91 réponses à ce sujet

[Skilled Seeker]

In ME1 we learned that the Reapers have a cycle of reapings and the last time they reaped was 50,000 years ago. We also found out that they come to reap once a civilisation is sufficiently advanced enough to use the mass relay system but before they are too advanced to become a threat. It was not said in ME1 that the time difference between reapings was always the same. People assumed it was every 50,000 years just because that was how long ago the last reaping took place. Now in ME2, Bioware has ran along with this.


This does not make sense!

Civilisations would advance at different speeds. They would be at different levels of development if the Reapers come to reap every 50,000 years. They might be underdeveloped or overdeveloped. Why did the writers choose arbitrarily to have the Reapers reap every 50,000 years? I believe this is a major flaw in the storyline.

Discuss.

[marshalleck]

Laziness? Apathy?

"Just don't think about it" seems to be the chosen mantra for ME2.

Modifié par marshalleck, 14 juin 2011 - 08:16 .

[Il Divo]

I'm not entirely certain whether the OP is being serious...

[Ileanos07]

Its +- 50.000 years I am sure. Or they just check every 50.000 years

[Flashlegend]

Il Divo wrote...

I'm not entirely certain whether the OP is being serious...

lol why wouldn't he be? His point is completely valid. At OP, they just assume that we won't think about it and let's be honest, many people do not.

Modifié par Flashlegend, 14 juin 2011 - 08:18 .

[Da Mecca]

marshalleck wrote...

Laziness? Apathy?

"Just don't think about it" seems to be the chosen mantra for ME2.

I guess.

[NuclearBuddha]

OP said...
I realize that the Reapers have a set of criteria that they look for. But I'm discounting the idea that the Reapers just ignore insufficiently developed species! Why? To foster argument! PLOTHOLE, LOL.

The current crop of species would've been around 50k years ago, and the Reapers ignored them, presumably because they didn't fit the criteria. Obviously the Reapers just move on and figure they'll be later in the next cycle to stomp the slow kids on the playground.

Edit:

Il Divo wrote...
I'm not entirely certain whether the OP is being serious...

Smart poster.

Modifié par NuclearBuddha, 14 juin 2011 - 08:20 .

[Skilled Seeker]

Il Divo wrote...

I'm not entirely certain whether the OP is being serious...

Totally serious. Why do you doubt my conviction?

[DocLasty]

I don't recall it ever being officially stated in game canon that the number of years is 50,000.

[Crackseed]

Seems a bit nitpicky [no offense] but it's probably flexible in reality for the Reapers. I mean we're basically assuming this based on in-game facts. So the Reapers supposedly show up every 50,000 years but considering no one living in the ME universe was even around for all the past Reapings, how does anyone really know? I mean even the codex/lore entries are subject to a bit of ambiguity - it's logical that the Reapers leave a vanguard behind like Sovereign to ascertain the proper time for a return.

I dunno - I mean I can see the point you are making, but it just seems to be a non-issue overall.

[Skilled Seeker]

NuclearBuddha wrote...

OP said...
I realize that the Reapers have a set of criteria that they look for. But I'm discounting the idea that the Reapers just ignore insufficiently developed species! Why? To foster argument! PLOTHOLE, LOL.

The current crop of species would've been around 50k years ago, and the Reapers ignored them, presumably because they didn't fit the criteria. Obviously the Reapers just move on and figure they'll be later in the next cycle to stomp the slow kids on the playground.

What if they come across say an iron age society? Not advanced enough to reap but give them 3000 years or so and they may well be. If the Reapers check up only every 50,000 years then they'd either have to reap or destroy this civilisation or they'd end up being very advance by the time the next 50,000 years comes by. It makes much more sense to be constantly monitoring the activity of all life (which is what Sovereign's job is supposed to be) and then arrive once the civilisation has reached that sweet spot that the Reapers are looking for. Get it?

Modifié par Skilled Seeker, 14 juin 2011 - 08:28 .

[Il Divo]

Skilled Seeker wrote...

Totally serious. Why do you doubt my conviction?

Two reasons.

1) Your use of the Chewbacca defense image. 

2) Your designation of the 50k time span as a 'major flaw' of the storyline. I'm not saying it's not an error on the writers' parts, but it doesn't quite break the universe, in my opinion. 

Edit: As a separate point, who in ME2 says the cycle takes place every 50k years?

Modifié par Il Divo, 14 juin 2011 - 08:25 .

[Thrombin]

What's the reference in ME2. Where did they say the cycle is exactly 50,000 years?

Anyway. I can see it being a reasonably repeatable approximation. The whole point of leaving the old relay technology behind was to nudge galactic civilization so that they developed technology along the same lines each time.

[blothulfur]

The reapers are called forth by a discordant sound that reaches a climax every fifty thousand years, yes it's more cowbell than anyone ever dreamed could be in existence (except for Christopher walken).

Blue Oyster Cult for ME3 theme tune.

[marshalleck]

DocLasty wrote...

I don't recall it ever being officially stated in game canon that the number of years is 50,000.

Thrombin wrote...

What's the reference in ME2. Where did they say the cycle is exactly 50,000 years?

In the text scroll intro of ME2.

Modifié par marshalleck, 14 juin 2011 - 08:27 .

[Warkupo]

It's probably a plus or minus, but do keep in mind as well that the Reapers plot the advancement of organic species along paths they purposefully created. The greatest technological achievements of the organic species were put there by the Reapers for the organics to discover. Their personal advancement rate has almost nothing to do with it since the Reapers are personally controlling just how quickly a race can advance. It's not likely an accident that most of the more sentient organics all made first contact with each other over a relatively short period of time.

