You can earn upgrades and abilities in Mass Effect 3. Follow the simple steps below.
Between the Priority Missions, make a tour to each deck of the Normandy and talk to your crew.
There are chances of having a bonus Mission, new dialogue, or in some cases, an upgrade.
Same for the Citadel; after each mission, new NPCs will appear here and reveal new side-missions.
Listen for a bleep as you wander around; this means someone has been marked on your map that you can interact with.
Talking to squad members between missions can also unlock a bonus power.
If you don’t have a good anti-armour ability, talk to Liara a lot and you’ll get Warp Ammo.
Talk to James and you get Carnage, a good splash damage skill.