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:Per the [[Ashley Williams]] and [[Kaidan Alenko]] articles, Playstation 3 Magazine, UK Edition, June 2011, Issue 140 has been listed as a source. [[User:SpartHawg948|SpartHawg948]] 09:57, August 23, 2011 (UTC)
 
:Per the [[Ashley Williams]] and [[Kaidan Alenko]] articles, Playstation 3 Magazine, UK Edition, June 2011, Issue 140 has been listed as a source. [[User:SpartHawg948|SpartHawg948]] 09:57, August 23, 2011 (UTC)
 
::Indeed. This is ''not'' an unsubstantiated rumor and it is has been confirmed in a few other places we don't have listed as well. Mainly some E3 footage, and a few other interviews from various conferences in recent weeks. [[User:Lancer1289|Lancer1289]] 12:45, August 23, 2011 (UTC)
 
::Indeed. This is ''not'' an unsubstantiated rumor and it is has been confirmed in a few other places we don't have listed as well. Mainly some E3 footage, and a few other interviews from various conferences in recent weeks. [[User:Lancer1289|Lancer1289]] 12:45, August 23, 2011 (UTC)
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== Turning Down Spectre Status ==
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Just encountered a bit of dialogue for the first time and can't see any mention of it here and wondering if it's worthy of inclusion. Specifically, if you turn down the council's offer to be reinstated and talk to Bailey afterwards, he'll mention that in the last 1000 years only two others have turned down being a spectre and that they were both asari matriarchs. Suitable for the trivia section perhaps? [[User:Blind Wolf|Blind Wolf]] 08:34, January 13, 2012 (UTC)

Revision as of 08:34, 13 January 2012

Should this article be Spectres rather than Spectre Agents? -- Tullis 14:07, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

Good point. The title of the article isn't properly defined. It should be moved to 'Special Tactics and Reconnaissance' and modified in such a way to discuss the organization and agents together. -- Marinko 22:35, 16 January 2008 (UTC)
Special Tactics and Reconnaissance already redirects here. Truth be told, we're not told much about the branch other than how it pertains to Spectres, so there's not much else we can add. -- Tullis 09:06, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

Training?

Anderson says Spectres don't have a training programme and they're hand-picked from the elite, but Garrus says he could have received 'special training' when he was picked as a possible Spectre candidate. Hmm. -- Tullis 16:55, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Seems to be that it was training offered by the turian military to prepare the best of them to become spectres. Perhaps it is simply the way that the turians finds the ones with the potential to be spectres. (Jakob Laursen 20:36, 6 June 2008 (UTC))
Exactly. Probably there is no special Council training (ok, that raises the question where the new skill comes from, perhaps there's a secret Spectre training manual), but the governments of the different species probably want to increase the chances of getting people good enough to become spectres by training enough candidats properly. --84.56.80.112 22:03, 6 June 2008 (UTC)
Possibly it is the council who offers it to keep them sharp. So while they don't train spectres from the ground up, they could merely be improving agents. But this is all speculative (Jakob Laursen 08:48, 7 June 2008 (UTC))

Founding of the spectres

The article states that the spectres were founded shortly before the krogan rebellions. However, the ingame codex states that they where founded after salarians joined the council. They mention that their activites became publicized after the rebellions. (Jakob Laursen 18:46, 8 June 2008 (UTC))

According to the Codex, the salarians publicised their League of One activities soon after joining the Council, and a lot of the original Spectres were STG operators too. Could that be it? I'm sure Spectres are mentioned in the Codex under the Krogan Rebellions... --Tullis 13:52, 9 June 2008 (UTC)
Quotes from the codex:
1.) The Spectres were founded after the salarians joined the Council. For many years, they operated in secrecy, as back-room "problem solvers." Only after the Krogan Rebellions did their activities become publicized. (Spectres)
2) The finest STG operators and asari huntresses had been drafted into a covert "observation force", the Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. The Spectres opened the war with crippling strategic strikes. (Krogan Rebellions) Throwback 05:25, January 20, 2010 (UTC)

Pictures

Actually, I've seen a great screenshot of Nihlus taking cover at the spaceport on Eden Prime, looking pretty badass (shame he gets shot just afterwards) and now I can't find it again. Might be a good pic for this page if someone could oblige. --Tullis 18:24, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

Where's Waldo (Spectre addition)

Where the heck are the other Spectres in the game? Not one will you ever pass by again in Mass Effect besides the two Turians we already know about, and not even a peep of the other Spectres existence are ever hinted at.

