The Second Ship (14 hypothetical factions)

MysticWind

Warlord
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
100
This is an old group of factions I have been brainstorming since 2003. I don't think I'll ever get to fully implement this, but I welcome any advice on fine-tuning them. To be honest, at this point I'm more interested in fleshing out the intricacies of the backstories of the faction leaders than I am in messing with play mechanics, which probably shows how committed to actually getting this to work (which is to say, not at all, really). At this point I'm just hoping that a SMAC 2 will come out within ten years, with more traits and attributes to mess around with, and then I will use that to create these concept factions. Actually, the follow is just 12 factions anyways, I need to think of two more! ( I have some ideas but haven't pursued them yet- I'm thinking of an sea-based one and one that's matriarchal.)

I also have symbols for these factions somewhere. I need to dig that up.

My first set is based on a second ship from Earth, which did not crash but broke up upon arriving at Chiron. The cryosleep stopped a few months before Arrival, and factions quickly emerged onboard, each retreating to a separate part of the ship. Fortunately, the craft was able to detach like tinkertoys, and the factions landed on separate parts of Planet some indefinite time after Unity arrived. Some of these are somewhat based on David Brin's excellent novel Earth.

Planetary Settlers
“Planet is not meant to be colonized by industrial methods that destroy the soil, pollute the air, and add nothing to the spirit of manifest destiny- carving out a new home with our own hands. Planet is meant to be settled.”
- Governor Michael Garrison, Settler’s Guide
“Settlers Ho!” -Rallying cry.
Symbol/Insignia: A miner’s pick and a frying pan crossing each other diagonally, and a state emblem-esque background with rolling hills, a river, and two suns in the sky.
Leader: Governor Michael Garrison
Background: Colonization leader of Antarctican Settling Program from United States of America
Agenda: Settling of Chiron with eco-friendly measures.
Technology: Centauri Ecology
+1 Planet (Willing to treat Planet well)
+1 Morale (Stalwart defenders of their outposts)
-1 Probe (Frontier cities easy to infiltrate)
-1 Economy (Strict environmentalism leads to certain sacrifices)
-1 Research (More focused on survival than sciences)

Sovereign Magistrates
“Many times as I knelt in the trenches- huddling from fear, sobbing from loss, I wondered why we fought- did not both the United Nations and the International Federation of Countries want peace and unity? Still, as one by one my comrades died, as city by city fell, the purpose of our dark mission became clearer- peace through war, unity through separation, freedom through control.”
- Commandant Alexander Borokhov, Hell: The UN-FC War
Symbol/Insignia: A dove flying upwards holding a lightning bolt in its talons, with a big star in the background.
Leader: Commandant Alexander Borokhov
Background: Adjunct to the SG of the Federated Countries on Earth, from the Ukraine
Agenda: A democratic and allied confederation of factions devoted to the destruction of oppressors and warmongers.
Technology: Doctrine: Loyalty
+1 Support (Willing to sacrifice for peace)
+1 Efficiency (Cutthroat political maneuvering)
-2 Economy (Confederate machinations impede development)
-1 Growth (Anti-overpopulation measures favored)

Free Command Center at each base.
Free Prototypes
Gets an extra comm frequency at beginning (Masters of communications)

Aggression: Erratic Agenda: Power (Values)
Priorities: Build, Conquer Aversion: Police State (Politics)

Elders of Chiron
“See how quickly the young run, and soon forget us. Watch them build their crumbling playground empires, and scream and holler at each other and cry as they realize that they have no wisdom, no guidance, no comprehension. We once shamefully put our grandparents into nursing homes, and now fate comes to return the favor. Well, let us live independent forever or die trying!”
- Elder Avril Walker, Y Now, Y Forever
“Back in my day, we were so more 1337…”
Symbol/Insignia: An hour glass with the bottom completely full, yet the top 3/4ths full, too. In front of it are three helixes.
Leader: Elderess Avril Walker
Background: Chairwoman of UN Senior Rights Committee from Canada
Agenda: Community of age-enhanced seniors, free from youngsters. A gerontocracy.
Technology: Biogenetics
-2 Growth (It’s a colony of old people, for cryin’ out loud!)
+1 Probe (The cyberpunk generation: the children of Counterstrike)
+1 Research (Have preserved substantial tech files following Arrival)
+1 Morale (You haven’t got much more to see after you hit 200… might as well fight)
Receives double votes in elections for Planetary Governor and Supreme Leader (Senior Citizens’ voting clout)

