Terra Ascendant History explanation.

[Rommel]

Okay, so I am going to write a story hitting the key points that formed the Human culture of Terra Ascendant, what makes the A/U, A/U so to speak.

I am torn over how to do it though, I honestly can't decide. So, I'm going to see if anyone actually uses these forums.

Option one is a crossover. Johnathan Alexander Shepard wakes up on the Normandy. The SSV Normandy. It will be quite comical. The gist of it will be summed up as he and Wilco try to determine the fragment points between the two universes.

Option two is an excerpt from a book by an Imperial Historian, pondering the 'what if' scenario of what would have happened if certain key points in Terran History had gone the other way.

Option three is up to you guys. Give me another idea, if I like it, I might just use it.


Let's see where this goes.

[Rommel]

Johnathan recoiled slightly, "Tali, what's your full name?"

She cocked her head, "Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya, of course. Maybe you should see Doctor Chakwas."

"Yeah, somehow I don't think--" Johnathan was cut off by a voice calling out behind them both.

"Freeze! There you are, Tali get away from him." The voice was male, strangely accented but obviously familiar.

Johnathan turned, and was confronted with the sight of a smaller, un-scarred version of himself, in strange charcoal colored armor, holding a M/A pistol on him.

Tali looked back and forth between the two, "..what?"

'Wilco, double check my blood levels, how much did I drink last night?' Johnathan asked his AI.

'Your bloodstream is clear of any chemicals or other foreign bodies that would explain this... situation.' Wilco replied.

Johnathan cocked his head, looking at the other 'him', "Well, my day just got even weirder."

[Rommel]

Excerpt from 'A Question of Destiny' by H.R. Piner, Imperial Historian.

Foreword:

I have decided to branch out from my usual works, concentrating on the rise of the pre-Imperial political systems preceding the Great Wars and the First Crusade.

Ever since I was a child I have had a thirst for history, a desire to know everything I can about how we Terrans reached our current ascendancy. The question that has always been in the back of my mind though, was thus: What if things had turned out differently?

What if the Great Fire of Alexandria had taken the Great Library with it?

What if the Great Houses had made their move earlier, disastrously earlier?

What if the great minds of our history, Lord Tesla, Lord Archimedes, Duchess Gotha, had not been taken seriously, had been branded as madmen, cast aside?

What if the strange monotheistic religions had formed together and become a world power after the fall of Byzantium?

I posit that our history would have turned out very, very differently, and I will explain just how much in this book.

[kalaong]

Hmm. This is going to be even more interesting than I thought. At first, I thought the Highborn would be What If the Nietzscheans of "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda" refused to become "cowards and bullies who prey on the weak and kill each other for sport" and instead lived up to the ideal of "living gods, warrior-poets who roamed the stars bringing civilization".

I'm recommending you do the comedy thing, simply because the other treatment deserves a real doorstopper book series; What If the Draka were actually good guys -- honorable and respectful of others despite being demigods; their goal being guiding the human race to greater glories instead of crushing it underfoot.

It's kind of like Ultimate X-Men; Sabretooth insists that "men were born crueler than animals, and mutants are born crueler than men". Magneto insists that superhumans have more right to exist than normal humans. Xavier insists that superior beings should be capable of superior ethics as well as superior works.

You know, Lensman without the vacuum tubes(and with actual sex drives!)

An unpopular plot, to say the least, but just as legitimate as(and more realistic than) the concept of humans turning into space hippies(hiveminds optional) or retaining mindless bureaucracies as we expand into space. Demagogues and Republicrats can't even govern continents, let alone entire planets - how can they rule entire(or even multiple) star systems?

[Rommel]

Legitimate, now my plot-line's been called everything in the dictionary.

It's quite refreshing, though, I appreciate it. Saying a 'Humans are good' plot is unpopular is like saying there's a little bit of water on Earth.

Your points are valid, and I pretty much have decided to go the crossover route. I think I'll explore the deeper intricacies when I have more experience as a writer.

