Beyond Earth Factions

[ArguCa]

I think there could be a faction covering the steppe-based cultures/regions like central-asia, turkey, mongols and huns. They could be called the Horde ( or a more galactic sounding name).

There is almost zero similarity between Turkey and Mongolia (or even Turkey-Kazakhstan) except language.

Turkey is more close to Middle Eastern countries. So, Turkey must be with Near Eastern countries. Or, just I said before, Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan alliance would be cool.

 

[Liex]

Besides "what are the factions?" and "who are the leaders?", here are some questions I'd love to see answered:

1. What kind of (and how many) unique bonus or features each faction will have? Maybe some unique units, buildings and improvements? Maybe a unique ability and nothing more? Personally I don’t think each faction will have its own UU, only a UA and some advantages/restrictions when choosing the spacecraft, cargo and crew at the start of the game.

2. How different the factions are going to be from each other? In my opinion, some civilizations in Civ V really feels unique to play with, but most are quite generic. That’s understandable as the game has more than 40 playable factions. But even though CivBE is going to have “only” 8 factions, I don’t think they’re going to differ drastically from one another, and most diversity in gameplay will probably derive from the Affinities and Victory Conditions.

3. Will each faction be conditioned to a specific Victory Condition? There are some cases in Civ V, such as France and Brazil, which are prone to cultural victories. In CivBE, we'll have 5 VCs and 8 factions. Perhaps 5 of those factions are indeed inclined to a specific VC, while the other 3 are Jacks of all trades, like Poland in Civ V. But 3 of the 5 VCs are tied to the 3 different Affinities; this would mean that the factions related to them wouldn’t have much room when exploring the tech-web and this kind of thing. I don’t know if this is ok… I think it’s good to give the factions a strong personality, and tying them to a specific VC or Affinity would help (we’d have that militaristic guy off to dominate the universe; a scientific faction looking for technological Supremacy; a religious, traditional leader trying to conserve the Purity of humanity by shaping foreign worlds in the image of our own). But it’s never nice to restrain the player’s freedom too much, specially because, unlike Civ V, you don’t have dozens of other factions to try different things.

Well, I hope they release new information very soon!

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Actually, I think the factions will have significantly different gameplay.

The designer said he liked the 'assymetric balance' of CivRev and that seems like the idea that factions play very differently (also possible because they only have 8)

I also think the factions will only have UA (i like the idea of cargo restrictions)
UU seem tied to Affinities
UB would force a player down a particular tech direction

 

[Algeroth]

Actually, I think the factions will have significantly different gameplay.

The designer said he liked the 'assymetric balance' of CivRev and that seems like the idea that factions play very differently (also possible because they only have 8)

Everything they siad so far suggest that the assymetry would stem from affinities.

 

[poom3619]

I really got the feeling that these may be private companies SPONSORED by states.

Brazilia, besides being a typo of Brasília, may as well be the name of the consortium sponsored by the Brazilian state.

Also, for those who don't know (for some God-forsaken reason) Brasília is the capital of Brazil, so it's an odd name to go for. That's why I think it's not "Brazil" - it's something related to Brazil, but not Brazil or the Brazilian state. Hence a private, even if publicly-funded, company.

or Brazilia is the name of new militaristic state that centered on today's Brazil.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Everything they siad so far suggest that the assymetry would stem from affinities.

It is possible there are other sources of asymmetry. Factions would be an ideal one.

 

[SammyKhalifa]

It's not a killer, but I think I'll still have to warm up to the loosely-geographical but imginary division of the different factions, instead of Civs or even the ideological divisions of previous games

 

[Veras]

Since there won't be no tech tree anymore, I doubt the Unique Unit system would work for Beyond Earth. Each faction will probably be unique in their cargo, crews or city styles.

 

[Inhalaattori]

Im just wondering what kind of factions they are going to add in possible expansions if they already have everything covered in Beyond Earth. If other factions are like the first tree we will probably have factions from Russia, Arab countries, India, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Btw I think there is Somali language used in trailer, which is quite interesting in my opinion. That could be possible hint to some faction.

 

[otaman1]

Btw I think there is Somali language used in trailer, which is quite interesting in my opinion. That could be possible hint to some faction.

