126 réponses à ce sujet

[CaptainZaysh]

I've always liked the Spacer/Ruthless combo.

I like Spacer because I thought it was refreshing to play a hero without an angsty childhood.

Torfan felt better to me than the others, because it felt military.  The others seemed a bit too superheroic for a character who was going to go on to more superheroic things in the game.

Which do you like, and why?

[Wulfram]

Spacer/War Hero is great, if straightforward. You're the model soldier, pretty much.

Colonist/Ruthless makes a lot of sense. Damn Batarians

Earthborn/War Hero is interesting. You started on the streets, joined the army, became a hero.



Sole Survivor is good in ME1, but is a big problem in ME2.

[NM7]

There is no Best Background. All they do is give you a jumping off point for you to create your own Shepard's story. Outside of those few basic details, it's up to you to decide what happened.

Which is all part of the fun.

[Dean_the_Young]

The birthplace origins are all equivalent in that none is particularly more noteworthy than the rest, and all do a satisfactory job of explaining why Shepard could be the way Shepard is. You can pretty much play them anyway you like.



Of the others... Torfan, beyond a doubt.



Sole Survivor Shep is almost cartoonish in its justification. 'Oh, he/she didn't die: that's great justification for putting a potentially damaged psyche in a job of great physical and emotional stress!' Sole Survivor Shep should rightfully be in a recovery center, or a more low-key assignment.



War Hero Shep is more flash than substance. All being pivotal in one battle requires is a lot of luck, which is hardly an enduring trait. Such a Shepard starts with a public reputation, but otherwise lacks a military history to support it: being capable of a vital thing at one instance doesn't imply or necessitate being able to regularly repeat it. Uncommon valor is uncommon not only among a population, but across someone's life. Singular instance is not enough.





The Butcher of Torfan is the pragmatic choice: not only does Shepard have a public notoriety, but ALSO has an established career of being a successful go-to person for getting the job done... which is exactly what the Spectres underlying requirement is. A Torfan Shepard has the reputation and the list of credentials to support an expectation of being able to succeed regularly in high-stress situations.



Which, given that this is Humanity's first Spectre and who needs to be consistently successful in order to be a success, is a better resume than a potential flash-in-the-pan publicity War Hero, or 'that person who didn't die.'

[AkiKishi]

I don't think any of them make much sense when you start at level 1.

[Dean_the_Young]

Level 1 of the Elites is better than level 99 of the Mooks.



It's all about frame of reference. And gameplay mechanics of a RPG.

[AkiKishi]

Dean_the_Young wrote...

Level 1 of the Elites is better than level 99 of the Mooks.

It's all about frame of reference. And gameplay mechanics of a RPG.

Uhu an "Elite" that can't even shoot his signiture weapon without it wobbling like he's got the shakes ? 'K.

At least Dragon Age got it right, so they learned the lesson anyway.

Modifié par BobSmith101, 17 février 2011 - 02:39 .

[Wulfram]

Dean_the_Young wrote...

Which, given that this is Humanity's first Spectre and who needs to be consistently successful in order to be a success, is a better resume than a potential flash-in-the-pan publicity War Hero, or 'that person who didn't die.'

Shepard's been in the military for 11 years, and has been picked out as special from an early stage.  They know that Elysium/Akuze isn't a fluke - and in the 6 years since Akuze, presumably the sole survivor has convinced them that he's still fit for duty.

[nevar00]

Earthbound/War Hero I've done for my "Han Solo" Shepard (a badass who isn't a jerk).



The Colonist/Survivor is interesting backstory for a "lonely" Shepard who has dealt with a lot of loss... obviously.



Spacer is interesting as you get to actually talk with your mom. How many RPG's actually acknowledge your parents, nevermind have them be alive!?

[Dean_the_Young]

BobSmith101 wrote...

Dean_the_Young wrote...

Level 1 of the Elites is better than level 99 of the Mooks.

It's all about frame of reference. And gameplay mechanics of a RPG.

Uhu an "Elite" that can't even shoot his signiture weapon without it wobbling like he's got the shakes ? 'K.

At least Dragon Age got it right, so they learned the lesson anyway.

It's a game mechanic on an RPG, and nothing else but. It's not even related to lore, so it's not like you can actually claim Shepard sucks compared to anyone. The alternative to progressively strengthening/better characters is a character who starts out at the best... which cripples the RPG gameplay allure.

And since I imported my ME1 Shepard to ME1 before starting my 'real' playthrough, I started ME1 at level... 59? About right.

[AkiKishi]

Dean_the_Young wrote...

It's a game mechanic on an RPG, and nothing else but. It's not even related to lore, so it's not like you can actually claim Shepard sucks compared to anyone. The alternative to progressively strengthening/better characters is a character who starts out at the best... which cripples the RPG gameplay allure.

