676 réponses à ce sujet

[3DandBeyond]

satunnainen wrote...

They are unbeatable because they are unbeatable. If they were beatable it would have been a different story. What more explanation do you need?

Because they are not unbeatable at all.  It is set up as ridiculous that no one tried to do things differently merely to create this trumped up idea they were unbeatable.  Hackett and Anderson kept flinging things at them head on and as if they were shooting water guns at them.  They are not acting like any resistance force in history ever has.

No, it wouldn't be easy, but they destroyed 3 reapers conventionally.  That means they are not unbeatable and not invincible.  What we are led to believe is wow they're tough, must be invincible, so it makes sense no one would try.  But they aren't.  I'd even say that Hades Cannon that was destroyed counts because there's no way it was any less protected than reapers.  And how many reaper creatures would you say your Shepard team destroyed along the way in teams of 3?  That means that even those hordes of husks aren't so terrible.

It isn't so that the writers made them unbeatable-they just decided to not make it part of the story that people actually tried to beat them.

The problem is that the writers also created one of the most ridiculous plot points ever in making everyone work on the huge mysterious object in space, which did use their resources and people when their time might have been better spent.  There never was that big summit where everyone got together and discussed what they knew about the reapers and they may have known a lot.  The rachni might have.  Javik might have.  The geth might have.  Shepard.  Those that fought Sovereign.  But the writers purposely made the galaxy out to be the stupidest conglomeration of people ever.

[Rip504]

The same reason people claim to see Elvis.

Do the simple math,we do not have the numbers. Numbers do not lie. Fan Speculation does.

Or do something as crazy as playing the game while paying attention to the plot. Enjoying the "piece of art' for what the writers meant for it to be. Not what you think is best,right,or correct.

Modifié par Rip504, 11 juillet 2012 - 09:49 .

[Ticonderoga117]

Rip504 wrote...

The same reason people claim to see Elvis.

Do the simple math,we do not have the numbers. Numbers do not lie. Fan Speculation does.

Ah, well glad you were there planning thing during the Cold War in case we had to fight the Russians.

"Yeah, we can expect millions of troops to push through the Fulda Gap and overwhelm the few troops we have there. What are your plans sir?"

"Well, numbers tell it all, we would lose. I'm going off to look  for a magic wand to either kill all Russians and Europeans, become part Slavic, or become the next premier. Barring that, we are doomed."

"Very well sir." *Commits suicide because of how stupid that sounds*

Modifié par Ticonderoga117, 11 juillet 2012 - 09:52 .

[AnsinJung]

Of course it's possible within the confines of the ending:

I'm willing to listen if you're willing to look at the evidence that it's extremely unlikely...

Because this logic went out the window in creating the ending. 

Granted, I would feel somewhat cheated and guilty of my pleasure, but I'd at least be buying the next Bioware game.

Everything we knew about the Reapers should have made victory 100% impossible.

Crucible?  They'd seen that before and let that crap get worse every cycle?  rofl

Singularity?  Aside from pulling this out of nearly non-existent context given in game, they'd have to pile on even more bs as to why the Reapers are not capable of singularity

An even more absurd Deux Ex Machine/MacGuffin'd solution?  Well, so much for the Reapers being more intelligent, as they couldn't predict whatever that is a billion times over and counter it.  They even supposedly have the genetic diversity of all previous races worthy of harvest.

In short, Bioware built up the Reapers' invincibility too much and instead of sweeping that under the rug, they missed and swept the nuts and bolts of the series under instead.

The reason I'd find "sweeping the Reapers' invicibility under the rug" acceptable as an ending (to where I'd be buying the next Bioware game) is because I could tell for a long time, pretty much since ME1's ending, that something on the level of divine intervention was necessary, OR pulling back the aura of invincibility just a bit and having a conventional victory.  I would have preferred the latter, then the Reapers winning, and last of all, the DEM.  What we got was a DEM so bad no one could have predicted it.

Modifié par AnsinJung, 11 juillet 2012 - 10:11 .

[Rip504]

Ticonderoga117 wrote...

Rip504 wrote...

The same reason people claim to see Elvis.

Do the simple math,we do not have the numbers. Numbers do not lie. Fan Speculation does.

Ah, well glad you were there planning thing during the Cold War in case we had to fight the Russians.

"Yeah, we can expect millions of troops to push through the Fulda Gap and overwhelm the few troops we have there. What are your plans sir?"

