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Squad Goals — A Mass Effect Podcast
Squad Goals — A Mass Effect Podcast episodes
- #17: The End of the BeginningNick, Chip, and Kurabara are back this week to finish up the first Mass Effect! Having made it off the Citadel, they head to Ilos. Chip talks about how he doesn't really like Ilos and it feels like a slog to him. Kura points out how decripit the place is, and Chip and Nick agree that the fights were more annoying than hard or fun. Chip complains a bit about the verticality of some of architecture. Nick says it does a good job portraying ruins. He is also confused about how the corpses don't look like Protheans. Kurabara explains that the bodies are pre-Prothean, and Ilos is all ruins that the Protheans discovered.Chip talks about how he does like the drive after finding Vigil, and Kurabara talks about the force fields and how he liked all the pods he was viewing in the background. Nick points out that they use the title screen music for effect. They talk about how Vigil did not stop Saren because he was indoctrinated. Nick points out that the Reapers didn't do a good job by missing Ilos on past sweeps. Then they talk about the ending sequence of Ilos where you drive straight ahead through the Geth forces to take the relay to the Citadel. Kurabara talks about how the Reapers didn't plan for the Keepers.Then they head to the Citadel and deal with the Geth invasion in person. Kura laughs at how slow the Citadel doors close. Nick and Chip marvel over how you scale the Presidium tower. Nick talks about how quickly the end of the game came for him. Nick talks about how the first part of the Saren fight happens in the Council chambers. Kura is surprised because with charm and intimidate you can just talk to Saren and get him to shoot himself. Kura points out that the Citadel damage exposes that the structure looks Reaper-like. They talk about their encounters with Saren and Saren's evolution. Kura compares Saren's fate to the necromorphs of Dead Space. They talk about the final fight against Sovereign and how annoying it is. They discuss their decisions for the fate of the Council, as well as for Udina and Anderson.Finally, they give their final opinions on the game and how much they enjoyed it.Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2v1
Hosts:
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabaras
Chip Locke
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBHThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord1 hr 7 min - #16: Impounded! (Return to the Citadel)Nick, Chip, and Kurabara are back this week to talk about their somewhat-less-than-triumphant return to the Citadel after the momentous events of Virmire. After dropping off the Salarian special forces, the Council and Ambassador Udina strip Shepard of their Normandy privileges amidst a complete denial of everything Shepard has worked for thus far. The only bright spot comes when Anderson sends a message that he wants to meet in Flux. The squad talks about the frustrations of losing the Normandy and also the fact that neither the Council nor Udina have their back. They continue talking about Udina and his political manuevering and backstabbing. Nick ponders why they did not just go to Ilos.Stuck on the Citadel, its time to do some side quests! Shepard meets up with Superfan Conrad Verner, who now wants to be a Spectre. Then they discuss Schells and his attempts at cheating in Flux. Kurabara has the most efficient way to get money from the scam, and this leads to a discussion of the economics of Mass Effect 1. Next, they meet Elias Keeler who is a drug-addicted negotiator which allows Shepard to show just how much of a prick the Commander can be. They also encounter Charles Saracino who is running for office with the Terra Firma party. Nick takes the opportunity to talk about a party bug that would crash the game on Virmire if you didn't have the right party composition. They also discuss the Earthborn backstory that has Shepard meet Finch, who asks Shepard to intervene to get another gang member released from C-Sec. Kura raises issues with the C-Sec judicial system.Nick chose to play the role of rich weapons smuggler and paid off the gang member, and that leads to a discussion about Shepard's true role in the galaxy. Chip brings up the soldier backstory that has a questline where Shepard talks to their mother and Nick is surprised Shepard has parents. Next, they meet the Petrovsky's who are having a dispute about how to handle an unborn baby with potential health issues. Kura talks about the Spacer backstory quest that he missed. They also discuss the Helena Blake quest that has you chase down two warring crime bosses. Shepard calls out her scheme but goes along with it anyway, and ultimately has to face her down.Kura brings up the renegade and paragon system that leads to a discussion of how limiting it can feel.Finally, they talk about a quest to help Dr. Michel get some blackmailers off her back. This leads to a quest that ties into the Admiral Kohaku Cerberus questline.And then they return to the plot by meeting with Anderson, and facing the decision of sending Anderson to release the Normandy by using Udina's computer (and decking the Ambassador) or by assaulting C-Sec and surviving. The Normandy flies off and on to Ilos!Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2uw
Hosts:
Chip Locke
