Beyond Earth Factions

[TPangolin]

Is there also latin written Japanese, Chinese and Hindi too?

Yes, when things are marketed to a western audience (take a walk around a food court), things are more often than not spelt out phonetically using characters from the latin alphabet (often styled in native tongue).

More likely than not, it's most likely not a case of what individuals prefer, but a case of registers with a mainstream western audience.

Visually, the viewer can guess pretty damn easily that it's intended to be Arabic via multiple audio-visual cues. The first being the people in Arab-dress in a currently and historically Arab country, the second being the Arabic sounding sounding of the astronaut on the microphone and the third being the phonetically Arabic sounding text. It's perfectly reasonable to assume that they made it phonetically English to make it more accessible to their intended audience.

To put it bluntly, and it may sound odd to hear - but sometimes it can make people feel uncomfortable seeing things in a script they don't understand at all. Put a Non-Japanese man in a Japanese street with Japanese signs written in Japanese and his reaction would probably "Dang, I wish I knew Japanese, yo". But who knows, maybe they tested the original shot with Arabic script and it was thus changed because of focus testing. Even if it is intended to be Somalian, I would pay no attention to it really, because everything about that shot, during that shot and preceding that shot essentially says "Arabia can into space", much like the following shots say "America can into space", "France can into space" and "Brazil can into space".

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

Never said anything about common culture, I was talking about the reasoning why the translator picked it up as being Somali.

 

[poom3619]

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)



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

That is called Pinyin, Romanji and IAST, respectively.

But Somali is written in Latin script. I don't think it's too hard to accept that Latin =/= Western, some of Asian and African use it or it's variation.

In English. Where did you think words like Algebra, Alchemy, Altair. Abacus and Sofa came from?

@TPangorin, I take that shot as something else and then I got my new signature.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

I'm gunna put in a take on the whole tone of the video here, based in the knowledge that hints have been placed by firaxis towards factions in previous trailers.


We open to the pyramids, with skyscrapers in the background and flooded. ots to take from this shot about the tone and things, but i think it is important to note that egypt has been chosen here because of things later in the video.
The very next shot is this somalian point of interest. Translates from Somalian as "re count range launched" or "re launch series started", essentially we can into space.

Next shot is modern america specifically a more squalid new york. We know there is an american faction in game, this is confirmed.
The next shot is similar to the "somali" screen, with english writing saying "all systems normal"

Then we get a shot of modern france, ultra modern paris specifically with crazy monorail things. And bare skyscrapers.
Then we get to the shot of things being loaded into a space ship, all in french, complete with accents, "légumes" and such.

Then we get a shot of Rio de Janeiro full of smog and skyscrapers, ultra modern like the other places we've seen so far. Brazilia is another confirmed faction of course.
The next shot is a shot of a spacecraft leaving with the phrase "aviso sob pressão" on the side, complete with accent, translating from portuguese to mean "warning under pressure".
Then we get a shot of the cockpit, with the phrase "lançamento iniciado" popping up, full with accent, meaning "launching initiated"

Then we go back to the pyramids, with some people seeing off a rocket. I'm no expert of dress codes of the world, so i couldn't say specifically if that has any special meaning in this scene, but it is interesting that a rocket is launching from egypt.
Following scenes show rocket launches from the other 3 locations in the video, new york, paris and rio, 2 of which are confirmed factions.

Next we see rockets emerging from clouds. But then we see a VERY telling shot. Europe is barely lit up at night. Virtually no lights. Egypt is full of them, Arabia and Somalia are still in a sort of twilighty-day time murk so we can't see. But Egypt would be a VERY good bet for a faction in this game just on it's own from this.


I would say through all this there are good cases either way on the somali thing. Seeing as there is a direct focus on Egypt throughout it all, it could well be Romanized Arabic, seeing as arabic is spoken in Egypt today.

However, seeing as accents were included for accuracy in other European languages, i would be very confused if they decided to go for an inaccurate approach to language by romanizing Arabic. Besides, i don't see "more relatable to a western audience" as a legitimate reason for changing it. Arabic is well known enough, and more westerners can actually translate Arabic than romanized Arabic. Just to add to the confusion, there is no convention adopted for the romanization of Arabic, there is nothing like Pinyin is for Chinese.



