If you found yourself within the world Phoenix Point and were trying to survive on an Earth populated by the horrific abominations of the Pandoravirus which of the current in game factions would you be most likely to join?
(We’ll assume no actual Phoenix Point faction, as I’m sure that you’d all be going for that one )
The Disciples of Anu
New Jericho
Synedrion
0voters
I’ve left the poll open 'til 1 Nov. - Feel free to give your reasons below too.
Some background on each faction as per the PP wiki:
Disciples of Anu
The Disciples of Anu are a human cult with beliefs that synthesize parts of Abrahamic religions with aspects of pre-Pandoravirus doomsday cults. Their world-view sees human nature as inherently corrupted by human biology. The Disciples of Anu worship an alien god, which they refer to as “the Dead God”. Cultists view the alien mist as both punishment and salvation. They have found ways to develop human-alien hybrids. The process for doing so seems to involve the Disciples deliberately exposing humans to the mist in a way that can allow for the humans’ intelligence to remain. The Disciples of Anu typically locate their havens in caves, and their haven leaders are called Exarchs. Disciples are led with absolute authority by a leader, the Exalted, who seems to exhibit highly advanced and stable mutations.
New Jericho
New Jericho is a militaristic human faction which seeks to fight the alien threat directly by building a superior force. They are led by Tobias West, a former billionaire who also is a veteran mercenary. West gained his prominence in the 2020s as the head of Vanadium Inc., a technology and security firm which provided escorts for container ships as they traveled the world’s oceans when the Pandoravirus mist and mutations first began to appear. Being a league of human-focused survivalists, New Jericho seeks to wipe out every trace of the aliens on Earth. Their leaders consider warfare and military technology, including enhancement of humans through technology, as the only solution to the alien threat. However they have conflicting ideas among themselves that threaten to splinter their faction before they can realize their objectives. New Jericho havens typically are fortresses at abandoned industrial or hilltop locations, and they have an extensive manufacturing base for military technology.
Synedrion
Synedrion have the most advanced technology of all the human factions. They are radical ecologists who seek to build a new and better human civilization out of the detritus of the old. They value knowledge and seek to form a global nation that exists in partnership with both its citizens and the environment. Viewing aliens as part of Earth’s environmental landscape, Synedrion seek to coexist with the aliens by using technology such as a wall that can repel the alien’s mist. Synedrion generally place their havens on elevated hi-tech platforms. Overall, they are a decentralized organization that mostly is interconnected through shared philosophy and stable communication networks; however, havens that become disconnected from others prioritize self-sufficiency. The organizational decision-making of Synedrion is slow.
If I would know all things which I know from the lore, then Synedrion (part where is Nikolai). Otherwise probably Disciples. I’m not sure if anyone is interested why, so I will spare it for you.
Synedrion. I like their democratic ethos and the desire to advance tech that will benefit everyone in the future, not just crushing military machine advancements that’ll only lead to oppression in the future.
How it was changed your opinion?)
By the way, looks like @SpiteAndMalice founded main imbalance into Lore - choice is too obvious for most of us I don’t think that Anu will be redesigned for something more pleasant, most likely that Syns will be changed for something more grimdark.
I would probably join the faction who seems most eager to destroy the Pandora virus. Unless the desciples appeal to my faith and religious sensibilities.
Synedrion. If I’m going to witness the end of the world, better to be through nice comfy apartments.
On another note, I can’t stand religious zealots, so Anu would be a big no-no for me. And what’s with that Priest live in huge shiny temples and the rest dwell in the slums? NJ are cool, though, but they seem to be more eager in destroying the enemy than in rescuing mankind: “I’ve come here to pull triggers and ask questions, and I’m all out of questions!”
Funny thing, always thought Anu was the favorite faction.
Because I know that Disciples are not really nice guys who try to help you deal with your infection. They live poorly and there is still that presence in your conscience which is still listening. But when you don’t know that they seem to be really well handling the situation around them and they can get around virus and still don’t surrender to the whispers.
New Jericho is quite ok, but I’m not kind of military gifted person - at least not for the front line. And they don’t have meat to eat.
Synedrion is listening to people voice. They have repellers. They have advanced AI (which is not Skynet) and they live quite nicely. Only their problem is their goal.
Never played till the end, so I do not know is it possible or not, but would be really happy to have a possibility to proceed with all the factions, don’t like choosing at all, but rather enjoy the union, might be a much harder option though.
What kind of goal you waiting for from nerds? If you have no complete information about any issue, you can choose between 2 ways like ‘delete’ (NJ) or ‘affirm’ (Anu). So the goal of Syn in this point of view is ‘collect more information for more responsible decision’
Actually, I felt here classical conflict from Sci-Fi: which shape mankind will take in far future? It’s presented in Sterling’s ‘Schismatrix’, and partially in Rajaniemi’s ‘Quantum Thief’ and Watts’ ‘Blindsight’ etc. So. Will it be the way of religious conservatism, or deep hi-tech cyborgization, or finally full transhumanism? NJ are clear representatives of aggressive human chauvinism. Anu are clear genetic shapers, but completely declined human nature and they look like loosers, betrayers of humanity idea , after just faced with an alien threat
Against of these two, Syns are uniquely utopian ideal representatives of the future with great potential for a peaceful and full-fledged revival of humanity. So where is the choice ?)
Actually, they can’t. They have no technologies to protect themselves from rising fog. After being fogcovered they are doomed, but these fanatics don’t even try to contact with Syn to get their repellers.
@Yokes But only Anu have a way for staying alive , but what a price! Well honestly it might be justified, but it has not been realised in game - it has been clearly demonstrated here. By the way, what do you think developers can change to balance the situation, and should they even do this?
I think they don’t. Players don’t need to equally like each faction. This is just the question with whom I would like to be in real life. I will definitely try all of them in final game. Mutations available from Disciples are quite interesting. Also straight shooting launchers from New Jericho are awesome so I will definitely check them out.
All these goals request some changes from developers actually For example, current game mechanics, even if it will be fixed to decrease relations incase of tech extortion , still contains possibility to get all techs by one game: friendly faction gifts it to you, others will be robbed. Another moment is very late access to the benefits of the Anu faction: Berserkers are useful on 7lvl only. The priests appeared when I had fully equipped five crews and there was no more space left for them - I never tried ‘mind control’ ability yet. I just do not need it anymore. Is this generally useful? I don’t know and it’s looks like too late to try. And I still don’t have really useful mutations, because 3lvl tech still unfinished by Anu. And that’s sad, because I should feel what benefits Anu gets by following their way *immediately after start of the game, for empathize with them and follow them. Oddly enough, the imbalance of Lore turned out to be strongly connected with game mechanics…
)
I don’t think that Anu will be redesigned for something more pleasant, most likely that Syns will be changed for something more grimdark.