I find the female Shepard to be less believable in the role that she plays. In part this might be because of gender issues; some deep-rooted sexism in my brain, maybe. More likely, I think it has something to do with the fact that the dialog and story are written around a male character, and the female character has identical lines. And even though a female character in Shepard's position, doing the things that Shepard does is perfectly fine and believable, I think that this theoretical female Shepard would probably NOT use the exact wording in all of her responses as a male version, or have the exact same facial expressions and the exact same animations at all the exact same times. And I think that that is the biggest source of my not being able to take the female version as seriously in the role: because it's a female voice and body doing things and saying things that were written and choreographed for a male character.
You might be right about this. I don't really know exactly what lines for men vs lines for women sound like, but I definitely buy what you're saying.
Which is a lose-lose for Bioware, because if they start having the female character say different lines, they'll probably get accused of even worse things. Not to mention the astronomical increase in writing, and thus voice-acting, costs.
I think it would depend on how they do this. There would be an increase in writing costs, but as long as they did it the cheap way, I don't think it would be much. And by "cheap" way, I mean that they don't have to give fem-Shep entirely new dialog trees, they just have to have her convey the same meaning as male-Shep, in a more feminine manner. Does that make sense?
In other words, if male-Shep comes up to an informant and says something intimidating to make him talk, then fem-Shep just has to say something that would get the same result. It doesn't have to be meant to be intimidating though. Maybe she has a more subtle, clever line. I don't know.
Anyway, that would indeed increase writing, because she'd be saying different things. However, it would NOT increase the voice acting. So long as all the other characters could retain their responses to both characters, then the fem-Shep voice actress would just be swapping lines. You'd have double the main character LINES, but not twice the effort, because you'd just be coming up with two phrases that mean the same thing, rather than writing interactions from scratch.
Why not? Let's have a Mass Effect thread.
02/02/2010 05:02:32 PM
- 3710 Views
Character discussion: Mordin Solus
02/02/2010 06:28:41 PM
- 1945 Views
Mordin Solus is great
02/02/2010 08:21:26 PM
- 1380 Views
Actually, that's what happened to me too.
02/02/2010 08:33:22 PM
- 1461 Views
The Illusive man
02/02/2010 08:34:09 PM
- 1574 Views
I didn't even realize that's who he was.
02/02/2010 08:44:07 PM
- 1495 Views

"I'm having trouble hearing you. I'm getting a lot of bullshit on this line." *NM*
02/02/2010 09:34:53 PM
- 728 Views
Who is sharing your bed?
02/02/2010 09:42:09 PM
- 1506 Views
Tali for my male Shepherd
04/02/2010 03:52:03 PM
- 1383 Views
Does she take the helmet off? *NM*
04/02/2010 07:57:18 PM
- 747 Views
I went simple - Miranda.
07/02/2010 06:32:25 AM
- 1299 Views
Which reminds me that I always wondered...
07/02/2010 11:54:14 AM
- 1414 Views
You probably wouldn't be able to woo anyone by being a total dick. *NM*
07/02/2010 03:32:41 PM
- 731 Views
I was lucky enough to meet the game's producer... (No spoilers)
02/02/2010 10:58:59 PM
- 1538 Views
No spoilers here either, as per my rules.
Regarding the ammo:
03/02/2010 04:51:54 AM
- 1355 Views

I just want to be part of this....that said, Best Buy is no longer selling ME:1
02/02/2010 11:16:51 PM
- 1508 Views
Could well be.
03/02/2010 04:52:49 AM
- 1273 Views
Glad the PC version was $50, at the risk of sounding like a snob.
03/02/2010 04:01:52 PM
- 1286 Views
Mass Effect 1 vs 2: RPG-shooter vs Shooter-rpg (This is for you, Cymbaline!) (No spoilers)
02/02/2010 11:28:24 PM
- 1473 Views
The "Holy crap that was awesome" moments. SPOILERS
03/02/2010 11:27:55 PM
- 1434 Views
Re: The "Holy crap that was awesome" moments. SPOILERS
04/02/2010 04:59:54 AM
- 1326 Views
Re: The "Holy crap that was awesome" moments. SPOILERS
04/02/2010 06:16:29 AM
- 1428 Views
Well. . .somewhat, I guess.
04/02/2010 06:43:02 AM
- 1444 Views
Re: Well. . .somewhat, I guess.
04/02/2010 03:32:26 PM
- 1379 Views
You know what? I'll actually buy that. I appreciate the explanation.
04/02/2010 06:30:37 PM
- 1205 Views
A couple of more things......
16/02/2010 12:41:19 AM
- 1462 Views
Game was too easy, primary plotline too short
04/02/2010 09:03:52 PM
- 1378 Views
Nice.
I'm playing through on Insanity now, and I think it's a good challenge.
05/02/2010 02:17:02 AM
- 1289 Views

