Mass Effect - Reader Q&A @ IGN Blog

Mass Effect Project Director Casey Hudson has updated the official blog at IGN with a reader Q&A.  Apparently questions were pulled from the official forums and replies to the last blog entry, including this one:

How far can you go customizing Shepard?
Commander Shepard represents the specific kind of experience you can have in “Mass Effect”: serious situations, important decisions, and the feeling that you can kick down any barrier that stands in your way. But how you do it, and what kind of character you are is up to you. So you can be male or female, change the details of your face and hair to look however you want, and then you’ll decide what kind of character you are: soldier, tech specialist, user of dark energy powers, or some combination of those. You’ll also be able to decide what your starting skills will be. And throughout the game you’ll get new weapons and equipment that you can use, further modifying your appearance and capability. You can also buy or find mods that can be used to enhance your weapons and equipment. So your character is quite a bit more customizable than in “KOTOR” for example, but you’re also adjusting things that seem more tangible or real-world.