Mass Effect 2: 10 Reasons It's Overrated As Hell
4. The Completely Broken "Morality System"
Morality metres in games are awful. Players stop thinking about what they or their character would do, and instead start thinking about how to earn brownie or frownie points.
Mass Effect had the paragon/renegade spectrum, but it didn't really mean paragon of virtue (moral puritanism) vs. renegade acting outside the law. Usually the game coded paragon as being a suck-up, and renegade as being a dick. This is exemplified by the most quotable line from Mass Effect 2, "I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the Citadel!"
You receive discounts by threatening shop owners or by doing product endorsement (hence the quote). In no universe is it a "paragon" move to act as a shill for gun-sellers.
You can do this at multiple stores and without consequence. Why aren't shop owners pissed after offering a discount for having their brand described as "the best" only to find out Shepard endorsed everyone the same way?
Problems are solved by using "paragon" dialogue, whether it is to get discounts or to settle disputes between crew members, click the be nice to everyone button and you will be rewarded.
No need to make difficult choices, being nice will always net the results you want.