Welcome to my completely blind experience of the Mass Effect trilogy! Since this is a blind play through; I have NO idea what this game is about or what to expect. I’m so excited to share this adventure with you all and I hope you enjoy the play through 🙂
In case you missed it, I also played through Mass Effect 1 & 2! Check them out here:
ME1: https://youtu.be/0nSVa12KHdo?si=nRaYuh-CS8B9DIW5
ME2: https://youtu.be/WK4Ev5MYLLU
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Some timestamps for you!
0:00 Intro
5:03 PLEASE STOP POSTING SPOILERS 🙂
7:00 War Assets
14:55 Citadel : Miranda Lawson!
25:50 Citadel : Embassies
40:27 Citadel : Hospital
49:50 Citadel : Docks Holding Area
55:55 Meeting With Diplomats
1:17:24 Sur’Kesh
1:25:26 Shepard, Out
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Wrex is pushing for the Genophage cure now because he has leverage now. If he pledges his support carte blanche, he has no guarantees that he won’t get screwed over by the Salarians when it comes time to pay up. In fact, all indications from the Dalatrass show he’s almost certainly right about that.
Knowing what the Krogan are being asked to do, Wrex is thinking about the future which is a pretty sealed fate against them if there isn’t hope from a cured Genophage.
Saving up for the Valiant is a waste of credits as there are better snipers you can get and its an automatic or semi automatic which you don't like. Krogan want the genophage ended because its gone on for to long. Wrex already knew about Maelon and he wants to end the genophage to help his people. Your thinking is so off on this and the game has a better viewpoint than you. From ME2 Wrex's leadership changed things so much and the Krogan follow strength more than anything. Thinking rather negatively of Krogan just like a Salarian. He is looking to the future when the war is done and the Reapers are no longer a threat. You willl see more that will hopefully make things more clear next time you play. Your decisions may or may not have doomed the Krogan but since I never decided to screw them over like this in any of my playthroughs I don't know.
No no. Don't end it like this.😂. I was really anticipating what you'll face after that Maelon decision. It's sad to see Wrex angry at you for that and probably even more angry when you justified your decision, which is indeed understandable. Looking forward to see your next playthrough. Again, the genophage topic is very controversial and will always involve in each side (those who think the genophage was right and others who think it was a great mistake) arguing with no clear winner. Especially now that'll you'll somehow have to explain yourself to a pissed Wrex.
The Genophage is definitionally a genocide. Plain and simple. Fighting a people using biological warfare that prevents them from repopulating, keeping them subservient to others for survival, holding their people hostage for the crime of being healthy, and engineering a 2nd Genophage centuries after the first cause the Krogan were adapting to it to keep them from recovering naturally meets any definition of a genocide. The Salarian, nor any council, government made any attempt to negotiate with the Krogan post war. It ended cause the Krogan couldn't continue it, they only found out about the Genophage when their population wasn't recovering as should have. And considering that the Rachni were manipulated by the Reapers, it's not unlikely that the Krogan were as well. A failure or a work in progress in the Reapers eyes is unknowable, but still possible, making what the Salarians did even more damning.
I've seen the Mass Effect series on many Youtubers, but you are one of my favorites. You do it great. I love the intros and outros to the episodes and your whole way of playing this masterpiece. I look forward to every new episode and in between I watch your witcher lets play :). Best regards from Germany
About the Krogan I just feel that you did not hear what the dilatros said. She said that they taught them to be bruts. Also about the cure it is times like these when people are more open to even discuss the matter. If the Krogan wait till after the war they know that it will not pass.
Kali just fully buying into Council propaganda about the Krogan. 🤣
Edit: As far as why Wrex is so insistent about this, it's pretty simple. Right now, Wrex has leverage. The Turians need the Krogan to help them fight the Reapers. Once the war is over, it'll be too late to demand a cure.
