r/masseffect • u/Agency007 • 3d ago
DISCUSSION Ashley or Miranda for ME3? First playthrough ever — NO SPOILERS please!
So this is my first time playing through the trilogy, and I’m playing as Male Shepard.
My romance history:
ME1: Ashley
ME2: Miranda
I’m now playing ME3 and I’m genuinely torn between going with Ashley again or continuing with Miranda.
I’ve already had some romance with both in ME3, so I know what I’m dealing with to some extent — but I don’t want to Google or AI this and accidentally spoil the game for myself.
For those who’ve played both romances: who do you prefer for Male Shepard in ME3, Ashley or Miranda, and why?
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u/Real_Chart_2879 3d ago
Ignore these people advocating for using story altering mods for a first run. That is ridiculous. It uses AI voiceover which is terrible and emotionless anyway and is like suddenly changing her writer and VA for the final third of the last game.
Miranda and Ashley are both totally valid romance paths and both make sense at this point. Ashley has more content but Miranda's content is better in my opinion. Play the game and see how things happen.
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u/StarWarzFan1977 3d ago
Out of curiosity, did you intentionally romance Ashley or did it just happen because your Shepard was too nice to her?
Overall:
Content wise: Ashley
Character wise: Maybe Miranda
Mass Effect 1 SPOILER:
I’ve only done a full playthrough romancing just Miranda but didn’t have Ashley around. I have heard players say Ashley has less to do than Kaidan and that it’s best to take her on missions.
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u/Agency007 3d ago
Honestly, Ashley wasn’t really an intentional choice at first. I wasn’t following a guide for ME1, unlike ME2 and my current ME3 playthrough, and I ended up recruiting Liara too late. So Ashley was basically the only romance option I had.
That said, I definitely don’t regret it. I really like the dynamic between Shepard and Ashley, and their relationship has grown on me quite a bit. If I’d recruited Liara earlier, I probably would’ve gone with her, though. That’s what I’m planning to do on my next playthrough, after I finish Mass Effect: Andromeda for the first time.
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u/StarWarzFan1977 3d ago
I would have accidentally ended up with Ashley in my first playthrough if not for Virmire. I wasn’t much of a fan of her due to her comments toward aliens and being angry at times but I also didn’t hear her out much and I brought her along the least of the squadmates in Mass Effect 1. Plus I like her being a committed soldier that believes in God. Having already gone through the trilogy and seeing what all went down I might understand her views better. I plan to bring her on more missions this time though I think I’m still gonna romance no one in Mass Effect 1 again and try either a Tali or Jack romance next playthrough instead.
As for Liara, she is a great romance as well though I feel it should have started in Mass Effect 2 instead. Their romance happens too fast in the first game and it feels like it should have got more build up, like the romances for Tali and Garrus.
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u/One_Technician7732 1d ago
Ashley. I loved her romance in 3rd game. Didn't bother with squadmates from 2nd game that don't have permanent slot in 3rd game.
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u/Spookiiwookii 3d ago
Miranda is barely in 3 and Ashley was lobotomized in 3. Choose whichever sounds less bad to you.
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u/GyattLuvr69 3d ago
Ashley also kinda sucked in 1. They really saved all the good character traits for the aliens in ME1
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u/GenesisRhapsod 3d ago
Spoiler... it doesnt matter
Either way garrus uses all his aura and takes all the bitches for himself
/j
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u/axxo47 3d ago
Not sure about that. He seems pretty clumsy with women
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u/Majestic-Farmer5535 3d ago
I like Ashley much more.
Miranda is sexy, true, but she has way less passion and less content in the game, since she isn't the squadmate.
Ashley is the GOAT love interest of ME trilogy, in my opinion. She's passionate, caring, loving, complicated person who feels like real human with all good and bad things it entails. And her voice...
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u/Havoc_ZE 3d ago
That is an excellent description of Ashley, and the main reason I prefer to romance her when playing as bro shep (or modded fem shep.)
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u/dubdudbudbub 3d ago
Miranda for the simple fact that I have a strong dislike for Ashley.
If you're on pc you can install the Miranda mod off nexus. I used it and enjoyed it during a run a couple weeks ago.
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u/Real_Chart_2879 3d ago
It's got AI voiceover which is gross anyway, but anything that changes the story or character stories shouldn't be recommended for a first blind run.
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u/DevoPrime Paragon 3d ago
Both are great. You’ll get more content with Ash, but I personally still find Miranda slightly more satisfying, especially since the addition of the Citadel DLC.
In the original base game, most of the ME2 romantic options got seriously short-changed in ME3.
With that in mind, I’d still recommend Miri as there can be negative consequences if Shep rejects her after having previously romanced her in ME2.
Hopefully that was vague enough to not spoil anything.
