Add More Factions - DLC!

[KrikkitTwo]

I agree that some of the names aren't good and at least the first 8 factions of Alpha Centauri appealed much more to me in design.

Franco-Iberia is not a name I would expect in the future. I would expect a more unified name such as (say) the Mediterranean Union, which would include the PIGS nations (minus Ireland), as well as parts of the Maghreb. (strength: culture)

Pan-African People's Union - why not a more racially-neutral organization named after Nonaligned Movement which already exists today? I can only see Africans in space in the foreseeable future with help from rogue states like Iran or North Korea and their rocket technology. (strength: guerrilla warfare)

ARC is OK, best concept and meshes well with the state of affairs in present-day US. It's not a stretch to imagine the US government being run directly from the Googleplex some 20 years from now. (strength: economy)

Slavic Confederation - uhm, I don't really see Russians working together with Ukrainians, Poles, Slovaks, Czechs - unless it's a USSR 2.0 master-slave type of relationship. (strength: open warfare).

Brasilia - Although South America is prone to military dictatorships from time to time, I wouldn't expect the Brazilians to suddenly stop their carnivals and soccer matches to embrace war. My proposed Nonaligned Movement would fit the bill better for this. In the game they would rather make more sense as the Gaians (at the rate they are destroying their rainforests today, they are bound to regret that one day) (strength: environment)

Kavithan Protectorate - pretty good concept and rooted in history, a lot of religions appeared in India historically in dire circumstances and they may well appear in the future following some planetary disaster. (strength: religion/happiness)

PAC consists of nations that were shaped by Chinese culture and the ideas of Confucianism. It's not a stretch to think that nations such as China and Japan would one day bury the hatchet of war and concentrate on what they have in common. (strength: collectivism/cooperation/efficiency)

Polystralia - I reserve judgement for the moment. (strength: tourism? though realistically, their relative geographical isolation would make them good diplomats I think)

Notable absentees: The Caliphate (just like the Kavithans but with an outward focus, on spreading their beliefs through any available means) (strength: religion/fanaticism) and the EuroReich with maybe a science focus so as not to overlap with the efficiency of the PAC or the economy of the ARC.

Just remember this is 200 years in the future (if you look at the world at 1814 trying to extrapolate to today would be tricky.)
Europe had only just begun mass colonization of Africa and Asia
France was the last great threat to Europe (and troubling because it wasn't a monarchy like everyone else that mattered)
East Asia was fairly closed off from the world
The US extended to the Missisippi

 

[vahouth]

I agree that some of the names aren't good and at least the first 8 factions of Alpha Centauri appealed much more to me in design.

Franco-Iberia is not a name I would expect in the future. I would expect a more unified name such as (say) the Mediterranean Union, which would include the PIGS nations (minus Ireland), as well as parts of the Maghreb. (strength: culture)

+1 for a Mediterranean Union "Mare Nostrum" DLC!

 

[3of5]

+1 for a Mediterranean Union "Mare Nostrum" DLC!

There is no mediterranean on planet. And Franco-Iberia IS France+Spain+parts of Italy+parts of Maghreb already. so a mod could change the name, but there will not be a DLC doing this. Imho Mediterranean Union is just slightly less senseless than Franco-Iberia as a name for a faction on planet.

 

[vahouth]

There is no mediterranean on planet.

You don't know that. But even so, what's that got to do with the Faction's name?

And Franco-Iberia IS France+Spain+parts of Italy+parts of Maghreb already. so a mod could change the name, but there will not be a DLC doing this. Imho Mediterranean Union is just slightly less senseless than Franco-Iberia as a name for a faction on planet.

The so called "Meditteranean Union" can be composed of: the rest of Italy+Greece+Turkey+Egypt etc.. I don't know, but it could be interesting.

 

[3of5]

The so called "Meditteranean Union" can be composed of: the rest of Italy+Greece+Turkey+Egypt etc.. I don't know, but it could be interesting.

Greece and Turkey in the same faction? That would indeed be novel!

I would just have preferred names that were native to planet, not reminiscence to some part of an earth left behind more than 400 years ago.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Greece and Turkey in the same faction? That would indeed be novel!

