Mass Effect

After 3 long years of trying to get any of these Ally achievements to pop, I was finally able to get this with the help of my good friend Saft Und Kraft. I'm a list-kind of guy; he provided me with a basic layout and I took it to the next level. SO, here's a list of all MISSIONS and ASSIGNMENTS that need to be completed to get the ASARI ally achievement.

The following MISSIONS I completed before I had Liara in my party. Another important thing to point out is that I'm pretty certain I collected Fist's Datapad before I had Liara in my party. However, I did not turn the datapad into Emily Wong until after I had Liara.

Prologue: Find the Beacon
Citadel: Expose Saren
Citadel: Garrus
Citadel: Wrex

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ASARI (Liara) --

MISSIONS:
Feros: Colony Saved
Find Liara T'Soni <=START HERE
Noveria: Contamination
Noveria: Leave Port Hanshan
Noveria: Lorik Qui'in
Noveria: Matriarch Benezia
Noveria: Peak 15
Noveria: Quarantine
Noveria: Reactor Repair
Noveria: Reconnect Landlines
Noveria: Rift Station
Noveria: The Hot Labs
Virmire: Saren's Plan (Assault)

ASSIGNMENTS:
Citadel: Asari Conort
Citadel: Dr. Michel (Dr Michel is Safe)
Citadel: Family Matter
Citadel: Homecoming
Citadel: Jahleed and Chorban
Citadel: Negotiator's Request
Citadel: Old Friends
Citadel: Our Own Worst Enemy (Received after Virmire, before Illos. Achievement popped when I turned this in)
Citadel: Planting a Bug
Citadel: Presidium Prophet
Citadel: Reporter's Request
Citadel: Rita's Sister
Citadel: Scan the Keepers
Citadel: Schell's Scanner
Citadel: Signal Tracking
Citadel: The Fan
Citadel: The Fourth Estate
Citadel: Xeltan Convinced

Feros: Data Recovery
Feros: Geth in the Tunnels
Feros: Power Cells
Feros: Varren Meat
Feros: Water Restoration

Noveria: Espionage
Noveria: Smuggling

Tali's Pilgrimage

UNC: Asari Diplomacy
UNC: Cerberus
UNC: Colony of the Dead
UNC: Dead Scientists
UNC: Derelict Freighter
UNC: Distress Call
UNC: ExoGeni Facility
UNC: Espionage Probe
UNC: Geth Incursions
UNC: Hade's Dogs
UNC: Hostage
UNC: Hostile Takeover
UNC: Listening Post Alpha
UNC: Listening Post Theta
UNC: Lost Module
UNC: Lost Freighter
UNC: Major Kyle
UNC: Missing Marines
UNC: Missing Survey Team
UNC: Privateers
UNC: Rogue IV
UNC: Sigma 23 (Depot)

Virmire: Assisting Kirrahe's Team
Virmire: Wrex is Dead

X57: Avoid the Blasting Caps
X57: Bring Down the Sky
X57: Missing Engineers

Collection Assignments --
UNC: Asari Writings (http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/UNC:_Asari_Writings)
UNC: Locate Signs of Battle (http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/UNC:_Locate_Signs_of_Battle)
UNC: Prothean Data Disks (http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/UNC:_Prothean_Data_Discs)
UNC: Turian Insignias (http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/UNC:_Turian_Insignias)
UNC: Valuable Minerals (http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/UNC:_Valuable_Minerals)

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IN PROGRESS --
MISSIONS:
Race Against Time (Illos)

ASSIGNMENTS:
Citadel: Negotiator's Request

This is the hardest ally achievement to get due to how late in the game you get her.

Do NOT do any sidequests until the quest comes up for you to go get her from the Tao Cluster.

From then on keep her in your party at ALL times and do all sidequests and missions with her. The DLC missions also help for this achievement, although the collection ones are not necessary.

I finished all possible assignments and missions with her and still didn't have it, mine popped after I finished the final DLC assignment. So keep that in mind.

