Beyond Earth Factions

[KrikkitTwo]

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.

It would be interesting to have a somali led (all not just north) african& middle eastern faction.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

It would be interesting to have a somali led (all not just north) african& middle eastern faction.

I think there will be another subsaharan faction in addition to this Arab faction personally.

I'm also very sure there will be more than one leader option per faction, and if this Somali voice is in fact a person, he will be one of the Arabic factions leaders.

 

[Hakan-i Cihan]

I think there will be another subsaharan faction in addition to this Arab faction personally.

I'm also very sure there will be more than one leader option per faction, and if this Somali voice is in fact a person, he will be one of the Arabic factions leaders.

Actually I doubt it, if they make an pan-arab faction, there are plenty better choices than a somali leader. For example a syrian, saudi, yemenite , iraqi, egyptian, algerian, moroccan or a sudanese leader would fit much better. A leader from the smaller Arab countries are not even mentioned, which would be better compared to a leader from Somalia. The Somali are not arabic even though Somalia is part of the arabic league.

 

[altayrneto]

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.

Well, I have some theories for this: first, there's a great Islamic Nation (like a New Caliphate) that englobes Middle East, North Africa, Indonesia and Somalia (and others, too), or a union of those countries to fund and develop a space program. Second, Somalia is part of a Panafrican nation that conquered Egypt (from the arabs, maybe...) during the events of the Great Mistake.

Changing subject, I have a doubt: The factions' leaders will be the real leaders (like during the America's colonization were Isabel of Castille and Manuel I of Portugal) or will be the colonists themselves (Like Hernan Cortez and Mem de Sá)?

 

[SamBC]

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.

I would hope that they base the factions on things that aren't recent, offensive stereotypes.

 

[Hakan-i Cihan]

I would hope that they base the factions on things that aren't recent, offensive stereotypes.

I do agree with you, but there must be a reason for Somali language. I think that Fireaxis is making this choice because of a well known aspect of the Somali people. I thought that this could be the piracy occuring on the Somalian coast, but yes it would be to stereotyping for the whole country. Let's hope that it is another specific thing related to Somali people.
But then you consider the Ottoman UA also an offensive stereotype? (Well at least I do!)

 

[iRule]

Well, I have some theories for this: first, there's a great Islamic Nation (like a New Caliphate) that englobes Middle East, North Africa, Indonesia and Somalia (and others, too), or a union of those countries to fund and develop a space program. Second, Somalia is part of a Panafrican nation that conquered Egypt (from the arabs, maybe...) during the events of the Great Mistake.

Changing subject, I have a doubt: The factions' leaders will be the real leaders (like during the America's colonization were Isabel of Castille and Manuel I of Portugal) or will be the colonists themselves (Like Hernan Cortez and Mem de Sá)?

If it's anything like AC, it will be the colonists themselves. For all we know, a "permanent" contact with Earth is out of option - the colonists will be 2000 years stranded in space and one of the victory conditions is actually a "conquest" of the old Earth by the castaway colonists.

Even if contact with Earth isn't absolutely impossible, the sheer distance and the effects of the Great Mistake will hinder any meaningful contacts with Earth, I assume.

So... in historical terms... imagine the Capitanias of Brazil if the Atlantic evaporated out of sudden as soon as the first Portuguese colonists arrived to the Nordeste. Ultimately, the Portuguese in Brazil would still be Portuguese... but generations apart from the Metropolis would make the Capitanias something else. Each leader of a capitania would be a leader of a faction in BE.

I do agree with you, but there must be a reason for Somali language. I think that Fireaxis is making this choice because of a well known aspect of the Somali people. I thought that this could be the piracy occuring on the Somalian coast, but yes it would be to stereotyping for the whole country. Let's hope that it is another specific thing related to Somali people.
But then you consider the Ottoman UA also an offensive stereotype? (Well at least I do!)

I read somewhere the trailer is set in "2200". Who knows what may have happened to Somalia in the meantime... maybe they're not the poor, war-ridden people they are now.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

Actually I doubt it, if they make an pan-Arab faction, there are plenty better choices than a somali leader. For example a syrian, saudi, yemenite , iraqi, egyptian, algerian, moroccan or a sudanese leader would fit much better. A leader from the smaller Arab countries are not even mentioned, which would be better compared to a leader from Somalia. The Somali are not arabic even though Somalia is part of the arabic league.