I think that now is a perfect time to cure the genophage. Why? because this may be the only time when it is possible. If not for the threat of reapers other species would never agree to cure the genophage. Now is a perfect time because other species need Krogans and Krogan have a reasonable leader. Who knows when the circumstances like this will happen again? Or if they will happen at all. Krogan don't have the luxury to wait any longer because a chance like this is likely to never happen again.
the krogans want the genophage cure simply because without normal birth rate they may not survive war with reapers and extinct i guess. also, you're recruited javik so you already must know that his cycle lasted for hundreds of years in war with reapers. harvesting whole civilizations is not fast process.
About the genophage being cured, its what wrex needs, and asks for in the negotiations. The turians need help, the krogan can help both turians and humans. so the answer is simple: cure the genophage or have a very high chance of failing to build the crucible since humanity absolutely needs turian support.
To top it off, place yourself in wrex's place, why would you send droves upon droves of krogan to fight and die to help the turians (who sterilized them btw) and risk being wiped out anyways because of the huge losses youve incured and cant repopulate because of the genophage?
Im a bit worried about where this is heading….
Right now, Krogans have no future. They have no reason to play a role in society. No hope, nothing for all the clans to work together and cooperate for.
They arent going to send baby Krogan into battle, but without future babies to fight for, whats the point? If they are destined to die out, why not squish a planet full of Salarians on the way out? Doesnt matter to the Krogan if the Reapers win if the Krogan themselves have already lost any place in the future.
🫶Mods
They're not curing the genophage to pop out babies for the war effort, it's to motivate the Krogan for the future.
If you are going to cure the Genophage, be clear headed. Do it only if you think you're absolutely certain that this would be best for the Krogan. I saying this because I have gone through your past playthroughs.
I think you are grossly underestimating the krogan… Wed has his ppl in lock
Oh no, I've been binge watching the whole of your mass effect playthrough the last few days and now that I'm all caught up I have to start waiting for new episodes.
I think you're confusing the Widow with another weapon. In ME2 you used the Widow (found on the Collector ship) for most of the game because it was such a good weapon that could one-shot most enemies. Other characters couldn't even use this gun (except Legion) because it was that strong and good. I generally play as a sniper as well and I've always stuck to the Widow-class because of the sheer satisfaction of that gun 😉
You're going to buy the Valiant instead of the Black Widow? I'm not sure how good that weapon is to be honest.With a price tag twice as high as the Widow, it will take some time to be able to use a better gun. I hope it's worth the money.
One thing you can do is save your game, then buy a gun to try it out on the shooting range and if you're dissatisfied, you reload your save and buy another gun. It's a bit of save scumming, but who will blame you if you can't even test a product before buying? In the end you'll still have to spend the credits after all.
Don't be so hard on Ashley; she's just suffering from imposter syndrome . After a lifelong experience of always being ignored by the Alliance, trampled upon by her superiors and suddenly getting promotions and now becoming a Spectre, Ashley doesn't know how to deal with recognition. She's never had that experience before, until she's boarded the Normandy, but even on the Normandy she expressed her hesitation of being good enough to serve there.
And now, with being a Spectre, she suddenly becomes a person who is supposed to take charge, make the decisions. Ashley doesn't have experience in any of those. Her entire squad got killed by the Geth on Eden Prime. She only served under you on the Normandy without any responsibilities or decision making. She refused to join with you when you were with Cerberus. She wasn't even in the fight with the Collectors on Horizon since she got stung by the swarm and ended up paralyzed. She wasn't even there when you destroyed the Collector base.
So from the perspective of Ashley, what exactly has she accomplished herself to warrant becoming a Spectre? If you look at the above facts, there's not much that speaks in her favor. The only one that vouches for her is you – and not too long ago you were considered a traitor for joining up with Cerberus.
So yes, Ashley is quite confused about what's going on in her life – and then we haven't even touched upon the Reapers, where she's supposed to take charge as well as a Spectre. Like Garrus said on Menae: "Look at the size of that thing. And they want me to give them advise how to defeat it?" Ashley already said that all the way back in ME1. "I'm not sure how much use I am when my gun is like a prop gun against a Reaper."
I think what you're doing is fascinating. I love the way you're talking through the issues surrounding the genophage and coming to your own conclusions. You're getting into that gray area that not everyone wants to touch.
