I think a lot of the complaints about how characters end up in the endings are jusitified from an emotional attachment point of view. However, i'm finding the complaints about the actual end of the plot to be lacking knowledge of what tech singularities actually are, the codex, the seriousness of the issue and why the Reapers are not exactly tech singularity in themselves. It could be the fault of writing not fully cluing people in, but from other scifi works tech singularities are pretty big deal and aren't just BSG, Geth and Terminator plots (although both, especially terminator shows Skynet being a slow tech singularity with time travel etc.) Actually it's a pretty big deal in realty too and could happen much sooner than it has in the ME universe. The result is pretty much the end of a species (by being wiped out).
Technological Singularities are intelligences or super intelligences that become so smart their creators pale in comparison. The singularity part of the definition comes in when said intelligences
become runaway intelligence. They are able to constantly rewrite and transform themselves to be smarter. Intellect that could take hundreds of thousands or even millions of years to achieve through evolution, could be achieved much faster if not almost instantaneous. Who knows what the motivations of something like that would be. However, if such an intelligence had ambition and/or a goal (e.g. become smarter, stronger, better or wipe out any threat), it could start eating up resources so fast the a planet, then a solar system and even a Galaxy wouldn't survive. The runaway intelligence basically becomes a grey goo of sorts and the natural process of organic life would cease. Such an intelligence could also change the way the universe works if it got smart enough and it was possible.
That's the gravity of Technological Singularities. Now here's a list of AI and why or why they're not tech singularities:
-Geth: Do not meet the requirements and are quite unique for a rebelling AI. Individualy, save for Legion, they're not as smart as an intelligent organics. Better calculators, but not as smart. It's when you start grouping programs that you run into trouble. The Geth may achieve it if they make their dyson sphere, but the way their programs interact is more like individuals than one entity. So the Geth may avoid it because they're more like a group of intelligent "lesser creatures" able to share brain processing power.
-Cylons in Old or New BSG: In the old version most cylons seem as dumb as a post and the higher rank AIs not that much smarter than a human. In the new version the most advanced cylons aren't smarter or more cunning than a Human (usually). Although not a tech singularity quite yet, Cylons are on the cusp of it in BSG. The only problem is the spiritual slant and divine intervention/cycles getting in the way.
-Terminator: Skynet is a tech singularity and a time paradox because of it. Within a few seconds of being online it goes from being a smart defense network or a full blown runaway AI that decides to kill off mankind to assert it's domination over Earth. Within John Conner's adult life it builds a super advanced army with the resources of a blasted world, figures out time travel and was hinted in the lastest movie, is actually getting smarter/faster from one timeline to the next. It's possible that at some point Skynet would win, but that's more to do with the time paradox.
-Reapers: They should be tech singularities but are still limited by pre-programmed motivations and limits. Whoever created the Reapers definitely knew what they were doing when it came to AI. Although they may think of crazy things beyond what we could possibly understand, they can't act upon them unless it has to do with the cycles. They're basically as strong and powerful as an AI/Organic hybrid can get without singularity in order to do as the OP says - prevent singularities.
The creators of the Reapers are/were preservationists, for whatever reason, that wanted to see organic life continue. In order to do so they have to prevent a severe tech singularity (like Skynet, but with access to a lot more resources) from occuring. Since it's almost destined and in the nature of organics to fall into a tech singularity from progress alone, they decided to Reap intelligent species before they ruin everything. Everyone gets their day in the sun and before they ruin it for themselves the Reapers do it for them in a controlled way. Then another as race or group of races their day in the sun too. If you're special enough you even get an immortal urn (Reaperfied).
It all makes sense and the choices at the end make sense. Good and evil have no real bearing on the Mass Effect universe, only motivations and actions. Being upset that the Reapers don't reap for the sake of reaping and the fact there is a logical grand scheme doesn't make sense to me. I would be angry if they were your simple "We do it because we are powerful and want to stay that way." That's Star Treky type plots. I prefer Dune-like scifi to Star Wars/Star Trek any day.
Modifié par Balek-Vriege, 04 mars 2012 - 04:43 .
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