Wow, wow, wow, lots to catch up on in this thread....some interesting discussions missed by me

Anywho...
adneate wrote...
I feel Earthborn only falls into the "Thug" category if you pair it with Ruthless then the label is at least logical. If only because of the way Torfan is described even in the short blurb about it, Shepard comes across as totally obsessed with wiping out the Batarian Garrison no matter the cost or how many people she sends to their deaths. Without the personal background of the Colonist story it can be difficult for people to justify such single minded obsession and brutality. She can come across as just a gangster with no morals killing for kicks because she's a sociopath, which is a really dark and deeply disturbed background to have.
Personally I like Earthborn / War Hero for the Paragon alignment and Colonist / Ruthless for the Renegade alignment.
Hee hee, my Shepard is Earthborn/Ruthless and was indeed a heartless 'Thug' for most of her life, especially during Torfan. I wouldn't say she enjoyed killing, nor did she hate it. All the deaths on Torfan really had no affect on her at the time. I believe she had slowly become desensitized to death, to killing others due to her background and experience in a very violent gang.
My Shepard didn't volunteer for Torfan, but wasn't upset she was sent there either...she really felt nothing. Early in her Alliance career, she saw herself as merely a weapon and would mercilessly kill whomever she was told to care. She didn't feel human, and didn't care. Most did see her as a sociopath, and that bad rep still haunts her even to this day.
It is a very dark background, but she has since reformed and is attempting to atone for her past misdeeds.