Possibly an African faction

 

[iRule]

Btw I think there is Somali language used in trailer, which is quite interesting in my opinion. That could be possible hint to some faction.

When?

I only heard English, Portuguese, French and what I thought was Arabic (it was, right?) in the trailer.

Right now, I'm really hinting at something like this [I continue hinting at private companies sponsored by states] :

---

Almost obvious sponsors:

1. USA and possibly Canada and the UK

2. Brazil and possibly South America (I really doubt it - if there's a Portuguese-speaking faction called "Brazilia" that kind of nails it down to a faction sponsored by Brazil alone. UNLESS something crazy happened by the time of the Great Mistake and Brazil swallowed its Spanish-speaking neighbours. There's something weird about Brazilia being the "most militaristic faction". That's not 2014's Brazil-like.)

3. France and possibly the rest of the European Union (with or without the UK - it would be sweet if Portugal were with Brazil but alas... how meaningless we are. And that's not really the point - in any case, we're probably at the bottom of the Atlantic by then, either because the sea rose or because our debt sunk the country deep into the ocean.)

4. "Egypt" or, more likely, a Pan-Arabic faction; as I consider private companies (even if state-sponsored) to be the players here, the lunatics behind the likes of Burj Dubai would likely build a freaking spaceship. They've got the funds.

---

4 sponsors are left, according to what I read. Unlike with Brazil, the US, France and "Egypt", we just have to guess them, as there's no basis whatsoever.

However, I think the first two sponsors I'm putting here are very obvious, whereas the others are just probable.:

1. China - because, come on. Possibly joined by Japan and/or Korea, if Firaxis gets political and imagines a future scenario where the CP of China has given way for a Democracy and the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans work together with their common heritage as a background, à la European Union. Hence the Pan-Asian Cooperation...

2. Russia - well... come on, right?
3. India - if China's in...

4. I think it would be politically debatable, to say the least, leaving Africa out of the getaway from Earth. A white/Asian (regardless of the specific characteristics of Brazil and the USA) dominant, if not "only", colony in the outer-space. That would be odd. If France, at the time of the Great Mistake (that's a Great Mistake itself) is led by Marine Le Pen she would be loving it for sure... So... yeah, an African faction has to be in. And it would be amazingly interesting.

South Africa, possibly joined by Angola and some other "technologically-capable" (for Africa) states/s? Wasn't there a Nigerian leader in AC? Well, Nigeria's pretty big, but if they're going for realistic and state-sponsored factions (unlike in AC) South Africa and Angola have to be in.

I wish we got to know more about the countries by the time of the Great Mistake. Maybe parts of Sub-Saharan Africa got on their wheels and grew to be a formidable power.

 

[Algeroth]

It's not Arabic, It's Somali in the trailer. What makes it confusing is that it is tied to the image of pyramids in the trailer in the same way that shts of Paris is paired with French languege, so it is not easy to deduce from it if it would be some panarabic or panafrican faction.

 

[iRule]

It's not Arabic, It's Somali in the trailer. What makes it confusing is that it is tied to the image of pyramids in the trailer in the same way that shts of Paris is paired with French languege, so it is not easy to deduce from it if it would be some panarabic or panafrican faction.

I figured by the sound of it that it was Arabic. And, exactly, Rio is paired with Portuguese, Paris with French, New York with English. It only made sense.

Well, Somalia, for all purposes, is part of the Arabic world (EVEN if not ethnically Arabic). And just on the other side of straight you've got Arabia and its rich petrostates.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

When?

I only heard English, Portuguese, French and what I thought was Arabic (it was, right?) in the trailer.

Right now, I'm really hinting at something like this [I continue hinting at private companies sponsored by states] :

---

Almost obvious sponsors:

1. USA and possibly Canada and the UK

2. Brazil and possibly South America (I really doubt it - if there's a Portuguese-speaking faction called "Brazilia" that kind of nails it down to a faction sponsored by Brazil alone. UNLESS something crazy happened by the time of the Great Mistake and Brazil swallowed its Spanish-speaking neighbours. There's something weird about Brazilia being the "most militaristic faction". That's not 2014's Brazil-like.)

3. France and possibly the rest of the European Union (with or without the UK - it would be sweet if Portugal were with Brazil but alas... how meaningless we are. And that's not really the point - in any case, we're probably at the bottom of the Atlantic by then, either because the sea rose or because our debt sunk the country deep into the ocean.)

