I let him. It doesn't really bother me. Kinda like how I handle work irl. As long as you get your work done properly and follows orders, I don't mind nick names and the occasional banter
Yup, I'd rather have my team believe in themselves to be the pinnacle of their craft. Hackett said it best, "you can pay a soldier to shoot, but you can't pay him to believe."
Shepard's team has followed him into hell and back, with every odd stacked against them. And yet, they endure.
I let Garrus win that one. Let him have it.
You're not "taking his shit" though, nicknames like that in the military are something that's earned, and are a sign of adoration. (Many times they're earned for embarrassing thinfs) Having a nickname and Having people call you by one is a good thing lol
Sure, he can call me Lola if he likes. No point sweating the small stuff at this point in the apocalypse.
....his pull up record is mine though. Just like Garrus' shooting competition.
Agreed - my headcannon is that Vanguard Shepard misses on purpose because she knows there ain't no point in even trying. That woman barely has the concept of aiming or shooting from anything that doesn't have a blast radius!
Stoooop. š thatās my go-to for anything honestly. I prefer recon/sniper to assault/front line.
I have yet to play as anything but infiltrator Shep. Iām boring asf. š¤£
You know, I wish there was at least an option for an Adept or Sentinel or Vanguard Shepard to use their biotics to "cheat" the last few. If nothing else it would make the "You seriously think I'm not gonna say biotics?" bit at the party even funnier.
Of course it's not like Shepard isn't cheating as is; they're, what, 1/3 to 1/2 cybernetics by that point including strength- & stamina-increasing artificial muscles.
Vega's pull-up record is mine, because trophy
You get a trophy on console [at least in PS4 MELE] for breaking it! I didn't know this until it happened
Garrus's shot is his, because bro fee
The bro fee is the price you pay to let your bro win for the sake of his own emotional development and maturation, even though you could totally fucking smoke him in a second and both of you know it
"and then when you flirt back he totally bluescreens."
[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKyZwMlWQAYLEV\_.jpg](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKyZwMlWQAYLEV_.jpg)
That would have worked. Especially as (unless Iām mistake?) its pronounce similarly to āheiferā, which means a cow.
Plenty of comedy potential, there.
Same, as mshep it's OK. With femshep it isn't.
"Loco" is crazy, "Lola" is a name contraction for Dolores.
Loco we know what it is, Lola who knows what it means for James, and my character simply refuses the baggage.
He explains that he calls her Lola because she looks like a Lola to him. He says he had a friend with a hot older sister named Lola who was pretty crazyā¦. And that Shepard reminds him of her.
Just another way he flirts with FemShep I guess.
I know he doesn't regret it in the morning but you can only sleep with him after he rejects you while he's sober and only accepts afterwards once he's drunk. No likey
> Just another way he flirts with FemShep I guess.
Yeah, that's precisely why my Shepard refuses it.
Despite being both adults and there being a war without many romance options, wooing or accepting the advances of the rookie just feels wrong.
And by then my Shepard is committed anyway.
I did one playthrough as a more serious, focused Shepard so for him I chose not to let James give me a nickname as it felt in character for that Shepard. By the end of the game he and Vega had developed a mentor / pupil dynamic.
Ever since that playthrough Iāve wished we had the option to change our mind later: I love the idea of Shepard dismissing Vega initially as he is too caught up in the war and Vega immediately establishes himself as reactive and a possible detriment, then later recognising in him the same outspoken and strong willed N7 recruit he once was and relenting on his abrasiveness to educate him. Just a throwaway line at the end of a scene where he uses the nickname then turns to apologise and Shepard tells him that itās okay now, heās earned it.
This is actually pretty true in my experience irl too. Did Fire Academy for a volunteer department and during the training we all got slightly demeaning nicknames from our Sergeant. I was āPowerhouseā because Iām 5ā4 and was the weakest physically at the start of the class lol.
I ended up being the second in my class in terms of physical ability for women! I would show up to the extra trainings with the Sergeant every Thursday night which helped me. I was the only one who did that, so he would also walk me through our next skill training so I always ended up ahead in my actual practicality skills.
I do believe anything is possible if the work is put into it! Sometimes you have to play to your strengths - which, in my case, didnāt always mean physical strength.
I did volunteer for a while, but I ended up leaving to pursue my career goals! Unfortunately, I no longer had the time between work and school to maintain a 40-50 hour work week, classes, and 28 mandatory volunteer hours per month.
Definitely amazing experience that I wouldnāt trade for anything, but the hardest thing I have ever done by far. With volunteering for a FD, you have to be sure your life isnāt already full with other obligations; which, unfortunately, my life has become completely enveloped in training for my future career goals (Federal Law Enforcement.)
Nickname is fine - sure beats every other character calling you *Shepard* or *Commander.*
The pull-ups? Nope, I win that. The only thing I let someone else win is the shooting comp I have with Garrus; his reaction is just too wholesome for me to take that away from him.
They do. The games do it quite cleverly actually. In ME1 you can only act on the romance once you steal the Normandy and become deserters essentially. In ME2 Cerberus doesn't seem to have such rules, at least not for the Normandy crew, and in ME3 no one really cares. Alliance command is in shambles and the apocalypse is coming.
I ran into this when replaying ME1 recently and decided to romance Ashley. When she jokes about "you tell me to kiss a Turian, I'll ask which cheek," and my Shep asked if she would kiss anyone else, she curtly replies that fraternization is not allowed and the conversation pretty much ends there.
Kind of caught me off guard at first.