TLDR

Seeing as this is a cinematic trailer, intended for context and backstory, I would personally think it rather immersion breaking to have romanized arabic. Instead i reckon it is in fact somali. But then we have to go searching for reasons why Somalian would be transmitted in the cockpit of the Egyptian factions spacecraft... I can't think of many better reasons than having an Somali expedition leader as an option.

 

[poom3619]

^ THIS! I can't say it as good as you. True_candyman

By the way, I think New York-y US city have a feel you can found in nowaday overcrowded metropolis like Mumbai or New Delhi, and then the crowd cheers as the spaceship launch. It gives me three "trait" about nature and ideology of ARC (American Reclamation Corp.)

1. The people didn't have much place to life and mostly poor by today's standard (or in 2200 rich people carrying food in the crowded street as a hobby?)

2. They are likely to be Capitalistic as the name imply. (I wouldn't call benevolent government a corp)

2. Seems like they have good reputation with their folk (I don't know if they are citizens or "employee" and I don't know if they were brainwashed, in either traditional or new way, or not.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

^ THIS! I can't say it as good as you. True_candyman

By the way, I think New York-y US city have a feel you can found in nowaday overcrowded metropolis like Mumbai or New Delhi, and then the crowd cheers as the spaceship launch. It gives me three "trait" about nature and ideology of ARC (American Reclamation Corp.)

1. The people didn't have much place to life and mostly poor by today's standard (or in 2200 rich people carrying food in the crowded street as a hobby?)

2. They are likely to be Capitalistic as the name imply. (I wouldn't call benevolent government a corp)

2. Seems like they have good reputation with their folk (I don't know if they are citizens or "employee" and I don't know if they were brainwashed, in either traditional or new way, or not.

Thanks poom

The developers called it a "Corprotocracy" rather than a corporation too, which i thought was pretty interesting. To me it says plutocracy more than autocracy seeing as they also compared it to "face-google". So there is rule by a rich elite.

Considering that, an incredible gap between rich and poor would make sense. A very capitalistic society would exist. Seeing as they are a 'reclamation corprotocracy' it sounds like they are getting their money and power based on fixing up the country/land after the mistake. That might make them popular with the masses, but i think it will certainly mean they are well prepared for terra-forming.

 

[Lord Shadow]

Yes, on the panel the devs called the ARC the American Reclamation Corporatocracy.

So that last bit means it's essentially the modern United States minus any claims that major corporations don't run the political scene.

At the very least it means private companies officially run the political entity that's the ARC, and maybe the governing body's even a board of directors.

 

[poom3619]

About the city light. I think Paris' highly developed city compared to little run-downed American and few skyscraper in Rio de Janeiro could mean that (pure speculation) :

1) European having extreme "centralized" city while North African prefers to spread out.

2) European in 2200 care way too much about light pollution or have very strict usage of energy due to radical environmentalist policies while North Africa don't buy the idea.

3) The US, Brazil and Europe take great damage from "The Great Mistake" while North Africa are spared with flooded and slight damaged Pyramid, or there are power shift toward the latter during two centuries of "now" and "then".

4) Comparing to what we see in US and Brazil. Egypt have much taller super-skyscrapers with many skyscrapers on the bottom, Could this imply that they are "ivory tower" technologist in the game?

PS,

(Picture)

First, I have to say, once again, that Somali language adopt Latin alphabet that pronounced it their own way since 1972 by Shire Jama Ahmed. They still using Arabic script and few other, but Latin script is most widely used.

Second, Apparently you never used Goggle translation's English-to-Arabic transliteration. If you do, I find it highly unconvincing to believe that trailer maker seriously want the "Deep Air Tran whatever Blaba" in the spaceship screen. I wish I don't have to tell you to read my first point again.

