I'll need to rewrite the idea to make it coherent from the back-and-forth scrawl it is now, so it will take awhile. Or rather, I'll write up individual pieces.
Some context first.
A while ago, well before the leak, over several weeks me and some compadres were tossing about ideas as to how Mass Effect could have been better. More about story/background than the gameplay, but the real thing was justifying how Humanity could be an important power. As it was, 'thirty years after Mars' just doesn't cut it.
A lot of those thoughts were summed up here. Infact, most of the Genophage idea is, but that was part of a larger setting as well.
http://social.biowar...3/index/8330800
After sketching thoughts, a friend and I started trying to fit them together in an actual scenario. The goal wasn't to re-write Mass Effect itself (the same games, the same missions should fit), but rather re-frame it so that the games made sense in the context they claimed: that Humanity was a new, but powerful, arrival.
What we found is that we ended up going towards two different extremes. One cast Humanity pre-ME1 as a warlike power. Artificial addition (clones), already established militarism, self-determined technological advancement through AI. These were a broadly 'Renegade' tone, and they became the basis for Renegade Reinterpretations. Humanity's power was in its own hands.
http://www.fanfictio...interpretations
The others grouped together in context beyond Humanity's control. The population politics of the Council, Earth's own basis as a super-high density homeworld (well protected by Relay geography/the Charon choke point). More time to build up population.
These groupted together in the alternative. If Renegade Reinterpretations was a Renegade-rewrite of the Mass Effect backstory, Paragon Parables was the Paragon equivalent.
Some context first.
A while ago, well before the leak, over several weeks me and some compadres were tossing about ideas as to how Mass Effect could have been better. More about story/background than the gameplay, but the real thing was justifying how Humanity could be an important power. As it was, 'thirty years after Mars' just doesn't cut it.
A lot of those thoughts were summed up here. Infact, most of the Genophage idea is, but that was part of a larger setting as well.
http://social.biowar...3/index/8330800
After sketching thoughts, a friend and I started trying to fit them together in an actual scenario. The goal wasn't to re-write Mass Effect itself (the same games, the same missions should fit), but rather re-frame it so that the games made sense in the context they claimed: that Humanity was a new, but powerful, arrival.
What we found is that we ended up going towards two different extremes. One cast Humanity pre-ME1 as a warlike power. Artificial addition (clones), already established militarism, self-determined technological advancement through AI. These were a broadly 'Renegade' tone, and they became the basis for Renegade Reinterpretations. Humanity's power was in its own hands.
http://www.fanfictio...interpretations
The others grouped together in context beyond Humanity's control. The population politics of the Council, Earth's own basis as a super-high density homeworld (well protected by Relay geography/the Charon choke point). More time to build up population.
These groupted together in the alternative. If Renegade Reinterpretations was a Renegade-rewrite of the Mass Effect backstory, Paragon Parables was the Paragon equivalent.
Posted at 12:05 PM on 2011-12-28
Paragon Parable's history before First Contact has two different focuses: the Council's, and the Alliance. We'll start with the Council, which is both very familiar but also significantly different: not in the flow of events, but their nature.
Approximately two thousand years before present, the Asari were the first to discover the Citadel. Soon, but shortly after, the Salarians arrived as well.
Relations were optimistic, but uneasy. The mutual first contact for both species raised significant troubles: suspicion, caution, even a bit of fear. While the Asari had a notable population in their own right, the Salarian capacity for large broods was worrisome: while fertile females were rare, and cultural norms limited the size of the population the Salarian Daltrasses could breed far more quickly than the slow-breeding Asari. Concerns over the first population war rose.
Then the Asari proposed a compromise which the Salarian Daltrasses accepted. A willing, voluntary limiting of fertile female Salarian population. While the Asari and Salarian populations would match one another, it would be up to the Salarians to determine how this would be. For the Daltrasses, this meant limiting the growth of new female rivals, and enhancing their own influence via birth control. The more restricted the breeding population, the more influential each Dalatrass. In the face of war tensions with the Asari, or advancing their own power and securing good relations, the Salarian Union agreed. The first (purely voluntary) population control was reached.
As the Council expanded during the golden years, there were no problems. None of the other species the Council encountered were hostile, or particularly 'fast' breeders. The Volus were not militaristic. The Hanar were aquatic. The Elcor were far too small to be threatening. Most species were either 'slow' breeders, or too small to be dangerous and not inclined to use their population for war. While some races rose faster than others, there was more or less stability, and the already massive of the Asari and Salarians faced no real challenges.
Then came the Rachni.
The Rachni Wars devastated the Galaxy, to the point that there are still worlds that bear the scars of the conflict. Not only was the damage considerable, but so was the population toll. In a matter of decades, the Asari lost generations, hundreds of years of growth, falling below their pre-Citadel population levels. Even when the Salarians were allowed to breed at maximum ability, the Line could only be Held.
And so, to match the Rachni's insectoid-exponential growth, the exponential growth of the Krogan became a necessity. And so the Krogan were uplifted, the war was one, and peace returned.
Of course, in a dozen years the Krogan matched hundreds of years of growth of the Asari and Salarians and most of the rest of the galaxy. And soon enough the Krogan rebellions began, for all the same reasons. One exponential fast-breeding species replaced another, and for some time it looked like the galaxy might be overrun by population growth.
By the time of Mass Effect 1, the Asari are only reaching the pre-Rachni and Krogan population levels.
Eventually, of course the Turian save the day. Turians are roughly equivalent to Humans... which makes them 'fast' breeders. Not the exponential fast of the Krogan or Rachni, but well above the GGR (Galactic Growth Rate).
What comes afterwords, then, is the universal compromise. Not willing to trade one dominant, fast-growing, militaristic civilization for another, the Salarians and Asari forged a compromise with the Hegemony. The Turians would become a member of the Council. In the role of galactic peacekeeper, the Turians would have the greatest allowed growth, equal to the Asari and Salarians. They would have power, respect, and a strong say in protecting galactic stability.
In exchange, they agreed to implement a genophage-light, to bring down their growth rate from abnormal levels to the (Council-race) norm. Whether they would have been allowed to refuse is a question for history, but ultimately the Hierarchy did agree, did implement the same weapon that they applied to the Krogan, and did become the leading source for peace. Like the Salarians had before them, the Turians voluntarily applied population limitation on themselves.
And with those precedents, Galactic population planning was born.
With the historic precident of the Krogan and Rachni, EVERY fast-breeding species was brought down to par with the galactic standard, which for historic and political reasons was the Asari standard. Associate races were allowed to breed freely up to a point, a population of billions, before specially-crafted genophage would be implemented to bring their normal growth in line with the GGR. Races are helped, gently elevated to their appropriate level, and gently applied over a period of generations to ease the transition. Even races (other than the Asari and Salarians) who are at or below the GGR are given a special, honorable genophage: one that reduces fertility not at all, but symbolizes the shared burden of the galaxy.
Given the weight of this condition, however, the Council system worked to ease the burden and provide other benefits. While the genophage can't be cured, Races who fall behind their GRR are given special aid and services to help boost the growth back to the desired rate. Races who agree are given special economic incentives and access to the Citadel-Space economic zone. Most importantly, the Council promises the safety of Citadel space to the associate species, vowing to defend them in cases of war. The large races foot increasing shares of the defense burden to protect the small races.
Races that do not wish to partake of the genophage system, however, are free to enter into Terminus space, where the dangers of the Terminus* are often a far crueler form of population control, where pirates and slavers can devastate entire colonies or homeworlds too weak to protect themselves.
*'Dangers of the Terminus' also include Salarian STG task forces, who might still apply the genophage to those exceptionally dangerous species who deserve it... and often far more restrictive versions below the GGR. Not even leaving Citadel space guarantee one protection from the genophage, and the Council has a very significant, if silent, role in opposing all research aimed at curing the Genophage.
And so the Universal Genophage System endures. All races in Council Space bear the burden.
It is not a perfect system: many admit that the Krogan Genophage, which is driving the Krogan into extinction, was too extreme. The possibility of a post-genophage disaster is incredibly disturbing: the Quarians face not only their immune systems, but a population shackle they can never shake off. The Drell are another case of the Terminus, once a dangerous Terminus Empire that was afflicted and soon destroyed, saved only by the Hanar. Species which suffer under the genophage have a hard time ever recovering.
But at the same time, it works. There has not been another population war since the Krogan Rebellions. Most species are afraid of the devastation an outright war might bring even if they won, and so are reluctant to start any conflict. The once-extreme has become normalized, and accepted. The genophage is a fact of life for everyone, and once accustomed most feel little wrong about it.
