This LP Exists Because We Allow It. Let's Play Mass Effect!

[Kliff]

What is this?
Welcome to Mass Effect. This is a series of soft Science Fiction/Fantasy RPGs set in a universe of Bioware's making, in an alternate Milky Way galaxy where other sapient species have evolved alongside humanity, and a threat from beyond our stars is inbound... The series got its start on the XBox 360 back in late November of 2007, and to this day, despite the missteps of late Bioware and EA in general involving the series, many fans of the series can still be found, extolling its virtues to this very day!

What's happening here?
My name is Kliff. I'm a long-time lurker with a massive case of anxiety, and I'm beginning a long-term project to add positivity to the world and keep myself entertained and distracted from a world continually going mad. Thus, I return to a game series that still remains near and dear to me, despite all its flaws in gameplay, story, and presentation. This will be a playthrough of the original Mass Effect Trilogy, with minor viewer participation, a healthy dose of mechanics explanation, and a positive view of the series in general.

What about the fourth game, Andromeda? I've heard nasty things about it.
In my opinion, Andromeda is, in essense, the Star Trek to the original trilogy's Star Wars. More of a focus on exploring the unknown, less of a focus on internal conflict. I have not completed a run of Andromeda and will not play it for this LP - while there are many reasons why it doesn't meet with expectations, the only reason Andromeda will not be covered is because the original trilogy is all about one person - Andromeda splits off and becomes its own thing. Being in the same universe, one galaxy over, removes it from the plot too far for it to be covered here.

And the ending to Mass Effect 3?
We will get to that when we get to it. The fact remains that the ending of 3 is the largest misstep in the series no matter how you look at it. That said, though...

I want this to be a no-spoilers thread, please!
Period. The plotline may not be groundbreaking but there is so, so much of the galaxy that is fun to experience the first time, and discussions of future content - especially as divisive as the actual ending to the whole story - can very well cheapen the experience for newcomers the same way it's cheapened the series for many fans. This will be, entirely, a strict spoiler-free zone - no discussion of future events, period.

What about the rumors of a remaster of the trilogy?
Oh, we'll get to that when, or if, it ever happens. I will not, however, be swapping over to the Remastered versions if it happens. All the magical jank of the original releases is what we're getting, for good and ill.

So, where were we...

Mass Effect. A new game, tied to no other existing IP, was released by Bioware on November 20th, 2007, for the XBox 360 in North America, two days later in Australia and New Zealand, and a day after that in Europe. Half a year later, in the summer of 2008, the game is ported to PC with help by Demiurge Studios and released via DVD, and four years later, finally comes to Playstation 3.

We will be playing the PC version here. There are changes that will be addressed as we come up to them - although most are minor, it's still good to get a good look at what other players will see if they decide to play along!

Why the PC version?
Other than ease of recording and availablility to myself, the fact remains that the 360 version, at first release - and possibly even now, on original hardware - does not play very nicely. A 30 frame per second limit that often stays at 20-24 instead being one of the biggest complaints - the PC version of ME1, let alone 2 and 3, are absolutely beautiful at max settings. Though, file issues and bugs have caused at least one problem even at max, but we'll get to that, too.

I will be modding the game and fixing files when necessary to enhance the experience but will otherwise remain completely vanilla.

With all this said and done, however...
Welcome... to the Milky Way Galaxy. Welcome to Citadel Space!

[Kliff]

The Table of Contents

The Story of Shepard
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Earth Systems Alliance Military Database!
Chapter 2: What About Shepard?

The LP Codex
Entry 1: How're We Playing This, Anyway?
Entry 2: Why Are We Here?

[Kliff]

((This post reserved.))

[Kliff]

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Earth Systems Alliance Military Database!



Beautiful, isn't it? Space-shots of Earth almost always are.

When we begin the game, after the usual roll of introductory clips, introducing the creators of the game - in this case, BioWare, Electronic Arts, and Demiurge Studios, in that order - we are treated to a pastoral shot of Earth as seen from orbit. Pressing any key to continue causes the camera to slowly pan up and away, before we fade to black and are brought to the main menu.



It looks awfully empty here, doesn't it? Just three options?

This is from a fresh install on a new computer - there are reasons for this! Mass Effect is one of those games that gives bonuses to all future files based on achievements you perform during gameplay. This is the last major reason why I'm running the entire trilogy on PC, since it's much easier to start fresh to show off the game as newcomers will experience it this way.

Start New Career is, naturally, the choice we want to make to jump right in. I'll cover the Options in the first LP Codex post.









We have two options here after we establish our connection to the AMD - the first option sets us up with a very quick entry into the gameplay with a renameable Shephard with all later choices made for us already. We don't want that - the magic of Mass Effect is that it's your story, and a custom start is the best way to begin!



There we go. Here's where we begin. We probably want to avoid the bottom two options, for the same reason we avoided John Shepard on the previous screen. We get the exact same rename prompt and then confirmed details that make the next choices we have for us, so Custom it is!

This is our first choice of the series. Male or Female, Mark Meer or Jennifer Hale.

Something's gone horribly wrong! (Video: 31 seconds)



Oops. Let's... uh, let's just fill everything in again, who the hell runs this database...