4. "Egypt" or, more likely, a Pan-Arabic faction; as I consider private companies (even if state-sponsored) to be the players here, the lunatics behind the likes of Burj Dubai would likely build a freaking spaceship. They've got the funds.

---

4 sponsors are left, according to what I read. Unlike with Brazil, the US, France and "Egypt", we just have to guess them, as there's no basis whatsoever.

However, I think the first two sponsors I'm putting here are very obvious, whereas the others are just probable.:

1. China - because, come on. Possibly joined by Japan and/or Korea, if Firaxis gets political and imagines a future scenario where the CP of China has given way for a Democracy and the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans work together with their common heritage as a background, à la European Union.
2. Russia - well... come on, right?
3. India - if China's in...

4. I think it would be politically debatable, to say the least, leaving Africa out of the getaway from Earth. A white/Asian (regardless of the specific characteristics of Brazil and the USA) dominant, if not "only", colony in the outer-space. That would be odd. If France, at the time of the Great Mistake (that's a Great Mistake itself) is led by Marine Le Pen she would be loving it for sure... So... yeah, an African faction has to be in. And it would be amazingly interesting.

South Africa, possibly joined by Angola and some other "technologically-capable" (for Africa) states/s? Wasn't there a Nigerian leader in AC? Well, Nigeria's pretty big, but if they're going for realistic and state-sponsored factions (unlike in AC) South Africa and Angola have to be in.

I wish we got to know more about the countries by the time of the Great Mistake. Maybe parts of Sub-Saharan Africa got on their wheels and grew to be a formidable power.

We can add East Asia as a definite and confirmed faction as a 5th to your list.

Russia i agree with you entirely on, and India is also in the middle of a space race with China today, so I think it is highly likely (I also really cannot see it being shoved in with China or ignored).

I am edging towards a sub-saharan African faction as the final one too maybe a more politically united African Union, and i think there are 3 ways it could work. Based around Ethiopia, it being a growing titan of renewable energy, based around Nigeria with is stonking economic growth and oil (it's just overtaken egypt as the largest african economy behind SA) or South Africa with it's mineral wealth. I'm betting on Nigeria at this stage since it's also just been selected as one of the MINT economies, the next up and comers behind the BRIC's.

 

[chaosenator]

i think that somali language in the trailer would hint an islamic faction which would make sense since it would combine the pyramids that were also seen in the trailer as egypt is also a muslim country and by today standards no muslim country is ready for space but combined as fifty or so nations you would could easily see that happening

 

[BackseatTyrant]

Well, I've always wondered why the Arabic-sounding soundbyte accompanied by Latin-written text.

 

[otaman1]

"Dibu-tirin taxan ayaa bilaabmay" is definitely Somali. And Somali uses the Latin alphabet, so everything here makes sense.

 

[Inhalaattori]

I think there is logical reason why Somali is chosen as one of the Factions. There are huge communities of Somalis in countries like Sweden, Finland, UK, USA, Canada etc. who have good opportunities for high level of education. I think their back story might be that some of these well educated people later migrate back to their "home country" and improve the level of science in Somalia.

 

[Hakan-i Cihan]

I think there is logical reason why Somali is chosen as one of the Factions. There are huge communities of Somalis in countries like Sweden, Finland, UK, USA, Canada etc. who have good opportunities for high level of education. I think their back story might be that some of these well educated people later migrate back to their "home country" and improve the level of science in Somalia.

I actually supposed that the "somali" or subsaharan faction would be an exotic faction, which would be specialized in piracy or another specific thing related to Somali. I think more african countries have huge communities abroad which have good opportunities for high level education, so I don't think that would be the reason.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

I think there is logical reason why Somali is chosen as one of the Factions. There are huge communities of Somalis in countries like Sweden, Finland, UK, USA, Canada etc. who have good opportunities for high level of education. I think their back story might be that some of these well educated people later migrate back to their "home country" and improve the level of science in Somalia.

Given there was a big focus on the pyramids, and what looks like a huge bundle of settlements stretching from the Nile delta down the course of the river, I would say the main focus of the civ is Arabic/north african, not Somali.

However, there may be a Somali leader as one of this factions options, it could have been him talking in Somali.