Granted, it does work in the Council's favor, who reserve a Council-member growth rate for themselves. In war, it allows them to supply the bodies and recover faster. In peace, it simply lets them grow and expand faster than the rest. The GGR is set off the Asari 'norm', not the Asari average: population booms by the Asari allow them to beat the average that others can't. The Salarians compliance is cultural and voluntary, and conspiracies exist that secret female populations exist for the sole purpose of fueling a secret population boom when needed. The Turians, galactic peace keepers, have a growth rate significantly higher than the galactic norm, which favors them in peace as much as it does in war.
But, even so, the system works. It has worked for over a thousand years, and will continue to work as needed. Most species are found by Council explorers, still in development and trapped on their homeworlds, small and easy to assimilate. Sure, the occasional Terminus conflict is really hard for those involved, setting everyone back decades, but peace holds out more than war.
In fact, a historic consensus is that most fast-breeding species simply self-destruct before they can reach space. Over-population, Malthusian collapse. The Turians and Batarians are rare examples of fast-breeding species who managed to reach space flight on their own, and both quickly found their way to the Citadel via the Mass Relays. It seems natural to believe that the galactic population wars are a thing of the past, systematically impossible.
Until, at least, an unknown species is found meddling with Relay 314...
Approximately two thousand years before present, the Asari were the first to discover the Citadel. Soon, but shortly after, the Salarians arrived as well.
Relations were optimistic, but uneasy. The mutual first contact for both species raised significant troubles: suspicion, caution, even a bit of fear. While the Asari had a notable population in their own right, the Salarian capacity for large broods was worrisome: while fertile females were rare, and cultural norms limited the size of the population the Salarian Daltrasses could breed far more quickly than the slow-breeding Asari. Concerns over the first population war rose.
Then the Asari proposed a compromise which the Salarian Daltrasses accepted. A willing, voluntary limiting of fertile female Salarian population. While the Asari and Salarian populations would match one another, it would be up to the Salarians to determine how this would be. For the Daltrasses, this meant limiting the growth of new female rivals, and enhancing their own influence via birth control. The more restricted the breeding population, the more influential each Dalatrass. In the face of war tensions with the Asari, or advancing their own power and securing good relations, the Salarian Union agreed. The first (purely voluntary) population control was reached.
As the Council expanded during the golden years, there were no problems. None of the other species the Council encountered were hostile, or particularly 'fast' breeders. The Volus were not militaristic. The Hanar were aquatic. The Elcor were far too small to be threatening. Most species were either 'slow' breeders, or too small to be dangerous and not inclined to use their population for war. While some races rose faster than others, there was more or less stability, and the already massive of the Asari and Salarians faced no real challenges.
Then came the Rachni.
The Rachni Wars devastated the Galaxy, to the point that there are still worlds that bear the scars of the conflict. Not only was the damage considerable, but so was the population toll. In a matter of decades, the Asari lost generations, hundreds of years of growth, falling below their pre-Citadel population levels. Even when the Salarians were allowed to breed at maximum ability, the Line could only be Held.
And so, to match the Rachni's insectoid-exponential growth, the exponential growth of the Krogan became a necessity. And so the Krogan were uplifted, the war was one, and peace returned.
Of course, in a dozen years the Krogan matched hundreds of years of growth of the Asari and Salarians and most of the rest of the galaxy. And soon enough the Krogan rebellions began, for all the same reasons. One exponential fast-breeding species replaced another, and for some time it looked like the galaxy might be overrun by population growth.
By the time of Mass Effect 1, the Asari are only reaching the pre-Rachni and Krogan population levels.
Eventually, of course the Turian save the day. Turians are roughly equivalent to Humans... which makes them 'fast' breeders. Not the exponential fast of the Krogan or Rachni, but well above the GGR (Galactic Growth Rate).
What comes afterwords, then, is the universal compromise. Not willing to trade one dominant, fast-growing, militaristic civilization for another, the Salarians and Asari forged a compromise with the Hegemony. The Turians would become a member of the Council. In the role of galactic peacekeeper, the Turians would have the greatest allowed growth, equal to the Asari and Salarians. They would have power, respect, and a strong say in protecting galactic stability.
In exchange, they agreed to implement a genophage-light, to bring down their growth rate from abnormal levels to the (Council-race) norm. Whether they would have been allowed to refuse is a question for history, but ultimately the Hierarchy did agree, did implement the same weapon that they applied to the Krogan, and did become the leading source for peace. Like the Salarians had before them, the Turians voluntarily applied population limitation on themselves.
And with those precedents, Galactic population planning was born.
With the historic precident of the Krogan and Rachni, EVERY fast-breeding species was brought down to par with the galactic standard, which for historic and political reasons was the Asari standard. Associate races were allowed to breed freely up to a point, a population of billions, before specially-crafted genophage would be implemented to bring their normal growth in line with the GGR. Races are helped, gently elevated to their appropriate level, and gently applied over a period of generations to ease the transition. Even races (other than the Asari and Salarians) who are at or below the GGR are given a special, honorable genophage: one that reduces fertility not at all, but symbolizes the shared burden of the galaxy.
Given the weight of this condition, however, the Council system worked to ease the burden and provide other benefits. While the genophage can't be cured, Races who fall behind their GRR are given special aid and services to help boost the growth back to the desired rate. Races who agree are given special economic incentives and access to the Citadel-Space economic zone. Most importantly, the Council promises the safety of Citadel space to the associate species, vowing to defend them in cases of war. The large races foot increasing shares of the defense burden to protect the small races.
Races that do not wish to partake of the genophage system, however, are free to enter into Terminus space, where the dangers of the Terminus* are often a far crueler form of population control, where pirates and slavers can devastate entire colonies or homeworlds too weak to protect themselves.
*'Dangers of the Terminus' also include Salarian STG task forces, who might still apply the genophage to those exceptionally dangerous species who deserve it... and often far more restrictive versions below the GGR. Not even leaving Citadel space guarantee one protection from the genophage, and the Council has a very significant, if silent, role in opposing all research aimed at curing the Genophage.
And so the Universal Genophage System endures. All races in Council Space bear the burden.
It is not a perfect system: many admit that the Krogan Genophage, which is driving the Krogan into extinction, was too extreme. The possibility of a post-genophage disaster is incredibly disturbing: the Quarians face not only their immune systems, but a population shackle they can never shake off. The Drell are another case of the Terminus, once a dangerous Terminus Empire that was afflicted and soon destroyed, saved only by the Hanar. Species which suffer under the genophage have a hard time ever recovering.
But at the same time, it works. There has not been another population war since the Krogan Rebellions. Most species are afraid of the devastation an outright war might bring even if they won, and so are reluctant to start any conflict. The once-extreme has become normalized, and accepted. The genophage is a fact of life for everyone, and once accustomed most feel little wrong about it.
Granted, it does work in the Council's favor, who reserve a Council-member growth rate for themselves. In war, it allows them to supply the bodies and recover faster. In peace, it simply lets them grow and expand faster than the rest. The GGR is set off the Asari 'norm', not the Asari average: population booms by the Asari allow them to beat the average that others can't. The Salarians compliance is cultural and voluntary, and conspiracies exist that secret female populations exist for the sole purpose of fueling a secret population boom when needed. The Turians, galactic peace keepers, have a growth rate significantly higher than the galactic norm, which favors them in peace as much as it does in war.
But, even so, the system works. It has worked for over a thousand years, and will continue to work as needed. Most species are found by Council explorers, still in development and trapped on their homeworlds, small and easy to assimilate. Sure, the occasional Terminus conflict is really hard for those involved, setting everyone back decades, but peace holds out more than war.
In fact, a historic consensus is that most fast-breeding species simply self-destruct before they can reach space. Over-population, Malthusian collapse. The Turians and Batarians are rare examples of fast-breeding species who managed to reach space flight on their own, and both quickly found their way to the Citadel via the Mass Relays. It seems natural to believe that the galactic population wars are a thing of the past, systematically impossible.
Until, at least, an unknown species is found meddling with Relay 314...
Posted at 12:07 PM on 2011-12-28
Important aspect of the Council's Genophage System I forgot to mention.
---
Pure Population Groups
The Council Genophage system has a precious few caveats, and one of them is the preservation of a genetically-viable, non-genophaged population of each species, in case of disaster or inadvertent genophage mutation. (No mutation has happened yet, but safety.)
The Pure Population Group presents a safety-mechanism in case a species starts dropping to dangerous levels. In case of disaster, war, or a social population decline, these non-genophaged population groups are allowed to breed freely in order to restore population. When the GGR is met, however, these groups are restricted in their natural growth by traditional measures.
The protection of Pure Population Groups is one of the highest duties and responsibilities of the Council's compact with its associates. PPG's are given priority colonization rights in the 'safest' parts of Citadel Space, Sanctuary Worlds, to help preserve the species forever. The PPG is considered the ultimate fall-back of each species, in case of disaster or genophage mutation, and the endangerment of one is considered something of galactic proportions. PPG-colonies are protected (or quarantined, depending on perspective) by the Citadel Fleets.
