These forums have been archived and are now read-only.

The new forums are live and can be found at https://forums.eveonline.com/

EVE General Discussion

 
  • Topic is locked indefinitely.
 

Do you unconsciously associate the Empires with RL nationalities?
Author
Previous Topic Next Topic
Shadime
State Protectorate
Caldari State
#61 - 2015-01-19 14:35:02 UTC
Minmatar= Icelandic.

For sure... Just take a ride around rural iceland and ports...
Dradis Aulmais
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#62 - 2015-01-19 18:15:50 UTC
Caldari are more Ayn rand capitalist then American capitalist.

Gallente are a Jeffersonian republic with strong European influences

Amarr a modern day roman catholic empire

Minmtarr are I see as Israelis fighting for their right to exist as free people

My opinion nothing more won't debate.

Dradis Aulmais, Federal Attorney Number 54896

Free The Scope Three
Joe Starbreaker
Starbreaker and Sons
#63 - 2015-01-19 18:52:15 UTC
Provence Tristram wrote:
Interestingly, while I see a lot of European influence in the races, there's absolutely none that I look at and say "that's America." Maybe that was intentional on the part of CCP, but I don't get strong U.S. overtones from either the Caldari or the Gallente (the two most likely candidates), and there aren't enough diehard Christians left in America to make us the Amarr (plus, I challenge you to find any upstanding modern American who would willingly associate us with slavery, outside a historical context).


Remember that the game is developed in Europe (at least originally). The "lore" used to always refer to the Gallente the way that Europeans think of themselves. They were into "democracy" and "human rights" when, to most non-European eyes, they were really all about self-indulgent moral license and probably a Euro-style bureaucracy. The game also usually described Caldari the way that Europeans think about Americans -- they were described as "corporate" and hard working but without the sort of arts or leisure that Europeans consider to be civilized. I was sure that the game designers intended it to be Gallente = European and Caldari = American.

Over the years I noticed a softening of this bias, probably to make the game more broadly appealing. Yes, they nerfed the lore.
Unsuccessful At Everything
The Troll Bridge
#64 - 2015-01-19 19:15:40 UTC
Shadime wrote:
Minmatar= Icelandic.


Judging by the system names in Minny space, id say this is accurate.

Since the cessation of their usefulness is imminent, may I appropriate your belongings?
Tengu Grib
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#65 - 2015-01-19 21:50:34 UTC
Provence Tristram wrote:


Caldari: Germans. No question about this one. Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe, and has increasingly traded its abandoned Prussian stoicism for rampant commercialism run-amuck.


Personally I see the Caldari as a warning of what corporate America could eventually turn the country into. It's well on it's way already.

Rabble Rabble Rabble

Praise James, Supreme Protector of High Sec.
Tengu Grib
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#66 - 2015-01-19 21:52:23 UTC
Unsuccessful At Everything wrote:
Shadime wrote:
Minmatar= Icelandic.


Judging by the system names in Minny space, id say this is accurate.


Is this why CCP seems to love the Minmattar ships so much? Hmmm.

Rabble Rabble Rabble

Praise James, Supreme Protector of High Sec.
Provence Tristram
Science and Trade Institute
Caldari State
#67 - 2015-01-19 23:26:07 UTC
Tengu Grib wrote:
Provence Tristram wrote:


Caldari: Germans. No question about this one. Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe, and has increasingly traded its abandoned Prussian stoicism for rampant commercialism run-amuck.


Personally I see the Caldari as a warning of what corporate America could eventually turn the country into. It's well on it's way already.


I, for one, welcome our new corporatocratic overlords. If they were actually competent, it would be a nice change of pace.
Herzog Wolfhammer
Sigma Special Tactics Group
#68 - 2015-01-19 23:36:19 UTC
Provence Tristram wrote:
This isn't meant to be a hit-piece of a thread, and I would hope that people can behave themselves.

However, it occurred to me that, since I started playing EVE back in 2004, I have constantly heard the Gallente referred to as 'the French,' and that -- during that same time -- I have kind of come to see the other nations as being tied to real-world nationalities. This is my list, as I see EVE's geopolitical and cultural landscape:

Gallente: I don't just view them as French, per se, but western European as a whole. I think they embody just as many elements of modern Dutch and Belgian culture, as well as even some aspects of British liberalism (their ships also, for whatever reason, remind me a bit of British naval architecture in the First World War, though I cannot lay my finger on why), as they do France.

Amarr: They're Byzantine Imperials. It just fits: a Roman/Christian homogenization that embraced widespread slavery, simultaneously hell bent on spreading the word of God via force, and constantly battling what were seen as 'unruly masses' on all fronts. The only thing that doesn't work is that the Amarr themselves look Scandavian to me, which obviously wouldn't fit. Culturally, however, it's mostly a lock... though I think the more puritanical aspects of the Amarr also remind me a bit of the South African Boers of the late 19th century.

Caldari: Germans. No question about this one. Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe, and has increasingly traded its abandoned Prussian stoicism for rampant commercialism run-amuck.

Minmatar: I went back and forth on this one. I think they are either post-Nixon China (an ethnically-diverse, rising power eager to flex its new muscle on a world stage), or possibly someplace like Vietnam (a little guy who shocked a superpower).

Interestingly, while I see a lot of European influence in the races, there's absolutely none that I look at and say "that's America." Maybe that was intentional on the part of CCP, but I don't get strong U.S. overtones from either the Caldari or the Gallente (the two most likely candidates), and there aren't enough diehard Christians left in America to make us the Amarr (plus, I challenge you to find any upstanding modern American who would willingly associate us with slavery, outside a historical context).





