[SPOILERS] Question about the Arrival DLC in ME2

[TacticalFaux]

So, I have not finished ME2 or started ME3, and I'd appreciate avoiding too many spoilers there. My only question is, after the events of the Arrival DLC, where you just nearly stop Reapers from invading, how much time did that actually buy us? Is it days? Weeks? Months? Years?

I have struggled greatly to find this info online and would very much like to know if anyone more knowledgeable of the lore knows for sure. I'm at the point in ME2 where I have to choose between continuing to build the team or going after the Reaper IFF. Knowing an estimate of how much time we have left is very important to make this decision believable, from a roleplay perspective.

[GlorFindel1983]

Six months after the destruction of the Alpha Relay, the Reapers invade the galaxy through batarian space and attack Earth.
So not a lot, but without Shepard's or Alliance's 103rd Marine Division's (if you don't play Arrival) intervention invasion would happen then and there and they needed some time to pass between ME2 and ME3!

[TacticalFaux]

Originally posted by glorfindel1983:

Six months after the destruction of the Alpha Relay, the Reapers invade the galaxy through batarian space and attack Earth.
So not a lot, but without Shepard's or Alliance's 103rd Marine Division's (if you don't play Arrival) intervention invasion would happen then and there and they needed some time to pass between ME2 and ME3!

Do we actually know the exact timespan though of how much they were delayed by? Or even an estimate? Even if it hasn't been said outright, it could probably be calculated by knowing reapers speed and distance between the Alpha Relay and the next one.

[GlorFindel1983]

Well, no, not the exact timespan, because if you know that after ME1 and destruction of Sovereign, Reapers knew that they need to get to Milky Way with "standard" LightSpeed drives, as no one in Milky Way could open the Citadel relay for them.

So, they travelled about two years and were about to reach Alpha Relay when Shepard destroyed it and they needed extra six months to reach next Relay with LightSpeed drives.

Of course, all this is just speculation and estimated times, according to Lore and Timeline of Mass Effect.

But, logically, Reapers waited for Sovereign to open the Citadel relay, so they can use their Dark Space relay. When, that failed, they could only get there, using normal LightSpeed drives and thus 2+ years of Timeline.

And, that, also, means that events of ME2 are somewhat, not important for that whole Reapers Extinction/War thing, other than Arrival, of course!

[TacticalFaux]

Originally posted by glorfindel1983:

Well, no, not the exact timespan, because if you know that after ME1 and destruction of Sovereign, Reapers knew that they need to get to Milky Way with "standard" LightSpeed drives, as no one in Milky Way could open the Citadel relay for them.

So, they travelled about two years and were about to reach Alpha Relay when Shepard destroyed it and they needed extra six months to reach next Relay with LightSpeed drives.

Of course, all this is just speculation and estimated times, according to Lore and Timeline of Mass Effect.

But, logically, Reapers waited for Sovereign to open the Citadel relay, so they can use their Dark Space relay. When, that failed, they could only get there, using normal LightSpeed drives and thus 2+ years of Timeline.

And, that, also, means that events of ME2 are somewhat, not important for that whole Reapers Extinction/War thing, other than Arrival, of course!

:cozybethesda:

Thanks. That "six months" is what I was looking for! Even if that is an estimation, is that kinda the consensus among the community or did you just throw that number out there?

[GlorFindel1983]

It's neither a consensus nor me throwing that number out here; it's in official Timeline in Codex and on Mass Effect Wiki.
Events of ME3 begin 6 months after Arrival, so not the normal ending of ME2, but rather Arrival DLC.
And since, we, the players, have no way to know how much time have passed in-game, as we don't have any Date/Clock/etc.; only "real" way time passes in ME trilogy is between games!
And, that's it!

[TacticalFaux]

Originally posted by glorfindel1983:

It's neither a consensus nor me throwing that number out here; it's in official Timeline in Codex and on Mass Effect Wiki.
Events of ME3 begin 6 months after Arrival, so not the normal ending of ME2, but rather Arrival DLC.
And since, we, the players, have no way to know how much time has passed in-game, as we don't have any Date/Clock/etc.; only "real" way time passes in ME trilogy is between games!
And, that's it!

:cozybethesda:

Got it, thanks!

[HK-47]

Originally posted by TacticalFaux:

I'm at the point in ME2 where I have to choose between continuing to build the team or going after the Reaper IFF.

If you want the best possible outcome in ME3, then you will want to stick with building the team and making sure everyone is loyal.

You can leave the Arrival DLC for after you finish the game (it makes more sense anyway) -- after you finish the game just choose to continue playing instead of returning to main menu, finish the DLC and make a new save which you will import into ME3.