Author Topic: Terran Culture  (Read 6307 times)

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Offline wtf_cl0vvn

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I was recently wondering about the culture of humans in the GTA/GTVA...it's never explored much in game.

We CAN make a few inferences: rough equality of the sexes (female pilots and admirals [shima]), and some degree of xenophobia, probably inspired by three interstellar wars with alien races.

Anything else I've missed/your conjecture?

The whole idea sort of came up when i daydreamed about video games --> movies, and thought about FS as a movie.



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Offline Polpolion

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Quote
We CAN make a few inferences: rough equality of the sexes (female pilots and admirals [shima])

Female admirals and pilots has nothing to do with sexism, it's all capability. Or at least that's what you would think.

 
There's been a few of these threads in the past. They never really came to a conclusion, as :v: never bothered to make a really detailed future society. From what we can glean, Terran society in the 24th century is exactly like modern human society. They wear the same clothes, use the same phrases, go to school ("you've all heard about the McCarthy trials in school"), have the same economic/political system, and talk the same language. The FS1 tech description says that Terran society is based on Greek philosophy, but I don't know what that means unless the GTA was some kind of eutopian society, which doesn't seem to be the case. The only difference between FS and RL is that something happened to all the non-white non-Americans. But that's like asking why all the crew of the rebel base in SW Ep IV look like middle-aged British extras.

And I don't see the sexes as "equal" in FS if you're talking about the military alone. The majority of the important command positions are held by old males, a few attractive young females hold low- and mid-level positions. Basically like all SciFi. Personally, I doubt that there will be need for a "male/female" distinction in the 24th century. Comparing mainstream SciFi to reality will (usually) not get you very far.

You're not going to get much done by analyzing FS in terms of culture. The point of FS is the story, and :v: left everything else to your imagination, if you're so inclined.

 
Most of the ships had male captains, but a few had female captains such as the Bastion and that one ship that almost got vaporized by the Sathanas on the mission where you have to take out its beam turrets. I assume that most of the military consists of men since they are more likely to sign up while a fewer number of women sign up as well. I would say the ratio of men to women in the GTA/GTVA would be somewhere around 5:1 or 6:1. There was also a female operator on the GTI Arcadia in Ross 128.  I don't think I've ever seen a female Vasudan.

 

Offline Bob-san

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I'd think that FS Terran culture is similar to Terran culture in battlestar galactica--men and women hold important positions, though men still generally outnumber the women. In both, we are pretty much damn-afraid of our enemy and trying to survive long enough to win. Now, for GTA military-forces, I'd guess it's about a 4:1 ratio (20% women, 80% men). Most of the women would be less-likely to be serving in front-lines situations, due to stresses that they can't handle as well. For pilots, the women have to be fairly more in-shape then the average. For commanding officers, they'll probably be few and far between because men have a nasty habit of making passes at women under them. Still, women probably have a good 2:3 ratio (40+% women, 60-% men) in the non-fighting areas such as the science portion of the GTA. For female vasudans... we really can't tell by voice or by look. From what I've seen, Vasudan faces are very similar and we have only seen them from shoulders-up in command anis (and they're wearing jumpsuits and likely some upper-body braces). They speak to us using a translator, so we have no masculine/feminine differences in speech. They are supposed to be ultra-traditionalist and complex--that leads me to believe that they likely have similar or the same speech patterns as male Vasudans.
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Offline Snail

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I always thought the second Vasudan persona was... Female?

 
Female? Male? For all we know they could have anywhere from 1 to 23 different genders. Primates are only male/female because of a similar genetic heritage, like all Earth animals. No reason why Vasudans would have a similar dialetic. For all we know, the deep voice Vasudans could be female and the high-pitched voices are male.

Quote
I don't think I've ever seen a female Vasudan.

Never seen Ms Vasuda Prime?

Oh.... you don't want to. :shaking:

 

Offline Hades

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Most of the ships had male captains, but a few had female captains such as the Bastion and that one ship that almost got vaporized by the Sathanas on the mission where you have to take out its beam turrets. I assume that most of the military consists of men since they are more likely to sign up while a fewer number of women sign up as well. I would say the ratio of men to women in the GTA/GTVA would be somewhere around 5:1 or 6:1. There was also a female operator on the GTI Arcadia in Ross 128.  I don't think I've ever seen a female Vasudan.

