Game Tourists

Fallout New Vegas: This Game was Modded from the Start

2012-07-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Rah, you inspired me with your question about which FONV mods to get. So this one's for you. :D

Contents:
1. A quick Sage-review of the game
2. Essential Mods
3. Less Essential (but still fun) Mods
4. A Great Character Creation Guide
5. Flycam

Trying out Fallout: New Vegas

While my love of Mass Effect still holds strong, I needed a little distance from it, frankly. So, I decided to take a look at Fallout:New Vegas. I'm glad I did; it's been a lot of fun. I gather that some folks find it inferior to Fallout 3, but as this is the first Fallout game I've ever played, I'm digging it. And I think I'll go back and try 3 later on.

But the marketing sucks so far as I'm concerned

On a sidenote: I would NEVER have bought this game based on the actual marketing - the art, the box cover, etc. It did not at all catch my eye or interest me AT ALL. A guy in a mask with a gun? Yawn. It was actually some fanart by SeeHangArt (who had done some Shenko stuff I liked) that made me go, oh, hey, there's companions in this game? Oh, I can play as a woman and customize my character? Oh, I can choose how I want things to go down? Which faction to support? It's story based, but has shooter elements? Huh, that actually looks like fun.

f*ck yeah, jetpacks by SeeHangArt
No, there are no jetpacks in the game (sadly), but this picture caught my eye and made me consider the game.

So I read some more reviews, then picked up FONV on Steam. And omg, it IS fun. But seriously, game-marketing people? You know how women over the age of 20 are like the fastest growing demographic of the gaming market? You do realize that women are like marketing these games TO EACH OTHER with fanfic and fanart and on fanforums and such? You do realize this, yes? So if you wanted to know how to market your already awesome games to women, you might just want to take a look at how we're talking about the games to each other. Just thinking out loud, here.

But I digress.

So I was leery, because Bethesda, who made FONV, also did Skyrim and Skyrim remains 'meh' to me. I think the thing that either catches my imagination in a game or completely FAILS to do so is this: I like a good story. I do not care whatever the hell medium you use to tell a story. Video games, comic books, novels, movies, TV shows, a play, a musical, photography, sculpture, painting, graffiti... Seriously, I will accept ANY medium as a means by which stories are told. All I ask for is a good story.

The 'good' part is subjective, naturally. But Skyrim is all like, "You're the DragonBORN!" And I was like, "So why was I being executed?" "Uhhh. Mistake. Go! Be a GLORIOUS DRAGONBORN!" And by this point, I've been wandering around tearing wings off of butterflies to make health potions and kind of lost the point.

But Fallout New Vegas is hella atmospheric. Not just in a pretty mountains way, like Skyrim, but in this weird, almost funny, HIGHLY violent way. It's hilarious and disturbing and badass all at the same time. Also, the moment it opened, I was like HOLY COW, is that how this story starts? And it put your character into the action in a very immediate way that I found I had to hear the rest of the tale. Now that I'm in to the game a bit more, I'm seeing factions galore and I know this can't end totally happy-happy, but it's shaping up to be a doozy. And I'm looking forward to playing out the various ways things could go down.

And then I'll probably try playing things another way.

My only complaint is that while the companions ROCK (seriously, they're hilarious and awesome), I'm bummed that there are no romances with them.

No romance? Whhhhy? For serious. This man needs a hug.
...Like, in a while. After he's done with his whole revenge-quest thing.

Come on, Bethesda. If you had romances with the companions - real ones, not this lame marriage crap in Skyrim - you would make BUCKETS of money and have more fans than you knew what to do with. Just saying. Make ROMANCES! This should be a rule for all video games as far as I'm concerned. Borderlands 2, are you listening?

Okay, so that was a rambling review.

HIGHLY Suggested Mods

One problem with this game is that it NEEDS MODS. Seriously, you want mods for it. You want them BADLY. Thankfully, this being Bethesda, it's easy-peasy to mod. The place to go is The Fallout Nexus. Once there, be sure to get:

Fallout Mod Manager

Goes without saying. If you use mods, get the mod manager. Download it, run it. It will do the work from there. It's so self explanatory that from this point out, you pretty much just need to follow the mod manager's instructions for pulling down other mods. It will even notify you of updates. So useful. Get this first.

Note: Sometimes when activating a mod, particularly a larger one, the mod manager will appear to 'hang' and do nothing. This is simply because there is no 'hourglass' type waiting icon for the mod manager. If loading a mod takes a long time, run Window Task Manager or whatever and manually shut down the mod manager and try again, but usually, you just need to be patient and not click too many buttons at once (says the chronically impatient sagequeen).

Project Nevada

YOU NEED THIS MOD. No really. YOU NEED THIS MOD.

This mod adds in so much stuff that ought to have been in the game from the first. Most of all, it adds in the ability to sprint. Otherwise you're locked in a slow run. Need I say more?

Now, sprinting does use up action points, which you might need for using the VATS aided targeting, but on long stretches of running around the Mojave (which happens all the time), you want this mod.

Me, I use VATS for screenshots and that's about it

Project Nevada also adds an explosive-throwing hotkey, dynamic crosshairs for your gun. Just...everything. This mod is huge and necessary. I still haven't touched even half of what is in there, but I'm constantly figuring out how to fight better and it's all due to the stuff in this mod. Read the info on this mod, then get it. You want this one.

Centered 3rd Person Camera

I am baffled by the vanilla 3rd person camera view. The PC is off to the side at this weird angle. Rather than being a good off-center angle (like the combat mode of Mass Effect, for example) this is just super weird feeling, at leas to me. The Centered 3rd Person Camera Mod will put the camera - omg, get this: behind the PC's head! Much easier for moving around. However, that does mean the PC's head is in the middle of the screen, which sometimes blocks view of where you want to be shooting. Personally, I tend to stay in 3rd person view for running around, exploring, but pop into 1st person view for battle (quick-key middle mouse button, mouse scroll to set 3rd person distance). In that respect, the game ends up playing a lot like a bows-and-arrows build for Skyrim.

^ These 3 mods together make the gameplay WAY more fun. The auto-targeting of VATS often annoys me. I only use it when I get ambushed and need to hit something for certain. I'm currently running a gunslinger with sniper rifles for long range, shotguns for ambush, pistols for gunfights, and silenced pistols for recon work. I just run these mods and play the game much like a first-person shooter.

Suggested Mods

These mods are more for fun and/or cosmetic.

Recruit All Companions, and Radios

I guess this mod is sorta cheating. The game limits you to one human companion and one non-human companion (robot, basically). But I like running around with a couple of people at my back. Feels more BioWare like, ya know? All I need is squaddie banter, really. So I popped on this mod to keep myself in good company. As a result, we become a small army, but it's SO fun this way.

We have come to rock this town, baby

Several mods claim to bypass the 1-human-follower limit, but this one is the only mod I found that didn't break in weird places (so far!) or have major hang-ups or conflicts with other mods. Also, this mod add 7 radios that you can hand off to your companions, thus signalling them from afar. You can basically send them home, then have them immediately join you wherever. VERY handy. Just remember to hand them the radio before you send them back to the base.

Beauty Pack Plus

Okay, what is modding without more hairstyles. Amirite?

I tried 3 different hair mods, only to find they are HIGHLY incompatible with one another. This one was my 'favorite' in that it has the most amount of stuff without being overly buggy. It adds in a TON of new hairstyles. Most are completely ridiculous and unusable, primarily because they are SO over-the-top anime/Lolita garbage. My opinion, this is the courier, baddest woman in the Wastes, and she does not wear her hair in pigtails with giant bows. Also, about half of the eye-color additions have the pupil set too low and the courier ends up looking possessed as a result.

However, there are some gems in this pack that are not only useable, but very pretty. (Try the 'Moira' series for a nice bob or the 'Type' series for a simple ponytail.) The haircolor is totally customizable in the game via RGB sliders, so this mostly just impacts the hair and eyes. In the end, I went with a vanilla hairstyle (it was the only pulled-back style that I liked much), but I was glad of the additional eyecolor, because the default eyecolor options are very bland.

Two other mods to consider are Ling's Coiffure New Vegas (not available on the Nexus for some NSFW adult-content user pictures) and the Cazy Hair Resource. The Cazy hair will add in additional face presets and will totally trump any other hair mod you use. It will basically block the other hair mods and not allow the other hairstyles to show. Basically, take a look at the styles on Cazy and if you want one, pull it down, but it's pretty incompatible with the others. If you use it alone, it will not allow you to change the eyecolor of the face presets at all. Pretty buggy.

Ling's Coiffure, on the other hand, shares many of the same styles with the Beauty Pack, but in slightly different textures and with a few more options. Many of these styles are weird, but some are very lovely. The one problem here, in my opinion, is that this adds in several new face presets - all very pretty faces, but they have lashes and brows colored to match the hair. That's fine...until you move the brows around. Then you realize the brows are lying on top of the faces and now are getting clipped into by the default brow. Also, the tip I got from one site was to change the eyecolor before selecting a haircolor if you're using the Ling's mod. Apparently character creation has to be done in the right order with this mod or it may crash.

My solution was simply to use the Beauty Pack, which was the lowest impact and let me make a pretty courier, without feeling like she got a perfect mani-pedi and blowout every morning before wandering the wastes.

Tailor Maid

This is a must-get armor mod. And okay, it is also a cheat. But it's a cosmetic one, right? This is an armor mod that adds in two GIANT drops of gear right behind the starting point of Doc Mitchell's house in Goodsprings. All this gear has stats - not game-breaking, but good - and they're all mix-and-match. Some look really dumb, many clip, but you can piece together a really nice look for yourself from this gear. Mix-and-match with the items in the chests, with vanilla-in-game armors, or even with additional armor mods. Also available in an all-black retexture version.

Rockin' ranger gear (and a glove and a belt) over vanilla armor

Sniper and Survival Pack

I wanted to be a sniper, but couldn't find a good gun early on. So I pulled down this pack to get my hands on a sniper rifle. Basically, it leaves you 3 stashes with some good equipment. Some of the resources are broken in my game - they just show up as this red (!) on the screen. But the rifle is great.

Sniping at night from inside a dinosaur. Awww yeah.

Hair and Hats

Simple mod - this one makes it a little easier for some hairstyles to 'wear' hats. It's not perfect - clipping happens. In the case of a bun, for example, all the 'wispies' are gone. But it works better than the default hat-wearing, which simply removes your hair.

Nevada Skies

This mod makes the weather in the post nuclear winter Mojave Desert just a little more dynamic. There are several mods that do this (Fellout is another). Of the comparison screenshots, this one seems to add the best lighting.

I put several sky-replacement mods in only to remove them again. It seemed like a lot of game memory to be spending on environments. I prefer to spend that kind of memory running cool clothing and getting faster performance out of my machine.

Well, that's it for mods. Be aware that if you remove a mod, the game will warn you that loading a save that had mods enabled may break things in game. Generally speaking, I've found the game is pretty forgiving of removing mods. However, this game can be buggy. Save often, save early, and I'd advise limiting your mods. The more you pile on, the greater the chances of having the game crash.

With that said, here's two other notes of interest:

Character Creation Guide

This is a great guide to character creation, complete with a 'grading' of stats and perks. It was SUPER helpful to me in getting a handle on where to get started. Full kudos to Nathan Garvin, who wrote this up.

While I chose to adjust some of his recommendations for role-play reasons (Charisma may be a dump stat, but I couldn't bring myself to label my courier as a 'Misanthrope'), it's way useful for planning out your character building. I'd highly recommend looking through it.

Mr. Garvin makes very good arguments for his recommendations and has a fantastic guide for getting yourself to New Vegas right off the bat and getting cybernetic implants in (watch out for the DeathClaws on the way, because even with sprinting you can't out-run them!) I'd really recommend reading his guide through and at least getting yourself a few implants to start. Also, that Tailor Maid stash makes for a great bunch of gear to barter off to get you started on the caps for your augmentation.

The Fallout Wiki

Spoilers abound at the Fallout Wiki, but you might just want to sneak a peak there from time to time. For example, I could not figure out why I couldn't get Boone or Gannon to ever talk about themselves. Thier dialog options seemed like the set-up to a loyalty-type quest. Turns out, I had to impress them with certain actions, but I'd already done the stuff that would impress them before I met them. In Boone's case, the game actually sends you to a town before you meet Boone and if you do anything in that town, you lose 3 chances to impress Boone. So I'm glad I checked in with the wiki in a few spots, to figure out the 'correct order' for what I wanted to do.

But if you want to play totally spoiler free, you might want to avoid the wiki. Just mentioning it as a resource.

FlyCam and Face Tweaks

This being a Bethesda game, it's VERY easy to get up the console and mess around with things. Just hit the tilde (~) key on the PC to pause the game and start the console and start typing. (You're typing blind, so make sure you spell stuff right).

As before, "tfc" (without quotes) + enter, will toggle on the flycam. Hit the tilde to see this take effect. "tm"+ enter will toggle off the menu. "tfc" and "tm" will then bring the menu back on and flycam off. "tfc 1" will bring up flycam and pause the game at the same time. Use these commands to take screenshots (One MUST take screenshots. Always.)

And "showracemenu" (all one word) will bring up the Reflectron character creator again if you need to adjust your character's looks at any point. HOWEVER! This will reset ALL of your perks and may even cause you to have an unwanted sex change. Watch yourself, and make sure to read up on the fine art of console hacking at the Fallout Wiki. Just be careful there.

Alright! Well, that's Fallout:New Vegas - or some mods, anyhow. Hope that helps folks looking at starting up the game, and happy RadScorpion hunting!

-sage

When You Lost Commander Shepard, You Lost Me (Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut)

2012-06-28T08:24:00.003-07:00

Like a lot of fans of Mass Effect series, I finished the final game of the franchise and was left confused by the endings. I also felt weirdly...betrayed. It was strange. I didn't realize how much I'd invested of myself in the game and how much I'd come to 'trust' the game until it wasn't what I thought it would be.

BioWare was pretty awesome in that they cared about fan disappointment. They went about creating an extended cut DLC and, well... I hate to complain, but it doesn't get the job done. It satisfied some folks, I guess. It didn't satisfy me.

The endings remain, essentially, 'pick a color' (though now there is a rather insulting 'reject' ending as well). BioWare also clearly went out of their way to close off the indoctrination theory, thus giving up what could have been a brilliant plot twist in favor of their deus ex machina endings. The plot holes remain wide enough to drive Alliance frigates through. (In fact, there is a moment now when an Alliance frigate actually drives onto the scene, lands near a force-field producing Reaper artifact and meanwhile, our old pal, Harbinger-the-Reaper looks on and politely allows a last-minute evac.)

I've been trying to put my finger on why I disliked the extended cut so much, why the endings almost retroactively ruin all of Mass Effect for me.

And that was when I realized that what really gets me about these endings, what's at root of my dislike of them and what seems to sour the entire series for me, is that at the end of the 3rd trilogy installment, I found that Mass Effect is no longer about the hero of the story and instead is now about... I dunno what, really. Synthetics and organics? Some singularity theory? It's like the game got bogged down in it's own epicness and forgot the person that brought us to this story in the first place: namely, one Commander Shepard.

This is my Shepard.

For me, what I came for - what I stayed for - was Commander Shepard. And when the story of Mass Effect stopped being about the hero of Mass Effect, then you lost me.

We came and we stayed for Commander Shepard.

Shepard is probably the most popular character in Mass Effect. That's insane. Because Shepard is the player's character and is highly customizable. Even so, Shepard has fan songs written about her/him (I roll as FemShep, so female pronouns shall follow hereafter). Shepard has tons of fanart, fanfic, etc that have been made about her. And when you hear fans talk about Shepard they talk do not about one person -

(like this guy)

- but their Commander Shepard(s).

Multiple Personality Faces by ysucae

Shepard is more than an avatar, more than some self-insert doll by which I run around the world. Shepard is a character who belongs in this world. Right from the start, people know about Shepard, they have comments upon Shepard's past actions. But these actions are not those of a character who was built for you. The player gets to decide who Shepard was in the past and shape who Shepard becomes in the future. Shepard was this amazing avatar/character hybrid that I'd never really seen in a video game before Mass Effect 1.

Sadly, I haven't really seen the like since, either.

Who is this story really about, anyway?

Back in Mass Effect 1, the plot did sometimes force you into situations that Shepard couldn't avoid. But the key element to the storytelling was Shepard's reaction to it. You might have nothing more than a line of dialog to say. You might be asked to make a decision that changes the galaxy. But either way, at every turn, that good ol' dialog wheel was popping up to offer you choices that explain who Shepard was and what she's all about. Virmire was a hard, forced decision, for example, but it also became one of the most defining moments for the hero. Who she chooses to save and why was a key element of the plot.

commanders by a-stric

Back in Mass Effect, I felt like I was taken on this real journey with Shepard and - get this - that journey wasn't REALLY about the Reapers. Yes, the Reapers were the real threat. But we didn't know that until about halfway through the game. And seriously folks, let's face it: in the grand scheme of things, death is always looming over us. It's sort of a miracle any life exists at all. The question isn't really what we're up against. It's how we respond to what we're up against which shows what we're made of. Shepard is given this vision of annihilation unlike anything anyone has ever seen. And then, the player gets to determine how Shepard fights on and what Shepard believes she is really fighting for.

When players talk about 'choices mattering' in game, they aren't just talking about plot flags. They're also talking about being able to give life to the main character of the story. They're asking to be able to make choices as well as telling you why the hero did them. It's being able to have Shepard form relationships with other characters. As she gets tied to the world and cares about it, so does the player. By shaping the hero of Mass Effect, player was able to shape the tale itself.

The opening lines:

To see this in action, take a look at the opening lines of each game. It's weirdly symbolic of what changed over time:

Mass Effect 1: "Well, what about Shepard?"

Mass Effect 2: "Shepard did everything right."

Mass Effect 3: "How bad is it?"/"Bad."

Right there, you can see the slide in priorities and focus. The first game opens by looking down at Earth, then pans back to place Shepard against that backdrop. In a voice over, we hear Udina, Anderson and Hackett discussing Shepard's qualifications for the mission on the Normandy. This conversation is different for every Shepard, because right there in the opening sequence, it reflects the background choices the player made for Shepard. ("What about Shepard? She's a spacer..." "What about Shepard? She grew up in the colonies...") And so right there, from the start, we get a sense that this story is about Shepard, this one hero set against the backdrop of the galaxy.

But in Mass Effect 2, even before project Lazarus happens, the view shifts. Shepard is nowhere in the room for the opening sequence. She doesn't appear for a long time into the second cinematic, either. Even when she does show up, we don't see her face. Note what that says about your character: already Shepard is a bit removed from you now. This isn't a 'make your character and then immediately see them' style opening like it was in Mass Effect 1. Here, you make a character, wade through a lot of other characters and stuff woven around your character, and then finally, once your character is killed and brought back to life, well now you can play with your character again.

Telling vs. Asking

And take a look at that first line of Mass Effect 2: "Shepard did everything right." We are now being told something about Shepard. This isn't asking us who Shepard is - this is telling us about her personality and how she's regarded. That's actually really great in some ways: we hear about Shepard's choice in regards to the end of the first game for a start. It's less nuanced than conversation that opened the first game, but it gets us up to speed. It tells us how Shepard is regarded. I imagine this is why the devs wrote it this way.

But the problem is that this telling continues throughout Mass Effect 2 and then on into Mass Effect 3. We get a lot of stuff that tells us who Shepard is, rather than being asked to 'write' Shepard for ourselves. We're told Shepard dies. We're told she agrees to work for Cerberus. She's not forced to or ordered to, really: she just slips into their employ over the course of a few conversations, even if you tried to put up a paragon-dialog resistance. Then there are moments like Horizon and Illium, where Shepard walks away from friends/lovers without a backward glance. Here the player feels like they're being told how this went down rather than actually being able to role-play it. Obvious lines like "I'm sorry, Kaidan/Ash. I was dead and my outgoing email is busted" aren't available. This continues into the Mass Effect 2 DLC, where Shepard has to blow up a mass relay and then just sort of shakes her head and walks away. And between games, we're told Shepard then turns herself in to the Alliance and patiently sits under house arrest while we wait for Mass Effect 3 and the Reapers get ever closer. All this is stuff Shepard has to do and we don't get to shape any of it.

As a result, characterization for Shepard became so thin as to leave the Mass Effect 2 narrative pretty threadbare at times. Shepard seemed to have become a distant observer of the story, not the central figure. I I kept feeling like I was playing through a series of short stories about other characters, other events, other side-plots and happenings, and that Shepard was nothing more than the vehicle by which I entered these other stories. They were good stories, true, but often it felt like we weren't hearing Shepard's story, and I missed that.

Not Shepard, but 'the Situation'

Given what I heard pre-release for Mass Effect 3, I really thought that the devs heard this criticism. I really thought, given what was said in interviews and more, that they heard the fans wanted this story to be about Shepard - their Shepards - and I thought that Mass Effect 3 was going to deliver. And at times, it did. Tuchanka and Rannoch were great. But on the whole - and especially at the ending - the game felt like it took the story of Shepard away and replaced it with something else entirely.

Take a look at the opening line of Mass Effect 3 and you'll see what this story is really about:

"How bad it is?"/"Bad."

And now the story isn't really about Shepard anymore. Now the story is about 'the situation.' The multiplayer is about 'the situation.' Shepard is in there somewhere, but she's no longer the central figure. She is still something of a character/avatar hybrid, but often she's broken and just doesn't work the same way. She's overly-character-like and not avatar-like enough when I want to shape her story. For many cutscenes, I'm not allowed to role-play her at all because she's knee-deep in auto-dialog. But then at other times, Shepard is strangely avatar-like, just this empty shell who goes around listening in on conversations and dropping off resources accordingly, as if I were just running around in some boring MMO with Shepard as my vehicle. Either way, I'm not allowed to interact with the world or shape the hero that is Shepard. Stuff happens and I sit on Shepard's shoulders and watch it all go down without feeling like I can do anything about it. It's really strange that as the animation, voice acting and cinematics of Mass Effect 3 reach new heights, the story loses all of the personal intimacy that would be best served by those elements.

In Mass Effect 3, Shepard has some really great moments, don't get me wrong. Rannoch and Tuchanka and the romances with the Mass Effect 1 squadmates and conversations about the upcoming war were pretty much exactly as they should be. But these moments happen in side conversations. They happen as footnotes. And for some players (like anyone who romanced a Mass Effect 2 character), they didn't happen at all. The real 'meat' of the game is something about preparing this Crucible thing for the war and getting resources. It's not about Shepard figuring out the mystery of the Reapers (which was such a cool and driving plot in Mass Effect 1 and hey, we really need more intel on those Reapers in order to fight them, don't you think?). It's not about Shepard battling back fear and doubt and (hello) indoctrination (which would have been really damn cool, just sayin'). And that's because the story begins to feel like it's not really about Shepard at all.

I guess you could say, hey, there's a war on, so what does one person matter? But it's precisely because there's a war on that this intimate tale of one soldier's fight means so much. If you just give me the war report, I'm watching a news feed. If you let me play as Commander Shepard and truly shape her, well now you have a story. But so much of this game just puts Shepard on rails to quickly auto-dialog her through the game so that we can get to the big explosions and the multiplayer. I can deal with the auto-dialog for a while, but eventually, it becomes really hard to care about a character that used to be mine, but now isn't anymore.

The 'new' endings

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the endings. It's not just that they are thematically ridiculous and full of plot holes (which they are). But the thing that really gets under my skin is that instead of going out in a blaze of glory (which I was prepared for Shepard to do), Shepard just sort of...falls away. She stops being herself for lack of a better word, and starts being truly just this vehicle for the game to deliver me unto one of the ill-fitting endings.

Curiously, the best part of that whole ending, even though it's all auto-dialoged, is the scene with Anderson. That shows fans what they wanted to see: this intimate picture of our hero, tired, weary, and yet fighting on. There's an intimacy there between Shepard and her mentor, as two small humans sit on this huge station looking out on a huge war over a planet framed by stars and they have a final goodbye. Anderson's pride in Shepard, the fact that he sees what she's done, that he's proud of her, is one of the most affirming parts of the ending. Shepard is really herself here. It's all about her and what she's done. And the fans generally loved it.

But then we're shoved up into the starchamber and told to choose and Shepard dies, or maybe she doesn't. One of the fan complaints about the original endings was that Shepard didn't argue back against the StarChild. The extended cut now allows some 'investigate' options and has the ability for Shepard to express an opinion on these options. That's a step in the right direction, but the options are still garbage and Shepard's dialog does nothing to truly push back against these options. She puts up a token resistance and then you have to flip a switch. That's the grand ending to the hero's tale: she's a switch-flipping grunt.

I suppose you could say there is 'choice' in the StarChild's chamber and that this is Shepard's ultimate moment. But again, I don't feel like this moment is really about Shepard. I guess part of this is that the whole scene wasn't so eerie and full of space magic and plot hole ridden to the point where I don't believe in it anymore. As a result, I trust nothing about the decisions no matter which way Shepard goes.

Before, the decisions that Shepard faces actually make sense. Blow up geth or re-write them? Save this rachni or kill her? Those questions might be sticky from an ethical or tactical point of view (often both), but I always felt like I understood the question, even if I couldn't see the far-reaching consequences of the action. But the Mass Effect 3 ending is just so off that I can't figure out what I'm deciding. So (typical for my Shepard), I opted for what I figured was best and went for 'destroy' (a.k.a. 'blow this shit up.')

And even there I'm greeted with unease over my decisions. Because if the Crucible knocks out the relays and synthetics and tech, so wouldn't that knock out all the Alliance ships systems, too? So now all the 5th Fleet just lost life support and everyone who wasn't on a planet is dead? Great. And yet, that's Hackett talking at the end, so I guess maybe they didn't die?

Again. I could buy it, but it's like the game doesn't even take it's own physics and lore seriously at this point, much less it's hero.

Not Shepard, but sacrifice

The devs kept saying at the end of the trilogy that Mass Effect is a 'story of sacrifice.' And I keep thinking, 'That's funny. I thought this was a story about Shepard.' Because if Shepard wanted to make a sacrifice, fine, she would. And that would be her story. But you can't make sacrifice a theme without allowing people to opt into it. Dying at the end of the game and other people being saved as a result is not sacrifice. That's just shitty luck for the one guy and good luck for the other folks. It's not really sacrifice unless the hero chooses it. And again, these 'choices' at the end just feel like Shepard is the grunt flipping the switch on a deus ex machina. It's unsatisfying to behold and it's unclear what happens to her as a result.

So at the end of the game, I don't feel like I'm following Shepard's story anymore. I feel like the game is trying to make some cool plot point or to garner 'speculation from everyone' or something. I feel like the game is trying to wrap things up quickly so we can move on from the Reapers to other tales (though how they plan to make games in the Mass Effect universe now is beyond me. ME4 would need one hell of a re-set switch to undo the decisions made at the end if ME3).

In short, I feel no connection to Shepard's actions at the end of the game, because everything makes so little sense - especially as regards Shepard's fate.

The Legend of Shepard?

What caught my eye and kept me invested in earlier BioWare games was the sense that in spite of the magic or tech or battles and quests, there was a consistency to them. And at the heart ,their stories were really all about people - most especially the main character. KOTOR is really a story about the player character (you know who I mean). Mass Effect 1 was really about Shepard. Sure, I enjoyed the explosions and the headshots, but I came and I stayed for the role-play.

And so when Mass Effect 3 ended, I totally teared up. Because even as the crew was standing at the Wall o' the Fallen, and then the story shifts to that awful stargazer ending, I realized that the story I was seeing the end to wasn't the story I had started and fallen in love with.

