posted 11-10-98 10:41 PM ET            

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I think that it is because there is a difference between who is currently a subordinate of Saratov and what the UoP faction is all about. Currently, Saratov is bossing around engineers and technicians, who are generally pretty good about working in teams on problems. Once the faction is set up with its devotion to science (rather than problem solving, which is what engineers like, in my opinion) the ego problems you mention will come out.

The interesting thing about Saratov is that he does seem to be a good technical manager. He has an excellent grasp on the capabilities of his subordinates, he can make good technical decisions in a crisis, and he recognizes the importance of supporting his people (e.g. they need guns when there's a band of maniacs running around on the ship). But, he then puts all that aside and sets up a "science" faction. It's a bit puzzling to me. Is this scientist/engineer dichotomy non-existant in Russia, so Saratov doesn't know better? (Or, more likely, Firaxis has used Star Trek as the model for engineers...).

posted 11-11-98 12:47 AM ET            

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I work with a woman who ditched the USSR. She said to keep their sanity, she and her friends would just sit around and complain about how stupid the govt was.

Also, like in civ2 i don't see the riot factor commint into effect until the cities get rather large, eg. until the population grows beyond the size of just this crew.

Man cannot exist on science alone. the universities would also study the humanities as well. Free thinkers means no absolute faith in everything the govt/military does.

posted 11-11-98 02:48 AM ET            

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>>She said to keep their sanity, she and her friends would just sit around and complain about how stupid the govt was.

Yeah, it is american way. Russians would tell funny story about that govmnt, stand up and go on...
About scientists riot - every scientist tend to think, that only (S)HE knows, how problem can be solved. Sometime it is ruin for project, where you need to have one good decision - you lose your time in endless search for better decision and arguments with one another...

posted 11-11-98 04:07 PM ET            

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>>She said to keep their sanity, she and her friends would just sit around and
complain about how stupid the govt was.

I think you misunderstood her slightly. As Andrew mentioned, we did't really complained about gov., but rather sit together telling anectodes and laughing. What's a point to complain about the rain ? Just pick up your umbrella. Same is for government.
Cheers.

posted 11-11-98 04:47 PM ET            

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True, it was not just angry complaints.

Her story is as follows: She worked at some University (sorry don't remember which one). Some Government official showed up one day and told them all that they must grow corn in all of the local fields. There was only grain in those fields and for good reason too. The ground was mostly frozen. The top soil was about 1-2 inches at best. Corn does not grow in ground so shallow. Well it does but the crop is horrible, nothing left over to sell at the market. But this stupid official, who knew nothing about farming, insisted that corn was what must be grown. So my co-worker and her friends and university professors just sat around and told jokes about how stupid the government was while eating popcorn.

You are right, it was not really complaining about the govt more like laughing at the govt.

posted 11-11-98 04:50 PM ET            

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don;t be fooled by my username. I have two and keep forgetting to change it when i post.

0Leg, is the first character to your name a Zero or the letter "O". It looks like a zero.

0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0