905 réponses à ce sujet

[KawaiiKatie]

Sshodan wrote...

The bottom line: you can't kill the IM untill it's time, you can't kill Anderson, Undina or any other significant plot personal, so neither you can kill Liara, not until she served her role at last. She is not a squaddie, and shuld not be seen as such - dragging her along on missions in ME1 is a bonus not a purpose of her. So comparing her to pure squad mate characters is futile.

See, and that's my problem with Liara: Bioware's preferential treatment of her. She's both a full-fledged squadmate equal to any other squadmate, and she's a "plot character" equal to (or surpassing) any other plot character. No one else gets to straddle that line, no one else gets the benefit of acting as both a boon in combat and a driving force of plot-points. Yes, it's futile to compare Liara to other characters, both we shouldn't have to. Liara shouldn't have so much extra content that she becomes a category all of her own. No, you can't kill Anderson or Udina or Joker because they have very specific roles ot play in the plot, but they also aren't given their own combat builds and romance subplots and DLCs with more combat builds and romance sublots. Everyone else in the Mass Effect games know where they fit: untouchable NPC, or interactable, romance-able squadmate. But Liara gets to be both.

[AngelicMachinery]

KawaiiKatie wrote...

Sshodan wrote...

The bottom line: you can't kill the IM untill it's time, you can't kill Anderson, Undina or any other significant plot personal, so neither you can kill Liara, not until she served her role at last. She is not a squaddie, and shuld not be seen as such - dragging her along on missions in ME1 is a bonus not a purpose of her. So comparing her to pure squad mate characters is futile.

See, and that's my problem with Liara: Bioware's preferential treatment of her. She's both a full-fledged squadmate equal to any other squadmate, and she's a "plot character" equal to (or surpassing) any other plot character. No one else gets to straddle that line, no one else gets the benefit of acting as both a boon in combat and a driving force of plot-points. Yes, it's futile to compare Liara to other characters, both we shouldn't have to. Liara shouldn't have so much extra content that she becomes a category all of her own. No, you can't kill Anderson or Udina or Joker because they have very specific roles ot play in the plot, but they also aren't given their own combat builds and romance subplots and DLCs with more combat builds and romance sublots. Everyone else in the Mass Effect games know where they fit: untouchable NPC, or interactable, romance-able squadmate. But Liara gets to be both.

YO kaidan, I'm really happy for you, and ima let you finish, but Liara is one of the best characters of ALL TIME!! Of ALL TIME!

I'm sorry,  I couldn't help myself.

I  Ali Hillis.

Modifié par AngelicMachinery, 11 juillet 2011 - 07:09 .

[KawaiiKatie]

Garlador wrote...

Ironically, and maybe it's just me, but Liara's "lack of death" has caused me to care less about her because her plot-armor makes me know that, regardless of my actions or vested interest in her, she'll emerge just fine (at least until ME3). For all the other characters, that threat of death makes me more driven to care for their well-being and safety, and by extension I care for them as characters more than Liara.

[...]

All those variables aren't really applicable to Liara. Liara is unchanging, unmoving, and very consistent. No matter how you play the game, Liara survives both games, is essential to your resurrection, and ends up as the most powerful information broker in the galaxy by the end, no matter how much you screw everything else up. Her role must be the easiest to define and to write, but, for me, that makes her one of the least interesting because that story, her journey, rarely changes, unlike the sweeping and varied emotional character arcs of Jack, of Garrus, of Samara, of Thane, of Ashley, and many others, who can end up as entirely different people with entirely different fates depending on how you play the game.

Wow, how did I miss this post? This is a wonderful post and I agree with it whole-heartedly. I would only add that, for me, disinterest for Liara and her unchanging story has turned to outright dislike, because I hate to see so much time and attention paid to a character whom (unless I decide to romance her) I cannot influence, cannot change the fate or mind of, and cannot have an antagonistic relationship with. I am forced to be Liara's friend, forced to embrace her and outright punished if I do not.  Bioware has given Liara a lot of time and attention with very little benefit to players who do not wish to romance her, and I wish that they had given that attention to more fluid, variable characters.

[Barquiel]

KawaiiKatie wrote...

See, and that's my problem with Liara: Bioware's preferential treatment of her.

Does she have more screentime than other squadmates? no
Does she have more dialogue? no
merchandise? no

What's your problem again?