And that's because the story wasn't really about Shepard anymore.

Shepard had just sort of reacted blindly and woodenly to events throughout the game, and now, she was being forgotten right before my very eyes. She passes into legend, and to me, the stargazer epilogue was the ultimate slap in the face. I just spent hundreds of hours (and hundreds of dollars, thank you pre-orders, CE, and N7 hoodie), playing through Commander Shepard's story, giving it life, following every move, every nuance, seeing her personality shape, change, seeing her fall in love, out of love, back in love again. I saw what 'really' happened. And then, in the end, the conclusion is that whatever happened to Shepard just passed into legend and no one really knows her.

But that's ridiculous. Because I knew Shepard. And one thing I can tell you about my Shepard is that she didn't give a crap about becoming a legend. She just wanted those beers everyone owes her. And I wanted a trademarked ShepardSmirk to complete my set:

Hell yes.

Hell yes.

Eh... just doesn't have the same feel to it. I dunno. Maybe that's me.

Alone

One of the final things that just astounds me about the ending of the game is how lonely it feels. At the end of Mass Effect 1, you have Shepard fighting with a strike team, all 3 of you crammed into that awful boss-fight chamber. The Alliance is right outside and though the fight it dire, you're not alone. At the end of Mass Effect 2, Shepard leads a whole team to the Collector base. In fact, if your team doesn't make it, Shepard dies.

But all those allies and friends and even lovers are for naught at the end of Mass Effect 3. The hero who is distinguished by her leadership capabilities, whether renegade or paragon, is now this lone agent. She is alone as she makes a decision that will effect billions upon billions. There is no pair of squadmates at Shepard's back, saying, "Save the Ascension!"/"Focus on Sovereign!" or "Blow the base!"/"Don't blow the base!"

I found this so odd, because that angel/devil act was such a constant up until this point. It was also one of my favorite parts of the Mass Effect universe, too. Squadmate opinion often served as a touchstone for decisions. It was largely Thane's disgust that influenced my decision regarding the heretic station, for example, and Miranda's worry that led me to re-activate Legion in spite of her warnings. And notice that the only major mission that you have to do alone - Arrival - has no squadmates to help you, but it also has no choice at the end of it. You must blow the relay alone, but that decision is taken from you.

But at the end of Mass Effect 3, you have this major decision, and yet you have no one to consider the decision with you. Not only that, you have no one even standing beside you to help you. Even though this is the most critical moment of the whole trilogy, everyone else on your team is focused on saving their own skins in an evacuation, rather than helping Shepard. And I don't care what the EC says, that feels so wrong. The theme of team-building and cooperation suddenly shifts in order to turn Shepard into this sacrificial lamb, and I find it both thematically odd and narratively off-putting. The EC makes it worse, I think, because you now see how purposefully the Normandy follows crap orders and leaves Shepard behind (and opens up weird plot holes with the last-minute by-the-beam evac.)

If the ending had been intended as an indoctrination moment, it would have made perfect sense: Shepard has to push through indoctrination alone. In fact, one of the things that made me suspect IT was simply that I couldn't believe that Shepard's team would ever abandon her, even in the face of death. That had to be a mistake.

And yet, they do abandon her. And the EC shows that abandonment in great detail.

You lost me

I enjoyed a lot about the Mass Effect universe: Mordin's singing, drinks with Kasumi, the vast starscapes, the geeky tech-babble, the biotics, the headshots, even the multiplayer. I was willing to follow along through the moments where the role-play felt strained, hoping that Shepard's tale would be play out in the end. I trusted the 'we're listening' promises that the devs kept making, even past the original ending and into expectations for the extended cut. But apparently the extended cut only 'extended' to explaining what happened to the universe as a whole. Who Shepard is was lost to legend and apparently no one cares but the players who created her (or yes, him).

But here's the thing: I wasn't here for the universe. I was here to invest in a hero, and see what happened to her. I came and I stayed for Shepard.

And when the story stopped being about the hero of that story, you lost me.

Bait and Switch: Mass Effect 3 the Extended Cut

2012-06-27T00:01:00.001-07:00

The extended cut of Mass Effect 3 hath landed. I hath played it. I'll admit it: I shed fangirl tears. But I didn't cry because of all the Shenko feels or whatever. Okay, I lie. I cried for the Shenko feels, too.

But I also teared up because the story ended, really ended, this time.

And when it ended I realized it wasn't the story I'd fallen in love with anymore, but something else entirely.

I feel a bit odd writing this. I mean, we got a DLC for free for crap's sake, and all because the devs wanted to make sure the fans felt good about the ending. Who does that? BioWare, that's who, and it's awesome. It's totally to their credit. And so whatever else I have to say about the 'real for sure now' end of Mass Effect 3, I want to make it clear that I appreciate what BioWare has done here. And furthermore, the series has a ton of awesome in it. I've never enjoyed a videogame like this before and I hope Mass Effect inspires many other developers to follow in it's epic, sweeping, RPG + shooter footsteps.

So I fully intend this to be a constructive post, but it is a critical post all the same. And I write this because I hope that as interactive storytelling goes forward, it continues to improve. And I think there was much that could be improved upon at the ending of Mass Effect 3.

Because now that the 'real' endings are out, I find that I still don't like them. I still feel they are unworthy of the series and arguably undermine the entire franchise. Obviously, this is my subjective opinion, but I shall endeavor to argue my point as best I can.

**SPOILERS FOLLOW** (obviously, but I'll try to keep them general and to a minimum)

Singularity?

I got to the end of Mass Effect 3 and was told that the ultimate purpose of the Reapers, the real reason they are here has something to do with the inevitability of 'the singularity' - a moment when synthetic life will inevitably gain consciousness and surpass and conquer organic life. I guess a part of me sort of hoped the extended cut would change this assertion. It does not. It 'expands' upon this notion, but it turns out that the Reapers really are here because of some idea that organics and synthetics 'must' come to war.

Now, I am deeply skeptical about the notion of singularity, but that's not the point. The point is that the synthetic/organic conflict was not part of the original lore, as set up in Mass Effect 1 and continued in Mass Effect 2. But it is slipped in starting in Mass Effect 3.

There's this strange moment when Shepard is talking to the Council at the beginning of Mass Effect 3 and she says, 'The Reapers want to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy.' I did a total record-scratch double-take at that moment. Say what, Shepard? I thought. You know better than that.

Because the Reapers, way back in Mass Effect 1, were not after 'all organic life.' Not a chance of it. First of all, they leave some organic life to survive each time around. So right there, this line is too broad a generalization. Secondly, the Reapers take out syntehtics as well as organics each cycle. Check out the Mass Effect lore on past space-faring species and you'll see that many of them were in various stages of synthetic/organic conflict at the time the Reapers hit. Interestingly, both synthetics and organics were cut down by the Reapers. Also, Reapers clearly kill of synthetics, too, or there would be ancient synthetic races still around in this cycle.

Now, the extended cut did clarify that the Reapers cut back both synthetic and organic life to make way for new synthetic and organic life, but all of Mass Effect 3 failed to maintain consistency with a key plot point we were introduced to in Mass Effect 1:

The Reapers only harvest spacefaring sapient life.

This was what we learned in Mass Effect 1: once a species gets mass effect technology under its belt, it has effectively signed its own death warrant. The asari were primitive back during the last Reaper cycle, but they weren't the asari equivalent of Neanderthals. Rather, they were evolved enough to have art (as we see on Thessia), but even so, the Reapers left them alone. And in this cycle, the Reapers show no interest in species like the yahg, who are planet-bound.

Rather, we see that the Reapers are only interested in space-faring life and they leave just enough of their technology behind to make sure that we use it without truly comprehending how it works (hello creepy Keepers). Using said technology without comprehension is the ultimate death trap: we can't hide from the Reapers, because we can't get anywhere except by mass effect tech and we can't fight them because all our weapons are based largely on mass effect tech. And since mass effect tech is tied to Reaper tech, all our base are belong them. Nowhere is this more clear than in the chilling declaration of Soverign: "You exist because we allow it. You will end because we demand it."

It's totally this Prometheus thing: you take the fire of the gods, you get punished. Or maybe it's a Biblical thing: take the fruit from the tree of knowledge, get kicked out into the cold, hard universe. Consider the opening sequence of Mass Effect 1: Shepard is looking at Earth, the garden world, then makes that jump - through a mass relay - into this strange new world. From here on out, there is no going back. And there's something a bit symbolic about the first place you visit being named after Eden. Or if you prefer Greek mythology (Mass Effect loves to mix up it's Biblical and Greek mythlogical stories, you know), we have the Charon relay here in Sol. (Charon being the name of the ferryman who took souls across the river of death into Hades, the land of the dead.) Now maybe all this allegory-like stuff is just for fun, but I like to think there was originally a point to all of it.

So again and again in Mass Effect 1, the story we're being told is that Reaper extinction has everything to do with mass effect relays and nothing to do with synthetics. The geth scarcely even register on Sovereign's or Harbinger's radar. The geth were, 'an annoyance' with 'limited utility' back in Mass Effect 2. It's strange how the synthetics suddenly become so important in Mass Effect 3, when for the previous two games, everything seemed to be all about mass effect. Hell, it's even the title of the entire series.

The Mass Effect

When I was playing Mass Effect 2, I remember being all reeling from Horizon, so I decided to go recruit Tali. I jumped on into the Dholen star system and stopped short.

What the hell was up with that star? I wondered. I pulled up the codex entry on the planet and my jaw dropped.

"BioWare," I said to myself (I actually did say this to my computer screen. I talk aloud when I game. It's true.)

"You are all a bunch of sneaky, sneaky bastards."

And I was delighted - delighted in this sort of amazed and horrified way. It was sort of the same feeling I had back when I learned what happened to Revan in KOTOR 1. I thought, holy crap, I should have seen this coming. And holy CRAP, how the hell are we going to deal with this in Mass Effect 3? Because now, truly, I can see that perhaps the Reapers are right, and maybe I should give up the fight. That might just be the 'right' thing to do. To stop them would destroy everything - not just now, but for forever. And if you had the same reaction, you know what I'm talking about.

Now, I've heard that 'leaked' scripts confirmed what I suspected back then. I avoided reading these scripts (I hate spoilers until I've finished something for myself), and I can't find any credible source for one of these leaked scripts. (Credible leak. Huh. That's sort of an oxymoron right there.) But the rumor is that BioWare intended to go a particular way, a way that completely fit with what was set up in Mass Effect 1 and 2, and then they didn't.

And so, based not so much off of script and rumor but off of theme and lore, I'm inclined to believe that this was the original plan:

The reason the Reapers harvest sapient space-faring species is (or, rather it was going to be) because using mass effect technology causes an increase in the amount of dark energy in the galaxy at a rate faster than such dark energy can dissipate. This build-up of dark matter destabilizes stars, thus destroying whole solar systems. The Reapers regularly roll through, take out all species that use this technology, make them into Reapers to 'preserve' them, then roll out again and allow 50,000 years (or, maybe closer to 45,000) for the galaxy to re-set itself for another round of mass effect pollution abuse. Then the Reapers clean house again.

It's a brilliant, brutal solution that totally fits a machine race set on protecting the galaxy for the galaxy's own good. And supposedly, the original 'choice' at the end of Mass Effect 3 was going to be to either let the Reapers continue their plan or fight them off and try to figure out a way out of this energy crisis on our own.

So Why the Change?

I can only assume that the leaked plot caused BioWare to shift their narrative. But then, there was that line about synthetics and organics earlier on the Citadel, so I then have to wonder how far back the shift went. I'm not sure how much of this was 'Oh, crap. We got scooped. Let's change this fast,' vs. 'Oh, gosh, I just love the idea of the singularity. Let's do that.'

In the end, it doesn't really matter why it was changed. The problem is that the story started out being about the Reapers killing anyone who was a space-faring race, and managing to keep this cycle up over and over and over. And then it became a story about an organic/synthetic war.

I started playing Mass Effect and I ended up in some weird re-mix of The Matrix or maybe BSG. And those other two are fine stories, I guess. And okay, yes, we get some more answers in the extended cut. But those weren't answers to the questions I had. That wasn't the ending to the story I started.

And as a result, I no longer feel like we're fighting the same bad guys. I remember heading out to take down Sovereign and his posse. Now you've got me arguing with a StarChild? I still feel like the 'real' Reapers are out there and I can't figure out how to stop them. This narrative inconsistency doesn't just mean that I don't like how the story shapes up - it means that I don't feel like we actually won the war against our real enemies.

The Crucible

A big part of the problem is that not only has the Reapers' goals changed, thus our objectives have changed, but also the means by which we are going to fight them are now changed too. I have to say that the Crucible remains a complete deus ex machina and there's just nothing else to be said about that. As the Pixar's 'rules for writing' point out, having a coincidence get your character into trouble is great (hello Eden Prime). Have a coincidence get them out again (Crucible? Beam to the Citadel? StarChild?) is not.

So when we get to the Citadel and the Crucible works as this giant loophole to help us stop the unstoppable Reapers, I was really disappointed. This miracle-in-a-box sounds too good to be true, and I felt it cheapened the sense of victory.

The Twist and the Tapestry

Maybe you'll tell me that this singularity thing and the Crucible's working was just a cool plot twist, but I dunno about that. A cool plot twist is like being in the same room with someone as they're weaving a tapestry. You see threads go in and sometimes you think you know what's being made, other times, you think, 'huh, how does that fit?' and then you forget about it. But then the twist comes when the weaver turns the loom around. You see that all those seemingly random threads are all part of the whole, and nothing was unintentional.

BioWare used to write stories like that all the damn time and it was awesome. KOTOR was like that (Revan!). Jade Empire was like that ('Do you remember what I taught you, my pupil?'). Mass Effect 1 was like that ('Sovereign isn't just a ship...!').

But Mass Effect 2? Mass Effect 3? Heck, I'll even delve into the other recent BioWare titles and point out that Dragon Age hasn't done this either. Sure, Riordan shows up to give you a critical piece of info once it's too late, but that's not a twist. Being forced into a Guy Fawkes moment in Dragon Age 2 is not a twist. A twist comes when you see the threads going in all the way from the start. A twist is when you choose to follow those threads and the narrative and then suddenly you see the bigger picture and everything is clearer all at once. A twist makes you say to yourself, 'Oh wow. I should have seen this all along.'

And more than that, a twist is an invitation. A twist is the author saying, "I've been saving this moment of awesome just for you and now let me show you where it goes." There's a certain amount of fun in a twist - like the person setting it up is not trying to play you, but play with you - as in enjoy that moment when you get it, too.

What I feel like I'm getting from BioWare lately is, 'Look! We can make you feel the feels!' and yeah, you can. But if I'm being strung along for the moment of 'reveal' and instead of saying, 'I see it now!' I say 'Say what now?', then that's far less satisfying. I am willing to suspend belief and stick with a story to see where it goes. Heck, I've followed Mass Effect all the way out to the extended cut of the 3rd game. But instead of a twist here, I'm seeing something that looks more like a change up. It was either sloppy writing in the first game or sloppy writing as the story progressed.

Either way, what I'm seeing here is a bait and switch, not a plot twist.

Closure

The devs kept saying that fans needed 'more closure' to say goodbye to the story. To that, I respectfully say:

NO.

No, I did not want 'more closure.' I didn't need more of an ending that changed the themes of mass effect tech, and ending that appeared to change the lore. It's nice to know that some friends lived, it's sad to learn that some friends died. And on a total side note, it's weird to think that these 'friends' of mine are really bad at search-and-rescue, apparently. Given what happened on Alchera, somebody seriously needs to put together a better galactic search and rescue team.

Maybe that will be Shepard's new job when she retires. If anyone finds her.

But no. Closure was not what I wanted.

I wanted an ending.

At the end of the extended cut, I'm still not quite sure what happened to Shepard. I got my Destroy 5000+ (I guess I only needed 3100, but I decided to be on the safe side) EMS. I got the extended cut with amore answers, more talk, more dialog.

And I still don't have an ending to the story I fell in love with years ago.

What I wanted was to hear the ending of the story I started way back in Mass Effect 1 when I was asked to log in to the Alliance database and begin the tale of Commander Shepard. Project Lazarus notwithstanding, that story continued on into Mass Effect 2. And then, Mass Effect 3 re-instated Shepard and for most of the tale (Crucible aside) I was eagerly awaiting an end to the tale.

But Mass Effect 3 never delivered that ending. What I wanted was to see how we're going to solve this problem of dark energy accumulation. Compared to that, this so-called inevitable singularity is small potatoes. We can deal with it. I wanted to see the races of the galaxy fight for their freedom, not stand and cheer as a miracle-in-a-box fixed everything for us.

But some other story happened instead.

A Lazy Ending and a Somewhat Strained Thanks

So there you have it. For me, Mass Effect was never about a 'happy' ending. I would have loved a happy ending - not a 'turn Reapers into icecream' ending, but a ride-off-into-the-sunset-even-though-the-losses-are-great ending would have been appreciated. But more than that, I wanted the end to the story I started.

God. I feel like a bit weird writing this. Because given how gosh-darned nice so many of the BioWare folks have been about the ending and keeping in touch with fans and all, I really shouldn't complain, right? For crap's sake, they made a 1.9G DLC for free because their fans were dissatisfied. That's pretty cool on their part, no getting around it.

But the ending of Mass Effect 3 - even with this amazing amount of energy poured into the extended cut - still feels... lazy.

The singularity reveal feels lazy. The Crucible feels lazy. These endings still do not fit the lore as set up in Mass Effect 1, nor the story as it was playing out in Mass Effect 2. As a result, extended or not, I just don't care for the ending of Mass Effect 3. I guess what I feel, coming out of all this, is that BioWare didn't set out to 'fix' the endings...

And they didn't fix the endings.

It is just as easy to make an ill-fitting 'happy' ending as it is to make an ill-fitting 'sad' or 'sacrificial' ending. What's tough is to write an ending that actually fits the story and leaves the audience feeling like they were taken on a coherent journey.

Mass Effect began as one story. For me, it ended as a far different one. I'm not sure exactly where things jumped the rails, but it happened. And now, at the end of the ride, I'm not sure where I want to go from here, but it's probably not back onto their rollercoaster.

***

(Edit with MAJOR spoilers: A question that remains is why the Reapers leave mass effect tech if it's so dangerous. To that, I completely buy what StarChild says about inevitability. I think the Reapers (or whatever VI directs) them ran the numbers and realized that all possible tech will get discovered some day. Eventually someone is going to figure out a technology if it's possible to work it (electricity, nuclear power, etc.) But that future race might not have the restraint not to overuse it. So the Reapers impose a restraint, and then graciously allow other species to use the tech for a time, but never give up it's inner secrets. Thus our lust to travel the stars is sated, but without any true understanding of how we did so. And note that the Protheans were just on the cusp of discovering mass effect tech for themselves when they were wiped out. The matriarch bartender suggests we should do the same in this cycle, implying that we probably are advanced enough to do so. So again, what StarChild says here makes complete sense - he's just a machine with a machine's lack of sympathy and brutal calculation, after all. I imagine this bit was part of the 'original' script, if such a thing exists. I just think this logic was meant to apply to the mass effect, and not the singularity.)

Mass Effect 3: Custom Armor and Casual Wear Hacks

2012-06-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

Mass Effect 3 hacking is a lot like Mass Effect 2 hacking in the way that you add in custom armors. But they did change stuff, too so I cannot seem to get my dirty, low-rez, merc armor enabled. This makes me a sad modding panda. BUT! Casuals and some armor mods are to be found.

Full props to aristaea on the BioWare Social Network for finding these codes. Also, what follows are some links to his/her other guides such as using different casuals in the prologue, etc.

So let me introduce you to Coalesed hacking and then point you to the codes:

Using Coalesed to Hack on Armors/Casuals:

NOTE! AS ALWAYS! Back up your stuff before modding your game and modding multiplayer will get you banned (single player is okay, though). And if you break stuff, none of the people who told you how to do this are responsible.

ADDITIONAL NOTE! Every time you get a major update to your game. (Like a new DLC, for example, it will totally change your Coalesed file all up. You will then have to re-enable every mod you put in, from flycam to these hacks. This is why I never just borrow other people's Coalesed file and always hack my own. I can never guarantee that they'll have quite what I have or update regularly enough.

All of the following hacks use the Coalesed tool. So first, download the Mass Effect 3 Coalesed utility. Run the utility.

Go to File, Open and find your Coalesed file.

If you're running your game off a DVD, it is likely in:

C:/ProgramFiles/MassEffect3/BioGame/Config/PC/Cooked/Coalesced

If you're running your game off of Origin, it is likely in:

C:/ProgramFiles/OriginGames/MassEffect3/BioGame/CookedPCConsole

A list will appear on the left column of the utility. Expand biogame. Expand sfxgame. Expand sfxplayercustomization.

From here, you will see armappearances = multiple, casualappearnace = multiple, etc. These are all the armor parts. The casuals are the casual wear. Everything else is full body armor (fullbodyappearances) or parts of armor (helmet, shoulders, etc.)

When you click in the left column, all armor/casual meshes associated with that type will appear in the right column. Scroll to the bottom of the list on the right hand column and add in the codes one at a time. BE SURE TO TYPE THE CODES CORRECTLY AND DON'T LEAVE ANY BLANK LINES! (There's always 1 'blank' line at the bottom of the list, but 2 blank lines is bad. Misspellings or blank lines will make your game crash unless you get rid of them in the coalesed.)

So, without further ado, here codes:

Armor and Casual Wear Codes:

Full props to Aristaea's Blog Guide to Casual Wear - I'm re-posting these codes because I wanted them in one place on my blog for my own use. Again though, all the modding love to aristaea for being awesome and finding these:

Note: These codes DON'T have armor bonuses added already. You'll have to do that yourself, manually, if you want them.

Blank Pieces

Use this if you don't want something to show. This is most often used if you want to mod off shoulder pads, for example, which is what I often do. Otherwise, you're just chopping off arms and legs. But sometimes if you want to use a full-body something or other, you may need this.

ArmAppearances: (GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=7,Name=339526,Description=339527,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Arms)

LegAppearances: (GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=7,Name=339525,Description=339524,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Legs)

ShoulderAppearances: (GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=7,Name=339528,Description=339523,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Shoulder)

Again, Make sure to add bonuses to the GameEffects "stuffgoeshere" bit, so these still have stats.

Armor Bonuses

Use this format: GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere","morestuffhere","evenmorestuff") <-- if you REALLY want to get crazy, you can mod on massive stuff. I try to keep my Insanity run balaced and I just put in something like a simple power bonus.

Extra ammo SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_AmmoCapacityBonus
Headshot damage SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_ConstraintDamageBonus
Health SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_HealthBonus
Shield strength SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_ShieldBonus
Shield regen SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_ShieldRegenBonus
Melee damage SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_MeleeDamageBonus
Cooldown speed SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_PowerCooldownBonus
Power damage SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_PowerDamageBonus
Weapon damage SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_WeaponDamageBonus

Torso Armor

Default TorsoAppearances, just in case you wanted them in the locker now.

N7 (default):
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.SHPa.HMM_ARM_SHPa_Tor_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.SHPa.HMF_ARM_SHPa_Tor_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_HealthBonus"),Id=0,Name=339522,Description=339529,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Kassa Foundation:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.SHPb.HMM_ARM_SHPb_Tor_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.SHPb.HMF_ARM_SHPb_Tor_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_ShieldRegenBonus"),Id=1,Name=723318,Description=710996,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Serrice Council:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.SHPc.HMM_ARM_SHPc_Tor_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.SHPc.HMF_ARM_SHPc_Tor_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_PowerDamageBonus"),Id=2,Name=723319,Description=710997,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Rosenkov Materials:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.SHPe.HMM_ARM_SHPe_Tor_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.SHPe.HMF_ARM_SHPe_Tor_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_PowerCooldownBonus"),Id=3,Name=723320,Description=710998,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Armax Arsenal:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.SHPg.HMM_ARM_SHPg_Tor_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.SHPg.HMF_ARM_SHPg_Tor_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_AmmoCapacityBonus"),Id=4,Name=723322,Description=711000,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Ariake Technologies:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.SHPh.HMM_ARM_SHPh_Tor_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.SHPh.HMF_ARM_SHPh_Tor_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_MeleeDamageBonus"),Id=5,Name=723323,Description=711001,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Hane-Kedar:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.SHPf.HMM_ARM_SHPf_Tor_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.SHPf.HMF_ARM_SHPf_Tor_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_WeaponDamageBonus"),Id=6,Name=723321,Description=710999,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Full-Body Armor

No-helmet versions of fullbody armor. These go under Torso Appearances (and will require you to use the blank pieces for turning off arms and legs, etc. - as you can see in these pics)

Defender Armor, N7:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.FBDa.HMM_ARM_FBDa_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.FBDa.HMF_ARM_FBDa_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=10,Name=711024,Description=711025,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Defender Armor, grey:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.FBDg.HMM_ARM_FBDg_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.FBDg.HMF_ARM_FBDg_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=11,Name=711024,Description=711025,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Reckoner-Knight Armor:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.FBDb.HMM_ARM_FBDb_NH_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.FBDb.HMF_ARM_FBDb_NH_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=12,Name=710944,Description=710945,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Cerberus Assault Armor:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.FBDc.HMM_ARM_FBDc_NH_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.FBDc.HMF_ARM_FBDc_NH_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=13,Name=351273,Description=351274,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Collector Armor:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.FBDd.HMM_ARM_FBDd_NH_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.FBDd.HMF_ARM_FBDd_NH_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=14,Name=686365,Description=351309,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Inferno Armor:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.FBDe.HMM_ARM_FBDe_NH_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.FBDe.HMF_ARM_FBDe_NH_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=15,Name=352047,Description=352048,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Terminus Armor:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.FBDf.HMM_ARM_FBDf_NH_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.FBDf.HMF_ARM_FBDf_NH_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=16,Name=349686,Description=349687,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Blood Dragon Armor:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.FBDh.HMM_ARM_FBDh_NH_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.FBDh.HMF_ARM_FBDh_NH_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=17,Name=339335,Description=339336,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

N7 Armor, burnt (Ending armor):
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.SHPi.HMM_ARM_SHPi_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.SHPi.HMF_ARM_SHPi_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=18,Name=339522,Description=339529,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Alliance Marine Armor (male) | Phoenix Armor (female):
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=19,Name=339522,Description=339529,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Helmets

Default Helmets with locks off.

