SQ's Unofficial Guide to Background Story Choices
- Intro
- The Background Options (The Basics)
- What the Game Says About You (Codex Entries)
- What the Backgrounds do to Your Morality (Paragon/Renegade pt. Breakdown)
- What the NPCs Will Say About You (in-game dialog for each background - under construction)
- Background Quests
- Ways to Play (roleplaying possibilities outlined)
- Popularity Poll
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Intro
Note: This guide is compiled from several sources and forum posts. Most info comes from The Mass Effect wiki – kudos to that site.
To me, a background story gives a chance to set a character's personality and style for how the story will play out in the game. I've made a ton of alts for ME, and I find the background stories fascinating for how they influence gameplay (see “Ways to Play” at the bottom). So, here, for my own amusement and possibly for the entertainment or use of some of you all, is what I've compiled:
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The Background Story Options (the basics):
Pre-Service History (PSH):
- Spacer
- Colonist
- Earthborn
- Sole Survivor
- War Hero
- Ruthless
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What the Game Says About You: Codex Entries for all 9 combinations
SQ's Comments:
Akuze is “an early mission” for the Spacer. The Colonist and Earthborn volunteer for the mission.
The Colonist is “posted to” Elysium. The Earthborn and Spacer are on shore leave at Elysium when the Blitz hits.
Earthborn is “assigned to” the Torfan campaign. The Colonist and Spacer “joined” the Blitz campaigns.
These slight differences could imply that Spacer is “meant” to go with Sole Survivor, Colonist is “meant” to go with War Hero and the Earthborn is “meant” to go with Ruthless. The fact that these choices are the same number on their respective lists might also imply that. Or it could just be a difference in writing.
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What the Backgrounds do to your Morality Scale:
Paragon/Renegade point bonus for each combo
- Spacer + Sole Survivor -> [+5R, +15P]
- Spacer + War Hero ------> [+20P]
- Spacer + Ruthless ------> [+10R]
- Colonist + Sole Survivor -> [+10P, +10R]
- Colonist + War Hero ------> [+15P]
- Colonist + Ruthless ------> [+15R]
- Earthborn + Sole Survivor -> [+15R, +5P]
- Earthborn + War Hero ------> [+10P]
- Earthborn + Ruthless ------> [+20R]
SQ's Comments:
The Spacer tends to paragon status (life among other cultures, family committed to service); the Earthborn tends to Renegade status (life in gangs, had to look out for self); the Colonist is the background up for grabs (might become bitter or determined to help others). However, it is the combination of the paragon War Hero, renegade Ruthless, or neutral(ish) Sole Survior PPs that ultimately award the final count of points.
With that said, this is just the starting point. Many people choose to role play away from their backgrounds and pick up points elsewhere. (See “Ways to Play” below)
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What The NPCs Will Say About You
(Many of you have asked what the dialog is for what NPCs say about you in the game. I do not have a full breakdown, but am working on one. I have moved the transcript to an external site (my blog), because it was making the OP too long. This is merely a list of who will comment in game. Keep in mind, the transcript is under construction.)
Comments on your Pre-Service History
- Udina/Anderson, Intro (ME1)
- Shepard (if female, ME1, will talk about personal history with Kaidan)
- Shiera, Asari Consort, Citadel (ME1, has a “gift of words”)
- Shepard/Ashley (discuss family ME1)
- Administrator Anoleis, Noveria (ME1, will make a snide comment)
- Jacob Taylor (ME2, “test” of your mental faculties)
- Miranda Lawson (ME2, post-loyalty quest)
- The person from your PSH quest (see below) will send you a follow-up email in ME2 if you import a save from ME1 in which you did the quest
- Announcements overheard on radio in Omega/Illium markets (ME2)
- Admiral Hackett/Anderson/Udina, Intro (ME1)
- Corporal Jenkins, Normany (ME1)
- Nihilus, Normandy (ME1)
- Kaidan Alenko (if female, ME1)
- Ashley Williams (if War Hero, ME1)
- Barla Von, Citadel (ME1)
- Shiera, Asari Consort, Citadel (ME1, has a “gift of words”)
- Emily Wong, Citadel (ME1 – if you ask her why she thinks you'll help her find evidence against Fist)
- Officer Eddie Lang at C-Sec entrance to the Wards (ME1)
- Navigator Presley (if War Hero, ME1)
- Liara T'Soni (conversation ME1)
- Kaidan Alenko/Ashley Williams (following Virmire mission, ME1)
- Miranda Lawson (ME2, “test” of your mental faculties*)
- Morinth (ME2, if you opt to talk to her about family)
- Announcements overheard on radio in Omega/Illium markets (ME2)
Also, there is very little said about your background come ME2. Guess they sort of...left it off?
