550 réponses à ce sujet

[Gkonone]

How people would consider Kaidan more realistic than Ashley is beyond me. Ashley is probably the most realistic companion in the game. She doubts Shepard on more than one occasion and shows concerns about the world around her that are valid given the circumstances. She's politically engaged, strong in her believes but also shown to be open to other views and adapting to those as she goes. Her history, and that of her father, play a big role in her development, and it's very well done. From distrusting every alien she encounters basically to embracing some of them as her ally or friend.

 

In ME3 they could have done better with her, although the part where she comforts her sister and the hospital scenes were nice. Romance wise they screwed up in ME2, but overall, she's the most interesting romance in the series.

[God]

Yeah... no.

[God]

Uh, right. 

 

With that said, since I've been away from the ME forums for quite some time, I get that you don't like Ashley. 

 

I usually save Kaiden myself, but I also had no real issues with Ash either, as far as being a well-written character. Didn't agree with her stance on aliens so much, but my Shepard says it well. When he wanted to get an opinion from the head, he'd talk to Kaiden, but if wanted to hear from the heart he'd talk to Ash. 

 

From a curiosity standpoint, what about her makes you dislike her so much?

 

I don't like her attitude, her opinions, her beliefs, her self-righteousness, her arrogance, her inability to look at reason, and her reluctance to understand an alternate perspective. She's not someone really able to reflect at or understand things. It's a bit of an intellectual disgust. As well, I do believe, using my own experience, that she isn't at all what the game touts her to be. She basically condemns you in ME2 because you aren't wearing the same jersey as her, and she refuses to try to understand things. She's prone to being emotional, and letting it get the better of her judgement.

 

I'm not big on the types of characters like that. She's not realistic or well written. Like many other characters in ME, she's a cliche: the tough-as-nails action girl (but not too strong) with strong beliefs and is, to me, completely unlikable. 

 

Really, I keep her just to troll her later.

[RanetheViking]

Yeah... no.

lol Short and to the point. 

[wright1978]

Their juxtaposition of writing quality between me1 and me3 virtually makes the VS choice meaningless lol. Ashley is well written and likeable in her own way in ME1. Kaidan is just an average dude who's not interesting. In ME3 Ashley is a ****** and I hate her redesign, but Kaidan is such a bro and has more personality.

Lukas Kristjanson was honestly not that good for Mass Effect but props to him for writing Joker but then again. Joker was never really out of character in ME3. Kaidan and Jacob are ironically similar though. They both seem like nice people but never develop and their arc ends so early. Their romances are terrible.

Chris Helper though? He just took my favorite ME1 character and tore her to pieces. I really wish Chris L'Etoile would've stayed until ME3 was done.

 

Pretty much how i see it. In ME3 Kaidan's become a much better rounded character whilst Ash feels a shadow of her former self.

Glad the character who ended up coming my main Shep saved Kaidan at Virmire in hindsight.

[dragonflight288]

I don't like her attitude, her opinions, her beliefs, her self-righteousness, her arrogance, her inability to look at reason, and her reluctance to understand an alternate perspective. She's not someone really able to reflect at or understand things. It's a bit of an intellectual disgust. As well, I do believe, using my own experience, that she isn't at all what the game touts her to be. She basically condemns you in ME2 because you aren't wearing the same jersey as her, and she refuses to try to understand things. She's prone to being emotional, and letting it get the better of her judgement.

 

I'm not big on the types of characters like that. She's not realistic or well written. Like many other characters in ME, she's a cliche: the cliche tough-as-nails action girl with strong beliefs and is, to me, completely unlikable. 

 

Really, I keep her just to troll her later.

 

Yeah, Kaidan also condemns you in ME2 for the same thing. 

[God]

And Kaidan looks back, reflects on everything, and takes a much more thoughtful and taciturn approach to the events and morality of the series. 

 

Ashley doesn't. Once her mind's made up, it sticks. And she's not the kind of person who thinks she's wrong. She's right, you're not, end of story.

[DirtySHISN0]

I chose Ashley in ME1 and every save file i play with is derived from my original xbox ME1 file.

 

[JasonShepard]

And Kaidan looks back, reflects on everything, and takes a much more thoughtful and taciturn approach to the events and morality of the series. 

