Naotw: thank you for the input! This is my first attempt creating a Fanfiction so there will be multiple significant problems and it was good of you to point them out early on instead of after more damage was done. To respond to a few of your statements and give my reasoning for some of your grievances:
1: The existence of FTL travel that is usable at interplanetary distances create multiple significant effects on ship design and technological development. Technologies are developed based on the needs of a civilization and what they already possess. With the mass relays and mass effect races grouping relatively nearby them, there would be few instances where travel times of multiple days would be necessary. With element zero getting things into orbit easier and the fast travel times, space stations and ships could be re-supplied with food, water, and air from garden worlds instead of having to supply it themselves. It would be unnecessary for the council species to develop sophisticated life support technology's(which I am defining as technologies related to the support of organic life for long periods of time in traditionally non-livable environments) so they were not developed. Same with their ships, if it will only take a few minutes to a few days to reach your destination, you do not design a ship to be resilient, you do not need it to be, you can just rapidly reach your destination and fix any minor damage that happens in-between ports. Interplanetary ships are different, it can take months or even years to reach your destination and in that time there is no repair facility to fix any problems, so they must be designed to not have any problems. Because of this they have sensors to detect problems, armor to protect against minor problems, and weapons to destroy or deflect major ones.
2:A 100,000 ton ship can carry more than 10 10,000 ton ships, this is why cargo ships keep getting bigger. A ship with twice the dimensions of another ship has eight times the volume, but only four times the surface area, meaning the amount of volume taken up by the hull/armor is cut in half. The ship does not need eight times as many sensors, eight times as many weapons, or even eight times as many crewmen. What I meant was humans made their ships bigger so that those extra expenses became a smaller portion of the construction cost and per cubic meter of ship they could fit in more cargo, evening out the cost per cubic meter of cargo compared to alien ships.
3:For the HFY allegation, though it was not my original intention, I can see how it can be interpreted that way. For that, I apologize if it makes you dislike the story, but everyone has the right to write their stories however they wish.
4. The problems with the timeline are mostly completely right and also completely unfixable considering I've already planned the story based off of the timeline.
5. As I said compared to the other civilizations humanity spent 5 to 20 times as much time as an interplanetary civilization, humanity learned multiple lessons during that era that the other civilizations didn't get too because they went almost immediately from putting a man on the moon to interstellar civilization. Humanity has also not learned the lessons related to interstellar civilization (their ship design still being based on interplanetary ships when that is not necessary is an example). Humanity has superiority in some technologies (partially because of the interplanetary civilization reasoning, but also partially because some technologies seemed ludicrously under developed in mass effect), but they are also behind in some technologies like medicine and element zero based tech (pathetic shields for ships and the infantry not getting any being an example).
6. it was the 100 year anniversary of World War II, not World War lll
Thank you for your input and I will most likely make some changes to future chapters based on it. now onto the civilizations of Mass Effect.
Note 1: for simplicity, all money is to be translated into galactic standard credits equivalent to as of 2022 1.125 USD.
Note 2: all the data is for 2157
Systems Alliance:
GDP: 1.8 quadrillion credits (#5 largest)
GDP Per capita:40,000 credits
GDP military percentage:5.3 % (95.4 trillion.)
Population: 45 billion
Annual GDP growth: 5 %
Systems controlled:1 Home system (heavily developed), 3 core systems (heavily developed),7 inner systems (moderately developed), 42 outer systems (lightly developed), 130 claimed systems (surveyed but undeveloped). Note: classification does not correlate to distance from the home world. Epsilon Indi is closer to sol then EZ Aquarii, but EZ Aquarii is considered an core system while epsilon Indi is considered a outer system, development and population factors in to classification, not distance.
Military forces: 200 Navy warships (2 dreadnoughts, 12 carriers, 12 light carriers, 30 cruisers, 144 frigates), 3500 system defense ships (19 carriers [all old, 50 light carriers [32 old, 18 new] 221 cruisers [All old, 800 frigates [all old] 2400 PT boats), 180 army cores , colonial and national guard forces, Pluto defense grid (24,750x70 m rapid mass accelerators [60 rounds per minute instead of 30 thanks to enhanced power supply and Heat management] 800 guardian laser satellites, 100,000 cruise missiles, 30 ODPs) embedded into Pluto and orbiting sol relay, 600 miscellaneous gunboats
Background: primary government of humanity, the systems alliance has an intermediate level of power over its territory. It is commonly the sole sovereign entity controlling most of the outer colonies, but the core and inner systems have significant independence from the central government. The power of the systems alliance continues to grow in comparison to the already established powers in human space because of the diaspora into the new systems colonized by humanity. The systems alliance economy is in a extreme time of growth due to the high amounts of materials coming into the inner and core systems, and the vast amount of equipment required to be produced to increase the expansion.