We have three options here, and in the next screen, for
Our second and third choices of the series.

Spacer: Both of your parents were in the Alliance military. Your childhood was spent on ships and stations as they transferred from posting to posting, never staying in one location for more than a few years. Following in your parents' footsteps, you enlisted at the age of eighteen.
Colonist: You were born and raised on Mindoir, a small border colony in the Attican Traverse. When you were sixteen, slavers raided Mindoir, slaughtering your family and friends. You were saved by a passing Alliance patrol, and you enlisted with the military a few years later.
Earthborn: You were an orphan raised on the streets of the great megatropolises covering Earth. You escaped the life of petty crime and underworld gangs by enlisting with the Alliance military when you turned eighteen.



Sole Survivor: During your service, a mission you were on went horribly wrong. Trapped in an extreme survival situation, you had to overcome physical torments and psychological stresses that would have broken most people. You survived while all those around you fell, and now you alone are left to tell the tale.
War Hero: Early in your military career you found yourself facing an overwhelming enemy force. You risked your own life to save your fellow soldiers and defeat the enemy despite the impossible odds. Your bravery and heroism have earned you medals and recognition from the Alliance fleet.
Ruthless: Throughout your military career, you have held fast to one basic rule: get the job done. You've been called cold, calculating, and brutal. Your reputation for ruthless efficiency makes your fellow soldiers wary of you. But when failure is not an option, the military always goes to you first.




And finally, after this, is our class. Arguably, our most important choice, because this determines what skills we have access to throughout the game.

This is our final, and most important choice.

Soldier: Soldiers are combat specialists ideal for the front lines of a firefight. Soldiers get improved health, can train in the use of all weapon types, start with the ability to use medium armor, and can specialize in heavy armor.
Engineer: Engineers are tech specialists. Using the holographic omni-tool, they can decrypt security systems, repair or modify technical equipment, disrupt enemy weapons or shields, and heal their squad. Engineers can only use light armor, and can only receive weapons training with pistols.
Adept: Adepts are biotic specialists. Through upgradeable implants they can use biotic powers to lift or throw objects, shield the squad, and disable or destroy enemies. Adepts can only use light armor, and can only receive weapons training with pistols.
Infiltrator: Infiltrators combine combat and tech abilities to specialize in killing or disabling enemies at long range. Infiltrators are trained to use omni-tools, focusing on decryption and offensive abilities rather than healing. They can use pistols or sniper rifles and medium armor.
Sentinel: Sentinels combine biotic and tech abilities. Typically they use biotic abilities and advanced healing skills to defend allies, though they can also disrupt opponents with biotic or tech attacks. They are more efficient at tech and biotics than other classes, but at the expense of combat. Sentinels can only use light armor, and receive no advanced weapon training.
Vanguard: Vanguards are biotic warriors. They combine biotics and weapons to take down opponents, and are especially deadly at short range. They use pistols and shotguns, and can specialize in medium armor.



While our facial identification is also arguably important, we can feel free to just confirm our default look, or leave creating a custom look to my whims.

Do we go with the default look for our chosen gender, or will you leave the creation of our Shepard to me?



We are given one last look at our choices and the option to confirm or go back. Just, y'know, in case we think we've made a mistake somewhere along the line. This, however, is where we end our update today, because believe it or not, all of these choices are important for setting the stage and beginning our tale!

So here are our choices - what is Shepard's gender, their past, their psychological profile, their class, and how do they look?

I will be gathering answers from my family, friends, and from your answers, viewers! The ultimate choice made by the masses will also, determine Shepard's name, too - A male Shepard will be named Alan, while a female Shepard will be named Sally, after the first American man and woman in space, Alan Shepard and Sally Ride. We're not saving the galaxy as Dongs Shepard.


You've all got one week to deliberate and make your votes. Until then, this is Kliff, signing off.

[Cythereal]

Jennifer Hale is the only valid choice, but class and origin...

Female infiltrator, spacer/sole survivor.

[Tanegashima]

Jennifer Hale, Earthborn, Ruthless, Adept, redhead.

[clearcardinal]

I don't know anything about this game, I started it once and stopped when you had to do a driving section, which was not very far in.

Female, colonist, ruthless, vanguard. I'd like the avatar to look old and grumpy, if you can do that.

[Ablative]

It really is a damn shame that Vanguard is boring in ME1, but it will pay great dividends in the sequels.

Other than that the only opinion I have is that Femshep is the only Shep. The past options never really did anything for me.

[Jadecore]

Jennifer Hale is the only valid choice, but class and origin...

Female infiltrator, spacer/sole survivor.

Seconding all of this. I just personally find it the most satisfying overall.

[Blastinus]

Well, if we want to make a character who's going to be spanning the entire trilogy, we'd best make sure that we do it right the first time. So I'm going to also recommend this suggestion here:

Jennifer Hale is the only valid choice, but class and origin...

Female infiltrator, spacer/sole survivor.

Though obviously this begs the question: how good are you at sniping?

[alfheimwanderer]

I don't think I've often seen an Engineer...so let's go with one of those!

Jennifer Hale, Female engineer spacer/sole survivor.

