My latest story for Seed, the world-building MMO with a political system designed by Larry Lessig, delves into the many fascinating fan groups that have already formed around the yet-to-launch game:
They're inspired by government systems throughout history, including a dictatorship in which the scars of memory are still fresh. Many got their start in other online games, and are now in search of a new world. In real life, they're from across the European Union, North America, Australia, New Zealand and beyond - from Iceland and Russia to South Korea and Vietnam. Some even drive big rig trucks across America while they plan a new society. Between them, they make up the player-created groups of Seed.
While some factions got their start in game worlds like Grand Theft Auto Online and Second Life, others have also been inspired by real-life governments throughout many eras, including feudal Japan and the Austria-Hungarian empire. And as its name suggests, the government structure of the Usamgov faction is inspired by the United States - just without some of its key flaws.
"For example," says founder Michael Weston, "we do not have an Electoral College."
More on the group that originated in Second Life:
For Firehawk Industries, another group based in the United States, the real-life influence extends to the members' careers: Many of them are ex-military and truck drivers, both retired and active, and bring this experience to their online roleplaying. "A lot of people see that when we operate in convoys on other platforms, they see how well we all interact with each other, almost in like a family unit style," as Firehawk Industries leader Retoma puts it.
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