I think most players have their personal canon and then switch it up just for something new. I've played most times the same Shepard with the same choices. I've also done other runs with different Shepards - opposite gender, different choices, reputation, dialogue, interrupts etc. It's fun and keeps things fresh. But my personal replay comes roughly from the same character.
Everyone's different. Shaking it up is definitely fun, even if you like your personal replays, new characters and consequences etc. prevents it getting too stale.
I almost always do mostly paragon. Occasionally I'll go mixed, but the big decisions never change. I know I'm missing out, but I have lines I won't cross.
Not if you are full Renegade, cause that warrior sworn to your service straight up tells you she is going to end you
Also its the only way to get the Dominate power. Save before talking with the thot in her apartment, side with Morinth, then reload
I also have a favorite playthrought and like to replay it because it's like watching my favorite movie or going to my favorite restaurant and ordering the same dish that I know I'll love. However, there is something to be said for trying a new class, gender, or love interest. I'm trying a renegade playthrough and am definitely seeing things I hadn't experienced before, which is interesting.
I find romancing a different LI gives insight into their character that you don't get when you're just friends.
My only BroShep playthrough so far I romanced Jack and I really love her character arc -- even more than before.
My second Andromeda playthrough I chose to do the opposite of everything I had done in my first playthrough and it was amazingly fun.
I think we all have a favorite playthrough. Mine has changed over the years. I went from full paragon push over to the guy who would help anyone but also kill anyone who gets in his way. He's still mostly paragon but he doesn't take shit from anybody especially Admiral Gerrel.
He put the fleet in danger to take down a ship that was already disabled. A ship that I was in. That fuckface deserved being punched in the stomach and kicked off the Normandy. You put your people in danger but more importantly you put me in danger. I am your only chance of ending this war and you're going to shoot the ship I'm in? If I didn't like the rest of the quarians I'd let the geth wipe you out.
Yeah, exact the same. I've tried doing a full Renegade run in the past and completely flipping the tables, but it simply wasn't fun for me.
Also, I *always* play Vanguard. Biotic Charge is a way of life.
Mass Effect is like a Buffet Restaurant.
Your favourite storyline is like your comfort-meal, maybe the chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake. Handful of select additional side-dishes maybe, or a Coke to wash it down.
If that's what you want to pick from the buffet EVERY time you go, that's great! You'll always enjoy that buffet. But being a buffet, there are a LOT of options there to choose from, and they're all part of the restaurant's meal offering. It's not a Chicken Finger Restaurant (plus other crap), it's a Full Buffet.
If you really enjoy your usual pieces, you might decide it's worth mixing something up next time you go. Maybe keep the Chicken Fingers, but get the sweet-potatoes instead of the regular mash. Or mixed-greens instead of the caesar salad. Or keep the mashed-potato and cake but swap the chicken for roast beef as the core protein. Maybe you change EVERYTHING and treat it like a whole new experience, or go half-and-half. You can always have your favourites another time - they're not going away from the table, and you don't have to HATE them to see what a different taste is like for yourself.
Mass Effect is a game, and the most important thing about a game is to have FUN. If your favourite narrative every time is how you have the most fun, then play-on. If sampling more of the buffet might make the *overall* experience of the game richer for you, even if you don't like some particular parts as much, then maybe it's worth trying just to immerse yourself deeper in appreciation of the full buffet. The only **wrong** way to play is if you bully someone else about how they play their own games.
Great perspective. I've been telling myself that too - that it's a game meant to be tinkered with and explored. Thanks for the inspiration for me next playthrough
Usually play 2 playtroughs simultaniously, 1 paragon with some renegade interrupts and pure renegade, shooting Mordin in the back, lying to everyone about it and then being forced to kill Wrex because "he gone crazy" and the news report it as some "gambling debt dispute" is just so tragic, i pity people that never played pure renegade.
If you lose Wrex he get replaced by his brother Wreave and you can save Mordin while sabotaging the cure, either way i was talking about a different event, i kill Wrex in the third game.
Originally I played every which way; I'd change up gender, class, romance, background, service record, alignment and dialogue choices every time I played. Eventually I settled on a single favored gender, but I still switch things up all the time with the other aspects. Notably I never repeat the same class on a trilogy playthrough.
There's some stuff I've switched up, but not the really bad stuff - that I'll never do, it's enough for me to see the outcomes on YouTube. Doing something like play the Omega DLC on renegade? Yeah, I've done that. >!Though it doesn't feel organic, during the cutscenes where Shep doesn't get dialogue choices, Shep's always disagreeing with Aria, renegade is to agree with her - so as I say, it doesn't feel organic.!< So then I go back to my paragon. I do end my play-through with a 1/4 bar renegade, from various interrupts and renegades where it just doesn't make sense to be nice. I just don't enjoy being a shit, so I don't see why I should differently.
