One possible pitfall is letting Federal political parties fall in squarely with real-life equivalents. This would make in-game political discussions a close mirror of real-world political party debate. While this is enjoyable for some, others play the game to get into a sci-fi, immersive environment that's at least somewhat detached from real-world economics.
To avoid that pitfall, it may be best to have your parties focus on political issues that aren't present or merely speculative in modern day Earth. That is, issues raised due to the Federation's status as a futuristic, almost transhuman society. Platforming on specific issues also allows you to circument the traditional 'left-right' divide in western politics and get into more nuanced stances that reveal underlying philosophies.
Example:
The lore posits the Federation as "the one true democracy of New Eden." As the lore speaks directly to the player, we understand the Federation as embodying the modern-day values of democracy as we know it - popular control over government, universal suffrage, and equal treatment of citizens under the rule of law.
Issues of Suffrage
- The rise of infomorphs challenge the definition of human. From a clinical standpoint, capsuleers die each time their pod is breached. However, their activated clones inherit personality and memories and they maintain control over resources and accumulated wealth.
- Does the existence of de-facto immortals threaten the basic premise of a society of equals?
- Is the fact that the current President is a capsuleer a cause for worry, or irrelevant to his performance in his office?
- If infomorphs remain citizens under the law, does that establish a precedence for purely digitized citizens, or AIs becoming citizens?
- AIs are a commonplace occurrence in the New Eden cluster. Should they be permitted to participate in the democracy?
- Can AIs vote? How do you distinguish between individual AI programs and tally the votes? What if an AI copies itself en masse with small variations in order to game the system?
- Is the Federation a democracy of human citizens, or a democracy of sentient beings? If the former, how do you define human?
- Given the preponderance of genetic engineering and 'body-modding,' what is the baseline definition of a human or sentient being?
- Who decides? Can local planets or assemblies define citizenship, or should there be one definition throughout the Federation?
Issues of Self
- The Gallente Federation is known for its liberal tolerance of self-modification and self-expression. Body-modding is popular, and accepted.
- How far should this tolerance go? Can the government regulate body-modding that's unhealthy, either to the self or others? Can it regulate body-modding that that produces alterations that can be used as weapons?
- Should the government intervene when private companies strongly encourage employees to body-mod in order to be more efficient at the workplace?
- Should self-modification that interferes with, modifies, enhances, or retards cognitive function be treated any differently from purely "cosmetic" or physically-enhancing body-mods?
- How far are parents permitted to go in modifying their children, before or after birth? How old can a child be before they have the right to modify themselves?
- Can local governments and companies publish an individual's past forms or genders, or is this protected private information?
- The Intaki have a rebirth tradition, formerly accomplished by mental discipline and older practices. These days, technological assistance permits them to carry this tradition further.
- Does a reborn Intaki inherent the property, debts, or crimes of his or her past self?
- Can a reborn Intaki testify as to the events of his or her past life?
- Does the practice interfere with the rights of the child that serves as the host to the past identity?
Issues of Governance and Society
- Futuristic technology permits direct communication and exchange that present technology can only dream of. This can make new forms of governance, and raise other issues about the structure of government.
- Off-world voting via FTL communication.
- Virtual environment debates between diverse communities.
- Broadcasting of political messages and advertisements through new media. Political product placement in holoreel entertainment and virtual environment games.
- Hacking and subversion of any media to change or rebroadcast messages. Hijacking the broadcast of rival ideas.
- AI simulations of proposed economic or political plans. Virtual environments and games to permit citizens to 'live out' political proposals and see results for themselves before voting. Virtual environments to show the proposed results of a building project.
- Drones. The average Federation citizen takes for granted how drones do a variety of tasks that once required boring, mundane labor.
- Is this reliance on drones a blessing that elevates humans above demeaning work? Is it a curse that makes citizens lazy and complacent?
- Is the emergence of rogue drones a warning sign of over-reliance, or simply an accident of progress? Should rogue drones be reintegrated, ignored, exterminated, or treated with?
- Can individuals create and program their own home-made drones without a license? Can government regulate drone manufacture and development, or is the Right to Craft Drones universal to all citizens?
- Do drone armies represent the future of the Federation's defense? Or should the Federation rely more on its tradition of citizen armies?
- Holoreels, VEs, futuristic forms of narcotics and other addictive media, etc.
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Topic: Federation Political Brainstroming (Read 7893 times)