Lets Play: Mass Effect (Updated - Ch 6 Part 2 - Virmire)

[AD-Stu]

Bit of a shame that this is the only dialog we have with Sovereign. The only other time we hear him speak is...

I guess with how late the Sovereign character is actually introduced in the game they didn't leave a great deal of opportunity for further interaction with it. And the voice of the Big Bad in ME2/ME3, while fine, wasn't quite as good IMO.

Spoiler

Agreed.

The 'time capsule' that Liara makes seems to fit better if she's actually romancing Shepard as well.
Otherwise, that whole scene just seems weird.

And they did really seem token.
All I had to do was answer positively towards Liara during one conversation on the Citadel, and suddenly...

Paramour - Establish or rekindle a romantic relationship.

And I'm thinking "What? Is that it?"

Yeah, they definitely don't seem to have quite the same depth as they did in ME1/ME2 by the time you get to ME3. I think the changes to the dialog on the Normandy probably play a big part in it since there's much less interactive interaction (if that makes sense) with your crewmates on the Normandy. And if you're carrying through a romance with somebody who's not on the Normandy you see even less of them - those ones feel really shoehorned in.

I guess there's so much stuff crammed into the game that something's gotta give?

Anywho, anyone else want to register a vote before we go ahead with the next update? We're sitting 3-5 in favour of Option 2 at this point.

 

[AD-Stu]

[HEADING=2]CHAPTER 6, PART 2 (Virmire) - Confrontations and hoverboards[/HEADING]

Spoiler: The first bit...

Previously, on Lets Play Mass Effect: We discovered that Reapers are really real. And that Saren's flagship, Sovereign, isn't just a ship - it is a Reaper. And it wants to kill us all and eat our babies.

That doesn't change our short-term goal though: we still need to blow this place to hell to stop Saren from raising an army of cloned krogan. Otherwise...

"Begun, the clone wars will have."

...and nobody wants to go through that shit. Again.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1223-48-40-77_zps020eaf73.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Geez Ash, you couldn't wait until at least the second screenshot to be blatantly racist?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Wrex.jpg] "If it helps, I was thinking the exact same thing about the lizards - I just figured it was so obvious that it didn't warrant actually wasting breath on it..."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Stow it both of you - if the audio logs of this mission make it back to the brass we'll all have to spend a month in Alliance Sensitivity Schooling and I sure as hell don't want to do that. Again."

Ahem. Moving on. Grunka and friends set out for the main krogan breeding facility. Here's a highlight reel of what they killed on the way:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1223-51-04-23_zps2a7010ab.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1223-52-24-21_zps16d82a97.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1223-54-43-14_zps7604a349.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1223-56-41-20_zpsc5e483b1.jpg]

Along the way we also disable the last turret so the Normandy can land:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1223-59-29-17_zps92364430.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1223-59-49-42_zps06976d4b.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-00-00-62_zpsff9b86af.jpg]

A sneaky geth gives us a taste of our own tech-power medicine at one point:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-01-04-14_zpsc7017333.jpg]

Fortunately Immunity still works and we can just wait them out:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-01-29-22_zps2d93efa9.jpg]

Going through the gate at the end of this trench brings us out into a large open space and Joker decides that's where he'll land.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-02-24-51_zps09f02f9c.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-02-44-81_zpse64c1abf.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-02-52-77_zpsffa32c6f.jpg]

That's Ashley on the right. We had her in red-and-black Colossus X armour to match Grunka's, but she changes back into her girly-girl pink and white armour just for cut scenes. Not really sure why they do this (Grunka's armour is always right throughout) but I suspect it's linked the same bug that makes you and your squadmates use guns that they've never carried before in cut scenes throughout the series. Or she just wanted to make the other marines feel bad that a girly-girl in pink armour could lift the heavy thing just as well as them.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-02-57-69_zps24d78674.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-02-59-78_zps57039ea5.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-03-16-72_zps97fe10df.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Kaidan.jpg] [I]"Commander, do you read me?"[/I]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-03-24-04_zps999f6516.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Kaidan.jpg] [I]"Negative, Commander. The geth have us pinned down on the AA tower. We've taken heavy casualties. We'll never make the rendezvous point in time."[/I]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-03-47-12_zpsc9a2fcda.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Wait, you're the one [I]arming[/I] the nuke?!? I thought you were just helping carry it! That could go all kinds of wrong... you're right, I should get as far away from here as possible."

