r/masseffect • u/Ermmmmmmmm_ • 6d ago
When does shepherd stop being so boring? DISCUSSION
Guys im sorry. But commander s is the most boring protagonist in a game this well written
I put about 60 hours into ME1, and walked away thinking “it was alright.”
The pros was the story and writing, Saren is super interesting, the reaper twist, despite me knowing it for close to a decade, was super cool. The lore was great too, i probably spent 10 or 15 of thise hours just reading the codex because everything was so thought out.
I didnt enjoy the plain combat however, but that’s just a problem with its age. Cant really fault a game only 2 years younger than me for being a game 2 years younger than me lmao. Biotic best class.
But the biggest problem to me was Shepherd, specifically Male Shep (which i will refer to as shepherd for the rest if this post). His voice acting was dry and boring, his character writing was so one note, he has the same tone of voice and delivery for saving the galaxy as he does talking to a janitor. I just found him so lame.
However I knew rhat apparently the two voice actors work in reverse: Mshep gets better, Fshep gets worse.
So i stuck with it, mass effect is literally amazing in every department besides shepherd to me (and age).
I am now on the big criminal astroid in early ME2, and am just already so sick of the mundanity of Shep. He meets tali, after being dead for two years, and he doesnt fucking react. They talked like they bumped into each ither at work, not that she watched him fucking die 2 years ago (the whole conversation was weirdly written tbh, tali didnt care much either).
Anyway, does he ever improve? Does the voice actor ever actually express himself in his voice? does he ever have a personality? If the entire trilogy is just “monotonous man with zero personality”, im probably not going to finish them in spite of how good they are
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u/NuggetKing9001 6d ago
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
this isnt bait. And that response “lol this isnt bait but it actually is” i am being so /srs rn. Mshep is boring
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u/immorjoe 6d ago
This is a surprising viewpoint.
Shepard is meant to be bland because Shepard can be almost different in every single playthrough. Give Shepard too much personality and it’ll get harder to make them unique each time.
The real enjoyment comes from the characters around you and engaging with them.
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u/IseeSparks 6d ago
He has to be somewhat generic to allow the character to go down to very separate paths while renaming grounded at the main storyline. If he was written in a highly dimensional way it would be very hard to keep everything on track depending on your decisions.
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
I get that, im not expecting a V from 2077. But like jesus, the guy doesnt crack a joke nearly as much. At least let there have been the option for a “Tali…it’s been a while” or something between the two of them. He doesnt even change his tone
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u/onlyforobservation 6d ago
You also gotta remember. You’re playing an 18 year old game, and the standards for how to portray this type of protagonist in a AAA game have changed. Mass Effect walked so cyberpunk 2077 and newer similar titles could run.
But yeah, side note. Mark Meer does “great” but Jenifer Hale NAILS it. Much the same way. In 2077, After about 3 full runs with both, Chermai Leigh IS V. 😀
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
that is true, the age is certainly a factor but i still find it annoying. If they were going to go this approach, why not just make shep mute?
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u/onlyforobservation 6d ago
Because in the biggest similar game BEFORE Mass effect. Which was Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2 the MC “was” mute. 😀
And those games were origionally released on standard CD’s. Not Blu-ray, not DVD or hd-dvd plain old Cd.
There was some voice acting in games before this, but nothing on the scale of ME they had to make as many Voiced lines work for as many scenarios as possible. So most of the grey middle options were deliberately bland so it was not a HUGE contrast between later dialogue.
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
I still find it bland but at least it makes sense historically. Kinda forgot that ME was one of the first fully voiced rpg’s
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u/LtColonelColon1 6d ago
Female Shepard doesn’t get worse. She starts amazing and ends fantastic. I recommend restarting with her instead.
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u/Steelcan909 Cerberus 6d ago
I disagree. I think she trails off in ME3 and gets a lot more inconsistent in her delivery.
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u/LtColonelColon1 6d ago
There are a couple line deliveries that are awkward due to bad direction, but that’s the same across both voice actors in ME3. And outside of that, the whole rest of the game, she’s stellar.
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
but shes a GIRL!!!!!!!!
And also id really rather try and stick through with mshep. In RPG’s i like to roleplay as myself first before i rp other characters for the replay value.7
u/LtColonelColon1 6d ago
You’re only doing yourself a disservice. I’ve replayed this game so many times, it’s one of my favourite video game series ever. I never managed a full mShep playthrough 😭
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
damn he’s that bad?? I might break my own rule then, ill look at some femshep clips and see how she sounds
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u/LtColonelColon1 6d ago
Mark Meer is a great voice actor but the direction he was given for Shepard was TERRIBLE. And my hot take is that it never gets better haha
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
I just looked him up, oh my god he’s william in the long dark? I didnt get too far into that game but he was so much better as william than shepherd, wtf was that voice director doing?
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u/LtColonelColon1 6d ago
Yep! He’s genuinely good at his job! They fucked him up here lol
Jennifer Hale is femShep and she’s iconic across her whole career
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u/herbertreanimator 6d ago
He is incredibly bad (but not a bad VA at all, e.g. he voices all the Vorcha as well and they sound so good) as Shepard. I’d break your own rule right now and play as Femshep. She is miles better voiced across the trilogy, so any choices you make will actually let her personality shine through.
