I throw my two cents in on this topic.
I'm going to use my canon Shepard.
Most trusted:
Liara
Garrus
Tali
Wrex
Anderson
Hackett
EDI
Chakwas
Trusts:
Joker
Grunt
Mordin
Samara
Legion
Kaidan
Cortez
Vega
Thane
Friendly With:
Jack
Jacob
Zaeed
Traynor
Javik
Aria
Dead:
Miranda
Ashley
Morinth
Nyreen
Ashley died on Virmire. Miranda died because my canon Shepard didn't trust her with Alliance intel. Morinth never made it off Omega and neither did Nyreen.
I won't respond at length. This thread has been derailed enough as is. In short, you're arguing past my points and making your own using your subjective beliefs about moral concepts such as natural rights or collective responsibility that I haven't taken a position on, and not actually addressing why the logic behind my assertions is flawed. If you desire a response to your specific post to continue this discussion, I will provide one via PM, but I'll just inform you beforehand that I don't subscribe to the Kurzweilian views of AIs that you seem to.
Just putting my thoughts. It's very difficult to rate, IMO...
Mordin:
Great guy. Funny lines, singing lines. I find it amusing that even as a Doctor, he kill people, but only to protect his patients. Also, has morale on "Never killing enemy with Medicine". Too bad they've switched Mordin's VA between games, but the difference is little... Great Datapad on Citadel DLC Mission "Broke Omega's Only rule... In more than just one way" 
Aaaand let's not forget that Mordin adapts to the kind of situation, he see what is good for the galaxy and do it, even if he risks Shepard shooting him.
Garrus:
He stayed with you right from the start, never doubting you, also created the "Calibration Meme and there are some scenes with him, like the Tango that made me want to replay the trilogy with a FemShep. Plus, he's Archangel and confessed that the Third Merc he shot died from Heart attack...
Tali:
Same as Garrus, with you from the beggining. But the point I've found interesting is that, unlike Garrus, she actually disagrees with Shepard. Garrus is just "Yes, I'll reflect on that, "Yes, maybe..." see for example, Freedom's Progress, the "Damn Shepard! I trusted you!" That hurts right in the feels...
More to come...
I won't respond at length. This thread has been derailed enough as is. In short, you're arguing past my points and making your own using your subjective beliefs about moral concepts such as natural rights or collective responsibility that I haven't taken a position on, and not actually addressing why the logic behind my assertions is flawed. If you desire a response to your specific post to continue this discussion, I will provide one via PM, but I'll just inform you beforehand that I don't subscribe to the Kurzweilian views of AIs that you seem to.
There's nothing to address. You start with different assumptions than I do, so it is pointless to continue. We won't agree.
Plus he will eventually start calling you names. Not worth discussing.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
"Evil" is the last thing I'd call Jacob Taylor.
Dork... memeworthy... and a flake (he never did meet me on the Citadel for drinks). But evil?
Guest_StreetMagic_*
No not jacob indervidually. Cerberus as an organisation. I can't respect jacob because he worked for them. Same with miranda. Even if they did break away, they still spent years furthering the goals of a genocidal group of ignorant fascists.
Can you respect Shepard then? 
He/she worked for Cerberus too.
I think it's just simpler to say you don't like Miranda and Jacob and leave it at that.. I don't care for Jacob myself.
We're all railroaded to work for Cerberus. Shepard, Jacob, Chakwas..... Kenneth and Gabby, Rupert.
Hundreds of thousands of humans were being taken from their homes, trapped in nightmarish insect pods, and grinded down to a paste. And the Alliance didn't do jack sh*t. The beloved Council - jack sh*t. If sitting on your ass is "good", then I'll happily be evil.
And Jacob didn't spend that long there. He was recruited right before you....while you were dead. But he was an Alliance soldier at Eden Prime, then a "Corsair" for awhile.
Combat and story: Liara. She is the most powerful squadmate in every game. Not looking for a discussion btw, if you disagree, have fun with that. And obviously, she has the most story, but...
Romance: can't believe I'm saying this again... Ashley
Surprisingly awesome, showing off what a pathetic human being I am for seeing him and thinking 'what a moron': James
Most boring: Kaidan.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
Combat and story: Liara. She is the most powerful squadmate in every game. Not looking for a discussion btw, if you disagree, have fun with that. And obviously, she has the most story, but...
Romance: can't believe I'm saying this again... Ashley
Surprisingly awesome, showing off what a pathetic human being I am for seeing him and thinking 'what a moron': James
Most boring: Kaidan.
It's good to see Ash fans. Don't be ashamed.
