#anna plays mass effect

[annalyticall]

"Archangel is a turian" oh ok so it's Garrus lol

[jicklet]

Olivia Shepard in MELE

[fluasch]

Just finished mass effect: andromeda and tbh if this is the worst part of the mass effect series I’m gonna die playing the og series

[victoryrifle]

an 18 year old just reblogged my take earth back gifset tagging “idk who these are” im 😭😭😭

[slarpg]

HI I'm currently brainstorming my own very lesbian RPG Maker game, and as kind of a casual gamer, I'm trying to familiarize myself with what lesbian games are already out there!! SLARPG looks amazing, I have a Mac but I'm dying to play it as soon as I can get set up to. But anyway. I was wondering if you know of any other notable games focused on lesbian stories, besides visual novels(I know theres lots of those, but I'm interested in RPGs and life sims.) Was there any other sapphic game that helped to inspire SLARPG perhaps?

Hey thanks for reading my ask anyway and hope to play SLARPG soon 😊

The thing is, I can't say I was particularly inspired by other sapphic games when I started making SLARPG

For one, there just weren't nearly as many sapphic games in the early 2010s as there are today. There was, like, Life is Strange and Gone Home, and some RPGs that had some F/F romance options like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and a small handful of niche indie games like Mighty Jill Off and Lesbian Spider Queens of Mars by Anna Anthropy, but there wasn't nearly as much out there as there is today. Just to name a few, you've now got indies like Butterfly Soup, Signalis, Get in the Car Loser, certain subplots in Undertale and Deltarune, the continued existence of RPGs with F/F options like Baldur's Gate 3, and many, many more games than I can list off the top of my head. There's a lot, especially in the indie space

There are also more AAA games with sapphic characters in them now, but I wouldn't exactly pitch The Last of Us to someone looking for a queer romance story just because Ellie is gay, nor would I tell you to play Overwatch 2 just because the lore says Tracer is a lesbian. And I know Aloy has a female love interest in Horizon: Forbidden West, but I couldn't tell you how much focus that's actually given

But also, SLARPG was based more on my own experiences and feelings, as opposed to being inspired by other works of queer fiction. There was very little out there that I felt I could relate to 100% at the time, so I felt the need to go and make it myself. And, in fact, I kind of avoided playing some other queer games by my peers in the indie scene while working on SLARPG because I didn't wanna be influenced too heavily by them and accidentally rip them off. I just wanted to tell my own story

[marimayscarlett]

Another list of unrealistic wishes for the 2024 tour

Back at it again with the delusional takes and here to make it everyone elses problem - a very warm welcome to volume 2 of our wishes for the upcoming Rammstein tour ✨ This time again carefully put together by @wizzardclown @gothtoast and me, with additional wonderful influences by my dear @m---e---l. Thank you ladies 🤍

(Read our first list here and please consider checking out the great suggestions in the notes!)

Set list and concert organisation in general

first up, the question of the supporting act: -> either not happening in general, since none of us actually want to endure another round of the piano tinkling, so we though about this concept:

This way, we get an even longer concert with no distraction from the pure Rammstein sound.

-> or, another idea which came to mind: to celebrate the literary-genius Flake, he could give us a reading of one of his books before the concert, lighten up the mood and feeding the masses with entertaining facts. Additionally, Richard could play some piano in the background during it, for dramatic effect (like the piano accompaniment during silent movies back in the old days).

Opener for the concert this year: 'Haifisch'. Would be an amazing and appreciative nod towards the fans in regards to the support the band was shown last year.

'Zwitter': a banger to set the sexual ambiguous mood for the evening.

'Mein Land': Not sure if they every played this one live, but it would be a fitting song to get some summer vibes going.

for sunset rather fittingly 'Sonne'.

Off to the first proper segment, welcome to the 👻haunting hour👻: fitting for the upcoming night time, a creepy conglomerate consisting of: -> 'Wilder Wein' (I could write a whole chapter about this song, it's so captivating), followed by 'Spieluhr' -> 'Hilf mir': perfect for some new haunting stage show (maybe as a replacement for 'Puppe'; or to quote @wizzardclown: 'When in doubt, set Flake on fire') -> 'Heirate mich': preferably with some 'sliding on his knees/a rolling board'-Till -> to end this phase with a classic: 'Du riechst so gut' is an absolute MUST.

following: 'Rein Raus', some relaxing ASMR to lighten the mood.

Welcome to the next section: 🔥Some like it hot🔥, consisting of: -> 'Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen': camera focus has to be on Schneider. -> 'Asche zu Asche' with burning mics (!). -> 'Du hast' with its fire rockets (my favourite pyro in the whole concert) because no Rammstein concert can exist without this song, that's a physical law, and additionally Richard would be sad if he couldn't play it. -> 'Engel' preferably with the iconic wings (poor Till really has to go all in during this concert).

as a moment to take a breather: Mutter.

'Deutschland': a song we all wait for, with a huge meaning, just overall a perfect piece - yet no remix this time, since we need the time to slide right into the next phase of the concert:

💗questionable on-stage actions and homoerotica galore💗, consisting of: -> 'Mein Teil', with dilf dad-dance moves AND several guitarist kisses (what better moment than the dick eating song for it) -> 'Zick Zack' with at least some sort of elaborate costumes, -> 'Feuerräder', for the perfect vibe with Flake riding on Till's back, neon tube ready to knock seven bells out of his tormentor (justice for Flake), additionally maybe Oliver skating with his roller skates which emit flames in the background and more guitarist kisses

after this breathtaking segment, how about some 'Anna'-sing along! Scream the name of your fave on the top of your lungs and show your love for him 💘

finally some unrealistic (as if the whole list isn't a fever dream already) wishes : 'Eifersucht' and 'Fellfrosch'. To finally give Olli's sick bass lines the stage they deserve 😤

2. some more outfit ideas

long hair Schneider with his handband, because this was a look:

leg belts for Richard 🖤

and last but not least, this is a PSA: If Frau Schneider makes an appearance and decides to grace us with her presence, consider everything on this list to be obsolete. Seeing the mother again would be the greatest joy of all, we don't need anything more 🙇🏼‍♀️🙏🏼

[heroofshield]

Summary: James and Anna get busted, also they have a conversation about things.

Rating: PG

Warnings: None

@anderfels

“I was right.”

Anna looked up at Evie as the other woman approached the bar. Covering for another coworker during the evening shift, Anna had kept busy pouring drinks behind the bar as the rugby game got started. Mason wanted her to have more experience behind the bar and she wondered if she could convince him to fully train her as a bartender.

“About what?”

Her co-worker placed her tray on the lacquered wood and nodded behind her while continuing, “That James Vega is in town! He was spotted running on the beach earlier. So that means he’s in town for something. Or someone.”

“Oh?” The question came out in a higher pitch than Anna intended and she cleared her throat before continuing, “Really?”

“Yeah, some gossip sites posted photos earlier. See?” Evie held out her arm so Anna could see the screen.

Anna stared at the photos of James in his workout shorts, his bronzed skin bright with sweat, and the standard Alliance shirt that barely fit him. Her first instinct was to brush it off, say that there was no way that was James, but at the same time everyone knew what his neck tattoo looked like. “Stupid Alliance publicity.” she thought while pulling herself together and trying to play it cool.

“Going to ask for an autograph if you run into him?” Anna teased as her mind worked fast. No one seemed to know where he was staying so at least there was that. She just had to keep playing it cool and not let her friend suspect that anything was up.

