Datamining the Trilogy (AKA Things That Were Cut)

Have you been poking around in the game's files? Found anything of interest that you'd love to share? Please do, at the very least me, myself and I would be glad to hea-- I mean, read it.

EDIT: We now have a sorta-kinda embassy thread on the BSN.

From my end:

MASS EFFECT

-- General script oddities.
-- Dialogue weirdness TBA
-- Unused HUD elements (including ME2/3-like squaddie portraits!)
-- Weird and unexpected graphical elements (Achievements and Galaxy Map) (including implications of boardable Turian and Geth ships!)
-- All the manufacturer insignias, both known and unknown. Includes Cerberus logo as introduced in Mass Effect 2!!!

MASS EFFECT 2

TLK File-- Zaeed was supposed to have a full-fledged recruitment mission like the rest of the team, complete with a driving section that may or may not have been a rail shooter. Oh, and did we mention he was also one of those part-of-main-game-cut-to-be-DLC dealios?
-- There's a lot of codex entries in the game files that aren't used in-game, most of them relating to Zaeed's DLC content (more proof he was cut-for-DLC).
-- There's several dummied-out starmap locations in the datafiles, with planetary descriptions and so on, pertaining to the Migrant Fleet's location mostly.
-- There's an unused letter from Kirrahe to Shepard to reflect your actions in ME1.

Voiceovers
-- A lot of them are left over indicating unused or abandoned plot points or romance options.
-- Mordin's sex advice contains fully-voiced lines from Jennifer Hale for apparently same-sex romance with Miranda, Jack and Tali. Also one (1) line from Mark Meer regarding same-sex romance with Garrus, but it's "I am NOT screwing Garrus!".
-- The French version of the game contains full voiceovers for MaleShep for a same-sex romance path with Thane. Since he's the only LI prior to Kaidan in ME3 with gender-specific dialogue ("siha"), this is sort of a big thing.
-- There was supposed to be a conflict standoff a-la Jack vs. Miranda for Grunt vs. Mordin, regarding their stance on the genophage.
-- There's a lot of Harbinger insults that aren't used in the game.
-- Mordin's dialogue is available for the "whoever is holding the biotic barrier in the Long Walk" moment, indicating he was supposed to be biotic at some point... or using a souped-up version of his repellant.
-- There's METRIC TONS of unused news announcements, related to the activities of the Terra Firma party and various consequences of various sidequests from the first game.

Lair of the Shadow Broker

-- There was a lot of content cut from LotSB, most notably, in the Shadow Broker files are several documents procured from Asari archives detailing the life of Samara as a maiden, as she was part of a crew of a ship stranded for almost a hundred years on EARTH, their crash landing mucking up the invasion of the Spanish armada into the British Isles in 1588.
-- Remember the final dialogue with Liara in your cabin, where she remarks on whoever you romanced? Yeah, it contains full voiceovers from Jennifer Hale for discussion of same-sex romance with Miranda, Jack and Tali.

MASS EFFECT 3

TLK File
-- There was a half-finished quest cut about what Daro'Xen gets up to after Rannoch ends. More details here (warning, link leads to BSN).
-- The are snippets of the Retake Omega questline in the file. Letters from Aria and her underlings to Shepard about the quest (giving it, you failed, you succeeded, and - hard to understand dependant on what - whether Aria stays on the Citadel or moves back to Omega after it), bits of dialogue with Aria where she says she's ready to go RETAKE OMEGA, and post-combat, where she thanks Shepard for help and begins rebuilding it, including the epic "I am Omega once more." as the finale. Some of these were reused in the eventual Omega DLC (see below).
-- The game somewhy contains all the ME2 mission end reports (the bits of TIM's text you read after finishing missions, remember those?) No idea why.

