Options discussed:
On the whole, id like to have an actual practical solution for making this journey. Im pretty sure a plot device is going to explain that away, but since physics are actually a thing, id like to theorise how the journey could be completed by using already existing technology in the mass effect universe.
Assuming we get a lore-based explanation in a codex entry, and not just a hand wave like we got with the Reapers no longer being stuck in dark space, I'd guess reverse engineered Reaper propulsion, utilization of the static deep space discharge tech used on space stations, and cryosleep for the centuries long journey. An A.I. or V.I. will run the ship while the organic crew takes their extended nap.
How about a non-standard, non-Reaper FTL core? Say, one constructed by some previous cycle, conceivably by reverse-engineering Reaper tech. The advantages are that it's relatively safe, and yet there's only the one drive, so there's only one Ark.
That's certainly one possibility, but it leaves the question of: If there was a cycle advanced enough to pull that off, why couldn't they fight off the Reapers or escape themselves?
unless you think these beings would the the "Remnants"?
One theory I thought was interesting was that the ark could be a leftover contingency plan from the Rachni Wars. The Reaper War isn't the first time the Council species faced the possibility of extinction, so it makes some sense that there might have been planning for that possibility prior to the Reaper War. The Asari, as such a long-lived species, would be perfect for that sort of thing. The Rachni War was only as distant to them as the First World War is to us currently.
The only potential issue with that is that a mothballed Rachni War ark wouldn't have the means to travel between galaxies without refueling, like the Reapers can. If Bioware were going to go that route, I'd have the ark take a zig-zag course to Andromeda from the Milky Way. Dark space is not truly dark. As many as half of all stars in existence are thought to reside between galaxies rather than in them, so they could have the ark chart a course between these intergalactic star systems, refueling along the way. The journey would just take a lot longer.
This is just a plot device. Mass relays require two to function, thats the way its been over the entire trilogy. This kind of plot device is exactly what I hope is avoided in ME:A.
Assuming we get a lore-based explanation in a codex entry, and not just a hand wave like we got with the Reapers no longer being stuck in dark space, I'd guess reverse engineered Reaper propulsion, utilization of the static deep space discharge tech used on space stations, and cryosleep for the centuries long journey. An A.I. or V.I. will run the ship while the organic crew takes their extended nap.
There is no way the galaxy can reserve engineer a reaper drive core in such a short time span since reaper core's "break the know laws of physics". The static discharge system was also designed for space stations not space faring ships since its akin to a lighting rod, which raises the question if the galaxy has managed to solved the issue of static then build up why isn't being used by all FTL capable ships? 2000+ years is more than enough time to make the technology more practical.
Of the ways talked about in the video, my favorite is the use of Reaper drives and second is there being Mass Relays in Andromeda. I love the Black Ark Theory and Intergalactic Reaper Theory since they deals with several issues that arise in a lore-friendly way.
However, I'm expecting another "Resources" explanation like they did with the Lazarus Project in ME2.
This is just a plot device. Mass relays require two to function, thats the way its been over the entire trilogy. This kind of plot device is exactly what I hope is avoided in ME:A.
There is no way the galaxy can reserve engineer a reaper drive core in such a short time span since reaper core's "break the know laws of physics". The static discharge system was also designed for space stations not space faring ships since its akin to a lighting rod, which raises the question if the galaxy has managed to solved the issue of static then build up why isn't being used by all FTL capable ships? 2000+ years is more than enough time to make the technology more practical.
The galaxy has already reverse engineered Reaper tech. It isn't far-fetched at all as there is precedent for it in the lore. It is done with the thanix weapons, and you can use the Shadow Broker terminal to dispatch remote drones to salvage tech from a destroyed Reaper that can be used to give Shepard a stat boost. The terminal states that the drones allow the recovery of Reaper tech without exposure to indoctrination, so it was presumably how Sovereign's weapon was reverse engineered as well.
Reaper drive cores only seemed like magic because the galaxy had no working knowledge of what was going on inside a Reaper. It was a mystery because prior to the Reaper War the galaxy could only observe what was going on outside of a Reaper's hull, and Sovereign was so thoroughly demolished (presumably) that the debris wasn't sufficient. While the bit about Sovereign's debris is an assumption, I think it is plausible one. After all the Thanix is greatly inferior to a Reaper's main gun, despite being a knock off. The galaxy wasn't able to recreate it completely, which potentially lends some support for Sovereign being too destroyed for the engineers to truly get a working understanding of everything going on inside it.
That mystery of what is going on inside Reaper's should realistically end during the course of the Reaper War. There are multiple Reapers that are destroyed but still in an intact state. Drones poking around in the drive core would fill in the blanks for those mystified engineers, and Reaper propulsion would cease to be magic.
