The Campaign/story/narratives/setting

some ideas to consider in story setting

from Sins2 Forums

Was thinking for a bit about those, long ago when I sued to play mass effect games, especially 1 and 2 had to me a great build in forming up the Who is who and what is what even though the series were unfortunately filled with more and more of ideology, thus dissonance with each iteration (2007-2010-2012)

For a campaign of any depth, you will need to have a multitude of factions, their interests, them asserting themselves.

Since planets are something like cities, countries made up of multiple cities, plus the rest of the environment. I am really interested in how the writers (hopefully not self-writing done by machines :) still something REALLY creative or somewhat feasible)

Mass effect series projected their ruling class ruling the earth under 1 world govt tyranny, how fancy of them. At least this is how they portrayed their wish to rule over everybody without their inputs :) Rather brazen :) though that was 18 years ago. ('Systems alliance')

Notions like galaxy factions using money that TEC factions can steal via a reserve currency which they somehow imposed on everybody else using money is also rather rich. Nobody sovereign and aware of how using something that can be used by the enemy against them, as something, from somewhere, would be too unintelligent and complacent. Too much fancy stuff, that implies TEC rules by proxy over all the factions, be they vasaris, advents, tecs. Adversarial TEC factions stealing money from each other, because each uses the same money issued by who ? They got both printing presses and they produce the same money :) So they steal from each other :)

Your ability to steal money if adversaries use them, should only be tied to having brainwash superiority aka information control over adversarial planets. Meaning, against their best senses (vassalization, taking over by bribery selling out their own people) they are persuaded to use a weapon of the enemy against themselves, though it should be vassals primarily who finance the empire. Because only vassals will use your currency, in order for you to export inflation, (in effect taxation/tribute system) so that your TEC corporatists can live above their means. (refusing to negotiate for example, more money for them hahaaha :D) If money/gold is not used instead of fake valueless money which are best used to swindle producers of real goods by stealing (most) all the value they made from them this is an incentive for a degeneration of a state entity which in time/under stress will collapse. Because it turns into total dependents to its colonies/vassals. Once those are cut off, (you cant tax the vassals into taking your expenses) the artificially alive imperial center does not have support to keep itself alive, it lost skills and cadres, the personnel who could keep the state machine going and they in their greed destroyed their own economy first. Who could make this stuff up ? :P

Swindling enemies into buying debts (getting taxed by an enemy no less) of an financial capitalist empire, production of everything of value shifts to the vassals while the imperial center hollows out and is run on total fake of an economy for a time. Until reality hits and it collapses. Because it exporting money (nothing) and getting everything of value back to them is not viable long-term.

Making up all sorts of factions resemble real behavior instead of the trotskyite 'we need to unite' with our 'permanent revolushon' (like the one tied to volfovic doctrine) with 'Aliens are coming' edition instead. I mean thats the 'emergency' coalition about right ? That is the narrative being rehashed over and over. Real politics and relations between (really, not on paper) sovereign nations are more complex than that.

Usually then as it comes with these political/sci-fi tropes, aliens are coming to either wipe out and irreparably corrupt what is left. Poor aliens are always poured on so that actual bad folks can hide, often on pedestals.

Instead of total doom/gloom end of times narratives, which is what these types of games come up with, you could look up something more realistic, not the wishful dysto/utopias of say RAND and their Extending RF 2019 document on corporate 'spreading Freedom', if you need inspirations, those arent found in media and in most cases these would be sealed off and forbidden for a 100 years and similar to get in public. On YT there is a channel called Dialogue Works and guests like John Helmer gives there his ideas and perceptions on things, then B.Berletic, his -The New Atlas, who documents how certain countries subversion works in great detail. Extremely educational and great material for widening your horizons, so that whoever writes script for the game, does not end up like a frog on the bottom of a well, thinking they see the whole sky. Economists there like Richard Wolff and Michael Hudson give also very varied perspectives. NOT found in 'media' :) And what amounts to 'education' designed to mislead and hide. Ret. Col. Wilkerson and fmr. CIA Larry Johnson is mostly interesting to listen to, most objective from my observations. There are others, but as far as I'm able to say, the most objective of analysts.

End of history did not happen, not yet at least :)

I hope I provided some good ideas on how reality works here and there, so that things like economy can actually be understood.

