Well, anything CAN be used for bad. But so far the Relays have done more good than harm.
I'm not trying to suggest that choosing Control results in Indoctrination, but I think there's a huge difference between studying Reaper tech and trying to somehow manipulate the Reapers themselves.
in·doc·tri·na·tion
[in-dok-truh-ney-shuhn] Show IPA
noun
the act of indoctrinating, or teaching or inculcating a doctrine, principle, or ideology, especially one with a specific point of view: religious indoctrination.
indoctrinate (ɪnˈdɒktrɪˌneɪt)
— vb
1. to teach (a person or group of people) systematically to accept doctrines, esp uncritically
2. rare to impart learning to; instruct
Whatever your take, Control is Shepard being 'indoctrinated' into the Reapers. At least at the very end.
But not necessarily their view on the Cycle, nor their goals.
With the seeming exception of TIM(...), all other Indoctrinated individuals we meet, were sure that the Reapers' arrival and success was inevitable, and that we should react to the Reapers with submission.
Only Synthesis comes closest to that, but even then, it is us facing the choice not with utter submission, but with inquiry and curiosity. At least in our gameplay, it isn't exactly 'forced'. But in Synthesis we are indoctrinated (note the lower case) at least into the Reapers' current goals.
There's a pretty simple maxim: Technology is neither good nor evil. It's how it's used that matters.
Cerberus researching "Reaper Tech" is not good nor evil. Forcibly implanting it into unwilling participants in projects that have never really planned out is evil.
Of course, Reaper tech is still mainly only good for military use, outside of the relays. I have a hard time imagining that the Reapers ever developed luxury goods and civilian technology.
Which, of course, means "using the Reapers for the good of humanity" really can only mean creating big ships with big guns to oppress the rest of the galaxy. And, of course, would likely lead to the STG sneaking onto Earth and doing something nasty in revenge. The Reapers don't come with medical tech.
If Cerberus really stood what was best for Humanity, they'd get out of military/espionage and use all those scientists of theirs to start a huge R&D corporation to bolster the Alliance economy; to make the other races dependent on their products.
Reaper Tech = Reapers own the tech, they may have a QE connection to it, and you're opening yourself up for VERY dangerous outcomes with it.
Isolate the influence, and maybe Shep'll listen to you.
Eliminate the influence, and Shep'll probably hear you out about it.
That's my impression.
The relays have to seem to do more good than harm, otherwise the reaper trap wouldn't work. The relays are only truly beneficial when the reapers are finally neutralized.
I disagree. All you have to say is one thing: Regardless of their true purpose, the relays opened the stars to humanity. To the rest of the galaxy. Would you say that the relays weren't a benefit to the nearly 6,000 year history of the rest of the galaxy, who never had to deal with the Reapers?
There's a pretty simple maxim: Technology is neither good nor evil. It's how it's used that matters.
Cerberus researching "Reaper Tech" is not good nor evil. Forcibly implanting it into unwilling participants in projects that have never really planned out is evil.
Of course, Reaper tech is still mainly only good for military use, outside of the relays. I have a hard time imagining that the Reapers ever developed luxury goods and civilian technology.
Which, of course, means "using the Reapers for the good of humanity" really can only mean creating big ships with big guns to oppress the rest of the galaxy. And, of course, would likely lead to the STG sneaking onto Earth and doing something nasty in revenge. The Reapers don't come with medical tech.
If Cerberus really stood what was best for Humanity, they'd get out of military/espionage and use all those scientists of theirs to start a huge R&D corporation to bolster the Alliance economy; to make the other races dependent on their products.
You can expand on that maxim: 'No action is good or evil. Intent is the determiner. Results are the judge.'
I'd disagree with your assertion on implanting Reaper tech into people. I'll let my results tell me whether I was wrong or not.
How would it not be good for developing civilian technology? And really, if you're relying on the Reapers for creature comforts, your race isn't that compelling or imaginative to have reached the stars to begin with. You're displaying a lack of innovation and imagination and practicality for what technology could be used for. There are a million different ways Reaper tech could advance humanity.
And they did do just that (while doing military and espionage/political work at the same time). It was called Cord-Hislop Aerospace. There were many front companies and shell corporations that did just that. Hell, it's what my Cerberus is going to do post-destroy. Gather Reaper tech, make advances in all fields (while keeping themselves ahead of the curve), and doing all the things Cerberus always did before, just more quietly and with more control.
Would you say that the relays weren't a benefit to the nearly 6,000 year history of the rest of the galaxy, who never had to deal with the Reapers?
IMO that's one of your most valid positions.
Reaper tech has helped 'us' (us = current cycle species, including humanity) for longer than it has hurt.
Just turns out that the 'hurt' part seems to mean the extinguishing of all of our civilizations.
It remains fact that if it wasn't for the Reapers, Human civilization may never have existed. Depends how much Prothians had to do with it (none? a lot?), and if the Leviathans even allowed other organic civilization to flourish.
Let's not forget the Mass Relay Network comes from the Reapers. The pieces of technology that made the cycle what it is today and connected dozens of races that otherwise would never see each other.
I was going to include that too, but it would invite people responding with: "But it was a TRAP! REMEMBER???"
Never mind the trap ultimately failed -- arguably backfired, at that -- but yeah.