BioGame.Ini > SFXGame > SFXPlayerCustomization > HelmetAppearances

No Helmet
(Id=0,Name=339533,Description=339532,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

N7 helmet
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPa.HMM_HGR_SHPa_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPa.HMF_HGR_SHPa_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_HealthBonus"),Id=1,Name=335169,Description=335469,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

N7 breather helmet
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPb.HMM_HGR_SHPb_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPb.HMF_HGR_SHPb_MDL",bHasBreather=True,bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_HealthBonus"),Id=2,Name=601644,Description=335471,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Death Mask
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPc.HMM_HGR_SHPc_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPc.HMF_HGR_SHPc_MDL",bHasBreather=True,bHideHead=True,bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_MeleeDamageBonus"),Id=3,Name=335474,Description=335475,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Kuwashii Visor
(Mesh=(MaleVisor="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPd.HMM_HGR_SHPd_MDL",FemaleVisor="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPd.HMF_HGR_SHPd_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_ConstraintDamageBonus","SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_WeaponDamageBonus_Weak"),Id=4,Name=601645,Description=335473,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Sentry Interface
(Mesh=(MaleVisor="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPg.HMM_HGR_SHPg_MDL",FemaleVisor="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPg.HMF_HGR_SHPg_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_ShieldBonus"),Id=5,Name=349690,Description=349689,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Kestrel Helmet
(Mesh=
(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPh.HMM_HGR_SHPh_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPh.HMF_HGR_SPHh_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_AmmoCapacityBonus"),Id=6,Name=363545,Description=363546,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Capacitor Helmet
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPi.HMM_HGR_SHPi_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPi.HMF_HGR_SHPi_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_ShieldRegenBonus"),Id=7,Name=362041,Description=362040,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Archon Visor
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPj.HMM_HGR_SHPj_MDL",FemaleVisor="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPj.HMF_HGR_SHPj_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_PowerCooldownBonus"),Id=8,Name=362043,Description=362042,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Umbra Visor
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPk.HMM_HGR_SHPk_MDL",FemaleVisor="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPk.HMF_HGR_SHPk_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_PowerDamageBonus"),Id=9,Name=349694,Description=349693,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Recon Hood
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPl.HMM_HGR_SHPl_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPl.HMF_HGR_SHPl_MDL",bHasBreather=True,bHideHead=True,bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_WeaponDamageBonus"),Id=10,Name=349697,Description=349698,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Mnemonic Visor
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPn.HMM_HGR_SHPn_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPn.HMF_HGR_SHPn_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_PowerDamageBonus_Weak","SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_PowerCooldownBonus_Weak"),Id=11,Name=718141,Description=718144,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Delumcore Overlay
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPm.HMM_HGR_SHPm_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPm.HMF_HGR_SHPm_MDL"),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_WeaponDamageBonus","SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_ConstraintDamageBonus_Weak"),Id=12,Name=718142,Description=718145,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Securitel Helmet
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HGR_SHP_R.SHPo.HMM_HGR_SHPo_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HGR_SHP_R.SHPo.HMF_HGR_SHPo_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_HealthBonus_Weak","SFXGameContent.SFXGameEffect_PartBasedArmor_ShieldBonus_Weak"),Id=13,Name=718143,Description=718146,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Hats

These hats go under helmetappearances, so if you want to wear them in space, add bHasBreather=True to the mesh definition.

Alliance Officer Hat:
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HIR_PRO_R.Hat_Officer.HMM_HAT_Off_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HIR_PRO.Hat_Officer.HMF_HAT_Off_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=20,Name=335169,Description=335469,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Comm Headset
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HIR_PRO_R.Hat_Moto.HMM_HAT_MTR_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HIR_PRO.Hat_Moto.HMF_HAT_MTR_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=21,Name=335169,Description=335469,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Admiral Hat (male) | Hair Clip (female) (Wait.... Admiral hat for men, hairclip for women? What? Well, maybe that female admiral in Vancouver just had on her admiral hairclip. Right.)
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HIR_PRO_R.Hat_Hackett.HMM_HAT_Hac_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HIR_PRO.Hat_HairClip.HMF_HAT_Hcp_MDL"),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=22,Name=335169,Description=335469,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Cuban-style Hat
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HIR_PRO_R.Hat_Cuban.HMM_HAT_Cub_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HIR_PRO.Hat_Cuban.HMF_HAT_Cub_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=23,Name=335169,Description=335469,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

SR-2 Ballcap
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HIR_PRO_R.Hat_Cap.HMM_HAT_Cap_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HIR_PRO.Hat_Cap.HMF_HAT_Cap_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=24,Name=335169,Description=335469,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Alliance Beret
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HIR_PRO_R.Hat_Beret.HMM_HAT_Brt_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HIR_PRO.Hat_Beret.HMF_HAT_Brt_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=25,Name=335169,Description=335469,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Beanie 1 (green)
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HIR_PRO_R.Hat_Beanie01.HMM_HAT_Bn1_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HIR_PRO.Hat_Beanie.HMF_HAT_Bn1_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=26,Name=335169,Description=335469,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Beanie 2 (yellow)
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_HIR_PRO_R.Hat_Beanie02.HMM_HAT_Bn2_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_HIR_PRO.Hat_Beanie02.HMF_HAT_Bn2_MDL",bHideHair=True),GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=27,Name=335169,Description=335469,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Helmet)

Casual Appearances:

(Some images taken from aristaea's blog, but I can't vouch for which goes with what mesh. I found some of his/her meshes didn't quite correspond with the pics she had, but that may just have been me reading stuff totally wrong.)

Dress Blues:

Admiral Uniform (male only, female defaults to less bars...With a hairclip (j/k about the hairclip.)
(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHa.HMM_ARM_CTHa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHa.HMM_ARM_CTHa_MAT_1b",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHa.HMF_ARM_CTHa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHa.HMM_ARM_CTHa_MAT_1b"),Id=11,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

DressBlues (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHj.HMM_ARM_CTHj_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHj.HMM_ARM_CTHj_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHa.HMF_ARM_CTHa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHj.HMM_ARM_CTHj_MAT_1a"),Id=12,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Fatigues

Grey and brown solid (male) | Black solid (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MAT_2a"),Id=14,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Grey camo (male) | Dark blue camo (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MAT_3a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MAT_3a"),Id=15,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Blue and black solid (male) | Black and brown camo (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MAT_4a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MAT_4a"),Id=16,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Green and white solid (male) | Black and grey solid (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MAT_5a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MAT_5a"),Id=17,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Black and white "Cerberus" (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MAT_7a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MAT_6a"),Id=18,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Red and brown "Grissom" (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MAT_8a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MAT_7a"),Id=19,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Dark blue camo (male) | default blue and white camo (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMM_ARM_CTHb_MAT_6a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHb.HMF_ARM_CTHb_MAT_1a"),Id=20,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Alliance Battle Uniform

Damaged (male and female):
Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHi.HMM_ARM_CTHi_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHi.HMM_ARM_CTHi_DMG_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHi.HMF_ARM_CTHi_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHi.HMF_ARM_CTHi_MAT_2a"),Id=22,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

N7 Hoodie (only available if you bought the Collector's Edition, otherwise, the mesh doesn't exist)

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHk.HMM_ARM_CTHk_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHj.HMF_ARM_CTHj_MDL"),Id=89,Name=339522,Description=339529,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Leather Jacket (male) | cocktail Dress (female) (Okay, seriously, Why do the men get the rockin' leather jacket and the women get the Allers' knockoff fetish dress with the zipper up the butt? Nobutreallynow. WHY?)

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHl.HMM_ARM_CTHl_MDL",

Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHk.HMF_ARM_CTHk_MDL"),

GameEffects=("stuffgoeshere"),Id=30,Name=339522,Description=339529,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Professional Wear (men suits, women dresses):

Black with red and blue trim (male) | Red and white with black trim "Tevos" (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MAT_1a"),Id=23,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Blue with black and gold trim (male) | Black and grey with orange trim "Helena" (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MAT_2a"),Id=24,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Light grey and white "Udina" (male) | Blue and red with gold trim "Khalisah" (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MAT_3a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MAT_3a"),Id=25,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Blue with purple trim (male) | White and blue (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MAT_4a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MAT_4a"),Id=26,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Black with red and blue trim (male) | Purple and red "Liara on Illium" (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MAT_5a"),Id=27,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Holographic "Mira" (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMM_ARM_CTHc_MAT_5a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHc.HMF_ARM_CTHc_MAT_6a"),Id=28,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Brown with blue trim (male) | Black and blue (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMM_ARM_CTHd_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMM_ARM_CTHd_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMF_ARM_CTHd_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMF_ARM_CTHd_MAT_1a"),Id=29,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Black with light grey trim (male) | Blue and pink (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMM_ARM_CTHd_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMM_ARM_CTHd_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMF_ARM_CTHd_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMF_ARM_CTHd_MAT_2a"),Id=30,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Black and grey (male) | Black and purple (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMM_ARM_CTHd_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMM_ARM_CTHd_MAT_3a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMF_ARM_CTHd_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHd.HMF_ARM_CTHd_MAT_3a"),Id=31,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Brown and grey (male) | White and purple (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHe.HMM_ARM_CTHe_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHe.HMM_ARM_CTHe_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHg.HMF_ARM_CTHg_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHg.HMF_ARM_CTHg_MAT_1a"),Id=32,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Red and grey (male) | pink and magenta "Consort" (female)

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHe.HMM_ARM_CTHe_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHe.HMM_ARM_CTHe_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHg.HMF_ARM_CTHg_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHg.HMF_ARM_CTHg_MAT_2a"),Id=33,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Blue and red (male) | White and purple (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHe.HMM_ARM_CTHe_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHe.HMM_ARM_CTHe_MAT_3a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHg.HMF_ARM_CTHg_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHg.HMF_ARM_CTHg_MAT_1a"),Id=34,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Civilian Wear

Biker Jacket (male), Light Worker Outfit (female)

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHg.HMM_ARM_CTHg_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHg.HMM_ARM_CTHg_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHe.HMF_ARM_CTHe_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHe.HMF_ARM_CTHe_MAT_1a"),Id=37,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Heavy Worker Outfit

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMM_ARM_CTHf_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMM_ARM_CTHf_MAT_3a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMF_ARM_CTHf_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMF_ARM_CTHf_MAT_1a"),Id=38,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

White and grey (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMM_ARM_CTHf_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMM_ARM_CTHf_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMF_ARM_CTHf_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMF_ARM_CTHf_MAT_2a"),Id=39,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Brown and black (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMM_ARM_CTHf_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMM_ARM_CTHf_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMF_ARM_CTHf_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMF_ARM_CTHf_MAT_3a"),Id=40,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Orange and grey (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMM_ARM_CTHf_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMM_ARM_CTHf_MAT_4a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMF_ARM_CTHf_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHf.HMF_ARM_CTHf_MAT_4a"),Id=41,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Science Uniform

White and red (male) | White and yellow (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MAT_1a"),Id=42,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Grey and purple (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MAT_2a"),Id=43,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Black and White "Cerberus" (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MAT_Nor",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MAT_3a"),Id=44,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

White and yellow (male) | Grey and white (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MAT_3a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MAT_4a"),Id=45,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

White and red (male) | Green and white (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MAT_5a"),Id=46,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Grey and purple (male) | Orange and orange (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MAT_6a"),Id=47,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

White and yellow (male) | White and red (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMM_ARM_CTHh_MAT_3a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH_R.CTHh.HMF_ARM_CTHh_MAT_7a"),Id=48,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Skivvies

Underwear (male) | Black lace panties, shiny (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMM_ARM_NKDa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMM_ARM_NKDa_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_NKD_R.NKDc.HMF_ARM_NKDc_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_NKD_R.NKDc.HMF_ARM_NKD_MAT_1a"),Id=49,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Underwear (male) | Black lace panties, matte (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMM_ARM_NKDa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMM_ARM_NKDa_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_NKD_R.NKDc.HMF_ARM_NKDc_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_NKD_R.NKDc.HMF_ARM_NKD_MAT_1b"),Id=50,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Underwear (male) | Red dancer outfit (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMM_ARM_NKDa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMM_ARM_NKDa_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_NKD_R.NKDb.HMF_ARM_NKDb_MDL"),Id=51,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Underwear (male) | "Avina" holographic (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMM_ARM_NKDa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMM_ARM_NKDa_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMF_ARM_NKDa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMF_ARM_NKDa_Mat_2a"),Id=53,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Kaidan body in underwear (male) | Nude (female) (Wait, and now only the women get nekkid? Come on. I demand equal-opportunity disrobing, here. Still, Kaidan bod in underwear. Hmmm....)

My femshep is going to hate me forever for using her as a model like this.

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_NKD_R.NKDb.HMM_ARM_NKDb_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_NKD_R.NKDa.HMF_ARM_NKDa_MDL"),Id=33,Name=339522,Description=339529,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Various Armors (as casuals)

White and red "Phoenix" (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MAT_1a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MAT_1a"),Id=54,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Red "Mercenary" (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MAT_2a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MAT_2a"),Id=55,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Black and brown "Duelist" (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MAT_3a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MAT_3a"),Id=56,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Eclipse (male) | White and red "Phoenix" (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MAT_4a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MAT_1a"),Id=57,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Blue Suns (male) | Red "Mercenary" (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MAT_5a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MAT_2a"),Id=58,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Alliance Marine (male) | Black and brown "Duelist" (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MAT_6a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MAT_3a"),Id=59,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Alliance Marine damaged (male) | White and red "Phoenix" (female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MDL",MaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMM_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMM_ARM_HVYa_MAT_7a",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MDL",FemaleMaterialOverride="BIOG_HMF_ARM_HVY_R.HVYa.HMF_ARM_HVYa_MAT_1a"),Id=60,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

Ending armor (male and female):

(Mesh=(Male="BIOG_HMM_ARM_SHP_R.SHPi.HMM_ARM_SHPi_MDL",Female="BIOG_HMF_ARM_SHP_R.SHPi.HMF_ARM_SHPi_MDL"),Id=61,PlotFlag=-1,Type=CustomizableType_Torso)

How to Change your Armor mid-game:

Back in ME2, you could use the coelesed to hack in a go-anywhere armor locker and bring up your clothing options any time you wanted. That pcloadlevel function is not available in ME3, so if you want to change your outfit, you have to be standing at the armor locker on the Normandy.

An exception to this can be made, however, if you use the Gibbed save editor. To use the Gibbed editor, first download the client and run it.

First select which save you want to change the armor for and open the 'Raw' tab, then scroll down to the Squad>Player information on the left column and click on this. This will open up the right hand side of the editor. Go to the Appearance and expand it. Here, you will see Arm ID (arms), Casual ID (what casuals you want), Tint #1 and more. From here, you can change your armor by changing the numbers. By default, for example, you're wearing N7 armor head to foot (parts, all #s set to 0 - remember, the first number in the listing is always 0, not 1). Say you go to Mars and want to wear full Armax Gear. If Armax gear is all #4 (by default it is), you then can go in, change ArmID, Torso ID, etc. from 0s to 4s. Load up the game and you're in gear.

Because it can be tricky to remember what armor is what number (especially when you're talking Tint colors, I often load up a Normandy save where I'm standing by an armor locker. In that Normandy save, I dress Shepard up the way I want her, then save the game and exit. I then load up that Normandy save in gibbed, write down all relevant info (lights, tints, etc.) and then open up the save I want to change to change the armor for and make adjustments there from my notes. This is especially useful if you have some modded pieces and can't remember what you named everything. Just because you labeled something '24' in the coalesed coding doesn't mean it will have that number in the closet.

You can also do this for casuals. So say if you want to dress up suddenly on the Citadel for a nice date, or if you wanted to get some shots of Shepard in her skivvies or...yeah, whatever it was you wanted to do (hey, I don't know what you're going to do, and maybe I don't want to know, you can use this tool for that.

Using the skivvies for a kind of sad, artistic shot. 'What did Cerberus do to me?'
But these could be used for other purposes entirely, too.

You can even change up your gear for certain cutscenes to a degree. All you need is to be able to load up a relevant autosave.

For example, at the start of the game, you have your N7 loaded by default. This means you end up doing all of the Mars mission in your default gear. But say you don't want to do that. Well, when you leave Vancouver and go to Mars, wait for the cutscene in the Normandy hold. Get to a pause point (like the talking to James bit, or if you have pause enabled, use that). From here, you can alt+tab out of the game and load up the AutoSave in Gibbed. This AutoSave is the start of that Normandy cutscene. You can then make armor changes to that AutoSave and save the file over a numbered Save game (don't save your file over the autosave, since that updates constantly). Load up save # whatever (the one which has your Gibbed Changes on it) and you can get Mars scenes with your fave armor.

Another thing you can mess with under Appearances in the Gibbed is a line toward the bottom: 'UseCasualAppearance.' I wanted my Shep in armor on the first Citadel visit. I figured she didn't have time for a shower and a change into her clothes.

She was too worried about other stuff to take a shower, you see.

So when I got to the Citadel, I saved the game, then changed UseCasualAppearance to 'False.'

Shep now runs straight from battle to her Council hearing.

I imagine you can use this to wear casuals in battle, but have not tested it. This is non-standard use of the costumes, so it may not work for all places. For example, the opening Vancouver scene requires some fancy tweaking. See aristaea's blog, below, for that.

"Where'd you get that hoodie?"
"Check out aristaea's blog to find out."

Additional Armor/Casual Wear Guides

How to Change the Prologue Outfit - This is if you want to run around Vancouver in something other than the battle uniform, like a dress, or, say, a hoodie. Normally, you can just do this with Gibbed (see above) but because the game is picking the 'costume' for this part, you have to mod this with the coalesed if you wnat to change it.

BE WARNED! the battle uniform has a 'dirty' alternative look that will show up after the (SPOILERS) window blows out before Shep jumps out into the fight. If you use something other than the battle uniform, you get some creepy-weird textures going on here, possibly. It will stop the second you end that cutscene, though.

How to Change the Mars Armor - This is aristaea's guide to wearing something other than the default armor to Mars. However, I found you could do this pretty easily in the gibbed (see above). I'm not sure if there's something tricksy going on with the coalesed for the fullbody armor, but like I said above, I just used Gibbed.

How to Wear Squadmate Armor (like Ash's armor, etc) - Aristaea's blog on this subject appears not to work for some people. I couldn't get it to work for me. But there's the linky.

Happy Modding! - sage

Mass Effect 3 Face Code Import Tools: Or, how to make Shepard look more like her old self

2012-05-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

A Tale of ~~Two~~ Three Shepards...

When Mass Effect 3 was released, Shepards with custom faces were out of luck. Mass Effect 3 did not 'interpret' the save file data to reconstruct a face in the character creator (CC). Rather, it simply used the face code associated with a save file. If you'd built (or rebuilt) your Shepard in ME2, no problem. You had a face code and ME3 would 'read' that to remake your Shepard. But if you'd built your Shepard in Mass Effect 1 and imported her into ME2 and then into ME3 without changing anything along the way, she had no face code. Mass Effect 3 would get confused, and you would end up having Shepard revert to a default face. From there, you would have to reconstruct her all over again.

This import problem has been rectified with a patch. However, custom Shepards, particularly Shepards that made the journey unchanged from Mass Effect 1 through 2 and into 3, often do not look like their old selves. More than that, the graphics in Mass Effect 3 are rather changed, so trying to get Shepard to 'look right' can be a frustrating endeavor.

This is probably the worst case of import-gone-bad I've seen yet. Borrowed image from the BSN.

What follows are a handful of resources that may help you get your Shepard working properly. I have not tried all of these, so I cannot verify the ease of use for all of them. And some seem to work for some Shepards and not for others. All I can say is 'Here are tools!' and I hope they can help you out. In order from easiest to most difficult:

Unaltered Imports

Make certain you have the patch for ME3 to import your Shepard properly. Import your save file when asked to create a new game. If she/he looks great, yay for you.

Recreate FaceCode

If you have a ME2 facecode, plug it in and tweak if needed.

If you do not have an ME2 facecode (your Shepard is an ME1 creation), then this is a painful way to do things, but it does work.

Load up Mass Effect 2 and import your ME1 save. When you hit the project Lazarus CC, you'll see the option to 'Accept Imported Face' or to create a 'Custom Appearance.' Switching back and forth between these two, you can check your progress as you carefully, painstakingly, rebuild your Shepard. It helps a LOT if you remember what face structure you used, the nose, mouth, etc.

I find it helpful here to use screenshots to check my progress, especially for looking at Shepard from a side angle. I take a screenshot of the import face, then of the custom face, alt+tab out of game and look at them back to back in a picture-view program (like windows viewer or picasa) to look for tiny adjustments that need tweaking. Again, painstaking, but it works.

Keep in mind that the coloring options changed from ME1 to ME2. Gone are the 'OMG BLUE!' eyes and several of the makeup options have changed as well. This facecode will mostly give you the underlying structure, not the coloring. Be prepared to make more changes when you hit ME3.

Once you have a working facecode, write it down and fire up ME3. When you are in the CC, pop in the facecode and from here, you may want to tweak things a bit.

Two things you'll want to pay attention to are again, coloring. The 'light' blonde from ME1/2 is now a slightly darker blonde, for example. Also gone is the old auburn. Another odd change is that in ME1/2, several of the mouth shapes looked identical, but now they have changed so that they look slightly different. You may have accidentally grabbed a mouth shape in your reconstruction that now doesn't look right. It may take some trial and error here to get a facecode that 'feels' right.

The Lazarus Project

Image borrowed from BSN:
From L to R: ME2, ME3 Import, ME3 Lazarus

Several fans, annoyed with the ME3 import issues, created the Lazarus Project tool to recreate Shepard in the way the ME1 to ME2 imports worked - pulling from actual vectors and such. I have not run this utility myself, but a friend did it for me (thanks ELE!) and I was able to check out the results.

The Lazarus utility moves the LOD points to match up with their old placement. This means that many features will look like they have a more ME2-style shape (the eyes and mouths, especially), if you use Lazarus on your Shepard.

Keep in mind that ME3 has more LOD points than Mass Effect 2 and 1 did. For myself, I found that when I used a Lazarus-recreated Shepard, she did not animate the same way (or as well) as a Shepard built with a facecode.

All that is to say that Lazarus results are mixed, I think. Some Shepards benefit immensely from this process. Others look less like themselves than with a straight import. Also, since coloring changes so much from game to game, these Shepards may still need a pass with a Gibbed editor to get the vectors right.

But this is yet another tool that may work well for your Shepard.

Gibbed Editing

The Gibbed Save editor allows you to mess with a number of things, from save game states to eye color and more. It can also help with that awful eye-clipping issue - not remove it entirely, there are some wacky moments in animation, but it can mitigate the problem by a long shot. To use the Gibbed editor, first download the client and run it.

One of the most useful features of Gibbed in under the 'Player' tab, and that is the import/export headmorph file. When you get your Shepard looking like you want, you can export (save) the headmorph file (this is only the information about her custom head). Then you can import that file onto ANY save you have. This means if you get halfway through the game and don't want to start from the beginning, you can change up a Shepard's looks in the CC, then drop her new face right in on a later save point. This is also useful for checking out how well she's animating before committing to a final run with that facecode.

For editing the face itself, you'll want to open the 'Raw' tab. You'll want to have a couple of saves to work with, too. I typically start up a game, then, while the opening sequence is running, I alt+tab out of the game and open the AutoSave file in Gibbed while the game is running. Then I switch back to the game and when I get to the Vancouver fight sequence, I save the game three times. I then Alt+Tab out to Gibbed and save the AutoSave file AS Save 1 and Save 2. This means that when I load up Save #1, I start right at the beginning of the game and can watch Shepard go through the opening sequence. I find I like this because it allows me to see her animated and I can tell if my changes took hold properly. I leave save #1 as my vanilla Shepard - I don't mess with her at all. She's my backup in case I mess things up very badly. I then exit out of Mass Effect 3 and Gibbed edit save #2. You'll want to open up the Raw tab, then go down to the Player information on the left column and click on it. This will open up the right hand side of the editor. Go to the Appearance>MorphHead to find the various items you want to tweak.

When I'm done, I load up ME3 again (making sure my local saves and clouds saves synch up and use the local data) and load up save #2 to check my work. I watch Shepard through the opening sequence, make notes on what I want to change, and move along.

This can be VERY painstaking, but for me, I wanted my Shepard to look right and, more importantly, animate right. Proper animation is harder to manage than merely getting good screenshots, but for me, it's totally worth it.

Here are a few guides to things you may want to tweak with Gibbed:

BioWare Social Network Gibbed Thread for Mass Effect 3: Generally info and how-to

ELE08's Guide to FemShep's Hair: Guide to the hairstyles, including NPC styles and old styles, (like how to use Ashley's new long hair)

Ottemis' Guide to MaleShep's Hair: Same idea, but for the men

MassEffect2FaceCodes Database's Guide to Gibbed: (watch the math! the guide has a funny way of explaining this)

The ME2 Face Guide's result from facecode + tweaks

Vhalkyrie's Gibbed Notes for Mass Effect 3

Vhalkyrie's Tweaked Shepard, w/ custom shade of auburn hair

And lastly, The FemShep Fan Thread is not a modding community, per se, but these folks love femshep and many are modders or have spent a great deal of time getting their custom Sheps to look right. They are a great resource for asking questions of, or just perusing their awesome custom creations.

My Shep

For myself, I had a heck of a time getting my Shepard to look remotely like her old self. I ended up messing with all of the following. In this case, having the Lazarus headmorph file (thank you again, ELE08, for making that for me!) was vastly useful for comparing which offset bones needed tweaking to what degree (especially to re-create the eye shape):

Vectors:

These are RGB values (coloring). The higher the number, the more the color brightens. I used this tool to find colors I liked in a paint program and then turn the hex value into an RGB percentage I could use.

Skin Tone: ME3 makes skin tones ghostly, bump down the RGB values by about -.1 to help with that

Hair Color: I found the values for the 'darker' blonde, then tweaked the lighter blonde down a tad.

HED_Addn_Colour_Vector: Eyebrows, made them darker

Iris Color: eye color. I made myself a custom shade

Hair highlight 1: (and 2) this is the shine on the hair. I changed the values to match the 'darker' blonde color. This meant the lightest blonde hair didn't have a green tone, but a nice, slightly reddish shine

Scalars:

These are the intensity of the colors. Generally, the eyemakeup in ME3 is toned WAY down from ME2, which can look off when you're used to that darker eyeliner. Consider changing the following:

Blush Scalar: I put mine at 1.

Eyeshadow Tint Scalar: Eyeliner. I put mine at a modest 1.1. You may want something darker if you're used to the intense look.

HED_Brow_Tint_Scalar: This is the eyeshadow on the lids. I placed mine at only .5, but I go in for light shadow. Most folks pump it up to 1 or more.

Highlight 1: Hair shine 1.

Highlight 2: Hair shine 2. I bumped these down just a tad, for a more matte look.

Offsetbones:

This can get scary FAST. (<-- View at your own risk.)

Offset bones are just that: OFFSET. Don't think 'oh, my nose is too big so I'll change it this way.' Nuh-uh. You want to redo stuff in the CC and then use these to *tweak* ever so slightly what you've already got.

Generally speaking, X controls depth, Y width, and Z height, relative to a central point inside of Shepard's skull. By decreasing the Y value of the brow_left/brow_right by .9 and increasing the Z value by .5, I was able to offset the eyeclipping. I also changed the outbrow values by Z+.1, the outerupperlip by X+.1 and the sneer by X+.5.

Because this one can get sticky, check out the above guides (Vhalkyrie's and Mass Effect2's) for info about how to tweak these. This one requires a LOT of trial and error, so good luck! Again, having a Lazarus Shepard for comparison here can be helpful.

The Final Results:

That's a line up of the various ways one can re-construct a Shepard. Personally, my favorite is the far right, tweaked facecode + tweaks w/ Gibbed. She looks much more like her old self, especially animated in game. It took time and a lot of patience, but it's nice to have my FemShep back.

ME1

ME2

Hope these tools help you, and happy facecoding!

-sage

Art or Product?: You Can't Have Your Mass Effect 3 Cake and Eat it, Too

2012-04-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

Art or Product?

The 'controversy' over the endings of Mass Effect 3 fascinates me almost as much as the game itself. Considering how much I love series, that's saying something.

The controversy, in a nutshell, is that fans don't like the ending(s?) of the game. They've complained that they are unsatisfying for a number of reasons. Me, I've weighed in on this myself a few times now. BioWare/EA recently acknowledged that fan frustration caught them by surprise, but have decided to give fans 'more closure,' but not change the artistic vision of the endings: (Extended cut announcement; Co-Founder Ray Muzyaka's blog post).

