116 réponses à ce sujet

[George-Kinsill]

Whie all the questions about the Reapers will ost likely be answered in ME3, the ultimate motivation of the Reapers' cylical genocide is one of the biggest questions about the Reapers and ME universe. While reprduction may be a motive for te Reapers, it hardly lies up to the hype set by Soveriegn in ME1 saying that their motives were "beyond organics' comprehension." So I'd like people to post their theories about the Reaper motives, and for the sake of the post, I'll start with mine:

In ME2, there are a number of stars dying faster the they should, going Red Giant sooner tha logicall possible, as seen on Tali's mission on Haestrom, and the star Solveig in the Caleston Rift. This is supposedly due to irregularities of dark energy/matter according to Quarian scientists. 

There is a actual theory also about the ed of the universe in real life alled "The Big Rip." This is essentially the opposite of the Big Bag, where overexpasion of the universe (it's invisible dark matter) causes the very fabric of the universe to tear apart, resulting in the entire universe's destruction (unprecedeted destruction of stars, even black holes getting destroyed).

Based off this connection, I believe that the Reapers ultimately serve as protectors/conservationists of the galaxy/universe by preventig organics from abusing dark energy, which could lead to the ed of al things. Essentially, they let organics have their fun for 50,000 years, wipe them out to consere the galaxy, and then let organic civilization rise again, and the interim period between genocides allows the fabric of the universe to heal again. 

The reason they give us the technology of the mass relays could be for 2 reasons besides the obvious 1) to be able to better control the variables that use dark energy, and 2) to make sure that when dark ery is used, its used to its maximum efficiecy with no horrible mistakes speeding up the Big Rip.
While this theory is a stretch, it would also explai why stars are just now starting to die prematurely, in that it takes 50,000 years for dark energy abuse to start affceting stars. It wouldn't make sense if ths were a regular occurance (even a rare one) as then o one would be surprised when it happens. So it seems to me that the stars dying early is a very new problem.

Lastly, it would explain why the Reapers seem so rushed. A number of posts have commented that if the Reapers really didn't let time oncern them (as they are immortal) they would just wait 150+ years fr Shepard to die, and te relative calm would also allow the Reaper theory and its biggest advoate to die, making their job much easier. Also, Saren and Soveriegn in ME1 knew that humanity just entered the galactic stage, and that to create a ew reaper, they may want to have the collectors test tis ew secies for Reaper potential. Instead, they accidentally discover humanity's potential with Shepard, far from their usual carefulness and diligence. All of this points to the Reapers having some variable out of their control, in which there is a time factor involved, and hence the need to get to the Milky Way ASAP and with the afformentioned dying stars and its connection to the Big Rip, it could easily be this.

So this is my personal theory (as long winded as it is) and please everyone feel free to post yours, find the many flaws in mine, or improve upon it. Thanks!
 

[onelifecrisis]

Then why do the Collectors use Dark Energy? Wouldn't that be against the Reapers plans?

Also, I'm not sure why you think they need an "ultimate motivation". We don't. Humans, I mean. We raise animals then slaughter them for food, furs, etc. This thread is like a chicken asking "what do you think is the human's ultimate motivation?" There is none, besides having something tasty to put in our curry.

Modifié par onelifecrisis, 24 juin 2011 - 12:30 .

[blothulfur]

Mines a lot simpler, in ancient times organics created the reapers and though the machine gods broke free of their masters and were victorious they still in some deep part of their systems know that that which can be made can also be unmade so they allow no biological advancement to run rampant in the galaxy and are panicking that their great herald Sovereign has fallen to a barely evolved primate such as Shepard.

[Kekkis]

Here is even simplier: They are just farmers and galaxy is their farm.

[Knight of Dane]

Kekkis wrote...

Here is even simplier: They are just farmers and galaxy is their farm.

And they walk around giving each other presents and collecting recepies.

That's right, as i said before. The bioware games lead to Harvest Moon!

[Malanek]

My theory is that they were originally an organic species. Their own form of evolution led to them transcending their entire population into the first Reaper in the desire to become immortal. After that, as a scientific exercise they decided to study new forms of life and how they would evolve when left alone. They found that their own scientific and cultural progression had become incredibly slow and stagnant compared to new evolving life and so they decided to set up the cycle to continuously allow new culture and science to develop. At a suitable point they would then acquire this new stuff and reset the conditions for the next generation.

Modifié par Malanek999, 24 juin 2011 - 12:57 .

[Googlesaurus]

Isn't that part of the fun? We're going to find out the origins of the Reapers in ME3 one way or another.

[George-Kinsill]

onelifecrisis wrote...

