Fan word of the year so far: Talimancer (ME2 spoilers)

Talimancer - one who has great adoration, sometimes at unhealthy levels, for Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy

Tali is hands down, the most popular Mass Effect character currently. More popular than Wrex ever was in the first game. Her fanbase on the Bioware official site is substantial, as well as on other sites, and the term "Talimancer" was coined for them. But Tali's character does deserve her popularity and Bioware hit a home run with this character in Mass Effect 2. Several reasons...

1) She is a returning character. She also appears before she can be recruited.

2) She is mysterious as you cannot really see her face, even teasing the player during the romance scene. This forces the character to rely on great personality for greatness and not just looks.

3) Her loyalty mission is one of, if not the, best mission in the game.

4) She is a tragic character as she identifies with a race that is exiled and discriminated against, with a weak immune systemto add to their plight. Her romance arc with Shepard also highlights this, as she wants to get close to Shepard, closer than a normal safe Quarian bond allows.

5) Liz Sroka's incredible voice acting performance. Truly an inspired and outstanding performance, showing a wide range of emotion. I think its one of the greatest VA performances in gaming history.

6) A complex and emotionally variedcharacter, who can be a stern leader at one point, to one that can be the joker, to one that is grieving and in need of support. She shows a wider range of emotions that other characters do not show.

7) She pursues Shepard, unlike other romance options in which Shepard pursues them. Even Kelly Chambers and Kasumi Goto bring up this fact..even Kasumi telling Shepard that "She loves you, be good to her" once you recruit her.

Truly, she is a model for female characters in gaming, along with Alyx Vance of Half Life 2. A character that doesn't rely on sex appeal, but has a strong personality with great intellegence that makes the character great and memorable. We need more of these types of characters. And as for Tali, her popularity may force Bioware into making her (and Garrus) a squadmate in ME3 if she survives ME2, as well as featuring her in the movie.

However, some fans have been too rabid with the adoration of this character to annoying degrees. Tali's fan thread of Bioware's forum's have been ridicoulously huge, over 3000+ pages!!!! But even if one is annoyed by her sheer popularity, one must admit that she is a great character with good reasons why she is popular.

I appreciate you are trying to promote a character as exceptional as Tali, but a lot of your points are embellished and a bit too exaggerated, particularly 4-6

I too love Tali.. one of my favorite video game characters. and a very sympathetic character. If i a met a woman with her sort of persoanlity, i'd fall for her.

I can't say that for any other heroine or female video game companion.

I think Tali's my favorite character, but the love she gets on the Bioware forums is just plain creepy.

I think Tali's my favorite character, but the love she gets on the Bioware forums is just plain creepy.

Vaasman

[QUOTE="Vaasman"]

I think Tali's my favorite character, but the love she gets on the Bioware forums is just plain creepy.

SaudiFury

I think Tali's my favorite character, but the love she gets on the Bioware forums is just plain creepy.

Vaasman

wait is she the character from yoko's sig?funsohng

Yeah.

The term "Talimancer" just sounds weird, but I think she's a great character. Perhaps my favorite in the ME universe.

3) Her loyalty mission is one of, if not the, best mission in the game.texasgoldrush

[QUOTE="texasgoldrush"]3) Her loyalty mission is one of, if not the, best mission in the game.Parasomniac

[QUOTE="texasgoldrush"]3) Her loyalty mission is one of, if not the, best mission in the game.Parasomniac

[QUOTE="texasgoldrush"]3) Her loyalty mission is one of, if not the, best mission in the game.Parasomniac

I ran a poll on the best loyalty mission and Tali's mission blew out everyone elses, it was 80+ votes to the next highest, which was Kasumi at nearly 30 votes. Her mission was more than shooting geth on a ship, it was consuling Tali threw the mission (either Paragon or Renegade wise, although even the Renegade cares for Tali), as well as standing up for her in the trial. The trial alone is a highlight for ME2.

Also, you can see the impact on some of your decisions during the mission like if you gave Veetor to Cerebus or not.

I appreciate you are trying to promote a character as exceptional as Tali, but a lot of your points are embellished and a bit too exaggerated, particularly 4-6

[QUOTE="Parasomniac"][QUOTE="texasgoldrush"]3) Her loyalty mission is one of, if not the, best mission in the game.jg4xchamp

Why do people like her? I haven't played the game, so I wouldn't know.