Asari Republics:
GDP:13 quadrillion (#1 largest) (split over 67 republics)
GDP Per capita: 15,000 to 200,000 depending on republic
GDP military percentage:0.375 % (48.75 trillion)
Population: 107 billion (split over 67 republics)(150 billion asari in different territories with possible loyalty)
Annual GDP growth:1.126 %
Systems controlled: One Home system (heavily developed), 15 core systems (heavily developed), 38 inner systems (moderately developed), 69 outer systems (lightly developed), 12 claimed systems (surveyed but undeveloped)
Military forces: 930 navy ships (21 dreadnoughts, 90 cruisers, 819 frigates [Ships have unusually long service lives into the centuries]), 3200 System defense ships (miscellaneous, includes outdated ships operated in poorer republic navies), miscellaneous militia and commando units.
background: Technically not a a actual government but a umbrella term used to define 67 asari dominated governments within council space, the asari republics are the cornerstone of the Council economy and civilization. Being the oldest species in the galaxy, the asari have had significantly more time to develop, and compared to the union, did not take as severe losses during the rachni war. The asari have control of 80% of patents in council space, creating a colossal influx of cash which continues to fuel their economy alongside research and development. In response to the traumatic events of the rachni war, the majority of the republics became extremely pacifistic, a handful of others took the exact opposite route, becoming extremely bellicose. This dichotomy created a unique situation where a handful of republics controlling the majority of asari military assets, and all of the dreadnoughts.
Turian Hierarchy:
GDP: 5.714 quadrillion (# 4 largest)
GDP per capita: 35,714
GDP military percentage:17 % (971.4 trillion )
population : 160 billion
annual GDP growth:1.65 %
Systems controlled: one home system, nine core systems, 36 inner systems, 75 outer systems, 22 claimed systems
military force: 4165 navy ships (35 dreadnoughts, 630 cruisers, 3150 frigates), 50,000 system defense ships (30,000 Corvettes [https/euderion/art/Turian-Accipiter-class-Corvette-778889224, 20,000 obsolete and outdated navy ships [Cruisers and frigates , dreadnoughts are scrapped in accordance to the farixin naval treaty]), 35 legions (marine equivalent, attached to each fleet, 118,418 soldiers), 100,000 corps (50,000 soldiers, minimum of one per colony),
Background: A extremely militant and regimented society, the hierarchy, even though being only the fourth eldest race, has become one of the most powerful due to its large military and economy that did not suffer the extreme damage caused by the rachni war. After the end of the krogan rebellion (a conflict significantly less devastating than the previous war) the hierarchy was given a position on the council. Later, because of their significantly less effective warrior abilities, the Volas agreed to become a client species of the hierarchy.
Batarian hegemony:
GDP: 1.784 quadrillion credits (# 6 largest)
GDP per capita:(theoretically) 27,880 (for majority of the population closer to 9,440 with the three highest casts in Batarian society holding the majority of the wealth)
GDP military percentage:3.7 % (66 trillion)
population: 64 billion (41 billion free Batarians, 1 billion enslaved Batarian, 19 billion enslaved aliens [18.5 billion from entirely enslaved species])
Annual GDP growth: 1.504 %
Systems: 4 home systems (Batarian home system and three slave species systems), 2 core systems, 12 inner systems, 35 outer systems, 194 claimed systems (entire Verge, not entirely surveyed)
Military: 679 navy ships (6 dreadnoughts, 24 cruisers, 67 kargalvog ("lesser combat ships", Turian and Systems Alliance designation light cruisers), 582 frigates (turian, and Systems Alliance designation, heavy Corvettes)), 700 system defense ships (obsolete military ships), 312 army Corp
Background: The most recent addition to the citadel associates list, the hegemony controls a vast territory for its significantly smaller population than the Council species. This is caused by the significant difference in time from discovery of prothean ruins, and their integration as a associate species. In this time the hegemony expanded dramatically leading to it having a disproportionate economy in comparison to other associates of similar, or older ages, giving it the sixth largest economy in the galaxy. This was also unfortunately caused by there enslavement of multiple other species in the area and some of their own people. The reputation of the hegemony took a hit when they attempted to enslave another space flight capable species called the Narn and failed.