OMG, I'm so dumb, I just realised the asari commando's friend who she wanted to be romantic with has the same "medical condition" as Morinth. How many times have I heard them talking but not really paid attention? You usually get very interesting dialogue with Javik. One thing about watching others play the game is seeing different choices to those I made in previous games. Outside of the game, a cure for the genophage now is strategically good if you are expecting a 2+ generation long war, because without it the krogan are probably wiped out in the first generation. If you are expecting a <10 year war there's less point in doing it now and rather waiting to see how the galaxy is doing if the war ends in favour of the galactic civilisations (better to use Okeer's solution of tank grown krogan in that case).
Wrex is wanting to focus on the genophage now because this is when he has the best bargaining position.
The galaxy needs the korgan now more than ever. Wrex holds all the cards and he knows it.
He's not expecting the genophage to give him an instant army, but he's thinking about the future of the krogan. They have been in steady population decline for over a millennium and will go extinct without it, even if you stop the Reapers.
When you first voiced your opinions on the genophage, I was looking forward to this moment to see how you would cope with it. I agree it was needed back then, and maybe even now. Under the right leader, the krogan could become a force of good in the galaxy. With the wrong leader, they could blight the galaxy once again.
The true question is: is Wrex that leader who will begin a new golden age for the krogan?
If you'd cure the genophage right now, don't you think the credit will go to Wrex? Wouldn't that mean that more clans would be willing to ally themselves to the Urdnot clan for them being the clan that cured the genophage? That should give Wrex quite a lot of support to make the changes he wants, despite the vocal opposition, because the other clans acknowledge how much clan Urdnot has done for the Krogan. At least, that's how I (at this moment in time) see it.
As for your confusion about why everything needs to happen right now , that's the ultimatum Wrex gives. "Cure the genophage, then the Krogan will help. As long as there's no cure, the Krogan won't help." So yeah, if you want the Krogan to fight in the war, you need to have a cure pronto . If it takes you 10 years to create a cure, the Krogan will sit tight on their homeworld for the next 10 years without joining the fight. So yes, you want the cure now rather than later.
That's how politics work in real life as well, although in our politics we can usually come to a concensus over time. With the Reapers assaulting you don't have time to reach a concensus. So Wrex just puts in an ultimatum.
Why won't Wrex be satisfied with a promise for the cure? They don't believe the Salarians will provide a cure after the Reapers are defeated, even when promised. The Krogan don't trust the Turians and don't trust the Salarians. They screwed them over with the genophage in the first place, so there's a lot of distrust from the Krogan. Wrex understands that this is the best time to set this ultimatum, because everyone needs them, so they have room for making demands. "Get us a cure, or lose your homeworld" is a pretty strong incentive to say "yes".
Krogan reproduction
No, they don't throw Krogan babies in to fight the Reapers, but if you remember Vigil (ME1) and Javik saying that the extinction of the Protheans took centuries , then in that time there should be a steady stream of new Krogan to join the fight. How many Krogan can you produce over the course of a century?
When you think about reproduction rate, remember the Rachni? The Krogan managed to replenish their fallen soldiers in the Rachni Wars, so you may safely assume that their birth rate is pretty rapid as well. And if it isn't, then they'll at least give birth to a high number of children to replace the fallen soldiers in a relatively fast way.
In terms of timeline, to give you an idea of what I'm saying:
– Year 1: The Rachni Wars. This lasted 300 years. In that timespan they uplifted the Krogan.
– Year 300: End of Rachni Wars.
– Year 700: The Krogan Rebellions started.
– Year 800: Krogran Rebellions ended.
– Year 2154: Shepard born.
That means after the Rachni Wars when the Krogan were allowed to settle on several new, unpopulated planets, they managed to overpopulate said planets (and their homeworld) in 400 years. When you compare that to Earth, 400 years ago we had 500 million people. Now we have 8 billion.
That means in 400 years the Krogan have managed to give birth to 3 planets x 8 billion people = 24 billion Krogan (simplefied math)? I think they actually had more than 3 planets though, so their numbers might be way more than that.
