An Idea · 5:54am Aug 19th, 2012
I'm not sure if any of you are actually going to read this or care about it but I came up with a fic idea I may do after HARMONIZER's finished, and since you're all following me, I figure I might as well spill a few beans on it.
It still involves humans, but in a rather meaningful way; it's basically a warfic centered around humans, but with actual background, organization, and hopefully culture. The subject of this fic is the human race, under the banner of Arcadia (development name; if I figure out a better one I'll use it). Humans possess high technology, not having many evolutionary advantages; to ensure the rest of the world developed at their own pace, though, humanity used to be a race of recluses, letting people come and go, but otherwise not taking part in international affairs. Their army was also more geared towards self-defense, having the latest and best gear, but usually at a cost in manpower; each soldier made up for this by being a lethal fighting machine. And for a while that was good.
Then, as humans are wont to do, war happened. At around the height of our civilization right now, tensions flared, and civil war was declared. This happened about five years before the start of Friendship is Magic and resulted in Arcadia itself dropping off the radar.
The Nightmare Moon incident was a very real reminder that perhaps humanity should stop being warlike recluses. Tech had progressed a good two decades or so back and things were happening that could screw with humanity itself in a very bad way. And after the massive war, nobody was really sure why they were fighting.
Peace was quickly made, and the entire year since was spent building; expanding their army to provide better offense and defense, rebuilding the wreckage the war caused, and otherwise fixing themselves up. At an unspecified point in FiM's timeline, Arcadia reveals itself.
But in the grim darkness of the future, there is only war. And pretty soon the Arcadians get into a scrap with the griffons, because who else, and the minotaurs, because nobody expects minotaurs.
The story would center on four groups of characters; a small team of Arcadian Rangers (think land-based US Marines) consisting of four four-man squads, three APCs and a single tank and attack helicopter assigned to defend Ponyville, Nobody Squad, another four-man team consisting of Unconventional Tactics and Special Operations troopers (UTSO operatives, Navy SEALs mixed with spies), the crew of the battleship AMS Understanding, part of the Arcadian Navy, and Hellcat Squadron, a seven-man wing of Arcadian Air Force fighters, as they go from frying pan to bigger frying pan.
Needless to say, this would differentiate itself by having an entire large codex dedicated to military and cultural information about humanity, and a lot of world-building opportunities.
So. Thoughts? Should I undertake this? Anyone willing to help me with it?
Keep in mind, this won't come out until HARMONIZER is done, and is likely going to take a lot longer due to the scale. I might not even do the thing.
Oh Jesus I have an idea relatively similar to that and I'm line super paranoid and like HOLYSHIT YOU STOLE THIS and but no it's different. And there's waaaaay too many Arcadias. Halo Arcadia, many IRL Arcadias, maybe... meh. But hen you get to it, I'll gladly beta read.
Sounds awesome, and it certainly does seem like a huge undertaking.
I'd be willing to help, though I don't know how I could be of use.
I'm expecting a whole lot of scopes on their weapons or I'm gonna be disappointed.
(though maybe have one guy say screw scopes just for laughs)
296941: I'm using that as a regular name. Once I come up with a better one I'll put it there.
297294: Actually, there are going to be a lot of scopes, but the amount of attachments you get studded onto your firearm depends on the branch of the military you enter.
More background stuff; the human advantage is tech. They are a very technologically advanced race and do have modern-era tech, as you know. Their disadvantage is men; they have around 10,000 soldiers in the Army and Navy each, 5000 in the Rangers and Marines each, 100 UTSO operatives, and 300 Air Force pilots (this not counting people like vehicle crews or chefs or other non-infantry, besides Air Force pilots). 10 of whom are in the Thunderstrikes special operations flight team.
Where the Griffons can raise a massive army, humanity's only hope of survival is likely to just hold out and use their incredible ranged weapons to ensure that they impale themselves. And minotaurs are exceptionally durable, and there is a reason for the war with them - if a raiding party is destroyed completely, it is considered an attack on minotaurs and therefore an act of war.
297459
Wow that sounds epic, my favorite play style in games is to bunker up and let the enemy destroy themselves against my defenses, so this is a story I can definitely get behind. So is their man-power low because of low recruitment numbers, or is the overall human population just very low in comparison to the rest of the world? I guess since they've destroyed a lot of themselves in the civil war the total population wouldn't be very high anymore.
297500: I think it can be low because of population, what with the Civil War. Primarily I did it to balance humanity out against the other factions; they've got all this amazing stuff and not many people to use it with.
very good story, i would definatly read it. bring it on.
336504: Not even sure if I'll actually be doing this, because lol time constraints. I might, though, and if I do I'll get you to beta.
336529: I'll try.
You can beta for HARMONIZER provided I manage to put out any other chapters for it in the meantime, if you wish to get your proofread on.