Before the Geth Rebellions, PPGs were the responsibility of their own species, not the Citadel. After the Geth massacre of the only Quarians without the genophage, the Council took direct responsibility of the PPGs, putting them under the jurisdiction of C-SEC and under the protection of the Citadel Fleets.
PPGs of species are spread over many Sanctuary Worlds, to help distribute the risk of disaster. Sanctuary Worlds, and the PPG's themselves, fall solely under the jurisdiction of the Citadel Council, not the species. Legally expansions of the Citadel, their protection is handled by the Citadel Fleets, and their regulation executed by C-SEC.
Only two species in the galaxy don't have their own Council-recognized PPGs: the Krogan, for whom no exception was ever made, and the Quarians, whose PPGs were massacred by the Geth during the Geth Rebellions. The Turians are the sole exception in the Council's PPG system: the Turian PPGs are the independent Turian Colonies, who the Turian Hegemony alone takes responsibility for.
PPGs are one of the few lines the Terminus as a whole recognizes to never cross. Three of the last four Council-Terminus conflicts has been the Council's overwhelming retaliation against groups who made attempts to raid PPGs. It is one of the few things the Council is willing to go to war over.
Due to the inherited nature of the genophage, PPG's are all descendents of people who have never had the genophage applied. They were often drawn from the population groups that refused the genophage for moral or ethical reasons, groups that have also passed down this culture to their descendents. This has created a mixed dynamic in PPG's: PPGs themselves tend to be some of the only anti-genophage voices in Council Space, even as they rely on the Citadel Council for protection. There are also undercurrents of anti-Council sentiment mixed in.
Sanctuary Worlds are something of gilded cages for members of PPGs. Sanctuary worlds receive large amounts of security and aid, and in many respects are model colonies of the galaxy. At the same time, however, they are benevolent police states: Pure Bloods are registered and monitored by C-SEC at all times, and are only allowed to travel to other Sanctuary Worlds or the Citadel, where they must be accompanied by C-SEC at all times. All other travel is highly restricted, and only done with heavy guard. Pure Bloods who are kidnapped, or who escape, are tracked down by C-SEC even into the Terminus... and if they can't be recovered, they are killed.
Traditional population control measures are enplaed when over-populated, including forced sterilizations of excess offspring. In order to maintain genetic viability, relationships are monitored and regulated, and sometimes prohibited. In case of emergency collapse of populations, involuntary artificial insemination has been used on females.
The only way for a pure-blood to be allowed to leave is to have the genophage administered to them... and high-risk populations needing growth don't allow anyone to leave.
Living in a PPG is safe, clean, prosperous... but not free.
As they would be involved in the games...
In ME1, not much plot-critical. Some planet scans. A sidequest on the Citadel with a Pure Blood, possibly one who's trying to escape the system.
In ME2, the Collectors are linked to having had dealings with PPGs in the past. Part of the reason the Council is willing to let you work with Cerberus is because they were never able to make it past the Omega Relay themselves. PPGs don't exist out in the Terminus, but spoiling a merc/pirate plan to attack one could be a quest.
In ME3, PPG's would make ideal Reaper targets for capture and side quests. 'Evacuate the Civilians' would especially apply with PPGs of various races.
(If you've read the spoilers about the types of Reapers, there are mini-Reapers, cruiser-equivalents rather than dreadnaughts like Saren. The Reapers trying to capture the PPG's and Sanctuary Worlds, and trying to preserve the 'pure' groups as this sub-Reapers, would be obvious.)
---
Pure Population Groups
The Council Genophage system has a precious few caveats, and one of them is the preservation of a genetically-viable, non-genophaged population of each species, in case of disaster or inadvertent genophage mutation. (No mutation has happened yet, but safety.)
The Pure Population Group presents a safety-mechanism in case a species starts dropping to dangerous levels. In case of disaster, war, or a social population decline, these non-genophaged population groups are allowed to breed freely in order to restore population. When the GGR is met, however, these groups are restricted in their natural growth by traditional measures.
The protection of Pure Population Groups is one of the highest duties and responsibilities of the Council's compact with its associates. PPG's are given priority colonization rights in the 'safest' parts of Citadel Space, Sanctuary Worlds, to help preserve the species forever. The PPG is considered the ultimate fall-back of each species, in case of disaster or genophage mutation, and the endangerment of one is considered something of galactic proportions. PPG-colonies are protected (or quarantined, depending on perspective) by the Citadel Fleets.
Before the Geth Rebellions, PPGs were the responsibility of their own species, not the Citadel. After the Geth massacre of the only Quarians without the genophage, the Council took direct responsibility of the PPGs, putting them under the jurisdiction of C-SEC and under the protection of the Citadel Fleets.
PPGs of species are spread over many Sanctuary Worlds, to help distribute the risk of disaster. Sanctuary Worlds, and the PPG's themselves, fall solely under the jurisdiction of the Citadel Council, not the species. Legally expansions of the Citadel, their protection is handled by the Citadel Fleets, and their regulation executed by C-SEC.
Only two species in the galaxy don't have their own Council-recognized PPGs: the Krogan, for whom no exception was ever made, and the Quarians, whose PPGs were massacred by the Geth during the Geth Rebellions. The Turians are the sole exception in the Council's PPG system: the Turian PPGs are the independent Turian Colonies, who the Turian Hegemony alone takes responsibility for.
PPGs are one of the few lines the Terminus as a whole recognizes to never cross. Three of the last four Council-Terminus conflicts has been the Council's overwhelming retaliation against groups who made attempts to raid PPGs. It is one of the few things the Council is willing to go to war over.
Due to the inherited nature of the genophage, PPG's are all descendents of people who have never had the genophage applied. They were often drawn from the population groups that refused the genophage for moral or ethical reasons, groups that have also passed down this culture to their descendents. This has created a mixed dynamic in PPG's: PPGs themselves tend to be some of the only anti-genophage voices in Council Space, even as they rely on the Citadel Council for protection. There are also undercurrents of anti-Council sentiment mixed in.
Sanctuary Worlds are something of gilded cages for members of PPGs. Sanctuary worlds receive large amounts of security and aid, and in many respects are model colonies of the galaxy. At the same time, however, they are benevolent police states: Pure Bloods are registered and monitored by C-SEC at all times, and are only allowed to travel to other Sanctuary Worlds or the Citadel, where they must be accompanied by C-SEC at all times. All other travel is highly restricted, and only done with heavy guard. Pure Bloods who are kidnapped, or who escape, are tracked down by C-SEC even into the Terminus... and if they can't be recovered, they are killed.
Traditional population control measures are enplaed when over-populated, including forced sterilizations of excess offspring. In order to maintain genetic viability, relationships are monitored and regulated, and sometimes prohibited. In case of emergency collapse of populations, involuntary artificial insemination has been used on females.
The only way for a pure-blood to be allowed to leave is to have the genophage administered to them... and high-risk populations needing growth don't allow anyone to leave.
Living in a PPG is safe, clean, prosperous... but not free.
As they would be involved in the games...
In ME1, not much plot-critical. Some planet scans. A sidequest on the Citadel with a Pure Blood, possibly one who's trying to escape the system.
In ME2, the Collectors are linked to having had dealings with PPGs in the past. Part of the reason the Council is willing to let you work with Cerberus is because they were never able to make it past the Omega Relay themselves. PPGs don't exist out in the Terminus, but spoiling a merc/pirate plan to attack one could be a quest.
In ME3, PPG's would make ideal Reaper targets for capture and side quests. 'Evacuate the Civilians' would especially apply with PPGs of various races.
(If you've read the spoilers about the types of Reapers, there are mini-Reapers, cruiser-equivalents rather than dreadnaughts like Saren. The Reapers trying to capture the PPG's and Sanctuary Worlds, and trying to preserve the 'pure' groups as this sub-Reapers, would be obvious.)
Posted at 12:20 PM on 2011-12-28
The First Contact War is removed in Paragon Parables. First Contact is a humanitarian intervention to the Drell, and by the time of the peaceful Citadel Contact, the Alliance is actually a multi-racial, Human dominated group of species. The 'pre-game War' is the Emancipation War, a hot-war between the Batarian Hegemony and Alliance following the Skyllian Blitz.
More on that later.
As part of Citadel Contact, and following the Emancipation War, the Alliance also agreed to the genophage in principal, following exact negotiations about implementation: the Alliance wouldn't be treated like a minor species when it perhaps the fifth-largest species in the galaxy. This the Council liked, more or less.
The Alliance also warned that any application of the genophage on an Alliance species, without the Alliance's prior and public consent, would be considered a declaration of war by the Council. This the Council did not like.
