[Vasudan Commander]

Here we go:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,33461.0.html
CAUTION THIS LINK MY RESULT IN EXTREME EYE DAMAGE!!!
READ WITH CAUTION!

not the vasudan chick, seen that. The vasudan / terran baby! I wanna see that! 

[Goober5000]

Basically, all human culture in sci-fi is simply present-day culture with advanced technology.  Very few writers (none that I can think of offhand, with the possible exception of Orson Scott Card) have made any attempt to forecast future trends.  Even past trends are pretty unfamiliar to a lot of people.  Read a book written in the 18th or 19th century; you may be surprised at the number of customs and social mores that are different, even foreign.

It's a shame really.  It would be interesting to see what sorts of things people come up with.  Fortunately the fantasy writers are a little more adventurous (no pun intended) in this regard.

The chance of human culture in the 24th century turning out as presented in FreeSpace is practically nil.  For one thing, a war with an alien species, with regular casualties, extending over 14 years (more than half a generation) with no end in sight, would trigger a massive campaign to have Terran women stay on Earth and have babies.  It's a simple biological imperative.

[Alikchi]

After the 14 Year War, the Great War, the NTF Rebellion and the Second Great War, I'd imagine the GTVA to be quite a militarized society. I imagine that some form of a national service program was initiated during the 14 Year War by both the Terrans and Vasudans separately and then continued under the GTVA - with things like mandatory military or national service for a few years during peacetime. Considering the nature of the GTA and GTVA though, and the tendency for societies to become more liberal over time, it's really unpredictable.

Quite frankly I worry that after FS2, you might see a more nationalistic, Fascist-style corporate state ideology take hold. So much war and death over generations is a breeding groudn for that stuff.

[blackhole]

Ender's Game rules.

Just to clarify

[Gamma_Draconis]

There are billion of Terrans living on colonies all over GTA space. A few million lost in wars isn't gonna determine anything. Besides, only officers can fly meaning only a small portion of civilians are actually risking their lives in the military. Aside from the marines/soldiers/ground forces, I wouldn't expect of casualties. There was even a female marine in the boarding party on the boarding party cutscene from FS1. The lost of a planet is a great lost, losing a destroyer isn't going to effect your population much.

[achtung]

The lost of a planet is a great lost, losing a destroyer isn't going to effect your population much.

But what if that destroyer is essential to a planet's defense? 

[Alikchi]

Casualties matter less than duration and legitimacy of the conflict. In Vietnam as in Iraq, a fraction of the US' population was lost, but the length and nature of the wars made them extremely unpopular and led to huge political and social shifts at home. There are coutnless other examples in history of low-casualty wars having huge ramifications. And don't think casualties would necessarily be minimal. As Swantz said, a loss in space over a populated planet could mean a bitter ground battle with modern, deadly weapons.

[TrashMan]

Basically, all human culture in sci-fi is simply present-day culture with advanced technology.  Very few writers (none that I can think of offhand, with the possible exception of Orson Scott Card) have made any attempt to forecast future trends.  Even past trends are pretty unfamiliar to a lot of people.  Read a book written in the 18th or 19th century; you may be surprised at the number of customs and social mores that are different, even foreign.

It's a shame really.  It would be interesting to see what sorts of things people come up with.  Fortunately the fantasy writers are a little more adventurous (no pun intended) in this regard.

The chance of human culture in the 24th century turning out as presented in FreeSpace is practically nil.  For one thing, a war with an alien species, with regular casualties, extending over 14 years (more than half a generation) with no end in sight, would trigger a massive campaign to have Terran women stay on Earth and have babies.  It's a simple biological imperative.

I allways figured human culture would move towards simplicity... and it's quite simple today..mostly..
So I see nothing wrong with the future human culture being very similar to what we have today..

Do you really see us getting devided into castes or some other ****z like that? After we experienced "democracy"?

[Snail]

Do you really see us getting devided into castes or some other ****z like that? After we experienced "democracy"?

*looks around*
While everyone praises Karajorma? Yep.

[Goober5000]

There are billion of Terrans living on colonies all over GTA space.

No there aren't.  According to the FS Ref bible, subspace was discovered only a few years before the T-V war.  In FS2, Capella was described as "densely populated", despite only having 250 million civilians, less than the population of the USA.  The majority of humanity is probably still stuck in the Sol system.

And yes, millions of casualties -- no matter how large the total population -- will have a significant political and psychological impact.

I allways figured human culture would move towards simplicity... and it's quite simple today..mostly..
So I see nothing wrong with the future human culture being very similar to what we have today..

It is far from simple today.  "Simple" is a nomadic hunter-gatherer society.  Human culture today is quite complex.  Look at all the laws and regulations on the books, for example.

And if you think human culture in 400 years is going to be very similar to what we have today, then I highly recommend that you drop what you're doing and brush up on your history.  Or go read a book, as Petrarch says.

Do you really see us getting devided into castes or some other ****z like that? After we experienced "democracy"?

I hadn't considered castes, but you're probably right about that.  Certainly American culture is proceeding towards increasing class division, which is just the modern day equivalent of castes.

And democracy is not a silver bullet.  When the morons outnumber the intelligent and every moron can vote, and when electronic voting machines have no paper trail, the system is ripe -- rotten, even -- for abuse.

[achtung]

In the future, everyone wears funny hats.

[Axem]

Damn right.

[TrashMan]

I allways figured human culture would move towards simplicity... and it's quite simple today..mostly..
So I see nothing wrong with the future human culture being very similar to what we have today..

It is far from simple today.  "Simple" is a nomadic hunter-gatherer society.  Human culture today is quite complex.  Look at all the laws and regulations on the books, for example.

And if you think human culture in 400 years is going to be very similar to what we have today, then I highly recommend that you drop what you're doing and brush up on your history.  Or go read a book, as Petrarch says.

True that in the past our culture changed drasticly...but thats becoause we didn't have a single culture, we had thousands of them. Not ot mention humans didn't really know much at that time and religion played a major role in culture..

In the modern world with globalisation and communications the world is becoming a "melting pot" and we can allready see a start of a global culture forming..
Once it's set I doubt any big changes will occur...

[Mad Bomber]

You're assuming that humanity won't colonize other worlds and come up with different cultures there before the homogenization is complete.

Which is probably, unfortunately, a correct assumption, but it's still an assumption.

[achtung]

Damn right.

You WIN sir.

[colecampbell666]

There are billion of Terrans living on colonies all over GTA space.

No there aren't.  According to the FS Ref bible, subspace was discovered only a few years before the T-V war.  In FS2, Capella was described as "densely populated", despite only having 250 million civilians, less than the population of the USA.  The majority of humanity is probably still stuck in the Sol system.

I seem to remember reading in the tech room that the Elysium was the original Terran transport, and it was 20 years old at the time of the great war.

[Gamma_Draconis]

So.... What have the people on Earth been doing all this time? I hope they are building lots of ships.

[Agent_Koopa]

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.

Black Death. II. Caucasians have a genetic advantage, and most other ethnic groups are hit hard. Except for Command. Known for his tactical wisdom, he was immunized and placed in reverse quarantine. You never see anyone else in Command's head ani, because he is locked in a small chamber, surrounded by computers.

[Turey]

Black Death. II. Caucasians have a genetic advantage, and most other ethnic groups are hit hard. Except for Command. Known for his tactical wisdom, he was immunized and placed in reverse quarantine. You never see anyone else in Command's head ani, because he is locked in a small chamber, surrounded by computers.

It's kind of creepy that I can't refute that. 

[Polpolion]

Caucasians have a genetic advantage

What?