User blog comment:AdmMiller/What's so great about Tali? And why do most dislike Miranda?/@comment-743796-20100712165720

I'm gonna set this straight...

As interesting as Tali is, she isn't a crucial part of the story after the events of the first game. I mean, sure, she has data on the Geth and hates them with a passion, but her backstory gets a little glitchy when expanded upon. In ME2, her backstory was significantly magnified in exchange for character development, which happens to be largely unnoticed from her demeanor of the first game. Another reason I don't have too much sympathy with her is because she wears a mask ( I know cuz she can't survive unprotected outside a Quarian ship), but when and where could she possibly expose her true self? Probably never in the series.

On a slightly unrelated note... her name Tali'Zorah nar Rayya shares an extremely eerie coincidence with my extended family. One of my first cousins is named Tali and my aunt's (her mother) name is Raya. Adding onto that, she reminds me a bit of that portion of my family and I just can't move beyond being friends with Tali just because of my morals (which I feel extend somewhat into the games I play).

On the other hand, Miranda, what can I say about her? In mine and others views (apparently not everyone's especially Ralok's), she equals physical perfection. I'm not talking Barbie-perfection, I literally mean she's physically perfect but has desire and need to emotionally and mentally develop. What makes her character appealing more than her stunning looks are her flaws. Let's go over the list shall we? She's created by artificial means to savour her father's megalomaniac tendencies. As a result she has no idea who caring parents are, especially a mother figure. It can be implied that Shepard serves as a surrogate in this respect, because he/she gives her the drive to attain more development. Lastly, she's constantly on the run and is unable to appreciate who she is and what she can achieve on a grand scale. That type of depth in her character development is what causes most gamers to want her, to screw her [sic], and to have her on their squads. Sure she's hot as hell but that's my reason for liking Miranda and not regarding Tali as more than a friend.