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ideas-on-paper · 1 year

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Serenity (2005) - The inspiration for Mass Effect?

Last Wednesday, by sheer coincidence, I stumbled across the movie "Serenity" while skimming through the TV program. Because the sci-fi topic piqued my interest, I looked up a quick summary to get an overview of what the movie is about - and I was even more intrigued when I learned that it's based on and essentially a continuation of the TV show "Firefly" from 2002. That title immediately rang a bell, since I distinctly remember Firefly being stated as one of the main inspirations for the Mass Effect trilogy - which, as it happens, I'm playing right now. So, because I was curious to see where the Mass Effect developers got their ideas from, I used the opportunity to watch Serenity that evening - and boy, there are certainly a lot of things that are strikingly similar to Mass Effect.

SPOILERS for Mass Effect and Serenity follow (also, please note that I'm judging this from the POV of someone who only saw the movie, and not the TV series)

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First off, some general background stuff: The setting of Serenity is a galaxy 500 years in the future, after mankind had to abandon the contaminated Earth and colonize a new star system (that sounds like a not entirely unrealistic prediction, unfortunately). Many planets have been made habitable by terraforming, the central ones of which are controlled by an institution called the Alliance; however, there are quite a few border worlds where development isn't that advanced yet and outlaw conditions are dominant. Although Mass Effect isn't set quite that far in the future (the main plot starts in 2183), the lore framework is quite similar, with the colonization of new planets and terraforming also playing a big role. The similarities go to the point where even the unified human government is called Alliance, although the Alliance from Firefly/Serenity should not be confused with the Alliance from Mass Effect (as we will soon see). The lawless border worlds are generally comparable to the Terminus Systems from Mass Effect (which are treated in greater detail in ME2).

One thing I also had to chuckle about is that one of the opening shots from Serenity looks almost straight out of Mass Effect - for real, the tower looks almost exactly like those seen in the panorama of futuristic Earth from ME. xD

Anyway, back to the main plot: One of the central points that's established right at the beginning is that Alliance scientists have been conducting secret, potentially harmful experiments with a 17-year-old girl named River Tam who possesses telepathic abilities. By exposing her to psychic training, they were hoping to be able to utilize her skills as a weapon - and indeed, she is shown to be able to effortlessly knock out an entire pub after a coded command later in the movie. Although River doesn't lift or throw any objects with telekinesis, it's imaginable that this was one of the inspirations for the mind reading abilities of the Asari, and her hearing foreign voices in her head evokes associations with certain scenes from ME1 (e.g. the conversation with the Thorian on Feros and the Rachni Queen on Noveria which also involve mind control).

Fortunately, River is soon freed from this hellish lab by her brother Simon, which brings a man called "The Operative" into the scene. Just like the scientists who experimented on River, he works in secret for the Alliance, as a government agent receiving his orders directly from the parliament. Although he has no official rank, he seems to have full clearance for classified information, as well as the permission to kill anyone if necessary (which he promptly uses to murder the scientists of the facility where River was kept). To everyone thinking "well, that sounds a lot like a Spectre", I can confirm that he is actually convinced that "the end justifies the means", and that his ruthless actions "will make the world better for everyone" - well, if that doesn't sound like a certain rogue Spectre.

Meanwhile, River and Simon have found refuge on the ship Serenity led by Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Malcolm, simply called "Mal", is a bit of an ambivalent character, to say the least - he and his crew make their money with robberies, smuggling, and other illegal activities, but he still refuses to kill innocents and has a very intimate, familial relationship with his shipmates. In a way, he seems a bit like a Paragade version of Commander Shepard from Mass Effect (considering this, perhaps it's no surprise that the ME developers pitched Shepard as something like a "space James Bond"). Actually, quite a few of the members of the Serenity seem to carry some resemblance to the Normandy crew: There's Hoban, the talented pilot of the Serenity with a somewhat dry sense of humor (well, hello there, Joker); Zoë, a tough and steadfast fighter (and possible inspiration for Ashley); and Kaylee, the ship's sweet and lively mechanic (which sounds a lot like Tali).

What's more is that there's a hostile faction called the "Reavers" - which, hilariously, is just one letter away from Reapers (no kidding, I frequently kept mishearing "Reavers" as "Reapers" throughout the movie xD). In Serenity, however, the Reavers aren't a race of oversized, mechanical squids, but of deranged cannibalistic humans who like to eat their victims alive. Well, at least they share the tendency to kill everything in sight that seems remotely organic…

And if that wasn't enough, there's literally a character called Shepherd in the movie - though in Serenity, he is presented as more of a preacher than a soldier. In the context of the movie, he acts as Mal's "moral compass", telling him that he could use something like a higher goal in life (the Mass Effect translation of which would probably be "pick some Paragon options from time to time, bro" xD). Unfortunately, Shepherd dies during the course of the story, but his advice still ends up having a profound effect on Mal's character development.

One scene in particular that gave me very strong Mass Effect vibes was the "vision scene", where River sees the decaying corpses of former human colonists. Both the visual and sound design - with erratic shots of the dead who appear to "scream" at the camera - immediately reminded me of the vision that Shepard receives from the Prothean transmitter in Mass Effect 1. The two not only resemble each other in their eerie, disconcerting atmosphere, but also in their ultimate purpose, as they show the protagonist the way to a secret planet which plays a major role in the plot.