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabarasThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord51 min - #15: All the Best Aliens Have Daddy Issues (On Tali & Garrus)Nick, Chip, and Kurabara are back to continue talking about their playthrough of Mass Effect 1 in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. This week the topic is Tali and Garrus.Nick starts by comparing the aliens and pointing out that Tali and Garrus are two of the most beloved, only to realize that all the aliens, including Liara, are beloved. Then, the talk about Tali and how she's basically an 18 year old going off to college to learn about the world, but also to learn to appreciate her home flotilla by being homesick. They also discuss how Tali has a very vibrant personality, but her dialogue is very flat in that it describes the flotilla and their experience with the geth and their government instead of relaying much of her personal experience.Then, they get into discussing the nature of the Quarina flotilla and its size relative to Earth's population as well as its militaistic-democratic hybrid government. They also talk about how the flotilla is crowded by nature, and Tali is not used to the emptiness and quiet of the Normandy. Finally, they talk about the Quarian pilgrimage, and then talk about Tali's own pilgrimage, and the quest she is on to find something important for the flotilla.Then the talk about her quest, Geth Incursions, which isn't even obviously her quest at first. Shepard attacks several Geth bases in the Armstrong Nebula and ultimately finds some Geth data of a Quarian performance, and has the option of giving Tali the data or keeping it for the Alliance. They also talk about Geth culture as a result of the transmission.Next, they talk about Garrus and how he is defined by his experience with C-Sec. They also talk about how Garrus struggles with rules and oversight, and whether they wanted to encourage this behaviour or try to teach him to be better. They talk about Garrus' father who was also a C-Sec officer and how Garrus chafed against his father's observance of the rules. They also ponder how Garrus would have done had he become a Spectre like he was offered previously.Last, they talk about Garrus' personal mission to find Dr. Saleon/Dr. Heart and how the outcome can affect Garrus and his outlook.Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2uq
Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Chip Locke
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabarasThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord1 hr 16 min - #14: Cerberus, Hades' DogsNick, Chip, and Kurabara are back to talk about their ongoing experience in Mass Effect 1. After some chit chat about Minnesota and data pads, they get into talking about Cerberus and how they are present in the background of ME1 before having a more prominent role in ME2. Kurabara wanders how it was decided that they would be utilized in the later Mass Effect games. Nick talks about how shady they are as an organization. Kura questions if ExoGeni would have been as effective an opponent. Nick compares ExoGeni and Cerberus from an ideology standpoint.The first quest they talk about is UNC: Colony of the Dead, which features as civilian colony turned to husks by Cerberus. Chip complains about the geography of the planet, with its steep mountains. Chip talks about how forgettable Cerberus' role in these quests was.Nick then brings up everyone's choice for Shepard's background, as that ties into the next mission. UNC: Dead Scientists is about doctors being killed after they worked on Akuze, where Shepard survived a Thresher Maw attack. Shepard goes to the last doctor and finds that one other soldier survived Akuze, as the rest of Shepard's team were abducted by Cerberus after the Thresher Maw attack. Shepard then must decide whether to let the soldier kill the doctor or try to prevent that from happening.Finally, they discuss the Hades Dogs mission, which starts with Kurabara blowing Nick and Chip's minds by pointing out that Hades' Dogs were Cerberus. Then they get into the details of the mission, talking about how Cerberus is able to stymie and pursue a Rear Admiral with little fear of repercussion. They talk about how Cerberus' agenda is hidden beyond the discussion of them attempting to make a Super Soldier. They they talk about the role of the Shadow Broker and whether they agreed to sell the data to the Shadow Broker or not.Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2uj
Hosts:
Chip Locke
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabaras
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBHThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord53 min - #13: More Side Quests and Bring Down the SkyNick, Chip, and Kurabara are back to talk about the Mass Effect Legendary Edition! They jump right into it by talking about the Strange Transmission mission in the Hawking ETA. Admiral Hackett tasks Shepard with addressing a biotic cult leader named Father Kyle. The squad discuss how they handled the mission and whether or not they decided to let Father Kyle live.Next, they talk about the Shipments in the Amazon Cluster quest. Hackett lets Shepard know that a probe with a 20-Kiloton nuke has been lost and Shepard must investigate to recover it. It is found in possession of a Turian pirate named Elanos Haliat who was responsible for the Skylian Blitz. Shepard must deal with the bomb and then with Elanos.The next quest, Lost Freighter, deals with the MSV Worthington. Onboard, Shepard finds a brain dead man and his feral-like girlfriend who is protecting his body. After dispatching the girlfriend, Shepard must decide what to do with the body. This leads to a discussion about ethics and then a rambling consideration of the ethics of using husks to attempt to heal people.Then the squad mentions the renegade-only quest where Hackett sends you off with the intent of you killing an obnoxious character. The squad talks about how Bioware is great at making characters so hateable that you want to murder them. Kurabara then brings up the Beseiged Base mission, which is the paragon only quest that involves protecting as many cult-members and hostiles while storming the base.Finally, everyone talks about the Bring Down the Sky DLC. They praise Bioware for the increased cinematic scope and how it favorably compares to other quests in the game. They talk about how it involves additional cinematic sequences, and a handful of extra side quests as well. Kurabara talks about the introduction of the Batarians and how the image was changed in the codec.Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2ub
Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Chip Locke
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabarasThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord59 min - #12: Side Quests (F***ING HUSKS)Nick, Chip, and Kurabara are back to talk about their experiences in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. This week, they begin talking about the various side quests in the game before they focus in on heading to Citadel and advancing to endgame.First, they talk about their strategy for how they approached the side quests and when they did them. They also talk a bit about the planetary exploration and how that evolves over the course of the trilogy. They also talk about whether it is worth it to skip Mass Effect 1 and play the comic at the start of Mass Effect 2, or to do all the side quests and play out all the decisions on the game that the comic skips.Next, they get into the various side quests. They talk about UNC: Lost Module which features the introduction of the monkeyish race which is similar to pyjacks. There's also a Prothean beacon near this quest which leads to them discussing the Consort and whether you received the data key from her.Then, they talk about the Distress Call in Argus Rho. This is just a straight Geth trap which lasts long enough to include some Star Wars jokes.After that, they discuss the Missing Persons quest, where you find a ship that was raided by pirates. After killing the pirates, you find the corpse of the captain, and return to his brother on the Citadel to inform him that his brother is dead.They also talk about the Rogue VI quest, which takes place on the moon (Luna.) The Rogue VI emits a strange signal when it is killed. and Shepard earns their specialization class.Missing Survey Team is a quest regarding ExoGeni, the biotech company running the Thorian experiments on Feros. Shepard tracks a signal to a mine, where the survey team is all husks now, having found some strange Geth technology.There are more husks (well, Thorian Creepers), on Nodacrux, where ExoGeni was shipping the Thorian Creepers from Feros for study. Killing the Thorian caused them to go berserk, and Shepard can choose how to deal with what is left of the crew.Finally, they discuss the MSV Cornucopia, a ship that found an artifact, went into Geth space, and came back as husks.Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2u3
Hosts:
Chip Locke
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabaras
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBHThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord1 hr 5 min - #11: On Virmire: Massacre EffectNick, Chip, and Kurabara are back to talk about the major happenings on Virmire! But first, they get into the Normandy meetings that end the Feros and Noveria missions. They talk about how Ashley is very defensive to Liara siding with Shepard, and Nick claims it felt like it was because Ashley was being defensive of her relationship, where Chip and Kura argue that it was just Ashley being uncomfortable when dealing with aliens.Then, they get into Virmire. First, they talk about dropping onto the planet and how it feels a bit like a Mario Kart Turtle Beach track. They discuss meeting Captain Kirrahe of the Salarian Infiltration Team, and his reveal that Saren has cloned and bred Krogan. This upsets Wrex, which leads to the first big moment on Virmire: The confrontation with Wrex. The squad all kept Wrex alive, but Nick talks about how on one play through he intentionally didn't choose the option to reach out to Wrex, and instead when Wrex got heated, he sent Ashley a signal to shoot Wrex.Next, they discuss entering Saren's base, and how the layout is interesting because of the options you have for how to approach it. They talk about getting into Saren's office and encountering Sovereign, and the reveal that Sovereign is a Reaper and he is working with Saren. They talk about how this is such a big moment in the game and a major twist.Then, they talk about confronting Saren about this information. They talk about how Saren's reaction is understandable. They discuss fighting him and trying to get him to join Shepard.FInally, they talk about the decision to save Ashley or Kaiden. They talk about how there it was the culmination of a string of decisions that led to this moment, and how they normally handle this point in the game.Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2tx
Hosts:
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabaras
Chip Locke
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBHThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord1 hr 12 min - #10: Kaiden & Ashley: Wonderbread & The Space RacistNick, Chip, and Kura are back to look at the contributions of Kaiden and Ashley, the two human party members, in Mass Effect in the ME Legendary Edition. First, they have a quick discussion about how they balance their parties when selecting members. Then, they get into talking about Kaiden, and how none of them are particularly interested in the character. They review his history as a biotic and participating in BAaT training, and how he had to kill his Turian instructor. They compare him to Carth Onasi from Star Wars: The Old Republic, also voiced by Rafael Sbarge, and how they are both unappreciated as party members. They talk about how he is awkward at flirting but comes on strong to FemShep and also expresses an attraction to Liara that Shepard quickly shuts down. Kura compares him to Ashley in that she is hot while he is cold, and Chip coins the nickname "Wonderbread."Next, they talk about Ashley and after initially dealing with the shock and guilt of Eden Prime, she then comes across as a space racist. They talk about her mistrust of the aliens and how she is talking about them in the same room as them. They also talk about her family history and how her grandfather was the only human to surrender to any aliens, and how that has caused her to be grounded and not serve in space. This is her first mission with aliens, and she learns from the experience. They talk about romancing her and how she is forthright with Shepard and and her love of poetry. This leads to a discussion about the technical requirements for producing a quality romance scene in a game like this. They also discuss Liara as a romance option and consider whether it is better to wait for options in later games.Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2tq
