Beyond Earth Factions

[Rakshasa72]

The presence of New York in the trailer, if it's indeed New York (can't recall), is rather puzzling. It throws a wrench into the global warming/sea level rising theory the Pyramids shot seems to hint at. If the ice caps melted to the point the Nile Delta is mostly underwater, NYC couldn't have stayed dry.

Perhaps the Egypt shot just hints at wacky, disrupted climate throwing off the Nile and producing rampant floods. But that seems less interesting.

Pretty sure it's New York. Isn't that the Empire State building in the back ground?

 

[mabalogna]

The presence of New York in the trailer, if it's indeed New York (can't recall), is rather puzzling. It throws a wrench into the global warming/sea level rising theory the Pyramids shot seems to hint at. If the ice caps melted to the point the Nile Delta is mostly underwater, NYC couldn't have stayed dry.

Perhaps the Egypt shot just hints at wacky, disrupted climate throwing off the Nile and producing rampant floods. But that seems less interesting.

http://flood.firetree.net/

this is a neat little map I found when I was wondering about projected flooding. The areas in the world projected to get it the worst are the lowest lying places - Amazon River, Nile River, Nederlands and Belgium, Shanghai and Hong Kong regions, South East Asia

Its interesting to note that in these projections, Manhattan isn't fully submerged until you get to about 30m and above - Queens and Brooklyn however aren't as lucky. Its possible that with dyke techniques New York could be preserved up until a certain point.

 

[MatThePhat]

We all know that when you have the opportunity to make factions for the future, you go crazy, and you always save the crazy ones for last.

The remaining four factions:

The Pacific Aquadicate: An underwater civilization centered around the continually expanding Hawaiian subcontinent.

The Eighteenth Reich: Clad with the Nordic Sun as their symbol, these warmongering and insular people proclaim the superiority of the master race. Bow down before your new Lunar overlords!

Subterranean Soricomorphians: Who better acclimated to the darkness of space, then the secret race of humans that have been living under our feet all this time! The mole men will rise, and they will not stop until the whole universe is theirs!

A Leprechaun Nayshawn: We always knew there was something strange about the Emerald Isles, little did we realize the horrors that would appear in the coming centuries...

 

[Migoooy]

We all know that when you have the opportunity to make factions for the future, you go crazy, and you always save the crazy ones for last.

The remaining four factions:

The Pacific Aquadicate: An underwater civilization centered around the continually expanding Hawaiian subcontinent.

The Eighteenth Reich: Clad with the Nordic Sun as their symbol, these warmongering and insular people proclaim the superiority of the master race. Bow down before your new Lunar overlords!

Subterranean Soricomorphians: Who better acclimated to the darkness of space, then the secret race of humans that have been living under our feet all this time! The mole men will rise, and they will not stop until the whole universe is theirs!

A Leprechaun Nayshawn: We always knew there was something strange about the Emerald Isles, little did we realize the horrors that would appear in the coming centuries...

Although they are fun I think I'd prefer them to be modded.

 

[Windscion]

look up the phrase "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." I expect this was the inspiration for the name.

Also, the "Great Mistake" was probably chosen as an allusion to the alarmist crap about the LHC blowing up the earth. Sure, we found the mass of the Higgs boson and didn't die, but now they want to build an even bigger collider

 

[Krajzen]

The Pacific Aquadicate: An underwater civilization centered around the continually expanding Hawaiian subcontinent.

I absolutely love this idea. Reserved for Beyond Earth mod. You will be mentioned

Also this is not set in the 21st century, it is set in the 23rd (200-250 years in future)

Oh. Well, so everything is possible but...

200-250 years ago (1764-1814)
The US and China were minor powers (US becoming a non colony, China on its way down to the Opium Wars)

US was very quickly developing since 19th century and to be honest if I was a man from 1790 I would bet on them as far future superpower. In fact, I don't remember exact person and quote but some French powerful man from this period said something like 'we helped the American people rise, and they will form an empire surpassing British naval power'

Also, in 18th century China still contributed towards ~20% of world GDP and was actually expanding. The only period of history when China was - economically - minor was 19th century and this was due to extremely specific conditions of colonial world so even then Europeans were wondering when China will awake and return to wrecking stuff as they treated this decline as periodical. So no, I wouldn't either say that 'China then was so weak, you completely wouldn't expect it to be so strong now!'

