Post by gothpunkboy89 on Jan 20, 2017 6:24:03 GMT
The Citadel's main point in the first ME 1 game was that it was secretly a Mass Relay that allows the Reapers to attack and harvest the galaxy. A plot point that was quickly dropped in subsequent games of the trilogy. But who actually said that the Citadel was a Relay? I don't remember any Reaper actually calling the Citadel a giant Mass Relay. The only one I remember saying or even bringing that up is Vigil the Prothean VI on Ilos. The same VI who's entire lore dump is based on he said, she said information. The very nature of the Reapers and their actions leave no true facts behind simply speculation and guess work.
I'm not even sure that BioWare intended in ME 1 to claim definitively that the Citadel is a giant hidden Mass Relay. Particularly since over all story is rendered pointless and utterly stupid if that is true. To the point I think I could legitimately write a better story for ME 1 to allow more consistencies then render entire plot as meaningless 10 minutes into the game. I think it was just added in to build tension without any legitimacy to the claim.
To start with the VI contradicts it self in it's info dump. It directly says that transportation and communication across their Empire was crippled. They severed all communication with the outside and went dark. And yet some how it was capable of knowing that the Reapers destroyed some worlds and conquered others. Sending indoctrinated agents to other Protheans as refugees to betray them. That they gathered every scrap of technology, every resource on the planet was stripped bare. That their indoctrinated slaves were left to die yet some how wiped out all traces of the Reapers. That decades of study on Ilos some how gave them a clue how to alter the technology on the Citadel. Technology they had no clue about before the Reaper attack. And that once the Scientists used the Conduit it lost contact with them hypothesizing that they suffered a slow grim death of starvation or thirst. Yet some how a program to over ride the Citadel Systems created by study on Ilos exists to interfere with systems they had no idea existed or they could have prevented the Relay from activating in the first place.
I mean I kind of understand some inconsistencies in the story from the start to 4-5 hours later at the end or from one game to the next. But this is a 15 minute info dump that can't even keep it's story straight. It is pathetic beyond all reason from a writing and narrative stand point. I think a middle schooler could keep more consistent explanation for the same time frame. Even from a stand point of the trilogy were consistencies tend to be hit and miss it is pathetically stupid. Particularly as others on this forum have pointed out if the Keepers aren't responding to the signal to activate the Relay then the single smartest thing that Sovereign could have done is send Saren down to examine what ever the Protheans altered, report back and then fix the signal change. Thus allowing it to remote access it. And rendering all the events of the game as not happening save the Jupiter size stupidity Sovereign and Saren display in the game. Even the Reaper plan of having races settle the Citadel can push the boundary of suspension of belief. A few years even a decade could realistically have the plan work. But thousands of years of race(s) settling on it and not bothered to explore it doesn't make any sense. Particularly since their plan is based on organic races being inquisitive and intelligent enough to discover the technology scraps left behind by other races and reverse engineer them to make use of them.
What would salvage this steaming pile to what would be considered the norm for the ME trilogy (depending on who you talk to) is that Vigil's info dump is actually flawed and not to be taken at face value. An act I've seen a few players on other forums and old BSN forum actually do. Treating the contradictions and inconsistencies as law or gospel. All Vigil is doing with all the info it throws at you is making assumptions based on observation with no real data to back it up. It assumes the Citadel is a dormant Mass Relay because it was the first place that was hit. How ever ME 2 introduced the Alpha Relay. A special Relay that could be altered to connect to dozens of other systems including the Citadel. So when the Reapers hit the Citadel first it only made it seem like that based on second hand information. Like wise it assumes that the Keepers prevent races from finding out simply because the Protheans failed to realize that it is more then just a space station. Even though they were on the edge of creating Mass Relay technology so they if no one else should have been able to see what the Citadel actually is. Vigil is that guy online who ever time a story comes out all they read is the headline then go off on a tangent about it without actually reading the whole story or learning any of the facts.
What also hurts is the fact that Sovereign lands and docks with the Citadel for a good 10-20 minutes before Shepard can arrive to insert the Deus Ex Machina into the Master Control System to disrupt Sovereign's control. And it if would to take it that long to activate the Relay aspect of it then so much for that pinnacle of evolution and thought. A 10 minute head start and they still can't win it is not just tripping at the finish line. But some how tripping from first place with a mile lead and still coming in last place. Again the only thing that can save this set up is if the Citadel isn't what you are tricked into thinking it is.