I never really cared for Liara's angle on the story. Her urging on of idealism and Council friendliness in ME1, and her ideals about Protheans. I'm glad Javik crushed all of that. I see the story as a whole to be about humanity. Not her. She's there to distract people from that. I like what they did in ME2 with her, but dislike how you can't really react to it properly. While a romanced Ash or Kaidan can never get mad at her about giving the body to Cerberus. Liara inadvertently caused a big rift with them and Shepard, but Shepard ends up having to deal with it alone.
Problem of ME is that there are too many henchmen available. There are around 20 and that just feels like Bioware wanted to avoid that some players don't find any character interesting. Dragon Age: Origins has 9 companions (Dog included) and still this felt a little too much for me. It's nearly impossible to hear all the dialogue etc they have to offer and I always think it's sad that the good characters don't have more dialogue because there is a lot of boring characters who also need their lines. Nevertheless, here my ranking for the ME characters, not including their utility in combat.
Top:
1. Tali -> More meant for introducing the Quarians in ME 1, she becomes a lot more interesting in ME 2+3. Very likeable with a lot of dialogue, also so far my fav. romance. Too bad: You never see her without her suit.
2. Garrus -> You can say he shares the first place with Tali. He lacks a little character in ME 1, but becomes Shepards "bro" in ME 2+3. Also brings the most funny lines.
3. Liara -> She get's A LOT of dialogue throughout the trilogy and it's mostly good. Her characters developes in a reasonable way, while her very personal story is a little too much in the background. Also, I think she's meant to be Shepard's love by the developers.
4. Joker -> A funny character which is basically in action with Shepard from the first to the last minute. While somewhat the reason for the Shepard's death in the beginning of ME 2, he always wants to prove his value.
Good:
5. Mordin -> While I generally like Mordin (I'm active in the medical sector too), he gets not enough attention in my opinion. Next to Jacob, he gets the least dialogue in ME 2 and in ME 3 he's "gone" really quickly. But he still has some funny lines to share ("how to have sex with a quarian") While I didn't want to heal the Krogan, I liked him so much that I didn't shot him in the back.
6. Jacob -> He's a good guy, but a little boring. He doesn't have really much to share, but apart from that, there's not much to dislike about him.
7. Legion -> Introduces the good side of the Geth. I like that you don't really know if he's really no individual at all or even has a little bit of personality.
8. EDI -> I think it's funny how her relationship with Joker developes to the point until he needs her in his view for "improving his morale". Like Joker she's always around and even brings up some philosophical questions.
9. Wrex -> He's a little boring in ME 1 and really starts to shine in ME 3 (but only in one part of the story). But I liked that part so much, that he made it to this section.
Ok:
10. Kaidan -> In my playthrough, he survived Virmire, so he's basically kicking around the entire triology. For that, he's really unremarkable. Most of his dialogue is more or less boring, also he has the strange quirk to repeat what Shepard said before quite often.
11. Samara -> I more or less dislike the idea of crazy "blue wonderwomen", as which she is introduced at first. While I liked her loyalty quest and some of her dialogue, she's also one of the more boring characters for me. I really NEVER used here as a squadmate.
12. James -> While he's generally cool, he doesn't have a lot to talk about and isn't useful enough to take him with you as a squad member really early in the game.
13. Miranda -> The Cerberus chearleader with a soft core. Interesting concept, alongside with her family problems. But also not a very outstanding character, I also found it ridiculous how often her "posterior" is parked right in the center of the "camera" when talking to her.
14. Zaeed -> A mercenary hard as bone. Has some cool stories, but you can't really talk with him and he's poorly involved into your squad's social structure.
15. Kasumi -> More or less the same as Zaeed. Not enough information to really put her somewhere else than the "ok"-section.
16. Grunt -> A "typical" Krogan. I really didn't talk with him a lot.
Dislike:
17. Ashley -> A racist, always complaining, stupid slogans and she looks really awful. What I don't dislike about her is the fact that you can leave her behind at Virmire.
18. Thane -> A depressed space frog who works as an assassin for bringing good into the Galaxy? Boring background, really uninteresting.
Hate:
19. Jack -> From the first moment I saw her in ME 2, I really thought not to bring her with me. What I heard and saw from her was enough to say that she's a real b.... From her looks to her personality, I found all of this more than annoying. I just didn't let her die on the suicide mission because I wanted to leave no one behind in general.
I place Garrus and Tali on the top of my list, because they're like those two best friends who have been there with you through everything, have seen everything you have, known everything you've done, yet stand at your back and never question your motives. Plus, I love hearing them interact with each other when you take them on missions with you. As a male Shepard, I usually end up romancing Tali just because she's so amazing.