[ajkalan]

Don't really care about gender, but Female will obviously win out here so I'll vote for that.
Engineer for the same reason as the above poster.
Earthborn/War Hero, because that's not a combo that I ever see people choose and I like its rags-to-riches potential.

[Tea]

Female, Spacer, Sole Survivor and Vanguard because that class can get up to some really fun stuff in 2 and 3.

[theteawitch]

Female, adept, colonist/sole surivior - oh, and non-default appearance

I'm excited for this, I was awful at this game when I tried to play it!

[radintorov]

Gonna vote for Jennifer Hale, Vanguard, War Hero and non-default appearance.

[DKII]

I was an infiltrator when I played because I liked playing sneaky and sniping. Let's see what the opposite looks like - how about Vanguard? And I'll throw in Ruthless Earthborn for flavor.

[Kliff]

Just a quick heads up - Tomorrow will be the first entry in that second, mysterious Table of Contents heading I called the LP Codex. You've still got lots of time to deliberate, although it looks like a custom, red-headed FemShep is going to be our choice regardless.

[Kaoruko]

I'm going to say Femshep, Sole Survivor, and Infiltrator as well, it sounds interesting.

Out of curiosity, how are things like romance and Paragon/Renegade being handled?

[Kliff]

Paragon/Renegade will be dealt with "as I see fit", while I'll be putting romancing up to a vote! There's some things I just can never bring myself to do on runs of the game done for myself, and the same will wind up happening here - rest assured, however, I will show everything off. It's just gonna take the Codex to do so.

[Kliff]

The LP Codex: Entry 1 - Options and Settings!

Before we settle in to the usual arguments, we skipped over a section of the main menu that's actually quite important for all players of the game!

This... normally isn't the case, but Mass Effect, as a trilogy, is weird in a lot of ways.



That's right. The lowly Options menu. In here, we find settings that can actively change the way you play and make the game easier - or harder - for you in ways that go beyond just numbers going up and down in regards to damage and protection!



Let's ignore the bottom two options here, however. Credits just plays the credits sequence of the game - while it's important to give the creators of the game their due, it does nothing for us now. Below that, naturally, just takes us back to the main menu.

The top option, as well, will be ignored - the details of Achievements will be covered in-depth in a later post, but Achievements in Mass Effect, no matter what platform you play on, will affect your current game and all future games on the same profile.



The second option is relatively useless to us, but it does give us our first major difference between platforms. Mass Effect 1 has two pieces of Downloadable Content - Bring Down the Sky, and Pinnacle Station. Both of these will be covered in the main walkthrough, however The XBox 360 version's initial release came with neither - both BDtS and Pinnacle were released later, and required purchasing through the XBox Marketplace. The PC version also required a purchase for both packs, using BioWare Points. However, at this time, Bring Down the Sky is only $1 on the 360, and is included for free on all PC download releases, while Pinnacle Station is currently $5 on 360, and free on PC.

For those playing along, you may be required to use EA's website to download both Bring Down the Sky and Pinnacle Station if you are playing with a Steam-purchased copy on PC, while both packs are included outright on EA's own digital distribution platform, Origin.

And, finally, While the PS3 release, in 2012, does come with Bring Down the Sky automatically, it will never have Pinnacle Station. Not for purchase, not for free, not ever. By the time Edge of Reality got to work on porting ME1, there was problems with the source data that lead to Pinnacle Station being corrupted and unable to be compiled for use on the PS3.


However, I digress! What we're looking for is option three, Settings!



And, specifically, Gameplay!



From the top, we have Combat Difficulty, which, in Mass Effect 1, solely determines the level scaling of enemies. This determines how much each class of enemy will scale compared to Shepard's level and where they'll land compared to Shep - a given percentage of Shep's level, give or take a few levels, usually. A fresh profile will only have Casual, Normal, and Veteran available to them - Hardcore and Insanity, the last two combat difficulty settings, are unlocked via Achievements.

Next, we have Auto-Level Up. It's an option that players of other BioWare games will be familiar with, especially players of Neverwinter Nights and Knights of the Old Republic, and has three options - Off, Squad Only, and Squad And Player. With this option on, the game itself selects where each skill point you receive will go when you level up, as opposed to points being banked until you place them yourself. Off will allow you to choose for everyone, Squad Only causes the game to choose for your non-Shepard squadmates, and Squad And Player causes the game to choose for everyone, Shep included.

After that is Target Assist. It's essentially a basic autoaim setting. Options are Low, Normal, and High.

The final important setting is Squad Power Usage. Three settings are available here, too - All Skills, Defensive Only, and None. This is an AI setting - Squad Power Usage determines which of a squadmate's powers are available for the AI to use at all times. While All and None are self-explanitory, Defensive Only means that only skills that directly contribute to the survival of a squadmate will be used. This, in essense, applies to only two skills. All other skills will have to be activated by you, yourself.

The final two settings are simple toggles and can be ignored for the purposes of this LP. I'd, however, suggest playing with both options On.

And with that, we are done here! This LP will be played with Squad Powers set to Defensive Only, Combat Difficulty to Normal, and Auto-Level Up at Off. Until next time, this is Kliff, signing off.

