this post last edited 11 June 2002
A total of 16 factions, half lunar, half terran.
Please Note: The earth factions are there to provide diplomatic options. I'm thinking of restricting the player to just the lunar factions. Each lunar faction will have an earth sponsor as an ally (at least at the start of the game), so open warfare between factions is a risky option early on.
'Earthworm' factions
Federated Nations
North American Directorate
Greater China
India
PanAfrica
Brazilian Union
European Alliance
Russian Compact
'Lunatic' Factions
Lunar Authority
Free State
Hong Kong Luna (HKL)
Lunar Soviet
Etat d'Lune
Gengetsu Mindan (Crescent Moon Co., Japanese [I hope that's how it translates])
Dark Siders
Botany Bay
Notes:
(When I say something is "from the book" I'm refering to _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ by Robert Heinlein. Also, please, this is sci-fi, and the book was written in 1966. Some of my own material is mixed in as well. No offense to you or your nation is intended in any of my comments.)
=Federated Nations=
The FN is not a direct decendent of the United Nations, but fills a similar function on the earth of 2175. The FN is the ultimate peacekeeping body, featuring a space navy and land units that provide a deterrent force, keeping multinational war from breaking out.
The FN was founded following the Wet Firecracker War, in which nukes were deployed by combatant nations, but most were successfully countered before impact by interceptor rockets and other missle defenses. *Most* nukes, not all. The survivors got together, and in a rare fit of sanity gave up nuclear arms. The FN emerged, with one clear mandate: Keep the peace. The FN is a global super-cop, making sure it's members are safe both from outside threats and internal infighting.
Member nations are 'officially' allowed only defensive forces, with offense left to the FN Peace Army. (Please note that members ideas of 'defensive' weapons tends to include a lot of offensive hardware.) The Federated Nations are a lot more like NATO than the UN -- any attack on a member will provoke a response from the FN.
In the game, the FN will be permanently allied to all of the earthworm factions. Attack any one, and you'll have to deal with the Fed. I don't think the other factions will be allied to each other -- I'm not sure if I can get away with that, but I'll try.
Unique Units
1) Nukes. Nobody else has 'em. The FN is not a no-nukes organization, it's a no-nukes-but-mine organization.
2) a space based balistic-missle ship
3) Space Marines. Tough bastards, able to land from orbit and kick your ass.
- The Federated Nations are not meant to be a human-playable faction.
The other seven earthworm factions represent the "veto powers" within the FN, like the UN's Security Council.
In no particular order, they are:
=North American Directorate=
Think NAFTA on steroids. America is under a single administration, from Alaska down to the Yucatan. The King of England is recognized as the official head of state, but there is also a tri-cameral legislature, a prime minister, and a figurehead president elected once every ten years.
The complex government was formed so all 86 24hr. news channels would have something to report on.
North America is still a major economic power, but it also has its share of problems. What happens on the moon means very little for 750,000,000 or so citizens.
Unique units:
1) Interceptors. North America has the best missle defenses, able to stop most nukes, or even rocks falling from space. Of course, an interceptor rocket could be aimed at something other than incoming projectiles...
2) Clipper Ships. Fast, lightly armored spaceships -- maybe with a few 'privateer' abilities.
=Greater China=
At some point, China decided to try it's hand at imperialism. Taking over chunks of land from Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, down through Indonesia, and just for kicks... Darwin, Austalia, and a good chunk of the Northern Territory besides. (Why invade Australia? Food. Global warming has changed the climate, and China wanted to secure the new grain producing region.)
China is the other major asian power in the game.
Unique Units:
1) 'elite' Conscript unit. Better than your basic conscript, just a basic foot soldier really, but cheap and quick to produce. (not sure what to call them yet. Militia?)
2) Dreadnaught class spaceship. Big, tough, slow. Massive bombard ability. But slooowww...
=India=
India's people haven't changed much: It's still a big multicultural nation with an active, industrious populace. But climate changes and population pressure means there are food shortages everywhere in the sub-continent.
India is the other major asian power in the game.
