Human Backstory

Species suggestions, story ideas and contributions.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Bigjoe5
Designer and Programmer
Posts: 2058
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:33 pm
Location: Orion

Human Backstory

#1 Post by Bigjoe5 »

Has the backstory for Humans been decided upon definitively yet? Cause I just came up with one I kinda like...

So once there was a race living on the planet Earth. They reached a nearly modern level of technology, but then became arrogant with their accomplishments and became lazy, wasting their time and energy with gladiator battles in coliseums. But this left them open to attacks by barbarian tribes, and so they were attacked and lost much of what they had accomplished. However (this is where the backstory becomes less familiar to historians), a few great scientists survived, retaining the knowledge that was lost to the rest of humanity. They developed their technology secretly, and before the rest of humanity emerged from the dark ages, they cast off into space and settled on a planet further out in their solar system. Eventually, they terraformed the world they settled on to their liking and the remaining humans perished in a nuclear war.

Consequences of this storyline:

-Humans starting planet is not third, but seventh or eighth in their solar system. The third planet is radiated and has some kind of ruins special.

-Humans speak Latin

-Humans are skilled in technology because all their ancestors were scientists, but slightly xenophobic because of the past experiences of the species (a higher level of security is enforced in order to avoid the mistakes on Earth).

-Humans have a bonus for spy defense but a penalty to recreation/morale for the same reason as above.

Thoughts? Is this an acceptable backstory? I think it definitely makes humans less boring than some people worried they're going to be. What do you think? (the precise wording of the storyline clearly needs adjustment before being put into the game, if it is put into the game in any form.)
Warning: Antarans in dimensional portal are closer than they appear.

User avatar
pd
Graphics Lead Emeritus
Posts: 1924
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:17 pm
Location: 52°16'N 10°31'E

Re: Human Backstory

#2 Post by pd »

I'm a friend of incorporating some of our oldest history into a possible human race. Something like Romans/Maya in space for example. If developed nicely, this could result in a very interesting race, that is very different from humans as we know or imagine them.

I'm not so sure about your approach though. I don't think it's necessary to have them leave their home planet. Also the story about becoming lazy and wasting resources sounds too familiar somehow, gladiator battles sounds great though, hehe. I think it needs some more work and I think you should be way more free about it.

User avatar
Tortanick
Creative Contributor
Posts: 576
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 8:05 pm

Re: Human Backstory

#3 Post by Tortanick »

It certainly is more imaginative than us just developing tech and reaching space, but it could use more work, its definitely less than half finished.

Loosing earth is a good idea, but I'd go further and loose Sol entirely. Firstly it frees us from the need to include Sol in the game, thats probobly not important, but if we want to cut the max number of planets it may be an advantage. Secondly and more importantly it opens up plot and character possibilities, for example: Earth has become a holy place eqivilent to the temple mount. Finding it is one of humanties dreams, then one they they discover its location, unfortutantely its a highly important colony that's been home to another race for 10s of thousands of years! It also helps avoid the fact that pre-teraforming none of the other planets could support life.

The destruction of earth itself... It should be someting really exciting, a nuclear war could work but it would need more detail than one sentence. Alternatively you could create a noodle incident out of it, just pick a few intreaging names for key events and don't explain them. Crazy stuff like "We might have prevented it if the uncommon cold didn't wipe out the East Coast" or "Christianity hasn't been a popular religion ever since we lost Earth to the second coming". Don't worry to much about contradictory or unbelivible events, it would be a confusing time with few surviving records.

Speaking Latin is a good touch, lots of room for easter eggs if you can translate it back to English. but the idea that Romans could make it into space is a bit odd, if you don't mind just ditching real human history then it's fine. Throw in a crashed spaceship to study, or leave the Roman empire a major power until the loss of earth. But don't be too limited into recreating one particular culture, who knows what happened since the loss of earth, mix and match to your hearts content. You could have Dune style Great House feudalism combined with British empire imperialsum, Roman art styles, gladiators and Hindi sacred cows (the only other species to escape earth). Whatever you do, don't make humans sugary nice guys ;)

Having a ship style that places an emphasis on beauty, weather Roman, Mayan or anything will definitely make them a lot less stereotypical, and on the subject of art, if they're going to be Romans or Mayan, the charchter portates should look it, bone structure, skin tones etc.

Xenophobia: Humans have been very xenophobic towards other humans, I'd guess we'd be more than "a little" xenophobic towards aliens.

Technology is a pretty standard bonus for humans. Give them something a bit more suprising, fast reproduction would work.

And finally you can change the name if you want, They don't have to be called Humans.

User avatar
Bigjoe5
Designer and Programmer
Posts: 2058
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:33 pm
Location: Orion

Re: Human Backstory

#4 Post by Bigjoe5 »

Thank you for your input. I'll try to throw together a more comprehensive version if I have a chance.
Warning: Antarans in dimensional portal are closer than they appear.

Post Reply