And since I imported my ME1 Shepard to ME1 before starting my 'real' playthrough, I started ME1 at level... 59? About right.

Ah, your one of those people who thinks that plot and gameplay exist independently of each other.

By the fact he can't aim down a sniper scope and hit something while the enemy can practicaly hit me from out of visual range. Yep he sucks badly.

[Dean_the_Young]

Wulfram wrote...

Dean_the_Young wrote...

Which, given that this is Humanity's first Spectre and who needs to be consistently successful in order to be a success, is a better resume than a potential flash-in-the-pan publicity War Hero, or 'that person who didn't die.'

Shepard's been in the military for 11 years, and has been picked out as special from an early stage.  They know that Elysium/Akuze isn't a fluke - and in the 6 years since Akuze, presumably the sole survivor has convinced them that he's still fit for duty.

Being in the military for 11 years doesn't mean anything but that you've worn a uniform for eleven years. It doesn't mean you've been in regular combat, or that you're a continual success story.

Clearly Sole Survivor Shepard hasn't convinced everyone, because Hacket will still raise that exact concern. The Sole Survivor dossier doesn't lend support to any claims about it not being exceptional either: Elysium is the only event of note in that origin.

As it stands, the only pre-history dossier which acknowledges and supports a record of continued successes is the Torfan one, in which Torfan is simply an exceptional incident among a history of successes. All the rest necessitate fannon supplementation.


The game will allow any of the three options because those are the three that the game is made to offer us. If we don't treat it simply as a game, however, and apply what we're given to the standards we would apply in reality, the War Hero comes across as a political justification, as opposed to a performance history justification, while the Sole Survivor really wouldn't stand up well at all.

[Alarieliia]

Edit: Ok back on topic.

Earthborn is my favorite origin. I like the fact that one of humanity's greatest heroes/heroines was born on Earth. Also I like the sound of a person turning their life around and beating the odds.

My favorite military background is War Hero. I've always been a sucker for 'superhero' characters...as long as they're not Mary Sues/Gary Stues. It fits with my favorite origin really well.

That being said all of them have their appeal. I have become rather fond of the spacer/ruthless combo as of late though due to my last playthrough. X3 It just depends on how you want to roleplay your Shep.

Modifié par Alarieliia, 17 février 2011 - 02:57 .

[Dean_the_Young]

BobSmith101 wrote...

Ah, your one of those people who thinks that plot and gameplay exist independently of each other.

Since they do separate gameplay abilities and lore on a number of occassions... duh.

By the fact he can't aim down a sniper scope and hit something while the enemy can practicaly hit me from out of visual range. Yep he sucks badly.

You suck badly, you mean.

I've never had much trouble with sniping, nor have many other people.

[AkiKishi]

[quote]Dean_the_Young wrote...

Since they do separate gameplay abilities and lore on a number of occassions... duh.

[/quote]You suck badly, you mean.

I've never had much trouble with sniping, nor have many other people.

[/quote]

That does not make it acceptable.

Oh a personal insult I'm impressed.
Are you denying the sniper scope wobles ?Yes I can compensate. But when I'm playing a character with millitary training I should not have to. They fixed it in ME2 so obviously it was a mistake.

[Dark Specie]

nevar00 wrote...
Spacer is interesting as you get to actually talk with your mom. How many RPG's actually acknowledge your parents, nevermind have them be alive!?

Welll... Dragon Age did

Anyway, as far as Pre-Service goes... I don't exactly have a favourite among those. spacer is interestign because it allows you to meet your parents, and it also stands out for makign a fairly "normal" Shepard, in contrast to the  Conist and Earth-Born backgrounds, who both provide for a Shepard that has seen soem suffering in his past which should inspire him to improve things as they are.

For the psychological profile though... My favourite there is the War Hero, no doubt. True, it's a buit flashy... But I'd say it also provides for a proof of true ability. Some are thrust into the role of a Hero, the one who might just tip things in his favor, but not everyone can do the role. But our Shepard could and that's proof enough for me. Ruthless comes second though. Sole Suvivor, however, is a bit  for me. Can't say I really favor or disfavour it, as such...

[AkiKishi]

Dark Specie wrote...
. Sole Suvivor, however, is a bit  for me. Can't say I really favor or disfavour it, as such...

It's like a consolation prize, not really the sort of thing you want to tell people.

War Hero is good because every hero needs big slice of luck.

[Dark Specie]

BobSmith101 wrote...
It's like a consolation prize, not really the sort of thing you want to tell people.

Really? Huh. Well, I guess that's one way to see it.

BobSmith101 wrote...
War Hero is good because every hero needs big slice of luck.

Hey, luck is also an ability/gift!

[Dean_the_Young]

BobSmith101 wrote...

That does not make it acceptable.

