[tEAbAG]

Antares is one jump from Vasuda, so even if the GTA lost that battle the were definently putting major pressure on the zogs.

For all intents and porposes, the Emperor is large and in charge of the known universe right now.  Even the terrans have to go along with what he says, because they cannot afford to piss off their only friend in a dark and scary galaxy.  Terrans are pretty undermanned and under powered with the loss of the (likely) most populated and developed system in the GTA.  Do the terrans have a friendly face to rally around (besides bosch and his spark plugs:D) or are they ruled by a faceless comitee (which could be bad)?

[Grey Wolf]

Originally posted by PhReAk
i also think the GTA has some aspects of Starship Troopers in it.  If you committed treason and returned to base (?) then you "lose all rank and citizenship in the GTA"

That's actually more in line with the Royal Navy Articles of War, at least as of 1759:

Royal Navy Articles of War, 1759 Revision:
Every person in the fleet, who through cowardice, negligence, or disaffection, shall in time of action withdraw or keep back, or not come into the fight or engagement, or shall not do his utmost to take or destroy every ship which it shall be his duty to engage, and to assist and relieve all and every of His Majesty's ships, or those of his allies, which it shall be his duty to assist and relieve, every such person so offending, and being convicted thereof by the sentence of a court martial, shall suffer death.

[karajorma]

I also seem to remember someone saying the the odd ship classifications in FS2 were the result of them using the old British WWI designations where a destroyer is bigger than a cruiser rather than the modern ones.

Maybe someone at [V] really liked their British naval history.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Originally posted by Liberator
If Vasudan stuff sucks so much how come the Terrans were losing the 14-Year War when the first game comes in?  

Operation: Thresher was a complete disaster with 500+ pilots, 2 destroyers and multiple other ships having been destroyed.
 

The GTA wasn't loosing the 14 Years War. Tresher was a failure because the operation called for an attack on the most heavily fortified Vasudan System (Vasuda) in an inadequate way. The fact that the GTA could launch an attack on the Vasuda System speaks for itself. Had there be no Shivans the Terrans would ahve eventually won the war.

As for the Emperor and his relation to the Empire.
Yes, Khonsu II dissolved the Parliament, but I doubt he completely dissolved democracy inside the empire. What he probably did was dissolving democracy on the macro-scale of things while keeping it on the micro-scale of the nation. So Khonsu probably appoints his closest kin as 'guardian' over a planet. This Guardian then either appoints a cabinet or presides over an elected cabinet. Think a Constitutional Monarchy but with more powers for the monarch than is usual in European constitutional monarchies. So it's most likely that everything on a planetary level is elected except the guardian which is appointed.

As for the relation betweent the Vasudans and the Terrans. Probably something in the form of the EU. The Terran Nations (those mentioned in the tech briefing) as they came into existance after the Great War were never subdued. With the data we have we can assume that they joined the GTVA voluntarily and as such were never disbanded. Add to that the Vasudan Empire and the fact that they have a common foreign policy (not that there's much need for one) and a common defence policy (much needed) this leads me to suspect that they have an EU-like organisation:
e.g. The nations retain their souvereignity except where BETAC applies.
The nations share the military and the costs for that military
The nations share the defence-industry and R&D complext, as well as the costs that go with it
The nations, via the Security Council, share the same foreign policy (see the NTF case) and the same military goals (see NTF and Shivan Campaigns)

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Crazy_Ivan80


The GTA wasn't loosing the 14 Years War. Tresher was a failure because the operation called for an attack on the most heavily fortified Vasudan System (Vasuda) in an inadequate way. The fact that the GTA could launch an attack on the Vasuda System speaks for itself. Had there be no Shivans the Terrans would ahve eventually won the war.

I would have said that the war would have continued for many more years actually. Even though the Terrans were pushing against Vasuda I doubt they would have taken it for a while.

That said the above is my view of the war without Alpha 1. Once the terrans fielded Alpha 1 they probably would have won the war within a month

[Black Wolf]

Keep in mind - determinining who was winning a 14 year long war 32 years before FS2 can't really be any indicator of the technology levels of the two sides in the FS2 Time Era. Look at the world 32 years ago - Not my area of historical expertise but I think Russia was in a lot different a situation than it is now, same as Japan, China and a lot of other nations. 3 decades is plenty of time for certain areas of technology to advance more than others.

Really though, it makes sense that the Vasudans are the better species technologically. As has been said, Vasuda was probably fairly resource short, and, unlike earth, actually fairly hostile to life (meaning a fair number of Vasudans would have left as soon as it became possible, meaning their core was actually probably several planets, probably spread over several systems. The Terrans, on the other hand, probably had a lot of research and a massive population base on Earth and in Sol colonies. When they lost them, they probably lost a hell of a lot more than the Vasudans did, plus of course, we know the Vasudans made a quicker recovery, and they were solidified almost immediately post Great War, unlike the Terrans who splintered. Everything after the Great war(well, except the NTF) was going Vasuda's way.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Originally posted by Black Wolf

Really though, it makes sense that the Vasudans are the better species technologically.  

Yep, especially if one takes into account the possible links with the Ancients. (I once made a post on that on the old VBB, was quite nice, used only canon data too)

[tEAbAG]

Oh yeah.  I seem to remember some scuttlebutt on the vwbb about the vasudans being an ancient Ancient( ) splinter colony, or something to that effect.  The vasudans have had the great destroyer legend all through out their history.  Could be coincedince, but I think vasudan space overlaps Ancient space.  Are the vasudans the ancients, or were they a primitive race that had contact with the shattered survivors of the Ancients?

[neo_hermes]

i believe they where Primitives:nod:

[Stryke 9]

I'm pretty sure the Ancients were those things I found in my icebox this morning. They tasted great heated and with a pound of salt.


Yeah, there's something in the FS Bible or summat about the Vasudans having been one of the races under the Ancients' empire. Naturally, they forgot all about it. Silly Vasudans.

[Liberator]

Well it was 8000 years ago.  I mean look at how many civilizations have fallen on Earth in 8000 years.  It's easy to see how the Vasudans would forget stuff like that.  

Not so long ago(1300 years give or take) humans destroyed nearly 4000 years of recorded history because it was considered heretical or out right blasphemous.

We're making guesses about historical events because the Church wanted minions not servants.  

But I digress, 8000 years is a long time for a species that only lives 70-80 years on average.