Where does Liara state that Shepard is the only human with a 'strong mind'? This is why I'm skeptical of this claim. Far too much credit is being placed on this 'strong' mind. If you can be skeptical of Illusive Man choosing Shepard because the Reapers fear/respect him, what makes a strong mind of such higher value?
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Liara regards the ability for Shepard to house the visions making him have a strong mind, since it would "have destroyed a lesser mind." That is one necessary quality for carrying the vision. Once Shepard has the vision (then the other, then the cipher), he's the only one capable of getting over to Ilos. Because of those events, he's plot integral.
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Remember, we know Shepard is the only human to have killed/interacted with a Reaper. For replaceability, it must be shown that a character can be removed/switched with any other and have the plot remain exactly as is.[/quote]
In regards to ME1, yes, Shepard is irreplaceable.
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Shepard cannot be removed from existence because otherwise the Collectors are not spurred to attacking human colonies.
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So you're arguing ME2 Shepard is irreplaceable because he came from ME1, and thus ME2 wouldn't have happened? The Collectors seem to be doing just fine for 2 years while Shepard is dead, collecting humans.
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If he cannot be removed from existence, then he is necessarily required to exist for the plot of Mass Effect 2.
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True. Evidence please.
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If he is required to exist for the plot of Mass Effect 2, then he must be a potential candidate (even if dead) of Illusive Man's search for a leader to fight the Collectors.
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Right. Being The Chosen does not mean integral to the plot, however. It just implies existence.
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If we accept that Illusive Man is searching for a candidate who has dealt with the Reapers (as he states) and that Shepard is the only human to have done so, then he is plot integral.
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No. TIM/Miranda thinks a, b and c. If Shepard proves that he is integral to the plot, then and only then he is. Existence does not equal plot integrity. The Lazarus Project is Shepard, that is fine, that's not the argument. The argument is that Shepard wasn't needed in the plot of ME2, therefore the Lazarus Project wasn't even needed. If Shepard died post-Lazarus, the plot would've been fine.
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Unless you can show me one potential candidate who has also fought a Reaper and holds similar qualifications as Shepard, then without Shepard, the plot does not move beyond Illusive Man choosing a candidate. To argue that Shepard is not integral to Mass Effect 2, you'd need to demonstrate why he does not need to exist for the plot at all, from the very beginning.
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The argument is: ME2 Shepard doesn't do anything that can't be done by anyone else. You're arguing because the first scene is Shepard and only Shepard in Lazarus. We're not disputing that. We're saying TIM/Miranda are morons. We're saying the Lazarus was a waste, because ME2 Shepard is replaceable. This is a problem with the plot. If the plot deemed Shepard vital/integral, then we wouldn't be arguing that. There is no evidence that I have seen, that makes Shepard integral.
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I assume you are saying this in gest. I say this because if you are qualifying Verner (of all characters) to lead the fight against the Collectors, I would say I can qualify Kaidan as possessing a strong enough mind to drive the plot of Mass Effect 1. Let us not insult each other with such claims.
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If Verner is the player character, then boom, he's qualified. The veneer that is ME2 Shepard is only skin deep.
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I believe the original purpose in acquiring Liara was because she is Benezia's daughter. You might argue that it is a minor point, but this is a part of the main plot. To alter the plot is to not be dealing with the same plot. If Benezia does not have another daughter whom we can find, then Liara is irreplaceable.
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It's a lead by the council. She gets reduced to a plot device. She's 1) asari, 2) a Prothean researcher. We even learn from Liara there are other Prothean researchers. She's 106. We can argue this of any plot device, really, but for the most part she's a side-character. I'll just say she's integral.
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He is still far above what the average combatant can perform. Does this make him integral? No. But to imply that Verner is anywhere near Shepard's level (and Illusive Man wants someone of Shepard's level) is an insult to Shepard's abilities. He is or was a Spectre after all. They are not a dime a dozen.
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-where do his above average combatant skills be plot integral?
-Spectre status in ME2 is not plot integral.
-TIM/MIranda's reasons could be humongous, but existence in the plot does not equal integrity
-Shepard must prove his plot integrity, like in ME1 (visions->cipher->Ilos)
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This is quite wrong. Motivation is everything to the plot. If a character is unmotivated, then they do not take action. If they do not take action, then we have a very different plot. If Zaeed has no reason to stop the Collectors, then he cannot replace Shepard no matter how incredible his combat abilities. Motivation is what caused Luke to join Obi-Wan, to become a Jedi, to fight Darth Vader. Motivation is what spurs all characters to action in any story.
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Shepard wants to eat a donut out of hunger. Shepard wants to kiss Tali out of love. Shepard to e(1...n) out of m(1...n). Even if one of those things is related to the plot, that doesn't make that person integral to the plot. It's characterization. (Unless the entire plot is character driven, where Shepard->events. However, ME2 is not a character driven story.)
Now, we can argue that "The king died, then the queen died, out of grief." And that "out of grief" is the plot of the story. And that's true. (You're arguing that because Shepard died at the start of ME2, ME2 must exist the way the plot goes, because of its base.) Shepard could have a few really good reasons to do what he's doing, and that is a good thing for characterization, but it does not show that he's plot integral. If his actions, and only his actions, cause the series of events to become the plot, (causation), then yes, he would be plot integral. Why he does it, his motivations, have nothing to do with that: and they should.
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To say that Motivation is irrelevant is a grave error. As Bucky explains, it's all about a character choosing to take action, aka the Frodo example. It is essential to launching a plot. [/quote]
We could say that is what makes Frodo an active protagonist. If Shepard makes a choice (even via the player character) to make the plot continue, we might argue that. However, that's the equivalent of the reader turning the page, whereupon Shepard is a static character. If that action and only that action caused the plot to continue, then that action would be plot integral. If that action could only be done by Shepard because of Shepard's x, y, z, then Shepard would be plot integral.
It is a minor thing. But after playing KotOR 2, where virtually everything or every underlying event in the game is because of the protagonist (after it's explained), looking at ME2 is like watching a kid learn to write proper English.
I think this is why some characters in RPGs are considered special: the last of their race, one of the only living precursors, the one holding the magic locket/MacGuffin, etc. It gives a reason why they're relevant to the narrative. But that is not plot integrity. In gaming, the protagonist is a walking plot device, with the universe revolving around them: but that doesn't make them plot integral.
Modifié par smudboy, 26 avril 2010 - 02:10 .





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