I'm aware of all this, that's why I'm suggesting a Somali leader may be one of multiple leaders for this 'Arab' (for lack of a better word) faction. It isn't necessarily Arab of course, and likely isn't driven by pan-arabism Since we already have one 'pan' faction and I imagine they'd want some diversity.

Besides somalia has historically had closer ties to Arabia than to sub Saharan Africa, it would make sense enough for an Arab faction to include them.

 

[iRule]

I'm aware of all this, that's why I'm suggesting a Somali leader may be one of multiple leaders for this 'Arab' (for lack of a better word) faction. It isn't necessarily Arab of course, and likely isn't driven by pan-arabism Since we already have one 'pan' faction and I imagine they'd want some diversity.

Besides somalia has historically had closer ties to Arabia than to sub Saharan Africa, it would make sense enough for an Arab faction to include them.

Exactly, that's what I'm thinking. A pan-Arabic (even if the Somalis aren't ethnically Arabic) of some sort. If I had to guess I would point at a modern interpretation of the Caliphate, but probably disconnected from religion.

 

[Hakan-i Cihan]

I read somewhere the trailer is set in "2200". Who knows what may have happened to Somalia in the meantime... maybe they're not the poor, war-ridden people they are now.

So there is hope after all for Sealand too then, considering all the other "confirmed" factions are not so powerfull nations at the moment.
Seriously I can accept the idea of a Somalia being part of a factions identity, but your reasoning is really ... convincing.

I'm aware of all this, that's why I'm suggesting a Somali leader may be one of multiple leaders for this 'Arab' (for lack of a better word) faction. It isn't necessarily Arab of course, and likely isn't driven by pan-arabism Since we already have one 'pan' faction and I imagine they'd want some diversity.

Besides somalia has historically had closer ties to Arabia than to sub Saharan Africa, it would make sense enough for an Arab faction to include them.

Now that you define it better, I can understand your point better. But still this does not convince me that if a Somali leader would be used to represent an "Arab" (Afro-asiatic would be a better name I think) faction. Something specific or a good explanation has to be the reason. If I would give it a try, Fireaxis would like to have the factions to have a language which is evolved in time and does not sound familiar (arabic is a widely used language) and thus sound more like a future faction.

 

[iRule]

So there is hope after all for Sealand too then, considering all the other "confirmed" factions are not so powerfull nations at the moment.
Seriously I can accept the idea of a Somalia being part of a factions identity, but your reasoning is really ... convincing.

200 years ago the United States weren't even 50 years old. They were a backwater, revolutionary country, without a strong central government and on the brink of anarchy in some of its political divisions. Its population was meager, the West wasn't even a thing and some even thought the whole United States thing wouldn't last for long.

By the beginning of the 21st century they had the weaponry to raze civilization out of Earth, made English the unquestionable lingua franca for 6 billion people and even got to the moon.

As for the confirmed factions: some sort of United States is in (a "not so powerful nation" in 2014?), so is China/Japan (just the 2nd and the 3rd largest economies at the beginning of this century) and....

Brazil, the country you're probably talking about being "powerless". Well, it's just the 7th largest economy (5th most populous), major military power in S. America, de facto ruler of a cultural/political group [the "Portuguese Commonwealth" - CPLP] that combines around 400 millions souls [and growing] and that encompasses two of the largest oil-producing countries on Earth and it's the main spot of biodiversity in the world [this isn't irrelevant for whatever the Great Mistake was]. According to recent surveys, a great part of the remaining large-scale fossil fuel depots on Earth are in Brazil. All hints towards a greater economic weight by the end of the 21st century (and it's not bottlenecked by its population like Russia is)

These aren't powerless countries at all in 2014, let alone China and Brazil 200 years from now. Especially the former.

 

[Liex]

Changing subject, I have a doubt: The factions' leaders will be the real leaders (like during the America's colonization were Isabel of Castille and Manuel I of Portugal) or will be the colonists themselves (Like Hernan Cortez and Mem de Sá)?

Daoming Sochua is described as "a female explorer that represents the Pan Asian co-operative", so for now it seems like we'll be dealing with the 23rd century's versions of Cortez and Sá.

 

[Hakan-i Cihan]

These aren't powerless countries at all in 2014, let alone China and Brazil 200 years from now. Especially the former.

This. I didn't expect you would not understand that I was being sarcastic. You explained it in detail too.
My question would be could you place Somalia or a Somali "approach" in the list of these military powerfull, economically powerfull or densely populated factions?

