User:Scathelock

As a Gamer
I think of myself as pretty creative, but unfortunately pretty lazy. I love forcing tough decisions and finding moral shades of grey; I think nothing in life is for free, because if you didn't pay for something, someone else did (Equivalent Trade exists). I enjoy immersing myself in situations where conflict is inevitable because of situational problems, not because of character flaws or petty/avoidable mistakes. I appreciate most game genres from RTS to FPSs to Fighting games to RPGs, though I dislike MMOs that involve grind, which is the overwhelming majority of the market, and I avoid sports titles, as I'd rather be on the field or court instead of controlling it with a .. controller. Above all, I wish that Bioware would team with up Team Ninja to produce the ultimate real-time action RPG (Dragon Age meets Ninja Gaiden Black? Hell yes)

Warning: potential spoilers to follow

As a Spectre
Name: Revan Shepard

Gender: Male

Identification Code: 331.H2F.8HH.32C.J8T.98A.9T9.6A8.176.1A1.136.5

Background: Earthborn, Sole Survivor

Class Details:

Vanguard/Nemesis (ME1)
 * Assault Rifle Training as bonus talent


 * Assault Rifle with Scram Rail x2, Snowblind Rounds


 * Pistol with Combat Optics, Scram Rail, Inferno Rounds


 * Light Armor with two of the following: Medical Exoskeleton, Kinetic Exoskeleton, Exoskeleton


 * Training in Throw, Warp, Assault


 * Limited training in Lift, Tactical Armor

Infiltrator/Commando (ME1)
 * Throw as bonus talent


 * Pistol with Combat Optics, Scram Rail, Proton Rounds


 * Sniper Rifle with Rail Extension x2, Proton Rounds


 * Light Armor with Medical Exoskeleton, Kinetic Exoskeleton


 * Training in Electronics (Overload), Damping, Decryption (Sabotage)


 * Limited training in Tactical Armor

Vanguard/Destroyer (ME2)


 * Primary training in Heavy Charge


 * Primary training in Heavy Warp Ammo as bonus talent


 * Secondary training in Pull Field


 * Tertiary training in Improved Shockwave


 * N7 Armor equipped with: Kuwashii visor, N7 Chestplate, Strength boost pads, Stabilization gauntlets, Stimulator Conduits


 * Weapons of choice: M-6 Carnifex Hand Cannon, M-15 Vindicator Assault Rifle

Psychological Profile: Paragon, but with heavy selective Renegade choices. Likes to give others one chance to prove themselves; simultaneously always expects the worst out of whomever he's dealing with, and so tries to be prepared for any eventuality. Initially professed that he sought to use his skills to render Justice, treating criminals with punishments empathetically appropriate to their crime; however, strenuous experiences during his time as a Marine, including his involvement in the Akuze incident, resulted in a changed attitude. As a Spectre, maintains the mindset of detached efficiency and lethal effectiveness: enemies who are unlikely to serve a useful or beneficial purpose in the future should be killed outright, avoiding any hypothetical complications or dilemmas involved in detaining, prosecuting or otherwise attempting to determine what the guilty deserve. Avoids taking credit when possible, believing that anyone seeking glory is unfit to receive it. Neither encourages nor discourages relationships among crew members, but shies away from intimate relationships. Values bravery over fearlessness, meaning that he prefers teammates who have fears and can face them head on, as opposed to teammates who have no fear at all. Worst presonal fear is to be dying helplessly, unable to take any action whatsoever.

