Introduction[]
Hello.
The purpose of this blog is to explain the ideas and principles behind a project that The Everlasting and I have been working on for sometime, and lay the foundation for all Civilization Profiles throughout the wiki's future.
Currently, both him and I are bothered by the way this wiki creates Faction, Race and Civilization profiles, essentially just treating them like a Character Profile, but with multiple characters. The problem with this is that it doesn't cover nothing of what would actually go into a debate involving civilizations, such as the 20 year old "Star Wars Galactic Empire vs Star Trek Planetary Federation" debate. Power of their technology and characters alone doesn't matter, but also territorial reach, non-offensive technology, supplies, energy sources, rate of production, number of soldiers, their culture, etc.
As such, we have developed our own way of categorizing Civilizations on the wiki, which would use their own "Tiering System" to classify them through multiple factors, in conjunction with the typical AP System that goes on all this site's profiles.
This is a modified version of the OBD's Civilization Profile Template, which is based on the Kardashev Scale, but significantly more in-depth. The reason for this is that simply ranking a civilization on their size, or the amount of energy they consume doesn't tell you much about the rest, more often than not, as a civilization of a few systems can have firepower above a galactic empire, and a civilization doesn't need to be able to turn entire galaxies into reactors to be an Intergalactic civilization.
As such, the Civilization template we are working on is divided into three factors: The Standard AP Tiering System, the Civilization Scale Tiering System, and the Kardashev Scale. It sounds like a lot and complicated, but it frankly isn't, and you will see why.
First, let's explain each in detail.
Civilization Tiering System[]
Pre-Industrial Civilization: A civilization which has yet to undergo significant technological advancements, and lacks access to things such as electricity, industries, fuel based transports, etc.
e.g: Pre-Industrial Revolution Earth (Real Life), Westeros (A Song of Ice and Fire), Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings), The Union and The Empire (Drakengard), Azeroth (Warcraft)
Post-Industrial Civilization: A civilization that can harness energy sources such as electricity, coal, wind, nuclear power and endothermic energy. Typically has developed technologies at the very least comparable to 18th - 19th Century Earth, or even slightly superior to current 21st Century Earth.
e.g: Post-Industrial Revolution Earth (Real Life), Holy Britannian Empire (Code Geass), The Five Great Shinobi Countries (Naruto), The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy), Albion (Fable)
Planetary Civilization: A civilization which has obtained total dominion and control over its home planet, uniting all continents and nations under one government. Typically possess technology which is notably more advanced than our own.
e.g: Earth’s United Nations (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Combine-Dominated Earth (Half Life), The Machines (The Matrix), the United Nations (Deus Ex), Earth (Megaman), the Awoken and City Age Humanity (Destiny)
Stellar Civilization: A civilization with dominion over its planetary system and even its parent star, being capable of inhabiting most if not all planets of its home system, and thus a technology far superior than our own.
e.g: The Solar System (Cowboy Bebop), The Third Reich (Wolfenstein), The Solar System (Battle Angel Alita), United Nations (The Expanse), Transhuman Space (GURPs), the Army of Humanity and the Machine Lifeforms (NieR: Automata), Golden Age Humanity (Destiny)
Interstellar Civilization: A civilization whose territory extends throughout multiple star systems, being capable of colonizing distant worlds, and possessing truly futuristic technology, such as spaceships with Faster-than-Light travel, and weapons whose potency render our technology wholly irrelevant.
e.g: The United Federation of Planets, the Klingon, the Romulans, etc. (Star Trek), The T’au Empire, the Orks, the Necrons, the Craftworld Aeldari (Warhammer 40,000), Frieza’s Empire (Dragon Ball), the Unified Earth Government and the Covenant Empire (Halo), the Citadel Council (Mass Effect), the Earth Alliance (Babylon 5), the Cabal and the Fallen (Destiny)
Galactic Civilization: A civilization whose territory extends throughout most, if not all of its home galaxy, containing many thousands if not millions of planets united under one government. Typically possesses means of Massively FTL+ travel, and technology capable of terraforming and destroying planets.
