War Assets are assigned a point value, indicating Total Military Strength, which is then multiplied by a Readiness Rating to produce the galaxy's Effective Military Strength, which determines success in the final battle against the Reapers. They are earned in direct tie to what occurs in the game, whether it be events happening in the background or the missions which the player actively participates in. War Assets may also be obtained by scanning planets in systems controlled by the Reapers on the Galaxy Map but it poses the threat of being detected and terminated by the machines.