Re: Umm, have to bring up the new \"look\"
Let me start off with the premise that violence is like money. In and of itself it is a neutral expression of conflict, an evolutionary transaction. Societies, cultures, like any organism, must conform to the rule that the first virtue is simply the ability to adapt and thus survive. All later cultural expressions, every art and every science must ultimately depend on this will to self preservation. Any culture which has eschewed such measures historically or begins to view violence even in self defense as anethema has ceased to exist.
A good example of this occured during one of the mongol invasions of China. The bureaucratic ruling class, the mandarins, upon learning that the mongols were advancing on them simply tokk to their beds in a show of complete fatalism and awaited death.
A game of this scope puts you in the position of absolute ruler and as such you must take absolute responsibility for all decisions, even the bloody ones that the struggle to survive and thrive imposes on competing species. To shy away from such action is both irresponsible and historically unrealistic. This is a wargame and like many of the better 4x or Civ type games it illustrates many of the painful truths underlying the success and survival of any species. Those who are most commited to their survival, do.
Some may think after reading this that I am advocating violence. Nothing could be further from my intention. It would be ideal if all species could live in harmony with each other, husbanding each other's growth culturally, scientifically and spiritually and perhaps one day we shall evolve to such a point on this planet. Until such a time arrives, however, a certain amount of historical realism continues to be merited.
Having said all this, I admit that I don't like the bullet. It seems a little too "Sgt. Rock" to me and these games are more sophisticated than that. So my objection is purely aesthetic, not motivated by any variety of political correctness. I felt it was important to put things in perspective (my perspective I suppose).
[This message has been edited by Magus38 (edited 03 April 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Magus38 (edited 03 April 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Magus38 (edited 03 April 2001).]
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Going along with the conditions of the world, without hindrance. Conditions of the world going along with conditions of the world, going along is a condition of the world when going along - this is called without hindrance.
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