337 réponses à ce sujet

[Saberchic]

Arcian wrote...

Man, the Lazarus Project stopped being relevant the moment Shepard regained his/her consciousness. Spending gaming resources and time to explain this is counterproductive and pointless.

QFT.
I guess I don't understand why people need BW to say anything. Why can't people just fill in the blanks or provide their own explanations? Just accept it and move on.

I don't want BW to spend any time "explaining" the project to me. It was done. They showed the resurrection on the screen. That's their explanation.

It's time to move on.

[Iakus]

[quote]Phaedon wrote...

Your answer is contradictory to my argument at best. Not all sci-fi writers explain their magic fully. You can count BioWare writers as part of that group. 

In fact, I am not sure if this has been documented and if it is in some literature study book, but there is certainly a magic explanation paradox in sci-fi writers.

You can never possibly fully explain a technolodgy that has yet to be discovered, unless you discover it yourself, therefore breaking the fantasy element in all cases that you fully explain a technolodgy. It has either already discovered, or you discover it yourself.[/quote]

You seem to be under the impression that I want something detailed enough to be worthy of  The New England Journal of Medicine.  That is certainly not the case.  What I want is something at least on par with the explanations given for other technology that exists in the Mass Effect universe.

Take FTL for example.  Impossible in the "real world" (as far as anyone knows anyway)  But in the ME universe, big enough magic rock+energy current=mass effect fields that make ship go really really fast.  Biowatics:  Magic rock nodules in nervous system +cyberntic implants =something really similar to telekinetic powers.  

Then there's the Lazarus Project:  Dead Shepard +lots and lots of money +the power of SCIENCE!= live Shepard.

The first two sound like Star Treky nonsense technobabble.  I can live with that.  But the third is more like Q snapping his fingers.



[quote]Even if we accept that all data is wiped out completely, we would have to assume that no sort of traceable mark is left on the brain. As I said, we have not enough data. It is like debating FTL in sci-fi at this point.[/quote]And I would argue that some sort of brain damage is a very reasonable assumption to make.  The brain is very, very delicate.  And if that's not restore perfectly, it doesn't matter how much bad**** cybernetics Shep gets loaded up with by Cerberus, Thus I would think it's at least worthy of a codex entry.  After all, FTL gets one.

[quote]Why bad? I don't see how the plot device is bad by itself, but I can understand that a lot of it's potential has been wasted.[/quote]Resurrection, like time travel, is a very difficult plot device to do well.  But very easy to do badly.  As in this case.  You are right, a lot of its potential was wasted.  So much so that I question the entire point of using it at all.

[quote]
A lot of the magic is there.  TIM's surgery was decades of years ago and it wasn't particularly expensive, no? Standard issue medi-gel can repair almost all kinds of tissue of structure within the body, yes? To see both of them in a more advanced state + another element which is added, and is presumably the main part of the breakthrough shouldn't be that shocking?[/quote][/quote]

But we don't know what that element is.  We don't know what the breakthrough entails.  That is key.  Whatever that element is, it raises the dead.  If Bioware can just make something up to explain FTL travel, asari reproduction, biotics, and the "essence of a species" they could certainly make something up to show why Shepard's up and about in a nonhhuskified way.

[darth_lopez]

i just want to say as far as restoring brain functions goes you can kinda looke into the old quarian religious practices and see something earily similar to well preserving the brain digitally. Furthermore someone already brought up that the CDN already had a small article about the president of North America having  gone brain dead and being some how fixed by a vi implanty like thing (can't remember it exactly getting ready to go home not enough time to check it precisely)

What i'm getting at here is between the Quarian Relgious habbit, the relatively eerie one, and the systems alliance medical proffesionals being able to fix being brain dead. I think it's really easy to tell what happened to restart sheps brain, probably some cybernetic implant which he did get cybernetic implants from what i remember thus his 'Glowy' scar face look, which i think, from the way he lights up like a christmas tree iff renegade and no medical scar fix, we can safely say he has a substantial ammount of implants in the face/head area.

