Just wondering would you have been more happy if the "AI" had projected itself rather as adult or perhaps as reaper/leviathan?
I thought about ways to save ME3 and i thought it would be much much better if the "AI" appear as citadel VI "Avina". (Using her image and voice as a template to communicate with Shepard) I had a whole idea about how they could alter the endings without changing too much about the game and make everyone happy.
"Here is my idea how endings should be: [SOME SPOILERS AHEAD]
Leviathans may have created The Catalyst to prevent other species from rebelling against them, for that they needed a solution and they created the Catalyst (remember in Leviathan DLC they explained that Leviathans used to enslave other species and make them work for their own goals as slave labor) so the Leviathans wanted to end the chaos created by themselves (which slowed their progress) and created an AI that didn't had any restrictions. They didn't put any restrictions because since they believed themselves to be the apex race, they didn't think an AI they created would be able to turn against them and wipe them out. At first AI tried to create peaceful solutions but nothing worked (Leviathans didn't want peace, they just wanted conflict to be over, no surprises there), than AI figured that since the chaos was created by Leviathans it would be over if they ascended. They stored leviathans DNA and knowledge in Harbinger and made them ascent thus creating the first Reaper, but that didn't end the conflict, because as soon as Leviathans fall from power, other species now freed from Leviathans wanted to be power. They fought amongst themselves and that created even more conflict and chaos. Then Catalyst decided that advanced civilizations created chaos. She figured if they all ascended chaos would be over (and it did, for every 50000 years or so) (first two Mass Effect games supports this, since Turians vs Humans, Salarians vs Krogans etc . all created conflict and chaos. and in Mass Effect 3 Javik explained that Protheans were in war with every other species, believing themselves to be the apex race. As Leviathans believed themselves to be apex race and enslaved every other species.)
Also Catalyst should appear in Avina's form. (i will refer Catalyst as "she" from now on) In my version Catalyst doesn't have an hologram but speaks through VI Avina. (Very existence of star child screams indoctrination because only way Catalyst would be able to know about that child, is pulling the image of that child from Shepard's mind. Instead Catalyst can pull Avina's image from the Citadel's database and use that..) This would make a lot more sense. (think that Shepard confuses Catalyst with VI Avina at first, and asks her "Avina, where am i in the Citadel?" but Catalyst tells Shepard that she is not Avina but the Catalyst communicating trough Avina's image and explains a little. She tells Shepard that humans and every other species would be already ascended if Shepard didn't severed the connection between catalyst and keepers on Mass Effect 1. (that would close lots of plot holes, like why didn't catalyst act sooner? because she can't control keepers anymore, they are now doing routine maintenance work only, she can't even communicate with the reapers, now catalyst doesn't give Shepard options out of nowhere, from the bottom of her non existing heart, instead she gives options to Shepard because she's unable to do anything else, she has no control over the keepers or the reapers)
Endings:
Control: You get the option to replace the AI (Catalyst) with EDI
"Paragon-Worked hard-Gathered all possible resources": EDI is sane, remembers her friends and her love to Joker, maybe even maintains her cyber body.
"Paragon-Didn't work hard enough": EDI goes insane and becomes even worst than reapers, tries to destroys everything but Joker contacts Citadel telling that he loves her and she says "I'm sorry Jeff" and self destructs.
"Renegade-Worked hard-Gathered all resources": EDI is sane but doesn't remember anything. Her memory is wiped clean. Only thing that's left is her mission "Save and protect". Now she polices the universe with iron fist, showing no mercy to people who harms others.
"Renegade-Didn't work hard enough": EDI goes insane and becomes even worst than reapers, starts to destroy anything in her path. Joker tries to reason with her, but no luck, she doesn't care. Than she destroys Normandy along with everything else.
Destroy: You can send out a kill code using Catalyst's interface
"Paragon-Worked hard-Gathered all possible resources": You send out a kill code that disables Reapers and only Reapers. Than you are able to purge the code of the Catalyst from the Citadel or change it's mission parameters to keep peace without ascension.
"Paragon-Didn't work hard enough": You send out a kill code to disable Reapers but it fries every every electronic device, kills everyone in space, and turns every civilization to stone age. And since Catalyst is in the center of the hurricane, it is unharmed and cycle will continue. Than Catalyst tries to control Shepard, taking over his mind using his implants, Shepard kills himself/herself with his/her pistol before Catalyst can succeed.
"Renegade-Worked hard-Gathered all resources": You send out a kill code that disables Reapers and only Reapers. Than you are able to purge the code of the Catalyst from the Citadel or try to change it's mission parameters to serve you, but if you try, it becomes like virus and spreads through system to system, ship to ship controlling everything.
"Renegade-Didn't work hard enough":You send out a kill code to disable Reapers but it fries every every electronic device, kills everyone in space, and turns every civilization to stone age. And since Catalyst is in the center of the hurricane, it is unharmed and cycle will continue. Than Catalyst tries to control Shepard, taking over his mind using his/her implants and Catalyst succeeds. "
Thoughts anyone? Isn't it better?