"Well, numbers tell it all, we would lose. I'm going off to look  for a magic wand to either kill all Russians and Europeans, become part Slavic, or become the next premier. Barring that, we are doomed."

"Very well sir." *Commits suicide because of how stupid that sounds*

You just failed. "EPIC FAIL"

America vs Other Countries. LMAO@ You.

100 Dreadnoughts,on a nice day equipped with Thanix Cannons can kill around 33 Reaper ships. That is in a 4 on 1 Situation backed by ME codex.  Not some random failed attempt at dismissal. Go explain the IT theory to Elvis for me.


It is also easily assumed that the united galaxy does not have 100 or more ships equipped with Thanix cannons.

Modifié par Rip504, 11 juillet 2012 - 10:07 .

[Ticonderoga117]

Rip504 wrote...
You just failed. "EPIC FAIL"

America vs Other Countries. LMAO@ You.

100 Dreadnoughts,on a nice day equipped with Thanix Cannons can kill around 33 Reaper ships. That is in a 4 on 1 Situation backed by ME codex.  Not some random failed attempt at dismissal. Go explain the IT theory to Elvis for me.


It is also easily assumed that the united galaxy does not have 100 or more ships equipped with Thanix cannons.

But that's what you said. It's all numbers. Well numbers aren't everything and wars throughout history have given examples of this truth. While it's not the rule, it's still there.

Also, look at the ending battle cinematic. EVERY SHIP THERE IS ARMED WITH THANIX CANNONS with a high enough EMS. So Bull****.

Also, the codex says most ships are armed with Thanix cannons.

You, sir, are a liar.

Modifié par Ticonderoga117, 11 juillet 2012 - 10:19 .

[AnsinJung]

Ticonderoga117 wrote...

Rip504 wrote...
You just failed. "EPIC FAIL"

America vs Other Countries. LMAO@ You.

100 Dreadnoughts,on a nice day equipped with Thanix Cannons can kill around 33 Reaper ships. That is in a 4 on 1 Situation backed by ME codex.  Not some random failed attempt at dismissal. Go explain the IT theory to Elvis for me.


It is also easily assumed that the united galaxy does not have 100 or more ships equipped with Thanix cannons.

But that's what you said. It's all numbers. Well numbers aren't everything and wars throughout history have given examples of this truth. While it's not the rule, it's still there.

Also, look at the ending battle cinematic. EVERY SHIP THERE IS ARMED WITH THANIX CANNONS with a high enough EMS. So Bull****.

Also, the codex says most ships are armed with Thanix cannons.

You, sir, are a lier.

Being mistaken isn't really the essence of dishonesty.

[Ticonderoga117]

AnsinJung wrote...
Being mistaken isn't really the essence of dishonesty.

True, depends on intent, but oh well.

[Rip504]

Ticonderoga117 wrote...

But that's what you said. It's all numbers. Well numbers aren't everything and wars throughout history have given examples of this truth. While it's not the rule, it's still there.

Also, look at the ending battle cinematic. EVERY SHIP THERE IS ARMED WITH THANIX CANNONS with a high enough EMS. So Bull****.

Also, the codex says most ships are armed with Thanix cannons.

You, sir, are a lier.

Been speaking to Elvis again?

So every ship during the end battle is armed with Thanix cannons. They also failed to retake Earth w/o the use of the Crucible. That fleet allowed two people to enter the Citadel. Proving my point for me?

Sure dude! Link your codex.  masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Reaper  masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Treaty_of_Farixen

masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Starships masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Codex/The_Reaper_War  masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Codex/The_Reapers  masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Thanix

People Also need to get off of Hackett. The majority of the galaxy and their leaders also felt as if conventional victory was far fetched. Hence a United Galaxy agreeing to build and use the crucible. The United Galaxy felt the unknown crucible stood a better chance then conventional victory.

Also This United Galaxy once faced a galactic scale threat before. The Rachni. Derp. The United Galaxy found a way to defeat the Rachni. Even with their prior knowledge and experiences,the United Galaxy still felt conventional victory was far fetched and that the Crucible held the best chance to success. It did work,making them correct. Reject and fail to use it,does not work. Making them correct.  I am using In Game content,not baseless speculation and false accusations.

You are just a fail. Period. So I guess you FAILED to speak to Elvis and explain IT to him? Yes,because you are a failure.

