What did you do today in ME?

Strange, so Jacob's is done. I'll assume Miranda is too.

But apparently Mordin's isn't. I can't be sure of Jack/Tali/Garrus, but if Mordin isn't, I don't know why they would be.

Yeah, Tali is there by default.. which makes little sense too. If she didn't get her Shield upgrade for the ship and Legion never activated, then she's Toast. And if she dies, Kasumi and Legion never active, then you have no Tech specialist either. So you have to send one of the remaining precious squaddies in and they die too. lol. 

I heard that Patrick Weekes pushed mid development to get her on the squad and Hudson finally budged. I think this is the only reason she's there.

That's what I thought. It's just dumb.

I was kind of curious though, just to see if I could play something like "default", but enhanced a bit. I might as well stop thinking about it though.

Jonathan Shepard (ME2):

1. Thessia - Needed to find whatever data the asari councilor said was hidden in an ancient temple. It was a mess. If a race of biotics is getting slaughtered here I can only imagine what's happening on Earth right now. When I examined the statue dedicated to the asari goddess Athame, it could sense a Prothean beacon. Moreover, there was a picture of Athame give knowledge to the Protheans. It looked a lot like Javik, as did some other relics in the temple. It seems obvious that Athame was actually a Prothean. When I touched a plate connected to the statue, it caused a crack in it. Going around a touching other artifacts eventually caused the statue to crack open entirely, revealing the Prothean beacon. Out of it came another Prothean VI. It gave us some information about the Crucible. It also talked about the Reapers having a master. Then it retreated when it sensed indoctrinated forces approaching. Not surprisingly, Kai Leng appeared. If there'd been any doubt as to whether Cerberus were indoctrinated, this put it to rest. My team should have been good enough to take on Leng and his gunship but he had some kind of crazy shielding like nothing I've ever seen before. We were defeated and Leng escaped with the Prothean VI, leaving us with no idea of how to complete the Crucible. Worse, the Reapers were there in such great force that there was no way to overcome them. We had to flee the system.

2. Normandy - I reported the events of Thessia to Councilor Tevos. There was no chastising here, simply the need to figure out how the asari civilization could continue to exist afterward. The squad and major crew met to discuss how to find Cerberus. Traynor had tracked Kai Leng to the Iera system, which is the location of Horizon. No happy memories from there since that's where Kaidan and I had an encounter when I was using Cerberus resources to fight the Collectors. It's also the home of the supposed "Sanctuary" that's said to be safe against the Reapers. That in itself makes it suspect. The privates watching the door to the war room had it right, though. Had the asari not let politics keep them out of the conflict this might have been avoided. Or if they'd listened to me 3 years ago. Javik is a jerk. Sure, the loss of a planet is insignificant versus the loss of a galaxy. It's still bad. Each planet is one step toward the entire galaxy.

3. Horizon - Here to investigate Sanctuary. Oriana Lawson had an outgoing message on a loop telling people to stay away. If it was ever a safe haven that was no longer the case. Cerberus was fighting the Reapers in the sky. First time I've seen them at odds. Then I found a message from Miranda. She said it was a Cerberus facility and her father was running it. Bad news if a guy with his money was working for the Illusive Man. Also found Reaper tech. Then we found video footage of refugees being put in tanks and turned into husks. Could someone who isn't indoctrinated really go through with something like this? I've encountered three Prothean VI's: Vigil, Vendetta and - in a Prothean holo - Victory. From them I've learned that those who are slowly indoctrinated will engage in behavior that benefits the Reapers but will think helps their own people. This was true of Saren. It's obviously also true of the Illusive Man and Henry Lawson. And more footage showing Kai Leng getting the jump on Miranda. Dammit! When I got there I saw Miranda was injured. Henry Lawson then grabbed Oriana and put I gun to her head. I convinced him to stand down and walk away. He agree but Miranda wasn't having it. She sent him hurling to his death with her biotics. Miranda had managed to get a tracer on Kai Leng. Now we'd be able to track him to the Illusive Man.