Evie let a mischievous smile appear while shaking her head, “Nope. But maybe I’ll ask him for something else. Rumor is that he’s single so you know he probably isn’t short of people to keep him company.”

Read the rest on Ao3!

[theimperiumchronicles]

Happy STS! Your characters are decorating. For what? You decide; Christmas, a party, the end of the world, etc. All that matters is they are together and they must decorate. Who claims overseer? Who disappears into the kitchen for snacks and never returns? Who spends two hours untangling lights or streamers?

Hi sweet Tori! I will answer for each WIP separately because it will be different for each one.

@theimperiumchronicles

The Palace is always decked out for Christmas. Lights EVERYWHERE, multiple trees, holly and pine boughs on all the stairwells, wreaths on all the mantels. It is like a winter wonderland. Abriella and Cruz make it snow many nights for the kinds in Imperium to get to play. It is beautiful and magical.

@the-andromeda-effect

Caliban used to have parties for Christmas because it was what was expected but now that Adira is in his life, he is finding that decorating and celebrating is more enjoyable. He is letting her take the lead on putting up the tree, buying decorations that will be "theirs" and even planning the yearly celebratory parties. Their marriage may be "fake" but their budding relationship is most certainly not.

Bayou Witches

Nothing in the LaVeau household is done halfway. There are decorations everywhere celebrating their French and Haitian roots. Mass will be attended on Christmas Eve, and their Catholic beliefs are not forgotten in their decorations either.

Back To The 20's

Candles, strings of pearls, glass ornaments, holly, and trees decorate the elegant Garden District home that Anna and Jasper share. The home of Jean Pierre and Armaund is no less formal. Jazz bands would be arranged, only the highest quality bootlegged liquor provided, and the most delicious creole food prepared.

@devil-in-the-details-ay

As literal Death himself, Astaroth celebrates the death of plants and animals due to the frigid weather. He does not host parties or decorate. Normally his celebrations are with the reapers of all kinds that are in his employ and bring the death of all manners of beings and life. However, this year he has Yara at his side and as they navigate the complexities of their forced marriage, they are also celebrating this together as well. In past years it has been a grand banquet where the mood was respectful of the lives that had ended, and it is expected that it will transpire much the same this year. Things could change with Yara now participating.

@magical-mistakes-vm

Vollrath, Balor, Elmar, and Baldur have never really celebrated. Mahala was always on the run and her mother never had the money to celebrate the holidays. This year, they'll all be spending them together due to the circumstances surrounding Mahala returning to her family's homestead. To try to lighten the mood, they will do light decorating and exchange gifts. How that will go will be interesting to see, given that none of them have ever done this before.

@princess-of-thieves-id

There is no Christmas in the version of Earth that this story is set in. However they do have celebrations for the start of the new year. For that, they will decorate the ship's galley with lights and have a small celebration on the last day of the year.

@tapperhet-em

There is also no Christmas in this version of Earth. I have not decided if there will be any other winter celebrations.

[crystalelemental]

Now that I’ve completed all the supports, time to talk about the effective S-supports.  This is my ranking based on how well the support goes.  Given that some are romantic and some are just friends, I’ll be treating them a little differently.  Ultimately, the vibe of how well they work plays into it, but for romantic partnerships, the question of whether earlier supports pinged romance and whether the confession is actually cute will have to factor in as well.  I will try, though not promise to succeed, in putting my bias for or against certain characters aside.  I also want to note, these are ordered by how they appeared in the Somniel, so these aren’t intra-tier ranked.  As for how the tiers are structured, for your consideration:

S: Super sweet.  Like, if friends, this is the good dynamics.  If romance, they’re actually like...really selling me here.

A: Actively adorable, friendship is strong or roman

B: Fairly cute, like the dynamic presented, but played the wrong way.  Either they’re just friends when it shouldn’t have been, or they’re romantic when it doesn’t feel right.

C: Bland, but not strictly bad.  Romance as an option from them doesn’t really...work to me, or friendship is dull.

D: Really boring, feel like nothing is offered.

F: Actively do not like how this goes.

S-TIER

Pandreo - Oh, I really like this one.  Like, the fact he’s directly part of the church that worships you had me on edge, but he makes it really up front that hey, this would be improper, but as a person I really like you, thanks for hearing me out I gotta go.  And Alear stops him to insist that hey, I never signed up to be god, and I am down with this.  It kinda rules.  And he’s super sweet afterward?  Like his line in the still image is strong.  Good work, party monk.

Veyle - She’s precious.  S-tier.  “Okay but the content?”  It’s S-tier.  Shut up.  In all seriousness, it echoes a lot of others, where it’s them giving you something too, but it’s Veyle, okay?  That’s baby, I will kill for her.

Amber - Oh damn that’s adorable.  “Your place is right here, by my side.”  Damn boy, that’s well done.  Also Amber’s just precious in general, so grading a bit on a curve, but I’m really pleased at how this turned out.

Anna - Absolutely adorable.  Such a fun conversation that focuses on what make baby Anna so precious.  I just love how she’s sentimental enough to hold off on her best works as a gift to you, and then immediately turns it around into mass production of your necklaces and how we’re going to be business partners.  Fantastic.

Hortensia - It’s precious.  They’re engaging, it’s funny, it’s heart-warming.  I really liked this one.  Hortensia turned out to be a really strong character as it is, being one that’s not as clear with her emotions and is trying to improve as a person, but I feel like hits a very believable state.  It’s not too over the top, but it’s charming and quirky and fun.

Celine - Now that’s just great.  She worries you’ll be disappointed in her harsh stance, and you instead turn it into the confidence that you’ll always have her back.  Great continuation, great character, love how it goes.

Goldmary - My girl.  So, I noticed a thing.  When the romance option is male, they’re always leading off with how they feel and why.  When the romance option is female, Alear is leading off.  I kinda like that Goldmary is the exception that’s like nope, absolutely not, I’m going first.  And she’s really direct and clear.  A lot of supports seemed kinda on the fence to me, either could’ve been romantic until proven otherwise or could’ve been platonic until you see where the ring is.  I like that Goldmary’s both assertive and clear about what she wants, while still being playful about how no one else gets to be this happy.  Best girl indeed.

A-TIER

Alcryst - Actually really sweet too!  He had a gemstone for you too, and it has all this significance to it.  It’s a cute exchange.  And overcoming the inherent shyness to be a bit bold?  Good stuff. The only reason it’s not S is because Lapis exists.  It feels wrong.  Like I’m a homewrecker.

Panette - This is pretty cute.   The fixation on how a relationship can sour, anxieties over allowing it, it’s a more dynamic confession that way.  The whole situation plays out well.

Alfred - I think this is an inversion of Alcryst; someone normally confident and peppy being reserved and almost coy but working up the courage. It’s cute.

Framme - Pretty cute!  Promoted to Number One Ally.  Sorry, Clanne.

Chloe - They’re cute.  The fairy-tale focus lends itself well to a romance, but I feel like it doesn’t quite...land as perfectly.

Rosado - A very cute friendship bit.  Knowing how Rosado is about being the cutest, conceding defeat against you because of how precious you are is a very cute gesture.  But.  I’m annoyed by the whole “like” thing.  Social media isn’t real.  What the fuck are you talking about, Alear?