Following a hint from River, the crew of the Serenity makes their way to Miranda (no, not that Miranda), a planet which was the location of a former colonization project of the Alliance. As it turns out, the Alliance conducted secret experiments on the population, adding a substance called "Pax" to the air filters which was supposed to suppress aggressive tendencies. However, their plan backfired, and the colonists not only stopped fighting, but also working, eating, and all other daily activities. Meanwhile, the Pax had the opposite effect on 0.1% of the inhabitants and turned them into violent cannibals, with the Alliance effectively creating the Reavers in the process. Viewed from a Mass Effect perspective, all of this sounds suspiciously like something Cerberus would do - after all, they didn't shy away from any atrocities in their pursuit of the "enhancement of humanity". So, while the Alliance are essentially the big baddies in Serenity, their role has been split up in Mass Effect: the Alliance from Mass Effect is a union that acts as the representative of all nations on Earth in the galactic community, while Cerberus is more of an undercover terrorist organization.

As we can see, Mass Effect and the Firefly universe share quite a few similar elements. However, despite all these resemblances, it should be said that BioWare never copied anything one-on-one - rather, they took a few pieces, rearranged them, and made them into something new. If anything, Serenity and Mass Effect are proof that drawing inspiration from your favorite stories can beget original, unique universes. Who knows - perhaps one day, a new generation of writers will remember Mass Effect as the inspiration for their own stories.

#mass effect #serenity #serenity 2005 #firefly #firefly 2002 #firefly tv show #firefly serenity #sci fi movies #I'm sorry but I couldn't resist #it reminded me so much of Mass Effect

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forlornmelody · 1 year

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Shepard as a Companion

I was tagged by the amazing @alyssalenko

I will tag: @bardofheartdive and @swaps55, if you want to play.

Gonna go a bit AWOL here and do my Clone Shep instead. Cause I can. :P

THE BASICS:

Shepard’s full name: She has many names, including: Ana Fields, Jane Shepard, Jane Doe, and Alison Gunn.

Class: Vanguard

Pre-service history: Uh, she didn’t exist yet. :P

Psychological profile: Initially a blank slate, The Shepard Clone was conditioned by Cerberus defector Hope Lilium.

MASS EFFECT 1: Clone Shep isn’t available as a companion until ME2 :P

When/how are they recruited:

Where are they on the Normandy:

Are they romanceable:

Personal quest:

Who are their friends:

MASS EFFECT 2:

Trained with remedial Asari in New Serrice, co-lead the Cat6 merc squad on Pragia.

What does their dossier say: “The CLONE.

Project Gemini

Genetic Duplicate of Shepard. Programmed with Shepard’s memories and likely trained to match Shepard’s abilities. Inexperienced and volatile.

Highly dangerous. Recruit or destroy. Marked for potential sale to the Collectors. Do not allow asset to fall into the Shadowbroker’s hands. Known associate: rogue agent Hope Lilium. Current status unknown.

When/how are they recruited: “Ana” is first spotted in Eternity, near the Nos Astra exchange. Matriarch Atheyta remarks “that one isn’t all that she seems. Mark my words.” Ms. Fields provides intel that helps locate Miranda’s sister, and then Shepard invites her to join the crew, seeing her as a potential ally against the Illusive Man.

Where are they on the Normandy: Shuttle bay. Probably looking for weak points. And yes, you can get the shutle bay via the elevator once the Clone is recruited.

Are they romanceable: Absolutely, by either Shepard, but you gotta unlock the romance with a hard to reach dialogue tree.

How do they react to the PC returning: Oh, she’s real upset about it, for obvious reasons. But Hope Lilium tells her to join the Normandy crew at all costs. And to kill Shepard before she goes on the Suicide Mission (to stop it from happening.)

Personal quest: One of her old classmates in biotic training, Dreya T’Vasi, has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. Travel to Hyetiana and free the hostage.

The tricky bit is Dreya is being held by a Justicar. Cause Dreya is an ardaht yakshi. So Shepard has to choose between saving Dreya for the clone’s loyalty or siding with the justicar for Samara’s.

Do they fight with any other companions: Just Shepard. She corners them in the Normandy cabin on the eve of the suicide mission. Pulls off her wig and demands Shepard argue why she should be allowed to live.

What files does the Shadow Broker have on them: Training footage on Hyetiana. The Illusive Man’s plans for the Clone should Shepard fail. Her journal entries about Shepard and Dreya.

Can they die in the suicide mission, and how: You absolutely do not want to select the Clone as team leader. She does not command loyalty and the B team will end up being taken out by the Collectors.

MASS EFFECT 3:

When/how are they recruited: Being a ME2 character, The Clone only shows up in the Citadel DLC. The DLC runs as normal, but you can choose to save her from falling. As you should. (But you only get to save her if you earned her loyalty in ME2)

Where are they on the Normandy: Right in front of the galaxy map. Oh you mean after her and Shep make up. She doesn’t tend to stay in one spot. But she’s most often found in the lounge, staring out the window as if the stars have the answer to her questions.

Are they romanceable: Yup, but only if you started the romance in ME2.

Citadel meetup (during the game, where do you meet them on the Citadel and what do you talk about): The Clone is naturally cleaning the mess in the Archives. She’s surprised that Shep accepted her invitation, but definitely doesn’t begrudge the help. It quickly devolves into a contest of who can clean the fastest, with a few dialogue options that turn flirty if you romanced her in ME2.

How does the PC relax with them in the Citadel DLC (ie, buying gifts with EDI, watching the game with James and Vega, etc.): The Clone will suggest a Paint Your Own Pottery place, where they can get to know each other better. It quickly devolves into a rivalry of who can paint better/faster. The finished plate ware will show up in the kitchen of Shepard’s apartment upon their return. If romanced, the cut scene ends with a kiss that lands clay on Shepard’s face.