Edit: Also we are talking about the Reaper war,not past wars in Human history. So lets base our discussion around the Reaper war,where the numbers do speak heavily. We have lost billions of lives already,and will continue to lose more. O until you wave the and it just stops,and then we easily beat them conventionally.  We are losing Billions to their single digit losses. We have a limited number of ships. Math dictates that the current rate of events will indeed result in a loss. "Not oo they outnumber us" Try thinking,I know you may consider it absurd,but it really helps. This was not the case during the cold war,so numbers do speak absurdly loud during the Reaper conflict. Making your post a fail as I have said before.

Modifié par Rip504, 11 juillet 2012 - 10:42 .

[Ticonderoga117]

Rip504 wrote...
*snip*

You know what? When you throw out all reason and accept the contrived plot device, I can't help you.

I have given my thoughts on how a conventional victory is possible, however, because the writers decided crowbar in a stupid metaphysical conflict into a game where it wasn't necessary, they needed to throw in a stupid plot device to deliver the DEM that would deliver the message. However, to get the players to buy the fact that it was necessary so that the message could be delivered, they MADE EVERY PERSON IN THE ME UNIVERSE A  MORON.

Hackett: "Yes, we could've all retreated into FTL to fight another day without problems, but I threw 2nd fleet to the Reapers anyway. Oh, and when we attack the Reapers in the end, let's just move forward and use 18th century tactics against them."

Anderson: "Hey, instead of using a diversion against Harbinger to reach the beam, let's charge the beam instead and run right towards the walking skyscrapper."

Everyone in the Galaxy building the Cruicible: "We have no f***ing clue what this thing does. Let's build it anyway instead of more ships and weapons!"

Everyone else: "HUURR DUURR"

Not too mention the fact that the Turians gave the Reapers a good run for thier money with little casualities.

And war in any form is important. Why? Because you learn vital lessons. When outnumbered, don't fight them in a standup fight. Seriously. Besides, the Reapers are undefeatable. We killed 5 solo.

Shepard. Killed 5. Reapers. More or less by himself. And you are going to tell me that the United Galaxy can't handle a few?

[Rip504]

Ticonderoga117 wrote...

"Pointlessness"

Shepard. Killed 5. Reapers. More or less by himself. And you are going to tell me that the United Galaxy can't handle a few?

The Reapers have killed Billions. Derp. Your example of our fleet using Thannix cannons in the final battle,didn't result in a Reaper a** kicking. Anybody can use outside reasoning as to why it could be possible,but within our ME universe. It simply is not.

I can use outside reasoning to dismiss anything you have said,then you could counter that with more outside reasoning. An endless cycle. I use in-game knowledge to come to my conclusion of an in game event. I did not add or subtract anything. I took from within the story. Also I did not read any of your post prior to mine. Why would I?

[Ticonderoga117]

Rip504 wrote...
The Reapers have killed Billions. Derp. Your example of our fleet using Thannix cannons in the final battle,didn't result in a Reaper a** kicking. Anybody can use outside reasoning as to why it could be possible,but within our ME universe. It simply is not.

I can use outside reasoning to dismiss anything you have said,then you could counter that with more outside reasoning. An endless cycle. I use in-game knowledge to come to my conclusion of an in game event. I did not add or subtract anything. I took from within the story. Also I did not read any of your post prior to mine. Why would I?

Of course it didn't, because where would the "art" that is GlowBoy come from?

I myself have used in game knowledge to come to a conclusion. It's from ME1 and ME2 and parts of ME3.

And why would you read past posts? To see some of the arguements thrown around.

However, it boils down to this:
"ME1 and ME2 don't support either in any major way. However, ME3 decides to beat us over the head with this particular crowbar, and since the writers didn't give us the choice, we can't. Doesn't mean it isn't possible, just that the writers said "LolNope!" Instead, a bad plot device is used which then leads to a DEM which then leads to some meta-physical debate about Synthetics and Organics that has been done better elsewhere and has no place in the ME franchise as it is."

[The Spamming Troll]

Rip504 wrote...

The same reason people claim to see Elvis.

Do the simple math,we do not have the numbers. Numbers do not lie. Fan Speculation does.

Or do something as crazy as playing the game while paying attention to the plot. Enjoying the "piece of art' for what the writers meant for it to be. Not what you think is best,right,or correct.

at what point durring your play through of ME3 did you think the crucible was the entire galaxies priority #1? before or after you beat the game?

did you care about the crucible at all when you played ME3? did you even try to collect all of its EMS related whatevers?