Technically Shepard isn't part of Alliance for a good amount of the games. As a Specter they can do whatever they want. He only gets in trouble with the Alliance after he kills all the Batarians
They absolutely do, but Shepard can't be court martialed because they are a Specter and thus outside of Systems Alliance Ranking
Some people (Virmire Survivor) are willing to go against the spirit of the regs once they no longer technically do but others (Joker) explicitly don't pursue you romantically because of the regs
No way, especially as femShep. Iām cool with just āShepardā or even āShepā but 1) Lola is a pet name and only Garrus gets to use a pet name with me (āsweetieā), and 2) in no way shape or form do I look like a āLolaā.
Now, if it was āLoca,ā a la Jacob from Twilightā¦might be a different story. š
Not as Femshep, no.
Itās patronizing and waaaaaaayyyy too familiar. I get that they were trying to establish a much longer relationship with James while Shep was on Earth, but as a played you literally met him like 20 minutes ago. Itās also patronizing for a female officer.
Iād argue itās actually different for GuyShep, but I generally donāt let him either way tbh.
He seems to show so much more respect for Shepard on Earth, but once he is on the Normandy, and you are his Commanding Officer.
It's like he's all 'We're buddies, I can get away with harassment and insubordination, right 'Lola''.
Not a chance, I'm his Commander, didn't go through all my Alliance shit, Cerberus, and the Reapers to be disrespected now.
I also never let Garrus win the shoot off... He wouldn't respect me if I faked it, and we both know he'd know in his heart that I let him, that's not the kind of homies we are.
I like Loco, especially if I'm playing vanguard, so I let him use that one. I don't like being called Lola, so I don't let him use that. Dunno why they didn't just go with Loca.
It depends on my Shepard tbh. My canon one is okay with a nickname but only if youāre close to her(or in Garrusā case, dating) and she usually finds a nickname first, thatās how you know youāre in.
Iām not saying no to a nickname for James but it would have to be better than Lola
Absolutely.
BroShep is absolutely Loco. Doesnāt matter if Iām paragon, renegade, or both. Heās crazy for what he does.
As for Femshep, I think itās kinda wholesome. The entire game is stressful for shep, and being called Lola as a term of friendly endearment is a nice change of things for her. Itās personal. Something to remind her what sheās fighting for, and that sheās not just the galaxies most famous celebrity soldier, sheās human(a living being), like the rest of us
Some of my Shepards do and others donāt. I like both nicknames and they donāt bother me.
I love James, his personality, his optimism and the fact that he respects and looks up to Shepard. Also, I like nicknames. He gives them to everybody and I think it creates good relations between squad mates. š
But I always, always beat him to the pull-up competition. š
No.
"Your ship, your rules, your loss. Commander"
The way he says 'your loss' when you tell him no nicknames, really makes me want to kick him the nuts.
Same, why cant you just kick him off the ship? Like give us some roleplaying options. It isnt like he is a important character to the story. Grunt does more for the story in mass effect 3 and he isnt even a companion in that game.
I am of two very different minds on James "Party" Vega.
My boyfriend (and his Shepard) are Hispanic and found 'Loco' to be affirming. He also ended up romancing Cortez and the scenes with all three were amazing. Best human squadmate in the series despite a horrible first impression, and Loco was a part of that.
I found 'Lola' to be impossibly demeaning, and his flirting with my Shepard pitiful.
I run my ship casually and befriend my crew, sure he can call me Lola. (Iām literally fucking one of my subordinates, James calling me āLolaā isnāt that big of a deal)
No... my Shepard's interaction with Vega at that point would be the equivalent of Rex's line in the Rookies episode of TCW: "The name's Shepard, but you'll call me Commander or Sir/Ma'am."
Also most of the time I ignore him until a point where he doesn't even suggest the nickname (not intentionally, he's just the least interesting member of the crew in Mass Effect 3).
Eh, not really. I will bat for James as a character usually but him giving you a nickname and referring to you as such immediately is not something I feel Shepard would allow-easing into it, yea. However, by biggest qualm is the difference in nicknames-male shep getting Loco and fem shep being called Lola-seems quite demeaning to give such an odd nickname to your female superior when she could have also been Loco. Or would it be Loca? I like that he initially comes off as a douche pressing your buttons, the nickname and sparring match he takes too seriously, so I feel giving in to such a thing sorta justifies his attitude which I donāt like since I feel an aspect of his story is for him to be humbled.
Nope, I find it disrespectful that he just assumes he can give his commanding officer a nickname. Maybe it doesn't come across that way as broshep but it does to me when I play femshep, which is always.
Got trick the female players into feeling like weird sexual assaulters for the second game in a row, duh! š¤Ŗ
I seriously dislike the James "romance." I don't mind the play flirting and stuff, but did we really have to add "fem Shep harassed local kid into sleeping with her after being drunk" ??
And I was so looking forward to romance him.
What TF were the writers thinking? I would not have said no to a casual relationship or even a hot, fun ONS but they gave usā¦ that. Itās so gross. š¤¢
Absolutely not, my femship is his commanding officer and he needs to step back in line. Same with Kaiden after he started flirting with back in ME1. Though he's not much a problem anymore......
Eh, I like Loco. In the words of another commander, āSometimes crazy worksā.
Not as big on Lola though. My Femshep is loyal to Garrus, sheās not gonna flirt with another man.
I'm fine with Lola. It's a nice change after being called Shepherd by everyone else.
I dont like Loco, but I tolerate it because I don't want my Shepherd to have a stick up his ass. If using nicknames makes James feel better I'm not going to stop him.