Note: Ilos is the cutoff point of being able to complete any more sidequests, so if you do all sidequests and DLC and still don't have it, you more than likely will get it during the final phase of the game.

Visit this website: http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Mass_Effect_Wiki

For a complete list of all side-quests and missions.

According to Mass Effect Wiki, you unlock this achievement by completing 50 assignments with Liara out of the disc's 73. Each DLC adds 3 to that list, making for a max of 79.

1) You do not need the character in your party to count toward your total, you just need her there when the assignment is marked "completed"
2) YES, DLC assignments can count, and are much easier than some in game assignments.
3) I suggest using Garrus as your other party member, since they both require 50 assignments complete, the highest requirement for these achievements. Kill two birds with one stone.
4) When you earn this, all characters will have cooldown time for Barrier and Stasis reduced by 10%

ACHIEVEMENTS
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Achievements#Squadmates
ASSIGNMENTS
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Assignments

Hey guys after thinking that I would never get Liars's ally achievement I finally got it.Here a few things to consider.
1)complete Eden prime
2)at the citedel only do the main quest.
A)meet council
B)get garrus
C)get Tali
D)get wrex
E)become spectre
3)Go get Liara.(keep Liara in your party no matter what)
4)Return to the citedel and do as many side quests as possible.I got 15 including the the scanning of the keepers.
5)Complete Nova(do all side quests)
6)Complete Ferros(do all side quests)
7)I got her achievement on the side quest that requires you to kill "Dr Heart"
8)I did have both DLC which nets you about 6 missions in total.If you don't have the DLC trust me you are not missing on anything you already aren't doing.It's basically Activate/deactivate this,Scan that,or Come 1st place on all scenarios.

Now I know my guide is not really a guide but some advice I took and the path I chose to get this difficult achievement.Good luck brothers.

You do not need to do 50 assignments to get Liara's achievement!

The DLC seems to be worth more. I completed 10 missions with Liara and only 28 assignments when this popped, though 5 of my assignments were from X57 and Pinnacle Station. This achievement popped just two Citadel assignments after Wrex's popped.

For missions, I only completed all of Noveria with Liara. I did NOT need to finish Feros or Virmire. StumblesMcGee's solution has the mission names.

For assignments I only completed 23 non-DLC, mostly Citadel assignments, the first four Feros assignments before you enter the elevator, and a few quick non-shooting assignments like UNC:Major Kyle or Noveria:Smuggling.

If you have the DLC, get those done first and the achievement will pop sooner!

I had Gerrus and Liara in my team all the time.

I needed 52 for achievement to pop up. I did excel sheet and cross it every time I did assignments or mission. I took the list of assignments and missions from:
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Assignments
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Missions

The moment I became a Specter I went and rescue Liara. Since them I had her in my team all the time. I id as many assignments as possible before Novaria and I had about 32 augments. Then I did Novaria and Feros.
According to Mass Effect Wiki Liara achievement needs 50 assignments. If that would be correct I would get achievement when I finished one of the side mission on Feros but it didn't.
I got it when I finished Feros and did one more assignment.

Maybe assignments like UNC: Missing Marines ? UNC: Cerberus ? UNC: Hades' Dogs count as one even though they are listed 3 in mission computer.

Don't know if this helps. It's just a note how and when I got achievement.

I feel late on this but I just earned this achievement recently and I gotta say, it wasn't too difficult.

As soon as your able to move in the Citadel for the first time, do all of the main story missions (Council, picking up Tali, Wrex, Garrus, etc)

When you get in the Normandy land on Therum in the Artemis Cluster. Picking up Liara comes first and foremost.

The collection missions are not needed as I did not do any of them.

I followed a guide on Gamefaqs almost step by step and I got this achievement when your on lock-down on the Citadel. I still had missions to spare just so I didn't have to go to Ilos.

Gamefaqs guide: http://www.gamefaqs.com/xbox360/930279-mass-effect/faqs/5161...