Parish of Planet
“The Church of Rome has lasted two millennia. It has stood schism, heresy, invasion, pestilence, war, and scandal, and still remains a religious force to be reckoned with on Earth. Though we must admit that unfortunate mistakes have occurred, the Catholic Church of the 22nd century will be remembered as the peaceful light on Chiron.”
- Bishop Pierre Olukayode, With the Grace of God
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
- Matthew 16:18
Symbol/Insignia: The Latin cross in Europa Universalis (except the main part of the cross is exaggerated), with rosary beads in the shape of a fish behind it.
Leader: Bishop Pierre Olukayode
Background: Archdeacon of St. Anselm’s Cathedral, Madrid, from the Cote d'Ivoire.
Agenda: Restoration of a compassionate Catholic Church on Planet against the Believer’s fanaticism.
Technology: None
+1 Efficiency (The New Vatican has been more quick to act)
+2 Growth (Still no contraceptives allowed)
-2 Support (All of the Crusaders have gone with Godwinson!)
+1 Police (But the Swiss Guard remains)
One bonus tech at beginning of game

Sons of Centauri-Ra
“As the clouds of WorOrthChuGa’s beloved Gaia burned and opened, the magnificent rays of Great Ra, Inti, Ametrasu, Helios heated the earth and the waters and humanity. Here, on another Earth, let us again give reverence to the life-giving warmth of our two Suns! Since before our fathers found fire, there was you.”
- Hierophant Cuzco Sol, Light of Chiron
Symbol/Insignia: A simple sun (a circle surrounded by 8 triangles like a compass rose) with Ra’s eye in it. Next to it is a tinier sun with a regular eye.
Leader: High Priest Cuzco Sol
Background: Temple Leader of Sons of Ra shrine Apollo’s Throne, Khartoum, originally from Guatemala.
Agenda: Changing Planet’s atmosphere into one that matches pre-Arrival Earth, in order to preserve the worship of Ra.
Technology: ?
-1 Planet (efforts to make Planet more Earth-like: steeped in greenhouse gases)
+1 Economy (Centaurian Solar Energy Retrieval = Big Money)
-1 Growth (Exposure in Sun Worship has its costs)
+2 Morale (Revival of testosterone-laden war in conjunction with worship)
Free energy banks at each base.

Darwin Raiders
“The hyper-survivalist militias of old Earth were wrong. Humanity had not fallen, nor were we in a decline. What was truly at stake was stagnation- should we be content forever to live sedentary, innocent-bystander lives? Perhaps the masses can, but we shall not. In the wilds we will live, taking what we need from the complacent, until their cities fall, their civilizations break, and our nucleus of humanity survives.”
- Chieftain Robin Huxley, The Tartars of Tomorrow
Leader: Chieftain Robin Huxley
Background: Former anti-militia tank commander, United Kingdom
Agenda: Preservation of smartest and strongest in a nomadic lifestyle to one day restart civilization with.
Technology: Doctrine: Mobility
+2 Support (Bases geared towards military preparedness)
+1 Morale (Military strength for raiding attacks)
Starts with free unit: Unity Speeder
Need Hab Complex for bases to exceed size 3 (Against sedentary lives)
Can steal a technology when capturing a base.
15% Chance of revolting bases joining faction
I removed the +1 Research. Also, note the drastic base limitations

--
The second set is based on several years after the Arrival. Factions broke into smaller factions.

