#has he failed to see that everyone loves the blue kett and will not allow such a blasphemy?

[dmclemblems]

i bet the reason bk attacked my cat again three/four years later is bc he thought there was a warranty on how long he had to go not attacking him and he thought that warranty was expired so he did it again

joke’s on him, tibarn said it wasn’t

[autistic-red-jenny]

Ryder Questions

Bored, so going to go ahead and do all of the questions from this post with my current Ryder (Should be mostly spoiler-free, I think, but putting it under a cut)

The basics! Whats their full name, gender, and sexuality? Describe their general appearance and/or include a picture. Is there anything you canon beyond what the game allows? Cassiopeia “Cassie” Rose Ryder, female, pansexual.

(I play on console and haven’t figured out Xbox screenshots yet) She is also shorter than what’s shown in-game, just under 5′3″. Her nose should look more like it’s been broken and healed.

Can’t always wear Initiative whites and blues, Whats their dress style like? Do they prefer casual wear, or being in armor? Is it the same as it was in the Milky Way? How, if applicable, has it changed since arriving in Helius? Do they have piercings, tattoos, or notable scars? Do they dye their hair, or is it a gene mod? Casual wear whenever possible, especially the leather jacket. Her style has simplified some since the Milky Way, in part because she’s busier and also because resources are different. She likes rich blues/teals and shades of grey. Besides the tattoo on her face, she has more in the same style on the rest of her body, along with a collection of varying scars. She used to have her ears, nose, brow, and bellybutton pierced, but used to take them out for fieldwork and left them out once she was made Pathfinder. Her current hair color is natural.

What’s their personality like? How do they feel about being Pathfinder? How do they change, if at all, over the course of the story? Her dialogue choices are typically a combination of the emotional and casual responses; she has a sense of humor, but is defined mainly by her curiosity and desire to help people. She loves animals of all kinds and exploring new places. (I like to think of her as space Steve Irwin). When made Pathfinder, she is a bit overwhelmed and confused, not sure how to deal with that amount of responsibility so suddenly. Over the course of the story (disclaimer: I haven’t finished the game yet, though I think I’m close) she grows into the role, learning to trust her own judgement and balance risks better.

What’s their preferred profile, or class? Were they naturally inclined towards combat or technical skills? Were they a developed biotic, or did they first experience it with SAM? Cassie was a developed biotic before coming to Andromeda, trained as an Adept. She can shoot and fight well enough, though it wasn’t a focus of hers until it had to be. Tech was always more her brother’s thing, so beyond the basics she needs to do her job she never really developed those skills.

Canon says they served in the Alliance before joining the Initiative, do you keep this canon, or have you made some changes? Explain their backstory either way.   I mostly kept the canon, where she served the Alliance by being part of a team going after Prothean artifacts. I tweaked it some, though.  She joined mainly because of her family, because her brother wanted it and it was such a big part of her dad’s life. While serving, she still pursued her education, and was assigned to the Prothean research team because of her talent for research and exploration; though she was technically still employed by the military, her job on that project was more of a research assistant than a soldier.

Everyone’s got one… List their (or your) favorite powers, weapons, and armor sets. Any special reason for these choices? Her favorite weapon is the standard M-8 Avenger; it’s what she’s used to using, it’s reliable, and it does a fair amount of damage once she mods it a bit. She favors biotic attacks, especially Throw and Lance; basically, powers that let her punch people with energy. Tends to use either the Scavenger or Maverick Deadeye armor sets.

Its all in the family. Explain their relationship with Alec, Ellen, and their sibling. If you changed anyone’s names or added a different sibling in your canon, explain why. Even though Alec frustrated her with his distance and workaholic tendencies, Cassie spent a lot of time trying to live up to her father’s legacy and make him proud. She was never quite sure if she’d managed to do that.  Cassie was a lot closer to her mother. She credit Ellen with giving her her love for science, and misses her every day. Cassie’s brother, Perseus Scott, is her best friend. They were practically inseparable for years, and no matter what she accomplishes, it feels wrong that he’s not there too.

