Trope Trasher 6
A Whole New World. No this is not Disney. They actually make money out of ripping off sensationalistic crap… unlike us.
2082 - World War 3 breaks out also known as the Resource War over what remains of the Earths energy supplies.
2087 - After a year of warfare and millions of deaths, a consortium of scientists ends the war with a new, near endless supply of energy in the form of a new rare earth metal, Fakium.
2092 - The Consortium, having seized power from the worlds governments become the leaders of the newly established Human Technocratic Alliance.
2097 - Humanity excels under its new dictators, entering into a technological golden age.
2098 - Humanity creates the subspace drive and ventures into the unknown, the moon, now Luna, is established as the first human extra-terrestrial colony.
2100 - Mars is colonized; Humanity creates the first rail guns using electromagnets.
2102 - An Alien ruin is discovered in Mars, humanity learns of the Protheans, but this information is near pointless as they are already capable of faster than light speed travel.
2104 - In response to the potential Alien threat the Alliance begins work on their super soldier project; they dub it the CENTURIAN 1 project.
2108 - Humanity begins construction of its Naval Fleet, being led by the newly designed
2117 - Humanity discovers that Charon, one of Pluto's moons, is actually a giant Prothean device encased in ice. Humanities Fleets are now one hundred thousand ships strong.
2120 - Humanity continues its expansion colonizing the moons of Saturn and Jupiter as well as building hundreds of gigantic space stations across the Sol System.
2125 - Humanity develops the particle accelerator, out of fear of the Protheans. It is a weapon capable of destroying planets.
2128 - Humanity, once again in fear of Alien threat develops and builds hundreds of extra orbital weapons platforms
2130 - Humanity begins its first interstellar colony, dubbing it New London.
2135 - The CENTURIAN 1 project becomes out dated and the CENTURIAN 2 project is implemented
2140 - Humanity begins further expansion, colonizing two new worlds.
2146 - Due to massive casualties in the CENTURIAN 2 project the project is scrapped and the CENTURIAN 3 project is implemented.
2150 - The colony world Shanxi is developed.
2157 - First contact with the species known as the Turian's ends horribly, war is declared.
You'd probably have a few battles scenes ending in a decisive victory for humanity, the obligatory diplomacy phase with ambassadors or the Council offering membership, then a time skip into Mass Effect 1 with only minimal plot variation.
What's with the timeline?
Name three published authors who use timelines as prologues or opening chapters?
None?
Then what makes you think it's acceptable?
Authors create extensive histories be they of a universe, a galaxy, a planet or a single character. They then let the reader's piece this history together using flashbacks, stories and references. Mass Effect uses the Codex as supplementary material but even without it we have an idea of the world of Mass Effect from the character dialogue and plot points. A good author draws people into their worlds through well written plots and intriguing characters, not by giving them a timeline and telling them 'Memorize this if you want to understand what I'm talking about.'
Honestly, these stories are often very good, especially when an author creates a plot of their own instead of rehashing ME1. New characters, new places, and a little more substance here and there and a lot of these stories, timelines notwithstanding, could easily be just as good as their source materials.
Super Soldier's? Really? At least try to differentiate them from SPARTAN's instead of ripping them off completely. It wouldn't be all that hard, just don't let your Shift button get stuck when you're naming them.
I've made this point before but I feel it needs restating. Advanced technology might give you an edge but against an enemy that out numbers you a hundred to one?
Good bloody luck.
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One last thing before I'm done.
I've decided to start taking requests, contact me with your request be it a Review or PM or whatever. I've already obliged some.
Bad English, poor grammar, or poor spelling is not a Trope, and I will not insult someone because they are uneducated, dyslexic or learning English as second language. Falling into a cliché and having that pointed out is one thing, being needlessly cruel to someone because you think you are superior to them is another thing entirely.
Actual Trope's only please, a Trope being a reoccurring theme, premise or plot point.