Extra : I can write Japanese phrase in Latin alphabet. Seems like Google think it is Swahili. I don't sure your "accessibility" claims is reasonable as it's way more "accessible" for western audience if I written 私は日本語を分かるです。 compared to watashihanihongowowakarudesu.　(I understand Japanese)

Conclusion : Maybe you should check with Wikipedia and/or reliable sources (I consider Omniglot an reliable source) before you cling so hard to your assumption. I really surprised you didn't read that Somali used Latin while you finding for amount of loanwords.

 

[CaterpillarKing]

What about a bringing back of the commonwealth of Britain? Australia, UK, Canada, etc.? Also, maybe something very non-specific. Like "The United People's Democratic Sovereign Republic"

 

[TPangolin]

Conclusion : Maybe you should check with Wikipedia and/or reliable sources (I consider Omniglot an reliable source) before you cling so hard to your assumption. I really surprised you didn't read that Somali used Latin while you finding for amount of loanwords.

Err... that was my entire argument. You might want to re-read my statement. Anyway, I think it's just something that you guys are looking into way too hard and I think the powers of speculation have just gotten to the better of you.

Other than the fact that they used the Somali language in the trailer (which, as I've been trying to say could be because of any number of issues), there is no evidence left to cling on that there will be a Somali leader. Like Candyman said, there are good arguments either way - perhaps you just have to look at the notion that your argument has as much as basis as mine does (which frankly my dear, is near damn nothing).

We wont know until we ask, but I'd advise against becoming too hopeful or convincing yourself that we'll have a Somalian leader. In my opinion, it's just a Pan-Arab state in which either the Somalian or a Romanized-Arabic script is used for compatibility in terms of software or because of the rather paranoid notion that some audiences (Americans) may find the Arabic script 2spooky for obvious reasons.

 

[CaterpillarKing]

Err... that was my entire argument. You might want to re-read my statement. Anyway, I think it's just something that you guys are looking into way too hard and I think the powers of speculation have just gotten to the better of you.

Other than the fact that they used the Somali language in the trailer (which, as I've been trying to say could be because of any number of issues), there is no evidence left to cling on that there will be a Somali leader. Like Candyman said, there are good arguments either way - perhaps you just have to look at the notion that your argument has as much as basis as mine does (which frankly my dear, is near damn nothing).

We wont know until we ask, but I'd advise against becoming too hopeful or convincing yourself that we'll have a Somalian leader. In my opinion, it's just a Pan-Arab state in which either the Somalian or a Romanized-Arabic script is used for compatibility in terms of software or because of the rather paranoid notion that some audiences (Americans) may find the Arabic script 2spooky for obvious reasons.

#2spooky
An Arab faction is probably a good guess. Like the Outer-World Arab Caliphate.


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[poom3619]

What about a bringing back of the commonwealth of Britain? Australia, UK, Canada, etc.? Also, maybe something very non-specific. Like "The United People's Democratic Sovereign Republic"

I think it's not viable unless the commonwealth having very powerful fleet compared to others. ARC might want to "buy" Canada and Pan Asia might conquer the Oceania. It would take great effort to hold such a geographically diverse "empire" against internal and external threats.

 

[poom3619]

Err... that was my entire argument. You might want to re-read my statement. Anyway, I think it's just something that you guys are looking into way too hard and I think the powers of speculation have just gotten to the better of you.

Other than the fact that they used the Somali language in the trailer (which, as I've been trying to say could be because of any number of issues), there is no evidence left to cling on that there will be a Somali leader. Like Candyman said, there are good arguments either way - perhaps you just have to look at the notion that your argument has as much as basis as mine does (which frankly my dear, is near damn nothing).

We wont know until we ask, but I'd advise against becoming too hopeful or convincing yourself that we'll have a Somalian leader. In my opinion, it's just a Pan-Arab state in which either the Somalian or a Romanized-Arabic script is used for compatibility in terms of software or because of the rather paranoid notion that some audiences (Americans) may find the Arabic script 2spooky for obvious reasons.

Okay, Let agree to disagree. I want to keep my hopeful speculation. I still disagree about using Somalian to represent Arab state is a good idea and they use it due to US' propaganda.

