Never thought that Renegade would be so unpopular. I wonder why. He's too much/not enough racist? Or jerk? Or crazy?
Ha, I also like how New Species Female took 4th place. What should we do after first contact with new race? Bang their women of course!
There's something really human in that. Too bad most of sci-fi authors write humans as "neutral humans" while other races are "agressive humans", "nerdy humans" and so on.
Never thought that Renegade would be so unpopular. I wonder why. He's too much/not enough racist? Or jerk? Or crazy?
Ha, I also like how New Species Female took 4th place. What should we do after first contact with new race? Bang their women of course!
There's something really human in that. Too bad most of sci-fi authors write humans as "neutral humans" while other races are "agressive humans", "nerdy humans" and so on.
I'm guessing it's probably because the 'bad' or 'evil' moral paths seem to be less popular. At least for someone's main playthrough.
Personally, I'm intrigued that the most popular history for Shep is Spacer & War Hero. Meanwhile the least popular is Spacer & Ruthless. What makes it a great combo with WH but not with Ruthless? It's very spread out, compared to Colonist and Earthborn combos.
To the gameplay discussion: I've played my fair share of multiplayer and while I almost never care about min-maxing or optimizing or whatever it is "hardcore" players do, I can still say the game, and even the entire series plays like primarily a shooter, with some flashy powers thrown in.
SP I've always been an infiltrator. In ME1 my style was basically snipe all the things, sometimes with assasinate. I'd use Overload or Sabotage or whatever to disable enemies sometimes but otherwise it'd be sniping or pistoIling. I can't remember much about the other powers but almost everything I did was direct offense to kill mooks dead. Ammo mods were the same, mostly using cryo, making one gun a freezethrower or explosive, giving me a literal boomstick. ME2 it was SMG all the things because ammo was the new big thing and the jerks never gave me enough for the sniper, which became my kill bigger mooks gun, unless they were way big mooks and I needed to use a heavy weapon. Incinerate was just a flashy grenade, hacking was only for the lulz and cloak was used for damage boost. The closest I got to stealth was when I'd try to emulate Kasumi by running behind fools and meleeing them. ME3 was more of the same only now with more sniper ammo thankfully.
MP I've played every class, though not every character and it's still a lot of the same. My fav is probably the Fury and even though she's power based running up to mooks and exploding them is still "shootery" in the sense that the only difference is I have to get closer and I'm shooting blue dark energy from my hand instead of bullets from my gun. I know that sounds like "a wizard's just a warrior who uses lightning instead of a sword" but I guess the context would have to be, if the wizard is wielding said lightning like a sword then the meaningful differences fade. And pretty much all useful ME powers are used offensively, very clearly "shot" at enemies and most do direct damage or disable them in some way, with the remainder boosting our own damage against them.
I don't mean this as a criticism of the system though. I think it works well and the kinks have been ironed out in each new iteration. Whatever flaws it has in story, characterization or roleplay, the combat gameplay has definitely improved in ME3. I certainly don't want a hard "trinity" of tank, heal dps. I dealt with enough of that **** in TOR.
I'm guessing it's probably because the 'bad' or 'evil' moral paths seem to be less popular. At least for someone's main playthrough.
Personally, I'm intrigued that the most popular history for Shep is Spacer & War Hero. Meanwhile the least popular is Spacer & Ruthless. What makes it a great combo with WH but not with Ruthless? It's very spread out, compared to Colonist and Earthborn combos.
For one, War Hero gives a starting boost to your Paragon points (and you just replied to someone about the popularity of the Paragon path, so maybe there's a connection there with people meta-gaming). Secondly, maybe people prefer to link Ruthless to either of the other two backgrounds, since there's a more straight-forward story there: your Shepard had a rough childhood in the slums of Earth or by the death of his/her family by slavers, and goes on to treat the situation on Torfan with a coldness that could very well stem from those backgrounds. Growing up on spaceships, relatively safe with your parents alive, doesn't quite lend itself to the Ruthless personality. Although people are of course a lot more complex than that, but with such limited options when first creating your Shepard, it's likely that many players just can't visualise the Spacer + Ruthless combination as easily as the others 
It's an interesting question and I wonder if there's a more valid reason I'm missing.