[DocLasty]

Skilled Seeker wrote...

NuclearBuddha wrote...

OP said...
I realize that the Reapers have a set of criteria that they look for. But I'm discounting the idea that the Reapers just ignore insufficiently developed species! Why? To foster argument! PLOTHOLE, LOL.

The current crop of species would've been around 50k years ago, and the Reapers ignored them, presumably because they didn't fit the criteria. Obviously the Reapers just move on and figure they'll be later in the next cycle to stomp the slow kids on the playground.

What if they come across say an iron age society? Not advanced enough to reap but give them 3000 years or so and they may well be. If the Reapers check up only every 50,000 years then they'd either have to reap or destroy this civilisation or they'd end up being very advance by the time the next 50,000 years comes by. It makes much more sense to be constantly monitoring the activity of all life (which is what Saren's job is supposed to be) and then arrive once the civilisation has reached that sweet spot that the Reapers are looking for. Get it?

,
They are constantly monitoring all life. The Collector stayed behind and ran experiments, and the Reapers can control the Collectors directly. In effect, they can monitor the galaxy, even run experiments, without ever being near things and exposing themselves.

[Whatever42]

They leave a slave species behind to test the various evolving species for compatibility for their aims. They leave a Reaper behind to keep an eye on things. I think we can assume that they are monitoring the situation and can adjust accordingly.

Also, they are assisting species in their development. They left stores of technology around that evolving species can study. The Collectors were spreading technology. They have indoctrinated people in the past and used them to further particular goals. It's very possible that they are keeping these new species to their timetable in a more active fashion.

[Time Well Spent]

Maybe the Reapers are busy those other 49,999 years and only have a year to harvest, no one thinks of the Reaper's timetable, maybe they have jobs, families to take care of. How dare we lower beings question their time keeping.

Seriously though, it's probably just a generalization for the cycle to give a sense of how old they are and how they work.

+1 for the Chewbacca defense picture.

Modifié par Time Well Spent, 14 juin 2011 - 08:28 .

[Skilled Seeker]

Il Divo wrote...

Skilled Seeker wrote...

Totally serious. Why do you doubt my conviction?

Two reasons.

1) Your use of the Chewbacca defense image. 

2) Your designation of the 50k time span as a 'major flaw' of the storyline. I'm not saying it's not an error on the writers' parts, but it doesn't quite break the universe, in my opinion. 

Edit: As a separate point, who in ME2 says the cycle takes place every 50k years?

The Chewbacca image was to really send home the point I am making. The designation of the 50k time span is a major flaw to me as the story of ME revolves around the Reapers and their reapings.

[Thrombin]

Skilled Seeker wrote...
What if they come across say an iron age society? Not advanced enough to reap but give them 3000 years or so and they may well be. If the Reapers check up only every 50,000 years then they'd either have to reap or destroy this civilisation or they'd end up being very advance by the time the next 50,000 years comes by. It makes much more sense to be constantly monitoring the activity of all life (which is what Saren's job is supposed to be) and then arrive once the civilisation has reached that sweet spot that the Reapers are looking for. Get it?

They don't check every 50,000 years they reap every 50.000 years (approximately).  We know Sovereign woke up every 1000 years or so to check on progress.

[DocLasty]

marshalle0000000000000000000000000000000000000000ck wrote...

DocLasty wrote...

I don't recall it ever being officially stated in game canon that the number of years is 50,000.

Thrombin wrote...

What's the reference in ME2. Where did they say the cycle is exactly 50,000 years?

In the text scroll intro of ME2.

Don't take that too seriously. It's just a text scroll. Until the Reapers flat out say that it's exactly 50,000, it's not official.

Really, no offense, but it's like certain people are actively LOOKING for things to be mad about. I've seen nitpicking here of an incredible level.

[marshalleck]

 LOL. You ask for an "in game canon" source. I provide it. You say it doesn't count. 
Whatever. Like I said, "just don't think about it." 

Modifié par marshalleck, 14 juin 2011 - 08:30 .

[Skilled Seeker]

Thrombin wrote...

Skilled Seeker wrote...
What if they come across say an iron age society? Not advanced enough to reap but give them 3000 years or so and they may well be. If the Reapers check up only every 50,000 years then they'd either have to reap or destroy this civilisation or they'd end up being very advance by the time the next 50,000 years comes by. It makes much more sense to be constantly monitoring the activity of all life (which is what Saren's job is supposed to be) and then arrive once the civilisation has reached that sweet spot that the Reapers are looking for. Get it?

They don't check every 50,000 years they reap every 50.000 years (approximately).  We know Sovereign woke up every 1000 years or so to check on progress.

The person I was replying to said they check every 50,000 years. If they reap only every 50,000 years then there is no point of checking if they're not going to act on it. In ME1 this made sense as it was not stated that the Reapers reap every 50,000 years. But now in ME2 this is stated and Casey Hudson and others have said so as well.

[Il Divo]

Skilled Seeker wrote...

The Chewbacca image was to really send home the point I am making.

Fair enough.

The designation of the 50k time span is a major flaw to me as the story of ME revolves around the Reapers and their reapings.

While it might be a flaw, it still doesn't strike me as 'major'. The events of the Mass Effect trilogy are centered around this particular 'reaping', not others which may have occurred some number of years past. That's why it's minor, at best. The game is more concerned with what happens when Reapers decide to reap the galaxy, not necessarily the time span between each period.