Zelkov - The leadup feels kinda weak, but the presentation of the gift and its meaning, alongside dropping his speaking quirk because he feels like everything said here is meaningful?  That’s strong.

Clanne - It’s really cute.  And similar to Framme.  I am picking favorites between the children.  Terrible of me, really.

Yunaka - Yunaka’s incredibly cute in general, and the continuation from previous supports works really well here.  But I’d be lying if I said it felt particularly...romantic.

B-TIER

Bunet - Actually pretty sweet?  I have to deny the S more because Fogado exists, and homewrecking and all that.  Fogado did not search you out for years just for you to leave him, Bunet.

Seadall - I’m so mad his is actually cute.   I’m docking points for their earlier supports not doing anything particularly useful in the setup, and referencing the damn savory food thing again.  Just eat, damn you!

Vander - I’m a sucker for the whole “renewing knightly vows with fuller understanding of what it means to me” thing.  However.  He’s wearing the ring on his ring finger, and as a romance, it’s not doing it for me.

Boucheron - It’s pretty cute.  But it’s also not anything particularly profound.

Kagetsu - Actually surprisingly charming.  I wasn’t expecting to be attached to the idea of him swerving from friend to romance and being jealous about the prospect of you binding your life to someone else, but it’s kinda cute.

Fogado - This would’ve been incredibly sweet if it weren’t for “allies.”  Why is this one not romantic, IS?  Is there some reason Fogado shouldn’t be a marriage option?  Hmm?  Do tell.

Louis - I like Louis well enough, but this feels like it didn’t try as hard as it could have to get something interesting going.

Citrinne - This is a really, really cute friendship bit.  I like them a lot. Citrinne being taken aback about receiving a gift, because she doesn’t usually get them. Sincerely though, why isn’t this romantic?  This feels like it should be.

C-TIER

Mauvier - By general structure it’s not bad, but it never pinged romantic before now?  I dunno.  I just don’t vibe with it.

Lapis - It’s fine.  I don’t really get the romance vibes, but apparently she’s meant to be read as romantic?  It doesn’t feel especially so.

Saphir - It’s a little bland.  There’s just not much substance to the situation, I feel.

Timerra - “It’s so tough having close relationships but wanting to be truly free.” Then fuck off.  Though on the other hand, I guess this means we’re friend married, and not planning to have romantic relationships at all?   That checks out.  I have adopted a lot of cats.  And Rutile Marmots, apparently.

Merrin - It’s not that it isn’t cute, it’s that the earlier supports were super bizarre to me so it doesn’t land like it should.

Etie - By friendship, it’s fine.  I just wish they gave Etie a bit more than just...the workout fixation, you know?  Not much is spent on developments that make her shine.

D-TIER

Lindon - It’s just kinda...meh.  Not really doing anything for me at all.

Diamant - He’s kinda boring.  It wants to be cute but he’s so bland.

Jade - Similar.  Just kinda boring.

Jean - It’s pretty cute.  I don’t have a whole lot to say about it, though.

F-TIER

Ivy - It’s not a good romance, and it weirds me out that we not only don’t address the whole worship thing by insisting Alear is their friend before their deity, but actually leans into the whole devout thing.  Unpleasant.

[quotesfrommyreading]

Most of the time, when heads of state talk about nuclear war, they speak in careful, measured tones, acknowledging the gravity of the nuclear taboo and the consequences of breaking it. The Russian president takes a different approach. Speaking at his annual foreign-policy conference a few years ago, Vladimir Putin reflected, without smiling, on the consequences of a nuclear war. “We will go to heaven as martyrs,” he said, “and they will just drop dead.”

At the same conference last month, a regime insider, Fyodor Lukyanov, asked him about this remark: “You said that we would all go to heaven, but we’re in no hurry to get there, right?” Putin did not answer. The seconds ticked by. Lukyanov said, “You’ve stopped to think. That’s disconcerting.” Putin responded, “I did it on purpose to make you worry a little.”

I did it on purpose to make you worry a little? Why does he want anyone to worry? Because fear is not just a feeling or an ephemeral emotion; it is a physical sensation. It can grip your stomach, freeze your limbs, make your heart beat faster. Fear can distort the way you think and act. Because it can be so paralyzing, human beings have always tried to make other human beings feel fear. If you can make your enemies afraid, they will not oppose you, because they cannot oppose you. You can then win the argument, the battle, or the war without ever having to fight.

Putin is a KGB officer who knows about the manipulation of emotions, fear most of all. For two decades, he has sought to evoke fear inside Russia. Unlike his Soviet predecessors, he doesn’t shoot or arrest millions of people. Instead, he uses targeted violence, specially designed to create fear. When the investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya was gunned down in her Moscow stairwell, and when the businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky was sent to prison for a decade, other journalists and other businessmen got the message. When the opposition politicians Boris Nemtsov and Alexei Navalny were murdered and poisoned, respectively, those incidents sent a message too. This isn’t mass terror, but it is just as effective. Fear keeps Putin in power by rendering people too frightened to report news, protest government actions, or conduct independent business or even independent activity of any kind.

Putin also seeks to create fear in the outside world, especially the democratic world. He does this, above all, by bantering about nuclear weapons, at conferences and everywhere else. Indeed, this has been a central subject of his public commentary, and of Russian propaganda more broadly, for many years. Pictures of mushroom clouds appear regularly on the evening news. Threats of nuclear strikes against Ukraine have been made repeatedly, as far back as 2014. Russia’s armed forces practice nuclear strikes as a routine part of military exercises. Back in 2009, they played out a war game that included dropping a nuclear bomb on Poland. This constant, repetitive nuclear signaling, which long predates the current war, has a purpose: to make NATO countries afraid to defend Poland, afraid to defend Ukraine, and afraid to provoke or anger Russia in any way at all.

  —  Fear of Nuclear War Has Warped the West’s Ukraine Strategy

[annalyticall]

Thoughts on Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect Trilogy

Well. It's over.

I'll keep it real with you chief, Mass Effect 3 was by far my favorite of the three games. That might be controversial given what I know about the divisive endings (basically the only thing I knew before I started these games), but as a newcomer to the series, Mass Effect 3 had a lot of what I was looking for from the previous entries. I also realized that fundamentally I can't compare these games to Dragon Age because the truth is I still like the Dragon Age games more individually but I do like Mass Effect more as a unified trilogy.

Again, I played Shiv Shepard, colonist Sole Survivor, Sentinel, and Paragon. I played her with survivor's guilt in ME1, with a burning hatred of Cerberus for bringing her back from the dead (and for the Akuze thing) in ME2, and a mix of burning hatred of Cerberus and a survivor's guilt over Earth in ME3. I don't think I ever mentioned this but I intended Shiv to be Irish/Korean, full first name is Siobhan

You see that bit of red? Those are renegade points I got every time I talked to the Illusive Man.

Major Story Decisions: Continued relationship with Kaidan, let Mordin cure the genophage, killed Councilor Udina myself with Kaidan on my side, secured peace between the geth and quarians, killed the Illusive Man myself, and chose the Destroy ending (which I'll get into later). I entered the war with 8000 war assets and the only character deaths I saw were the scripted ones (Mordin, Thane, Legion, Anderson, presumably EDI). I also beat James' 182 pull-up record.

The Pros and Cons lists are a little tricky for this one since I found a lot of the good came with some bad and a lot of the bad came with some good, but I'll try to keep it all in neat bullet points.

