How the personalities of two sci-fi heroes reveal the flaws in Mass Effect’s morals.
Confession time: I havent enjoyed a BioWare morality system sinceKnights of the Old Republic.
I know, I know.
Youre saying that my perception ofKnights of the Old Republics morality system is bolstered by nostalgia.
Well, at least I hope thats what youre saying.
Otherwise, youre probably just calling me an idiot.
To be certain,KotORs morality system is best viewed through rose-tinted glasses.
As simplistic as the mechanic was, it greatly benefited from context.
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By comparison,Mass Effects morality system suffers under the weight of its ambition.
The idea behind this method is that neither side is necessarily good or evil.
Renegades, meanwhile, are often more heartless but are only heartless in the pursuit of a greater good.
Encouraging Chambers (the Paragon choice) will lead to her being killed during the Cerebus invasion.
Paragons follow a blue-tinted path towards peace while Renegades are red-shaded players in a game of supposed grays.
Perhaps thats why the studio announced thatMass Effect: Andromedawouldnt feature the Paragon/Renegade system.
Their official reason for its absence is that the system felt very Shepard and not appropriate forAndromedas universe.
However, some suspect that the fallout fromMass Effect 3s choice-based ending dampened BioWares enthusiasm for the concept.
Even though Im not in love withMass Effects morality mechanics, Im sad to see the system go.
The most compelling morality system inMass Effectis Kirk/Picard.
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Those who devote their loyalty to Captain Kirk and those who owe allegiance to Captain Picard.
Yes, its that age-old debate again.
It sounds simple, doesnt it?
After all, Kirk and Picard are two of the greatest heroes in sci-fi history.
Wouldnt you just opt for path of the Paragon in both instances?
Ah, but thats where things get really interesting.
Kirk was created at a time when theStar Trekfranchise still drew heavily from the well of Western genre conventions.
Fittingly, then, Kirk is a bit of a cowboy.
He often makes split second decisions based on his instincts.
Picard, meanwhile, is a man of logic.
Hes a bit like Spock in that way.
Hes a neutral character with a tendency to side towards lawful.
However, you also have to consider that Kirks passions extend well beyond his decision making.
Yes, hes brash and prone to aggressive strategies, but he desires to love and be loved.
Hes someone many people secretly want to be.
Picard isnt like that.
Perhaps thats harsh, but it speaks to Picards outwardly cold nature.
He doesnt see everyone who opposes him as an opponent that needs to be defeated.
Thats why its so fascinating to accurately recreate Kirk and Picard through theMass Effectmorality system.
or What would Picard do?
Hes also an awful ambassador whose negotiations also end with or else.
Picard, meanwhile, is exactly the kind of person who would choose the negotiating table over his phaser.
Then again, it doesnt seem very Kirk-like to betray a member of his crew, now does it?
See, Kirk and Picard arent opposite ends of a morality scale.
They are fully-fledged characters and choosing one requires you to play a role.
Thats the problem withMass Effects baseline morality.
Instead, it encourages you to adhere to preset ideas through methods both mechanical and psychological.
It aims high but too often gamifies morality.
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer.