The Batarians also had something like twenty years to poke around an intact Reaper. While they had no idea what they had found and all ended up indoctrinated, it certainly possible that scans or technical specs from the engineers poking around the ship ended up in a Batarian state archive somewhere, and that those archives could be accessed by some who did not have personal exposure to the Leviathan of Dis. With the collapse of the Batarian Hegemony it isn't too far-fetched that a defector could have provided intel to the Council or the Alliance, or even that Spectres or Special Operatives raided Batarian intelligence during the course of the war. I kind of like the idea of a Batarian defector turning over specs to the Leviathan of Dis to the Council or the Alliance, since it would make that Batarian a hero and present a more balanced portrayal than the 'all humans are a blight!' types we usually ran into during the games.
There is nothing in the games that says the static discharge facilities of space stations can't be used for an ark. We don't know why they weren't use on ships. It is an assumption, and potentially a false onem that because it wasn't done, it can't. It could just be that wasn't cost effective for ships. Or that the facilities would need to be towed for a ship. Or that they simply were not necessary for any ship travelling within the galaxy. The writers have a completely blank slate to work with there, and they could port the tech to an ark without running into a single lore obstacle.
This gives me so many Outbound Flight vibes.
Can't Bioware just hire Timothy Zahn?
Mass relays are just a plot device.
Relative to the real world yes, but in the mass effect universe they are a thing, always have been a thing and are an established cornerstone of the mass effect universe. You cant just tie one to a ship, have it not need a counterpart and say 'well this is a thing now because reasons' to explain it. Thats what a plot device is, not a mass relay.
The galaxy has already reverse engineered Reaper tech. It isn't far-fetched at all as there is precedent for it in the lore. It is done with the thanix weapons, and you can use the Shadow Broker terminal to dispatch remote drones to salvage tech from a destroyed Reaper that can be used to give Shepard a stat boost. The terminal states that the drones allow the recovery of Reaper tech without exposure to indoctrination, so it was presumably how Sovereign's weapon was reverse engineered as well.
Reaper drive cores only seemed like magic because the galaxy had no working knowledge of what was going on inside a Reaper. It was a mystery because prior to the Reaper War the galaxy could only observe what was going on outside of a Reaper's hull, and Sovereign was so thoroughly demolished (presumably) that the debris wasn't sufficient. While the bit about Sovereign's debris is an assumption, I think it is plausible one. After all the Thanix is greatly inferior to a Reaper's main gun, despite being a knock off. The galaxy wasn't able to recreate it completely, which potentially lends some support for Sovereign being too destroyed for the engineers to truly get a working understanding of everything going on inside it.
That mystery of what is going on inside Reaper's should realistically end during the course of the Reaper War. There are multiple Reapers that are destroyed but still in an intact state. Drones poking around in the drive core would fill in the blanks for those mystified engineers, and Reaper propulsion would cease to be magic.
The Batarians also had something like twenty years to poke around an intact Reaper. While they had no idea what they had found and all ended up indoctrinated, it certainly possible that scans or technical specs from the engineers poking around the ship ended up in a Batarian state archive somewhere, and that those archives could be accessed by some who did not have personal exposure to the Leviathan of Dis. With the collapse of the Batarian Hegemony it isn't too far-fetched that a defector could have provided intel to the Council or the Alliance, or even that Spectres or Special Operatives raided Batarian intelligence during the course of the war. I kind of like the idea of a Batarian defector turning over specs to the Leviathan of Dis to the Council or the Alliance, since it would make that Batarian a hero and present a more balanced portrayal than the 'all humans are a blight!' types we usually ran into during the games.
Not to mention the extensive data about the Collectors and more importantly their ships James was able to retrieve for the Alliance(at the cost of April and all the other colonists 
) during the events of Mass Effect: Paragon Lost, which takes place around the time early Mass Effect 2 does.
The galaxy has already reverse engineered Reaper tech. It isn't far-fetched at all as there is precedent for it in the lore. It is done with the thanix weapons, and you can use the Shadow Broker terminal to dispatch remote drones to salvage tech from a destroyed Reaper that can be used to give Shepard a stat boost. The terminal states that the drones allow the recovery of Reaper tech without exposure to indoctrination, so it was presumably how Sovereign's weapon was reverse engineered as well.
The thanix cannon and a reaper drive core are two completely different things, with the later being extremely complex.
Reaper drive cores only seemed like magic because the galaxy had no working knowledge of what was going on inside a Reaper. It was a mystery because prior to the Reaper War the galaxy could only observe what was going on outside of a Reaper's hull, and Sovereign was so thoroughly demolished (presumably) that the debris wasn't sufficient. While the bit about Sovereign's debris is an assumption, I think it is plausible one. After all the Thanix is greatly inferior to a Reaper's main gun, despite being a knock off. The galaxy wasn't able to recreate it completely, which potentially lends some support for Sovereign being too destroyed for the engineers to truly get a working understanding of everything going on inside it.
If engineers don't have a full understanding on how a reaper drive core can operate it raises questions if a reverse engineered version will function properly and not blow up in their face when they press the on button.
That mystery of what is going on inside Reaper's should realistically end during the course of the Reaper War. There are multiple Reapers that are destroyed but still in an intact state. Drones poking around in the drive core would fill in the blanks for those mystified engineers, and Reaper propulsion would cease to be magic.