If everything goes according to plan, I'll finish up a couple more Imperial Glory One-Shots and start working on this. Hope you stick around, your insight is interesting.

[kalaong]

The thing that most would find controversial and I find intriguing (when done well) is the concept of a "superior" breed of human. I'm into transhumanism, which is why I brought up the Nietzscheans. The common interpretation is the one espoused by Roddenberry in both Star Trek and Andromeda; "superior ability breeds superior ambition" -- an enhanced human would be more susceptible to arrogance and antipathy. Better, stronger, faster, smarter - but crueler; just like us, except when they screw up more people get hurt - and they don't care. Godwin's Law has smeared the concept of a "superior race".

BULLSHIT.

Insight and empathy are an integral component of the civilization humanity has built, and most pundits insist that those are the product of some "higher power". No. Civilization is as artificial as electronics or chemistry, and we have spent exponentially more time developing it. A true "Ubermensch" would have a greater understanding of enlightened self-interest. Honor seems at times inferior to pragmatism, until one realizes that the pragmatic have increased difficulty attaining and maintaining allegiances.

What I'm looking forward to is your examination of a superhuman civilization; a society of truly superior humans would develop a superior ethical code, simply because the consequences of their actions would necessitate it to maintain their society in the face of greater stresses.

They'd probably bang themselves to hell and gone developing it, though...

[kalaong]

When you do the comedy thing, it should take place post ME2 -- being on a Cerberus ship should freak Lord Shepard out to no end, but finding out that Cerberus is the only entity fighting the Reapers should be worth an extra freak out on top of it -- especially if you make both Shepards ethically similar; kind and honorable at heart, but with an understanding that there are no rules in a knife fight. As in, lots and lots of Dog Petting, but after the Council brushed him off, he gave Cerberus the Collector Base.

[Rommel]

That is an idea I hadn't considered, I like it. It's gonna push the timetable back quite a ways, seeing as how I haven't placed my claws on a copy of ME2 yet, but yes, it will be worth it. The interaction will be priceless.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN CERBERUS ARE THE GOOD GUYS? WHAT THE HELL KIND OF GODS-FORSAKEN, BACKWARDS, UPSIDE DOWN, [long stream of curses] UNIVERSE DID I WAKE UP IN?!"

The opportunity to craft their reactions when they each learn that the other is in a relationship with their own Tali will be quite an experience too.

[kalaong]

Cerberus in the Terran Empire was basically Blue Cosmos from Gundam SEED, right? Luddite demagogues? You haven't fleshed them out. In canon ME, they're the only people still pursuing emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybernetics and bioengineering.

If that's the case, then the only real difference between canon Cerberus and the Terran Empire(though it's a big one) is that Cerberus is a bunch of ends-justify-the-means fanatics where the Terran Empire is based around the concept that the spirit of the law outweighs the letter; Cerberus is very much the result of Superior Ability Breeds Superior Ambition, where the Empire is inherently built upon Superior Ability Includes Superior Ethics.

Also, Commander Shepard's resurrection might make him rather similar to a Highborn.

[Rommel]

Yeah, I haven't really fleshed them out. I really need to finish that write-up I was going to do about the varying factions in Imperial Space.

Luddite demagogues is oversimplifying it. They're made up of a wide variety of interests, bound together in their hatred of the Empire. The long-winded technical description would be Luddite, xenophobic, egalitarian terrorists. Their roots are from the last surviving soldiers of the armies of the 'Democratic' and socialist nations, and they like to style themselves as freedom fighters.

They are also truly xenophobic. While the case can be made that the canon ME Cerberus is too, I see them myself as simply pro-Human rather than xenophobic. Cerberus in IG though, considers alien life to be truly beneath Humans.

They'll cooperate with non-humans, they'll use them in their schemes, but at the end of the day, they don't even consider them on the same scale of worth as say, a dog or cat. Trading with them, ruling them, breeding with them especially, is a corruption of Humanity in their eyes.

[kalaong]

Anyway, Cerberus aren't exactly the "good guys" in ME2 so much as the only allies Shepard has. That's the brilliance of Bioware's story - in ME1 the difference between Renegade and Paragon is a clear division between short-term versus long-term benefit. In ME2 it becomes more difficult.

