The Ferengi could be made less ridiculous just by making them a race where most of the wealth and thus power and influence is controlled by sorts of merchant princes. Most other races think that all Ferengi are greedy and obsessed with money, but that's because only the wealthiest and those connected with the merchant families can actually afford to do any traveling. You'd find plenty of decent folks among the lower classes, but unless you travel to Ferengar (sp?) or the main colony planets, you'll never see any of them.
It's not a great system of government, and they probably would have a lot of internal rebellions brewing. It could lead to an additional source of conflict between the Klingons and the Federation, actually. Neither wants this messed up empire (or whatever it is) nearby which could flare up into civil war, but both are interested in the vast wealth and resources of the merchant princes. And of course, they both want to export their culture there.
Alternate idea: Klingons.
-
frigidmagi
- Dragon Death-Marine General
- Posts: 14757
- Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2005 11:03 am
- 19
- Location: Alone and unafraid
#27
That is a good idea...
"it takes two sides to end a war but only one to start one. And those who do not have swords may still die upon them." Tolken
-
Stofsk
- Secret Agent Man
- Posts: 1710
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 4:46 pm
- 19
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
#28
A lot of good ideas in this thread for me to mine (thinking about a ST-TOS remake fanfic)...
The Ferengi-as-merchant princes is an idea which has a lot of merit, but there's no need to call them Ferengi. After all, Ferengi are just a one-note race, whereas the idea of Merchant Princes controlling trade empires can be applied in a lot of ways. The Orion Syndicate, for example.
Also, the Klingons as a culture is an idea that is awesome, because as Maya said you can have human Klingons as well, and the cold war is given more context (suddenly it's not good guys bad guys, but who has the more appealing/successful culture). Again, going back to TOS first principles. "Half the quadrant is learning Klingonese!"
I would chuck the Cardassians. They're ersatz Romulans, and poors ones too, and paradoxically have more expensive prosthetics (so really what the fuck was the point of introducing them? You could have depicted Bajor as occupied by the Romulans and you would have lost nothing).
I'd keep the Trill, and make the hosts human. Human colony comes across a dying race of slugs that are also peaceful symbiotes. Simple.
The Ferengi-as-merchant princes is an idea which has a lot of merit, but there's no need to call them Ferengi. After all, Ferengi are just a one-note race, whereas the idea of Merchant Princes controlling trade empires can be applied in a lot of ways. The Orion Syndicate, for example.
Also, the Klingons as a culture is an idea that is awesome, because as Maya said you can have human Klingons as well, and the cold war is given more context (suddenly it's not good guys bad guys, but who has the more appealing/successful culture). Again, going back to TOS first principles. "Half the quadrant is learning Klingonese!"
I would chuck the Cardassians. They're ersatz Romulans, and poors ones too, and paradoxically have more expensive prosthetics (so really what the fuck was the point of introducing them? You could have depicted Bajor as occupied by the Romulans and you would have lost nothing).
I'd keep the Trill, and make the hosts human. Human colony comes across a dying race of slugs that are also peaceful symbiotes. Simple.