Who's still doing playthroughs of ME:Andromeda?

And that’s what’s funny to me. I can’t stand the repetition in ME 1 but it’s fine in MEA for me at least. Maybe because the environments aren’t copy pasted.

I always felt that the UNC worlds in ME1 were simply a mistake. Specifically, a plot/design mismatch. Poking around in barren systems simply wasn't Shepard's job, any more than surveying wildlife in Alaska was Jack Bauer's job.

It's more on-point for a Pathfinder, as long as there's plausibly something of real importance down there. Still, it's hard to see why Ryder even lands on H-047c without Vetra's LM. (IIRC there's no way to get "From the Dust" without poking your nose into a mining settlement for no real reason.)

Yep. We are nudged toward Remav by PeeBee, Vetra's and Avitus' quests. Who wouldn't enter one of the mining zones full of scavs after finding it? SAM even makes a comment about "So and so being right about the presence of scavs." Then, as you said, the datapads develop the quest, ultimately revealing the blue terrorist's desire to get the Tiller running.

alanc9, I agree that there was no story reason for Shepard to be exploring those worlds. I always feel like there are two entirely separate, somewhat incompatible games taking place. The first involves hunting for Saren, while the other is a bunch of exploration and unrelated quests. I enjoy all of the side stuff, but they definitely needed to tie it all together much better (or at all). Not everyone enjoyed MEA's open world approach and quests, but I do think they did a good job of tying each one to the story. I never felt that I was doing something I shouldn't be doing. (I think this OW structure leads to people "losing their place" and forgetting what they were last doing. It plays better for those few able to binge-play a game. I think this is the true source of many person's dislike, rather than the casually thrown around "bad writing" assessment of anything and everything.) 

I think this illustrated how, though he was a Council Spectre and [mostly] given leave to proceed as he saw fit, Shepard also still considered himself an Alliance man. So when Hackett gave an assignment, Shepard just did it (or not, depending on how you played). Similarly, Hackett also came to Shepard while he was with Cerberus. That tells me that Hackett knew the Council and Alliance were being stupid in not listening to him regarding the Reaper threat and understood why he was working with Cerberus. Still, Shepard did as asked (assuming you had Arrival). And then ME3, where the galaxy is under heavy threat from the Reapers, Hackett still gives missions that seem unimportant but leave to new war assets.

For MEA, the lines were less clear. All those little missions didn't seem to add up to much. However, that was also true of ME1 (though some of it was at least acknowledged in later games). Perhaps, given a sequel, we could see how certain minor quests from the first game had an impact of some sort later on.

Oh, for sure. They may have come with some resources but certainly would have intended to do mining on the golden worlds to sustain themselves going forward. Though we didn't see the direct consequences it's at least obvious why it was important. And Ryder doing random "help me" missions was exactly the same as Shepard doing them. Anyone remember the asari who lost her locket on Illium? It could be found in Miranda's LM and returned to the asari where you hear a bit of backstory. Or the fake IDs found on Garrus's LM that helped some asari get off the Citadel? Bringing back "last words" from Charr and Tashya. Little, meaningless things that meant so much to those you helped. Or even Shepard helping expectant mother and uncle regarding genetic therapy - two people that appeared in I think all three games but at least ME1 and ME3. None of them impacted anything but were a testament to what kind of person Shepard was. So if Ryder went and did random quests for people (like reunite the lockets of two brothers, one who was dead), it's just in line with what ME has always done. Longwinded but I think people sometimes forget that MEA often followed the examples set by the MET, just minus the military aspect.

Agreed, but Ryder is also human and so will care about the emotional well being of the colonists, at least so far as things that might be found while exploring.

With my posts, I was actually referring to Shepard and the Alliance in ME1, rather than Ryder and the Ai. I think all of Ryder's quests make sense. Shepard's meandering off path was fun, but could've been framed much better.

Yeah that's one of the main reasons why for me MEA is better than ME1

Not so sure it was possible to fend of Saren and the geth or, even worse, the Collectors.  Not on their own, at least.  Horizon didn't want any help.  I quote "I'm done with you Alliance types."  Horizon was a human colony but not part of the Alliance.  I think the same is true of Freedom's Progress since it was located in the Terminus Systems which is generally lawless.

Horizon didn't seem at all prepared.  That's why the Alliance sent GARDIAN turrets.  That they didn't work properly always seemed highly suspicious.

In fact disvovered a second quest as well relating to an elven sword which was new to me interesting quest though.

This is probably the only place on the internet where anyone would get peer support for trying to replay this game.

I'm among those who didn't finish my first run.

Pre-ordered a special edition on PC at full price. Mediocrity at its best and far below expectations for this franchise. It got what it deserved.