What’s their favorite memory they have of their sibling? Of their parents? How have they dealt with the aftermath of Habitat 7? How deeply does this effect them? Cassie can’t really choose a single favorite memory of her brother, since he was present for most of the best times in her life.  As for her parents, she might tell people that her favorite memory is one of the rare holidays when they were all together, but that’s not actually her favorite. Her favorite was after a dinner when Ellen had managed to wrangle them all into the same place, when her parents were cleaning up the kitchen and didn’t realize Cassie was watching. They didn’t even say anything, just worked together in silence, but with looks between them every time they passed or touched briefly. That’s how she likes to remember them, peaceful and happy and still in love, puttering around a kitchen

As they unlock the memories, how does this change, if at all, their view of their parents? At first, Cassie is even more frustrated with her father’s secret keeping. She’s still in mourning for him, and sometimes it hurts less to be mad at him. The more she learns, though, the more she starts to understand the decisions he made. And it helps to see how much of his work he did for Ellen and their family.

Explain the way they feel about their squadmates, both initially and over the course of the story. Cora: While Cassie respects Cora from the beginning, it takes her a little while to warm up to her. Time helps, though, and once Cora starts to relax and let go of some of her resentment about Alec’s choice, they become friends. Liam: Cassie likes Liam immediately; their personalities and senses of humor work well together, and she likes that he can remind her not to take everything too seriously. Even though they don’t always agree on a course of action, she values his perspective and the amount of compassion he has. (She does, however, disagree strongly with some of his taste in music and vids, and despite many heated debates neither of them will budge on the matter.)  Peebee: Cassie and Peebee share their love of discovery and exploration (Though Cassie’s focus tends to be more on organic life than RemTech). They have the same tendency to talk through whatever they’re thinking, and the two of them in the same room working on a problem can be kind of overwhelming for anyone who walks into the middle of it. Vetra: Cassie and Vetra get along very well. Her sense of responsibility for Sid is something Cassie gets and respects. She’s a little bit in awe of some of the things Vetra can do; Cassies mentions once that there’s a specific kind of snack she used to eat after a hard mission, and two days later a case of them shows up in her quarters.  Drack: Cassie loves Drack. She thinks he’s awesome, loves his fighting style and his stories, and essentially adopts him as her grandfather. Jaal: At first, Cassie keeps returning to talk to Jaal out of curiosity, wanting to learn more about Heleus and the Angara. But the more she talks to him, the more she genuinely enjoys his company and his openness. Over time, they start a relationship, and she can’t quite believe her luck at coming all the way to Andromeda to find the love of her life. 

Explain the way they feel about the rest of the Tempest crew? Suvi: Cassie and Suvi bond quickly over the new discoveries in Heleus. They’re both passionate about science, and when she’s trying to make a plan, Cassie likes that Suvi’s perspective is a bit different from anyone else’s on board the Tempest. Kallo: At first, Cassie doesn’t totally understand Kallo. They don’t see things the same way, and while he’s pleasant enough, she doesn’t understand the way he seems to feel about the ship. Over time, though, and once she learns more about his history, she gets it, and appreciates his skill and the amount of care he has for the Tempest.  Lexi: Cassie has a giant tiny crush on Lexi from the beginning. (Which may or may not be me projecting my own giant crush on Natalie Dormer). When she learns it can’t go anywhere, she’s somewhat disappointed, but enjoys working with her anyway. She does tease Lexi about her “mother-hen” tendencies, but actually enjoys knowing someone cares about her well-being. Gil: Cassie and Gil get on well right away. He reminds her a bit of Scott, in the way he approaches problems and tinkers with machinery. Spending time with him is comfortable, and she likes his humor.

How about Nexus leadership and the people on the Nexus in general? Cassie has always liked the people watching busy hubs allow, and the Nexus is no different. She loves getting to see the station rebuild and find its footing. As for specific people, she really likes Kesh and Kandros, and likes spending time in the lab when she can. Tann irritates her sometimes, though she kind of likes pushing his buttons. Addison is someone she respects, though they’ll likely never be friends. She likes the Vortex a lot.

What were their reactions to the Angara and the Exiles? How did learning there was a whole new species in Heleus affect them? How did news of the rebellion affect them? Meeting the Angara was the kind of thing she dreamed about when she set off for a new galaxy. A whole civilization, with new customs and new people, a beautiful world to explore, commerce and research to exchange, it was amazing. Even when they didn’t trust the Initiative at first (and she couldn’t really blame them) it felt like hope to see that there was another species living in Heleus and fighting the Kett. The exiles make her sad and angry. Even though she knows that hard choices had to be made, she thinks that the Initiative failed them. She tries to make peace with them when she can.

What about their interactions with the Kett? Cassie tries the peaceful approach when she meets the Kett, hoping that there was just a misunderstanding. When it was clear that they couldn’t make peace, she committed herself to finding a way to stop them. Exhalation enrages her, because it flies in the face of everything she believes about science being best used to improve lives and solve puzzles. 

