Mass Effect

[Skyblade]

RenShep, especially in ME1, just swings way too wildly from position to position. ParaShep has a theme, a focus. But with RenShep, you get tons of contradictory positions. RenShep's only goal is to piss people off.

In ME2 and especially ME3, they did a much better job of making RenShep a more concrete and focused character. It's more what Renegade was advertised as in the beginning, the cruelty of doing a hard job, the cold equations. I mean, RenShep's still a jerk, but it just feels like their's an actual character there in the later entries.

[Jowy]

My ME3 Shephard is a is about a 60/40 mix between Paragon and Renegade.

you're gonna be extra mad by the ending then.

[Del Murder]

How so?

[Psychotic]

Look at all these paragon apologists.

It's a video game full of asshole aliens. You have to show them who is the boss by being the dick that smurfs those assholes. Renegade first time through or you're a coward who doesn't deserve to play video games.

Played as an Adept. It's not bad but if I did trout again I'd probably do Vanguard.

[Jowy]

You'll need a maxed out paragon/renegade score to settle a "conflict" of sorts near the end of the game. It'll affect your total war assets if you can't make everyone happy.

[Night Fury]

So I had a good play on it last night and I picked up Samara the Justicar and I'm playing through the Liara loyalty mission.

I love this gaaaame! Did a lot of Renegade actions last night mind, I think my Shep is on her Period and she's taking it out on every smurfer.

[Psychotic]

You'll need a maxed out paragon/renegade score to settle a "conflict" of sorts near the end of the game. It'll affect your total war assets if you can't make everyone happy.

Yeah I think that sort of thing makes the whole system utterly pointless. I hate it when you get bonuses by being pure asshole or pure saint as it forces you to follow a path rather than take the action you'd pick in each individual situation. Props to Fallout for making Neutral an actual thing.

[Del Murder]

I thought ME3 doesn't do that because it uses a Reputation system rather than separate Paragon/Renegade systems?

[Skyblade]

I thought ME3 doesn't do that because it uses a Reputation system rather than separate Paragon/Renegade systems?

This is correct. Rep is far more important in ME3 than Par/Ren. Rep determines which answers you can pick, not Par/Ren score. My full Paragon can still make endgame Ren decisions.

It's ME2 that shafted you that way.

[Del Murder]

I read up a little bit about what I needed to do to get the 'good' endings, and it looks like you don't need to be 100% Paragon or Renegade to get the right options at the end. But you did need to use the Charm or Intimidate options each time you (SPOILER)talk to the Illusive Man, which I don't think I've done. Oh well. Can always go for that next time, when I get the ME trilogy.

I also read that to get those readiness scores up above 50% you have to play multiplayer, and that those scores determine how good an ending you get. That sucks because I had no interest in the multiplayer part of this game and I'm probably pretty bad at it.

[Formalhaut]

I've never played Mass Effect, though I really want to get into it because I know everyone seems to be enamoured with it. Given that Mass Effect is no longer PC-exclusive, I guess I can get into the trilogy. Perhaps for my birthday I can purchase it.

[Jowy]

Hm, my mistake. I figured it was paragon/renegade as I don't recall having the option to go down the renegade path during the Quarian/Geth event. Multiplayer is pretty fun, Del. Essentially just horde mode from Gears of War. Just set the difficulty to Bronze and you'll only need to win a handful of matches to get your readiness high enough.

[Skyblade]

I read up a little bit about what I needed to do to get the 'good' endings, and it looks like you don't need to be 100% Paragon or Renegade to get the right options at the end. But you did need to use the Charm or Intimidate options each time you (SPOILER)talk to the Illusive Man, which I don't think I've done. Oh well. Can always go for that next time, when I get the ME trilogy.

I also read that to get those readiness scores up above 50% you have to play multiplayer, and that those scores determine how good an ending you get. That sucks because I had no interest in the multiplayer part of this game and I'm probably pretty bad at it.

Not quite, Del.

Due to the flak they got about the required Multiplayer (including the Better Business Bureau agreeing there was false advertising for the game when BioWare had specifically stated that they wouldn't require players to play multiplayer to get the best endings), they patched the ending requirements.

First, the Extended Cut free DLC drops the requirements so that the assets you collect across a multi game save should be enough to get the best ending (I think it was the DLC, it might have just been a patch though), and then the other DLCs add in even more War Assets to make it easier (and you should play Leviathan at least, it makes the ending much more tolerable).

Also, about your interactions with the Charm/Intimidate... You don't actually have to do that to get the best ending. You need to do that to get an extra scene before the ending, however, and it does mean that you need more War Assets to get the best ending. Essentially, it's a way to drop the required War Assets for the best ending by a few hundred points.

[Del Murder]

Ok, thanks! I like to collect the war assets and do plan on playing the DLC scenarios so it shouldn't be a problem for me.

[Freya]

I have a Paragon Infiltrator Femshep who is in love with the super fine Kaidan Alenko :3 I could never romance Garrus. He was too much of my bro. We did bro things together. Wait I doodled this once...



Garrus, Wrex and I all the way on the first game.
Garrus, Miranda and I on the second (I wanted her biotics)
Garrus, Liara and I ont he third (again biotics!)

We sniped the trout out of everyone!