[ClaudiaSilvestri]

Even though it's not necessary, I'm still going to vote for Femshep since that's the one part I really feel strongly about. I'm also curious about the differences from being biotic (since I never was), so I'll vote for Vanguard.

[Kliff]

The LP Codex: Entry 2 - Why Are We Here?

Hello everyone! This is Kliff again, taking a bit of time out from the LP proper to tackle my long-term goals and plan for this, honestly, massive undertaking. After all, my plan altogether is not just to play Mass Effect 1 to its completion once and just call it a day, no.

My plan for this LP is to tackle the entire Trilogy, from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 3, from beginning to end, as a Hybrid of Screenshot and Video, with Streams where required.

This is why there is a strict No Spoilers policy, but also, this is why I need to make this post! The full plan is to share what I love about the series and what brought new people in, despite the flaws and shortcomings even at the start. That is, in essence, why I am beginning what I'm calling The LP Codex.

The LP Codex is for sharing parts of the game that won't fit in with the narrative of the main LP, as well as for explanations of choices made in previous parts and, above all, sharing my thought processes and the varied differences that each version will have, and what each different choice will cause. The LP Codex will also be used to document the in-game Codex in both audio and text formats, and will show off the effects of multiple playthroughs.

Trust me. There are going to be a lot of differences. One quest apiece in Mass Effect 1 is unique to each of the three Past History choices and each of the three Psychological Profile choices - so every playthrough of ME1 has four quests that are, literally, unplayable by your character based merely on the choices you make in reconstructing your service profile!

The LP Codex is, also, for sharing in-depth looks at the trilogy's mechanics.

This includes the way experience is calculated in each game, the way skills work, and the way the series' BioWare Morality system works.

And finally, the LP Codex will be host to, and will link to archives of, streams of gameplay and edited videos involving separate Shepards not chosen by the thread.

After all, Mass Effect 1 is a massive game. Mass Effect 2 and 3 are also quite massive. There are rumors of Remasters of the trilogy to be released as 2020's big Holiday Release by Electronic Arts. There is the multiplayer component of Mass Effect 3. There are, literally, choices related to future events that I cannot make for the sake of my own personal runs or the sake of the LP run, and thus must have an audience and co-commentators to bounce my impressions off of, when I do make these choices for, literally, my first time.

This includes Romance.

While the cat is out of the bag about Romances being available, there's no real surprise that there's a romance system in the game - and the series as a whole, after all. It's a BioWare game from post-Baldur's Gate 2. There is Morality, and there is Romance. It's just the way BioWare works. There will be no cheating on romance options in the main play. When we choose who to romance, that's our choice for the trilogy. No romance is also an option.

The LP Codex is going to be as big, if not bigger, than the LP proper itself, for these reasons. And that is fine!

This is, after all, a celebration of Mass Effect as a whole. All the jank and all the lore. So, with that said, I'll see you after the votes are in and tabulated with Chapter 2: "What about Shepard?"

[Kliff]

Voting is closed! We are... Sally Shepard, a Spacer, Sole Survivor Vanguard.

Working on recording the footage for the next update tonight. Expect the new update sometime this weekend!

[Kliff]

Hey, I know it's been a long-ass time since I've actually updated, but family issues have gotten in the way of things. Witnessing hypoglycemia-induced delirium is honestly very scary. It took a bit for me to get back into shape to finish up the update, but, finally, it's time for:



Chapter 2: What About Shepard?



Here we are. With our Shepard created, we've nowhere left to go but to select our difficulty and other game options one last time, and then head off into the wild unknown.

The initial opening is absolutely beautiful and sets the stage for the game well. The conversations within will be transcribed below for your reading pleasure, but please, click this link!



A conversation starts as the view begins to zoom out from here. We can see Shep on the right as the view continues to pan out.

Voice 1: Well, what about Shepard? She's a spacer. Lived aboard starships most of her life.

Voice 2: Military service runs in the family. Both her parents were in the navy.

Voice 3: She saw her whole unit die on Akuze. She could have some serious emotional scars.

Voice 2: Every soldier has scars. Shepard's a survivor.



Voice 1: Is that the kind of person we want protecting the galaxy?

Voice 2: That's the only kind of person who can protect the galaxy.

Voice 1: I'll make the call.

And the scene fades out.



(The text scrolls up and appears line-by-line.)



(It starts with just the logo, then brightens to this, and the logo fades out before the view of Earth does.)





???: The Arcturus Prime relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence.



???2: Commander.



(That is, in fact, Jupiter and Neptune. The intro, too, takes place in the Sol system, meaning we were gazing out on Earth as Shepard's fate was sealed.)



Seth Green?: We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination.



Shepard walks up the ramp to the line of consoles. As she reaches the top of the ramp, our pilot speaks again.

Seth?: The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector.

We continue on, following Shep, turning to look at the consoles to the side. When the camera cuts away again to a shot of our ship, he speaks up once more.



Pilot: All stations secure for transit.

And Shepard reaches the front of the ship, passing by another crewman



and passing behind a taller figure in black armor, inhuman,



before the camera swings around to point at her face.



