Anyone else think Colonial Director Addison really needs a Renegade Interrupt?

At least it's explained by all the competent leadership being, you know, dead. While the Council really was supposed to be the best and brightest of their respective races. 

My take on the subject is even when she makes a good point, she loses points for handling it.

Basically, the first conversation goes like this,

Addison: "You're the Pathfinder? HA! You just got it through nepotism and it's not meant to be hereditary! We have real problems and we need them fixed! You can't claim the title of Pathfinder and you have neither my respect nor trust."

Me: *sniffle*

When it should go:

Me: "My father died an hour ago doing the job he came here to do and I, along with my team, have more experience than any other person on this space station because it's a job which literally did not exist until we came here. I also gave you the electricity to keep the lights on by bringing my ship here which is more than you've accomplished in a year. So shut the hell up before I negotiate the price of my help being throwing your ass out an airlock."

Yup. Didn't Ryder pull a Prothean beacon and sleep most of the way to the Nexus?

Shit...... It's like .... Real life.. The masses are stupid and demanding and treat those trying to help like crap. 

Addison and Tann both need a boot up their asses. Also, the captain of the Hyperion. Put Kandros or Kesh in charge - or both, maybe.

Eh, Ryder is still the nominal head of the Hyperion ark. Also, bluntly, he's connected to SAM and SAM is the system.

It's unearned authority but that's everywhere in this FUBAR mission.

Director Tann is the leader of the Initiative. His say goes, except he's in such a precarious political position that he will let others go.

Superintendent Kesh is otherwise in charge of the Nexus. Her say is adhered to to keep the center of Heleus non-Angaran civilization going. Since the Nexus progression has been slow and the leader of Nexus Security gone, Kesh had also been in charge of that part.

Foster Addison is Director of Colonial Affairs. There may be other directorships than Tann and Addison, but that's for when the Nexus and colonies grow. Addison is at least technically, other than Tann, in charge of everything in the colonies, which are few to nil at first, but becomes substantial.

Arks have Captains and other ships have Captains. They're in charge of their ships.


Ryder is none of these things. Ryder is captain only of the Tempest. Ryder is involved with colonies only to the point he is allowed. Ryder is involved with the Nexus only to the point he is allowed.

Ryder may very well strain or overcome the rules by some insistence that his duties and responsibilities as Pathfinder overrule others, but this is not a Spectre role. They can't just say it and do it and others go ok sure, while the Council takes an observant role way above everyone else. Ryder would have to insist on its importance and after doing so, probably spending plenty of 'political capital' doing so. Because Ryder's authority only goes so high as Nexus leadership allows (in this case similar to dealings with the Council) but it also only goes as wide as the mission to find ways to settle homes for the Milky Way settlers, though this is pretty damn wide given the circumstances.


Ryder is not in charge of the Hyperion or any ship but the Tempest, and even that can be recalled by Nexus leadership. Ryder does have his team that he can pick and have most authority over, or perhaps more importantly, potential loyalty.

Because of the desperation of the Nexus in the start of MEA, they just send you off to do whatever you can do with the tools a Pathfinder is supposed to have. It is an unearned role but that's part of why you're regarded rather neutrally or disdainfully by many, but you get the role anyway because of how much SAM has already bonded to you, the respect people had for Alec, no one else quickly stepping in, and the more general competence you do have in terms of combat and exploring Habitat 7. You're barely accepted (even Tann is just considering you a tool) but you have the stuff that just may be better than everyone else so they may as well try with you before others.

Well, APEX is more or less a compromise.

The big thing with Ryder is the Pathfinder is the only one who actually has a "ground's eye" view of the galaxy since the Nexus has been sitting there the entire time and has no idea what's out there. So, they trust you to deploy assets freely as the only person who knows what's going on.

The situation is a massive cluster**** so the Pathfinder becomes a paragon of their race and ambassador.

She's pissed because she was expecting a grizzled veteran, not his green kid. She's pissed because it's emblematic of what happened with the Nexus when it arrived. They didn't get their golden worlds/Pathfinder, just a pale imitation. That's literally the whole point of the main character arc. Habitat 7 was a bust, here have this stormy hellish backwater of a planet. Alec Ryder didn't make it, here, have this completely inexperienced kid who only got the job because they happened to be with their Dad when their visor broke.

And it's a good thing Addison and Tann are there, as much you may dislike them, if only to get the player character off their damn power trip.

Also, you were in a coma for most of the journey to the nexus. Alec was the one who got the shuttle teams off Habitat 7, Dunn was the one who got the Hyperion safely to dock. Ryder Jr. did jack shit, and the Nexus admin has no reason to bend over backwards to please you.

Nor you obliged to listen to that crap, she's not your superior and didn't success in anything herself. Again, my problem is not with her, there is nothing wrong with characters which don't worship PC, but with Ryder here.

I actually liked Addison, in a 'I understand and sympathize with your predicament, and don't take it personally' sort of way. She's stressed. She wanted good news. Instead we provided her another bunch of problems, and expect help with ours when she's got nothing to offer.

All things considered, she's a good sport who does a good job. She's even self-aware that she's crabby.

Honestly, I wanted to offer to take her out for a drink, to help her relax.

Let's be honest, though, does ANYONE think Addison should be in charge instead of Eos' leader?