Keep in mind that Krogan don't usually die of old age, especially when you consider Wrex' father having fought in the Krogan Rebellions (mentioned in ME1). Between his father fighting in the Krogan Rebellions and Wrex being in the current time, that means those two generations have spanned at least 1300 years. Earth would've been vastly overpopulated as well if we lived for a 1000 years or longer.
If you take their lifespan into account, 'old hatreds' dissipate over time, over generations. My grandparents experienced WWII and their kids (my parents) had inherited parts of the hatred from them. That only dissipated when my generation became adults (whoops, I guess I've hinted at my age now 😅). The Krogan live such a long time that it takes another 2000 years before the Krogan could start stopping to hate the Salarians and Turians. So if you want to give them a cure for the genophage after they stop hating them, you could look at another 2000 or perhaps 4000 years before that happens. I don't think the Reapers will wait that long.
Maelon data
When it came to Maelon's data, you were afraid that this data would get leaked. When it comes to Kasumi though, you allowed her to keep the data that shouldn't be leaked. As you saw, Kasumi leaked it anyway. So you're inconsistent in terms of your reasoning, so you're a hypocrit – but I say that in a friendly matter, because this game plays with your emotions and judgement, disallowing you to be consistent 🙂 I mean, just look at your perception of the Geth from ME1 to the end of ME2, right?
Your voice may sound different, but it has a certain charm to it that actually fits the grit of ME. I'm not complaining 🙂 Hell, even your cough sounds fitting. It does sound pretty tiring though, so I'm wishing you well and wishing you for more good tea.
Sorry for you being unable to even read the comments. I always try to avoid the spoilers, but I can't really do anything about others.
Miranda
I'm not sure if you've ever heard of that saying "That you may live in interesting times." From what I know it's a Chinese 'curse', because "interesting times" generally mean they're also difficult times to live in. I found it … amusing to hear Miranda saying it in that particular way, as if she feels like they've been cursed because nobody did anything when you warned them for the Reapers. In her case it can be a reference to the Council, the Alliance, but also at TIM for deviating from the plan to defeat the Reapers and instead going for an alternative approach.
Miranda leaving Cerberus isn't explicitly mentioned in your playthrough, but I've seen in the comments where you can hear that if you had made a different decision at the end of ME2. I suspect that someone "spoiled" that for you. For me that was known, for you that was a bit of a backseat, so I didn't point it out explicitly 😉 I try to keep my backseating to a minimum and instead offer you the options that you can consider.
Miranda's not only a bigger fish (heh, don't keep Miranda in your tank) than Kelly, but Miranda's also very resourceful and competent. Kelly is merely a worker, as blunt that may sound. I don't think she's 'down' though. It feels like she's up to her neck in her quest to survive and to find a new way of living her life outside of Cerberus. But when Cerberus tries to kill you and the Alliance tries to capture you, there's a lot to keep track of to erase your traces. Combine that with her worries for Oriana and Miranda's just busy finding ways to save her sister while not getting killed or captured in the process, not to mention falling victim to the Reapers. So I don't think she's down, she's tired and worried about her sister to the point where even her confidence is shaky. Since Miranda's confidence never wavers, this is her character development.
Bailey
Unfortunately Bailey doesn't have regular new dialogue. I believe halfway through the game he has new dialogue options, but still not too much.
Osoba
You'll find the evidence for his son at some point when you go to Benning. This is a side-mission you'll eventually get, but it's pretty tricky to find it, since it's on the ground and not really noticable, so you could miss it easily since you don't usually scour the ground when you're on a mission. Most people actually miss it, so don't beat yourself up over it.
Jondam Bau
The acronym from Spectre comes from SPECial Tactics and REconnesaince, so people tend to gloss over that aspect when he mentions it until Shepard voices it 😉
The name may be familiar because in the last video you'd received an e-mail from him telling you to find him in the Embassies.