[Sshodan]

@ KawaiiKatie
I'm afraid her treatment is not so much preferential as plot necessary - if you remove plot meaningful character from the heroes nearest environment altogether the final story gets messed up - to a huge part Liaras motivation for acting is her "first crash" on Shep - we meet her when she is barley out of childhood by assari standards, and Shep heroically saving her, and than being able to read the conduits makes an immense impression on a young mind (the in love with a teacher kind of crash), regardless of Shep being interested or not (I actually thing "default" is Shep not being interested in her romantically, romance is just a bonus) and everything she does afterwards is rooted in that - Shepard is Liaras reason for trying, going forward and eventually growing up, becoming the Shadow Broker and so on. For that to feel naturall she has to be firmly connected to Sheps story, other ways she would just look crazy ("I so that guy once and now I'm going to build my whole live around him" stalker crazy) her being near Shep and under his/her influence for so long is what gives credibility to the story.
I'm actually quite sure that if there is a character that is going to be heroically sacrificed for Shep in ME3 is is likely to be her.
Without chars like Liara that get to step on both paths the plot will not be as dynamic - if it's either plot or companion so on "our side" Shep is going to be the only one taking any actions, and having independent motivation which will feel off in the end, because all the opposition is made up of independent plot chars.
Anyway - not liking Liara is more than OK from a writers point of view - plot chars are there to steer emotions, but not necessary to be liked, if she makes people talk about her, than she did her job

Modifié par Sshodan, 11 juillet 2011 - 07:18 .

[KawaiiKatie]

AngelicMachinery wrote...

YO kaidan, I'm really happy for you, and ima let you finish, but Liara is one of the best characters of ALL TIME!! Of ALL TIME!

Okay, but seriously, what does any of that "HOLD UP, YAY LIARA!" stuff have to do with what I was talking about?

All these images and there random, enthusiastic, witty retorts are fun, but I prefer solid debate.

[AngelicMachinery]

KawaiiKatie wrote...

AngelicMachinery wrote...

YO kaidan, I'm really happy for you, and ima let you finish, but Liara is one of the best characters of ALL TIME!! Of ALL TIME!

Okay, but seriously, what does any of that "HOLD UP, YAY LIARA!" stuff have to do with what I was talking about?

All these images and there random, enthusiastic, witty retorts are fun, but I prefer solid debate.

Eh,  I'm going to be truthful here.  I can sort of see where your coming from,  I'm sure no one is going to change your oppinion and no one is really going to change mine.  I'm just as biase as you,  currently Liara is the only romance option that interests me.  (I'm hoping that James Vega is absolutely awesome)  So,  if we attempt to argue about it it'd be the equivalent of both of us smashing our heads against a tree.  

I'm not sure I'd be in your situation if say Ashley or Kaidan were the only interesting romance option or not.  Truth be told,  I doubt it,  but one can only gauge your fan dissapointment unless your being forced to engage it.

So point in fact,  I should probably just step away from the thread as it seems like it's really one of those unwinnable/unlosable arguments.

Modifié par AngelicMachinery, 11 juillet 2011 - 07:24 .

[KawaiiKatie]

Barquiel wrote...

Does she have more screentime than other squadmates? no

Yes. In ME1, you have to recruit Liara, and if you don't want her to have very much screentime, you have to go out of your way to avoid her or save her recruitment for last. Otherwise, yeah, she gets to push the plot along and has her Benezia subplot. Yes, she has equal "romance" time as the other romances in ME1 (which can be cut short by UNTIMELY DEATH, btw) but her extra content more than makes up for it and pushes her into the spotlight as a key character, unlike everyone else who is seen as "optional."

In ME2, she has far more screentime than the Virmire Survivor, and again is a required character to interact with if you want to recruit Samara and Thane. Considering that Thane is a love-interest, I think that it's a little unfair to require femSheps (who might have been mean to Liara in ME1) to embrace and interact with Liara before obtaining their green loverboy. Liara also gets two little "side quests" where Shepard can run errands for her. Oh, and the portrait Shepard keeps of her on his/her desk and her romantic DLC amounts to more romantic content than any other romance in the series.

Does she have more dialogue? no

See above.

merchandise? no

Oh, did you miss her own DLC and the Liara-centric comic? You should check those out, I hear that the Liara fans just love it.

Modifié par KawaiiKatie, 11 juillet 2011 - 07:33 .

[Dean_the_Young]

Sshodan wrote...

@ KawaiiKatie
I'm afraid her treatment is not so much preferential as plot necessary - if you remove plot meaningful character from the heroes nearest environment altogether the final story gets messed up -

Let's just pause here for a moment. I'm largely indifferent, but I'll just make a quibble here.

