Why is humanity looking for a new home if the Reapers were destroyed?

[ckriley]

I'm sure this has been answered before, but I've pretty much stayed clear of all ME topics to stay spoiler free for MEA. But one thing that has nagged me since this game was announced was the premise of the Pathfinder looking for a new home for humanity to colonize.

My question is why?

Earth obviously took a beating in the Reaper War but the Reapers themselves were either destroyed, controlled or were synthesized with organics. If you chose the latter two options, then the Reapers would share their vast knowledge of the universe with you and they'd be able to pick a planet for you to settle, then provide the firepower to deal with any hostile species that might be there.

Even if you chose to destroy the Reapers, Earth is still habitable, it just needs to be rebuilt. Did BW say anything about this? Is Earth no longer hospitable to organic life? Seems odd we're looking for a new world to call home.

 

[Chessrook44]

Two things.

One: The Humans and other races left the Milky Way BEFORE ME3 happened. At that point, Sovereign was destroyed as were the Collectors. The Reaper War hadn't even begun, and most didn't know or believe the Reapers were real.

Two: Humans alone have always been explorers and we have long wanted to colonize our own galaxy. Well our Galaxy is colonized... why NOT explore our nearest galactic neighbor? Problem is the distance is so far it may as well be a one-way trip, ergo... a new home. It wasn't abandoning our old home, it's just finding another one.

 

[ckriley]

Two things.

One: The Humans and other races left the Milky Way BEFORE ME3 happened. At that point, Sovereign was destroyed as were the Collectors. The Reaper War hadn't even begun, and most didn't know or believe the Reapers were real.

Two: Humans alone have always been explorers and we have long wanted to colonize our own galaxy. Well our Galaxy is colonized... why NOT explore our nearest galactic neighbor? Problem is the distance is so far it may as well be a one-way trip, ergo... a new home. It wasn't abandoning our old home, it's just finding another one.

Gotcha. So, we are kind of like a locust plague.

 

[Athennesi]

It's not happening after ME III...Initiative takes of during ME II with no ( confirmed) relation to trilogy main story.
Seriously, best thing you could do to enjoy Mass Effect is not go about analyzing it's plot and reasons behind character or group motivations.

 

[Recusant]

Even if you chose to destroy the Reapers, Earth is still habitable, it just needs to be rebuilt. Did BW say anything about this? Is Earth no longer hospitable to organic life? Seems odd we're looking for a new world to call home.

In all but one of the endings (originally, anyway; I can't say about the expanded version), the relay network blew up. So Earth might not even be intact, let alone habitable. At any rate, it'd be inaccessible.

But that's later; as others have noted, Andromeda takes place before ME 3.

 

[IceForce]

As others have said, the premise behind ME:A is that it was (I think? I could be wrong...) a contingency that was put in motion before the end of ME3, just in case the Reapers win.

Also:

If you chose the latter two options, then the Reapers would share their vast knowledge of the universe with you and they'd be able to pick a planet for you to settle,

The Reapers don't have any knowledge of the universe, as far as I'm aware. Because they never traveled to any other galaxy besides the Milky Way.

 

[Hawki]

Two things.

One: The Humans and other races left the Milky Way BEFORE ME3 happened. At that point, Sovereign was destroyed as were the Collectors. The Reaper War hadn't even begun, and most didn't know or believe the Reapers were real.

Two: Humans alone have always been explorers and we have long wanted to colonize our own galaxy. Well our Galaxy is colonized... why NOT explore our nearest galactic neighbor? Problem is the distance is so far it may as well be a one-way trip, ergo... a new home. It wasn't abandoning our old home, it's just finding another one.

Gotcha. So, we are kind of like a locust plague.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM1-DQ2Wo_w

Pretty much.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

The Reapers don't have any knowledge of the universe, as far as I'm aware. Because they never traveled to any other galaxy besides the Milky Way.

To me, it doesn't really make sense that the reapers are only in our galaxy. Firstly, what are they doing for billions of years as new races evolve? Secondly, so every other galaxy in the whole universe just evolves to where synthetic life kills organic life? What's to stop a super advanced synthetic life from going unchecked and destroying organic life in the Milky Way? It would make sense that the reapers would have to tend to every galaxy if they want organic life to not go extinct.

 

[DeadProxy]

The Reapers don't have any knowledge of the universe, as far as I'm aware. Because they never traveled to any other galaxy besides the Milky Way.

To me, it doesn't really make sense that the reapers are only in our galaxy. Firstly, what are they doing for billions of years as new races evolve? Secondly, so every other galaxy in the whole universe just evolves to where synthetic life kills organic life? What's to stop a super advanced synthetic life from going unchecked and destroying organic life in the Milky Way? It would make sense that the reapers would have to tend to every galaxy if they want organic life to not go extinct.

