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[NM7]

A couple of pics from Arrival. I didn't take many shots as I wanted to play it through normally the first time without lots of pausing to get flycam shots.

I'll do another playthrough tomorrow. Maybe I'll enjoy it more the second time.

[Captain Crash]

Harpalyce wrote...

It does seem that there are some inconsistencies between how life is viewed in the universe. I realize a lot of it is to emphasize the paragon/renegade split, but the general outlook is interesting to me. On one hand we have the sympathy for David in the Overlord DLC, or even the sympathy for the geth in the paragon version of Legion's loyalty mission. Shepard expresses sympathy for the collectors, even, at one point, asking if there was anything that could be done to reverse the genetic modification... it does seem rather out of character for her to just shrug off killing so many aliens. Not that I've played the DLC yet. But it does seem like an opportune place for a paragon comment along the lines of "Oh no, what can I do?", even if the answer is "nothing", or an emphatic "hell naw!" from more ruthless members of the team. Otherwise it seems a little like Shepard's been hanging around Cerberus too long.

Though now I'm getting worried that the divide between paragon and renegade will just end up getting too big to fit in the same game for ME3...

I do wish that perhaps there will be a small bit of reaction on Shepard's part in ME3. She seems very much like a woman who does her crying in private. Not that male Shepard doesn't do the same - to be honest, I will be royally p*ssed if only femShep got a scene of quiet sad reflection, because it will just reinforce that old trope of 'women are emotional and men are emotionless', and from a feminist point of view I am so glad that they have avoided these pitfalls so far.

Perhaps it's just because I've been thinking about Shepard's mindset for fanfiction lately (a shameless, horrible crossover, lol), but now that I'm rambling, I really think it will be important to give her a space to mourn at some point. She won't be caught dead crying in front of her crew, but at some point it's got to start to bother her, as we hurtle towards the conclusion and it all begins to add up. I especially wonder if Shepard will start to worry about her role as soldier - what happens when peace-time happens? Is there such a thing as a peaceful Shepard, or is her interaction going to be boiled down to shooting things and killing? It's a bit like Garrus' romance scene - I'd like to see her at some point want one good thing to hold on to.

Again, not that this is a female Shepard problem alone, but I really want it to be addressed for FemShep's story. MaleShep has an easy out with a love interest, and then we lean on that trope of feminine emotions 'rescuing' and 'taming' an aggressive man. Yada yada yada. But with FemShep we have that dynamic of woman as nourisher, woman as mother, etc... Will she have to save herself? If so, how? She needs a moment of humanity so she won't be assumed to be a cheerful psychopath (unless you want to play her that way, of course).

...what was I saying? Oooerr... *ahem* Sorry. I'll go back to playing ME2 now, lol!

I think they regret how much of a space opera they have made the game. The writers now find this uncomfortable for them. They want to attract a large and much wider audience (PS3 + shooter crowd) but they have to satisfy the long term fans. Its depressing to know where their true values lie. As you say Harpalyce the divide is always there, but its only truely displayed in decision making. Arrival was linear and was always going to have the same end. Still paragon and renegade reactions could and should have been fitted in.

Still that monumental task of fitting the 1600+ decisions into ME3 was always going to be a chore. I fear that due to this our expectations are far too high. Then again they knew what they were getting themselves into so should be able to account for this. Game experience should not suffer to any degree.

Going back to emotional attachment. Its surprising how deep a level it can get. I dont think the devs truly understand this from their position. After all femshep is manshep. All she is is a crossover of gender nothing more. Or so Bioware thought. They inadvertently created something far greater then they realised. They know they just need to keep the balance, but I dont doubt the effect the femshep community and popularity is having in the back of their minds. To ignore it would be plain ignorant. Anyway we know from Christina and Jesse what the Devs feel. Its nice, even if they are quiet.

Modifié par Captain Crash, 30 mars 2011 - 12:06 .

[Shadow_Soul]

Kenson got on my nerves. And her base was on the asteroid that they were going to crash into the relay, it's Bring Down The Sky all over again, yay!
/sarcasm
Anyway I liked it, it was a bit short, but hey, it was good. Now, I'm going to go play my other Sheps, then work on other things. (I should have some screenies later...)

