Mass Effect Andromeda: Initiation Discussion

I read it the same way as bshep

Reading the book has caused me to make my very first Cora-mancing Ryder. Spoilers and my thoughts below:

It Kinda makes me exciting to see what they can do in the future (I still hope for more content on some sort)

Human-centric is a much better description than human supremacist, a description with which I strongly disagree. Alec wanted humanity to be able to catch up with civilizations that are thousands of years ahead. He knew this would take a very long time, if it even could be done. He wanted SAM to even the playing field. He had no interest in putting humanity on top. He simply didn't want us to forever lag behind the galaxy's power-broker species.

I enjoyed this novel. Cora made an excellent protagonist, and would've been an interesting protagonist for a game. I really enjoyed the aspects related to her time among the asari. She just got back from four years of total immersion in an alien culture. She served with Talein's Daughters at least as long as with the Alliance proper. It makes sense that she'd see the world in relation to those experiences and discuss it with Tempest's crew. It has been the most significant time in her adult life, to this point. We actually get to meet Janae and some of the other huntresses. It was nice.

There were revelations regarding SAM's history, development, purpose, importance, etc... It was cool to see SAM earlier in its (his, as Alec says) development. Our SAM is both more advanced and more limited than earlier versions. I liked that the story truly delved into Ai R&D. We all know that it happens, but it's rare that we get to see it.

I already liked both Cora and Alec. Getting extra time with each of them made me like them all the more. I wish this novel could've been ready and released alongside or before the game. It enhances the story of the Initiative and several important characters.

This is definitely the best ME novel to date. That's not surprising, given the novelist's skill and her familiarity with the setting.

Edit: I just recalled two other strengths of this novel. Asari culture got some nice development via details presumably crafted by Ms. Jemisin. She even crafted a plausible description of how that asari slow-fall works. It was definitely invented by ME writers who don't understand physics; but Ms. Jemisin has bailed them out with her creativity. Hell, there is even a small but insightful bit about the aesthetics of quarian ship design in the book. Touches like this separate good books from the mediocre.

I just found this thread, and see that some of this has been debated already.

Playing "catch-up" and "leveling the playing field" are his words, not mine. He talks about this at length in Chapter 2. (I believe there's more when he and Cora start discussing actuals regarding SAM, later in the novel. I'd have to check, though.) We were handed advanced technology, but we still exist amongst species who have been doing this for thousands of years. Their applications are more advanced. Their understanding more advanced. Want to learn the best way to do something? Just ask an asari/salarian. Humanity was thousands of years behind and had no impetus to innovate and blaze a new trail, since we could just get all the answers from our more advanced neighbors. Alec didn't want humanity on top. He wanted them as equals amongst the more established species. Facility with ME tech, and even a seat on the Council, didn't really mean we were equals. We'd always be less established and experienced than our neighbors. In 5000 years, maybe that difference would be negligible; but he wanted to close that gap rapidly. He viewed SAM as the means and the Ai as the impetus and opportunity.

This conversation in Chapter 2 is Cora's first meeting with Alec. She wonders briefly if he is a humanity-first wacko, just as you're suggesting. She quickly realizes this is not the case. You could say that this is just Cora's opinion. I tend to think it's the author educating us through Cora, in this case helping us to understand Alec. He's no human supremacist, because they would require his agenda be human supremacy. He is human-centric for a certainty, as his goals are focused on advancing humanity's knowledge, and securing our place as equals amongst the asari, salarians and turians.

I just played through the transfer of SAM and Pathfinder authority in MEA. It definitely felt slightly different, knowing the things I learned in Initiation. It's not a huge difference, but it did feel a bit different.

It's a bummer that they went all out, hiring skilled writers for these novels, only for the IP to end up on ice. I'd enjoy more books of this quality.

Yes, exactly, the technology was handed to humanity. Humanity was welcomed in all spheres. The council seat was given after thirty years. You can't wish for more welcoming integration than this.
Humanity was introducing new technologies to species which were space faring for millenia. 5000 years to catch up? Please. Any advantage older council species had is melting like ice in Sahara. 
Humans are already treated as equals, more so than even elcors, hanars and volus(es?). Alec wanted aliens as 'neighbors' (also his words). Neighbors don't petition anyone for right to colonize. Neighbors don't forbid each other to build dreadnoughts or AIs. Neighbors don't have to share. That's what he could get only in Andromeda.

It's not like they gave ME to Montreal so they could screw up and put ME on ice. Besides comission costs are drop in the corporate ocean, if they decided to waste spend money on Tapestry or that Blastohs commercial for iced franchise, they might as well announce another book or a comic.