E3 lot of info about four leaders/factions :)

[3of5]

As an Latino American, I am VERY happy that the leader of the ARC is multi-racial, the ultimate realization of what WILL happen to the USA in the near future. Go Progressive Firaxis!!!

we are talking about 6-8 generations from now, that would not be enough to completely blend enthnicity, but on the individual level a lot can happen. I really like how firaxis tries to involve more ethnicities and gender parity. What a contrast to Hollywood, where white people play asians in movies. As a white male caucasian ;-) i'm very happy that Firaxis takes ethnicity in SciFi seriously.

 

[Fabio1701]

My mind went to that immediately, as well. If that's what they were going for, they're also using the classic sci-fi trope of listing "[actual historical figure], [actual historical figure], [fictional historical figure]", which is often used in Star Trek. Kind of meta.

A lot of clever details in the descriptions. I kind of wish they'd release a surprise pre-BE scenario for Civ 5 or something like that. (I'd probably never play it, but I'd want to look at the map.)

I see Musk doing s lot of things for space: vertical landing rockets, rockets that can go to the ISS and beyond. I don't see Branson doing much: his little space plane barely gets out of the atmosphere and they have had more time to play. Also, if Cochrane made Warp, I am assuming that Warp 1 is the limit.

I would like to see a civ5 scenario too. Maybe once cbe is out someone will mod it.

 

[CossackProblem]

Leaders and factions seem very generic; not really taking full-advantage of the sci-fi setting, IMO.

 

[iRule]

Leaders and factions seem very generic; not really taking full-advantage of the sci-fi setting, IMO.

I actually think ARC sounds amazing. It went from my least (by the sound of it) favourite faction to the one that, so far, interests me the most.

I'm really pumped up for Brazil though. I'm betting on a blonde, blue-eyed, Southern Brazilian (just to show they're actually drifting away from stereotypes like they did with ARC - I hope) that adopted Bolivar as a nickname for political purposes. And that Brazil's aggression/expansion was born out of the Great Mistake and Brazil's vast natural resources. Something like that.

And someone before me mentioned that every faction seems to be an utopia... or a dystopia. It'll probably be the same for Brazil:

Either it is a lawful, overly socialist, communal state, where everyone has the resources they need - or it is a ruthless, all-seeing, totalitarian state.

I'm starting to think the ia in Brazilia means something...

A guy who branded himself Bolivar bent on bringing an utopia to Brazil, naming the country BrazilIA? And that utopia is on the border of perfection and a nightmare? Something along those lines.

 

[Lord Shadow]

I'm really pumped up for Brazil though. I'm betting on a blonde, blue-eyed, Southern Brazilian (just to show they're actually drifting away from stereotypes like they did with ARC - I hope) that adopted Bolivar as a nickname for political purposes. And that Brazil's aggression/expansion was born out of the Great Mistake and Brazil's vast natural resources. Something like that.

And someone before me mentioned that every faction seems to be an utopia... or a dystopia. It'll probably be the same for Brazil:

Either it is a lawful, overly socialist, communal state, where everyone has the resources they need - or it is a ruthless, all-seeing, totalitarian state.

I'm starting to think the ia in Brazilia means something...

A guy who branded himself Bolivar bent on bringing an utopia to Brazil, naming the country BrazilIA? And that utopia is on the border of perfection and a nightmare? Something along those lines.

The ARC's Suzanne M. Fielding isn't particularly revolutionary. Black American leaders aren't all that uncommon in fiction (hell, even real life has broken the white president stereotype), and making said leader also a woman isn't particularly ground-breaking. Also, the developers themselves are American, so they're more aware of their alternatives when portraying their own nation.

But there's nothing tremendously unique about the other revealed leaders. Kavitha and Daoming are women, big whoop. Samatar is a black man in Africa, fantastic.

Hey, I'd be delighted to be proved wrong by a Gisele Bündchen Bolivar, but I can't shake off the feeling we'll simply get some Mexican-looking chap, or a Corazón Santiago lookalike at most. Because that's the US perception of South America, and making the Brazilian leader more unique would render it unrecognizable to the American masses, as much as making the leader of the Slavic Federation black.