Combat Style: Prefers mobility and precise physical prowess over brute force and staying power, as indicated by equipment upgrades focusing on speed, melee damage and accurate offense at the expense of maximum health and damage reduction. Avoids use of any Heavy Weaponry unless absolutely necessary. While in combat, is constantly on the move, shifting from one nearby position to another: knows from experience the foolhardiness of remaining behind the same piece of cover for too long, generally adhering to the adage, "the best defense is a good offense". Instead will gradually make his way across the combat area in small increments, periodically punctuated by swift, savage Charge/storming assaults that carry him to another section of the battlefield, onslaughts designed to open up new angles of attack and penetrate key segments of the enemy formation. When on the attack, he ideally begins by taking down a target's armor, shields or barriers from mid- to long- range, then closes the distance by either storming their flank (ME1), Throwing the enemy before charging head on (ME1), or using Biotic Charge, occasionally preceded by Pull (ME2), to set up and finish off the enemy face to face through a combination of melee attacks and/or pistol shots. Tactics are partially based on his personal belief that a man should see the face of anyone he kills: there is little that is more intimate than the taking of a life, and he feels such an action should be profound, not done callously. When close-range combat is too dangerous due to numerical inferiority and terrain disadvantages (e.g. no cover after rushing in), he typically attempts to whittle the enemy down by preying on the weakest first from a distance, reserving a personal face-off for the most powerful, i.e. those most responsible for the battle.

Classified Combat Record:

- Shepard rarely allows his emotions to spontaneously affect his actions - to do so, in his eyes, is a sign of weakness, a dangerous moment of failed self-control - but such events are not unprecedented. When Elanos Haliat sprang his nuclear trap, the Spectre gave into a cold, calculated fury and the confrontation became personal, further fueled by the revelation of Haliat's culpability with regards to the Skyllian Blitz. The result was that after disabling the bomb, escaping to the surface, and annihilating the pirate crew, Shepard methodically broke Haliat's legs by running over them in the Mako, repeatedly driving back and forth over the man's lower torso, waiting long enough each time for his yet-functioning armor to heal him. Shepard finally exited the Mako so that the last thing Elanos would see before he died was the face of his would-be victim, but Wrex was apparently feeling trigger-happy and blew him halfway across the landscape with his Explosive-chambered shotgun, where they finished him off at range. The team's only regret was not capturing the affair on tape to broadcast it across the Terminus Systems.

- As one of two known survivors of the Akuze incident, Shepard has always been silently bitter about losing his entire unit, but had long since suppressed sentiments for the sake of whatever current mission he was on. As a part of his personal credo, however, he never forgets nor repeats his past mistakes; in this case, it meant that should he ever find himself on foot facing a thresher maw again, he would not lose. After being granted the status of Spectre, Shepard explored dozens of planets in the course of his hunt for Saren Aterius, and much to his surprise, discovered that the beasts were relatively more numerous than he initially thought. He has learned, through multiple encounters while in the M35 Mako, their general behavior during combat, and familiarized himself with their strengths and weaknesses: how their great mass and resilient physical makeup render them highly resistant to his biotic attacks; how they consistently avoid rockier outcroppings when emerging above the surface, seeming to prefer predetermined patches of softer terrain from which to burst out (suspected to be exits that had previously been burrowed through); how they seem sensitive to electric stimulation, as evidenced by his ability to briefly disorient or distract them with his tech powers; and how they are relatively immobile when they came up to attack, being less dangerous beyond a certain radius in which they can tear apart any target with their massive claw-like appedanges. Ultimately, he put himself to the test on Nonuel: he headed into a nest on foot, alone, and pitted himself against the massive beast while at the same time enduring the oppressive heat and environmental hazards that slowly chipped away at his health. The duel that ensued was brutal, once against measuring his psychological and physical strength: aside from maintaining his focus on the cavernous mouth to judge when to dodge or interrupt its acidic spittle attacks, Shepard found that only by continually and immediately healing himself each time his armor was recharged was he able to offset the damage being done to his body by the burning ash and cinders that characterized the planet, and even then time was against him, as his flesh could not be mended as quickly as nature could destroy it. To keep up his offense, he resorted to flinging grenades at irregular intervals and angles, detonating them when they had glided near or beyond the main body, in an effort to cause it to believe it was being assaulted by multiple enemies on all sides. The blasts, orchestrated in tandem with the activation of his tech abilities whenever the thresher maw was about to attack, dealt little damage to the armored husk but served to throw it off balance and disrupt its attack pattern. Shepard combined these tactics with precise timing and pinpoint aiming to send round after round deep into the creature's throat, which was resistant to its own corrosive saliva and could deal with half-dissolved chunks of earth and rock but was apparently not designed to stop multiple high-velocity mass accelerator slugs. By the time the Spectre barely staggered back into the Mako, he was near death, with two recharging applications of medi-gel remaining (having used up eight during his fight); but he was alive, and the thresher maw was presumably dead. None who truly know him now doubt that he could survive a hundred more situations like Akuze, and come out on top.