For one, War Hero gives a starting boost to your Paragon points (and you just replied to someone about the popularity of the Paragon path, so maybe there's a connection there with people meta-gaming). Secondly, maybe people prefer to link Ruthless to either of the other two backgrounds, since there's a more straight-forward story there: your Shepard had a rough childhood in the slums of Earth or by the death of his/her family by slavers, and goes on to treat the situation on Torfan with a coldness that could very well stem from those backgrounds. Growing up on spaceships, relatively safe with your parents alive, doesn't quite lend itself to the Ruthless personality. Although people are of course a lot more complex than that, but with such limited options when first creating your Shepard, it's likely that many players just can't visualise the Spacer + Ruthless combination as easily as the others
It's an interesting question and I wonder if there's a more valid reason I'm missing.
Ruthless doesn't just mean "grr, I sacrifice everyone whenever I feel like it". It simply means you get from A to B the most efficient (or effective) way possible, even if that includes collateral damage. Being born/living most of your life in space may make you realize how tiny and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things and thus make you more aloof and detached from your fellow specks of dust. Thus it may be easier for you to write off collateral damage when the situation calls for it. That's my take on it.
Or if you want a more mundane approach, the spacer is at heart, a military brat. Transferring from ship to ship you never really put down roots so again, you're not as attached to things. And even though this is the only background with a stated parent, nowhere is it written that that relationship is or was entirely solid. Personally I'm not a fan of the mother character. I never saw her mission in ME1 and the convo in Citadel felt token and cliche.
Ruthless doesn't just mean "grr, I sacrifice everyone whenever I feel like it". It simply means you get from A to B the most efficient (or effective) way possible, even if that includes collateral damage. Being born/living most of your life in space may make you realize how tiny and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things and thus make you more aloof and detached from your fellow specks of dust. Thus it may be easier for you to write off collateral damage when the situation calls for it. That's my take on it.
Or if you want a more mundane approach, the spacer is at heart, a military brat. Transferring from ship to ship you never really put down roots so again, you're not as attached to things. And even though this is the only background with a stated parent, nowhere is it written that that relationship is or was entirely solid. Personally I'm not a fan of the mother character. I never saw her mission in ME1 and the convo in Citadel felt token and cliche.
Oh, I don't deny that. That's what I meant by the "people are more complex than that" line in my post. I'm just arguing that to many people, they might view it the way I described I doubt more than a minority of people put as much thought into their Shepard as you've outlined here when they're sitting with the character creator and are presented with those 2x3 options for their Shepard's past.
I picked spacer/ ruthless as favourite to roleplay. Its basically Zapp Brannigan Shepard.
Spacer has a "space" in the title.
War hero has a "hero" in the title.
Might be the reason 
War Hero's boring. Who wants to play someone who is actually good at their job? I prefer surviving due to random circumstance or sending countless to their deaths in strategically unnessary blunders because I Did What I Had To Do
plus it helps my Shepard connect with the other squadmates who frequently tend to get everyone killed.
War Hero's boring. Who wants to play someone who is actually good at their job? I prefer surviving due to random circumstance or sending countless to their deaths in strategically unnessary blunders because I Did What I Had To Do
plus it helps my Shepard connect with the other squadmates who frequently tend to get everyone killed.
I once tried roleplaying a Ruthless Shepard in a way so his squadmates dying was a bad call on his part. But there were a few instances of people mentioning him executing Batarian prisoners. It was a bit too "ruthless"
I like playing War Hero Shepards as biotics. One biotic can make a large difference in a battle and feels more realistic for the description of Elysium attack
My Ruthless Shepards are Vanguards and Soldiers. Infiltrators and Engineers are Sole Survivors
Guest_StreetMagic_*
I like Ruthless Vanguard. Makes Major Kyle all the more funny.. maybe he cracked because he saw just what pissed off biotics are capable of... and then formed a cult later, hoping to make them his "pure children".
I like the Default Shep too (EB/SS).
I like Ruthless Vanguard. Makes Major Kyle all the more funny.. maybe he cracked because he saw just what pissed off biotics are capable of... and then formed a cult later, hoping to make them his "pure children".
I like the Default Shep too (EB/SS).
That's an interesting headcanon. I completely forgot that Major Kyle was the apart of the ruthless Shepard's background.
Who voted 'other' on the first question and ...how?
Anyway:
Femshep
Vanguard
No romance
None of them. Was tempted to put Chakwas, but no, her relationship is much better as is without romancing it up.
