The Solar Revolution

[Timor_Leste]

Patine, I love this idea!
I have some graphics that sound like they match what you're looking for.
As soon as the semester is over, maybe I can give some more help?...
BTW- from what I know of it (and my limited Spanish), I’d say “Mercosur” means “Southern Market”. I clearly see “south” in it.
Assorted Points: 1) Where would Japan be in all this- “Triple Alliance”, or US? And Australia? New Zealand? Turkey?; 2) based on the “expanded US” states, are you suggesting a war between China and US will have caused the pollution, or the “War on Terror”?; 3) I would include Pakistan and the central Asian former-Soviet republics as part of the “Triple Alliance”, along with all of South East Asia, though maybe not Indonesia and the Philippines; 4) if you are going to use Mercosur, I would consider replacing Venezuela in the American sphere with Chile, and add central America in the US zone (mainly, Panama Canal)

[Patine]

First, thanks for the vote of confidence! Now, as for the 'middle powers,' if you will, you asked about, Japan is thus far undecided, but Australia and New Zealand will likely go with the EU, as probably will Turkey. Your suggestion on much of South, Central, and Southeast Asia is a possible, even likely, scenario. The 'wasted' terrain covers much of the Middle East, parts of India and Pakistan, maybe a piece of Korea, and possibly patches elsewhere representing such conflicts beyond present-day events; there may be a small patch somewhere in the US representing a band of terrorists detonating a crude nuclear device. Also, your thoughts on Venezuela, Chile, and Central America in regard to the US are food for thought.

[Patine]

I'd also considered another idea (as this is 95 years in the future, I can take certain liberties), that being having an 'Atlantis;' a artificial continent of raised sea-floor in the middle of the Atlantic. I don't yet know if it would be a US or EU project (or a joint one, and now divided). Any ideas, anyone?

[Patine]

And another question. Does anyone have any ideas what the EU, the Mercasur, or the three members of the 'Triple Alliance' may name orbital, Lunar, or Martian colonies? My linguistics skills are sadly somewhat limited outside English and 'common' foreign words.

[AGRICOLA]

Patine:
And another question. Does anyone have any ideas what the EU, the Mercasur, or the three members of the 'Triple Alliance' may name orbital, Lunar, or Martian colonies?

I'd favour space pioneer names for orbital cities, names derived from lunar geography for lunar colonies and a mix of geographical and scientists' names for colonies on Mars. I'm suggesting some form of systematical naming so that names would would tend to indicate on which of the 4 maps a city is located.

[Patine]

I hadn't considered that. I'll have to look into Lunar and Martian geography (I have maps of them somewhere) and decide on key scientists. And, of course, people like Armstrong, Aldrin, and Soviets like Komarov, Titov, and Popovich would make good candidates for orbital cities. Thanks!

[our_man]

Originally posted by Patine
And another question. Does anyone have any ideas what the EU, the Mercasur, or the three members of the 'Triple Alliance' may name orbital, Lunar, or Martian colonies? My linguistics skills are sadly somewhat limited outside English and 'common' foreign words.

Famous people from a country's history. Science fiction authors.

[Sarsstock]

Those would be good names. I personally would lean toward phrases like "Mount Liberty" translated into the appropriate language of the nation who built the colony in question. The best solution would be to combine this idea with Our_Man's and Agricola's ideas to have a good even mixture of colony name styles.

In my humble opinion at least .

[Sarsstock]

I know you had told me on MSN what you were looking for in the flag designs of the civ's in the game, but for the moment I seem to have forgotten them.

What exact elements were you hoping to have in the flags and shields if I may ask again?

[N35t0r]

Mercosur stands for Mercado Común Sudamericano, which literally means South American Common Market.

Currently, Chile and Bolivia are 'Associated States', and Venezuela enjoys pretty good relations with Argentina and Brazil, as well as Cuba.

Colombia has the closest ties with the USA in the region, AFAIK, and it recieves help in dealing with leftist guerillas (FARC and ELN) as well as drug cartels.


Brazil is currently developing a space program. It tried to launch a rocket, but it blew up (It was in the news). I don't know wether it was a joint effort, but I think it was not...

Argentina has produced a couple of satelites, and we had a ballistic missile programme which was stopped in the 90's due to US lobby.
We also came very close to producing a nuclear bomb, but the CIA destroyed most of the research, we produce nuclear fuel, and have recently sold an experimental reactor to Australia.

If you'd like me to dig up some more info on politics and/or science, let me know.

[Patine]

At Chris: Well, the US and EU are pretty easy. The Lunar Revolutionaries I see having a flag similar to Japan, but a greyish-white circle on a black background; the Solar Dragon Mining Corp I think should have a stylized golden dragon on a two-stripe backdrop of white and silver. The Triple Alliance, Martian Revolutionaries, and the seventh faction (whose latest form I'm considering I haven't yet revealed on this thread but have told you on MSN, and am revealing below) I don't know about, so please feel free to make proposals.

@N35t0r: That's useful information, certainly. Thanks, and I will let you know if there's anything I need to know.

I've considered expanding the seventh player to include an alliance of 'Middle Powers,' all currently US allies, but who become alienated by US policy over the course of the 21st Century, and band together, and include the Mercosur, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and maybe South Africa. Also, the US, EU, and Triple Alliance are getting somewhat revised spheres of influence.

[Sarsstock]

Helpfull indeed N35t0r. I do recall hearing about the Brazillian rocket blowing up on takeoff, I imagine thats set the Brazillian space program back quite a bit.

I also didn't realize Argentina had gotten that close to becoming a true nuclear power. Whats more, a nuclear power with a balistic arsenal.

Now as for the flags Patrick I'll see what I can cook up tonight. I have afew idea's that might suit what your looking for.

[Timor_Leste]

I remember a while ago that the US was pushing to try to get Chile to join NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Currently, Canada, the US and Mexico are its only (?) members. The reason: the US gets a lot of its agricultural products from Chile when the summer time switches south.

The political objectives were two-fold: 1) head off the growing influence of the South American economic group (Mercosur); 2) Chile's growing strength would encourage/compel the rest of South America to join NAFTA, not Mercosur.

Recently, President Bush toured central America touting closer economic ties between the coutries of that region and the US. I think an official agreement to that effect was signed recently, in fact.

[AGRICOLA]

Recently, President Bush toured central America touting closer economic ties between the coutries of that region and the US. I think an official agreement to that effect was signed recently, in fact.

Not so fast, please. The obvious reluctance of South and Central American countries to rush into any free trade agreement with the US is in part based on Mexico's and Canada's experience that

- "free" trade is whatever the US defines it to be at any given time.
- the US has a history of rejecting court and tribunal rulings on the NAFTA agreement that differ from the US interpretation.

Moral: Mice should be very, very careful before they get into bed with an elephant.

[Sarsstock]

Well I would add further comment to this issue of Central and South American Trade Pacts but since Agricola summed up my exact opinion along with the colourfully accurate "mouse in the bed with the elephant" analogy there's really no need.