e.g: The Galactic Republic, the Galactic Empire, the Infinite Empire and the Yuuzhan Vong (Star Wars), the Imperium of Man (Warhammer 40,000), the Forerunners (Halo), The Galactic Empire & the Free Planets Alliance (Legends of the Galactic Heroes), the Leviathans (Mass Effect), the Skrulls, the Kree and the Shi’ar (Marvel Comics), the Alternian Empire (Homestuck), the Ancient Humanoids (Star Trek)
Intergalactic Civilization: A civilization which controls not only its home galaxy, but numerous other galaxies as well, all united under one government.
e.g: The Pre-Fall Aldari Empire & the War in Heaven Necrons (Warhammer 40,000), The Culture (The Culture), The Samaar Federation (Xenoblade), The Galaxy Federation (Xenosaga), the Hive (Destiny)
Universal Civilization: A civilization which possesses control over their entire universe, or at least a significant portion of it. These beings are typically indistinguishable from gods, and are often “Precursor” type races which seeded life all throughout the universe
e.g: The Guardians of the Universe (DC Comics), The Old Ones (Warhammer 40,000), the Incubators (Madoka Magica), Asgard (Marvel Comics), The Precursors (Halo), The Telemap (Whateley Universe), the Zangyack Empire and the Jark Matter (Super Sentai)
Multiversal Civilization: A civilization of such power that their dominion extends beyond their home universe, instead spreading throughout multiple other universes throughout the multiverse. Potentially, they may rule over the entire multiverse.
e.g: The Celestials (Marvel Comics), The New Gods (DC Comics), the Psychlos (Battlefield Earth), The Grand Alliance of Order (Warhammer: Age of Sigmar), Heaven (Tokyo Babel), The Q (Star Trek), The Vex (Destiny), The Aedra and the Daedra (The Elder Scrolls)
Higher-Dimensional Civilization: A civilization whose dominion and reach extends not only across numerous, if not infinite parallel universes, but also across higher-dimensional planes of existence and higher realities as well.
e.g: The Time Lords and the Daleks (Doctor Who), the Xeelee (Xeelee Sequence), The C’tan (Warhammer 40,000), Heaven (Shin Megami Tensei), The Anti-Spirals (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann), The Ds (Tenchi Muyo), The Wave Existences (Xenogears / Xenosaga)
Transcendent Civilization: Civilizations / races who control the totality of existence, on a level so complete they are effectively all-powerful. The technology of such a civilization (If such a term even applies) is completely unexplainable by our understanding of physics.
e.g: The Downstreamers (Manifold Series), the Great Old Ones (H.P. Lovecraft), The Old Ones (The Dark Tower), The Beyonders (Marvel Comics)
As you can see, these ratings aren't as precise as our AP Tiering System, as they aren't meant to give a precise idea of a Civilization's firepower, but instead merely their reach.
The Kardashev Scale[]
The Kardashev Scale is a measurement created by Russian astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev, meant to measure the scale of a civilization’s technological advancement, measured through energy output.
It should be noted that being higher on the Kardashev Scale does not always dictate greater firepower, as the scale measures only the energy which the civilization uses.
Type 0: 1E6 – 1E16 watts. A civilization that harnesses significant portion of the energy of its home planet, but not to its full potential.
- Humanity (Real Life) (Type 0.73)
- Holy Britannian Empire (Code Geass)
Type I: 1E16 – 1E26 watts. A civilization that can harness the entirety of the geothermal energy of Earth.
- The United Federation of Planets (Star Trek)
- The Imperium of Man (Warhammer 40,000) (Borderline Type II)
Type II: 1E26 – 1E36 watts. A civilization that can harness the energy of a star.
- DAoT Humanity, Pre-Fall Aeldari, the T’au Empire and The Necrons (Warhammer 40,000)
- The Old Republic (Star Wars)
- Humanity (Blame!)
Type III: 1E36 – 1E46 watts. A civilization that can harness the energy of a galaxy.
- The Forerunners (Halo)
- The Culture (The Culture)
Type IV: 1E46 – 1E56 watts. A civilization that can harness the energy of a galactic supercluster.
- The Precursors (Halo)
Type V: 1E56 – 1E69 watts. A civilization that can harness all of the energy of its universe.
- Asgard (Marvel Comics)
- Marble Aliens (Men in Black)
- Mazoku / Shinzoku (Slayers)
Type VI: 3.9 x 1E69 watts and above. A civilization that generates more energy than the universe every second.