ME1 reapers could own easily. sovereign was a mega-pimp, it took the entire citadel fleet to bring him down. ME2 reapers are just as intimidating. habinger is awesome to the max. then we get to ME3 reapers who forget all kinds of important strategic advantages and just dump themselves where ever the hell. i have no problem beleiving shepard and crew could take down ME3 reapers. i would say itd be alot easier then youd think defeating the reapers. which i can only assume sucks the most to drew karpecinski. oh well, current-bioware.

[schulz100]

Finally, someone who agrees that conventional warfare won't work.

Let me give you naysayers the numbers:

It took about two fleets each from three different races to kill Sovriegn. One single big Reaper. And the only reason they managed to kill him/it at all is because Sovriegn got distracted trying to kill Shepard with Saren's robo-skeleton ad dropped his shields like a dope. In a pure, straight-up space battle, no Reaper will be that stupid.

It took five precision-strike salvos from the entire Quarian fleet to kill a single small-sized Reaper. Again, FIVE salvos from an ENTIRE FLEET. Or, if we're counting Thanix missiles, about ten once two have been shoot down it's firing chamber (so basically a Death Star exhaust port shot, but with big-ass missiles). Meanwhile, most Reapers can blow up a dreadnought in about one or two shots total. The big ones only need one shot to take a dreadnought out.

These are things that simply cannot be beaten in a straight-up fight.
Sure, maybe you could fight fleet-to-ship, but end result would most likely be all the fleets destroyed, and still a couple Reapers left active. They'd probably be a little busted up, but they'd still be active, and now the races they want to kill have no warships.
The Reapers still win.

[Ticonderoga117]

schulz100 wrote...

Finally, someone who agrees that conventional warfare won't work.

Let me give you naysayers the numbers:

It took about two fleets each from three different races to kill Sovriegn. One single big Reaper. And the only reason they managed to kill him/it at all is because Sovriegn got distracted trying to kill Shepard with Saren's robo-skeleton ad dropped his shields like a dope. In a pure, straight-up space battle, no Reaper will be that stupid.

Because Reaper shields are tough. We now have tech to get around that better. Lasers and Thanix cannons.

It took five precision-strike salvos from the entire Quarian fleet to kill a single small-sized Reaper. Again, FIVE salvos from an ENTIRE FLEET. Or, if we're counting Thanix missiles, about ten once two have been shoot down it's firing chamber (so basically a Death Star exhaust port shot, but with big-ass missiles). Meanwhile, most Reapers can blow up a dreadnought in about one or two shots total. The big ones only need one shot to take a dreadnought out.

That was not the entire Quarian fleet firing. That was more like 3 to 5 ships firing. If the entire fleet fired, Shepard would be dead, and the game would be over. One CAIN shot took our a Reaper with an AA gun on it's back.

These are things that simply cannot be beaten in a straight-up fight.
Sure, maybe you could fight fleet-to-ship, but end result would most likely be all the fleets destroyed, and still a couple Reapers left active. They'd probably be a little busted up, but they'd still be active, and now the races they want to kill have no warships.
The Reapers still win.

And the Turians have shown that you can. Keep moving and use quick strikes.
Reapers on the ground are weaker.
Reapers using the crazy turn rates Sovierign showed are weaker.

We have the tactics and the general tech, just not the will to use them because the writers didn't add it in.

[Rip504]

Ticonderoga117 wrote...


Because Reaper shields are tough. We now have tech to get around that better. Lasers and Thanix cannons


That was not the entire Quarian fleet firing. That was more like 3 to 5 ships firing. If the entire fleet fired, Shepard would be dead, and the game would be over. One CAIN shot took our a Reaper with an AA gun on it's back.


And the Turians have shown that you can. Keep moving and use quick strikes.
Reapers on the ground are weaker.
Reapers using the crazy turn rates Sovierign showed are weaker.

We have the tactics and the general tech, just not the will to use them because the writers didn't add it in.

Ignore how he/she stated reapers destroy dreadnoughts in one or two shots :lol:. Your Thannix Cannons failed at Earth. As you stated. Thannix Cannons are not enough.

You speculate and assume the number of ships firing. So one can say a fleet while you say 3.:lol:
Either way Shepard did not "solo" it. The Cain took out the AA gun,and why assume that the Cain was the only shot to ever hit that Reaper? Absurd.