- The decision to release the Rachni queen discovered on Noveria was a simple one for Shepard, but not one easily forgotten. As he fully realized that a renewed Rachni threat to the galaxy could mean the blood of milliions on his hands, he felt that it was his responsibility to be prepared to destroy them should the future turn out thus. He knew that his limited experience combating the ones used by Binary Helix at Peak 15 and the ones found in the Cerberus labs on Binthu would be insufficient if he were to come face to face with the queen herself one day: fortunately, he found his chance to hone his skills, first on Altahe, and after clearing out several nests plus an overrun base and discovering a second distress call, then on Nepmos, where he arrived in the nick of time to rescue Lt. Durand. The Normandy team saw to it that the survivors of Listening Post Alpha were secure enough to last until Alliance reinforcements could be brought in (Tali managed to jury rig one of the Normandy's extra power cells to the rocket turrets) and Shepard then spent the next few days hunting down scattered Rachni settlements across the planet. At last, the team headed into the main nest, confronting and destroying ambushes until they reached the heart of the infestation. In the two small rooms, Shepard tested his mettle against their fiercest troops on his own, having ordered his squadmates back: Liara, Wrex and Kaiden stood by to come to his rescue, should he be rendered unconscious or request assistance. Knowing that the odds would be even worse against the Queen herself, he restricted himself to the use of only his pistol supplemented by his biotic and tech abilities. The Rachni soldiers, he had grown accustomed to fighting, and so he had little trouble in slaying them one by one, burning straight through their carapaces with Inferno ammunition. However, he had not expected the Brood Warriors: their biotic abilities caught him off guard, and in evading their attacks, he was unable to dodge the acidic projectiles fired by one of its soldier escort. Injured but not out of the fight, Shepard returned the favor; he finished off the remaining guards, then slammed a biotic Throw into the Warrior. Though it was too powerful to be hurled any great distance, it was unbalanced and collapsed onto its torso, providing the opening he needed: Shepard hurtled across the room, leapt across its body and delivered a swift bash to one of its larger eyes in the hopes of dazing it, then unloaded bullets into the injured creature's head at point blank until it sank to the floor, lifeless. Though he has no idea what the Queen might be capable of, he is now more confident in his own abilities to handle such a confrontation should it become necessary.

- On Maji, the Normandy team assaulted the Geth fortifications and took out the infantry readily enough, but knew that the Mako couldn't stand up to the remaining Colossus in a straight-up duel: its Siege Pulse could shred through the tank's shields in less than half the number of clean cannon shots it would take to return the favor. This fact, combined with the Colossus' advantage of fighting in tight quarters - the Mako was far less maneuverable, cramped between the steep walls of the gorge and immovable Geth walls, and it was risky to fire the cannon at short range, since explosions are apt to damage the Mako itself if the detonation is too close - convinced Shepard that he needed to change the battlefield by engaging the enemy in the same way he liked to fight on foot: up close and personal. He lined the tank up for a clear run, accelerated the Mako straight at its target, rammed into the Geth and dragged it out of the outpost - and straight over the edge of the cliff overlooking the sheer, nearly vertical drop below. Tumbling wildly and taking the occasional potshot, the Mako's jump jets gave it the advantage on the wild careen downward, allowing it to remain relatively upright until they finally arrived on the flat plains, far below where they had begun. Here, the Mako had plenty of room to evade the slow-moving Siege Pulses, and plenty of freedom to drive in close to knock the Colossus off balance before driving away to mid-range to pummel its armor with its cannon. The battle came to a swift end when Shephard once again rammed the Mako into the Colossus, toppling it over and exposing its less-armored underbelly, and blew out its innards with a final blast.

