Post originally by Dev at 2003-11-29 10:11:35
Converted from Phorums BB System

I think there are the ridiculous side of things, like Paranoia, and stereotypes of either Fascist or Stalinist states; I'm think that the *vitrue* of a free frontier society is extolled, but not as often that of just free markets.

On one hand, getting away from the "Corporations are evil" trope is good, and I look forward to seeing a different political setting; but conversely, be careful not to be dogmatic in how you paint the politics (many gamers just don't like that, even if they agree). That is to say, pain both the Free-State and the Socialism in grey!

To talk about my own game (FreeSpace Future, the space-western-in-progress!)...

I think I'm bringing political content to my setting, esp. in a pro-freedom way, while trying to not clobbeer people over the head with it. For example, the amount of travel possible between different stars is in fact limited, so each colony tends towards its own autonomous government; each of these usually tends towards a sort of minimalist government (either a labor syndicate or a libertarian free-state), or a Corporation-controlled settlement. Since most players will be wandering rogueish types, they will put a high value of free trade, whether it's legal or not.

Now, about the Corporation thing: I'm dividing that into multiple ideological strains of Corporate Governance, to keep it from getting staid. For example: the dystopian (Corporations taking oligarchal power for the purpose of profit); the neoclassical one (Corporations establishing independent/democratic governments in which to work); and the reformist one (Corporations establishing governments with fair markets and/or populist concerns in mind; i.e. liberal wet dreams abounding). I'm working on some more, but I honestly think that, all together, this brings in more political "options" to consider, but still leaves the question open.

So why is the Dystopian Corporation Trope in there at all? Because (a) it's a reasonable fear of many people (resultant from collusion of government and corporations)...

but moreover, (b) It's FUN for many people to have that sort of Big Bad to encounter. That's the bottom-line, natch, and if you vaguely dig some of the politics, you might enjoy it still more than other cPunk works.