What I find fascinating, however, is that in all of this, there seems to be remaining confusion and equivocation on what a video game really is. The discussion has raged on between people who support the artistic vision of BioWare (such as Gabe of Penny Arcade) and those who argue that whatever the artistic vision was, it clearly failed in the implementation and has cheated the gamers.

But one of the things that doesn't get answered by these debates is whether Mass Effect is art or a product - if it's a story or a consumable.

It's Art:

Of course, the natural inclination is to say that yes, Mass Effect is of course a work of art. Obviously, it has a ton of artistic process going into it. Thus, the conclusion is often that the thing taken as a whole is also a piece of art, including the endings (That's actually a fallacy to assume that the pieces being art means the whole thing together is art, but it could be true that both the pieces (design, music, etc.) are art and the big picture is as well. But I digress).

The story - and ending, the argument goes - to Mass Effect was created by the writers and devs. If you don't like what they chose to do, then fine. But it's a piece of art and it's done. You don't get to go whining that you want it changed.

Now, some have pointed out that art does have a precedence of changing because of fan outcry. This happened with Sherlock Holmes and Dickens' Great Expectations, but let's set that aside for a moment as well.

Note what that above argument is saying about the game itself: it's saying that Mass Effect is a piece of art. The game is art. Art has a vision. We can argue with the vision, but the audience doesn't get to define the vision. Most often these arguments compare Mass Effect to the art of novels and movies, because it's so story-driven. The idea then, is that since this game is a piece of art, and it's ending is totally up to the devs to create. The fans can like it or lump it, but in the end, it's up to the devs to decide how to treat their own vision.

It's a Product:

When some fans hear this, however, they respond that this is ridiculous. Mass Effect may be a story, but it's an interactive story. Gabe of Penny Arcade told us we're not the authors of the story, but that's exactly what we were asked to be, given previous marketing and interviews with the development team. In fact, the website for Mass Effect still (as of now) boasts interactive storytelling, saying:

"Along the way, your choices drive powerful outcomes, including relationships with key characters, the fate of entire civilizations, and even radically different ending scenarios." (Emphasis mine.)

^That's taken directly from the website, folks. And it's little wonder to me that fans then react to the 'it's art' claim (and the implied 'and therefore you do not touch it once it's done' admonishment) with 'I don't care about your artistic vision. You promised me this.'

And that's just what fans have done. One fan lodged a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. The Better Business Bureau has stated that BioWare's claims for Mass Effect 3 are, in fact, false advertising.

Okay, it may seem stupid, but you can kind of see where these fans are coming from. Most fans think a color-coded explosion at the end of the game does not constitute 'radically different ending scenarios' and apparently the BBB is inclined to agree with them.

But again, Note what that above argument is saying about the game itself: it's saying that Mass Effect is a product.

This is sort of like saying, 'Look. The ad said it was a box of chocolates with at least 16 different flavors. I got the box and it had three peanut butter cookies in it. Just give me my chocolates and we'll call it good.'

In other words, Mass Effect is a product to be consumed, and if the consumable is not what is advertised, then the consumer can and should complain. The devs can like it or lump it, but in the end, it's up to the fans to demand that they get the product for which they paid.

BUT THEN... Oh, but then.

Then we get into this really weird circular reasoning that results from this lack of consensus on whether Mass Effect is art or a product.

Make Up Your Mind!

The crazy thing is, I see fans doing this all over the place. A fan complains that the endings sucked because they totally didn't fit with the lore of he Mass Effect universe, nor did they fit with the world's established themes or history, or even its physics. So basically, fan 1's argument runs thusly:

Fan 1: ME is art, and a lousy example of art at that

"So deal," another fan says back. "It's just a game. All game endings all suck." (A lot of them do, actually. NWN2 was much worse.) "If you don't like the ending, go play something else." In other words:

Fan 2: ME is a product, don't expect it to fit some grand artistic vision

"Yeah," says the first fan, "but BioWare promised me multiple endings and that my choices matter, etc."

Fan 1: ME is a product, and it failed to deliver the goods as advertised

^ Okay, right there. This is where things start to fall apart. The first fan, without even realizing it, concedes (or apparently concedes) to fan #2's claims that a video game is not in fact art. Fan 1 agrees that Mass Effect is a consumable, and that it should be held to a standard of goods and advertising, not to its own standards of artistic integrity and good storytelling.

"Come on," says the second fan back. "If you don't like or don't 'get' the endings, then that's too bad. But don't expect them to change it. The writers made the game and it is what it is. They have a right to stand by their ending, whether you like it or not." And now we have:

Fan 2: ME is art, and you might 'get' it or not, but don't expect the devs to change their vision to meet your expectations

See how weird that gets? Now we have fan 2 defending Mass Effect on artistic grounds, when just a moment ago they were denying that the game even counted as art (whether they realized they were doing that or not.)

And then, of course, Fan 1 turns around and says, "Yeah, but Mass Effect didn't even meet it's own expectations. I mean, yeah, synthetics vs. organics was a cool subplot, but how is that the issue that is driving the story..." blah, blah, and so on until we fall back into:

Fan 1: ME is art, and a lousy example of one at that.

And now the circle is complete.

(On a side now, I think I probably had that exact conversation at least twice before I realized how bizarre it was and the reason why.)

So is Mass Effect Art or a Product?

The basic issue I see here is that in these discussions, we still don't know what to think about video games, because they have elements of both art AND of products. On the one hand, we interact with them, and, in a way, we use them. They contain elements that remind us of other games - like board games. If the pieces of a board game are broken, well then, we're going to complain because hey, who wants to play a game that says there are 16 ways to beat it but really there's only one and it results in everything getting blown up?

But on the other hand, Mass Effect is driven by a narrative like that of a movie or novel, then we can discuss it on the level of style, theme, rising and falling action (the falling action being the part I think most fans feel is sorely missing), and such. And when we talk about it that way, then yeah, we do have to defer to the artistic vision of the author. Though we can (and I think should) question whether the story holds up to its own premises.

So, there you have it. I think a big chunk of the continuing arguments about Mass Effect keep circling around the fact that we just don't know what a video game like Mass Effect is.

Something New

I guess all this means that Mass Effect is not art OR product, but art AND product - in fact, it is something entirely new. It's a game-changer, really, and the entertainment industry will likely see more like it in years to come. (At least I hope so. Interactive storytelling is something I seriously love.)

So can you have your artistic cake and eat the product, too? Well, no, not really. You can't hold Mass Effect to a standard of 'art' in order to dodge complaints that it doesn't deliver on product promises and then turn around and in the same breath stay that it's just a game (a product) and so why were you expecting it to fit the mold of some kind of art form. And the same goes for fans. You don't get to complain that the thing is unsatisfying on an artistic level and then when people defend that vision, you go complaining about the 'promises.' Instead, if you want to attack the 'vision,' do so - on artistic grounds. And then if you want to go on and add that it fails on the product level as well, you can do that, too. But I think the way critics and defenders of the game keep circling around each other is confusing the issue and just making all of fandom look like a dog chasing its tail.

Mass Effect, then, has created a new standard, a new genre (meaning the interactive video-games part, not the sci-fi bit), a new product, and a new model for engaging an audience/the consumers. It's fascinating, really. And as long as Mass Effect is this new hybrid (synthesis, maybe?) of both art AND product, well then, it just raised the stakes for itself. It needs to succeed on BOTH fronts in order to be successful overall as a game. And if it fails in either the art or product pillar, it doesn't get to dodge behind the other pillar as the game comes crashing down.

However, I think the game actually failed on both fronts. And at root, I think true cause of the controversy over the Mass Effect endings is just that - the endings themselves, and how badly they disappointed their audience/consumers.

Mass Effect 3 FlyCam

2012-03-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

While I have not yet gotten up the will to play through Mass Effect 3 again, I have managed to enable flycam. Kudos to ELE08 from the BSN who sent me the linky to the Coalesed tool and the codes to enable flycam.

NOTE: As always, back up your Coalesed file before you go hacking it. Back it up in 2 places! Also, because there is multiplayer mode for Mass Effect 3, modding MP mode could get you banned. As of yet, the rumor I heard is that modding your single player stuff (like flycam) won't hurt you, but I can't swear to that. Point is, you do this at your own risk!

With that said, here's how to Coalesed hack in flycam:

Download the Mass Effect 3 Coalesed utility. Run the utility.

Go to File, Open and find your Coalesed file.

If you're running your game off a DVD, it is likely in:

C:/ProgramFiles/MassEffect3/BioGame/Config/PC/Cooked/Coalesced

If you're running your game off of Origin, it is likely in:

C:/ProgramFiles/OriginGames/MassEffect3/BioGame/CookedPCConsole

A list will appear on the left column of the utility. Expand bioinput. Expand sfxgamemodebase. Click on bindings=multiple.

A list of key bindings will appear in the right column. Scroll to the bottom of the list and add the following to the empty lines below the existing list. I had to enter these one at a time:

( Name= "NumPadOne", Command= "PlayersOnly" )
( Name= "NumPadTwo", Command= "ToggleFlyCam" )
( Name= "NumPadThree", Command= "ShowHud | show scaleform" )
( Name= "NumPadFour", Command= "Ghost" )
( Name= "NumPadFive", Command= "Walk" )

You can, of course, link them to other keys if you prefer. Be sure to go to File and save your work. You must not be running the game while editing the Coalesed file. Fire up the game and have fun. The commands work as such:

PlayersOnly - pauses the game; this works for cutscenes as well, though it will mess up the lipsynch for the voice acting. this is very useful if you're in a long cutscene and need to go afk, however
ToggleFlyCam - self-explanatory. puts you in flycam mode
ShowHud - toggles on and off the heads up display. some unique gameplay menus may not be removed however, like quest-related status bars.
Ghost - turns off collision so that you can walk through walls, useful if you get the camera stuck
Walk - turns the collision back on.

So far, I've found flycam works great in some sequences and totally breaks others. Some scenes will not allow you to pop into flycam (you'll be stuck in the same angle as the cinematic cutscene, only with a wider view) and others totally crash. I popped into flycam during the Vancouver attack of the opening sequence and found myself utterly stuck, unable to return to the cutscene.

As always, you use this at your own risk. But if great screenies are your aim, it's a risk work taking.

"I backed up your files! I'm sure I did."
"Sure you did."

Happy shot-hunting!

-sage

Trine 2 is half price on Steam

2012-03-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

The thief is indoctrinated

In case you missed the signs and portents, Trine 2 is half off this weekend ($7.49 USD) on Steam.
Some other reasons that I jumped at this chance and bought it myself:

I really enjoyed the first game. It was a pleasant mix of puzzle, platformer, and action.

The knight's higher calling

My daughter (2 years old) loves to watch and play simple games. This series is light-hearted and fairytale-ish enough for her to enjoy without getting freaked out. She is often telling me when to change up the active character..."be the lady"..."I want the wizard", etc.

So far it has been like the first game, but better. More as we (my daughter and I) get further in.

Dear BioWare: (A Fan's Letter Regarding the Ending of Mass Effect 3) by SageQueen

2012-03-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

I was asked by a group of BioWare fans to join them in sending letters to the devs and writers regarding the Mass Effect 3 ending. This is the letter I sent.

TO: contact@bioware.com
CC: @bioware @CaseyHudson @masseffect @RayMuzyuka @JessicaMerizan @BioEvilChris
@PatrickWeekes

Dear BioWare,

I've thought about this a lot, tweeted about it, blogged about it, posted on the forums about it, but now I'd like to send a message to you all directly. You say you're listening, so I'm talking...writing...whatever.

So hello. My username is SageQueen and 2 weeks ago, I finished Mass Effect 3.

It took me one week, 5 hours, and massive sleep deprivation to finish the game. And when I completed the saga with an explosion and the hint of a breath, I was so amazed by the emotional weight of it all, I couldn't think of anything except:

"That was awesome and intense! I loved it!"

But then I laid awake for the remaining hours of the night, and I realized that something was wrong. As I considered it after the fact, the ending didn't seem right. And the more I thought about it, the more plot holes I saw emerging.

The next morning, I finally let myself look at the internet (I'd been studiously avoiding spoilers) and saw posts about the Indoctrination Theory (tm). I thought, 'of course!' and 'that's genius!' and waited for word from the devs that this was so. But silence ensued, broken occasionally by tweets regarding glowing critical reviews. As I read these 'professional' opinions, I was increasingly confused. Surely these critics and I had not played the same game? Yes, the rest of the game, the writing, gameplay, graphics, all were absolutely brilliant and worthy of the series right up until the end. But how could the critics not see that the ending was a complete mistake? How could they not see that only Indoctrination Theory (tm) fit the lore? How could BioWare be pleased with such reviews if indoctrination theory was their aim? And how on earth could BioWare be pleased with these reviews in the face of growing fan anger over the endings?

The time passed, my frustration and confusion grew. I saw more and more problems with the ending if taken at face value and with the indoctrination theory explanation. If taken as true, the ending is like a jumble of new puzzle pieces that don't fit with the pieces already given. If indoctrination is true, then the story didn't actually end. Instead, it stopped short at the point of narrative climax and we never really finished the game. If the ending was all meant to be speculation or 'just believe what you want to' or some series of unreliable legends about 'The Shepard' then that narrative shift flew in the face of the gritty fantasy realism that defined the previous 100+ hours of the Mass Effect saga.

Again and again, I just keep thinking: I wish I could ask the writers about this. I wish they would say something about what their intention was. Because the more I look at this, the more that it falls apart. It's like the ending clipped all the strings that held the story aloft and the whole saga did a free fall into the abyss. How, I keep wondering, could such an amazing piece of art come to this?

Now, I don't usually get this invested in a work of fiction or a 'fandom.' But Mass Effect was different. It made me care. It made me (insert sheepish look) geek out. I made a video called The Many Faces of FemShep showing a kaleidoscope of what Female Shepard could look like and do. I made a handful of adept guides, showing how to beat insanity difficulty with my favorite class. I posted flycam tutorials and even, um.... Okay, full disclosure, I got caught up in the sometimes questionable activity that is fanfiction. I could not help myself. The story of Mass Effect just begged to be engaged.

Again, I'm not usually that geeky over a game. As a fan, I do not fit the typical gamer demographic. I am Commander Shepard's age (32) and I'm a woman. Until about a year ago, I worked as a teen librarian in a public library. I now am a stay-at-home mom of two young girls. I love manga and fantasy as much as I do Jane Austen and Dostoevsky. I have degrees in writing, ethics, and philosophy of language and I think the Mummy movies are hilarious.

But when I walk into the gaming section of stores, I usually get ignored. The clerks do not realize that the woman holding a baby is looking for the newest Mass Effect comic book. I guess they missed that I'm wearing my 'fancy N7' shirt. The moms in my playtime group do not game. I know few people 'in real life' who do. My gaming persona is sort of like this secret identity for me - my way of becoming Wonder Woman when the world is looking the other way.

I play games when I get my girls down for a nap. Then I can set aside the responsibilities that are constant, mundane, and draining (i.e., being a parent) and take on the 'responsibility' of saving the world. BioWare games have always been my favorite, because I love story-driven games and character-driven stories. In BioWare games, my choices matter. What I'm doing changes the world in profound ways. I'm not invincible, but I'm powerful, and if I solve a problem badly, I can back up and try things again from a different angle. When I shut off the game and return to the 'real world' I try to take what I've been doing with me: that same sense of empowerment, that same ability to reason through challenges and make my actions matter.

Most of all, I love playing as a woman. I've been playing games since I was 2 years old, but female leads were rare. Being able to play a female avatar allows me to create a hero I can admire. Female Shepard, in particular, was one of the best - if not the best - fictional heroes I've ever seen. It may sound crazy, but in the last few weeks of my 2nd pregnancy, when I had a massive, overdue 10 lb. baby in my belly in the heat of August, I kept thinking, "Alright Sage. Be like FemShep. You can do this." I couldn't run or jump over cover or even get out of chair without help, but FemShep's spirit of determination was one I tried to emulate.

And most important of all to me was this: Mass Effect affirmed that the things we do matter.

There's this gigantic galaxy, filled with stars and planets and empty spaces and the threat of a swiftly approaching extinction. You have a ruthlessly beautiful backdrop of nature that cares nothing for the lives within it, and yet sapient creatures have this strange desire to find meaning - to discover, to 'do some good,' to forge friendships that transcend race and even organic makeup, to find purpose and connection in a universe that seems to offer neither.

That is what meant the most to me in Mass Effect: In the face of inevitable extinction - whether by the Reapers or the slow wheel of time - does it really matter how we die? Does it really matter how we live? Mass Effect seemed to say that it does. And it asked everyone a vital question - from the NPCs to Shepard to the players themselves: What are you fighting for?

I could go on and on about what I loved about the series: how fun the gameplay was, how interesting the lore was, how much the volus made me laugh, how clever the dialog was, how it taught me to play shooters, and how I loved the 'tone' of it all: a little humorous, a lot gritty, very futuristic, but grounded in realism. I felt that it was one of the few stories I'd ever seen that was really 'for grown-ups.' That 'M' rating seemed not only to reflect the mature content, but also the mentality of the game. It was a game about a bunch of adults that had to do their jobs whether they liked it or not, whether they were going to be successful or not. Their responsibility and reliance on friendships in light of tough situations really spoke to me.

But mostly, what I took from Mass Effect was that sense of determination against apparent meaninglessness. So when the end of the series came, it hit me like a punch to the gut because it felt like meaninglessness won.

The end of the game just felt wrong. I wrote a blog post about this, analyzing StarChild's words and pointing out why his arguments and assertions are utterly false. His logic doesn't fit the history or the lore that has been established in the Mass Effect universe. And yet, given how the story ends, it appears that StarChild's absurdity is left unchallenged. If indoctrination theory was the aim instead, that would have worked wonderfully... if Shepard had actually fought free of it. But she didn't. Or if she did, she appears to have died a moment later. Again, hopelessness is the winner of the game.

I have heard it said that this story is about sacrifice, and that's what I'm supposed to take away from the ending. But a forced death is not a sacrifice. A sacrifice hinges on choice - on giving up something of value so that something more important may be gained. What we have instead is that Shepard dies because the plot demands it. That is murder of the main character, not sacrifice.

Actually, it's more than murder of the main character. Because this is an interactive game, we don't just watch Shepard through her journeys. We become Shepard, even those of us who think of Shepard not as a self-insert avatar, but as a character in her own right. So if Shepard dies, in a way, the audience dies. At the end of the game we are left in the rubble with Shepard: stunned, reeling, and with no clear answers.

And if that's not a picture an uncaring universe crushing all our hopes, then I don't know what is.

If Shepard had to die - and I rather take issue with Shepard 'having to do' anything, considering the amount of choice offered to the player thus far - then the reason for her death should have been more clearly set up. It should been based on a choice that made it a genuine sacrifice. But the ending and its 'arguments' and 'explanations' comes so completely out of left field as to make no sense. I can only assume this the ending is instead the botched handling of an indoctrination moment, hastily pasted over to look like an resolution because the development team was running out of time to finish the game by the release date.

And so at the end of Mass Effect 3, what you have is this:

By failing to have a clear victory against the Reapers, you allow meaninglessness to win.

And by failing to commit to a clear ending, you fail to commit to the series itself.

And then, BioWare, how can you ask me, as a fan, to commit to the series if you won't? How can you ask me to continue caring about a series that doesn't care about itself?

In the end, the only sacrifice I can see is how an amazing fictional world, brilliantly realized and capable of making me care, capable of making me think about my own life and what really matters, suddenly came crashing down in less than five minutes. For five years, this game was a bright spot in my world. It wasn't always a happy spot. Virmire, the Normandy SR1's destruction, Horizon: those moments got me in the gut every time. But it was because Mass Effect had moments of pain intertwined with the moments of hope that it felt real. It felt like life: the way loss is a part of everything we do, and sometimes makes us appreciate what we have all the more.

So the only sacrifice I'm left with is the sacrifice of my own time and emotional investment and my money. The existing ending leaves me with the sensation that I never want to play a Mass Effect game again - not the previous ones in the series and certainly not any subsequent games. I could not have imagined that when I started this game three weeks ago that I would feel this way, but I do.

I know some folks have accused fans of being grasping or whiny or entitled. Perhaps some are. Perhaps I am. But when I see all the arguments and blogs and rants about the ending, I see a group of dedicated fans who simply want the series to live up to its potential. And when they ask you, BioWare, for a fix, they're really giving you a second chance to pull off an ending worthy of the series.

As for me, I'm asking you, BioWare, please:

Please fix the ending.

I have to believe that the folks who wrote such amazing content thus far can repair this. You left yourselves the means to do so: the indoctrination theory is there, and it looks like it was meant to be the ultimate twist. It just needs a true ending to follow it: a true ending with a battle against the Reapers, the defeat of Harbinger, perhaps difficult sacrifices and choices and then falling action that allows us to see how things play out. It needs to clearly show what was 'dream' and what was true so that we can trust the gritty realism of the Mass Effect world once again.

Yes, I guess this means a few of your 'professional' reviewers would then realize that they, in fact, doomed the galaxy with the ending they find so 'artistic' and 'satisfying.' But then again, they didn't seem to realize something was wrong with the ending the first time around. But your fans realized it. And I thought we were the ones who mattered.

So please, please, BioWare, go back to whatever artistic vision I believe you had in the first place. Stick with that. Don't let it get caught up in corporate politics or deadlines or whatever it was that led to the current ending. We would like a worthy ending and we are willing to wait for a good one. Not all of your fans are kids with no attention spans, or whatever else the industry wants to paint us as. Not all of us are ready to move on to whatever new shiny comes our way. A lot of us are people who invest in a series and when we do, by God, we stand by them. But we expect those series to stand by themselves, to remain true to their own lore and their own vision.

So, yes, BioWare, I am yet another fan asking you to 'fix' or 'change' the ending to Mass Effect 3.

But it's not just because I didn't like the ending.

I'm asking you to fix the ending because the more I look at it, the more I see that the ending of Mass Effect 3 was totally unworthy of the series, the universe, and what appeared to be your artistic vision in the first place. I'm asking you to fix Mass Effect 3's ending because it was wrong on so many levels that it has nearly destroyed the franchise. I am asking you to fix the ending to Mass Effect 3 because I truly believe that it can be so much better.

And I believe that you believe it can be better.

So thank you, BioWare, for taking the time to listen to us, your fans. Thank you for your statements issued thus far and for taking seriously our concerns. Thank you for working on DLC: I understand the discussion for an 'ending project' is already underway. I sincerely hope that any DLC you do returns to your original vision for the series and does not just tack something on to pacify the fans. I would love to see you go back and weave the existing threads of the ending - namely Shepard's indoctrination - into a full narrative whole that shows us the genuine consequences of our previous choices and allows us to finally face the Reapers on the battlefields of earth as well as the battlefields of the mind.

And if it comes to the ultimate sacrifice on Shepard's behalf, please let it be a genuine sacrifice, where we choose to end Shepard's story forever in order to bring about a greater good.

... But if Shepard gets to live to the party afterward, I think I'd like that better.

After all, several people still owe her beers.

Best wishes and regards,
SageQueen (a fan)

Mass Effect 3 has Broken My Legos (More Musings about the Endings)

2012-03-19T12:19:00.004-07:00

You may have seen Gabe of Penny Arcade's response to the complaints about Mass Effect 3's endings:

"The book has been written and you can change the way you read it but don’t pretend you’re the author."

I also saw Tycho's response to Gabe, which was more than a little teasing. Now, Gabe is entitled to his opinion. That's another way of me saying 'with all due respect' with full Mass Effect implications thereof. In all seriousness, though, this is an interesting question:

Who owns the story of Mass Effect? Clearly BioWare wrote it, and clearly they can do whatever they want with it. This is why I am uncomfortable with much of the "Retake Mass Effect" movement. If BioWare wants to end the story as they ended it, they have every right to do so. They can torpedo their own ship if they like and good luck to them. In a way, yes, they are the authors and it is their book.

However, BioWare also set an unprecedented standard by asking their audience to co-author the story with them. This is why I don't think Gabe's comment is quite correct. We were asked to pretend we were authors of Shepard's story. Yes, the choices for Shepard were always limited to a range of available options, and yes, BioWare set those options in the first place. But there has never been a single 'canon' story of Shepard. There are many Shepards and many stories - each of them crafted at the moment a player enters the character creator and interacts with the game. And so the idea that "Shepard must die in the end" is as foolish to me as the idea that "Shepard must" anything - be male, be straight, be kindly, be rude, survive the ME2 suicide mission, or die to successfully end the series.

A Lego Analogy

So if Mass Effect isn't a book, it's something else - more like an interactive story than a form of static media like a book or a movie. Now, this may be an imperfect analogy, but this is what the Mass Effect endings remind me of:

Mass Effect Legos by SaberScorpion

When I was ten, I was hanging out at my best friend's house and for reasons still unknown to me her usually aloof older brother (age 13) allowed us to step into his room and play with his legos. Now, this kid had a lego collection like no other. We're talking 3 massive bins worth of space legos, pirate legos, castle legos - it was unreal. We sat there in his room, with his death-metal posters all around us, and he let us play with the space base that he had been working on. For hours, my friend and I built up the base, adding a hospital wing, a landing pad, a control center full of monitors and computers, even a dining hall and barracks. Meanwhile, my friend's older brother worked on several space shuttles, for - we presumed - our growing armada to take on the evil aliens.

And then, out of the blue, my friend's older brother crashed his shuttle into our base. He smashed the walls, jumped his lego guys out and gunned down the patients in the med bay. His strike teams took out the command center, bombed the lunch hall, and tore all our lego guys in half and scattered their plastic bodies all over the compound. When my friend and I shrieked in horror, he just laughed, informing us that he'd been a double agent all along and now - ha, ha - we were all dead.

"But," I sputtered, "You can't do that. We're the good guys." (Yep, I was ever the idealist. Even then.)

"The good guys don't always win," he replied smugly. "In fact, most of the time, they die."

Beauty. There's nothing quite like the moment when cynicism takes hold of a thirteen-year-old boy.

Looking back, I realize this kid had a lot of crap going on in his life at the time and he was taking it out on his sister and me because it made him feel better to do so. And, to be fair, he was right, cruelty of the performance art notwithstanding. The good guys don't always win. Often they do, and when they do - especially when they do against the odds - we retell those stories over and over to give ourselves hope. But sometimes they don't. Sometimes crap happens, and that's the way it is. The realization that he was telling the truth haunted me for weeks.

But I also left my friend's house that day thinking, "What a jerk!" Because even if he was right about the world, even if he was correct to pass on his wisdom to his sister and me, it was still a pretty crappy way to treat us. You can invite a kid to play and then slap the toys out of her hands and say "Ha! Look at this life lesson!" Well, yeah, you can do that, but you're going to come off as a bully.

So is that what BioWare did? Eh... sort of? It kind of depends on where BioWare goes from here.

When I think of the Mass Effect endings, what I keep feeling - and I see other folks feeling it as well - is this sense of "BioWare, we trusted you."

I guess that means a lot of us fans are really just little kids who came to play legos instead of the big, badass adults that we ought to be. But hey, inside all of us isn't there a part that wants to hear the story of how the hero saves the world and lives to see another day? And if we're invited to play and then are treated to an ending that seems to mock our optimism and trust, well, are we really that foolish for feeling hurt by that?

I guess the real question, also, is if the game is actually done or not. I hold out hope that this is just an indoctrination moment, a brief pause on the invasion to Take Back Earth (which, wait, wasn't that the game I came to play? We only just landed in London when you broke my action figure.)