 

[Josephias]

Hey, I'd be delighted to be proved wrong by a Gisele Bündchen Bolivar, .

Well, I still expect a surprise with a White-Brazilian "Victora-Secretish" leader called Elodie (Bündchen) and a more "iberian" Bolivar leading FrancoIberia (the tie of these leaders and factions has not been confirmed yet, has it?), tough I doubt we will get it .

 

[Liex]

I'm really pumped up for Brazil though. I'm betting on a blonde, blue-eyed, Southern Brazilian (just to show they're actually drifting away from stereotypes like they did with ARC - I hope) that adopted Bolivar as a nickname for political purposes.

About Brazilia’s leader, I believe it’s easier to set up a backstory with Bolívar being his real name than his political nickname.

If this is his real name, they could just say that his family is from Venezuela (or another country where Bolívar is a common surname) and migrated to Brazil; or that Brazil invaded their homeland.

But if Bolívar is a nickname adopted for political reasons, then they’d need to explain those reasons. First, why would Brazilia need a Bolívar? I guess it wouldn’t be hard to explain this, they could say there are foreign powers like the ARC or Franco-Iberia trying to mess with South American politics and natural resources in the wake of the Great Mistake. But the name Bolívar would also need to mean something for Brazilia’s population, and I really don’t see how that could work.

Well, I still expect a surprise with a White-Brazilian "Victora-Secretish" leader called Elodie (Bündchen) and a more "iberian" Bolivar leading FrancoIberia (the tie of these leaders and factions has not been confirmed yet, has it?), tough I doubt we will get it .

That would be the twist of the century, thank you

 

[GenyaArikado]

Well the point is any of those factions (on Earth) can be viewed anywhere along the spectrum of utopia to dystopia (and chances are they are all somewhere in between)

ARC; evil corporate monopoly or libertarian paradise

Kavithan Protectorate; society where people realize their deepest needs in community or theocratic brainwashing

PAC; stable path to prosperity or crushing technocratic bureaucracy

I'm sure SF, FI, Poly and Brazil will be similar...

And that will continue when they get onto the planet.

mmm you are right.

Hey, I'd be delighted to be proved wrong by a Gisele Bündchen Bolivar, but I can't shake off the feeling we'll simply get some Mexican-looking chap, or a Corazón Santiago lookalike at most. Because that's the US perception of South America, and making the Brazilian leader more unique would render it unrecognizable to the American masses, as much as making the leader of the Slavic Federation blac

pleasepleasepleaseplease

 

[Mustakrakish]

Shame, I was expecting some actual information about the leaders and their abilities, not just lore.

JUST lore? That's what I was hoping for. Numbers can come later. Besides those numbers are tied to factions, what exactly are you expecting to know about the leaders?

Well, I still expect a surprise with a White-Brazilian "Victora-Secretish" leader called Elodie (Bündchen) and a more "iberian" Bolivar leading FrancoIberia (the tie of these leaders and factions has not been confirmed yet, has it?), tough I doubt we will get it .

That's what I thought, soon they'd announce the rest and BAM! Elodie of Brazilia...

 

[3of5]

Bolivar was a fighter for indipendence for his people, thats why he is so revered. Going with that theme the only non indipendent people in south america today are the indogenous people. With idle no more in north america, and several comparable emancipation movements in south america that is an identifiable trend. It could also be a driver for militaristic expansion, if only one country actually succeeds in "native empowerment" and the surrounding countries shun it in fear of it reaching them. Granted Bolivia of today is a more realistic example of how that plays out (very peacefully) and 200 years as a timeframe ist also not very realistic.