So what is it? Good question my thoughts is that the Citadel is really a giant antenna of sorts. It is used to call in the Reaper invasion but only in such that it sends a signal out to the Reapers in dark space to tell them to advance towards the Alpha Relay. As well as a place to house the Catalyst. And yes despite what some may say the Catalyst existing on the Citadel makes more sense then they give credit for it. After all part of their plan is to entice galactic civilization to set up shop and live on the Citadel. What a better way to study their society then that. Hundreds to thousands of years of up close society development and data stored on the Citadel to be examined by the Catalyst. The whole series of events going something like this:
Sovereign comes to the conclusion it is time for the harvest.
It then sends a signal to the Catalyst to approve of the harvest or not.
The Catalyst then signals the Keepers to activate the Reaper signal and trigger the galaxy wide invasion.
This clears up a lot of problems. To start with the signal could still be easily discovered but because it is default basic care and only changes when the Catalyst calls in the Reapers it would be something that would allow races to live for thousands of years on it without finding out about it's true nature. The Protheans severed the connection between the Reapers and the Catalyst and Keepers and the Catalyst thus the Keepers were kept on auto pilot for all those years. Performing standard maintenance on the Citadel to keep it operating. Since the signal is only used when the Reapers are called in it sitting for 50,000 years not knowing it had been tampered with makes sense.
Sovereign attempted to contact the Catalyst and was unable to. The Catalyst in return was unable to trigger the Keepers without exposing it self. This was way Sovereign took so long and yet appeared to do nothing. It was in conversation with the Catalyst and they were attempting to fix the problem and activate the Reaper signal. How ever it was only partially successful. At that point Shepard shows up and disrupts the connection between them again. It also explains the get out of jail free card they pulled. When the Saren puppet overloads it creates a power surge in the Council Chamber. The Catalyst redirects the power surge into Sovereign as a way to protect it self. Thus explaining how and why such a powerful surge capable of knocking out a Reaper would some how leave the rest of the station unaffected.
The incomplete message is why Harbinger starts up the Collectors bringing them from a race that is so rare they might as well be big foot. Into a much more direct set up of kidnapping humans to turn them into a Reaper. Only after the destruction of the Collector base does it signal to Harbinger that the races of the galaxy have advanced enough for the harvest. As well as why the Reapers leave the Citadel alone till the very end. It's only purpose at that point is to serve as a house for the Catalyst. The races flocking to it and the ships protecting it from the Reapers is the best security for the Catalyst needed. It is only once the Reapers learn that the Catalyst has been compromised because of TIM do they act to take control and move it behind their lines. It's purpose had been served and held no strategic point beyond the Catalyst's safety which was being done by the very races that would be harvested.
So what do you guys think of my little head canon?
I'm not even sure that BioWare intended in ME 1 to claim definitively that the Citadel is a giant hidden Mass Relay. Particularly since over all story is rendered pointless and utterly stupid if that is true. To the point I think I could legitimately write a better story for ME 1 to allow more consistencies then render entire plot as meaningless 10 minutes into the game. I think it was just added in to build tension without any legitimacy to the claim.
To start with the VI contradicts it self in it's info dump. It directly says that transportation and communication across their Empire was crippled. They severed all communication with the outside and went dark. And yet some how it was capable of knowing that the Reapers destroyed some worlds and conquered others. Sending indoctrinated agents to other Protheans as refugees to betray them. That they gathered every scrap of technology, every resource on the planet was stripped bare. That their indoctrinated slaves were left to die yet some how wiped out all traces of the Reapers. That decades of study on Ilos some how gave them a clue how to alter the technology on the Citadel. Technology they had no clue about before the Reaper attack. And that once the Scientists used the Conduit it lost contact with them hypothesizing that they suffered a slow grim death of starvation or thirst. Yet some how a program to over ride the Citadel Systems created by study on Ilos exists to interfere with systems they had no idea existed or they could have prevented the Relay from activating in the first place.
I mean I kind of understand some inconsistencies in the story from the start to 4-5 hours later at the end or from one game to the next. But this is a 15 minute info dump that can't even keep it's story straight. It is pathetic beyond all reason from a writing and narrative stand point. I think a middle schooler could keep more consistent explanation for the same time frame. Even from a stand point of the trilogy were consistencies tend to be hit and miss it is pathetically stupid. Particularly as others on this forum have pointed out if the Keepers aren't responding to the signal to activate the Relay then the single smartest thing that Sovereign could have done is send Saren down to examine what ever the Protheans altered, report back and then fix the signal change. Thus allowing it to remote access it. And rendering all the events of the game as not happening save the Jupiter size stupidity Sovereign and Saren display in the game. Even the Reaper plan of having races settle the Citadel can push the boundary of suspension of belief. A few years even a decade could realistically have the plan work. But thousands of years of race(s) settling on it and not bothered to explore it doesn't make any sense. Particularly since their plan is based on organic races being inquisitive and intelligent enough to discover the technology scraps left behind by other races and reverse engineer them to make use of them.