4. Normandy - An interesting chat with EDI. She observed human behavior that ran counter to personal survival. In the end, she realized she would risk non-functionality for Joker. If you want to know what it's like to see a being come alive, that's it. She's human, for whatever that's worth. I've never seen Kaidan this angry. He's always the most level-headed but what he saw at Sanctuary has him in a rage - slow and simmering, to be sure, but definitely there. And Tali got drunk over the Miranda situation, mostly because Miranda stood up to her father while Tali never could.

5. Citadel - Grounded. Not like when Udina did it to keep me from pursuing Saren. This was because the Normandy was showing some wear and tear - just like I was. Hackett ordered me to Anderson's Citadel apartment. It's huge by any standard and very well furnished. Anderson contacted me and told me it was mine to have, that he had no intentions of leaving Earth. Probably thinks he'll never get that chance. If I let myself think past the end of this war, I can see me and Kaidan here.

6. Ryuusei's Sushi Bar - Got a message from Joker to meet at Ryuusei's Sushi Bar - the best sushi joint on the Citadel. After talking, it turns out he hadn't invited me and thought I'd invited him. Then Staff Analyst Maya Brooks showed up and said someone was hacking my accounts and had been behind the messages. That's when some mercs showed up to attack me. I got Joker away to warn the crew while I took on the mercs using only a gun I'd taken from a corpse. Brooks was shot after pushing me out of the way of a sniper. I happened to be on the fish tank floor which mercs subsequently shot out from under me. If not for those Cerberus implants I'm not sure I could have survived the fall. I made my way to Cision Motors where Brooks was supposed to get me extracted. Along the way I heard from Kaidan, Cortez and James. They made it clear that the entire crew was on the way. Got to Cision to see Kaidan in action against the mercs. He, uh, assisted me in opening the locked gates. When I got to the LZ, the C-Sec shuttle arrived - but it was full of the mercs! Before we could react, Wrex dropped down onto the shuttle and then singlehandedly took out the entire merc squad. Definitely pays to have krogan friends. Joker and Brooks then took a shuttle to pick us up, dropping us back at the apartment.

7. The Apartment - Was going to call Commander Bailey to get C-Sec involved but Brooks suggested that would just make him a target. We were on our own. Well, sort of. At that moment we were four: myself, Kaidan, Wrex and Brooks. Then Liara showed up with Glyph and decided to examine the pistol I'd picked up. It packed one hell of a punch. Then Joker arrived with EDI, Javik, Garrus, Tali, Cortez and James. Yeah, the gang was all here. My enemy had better look out. Anyway, Liara traced the gun to Elijah Khan, the owner of a casino. The mercs called themselves CAT6, which is the code for dishonorable discharges from the Alliance. It was suggested they were hired by the person who purchased guns from Khan - whose identity remains unknown.

8. Silver Coast Casino - This is where we'd find Khan. Needed someone to disable security and Brooks was the best fit so she came. And I brought Kaidan as my date. Yeah, we've been keeping our relationship on the quiet side until now but I'd love to see the Alliance slap fraternization charges on us in the middle of the war. Besides, we're both Spectres. That gives us a lot of ways to break the rules. We eventually made our way into Khan's safe room but he was dead. Someone had also wiped his drives. But we took them anyway. EDI can do wonders with technology.

9. The Apartment - We found out the CAT6 mercs bought a lot of weapons, including a mech. Something big is planned. Then Glyph informed us that my Spectre code was being used to access the Citadel Archives, a place even C-Sec can't go.

10. Citadel Archives - Decided to bring the whole squad but I could only have two with me - Kaidan and Wrex. The rest would break up into teams and we'd all meet up in the end. We stormed the archives and were attacked by CAT6. Then the mysterious leader stepped out into the opening. He looked and sounded just like me. He was a Cerberus clone intended for spare parts should I need them. Now he wanted to take me life but knew he'd never fool my friends. So he planned to kill all of them as well. We pursued him through the archives. At one point I was pinned but then there were ten - that's right, ten of my closest friends - shooting at my enemies, watching my back. We eventually fell into a trap. At that point Brooks revealed she was working with the clone and the clone replaced my fingerprints with his in Citadel records. Then we were to be locked in the vault forever. Fortunately, Glyph was not locked in and freed us all.