I don't mean do derail a far more educated sounding argument but the proof of what happened is there just never directly stated. We know more or less there's some cybernetic implant in his brain keeping his brain ticking.

Modifié par darth_lopez, 30 juin 2011 - 02:57 .

[Destroy Raiden_]

Then they should say it and not leave it a black hole for explanations.

Take it from Roswell not giving a plausible and believable explanation leads to conspiracies that haunt you FOREVER! (joke)

If BW has good writers they can write explanations to the topics we've suggested if they don't they show their lack of talent and the use of gimmick writing must be the new thing for them. They can't bring up such a subject and leave it at that I recognize this was a game mechanic but it was a poorly executed one. A data cash explanation downloaded to shep's computer that is readable for us isn't beyond BWs capability they write Cerberus Daily, the Codex, and the Dossiers throughout the game this data cash will be less then all that combined.

[Ryllen Laerth Kriel]

I would rather not have Bioware try to explain anything complicated in a codex entry. From the first two games it usually just turns into technobabble that would make Star Trek geeks blush where the term "mass effect field" is used over and over as an insert whenever the writers seem stumped. Some things just don't need to try to be explained, especially in science fiction. Fun, futuristic devices or concepts should help move a plot in small ways but they should never take center stage.

[XyleJKH]

Lets just assume nanites. Really tiny ones. But you are right. It should be at least explained a bit via codex

[Destroy Raiden_]

No no no the Lproject data wouldn't appear in the codex! I mean it would go to shep's computer were we'd go and pull it up like the dossiers and read the data cash from there.

Modifié par Destroy Raiden , 30 juin 2011 - 04:18 .

[ThePwener]

I had to make a fan-fic explaining this thing so I could sleep better at night. This is one of these dark little closet secrets like why the Deathstar had a hole that made it blow up. Don't expect it to be explained.

At most, BW will say....

"But they did explain it to Shepard.... you just weren't in the room"

Just like they did with the female aliens in ME1.

[InvincibleHero]

While I am not a fan of the whole death and resurrection intro to ME2, I think it can be explained. During the meld with Liara memories were shared. Perhaps she retained all of that and that was the source of the reconstruction. It would also explain why Shepard is missing some memories throughout ME2. Now even so how the body and mind got put together will likely never be explained adequately. Not such a big deal to me anymore.

[Reconfire89]

Seeing as Shepard values his humanity so strongly, you think he'd want to know how much of him is ACTUALLY human, as of being rebuilt.

The philosophy behind what it means to be human is something Mass Effect seems be attempting, and this would be a perfect conduit for that, especially with Shepard as the player's avatar within the world.

[Ieldra]

The main thing that needs to be explained is how they restored Shepard's memories. Everything else is just hyper-advanced biochemistry.

Possible explanations:
(1) The brain shock-froze when Shepard got spaced and his head was left intact. Extremely implausible but workable as an easy fix.
(2) Shepard had a greybox which recorded all his thoughts, a fact unknown to himself. Dangerously near to "magic", but IMO the best solution.
(3) Shepard isn't actually Shepard, but an organic construct with implanted memories. His continuity of identity is a delusion.

[Jebel Krong]

Ieldra2 wrote...

The main thing that needs to be explained is how they restored Shepard's memories. Everything else is just hyper-advanced biochemistry.

Possible explanations:
(1) The brain shock-froze when Shepard got spaced and his head was left intact. Extremely implausible but workable as an easy fix.
(2) Shepard had a greybox which recorded all his thoughts, a fact unknown to himself. Dangerously near to "magic", but IMO the best solution.
(3) Shepard isn't actually Shepard, but an organic construct with implanted memories. His continuity of identity is a delusion.