Pilot: The board is green. Approach run has begun.









Pilot: Hitting the relay in 3... 2...



1...









After we're apparently rocketed off to who-knows-where in the galaxy, being shot off into space like a railgun projectile, we come back to the cockpit of our ship, and the camera starts to pan in. We have our pilot and co-pilot in view, and as we zoom in, the camera...



focuses on our pilot.

Pilot: Thrusters... check. Navigation... check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift... just under 1500 K.



Skull facepaint: 1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased.





Pilot: I hate that guy.

Co-pilot: Nihilus gave you a compliment... so you hate him.





Pilot: You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible!



Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid.



Co-pilot: You're paranoid. The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment.

Pilot: Yeah, that is the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story.



The dialogue wheel makes its first appearance here - a staple of Bioware RPGs, the dialogue system takes this form for a more streamlined, more stylistic approach, giving us the possibility of six choices at a time! This doesn't mean that dialogue trees are any less complicated, however - often there are places where some nodes are only visible after talking about one topic and never any other time, and if there needs to be more than six options, there's usually a choice to select more on the left section of the wheel.

Typically, sections on the left half of the wheel are asking for more info, or continuing the conversation at this particular "point", while sections on the right half further the conversation towards its end. Not always... but often. The wheel also ties into the Bioware Morality System of the trilogy - we'll get into this a bit more after our first true mission, but when morality is concerned, the top two sections are usually nicer, more diplomatic, and the bottom two sections are more brusque and direct.

In screenshots, the selected option will be chosen. This, also, highlights a new advance in Bioware Dialogue - the wheel only gives you a preview of what Shep is going to say when you select it.

Shepard: You always expect the worst.



Pilot: Well, bad feelings are an occupational hazard. We don't go anywhere unless there's a good reason, so... what're we doin' he-

A comm system blips online, interrupting.

Captain: Joker! Status report!



Joker!: Just cleared the mass relay, captain! Stealth systems engaged... everything looks solid.



Captain: Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime.

Joker: Aye, aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way.

Captain: He's already here, Lieutenant. Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing.

The comm system blips off.

Joker: You get that, Commander?



Shepard: He sounds angry. Something must have gone wrong with the mission.





Joker: Pff. Captain always sounds like that when he's talking to me.



Co-pilot: Can't possibly imagine why.


And that's when we take control! We control Shepard with pretty standard fare for a game of this type - left stick on consoles, WASD on PC, and right stick/mouse movement for camerawork. We haven't got much of anywhere to go other than back towards the aft of the ship - the general "action" button, E on PCs, lets you talk to people, but Joker and our co-pilot have nothing to say other than that the captain's waiting for us. Down the way, though, we catch a conversation!



Navigator: I'm telling you, I just saw him! He marched by like he was on a mission.

Engineer: He's a Spectre. They're always on a mission.

Navigator: And we're getting dragged right along with him!

Engineer:: Relax, Pressly. You're going to give yourself an ulcer.


We overhear both sides of the conversation due to the ship intercom, naturally. But here, we can actually talk to Pressly - our Navigator, responsible for plotting our overall course, who then sends it down to Joker to work the fine details of actually piloting the ship.



Pressly: Congratulations, Commander. Looks like we had a smooth run. You heading down to see the captain?

Shep: Sounds like you don't trust our turian guest.



Pressly: Sorry, Commander. Just having a chat with Adams down in engineering. Didn't mean to cause any trouble.

A beat.

Pressly: But you have to admit, something's odd about this mission. The whole crew feels it.



Shep: You think the Alliance brass is holding out on us?

Pressly: If all we're supposed to do is test out the stealth system, why is Captain Anderson in charge? And then there's Nihlus. Spectres are elite operatives. Top covert agents. Why send a Spectre--a turian Spectre--on a shakedown run? It doesn't add up.



Amusingly enough, this is the first true part of our dialogue tutorial. By now we know different responses give different attitudes, but until the first wheel of this conversation, every choice has been on the right side of the wheel. So when we see "I heard you arguing" on the left side of the wheel this very first time, maybe we should click that and see why it's on that side!

This leads to a longer conversation and more chances to investigate, this time with an option on the far left that, when selected, just outright leads to more selections! We'll go down the list here from upper-left to lower-left.


Shep: You don't trust Nihlus.

Pressly: I don't like turians in general. Runs in my family. My grandfather fought in the First Contact War; lost a lot of friends when the turians hit us.


Extra options available based on the just-discussed topic, too! Unfortunately in this case, "Plus he's a Spectre" just gives us an agreement followed by the next two voice lines.


Shep: That was thirty years ago. You can't blame Nihlus for that.

Pressly: No, I guess not. But it still makes me nervous to have a Spectre on board, especially a turian. We're an Alliance vessel, human military. But Nihlus doesn't answer to the captain like the rest of us. Spectres operate outside the normal chain of command. And they don't come along just to observe shakedown runs. Nihlus looks like he's expecting some heavy action. I don't like it.

Shep: What do you know about the stealth systems?

