What did you do today in ME?

Miriam Shepard took a break on the Silversun Strip...

James popped round to the apartment, talked a little about his life growing up on the Pacific coast, showed off his new N7 tattoo. He'll live up to it. Behind the bluster, he's a fine soldier.

Did some online shopping with EDI, showed her how to buy gifts for her friends without bankrupting Joker. Received a victory ring from her, made from alloys mined on Earth, Palaven, Sur'Kesh and Thessia.

Had drinks with Miranda, discussed the absurdity of the clone fiasco, and of the Normandy crew's lives in general.

Movie night with Tali, watched "Fleet and Flotilla", her favourite film: chick-flick about star-crossed turian and quarian lovers. If her shipboard conversations with Garrus are any indication, she'll soon be living it.

At Kolyat's request, held a memorial service for Thane. Normandy squad, Cdr Bailey and salarian councilor Valern all attended. Wore dress blues; eulogized Thane as a comrade-in-arms and a saver of lives. Tali, Garrus, Samara, EDI, Joker and Kolyat all said a few words. After the service, Kolyat spoke to Valern about funding for salarian researchers trying to cure Kepral's Syndrome.

Watched some video messages recorded by Thane before he died, passed on by Kolyat. Thane spoke of his deteriorating health, his uneasy reconciliation with his son, and a holiday they took together in New Mexico. He experienced much tragedy throughout his life; hope he is at peace now.

Liara called round to play the piano; she's competent, but only knows one song, taught by an archaeologist friend. Asked her to teach it. Still busy with work, she stayed a while; the apartment is a nice environment in which to sit and review reports.

Passed some time people-watching with Samara, observing passers-by, making up little stories about them. Observation is part of a justicar's trade; the story-telling revealed her hitherto-unknown whimsical side.

Hit the Armax Arsenal Arena with Jack, did a shotgun duo versus Cerberus, her Shockwave delivering the final blow against the final Atlas. Stuck around for more matches, got the rest of the squad along too. Received some email from spectators with requests. One person wanted to see a match with no spare ammo; "cheated" using vintage M-7 Lancer assault rifle recovered from Citadel Archive, has old-style cooling system instead of consumable thermal clips.

Met up with Javik, who had been conned into appearing in a Blasto movie. Attended the shoot: sub-B-list production value, amateur-hour acting, risible script, revisionist history. Doubt this has improved Javik's opinion of the people of this cycle.

Visited the amusement arcade. Found Traynor playing an asari strategy game. Provided moral support while she mopped the floor with an arrogant opponent. Also encountered Zaeed, of all people, desperately trying to win a prize on the claw game. Loaned him some credits; half-expected him to just shoot the thing.

On the way out of the arcade, met Jacob on his way in, looking after a bunch of kids with MIA parents. He requested a game of Shattered Eezo. Kicked his ass

Went for a drive with Cortez. He turned the shuttle's safeties off, threw it around like it was a fighter. He and Joker are two of a kind.

Met up with Garrus at the casino bar. He showed up suited and booted, but couldn't get his mind off work. Suggested he talk to a turian woman who had been checking him out, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. (Probably because a quarian engineer has already won it, even if he doesn't know it yet).

Ashley arrived just after Garrus left. She proposed a drinking contest; matched her shot for shot. Could have continued for hours (Lazarus Project cybernetics provide resistance to intoxication), but interrupted by a vorcha and a batarian spoiling for a fight. They can't have known they were picking on Spectres...

Leaving the casino, noticed Kasumi. She'd put a crew together to pull off a heist and donate the proceeds to war refugees. Everyone brings their own skills to help the war effort in their own way.

Returned to the apartment via a krogan noodle bar, where Grunt had been apprehended following an incident involving a hospital breakout, drunk and disorderly behaviour on the Presidium and destruction of a squad car. He really didn't mean any harm...

Overheard a turian sentinel extolling the virtues of tech armour.

[The order of the events wasn't exactly as above, I grouped them so they didn't make Shepard look like a mad thing running from one end of the Strip to the other   Didn't take the interrupt in Garrus' vignette because I didn't really want to set him up with the turian woman, he belongs to Tali!  Didn't bother with James' challenge in the apartment gym either.

In non-Miriam Shepard news, I also fired up ME1 and played Eden Prime a couple of times as a generic soldier, just to finish the assault rifle trophy so ARs become available as a bonus option for any future playthroughs I might do.]