Germany did not exist

But
a) Holy Roman Empire existed
b) Prussia was European military superpower going to total domination in HRE

so it wasn't something like 'oh suddenly Germany appeared, nobody expected that'

Austria and the Ottomans were still major powers

Ottomans were in the deep decline, not sure about Austria. Also Turkey is bad example as currently Turkey although isn't superpower is pretty strong regional power with great potential

Spain was larger than Russia (controlling 1/2 Americas)

and in very deep stagnation and crisis, so de facto it's international position wasn't much better than modern Spain (especially as revolutionary tendencies in already semi - independent Spanish America were arising)
actually many people were expecting it to lose its empire in this time.

again - this is bad example for 'look, then nobody expected that!'

Japan was a hermit kingdom (like N. Korea today)

Nope. Japan for its entire history was densely populated, developed, highly cultured country. Meji Revolution and the entire imperial Japan stuff wasn't really that shocking if you look at the previous Japanese history (quick adoption of European firearms, aggressive invasion on Korea) and its entire culture and ethos. I mean, Japan went long way from isolated 'Tall Culture Civilisation' through 'Autocratic Warmonger' to 'Tall Cultural/Economical Superpower' but general rule is, these guys proved to be very capable of creating power and I wouldn't say their rise was complete surprise. Nippon is the bad example of 'look how unexpected minor countries risen to power'

Also, North Korea today is completely pathological, extremely corrupt and poor, pariah state which doesn't isolate itself because of strenght (like Edo period Japan) but because of its weakness. North Korea has 50x lesser GDP than South Korea, hell South Korean military budget is 3x bigger than North Korean entire GDP Comparing it to Edo period of Japan, when art has flourished and cities grew, is just plain wrong

France and England were mortal enemies

Diplomacy doesn't count because in diplomacy friends and foes change every morning, not to mention the entire centuries

Now, I don't want to say that history is NOT surprising. It is, especially on personal/detailed level when you can discover really hilarious stuff But when we are speaking about entire civilizations. economic systems and empires it becomes much more scientifically predictable. Many things can happer in the far future of BE but there are some limits.

Currently USA, Western Europe, China and Asian Tigers are so developed that it is hard to imagine they will fail the 21st century, well except from
- unpredictable random great cataclysm
- unpredictable nuclear war
- when speaking about Europe and later perspective: I expect it dying slowly for demographic reasons (but again this is predictable)

Also, just the population and great economical dynamism of Mexico/Brasil/India/Indonesia make them very possible candidates for 21st century powers.

What I am going to say... Universe is unpredictable, always something random can happen, but if we have to make the predictions for the future let's make them plausible. It is possible that Brasil will rise, or Vietnam will rise (yeah this would be suprising but this nation is currently facing extremely fast GDP growth and making reforms similar to Chinese) but vision of future dominated by Papua New Guinea would be just ridiculous

 

[Karl0413]

look up the phrase "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." I expect this was the inspiration for the name.

Also, the "Great Mistake" was probably chosen as an allusion to the alarmist crap about the LHC blowing up the earth. Sure, we found the mass of the Higgs boson and didn't die, but now they want to build an even bigger collider

I thought it was the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that was the inspiration for the name:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_cooperation_organization

 

[CaterpillarKing]

Could be something totally new. Could be something along the lines of The Sievski Federation. The backstory being long after The Great Mistake has ravaged Europe the only power is Franco-Iberia. Gustaf Sievski from a city in what was Poland becomes leader of the city. Slowly he gobbles up cities and kingdoms until he encompasses Germany, Eastern Europe, and Southern Scandinavia. Nothing saying the factions need to be named after currently existing nations and regions.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

[awesome]

is it too late to make a sealand joke?

 

[MatThePhat]

Lol, Sealand is totally going to be the capital of Aquadicate. I don't care if it makes absolutely no logistically sense, a lot can happen in two hundred years .

I absolutely love this idea. Reserved for Beyond Earth mod. You will be mentioned

Sweet! My first step to outrageous fame and glory

 

[Migoooy]

is it too late to make a sealand joke?

It's never too late for that.

But there was this report that I read a while back that said Brazil, India and South Africa would become economic powerhouses within the next 20 years could it be they may have read the same thing and used it?.

Maybe MechaGandhi is not so far fetched?

 

[CleverFool]

I think it would be kind of neat to see a Commonwealth faction, but led by India. That would definitely have a distinctive flavour, while still allowing the second most populous country on earth to be represented.

What I would really like to see is what sort of bonuses each faction has; if it's like UAs from Civ5 or more general.