Pressly: I just know it masks our location from scans and sensors. Cutting edge technology. The Normandy's the only ship with this prototype drive. But why are we fully staffed? A skeleton crew would be cheaper. Less chance of security leaks, too. Plus, there's Nihlus. It's pretty obvious this shakedown run is just a cover.

Shep: For what?

Pressly: Damned if I know, Commander. We're out here on false pretenses. I'm not a fan of being left in the dark.

Shep: A full crew makes sense. We need the extra hands in case anything goes wrong. And the Spectre is just here as an observer.

Pressly: You may be right, Commander.

(followed by not liking false pretenses again.)


Shep: Do you have a problem with the captain?

Pressly: No, ma'am! But I can't figure out what he's doing here. Captain Anderson is one of the most decorated Special Forces officers in the service. If he melted down all his medals, he could make a life-size statue of himself. You don't send a soldier like that on a do-nothing mission. He's treating this shakedown run too seriously. Something big is going on.


With that done, we select an option from the right side and that ends this conversation!

Shep: I'll see if I can get some answers from him when I see him.

Pressly: Good luck, Commander.


After this conversation with Pressly, we move around to the right and further towards the aft, overhearing another conversation - the corporal who passed by us earlier and an older woman in a more civilian-like uniform with white. Let's listen in.



Corporal: I grew up on Eden Prime, Doc. It's not the kind of place Spectres visit. There's something Nihlus isn't telling us about this mission.

Doctor: That's crazy. The captain's in charge here. He wouldn't take orders from a Spectre.

Corporal: Not his choice, Doc. Spectres don't answer to anyone. They can do whatever they want. Kill anyone who gets in their way.

Doctor: Ha! You watch too many spy vids, Jenkins.


Jenkins. That's... an unfortunate name. Another place to stop and chat. There's reasons for just stopping and chatting with these three, I assure you! (The sharp-eyed in the audience may have already seen why in the vids.)



Jenkins: What do you think, Commander? We won't be staying on Eden Prime too long, will we? I'm itching for some real action!



Doctor: I sincerely hope you're kidding, corporal. Your 'real action' usually ends with me patching up crew members in the infirmary.

(A choice here. We go with agreeing with the doctor.)



Shep: You need to calm down, corporal. A good soldier stays cool, even under fire.



Jenkins: Sorry, Commander. But this waiting's killing me. I've never been on a mission like this before. Not one with a Spectre on board!

(Let's reassure him.)

Shep: Just treat this like every other assignment you've had and everything will work out.



Jenkins: Easy for you to say. You proved yourself on Akuze. Everybody knows what you can do. This is my big chance. I need to show the brass what I can do!

Shep: You're young, corporal. You have a long career ahead of you. Don't do something stupid to mess it up.

Jenkins: Don't worry, ma'am. I'm not going to screw this up.

(NOW we can go ahead and talk about the three other topics.)

Shep: What can you tell me about Nihlus?



Doctor: Turians are generally well-respected by the other species. Their fleet has more patrols protecting Citadel space than any other. They don't always get on well with us, though. Some people find them too rigid. Others still blame them for the First Contact War. As for Nihlus, I haven't said more than two words to him. He usually only speaks to the captain.

Jenkins: I hope we get a chance to see him in action. I heard Nihlus took down an entire enemy platoon all by himself!

(We'd get an actually different line here if we hadn't reassured Jenkins yet, followed by the choice to actually do so then.)

Shep: What do you know about the Spectres?

Doctor: Only what I've heard. Spectre agents work directly for the Citadel Council. They usually work alone or in small groups. Spectres don't have any official power, though. Basically, they're a shadow organization with a mandate to preserve and protect galactic stability.



Jenkins: Protect it at any cost. Don't forget that part. Spectres operate above the law!

(Oh god. Well, questioning this part.)

Shep: How do you control agents with unlimited power?

Doctor: I suppose the Council could revoke the Spectre status of an agent who got out of hand. At that point, Citadel Security Services would take over.



Jenkins: Those C-Sec grunts wouldn't stand a chance. A Spectre's worth twenty ordinary soldiers. The Spectres police themselves. An agent goes rogue, they send another agent to take 'em down. That's Spectre justice!

(Is this the 00 program all over again?)



Doctor: The corporal's confusing romantic legends with reality, Commander.

Shep: Why don't we have any of our own people in there?

Doctor: Spectres usually come from the Council races. Like the turians. We've been trying to get a human accepted into their ranks for years now. So far, it hasn't happened.

Jenkins: Hey, Commander! You'd make a good Spectre! They're always getting dropped into impossible situations. Forced to survive unbeatable odds. Just like you on Akuze!

(This is a conversation that changes based on your background. Torvan for the Ruthless is mentioned, so is the Skyllian Blitz for the War Hero.

We're going to let him down gently. Akuze was... not fun.)



Shep: I try not to think about Akuze.

Jenkins: Sorry, Commander. I-- I didn't mean to offend you. I respect what you did there. We all do.

Doctor: Let's not dwell on the past, Commander. Was there something else you needed?

Shep: You're from Eden Prime, aren't you Jenkins? What's it like?