- Following the previously mentioned battle with the Colossus, Wrex demanded that he be allowed to drive. Though hesitant, Shepard allowed the team to switch seats (for that mission, Tali remained on maintenance and repair duty, Garrus manned the machine gun, and Shepard took over the mass accelerator cannon himself). Unfortunately, the next skirmish also took place amongst the high mountains of Casbin at a minor encampment, and Wrex had apparently never passed a driving test. Hurtling around a gauntlet of Geth Armatures and Rocket Turrets, Wrex did manage to keep the team alive, but not without several airborne moments during which the Mako flew off mountaintops and rebounded off of rock faces, performing flips and turns that would have put even Joker to shame had he not known they were unintentional. By the time the battle was over, the Mako was relatively undamaged by enemy fire, but Garrus had broken two ribs, Tali had a leak in her suit, and Shephard suffered a minor concussion. Wrex has been banned from the driver's seat ever since.

Relationships:

- Took Ashley Williams under his wing. As survivor of the first Geth attack and a valuable ally on Eden Prime, he saw strong potential tainted by her past, her family's mistreatment by the Alliance, and her emotional reactions to it. Despite her apparent attraction to him, he maintained his distance for both professional and personal reasons, the latter including but not limited to her firm religious beliefs

- Sacrificed Kaiden Alenko on Virmire because he felt Alenko was prepared for death, certainly moreso than Williams, and because he knew Alenko would finish the job. Through conversations, had come to understand him as reasonable, and mature, characteristics subtly hidden beneath his soft-spoken demeanor. Personal bias led him to believe that Alenko, as the ranking officer and the teammate who he had known the longest and to whom he was closest, was the one to whom he could entrust the burden of the mission and the sacrifice it entailed. Has anonymously donated in generous portions to the Alenko Memorial Fund.

- Befriended Garrus Vakarian and did what he could to temper his ambition to bring criminals to justice at all costs, though he finds it an admirable trait. Did not try to sway him to follow all rules, but tried to show him how to see situations from both points of view: that of the law (e.g. Citadel Security), and that of freelancers (e.g. Spectres). During sparring practice, has compared hand-to-hand combat techniques in an effort to mix the best of both Turian and human melee strategies.

- Was grateful that Urdnot Wrex was willing to give up the cure for the genophage on Virmire, thus allowing him to live. Through listening to his conversations with other members of the team, Wrex earned Shepard's trust as an ally with both useful real-world (or real-universe) experience and profound perspective beyond that of the battlefield. Suspects that Wrex's practical cynicism, and his ability to balance long-term priorities against Krogan bloodlust, may yet save both their lives.

- Greatly respects Jacob Taylor, and feels he would have made an excellent Spectre (should the Council ever prove itself worth the trouble of dealing with it, would wholeheartedly recommend Taylor for the position). Though lacking the sensitivity and depth of thought that was Alenko's trademark, Taylor is what Shepard considers the pure soldier - one willing and able to push himself to extreme limits to get the job done while preserving his own morals.

- In spite of self-established principle of limiting all relationships, finds himself developing feelings for Miranda Lawson. She gained his respect in the way she handled the aftermath of her sister's rescue, as she displayed strong self-control and selflessness in denying herself the chance to let Oriana know of her existence, though Shepard suspects that she provides for Oriana to fulfill her own longings for normality as much as to protect her sister. He also suspects that, should she be given the choice to live like Oriana or the way she turned out, she would choose the latter, as would he. Samara's appraisal of Miranda also helped Shepard's opinion of her, hinting at a willingness to take on and internalize burdens that lesser individuals would ignore or pass on to others. His feelings finally breached simple respect after the destruction the Collector base in light of her abandonment of Cerberus, which shows that perhaps she is ready to live for herself. He remains cautious in the knowledge that she and Taylor have shared history, which he naturally respects, being especially wary of lingering feelings.