11. Normandy - I took Kaidan and Garrus with me to retake the Normandy. We would have been locked out had Traynor not just been kicked off with her expensive toothbrush, complete with mass effect fields. It was able to access a hatch that would not otherwise be able to be opened. So...she's getting a new toothbrush on me after this is done. I was dismayed to see he'd put my space hamster in a junk bin to be send to a shelter. That's just so wrong. He had to pay for that. It was a hell of a fight. I think he had the same shields as Kai Leng. In the end, my friends tipped the balance in my favor whereas his abandoned him. I forcibly ejected him off the ship. No room for two of me in the galaxy. Brooks tried to escape but I shot her. She was far too dangerous to leave running free. If she pulled crap like this in the middle of a war she could not be trusted.

12. The Apartment and Silversun Strip - James came over to show me his new N7 tattoo. He's committed, that's for sure. Had drinks with Garrus at Silver Coast Casino. Also got him a date. Watched Traynor kick some asari gamer's ass. Helped Zaeed win a plushie. Won a couple of plushies, a mod, and some music. Liara came over and taught me a song on the piano. Miranda came over and made a lot of clone jokes. Javik and I made an appearance in the latest Blasto movie. Gotta say I'm not a fan of the hanar who plays the part. Cortez took me joyriding in a skycar.

Jenna went to SurKesh to pick up some Krogan ladies, alas only one made it, Eve. Better news was that Jenna was also reunited with her old friend Professor Solus! Jenna struck up an instant rapport with Eve, as badass girls have to stick together. She's also led a team to take out a Cerberus invasion force on Tuchanka, rescued some human colonists on Benning and rescued some turian troops. She's been busy.
Also, cured the Genophage (too fond of Wrex not to saved him in ME1, even if I do end up trawling the galaxy for some knackered only armour), which meant goodbye to dear old Mordin, he's been a hoot this playthrough, i'm definitely using him more in future ME2 runs. Javik's annoying me, he really needs to lighten up. Squished by brutes once on this attempt.

I found and talked to both of them but only got the option to ask for help from Veetor. So didn't get Shepard yelling at the admiralty board to amuse Tali. But as I'm now with Shepard on Tuchanka and getting ready to get us some cerberus fools I will wait until my next playthrough. Also downloaded a new update mod for the K-man which gives him a lightly hairy chest. It is so very yum!

Now does anyone else have trouble with Pinnacle Station? I want to put that smug Turian down and I want that Admiral's house. The only thing is the hunt missions. I take two or three steps in, see nothing, and the thing's over. Is this a glitch? Also do we really have to stay in survival mode for 2 freaking hours. It gets rather tedious.

This is me on tumblr www.tumblr.com/blog/tragicmshenkomush in case you want some fanfic or fanart.

thanks Mel. Two minutes certainly sounds more playable. The hunt though, even when I'm moving I don't see the buggers.

Wreav will be in charge and eve will always die which means, if you choose, Mordin will live if genohage is sabotaged

Jacob will be in the game and will live if rescuing the ex-Cerberus scientists mission is completed

Prangley will always die on grissom since Jack is not in the game

Miranda will always die

the collector base will be destroyed so if deciding to do a low ems playthrough, below 1750, destroy will be the only option or refuse if you want

the salarian councilor will die

Tali will be exiled and not an admiral

Geth vi replaces Legion

cannot make peace between Geth and Quarians. Tali will die if picking Geth

the council will not be the ones from ME1

only characters that are romancable are Samantha(femshep only), Steve(maleshep only), Liara(both maleshep and femshep), Ashley(maleshep only) and Kaidan(both maleshep and femshep). Can have a fling with Allers if on the ship

Ashley/Kaidan can be killed during the coup

Everyone can die on the beam run if ems is below 2000

edi reveals, on Chronos, that Shepard's body was recovered by Cerberus in a default playthrough. Of course when importing from ME2, Liara tells Shepard that she gave his/her body to Cerberus

No loyalty missions are completed

Miranda, Jacob and Mordin are the only squadmates in ME3,. Not counting Garrus and Tali

ah well then. I might just give it a miss and headcanon giving that smug Turian a smack in the face with his own hand. Thank you. Also if anyone knows how much (if at all) Conatix was hand-in-glove with the Alliance can you let me know? Thanks.