Tali's immune system - wait, what?

[BourneGamer]

I thought that it was due to the fact that quarians (and turians too) had a type of DNA that was different in their base acids than what humans had. And that the interaction of those two types of DNA had a reaction similar to when two incompatible blood types interact in a fashion like an allergic reaction, an over reactive rejection of the foreign components. Or like you said, she's a techi' not a doctor, it could've been along the lines of a immuno stabalizer and she just didn't differentiate between the two.

 

[MetaMop]

*SPOILERS* human experimentation on Tuchanka; Mordin says that humans make good test subjects because they have more varied reactions to stimuli, when in fact, this makes them bad test subjects because you want to narrow down variables,. *END SPOILERS*

could I just make a point? I may be wrong knowing nothing about this but doesnt what you said only apply if you cant track the variables?. with more computer memory faster processing and the ability to scan things in detail on the fly youd be abe to track and compensate for the variables. wouldnt a cure be best tested against the most varied subjects you can mannage then?. wouldnt that make predicting the reaction throughout the entire population easier?.

Less outliers in other species. Many voluntary krogan test subjects. Possibly more than slaves shipped in from offworld. Human not native to Tuchanka. Too wide a gap in biological structure and natural environment. A lot of compensation needed. A lot more work. Advanced computing process would allow simpler, more accurate results from native species. Only excuse for not using varren is 'powerfull bite'. Other Tuchankan species would suffice, plantlife would be make closer comparison. Too many variables! Too many variables!

 

[jackknife402]

Here's an answer for you. It's a game, it doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to be like real life, nit picking people like you are the reason why I dislike humanity and want all these recent agitations of political states to ultimately end up causing a sort of doomsday affect where at least half the population of the planet it wiped out.

Quit stressing on the little pointless details and enjoy the bloody thing, or don't even bother playing it all....

 

[moretimethansense]

I'm going to say it's because no one at Bioware is an immunologist. But I feel your pain, all the medical nonsense about Quarians just didn't make any sense to me either. Why do they all wear their suits at all times on every ship where a sterile environment could be maintained? Or why haven't they slowly introduced diseases and such to improve their immune systems?

Actually that bit is explained, it's basically tradition at this point, they spend so long trapped in close quaters with each other that they started wearing the suits on their own ships for privacy as much as anything else, plus they can't guarentee the ships are 100% germ free, accidents happen.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Okay, so I'm playing a Male Shep in Mass Effect 2 at the moment. I'm romancing Tali. And, recently, she told me something rather odd.

Quarians wear the suits because of extreme allergic reactions.

Okay, so far so good. But then she says that being on the ships has "weakened" quarian immune systems.

Quick medical fact - an allergic reaction is an increased immune response. If you are immune compromised (your immune system is weakened) you have less severe allergic reactions.

Now, maybe she meant that being in clean ships has made their immune systems more sensitive. She's a tech, not a biologist, after all.

BUT... when she comes to Shep's room, she says that she's taken immune Boosters. That would make allergic reactions worse, not better! She'd need to take an immuno-suppressant to reduce allergic reactions. Meaning that if Tali really did take this sort of medication, then a night with Shep is even more likely to kill her.

This bothered me. Which I know is silly, willing suspension of disbelief and all that, but anyone who does a quick google search can figure this much out about immune systems, to say nothing of anyone who has medical training.

So, for discussion, did this bother anyone else?

Also, why do you think they ret-conned the immune system stuff from the first game? I was perfectly happy when quarians had weak immune systems - but in ME2 they muddied the waters. So, why do you think Bioware did that?

Edit: I love the game, and I really enjoyed the Tali relationship, but this just bugged me a bit. So yes, I enjoy the game for what it is, but this left me confused.

Simple explaination: It's the future and definitions have changed.

 

[ryo02]

*SPOILERS* human experimentation on Tuchanka; Mordin says that humans make good test subjects because they have more varied reactions to stimuli, when in fact, this makes them bad test subjects because you want to narrow down variables,. *END SPOILERS*

could I just make a point? I may be wrong knowing nothing about this but doesnt what you said only apply if you cant track the variables?. with more computer memory faster processing and the ability to scan things in detail on the fly youd be abe to track and compensate for the variables. wouldnt a cure be best tested against the most varied subjects you can mannage then?. wouldnt that make predicting the reaction throughout the entire population easier?.

Less outliers in other species. Many voluntary krogan test subjects. Possibly more than slaves shipped in from offworld. Human not native to Tuchanka. Too wide a gap in biological structure and natural environment. A lot of compensation needed. A lot more work. Advanced computing process would allow simpler, more accurate results from native species. Only excuse for not using varren is 'powerfull bite'. Other Tuchankan species would suffice, plantlife would be make closer comparison. Too many variables! Too many variables!

the only solution I can think of is that it isnt genetic ... maybe the genophage does something to krogans psychologically yknow produces the right chemical electrical stimuli to effect them that way.

their reproduction could have a psychological element that renders them infertile if it screws up.

and since humans have the same thing when we are being aggressive or somethign similar our higher functions get pushed back in favor of more animalistic responses similar to the krogan blood rage. may some how make us a viable test subject?.