Next would have to be Mordin. I thoroughly enjoy his very A.D.D.-like personality where he's constantly just running through all of his thought processes out loud and whatnot. Unfortunately, my last time playing through ME2, I made a fatal error where Mordin ended up dying in the Suicide Mission. I forgot to send him back to the Normandy with the other surviving crew members and left him with the rearguard, taking Tali and Garrus with me to face down the human Reaper.
Next on my list would probably be Wrex. I love it in the Citadel DLC when the Shepard clone's mercs ambush you in the C-Sec shuttle, and he just drops out of nowhere and is like "Sup, Pyjacks??" and then just takes them all out. Plus, having him as a crew member in ME is pretty awesome. And then as he ascends to the leader of Clan Urdnot and eventually rules Tuchanka is pretty awesome. Shoutout to Urdnot Bakara as well, (Eve, for those who don't know her real name - spoilers) as she has such a wisdom and level head as you've never seen from a Krogan. Even Wrex. I will say it's disappointing that you never really get to bring him back aboard the Normandy as a permanent crew member again though after the first game, but I understand why.
Then there's Grunt. I feel like Grunt is kinda like Garrus in that he's that bro type who will stand at your back no matter what happens, and he's always there to pull you out of the fire when you need it. He packs quite a punch, seeing as he's Krogan. I love how excited both he and Wrex get when they see Shepard. "SHEPARD!!! -pushes everyone out of their way- Shepard!! -shakes hand happily-" Always warms my heart.
Liara is a great character, I feel. I love seeing her go from a "I'm not at all familiar with humans and have no idea how to conduct myself around them" type of awkward person to a very knowledgable and lovable character. I usually end up romancinc her a lot both as female and male Shepard. She just has that...gentleness about her and in the first Mass Effect, her awkwardness is kind of really attractive.
Say what you will about Zaeed, but he has his good points. He knows how to kick some serious ass when it counts, and his war stories deserve listening to. He can be a royal pain, especially in his loyalty mission. If your paragon or renegade scores aren't high enough, you can't save the refinery workers AND keep his loyalty. For who his character is though, I feel he's very well-adjusted and makes for a good addition to the Normandy crew.
Now I saw some of you place Jack even lower on this list, but I personally am a huge fan of Jack. Idk, I'm kinda drawn to her character because of where she's been and what she's seen. How she's perservered, and how she's ultimately better for it. She's not only an incredibly powerful biotic, but a capable warrior and especially fun in ME3. I also enjoy romancing her from time to time, because I just really love her personality.
Now, I hadn't planned to mention any of the more minor characters in this list (i.e. Chambers, Traynor, etc) but I feel like Kenneth and Gabriella from ME2 deserve a nod. Unfortunately I made another fatal error in which I waited too long to go to the Collector Base after they raided my ship, so Gabby died and the only one left was Kenneth. I do thoroughly enjoy them as characters and am always more than happy to pardon them for their involvement with Cerberus and welcome them back aboard the Normandy.
Miranda has slowly wormed her way into my heart over my many playthroughs of Mass Effect. She starts off as an ice queen, but her character develops over time into someone you can, at the end of the day, relate too and appreciate. She's not my favorite crew member, but I do highly value her as such.
Next would be Ashley. I almost never leave her to die on Virmire because I like her so much better than Kaidan. She's your typcal Alliance soldier through and through, but when you get to know her, she has a softer side that makes you want to be her friend. Her judgement can be a little off sometimes though, like getting mad at Shepard for joining the Illusive Man (or, rather, using him), and then trusting Udina in ME3 (which even with my very first playthrough of ME, I never trusted him). All-in-all, she's in my top 10.
Now for Thane. I thoroughly enjoy Thanes deep spirituality in combination with his deadly skill. And his wanting to make the universe a better place and atone for the things he's done in his life make him an honorable crew member. I don't end up taking him with me on missions as much, but he still makes for a good squad mate when you take him out on missions. And when he dies, it's pretty depressing.
Jacob. Jacob would be higher on this list if I felt he played a more pivotal role in the series. I like him in ME2 especially because of the fact that, until you get some of your old crew members back, he's the one guy within Cerberus who's not really there on the Illusive Man's agenda, but he's there to make a difference for himself and help the galaxy (and humanity) in his own way.
Legion. Legion is a great character because of the way his A.I. personality never really changes from that of an A.I. Unlike EDI, he never really becomes more human. He's relatable because of the way he processes some things similar to how a human mind would, but he's still an A.I. and doesn't try to be more human. Plus, I get a kick out of how he refers to Shepard as "Shepard-Commander".
Now to EDI. EDI is a very valuable asset to the team, but I feel like they made her too human-like for an A.I. It's kinda cool that she and Joker end up having a thing for each other, but it just makes me wonder how something like that would work. Idk. She is a great member of the crew, but I almost feel as if they should have just kept her as the Normandy's A.I. instead of putting her in a humanoid body.
