21 réponses à ce sujet

[fenix8081]

I don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier (or if anyone has already brought this up), but if the Asari can live over a millenium, there's only been 50 generations since the last Reaper culling of all organic life?

For some reason that doesn't seem believable to me.  It seems like they'd have been around for the last round and advanced enough to draw the attention of the Reapers.  Does our concept of generations not apply to a sentient species that lives that long?  Is their maiden-matron-matriach system roughly the equivalent?  Do they develop and make achievements slower than other races due to their long lifespans (kind of like the opposite of salarians?)

Also, wouldn't their population be huge.  I mean Samara had three children and unless that's abnormal, it seems like there'd be a lot of asari considering they live so long.  The krogan can live that long, but the whole warrior society probably kept the numbers relatively level even before the genophage (although this problem helps me understand why the Salarians did it better).

Just a few questions I've been kicking around and wondered if anyone else has been as well.

[AshleyS3]

There lifespan may not have always been that long, maybe it has gradually increased throughout their evolution. Also, many asari probably die from other causes before they will have reached their full potential lifespan.

[naledgeborn]

Thought of this before. Fridge Logic on Karpyshyn's part. I explained it away by convincing myself that they've been a space faring species for only 2,500 years, as unlikely as it sounds.

[KawaiiKatie]

I like how you say "50 generations" like it chump-change. Like you can trace back your ancestry fifty generations because it's not that big of a deal.

Anyway, consider that not every Asari lives a full one-thousand years. Consider that, yes, having multiple children is abnormal for the Asari--in fact, Matriarch Benezia, a thousand years old, only ever had one child. And cosider that the Asari have colonized many, many worlds, and actually did go through a period of population-explosion before they realized what a bad idea it was to breed like bunnies.

Bioware has already thought of these things and answered them in-game.

[wildannie]

AshleyS3 wrote...

There lifespan may not have always been that long, maybe it has gradually increased throughout their evolution. Also, many asari probably die from other causesbefore they will have reached their full potential lifespan.

Shep kills a sh**load of young asari so that's fair.

you're right OP, this plot doesn't stand up well to scrutiny... hand wave time!

[jamesp81]

The Asari didn't find the Citadel until sometime around 580 BC. I kind of assume that they developed relatively slowly because of the mindset engendered by living so long, as you suggested. They've only been a space faring species for about 2600 years, or two and a half of their generations.

It's hard to relate to them in terms of generations because of how long they live. Some of it is mindboggling if you stop and think about it. When Samara, for example, was entering the Matron stage of her life, Queen Elizabeth the First was coronated Queen of England and Martin Luther was nailing his 99 theses to the door of a Catholic church in Germany. It's quite likely that Samara's parents, if the Charon Relay had been active, could've witnessed the Crucifixion of Christ.....in person.

[ladyvader]

naledgeborn wrote...

Thought of this before. Fridge Logic on Karpyshyn's part. I explained it away by convincing myself that they've been a space faring species for only 2,500 years, as unlikely as it sounds.

The last time the reapers culled, humans were cavemen.  That was stated in ME1 if you used Shi'ara's trinket.  The protheans on Mars were watching humans on Earth.  What to say the asari were almost ready for space flight when the reapers did come 50,000 years ago.  It seems the only race that was affected then was the protheans.

[jamesp81]

KawaiiKatie wrote...

I like how you say "50 generations" like it chump-change. Like you can trace back your ancestry fifty generations because it's not that big of a deal.

Anyway, consider that not every Asari lives a full one-thousand years. Consider that, yes, having multiple children is abnormal for the Asari--in fact, Matriarch Benezia, a thousand years old, only ever had one child. And cosider that the Asari have colonized many, many worlds, and actually did go through a period of population-explosion before they realized what a bad idea it was to breed like bunnies.

Bioware has already thought of these things and answered them in-game.

Their population does apparently grow very slowly.  Take Illium for example.  It's been settled for just a bit over 460 years by the time of ME2.  It's population is a mere 85 million.  It's pretty clear they don't have lots of children and, thus, their population growth is much lower than you'd expect from such a long lived people.

Modifié par jamesp81, 30 juin 2011 - 08:51 .

[wildannie]

KawaiiKatie wrote...

I like how you say  "50 generations" like it chump-change. Like you can trace back your ancestry fifty generations because it's not that big of a deal.

Anyway, consider that not every Asari lives a full one-thousand years. Consider that, yes, having multiple children is abnormal for the Asari--in fact, Matriarch Benezia, a thousand years old, only ever had one child. And cosider that the Asari have colonized many, many worlds, and actually did go through a period of population-explosion before they realized what a bad idea it was to breed like bunnies.

Bioware has already thought of these things and answered them in-game.

It's a long time in a family tree, not so long in evolutionary terms as we understand them... the reapers wiped out all advanced life, it's hard to imagine that the asari evolved from the animal kingdom to where they are in 50 gens.

[demonic_cookie]

It does seem iffy to me. One could argue though, that Asari were still pre-spaceflight when the Reapers last arrived, and thus not worthy of their attention... Remember Reapers need pre-spaceflight civilizations to advance, so they wouldn't have harvested them...

I think 'generation' is not really an applicable term for asari. Considering Liara is 106 at the time of ME1, and she is already a knowledgeable scientist (she spent I think 60 years of her life studying Protheans, which means she started at 40), I'd think they mature very rapidly for their lifespands. If we divide all the ages by 10 we get roughly human ages: death at 100, maturity at 35, and that would make Liara the equivalent of 10 years old during ME1. She was the equivalent of human 4 when her brain was developed enough for understanding complex scientific theory.

