Altered maps XI: Towards a New Decade!

[Winner]

surprising to see that the Salarians haven't really expanded much beyond their own local cluster.

They have. You need to keep in mind that the clusters show on the map are only those that are relevant to Shepard. There are probably hundreds more which are simply omitted. Salarians do have numerous colonies according to some of the background info for ME. They have the 2nd largest economy in Citadel space, IIRC, so there's probably a lot more of them then there are humans.

Serpent Nebula = Citadel?

Yes. Also, Local Cluster = Arcturus Stream in ME3.

I am not really surprised about the Salarians. They don't seem like they care to expand that much. There could be other factors, such as their comparelatively short life spans or some of their advanced technology and differing view or reproduction and sexuality (as I recall, reproduction i only done out of necessity not because of pleasure or other forces) that relieve population pressures that would encourage expansion. Nor do they seem to fit well in establishing mining and other economic colonies, leaving that to the other races and acquiring it with service and advanced technology.

The one that somewhat surprises me is that the highly agressive and militaristic Turians did not expand a lot, though it is possible that there are more relays in that section of the galaxy that have not been visited. Same for the Salarians, there is noting saying that this is all the active relays in the galaxy, just all that can be visited in the three Mass Effect games.

Again, only clusters/worlds shown in ME games are on the map. They've never released a detailed map that would show all relays and accessible clusters. The in-game Codex says that the Asari have by far the biggest economy, followed by Salarians and Turians (who, not being particularly profit-minded, rely on the Volus in economic matters). Humans are behind all the old council races, despite their aggressive territorial and economic expansion since they've joined the galactic community. It stands to reason that others must have numerous other colonies besides those shown in the game.

The map might create an impression that Humans are the most powerful race because they control the greatest number of clusters, but that's only because the first game in particular takes place mostly in human-controlled space so we know the most about it. Also, human colonies are small compared to those of old council races - just a few million inhabitants, compared to hundreds of millions or billions on Asari and Turian colony worlds.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Yah, it becomes really obvious when you compare Bekenstein to a planet like Ilium.

I suppose that is the truth of the matter, we didn't explore much of Citadel space during the 3 games. The background information shows that the Turians did expand and settle many planets.

 

[Dachs]

Yah, it becomes really obvious when you compare Bekenstein to a planet like Ilium.

I suppose that is the truth of the matter, we didn't explore much of Citadel space during the 3 games.

There was no reason to. Not much exciting stuff going on in fairly law-abiding segments of the galaxy.

 

[TheLastOne36]

There was no reason to. Not much exciting stuff going on in fairly law-abiding segments of the galaxy.

Or rather we didn't explore it in the third game.

Turians, Asari and Krogan were in total war with the Reapers, and the Salarians nearly had a civil war during the heat of all this IIRC. We could have seen more missions where we had to deal with some sensitive information (like the whole deal on Thesia) and further explore Turian, Salarian and Asari society before the game's climax.

Heck I would even have wanted to explore Krogan society some more. We've been exposed to Krogan mercenaries and warlords the whole series and only in the third game through the Krogan Female Eve, we explored briefly an intriguing sprawling culture that was once Krogan society and Tuchanka before the genophage. Something for the first time in 3 games made me realize that the Krogan were a (glorious?) civilization rather than a society of brutish warlord bands and mercenary thugs, and made me feel sympathy for them.

If the game had some extra missions on Tuchanka and Sur'kesh leading up to the curing/not curing of the genophage, it would have made the whole event much more dramatic and intense.

I am probably steering this thread off topic though.

 

[Arakhor]

I like the new map, Winner!

 

[Winner]

Or rather we didn't explore it in the third game.

Turians, Asari and Krogan were in total war with the Reapers, and the Salarians nearly had a civil war during the heat of all this IIRC. We could have seen more missions where we had to deal with some sensitive information (like the whole deal on Thesia) and further explore Turian, Salarian and Asari society before the game's climax.