- The Celestials (Marvel Comics)
- The Q (Star Trek)
Type VII: Immeasurable. Civilizations beyond any known quantification of joules.
- The Time Lords and the Daleks (Doctor Who)
- The Downstreamers (Manifold)
- The Beyonders (Marvel Comics)
This scale is expanded beyond the traditional scale, which only goes to Type III or IV, so encompass more types of Civilizations that can be seen in fiction.
Which brings us to the Template:
Civilization Profile Template[]
Insert a Picture that represents the Civilization, preferably a banner or flag, or their Capital, or an Iconic Image in lack of a better option
Tier: The Civilization’s overall level on the Tiering System
Civilization Type: The Civilization’s overall level on the new "Civilization Tiering System"
e.g: Pre-Industrial Civilization, Planetary Civilization, Interstellar Civilization, Galactic Civilization, etc.
Name: The Name of the Civilization
e.g: The Galactic Empire, The Imperium of Man, The United Federation of Planets
Origin: Self-explanatory, the series from which the Civilization comes from
Classification: Nature of the Civilization, its Government Type, etc.
Kardashev Level: The Civilization’s level in the Kardashev Scale
Age: The Civilization’s age / How long it has last, or lasted
Population: The Civilization’s population in numbers, either rough or precise
Territory: The Civilization’s territory in numbers, either rough or precise
e.g: One Continent, One Planet, One Star System, An Entire Galaxy, etc.
Technology/Abilities: The achievements of a Civilization, technologically or otherwise, or abilities they physically possess
Attack Potency: The Civilization’s overall destructive power, preferably subdivided into each notable weapon
Power Source: The means with which the Civilization obtains the energy to sustain its technologies
e.g: Nuclear Power, Solar Radiation, Geothermal Energy, etc.
Industrial Capacity: Rate / Capability in which the Civilization can produce its technologies and resources, typically for war
Military Prowess: The number of soldiers, weapons, warmachines, ships, etc. which the Civilization can employ in conflict
Notable Individuals: Particularly noteworthy members of the Civilization, typically its leaders
Weaknesses: Weaknesses / Disadvantages of the Civilization and its technology as a whole
To illustrate examples of this Template, Ever and I have made prototype profiles for the Star Wars Galactic Empire and for the Warhammer 40,000 Imperium of Man, respectively. Here they are:
Profile Example: The Galactic Empire[]
| “ | We stand on the threshold of a new beginning. In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society, which I assure you will last for ten thousand years. An Empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body and a sovereign ruler chosen for life. | „ |
| ~ Emperor Palpatine, during his Declaration of a New Order |
Summary[]
The Galactic Empire was the galactic government established by Darth Sidious in the wake of the Clone Wars from the Galactic Republic.
Powers and Stats[]
Tier: 9-A for blasters, 8-C to at least 7-C with ground vehicles. Starships employ firepower varying from at least Low 7-B to High 6-C. Superweapons range between High 6-A, 5-A and 4-B
Civilization Type: Galactic Civilization
Name: The Galactic Empire, the Empire, the Imperium, Palpatine’s New Order, the Old Empire, the First Galactic Empire
Origin: Star Wars
Classification: Absolute Monarchy and Military Dictatorship Hybrid
Kardashev Level: Type II
Age: 23 before their fragmentation in the Battle of Endor. Their splinter groups survived long enough to reach 159.
