Fans Tear New Mass Effect Book to Shreds

[Daverson]

Element Zero is just a name given to the star-plasma infused metal that makes Mass Effect possible. It doesn't necessarily mean that it has no protons/neutrons.

So way to fail.

Element Zero (Atomic Number 0, Chemical Symbol Ez), also known as 'eezo'...

the atomic number (also known as the proton number) is the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom

Way to fail at calling a fail.

I'm only JUST starting Chemistry again for college, so way to be a dick.

From what I recalled, the number was the protons AND the neutrons in an atom, not just protons. Obviously, I was wrong.

But, in that case, how would that make Element Zero impossible considering that it could just have neutrons in the nucleus and no protons?

I could explain why you can't just have neutrons in a nucleus, but honestly, I've got better things to do with my time. Read this: http://www.askamathematician.com/2010/09/q-why-cant-you-have-an-atom-made-entirely-out-of-neutrons/

Okay, fine.

However, there's no real proof that Element Zero is actually composed of zero protons, other than it being listed with the number of 0 on the wiki. For all we know, Element Zero's not really on the Periodic Table and was simply given its name due to, as said before in this topic, the fact that it simply IS, much like Zeroth Laws used in other forms of science. They're not ACTUALLY 0, but they're called that due to their nature of fundamental contradiction/perversion of the numbered ones, much like V.I.K.I.'s whole invention of the Zeroth Law of AI in the I, Robot movie to justify the whole world conquest and suppression of the human race and stuff.

Same case with Element Zero. It's called that because it represents an impossibility that is actually quite possible(scientists are basically discovering Eezo in the LHC as we speak) and presents the possibility of space travel due to the energy given off by its God-particle-like properties.

The likes of Michio Kaku have praised Mass Effect's use of Einstein's Loophole(the fact that the Theory of Relativity only factors in positive matter in its calculations of travel close to or at the speed of light) in order to explain the space travel, after all...

Well, that's all good and fine, but if it's it not "Element Zero", why call it "Element Zero"? Why not just call it something like "Condensed Jones Matter"?

I have nothing against science fiction making up some wonderful loophole to get around the laws of relativity. It just peeves me that they've tried to assign some kind of scientific explanation to it that falls apart under the slightest scrutiny.

(By the way, could you kindly not butcher scientific theories to your own ends? That's what fanatics do. You aren't going to prove the existence of some fictitious wonderful material through perverting the theories of relativity and quantum dynamics any more than you could prove the existence of some fictitious wonderful supreme being...)

 

[SickBritKid]

Element Zero is just a name given to the star-plasma infused metal that makes Mass Effect possible. It doesn't necessarily mean that it has no protons/neutrons.

So way to fail.

Element Zero (Atomic Number 0, Chemical Symbol Ez), also known as 'eezo'...

the atomic number (also known as the proton number) is the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom

Way to fail at calling a fail.

I'm only JUST starting Chemistry again for college, so way to be a dick.

From what I recalled, the number was the protons AND the neutrons in an atom, not just protons. Obviously, I was wrong.

But, in that case, how would that make Element Zero impossible considering that it could just have neutrons in the nucleus and no protons?

I could explain why you can't just have neutrons in a nucleus, but honestly, I've got better things to do with my time. Read this: http://www.askamathematician.com/2010/09/q-why-cant-you-have-an-atom-made-entirely-out-of-neutrons/

Okay, fine.

However, there's no real proof that Element Zero is actually composed of zero protons, other than it being listed with the number of 0 on the wiki. For all we know, Element Zero's not really on the Periodic Table and was simply given its name due to, as said before in this topic, the fact that it simply IS, much like Zeroth Laws used in other forms of science. They're not ACTUALLY 0, but they're called that due to their nature of fundamental contradiction/perversion of the numbered ones, much like V.I.K.I.'s whole invention of the Zeroth Law of AI in the I, Robot movie to justify the whole world conquest and suppression of the human race and stuff.