PTSD Asari
It's a story about what happens in the galaxy, although you've already seen that it has some tie-ins with other characters, like the nurse in the Citadel Commons that wondered why she was still allowed in there when the Asari Commando was clearly agitated because of her similarity to the girl she was talking about. There's more to that story, but I'll let you experience that yourself 🙂
Why do you think the story relates to anyone on the Normandy?
Kelly
Since you didn't read the comments on the previous video, let me mention it here as well: when you got the dialogue option to tell her to help the people, there was also another dialogue option at the bottom. Considering what it said, I had expected you to make a comment on it, but you didn't. That made me wonder why, since you tend to point those things out.
"Hey krogan, we know your race is dying, but we need to use you as cannon fodder to bail the Turians out. And if we don't all die, we totally, totally, fingers crossed, pinky promise swear to maybe cure the disease we infected you with for 1,000 years. If we decide you've earned it." Shepard is good at shooting things, but I'll never understand how that makes her qualified to negotiate diplomacy or strategy.
As for why Wrex would want the genophage cured now, it is because if the reapers are beat and the genophage was not cured, he has literally zero leverage to make the cure be delivered, he has to use his leverage now or it will be lost, he has no guarantee turians and salarians would just keep their end of the bargain after the war is over, and humans have nothing to do in it, so it´s not like he could count on Shepard to do something about it.
Kasumi likes Jondam Bau and he likes her lol
I absolutely love the thought and care you put into these decisions. Based on your thought process… I have this feeling you’re going to go down a certain path… and if you do… it’s going to be absolutely wild.
Hi Kali. I am going to give you a warning. I will try to make it vague so as not to spoil anything. The father who is looking for evidence of his son's fate on Benning. The evidence is there but it is not easy to find. It can be very easily missed due to the way BioWare handled it. Search the ground carefully or you will miss it. The evidence is not inside a building. I hope this helps.
Sorry that your mods and you have so much work regarding spoilers in the comments.
The problem is that unfortunately there are many people who cannot accept the decisions of other players. In doing so, they forget one of the best things about Mass Effect. The decisions you have to make in the game pave the personal path you take in the games.
Okay I finally got time to finish this one and I am going to try and be brief and focus on one thing! Why is the cure important now for Wrex? I feel conflicted with this as well, on an logical standpoint I agree with you but on a emotional level I disagree and also with the times being drastic I am going hope and faith personally because that is all we have right now. Let me elaborate: Yes, Krogans dont born combat ready so unless this war goes on for years like with Javik and the Protheans we will not see any use of the Krogans cured right now. But if the Krogans choose to fight right now and if we miraculously win againt the reapers the Krogans are going to go extinct no matter what, with how many species are suffering casualties there wont be enough Krogan to support a viable population with the Genophage still active. Wrex knows this, Wrex is really smart and he also knows this time. Its both right time politically and last time for his race to have a chance to survive at all. You say they are not ready and that might be true but after this war their wont be a time where this can happen. If brought up after the war the political landscape will be in recovery of war, why would they approve this even if the Krogan population is threatened by extinction if the Dalatrass now is so heavily against it. Its been 1000 years as well and we have known Krogans as commander Shepard for less than 1%, and we can only learn what we can from Wrex. I think our experience is skewed a bit because we only see and met those Krogans that are against Wrex and just like here on earth, the minority is always the loudest and the political landscape is often very different from what is really going on. We have gotten glimpses of Krogans not being violent, the fish giddy one on the citadel and poetry lover on Illum. This is a generational trauma as well and any Krogans born today are raised in anger and hatred towards the rest of the galaxy. It comes down to if you feel people should pay for their ancestors crimes. The Quarians are facing this now, do they Quarians deserve how they are treated because what their ancestors did 300 years ago? I also went back to see what you did with the Rachni Queen which you did not kill even though there it was the same situation (maybe not exactly but similar) and you chose not to make genocide and give the queen a second chance. That Queen is an outlier as well one can argue so why was she spared when Krogans are not? Wrex saw this choice of yours and I dont know who you had with you but he argued the same you are now against his own people. He has seen the atrocities the Rachni inflicted. But giving the cure for the Krogans now show that you can give the same second chance you gave the Rachni Queen. You are giving the Krogans something to fight for, hope for the survival of their race. I am with the Turian primarch its for the academics to decide but right now we need allies and this is what they are asking for and you know Wrex, he is right now the most powerful Krogans in the known universe and he speaks for his whole species and he is asking for you to trust him and have faith and hope in him and the Krogans just as you are relying on faith and hope we can actually survive the reaper invasion.
