Mass Effect '5' speculation (Official Thread)

Maybe. 😎

A flashback prequel would be nice. Maybe a story about the origin of the Initiative, the departure of the Arks, Nexus uprising, the ability to play as an exile or Nexus soldier. And no Ryder sibling crap.

I was all for the all-human Council option. Not for my main RP, no haha, but as a legitimate outcome. It would be as an announced temporary military dictatorship that takes advantage of the political chaos and with too much (not everything, but enough) tied into the Citadel, the other races very grudgingly going along with it for now. Add in all sorts of reports like social friction, smaller scale attempts to retake the Citadel, squabbling between peoples (not just involving Humans), and states arming up much more than otherwise (something we could consider in the longer term to be relatively useful against the Reapers).

It would be a blatant power grab by Udina but I got the impression in the ME1 setting that there were plenty enough Humans that wanted this powergrab and plenty enough aliens with rational enough reasons to already be concerned about such events. Shepard wouldn't be as excited about it, but they would at least be into Humans, and maybe therefore Shepard themselves, having more authority in the fight.


I wanted three possibilities:
1) Same Council, the rudest the longest but you could eventually win them over (more than the MET actually lets us) and they might end up the most grateful after the long RP slog.
2) Changed Council, nicer but more aloof, and while giving easier help sooner, and generally agreeable, locks off access to greatest trilogy rewards (whether just story gratefulness or otherwise gameplay rewards).
3) Human Council, initially totally on your side but as the strain gets to them through the trilogy, even they will inevitably be antagonistic to you, eventually where only your best efforts keep them from trying to kill you.

That's a lot more roleplaying than we got, but this is what I'd have liked. There would still be the established factors of there being a Council and you only having a resolved relationship with them by the end of the trilogy, but we'd have variety as the trilogy continued. ME1 would end with the death or survival of the Council and if dead, what replaces them. ME2 would end with a helped or hurt relationship with whatever Council exists. And ME3 locks in what your situation with them is (with less variety if you're playing ME3 fresh). The nicest situation being the Same Council finally waking up and including Shepard as even an equal. The nastiest situation being the Human Council deciding that in the uniting of the galaxy you're dangerous enough to their own condition (whether during war or post-war) that taking you out of the picture is in their own selfish interests. Technically you could have All Human Council that you soften in their approach but they are innately out for a quasi human supremacy ('temporary' or not) no matter what.


I think these options would also make the writing of 'joining/working with Cerberus' more understandable for more Shepards.

There were literally zero reasons for them to go along with it. Humanity would end up with genophage 2.0 a month later in most peaceful course of events.

The Council races sure do love their slow extinction, genocidal bioweapons...

Indeed, and the Council races call themselves "a peaceful galactic power."😒

I'd like it to continue the Ryder/MEA story if possible, but I wonder if the brand has been rendered toxic by the player base (and the many, many memelords who never played it).

I'd like to play a character from the Turian race. No need to go Dragon Age route, just make a Turian player character.

Turians the holy race.

How would it be any less feasible than having the protagonist be human?

Plus ME has always been human centric. It's a staple of the franchise.

While I agree the council was really stupid and dragging their heels Shep said it well in ME1. Something like if they were human I’d call it human nature. Real life politics aren’t much better.