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[Zulu_DFA]

In Evolution #2 we've got some homage to Sir Arthur Clarke's "Space Odyssey" series, particularly the Monolith.

And it is starting to look like it probably was the main "source of inspiration" for BioWare with all these Reapers and "beings of light"... Check out the linky and deside for yourself.


And here is my quick theory on the Reapers' origins, which I think is pretty much in line with this "Clarke" hypothesis.

Modifié par Zulu_DFA, 22 février 2011 - 09:49 .

[Iwillbeback]

Zulu_DFA wrote...

In Evolution #2 we've got some homage to Sir Arthur Clarke's "Space Odyssey" series, particularly the Monolith.

And it is starting to look like it probably was the main "source of inspiration" for BioWare with all these Reapers and "beings of light"... Check out the linky and deside for yourself.


And here is my quick theory on the Reapers' origins, which I think is pretty much in line with this "Clarke" hypothesis.

Could be a reference to people who believe they've been abducted by aliens and talk about their origins/plans to people in interviews and how it has been implanted in their minds.

Modifié par Iwillbeback, 22 février 2011 - 10:12 .

[Lapis Lazuli]

It's a classic lost treasure concept. the reapers are in a continuous cycle of attempting to re-create conditions that produced something that they tragically lost millions of years ago. They decided to keep rolling the dice every 50,000 years until is comes up 7. Whatever that is.

[KenKenpachi]

I think they arn't nearly as old as they claim, and in fact are only at best a couple hundred million years old matching up with the "great Rift" and the other vanished civilizations. I think more likely than not they were made as a weapon by a race getting its ass smashed and it just took a turn for the worse with a VERY bad case of Hal 9000.

I'm Sorry but I can't do that Dave...

Modifié par KenKenpachi, 22 février 2011 - 10:54 .

[Sisterofshane]

AdamBoozer wrote...

I love reading about the reapers and the many theories so I decided to make this thread. When it's near finished should have multiple theory's from the people on this forum. Just a couple rules to post one so we don't get the less reputable waffle reaper theories lol though they are funny this is a more serious thread.

1.) You have to leave a link to your source where you got the inspiration. If you got it from a mission what mission? a site what site? It not only legitimizes your theory, but it allows us to check back and see your train of thought on the matter.
2.) Follow the board rules when it comes to down to it, try not to troll, or fight with someone with just name calling it is good to see arguments, but only when they have substance.
3.) Don't talk about fight club. Oh wait wrong thing :L Nope the third rule is you MUST have of read the topics or watched the videos in the topic http://social.biowar...5/index/1142168 How are you supposed to post a theory without knowing what you are talking about anyway.

That's it. I just don't want to see the tread bogged down with waffle theories and people arguing about whose hotter Miranda or ash.

WITH that out of the way . . . What is you're theory about the origins of the reapers, their motives, and anything else reaper like you can think of so long as you're using the three rules to do it I don't mind.

My personal theory
I believe that billions of years ago (2) there existed a very great space faring organic cybernetic race (speculation because the reapers are all as far as I can tell because of EDI organic/and machines). There technology was far superior to anything anyone existing today. They used something our scientist call element zero aka neutronum. Element zero is so far beyond us that we can only theorize that it is formed inside neutron stars. (1) This cybernetic race built the reapers who in turn built the citadel and the mass relays billions of years ago. (3, 4) As a result the serpent nebula was created from billions of years of repair. (4) They encompassed they're entire galaxey, when they discovered there galaxy was dieing they sought a way to save themselves. They found one alternative left to continue they're race, The Reaper. Using an interstellar mass effect core engine as the reapers use today they escaped their civilzations death as the first reaper with a fraction of their civilzation. (5) They must have intended to "de-reaper" themselves through advanced cloning and downloading tech, on entry to the new galaxy, The Milky Way. (6) Once they arrived for some reason the programing on the A.I. side went wrong and took over or maybe they realized the immense power they had, but they did not "de-reaper". Instead, they remained as they were a reaper. The rest was really history as they say. Seeing the young milky way as a potential breeding ground for their own kind they built the relays and the citadel (super mass relay). I think they made the citadel in attempt to get to a better suited galaxy and then altered it to suit better as a trap when it had failed. Through billions of years (2) of advancement though 50k year hibernation set back in development they have advanced very far. They must have realized that they could harvest tech from rising organic races and improve and replicate themselves at the same time holding the galaxy as their own. That's my theory anyway. What do you think?

