with loyalty missions or companion quests, the third person that forms the squad can be chosen based on their skills but from a storyline perspective, i'm always fascinated by who goes with whom and why. i'm a broken record on this i believe (sorry...)
but one of my wishes for future mass effect games is that companion quests can be commented upon by everyone else and that the third person forming the squad is allowed more lines after. not during really because i understand it can be a special moment between main character and companion but later?
it makes sense, people talk, and i also think the person who goes with you has a front row seat to everything that happens. i think they tried to give us that in ME3 but they couldn't yet in ME2. but still the loyalty missions are key because they're the roads to understand the fears and needs of people with you
some examples:
going on jack's loyalty mission: do i take miranda so she gets to SEE with her own eyes what was done to jack? or do i take kasumi who will be gentle and soothing? if i take miranda, can it have a REAL impact? it should have. i should hear a discussion later between miranda and jack about this.
jacob's loyalty mission: do i take miranda who helped him find closure? or do i take tali, who reacted badly to jacob's welcome on the normandy and who has her own issues with her father? how will that change her relationship with jacob later? what if i take thane?
and garrus's loyalty mission always strikes me as one of great vulnerability, especially if shepard steps in front of sidonis. the third person will see that, and will see garrus not dealing well with shades of grey. i want this third person showing up to garrus' battery room, interrupting his calibrations, and saying 'listen. what i saw? i won't talk about it in front of other people.' OR can you picture a jack who was encouraged to tell aresh to leave the facility before they blow it up because, as shepard said, "he's trapped in the past" being the third person on the squad? this is real common ground right there. (you could also picture one getting their revenge, one not - and how it will mess with their relationship later)
possibilities, basically