Nor does it like that negotiations with the Alliance vis-a-vis the genophage have gone on for so long. There are a lot of accusations of foot-dragging, which have some truth, and that there are parts of the Alliance which don't want any genophage... which is also true. There are also a number of hardliners (especially Turians) who think Humanity really is the next Krogan, and need to be taken out now.
Human-Council relations are mixed. While the genophage is the greatest issue, the Human grasp for power is another. Two things are indisputable: Humanity is reaching for more power than most species that have spent centuries or a millenia trying to get, and Humanity is already far more populous than those species. No one really expects Humanity to act like a minor species, but few want Humanity on the Council either.
Add to that your usual catch-up race dealings, such as tech-smuggling, military modernization, and expansionist politics on the frontier where it throws its population weight around, and Humanity has a reputation for being a bit of a destabilizing bully. Humanity has a lot of colony disputes with other races on the frontier, and it's population-rush strategies aren't welcomed by competitors.
The Batarians aren't the only species to see decades or even centuries of colonization surpassed in years or even months as part of an organized Human colonization projects.
At the same time, however, the Alliance really does add a lot to the Council system.
Because Humanity has the bodies to risk, and the strength to support them, colonization on the Terminus frontier is advancing centuries ahead of schedule in mere decades. The Attican Traverse, once part of the Terminus, is 'merely' risky, as space is civilized and stabilized by the Alliance. Human colonization, while fast, is also bringing stability and order to the dangerous Terminus frontier. While these colonies benefit Humanity most of all, pushing back the frontier of the Terminus helps secure all of Citadel space.
The Alliance Navy is a much-welcomed source of strength for the Citadel. Alliance fleets help secure Citadel space, protect PPGs, and patrol the dangerous regions, giving more security to a number of races. While the Turians have been strong, they've also been over-stretched, and the Alliance offers new blood to the Council forces. Alliance patrols don't just tour Human space, but also answer distress calls for other species as well: the Alliance quick-response doctrine has made it a valuable asset on the frontier, compared to the overpowering but slower Turian doctrine.
In most respects, Humanity plays a fair enough game. It doesn't cheat more than most species try, it honors its contacts, and it pays its bills. The military is professional, if not collectively xenophile like the Asari they resemble. If it weren't for the Genophage Question, Humanity would well be on its way as an accepted species.
But, of course, the Genophage question remains.
The Alliance demands power guarantees before it agrees to implement the genophage. The Council demands the Alliance accepts the genophage before talking galactic power politics. Thanks to the Emancipation War, Humanity is suspicious of the Turians, who are the most vocal proponents of the genophage policy. (Turians, as they like to remind everyone else, once had the same birth rate as Humans: if they can bear the genophage, so can the Humans.)
While the Alliance is publicly resolved to eventually accept it, and the Council committed to a peaceful implementation, both sides of the debate also have internal difficulties as well.
On the Council side, there are plenty of people who think that sooner is better as far as implementation goes. The Salarians have already announced a 'prototype' Human Genophage, aimed at the Asari baseline rate. All that really needs to be done is genetic tweaking to fit the final compromise target. One of the significant scandals in the post-contact/pre-ME1 was an incident in which this 'baseline' Human Genophage was 'stolen' by STG/Turian extremists, and a Spectre soon declared rogue, and covertly applied to a few Human colonies before being discovered and stopped. While the Council offered an official apology and made concessions for the Alliance afterwords, it greatly ratcheted up tensions and stalled negotiations for years.
Ambassador Udina was one of those personally affected by this genophage outbreak.
(The Alliance group that stopped this 'rogue' attempt was... Cerberus! As revealed by Kohaku, or in ME2.)
On the Human side, there's a strong public undercurrent against the Genophage. Championed by the Terra Firma party (and thus sustained by Cerberus), there are a lot of groups that oppose the idea of limiting families to just over two children per average.
In this colonial-frontier society, families of 5+ are not exceptional (see: AU Ash and Kaiden). While there also plenty of people who feel the genophage-light could be accepted, it's a contentious issue. Anti-Genophage Human extremists are something of a problem child for the Council: think abortion/genophage-clinic bombings*, attempts to smuggle-out Pure Bloods from the PPG Sanctuary Worlds (ME1 quest), and so on. Because the Alliance protects them, they're viewed as the entitled brat fair-weather protesters (the protesters who rail against tyranny in the West, rather than protest in dictatorships that would beat them).
*The Alliance permits clinics to offer the 'baseline' Human genophage for Humans willing to accept the genophage now, without holding out for the genophage-light. Humans who do so are offered incentives by the Council, such as vacations to Council worlds, travel privileges, credits, etc. While the Alliance agreed to them as a negotiating strategy (the Alliance negotiator side quest), these clinics invite anti-Genophage activism.
In Mass Effect 2, the non-Alliance Human colonies in the Terminus are largely populated by Humans who refuse to submit to the genophage. Part of why the Collectors are after them is because these are 'pure' Humans.
On the morality spectrum, the Genophage becomes on of the major issues.
Politically, to be Paragon meant being Pro-Council, and to be Pro-Council means to be Pro-Genophage. It's a Paragon by the Council's standards, after all, and following the rules doesn't necessarily mean the rules are Right. Still, the Paragon offers the sympathetic take on the Universal Genophage: it reduces a major cause for war, it helps keep the galaxy stable, and while it isn't perfect (especially in regards to the Krogan), it's better than the alternative. Paragon Shepard is pro-Genophage, with the possible implication that they themselves have already volunteered for one of the freely-available 'baseline' genophage provided for free by the Council.
Renegade Shepard is Pro-Human, and Anti-Genophage. There's a lot more focus on the individualism/freedom angle: the 'I'd rather die fighting than submit' rhetoric, or the more paranoid 'the aliens want to keep us down' angle. Renegade Shepard points to the flaws of the genophage system: of the vulnerability of the PPG's, of the Quarian tragedy, of how the Krogan Genophage is driving them to extinction. The forced compliance, the police-state controls of the PPG, and the selling out of all future generations really pisses Renegade Shepard off. 'The Genophage will ruin what makes us strong, just as it has made the Aliens conservative and weak.'
As far as Big Decisions go, the Alliance's genophage stance shifts depending on the Paragon/Renegade Council.
The Paragon Humanity accepts the implementation of the genophage as the last condition for accepting a Council seat. In ME2, reports indicate that the Alliance and Council have agreed that the Alliance will grow at Turian rates, and that the genophage will be applied by the end of the next year, when it reaches parity with the Turians. Human-Council relations strengthen, with the Council races offering help in smoothing the implementation.
(Key note: the Genophage has not been implemented by ME3. The Reaper Arrival pre-empts it.)
The Renegade Humanity, seizing control of the Council, de-facto legalizes the end of the genophage. In ME2, we hear reports that the Council-Human negotiations on the genophage have made no progress once again, with Humanity maintaining a farce of negotiating with itself but making no progress. The Council's Genophage section has been put on hold, and newly discovered species (who breed less than humans) have not been getting the genophage lecture. While genophaged species don't like this, the Human-Council also announces new initiatives to help species fight the genophage and boost their own birth rates, including long-forbidden hormone therapies
Posted at 12:21 PM on 2011-12-28
The universal genophage finds its way to a number of new subjects, helping shape everything from policy to politics. It becames a major shaping point of many characters and groups.
The minor species (Volus, Hanar, Elcor), bear the genophage with varying amounts of resignation. They could be stronger if they didn't have it, but they couldn't survive in the Terminus either. The genophage they bear pretty much leaves them eternally marginalized: they'll never grow enough to be considered 'real' powers, and so the genophage more or less keeps them marginalized forever.
Ashley and Kaiden provide the Human perspectives on the genophage. Both of them have big families (setting change). Ash treats the genophage a lot like some women would treat mandatory abortions, only without the words 'pro-life' or 'abortion' being mentioned. It's her body, and she doesn't want anyone else telling her what she can do with it. Reversing her view. Default Kaiden, in his travels across the galaxy, saw a lot of species live normal lives with normal families. His take-away is that the Genophage limits, but does not prevent, families. It's not the life-destroying thing some make it out to be. Not like with the Krogan.
Garrus, the amiable Turian, presents the case of 'we have the genophage too, it's not so bad.' Garrus has the genophage, and in some ways seeks to justify it to Shepard. If the Turians can be a major power with it, so can the Humans. Shepard can agree or disagree. Dr. Saleon's research was illegal genophage research, and his victims were people struggling to have children and desperate to try and escape the genophage, which gives Garrus some trouble.
Tali and the Quarians represent the worst-case of the genophage: what happens when a species PPG is destroyed, as theirs was by the Geth. Over-population would be a problem the Quarians would love to have. (Tali's own lack of desire to try pumping out babies is a reflection of latent xenophilia, which according to Shadow Broker files would be a scandal if discovered by the Fleet.)