Hosts:
Chip Locke
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabarasThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord1 hr 1 min - #9: Let's Talk About Wrex, BabyNick, Chip,and Kura are back to talk about Wrex and the Genophage in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Nick starts off talking about how the origins of the Krogan-Rachni War, but Chip corrects him and points out that the Salarian lifted up the Krogan and brought them in to fight the Rachni. They talk about how Tuchanka, the Krogran homeworld is a tough place to survive, and as such, a high fertility rate for the Krogan made sense on their planet. Taking the Krogan out into space and letting them colonize other, less harsh planets meant that more Krogran could survive, and thus they attacked an Asari settlement in their quest to expand. They discuss the Krogan Rebellion, and they talk about how the Turian were discovered behind the Krogan, and were able to be brought into the conflict. Meanwhile, the Salarian developed the genophage to restrict Krogan reproduction to about one in a thousand, which has left the Krogan on the verge of extinction. The squad compares the harshness of the punishment to concepts like incarceration as far as the magnitude of punishment.Next, they talk about Wrex and his role on the team. They discuss how he joined the party at C-Sec, and then how he takes a while to open up to Shepard. They discuss Shepard's encounter where they misspeak about the genophage and Wrex puts the Commander in their place. The group also talks about Wrex trying to take responsibility for the genophage but being attacked by his father and having to kill him because of it. They also talk about Wrex's exploits, including the time he has a brush with Saren and his fight against an Asari Commando that destroyed a space station. They review Wrex's quest for his family armor which involves raiding a base and killing Tonn Actus.Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2tk
Hosts:
Chip Locke
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabaras
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBHThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord57 min - #8: Noveria (Part II): Hot Labs!Nick, Chip, and Kurabara are back to continue their journey through the universe of Mass Effect. This week, they have made it through the corporate espionage of Noveria and were able to get into the garage. After a Geth ambush, they were able to take a Mako and get to Peak 15 and the Hot Labs, where a bunch of bug-like Rachni and an encounter with Matriarch Benezia are waiting!Kura is concerned that Peaks 1-14 are not accessible. He also talks about an odd bug that turned all his characters to squares briefly.Nick starts talking about the Rachni showing up as a horror style threat, and compares the bug invasion of Noveria with the zombie invasion of Feros. They discuss the reasons for why the missions could feel so similar, down to an asari speaking for a powerful telepathic being at the end of the mission. They also talk about the difficulty of the Rachni as far as how strong they are as an enemy, and the presence of non-humanoid aliens in the game. They discuss how all this feeds into the decision of whether or not to save the Rachni at the end of the mission.Next, they talk about entering the Hot Labs and dealing with the ECSB forces who are trapped and stuck defending against the Rachni. They also talk about the odd Asari who was meditating and how strange she was.They also discuss the decision of whether or not to bring Liara on the mission, as she is Benezia's daughter. They talk about how bringing her into the room with Benezia triggers are quick cutscene that felt half-implemented. They also talk about how Benezia shows up and then dies rather quickly, and how her boss fight is not difficult. Nick also mentions that the Rachni Queen overshadows Benezia's death.They discuss the quest to make a cure for Dr. Zev Cohen to get access to the maintenance tunnels to enter the Hot Labs where Benezia is. Kura is concered as after the Asari spy kills a guard, none of the witnesses point out that they just watched a murder.They discuss how the Rachni travel through space. Then they talk about the final fight and having to shoot and run your way through a room full of Rachni.Thank you for listening to Squad Goals - A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected] or @squadgoalsN7 on twitter.
Episode URL: mtb.gg/2tc
Hosts:
Chip Locke
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Cory Treadway
twitter.com/kurabarasThank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.
Website: https://mashthosebuttons.comDiscord: https://mash.gg/discord1 hr 14 min
About Squad Goals — A Mass Effect Podcast
From the publisher's feed
Squad Goals – A Mass Effect Legendary Edition Podcast is a discussion of the story of the Mass Effect trilogy as experienced by three guys playing through the remaster. With each person taking their…
own journey through the game, be it as male or female Shepard, Paragon or Renegade, we look to analyze and dissect our experiences as we go from trailing Saren to combatting a full-on Reaper onslaught. From Citadel to Omega and beyond, join us as we cover the Mass Effect universe.