There's probably not too terribly many, and unless they're going to be working together, they are probably kept somewhat separate, like a cell organization. I'm sure that there's a Special Tactics and Reconnaisance office somewhere, but since Shepard had already gotten orders straight from the Council, there was no reason to go there.
Or, if you prefer (and I think I do): Spectres aren't the police; they aren't ubiquitous. They're only where they need to be, and none of them needed to be with Shepard. Remember that the Council didn't see a huge, enormous threat with the Geth incursion; it was concerning, but it wasn't worth a huge mobilization. Boter 00:51, December 19, 2009 (UTC)
"Not one will you ever pass by again in Mass Effect besides the two Turians we already know about" So, I take it you stopped and verified that none of the countless NPCs you pass by anywhere in the game (particularly in the Council Tower) are Spectres? You'll have to show me how to do that, as I have yet to figure out how to do the Spectre check! :P Also, you do have to take into account that Spectres are field agents. They tend to be out and about dealing with threats to the Citadel races, not just sitting around twiddling their thumbs/thumb-like appendages. From what we've seen, they are a very mission-oriented group, with little in the way of a central office or massive logistics/support staff, as they get what they need from other, more supported groups, like C-Sec. And finally, you have to remember that this is a covert group, and one of the greatest assets of a Spectre is the ability to remain anonymous. Their cover is vital to the mission. They aren't just going to run around going "Hi, I'm a Spectre." It just doesn't make sense. Spectres are like spies or special operators- just because you don't see them, it doesn't mean they aren't there. SpartHawg948 01:04, December 19, 2009 (UTC)

When I said that bit about not seeing another Spectre, I meant that in the context of which we know of. And godamit...In my playthroughs, I always threw in the fact that Im a Spectre in every turn...So much for covert...

Even in the context of what we know of, did you ask if any of the npcs you can talk to are Spectres? How do you know they weren't? Regardless, the known galaxy is a big place, and it is stated several times that part of a Spectre's job is to determine for themselves what could be a threat and chase said threats down, so it makes perfect sense that there wouldn't be all kinds of Spectres just sitting around cooling their heels on the Citadel. Of course, that doesn't mean that one or two of the people you spoke to weren't Spectres. ;) SpartHawg948 23:08, December 19, 2009 (UTC)
I imagine that atleast a few of the people in the tower are spectres, and they probably have multiple forms. Such as field agents, intellegence agents, council guards, retired spectres who train 'raw recruits'. I imagine the turian who sells the spectre gear is a spectre or a retired spectre, why else would they trust him to be capable of accessing any spectre's name and security level.Kre 'Nunumee 02:33, January 19, 2010 (UTC)

Exelent title choice by the way.Kre 'Nunumee 02:33, January 19, 2010 (UTC)

It is a excellent title, but as always, it'd be better with proper spelling! Spectre Addition? Are we adding up all the known Spectres? Or putting a Spectre Addition on the house? (the proper spelling in this context is of course Edition, as in "Where's Waldo:Spectre Edition"). :P SpartHawg948 02:36, January 19, 2010 (UTC)
When you really want to mess with it, you realize that it might be a Spectre Division. Boter 21:50, January 19, 2010 (UTC)
Do what now? What does that have to do with the rest of this thread? SpartHawg948 21:54, January 19, 2010 (UTC)


"Their cover is vital to the mission. They aren't just going to run around going "Hi, I'm a Spectre."" Actually, that's exactly what they do. Have you even played the first game? All you do on civilized planets is throw around your name and Spectre status to get treatment, and get the attention of people who need your help. It's even said in the game that Spectres are assigned when the Council needs something dealt with in a not-so-sneaky manner (they use the STG when they need discretion). The Spectres we know about are high-profile (Shepard, Saren, Nihlus are all famous to differing degrees) so it's possible that they are there to keep the people's attention off the ones doing more quiet work. I, for one, am disappointed that there is no hint of any Spectres in either game except for Shepard, Nihlus, and Saren. Nihlus dies right away, Saren is the bad guy, and Shepard is, well, you. At the start of the game it's like "Oh yeah, they're celebrities" and when you become one it's like "You're the only one!" Because clearly the other ones have more important things to do, like stop the evil batarians from making evil space mirrors. 75.34.93.110 10:04, March 20, 2010 (UTC)

'"Their cover is vital to the mission. They aren't just going to run around going "Hi, I'm a Spectre." Actually, that's exactly what they do.' No, that's exactly what one Spectre can choose to do. Hardly indicative of what "they", meaning most or all other Spectres, do. Remember that in most cases where you have a dialogue option to refer to yourself as a Spectre, there's also one to refer to yourself as an Alliance officer or as just some random person. And if you've read Revelation, you'll recall that Saren behaves quite differently, often remaining anonymous. He likely didn't become a public figure until later in his career, probably about the time he became the longest-serving turian Spectre. SpartHawg948 10:27, March 20, 2010 (UTC)