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Background Quests (Spoilers Follow - ME1 only):
The PSH grants a unique quest. Shepard can only get one of these, based on the PSH.
Spacer: Old, Unhappy, Far-Off Things (This quest also features information about Mindoir, which sheds light on the colonist background.)
Colonist: I Remember Me
Earthborn: Old Friends
The PP gives slightly different dialog for an existing side quest. Shepard can get all these quests, but will experience different dialog for the one related to his/her PP.
Sole Survivor get different dialogue in the "Dead Scientists" sidequest (There seems to be a glitch with this quest. Regardless of background, Toombs will tell Shepard he/she got away “with nothing but scratches and a scary reputation” even if Shepard was not at Akuze. Shepard can then reply that if he/she could have helped at Akuze, he/she would have. Shepard's line here could make sense even if Shepard was not at Akuze, but Toomb's line does not.)
War Hero gets different dialogue in the "Espionage Probe" sidequest (Some have noted that this quest mistakenly shows Elanos Keliat as a human, but he should be a turian.)
Ruthless gets different dialogue in the "Major Kyle" sidequest (Where he/she is referred to as “The Bucher of Torfan”)
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Ways to Play (Roleplay Options)
This 3 month old thread inspired me. I loved the ideas on how to role play Shep here are really fun. So, well, I quoted you guys. Hope ya don't mind. Thanks all.
Some of these ideas also came from:
Here, Here,
and here.
Spacer
Some love that Spacer is an option with parents – so many RPGs have the hero as the requisite orphan. With Spacer, you meet your mother – Hannah Shepard.– a captain of a ship in her own right – during your unique PSH quest. No mention is made of your father, so some assume this means you came from a broken family, while others say this is simply an oversight. Spacer has no major childhood/youth traumas that we are told of. Spacer is also, it seems, the background that is the most well-off, most well-traveled, and most well-educated.
And some dislike Spacer for this reason, feeling it is a nice life ill-suited to their gritty Shepard. Others complain that Spacer has the least detail of all the backgrounds. Oddly enough, the PSH quest for the Spacer gives more detail about Mindoir than even the Colonist PSH does. For all that the Spacer spent your life traveling every which way, you hear nothing about the life. Spacer is an only child, a self-admitted “military brat.” This could mean that Shepard learned to get along with many people in his/her travels or it could make him/her aloof from others.
The Spacer “followed in [his/her] parents' footsteps” in joining the Alliance. This could set up any type of Shep – paragon or renegade – as little is said or implied about your parents' reasons for joining.
Although Spacer adds bonuses to paragon points, some have pointed out that it is actually a very neutral background in that it tells very little about Shepard's past. It does give some reason for Shepard to have a natural connection to Kaidan, Ashley, and Jacob, who are from military families. But it also gives a reason to be open-minded about aliens, and is sometimes used for this reason with those who plan to romance a non-human LI.
[quote]Moblin_DK wrote...
Spacer War Hero paragon.
Why?