 

[CaterpillarKing]

I think it's not viable unless the commonwealth having very powerful fleet compared to others. ARC might want to "buy" Canada and Pan Asia might conquer the Oceania. It would take great effort to hold such a geographically diverse "empire" against internal and external threats.

1. The British Empire survived a long time with even more colonies.
2. This isn't happening in the near future so the UK could be one of the first to regain it's power and thus expand.
3. Australia and Canada both have extremely close ties to England still.

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[iRule]

About the city light. I think Paris' highly developed city compared to little run-downed American and few skyscraper in Rio de Janeiro could mean that (pure speculation) :

1) European having extreme "centralized" city while North African prefers to spread out.

2) European in 2200 care way too much about light pollution or have very strict usage of energy due to radical environmentalist policies while North Africa don't buy the idea.

3) The US, Brazil and Europe take great damage from "The Great Mistake" while North Africa are spared with flooded and slight damaged Pyramid, or there are power shift toward the latter during two centuries of "now" and "then".

4) Comparing to what we see in US and Brazil. Egypt have much taller super-skyscrapers with many skyscrapers on the bottom, Could this imply that they are "ivory tower" technologist in the game?

On the 1) and 2), that's interesting speculation. Especially 2); on New York: it's pretty much the only city whose streets are shown. I wouldn't know. But the gritty atmosphere is pretty obvious on the New York shot and not exactly in Paris, Rio or Cairo.

3) Honestly, pollution aside (I guess that's pollution), Rio seems to be "okay-ish". And I said "I guess that's pollution" because I've climbed the Corcovado 4 times in my life (that's the hill where Cristo Redentor is) and in two of those times I was floating above the clouds. Rio gets really cloudy and foggy sometimes, so much that you can't spot the Cristo from the streets in Zona Sul every once in a while. I lived in Rio for 6 months (just got back to Portugal in February) and the "vanishing Cristo Redentor" was a city staple. It comes and goes. The fogginess and cloudiness of Rio and Cristo Redentor on top of the Corcovado peak leads me to...

4) Those skyscrapers in Rio are FREAKING HUGE, like, kilometers-worth huge. Corcovado is around 700 metres and those towers are taller than Corcovado, judging from the perspective. Here's a picture from Corcovado, facing Morro do Pão de Açúcar and Botafogo (pretty much what is depicted on the trailer

Notice how small everything is. And those buildings over there aren't that short.

In any case, I don't think they got into such details when designing the trailer.

 

[Fabio1701]

I think one of the factions should be the Antarctic Union.

In the far future after global warming melted all the icecaps a resource rich and fertile continent starts to come into its own: the last resource rich land on earth after all else is depleted. First many refugees from disappeared Polynesia and coastal areas try to pioneer a new life but the influx becomes too great for the old 1959 Antarctic treaty to handle and people start to self militarise. Nations scramble to "protect their own people" which is really a front for land grabbing. A new scramble for Africa scenario kicks off, with proxy armies funded by oil corporations playing the nations against each other. Nations close to the new continent (Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and South Africa) ally to protect what they feel is a direct threat on their borders as a reaction old super powers which are over populated trying to take over with mass immigration. The alliance and the American Reclamation Corporation start a hot war which drags in China and India as they try to take advantage of the instability. The nuclear war that sparks in south east asia as a result spreads to the other continents, making nations go on the defensive militarily. This allows a visionary militia leader to unite the people of Antarctica in a move for independence from all outside influences. They call themselves the Union and after taking over the infrastructure left by the corporations and kicking them out, they are able to mobilize they millions of refugees into an effective army backed with far more resources than the colonizing nations have to their disposal. By the time the rest of the world has stopped nuking each other, Antarctica has achieved full independence, and turbo launched their recovery in 20 years to compete with some of the strongest nations on earth, much like postwar Korea and 19th century Japan had done. Eventually Antacrtica becomes one of the richest nations because of their food exports as they have not had hundreds of years of soil degradation and overfarming, but their mineral resources they keep for themselves. Due to the 6 months of day and 6 months of night seasonal change they have become experts ad solar energy generation and SME storage.