Yea the Turians beat the Reapers??? What? When? Why didn't they go boom boom Thanix Turians rule we win.

Yea every Reaper will now turn so we can kill it because of . Instead of having other Reapers watch it's flank. Absurd.  We do know of some tactics and have some tech useful in fighting Reapers. Not destroying them. It's not about will power,or the united galaxy would not have built the Crucible. These tactics and tech are usually used in battle against one or less Reapers at that also.

We do not have war winning Tech/tactics or we would have used them. You have yet to set one realistic ingame scenario for conventional victory. Ignore all the dismiss your claims,and have not mentioned how to counter billions of deaths or the threat of Indoctrination.

Conventional Victory=:lol:
IT=:lol:

Modifié par Rip504, 12 juillet 2012 - 02:48 .

[3DandBeyond]

Rip504 wrote...

The same reason people claim to see Elvis.

Do the simple math,we do not have the numbers. Numbers do not lie. Fan Speculation does.

Or do something as crazy as playing the game while paying attention to the plot. Enjoying the "piece of art' for what the writers meant for it to be. Not what you think is best,right,or correct.

Please tell me the exact number of reapers-I seem to have missed the head count.

And since in ME3 the plot meanders worse than a 2 year olds urine stream into the toilet, may I remind you that twitter is the place where retconning happens to make the plot fit when the in game story says otherwise in what passes for art in some egotist's mind.  So, stay tuned because what is true today might change tomorrow.

And apparently you missed the artistic argument that there should be speculation for all, in place of an actually cohesive story.

The crucible is the writers' "I don't have to write a story" card.  It was created so they could actually avoid writing and showing anything within the game or in the plot that actually utilized all those war assets you never got to see in action.  The crucible is the antithesis of art and story.  It is there merely to create the appearance that a lot is being done and then at the end is used to funnel all players, no matter their ingame choices into one main objective with extremely limited options that again had nothing to do with anything done in the game.  It is the laziest form of writing and is definitely not art.

The story of curing the genophage was art.  Mr. MacGuffin and the non-story he created is not art.  It would have been very artistic to see heroic battles tastefully done, to see people fight to free worlds bit by bit, sometimes losing. sometimes winning.

And please never try to tell me that that abomination of an ending culled from various other sources is art.  If it is, it belongs to other people and they want their ending back.  It is demeaning, demoralizing, and fatalistic, in direct contrast with what, yes what could have been-not just big explosions but well written and heroic, even sacrificial fighting with all those assets we gathered and had to play reaper tag to get-you know in place of actual gameplay and a plot. 

[SSPBOURNE]

I'm sure this has been said but... 

I understand why people would like to see their assets take out the reapers with the refusal ending. But I just don't think it's possible.The Reapers come by to mess up your evening every 50,000 years, as we all know. It is stated several times that The Reapers are 37 millions years old. While that may just be an estimate, any other assumption would be non-canon. So if my math is correct, The Reapers have harvested the galaxy about 740 times. Now, no one knows how many advanced civilizations are in each cycle. We don't even know how many there are in the game's CURRENT cycle. In the codex, It's stated that the council owns %1 of the galaxy. It's probably the same with the Terminus and the Attican. Like Buzz Aldrin said in that scene that no one liked: "The Galaxy has billions of stars. And each star, has many planets*. Each planet could be home to a new form of life, and every life is a special story of it's own." Bla bla whatever. Basically, what I'm saying is that there are probably thousands of advanced species out there. And The Reapers harvest them all. So this means that the Reapers numbers are probably in the millions. So yeah, conventional strategy WOULD NOT WORK EVER.*Not true, but it's just a saying.

[3DandBeyond]

schulz100 wrote...

Finally, someone who agrees that conventional warfare won't work.

Let me give you naysayers the numbers:

It took about two fleets each from three different races to kill Sovriegn. One single big Reaper. And the only reason they managed to kill him/it at all is because Sovriegn got distracted trying to kill Shepard with Saren's robo-skeleton ad dropped his shields like a dope. In a pure, straight-up space battle, no Reaper will be that stupid.

It took five precision-strike salvos from the entire Quarian fleet to kill a single small-sized Reaper. Again, FIVE salvos from an ENTIRE FLEET. Or, if we're counting Thanix missiles, about ten once two have been shoot down it's firing chamber (so basically a Death Star exhaust port shot, but with big-ass missiles). Meanwhile, most Reapers can blow up a dreadnought in about one or two shots total. The big ones only need one shot to take a dreadnought out.