 

[Migoooy]

If I've understood the various interviews correctly then yes they will get unique things. Buildings/units etc

 

[Rakshasa72]

One game that I think handled Factions w/ lots of customization well was Endless Space. You can customize you faction bonuses/penalties. The core faction you choose comes with some special rules and bonus techs. Then you can pick you ship looks separate.

 

[Migoooy]

One game that I think handled Factions w/ lots of customization well was Endless Space. You can customize you faction bonuses/penalties. The core faction you choose comes with some special rules and bonus techs. Then you can pick you ship looks separate.

ES is a great game, though ship design is limited on your race if I remember say the Hatori and the pilgrims have different looking ships. I should really play that again

The famous people are far too random I often have to reset just to get anybody usable. And if BE has anything like great people I hope they are more like Civ5 than ES

 

[CleverFool]

ES is a great game, though ship design is limited on your race if I remember say the Hatori and the pilgrims have different looking ships. I should really play that again

The famous people are far too random I often have to reset just to get anybody usable. And if BE has anything like great people I hope they are more like Civ5 than ES

Funny you should mention that; I have a hankering to play ES all of a sudden as well...

 

[Rakshasa72]

ES is a great game, though ship design is limited on your race if I remember say the Hatori and the pilgrims have different looking ships. I should really play that again

The famous people are far too random I often have to reset just to get anybody usable. And if BE has anything like great people I hope they are more like Civ5 than ES

Ship design is chosen separately from race so you could be playing the Cravers faction but use Harmony ships.

 

[Migoooy]

Ship design is chosen separately from race so you could be playing the Cravers faction but use Harmony ships.

Really ? Hmm I must have missed that option I think, that's the only thing that bugged me about the Automatons that they shared the same ships as the other robotic race who's name escapes me.

Never played much of the expansion though.

 

[Krajzen]

It's never too late for that.

But there was this report that I read a while back that said Brazil, India and South Africa would become economic powerhouses within the next 20 years could it be they may have read the same thing and used it?.

Maybe MechaGandhi is not so far fetched?

South Africa is actually on the fifth steps (from 7) on the way to the genocide according to Genocide Watch. Something like 70 000 white people were murdered since 1994. The situation in the country is becoming dramatically worse and worse in all possible scales - HDI, economy, crime, stability. I don't think it will become a powerhouse...

Some people say Nigeria is going to be superpower - well currently it has one of the worst world standards of life and arising religious extremity so good luck. Ethiopia is extremely extremely poor. Ghana and Kenya are in bad shape. Well, to be honest I am very pessimistic about Africa

I think it would be kind of neat to see a Commonwealth faction, but led by India. That would definitely have a distinctive flavour, while still allowing the second most populous country on earth to be represented.

The most awesome thing regarding India would be Akhand Bharat faction. Akhand Bharat = Greater India. Basically countries which share the same cultural/religious heritage: India + Bangladesh + Nepal + Bhutan + Burma + well the entire South East Asia was under great impact of Indian civilisation


You know what I am afraid of? So far they have told something about 'Franco - Iberia' and in the same time 'Panasian Cooperative'. I am afraid they will make distinctive western states and marginalize the other parts of the world :/

If Panasian Cooperative means China + Korea + Japan + Mongolia + Vietnam??? It's definitely OK for me. But making it including also India would be like creating 'Western' faction which consists of the entire Europe, all countries of former USSR, USA, Canada and Australia... I mean, ridiculously general and ignorant.

It is always very hilarious for me that most of the science - fiction (well, Western SF) treats the far future of humanity as space exploration made by Caucasian English speaking men. Mass Effect - humanity here is basically space USA + space Europe, sometimes featuring secondary non - Western characters...


My dream factions would be:
- Panasian Cooperative as Chinese/Oriental Civilization
- Hindutva Association as Indian/South East Asian Civilization
- Crescent Corporation as Islam Civilizaton
- European Federation as European Civilization
- Russian Alliance as Russian/Orthodox Civilization etc.
- Brazil Empire as Latin American Civilization
- United States of America as 'Murica
- African Space Company as Subsaharan Civilization

 

[TPangolin]

Mass Effect - humanity here is basically space USA + space Europe, sometimes featuring secondary non - Western characters...

There are plently of non-Euro/American human characters in ME, Miranda for instance has an Australian accent and there are multiple Asian characters throughout the series. In fact one of your first missions on the Citadel in ME1 is to help out an Indian man with the ashes of his wife.