I hope you don't think that the following could occur too for Somalia:

200 years ago the United States weren't even 50 years old. They were a backwater, revolutionary country, without a strong central government and on the brink of anarchy in some of its political divisions. Its population was meager, the West wasn't even a thing and some even thought the whole United States thing wouldn't last for long.

With some imagination and creativity a history over a span of 200 years can be set up for an emerging powerfull "Somali-based/dominated" afro-asiatic faction, justifying this faction. But I think the reason for this would be a specific reason. Like why Venice was introduced in BNW, it was a perfect OCC civilization which could have a lot of trade routes. I think that if this "Somali" faction is included, that it is for a similar reason, for a specific attribute of the Somali culture/nation. For me piracy came into my mind, but it could be anything specific to Somalia or Somali culture the designers want to be present in the game.

 

[TPangolin]

I think you are playing into the Somali thing waaaayyyy too much. It's probably just an Arabic->English appropriation with English characters like the words "Sushi", "Vindaloo", "Sputnik" and "Yum Cha". Having arabic on the console probably would have been more confusing and less accessible to western audiences (much like having chinese/japanese/hindi characters on the same console would be likewise).

 

[Hakan-i Cihan]

I think you are playing into the Somali thing waaaayyyy too much.

Yes, it is called speculating. I was speculating on the fact that others speculated that a Somali spoken phrases would indicate an "Arab" faction. About which I was not completely convinced.

It's probably just an Arabic->English appropriation with English characters like the words "Sushi", "Vindaloo", "Sputnik" and "Yum Cha". Having arabic on the console probably would have been more confusing and less accessible to western audiences (much like having chinese/japanese/hindi characters on the same console would be likewise).

It was about spoken phrases, did you see hunnic, aztec or polynesian characters in your Civ 5 games? If yes, you definitly have a Deluxe edition of the game then...

 

[TPangolin]

It was about spoken phrases, did you see hunnic, aztec or polynesian characters in your Civ 5 games? If yes, you definitly have a Deluxe edition of the game then...

Bit of an unecessary dig, but I'm just saying man - This is a lot more accessible marketing-wise:

Than this -

Additionally, lexilogically 20% of the Somali language is borrowed from the Arabic language with 1,436 direct Arabic loanwords. It's most likely just spelling out Arabic words phonetically using the English alphabet. Of course I'll eat my shoe if it's anything more than that, but it's highly unlikely than it's anything more than basically saying in a nutshell "Arabia can into space", especially with the voiceover also heard at that point combined with the clothing the Egyptians are wearing in the preceding shot.

That being said I would like a potential Somali leader to say to the player upon defeat: "Look at me, LOOK AT ME, I am the leader now".

 

[poom3619]

I think you are playing into the Somali thing waaaayyyy too much. It's probably just an Arabic->English appropriation with English characters like the words "Sushi", "Vindaloo", "Sputnik" and "Yum Cha". Having arabic on the console probably would have been more confusing and less accessible to western audiences (much like having chinese/japanese/hindi characters on the same console would be likewise).

It is unnecessary to say that Somali language is written in latin script. You really need to research whatever you are going to say.

EDIT : I pretty sure now that Firaxis hire an Somali to translates something like "Reviewing countdown have begun". It doesn't like anything that come from Google Translate.

EDIT2: I will think I didn't see what you're trying to do then. You don't have to act so hastily.

 

[TPangolin]

 

[Hakan-i Cihan]

Bit of an unecessary dig, but I'm just saying man - This is a lot more accessible marketing-wise:

Spoiler :

Than this -

Is there also latin written Japanese, Chinese and Hindi too?
I prefer the 2nd image, it would be more ethnically diverse. (Even though the characters are not connected in the proper way)

Additionally, lexilogically 20% of the Somali language is borrowed from the Arabic language with 1,436 direct Arabic loanwords.

Turkish does have 6,463 direct loanwords from arabic, but this doesn't say much about the common culture.

 

[poom3619]

I think we might see more faction than we previously thought. IMO, Nigeria and South Africa Republic also can be regional power that can establish space program. I think it is unlikely to see 3 bloc of power, but we might see 2.

I think it would sound better if Nigeria, RSA, Ethiopia and Congo being spearhead in anything about "pan-africa". Africa is also not quite united culturally.

BTW, I concern that as there are more leaders to choose from, I probably don't see the depth of character, don't have the feel that there are no typical "Good" or "Evil" leaders, don't have the feel that the leader is the same human being as us. I probably don't have "get to know as I play" feeling like when I playing SMAC with original leaders. I think I will give up the feel that I am playing with the character I really know.