With Ash staying behind someone else has to come along for the ride - welcome back Garrus!

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-04-19-66_zpsf5a1db71.jpg]

We head off through another gate on the other side of the open area and kill some more geth and krogan.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-05-50-12_zps5e24b2d3.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-06-28-03_zps92a6c135.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-07-16-04_zpsd6a76ce2.jpg]

The elevator takes us topside, which is kind of pretty.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-08-00-84_zps3803f939.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-08-22-66_zps9795adaa.jpg]

We assume that smoke is coming from where Kaidan and the salarians are pinned down. Before we get more than a few steps further though...

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-08-25-02_zps20443a56.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-08-31-34_zps5cfce618.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-08-33-77_zpsbd2ce662.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Garrus.jpg] "Y'know, turian ships have shuttles. With weapons. So that when stuff like this happens, you can send your ship to take down the dropship, and you can send your shuttle to pick up the stragglers by the AA tower."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "N'yeah... what's your point Garrus?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Garrus.jpg] "Let's just say I'm starting to question the wisdom of filling the hold with an oversized car rather than an armed dropship."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Hudson.jpg] *taking down notes* "Give us a couple more games and we'll get right onto that!"

But back to Ash's current-day problems:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-08-37-76_zps00cb70d8.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] [I]"There's too many. I don't think we can hold them. I'm activating the nuke."[/I]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-08-47-60_zps44427559.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] [I]"Making sure this bomb goes off. No matter what."[/I]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "No, I mean what the hell are you [B]doing[/B]?!? Just activate Immunity and keep firing until they're all dead. If they start to get too much for you even then, just do what I do and put a tiny obstacle between you so it screws up their pathfinding. Have I taught you nothing? We can pick up Alenko and be back with the Normandy before you know it."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] [I]"Crap. That's a great plan. I kinda panicked and armed the nuke while you were explaining it though. It's done, Commander. Go get the lieutenant and get the hell out of here."[/I]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Kaidan.jpg] [I]"Belay that. We can handle ourselves. Go back and get Williams."[/I]

This is where we have a decision to make - or at least, we would if we hadn't made it in advance. We're going to go with the majority vote and save Kaidan. Because <a href=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CutscenePowerToTheMax>Cut Scene Power to the Max works backwards in this game for the most part (in-game abilities are mostly way more awesome than the ones displayed in cut scenes - the reverse becomes true for the sequels) and the Normandy couldn't possibly do a sweep back around to the spot it just came from and drop a few more troops or take out some geth from the air or something while we're on our way to Kaidan. So Ash gets to die.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-09-10-76_zpsf47044b0.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-09-23-19_zps6fa91921.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] [I]"I understand, Commander. I don't regret a thing."[/I]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "We'll get someone to read some of that poetry stuff you like so much at your service. And we'll make the aliens sit at the back, like you would have wanted."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] "Thanks Commander. And Shepard?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Yes gunny?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] "The lizards can sit up the front if they want."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-09-31-06_zps989f28fa.jpg]

Right, let's go save an emo! There's an elevator further on (because it's always an elevator) that takes us up to the top of the tower. This is the scene that greets us:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-10-58-24_zps06a74bb8.jpg]

One tech power from Grunka later, and [I]this[/I] is what it looks like:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-03-38_zpsf08a2f80.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-06-44_zpsec6c5264.jpg]

Kaidan and the salarians are pinned right at the back. Where that giant explosion just happened. Again, Cut Scene Power to the Max works backwards for most of this game.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-15-93_zps720ab17d.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-28-73_zps8e00439a.jpg]

As soon as we kill the geth and get to them, Grunka smells something...