I'll give you what I think are the right answers to those questions.
1. The Reapers haven't been around for "billions" of years, they sit out in the dark void of space for 50 million years at a time, and use the Citidel as a litmus test to see if the galaxy is worth harvesting.

2. The "inevitable synthetic vs life" scenario that the reapers imagine is because that's what happened to the first Reaper race. They created tech that got too smart and literally took over the milky way in a way to make sure no other tech could over take the Reapers. Eventually, the Reapers basically sculpted ALL races in the milky way to follow in their footsteps, which is to create tech that has the potential to rival the Reapers, and to then come in and destroy, absorb, assimilate, whatever, the life and technology of the reigning races. The Reapers absolutely are a super synthetic life form that is going unchecked and destroying life in the milky way. It doesn't even matter that the Geth weren't a violent, resource crazy, world altering robo-race bent on taking out all life in the milky way. The Reapers saw that step 70 million was fulfilled, and went into invasion mode, but since the Citidel was sabotaged the last time the Reapers came, a lone Vanguard Reaper, Sovereign, was sent to double check things, and his destruction confirmed the galaxy was indeed ripe for harvesting.

The thing with question number 2 is that Reapers are totally bringing death and destruction to 95% of life in the galaxy, and they know it. You can even ask about their self fulfilling prophecy at the end of ME3, and they more or less justify it by saying they leave the "underdeveloped races" alone as to not wipe out all life altogether, which just feeds into their plan of leaving life alone long enough until it's time to harvest.

 

[pookie101]

the andromeda initiative was started before the first mass effect game and while the knowledge of the reapers might of driven the final stages as an ark for civilisation it didnt start that way..

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

The Reapers don't have any knowledge of the universe, as far as I'm aware. Because they never traveled to any other galaxy besides the Milky Way.

To me, it doesn't really make sense that the reapers are only in our galaxy. Firstly, what are they doing for billions of years as new races evolve? Secondly, so every other galaxy in the whole universe just evolves to where synthetic life kills organic life? What's to stop a super advanced synthetic life from going unchecked and destroying organic life in the Milky Way? It would make sense that the reapers would have to tend to every galaxy if they want organic life to not go extinct.

2. The "inevitable synthetic vs life" scenario that the reapers imagine is because that's what happened to the first Reaper race. They created tech that got too smart and literally took over the milky way in a way to make sure no other tech could over take the Reapers... The Reapers absolutely are a super synthetic life form that is going unchecked and destroying life in the milky way.

I mean what's stopping all the other galaxies from suffering the fate of synthetics killing all organic life? And then that synthetic life from other galaxies becoming more advanced than the reapers and "cleansing" the milky way. If humans can travel to other galaxies, what would stop super advanced synthetics from doing the same thing and coming to the milky way? It seems like the reapers plan is very micro for such a macro-level idea. Unless, of course, they go from galaxy to galaxy keeping everything in check.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

The Reapers have no time effective way of getting to Andromeda, 600 years (making a 2.5 million light year trip in 600 standard years is nothing to sniff at) in constant FTL is something even they probably couldn't do. How the Arks were capable is a question that has been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time now (ships have to periodically discharge the static buildup from FTL travel, or else the ship melts). Besides, they wouldn't go unless they had a reason to.

 

[votemarvel]

The Reapers have no time effective way of getting to Andromeda, 600 years (making a 2.5 million light year trip in 600 standard years is nothing to sniff at) in constant FTL is something even they probably couldn't do. How the Arks were capable is a question that has been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time now (ships have to periodically discharge the static buildup from FTL travel, or else the ship melts). Besides, they wouldn't go unless they had a reason to.

This has been covered in a Bioware video.

The arks collect the static discharge created by FTL and use it to power the internal systems.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

The arks collect the static discharge created by FTL and use it to power the internal systems.

That is... an interesting curve to account for with energy usage.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

As has been suggested, it's a matter of the timeframe for all the events. The main things to note:

- (2183) ME1 happened, Sovereign destroyed.
- Andromeda Initiative commenced to preserve the different species in the event of Reapers winning
- 1 month
- Shepard dies
- 2 years
- (2185) ME2 happened; Collector's are stopped.
- 9ish months
- Arks leave Milky Way
- 2ish months
- (2186) ME2: Arrival happened
- 6 months
- (2186) ME3
- 600 years
- ME: Andromeda

The main takeaway is that the arks leave after the Collectors are stopped but before the events of ME2: Arrival. Thus they have no idea and no way of knowing anything that happened in the Milky Way after they left. As far as they know, the Reapers never came back after Sovereign.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

The Reapers have no time effective way of getting to Andromeda, 600 years (making a 2.5 million light year trip in 600 standard years is nothing to sniff at) in constant FTL is something even they probably couldn't do. How the Arks were capable is a question that has been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time now (ships have to periodically discharge the static buildup from FTL travel, or else the ship melts). Besides, they wouldn't go unless they had a reason to.

