I have several opinions on this. First, obviously I AM going to cheat as it is a game that rewards me for trying different things, some of which involve sleeping about with everybody on the ship. Since I know I'm going to play the game multiple times I see no real issue with doing so.
That said, on my final play through, which will take place at some point probably nearer the new game's release, I will play the game in an "honest" fashion - that is, I will do so making each decision based entirely on my own moral compass rather than an attempt to "see what will happen". In the case of romance, this means I would remain faithful to Ashley. Though some find her character despicable for any number of reasons, she remains the most interesting character from a romantic perspective. She is a member of my species which automatically governs a similar outlook on a variety of issues, and though some might consider her racism to be a "turn off" it remains her singlar trait that I find defining. Here is a woman who has lived under the shadow of her grandfather's failure her entire life. A woman who has lost everything she new to aliens twice by the time you meet back with her in ME2. She isn't some naive piece of alien jailbait like Liara, and it's ultimately clear that any long term relationship with a creature forced to reside inside an environment suit at all times is almost certainly doomed. Jack is psycotic and utterly beyond redemption, and Miranda lacks any care for a decsion based on what is right. These are perfect people to have at your side to save the universe, but when it comes to love, for my money I'll stick with the one person on the entire crew roster that doesn't sport severe mental illness, catastrophically compromised immune systems and genocidal tendancies, a lifespan so much longer than my own that I would merely be a brief footnote in their existance or an attitude that the ends always justify the means.
That said, on my final play through, which will take place at some point probably nearer the new game's release, I will play the game in an "honest" fashion - that is, I will do so making each decision based entirely on my own moral compass rather than an attempt to "see what will happen". In the case of romance, this means I would remain faithful to Ashley. Though some find her character despicable for any number of reasons, she remains the most interesting character from a romantic perspective. She is a member of my species which automatically governs a similar outlook on a variety of issues, and though some might consider her racism to be a "turn off" it remains her singlar trait that I find defining. Here is a woman who has lived under the shadow of her grandfather's failure her entire life. A woman who has lost everything she new to aliens twice by the time you meet back with her in ME2. She isn't some naive piece of alien jailbait like Liara, and it's ultimately clear that any long term relationship with a creature forced to reside inside an environment suit at all times is almost certainly doomed. Jack is psycotic and utterly beyond redemption, and Miranda lacks any care for a decsion based on what is right. These are perfect people to have at your side to save the universe, but when it comes to love, for my money I'll stick with the one person on the entire crew roster that doesn't sport severe mental illness, catastrophically compromised immune systems and genocidal tendancies, a lifespan so much longer than my own that I would merely be a brief footnote in their existance or an attitude that the ends always justify the means.