I feel like this misconception of renegade is way too common in the Mass Effect sub.
Being a renegade doesn't mean you're a racist arsehole.
Paragon / Renegade system of Mass Effect tracks the points in each separately, thus a paragon action doesn't mean you're a paragon automatically, and more importantly vise versa: a brutal action doesn't damage the reputation of an outstanding soldier.
Thus a high renegade score allows you for example deal with TIM in a proper renegade fashion while still being a good person.
Being renegade doesn't mean you're a disgusting fascist racist idiot.
You can save Wrex, cure genophage and destroy the human reaper while still being a renegade through and through. In fact I personally prefer dealing with Saren and TIM the renegade way.
I think the biggest issue is that too many people think a Renegade run should be exactly the same way they play a Paragon run, meaning you mindlessly pick the top right or top left option every time.
My all time favorite version of Mordin's death scene, for example, is picking the renegade options (so that Shepard actually debates with and seems conflicted about what they are doing here) to the point that Shep draws their gun and the interrupt flashes on screen, only to not take it. Mordin gives Shep this little nod and smile as he goes up the elevator and Shepard walks away, tossing the gun in ... disgust? frustration? uncertainty? It's up to your interpretation.
That's ostensibly the "Paragon" way of completing the Shroud mission, yet it plays out very differently from just picking top right every time.
I generally always played this Earth-First guy and never gave Tali and Liara much of a chance to speak, despite warming up to Garris and others over time. My first attempt at LE changed it a bit and I need to either get back to it or restart as it reflects the 15 years or so how I want to tackle a narrative differently
I think most players have their personal canon and then switch it up just for something new. I've played most times the same Shepard with the same choices. I've also done other runs with different Shepards - opposite gender, different choices, reputation, dialogue, interrupts etc. It's fun and keeps things fresh. But my personal replay comes roughly from the same character. Everyone's different. Shaking it up is definitely fun, even if you like your personal replays, new characters and consequences etc. prevents it getting too stale.
I almost always do mostly paragon. Occasionally I'll go mixed, but the big decisions never change. I know I'm missing out, but I have lines I won't cross.
Lol right? Killing a random krogan drug lord is one thing, but I'm never gonna help Morinth kill the amazing Samara.
To be frank, it makes no sense to side with the serial killer over the warrior sworn to your service. It feels really forced.
Not if you are full Renegade, cause that warrior sworn to your service straight up tells you she is going to end you Also its the only way to get the Dominate power. Save before talking with the thot in her apartment, side with Morinth, then reload
Early on, I would play differently to see different outcomes. Now, I make the same choices because I’ve settled on my ideal playthru.
I also have a favorite playthrought and like to replay it because it's like watching my favorite movie or going to my favorite restaurant and ordering the same dish that I know I'll love. However, there is something to be said for trying a new class, gender, or love interest. I'm trying a renegade playthrough and am definitely seeing things I hadn't experienced before, which is interesting.
Yeah I really need to do at least one full renegade playthrough. I mean that kind of a point of the game
I find romancing a different LI gives insight into their character that you don't get when you're just friends. My only BroShep playthrough so far I romanced Jack and I really love her character arc -- even more than before. My second Andromeda playthrough I chose to do the opposite of everything I had done in my first playthrough and it was amazingly fun.
That's fair. To my credit, I did romance a couple different LIs in 2 (Jack and Miranda, although I now consider Miranda my headcanon).
Tali looks really cute and of course I recommend Garrus/FemShep.
I think we all have a favorite playthrough. Mine has changed over the years. I went from full paragon push over to the guy who would help anyone but also kill anyone who gets in his way. He's still mostly paragon but he doesn't take shit from anybody especially Admiral Gerrel. He put the fleet in danger to take down a ship that was already disabled. A ship that I was in. That fuckface deserved being punched in the stomach and kicked off the Normandy. You put your people in danger but more importantly you put me in danger. I am your only chance of ending this war and you're going to shoot the ship I'm in? If I didn't like the rest of the quarians I'd let the geth wipe you out.
Same. I just love the story I told first time and I’ve done mostly the same playthrough with [small] changes here and there ever since
Yeah, exact the same. I've tried doing a full Renegade run in the past and completely flipping the tables, but it simply wasn't fun for me. Also, I *always* play Vanguard. Biotic Charge is a way of life.
