Mass Effect has a simple message: human beings are delusional about their importance in the grand scheme of things.

Mass Effect starts with humanity in the galaxy where it should have been in the United Federation of Planets: unnoticed among the other minor species struggling to prove to the Council why they add anything of value to the civilization that is Citadel Space. Such a message would be laughable were it made central toStar Wars or Star Trek, where nearly every important character is human. Star Wars and Star Trek start with the assumption that humans will be important in galactic civilization. Why? In part because the medium forced that decision, but more so because both universes assume that human beings add meaning to the universe. Mass Effect doesn’t make such an assumption. Mass Effect never lets you forget that we might not add one jot of meaning or benefit to intelligent life beyond our solar system.

I’m just going to say this.  Mass Effect isn’t perfect.  But it is a better, more thought out, and more cohesive science fiction universe than any other I have ever inhabited.  

Also, the Normandy is cooler than the Millenium Falcon.  There.  I said it.

I’m just messing around.  Mass Effect is one of my favorite game series of all time, and certainly my favorite sci-fi game ever.  I’ve played two.  But only once through to my shame, and the only DLC I’ve played is the Zaeed and Kasumi ones…so…I’m on a mission to run through it a few times before 3 comes out.

Harrison Shepard rules you.

Saren is dead.

But so is the council.

Anderson is head of the new council now.

But, that was two years ago.

Now I died, and came back to life.

And for some reason, I’m working with Cerberus?

WTF?!

Wasn’t I just hunting Geth?

What the hell is a Collector?

Random thought about the Geth.  Due to their low-level process sharing, Geth are logically smarter in larger groups, but still maintain an individual identity and awareness of the world.  Logically this would mean if members of that group leave, or are destroyed, the processing power and intelligence of the remaining members drops.  

Since the Geth have a true functioning AI awareness, that would mean that as Shepard and his homies kill off members of a Geth squad, the remaining members would actually feel themselves getting dumber…that would suck.

Poor Geth…

A few things…

I am incapable of playing Shepard anyway but Soldier.  I don’t know why.  Maybe its a role playing thing, or a head canon thing or something…but yeah, in my mind, Shepard is a soldier, through and through.

Why don’t people like Kaiden?  That’s a serious question.  

I’m not sure why I didn’t instantly love Garrus.  When Mass Effect first came out, I thought he was whiney, and I didn’t really like him.  That was dumb.

Wrex is still the best though.  Always.

Wrex, and Tali.  I love Tali.

skyrimconfessions:

“When I enter one of the big cities, I always change out of my armor and into some normal clothes.”

http://skyrimconfessions.tumblr.com

I do this too.  

12:30am

somehow bored with skyrim characters

make wife character, hope she plays it with you

start Morrowind for the nth time with the intention of finishing it this time!

Big fan of, “You know, I’ve been thinking, maybe I’m the Dragonborn and I just don’t know it yet!.”

I also like everything Devlin says.

And the way Eorland Greymane says, “Gods be praised!” whenever you ask him if he has anything for sale.

I don’t know what it is.  I put hundreds of hours in Oblivion.  I’m willing to bet the amount of that time I spent reading books in game was less than one percent.  And yet, I read four out of five books I find in Skyrim.  My character has piles of books he’s collected.  What’s more astounding is that I have spent hours of downtime at work reading the various Elder Scrolls Wikis to learn more about the lore of the game world…

The depth and complexity of this stuff is, quite frankly, baffling sometimes.  Its really dense.  On the same level as Herbert’s Golden Path nonsense, or some of the really ancient history of Middle Earth (of which I know nothing.)

Not only is it fascinating to me on a fan level, its incredible to me that writers can put this much effort into a game world.  I’m sure Bethesda could offer nearly the same game play experience without all the lore, but it really provides their fantasy world with a depth and immersion that I struggle to compare to anything else.  And, as a fan of the series, I like to feel that connection.  That knowing something odd like the fact that some Daedric scholars believe that The Night Mother, patron deity of The Dark Brotherhood, is actually an aspect of the Daedric lord Mephala, makes me feel a lot more connected to the universe and the gaming experience.

Good stuff.

All of the NPC companions, hirelings and followers that you can have the option to marry are lame.  Why can’t I marry Karliah!?  Or Devlin, he’s got a sexy accent!  Or Vex, cause she is easily the hottest NPC!  Man, I’d even like Brynjolf better than any of those others.  Its crap!