Why do fictional aliens always target Earth?

Movies such as Independance Day, Transformers, War of the Worlds, and the recent Oblivion have aliens coming somewhere else in the universe to conquer Earth. Most of the time its to gain natural resources or because Earth is located in the Goldilock zone around sun had as liquid water on its surface. Still, Why do aliens always seem to be targetting Earth?

Why dont any of them settle on Mars or harvest natural resources from asteroids in the asteroid belt? If these aliens need oxygen and fresh supply of water, they could get it from comets or from one of the gas giants moons. Maybe they need Iron, Carbon and other elements to make alloy metals, Mars, Ceres or 4 Vesta would be a good place to look, with them having much lower gravitational field it would be easier to get it off. If aliens were seen settling down on Ceres or gathering natural resources, any kind of resistance would be nil.

To earn more money.

Because **** Mars.

Colonization of empty planets doesn't put asses in the seats........................

Why do aliens always seem to be targetting Earth?Jd1680a

To create drama. I mean, these are fictional films we are talking about here. Realism and logic are typically the last things on the filmmakers minds. But yes, I would agree that it would make no sense for alien life forms to target earth for natural resources. SaintLeonidas

Earth:

AND

Other Planets:

The reason is obvious...

Other Planets:

 

 

The reason is obvious...

Netherscourge

[QUOTE="SaintLeonidas"]To create drama. I mean, these are fictional films we are talking about here. Realism and logic are typically the last things on the filmmakers minds. But yes, I would agree that it would make no sense for alien life forms to target earth for natural resources. themajormayor

[QUOTE="Netherscourge"]Other Planets:

 

 

The reason is obvious...

themajormayor

Because you'd totally watch a movie about aliens going after Mars

[QUOTE="Jd1680a"]Why do aliens always seem to be targetting Earth?Hallenbeck77

[QUOTE="SaintLeonidas"]To create drama. I mean, these are fictional films we are talking about here. Realism and logic are typically the last things on the filmmakers minds. But yes, I would agree that it would make no sense for alien life forms to target earth for natural resources. themajormayor

[QUOTE="Netherscourge"]Other Planets:

The reason is obvious...

themajormayor

You would think the trees would have tipped him off.

Because the writers of fictional aliens are humans living on Earth.  There wouldn't be as much tension or drama if the aliens attacked a planet without people on it now would there?

Considering there are millions of Goldilocks zone planets in the galaxy it really doesn't make sense for an alien race to travel to earth, spend time and effort eradicating an entire species just for some resources. But a movie about how aliens didn't attack would be incredibly boring.

Because it's the only way to make a fantasy movie relatable to the audience. It's also the reason that they usually invade some part of the United States.

Because Earth has more life-supporting resources than the rest of the system, and is the only planet in the immediate vicinity with any level of non-microscopic life?

And maybe they're not actually coming from that far away. Sure, there are countless other planets in the galaxy that would meet their needs, but maybe their space travel tech is only  hundreds  of years more advanced than ours, rather than  thousands,  and they're only coming from the next system over?

Aliens shopping around in our solar system quickly come to the realization that humanity (at our current stage of evolutionary development) could only ever be a threat to them.  Call it a pre-emptive strike.  To put it another way, one very familiar to homo sapiens sapiens, "This solar system ain't big enough for the two of us, partner."  Other than that, I agree with the assertions that it just makes for a more thrilling and relevant story.    

Movies such as Independance Day, Transformers, War of the Worlds, and the recent Oblivion have aliens coming somewhere else in the universe to conquer Earth. Most of the time its to gain natural resources or because Earth is located in the Goldilock zone around sun had as liquid water on its surface. Still, Why do aliens always seem to be targetting Earth?

Why dont any of them settle on Mars or harvest natural resources from asteroids in the asteroid belt? If these aliens need oxygen and fresh supply of water, they could get it from comets or from one of the gas giants moons. Maybe they need Iron, Carbon and other elements to make alloy metals, Mars, Ceres or 4 Vesta would be a good place to look, with them having much lower gravitational field it would be easier to get it off. If aliens were seen settling down on Ceres or gathering natural resources, any kind of resistance would be nil.

