The Duke Dilema

[Laurentian]

Yes, actual members of the family, and not just the escape planned in Nova and Ghost Academy. Family members living off Tarsonis had to fly in for the Reunion, or members of the family living on Tarsonis attended.

Okay then. Are these reunions big since there could be tons of descendents of those guys especially with the huge birth rate?

I would think a senator is an elite, but you may have a point. I must have read that somewhere else before I, Mengsk.

Angus Mengsk being a senator could just mean that he was from a prominent Korhal family, not necessarily from the Confederacy's ruling elite especially since he you know revolts against the Confederacy.

I think Blizzard just avoids mentioning family members unless it's particularly relevant.

Yeah, it makes sense for them to not give anyone siblings or grandparents (or kill them off beforehand) since they are not really relevant and could cause trouble in the future.

BTW I couldn't find any reference to Duke's siblings on the wiki. There are three known family members of his (one by marriage) but we don't know their relations to him.

I thought it used to say they were his brothers? Or was I mistaken? Guess I was wrong there.

Anyway this means that apparently the only couple explicitly stated to have children above the replacement rate in the SC universe were Nova's parents who were from the wealthy ruling elite!

[Kimera757]

Okay then. Are these reunions big since there could be tons of descendents of those guys especially with the huge birth rate?

It seems each family only sends a few members. Given the amount of space they take up, I suspect each branch has only a few members.

I thought it used to say they were his brothers? Or was I mistaken? Guess I was wrong there.

The wiki has a policy against speculation. It doesn't say that now, and I hope it didn't say that before.

Anyway this means that apparently the only couple explicitly stated to have children above the replacement rate in the SC universe were Nova's parents who were from the wealthy ruling elite!

LOL! I think Blizzard honestly just doesn't think about that. Nova was a teenager when she became an important character, so her family was relevant. Of the other main characters, only Arcturus Mengsk and Jim Raynor have been portrayed at around the same age, I believe.

StarCraft lore is so underdeveloped, we don't even know who the president of the Confederacy was. Or even if it had a president!

[Laurentian]

The wiki has a policy against speculation. It doesn't say that now, and I hope it didn't say that before.

I'm pretty sure it used to say that. From what you are saying it appears that the actual source material did not state the actual relation of Edmund Duke to those two other Dukes so I imagine it was changed because of that.

LOL! I think Blizzard honestly just doesn't think about that.

*Insert jab at WOL*

I find it pretty funny that Terrans still have high school...oops I mean upper school, much different. They even have cheerleaders! The fringe worlds have them despite the fact that they are supposed to poorly educated. Er how many schools would each planet require? If fringe worlders are poor than who pays for those schools? I guess they could be government funded but the Confederates are supposed to callous toward the fringe worlds so why would they pay to give them schools? Wouldn't they be government indocrination? So why would fringeworlders go to them? Is school mandatory? If so why would rebellious fringe worlders obey? If they are so poor why wouldn't they drop out at like 12 or something? Does education start at 4? Why do they need lots of schools when they can just upload whatever information they need?

One young Old Family member (seems to be around Nova's age) had a 150 year old grandmother which is strikes me as rather odd. I Imagine there are fertilty treatments and surrogates but becoming a grandmother at about 130? Especially since the Old Families don't seem to have anything against teen marriage (not that this leads automatically leads to teen motherhood mind you). Apparently few Terrans live to be a hundred (and 80 is old) so it appears that Terrans have life expectancy rates similar to the US, nevermind the constant wars and the ill-health in the fringe worlds that should reduce life expectancy so there should be quite a few centenarians to make up for the young dying. Not to mention that others have speculated that the terran population growths depends on increased life expectancy.

Or that over 10 billion people have died in only 4 years. Shouldn't this be a huge demographic disaster for the Terrans? Which just leads to questions about how many Terrans their are supposed to be and how they got to be such a large size in such a period of time.

StarCraft lore is so underdeveloped, we don't even know who the president of the Confederacy was. Or even if it had a president!

The Confederacy (and the Umojans for that matter) were ruled by councils. I suppose those councils acted as a sort of cabinet and exercised authority collectively. However usually bodies such as these would be headed by a president since after all the term president comes from one who presides over a body such as a council. Not to mention there would probably one or more people who would effectively lead such a body, often by reducing the others to mere ciphers, such as in many modern parliamentary governments. Doesn't seem they were too interested in who was actually running the Confederate government, especially since now that is been destroyed and replaced by an autocratic monarchy.

[Kimera757]

I find it pretty funny that Terrans still have high school...oops I mean upper school, much different. They even have cheerleaders! The fringe worlds have them despite the fact that they are supposed to poorly educated. Er how many schools would each planet require?

Uneducated could mean "high school degree". In many countries today you can get sued if you try to prevent a kid passing high school, even if the kid doesn't deserve the diploma.

The number of schools would depend on how big a planet is. I think Chau Sara had 400,000 people, so if 1/10th were children, that's 40,000 kids.

If fringe worlders are poor than who pays for those schools?

Taxes. And if you can't give a lot, expect lame schooling. (That's one reason schooling varies so much from district to district in the US today. That and poor people can't afford to buy a lot at school bake sales.)

I guess they could be government funded but the Confederates are supposed to callous toward the fringe worlds so why would they pay to give them schools? Wouldn't they be government indocrination? So why would fringeworlders go to them? Is school mandatory? If so why would rebellious fringe worlders obey? If they are so poor why wouldn't they drop out at like 12 or something? Does education start at 4? Why do they need lots of schools when they can just upload whatever information they need?

