296 réponses à ce sujet

[SandTrout]

LilyasAvalon wrote...

Ashley would make a c$%# Spectre in my opinion, she's racist for one thing.

This is a false statement.

Modifié par SandTrout, 14 août 2011 - 05:34 .

[LilyasAvalon]

In Exile wrote...

LilyasAvalon wrote...
Ashley would make a c$%# Spectre in my opinion, she's racist for one thing. You really can't afford to be racist when you are a defender for the ENTIRE galaxy.

It's not like Shepard can't be a huge racist or anything. Could you imagine? A racist Spectre might let the Council die at some crucial moment to give a particular species a heads up and.... oh, wait. That's exactly what Shepard could do. 

Maybe it's just because I've never brought myself to playing a racist Shepard then. I never saw the point of it I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I've killed the Council more than a few times in my playthroughs, but it was more because... the Turian pissed me off.

[In Exile]

LilyasAvalon wrote...
Maybe it's just because I've never brought myself to playing a racist Shepard then. I never saw the point of it I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I've killed the Council more than a few times in my playthroughs, but it was more because... the Turian pissed me off.

Shepard is a political appointment. Ashley/Kaiden could be the same. The VS ran missions for the Council directly prior in ME2. Maybe Horizon was part of the trial by fire of being a Spectre, sort of how Eden Prime was supposed to work for Shepard. 

[Seboist]

I've role played a Spacer/War Hero as a "fallen hero" type who's gotten PTSD from the blitz and is slowly being converted from a noble hero into a ruthless anti-hero.  He slowly but surely got fed up with the council to the point he was delighted to see them die in the BOTC and in ME2 he's 100% pro-Cerberus due to owing them a debt of gratitude and due to his nature of being a loyal soldier who's politically apathetic for the most part.

I also made him a Talimancer (spacer background was so he could better relate to her ) so it could create interesting drama and conflict with him being 100% pro-Cerberus. The big reason he kept David in Overlord was due to his love of her,as well as the reason why he blew up the heretic Geth in Legion's LM. :happy:

[SandTrout]

LilyasAvalon wrote...

Maybe it's just because I've never brought myself to playing a racist Shepard then. I never saw the point of it I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I've killed the Council more than a few times in my playthroughs, but it was more because... the Turian pissed me off.

So it's ok to leave 10,000 people to die on a whim, but it's not ok to have the opinion that aliens have different interests than humans, even when that opinion doesn't affect your professional performance?

Modifié par SandTrout, 14 août 2011 - 05:49 .

[Seboist]

In Exile wrote...

LilyasAvalon wrote...
Maybe it's just because I've never brought myself to playing a racist Shepard then. I never saw the point of it I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I've killed the Council more than a few times in my playthroughs, but it was more because... the Turian pissed me off.

Shepard is a political appointment. Ashley/Kaiden could be the same. The VS ran missions for the Council directly prior in ME2. Maybe Horizon was part of the trial by fire of being a Spectre, sort of how Eden Prime was supposed to work for Shepard. 

ME2 actually hints that the VS is a spectre. First there's TIM saying their dossier is "surprisingly well classified", Anderson then acts very tight lipped about their current assignment and then there's a news report about there being rumour of a spectre assigned to Horizon.

Modifié par Seboist, 14 août 2011 - 05:50 .

[SandTrout]

Seboist wrote...

ME2 actually hints that the VS is a spectre. First there's TIM saying their dossier is "surprisingly well classified", Anderson then acts very tight lipped about their current assignment and then there's a news report about there being rumour of a spectre assigned to Horizon.

I doubt that the VS was actually a spectre on Horizon. More likely, the Alliance was grooming them before presenting them to the Council as a prospective Spectre.

[Praetor Knight]

SandTrout wrote...

Seboist wrote...

ME2 actually hints that the VS is a spectre. First there's TIM saying their dossier is "surprisingly well classified", Anderson then acts very tight lipped about their current assignment and then there's a news report about there being rumour of a spectre assigned to Horizon.

I doubt that the VS was actually a spectre on Horizon. More likely, the Alliance was grooming them before presenting them to the Council as a prospective Spectre.

I wonder if Horizon is their Eden Prime?