What's with this hyperbole? Even the Crucible itself utilizes reaper tech, the council seat resides on top of reaper tech, the mass relay is reaper tech
"Good" is relative, but "risky" is something else
Everything that is being used s derived from Reaper tech as its base origin. Not all reaper technology possess indoctrination capabilities. I was surprised that Hackett wanted Reaper Tech samples in ME3 from the Cerberus Lab. Could he be indoctrinated? LOL!
I was going to include that too, but it would invite people responding with: "But it was a TRAP! REMEMBER???"
Never mind the trap ultimately failed -- arguably backfired, at that -- but yeah.
Well, the reapers did admit they wanted civilizations to develop along their planned path - harvesting cycles, the "good" benefits derived are there to entice space-faring nations to not go astray from the grand plan
Another point, it is interesting that reaper tech can only survive in an ending where the reapers are allowed to physically exist
The problem with tech that comes from Reapers is that ever since we learned of the Citadel trap and indoctrination, that puts up ALL tech by the Reapers up for being part of a devious and devastating plan.
Shepard is right to be alarmed and concerned at points about it. The more time goes on, the more we learn about the Reapers capability, weaknesses, and other details. This builds familiarity and Shepard, at the 11th hour, can start even openly wondering about the prospect of controlling the Reapers themselves. He's shot down on that, but it nevertheless shows that as part of your Shepard.
Another point, it is interesting that reaper tech can only survive in an ending where the reapers are allowed to physically exist
The extended cut did kind of reverse this, at least for high EMS.
Well, the reapers did admit they wanted civilizations to develop along their planned path - harvesting cycles, the "good" benefits derived are there to entice space-faring nations to not go astray from the grand plan
Another point, it is interesting that reaper tech can only survive in an ending where the reapers are allowed to physically exist
They are tied.
People use stuff like Thanix cannons and such as examples of 'Reaper Tech'. Technically.. it isn't. It's tech at the level of Reapers, but not Da Reapah Tech.
Reaper Tech is anything that involves the Reapers' as intelligent entities really. Anything with indoctrination, the Reaper plan, huskification, etc. All the stuff that advances the Reapers as entities, up to being directly connected to them.
The history with Reaper Tech is that if you associate with it at ALL, you'll be manipulated to want more and more of it, to the point of eventual submission to the Reapers in some way.
You want those Relays? Well, you've opening yourself to the Harvest.
You want those nanite improvements? Well, you're opening yourself up to Reaper hacking and adoption of their methodology (becoming like them).
You want those artifacts? Well, you're opening yourself up to communication with Reapers and Indoctrination of your mind.
You want those Reapers? Well, you'll eventually want to make your own, and/or be part of one. Grats.
The Reaper 'Order' is overwhelming, and too much for an at least typical mind. They cover so many bases, so even picking up *some* Reaper tech opens you up for seeking more and more of it.
The history with Reaper Tech is that if you associate with it at ALL, you'll be manipulated to want more and more of it, to the point of eventual submission to the Reapers in some way.
Hmm, this is an intriguing thought
There is certainly a familiar pattern with organizations such as Cerberus where people daydream about becoming all powerful overnight
Though people might say this is reapers' way of guarding their own technology: you want to study it for purposes other than harvesting? well you run the risk of getting indoctrinated
It's their way of dominating the galactic chessboard. You're either with them or against them. If you want on their (normally) winning team, you become one of their pieces. To some significant extent.
but if we wrote people logically, we will not have Cerberus to shoot at. Many people want to shoot at Cerberus.
My first ever insanity run is making me kinda tired of shooting at Cerberus, really. 
Shepard 2.0 came from Reaper Tech... Oh never mind.
Yeah, Reaper tech bad.
Shepard 2.0 came from Reaper Tech... Oh never mind.
Yeah, Reaper tech bad.
Is this ever confirmed in-game?
Is this ever confirmed in-game?
No, but it makes sense. If current technology couldn't bring people back to life, then the only other option is using Reaper technology.
No, but it makes sense. If current technology couldn't bring people back to life, then the only other option is using Reaper technology.
Sure, but making sense and contributing to the narrative are two totally different things. Project Lazarus is introduced about as quickly as it's cast aside. Shepard's implants being derived from technology reverse engineered from the reapers is something that should be explicitly pointed out in the story, because it's far too important to simply leave a mystery. EDI is derived from both the Hannibal VI and components extracted from the wreckage of Sovereign. This is known to us immediately in ME2. Even the tech used to create Grunt was stated to be derived from the Collectors. The best time to reveal this would have been one of the video logs regarding Project Lazarus at Cronos station. If it was never mentioned there, then I must assume that reaper tech has nothing to do with it.
The three possibilities have always been:
1)Very high medical tech - only answer we can easily run with so far
2)Geth tech - would fit the (optional) symbolic relationship to Legion, but not confirmed
3)Reaper tech - would fit TIM's messing with it, but not confirmed and looks like it should be a bigger issue than was normally shown to us
Seeing as how 'machines' seem to go down similar lines... Medical, Geth, and Reaper tech here is somewhat the same thing. Not really, but still somewhat.
Personally, I like to think it's #2 or #3, or both - but especially #2. However, the narrative decided to not go that way, so I'll have to either have my hopes for the next game, or I'll just have to drop it.
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