I dont know why humans would need to be genetically varied maybe some humans are able to survive certain potential treatments while others might not.

Im going to shut up now.

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

mainly they wanted you to be able to fuck tali without her dying from a huge bacterial infection so they rewrote the rules a lil bit

i laughted so hard and loud reading that one ! i like your responses... very intuitive, to say the least.

 

[Souplex]

I don't think the writers were concerned with making sense, they just wanted to let you nail Tali.
I find the entire idea squicky though, as she's been set up as something of a little-sister figure.

 

[Ladette]

Replace "physics" with "medicine" and "fantasy comic" with "science fiction video game".


Suspension of disbelief, I didn't think about it.

 

[Bosammou]

Think of it as an error in the translation from quarian to english, I mean the races can't have just been speaking english that'd be stupid.

I could almost buy that, if they weren't very specific, very opposite terms.

You wouldn't put an ice-cube tray full of water in the oven and expect it to freeze. You would put it in the freezer. Quarians might call a freezer something different, but they wouldn't call it an oven.

Good point. Okay what about if she took the immune boosters due to them being on a ship that isnt sterile and there being a turian on board that could possibly be carrying a disease that would do her great harm and has nothing to do with shepard.

 

[AWDMANOUT]

I don't really have a very valuable addition to the discussion, seeing as I have not played any Mass Effect games.

But I would really like to. I'll get around to it sooner or later...

 

[Quazimofo]

Really, all I thought was that it'd be like when the spanish went to america. She'd catch all sorts of nasty stuff of shep, therefore, immune booster.

I'm assuming the allergy stuff was a mistake.

yeah this is what i assumed. hopefully someone will catch it and it will be fixed in the next game. speaking of fixing things, did anyone else notice how when shep removes tali's mask, and she says "...feeling", it still sounds as if she is talking through the mic. on her mask. this is just one thing that bugged me and i hope they will fix. [EDIT] (if it comes up again)

 

[RYjet911]

I have more of a problem with a slack jawed terrorist group that attacks and possibly killed your entire platoon if you chose that background (Cerberus) had enough funding to rebuild the Normandy (the most advanced ship in the galaxy that costs about a whole fleet) and that you would agree to help them with anything.

The original Normandy cost the same as a Heavy Cruiser according to the first game.

Reviving Shepard cost the same as recruiting an army, assuming the statements made ingame aren't partially sarcastic over-exaggerations.

And Shepard agrees because they revived him. Even if you have that background you described, there must be good reason Cerberus revived Shepard considering their past. The whole point of the starting mission was to give some context as to why Shepard joins them, where you investigate the first missing colony. There's also the fact Cerberus is the only organisation willing to investigate since the Terminus Systems aren't controlled by Citadel space, therefore Citadel space-based organisations aren't going to want to investigate.

At least take in some of the detail the plot gives you before complaining about plot holes. There's certainly enough of the fucking stuff there for at least some of it to sink in.

 

[Albino Boo]

OK allergic reactions aren't caused by a strong immune system but immune system reacting to something that is harmless. If you are allergic to peanuts with weak immune system you are just as likely to die of anaphylactic shock as as someone the with strong immune system that is also to peanuts allergic. Its faulty response rather of the immune system rather an issue caused by the relative strength of the immune system

 

[Arashiofordo3]

I think the exact line is "what we experience is an acute allergic reaction" Now I'm not attempting to make it sound like I understand science here (I don't) but my interpretation is this. The Quarian immune system has evolved to let this stuff in, so that they can spread it around like some kind of pollination system. The viruses on their home world provided 'beneficial effects' This meant their systems were naturally weak. Suddenly they're forced into space. Horrible nasty space. Full of the microbes and bacteria of entire other species. When you encounter a whole new kinda of virus if will fuck you up because you have no natural defenses. It happened to the aztecs when the Conquistadors came 'calling. and they where from just across the sea. Imagine the effect a virus can have on you if it came from an entirely different world!

Thankfully, Quarians are relatively safe from most viruses because like humans to animals the virus is not mutated in such a way to affect their bodies. However even if you get exposed to such a virus you still get sick. This is as far as I understand it, the 'allergic reaction' they experience particularly due to the fact that their immune system operates in a completely different manner to our own.

Also the reason they're waring the suits when you go and see them might be because you're going to see them. The human body is a breading pit of microbes and bacteria. To them your practically a walking bio hazard! It be like a guy who emits radiation is coming over, you break out the lead screens and whatever else will keep you and your people safe.

 

[darthmason0719]

Shes not human so her immune could be different

 

[Fr]anc[is]

P.S How do I get pics from the internet on the reply box?

[imgg]url goes here[/imgg]

one G in each and you're good

 

[More Fun To Compute]

You are being too picky about the writing in a video game. It's not like the company is run by Doctors who would be able to pick up on these faults. Oh, wait.

 

[Para199x]

Snip

as far as i remember she states that the effects are similar to an allergic reaction, that doesn't even imply that they are caused by the same thing. Quarians are not humans, something having a seemingly similar effect could have a radically different cause. I think you are forgetting precisely what alien means.