Back with another b-tier essay!
So, the Architects are the Precursors. Straight up. This confused me a lot, because of how vague and scattered the details are in BZ.
If you don't know what the Precursors are, they're the alien race that temporarily occupied 4546B's crater ~1000 years before the events of Subnautica. They built the black-green distinctively geometric structures around the map. They're referred to as "precursors" by the PDA in Subnautica.
There, it's established that the Precursors were attempting to find the cure to the Kharaa virus by setting up laboratories, research stations, and most notably the QEP (thing that shot down our ship) to prevent interplanetary outbreak.
What I wanna talk about specifically is how the precursors are established. When scanning their artifacts, the only information the PDA can really offer us is educated speculations on their functions. The architecture of their structures is jarringly alien. They tower over you with appliances 5x taller than your body height and hold unprecedented technology. It strikes you as a place for some kind of sophisticated research team, and yet its completely empty.
The Sea Emperor Leviathan refers to them vaguely, referring to them as "they". She doesn't describe their appearance or any kind of personal aspect, simply their motives and what they've done to her.
There's an air of mystery to the Precursors, as an ancient alien race would normally have. Their physical presence is entirely left for the player's speculation, as well as their overall morality as the player discovers more and more of what they can and have committed.
Just, an all around cool and interesting aspect of the Subnautica lore that benefits from the element of the unknown.
...until Below Zero!
"Ancient mysterious, ambiguous technologically advanced super-race" my ass. You can rest easy knowing that the precursors canonically look like purple centaurs.
I'm going to finish this post tomorrow. Remind me later pls its 12:32 am lol