Also Don't Forget The Rampart.
[22:29] <sigtau> Hello, #hard-light?  I'm trying to tell a girl she looks really good for someone who doesn't exercise.  How do I word that non-offensively?
[22:29] <RangerKarl|AtWork> "you look like a big tasty muffin"
----
<batwota> wouldn’t that mean that it’s prepared to kiss your ass if you flank it :p
<batwota> wow
<batwota> KILL

 

Offline Polpolion

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Quote
And I don't see the sexes as "equal" in FS if you're talking about the military alone. The majority of the important command positions are held by old males, a few attractive young females hold low- and mid-level positions. Basically like all SciFi. Personally, I doubt that there will be need for a "male/female" distinction in the 24th century. Comparing mainstream SciFi to reality will (usually) not get you very far.

For the gender's role in the military to be equalized, the promotions and stuff like that have to be purely based on capability. It doesn't matter how many of either gender there is.

Sexism in this case would be: "Oh, hello generic female name. You have awesome records, but you're gonna have to wait until we can get another male to join so we can even out the numbers. Ta!" or "Oh, hello generic female name. You have awesome records, but you're not allowed in because I hate girls! Ta!"

Not sexisim would be: "Oh, hello generic female name. According to the stats, you beat generic male name, generic male name2, generic male name3, and generic male name4 in the areas of reflexes, kills, leadership, following orders, etc. Congrats on becoming a pilot!"


You see? Even if there were no females at all, they wouldn't be pilots because they suck at it, not because they're female.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2007, 04:41:34 pm by thesizzler »

 

Offline Bob-san

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I've seen The Atrocity... I've never clearly seen a FS1/FS1:ST/FS2 female Vasudan. Likely that they are around, just look similar.
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Offline Turey

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I swear one of the Vasudan pilots is female...
Creator of the FreeSpace Open Installer.
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why would an SCP error be considered as news? :wtf: *smacks Cobra*It's a feature.

 

Offline Polpolion

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Yeah, in the mission where you destroy the Knossos.

 

Offline wtf_cl0vvn

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Well, one of the (vas) voices sounds feminine...however no one refers to anyone by gender really (among generic pilots and the like).

By rough equality I mean that anyone can really join...of course less women will be in the armed forces, because men can't have babies. thats a biological necessity.

Fleet admirals seem of varied sexes.

Squadron leaders, pilots, ship captains...that sort of thing.


There are african american pilots, as well as hispanics, if you look at the barracks avatars.
And of course the ubiquitous command guy.

In regards to religion, do they appear to have any? Of course the vasudans have their religious beliefs, but terrans seem to not anymore. They do say "Oh my god" but that's entered into common usage really. as has "jesus christ". godspeed as well.


They never refer to civilians or civilian outcries or anything do they? i know that they are exodus'd out of capella....but otherwise i have no idea. Corporations still make ships, and economical considerations appear to hinder them, so i guess they have some sort of free-market or at least socialist system. Is the GTVA the political leadership as well?

This book is a mirror. When a monkey looks in, no apostle looks out. -Lichtenberg

 

Offline Mad Bomber

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With regards to culture...

The writers of FS were Americans. That tends to give just about anyone an Amerocentric view of culture in general, whether they realize this or not. (I include myself in this; behind the scenes I've been trying to counteract it as much as possible.)

It's the same reason you never see any Sikhs on Star Trek.

The creators, if they noticed it at all, probably figured that the target audience (i.e. American/European males) wouldn't care.
"What the hell!? I've got a Snuffleupagus on my scanners! The Snuffleupagus is active!"

 
But we do care, enough to discuss about it 8 years after the game was made. The FS universe is quite interesting, it really feels like what our future may be like.

 
You know what would be nasty ?!?!? (And expected of male species) If a vasudan male mated with a terran women (or terran male with a vasudan woman)

IMAGINE THE OFFSPRING ?!?!  :eek2:  :eek:  :wtf:

 

Offline BS403

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 :wtf: i don't think thats possible
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Offline redsniper

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*facepalms*
There wouldn't be one. Incompatible chromosomes/sex cells/genomes etc.
Although there is that one pic... and I don't mean the Vasudan pin-up girl.
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*facepalms*
There wouldn't be one. Incompatible chromosomes/sex cells/genomes etc.
Although there is that one pic... and I don't mean the Vasudan pin-up girl.

hyperlink!

 

Offline Koth

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Here we go:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,33461.0.html
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READ WITH CAUTION!
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