Aircross said:
Forget the clone!
Look at this example of illusion of choice!
1. Player selects to save th clone. Clone dies.
2. Player selects to kill the clone. Clone dies.
Where's the meaningful choices in that?!
You'd be surprised how often people fail to realize how much characterization can go into what people -try- to do rather than just the outcome. Suppose you're reading a pulpy novel. Blake and Cynthia both are being chased by the Generalissimo's private guards when they see their friend Zach's helicopter hovering low up ahead. They're saved! Then the helicopter is shot up and spirals in. Shortly afterward, the helicopter explodes and then Zach is deader than dead.
Scenario 1:
Blake screams that they have to save Zach. Cynthia cooly replies there's no chance; whoever shot down the helicopter is sure to be able to see where it lands and take them out. Cynthia then pops the magazine out of her MP-5, judges the weight of it, and realizes she's down to about half a magazine. She mutters, "Shit, we better keep going, Professor," and doesn't even turn to see the flaming wreck explode in a fireball.
Scenario 2:
Blake jumps down and slides along the scree downhill, ignoring the pain in his broken forearm as he struggles to save Zach. Cynthia stops at the top of the hill, unable to decide what to do. She saw Blake running desperately for the helicopter, but she was paralyzed with indecision. Blake shields his face from the blast when the helicopter goes up, but Cynthia falls to her knees. She felt utterly defeated.
Scenario 3:
Blake stares at the impact and says, "Well, we're going to need another ride, but it looks like the Generalissimo did us a favor and got rid of your husband for us." He glanced back at Cynthia and smirked. "Come on. We'll get to the boat. Then we take down the Generalissimo and our plan is complete." Cynthia raised her optics to her face and could not hide a smirk of satisfaction when the chopper exploded.
Same result. Very different characters. And that was from me farting out three completely liminal characters. But there is a massive difference from the badass Cynthia who checks her weapon, the crushed Cynthia who falls to her knees, and the smirking Cynthia who is glad her husband is dead.
The Shepard who decides to try to save the Clone is a very different individual from the Shepard who simply kills the Clone, even if the end result is the same. The soldier who risks his life for a friend who dies anyway is a different soldier than the one who panics, even if the result is the same.