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I've read that the Galactic Readiness, the multiplicator you get for the multiplayer part of Mass Effect 3, decays in real time. So if you don't play the game for a few days, this multiplicator becomes lower.

  • How fast does the Galactic Readiness decay?
  • What is the minimum boundary where it doesn't decay anymore?
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    The minimum value is 50%. Always.
    – LessPop_MoreFizz
    Commented Mar 7, 2012 at 15:09
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    If true, this is the stupidest game design choice I've seen in quite a while.
    – Sterno
    Commented Mar 7, 2012 at 15:18
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    no kidding, force you to play the game due to some real time factor is just plain stupid
    – l I
    Commented Mar 7, 2012 at 15:25
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    While I don't like the "time limit" it is an interesting attempt to make you FEEL pressured, as I am sure Shepard feels pressured to return to and save Earth. As a game element I am displeased, from a story telling immersion point-of-view I think it is neat.
    – Bravo840
    Commented Mar 7, 2012 at 15:55
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    I dunno, I've only played a little bit over the last 2 days and my readiness level is already up 30%... which means I'd have to stop playing online entirely for a month for it to return to the default.
    – aslum
    Commented Mar 7, 2012 at 16:33

1 Answer 1

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All of this is based on observations, primarily by users here who have shared their first hand experience.

Galactic Readiness Decay seems to have multiple rates, depending on your readiness score, or perhaps on the source of the score.

In general, it appears to decay at a rate of 0.15% per hour or around 1% per 8 hours, or 3% per day to a minimum of 50%.

There have been some reports of up to 6% per day, though I haven't seen this number echoed elsewhere.

If your GR is low, between say 50-60% then it appears to slow the decay rate to around 1% per day.

It takes very little to beef this back up, if it is causing a problem for you. For example you can play multiplayer, by yourself, and complete the Geth mission ... it's fairly easy to achieve a bronze or silver victory.

As @Edwin notes, if you simply start and exit a game, it will not count as an active day. You have to finish the game, which is why I noted Bronze or Silver being fairly achievable on some missions.

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    It should be noted that you have to finish a game in order for it to count; starting a game and not finishing it will not count as an active day. I found out the hard way when I got disconnected on the last wave of a game.
    – Edwin
    Commented Mar 12, 2012 at 2:11
  • I wouldn't put too much stock in those statements. I ended up with 7000+ total military assets by the end of the game.
    – kotekzot
    Commented Mar 12, 2012 at 12:44
  • @kotekzot In what statements? There's nothing saying you have to play multiplayer, in fact I state that it's possible to get the best ending without it...
    – Tharius
    Commented Mar 12, 2012 at 12:49
  • Statements by BioWare. Especially the ones that begin with "Well, I can't say too much, but". 7000+ is not enough to get the best ending without MP, btw.
    – kotekzot
    Commented Mar 12, 2012 at 13:00
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    I was at 100% Galactic Readiness yesterday afternoon, 99% by 8:30PM, and 97% when I checked today around 2:00PM. Are we sure about the 1% per day thing? It looks like 3% decay per day for me, possibly at a rate at 1% on 8 hour marks.
    – Teryx
    Commented Mar 13, 2012 at 20:21

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