portrayal of ethical alignments

from GalCiv2 Forums

This doesn't really concern gameplay itself, but still ....

When given the choice in these 'ethical dilemma's', I actually often -don't- consider the 'good' choice to be the morally best choice. I mean, the 'evil' choice is often just that, plain evil.  The neutral choice often has a 'let everybody choose for himself, we won't bother you if you don't bother us'-quality to it, or at the very least it is pragmatic.  The 'good choice', however, often leaves a 'These Are The Rules You Have To Live By And Woe Upon You If You Don't Follow Our Ethidal Standards!'- taste in my mouth, and I frankly often find them a bit annoying.  I get this distinct impression that the Good Guys are those that would force other civilizations to have a democracy even if the population of that civilization wouldn't want that at all. In short, in my opinion the 'good' civilizations are not actually that, but just morally far too uptight and rigid.

Is it just me? Or is this an intentional statement by the programmers of the game ?

I know, it isn't really relevant for gameplaying. It just bothers me a little.

 

4,881 views 2 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

I think it's intentional.

I mean, the good races can and WILL go to war with a neutral race if they fee like it.  I had a game recently where all the good races ganged up on a neutral race that had done no wrong.

So the "good" choices having a lot of "morally uptight and rigid" choices highlights the fact that a lot of "good" races end up becoming Knights Templar.  (WARNING WARNING!  I'm linking to TV tropes!  Make sure you have a lot of free time or willpower before clicking that link!).

So yeah, intentional.

Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Quoting Aegix_Drakan, reply 1
I think it's intentional.

I mean, the good races can and WILL go to war with a neutral race if they fee like it.  I had a game recently where all the good races ganged up on a neutral race that had done no wrong.

So the "good" choices having a lot of "morally uptight and rigid" choices highlights the fact that a lot of "good" races end up becoming Knights Templar.  (WARNING WARNING!  I'm linking to TV tropes!  Make sure you have a lot of free time or willpower before clicking that link!).

So yeah, intentional.

From some of the bits of the lore here and there, this is unambiguously the case for the Altarians (the most "good" race in the game) - near-utopian society and intolerance of anyone who sees things differently.

Sins of a Solar Empire II