So yes, maybe the fans were foolish. Maybe we were silly. Maybe we were kids playing with the teenager's legos, not realizing that this was going to be a crash-course in 'life sucks' not a two-way storytime. And, of course, it is and remains BioWare's prerogative to take away the toys and say 'playtime is over.'

But that doesn't mean that I like it. That doesn't mean that I don't feel cheated. That doesn't mean that I don't look at the game and say, "Up until now, this wasn't sunshine and roses, but the story actually made sense and now, out of the blue, it doesn't." I still wish the devs would stop 'listening' to the growing clamor for answers and actually say something meaningful in response to the fan outcry.

And please don't get me wrong. I am not asking for a 'happy' ending. There is no happy ending already. Millions have died. Hell, there's a wall on the Normandy keeping track of the names of the dead. We already have a sad ending. Already much is lost. I simply would like the story to pan out like the epic that I thought was being interactively told. At the end of many epics, the hero is actually still alive, though forever changed, even deeply scarred, by the events she lived through. I don't think it's possible to give Shepard a sunshine ending, even if she lives through the storm. But I do think that for the interactive story to continue with any meaning, I kind of need my action figure back to keep fighting to a rational conclusion. In short, I'm hoping Shepard will get back on her feet and keep fighting.

I suppose this means I haven't come very far from where I was at age ten, looking down at the remains of my space base commanders in horror. But then, I guess my idealism is as strong nowadays as it ever was.

"Maybe the good guys don't always win," I told my friend's brother that day. "But they should."

Mass Effect 3 Endings: Why StarChild is Wrong (the shorter version)

2012-03-16T17:06:00.001-07:00

(Shortened Version) The end of Mass Effect 3 feels logically, argumentatively wrong...

MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW - Obviously, with a title like that. But seriously, I'm going to assume you've finished Mass Effect 3 by now. Or if you haven't, you've heard the 'controversy' over the endings.

The original version of this post is HERE. It is longer and more in depth in argumentation.

A Lingering Sense of Wrongness

The end of Mass Effect 3 feels wrong - not just 'I don't like it wrong,' not just 'that didn't make sense to me' wrong. But logically wrong - argumentatively wrong.

So I want to examine StarChild's (aka, the Catalyst) assertions and show how the things he says at the end completely fly in face of what we knew about the Mass Effect universe up until this point he showed up. If the ending feels off, I argue that this is because StarChild counters many of the themes and truths of the Mass Effect world.

What we do with that discrepancy...

Well, let's first establish that there is one.

Is This War Inevitable?

The StarChild asserts that the reason the Reapers kill organics every 50,000 years is to make sure that some organics survive the inevitable war that arises between synthetics and organics. Some fans, jokingly replied with the following:

Yes, that assertion seems very bizarre. But let's give it a little more credit than that.

If we think of our civilization on a personal level, yeah, it's crazy. But think about this from the Reaper's point of view. We are all squishy organics to them - young, barely evolved, barely worth considering. The problem with the above picture is the equivocation on the word 'you.' Yeah, you, Shepard, will be killed by synthetics. But you, organics in the abstract, will continue on.

If you're a Reaper, it makes sense.

Why Can't We Be Friends?

So StarChild says synthetics and organics must come to war. And yet, as many fans have protested, haven't we just proved that statement to be false? Shepard may have (and in my playthrough, does) gotten the geth (sythetics) and the quarians (organics) to put aside a centuries old war and work together. You just brokered this peace and you're being told conflict is inevitable? No wonder this feels wrong.

Further, even if you don't work things out with the geth, Legion can show you, by plugging Shepard into the geth's neural network, that the war with the quarians was everything but inevitable. The geth didn't strike first. The quarians did. And some quarians died to protect their AI creations. In turn, AI died to protect their organic creators. The war was complex, ugly, and many on both sides wanted peace. Now, you may not trust Legion's information, but I think there are clues enough elsewhere in the games that the war between the geth and quarians was a matter of choice, not fate.

Also, Shepard discovers in the Chronos Lab that EDI began as the rogue VI on Luna base. But instead of holding a grudge, EDI chose to help Shepard. Again, this shows us that organics and synthetics need not come to war.

The "Reason" for the Reapers is a Lie

So if this 'inevitable' war is not inevitable, then StarChild is wrong. We don't need the Reapers after all. StarChild is either deluded as to the Reaper's importance, or he's lying to scare Shepard into thinking the Reaper's dominance is necessary.

Do you want to Super-Size Synthesize that?

Okay, so StarChild's explanation as to why Destruction will always engender war has a LOT of flaws. It's hard to see that, though, since he so quickly moves on to his other suggestions. His recommendation of controlling the Reapers sets off warning bells for many players, and I think rightly so. Whenever ultimate power is offered on a silver platter, one ought to wonder what's hiding inside the dish.

I won't spend a lot of time on this one except to say that StarChild says Shepard can control the Reapers, which clearly is an appeal to Shepard's arrogance. If we have learned anything about the Reapers, it's that merely being around them corrupts the mind. Merging consciousness with them and surviving the ordeal seems unlikely in the extreme. The Illusive Man thought he could withstand them and look what happened to him. Saren thought the same thing, and look what happened to him. Shepard is stronger than both, true, but I think it's foolish to think Shepard is immune to all corruption. The fact that the control ending shows Shepard's eyes lighting up with the same glow as the Illusive Man and Saren's suggests to me that this ending is a lie.

This is why, when StarChild suggests synthesis, it sounds so nice, but there is something off about this, too. Here's what I think is wrong:

The Theme of Diversified Unity

One of the coolest themes of the Mass Effect universe is that of diverse people coming together in unity. This is shown in myriad ways, from the way you are encouraged to build teams - and eventually armies - of many different races, personalities, and skills. What makes Shepard an amazing leader is that Shepard can get vastly different people to work together without taking away from what makes them all unique. Shepard doesn't have to subsume personalities to get results. That's what the Reapers do - melting everyone down into a single unit that is so powerful it corrupts the individuality of everyone around it.

We learn in the From Ashes DLC that the Protheans and most cycles before ours were actually empires that crushed other civilizations into one single culture. This made them powerful at first, but, we learn, this also made them easy to harvest when the Reapers came. There was only one way of fighting, one way of thinking. We are told that one of Shepard's greatest assets going into the war with the Reapers is the diversity of this current cycle. All the races fight differently, but they all fight well and are unified behind their purpose. The Reapers might be able to adapt to a monoculture, but this cycle will give them a run for their money.

Or, we hope it will. We never did get to see that happen. (Boo.)

But the point is this: what makes us different than the previous cycles, what makes us capable of defeating the Reapers this go around (in addition to Shepard and advanced warning and...well, SHEPARD), is that we are not synthesized. We are not all one monoculture, not one single thing. Heck, we even have 2 species (quarians and turians), whose DNA is so vastly different than the rest of us they can't even eat the same food. The volus need ammonia to breathe. Hear the words of wisdom from the Citadel game keeper in Mass Effect 2: "Nature loves diversity." Yes, nature does - organic nature does. The Reapers do not.

The Reapers want everything to be the same. They want the whole of life to merge into a single consciousness. Their bodies are the wreckage of civilizations - vibrant, pulsing diversity now fused into a static whole. The vision they give of synthesis sounds nice - it sounds peaceful. All wars, all divisions burned away as a new DNA is made - a single DNA of organic and synthetic both, of all divisions ironed out into a new, perfect oneness.

Sound familiar?

Genetics Uber Alles?

This theme of genetics is a subtle one, but I swear it's strong throughout the series. Perhaps nowhere is it stronger than in the beyond-annoying battle cries of Harbinger (full list here). As Harbinger fights, it keeps shouting apparent nonsense. But in those cries are observations about the genetics of the squad - particularly of humans. Harbinger appears obsessed with finding genetic code that it can best manipulate and mold - presumably into making further Reapers. The Reaper assumption, then, is that everything comes down to the hardware: what you are built from determines what you will do.

The Primacy of Choice

If we're led to believe anything in the game, from the very mechanism of gameplay down to the story itself, it's that choice and action matter more than genes. Take a look at the characters, for example.

Miranda is about as genetically perfect as a human can get. However, in spite of her intelligence, she repeatedly makes very bad judgement calls about whom to trust (the Illusive Man, Niket) and struggles with the realization of her own imperfections. Her humanity seems to frustrate her. She notes that Shepard is great because of what Shepard has accomplished, in spite of her/his background. Miri worries that her own claim to greatness is her genetics alone.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have Joker, who could have simply given up, considering the hand genetics dealt him. Instead, he chooses to fight the odds and the naysayers and is the best pilot in the Alliance.

The rest of the squad have similar stories of how their genetics count for nothing compared to their choices, and none more so than Shepard. Shepard has no fancy lineage, even for the space-born. Shepard can look like whatever the player chooses, can be a man or a woman, and so can have whatever genetics it's possible for a human to have. What defines Shepard is not the genes - it's the choice - the player's choice.

The theme that Mass Effect keeps touching on is that genes and DNA mean next to nothing in the face of what you do with them. The Illusive Man keeps searching DNA for answers on how to gain power. The Reapers appear to keep searching DNA for answers on how to maintain power. Whenever we see this approach, it's met with suspicion, and rightly so. To assume that a person, a species, a race could be summed up by their genetic code is not only faulty logic, it's actually morally suspect. Therein lies the way to eugenics, war crimes, and other madness and atrocities. Instead, the game suggests that it's choice that defines a person - choice to help, choice to fight on, choice to remove threats, make the hard calls, save the innocent, make friends or take out enemies.

We are defined then by choice, not genetic code.

DNA is not the Answer

What the StarChild is saying with synthesis boils down to this: we can have peace if there is no more diversity. If all genetics become one, then we have no more conflicts. But to try and end conflict by creating a single kind of DNA, to try and bring peace by ridding ourselves of diversity, well, that flies in the face of everything we know about what's interesting and good in the universe of Mass Effect. It flies in the face of the primacy of choice.

As Simple as a Sacrifice

Of course, StarChild's argument for synthesis doesn't come across like that. Rather, it sounds just like what we'd expect: Shepard has to die so that life can go on in peace and without pain. One death and everything is right again.

It seems self-sacrificial and good. It seems to fit the Space-Jesus role that was thrust upon Shepard with project Lazarus. And, in all honestly, if it really were possible to save everyone by sacrificing Shepard, no doubt synthesis would be the right thing to do.

But war is never that simple. Life is never that simple. We could hope that when Shepard hits the beam, this would make everything right, but it won't. Shepard could scatter her/his body, her/his DNA, but Shepard could never scatter her/his choices, and that is what really matters. And when Shepard hits the green beam, Shepard's eyes briefly open. If you watch closely, they glow in the same way the Illusive Man's do, in the same way the Saren's do, in the same way that they do if you take the control ending.

Now, someone pointed out to me that the eye color doesn't mean anything. Frankly, I beg to differ. In the world of Mass Effect, from the close-ups on Saren's eyes to the close-ups on tIM's eyes to the fact that as he dies, the Illusive Man's eyes appear briefly to go back to normal - well, I think that's a pretty clear narrative device to tell us something. If it didn't mean anything, why would the devs bother to change up Shepard's eyes for that brief moment? That's fiddly programming, right there. You can bet your boots it means something. But I digress.

Exploding Relays and Other Problems

Many have discussed the point that if the Mass Relays exploded, as they do in 2 of the 3 endings, that ought to destroy entire star systems, much less the galaxy. Others have noted that if species are stranded on earth, it's only a matter of time before the quarians and turians starve, the krogans eat everyone in desperation, and Hey! there's no way Joker would try and run away from the fight. (I find it funny that that last point about Joker is one that gets bandied about more than all the other apparent oddities of the ending).

In short, there are a LOT of problems with the ending, suggesting that lore, themes, characterization, etc., are completely tossed out the window in the last 5 minutes of a 100+ hour saga.

So the Ending is WRONG

At the end of the game then, we're left staring at the StarChild saying... "Whaaaa??" And there's a reason for that:

What StarChild is saying is completely WRONG.

It's wrong given the history of synthetics and organics. It's wrong given everything we know about how organics and synthetics came into being and how they evolve and become self-aware. It's wrong given how tenacious organics are and how strangely curious, open, and empathetic synthetics have shown themselves to be. It's wrong given the way that choice always counts for more than mere genetic possibility. It's wrong given the physics of the mass relays and it may even be wrong on a moral level, suggesting that somehow controlling another life force like a god or subsuming all diversity is the only way to bring about peace.

Don't mistake me. StarChild is one hell of a spin doctor, but what he is saying is wrong. THAT is why the ending stings so much. It tastes bitter, it hurts, and it makes you reel because it's all dead wrong.

Is that Really the END?

Um... I hope that's not the end?

I'll be honest with you, the silence from BioWare at this point is making me rather queasy. But I do keep coming back to StarChild's arguments and thinking, there's only 2 possibilities here: (1) the story went down in flames, or (2) StarChild is trying to indoctrinate not just Shepard, but the player. I hope beyond hope that this is actually just amazing writing, meant to trick the gamer into indoctrination, so that we can see how insidious this way of thinking is. StarChild's suggestion is this: we need the Reapers and we must give up our choice and our individuality to merge with them. If that's true, the only way out is to go down fighting.

Blam. Blam. Frickin' BLAM.

And note, if you disagree with this and wish to object, by all means, do, just please do me the courtesy of reading the full argument here. I go more into what the Reaper's purpose is - or isn't. Anyhow, hope you enjoy.

Why StarChild is Wrong (or, Why I'm still in disbelief over the end of Mass Effect 3)

2012-03-16T14:38:00.003-07:00

(Full Version) The end of Mass Effect 3 feels logically, argumentatively wrong...

If you need a refresher course on the issue, check out this article from GameFront. It neatly sums up the frustration over the ending of Mass Effect 3 - where a 3-game, 100+ hour saga of sci-fi goodness seems to stumble into a pit trap where a ghostly StarChild tells you 'pick an ending - one of three lame endings, to be precise.'

In response, Mass Effect fans have run the gamut on stages of grief over the end of their favorite series. Others maintain that that the ending is a ruse and not the 'true' ending after all. Sadly, to date, the BioWare devs have been curiously silent, though they have assured fans that, "Yes, we are listening." In response to that statement, fan bwFex eloquently summed up what a lot of fans were thinking.

Me? I'm stunned somewhere between denial and bargaining, reeling from the residual sadness over how much the ending punched me in the gut. But through it all, I just keep feeling a...

Lingering Sense of Wrongness

The end of Mass Effect 3 feels wrong - not just 'I don't like it wrong,' not just 'that didn't make sense to me' wrong. But logically wrong - argumentatively wrong.

So I want examine StarChild's assertions and show how the things he says at the end completely fly in face of what we knew about the Mass Effect universe up until this point he showed up. If the ending feels off, I argue that this is because StarChild counters many of the themes and truths of the Mass Effect world.

What we do with that discrepancy... Well, let's first establish that there is one.

Is This War Inevitable?

Yes, that assertion seems very bizarre. But let's give it a little more credit than that.

According to StarChild, organics always reach a point in civilization where they create synthetic life. In this cycle, we have the geth and EDI as proof of that creation of AI. But, StarChild continues, this creation always engenders war, and the synthetics will always prevail. In order to prevent a future of Matrix-trilogy-like horror, the StarChild has come up with the solution of allowing(?) the Reapers to take only some of the organic population each cycle, allowing more to live on to the next.

If we think of our civilization on a personal level, yeah, it's crazy. But think about this from the Reaper's point of view. We are crops to be harvested. This theme of harvesting runs throughout the series - nowhere stronger than on Horizon during the Collector attack of Mass Effect 2. If you look to the fields in the distance, you see that the colonists were in the middle of harvest time. To continue with that metaphor: if you're pruning a tree, you don't think twice about cutting back some branches so that the entire tree as a whole will grow. In the same way, the Reapers don't distinguish between one species and another, between one cycles' unique culture and the next. We are all squishy organics to them - young, barely evolved, barely worth considering. The problem with the above picture is the equivocation on the word 'you.' Yeah, you, Shepard, will be killed by synthetics. But you, organics in the abstract, will continue on.

If you're a Reaper, it makes sense.

Selfishness is a Good Thing

The StarChild's argument, then, rests on the assumption that the continuation of organic life on the whole is better than allowing any one race to live. In other words, one organic cycle is as good as any other.

Note how vastly different this is than the other AI you meet in the game. EDI has a clear preference for the Normandy crew, Joker in particular. Legion has a decided interest in Shepard and - if you manage to win the geth to your side - expresses something like friendship and affection for Shepard and Tali. If you go and talk to EDI at the bridge of the Normandy, you get a clue as to why this is so. The AI in the game have developed so much autonomy that they have also developed selfishness. They are capable of having preferences, likes and dislikes, and this includes liking specific people. EDI states (at least, in my playthrough) that she would risk non-functionality for Joker (i.e., death). Clearly, her death would hinder the Normandy and the war effort considerably. From a practical point of view, this is a foolish trade: the life of the pilot for the 'life' of the ship. Surely one pilot is as good as another? Surely one civilization is the same as another? But EDI has a clear preference. And this tells us something important: at least one AI would choose peace with organics over war.

Why Can't We Be Friends?

But StarChild says synthetics and organics must come to war. And yet, as many fans have protested, haven't we just proved that statement to be false? Shepard may have (and in my playthrough, does) gotten the geth (sythetics) and the quarians (organics) to put aside a centuries old war and work together. You just brokered this peace and you're being told conflict is inevitable? No wonder this feels wrong.

Further, even if you don't work things out with the geth, Legion can show you, by plugging Shepard into the geth's neural network, that the war with the quarians was everything but inevitable. The geth didn't strike first. The quarians did. And some quarians died to protect their AI creations. In turn, AI died to protect their organic creators. The war was complex, ugly, and many on both sides wanted peace. Now, you may not trust Legion's information, but I think there are clues enough elsewhere in the games that the war between the geth and quarians was a matter of choice, not fate.

Also, Shepard discovers in the Chronos Lab that EDI began as the rogue VI on Luna base. This reveal is, in my opinion, pure beauty. This is one of those moments that deeply rewards OCD completionists of the previous games. EDI came to self-awareness while fighting Shepard for her life (remember her binary shout for 'help'?). There's even a moment where Miranda points out that Shepard fought the Luna base VI when introducing Shepard to EDI. But instead of holding a grudge, EDI chooses to help Shepard. We see this clearly in the Shadow Broker DLC, in a conversation between EDI and Legion. EDI wants to help, not serve. Again, this shows us that organics and synthetics need not come to war.

The "Reason" for the Reapers is a Lie

There could be another reason that we need the Reapers, though, so let's examine that possibility. StarChild says we cannot imagine life without synthetics - that even Shepard is part synthetic. But wait a moment here: What does he mean by 'need'?

Do Organics Need Synthetics?

If StarChild means sapient organics can't live without technology, then maybe he's right. It is hard to imagine humanity without tools; ever since the first of our ancestors picked up a rock to use as a hammer or whatever, we've been using them. But if you're taking about AI, well then, yeah, I can darn well imagine my life without synthetics. Heck, we live in that right now - us, the players, here in the 21st century. So, no, we don't need synthetics in that sense. Now that Shepard has synthetic allies, it would be very sad to lose them, but they are not necessary to the continued existence of organic life. On the contrary, it seems that when organic life gets to the point where it makes synthetic life, it's just signed up to be next on the Reaper's harvest list.

Who Built Whom?

There is a question about Mass Effect that has been bothering me ever since Shepard asked it back in Mass Effect 1. When Sovereign first appears, Shepard asks it, "Who built you?" Sovereign replies: "We are eternal."

Seriously, buddy? This strains credulity. But okay, let's go with this and see if it could be true.

We learn in Mass Effect 2 that at least the human reaper is built from organic material. This implies that the rest of the Reaper fleet may also be 'ascended,' processed organics. StarChild apparently confirms this, saying the Reapers preserve whole civilizations (possibly whole cycles-worth of civilizations) in one single Reaper. This implies that each Reaper unit or body as it were, is not eternal, but built at some point in time. So if Sovereign is saying "We are eternal," it must mean that the Reapers as a whole fleet are eternal.

Okay, now we get to 2 possibilities. The first is Sovereign is either lying or confused - in short, it's wrong. The Reapers did have a beginning, but it's so far lost to the past that even they don't remember that point anymore. Or perhaps their programming is such that they don't remember how they got started. Or perhaps they're lying to intimidate us.

The second possibility is so much of a head trip that it could either be really cool or really stupid. It is possible that the Reapers stir up primordial ooze each cycle, thus making organics who later build Reapers in some never-ending chicken-and-egg-type cycle where we can never determine whether synthetics or organics came first. Thus, the Reapers are 'eternal,' in that all the way back into infinity, they have existed, creating organics as organics also create them.

I find that second possibility problematic, with or without an eternally existing universe. First, it doesn't really fit the lore. The Mass Effect universe appears to accept natural evolution as the unifying theory of biology. And that evolutionary theory is grounded on the notion that natural forces can spark the evolution of life without outside interference, supernatural or Reaper-fied. Making the Reapers cause evolution is essentially throwing accepted scientific theory out of the window in a sci-fi series.

Further, the Mass Effect lore instead has records of organic species passively watching over the natural evolution of life on other planets. The Protheans watched may species evolve, including the asari, the hanar, and even proto-humans. Even the Alliance is currently observing potential garden planets in the middle of their evolutionary primordial-soup stages (check out the codex entries for the planets Venture or Corang).

So it seems organics showed up in the galaxy on our own. And until we reach space-faring sapience, the Reapers don't seem much interested in us. Even with space faring races, the Reapers regard organics as messy, chaotic things that must be controlled. This is hardly the attitude of a farmer tending the crops he planted. This is more the attitude of an exterminator hell-bent on keeping a house from completely succumbing to infestation. (And yet, curiously, allowing some of the vermin to live on.)

More than this, there is no evidence that the Reapers cycle back into organics, becoming fertilizer for our life the way we are for theirs. Instead, they seem to amass in power and number every time they appear on the horizon. So rather than cycling with us - we make Reapers, they make organics, and now let's all sing "The Circle of Life" - it again seems the Reapers are using us for their purpose without 'giving back.' Even their harvesting methods are only there to ensure that they will have something left to harvest the next time around. Just as a crop could grow without humans to harvest it (though, granted, in a less orderly fashion), so, too, it would seem that organics can live without Reapers, but the Reapers can't live without organics - either in their initial creation, or in their continued existence.

So why are they here?

Okay, so the metaphysics of how the Reapers got started is still murky. But equally murky are the Reaper's motives. Whether they consume us for energy in dark space, hibernating like a freakish race of diabolical marmots, is up for grabs. They may have some deeper purpose. Perhaps they use organic energy to power up mass relays? Perhaps they keep organic over-population in check? I don't know. We don't know. But until we're told otherwise, it appears that we need the Reapers like a hole in the head.

And - and this is the kicker to me - if we did need them for some other reason - if the Reapers were locked in a circle-of-life with organics, if the Reapers were doing us some favor by cutting back the organic population, then why wouldn't StarChild just say so? Why wouldn't he say 'You need us and we need you'? If that's the truth, why hide it? But he doesn't say the Reapers need organics and visa versa. No, like Reapers Shepard has spoken to previously, StarChild arrogantly states that organics need synthetics. And he never acknowledges that synthetics need organics back - even when it is obvious that they do. Clearly, the Reapers are compelled to come back time and again to harvest us, and yet all the while they say they are doing us a favor. A farmer will acknowledge that in harvesting his crops, he is getting at least as much from the transaction as the soil and plants do - likely much more. However, the Reapers, in their arrogance, insist they are doing us a favor by killing us off.

I Think, Therefore, I am not a Reaper

Last of all, if you needed more proof that synthetics need organics but organics don't need synthetics, you can find it in the theme of 'what does it mean to be alive?' - a theme that runs throughout the synthetic/organic storyline of Mass Effect.

Take a look at the non-Reaper synthetics in the story: the geth and EDI. These AI were built by organics. It is interesting that both EDI and the geth gained consciousness independently of the Reaper's influence. While both platforms later have Reaper tech added to them - just like Shepard has Reaper tech added to her/him - the geth and EDI's consciousness - what makes them them - evolved independently of the Reapers. It came about randomly, almost, well, organically.

Thus, EDI and the geth needed the organics for existence - to be built in the first place. But once they achieve self-awareness, they then need organics again. They need organics to - for lack of a better way to put it - become real. Or, rather, they need organics as a model to self-actualize. Given encouragement from Shepard, both EDI and the geth (Legion, that is) choose to become more like organics. In watching organics, they chose non-deterministic, impractical things like loyalty, love, and fighting for a cause over mere survival. EDI and the geth - get this - decide to need organics - as mentors, as an example, as allies, and as friends.

This suggests, I think, that once again StarChild is wrong. Organics can imagine life without synthetics. And, once created, synthetics could also imagine life without us. The 'need' that exists between synthetics and organics at the end of the game is not one of necessity, but one of mutual respect and co-existence.

Do you want to Super-Size Synthesize that?

I won't spend a lot of time on this one except to say that StarChild says Shepard can control the Reapers, which clearly is an appeal to Shepard's arrogance. If we have learned anything about the Reapers, it's that merely being around them corrupts the mind. Merging consciousness with them and surviving the ordeal seems unlikely in the extreme. The Illusive Man thought he could withstand them and look what happened to him. Saren thought the same thing, and look what happened to him. Shepard is stronger than both, true, but I think it's foolish to think Shepard is immune to all corruption. The fact that the control ending shows Shepard's eyes lighting up with the same glow as the Illusive Man and Saren's suggests to me that this ending is a lie.

This is why, when StarChild suggests synthesis, it sounds so nice, but there is something off about this, too. Here's what I think is wrong:

The Theme of Diversified Unity

We learn in the From Ashes DLC that the Protheans and most cycles before ours were actually empires that crushed other civilizations into one single culture. This made them powerful at first, but, we learn, this also made them easy to harvest when the Reapers came. There was only one way of fighting, one way of thinking. We are told that one of Shepard's greatest assets going into the war with the Reapers is the diversity of this current cycle. All the races fight differently, but they all fight well and are unified behind their purpose. The Reapers might be able to adapt to a monoculture, but this cycle will give them a run for their money.

Or, we hope it will. We never did get to see that happen. (Boo.)

But the point is this: what makes us different than the previous cycles, what makes us capable of defeating the Reapers this go around (in addition to Shepard and advanced warning and...well, SHEPARD), is that we are not synthesized. We are not all one monoculture, not one single thing. Heck, we even have 2 species (quarians and turians), whose DNA is so vastly different than the rest of us they can't even eat the same food. The volus need ammonia to breathe. Hear the words of wisdom from the Citadel game keeper in Mass Effect 2: "Nature loves diversity." Yes, nature does - organic nature does. The Reapers do not.

The Reapers want everything to be the same. They want the whole of life to merge into a single consciousness. Their bodies are the wreckage of civilizations - vibrant, pulsing diversity now fused into a static whole. The vision they give of synthesis sounds nice - it sounds peaceful. All wars, all divisions burned away as a new DNA is made - a single DNA of organic and synthetic both, of all divisions ironed out into a new, perfect oneness.

Sound familiar?

Genetics Uber Alles?

The Collectors, it seems, wanted Shepard's body to run tests on it - to see what genetically speaking - made Shepard tick. In this, they seem to assume that there is something in the DNA that makes a person strong, that makes a race strong, more of a threat, or what have you. The Reaper assumption, then, is that everything comes down to the hardware: what you are built from determines what you will do.