This has been covered in a Bioware video.

The arks collect the static discharge created by FTL and use it to power the internal systems.

I mean... okay... But that still makes very little sense. If they want to tell me that's a thing they can do, then fine, but how am I supposed to believe that humans figured out how to overcome this barrier to intragalactic travel when even the reapers didn't? I know humans are teh special, but come on. If this was a solvable problem the reapers would have solved it.

 

[scw55]

Two things.

One: The Humans and other races left the Milky Way BEFORE ME3 happened. At that point, Sovereign was destroyed as were the Collectors. The Reaper War hadn't even begun, and most didn't know or believe the Reapers were real.

Two: Humans alone have always been explorers and we have long wanted to colonize our own galaxy. Well our Galaxy is colonized... why NOT explore our nearest galactic neighbor? Problem is the distance is so far it may as well be a one-way trip, ergo... a new home. It wasn't abandoning our old home, it's just finding another one.

Gotcha. So, we are kind of like a locust plague.

For once, we're the alien invaders.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

The Reapers have no time effective way of getting to Andromeda, 600 years (making a 2.5 million light year trip in 600 standard years is nothing to sniff at) in constant FTL is something even they probably couldn't do. How the Arks were capable is a question that has been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time now (ships have to periodically discharge the static buildup from FTL travel, or else the ship melts). Besides, they wouldn't go unless they had a reason to.

This has been covered in a Bioware video.

The arks collect the static discharge created by FTL and use it to power the internal systems.

I mean... okay... But that still makes very little sense. If they want to tell me that's a thing they can do, then fine, but how am I supposed to believe that humans figured out how to overcome this barrier to intragalactic travel when even the reapers didn't? I know humans are teh special, but come on. If this was a solvable problem the reapers would have solved it.

the reapers aren't programmed for intergalactic travel. they're a milky way solution to a milky way problem created by a milky way race. Unlike organic beings, they don't consider options or possibilities they aren't programmed to consider.

I'm not sure I buy that, as the Catalyst states in no uncertain terms that AI will always rebel against organics. If it's a universal truth, why would they limit their scope to one galaxy?

But let's say that's the answer. It only explains why they never traveled to another galaxy, not why they didn't figure out how to get around the drive discharge limitation. It's not like it's an issue only for a trip that long, it's an issue everyone, even the reapers themselves have to deal with during travel between planets, which would slow them down and reduce their efficiency. It's a problem they most certainly would have tried to address.

 

[Redryhno]

The Reapers have no time effective way of getting to Andromeda, 600 years (making a 2.5 million light year trip in 600 standard years is nothing to sniff at) in constant FTL is something even they probably couldn't do. How the Arks were capable is a question that has been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time now (ships have to periodically discharge the static buildup from FTL travel, or else the ship melts). Besides, they wouldn't go unless they had a reason to.

This has been covered in a Bioware video.

The arks collect the static discharge created by FTL and use it to power the internal systems.

I mean... okay... But that still makes very little sense. If they want to tell me that's a thing they can do, then fine, but how am I supposed to believe that humans figured out how to overcome this barrier to intragalactic travel when even the reapers didn't? I know humans are teh special, but come on. If this was a solvable problem the reapers would have solved it.

the reapers aren't programmed for intergalactic travel. they're a milky way solution to a milky way problem created by a milky way race. Unlike organic beings, they don't consider options or possibilities they aren't programmed to consider.

I'm not sure I buy that, as the Catalyst states in no uncertain terms that AI will always rebel against organics. If it's a universal truth, why would they limit their scope to one galaxy?

Because it's Bioware and they don't know how to write endings that allow for other events to take place afterwards.

Also, you're questioning the same universe where they somehow switched up their ENTIRE weapon system over the course of two years from the shittiest toy gun to the Dreadnought class weapons including in the areas outside Council space when it's stated to take months and years to assemble any part of the majority of ships above Frigate class. The same universe that forgot how blowing up the Relay system is effectively a worse Halo activation for ME3's ending. Quit expecting anything other than some equivalent of "BECAUSE WE SAID SO".

From what we've been told before about the tech level and state of the rest of the universe, Andromeda shouldn't be possible. So I'm just gonna go with it being another Shepard fever/day dream. Like everything else that makes no amount of sense in the game universe. Less headaches that way.