Wrex is, of course, Wrex. He shouts at you for equating Humanity's fate with the Krogan, or equating the genophage of any other species with the Krogan genophage. He's very bitter about it, doesn't wish the genophage on anyone. His breeding-strategy reforms put him on the rare side of NOT wanting a genophage cure come ME2.
Anderson and Udina are foils for eachother, rather than pure-good and pure-****. Anderson is ambivalent about the Genophage, so long as it's agreed upon peacefully: he's never wanted offspring personally. Udina was one of the people who was afflicted with the 'baseline' Genophage: it broke his marriage and he's been in a bad temper ever sense. (Anderson points out that it's a testament to his political abilities, and not just his effective hard-line negotiating abilities, that Udina is still the ambassador.)
Saren is implied, but not stated, to have been involved with the rogue-genophage attack by Council extremists.
In the story of ME1...
Feros isn't changed, but Udina's post-mission reflection will mention how once the genophage is implemented, Humanity won't be able to afford to replace lost colonists.
Noveria and corporate sleaze are upgraded. Binary Helix is initially suspected of trying to work on a genophage cure, which is about the only thing the Council will not tolerate on Noveria. (Fortunately, they were just breeding Rachni.)
Sidequests
Pure Blood Refugee: Shepard can encounter a runaway pure-blood (alien, not human: probably a Hanar, maybe Elcor), who's trying to escape the Citadel. The Pure Blood wants to leave the Sanctuary Worlds, without being sterilized and/or submitting to the genophage. Turning him/her over to C-SEC, or convincing them to submit, is Paragon. Turning a blind-eye, or helping them escape, is Renegade.
Doctor Michelle: Doctor Michelle isn't being extorted, she's being threatened by anti-genophage extremists due to the fact that her clinic offers 'baseline' genophage to willing Humans.
Scan the Keepers: The genetic scanner from Chorban picks up readings indicating that the Keepers have been extensively genetically modified: 'like the genophage, but not.' Comes up in the ME2 email, plus possible pre-Ilos conversation with Chorban after you resolve the quest.
Cerberus in ME1 is implied to be fascinated with proxy-soldiers (Rachni, Thorian Creepers, Husks, Super-Soldiers) in an attempt to bypass the genophage. Kohaku's warning against them also accuses them of illegal genophage research: Cerberus is trying to cure the Human genophage before it's even released. (It's also doing its own version of the Maleon tests, but Human subjects.)
The minor species (Volus, Hanar, Elcor), bear the genophage with varying amounts of resignation. They could be stronger if they didn't have it, but they couldn't survive in the Terminus either. The genophage they bear pretty much leaves them eternally marginalized: they'll never grow enough to be considered 'real' powers, and so the genophage more or less keeps them marginalized forever.
Ashley and Kaiden provide the Human perspectives on the genophage. Both of them have big families (setting change). Ash treats the genophage a lot like some women would treat mandatory abortions, only without the words 'pro-life' or 'abortion' being mentioned. It's her body, and she doesn't want anyone else telling her what she can do with it. Reversing her view. Default Kaiden, in his travels across the galaxy, saw a lot of species live normal lives with normal families. His take-away is that the Genophage limits, but does not prevent, families. It's not the life-destroying thing some make it out to be. Not like with the Krogan.
Garrus, the amiable Turian, presents the case of 'we have the genophage too, it's not so bad.' Garrus has the genophage, and in some ways seeks to justify it to Shepard. If the Turians can be a major power with it, so can the Humans. Shepard can agree or disagree. Dr. Saleon's research was illegal genophage research, and his victims were people struggling to have children and desperate to try and escape the genophage, which gives Garrus some trouble.
Tali and the Quarians represent the worst-case of the genophage: what happens when a species PPG is destroyed, as theirs was by the Geth. Over-population would be a problem the Quarians would love to have. (Tali's own lack of desire to try pumping out babies is a reflection of latent xenophilia, which according to Shadow Broker files would be a scandal if discovered by the Fleet.)
Wrex is, of course, Wrex. He shouts at you for equating Humanity's fate with the Krogan, or equating the genophage of any other species with the Krogan genophage. He's very bitter about it, doesn't wish the genophage on anyone. His breeding-strategy reforms put him on the rare side of NOT wanting a genophage cure come ME2.
Anderson and Udina are foils for eachother, rather than pure-good and pure-****. Anderson is ambivalent about the Genophage, so long as it's agreed upon peacefully: he's never wanted offspring personally. Udina was one of the people who was afflicted with the 'baseline' Genophage: it broke his marriage and he's been in a bad temper ever sense. (Anderson points out that it's a testament to his political abilities, and not just his effective hard-line negotiating abilities, that Udina is still the ambassador.)
Saren is implied, but not stated, to have been involved with the rogue-genophage attack by Council extremists.
In the story of ME1...
Feros isn't changed, but Udina's post-mission reflection will mention how once the genophage is implemented, Humanity won't be able to afford to replace lost colonists.
Noveria and corporate sleaze are upgraded. Binary Helix is initially suspected of trying to work on a genophage cure, which is about the only thing the Council will not tolerate on Noveria. (Fortunately, they were just breeding Rachni.)
Sidequests
Pure Blood Refugee: Shepard can encounter a runaway pure-blood (alien, not human: probably a Hanar, maybe Elcor), who's trying to escape the Citadel. The Pure Blood wants to leave the Sanctuary Worlds, without being sterilized and/or submitting to the genophage. Turning him/her over to C-SEC, or convincing them to submit, is Paragon. Turning a blind-eye, or helping them escape, is Renegade.
Doctor Michelle: Doctor Michelle isn't being extorted, she's being threatened by anti-genophage extremists due to the fact that her clinic offers 'baseline' genophage to willing Humans.
Scan the Keepers: The genetic scanner from Chorban picks up readings indicating that the Keepers have been extensively genetically modified: 'like the genophage, but not.' Comes up in the ME2 email, plus possible pre-Ilos conversation with Chorban after you resolve the quest.
Cerberus in ME1 is implied to be fascinated with proxy-soldiers (Rachni, Thorian Creepers, Husks, Super-Soldiers) in an attempt to bypass the genophage. Kohaku's warning against them also accuses them of illegal genophage research: Cerberus is trying to cure the Human genophage before it's even released. (It's also doing its own version of the Maleon tests, but Human subjects.)
Posted at 12:21 PM on 2011-12-28
ME2 takes on the expanded genophage include...
'Genophage Cured!' spam email scams.
The Human colonies in the Terminus intend to refuse the genophage. Their pure-populations is part of why the Collectors target them. (The other part is to try and incite a Council-Terminus war once the Alliance intervenes.)
The Terminus colonies are serving as extra Human PPG's outside of Citadel control... something similar to the Independent Turian Colonies, but more beneficial to the Alliance. It's part of the Alliance-Council compromise in the Paragon playthrough: the Terminus colonies won't get Council help if they run into trouble, but also won't be genophaged so long as they aren't dangerous.
Cerberus views on the genophage are expounded upon. While Cerberus isn't against the genophage in practice, given the gains it means for Humanity and gaining the trust of the galaxy, Cerberus also picks up a 'pure Human' motif. Genetic, synthetic, biotic augmentation all you want, but genophage...! Cerberus interest in cracking the genophage is established, as is their role in defending against the rogue-council force genophage attempt. Ultimately, Cerberus would be willing to allow the Genophage in the Alliance so long as enough 'pure' Humans exist, outside the PPG. The Terminus colonies are one such region: Cerberus is helping the Alliance pursue a Turian-PPG strategy, where the besides the Council-protected PPGs, there are indpendent Human PPGs (the Terminus colonies) as well. Cerberus casts itself as the racial defenders of pure Humans: both creepy (racial purity undertones), but also visionary (Cerberus can protect the Human colonies in the Terminus, allowing them to use their gifts to expand Human influence.).
One of the reasons Slavery is so popular in the Terminus is that it's artificial population addition. The barbaric way to get around the genophage. Slave labor, slave soldiers. Actual slave-based societies in the Terminus, especially on Omega: house-slaves, warrior-slaves, etc. One of Illium's dirty secrets is that it is where high-skilled slaves can be reclassified as 'contract workers', which are legal elsewhere in Council space.
In regards to characters...
Miranda is genetically pure and without the genophage... which makes her sterility a bit more damning to her. It's established that that's why her father made Oriana. Miranda reminds us why there are other reasons people don't have kids.
Jacob... needs a change, particularly with his father. His libertarian corsair instincts might have made him sympathetic to helping Pure Bloods flee the PPGs. How he relates to the genophage, maybe he doesn't.