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-31-63_zps2a5c0a06.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] *sniff* *sniff* "Ugh... what is that smell? It smells turian! Garrus, we've discussed this..."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Garrus.jpg] "Hey, I've been showering! And I'm only just fresh off the ship!"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Well if it's not you that must mean there's another turian somewhere nearby... oh shit, run!"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-31-82_zps8bbcaa83.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-33-22_zps89626121.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-34-32_zps67953bc9.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-35-08_zpse5d8fcc6.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-36-12_zpsc3f20f6c.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-37-68_zpsfdc60291.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-39-60_zpsf6fd6615.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-40-86_zps24fc19f5.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-50-18_zpsc51f82fa.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-52-00_zps5016fd72.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-11-59-42_zpsc9d964f4.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Saren.jpg] "Of course, it was all for nothing. I can't let you disrupt what I have accomplished here. You can't possibly understand what's really at stake."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-12-14-99_zps6904cfff.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-12-26-04_zpsa0a02bc8.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Saren.jpg] "Do not mire yourself in pointless revolt. Do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms. The Protheans tried to fight, and they were utterly destroyed. Trillions dead. But what if they had bowed before the invaders? Would the Protheans still exist? Is submission not preferable to extinction?"

[MEDIA=youtube]6ODNxy3YOPU[/MEDIA]

Grunka is with the Brazilians on this one:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-12-52-16_zps0501743f.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-13-03-47_zps5b9fce49.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Saren.jpg] "But if we work with the Reapers, if we make ourselves useful, think how many lives could be spared! Once I understood this, I joined Sovereign, though I was aware of the... dangers. I had hoped this facility could protect me. I've studied the effects of indoctrination. I've even studied the murky depths of indoctrination theory... what a complete waste of time that was. But the more control Sovereign exerts, the less capable the subject becomes. That is my saving grace. Sovereign needs me to find the Conduit. My mind is still my own, for now. But the transformation from ally to servant can be subtle. I will not let it happen to me."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Why are the geth following Sovereign?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Saren.jpg] "They believe Sovereign to be some kind of god. The pinnacle of their own evolution. But the reaction of their deity is most telling: it is insulted. Sovereign does not desire the pitiful devotions the geth hurl at it. They are just tools, and no amount of belief on their part will change that."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-14-23-95_zps0f265fce.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-14-35-37_zps125e6644.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-14-41-32_zpse79a4cd3.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-14-52-67_zps7706a6f1.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-15-07-06_zpsd905f33b.jpg]

Yeah, that sounds like [I]exactly[/I] the kind of thing a mecha-cthulhu would actually do. Notice we've got some persuade and intimidate options available here - against her better nature Grunka tries the persuasion course:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-15-09-38_zps1bdc928e.jpg]

I love that the screenshot makes it look like she's saying that through gritted teeth ;) In-game it's actually quite sincere and empassioned.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-15-15-95_zps45a8ebb4.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Saren.jpg] "Sovereign is a machine. It thinks like a machine. If I can prove my value, I become a resource worth maintaning. There is no other logical conclusion!"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "You were a Spectre. You were sworn to defend the galaxy. Then you broke that vow to save yourself! And you didn't even bother to get a cure for your BO problem thrown into the deal!"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Saren.jpg] "I'm not doing this for myself! Don't you see? Sovereign will succeed. It is inevitable. My way is the only way any of us will survive! I'm forging an alliance between us and the Reapers. Between organics and machines. And in doing so, I will save more lives than have ever existed."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-16-16-67_zpsf3a275a6.jpg]

With that, Saren jumps back on his hoverboard and attacks. Fortunately he's hugely vulnerable to our tech skills which jam his attacks and quickly drop his shields.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-16-50-12_zpsc10776c6.jpg]

We can then commence filling him with assault rifle slugs:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-16-57-95_zps8bb4ecb4.jpg]

After a short period he decides the hoverboard simply isn't built for combat, and jumps down to go toe to toe with us:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-01-62_zps367a84d7.jpg]

I can't remember how we ended up down here - let's just assume Grunka decided to taunt Saren by doing a set of pushups mid-fight :P

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-02-70_zps288c4746.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-04-51_zps5b2f3e5c.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-06-81_zps2298d47b.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-08-68_zps48b3d2ac.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-10-06_zpsb557e1d5.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-13-88_zpse6c1104b.jpg]

Incidentally, if we had've gone back for Ash instead of choosing Kaidan (or if we'd reversed their roles at the start of the mission) then this fight would've taken place back at the bomb site. Everything plays out exactly the same way but the bomb site is at ground level with no ledges or anything, so all Saren can do here is lift Shepard a few inches off the ground. Dangling us over this high ledge creates a lot more tension :)