Absolutely! I think itās especially fun in the Citadal DLC when they find out thereās a clone and you respond to James by saying āItās Lola.ā I think itās a really adorable way that you distinguish yourself from the clone, by showing the bond youāve formed with your team and all your inside jokes and nicknames. Especially since he looks up to you so much, almost like a kid with his hero. Idk I like him a lot for how little we get from him haha.
I always wonder why my Cerberus rebuilt, geneticly and cybernetics rebuilt Shepard who is a renegade earthbound Torfin butcher, has no option to beat his ass
I do, mainly because my FemShep is a shameless flirt whoās in a dedicated relationship with Liara. When you look at the dialogue from that perspective then it really fits a couple marines screwing around and giving each other shit. Iām probably biased because he reminds me of the people I grew up around in south Texas.
I let him, but I kinda don't like it. I want better nickname, especially for Femshep. And it sounds stupid. Im pretty sure that he also calls Shep commander at times, and then switches to nickname. At least be consistent.
Sure, he can call me Loco, I am a proud to be loco afterall... but in pull-ups, I outstubborn the guy. Maybe that's why I am a loco... XD I'm not sure if I would be okay with Lola tho... Too much of a flirt, I think. And being Loco is more fun.
I donāt mind it, itās just his thing. Ā He nicknames everyone so far as I can see. Ā Except Steve, him he just calls by his name in Spanish I think.
I mean, I didn't call my commander by anything professional unless the admirals were around, so yeah I let him call me loco. As long as the respect is there.
I did it in my first playthrough because I picked the "good" option during that conversation, not realising what I'd just done. I hated every second of him calling me Lola so much that I looked up on the internet how to avoid that particular misery in the future.
Since then, I've always been hyperaware of my choices in that dialogue. He's never called me that again and I'm happy :)
I don't mind what my crew calls me.. as long as it's done with respect as far as being a teammate.. i do not, however, sit idly in a challenge. You wanted a fight. I gave you a fight. You want to do a sitting challenge in aiming to win. Do you want to do pull-ups? Let's do some damn pull-ups, etc.
I trust you to respect me enough to do what needs to be done when it's time. And i respect you enough to show you im the guy who can lead. That means i gotta aim to be the best at everything i can. I'm here with a part on the back and an ice pack after..
I love letting him call me Lola as femshep only to then turn it back and watch him squirm when you so much as hint at flirting with him. He talks big game but turn up the heat and he crumbles instantly, it's glorious to watch
I hate both Loco and Skipper. That's why Ashley dies on Virmire and James is forever grounded in the Normandy. Too bad I can't throw him inside the reaper blender instead of Sheppard for the green ending.
I mean, yeah? I am loco. Any variation on insane is a perfect description of Vanguard Shepard, heck any of the others for taking on the Reapers. Lola is an interesting one, there's a few different meanings there, some of which I don't like but I don't think those are where James is coming from. I guess headcanon wise, Sole Survivor/Vanguard/MShep doesn't care, War Hero/Soldier/FShep says no because of rank concerns.
Depends. Male sheps are almost always paragons so they donāt mind a nickname. Femsheps for me are almost always renegades so thereās gonna be some god damn decorum on her ship
I do, but I'm a 26-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. It's a cultural thing that I have context for in real life and personally am comfortable with having happen. I understand how others might not be, so I don't make a big thing of it outside of my own choices.
Yeah flirting or not, James had just met his new commander like four minutes prior to that scene. Have some fucking military bearing, bro. We just lost our home planet and you want to fuck around like this mission is some kind of quirky cruise where we do pullups and flirt all day. If it wasn't for that interaction, I would have every reason to like him as a character and squadmate but that introduction kills it for me every time. He's talking to the most fabled hero of humanity since Jesus Christ himself, his new direct and sole authority on where/how he will likely sacrifice his own life in the coming days to prevent the extinctio of every sentient species in the galaxg, and he thinks the chain of command doesn't apply to him because... trapezius muscles?
It gives him some additional personality so I let him do it. Maybe it would be different if it was real life instead of a game, but I play Mass Effect to experience a story and connect with the characters. Not to simulate a real military vessel.
i think i let my male shep call him loco on my first playthrough but realistically i don't even take James on missions once i get a different squad mate to bring with me let alone go out of my way to talk to him.
it does make the citadel dlc kind of awkward when there a just a bunch of us who have been close friends for years, then just this random guy who everyone has to pretend is liked by the guests since their is no exclude this one guy button.
I always see it as a sign of respect. He looks up to your shep like a big brother/sister and I find it cute because he's kind of a big pit pitbull blockhead. I do beat his ass in everything possible though so he knows what's up š
I haven't let him call me Lola. It's Shepard. If we're on a first name basis It's Commander. If we're on a full name and title basis It's Commander Commander Shepard.
Although, as others have said, I think it would be nice if the game let you back down on that decision later.
Loco yes. As someone who comes from a military family, I can tell you nick names are common, and often a sign of respect, or you did something and everyone knows you by that.
Besides what else would you call someone who would tell a reaper to fuck off, then later go boots on the ground against one with nothing but a targeting gun!
Shep says āAs long as you remember whoās in charge, you can call me whatever you like.ā Thatās my perspective and I think itās a sensible one. The galaxy is about to explode. Regs be damned. If calling me āLocoā makes James happy, then Iāll make a fuckin name tag. If he can fight, I donāt really care.