- Is impressed by Samara's overarching wisdom and her ability to logically justify and interpret her lifestyle by the Code, as displayed through her continued love and praise of her daughter even while, and after, hunting her down. Has requested her assistance in how to empower and more finely develop his own biotic abilities, based on the harsh traditional training she underwent. Silently wishes that she would retire from being a Justicar with the idea that she could become the near-perfect warrior. To do so would imply adapting the stringent rules of the Code and applying them selectively based on the specifics of each conflict she encounters, instead of abiding by it unconditionally. With regards to Morinth: though he was strong-willed enough to resist her attempts to mentally dominate him, he followed through with the plan and aided Samara in slaying Morinth. Shepard continues to wonder whether there could have been another way, if it would have been possible, perhaps, for her to embody a military "femme fatale", acting as an agent on behalf of the Asari government or people to use her skills against dangerous opponents. Above all, he fears that had he been in the same situation, he would also have rejected a life of calm.

- Desires to help Jack overcome her own emotional barriers but realizes that he cannot let her become attached to him, as it wouldn't work out. He seeks to be more of a brother figure, and fears that only someone who can be to her what her former love was can fully heal her scars, bit by bit. As a fellow survivor of Cerberus experiments, as well as also having shared a past filled with gangs and street life, he feels an underlying kinship and admires her own determination to survive on her own strength.

- Is currently studying martial arts techniques utilized by Thane Krios. Sympathizes with his past troubles, but disapproved of an assassin having a family, as the profession does not mesh well with either marriage or fatherhood for obvious reasons. Is waiting to see whether Kolyat has the same potential as his parent; if so, may approach Krios with the idea of having Kolyat join Shepard's team, keeping in mind that Krios' time left is limited.

- Maintains a fond, sibling-like relationship with Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. He finds her to be "spunky" and fun, and always enjoys her bright spirit and warm company, but has refused to entertain notions of romance with her in part because such a relationship would be born out of hero-worship on Tali's part, which Shepard feels would be unhealthy. Very gradually and very carefully, he hopes to convince her, and eventually her people through her, that reclaiming Rannoch is not worth the cost of a full-scale war with the Geth. This is not to say that their homeworld is not worth reclaiming. With the introduction, and subsequent befriending, of Legion, Shepard is attuned to any possibility of opening dialogue and negotiations between the two peoples, with the idealistic (but not expected) goal of convincing the Geth to allow the Quarians to return to Rannoch, as the planet holds greater practical and sentimental value to the organics (the synthetics, with their limited emotional capacity, are unlikely to be have a similar attraction to the planet). In turn, the Quarians would share some of their extensive knowledge of programming and electronics that might benefit the AI, or be asked to lend their expertise in settling a new homeworld for the Geth, a far simpler project than settling a new homeworld for the Quarians.

Other Notes:

- Learned parkour during his youth on Earth living among urban slums. Though naturally impossible to replicate acrobatic feats in light combat armor, he carried over concepts of movement to his military training, impressing his superior officers while demonstrating his ability to storm fortified enemy positions on foot.

- Has thought that Dr. Chakwas would have been quite attractive in her younger years.

- Attempts to keep in touch with Maeko Matsuo. Good soldiers are rare to find, and Shepard feels that Matsuo is an model of both integrity and professionalism. Thus, he would apparently welcome her aboard his team should she make herself available.

- Is also looking to add Lilihierax to his crew; he showcased impressive skills during the short time he worked on the Mako, and Shepard has not forgotten his honest nature.

- Still keeps the omni-tool taken off of Montoya's body on Asteroid X57. Intends to leave it on Balak's corpse once he finds the Batarian and kills him.

- Is searching for information on Ganto Imness, survivor of the Virmire indoctrination experiments. If Rana Thanoptis survived, there is a chance Imness did as well.

- Has considered calling on Emily Wong to increase public awareness regarding the Reapers. Intent is not to produce panic, but to put out feelers for potential allies in coming war. The struggle will be unimaginably difficult and costly, assuming any victory: allies from all corners of the universe must be found. Would also like to put Ms. Wong in touch with Moirall and Horftin from Omega, as both parties seem to have the courage and good intentions necessary to complete dangerous and important reporting.