ME 1 for example did set out the stories of big corpos doing their businesses in whatever planets and so on, it felt very lively, not that far removed from realities of basically, power politics. (where corpos really do hold power to a large extent) And about who can do instead of talk a big game. Thats what big imperial conflicts or cooperation happens about, resources and stuff. Possibilities there are so great for very good writing, the space setting is just really a setting for these. How it is presented, how much in depth you go, if you are able to make a big narrative even in an RTS setting, it will be great. But for that setting, so on, what do you think, at least in the campaigns, if planetary objects got increase in radius + 100% Scale of planetary objects, things become less gamey. But those textures will will look low-res. Maybe. Try it out. How does it feel ? Space setting, does the space look realistic ? Or is it 'AI' 'painted' ? Try it in the campaign setting how does it change the perception of scale. Space is really big and any space objects IRL are gargantuan compared to whatever youre 'building' in space. Yes, its a game, but if you want to tell a somewhat believable story, In Space, not just in a Space setting, the setting has to be believable, so that one helps and multiplies the effect.

For me ME1 and 2 were very memorable, 3 not so much, (I did play MP there quite a lot) Maybe it was different writers, that made different impressions. 1 built up the setting. 2 used it and 3 was so-so, (ideology was trying to beat you left and right into submission in the meantime in 3 big time, trying to break what is normal and what is not and mix them up into disorder to damage you ultimately, oh what is good or bad is 'unknowable', sudden rush of agnosticism, while not using the same standard elsewhere)

Yes I know I write all over the place most of the time. You should not look at the form, but at the contents :) Yes, I do simulate counter-arguments which I did get in real conversations with some people and those rationalizations they came up with, so it is not me asking and answering my own internal questions :) 

Cheers :)

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Reply #1 from Sins2 Forums Top

Regarding the game narratives, something you will find not present in games from 20-30 years ago, is a major shift in the narratives.

Regarding the doom and gloom, end times narratives seemingly out of nowhere, these were pushed by certain groups of people with money on demand. Suddenly many of the games started spouting these. Everybody does not change tune all of a sudden by themselves after all.

I was wondering why that was the case, what kind of ideas, or values these games were spreading. (or manipulation, disinfo, dissonance) Since as a player, youre playing as some sort of empire of sorts.

Why spread ideology. Ideology is an instrument of power, thus control, it, in the process takes the ability to think critically away and helps through artificial leaders mobilize and control masses of people to do what the ideologues want, something that without external inputs, they would not do.

Why ideology of superiority, misnamed as exceptionalism (I remember a politician wrote such an article like a decade or more ago in a newspaper justifying it (lol))

How to spread an ideology of racial, ideological, scientific, superiority in contrast with others racial, ideological, societal whatever, inferiority. Why do you need them ? Objective being amassing power in zero-sum environment, giving nothing, taking everything, squeezing everything of value then throwing it away. Maximum efficiency, cynicism to 1000%. People, armies need to be used, otherwise they are useless kind of narrative. They have no agency their own. They are tools to be used, not served. That is how imperial thought often degenerates into.

Since what youre trying to do is evil, evil needs to camouflage itself in an envelope of the good.

How do you do that, you claim you are doing the opposite while doing what you are intending to do, projecting yourself (your agenda) to your adversaries. (that being everybody outside your close circle of lets call them, your co-conspirators) Ideas, values, ideology you want to spread, keep the communication one-way, pretending to not hear the other side, because you control the means of communication and can shut the other side down.

The superiority ideology comes in quite a few layers, (a lot actually) it is obviously built around a hierarchy. (and I hope you will have some laugh as I go deeper in some explanations/descriptions just for you :) and give example)

You would build a value system, that rewards the least inhibited persons to get into highest positions, because of their being unhinged, or you grow them in extra abusive environment from a young age and teach them deliberately wrong reactions to various stimuli. This is somebody for the masses, an actor of sorts. Distract from real issues by creation of fake ones. (Aliens are coming ! :D, for real bro ! This time :D)

Then you need to divide the people into 'The People' And 'Less-than-People'. There being 'biological' thus 'Scientific' proof of said superiority/inferiority. (Scientism, I said this is 'Science' and I agree with myself and like-minded people, make a consensus, so we are 'right', you form an inquisition hunting down any 'Unscientific heathen', enforce thought uniformity, saying opinion diversity of course, we actually came from a different planet, what was it, Thule ?xD (Thule Society of Adolf times))

How do you classify/subdivide the castes of Less-Than-People ? Are they found in the Land of the 'People' ? Those happen to be servants, subjects. For example, those outside your empire 'scientifically' even lack a soul. Those inside your ruled space, those have a soul, those are still Less-than-People. But resemble the People, even as they are an 'inferior race'. But you will use them for now, until they are not needed anymore.