The politicians acted grateful at first, but they are still taking their daily regimen of stupid pills. To them, preventing a panic is more important than dealing with the threat - they've dismissed the Reapers as a myth and even appointing Anderson to the Council won't help - they're ignoring the newbie who won't stop pointing at the elephant in the living room.

That means the only people who will help you save the galaxy are a pack of extremists, and it becomes very hard not to like them. Where the Council patronized you, Cerberus praises you. Where the Council marginalized you, Cerberus supports you. Especially since their continued sins seem little different from those of everyone else - you get to see how the Genophage has driven the Krogans past despair into madness, and how the Quarians' desperation has driven them to similar extremes. And you see how far the Council will go in their own quest for pragmatic solutions. It gets really weird, and in the end I just threw my lot with them - with the warning that they'd clean up their act or I'd do something about them.

Very good stuff.

[convicter]

The ME2 plot is deeper then "Good Guys and Bad Guys". The entire ME plot is Ethical vs Unethical no matter how you look at it. Every other "organic" is a good guy and the Reapers are the bad guys with the Geth outcome possible decided by player actions.

As far as your statement on stronger people having stronger convictions, I am not sure. I think your morals and ethics are instilled on you by the world surrounding you and not genetics. Because based on that theory, a good portion of babyboomers should have "Said No to Drugs". They did not however, despite the sacrifices their parents made for them. This leads to my belief that because mom and dad were "too busy" to spend the time instilling the same value that their parents instilled in them the generation crumbled.

Psychology aside I do want to believe your theory. I simply cannot due to the base human nature of wanting more. Now if that "more" were a set value then yes it would work but it is ever changing. Once that "value" is a "value" that another human possesses then the it all falls apart. I like how Rommel wrote the Highborn as genetically superior humans that dealt with political infighting when basically there was nothing else to do. They were greedy, selfish and lustful. However they never sold out an ally to achieve victory as that would be a blatant sign of weakness. Rommel's Shepard covered all of the 7 sins in the first 3 chapters so he is far from a saint. The difference is that Shepard acted within Terran law and within ethical boundaries.

Everett on the other hand was on the verge of violating Terran law in order to uphold higher ethics, why? Because of the events in his life that shaped his beliefs.

I am not trying to refute anything said, I am just trying to contrast it. I hope this does not offend anyone.

[kalaong]

It's not a case of stronger people having stronger convictions, but developing them. You've obviously heard the phrase "as dangerous as a loaded gun in the hands of a small child". It's not because the child is malicious, but because the child does not comprehend the power he holds. Same thing with superhumans.

At first they'd be crazy, but then they'd either destroy themselves or learn how to handle it responsibly; develop a code of ethics. And those that handle it responsibly would increase in skill and numbers; thugs and warlords falling before soldiers and statesmen. Evolution in action.

All it takes is a few people getting a clue to get civilization rolling; afterward, the extent of that civilization are limited only by the available mental and physical resources. Civilization shapes people, and when people come together, they create that civilization.

Civilizations fall when they forget that their code of ethics is a technology they have developed and must continue to develop, instead accrediting it to some "higher power"; each law must serve the direct purpose of defending and strengthening that civilization as a whole, not merely for the purpose of exercising control for any other reason; once laws are passed merely for the sake of exercising force, lawgivers revert to thugs and civilization begins to decline.

Rommel makes it clear that the history of the Terran Empire is VASTLY different from our own. Monotheism never caught on. Rome never fell. They aren't a utopia, they've had wars and barbarism, but they bounced back from setback after setback without descending into dark ages. The "Highborn" were cause of both greater conflicts and the preservation of civilization throughout the millennia.

By the time they went to space, they'd developed a code of ethics that enabled them to live together despite their greater capacity for destruction. "I am long-lived, so I can afford patience; I am rich, so I can afford charity; I am strong, so I can afford mercy." They didn't start out like that. At first, some members of the preceding generations believed; "I am long-lived, so what is the lives of mayflies to mine? I am rich, so why should I care for the poor? I am strong, so why should I worry about the weak?"