Same case with Element Zero. It's called that because it represents an impossibility that is actually quite possible(scientists are basically discovering Eezo in the LHC as we speak) and presents the possibility of space travel due to the energy given off by its God-particle-like properties.

The likes of Michio Kaku have praised Mass Effect's use of Einstein's Loophole(the fact that the Theory of Relativity only factors in positive matter in its calculations of travel close to or at the speed of light) in order to explain the space travel, after all...

Well, that's all good and fine, but if it's it not "Element Zero", why call it "Element Zero"? Why not just call it something like "Condensed Jones Matter"?

I have nothing against science fiction making up some wonderful loophole to get around the laws of relativity. It just peeves me that they've tried to assign some kind of scientific explanation to it that falls apart under the slightest scrutiny.

(By the way, could you kindly not butcher scientific theories to your own ends? That's what fanatics do. You aren't going to prove the existence of some fictitious wonderful material through perverting the theories of relativity and quantum dynamics any more than you could prove the existence of some fictitious wonderful supreme being...)

1. Way to be a complete asshole just because I'm Roman Catholic, going to depths that Yahtzee's never attempted for a good reason.

2. Eezo is called Element Zero for the same reason the Zeroth Law of Robotics is called the Zeroth Law of Robotics. They're not "0" on the list so much as they're a third option that can manipulate those laws into, well, robot domination or incredibly advanced technicaly.

And no, Mass Effect's science does NOT pervert relativity, quantum dynamics, or "make up some wonderful loophole to get around the laws of relativity."

Bioware didn't make this rule up. This rule ALREADY EXISTED! Michio Kaku(aka one of the most brilliant men in the world, up there with the likes of Hawking in the scientific community) himself confirmed this theory of a loophole in Einstein's equations on an episode of The Science of Gaming, and that Mass Effect's use of dark matter and energy to effect deep-space travel is not only feasible, but it could damn well be our means of intergalactic travel in the future should it happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmsJiHCcWOI

There's the link, so how about you watch that before accusing me of "perverting relativity", hm?

 

[Daverson]

*snip*

1. Way to be a complete asshole just because I'm Roman Catholic, going to depths that Yahtzee's never attempted for a good reason.

2. Eezo is called Element Zero for the same reason the Zeroth Law of Robotics is called the Zeroth Law of Robotics. They're not "0" on the list so much as they're a third option that can manipulate those laws into, well, robot domination or incredibly advanced technicaly.

And no, Mass Effect's science does NOT pervert relativity, quantum dynamics, or "make up some wonderful loophole to get around the laws of relativity."

Bioware didn't make this rule up. This rule ALREADY EXISTED! Michio Kaku(aka one of the most brilliant men in the world, up there with the likes of Hawking in the scientific community) himself confirmed this theory of a loophole in Einstein's equations on an episode of The Science of Gaming, and that Mass Effect's use of dark matter and energy to effect deep-space travel is not only feasible, but it could damn well be our means of intergalactic travel in the future should it happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmsJiHCcWOI

There's the link, so how about you watch that before accusing me of "perverting relativity", hm?

Again, if it's not "element zero", why call it "element zero". It's all good and fine trying to bring in Dr Kaku's points about Dark Matter and Antimatter, but Bioware didn't use these words. The words they did use were "Element zero", then went on to explain that's it's exactly what your trying to say it isn't.

You can try and argue about relativity and string theory all day long, but these aren't things that space opera writers are thinking about. They're thinking about magic rocks that miraculously make their stories about travelling to other worlds in seconds feasible. That's exactly what "Element Zero" is. It's green rocks [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GreenRocks]. It's a plot device. Nothing more. And it's been given the DUMBEST "scientific" explanation ever.

(So, wait, you think I've somehow been able to miraculously deduce you're a catholic? Persecution complex, much?)