The Antacrtica Union would have a unique blend of world culture from all the climate refugees, latin/african/australasian domination and distrust of the corporations that tried to steal their resources. They would also have adapted unique living conditions to deal with the higher UV environment and daylight conditions of Antarctica, and be very well versed in turning previously barren but rich land into productive farms and mines.

I think this would be a chance to make a really unique faction!

 

[Lliraeden]

Yes, on the panel the devs called the ARC the American Reclamation Corporatocracy.

So that last bit means it's essentially the modern United States minus any claims that major corporations don't run the political scene.

At the very least it means private companies officially run the political entity that's the ARC, and maybe the governing body's even a board of directors.

It could also be a corporation run by a board of American traditionalists looking to reclaim the traditional USA way of life following the 'great mistake.' Mainly I take this from the name itself - the American Reclamation Corporatocracy.

 

[Fabio1701]

It could also be a corporation run by a board of American traditionalists looking to reclaim the traditional USA way of life following the 'great mistake.' Mainly I take this from the name itself - the American Reclamation Corporatocracy.

Or it could be an Orwellian use of the word: To reclaim lands that the USA previously thought was theirs, i.e. conquer the entire world. I wouldnt think a corporatocracy cares about a way of life so much as they care about money and power. And corporations are great and Orwellian speak.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Or it could be an Orwellian use of the word: To reclaim lands that the USA previously thought was theirs, i.e. conquer the entire world. I wouldnt think a corporatocracy cares about a way of life so much as they care about money and power. And corporations are great and Orwellian speak.

a corporatocracy wouldn't care about power/use doublespeak any more than any other government (Democratic People's Republics anyone)

*they might care more about money... the same way monarchies might care more about bloodlines, and republics might care more about laws

who knows maybe "corporatocracy" is just the double speak used to keep the bourgious free marketers distracted from a mass prole democracy

 

[Fabio1701]

a corporatocracy wouldn't care about power/use doublespeak any more than any other government (Democratic People's Republics anyone)

*they might care more about money... the same way monarchies might care more about bloodlines, and republics might care more about laws

who knows maybe "corporatocracy" is just the double speak used to keep the bourgious free marketers distracted from a mass prole democracy

True dat. Not saying they like it more, just saying they like it least as much. I work for an American corporation, but live in the Netherlands; there is way more orwelian bovine manure at work then there is in the public discourse here. I never met a People's democratic republic I liked though!

I wonder if the factions will have hardwired political bent like the ARC being orwelian or not, or if this can be influenced in the seeding? Presumably during the seeding you can choose what people you bring as colonists. A fascist nation would likely choose a most pure bloodline while a meritocracy would choose the best and brightest and a very egalitarian society would have a lottery. If you can choose to take more farmers over scientists for example, doesn't that go against a faction having a political bias?

 

[KrikkitTwo]

True dat. Not saying they like it more, just saying they like it least as much. I work for an American corporation, but live in the Netherlands; there is way more orwelian bovine manure at work then there is in the public discourse here. I never met a People's democratic republic I liked though!

I wonder if the factions will have hardwired political bent like the ARC being orwelian or not, or if this can be influenced in the seeding? Presumably during the seeding you can choose what people you bring as colonists. A fascist nation would likely choose a most pure bloodline while a meritocracy would choose the best and brightest and a very egalitarian society would have a lottery. If you can choose to take more farmers over scientists for example, doesn't that go against a faction having a political bias?

Well if you worked in the public discourse (ie government) there would probably be just as much doublespeak as in the company.

Also, I think that sets into the colony idea, the Sponsor is not in complete control... similar to early colonies in the new world

The Sponsor has their influence (bonuses it gives you that have certain tendencies), but you modify that based on who (and what) you actually take with you.

They have stated Brazilia is a militaristic faction... so I assume you get some type of military bonus... but you could take extra construction instead of extra troops. (to shift to more of a builder than a mass military)

After you land you won't be in contact with the launching sponsor, so they can't control your society. (except with that presumably continuous bonus they give you)