89 réponses à ce sujet

[Ahriman]

Ultai wrote...

It was just a really big sniper rifle or assault rifle. Since they use the same mass accelerator tech. I doubt they meant it to be a viable anti reaper weapon. It was probably just a big slow planetary bombardment weapon they already had prior to the Reapers that they just decided, hey let's kill us a Reaper to go out with style. I don't think they had time to build it during the invasion.

I think they had. Century(ies) [dont' forget how long Harvesting is] of isolation in solar system. I must admit that they were badass enough to avoid Last Day anarchy and build this cannon.

[Sidac]

This about it this way OP. Not only would they go after Earth to give us (the players) a place to relate fighting over but, the reapers would want to take out the strongest civilization 1st. Its been a human that has shown and lead the most defiance toward the reapers. The other races are sitting with their thumbs up their ass. While 1 race gets ready, the others go "meh".

Take out the galactic power and the rest fall easier. Go after the weaklings 1st and the strong only get stronger.

Modifié par Sidac, 14 avril 2011 - 06:58 .

[didymos1120]

Sidac wrote...

Not only would they go after Earth to give us (the players) a place to relate fighting over but, the reapers would want to take out the strongest civilization 1st. 

Why do people keep saying this?  We are NOT the strongest civilization. Not in material terms.  Not even close.  The Reaper interest in humanity has been made very clear: we make good Reapers. Well over 99% of humanity has had NOTHING whatsoever to do with thwarting the Reapers.  That'd be one particular human with a lot of non-human assistance, including a very large role played by a species that doesn't even exist anymore.  Shep couldn't have done jack without the cipher or the Conduit or the datafile from Vigil: all Prothean stuff.

Modifié par didymos1120, 14 avril 2011 - 07:12 .

[CroGamer002]

didymos1120 wrote...

Sidac wrote...

Not only would they go after Earth to give us (the players) a place to relate fighting over but, the reapers would want to take out the strongest civilization 1st. 

Why do people keep saying this?  We are NOT the strongest civilization. Not in material terms.  Not even close.  The Reaper interest in humanity has been made very clear: we make good Reapers. Well over 99% of humanity has had NOTHING whatsoever to do with thwarting the Reapers.  That'd be one particular human with a lot of non-human assistance, including a very large role played by a species that doesn't even exist anymore.  Shep couldn't have done jack without the cipher or the Conduit or the datafile from Vigil: all Prothean stuff.

QFT

[Someone With Mass]

The strongest civilization military-wise is either the turian Hierarchy or possibly the geth.

[Dean_the_Young]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

didymos1120 wrote...

Hudson said this in the GI article about the beginning of ME3: "They've taken the Earth and they're starting to take other parts of the galaxy. It is about a full-blown galactic war in Mass Effect 3."

Oh cool, that's good news, somewhat.

Still, it would have been better to attack Earth and other parts of the galaxy simultaneously to maximize their inittial advantage of taking the others by surprise. I fear that Shepard gaining allies will have him defeat each Reaper invasion force, which would be kind of meh.

Or maybe I expect too much of the Reapers.

BTW I just remembered. One planet's description in ME1 talked about a living machine ship called the Leviathan being discovered by the Batarians, whuich then disapeared. Possible Reaper  to indoctrinate the Batarians?

I think that Earth was their priority for securing because they wanted to insure that they could Ascend humanity into a Reaper, and that they wanted to both knock out a leading power but also insure that Humanity wouldn't be destroyed before they could secure Earth.

So, rather than attack everyone less effectively and risk Humanity destroying itself before they could knock out the Human defenses, they attacked Earth in-mass to prevent Humanity from denying itself by self-immolation and simply judged that they would be more than capable of doing the rest.

A balance of tactical and ideological, the ideological being a strong inclination to make Humanity a Reaper.

[KnightofPhoenix]

jamesp81 wrote...

KnightofPhoenix wrote...
So the slow unthinking tidal wave of doom cliche. Sigh.

I expect more from the force that displayed thinking and strategy in their "Plan A".

A full "reaping" takes centuries even with Plan A.  They always were the "slow unthinking tidal wave of doom".

But with some sophistication and very long term planning.
I am worried that now, they will act like idiots.

@ Dean
Well seeing how the Reapers apparently killed 7 million humans in the first week, I don't think they are that worried about humans dying out. Unless of course the trailer narrator thought those 7 million were dead, while in reality were processed. Actually, can't the Reapers harvest dead humans anyways?



EDIT to add: The Leviathan of Dis, from ME1
"The Leviathan of Dis[/b] is the name given to a gigantic corpse that disappeared from a crater on Jartar in 2163. It is believed to be the remains of a genetically engineered starship and its age was originally placed at nearly a billion years old.

