Ai Andromeda Sensor data 2+ million years old

It's remarkable the number of experts in astrophysics that post on BSN...on either side of the argument.

I do tend to agree with the premise for MEA is limp crowd.

All of that is true. However, it's still a big risk. I'll echo the statement that it's possible - perhaps not even unlikely considering they're "Golden Worlds" - that intelligent life would have arisen in those 2.5 million years, or was even there before and we didn't know about it. I'm not saying the game doesn't make sense, I just think it's worth noting.

As ElementZero pointed out, it does seem like the writers took at least part of that into account, since we immediately run into a lot of trouble upon arrival. I hope that trouble is that the Kett turn out to own all or most of the Golden Worlds already and don't want to share, and I hope the fact that it was a big risk is pointed out in the game just so I know the writers were aware

On that note, I thought Alec's narration in the most recent trailer seemed potentially out-of-character, because it was very naive (not something you'd expect from a grizzled veteran and survivor of the First Contact War/Relay 314 Incident). "Our dreams of peace were shattered." You really expected peace? Okay, Alec. I'm willing to overlook it since it was just standard trailer drama stuff, but I hope he isn't like that ingame.

Why would they need to stop to take more scans? Wait, does scanning work at FTL? I forget. It should if you're heading towards something. If so, I'd imagine they're constantly scanning it on the way, for 600 years. Either way, it wouldn't be ridiculous for them to stop just on the edge of the galaxy and take better scans, then go back to FTL. Wouldn't even need to awaken the crew.

Very nice I also saved this a few years ago...

Of course it's a bit limp, but the "old data" argument is dead on arrival. That's what all we "experts" were attempting to make clear with our posts.

My goal isn't to argue with people on the Internet. I'm honestly trying to help salvage the series, point by point, for persons who are on the fence. We've all been fans for years. If my contributions in a few threads can sway my fellow fans' feelings back in a more positive direction, that's great. If not, I still got to talk about Mass Effect.

Hang on, got something in my throat.

2 MILLION YEARS IS NOT A LONG TIME, GEOLOGICALLY SPEAKING.

2 MILLION YEARS IS NOT A LONG TIME, GEOLOGICALLY SPEAKING.

2 MILLION YEARS IS NOT A LONG TIME, GEOLOGICALLY SPEAKING.

*cough* Now that that's out of there, I don't actually see this as a downside. First, it's PHENOMENALLY unlikely that intelligent life will show up in any given 2 million years (source: Earth). Secondly, I'm actually hoping that there's drastic changes to at least one planet we looked at, and it's a plot point.

I understand, believe me I do, but I'm starting to wonder if we have to continue to rationalize more and more of it, is it worth saving?  I'm tired of having to head cannon half the game/story because Bio's presented "science" and logic are too often garbage.  And I don't know if it's because they're just ignorant or simply don't care.  It's beyond frustrating.

Your wish is granted. It is a plot point, per the GI article.

I can understand that. I don't think I've had to head-canon anything, yet, much to my own amazement, so I'm not yet frustrated.

The only sticking point for me would've been the glaring question, "Why go to Andromeda at all?". I let that go years ago, though, when the choice was officially announced. I figured I had two choices. I could hang on to my dissatisfaction with the change in venue, and not be able to enjoy the series; or I could let it go and accept the giant asspull of an intergalactic adventure. I chose the latter.

So far, they've actually done a remarkable job with the transition. I'm surprised it's been this smooth.

We still have mass effect technology practically dripping off of everything in sight. Only the relays are missing, and we don't need them to explore a single star cluster. Standard FTL handles that quite well.

I suspect that relay technology may make a return, somewhere down the road. The long range goal of the Ai is to connect Andromeda to the Milky Way. I'm guessing relay tech was one way they thought they might be able to do that.

No we won't. All the ruins, new aliens, etc will be using different technology and it will be that technology we will be focusing on. Our Mass Effect technology is going to be put in the background I wager. 

I doubt it. We'll almost certainly never make that connection to the Milky Way again, and why build new Mass Relays when we have ships that can go from one galaxy to the other with no assistance. They're gone, just like so many other things. 

Oh, be still my beating heart! If Andromeda gives me even one opportunity to debate the ethics of the Prime Directive, it'll be up there in the pantheon of my all-time favourite games, purely by virtue of that singular moment.

I love your Picard posts.   There can never be enough Picard.

I keep coming back to this idea of the kett being the major power in the Heleus Cluster. Maybe they aren't unfriendly to the other intelligent species in the cluster, but they do end up being our foe. At any rate, they are potentially aggressive and powerful, and then we show up and introduce them to mass effect technology. It could potentially make them even more powerful and more mobile, in the long run.

MEA seems to be built around a Remnant technology arms-race, so I think that will be the focus rather than our mass effect tech. Still, I keep thinking about the scenario. It could be that remnant tech is based upon the mass effect. Remember that "gravity well" and all those floating rocks? I don't know what to expect from those guys.