I've been playing since 2006 and have seen countless attempts to equate facets of the Eve empires to RL societies.

EVERY one of them failed.

And I too have tried.

There is simply no way to place Eve's empires with RL societies. Are the Amarr the bible-thumpers of the USA's bible belt? Or maybe the Russian Orthodoxy? Or maybe it's Islam? Nobody has been able to figure that.
Are the Gallente the Americans? The storyline of the Gallente says no (they are descended from space-faring Frenchmen) and while the Federation might share a "federated system of representation" the structure is too loosely defined to beg it to any western democracy.
What of the Caldari? According to Eve lore (lower case l) Caldari are a mix of Finnish and... Japanese?? How could that happen? Hey, Japan, we have a rocket here in Finland. Wanna join us on the trip? We have room and we hear you people are smaller. Yet the thing with Tiberius Heth would suggest that the "Caldari are like the Germans of the 1930s hurrr durrrr".
Meanwhile the Minmatar use Germanic mythology in their naming schemes. What, are these Norwegians who settled on really hot sunny planets and after 23K years of baking in it have taken on a rather dark pigment (which WOULD happen, by the way). Or are the Minmatar more like the Palestinians? Or maybe the Israelis?


It never works out. I just play the game and leave that stuff aside. Makes it more simple and since I can't fit a ship right to save my life (or clones) I have enough trouble.

Bring back DEEEEP Space!
Rain6637
GoonWaffe
Goonswarm Federation
#69 - 2015-01-20 00:17:27 UTC
Serene Repose
#70 - 2015-01-20 01:49:20 UTC  |  Edited by: Serene Repose
I'm among those who are unaware of what we do unconsciously. Were you to rephrase and ask "consciously",
that would be a "no".

EDIT: After some thought - to know what one does subconsciously, however, involves a few very expensive sessions with an expert at tracking down such things. It just so happens I am one such expert, and would gladly be willing to offer in-game psycho-therapy sessions to any player (for a negotiated price) to be conducted in sessions using in-game voice. Should anyone be interested in plumbing the depths of their virtual subconscious minds, just drop me a line with "Plumbing The Depths" as the subject. I'll be happy to schedule you.

So...how long have you been hating your parents, and did your potty training involve any instruments of torture?

We must accommodate the idiocracy.
Hasikan Miallok
Republic University
Minmatar Republic
#71 - 2015-01-20 03:03:08 UTC
Gallente system names have a French spin (Chantrouuse, Osmomonne, Trossere, Vittenyn etc etc) and Caldari system names are distinctly Japanese (Yoma, Keno, Hakonen, Nikkishina etc etc) .

... just saying
Zach Lemmont
Doomheim
#72 - 2015-01-20 06:11:37 UTC
I always envisioned the caldari of a cross-hybrid between the japanese/koreans and US capitalism on steroids. It's a nation of super corporations essentially, which really gives me the feel of US capitalism going overboard and basically ruling the nation instead of the governments. Japanese/Korean because from what i've read on the caldari they have superior work ethic!
Matar
Imperial Academy
Amarr Empire
#73 - 2015-01-20 08:30:27 UTC
Another Posting Alt wrote:
Matar! Matar! Matar! OY! OY! OY!


Yeah?
Jeremiah Saken
The Fall of Leviathan
#74 - 2015-01-20 08:46:22 UTC
Nami Kumamato wrote:
The Gallente = The French. Their ships look French. They look French. I bet their CQ smells of Number 5 and baguettes and it looks French. Liberte, fraternite and all that good stuff...

Thorax as flying baguette? Number 5 is for grannies. I will never fly galls ships anymore wihtout lol. Wanna fraternite with my antimatter?

"I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas..." - Herman Melville
Barrogh Habalu
Imperial Shipment
Amarr Empire
#75 - 2015-01-20 09:01:36 UTC
To me they are mix and match of RL nations, especially if you count in bloodlines. That's not to mention that some Empires have traits that are better associated with certain stages of historical process not associated with particular nation or place.

Future of T3 cruisers - multi-tool they aspired to be instead of sledgehammer they have become
Jeremiah Saken
The Fall of Leviathan
#76 - 2015-01-20 09:26:12 UTC
"Scattered survivors forgot the old world".
Even if new eden nations have some resemblance to earth folks, they are not them.

"I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas..." - Herman Melville
Nakito Kobara
Yamagata Syndicate
Northern Coalition.
#77 - 2015-01-20 13:34:14 UTC
Amarr-Vatican
Caldari-German/Japanese
Gallente- French
Minmatar-African

Yamagata Syndicate - Null sec - PvP - Join today!
Jenn aSide
Worthless Carebears
The Initiative.
#78 - 2015-01-20 14:16:33 UTC
Minmatar = Narn
Amarr = Centauri
Gallente = Minbari
Caldari = Humans
Jovian = Vorlons
Sleepers = Shadows
Silver Grab
Doomheim
#79 - 2015-01-20 15:31:43 UTC  |  Edited by: Silver Grab
Nm not getting into this one
Shiloh Templeton
Cheyenne HET Co
#80 - 2015-01-20 15:33:01 UTC
Nakito Kobara wrote:
Amarr-Vatican
Caldari-German/Japanese
Gallente- French
Minmatar-African

Amarr-Saudi Royal Family