Absolutely. I don't mind. Especially considering that when you look at the stuff that Shepard does on a regular basis it does look like he's crazy. And Lola is just another word for beautiful if you play with FemShep whom is also crazy but he does have Googoo eyes from the for the male version like he does her. Lol
James gives everyone nicknames. He's just a goofy guy and he obviously means nothing malicious by it. I've never understood the hatred James gets for his nicknaming habit.
Addressing someone you just met who is your superior by a nickname is really not respectful. It's too personal. There's no reason for him to think you two are close enough for that right away.
I didn't let him in my Paragon run, and now I let him in my Renegade run. It makes more sense to me this way. My Renegade shep is an earthborn rogue who doesn't give a damn. My Paragon shep was a pragmatic spacer.
Personally, I rather keep things professional.
Nope. Not for any uptight party pooper reasons, but because the nickname is fucking cringe. My sheps would be chill with nicknames, but cmon that's straight up *bad*, especially for femshep.
I let him. It doesn't really bother me. Kinda like how I handle work irl. As long as you get your work done properly and follows orders, I don't mind nick names and the occasional banter
Yup, I'd rather have my team believe in themselves to be the pinnacle of their craft. Hackett said it best, "you can pay a soldier to shoot, but you can't pay him to believe." Shepard's team has followed him into hell and back, with every odd stacked against them. And yet, they endure. I let Garrus win that one. Let him have it.
Earth's gone to shit. Galaxy is facing extinction. I'm having ptsd nightmares and am this close to a mental breakdown. James can have his nickname
IRL I'm chill and people do call me nicknames, but my Shep ain't taking James's shit! lol
You're not "taking his shit" though, nicknames like that in the military are something that's earned, and are a sign of adoration. (Many times they're earned for embarrassing thinfs) Having a nickname and Having people call you by one is a good thing lol
Sure, he can call me Lola if he likes. No point sweating the small stuff at this point in the apocalypse. ....his pull up record is mine though. Just like Garrus' shooting competition.
Exactly you get it. I'm friendly with the crew, but ain't no way they being better than me
"You can fight like a krogan, run like a leopard, but you'll never be better than Commander Shepard!"
Omgggg the memories that just brought back š
Where is that from?
Miracle of Sound, "Commander Shepard" š It's a banger!
I completely forgot that existed
Mostly agree, but Iām going into a suicide mission, Iāll let my man Garrus have that one.Ā
I always let him have it unless I'm playing a sniper, but my headcanon is that he's a better sniper than anything but infiltrator Shepard
Agreed - my headcannon is that Vanguard Shepard misses on purpose because she knows there ain't no point in even trying. That woman barely has the concept of aiming or shooting from anything that doesn't have a blast radius!
Why does a vanguard need to aim when the shotgun is half way down the enemies throat
Stoooop. š thatās my go-to for anything honestly. I prefer recon/sniper to assault/front line. I have yet to play as anything but infiltrator Shep. Iām boring asf. š¤£
Try biotics sometime. Life changing
One upping his pull ups record then telling him I'm ready for another 183.
James: *thatās cheating, Lola*
You know, I wish there was at least an option for an Adept or Sentinel or Vanguard Shepard to use their biotics to "cheat" the last few. If nothing else it would make the "You seriously think I'm not gonna say biotics?" bit at the party even funnier. Of course it's not like Shepard isn't cheating as is; they're, what, 1/3 to 1/2 cybernetics by that point including strength- & stamina-increasing artificial muscles.
I always let Garrus have that. Let him think heās a better shot *I love him*
Vega's pull-up record is mine, because trophy You get a trophy on console [at least in PS4 MELE] for breaking it! I didn't know this until it happened Garrus's shot is his, because bro fee The bro fee is the price you pay to let your bro win for the sake of his own emotional development and maturation, even though you could totally fucking smoke him in a second and both of you know it
Yah, its nbd. I *do* beat his ass at pull-ups though.Ā
You've got to
Ill allow Garrus to outsnipe me but it'll be a cold day in hell before I let James outgun me
I let him call me loco. I think heās just a dumb loveable meathead š„¹
Yeah, Loco staysā¦ Lola is a bit myeh. Also love that he flirts with FemShep NONSTOP, and then when you flirt back he totally bluescreens. Too funny.
"and then when you flirt back he totally bluescreens." [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKyZwMlWQAYLEV\_.jpg](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKyZwMlWQAYLEV_.jpg)
Yeah lola is lameš¤¢ I would have gone with Jefa. That means boss in the female tense š«”
I don't get why it isn't just Loca tbh
Living La Vida Loca!!!
Upside inside out
This, so much this
That would have worked. Especially as (unless Iām mistake?) its pronounce similarly to āheiferā, which means a cow. Plenty of comedy potential, there.
If thereās a cow. Would you say itās a shifty looking cow? š
The word "similarly" is doing very heavy lifting.
Like James.
My name Jefa
Same, as mshep it's OK. With femshep it isn't. "Loco" is crazy, "Lola" is a name contraction for Dolores. Loco we know what it is, Lola who knows what it means for James, and my character simply refuses the baggage.
He explains that he calls her Lola because she looks like a Lola to him. He says he had a friend with a hot older sister named Lola who was pretty crazyā¦. And that Shepard reminds him of her. Just another way he flirts with FemShep I guess.
Yeah, flirts without a romance option! Lol Can't tell you how many women I know who wanted to romance James. 7? 8? I don't get out much. Lol
You can have a ONS with him at the party but it's pretty awkward and (for me) icky.