Sources:
1.Element zero aka Neutronum:
http://masseffect.wi...ki/Element_zero
http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Neutronium
2. Proof reapers existed billions of years ago:
Levithan of Dis http://masseffect.wi...eviathan_of_Dis
3. Mass relays / citadel:
http://masseffect.wi...wiki/Mass_Relay
http://masseffect.wi...om/wiki/Citadel
4. Serpent nebula:
http://masseffect.wi.../Serpent_Nebula
5. Reaper engines:
http://masseffect.wi...com/wiki/Reaper (Now removed from site it did have some speculation on the reaper engines if you can find the site please give it to me. It said that the reapers didn't need to discharge there drive cores since they were in dark space or perhaps they found another way around this.)
6. Reaper Memorys and A.I. programs
Look under "The reapers and collectors" http://masseffect.wi...com/wiki/Reaper

There are some good points but I think that it is a stretch to assume that the Reapers at first originated within another galaxy.  Yes they hide out in dark space, but I feel (like Vigil theorizes in the game) that it is more a self-defense mechanism brought about from this cycle of extinction.  It is far more likely to assume that, like the Leviathan of Dis, that whatever race created the Reapers, if their intent was to save their entire species through a preservation of individual DNA and collective consciousness, that they merely intended to wait out end times until their worlds had naturally recovered and they could be brought back.

However I think what happened was that when the collective consciousness interfaced with whatever programming the original species had intended, it created this form of AI (as EDI states at the collector base,an inorganic/organic construct) and whatever plan the species had programmed into the machine had from that point, been corrupted.  Think about what happened when Dr. Gavin Archer tried to interface his brother David to a VI in the Overlord DLC.  Whatever the VI had originally been intended for was gone, and David no longer had the ability to rationalize and control his behavior (even though he was autistic, he demonstrated at least some control over his reality).

To me, that would explain why the Reapers wait for Organic life to build up to what they believe is the pinnacle of their evolution, and then "harvest" them to create another Reaper.  They probably now conclude that this was what they were originally programmed to do.  I think that anything else they do beyond that (ie, harvest technology, create ways/employ tactics, hide out in dark space) is simply to simplify and improve the efficiency of the process of "Reaping".

[sedrikhcain]

Internet Kraken wrote...

Hm, okay. My only real theory about the Reapers in relation to the Human Reaper, and why they would build it.

Many people have wondered why the Reapers constantly allow civilizations to build itself up, only to swiftly destroy it. There are many theories as to why. You could think that the Reapers are just using organics as a food source, but arguably there are easier ways to cultivate and sustain organic food than allowing civilizations to constantly evolve and then fall. Rather I think they do it because the Reaper's culture involves preserving the most advanced and valuable species for eternity as Reapers. Reapers are not one single species, but rather a combination of all species ascended into a higher form of life. The best the galaxy has ever produced, all united under one banner.

The Reapers were not just trying to build any ordinary Reaper. They wanted to build a Human Reaper. Not to lead a massive attack against the Citadel, but rather because this is the Reaper's culture. They believe Humans are the species with the greatest potential. If they were just trying to build a generic Reaper, they could have used any species. Arguably it would be a lot easier to target something other than human colonies. But they specifically wanted to turn humans into the Reapers. Think about Harbinger's dialogue. He refers to the process of turning humans into genetic paste to fuel the larva's growth as "ascension". Why use that word in particular? Why not call it "assimilation"? Or "consumption"? "Ascension" implies that they are raising humans to be what they consider to be a higher form of life. They see value in humans.

But what about Sovereign? He didn't seem to like organics at all. Why turn them into Reapers? Well I believe that the Reapers may have considered the current organic "crop" to be a failure, not worthy of being turned into Reapers. This could be for a number of reasons. I think it's because the galaxy had a very diverse category of sentient lifeforms, with no one species appearing to be dominant. The Protheans appeared to be the undisputed rulers of the galaxy at the time of their downfall. This is the Reapers idea of the perfect organic race to harvest. One species that follows their predetermined line of technological advancement, rather than a handful of species that all do so at the same time. So the Reapers were all set to just wipe every race out and start from scratch. What changed this? Well humans killed a Reaper. The game often alludes to the idea that by killing a Reaper, we grabbed their attention. To delay the extinction cycle and kill a powerful Reaper in the process would probably interest them. So Harbinger now thinks that humans are worthy of ascension into the ultimate life form.

If you're wondering why they didn't do this to the Protheans, it's because the Prothean Reaper failed. Instead they turned them into the Collectors, so that they would still serve a purpose.

In short; Reapers wanted to create a Human Reaper for cultural reasons, not military strength.

I based this theory mostly on Harbinger's dialogue.