He makes the classic bad guy mistake of gloating too long though instead of just dropping us over the edge, and gets distracted by the arrival of the Normandy:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-14-80_zps43ca5f79.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-15-72_zps11764fb7.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-16-66_zps75a8a1ec.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-18-22_zpsd4a5924d.jpg]

Saren makes a break for his hoverboard:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-19-79_zpsb13c620e.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-20-22_zps67ba2b59.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-22-05_zps5ae183eb.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-23-19_zpsa6073f02.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-25-96_zps624e7810.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-31-68_zps3f2c591c.jpg]
[/spoiler]

 

[AD-Stu]

Spoiler: ...and the second bit

Joker pulls the Normandy up to the tower, allowing Grunka, Wrex, Garrus, Kaidan and the surviving salarians aboard. Meanwhile, back at the bomb site:



[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-45-83_zpsa179df19.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-50-35_zps38b74e6f.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-51-03_zpse8e9b549.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-51-35_zps096584b0.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-53-37_zps10d6e43d.jpg]

It's probably hard to see, but that's the Normandy disappearing into the distance, right in front of Ash's eyes.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Wrex.jpg] "It probably would've been kinder to activate the stealth thingumy so she didn't have to watch us go, right?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Tali.jpg] "Erm, you know the stealth drive only hides us from scanners, right? It doesn't [I]actually[/I] make us invisible..."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Wrex.jpg] "Sure. But Williams was just a dumb grunt, she doesn't know it only works on scanners! It'd probably fool her."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Tali.jpg] "Keelah, I give up"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-57-91_zpsaec702f4.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-00-20_zps1f6b62dd.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-01-69_zps9e0d2c22.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-08-02_zps30eb58c0.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-09-22_zps8768f8dc.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-12-08_zpsb243036e.jpg]

RIP Ash. Your daddy would've been proud of you, going out in a burst of nuclear fire while shooting walking flashlights in the face.

After what we assume was an off-screen moment of silence / poetry reading, Grunka calls the team together for a debrief. Naturally, Kaidan is being emo about having his life saved:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-26-36_zps7b166460.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-29-83_zpsbcd3b0a7.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-34-16_zps4b42ecc7.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Because that's how the readers voted! *sotto voce* Personally, if it was an option I'd have left you both and taken that Kirrahe guy as a new squadmate - he seemed kinda tough for a salarian."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Kaidan.jpg] "Huh, what was that?!?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-41-27_zps9176d9f8.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-50-46_zps5f2955c0.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-18-51-80_zpsc3b8bf22.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-19-06-25_zpscb7aae5a.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-19-14-69_zps177a2f5e.jpg]

Liara does the "embrace eternity" routine with us again - if there's a difference between the vision flashes before and now it's only subtle, but there's a very definite image of a planet at the end:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-20-02-55_zps1e58a3d9.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Liara.jpg] "It's a distress call, a message sent out across the Prothean Empire. A warning against the Reapers, but the warning came too late."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "So... it's not a Prothean snuff film then? Huh. What about the Conduit?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-20-35-42_zps2a2a8724.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Liara.jpg] "That is why Saren needed to find the Mu Relay! It is the only way to get to Ilos. Without the Cipher, the images in your visions were never clear. Only now do I recognise them as landmarks from Ilos."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-20-59-51_zps0db0e7f6.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-21-01-56_zps4d012abb.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "The Conduit's on Ilos. That's where Saren is heading. I'll be waiting for him when he gets there!"

