Should each of the 8 factions represent diverse cultural/linguistic nations?

[El Caballerion]

So, we know that three of the factions will be themed after America, Brazil and Pan-Asia. We also know that the Middle East & France/Western Europe are depicted in the game trailer.

That means that there are 3 more surprise nations in the game. Which cultures should they depict? My preference, in order of most wanted, is thus:

• Latin America - Brazil, Portugese speaking, is NOT the same as the dominant Spanish speaking Latin America. More countries speak Spanish then any country in the world (besides maybe English), but Spain, for example, is always relegated as the first or second expansion pack in CIV games. I hate that!
• Sub-Saharan Africa Adds cultural diversity.
• Russia Adds a retro Cold War flair.

What do you think?

 

[Haig]

In game trailer there's speech in Somali language, so some sort of African coalition makes it probably too.

I'd like to have Britain or Commonwealth in some form,

Spoiler :

the whole game is basically colonialism and imperialism in space..

 

[AriochIV]

Most countries in Asia don't speak Chinese or have a similar culture, but that wouldn't stop the Pan-Asian Cooperative from having a Chinese leader. It seems that the sponsors are socio-economic powers, rather than cultural collectives. We're not yet 100% sure of the name of the Brazilian faction (it might be representing Brazil alone, or it might be some kind of South American collective headed by a Brazilian leader). What we should probably be thinking about is future power blocs, rather than individual nations.

The trailer does offer some hints. We see ships launching from Egypt, France, Brazil, and America, and there is a ship status screen that appears to be in Somali (dibu-tirin taxan ayaa bilaabmay - "countdown sequence started"). So I think we can expect African and European coalition factions. That leaves three unaccounted for. I think some sort of Russian faction seems likely, and the last two could be anything.

 

[iRule]

So, we know that three of the factions will be themed after America, Brazil and Pan-Asia. We also know that the Middle East & France/Western Europe are depicted in the game trailer.

That means that there are 3 more surprise nations in the game. Which cultures should they depict? My preference, in order of most wanted, is thus:

• Latin America - Brazil, Portugese speaking, is NOT the same as the dominant Spanish speaking Latin America. More countries speak Spanish then any country in the world (besides maybe English), but Spain, for example, is always relegated as the first or second expansion pack in CIV games. I hate that!
• Sub-Saharan Africa Adds cultural diversity.
• Russia Adds a retro Cold War flair.

What do you think?

I know what you mean with that and I kind of understand and agree, but, bias aside, Portuguese is actually the majority language (by a small margin) in South America (that is, from the the northern tip of Colombia to Patagonia. Only Central America (Mexico, to be precise) makes Spanish a more spoken language than Portuguese.

 

[NukeAJS]

I would like to see a lone corporate power as one of the factions.

This wouldn't just reflect how powerful some corporations have become, but also that corporations are now a major part of space exploration, not just nation-states.

SpaceX comes to mind (obviously, they couldn't use that name)

 

[SammyKhalifa]

Perhaps an offshoot of a moon colony--better start knowing how to adapt to the new planet but fewer starting resources . . .

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I'd like to see
1. factions that are NGOs (we already have a corporation in ARC, other NGOs that don't have territory but have money)
2. factions that don't correspond to even a minor power today (ie Antarctic Union)

In general, they don't need to have any connection to current powers.

What they need to do with the factions is
1. get a bonus that is good for gameplay
2. create a fun, interesting, Slightly believable history/reason for this faction
3. allow people from all their major markets to have something they identify with in some way (cultural/geographically OR ideologically)

It would be great for the Somali to be leading Egypt (and other parts of the middle East/East+North Africa) as the "Afroasiatic Free States".. radical anarcholibertarians

I would like the Pan Asian Cooperative to live up to its name and actually control a majority of Asia (East Asia, Southern Asia, Northern Asia... for explanation they talked about the great mistake involving a small nuclear war, what if China mopped up the remnanats of India and Pakistan and used its power to force SE Asia, Central Asia, and Russia into a vassalage state... between 2130-2190)

Maybe the Paris launch was from the OCCs (Orthodox Catholic Church's...Schism repaired in 2204) headquarters in Paris (they are weak in Europe, but Paris is a well-developed, relatively safe city to locate their headquarters in) They have no government backing but a lot of money and support flowing in from around the globe to support church activity, including sponsoring a space mission.

 

[Evie94]

The fact that more people speak Spanish than Portuguese in Latin America does not mean that it is not dominated by Brazil.Brazil is the regional leader of Latin America, and acknowledged by all and sundry at that. The only countries which could present a challenge would be Mexico, which is outside Brazil's primary sphere of influence i.e. Mercosur/Unasur, and Argentina, which is content to allow Brazil to get more and more powerful knowing that the Brazilian preference for institutionalism over realism means that it embraces absolute gains instead of relative gains and thus a stronger Brazil leads to a stronger Latin America.

Two Latin American factions are a nonsense, simple as. Perhaps in a DLC but certainly not if we only have 8 factions to choose from.

American Reclaimation Corporation (USA, Canada)
Brazilia (Latin America, possibly excluding Mexico)
Pan Asian Cooperative (Far East, China as leader)
North Africa (led by Egypt, probably including the Middle East so more of an Islamic Union)
Sub Saharan Africa (led by a Somali speaking nation)
EU (Paris-Berlin axis, clearly Francophone as per the trailer)
Russia (Northern Half of Eurasia, excluding Scandinavia. This includes Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan etc.)
As for the last one, I think India, but possibly leading a coalition of India, Indonesia and Australia. The Oceanic Alliance perhaps?