Pros

Satisfying Ends. From Mordin curing the genocidal disease he helped perfect to the control-hungry Illusive Man driven crazy by the same control he sought to have, everyone gets a nice and neat bow on their character arcs that had been set up since the beginning, or at least since Mass Effect 2. Honestly, playing ME3 made me like ME2 more than I had before since I could now see the consequences of my actions on the characters I grew close with in the previous game. Speaking of...

Consequences. Moreso than Dragon Age, it's fun to see how much my choices from previous games impacted my experience throughout the trilogy following a single character and her friend group. Of course, it's not going to be perfect - I AM miffed that my major game-ending decisions of ME1 and ME2 like saving the council, rewriting the geth, and destroying the collector base ultimately resulted in very little change in the story. Weirdly, it was the lesser decisions that mattered most - keeping Wrex alive, preserving the cure data in Mordin's loyalty mission, not cheating on my ME1 love interest, resolving Legion's and Tali's hostility, and reuniting Thane with his son were all very effecting choices on my story since they all add up into a pool of possible outcomes rather than dichotomous decisions (it makes sense Kaidan might trust me a little less in an armed standoff if I cheated on him I guess lol). And I appreciate that even the minimal choices were at least represented as war assets.

Gameplay. ME3 had the best gameplay of all games by far. I think it's telling when I could spend over 3 hours in the combat center just trying out different modes. Unlike in ME2, I didn't feel as restricted in playstyle with the introduction of a bonus power and a healthier shield. My favorite bonus power was Aria T'Lok's Flare, a large biotic blast critical in any fight with bunched-up enemies. I'm glad I got that one early on because it helped me survive so much of the game.

It looks good. Not that I hated the graphics in the last two games, but this one had some nice cinematic angles, richer colors, and grander set designs that made it more immersive for me to get into.

Pace and Scope. ME3 really pulled off the feeling of scale in a galaxy-wide conflict. It didn't hold back with its bang of an opening as we survive the reapers attacking Earth within the first 10 minutes, then slowly we see these behemoth machines devastate every other alien homeworld and invade more of the map in each story arc until it culminates in a grand final stand. I was worried the game would, in a sense, "nerf" the reapers since it took so much to take down just one reaper in ME1 and a single half-built reaper in ME2, but although we kill many more reapers in ME3, each one is an earned spectacle that requires either a lot of combined firepower or a giant thresher maw to do the job. Side note, I do like the irony of my sole survivor Shepard getting saved by the thing that killed her whole squad in the past.

Romance and Friendships. Listen, I don't think I've praised a Bioware game on its romance since Dragon Age Origins (Alistair my beloved) and while this game is still a little sparse in the romance department, the DLCs more than make up for it with a lot of great content for the love interests. I enjoyed the flirty, lively banter and the cute domestic scene in the Citadel DLC (Kaidan my beloved), and how worried he was about Shepard's safety in the Leviathan DLC. But even outside those addons, I liked the quiet moment shared before the final Cerberus mission, and while I typically cringe at Bioware sex scenes, I found this one to be, uh... tolerable. The romance in ME3 felt like an oasis after the lonely desert I suffered through in the last game lol. As for friendships, I loved the little platonic dates you get to go on with your squadmates both in the base game and the Citadel DLC. I never felt closer to these characters than I have here.

Cons

Contrived Means. Although I enjoyed the satisfying ends to many subplots and character arcs, I didn't enjoy the somewhat forced means it took to get there. I can forgive the last-minute sabotage that doomed Mordin to die since ultimately the end it led to was most fitting for Mordin's story. However, I took issue with a lot of the geth/quarian buildup, mostly involving Legion and the reaper codes. To be honest, I LIKED the geth being a completely alien hivemind and existing as a neutral anomaly that takes effort to understand and accept in ME2. The focus of becoming an individual (the original question the geth asked was actually "do these units have a soul", not "does this unit have a soul" as ME3 claims) undermined what I thought was compelling about Legion and the geth in the first place. Also, Legion's sacrifice felt unnecessary, especially when the reason for the reaper code upload not working was flimsy. And don't even get me started on the Citadel...

The Citadel. Holy shit, what happened there? I'm not talking about the Citadel as a location - I liked exploring the Citadel more in this game than any of the other games - I mean the Citadel as a plot device. For one, I was very surprised to learn the Citadel was the Catalyst when it was already an important plot device in ME1, where it was revealed to be a secret reaper mass relay. Now it's the key to a giant super weapon against the reapers whose original designers are never specified? Okay? But my biggest issue was that it was inexplicably "moved" by the reapers in the last mission despite millions of people living on it, then we can use it to blow up the reapers, destroying the Citadel and I assume most people still on there, so we're basically condemning millions of people to die and never get to see the impact of that decision. Granted, this is not much different than the weird 300K Batarian mass murder Shepard commits in ME2, but the difference is that these people are people we knew and spent a good amount of time helping and building relationships with throughout the game. What happened to Captain Bailey? What happened to Kolyat? The game never bothers to address that.

Kai Leng. Now, I don't expect every character to be wonderfully fleshed out. I accepted Kai Leng was just a plot device to stand in the way of Shepard and her goals, but his presence still left a bad taste in my mouth. He's never mentioned in any of the previous games, then he's introduced here as having a badass reputation despite his best move being a shield. He is so painfully one-dimensional compared to literally any other character that killing him didn't even feel good. I think it would have been cool if Kai Leng was someone else, maybe a character scorned by Shepard in the past who wanted revenge. Or, he could have been another character revived by Cerberus and abandoned in favor of Shepard, which was hinted at in his video logs but wasn't completely followed through on. I guess maybe I just wanted it to be Evil Clone Shepard from the Citadel DLC because even she was more compelling. What a waste of Troy Baker.

Let Me Speak. It's complicated because I do think ME3 has some of the strongest dialogue in the series (I didn't have the same jarring Talk No Jutsu problem as I did in ME1 because even when you're talking down a literal war, the dialogue feels earned and natural). However, the cutscenes went on noticeably longer without any input from the player character. It was frustrating since I felt like sometimes Shepard was railroaded into saying or doing something I wouldn't have chosen to do otherwise, but so is the burden of being a finale, I suppose.

Femshep Romance. Listen. I like Kaidan's romance. I like Garrus' romance. I like Liara's romance. If you chose to romance any of them in your playthrough like I did, that's great! You get a good romance. But if you're playing femshep and don't choose those 3 options... you don't. Thane dies early-ish in ME3 (which, I mean, I guess that could be good if you like inevitable tragedy) and Jacob cheats on you (which is terrible and I have NEVER seen in a video game romance before). And if you want to romance a girl? You get Liara or some minor side character, and that's it. You don't get Tali, Ashley, Jack, Miranda, or any of the several other female options that male Shepard has access to. Even in ME3, a male Shepard can romance Kaidan if they want a male companion to romance. Ashley doesn't get the same bi treatment. It's kinda sad just how limited femshep's options are for romance compared to their male counterpart.

The Synthesis Ending. Yes, I chose the Destroy Ending for rather complicated reasons that I will get into, but after watching the outcome of the other endings, I have a bone to pick with Synthesis. I discuss my opinion on the endings in a later section if you want to skip to that.

The DLC

Omega. It was fun. Not much more I can really say. I liked Nyreen as a character (and it was nice to finally meet a female turian) but I also felt her sacrifice was rather hollow. Aria grew on me and I was able to get her to spare Oleg at the end, but really, the shining star of this DLC was earning her Flare ability.

