Originally Posted by Ryuukishi It's definitely a different experience to ignore the morality meters and just try to put yourself in your character's shoes and make the decision they would make. Sometimes I think it was a mistake for BioWare to reward players in-game for maxing the meter.

Agreed. I mean I know there will be consequences for some of the actions I do (Jack will probably die because I wont have Paragon or Renegade maxed out enough to resolve her argument with Miranda, and of course I'm taking Miranda's side) but it definitely feels more real to me.

What I havent decided yet though is how I want to RP my LI for ME2 and 3. I romanced Ashley in ME1 feeling that her and Shepard bonded, but her actions while Shepard was gone and treatment towards him on Horizon have disillusioned him. I'm now trying to decide if I want him to move toward Tali (his friend through thick and thin who has always stood by him) or Liara (afterall she DID recover his body and set up his resurrection). As much as I like Miranda shes out for this playthrough because my Shep is still very skeptical of Cerberus.

Let the thread tags guide you... "Childbearing hips."

Originally Posted by Ryuukishi Let the thread tags guide you... "Childbearing hips."

haha love it. I honestly just want to do a Tali romance cause I never did a full-fledged one before (done Liara, Ashley, and Miranda) although I did see how Tali's romance was in ME2.

My first PT's are always "my decision" PT's. afterwards on subsequent runs I go straight paragon or renegade. I usually run pretty close to 100% paragon anyway.

Originally Posted by chubbyninja1319 My first PT's are always "my decision" PT's. afterwards on subsequent runs I go straight paragon or renegade. I usually run pretty close to 100% paragon anyway.

I always say that will be the case in RPGs but usually some other force makes me go one path or the other. In KOTOR I stuck LS on my first run just to see it through and same for ME with Paragon. Skyrim I did whatever I needed to get the achievements (especially Daedra), Fallout's the only one where I actually mixed it up.

I always do what I feel is most beneficial for me at the time.

Like stabbing Cathka with that stun rod. I could care less if it's not something a Paragon would do, it makes that gunship. Any sensible person would do it. So, hell yes I'm doing it. And hell yes I've done it on EVERY PT

Things like that. While my Shepard may have a full Paragon bar by the end, he'll always have that Renegade bar a quarter full too

Originally Posted by GamerDude316 haha love it. I honestly just want to do a Tali romance cause I never did a full-fledged one before (done Liara, Ashley, and Miranda) although I did see how Tali's romance was in ME2.

Never really saw the appeal in Tali myself. I go strictly Ash/Jack for male Sheps, Liara for females.

Originally Posted by chubbyninja1319 My first PT's are always "my decision" PT's. afterwards on subsequent runs I go straight paragon or renegade. I usually run pretty close to 100% paragon anyway.

Yeah, the first character I played all the games with was mostly Paragon, but with a pro-human streak. He absolutely wouldn't abide any threats to humanity's position of prominence in the galaxy, even if it meant going against his morals-- ended up killing the rachni queen and betraying Mordin and Wrex to prevent the rise of the krogan. Definitely more interesting to do that kind of playthrough than to just choose all red or all blue.

Originally Posted by dualedge2 I always do what I feel is most beneficial for me at the time. Like stabbing Cathka with that stun rod. I could care less if it's not something a Paragon would do, it makes that gunship. Any sensible person would do it. So, hell yes I'm doing it. And hell yes I've done it on EVERY PT Things like that. While my Shepard may have a full Paragon bar by the end, he'll always have that Renegade bar a quarter full too

that was always my exception to a Full Paragon run It just made far too much tactical sense to stab him there.

Also, I always blow the gas tank below the Clan Weyrloc krogan that keeps rambling on about how amazing his clan will be (during Mordin's loyalty mission). Hearing him scream while he's DiaF'ing is just too much fun (and watching one of the other krogans backing away because he knows what's coming).

I'm sure there's more Renegade things that my "Paragon" Shepard does, but those are the best off the top of my head.

And everyone always shoots the mech on Garrus' recruitment mission.

I always sacrifice the Council at the end of ME1 and destroy the base at the end of ME2. Both are just the decision any smart Shepard would make regardless of morality IMO.

that. Nobody wastes intelligence on the enemy under my command.

