hi guys, i am at another stand still, i cant figure out what the reason for the civil war is going to be, i know it is over technology, but i dont know hot to kick start it look: The Age of Eden 21st Century The present day - Overpopulation and unrest mount on Earth, and a number of new political organizations are formed, and tasked with attempting to avert the crises of the next century by solving the mysteries of colonizing non-Earth territories. Terraformation is discovered in Russia under the funding of the Ascendant, and interstellar travel is discovered by the Dominion. The Advent is launched. The lead ship in the colony vessels, the Ground Four, laden with scientists and the terraforming gear-spearheads the colonization of Luna. This sparks the first wave of Human expansion beyond the confines of the solar system. Early Age of Eden Over the course of humanity's interstellar expansion, a number of alien artifacts were discovered across the outer planets. Researchers found research outposts for the study of the new artifacts. The artifacts discovered throughout the colonies reveal startling new technologies and weapons. (i am stuck right here, dont know the reason for all of the colonies just going to war, any ideas?)
You've got it right here. You just need one of these artifacts to be sufficiently important (aka A Game Changer) for the other colonies to either fear or covet, or both. Look at how present day politics handles any country in the real world when they start to develop a nuclear program. It's profoundly unsettling because it shifts the power-play and brings in new players who don't have time at the game-table (so to speak) to temper their hand. Yes, America and Russia have had nuclear weapons forever and more than once across the span of time The Big Red Button loomed large on both the political and social landscape. Somehow, the two countries got past this period of danger and no one wants to risk any NKOTBs not getting past that period of danger.
Well i do have a rather significant device known as the Onyx stone, but that is discovered later, how am i gonna get 9 colonies to literally be every man for himself and trying to take the tech from the other?
A lot of conflict is caused by limited resources. Is there some element needed for the terraforming or the new technology that can only be found in one place? The colonies could fight for control of that place/that element.
well, the technology is mostly disperses across all of the colonies but what makes it valuable is the technological secrets that are revealed, so...should it be so that they are all fighting to gain control over the technology from the other colonies? ps also was also a set of campaigns launched that contributed to the buildups of tension, but dont know what those campaigns will do or instigate?
Can we pause for a moment? What is your story about? No, not the plot points. Not that. I mean the story's reason for existing. What are you saying with this story? The reason I ask is this: It may look like I'm making a funny with that "the Spice must flow.." ref, but I'm not. Firstly, @BayView makes a good point. Resource allocation, when it's unfair or monopolized, can seriously piss people off and can absolutely lead to war. She's right. Also, in the books whence comes that most famous of sci-fi lines, the whole story is about a lesson in resource allocation. Frank Herbert spoke on the topic extensively. His DUNE books and also his less-well-known Void Ship books are all about that one topic. It's the scaffolding upon which the plot and drama take place. What's your scaffolding to all these plot points you already know but aren't sure how they connect?
well if i understand you correctly the reason for the story is to depict a future time in which the human race reenacts their own history but on a larger scale and their own racial struggles and selfishness cause other beings and races to come and nearly destroy them, but then it is also about their struggle to rise again and how uniting and working together will save the human race, is that what you were asking?
The closest thing in that statement to what I am asking is the underlined part. The rest is just plot summary. Ok, so we have the thing you want to say with your work. Good. I only ask because I am also a VERY non-linear writer. I have never once written a story from page one to page done. It doesn't work that way for me. But since I'm as non-linear as that, my stories do always start with a reason for being, a thing I want to say. Having that helps serve as a tie, as a binder for these disparate scenes, actions, dialogue, etc. that all come to me rather randomly. I just wanted to make sure you had that thing since you have mentioned many elements in several threads that you know exist in the story, but you're not sure what will happen with them, where they go, etc.
I'm seeing "racial struggles and selfishness". That sounds like the reasons for your conflict? So you're just trying to make those more concrete, are you? Selfishness could definitely be based on competition for resources. Racial struggles are a bit more complicated. What are your races? Does each colony only contain members of a single Earth 'race'? Or have they been divided for long enough that they've actually begun to display physical characteristics unique to each colony?
well i meant by racial struggles as in humanity as a whole, as in like the entire race of... lets say..dogs their internal conflicts and as for a competition for resources that is kinda..what i wanted to do but not sure what in that would kick start a war
i know what you mean about not being able to write linear, i cant do it either! in fact that is why i do so much backstory instead of the actual story, i think it has to do with the fact that early on i used to be a history wiz, i mean a sincere know it all, but then when it came to video games and movies, i got intrigued with their histories, that they never told, and then one day i decided that i wasnt going to speculate anymore rather i was going to try and craft a history and a universe with the mysteries i had though were present in the things i liked, but was disappointed by, and although i in no way am at your level probably, i would humbly suggest writing "backwards" in other words writing the history leading up to the story giving you something to reference the current story to...anyway i dont know much thank you guys for your help so far!
Are the colonies all under the same power? If not, then the warring parties may be being manipulated by two or three different colonial powers vying for control over an area for resources, trade, magic stones, whatever, like in the Seven Years War. Colonies also band together under religious or cultural groupings which put them at loggerheads with each other. Look up "colonial wars" and forget the fantasy element for now--that's just a plot device, it doesn't explain why whole colonies would take up arms and risk dying.
the colonies are somewhat independent but more or less report to their original earth governments, i think i will use what you are recommending, thanks!
how would terrorist attacks work in this kind of situation, would it be able to start a war if the colonies are already tense towards one another, how will Earth and its governments play into this?