if the reapers don't wipe out the krogan, then the genophage will. A cure is the only thing that will save the krogan, and this is wrex's only opportunity to get it. The genophage was necessary at the time, a desperate last resort to end a brutal war, but now it's easier to deal with another krogan rebellion than the reapers.
I've always saved Maelon's data so this was the first time I've seen the conversation with Wrex in the shuttle. There's always something new to find in Mass Effect! Thanks for another great episode.
Really unsure what to feel with Kali at times. Watching other YT hosts, even my own end, with their decisions yet, she is unique, a trailblazer even.
If allowed to say the genophage for instance. How she kept challenging Wrex, I disagree. I do agree her concerns with the rest of the Krogan, I get. Only for her, what 1047 years of it? Worried about a breeding program forget the Reapers… she may not exactly wrong, but say of the cure brings up morale? In war it's important, in very important. Now we have a extinction machine eradicating intelligent life, yet get cured, I want to be parent, yet I think they know they the score in the end. They have primal instincts, admit most do, but a some who gets it, especially the Reaper threat the Kroganknows it… umm yikes
I apologize my brief snap on Cerberus in ME2, played this game too much, even this, I have not agreed your few decisions, but respect your opinion. The latter part I respect about you, who to say am I right? Worst thing evolves into politics, found it boring when I was young, now politics is no different than alt real tv vs reality, uggh n/m
The one track you are doing, I have not done in my PTs, perfect scenario here curious how it will play out.
Amazing how complex VGs are in general complex, if written appropriately.
I'd easily fold under Wrex's disappointed gaze.
I appreciate that you keep in mind all the nuances of the issue of the genophage. A lot of people have a knee jerk reaction because it’s such an emotional issue and your perspective on it is refreshing to hear because of the attention you gave it.
I think the reason why it’s being rushed is because Wrex knows he has leverage. As much as he says you’re using him he’s also using you and the position you’re all in. And you’re right. He is an outlier and by and large the Krogan are still very violent.
In his defense you could also say that he wants a cure before sending his people into battle because this is a battle of survival and they likely face a lot of casualties, so being able to replenish their population after this war has got to be on his mind.
One thing about the genophage that I still have questions about, is how it is apparently either misrepresented, or poorly explained by the creators of the game. Because when you talk to Mordin in ME2, the way he describes it is that it only reduces how easy it is for the krogan to get pregnant, and iirc makes it so it's nearly impossible to have twins/more at once.
But the way the krogan tell it, they end up nearly always ending up a stillbirth, something that I would propose is unimaginably crueler. Because then you give them hope, and crush it over and over again. The scars on a population suffering from that for more than a millennium, I would postulate, could never heal.
That is why I'm unsure if it's actually intended for the characters that are 'pro genophage' to downplay it, or if it's just the writers not being clear with eachother about the specifics, and mixing it up unintentionally.
the idea that the krogan have to be in a position to “deserve” to be cured from a genocide is in and of itself the wrong way to look at it I think
I know I'm a little late to the conversation. Stupid work getting in the way. lol
But I just wanted to remind you that when the Reapers wiped out the Protheans, it took generations to do so. So if the genophage gets cured now, they could potentially multiply their numbers in time to still fight the Reapers.
The thing with the Vorcha and their employment opportunities is not necessarily that they are less intelligent than others – the main problem is that their average lifespan is just 20 years. That's not much time to study and develop skills.
Think about it this way: Vorchas die at the same age where humans start their college education. Let's say you're a businesswoman looking to employ someone for a job as an engineer for example – would you recruit someone you know dies of old age in just a few years? On top of knowing that the education of that individual was maybe more basic?