Then again all the leaders and factions could just as realistically be from 50 years up into the future, because extrapolating trends beyond that is just impossible in sociology. I think 2100 as seeding launch date would have suited the game and the shown technologies far better. By 2200 earth could be everything from nuclear wasteland to a technoutopia (or maybe both). 300 years ago, China was economically biggest player on the world, and 100 years ago it was deep in a confuzian stasis and a cultural backeater to the world. Only an example of what can change in only 200 years. Revolutionary change often happen in the wake of decennials, so i.e. Europa could have gone through several big shifts, making ist completely unrecognizable from today. Then again North America in BE is a very linear extrapolation of todays USA, with all powerful corporations and a fledgling government (but most sci fi projects it that way).

 

[Krajzen]

I have just realized my favourite option would be completely indigenous (Amerindian) Bolivar who picked this 'nickname' to help multicultural society identify with 'the new savior'.

 

[Algeroth]

TBH, the history of both leaders and factions seems rather dull, kinda disappointed this time.

 

[GeoModder]

They haven't the benefit of history mystifying them.

 

[3of5]

I have just realized my favourite option would be completely indigenous (Amerindian) Bolivar who picked this 'nickname' to help multicultural society identify with 'the new savior'.

...and it does not have to be an ethnical revolution he has been heading, but could be a post-mistake response, encompassing a communal approach to society along a romanticized view of the noble savage. If we are correct that the Amazon will collapse at 3°C temperature rise that will have a severe impact on brasilian society as a whole that could trigger the ascent of a very determined eco-faction that could prostelytize by sword. Picture a fanatical version of the transition movement. The western path of history has failed us, so they try to find a new one that is ideologically loosely linked to the mesoamerican civilizations of old that had to live with the land, using things like terra preta and hydroculture (swimming gardens) to survive of the nutrient poor jungle soils.

Very far out there and pure speculation. But it would be cool, and more colorful than just Brazil got powerful and expanded.

 

[Dragonflow]

I got a crackpot theory on Elodie and the Franco-Iberians.
Even if it encompasses most of Western Europe the entire area would still be lacking the human resources of Pan-Asia, India, America and Latin America. So the solution to stay economically competitive was to rely on robots and human augmentation. We know that robotic supremacy is one of the victory conditions. So maybe the Franco-Iberians were already experimenting in this area.
What if Elodie isn't actually a human but an elaborate computer system or a cyborg?

 

[poom3619]

Talking about stereotype. Look like Pan-Asian Cooperative is led by "Asian" and a bit of Yang-esque woman, and I think PAC backstory is remind me of post-Mao China + "past rival joined us"

I'm glad that Bangkok got mentioned.

 

[3of5]

What if Elodie isn't actually a human but an elaborate computer system or a cyborg?

that would lock that fraction into a specific affinity story-wise. I don't think the developers would want to do that.

 

[ptoss1]

Talking about stereotype. Look like Pan-Asian Cooperative is led by "Asian" and a bit of Yang-esque woman, and I think PAC backstory is remind me of post-Mao China + "past rival joined us"

I'm glad that Bangkok got mentioned.

I was hoping for a male Asian leader this time, but at least Sochua isn't Mao. Anyways if the ocean levels did rise by 60 meters, it's not like Japan would have a choice. Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam would probably all become little islands. The PRC would have collapsed due to natural disasters. With no other viable option, refugees from Japan and the coastal countries would have had to immigrate to mainland China or inland southeast Asia. I think under those circumstances a Pan-Asian Union could have very likely arose.

 

[Inhalaattori]

As an Latino American, I am VERY happy that the leader of the ARC is multi-racial, the ultimate realization of what WILL happen to the USA in the near future. Go Progressive Firaxis!!!

I dont know if that is progressive. I think its just realism. After all with current population trends people of European descent will be pretty much extinct in 200 years. So maybe they should have no "European looking" leaders at all.

 

[ptoss1]

I dont know if that is progressive. I think its just realism. After all with current population trends people of European descent will be pretty much extinct in 200 years. So maybe they should have no "European looking" leaders at all.

Doubt it. Numerically speaking, blonde blue eyed people have actually increased since the last hundred years. They're only diminishing in terms of percentages due to the exponential growth of other countries like China and India. It's not like the Greeks and Romans were all that "Aryan" looking to begin with. There are more blonde people alive today than there have ever been in human history. It's just that there are way more brown and black haired people.