It's always good to keep the war on terror going.
As a veteran of said War on Terror and a guy who's been analyzing and critiquing it for some time, no... no it's not.
All you can say is hail Hydra. Terrorism is like a hydra. Cut off the head in one place, and another few heads will grow in its place... somewhere else. Leave it alone, and it will bite you hard.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
As a veteran of said War on Terror and a guy who's been analyzing and critiquing it for some time, no... no it's not.
Perhaps not for so-called veterans, but for certain industries and interests the war on terror is a brilliant mechanism.
Perhaps not for so-called veterans, but for certain industries and interests the war on terror is a brilliant mechanism.
Not really. I don't really care to get into the economic facilitation here though.
I think I've had enough Cerberus to last a lifetime. Attacking the Citadel, multiple military bases, an assortment of other colonies... they were far overplayed in ME 3. I wouldn't be surprised if they make an appearance somehow in ME4 though.
I think I've had enough Cerberus to last a lifetime. Attacking the Citadel, multiple military bases, an assortment of other colonies... they were far overplayed in ME 3. I wouldn't be surprised if they make an appearance somehow in ME4 though.
^^^^
Personally, I am open to seeing them.
But definitely NOT as:
-such a prominent and close role as in ME2
-such an overriding and annoyingly present antagonistic role as in ME3 (seriously.. half the combat..)
Give em a role as big as the, I dunno, Geth in ME2 or the Leviathan DLC in ME3 (aka a few missions, maybe a few more in a minor way), and I'll be okay with it.
EDIT: They can even permeate throughout 2/3 of the game, just as long as it is in minor ways and NOT what half the game is about. For example, I'm quite fine with Cerberus being or becoming a different faction that exists to push boundaries in science that the Alliance and the rest of humanity refuse to touch (either legally or ethically). Okay. But I think I'm done with them as the evil force of evilness or the 'vaguely britishish sounding sneaky people'.
Give em a role as big as the, I dunno, Geth in ME2 or the Leviathan DLC in ME3 (aka a few missions, maybe a few more in a minor way), and I'll be okay with it.
How about.... give them a role they had in the original. Some small scale extremists who a minor nuisance and wholly incompetent.
Now that I'm on that, bring back planet exploration.
How about.... give them a role they had in the original. Some small scale extremists who a minor nuisance and wholly incompetent.
Now that I'm on that, bring back planet exploration.
I'd delete wholly incompetent from that list. Hell, I don't know if they'd be a nuisance either, seeing as they were hardly defined at all.
The first, since everything involving them was essentially running smoothly until Shepard interfered; You can't say that it's incompetence because you're building something and then someone else goes and smashes it. Not even for the Rachni; That was a case of underestimating their intelligence more than it was Cerberus screwing up on their own. The Rachni proved to be more capable and aggressive than history recorded, because their Rachni samples were created without the hormone/psychic connection to their progenitor. This caused them to be born rabid and insane.
How about.... give them a role they had in the original. Some small scale extremists who a minor nuisance and wholly incompetent.
Now that I'm on that, bring back planet exploration.
I don't need them to be incompetent.
One of the biggest things I thought about Cerberus in ME1-3, was that they were trying to uplift humanity into a state that is isn't necessary ready for. At least not en masse. The experiments they did, could have been done more safely and spread out over time, but even the Alliance wouldn't have signed up for it, even with all the potential benefits.
It's how Paragon Shepard puts it at the end (Paragon Shepard = I sympathize with you, but you're wrong), "Because.. we're not ready."
But what might happen when humanity *is* ready? When time has passed and people may even get used to a degree of Reaper-level tech instead of stumbling around it? I'd imagine perceptions would change about them. But whatever, that's just headcanon.
I'd delete wholly incompetent from that list. Hell, I don't know if they'd be a nuisance either, seeing as they were hardly defined at all.
The first, since everything involving them was essentially running smoothly until Shepard interfered; You can't say that it's incompetence because you're building something and then someone else goes and smashes it. Not even for the Rachni; That was a case of underestimating their intelligence more than it was Cerberus screwing up on their own. The Rachni proved to be more capable and aggressive than history recorded, because their Rachni samples were created without the hormone/psychic connection to their progenitor. This caused them to be born rabid and insane.
Still, though. They weren't exactly sucessful, and any science project that results in the death of the scientists is generally bad. Would not knowing about the pheromones only be considered ignorance, then? That I can buy.
I don't need them to be incompetent.
One of the biggest things I thought about Cerberus in ME1-3, was that they were trying to uplift humanity into a state that is isn't necessary ready for. At least not en masse. The experiments they did, could have been done more safely and spread out over time, but even the Alliance wouldn't have signed up for it, even with all the potential benefits.
It's how Paragon Shepard puts it at the end (Paragon Shepard = I sympathize with you, but you're wrong), "Because.. we're not ready."
But what might happen when humanity *is* ready? When time has passed and people may even get used to a degree of Reaper-level tech instead of stumbling around it? I'd imagine perceptions would change about them. But whatever, that's just headcanon.
All of that "we're not ready" makes no sense. What, genetic alteration? Forced implantation of reaper tech? It's obvious that Cerberus is going for human dominance. But Reaper tech is really dumb, seeing that's purely tactical and logistical.