Unfortunately, there was little time to study and uncover the true nature of this mysterious find. Not long after its discovery by a batarian survey team, a batarian dreadnought visited the Dis System, after which the Leviathan mysteriously disappeared. The batarians have since strenuously denied that the Leviathan existed at all. They become even more vocal when showed documentation of the Leviathan by salarian researchers before its disappearance."

You think the Leviathan is  another reaper who will be indoctrinating Batarians?

Modifié par KnightofPhoenix, 14 avril 2011 - 10:26 .

[Malanek]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...
@ Dean
Well seeing how the Reapers apparently killed 7 million humans in the first week, I don't think they are that worried about humans dying out. Unless of course the trailer narrator thought those 7 million were dead, while in reality were processed. Actually, can't the Reapers harvest dead humans anyways?

7 million is a small percentage of the earths population.

[didymos1120]

Malanek999 wrote...

7 million is a small percentage of the earths population.

Very small.  Earth has a population of 11.4 billion in ME.  7 million is ~.06% of that.  Of course, the figure is actually 9 million ("2 million dead in the first day. Another 7 million by the end of the first week."), so we're up to all of ~.08% of the population (presumed) killed.

[didymos1120]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...
Actually, can't the Reapers harvest dead humans anyways?

Well, if by "harvesting" you mean "turned into that weird liquid", they don't. All harvested humans were taken alive and then kept alive until the very last moment (cf. Lilith, or Kelly).  Dead humans so far just get turned into husks.  Obviously, there has to be a reason for why they keep them alive.

[KnightofPhoenix]

9 million can also mean one reaper, or half reaper. It's a small percentage of the Earth's population, but it's not that small a quantity vis a vis the Reapers' need.

[Dean_the_Young]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...


@ Dean
Well seeing how the Reapers apparently killed 7 million humans in the first week, I don't think they are that worried about humans dying out. Unless of course the trailer narrator thought those 7 million were dead, while in reality were processed. Actually, can't the Reapers harvest dead humans anyways?

7 million in the first week of a 'surprise' attack might be acceptable, whereas the risk of 7 billion in a not-so-surprise attack could well not have been.

The magnitudes that matter. The US might accept a 7-civilian casualty toll from a bombing a strategic spot, but not a 700 toll a week later.

EDIT to add: The Leviathan of Dis, from ME1
"The Leviathan of Dis[/b] is the name given to a gigantic corpse that disappeared from a crater on Jartar in 2163. It is believed to be the remains of a genetically engineered starship and its age was originally placed at nearly a billion years old.

Unfortunately, there was little time to study and uncover the true nature of this mysterious find. Not long after its discovery by a batarian survey team, a batarian dreadnought visited the Dis System, after which the Leviathan mysteriously disappeared. The batarians have since strenuously denied that the Leviathan existed at all. They become even more vocal when showed documentation of the Leviathan by salarian researchers before its disappearance."

You think the Leviathan is  another reaper who will be indoctrinating Batarians?

Since I have a hard time anyone confusing a Reaper for a genetically-genineered animal corpse... not likely.

[KnightofPhoenix]

I can understand why they are focusing on Earth. But it seems counter productive to me for them to focus all of their efforts just on Earth and ignore all the others. I think they have sufficient numbers to secure Earth and cripple at least the Turian military. Which hopefully will happen.

And Reapers do look like animal carcasses, except metallic. I wonder if the Leviathan will lay a part in ME3, reaper or no reaper, since the Batarians are involved.

[didymos1120]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

9 million can also mean one reaper, or half reaper. It's a small percentage of the Earth's population, but it's not that small a quantity vis a vis the Reapers' need.

I don't know what the Reapers' needs are precisely, and neither does anyone else. Nor do we have a good grasp of their psychology, so it's hard to say what they think of such losses, even if that does put them down one potential Reaper.  Assuming of course that the dead are actually outright kills, which we also don't know. Then there's the fact that it's a trailer, and should in no way be considered canonical. 

[Dean_the_Young]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

I can understand why they are focusing on Earth. But it seems counter productive to me for them to focus all of their efforts just on Earth and ignore all the others. I think they have sufficient numbers to secure Earth and cripple at least the Turian military. Which hopefully will happen.

We don't really know that they focused all their efforts on Earth and ignore the others, do we? They could be attacking a number of low-key but vital points as well.

Until we know what securing Earth requires of them, and what else they do, we can't really assert that they're unduly ignoring the rest.

And Reapers do look like animal carcasses, except metallic. I wonder if the Leviathan will lay a part in ME3, reaper or no reaper, since the Batarians are involved.

At the same time, however, no one mistakes Reapers for organic. Even the Council's deliberate study of Reaper remains was asserted as highly advanced, but entirely synthetic, technology.

The Reaper's organic factor is the hidden secret, not the obvious indicator. They are primarily synthetic constructs, not to be easily confused with organic.

