Mass Effect series

Location of Dialogue Files in the Games

In ME1: BioGame\CookedPC\Packages\Dialog

They are contained in the *.UPK files ending with a _D; e.g. war30_thorianasari_D.upk

Folders are coded as:

NOR = Normandy
ICE = Noveria
LAV = Therum
END = Final Battle on Citadel with Saren and Endings
JUG = Virmire
LOS = Ilos
PRO = Eden Prime Start of Game
STA = Citadel
WAR = Therum

In ME2: The talk files are contained in the BioGame\CookedPC\ folder in:

BIOGame_INT.tlk
BioGame_Update_INT.tlk

and each DLC has it's own individual TLK file; i.e. – Lair of the Shadowbroker's TLK file is in:

BioGame\DLC\DLC_EXP_Part01\CookedPC\DLC_24_INT.tlk

I've extracted the files for the base ME2 game and the LotSB DLC for you. Get them here → (1.2~ MB ZIP)

In ME3: I haven't gone too deeply into ME3, but the core ME3 DLC file names are:

DLC_CON_END:                        Extended Cut
DLC_HEN_PR:                           From Ashes
DLC_EXP_Pack001:                  Leviathan
DLC_EXP_Pack002:                  Omega
DLC_EXP_Pack003:                  Citadel
DLC_EXP_Pack003_Base:        Citadel

I've extracted the files for the base ME3 game and the From the Ashes DLC for you. Get them here → (1.7~ MB ZIP)

Crucial “Lore” Conversations

A lot of in-game “lore” for the Mass Effect Universe is buried in the conversations you have with various characters. Below is a set of transcripts I've produced for a variety of characters.

Mass Effect 1: Liara T'Soni scenes (Romanced) – Liara provides crucial background information on the Asari and is also pretty adorkable in ME1.

Mass Effect 1: All Scenes with Benezia – These have crucial details on indoctrination and the Reaper plan (at least as of ME1 era).

Mass Effect 1: All Conversations with Saren – These have crucial details on indoctrination and Synthesis.

Mass Effect 1: Conversations with the Thorian and Shiala – These help lay the groundwork for game backstory as well as Saren's plan.

Mass Effect 1: Conversations with Rana Thanoptis and Salarian Prisoners on Virmire – These lay out some of the backstory for indoctrination.

Mass Effect 1: Vigil AI Conversation on Ilos Transcript – This contains the text of the entire conversation you have with the badly damaged Prothean VI on Ilos, because it contains significant information on the entire Mass Effect universe's backstory.

Mass Effect 1-2-3: Conversations with Reapers – These contain the text of the multiple conversations (or monologues) that Reapers have with Shepard over the course of the Mass Effect Trilogy.

Mass Effect 1-2: Scan the Keepers Quest – This contains the text of the quest to scan the keepers in ME1 and the email in ME2 if you complete the quest successfully.

Mass Effect 2-3: Conversations with Samara and Morinth – These have much background on Asari cultural mores.

Mass Effect 2: Cerberus Science Team on Mnemosyne Reaper – This is a stripped run-through of the Reaper IFF mission for crucial bits of dialogue and scenes related to Indoctrination and Husks.

Mass Effect 2: Conversation with Aethyta at the Bar – This conversation has a decent amount of background information for general politics within the universe.

Mass Effect 2: Arrival DLC Transcript – This is another one of the few primary sources we have for how indoctrinated subjects behave.

Mass Effect 2 -- Weapons Safety Speech – That is why we do not “eyeball it”!

Mass Effect 2 – The Bachelor Party – One of the most hilarious scenes in the entire trilogy.

Mass Effect 2 – EDI conversations on Cerberus – These occur after the AI blocks have been removed on EDI and she can reveal more information.

Mass Effect 3 Conversation with Liara on the Time Capsule and the Refusal Ending – This is the conversation with Liara over the steps she's taking to pass on information to the next cycle, followed by the “Refusal” ending's finale.

Mass Effect 3 Conversations with Javik – Javik constitutes the only primary source information on his cycle (besides the Reapers). This is currently up to his initial post mission debriefing on the Normandy following his discovery on Eden Prime.

Mass Effect 1 & 3 Leviathan of Dis – The information from the ME1 Planet Guide and your conversation with Balak in ME3 if he survived ME1.

Mass Effect 3 – Conversations on the Crucible and Data – This contains many sequences relating to the Crucible, from it's first mention in the game, to when various characters discuss it; to the two interviews you have with the Prothean VI in ME3 on it.

Mass Effect 3 (Leviathan DLC): Conversation with Leviathan – This gives the “other” side of the first cycle and how the reapers were created.

Mass Effect 3: Conversation with EDI on Self-Preservation – This is a very crucial conversation as it clearly shows that EDI is very different than the Intelligence\Catalyst\Reapers. She's shown in this conversation as being capable of re-writing core gestalt code independently, something the Reapers/Catalyst cannot do.

Mass Effect 3 Catalyst/Intelligence Conversation – This is the infamous conversation with “Starbrat” at the end of ME3 on the Crucible. It incorporates extra lines from the Leviathan DLC.