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(if you live in the EU, only the money elite in the West are considered 'People' as an example, everybody else is visibly put into castes going from West to East as Less-than-People, (Under)class I, class II, class III, Ukrainians would be like class V, RF class VI-XV and so on, Chinese would be there in class XX I suppose in the warped 'People's value 'system', reminds very much of various feudals, aristocracy and their suppositions and superstitions, those Less-than-People, the soulless ones, class VI, people-in-form-only are trying to steal the souls of our UnderClass V, be so afraid they are gonna take everything !!! :P, pretend like you care about them) Not even saying the Class XX working together with Class VI Underclass, it is the end ! xD Note the Science behind all this Scientific method of doing Science and all the proofs I provided, not :P

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So, you have a clearly stated divide between the Ueber 'rulers', who hate all the 'inferiors', including 'their own'. But to keep their Ueber status, they need to keep their 'Inferior races' within their rule, in constant tension, because those soulless Less-than-People are actually trying to eat their souls even, (to keep threat from underclass races low/nonexistent) their Less-than-People 'humanity' and turn them into human-in-form-only soulless beasts, insects, or even, disease. Just like they are, into their own, 'inhuman' image. (I am making here an upside down warped narrative so you need to do some mind gymnastics in case this thought pattern is somehow new or outlandish to you, I have had a lot of experience with these, so I know it in great detail, such behavior you can encounter with bureaucrats who think universe is circling them as well, thinking to be untouchable and think they can get away with abuse of power, while they are your servants since they serve your state and the state belongs to you, not them)

The Disease from the point of these 'People' is everybody outside their sectarian-elitist group, partially diseased are their own subjects (lesser status, less wealth-disease, they need to be dispossessed of stuff they have more, but the cause is outside ostensibly, outside and internal enemies, but not the 'People' Of course !) who have to be kept in check to prevent the plague from spreading. The Plague has to be purged. No way around it.

Have you ever heard of these types of people claiming how they wish to save the environment, save the planet ? Save the animals even ?

How do you do that ?

You elevate the status of the 'planet', the 'environment', the 'animals' above your Less-than-People. (which in turn degrades the Less-than-People into less than Animal category) You save the planet from ? The Disease (they mean you really xD) from the Environmental Hazard (Guess who, not what that is xD) Animals are pretty outrageous, because animals can be slaughtered for food and when somebody is telling you that say a mouse, a chicken, or cow, horse, are above your status, your worth, it states obvious, that in the 'People's hierarchy, everything in Less-than-People is considered to be less than animals. (preparing grounds for your extermination if you do not worship and obey them, let them rob you expecting you to say Thank You !) Life expectancy to be shortened by any whim of the 'People' or by 'Protecting' Less-than-people from People-in-form-only (unprovoked foreign aggressing as a rule, Protecting turned upside down meaning of starting a war of aggression). That is, if they are allowed to live that long.

 

You might have wondered, where such outlandish ideas are coming from ? I will take Mass Effect, the 'Human-Reaper'. These (Aliens again !) guys are portrayed as murdering incredible amounts of people and using up their remains as building material for the Future (! building empires on others bones ?). If you know some history, not all that long ago, you had 'People' using Less-than-People, do that to who they considered Animals in Human-Form-only, used their bodies to make all sorts of 'leather' objects, soap and such. (Ustashas too come to mind, biowarfare,(calling themselves 'Research') Unit 731 from overseas AND where it ended up, promoted !) In Mass Effect games, the 'People' represent The Reapers. Their intents, wishes, are all projected away from the real 'People' into some remotely-remote fantasy. Though this is to make it seem not real, when it is how these 'People' exactly feel about things. So you could understand it as somebody laughing in your face while threatening your life no less. Claiming Plausible Deniability - we did not say or imply that. It is only so in your imagination :) Ok bro :) Truth telling isnt then your strong point :)

The 'People' might pretend to fight against the 'People' (or pretend division in their cult-like organization) by using the 'lesser species'. while acting out their own orders,agendas (inferior geth). But the 'People' ('Scientism-Uebers') pretend Uninvolvement and even peace-mongering. Oooh , we stumbled into war again, how unexpected, and unplanned for event. We REALLY wanted peace ! We said so, while we did everything to make war inevitable. So, which is true, words, or deeds when they are the opposite ? You dont stumble into something you planned for all the time.