Did Ryder fall in love? If so, with whom? What drew them to that person? Would their sibling approve? Cassie falls in love with Jaal. She loves his sense of humor and his open frankness when it comes to people and emotions, and comes to rely on his support (combat and emotional) as they work together. Not to mention his voice because as always I am a sucker for a nice voice Scott is a little wary at first, just because Jaal is an unknown, but after working with him for a while and seeing how much Cassie cares about him, Scott warms up to Jaal.

What does Ryder do in their spare time? What are their hobbies and interests? Do they share these with their friends, or are they more private? Cassie tries to keep herself busy, and take Lexi’s advice about relaxing when she can. Some hobbies she shares freely, like her love of certain musicians and cheesy old science fiction. She crochets enthusiastically if not skillfully, and makes gifts for her crew out of what materials she can get. Other things are private; she writes when she can, both fiction and not, and it helps her work through what she feels about everything around her.

How do they feel being in command of the Tempest? Whats their favorite part of the ship? Least favorite? At first, Cassie is mostly in shock. Her feeling is best summed up as “What the fuck.” She does do her best to grow into the role, and ends up a good leader of her motley crew. Her favorite place when she wants privacy is her quarters, watching the view, and the bio lab is a close second. She doesn’t like the mass effect core much. Even when Gil assures her it’s perfectly safe, she could swear that being too close makes her biotic implant buzz uncomfortably.

How about driving the Nomad? Are they a good or terrible driver? When her brother wakes up, he is absolutely appalled that they let Cassie anywhere near the wheel of a ground vehicle. She failed her driver’s test six times, and really only got licensed because the examiner felt bad for her. So, no, NOT a good driver.

How do they feel about their connection with SAM? What’s their views on AI in general? Knowing Milky Way history and the attack on Eden Prime and the Citadel a recent memory, did the Geth influence this view? Does their view on SAM change? She’s a bit wary of SAM at first, mainly because of the level of control he could have over her body, but comes to appreciate and rely on him. She’s fascinated by his development, and doesn’t think AI is dangerous by nature just because some versions went rogue.

Favorite world they landed on? How do they feel getting to be the first human to step in many of these places? She loves Aya best, though Havarl is a close second. Cassie loves the amount of life on both worlds, and the sheer alien-ness of it all. She’s excited to see more and honored that she’s allowed to.

How do they feel about the Remnant? Are they worried? Curious? Simply accepting of what they can do with it? Cassie is curious more than anything, though she’s more intrigued by whoever created it than the tech itself.

Do they ever wish they could just return to the Milky Way? Do they miss anything in particular about their old home? Did they bring anything special with them? There are things and people she misses, but Cassie wouldn’t go back even if she could. Mostly she brought pictures to remember things by, but also a collection she started as a kid with a pebble from every world she set foot on. She adds to it as they explore Heleus.

How do they feel about what they’ve accomplished in Heleus? Are they proud? Worried? Do they feel positive about the chances for a cluster-wide unity? If they could change anything that had happened since everyone arrived in the cluster, what would it be and why? Cassie is always hopeful. She’s proud of what she and her team have done in Heleus, and excited to see what happens in the future. She thinks that they’re on the right track to cooperation and peace. If she could change one thing about it, though, Scott would’ve been at her side the whole through.

[victorian-creepshow]

Finished Andromeda today. 

Pros:

Like I already said, the combat’s fun. Still not sure that the profile system was necessary, but I can understand some people enjoying it.

The main story was pretty good. I like how the Ryder twins worked together at the end, that was pretty cool. I just kinda wish we would have gotten a little more interaction with our twin. 

The worlds/scenery are v pretty. Voeld and Kadara are my favorite. Elaaden made me think of Borderlands. Part of me was expecting to find a Handsome Jack billboard somewhere rofl

I really like how they included more of those special friendly bonding moments with squadmates, whether you’re romancing them or not. V nice touch pls give us more of this in the future

Peebee and Drack ended up being my favs and I’ve never been a Krogan or Asari lover lmao. I mean, there wasn’t anyone on the squad I outright hated, but them two... definitely my homies.

Loved the little pathfinder cool kids gang that happened. I want to see more of them all. I’d love for them to all go on a mission together, pathfinders only no squares allowed

Kesh. Kesh is a positive all on her own. Love her. Vorn too. I like that they showed more variety in personalities within all the species. Krogan scientist 4tw

Kudos for ethnic diversity this time. They actually look like what they’re supposed to be! And it doesn’t look weird!