What do they say to the PC before the final battle: “If you’re expecting me to take your place, you’re full of shit, Shepard. But thank you, for everything. I owe you my life three times over. Crazy, huh? But don’t you dare get yourself KO’d, alright? Or I’m gonna come Lazarus your ass just so I can kill you myself. So don’t get any crazy ideas.”

#FINALLY FINISHED THIS #clone shep #my oc's #tag meme #hey look I'm still doing these #I'm just waaaaay behind

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messydiabolical · 2 years

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50 questions: Keahi Shepard (they/he)

This post is ridiclously long, because I cannot do brevity to save my life! So i’ve put the Q&A under the cut :)

Thanks

@spookyvalentine

<3 original questions can be found here

1. Why did Shepard enlist? Any regrets?

Keahi was a fantastic archer as soon as he was old enough to hold a bow, a skill he learnt from his amazing mum Rita. When Mindoir was attacked and Anderson effectively became their surrogate dad an early way for them to bond was through Keahi teaching Anderson archery, and Anderson teaching them rifle skills in return. Turned out, Keahi was even better with a sniper rifle than the bow, and also very good at teaching and tactical planning.

Keahi was not especially attached to the idea of military life per se, but did feel a debt towards Anderson and no real passion for anything else (Mindoir happened when they'd be making life decisions and derailed things a lot). Also, broke AF, no inheritence, their parents life savings were all tied up in Mindoir.

They do not always agree with the Alliances decisions, but for the most part has managed to do things his own way by sticking to the infiltration track and working in smaller squadrons. While it was good for the galaxy that Shepard became more prominent within the Alliance, it leads to a growing contention, and ultimately Keahi will leave the Alliance (either at the end of ME2 after Aratoht/arrival, which is my main headcanon, or after the war if we go game canon).

2. How does your Shepard feel about having a yeoman assigned to them in 2? And in 3?

Keahi loves Kelly. They know she works for Cerberus, like duh, but heck, she's so open about herself in some ways (job aside) and such a quirky little oddball that it doesn't phase him really, and it's kind of fun chatting with her and throwing in random curveballs to see how she'll react. He loves thinking about what her reports back to the illusive man must look like, lol.

She picks up on this and they end up having a very funny, if odd, relationship of one upping each other in weirdness and bullshittery.

Traynor? Bestie. He's never playing strip chess against her again though, that was a dumb move on his part.

3. What’s their relationship with Anderson?

He's my dad- boogie woogie woogie

4. Is your Shepard any good at poker?

Deceptively good, as they seem like they have tells (lots of giggling, blushing and badly contained smiles) BUT they are strategicly used ;)

5. How well does Shepard know their crew? Not just the companions, but the folks making up the Normandy

Keahi gets to know people and tries to always see things from their perspective almost to a fault; sometimes their 'empathising with the enemy' attitude can seem quite frustrating, but he still has a strong moral compass and ultimately won't let people sway them, it's all part of his methodology. Some people can find it extremely annoying though.

When it comes to the crew, it is one of his greatest strengths as leader; getting to know everyone personally, relating to them, knowing how they tick to help facilitate a healthy, well working crew dynamic (even if he doesn't personally approve of every characteristic another person has, they will try to work with it as best they can). He did struggle a little with the some of the Cerberus crew; he will always call out bigotry and not let it continue. Thankfully, most of the crew had more nuance than you'd expect for cerberus. (He did give a few lectures on xenophobia to really make things clear that it would NOT be tolerated).

6. Initial reaction to EDI? Does it change?

Fascinated, if a little weary only because he doesn't trust TIM and can't be sure how much EDI is TIM's (all those confidential files about his own ship that EDI won't talk through raises their hackles a little). Over time as trust builds Keahi see's EDI as another valued crewmember, and then a dear friend.

7. Does their love interest move into their quarters?

Yes, one on one time with Thane in the cabin is one of Keahi's happy places. That said, the cabin also often ends up hosting others as well. Everyone on the Normandy has fallen asleep on Keahi Shepards couch or bed at some point. He's big on late night chats and blanket snuggles.

8. What is their reaction to the Alchera mission? And after?

pretty angry, if he's honest with himself. Angry that they were left to mop up geth remnants while the council was busy glossing over the real reaper threat, even with evidence literally on their doorstep. Angry that, two years later, that's still the case, and all these people they knew and cared for died in a fight the galaxy doesn't understand or take seriously.

Afterwards? Exhausted. Introverted. He needs a few days of isolation and introspection after that one. Crewmembers slowly bring him around with one on one time, just sitting with them and letting them be quiet but showing that they are there when he's ready, just the way Keahi would do for them.

9. What type of fighter is your shepard? Do they fight with honor, or do they fight dirty?

Keahi will give all enemies a chance to do the right thing wherever possible, try negotiation and such if the situation allows, but that often isn't the case and then he's a fiersome enemy to make and an extremely good infiltrator, which some might see as dirty I guess? shadow tactics, poisons, surpise attacks kind of thing? Depends on your definition of dirty I guess. He will use shadow tactics and kill people before they know he's coming if it'll utimately end the mission effectively. Part of why they relate and gets on with Thane so well is perhaps this almost battlesleep like attitude to missions.

10. Does Shepard keep any pets? The hamster, fish, something else?

One day exploring an alien market with Thane he spots a little green lizard and gets super excited, then worries that might seem a tad offensive to Thane so tries to rein it in, but Thane notices and hatches a plan.

The crew keep Keahi distracted all day after that and Thane has 'things to attend to' suddenly. When Keahi finaly gets back to the cabin, the formerly empty fishtank is now a terrarium, with little 'Not Thane' in there.