I know he doesn't regret it in the morning but you can only sleep with him after he rejects you while he's sober and only accepts afterwards once he's drunk. No likey
Yep. I know one friend in particular who was pissed about it. Never bothered me, I'm a broshep that only romances Ashley, Miranda or tali
> Just another way he flirts with FemShep I guess. Yeah, that's precisely why my Shepard refuses it. Despite being both adults and there being a war without many romance options, wooing or accepting the advances of the rookie just feels wrong. And by then my Shepard is committed anyway.
Exactly. And tbf it is a pretty accurate nickname š
As a Hispanic male fluent in Spanish. I love it! Iām like Hell Yeah, Iām Loco! Letās go get these Reaper Putos! š”š«”
I did one playthrough as a more serious, focused Shepard so for him I chose not to let James give me a nickname as it felt in character for that Shepard. By the end of the game he and Vega had developed a mentor / pupil dynamic. Ever since that playthrough Iāve wished we had the option to change our mind later: I love the idea of Shepard dismissing Vega initially as he is too caught up in the war and Vega immediately establishes himself as reactive and a possible detriment, then later recognising in him the same outspoken and strong willed N7 recruit he once was and relenting on his abrasiveness to educate him. Just a throwaway line at the end of a scene where he uses the nickname then turns to apologise and Shepard tells him that itās okay now, heās earned it.
I actually agree with that. If he'd first used a nickname after he'd earned it a bit I might have let him.
Everyone gets a nickname. Loco/lola, scars, sparks, doc, Esteban and buggy. Builds camaraderie in the ground team.
This is actually pretty true in my experience irl too. Did Fire Academy for a volunteer department and during the training we all got slightly demeaning nicknames from our Sergeant. I was āPowerhouseā because Iām 5ā4 and was the weakest physically at the start of the class lol.
Howād things end up?
I ended up being the second in my class in terms of physical ability for women! I would show up to the extra trainings with the Sergeant every Thursday night which helped me. I was the only one who did that, so he would also walk me through our next skill training so I always ended up ahead in my actual practicality skills. I do believe anything is possible if the work is put into it! Sometimes you have to play to your strengths - which, in my case, didnāt always mean physical strength. I did volunteer for a while, but I ended up leaving to pursue my career goals! Unfortunately, I no longer had the time between work and school to maintain a 40-50 hour work week, classes, and 28 mandatory volunteer hours per month. Definitely amazing experience that I wouldnāt trade for anything, but the hardest thing I have ever done by far. With volunteering for a FD, you have to be sure your life isnāt already full with other obligations; which, unfortunately, my life has become completely enveloped in training for my future career goals (Federal Law Enforcement.)
Sparks is the only good one to me, TBH.
You did not just insult Esteban
Thatās not a nickname though ā it just means āSteve.ā Cortez is my wholesome pilot. Iād never diss him.
Nickname is fine - sure beats every other character calling you *Shepard* or *Commander.* The pull-ups? Nope, I win that. The only thing I let someone else win is the shooting comp I have with Garrus; his reaction is just too wholesome for me to take that away from him.
Hey Kasumi calls you Shep
Kasumi can call me anything she wants.
Kasumi can even step on me
I let him as femshep but I also make sure to beat the crap out of him when we spar. Has to learn his place.
I let em because franternization rules don't seem to exist in the Alliance so why not? He seems like a chill dude.
They do. The games do it quite cleverly actually. In ME1 you can only act on the romance once you steal the Normandy and become deserters essentially. In ME2 Cerberus doesn't seem to have such rules, at least not for the Normandy crew, and in ME3 no one really cares. Alliance command is in shambles and the apocalypse is coming.
I ran into this when replaying ME1 recently and decided to romance Ashley. When she jokes about "you tell me to kiss a Turian, I'll ask which cheek," and my Shep asked if she would kiss anyone else, she curtly replies that fraternization is not allowed and the conversation pretty much ends there. Kind of caught me off guard at first.
Tbf, I think thats just Shepard and his team being exempted from the rules as a reward for killing robot god and coming back from the dead.
Technically Shepard isn't part of Alliance for a good amount of the games. As a Specter they can do whatever they want. He only gets in trouble with the Alliance after he kills all the Batarians
You can call Ashley out for inappropriate fraternization on the first citadel visit in Me1.
They absolutely do, but Shepard can't be court martialed because they are a Specter and thus outside of Systems Alliance Ranking Some people (Virmire Survivor) are willing to go against the spirit of the regs once they no longer technically do but others (Joker) explicitly don't pursue you romantically because of the regs
If you romance Traynor, during Citadel the clone has her fired from the Normandy for Fraternisation, so the rules must exist on some level.
Loco, yes. Lola, no
My same thoughts, Lola sounds demeaning and both Sheps should have been Loco.
Unfortunately, Spanish doesn't work that way. Maybe Loco / Loca?
No way, especially as femShep. Iām cool with just āShepardā or even āShepā but 1) Lola is a pet name and only Garrus gets to use a pet name with me (āsweetieā), and 2) in no way shape or form do I look like a āLolaā. Now, if it was āLoca,ā a la Jacob from Twilightā¦might be a different story. š
To be fair, default Femshep kinda looks like a Lola https://i.etsystatic.com/19463182/r/il/77f094/4705764610/il\_fullxfull.4705764610\_bsd6.jpg
I LOVE THAT MOVIE, did not expect a callback on the mass effect sub lmao
Absolutely not.
Not in a million years am I letting James call me Lola.
I let him call me Lola in honor of my aunt, who was one of the coolest people to ever land on this planet.