Salarian Union
GDP:6.86 quadrillion (# 3 largest)
GDP per capita: 34,286
GDP military percentage: 1.42 % (including STG)(97.371 trillion)
Population: 200 billion
Annual GDP growth: 1.35 %
Systems: home system, 11 core systems, 30 inner systems, 63 outer systems, 15 claimed systems
Military: 1365 navy ships(15 dreadnoughts, 180 cruisers, 1170 frigates (Hierarchy, and Systems Alliance designation, heavy Corvette), STG (1 STG dreadnought, 10 SDG cruisers [One attached to each Fleet and five independent] 90 special operations frigates [Equipped with limited stealth capabilities, 590 listening posts,), 200 army cores
Background: The second oldest species in the galaxy, and one of the founders of the citadel council, the union at first was a rapidly expanding power, believed to surpass the combined ability of all of the republics within a few centuries. This eventually crumbled because of the rachni war. During the war, the union took the majority of the casualties, with entire fleets and planets destroyed. It was so catastrophic that the population of the union did not reach three war levels until 570 years after the conflict. The union spent the majority of the millennia after the war recovering and attempting to gain their pre-war status in comparison to the other powers in the galaxy. In 1948 the union regain its spot as the third largest economy from the hierarchy.
Volus Protectorate
GDP: 9.257 quadrillion (# 2 largest)
GDP per capita : 77,143
GDP military percentage: 0.125% (11.571 trillion)
population: 120 billion
Annual GDP growth:1.54 %
Systems: one home system, 8 core systems, 29 inner systems, 50 outer systems, 31 claimed systems
Military: 500 Navy ships(200 bomber frigates, 300 Corvettes), 70 cores (mostly robotic), 14,400 orbital defense strike bombers (heavy drone equivalent)
Background: the third oldest species in the galaxy, the Volas were originally discovered during the years between the rachni war and the krogan rebellion. The Volas merchant fleets were critical in the survival of the citadel council during the rebellions. Eventually, in 1496 the volus federal union became the volus protectorate, a client species of the hierarchy.
Hanar-Drell Compact
GDP: 1.229 quadrillion (# 7 largest)
GDP per capita : 30,714
military GDP percentage:1.92 % (23.589 trillion)
population: 40 billion (5 billion drell)
annual GDP growth:0.94 %
Systems: one home system, 3 core systems, 11 inner systems, 29 outer systems, seven claimed systems
Military: 119 navy ships (17 heavy cruisers [620 m, 102 frigates), 440 orbital defense platforms, (equipped with: one, 500x50 m mass accelerator, eight,100x20 m mass accelerators [4 twin turrets , 16 guardian lasers) deployed in home, core, and inner systems, 10 ground Corps (all drell), 5 water corps (all hanar)
background: in 2042, the Hanar discovered the drell home world on the brink of ecological collapse. The Hanar were capable of saving part of the Drewel population from death, and through this, created the seeds for the Hanar-Drill compact. The Hanar-Drill compact is the only example of a specifically multi species government besides the citadel council.
Courts Of Dekuuns
GDP: 785.714 trillion(# 8 largest)
GDP per capita: 35,714
military GDP percentage: 0.83% (6.531 trillion)
Population: 22 billion
Annual GDP growth : 0.74%
Systems: 1 home system, 2 core systems, 7 inner systems, 14 outer systems, five claimed systems
Military: 86 navy ships (one dreadnought [Dekovi Dekuuna "pride of Dekuuna", 10 cruisers, 75 frigates), 10 assault ships (capable of carrying an entire core each), 60 cores, 10 mobile cores (marine equivalent), 112 Navy reserve ships (12 cruisers [outdated, 100 frigates [Outdated])
background: The courts of Dekuuna are the smallest of the citadel associate governments, in both population and GDP. After first contact with the asari an event called "the crash of the courts" occurred. During the crash, almost the entire body of the comparatively technologically primitive elchor manufacturing and technology sectors were consumed by the technologically advanced asari. This led to the courts of Dekuuna's main source of income being resource extraction, and created such a level of economic dependence on the asari for the selling of raw materials and purchase of technology and manufactured goods, the elchor are sometimes called a client species of the Asari republics.
