User blog:Sperez2012/Let's Talk: Citadel Efficiency

Introduction
I really enjoyed playing Mass Effect 3- when I got to play the game instead of doing stupid "fetch" missions. I remember my first time through, I spent at least half an hour during my second trip to the Citadel (the time where you talk to Aria about the mercs), thus making me very upset because I didn't know where things were, being my first time and all. So I thought to myself "sperez2012, how can these Citadel trips become less time consuming?" And I said to myself "By having a plan, that's how!" So I sought out to find efficient methods of getting through Citadel trips.

Citadel Trip 2 (Aria's Mercs)
This is DEFINITELY a Citadel trip that needs to be planned out. Everything is on every floor, and not knowing where things are or forgetting where things are can lead to a very time consuming experience. So what I recommend in order to travel the LEAST amount of floors:

1.) Before even going to the Citadel, go to every system and scan every planet for those stupid fetch missions. This should be done before any trip to the Citadel. For this trip specifically, you'll be getting Citadel: Banner of the First Regiment, Citadel: Pillars of Strength, Citadel: Prothean Obelisk, Citadel: Biotic Amp Interfaces and Alien Medi-gel formula from N7: Cerberus Lab. The latter two can also be picked up in the Spectre offices at the Requisitions interface.

2.) When the Alliance Officer asks you where to dock, dock at the Embassies.

3.) Drop off the Prothean Obelisk with the volus (Shepard is such a creeper), then go talk to Dominic Osoba to gain the Benning: Evidence mission. After that, go towards the Spectre offices to talk to Jondam Bau about the indoctrinated hanaar. Proceed to the Spectre offices to enable everything.

4.) Take the elevator to Purgatory. At Purgatory, talk to Aria about the mercs. Then head to the bar to talk to James and drop off the Banner of the First Regiment with the turian.

5.) Take the elevator back up to the Embassies, and talk to Bailey about Jona Sederis. (If you could hit Purgatory straight from the Normandy, this step would not be needed)

6.) Take the elevator to the Commons. From here, go talk to Liara first. She will tell you about Barla Von and the potential war asset. Go talk to Barla Von, and you will also overhear another mission you'll have to do from another Volus. After this, head up to the rooms and get the Blood Pack War Asset. Head down to the lower shops and talk to EDI and Joker. Then head to the C-Sec offices and either release Sederis or don't.

7.) Take the elevator to the Docking Bay. Hit the terminal for Bau, then go drop off the Pillars of Strength with the batarian preacher. Keep heading through the make shift hospitals and talk with Kelly, (if she is alive), Garrus, Sayn, (if you didn't release Sederis, and finally Darner Vosque. Hit the terminal again for Bau, then head back to the elevator to hit the first terminal.

8.) Head back up to the Embassies, and finish Bau's mission.

9.) Head back down to the Commons and talk to General Oraka. Place the hit or don't.

10.) Head back to the Normandy, and on the way talk to Miranda.


 * You can also do it this way: don't head back up to Bailey after talking to Aria. Instead, go straight to the commons and just do step 6 and 7 without Sederis, and when you get back to the Embassies for Bau, talk to Bailey then. Then head back down to the Commons to hit Sederis and Oraka at the same time, but if you plan on using Sayn instead of Sederis, it's going to require an extra trip. At any rate, the fact that you can't go to Purgatory first from the Normandy automatically means you will have to make an extra trip.

In my experience, skipping through all the dialogue (because I've played it at least 5 times) can get this chore done in as little as 15 minutes.

Citadel: Batarian Codes
Fortunately, pretty much any other time, you won't have to go up and down the Citadel as much. The only time I can think of is after Priority: The Citadel II, when you have to do Citadel: Batarian Codes. What I recommend is this:

1.) Dock at the Commons. Talk to Jordan Noles as well as everyone else that you need to there.

2.) Take the elevator up to the Embassies to enable the mission at the Spectre Office and purchase anything from the Requisitions Interface that you missed on missions.

3.) Do the rest of the mission as it says on the article page.

Overall Trips
Just hit every new system that shows up. You can collect the war assets for the fetch missions before you even talk to the person on the Citadel. Once you get on the Citadel, just go floor by floor bringing up the map on each floor. The map tells you who you need to talk to.


 * BE MINDFUL OF FETCH MISSIONS THAT HAVE A MISSION THRESHOLD. IE Benning: Evidence.

If I missed anything, or if any of you have anything to add, feel free to comment!