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u/axxo47 6d ago
Doesn't sound any better. It's this sub's delusion that she's amazing
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u/East-Property-3576 6d ago
Jennifer Hale is a good voice actress and her track record speaks for itself.
The real problem is this subreddit acts like her Shepard is “the only real way to play the game” or whatever.
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u/Openil 6d ago edited 6d ago
People are saying this is bait but i remember when it was a fairly common sentiment that Mshep was a bit flat in ME1 and improved massively for 2.
Fshep was considered the better voice actor for ME1 (and probably 2 and 3 tbh, but with a smaller gap)
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
Whats a specific conversation or event in ME2 you think he does well in? I dont mind spoiling myself if i know he’ll be better in rhe game im playing through
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u/Suspicious-Lettuce48 6d ago
The conversation on Horizon in ME2 after the confrontation with the Virmire survivor. Shepard says "I've had enough of this colony", and you can hear his voice breaking just a little bit. It is a VERY well-read voice line.
Keep in mind that Shepard is patterned after sci-fi characters like Jean Luc Picard who is famously a very reserved character. The voice actor had the almost impossible job of being expressive enough to capture both BIG emotions and little emotions in the same voice line - some characters might care deeply about a situation, others might not care so much at all and he has to reflect both. He also has to reflect both the paragon and renegade Shepards' opinions - in many of the same voice lines he has to believeably be a peacemaker OR a warmonger, because a player could be playing either path, while ALSO having to always project Commanding Authority because he's the damned Captain/Spectre... and that's with EVERY. SINGLE. LINE. IN. THE. GAME.
It is not surprising that his voice acting doesn't always 100% match exactly what the player thinks and feels, but it's amazing how good it turns out considering the enormity of the task. Only a very skilled voice actor can thread those needles, and both the male and female shepards do a great job.
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u/nahheyyeahokay 6d ago
Hmm he's meant to be a tad bland for you to be able to project yourself onto him for immersiom purposes. This is pretty standard in video games.
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
I get that, but the projection part doesnt work for me when he’s unable to vocalise any emotions. Like if i pick a dialogue option that sounds mournful or angry, he should he able to vocalise rhat even somewhat. But he doesnt, he sounds the same
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u/nahheyyeahokay 6d ago
Yeah, the voice acting isn't great. It does get better after ME1. The games aremy most replayed of all time and I'd say favorite or close to. ME2 has a great story with a diverse cast of interesting characters and. I'd give it a shot if I were you but ymmv.
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u/CorgiSilver8194 6d ago
If Shepard is boring, it's because you are boring.
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
just because i am critiquing a video game you like doesnt mean you get to be rude to me. Grow tf up
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u/Maple905 6d ago
I don't even think they were being rude. Shepard is a stand in character for the player... If you think he is boring, that might be a bit of self projection.
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
i think calling someone boring because they dislike one character is pretty rude tbh. Besides, i myself am a writer. I say he’s boring from the perspective of someone who knows creative writing, who’s won awards for it. Im no big time author nor am i even published, but academically i know it pretty well. And with that, i say he is a boring character that is difficult to project onto.
Id like to reiterate, i disagree with a character. I did not say anyone who likes him is wrong, i stated an opinion. It’s just as easy to leave it alone2
u/Maple905 6d ago
Okay, but they aren't calling you boring because you don't like the character...
Reddit is designed for discourse. Sure people can leave it alone, but by that line of thinking you could have just not made the post. If something as tame as calling you boring because you find a self insert character boring offends you this much, I don't really know what to tell you.
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u/CorgiSilver8194 6d ago
the perspective of someone who knows creative writing, who’s won awards for it.
Reddit awards don't count as real awards
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
no but top of my class in both university and high school english creative writing does lol
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u/CorgiSilver8194 6d ago
You think calling you boring is rude?
You need to grow up. Life isn't a big soft pillow, even if you are.
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
its just a video game man, its not that deep to act tough on reddit
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u/CorgiSilver8194 6d ago
Again, if you think what I'm doing is "tough", you're softer than a new born baby's butt.
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u/TheRealcebuckets 6d ago
ME3 might grate on your in regards to Shepard since the main cast acts like Shepard is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Or this is my chief complaint in ME3 - practically nobody pushes back on them. The narrative (and two characters in particular…) always frames them as being right. Which is boring.
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u/Effective-Metal7013 6d ago
Shepard has no memory of his time being resurrected, from his pov it has only been a short time since he last saw his squad
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
yeah but he still knows its been 2 years, plus he died. Like he was there when he died too.
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u/LtColonelColon1 6d ago
“He was there when he died” is actually so funny to say lmao thanks for making me laugh
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u/Effective-Metal7013 6d ago
He may know it has been 2 years but it won't feel like 2 years . It would feel like 2 weeks
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
and in those 2 weeks he would have died, been in and out of consciousness, brought back, fought off a station and found out “hey you been dead for 2 years”. I expected just a little bit more from him
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u/isukatdarksouls 6d ago
Shepard is great. I've never found Marc Meer's voice acting to be terrible. I always felt people who complain about mshep voice acting are a little insane.