11. What order does Shepard pick up companions in me2?

No super specific order, but he does try to visit friends first, so Citadel to see Anderson (Kasumi) and Illium to see Liara (Thane and Samara) happen very early on compared to game lore. Then Omega as they know Mordin's research will be important. They would have gone for Garrus first if they'd known it was their friend and they were in trouble. Lowkey shade towards Cerberus for not figuring that one out tbh, and perhaps even a little suss.

12. Does Shepard have any nicknames? What do they think of em?

Often gets shortened to Kay, which they are fine with. Siha is obvously his fave though ;) In fact his nearest and dearest can't help but notice how much siha turns them to mush, so sometimes they also call him siha to catch them off guard (Garrus and Joker especially).

13. How does your Shep react to teasing/ribbing?

very cool with it, and can give back just as good and then some.

14. Any good at flirting?

They can playfully flirt and tease as part of a conversation if that's the tone set by the other person, but it's like a game and not serious. When he's actually seriously interested in someone romantically they prefer to have a good open heart to heart, lay it all out and be clear, before getting into flirting, as they know the what ifs and doubts will bug them otherwise. Keahi is demisexual; deep connections are essenial to them.

15. What colors does Shepard prefer for their armor?

Whatever is best for infiltrating the location.

16. Is Shepard a drinker? History of other substances? Do they struggle with sobriety?

Not much of a drinker except socially, but does enjoy edibles and chill during rare time off. Thane’s venom can be a lot of fun. He has used stims for longer infiltration ops before and has made it a point to only ever keep minimal amounts around, as they were a little too good and they can see that becoming a dangerous habit if they let it. If Thane met his canon fate Keahi would for sure abuse stims to get him through the following war :( not today satan >:| Thane lives mofos

17. How does Shepard react to attention? Do they enjoy it?

Small groups and found family are the best kind of attention and can be tolerated for longer periods; large crowds and riled up parties not so fond of. Decompression time is essential. And fame fucking sucks- it's like the worst thing for an infiltrator, how you supposed to be sluething and working from behind the scenes with that kind of focus? Genuinely puzzles Keahi why the Alliance would want to make him a prominent person.

There's a reason Keahi is an infiltrator, leads specialised squads, has a smaller stealth ship and was a good candiadate for being a specter. He's all about the close knit found family angle.

In terms of romatically, Keahi really loves it when they get one on one attention from Thane, but even moreso, LOVES lavishing attention on Thane. Thane is so naturally worshipful, but so is Keahi. They have to take turns, just slathering each other in love. Those around them find them sickeningly adorable (and a little hilarious how absolutely gone on each other they are)

18. Who’s the dream team? Which companions does Shepard fight best with and why?

They are known for putting together all sniping squads when they can, a move that some tacticians would think unwise, but somehow Keahi makes it work very effectively, it's like their signature move. So Garrus, Thane or Zaeed often end up in their squad for this purpose. It’s Keahi’s life’s mission to make Zaeed giggle and blush >:3 one day. One day. That said, they try to rotate squads and play to everyone's strengths, mission depending, and give everyone a fair shot to flex their skills.

19. Are there any companions your Shepard just absolutely cannot vibe with or relate to?

Keahi just see's differences as a challenge to work on, but will be more personally closed off if the vibes are too off and stick to professionalism.

20. Does Shepard enjoy looking for resources and upgrading gear, or do they see it as a chore?

He can get really hyperfixated on things, especially his rifle. Keahi loves having long nerdy talks with Tali, Thane, Garrus, Jacob and Cortez about upgrades and infiltration tech. He finds vehicle talk kinda dull if he's honest, but will try to be politely attentive. Engineering tends to sail over their head but they love seeing other people be enthusiastic so will just coast on the vibes even if the info is not sticking.

21. Do you have any AUs for your shepard?

My main headcanon for Keahi is, ah, Everything after ME2 is AU lol. I am doing an ME3 playthrough though, but to me THAT is the AU, lol.

At the end of ME2, Keahi is so done. Done with Cerberus (not that he was ever really on the same page as them, but did like using their cool stuff). Done with the council (he keeps sending them evidence throughout me2 of collector and reaper stuff and is constantly ignored).

Done with the Alliance, post Alchera they're on thin ice (pun not intended), then Aratoht happens and their reaction seals it. He does NOT hand himself in, and instead teams up with shadow broker Liara and forms a rogue shadow specter Normandy crew, who will prepare the galaxy for the reapers their own way whether they want it or not.

And also done with keprals. I got the powers of Miranda and Mordin bitch, my space husband aint dying.

22. What’s the last thing Shepard ate before the final reaper showdown?

It’s time to pull out all the secret stash foods and share with the crew. Keahi shares their last precious jar of jerk sauce and makes chicken, and a bag of fizzy gummy worms, in the canteen, Soon everyone on board is pulling out their own personal stashes, creating an extremely confusing but love filled meal.

24. Who does Shepard turn to for advice? For comfort? Who do they like to gossip with?

Everyone! That's the good part of taking time to get to know everyone; so many skill sets and strengths. Keahi thinks there's something to learn from everyone.

Also they try hard not to gossip themselves as the commander, but if they happen to hear some tea, well, as long as they maintain a good poker face who's to know how much they secretly love it eh?

Thane is Keahi's best friend, heart and soul. Everything will always get run by Thane. And in private, they can gossip, discreetly.

25. How emotionally articulate is your Shepard? Do they emote well?

Professionally they are stoic when they need to be. Personally? Heart on their sleeve, just a big mushy bag of emotions. Everything is written on their face to almost comical levels. If you met Keahi in a personal setting you would never guess this person is an infiltration and epsionage specialist. They can flip it like a switch for work.