Jenkins: It's very peaceful, Commander. They've been real careful with development, so you don't have any city noise or pollution. My parents lived on the outskirts of the colony. At night, I used to climb this big hill and stare across the fields back at the lights from the main settlement. It was gorgeous. But when I got older, I realized it was a little too calm and quiet for me. That's why I joined the Alliance. Even paradise gets boring after a while.

Shep: Any idea why Eden Prime was chosen as our destination?

Jenkins: Not really sure, Commander. Eden Prime's one of our most stable colonies. Good place to take the Normandy for her shakedown run, I guess. No real danger there. But there's got to be something else going on. We've got a Spectre on board! That's why I'm so wound up. I can't wait for the real mission to start!

(If we hadn't already re-assured Jenkins, we could do that now.)

(And we're done here!)

Shep: The captain's waiting for me.



Doctor: Goodbye, Commander.

(A previous draft had me say that Pressley says his last line as you're given control, this was a lie. The first time this happens is here with the Doctor.

In-game subtitles will already give the Doctor's name as Chakwas, but the route I'm taking, she's not referred to by name yet.)



Our true destination is at the aft of the Normandy, behind the wall that's located behind the comamnd center. Through this door is the Comm Room, and where we were expected to meet with Captain Anderson. Unfortuantely for us, he's not here, but the alien who was up at the cockpit in the introduction is.



Clearly, that means he's the next one to talk to.



As we approach, however, he turns around and addresses us when we "activate" him to talk.



Turian Spectre: Commander Shepard. I was hoping you'd get here first. It will give us a chance to talk.

Shep: The captain said he'd meet me here.

Nihlus: He's on his way. I'm interested in this world we're going to - Eden Prime. I've heard it's quite beautiful.



Shep: They say it's a paradise.

Nihlus: Yes, a paradise. Serene, tranquil, safe. Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?



(I don't like his tone...)

Shep: If you've got something to say, just say it.

Nihlus: Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?

(Enter Captain Anderson from behind as the comm room door slides open, then shut, off-screen. The game actually loads a new talk file after Nihlus' last line!)



Anderson: I think it's about time we told the Commander what's really going on.

Nihlus: This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run.



Shep: I already figured that out.

Anderson: We're making a covert pickup on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operation.

Shep: There must be a reason you didn't tell me about this, sir?



Anderson: This comes down from the top. Information strictly on a need-to-know basis. A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of... beacon during an excavation. It was Prothean.



(Prothean?)

Shep: I thought the Protheans vanished fifty-thousand years ago!

Nihlus: Their legacy still remains. The mass relays, the Citadel, our ship drives - it's all based on Prothean technology.



Anderson: This is big, Shepard. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study.

Nihlus: Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander. This discovery could affect every species in Council space.

Shep: Why didn't we keep the beacon for ourselves?

Nihlus: You humans don't have the best reputation. Some species see you as selfish. Too unpredictable. Too independent. Even dangerous.

Anderson: Sharing that beacon will improve relations with the Council. Plus, we need their scientific expertise. They know more about the Protheans than we do.

Nihlus: The beacon is not the only reason I'm here, Shepard.

(wait, what?)



Anderson: Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander. He's here to evaluate you.

(Again, what?)

Shep: What's going on, Captain?

Anderson: The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come.

Nihlus: Not many could have survived what you went through on Akuze. You showed a remarkable will to live -- a particularly useful talent. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres.

(And once again, what? That's... a little odd after hearing about the First Contact War.)

Shep: Why would a Turian want a human in the Spectres?

Nihlus: Not all turians resent humanity. Some of us see the potential of your species. We see what you have to offer to the rest of the galaxy... and to the Spectres. We are an elite group. It's rare to find an individual with the skills we seek. I don't care that you're human, Shepard. I only care that you can do the job.

(Well, good to know that not everyone is against us, I guess.)

Shep: I assume this is good for the Alliance.

Anderson: Earth needs this, Shepard. We're counting on you.

Nihlus: I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together.



Anderson: You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it to the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission.



(This is when we finally get a chance to ask some further questions. No harm in doing so.)

Shep: What do you know about the Protheans?

Anderson: Just what they taught us in school. They were a technologically-advanced species that ruled the galaxy 50,000 years ago. Then they vanished. Nobody really knows how or why, though I've heard plenty of theories. But everyone agrees galactic civilization wouldn't exist without them.

Nihlus: Their Citadel is the very heart of galactic society. And without their mass relays, interstellar travel would be impossible. We all owe the Protheans a great debt.

(That's our history lesson for the conversation.)

Shep: I'd like to know more about Eden Prime before we touch down.

Anderson: It's a peaceful farming world, but it represents something much bigger. Eden Prime is one of our oldest and most successful colonies. It proved we were ready to face the challenges of settling new worlds, to forge a place for humanity beyond Earth. It symbolizes humanity's growth and evolution as a spacefaring species. And after this, it will be known as the world where humans made a discovery of galactic importance.

Shep: Why is this beacon so important?

Nihlus: All advanced galactic civilization is based on Prothean technology. Even yours.

Anderson: If we hadn't discovered those Prothean ruins buried on Mars, we'd still be stuck on Earth. That was just a small data cache. Who knows what we can learn from this beacon? What if it's a weapons archive? We can't let it fall into the wrong hands.

