Actual Effort Required (to save the Council)
🟡 Updated this yearPreview
🔍 Analysis
- 👍 4.7% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #99 of 132 Story mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
Edits the choice of saving the council to where the player can only save the council if enough assignments from Hackett are completed. This mod can be installed at any point before you reach the Citadel Tower after arriving at Ilos.
A special thank you to everyone who voted in the 2023 Mass Effect Mod of the year awards.
As with all of my mods, if you don't like my mods, don't download and move on.
If the button to disable the setting is not working, either double-click the settting to disable it or back out of the menu and re-enter the menu.Installation Instructions:
-
[] Download with mod Manager
[
]Import Mod - apply mod
The Premise and how the mod works.
The premise is that if the Alliance has to expend resources to take care of these assignments, there would be less available to defend the Ascension, along with everyone on board including the council, much like how the player starts in ME 3 with less War assets if they didn't complete the Arrival DLC. It also felt weird that there was no barrier to saving the council when there was a barrier to saving Wrex on Virmire.
This mod works by assigning a point value to each of the missions that Hackett gives you and how many points you have when Joker asks you whether you want to save the Ascension or not will determine if you have the option to save the Ascension. Some will be worth more than others and some will have points determined by the result. Causing more work for the Alliance results in losing points. Points are awarded when you return to the Citadel Tower after returning from Ilos
The Points system and difficulty settings:
There are 3 difficulties with different requirements of how many points you need to save the council. The difficulties do not affect how many points each mission grants.
Easy, Moderate and Hard mode. You can change this via the Mod Menu Settings made possible by the LE1 Community Patch at any point before you trigger the convers
This mod for Mass Effect 2 changes the ending so that saving the Council requires completing enough of Hackett's assignments. It adds a narrative consequence for players who skip side content. With 119 endorsements and recent updates, it's a niche but active story mod.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Adds meaningful weight to side quests—your choices finally matter
- Tight integration with the game's narrative, feels like a natural extension
- Recent update (Nov 2025) means it's likely compatible with current patches
⚠️ Cons
- Only 119 endorsements—small community, might not be widely tested
- If you're a completionist, this mod might not change much for you
For Mass Effect 2 players who want their side quests to have real consequences. If you always do every assignment anyway, this mod won't change your experience, but if you skip side content, it adds a fresh layer of tension. Skip if you prefer a straightforward ending without extra requirements.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Make sure to complete Hackett's assignments before the final mission—check your journal for any pending ones.
- If you're using a mod manager, install this after other story mods to avoid conflicts.
- Back up your save before the endgame so you can experience both outcomes.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Mass Effect Mods
- Author
- InvoicingEmu
- Version
- 1.3
- Downloads
- 2,535
- Endorsements
- 119
- Category
- Story
- Created
- 12/1/2023
- Updated
- 11/2/2025
🔧 How to Install Mass Effect Mods
Download from Nexus.
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Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.
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