Answer: THE BARBARIANS DIED ALONE. The Highborn made alliances and kept them, and their civilization survived the shortsightedness of their uncivilized brethren. That civilization is the Terran Empire. You can't compare a few years of excess to centuries of knocking against the world and each other until the corners were smoothed out.

[Rommel]

Well, y'all certainly have the ability to drag me out of my haze. Let me get a few words in here before I fall off the face of the earth again.

Perhaps he did run the gamut of deadly sins, (Though I'm not sure where adultery or thievery came into play) but by Terran standards, Shepard IS a saint. He's loyal to his pack, he's Noble of not only blood but deed, and he always wins.

By the same token, so is Everett. He wasn't on the verge of violating Terran law, so to speak, as Terran officers, like our own, have an obligation to disobey what they perceive as unlawful orders. So he took the risk, rolled the hard six, and won, completely and in a grand fashion, THAT is the Terran way.

Everett was shaped by the events in his life, but the key point is he was still a Terran, and acted in accordance with Terran morality. Put another Highborn of similar disposition and mindset in his place, and the result would have been the same.

Oh, and Kalaong, get out of my head! You know what I'm thinking, and that scares me a little bit.

[kalaong]

I'll stay out of your head if you write more! Ringo's next book won't be out until Christmas!

[Rommel]

I'm trying, I promise.

[kalaong]

BTW, I have an idea how you can translate ME2 into the Terran Empire; The Collectors have begun kidnapping colonists: LOWBORN colonists. The uprising in Terra Ascendant has soured relations, so most authorities are choosing to ignore it. However, Empress Sativia subtly suggests that Crown-Prince Shepard can act on his own as long as he keeps a low profile and uses as few of his House resources as possible.

Then the Collectors nail him with a sneak attack.

The Illusive Man(I recommend he be similar to his canon version; an intelligent yet pragmatic bastard who is somewhat disgusted by the actions of his more fanatical supporters, but refuses to make excuses; bleating psychopaths can't run good conspiracies) resurrects him and offers subtle assistance; funding, a crewed ship, and two of his most talented operatives - Jacob Taylor, son of fallen Highborn Ronald Taylor; and Miranda Lawson, a genetically enhanced Lowborn.

Joker would still be smarting from the bridge pylon incident, and losing the Normandy would reduce his chances for another front-line position. He'd mistrust Cerberus, but swallow it to work with Shepard again. As would Doctor Chakwas.

The Empress would be suspicious of the resurrected Shepard(not to mention his unwilling association with Cerberus), limiting the aid she could give.

I highly doubt that Tali is a stay-at-home mother, and would still have duties with the Terran Inquisition that she couldn't shirk. Shepard wouldn't want her to reject them either. She'd be rather spooked by Shepard's resurrection and allegiance as well.

Shepard would be suspicious of Zaeed and Kasumi, but acknowledge their talent.

Mordin Solus would be in hiding on Omega for his dark secret; his genophage modifications. He would see aiding Shepard as a means to make amends.

Garrus Vakarian would be harder; he never met Shepard in Terra Ascendant. But a frustrated Turian sniper battling corruption in the dark corners of the galaxy would still jump at the chance to work with the Savior of the Citadel.

Warlord Okeer would be easier; he sees the cured Genophage as an insult to krogan power, and creates his super-soldier as the cornerstone of a new clan to challenge Khan Jheris. Aliens can be racist jerks too. Grunt would latch onto Shepard like a lost puppy.

Jack would be even harder to handle in this setting than usual; Cerberus crossed a lot of lines to create powerful Lowborn biotics - she's a basket case. But a true Highborn could teach her trust.

The confrontation on Horizon where Shepard battles the Collectors for the first time would bring Shepard into contact with Jenkins and Shiala, who feel that though Shepard can be trusted, Cerberus can't.

Reconnecting with Tali on Haestrom would be simplicity; her work is finished, and she missed Shepard dearly.