26. Does your Shepard have a romance? Who are they, and what drew Shep to them?

Thane. Keahi always works so hard to get to know other people, to make them feel welcome and understood. Thane is the first person who was genuinely interested in getting to know Keahi on a personal level right from the get go, not just to work well together, not because of any hero worship, but because he liked who Keahi was and wanted to know him better. They also have a shared background of infiltration, sniper skills, and enjoy spending long stretches just being together, quiet and calm, a sanctuary within each other in between their busy bursts of life.

27. Do they have any pet peeves?

Poor communication, mean spirited people, general willful rudeness. And who keeps setting the showers to scalding?!

28. What about hyperfixations? What’s the topic that will get Shepard rolling no matter the person or place

Sniper rifles and bows Certain books and movies and the fandoms around them like Lord of the Rings (Keahi is known to suddenly belt out 'salted pork!' at any good smelling food Gimli style, much to the confusion of many). Speculating on former cultures and planet histories- he and Liara can really geek out on that for hours at a time.

29. How active is Shepard? Are they hitting the gym, playing sports, or do they prefer quieter downtime?

Keahi is not as beefcakey as the default mshep body. They work out as needed to weild their heavy rifle, and loves to swim when that's possible, but they aren't all about that weightlift life. They do like inventing ridiculous sports though; low G volleyball anyone? One time they decided to up it- low G volleyball, with inertial dampeners to minimal while Joker drove around. Chakwas had to put her foot down on that one.

30. What will always make them laugh? AND 31. Who can always make them laugh?

He loves a bit of sass and sarcastic humour, especially as they have to be quite diplomatic as leader a lot of the time. He can be pretty sarcastic and darkly funny himself, and LOVES it when people recognise that and join in.

Memes and silly vids are always fun too! There's a great Normandy group chat.

Thane's dry wit and sometimes dark humour is his fave, because of course. In the privacy of the cabin, they can become quite the morbidly hilarious and sassy salty little queens. When Thane said to the biotic god ‘go now and dream of little round women’ Keahi thought they might actually die. He still isn’t sure how he got through the rest of that mission but he’s sure the asari he fought in the next room thought he was taking the piss out of her because they couldn’t stop chuckling.

32. What do they do when they have hit their limit angry, just incandescent with rage

The diplomatic Keahi is dropped and he becomes cold, ruthless even, and reckless compared to his usual careful measured approach to things. It's very rare they get that bad, but quite the thing to behold.

33. What skills do they have that are a surprise to the people around them?

Really nice cursive writing. He often gives people gifts of their favourite quotes written in various languages in beautiful hand writing.

They can also crochet and has made little figurines of all their friends. There are lil crochet things all over the Normandy, hidden for people to find.

34. Got any tattoos?

yes. But I haven't designed them yet shhhh

35. Which companions have they lost? How do they cope with it?

Ash. Whenever he is feeling angry with the Alliance in general, he tries to temper it remembering what a great and dedicated soldier she was, an example of how great their best can be. It really hurts him when they leave the Alliance wondering if she'd have been upset, but ultimately they hope she would have respected their decision.

36. Do they like to style their hair, wear makeup and jewlery? How do they feel about getting dressed up?

His hair is very important to him; he has shoulder length natural curls with an auburn/red hue (Keahi means fire, and is also the name of a tree with red bark, Keahi was born with a mop of red curls and the name was chosen on the spot). They keep it tied back in a bun to work and let it loose in downtime. They also always wear a little black eyeliner, and would probably wear more if he had the time and weren't military. Post Alliance Keahi starts experimenting more with makeup. They love nail polish, and paint Kolyat’s claws in fancy designs as a stepdad-son bonding time.

37. Got any bad habits?

Cracking bones all the time (not just knuckles, everything gets cracked. He's very proud of a spine triple popper). leaving clothes laying around all over the place, wearing any clothes he comes across, eating off of questionable surfaces (5 second rule more like 5 day rule).

"Siha you have worked with poisons, you understand the risks of ingesting unknown substances. How can you possibly think eating that is a good idea?"

"Ug hungry"

Keahi gets hangry easy.

38. Does Shepard do any activities with the companions and crew during downtime?

All the time. Movie nights, group cooking, treasure hunts, hide and seek, the mail slot shield fort down in the hangar bay... Keahi has a childish streak and is very good at getting others to join in

39. Do they keep around any sentimental items? AND 40. Does your Shepard actually like to collect model ships? If not, what do they display?

Shep collects things everywhere they go, and that is what fills their shelves. Rocks, pebbles, leaves, dried flowers, local arts, scraps, you name it. He also likes to find rare print books for Thane.

41. How is Shepard with a gun? What about hand to hand?

Keahi is scarily good with a gun. No offence to Garrus but there is no way he's ever gonna beat Keahi at that shot, even Thane has to conceed, Keahi is THE ultimate shot.

They can do hand to hand if they need to but only basics. Thane and Garrus are teaching them to get better but it'll never be their strength.

42. Favorite weapon?

Widow. Sniper rifle go Pew. Just one. PEW. It’s called Gandalf.

43. Which version of the Normandy do they like best?

The one they create post ME2 with Liara, a hybrid broker base battleship that also has much better casual areas for the very tight knit rogue crew. Everyone gets their own bed in partitioned off areas (they are very small, but at least everyone gets somewhere), the cafeteria becomes more like a family kitchen, the bathrooms become mixed gender, with walled off toilets and showers. And someone turns the damn lights on. Also they move the armory down to the bay like in ME3 because no shade Jacob, but dafuq? why would it be up there?!

