Faction #3 - Which trope will it be?

So the lore appears to be centred around Precursors, possibly of the Abusive kind.
Faction #1 are Space Romans, #2 Church Militants, so what comes next (trope-wise)?

Please note this isn't a criticism, tropes of one kind or another are unavoidable, and the lore needn't be particularly deep and/or original in a game that clearly isn't story driven.

I vote Space Amish who are forced to protect their simple way of life, would like nothing more than to lay down their lasers, and nano-lathe a up a new energy storage barn.

I like the isolationist idea. Amish maybe gimmicky.

I like the theme going. I actually thought it couldn't get as wierd as mine, but it's about that weird.

I would say (not gonna find the trope for ya):

-Shady people (the we-work-in-the-shadows kind)
-Democracy (A faction where all commanders are equal and the first commander is the "first among equals")

Peace Keepers? I'll destroy you all so we can finally have a lasting peace!

Next one is protecting the dusty bones of the united earth federation president or until the next president gets elected (haven't been a election in century's)

I was just thinking about some kind of Progenitor loyalist faction...
...maybe there's a Bigger Bad they were created to fight, Recursive Precursors perhaps!?

Probably suit Faction #1 as a motivator. See: Pax Romana.

I wouldn't expect battle robots to settle down. I think PA setting just asks for Viking-like chaotic faction, fighting just for the sake of it.

Re-activated with traumatic memories of past conflicts and no immediate threat they devote themselves to studying the universe until threatened by outside factions.

Retired Badass / Call to Agriculture / Fighting for a Homeland

Different factions themes, made into a list.

Faction1 Peacekeepers
Faction2 Religious
Faction3 Collective (Borg, Hive)
Faction4 Kill everything
Faction5 Unclear intentions (mysterious faction)
Faction6 Explorers
Faction7 Progenitors (remains of ancient faction)
Faction8 Warmongers (stongest rule)

The First Line

The first commanders who were among the first production batch. They feel vastly superior to all the commanders which were built after them, seeing them as "second rate" commanders, yet still insanely jealous about their revised mechanics and programming. They must of course be destroyed.

So far we've had UEF (empire) and Aeon (religious) equivalents. Next up, I predict, will be the Cybran equivalent (oppressed).

Then finally, we'll have the Progenitors, who are equivalent to the Seraphim. A once peaceful faction that was wronged at some point and wants revenge.

Does it even matter?

No. But speculation is fun.

Speculating on what particular variety of bland, overwritten and trite backstory will be shoveled out next is fun?
That's what we're doing for fun these days?

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Also the fact that you admit that it doesn't matter... that's not even the slightest bit concerning to anyone?
Yes, this isn't a story driven game. Neither was Total Annihilation. Its 'story' was just two Commanders fighting the Forever War. What made it interesting was what they were fighting for, and the questions it posed on a moral and intellectual level.

If Total Annihilation's quandary was "What would you do when faced with Transhumanism?",
then what is PA's quandary?

The only thing I can come up with is "The definition of self, is memory."
But that's not a quandary... that's a statement. Currently there is no faction that allows me to disagree with that statement either.

If we restricted ourselves to discussing what matters there would be very little posting done around here indeed.

My references to these tired tropes were a light-hearted attempt to highlight the shallow nature of it all, but rather than rallying against it, I say embrace the cheese and enjoy the ride.

If you're searching for meaning, and PA lore has disappointed you, may I politely suggest you're looking in the wrong places.

P.S. At the risk of being accused of pedantry, did you mean to write "tripe", because "trite" is a (fitting) adjective but not a noun?

You're advocating that the game be 'brainless'. That is something I can not agree with you on.

There is nothing inherently wrong with tropes; in-and-of themselves they are just a pattern of recurring themes that humans seem to have an attachment to for one reason or another. Without context however, referencing a trope is nothing more than that... a reference... without some form of meaning behind the reference... it's just a thing.

Neutrino made a comment a while back that hinted that the Commanders were Advanced AI beings that could explain their reasoning, that they were not soulless gas-pumps.

So far, there has been no evidence to prove this. These 'Advanced AI beings' have dysfunctional memories and are acting in a purely reactionary manner. They aren't thinking, they're just acting on their (incomplete) memories. What's worse is that they know that they don't have their full memories... and don't even seem to be curious about it. They're machines that have been memory-wiped... they've had their memory core reformatted... and they don't care!

These Commanders are the very definition of soulless gas-pumps!

Uhm... Yes? Nanolathe I get the feeling that your very serious and strong in your opinion. But most people come here because they thing this is a fun forum and want to help PA and give there opinion. Learn to take a joke and don't be such an *** about it. Games are for fun, try to have some.

I'm advocating it being a game first and foremost. Who's core tenant is smashing stuff together.
Mindless fun is still fun.

Further more, show me the budget for top-class writing that'd probably just end up ripping off something already better explored in a Philip K. D-i-c-k* novel or the like.

* Mindless naughty word filter made me do it. *sigh*

I just don't like being lied to, that's all.
Am I not allowed to have a strong opinion about being lied to now?

(Also yes, I missed out a noun in that sentence before. I'll add one in)

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You don't seem to understand; I don't want 'top-class' writing. I don't need an essay on the exact minutia behind each commanders every move. I want the broad strokes that define them as an Advanced AI being... an individual of intelligent thought and reason, not just a walking trope.

I would like to see these beings' thoughts and reasoning behind their decisions, the things that would separate them from just being a soulless gas-pump. Since those thoughts and reasonings were something Neutrino said that the Commanders would have, it is disappointing that Commanders have shown absolutely zero thought or reasoning whatsoever.

Here is the quote for posterity;

Strong opinions appear to be your forte. You threw me with that rather large edit BTW.
Why dump your angst in a thread that by you own admission doesn't matter?

Try starting your own "Not happy" thread, where you can air your grievances, and defend your accusations of lying.