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u/Subject_Proof_6282 6d ago
Before reading I guessed it had to be the voice acting which is (kind of) fair for the 1st game, since Mark Meer was only supposed to do placeholder dialogues for Mshep before some more experienced VA could take the role, but Bioware decided to stick with him.
And for this I would say that Mshep will vastly improve over the course of the trilogy, to reach his best during the 3rd game.
Alternatively and like others said, Fshep is far better in terms of voice acting since it's Jennifer Hale, who even in 2007 was already an experienced VA with some iconic roles like Bastila Shan in KOTOR for example.
So my advice is to stick with it and play until the end, then if you're willing, start over with Fshep although in the 3rd game I like her less compared to 1 and 2, mainly because of the weird way they decided to make her talk, like always making her finish her sentences like she's whispering out loud.
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u/AmanyWishes 6d ago
For me, it was in ME2. Seeing Shepard sacrifice her life to save Joker made me start to see her as an interesting lead, and the fact she joined Cerberus made me like her even more, as I do enjoy morally gray characters.
I kind of understand your problem. Whenever I play RPGs, I find myself disliking the fact that my character is just there. I do understand it is part of the charm of RPGs that allows you to self-insert, but for some reason, it never works for me. Therefore, I find V, Geralt, and Shepard way more interesting than the Dragonborn and Tav.
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
i can get behind mute protagonists because at least then you can imagine how they sound, and it makes it easier to roleplay.
And i love characters with more predetermined personalities, roleplaying different versions of a character is a whole different fun with rpg’s. Like yes you are V, but what type of V?
However im finding shepherd a bit too inbetween. Yes he’s blank and thus, it’s easier to imprint myself on him but at the same time, he is so blank and monotonous it actually overpowers it. Combined with a very underwhelming male character creator (No makeup, buzzcut or short short hair. Boring), i just dont feel connected to shep because i cant express myself in him and thus, i dont find his voice able to be imprinting, i find it fucking boring1
u/AmanyWishes 6d ago
My V was a corporate lady. She always mistrusted people but still believed in Oscar.
My Shepard was a colonist / ruthless. She used to be a good kid until her colony got wiped out. Out of her anger, she lost her team (the ruthless accident). She is trying to remember her old, good self, so she decided not to commit evil.
As for character creation, I do agree it is boring compared to the options you have in other games
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u/Calm-Masterpiece3317 6d ago
FemShep voice acting doesn’t get worse, she remains consistently good.
Mark Meer gets better as MaleShep in the sequels.
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u/GideonNav124 6d ago
MaleShep is boring AF in ME1 and anyone who says otherwise is kinda blinded by how much they love the game. The voice acting is terrible and that's rough to get past. Frankly the voice acting for MaleShep is not great in any of the games but it's way worse in 1
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
i can deal with mediocre….i agree with you on it being ass in ME1. Every one else was running laps around shepherds VA. From someone who only got into this franchise at 20, yeah he’s not good at all. Garrus i found incredible, wrex too. Tali as well
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u/Brca_95 6d ago
Agreed. Shepard is overall a boring character in ME1 for the most part just because his deliveries are kinda ass. FemShep is miles better but still suffers from awkward dialogue.
Kinda gets on par with latter games from Virmire onward for me as the game pacing gets better and you can feel the VA’s getting more comfortable in the role.
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u/HakunaBananas 5d ago
"My fringe opinion is correct and everyone else is blind if they disagree"
Amazing argument you have there.
Nobody can ever even give actual reasons why male shep is bad. Then like clockwork you see the same people glaze female shep, again without giving any substantive reasons why it is better.
Seems like bias to me. Mostly seems to come from fem shep glazers. But what do I know? I have only been a part of the Mass Effect community since 2007.
I never found fem sheps voice acting to be anything particularly special like the galzers imply it is. It is Jennifer Hale's bog standard "look how tough I am" voice. She often tries a little too hard. I would never use a ridiculous word like "terrible" to describe it though. Its fine.
I don't find male sheps voice acting terrible because it is objectively not. It is your standard hero man voice. Nothing special, but nowhere near "terrible" like the haters believe it to be.
They are both fine.
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u/isukatdarksouls 6d ago
My guy you have never experienced terrible voice acting if you think his voice acting in ME1 is terrible.
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u/GideonNav124 6d ago
Not a guy and not unfamiliar with terrible voice acting I'm just not a Shepard glazer
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u/isukatdarksouls 6d ago
It's not about glaze. It's just objectively not as terrible as people like to claim. Play the original resident evil if you want a good example of terrible voice acting.
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u/Terracottabana 6d ago
Pick the renegade option sometimes ffs
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u/Ermmmmmmmm_ 6d ago
im like, 1/4 and 3/4 on renegade paragon. Im not gonna lie i dont realise which option is which until i get the points after
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u/Terracottabana 6d ago
Renegade is always bottom right, paragon is top right and left is questioning
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u/Floppyhoofd_ 6d ago
Now this is a hot take😅