[Harpalyce]

Captain Crash wrote...
Going back to emotional attachment. Its surprising how deep a level it can get. I dont think the devs truly understand this from their position. After all femshep is manshep. All she is is a crossover of gender nothing more. Or so Bioware thought. They inadvertently created something far greater then they realised. They know they just need to keep the balance, but I dont doubt the effect the femshep community and popularity is having in the back of their minds. To ignore it would be plain ignorant. Anyway we know for Christina and Jesse what the Devs feel. Its nice, even if they are quiet.

This is a really good observation. I'd love links to what the devs have said so far, even if I only have time to read it this weekend.

Honestly the characterization of FemShep is really a feminist issue, especially compared to other BioWare games I've played. With DA:O, the options were so broad that I didn't mind the lack of sex-specific interactions; it was more important that I was a dwarf noble. For some reason in KOTOR it also didn't bother me, probably because of how Jedi are percieved as warrior-monks who strive to be asexual in a way. But in both of those I feel like the characters are left up to the user to define much more. In ME2 it's downright striking, or at least it was to me. I didn't have NPCs calling my character by her profession ('hey, Grey Warden!') or by what they used to be (in KOTOR). Instead we have Shepard, who is much more of a defined personality.

I feel like FemShep is pretty much the elephant in the room. Perhaps it's something you don't really realize until someone points it out - a lot of feminist issues are like that - but already there's a pretty strong feminist statement being made by FemShep being FemShep. She isn't acting like a 'stereotypical girl', people aren't making jokes about her being on the rag, her crew actually respects her authority, she kicks butt just the same. I'm also pretty thankful that FemShep at least realizes that there are important organs behind your boobs so your armor needs to cover them, and that high heels are not practical to fight in, but I digress...

That feminist statement is the bigger thing that has been made, I think, when the Devs were just trying to port something over. I mean, that's pretty much a good definition of feminism right there, in the sense of equality and all.

So it's a really tricky line that has to be walked. On one hand, we don't want FemShep to become a wibbly pile of mush and glitter because that's just not who she is. On the other hand, there are these huge cultural connotations of femininity and female-ness floating around out there. Of course a lot of them are complete silliness, but women are almost intrinsically linked to nurturing because of our status as mothers.

It's kind of an oxymoron in a way. To show FemShep as equal, she has to be treated differently, and she needs to directly address that sort of nurturing context. Of course, I think that it's pretty crucial for male Shep to have a moment of stoic paternal mourning, as well. It's what takes Shepard from a flat and dull character into a three-dimensional character with real emotional weight.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm rambling again. It's just very interesting to me to consider FemShep through this lens of feminist criticism. BioWare has the best record out of any other video game company I can think of, when it comes to feminist issues. Not that the record is spotless, of course. But ME2 is no Dead Or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Even if women are routinely objectified, they're at least three-dimensional characters, which is a damn sight better than many other games. Here's to hoping that BioWare won't let us down with ME3.

[Sable Phoenix]

I find it interesting that femShep is only put under such feminist scrutiny because she's treated with total indifference to feminism.

[Harpalyce]

Sable Phoenix wrote...

I find it interesting that femShep is only put under such feminist scrutiny because she's treated with total indifference to feminism.

Ah, but is she actually treated with total indifference in context to feminism? The lack of following traditional female gender roles may be a statement in itself. It's up to the Devs to tell us how much of that's intentional, of course.

And I'm a Biology/English major. Dissecting animals and/or literary theory is a favourite hobby, you know > Yeah, it's a bit silly to trot out these heavy-handed ideas. But hey, comics are only starting to get treated as 'real literature'. I feel like video games are about to make that leap to finally being treated with some seriousness. BioWare has the best writing out there - why not discuss it?

[Goodwood]

If nothing else, BioWare have hopefully at least learned from the critical paddling session that Metroid Other M endured after it turned Samus Arran from a competent warrior into a sobbing parody of a mother figure who needs big strong men to direct and/or rescue her.

