11/22/2022 - 5:00 PMWelcome to Loremakers: Community Questions, a series focused on answering your lore quandaries and conundrums. We’ve done a deep dive through the lore Ask A Dev section and selected ten questions to answer about the Star Citizen universe. All questions were edited for context and clarity but you can click on the topic to go directly to the original post and join the conversation. Also, the Narrative team plans to do one installment of Loremakers: Community Questions every quarter with the next entry scheduled for Tuesday, March 21st, so please join the discussion and drop any other questions you might have about the universe in our Ask A Dev forum.
Political Parties? Question: My understanding is that there are only three parties in the galaxy:
Universalist, Centralist, & Transitionalist
However, I ran across some Hurston Dynamics lore that mentioned a “Worker’s Party.” Is this support lore or is there a fourth party that will greatly influence gameplay like the others?
Answer: There are more than three political parties that exist within the UEE. Universalist, Centralist, and Transitionalist are merely the most popular and widely represented within the current government. Belonging to one of those parties isn't necessary for political success, as is evident in Laylani Addison being elected Imperator after running as an independent candidate. Yet, joining one of the big three parties does provide a stronger base of voters, donors, and like-minded elected officials. Critics of the Addison administration often point to her lack of political allies, which would not be an issue if she belonged to a party, as the reason several of her major initiatives have stalled.
Meanwhile, the group you’re probably thinking of is the “United Workers of Hurston” who were created to advocate for worker rights on Hurston. They're more of a labor union than a political party though. Hurston owns the planet and can govern it as they see fit, meaning no requirement for a governing body of elected officials, as long as they uphold and enforce the UEE common laws. That said, the UEE would be filled with a lot of smaller political parties that represent different goals and interests. Some would be focused on local issues while others might have bigger ambitions. So the door is open for other political parties to influence politics across the Empire.
Stanton's Birthday? Question: Why didn't you do an event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Stanton system?
Answer: There's a few reasons from a lore perspective why a big Stanton centennial celebration didn't occur. While the system was discovered in 2851, the mega-corps that now own the planets didn't take control of them until 2865. If there's a 100-year anniversary the mega-corps would want to celebrate, it would be the one that puts them in the spotlight. Also, since these mega-corps have sovereignty over each individual planet, there's no system-wide governing body to organize and pay for such a celebration. There is a Stanton System Conference held annually between the four mega-corps to discuss system-wide issues, but that is more focused on how they can address collective issues, like rampant crime, rather than how to promote or celebrate the system.
What Planet Would You Call Home? Question: While looking around for an old Comm Link detailing some party planets, I found Cassel (Goss II) and Reisse (Rhetor III) and it got me thinking. Where would you settle down if you had to choose one place and why? Sometimes you gotta let your hair down and party to get the taste of burnt pirate out of your mouth.
Answer: Adam Wieser (Writer): Reisse, Rhetor system feels totally my speed. First, it's the heart of higher education within the Empire, so it awash in culturally significant institutions constantly invigorated by a youthful spirit. Plus, only being connected to UEE systems means I'll get advanced warnings if trouble is on the way. Finally, the system also has an epic multi-colored gas giant in its outer reaches for when I went to escape society and soak up something astoundingly beautiful.
Cherie Heiberg (Archivist and Associate Writer): Since someone whose name begins with W and ends with ill already stole my answer, I think I'd enjoy living in Saisei in the Centauri system. I'd love living on a planet that has cities with solarpunk vibes, and I'm very interested in the music scene, especially what I imagine S-pop to sound like.
Dave Haddock (Narrative Director): I’d be curious to check out Port Conrad on Armitage in the Orion system. Sure you'd have to dodge Vanduul clans passing through the system, but I'm just excited to see how it gets visualized.
Jeremy Melloul (Writer II): I could imagine myself on a number of planets, but the one I'm leaning towards right now is Terra! The system is probably Humanity's most important cultural center (sorry Earth) and would be an incredible vantage point from which to experience this future universe. Plus, it's a beautiful planet that's been able to avoid repeating the mistakes we've made on our homeworld. On Terra, nature and civilization exist in harmony. That sounds like a dream! I also think the nerd in me would quite love settling in Quasi, specifically. Those massive ancient ruins would be fascinating and I could see myself daydreaming about their origins regularly.
Matthew Thompson (Narrative Designer I): I really struggled with this (ask me again in 6 months and I'll probably give you a different answer) but every time I think about where I'd actually want to live in the PU it'd probably be microTech. There's lots of cool places I'd love to visit like Mars in the Sol system for the history, the Hades system for the mystery of it, the Tayac system for the Ark library, and the Synthworld in the Chronos system. But if I actually had to live anywhere in the PU, I think you can't really go wrong with the snow city with the kind of tech culture someone like me would really find themselves at home in. It also helps that some of those mountain ranges and forests are absolutely stunning and as someone who would love to see Antarctica one day and is known to daydream about having somewhere out in the middle of nowhere to themselves... microTech really does tick a lot of boxes.
Tung Thanh Cao (Narrative Designer I): I'll definitely live on the floating platform of Orison. I've always wanted to live in the cloud. Plus, Orison is just one of the most beautiful city I've been to in Star Citizen.