Anti-Xenos Initiative Society
“After the arrival at Chiron, humanity has become degraded by alien forces. Today, the vile ‘Voice of Planet’ calls out lies that mislead our citizens to their deaths, psychics hide within us, reading our thoughts, sentient Xenos lay waste to our land for their own agendas, and our own machines have learned to rebel. The time to fight back and resist temptation is now!”
- AXIS Manifesto, Datalinks
“I suggest you take this time and prepare to meet your Gaia.”
- General Gray, shortly before launching a Planet Buster against a Cult of Planet colony.
Symbol/Insignia: A medieval shield that has a picture of mindworms on it, except crossed out.
Leader: General Patrick Donovan Gray
Background: Former Spartan Fed general from Billings, claimed by United States of America, under control of Militia Free State.
Agenda: Destruction of all alien factions and philosophies.
Technology: High Energy Chemistry
+2 Support (Military-oriented society)
+2 Police (Citizens used to discipline and order)
-2 Planet (Anti-Planet viewed as Anti-Xenos)
Fanatic (‘Nuff said)
Techcost 120% (Unwilling to make "Faustian Bargains")
Free Planet buster unit at start.
Aggression: Aggressive Agenda: Fundamentalist (Politics)
Priorities: Conquer Aversion: Green (Economics)

Psions for Purity
“The gift of Psi is not without its curses. Though to simply call us ‘mind-readers’ or ‘all-seers’ is overestimating our gifs, we Psions- Empaths, Thinkers, Transcendi,- are fully capable of feeling your emotions and predicting your thoughts. However, with the degeneration of morality that increases even today, on another planet far from Earth, we may choose not to.
- First Speaker Theresa Corelli, A Psionic Society
“Get your dirty thoughts away from me!”
Symbol/Insignia: One of those SMAC silhouettes of a guys’ head, with the Eudemonia symbol in the head spot.
Leader: First Speaker Theresa Corelli
Background: Former University Thinker from Mediterranean States
Agenda: Society for Psions free of moral decay.
Technology: Secrets of the Human Brain
+1 Efficiency (No need for bureaucracy in psychic society)
+1 Probe (Psionic Spies!)
-2 Industry (Thinkers, not workers)
Extra Talent for every three citizens (Psionic society)
+25% Psi combat boost
Immune to mind control
Fanatic (Shall protect society at all costs from “savages”)
Aggression: Pacifist Agenda: Democratic (Politics)
Priorities: Build, Discover Aversion: Wealth (Values)

New Athenians
“Come, you bourgeois, you neo-aristocrats, you patrons of ‘High Art!’ As we build a new Planet for human beings, why can’t it be a glittering, democratic, fashionable one? Why can’t it be one for the wealthy?”
- Patrician Seneca Alexius, The First Metropolis
“Psion Centropolis? Morgan Vegas? Pretenders to our throne!”
Symbol/Insignia: A Greek-type Parthenon on top of a thick pedestal. Slightly visible inside the building is a figure holding up its arms, celebrating a light that comes from within. Underneath the pedestal is “NEO”, in highly-stylized lettering. The letters look like Aurabesh from Star Wars, since they are a bit jagged and do not connect.
Leader: Patrician Seneca Alexius
Background: Chief municipal architect of Peacekeepers, from the Euro Union.
Agenda: Creation of perfect cities of art, social justice, and wealth.
Technology: Ethical Calculus
+1 Growth (fecund, prosperous citizens)
+1 Industry (the rich fund city projects)
-2 Support (Ditto)
-2 Research (Foppery and dandying more important)
-1 Efficiency (cities tend to favor quality over quantity)
Extra talent for every two citizens. (Cultural centers)
Commerce
Free Rec Commons at each base.

Nanomachine Technologists
“Science and industry go hand in hand, reshaping all societies with benefits and breakthroughs. But it is not sufficient to simply build and discover in the interest of pure research, nor to rely on technological progress for wealth. Instead, the sciences of the physical should combine with the social to create an order based on merit and capability. With these specks of dust, gentlemen, I intend to do just that.”
- Director-in-Chief Sylvia Gauss, Pronouncement of the Technate
“Nano, nano!” -Catchphrase of the alien Bork, The Bork and Binnie Show
Leader: Director-in-Chief Sylvia Gauss
Background: Chairwoman of Drexler Tech, former University engineer, head of Robotics aboard the FCS Sovereignty, from Switzerland.
Agenda: Creation of a pure technocracy with the help of nanotechnology.
Technology: Advanced Subatomic Theory
+1 Industry (Nanotech yields great profits)
-1 Planet (Grey goo has not been adjusted for fighting pollution just yet)
-2 Growth (Strict pragmatism of society impedes growth rate)
+2 Police (Society sponsors lawmen to weed out drones)
+2 Free research points per base per turn (Science considered the cornerstone of society)
Penalty, Research (Efforts to set up a true technocracy comes at a great cost)