Sure it does. Not all players are good at all mechanics: that doesn't mean the mechanic is flawed.

The ME1 sniper-wobble is actually one of the more realistic in games that I've seen: most games follow the Halo-model, where there's no wobble in zooming in despite the shift in body position.

Oh a personal insult I'm impressed.

You're the one who stated it sucked in effect. Since I exist as a counterpoint that it's quite possible to succede with it, the flaw isn't on the game's end but on yours.

Are you denying the sniper scope wobles ?Yes I can compensate. But when I'm playing a character with millitary training I should not have to.

Oy vey... no. Just no. Military training doesn't mean the laws of physics don't apply.

Military personnel have to stabilize sniper rifles as well. In fact, military snipers, you know, snipe. Usually from the prone, stationary, and always at distances far greater than the longest shots in ME2. They don't run around, zooming and taking shots on the go. They also don't use sniper rifles in firefights except as a last resort.

When a sniper sets up, though? Yes. There's wobble stabilization. They take a good while to line up their shots.

They fixed it in ME2 so obviously it was a mistake.

As a gameplay? They brought it in line with more conventional FPS designs, similar with the cover system. They also brought in thermal clips for a de-facto ammo system, redid the squad combat system, changed the item/inventory system, did away with grenades, did away with the health/shield system, nerfed biotics, and basically remade the entire combat system.

That doesn't mean the ME1 system was a mistake. It simply means they wanted to remake the system into a more conventional FPS... and todays FPS are hardly realistic. There is no binary between 'mistake' and 'ideal.'

Modifié par Dean_the_Young, 17 février 2011 - 03:12 .

[Chewin]

This thread is dumb. There is no best back story for Shepard. It all depends on how much you put into it and how your Shepard acts in different situations, like for example: being a spacer, you know love, but being a colonist, you have lost your loved ones. Maybe your Shepard is a Colonist and doesn't want to fall in love with someone in ME1 and 2 'cause you can't handle the same pain you lived when your friends and parents died, for example...

[AkiKishi]

Dean_the_Young wrote...

Sure it does. Not all players are good at all mechanics: that doesn't mean the mechanic is flawed.

A character that can blow up 3 Ymir mechs in a cutsene and can't last seconds against one outside of it is clearly a flaw. Even if you want to make up excuses. It's just lazy.

The rest of the stuff. Well  I don't need my gaming skills validated and since the wobble disapears as you level up the skill, your other points don't really stand either.

So clearly an experienced/Elite infiltator can fire a sniper rifle without wobble

Dean_the_Young wrote...

Level 1 of the Elites is better than level 99 of the Mooks.

Modifié par BobSmith101, 17 février 2011 - 03:21 .

[DPSSOC]

I kinda gotta side with Bob; I would have preferred if ME1 had your weapons get better through upgrades that increase it's performance (steadier sight, less recoil, etc.) kind of like ME2 rather than as a skill. Everything else I'm fine with starting at lvl 1 I just don't get why a soldier of Shepard's calibre needs to learn how to shoot. I'd be fine if the explanation for your level of shooting (assuming we keep it the same) was just poor quality weapons (not uncommon in the military) and over time you purchase better weapons or tinker with them to improve them, but as a skill it implies this is something Shepard has to learn (which doesn't make sense).



Anyway on-topic I like almost all of the combinations but my favourite has to be Colonist/Ruthless because it offers a sense of closure. Mindoir traumatized you, Torfan excorsized your demons leaving you clear to move on with your life in which ever way you want.



I also like Colonist/Sole Survivor - the unluckiest bastard in the galaxy.

[CC-Tron]

Earth born/Ruthless:



I'm glad I chose this, seeing how Earth is where the finale may take place. If it comes to a choice of save the rest of the galaxy or Earth; I'll choose Earth.

[jbblue05]

Spacer/Ruthless



Alliance Navy brat, not enough attention from his parents, bullied other kids and constantly needed discipline



Kept the family tradition joined the navy and led the siege of Torfan.

I don't like playing the knight in shning armor I prefer the Dark hero that everybody knows not to f*** with

[NocturnalStillness]

For my main Shepard I went with Colonist/ Sole survivor as they were the backgrounds I liked the most.



In a way my combination worked for me with how ME2 had a suicide mission



My Shep lost his family on Mindoir which made his join the Alliance to try and prevent things for happenening to others. It got worse when his unit landed on Akuze losing his unit. Cursing his weakness for not saving them was what made him succeed with the N7 training. Then of course he lost Jenkins and Kaiden during ME1 so he swore not to lose another member of his crew and when it came to the suicide mission he made sure everyone survived it.



The other combos I tend to use are Spacer/War hero as its the typical hero and Earthborn/Ruthless as that suits to as a gang member he would have to be ruthless anyway.