Leviathan. It's a double-edged sword because while I liked the expansion of reaper lore (and the extra dialogue with the LI and EDI) I also think that overexplaining the reaper backstory ruined a bit of their mystique. It also had strange implications for the ending, as the reaper AI explains its purpose in a more convoluted and obfuscated way than the Leviathan does, so it adds to the frustration of the limited ending dialogue choices given to call the reaper AI out on its vague statements.

Citadel. This is possibly the best DLC of any game I have ever played, I'm serious. With the exception of maybe Trespasser from Dragon Age Inquisition, never have I thought a DLC was so perfect for the story it was accompanying. Granted, I think the idea of taking forced shore leave is a little laughable when the fate of the galaxy is at stake, but I digress, the DLC was near perfect otherwise. It had fun in-jokes, meaningful time to spend with squadmates past and present, great scenes with the love interest, and, yes, I did spend 3 hours in the combat simulator just to get the rare One and Only achievement. And that pistol? It was the only thing keeping me from dying to brutes and banshees during the last Earth mission. I am not exaggerating when I say most of my enjoyment of this game actually comes from this DLC, and I consider its bittersweet ending to be the real ending for Mass Effect.

The Squad (including past Squad members)

Kaidan. Once again, I am listing the squadmates in relative order of how much I liked them, and Kaidan skyrocketed to the top within the last 30% of the game. I mean, I had to like him enough to romance him in ME1, but ME2 made me sour toward him, and even at the beginning of this game I was a little bitter that he was still so prickly about Shepard's forced involvement with Cerberus. However, after the hospital and the initial awkwardness of rekindling a strained relationship, I fell in love with his character all over again. He's not quite as deep as the other characters, true, but his human and down-to-earth presence is SO needed in a cast of complicated and eccentric aliens, and the random things he says are some of the only things I ever laugh at in this game. It almost makes me grateful for the mid-series break, because, for all the frustration, the relationship feels earned by the end. He might not surpass Alistair for top Bioware romance for me, but he comes close. Also, the unconditional reassurance he gives once realizing Shepard had actually been clinically dead and may not have been completely the same when she was rebuilt by Cerberus was so nice to get after the accusatory headache that was the Horizon mission in ME2.

Garrus. Admittedly, I don't think Garrus adds much to the narrative of ME3. Even when helping me cure the turian-ordered genophage he doesn't have much stake in the story, and then he has almost none after the genophage is cured. But that doesn't really matter when his purpose is actually just to be Shepard's rock. He is such a good friend and his presence is so comforting that I wish I could take him on every mission even if he's got nothing relevant to say. His farewell to Shepard at the end was the only other farewell besides Kaidan's that made me tear up. Shepard said it best: there is no Shepard without Vakarian.

Tali. I still love Tali, but she was shafted a bit by the lack of screen time she had in this game. It's a shame that she comes to the crew so late, although I guess it's understandable given that she's an admiral now. Still, I loved seeing her wistfulness as she dreamed of her new home on Rannoch, and her time in the Citadel DLC was very fun.

Mordin. Despite his fourth-place ranking on the list, I think Mordin is THE best-written character in Mass Effect. He has one of if not the best character arcs, and he's so likable that I can't not love Professor War Crimes. His singing as the building was falling down around him... it was so sad but a perfect way for him to go.

EDI. Her earnest and heartfelt quest to understand what it means to be human was endearing to me, and her relationship with Joker was great. I brought her along most times if Garrus or Kaidan didn't make sense to take. I am heartbroken that my chosen ending means her death, but it was a sacrifice I still decided to make, especially after she said she was willing to give her life to save the person she loved.

Liara. While I like Liara, I still feel like there's something missing in her character that I can't quite put my finger on. That said, I like the friendship she has with Shepard. There's an implication to their interactions that suggest she never stopped having romantic feelings for Shepard even after I turned her down in ME1, but I like how she still wants to be a close friend to her rather than be bitter about it.

Thane. I think the story did him justice, giving him a pivotal role to play in the amount of time he had left. The prayer read as he was dying sincerely touched me. He wasn't my favorite in ME2 but ME3 gave him a boost for me.

Legion. Despite some inconsistencies I noticed in his writing, I still like my little robot guy. RIP, buddy, sorry your sacrifice was kind of for nothing.

Grunt. Similar to Thane, ME3 (and especially the Citadel DLC) made me like Grunt more than I did upon his introduction to the series. He wasn't as important, but his enthusiastic welcome and his "last stand" made me feel like a proud mama.

Samara. I liked Samara enough in ME2 to try to flirt with her, so I was excited to see her again in this game, but unfortunately, she didn't have much to do. Then again, she doesn't really need to, given that her arc is to accept being a mother to her remaining child rather than her jailor. I still felt like there was lingering unspoken sexual tension between her and Shepard though...

Wrex. It was good to see Wrex again, and I sincerely love how the game portrays his openness to cooperation as the key to saving his people.

James. I feel like James fulfilled the Krogan Companion role for me in this game, which is: I like him, but not enough to bring him anywhere. His flirting was rather alarming to me at first since I had every intention of reuniting with Kaidan and didn't want to turn James down so early, but when it became clear that he wasn't serious about any of it, I liked playing along, though really femshep doesn't have a choice in the matter.

Javik. Don't get me wrong, Javik is incredibly interesting and I think he's a critical companion to take on a lot of missions because the Prothean perspective is so unique and necessary in some instances (seriously, how did Liara not realize her goddess looked suspiciously similar to Javik). As a person, though, my Paragon Shepard didn't really gel with him. Also, my Shepard is rather sentimental and values memories, so I may have accidentally doomed Javik to a tragic post-game death with that memory shard. Oops.

Kasumi. Speaking of dooming people with memories! I told Kasumi to keep her lover's memories last game, which felt meaningful to my Shepard at the time since it happened before Horizon and I was still playing a lovesick Shepard who missed Kaidan and could empathize with her situation. That was, uh, maybe not the right call to make, and I'm a little sad that I basically condemned Kasumi to waste away her life reliving the past.

Miranda. I don't really have a lot to say about Miranda. She lived in my game, and I thought it was a good end for her character to finally fight back against her father. But she is rather bland to me, and I almost wish they kept her the cold-hearted bitch she was introduced as, just more sympathetic. You know, kinda like...

Jack. I like Jack A LOT more in this game than in ME2. I think putting her in a teacher role was a perfect decision that displays her impressive growth as a person and her ability to overcome her traumatic past to give future generations of biotics a better life. However, she is still Jack, and her inherent abrasiveness meant I always felt like I was walking on eggshells picking dialogue options with her.

Jacob. Unlike almost everyone else on this list, I downgraded Jacob. I didn't mind him so much when I was playing, really - I liked that he was having a baby and that meant he would get the chance to be a better father than his own was, and I liked the little get-together I had with him in the Citadel DLC. I thought he was still a little boring but nothing offended me. After learning he can cheat on femshep though? Yikes, dude.

Zaeed. I wouldn't say I hated him as I did in ME2. He was just... there.

Miscellaneous. I liked Samantha Traynor MUCH more than I liked Kelly Chambers, so I was glad to see her fill the role. She was resourceful and a bit awkward but not annoyingly so. Let's just say, if I was actually in the ME universe, I'd probably be Traynor. Steve Cortez was also a great addition. I grew to care about him a lot, and I'm glad Bioware gave us a face for the person driving our shuttle around lol. Diane Allures is, uh... there. Dr. Chakwas and Joker are great as always. That goes without saying.

