Mass Effect (1)

[PsychoPere]

Btw, what happens at certain key points if characters didn't make it to me3 alive? I guess some missions you don't even get [...]

As far as I'm aware, you should still be able to get every mission. As John Clark said, there are stand-in characters; BioWare's game design philosophy in this regard boils down to not wanting to exclude some players from gameplay based on their past choices, so they find ways to reflect those choices while still allowing a gamer to experience everything they've developed.

 

[Evil Twin]

Spoiler: Replacements

Chakwas - You can recruit Dr. Michel to the Normandy instead
Garrus - Replaced by no one, Liara stays with you the entire Palaven mission
Jack - Replaced by one of the students, Jason Prangley
Kasumi - Replaced by no one, but the quest involving her still exists, though you can't get the ideal outcome without her
Wrex - Replaced by Urdnot Wreav, who is also his ME2 replacement
Mordin - Replaced by Padok Wiks, who greets you when you arrive on Sur'Kesh. As Jeff said, he has some good moments
Grunt - Replaced by a generic Krogan named Urdnot Dagg
Thane - If he's dead, his role in the Citadel II mission is replaced by Captain Kirrahe. If Kirrahe is dead as well, the Salarian ambassador dies
Jacob - Replaced by some guy named Dr. Webber who doesn't appear if Jacob is alive
Samara - Simply doesn't appear in the monastery mission. If Morinth survived ME2 you get an email from her and she later appears as a named Banshee on Earth
Zaeed - Simply doesn't appear in the Volus ambassador quest, and you can't get the ideal outcome
Tali - Admiral Xen replaces her as guide on the dreadnought and Rannoch, though not as a useable squad member
Legion - Replaced by a "Geth VI" who looks just like Legion but has holographic N7 armor fragments.
Miranda - You only encounter Oriana on Horizon

 

[ATimson]

As John Clark said, there are stand-in characters; BioWare's game design philosophy in this regard boils down to not wanting to exclude some players from gameplay based on their past choices, so they find ways to reflect those choices while still allowing a gamer to experience everything they've developed.

Sometimes that works. Other times, like

Spoiler: ME3

the rachni queen

, their replacement feels cheap and forced.

 

[TheGodBen]

If Conrad Verner died in ME2, you don't get his single war asset point.

Glad to hear that you're storming ahead, Ood.

 

[Evil Twin]

Well, you'll be happy to hear I started tinkering around with a Paragade playthrough last night, GodBen. Probably won't really dig into it until I finish my second Dragon Age II playthough with my "purple dialogue" rogue (although that's what inspired it ) I think my general philosophy will be to be paragon towards squadmates and good people in need of help, but be renegade towards criminals and other assorted douchebags who deserve it (that ExoGeni idiot on Feros is getting a bullet in the head.) Still debating whether the Council will die... And being a Sole Survivor, she's just going to utterly despise Cerberus in ME2.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Ahh, Ethan Jeong, the Feros scientist. "I like people. I just like them more when they're helping ExoGeni profit!"

Terrible dude, but kudos to his VA.

 

[Reverend]

Well, you'll be happy to hear I started tinkering around with a Paragade playthrough last night, GodBen. Probably won't really dig into it until I finish my second Dragon Age II playthough with my "purple dialogue" rogue (although that's what inspired it ) I think my general philosophy will be to be paragon towards squadmates and good people in need of help, but be renegade towards criminals and other assorted douchebags who deserve it (that ExoGeni idiot on Feros is getting a bullet in the head.) Still debating whether the Council will die... And being a Sole Survivor, she's just going to utterly despise Cerberus in ME2.

Actually, I think you'd get more renegade points if you intimidate him rather than shoot him. Indeed, as a general rule you get more reputation points when you use the respective red/blue dialogue options to resolve situations.
I've played as paragades & renegons in ME1 before and I find the best approach is to consistently pick either paragon or renegade in normal conversations, but choose the opposite for the "big" decisions. So for example if you invest all your points into 'intimidate', make sure you save Zhu's Hope, the Rachni Queen and Wrex and visa-versa if you invest in 'Charm'.

That's just a general guide though, you may need to balance out the reputation meter a little by picking different options, if you notice it's swinging more one way than the other.

Still, no matter what you do, there will be some paragon renegade options that you just won't be able to pull off. Not sure if starting a Game+ helps things as I can't remember if you keep your rep along with the XP & inventory.

 

[Evil Twin]

Oh, I'm not terribly concerned about the points. In fact, I may just use the console to max out paragon/renegade just so I'll have every option available to me and be able to pick whatever I feel like doing in a given situation.

 

[Skywalker]

Well, that's no fun.

I remember playing a Paragade through ME2, I went with Renegade or Paragon when I felt like one or the other was appropriate. It made sense until I got towards the end of the game and I didn't have enough Renegade or Paragon points to peacefully resolve an argument between a certain two characters, thus making one of them disloyal during the Suicide Mission.

 

[Evil Twin]

Being an adept and Cerberus hater, my paragade has every intention of siding with Jack during the catfight and won't shed a tear if the "Cerberus Cheerleader" happens to die at some future point.

BTW, here's the snarky Hawke I'm having so much fun with currently.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Still debating whether the Council will die...

Well I have noticed that the Turian gunshop owner is nicer to you if you save the Council, plus it seems such a waste to let a whole uber powerful drednaught get blown up just to get rid of some annoying politicians.

 

[Skywalker]

Being an adept and Cerberus hater, my paragade has every intention of siding with Jack during the catfight and won't shed a tear if the "Cerberus Cheerleader" happens to die at some future point.

That's not the argument I was referring to.

Nice Hawke, by the way.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Nice Hawke. Good face.

/Worf

 

[Skywalker]

I think I made some pretty cool Hawkes when I played DA2. Too bad they're on Xbox and I can't share 'em.

 

[TheGodBen]

Well, you'll be happy to hear I started tinkering around with a Paragade playthrough last night, GodBen.

It's too late now, you already know how everything ends.

 

[LeadHead]

Well, that's no fun.

I remember playing a Paragade through ME2, I went with Renegade or Paragon when I felt like one or the other was appropriate. It made sense until I got towards the end of the game and I didn't have enough Renegade or Paragon points to peacefully resolve an argument between a certain two characters, thus making one of them disloyal during the Suicide Mission.

I had that problem a couple of times, but usually, I'd have enough to go to them later and regain their loyalty. Usually Miranda and Legion were the easier ones to get back to loyal status.

 

[Skywalker]

It's not as easy to do it when you're at the end of the game and have no missions or conversations left.

Plus I sided with Legion anyway.

 

[LeadHead]

Ah, well I know that I've sided with Tali, then after the conversation, without going anywhere or doing any other missions, talked to Legion and was able to bring the loyalty back.

 

[Skywalker]

Ahh. Honestly, it's been a while since I played ME2, so I can't remember whether or not I could have done that with Tali. All I know is that she was disloyal going into the SM, which required some juggling on my part to ensure her survival.

 

[LeadHead]

You can restore the loyalty with everyone, but I think it removes some conversation choices (if you hadn't already used them) Miranda and Legion were cool with me after taking the opposing side and talking to them and having a blue or red conversation option to smooth things over.

I don't remember what happened the one time I didn't take Tali's side, but pretty much if you take Mirandas side over Jack, whenever you go to see her from then on, you'll be told to F%#& off!