- Regularly checks in with contacts for word on Vido Santiago. Has set up bugs and light surveillance on multiple high-risk targets (i.e. relatively undefended manufacturing sectors on frontier worlds) to keep an eye out for his reappearance.

- Happened to rescue the Council during the Siege of the Citadel, but contrary to popular belief, did not specifically give orders to save them. He commanded the Alliance fleet to enter the fray because the rest of the Citadel's forces were already engaged in a massive struggle and it would have been ridiculous to wait for the Geth forces to decimate the defenders, which would have made getting to Sovereign all the more difficult when they Citadel's arms finally opened: humanity needed to take part, but not specifically to protect the Destiny Ascension.

- Is uncomfortable being in debt to Cerberus and the Illusive Man. Though fully aware that he has done much that was expected of him after being revived, he has not yet come to terms with the fact that, in a sense, anything he accomplishes henceforth is indirectly thanks to his savior.

- Intends on taking up mountain climbing as a hobby should he survive the war against the Reapers. This is in part due to many of the breathtaking landscapes he has seen while exploring other worlds, as well as knowing the challenge, and all too often the frustration, of trying to scale cliffs, in the Mako.

- As fellow survivor of Cerberus experiments, would like to work with Corporal Toombs in discovering who was truly responsible for the Akuze incident. Feels that it is unlikely the responsibility ended with the scientists, and now that he has limited access to Cerberus files (possibly with Miranda's aid), believes that, if Toombs' trust could be regained, Shepard could help him develop a stronger case against the company. Naturally, Illusive Man would have to be dealt with, either by directly asking him for information, or evading his notice while searching for evidence.

- Favorite store on the Citadel is that of Marab, Saronis Applications. Didn't want his "favorite store" to be one that focused on his profession of killing enemies (e.g. a weapons shop), yet wanted it to be substantially useful to him and others (i.e. not a restaurant or gift shop). Was also pleased that Marab is one of few individuals who recognized him on sight, and is competent, knowledgeable and (as a bonus) very amicable.

- Is saving up enough funds to purchase a small, second-hand ship for Lia'Vael nar Ulnay on the Citadel, largely through selling equipment taken from fallen enemies. Realizes that there may countless others like her, Quarian or not, but wishes to provide her with something to complete her Pilgrimage and hopefully help her to pass on the aid to others in need.

- Anonymously alerted the Alliance for a biotic murderer going by the name of Billy. Has requested to be notified through anonymous contacts should he appear on the grid.

Suggestions for ME3
- Improved location targeting (Since ME2 took large steps to mimic other popular shooters, I would be pleased if they further developed location damage. In the classic game Deus Ex, your movement was impaired if you were hit in the legs; enemies dropped their weapons when they were shot in the arm; and your character would be penalized by reduced accuracy when you were similarly injured. Just as you can blow off the arms and legs of Loki mechs, perhaps the next step would be the ability to blow the arms off of a YMIR Mech? This would encourage more combat choices: would you rather disable the rocket launcher and deal with the machine gun, or vice versa?)

- Dialogue options that have both Paragon and Renegade requirements (As I believe is the case in reality, balance is often the best solution between two extremes. However, ME2 largely rewards only a very strong Paragon or a very strong Renegade stance, as evidenced by the very high point requirements for resolving late-game team conflicts. ME1 avoided this problem through the use of Charm and Intimidate abilities which were influenced by, but separate from, the Paragon and Renegade scores, and which furthermore could be both filled through multiple playthroughs. I'd appreciate available dialogue options for someone who acted both ruthlessly and mercifully depending on what they saw fit: e.g. a choice that would solve a dispute between two crewmates, one who was unreasonably bloodthirsty and one who was idealistically naive, which would require 40% Renegade and 40% Paragon.)