Ian Shepard on Eden Prime:

Ashley & Kaidan: Leaving the scientists, heard a shot fired from the direction of the spaceport. That large ship I'd seen on the Eden Prime vid from the Normandy was in the sky. Bigger than anything I'd ever seen with red energy coruscating around it. More geth and those husk creatures attacked us.

Farmers: They were in hiding in a prefab. They didn't know much but one was operating a smuggling op. Small arms they thought wouldn't be missed since, up until now, Eden Prime was a paradise.

Spaceport: Found Nihlus dead. Discovered Powell, who we knew was part of the smuggling op, hiding behind some crates. Said another turian named Saren shot Nihlus, which now made what Dr. Manuel said line up about a turian being present before the attack. The Prothean beacon was also moved to another platform. Cole handed us some grenades that he had hidden and vowed to quit smuggling. Williams was put off by this but it was a waste of time to worry about this guy right now.

Spaceport Cargo Station: Upon arrival, saw a detonation charge. On assumption that the geth were going to destroy the colony, I assumed there were more. Had to disable them all. Found the Prothean beacon. Seemed to have green smoke surrounding it that turned into a beam that shot up into the heavens. While I contacted Captain Anderson, Williams wandered too close to the beacon. It grabbed her, levitating her into the air. I jumped up to her, flinging her to the side, but then the beacon had me. It filled my mind with images I didn't understand. Then I blacked out.

Normandy Med-Bay: Williams was there when I woke up. Found out the beacon exploded. Anderson then cleared them all out. Said the mission was a disaster. Also mentioned that Saren was a Spectre who was known to hate humans. If he had gone rogue then he was extremely dangerous. Mentioned my vision of synthetics butchering organics but had no context to understand it. Anderson decided we should report my vision and Saren's activities to the Council to get him stripped of his Spectre status.

This was my day: Imagine Rachni instead of cows....



*sigh* Wrex is kicking me for my benevolence.

I forgot just how many sidequests had these damned things in it.....

But besides that...more Thorian Zombies, up up and away! I love putting mods like this in the shotty.



Please note: No civilians hurt during my rescue, But the ragdoll effects are quite illuminating.

....and then I get to rescue everyone from Batarians....

Oh yea...almost forgot: Virmire/Illos/Udina Falcon Punched still on to do list.

I have a somewhat different "issue" with Shepard drinking: as a strict teetotaller in real life, it is weird to roleplay a character who does drink alcohol.

THIS. So very much. I'm only a few missions away from getting my Insanity achievement, after which I will never need do that mission on Insanity ever again

Here is a good YouTube video breakdown about how to beat Grissom Academy atrium by MrBozorgmehr:



The only thing I would change is that I would run up top immediately instead of taking out the Atlas first. Basically you can control the high ground each time so everything else is below you. There are two spawns where enemies will come out of doors up top, but otherwise enemies will always spawn below you so you always have superior cover and position.

On lower difficulties, probably not.  On insanity, the Cain will only take out about a third (maybe half?) of the thresher maw's health with one shot, and 2 shots vs the baby reapers took it down to only half health.


Yes, that's the part I forgot to do in the second battle area. Once I remembered to run up top right away, and I didn't have them coming at me from both sides, I was fine. I placed a sentry turret at the door where the two guardians come out.  The first area it was the grenades giving me the most trouble. My tactic was right - just my performance was bad.  I usually save the Atlas for last too, since it doesn't move from where it's at.

Hmm...by my count, no civilians were spared. When it says "0" for the number of civilians alive, it runs counter to your assertion that none were hurt.

What's up? Ah, not much. Just having fun with biotics and later recruiting Liara.

Can you spot the flying geth?




 Colossus. Meet space.




(My pictures apparently went away today, i'll add em' back in.)

Cured the genophage with Garrus and Javik. Revealed the sabotage on the second opportunity. Died once during the hammer run thanks to reaper claw on my head but that was it. Didn't stop to kill the brutes.

One more sweep of the galaxy for assets plus clearing out the fighter base on Noveria. Now headed to the Citadel to meet with the salarian councilor. Going to let Kaidan shoot Udina. He wanted the job - he can carry some of the responsibility/guilt that goes with it.

Finished my ME3 playthrough without using a weapon. Played as an engineer.

The best part is I got the breath scene with only 3084 ems excellent

What kind of mod are you using to make that happen?  I did spot the geth way up in the sky.