Correct me if I'm wrong as it's been a while since I've played the first game, but I seem to remember several NPCs appearing on the balcony right when you're given Spectre status. I always took those to be other Spectres observing the initiation of a new fellow Spectre. TheUnknown285 00:24, October 11, 2010 (UTC)

Didn't Anderson say in the first Mass Effect that they had estimates that placed the number of Specters at less than a hundred? If that's the case, then there's your reason why you've only seen Saren, Nihlus and Tela Vasir. There's just not a whole lot to run into. It's a big galaxy and they're all off presumably saving the worlds. And if I recall right Unknown, there were a few humans there to watch Shepard become inducted so I don't think they're not Specters (or at least not all of them). (sorry, forgot to sign my part) --Soren7550 21:10, January 31, 2011 (UTC)

I belive that the Latest Alliance intel put their number under a hundred. Also Shepard is currently the only known human Spectre. The humans there are probably just there watching the Council Meeting. Lancer1289 21:14, January 31, 2011 (UTC)

Blasto

I can't believe I'm having to put this here, but common sense does seem to be a less than common quality these days. Boo! Ok, here's the deal. Blasto, the hanar spectre, is a fictional character! This means that, even within the fictional Mass Effect universe, Blasto IS NOT REAL! No amount of suspension of belief can make it so! If Blasto is not real, and is not really a hanar Spectre, this of course means two things: 1) Blasto is not a "Known Spectre" (any more than elcor Hamlet is a "Known Prince of Denmark"); and 2) the hanar are not one of the only races known to have Spectres drawn from their ranks (any more than the elcor are one of the only races known to have Princes of Denmark drawn from theirs). I hope this clears this up, as I'm getting tired of undoing these silly edits. SpartHawg948 23:22, February 11, 2010 (UTC)

Actually, I always assumed that "Blasto" was a fictionalized account of an actual Spectre - like how the animated Balto movie is based on an actual dog (though the movie takes a LOT of creative liberties). Boter 01:51, February 12, 2010 (UTC)
Well, provide evidence to support this assumption and it can be taken into consideration. Given the fact that the title includes the term "jellyfish", which many hanar view as an ethnic slur, I'd be inclined to think it's not an account of a real Spectre at all. SpartHawg948 04:05, February 12, 2010 (UTC)
No, fair enough. For my earlier account, we know of the movie Balto, but wouldn't have known about the real one if it hadn't said, "Based on a true story." Since I haven't heard anything along those lines in-game, the presence of a real hanar Spectre is indeed speculation. Boter 05:59, February 12, 2010 (UTC)
I don't think we have strong evidence either way. Not sure what that means insofar as whether they're a real Spectre or not, but I'd be inclined to include a mention of Blasto as a "known" Spectre until BioWare says otherwise. I'm fine either way though. Niirfa-sa 01:22, May 8, 2010 (UTC)
But we do have strong evidence. Blasto is only mentioned in a movie trailer, and a movie trailer that clearly is not that favorable to hanar. Again, there's as much evidence that Blasto is a real Spectre as there is that an elcor was Prince Hamlet of Denmark. SpartHawg948 01:42, May 8, 2010 (UTC)

Mention of Anderson?

Does anyone think mentioning Captain Anderson as a candidate for the spectres a good idea? CarterOz 09:37, July 21, 2010 (UTC)

Nope. He wasn't a Spectre, which is what this article is about. SpartHawg948 16:34, July 21, 2010 (UTC)
Just to also note, if you are going to add Anderson, then you might want to add Garrus as well. Don't forget he was a Spectre candidate as well before he met Shepard and was talked out of it by his father. Also he was again after ME, depending on your dialogue options with him. If Shepard convinced him to reapply for training he does so, before dropping out again. So does Anderson or Garrus deserve a mention, no becuase they were both candidates. And no that doesn't need its own section either. Lancer1289 18:52, July 21, 2010 (UTC)

Move

As it says in the proposal, this article's title is inconsistent with how we handle other articles about organizations. We don't use C-Sec for the title of Citadel Security Services, or STG for Special Tasks Group. The same standard should apply here. -- Commdor (Talk) 05:03, December 15, 2010 (UTC)

I'm not sure where I stand on this one. To be honest right now I'm not favoring the move, but I'll have to mull this over for some time. I'll note if my opinion changes. Lancer1289 05:21, December 15, 2010 (UTC)

I say leave it as Specter, since 1.) No one calls a Specter a Special Tactics and Reconnaissance 2.) Special Tactics and Reconnaissance is said so few times it'll probably confuse people if the title is changed. --Soren7550 18:30, December 15, 2010 (UTC)

I feel we should use the full name for this one, seeing as a precedent wiht C-sec and STG hass been established