Quite interesting, Kraken. Everything in this makes sense to me except the part about the Prothean Reaper failing. Is that something from one of the books? If so, please no one spell it out for me, just say yes or no.

Thanks.

[MrFob]

As someone who read all the books (and comics, etc.), I can answer that with a "no" ... at least not as far as I am aware. Not saying more as requested.

[sedrikhcain]

Mr Fob, much appreciated.

[KevShep]

I (like so many others) have a theory as well about the origin of the reapers. I just want to share mine and see what people think. Its a wall of texts so bare with it. Its called "cool reaper theory".

Modifié par KevShep, 10 août 2011 - 12:16 .

[d1sciple]

a question i haven't seen answered yet, if the reapers completely wipe the galaxy of sentiant life then how did humans slip through? according to shepards trinket the protheans were studying us, and not as 'monkeys' but as sentient beings. yes maybe simple but seemingly beyond the neanderthal stages of our evolution, also because of the protheans study of us they had to know of our exsistance, why leave us be? accordiang to mordin humans are the most diverse beings in the galaxy, even up against the asari, is there something to that? does that make us a threat? i agree with the reapers 'absorbtion' theory, that they reap/absorb life to diversify themselves and continue their exsistance, it makes sense and i don't think it gets any more complicated than that for them, much like the asari, but the point of specifically letting us evolve i think is interesting.

[Weskerr]

Wow I remember this thread. It was created over a year ago but there's a lot of good ideas in it. Responding to

Zulu_DFA wrote...

In Evolution #2 we've got some homage to Sir Arthur Clarke's "Space Odyssey" series, particularly the Monolith.

And it is starting to look like it probably was the main "source of inspiration" for BioWare with all these Reapers and "beings of light"... Check out the linky and deside for yourself.


And here is my quick theory on the Reapers' origins, which I think is pretty much in line with this "Clarke" hypothesis.

,,
you could be right. Bioware definitely tipped their hats to Space Odyssey with Dr. David Archer (Dave Bowman) in the Overlord DLC.

[Rulycar]

Element Zero is a sentient lifeform that is routinely destroyed by advanced races in the galaxy.
They kill in self defense.
The reapers take the organics and extract the eezo.
This could mean ...
... the reapers rescue the oppressed eezo
- or -
... they're enemies attempting to eliminate eezo from the galaxy.

Seems possible if ME is truly inspired by SF.

[NitroDuck]

Already a canon explanation as given by Legion here:

[TheGreenAlloy]

NitroDuck wrote...

Already a canon explanation as given by Legion here:

Woah.

[Rifneno]

You know, Harbinger says a curious thing at the end of Arrival. "Your galaxy is within sight."

Why "your?" That implies that it's not his, or that he doesn't feel it is. Between this and the sheer number of Reapers, I'm starting to think there's merit to the "they have a bunch of galaxies on farm and are just going through the cycle one at a time" theory. I mean if they only take one species per "cleansing," and it takes many millions to create a single Reaper, and they kill so many of even their host species rather than collecting all they can, plus add in the occasional fatality (Klendagon incident and Sovereign can't be the only casualties they've ever suffered), they sure have a massive fleet for only doing it every 50,000 years...

[teenparty]

All I know is that they are definetly hiding some major embarrasing flaw. We are eternal, we are awesome, we are super infinte. NO you are NOT!

[d1sciple]

Mr.X.Pen wrote...

What bothers me is how Sov says "We have no beginning" if that is true then how did the come to exist to start with? My guess is maybe the first Reaper created got destoyed and the rest didn't know of its origins. And another thing he says "Our numbers will darken the sky of every world", if that is also true then there must be billions of them and I don't see that from what I've seen from the ME3 trailer.

no. it's just arrogant bull**** it's spouting, like everything else it says that ends up being confirmed as 100% false. also the line is stolen from the BORG, 'we have no begining, we have no end, we are Legion'.

[Lazengan]

GnusmasTHX wrote...

I don't think you understand.

The Leviathan of Dis is not confirmed to be related to the Reapers, whatsoever. You cannot use speculation as proof for another theory.  This is not a matter of opinion or evidence, simply what is stated within the game universe. The Leviathan has no confirmed relation with the Reapers at all, so you can't use them as proof for your theory that the Reapers existed a billion years ago.

Any connection made between the Leviathan and Reapers is speculation in and of itself. You can't form a theory based on speculation and more theories.

Or you can, and there's no real intelligent process to this thread, contrary to the list of 'evidence' you've provided and demanded for your theory and from others. I concede that this argument is folly, because you're apparently incapable of distinguishing between what you know, and what you can speculate. I, however, do not take baseless speculation as proof.

LoL