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EVE-Online RP Discussion and Resources => EVE Fiction + Fiction discussion => Topic started by: Seismic Stan on 09 Jan 2012, 07:24

Title: Philistines of New Eden?
Post by: Seismic Stan on 09 Jan 2012, 07:24

Hi folks

I'm hoping your collective lore knowledge might be able to solve a dialogue problem for me.

I'm writing some audio dialogue in which I've currently used the term "Philistines" as a derogatory dismissal. Clearly this is an anachronism. Any suggestions as to the New Eden equivalent of a Philistine? Even though the character is Amarr, I'd rather avoid referencing a well-known playable bloodline as it would be misunderstood.

The dialogue is as follows:

"...we are no longer restricted by rigid safety regulations Station Administrators insist on upholding. It was surprising the amount of resistance that my wormhole generator proposals met with. Philistines."

Any suggestions? Is there canonical reference to a non-spaceflight capable race anywhere that would fit?

Title: Re: Philistines of New Eden?
Post by: Louella Dougans on 09 Jan 2012, 07:36

there's a few things like "mud-huggers" but that's referring more to planetary populations.

Could maybe look at the Ealurians (http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Ealur_(race)) article on the evelopedia, since it's an amarrian, but I'm not sure if your audience might get it, since ealurians aren't well known at all :/

Title: Re: Philistines of New Eden?
Post by: Kybernetes Moros on 09 Jan 2012, 10:33

Though not quite the same meaning in general, wouldn't "technophobes" be applicable there?

Title: Re: Philistines of New Eden?
Post by: Jev North on 09 Jan 2012, 10:36

I try to not sweat the details like that; there's an awful lot of words with cultural context just waiting to trip you up if you want to be a total purist, and at some point it starts feeling forced. Though in this case, I'd personally just ditch the association with ethnicity altogether and go with a nice, condescending "Savages.".

Title: Re: Philistines of New Eden?
Post by: Seismic Stan on 09 Jan 2012, 10:39

Hmm, thanks Louella. You're right, it's more important that my audience 'get it'. You've made me realise that even if I did find an appropriate alternative, nobody would get the reference. I may stick with "Philistines" then. Who's to say that the use of that word hasn't stuck with the evolution of language over millenia.

After all, if New Eden residents are still using 20th Century naval terms like "battleship" and "captain's quarters", why can't the odd biblical reference have survived? [Edit: now I think about it, "Eden" - duh, doesn't get more Old Testament than that.]

Edit: As I wrote this, two more responses came in. Kybernetes "technophobes" and Jev's "savages" both work well. Cheers all, very helpful. You're legends. :)

Title: Re: Philistines of New Eden?
Post by: Morwen Lagann on 09 Jan 2012, 17:27

Luddites?

Try having one of those as a professor for a course about effects of games and other forms of interactive media on society.  :bash:

Title: Re: Philistines of New Eden?
Post by: Victoria Stecker on 09 Jan 2012, 22:31

Quote from: Morwen Lagann on 09 Jan 2012, 17:27

Luddites?

Try having one of those as a professor for a course about effects of games and other forms of interactive media on society.  :bash:

. . .  :eek:

How does that even work?

Title: Re: Philistines of New Eden?
Post by: Morwen Lagann on 10 Jan 2012, 00:43

I don't know, but WPI did it during my last year. I ragequit the class two weeks in, and filed a complaint w/ the department.

Title: Re: Philistines of New Eden?
Post by: Jev North on 10 Jan 2012, 06:08

Quote from: Morwen Lagann on 09 Jan 2012, 17:27

Luddites?

..and here we have an excellent example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Ludd (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Ludd)