Ah, that explains why there was so much hubub about it, and why there were so many conflicting stories. It was all about stirring the pot precisely to get social media involved.
I just want to point out that the "hubbub" or "angry internet mob" isn't always some distant muddled mass. Sometimes it's us. Individually. I've been there myself.
Wrong one. It's the OTHER meme.
Why do so many free speech absolutists not understand that freedom of association is part of free speech. Barring discriminating against a protected class, I need no reason to disassociate myself from someone, nor does any individual or group.
Full stop. That is part and parcel of free speech. One doesn't get to use my resources to say things I don't like. To do so is a violation of my free speech.
If there are consequences that one does not like, then work it out like adults. Don't insist that unilaterally one has a right to use my status/ infrastructure/ hard work to get notice for any behavior I don't want to be around.
They are, at least initially, the primary setting. And the protagonists. It's not crystal clear in the core whether or not one is expected to play as one, or to play as those fighting them, but they are clearly the source of the best tech in the early release era of Rifts. The Coalition is noted for protection of humanity from the DBs (extradimensional beings), and being effective at doing so, but also being extremely speciesist, toxic, and going after those in their service who decide to help DBs even a little.Honestly I'm not at all familiar with Rifts. I guess the point is, are playing the fascists the only choice? Are they presented as the "good" option; are their ideologies lionized? I'm only slightly more familiar with Warhammer 40k, but the idea there is that the Imperium is pretty explicitly bad, but also generally the least awful option available. There's a hint of parody there too (CIAPHAS CAIN, f'rex).
The 40K line is pretty clearly a parody. Joke names, and all.I realize I may have sounded rather extreme earlier but frankly I set that bar pretty low. WH40k would easily clear it. Trash like Racial Holy War doesn't. That WoD product from a few years back, the one with all the Nazi dogwhistles? That's about where the line is.
I like that it does that though. Do you?The Rifts line is presented straight. The Coalition States are an Empire, not a republic. It's got strong fascist overtones. And it's explicitly intended to be used as either/both good guys or bad guys (RUE, p. 230). But RUE lacks other antagonists besides dragons, and they are similarly not cast as one role...
Midwesterner humor can be sort of dry (and weird), Siembieda is from Detroit, Michigan; so like Chicago, is even more of somewhere to poke fun at. Chi-town is even regular slang for the place, it is all sort of a gonzo parody, played straight, if that makes sense, sort of like the Yoopers being the last bastion of civilization.