Fans of Mass Effect (Possible Spoilers)

[Ｍａｒｓｈ]

I'm in the process of playing through the whole series since I recently bought the Mass Effect Trilogy box that comes with all three games. I've already beaten the first one, and I really like the second one so far.

1) Did you rescue Kaidan or Ashley?

2) Paragon or Renegade (or neither?)

3) Rescue the Council or not?


I prefer to play a Paragon character. I really like how your Shepard carries over through all the games. I rescued Kaidan (he was protecting the bomb, seemed more important), and I did rescue the Council just for the heck of it. So, if you've played the first game, I'd like to hear what you guys did.

 

[Espon]

1) Kaidan.  I really didn't like Ashley and her bigotry so it was an easy choice for me.

2) Paragon.  I prefer doing things the nice way.

3) I rescued the council, because I'm just that type of person.

 

[Pern]

1. Kaidan, because at the moment I wanted to save Kirrahe and I had sent him with. Ashley's fine, I don't particularly like either but I usually save Kaidan cuz why not.

2. Mostly Paragon with a little Renegade. Sometimes you just gotta fry some people.

3. Completed the series using both, though I usually neglect to save them cuz there's a giant reaper about to destroy us all. Priorities.

 

[Ｍａｒｓｈ]

So you guys are Paragon too. I like being a Paragon, I really only use Renegade responses when I'm talking to that news lady on the Citadel, but
besides that my Shepard is like the ultimate symbol of morals and goodness.

 

[Tai_MT]

I'm in the process of playing through the whole series since I recently bought the Mass Effect Trilogy box that comes with all three games. I've already beaten the first one, and I really like the second one so far.

1) Did you rescue Kaidan or Ashley?

2) Paragon or Renegade (or neither?)

3) Rescue the Council or not?


I prefer to play a Paragon character. I really like how your Shepard carries over through all the games. I rescued Kaidan (he was protecting the bomb, seemed more important), and I did rescue the Council just for the heck of it. So, if you've played the first game, I'd like to hear what you guys did.

On my first run, I rescued Ashley because 1.  I was romancing her and 2.  I liked her more as a character than Kaiden.  Then, Ashley kicked me in the balls by asking "Did you save me because you love me?" and made me feel like a guilty jerk.  I didn't have internet at the time, so I made a new save just before the choice in hopes that when I got internet, I could look up a way to save them both.  Imagine my dismay when I found out there was no way to save them both.


I also did a Paragon run.  Though, I did later make a female Shepard that did a full Renegade run.  You know what's sad?  Paragon and Renegade in Mass Effect 1 was simply the way in which something was solved.  It wasn't good or evil.  After Mass Effect 1, however, Bioware decided that being Renegade was tantamount to eating babies and killing everyone you could possibly kill.  Renegade runs after Mass Effect 1 are... disappointing.  Especially since Renegade runs in Mass Effect 1 were less about being a massive jerk and more about getting things done by killing the badguys instead of negotiating with them.  So... be prepared for that if you move into Mass Effect 2 and 3 as a Renegade.  Be prepared to be a baby-eating monster.  I wasn't, and it made me annoyed at the huge departure.


I rescued the council.  I figured after all the crap they put me through... they could owe me one.  Plus, humanity isn't all that trustworthy with all that power in the Mass Effect series (you can see that even as early as Mass Effect 1).  I figured leaving the council alive and getting our own seat on it would simply even things out.  Plus... what am I gonna do?  LET someone die that I could save?  Not if I can help it!

 

[Touchfuzzy]

I rescued Kaiden.


Paragon. Except punching that reporter. That reporter deserved it.


And I rescued the council. I'm the good guy!

 

[XIIIthHarbinger]

When it comes to games like Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Fable, KOTOR, or Dragon Age I never play just one way. I know some people see their avatar as a reflection of themselves, however I am the opposite. When I play such games I ask myself who the character is & what choices would they make. I consider their experiences, what their psychology is, & how their in game actions reflect their values & beliefs.


So for Kaiden & Ashley I've saved & killed both of them, even leaving them to die when they were my character's love interest based on who I sent with the bomb versus who I sent with the team.


Paragon or Renegade, I do both. If I consider my character to be a Picard or Aragorn type I will play them as selfless even to the point of their detriment. If however I consider them to be a Punisher or Boba Fett character I'll play them as absolutely ruthless to the point of stepping over allies bleeding out while they pursue the objective.


The council, the same thing. I ask myself who is my character? Under those circumstances what would they chose? So if I've been playing a "the ends justify the means"/"first one to die loses" type, I sacrifice them with a smile. If I am playing a "be careful that when you hunt monsters you don't become one yourself" type, I send in the troops to save the council. 

 

[Nenê]

1) That was always a tough decision. I typically sacrificed Ashley if I was pursuing a relationship with Liara. If I decided to pursue neither, I would sacrifice Kaidan.


2) Paragon! Although, Renegade did have some pretty cool choices that I found hard to pass up. Overall though, I always played a Paragon character.


3) I always rescued them. Their reaction in the moment of me doing so was always worth it, despite them being jerks before (and after).

 

[Ｍａｒｓｈ]

I don't know if you guys are still out there (or have played 2 and 3), but over the course of the last few months, I finished every Mass Effect game, actually finishing 3 a few days ago. Anyway, it was a really nice game, and even though there was a lot of disappointed fans with the endings, I liked the ending I got. Almost brought me to tears.

So, MEGA spoilers ahead.




1. Save or Destroy the Collector Base

I destroyed it, because there was really no way I could trust the Illusive Man with it. Just a gut feeling.

2. How many crew members survived your suicide mission?

I got EVERYONE through. No walkthrough. I guess I got really lucky.

3. Finally, this is a question for Mass Effect 3. Destroy, Control, or the other one (synthesize or whatever)?

I picked Control. Seemed like the best option at the time. I was REALLY sad that my Shep had to die, but it was for the best I suppose.

 

[Espon]

1. I destroyed it.  It didn't seem to make much of a difference since Cerberus somehow managed to find the reaper's parts in the third game.


2. Everyone survived.  I would of reloaded if someone ended up dying.  I didn't use a walkthrough, I just played to everyone's strengths.


3. I destroyed the reapers, but I didn't enjoy the ending.

Spoiler

I'd like to believe that I was blown up with the rest of my crew on the final stretch due to a little scene you get at the end if have nearly a max war effort and destroy the reapers.  The whole thing with me fighting Marauder Shields, going onto the Citadel, and talking to some ghost kid that looks like the one that died in the beginning was all an indoctrinated dream brought on by Harbinger.

 

[stupid enough to like FF13]

All of the above, seeing as I've played it probably a dozen times over.


Mass Effect is a very solid contender for not just my favourite video game series, but my favourite fiction period. It's a phenomenal series with a ton of depth in the setting, great characters, fantastic gameplay, and it's the pinnacle when it comes to your choices having impact without lazy out-of-nowhere bad outcomes just for teh grimdark or making every major choice moot between episodes.

 

[nevarran]

On my first play-through:


- I saved Ashley, couldn't let the girl die.


- Paragon, my virtual self is almost exclusively a good guy/gal.


- Saved the Council, felt like the right thing to do.


Since then I've played a couple more times and I've tried different choices, just for the sake of it. But just couldn't push myself on some of the Renegade roads, I always get attached to my avatars and can't make them do douchey things

 

[Aleks]

1. Ashely. I can't stand Kaidan.
   
2. Mostly Paragon. Some decisions I made Renegade.
   
3. The Council.