THE ENDINGS

I want to preface this by saying I thought the ending before the ending, aka the Illusive Man standoff, was well done. I was a renegade every time I talked to him, meaning for my last action I was able to shoot him point blank and he was able to give an ending speech about how he wished Shepard saw the Earth as he did. I thought this was an interesting angle for my Shepard to take since she was so Paragon in ME1 that she was able to talk Saren down. Having the ability to do the same with the Illusive Man and not taking it gave me the chance to show some growth in my Shepard, finally willing to put her foot down and abandon the moral high ground when dealing with the person who both resurrected and ruined her life.

Now to the final endings. I will not be discussing the Control ending, as I immediately dismissed it as a possibility. It was what the Illusive Man wanted, and if my Shepard was anything, she was staunchly contrarian to Illusive Man's ideology. That's to say nothing of what I think of it, which is - eh. I think it's a good ending for a renegade Shepard, and possibly a paragon Shepard that wasn't as anti-Illusive Man as mine was. Still, the other two endings are what I want to talk about.

I will also not be calling the reaper AI the Star Child because I think it's misleading. To me, the child-like appearance seemed like a ploy to appeal to Shepard, and I didn't want to forget that this is essentially the same AI that appeared on the Arrival DLC asteroid I hurtled into a mass relay just to tell me he was going to destroy me. With that in mind, when he gave me my options and explained what synthesis would mean, I took a long, long time deliberating on what to do. The game presents this option as the unquestioningly best one to take. After all, it's the hardest ending to obtain, it's the option the reaper AI clearly favors, and it's the default platform you're standing on when it comes time to choose.

But here's the problem: if I were Shepard, even a paragon Shepard, even a Shepard who loves EDI and respects the geth, as mine did, I would not choose Synthesis. Because I can't trust that what he says would happen. I asked him why it would work this time around when all their other attempts at synthesis were horrific failures, and all he said was "they were not ready. You are ready." Even for a seemingly all-knowing AI, that's not enough to convince me to fling my body into a particle beam and potentially give up on this one and only chance to stop the reapers for good. Of course, as a player, I can use context clues to know that it WOULD happen. I'm playing a video game after all, and this choice is presented honestly to the player. But I decided to think as Shepard at that moment, not as myself.

He's also... wrong. He says conflict with synthetic life is inevitable, but it isn't. My Shepard knows this. She obtained peace between the quarians and the geth, and she's watched as EDI grew into her own kind and compassionate human consciousness. So while it sucks that they will have to die in the destroy ending, I ultimately chose it because 1) my Shepard can actually see it happen and know that she sacrificed her life for something real, not just a promise of what could happen, 2) destroying the reapers was what the whole galaxy unified to do and they didn't agree to anything else, and 3) destroying the reapers gives organic life a second chance to live and learn from their mistakes and to do better by synthetic life in the future. Maybe, in the wake of Shepard's sacrifice, the galaxy would see that they can work together, and ensure any future synthetic life will never be abused as the geth were.

But there was another reason I didn't choose Synthesis: it didn't make sense. I'm not talking about its practical application, although the space magic it takes to imbue technology into the DNA of every living organism in the galaxy is a little hard to stomach even by Mass Effect standards. I'm talking about its thematic purpose. Throughout all of Mass Effect, the main message has been that working together and sympathizing with people fundamentally different from you is critical to making positive change in the universe, DESPITE the differences. Synthesis, as a solution, is suggesting that conflict is inevitable until you ERASE the differences. This isn't letting people take the time and effort necessary to truly learn about and understand others, this is a no-effort solution that negates that very core theme. It's like saying there would be no conflict in the world if everyone on Earth were of the same race and nationality, because, one, that isn't true, and two, that solution erases so many beautifully diverse cultures that would have existed otherwise. To me, the Destroy ending allows the galaxy to rebuild what was lost while preserving most of the diversity that is so important to keep, especially since the diversity that was lost, namely the geth, theoretically CAN be rebuilt.

There's also another thematic problem: the conflict between synthetics and organics was not the main conflict in Mass Effect. Sure, it took up a lot of screen time in ME1, but it always felt secondary to the conflict between all other organics. There were tensions between the alien council species and the humans, there was tension between the krogan and the turians and salarians, there was tension between humans and humans, there was tension everywhere you looked. Your role was to be a mediator, a shepherd. You guided the people toward a better understanding of themselves and others, and by doing that, you were able to achieve impossible things together. Synthetic life was only a piece of that puzzle. But by making the conflict ONLY about synthetics and organics, it undermines the things we learned about other organics. If this solution was only meant for the quarians and humans, maybe it would make sense - these species have already achieved AIs that they could come into conflict with. But WHY should I make this decision for the krogan, an alien species not even close to developing AI advanced enough to go to war with? Why is it fair to them that I'm rewriting their DNA to ensure they never see a war that they might have never seen anyway? Haven't they already seen enough outside meddling in their bodily autonomy?

So I chose Destroy. And since I had enough war assets, I was able to avoid mass devastation, and somehow Kaidan seems to think Shepard is still alive. Oh, look, I guess she is. Not sure how that's possible, but I'll take slim hope. Overall, I was satisfied with my ending, although I was sad that I had to deny life to the synthetics that wanted it.

Then I watched the Synthesis ending and saw that it was basically perfect. Besides Shepard dying, everything is just better. Everyone understands each other now, there's no more disease, no more death, EDI is alive, and apparently, everyone is just cool with their new DNA. It was a utopia. And I thought that kinda went against everything I saw in Mass Effect. Sure, there are good choices, and some are definitely better than others, but rarely should there be perfect or easy choices. I'm not saying Synthesis should be a bad ending, by all means, make it a good one. Make it the best one, even. But it shouldn't be perfect. Maybe some people are upset that they were genetically altered against their will (hell, my Shepard had an existential crisis about this after learning how she was resurrected by Cerberus, and it's not a fate she would have imposed on anyone anyway). Maybe the husks and other synthetics that were once organics live a hellish existence in between existences and can never reconcile with their living loved ones. I dunno, something. Like I said before: thematically, it doesn't follow what was learned in the narrative, and therefore should not be the perfect solution to problems that the solution had nothing to do with.

I want to stress that I'm not judging anyone who chose the Synthesis ending. I deliberated it a long time for a reason: it is a promising conclusion if you want to avoid Control and you want to save EDI and the geth. I totally understand that. I just think the way that choice is presented and executed by Bioware is clunky and counterproductive to the narrative. I've also seen people dismiss the Destroy ending as genocide, and I won't argue that. It IS genocide, if you consider synthetics a valid form of life in this game, as I did. But I chose it anyway because doing so would stop the reapers who were the Ultimate Genocide Machines, and if there was any situation where genocide could be justified to stop genocide, uh, I guess that would be it. Sure, Synthesis would finally give organics a chance to understand and cooperate with the reapers, but that is only on the basis that everyone fundamentally change themselves at the request of the reapers under threat of mutual annihilation. The reapers had made no effort to truly understand and sympathize with organics outside of their one-sided conversations with Shepard until this point, so I didn't really feel bad I was killing them all, to be honest with you.