But Rachni/Creeper shock troops? What good do they do? Does Cerberus really think that having some more infantry means anything? Humanity can't compete with the Turians/Salarians/Asari, and won't for a very long time. Even after the war, does Cerberus-analog still think that the other races of the galaxy aren't going to be getting better upgrades? It's nonsensical.
All of that "we're not ready" makes no sense. What, genetic alteration? Forced implantation of reaper tech? It's obvious that Cerberus is going for human dominance. But Reaper tech is really dumb, seeing that's purely tactical and logistical.
We're not ready to take in Reaper enhancements as a species without knowing what they do and are.
We can see in ME3's story that while Shepard and co. are hoping that a weapon will work for them, TIM is eventually stubbornly pursuing a concept that is relatively weak.
Paragon Shepard is more open to understanding the concept, for sure, even as he opposes it. But he won't pursue it at the cost it comes with (see: Cerberus' actions since..ever).
Reaper tech itself isn't dumb. It is just tech, and it is incredibly advanced. If we were against Reaper tech entirely, we'd be against the relays and more, and us using them becomes hypocritical. We can even understand more of the nature of Reaper indoctrination and huskification.
The thing is though, this knowledge came at the cost of immorality. Cerberus did what we would not, because, you know, we don't want to be evil.
But if we were somehow given a break from any Reaper conflict for another 50,000 years, I'm sure that anything we consider to be dangerous-Reaper-tech, will just be seen as the new standard. Cyber upgrades? Sure. Intelligence networking? Sure. Data preservation? Sure. Protection of all? Sure. Because we'd be given more 1000s of years to take it in, instead of, like, 10-20ish.
TIM is pushed more and more into a domain that isn't his, and pays for it.
Reaper tech isn't purely tactical and logistical. Its upgrades actually increase brainpower significantly (I know Cerb troops sound dumb, but they're actually very good fighters for their lack of experience, and only kept lower due to control over them), and its networking could facilitate an Internet of minds. It would revolutionize everything, and if humanity held the keys, it would be dominant, just as the Reapers were for millions of years.
But Rachni/Creeper shock troops? What good do they do? Does Cerberus really think that having some more infantry means anything? Humanity can't compete with the Turians/Salarians/Asari, and won't for a very long time. Even after the war, does Cerberus-analog still think that the other races of the galaxy aren't going to be getting better upgrades? It's nonsensical.
Rachni = understanding of networked minds.. with a queen
Creeper = understanding of networked minds.. with a mastermind
TIM wants to sacrifice his humanity so that he can be the new king of a galaxy. Not 'protector' like Shep in Control, but king - putting humanity on top, and if everyone is networked into his rule, they can't resist his Order.
He wants to Reaperfy everyone, eventually. That's made pretty clear with his dialogue and the side-info. While he may have first seen it as possible to maintain organic prominence, he is eventually driven by all sides into believing fully in Reaper power and supremacy, even if he doesn't believe in the Reapers' goals themselves.
And that's what makes him bad. Shepard, even with Control, doesn't indicate to us that he wants to Reaperfy/huskify everyone + with his rule. He either will 'watch over them' in Control, or do a proper and non-selfish merging with Synthesis. Not the corrupt combination of the two that makes the Reapers so dangerous and evil. TIM's biggest problem is his innate selfishness, even as he poses as a false savior.
I can see the merit in the idea of using rachni as shock troops. If it was possible to use them as a military force, I'd gladly send wave after wave of deadly, but disposable bugs against the likes of the geth and the reapers' recycled-body infantry. Heck, imagine being able to drop a pod full of acid-spitting bugs on top of a Blue Suns hideout lol.
Still, though. They weren't exactly sucessful, and any science project that results in the death of the scientists is generally bad. Would not knowing about the pheromones only be considered ignorance, then? That I can buy.
As I said, there's a reason they weren't successful. Shepard came storming into their labs and killed every last one of them. Kind of hinders opportunities for advancement. Otherwise, who knows what they might have come up with if Shepard didn't intervene. I wouldn't say that the Cerberus scientists didn't know about the Rachni pheromones or 'psychic' ability. I'd say that, along with another organization completely separate from Cerberus, they didn't know that it was caused by a disconnection with the Rachni Queen.
I can see the merit in the idea of using rachni as shock troops. If it was possible to use them as a military force, I'd gladly send wave after wave of deadly, but disposable bugs against the likes of the geth and the reapers' recycled-body infantry. Heck, imagine being able to drop a pod full of acid-spitting bugs on top of a Blue Suns hideout lol.
Get the Rachni troops to enter a reaper Capital ship and do damage to the interior
As I said, there's a reason they weren't successful. Shepard came storming into their labs and killed every last one of them. Kind of hinders opportunities for advancement. Otherwise, who knows what they might have come up with if Shepard didn't intervene. I wouldn't say that the Cerberus scientists didn't know about the Rachni pheromones or 'psychic' ability. I'd say that, along with another organization completely separate from Cerberus, they didn't know that it was caused by a disconnection with the Rachni Queen.
Mass Effect 2 kind of bugs me in how little this varies, because whether or not you follow Kohoku's quest line to Hades' Dogs, you still destroyed the facilities, according to Jacob.
Huh? I thought the default was that you didn't...
Huh? I thought the default was that you didn't...
I did a speed run of ME1 once, and somehow lines pertaining to Cerberus' experiments came up.
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