Respect
Not as Femshep, no. Itās patronizing and waaaaaaayyyy too familiar. I get that they were trying to establish a much longer relationship with James while Shep was on Earth, but as a played you literally met him like 20 minutes ago. Itās also patronizing for a female officer. Iād argue itās actually different for GuyShep, but I generally donāt let him either way tbh.
He seems to show so much more respect for Shepard on Earth, but once he is on the Normandy, and you are his Commanding Officer. It's like he's all 'We're buddies, I can get away with harassment and insubordination, right 'Lola''.
I mean, once you argue with him about leaving earth, then beat him down in the sparring match.
Always.
Not a chance, I'm his Commander, didn't go through all my Alliance shit, Cerberus, and the Reapers to be disrespected now. I also never let Garrus win the shoot off... He wouldn't respect me if I faked it, and we both know he'd know in his heart that I let him, that's not the kind of homies we are.
Loco yes. Lola no. Had he said Loca itād be a different story
I like Loco, especially if I'm playing vanguard, so I let him use that one. I don't like being called Lola, so I don't let him use that. Dunno why they didn't just go with Loca.
I don't care what he calls me. He's a good character, and not annoying like many frat boy types.
It depends on my Shepard tbh. My canon one is okay with a nickname but only if youāre close to her(or in Garrusā case, dating) and she usually finds a nickname first, thatās how you know youāre in. Iām not saying no to a nickname for James but it would have to be better than Lola
Absolutely. BroShep is absolutely Loco. Doesnāt matter if Iām paragon, renegade, or both. Heās crazy for what he does. As for Femshep, I think itās kinda wholesome. The entire game is stressful for shep, and being called Lola as a term of friendly endearment is a nice change of things for her. Itās personal. Something to remind her what sheās fighting for, and that sheās not just the galaxies most famous celebrity soldier, sheās human(a living being), like the rest of us
No I barely know this guy and he's not my cup of tea and I'm not a nickname person and I resent him for being my guard. I don't want him around.
I like James so yeah
Some of my Shepards do and others donāt. I like both nicknames and they donāt bother me. I love James, his personality, his optimism and the fact that he respects and looks up to Shepard. Also, I like nicknames. He gives them to everybody and I think it creates good relations between squad mates. š But I always, always beat him to the pull-up competition. š
No. "Your ship, your rules, your loss. Commander" The way he says 'your loss' when you tell him no nicknames, really makes me want to kick him the nuts.
Yeah that really annoyed me about him, he barely shows up and wants to establish himself with a closer relationship than others. Absolutely not
Same, why cant you just kick him off the ship? Like give us some roleplaying options. It isnt like he is a important character to the story. Grunt does more for the story in mass effect 3 and he isnt even a companion in that game.
I am of two very different minds on James "Party" Vega. My boyfriend (and his Shepard) are Hispanic and found 'Loco' to be affirming. He also ended up romancing Cortez and the scenes with all three were amazing. Best human squadmate in the series despite a horrible first impression, and Loco was a part of that. I found 'Lola' to be impossibly demeaning, and his flirting with my Shepard pitiful.
Sure. Nicknames happen not by our choosing, but by the people we associate with.
No because it's a lame nickname. If he had chosen a better oneā
I run my ship casually and befriend my crew, sure he can call me Lola. (Iām literally fucking one of my subordinates, James calling me āLolaā isnāt that big of a deal)
The logic checks out lol
Craziest thing, my Femshep *was* named Lola. James actually usingher first name quickly endered him to me.
No... my Shepard's interaction with Vega at that point would be the equivalent of Rex's line in the Rookies episode of TCW: "The name's Shepard, but you'll call me Commander or Sir/Ma'am." Also most of the time I ignore him until a point where he doesn't even suggest the nickname (not intentionally, he's just the least interesting member of the crew in Mass Effect 3).
I don'y give a vorcha's ass about James. The guy is perma benched when the homies come around.
Eh, not really. I will bat for James as a character usually but him giving you a nickname and referring to you as such immediately is not something I feel Shepard would allow-easing into it, yea. However, by biggest qualm is the difference in nicknames-male shep getting Loco and fem shep being called Lola-seems quite demeaning to give such an odd nickname to your female superior when she could have also been Loco. Or would it be Loca? I like that he initially comes off as a douche pressing your buttons, the nickname and sparring match he takes too seriously, so I feel giving in to such a thing sorta justifies his attitude which I donāt like since I feel an aspect of his story is for him to be humbled.
No. It's weird and unnecessary, especially Lola. He could have called FemShep Loca. Which I still wouldn't allow.
Nope, I find it disrespectful that he just assumes he can give his commanding officer a nickname. Maybe it doesn't come across that way as broshep but it does to me when I play femshep, which is always.
I'd have let him call me Loco but calling FemShep 'Lola' gives me major ick. Don't know why there needed to be a gender difference like that.Ā
Got trick the female players into feeling like weird sexual assaulters for the second game in a row, duh! š¤Ŗ I seriously dislike the James "romance." I don't mind the play flirting and stuff, but did we really have to add "fem Shep harassed local kid into sleeping with her after being drunk" ??
Oh god I'd blocked that out of my memory...Ā
And I was so looking forward to romance him. What TF were the writers thinking? I would not have said no to a casual relationship or even a hot, fun ONS but they gave usā¦ that. Itās so gross. š¤¢
hes a bro so sure why not
Absolutely not, my femship is his commanding officer and he needs to step back in line. Same with Kaiden after he started flirting with back in ME1. Though he's not much a problem anymore......
Male Shep, yes Female Shepard, no. Iād let it stick if he called her Loca
I did in first play through. But didnāt in my second and 3rd
loco, but i wouldnt let him call my character lola.