In the book, India got much of its grain in exports from the moon. I'm not sure how to reflect this in game (there's no model for food shipments) but I'll come up with something.
Unique Units:
1)
2)
=PanAfrica=
Not much info is given in the book on this new African Mega-state. Apparently, each member of PanAfrica is still an independent political entity, but they have combined into some sort of continental congress for self defense and economic reasons. Not to mention that as a combination, they get a veto on the FN executive council.
unique units:
1) Lancer - one man space fighter. Cheaper to build than the bigger ships of the other FN nations. Not bad as an offensive unit, but not quite as durable as other ships. (possibly limited to orbital space.)
2)
=Brazilian Union=
Following a series of catastrophic economic collapses across South America, somebody had to come in and pick up the pieces. That somebody was the Federated Nations, who brought together a number of failing states into a single administrative district, similar to the North American Directorate.
The Brazilian Union encompases most of S.A., with the exception of Columbia, Venezuela, Suriname, and both Guyanas. Member states remain autonomous, but share a common currency and vote in a continental assembly on matters coming up before the Federated Nations.
Unique Units
1) Space Carrier. Lacks the bombard artillery of other space vessels, but carries smaller space fighters that can operate 'space superiority' missions.
2)
=European Alliance=
(Heinlein descibed a state called 'Mitteleuropa', which seems to me like a combo of the old Warsaw Pact and some sort of Fifth Reich. I'll go with something a bit more in line with recent historical developments...)
Eventually, the EU will evolve into a stable centralized federal government.
Or at least that was the dream... On paper the European Alliance is a single political entity, but it is still weaker than it's individual components. Notorious holdouts like the UK and Switzerland still don't participate, and while other nations pay lip service to the ideals of Unity, they still go pretty much their own way.
Military alliances coexist and overlap certain parts of the EA Charter, so there is a single military force to face down any challengers. While the military is still made up of national contingents, weapons and ranks have been standardized, and over a century of cooperation has yielded an highly cohesive multinational force.
Unique Units
1) EA Patrol Ships. Strong, quick, capable vessels that rule the spacelanes. Most of the time.
2)
=Russian Compact=
Following the failed May Day Coup of 2083, the last vestige of communism was excised from Russia and exiled to the Moon. However, the weakened Russian government quickly broke apart into a multitude of seperate nations, each under the local control of a ganster, military officer, or other warlord. After 30 years of near anarchy, an alliance between Novgorod and Muscovy began a series of military strikes and diplomatic overtures that eventually reformed the broken nation. The new Russian Compact includes most of what was once Russia, though the eastern third of Siberia was lost to Greater China in the interim.
Like metal that has been tempered, the new Russian Compact is stronger than it was before the fire.
Unique Units
1)
2)
=Lunar Authority=
Earth Sponsor: Federated Nations
The Authority is the only recognized government on the moon. The FN set up the Lunar Authority to make sure the moon was never used for military purposes. Initially lunar colonist were scientists and idealists, but member nations often sent "volunteers" to the moon as a permanent way to rid themselves of undesireables.
Following several highly publicised incidents of violence between these "volunteers" during the very early years of colonization, a more formal prison system was set up by the FN and the Lunar Authority, to segregate those who were doing time from those who were doing research.
Since prolonged living at 1/6 G leads to permanent physiological changes, a trip to the moon was in effect a life sentence -- the only way back was through extensive physical rehab, and a ticket on a FN transport ship. The new lunar 'colonists' could afford neither.
The moon became a very popular dumping ground for nations on earth. Violent offenders, fringe groups, political dissidents, and other "volunteers" were all sent to the moon. It was a big open prison -- guards were needed only for transport ships and essential personel. And once the transportees figured out that a moon shot was a one way trip, most stopped trying to escape anyway.
That was four generations ago. Colonists still arrive every month, some dumped to fend for themselves, other sent as prisoners to supply the Authority with a cheap labor pool. An economy has developed, and the moon is now a thriving society with a total population that exceeds 3 million.
The Authority is still nominally in control, though the population of the moon is now too large for the sort of lax government that has been the norm for a century. New factions are emerging, and war will soon be declared...