Spacer because I like the fact that you have parents that are still alive. Just so uncommon in most stories. So yes, my Shepard is a hero even with out a traumatic childhood...[/quote]
Colonist
The colonist story most closely follows the “wonderful childhood torn away, forcing the main character to become a hero/tough.” Some love this background for it's narrative tragedy and weight. Others find it a little over-the-top.
Colonist implies that Shepard had parents and siblings (convos with Kaidan if female, Ashley either way, ME1). Shepard may have had additional extended family as well. Many take this, along with Shepard's thoughtful air when speaking of them to crew members and Talitha in he PSH quest, that Shepard's family life was a good one and he/she had some love and normalcy before it was all ripped away. However, this does not have to be the case, and some could role-play it that Shepard came from a seemingly perfect, but unkind home (never seen this done, but it could be.) A comment from Miranda in ME2 about Shepard's "pre-fab" colony home may be taken to imply that the colonial Shepards were a poor family, seeking a better life on a far-flung, dangerous world.
Colonist leaves unsaid how Shepard survived the attack on Mindoir. Those playing biotics sometimes theorize that newly developing biotic abilities might have played a part. Others see it as luck. Shepard says (if female, to Kaidan) that her family were “homesteaders,” which could imply they were further out from the main settlement, so geography may have played a part. The game is clear, however, that Shepard has no other family is left alive (though there were other Mindoir survivors). We are told Shepard's parents are dead, but there is nothing said about any family that might have been taken slaves, like Talitha. They may be dead, or they may be forever missing.
The Colonist likely joined the Alliance out of gratitude for being saved. He/she may see this as an opportunity to save others from the same fate as Mindoir (paragon pathing it) or a way to take vengeance to the slavers with the guns of the Alliance behind him/her (renegading it.)
The Colonist background gives Shepard reason for deep emotional wounds. Depending upon the PP chosen, Shepard may have truly “moved beyond that” (as female Shepard tells Kaidan), or still harboring grief, rage, and survivor's guilt. This background often justifies a deep emotional attachment to Shepard's chosen LI, perhaps in spite of Shepard's better judgment.
[quote]Rip504 wrote...
I made the Consort want to weep.What about you?[/quote]
Earthborn
The Earthborn's time with gangs (we're later told he/she ran with the Reds) implies that he/she has some unlawful streak, though by choice or necessity, it is not said. The Earthborn is sometimes seen as the most anti-social and "look out for myself" Shepard - others see the earthborn as necessarily social: good at negotiating/intimidating, good at leading those under his/her care. This Shepard was forced to live in the crowded, dirty cities of earth, and had to survive by dealing with others at some point – whether kindly or otherwise.
The Earthborn Shepard has no formal education (as mentioned by Miranda in ME2 to male Shepard). However, this Shepard may not care, or may have sought out education when in training. The Earthborn does have an implied knack for street smarts and survival.
The Earthborn left earth “for a better life” in the military. This could be further evidence of Shepard's survival instinct, or it could be evidence that Shepard never liked the life of crime and is a good person at heart. The Earthborn is taken by some to imply a preference for human LIs (it's what you know) or it could be taken as a fascination for anything alien and new.
[quote]Cutlass Jack wrote...
Earthborn War Hero. Being an orphan who grew up in a street gang is perfect for a streetwise rogue.....[/quote]
Sole Survivor:
Typically seen as the most likely to be traumatized – as noted by Anderson in the intro to ME1. Also called the “emo” PP. Sole Survivors are roleplayed as Paragons and Renegades with almost equal frequency.
Some people think of surviving the Akuze attack as little better than luck – others see it as the ultimate testimony to survival. The advantage of this background is its neutrality: it give Shepard a reason to have issuse, but yet also want to save friends. It could make Shepard scarred and calloused, or caring. The challenge with this background is the lack of detail about how Shepard survived – luck, skill, etc. Some also complain that it is a poor recommendation for the Spectres - others say that this is underestimating how bad a thresher maw attach really is.
w/ Spacer
Coming from the background of a normal life, the Spacer/Sole Survivor is commonly thought of as being an innocent who grows up fast because of the trauma. Possibly more likely to be aloof and/or a loner at first.
w/ Colonist
The ultimate agony story. This person saw a lot of trauma. A starting point for both paragons (don't want to lose anyone else), renegades (pissed at the world), or a neutral combination of both.
