I do not understand the Tali fandom.

[Vrex360]

I don't really understand it either. Then again, I also don't understand the popularity of reality TV, or why adult men love cars. I don't get the fascination with sex based jokes. I also don't get why people like Spartans more then Elites in Halo.

The Tali Fandom is one of the many things in this world that I don't understand. Tali was never a favorite of mine, in the first game I barely noticed she was there and in Mass Effect 2 I didn't like how she kep hero worshipping Shepard.
Perhaps it's because I like Ashley as my favorite girl in Mass Effect, but either way I wasn't really 'wowed' by Tali. The attitude of some of her fans on the Bioware forums may have helped with that but I continue to maintain that you should never hate something just because of the fans, or by extension judge the fans as all being the same.

I guess in the end, I don't understand the appeal and it doesn't appeal to me. But I don't condemn people who do like Tali or her romance, I adopt a live and let live attitude with most things in life. If they can do the same and not insult my choices, I can live with it.

I do not get it, nor am I a part of it, but in and of itself I do not condemn the Tali fandom.

 

[Undeadpool]

It's the whole Aeris VS Tifa thing from Final Fantasy VII (probably goes back further, but that's the most well-known example I can think of. And let's just talk about the core game here). Aeris is shy, demure, aloof and not exactly helpless, but certainly exudes dependency. Tifa is straightforward, independent, and strong-willed and you get the idea that she really obviously likes Cloud, but if he's not interested she'll move on.
Most romances in videogames can be put into one of those two categories (Aeris=Liara [ME1], Tali [ME1 & 2], Aerie [Baldur's Gate II], Madison [Alpha Protocol]. Tifa=Liara [ME2], Jack [ME2], Jaheria [Baldur's Gate I & 2], SIE[Alpha Protocol]). Tali is specifically designed to appeal to men who prefer an Aeris. Doesn't mean she's a bad character (I don't think there are any of those in the ME universe...except maybe Kaiden), but she's designed to push very specific buttons with men who prefer a very specific kind of woman (the kind that would, as you put it, stroke your ego the specific way she does).

 

[KAPTAINmORGANnWo4life]

I guess people like her because she is the only person you can shag in Mass Effect 2 that isn't psychologically damaged from the start.

 

[TheDooD]

Cute voice, wide hips and a nice ass. Also the whole naive thing make's her seem like a nerdy school girl.

 

[jSalamanca32]

I honestly have no idea, there is even a name for the people that are obsessed with tali, their'e called TALIMANCERS.

Do not DARE googling that in images with safe search off.

 

[Korolev]

I found her to be the most likeable female character on the Normandy 1 AND 2. Ashley is a bit of a xenophobe - understandable, given her history, but I couldn't groove to that. Liara during ME1 was a bit too breathy and unassertive and her personality, I thought, could be summed up in one word: Doormat. So I didn't gel with that either.

On the Normandy SR2, there's Tali, Miranda, Kasumi, Samara, Jack and EDI. Miranda's a cheerleader for the Illusive Man, so I didn't like her too much. Her character develops later, but she's still far too "Pro-Cerberus". Kasumi is a DLC character and a pretty shallow one after her mission is finished. Samara is a respectable character, yet, for design reasons, is naturally cold and distant (being a religious warrior/monk, that's natural). Jack is, understandably, extremely angry, but her random talk of killing people who didn't deserve it turned her off from me. EDI's an AI.

So Tali is the nicest, interactive female character. Plus, she was a member of the original crew - it's one of the reasons Garrus is so popular. Her story missions are also AWESOME, much better than Miranda's or Samara's or Jacks, because Tali's missions have lots of ROBOTS in them, and everything is better with ROBOTS.

I'm not a huge Tali fan. But out of all the romance options available to my Shepard, she was the best one. She's not my favourite character, far from it - I like Mordin and Legion and Garrus more than Tali. But since she is, in many gamer's minds, the best female romance character (with Miranda being a brainwashed sycophant, Jack being crazy, Samara being a naturally distant warrior, Kasumi being a weakish DLC character and EDI being software), there will naturally be a lot of fans who like her.

 

[dancinginfernal]

Wrex barely mentions his parents as well.

Wrex tells an extensive tale of his experiences on Tuchanka prior to leave for a mercenary lifestyle. He attempted to unite the tribes of the planet to make another formidable Krogan force, and another tribe refused in an attempt to keep the tribes warring. The tribal leader attacked Wrex on sacred ground in an attempt to kill him.

That leader was Wrex's father.

 

[Korolev]

And about the criticisms of Tali's Character - duly noted and accepted. She is a pretty cookie-cutter, "Shy-Awkward--Hot-Engineer/Nerd" girl. She's non-threatening, so a lot of gamers like her. As I've said, she is not my favourite character. She's barely above ME1 Liara in terms of how much of a door-mat she is. But for a male paragon Shepard, the other female characters were worse. Miranda is distinguished almost entirely by her love of Cerberus. When she's not talking about how wonderful the illusive man is, she's defending the horrendous actions of Cerberus. Jack is just angry, all the time (understandably so). Samara will not, in the end, engage in a romance with you. And there's no one else.

So I had my male shepard go to tali, because I wanted that achievement. I agree - I don't think Tali's that good a character. She's not a BAD character, but she is a little to "I-Love-you-shepard-you're-my-hero" for my tastes.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

Not gonna fall for it Zhukov. However, I will say that her not being heavily characterised in ME1 did not bother me because she was a freaking teenager on a literal voyage of self discovery!! How can we figure out her character, if SHE doesn't know her character yet?! How interesting were YOU in high school?

