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At the end of Mass Effect 2 you have the option of either

destroying the Collector base or preserving the base to allow Cerberus to study it.

What effect on Mass Effect 3 (if any) does this decision have?

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3 Answers

up vote 13 down vote accepted
+100

Saving the base gives you 110 points towards your Galaxy at War score compared to 100 for destroying it.

There is a rumour that the Illusive Man will be friendlier towards you in ME3 if you went his way in ME2 (saving the base) but that's unsubstantiated.

Since he's (confirmed) trying to kill you in ME3, I don't know how much weight this carries.

The endings below 1750 or above 2800 effective military strength are the same, regardless of what you chose to do in ME2.

The endings, organized by rating required are different depending on what path you chose:

Low EMS Option

Saved the base:

1750-2049 EMS Choose to Save the Reapers and the Earth will be saved.

Destroyed the base:

1750-1899 EMS Choose to become a Reaper and the Earth will be destroyed.

Mid range EMS Option

Saved the base:

2050-2349 EMS Choose to become a Reaper and the Earth will be saved.

Destroyed the base:

1900-2349 EMS Choose to destroy the Repears and the Earth will be devastated

Saved the base only option

2350-2649 EMS Choose to destroy the Reapers and Earth is destroyed.

High EMS Option

Saved the Base:

2650-2799 EMS Choose to destroy the Repears and the Earth will be devastated

Destroyed the Base:

2350 - 2799 EMS Choose to become a Reaper and the Earth will be saved.

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Is that all? That's rather disappointing if that's the only effect it has. – Thrillho Mar 6 '12 at 21:45
I'd be disappointed if so, but thanks for the info – Ben Brocka Mar 8 '12 at 17:16
@stephen I can't tell how saving the base effects these endings. The way you wrote it, it seems like it doesn't. – tzenes Mar 19 '12 at 0:55
I've seen this list in a bunch of places, but I don't understand it. Is it to mean that the control vs destroy vs synergy endings that every one takes about are completely not applicable when destroying the collector base, and that there are actually other ones, namely "become a reaper", and "something happens once your able to create synergy" (whatever that means)? – miracle2k Mar 19 '12 at 13:40
Do you still see the dead human reaper on horizon if you destroy the collector base in ME2? – spartacus Mar 19 '12 at 13:47
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up vote 2 down vote

It will slightly increase your galactic readiness to save it.

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up vote 0 down vote

Apart from some slight gameplay options, it doesn't really have that impact you're expecting.

So for a story standpoint it has pretty much no effect, but from a gameplay standpoint it's only a slightly noticeable effect.

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