- More effective enemy biotics paired with a counter-biotic system (It seems slightly unfair and illogical that the player generally has much more effective biotic abilities than his/her enemies. What if enemies could lift, pull or throw you? To make sure that this didn't make the game ridiculously difficult even on standard settings, perhaps Cerberus, or another advanced research group, could end up developing a technique that trains its practitioners to negate the forces and patterns of dark energy used by biotic abilities, though it would require quick reflexes and a focused mind. In other words, in-game this could mean that whenever you get hit by Singularity, you would have 2 or 3 seconds to input a proper command prompt that would immediately return your character to normal. This skill could be available to all players, and could be trained at higher levels to slow down time when hit by a biotics to allow for a longer window of opportunity to counteract it, and when mastered could even absorb dark energy on a successful negation to empower your own next biotic attack!)

- A heavier emphasis on plot development as opposed to team-building (Though I enjoyed all of the character's backstories, and though the plot-advancing missions were very well done, I somehow feel like' there ought to be a heavier focus on hunting after the Reapers instead of searching for talented individuals and discovering and resolving their past issues. Perhaps ME2 was simply to set up your team for the eventual war, but it occasionally felt more like Shepard was someone trying to establish personal bonds instead of someone trying to save the galaxy.) 

- Better enemy stealth (As an infiltrator, you become completely invisible to enemies while cloaked. However, when the Geth go invisible, they can still be targeted and highlighted when you float your crosshairs over them, which seems to me to be unfair and illogical.)

- Taking more ideas from the equipment system of ME1 instead of ME2:


 * - A return to heat-based weaponry instead of thermal clips. (I enjoyed the tactical elements of having gauge your weapon's heat level. Is it worth it to overheat my sniper rifle for a second shot if I can kill the target now before his Immunity recharges? Should I choose a shotgun that has poor heat management but greater damage in those first few shots, or can I not trust my squadmates to finish off my target once I overheat? This also set it apart from other typical shooters.)


 * - A return to the weapon upgrade system in ME1 (Forcing players to choose between various types of upgrades and ammunition furthers the uniqueness of each player's experience. Based on forum discussions I've read and the fact that weapons research is all beneficial with no forced tradeoffs, the majority of players will try to upgrade all of their weapons in ME2 in the same way, choosing between only 5 different types of ammunition in comparison to the 9 from ME1, plus the 5 types of weapon mods. In In this sense, I was glad that the armor customization was more similar to that in ME1, allowing players to feel like their Shepard was more "their own".)


 * - Wider variety of weapons (In ME2, the new weapons acquired are few and generally undisputed. There seems to be little reason to choose your old weapon when you've acquired a new and improved version of the same thing, which means that everyone will be using the same submachine gun by game's end. Though this is less clear with certain weapon classes - some have you choose between larger ammunition clips or better damage per shot - your choices are still fairly limited. ME1 provided better variety: you had to find your personal balance between accuracy, heat management and damage. A combination in ME3 would mix the best of both worlds and perhaps add concepts from other games with guns, with weapons that factor in: rate of fire, damage, ammo clip size, accuracy, effective range, and even mobility where using a heavier gun would penalize your movement speed.)

- Returning the radar (Related to the weapon upgrade suggestion, I found that the radar added another layer to combat in ME1. Based on what it told me, I could have a sense of where to order my allies to go, whereas Geth jamming forced me to either pull out a weapon equipped with a scanner or fight more blindly than usual.)

- A return to the health system from ME1 (Copying the regenerating health combat system implemented by the majority of popular modern-day shooters may be convenient, but seems less realistic, and limits the tactical element of Medigel use, though I appreciate how Medigel is combined with Unity now. Would prefer to have the choice to boost regeneration through armor upgrades instead of having it be automatic.)

- Separate buttons for taking cover and vaulting over obstacles (The current cover system is nice when it works, but it becomes aggravating when Shepard takes cover behind the wrong box if two are placed as a corner, which means that he is slightly open to fire from one side when I meant for him to hide behind the other wall right next to him. Also, since ducking behind an object and jumping over it are mapped to the same keys, forward and spacebar, there have been numerous times when Shepard accidentally jumps instead of ducks - straight into a barrage of withering crossfire. It'd be nice to have something closer to a separate button for each action; in ME1, I recall the there was a crouch button. Perhaps the jump option could also allow you to climb ladders to higher ground, perhaps into towers like the sniping positions that the Geth had in ME1.)