But then, Goodwood might be oversimplifying things...again.

[Harpalyce]

Fully agreed, Goodwood. The reviews of Metroid Other M made me wince.

Anyway, I totally got distracted and forgot to share what I'd scanned today, lol. Apologies for the picture spam! At least this is a bit funny I hope.

http://img.photobuck...eepscale2-1.jpg
http://img.photobuck...sleepscale1.jpg
"The Shepard Sleep Stress Scale" -



A more reasonable portrait -

Modifié par Harpalyce, 30 mars 2011 - 01:04 .

[ADLegend21]

Wow, seeing alot of people not liking Arrival.

[Goodwood]

ADLegend21 wrote...

Wow, seeing alot of people not liking Arrival.

In Goodwood's humble opinion, if we hadn't been spoiled by Stolen Memory and LotSB, then Arrival would prabably have been seen as "fairly decent" or "pretty good." Because of how good awesome those other two were, Goodwood sees this latest DLC as "adequte," which is not a good sign.

But yeah, as he said in his review last page, it got the job done as a bridge for ME3. Let's just hope BioWare makes the connection on the other side actually mean something.

Modifié par Goodwood, 30 mars 2011 - 01:31 .

[jeweledleah]

I liked it for the most part...shouldn't have been available before SM though and boy, was I glad that my femsheps all either wear pants, or long dresses O_O

[Goodwood]

jeweledleah wrote...

I liked it for the most part...shouldn't have been available before SM though and boy, was I glad that my femsheps all either wear pants, or long dresses O_O

Yeah. Shep does a similar exposure routine during her first conversation with Samara. Apparently justicars are well-versed at ignoring distractions...

And yes, making Arrival available before the Suicide Mission makes about as much sense as using styrofoam as armor for your main battle tanks.

Modifié par Goodwood, 30 mars 2011 - 01:55 .

[Homebound]

WHAT? Pantsless Femshep?! Where?!

[Cyansomnia]

I took a few screenies, but tried to go through the DLC without stopping too much. I felt a bit like Crash in the sense that my FemShep Holly wasn't really acting like herself. I don't blame her for being pissed off during the action, but afterwards...

The DLC did a decent job of building up this monumental feeling of dread, which was pretty cool at first. Then after the betrayal I was yelling at the screen like "bring it on, you b*stards!" and managed to survive all 5 waves. After that I was fuming as Holly ran through the base, annihilating every indoctrinated moron with pleasure along the way.

I wish I could have had the option to pick a more emotional response with Holly during the conversation with Hackett. She knows what happened is a big, big deal and will have serious repercussions. Especially since everyone probably thinks she just blew up a Relay and destroyed a system full of people without a justifiable reason.

I imagine as soon as Hackett left she'd be curled up in a ball in her quarters sobbing hysterically. At least I would. 300,000 dead with a war possibly on the horizon, she'll have to take the fall and still no one believes her about the Reapers (except a select few). Labeled as a traitor for working with Cerberus...then when she faces trial probably labeled as one of the worst war criminals in recent history.

Damn, I'm afraid for her.  The emotional response it evokes in me is great, I wish I could say the same for my Shep.  I think this mission should be post-suicide only, but oh well, whatever.  I did enjoy it, wish it had been a tad longer.

Modifié par Aislinn Trista, 30 mars 2011 - 02:20 .

[Jei]

Well, the good news about this DLC is that my inner FemShep's been incredibly loud to make up for canon!FemShep not being as opinionated or emotional about certain important decisions.

- At the sight of Object Rho: "Way to treat a Reaper artifact like an art installation. Should I give you my museum donation before or after we blow it up?"

- Listening to the research log after waking up in the medbay: "So I suck at holding my liquor, but I can take multiple horse tranqs like a champ? Good to know. ...I think."

- Staring at the number of casualties before pushing the button: "Welp, time to burn this number in my brain and have it eat away at my conscience and karma forever. Yeah, Conrad, my life is CHARMED."

- On the way to the coolants, thanks to Madame Indoctrinated McGee: "It's never as simple as pressing a button, is it? Even when it literally IS pressing a button. Dammit."