Liara was only necessary to the plot by fiat. In the same way that the Cypher itself was such an arbitrary MacGuffin that the ME1 comic didn't even feel the need to mention it, Liara's necessity could have easily be glossed over by, well, the Cypher. 

You need Prothean understanding? In the comics, Liara was sufficient: in a no-Liara context, the Cypher (already a MacGuffin) could be equally satisfactory. The introduction of the necessity of Prothean Expert to justify Liara could always have been removed and covered by the other plot element of prothean understanding, the Cypher (to understand what the Eden Prime beacon was about) and Saren's Beacon (to know that you needed to go to Ilos).

In ME1, Liara's plot-necessity was a duplication of an already existing plot device. Liara's sumtotal critical importance was going 'Ilos!'... but the Beacon itself was already talking about Ilos, as we understand from Vigil.

Liara could have been entirely removed from ME1, and already existing plot devices would have covered her entire contribution with just a smidgen of expansion. The Cypher alone could have justified Shepard understanding the Beacon, and Virmire's Beacon providing the location of the Conduit (Ilos). If any Asari mind-interpretation were needed, Shiala's hand (and her own Cypher) could have sufficed to help Shepard understand.


Between ME1 and ME2 in her comic, Liara could likewise have been replaced by other character. Ignoring that the whole Shadow Broker trying to sell Shepard's body was conjured after ME1 and had no real lead-in, action-girl Tali and 'ArchAngel' would both have worked better as 'edgy' setting heroes. Rather than turning bookworm Liara into badass Liara with barely a reason in a publicized fanfic, the competition between 'Shepard's friends' and 'Shadow Broker' would have been an excellent lead-in to Mass Effect 2. Tali, already an action girl by her introduction in ME1, now has an actually valid reason to believe Shepard and Cerberus despite the Alarai. 'ArchAngel' exists as more as a throwaway line, and the Shadow Broker could have been responsible for tipping of the Mercs, letting Garrus be free of that awful revenge regression.


Even in ME2, Liara's importance to that plot can already be replaced by a data terminal she leaves behind to help you recruit Thane and Samara if you do LotSB first.


To date, the only think Liara has been crucial to was her own DLC. Which is kind of the wrong way to justify a character, given that the Shadow Broker plot itself could have been entirely different and still been just as valid post ME1. You could even have had a decision of 'who do I hand over the Broker network to' instead of 'Liara of course!', because ME3 can still be written to accomodate such a choice. Liara 'needed' to be made the Broker like she 'needed' to be the one to rescue Shepard.



Liara has been an important character to the plot, but she's never been a necessary character to the plot. To this point, she could be replaced by, well, just about everyone or anyone.

[KawaiiKatie]

Sshodan wrote...

For that to feel naturall she has to be firmly connected to Sheps story, other ways she would just look crazy ("I so that guy once and now I'm going to build my whole live around him" stalker crazy) her being near Shep and under his/her influence for so long is what gives credibility to the story.

No, Liara definitely looks crazy in my game. Considering that the only interactions I had with her was when I threatened to throw her in a volcano shortly before she raped my mind, the fact that, two years later, she was keeping bits of me on display in her room definitely came across as stalker-crazy.

I'm actually quite sure that if there is a character that is going to be heroically sacrificed for Shep in ME3 is is likely to be her.

Not gonna lie... If a stalker wants to take that bullet for me, I'd let her do it. Will I be short-changing myself and missing out on a deep, emotional moment? Yes. Is that anyone's problem but my own? No.

OH! And I'll state, ONCE AGAIN, because I cannot say it enough (even though I said it on the first page of this thread) I do not want to outright kill Liara. I do not necessarily think that she should die. I just think that in the next game, where millions of people and CHILDREN are dying all around, Liara should be able to die at some point in the plot, based on some choice that Shepard makes, like Wrex or Ash and Kaidan on Virmire, or everyone else on the Suicide Mission.

AngelicMachinery wrote...

Eh,  I'm going to be truthful here.  I can sort of see where your coming from,  I'm sure no one is going to change your oppinion and no one is really going to change mine.  I'm just as biase as you,  currently Liara is the only romance option that interests me.  (I'm hoping that James Vega is absolutely awesome)  So,  if we attempt to argue about it it'd be the equivalent of both of us smashing our heads against a tree.
[...]
So point in fact,  I should probably just step away from the thread as it seems like it's really one of those unwinnable/unlosable arguments.