Voiceovers
-- There's dialogue for Tali and FemShep for the Geth Dreadnaught which for BroShep happens ONLY if he romanced her in ME2 and chose to rekindle it when she comes aboard the Normandy. OMGWTFBBQ?
-- There's NO indication that both VAs did voiceovers for s/s intimate scene content that isn't available in the game, unlike ME1/2.
-- There's a lot more lines for every character's death that you hear in the Nightmares than you normally hear. Maybe that's because they're all for different outcomes of that character's fate... maybe not. I'm yet to count them all, they're too tearjerking. The only one I really cannot place is... Allers. WHAT IS SHE DOING THERE?! Apparently, if you kick her off the ship before a certain point, she will find another to report on and will go down with it. Or at least she did in the November Beta.
-- There's voiceovers for Zaeed, Jack and her students and Geth troopers fighting in London. Including a scene like the one where you see Vega with a squad of soldiers -- where Jack would give her students a pep talk (apparently only if you convinced her to put them on the frontlines). Plus in-combat banter for them and Jacob, IIRC. Most of it is recycled from ME2, but it IS specifically in London's files regardless.
-- There's been voiceovers and subtitles for multiplayer's new Recovery AND Escort mission types in the game files since day one. Other, currently unused voiceovers, imply an escort mission of some sort as well. That should be... frustrating?
-- There's more files for a dialogue with a Geth Prime in London - the leader of the Geth ground forces, like the ones you have with Victus, Kirrahe and Wrex/Wreav. It's complete, and its exclusion from the game is a mystery, as unlike the above fighting example, it didn't even require... well, anything, except adding the actual Geth to the level - not all of those dialogues even have wheels, for crying out loud! It's available in the game if and ONLY if you killed the Quarians. Made peace? You aren't getting the Geth Leader, even though he has special dialogue for when the peace WAS made. Geeez.


Models and textures
-- Bits of what eventually became the Menae MP level (whatever Firebase name it has, I keep forgetting those) are present in the vanilla game.
-- The game files contain, among things we've already seen, icons for Geth Crates, Reaper Crates, Collector Crates, Christmas Presents and other weird items for multiplayer, implying the plans to make it even more TF2-like.
-- IT fans like to point out that all the foliage textures in the Normandy Crash files are prefaced with "Dream" (f.e. DreamFoliage, DreamLeaves, etc)
-- The reflection maps from the Starchild's room come in three flavours - with the bridges to the colour pickers lowered, raised and with ghostly trees being present on the perimeter. I'm told this is a leftover from when this was the "Guardian's Garden", whatever the heck that was.
-- The game contains the ME1 nude body models for the Shepards. You can coalesced-hack them in and marvel for yourself how much volume they added to FemShep's tush and chesticles for the ME3 models.
-- The Rebellion DLC pack includes an undocumented fourth weapon. The Prothean Beam rifle. Yeah, the one from From Ashes. For multiplayer. No word yet on how to get it in-game.
-- There's scene layout files for talking to Geth and/or Quarian leaders (also see above) in the London FOB. Judging from the file layout, they're supposed to appear in the same room as Anderson. The Geth one does, see above. Tali is apparently regarded as the Quarian leader for the intents of this scene (0_o).

EC DLC

-- Of those 2 gigabytes, two-thirds are taken up by pre-rendered cutscenes. Yep, all the ending slides are VIDEOS while using pictures or actual 3d models could've freed up a crapload of space. Detailed breakdown.
-- There's about 32 megabytes of voiceovers per language pack, only slightly more than in From Ashes (24). This includes all the new ending voiceovers as well as re-masters of all the voiceovers for the Nightmare Scenes (with new lines!), Hackett's debriefings (no differences found yet) and most of the Engineering Deck banter (no differences found yet). More info here.
-- There also about 80 megabytes of "other sounds" which also includes musics and cutscene tracks. Most of these ARE recycled, however, but there are a couple music tracks I haven't heard before. They will go up later.
-- There's also a few debug versions of the TLK file used for dialogues. They contain variations on the Starchild dialogue, though no significant changes seen so far.
-- The mythical "Leviathan DLC" is present ONLY as subtitle data. Stop it with the conspiracy theories on piggybacking its files in the EC, the EC's size is because of videos. More details here.
-- Yes, Harbinger speaks before shooting Shepard. Disproven. Harbinger only SOUNDS as if he's speaking. Listen for yourself. It's been officially confirmed that this is NOT words and he has NO lines in the game.
-- Ending slides: Fates of the planets and races, Fates of ME2 squaddies and ME3 NPCs not covered in planets, all the flashback slides.

