The Sowers must be Harbinger's awkward cousins from out of town...

SableDrake

Chameleon

26 200g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 7, 2012, 12:11:43 AM

The problem with Sci-Fi is that every "board" category has already been done one way or another, just focus on the details and you will see the differences.

thegreedyturtle

Newcomer

thegreedyturtle

Newcomer

13 years ago

Jun 7, 2012, 2:24:53 AM

And every one of you needs to go back and read 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Iscin

Newcomer

Iscin

Newcomer

13 years ago

Jun 7, 2012, 3:53:51 AM

I see more direct parallels with "The Xenos" from the X universe.

Elusive_M

Lost Survivor

Elusive_M

Lost Survivor

31 300g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 12:54:40 PM

And think if they will attack at the begining. It is cool with switch on\off function and placed somewhere in the as*ho*e of the galaxy. Stop, craverns there

Then like collectors in the mid of the galaxy.

GC13

Old

I feel like I'm trying way too hard to pick a favorite faction...

GC13

Old

16 400g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 3:56:33 AM

I mean, come on, what am I supposed to think? A synthetic race created by a race that has virtualized itself moves through the galaxy with a pre-programmed purpose and is named for the verb which they perform on the galaxy? Ye shall reap what ye shall sow indeed.

Was the reference to Mass Effect's Reapers intentional, or is there a limit on how many verbs synthetic races can perform on unsuspecting galaxies?

tmparis

Newcomer

tmparis

Newcomer

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 5:07:07 AM

In defense of ES, haven't you seen the warrior race before, or a band of roaming humans, or a physically weak yet scientifically strong race? As long as it's fun, I don't mind the parallels.

Cadoras

Newcomer

Cadoras

Newcomer

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 8:10:08 AM

GC13 wrote:
I mean, come on, what am I supposed to think? A synthetic race created by a race that has virtualized itself moves through the galaxy with a pre-programmed purpose and is named for the verb which they perform on the galaxy? Ye shall reap what ye shall sow indeed.

Was the reference to Mass Effect's Reapers intentional, or is there a limit on how many verbs synthetic races can perform on unsuspecting galaxies?

I see some parallel lines, but certainly not a big "reference". There are big fundamental differences between the Reapers and the Sowers:

- The "Godkid" wanted to protect the organics agains the synthetics by creating a synthetic race that in a 50000 year cycle wipes out every organic and synthetic before the organics come to a state whereas the synthetics are at a point to take over.

- The Sowers are virtually gardening tools that became (more) sentient.

- The designs are very, very different. Whereas the Reapers are more half synthetic/organic in design, the Sowers are very machinelike.

- The Reapers are utter destroyers, whereas the Sowers are creators.

I'm sorry, but unfortunately every big synthetic race with sentient ships will automatically be compared with the Reapers. Just like in the past every secret agent movie was compared with James Bond, or every new fantasy-movie will be compared with LOTR. With other words: your comparison is to easy, judge the race on its own merits.

But honestly, the name might be a nod though. But who cares?

turanar

Newcomer

turanar

Newcomer

20 300g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 8:43:18 AM

I really like the Sowers, they remind me my favorite race in the Master of Orion serie : the Melkar (who consumed half food / half production, and got a bonus to production)

http://aliens.wikia.com/wiki/Master_of_Orion%27s_Races#Meklar

But, why the Sowers need food btw ? Are they part organic / part robotic ? I mean, ok maybe they need some vegetable oil sometime for greasing gears, but they can also use mineral oils.

commanderkai

Newcomer

commanderkai

Newcomer

17 600g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 10:17:04 AM

I think it is a reference to the Reapers in Mass Effect, but hey, the Reapers are a more disturbing and horrifying version of the Borg, in my opinion. Nothing really wrong with it. If they looked exactly like Reapers, and had dialogue ripped from Mass Effect 1 and 2 (since seemingly Reapers forgot how to talk by 3) like "We are the Harbinger of your destruction" yada yada, then I can agree there might be an issue.