45. Do they approve of curing the genophage?

Your damn straight they do. Keahi be like 'Mordin, buddy, I love you you little war criminal you, but you better do good or i'm gonna get mad'. :p

In seriousness, getting the genophage cured is always on Keahi's mind from the moment he learns more about it, they know they will always fight to help make that an end goal however they can. Actually getting to be involved personally on it means so much to them, and is one of thier proudest achievements.

46. Does Shepard allow the rachni to live in me1?

Yes, they consider it carefully but their first instinct is 'I can't commit genocide' and anaylysing the situation and talking to the queen only reinforces that decision.

47. Does Shepard practice any kind of self-care?

Tending to their hair is a daily me time activity.

Knowing that sometimes it's okay to say to the crew 'i'm gonna get some alone time now, see you later' (though that one is something he has to remind himself of regularly as they want to be there for everyone all the time).

48. What abilities do they rely on the most in a fight?

Excellent observational skills, body language analysis and spatial awareness. Anything that gives them an edge with their rifle or tactical cloak, essentially.

49. What is Shepard’s happy ending? What’s the dream that keeps em going

Doing good while surrounded by loved ones. Marrying Thane, being a good step dad to Kolyat, guiding their son Grunt well in life, helping and loving his friends. If they can save the galaxy along the way, well hell, that'd be nice wouldn't it?

50. Is your Shepard indoctrinated

You clearly have not understood how fluffy I am. ;p

(+1: what does Shepard smell like?)

Shea butter leave in conditioner and Thane >:3

#keahi shepard #about my shepard #mass effect #ask meme #50 questions #shrios #thane krios #my art #my headcanons #md art #md headcanons

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aldings-stash · 1 year

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Mass Effect 3 Thoughts

This post has been in my drafts for almost a year! After doing the other games, here’s my thoughts on the 3rd. It’s hard to approach this without tackling the ending so be warned.

By 2012 Mass Effect was a huge franchise. It’s hard to believe now but there were comics, mobile games, books and even a anime film out in preparation for the final game of the trilogy.

There was a lot to live up to and the hype was real!

When it released it was well received at first, with great gameplay, a high-stakes narrative and fun time-killer of a multiplayer. But as time progressed things turned sour as people approached the ending. Originally, after your 3 flavours of explosion, the Normandy crashed and it cut to credits. Given the time spent with the series it was an abrupt and unsatisfying resolution and made you think you’d nuked the Galaxy by the detonations from the Mass Relays. People also had issue with the final reveal being dumb or illogical. It’s difficult to say the proportion that was annoyed but there was enough backlash that BioWare were compelled to add an Extended Cut to put a more positive spin on things and grant closure to some of the decisions made.

These days people have mellowed out but it remains a bit of a dent on an otherwise decent track record. It’s possible new players will not even wonder what the fuss was about, but that’s how it was at the time. As always, a simple story told well is better than something that tries to be clever and falls short. No one likes to have their hero’s self agency taken away, or to feel lectured by the writers. Don’t get me wrong, despite all this bashing it really is a lot of fun and should be played to get the full experience.

Graphics: 9/10 - The best looking of the games. Lots of new animations and everything is very well put together. Pre-rendered cutscenes have improved a considerable amount and conversations flow a lot better.

Soundtrack: 6/10 - Many missions have no music at all! Many tracks just aren’t memorable or capture the energy of ME2, or are too forced: [this is the sad music, feel sad].

Squad: 7/10 - Feels a bit of a step back after ME2′s huge roster but everyone gets a bit of closure, which is nice. No combat chatter anymore. They have a lot of comments mid-mission but once they’re done they’re silent.

Story: 7/10 - Poor, rushed opening and shaky final mission. Could be better in middle places, like the Geth are suddenly whitewashed to be suspiciously innocent and harmless despite their past. And why would you pick the option to not cure the Krogan? However, the bulk of it was good and gathering forces and resolving major plot points feels satisfying.

The ending still feels off but if you talk as little as possible to the holo-kid and go to Destroy it felt ok. Leviathan DLC is excellent and essential for added context but doesn’t effect the ending in the way it needed to. Frustrating because it otherwise lays down the perfect groundwork to both explain and deal with the Reapers. All it needs is a Shepard who knows the full story to shout down the kid who is obviously a rogue AI with a God complex and self-replicating fleet. You shouldn’t trust it one bit.

If you could point this out, and re-frame it so that it doesn’t feel like the Reapers are giving permission for Shepard to win, it would be much more palatable. So skip the dialogue, don’t ask for details and go blow those feckers up!

Gameplay: 8/10 - Super fun shooting mechanics, with improved movement, gun modding and excellent weapon variety. Would be the best in the trilogy except the enemy variety is poor. Most of the game you’ll fight Reapers or Cerberus, and they won’t get all their roster to face you until halfway in.

Overall: Generally good but more inconsistent than the other games. This is where you see the cracks in what was old BioWare, though they were definitely rushed by EA. Manage expectations and it is still a very fun game for the most part.

ME1 Thoughts

ME2 Thoughts

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the-rogue-mockingjay · 2 years

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This is a Tali'Zorah appreciation post, make sure to tell your Tali how much you love her today!

#having FINALLY found cerberus in me1 makes me2 so much better #bc marian had never heard of those guys before but morrigan HAS #she was on akuze!!!!!#also mad respect to tali for how she handles shepard coming back #everyone else either blindly agrees with you or blindly hates your guts about cerberus. it's nice that tali doesn't do either of those #tali'zorah vas normandy #morrigan vesta shepard #mass effect #rogue plays me2

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hawkeharel · 2 years

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Intro post for me and my ocs!!