 

Ashley doesn't. Once her mind's made up, it sticks. And she's not the kind of person who thinks she's wrong. She's right, you're not, end of story.

 

From ME2:

 

Subject: Hey there.

 

Shepard,

 

I'm sorry for what I said back on Horizon. When I lost you two years ago, it tore me up. I prayed for you every day. I read a lot of Tennyson, thinking about you, just like I did when my dad passed. And then you came back, and it was like my prayers were answered. But I'm not who I was then, and neither are you.

 

I don't know what's true anymore. Part of me can't believe it's really you. I keep going back to that night before Ilos, our night.... I haven't let myself think about those memories for more than a year now.

 

I wouldn't have expected you to work for Cerberus, but I know why they sent you to Horizon. I saw how many people were lost there, and if anyone can stop the Collectors, you can. I can't go where you're going, but I can wish you luck.

 

Just stay alive out there... Skipper. I don't know what the future holds, but I can't lose you a second time.

 

--Ash

 

Death closes all: but something ere the end,

Some work of noble note, may yet be done,

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

 

Worth noting those first two words: "I'm sorry".

 

Also, during the hospital conversation she is willing to accept that Shepard 'cut all ties' with Cerberus (and having that conversation makes it considerably less likely that she'll refuse to back down later). So... yeah, she can change her mind. I'm pretty sure there was a charm opportunity back in ME1 that would shift her perspective enough to make her one of the characters most likely to support saving the Council (moreso than Liara).

 

I'd also say that her concerns regarding Shepard are pretty justified. I'm genuinely surprised that TIM didn't have a control-chip installed on the Commander - even if it had been a dormant one as a fail-safe. TIM's probably regretting that choice by the time that Priority: Kronos rolls around.

[God]

I say she's not. And I'd like to see her do more than just apologize for getting angry. I'd like her to know why she's fundamentally wrong too. As well as doing nothing, and still letting the Cerberus issue come up. 

 

As well, I'm still wondering how a control chip would work. They both come off as paranoid and unable to listen. And when I say she lacks reflection, she doesn't look back at views and other perspectives with a critical eye and observing other ways to think. There's her way, and the wrong way. That's how she limits it. So I disagree. She can't change her mind.

[Big Magnet]

Both Ash and Kaidan are annoying, but I prefer to keep Ash so I can put a bullet in her in ME3 

[Pasquale1234]

Also, during the hospital conversation she is willing to accept that Shepard 'cut all ties' with Cerberus (and having that conversation makes it considerably less likely that she'll refuse to back down later). So... yeah, she can change her mind. I'm pretty sure there was a charm opportunity back in ME1 that would shift her perspective enough to make her one of the characters most likely to support saving the Council (moreso than Liara).
 
I'd also say that her concerns regarding Shepard are pretty justified. I'm genuinely surprised that TIM didn't have a control-chip installed on the Commander - even if it had been a dormant one as a fail-safe. TIM's probably regretting that choice by the time that Priority: Kronos rolls around.

Though I haven't heard it, someone in another thread mentioned this line from Ashley: "Maybe I should be more open minded, but I'd rather scope down a tin can than a person. I'm right, right? Fine, I'll shut up". (during a confrontation with geth).

That sort of dialogue is an open invitation to discussion and demonstrates a willingness to change her perspective - a far cry from a know-it-all who is never wrong and already has all the answers.

[Steelcan]

Kaidan

[KotorEffect3]

Kaidan because he seems to grow more as a person and overall just seems to evolve more as a character.  I liked Ash more back in the ME 1 days but she never really does get over the whole "you were in Cerberus" thing and she seems to have little to say in ME 3 when she rejoins your squad.  Kaidan on the other hand owns up to the fact that he misjudged Shepard and there is a good conversation to be had with him back on the Normandy after the mission in which you save the ex Cerberus scientists in which he realizes you can't always determine guilt by association.

[Statichands]

I chose Ashley because she was a female and she had more of a personality. Kaiden was too introverted in Mass Effect 1. I'm sure many female gamers chose Kaiden. 

