Mass Effect 3

[DarthParametric]

James Vega, who is needed to give an outsiders perspective.

That, and to make sure they had enough squad members guaranteed not to be dead.

[HED]

I don't know that I agree that the outsider's perspective was necessary. At least, not to the point where they had to take up a full companion spot for Vega.

 

I still hold that introducing a Batarian squadmate was something that would've been great.

[Lynk Former]

@ DP: True. In a scenario where Garrus and Tali died and the player never bothered to get Javik's DLC pack, they'd be down to Liara, EDI, Ashley/Kaidan and Vega.

 

 

@HED: A batarian squadmate would've been a lot more interesting, I agree, but it would've also overcomplicated things. If they wanted to introduce a batarian into the mix, the best time would've been in ME2. There wasn't really time to get chummy with the squad like in previous games and since Vega was Alliance, all Shepard needed from him was to do his job.

 

 

 

Also, I didn't like Vega initially, as I said in my blog posts... too dudebro... but he's not a bad character, he was the right kind of character to have when you need an extra person on your squad that doesn't end up taking the spotlight off of the characters from past games who have a history with Shepard.

[DarthParametric]

In a scenario where Garrus and Tali died and the player never bothered to get Javik's DLC pack, they'd be down to Liara, EDI, Ashley/Kaidan and Vega.

Plus Ashley/Kaidan are basically absent for half the game, and potentially never play any further part beyond the Mars mission (either being killed or not coming back). Presumably this was the primary reason they gave EDI a body.

[Lynk Former]

Now I'm trying to imagine a scenario where almost everyone is dead by the time you have the party in Citadel.

 

You'd have to kill Wrex on Virmire, kill off the entire crew during the suicide mission aside from Mordin and Thane then have those two sacrifice themselves during the events of ME3 as usual and then kill Ashley/Kaidan as well when they protect the council.

 

That leaves... Liara, EDI, Vega, Cortez, Traynor and Joker left for the party... er, small gathering *looks around*

 

 

Oh, and then by the end of the game you can have such a low EMS that you can take Liara and Vega along, get them killed by Harbinger then choose the Destroy ending and kill off EDI... oh, and not install the EC to make sure the Normandy is stranded with no hope on that unknown planet... or does the Normandy get incinerated by the red space magic blast with a low EMS? Either way... no one survives.

[DarthParametric]

I wonder what that party would be like, if they put in any specific dialogue for a high number of deaths. Guess I should browse Youtube.

[Lynk Former]

Especially if you're a renegade Shepard and treat everyone like dirt and then suddenly invite them for a party lol. The mission beforehand would be pretty empty too now that I think about it. Not really much room for Team Mako and Team Hammerhead with 3 people left alive... that whole scenario would be so... hollow.

[DarthParametric]

 

Shep just takes it all in his stride. So stoic.

[Lynk Former]

Wow... that really is the saddest photo ever.

[HED]

@HED: A batarian squadmate would've been a lot more interesting, I agree, but it would've also overcomplicated things. If they wanted to introduce a batarian into the mix, the best time would've been in ME2. There wasn't really time to get chummy with the squad like in previous games and since Vega was Alliance, all Shepard needed from him was to do his job.

 

I feel like a batarian squadmate would have helped hammer home the idea of old hatreds being set aside in the face of the Reapers. The game already works to resolve the plots of Salarians and Krogans, and the Quarians and Geth. Would have been worthwhile to have some resolution to the Human and Batarian rivalry.

 

If the game could take the time to introduce Javik, I think a Batarian could've worked just as well.

[DarthParametric]

It was resolved. The Batarians are all dead.

[Lynk Former]

There was a resolution to the Batarian and Human rivalry of sorts in my game... Despite all of the animosity between them, Shepard did various things to help the Batarian refugees on the Citadel, taking the time to talk to one of them who survived the destruction of the Alpha relay (it's a lot more personal between them if you completed Arrival) and then finishing it off with Balak. Despite his hate of humans, his species being put on the endangered/near extinction list, he has no choice but to put aside his feelings for humans and pledge what's left of the Batarian military's support to fight along side the humans against the Reapers instead of sabotaging them like they were before. There's also a Batarian on Omega, forget his name, who ends up respecting Shepard and even tells him "just know that there's one Batarian who doesn't hate humans."

 

In fact, now that I think about it, all of the species had their small to large moments in the game, they just didn't have the spotlight on them equally, which I think is fine. But as I said before, if a Batarian squad mate was going to be introduced, the best time would have been during the events of ME2 where it was ONLY humans on the line at the time. Imagine if you had a Batarian squad mate join you at that time, now THAT would have been an interesting companion to have at a time when the enemy was hunting down humans.

 

As for Javik's character... he was a lot different because he didn't bother getting to know the crew, he offered another outsiders perspective but what he was most important for was giving you background information about everything that happened with the Protheans and the Reapers... and some very funny moments.