Eh, that's fair enough. Personally, I really enjoy these kinds of debates even when they go nowhere (obviously--I argue for gayShep every time it comes up!) so long as it stays relatively polite and there aren't any personal attacks. And that's been largely true of this thread, so... I'll probably still be here, banging my head against the tree if you ever want to come back!

I'm not sure I'd be in your situation if say Ashley or Kaidan were the only interesting romance option or not. Truth be told,  I doubt it,  but one can only gauge your fan dissapointment unless your being forced to engage it.

Yeah, it's hard to say how the fandom would've reacted to Ash/Kaidan-centric DLC and comics... and if they were unkillable, plot-driving characters. I imagine that there would be a lot of "Bioware gives preferential treatment to the HUMANS!" and "I hate how much attention Kaidan's getting, he's BORING!" arguments... But IDK. My guess is that the situation would be reversed, and I'd be saying things like, "I love romancing Kaidan, but let's get some other characters into the spotlight! You have a wide cast of interesting characters, stop focusing on ONE GUY!"

Which, at the end of the day, is my biggest "anti-Liara" plea. There's so many wonderful characters in Mass Effect, and Bioware should give them all a moment to shine. Liara has had several. Give someone else a turn before she gets another.

Modifié par KawaiiKatie, 11 juillet 2011 - 07:54 .

[Sshodan]

@ Dean_the_Young
Yes she can be replaced, but should she be?
There are hundred RPGs out there that have a "seer" usually it's a place or a char you runt and click on once in a while, they don't steer up discussions, emotions, they don't really act on anything. Liara is an attempt to add more interactivity and dynamic to the concept, involve the "seer" in the story more make her a constant presents.
In general you can get right of Liara specifically, but than you have to either go back to "occasional click seer" and no dynamic plot characters in the party, or replace her with someone else, who people would again complain about because they have "plot armor"
I'm not pro or against Liara, but I like the attempt to make the plot more dynamic. So I support the plot char in the4 squad position. I would not want to have all of Shes party to be just squaddies with their lives "moved" only when Shep "moves" them.

@ KawaiiKatie

Got it - you hate Liara

Modifié par Sshodan, 11 juillet 2011 - 08:09 .

[Barquiel]

KawaiiKatie wrote...
Yes. In ME1, you have to recruit Liara, and if you don't want her to have very much screentime, you have to go out of your way to avoid her or save her recruitment for last. Otherwise, yeah, she gets to push the plot along and has her Benezia subplot. Yes, she has equal "romance" time as the other romances in ME1 (which can be cut short by UNTIMELY DEATH, btw) but her extra content more than makes up for it and pushes her into the spotlight as a key character, unlike everyone else who is seen as "optional."

In ME2, she has far more screentime than the Virmire Survivor, and again is a required character to interact with if you want to recruit Samara and Thane. Considering that Thane is a love-interest, I think that it's a little unfair to require femSheps (who might have been mean to Liara in ME1) to embrace and interact with Liara before obtaining their green loverboy. Liara also gets two little "side quests" where Shepard can run errands for her. Oh, and the portrait Shepard keeps of her on his/her desk and her romantic DLC amounts to more romantic content than any other romance in the series.

Tali and Garrus are full-fledged squadmates in both games. I think we can all agree that they have more sceentime/dialogue than Liara.

- ME1: Ashley and Kaidan have more dialogue than Liara (one romance dialogue more).
- vanilla ME2: Ashley/Kaidan = Liara  (Horizon is mandatory. Illium is mandatory...if you want to recruit Samara and Thane)
- Liara has LOTSB
- ME3: It seems that Ashley and Kaidan join quickly in the beginning of the game. I think it's safe to assume that they have more dialogue again.
= Maybe Liara has a few conversations more in the end.

Wrex has less dialogue - no discussion.

I guess if that is your definition of favoritism...ok.

KawaiiKatie wrote...
Oh, did you miss her own DLC and the Liara-centric comic? You should check those out, I hear that the Liara fans just love it.

Yeah, people love the comics

Modifié par Barquiel, 11 juillet 2011 - 08:24 .

[Xalen]

OH LOOK "LIARA IS FORCED" THREAD I LOVE THOSE LET'S JUMP IN NOT READING ANYTHING IN THE THREAD BEFORE ME!