William Weissbaum (Lead Writer): While my answer changes regularly, right now I'm feeling like spending time in the Goss System. Just looking at how stunning our current locations are in the Stanton System, I cannot wait to see what the art team will be able to do when challenged specifically with making one of the top tourist destinations in the empire.
Why Did the Messers Choose to Not Invade the Banu? Question: Why did the Messer's never decide to invade the decentralized and weaker Banu? The Messers could have used the war as a way to garner popular support and use the spoils of war to enrich themselves and the empire, ultimately extending the life expectancy of their reign.
Answer: Since the Messer's were obsessed with consolidating and retaining power, they must've determined that invading the Banu Protectorate worked against those goals. First, justifying a war against the one species Humanity had a good relationship with from first contact would be a tough sell to the Empire. Humans and Banu had over a hundred years of shared history before Ivar Messer came to power, so it would take a lot of propaganda to convince people that this mostly peaceful, trading-obsessed species deserved to be conquered. Meanwhile, first encounters with other alien species (Tevarin, Xi'an, and Vanduul) were all contentious, making them more natural enemies of the Empire.
Besides the difficulties in convincing the masses of the need for such a war, a high-level look at the wider universe and political trends of the Messer era hints at other deterrents to an invasion. The regime rose to power under Ivar Messer in 2546 between the First Tevarin War (2541-2546) and the Second Tevarin War (2603-2610), and 16 years after the contentious first contact with the Xi'an. Being actively engaged in a war against one species while maintaining a fragile cold war with another seems like a good reason to not push an aggressive action on the Banu. In the decades after the Second Tevarin War, the Messer family fought amongst themselves for control of the regime. With their eyes turned toward internal enemies, it's not a surprise that they didn't look for others in the wider universe. Then, in 2681, the Vanduul made their presence known. The UEE struggled under their constant attacks and ceded several systems to the Vanduul. Leaving them unable to protect one side of the empire and still worried about the Xi'an threat on the other. The Messer regime remained in a pinch between those two species for the rest of their reign, and increasingly had to focus on measures to keep their own empire in order. Opening a third front against the Banu must not have seemed like a good idea while already overwhelmed by those other issues.
Finally, there isn’t much to support the idea that the Banu would necessarily be a ‘weak’ opponent. Though they tend to push towards diplomacy whenever possible, they would probably be surprisingly effective if pushed into a military conflict. While their government is decentralized, they do have the capacity and ability to unify against an external threat.
Jax McCleary and Whitley's Guide, Why 2950 and Not 2949? Question: In the Galactapedia articles dedicated to Jax McCleary and Whitley's Guide, it is specified that Jax signed a contract with Whitley in 2950 to host the show even though the first show where they are together is from the 2949 IAE? Should we consider that 2949 was a trial run that was formalized into a full-time contract in 2950? Or is this just a dating error?
Answer: 2950 was the year Jax signed a long term deal with Whitley's Guide. With both Jax and Whitley's being famous and well-respected in the field, they partnered for coverage of the 2949 IAE and enjoyed the experience enough to make it a regular thing in 2950. A decision one must wonder if Whitley's regrets after Jax's disappearance following the 2951 expo.
Why Are Both Pyro and the Lorville Rework Moving So Far Away From the Established Lore? Question: I saw an interesting video that pointed out that Pyro has been overbuilt and the system no longer matches its lore. Instead of being lifeless hell holes blasted by pulsar-like radiation, the planets are now life-bearing, water-bearing, and habitable. The same video pointed out that the rework of Lorville feels much too prosperous for the dictatorship oligarchy of the Hurstons. Frankly, the existing lore matches the current city much better. Any rework should spread the city out into squat, ugly, soul breaking shapes with the HD building looming over it all like a menacing, watching, giant overseer, rather than being built into a glittering modern, if dark, cityscape. Is there a reason Pyro & Lorville doesn't match the old lore?
Answer: Simply, game development is extremely collaborative and Narrative is but one piece of the puzzle. While the process often begins with our team providing particulars on a location, character or other aspect of the game, we know that's not where the conversation ends but where the collaboration begins. In addition, the open development process provides greater insight into how things get constantly iterated upon and refined. For example, Narrative descriptions of planets or moons that alluded to their resources "being picked clean were written prior to the development of tech that would allow players to fully explore planets. That wording was chosen to explain why people don't (or couldn't) go to certain locations, but that had to change once they were. We adjust the lore when we can but other times we have to retcon it to make it work. As with Stanton, whose discovery date was pushed back and the linked Galactic Guide updated with a note specifying that changes were made, what ends up in game will be what's official and the lore around modified to match.
That's the high-level explanation for why adjustments were made to Pyro. Meanwhile, the changes coming to Lorville are more subtle, and an example of how we provide the broad strokes on something so there's room for other teams to iterate. The Hurston Dynamics building lording over Lorville is definitely a striking image that captures the company’s essence, but the changes to the skyline still fit within the overall lore for the company and planet. Despite their devastating environmental policies and cruel labor practices, the family (and company) would still want to project wealth and power to those who visit. They want to impress guests, entice potential executives and laborers to the planet, and even prove to others that strong, authoritarian leadership can produce such prosperity and wealth.