The rest of the crew gets dismissed and Grunka phones the Council to warn them about Sovereign.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-21-58-30_zps35e01056.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/TCouncilor.jpg] [I]"Saren is formidable enough without an army of krogan serving under him."[/I]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Actually he was kind of a pushover once we finally got face to face. But that's not the point. Sovereign's the real problem here. The Reapers wiped out the Protheans. We're next."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-22-14-23_zps31bdeae4.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-22-28-49_zps251dbbca.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/TCouncilor.jpg] [I]"He's playing you, Shepard! Saren still has contacts on the Citadel. He probably saw your earlier reports. The ones talking about your vision. And the Reapers."[/I]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "You guys understand that wouldn't be a problem if you didn't insist on conducting all your business in a wide open space with dozens of random people wandering about, right?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/SCouncilor.jpg] [I]"Now is not the time Commander! It's highly possible Saren is using false information to throw you off balance. Our own intelligence has never turned up any corroborating information."[/I]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-22-58-24_zpsc21c3cb9.jpg]

Ironically, as soon as Grunka hangs up on the Council the journal tells us we have to go back to the Citatel to... talk to the Council. This is gonna be awkward :P

Before we do that though, let's have a quick word with a few squadmates. Lieutenant Emo Pants is first up:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-23-58-21_zpsd2ad6bb8.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-24-01-29_zpsa9859d16.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-24-04-98_zpsbcc1be2b.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Kaidan.jpg] "Sorry for anything I said back there. Adrenaline."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Every one of us is expendable if it accomplishes the mission. Ash. You. Me."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Kaidan.jpg] "I understand. It's just... if you don't mind me asking, how did you deal with the losses on Elysium?"

This is another reference to the war hero background we chose back at the start of the game. We could be sympathetic here, but Grunka decides there's already been far too much sentimentality in this update:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-24-35-17_zpse8b5bd37.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-24-42-51_zps54ac5a2a.jpg]

The conversation moves on to discuss more important matters, like what's going to be done about Sovereign.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-25-00-40_zpscde2a299.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-25-14-36_zpsf120d5a2.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-25-17-11_zpsbf2aba09.jpg]

OK, it was probably worth saving him just for that line ;)

Liara is next, and she has a slightly different take on the situation:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-26-16-49_zps206d75a6.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-26-21-00_zpsf324be31.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Liara.jpg] "I know his reputation, but he was a Spectre. I think he honestly believed everything he did was for the greater good. I wonder how he first fell into Sovereign's trap? Did he think he could somehow stop the Reapers from returning? Or was he simply driven by a lust for power and glory?"

[spoiler="Content from the Mass Effect: Revelation novel"]It was the power and glory one, as long as you substitute 'glory' for 'an insane revenge plot'.

Saren lost his brother in the First Contact War and apparently that gave him a grudge against humans. When he went on that mission with Anderson 20 years go that went 'wrong', while Anderson was busy rescuing his girlfriend, Saren was stealing research from the facility about an enormous starship with devastating power called Sovereign. The novel ends with Saren setting out to find Sovereign and use it to take petty revenge on humanity.

So basically he's doing what he's doing now because he's indoctrinated, but he was a human-hating, power-mad douchebag even before that happened.[/spoiler]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Whatever Saren's reasons may have been, they're long gone now. He has to be stopped."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-26-49-54_zps8d6a782c.jpg]

The salarians we rescued, including Kirrahe, are down in the hold.

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-27-36-46_zps2a616c4d.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Kirrahe_zpsc3a9bdb7.jpg]

"My superiors will duly honour Chief Williams for her actions. Her sacrifice has earned humanity a great deal of respect from my people."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "But don't your people respect intelligence, and having the foresight to destroy your enemies before it's even necessary to fight them? That's hardly a description of Ash..."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Kirrahe_zpsc3a9bdb7.jpg] *ahem* "True - I was just... what's the human saying? Being polite. Still, we're grateful she was willing to stay behind and get herself blown up so we could escape."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-28-03-03_zps7f976b41.jpg]

The salarian merchant from the camp is here too, though other than a new licence he doesn't have much to sell. Wrex is next:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-28-51-59_zps6a04bf39.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Wrex.jpg] "You did what you had to do. I respect your choice. Just make sure it was worth it. Saren has to pay for what he's done."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-29-10-82_zps264b1976.jpg]

Then there's Garrus:

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-29-36-32_zpscdd03565.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-29-39-12_zpse5e66056.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Garrus.jpg] "For everything. Taking me with you. Letting me be pat of your team. Giving me hygiene advice. I've learned a lot."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-29-48-10_zpsf4674aab.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Garrus.jpg] "You were right about Dr Saleon too. Killing him was the only solution. This way, we'll know he'll never hurt anyone again."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Words mean nothing until you turn them into action, Garrus. What are you going to do about it?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-30-09-01_zps49aa9b4f.jpg]