Then why do the Collectors use Dark Energy? Wouldn't that be against the Reapers plans?

Also, I'm not sure why you think they need an "ultimate motivation". We don't. Humans, I mean. We raise animals then slaughter them for food, furs, etc. This thread is like a chicken asking "what do you think is the human's ultimate motivation?" There is none, besides having something tasty to put in our curry.

As for the collectors, they are a necessary evil, and their minimal tarvel doesn't have much effect on the faabric f the universe compared to trillions of space faring organisms. As for the motivation, I think its required after Soveriegns speech on Virmire, saying that why they reap is beyond your comprehension. If it was just for resources to make a new Reaper, then Sovereign would have responded lke this o Shepard on Virmire:

Shep: What do you want from us? Slaves? Resources?
Sov: Our reasons are beyond your... well, yes actually. It depends n the harvest, but its one of the two.

You could very well be right, but if you are then that makes their reasons very animalistic/human, and would not match the hype set by Soveriegn. If this s the case, the Reapers are also just full of themselves or too embarrassed to say they eed a thrid party and lots of resources to reproduce, i which case I would lose a lot of respect for the Reapers and in turn BW.

[George-Kinsill]

Malanek999 wrote...

My theory is that they were originally an organic species. Their own form of evolution led to them transcending their entire population into the first Reaper in the desire to become immortal. After that, as a scientific exercise they decided to study new forms of life and how they would evolve when left alone. They found that their own scientific and cultural progression had become incredibly slow and stagnant compared to new evolving life and so they decided to set up the cycle to continuously allow new culture and science to develop. At a suitable point they would then acquire this new stuff and reset the conditions for the next generation.

Really like your theory! God like enough where it woud match Sov's speech on Virmire, and reasonable enough to fit in with the set ME lore.

[Saaziel]

They're trying to save us.

Once i found a Moth , laying wings first in a pool of chemicals. As i kneeled down to get a closer look , I saw it desperately* struggling to survive; Legs moving rapidly every which way trying to grasp at something , erratic body twitching , spasms. I let it grab my finger , then let it wander on the floor only to realize that it was as good as dead if i didn't get the chemicals off. I poured some water on it , believing it would remove it from its wings. It drowned.

(Yes , yes, slow clap.)

And i can't put into words what i realized just then; The closes thing i can make of it is just how small and insignificant we are, and how truly indifferent the universe really is. **

Just like man is god to the Moth , Reapers are gods to man.

*I'm not sure if Moths are capable of being desperate . Needless to say i was anthropomorphizing what happen to help in communicating the event.

** Its not like i get all Emo with this. Its just this kind of peculiar thing that i can remember Vividly.

(Edit: Also, i'm not doing a Drell wannabe thing. Re reading this it sounded like that.)
(Edit: Ambiance music.)

Modifié par Saaziel, 24 juin 2011 - 01:34 .

[onelifecrisis]

George-Kinsill wrote...

As for the collectors, they are a necessary evil, and their minimal tarvel doesn't have much effect on the faabric f the universe compared to trillions of space faring organisms.

I don't know about that. I reckon maintaining a safe zone near the galactic core for billions of years would require a ****load of energy.

George-Kinsill wrote...

As for the motivation, I think its required after Soveriegns speech on Virmire, saying that why they reap is beyond your comprehension. If it was just for resources to make a new Reaper, then Sovereign would have responded lke this o Shepard on Virmire:

Shep: What do you want from us? Slaves? Resources?
Sov: Our reasons are beyond your... well, yes actually. It depends n the harvest, but its one of the two.

You could very well be right, but if you are then that makes their reasons very animalistic/human, and would not match the hype set by Soveriegn. If this s the case, the Reapers are also just full of themselves or too embarrassed to say they eed a thrid party and lots of resources to reproduce, i which case I would lose a lot of respect for ... BW.

Join the club.
Sovereign says he's beyond our understanding. If that's true then there is no conceivable explanation for the reapers that we could understand. Including yours.

Modifié par onelifecrisis, 24 juin 2011 - 01:31 .

[KainrycKarr]

Trolling organics.

[DoNotIngest]

Harbinger and his friends were all just bros, hangin' around in Dark Space, sleeping in 50,000 years, and occasionally curbstomping organic life for teh lulz. Everything was great.

Then, old Sovereign drew the short straw to stay behind. He found some hilarious little machines who called him a god, and went to hit the intercom and wake up the boys for the party. However, he was swarmed by little organic ships, he lost a fight with his favourite organic toy, and was so stunned by the loss that the little ships blew him to bits.

