasjoychild4962]

They were absorbed by EA way before that, though. It happened before ME2, and that and most of ME3 were Excellent.

[@StealthDocs]

@@thomasjoychild4962 Indeed. And EA's fingerprints were on ME2 and Dragon Age (both excellent RPGs otherwise) in the form of day 1 character DLC for anyone buying the games second hand. A year before ME3's release, BioWare released a sequel to KOTOR... Except it was an MMORPG. A bad one (to begin with, anyway). Meanwhile, ME3 would also feature day 1 character DLC, only this time for everyone who didn't buy the special edition, plus a multiplayer mode with lootbox micro-transactions. The point is, EA's involvement twisted the design philosophy of BioWare's games, and since 2010 there's been a noticeable drop-off in quality, and we can see that in the Mass Effect series.

[@jdranetz]

Mystery: how did an abomination that is ME:Andromeda get made? :-)

[@TheLovescream]

The greatest mystery is how they could run one of the most valuable and popular RPG franchises completely into the ground for the sake of delivering one of the worst AAA releases of the decade. Truly magical.

[@whodatninja439]

Bioware Magical

[@yanipheonu]

EA.

[@admiralackbar8614]

Please solve the mystery of why i was dumb enough to buy Andromeda at full price.

[@zodaizcruelAN]

Never buy a game at full price .. IT'S A TRAP! (but you should already know it)

[@RottenRogerDM]

It was a trap. You always fall for traps.

[@ScottStDenis]

I was one of the idiots who was so hopeful for the game I bought the season pass. The games treatment made me turn my back on bioware. To be completely fair if dragon age 4, which is already in development I believe, isnt a home run, the entire division is likely to be shut down

[@Atavho]

Prothean Spheres are like kinder eggs, you get a little toy inside them

[@marcin5140]

What a cool name for a lootbox (-.-')

[@shanepye7078]

Mass effect 1 is still my favorite. The galactic exploring, huge worlds to drive across. It just gave the experience of a huge galaxy. Empty yet full at the same time.