*If you disliked, please let me know why.
**Happy to see this achievement is marked as bugged, since it is.

I used this check list PDF file. Unlike the list above, this one actuallly includes the Garrus and Wrex missions:
http://masseffect.shockfront.net/wp-content/uploads/201....pdf

My settings and tips:

(1) I bought the 'Bring Down the Sky' DLC for merely 80mp, which is totally worth it because of its unique structure and setting. I'd say this DLC is REQUIRED to get these achievements.

(2) I recomment that you play on casual. Play till you're your party is complete and SAVE (obviously, do not do any assignments yet). Keep this save so you can start over again once you have your ally achievements. It also safes you time (about 1,5-2 hours) for the next playthrough. The games diffculty being on casual makes you able to (literally) run and drive through enemies. You can just ignore them. I got the ally achievements within 7-9 hours because of this.

(3) The type of xbox might also be a factor. I noticed that my brand new Xbox Slim has a lot of screen-tearing and slowdowns. It even got stuck on loading screens about 13 times within 60 hours of gameplay. My Arcade Xbox from 2007 had no tearing, had minimal slowdowns and no lock-ups (played about 13 hours on it). I also read this comment on the xbox forums:
(4) Except for the Quarian, I played through the game as Paragon. You'll get P-points more easily than Renegade points. Its even a lot easier if you have the DLC, since you get extra P-points (or R-points). Besides it being easier, I also read somewhere that going Renegade might prevent you from getting the achievement. It happened to me when I went for the Asari Ally (without the DLC) as Renegade.

For the Asari, I did everything (excluding Pin.Station) EXCEPT for the 5 collecting assignments and the 'Negotiator's Request' (an assignment on Citadel during Lockdown). This made a total of 55 assignments. (with missions till the lockdown)

Good luck.

I just did this and figured I could throw in my two cent
Anyway I used a combination of StumblesMcGee's list and Basanakin's PDF (it easily tells you planets/systems and where to find at a glance).

I got both the Turian Ally and Asari Ally in this play through.

Turian popped during cut-scene fighting Benezia and Asari popped after 2 of the Bring Down the Sky DLC assignments completed. I did every Assignment available before playing the mission (IE: when I had nothing I went to Feros, then when no more assignments went to Noveria...), I didn't play Pinnacle Station and skipped Wrex and Garrus assignments (did do Tali's because I found the info needed during Geth Incursions).

tl;dr

I have a theory that every assignment that you complete on the ship doesn't count, hence the 60+ assignments/missions needed to complete this. Any assignment that says "Report to Hackett" would be an example of this because the complete check doesn't get added until you are back on the Normandy where you have no squad-mates.

Anyway would love to check into this because that could shorten our lists.

Since it looks like there is still a lot of uncertainty around how one goes about getting this achievement (and I just now only popped it yesterday!! Despite having been going for this achievement on and off since literally 2008), I just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents as well.

Some beginning impressions.

1) You get Liara last of all the characters. As the others say, don't be tempted to complete even any of the Citadel missions or anything that involve just talking to people, not even that dude who is grieving his wife on Eden Prime outside the embassies. Once you are a Spectre, go straight to the mass transit system, go straight to C-Sec then the Normandy, then go straight for Therum in the Artemis Tau cluster. (In theory, I think you could even turn down Garrus and Wrex when they insist on joining your squad, and then you can pick them up after Liara is in your party)
2) I am convinced now that the variability in popping these achievements is because nobody is quite sure what trips the flag for whether or not a given ally has participated in a mission. I operated on the assumption that the character must be literally in your party at the moment when the quest is checked as "completed". If this is true, then the following must be be true:
a) Any UNC mission that is completed by talking to someone on the Normandy (reporting to Hackett, turning in Wrex's family armor, etc.) will NOT count, since you cannot have anybody in your party when you turn in these missions.
b) If you complete a collection mission by surveying a planet remotely from the Normandy instead of surveying a deposit or artifact while landed on a planet, then the entire collection mission will NOT count, for the reasons of (a). In some cases, like with the Prothean Data Discs, there are not very many artifacts you can pick up while landed. In case this matters, I would plan ahead for these artifacts while doing your exploring.
3) DLC really helps pad your numbers, though I only needed a single additional assignment from Pinnacle Station to pop the achievement.