Harby and the guys were stunned by the loss of their friend. They all reminisced about Sovereign's first genocide, the time he tried to put the moves on Majesty, the year he got his tentacle stuck in the Citadel's arms, and they left him there for a few decades just to tease. The times when they had their shenanigans, and the older blokes would say "Ah, Reapers will be Reapers."

Shepard changed all that. He killed one of Harby&Co's buddies, and he's screwed now.



This is canon dontchaknow.

[lukex38]

it is beyond are comprehension

[Aedan_Cousland]

Malanek999 wrote...

My theory is that they were originally an organic species. Their own form of evolution led to them transcending their entire population into the first Reaper in the desire to become immortal. After that, as a scientific exercise they decided to study new forms of life and how they would evolve when left alone. They found that their own scientific and cultural progression had become incredibly slow and stagnant compared to new evolving life and so they decided to set up the cycle to continuously allow new culture and science to develop. At a suitable point they would then acquire this new stuff and reset the conditions for the next generation.

Pretty much this.

I think the first species to go extinct in the cycle were also the Reapers' creators, and I think that species at least in part, 'ascended' willingly and destoyed themselves. I think it was an effort either by their government, or some other faction within their civilization, to transcend the limitations of a mortal existance and achieve immortality by uploading their consciousness into some sort of cybernetic hive mind. Since I doubt their civilization would have been a monolithic entity with a single purpose, no doubt there were others within the creator species who resisted this ascension, but were eventually defeated, with the survivors being slaughtered or forced to become new Reapers. If the resistance was initially fierce perhaps that was also the origin of indoctrination. Divide and conquer.

If the Reapers creators ascended at least in part willingly, it might explain why the Reapers in some perverse way, view the extinction cycle as a 'gift' to those species who are selected to become new Reapers.

[A Great Biotic Wind]

They were dared to do everything that they are currently doing for a Klondike Bar.

Modifié par A Great Biotic Wind, 24 juin 2011 - 01:49 .

[onelifecrisis]

Aedan_Cousland wrote...

..the Reapers in some perverse way, view the extinction cycle as a 'gift' to those species who are selected to become new Reapers.

Kinda like humans. Not that we turn other... things... into humans. But our sci-fi says a lot about us, especially the stuff we made a couple of decades ago. Captain Kirk, for example, spends almost every episode/movie trying to help everyone and everything else reach their (natural and obvious) dream of being more human.

[DxWill10]

What did the e-mail from Chorban say? Something about the keepers having the same genetic material as the ones who made sovereign? Or something?

Sounds like the machines rose up against their masters, and turned them into green spider like caretakers. Everything else we'll discover in ME3!

[George-Kinsill]

onelifecrisis wrote...

George-Kinsill wrote...

As for the collectors, they are a necessary evil, and their minimal tarvel doesn't have much effect on the faabric f the universe compared to trillions of space faring organisms.

I don't know about that. I reckon maintaining a safe zone near the galactic core for billions of years would require a ****load of energy.


Join the club.
Sovereign says he's beyond our understanding. If that's true then there is no conceivable explanation for the reapers that we could understand. Including yours.

I understad the aradox of all of this, and yes, no matter the theory, Soveriegn's speech is still going to be somewhat pompous. However, the dark matter theory makes it so only the smartest of idividuals (Steven Hawking^1000 intelligence) could understand the nuts and bolts, the equations, without asking to many questions. With Shepard, he is a soldier, not an astrophysicist, so it would then make sense that Sov. doesn't even wat to bother explaining, as it would take WAY to long, ad idoctrination is far easier. And no one else would come up with this theory in ME as the stars dying prematurely are to recent and to few to come u with a viable theory. In any case, it is more compex ad "beyond comprehension" than Reaper sex.  

[jamesp81]

onelifecrisis wrote...
Join the club.
Sovereign says he's beyond our understanding. If that's true then there is no conceivable explanation for the reapers that we could understand. Including yours.

Just because Sovereign claims to be beyond our understanding doesn't mean he's telling the truth.

You know, some people (beings) don't need a motivation.  Some just want to watch the world burn and get their rocks off on it.  It could very well be that simple.

[Mr. C]

lukex38 wrote...

it is beyond are comprehension

This. When Sovereign said that the question was answered. There doesn't need to be some convoluted scheme for the Reapers to follow.

[Travie]

They have come for our alcohol and women.

I say, pry them from my cold dead hands!

[Rip504]

The 50,000 years of relaxation after.

[Bogsnot1]

Have you noticed that they seem to concentrate on the unfashionable western spiral arm of the milky way galaxy?
Eastern Suburbs snobs the lot of em.