 

well his continuity of identity is an illusion anyway - but that may well be how the brain compensates anyway in a situation like that - to preserve sanity (much-like amnesia due some trauma in other cases). in some ways it's just a bigger gap than already exists from moment to moment in nature. perhaps combat helmets/medical VIs have some ability to flash-freeze and preserve brains in a suspended animation -  i find that a more likely scenario.

[Ieldra]

Jebel Krong wrote...

Ieldra2 wrote...

The main thing that needs to be explained is how they restored Shepard's memories. Everything else is just hyper-advanced biochemistry.

Possible explanations:
(1) The brain shock-froze when Shepard got spaced and his head was left intact. Extremely implausible but workable as an easy fix.
(2) Shepard had a greybox which recorded all his thoughts, a fact unknown to himself. Dangerously near to "magic", but IMO the best solution.
(3) Shepard isn't actually Shepard, but an organic construct with implanted memories. His continuity of identity is a delusion.

 

well his continuity of identity is an illusion anyway - but that may well be how the brain compensates anyway in a situation like that - to preserve sanity (much-like amnesia due some trauma in other cases). in some ways it's just a bigger gap than already exists from moment to moment in nature.

I know that. But stories don't usually deal with such unpopular scientific facts. it would be interesting if this one did. As in: Shepard is wondering if she's really Shepard and discovers there's no way at all to distinguish between "Shepard as a human being brought back from death fully intact" and "Shepard as an organic construct with implanted memories". For, if the job was done well, the only detectable memory inconsistency would affect memories only known to herself, with no second source to compare to.
 

perhaps combat helmets/medical VIs have some ability to flash-freeze and preserve brains in a suspended animation -  i find that a more likely scenario.

That would raise the question: why hasn't this been done before? If they do flash-freeze brains, then exactly for this scenario. If everyone thinks it's impossible to bring people back, why implement that auto-flash-freeze in the first place?

Modifié par Ieldra2, 30 juin 2011 - 11:22 .

[Phaedon]

iakus wrote...
You seem to be under the impression that I want something detailed enough to be worthy of  The New England Journal of Medicine.  That is certainly not the case.  What I want is something at least on par with the explanations given for other technology that exists in the Mass Effect universe.

Take FTL for example.  Impossible in the "real world" (as far as anyone knows anyway)  But in the ME universe, big enough magic rock+energy current=mass effect fields that make ship go really really fast.  Biowatics:  Magic rock nodules in nervous system +cyberntic implants =something really similar to telekinetic powers.  

FTL Travel is quite possible actually. You are thinking of FTL velocities.

Even the "mass effect" itself is quite unexplained, even with pseudoscience. We don't know why applying negative or positive currents to neutrons produces dark energy.

As I said, it's the "It's not fiction if you fully explain it" paradox all over again. What else could BioWare do? They have let the matter of the "switch" as much unexplained as the "release of dark energy".

Then there's the Lazarus Project:  Dead Shepard +lots and lots of money +the power of SCIENCE!= live Shepard.

The first two sound like Star Treky nonsense technobabble.  I can live with that.  But the third is more like Q snapping his fingers.

Not quite. You do have a deeper explanation, you can even see it in the cutscene.

• Reproduction of cells. Acceptable
• Cybernetics. Acceptable
• Turning the "switch" on. Community rages

And I don't really understand why. As I said, at some point, you'll have to stop explaining stuff and leave it up to the imagination of the reader/viewer/player.

And I would argue that some sort of brain damage is a very reasonable assumption to make.  The brain is very, very delicate.  And if that's not restore perfectly, it doesn't matter how much bad**** cybernetics Shep gets loaded up with by Cerberus, Thus I would think it's at least worthy of a codex entry.  After all, FTL gets one.

I wouldn't have a problem with the codex entry. but you'll have to admit that the one in ME2 is much more like an encyclopedia than a...pokedex? By that I mean that terms such as indoctrination and husks don't appear often. Even the Scion entry refers to there being some kind of public reaction to the human-like heads, I believe.