It might, you honestly never know. Killing the right person at the right time was what triggered WWI. Look for what triggered colonies to rebel. Look into things like the American Revolution, and revolutions many African nations went through in the 20th centurty. Real life and history are often the best resource and reference points, even in sci-fi and fantasy. GRRM regularly cites the War of the Roses in the UK as inspiration for the warring Seven Kingdoms in A Song of Ice and Fire.
Are these artifacts useful in supressinf the people? Or perhaps voiding certain conceived 'unalienable rights' by the populace? ( both of which mean power of those who control and servitude for those that don't ) Could play in to other plot points I've see for this work ( from other posts ) with maybe beginning attempts at populace hive mind control for defense teams - the precursor conscripts to your cyborgs. Each colony funds some way to use the artifacts and begins consuming their own people ( or 'enemies' ) through these artifacts to man their armies and defense systems.
Hi, i really like your ideas! the only thing is, is that the defenders are not created, until after the alien race attacks, how would I go about a vie for control over it, like if every colony is trying to keep the other from getting it or they are trying to get more, how would that cause war?
@Defender. I think of it as the line Homo Homini Lupus ( man is wolf to man ). Sometimes it just comes down to survival and what humans will do in the name of their fears. So these artifacts are found by the researchers. Perhaps the researchers are not evenly representing the colonies ( like 3 are from 1 colony instead of 1 from each ) and so seeing the potential they give their leaders a heads up. Or the leaders of the colonies get advanced notice of progress for PR statements and such and instead of going about their business some of the colony leaders start blackmailing or threatening the researchers to gain the upper hand. Maybe the power of one of the artifacts drives one of the researchers cray cray and they kill the other researchers and the colonies declare war over the situation. Maybe one of the colonies decides that they are better equipped to handle the power of the artifacts and so they use force to put the other colonies in their place ( England of old colonizing days or USA pretty much anytime ) so the other colonies band together but then fall apart in their resistance. Maybe the artifacts subtly influence in some way and so a cult following forms - can drive that scenario any which way you want. The power of faith and fear is great ( - that line is almost amazing but not quite ). No one can agree on what to do with the artifacts so they start to fight it out - each thinking their way is best - study further vs attempt to duplicate vs get rid of them vs . . . so on and so on. Bickering starts in leaders and the public finds out so revolts begin ( socioeconomic class differences at the source ) but then the aliens are observing the whole time ( thinking 'Thanks for all the fish' style meddling ) and come in like mommy taking a toy from a toddler. Most of these will rely on alliances forming an breaking and reforming so lots of 'hurt' feelings to build more conflict in. In the end it really comes down to the fact that their are two ways of looking at man ( in my head anyway ) - either you can think that humanity will rise above such situations and work out solutions for the best of all or you can think that humans are still inherently animals ( top predators even ) and in the end will do ANYTHING to survive. Humans are capable of great brutality over very insignificant ( in the grand scheme of things ) matters. A mile wide stretch of land, you don't think the same way I do, you don't look like me, you don't love like me, you don't like the same things I do - human no d has done horrors over these things. The power of ( proven ) alien artifacts and the influence they will have on political interactions is huge in comparison. Think of what humans do in the name of religion which is a faith practice not a scientific fact. Now take one, only one, religion and give the world physical scientific proof that that one is right ( allowing that one to then go 'nya nya boo boo - I'm right and you're wrong' to all the others ) and some really bad stuff will go down in our present qorld let alone a world far advanced from ours.
Another idea - One ( or more ) of your colonies are speratists or specist or -insert bias here- and when the news of the artifacts reaches them they do a 'whoa whoa hold your horses here we agreed to explore the universe and settle land for humans. Get that?! Humans. Ain't no alien artifacts gonna be used on my -insert thing-' So this colony, who just so happens to be a crucial supplier of -insert critical need item- pulls all their support of the terraforming and colonizing. Now people are stranded, dieing, because these guys refuse to have anything to do with the artifacts. But the other colonies are like 'Listen here, f'ers. You got our dang -critical need item- and you agreed to it! We paid you in -some other thing- now we're gonna get what we paid for!' And it becomes an escalating series of refusals ( food, fuel, money ) and sanctions and penalties and each colony suffers until one is just done and TAKES what they want. And it all started because of someone not liking something new and different.
If you look at it simply Ferdinand was the reason. But really it was "the right time" being the tension that existed. It also helps that the attitude of the time was more war-friendly and ruthlessly nationalistic than today's. I'd say it was kind of caused by the attitude of the time.
Religion could work, either the artifacts have an effect on people, or people perceive them to be holy. Government kills the leader to quash it, but it gets stronger and then, boom, rebellion.
Religion is certainly a powerful motivation for violence. When you have faith in your righteousness, in a divine power that backs your causes, it can make you pretty ruthless and determined.
Absolutely. Germany and Britain had been involved in an arms race for some years, building dreadnoughts like there was no tomorrow, so it was only a matter of time before something triggered it. Similarly, Pearl Harbor was only a trigger. American trade sanctions to discourage Japan from aggression on mainland Asia had been gradually becoming more and more likely to cause this aggressive reaction.
Us in the West like to remove our guilt in the war. All of us could have held back or even made peace attempts, successful piece negotiations had already been made.
