Mass Effect’s Commander Shepard, Off-Duty

If you’d like a glimpse into the life of Commander Shepard when he or she is off-duty and spending some leisure time on the Normandy, then you need not look any further than this new blog entry penned by BioWare senior writer Patrick Weekes. And, hey, it’s even written in character:

I head to the lower decks to check in with the crew. I talk with Garrus, who’s understandably upset about the turian soldiers who didn’t make it on that last mission. I then check on Liara, and find her chatting with Joker over the intercom. At least I think they’re chatting she seems pretty frazzled, but that happens to most people after they talk with Joker. After getting him to lay off her, I head out.

I stop by the quartermaster and my work bench. I really liked how my assault rifle handled on the last mission, but my shotgun felt weak. I buy a new weapon mod that should give it more stopping power, along with another upgrade mod that should improve its penetration next time I’m up against something with heavy armor. I tinker a bit more on some pistols I don’t use them, but Liara does and buy a few cheaper things from the store. I make a note to buy a few expensive things next time I’m on the Citadel it’s cheaper to buy direct when I’ve got the time. Then I tune up my armor a bit; I’ve been getting up close and personal on recent missions, so I add some armor pieces that’ll help in close combat.