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[Ciarente]

I tend to feel that quick and dirty comparisons between Eve factions and single real-world contemporary or historical cultures misses an opportunity to examine the complexity of Eve politics. At the same time, looking at some of the aspects of cultures we're familiar with can make it easier to get a handle on our game 'world'.

What I'd like to do is invite people to make unexpected comparisons, with specific aspects of a contemporary or historical culture, to prompt thought and discussion.

I'll start:

Gallente Federation: The Gallente Federation reminds me in some ways of the Roman Empire as a large entity containing cultures that have maintained their uniqueness. 

Sansha's Nation: Like the USSR, Sansha's Nation could claim to be an idealistic society attacked by a united force of representatives of the established order in its infancy. Just as some say that the True Slaves were a response to unwarranted aggression, some representatives of the USSR claimed that the internal repression and militarism of the Soviet state was forced on the USSR by international hostility. (please note: I'm not making any claims as to the accuracy of such claims)

Caldari State: The Caldari State, originally numerically small and under threat by a powerful neighbor, increasingly under thrall to a single leader who may be changing the ideology originally behind the society, reminds me in this way of Cuba.

The Serpentis: Effectively ruled by gang-lords and gaining most of its income from drugs, the Serpentis have something in common with Columbia.

The Amarr Empire: Aggressively expansionist and with an economy dependent on slavery - like the early British Empire in that way.



Of course, in every single one of these, there are a thousand other ways the Eve faction differs.

What odd comparisons can you think of?

 

[Silver Night]

Syndicate: Ancient Greece, in the city-state aspect of it, though I suspect that there might be better comparisons. I wonder if there aren't certain things certain stations in Syndicate might be known for.

Gallente Federation: In relation to your impression, Cia: You see cultures in the Federation maintaining a lot of coherence, then? Rather than the 'mixing pot' idea?

Blood Raiders: Early American (European-descended) society - the Puritans. Left the old country to freely practice their particular brand of the major religion.

Khanid Kingdom: To extend the British Empire idea - could be like the American colonies. Broke away and maintained a harder line on the slavery thing.

Caldari State: I guess I'm on a North America kick: Native Americans. A number of quite disparate entities that outsiders treat as one, who quite happily fight with each-other when there isn't a larger threat out there. Also threatened by an outside power that is (arguably) attempting a cultural takeover when not engaged in actual military hostility. That part might have more in common with some tribal cultures in Africa and the middle east. OFC, there is a difference in that the Caldari weren't separated into 'tribes' so much until post-diaspora.

[Ciarente]

Gallente Federation: In relation to your impression, Cia: You see cultures in the Federation maintaining a lot of coherence, then? Rather than the 'mixing pot' idea?

I think I get that from the very distinct differences in the character generation process and backgrounds for Jin-Mei, Intaki, and Gallente characters.

[Silver Night]

Gallente Federation: In relation to your impression, Cia: You see cultures in the Federation maintaining a lot of coherence, then? Rather than the 'mixing pot' idea?

I think I get that from the very distinct differences in the character generation process and backgrounds for Jin-Mei, Intaki, and Gallente characters.

Makes me wonder about whether there is a major difference when a culture has a home planet in the Fed acting as an 'anchor' instead of being immigrants like the Minmatar in the Fed.

[Ashar Kor-Azor]

The Amarr empire is still largely Byzantine in its behavior, far moreso than it's all Sun Never Sets. Say no to LOLBRITS, mmkay? :P

[Ciarente]

The Amarr empire is still largely Byzantine in its behavior, far moreso than it's all Sun Never Sets. Say no to LOLBRITS, mmkay?

Sure. I was looking for comparisons that were unlikely.

[Ciarente]

Makes me wonder about whether there is a major difference when a culture has a home planet in the Fed acting as an 'anchor' instead of being immigrants like the Minmatar in the Fed.

Now I'm trying to remember if I've met any Minmatar RPers who have a Federation background ....

and getting the urge to roll one up ....

Stop me before I alt again! /o\

[Vincent Pryce]

Makes me wonder about whether there is a major difference when a culture has a home planet in the Fed acting as an 'anchor' instead of being immigrants like the Minmatar in the Fed.

Now I'm trying to remember if I've met any Minmatar RPers who have a Federation background ....

and getting the urge to roll one up ....

Stop me before I alt again! /o\

Lets alt again, like we did last summer~~

Do you mean a minmatar character with roots in the feds or minmatar character who's moved in to the Federation afterwards, or juat either or?

Zagamesh comes to mind as a Matari who is a Fed citizen I think.

[Ciarente]

Do you mean a minmatar character with roots in the feds or minmatar character who's moved in to the Federation afterwards, or juat either or?

Zagamesh comes to mind as a Matari who is a Fed citizen I think.

A minmatar who is part of that 'more Matari live in the Federation than anywhere else' (possibly misquotes the PF) group.

[Silver Night]

Do you mean a minmatar character with roots in the feds or minmatar character who's moved in to the Federation afterwards, or juat either or?

Zagamesh comes to mind as a Matari who is a Fed citizen I think.

A minmatar who is part of that 'more Matari live in the Federation than anywhere else' (possibly misquotes the PF) group.

I think it's more Matari live in the Fed than anywhere outside the Empire (most) or Republic (Second most?). I could be wrong, though.

[Casiella]

The Syndicate have clear roots in Cosa Nostra and the Italian / Sicilian mafia in general. Mission agents make this particularly clear. Sometimes, when you're told to do something and they're trying to word a particularly underhanded or violent assignment discreetly, the agent will even use "capiche?".

[Ashar Kor-Azor]

Someone link Cosmo's thread on IGS decrying Federate value-imperialism in here FFS. I find it extraordinarily relevant.

[Gottii]

I think it's more Matari live in the Fed than anywhere outside the Empire (most) or Republic (Second most?). I could be wrong, though.

I think 2/3rds of Matari are now free, IIRC.  Of those, most are in the Republic, with second most are in the Federation.  The remainders are Angels, Thukkers, and what have you....*

The relative lack of Matari in the Empire could be one of the reasons Amarr and Angel and Caldari slaving ops are so common.  With supply so far down (relatively speaking, there are still tens of billions enslaved no doubt), then demand must have gone up significantly.

*These numbers are off the top of my head, and as Im researching for work tomorrow I refuse to research for the game I use to escape from work.

[Ashar Kor-Azor]

Official stuff Lall used to quote maintained that a full third of Matari lived in (not necessarily were enslaved in) the Empire, and a fifth were either in the Federation or the Republic. This was before Jamyl did her thing, but the scalers we have for system populations mean that the people Jamyl freed were a tiny, tiny bucketdrop.

Someone prod Lall into clarifying, I'm too old and tired.

[Ciarente]

The Caldari State I believe you can't compare to any RL nation since it's so alien to any of our known concepts

Because I can't resist a challenge:

The corporations of the Caldari State are like kibbutzim during the transitional period, communities in which individuals subsume their personal enrichment to the goals of the community but which relate to the outside world on a capitalist model.

The Caldari State is like Italy in the mid-nineteenth century, an co-operative alliance of geographically close but distinct and legally autonomous organisations currently undergoing the turmoil of closer co-operation that may or may not lead to unification.