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[Seriphyn]

I saw this...

A small research firm that specializes in space habitats and other life support modules for humans. In its heyday Zero-G was hailed as the great hope of the Caldari people, but the company has been in a steady decline for the last few decades.

I figured "Hm, why would it be hailed as a great hope for the Caldari people?" and garnered that the answer lies in the fact that perhaps a lot (or even majority) of the Caldari population inhabit space, as a people that were ejected from their homes and had to move several lightyears. The fact the Caldari have the most stations might lend to this idea.

Also, from this news item

Many military experts suggest that the Army reforms are long overdue. Betto Roilloten, professor at the State War Academy, says that "historically, the ground forces of the Caldari State have been somewhat of a poor sibling to the Navy, lagging behind the Navy and most of the corporate militaries in terms of equipment, training and reputation.  Given the recent military successes, the time for the reform is most definitely right."

If Caldari are more partial to space than land, then having a weak ground force would also make sense too.

It's basically the EVE equivalent of a maritime nation, perhaps? Contrast with the Federation having a "vast amount of differing and diverse worlds".

[Ken]

Well, you like real world comparisons, so how about early State = Dutch East India Company in SPACE?

But I don't think the one line in Zero-G corp description really has such wide-ranging implications on Caldari civilization or that having someone comment on the relative weakness of the State's ground forces as compared to its navy means the entire State is oriented toward space habitation.  Remember who we're dealing with here... 

[Seriphyn]

RL comparisons because it's a simply point-of-reference than having to assemble 30-page-long PF guides

But, seriously, I'm just curious if Caldari are more orientated towards space. It goes on about how hi-tech the Caldari are, yet the Gallente are pretty good with their city-building and terraforming ability...

[Casiella]

I don't know if they would have the majority of their population in space -- that's expensive -- but it certainly would make sense from a certain point of view.

[Louella Dougans]

Space towns:
[spoiler][/spoiler]

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[spoiler][/spoiler]

space towns would serve as semi-permanent settlements for:

terraforming, research, station construction, trading.


As a "hope for the caldari", then.. rapid expansion of putting settlements in space, would act to claim those systems for the State, amongst other things.

[lallara zhuul]

Also having resources in space, hidden, would be kind of like the last line of defense against the fascist Federation and keeping the State alive.

[Alain Colcer]

As a "hope for the caldari", then.. rapid expansion of putting settlements in space, would act to claim those systems for the State, amongst other things.

Yeah i would roll along with that idea, for a nation that is based on corporations who operate and control worlds, going out there and establish any sort of "city" would be the first step towards full occupation.

[Akrasjel Lanate]

Wait what... i remember there was a topic about this here 

[orange]

I do not think anyone would disagree with the Caldari, especially the State, being a space-based nation.

Caldari Prime is important to the Caldari like Earth will be important to the first generations of human spacefarers, it is the planet that modeled their civilization.

But even New Caldari Prime does not have close to the meaning of Caldari Prime.  It is a world with a particular purpose, not of particular historical/"ancestral" significance to most Caldari.

The Caldari arrived in the Citadel, the Forge, and Lonetrek as refugees to stations (potentially initially overcrowded), surrounded by virgin worlds.  But they do not arrive with the opportunity to colonize these worlds.  They have to take a utilitarian approach, only those necessary to extract the resources needed for independence can settle.  There are fleets to build in orbit, moons and asteroids from which to build the factory stations needed to supply the war.  Settlement is not an option because it risk the early State's most valuable resource, people.

This mentality results in a society geared towards utilitarian concepts and the ability to retreat in the face of insurmountable threats.

[Mithfindel]

We do know from chronicles that the order from most prestige to least in Caldari military and paramilitary services goes from ship-based duty being the highest, followed by planetary duties, with station security coming the last. This might vary from corporation to corporation, though - SuVee might value planets more, as they are focused on real estate (though this may also be real estate outside of planets, such as control of orbits suitable to build stations).

[Ken]

Taking only major space stations that permit capsuleer traffic into consideration...

Amarr Empire: 484 systems, 998 stations (avg 2.06 stations per system)
Ammatar Mandate: 30 systems, 34 stations (avg 1.33 stations per system)
Caldari State: 503 systems, 1503 stations (avg 2.98 stations per system)
Gallente Federation: 507 systems, 1051 stations (avg 2.07 stations per system)
Intaki Syndicate: 46 systems, 66 stations (avg 1.43 stations per system)
Khanid Kingdom: 23 systems, 32 stations (avg 1.39 stations per system)
Minmatar Republic: 291 systems, 570 stations (avg 1.95 stations per system)

Amarr bloc: 537 systems, 1062 stations (avg 1.96 stations per system)

Of course we have no way of measuring how many other stations are under construction, where, why, or when we can expect them to come online, but the State does have the highest proportion of stations in its sovereign space of any of the powers.

Edit: If nothing else, considering the relative total populations (a few trillion in the State and at least a few times that in the Federation and Empire), we can say reliably that the State has a far lower average population density than the other nations.  In terms of stars, of course, it's actually larger than the core of Amarr (Khanid and Ammatar not included).

[Seriphyn]

Ken, "settled systems" is any system where an NPC corp belonging to a faction exists, so those numbers include foreign-based corporations etc.

[Ken]

Could still signify major settlement by the faction either way, yes?  Not impossible for there to be say, significant enclaves of one faction in the sovereign space of another.  Also, whatever the case, the State simply looks huge on the cluster map.

[orange]

Caldari State:  326 Systems / 261 Stations (0.8 Stations / System)

- Black Rise: 49 Systems / 38 Stations (0.78)
- The Citadel: 86 Systems / 77 Stations (0.90)
- The Forge: 93 Systems / 74 Stations (0.80)
- Lonetrek: 98 Systems / 72 Stations (0.73)

And the above numbers make some sense from a historical perspective.  The Citadel and The Forge our the first ones colonized, with Lonetrek being the original expansion area.  Black Rise is an little off, but it is also a smaller region.

Data taken from DotLan and counting done using Google Spreadsheets.

[Casiella]

Even so: Ken's analysis strikes me as particularly useful for the question at hand. The data show that the Caldari have /far/ more stations, both in absolute and proportional senses, than any other faction.

Though I would note that the Amarr+Khanid numbers need the Ammatar added for full comparison. And the degree to which the Minmatar lag pains me.