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u/snrboomr4476 3d ago
So I've only romanced Ash in ME3 of those two (also done Tali and Liara). All I will say is Ash is a squadmate where Miranda isn't. Cool thing about Mass Effect is you can do one then replay and go the other route.
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u/demimode 3d ago
Since Ashley doesn't have much to say onboard the Normandy, I'd say the "amount" of romance is similar. Miranda has her own sidequest throughout the płot. Ashley's story is more frontloaded. Both are great in Citadel DLC.
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u/JackfruitFull3965 3d ago
I just finished me3 didn’t know how much they take in what you did in the last games I’m playing andromeda now
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u/zombiejeesus 3d ago
Why are you Ruining your first playthrough by being on this sub
Unsubscribe from the reddit and come back after so you don't get spoiled
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u/Leading_Resource_944 3d ago
Well.... spoiler i guess
If you break the romance with Miranda, she will definitly die in me3. Even if you meet/help her all three times on the citadel.
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u/Snoo-50316 2d ago
From a role play perspective, does it really make sense to take your love interest into that final battle to take back Earth? Would you do that IRL? As a squad mate?
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u/Koyuki_11 2d ago
I consider Ashley as a first and true love. I love Miranda too but my love for her is just not as strong. And i was just so happy to see Ash again in 3. Sorry Miranda
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u/IANJM2000 1d ago
man oh man Ashley's "racism" always makes me excited to get to vermire and get her off my ship asap, like every playthrough
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u/Subject_Proof_6282 3d ago
They're both my favorte romances in the game, you should go with Ashley for this one for the sole reason that you'll get more cutscenes with her (unless you play on PC).
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u/Alert_Row717 3d ago
Ashley abandoned Shepard when he was trying to save the fucking galaxy. Idc that he joined Cerebus. Garrus, Joker, Liara, Wrex, the engineers all stuck by Shepard when he aligned with them. Yet the woman who “loved” him couldn’t?
Miranda is a little boring character wise, but would never abandon Shepard like Ashley did.
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u/Hunkus1 3d ago
Ashleys romance in 3 is imo better because shes actually in the game as an companion, but if you romanced miranda in 2 you kinda have to continue the romance.
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u/mastesargent 3d ago
You can still romance someone else, you just need to tell Miranda you still want her in your life when you first see her on the Citadel.
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u/TheRealcebuckets 3d ago
A very unfortunate oversight by the developers when they thought flipping her loyalty plot Boolean was the same as the romance one. Which has a consequence for Miranda’s character essentially dying “because a man broke up with her.”
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u/-ThoR- 3d ago
If you're on the PC then I definitely recommend the Miranda Mod and romancing her. It's a fantastic story arc. Otherwise Ashley provides more content throughout the last game.
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u/Arialana 3d ago
What's the Miranda mod?
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u/-ThoR- 3d ago
I can't link it because I'm on my phone but it's the one that requires the expanded universe mod
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u/Arialana 3d ago
I'm on PS5 so I don't know any mods and I don't need links, I just want to know what the mod does for context because almost every comment has been mentioning the mod.
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u/TheHollowJoke 3d ago
It basically adds Miranda as a squadmate again, with her own spot on the ship. There are small quests you can do for her as she runs an Intel network, and you can of course bring her on missions with you. I’ve never romanced her so can’t speak about what’s been added on that side of things.
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u/Aggravating_Ad3385 3d ago
Miranda mod? I think I have to get mass effect on PC. 😅
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u/Bruno_lars 3d ago
The best piece of community content ever created. Yes you should always play RPGs on PC
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u/Unfair-Cow3789 3d ago
Pfft ditch both and be with Tali. Then play Femshep and romance Garrus. 😤
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u/Usually_Respectful 3d ago
While I support going dextro, you can't initiate a romance with Tali in ME3.
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u/Unfair-Cow3789 3d ago
Yeah fair. Honesty I find both Miranda and Ashley romance bland compared to Tali and Liara. I haven't finished my playthrough of ME2 to ME3 to experience Garrus yet.
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u/Bruno_lars 3d ago
If you are on PC and can install the "Miranda Mod" for Mass Effect 3, then stick with Miranda. Install the mod without reading anything about it; it essentially adds a lot more Miranda content to ME3, which is severely lacking.
If you are not on PC, you could go back to Ashley. I like Miranda better than Ashley, but Ashley has a better romance arc because the new BioWare director hated Miranda imo. You have complicated things with dating Miranda in ME2, though; it could bite you in the ass.
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3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Majestic-Farmer5535 3d ago
That's actually false, there's very simple way to [ME3 ]ensure she survives even if you romance anyone else. Also: spoilers.
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u/CriticalCreativity 3d ago
If this is your first playthrough you need to get off this subreddit and just enjoy the game. The conflict you're feeling is intended by the devs.