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Garrus.jpg] "If that doesn't work, I'll do just about anything... except go back to C-Sec. I'm done with them. No more red tape. No more politics. From now on, I do things my way. I'll probably keep the black and blue armour though, I think it really brings out my eyes..."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-30-23-04_zps5f8f90ca.jpg]

Tali doesn't have anything new to say, and with the endgame being nigh that pretty much wraps up all of the squadmate character arcs. Most of them are pretty linear - from memory Garrus is the only one that we have much influence over. Through our actions and discussions with him we've basically pushed him towards a renegade conclusion. If you convince him it's best to spare Dr Saleon and make him stand trial, and make a few other different choices, he'll instead decide to give C-Sec another go, and he'll talk about bringing Saren to justice instead of just killing him outright.

Wil all this affect Garrus's future? I guess only time will tell.

[spoiler="Spoilers for ME2/3"]It doesn't affect his future at all, not one tiny bit. The same stuff happens whichever way you push him.[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]

Thanks for reading and sorry for the delay (LOL - captcha for this update is 'never give up'). Next time we'll be heading back to the Citadel to begin the endgame run, how exciting!

Since we've said goodbye to her this update though, let's commemorate her passing by sharing your favourite Ash moments from the series. Mine's gotta be the hangover scene from ME3:

[MEDIA=youtube]L_xIPrbXxYA[/MEDIA]

 

[AD-Stu]

Yeah, when it comes to squadmates in particular the humans in the series can be pretty insipid. Jacob in ME2 is almost certainly the worst example, though James in ME3 isn't far behind. And then of course there's Ashley and Kaidan. Jack is kind of interesting though, and I know a lot of people dislike Miranda but I liked her (might just be the familiar Aussie accent swaying my judgement there).

Outside of squadmates I think things get a little better: Joker is good fun, and I think Anderson is pretty well written too. Anderson is a lot more interesting if you read the books too though, they don't really have the time or opportunity to get into his back story in the games.

 

[woodaba]

I think the human squadmates got much better after 1, to be honest. Both Ashley and Kaidan suffer from the fact that they were clearly designed to be the "ones who could die" in ME1, so they had to be pretty much interchangable in terms of plot relevance to work. But, aside from Jacob, who was blander than a butter sandwich, 2 and 3 were much better. I like both Miranda and James, Cortez was a neat little addition, and Joker became AWESOME in 2 once they actually gave him stuff to do other than whine.

 

[AD-Stu]

That's true - I think Ashley and Kaidan also suffered a bit from the fact that they had to be designed as exposition devices in this game so that we could learn all the back-story and in-game history that we needed to learn. True, all of our squadmates in ME1 are lumbered with the same problem to a degree (Tali maybe worst of all, since I think she's literally the ONLY quarian we meet in this game) but they all get the chance to keep developing their personalities across the trilogy, while Ashley and Kaidan, like you say, are designed to die interchangeably.

I forgot to count Cortez as a squadmate - he doesn't do a lot for me, TBH. I liked Traynor a lot more, but she got a lot more opportunities to be funny. I liked James a lot more after the Citadel DLC but still found him a bit bland overall. Maybe I just couldn't reconcile Freddy Prinze Jr's voice in that body

It occurs to me I completely left Zaeed and Kasumi out too. That maybe says everything that needs to be said about them, I guess in a similar way to Ash and Kaidan they're flawed in that they're DLC and therefore have to be written so it doesn't matter if they're there or not. I found both to be pretty one-note but still with some fun moments (particularly Kasumi and again, particularly in the Citadel DLC).

Nobody's mentioning any Ash favourite moments though - did I really pick the only one she's got?

 

[AD-Stu]

I hope you don't mind, I'm going to add my own little bit of dialogue here...

Spoiler

"So, I assume you guys are going to be taking that thing deep inside the facility?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] "Nope. We're just gonna leave it right here."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "So umm, why couldn't we have just dropped it from the air?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] "Because I wouldn't have been able to show off my expert bomb-lifting skills if we had done that."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "I see. Are you sure this is going to work? Will it really destroy the facility from this location?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] "If it doesn't, at least there'll be a nice fireworks display."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] *facepalms* "I'm really starting to question my decision to bring you onto the team, Williams.
If only there was a way I could change my mind and reverse that decision..."