Mordin is, well, unapologetic to what he (re)did to the Krogan. Even though he could have let the genophage lighten to a 'genophage light', it was deemed to risky to show the genophage weakening. He's definitely conflicted about it, and the universal application of the genophage in question. Maleon, however, makes an appeal to Shepard about how the genophage is a threat to everyone, even Humans. If you don't kill Maleon, Cerberus picks him up and recruits him.
Jack doesn't care.
Kasumi doesn't care. However, unless the canon Greybox is really important, the incriminating evidence against the Alliance could be an Alliance attempt at a secret 'Vault' world for un-genophaged Humans. A secret, hidden underground colony program for the purpose of cheating the genophage. Effectively a breeding program, those born in the population there would be distributed to pad numbers and buffer colonization/military numbers.
Grunt was made to rise above the genophage, but the whole Okeer/Mad Scientist thing could have been redone. Consider keeping Okeer as a foil to Mordin. Grunt is the team-mate, but Okeer gives radio chatter when Grunt is in play. Some reflections about if Shepard could/would rise above the genophage.
Zaeed doesn't give a damn about the genophage, but it affects his backstory. The Blue Suns rose in power to the Top 3 because of the heavy Human component. Working with the established Batarians, Humans flooded the merc market because of more bodies. Rather than Human group diluted with Batarians, it was once a Batarian group overwhelmed with Humans.
Thane should be interesting. I'd say that the Drell were once a fast-breeding, expansionist empire... until the Council secretly genophaged them. Unable to replace their losses, the Terminus tore them apart until the Homeworld was collapsing. Then the Hanar intervend, opening the door for grateful, reformed Drell like Thane who regret that their ancestors were too proud to accept the genophage.
Tali doesn't care beyond what was already established. Quarian culture expects her to try and pump out babies. She'd rather pump Shepard, or any Human. Admiral Xen expands upon the Geth history for creating the Geth. The Geth were intended to be the Quarian race's means to bypass the genophage and be a great power. She would reclaim the Geth to do the same.
Samara and the Justicars enter queasy territory. Because Asari common law and culture accepts the genophage, the teleological nature of the Justicars mean that they must also support, defend, and help implement it (Samara has exposed an illegal Pure-Blood commune in the past). But part of why the Asari public is still on board with the genophage is because, hey, the Justicars support it, but the only reasons the Justicars support it is because the Asari public is on board with it. It's a self-reinforcing cycle that trapped in one position, and Samara can admit that it saddens her. Justicars like her don't feel the need to be the majority of a population, so population superiority means nothing to her.
No other genophage-related twists for anything else in the plot, or DLC. Everything else would be the 'do better' nature.
Come ME3, the genophage question would be raised once and for all as a Very Big Decision. Three main options would exist.
Curing the genophage for everyone would mean breaking the galactic order for the last thousand years. You get the aid of not only the Krogan, but all those who have been held back by the genophage. Minor races, Terminus groups, etc. Post-war is violent, but free, as fast-growing species compete with each other, and crowd out the slow-ones. The Krogan may dominate or may be too divided to focus, but Humans do well.
Keeping the Humans as the one fast-breeding species without the genophage is the epitome of selfish and self-serving. Some more Human assets, but not much else. Big consequences for the post-game epilogue, of course: as the sole fast-breeding species, Humans do well regardless of what else. (If Earth is destroyed, can still recover.)
Applying the genophage-light to Humanity would put Humanity in step with the galactic system that has existed for the past millenium. Wins you approval, assets from the Council races. Humanity's fate is tied to the fallout of the war: if Earth is destroyed, the species really is devastated.
'Genophage Cured!' spam email scams.
The Human colonies in the Terminus intend to refuse the genophage. Their pure-populations is part of why the Collectors target them. (The other part is to try and incite a Council-Terminus war once the Alliance intervenes.)
The Terminus colonies are serving as extra Human PPG's outside of Citadel control... something similar to the Independent Turian Colonies, but more beneficial to the Alliance. It's part of the Alliance-Council compromise in the Paragon playthrough: the Terminus colonies won't get Council help if they run into trouble, but also won't be genophaged so long as they aren't dangerous.
Cerberus views on the genophage are expounded upon. While Cerberus isn't against the genophage in practice, given the gains it means for Humanity and gaining the trust of the galaxy, Cerberus also picks up a 'pure Human' motif. Genetic, synthetic, biotic augmentation all you want, but genophage...! Cerberus interest in cracking the genophage is established, as is their role in defending against the rogue-council force genophage attempt. Ultimately, Cerberus would be willing to allow the Genophage in the Alliance so long as enough 'pure' Humans exist, outside the PPG. The Terminus colonies are one such region: Cerberus is helping the Alliance pursue a Turian-PPG strategy, where the besides the Council-protected PPGs, there are indpendent Human PPGs (the Terminus colonies) as well. Cerberus casts itself as the racial defenders of pure Humans: both creepy (racial purity undertones), but also visionary (Cerberus can protect the Human colonies in the Terminus, allowing them to use their gifts to expand Human influence.).
One of the reasons Slavery is so popular in the Terminus is that it's artificial population addition. The barbaric way to get around the genophage. Slave labor, slave soldiers. Actual slave-based societies in the Terminus, especially on Omega: house-slaves, warrior-slaves, etc. One of Illium's dirty secrets is that it is where high-skilled slaves can be reclassified as 'contract workers', which are legal elsewhere in Council space.
In regards to characters...
Miranda is genetically pure and without the genophage... which makes her sterility a bit more damning to her. It's established that that's why her father made Oriana. Miranda reminds us why there are other reasons people don't have kids.
Jacob... needs a change, particularly with his father. His libertarian corsair instincts might have made him sympathetic to helping Pure Bloods flee the PPGs. How he relates to the genophage, maybe he doesn't.
Mordin is, well, unapologetic to what he (re)did to the Krogan. Even though he could have let the genophage lighten to a 'genophage light', it was deemed to risky to show the genophage weakening. He's definitely conflicted about it, and the universal application of the genophage in question. Maleon, however, makes an appeal to Shepard about how the genophage is a threat to everyone, even Humans. If you don't kill Maleon, Cerberus picks him up and recruits him.
Jack doesn't care.
Kasumi doesn't care. However, unless the canon Greybox is really important, the incriminating evidence against the Alliance could be an Alliance attempt at a secret 'Vault' world for un-genophaged Humans. A secret, hidden underground colony program for the purpose of cheating the genophage. Effectively a breeding program, those born in the population there would be distributed to pad numbers and buffer colonization/military numbers.
Grunt was made to rise above the genophage, but the whole Okeer/Mad Scientist thing could have been redone. Consider keeping Okeer as a foil to Mordin. Grunt is the team-mate, but Okeer gives radio chatter when Grunt is in play. Some reflections about if Shepard could/would rise above the genophage.
Zaeed doesn't give a damn about the genophage, but it affects his backstory. The Blue Suns rose in power to the Top 3 because of the heavy Human component. Working with the established Batarians, Humans flooded the merc market because of more bodies. Rather than Human group diluted with Batarians, it was once a Batarian group overwhelmed with Humans.
Thane should be interesting. I'd say that the Drell were once a fast-breeding, expansionist empire... until the Council secretly genophaged them. Unable to replace their losses, the Terminus tore them apart until the Homeworld was collapsing. Then the Hanar intervend, opening the door for grateful, reformed Drell like Thane who regret that their ancestors were too proud to accept the genophage.
Tali doesn't care beyond what was already established. Quarian culture expects her to try and pump out babies. She'd rather pump Shepard, or any Human. Admiral Xen expands upon the Geth history for creating the Geth. The Geth were intended to be the Quarian race's means to bypass the genophage and be a great power. She would reclaim the Geth to do the same.
Samara and the Justicars enter queasy territory. Because Asari common law and culture accepts the genophage, the teleological nature of the Justicars mean that they must also support, defend, and help implement it (Samara has exposed an illegal Pure-Blood commune in the past). But part of why the Asari public is still on board with the genophage is because, hey, the Justicars support it, but the only reasons the Justicars support it is because the Asari public is on board with it. It's a self-reinforcing cycle that trapped in one position, and Samara can admit that it saddens her. Justicars like her don't feel the need to be the majority of a population, so population superiority means nothing to her.
No other genophage-related twists for anything else in the plot, or DLC. Everything else would be the 'do better' nature.
Come ME3, the genophage question would be raised once and for all as a Very Big Decision. Three main options would exist.
Curing the genophage for everyone would mean breaking the galactic order for the last thousand years. You get the aid of not only the Krogan, but all those who have been held back by the genophage. Minor races, Terminus groups, etc. Post-war is violent, but free, as fast-growing species compete with each other, and crowd out the slow-ones. The Krogan may dominate or may be too divided to focus, but Humans do well.