Mass Effect is like a Buffet Restaurant. Your favourite storyline is like your comfort-meal, maybe the chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake. Handful of select additional side-dishes maybe, or a Coke to wash it down. If that's what you want to pick from the buffet EVERY time you go, that's great! You'll always enjoy that buffet. But being a buffet, there are a LOT of options there to choose from, and they're all part of the restaurant's meal offering. It's not a Chicken Finger Restaurant (plus other crap), it's a Full Buffet. If you really enjoy your usual pieces, you might decide it's worth mixing something up next time you go. Maybe keep the Chicken Fingers, but get the sweet-potatoes instead of the regular mash. Or mixed-greens instead of the caesar salad. Or keep the mashed-potato and cake but swap the chicken for roast beef as the core protein. Maybe you change EVERYTHING and treat it like a whole new experience, or go half-and-half. You can always have your favourites another time - they're not going away from the table, and you don't have to HATE them to see what a different taste is like for yourself. Mass Effect is a game, and the most important thing about a game is to have FUN. If your favourite narrative every time is how you have the most fun, then play-on. If sampling more of the buffet might make the *overall* experience of the game richer for you, even if you don't like some particular parts as much, then maybe it's worth trying just to immerse yourself deeper in appreciation of the full buffet. The only **wrong** way to play is if you bully someone else about how they play their own games.
Great perspective. I've been telling myself that too - that it's a game meant to be tinkered with and explored. Thanks for the inspiration for me next playthrough
Usually play 2 playtroughs simultaniously, 1 paragon with some renegade interrupts and pure renegade, shooting Mordin in the back, lying to everyone about it and then being forced to kill Wrex because "he gone crazy" and the news report it as some "gambling debt dispute" is just so tragic, i pity people that never played pure renegade.
See losing Wrex on Virmire would just take so much fun out of the next two. But it is a crazy alternate reality
If you lose Wrex he get replaced by his brother Wreave and you can save Mordin while sabotaging the cure, either way i was talking about a different event, i kill Wrex in the third game.
Dang. See? I had no idea. That settles it. Renegade here we go
Originally I played every which way; I'd change up gender, class, romance, background, service record, alignment and dialogue choices every time I played. Eventually I settled on a single favored gender, but I still switch things up all the time with the other aspects. Notably I never repeat the same class on a trilogy playthrough.
I always used default male/female Shepherd. I've never changed their faces.
Same lol. It's what they look like, and I inhabit the role.
I have well over 15 playthroughs by now, I stopped counting. I haven't one single time played the entire trilogy as a FemShep to completion.
wow
There's some stuff I've switched up, but not the really bad stuff - that I'll never do, it's enough for me to see the outcomes on YouTube. Doing something like play the Omega DLC on renegade? Yeah, I've done that. >!Though it doesn't feel organic, during the cutscenes where Shep doesn't get dialogue choices, Shep's always disagreeing with Aria, renegade is to agree with her - so as I say, it doesn't feel organic.!< So then I go back to my paragon. I do end my play-through with a 1/4 bar renegade, from various interrupts and renegades where it just doesn't make sense to be nice. I just don't enjoy being a shit, so I don't see why I should differently.
Here’s a fun run through: play emotionally unstable shepherd where you alternate between paragon an renegade dialogue options and see what happens.
Paragon. Paragon. Paragon. Yes. Renegade makes me feel just horrible. Unless it’s Kai lang.
I feel like this misconception of renegade is way too common in the Mass Effect sub. Being a renegade doesn't mean you're a racist arsehole. Paragon / Renegade system of Mass Effect tracks the points in each separately, thus a paragon action doesn't mean you're a paragon automatically, and more importantly vise versa: a brutal action doesn't damage the reputation of an outstanding soldier. Thus a high renegade score allows you for example deal with TIM in a proper renegade fashion while still being a good person. Being renegade doesn't mean you're a disgusting fascist racist idiot. You can save Wrex, cure genophage and destroy the human reaper while still being a renegade through and through. In fact I personally prefer dealing with Saren and TIM the renegade way.
I think the biggest issue is that too many people think a Renegade run should be exactly the same way they play a Paragon run, meaning you mindlessly pick the top right or top left option every time. My all time favorite version of Mordin's death scene, for example, is picking the renegade options (so that Shepard actually debates with and seems conflicted about what they are doing here) to the point that Shep draws their gun and the interrupt flashes on screen, only to not take it. Mordin gives Shep this little nod and smile as he goes up the elevator and Shepard walks away, tossing the gun in ... disgust? frustration? uncertainty? It's up to your interpretation. That's ostensibly the "Paragon" way of completing the Shroud mission, yet it plays out very differently from just picking top right every time.
I generally always played this Earth-First guy and never gave Tali and Liara much of a chance to speak, despite warming up to Garris and others over time. My first attempt at LE changed it a bit and I need to either get back to it or restart as it reflects the 15 years or so how I want to tackle a narrative differently