So How Are We Getting There? Part 2

In regards to the the method of traveling to Andromeda, I've personally always been a fan of the species of the galaxy uniting to create their own version of a Stellar Engine, using existing tech.

While trying to move an entire main sequence star and its corresponding solar system would be out of the question, something smaller, like say a brown dwarf would fit the bill nicely. The benefit of using the stellar engine lies in the fact that it is self sustaining; the host star itself providing the thrust. Plus, as an added bonus the system of the star in question will be dragged along with it; which depending on the type of planetary bodies present will mean the Andromeda colonists will be carrying along their own living space and/or fuel source.

Clearly, a system rich in ezzo would be the best candidate, like something with a (relatively) small asteroid belt orbiting the star. That will provide the fuel necessary for the maintaining of the mass effect fields, as well as being a perfect place to discharge any static build up and providing ample living space for the colonists.

Now the obvious question would be in how the galaxy is going to move a brown dwarf; which despite it's small relative size is still a massive stellar body. The answer of course is the use of mass effect fields, large, mega-industrial sized ones. Now where is the galaxy going to field something that powerful? Easy, with the use of several generators not unlike the ones the Turians used to provide the entire moon of Merene (sp?) with a gravitational field strong enough to hold an earth-like gravity and atmosphere across it's entire surface. Get fifteen to twenty of these generators in position around a target brown dwarf and you would be able to substantially reduce the star's mass, but not it's solar output.

All of this combined will mean that the system in question would be able to get 'up to speed' in a reliable time frame, and seeing as how the use of a stellar engine is more or less unlimited in terms of acceleration; due to a constant thrust being applied by the star's own radiation output; would mean that this 'vessel' could reach Andromeda in roughly the same amount of time as it would with BioWare's current method, but wouldn't be relying on the creation of hereto unknown technological advancement. Also, it would provide the colonists a ready built home system to operate out of once they reach their destination.

Plus, how much cooler would it be to pull up to Andromeda driving a freaking STAR, than some measly little ark ship?

I'm wondering if the book or whatever that's released before the game, will explain everything and the game only shows the ships leaving the MIlky Way without going into detail about the how/why/when/who. I wouldn't agree about doing that since everyone wouldn't buy the book. 

Not so sure about the first part.

But you are probably right about the second.

Doesn't seem to work that way in Mass Effect:

Meanwhile, starships are too costly to be used as projectiles, given that it would take many collisions to seriously harm a Reaper. Some armchair admirals suggest that  a single starship traveling faster than light could obliterate a Reaper capital ship, but all ships based on mass effect technology possess hardwired safety features to prevent FTL collisions. If a ship's FTL plotter finds a significant object in the path of a planned jump, the FTL drive refuses to fire in the first place. This is not aperfect safety feature--the sensors can only scan for objects within a reasonable distance at light speed, and a navigator must plot the rest of the course--but it is so inherent to the FTL warm-up process that removing it is nigh impossible. Cynical intelligence analysts note that the secret of mass effect technology, including that safety system, has always been attributed to the Protheans--just as the mass relays were.



From the ME3 codex entry "Desperate Measures"

Also demonstrates the galaxy's lack of innovation when it comes to reverse-engineering 

The first explanation does make more sense, given if the engine is based on Sovereign, they'd have three short years to recerse-engineer it, then build a fleet of arks based upon it and get the hell out of the galaxy before the Reapers arrive.

But as for the first explanation, I'd have to wonder why all ships don't have this feature.  Giving ships effectively unlimited ftl range and not being dependant on the relays could make for a significant advantage in military situations.

Sadly, far-fetched "all new" tech is pretty much all Bioware knows how to do to get themselves out of situations they've painted themselves into.  See "Lazarus Project" and "Crucible"