◇ Me

hi, my name is Tee! im an infp, bi and use she/her pronouns. i have a lot of love for anything fantasy/rpg based, but im mostly obsessed with dragon age, skyrim and mass effect and the ocs ive created for each game! outside of that i really enjoy art in any form; i love listening to music, taking photographs, reading stories and im currently learning to draw digitally! i've been on datwt for a while but am finally making a tumblr to endlessly talk about my ocs over here too!

◇ My OCs

here's a brief intro to my main ocs :)

(i play on console so ill include how they differ to their in-game look too)

Vilde Aeducan

game: dragon age origins

race + class: dwarf, two-handed warrior

pronouns + sexuality: she/her, lesbian

romance: leliana

appearance: vilde looks like the same as she does in-game. not pictured are her long blond plaits that flow down her back and that she is plus-sized and covered with battle-scars.

personality: ambitious, intellectual and intimidating. she is very closed off to those not close to her, strives to be successful and is extremely talented with diplomacy and hiding her easily obtained irraitation towards many people.

more info: carrd included at end of post.

Kyra Hawke

game: dragon age 2

race + class: human, dual-wielding rogue

pronouns + sexuality: she/they, bisexual

romance: isabela + fenris

appearance: kyra looks the same as she does in game, except her eyes are slightly more orange, she is 6 foot tall and more muscular.

personality: fun-loving and spontaneous, kyra is a people person. she is compassionate and generous as well as overly optimistic. but she can also be reckless and impulsive.

more info: carrd included at end of post.

Yenera Lavellan

game: dragon age inquisition

race + class: elf, mage

pronouns + sexuality: they/she/he, unlabelled

romance: solas

appearance: yenera looks the same as they do in game, except she has curly hair (3a/3b). not very visible in this screenshot is also their scar on their forehead, half obscured by his hair. also, they used to have dirthamen's vallaslin in a dark green tone.

personality: extremely curious, he is always seeking out more knowledge no matter the subject. they are very independant and only really open to the small amount of people they're close to. so fond of sleep, she can be found falling asleep on anything and anyone at anytime.

more info: carrd included at end of post.

Lupia Shepard

game(s): mass effect

race + class: human, vanguard

pronouns + sexuality: she/her, straight

romance: kaidan (me1) -> garrus (me2 +me3)

appearance: lupia looks exactly how she does in game.

personality: receptive and reliable. being a sole-survivor before becoming a spectre she tries to do as much to help others in need as she can. while she is a natural leader, she can be slightly idealistic and over-optimistic in her problem-solving.

Margot Mudbug

game: the ender scrolls v: skyrim

race + class: orc, warrior (werewolf)

pronouns + sexuality: she/they, pansexual

romance: marcina (oc below)

appearance: margot looks how they do in game, except taller, more muscular and they have a messy mullet.

personality: warm and loyal, margot wil do anything to help anyone (sometimes when they dont deserve it). she has a tendency to put other people's needs before their own, and can also be seen as too needy. although not great with criticisms, margot is great with people and will be there for anyone - especially those society has turned their back on.

Marcina Sailam

game: the ender scrolls v: skyrim

race + class: dark elf, rogue + magic user (vampire)

pronouns + sexuality: they/them, bisexual

romance: margot (oc above)

appearance: marcina looks the same as they do in game, except their hair is very long and sraggly and their vampire teeth are slightly more prominent.

personality: being so quick-witted and willing to share their negative opinions on anything, marcina is difficult to get along with. they can be insensitive and arguementative and are prone to lying. but in truth they are just lost soul trying to find their place in the world, and trying to get people to see them as more than they think they are.

if you would like to know more about my dragon age ocs please have a look at the carrd i made about them! :)

#oc intro #introducing myself #dragon age #skyrim #mass effect #dragon age origins #dragon age 2 #dragon age inquisition #tes v skyrim #anyway hiiii

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beatonen · 2 years

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Nothing turned me upside down and broke my heart quite like the first time I played Mass Effect 2: Project Overlord.

I still remember playing the first time, thinking it was a little like in ME 1 with the rogue VI on the moon, then at the end of this mission I remember being so shocked and disgusted in a way that I can't quite put into words that I had to shelf ME2 for a while.

Replayed it today, after numerous other playthroughs, and Project Overlord still hits just the same.

Quiet, please, make it stop!

Breaks my heart every time the VI screams, in the entirety of the mission.

#mass effect #mass effect 2 #project overlord #that's a bit oof right there

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dragonflight203 · 4 months

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Mass Effect 1 Replay, start of Voyager Cluster:

Yangtze:

-Binthu has no known native ecology. It's covered in grass. Hmm.

-The Prothean pyramid has children's toys and ragged clothes stuffed inside the top. What species? Are these Prothean artifacts or from Turians that visited the planet at some point?

-First Cerberus base has a Rachni in it. No comments from anyone. Seems like Liara at least should recognize a Rachni.

-Second Cerberus base has Thorian Creepers. Odd they're labeled like that when I haven't been to Feros yet. You think someone would comment how similar they are to husks, but no.

And of course, when I go to Feros no one will comment that they've seen the Thorian Creepers before.

-Third Cerberus base. Kahoku was killed, then thrown in with the Rachni. Why? If he's dead, why throw him in? If they're going to throw him in, why not let the Rachni kill him?

-This is actually a very interesting mission. It proves Cerberus had a hand in both Feros and Noveria.

If you haven't been to them yet, it's a mini preview of what's to come.

It's just a shame that ME2... doesn't really use it, despite centering Cerberus. TIM and Miranda claim they're rogue cells and Shepard can't push back on it.

ME2 should have done something more than change a few lines of dialogue depending on if Shepard had played the Cerberus related missions or not.

Columbia

-How did I learn there's a Cerberus base here?

