Your Personal Roleplay for your Ryder.

I haven't entirely settled on a canon version. I'll just discuss what I've done so far. First two PTs, Scott was very much the casual/emotional type. Also very close to his entire family, sad that Alec died and worried that Sara was in a coma. I have to admit I like this style a lot. There's just something about a Ryder who can be flippant in the face of danger that I find really appealing. With this in mind, he's been extra flirty. First PT I did a romance with Gil and a fling with Reyes. Second PT I romanced Gil and had flings with Reyes, Avela, Peebee and Keri. Keri's was a turnoff for me (I made a thread about it) so that one won't happen again. Avela was boring so that won't happen again. Peebee would be more of a romance, IMO, so I probably would never have a fling with her. I like Gil but it's not what I'm looking for. End analysis is that Reyes suits me best for canon romance. Also, and this is probably obvious, but I'm a Reyes over Sloane kind of guy. Generally choose Raeka over the krogan scouts, convince Avitus to become a pathfinder and give the drive core to Morda. The Moshae is usually the ambassador, but that's largely because it's a temporary position.

Third PT, I went more professional/logical. It's not too bad. This version showed detached concern for Sara but was unemotional when it came to Alec's death. He wasn't around much while growing up so didn't have a strong attachment to him. He had been broken up about his mother's death. And, in all honesty, he was a little surprised in uncovering Alec's memories and finding out how me he really cared about his kids. It's just not something that showed through while growing up. My initial intent was to romance Cora but I don't think I'll go through with it. Don't know if I'll pursue Gil exclusively or if I should just hold out for Reyes. This Ryder is very standoffish to Addison, given her attitude toward him at the start. Refused to shake her hand after founding Podromos and made it clear I thought she was just as untrustworthy as all the other politicians. It's probably an attitude I'll stick with in the future because she has a poor attitude and shouldn't be under the impression that she can just be that way and have no consequences. This PT isn't complete so I'm not sure how it will all turn out.

yeah. Robert tend s to be very logical unless faced with the absurd. Friend or foe. He mocks the absurd. Like the commander of the resistance on voeld who was like the stars will turn cold if you betray us. And he was 'oh we don't want that'
Taking the example with Sloan he intentionally tries and pisses people off intentionally.

Besides the combat tree, which diversity in roleplay? MEA is a story driven shooter, the RPG is totally thrown/gutted out.
The only choice I saw was you can let Calinda live or die, let Salarian pathfinder live or die or choose a younger pathfinder over an older experienced one. None have any consequences to speak of.

I didn't have to really change much since Ryder is a lot like I am as far as telling bad jokes and making lite of serious topics. I don't remember who we are talking to (Vetra maybe) but one of the responses is a joking one which the person you are talking to says something like "Really? Even at a time like now you still can't help but tell a joke? The reply was an attempt to not be a joker but that quickly fades and Ryder admits she can't stop with the jokes. Reminded me of the Joker Hawke and Varric joking at all the wrong moments, even got called out for it once I think by the grand cleric. Reminds me of when I was a kid.

Heh, I was actually playing Scott as someone who wasn't a particularly capable pathfinder. He struck me as being too green for the role, so I ran with that and had him make his decisions based on emotion and instinct rather than intellect. I thought it worked well with the casual dialogue options and some of the messiness in the side plots.

He regularly insulted people (sometimes unintentionally, but still) and generally made poor decisions. Things still usually worked out though, so I imagine that he's basking in some undeserved praise while the more competent characters are muttering under their breaths at him.

You know, this is a good point. I've always tried to stay away from the more brutal combat tactics, even modding out Jacob's incendiary ammo in ME2 since it otherwise gets automatically activated. (Though I do sometimes use those sorts of things against non-sentient machines like the mechs in ME2 or the remnant bots in MEA - I'm assuming that they are not conscious, do not feel pain, and are incapable of surrendering.) But does it seem odd only to me that humans seem to have *fewer* rules for the conduct of ground combat in the future than they do in the present day? It does lock you out of some of the skill trees if you try to adhere to that.

There's what to do about making a deal with Clan Nakmor and whether to side with Sloane Kelly or Reyes Vidal, plus all the choices that shape Ryder's personality. The consequences aren't huge, but they never really have been in Mass Effect games. How many of Shepard's choices in ME1 affect the outcome of the Battle of the Citadel?

Asteroid-drops and Polonium Rohnds are considered out-of-bounds by Council standards, but otherwise it is pretty brutal. I'd never given it much thought, to be honest. I appreciate Obadiah opening my eyes to an interesting situation.