Narn Regime (shamelessly stolen from Babylon 5 so I can have an terminus race)
GDP: 252 trillion (ninth largest)
GDP per capita: 18,000
military GDP percentage: 20% (Saudi Arabia [Number one military, GDP percentage nation last time I checked] spent 10% of their GDP on the military) (50.4 trillion)
Population: 14 billion
annual GDP growth: 1.21%
Systems: one home system, five inner systems, 20 outer systems, 40 claimed systems (some outer, and claimed systems overlap with hegemony claimed territory in the Skyllian Verge, rest of their territory is in the greater atticin Supercluster)
military: 372 Navy ships (three "dreadnoughts" [turiun designated Large heavy cruisers capabilities, fits into dreadnought category by farixin definition, 15 heavy cruisers (cruiser size), 45 cruisers (light cruisers size), 120 destroyers (Turian designated missile frigates like San Diego class), 180 frigates ( Turian, and Systems Alliance designated heavy Corvettes)), 120 corps
Background: one of the youngest species known, and one of the most militant, the Narn regime was discovered by the hegemony. Instead of reporting the first contact to the Council, the hegemony attempted to conquer and enslave the Narn in order to increase the power of the hegemony. This failed but lead to an extreme level of militarism in the Narn regime, almost surpassing the hierarchy. The regimes economy is stifled because of the constant low intensity conflict with the hegemony creating an area unsafe for investment by other species corporations, and other species not wanting to lock themselves out of the hegemony market by trading with their primary opponent.
Quarian Migrant Fleet
GDP: N/A
GDP per capita: N/A
GDP military percentage: N/A
Population: 17 million (3 million on pilgrimage)
Annual GDP growth: N/A
Systems: N/A
Military: 1000 Heavy Fleet ships (8 heavy cruisers [Five, original survivors, obsolete, three purchased from Compact, old, 112 Cruisers [100 outdated, or obsolete, 12 Recently purchased from Hierarchy after refit, modern, 880 frigates [820 obsolete, 40 recently purchased from Hierarchy after refit, modern, 20 recently purchased from Hierarchy without refit (ran out of money), outdated]), 1500 patrol fleet ships (500 frigates [obsolete, or outdated, 800 armed scout ships, 200, armed survey ships.), 60,000 Marines.
Background: once one of the most influential Associates species, only out competed by the volus, now the Quarians live in a crumbling fleet, barely making a living. Each day their number, dwindles, and no one can decide if their species' life expectancy is in the century's or decades.
Geth
GDP: 7 quadrillion
GDP per capita:N/A
Military GDP percentage:12 % (840 trillion) note: 40% of GDP goes to Dyson swarm project
population:N/A
annual GDP growth: 7 %
Systems: one home system, 10 core systems, 54 inner systems, 35 outer systems (Geth have not left Perseus edge supercluster, have focused on heavy industrialization in controlled systems)
military: 2130 navy ships(30 dreadnoughts, 300 cruisers, 1800 frigates), 6000 PT boats, 300 billion potential infantry units (all mobile platforms can be equipped for combat), 30,000 potential auxiliary cruisers (all ships can be equipped for combat), 15,000 orbital defense platforms (80 m long, equipped with the mark one plasma cannon),
Background: isolated in the Perseus Vail, but unhindered by organic limitations, the collectives colossal and rapidly expanding economy has been set to two goals, the Dyson swarm project, and defense. The collective builds, a power mostly unknown by the citadel races, waiting to be awakened, like a sleeping giant.
Author notes:
I significantly altered the timelines for most of the minor species, the Volus have been in space for the same time, as have the Council species, but most of the minor species have been in space for a shorter time. here is a rundown:
Hanar: 420 years space flight, 408 years FTL,403 years associate
Elcor: 330 years space flight, 310 years FTL (uplifted by asari)
Quarians: 1200 years spaceflight, 1160 years FTL, 1145 years associate
Batarian: 230 years spaceflight, 200 years FTL, 57 years associate
Narn: 50 years spaceflight, 23, years FTL, N/A associate, 14 years first contact (violent contact with the Batarian that wasn't mention to the council for two years until the Batarian had to explain a Dreadnought limping home with holes in it)
This is mostly so that there is a logical reason for humanity not being comically over powered by the other races. All the minor races are at similar or less power than humanity because A. They have been in space for less time than humanity (Batarian,Narn) B. Been in space around the same time, but something has been restricting their development (for the Compact it was their isolationism and for the Courts it was because the asari basically ate up their technology sectors [Weaponry, heavy machinery, computers, all of it] upon first contact [Stealing that from another fanfic]) or C. So devastated that they aren't really competition (Quarians).
I stole the Narn from Babylon five because I wanted to have a non-council/pseudo-terminus race and I thought the Narn would be perfect.
The Narn are at the edge of both terminus and council influence. They are (in general) more aligned with the terminus than the council, but they will work with species aligned with the council, like humanity will be.
There are multiple terminus races that I haven't mentioned , alongside many pre-spaceflight species who are surrounded by citadel associates or council-members (terminus and hegemony pre-spaceflight species were invaded). I didn't think they would be necessary to include because they will not take a major role in the story (if they are even mentioned).