LEVIATHAN DLC

-- Raw stats on the DLC files. Proof it's actual honest true expansion, not an excuse of a hack job like the EC.
-- There is no text in the Leviathan DLC other than the subtitles of the Leviathan DLC.
-- There are, however, signs of new levels for Omega and Citadel inserted in the code, which may mean the next DLC is either Retake Omega (featuring another added new zone on the Citadel) or a new Citadel-centric DLC. The new Citadel Docking interface certainly confirms that.
-- Further supported by this Galaxy Map Object depicting Aria's Fleet, labeled as "DLC_OMEGA". We might get an addition to the Fleets Arrive scene, finally?

OMEGA DLC

-- Raw stats on the DLC files. Proof the PR was correct and it IS the physically largest DLC to date in the series.
-- Script oddities reveal craploads of unused scenes and level scripts roughly one-third of the size of the final DLC.

CITADEL DLC

-- Raw stats on the DLC files. It's almost one third of the vanilla game in size AND scope! Most of that has to do with how non-linear it is, as opposed to the vanilla game's sickening linearity.
-- Some dialogue cut from Omega ended up in here.
-- Random script digging. As far as I can tell, there's NO cut content in the mission portion of this DLC whatsoever.
-- More random digging. Double-checking the conditions for getting some interesting dialogue.

