[desertstorm]

the UEF cant win.  the GTVA could pull all their forces into SOL and crush
what interest do the shivans (we are lead to believe its them) have in helping the UEF.  could they just be trying to make it easier for (if) they end up coming in and destroying everything by having GTVA and UEF just throw everything at each other never uniting as the the GTA and vasudans did with the Lucifer.
I don't see either side winning because they are all being manipulated by either vishnans or shivans. both with their own goals

[Ryuseiken]

I think the final mission of act 3 showed that the Shivans are not at all scared of 'losing' to the GTVA. If they just wanted to wipe them out they wouldn't need to go through the trouble of using the UEF to weaken the GTVA, nothing the GTVA can muster would stop an 80+ jug armada.

Also, the GTA and PVN in the original Freespace were getting their asses handed to them even after they teamed up, they just got lucky and found the Ancient's records in time to use them to defeat the Lucifer.

[qwadtep]

I think the final mission of act 3 showed that the Shivans are not at all scared of 'losing' to the GTVA. If they just wanted to wipe them out they wouldn't need to go through the trouble of using the UEF to weaken the GTVA, nothing the GTVA can muster would stop an 80+ jug armada.

There's even a hidden/removed cutscene in Universal Truth of the GTVA trying to save Earth. The Shivans could steamroll the Tevs and Zods in a week.

[Nyalatothep]

I think the final mission of act 3 showed that the Shivans are not at all scared of 'losing' to the GTVA. If they just wanted to wipe them out they wouldn't need to go through the trouble of using the UEF to weaken the GTVA, nothing the GTVA can muster would stop an 80+ jug armada.

Not to forget that from what we have learned about the Shivans, even if we could wipe out their fleet, they'd be able to adapt and send another one that's even more threatening. For all we know their ressources are next to infinite when compared to whatever we could muster.

If there is a way to 'defeat' them, it is either in changing their goals to include not killing us, or somehow taking away their connection to us, or maybe change something concerning subspace and the universe on a fundamental level so they may lose on their "home turf" or at least effectively lose their way of creating fleets in our universe. Conventional warfare is IMO only good for stalling for time when dealing with Shivans.

[TheDemon]

Here's a win scenario: Figure out how to tell Steele about the Shivan threat in a way that he'll believe. I doubt he'd continue if he knew for certain the Shivans would glass Earth because his side won. If he does continue, it means the GTVA actually deludes themselves into believing they can defeat the Shivans, despite all the evidence to the contrary from Capella.

Of course, actually convincing Steele would be pretty much impossible, but maybe there is a way.

[MatthTheGeek]

Here's a win scenario: Figure out how to tell Steele about the Shivan threat in a way that he'll believe. I doubt he'd continue if he knew for certain the Shivans would glass Earth because his side won.

But do we know that for certain ? Assuming Ken and the Shivans are a reliable source about the Shivans themselves sounds about as smart as believing the Vishnans a reliable source about the Vishnans themselves. Look where that led Sam...

[An4ximandros]

 And yet that is all we have to go on. Unless a Brahman suddenly shows up or we get some totipotent plot twist such as the Ancients coming back from the dead with an armada, all we have is the dimutive's "word."

[Luis Dias]

I'm much more interested in the Al Dawa figure right now, and what its nature tells us.

[qwadtep]

Here's a win scenario: Figure out how to tell Steele about the Shivan threat in a way that he'll believe. I doubt he'd continue if he knew for certain the Shivans would glass Earth because his side won.

But do we know that for certain ? Assuming Ken and the Shivans are a reliable source about the Shivans themselves sounds about as smart as believing the Vishnans a reliable source about the Vishnans themselves. Look where that led Sam...

Difference is that Sam's head is so high in the clouds that he can't see the Vishnans eating his legs. Laporte actually realizes how insane the whole chosen one schtick is and just wants this freaky alien brain radio thing out of her head, which makes her the more reliable narrator.

[Rodo]

With an army of genetically enhanced flower girls from Earth.

[Apollo]

And the Shivans don't pretend to be benevolent.

[rubixcube]

What we heard in Universal truth (take 2) was probably more truthful than what we heard in AoA, though I doubt it was the whole truth. In act 4 or 5 we may get another incarnation of Universal truth that will reveal more

[redsniper]

With an army of genetically enhanced flower girls from Earth.

I'm onboard with this.
Grab some transhuman/clone/augmented gef girls too for good measure. Actually this is starting to sound like the anime adaptation of BP...

[An4ximandros]

Please. We all know BP is already Evangelion in space. Just look at all the Shivan ship "names"!

 If there's ever another UT like level then screw it! I'll just stop playing and watch QD do it on Youtube. Three sleepless nights in a row were bad enough.

 Ahem. But from what we've heard, the UEF might have a trick up their sleeve: the Sun antimatter farm. Perhaps that's where Shambala is? It's practically impossible to get there (without dying) without the right jump vectors...

[qwadtep]

Actually this is starting to sound like the anime adaptation of BP...

No, that's about the girls on the Solaris drinking tea and eating cake until the war's over.

[Apollo]

Actually this is starting to sound like the anime adaptation of BP...

No, that's about the girls on the Solaris drinking tea and eating cake until the war's over.

Nope. That's the one where the Toutatis transforms into a giant robot and has like sixty-four beam cannons.

[An4ximandros]

All of first fleet combines into a single super ship.

[Klaustrophobia]

power rangers: BP?

[SpardaSon21]

Na, Toutatis-Tron.

[rubixcube]

well with axem on the BP team that's not completely impossible