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Paragon or Renegade?
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (ME1)

Paragon or Renegade?

Understand Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (ME1)'s Paragon and Renegade systems. Learn how to balance choices, utilize Charm and Intimidate, and navigate dialogue options for your ideal playthrough.

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Understand Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (ME1)'s Paragon and Renegade systems. Learn how to balance choices, utilize Charm and Intimidate, and navigate dialogue options for your ideal playthrough.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Understand that Paragon and Renegade are not mutually exclusive but rather different approaches to situations.
  2. 2
    Recognize that Paragon aligns with being selfless, honorable, and merciful, while Renegade is pragmatic, ruthless, nonconformist, and irreverent of authority.
  3. 3
    In Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (ME1), pursue a hybrid approach or focus on one alignment.
  4. 4
    Earn Paragon/Renegade points through dialogue choices.
  5. 5
    At certain plateaus, free ranks in Charm (Paragon) and Intimidate (Renegade) will be awarded.
  6. 6
    Use Charm and Intimidate skills to unlock specific dialogue options.
  7. 7
    Paragon dialogue options are typically blue and found on the bottom right of the dialogue wheel.
  8. 8
    Renegade dialogue options are typically red and found on the top right of the dialogue wheel.
  9. 9
    Dialogue options on the left generally do not have a Paragon/Renegade bias.
  10. 10
    If playing a mostly pure Paragon or Renegade playthrough, focus on picking the corresponding dialogue options and investing points in Charm/Intimidate when possible.
  11. 11
    If playing Renegade, exercise restraint with companions if pursuing romance and do not decline assignments based on their dialogue option placement.
  12. 12
    Be aware that later Mass Effect games have fewer points available and no free skill ranks, requiring a more focused approach to Paragon or Renegade.
Tips
  • View Paragon and Renegade as distinct toolsets to be used as the situation demands.
  • Renegade choices can be brutal, vindictive, and cruel, but are not strictly evil.
  • Paragon choices can be seen as honorable and merciful, but potentially naive.
  • The hybrid approach is particularly viable in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (ME1).
  • Dialogue choices colored red indicate Intimidate (Renegade), while blue indicates Paragon.

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