I never felt that overwhelming feeling of Hinterlands 2.0 on any of the maps. I’m not really interested in exploration, and I didn’t find any of the worlds too ridiculously huge like I thought they might be. Though they were all huge compared to Inquisition’s. It makes sense though, since they were clearly made to be used with the Nomad. If not for that, I think I would have been gritting my teeth trying to get from one side of the map to the other

More than two nice looking hairstyles for men, even if they were all a little bland.

Liked the color wheel on clothes, although I would have given it up in a heartbeat in favor of better physical feature customizations

Cons:

 At certain times the writing felt a little rushed to me.

There were still too many pointless quests, Bioware. chiiiiiiiiiill

Should I even bother to say it? I can hear the boos already. No imma say it anyway. DEAL. Some of the facial animations were nightmare fuel aight. Even for Bioware. Be real. I’m still clutching my rosary. But then some expressions felt much more natural than in previous games, too. I feel like they could easily build on that and refine it without too much hassle if given more time. Some walking and running animations felt a little less stiff than before, at least to me.

I’m still irritated at the CC. It’s pathetic, and using Alec as the reason it ‘has to be that way’ is ridiculous and cheap. That feeling of playing a pre-established character never went away and I was never able to fully connect with Ryder because of it. It took away from my enjoyment of the story. That, combined with the fact that it seemed like there were less dialog options this time around. And sometimes those dialog options seemed... bizarrely inappropriate to the situation. That’s nothing new, and sometimes it is just a matter of opinion, but ehh.

I fucking hate that fucking Sudoku wannabe decryption bullshit minigame oh my godddd. They can DIE. FOREVER. Ok this isn’t a legitimate complaint since technically you could skip most if you had a key thing, and I’m sure plenty of people out there enjoyed that hell. I’ve never had the patience for complex puzzles. Why couldn’t we just stick to matching lines of code like in ME2? cries  

The Kett story was a little predictable imo. And the Archon, I expected more out of him. As in, I was kinda hoping he’d be the sort of antagonist that you could empathize with. That maybe his motivations were less black and white than a certain other I AM A GOOOODDDDDD MWAHAHA bioware villain. 

Bugs. Buuuuugs everywhere. I couldn’t settle Elaaden because of a bug that prevented me from completing the mission. I had to replay several parts including a portion of the final mission. One time I lost about five hours of play. It was bad. Though, recalling what Inquisition was like on it’s initial release... it wasn’t completely unexpected.

Still doing that thing with Asari I see. Lmao. Like, I love Peebee, but I pulled a muscle rolling my eyes at the fact that I can’t be friendly to her without her trying to grab my junk. A whole new galaxy and we still hypersexualizing all the blue not-lady ladies. Nice. Can you imagine the meltdown hets would have if Gil had a cutscene that involved him rubbing up on Scott unprovoked? And the only reject option is along the lines of “Eheh.... well... I’m sorry, but I just... c-can’t... please don’t be mad your undeniable sex appeal isn’t working today...”

There was a very minor trans character, a side lesbian character, one gay/bi alien who’s love is dead, one bisexual human male and one possibly??? gay?? human male. The bisexual male is better written than the ONE other m/m romance, and one can only assume it was only given decent treatment because it’s also a potential fem!Ryder romance. Gil’s endgame if not romanced is to have a child with a woman? Lol. Also never explicitly states he’s only interested in men even when rejecting fem!Ryder. I could just sum all this up by saying “do better” but from where I’m sitting, this specific group of writers and developers aren’t interested in hearing it. So I’ll just say, fail. Fucking fail. No gold star for effort. If you want credit for being so ~*~progressive~*~, do the work. And for god’s sake, don’t treat it like someone twisted your arm to include it.

All in all, it was a fun game. I may play the DLCs if/when they come out. The main game doesn’t have a whole lot of replay value imo though, at least not for me. 

The problematic writing everyone foresaw going in turned out to be well-founded, and no, there is nothing here that would even begin to make up for it. They could do better if they wanted to. They’re aware of the issues. This was their chance to fix that and all they proved was that they really don’t care. Simple as that. So yep, I’m still extremely disappointed in that respect.

On that note, let’s not dwell on it. At least we all know what to expect now. On to what really matters... DA4~ And if they fuck that up, there will be hell to pay.