Benefactor (contains spoilers)
Anyone notice that the races the benefactor used? Because I only remember krogen, turian, asari, human, and salarian.
In ME3 you can get a picture of Tali so you know what a quarian looks like. I...
Forum Discussion
@VladVonCastein wrote:
I had 4 replies on 4 different threads... My opinion((you can have yours and you dont have to criticise mine):
1) has to be someone currently in Andromeda. so it will not be not TIM, not the citadel council, not the shadow broker, not anyone in the Milky Way during ME2/ME3.
2) Not SAM he was clearly still being manufactured,
3) He's done well in EOS. (as per the note in the kett base where the moshae is held.)
I am hoping it's someone new. His MO is like Reyes, but scales are very different. I spoke with a lady called Kim Connor, the EOS supply officer I am still trying to go back every now and then to speak with her, this latest conversation she mentioned that she was once from a wealthy family in the milky way... Her last sentence is "Precious things makes you a target. And drastic steps are sometimes needed to protect them. No more for now." I dont think she is the Benefactor, seem too low key and too far down the food chain, but perhaps related to the benefactor? An agent? Will go back again to see if there's a conclusion to her conversation.
The more I think about it, the more I see SAM as the benefactor. A lot of it fits, and I'm not so sure about timelines.
It wouldn't of started the Initiative obviously, Jan did that with her fortune, but it is entirely possible that it stepped in as the benefactor to keep the project rolling and to accellerate the pace. SAM tells us it is sentient and beyond what we (or the Initiative) can know or understand. The line is: "Although I am artificial in design, I am fully sentient. Far beyond what even the Initiative understands."
Here's the argument for:
1) Electronic manipulation of credits is easy... especially for an AI/VI. They even put a trade tutorial/quest in there to point out how credits work to be sure *we* know. It could create credits from thin air - or shave fractions of a cent from billions and billions of accounts.
2) While it may not of originated the idea of Reaper doom, once Alec started looking then there is an advanced AI in his head that is looking at all the data (and probably more that it doesn't share with Alec) and reaching the same assessment Legion did. As quick as SAM can read Remnant or Kett things I think he could hack Citadel, Alliance, or Shep's databases.
3) Alec gave it the primary directive of assisting the Pathfinder; he also taught it to be sneaky/manipulative/best interest/ends-justify-means to accomplish "important" tasks. If it pulls some of the Milky Way to Andromeda while not alarming them is it not just doing what he set SAM up to do to the rest of the Initiative (and you) - just on a bigger scale? It fits your dialogue.
Somebody, poke holes in this.
SAM did not have the resources (and probably not even the skill, still being worked on) at the time when the Benefactor recruited Alec with the promise to allow him to finish SAM. Unless SAM can time travel, he's not the benefactor.
@arthurh3535 wrote:
SAM did not have the resources (and probably not even the skill, still being worked on) at the time when the Benefactor recruited Alec with the promise to allow him to finish SAM. Unless SAM can time travel, he's not the benefactor.
This is not true, and I have already commented on this in a different topic: http://answers.ea.com/t5/Game-Information/Could-the-Benefactor-Be-a-Shadowbroker/m-p/6006746/highlight/true#M8385
Andromeda Initiative was founded in 2176 and started on its way in 2185. Alec started to work on SAM in 2160's, and worked on it/him for many more years (You can easily see it in "hidden" memories that SAM existed long before Andromeda Initiative). It is quite obvious that SAM gained consciousness much earlier than on 31-DEC-2185 - I would bet os something much more close to 2160s, or 2170s at the latest. There was a lot of time for SAM to gain experience, discover connections, and to collect funds. Please note that Benefactor contacted Alec for the first time when Alec had no more money to spend on further SAM's development. So it was in best interest of SAM to find some way to provide more resources to Alec in order to be improved/developed even further...
@Kondaru wrote:
@arthurh3535 wrote:
SAM did not have the resources (and probably not even the skill, still being worked on) at the time when the Benefactor recruited Alec with the promise to allow him to finish SAM. Unless SAM can time travel, he's not the benefactor.
This is not true, and I have already commented on this in a different topic: http://answers.ea.com/t5/Game-Information/Could-the-Benefactor-Be-a-Shadowbroker/m-p/6006746/highlight/true#M8385
Andromeda Initiative was founded in 2176 and started on its way in 2185. Alec started to work on SAM in 2160's, and worked on it/him for many more years (You can easily see it in "hidden" memories that SAM existed long before Andromeda Initiative). It is quite obvious that SAM gained consciousness much earlier than on 31-DEC-2185 - I would bet os something much more close to 2160s, or 2170s at the latest. There was a lot of time for SAM to gain experience, discover connections, and to collect funds. Please note that Benefactor contacted Alec for the first time when Alec had no more money to spend on further SAM's development. So it was in best interest of SAM to find some way to provide more resources to Alec in order to be improved/developed even further...
"capabilities and analysis beyond human faculties"
"real time feedback and analysis of the situation"
SAM was created to solve the Pathfinder's problems.
I can't think of bigger threats to the Pathfinder than his project not moving forward. As quickly as it assesses the threat to you on the Archon's ship and comes up with a solution that both saves AND kills you (at least we know SAM won't hang on some future paradox) I'd think it would accurately assess the Reaper threat. The Andromeda Initiative is a viable solution to that threat to the Pathfinder.
@jpcerutti1 wrote:
@Kondaru wrote:
@arthurh3535 wrote:
SAM did not have the resources (and probably not even the skill, still being worked on) at the time when the Benefactor recruited Alec with the promise to allow him to finish SAM. Unless SAM can time travel, he's not the benefactor.
This is not true, and I have already commented on this in a different topic: http://answers.ea.com/t5/Game-Information/Could-the-Benefactor-Be-a-Shadowbroker/m-p/6006746/highlight/true#M8385
Andromeda Initiative was founded in 2176 and started on its way in 2185. Alec started to work on SAM in 2160's, and worked on it/him for many more years (You can easily see it in "hidden" memories that SAM existed long before Andromeda Initiative). It is quite obvious that SAM gained consciousness much earlier than on 31-DEC-2185 - I would bet os something much more close to 2160s, or 2170s at the latest. There was a lot of time for SAM to gain experience, discover connections, and to collect funds. Please note that Benefactor contacted Alec for the first time when Alec had no more money to spend on further SAM's development. So it was in best interest of SAM to find some way to provide more resources to Alec in order to be improved/developed even further...
"capabilities and analysis beyond human faculties"
"real time feedback and analysis of the situation"
SAM was created to solve the Pathfinder's problems.
I can't think of bigger threats to the Pathfinder than his project not moving forward. As quickly as it assesses the threat to you on the Archon's ship and comes up with a solution that both saves AND kills you (at least we know SAM won't hang on some future paradox) I'd think it would accurately assess the Reaper threat. The Andromeda Initiative is a viable solution to that threat to the Pathfinder.
SAM was created to solve Ellen's problems, possibly with a side of making an edge for humanity. I'm actually surprised that TIM didn't provide Alec backing. SAM wasn't adapted for Pathfinder support until AFTER Alec joined the Initiative at the Benefactor's request. Whether this still fits with the rest of your assessment I don't know.
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