Keeping the Humans as the one fast-breeding species without the genophage is the epitome of selfish and self-serving. Some more Human assets, but not much else. Big consequences for the post-game epilogue, of course: as the sole fast-breeding species, Humans do well regardless of what else. (If Earth is destroyed, can still recover.)
Applying the genophage-light to Humanity would put Humanity in step with the galactic system that has existed for the past millenium. Wins you approval, assets from the Council races. Humanity's fate is tied to the fallout of the war: if Earth is destroyed, the species really is devastated.
Posted at 12:22 PM on 2011-12-28
In the Paragon Persuasions expansion (the ideological tilt, as opposed to just the population-mechanics), part of the re-make is that the Alliance has actually amassed a number of species under its own banner: a Human-dominated Alliance of species. Generally by finding and uplifting them and assimilating them: that actually rewrites the Drell into a Human-vassal (Humans found the Drell pre-Council Contact War, not the Hanar).
Besides some pretty extensive (but morally-grounded) research attempts at genetic engineering, the Alliance was also developing 'stable' AI's. These AI's, because they're treated nicely and have rights from the get-go, are a loyal part of the Alliance's panoply of species... and are a key in the Alliance's tech gains and societal management.
So the Alliance has a lot of research in genetics research of various species (echoed by Cerberus), as well as AI analysis and development. The AI is covered in the Renegade Reinterpretations.
Of course, the fact that the fast-breeding humans have unrestricted AI's is just a heart attack waiting to happen...
Ultimately, part of the First Contact War compromise, suggested by the AIs themselves, is that they be quarantined on Mars until they can 'prove' their stability to the Council.
Besides some pretty extensive (but morally-grounded) research attempts at genetic engineering, the Alliance was also developing 'stable' AI's. These AI's, because they're treated nicely and have rights from the get-go, are a loyal part of the Alliance's panoply of species... and are a key in the Alliance's tech gains and societal management.
So the Alliance has a lot of research in genetics research of various species (echoed by Cerberus), as well as AI analysis and development. The AI is covered in the Renegade Reinterpretations.
Of course, the fact that the fast-breeding humans have unrestricted AI's is just a heart attack waiting to happen...
Ultimately, part of the First Contact War compromise, suggested by the AIs themselves, is that they be quarantined on Mars until they can 'prove' their stability to the Council.
Posted at 12:25 PM on 2011-12-28
Shifting over to Paragon Parables shifts the timeline some. The discovery of Charon is pushed well, well after the Unification War.
The Unification War happens... well, you might say that it happens about 30 years after the Prothean cache. The ME1 setup of canon, conceptually: some small colonies, the beginning of expansion. Still small-scale, with a light inter-stellar presence. The divided Earth and its colonies begin to fight, the Alliance controls the colonies, and then controls Earth (loosely).
Instead of announcing the discovery of the Charon relay a decade after Unification, the Alliance announces the discovery of the post-collapse Drell homeworld of Rakhana. Implications that it was actually found during the Unification War, and that secret Alliance observers watched as the Drell nuked themselves.
Rather than trying to focus the Earth against some enemy, foreign or domestic, the Alliance focuses on bringing the Earth's unity together in helping the Drell. The Humanitarian First Contact effort, to save the Drell still on the Rakhana. The Earth's Unification-War military-industrial complex is turned into an expansionist-humanitarian complex, with the goal of helping a fellow sapient species.
This becomes the guiding focus of the Alliance for a long, long time. To reach Drell, an inter-stellar infrastructure program of ships, colonies, and logistical lift have to be born, paving the way of the first post-unification Human colonization drives. Colonies, supply caches, and plenty of ships and men and money are needed to simply reach the Drell.
When the Alliance reaches Rakhana with the means to do anything, Rakhana has fully collapsed. There is no functioning authority anywhere. Radiation exists. The Drell have descended back into tribalism, barbarity, and savagery as people steal and kill just to live another day. The nightmares of the pre-collapse government horrors still linger. It is, in effect, the Fallout universe... more FO3 than FO:NV.
The Alliance descends to feed the hungry, heal the sick, defend the weak... under the Aegis of the Alliance. Desperate communities just trying to survive gratefully flock to the Alliance for protection from the petty-tyrants and gang leaders. Petty-tyrants and raider gangs have to be stopped, and their victims people liberated.
(And if it seems that people who oppose the Alliance's benvolent aid missions are constantly petty-tyrants and raider gangs who don't want to lose power...)
It's a humanitarian occupation for the next century alone. Raider gangs and petty warlords roam the world, often trying to throw out the Humans even as they also saddle up. The pockets of independent societies on Rakhan play politics, trying to set themselves for independence even as they play politics with and against each other. Ultimately, however, the Alliance is the strongest, if not the cleverest, and it has the best enticements.
Ultimately, the Human Alliance and a select group of Drell representatives, selected by the Alliance, draw up the Compact. In it, the Alliance vows to take in the Drell, to help give them new worlds, and to restor Rakhana. In exchange, the Drell agreed to be faithful citizens, to stand by the Alliance in a mutual defense pact, and to return the favor if it was ever needed.
Thus, the Human-specific Systems Alliance became the Species Alliance.
The Unification War happens... well, you might say that it happens about 30 years after the Prothean cache. The ME1 setup of canon, conceptually: some small colonies, the beginning of expansion. Still small-scale, with a light inter-stellar presence. The divided Earth and its colonies begin to fight, the Alliance controls the colonies, and then controls Earth (loosely).
Instead of announcing the discovery of the Charon relay a decade after Unification, the Alliance announces the discovery of the post-collapse Drell homeworld of Rakhana. Implications that it was actually found during the Unification War, and that secret Alliance observers watched as the Drell nuked themselves.
Rather than trying to focus the Earth against some enemy, foreign or domestic, the Alliance focuses on bringing the Earth's unity together in helping the Drell. The Humanitarian First Contact effort, to save the Drell still on the Rakhana. The Earth's Unification-War military-industrial complex is turned into an expansionist-humanitarian complex, with the goal of helping a fellow sapient species.
This becomes the guiding focus of the Alliance for a long, long time. To reach Drell, an inter-stellar infrastructure program of ships, colonies, and logistical lift have to be born, paving the way of the first post-unification Human colonization drives. Colonies, supply caches, and plenty of ships and men and money are needed to simply reach the Drell.
When the Alliance reaches Rakhana with the means to do anything, Rakhana has fully collapsed. There is no functioning authority anywhere. Radiation exists. The Drell have descended back into tribalism, barbarity, and savagery as people steal and kill just to live another day. The nightmares of the pre-collapse government horrors still linger. It is, in effect, the Fallout universe... more FO3 than FO:NV.
The Alliance descends to feed the hungry, heal the sick, defend the weak... under the Aegis of the Alliance. Desperate communities just trying to survive gratefully flock to the Alliance for protection from the petty-tyrants and gang leaders. Petty-tyrants and raider gangs have to be stopped, and their victims people liberated.
(And if it seems that people who oppose the Alliance's benvolent aid missions are constantly petty-tyrants and raider gangs who don't want to lose power...)
It's a humanitarian occupation for the next century alone. Raider gangs and petty warlords roam the world, often trying to throw out the Humans even as they also saddle up. The pockets of independent societies on Rakhan play politics, trying to set themselves for independence even as they play politics with and against each other. Ultimately, however, the Alliance is the strongest, if not the cleverest, and it has the best enticements.
Ultimately, the Human Alliance and a select group of Drell representatives, selected by the Alliance, draw up the Compact. In it, the Alliance vows to take in the Drell, to help give them new worlds, and to restor Rakhana. In exchange, the Drell agreed to be faithful citizens, to stand by the Alliance in a mutual defense pact, and to return the favor if it was ever needed.
Thus, the Human-specific Systems Alliance became the Species Alliance.
Posted at 12:26 PM on 2011-12-28
Cynicism of Enlightened Self-Interest
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The Alliance did have ulterior motives to helping the Drell than simple kindness.
First, Rakhana offered a chance to unify the post-unification Humanity. Rather than a foreign enemy or an internal threat, rescuing the Drell served as a unifying goal for the Alliance. A rather ideal one that nearly everyone could get behind, even as it served to advance the hard-power interests of the Alliance. That Humanity would develop a cultural do-gooder complex in regards to other species is, well, a better flaw than xenophobia and militarism.
Second, First Contact is a major social event. While Humanity was aware of the existence of aliens in general from the Prothean ruins, actual contact was still up for grabs. Rather than trauma, a benevolent first contact would have a much more desirable effect on any future contacts with other species, where hostility and paranoia could be worse than the actual threat. Meeting the Drell, and studying them, would provide major sociological advancements for Humanity, including just how different (or similar) Humans and Aliens could be.