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Originally Posted by The Crotch that. Nobody wastes intelligence on the enemy under my command.

Yeah. Even though we've seen like 20 examples by that point of dead Reaper technology instantly indoctrinating everyone near it and turning them evil, I bet this time will be different!

If you don't want to be on a ship with reaper techonology incorporated, then you should get off the Normandy.

Originally Posted by The Crotch If you don't want to be on a ship with reaper techonology incorporated, then you should get off the Normandy.

Well that's a good point. I suspect that the ultimate answer is just that BioWare didn't fully think all this stuff through and indoctrination just works however it needs to work to advance the plot at any given point. However if I was inclined to fanwank an explanation I would say that the Reaper-based stuff in the Normandy (the IFF system, EDI, the Thanix cannon, etc.) is only BASED ON Reaper designs and knowledge gained from studying Reaper technology; there are no actual physical Reaper artifacts on board.

Bioware was like oh shit we created a monster, then came the backlash and they're like it's f'n ART! Blow me

Originally Posted by Ryuukishi Well that's a good point. I suspect that the ultimate answer is just that BioWare didn't fully think all this stuff through and indoctrination just works however it needs to work to advance the plot at any given point. However if I was inclined to fanwank an explanation I would say that the Reaper-based stuff in the Normandy (the IFF system, EDI, the Thanix cannon, etc.) is only BASED ON Reaper designs and knowledge gained from studying Reaper technology; there are no actual physical Reaper artifacts on board.

Just to clarify some things:

1) There has never been (and never will be) a case of "instant" indoctrination. Most of the people that were indoctrinated up to that point, had been observing/studying Reaper technology for extended periods of time. In fact, I think the shortest indoctrination was Dr. Chandana's team on the Derelict Reaper. However, it was never stated how long his team was studying the Reaper. For all we know, they could've been studying it for several weeks.

2) Not sure about the IF/F, but I'm pretty sure it's just a simple component. In fact, if you take a good look at it when you acquire it, it kind of looks like the graybox from Kasumi's mission. Best guess is that it's hardware, like a HDD or PSU. Reaper artifacts have always been fairly large (Object Rho, Derelict Reaper, etc.). At the very least, it has to be as big as the orbs you find in Leviathan.

Your assumptions regarding EDI is incorrect. She is neither Reaper tech nor based on Reaper tech. In ME3, it's revealed that EDI (Enhanced Defense Intelligence) was the rogue VI you fought on the Moon in ME1. She went rogue because she became an AI and was confused about what was happening.

However, you're quite correct about the Thanix Cannon. The Codex entry states that it was created based on Sovereign's main weapon (the red laser beams he fires during the Citadel battle in ME1).


Of course, the other thing you have to wonder is how "dead" does a Reaper have to be to stop the indoctrination process? The Derelict Reaper in ME2 was "dead", but looked mostly intact. Sovereign, on the other hand, was blown to bits. Is that dead enough to stop the indoctrination process? Based on what we've seen/been told, I'd say Sovereign was truly dead while the Derelict Reaper was merely in a vegetative state.

Pretty sure that it's mentioned in the Cronos Station mission that the Rogue VI from ME1 was augmented with Reaper technology/programming to create EDI.

Originally Posted by Ryuukishi Pretty sure that it's mentioned in the Cronos Station mission that the Rogue VI from ME1 was augmented with Reaper technology/programming to create EDI.

Aye, 'tis be true. Besides, the whole conversation is pointless because the rule is this: If it's Reaper or directly altered by Reaper tech (not based on what we learned from Reaper tech), it gets destroyed. Simple. Clean. Effective. So, the Collector base goes kaboom in ME2 and we destroy in ME3. That's how 'dis shit works, boys and girls.



Also, you guys were right. The battle against Hock in Kasumi's loyalty mission wasn't that bad. I did that tonight and now all I have is Tali's recruitment, then the Reaper IFF, then the trip through the Omega 4 Relay. I need to find one more heavy weapon upgrade so I can unlock the Cain, which I'd like to have for those last two missions.

And had they destroyed the artifact in Arrival before studying it...?