(By the way, why do you keep bringing up the zeroth law of robotics? It's tenuous at best, given the laws of robotics aren't really a thing, and the zeroth law wasn't even Asimov's work. The zeroth law of thermodynamics would be a better example. Jus' saying...)

 

[oblivion328]

You know, I can handle and inconsistency or two. I can accept getting something slightly wrong. But in a universe where 50% of the time could be spent READING THE LORE, there is no excuse for this.
It just comes off as lazy that they didn't check it and that he didn't ask.

Reminds me of when Halo: Cryptum came out.....

I still don't understand why Cryptum gets so much hate from Halo fans. As far as I can tell, it doesn't contradict established lore besides maybe a few vague statements previously made about the Forerunners, the retconning of which really has no bearing on anything else. And to the best of my knowledge, Bear received some guidance from and the approval of the guys at 343i. Maybe I'm just jaded from being a Star Wars fan and seeing canon constantly destroyed and rebuilt, often for no good reason at all.

In any case, it's the most original piece of work in the franchise. Everything else is pretty standard military scifi.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

You know, I can handle and inconsistency or two. I can accept getting something slightly wrong. But in a universe where 50% of the time could be spent READING THE LORE, there is no excuse for this.
It just comes off as lazy that they didn't check it and that he didn't ask.

Reminds me of when Halo: Cryptum came out.....

I still don't understand why Cryptum gets so much hate from Halo fans. As far as I can tell, it doesn't contradict established lore besides maybe a few vague statements previously made about the Forerunners, the retconning of which really has no bearing on anything else. And to the best of my knowledge, Bear received some guidance from and the approval of the guys at 343i. Maybe I'm just jaded from being a Star Wars fan and seeing canon constantly destroyed and rebuilt, often for no good reason at all.

In any case, it's the most original piece of work in the franchise. Everything else is pretty standard military scifi.

Believe me, I could write an ESSAY on what is wrong with that book.

I'll give you some bullet points of what I hated in the first 10 pages.

-The Forerunners act like average 21st century humans. Bitching about jobs. Whining about what they are going to be when they grow up. Not the epic, world-creating gods they are

-THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE FUCKING FORERUNNERS!!! I know they give a half-assed explanation, but it is still completely idiotic.

-Humans. Good god, the retconning!!!. This needs separate bullets...
1. Humans now had an EMPIRE while the Forerunners were alive. Bullshit.
2. Humans EXIST beyond tribes and monkeys. Bullshit
3. The Forerunners kicked the human's asses, but left them alive and poor on their planet. Bullshit.

-Now there is ANOTHER race that was before the Forerunners! Bullshit.

-Boring as hell, first of a trilogy. Bullshit.

And even ASIDE from that crap (and everything else stupid), my biggest problem with that book is that it [i/]exists[/i].
In Science Fiction, when you have some kind of ancient alien race, they SHOULD NOT BE REVEALED.

Here's why: When you have built up all the awesome mysterious aspects of said race, no matter what you do, it will not meet expectations and more importantly, it will destroy ALL of the cool mystery that was there.
Now, when I walk down a hall in one of the Halos, I don't think "Who were these strange Forerunners and why did they build this thing this way???" I think of that book and the characters within.

It's like if there was an ENTIRE TRILOGY dedicated to the ancient guys from 2001. Yes, there is some description in 3001, but not a TRILOGY explaining what kind of personalities they had and all that crap. There is no Prothean trilogy for ME. Description, yes, but the mystery is still in full effect.

As for original, I suppose. A feces powered flying anus is original, but it's still a shit-spewing asshole.

If you like it, fine. I have no problems with that. However, I and many other Halo fans found it utterly repulsive.

[sub/]/rant[/sub]

 

[I Max95]

There is no Prothean trilogy for ME. Description, yes, but the mystery is still in full effect.

[sub/]/rant[/sub]

Spoiler

it's a spoiler if your buying the N7 edition of Mass effect 3, if not....you'll find out anyway http://m.ign.com/articles/1219156