Jd1680a

Because there would be no movie otherwise.

What the hell is going to happen in a movie about an alien race that comes and harvests Haley's comet?

Movies such as Independance Day, Transformers, War of the Worlds, and the recent Oblivion have aliens coming somewhere else in the universe to conquer Earth. Most of the time its to gain natural resources or because Earth is located in the Goldilock zone around sun had as liquid water on its surface. Still, Why do aliens always seem to be targetting Earth?

Why dont any of them settle on Mars or harvest natural resources from asteroids in the asteroid belt? If these aliens need oxygen and fresh supply of water, they could get it from comets or from one of the gas giants moons. Maybe they need Iron, Carbon and other elements to make alloy metals, Mars, Ceres or 4 Vesta would be a good place to look, with them having much lower gravitational field it would be easier to get it off. If aliens were seen settling down on Ceres or gathering natural resources, any kind of resistance would be nil.

Jd1680a

Because humans would do the same.

if they're not attacking earth, why would we give a shit?

Movies such as Independance Day, Transformers, War of the Worlds, and the recent Oblivion have aliens coming somewhere else in the universe to conquer Earth. Most of the time its to gain natural resources or because Earth is located in the Goldilock zone around sun had as liquid water on its surface. Still, Why do aliens always seem to be targetting Earth?

Why dont any of them settle on Mars or harvest natural resources from asteroids in the asteroid belt? If these aliens need oxygen and fresh supply of water, they could get it from comets or from one of the gas giants moons. Maybe they need Iron, Carbon and other elements to make alloy metals, Mars, Ceres or 4 Vesta would be a good place to look, with them having much lower gravitational field it would be easier to get it off. If aliens were seen settling down on Ceres or gathering natural resources, any kind of resistance would be nil.

Jd1680a

The same way the Americans always save the earth.

Who would want to see a movie where aliens fight other aliens, with no humans?

Because Earth is narcissistic

I wish aliens would invade Uranus.Hexagon_777

Maybe they already have...

[QUOTE="Hexagon_777"]I wish aliens would invade Uranus.Blueresident87

Maybe they already have...

your argument is invalid. how do you know? maybe they invade other inhabied planets as well. it's not like we are in touch with other civilizations to be aware of such news anyways.

In Mass Effect at least, Earth didn't get attacked until the third game, right? And it was simultaneous to them attacking everything else in the galaxy, so Earth wasn't specifically targeted. So there's that.Engrish_Major

something like that.

[spoiler] they actually only attack Earth because earth had become advanced enough in technology. was becoming too powerful or something like that. so they (reapers) eradicated them, or attempted to. its a cycle, every 50,000 years i believe they come around and kill off all the technologically advanced species. its their way of "keeping order" [/spoiler]

but yea, Earth wasnt their first target.:P

[QUOTE="Engrish_Major"]In Mass Effect at least, Earth didn't get attacked until the third game, right? And it was simultaneous to them attacking everything else in the galaxy, so Earth wasn't specifically targeted. So there's that.konvikt_17

something like that.

[spoiler] they actually only attack Earth because earth had become advanced enough in technology. was becoming too powerful or something like that. so they (reapers) eradicated them, or attempted to. its a cycle, every 50,000 years i believe they come around and kill off all the technologically advanced species. its their way of "keeping order" [/spoiler]

but yea, Earth wasnt their first target.:P

[QUOTE="konvikt_17"]

[QUOTE="Engrish_Major"]In Mass Effect at least, Earth didn't get attacked until the third game, right? And it was simultaneous to them attacking everything else in the galaxy, so Earth wasn't specifically targeted. So there's that.Ace6301

something like that.

[spoiler] they actually only attack Earth because earth had become advanced enough in technology. was becoming too powerful or something like that. so they (reapers) eradicated them, or attempted to. its a cycle, every 50,000 years i believe they come around and kill off all the technologically advanced species. its their way of "keeping order" [/spoiler]

but yea, Earth wasnt their first target.:P

ah, there we go. havent played in a while.

need to play through em again soon.

[QUOTE="themajormayor"][QUOTE="Netherscourge"]Other Planets:

 

 

The reason is obvious...

Gargus

You would think the trees would have tipped him off.