Resurrection, like time travel, is a very difficult plot device to do well.  But very easy to do badly.  As in this case.  You are right, a lot of its potential was wasted.  So much so that I question the entire point of using it at all.

Why? It's original purpose did get completed. We got to work with Cerberus, and things move forward in time.

But we don't know what that element is.  We don't know what the breakthrough entails.  That is key.  Whatever that element is, it raises the dead.  If Bioware can just make something up to explain FTL travel, asari reproduction, biotics, and the "essence of a species" they could certainly make something up to show why Shepard's up and about in a nonhhuskified way.

We do know which element it is. We just don't know how it works.
FTL? See above.
Asari Reproduction? Doesn't explain how the genetic material passes from one body to another.
Biotics? How do you change the mass of thin air? Do you direct your thought to your fingers which...do stuff? We don't know.

[Whatever42]

I like this line from the wikipedia description of a plot hole: "While many stories have unanswered questions, unlikely events or chance occurrences, a plot hole is one that is essential to the story's outcome."

Now the death and resurrection of Shepard is certainly a plot device used to reset the character and it was meant to contribute to a very dramatic opening but its not exactly essential to the story's outcome. It would be great if it was but I doubt it will be. There really is no requirement to explain the technology.

That said, again, I would like a explanation, simply because it looks fascinating and it would flesh out the universe. For example, they didn't really have to explain FTL as much as they did. Star Wars didn't. But it was awesome that they did.

[CroGamer002]

Phaedon wrote...

We do know which element it is. We just don't know how it works.
FTL? See above.
Asari Reproduction? Doesn't explain how the genetic material passes from one body to another.
Biotics? How do you change the mass of thin air? Do you direct your thought to your fingers which...do stuff? We don't know.

I think smudboy said something about that in his response to Squee913.

[Gunderic]

The original poster ( and a few others ) raise some interesting topics of debate that could very well benefit the depth of the Mass Effect universe from a comprehensive creative explanation yet, unsurprisingly, you see fans getting riled up here and there, questioning the validity of the request for a more expansive look-over on this matter.

I sometimes think that what's really bringing this company down, are the fans themselves.

[Iakus]

Phaedon wrote...

Even the "mass effect" itself is quite unexplained, even with pseudoscience. We don't know why applying negative or positive currents to neutrons produces dark energy.

As I said, it's the "It's not fiction if you fully explain it" paradox all over again. What else could BioWare do? They have let the matter of the "switch" as much unexplained as the "release of dark energy".

A full explanation is not needed.  What could Bioware do?  Ideally, not kill Shepard off to begin with.  But since that ship has sailed, then make something up.  We're talking eezo=FTL capability levels of explanation. Nothing hugely in-depth.

Not quite. You do have a deeper explanation, you can even see it in the cutscene.

• Reproduction of cells. Acceptable
• Cybernetics. Acceptable
• Turning the "switch" on. Community rages

And I don't really understand why. As I said, at some point, you'll have to stop explaining stuff and leave it up to the imagination of the reader/viewer/player.

Because the first two can explain how Shepard's body could be put back together or parts replaced.  If Shepard were simply badly injured or in a coma, that would be enough.  But death adds a whole new level of complication.  The brain is a far more delicate device.  WIthout that, you have a cybernetic zombie and all of TIM's plans are for naught.  Shepard's life, TIM's plans, the continuation of the series, hinge on this one discovery.  To have it pass by without any explanation or comment by anyone, even Shepard. is worthy of a little rage 

Resurrection, like time travel, is a very difficult plot device to do well.  But very easy to do badly.  As in this case.  You are right, a lot of its potential was wasted.  So much so that I question the entire point of using it at all.

Why? It's original purpose did get completed. We got to work with Cerberus, and things move forward in time.

Which could have been accomplished in any number of other ways.  But death is a very heavy issue.  Tackle that and you better be ready to run with it.  Bioware did not, to any appreciable degree.  Further exploration into the Lazarus Project may have alleviated that.  Provided more context.