The Primacy of Choice

Miranda is about as genetically perfect as a human can get. However, in spite of her intelligence, she repeatedly makes very bad judgement calls about whom to trust (the Illusive Man, Niket) and struggles with the realization of her own imperfections. Dont' get me wrong - I love Miri. She's a fantastically human character. But her humanity seems to frustrate her. She notes that Shepard is merely a colony kid grown up in a pre-fab trailer (or an earthborn with no formal education, etc.). Basically, she points out that Shepard is great because of what Shepard has accomplished, in spite of her/his background. Miri worries that her own claim to greatness is her genetics alone.

The other 'perfect' squadmate, genetically speaking, is Grunt. Yet when this amazing specimen of kroganhood shows up in Tunchanka, the other krogans sneer at him. He tells them his bloodlines are distilled from the strongest of the breed and they scowl at him. "You quote the names of warriors that you don't even know," they tell him. In short, those warriors were defined by their actions, not their genes. Until (and unless) Grunt distinguishes himself in the same way, the krogan refuse to accept him. True, the krogan are tribal and oft-times petty, but in this, I think they're onto something.

Jack is a squadmate who wasn't engineered to be perfect, but rather, was selected for further modification because of her inherent genetic ability. Her genetics helped her not at all - instead, they put her in horrible situations. Even so, her continued choices made the situations worse. It's only when she chooses (with Shepard's encouragement, of course) to accept her abilities and move forward in a healthier way that she comes to terms with herself and accomplishes anything positive.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have Joker, who could have simply given up, considering the hand genetics dealt him. Instead, he chooses to fight the odds and the naysayers and is the best pilot in the Alliance. So, too, Kaidan comments that given how bad his childhood training was, given how bad the L2 implants are, he could have ended up 'sitting on a couch in his pyjamas shooting up on red sand.' Instead, he braves the headaches and makes the best of it.

The theme that Mass Effect keeps touching on is that genes and DNA mean next to nothing in the face of what you do with them. The Illusive Man keeps searching DNA for answers on how to gain power. The Reapers appear to keep searching DNA for answers on how to maintain power. Whenever we see this approach, it's met with suspicion, and rightly so. To assume that a person, a species, a race could be summed up by their genetic code is not only faulty logic, it's actually morally suspect. Therein lies the way to eugenics, war crimes, and other madness and atrocities. Instead, the game suggests that it's choice that defines a person - choice to help, choice to fight on, choice to remove threats, make the hard calls, save the innocent, make friends or take out enemies.

We are defined then by choice, not genetic code.

DNA is not the Answer

What the StarChild is saying with synthesis boils down to this: we can have peace if there is no more diversity. If all genetics become one, then we have no more conflicts. (And note, I think it is telling that in the synthesize ending I saw, Garrus does not exit the Normandy, but he does step out in the destroy one. One does have to wonder what happens to the dextro-based life forms if all DNA is merged. Just a thought.)

Time and again, we are shown that DNA is just the starting point. As much as Shai'era, the consort, weirds me out, she makes a good point when she tells Shepard that, 'This is who you are, but not who you will become. It only forms the basis of your future greatness.' In other words, your past is the start of the story. It is not the meat of it, it is not the turning point of it, it is not the conclusion of it. To try and end conflict by creating a single kind of DNA, to try and bring peace by ridding ourselves of diversity, well, that flies in the face of everything we know about what's interesting and good in the universe of Mass Effect. It flies in the face of the primacy of choice.

As Simple as a Sacrifice

However, StarChild's argument for synthesis doesn't come across like that. Rather, it sounds just like what we'd expect: Shepard has to go so that life can go on in peace and without pain. One death and everything is right again. If only Shepard would end her/his own life, everyone else is spared. It seems self-sacrificial and good. It seems to fit the Space-Jesus role that was thrust upon Shepard with project Lazarus. And, in all honestly, if it really were possible to save everyone by sacrificing Shepard, no doubt synthesis would be the right thing to do.

But war is never that simple. Life is never that simple. We could hope that when Shepard hits the beam, this would make everything right, but it won't. Shepard could scatter her/his body, her/his DNA, but Shepard could never scatter her/his choices, and that is what really matters. And when Shepard hits the green beam, Shepard's eyes briefly open. If you watch closely, they glow in the same way the Illusive Man's do, in the same way the Saren's do, in the same way that they do if you take the control ending.

Now, someone pointed out to me that the eye color doesn't mean anything. Frankly, I beg to differ. In the world of Mass Effect, from the close-ups on Saren's eyes to the close-ups on tIM's eyes to the fact that as he dies, the Illusive Man's eyes appear briefly to go back to normal - well, I think that's a pretty clear narrative device to tell us something. If it didn't mean anything, why would the devs bother to change up Shepard's eyes for that brief moment? That's fiddly programming, right there. You can bet your boots it means something. But I digress.

Exploding Relays and Other Problems

Many have discussed the point that if the Mass Relays exploded, as they do in 2 of the 3 endings, that ought to destroy entire star systems, much less the galaxy. I agree. Furthermore, I'd like to point out that it's not like the Mass Effect universe did a ret-con on this. At the beginning of the game, Anderson talks about the consequences of blowing up a relay if you did, in fact, import a save where Shepard completed the Arrival DLC. This point is brought up elsewhere in the game.

Others have noted that if species are stranded on earth, it's only a matter of time before the quarians and turians starve, the krogans eat everyone in desperation, and Hey! there's no way Joker would try and run away from the fight. (I find it funny that that last point about Joker is one that gets bandied about more than all the other apparent oddities of the ending).

In short, there are a LOT of problems with the ending, suggesting that lore, themes, characterization, etc., are completely tossed out the window in the last 5 minutes of a 100+ hour saga.

WRONG

At the end of the game then, we're left staring at the StarChild saying... "Whaaaa??" And there's a reason for that:

What StarChild is saying is completely WRONG.

It's wrong given the history of synthetics and organics. It's wrong given everything we know about how organics and synthetics came into being and how they evolve and become self-aware. It's wrong given how tenacious organics are and how strangely curious, open, and empathetic synthetics have shown themselves to be. It's wrong given the way that choice always counts for more than mere genetic possibility. It's wrong given the physics of the mass relays and it may even be wrong on a moral level, suggesting that somehow controlling another life force like a god or subsuming all diversity is the only way to bring about peace.

Don't mistake me. StarChild is one hell of a spin doctor, but what he is saying is wrong. THAT is why the ending stings so much. It tastes bitter, it hurts, and it makes you reel because it's all dead wrong.

Is that Really the END?

Um... I hope that's not the end?

I'll be honest with you, the silence from BioWare at this point is making me rather queasy. But I do keep coming back to StarChild's arguments and thinking, there's only 2 possibilities here: (1) the story went down in flames, or (2) StarChild is trying to indoctrinate not just Shepard, but the player. I hope beyond hope that this is actually just amazing writing, meant to trick the gamer into indoctrination, so that we can see how insidious this way of thinking is. StarChild's suggestion is this: we need the Reapers and we must give up our choice and our individuality to merge with them. If that's true, the only way out is to go down fighting.

The Crucible

If you take a look at the name of the weapon Shepard was sent to activate, you'll note that it was not called 'the B-bomb' or the 'blow-the-Reapers-to-bits bomb,' but 'The Crucible.' That's an odd name for a weapon, really, as a crucible is (to steal from an online dictionary):

1. A vessel made of a refractory substance such as graphite or porcelain, used for melting and calcining materials at high temperatures

2. A severe test, as of patience or belief; a trial

3. A place, time, or situation characterized by the confluence of powerful intellectual, social, economic, or political forces

So is there a weapon, or just a trial? And hey, didn't anyone catch that the Protheans got the design for this thing from the race before them? Isn't anyone wondering if maybe the Reapers are behind this Crucible plan just like they've been behind all other relevant space-related technology? No? Just me?

Anyhow, here's your Crucible: you can pick blue and try and control the Reapers, melding Shepard's consciousness with them. You could choose the green path of Synthesis, which apparently ends in the unity through the death of the individual. Or, you can reject StarChild's suggestions and destroy the Reapers in a blast of N7 red, blowing up the Citadel, the mass relays(?), and apparently Shepard in the process.

But, wait... Isn't that Shepard taking a gasping breath at the end of the game among the wreckage if you do so? And did we perhaps make it through a trial of indoctrination (well, if you have enough galactic resources going into the endgame)? And is this maybe only the beginning of the real fight?

Honestly, I'm don't know. I hope BioWare will give us a DLC that answers these questions, and that StarChild is the one who is wrong, not the game itself.

I'm staking Shepard's life on it.

Hell, I'm staking the galaxy on it.

Blam, Blam, Frickin' BLAM

After ME2 and ME3, ME1 feels like work

2012-03-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

@bladeward here with a test of a replacement blog to twitter bridge and a tautology about ME1:

Mass Effect 1 is very entertaining except when it isn't.

Inanity aside, the later games have so much polish that the first game's bugs, combat game play, and grind modes (read as Wardriving with the MAKO) seem a bit...painful. But i really want a play through that represents my actual decisions, and so i slog through it.

It was killing me to see @sage_queen getting scenes and interactions with characters because she had saved them in previous games. I was feeling a bit cheated as I started a new femshep in ME3. I have played a dudeshep ME2 character through, so i kept thinking: [They] didn't die in MY playthrough...and I finally had to do a canon run.

So, with a bit of perseverance, my ME 1-3 run will be representation of my actual decisions, and I won't feel like I am getting punished for being a latecomer to the party.

Also, with a bit of luck, this post should be published to our twitter account (@gametourists) with a fancy picture. *fingers crossed*

Mass Effect 3: First, Untweeted Impressions

2012-03-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

Yay! Gametourists is back up! Thank you, bladeward!

I like to tweet about games and stuff. You can follow me @sage_queen on twitter. (@sagequeen was already taken. darn).

So when #ME3...I mean, Mass Effect 3 came out, I was tempted to tweet my reactions to the game as they happened. But that would be lame, since some people hadn't yet gotten the game. Now, since I only play when the kids are sleeping, I only get a few hours in a day and am behind the pack in my playthrough.

So I decided to log my tweet-like first impressions of the game and post them here. They're kind of randomish, but I thought some of them were funny. Anyhow, enjoy!

Wait... Custom face could not import? NOoOoooOOOOOOoooooOOOO!!!

Instead of playing ME3, let’s play ME2 and recreate a facecode. Yeah. This is SO how I wanted to spend the first hour of playing this game. Silly Sage. You should have had this ready before. You HAD the dang demo.

Aaaannnnd my facecode is looking screwy. Okay, lighten hair. What is WRONG with her animations?

Okay, four tries later, she looks right. Animating amazing, except for occasional eye-clipping into brow and going cross-eyed. But hey. Aside from THAT...

Okay, Reapers. FemShep is looking good again. You may attack now.

Argh. No flycam. Dah. Next run, next run...

SQUEEE! It’s the Normandy. That music + outline of that ship is causing me to get a little turned on over here. Maybe I’m turning into Joker.

If we ever needed proof that Cerberus was pure evil, it is this: They apparently make ALL their female operatives wear high heels into combat. Boo hiss!

Uh, Kaidan, why you no have on a hospital gown? No, no, wait. Don’t tell me. The ladies from the KAST (Kaidan Alenko Support Thread) stole them all.

Kaidan’s in the ICU. I *should* be worried about earth. I know it. Shepard knows it. Neither of us is. We’re more worried about KAidan. That’s human nature and that’s good writing and that’s FREAKING HEARTBREAKING.

Hubby playing same misson as me (Palavan’s moon). Totally stoic and concentrating. I, on the other hand, am squeeing like an idiot.

Hubby turns to me. “You’re having quite the joygasm over there.”

Turian general turns to gaze at Palavan in epic screenshot. Accepts that he’s the new king...Primark...whatever. So fucking Henry VI.

EDI WTF???? The Joker fangirls are soooo gonna hate you.

Visiting Kaidan. Holy hell. The view from the neck down is inspiring; view from the neck up alarming. Let’s move that blanket to cover your face instead of your legs, K, Kai-bear? Also, BoozE! I demand this booze and smexy times later.

Kaidan talking to my shep about being a biotic - HAllelujah! they brought back the human biotic subplot! also, notes she is a biotic. THIS kind of acknowledgement/nuance is what makes the game so good.

“That’s the only way we can move past Horizon.” AAHHHHH!!!! BioWare writers, I <3 you right now. You made that scene so frickin’ perfect. This was everything I wanted to hear/say. Yeah. SPOT ON. Thank you, thank you.

Am I actually going to set up my pilot with a robot? Why yes. Yes, I believe I will.

KASSSSUUUUUMMMMMEEEEEEE!@!!1! Oh, how I’ve missed your purple lips. Can you just follow me around cloaked for the whole game? well, mebbe leave when I get kaidan back, ‘cause voyerism there kinda would creepy me out.

DAH! I wants this spectre gun. Why did I spent all my creds on fish and model ships? We’re at war here, Sage!

KAAASSSSUUUMEEEEE!!!!! Oh, good. Don’t SCARE me like that. Also, go boink Jacob. You guys could both use it.

“They rebuilt Mindoir. It was never the same.” OMG, tiny bits of banter/dialog specific to shep is AWESOME. It makes this game so much more nuanced. The most Shepard’s of any of the Shepard stories.

HELL YES EDEN PRIME. wish i could take kaidan. still, eden PRIME! looks good down here.

Holy crap prothean! He has a hot voice. Is it wrong that i find his voice sexy? Prothean for LI! I demand it. (not really. liara would get there first, anyhow)

Imagine prothean squaddie shouting “You DAMN DIRTY APES!” Someone make this happen for fanart, please.

inner fangeek is fangeeking. prothean squaddie is sci-fi glorious. this is why i buy all ME DLC. it’s wow, actually worth it.

Dude, Miranda. If you’re trying to keep a low profile, here’s a hint: LOSE the stripper suit.

Read Codex entry on Miranda: Brought Shepard back from the BRINK of death? Is this official now? Shep weren’t rEALLY dead? i KNEW it! nice ret-con, guys.

Wait, KAidan you no join me now? but u r spectre./sadface/sadface/cry:(.................

After this war is over, I imagine human biotics will be more prevalent in the gene pool because of the higher number of survivors. We is walking arsenals!

Omg, JACK>??!!?? Wow. You’re kind of...not what I expected in a school. I imagine a lot of your poor students are hot for teacher.

FemShep talking with Krogan female. I’ve got tears in my eyes - intense stuff. remarkable insight here. bioware writers, you got me reeling from the truth of this new character.

Aw, EVE! Krogan female, you’re my new BFF. Wish Ash were here to meet you.

Doh! Run from Reapers now, scan for stuff later. FU URanus.

... And that's it for now. See, I really haven't gotten that far. More laters, perhaps.

Mass Effect 3 From Ashes DLC Error Workaround

2012-03-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

Just found the solution to this rather curious problem, so I'm going to post this here for future reference.

In buying the Digital Deluxe edition of Mass Effect 3 (the online, Origin version of the Collector's Edition), I kept getting this error:

"Unable to authorize the listed DLC. Please log in to the Alliance Network with the account used to purchase the DLC. Collector's Edition Online Pass Entitlement: From Ashes"

Um...yeah. What?

After going to the BioWare Social Network and such to try and get logged in correctly, user Pandaman102 (seriously, thank you) posted the following solution:

In the Origins Launcher, click on the 'i' button below the ME3 game icon.

It will bring up all DLC content. RIGHT CLICK on Ashes (or whatever other DLC didn't load). Hit "Check for Updates" and be ready to pull down a 56MB patch.

Thanks Pandaman. And to everyone else, Happy Reaper Hunting!

What THIS Girl wants in a Video Game

2012-02-26T20:34:00.001-08:00

I read a terrific post on one of my favorite blogs, The Mary Sue. It's a guide for newbs - specifically female newbs - to start gaming.

We need more gamer girls, ladies. More, I tell you.
It gives great advice (you'll suck at first - promise - but you'll get better) and then has a guide to how to find games that fit your style (like explosions? you may like action games). I give it thumbs up.

BUT it struck me that I had 2 issues with the article.

1. The blog itself admitted that some games cross genre. But to me, this is REALLY important. If one game is pure shooter (say, Halo) and another is sort of quirky fantasy shooter (say, Borderlands), and another is a shooter with huge RPG elements, immersive story and co-op play (Mass Effect 3), then THAT is something I want to know as a newb going in. A lot of people dismiss games for being one-dimensional . Yep, not even two-dimensional. They're just shoot and more shoot.

But some of us got hooked on games precisely because they were complex, genre-crossing concoctions of goodness. I got re-addicted to gaming via Neverwinter Nights. I enjoyed the RP elements, also the strategy and puzzles, also the hack 'n' slash. In short, knowing that some games are a higher caliber simply because they have more to offer is key, I think.

But mostly, 2: I want company when I game.

I realized that I don't like to game alone. This is why, for all its beauty, I got WAY bored with Skyrim. My only companions are silent - except when they whine about carrying my stuff, and then I want them to be silent.

No, I want company as I save the universe. Therefore, I either like to play co-op, or you need to convince me I'm not alone by way of really well-written NPC companions.

Co-op is the easier route. It makes even lame games fun, because the hubby and I are playing together. Make it a good game, and we're hooked.

If I'm going to spend time alone with a game, it better be like a good book: it had better have characters I can so believe are real that I feel my character is in good company. It had better feel that my character is deeply involved in the world - that the story shapes around her, and that at the end of the tale, she has people at her side to survey the difference she made.

There are a bazillion games that are nothing but explosions and only a very few that actually create a sense of community WITHIN the game - either by excellent co-op play or (even more rarely) by creating stories that have characters so well-written you think they are real. BioWare makes games like that, and so I'm a huge fan. Other than them...

Well, if you can tell me about more co-op or character driven games, please do. I'm always looking for a good one.

Thankfully, it's 1 week until Mass Effect 3 is released, and it's both character-driven and RPG both. Be still, my little gamer girl heart.

Why FemShep is the Anti-Barbie

2012-02-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

FemShep - the female version of the protagonist of the Mass Effect videogame series - is the complete opposite of Barbie.

Now, before you tell me that FemShep can be a Barbie-look-alike if you want her to be, before you tell me that FemShep can wear makeup, high heels, or whatever, hear me out.

What I mean is that the way Barbie and FemShep were designed, are identified, and have evolved are almost polar opposites. Let me explain.

This is Barbie:

How do you know she's Barbie? Well, she's got long blonde hair (check), she's got impossibly idealized female proportions (check), she's wearing a fashionable outfit (check), and she's a doll (check).

In short, you know who she is by her looks.

Now, I've heard people comment that Barbie knows where it's at. She's been an astronaut, a musician, a mom, a teacher, every profession under the sun and she always looks great and owns a ton of shoes. What's not to love about this woman? Fair enough. Maybe you love Barbie. Maybe you hate her. The point is this: yes, she's 'been an astronaut' in the sense that you can buy a Barbie doll wearing an astronaut suit. But is Barbie really an astronaut? No. She's a doll who's dressed that way.

Now, there is a bit of a range for Barbies in terms of coloring and costume:

But for the most part, you shall know Barbie by her looks.

Now, in contrast, take FemShep. You shall know her by...what exactly? Well, let's see:

This picture is the 'new default' FemShep that was recently re-designed for Mass Effect 3. Here she is back in Mass Effect 2 and 1:

But wait! you might rightly say. This is also FemShep.

Marge Shepard by Akodo Ryu

And this, too:

Rose Shepard by NeraRose

And this:

Indra Shepard by Flies_by_Handles

And these ladies:

"Commanders," by deviant artist a_stric/ELE08 (that's my Shep seated :) )

In fact, the fan-created FemSheps seem to outnumber the use of default Jane by a long shot. In fact, this was why I put together a video of The Many Faces of Femshep, to demonstrate just how different femsheps can look, how different they can act, and to celebrate the huge range that is FemShep.

So what do FemSheps have in common, if they can be so diverse? Well, it isn't their measurements, as the Kestrel to to N7 armor to modded armor can show. Instead, it seems to be something else.

First, FemShep is voiced by the amazing - and record-setting - Jennifer Hale.

But the second and most telling thing, is that FemShep is known by her actions.

In Mass Effect, she's the woman who saved the galaxy twice. She may have done it above board and paragon like or she may have done it down and out renegade-style, but she stopped Saren and she beat the Collectors. This is not a woman we know by the length of her hair or the shape of her conical bra, but by her track record.

And if you were looking for some sort of visual cue that a woman is FemShep (say, while browsing deviantart), then these are your clues: FemShep often (though not always) can be found sporting a gun, a suit of armor, and that favored N7 insignia of hers.

N7 is the true constant for FemShep - or maleshep, for that matter.

N7, according to the Mass Effect lore, is the designation of Shepard's rank in the Alliance military. It is the only piece of branding that FemShep has: not blonde hair, not the impossible bust/waist/hip ratio - nope, it's her standing as a solider and what she's accomplished.

Whereas Barbie is known first by her looks and then is given a veneer of careers, FemShep is known first and foremost by her career - and then, maybe, as a secondary consideration - we might notice what she looks like. But first we notice what she's done.

And then we notice that awesome armor...

Cosplayer/Designer Holly Conrad as Commander Shepard

Regardless of how you play FemShep - badass renegade or heroic paragon or some sweet cocktail mix of the two, FemShep begins and ends the day as a soldier - and as a very human person trying to figure out how to save the galaxy against impossible odds.

Barbie and FemShep are on opposite ends of the icon spectrum. Barbie is first known for what she looks like, then for her so-called 'careers'; FemShep is known for what she's done - and her appearance is a matter of player preference

Yes, FemShep could look like Barbie.

But at the end of the day, we know Shepard as the woman who saved the galaxy twice...

...soon to be 3 times...

A Public Service Announcement from the Reapers

2012-02-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Gawd, I'm getting punchy waiting for Mass Effect 3. I've played the DLC, played an engineer alt (sorta, I get to missing my main FemShep adept), and tried to avoid spoilers and the catfights on the BSN.

Anyhow, caught this Arrival screenshot and the oddity of Harbinger's 'face' just stuck out at me this time. Is this some kind of sick, Reaper joke? Is it the Reapers trying to be friendly, only failing miserably at social niceties? Only ME3 will tell.

Face Your Annihilation.
and Have a Nice Day!
<3 The Reapers xoxo
Featuring Kyrie Shepard
as Shepard in this demotivational poster

Skyrim: Flycam Mode and Other Console Commands (Video Guide)

2011-11-22T09:11:00.001-08:00

By request, here is a quick guide to flycam and console commands for Skyrim. Note that the guides to flycam for Mass Effect 1 & 2 can be found here. (<-- ME flycam requires a lot of custom coding, so a video guide wouldn't be as much use for those games.)

Hopefully, I'll get enough footage of me fighting in Skyrim and not dying in embarrassing ways such that I can do a gameplay guide here, soon. I may need to recruit my husband's help, since his combat skills in Skyrim surpass mine at the moment.

... Then again, he's gotten in a lot more hours on the game than I have.

Enjoy the vid, and happy screenshot-taking!

-sage

Things I feel Guilty about doing in Skyrim

2011-11-18T06:57:00.001-08:00

In Skyrim, it seems, you can do all manner of things: steal stuff, break into people's houses and steal stuff, attack just about anyone, etc.

Now me, I'm an aspiring hero-type, even if I spend my days changing diapers and getting thrown up on. Hey, that's heroism too, of a sort.

So I try and do the right thing, even when I play games. Aristotle did seem to think that the choices we make are all determining what kind of person we will become. Some folks think that doesn't apply to video games - or Las Vegas - but I dunno. I think sorting out tough issues in a game sandbox can be good practice for real-world challenges.

But I digress.

There are some things in Skyrim that I've done that make me feel a little, well, icky on the inside.

*Tearing the wings off of butterflies.
Truly, this is the one that bothers me the most. I feel horrible every time I do it. It's a butterfly. It's pretty and helpful and harmless. So I catch it and tear it apart. I'm a MONSTER!

But so far, this is the only other ingredient I know of to make a health potion. Still, I've given it up, and now am running low on coin from buying damn health potions.

*Kicking puppies.
Okay, it wasn't a puppy. It was a wolf. And it tried to eat me. But my critical hit animation showed me kicking the poor thing. It wasn't enough that I set it on fire? I had to kick it, too?

*Throwing away a book.
Did it once. Now I am currently packing around a small library, because I cannot bear to get rid of these things. I once worked in a public library, so there you go. Must save knowledge!

*Leaving corpses unburied.
I don't really mind that I killed those bandits. They stole something from a townsfolk and then attacked me when I came near their hideout. They didn't even try and negotiate with me. I defended myself - no moral qualms there. But then I took their stuff and left their corpses in the snow. That kind of bothered me - especially because the corpses didn't auto-disappear like they do on other games.

*Looting a grave with a descendant of the dead in my party.
So I head into a tomb with an NPC in tow - it's his family tomb. I try out my lockpicking skills on a chest, only to have him cry 'Hey! These are my ancestors!' So now I feel all BAD about taking gold from the tomb...but only so much, because I really need the coin to buy some storage for all my dang books.

*Infiltrating lairs.
I wandered into a cool looking keep by the lake, only to find it was filled with necromancers who attacked me on sight. Now, maybe they were all evil - most necromancers are. But then again, maybe they weren't. Maybe they were just, you know, friendly and stuff, just wanting some privacy. Point is, did I really have a reason to end their embalming-and-raising-the-dead ways?

Okay, nevermind. I killed them all and good riddance. You go raising the dead, you're just asking for it.

But lastly...

*Eating stuff I find hanging around.
I found glowing mushrooms in a cave and tried to eat them. Glowing frickin' MUSHROOMS for Talos' sake! And I ATE them! Who does that? No, really.

I mean, it's the only way to figure out what reagents to what in alchemy, and since I want to stop killing butterflies, I need to find more reagents for health potions, but seriously, I ate a glowing mushroom.

That's just dumb.

And then I go around picking up whatever food I can, since it restores health and all. Okay, taking wine that was hanging around inside a tomb - probably just fine. Alcohol is preserved in alcohol, after all. But then I also picked up some bread, grilled leeks, and a bit of smoked salmon.

Ewwwwww.....

This is the lesson I'm taking with me from Skyrim:

Even if you can, you should not eat a found cake.

How to Mod Skyrim for Steam Users

2011-11-16T15:18:00.001-08:00

I played only a few minutes of my hubby's copy of Skyrim before I decided I wanted my own copy. But shortly after starting a character, I ran into a dilemma. I wanted mods.

Most specifically, I wanted something to smooth out the facial textures. They ALL of them are kind of blocky and pixelated. It's a shame, considering how gorgeous the rest of the world is, that the characters should all be kind of, well, ugly.

Hide your face, honey, I haven't found a mod for you, yet.

So the game has been out for, what? a week? Already, the modding community at The Skyrim Nexus is making mods right and left. And wouldn't you know it, someone else was as annoyed as me by this phenomenon. Only they have the skillz to fix it:

No More Blocky Faces.

^ That file is the 'hotest' on the site at the moment. Little wonder. Skyrim has this unfortunate way of compressing the face textures so they look all blocky and pixelated. It also makes the wrinkles and other assorted texturing make the character look older, rather than just having depth to the face.

(By the way, the Nexus does require a login (but no money) to get started.)

The problem is that the mods are mostly talking to people who have PCs with a bought copy of Skyrim. I had trouble finding the 'data' file on my computer to place the override mods into. After much trial and error, I found it:

ProgramFiles>Steam>steamapps>common>skyrim>data.