[SandTrout]

Praetor Shepard wrote...

I wonder if Horizon is their Eden Prime?

If it was, there would have been another Spectre Present. There was not, as far as we know.

[In Exile]

Praetor Shepard wrote...
I wonder if Horizon is their Eden Prime?

That's my guess. 

[didymos1120]

SandTrout wrote...

Praetor Shepard wrote...

I wonder if Horizon is their Eden Prime?

If it was, there would have been another Spectre Present. There was not, as far as we know.

Well, the analogy doesn't depend on every single detail on one world having direct correspondance to something on the other anyway.  All that matters is that it's the event that leads to Spectre-hood.

Modifié par didymos1120, 14 août 2011 - 06:00 .

[KingNothing125]

Spacer/War Hero was the first combo I went with when I played the first time, and it's still my favorite.

I like the idea of growing up/living in space, on ships and/or stations. Kinda has a Star Trek-y vibe to it. Plus it's the only background where your parents are still alive. Gives you a little something extra to fight for while saving the galaxy.

War Hero is pretty simple... you're a hero, what a classic protagonist should be... and you're likely famous among humans... just the kind of person to be the first human spectre.

Spacer War Hero Shepard just says consummate professional, life-long military man... born and bred to be humanity's (and the galaxy's) savior.

(Plus I like to Paragon it up in dis mug)

Modifié par KingNothing125, 14 août 2011 - 06:01 .

[Sisterofshane]

SandTrout wrote...

Praetor Shepard wrote...

I wonder if Horizon is their Eden Prime?

If it was, there would have been another Spectre Present. There was not, as far as we know.

Not necessarily.  It could be possible that the VS was promoted to the ranks of Spectre much in the same way Shep was.  On Horizon they confirmed that Shep, once a Spectre, had now gone rogue and was working with Cerberus.  It's possible that the council recognized that having a Spectre who had once served under Shep would be invaluable if the situation between Shepard and the Council escalated to hostilities.  And with a human councilor, it would have been much easier to convince them to make the VS a Spectre.

I'm not saying that's what actually happened, but that it could possibly happen.

[Praetor Knight]

Sisterofshane wrote...

It could be possible that the VS was promoted to the ranks of Spectre much in the same way Shep was.  On Horizon they confirmed that Shep, once a Spectre, had now gone rogue and was working with Cerberus.  It's possible that the council recognized that having a Spectre who had once served under Shep would be invaluable if the situation between Shepard and the Council escalated to hostilities.  And with a human councilor, it would have been much easier to convince them to make the VS a Spectre.

I'm not saying that's what actually happened, but that it could possibly happen.

And that's also good reasoning to make their promotion, within the Alliance, higher than Shepard's rank.

Modifié par Praetor Shepard, 14 août 2011 - 06:03 .

[AdmiralCheez]

leggywillow wrote...

I tend to feel the same way about most of these, except for the bolded ones.  Well, that's not true, they all can be role-played that way, I just haven't.  Mostly I haven't been able to get into the mindset of a Spacer/Ruthless, and I would attribute your description to my Earthborn/Ruthless instead.  She's actually seen real violence and ugliness on Earth, so the actual need for someone to make sacrifices for the greater good hits closer to home for her.  My Spacers usually can't be so... well, ruthless.  For them, I figure a peaceful childhood and formal education puts them in the mindset of always trying to find a more peaceful solution.

And I do agree with your Earthborn/Sole Survivor assessment, but I would add "intense survival instinct" to that.  My Earthborn/S.S.'s motto is pretty much "Just keep going."

And hey, that's all perfectly valid!  I haven't really done a "serious" EB/Ruthless run yet--the one I did was just for funzies, and I attempted to make my Shep as outrageous and over-the-top violent as possible.  Granted, HotWings Shepard wound up developing a serious side--she is all too acquainted with the ugly facets of life and wants to end the bullsh*t big-fish-eating-little-fish cycle--but with stability completely absent from her life and her uniform only earned because she was too potent a biotic to turn down (despite repeated court-martials and failure to pass one or two basic aptitude tests), she's a loose cannon.  But you know, still able to lead a team, make friends, and save the galaxy... sort of.