Unique Units:
1) Yellow Jackets. The Warden's personal bodyguard -- tough defenders.
2) Dragoons. The 'Goons are what passes for police on the moon. They do well against unarmed Lunatics, but once the other factions develop the right weapons...
=Free State=
Earth Sponsor: North American Directorate
A small group of revolutionaries has taken control of one of the largest settlements, Luna City, and declared themselves the "Luna Free State". A mixed bag of political dissidents and native Lunatics (decendents of the early transportees), the Free State is the most independent and least political of the lunar factions. They just want to set up a local government, free from the control of both the FN and the Authority.
While military conquest is not the first item on their agenda, they are preparing to defend themselves against the Authority or anyone else.
Unique Units:
=Hong Kong Luna (HKL)=
Earth Sponsor: Greater China
HKL was one of the earliest colonies, set up by Greater China as a way to finally rid themselves of those pesky capitalists they inherited from the British.
China still takes in interest in HKL, in so much as they keep sending people up to the moon to live there. Not just folks from Hong Kong, HKL is a mixed bag of transportees from Japan, southeast Asia, Australia, and Siberia.
HKL has always considered themselves somewhat separate from the rest of the Lunar Authority, a common perception they are now trying to make a reality.
Unique Units:
=Lunar Soviet=
Earth Sponsor: Brazilian Union
Novy Leningrad was also an early colony, formed when the old Russian state shipped a load of violent communist rebels to the moon following their failed May Day Coup. The Lunar Soviet has recently organized a number of colonies around NovyLen into a new communist state, and is preparing to expand.
Unique Units.
=Etat d'Lune=
Earth Sponsor: PanAfrica
The new "Etat d'Lune" is made up of dissident Quebec nationalists, Algerian rebels, and francophile castaways from Vietnam, Polynesia, Haiti, and all over Africa. Their only common link is the French language, and a tradition of fighting the establishment.
Unique Unit:
1) Legionaire. Of course. Men of all sorts have joined the new French Lunar Legion.
2)
=Gengetsu Mindan=
Earth Sponsor: India
The Crescent Moon Co., or "Gngetsu Mindan" in Japanese [I hope that's how it translates], was a corporate entity set up build scientific labratories and industrial complexes on the moon, back in the days before Greater China made life in Japan a little more difficult. Starting with a solid technological base, and fortified by numerous Japanese "volunteers" sent up later, The Crescent Moon Co. is now a flourishing colony more-or-less affiliated with the Authority, but doing pretty much whatever it has wanted for over 50 years.
CMC stock is not official recognized in the Japanese provinces of Greater China, but still does a brisk trade in the stock markets of America and Europe. India recently agreed to sponsor the CMC, mostly to tick off China.
Unique Units:
=Dark Siders=
Earth Sponsor: none. yet.
The "Dark Siders" are a loose group of escaped prisoners and other malcontents who have fled the reach of the Authority and settled on the craggy surface of the moon's Far Side. Their location means they are out of radio contact with earth, being on the side that faces into space, but the Dark Siders don't care.
What sort of plans the Darksiders are hatching back there is anyone's guess. If they can figure out a way to contact them, there may be some sort of deal made with dormant warlord factions within the Russian Compact.
unique units:
=Botany Bay=
Earth Sponsor: European Alliance
Following the invasion of Darwin and the loss of Northern Australia to Greater China, an unprecedented shipment of transportees was sent up by the Chinese in a period of just 5 months. There were too many for the Authority to take in all at once, so a new colony was founded nearby and built in record time.
The Aussies found themselves in familiar territory, so to speak, dropped off on the far end of nowhere with nothing but their own know-how and will to survive. Half-facetiously, but with an eye to the past, they named their new home Botany Bay, and established a capital called "Over the Rainbow."
Botany Bay has the strongest ties back to earth, with an application in the works to join Free Australia as a special territory. The EA is acting as their sponsor, for the moment, because of a pre-existing military pact with Free Australia.
Unique Units:
I'll fill in the details (remaining UU, attributes, etc.) as I can think them up. ;P