Many of the mods on the Nexus go into THAT file. Just simply drop them in and they override the existing textures, etc. Skyrim is hella easy to mod, it seems. Apparently, Bethesda is just waiting for people to pretty up the game (which is already gorgeous, by the way).

Supposedly you can that above face mod with other texture mods, just place it in LAST and override any other texture mods. For now, that's the only mod I'm running.

And so the blocky, heavy-handed texture that looks like wrinkles...

...is smoothed out into character-giving texture with depth. It looks even better in game.

And now all characters look better, not just one race. Anyhow, I think that's enough character tweaking for now. I do have a whole game to explore.

So again, Steam users, modding is easy. Just remember that your data files are in ProgramFiles>Steam>steamapps>common>skyrim>data. Most of the mods from the Nexus can be unzipped to that folder and left there to do their magic. I recommend getting that one for sure.

Why Dragon Age Mages are really more like Vampires

2011-11-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I saw the movie 'The Lost Boys' at a friend's house. This was a huge mistake. As an 8-year-old, that movie scared me like you wouldn't believe (unless you, too, saw that movie at way too young an age).

I'll never quite forget that vision of vampires. Those were not sparkly Byronic heroes like the make-up wearing, baseball-playing vampires of Twilight. The vampires of Santa Cruz would devour the vampires of Forks in a bloody heartbeat. The Lost Boys were not potential boyfriend material, if only one could show them the error of their ways and cure them with love. No. The Lost Boys were guys who bit through people's skulls for blood because apparently going for the neck took too long.

The Lost Boys didn't 'stumble' into vampirism the way the Twilight kids did. The Lost Boys chose to sell their souls for the chance to live forever. And as a result, their story was one that was darker, scarier, and, in a weird way, more 'realistic' than a lot of the current vampire tales.

The 'original' vampires of folklore were powerful, terrifying, and, if you think about it, totally unwilling to take a leap of faith into the unknown. They were people who were so afraid of whatever waits on the other side of death that they were willing to continue on in this life at great cost. What they have is a mockery of life, really. They have power, but someone - usually a weaker, innocent someone - ends up paying the price.

And that's a really freakin' frightening view of human nature, if you think about it.

Riddle me this, Dracula: if the average person was offered the means for power and immortality, and all they had to do was hurt other people to get it, wouldn't they take that deal? What kind of person would say no to all that?

Not this guy.

Well, I know what kind of person would say 'yes.' I've met her. I was talking to a junior high student a while back and she gushed, 'Oh, I so wish I was a vampire. 'Why?' I asked, a little taken aback. (Given my experience with watching 'The Lost Boys,' I think they're kind of gross.) 'Because they're all powerful and pretty and stuff and they get to live forever,' she said. 'Um, yeah,' I said. 'And all you have to do is kill other people to stay immortal and you get to watch everyone you love grow old and die.' (I'm such a downer, aren't I?) 'Well, I'd make all my friends vampires, too,' the wannabe vampire told me. 'Then we'd just eat all the people we don't like.'

Uh huh.

Personally, I find that the average junior high mind is a frightening thing. Even when I was in junior high, I could not fathom it.

But that, right there, confirms my theory about vampirism. If it actually existed, like it does in the folklore, it would be something to scare you shitless, because a lot of people would go for it.

I guess this is why I always cheer for Team Van Helsing.

Okay, so what does this have to do with BioWare's Dragon Age video game franchise? Well, basically, Dragon Age takes the idea of magic back to it's more folkloric roots: magic comes from a connection to the spirit world (the Fade, the Fae, the Beyond, the realm of angels and demons). Some people have that connection, most people don't. However, that connection to another world can be dangerous, and the people willing to take dark deals and forge sinister bonds with that world will be able to draw the greatest power from said world.

It was the guy who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia who pointed out that if people really could make deals with demons in order to gain witchly powers, we probably would burn such people at the stake. The reason we don't is because we don't actually think those things exist. But if we did think a neighbor was killing children and destroying crops and stuff in order to gain other worldly power, we'd probably fire up the pyres and say 'good riddance.' His comment was that the end of witch hunts was not a change in morality, but a change in people's beliefs.

In Dragon Age, demons keep wanting to get out of the Fade. I don't really blame them, since the Fade is totally annoying and every time the game makes me go into the Fade, the theme music alone is enough to give me a headache. Anyhow, demons keep trying to possess mages so they can come out and rampage in a place with a cooler soundtrack. There's also blood magic, which is when a mage cuts him or herself or cuts another person, and uses the blood to fuel magic to greater heights. Some blood magic is just using health instead of mana (mana being the traditonal fantasy-world measure of how many spells you can cast before you have to take a breather). Some blood magic is making-deals-with-demons based.

Now, while I'll sometimes play a practical, ruthless sort of character, I can never bring myself to play bloodmages or necromancers of the like. Truly, I get way too creeped out. (It's that sensitvity to gore, again.) But I found I needed more mana in my DA2 battles and I couldn't just slurp down mana potions like I did in Origins. So I picked up the trusty old Death Siphon skill, which sucks mana out of the corpses of people you've just killed in battle. (And sadly, even at patch 1.03, this skill is still bugged and occasionally also sucks down quest items with the body, leaving you stuck and having to re-load an earlier save and try the battle again. Anyone going to fix that, ever?)

'This skill is such a technicality,' I thought. 'I can use blood magic on the dead, but not the living?" It's sort of like all those vampire novels where the 'good' vamps can drink bagged blood or drink blood from woodland animals (ew! do you know how dirty you average deer is?), but they can't drink it straight from the source, or otherwise they're a bad vamp.

The comparison of vampires to mages then struck me as very apt.

DA mages are really a lot like vampires: they have this amazing, otherworldly power, and if they're willing to take blood from other people, they can literally rule the world: they can turn other people to their will, have hordes of minions, slaves, and perhaps even prolong life.

Most of the time in fantasy worlds, mages - or wizards or sorcerers - are bumbling old Gandalfs or sweet-cheeked Harry Potters. Even Voldemort is a pretty watered-down baddie. But the Dragon Age franchise returns magic to sinister, dangerous, slippery origins. It's an intersection into our world from another world, and it's is not something you screw around with.

In that sense, Dragon Age's magic like a shot of Lost Boys into a Twilight fantasy world. For that, I applaud the Dragon Age world.

But most of the gamers coming to Dragon Age start with the Gandalf/Harry Potter bias. It's been a long time since most of us saw a world where magic was really, truly dangerous. We don't realize we're in for The Lost Boys. We're coming from the land of Twilight.

And Dragon Age does little to nothing to set us straight. The PC is walking on in ignorance, and the writers seem to want it this way.

And that is where I start to take objection to the Dragon Age storytelling.

You see, the other side of the mage-coin is the templars. Eventually, the people in the Dragon Age world who didn't have magic powers got sick of nasty mages ruling everything. One gal in particular led a rebellion and founded a church and now in most places in the world, mages are locked up and watched over by templars - a kind of priest/crusader mash up.

It's a very cool set up. The big question then becomes whether the locked-up mages are an oppressed people who are being mistreated by the big bad ~~Catholic church~~ Chantry, or if they are potential magic-vampires, who, given the slightest chance, will turn to blood magic and the templars are justified in hunting them down and locking them up.

But instead of giving the player this cool set up - this knife-edge balance between freedom and safety, between choice and danger, the writers kind of give you a push. Actually, it's more like the blindfold you and then give you a push.

You begin the game as part of a family that has been hiding from the Chantry because your dad was a mage, your sister is a mage, and you (Hawke, the main character), may even be a mage. One of the first characters you meet in the game is a mage, and though you're told she's dangerous, she doesn't seem so bad. She even helps you.

Okay, her clothes say she's evil. But she did help you, right?

Then one of the first companions you recruit is a mage, and you meet him while he's healing people (see, good magic) and helping mages get away from seeming nasty templars. If your sister meets this mage, Anders, she comments that he's a lot like Hawke's late father. So when Anders goes on about how awful the templars are for oppressing mages, there's no reason not to believe him...yet. And when you meet the companion who doesn't like mages, he comes off as sort of a grumpy-pants for saying mages ought to be locked up.

And it's a damn shame, really. The mages/templar question is balanced perfectly. On the one hand, you have people who cannot help what they are, and are capable of great goodness, but they are being driven to great evil by imprisonment and oppression. On the other hand, you have a Chantry that is trying to protect the innocent from a terrible source of risk, but often oversteps the bounds of decency. It's a terrific set-up, really. And it's one I wish the game simply gave you up front, instead of pushing the PC to sympathy with the mages and then deliberately eroding that sympathy.

Frankly, I think it would be much more powerful - and respectful to the intelligence of the gamer - to give us the story straight and let the gamer make decisions accordingly.

So, I have to wonder why the cloak-and-dagger thing with the mages? Why not just set up the templar vs. mages question as clearly as possible, rather than pushing the gamer one way, only to then 'reveal' how evil all mages are later on? It's not a reveal in that sense, but a deliberate confusing of things.

I like reveals in storytelling. And usually, BioWare is the master of the video-game reveal. When the big reveal hit me (literally) in Jade Empire, I thought, 'Oh my God, I should have seen that coming.' But before that moment, I was too busy asking other questions and following another mystery to notice the set-up. Same thing with Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. The reveal on Virmire shocked me - but I really should have (and could have) seen it coming.

But Dragon Age seems to deliberately hide it's 'twists' in a corner, bringing them out far too late for you to do anything about them. The result is that I feel like the 'reveals' are not something I could have known before hand. They felt more like the writers are toying with the gamer.

I really felt as though Dragon Ages delights in encouraging certain decisions throughout the game, and then, when those decisions turn out to have a darker consequence, delights in saying, 'Now look at what you did.' My thinking was, 'Well that's hardly my fault if I didn't know.'

Take BioWare's other franchise: Mass Effect, for example. Long before you're asked to make decisions about the rachni, the krogan, the geth, and so on, you are given reams of codex entries and many personal encounters with the species. The game seems to set you up with as much knowledge as you can have going into a decision - you don't know the outcome, but you know all or most of relevant details going in. So when you go to make a mission-critical decision, you see that the facts are balanced on a knife point. Krogan are dangerous, but the genophage was wrong. What you will do regarding the end of Mordin's loyalty mission is up to you to decide, but the game has given you a crapload of facts about it. You must weigh them and turn fact into moral decision.

Whatever choice you make, however, you've got as much relevant intel as the game can reasonably give you. Even the crazy Geth heretic decision is one that gives you as much intel as Shepard could reasonably expect at that point in the game. I always felt, with Mass Effect, that I had enough data to make a rational decision. AND, interestingly, I always felt it most decisions were so well balanced that I could see the rationality of the other side. I always chose to spare the rachni and collar Elnora, for example, but I can see the reasoning that leads to another (read, Renegon) point of view.

But Dragon Age seems to delight in hiding facts from the gamer and then bringing them out after key decisions have already been made. And these are often facts that the player character ought to know. It drove me nuts, for example, that here Hawke is, a child of an apostate, but you have no idea whatsoever about your dad's opinion or teachings about the dangers of magic. THAT would be hugely relevant to your stance on the mage question. But unless you piece together things that Bethany AND Carver say (2 playthroughs, right there) and you play the Legacy DLC, you don't know squat about his opinion. Even 6 playthroughs later, I find it hard to figure out his thoughts, but I've become convinced he was probably more of a moderate than Anders would have liked.

One or two unintended consequences of RPG decisions is interesting. But if nothing turns out like you think it was going to, then playing an RPG feels like playing a shooter game with a broken physics engine. If every bullet you shoot veers off target, then why the hell would you keep playing? At that point, you just grab a crowbar and smash stuff. And in an RPG, if every decision ends up having some weird consequence that you could only have forseen if you'd played the game twice before and read every codex entry, well then, by that point, you're heading into the realm of metagaming.

No where was this more the case than the Landsmeet decision and then the subsequent archdemon revelation in Dragon Age: Origins. I would have found it much more interesting to just give the player the 4-possible-outcome choice all at once, rather than finding out you'd stumbled into an ending. After all, most everyone seems to metagame that ending to get the result they want. Why not just give it to us straight?

Again, perhaps this is just me and I'm the only person who sees it this way. But considering that I carefully read every damn codex entry that comes along and I do all side quests and play all DLC and I end up feeling like Dragon Age is still deliberately being obtuse, well...

Well, I feel like I'm being led to believe I'm in Forks at Twilight, only clearly it's Santa Cruz after dark.

Dragon Age 2 Mods that you MUST have if you play on the PC

2011-10-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here are the hacks I highly recommend if you decide to play DA2 (again) on your PC. These work with Steam (which is how I play most of may games).

Again, note that modding can BREAK YOUR GAME, so if you do it, it's at your own risk. You've been warned.

How to Mod DA2

It's way super easy, especially if you'd been modding Dragon Age:Origins or Mass Effect. It's way easier than Mass Effect and nearly as easy as DA:O. First, the way-way easy kind of mod:

Override Modding

Override Modding basically is pulling down a mod file and sticking it into a specific place on your computer. That's all.

Go into your Documents folder on your computer and find the BioWare folder. Now open the Dragon Age 2 folder. Now open the packages folder. Now open the core folder. This folder will probably have nothing further inside of it. Make a new folder here that is called 'override' <--spelled just like that, lower case and all. So you should now have a path that goes Documents>BioWare>DragonAge2>package>core>override

This new override folder is where you can put some really cool mods that are available on the Dragon Age Nexus. All you have to do is register on the site (email required, but it's free), and you can browse for any number of cool mods. Download them, then use an unzip program (like 7zip or such) to unzip them and put them into the override folder. The next time you fire up Dragon Age 2, the mod overrides the game's default way of doing things. It's pretty slick.

Some of the Override Mods I like are...

Female Hawke movement animation tweak

There is an eternal debate surrounding the animations of female player characters. Some folks want special animations for lady-characters. Just look at FemShep in Mass Effect 2 to see why. She walked like an elephant and the Kasumi dress...well, don't wear it to visit Garrus. But then FemHawke got a custom walk as a result and it's...

It's BAD. If you've played the game, you know it's bad.

Some of us gamers are strong, confident women who want to play as strong confident women in video games. We kick ass daily in our jobs and home lives and want to kick ass in game as womanly alter-egos of ourselves.

I also know a lot of men who play as women, both for the opportunity to see the game from a different perspective and because they like to see girls kick ass. We've all heard that old chestnut about a man who saved the world, after all.

And some people play as a girl because they want to watch a pixelated woman's ass for hours.

If you're in that last category, you may have had no problem with FemHawke's wiggle-walk and her stupid little stretch when she's idle. If you'd rather her act like the fighter she is, you can put the male animation on her using the above mod. It's surprisingly, well, neutral. I wish her arms didn't swing quite so widely (the fem-walk from DA:O or ME1 was better), but it goes a long way toward making me respect her more.

Chargen Revamp

Odd name, but it's a beauty. It's mods like this that make console users envy the PC folks.

This mod essentially 'unlocks' the Character Creator (CC) to have NPC hairstyles and the default face available for tweaking. Otherwise, you can't borrow, say, Isabela's hair and you can't edit your avatar from the default Hawke face or use the default Hawke hair (best hair in the game, I think). This also gives you a huge stash of tattoos (including Aveline's freckles) AND it keeps Mama, Bro, and Sis Hawke from changing their faces to 'match' Hawkes (Gamlen's still appears to change, and sometimes when using the default face, they turn way wacky.)

On the whole, this is THE mod to pull down.

Natural Hair

Seriously BioWare, your haircolors are miserable to me in all your games. Sorry, but there it is. Anders is more a redhead than a 'Blondie,' what you call 'black' is really a dark brown and, well, suffice it to say, I don't like them. The Natural Hair mod lacks the vibrant colors of blue and pink and such, but hey, it's Dragon Age, not a disco. There's enough here to make your Hawke's hair unique.

Default colors are starred. This mod gives you a lot more variation, as you can see.

Pineappletree's Vibrant Colors

Pineappletree apparently didn't bother to make the vibrant hair colors for DA2, but the eye colors and skin tones are back. I pulled this mod down just for the variations in color - if you want glowy yellow eyes and bluish skin, this is the mod for you.

Armor at Home

Tired of the weird smoking jacket Hawke wears in the Hawke estate? Think Hawke ought to wear armor all the time, considering how often he/she gets attacked? This mod drops into your override folder and you simply keep on your equipped armor in the house. Weapons are hidden; cutscenes automatically remove any helm.

Mark of the Assassin Party Dress

There are several mods of this sort: other options for the Duke's party. This is just my favorite.

GFf Save Editor + Override Mods

Now HERE is where you can start getting pretty fancy with the armors. I hate wearing dresses, even as a mage. I especially hate dresses with feathers around the crotch. I mean, really?

These mods require you to get in and hackzor the game files just a little bitty bit. They're nothing as heinous as the Mass Effect 2 modding, I promise you.

First, download the DA2 gff save editor and unzip the .exe file. This thing is pretty easy to navigate.

Next, save your game twice at the point you want to mod it. Now quit out of DA2. Run the DA2 save editor program. Use the File tab, go down to 'Open,' and then navigate to your save games (should be in Documents>BioWare>DragonAge2>Characters. In this folder, you'll see your folders with your character's/characters' name on it. Open the character folder for the character you want to edit. Now open the save folder you want. They're numbered, so the higher the number (usually) the later in the game. When you open the save folder, you'll see a file in there with a .das extension. Open that file. Make your changes using the save editor (see below). Then Go to the File tab and choose 'Save' to save your changes over the savegame (.das) file. Close the editor and fire up Dragon Age 2. I usually Load Game rather than just Resume to make sure the changes load properly. You should see your changes now.

Basically, you want to open the '+0' to get a drop-down tree. Open the +16002 SAVEGAME_PLAYERCHAR tab. Open the +16208 SAVEGAME_PLAYERCHAR_CHAR tab, then the +16219 SAVEGAME_EQUIPTMENT_ITEMS.

In this dropdown tree are all the items you currently have equipped on that character in that save. Note that what numbers correspond to what slots MAY shift around depending upon how much equipment you have on. The ones that say 'cht' are Chest armor, the ones that say 'boo' are boots, and 'glv' is, well, gloves.

To change the appearance of an item, click on that item's drop-down tab (the '+' symbol). The first line of that drop-down tree will be '3 TEMPLATERESREF.' Click on that. In the bottom-left-hand corner of the editor is a box. The name of the item's appearance will show up in that box. Enter a new appearance name and hit the 'save' button below the box. Change the appearance of whatever items you want to look different in the game, then save all changes by going to the 'File' tab and saving over the .das file.

Note that this method only changes the appearance of an item, not stats. The stats will remain the same as the item you had on. So you can keep the good stats of a hideous robe, for example, but make it look cool. However, this WILL destroy the 'name' of the item. If you look in your inventory, it will be title-less. This MAY interfere with item set bonuses. I dunno. I can't really tell when I have item set bonuses, so I couldn't figure out if this screwed with that.

Overrides you may want to try (these codes work for men or women, though I only have Lady Hawke pics as I always play as a kick-ass chick)

List of the Lady's Armors

Stacymc on the Dragon Age Nexus gets full props for this one. This handy 'mod' contains two files: a list of ALL in game items and a handy-dandy pic (see below) showing what the fem-armors look like. Say you pick up a new robe in the market, but you can't stand the style. Well, now you can just save your game with the new armor on, close out of the game, open the gff editor and hackzor on a new look to your fugly new armor.

If you like this one, be sure to download the files so you can hit the endorse button for this project on the nexus and give Stacymc a thumbs up.

Now, do note that for many items, when you put a new appearance on the old item, the COLORS of that item will be determined by the item you just converted. For example, if you take a purple and pink robe set and make it into piratey medium armor, the pirate gear will also be pink. That's what the whole 'scarlet dyed' thing is about in your inventory.

This is actually a robe with feathers around the bottom, just fixed to look like coterie gear.

But you can get around that by using armor replacements and re-textures. All you need is the original codes for the armor, place the retexture in your override file, and you can make any item into pretty stuff.

Athenril's Armor

Athenril is that cool elf smuggler-chick who wears wicked-cool armor at the outset of the game and then you never see that armor again. I loved it, so I hacked it onto Hawke using the save game editor, and at the same time I also put this recolor mod into the override folder. The result is that Athenril is now in blue...

... and so is Hawke. I wasn't as big a fan of the tattooed hands and bare feet, so I only modded the chest piece on this.

The codes are:
Chest: gen_im_npc_elf_arm_cht_lgte.uti
Boots: gen_im_npc_elf_arm_boo_lgte.uti
Gloves: gen_im_npc_elf_arm_glv_lgte.uti

^ to get the armor on her, then use the recolor mod in your override folder to turn it blue. There are also some other colors, but I liked the blue best.

Warden Armor

Not on the above list - this is actually the new Robes of the Silent One from the Legacy DLC.
Fresh from the Deep Roads, it's HAWKE!

The code for the Chest armor is: drk_im_arm_cht_lgt_01
(As of now, I don't have the rest of the codes.)

Assassin's Vault Armor

These are the codes for the appearance of the items you get from the vault in Mark of the Assassin. Remember, this is appearance only.

Light armor (Enchanter Illana's Robes):
Chest: eye_im_arm_cht_lgt_vault
Helm: eye_im_arm_hlm_lgt_vault
Boots: eye_im_arm_boo_lgt_vault
Gloves: eye_im_arm_glv_lgt_vault

Medium armor:
Chest: eye_im_arm_cht_med_vault
Helm: eye_im_arm_hlm_med_vault
Boots: eye_im_arm_boo_med_vault
Gloves: eye_im_arm_glv_med_vault

Heavy armor:
Chest: eye_im_arm_cht_hvy_vault
Helm: eye_im_arm_hlm_hvy_vault
Boots: eye_im_arm_boo_hvy_vault
Gloves: eye_im_arm_glv_hvy_vault

Now, if you pull down the MotA Vault Armor Set mod, you can put one of several armor replacement files into your override folder. Now hack the relevant armor code (light, medium, or heavy) onto your save game armor and now Hawke is wearing Orlesian clothes from the Mark of the Assassin DLC.

And so the above robes become this:

Or this (depending upon which override file you use):

Champion's Armor

Say you want to wear the same armor all throughout the game and you want it to be the Champion armor that you see in the Prologue. Say you also you don't want to pay for DLC armor pack. No problem! Just hack the appearance of Champion armor (light for mages, medium for rogues, heavy for warriors) onto whatever crap armor you have and you're playing the game in style.

Champion's Armor (Mage)

The codes are:
Chest: gen_im_arm_cht_lgt_champion
Helm: gen_im_arm_hlm_lgt_champion (not shown above)
Boots: gen_im_arm_boo_lgt_champion
Gloves: gen_im_arm_glv_lgt_champion

(Note that one arm is bare for the mage gear and it looks pretty funky to mix-and-match the chest and arm pieces with other armor.)

If you just want to wear your regular mage armor, I recommend this retex. It cleans up the colors and gets rid of that weird purple sheen to the metal. There are some really nifty black-and-silver or black-and-gold versions, and some really wild color schemes out there, too. Search 'Champion Armor' on the Dragon Age nexus for some fun stuff, like:

Mage Amell Armor, scruffy style

Mage Amell Armor, polished style
^ This is actually an armor replacement. So long as you have mage Champion armor equipped (whether it's the real thing or something hacked to have mage armor as the appearance type) it will show as mage armor. I really like it for Acts 2 and/or 3, when Hawke is established as a noble. It seems more like something a mage Champion would wear around town, rather than a fur ruff. That's just me, though.

The other version.

Keep in mind that any time you override the armor, it will override that armor ANY time you see it, anywhere in the game, no matter whom it is on.

Champion's Armor (Rogue)

The codes are:
Chest: gen_im_arm_cht_med_champion
Helm: gen_im_arm_hlm_med_champion (not shown above. looks like a lawn gnome's hat)
Boots: gen_im_arm_boo_med_champion
Gloves: gen_im_arm_glv_med_champion

Champion's Armor (Warrior)

The codes are:
Chest: gen_im_arm_cht_hvy_champion
Helm: gen_im_arm_hlm_hvy_champion (not shown above. looks like a metal bird head)
Boots: gen_im_arm_boo_hvy_champion
Gloves: gen_im_arm_glv_hvy_champion

And remember:

New stuff comes out on the Nexus all the time. This is just a basic guide to getting you familiar with the stuff you need to use it. Best of modding luck to you!

Also remember: I hold no responsibility for you breaking your own game if you try any of this. Neither does BioWare or Dragon Age Nexus or anyone else.

Happy (modded) hunting.

-sage

Dragon Age 2: Friending Fenris while being (mostly) Pro-Mage

2011-10-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

Friending Fenris

While the plot line of Dragon Age 2 tends to push players pro-mage, there is no reason that Hawke has to be gung-ho for mage freedom. After all, Hawke grew up a long way from the kind of polarized struggle you see in Kirkwall. Hawke's view on magic are pretty much up to the player to decide, even if you choose to play as a mage (as I often do).

So maybe you are of two minds: you don't like how far the templars take things, but you have to admit that the last time mages ran around Thedas doing whatever they wanted, the world got the Blight and slavery and bloodshed. You agree – or maybe just half-agree – with Fenris, the escaped slave who is quite against magic. And since you're in that middle ground, you want Hawke to friend Fenris in order to have their relationship reflect that understanding.

The DA2 story doesn't change much if Fenris is Hawke's friend or your rival. Some dialogs change slightly and result in Fenris being slightly 'warmer' towards Hawke. If rivalry with Fenris seems inevitable to you, here's my previous guide on how to pull off rivalry by the end of Act 1.

But if you want to try out the friendship, read on.

**Romance note: This is just me, but I tried both the friend and rival romances with Fenris and preferred the friend one. Fenris is equally likable in both, I just felt like my friend-Hawke was nicer to him and would be more patient with the up-and-down nature of their relationship. She seemed the better fit for him of the two Fenris/Hawke games I played. However, it is really a personal choice RP thing. Just thought I'd note my preference.

The Sliding Scale

The scale of friendship/rivalry in Dragon Age 2 runs 100 points in either direction, making for a 200 point scale. At 50% (50 points) of either, you'll unlock friendship or rivalry with any given companion. At that point, certain 'loyalty checks' will be cleared and you'll get a unique Questioning Beliefs quest in Act 2 for that companion. That QB quest will be the kickoff point for any romance with the companion. It's possible to romance a friend or a rival, but not someone upon whom you haven't made a strong impression. At 100% friendship or rivalry, you'll be 'locked in' to one end of the scale and you will not get any more friendship or rivalry points, regardless of any subsequent decisions.

Watch Your Waffling

Since you're on a sliding scale with friendship and rivalry, you'll end up doubling your losses if you go in the opposite direction of where you want to get to.

Let me explain.

Say you head into the Gallows with Fenris in the party. He comments on the Circle and you have the chance to reply. You decide not to say, 'The circle is necessary' (for +5 friendship) and instead say 'The circle doesn't work' (and get +5 rivalry). That actually 'costs' you 10 friend points. You not only got rival points, but failed to get friend points. And if you decided to say 'It's wrong to oppress mages' for +15 rivalry, you are now 'down' in your friendship by a full 20 points (you got +15 rivalry points (-15 friendship)) and failed to get +5 friendship points for a total of 20 points 'lost'.

I hope that makes sense.

Just remember you're on a sliding scale here. Every time you rack up rivalry points, you'll then have to spend friendship points to get back to the friend side of the scale again and then you need more friend points to actually advance in friendship.