Samara and Thane would join for the same reasons as canon.

The investigation of the Collector Ship would piss Shepard off to no end. The Illusive Man plays hardball of a kind Shepard doesn't approve of; sometimes you have to sacrifice your subordinates, but you NEVER lie to them; you always make it clear what you expect of them, and make them understand that they are valued.

Most of the loyalty missions would be canon plus Lord Badass Shepard. The tricky ones would be Mordin and Tali's; the genophage is gone, and the Geth are allies. Maybe you should just leave those two out.

Retrieving the Reaper IFF would bring Legion back, and the run on the Heretic Station would be canon+ as well.

The kidnapping of Shepard's crew would lead directly to the run on the Collector Base, and Shepard would of course spare the base - not for Cerberus, but the Empire.

The revelation that Reapers are created by assimilating entire species would be a real call to arms.

Of course, the whole affair, especially how Cerberus stepped forward to protect the Lowborn when the Empire faltered, would create a difficult situation. The Empress would have to speak on even terms with The Illusive Man, creating a situation between Cerberus and the Empire equivalent to the Cold War; Highborns AND Lowborns have to work together to battle the Reapers; they are coming to kill everyone, and everyone has to fight.

[Rommel]

Nice ideas, as usual, but I'm already pretty cemented in how I'm going to do IG2.

Cerberus are the bad guys, no ifs, ands, or buts. and they're staying that way. Shepard, or any other Highborn, would rather cut the throat of his firstborn than work with them, and the feeling is mutual.

They're fanatics, pure and simple, and if the choice comes between saving the galaxy with the Highborn or letting the galaxy die, they'll let the galaxy die. Think of them like if you secreted a small colony of.. for the sake of argument let's say Jihadists, on a remote island, and left them with nothing but the directive to regurgitate their own propaganda for a couple of centuries.

Zealotry and insanity are closely tied, no?

There are other reasons as well.

The 'theme' if you will, is going to be less about Cerberus and the Collectors and such, and more on the Terran Empire and Shepard in particular facing a crossroads. The Empire has never REALLY had to make a hard decision. Their technology and natural abilities have allowed them to find another way, but what about when they do find themselves in a situation with no clear right and wrong choice, by their standards? What about when they have to choose between their own morality, and the protection of their Brothers, their Kin and Kith?

And all the while the Reapers are watching and waiting.

It's going to get interesting.

[kalaong]

Hmm. Cool. BTW, how does Cerberus finance its operations? Terrorism -- as in the low-tech guerrilla warfare and televised atrocities that jihadists pull off IRL is one thing; acquiring and maintaining vessels that can go toe-to-toe with ships of the line is another. The prevalence of power armor, nanomedicine, biotics, and combat training in IG means that we have a term IRL for the best the Highborns' enemies can expect in combat; catch a small number of fighters alone and die in waves trying to kill them -- or in other words, Thermopylae re-enactment.

IRL Terrorists are usually financed and/or supported by somebody at some point -- illiterate fanatics with improvised weapons do not defeat state-of-the-art training and equipment, but trained guerrillas can be a serious threat no matter their armament. Hell, IRL we trained bin Laden's people to make IEDs and so on to fight the Russians back in the 80's, and now they're using those techniques on us. Are the Collectors aiding Cerberus in IG? If not, who is IG Cerberus' Paul Muad'dib?

[kalaong]

Oh, and I sincerely doubt that the Empire was ever stupid enough to have attempted to sucker other people into doing their work and/or fighting their battles for them, which causes a great deal of OUR problems. Back in the thirties we supported Russia with extensive shipments of food and technology; hell, a lot of the components that went into Russian ICBMs they wouldn't have had the tech to make if we hadn't given it to them to help fight the Nazis. Tradecraft given to muhadjeen created the Taliban. South American drug cartels operate on the political and military infrastucture set up by the CIA to aid the United Fruit Company in growing bananas.

[kalaong]

Canon Cerberus is financed by paranoid industrial figures fearing another Shanxi. Who finances and trains IG Cerberus?

