Let's talk Gaians

[Marburg]

There's alot of talk about the Gaians all over the place lately & most of it is by people who don't play them.

So, I'd like to start the discussion by asking why people see them the way they do.

The Basic Rep card:

The Gaians are a terrorist faction opposed to any alteration to the natural environment of a planet, specifically those brought about through terraforming. Many of the modern Gaians are ordnary criminals and pirates who consider an alliance with the Corsairs to be the best way to ensure their survival.

I've heard many times from a number of people that it doesn't make sense that the Gaians would be opposed to terraforming. My question is why does it not make any sense? It's clear in the very 1st line above, & in the primary infocard explains why:

-- but the Gaians had already broadened their horizons by an influx of radical elements from Cambridge who sought a ban on terraforming technologies.Planetform, Inc.was the natural target.What emerged was a militant terrorist group philosophically opposed to the exploitation of planets, and terraforming in particular.

Now, as far as popular view that the Gaians being nothing but a pirate faction: Sure, I can see where people would like to call em that & move on w/o a second thought, but the key word in the second sentance about them being pirates is 'many'...but 'many' does not mean 'most' or 'all' by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, we are allied with the Sairs, but that still dosn't change the definition of the word. What it does in my mind is create a division of focus within the faction between the 'many' and the rest, & is the entire reason the NLH exist (btw, the NLH name is officially changing very very soon)

Now let's take a look at the genesis of the faction:

Soon after tourists began to arrive in Edinburgh in 690 AS, Cambridge scientists voiced their concern over the enormous ecological damage that even the most regulated visits could inflict on the planet. Almost from birth Cambridgers had drilled into them the stories of how New London & Leeds were blighted, so they tended to be very environmentally sensitive. A few of the younger and more militant scientists studying on Edinburgh accually went so far as to begin a campaign to sabotage tourist transports in an effort to discourage visits, but with little effect.

So, 127 years ago, Cambridge scientists began to get get disgruntled about the influx of tourists, fearing that the love of the almighty credit will soon ruin the system & their research, so a small number of those angrier scientists took it upon themselves to attempt to put a stop to it by trying to keep the transports from reaching the planet.

Once cobalt was discovered on Gaia in 740, the BMM began to make noises in New London about the need to establish a mining base there. What had been a quiet, bloodless campaign of active resistance blossomed into full-fledged conflict. Graffitti with slogans such as "GAIA WILL NOT BLEED" was spotted soon after. The eco-terrorist movement had begun.

Ok, 50 years worth of quiet, ineffective non-violent sabotage by a small number of scientists made them finally snap in frustration after BMM swooped in & it forced the scientists to draw 1st blood & became the Gaians.

Eventually any plans to mine the surface of Edinburgh were dropped -- mostly out of fear that it might cut into the burgeoning tourist industry -- but the Gaians had already broadened their horizons by an influx of radical elements from Cambridge who sought a ban on terraforming technologies.Planetform, Inc.was the natural target.What emerged was a militant terrorist group philosophically opposed to the exploitation of planets, and terraforming in particular. The group enjoyed considerable popular support on Cambridge, funded by the efforts of the legitimate arm of the Gaians called the Green Front.

This is where it gets meaty: Now that blood has been spilled & the radicals came in, the planet Gaia itself is no longer the primary focus of the Gaians, & why I consider every argument I've ever heard about the Gaians just wanting Gaia to be left alone, nothing but pure & lazy ignorance.

So, now it's 817 & the Gaians have been militant blood spillers for 77 years. & although they come from a tradition of education, why on earth would anyone think they are still scientists or even ::groan:: hippies.

My Grandfather was a restauraunt manager in Boston 50 or 60 years ago, but that doesn't make me a restauraunt manager myself.

Come on, bring it let's talk

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[bluntpencil2001]

Certainly not hippies, but player characters may be roleplayed as ignorant, or they may be roleplayed as knowing that such a tag annoys their Gaian foes.

I'd say they were Earth Liberation Front, with added Al Qaeda.

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[Marburg]

I'm not talking about RP derogotories I'm talking about widespread basic ignorance of the faction...why not explain why you think the Gaians would support terraforming as you have before?

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[Rudo]

It's a matter of simplification, sadly. People will get a very basic overview of a faction and play it as such. This means that every indy Xeno talks like JihadJoe's, or every Molly speaks with a mangled Irish brogue (and now there's even an [IRA] unofficial Molly faction, tasteless as that is) despite the Mollys not being Irish.

People skimming over the Gaian story will garner 'scientists' and 'hippies'. Independent players jumping to the Gaians will play these two roles.

So, congratulations, your faction is labeled. The "Nature's Last Hope" doesn't move this along either, which is why I guess you're changing it.

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[bluntpencil2001]

I'm not talking about RP derogotories I'm talking about widespread basic ignorance of the faction...why not explain why you think the Gaians would support terraforming as you have before?

