Margin of Error

[Pax Humana]

According to the Codex, there are 2 FTL methods used by everyone. The Relays are point-to-point, effectively instant travel. The other is the drive cores which let you push, after 2000 years of research, to 15 times speed of light for a maximum of roughly 30 light-years' travel before you must stop and discharge.

The effect of this is that each new Relay added to the network produces a new sphere of exploration. If it's useful enough, that first sphere gets its own nodes that add more spheres of exploration added around eg a garden world or a juicy mining system.

Now, if the games were realistic enough, that'd mean each new Relay's initial sphere would contain dozens of new systems for people to develop (and fight over). One additional thing to consider is that these other systems would automatically route galactic trade through the Relay-bearing systems, meaning they're always economically subordinate to those Relay systems which become trade hubs and regional capitals for each colonization cluster, I think the wiki calls them.

If Marcus finds an alternate FTL method that's somewhere between those two speeds (19 YEARS to cross the galaxy vs seconds via Relay), on the strategic scale of distance covered, yes, that will absolutely be a military-grade advancement. Would it make the Turians friendly? Almost certainly not. They're Space Rome and cannot tolerate an alternate military power.

In fact, if humanity shows up with that alternate FTL method, that alone will cause wars, at least cold wars and probably 1 or 2 hot ones, as well.

 

[abominable]

No. The only FTL in the games is the one the Reapers left to seed the trap

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Awww. Sad. Would've been one hell of a stone thrown into the galactic community's calm pond water.

I don't know whether to be offended or intrigued by the idea of a female Turian operative trying to seduce Marcus

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Lol no I meant that the Turian Hierarchy wouldve sent their most charming diplomats and generous concessions to try and wrangle some kind of tech trade for non-relay FTL.

They warlike, military-friendly tech is super shiny to the birbs.

In fact, if humanity shows up with that alternate FTL method, that alone will cause wars, at least cold wars and probably 1 or 2 hot ones, as well.

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Not really, no. For one thing, the Salarians and, more likely, the Asari are going to have to put the breaks on that.

The likely outcome is all three races will do their best to pressure humanity into joining the citadel. Humanity wont really have much of a reason, let alone a choice, to say no, not when the Salarians and, again more likely, the Asari dangle enough of the benefits of joining to make it a lot easier to swallow.

The Turians are going to do their best to look intimidating to show off the stick that usually gets shoved up their asses (as Joker once put it).

If the First Contact War kicks off much like in canon, we'll see largely the same course of events, with the Council even more eager to see humanity join in.

Edit: Though I guess that's largely theoretical now since author says nothing's gonna change from canon FTL methods.

 

[Lokabrenna]

I forget, do the rest of the Citadel races only have the relays as FTL travel?

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No. The only FTL in the games is the one the Reapers left to seed the trap

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No, they have standard Mass Effect FTL too, which for military ships can achieve velocities of about 15 lightyears per day (which is roughly half of what the typical Reaper is capable of). If you've ever noticed from the games that most of the systems you travel to don't actually have any Relays, this is the reason why those systems are both accessible and settled in the first place. The main issue with it is that it's limited by fuel availability, and the static buildup effect which creates a charge in the ship that must periodically be discharged to avoid frying the ship and everyone in it. This means that, functionally speaking, any given settled world in galactic civilization is still huddled within a hundred lightyears or so of a Mass Relay, because the logistics of settling a star system get increasingly expensive the further you get from a Relay or other economic hub.

EDIT: Whoops, looks like @Pax Humana beat me to it.

 

[silentorphan]

I had researched her thoroughly before requesting admission to her seminar. She was exactly the kind of mentor I needed: brilliant, well-connected, and pragmatic enough to value results over process. She hadn't been concerned about my age from the first time we spoke.

...

"Mr Sinclair." I was surprised she called me directly as she'd never spoken to me before.

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What? Either she did speak to him before or she didn't. It can't be both at the same time.

 

[CNoxS911]

Thanks for the nice chapter

 

[Reynard69]

well, he's definitely in a comic book reality at this point.

 

[USSExplorer]

No, they have standard Mass Effect FTL too, which for military ships can achieve velocities of about 15 lightyears per day (which is roughly half of what the typical Reaper is capable of). If you've ever noticed from the games that most of the systems you travel to don't actually have any Relays, this is the reason why those systems are both accessible and settled in the first place. The main issue with it is that it's limited by fuel availability, and the static buildup effect which creates a charge in the ship that must periodically be discharged to avoid frying the ship and everyone in it. This means that, functionally speaking, any given settled world in galactic civilization is still huddled within a hundred lightyears or so of a Mass Relay, because the logistics of settling a star system get increasingly expensive the further you get from a Relay or other economic hub.

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Since that FTL is still based around eezo, I class it as the same thing. I thought the original question meant something different (Hyperspace, Warp, slipspace, etc), which is why I said no. If you want to class them as different, then okay, but they're still the canon FTL methods, which are rooted in eezo.

What? Either she did speak to him before or she didn't. It can't be both at the same time.

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THat was likely a left over line from an earleir draft that I somehow missed during the checks. Removed now.

well, he's definitely in a comic book reality at this point.

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What makes you say that?

 

[Lokabrenna]

Since that FTL is still based around eezo, I class it as the same thing. I thought the original question meant something different (Hyperspace, Warp, slipspace, etc), which is why I said no. If you want to class them as different, then okay, but they're still the canon FTL methods, which are rooted in eezo.

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Yeah, your response technically included both, but the original question was if they only had the Relays for FTL, which means your wording made your answer slightly misleading to someone without the lore knowledge to know that regular Eezo FTL is a thing, and is part and parcel of the Reapers' technological trap. Even for me, your answer came off as somewhat ambiguous, since it is technically correct but also refers to two very distinct types of FTL with different mechanics, requirements and limitations as "one". In any case, including your post was intended to be more about clarifying for abominable than contradicting you.