Things that don't make sense (v2)

Why would Nihlus, whose stated his purpose was to accompany and observe Shepard suddenly decide to jump out of the Normandy at a different drop zone before Shepard while declaring: "I can move faster on my own?" Isn't he actually ensuring that he's always going to be ahead of Shepard and, therefore, actually unable to observe him/her at all?

Also, without having any further real contact with Nihlus and without really knowing anything more about him... and after being unceremoniously abandoned by him on that mission to Eden Prime... why would Shepard, in ME2, declare to Samara that Nihlus seemed like a "good Spectre" and "an honourable Turian?"

Wasn't Eden Prime supposed to be dull, to the point that Jenkins was afraid he might die of boredom? But then that dramatic "hand of god" vid showed up. If I were Nihlis and my mission was to secure the beacon, I think I'd tell the trainee that we'd have plenty of time for observation on the next mission.

Its like the question I asked in this thread. Why did James park the shuttle where he did instead of at the front door on Mars?

Why would you need stealth? If Hackett told Shepard to be on the lookout for Cerberus, than stealth would work. Since there wasn't any known threat at that point, parking away from the front door makes no sense.

All right, forgive me, I know better than to engage in discussions where neither of us has access to the writers. Luckily for me perhaps, I just never let these things overly distract me from enjoying the game.

I still enjoy the game... immensely.  This is a "Things that don't make sense" thread, right?  I was, in fact, accepting your answer to my original question and it cause me to realize I hadn't actually asked the right question since the situation still doesn't make sense to me.  That's all.  I'm sorry if I've worded things badly.

At that point, I don't think Hackett is even aware that Cerberus might be there.  I think it was that he had been talking with T'Soni about there being something there that could help with the Reaper threat when the Reapers attacked earth... and he wants Shepard to go check it out "before they lose control the of system."  Liara is obviously totally unaware that Dr. Eva is with Cerberus.

Still, Hackett has no reason to believe that Mars is basking in peaceful sunshine while the Reapers are attacking earth.  I think it would just be a logical guess for even Shepard to just think that maybe the Reapers were attacking Mars at the same time and go in, therefore, with a little bit of caution... get a look at the facility from a little ways away to see if everything is calm (which it wasn't).  Shepard clearly has no reason to suspect on his own that Cerberus might be there... he/she states as much when Ashley/Kaidan asks the question. 

I'm not saying James' LZ makes perfect sense, but I see it as making a little more sense overall than the way the Eden Prime mission is set up.

I'm talking about just the general proximity of Mars to Earth.  If Earth is being hit and I knew nothing about the situation on Mars, I would still think there was at least a strong possibility that Mars was also under attack based on proximity alone.  Hackett clearly fears imminently losing control of the entire system... not just Earth.  So, in actuality, he does warn Shepard that things could be bad on Mars... he's just warning him of what he thinks at that moment might be the greater threat.  Yeah, he could have also said something about Cerberus... but I can excuse it because that's not where his mind is focused at that time... it's focused on the Reaper attack.

Certainly, a quick fly-by in Normandy would indicate that there are no Reapers yet on Mars.  It would also have revealed, however, signs of trouble outside the facility - dead bodies, people being executed in the 'parking lot' by Cerberus soldiers... things Shepard did find out on foot shortly after James landed anyways because Shepard could see down below before descending the ladder... i.e. could see the body that Ashley/Kaidan investigate while Shepard (some classes of Shepard) get to pick up the SR in the dirt below the ladder.

I will admit, throughout the Trilogy there is a tendency to drop Shepard far away from the objective when there is no obvious need to and to even drop Shepard into the middle of a fray when the objective is still far away from the LZ (e.g. Turian Bomb).  The only mission that I can recall right now that adjusts the LZ based on conditions spotted from the air is Namakii, although I think there are a couple of more in ME3 where Steve does indicate something of the sort... I just can't think of them right now.  When a drop happens in ME1 and ME2, it is always well away from the objective... with the exception of the Ilos mission where we get the big argument and Joker gets to play hero by making the impossible drop to put Shepard in on top of Saren.

During the Eden Prime mission, Joker even apparently flies right over the dig site without dropping anyone - Hence the line, "Someone's been doing some serious digging here."  followed by, after a pause,... "Approaching drop point two."  Also, inconsistent with the rest of the game, Normandy drops both Nihlus and Shepard and squad on foot... no Mako, no indication of a run-out distance needed.  So why couldn't that have been done on Ilos?

As I said, I can excuse it because he's focused on the Reaper attack... i.e. it's an oversight on Hackett's part.  Again, not saying it makes perfect sense... but, I think, it does make a bit better sense than the way Eden Prime is set up.

Shepard certainly has no reason to ask Hackett about Cerberus before he/she actually lands on Mars and finds them there.  He/she could, I suppose, accost his/her superior officer about the oversight in not warning him... but, as you say, that option was not put in the game.  So, the option for the player to make Shepard's character that insubordinate is not there.  That sort of characterization of Shepard is outside the parameters that Bioware set for ME3 (even though it was possible to question Hackett like that in ME1).  That is the common complaint players have about ME3.  I've said before, I am in favor of Bioware inserting as many different meaningful dialogue options as they can.  I recognize that they will never be able to insert all the different dialogue options some players may desire... something will always fall outside the limits of charactertization that Bioware anticipates.  I don't object to your objection that line isn't there.

I always thought that scene was there just to pander to those who like a lot of gore in video games... a close-up look of a guy with his face shot off.  Wasn't there a poster around here recently criticizing ME3 for not having people explode in quite the same way as they did in ME2?

Same sort of thing as with the bloodbath in the Omega DLC.

I agree that the scene was probably set up to show of Eve firing the shotgun... to show how feisty Krogan women are.  That they can stand up to their males.  It sets up the scenario of the women being able to keep the males in check even if the player cures the genophage. 

As I said, having Shepard get in close and ask a question, I think, was really just about showing a close-up of a guy with his face shot off.  I certainly didn't expect any great revelation from the guy the moment they showed the amount of damage to his face.  Probably a bit ridiculous, all right, that Shepard even asked a question... probably should have just got out his pistol and alleviated his suffering.

I disagree.  I don't think they would have felt any need to even try to "address" why Cerberus might be anywhere in the galaxy ahead of Shepard at that point in the game.  Cerberus is just the game's main enemy.  Using a "shooter" mentality, that means they are just everywhere the PC is going to be.  I think the scene is not just "in part" to show spattered blood, that's it sole purpose.

Why could Cerberus be on Sur'Kesh?  I would think that they were after the Yahg samples... you know, to do more of the same "making monster shock troops" experiments as they did in ME1.  Or perhaps they were after the fertile Krogan females... to use them to breed that shock troop army.  It's not like it would have been a hard question for Dombrow to have given an answer to.  Cerberus is also in fundamental disagreement with the Salarians... who "uplift" alien species (i.e. make them smarter).