Even in South Africa, the downtrodden populace was given schooling. Just not in English, since the powers that be didn't want the locals talking to people outside of South Africa. (That, of course, has changed now.)

Education is valuable, even if it's just high school level. If you haven't reached that level of education, you're missing valuable skills. For instance, suppose you put fringe worlders in positions like maintaining nuclear power plants, and it's hazardous to your health? You still want the employee to know basic math in case of emergencies, just not enough to sabotage things.

One young Old Family member (seems to be around Nova's age) had a 150 year old grandmother which is strikes me as rather odd. I Imagine there are fertilty treatments and surrogates but becoming a grandmother at about 130? Especially since the Old Families don't seem to have anything against teen marriage (not that this leads automatically leads to teen motherhood mind you).

She might have saved her ovaries.

Apparently few Terrans live to be a hundred (and 80 is old) so it appears that Terrans have life expectancy rates similar to the US, nevermind the constant wars and the ill-health in the fringe worlds that should reduce life expectancy so there should be quite a few centenarians to make up for the young dying.

Terrence, a Confederate marine, retired and living on Tarsonis, was considered old in his eighties. I suspect life expectancies were decently good right before the Great War started, especially on core worlds.

Yes, there were wars, but they weren't that destructive before the zerg and protoss appeared. Korhal was the only exception, and it was indeed so shocking nukes were restricted thereafter.

Fringe worlders might have live shorter lives (Raynor's mother died of cancer due to government negligence, for instance) but Nova herself would have had little knowledge of things like that.

Not to mention that others have speculated that the terran population growths depends on increased life expectancy.

I don't think that's really necessary. As long as most children survive to breeding age and somewhat beyond... they clearly have to have birth control, otherwise Tarsonis would have been overpopulated.

Or that over 10 billion people have died in only 4 years. Shouldn't this be a huge demographic disaster for the Terrans? Which just leads to questions about how many Terrans their are supposed to be and how they got to be such a large size in such a period of time.

That should be a disaster. They lost more than half the population of Tarsonis, which I'm calculating as 4 billion (since I think 2 billion were killed; incidentally, I believe Umoja and Moria have populations of about 2 billion).

The Confederacy (and the Umojans for that matter) were ruled by councils. I suppose those councils acted as a sort of cabinet and exercised authority collectively. However usually bodies such as these would be headed by a president since after all the term president comes from one who presides over a body such as a council. Not to mention there would probably one or more people who would effectively lead such a body, often by reducing the others to mere ciphers, such as in many modern parliamentary governments. Doesn't seem they were too interested in who was actually running the Confederate government, especially since now that is been destroyed and replaced by an autocratic monarchy.

There was also the senate, an elected "parallel" body which did seem to have quite a bit of influence, although probably less than the Council.

The Council being unelected was considered a big deal. Compare to the US government today; no one really cares that the Secretary of State didn't win an election to get her position.

[Laurentian]

they clearly have to have birth control

And they have a birth rate higher than third world countries.

The Council being unelected was considered a big deal. Compare to the US government today; no one really cares that the Secretary of State didn't win an election to get her position.

Ah yes the Council is unelected. So who appoints them? The Senate I would imagine but it doesn't look like they actually say?

[Kimera757]

And they have a birth rate higher than third world countries.

They also have more space and more medical knowledge (eg washing hands, boiling water) and technology than when Earth was nearly empty of humans

Ah yes the Council is unelected. So who appoints them? The Senate I would imagine but it doesn't look like they actually say?

I suppose the Old Families play a role, but it seems they're not actually running the show, but only part of the show. (Well, did.) I suspect Blizzard honestly doesn't know; they focus on characters first, then give them however much authority they need to fit the story.

[Sheliek]

All this talk about the lack of lore surrounding the Confederacy has me thinking a novel specifically from their point of view would make for a very interesting insight into the lore of StarCraft.

[Laurentian]

They also have more space and more medical knowledge (eg washing hands, boiling water) and technology than when Earth was nearly empty of humans

So why don't they have on average longer lifespans then the current US population?

Also people not living long past childbearing age would lower life expectancy and mean a higher death rate so there would have to be a higher birth rate to cause such massive population growth.

All this talk about the lack of lore surrounding the Confederacy has me thinking a novel specifically from their point of view would make for a very interesting insight into the lore of StarCraft.

They could but I doubt they will since the Confederacy has outlived its usefulness (like the UED) and wouldn't have much of an effect on SC2.

[Laurentian]

Oh I was just thinking. It is possible that Confederacy had a huge baby boom but in the decades before its fall the birth rate declined, hence the lack of families with more than 2 children. Problem is with the deaths of over 10 billion this means the Terrans are screwed since there isn't much population growth and possibly a decline.

[mr. peasant]

All this talk about the lack of lore surrounding the Confederacy has me thinking a novel specifically from their point of view would make for a very interesting insight into the lore of StarCraft.

Never mind the Conclave; tell us more about the Kel'Morian Combine or the Umojan Protectorate! Or better yet, let's have some Protoss for a change.

Oh I was just thinking. It is possible that Confederacy had a huge baby boom but in the decades before its fall the birth rate declined, hence the lack of families with more than 2 children. Problem is with the deaths of over 10 billion this means the Terrans are screwed since there isn't much population growth and possibly a decline.

Alternative: What about artificial insemination and artificial uteri? Huge factories breeding strong, able-bodied individuals for the purpose of colonisation would speed population growth and the spread of civilisation. Incidentally, it would also give new meaning to the term 'Old Families' since Terrans produced this way would be 'new families'.