TheDarklite

Newcomer

TheDarklite

Newcomer

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 10:32:55 AM

Well... The Sowers remind me more of the Xenon from the X series of space sim games. They are a race of machines that were originally designed.... to terraform planets. IIRC something got messed up in their programming and they wanted to terraform life as well... Or something along those lines. Obviously that is where the similarities deviate, but you know, terraforming space robots?

The X series certainly pre-dates Mass Effect.

A lot of info on them can be found by clicking here.

Jacrench

Lost Space

Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.

Jacrench

Lost Space

22 300g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 11:31:32 AM

Cadoras wrote:

I'd suggest perhaps adding some spoiler alerts here or in future hence forth. I know the game's not new or anything, and I'm not spoilt there, but I have friends who haven't quite finished that game yet who frequent these parts.

As for the comparison, I just don't see it. On the surface maybe yes, but in detail they are very much apart.

Cadoras

Newcomer

Cadoras

Newcomer

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 11:38:42 AM

Fact of the matter is, the human mind always tries to compare. And as we already can determine, everyone can see parallels with different races of different games, which proves the concept is not all that original. But that doesn't mean it's bad.

Smight

Enthusiast

...

Smight

Enthusiast

40 000g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 11:47:39 AM

Considering nonsense philosophy of Reapers, I would say that Reapers are awkward cousins from out of town.

Cadoras

Newcomer

Cadoras

Newcomer

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 11:58:41 AM

Smight wrote:
Considering nonsense philosophy of Reapers, I would say that Reapers are awkward cousins from out of town.

Or demented half-brothers. One with a violent streak, one with a gardening obsession.

GC13

Old

I feel like I'm trying way too hard to pick a favorite faction...

GC13

Old

16 400g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 12:14:02 PM

tmparis wrote:
In defense of ES, haven't you seen the warrior race before, or a band of roaming humans, or a physically weak yet scientifically strong race? As long as it's fun, I don't mind the parallels.

Never said it was bad, just fun.

And yes, I suppose Harbinger could be the black sheep of the family...

Cadoras

Newcomer

Cadoras

Newcomer

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 12:15:58 PM

GC13 wrote:
Never said it was bad, just fun.

And yes, I suppose Harbinger could be the black sheep of the family...

He's the slightly gothic pubescent kid, which likes to cut himself and turn neighbours into husks. Oh wait.

Elusive_M

Lost Survivor

Elusive_M

Lost Survivor

31 300g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 12:23:22 PM

Craverns take the role of reapers, what is wrong

I think the idea of big live-ships that terraform planets is fresher and better, then old machines, that want to destroy everything.

Anonymous

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 12:37:34 PM

Every sci-fi scenario needs a race of synthetic creatures gone wild, along with all the other obvious and standard sci-fi groups.

Hissho = Klingon = Narn = Krogan.

Sowers = Borg = Xenon = Geth = Necron = Replicators.

Cravers = Tyrannids = Vorcha.

Sophons = Salarians = Eldar.

The list goes on. :P

GC13

Old

I feel like I'm trying way too hard to pick a favorite faction...

GC13

Old

16 400g2g pts

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 12:38:36 PM

Elusive_M wrote:
Craverns take the role of reapers, what is wrong

I think the idea of big live-ships that terraform planets is fresher and better, then old machines, that want to destroy everything.

Don't let the Reapers hear you say that.

... You know what? On second thought, let them. My fleets could use some target practice.

I'd say it's time for random events, or maybe a ninth faction.

Cadoras

Newcomer

Cadoras

Newcomer

13 years ago

Jun 5, 2012, 12:38:54 PM

Social-Pariah wrote:
Every sci-fi scenario needs a race of synthetic creatures gone wild, along with all the other obvious and standard sci-fi groups.

Hissho = Klingon = Narn = Krogan.

Sowers = Borg = Xenon = Geth = Necron = Replicators.

Cravers = Tyrannids = Vorcha.

Sophons = Salarians = Eldar.

The list goes on. :P

Exactly my point. Parallels and similarities are unavoidable.

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