I'm not saying the NPC faction shouldn't. I'm saying that it isn't rational. Of course, people aren't rational.

Stopping the bringing life to a lifeless rock is something entirely different from cleaning up smog and MOX plants, in my opinion.

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[Laowai]

I probably don't help this situation by the fact that my gaian sounds like a Bill & Ted Surfer dude.



That being said, people shouldnt judge a book by it's cover... mistake to do so with the Gaians as well.... Anyone who turns to acts of violence for a political point is someone to be considered with a bit of caution.

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http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/3289/...047770.png

[Reverend Del]

Quick off topic here: that [IRA] tag will be going, it's not just tasteless it's downright offensive.

Rudo's right it is just simplification. Rogues a re pirates, Xenos are hicks and Gaians are hippies. Problem is they go with the eaisest and propogate that. Rogues ain't just pirates, Xenos certianly ain't hicks and Gaians are not at all hippies.

Gaians are eco-nuts. Or at least that's their excuse. Planetform is a nice tasty target for ire that wa spawned a long time ago. Technically Gaian operatives could be operating as far afield as Hudson although it'd more likely be espionage actions rather than fleet actions.

The roots of a faction are barely relevant to most folks, they just want to play and enjoy whatever they interpret as that faction.

Trust me I understand your pain, I love the rich backstory of the Xenos and yet 90% of the Xeno players couldn't even tell you what it is the Xenos are actually trying to do.

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Saint Del is considered a holy healer of diseases of children, but also as a protector of cattle.

[Drake]

As Blunt said, the anti-terraforming stance of the Gaians doesn't make much rational sense to me, but people aren't rational. However, I think the aversion to terraforming lifeless rocks into worlds where life can flourish is irrational to the point rivaled only by certain religious groups.

I've also never really understood the Gaian/Kusari alliance, even though it's been explained to me (Kusari terraforms, and probably has more tourism than Bretonia). I also think that the lawful 'Green Party' side of the Gaians would have been shut down with extreme prejudice and many members arrested on suspicion of treason once it became obvious that the Gaians were siding with Kusari.

Edit: About Xenos as hicks... All the XA who play as hicks doesn't help that stereotype. :P

[Eppy]

I RP my Gaian as a PhD student very concerned with the tourism and poaching problems who fights ecological crime on the weekends, if you will - her job, as she sees it, is to stop anybody hauling wildlife and make it economically inefficient for OSC to keep the [i]Shetland[i] in orbit around Gaia. I think that traditional Gaian RP, as it's outlined, is too restrictive. There's no middle ground, there's no place to be a concerned citizen, you can only be a true extremist, and I, for one, don't plan to let that stereotype stop me from trying to RP my concerned PhD student.

I think the Gaians were part of the developers' attempt to talk about the environment; as such, I don't think they're represented the way they ought to be. Likewise, I don't think the Mollies are quite what they should be, either. All of those factions are represented almost entirely in the extreme, there's really no middle ground.

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Quick comment - we thought that Panzer was the Leader, Swift. -Agmen

Which Dreadnought was that?

One of your nine.

[Dusty Lens]

If I may make a humble suggestion which might seem a tad pretentious, a tad presumptuous and perhaps sprinkled with a smidgen of manipulative: Propagandize the Gaian faction you wish to see players broadcast.

Relentlessly recite the same talking points concerning how you feel that Gaians should be conducted, encourage those members of your faction whom agree with your view to do the same. Recite and recite again the same examples that cover your backside whilst pushing your vision for the future.

While a comparison to the Xenos would often be in order, instead I'll give a great example in the Farmers Alliance.

The surface perception of them would be the disgruntled guardians of a way of life who intend to take their rage into space to trunkate the lifespans of some would be synthfood traders, given a humble wage under the table by Samura whilst the cops look the other way so long as they're not overly blatant about it.

Fast forward several hundred pages of forum posting and they're all but a second wing of the KNF, the loyal footsoldiers of Samura and they've defeated the synthfood menace and let me dare hear you say to the contrary.

How did this miraculous transition take place? By the repeated hammerings of reinforced talking points and forum arguments by the concerned playerbase.

As the Xenos slid to, and from hopefully, hickdom in the eyes and system texts of the casual player, so did the AFA slide from angry farmers to conservative militants performing deep strike missions against civilian targets in aid to war efforts and assaulting Outcast instillations etc etc.

I almost assure you that, once your vision for the faction becomes common discourse amongst players new and old, as surely as every Xeno is going to be shouting Yeeehaw and flying a Taiidan, thus will the Gaians follow through with your vision of things.

In other words, spam the change you want to see in the world.

(feel free to quote that one in thoughts that win.)

(This is not intended to be a AFA post, it's just an example. God help you all if you derail.)