[quote]Aris Ravenstar wrote...
Colonist/Sole Survivor. She's a total angst machine!
[/quote]
w/ Earthborn
Earthborn Sole Survivor is typically considered to be the ultimate survivor. This is the default Shep for the game, also - so some take this to be the "canon" backstory. The gangs didn't kill him, the maws didn't kill him. NOTHING is going to kill this Shepard – well, nothing is going to kill him such that he stays dead. This Shep leaves room for interesting interpretations of his/her personal relationships.
[quote]ToshiStation38 wrote...
[quote]EbolaLola wrote...
Earthborn sole survivor. My Shepard has abandonment issues.
It's how I justify getting so attached to my crewmates and not wanting to lose any of them, emotionally or physically.
[/quote]
Interesting. I too am Earthborn/Sole Survivor and I actually did the exact opposite. He fears attachment to anyone because he doesn't want to be hurt when he loses them.
[/quote]
[quote]sentineltalos86 wrote...
Earthborn Sole Survivor for fem shep.
The gangs gave her a form of stability growing up, but a major falling out with them forced her to find refugee by joining the military where she found an even better surrogate family than the gangs. Losing this family on Acuze effected her deeply. She no longer fears death herself, but fears people dying under her command. I see her as one of the biotic classes, like vanguard, because none of the other classes give me that sense of being able to survive 'giant hell worm attack' quite like having Jedi powers. [/quote]
War Hero
Typically roleplayed as Paragon, but not always. The War Hero gets the most props, especially in ME1 (extra dialog from both Williams and Presley and lots of praise all around). This background also details enough that you rallied forces AND held of a wave of the attack single-handed. It is often called the most unequivocally badass story.
This background can be taken many ways. It is the background that many feel most supports your recommendation to the Spectres. It is the background that many feel leaves the least emotional scars. However, some have also taken this background to be just as traumatic as any other PP. A conversation following Virmire with Ashley/Kaidan shows Shepard admitting having lost people under his/her command at the Blitz. The War Hero background also gives Shepard major publicity, something that he/she might have loved, hated, avoided, or used to his/her advantage.
w/ Spacer
One person called this the “Boy Scout” option. The spacer lives up to the family name and shines even more light on it. However, some have also played this as a renegade, having Shepard use his/her status to hide a ruthless nature.
[quote]Moblin_DK wrote...
Spacer War Hero paragon.
Why? ...
War Hero because that was the one that sounded most bad ass.You held the line you know
[/quote]/w Colonist
This Shep is set up to be the ultimate colony-defender, someone who will do anything to protect the little-guy outposts across the galaxy. This gives this Shep a resounding reason to help Cerberus in ME2, with or without personal reservations about TIM's true nature. Shepard may find this path allows him/her to “get over” survivor's guilt from Mindoir. Most often used for paragons, this could also be the background of a pirate hating, batarian-shooting Shep.
[quote]Icinix wrote...
Colonist - War Hero -
Seems to make the most sense with the paragon character I play.
Came from a horrible experience to repeatedly pull off the impossible.
[/quote]
[quote]sentineltalos86 wrote...
Colonist War Hero for male shep.
Having all his friends and family killed by batarian slavers gave him plenty of motivation to hold the line in Elysium. He saw he had the chance to prevent the horrors of Mindoir from being inflicted on Eylsium and took it and in the process got some much needed payback. He's a guy who has embraced the creed of "standing watch so others may sleep at night". He's got no problem facing the worst the galaxy has to throw at him if it means others can have a normal life.