November Beta Leak Dissection

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These are posted in order of appearance in the game files and do not reflect the flow of the story in the game, intended or final. Breakdown is per-post-on-the-subject. If you'd rather read everything yourself, not in a "juicy quote only" format, the unedited, unaltered, uncensored dumps are here.
One - Rannoch Reaper battle supposed to happen ON TOP OF THE RANNOCH REAPER; snippets of the REAL trial in the introduction; original Thessia ending forces Virmire-like choice on Shepard.
Two - meet General Armitage, TIM's OTHER Very Important Servant, and his bodyguard, the enigmatic Zaeed Messani! Why does Aria want him dead? Also in this issue: more lines for Tali/Shepard meeting at the Flotilla and hints at Team Dextro Threesome!
Three - Sanctuary introduced the Pariah, a mind-controlling Husk... Also, Cerberus works FOR Reapers, not AGAINST them! Also, Sanctuary still functions as haven, while horrible experiments happen underground. Shepard has to infiltrate without sacrificing civilians! Also in this issue: From Ashes ends with Shepard at Citadel Tribunal, judged for "unacceptable civilian casualties" (caused in reality by Cerberus), Shepard de-SPECTREd at Udina's suggestion! From Ashes STARTS with statue in Shepard's honour on Eden Prime! Legion's lengthy speech on why the Geth deserve to be true AIs!
Four - Every questline and dialogue line related to Eve was adapted from questline from a different planet about a different race. This includes Kalross and the Ancient City! Also in this issue: squad banter from Rachni mission and teasing Tali about Rannoch!
Five - What is the Pariah? Also: lots of banter and dialogue cut from Rannoch, one deleted sidequest from the Citadel (about a guy bounced from a bar who forgot his datapad inside).
Six - From Ashes had Javik going all Jack-on-Purgatory on Cerberus due to side-effects of cryo-storage! Also: more scenes from introduction trial of Shepard!
Seven - original version of Kasumi's mission was about hunting for Cerberus spies on the Citadel. WITH GUNS. Also: Thane's personal quest, "Dalatrass Smith of the Salarians", and a MUCH MORE COMPLEX chain of possible approaches and outcomes for the Rannoch Peace scene!
Eight - Kal'Reegar and Fire Team Taurash re-enact the Guns of Navarone on Rannoch! Joker names a planet! Thane's mission revealed! Jacob's and Brynn's mission was relevant to the plot and originally covered the plothole of "Where does Kai Leng go from Thessia and how in the SPACE MAGIC did we find him?!" Finally, original version of Citadel Coup Standoff, featuring Thane dying a hero and the VS having a legitimate reason to shoot Shepard in the face!
Nine - Citadel Coup Standoff variations, more intel on the Thane/Kolyat mission, Hackett's diary, Eden Prime Massacre and how it ties into the Citadel Coup plotline.
Ten - Various permutations of Citadel Coup outcome (who lives, who dies, how Shep is rewarded, how VS is handled), Shepard annointed as Lord Protector of the Galaxy (I shit you not!). Oh, and also Kai Leng established as a credible villain because he never even appears on Horizon or the Citadel missions, but instead on Eden Prime and Thessia.
Eleven - Variations of the Coup Standoff, variatons on Thane's death (much more dignified and heroic than in the final game!), the true plot of Lessuss - the Ardat Yakshi were Reaper Broodmother-like engines of MAKING Banshess, for Rila and Falere were the only ones alive in the entire galaxy.
Twelve - Lots and lots of Javik being ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. Also in this issue: Udina plays Dr. Breen from Half-Life, prototype plot layout for Cronos Station, plot layout for Anderson/TIM standoff on the Citadel, and... could it be... new trinkets for the Captain's Cabin? Oh, and Yeoman Sharon Allers to the Shepmobile!
Thirteen - "WE NEED A REAPER GENOPHAGE!!!!"; Also in this issue: Kaidan "watches the Commander in action", Joker and EDI debate Quarian sanity in their war on the Geth, Javik revealing Prothean name for Thessia.
Fourteen - More coup consequences, Kai Leng is not incompetent buffoon but real soldier, Volus General, crew reacts to C-SEC deaths in the coup, Sha'ira the Consort, and signs that Priority Earth was supposed to be Collector Base 2.0.
Fifteen - Consequences of Arrival on prologue, Kasumi's alternate mission, Shepard argues with Vendetta, more bits and bobs about AY monastery, Captain Greg Cortez, Ken and Gabby recruited, Jack teaches class.
Sixteen - A quest to root out Cerberus spies post-Coup, extra banter for the Tuchanka Shroud level, Reaper God, additional lines for Kahlee Sanders and Bailey, Garrus doubting the usefulness of C-SEC, Ashley's infamous afterlife talk, Liara's relief efforts and new Aria lines.
Seventeen - ARIA WAS BANGABLE, more dialogues from the spy hunter quest, The Briefing Dossiers, Coates being awesome, alternative Blood Pack recruitment mission.
Eighteen - More backstory to Sanctuary, more alien generals offering their fleets in exchange for services rendered, crumbs from Retake Omega, Cronos Station: Suicide Mission v1.1, Emily Wong's real role in the game.
Nineteen - Diana Allers' obituary, recruiting Allers, talking about Quarian logic, Kelly's biography, sex with Kelly, James is romanceable, more Omega, first appearance of Starchild in the script, end of the script =)

ROUGH DRAFT OF THE GAME'S PLOT - this is mostly plot blurbs, with the occasional bit of actual cutscene script thrown in. Ordered according to order of events gleaned from the above mining, NOT in the way as it is in the final game.


To be added and expanded as I find more stuff, I hope.

Soo...how much were they going to charge for that stuff in upcoming DLC?