Meanwhile, my spacer/ruthless, being raised in a military family aboard Alliance vessels, quickly picked up strategy games as a child--chess, Risk, war simulators, whatever--and earned a reputation (and praise from her parents) for her skill.  When she joined the military, she carried this war game, strategy/counterstrategy, find-a-way-to-win-no-matter-what mentality with her to the field, and did remarkably well... until Torfan.  Torfan was the first time she screwed up, miscalculated, and failed to factor in that the people she was sending off to battle were her friends and bothers in arms.  They got slaughtered, she flipped the hell out, and the survivors dished out a blood bath of equal proportions to the batarians.  To this day, she regrets what she did and blames herself for every single life lost on that mission, but knows personally the realities of war: people you care about are going to die, and only an idiot plays by the rules.  It's a disgusting reality that she longs desperately to change, but she's terrified that if she tries, if she takes the wrong gamble, she'll watch it all go to hell again.  There's this constant tension with her between redemption and assured victory, morality and realism.  It's great bloody fun, really.

[PlumPaul93]

Earthborn/Warhero. Shepard grew out of a bad childhood/early adult years and became a hero for the entire galaxy.

[SandTrout]

Sisterofshane wrote...

Not necessarily. It could be possible that the VS was promoted to the ranks of Spectre much in the same way Shep was. On Horizon they confirmed that Shep, once a Spectre, had now gone rogue and was working with Cerberus. It's possible that the council recognized that having a Spectre who had once served under Shep would be invaluable if the situation between Shepard and the Council escalated to hostilities. And with a human councilor, it would have been much easier to convince them to make the VS a Spectre.

I'm not saying that's what actually happened, but that it could possibly happen.

Maybe, but the dialogue from that scene didn't really point toward that, IMO. Also, proving that Saren had gone rogue and was actively acting against the council is not in the same league as confirming that Shepard was working with Cerberus, which they might already know from Shepard visiting the Citadel.

[marshalleck]

SandTrout wrote...

mashalleck wrote...

They should have written the Spacer background blurb differently. As it reads now, it's essentially saying "this is the most boring, unremarkable Shepard in every way. Nothing interesting happened for 18 years and then you joined the Navy."

Personally, I like having that option for Shepard. Earthborn is a 'redeemed thug' story, and Colonist is 'Traumatized childhood' story. Spacer allows people to make a Shepard who isn't the product of a traumatic youth. It's not necessarily everyone's cup of tea, but it's a good option to have, IMO, when every other modern hero should be a basket case considering their pasts.

I understand that. And I am not saying the background itself should change; just how they wrote it. It's completely boring and non-eventful. How did growing up in space all the time shape Shepard? Or being on the move, as military families tend to be? We know what momShep is doing, what about popShep? Is he alive? Dead?

Like I said, the blurb for spacerShep basically reads as "you were born, had an 18th birthday and joined the Navy."

It's no wonder it's least popular. well, was least popular earlier

Modifié par marshalleck, 14 août 2011 - 06:09 .

[didymos1120]

Seboist wrote...

ME2 actually hints that the VS is a spectre. First there's TIM saying their dossier is "surprisingly well classified", Anderson then acts very tight lipped about their current assignment and then there's a news report about there being rumour of a spectre assigned to Horizon.

The only clear instance of such a rumor was part of the whole "batarian orbital mirror" deal:

Meanwhile, anonymous sources with the Council administration suggest that a Spectre has been deployed to Hegemony space.

The thing was Horizon was possibly a rumor, but also could have just been a question that got asked:

The Councilor categorically denied the assignment of a Spectre to investigate the situation.

And it's also worth noting that that report comes after Horizon is done, and any rumor could have been about Shepard's involvement (even if not a Spectre, as "former Spectre" could easily have undergone mutation somewhere along the notional grapevine).

Modifié par didymos1120, 14 août 2011 - 06:12 .

[Bluko]

Well my favorite is Sole Survivor and Earthborn.