I would just have preferred names that were native to planet, not reminiscence to some part of an earth left behind more than 400 years ago.

They Were a mere 1000 years ago (and for 1000 years before that)

However, art of the reason for having names of the factions in the game be based on parts of the Earth they left behind 400 years ago, is that the game will be played by people that live on the Earth. (unless nasa makes a major warpdrive break through before firaxis starts work on CivBE 2)

However, I would appreciate some non-geographic factions.... but having some geographic ones is useful for helping people identify with them more.

 

[Martinus]

As others said, if you extrapolated from the world 200 years ago, then the existence of the EU or the USA and China as superpowers would seem absurd.

 

[Martinus]

I would just have preferred names that were native to planet, not reminiscence to some part of an earth left behind more than 400 years ago.

That would make no sense. First of all the faction names are originally based on the Earth nation sponsors (they are not people freely banding together under one leader or another) and some Affinities like Purity would never choose a name "native to the planet".

What would be better if each faction had alternative names it adopts after it chooses one of the Affinities (something similar to when you declared independence in Colonization and no longer used your mother country's name). So for example Franco-Iberia going Purity would get renamed to something like "New Avalon" (or some other name from francophone mythology), under Supermacy it would become the "Platonic Collective" and under Harmony something based on the new planet but sufficiently French.

 

[Fabio1701]

A Khan (the Star Trek one) faction would be a cool mod. The backstory would actually be kind of plausible even. After the Great Mistake, as the nations are struggling to rebuild, a group of genetically augmented humans try to take over Earth. They fail and are exiled. Their ship, the Botany Bay, lands on a planet. Can "perfect humans" build the perfect society?

This would indeed be a very cool mod! I suspect there will be a lot of sci-fi faction mods in no time once cbe is out: khan, dune, command and conquer, Battlestar Galactica (which also fits with the story), Defiance, ironsky, 2001...

 

[Kolbeg]

+1 for a Mediterranean Union "Mare Nostrum" DLC!

This is excactly the problem in my mind, Faction names based to directly to Earths Geography.

That would make no sense. First of all the faction names are originally based on the Earth nation sponsors (they are not people freely banding together under one leader or another) and some Affinities like Purity would never choose a name "native to the planet".

What would be better if each faction had alternative names it adopts after it chooses one of the Affinities (something similar to when you declared independence in Colonization and no longer used your mother country's name). So for example Franco-Iberia going Purity would get renamed to something like "New Avalon" (or some other name from francophone mythology), under Supermacy it would become the "Platonic Collective" and under Harmony something based on the new planet but sufficiently French.

I agree here as well it would be unthinkable to not have the factions name themselves based on their original point of departure. They could have been a bit more global, neutral if you will, perhaps based more on the vision of the mission or its goals. What are the ambitions of these seeding missions, why are they going in separate missions, what is their goal - knowing that they are not going to be able to send knowledge, resources or profits back to Earth. No communication at all!

This is as far as Earth is concerned a suicide mission. They know that any connection or links with Earth will be broken as soon as they leave Earths orbit.

I do actually like this idea about the names changing as the Faction evolves in this new world, since I´m stuck with these "bad" original names. How that mechanic should work I don´t know yet, but as you say it could be connected to Affinities, perhaps even Values.

 

[vahouth]

Greece and Turkey in the same faction?

If Greece is ok with Turkey being a part of the EU and visa versa, I don't see the problem with them being part of the same organization 200 years in the future.
Also I don't mind the naming of each faction. All I want is that each player can identity with a faction that includes his region and so far only England, Scandinavia, central Europe. some of the Balkans and the middle east, are not represented in game.

 

[3of5]

I do actually like this idea about the names changing as the Faction evolves in this new world, since I´m stuck with these "bad" original names. How that mechanic should work I don´t know yet, but as you say it could be connected to Affinities, perhaps even Values.

Thats why i think faction names should represent the reason the factions actually participated in the seeding. That would be a better identifier than some reference to some old continent, no one but the first generation ever saw anyway.
Kavithan Protectorate would be find, even Slavic Federation would be ok, because it is an ethnic identifier (maybe for them ethnicity still matters in 2600). But American Reclamation Corporation? Franco-Iberia?, Peoples african Union? PAC? Polystralia? Brazilia?
Just make it Planetary Development Corporation, Utopia, Peoples Union, research collective ...