We do know which element it is. We just don't know how it works.
FTL? See above.
Asari Reproduction? Doesn't explain how the genetic material passes from one body to another.
Biotics? How do you change the mass of thin air? Do you direct your thought to your fingers which...do stuff? We don't know.

But with all of these we know "What" if not "How"  The science is nonsense, but it's how it works in the ME universe.  With the Lazarus Project we don't know the what, at least as far as turning a brain back on.

[Iakus]

Ieldra2 wrote...

The main thing that needs to be explained is how they restored Shepard's memories. Everything else is just hyper-advanced biochemistry.

Possible explanations:
(1) The brain shock-froze when Shepard got spaced and his head was left intact. Extremely implausible but workable as an easy fix.
(2) Shepard had a greybox which recorded all his thoughts, a fact unknown to himself. Dangerously near to "magic", but IMO the best solution.
(3) Shepard isn't actually Shepard, but an organic construct with implanted memories. His continuity of identity is a delusion.

1) Problem is, Miranda said prolonged vacuum exposure and extremely low temperatures actually added to the damage that had to be repaired.  Not specifically the brain, but she probably would have mentioned a "silver lining" like that

2) I was hoping this was the case.  However, The Alliance banned the sale and implantation of them in 2175.  Even before then they were not widely used.  It is unlikely in the extreme that Shepard had one.

3) While most fans would rage, and this is way out there as a possibility, I think it would be kinda cool.  Especially if it turned out that the "real Shepard" never died, but was on some deep cover mission for the Council (might explain some of the bizaare behavior expressed around Shepard by some people too, if they new Shep was a fake, but SHep was clueless)

[Ahriman]

iakus wrote...
3) While most fans would rage, and this is way out there as a possibility, I think it would be kinda cool.  Especially if it turned out that the "real Shepard" never died, but was on some deep cover mission for the Council (might explain some of the bizaare behavior expressed around Shepard by some people too, if they new Shep was a fake, but SHep was clueless)

Nah, they clrealy showed part of restoration process and telling that Miranda did fake records just for Shepard is just too much.
4. Shepard's brain wasn't dead more than 15 minutes. We all know the story how Liara got Shepard's body, but we don't how SB did it. There might be a scanty chance that some SB ship followed Shepard after Battle for the Citadel, if so they could put Shepard's body in stasis before it's too late. Still there is Jacob's "dead as dead could be".

[Phaedon]

iakus wrote...
A full explanation is not needed.

Exactly..?

What could Bioware do?  Ideally, not kill Shepard off to begin with.

I suspected that the reason that you required an "explanation" was that you didn't like the plot device in the first place. And no, just because you didn't like it, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't use the plot device.

But since that ship has sailed, then make something up.  We're talking eezo=FTL capability levels of explanation. Nothing hugely in-depth.

The Lazarus Project explanation is easily deeper than this:

'eezo', is a rare material that, when subjected to an electrical current, releases dark energy which can be manipulated into a mass effect field, raising or lowering the mass of all objects within that field. A positive current increases mass, a negative current decreases it. . This 'mass effect' is used in countless ways, from generating artificial gravity to manufacturing high-strength construction materials. It is most prominently used to enable faster-than-light space travel. 

Really? How can you even relate something that explains almost exactly how the process is done to something that doesn't explain:

-Why neutrons interact with elecricity.
-Why this interaction alters the mass of an object.
-Why the object's mass is increased with positive but not negative current.
-How it enables FTL.

Because the first two can explain how Shepard's body could be put back together or parts replaced.

And that is not part of the Lazarus Project because?

 

If Shepard were simply badly injured or in a coma, that would be enough.  But death adds a whole new level of complication.  The brain is a far more delicate device.  WIthout that, you have a cybernetic zombie and all of TIM's plans are for naught.  Shepard's life, TIM's plans, the continuation of the series, hinge on this one discovery.  To have it pass by without any explanation or comment by anyone, even Shepard. is worthy of a little rage 

Not at all. Not only do you assume that all info is wiped out completely and without leaving a trace, but you rage for not explaining only one point.