I have a mission for UNC: Hade's Dogs that there's a Cerberus base on Nepheron, but I don't recall actually learning that while on Binthu.

-Ontaher - I appreciate how Bioware has a good grasp on human nature. There's a meme that the mass of this planet is unusually large because a Prothean ship crashed into it. The planet's mass is normal.

-Gromar - First mention of an interferometric array! Later one is a war asset in ME3.

Here, the Turians used the array to chart the Terminus Systems before the Alliance expanded into the Voyager Cluster. The other half of the array was in the Attican Beta.

So... After the Alliance moved in the Turians just gave up a valuable asset? What? Why would they do that? Was this at least negotiated and the Turians received something in return?

And why would the Alliance want the array removed? Charting the Terminus systems - next door to Alliance colonies - sounds like something the Alliance want!

-Two asteroid belts and no asteroids? Am I just very bad at finding them?

-Nepheron - I do like how thresher maw sites often have the remains of previous victims. Good use of environmental storytelling.

-The anomaly is a Cerberus soldier with a League of One tag. The corpse is a Salarian. Something slipped through editing. :) Either that or Cerberus is more open minded than I give them credit for.

-Why does the Cerberus base have concrete pipes large enough for sewers? The only thing I can think of is that's it's related to the Rachni somehow. They are very large pipes.

#mass effect #mass effect 1 #mass effect 1 replay

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shizuu-chann · 2 years

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Let’s spread some positive vibes by remembering what we love about the trilogy. Fill in and tag your friends. Feel free to add your own categories to this survey.

tagged by @togepies, thanks again for including me!

Tagging with zero pressure: @nicolasadrabbles and @iheartgarrus

I’ve been a fan since: technically Andromeda, but I only played Andromeda first bc the LE was coming out in a few months. I loved the Dragon Age series before that, and I figured I would probably like ME, but the old graphics were a major turn-off for me. When the LE was announced, I got really excited bc it was another BioWare series I could binge and adore, but it wasn't out yet. My friend had just finished Andromeda and convinced me to try it, and now it's probably my favorite game series ever~

Favorite game of the series: ME2! While I love ME3 because the graphics are beautiful, and you get more substance out of romantic relationships (Garrus, specifically), ME2 has my favorite vibe. You're kind of a rogue agent, assembling a team of the most dangerous and skilled people in the galaxy, and they all become a sort of found family for Shepard after the Alliance and the Council hang you out to dry. Plus, I love the interface for the game; the orange menu screen is easy on my eyes, and I like the clicky selection noises <3

MaleShep or FemShep?: FemShep <3 I love her so much. Played MaleShep once, and I loved him, too, but it really feels like FemShep is THE Shep to me.

Earthborn, Colonist or Spacer?: Colonist

Paragon or Renegade? Paragon (close to ParaGade, but not quite)

Biotics or Tech? Tech, but biotics are really cool.

Favorite class: Infiltrator! I don't really love any class in ME1, but ME2/3 make Infiltrator the fucking best. Tactical cloak and sniper rifle, my beloveds. Vanguard is a close second.

Favorite companions: Garrus, Zaeed, Mordin, Tali, Wrex, Grunt, EDI~

Least favorite companions: Kaidan and Jacob. I have nothing against either of them personally, honest, and I think they're generally good characters. But Kaidan bores me, I find him wholly uninteresting, and Jacob is just repackaged Kaidan, imho.

My squad selection: ME1: this changes every playthrough, honestly. Often it's Garrus and someone else, most recently Ashley. Others it's Ashley and someone else, most often Wrex. ME2: Usually Zaeed and Garrus; those two are my go-tos and my faves. Current run is Garrus and Miranda, but I've taken Grunt a fair bit. ME3 is, surprise-surprise, most often Garrus and someone else, but I try to tailor squad selection to each mission so I can get the most interesting story dialogue.

Favorite in-game romance: Shepard and Garrus <3

Other pairings I like: I cannot pair my Shep with anyone else, so it's difficult, but I do appreciate others. I like FemShep with Tali, Liara, Ashley, Miranda, and Jack (bc I just think all the characters should be bi, lol).

Favorite NPC: I'm choosing multiple--Aria T'Loak, Joker, I adore Hackett, and Anderson.

Favorite antagonist: The Illusive Man in ME2. Sure, you're cooperating with him, but he's definitely an antagonist.

Favorite mission: ME1: If we're talking purely vanilla game, probably Feros. Otherwise, maybe the Bring Down the Sky DLC. ME2: Thane's recruitment or the Suicide Mission, if we're excluding loyalty missions. ME3: Grissom Academy.

Favorite loyalty mission: Oooh, tough. I really like most of them. It's a toss-up between two, but for different reasons: either Garrus's or Samara's.

Favorite DLC: ME1: To my knowledge, there was only one for ME1, besides pinnacle Station, but that couldn't be added to the LE. ME2: Lair of the Shadow Broker--LOVE the level designs. ME3: Super original and revolutionary: the Citadel, lol. That's the canon ending in my mind. OH! But I also love the Omega DLC! Hmm...

Control, Synthesis or Destroy?: Destroy, but I also change a bunch of that ending in my mind, too. Namely, that EDI and the geth live and the Citadel isn't destroyed.

Favorite weapon: N7 Valiant sniper rifle <333

Favorite place: Omega or Illium

A quote I like: The whole exchange during Priority: Rannoch right before Shepard takes on a Reaper on foot. There's so many, many of them from Joker. But, for the sake of choosing: "This is why I love hanging out with you guys! Why shoot something once when you can shoot it 46 more times!" --Urdnot Wrex, 2186

#mass effect

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