I do really like the idea of the changing factions names according to virtue or affinity focus (i seem to remember the Islamic Kaliphate of America from one of my games, might have been good old rise and fall). In EU IV the names of the Empire changes too depening on government form.

 

[Kolbeg]

If Greece is ok with Turkey being a part of the EU and visa versa, I don't see the problem with them being part of the same organization 200 years in the future.
Also I don't mind the naming of each faction. All I want is that each player can identity with a faction that includes his region and so far only England, Scandinavia, central Europe. some of the Balkans and the middle east, are not represented in game.

Greece and Turkey could easily be part of the same faction, especially in 200 years.

I disagree that the names are okey, just as long as everybody is able to identify with some of them. Make that question of identity irrelevant from the beginning. And make it easier for whoever to immerse themselves in playing whoever.

Thats why i think faction names should represent the reason the factions actually participated in the seeding. That would be a better identifier than some reference to some old continent, no one but the first generation ever saw anyway.
Kavithan Protectorate would be find, even Slavic Federation would be ok, because it is an ethnic identifier (maybe for them ethnicity still matters in 2600). But American Reclamation Corporation? Franco-Iberia?, Peoples african Union? PAC? Polystralia? Brazilia?
Just make it Planetary Development Corporation, Utopia, Peoples Union, research collective ...

I do really like the idea of the changing factions names according to virtue or affinity focus (i seem to remember the Islamic Kaliphate of America from one of my games, might have been good old rise and fall). In EU IV the names of the Empire changes too depening on government form.

I agree totally, and governments in BE are probably represented in your Values choices, don't think there is any other way to influence your society and governance.

 

[Martinus]

I think the main problem with the current set-up is that the name of the faction is in fact the name of the sponsor, whereas the leader is not the leader of the sponsor, but the leader of the seeding expedition - this leads to a disconnect I think.

It would indeed be better if the faction name was something derivative from the sponsor but not the same as the sponsor.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I think the main problem with the current set-up is that the name of the faction is in fact the name of the sponsor, whereas the leader is not the leader of the sponsor, but the leader of the seeding expedition - this leads to a disconnect I think.

It would indeed be better if the faction name was something derivative from the sponsor but not the same as the sponsor.

Well, except the leaders DO seem to represent something about their sponsor's stereotype

America - 'capitalist' mission leader**
France- culture elitist mission leader
India - religious mission leader**
East Asia- science/production mission leader
Africa- People power mission leader
Brazil- militaristic mission leader*


*(here you stretch it a little bit, but you can tap into latin american dictators, and Empire of Brazil concepts)

** in this case they Are the leader of the sponsor (Fielding is the CEO+CFO of ARC, Kavitha is Kavitha)

 

[vahouth]

I disagree that the names are okey, just as long as everybody is able to identify with some of them. Make that question of identity irrelevant from the beginning. And make it easier for whoever to immerse themselves in playing whoever.

I didn't say the names are ok, they are not but I don't mind that much.
It feels though as if they did that on purpose so that they leave room for future expansions. Just saying...

 

[NASAROG]

Do you even think this release will get DLC/expansions?

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Do you even think this release will get DLC/expansions?

Probably... depending on how well it does

The fact that they used geographic areas for the sponsors and seemed to have none from Britain, Germany, Nordic, and the Middle East suggests that they are prepared for the possibility of DLC/Expansions.

And I'm sure the designers have lots of ideas about new systems to replace current ones in the game
(systems that would take more time to design and test than they currently have... especially without seeing how the game plays among a large population)

 

[ShaggyCan]

I think it would be cool to see a redo of Alien Crossfire, or at least, it would be cool to have Humans land on the planet, and it's already occupied. I think the key would to not make the Aliens a civ, more like and expanded City-State.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I think it would be cool to see a redo of Alien Crossfire, or at least, it would be cool to have Humans land on the planet, and it's already occupied. I think the key would to not make the Aliens a civ, more like and expanded City-State.

That would be an aliens expansion I could get behind
Aliens..as actual CS (not stations)
Options
-None
-primitive Natives
-advanced Outpost (higher tech but restricted pop)