Overall agenda, of the only 'People' is to get rid of the Disease. I forgot the name of the member of the 'People', who in his old age claimed that he wanted to be reborn or something, like a deadly virus. That was from some decade ago. The thought process is not new, it is about either ruling over everything or destroying it. Either I rule, or there will be nothing to rule over. Not everybody thinks this way. But these exist and they consider themselves way above everybody else. This is their actual disease. (or the Sin of Pride first of all)

The 'People' think that everything belongs to them, so whatever you think you have, is in their sight not so, because the Less-than-People really do have nothing apart from it being in their imagination according to the 'People'. If there is too many of you eating up 'their' resources, then they intend to 'Mow the Grass' (Less-Than-People) mowing the grass is not mowing down actual People, it has no rights, it is worth sacrificing, the resource, because those are not People. Less-than-People, Humans-in-form-only, all these infringe on the ability of 'People' to exercise their imagined omnipotence, like them deciding over who lives and who does not. 

Also, 'People' tell the 'Less-than-People' that they are on the same side. That being not the case in reality at all, because they are parasites in the extreme needed by nobody, it is the who in actual reality, are useless and helpless without their reliance on being served to do no good in the end. Inferiors are an inferior in the 'biologal-scientism-ic' sense ('Science' of eugenics, you can make stuff up no proof needed, repeat the claims it is the materialistic godhood of Science, It is Proven (Registered or TradeMarked), end of 'discussion', The Settled Science.)

So, People (Uebers) pretend to be friend of Less-than-people, while trying to get rid of their Disease, (status 'race' disease, can't be cured, ultra wealthy isnt easily throwing away his idol of profits, status away easily at all) while those outside their rule are the Disease which they 'claim' does not even have a soul. ('Science' or some other unprovable quality) 'People' on the other hand are superbly virtuous, even the 'Scientism of Eugenics' will definitely prove that. In the End, Only The People are to be left, after all the animals, environments, planets, galaxies, also Human Rights are saved. Human Rights in the Sense, that only Full Humans, 'People' have rights. The rest are accused of all the actual evils the 'People' commit/ed or want to commit. Only 'People' decide who they are, only they can elevate the Less-than-People into the caste of the wannabegods.

To save 'People' all expenses are to be made at the cost of 'Less-than-people' as well as 'humans-in-form-only'.

I hope you liked the mental gymnastics :) Anybody with observation skills can pretty much come to these results.

 

I guess the Harbingers might work along these 'value' systems. They grow overconfident, nobody stopped us in the whole universe, then, the missing scale of the dragon shows up and our hero happily shoots the 4-armed (or prodded or whatever) space-crossbow/ballista and as big as he was, gets a  guided plasma arrow through the hole in previously damaged armor hitting the heart, causing it to collapse in a lake. From a great height, as it entered the atmosphere, burnt up and crashed in a big lake, making a big wave.

The virtues of an imagined superiority yield very destructive results. We will defeat them in 3 weeks, 4+ years later cemeteries full, false grandiosity gone is how it usually ends up. Our Scientific Scryers have foreseen our victory, it must be true :) We ate all the wisdom there was, but grew dumber with every generation xD

 

When you look at this thought process, the inversion of reality on so many points, results in a faulty process, which yields incorrect results. If any or more factions in the campaign get more of such crazies in decision making, you will see doubling down on failure, if something fails 10 times in a row, you need to try the 11th time, those bad guys are so weakened like you wouldnt believe ! 11th time, they grew even weaker, they ran out of resources ! Our secret sources say so. on the 12th try it will work, we know this time what we are doing ! And then there is no 13th wave, because the enemy steamrolls you in 1 overwhelming attack :) Delusions of Grandeur suddenly collapse and reality finally delivers a final blow. And all the delusional propaganda falls apart in face of reality.

I think that the mechanics of superiority/inferiority ideology are important, perhaps my long text made it a bit more understandable. Plus some observations from RL. (there is not only a wave of 'Class' going from West to East, there is also one from North to south btw)  Perhaps you found some of it interesting.