Okay, so, those were my thoughts on Mass Effect. This took a whole day to write. As frustrated as some parts of the game made me, I loved the rest, and I'm very glad I played it. Giving it a score like the other parts feels wrong, since I know now it's all part of a whole, but if I had to give it one, I'd say 8.5/10. I'll be missing my crew for some time, I think. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my thoughts on this franchise!

Now onto Andromeda...

[detectivelokis]

💖 succession, white lotus, mass effect, the witcher and cyberpunk

Sucession - I’m a Greg coded Roman girl with Kendall tendencies. Make of that what you will.

The White Lotus - I don’t really like anyone here because they’re all awful people all the time. Maybe Tanya for her boat antics or Armond for (literally) eating ass and then dying.

Mass Effect - I love everyone woman in this series. But, I’m torn between my wife Miranda and my girlfriend Tali. Andromeda is a bit easier since I can pick my best girl Suvi.

The Witcher - It’s been a very long time since I’ve thought of anything The Witcher, but Anna Henrietta for sure. Followed swiftly by Regis.

Cyberpunk - The easiest one! My girl Judy. I played that game like a dating sim just for her <3

[chiefbasementcreator]

Characters I'll play (if a charcter/series you like isn't on the list, send a PM, I may have heard of them) :

Overwatch: Every female characters, genderbent male characters as well as Jack Morrison/Soldier: 76 (either young or old) Comes with teacher AU and Vampire AU

Dragon Age Origins/Awakening/2: Every chaarcter

World of Warcraft/Heroes of the Storm: every character

Pokemon: Cynthia, May, Dawn, Hilda, Lusamine, Lillie, any Female Trainer, Jesse, Sonia, Professor Sada, any female Professor/assisstant

One Piece: Every female character, Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Vinsmoke Sanji

Naruto/Boruto: Naruto/Naruko (genderbent Naruto), Sasuke/Sasuki, Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Hanabi, Temari, Mei Terumi, Tsunade... Any character I know/remember

Taimanin Asagi: Every character

Miraculous Ladybug: Entire cast.

RWBY: Ruby rose, Blake Belladona, Glynda Goodwitch, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long

Star Wars: Bastila Shan, Revan (male and female), Carth, Mission vao, Padme, Leia, Ashoka, Rey, Aton, The Exile, Visas Marr, Atris, the Handmaide/Brianna, twi'lek

The Witcher: Geralt, Ciri, Triss, Yennefer, Shani, the Sorceresses

Warhammer Fantasy: Everyone

Dishonored: Corvo, Emily, Jessamine

Mass Effect: Everyone

Fallout 3/New Vegas: Anyone i remember

Evenicle: Every character

Final Fantasy Series: Tifa Lockhart, Aeris Gainsborough, yuffie, Jessie, Scarlet (FF7), Lightning (FFXIII)

Metal Gear Rising: Revegeance: Mistral, Raiden, Jetsream Sam

Nekopara: Every catgirl

Life is strange: Chloe Price, Warren Graham, Victoria Chase, David Madsen, Maxine Caulfield , Kate Marsh

valkyria Chronicles 1: every character

Banner of the Maid: Every character

Half-Life/Portal: Chell, Gordon freeman, Alyx vance, Adrian Shepard

Miscancellous: Elsa (Frozen), Anna (Frozen), Samus Aran (Metroid), Gwen stacy/spider-girl (Spider-man), 2B, AS (Nier Atomata), Wii-fit trainer (Nintendo), Peach/Rosalina/Daisy/Bowsette (Mario), Wonder Woman/Poison Ivy/Harley Quinn/Super-girl/Power Girl(DC), Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), Albedo (Overlord anime), Olga Discordia (Kuroinou)

Rules:

My main kink is hyper, i never do m/m, not a huge fan fo futa but that can be negociated, ask me in DM for specific kinks/rp situations

I dont ask perfect writing (i myself make frequent mispells), but at least write complete sentences.

[razieltwelve]

Are There Political Parties? (Final Effect)

This is an interesting question. 

In theory, the Arendelle Empire is an absolute monarchy although the monarch does, in practice, consult and take advice from various groups. However, it should be noted that how each planet governs itself does vary dramatically across the Empire.

On some worlds, government officials are appointed to their position by the emperor/empress. On other worlds, government officials achieve their positions via a combination of appointments and elections. And on still other worlds, government officials are a subordinate monarchy (i.e., a planet might have a king who in turn owes their allegiance to the emperor/empress).

On planets where elections are held, it is typical for political parties to form. However, these parties rarely extend beyond a star system due to the vastly different needs individual planets and star systems often have in comparison to each other. What you tend to see more are advocacy groups.

For instance, a Farmers Group would be a political group that advocates for the rights and interests of farmers. There would be similar groups for other professions or ways of life. Some of these might ally (e.g., farmers, fishers, etc.), but these alliances will be based on common needs and objectives.

Other political groups exist to represent certain demographics. For instance, uplifted animals have their own political groups and advocates due to their special circumstances. Likewise, some of the largest groups might be those that advocate for regions that share common issues (e.g., a galactic rim advocacy group or political party).

In the Empire, at least, the power of these political groups is largely contingent on their ability to present a cogent and coherent case to the ruler at the time. The Empire is not a democracy, so these political groups or advocacy groups must be able to convince the ruler at the time if they wished to be successful. A wise ruler knows how to manage the many competing interests of the people to ensure a successful outcome for the Empire as a whole.

In the Alliance, things are somewhat different. Due to the mercantile nature of the Alliance (it is, after all, the Schnee Mercantile Alliance) and the political nature of its rulership, political parties and advocacy groups play a much more prominent role. Remember, the President of the Alliance is always a member of the Schnee Family, but the title is not inherited. It must be won.

This means that securing political support and the backing of various advocacy groups is critical for any aspiring leader. At the same time, a leader who is beholden to such groups will be thought of as weak. Nobody wants a puppet leader. What people want is a leader with the strength and drive to unify and govern over disparate groups.

Over the centuries, some political groups have become fixtures of the Alliance scene. One such group that has proven troublesome in Weiss IX’s era is the so-called Independence Group that wants as much independence from the Empire as possible. They see the Empire as steadily encroaching on Alliance freedoms, and they view her marriage to Anna as yet another step toward an eventual Empire take over.

Another group that has existed for centuries is the Expansionist Group. This group advocates strongly for continued expansion and exploration. They view the identification and settlement of ever more territory to be the best way to sustain and even accelerate the Alliance’s growth. Their faction has been one of Weiss IX’s biggest backers since her decision to begin exploration of the Mass Effect Galaxy. They are concerned about the Empire but see no problem with working with them, so long as the Alliance gets a fair slice of the pie, so to speak.

The Imperialist Faction is, despite its name, not actually a faction in favour of the Empire, so much as it is a faction in favour of the Imperial system. They want the Alliance to become an Empire with the rulership becoming hereditary to prevent internecine strife.

But if you want political parties, then you need to go to the Federation. Since the Federation is, as its name suggests, a Federation, political parties are everywhere. In theory, the Federation is ruled by a Federal Parliament with every world or equivalent receiving a seat at the proverbial table. Naturally, if all planets are equal, then the only way to ensure your agenda gets to the top is to form alliances with other worlds to ensure that you have enough votes to get things rolling.