I think those eight make the most sense and cover the majority of the globe. However, its hard to know after the Great Mistake where the world stands. I would presume, however, that it will be based on the current geopolitical standpoint.

 

[nokmirt]

Can you play as an alien faction?
If you can I am thinking of buying it.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Can you play as an alien faction?
If you can I am thinking of buying it.

Not really unless they have some weird reveal.

There are no intelligent aliens on the planet.... However,

1. One of the Victory conditions is to Contact intelligent aliens

2. One of the tech paths you can take is to genetically modify your population, and change your society to actually 'become native' to the planet

So you can choose to Become an alien faction.

 

[Lancor]

There should be a religious driven faction. Perhaps some new, big world church, established after the great mistake.
Some contintental super powers you can identify with: North and South Americain, European, East European/Russian, Asian, African.
Some mega corps or mega science factions, like in AC would also be nice.

 

[AriochIV]

I'm pretty sure it has been specifically said that you can't play as they aliens.

 

[MarauderCH]

I want to see factions based closely on civilizations in Civ 5. I want to be Space Shaka!

 

[AriochIV]

I want to see factions based closely on civilizations in Civ 5. I want to be Space Shaka!

I don't think Shaka could build a starship.

 

[Mustakrakish]

I want:

1. Scandinavian coalition of sorts.
2. Russia in some form.
3. Can't help but think of Japan as stand alone.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

What i haven't seen considered in this thread is the fact that this game starts 250 years from now.

By the year 2100, Africa is predicted to have almost half the worlds 10 billion population and still be rapidly growing. At the same time, China and India are predicted to have declining populations. There will almost be as many Nigerians as Chinese in 2100.

The next century may belong to Asia, but beyond that it swings towards Africa. I would be genuinely surprised if Egypt/North Africa/The Greater Galactic Sovereign Empire of Somalia is all we're getting from Africa because of this.

 

[El Caballerion]

I also wonder if the different faction leaders will speak in their native languages (a la CIV V), or if they will all speak English? Given the dominance of English as a global language (with Mandarin in a close second) in the 21st century, I think it makes sense for us to have a diverse cast of English speaking characters but from different ethnic backgrounds (like in SMAC).

 

[Cyon]

An intresting twist on the Commonwealth would be to have it in but lead by India.

1. Pan Asian Coalition:
Lead by China, includes Vietnam, Burma, Laos, Mongolia, Kazakstan some of the other central Asian nations.
Language: Chinese with thai loan words

2. 'Empire of the rising sun' or 'United Conglomerates'
Japan and its subjects, maybe Korea (of its not part off PAC), perhaps Indonesia and maybe even pays off Australia and NZ .
Language: japanese


3. 'Hindi Commonwealth' or 'Defenders of the Ashes':

Lead by India, contains England (but not Scotland), parts off Australia, sri Lanka and Canada.
Language: Queens English mixed up with hindi

4. America Reclamation Company
USA + Mexico and maybe some carribean countries
Language: American mixed with Spanish

5. 'Ibn Battuta Exploration foundation' or just 'new khalifat'

Arabia, North Africa, maybe also Iran?
Language: Arabic

6. 'Euro Turkish Joint Ventures' or 'ark Ekspresi' (Orient express)

Turkey, Southern Germany, Continental West and South East Europe, Balkan and Greece, Syria and central asia
Language: French mixed with Turkish

7. African Union
Sub Sahara Africa including Somalia
Language: Swahili or Somali

8. Council of the Baltic States
Western Russia and Poland, Baltikum, Scandinavia, northern Germany
Language: Russian mixed with Swedish and german

Just some crazy ideas, does anyone else have any ideas based on mash up of Contries we have today or of insignificant organisation's that could be powerful in two hundred years?

Letting the leders speak mash up languages would be a good way to cover more of today's cultures with just 8 factions and would feel more Sci fi for me atleast.


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[Killzerslaul]

a "balanced" Commonwealth that isn't so focused on England & the UK would be awesome. one of the more interesting conceivable future coalitions.

Having Australian, British, Canadian, Malaysian and African (as well as everyone else in the Commonwealth) populations and culture would make for something much more interesting than just extrapolating some big current countries into the future. although the Commonwealth carries far too little political weight now, let alone in the future, to make this plausible. but nothing will be very plausible in a game like this.

I agree that it's important to remember this is a long way in the future. The world powers could be absolutely anyone and Africa could be a lot more relevant. Culture will also be a lot more homogeneous, if not completely so, thanks to increasing travel and use of online communications as well as the continued growth of English as a world language. Honestly I think if highly distinct, independent cultures exist in the future it will only be because national governments have invested significant effort into maintaining them for political/ reasons. Of course, Firaxis will probably not portray either of these trends because the game will sell better with factions that are diverse, instantly recognisable and associable with countries & cultures that exist right now (and making the odd nod to their customer bases might be a consideration too.)

 

[Mustakrakish]

I also wonder if the different faction leaders will speak in their native languages (a la CIV V), or if they will all speak English? Given the dominance of English as a global language (with Mandarin in a close second) in the 21st century, I think it makes sense for us to have a diverse cast of English speaking characters but from different ethnic backgrounds (like in SMAC).

Hope they don't speak... at all. Hope they're static art. And they'll probably be, since they change their appearence. I hate those talking animated leaders... Yadda yadda yadda, shut up.