Yeah. Frankly the game feels like it was originally supposed to be three times as long, but for some reason they gave up on all this additional content and released it. This is of course best manifested in its incredibly stupid ending which I've chosen to ignore, otherwise I couldn't touch ME ever again. I am still hoping they'll do something about it.

Post-Reaper Galaxy would be a fun setting for ME4. Most of the Council space is in ruins, including the homeworlds of all major races (with the possible exception of Sur'kesh), mutated monsters and indoctrinated masses of people everywhere, it would take decades to clean this mess up. A new character would be on it while my Shepard enjoyed his retirement on Rannoch in peace and quiet.

I like the new map, Winner!

Thanks. I am still wondering whether to add "borders" or not.

 

[Arakhor]

I think it's fine as it is. A map mustn't get too busy or it loses any aesthetic value that you might be striving for.

 

[Dachs]

Borders would be a completely made-up joke anyway. But we all know my thoughts on that from earlier in the thread.

I agree that the Talimance is objectively superior in ME3, incidentally; the only other one that comes close is Traynor.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Best relationship in the game is Garrus though.

 

[Winner]

Borders would be a completely made-up joke anyway. But we all know my thoughts on that from earlier in the thread.

Maybe a broad outline similar to the galaxy at war map. Later.

I agree that the Talimance is objectively superior in ME3, incidentally; the only other one that comes close is Traynor.

Yes. Also, I hate insects and crowded places - Rannoch has neither. The day there lasts long enough for a person to actually do something, the gravity is marginally lower and the heat should be tolerable. That Shepard won't be able to eat local fauna and flora is arguably sub-optimal, but nothing is perfect. He'll adjust.

 

[Arakhor]

He'll adjust to 100% imported food and water, certainly. He'll have to!

 

[TheLastOne36]

Why water?

Would dextro-aminoacid bacterias make him ill?

 

[Winner]

He'll adjust to 100% imported food and water, certainly. He'll have to!

Not such a problem. Water can be filtered, and a person doesn't actually need that much food (by weight). In any case, Shepard could go shopping for groceries in his ship, that would be badass.

Why water?

Would dextro-aminoacid bacterias make him ill?

I don't know what would happen if you ate food based on the "wrong" proteins. My guess is nothing, since your body would be unable to work with this stuff - it would just leave on the other end not having given you any nutrition at all. And it would probably taste funny. I don't see why it should be poisonous though. ME characters say so, but I won't believe them without a proof (They blame it on allergic reactions, but again, why should you be allergic to something your body can't chemically process? It would most likely trigger no reaction at all.)

 

[Dachs]

And there was that famous lunatic post claiming that Tali's dextro sweat would be both a drug of some sort and a "natural performance enhancer". If that's what her sweat is like, dextro food can't be all that bad.

 

[Winner]

And there was that famous lunatic post claiming that Tali's dextro sweat would be both a drug of some sort and a "natural performance enhancer". If that's what her sweat is like, dextro food can't be all that bad.

Oh gods Although, I read somewhere that dextro-amino acids tend to be perceived as "sweet". Implications for kissing are obvious.

Anyway, it's a shame they didn't actually make an effort to produce more detailed textures for the major planets - only Earth and Mars have one, for obvious reasons. Most planets have pretty generic textures, which are usually contradictory to their description, which irks the hard sci-fi fan in me.


Speaking of planets... Minbar, the homeworld of the Minbari race in Babylon 5 universe:

Spoiler :

 

[Dachs]

And now for something completely different: a finalized relabled version of my alternate historical world map in 350.

Spoiler World Map :

 

[Traitorfish]

Are the Americas blank to indicate the absence of significant polities, or just because you're not interested in that bit? (I honestly don't know much about American political geography at that point beyond the vague notion that involved Maya.)

 

[gangleri2001]

350 BC or AD? I assume it's BC but who knows.

 

[General Pilates]

It would be strange to have a Seleukid empire occur before Alexander can even conquer the east

 

[Arakhor]

Given the existence of Carthage, Persia and what appears to be Magna Graecia, I'd assume 350 BC.