Great finds across the board, but these two for sure are interesting. The second one has been jumped on by some IT believers like it is the end-all of the argument. But I would argue that the first one about the voiceovers is equally telling. I have seen multiple discussions on this cut content, and I have found not one person who has brought up a reason OTHER than Bioware running out of resources that makes sense for the cut from either a story perspective or a "meta" fan perspective. The voice-over was cheap enough when they were in the studio, so they did it. They were apparently quite unable (unwilling?) to animate though, and it's not even like this stuff would have forced a change from their artistic vision of an ending. And I'm SURE they could find at least some portion of their fan base who would enjoy seeing Geth troopers, Jack and her students, and/or Zaeed.....

So long story short, if the presence of these files doesn't all but confirm that Bioware rushed their game out the door without a proper ending (or a proper quest journal, or proper boss battles, or proper side missions, but I digress), I don't know what does. Anyone who still tries to argue BW has been planning IT all along has some serious explaining to do about quite a few things. With that said, and especially in light of the whole "dream foilage" files, I am completely supportive (even if I personally disagree) of people who believe it was intended in early stages but got cut (we can all agree about the rEAper menace) or the not as often cited "seeds of doubt" theory that suggests the order was switched: IT was created by Bioware at the 11th hour to provide themselves a way out, a chance to have more time.

Yeah, it all points to rushedness. Added one more voice file note I forgot to put in originally - you could talk to the Geth leader in the London FOB before the final push. That dialogue is complete and... well, enteraining, yeah. I'm gonna put it (and examples for all the other bits) up once I get home from work, 'kay?

Is there some way to get access to the dream/nightmare voice files? They changed each time I reloaded (sometimes I heard Mordin "someone else would have gotten it wrong", sometimes I heard Kelly "please, call me Kelly", sometimes I heard Thane, I think I heard Kaiden in there as well, etc.). I know some people really hate the dream sequences but hearing the echoes of people who I'd lost along the way choked me up. I'd definitely like to hear them all.

Re. 'dream' tags - I really, really hope IT turns out to be true and they've been punking us all along. I wouldn't even be mad. I'd love Bioware more than before. I just love Mass Effect way too much for it to end in this ... mess

If you're on PC, get the unpacking tools and unpack the voice file for the nightmares, then sift. I can point out the specific one once I get home from work.

If you're not or don't want to fight the unpacking process, I can upload them somewhere once I get home from work, as I have most of the game unpacked and laid out in pretty shapes on my hard drive by now.

Oh my I would very appreciate the pretty shapes if you're able to upload them somewhere! I got ME1 at launch and so continued playing it on 360 for all three - the only ME I have on PC is ME2.

im thinking of getting 1 and 2 on pc....

Noelemahc have you found the 'Shepard ending'- did he got out in a blaze of glory or survive to fight another day. some guy was messing around and these files popped up.

Yeah, cut content on the disk is almost inevitably a sign a game was being rushed.

As to the prospect of Bioware cooking up indoctrination theory at the 11th hour - that strikes me as unlikely. If they were doing that, I don't think they'd make it as plutonic as it is.

Urban legends, man, urban legends.

oh but if you do find any other juicey finds please share.

make shure u die in ME2. ;D Just to have a proper ending.

Let's have some fun. And RETAKE OMEGA. These are scattered to and fro, sadly, and hard to put in proper order.

<string>
<id>683676</id>
<position>79136</position>
<data>I'll be retaking Omega from Cerberus. If you help, all the resources there, including me, are yours for the war.</data>
</string>
<string>
<id>683677</id>
<position>79137</position>
<data>The actual plan is just about ready. When you are, contact me from your ship.</data>
</string>
<string>
<id>650316</id>
<position>61846</position>
<data>The Illusive Man's about to find out what I'm made of. It's going to be an incredibly cathartic experience.</data>
</string>
<string>
<id>650317</id>
<position>61847</position>
<data>And you'll be one of my brutes.</data>
</string>
<string>
<id>650318</id>
<position>61848</position>
<data>It's going to be a hell of a mission, believe me.</data>
</string>