Library of Planet
“The first craft of humanity to arrive on Chiron, the UNS Unity, could not fight against the forces of distrust and discord, shattering into seven factions even before Planetfall. As history shows, the rise and fall of peace and war cause further balkanizations, and the subsequent divisions thus made five more. Then came the warring Progenitors, the sorrowful FCS Sovereignty, and today revolutions and countless discoveries of intelligent aliens continue. How many more factions will tomorrow bring? How much longer will we remain divided?”
- Oracle Gennaro Almeida, A House Crumbled: Geopolitics of Planet
Leader: Oracle Gennaro Almeida
Background: Chief archivist aboard Sovereignty, from Brazil.
Agenda: Preservation of human knowledge, peaceful unification of Chiron.
Technology: Planetary networks, Social Psych
+2 Probe (Formidable library network defenses)
-1 Morale (Scholars uninterested in warfare)
-1 Industry (Integration of Planet sought before industrialization)
Techcost 85%(Considerable knowledge kept)
Extra talent for every three citizens (Learning centers)
Gets an extra comm frequency at beginning (Diplomatically-minded)
 
Well, I think I need to get viable mechanics for these to be playable, but I certainly don't mind getting some graphics, just for kicks! My dream was always to get whomever drew the original profile pictures do draw mine, but that is surely impossible. I certainly don't mind anyone else lending a hand, however.

I have some draft faction icons from way back, I'll post them sometime.
 
To be honest, at this time I'm more interested in coming up with the backstory of the fanfiction than I am in seriously designing gameable mod factions. I give out the idea for anyone to take inspiration from them, but I'm unable to work out the game balance for them, or to create the visual designs either. Thank you very much for the interest, though!
 
Concerning the Sovereign Magistrates:
Isn't a "Federation of Countries" necessarily international? I think I see what you'd like to imply, a world divided between two major camps, both vying for total control of the planet. But I'd try to find another, better name for the federation. How about the Global Federation, International Coalition or something like that?

By the time I reached the Darwin Raiders, I thought that many of your leaders' background seemed rather.. radical. Considering that this second ship was sent later when Earth was much more divided and further in its downfall, it is surprising that they have managed to have such a global collection of individuals working on this second spaceship at all. But assuming they managed to have everyone collaborating, wouldn't they at least put some effort in trying to recruit reliable and loyal persons, not former (anti)militia commanders?

For the AXIS, how about a more aggressive symbol? A sword instead of a shield? I imagine a sword horizontally piercing an X (for Xeno)
like:
Code:
   o   \ /
|==||===X==>
   o   / \

I really like the Psions and the Elders. Fun and original concept. The Nanos, Sons of Centauri-Ra and the Library seem not to distinct from the Consciousness, Cult and the Datajacks to me though.

Finally, I once modded in an 'isolationist' faction. I've long lost the files so I can't remember the exact modifier they had and all that, just that they favored some of the basic social engineering options (survivalist I think). Probably something like planet and production bonus countered with a research, growth and diplomacy penalties. Anyway I thought they filled a nice niche storywise.

That's just my feedback and ideas, I hope it's of any use to you.

Oh, how I look forward to the day of SMAC2 :o
 
Concerning the Sovereign Magistrates:
Isn't a "Federation of Countries" necessarily international? I think I see what you'd like to imply, a world divided between two major camps, both vying for total control of the planet. But I'd try to find another, better name for the federation. How about the Global Federation, International Coalition or something like that?

The International Federation of Countries (and the whole idea of a future second Cold War-type carving up of the world) I got many years ago from this fanfiction. I think I'm going to go with the "Federated Countries" modification to mirror the words "United Nations."