- Side note, Glyph is pretty great sometimes. Especially in the Citadel DLC when fighting the other Shepards mercs, Glyph is constantly trying to talk the enemy down so they might live by saying things like "Why do you resist? Maybe we can talk about this" and nonsense like that. It just cracks me up every time
Now Kaidan. Kaidan has his good moments, but for the most part I find him just too stiff and too...prickly. Like..his personality makes him less approachable than some of the other team members of the Normandy and while his combat skills are admirable, I just don't really like him as a character. I feel bad about it every time, but I always leave him to die on Virmire and save Ashley.
I left the last two on my list as Samara and Kasumi. Kasumi, only because you get very little interaction with her one-on-one aside from her loyalty mission, which is always fun. I feel like they could have given her a more active role in the game, and it would have been great.
Samara is a very stereotypical matriarchal Asari. Wise in her old age, and formidably powerful, she makes a good crew member, but I also feel like there could have been more interaction with her aside from her loyalty mission an the occasional conversation or two with her.
I hope I didn't leave any of the major characters out, but if I did, I apologize for forgetting them.
very true. Also trye that i dont like them. I find them boring.Can you respect Shepard then?
I think it's just simpler to say you don't like Miranda and Jacob and leave it at that.. I don't care for Jacob myself.
We're all railroaded to work for Cerberus. Shepard, Jacob, Chakwas..... Kenneth and Gabby, Rupert.
Hundreds of thousands of humans were being taken from their homes, trapped in nightmarish insect pods, and grinded down to a paste. And the Alliance didn't do jack sh*t. The beloved Council - jack sh*t. If sitting on your ass is "good", then I'll happily be evil.
And Jacob didn't spend that long there. He was recruited right before you....while you were dead. But he was an Alliance soldier at Eden Prime, then a "Corsair" for awhile.
Pssh, this guy and I are going to get along great.
Hating the Illusive Man, hating Cerberus, hating Miranda...
No not jacob indervidually. Cerberus as an organisation. I can't respect jacob because he worked for them. Same with miranda. Even if they did break away, they still spent years furthering the goals of a genocidal group of ignorant fascists.
So wrong on so many levels. Politically, ideologically, grammatically...
shakes head in disgust.
Pssh, this guy and I are going to get along great.
Hating the Illusive Man, hating Cerberus, hating Miranda...
I hate TIM and Cerberus.
Nah not really. More like I laugh at the avalanche of their inadequacies.
That last however is fighting words.
I think ME3 went out of their way to portray them as such. I blame bad writing more than anything else. It wasn't the only thing wrong with the writing there.
But yes, the inadequacies for Miranda are indeed fighting words.
Still, I made that Kuseikos guy quit the forum. When logic and reason bounced off of him, I made him feel bad through the power of indignancy.
I think all the games went out to portray them as such.
In ME1 they were a disposable side thread with all the tropes of stupid evil mad science.
Even when you join them in ME2 there's so many things they could've done better.
ME3 is full retard.
I think it may be because the writers were conflicted/ didn't know or agree what Cerberus was supposed to be. I think everyone was jerking the steering wheel in different directions and it ended up crashing into a tree.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
I think all the games went out to portray them as such.
In ME1 they were a disposable side thread with all the tropes of stupid evil mad science.
Even when you join them in ME2 there's so many things they could've done better.
ME3 is full retard.
I think it may be because the writers were conflicted/ didn't know or agree what Cerberus was supposed to be. I think everyone was jerking the steering wheel in different directions and it ended up crashing into a tree.
That's how I feel about some things in DAI too. Nice imagery (the steering wheel, that is).
I've said this elsewhere, but I'd probably pay extra for a game where writers had complete domain. No EA, not fans, not even the other designers. I'd like to see what they do on their own. Maybe it woudn't be great, but I'm just curious...
When we wrote ME1, Cerberus was basically a throw-away group of pro-human radicals: a name we dropped for some side missions to play the role of villain. We didn’t even have a concept of who was running them, and we didn’t think they were that important. Obviously by the time of my Ascension novel and ME2, that had changed radically. The Illusive Man and Cerberus became central to the story and themes – that never would have happened if we had nailed everything down and refused to make changes to the story.
I've said this elsewhere, but I'd probably pay extra for a game where writers had complete domain. No EA, not fans, not even the other designers. I'd like to see what they do on their own. Maybe it woudn't be great, but I'm just curious...
I'd pay if it was Drew Karpyshyn and the various character writers in ME1 and 2. I wouldn't pay a single unit of the cheapest currency if it was Walters or Hudson (I know Hudson is not technically a writer but whatever).
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