Garrus, Mordin
Renegon
White custom
Shotgun
Destroy
Colonist, Ruthless. The way I headcanoned it, Shep wasn't just some psycho on a rampage btw.
Kind of surprised there was such a low renegade : paragon ratio in the results. Pure paragon was kind of boring and annoyingly sanctimonious imo.
My mind's completely open when it comes to ME:Next, so I have no answers there from me.
I think the whole Paragon over Renegade general preference stems from most peoples desire to be the "good guy." I think it might be a residual of when we were all 8 year olds...didn't we all want to be the virtuous hero, e.g. Luke Skywalker (for me anyways.) Maybe also we all get a healthy dose of ruthlessness in the real world and want to escape such realities.
I much prefer Paragade though. I think tact and diplomacy is a good starting point. Failing that, throw a Merc through a window of a 90 story building (best Renegade interupt.)
-MaleShep
-Vanguard (though I might have changed that in retrospect, into Sentinel or Infiltrator or Adept)
-Romanced Kaidan (ME3, s/s)
-I would have romanced James. Yep. Would have fit the view of my Shepard really. Dose muscles would make a nice fling before possible death.
-Favorite crew, as in those my mind keeps going to in a positive way, are Kaidan, Thane, Legion, EDI. I tried to limit it and not just say any that I liked (in which case 4/5 of them would have been checked), but I could have easily said a few more.
-Paragade. Was mostly Paragon in ME1-2 and ME3's first time, but clearly Paragade after that. Getting more Renegon friendly over time. My friend is going nearly full Renegade so I'm being inspired by her to try that out.
-White custom. I'm white, and I like custom. I do not mind making mixed race, but otherwise I do tend to view Shepard as 'white/white-ish'. That's mixed with several factors including their voice. That said, I'm very open to trying out more if Bioware provided more customization choices/more abstract templates to work with in RP.
Frankly I'm rather sick of white action hero. Be more. I know we can be. I just don't think Shepard's gist easily facilitates that.
-Assault Rifle (trained my Vanguard into it when necessary), followed by Pistol, then Shotgun. Rarely sniper or SMG.
-Destroy. Then Synthesis (if maybe only for the high weirdness). Then Control (I'm interested in what it means but my Shepard would never pick it). Then a degree of respect for Refuse. MEHEM is fanon I won't deal with.
-Spacer and Sole Survivor. I wanted a connection with my mom (this has to do with my personal issues haha), and I wanted my Shepard to already have some losses on his mind from the start, making him care about others more than he might have otherwise, justifying the Paragon-ness of ME1+. I also wanted to be attached to space, not anything terrestrial or (from our POV) familiar.
-Male in next game. However, depending on how its described and shown, I may have more of a tendency for Female than in the trilogy. We'll have to see.
-I said yes, ME3's morality system, but only because that's the CLOSEST to what I want. I instead want a R/B/G (I have no problem with the 3 colors personally..) and instead/in addition to Repuation, add a Trust-meter or something like that as well. Shepard was already largely trusted (because people had to), but I want to play someone who isn't necessarily trusted, and its a specific RP factor. But I also want Paragon/Renegade added, and if possible, a third path with its pros and cons...
I didn't say 'I want a new system', because I still am basically comfortable with ME3's deal for the MOST PART, and want it MOSTLY preserved, just added to in interesting ways.
ME2's system can buzz off and ME1's system wasn't much of one, overall.
-I put AI Male Body romance for the novelty and to trigger the easily annoyed . But otherwise, I want Human Male, New Species Male, maybe Quarian Male. Didn't see Drell here, but I'm open to Drell.
Salarians and Krogan seem very unlikely. I'd rather see a salarian and krogan character get into romances outside of the PC, not WITH the PC.
-Playable background. However this intersects with various theories/thoughts of mine, where I'd like to see the variety of ways the PC 'starts', even if can unify into a single role later (akin to Grey Warden PC in DAO).
-No, but I might try it on a future playthrough. I prefer custom first, but I'm not against the default itself.
I'll simplify the list for a TLDR:
-MaleShep
-Vanguard
-Kaidan (ME3, s/s)
-James
-Kaidan, Thane, Legion, EDI
-Paragade
-White Custom
-Assault Rifle
-(Breath) Destroy
-Spacer and Sole Survivor
-Male
-ME3's Morality System (but also much more)
-AI Male Body
-Playable Background
-Custom First
Adept is destined to not be as popular. Most people gravitate towards soldiers and stuff like that....probably for worldview/cultural and other inexplicable reasons. There's nothing you can do to really change that. It's more about psychology than a fault of class design. I say let the chips fall where they may. Just design a good biotic class and appreciate the fans that do like it. Instead of trying to appeal to someone who doesn't care.
