I absolutely adore Ashley and I agree her flaws are what make her intriguing - I actually think she is one of the deeper characters in the game, and unfortunately most of fandom doesn't bother to explore the hidden depths of Ashley Williams. Playing as male Shepard definitely does reveal another side of Ashley, I usually play as FemShep but I did do a Sheploo playthrough purely just to romance Ashley and it's interesting to see how you can change her opinion on aliens (fandom seems to like to ignore the fact that Ashley *can* change). One of my favorite Ash conversations is actually early on in the game, post Eden Prime - if Shepard acts renegade and says the mission was a failure, Ashley tries to cheer him up and puts the situation in prospective. Also, I never realized while playing FemShep but underneath Ashley's tough exterior she also has some self-esteem issues, which probably spring from her family background... I spent my whole life fighting to get what I want. To get it done, I had to bury a lot of things. During that whole time, not even once did I feel like I was worth what I was fighting for. You make me feel good enough.
I totally agree! I think a lot of people get to her opinions on aliens and just dismiss her completely out of hand instead of thinking through what makes her tick. I mean, I'm not expecting everyone to like her--sometimes a character might just rub you the wrong way, but I really feel like a lot of fans don't give her a fair shake.
Thanks for sharing those insights about Ashley in a dude!Shep playthrough! That's a great point that you actually can influence her to be a little more trusting of aliens, and you're right that fandom never acknowledges that.
Playing as male Shepard definitely does reveal another side of Ashley, I usually play as FemShep but I did do a Sheploo playthrough purely just to romance Ashley and it's interesting to see how you can change her opinion on aliens (fandom seems to like to ignore the fact that Ashley *can* change). One of my favorite Ash conversations is actually early on in the game, post Eden Prime - if Shepard acts renegade and says the mission was a failure, Ashley tries to cheer him up and puts the situation in prospective. Also, I never realized while playing FemShep but underneath Ashley's tough exterior she also has some self-esteem issues, which probably spring from her family background...
I spent my whole life fighting to get what I want. To get it done, I had to bury a lot of things. During that whole time, not even once did I feel like I was worth what I was fighting for. You make me feel good enough.
Reply
Thanks for sharing those insights about Ashley in a dude!Shep playthrough! That's a great point that you actually can influence her to be a little more trusting of aliens, and you're right that fandom never acknowledges that.
Reply
Leave a comment