What Happens to All the Dead Corpses Left After You Die? Question: What happens to all the corpses? Do they get collected by a space company to be reprocessed into genetic goods or potentially more sinister?
Answer: Yes, this is quite a macabre dilemma poised by regen tech but the lore is filled with possibilities. Sometimes corpses would need to be collected for investigatory reasons if the death was criminal. Other times the bodies could possibly fall into the hands of nefarious individuals intent on Weekend at Bernie’s shenanigans or who were looking to make a quick credit selling to black market organ dealers and their ilk. Some landing areas would have sanitation crews tasked with dealing with the issue. There could also be Humanitarian orgs that gather corpses and administer proper space burials.
What’s the Pyro Star Type After All? Question: Different sources are telling different things. It's been described as a K-type star and a M-type. So which one is it?
Answer: It's a K-type main sequence flare star. A flare star is a variable star that can undergo unpredictable and dramatic increases in brightness across the electromagnetic spectrum within a few minutes. Most flare stars are M-type and K-type, which means (in a nutshell) that they are lower in mass and luminosity than Sol, which is a G-type star. To fit the established lore of the system without making it too cold, we decided to make the star of Pyro a K-type, putting it between an M-type and G-type in brightness. This keeps Pyro unpredictable and dangerous but allows for conditions that might support the development of life on some of its planets.
Its classification was adjusted after the initial lore was written for the system. The Starmap was updated accordingly, but some of the older lore still needs to be adjusted. We plan on updating that specific and others related to Pyro as we prepare for the release of the system.
Vega’s Surprising Artistic Side? Question: In a recent Galactapedia article about Vega, it was mentioned that due to the system being on the frontlines of the Vanduul War it has developed some unique artistic subcultures. Aremis for example has a thing for fine dining & molecular gastronomy, while Selene has a strong absurdist art scene, especially pieces with a theme of existential dread or the folly of war.
I found the latter pretty interesting, since I had always imagined Selene to be one of the most neo-Messer planets in the UEE, being home to Kastak Arms and various militias who are actively taking part in the Vanduul War effort. But the fact that absurdist art based on the folly of war is popular there seems to imply that many of the populace is either opposed to the Vanduul War, or otherwise blames the UEE Navy for putting their home world in jeopardy by choosing to escalate with the Vanduul.
Is this discrepancy the result of the divide between Citizens & Civilians in the UEE? Namely, that those who call most of the shots when it comes to planetary politics are Citizens who likely earned their Citizenship through participating in the Vanduul War in some form, while the ordinary Civilians who could not or would not leave Vega once the Vanduul were at the doorstep are struggling with feelings of powerlessness?
Answer: Interesting take on what's inspiring the ascendant absurdist art scene on Selene (Vega III). It's definitely partially an expression of powerlessness against larger forces completely out of their control, but other forces are also at play. For example, despite the planet being home to Kastak Arms and many who support aggressive actions against the Vanduul, the art scene proves that Selene has a strong counterculture scene that doesn’t share those views. While the Citizen and Civilian divide you mentioned probably plays a part for some, there are certainly other factors inspiring it too.
First, in the wider scope of history, Selene has experienced both extreme highs and lows. The Vega system was discovered in 2402, so Humanity has over 500 years of history with the planet. Selene was the cultural heart of the system for centuries and prospered under the Messers, while Aremis (Vega II) remained primarily a military outpost. But the increasing Vanduul threat scared people away from the system and many who stayed, or moved there recently, decided to settle on Aremis due to the strong military presence. This led to Selene suffering from a slumping economy and brain drain as people fled the planet. Yet these tough times did make the planet a more affordable destination, which would've attracted artists who then developed the absurdist art style now popular there. In addition, Titus, Selene's capital, is filled with abandoned and half-finished buildings, so there's plenty of space for large art studios and galleries. Finally, Vega became a destination for many of the refugees fleeing Vanduul invasions of Orion, Tiber, and Virgil. The horrors and existential dread of such an experience still resonates through the generations and helped foster an attitude and ideology that allowed such an art style to take root.
New Plans for Weekly Narrative Team Updates? Question: Are there any plans to change the format of the weekly Narrative team publishes? It's usually lore post for one week and Galactapedia update for the other, but are there plans to maybe change it to a weekly story series or maybe a short video?
Answer: Yes, while we're still discussing the specifics, expect some changes to our weekly posts in the new year. What I can say with certainty is that lore videos, even short ones, aren't in the cards. Producing them would require support from other teams who don't have the bandwidth for additional work.
Crazy to think that the weekly lore posts started over ten years ago with the release of daily Time Capsule posts providing an overview of the history between our current era and the one in game. By the way, Narrative still recommends that new hires at CIG read those Time Capsules to get a general grasp on the lore. The weekly posts grew from those initial Time Capsules because they provided a window into the universe when there wasn't much to explore. Now that more of the lore can be directly experienced in game, it's become a topic of debate regarding how and where we deploy our Narrative resources. Stay tuned in the new year to see exactly where we land.