That's a big thing, but Shepard is also primarily shown as a soldier more than anything else. Soldier is also the default class, and more people than you'd think/hope pick the absolute default.
Never thought that Renegade would be so unpopular. I wonder why. He's too much/not enough racist? Or jerk? Or crazy?
Ha, I also like how New Species Female took 4th place. What should we do after first contact with new race? Bang their women of course!
There's something really human in that. Too bad most of sci-fi authors write humans as "neutral humans" while other races are "agressive humans", "nerdy humans" and so on.
More people want to be the supposed good guy. This doesn't mean being a literal paragon of morality, but it does incline to what Bioware shows as Paragon.
Also remember that this is the BF results, skewed towards more of the fandom, and fandom that is interested in talking in this format. Bioware's released infographic said 35.5% Renegade, if that can be taken as legit. 1/3 isn't bad for the number of people playing the 'bad/worse/meaner guy'.
More of them may be more casual players that aren't as interested in creating positive relationships with other characters and factions, and may be aiming for the most brutal or humorous options. Renegade is there for much of that.
Could it have been better to have a 60/40 split (instead of 70/30 or 80/20)? Yes, for sure. But it isn't so appealing to as many of the players who want to play a hero throughout a trilogy. Thus even why Paragon, over the trilogy, seems to display more visible consequences to actions, whereas Renegade seems to more often get more implicit consequences, nods, and unique results.
I'm theorizing here that when it comes to content/consequences to cut (see: rachni), its easier to do that for Renegade choices than Paragon 
Guest_StreetMagic_*
I think the whole Paragon over Renegade general preference stems from most peoples desire to be the "good guy." I think it might be a residual of when we were all 8 year olds...didn't we all want to be the virtuous hero, e.g. Luke Skywalker (for me anyways.) Maybe also we all get a healthy dose of ruthlessness in the real world and want to escape such realities.
I much prefer Paragade though. I think tact and diplomacy is a good starting point. Failing that, throw a Merc through a window of a 90 story building (best Renegade interupt.)
I don't know.. I was obsessed with Billy the Kid back then. Oh, and Robocop (the original version that shoots people in the balls). Probably not healthy.
As for Shep, I like being heroic, but it's more like Bruce Willis in Die Hard. Or something. He's stops bad guys, but isn't congenial one-to-one.
I think the whole Paragon over Renegade general preference stems from most peoples desire to be the "good guy." I think it might be a residual of when we were all 8 year olds...didn't we all want to be the virtuous hero, e.g. Luke Skywalker (for me anyways.) Maybe also we all get a healthy dose of ruthlessness in the real world and want to escape such realities.
I much prefer Paragade though. I think tact and diplomacy is a good starting point. Failing that, throw a Merc through a window of a 90 story building (best Renegade interupt.)
Heh, every game where we could be good or bad I went full evil when I was younger. Black and White, Kotor, Fable, Neverwinter Nights... I never once played as the good guys in Battle for Middle Earth. Always just found villains more fun in general.
Actually that's changed a bit these days, in the Witcher and Deus Ex and stuff I always try to do the 'right' thing, without being a total goody goody. Same in ME, I don't tend to play my Shep as evil, just a bit mean, or capable of being mean when the situation calls for it. I think I just like to take the story (a bit too) seriously and go with what the realistic course of action is, rather than the heroic one. That's just my preference though.
And hey, I like Luke, but you know it'd be more fun to be Han Solo.
I'll play a bad/grey/problematic/evil/ruthless/etc character, but Shepard was never one I'd want for that.
While I wanted that for THE DAMN INQUISITOR. UGH BIOWARE WHY.
I think the whole Paragon over Renegade general preference stems from most peoples desire to be the "good guy." I think it might be a residual of when we were all 8 year olds...didn't we all want to be the virtuous hero, e.g. Luke Skywalker (for me anyways.) Maybe also we all get a healthy dose of ruthlessness in the real world and want to escape such realities.
I much prefer Paragade though. I think tact and diplomacy is a good starting point. Failing that, throw a Merc through a window of a 90 story building (best Renegade interupt.)