- Vehicular combat:


 * - Space battles, already hinted at in a source from Gametrailers (When I first encountered the feature to upgrade the Normandy in ME2, I was expecting and looking forward to space battles. As it were, the related cinematic sequences were gorgeous, but didn't do much to make the the player feel involved. At the very least, I had expected the ability to man a gun turret, which I had thought would take place where Garrus is positioned, and which I thought would start you up with greater damage and shielding if you had researched those earlier.)


 * - Pitched tank battles (In ME1, it sometimes seemed silly to fight mercenaries in the Mako when there was a vehicle sitting nearby. You would think that they would want to even the odds up by getting into their own armored car, right? Perhaps this will happen in upcoming DLCs when the Hammerhead is revealed.)

- The option to save, or an automatic save, immediately preceding character creation. (I've loved the introductions to both ME1 and ME2, but the number of times I've had to sit through the first 10-15 minutes of the game each time I was unsatisfied with the way my character's face turned out bordered on ridiculous, especially since Shepard's visage often seemed drastically different during gameplay as compared to the way it appeared during the creation process, though I can't explain why this is.)

Achievements and Challenges
Personal Achievements:

- True Survivor (ME1): On Insanity, kill a thresher maw on foot, with no allies, on a planet with an environmental hazard while wearing non-Devlon armor. (completed on Nonuel)

- Rachni Hunter (ME1): On Insanity, kill a Brood Warrior and its guards, using only powers and a pistol, with no allies. (completed on Nepmos)

- CQB Specialist (ME2): On Insanity, kill 3 named bosses, using only melee attacks, with no allies. (Jedore killed, 2 remaining)

- Iron Fist (ME2): On Insanity, kill a YMIR Mech, using only melee attacks, with no allies. (completed on Purgatory)

- Grudge Carrier (ME2): On Insanity, kill a Harbinger, using only melee attacks, with no allies. (completed on Horizon)

- Triple Threat (ME2): On Insanity, kill a Scion, using only melee attacks, with no allies. (completed on Horizon)

Crazy Ideas:

- Silent Step (ME1): Using a sniper rifle, kill an enemy with one shot before they come into targeting range.

- Bumper Cars (ME1): In the Mako, destroy 5 Armature class units by forcing them off the map's boundaries.

- Nightcrawler (ME2): Use only Biotic Charge and melee attacks to kill 5 enemies in the same battle.

- Sadist (ME2): Kill an enemy using Lift, Neural Shock and Incinerate before it dies.

- Ping-pong (ME2): With an ally, Pull or Throw an enemy between yourselves 10 times.

- Daro'Xen's Advocate (ME2): Have 5 Hacked Geth at the same time.

- Indoctrinated (ME2): Have 5 Dominated enemies at the same time.

- Morrigan's Death Nova (ME2): Kill 3 enemies at once by Warping a biotically affected target.

Hypotheses Regarding ME3
- Kumun Shol will replace Cerberus as Shepard's primary backer and source of funds and equipment, since both Shepard's and Kumun Shol's visions put them on the same side, namely, against the Reapers. Shepard will then discover that Shol has been high on Minagen X3 the entire time, that his visions were hallucinations, and that his fortune was built on a drug empire. If Samara is present, she will biotically drop-kick him out the nearest window.

- The Batarians are going to get their brains sucked dry by the supposedly dead Leviathan of Dis. They will come back as Super-husks with 4 laser-eyes apiece.

- Kolyat returns as a badass, and gaining his loyalty grants you access to the 'Fatality' bonus talent, where you can execute enemies with combo attacks (up, up, left, right, A + B, "Finish Him!").

- Varren mini-games will be reintroduced in violent racing pits, complete with Chocobo-themed music.