Whats your character build?
05/02/2010 02:45:31 PM
- 1541 Views
Ok, so male or female Shepherd?
05/02/2010 01:50:23 AM
- 1312 Views
Hm. This brings up a thought.
05/02/2010 01:52:37 AM
- 1250 Views
Male for my first playthrough, female for my second.
05/02/2010 02:28:24 AM
- 1420 Views
Agreed, on some of those counts.
05/02/2010 07:28:00 AM
- 1273 Views
Re: Agreed, on some of those counts.
05/02/2010 07:43:20 AM
- 1402 Views
Male so far. I plan on playing the female Shepard next playthrough. *NM*
05/02/2010 03:25:00 AM
- 784 Views
Your Teams, and Your Deaths.
07/02/2010 06:30:25 AM
- 1222 Views
Re: Your Teams, and Your Deaths.
07/02/2010 09:07:17 AM
- 1418 Views
Do you know...
07/02/2010 03:46:59 PM
- 1227 Views
Re: Do you know...
07/02/2010 04:31:29 PM
- 1334 Views
Awesome. Thanks! *NM*
07/02/2010 04:40:59 PM
- 763 Views
Yeah, that's what I did.
07/02/2010 06:37:50 PM
- 1182 Views
Hmmm...
09/02/2010 03:48:48 PM
- 1263 Views
Strange.
09/02/2010 04:19:04 PM
- 1322 Views
me too
13/02/2010 03:01:05 PM
- 1307 Views
Did you do Legion's loyalty mission?
15/02/2010 05:52:36 AM
- 1404 Views
I did, for what it's worth.
15/02/2010 07:26:38 AM
- 1338 Views
Gah. Then I wonder if loyalty of the rest of the crew has something to do with it.
15/02/2010 04:20:13 PM
- 1301 Views
I have come across a big problem.
07/02/2010 06:53:36 PM
- 1340 Views
Want FREE Mass Effect 2 DLC? ME 2! (har, har) Bioware bonus goodies detailed inside.
09/02/2010 07:03:23 PM
- 1481 Views
Now if only the DLC armors didn't have helmets.
09/02/2010 07:26:47 PM
- 1248 Views
Of course, the Shotgun is released AFTER I beat my Vanguard *sigh*
09/02/2010 11:31:13 PM
- 1320 Views
It's nice, but you don't miss much if you already had the Claymore shotty w/ an ammo upgrade. *NM*
10/02/2010 05:16:00 AM
- 708 Views
Anyone find anything interesting about Zaeed Massani?
11/02/2010 09:08:16 PM
- 1348 Views
I enjoy Zaeed.
11/02/2010 09:22:39 PM
- 1304 Views
I'm near your spot in the story and completely agree. One-sided conversations, but worthwhile. *NM*
11/02/2010 10:20:47 PM
- 639 Views
Yeah, I've listened to him alot but it's the same stuff every time.
12/02/2010 03:14:11 PM
- 1255 Views
Who, what, where?
*NM*
22/02/2010 08:18:31 PM
- 669 Views

If you bought a new copy of the game, it came with a code for the "Cerberus Network"
22/02/2010 08:22:18 PM
- 1260 Views
Is there a way to install the game on the Xbox, so you don't have to switch discs?
12/02/2010 01:39:07 AM
- 1292 Views
Good ones have two discs, of course.
DVDs can only hold so much. *NM*
12/02/2010 02:46:39 AM
- 671 Views

This is the first I've ever seen. *NM*
12/02/2010 02:51:34 AM
- 700 Views
I've never understood why people are unhappy with the multiple discs.
12/02/2010 04:18:42 AM
- 1287 Views
So far, so great!
12/02/2010 08:35:00 AM
- 1265 Views
Re: So far, so great!
12/02/2010 02:31:43 PM
- 1365 Views
Re: So far, so great!
16/02/2010 10:17:12 PM
- 1318 Views
Nope, I was referring to honest-to-goodness cheating. lol
16/02/2010 11:03:53 PM
- 1361 Views
Ahh, I just figured you were on console as I am, so.....the grind will continue I guess
*NM*
17/02/2010 06:41:59 PM
- 744 Views

I love the detail put into this game.
12/02/2010 02:58:35 PM
- 1242 Views
"Our amino acids aren't even compatable so there's no risk if we go natural."
12/02/2010 03:15:50 PM
- 1295 Views
Re: "Our amino acids aren't even compatable so there's no risk if we go natural."
12/02/2010 07:16:21 PM
- 1223 Views
"Technically we don't even have sex drives... oh, she is rather flexible...." *NM*
12/02/2010 07:20:53 PM
- 698 Views
Female Turians....
12/02/2010 09:05:39 PM
- 1235 Views
Nope. Don't exist in-game.
14/02/2010 01:47:23 AM
- 1189 Views
I believe a krogan female is shown once.
14/02/2010 02:03:27 AM
- 1279 Views
No I don't think that's right.
14/02/2010 08:54:32 AM
- 1201 Views
Asari
15/02/2010 06:51:10 AM
- 1329 Views
Not really.
15/02/2010 10:41:54 PM
- 1260 Views
Though it is fun seeing the asari coupled with basically every race under the sun.
15/02/2010 10:54:41 PM
- 1277 Views
The final verdict
22/02/2010 08:06:12 PM
- 1289 Views
By the way, my game was surprisingly buggy
23/02/2010 08:49:28 AM
- 1411 Views
A complaint about the Morality system. (Or, how Mass Effect semi-killed roleplaying).
27/02/2010 06:40:35 AM
- 1389 Views
Re: A complaint about the Morality system. (Or, how Mass Effect semi-killed roleplaying).
27/02/2010 12:28:29 PM
- 1212 Views
Re: A complaint about the Morality system. (Or, how Mass Effect semi-killed roleplaying).
27/02/2010 04:57:43 PM
- 1272 Views
Re: A complaint about the Morality system. (Or, how Mass Effect semi-killed roleplaying).
28/02/2010 12:34:31 AM
- 1329 Views
A vital part of role-playing is forcing the player to deal with the consequences of their actions
27/02/2010 11:53:56 PM
- 1562 Views
Admittedly, my post was somewhat stream-of-consciousness.
28/02/2010 03:28:02 AM
- 1259 Views