The problem is while being Paragon has its merits being Renegade makes not much sense. Makes more sense than being "evil" i admit but it needs a total overhaul.
Shephard: "Council can kiss my ass!"
Anderson: "Really? You've ben taken off command because we can't risk bad relations. I'm too old for your adolescent BS Shephard."
Shephard: "QQ... Yes sir!"
Being a jerk to a teammate then ordering them to do something should result in either laggy orders("Yea, yea i'll do it... Jerk"), ignoring it totally("I won't do it, you're ruthless. Do it on your own"), even complaints to superiors about court marshalling.
Shephard: "But I never trust council. And so many aliens on board!1"
Anderson: "Yeah, but we need to. Either drop your stance or i'm returning to Normandy"
Shephard: " QQ"
Shephard paragon is nice, sometimes being too naive but renagade Shephard acts like a 4chan kid needs to be slapped from time to time.
Got better in second and third but still has too much way to cover to make more sense.(Like the example of being jerk to teammate above)
PS: Won't gonna happen but still
PS 2: I love 4chan
Guest_StreetMagic_*
The problem is while being Paragon has its merits being Renegade makes not much sense. Makes more sense than being "evil" i admit but it needs a total overhaul.
Shephard: "Council can kiss my ass!"
Anderson: "Really? You've ben taken off command because we can't risk bad relations. I'm too old for your adolescent BS Shephard."
Shephard: "QQ... Yes sir!"
Being a jerk to a teammate then ordering them to do something should result in either laggy orders("Yea, yea i'll do it... Jerk"), ignoring it totally("I won't do it, you're ruthless. Do it on your own"), even complaints to superiors about court marshalling.
Shephard: "But I never trust council. And so many aliens on board!1"
Anderson: "Yeah, but we need to. Either drop your stance or i'm returning to Normandy"
Shephard: " QQ"
Shephard paragon is nice, sometimes being too naive but renagade Shephard acts like a 4chan kid needs to be slapped from time to time.
Got better in second and third but still has too much way to cover to make more sense.(Like the example of being jerk to teammate above)
PS: Won't gonna happen but still
PS 2: I love 4chan
Renegade doesn't make sense at times, but it's more about flavor.
If I could simply be a good guy, that'd be cool. Which is what I try to do a lot -- good actions. But Paragon dialogue sucks. He's a little too in touch with his emotions, I think. The dialogue is more sensitive or something... like that 4th grade teacher everyone liked. That's the last thing I need in a space marine. I mean, who the **** buys a shooter to act like this? Is this what people fantasize about? To be some idealistic social worker in space?
Don't answer that. I'm sure there are plenty of people....
Renegade doesn't make sense at times, but it's more about flavor.
If I could simply be a good guy, that'd be cool. Which is what I try to do a lot -- good actions. But Paragon dialogue sucks. He's a little too in touch with his emotions, I think. The dialogue is more sensitive or something... like that 4th grade teacher everyone liked. That's the last thing I need in a space marine. I mean, who the **** buys a shooter to act like this? Is this what people fantasize about? To be some idealistic social worker in space?
Don't answer that. I'm sure there are plenty of people....
I'm mostly in "grey" areas anyway.
To me full dedication to either side makes no sense. But we're living in a world of min/max'ers eh?
Heh, every game where we could be good or bad I went full evil when I was younger. Black and White, Kotor, Fable, Neverwinter Nights... I never once played as the good guys in Battle for Middle Earth. Always just found villains more fun in general.
Actually that's changed a bit these days, in the Witcher and Deus Ex and stuff I always try to do the 'right' thing, without being a total goody goody. Same in ME, I don't tend to play my Shep as evil, just a bit mean, or capable of being mean when the situation calls for it. I think I just like to take the story (a bit too) seriously and go with what the realistic course of action is, rather than the heroic one. That's just my preference though.
And hey, I like Luke, but you know it'd be more fun to be Han Solo.
At 8 it was Luke, but at forty-something Han is definitely the way to go. He got the hot princess afterall. Besides despite his roguish tendencies he ended up being a heroic figure that saved all their azzes. He would fit into that Paragade/Renegon range.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
At 8 it was Luke, but at forty-something Han is definitely the way to go. He got the hot princess afterall. Besides despite his roguish tendencies he ended up being a heroic figure that saved all their azzes. He would fit into that Paragade/Renegon range.
I like the chick in your avatar as well.
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