I personally couldn't care less whether she can be killed or not, I don't have a habit of killing off characters I don't like.
There's a big problem with Liara's role in ME universe though.

let me combine two posts here:

I'm afraid her treatment is not so much preferential as plot necessary

Liara has been an important character to the plot, but she's never been a necessary character to the plot. To this point, she could be replaced by, well, just about everyone or anyone.

See the problem? On one hand, she is neccessary to advance the plot, and that's fine, a lot of characters are. But on the other, it seems that the plot is structured this way to allow her and her specifically to take this role. Someone else in another thread on this topic:

Liara isn't essential because she is Shadow Broker, she is Shadow Broker because she is essential

It's the difference between cause and effect, get it?

That's where all the complaints about favoritism come from, I think, and I happen to agree with those.

Modifié par Xalen, 11 juillet 2011 - 08:16 .

[ladyvader]

Barquiel wrote...

KawaiiKatie wrote...

See, and that's my problem with Liara: Bioware's preferential treatment of her.

Does she have more screentime than other squadmates? no
Does she have more dialogue? no
merchandise? no

What's your problem again?

Liara is the only character that has her own DLC and a comic.  TIM is in both books and comics, but not DLC and isn't a squadmate/love interest.

I really do think the if there was a DLC that dealt with the VS, then people would be less annoyed with Liara's role in ME.  

But then like I said when this thread first appeared, just because Liara wasn't killable in ME1 or ME2 does not mean she can't die in ME3. 

For all we know, the devs could have more stories to tell with Liara's character after the Shepard arc is over.   Which would make her unkillable in ME3.  We just don't know and won't know until March.  We can spectulate for the next eight months, but we really won't know anything until then.  

[Sshodan]

@ Xalen
She is replaceable, if we replace her with let's say... Tali? Or Miranda who will ply the same role and be plot necessary through all 3 games it will be better? Or well we just get the same tread here with different name on top?

[AngelicMachinery]

oops

Modifié par AngelicMachinery, 11 juillet 2011 - 08:22 .

[Xalen]

Barquiel wrote...

Illium is mandatory...if you want to recruit Samara and Thane

And at least one of them is necessary to get Collector Ship mission, but whatever, not the point

I think we can all agree that they have more sceentime/dialogue than Liara.

- ME1: Ashley and Kaidan have more dialogue than Liara (one romance dialogue more).
- vanilla ME2: Ashley/Kaidan = Liara (Horizon is mandatory. Illium is mandatory...if you want to recruit Samara and Thane)
- Liara has LOTSB
- ME3: It seems that Ashley and Kaidan join quickly in the beginning of the game. I think it's safe to assume that they have more dialogue again.
= Maybe Liara has a little more dialogue in the end.

Wrex has less dialogue - no discussion.

I guess if that is your definition of favoritism...ok.

again, "favoritism" is not about the amount of screentime/dialogue, it's about the role Liara plays in ME story. No other character save Shepard himself has such a big role. Why does she have this role? Because writers made her this way, sure. But why writers made her this way? Why tie so many plot elements to one character? That's what we (complainers) are trying to understand.

 

Sshodan wrote...

@ Xalen
She is replaceable, if we replace her with let's say... Tali? Or Miranda who will ply the same role and be plot necessary through all 3 games it will be better? Or well we just get the same tread here with different name on top?

D'oh. That's what I'm arguing.
If she's replacable, then why not replace her? Why not give equal treatment to all squadmates? Please, give me a good reason and I assure you I'll accept it and shut up. So far I have only one explanation.

[KawaiiKatie]

Dean_the_Young wrote...

Liara was only necessary to the plot by fiat.

[...]

Liara has been an important character to the plot, but she's never been a necessary character to the plot. To this point, she could be replaced by, well, just about everyone or anyone.

HOLY BAJEEZUS.

I... I hadn't thought of it like that before! All this time, I begrudingly swallowed Liara's "importance" because I told myself, "Ah, she's necessary! You may not like it, but she's the only one who can push the plot forward!"

BUT NO! You're right, she just reinforces the plot-points that we already know. She just reinforces the plot-points that are already there. She adds nothing unique except a potential romance!

She raped my mind for nothing--the Cypher or the Beacons would've filled that role without her. I suffered through her ME2 reunion for nothing--a terminal would've given me the information I needed for Samara and Thane.

I... I... Why you do this, Bioware? Why do you take an otherwise superfluous character and cram her down my throat for the sake of advancing the plot? Whyyy...?