I vote to leave as is. You very rarely hear the Spectres referred to by their full name, which cannot be said of the examples you cite. C-Sec and Citadel Security are both used very frequently, and you rarely hear the Special Tasks Groups referred to as STGs, with characters usually using the full name of the group. On the other hand, how many times in any of the games, books, or comics is "Special Tasks and Reconnaissance" used? Additionally, the office they work for is the office of Special Tasks and Reconnaissance, but the agents themselves are Spectres, and this article focuses more on the agents than on the office. We never hear of individual Spectres referred to as "Special Tasks and Reconnaissance", and unlike the other two examples cited, Spectres do generally operate alone, not in groups. Now, if you want to separate the two and have the Spectres article be about Spectres (as in individual Spectres - Saren, Commander Shepard, Tela Vasir, etc) and the Special Tasks and Reconnaissance article be about the office of Special Tasks and Reconnaissance, that's another matter entirely, but I think taking an article that is primarily about the individuals and renaming it after the organization wold be inaccurate, to say the least. SpartHawg948 19:52, December 15, 2010 (UTC)
  • Addendum - my point about this article being about individual operatives (Spectres) as opposed to being about the organization (Special Tasks and Reconnaissance) is backed up by the article. Note how the "Organization" portion, which deals with the actual office of Special Tasks and Reconnaissance is a subsection of the main article. The other sections deal primarily or entirely with individuals, who are Spectres, not Special Tasks and Reconnaissances. SpartHawg948 19:55, December 15, 2010 (UTC)
With Spart's comment, my doubts have been removed and I now completely oppose the move. Just look at the first three words of the article: "Spectres are agents". That would seem to indicate that the article is talking about the agents, not the organizaion they are part of. Lancer1289 20:06, December 15, 2010 (UTC)

Withdrawing. -- Commdor (Talk) 20:18, December 15, 2010 (UTC)


Logo

If you see the logo upside down, it looks like the Normandy.--First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. 20:55, January 7, 2011 (UTC)

Blatso Part 2

YOU FORGOT BLASTO D=

No Blasto is not a real Spectre, just a fictional one. Lancer1289 21:12, January 31, 2011 (UTC)

council/cerberus

So I just completed the Suicide Mission, on purposely been avoiding the presidium 'til after... Would have been nice if the dialog varied a bit considering my Shepard "quit" Cerberus so is no longer working for (though council still says (s)he is 'working' for)... no big, maybe just a small oversight. (took legion with me there) Decrosse 16:09, June 30, 2011 (UTC)

They didn't account for that because it would've been tough to keep track of all the miniscule changes if a player did such and such before or after the Suicide Mission was completed, etc... But they managed to do something like that for Arrival, just not on a large scale. Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem 16:16, June 30, 2011 (UTC)

Tela Vasir

Well, I was terribly dissapointed about her. Spoilers for LotSB and ME3 ahead. An overall interesting character, but... It seems that Shepard is (if Paragon, of course) the only good and just Spectre in Mass Effect universe, with possible exeption of Nihlus. Every other turns out to be dead soon, or to betray Shepard. I know that Spectres are premited to go above the law, but this still iooks strange if there is no other Paragon specter than Shepard. I hoped that Vasir turns to be that kind of character... But it looks like we all have to wait for ME3, and Ashley/Kaidan as Spectre. Still, sad that they are also human. I think, that ME universe needs alien Spectre, who is not a bastard/traitor or allied with such characters.

Comments like this are much more appropriate in the forums or a blog post as rants and personal opinions like this don't belong here as it isn't remotely what talk pages are here for. Lancer1289 23:48, August 6, 2011 (UTC)

Virmire Survivors

I've kept fairly abreast of news for Mass Effect 3, and as far as I know, the idea that the Virmire Survivor becomes a human Spectre somewhere between ME2 and ME3 is an unsubstantiated rumor, and not a fact. Unless someone can point out an interview or spoiler that confirms the rumor, the lines for Kaiden and Ashley need to be removed, or at the very least moved to Trivia and noted as being speculation.

Per the Ashley Williams and Kaidan Alenko articles, Playstation 3 Magazine, UK Edition, June 2011, Issue 140 has been listed as a source. SpartHawg948 09:57, August 23, 2011 (UTC)
Indeed. This is not an unsubstantiated rumor and it is has been confirmed in a few other places we don't have listed as well. Mainly some E3 footage, and a few other interviews from various conferences in recent weeks. Lancer1289 12:45, August 23, 2011 (UTC)

Turning Down Spectre Status

Just encountered a bit of dialogue for the first time and can't see any mention of it here and wondering if it's worthy of inclusion. Specifically, if you turn down the council's offer to be reinstated and talk to Bailey afterwards, he'll mention that in the last 1000 years only two others have turned down being a spectre and that they were both asari matriarchs. Suitable for the trivia section perhaps? Blind Wolf 08:34, January 13, 2012 (UTC)