Well then, the first thing you need to do is get a proper sense of scale for things. Particularly, destructive forces.
1. Let me help you by stating that the amount of tnt equivalent in a Supernova is insane, that mankind is no where NEAR harnessing THAT KIND of destructive force (enough to destroy multiple planets like dust in the wind within the zone of its destruction), that that kind of power measures in the octillions of tnt equivalent, and that all man made forces (including the combined global nuclear stockpile, the greatest force man has under its belt, which measures at about 5 gigatons of tnt equivalent) are woefully beneath that.
2. The Bomb dropped on Hiroshima measured in at about 15-20 kilotons (that is, THOUSANDS of tons) of tnt equivalent. The single most powerful nuke ever made by man, the Soviet Tsar Bomba, measured at about 57 megatons (that is, MILLIONS of tons). Compared to the Tsar Bomba, the Hiroshima bomb is a fire cracker that is anywhere from 3800 times less powerful to 2850 times less powerful. Also, the effects of the Tsar Bomba were felt as far as 400 to 500 miles away with noticeable winds that far out that, in some cases, shattered windows.
3. The amount of kinetic energy you see going on around you everyday whenever motor vehicles, airplanes, or conventional explosives are involved is measured in megajoules. The measure of kinetic energy you see in small arms ranges from hundreds of joules (pistol, certain sub-machine guns, certain shotguns) to kilojoules (assault rifles, certain sub-machine guns, certain shotguns, LMG's, HMG's, sniper rifles), and never goes above the kilojoule range and enters into the megajoule range unless, possibly, the rounds are explosive. The Average round fired from an M-16 has enough mass and enough velocity that it hits with about 1.8 kilojoules of kinetic force. The Average round fired from an AK-47 has enough mass and enough velocity that it hits with about 3.5 kilojoules of kinetic force. In the Mass Effect Universe, the average amount of force an assault rifle seems to hit with (so I've seen on battle forums) is equal to around 20 kilojoules, which would make Mass Effect Assault rifles as powerful as modern LMG's and HMG's, about.
Don't be like those Blizzard Writers who said that, in five years, a planet that was almost wiped out climbed right back up to having billions of people again in StarCraft when the population was reduced to a MUCH smaller number. Or worse, that the original penal colony ancestors of the Terrans, who originally numbered in the thousands, somehow climbed to a population in the billions within a few hundred years. IF you do though, make sure there's a good reason for stuff like that (IE, genetic engineering) and treat it as something epic and sci-fi as it should be even if you DO gloss over this little factoid and don't just mention it without it ever being brought back up later, because that's a pretty significant sci-fi type thing.
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