Though I think she's getting a little flippant due to having done the Overlord DLC RIGHT before this, and there's only so much she can take before that whole 'laughing to keep from crying' bit takes over. Anyway, haven't finished it yet (it's been crashing for me at random intervals), but so far I'm entertained.

[ADLegend21]

Re: unemotional

I just maintain that it was Shep was being strong in the face of one of her former (current?) superiors. I can guarantee most people's Shep's did what Asilinn's did after Hackett Left. Kallen threw a party actually for breaking her high score on "Kill all Batarians" That and had to deal with Miranda's "I was so worried about you!" speech for being gone for 2 days.

[thompsmt]

So I downloaded Arrival this afternoon, and played through it. I must say I'm a bit disappointed, because of the high standards set by LotSB, Overlord, and Stolen Memory.

Fun though. But I need to play again, if only to get the #%#$%# achivements.

And I'm rather uncertain about the Batarians. It's just how they've been set up for the past few years as the scum of the universe.

[Leo]

Arrival pics

Kalee Jai




Selene D.

[Shadow_Soul]

Okay, I managed to write this for Arrival:
No matter how much Lili hates Batarians, she wouldn't kill that many of them. She'd never start a war like that.

I'm sure she went to find comfort with Garrus afterwards, to vent. I mean, god only knows how much the woman needs it, and how Garrus puts up with it. Honestly, Lili would probably go and cry a bit (she's not a crying person, either) before taking it out in sparring matches. She'd also take it out it sword dueling, plus drown herself in work.

Not only becuse she'd get all the blame for blowing up the relay, killing the Batarians (she'd also have a reason for it, because she's been semi-revenge hungry since Mindoir, and people know it. She'd never kill that many for revenge though, never.) as well as people not believing her reason for doing it.

I wanted to ask, Hackett said that Shep would have to go to Earth at some point and face the music, I was thinking, how would peoples' FemSheps react to that?

Honestly, Lili would face up. She knows it's not her fault. No running, no hiding. She's a person of honor, truth and dignity. She'd gladly go to Earth, face the people, head held high. She would make her fallen family and friends proud, as well as the living people she calls friends.
(May not sould like her, but when it comes to the Millitary, she can be very serious. She acts different when coming from different situations, basicly, she adapts to her surroundings.)

Modifié par Shadow_Soul, 30 mars 2011 - 03:09 .

[Cyansomnia]

Lives are lives to my FemShep. She will never forget it. Anyway, she plans to face the music with grace and dignity. No running. If what she did manages to give the galaxy a chance, then it's worth it. Way to leave me with one hell of a cliffhanger, Bioware.

[ADLegend21]

I can imagine this for my headcannon:

Batarians in the council chambers begging for somethign to be done to the alliance
Batarian1: they wipe dout one of our systems, They should be hunted and killed!
Batarian 2: we should wipe out one of their colonial systems!
Batarian3: Kill their councilor
Kallen: You guys really wanna do that?! *renegade glare*
B1,2,3:..........
Kallen: I thought so. Now GTFO of my Citadel
B1,2,3: *runs like hell*

[Lord Zeuss]

I plan on never playing Arrival, just as I continue to boycott Overlord and Lair (they're all on my Xbox, but I play as though they don't exist because I didn't buy 'em, Indigo did), but that doesn't preclude me from RPing the events with Cara.
She has a hard time sympathizing with batarians, given her experiences on the frontier busting the slave trade, but she still recognizes that 300,000 noncombatants is 300,000 noncombatants, batarian or not. As far as 'facing the music' goes, she's been there before, court-martialed and incarcerated, so mentally she's all prepared for it, ready to take a big one for the team because ultimately that's what she feels is all she's good for; taking one for the team, in this case all of humanity and by extension the rest of the galaxy.

[Cyansomnia]

So, I'm totally going to go play through again with Moira. Be back with screenies! XD

And the events of this DLC are going to fit in perfectly with one of my future video ideas.

Modifié par Aislinn Trista, 30 mars 2011 - 03:18 .