mattahraw wrote...
think you're reading too much into it. Casey Hudson has said 12 is the max number of recruitable squaddies in me2. Kasumi will be the last squadmate you can take with anywhere with you. Liara will be a cameo for the Shadow Broker missions, and that's it.
Spoiler Alert for those who havent played the main game yet
(The 2 classified slots are garrus and legion)
As squad members, I could have really done without Kasumi or Zaeed. The fact you can't engage with them in a standard Mass Effect cinematic dialog really shows the clear fracture line between "Real" Character and "DLC" Character. Though some of Zaeed's interactions, particularly with the Blue Sun's leader on Omega, are fairly entertaining.
Pretty much, DLC characters are Packs of Money, Weapons, additional renegade/paragon opporitunities, and most importantly, new abilities. (Unlocked on loyalty)
This is what makes Overlord so exceptional, it's classic bioware goodness, without the stapled on disconnection of a useless character clogging the decks of the Normandy.
If I could tell Bioware one thing with DLC, it's Go all-out with the DLC Characters (Integration and cinematic design) or just eschew them entirely in favor of more gear and better DLC missions like Overlord.