Third, Rakhana was a prize in and of itself. While food-poor, it was and is resource rich: minerals, metals. While food had run out, Rakhana was and is among the richest resource-worlds in Alliance space. Even with the ruination of the collapse, even the ruins of Rakhana's infrastructure made it a quick and easy to develop area.
Fourth, e-zero and biotics. While the Prothean Ruins enabled limited production of e-zero, natural amounts were incredibly rare within the Alliance space: part of the Alliance's key advantages in the war was a monopoly on e-zero mining. Rakhana's solar system is plentiful in e-zero. Rakhana itself, thanks to regular e-zero asteroids through history, has a plethora of natural biotics. While Rakhana collapsed in the pre-space age technology (think Cold War/Modern), and could never capitalize on its e-zero, it had extensive biotic experience and knowledge. Given the relative scaricity of accidental e-zero exposures, much of the Alliance's early understanding of biotics and biotic amps was actually derived from the Drell.
///
Now, the impact of the Paragon Parable's Alliance working to help the Drell has had many cultural changes of note, for both species...
///
The Alliance did have ulterior motives to helping the Drell than simple kindness.
First, Rakhana offered a chance to unify the post-unification Humanity. Rather than a foreign enemy or an internal threat, rescuing the Drell served as a unifying goal for the Alliance. A rather ideal one that nearly everyone could get behind, even as it served to advance the hard-power interests of the Alliance. That Humanity would develop a cultural do-gooder complex in regards to other species is, well, a better flaw than xenophobia and militarism.
Second, First Contact is a major social event. While Humanity was aware of the existence of aliens in general from the Prothean ruins, actual contact was still up for grabs. Rather than trauma, a benevolent first contact would have a much more desirable effect on any future contacts with other species, where hostility and paranoia could be worse than the actual threat. Meeting the Drell, and studying them, would provide major sociological advancements for Humanity, including just how different (or similar) Humans and Aliens could be.
Third, Rakhana was a prize in and of itself. While food-poor, it was and is resource rich: minerals, metals. While food had run out, Rakhana was and is among the richest resource-worlds in Alliance space. Even with the ruination of the collapse, even the ruins of Rakhana's infrastructure made it a quick and easy to develop area.
Fourth, e-zero and biotics. While the Prothean Ruins enabled limited production of e-zero, natural amounts were incredibly rare within the Alliance space: part of the Alliance's key advantages in the war was a monopoly on e-zero mining. Rakhana's solar system is plentiful in e-zero. Rakhana itself, thanks to regular e-zero asteroids through history, has a plethora of natural biotics. While Rakhana collapsed in the pre-space age technology (think Cold War/Modern), and could never capitalize on its e-zero, it had extensive biotic experience and knowledge. Given the relative scaricity of accidental e-zero exposures, much of the Alliance's early understanding of biotics and biotic amps was actually derived from the Drell.
///
Now, the impact of the Paragon Parable's Alliance working to help the Drell has had many cultural changes of note, for both species...
Posted at 12:27 PM on 2011-12-28
Human Culture pre-Council
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In short, it's a Messiah Complex.
After nearly of helping make the Drell Homeworld livable again, the Alliance made Second Contact with another species. Who they are isn't really important: might as well say it's the Raloi.
The Raloi are pre-spaceflight. Heck, the Raloi are almost pre-civiliation: they are sentient, but still at a tribal phase of development. Still at the mercy of natural predators, though they have simple tools and fire. They barely have spoken languages, and the few civilizations there are tend to be the slave-sacrificing tyranical sort. Plus, like the Drell they breed noticably slower than humans, so it would be a long wait for development.
The Raloi are weak, they're so much good that can be done for them, and the Raloi homeworld happens to be a Human-compatible Garden world...
So the System Alliance uplifts them as well. Within the context of the Alliance, of course. As they are civilized, they grow up in a culture setting that would eagerly worship Humans as gods if the Alliance tried, but is all the more devoted because Humanity is too noble for such a thing. No one of much note complains or even cares when the Human 'obseration/uplifting' population surpasses the Raloi on their own homeworld.
Years later, the Alliance comes a cross a young species that's just entered the space age. Let's call them the Rillef's. It, like the Earth at the equivalent period, is divided in a multi-way Cold War. The Alliance, seeking to help this species avoid the mistakes of Humanity, backs the morally-superior faction, helping them subdue the dictatorships and tyrannies that suppressed the rest of the world. After occupying those regions much like they did Rakhana, the system Alliance arranges for the Rillef homeworld to join the Alliance. It's status is similar to Earth: the nations of Rillef are independent and autonomous, but the colonies and space assets are colonized within the Alliance jurisdiction. The Rillef who were the 'good' faction remain a reputation for independence and autonomy, but the Alliance-policed continents grow into direct-Alliance organs.
The Kirik (the biotic-bugs from CDN) are found by explorers. Sentient, but non-threatening, they are too-primitive to be fully elevated, and so are made into a protectorate/protected-species. Alliance biologists and sociologists work towards uplifting them.
Particularly notable...
The Systems Alliance finds the Ghost Ship, from CDN. The Ghost Ship becomes the basis of the Alliance's 'stable' AI technology.
And so it goes. The Alliance picks up species it finds, which before contact with the Turians are all species that are smaller, weaker, far more primitive, and less-reproductive than itself.
Humanity plays the role of the 'Elder Race', and the Systems Alliance is built around the population-dominant-Humanity incorporating a number of minor species who, by virtue of their starting position and lower birth rates, are overwhelmed and absorbed Humanity. A mega-station-ship, Acturius, is begun to serve as a common capital.
And all this is well under way before, after generations of neglect, new surveys of Charon reveal the first Mass Relay...
Before Humanity makes contact with the Turians and the Council, it is its own inter-stellar multi-racial empire... albeit one dominated by Humans who have, through luck and opportunity, taken a more benevolent culture route.
The Citadel Council light, but with one dominant species.
///
In short, it's a Messiah Complex.
After nearly of helping make the Drell Homeworld livable again, the Alliance made Second Contact with another species. Who they are isn't really important: might as well say it's the Raloi.
The Raloi are pre-spaceflight. Heck, the Raloi are almost pre-civiliation: they are sentient, but still at a tribal phase of development. Still at the mercy of natural predators, though they have simple tools and fire. They barely have spoken languages, and the few civilizations there are tend to be the slave-sacrificing tyranical sort. Plus, like the Drell they breed noticably slower than humans, so it would be a long wait for development.
The Raloi are weak, they're so much good that can be done for them, and the Raloi homeworld happens to be a Human-compatible Garden world...
So the System Alliance uplifts them as well. Within the context of the Alliance, of course. As they are civilized, they grow up in a culture setting that would eagerly worship Humans as gods if the Alliance tried, but is all the more devoted because Humanity is too noble for such a thing. No one of much note complains or even cares when the Human 'obseration/uplifting' population surpasses the Raloi on their own homeworld.
Years later, the Alliance comes a cross a young species that's just entered the space age. Let's call them the Rillef's. It, like the Earth at the equivalent period, is divided in a multi-way Cold War. The Alliance, seeking to help this species avoid the mistakes of Humanity, backs the morally-superior faction, helping them subdue the dictatorships and tyrannies that suppressed the rest of the world. After occupying those regions much like they did Rakhana, the system Alliance arranges for the Rillef homeworld to join the Alliance. It's status is similar to Earth: the nations of Rillef are independent and autonomous, but the colonies and space assets are colonized within the Alliance jurisdiction. The Rillef who were the 'good' faction remain a reputation for independence and autonomy, but the Alliance-policed continents grow into direct-Alliance organs.
The Kirik (the biotic-bugs from CDN) are found by explorers. Sentient, but non-threatening, they are too-primitive to be fully elevated, and so are made into a protectorate/protected-species. Alliance biologists and sociologists work towards uplifting them.
Particularly notable...
The Systems Alliance finds the Ghost Ship, from CDN. The Ghost Ship becomes the basis of the Alliance's 'stable' AI technology.
And so it goes. The Alliance picks up species it finds, which before contact with the Turians are all species that are smaller, weaker, far more primitive, and less-reproductive than itself.
Humanity plays the role of the 'Elder Race', and the Systems Alliance is built around the population-dominant-Humanity incorporating a number of minor species who, by virtue of their starting position and lower birth rates, are overwhelmed and absorbed Humanity. A mega-station-ship, Acturius, is begun to serve as a common capital.
And all this is well under way before, after generations of neglect, new surveys of Charon reveal the first Mass Relay...
Before Humanity makes contact with the Turians and the Council, it is its own inter-stellar multi-racial empire... albeit one dominated by Humans who have, through luck and opportunity, taken a more benevolent culture route.
The Citadel Council light, but with one dominant species.
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