The way I see it Sole Survivor shows that no matter what Shepard finds a way to survive. It shows that Shepard can be relied to get in and get out, which is really the most important aspect for a special forces operative. Anyone can be beaten or overwhelmed no matter how good of a warrior they are. You may be able to hold off waves of infantry, tanks, etc. but eventually you'll get shelled or carpet bombed to death. At which point survival is what matters. Personally I'd rather be the guy that took out a tank and emerges unscathed from the foxhole then the guy with the machine gun yelling "GET SOME!" mowing down tons of whatever brainless aliens only to be sniped, shot in the back, or artillery dropped on me.

War Hero is just too noble for me to get into and Ruthless just makes Shepard seem like the sort of person who views everyone as expendable to their goals. Sure sometimes you don't have a choice, but Ruthless Shepard seems like the nasty officer that continues to send soldier after soldier to clear a path through a minefield. While it's just a game I can't really pretend to validate such a Character as a "Hero".


I like Earthborn because then I figure Shepard has a more familiar perspective with myself and it helps explain why Shepard may not exactly be an expert on Alien races and why he/she asks dumb questions. Colonist is interesting as well because of the whole scarred childhood as well and the angst Shepard likely has towards Pirates, Batarians, and otherwise scum individuals.

I dislike Spacer namely because it seems too pleasent and it is sort of awkward for your Mom to be a high ranking Officer. I prefer there be no parents as I don't really want to have a phone call with Mom explaining why I'm working with terrorists or having sex with aliens. I dunno I just don't like the game creating a parent which may or may not fit with my character's background. It would just seem weird if Shepard's Mom was real nice and sent them cookies, but then Shepard looks and acts like the Terminator shoving people out of windows.

[ThePwener]

That would be Earthborn > War hero for me.

I'd like to see how they're both handled in ME3 since it's been said that Shepard's pre-service history will play into the main plot (super excited!).

Im seeing the Earthborn as a discarded Cerberus raised puppet a la RE Wesker style and War Hero as... well... proof of how totally badass Shepard is.

[AdmiralCheez]

SandTrout wrote...

I'm just teasing, mostly. Of course I wouldn't enjoy watching my squad get ripped apart.

I've endured my share of trauma, though, and I can say that it is possible for a person to come out stronger, if they don't break. That's kind of the attitude I take with my Sole-survivor. He is able to keep tight control over his emotions because of the trials he's been through, allowing him to think clearly where others would act on instinct and emotion. He doesn't deny that he has emotions, he just doesn't let them decide his course of action.

Again, this approach is absolutely valid, and as someone who has also endured a fair amount of tough sh*t in the past (I'm no war veteran, mind you), I know full well that one can go through hell and come out stronger.  The fact that Shepard is tagged for Spectre candidacy despite Akuze being an absolute disaster shows enormous strength of character.  However, being rock-steady on the outside does not mean there is no damage within.

[Sisterofshane]

SandTrout wrote...

Sisterofshane wrote...

Not necessarily. It could be possible that the VS was promoted to the ranks of Spectre much in the same way Shep was. On Horizon they confirmed that Shep, once a Spectre, had now gone rogue and was working with Cerberus. It's possible that the council recognized that having a Spectre who had once served under Shep would be invaluable if the situation between Shepard and the Council escalated to hostilities. And with a human councilor, it would have been much easier to convince them to make the VS a Spectre.

I'm not saying that's what actually happened, but that it could possibly happen.

Maybe, but the dialogue from that scene didn't really point toward that, IMO. Also, proving that Saren had gone rogue and was actively acting against the council is not in the same league as confirming that Shepard was working with Cerberus, which they might already know from Shepard visiting the Citadel.

The dialogue was geared to be more emotional, IMO.  The very plot implies the fact that the VS was there for other reasons then to "protect" the colony.  TIM released rumors, and then the Alliance sends VS to Horizon under a simple guise (defense), to confirm whether or not Shep was not only still alive, but working for Cerberus.  The alliance had also assumed (falsley) that Cerberus was behind the colonist abductions.

And I agree that it might not exactly parallel the way Shep had become a Spectre, but perhaps the council was playing a "better safe then sorry" card.  Maybe they didn't want to wait for Shep to become actively hostile before they promoted the right person to the job to take them down.  Again, I reason that the VS was the best candidate for the job, having previously served under Shep but still remained loyal to the council (even if only being loyal through the Alliance).