Shep: Like who?

Anderson: The Attican Traverse isn't the most stable sector of Citadel space. There are plenty of raiders and criminal groups active in the region. They might figure a Prothean beacon is worth the risk of attacking an Alliance ship. Plus, Eden Prime is right on the border of the Terminus Systems.

(Another mysterious group name.)

Shep: The Attican Traverse is under Citadel protection. If the Terminus Systems attack, it's an act of war.

(It's nice that sometimes the game actually shows that Shepard has been around the neighborhood, so to speak - instead of asking what the Terminus Systems are, like the option would have you think, Shep takes the opportunity to explain just as much as we need to know - they not aligned with the Citadel and there's a political standoff.)

Nihlus: Technically, yes. But some of the species in the Terminus might be willing to start a war over this.

Anderson: The last thing the Council wants is to get dragged into a major conflict with the Terminus Systems. We have to keep this low-key.

(That's all the information we need. Time to signal that we're ready to begin the mission.)

Shep: Just give the word, Captain.



Anderson: We should be getting close to Eden-

(Suddenly!)

Joker: Captain! We've got a problem!

Anderson: What's wrong, Joker?



Joker: Transmission from Eden Prime, sir! You'd better see this.



Anderson: Bring it up on-screen.







And on the comm-room's screen is a scene of chaos. Gunfire, both almost traditional-sounding and futuristic, plasma-sounding. Explosions. The viewpoint is forced to the ground by a woman in white-and-pink armor, yelling "Get down!" Still shaky and barely able to make anything out other than terrain, the three in the comm-room stand, transfixed by the sight.



Transmission: We are under attack, taking heavy casualties! I repeat, heavy casualties! We can't - <garbled> - ...mediate evac, they came out of nowhere, we need -







The voice is cut off as the speaker takes what's likely a killing hit. The camera pans around to other soldiers' faces as they look on in disbelief, then pans to view a gigantic, claw-like ship, shooting out red bolts of energy, almost like lightning. More camera shakiness, explosions... and then it cuts to static, and nothing more.

Joker: Everything cuts out after that, no comm traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing.

Anderson: Reverse and hold at 38.5.





The message is reversed, held on a still of the mysterious ship. Nihlus looks on silently, a look of concern on his face.

Anderson: Status report!

Joker: Seventeen minutes out, captain, no other Alliance ships in the area.

Anderson: Take us in, Joker, fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated.

Anderson and Nihlus share looks.

Nihlus: A small strike team can move quickly, without drawing attention. It's our best chance to secure the beacon.



Anderson: Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold!

Nihlus leaves, as Anderson turns to Shepard.

Anderson: Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander. You're going in.


We'll leave off here, on approach to Eden Prime. Everything has gone south and we haven't even arrived yet. We've been introduced to a few of the most important people in the crew, we've met our first non-human in the series - the slightly avian-like Turians - and we're about to jump into the middle of the fire on what everyone was telling us was going to be a milk run.

We'll meet again in the cargo hold of the Normandy, preparing to make our drop on Eden Prime, for Chapter 3: "Say goodnight, Manuel." Until next time!

[Jadecore]

Oh boy, I hope the fire doesn't curdle the milk too badly. It'd probably stink.

(Glad to see this updating.)

[DKII]

<3 Joker, forgot he's there right from the beginning.

Also forgot the whole Sceptre business was just thrown out right at the beginning. I like that we are joining a main character that's an already-established hero type, rather than following along with some nobody from scratch.

[Cythereal]

<3 Joker, forgot he's there right from the beginning.

Also forgot the whole Sceptre business was just thrown out right at the beginning. I like that we are joining a main character that's an already-established hero type, rather than following along with some nobody from scratch.

The whole 'you're already a hero' thing was one of Mass Effect's original selling points for what made it new and different, but I'm kind of iffy about how well it works. By necessity of the player being new, the supposedly veteran protagonist character still needs everything explained as a vehicle for explaining everything to the player, and I don't think Bioware handles that particularly deftly (though they still handle it miles better in this game than they do in 3).

[Tanegashima]

I'm glad your family's okay now, Kliff.

As someone whose main familiarity with Bioware stuff is much earlier than this (Jade Empire, KOTOR) it's interesting to see how their system has evolved here. Paragon/Renegade seemingly has a lot more nuance to it than, say, Light Side/Dark Side, which is more of a "so should I save this puppy or eat it" dichotomy in gameplay in spite of KOTOR 2 otherwise delving into moral complexity.

[Cythereal]

As someone whose main familiarity with Bioware stuff is much earlier than this (Jade Empire, KOTOR) it's interesting to see how their system has evolved here. Paragon/Renegade seemingly has a lot more nuance to it than, say, Light Side/Dark Side, which is more of a "so should I save this puppy or eat it" dichotomy in gameplay in spite of KOTOR 2 otherwise delving into moral complexity.

KOTOR 2 was Obsidian (the people who did Planescape: Torment and Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer), not Bioware.

[Tanegashima]

Ah yeah, got it mixed up (though there was probably at least some influence/team overlap.) My point still stands in terms of binary morality systems though.