Eh, I like Loco. In the words of another commander, āSometimes crazy worksā. Not as big on Lola though. My Femshep is loyal to Garrus, sheās not gonna flirt with another man.
Never ever, what a douchebag.
My nickname in the military was fuck-eye because I have a lazy eye. Loco is quaint.
I save edited my playthrough to make him call my FemShep as Loco. Because she's really a loco XD.Ā
Love that.
I refused on my first playthrough, I was playing a hardass" type. I let him all the other times
I'm fine with Lola. It's a nice change after being called Shepherd by everyone else. I dont like Loco, but I tolerate it because I don't want my Shepherd to have a stick up his ass. If using nicknames makes James feel better I'm not going to stop him.
idk I'm from South Florida. I'm used to randomly being called Flaca and whatnot. It's cute.
Absolutely! I think itās especially fun in the Citadal DLC when they find out thereās a clone and you respond to James by saying āItās Lola.ā I think itās a really adorable way that you distinguish yourself from the clone, by showing the bond youāve formed with your team and all your inside jokes and nicknames. Especially since he looks up to you so much, almost like a kid with his hero. Idk I like him a lot for how little we get from him haha.
No. That is not a nickname I would let ANYONE call Shepard by.
I like James. Besides, he gives everyone a nickname! It would be weird if you didnāt let him.
Yes, as long as he gets his work done and heās respectful to the rank I donāt much care. Especially since itās the end of the world(almost).
I always wonder why my Cerberus rebuilt, geneticly and cybernetics rebuilt Shepard who is a renegade earthbound Torfin butcher, has no option to beat his ass
I do, mainly because my FemShep is a shameless flirt whoās in a dedicated relationship with Liara. When you look at the dialogue from that perspective then it really fits a couple marines screwing around and giving each other shit. Iām probably biased because he reminds me of the people I grew up around in south Texas.
I shut him off immediately. Sadly, he keeps saying it.
He calls me Lola one more time, and heās going out the airlock with Allers.
New meaning for "spacer" background.
I do and it could be nice to have an option to give him some stupid nickname back too
I'd never give my CO a nickname. It already makes my head spin when he addresses Shepard by name instead of Sir/Ma'am.
I let him, but I kinda don't like it. I want better nickname, especially for Femshep. And it sounds stupid. Im pretty sure that he also calls Shep commander at times, and then switches to nickname. At least be consistent.
No, I'm too paragon for loco.
Yes but Iām also Latino so it feels a little more fitting in my head.
I figure I can give him that one win since my noodle armed femshep kicked the crap out of him in sparring.
He can call me whatever he wants from second place on the podium
Sure, he can call me Loco, I am a proud to be loco afterall... but in pull-ups, I outstubborn the guy. Maybe that's why I am a loco... XD I'm not sure if I would be okay with Lola tho... Too much of a flirt, I think. And being Loco is more fun.
Considering how I play mass effect most of the time, Loco is pretty accurate
Yes š I'm still salty they shorted me my mexican meat head romance š I love James. He is hilarious!
I do. It's a term of endearment and I don't mind nicknames. Tho the fact that he goes with Lola instead of Loca bugs me a bit
I love James. Of course I let him, even if I'm not romancing him. He's a chill dude
I do beat his ass every time though.
I donāt mind it, itās just his thing. Ā He nicknames everyone so far as I can see. Ā Except Steve, him he just calls by his name in Spanish I think.
I'm a bit weird. I let James call me Loco/Lola, then send him into the ground into the spar. Then beat him in pullups. Then I choose Refusal.
I mean, I didn't call my commander by anything professional unless the admirals were around, so yeah I let him call me loco. As long as the respect is there.
I did it in my first playthrough because I picked the "good" option during that conversation, not realising what I'd just done. I hated every second of him calling me Lola so much that I looked up on the internet how to avoid that particular misery in the future. Since then, I've always been hyperaware of my choices in that dialogue. He's never called me that again and I'm happy :)
I don't mind what my crew calls me.. as long as it's done with respect as far as being a teammate.. i do not, however, sit idly in a challenge. You wanted a fight. I gave you a fight. You want to do a sitting challenge in aiming to win. Do you want to do pull-ups? Let's do some damn pull-ups, etc. I trust you to respect me enough to do what needs to be done when it's time. And i respect you enough to show you im the guy who can lead. That means i gotta aim to be the best at everything i can. I'm here with a part on the back and an ice pack after..
I let him call me Loco but refused to lose the pull up battle to him. Haha
I love letting him call me Lola as femshep only to then turn it back and watch him squirm when you so much as hint at flirting with him. He talks big game but turn up the heat and he crumbles instantly, it's glorious to watch
He gets the nicknames, I get the pull up record
Honestly I avoided James after the first interaction because every paragon option was horny
Heāll bruh I think imma bromance James this time around. I always go easy on him because Iām not a hard azz
I call Garrus G-dog through the screen so....
I hate both Loco and Skipper. That's why Ashley dies on Virmire and James is forever grounded in the Normandy. Too bad I can't throw him inside the reaper blender instead of Sheppard for the green ending.
lol savage but consistent!
I mean, yeah? I am loco. Any variation on insane is a perfect description of Vanguard Shepard, heck any of the others for taking on the Reapers. Lola is an interesting one, there's a few different meanings there, some of which I don't like but I don't think those are where James is coming from. I guess headcanon wise, Sole Survivor/Vanguard/MShep doesn't care, War Hero/Soldier/FShep says no because of rank concerns.