That would probably make their population grow very fast, and that was what probably led to them advancing to spaceflight and taking to colonization. Also don't forget that asari fought in every major galactic conflict, that would cull the population a bit.

I don't imagine all asari have a lot of children, though. I can guess that a significant number of them don't live past their maiden stage, with all the mercenary work they do. The krogan asari had only one child, for example, as did Matriarch Benezia (at least, Liara didn't mention any sisters).

[KawaiiKatie]

wildannie wrote...

KawaiiKatie wrote...

I like how you say  "50 generations" like it chump-change. Like you can trace back your ancestry fifty generations because it's not that big of a deal.

It's a long time in a family tree, not so long in evolutionary terms as we understand them... the reapers wiped out all advanced life, it's hard to imagine that the asari evolved from the animal kingdom to where they are in 50 gens.

It's been fifty-thousand years since the Reapers have been last been around. Humantiy managed to evolve in that amount of time--in fact, a lot of species evolved in that amount of time. Yes, there have been a lot more human generations in that fifty-thousand years, but the Asari live long lives, and actually did go through a period of population explosion. That means that there were a lot more than fifty Asari "generations" (which is still a long time) between Reaper invasions. An Asari doesn't have to be a thousand years old to reproduce.

[ladyvader]

A generation in human terms is about 20 years. Not a human's life span. If asari have kids betwen 350-750 or younger it would be more than 50 generations. More like 100+

Just in my family, my grandmother is still alive, my mom, and myself that makes three generations. Let alone my cousins that have kids to make a fourth generation. I'm sure there are asari with great-grandkids. which would be four generations in that 1000 year span. Do your math over.

[KawaiiKatie]

ladyvader wrote...

A generation in human terms is about 20 years. Not a human's life span. If asari have kids betwen 350-750 or younger it would be more than 50 generations. More like 100+

Just in my family, my grandmother is still alive, my mom, and myself that makes three generations. Let alone my cousins that have kids to make a fourth generation. I'm sure there are asari with great-grandkids. which would be four generations in that 1000 year span. Do your math over.

This is what I was trying to say. Thank you! :happy:

[Berkilak]

Likewise, look how far we've progressed in 50 generations. Progressed from the so-called Dark Ages to modern day.

[ladyvader]

KawaiiKatie wrote...

ladyvader wrote...

A generation in human terms is about 20 years. Not a human's life span. If asari have kids betwen 350-750 or younger it would be more than 50 generations. More like 100+

Just in my family, my grandmother is still alive, my mom, and myself that makes three generations. Let alone my cousins that have kids to make a fourth generation. I'm sure there are asari with great-grandkids. which would be four generations in that 1000 year span. Do your math over.

This is what I was trying to say. Thank you! :happy:

You are quite welcome.    I just wish people would think more.  Thinking and using one's brain is a very good thing.

[wildannie]

KawaiiKatie wrote...

wildannie wrote...

KawaiiKatie wrote...

I like how you say  "50 generations" like it chump-change. Like you can trace back your ancestry fifty generations because it's not that big of a deal.

It's a long time in a family tree, not so long in evolutionary terms as we understand them... the reapers wiped out all advanced life, it's hard to imagine that the asari evolved from the animal kingdom to where they are in 50 gens.

It's been fifty-thousand years since the Reapers have been last been around. Humantiy managed to evolve in that amount of time--in fact, a lot of species evolved in that amount of time. Yes, there have been a lot more human generations in that fifty-thousand years, but the Asari live long lives, and actually did go through a period of population explosion. That means that there were a lot more than fifty Asari "generations" (which is still a long time) between Reaper invasions. An Asari doesn't have to be a thousand years old to reproduce.

Just because an asari can procreate many times in their lifetime doesn't necessarily speed up evolution, it's not like if a human had a kid at 16 and another at 36 that the later one would be more evolved.  In evolution terms is it not like 5000 years worth of human evolution?

[ladyvader]

Berkilak wrote...

Likewise, look how far we've progressed in 50 generations. Progressed from the so-called Dark Ages to modern day.

Heck, just look how far we have gone in the past five decades.  And major jumps in the past three.

[Berkilak]

If anything, it would mean asari evolve at a drastically slower rate.

[DoNotIngest]

Even if you were going by age, you do realize that most Asari end up being Commandos (Mercs) at one point in their lives, yes? And this typically lasts several decades to a couple of centuries+? Have you seen the mortality rate of being a Merc?

There's a reason Matriarchs are respected, it's because they're so damn rare. We meet, what, two of them throught ME1 and ME2? And what, a few hundred random Asari and that again in butchered Asari mercs?

[tobynator89]

we don't really know enough about the asari society to make a solid assumption about any of this, we know they have a stable society with relatively few wars amongst themselves, we know that they are the cultural, technological, industrial and economical superpower in the ME universe as well as one of the most populous species out there. and thats about it.

[Sarcastic Tasha]

According to Wikipedia: "Anatomically modern humans originated in Africa about 200,000 years ago, reaching full behavioral modernity around 50,000 years ago."
We haven't evolved physically since the Reapers last reaped so I don't really see the relevance of the number of generations. Technologically we weren't really doing much until the industrial revolution so I'd assume the asari were the same.

[Destroy Raiden_]

They were genetically modified and changed I talk about it here: social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/103/index/7506237  under the sleeper cells portion.

Modifié par Destroy Raiden , 01 juillet 2011 - 12:55 .