These are things that simply cannot be beaten in a straight-up fight.
Sure, maybe you could fight fleet-to-ship, but end result would most likely be all the fleets destroyed, and still a couple Reapers left active. They'd probably be a little busted up, but they'd still be active, and now the races they want to kill have no warships.
The Reapers still win.

Let me give you a number. 1. The number of people needed to destroy one reaper in London with a few missiles.  The reaper by the conduit was destroyed by Shepard using EDI targeting it-so make the number 2.  The reaper was hit by missiles and Shepard's teammates yelled, "it's going down."  Shepard then to make sure it was destroyed, said, "hit it with everything you've got."  I have no idea who Shepard was talking to, but presumably since s/he'd just been talking to EDI it was the Normandy and so the Normandy opened fire.

Let's refresh our memory here again.  The only reason you cannot defeat the reapers using conventional weaponry is because the writers decided to ignore the idea they were not invincible and that ingenuity might be used (since that would have taken up disk space and would have required story and writing and animation and graphics to go along with it all) in favor of the largest target in space that they could come up with.  The crucible somehow is the only space object invisible to all reapers and it's A-OK to lose every fleet there is in protecting it even when no one knows what the hell it is and to some people that makes more sense than the idea that rational people might go ahead and against all odds just try and fight.

Tell the Shepard in ME2 that so that we never have to make that run on the Collector's base.  It's a suicide mission-please tell Cerberus you need a super space thingy instead to take care of it, because you ain't going.

[LaughingDragon]

Question to those people that think conventional victory is stupid/impossible, and are cool with the crucible...

So...you guys think it's acceptable that 10 minutes before the reapers conquer the sol system that you recover a "kill all reaper" button to save the entire galaxy?

Please explain this to me, how that is acceptable? I am but a poor, simple minded fellow

[3DandBeyond]

SSPBOURNE wrote...

I'm sure this has been said but... 

I understand why people would like to see their assets take out the reapers with the refusal ending. But I just don't think it's possible.The Reapers come by to mess up your evening every 50,000 years, as we all know. It is stated several times that The Reapers are 37 millions years old. While that may just be an estimate, any other assumption would be non-canon. So if my math is correct, The Reapers have harvested the galaxy about 740 times. Now, no one knows how many advanced civilizations are in each cycle. We don't even know how many there are in the game's CURRENT cycle. In the codex, It's stated that the council owns %1 of the galaxy. It's probably the same with the Terminus and the Attican. Like Buzz Aldrin said in that scene that no one liked: "The Galaxy has billions of stars. And each star, has many planets*. Each planet could be home to a new form of life, and every life is a special story of it's own." Bla bla whatever. Basically, what I'm saying is that there are probably thousands of advanced species out there. And The Reapers harvest them all. So this means that the Reapers numbers are probably in the millions. So yeah, conventional strategy WOULD NOT WORK EVER.*Not true, but it's just a saying.

The only reason it would not work every is because the writers didn't want to have to write that and Bioware didn't want to have to develop that because it's more complicated and space and time consuming than a big crucible problem solver.  And they wanted you to have truly limited options (one) at the end.  The only real option you have is to play the ending or not, because everyone gets the same thing, no matter what.

Again, never explained nor explored-the collectors are obsessed with humans (for the reapers).  Humans are considered the most advanced this cycle.  Billions upon billions of possible advanced organics out there-and it can take a very long time to harvest them.  The reapers numbers may not be as great as thought because they are not harvesting everyone at the same time.

You said conventional strategy and that's exactly what is wrong now.  Hackett and Anderson continually throw people and ships right at the reapers.  Great military minds-no that won't work with a overpowered foe.  That's why there's such a thing as guerilla warfare and people don't line up on a field of battle and wait for someone to shout, "fire" before taking on the enemy in a war of attrition.  Instead, you find the foe's weakness and the reapers certainly have one-they think they are unstoppable-they underestimate the willingness and ability of their foes to fight.  Exuberance and hubris have been the downfall of many such goliaths.  Sure, these are the biggest ones out there, but mighty elephants can be felled by a mouse.  Tiny organisms took down the invaders in War of the Worlds.  It's using conventional weaponry in unconventional ways.