Of course, I'd just like to reiterate that I was working off the assumption that this is how the achievement works when I decided to pursue it with some degree of intention. I could be wrong, or my understanding of it could be incompletely nuanced. After all, the achievement popped for me before I even got to Virmire, and after I finished only 47 assignments with Liara in my party.

If it means anything, I got the achievement on the Xbox Game Pass version of Mass Effect. Three runs on my original disk in my old Xbox 360 and I was never able to pop it, for some reason. I just bring it up because I don't know if the inconsistencies might also be influenced by versioning differences.

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Below is my completed quests log (with special conditions, as well as whether or not Liara was a part of the team at the time):

MISSIONS:

Noveria: The Hot Labs
Noveria: Rift Station
Noveria: Quarantine
Noveria: Contamination
Noveria: Reconnect Landlines
Noveria: Reactor Repair
Noveria: Lorik Qui'in
Noveria: Peak 15
Noveria: Leave Port Hanshan
Noveria: Death of a Matriarch
Feros: Colony Saved

(11 completed missions with Liara in party at moment of quest completion; 16 total)

Find Liara T'Soni (before Liara)
Citadel: Wrex (before Liara)
Citadel: Garrus (before Liara)
Citadel: Expose Saren (before Liara)
Prologue: Find the Beacon (before Liara)

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ASSIGNMENTS:

Pinnacle Station: Combat Missions (achievement popped for me right after finishing Ahern's survival mission)
UNC: Depot Sigma-23
UNC: Listening Post Theta
UNC: Derelict Freighter
Citadel: Schells the Gambler >> Schells' Scanner Given Away
UNC: Colony of the Dead
UNC: ExoGeni Facility
Feros: Data Recovery
Feros: Geth in the Tunnels
Feros: Power Cells
Feros: Varren Meat
Feros: Water Restoration
UNC: Listening Post Alpha
UNC: Geth Incursions
UNC: Hades' Dogs
UNC: Dead Scientists
Noveria: Espionage
Noveria: Smuggling
UNC: Lost Freighter
UNC: Cerberus
UNC: Espionage Probe
UNC: Prothean Data Discs (ensured that final artifact was a landed one)
UNC: Rogue VI
UNC: Asari Writings (ensured that the final artifact was a landed one)
Citadel: Old, Unhappy, Far-Off Things (I had the Spacer background)
Citadel: Rita's Sister >> Rita's Sister is Safe
Citadel: Signal Tracking
UNC: Hostage
UNC: Privateers
Citadel: Planting a Bug
Citadel: Xeltan's Complaint >> Xeltan Convinced
Citadel: Presidium Prophet
Citadel: Family Matter
Citadel: The Fan
Citadel: Jahleed and Chorban
UNC: Hostile Takeover
Citadel: The Fourth Estate
Asari Diplomacy
UNC: Locate Signs of Battle (ensured that final artifact was a landed one)
UNC: Turian Insignias (ensured that final artifact was a landed one)
UNC: Valuable Minerals (ensured that final deposit was a landed one)
UNC: Missing Survey Team
UNC: Missing Marines
Citadel: Homecoming
Citadel: Reporter's Request
Citadel: Scan the Keepers
UNC: Distress Call

Wrex: Family Armor (must report to Wrex to finish mission, so no one is in your party.)
UNC: The Negotiation (report to Hackett to finish mission, so no one is in your party. Also only available above a certain morality threshold)
Tali and the Geth >> Tali's Pilgrimage (must report to Tali to finish mission, so no one is in your party at the moment of completion.)

(47 assignments when Liara was in the party; 50 in total. Note that for the three assignments at the end, Liara did participate in the mission, so maybe crew participation is flagged differently than I was assuming.)