[Rommel]

Damn boy, gimme some time to answer this stuff.

Cerberus is directly funded and fueled by lowborn run companies and the Collectors. Good catch.

Indirectly, they get funding from Alien independence movements, and even the Noble Houses themselves, through embezzled, donated, or outright stolen credits from the lowborn in Noble Sectors, and 'charities' for the lowborn.

The vast majority of their funding however, comes from their independent projects. 'Wildcat' mining on unclaimed or ignored worlds, piracy, thievery, corporate espionage, etc etc. Known space in IG is about twice the size (System wise) of canon ME, and there are alot of places and things that can fall through the cracks.

They don't have the personnel or resources to match the achievements of canon Cerberus (Building an improved version of a top of the line Alliance Frigate for example), which is why they focus their talents and expenditures on Bio-Warfare and other such avenues that would help even the gap between them and the Empire. IG Cerberus also has a history with Biological Weapons, but I'll get to that some other time.

[convicter]

May 1, 2010 0:18:47 GMT -6 Rommel said:

Well, y'all certainly have the ability to drag me out of my haze. Let me get a few words in here before I fall off the face of the earth again.

May 1, 2010 0:18:47 GMT -6 Rommel said:

Perhaps he did run the gamut of deadly sins, (Though I'm not sure where adultery or thievery came into play) but by Terran standards, Shepard IS a saint. He's loyal to his pack, he's Noble of not only blood but deed, and he always wins.

Wrath - Splattering enemies with biotics fueled by rage. Greed - Constantly wanting more, more mates, more guns, more killing. Sloth - Turned back to bed as its pull was more enticing then his will to press on. (By our standard far from lazy, but he knew he could have pressed on but instead chose not to.) Pride - LOL not even going to bother with this one as you can just pick any of his lines. Lust - Again pick a encounter with a female. Envy - This is a tougher one but Shepard's thoughts during the Everett/Liara introduction comes to mind. and Gluttony - Blue Sector event.

As I said Shepard is not a bad guy but rather still a man pushing himself to his limits to save all. No matter how powerful he is still human and if he is a amplified version of a human that amplification is going to apply to all emotions that a human has, including the ones that can lead down a darker path. It is his willpower alone that allows him to channel them appropriately.

May 1, 2010 0:18:47 GMT -6 Rommel said:

By the same token, so is Everett. He wasn't on the verge of violating Terran law, so to speak, as Terran officers, like our own, have an obligation to disobey what they perceive as unlawful orders. So he took the risk, rolled the hard six, and won, completely and in a grand fashion, THAT is the Terran way.

Yes but he was still conflicted if even for a moment, that all changed when he launched the big kitty. =)

May 1, 2010 0:18:47 GMT -6 Rommel said:

Everett was shaped by the events in his life, but the key point is he was still a Terran, and acted in accordance with Terran morality. Put another Highborn of similar disposition and mindset in his place, and the result would have been the same.

I agree with this completely, if I conveyed otherwise then my written communications skills are truly poor. While my reading comprehension puts most to shame, the opposite is decidedly lacking. I follow more than 50 ME based fan fiction works and yours is easily the best I have read by a factor of 10. Perhaps I just stumbled blindly into a thread that was serving a different purpose and all I was trying to convey is my perception of the Good/Evil, Paragon/Renegade aspect of Shepard's decisions. I often times think that actions become to generalized into a single category when there is more to it then that.

[convicter]

Apr 30, 2010 19:08:44 GMT -6 kalaong said:

It's not a case of stronger people having stronger convictions, but developing them. You've obviously heard the phrase "as dangerous as a loaded gun in the hands of a small child". It's not because the child is malicious, but because the child does not comprehend the power he holds. Same thing with superhumans.

At first they'd be crazy, but then they'd either destroy themselves or learn how to handle it responsibly; develop a code of ethics. And those that handle it responsibly would increase in skill and numbers; thugs and warlords falling before soldiers and statesmen. Evolution in action.