I also see him as an infiltrator, because when I think "lone soldier holding off waves of enemies" I think sniper. [/quote]
[quote]Nigawatts wrote...
my Colonist/War Hero/Soldier (IMO the most cheese good guy background) is a Renegade because it turns out this all-human hero is a total douche bag. Basically the House of space in that he should be a good person (a doctor helps people?) but is a complete jack ass.[/quote]
/w Earthborn
The kids from the streets made good. This Shepard gets out of the gutter and gets noticed. A popular background for Paragons that want a gritty past.
[quote]Cutlass Jack wrote...
Earthborn War Hero... Saving Elysium while on shore leave during the Skyllian Blitz is the perfect unbelievable tale for a swashbuckler who makes a career out of beating impossible odds.[/quote]
Ruthless
Ruthless is, as far as I can tell, a background least used for new players, but folks who have made a few alts sometimes gravitate towards it. The complaints about it are that 1) it implies Shepard is a bad leader to be unable to keep his/her squad alive. 2) It could be taken to imply that much of the work on Torfan was done by Shepard's team – as opposed to the other 2 backgrounds, where much of the work was done by Shepard. 3) It implies that even as Shepard's team died, he/she refused to stop fighting – meaning that he/she actively chose to continue the slaughter of his/her squad. 4) it implies a level of viciousness in Shepard that some find unsettling.
However, in it's favor, Ruthless is one of the stories that gets the highest accolades from Nihilus (impressed by your ability to get the job done). So some take it as being a pretty badass option all the same. Ruthless also creates a very tainted Shep, one that could go bad, or fight back to the paragon side of things.
Ruthless is a clear option for those choosing to go pure, nasty renegade. However, there are some who use Ruthless and the starting point for a “redeemed ruthless.” This Shepard, much like a Byronic hero, has a deep regret for what happened on Torfan. This Shepard may have had an awakening once the final death toll came in and decides never to let vengeance/bloodrage set in again. This is a powerful, if unusual, start for the paragon path.
/w Spacer
The Spacer presumably is taking the fight to the pirates as retaliation for the Blitz. Most take this to be the most sociopathic option, as Shepard came from a relatively “nice” background to such savagery. However, others take this to lead to the “redeemed ruthless” path.
[quote]gashgfjaskgfkagh wrote...
Spacer Ruthless, Renegade, Soldier
LI: Miranda
My mission is:
Human dominance in the Galaxy. My Shephard and TiM are BFF's.
[/quote]
[quote]Nigawatts wrote...
Heh that's funny forgot about Paragon/Renegade, my spacer/ruthless/infiltrator is a Paragon because people wouldn't expect that the guy who is said to be an **** is such a nice guy. [/quote]
w/ Colonist
Possibly the most understandable background for the Ruthless, the Colonist sought vengeance for what happened on Mindoir. Some use this as the start of a batarian-killing spree. Others use this as the start for a “redeemed ruthless” hero with a tainted past.
[quote]The Happy One wrote...
Colonist/Ruthless
Leaving a trail of dead Batarians.[/quote]
w/ Earthborn
Highest renegard points are awarded to this Shepard, who apparently will do anything to get the job done. Again, this can be taken as the ultimate hard-bitten Shep, or a start for the “redeened ruthless” Shep.
[quote]Vendrac wrote...
Earth-born, Ruthless, but mostly Paragon. I'm weird like that. But really I find the whole "once a hero always a hero" thing to be a bit boring.
Basically the idea is that his rough life growing up on earth left him with a jaded outlook, and being used to doing whatever was necessary to survive. But the events of Torfan change his perspective, and he vowed to never again repeat that mistake.
[/quote]
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Popularity
I created a poll to see what the popularity breakdown of the different backgrounds are. It's by no means complete or conclusive, but you may find it interesting. Feel free to vote, if you haven't already.
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Well, okay then. That's it. Perhaps no one will use this, but I amused myself. Hpe you don't mind that I quoted y'all. Feel free to agree, disagree, and/or discuss.
Modifié par sagequeen, 17 mai 2010 - 10:03 .
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