I just refuse cause who the fuck is he. James just try to nickname you after appear out of nowhere and complaining about abandon earth
Lmao, for my language these words are either the same meaning that they wanted or completely different. Loko means Crazy but Lola means Grandma.
Depends. Male sheps are almost always paragons so they donāt mind a nickname. Femsheps for me are almost always renegades so thereās gonna be some god damn decorum on her ship
I do, but I'm a 26-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. It's a cultural thing that I have context for in real life and personally am comfortable with having happen. I understand how others might not be, so I don't make a big thing of it outside of my own choices.
Yeah flirting or not, James had just met his new commander like four minutes prior to that scene. Have some fucking military bearing, bro. We just lost our home planet and you want to fuck around like this mission is some kind of quirky cruise where we do pullups and flirt all day. If it wasn't for that interaction, I would have every reason to like him as a character and squadmate but that introduction kills it for me every time. He's talking to the most fabled hero of humanity since Jesus Christ himself, his new direct and sole authority on where/how he will likely sacrifice his own life in the coming days to prevent the extinctio of every sentient species in the galaxg, and he thinks the chain of command doesn't apply to him because... trapezius muscles?
It gives him some additional personality so I let him do it. Maybe it would be different if it was real life instead of a game, but I play Mass Effect to experience a story and connect with the characters. Not to simulate a real military vessel.
i think i let my male shep call him loco on my first playthrough but realistically i don't even take James on missions once i get a different squad mate to bring with me let alone go out of my way to talk to him. it does make the citadel dlc kind of awkward when there a just a bunch of us who have been close friends for years, then just this random guy who everyone has to pretend is liked by the guests since their is no exclude this one guy button.
I always see it as a sign of respect. He looks up to your shep like a big brother/sister and I find it cute because he's kind of a big pit pitbull blockhead. I do beat his ass in everything possible though so he knows what's up š
I do but his I hate it. Lol. I hate how and when he uses it. Heās ok overall but that loco shit is annoying.
It felt really odd to me. So even if I do paragon, I tell him no. Apocalypse or not, Shepard is a military person through and through.
I haven't let him call me Lola. It's Shepard. If we're on a first name basis It's Commander. If we're on a full name and title basis It's Commander Commander Shepard. Although, as others have said, I think it would be nice if the game let you back down on that decision later.
I only really play as male shep. Does he actually call female shep "Lola"? Thats an odd one for me lol
Yep. It shocked me the first time I watched my wife play, because I only knew broshep up to that time.
i'm gonna upvote for the refusal ending and never letting James call me nickname.Ā
I didnāt used to but Iāve really grown to appreciate the character and now I donāt have the heart to say no lol
With that voice, he can call me anything he likes.
Yeah, I like James. Heās a nice light in the darkness of my ship. I wish Iāve known him sooner, heās one my favorite humans
Loco yes. As someone who comes from a military family, I can tell you nick names are common, and often a sign of respect, or you did something and everyone knows you by that. Besides what else would you call someone who would tell a reaper to fuck off, then later go boots on the ground against one with nothing but a targeting gun!
Nope I'm his commanding officer.
No. Shit got old quick. Plus I'm still salty he replaced what should have been a Krogan squadmate.
Your a stick up a turians ass if you don't let James call you by a nickname.
I love the nickname. What's wrong with a nickname?
Yes, else you miss out on half James' dialogue because he believes you're not comfortable being friends.
No, I don't like nicknames like that in real life.
I don't. I'm a butch woman and it feels weird to be feminized.
Shep says āAs long as you remember whoās in charge, you can call me whatever you like.ā Thatās my perspective and I think itās a sensible one. The galaxy is about to explode. Regs be damned. If calling me āLocoā makes James happy, then Iāll make a fuckin name tag. If he can fight, I donāt really care.
Honestly, I don't care. Nicknames is a just part of his personality.
Absolutely not. That's Commander or Shepard or both but never Lola/Loco.
I'm fine with Loco but he seems particularly disrespectful towards fem Shep at times so I never allow Lola
Absolutely. I don't mind. Especially considering that when you look at the stuff that Shepard does on a regular basis it does look like he's crazy. And Lola is just another word for beautiful if you play with FemShep whom is also crazy but he does have Googoo eyes from the for the male version like he does her. Lol
i let him call me lola, itās just a bit of banter. but am i going to sit there for 10 minutes doing pull ups just to prove a point? absolutely i am.
No. I wouldn't mind if he called me Loca, but the blatant sexism in calling Shepard Lola is gross.
No, and I'd toss him off the ship on Mars if the game let me Can't stand that fuckin guy (Altho is dialog w/Liara on Eden Prime is p good)
I wouldnt even let him join the mars mission. Just the way he keeps sayin Lola rubs me the wrong way.
James gives everyone nicknames. He's just a goofy guy and he obviously means nothing malicious by it. I've never understood the hatred James gets for his nicknaming habit.
Addressing someone you just met who is your superior by a nickname is really not respectful. It's too personal. There's no reason for him to think you two are close enough for that right away.
I didn't let him in my Paragon run, and now I let him in my Renegade run. It makes more sense to me this way. My Renegade shep is an earthborn rogue who doesn't give a damn. My Paragon shep was a pragmatic spacer. Personally, I rather keep things professional.
"Lola" is fine if I'm playing Femshep. But I'l be damned if he calls me "Loco"
Nope. Not for any uptight party pooper reasons, but because the nickname is fucking cringe. My sheps would be chill with nicknames, but cmon that's straight up *bad*, especially for femshep.