What would salvage this steaming pile to what would be considered the norm for the ME trilogy (depending on who you talk to) is that Vigil's info dump is actually flawed and not to be taken at face value. An act I've seen a few players on other forums and old BSN forum actually do. Treating the contradictions and inconsistencies as law or gospel. All Vigil is doing with all the info it throws at you is making assumptions based on observation with no real data to back it up. It assumes the Citadel is a dormant Mass Relay because it was the first place that was hit. How ever ME 2 introduced the Alpha Relay. A special Relay that could be altered to connect to dozens of other systems including the Citadel. So when the Reapers hit the Citadel first it only made it seem like that based on second hand information. Like wise it assumes that the Keepers prevent races from finding out simply because the Protheans failed to realize that it is more then just a space station. Even though they were on the edge of creating Mass Relay technology so they if no one else should have been able to see what the Citadel actually is. Vigil is that guy online who ever time a story comes out all they read is the headline then go off on a tangent about it without actually reading the whole story or learning any of the facts.
What also hurts is the fact that Sovereign lands and docks with the Citadel for a good 10-20 minutes before Shepard can arrive to insert the Deus Ex Machina into the Master Control System to disrupt Sovereign's control. And it if would to take it that long to activate the Relay aspect of it then so much for that pinnacle of evolution and thought. A 10 minute head start and they still can't win it is not just tripping at the finish line. But some how tripping from first place with a mile lead and still coming in last place. Again the only thing that can save this set up is if the Citadel isn't what you are tricked into thinking it is.
So what is it? Good question my thoughts is that the Citadel is really a giant antenna of sorts. It is used to call in the Reaper invasion but only in such that it sends a signal out to the Reapers in dark space to tell them to advance towards the Alpha Relay. As well as a place to house the Catalyst. And yes despite what some may say the Catalyst existing on the Citadel makes more sense then they give credit for it. After all part of their plan is to entice galactic civilization to set up shop and live on the Citadel. What a better way to study their society then that. Hundreds to thousands of years of up close society development and data stored on the Citadel to be examined by the Catalyst. The whole series of events going something like this:
Sovereign comes to the conclusion it is time for the harvest.
It then sends a signal to the Catalyst to approve of the harvest or not.
The Catalyst then signals the Keepers to activate the Reaper signal and trigger the galaxy wide invasion.
This clears up a lot of problems. To start with the signal could still be easily discovered but because it is default basic care and only changes when the Catalyst calls in the Reapers it would be something that would allow races to live for thousands of years on it without finding out about it's true nature. The Protheans severed the connection between the Reapers and the Catalyst and Keepers and the Catalyst thus the Keepers were kept on auto pilot for all those years. Performing standard maintenance on the Citadel to keep it operating. Since the signal is only used when the Reapers are called in it sitting for 50,000 years not knowing it had been tampered with makes sense.
Sovereign attempted to contact the Catalyst and was unable to. The Catalyst in return was unable to trigger the Keepers without exposing it self. This was way Sovereign took so long and yet appeared to do nothing. It was in conversation with the Catalyst and they were attempting to fix the problem and activate the Reaper signal. How ever it was only partially successful. At that point Shepard shows up and disrupts the connection between them again. It also explains the get out of jail free card they pulled. When the Saren puppet overloads it creates a power surge in the Council Chamber. The Catalyst redirects the power surge into Sovereign as a way to protect it self. Thus explaining how and why such a powerful surge capable of knocking out a Reaper would some how leave the rest of the station unaffected.
The incomplete message is why Harbinger starts up the Collectors bringing them from a race that is so rare they might as well be big foot. Into a much more direct set up of kidnapping humans to turn them into a Reaper. Only after the destruction of the Collector base does it signal to Harbinger that the races of the galaxy have advanced enough for the harvest. As well as why the Reapers leave the Citadel alone till the very end. It's only purpose at that point is to serve as a house for the Catalyst. The races flocking to it and the ships protecting it from the Reapers is the best security for the Catalyst needed. It is only once the Reapers learn that the Catalyst has been compromised because of TIM do they act to take control and move it behind their lines. It's purpose had been served and held no strategic point beyond the Catalyst's safety which was being done by the very races that would be harvested.
So what do you guys think of my little head canon?