All it takes is a few people getting a clue to get civilization rolling; afterward, the extent of that civilization are limited only by the available mental and physical resources. Civilization shapes people, and when people come together, they create that civilization.

Civilizations fall when they forget that their code of ethics is a technology they have developed and must continue to develop, instead accrediting it to some "higher power"; each law must serve the direct purpose of defending and strengthening that civilization as a whole, not merely for the purpose of exercising control for any other reason; once laws are passed merely for the sake of exercising force, lawgivers revert to thugs and civilization begins to decline.

Rommel makes it clear that the history of the Terran Empire is VASTLY different from our own. Monotheism never caught on. Rome never fell. They aren't a utopia, they've had wars and barbarism, but they bounced back from setback after setback without descending into dark ages. The "Highborn" were cause of both greater conflicts and the preservation of civilization throughout the millennia.

By the time they went to space, they'd developed a code of ethics that enabled them to live together despite their greater capacity for destruction. "I am long-lived, so I can afford patience; I am rich, so I can afford charity; I am strong, so I can afford mercy." They didn't start out like that. At first, some members of the preceding generations believed; "I am long-lived, so what is the lives of mayflies to mine? I am rich, so why should I care for the poor? I am strong, so why should I worry about the weak?"

Answer: THE BARBARIANS DIED ALONE. The Highborn made alliances and kept them, and their civilization survived the shortsightedness of their uncivilized brethren. That civilization is the Terran Empire. You can't compare a few years of excess to centuries of knocking against the world and each other until the corners were smoothed out.

This is true, Rommel stated that the "Humans are to the Reapers what the Reapers were to the Galaxy". Again I like to dissect the emotions of the characters in a story in order to create a more powerful personal response to it. In short I want to "feel" the story not just read it. Rommel writes in a way that makes this possible, many cannot. If there are no convictions in life then you will never feel alive and your life will diminish to a unsatisfying existence. For me, the choice of "helping" other achieve more through empowerment provides the satisfaction I demand in order to fulfill my convictions. The Highborn in the IG universe do and have done this by raising the status and success of the other "Imperial Races". This is why Rommel's work entrances me the way that it does. It is also why I am digging for more...emotion.

[Rommel]

Convicter: You got your point across fine, I just get put on the defensive easily, and I just had the time for a 'hit and run' response.

But I get what you were saying, and I'm glad to see you get what I was saying. Your high praise is abit humbling, I hope my works can keep up that standard.

Anywho, please, stick around. I find Y'all's discussion quite fascinating, and I like seeing this board active.

[convicter]

/bow I enjoyed your latest piece very much. I liked how you were able to convey the amplified emotions in Qualla after the "uplifting". As well as the pain in Taylor when he was faced with a "partial" success.

[convicter]

May 1, 2010 1:38:04 GMT -6 kalaong said:

BTW, I have an idea how you can translate ME2 into the Terran Empire; The Collectors have begun kidnapping colonists: LOWBORN colonists. The uprising in Terra Ascendant has soured relations, so most authorities are choosing to ignore it. However, Empress Sativia subtly suggests that Crown-Prince Shepard can act on his own as long as he keeps a low profile and uses as few of his House resources as possible.

Then the Collectors nail him with a sneak attack.

The Illusive Man(I recommend he be similar to his canon version; an intelligent yet pragmatic bastard who is somewhat disgusted by the actions of his more fanatical supporters, but refuses to make excuses; bleating psychopaths can't run good conspiracies) resurrects him and offers subtle assistance; funding, a crewed ship, and two of his most talented operatives - Jacob Taylor, son of fallen Highborn Ronald Taylor; and Miranda Lawson, a genetically enhanced Lowborn.

Joker would still be smarting from the bridge pylon incident, and losing the Normandy would reduce his chances for another front-line position. He'd mistrust Cerberus, but swallow it to work with Shepard again. As would Doctor Chakwas.

The Empress would be suspicious of the resurrected Shepard(not to mention his unwilling association with Cerberus), limiting the aid she could give.