And as I said, you can by definition never explain ALL points.

And yet you don't rage about the rest of the "mysteries" although they have a lot more holes. So, how does that work, exactly?

Which could have been accomplished in any number of other ways.  But death is a very heavy issue.  Tackle that and you better be ready to run with it.  Bioware did not, to any appreciable degree.  Further exploration into the Lazarus Project may have alleviated that.  Provided more context.

Death is a heavy issue? In comparison to changing the mass of objects, reproduction and FTL?

One changes spacetime, the other just restores relatively complex organic structures.

Bioware did not, to any appreciable degree.  

Any appreciable degree? Really? You must have ignored the several hours of debates deliberately then.

But with all of these we know "What" if not "How"

What. We definitely not know the how as I pointed out, and whether the what is shown is very arguable. The "what" of the LP is very obvious however. Eezo for example, can't be an element. Let alone neutronium in it's normal form.

It's the restoration and revival of Shepard's body.

 

The science is nonsense, but it's how it works in the ME universe.  With the Lazarus Project we don't know the what, at least as far as turning a brain back on.

Not only is that not the what, but it isn't even the how.

It's a part of the how.

[Phaedon]

Whatever666343431431654324 wrote...

I like this line from the wikipedia description of a plot hole: "While many stories have unanswered questions, unlikely events or chance occurrences, a plot hole is one that is essential to the story's outcome."

Now the death and resurrection of Shepard is certainly a plot device used to reset the character and it was meant to contribute to a very dramatic opening but its not exactly essential to the story's outcome. It would be great if it was but I doubt it will be. There really is no requirement to explain the technology.

That said, again, I would like a explanation, simply because it looks fascinating and it would flesh out the universe. For example, they didn't really have to explain FTL as much as they did. Star Wars didn't. But it was awesome that they did.

BSN has had it's own definitions for plot holes and retcon for quite some time, that's definitely not something new.

[ScotGaymer]

My only problem with the lazarus project wasnt the hows or whys of it; my problem was more Shepard's seemingly complete lack of interest in it and what happened.

I mean he supposedly died until Cerberus rebuilt him; and he never really questions it.

About his mortality I mean.

He shoulda had all sort of questions about it. "Was I really dead? like brain dead?", "Why do I only remember certain things?" etc...

He ought to have been a bit more cut about it, a bit more curious. He died for gods sakes!

[Whatever42]

Shep asked several questions about it and expressed astonishment. He also got to listen to a few answers from the various logs. And right from the get-go, the Reapers were thrown at him; there wasn't a lot of time for existential introspection.

But there was no memory loss. Shep felt like Shep with perhaps a few upgrades. I'm not sure why some people expected Shep to suddenly become all self-aware and introspective just because he died.

In ME1, why didn't Shepard have long, self-doubting conversations about how he thought he was going crazy? If I had all these strange images in my head, I might think I was going mad? Why didn't Shepard get all weepy after Virmire like the VS? Heck, Shepard only shows weakness at one time, and that's when he thinks he's failed in his mission to stop Saren.

The guy is single-minded to say the least.

[Iakus]

Phaedon wrote...

I suspected that the reason that you required an "explanation" was that you didn't like the plot device in the first place. And no, just because you didn't like it, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't use the plot device.

I never made it a secret I disliked the Lazarus Project as a plot device.  But at least grounding it in some degree of in-universe technology would have made it less bad.  Instead we have to make up possibilities to justify it.

The Lazarus Project explanation is easily deeper than this:

'eezo', is a rare material that, when subjected to an electrical current, releases dark energy which can be manipulated into a mass effect field, raising or lowering the mass of all objects within that field. A positive current increases mass, a negative current decreases it. . This 'mass effect' is used in countless ways, from generating artificial gravity to manufacturing high-strength construction materials. It is most prominently used to enable faster-than-light space travel. 
Really? How can you even relate something that explains almost exactly how the process is done to something that doesn't explain:

-Why neutrons interact with elecricity.
-Why this interaction alters the mass of an object.
-Why the object's mass is increased with positive but not negative current.
-How it enables FTL.