As a result, you have a bevy of political parties, some of which have existed for centuries and other which have come and gone depending on circumstances and the winds of political fortune. Of late, the Unification Party, which pushes for greater unification between worlds, has been one of the dominant parties, along with the Independence Party, which seeks to make the Federation more independent and less connected to the Alliance and the Empire. Another major party is the Consolidation Party that has been pushing for the Federation to focus and consolidate the worlds it has instead of trying to expand to new worlds while struggling to help those that are already members.

Since the Federation requires some level of consensus to operate, alliances between parties are very common and are usually along either interest or regional lines. The ruling party/parties are determined by whichever group has a majority in the Federal Parliament. In the event that no single party or group has a majority, then groups will simply continue to ally until one has been reached. The leader of that alliance is the President of the Federation. Although the president is not directly elected, it is possible to have them removed from the position via a direct vote. Direct election of the president does not take place since the Federation’s worlds are disparate enough that attempts to narrow the field to two candidates would disenfranchise many of the worlds whilst larger numbers of candidates result in the winner having a relatively low percentage of the vote.

Having the president be chosen from the ranks of the parties that together form a majority was the least bad option people could think of, and it has actually worked quite well over the centuries. That said, the president is always one of the leaders of the parties that form a majority, and all parties must formally and publicly announce who their leader is before elections. In this way, people do, albeit indirectly, vote for president.

In any case, political parties do exist in the distant future although their forms and scope vary dramatically from faction to faction.

[sillyruinsdaze]

TDP's Power Of Opposition And Building Credibility

In the dynamic world of politics, building trust and establishing credibility are vital for any opposition party. One such party in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh that has consistently endeavored to win the faith of the people is the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Led by its charismatic leader, N Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP has been instrumental in transforming the state's political landscape. Through its remarkable TDP Achievements and contributions, the TDP has earned the trust of the masses. This article explores the TDP's public introductions, highlighting their top achievements and Top TDP Contributions, while emphasizing the significance of real-time Live TDP Updates in strengthening the bond between the party and the people.

The TDP boasts a team of dedicated Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who play a pivotal role in the party's success under the dynamic leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu. These TDP MLAs, elected by the people, serve as the voice of their respective constituencies. They tirelessly work towards addressing the concerns of the public, ensuring their welfare and development. The TDP MLAs are known for their unwavering commitment, integrity, and effective representation. Their strong presence in the legislative assembly has helped the party steer important policy decisions and advocate for the interests of the people. The Telugu Desam Party has an illustrious record of accomplishments that have had a lasting impact on the state of Andhra Pradesh. The TDP government, under the leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu, successfully implemented numerous initiatives aimed at transforming the lives of the people. The TDP government initiated several measures to boost infrastructure, agriculture, and industries, promoting overall economic growth and job creation. The TDP introduced various welfare schemes, such as the NTR Housing Scheme, Anna Canteens, and Pasupu Kumkuma, to provide affordable housing, nutritious meals, and financial support to the underprivileged sections of society. Recognizing the importance of education, the TDP government established prestigious educational institutions and implemented innovative reforms to enhance the quality of education across the state. The TDP Contributions to the state extend beyond TDP Achievements during its time in power. Even in its role as the opposition party, the TDP has been actively involved in shaping policies and advocating for the welfare of the people. Through relentless protests, public demonstrations, and constructive criticism, the TDP has consistently voiced the concerns of the people, ensuring that their grievances are heard and addressed by the government under the dynamic leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu. The TDP has actively participated in the legislative process, offering valuable insights, suggestions, and amendments to bills and policies, thereby influencing the decision-making process. In collaboration with non-governmental organizations and civil society, the TDP has organized several social welfare programs, including health camps, skill development workshops, and awareness campaigns, to uplift the marginalized sections of society under the dynamic leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu.

In the era of real-time information, staying connected with the public is crucial for any political party. The TDP understands this and utilizes various communication channels to provide Live TDP Updates on its activities, campaigns, and policy interventions. Through social media platforms, websites, and public rallies, the TDP ensures that the people are well-informed about the party's efforts and TDP Contributions. These live updates foster transparency, encourage participation, and help build trust between the TDP and the masses. The Telugu Desam Party, under the dynamic leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu, has consistently strived to build trust and establish a strong bond with the people of Andhra Pradesh. Through the dedication of its TDP MLAs, remarkable TDP Achievements, significant TDP Contributions, and effective communication through Live TDP Updates, the TDP has made its mark as a reliable opposition power. As the party continues its journey, it remains committed to the welfare and development of the state, guided by the principles of integrity, inclusiveness, and progress.

[fredcasden]

Good afternoon everyone,

Last night's stream of Bayonetta certainly drove home the point that the plot of the game makes no sense what so ever. Between apparent time travel shenanigans, the resurrection of a 'god' to destroy and remake the universe, lost memories and more plot holes than an Ed Wood film, it makes my head hurt trying to have it all make sense. Also didn't help with the number of long cut scenes in Chapters 14, 15 & 16 that tried to justify everything.

Still, it was a lot of fun, the boss battles got more over the top, and the reuse of earlier bosses made for a great call back, even if that is a bit cliche. The music in the later half of the game certainly was awesome to listen to, and this certainly was a game that justified my usual 'watch through the credits' because of the 'extra fights' that take place during it, and the dance video at the very end.

Now will I play Bayonetta again? More than likely yes, as there is the Xbox One version, so if and when I play this game again, it'll be that version, just to play it with superior visuals! Real question is, do I feel like I could handle the game on normal difficulty.... I'm not sure, I got dodging down pretty good, but combos could be a pain to pull off.

Question is, what will be the next Monday-Tuesday game, at this time I'm not completely sure as of yet, as I do have plenty of options!

For the raid we dropped in on PowerThumbZ while they were playing Prey over on twitch.tv/PowerThumbz!  

Bayonetta (Xbox 360) Achievements

Commander Of Magic: Purchase all techniques.

Treasure Collector: Discover half of all the Umbra Witches' final resting places.

Iustitia, Giver Of Life: Defeat Iustitia on any difficulty.

Feels Good, Doesn't It?: Execute 50 Torture Attacks.

Sapientia, Controller Of Seas: Defeat Sapientia on any difficulty.

Double, Double, Toil And Trouble: Create 20 Concoctions.

Master Of The Heavens: Defeat Father Balder on any difficulty.

Taste Of The Witching Hour: Complete all Chapters on any difficulty.

Stream Clip Links

Stylishly Cool!

So sorry!

We just punched it in the face!

Mom had an okay first day at the nursing / rehab facility, she is getting along with her room mate. She had her first session of physical therapy, they had her walking a little bit, which is good. If anyone would like to donate to her gofundme dedicated to covering medical related costs, please visit: https://gofund.me/6adf8354

Had a 45-minute telephone conference that could probably help resolve a few worries I've had since mid-December, fingers crossed!

I've been really working on knocking out these series of Mass Effect short story commissions, and now gradually working to where things can reach the Mass Effect 3 era of the franchise, but there are some lingering tales the client wants based on Mass Effect 2.

Today's Fitness Boxing 2 daily workout featured Advanced Combo #1, Beginner Combo #2 and Uppercut Combo #1 for 34 minutes.

What did the drummer call his two twin daughters? Anna one, Anna two.

Song of the Day: Malibu by Miley Cyrus

For tonight's stream, we're playing Fall Guys and Fallout 76, if Iceman joins in, we'll be wrapping up his run of the Brotherhood of Steel story arc!

So on that note we'll see you later over on twitch.tv/fredcasden!