The Tempest thread (confirmed 100% weaponry free)

The Normandy and the Kodiak had to run because they went up against Reapers. That's a bit of a false equivalence right here.
I mean, if there are Reapers in Andromeda the AI is fucked either way, the entire point is to prepare for at least *some* of the threats,
not every threat which is remotely possible, just the more common once that you can solve with relatively simple measures.

I see these arguments repeat themselves all the time, that some weapons wouldn't "really" be able to help against an actual threat.
What you fail to realize is that running away and shooting back are solutions to different problems.

Without weapons you are forced to run away even if you are attacked by something a tenth of your size, like a fighter, or a small gunship.
Hell, they might be fast enough to stay right on you and possibly damage you until you reach FTL because they are very fast and maneuverable themselves.

The point of weapons is not so that you will be able to blow up dreadnought-class threats, the point is so that you will be able to handle the things
that running away from would be inefficient, stupid, wasteful or lead to dire consequences in terms of lives lost.

Weapons on a ship this size should be able to handle threats up to frigate-class, essentially anything with a similar speed and maneuverability.

Your assertion that you can either be average at running and at shooting or really good at either is simply not correct.
The size and weight of small weapons (or even something like the Thanix) doesn't seem to be massive enough to really have a big impact on a ship's ability to maneuver or run.
(look at recon vehicles and ships from today, they are usually very fast, but still carry some weapons)

Also, the Tempest is supposedly built in a similar style to the Normandy, which is a good example for a fast ship that can still pack a punch.

You don't even need the same level of punch as the Normandy (even if it would be nice just in case), since the purpose here is not to go against anything too big or powerful,
just give you more tools to deal with the average threats you may encounter.

As for "weapons making you a threat":

A. Why are we carrying so many weapons when on foot? Is this not a threat? If that was indeed the theme, maybe ME:A's core gameplay loop would have made sense if it was a "walking simulator",
and all we had was equipment to allow diplomacy or running away.

B. Many exploration ships from history and popular culture prove you wrong. The enterprise was well armed despite their mission statement, and so were many ancient exploration vessels from earth's history.

C. Aliens from another galaxy shouldn't really be able to recognize your weapons even if they had sufficient scanning equipment, especially if they are hidden and disguised as something else.

D. Since the weapons a Corvette like the Tempest can carry are hardly enough to blow a planet in two, and probably not enough to really threaten anything bigger than a Frigate,
logically they shouldn't be enough to make an otherwise peaceful alien race hostile. Being able to defend yourself is not the same threatening someone.

E. Having weapons might actually have an opposite effect, showing that you have some teeth and claws might lessen a potential enemy's enthusiasm to engage you in battle.
Especially when they discover that you are a mere exploration vessel, and consider what the actual warships might be carrying.

God damn all this controversy is ruining my hype seriously. ME is my favorite saga so...

GannayevOfDream's earlier post brings up several valid points.

But to be honest, a lot of other people here like yourself are having a real hard time processing this decision. Now I do find it nonsensical, at this moment in time, having not played the game. But I'm not going to let something like this get to me so much. Nor am I going to let it colour my entire perceptions of the game. Now I am not saying this is true of you or any other poster, but its fair to say that some are taking this much harder than others, and ruling out people's justifications completely by your own opinion that there isn't a good enough reason that there are no weapons. And that any reasoning will fail. Automatically.

Aaryn Flynn tweeted "Why do you think weapons are the only way to protect people?"

This is true, and we also don't necessarily know what he is referring to here. He could be referring to potential unseen and unknown features the Tempest may have that aren't guns that can be used as a defense should there be an enemy attack. Because of course the creators haven't ignored the fact we are entering an entirely new galaxy and are at immediate risk of being attacked. The trailer confirms this.

Sooo, there are numerous possibilities to this, given that the creators haven't simply ignored the obvious, and that we need suitable defense, especially research and scout vessels, right in the thick of it.

I still think we could get upgrades. I also think that like EDI, SAM may well have a cyberwarfare suite and a possible means of hacking enemy ships own weapons and disabling them or whatever thing the writers can do to justify it. 

But at this rate you and plenty of others have just decided against it, any and all possible justifications within the game itself we may not know of. Plot can excuse this decision. We don't even know the plot yet, but the possibility is there for it to do so. Its really only your opinion that the plot can't excuse it, because you are so up in arms about there being no guns on the ship, and no explanation will be good enough to justify it. Hey maybe its just mine opinion that a potential explanation can. I just think some people are making a mountain out of a molehill with this. 

I wouldn't honestly listen.  Its rare that someone else's negativity has effected how i have enjoyed my entertainment and media.  And BioWare games, for all their admitted flaws and stuggles, are still pretty much my favorite games ever. 

I wouldn't worry too much.  This is basically the equivalent of people being upset that in the new Mario game for the Switch that Mario can jump on his own tossed hat as a platform.  But physics!  Lore!  ARRRGGHHH!!!  It doesn't really matter unless you pay way too much attention to it.  Like watching a CinameSins video (which I love, btw, but I don't let it ruin my love of those movies).

I wouldn't worry too much.  This is basically the equivalent of people being upset that in the new Mario game for the Switch that Mario can jump on his own tossed hat as a platform.  But physics!  Lore!  ARRRGGHHH!!!  It doesn't really matter unless you pay way too much attention to it.  Like watching a CinameSins video (which I love, btw, but I don't let it ruin my love of those movies).

I'm hoping we are able to be vocal about it, especially considering how the game starts for us. I'm afraid however that our perspective will be forced like has been the case in some previous games. 

I'm thinking that after things have gone bad, Sloane and Jien butt heads with each other(Sloane is known to have done this with superiors before) over what path the Initiative should take. Jien probably supports the pacifist approach where Sloane supports showing the Kett we are not to be messed with. Both make valid arguments, but in the end the other heads side with Jien over Sloane. However Sloane's approach doesn't fall on deaf ears and many in the Initiative support her, leading to an inevitable coup attempt. The attempt is foiled, and Sloane and those who followed her are exiled forming their own group, giving context to what Drack and Sarah say in the December video. 

I like this, in the sense that the ideological approach to the armament decision allows for the potential of more well rounded and defined characters and situations that can be developed in-game. What you're saying here is a good example. I hope our characters can question the reasoning of leadership and possibly choose to help or destroy/re-unite factions. I disagree with the presumption that the lack weapons on the Tempest is a pacifist stance as Jien's character appears to me to be more pragmatic. Sloane's history, conversation and behavior conveys possible instability under certain circumstance (near spotless? trail of bodies?) and self-righteousness (problems with superiors).  Traits that if she is charismatic and positioned well in a hierarchy could appear as confidence and attract like-minded followers and persuade people under her command. A coup attempt is reasonable if a stressful situation arises that a personality like Sloane's rationalizes she is better equipped to handle.  Jien seems to be a type A visionary genius who gets things done and appears to be a person that plans thoroughly and for contingencies to the best of their abilities with who and what they have to work with. Jien would see a coup coming from Sloane a mile away. Or such is my hope and take at the moment.

Prince E

We are not scientists! We are soldiers! Armed to the teeth! Shooting - is 50% of Andromeda gameplay! And they give us unarmed vehicles, because we are "explorers". Common sense is out there!

Splinter Cell is considered to be a pure spy, but Sam Fisher at least have a silent pistol if something goes wrong! And this is space-opera where any aggressive alien monster can appear! And we have to fight with him by foot because we are explorers! What the hell!