Because we have yet to hear an explanation that explains even in the broadest terms how Shepard's mind was restored.  We got a few images on the screen and one log talking about "biosynthetic fusion"  Okay from that we can infer cybernetics.  Particularly when we start getting upgrades for Shepard.  The images suggest cellular regeneration.  But what about the mind and memories?  The most important part.  The "greatest medical achievement in human history".  There is nothing.  The entry above is a fracking medical dissertation in comparison.

Because the first two can explain how Shepard's body could be put back together or parts replaced.

And that is not part of the Lazarus Project because?

Oh it is.  But it's the easy part.  Given Shepard's walk and shoulder, they even screwed that part up;)

 

If Shepard were simply badly injured or in a coma, that would be enough.  But death adds a whole new level of complication.  The brain is a far more delicate device.  WIthout that, you have a cybernetic zombie and all of TIM's plans are for naught.  Shepard's life, TIM's plans, the continuation of the series, hinge on this one discovery.  To have it pass by without any explanation or comment by anyone, even Shepard. is worthy of a little rage 

Not at all. Not only do you assume that all info is wiped out completely and without leaving a trace, but you rage for not explaining only one point.

And as I said, you can by definition never explain ALL points.

And yet you don't rage about the rest of the "mysteries" although they have a lot more holes. So, how does that work, exactly?

First, Not all of Shepard's memories would have to be wiped out.  Even a small portion could derail TIM's plans ("exactly as before", remember?)  This would require incredibly fine handling.  Otherwise Shepard's memories could be screwed up, personality altered, behavior changed.  

Second, you keep saying that other aspects of the story have holes in them.  This is true.  But there are explanations in the codex or in the game itself.  Lame excuses, yes, but they are there.  There is something to cling to to justify the weirdness that is the ME universe. 

All I ask is one step.  Eezo+electricity=mass effect fields.  That's all I need.  That's the only point I need explaining.

How was Shepard's organs replaced?  regeneration with cybernetics with what can't be replaced.  Fine.  I don't need to know how that works with tissue rejection, power supply, etc.  That can cover the body.  Like I said, if Shepard was alive, that would be enough.  But Shepard was dead  ::cue Parrot Sketch::  

I'm not asking for a complete explanation.  I'm completely willing to settle for a lame excuse.  The same type of lame excuse that FTL drives and biotics gets.  I want reassurance that some thought was actually put into this as a science fiction story, not just as a gameplay excuse to reset Shepard to level 1

Death is a heavy issue? In comparison to changing the mass of objects, reproduction and FTL?

As far as plot points go, yes.  Death is a far heavier, more emotional issue.  Everyone experiences death at some point.  Comparatively few people experience FTL travel.

Any appreciable degree? Really? You must have ignored the several hours of debates deliberately then.

I had to buy LOTSB to get someone to ask Shepard how he was handling it.  I'm still waiting to hear what the "greatest achievement in medical history" entailed, even in dumbed down video game terms. (Author's Note: for the record, that's the first time I have ever used the term "dumbed down" to even hypothetically describe any game, let alone this one.  So don't attach any meaning that ain't there)

[Not only is that not the what, but it isn't even the how.
It's a part of the how.

The only way the regenerative and cybernetics process that repaired Shepard's body also restored the mind would be if they repaired all the damaged cells in the brain, not restored them.  I find that to be rather preposterous since not only would that require reestablishing Shepard's brain to be in the same condition pre Normandy destruction, it would have to be done using the exact, same materials, restored to perfection.

Part of what makes the regeneration and cybernetics repairing the rest of Shepard at least somewhat plausible is the fact that Cerberus could at least have the option to replace bits too badly damaged to be salvageable.