Critical Miss: Mass Effect

[Wandrecanada]

I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite comic on the Citidel.

 

[theriddlen]

I'm commander [TEST SUBJECT NAME] and this is my favorite [COMIC NAME] on the [LOCATION].
...and that's why you shouldn't play Portal and Mass Effect at once.

So this seems to be incredibly funny, but since I never played mass effect, I don´t understand.

Welcome to Earth, Mr. Alien!

 

[Moriarty]

As an asides I've always thought the Tali "I took some herbal supplements" line was pretty weak, especially since herbal supplements usually = voodoo snake oil witchcraft. As a special surprise for people who slept with tali in mass effect 3, she should now be dying.

If you think romancing Tali was some kind of set up for a complex romantic dragedy instead of simple fanservice you're seriously overestimating the writing in the mass effect series.

 

[The Wooster]

You're not making the distinction between a joke where rape is mentioned and a rape joke.

The Penny Arcade strip used rape as the most horrible thing they could think of: rape was not trivialized or an expected consequence, it was brutal and horrifying, and the heartlessness of the PC is amplified by it. This is how rape should be viewed.

It's not horrifying or brutal however because the situation in which it's employed is inherently ridiculous. I believe you're projecting your own intent onto the PA strip, especially when you consider the followup strip, which in fact, does trivialize rape.

You're also assuming that the punchline is the entirety of the joke. It is not. The punchline to the PA strip is a fairly standard "Oh isn't MMO quest structure silly!" while the main draw is the inherently ridiculous rapewolves and the concept of raping someone to sleep. That's why they make a Rapewolves t-shirt.

In this strip, rape is the joke. It's an "expected" and "acceptable" part of going to jail, just another aspect of justice. The joke's only funny if the thought of the Elcor raping the Volus is funny, a stand-in for rape is funny when it is male on male. That's messed up.

Elcor/Volus rape is not analogous to male on male rape because, as far as I'm aware (and I admit, my experience in this regard is limited), male humans do not explode, releasing a cloud of highly poisonous superheated gas when someone attempts to rip their clothes off. In that regard, an Elcor attempting to rape a Volus is actually rather funny.

And again, you're projecting intent. Pointing out something exists, or making a joke about it does not indicate that I think it's "acceptable". "Expected" yes but not acceptable.

 

[Ghengis John]

Elcor/Volus rape is not analogous to male on male rape because, as far as I'm aware (and I admit, my experience in this regard is limited), male humans do not explode, releasing a cloud of highly poisonous superheated gas when someone attempts to rip their clothes off. In that regard, an Elcor attempting to rape a Volus is actually rather funny.

Okay you just sent me into a fit of laughter.

 

[dalek sec]

The joke is based on the Elcor. In the Mass Effect universe, they communicate through a bunch of different ways that aren't picked up on by other species(really subtle body language type things, don't remember the exact reason they gave). Because of this their speech is monotone since that is not how they normally express emotion, so they have learned to plainly state the emotion they are having at the start of their sentences.

It was a bit of a punchline in game anyway since they pretty plainly tell you when they aren't being very sincere or are patronizing, but expressing it in the way of this sort of level is meant to be the joke here.

Oh... well that explains alot then. Thank you very much for taking the time to explain it to me.

After reading this and reading the comic again I had a very good laugh at it.

 

[Biodeamon]

HA HA HA HA HA! let's hope there aren't any asarians in that jail, they might have that disease that kills you with brain hemorophrages when you drop the soap

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

This reminds me of the little back and forth my friends and I would do sometimes and when it got rediculous, one of us would say, "Chastising rebuke; That's bullshit, Dinn."

 

[saintchristopher]

catching Tool references in webcomics since 1987.

 

[The Random One]

I laughed much more than I should. Well done, sirs.

 

[soren7550]

Please tell me the elcor's name is Bubba.

 

[Kermi]

As an asides I've always thought the Tali "I took some herbal supplements" line was pretty weak, especially since herbal supplements usually = voodoo snake oil witchcraft. As a special surprise for people who slept with tali in mass effect 3, she should now be dying.

Sigh. Really?