I think standards would develop in interesting ways with a civilization that has lasted for thousands of years. They sanction brutal infantry battles, maybe thinking that it's best to just get the killing done as quickly as possible? They disapprove of the extreme destruction of asteroid drops. (Not only would these cause catastrophic death tolls, but could render garden worlds uninhabitable.) Yet, they sanctioned genocide of the Rachnii and the genophage. (Or they at least allowed the genophage to happen with their tacit approval.)

Its likely just a matter of accepting different norms in a reality in which some individuals can rip others apart on the molecular scale. You can't prevent it, so you try to limit it. I can only imagine how shocking it would be to finally discover living aliens, and then find out about advanced combat biotics, devastating genetic weapons, etc... It makes those early years, before Shepard, very interesting.

I use Fire, Cryo and "Electrical" (Tech) Explosions regularly, myself, with my "Battle Engineer" (Sentinel--Incinerate/Assault Turret/Energy Drain). It's usually immediately lethal, since I've lit them up with a gun, as well. On the other side, I play a lot of Adepts. Lifting, twisting and hurling persons about is not much gentler.


As to the OP, each sibling has definitely crystallized in my mind, after essentially two full PTs of each. Since I like to play an empathetic, but professional leader, I enjoy Scott's RP opportunities a bit more. Sara comes across as less confident, due to the provided dialogue, and I find it grating, at times. Scott, though, seems to immediately take up his burden with outward confidence. His answers generally display a cool, confident leader. I like Sara's love for science, and purse my mouth in dismay when Scott occasionally sounds less scientifically inclined. It's less often than I cringe at Sara's dorky awkwardness, though.

I guess I try to RP them similarly: Confident, professional, capable, but always empathetic when appropriate. Being confident, and being a good leader, both include knowing when to be relaxed, and when to toe the line. Each individual is inspired in different ways, so you must become the leader each person needs. I think that this character is pretty easy to play in MEA. I've spent most of my adult life in leadership roles, and I like that the Pathfinder can lead the way I'd attempt to lead.

While I think both VAs were excellent, I felt that Sara's goofiness and jokester side were laid on a bit too thickly. Scott (Tom) was a bit more level, and this makes me enjoy RPing him more.

I feel like Scott immediately steps up and embraces the role, considering himself a "true Pathfinder" as soon as he learns of his "promotion". I think Sara probably gains confidence while on Eos. I'll have to pay attention the next time I play. Sara is again on deck for PT #5, but it may be a while. I'm itching for a return to HZD, DAI, or maybe a break from gaming, for a while.

Sara: professional in the streets, snarky between the sheets.
(also I know this isn't how it happened, but I imagined her starting to childishly mock the Archon about halfway through the final fight even if he couldn't hear her. She was 100% done with his bullshit.)
Her biggest regret is when she shot Akksul because she thought he was going to shoot Jaal.
*Akksul pulls his gun on Jaal, Ryder blows him away immediately and then realizes*
....Kinetic barriers are a thing...shiiiit
Also got pissed at everyone for acting like she only saved the Salarian pathfinder and didn't go to save the rest of the captured Salarians.

1st playthrough I chose responses that I personally would have chosen.
2nd playthrough I chose all logic and professional.
3rd playthrough I chose all casual and emotional.
To be honest, I didn't feel much of any difference in the roleplay of them. No matter which playthrough, I was unable to play the seasoned adult I would have liked to play because the Ryder's are meant to be young newbs.

In comparison, in the OT my first playthrough were responses I would personally have chosen,
2nd playthrough the whole series as a paragon (with RP head-canon that she was the secret love child of Hackett and was raised by her mom on ships)
3rd playthrough, I played renegage (RP head-canon that she was a kid on the streets until Anderson fostered her and took her under his wing.)
In those three playthroughs I got a wild variety in the RP experience of my game.

My conclusion is that the biggest beef I have with the replayability in this game is that the conversation wheel lacked enough diversity to give much of a difference in replaying it.


Edit to add:  After we get the promised greater variety of CC, I will play a 4th and final canon playthrough of ME:A and try my hardest to get a more adult, seasoned character to see if that's even possible to RP in this game.  I expect to be disappointed I'm afraid.  It's just so hard to play a hardnose with the Wonder Twins with the conversations choices we have and that we have to forgive squad members that pull the things Liam and Peebee pulled behind your back.  And that escape pod incident.  I can just hear the ghost of Jarvik in my head threatening "airlock them" and my Ryder desperately wanting to agree with him.