It was this moment (and the trial) that truly made Tali's mission exceptional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFqAajs0tVk

without the hug (really shows Liz's stunning voice work)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk8_iHLSwMA

Don't forget the pun "Taliban" either. That gets tossed around every here and there.

Plus, people have even set up a fansite for Tali:

http://www.talizorah.org

Woah, really? I haven't played Mass Effect 2 yet (save for the intro) as I'm trying to beat ME1 first (which I've been playing and loving A LOT...). As of right now, romance with Taliisn't even an option, is this an ME2 only thing? Anyway, she seems more like a little sister than a love interest, I'm diggin Ashley though.

Fan Word? lol

Why do people like her? I haven't played the game, so I wouldn't know.

Yangire

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

Why do people like her? I haven't played the game, so I wouldn't know.

SpiritOfFire117

So she wears that suit to not get sick or what?

[QUOTE="SpiritOfFire117"]

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

Why do people like her? I haven't played the game, so I wouldn't know.

Yangire

So she wears that suit to not get sick or what?

[QUOTE="SpiritOfFire117"]Part of it is out of sympathy for her lack of immunity and her background.

So she wears that suit to not get sick or what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHsQR-jShWk&feature=watch_response

Honestly, she's a boring character. She's basically just a normal person with a scuba mask, ridiculously stupid looking and not that interesting. The blue people, scuba mask guys, and ashley both look absolutely beyond lame/uninspired. Thane, the Wrex people, and Garrus looked awesome btw

Honestly, she's a boring character. She's basically just a normal person with a scuba mask, ridiculously stupid looking and not that interesting. The blue people, scuba mask guys, and ashley both look absolutely beyond lame/uninspired. Thane, the Wrex people, and Garrus looked awesome btw

iBear-

The blue people?

The Wrex people?

You're kidding right?

I mean if you haven't played the game you could have at least spent 5 seconds looking some names up.

I am too a Talimancer. She's my favorite fictional character of all time, but I don't go as far as some of my fellow Talimancers go. One even made a full size Tali doll...:| But I do like the fan fiction for her.

Tali is awesome.

[QUOTE="iBear-"]

Honestly, she's a boring character. She's basically just a normal person with a scuba mask, ridiculously stupid looking and not that interesting. The blue people, scuba mask guys, and ashley both look absolutely beyond lame/uninspired. Thane, the Wrex people, and Garrus looked awesome btw

Vaasman

The blue people?

The Wrex people?

You're kidding right?

I mean if you haven't played the game you could have at least spent 5 seconds looking some names up.

Tali, uninspired??? lol

Very interesting note,

Kasumi, if you have her will comment on all your romances when you pursue them...however she says this right after you recruit Tali, not when you start to romance her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egjSCxLn3vU

Really adds to the romance...and it is really cool to see Kasumi cares for her as well and wishes her the best...."she loves you Shepard, be good to her". It is also Kasumi that tells you how upset she is if you break up with her.

Woah, really? I haven't played Mass Effect 2 yet (save for the intro) as I'm trying to beat ME1 first (which I've been playing and loving A LOT...). As of right now, romance with Taliisn't even an option, is this an ME2 only thing? Anyway, she seems more like a little sister than a love interest, I'm diggin Ashley though.

jamejame

[QUOTE="jamejame"]

Woah, really? I haven't played Mass Effect 2 yet (save for the intro) as I'm trying to beat ME1 first (which I've been playing and loving A LOT...). As of right now, romance with Taliisn't even an option, is this an ME2 only thing? Anyway, she seems more like a little sister than a love interest, I'm diggin Ashley though.

texasgoldrush

Mass Effect is a series that continues to frustrate and puzzle me. I love, love, love the games when I'm playing them but they never strike me as Game of the Generation kind of material. I'm really impressed with how strong of a community the game's have amassed but I can't say I'm part of that community per se. NAPK1NS

[QUOTE="texasgoldrush"]3) Her loyalty mission is one of, if not the, best mission in the game.Parasomniac

The mission to recruit Tali is much better.

What makes Tali such an interesting character?NAPK1NS

[QUOTE="Parasomniac"][QUOTE="texasgoldrush"]3) Her loyalty mission is one of, if not the, best mission in the game.topsemag55

The mission to recruit Tali is much better.