By the time I reached the Darwin Raiders, I thought that many of your leaders' background seemed rather.. radical. Considering that this second ship was sent later when Earth was much more divided and further in its downfall, it is surprising that they have managed to have such a global collection of individuals working on this second spaceship at all. But assuming they managed to have everyone collaborating, wouldn't they at least put some effort in trying to recruit reliable and loyal persons, not former (anti)militia commanders?

Ah, I'm trying to flesh out the story with faction profiles. Check them out the ones I have completed here, I've created one of the militia commander already.

I didn't have a unified scheme in mind, to be honest. Many of my factions are somewhat influenced by the works of David Brin, specifically his novels Earth and The Postman. Right now my vague idea is that the factions represent many of the ideological/non-national power blocs remaining on the planet; when they got to Centauri they squabbled after awaking from cryosleep and each took a piece of the ship with them when they agreed to break apart before planetfall. So, fractious but not violent until they land. And as you can read from my profile for Mikhail Borokhov, having the mission be a last-ditch attempt by two squabbling international blocs was not productive either.

For the AXIS, how about a more aggressive symbol? A sword instead of a shield? I imagine a sword horizontally piercing an X (for Xeno)
like:
Code:
   o   \ /
|==||===X==>
   o   / \

Thanks for the idea! I sketched an AXIS logo many years ago, but in retrospect it was pretty lousy and yours sounds rather better. The file seems to be missing, but here are some scans of my other icons.

I really like the Psions and the Elders. Fun and original concept. The Nanos, Sons of Centauri-Ra and the Library seem not to distinct from the Consciousness, Cult and the Datajacks to me though.

The Psions were my excuse to have a more-than-human group of psionic chauvinists. The Elders are influenced by the dominant position of senior citizens in the First World (c. 2038) of the novel Earth- which, now that I think about it, is pretty much the future of our world as well. Though I must confess I take some pride in the faction name. Ditto the Sons of Centauri-Ra; they're meant to be transplanted Ra worshipers from the same book. The Library was just a joke riffing off of NetworkNode.org- all of those crazy factions, let's have a faction that breaks away just to keep track of them! (I'm also not sure why there are Librarians in SMAC, I mean in the game they don't seem to have any particular significance. So I thought Library of Planet sounded nice.)

I forgot exactly why I decided to create the Nanomachine Technologists. This project has been around with me since 2003, I think the name just sounded cool to me and I ran with it.

Finally, I once modded in an 'isolationist' faction. I've long lost the files so I can't remember the exact modifier they had and all that, just that they favored some of the basic social engineering options (survivalist I think). Probably something like planet and production bonus countered with a research, growth and diplomacy penalties. Anyway I thought they filled a nice niche storywise.

That's a good idea. I might borrow that idea. For the "first set", I was going to have a faction that is sea-based; maybe I can borrow the isoloationist idea with that to have the reverse of the Pirates.

Oh, how I look forward to the day of SMAC2 :o

Don't we all...

Thanks for all of your comments!
 
was there a second ship? from what i understand from the beginning of alpha centauri it was a rush job to leave earth before it was nuked? - i come to this assumption from the opening movie... which strangely brings me to - why doesn't alpha centauri work on vista?
:crazyeye:
 
im not sure it does u know.. crossfire does..but alpha dont the options menu dont work correctly its missing half the screen also it just dont work

cheers anyway
 
I'm working on the last two factions now, as well as profiles for the remaining leaders. One of them is a Neo-Feminist faction that seeks to create a society where females are in charge. The other is a sea-based faction of former refugees and worshippers of water deities. Would anyone be interested in seeing these?
 
im not sure it does u know.. crossfire does..but alpha dont the options menu dont work correctly its missing half the screen also it just dont work

cheers anyway

I'm able to run SMAC on my Vista laptop, but I admit it's the bundle that came with Alien Crossfire in a larger game bundle that included Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2.
 
Is it just me, or do most of these factions seem quite weak in game mechanics? Your "Settlers", for instance, seem flat-out worse than Deirdre (let alone H'minee). The Sovereign Magistrates seem pretty bad compared to Aki, and so on.

(Your Parish seems... very unbalanced, though. +6 Growth, +4 Efficiency, and +2 Economy should NEVER be all attainable at the same time. EVER. The only factions that can even reliably get two are Morgan, Lal, and Aki.)
 
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