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Ash.jpg] "Wait, what?"

[img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Avatars/Shepard.jpg] "Nothing..."[/spoiler][/QUOTE]

Love it - as soon as I posted this latest update I remembered I hadn't had a dig at that bit. Thanks for catching it up :)

[QUOTE=TopazFusion]It's pretty annoying how one single geth dropship completely ruins our plans, and requires us to sacrifice a squad member.

Okay, admittedly the Normandy is pretty light on crew members. Particularly combat-ready crew members.
And the geth dropship is probably crammed full of geth (since they 'fold up' into rather small packages). So it's not like the two ships carry an equal number of troops.

But come on! I'm sure the Normandy could've just blasted the dropship from the sky, somehow, before it dropped most of the geth. Or the people at the AA tower could've jury-rigged the AA tower to attack the geth ship. [i]Something[/i].[/QUOTE]

Definitely agree. Remember that at various other points in this game we've taken down an entire geth dropship with just the three people in our squad and the Mako. This would require something awesome to happen off screen out of our control though and, as discussed, Cut Scene Power To The Max seems to work backwards in this game :P

[QUOTE=TopazFusion]But having a mad scramble around the bomb, with all the water gushing around, also creates some tension too. =P[/QUOTE]

Agree absolutely, the scene works well both ways. It just wasn't until maybe my fourth playthrough that I actually went up to the AA tower as opposed to going back for whoever I left at the bomb site - seeing how the choke animation played out up there suddenly seemed so much cooler.

[QUOTE=TopazFusion]Interestingly enough, if you choose to go back to the bomb site, and rescue the squad member there instead, you don't get to see the 'death cutscene' of the squad member left at the AA tower.

No such cutscene exists for the squad member left to die at the AA tower, which is rather strange.

This actually caused a bit of speculation, before ME2 was released, about the survival of the squad member left at the AA tower. Since it doesn't actually show them dying.[/QUOTE]

You're right, and I'd actually forgotten all about that. And yeah, it makes little if any sense for the salarians that are up there with him to survive if you don't got to the AA tower and bring the Normandy with you.

Extending on that thought, it also makes little if any sense (to me, at least) for Kaidan and the salarians to be cornered on top of an AA tower in the first place - it's Shepard that's been disabling the AA towers all along so they're not there to do that, how the hell did they let themselves get stuck there?!?

[QUOTE=TopazFusion][QUOTE=AD-Stu][spoiler=Image][img src=http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/stu270/Mass%20Effect%20Lets%20Play/Chapter6Part2/MassEffect2013-06-1300-17-51-03_zpse8e9b549.jpg][/spoiler][/QUOTE]
What the hell is this? It looks a bit like crystals or something.[/quote]

Yeah - I mostly included that screenshot for the lulz, that's apparently what passes for geth "blood".

Thanks for the comments! :)

 

[AD-Stu]

Hey

From memory I actually have another update's worth of screenshots already in the can but a bunch of stuff conspired to keep me from getting anything more written - work, family, christmas, new computer, the usual. If people are really still interested though I can try to pick up where I left off.

Anyway, while I'm here, I thought I'd mention an interesting thing about Kaidan.
He's the only squad member who's already ON the Normandy when the game begins. All the others you pick up along the way.

Also, why is he with Joker in the cockpit at the start of the game, but not there ever again? Seems a bit weird.

You're right, I've never been able to work out why he was in the co-pilot's seat either... or why there even is a co-pilot's seat, given nobody seems to occupy it for the rest of the game

Maybe he was just there keeping Joker company in the opening scene, and he was trying to look busy when Nihilus and Shepard came in? "What... me? I'm totally doing important work here, swiping away at this console! Very busy! No need to take me out on any dangerous missions or anything!"

 

[Yokillernick]

Come on Stu we can't allow this much hard work go quietly into the night. We, (well more you), have to finish what we started. Just so you know still interested.

 

[Joseph Harrison]

I'm still interested in this if you're still willing to keep updating it.