The Friend Guide

My guide below is just that: a guide – not gospel. I've tested it and it works. I've outlined alternatives where I can. This will allow you to friend Fenris while still being sympathetic to mages. It's actually not as hard as you might think.

**Romance Note: To be able to friend-romance Fenris, you will need AT LEAST 20 points of friendship with him by the end of Act 1. (Unless you have the Legacy DLC, in which case you can get away with just 10).

For a (mostly) full list of friend/rivalry points, see the Dragon Age wiki.

In Act 1:

Recruit Fenris first (before anyone else):

Bait and Switch:

If you're not a mage:

+5 friendship: Investigate and choose the diplomatic options to 'Why is Danarius after you?'

You can get a further +10 friendship by bringing Bethany (or any mage, but I recommend recruiting Anders and Merrill later). At the end of the mission, have Hawke tell Fenris she is "Well aware" of the dangers of her mage companion. This will gain a little ire from Bethany, though, and is not very pro-mage. You can just avoid this line if you prefer.

If you're a mage:

You'll get rivalry no matter what. It's +10 rivalry (-10 friendship) to tell Fenris you seek 'Survival,' or to say 'Find Out.' It's -15 friendship (+15 rivalry) for 'Nothing,' -20 for 'Will this be a problem?' and -25 for 'Power.' For the best friend-score, choose 'Survival' (or 'Find out') and then Investigate and choose the diplomatic options to 'Why is Danarius after you?' for +5 friendship, which leads to a total of +5 rivalry (-5 friendship).

**Romance Option: Sadly, taking the diplomatic option will mean skipping the hilarious flirt prompt here. If you want to take that prompt, you'll have to make up the point difference elsewhere. The flirt line makes me laugh, but I always figured a my mage Hawke would be a little too leery of the angry slave-warrior to be flirting in the street after just meeting him. But hey, it's up to you to RP. And it's worth trying at least once.

Let's assume the 'Survival' and Diplomatic options of a mage for -5 friendship (+5 rivalry)

Running total: - 5 friendship (+5 rivalry)

Step into the mansion and do Fenris' 'talk' quest (that is, a quest where you just chat with him at his home). You can do this now, or save it for later in Act 1. Just remember do it before you leave for the Deep Roads:

Fenris Recruited: +20 friendship: Fenris respects a Hawke who respects her past, and who also respects his decisions without treating him as if he's 'made of glass.' Choosing, "I've thought about it" or "Lothering is gone," then investigating and choosing, "Good idea," and "You could make a home here" will garner you full friend points from this conversation.

**Romance Option: another 2 flirt options here for you to take if you plan to do the romance.

Running total: +15 friendship

Tranquility (recruit Anders): +5 friendship for responding to Anders' request by saying the sarcastic 'You want me to fight templars?'

It's a reasonable response, I think. Hawke is a little nervous about angering the templars just to break an unknown mage out of the Circle. This person could be a freakin' blood mage for all she knows. She'll take the quest, but she's cautious about it. Also, this will gain no rivalry with Anders. You get the quest no matter what.

If you choose to investigate, you will get rivalry points from Fenris if you agree with Anders that mages need their freedom. 'That's a little controversial' will get you no additional rivalry or friendship points here and will also get Fenris snarking at Anders.

If you simply cannot stay away from 'I help all my fellow mages/Of course I'll help' (for +10 rivalry from Fenris) and/or you can't stay away from the Investigate/'The circle is wrong' lines (an additional +10 rivalry), then consider recruiting Anders before Fenris. You won't get the +5 friendship from being sarastic here, but you'll avoid the rivalry penalty. It's your RP choice.

Running total: +20 friendship

The Long Way Home (recruit Merrill):

+10 "The Demon you mean" when Merrill uses blood magic

+ 5: Saying 'I don't think so' to Merrill's request to visit

If you don't mind saying 'no' to the blood mage, it's an easy +5 points for Fenris, otherwise its -5 if you're nice to her, which nets you only +5 points of friendship from this quest. I don't like saying 'no' to Merrill, because it doesn't fit my diplomatic Hawke and so I have to make up 10 points elsewhere.

Your comment gets you no love or hate from Merrill – you can stop by later and she'll be glad to see you.

Running total: +35 friendship

The Gallows:

Not a quest, but a conversation. When you first go with Fenris to the gallows, you will get a cutscene with him. I really like this moment, especially if you bring your mage companions along. There's something horribly poetic/ironic about mages being kept prisoner in the place where mages formerly kept their slaves. It summarizes the key struggle of the game, right there: can people with great power ever be trusted to keep themselves in check?

It's tempting to leave Fenris behind so as not to get dinged for your response to him here, but if you do THAT, then you can't get points for certain quests with him with him later.

I'm not a huge fan of any of the concluding lines to this conversation, because the actual lines are rather different than the prompts on the dialog wheel:

+5 'The Circle is necessary.' ("What the templars do here is better than the alternative" (referring to the Tevinter Imperium)). This will get you rivalry from your mage companions.

- 5 "The Circle doesn't work" ("From everything I've seen, the Circle can't control mages anyhow")

-15 "It's wrong to oppress mages" ("Treating every mage like a criminal isn't the answer")

I think a rational Hawke could say all of those – they aren't exactly mutually exclusive, and the 'neutral' response almost sounds like Hawke thinks the Circle should be controlling mages more. However, since what I really want to say is super long-winded and essentially boils down to 'I can see both sides of this issue and I don't have an easy answer,' I take the middle option.

If you take that middling option, you'll end with -5 friendship (+5 rivalry) from Fenris and no reaction from your mage companions.

Running total: +30 friendship

Wayward Son: Part 1:

In spite of the pro-mage flavor of this quest, you can actually pull off a lot of love from Fenris here. It's all about how you approach it.

+10 call Fenryiel a 'menace' when you get the quest from Thrask (the spoken line actually implies you're simply trying to protect the innocent from a dangerous mage. Even Anders won't object to the statement. To do this, you need to NOT get the quest from Vencentio (If a mage, don't take the starred option, If not a mage, don't let a mage do the talking.))

+ 10 if Hawke defers to Fenris when dealing with Danzig and then kills the slaver (hell yeah)

Running total: +50 friendship (FRIENDED!)

Wayward Son: Part 2: From here on out, you can either leave Fenris behind OR bring him with. The point total will end up at +0 if:

+ 10 Hawke kills the slaver holding Feynriel hostage or lets Varric talk and then kills the slaver

- 10 Hawke tells Feynriel to go to the Dalish

(Alternatively, you could send Feynriel to the Circle. This kid is hearing demons, after all. The question is really if you think Hawke trusts the Dalish Keeper to keep him in check or not. Her former first, Merrill, did resort to blood magic, after all.)

Running total: +50 friendship (no net gains)

To keep your friendship with Fenris and still go pro-mage, you may want to leave him at home for these next few quests. I often bring him with, but I end up cutting it close on friendship by the end of Act 1.

Act of Mercy:

+0 to leave Fenris at home.

While I really dislike these yahoos in the end, at this point, I find it major meta-gaming to turn them in. Thus, this is a quest where you can ONLY get negative points if you bring Fenris along and go pro-mage.

If you want to turn the mages over to the Templars, you'll get +15 friendship from Fenris for telling them you won't kill Thrask and then turning them in.

If you promise the mages to help – either by lying or killing Thrask – then you'll end up with +10 rivalry with Fenris (-10 friendship).

If you want to minimize the 'damage,' but bring Fenris along, tell them "I won't help you" for +5 friendship when they ask you to kill Thrask. Then go outside. The templars will imply the mages are going to be killed/made tranquil. Take the 'diplomatic' option and then the attack option to fight the templars and save the mages. This 'change of heart' will give you +10 rivalry with Fenris. The net total here is +5 rivalry (-5 friendship) on this path.

To avoid any loss of friendship, leave Fenris at home for this quest.

Running total: +50 (no gains or losses. left Fenris behind)

An Errant Letter: +0 Leave Fenris at home.

I hate exhorting the templar – it's just a really low, sleazy thing to do, imo. This is also a place where I seriously hate Fenris' reaction. The girl is dead – why torment her father more? If you want approval from Fenris, you can blackmail Thrask at this point, but most every other companion will disapprove. It's also REALLY easy to leave Fenris out of the party here. That's what I usually do. If you take him along, it's +10 rivalry (-10 friendship)

Running total: +50 (no gains or losses. left Fenris behind)

Enemies Among Us: +0 (Leave Fenris behind)

It's -5 friendship (+5 rivalry) for recommending that Keran keep his job, which, supposedly, is the pro-mage choice.

Now, I'll be honest with you, I don't see how letting letting Keran stay in the templars is a good idea. How is it helping mage freedom to allow a compromised Templar to keep his job just because he begs? Also, I don't like the 'How to Frame a Templar' quest that the alternate kicks off. Instead, I prefer to kick him out of the templars for +5 friendship from Fenris and then get the 'Debt in the Family' quest to help Keran out later once he's lost his job. Note that kicking him out does anger the mages in your party, as well as Aveline.

Running total: +50 (no gains or losses. left Fenris behind)

Talking to Cullen: +0 "The Order doesn't work."

Fenris has no opinion of this criticism. There is also no opinion of the line 'She said that?' - which you can only get if you don't investigate. I find Cullen's response to that line funnier, so I usually choose that.

Alternatively, you can say "I agree with the templars" (actual line is, "The templars provide a necessary service") for +5 friendship (and a comment of approval) from Fenris (and, ironically, no rivalry or comment from Anders). You need to leave the Gallows and come back to chat with Cullen after finishing Enemies Among Us to start this convo.

Running total: +50 (no gains or losses)

The Magister's Orders: +0 This will get you no extra points either way, but it's awesome to let Fenris deliver the killing blow. Nearly every one of your other party members will approve.

Running total: +50 (no gains or losses)

Also, if you buy and play the Legacy DLC in Act 1, you can get:

+5 for defiling the Altar of Dumat

+5 friendship from siding with Larius

(both of these struck me as the 'not stupid' options, and I took them happily)

And if you take Fenris to the Deep Roads, be aware that taking the demon's deal will get you +5 rivalry (-5 friendship).

Summaries:

To Summarize, here's what I outlined above:

Bait and Switch: 'Surivival/Diplomatic' -5

Fenris Recruited: +20

Tranquility: +5

The Gallows: -5

The Long Way Home: +15

Wayward Son Part 1: +20

Wayward Son Part 2: +0

Act of Mercy: +0 (leave Fenris out of the party)

An Errant Letter: +0 (leave Fenris out of the party)

Enemies Among Us: +0 (leave Fenris out of the party)

Talking to Cullen: +0

Magister's Orders +0

=50 friend points going into Act 2

Here's max friend points by supporting the templars in word, if not deed:

Bait and Switch: 'Surivival/Diplomatic' -5

Fenris Recruited: +20

Tranquility: +5

The Gallows: +5 (Say the circle is necessary)

The Long Way Home: +15

Wayward Son Part 1: +20

Wayward Son Part 2: +0

Act of Mercy: +0 (leave him out of party)

An Errant Letter: +0 (leave him out of party)

Enemies Among Us: +5 (Keran loses his job)

Talking to Cullen: +5 ("I agree")

Magister's Orders +0

And if you do the Legacy DLC here in Act 1: +10

=80 friend points going into Act 2

Minimal friend points from brining Fenris everywhere and you'll still be able to romance Fenris:

Bait and Switch: 'Surivival/Flirt': -10 (RP choice)

Fenris Recruited: +20

Tranquility: +5

The Gallows: -5

The Long Way Home: +5 (be nice to Merrill)

Wayward Son Part 1: +20

Wayward Son Part 2: +0

Act of Mercy: -10 (lying/killing templars at mage's request and bring Fenris along)

An Errant Letter: -10 (keeping Fenris in the party while you keep Thrask's secret)

Enemies Among Us: -5 (Keran keeps his job)

Talking to Cullen: +0 ('The Order needs to change')

Magister's Orders +0

Legacy DLC +10

= 20

What I actually did (using a Diplomatic/Charming Hawke):

Bait and Switch: 'Surivial/Diplomatic': -5 (diplomatic RP choice)

Tranquility: +5

The Gallows: -5 ('The Circle doesn't work')

Legacy DLC: +10

Fenris Recruited: +20

Magister's Orders +0

The Long Way Home: +5 ("the demon, you mean"/was kind to Merrill)

Wayward Son Part 1: +10 (got the quest from Vincento, let Fenris kill the slaver)

An Errant Letter: +0 (left Fenris out of the party <-- only place where I didn't bring him)

Wayward Son Part 2: +0 (killed slaver, let Feynriel go to the Dalish)

Enemies Among Us: +5 (Keran loses his job)

Talking to Cullen: +0 ('She said that?')

Act of Mercy: -10 (had Varric lie to the templars, took Fenris along)

= 35

In Act 2

**Romance Note: Once Act 2 starts, DON'T leave the city with Fenris in your party if you want to romance him. You need a few more quests in place, first. Also, you need at least 50 points of friendship to initiate the Questioning Beliefs that will allow you to start the Fenris romance. As long as you had at least 20 points of friendship with Fenris going into Act 2 (or 10 points and the Legacy), you should be able to get the next 30 (40 with Legacy) points from the next 3 Fenris quests. However, you probably have way more friendship with him at this point.

Okay, so we were working with +50 friend points...

Speak to Fenris:

Visit Fenris at home. The first part of the conversation gives no points either way. It's the last part that will count.

"They could be." (flirt prompt) will get you +5 friendship

"You're my friend. = +10

"I can help you." = +5

Let's assume +5...

Running Total: +55 friendship

OKAY! Now you have unlocked the Questioning Beliefs quest. Be sure to do that quest BEFORE you leave Kirkwall for any outside-the-city quests, especially if you want to romance Fenris. If you haven't yet friended Fenris, you may want to go to the Alienage at night and loot the sacks near the staircase to find:

The Book of Shartan: +15

(This may not prompt until after you've done the QB quest. Otherwise, if you're a little short on friendship, you can do it now). Take the gift to Fenris in his home and talk to him. To get friend points here, you must already be on the 'friend' path – even if you haven't achieved full friendship. Otherwise, if you lean rivalry (you've crossed over into that realm), you'll get rivalry points here. There is a flirt option here, too, which I prefer.

Running total: +70 friendship

And if you're still low in friend points, you can do this quest for +5 more:

Night Terrors: Head to the Alienage in the daytime and start the quest 'Night Terrors'.

+5 friendship for rejecting Topor's offer

NOTE: If you take Fenris into the Fade to get this +5 for turning down the demon, you MUST take Merrill also. Otherwise, Fenris will be the one tempted by the Pride demon (Merrill is the default temptee). If Fenris is tempted, then anything you say to him when you go speak to him in his mansion afterward will get you +5 rivalry (-5 friendship) for a total of +0 gains from this quest if you also rejected the demon.

Curiously, Fenris has no opinion on your choice to make Feynriel tranquil or send the kid to the Tevinter Imperium. This is also a key place to pick up friend/rivalry points with Merrill, Anders, and Izzy or Aveline.

I, personally, prefer to see Fenris turn on Hawke after the romance is initiated, later in this Act. But if you need the friend points here, they're available.

Running total: +75 friendship

Questioning Beliefs: THIS quest will only unlock if you have 50% (50 points) friendship with Fenris already.

In this quest, Fenris will be drunk, celebrating the anniversary of his escape and will tell you the tale. Hear him out.

**Romance option: This is the key quest to set up the Fenris romance. This conversation will also give you a 'flirt' acheivement (seriously? This is a cheevo?) if you hadn't already flirted with someone else.

At the end of the conversation, there is a key flirt prompt. "Just friends?" you say, and Fenris will reply in kind. Taking this 'heart' icon option will result in Fenris propositioning Hawke. Taking the next 'heart' option here will encourage him, as will taking the 'This is sudden' (the middle, neutral) line IF you had been flirting with him before this point. Fenris now knows Hawke is interested. At a later date, he may take Hawke up on that interest. Otherwise, if you're not interested, just stay away from the flirt prompts. Fenris is pretty easy to avoid romance with if you don't want him.

There are no friend point gains from this quest.

Running total: +75 friendship (no changes)

Okay! You're ready to romance Fenris if that was your aim. Otherwise, you should be solidly on the friend path. If you did not have 50 friend points by this point, you can get more points in the next quest, but you've missed the cut-off for romancing Fenris.

If you head out of Kirkwall with Fenris in your party, you'll eventually be ambushed, starting the companion quest A Bitter Pill.

A Bitter Pill, Part 1:

+5 tell the mage, "He's not a slave!

+5 to immediately say "We go after them."

+10 when talking to Orana , say "I'm sorry" and offer Orana work and then say, "I will pay her"

Running Total: +95 friendship

A Bitter Pill, Part 2:

This part of the quest may get bugged if you don't bring Fenris with you. (And really, why wouldn't you bring him with you?). Go to the slaver caves and fight your way to Hadriana.

+5 When confronting Hadriana, defer to Fenris (the green head icon). The woman has tormented him for years. I let him deal with it. However, if you step in and interfere, you will get +5 rivalry.

+ 10 - Don't tell him all mages are the same. Say something else. Telling him all mages are not the same will get you +10 rivalry; anything else, including the flirt prompt, will get you +10 friendship, no matter how irritable he seems at the time. <-- Basically, this isn't really the time to bring up the mage issue with Fenris. Varric will point this out to you if you bring him along.

Running total: +110 (caps out at 100) ** LOCKED INTO FRIENDSHIP

A Bitter Pill, Part 3:

This last part of the quest. By now, you're likely locked into friendship and you won't see any more point changes, but if not...

When you get home, talk to Fenris. Saying "I understand"/"Its not a burden" result in +20 friendship. This is also where you could tell Fenris to leave the party (but you're probably not going to do that).

I took all flirt prompts here and I'm not sure the final friend points score. I got +10 friend points, but the resulting romance scene capped out the friend-meter. You may get more points than just +10 from the romance option. At any rate, it seemed like a fitting place to lock in to friendship.

**Romance Option: THIS is where the romance gets underway if you've set it up properly. Just tell Fenris to stay (the heart icon), when he moves to go. Now squee if you wish.

Note that you can romance other companions after you've romanced Fenris. If you romance anyone else, though, Fenris will go back to being 'just friends' and your romance with him is over. If you stay true to him, more love is forthcoming.

Otherwise, Fenris is merely your buddy and you can work to lock in the last few friend points if you like.

Other Act 2 quests of note:

Dissent: this will lose you points if you bring Fenris. At this point though, I was usually locked into friendship.

+5 stop Anders from killing Ella

-10 tell Ella to run away from the Circle

for a total of -5

After the quest All that Remains: Romanced Fenris will come to visit Hawke, provided that Hawke has not moved on to another romance.

Demands of the Qun: +10 for agreeing to one-on-one combat at Fenris' suggestion (<-- I never did confirm this one and have never seen it. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong.)

Act 2 Summary:

Summary of points in Act 2:

From Act 1: +45

Speak to Fenris: +5 (friended)

Book of Shartan: +15

Night Terrors: +5

QB: +0

Bitter Pill: +30 (or more) = 100

What I did in Act 2:

From Act 1: +35

Speak to Fenris +10 (diplomatic)

Book of Shartan +15

QB +0

Dissent -5

Bitter Pill

+5 'He's not a slave'

+5 'We go after them'

+10 'I'm sorry' to Orana/give her a job

+15 Hadriana ('backed him up on killing here, 'flirt' comfort option)

+10 Last bit of friendship gain came from diplomatic/flirt/lovin' back at Casa de la Hawke

=100

And I brought Fenris on Night Terrors without Merrill in the party such that he was tempted by Pride. It seemed fitting for where Hawke and Fenris were in my RP game.

In Act 3

You're probably friends with Fenris now and locked into the friendship and will not gain or lose any more points. Some quests of note, though (and point values, just in case you're curious) are:

Speak to Fenris: +5 for the "good" responses (upper right):

Gamlen's Greatest Treasure: +10 Hawke encourages Charade to meet Gamlen.

Justice: Accept the quest via 'Kind' / diplomatic responses: -10

**Romance note: Also, in Justice, you can get an interesting cutscene if you haven't moved on from Fenris. When you and Anders head into the sewers for the sela petrae, be sure to bring Fenris in your party, too. Anders will have some choice words about Fenris, and Fenris may have some choice words back.

Alone: -10 tell Fenris not to kill his sister

**Romance note: If you're doing the romance, the flirt response to Fenris' statement "I am alone," is one worth taking.

Questioning Beliefs: +15 for all diplomatic answers (also requires existing friendship for these points)

**Romance note: THIS is a key conversation for the Fenris romance.

On the Loose: -10 Blame the situation on the Templars when talking with Meredith

Best Served Cold: Speaking in support of the mages: -10

Blade of Mercy: +15 for giving fenris the gift and letting him keep it when you have existing friendship. This gift is found in the Secret Meeting Place during the quest Best Served Cold.

The Last Straw: Be sure to talk to Fenris before you hit the endgame battle, especially those who have been romancing Fenris.

Alright! That's it. Remember to watch your step in Act 1 if you're romancing him and have fun!

Also, remember that Rival-Fenris is a lot of fun, too.

Dragon Age 2: Mark of the Assassin (or, questing with a pixelated Felicia Day)

2011-10-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

I <3 DLC

I often think of BioWare games as if they were mini-series. They're like movies, only a LOT longer, and where you would normally get commercial breaks, you get fighting breaks and you slaughter mobs instead of listening to someone tell you to drink a certain kind of soda pop or wear a certain kind of make up.

I like killing stuff better than commercials, so naturally, I prefer video games to television.

So if RPG games are like mini-series, then DLCs (DownLoadable Content) are like the 'from-the-director's-vault' extra episodes. Only they're full episodes that the director spent a lot of time perfecting, and often are better than main quests in the story. (Like Lair of the Shadow Broker, for Mass Effect 2, was possibly better than the entire second game. Hmm... Possibly? No. It WAS.)

DLCs are rarely critical to the main story-arc, but they sure round out the story nicely. And actually, in the case of 'The Exiled Prince' DLC for Dragon Age 2, THAT DLC was rather story-arc critical, I thought. Not having Sebastian around to throw his opinion in on the final decision changed things greatly.

But I digress.

I don't buy armor/weapon pack DLC usually. I feel like I should be able to play the game with what I was given and I don't like having to pay extra for 'the good stuff.' I also prefer to mod my armor to look pretty, so I don't care about stats. But quest DLCs are another matter. Another episode in The Great Story of Hawke? Yes please, Varric. Tell on.

Fighting with Felicia

This newest Dragon Age DLC, Mark of the Assassin, stars Felicia Day. In real life, Ms. Day is a self-avowed geek, a gamer, a writer, an actress, a redhead, and she's stylish. Naturally, I admire the woman and I envy her hair. In the game, Ms. Day's alter-ego, Tallis, is an elf who is deadly, a redhead, and stylish. Naturally, I want to mod her hairstyle onto my Lady Hawke.

I won't spoilerfy the DLC other than to say it was fun, involved multiple zones, quests, puzzles, challenges, cameos of other Dragon Age characters (like the lovely Bann Teagan. My Warden Amell will marry you someday, Teagan. Just you wait.) and then more puzzles.

Maker, I love puzzle rooms. I know of absolutely no place in the real world that has puzzle rooms like you can find in games, and that's a damn shame. Wealthy people should make impractical puzzle rooms in their mansions just so the rest of us can break in and try to solve them.

I also realized that I am getting WAY too geekily familiar with Dragon Age lore in that I took one look at Tallis' outfit and thought, "Huh? Why is she wearing a ______?" <-- I'm leaving that blank, because it's all spoilerific, but it turned out I saw the symbol clue before the reveal. And then I was way too proud of myself for having seen it at all.

Yeah, it takes little to please this geek.

Digital Day

It was incredibly bizarre to be running around the game world with a digital version of Felicia Day. Since the Hawke I played through the DLC (I have 4 Hawkes now, and counting...) was modeled after myself, it really was like questing with Ms. Day. Weird. But a good weird.

What are you doing, Felicia?

I have to wonder what Ms. Day thinks about having a digital version of herself out there, questing with random strangers. Tallis is clearly a character in the DA world, no question about that, but even so, I imagine Ms. Day put a lot of herself into Tallis. I wonder how much she wrote of the DLC. The dialog is fantastic. I laughed out loud quite a few times and startled the baby awake (which is part of why it took me a while to finish playing).

I must admit, however, that what pleased me most of all was a new full set of armor (even if it does make Hawke look like she's pretending to be the Grand Cleric of Kirkwall), and new companion banter. I LOVE companion banter. This was new dialog, I swear it, because I've played the game 4 times now and I'd never heard any of this stuff. Just to hear Anders finally comment upon Hawke's apostate dad - not to mention Isabela make more juvenile jokes - was worth the price of admission.

And kicking ass with Ms. Day alongside Hawke was fun, too.

P.S.: If you play this DLC, bring lots of potions. I'm surprised we made it through the final battle because I had no freakin' potions.

Game Tourists

Fallout New Vegas: This Game was Modded from the Start

Trying out Fallout: New Vegas

But the marketing sucks so far as I'm concerned

HIGHLY Suggested Mods

Suggested Mods

FlyCam and Face Tweaks

When You Lost Commander Shepard, You Lost Me (Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut)

We came and we stayed for Commander Shepard.

Who is this story really about, anyway?

The opening lines:

Telling vs. Asking

Not Shepard, but 'the Situation'

The 'new' endings

Not Shepard, but sacrifice

The Legend of Shepard?

Alone

You lost me

Bait and Switch: Mass Effect 3 the Extended Cut

Singularity?

The Mass Effect

So Why the Change?

The Crucible

The Twist and the Tapestry

Closure

A Lazy Ending and a Somewhat Strained Thanks

Mass Effect 3: Custom Armor and Casual Wear Hacks

Table of Contents:

Dress Blues:

Fatigues

Professional Wear (men suits, women dresses):

Civilian Wear

Skivvies

Various Armors (as casuals)

Mass Effect 3 Face Code Import Tools: Or, how to make Shepard look more like her old self

Unaltered Imports

Recreate FaceCode

The Lazarus Project

Gibbed Editing

Here are a few guides to things you may want to tweak with Gibbed:

My Shep

The Final Results:

Art or Product?: You Can't Have Your Mass Effect 3 Cake and Eat it, Too

It's Art:

It's a Product:

Make Up Your Mind!

So is Mass Effect Art or a Product?

Something New

Mass Effect 3 FlyCam

Trine 2 is half price on Steam

Dear BioWare: (A Fan's Letter Regarding the Ending of Mass Effect 3) by SageQueen

Mass Effect 3 has Broken My Legos (More Musings about the Endings)

A Lego Analogy

Mass Effect 3 Endings: Why StarChild is Wrong (the shorter version)

A Lingering Sense of Wrongness

Is This War Inevitable?

Why Can't We Be Friends?

The "Reason" for the Reapers is a Lie

Do you want to Super-Size Synthesize that?

The Theme of Diversified Unity

Genetics Uber Alles?

The Primacy of Choice

DNA is not the Answer

As Simple as a Sacrifice

Exploding Relays and Other Problems

So the Ending is WRONG

Is that Really the END?

Why StarChild is Wrong (or, Why I'm still in disbelief over the end of Mass Effect 3)

Lingering Sense of Wrongness

Is This War Inevitable?

Selfishness is a Good Thing

Why Can't We Be Friends?

The "Reason" for the Reapers is a Lie

Do Organics Need Synthetics?

Who Built Whom?

So why are they here?

I Think, Therefore, I am not a Reaper

Do you want to Super-Size Synthesize that?

The Theme of Diversified Unity

Genetics Uber Alles?