We could've had action-girl Tali! Teamed up with Archangle! IT WOULD'VE BEEN GLORIOUS.

[ladyvader]

Barquiel wrote...


Yeah, people love the comics

The comic makes Liara look bad in my view.  From some of what I read on it.  I did order it online to check it out(I ordered the TPB), but I don't like the art.  I don't like the art in Dark Horse's Star Wars comics either.  Which is a major reason I never bought any.  Borrow some from friends, but I think DH Comics suck in general.

I just wish more would go with the flow when it comes to the story.  Liara a major player and people have a problem with that.  Some felt even though their Shepard was rude to Liara that she shouldn't be considered a friend.  But Shep treated everyone like crap in ME1 if you picked the renegade options.  But then everyone of those squad members remained friends with Shepad.  I still don't get why it is such an issue with Liara.

I didn't like being forced to work for a group I don't like.  Take people I don't trust as part of my crew because I'm told to or having an AI as part of my ship. The same could be said of Ashley in ME.  The renegade option when talking to Anderson is you don't want her.  But there she is.  It's part of the story and I just go with it.  Like it or not.  

[KawaiiKatie]

Xalen wrote...

Sshodan wrote...

@ Xalen
She is replaceable, if we replace her with let's say... Tali? Or Miranda who will ply the same role and be plot necessary through all 3 games it will be better? Or well we just get the same tread here with different name on top?

D'oh. That's what I'm arguing.
If she's replacable, then why not replace her? Why not give equal treatment to all squadmates? Please, give me a good reason and I assure you I'll accept it and shut up. So far I have only one explanation.

This. Why not break up Liara's major plot-points (discovering Ilos, finding Shepard's body, becomign the Shadow Broker) and disperse it to other characters? Why focus so much importance on one character when there's an entire cast of amazing people just waiting for their moment to shine?

[Sshodan]

@ Xalen
I seam to not be getting my point across - the problem is not Liara her self, but the fact that there is a plot character who has to stay alive through all 3 games for the purpose of the plot. It has to be the same character, with strong motivation to help Shep. People complain that she can't be killed, but whoever we may replace her with it will be just anther unskilleble character with "plot armor" for 3 games, and hence steer up the same indignation.
Removing the plot "character in the squad" will get right of the "unkillable one" but will not do any favors for the story dynamic. See?
Liara her self is as good to fill in the position as anyone else, why we all would want out favorite char it it the writers are the ones who fill it in - a gender neutral assari is the most hassle free option, that's all.

@ KawaiiKatie

Becouse separating the role among many character will make them all plot nexessery, and hench - unkillable, which will land us with more balast than it's worth. Better to tolerate one plot  annoyance than a whole squad of unkillable "stars".

Modifié par Sshodan, 11 juillet 2011 - 08:39 .

[ladyvader]

@KawaiiKate-You would never had made it to Illos without Liara.

If you think going to a terminal would give you the intel on Samara and Thane, that is just silly. Shepard would had to go to an information broker and paid them to get that intel. Liara gave it to Shepard for nothing.

[Barquiel]

Xalen wrote...

again, "favoritism" is not about the amount of screentime/dialogue, it's about the role Liara plays in ME story.

I disagree. I believe that dialogue is the most important element of the game.

1) Some characters are walking encyclopedias about their respective species
2) Some characters advance the plot
3) Some characters talk about themselves

I would prefer more #3....and I think it's not exactly "favoritism" if a character only talks about #1 and #2



I think you can complete the game and avoid Liara completely. But I am not sure...

[KawaiiKatie]

ladyvader wrote...

The comic makes Liara look bad in my view.

I think this sums it up pretty well.

Especially:

The Redemption comic:
50% gratuitous buttshots of Liara
40% unnecessary plot twists
10% background story for ME2

[Han Shot First]

I think Bioware should ignore the whining and slap plot armor on Liara again.

If the Mass Effect universe lives on beyond Mass Effect 3 there should be at least one character to link the different stories together, and Liara would seem to be the obvious choice. She's a very young member of a species that often lives over a millenia, and as the Shadowbroker she's the most powerful information broker in the galaxy.  I also can't imagine any plot that involves events that affect the whole galaxy not attracting the interest of the Shadowbroker.

Even if Mass Effect 4 were set 500 years after the events of the Shepard trilogy, you could still have Liara return as that game's Flemeth, saving the main character early on, providing him/her with some crucial information, and setting up the main plot for that game.

Modifié par Han Shot First, 11 juillet 2011 - 08:43 .