Given how the threat of extinction is gone, they have all the time they need to understand how it works its safe to say it won't be done in three years.
There is nothing in the games that says the static discharge facilities of space stations can't be used for an ark. We don't know why they weren't use on ships. It is an assumption, and potentially a false onem that because it wasn't done, it can't. It could just be that wasn't cost effective for ships. Or that the facilities would need to be towed for a ship. Or that they simply were not necessary for any ship travelling within the galaxy. The writers have a completely blank slate to work with there, and they could port the tech to an ark without running into a single lore obstacle.
2000+ years is more than enough time to make a more practical method of resolving the static build up issue, also if a discharge system is unable to work on regular ships chances are its not going to work on an ark ship either.
The thanix cannon and a reaper drive core are two completely different things, with the later being extremely complex.
Are you absolutely positive that that's the case? Because it's not apparent to me.
If engineers don't have a full understanding on how a reaper drive core can operate it raises questions if a reverse engineered version will function properly and not blow up in their face when they press the on button.
Given how the threat of extinction is gone, they have all the time they need to understand how it works its safe to say it won't be done in three years.
If they're tripping over countless reaper corpses on damn near every inhabited world, who's to say they don't piece it together quickly and easily? They've got tons of functional, complete examples to tinker with.
2000+ years is more than enough time to make a more practical method of resolving the static build up issue, also if a discharge system is unable to work on regular ships chances are its not going to work on an ark ship either.
Why didn't we have an army of electric cars on the road before 1965?
As Han notes, possibly resolving the static build up issue was heretofore unnecessary and/or unprofitable. To me, that sounds like an eminently plausible reason why it might not have been widely researched or pursued.
As Han notes, possibly resolving the static build up issue was heretofore unnecessary and/or unprofitable. To me, that sounds like an eminently plausible reason why it might not have been widely researched or pursued.
The charge happens because mass effect fields. Its a by product of the technology itself, you can't just engineer it away. It would be like asking someone to remove the smoke when lighting a fire.
now explain
Omni Blades
Medi Gel
Lazarus Project
Biotics
How was Kelly Chambers so damn sexy in ME2 and disgusting in ME3?
Are you absolutely positive that that's the case? Because it's not apparent to me.
I'm pretty sure there's a huge difference between a weapon and a drive core.
If they're tripping over countless reaper corpses on damn near every inhabited world, who's to say they don't piece it together quickly and easily? They've got tons of functional, complete examples to tinker with.
The galaxy is struggling to hold their own against the reaper's, saying that countless there are countless reaper's corpses near every inhabited world is a bit of an exaggeration. Also obtaining said tech while the reaper's still have a presence is easier said than done.
Why didn't we have an army of electric cars on the road before 1965?
Apples and oranges cars had only existed for less than a century, FTL in the ME universe has been around for several thousand years.
As Han notes, possibly resolving the static build up issue was heretofore unnecessary and/or unprofitable. To me, that sounds like an eminently plausible reason why it might not have been widely researched or pursued.
If they weren't able to implements such technology then its safe to say its not going to work for an ark ship as well.
The charge happens because mass effect fields. Its a by product of the technology itself, you can't just engineer it away. It would be like asking someone to remove the smoke when lighting a fire.
Well, sure you can, because it's already been done. The issue is making it work on a ship (reapers manage it). Or, if we're hypothesizing the "ark" as "really, really big" - maybe you can employ the same tech that a space station like the citadel uses?
How was Kelly Chambers so damn sexy in ME2 and disgusting in ME3?
She was great in both.
I'm pretty sure there's a huge difference between a weapon and a drive core.
You're apparently pretty sure, but I remain unconvinced. And you're not really providing any basis for your assertion.
The galaxy is struggling to hold their own against the reaper's, saying that countless there are countless reaper's corpses near every inhabited world is a bit of an exaggeration. Also obtaining said tech while the reaper's still have a presence is easier said than done.
They're all over the place. And if they're working on this after the threat of extinction has passed, as you note above, then they're definitely all over the place.
Apples and oranges cars had only existed for less than a century, FTL in the ME universe has been around for several thousand years.
If they weren't able to implements such technology then its safe to say its not going to work for an ark ship as well.
It's a fine example. Apples to apples. A few thousand years is just a few asari lifespans. And either way you put it, it's not a very long time, galactically speaking. Perhaps the galaxy at large regards it as a solution without a problem? Maybe there is some experimental work going on that we didn't see? Neither of those two options are implausible or lore breaking.
Edited for your edits.
They can start the game with my pc waking up an someone saying "we've arrived" n thats all i need
They can start the game with my pc waking up an someone saying "we've arrived" n thats all i need
I half expect that's how Mass Effect: Andromeda will start. The game starts by having a brief cutscene and the text crawl, then goes to the CC. After we create our character, we get a cutscene where we are awakened from a stasis pod.
now explain
Omni Blades
Medi Gel
Lazarus Project
Biotics
How was Kelly Chambers so damn sexy in ME2 and disgusting in ME3?
From the video:
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