Kal'Reegar survives his injuries on Haestrom, in part because his suit releases anti-biotics and seals itself around the wound/rupture. Tali explains they if exposed to foreign bacteria or viruses they get a fever - but they don't contract diseases unless they're Quarian diseases. When Quarians love/trust another Quarian they link suit environments and adapt themselves to each other.

All of this indicates Quarians have an active immune system. It's also made clear that Quarian/Human relationships aren't unheard of by the overheard conversation between the Quarian and Turian in Eternity on Ilium - the Quarian didn't dump her Human lover because they couldn't have a sex life, it was because he was an inconsiderate douche about it.

When Tali visits Shepard before the suicide mission, she not only mentions herbal supplements (which can be effective if you choose proven ones - let's assume Tali didn't take risks with her life by buying the 'voodoo snake oil witchcraft' variety - she also flooded her system with antibiotics, and the Normandy while probably not as sterile as the Migrant Fleet, is probably still relatively clean. Although we no longer see it, you may recall from Mass Effect 1 that everyone entering the ship undergoes decontamination.

In spite of her precautions, Tali still suffers a fever and some nausea as a result of exposing herself to Shepard for their romance encounter, but considers the the whole experience 'totally worth it'.

 

[Ghengis John]

When Tali visits Shepard before the suicide mission, she not only mentions herbal supplements (which can be effective if you choose proven ones - let's assume Tali didn't take risks with her life by buying the 'voodoo snake oil witchcraft' variety - she also flooded her system with antibiotics, and the Normandy while probably not as sterile as the Migrant Fleet, is probably still relatively clean.

Ah but you forget, we're not talking about the cleanliness of the SSV Normandy, but the cleanliness of Shepard's mass relay. Which for my money will have visited more alien ports than the Normandy.

Sigh on that!

 

[Kermi]

When Tali visits Shepard before the suicide mission, she not only mentions herbal supplements (which can be effective if you choose proven ones - let's assume Tali didn't take risks with her life by buying the 'voodoo snake oil witchcraft' variety - she also flooded her system with antibiotics, and the Normandy while probably not as sterile as the Migrant Fleet, is probably still relatively clean.

Ah but you forget, we're not talking about the cleanliness of the SSV Normandy, but the cleanliness of Shepard's mass relay. Which for my money will have visited more alien ports than the Normandy.

Sigh on that!

You mean after being reconstructed from his charred remains by Project Lazarus?

 

[Canid117]

Rape: It's funny if it's in prison... and it's a dude on the receiving end.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RapeIsFunnyWhenItIsMaleOnMale
tvtropes has everything covered.

 

[Ghengis John]

You mean after being reconstructed from his charred remains by Project Lazarus?

Exactly. Remember this is Cerberus we're talking about. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those "few extra parts" Jacob mentioned was a xeno-toxic urethra.

 

[The Wooster]

Snip

Too bad that when one of the writers/creators of content on the escapist finally looks at his comments, he has to defend his work instead of enjoying the comments.

Lets make a deal. If you guys focus on making funny strips we will focus on the haters.

Oh and by the way...

Congratulations! Your comic now has atleast 1 funny strip, if funny strips were people that would be infinity times the sun!

I actually really enjoy interacting with my readers and talking shop. I don't understand why other creators seem to avoid it. I also don't mind discussing the (numerous) failings of my writing with my critics provided they're polite.

 

[The Wooster]

Snip

Is that a John Solomon reference? A John Solomon review would make me weep and rejoice in equal measure. All we got was some dude the Webcomic Overlook ripping us a new one.

 

[Therumancer]

So this seems to be incredibly funny, but since I never played mass effect, I don´t understand.

Ever played KoToR? It's sort of like the Assasin droid there.

Basically the Elcor are a race that convey the subtlety of emotion and context through non-verbal means, their verbal delivery being very flat and unexpressive. Thus when talking to other species they state the context they would like to convey, usually always positive, or just to clarify something. You know like making a query but specifying you have genuine interest.

It's funny because the Elcor is trying to convey malevolent intent through tone, which logically wouldn't happen, but it's funny to think about.

 

[Nickompoop]

I always wondered what an Elcor would say when it doesn't like someone. Now I know that it results in hilarity.