[KnightofPhoenix]

Dean_the_Young wrote...
We don't really know that they focused all their efforts on Earth and ignore the others, do we? They could be attacking a number of low-key but vital points as well.

Until we know what securing Earth requires of them, and what else they do, we can't really assert that they're unduly ignoring the rest.

I am not saying I know they aren't doing it. The thread is more about speculation and hopes (and fears), and I hope they will display strategic competence.

At the same time, however, no one mistakes Reapers for organic. Even the Council's deliberate study of Reaper remains was asserted as highly advanced, but entirely synthetic, technology.

The Reaper's organic factor is the hidden secret, not the obvious indicator. They are primarily synthetic constructs, not to be easily confused with organic.

They're Batarians?

Maybe it's a specialized kind of reaper? Maybe it's an "original" reaper?
Or mayeb it's just nothing and I am giving a small planet description in ME1 too much importance.

[Zulu_DFA]

Perhaps the Reapers don't see the point to pre-empt, and regard it as a waste of time or something. That tells us that they don't consider the organics to be even theoretically capable of succesful resistance. That, in turn, tells us that there must be some kind of deus ex machina and/or superweapon coming in ME3 to defeat them, which the Reapers, presumably, can't anticipate.

[KnightofPhoenix]

Zulu_DFA wrote...

Perhaps the Reapers don't see the point to pre-empt, and regard it as a waste of time or something. That tells us that they don't consider the organics to be even theoretically capable of succesful resistance. That, in turn, tells us that there must be some kind of deus ex machina and/or superweapon coming in ME3 to defeat them, which the Reapers, presumably, can't anticipate.

That is one of my worst fears.

But Shepard has to do something in the end, with some boss fight (Bioware loves pointless boss fight if DA2 is any indication). The war can't be settled solely with a massive battle, Shepard would be overshadowed. So it will probably be something like that. I would facepalm if it's a virus a la independence day. 

[naledgeborn]

I think Shepard is somehow the Deus Ex Machina. "Technologically" speaking he's a revenant brought back by Cerberus for the sole purpose of defeating the Reapers. In folklore revenants are brought back to life by a wizard (TIM) to complete a task seemingly impossible to the living (defeating the Reapers). When this is done they go back to wherever they came from. In Shepard's case this would mean dieing again.

[Zulu_DFA]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

Zulu_DFA wrote...

there must be some kind of deus ex machina and/or superweapon coming in ME3 to defeat them, which the Reapers, presumably, can't anticipate.

That is one of my worst fears.

Why? I think it's pretty much unavoidable, if BioWare wants to uphold "the Reapers are super-duper-mega-powerful" idea. The only alternative to a deus ex machina, a superweapon or a mix of both is "the Reapers are morons, or wussies, or a mix of both", just like the *cough* Collectors *cough*...

Modifié par Zulu_DFA, 15 avril 2011 - 12:11 .

[KnightofPhoenix]

Because they usually end up being meh. If not implausible.
I don't mind a superweapon as much, as long as it's not a one hit KO thing.

I hope it's something creative, like maybe lure them to a super nova or something.

[ISpeakTheTruth]

As for the attackof the Reapers I tend to believe that the way they attack the different species will be very differently. Harbinger states that humans are basically the only specie that is suitable for being made into Reaper paste.

His opinion on the other species were: Asari - weak Turians - Primitive Salarians - die too quick and weak Quarians - weak immune system Krogan - usable but not enough of a population to be used and the Drell were the same as the Krogan

So I figure that when they attack human areas they'll attack with surgical strikes to limit the death toll but for everyone else they would just destroy outright because they aren't usable.

[HunterX6]

all you guys can keep doing is keep speculating, we dont know yet what will the reaper be doing. I assume though they will start with earth then quickly attacks all other around the galaxy once earth has been at least secured, even if not completely owned

[NoUserNameHere]

didymos1120 wrote...

Sidac wrote...

Not only would they go after Earth to give us (the players) a place to relate fighting over but, the reapers would want to take out the strongest civilization 1st. 

Why do people keep saying this?  We are NOT the strongest civilization. Not in material terms.  Not even close.  The Reaper interest in humanity has been made very clear: we make good Reapers. Well over 99% of humanity has had NOTHING whatsoever to do with thwarting the Reapers.  That'd be one particular human with a lot of non-human assistance, including a very large role played by a species that doesn't even exist anymore.  Shep couldn't have done jack without the cipher or the Conduit or the datafile from Vigil: all Prothean stuff.

... unless you opt for a theoretical Cerberus ending, wherin TIM would win the day at the helm of his own (fettered and leashed, I'm sure. Heh.) human Reaper.

[inversevideo]

What is the Reaper strategy? I believe Conan said it best: "To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women. "