I highly doubt that Tali is a stay-at-home mother, and would still have duties with the Terran Inquisition that she couldn't shirk. Shepard wouldn't want her to reject them either. She'd be rather spooked by Shepard's resurrection and allegiance as well.

Shepard would be suspicious of Zaeed and Kasumi, but acknowledge their talent.

Mordin Solus would be in hiding on Omega for his dark secret; his genophage modifications. He would see aiding Shepard as a means to make amends.

Garrus Vakarian would be harder; he never met Shepard in Terra Ascendant. But a frustrated Turian sniper battling corruption in the dark corners of the galaxy would still jump at the chance to work with the Savior of the Citadel.

Warlord Okeer would be easier; he sees the cured Genophage as an insult to krogan power, and creates his super-soldier as the cornerstone of a new clan to challenge Khan Jheris. Aliens can be racist jerks too. Grunt would latch onto Shepard like a lost puppy.

Jack would be even harder to handle in this setting than usual; Cerberus crossed a lot of lines to create powerful Lowborn biotics - she's a basket case. But a true Highborn could teach her trust.

The confrontation on Horizon where Shepard battles the Collectors for the first time would bring Shepard into contact with Jenkins and Shiala, who feel that though Shepard can be trusted, Cerberus can't.

Reconnecting with Tali on Haestrom would be simplicity; her work is finished, and she missed Shepard dearly.

Samara and Thane would join for the same reasons as canon.

The investigation of the Collector Ship would piss Shepard off to no end. The Illusive Man plays hardball of a kind Shepard doesn't approve of; sometimes you have to sacrifice your subordinates, but you NEVER lie to them; you always make it clear what you expect of them, and make them understand that they are valued.

Most of the loyalty missions would be canon plus Lord Badass Shepard. The tricky ones would be Mordin and Tali's; the genophage is gone, and the Geth are allies. Maybe you should just leave those two out.

Retrieving the Reaper IFF would bring Legion back, and the run on the Heretic Station would be canon+ as well.

The kidnapping of Shepard's crew would lead directly to the run on the Collector Base, and Shepard would of course spare the base - not for Cerberus, but the Empire.

The revelation that Reapers are created by assimilating entire species would be a real call to arms.

Of course, the whole affair, especially how Cerberus stepped forward to protect the Lowborn when the Empire faltered, would create a difficult situation. The Empress would have to speak on even terms with The Illusive Man, creating a situation between Cerberus and the Empire equivalent to the Cold War; Highborns AND Lowborns have to work together to battle the Reapers; they are coming to kill everyone, and everyone has to fight.

I like some of these ideas, however I do not see why all of the dossier characters have to be lowborn humans. Jack I understand, but Kasumi and Zaheed would not need to be lowborn. Unless of course Shepard can be the only highborn on the Normandy. ME2 has higher stakes and Shep certainly "needs" more... everything. =)

As far as the 2 loyalty missions, there could be a double cross in the Quarian hierarchy (Not sure of course if in the Quarians "ascended" state if they are capable of this. The human nobles seem like political struggle is a day to day occurrence.) Mordin was part of the Salarian STG, not to mention far past the normal life span of the typical salarian despite not having Terran ascension. So I am sure something else from his past could be used as a loyalty mission.

I know Rommel said he has plenty of ideas for IG2, I do ask that if nothing else cameo appearances of the ME2 squad mates. The DLC ones despite not having the full interaction of the other crew were remarkably well thought out and added much to the ME2 story depth.

[Rommel]

Oh, I plan to have every one of the ME2 squadmates play important roles. That doesn't mean they're all going to be on the same side however.

[convicter]

May 3, 2010 21:45:06 GMT -6 Rommel said:

Oh, I plan to have every one of the ME2 squadmates play important roles. That doesn't mean they're all going to be on the same side however.

Of that I had no doubt /grin

[kalaong]

Please don't kill Grunt or Mordin? Or Tali, of course.

"THIS IS WHY I FOLLOW YOU, SHEPARD! BIG THINGS!"

"I am the ver-ry mod-el of a sci-en-tist sal-ar-i-an!"