More mishmash:
<string>
<id>644648</id>
<position>59409</position>
<data>It seems the galaxy can't keep us apart.</data>
</string>
<string>
<id>644649</id>
<position>59410</position>
<data>The Blue Suns, Blood Pack, and Eclipse are in my pocket. I'll send them to war when you're ready for them.</data>
</string>

<string>
<id>644661</id>
<position>59413</position>
<data>Since we took back Omega, I've been consolidating my resources for the war. It's a little easier to coordinate from here.</data>
</string>
<string>
<id>644663</id>
<position>59414</position>
<data>So, unfortunately, I'll be slumming it on the Citadel for the time being.</data>
</string>
<string>
<id>644664</id>
<position>59415</position>
<data>But since you're here, let's talk.</data>
</string>
<string>
<id>644665</id>
<position>59416</position>
<data>I'll be retaking Omega from Cerberus. If you help, all the resources there, including me, are yours for the war.</data>
</string>



And, once you're done, the EPIC:
<string>
<id>650314</id>
<position>61844</position>
<data>Once again, I am Omega.</data>
</string>

Relevant E-Mails:
<string>
<id>709744</id>
<position>93577</position>
<data>Omega has fallen</data>
</string>
<string>
<id>709745</id>
<position>93578</position>
<data>From: Daniel Abrams

I was one of the few who managed to escape Omega when Cerberus invaded. Aria T'Loak got out too. Word is she wants to liberate the station. I hope you'll consider helping her.

Daniel Abrams</data>
</string>

War Assets:
<string>
<id>715529</id>
<position>96764</position>
<data>The blueprints for the Prothean device found on Mars call for remarkable quantities of element zero throughout its structure, even in its circuitry. A precious commodity at the best of times, the Alliance and its allies are annexing all sources of eezo the Reapers haven't cut off. The cache liberated from Omega is a welcome boost to their resources.</data>
</string>

Some sounds. The Geth Commander for the London FOB =)

"Geth Platforms have been integrated with Creator squadrons. We serve as frontline units.
"Our platforms can withstand more damage than Quarian envirosuits, and Creators are skilled in providing cover fire.
"It is a tactically sound strategy. And there it... {thoughtfully} synergy, when we are in consensus."
"We are ready, Shepard-Commander."

"Have the Reapers tried to contact you again?"
"They made an attempt. We rejected it."
"Today, the Geth fight to secure our future. We will not relinquish our sentience. There will be no more compromise with the Old Machines."

"Hope our guys haven't been taking shots at you."
"Allied fire has been minimal. Your military commanders brief their soldiers extensively on Geth-Organic cooperation."
Ecksetra, including combat chatter.

Moar sounds. This is the full "ghost voices" dump. Now excuse me, I have to go cry my eyes out, because sorting them was painful. Hurts too much. Right in the fucking soul.

"Shepard" is everybody saying "Shepard". Note that TIM is on the list despite not actually being dead =)

"Girls" is everyone female. Fun fact: Allers is there too!!! Ashley has two sets: if she died on Virmire or if you killed her on the Citadel. Obviously, they do not overlap and are vastly different in tone. Note that Miranda has the most lines.

"Guys 1" is every romanceable guy that is in there. Kaidan's deal is the same as Ashley's.

"Guys 2" is every other guy. Unexpectedly, Zaeed is heartbreaking. Wrex, unlike the VS, only has ME3-death-related lines.

Sigh - it's criminal they left that out! Perhaps Casey and Mac figured that to throw a "look, organics and synthetics getting along like BFFs!" type thing in RIGHT at the end would just highlight the complete and utter unmitigated idiocy of the ending?

Actually, when Aria said that TIM forced her out of Omega I thought we were going to take it back in-game. Considering that it didn't happen it was kinda obvious that retaking Omega will come in a DLC.

Yeah, which didn't make the ending any more palatable (or any less nonsensical). I would have loved to have seen this scene in there, especially after Rannoch was done so well.

Noelemahc, thank you for uploading those! You sir, are a winner (and have been designated as much)!