[fraggle]

Being pretty new to the ME universe (I only started playing last year), I only did one playthrough of each game, but in the future I will still always save Kaidan. He's my favourite character, has been a real bro to my Shepard in ME1 and hit on me in ME3 - I'll take it

Garrus being my second fav character, Ashley talking about the other races in ME1 kind of gave her the boot. I didn't care for this character much.

[Daemul]

 

Because they don't care about him. I doubt you'll find many people who both misspell his name and save him in ME1 

 

All the 1.5% of people who used Kaidan in ME3 are in this thread. 

[Vazgen]

All the 1.5% of people who used Kaidan in ME3 are in this thread. 

I used to always save Ashley. Then Citadel DLC and her Normandy content turned her into a drunk (they did the same to Tali). Now I save Kaidan

[Bayonet Hipshot]

Kaidan Alenko for me. 

[Ice Cold J]

Ash in 1, Kaidan in 3.

[Han Shot First]

FWIW - this is the text from her entry in the wiki (don't know the original source)

Born on April 14th, 2158 on the colony world Sirona in the 61 Ursae Majoris system, Ashley Madeline Williams comes from a large family that includes a long line of Alliance soldiers.

Following her family's tradition, Ashley enlisted in the Alliance Navy as a marine after high school and was assigned to the Recruit Training Depot in Macapá, Brazil. During training, Chief Williams was certified proficient with the standard-issue M7 Lancer assault rifle and light to standard-weight combat hardsuits. She also completed certification in zero-gravity combat aboard the Rakesh Sharma Orbital Platform in Earth geosynchronous orbit. For Hostile Environment Assault Training, she was assigned to Fort Charles Upham on Titan, one of Saturn's moons, where she was awarded a commendation for her bold assault technique in a field exercise simulating an attack on turian point defense emplacements.

Drill Instructor Gunnery Chief Ellison noted her steadfast endurance and aggressive instincts, and promoted her to squad leader. Subsequently Ashley is promoted again to platoon guide after her effective tutelage of the less skilled members of her training unit. Her platoon had logged unanimous positive feedback on her leadership in a recent fitness review cycle, and fellow soldier Private Nirali Bhatia praised her focus on team-building exercises and "tough but fair" discipline.

Despite glowing performance reviews, Ashley is denied further opportunities for advancement. Having served on numerous groundside garrisons she has repeatedly requested a transfer to a shipboard posting, but each request had been denied, without explicit reasons.

Ashley's Military Vocational Code is B4 and her blood type is B-Positive. She had received genetic enhancements including in-utero vision correction (maternal predisposition for nearsightedness) and the Class-B Alliance Infantry Upgrade Package.


 

 

Ugh.

 

I hope most of that is head canon that somehow found it's way into the wiki, and not stuff that was revealed in one of those comics. If that's the official canon it is very badly written. It's obvious it was written by someone who never served in the military. There is so much wrong with that I don't know even know where to start. Rising to Staff NCO while still in recruit training?! 

 

That isn't to say that writers with civilian backgrounds can't write believable military characters or scenarios...Tom Clancy had a very good career doing exactly that, and Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage was so realistic that people often mistook him for a Civil War veteran. (he was born 6 years after the conflict) But at least do some research to make it sound legit.

 

Although to be fair the Mass Effect series in general tends to fail when it delves into military fiction. 

[Ice Cold J]

As a side note, I've been lucky enough to meet both Raphael Sbarge and Kimberly Brooks, and they are both awesome people and love their fans.

[Valmar]

I'm really tempted to save Ashley just to kill her on the Citadel. I especially like her dying speech if you didn't try to kiss up to her the entire time. I like watching her die, I'm a bad person. As it stands though that would mean I'd have to kill Kaidan and I'd never feel right about doing that. I always save the one with the salarian squad which is always Kaidan because why would I send a xenophobe that thinks of aliens like animals to go protect and order around a bunch of aliens? They deserve someone who actually cares about their lives, like Kiadan who has always proven to me to be far more open-minded and reasonable about things. Ashley was always hotheaded and driven too strongly by her personal bias and emotions.

 

That being said its always a bit a struggle for me to let Kaidan back on the Normandy. I really like the scene you get with Joker if you refuse Kaidan. That scene alone makes me hesitate on my choice.

[Vazgen]

Do you happen to have a video of that conversation?