Good effort, but I don't think that's sufficient excuse. Teenagers are not automatically without personalities or character traits. Allow me to continue with your example of me in high school (ouch!). I was shy, quiet, introverted, insecure and angsty. Think Hope from FFXIII but uglier and less talkative.
Interesting? No, not at all.
Someone I'd want as a character in a game? Dear God please no.
Still had defining characteristics? Yes.

Again, I didn't say you had NO personality traits as a teenager; I just said they were the obvious shy, awkward, enthusiastic nonsense, that Tali has as well. And btw, yes she does. Sure she doesn't hold a candle to the 100 year old war veterans she counts as peers. and that is neither suprising nor "bad" is all i'm sayin'...

 

[Jack and Calumon]

We're presented one of the only female characters on Mass Effect 2 who is awkward, shy, bashful yet full of spite in the face of the enemy who those she hates. Look at your other choices for romance too! Jack? She just wants to see the world burn, and while she does have a big backstory around her about why she's like that, she joins the others with that. Amanda is just a ***** who I can't like no matter how I try and that Asari needs to learn how to do up her jacket before I can ever want to do something with her. Tali had a unique personality, not gun crazy or work heavy, but instead more interested in shepherd, which was clear from the get-go in Mass Effect 2, rather than going off and seducing them. Not to mention we don't know what she, or any of her other brethren of her species look like, giving her an enormous amount of mystery about her.

Though, as I'm sure you saw it, I'm only mentioning Mass Effect 2. When Mass Effect 1 stops; A) Killing my processor (My computer sucks) B) Showing terrible driving sections, I'll get back to you.

Calumon: But, isn't it like how some people like me and some don't?

Jack: All down to opinion. Tali was the best romance option for a man in Mass Effect 2. Kelly would have been if she was more than a cocktease.

 

[Anti Nudist Cupcake]

I honestly have no idea, there is even a name for the people that are obsessed with tali, their'e called TALIMANCERS.

Do not DARE googling that in images with safe search off.

You do know that when you tell people not to do something, they will do it right?

I know it will temp them, reverse psychology is kinda in my avatar (if you've played the first portal you will understand).

 

[Cenequus]

You should say you not understand fandom in general because like wih Tali you take something and idolatrize it beyond reason. Since it's a character she can't do no wrong so the fanboi wi never become a hater like with a real person/ompany etc

 

[bitCrusher]

I didn't know she was a romance option, since I played as FemShep.

really, I just like her voice is all. I love that weak Russian accent she has, or whatever that is. and with the mask, it only makes me imagine that someone really hot is under there. I don't think too much into it, and neither should a lot of people really

 

[samaugsch]

I find it kind of wierd that Tali is a romance option and Joker, who arguably receives a lot more characteristion outside of his job, isn't. I have seen Talimancers argue against Joker being a love insterest because of his illness....

Do those people even realize that Tali has almost no immune system at all? In fact, I'm a little surprised that she doesn't die after sex.

If you point it out to them they actually struggle to see the irony in their argument....Apparently since it's canon it makes perfect sense. :/

(I realise I'm generalising but its somthing that has shocked me a little)

Weird. It would actually make more sense to make Joker a romance option since he's a human being. It actually would've been funny if after sex, when Tali was telling Shepherd about all the illnesses she contracted, Shepherd had a dialogue option that said something like, "At least you're not dead." xD

 

[Red Albatross]

I actually thought the best romance "option" in ME2 was Samara. Even though you don't actually have a romance, I thought the scene with Shepard and Samara was actually pretty well done. It's nice to have someone come in contact with Shep that isn't vulnerable to him/her, and it's nice to see Shep actually run into adversity that actually relates to him/her as a character and not events that happen outside of the Normandy SR2.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Oh, and then there was the romance thing, present by popular demand. No. Sorry, but... just no. That played out like an exercise in ego-stroking. "Oh Shepard, you're so wonderful but I was always too cute and shy to say so... because you're so awesome!" Yeesh.

Truth. Plus the whole "plz have secks with meeh evan if it killz meeh" thing just screams "doormat." And the herbal tea > lore element. And yeah, the fact that she's basically a Merrill-esque fantasy for shut-ins. She's actually an okay character when she's actually in combat - her recruitment and loyalty missions are awesome.

 

[Kuroji]

In ME1, she was a walking codex entry on the quarians. I still liked her. In ME2, I was glad she got some more character, but my god did I hate her romance. It felt like exploiting a teenage crush.

I always thought any romance with her would have been great if it had been a doomed-from-the-start kind. Viconia was my favourite Baldur's Gate 2 romance because of that. Instead it's just predictably bland.

I actually thought the best romance "option" in ME2 was Samara. Even though you don't actually have a romance, I thought the scene with Shepard and Samara was actually pretty well done.

"Another time, another life" had more impact on me than the other romances combined. Although, call me crazy, but Jacob came second in that regard for saying it wasn't going to work out when my femShep kept badgering him about his past. I love people actually having thoughts of their own.

 

[Frotality]

bioware fanboys....can be strange at times.

i mean, there is a pretty large and dedicated fangirl army for GARRUS...the fucking dinosaur-faced monster guy. they were large enough to get a romance for him in the 2nd game, which im fairly certain completely destroyed everything i thought i knew about women. best not to think about it really...