Mass Effect 1 save import: Necessity for plot points

Question

So I'd like to play through Mass Effect 2 as a male Shepard.

I played through ME1 and ME2 as Fem!Shep so I already have a good understanding of the plot, and I hit all of the points I wanted to in that campaign. Basically, playing ME1 isn't necessary for me to know what's going on in 2.

But I can't change Shepard's gender in an import. What's more, I really don't want to play through ME1 again. Since I already know the storyline, the one redeeming element of ME1 is moot. And I hate hate hate the gameplay. Editing PC saves isn't really an option either, since I have a Mac and no save editors worth a damn are compatible. And I'm not sure how to find Xbox 360 compatible saves online.

So that all being said, is it possible for me to hit all of the morality and decision checks in ME2 and ME3 importing from ME1? Will I have enough of either Renegade or Paragon to resolve the fights between my crew mates? Can I affect the loyalty missions of the carry over characters like Garrus either way? Can I resist Morinth's mind control? Most importantly: will I be able to resolve a certain mid-game conflict in such a way that all parties make it out un-genocided?

Answer 1

Mass Effect save games are in high enough demand that there are entire repositories for them, including one named, aptly enough, www.masseffectsaves.com . You could probably get an ME1 save with any combination of parameters you wish. (And as you know, you can alter your appearance at the beginning of ME2 and keep everything else.)

As I recall, none of your behavior in ME1 will keep you from getting as much paragon or renegade points as you wish in ME2. (You might get a slight boost to one of them in the beginning, but it's been a while since I played.) You certainly could resolve any crew mate disputes, since you could do that with no ME1 save at all - it's mostly about what you do in ME2 before that. All loyalty missions will run pretty much the same way, perhaps aside from a few changed quotes. I think Morinth's control is wholly a matter of the choices you make in ME2, regardless of your paragon / renegade settings or past history. And if you're referring to the genocide I'm thinking of, just make sure it's set the right way in whatever ME1 save you download.

Good hunting!

Answer 2

Without the import you will be missing one of the love interests from ME1 and another squad member that you can save during ME1.

If you don't import anything, Wrex will be dead.

You could look into Mass Effect: Genesis for the Xbox 360. It allows you create a fake import to ME2 so that you can decide which characters lived and which decisions Shepard made on the major plot planets.

I don't believe Genesis gives you any bonuses to Paragon or Renegade like a regular import would.

Having said that, it can be tough to have enough Paragon/Renegade to resolve a certain conflict between two squadmates in ME2.

Jack and Miranda's conflict can be tough but not impossible to resolve. You seem to need over 90 Paragon or Renegade to resolve this.

You should be able to avoid any permanent negative consequences from the final mission with good planning and doing loyalty missions, even if you have difficulty resolving the conflict above. You should be able to do loyalty missions for everyone, though as you've noted the Morinth one could be very difficult.