The Tempest thread (confirmed 100% weaponry free)

Pretty sure they covered in the game that that was illegal.

Yeah, the Tempest will fly away... leaving the squad to get mauled by the Thresher analogue Speed may be a defense for the ship itself, but it doesn't help anyone not on the ship. When half the time you have personnel in situations where being walking armouries is deemed appropriate, you'd think a little close air support would be a nice option to have... especially since their rover has no weapons either.

1. That is fan-made, so I'll take it with a grain of salt.

2. As others have pointed out, it's still a small scout/stealth ship, same as the Normandy SR-1, and it had a full array of weapons. The Tempest doesn't have a main gun? Fine, I can see that. But nothing at all? They're out of their minds No torpedoes, or light weapons for defending the ship while it's on the ground waiting for the Pathfinder team to return? Not even GARDIAN lasers, which are 100% defensive and are so small they're not even visible on the outside of ships? There are also plenty of situations where you'd want weapons that don't involve wanton violence. I want to like this game, really. But this stuff makes me facepalm so much it's making that difficult.

3. The size of the Tempest is making me wonder, again, if the interior will be larger than the frame would allow. I believe the SR-2 had that problem.

Well it's good that you would ask that. I probably wouldn't even think to ask about it since I would think having some defenses on our vehicles would be such a an obvious idea that I wouldn't need to bring it up at all! And promptly die in Andromeda because of it


I'd argue that the Council would make an exception for the Initiative both on account of the fact that they're planning to leave the freaking galaxy and therefore the Council's jurisdiction, and also because not letting them would be effectively dooming 100000 people.

1. There may, but at this point I'm seriously doubting it. We've seen no evidence of Initiative warships, or even any other craft besides Pathfinder scoutships. I hope so, though.

2. That's a terrible excuse, because it's a meta one. It's like saying Peebee's outfit is fine because she won't end up killed. It's just as illogical.

I'm pretty sure people are arguing that the Initiative being so poorly armed is incredibly stupid in-universe, so no amount of plot armour will excuse it in that sense. Even if the Tempest never needs to use armaments in the story, why not just say it has some? There, now it makes sense and doesn't change their story. Easy.



On a meta level, this also disappoints me slightly because I was looking forward to seeing some more space battles, including some involving our own crew. Clearly, that isn't going to happen And other space battles may not even happen if the Nexus/Arks are not armed either and there are no Initiative warships. Do the Kett only have small arms as well?

If this rumor is true this nonsense and very unlogical decision of Bioware. Reasons for this my option is numerous:

1. Andromeda Initiative is founded in case that Cmdr. Shepard don't stop reapers in its mission to wipe Human civilization and Milky way galaxy from life. With taking about 100.000 Humans and other ME Spices to Andromeda.  (don't know exactly number)

2. It is started in period of ME 2 & 3 while our galaxy been in war.

3. From our history we can see that in time of war civilian ships usually become armed even to the teeth. Look merchants transport ships in WW2 at begin of war it been unarmed and easy pray for German subs but after war going on it get good defense weaponry that subs cannot engage it on surface with its main gun because it become suicide mission for German U-Boats...

4. In time of total war even civilian factories and shipyards become part of military so weapon mount is allowed there is no time for regular law which denied it (we also had numerous examples in WW2)

4. First Explorer ships to the new word also carry guns for defense.

5. Is very stupid to send ark with last hope of mankind into unexplored Galaxy together with unarmed escorts.

6. On end if Nomad & Tempest don't need weapons why its crew is armed to the teeth with small weapons?!!!

I really hope that this is not true. Also I would like if we can made R&D of weapons and technologies in which we enoucerd in Andromeda that we can made customization of Tempest with it then...

p.s. even Oberth science starship have phrases and at least one photon torpedo launcher
sto.gamepedia.com/Oberth_Class_Light_Science_Vessel

Maybe they have recordings of Shepard that they play to scare enemies away.

Or the Shepard VI.

Our enemies don't know who Shepard was though.

By bridges, do you mean floors? Just asking since both Normandys only had one bridge. If you do mean floors, no both the Tempest and Normandy SR1 have two floors and a cargo hold. 

The Normandy SR1 was originally designed with that exact same role in mind, and yet it was still armed in the event of being discovered or if it discovered something time sensitive and had to act before other ships could arrive. And I may understand the decision if like the SR71 the Tempest was never planned to drop ground forces and only be a spy spacecraft, but the moment it goes beyond that by having a team that goes down it is no longer just that and thus should be equipped appropriately. 

Actually - a well-armed shuttle or gunship would be ideal for that purpose - though it doesn't look like we have either.

OTOH, maybe SAM is capable of showing up as a super-powerful combat drone or somesuch. Heh.



It's completely logical in the real world of game development. It isn't unusual for them to forego things you won't actually need in the game world. I don't remember the SR1 having bathrooms, for example.

But it would have been easier if they just hadn't mentioned it. That way people could assume it is equipped in whatever way works best for them.

It might make sense if the make the initiative intentionally dumb or clueless. From what we know of the plot, it's a good possibility. I honestly don't get for what reason they should've left the ship without any weapons, otherwise.
While I don't like this decision, why does it have to be related to Walters? There are other leads in the project who could've taken it. Not everything wrong with Mass Effect is his fault.

I believe the SR1 had 3 decks: bridge/navigation/communication, crew deck (galley, med bay, Shepard's cabin, etc.) with stairways between them. Then the lower deck (that required an elevator ride) had engineering, mako storage, requisitions, and most of the crew hung out there.

I'm genuinely intrigued and confused by what these alternate means of protecting people are they are suggesting.

The video of the Tempest and the description of it in one of the Gameinformer articles. The main part of the ship has two floors, and then the garage/cargo bay hangs below that as a third floor.