Population: Trillions
Territory: Over one million star systems
Technology/Abilities: Holo-Net transceivers that allow for real-time communication from across the galaxy, blasters powerful enough to fragment solid rock, all-terrain ground vehicles capable of releasing up to kilotons of energy, multi-kilometer long starships with hyperspace technology that allows travel across the galaxy in hours or days and are equipped with shields that can take direct hits from light turbolasers, heavy turbolasers release many gigatons of energy per shot, while light turbolasers release dozens of megatons of energy per shot (A Star Destroyer carries more than a hundred light turbolasers and dozens of heavy turbolasers), ion cannons that can disable the power systems and shields of other capital ships, jamming technology employed in all fighters that can disrupt onboard sensors in enemy ships, subspace transceivers with 100 light year range that can detect objects moving at superluminal speed, most starships are equipped with cloaking devices that render the ship invisible to scanners and the naked eye, crystal gravfield trap sensors that can detect cloaked ships, planetary shields that can withstand weeks of sustained fleet bombardment from heavy turbolasers (In addition, Alderaan’s planetary shield blocked the Death Star’s superlaser for a split-second), advanced engineering facilities are focused on the task of developing and refining more efficient, more durable, and more deadly methods of destroying or subjugating enemies, the twin Death Stars that have the power to violently fragment planets, Orbital Nightcloaks (Satellites that can block all sunlight from reaching a planet and turn it into a chunk of ice), World Devastators (Multi-billion km3 ships that drag planetary matter into furnaces to break it down into its base elements, armed with multiple blaster cannons, proton torpedo tubes, ion cannons and tractor-beam projectors), the Galaxy Gun (A superweapon that can fire planet busting projectiles through hyperspace to the other side of the galaxy in hours), the Sun Crusher (A starship-sized superweapon that can make stars go nova)
Attack Potency: Small Building level for blasters (Military grade heavy blaster pistols employed by the Imperial military are capable of such levels on their highest power setting). Building level+ to at least Town level (The blaster cannons on the AT-ST unleash five gigajoules per shot. The AT-DP’s shots can reduce building-sized rocks to rubble and destroy other AT-DPs. An AT-AT’s heavy laser cannons are at least as powerful as those on an X-wing). Starships employ firepower varying from at least Small City level+ to Large Island level (The point defense laser cannons on an ISD have yields exceeding six megatons. Their regular turbolasers can penetrate the hulls of ships with gigaton level durability, with their heavy turbolasers exceeding 200 gigatons). Superweapons range between Multi-Continent level (The superlaser of the Conqueror can shatter dwarf planetoids, flatten continents and “demolish” a planet’s crust), Large Planet level (The superlaser of the Death Star generated this much energy when destroying Alderaan) and Solar System level (The Sun Crusher is capable of causing stars to go supernova and wipe out entire star systems)
Power Source: Tibanna gas (Blasters), solar energy (TIE Fighters), nuclear fusion, plasma, hypermatter reactors (Death Star)
Industrial Capacity: Capable of producing tens of thousands of Star Destroyers in a few decades, as well as both Death Stars in five years.
Military Prowess: Millions of starfighters, 25,000 Star Destroyers,
Notable Individuals: Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, Grand Moff Tarkin, Grand Moff Ardus Kaine, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Warlord Zsinj, Admiral Sander Delvardus, Hethrir, Trioculus, Carnor Jax, Qwi Xux, Kyle Katarn (Formerly)
Weaknesses: As a whole, the Empire is incredibly speciesist, refusing to allow all but the very most competent non-humans obtain high positions
Note: This page covers the Empire as seen in the Legends continuity, and does not account for their various splinter factions.
Profile Example: The Imperium of Man[]
Summary[]
The Imperium of Man is the galactic empire under which the majority of humanity is united. The founder and nominal ruler of the Imperium is the god-like Emperor of Mankind, the most powerful human psyker ever known.
The Imperium is the largest and most powerful political entity in the galaxy, consisting of at least a million worlds which are dispersed across most of the galaxy. An Imperial planet might be separated from its closest neighbour by hundreds or thousands of light years. As a stellar empire, the size of the Imperium cannot be measured in terms of contiguous territory, but only in the number of planetary systems in its control.
Several aliens and forces - the forces of Chaos, Tyranids, Eldar, Dark Eldar, Orks, Tau, Necrons - challenge the supremacy of the Imperium. From within, the Imperium is threatened more insidiously by rebellion, mutation, rogue psykers, and subversive cults. Without the protection of the Imperium, mankind would fall prey to the countless perils that threaten it.
Powers & Stats[]
Tier: Firearms range from 9-A to High 6-C, with Heavy Weaponry and Warmachines potentially reaching up to High 6-A. Spaceships employ Firepower that can range from High 6-A to 5-A, and Remnant Weapons & Ships from the Dark Age of Technology can reach up to 4-B
Civilization Type: Galactic Civilization
Name: The Imperium of Man
Origin: Warhammer 40,000
Classification: Galactic Totalitarian Empire, Galactic Theocratic Authoritarian Confederated Oligarchy
Kardashev Level: Type I, borderline Type II
Age: Over 11,000 Years Old (Founded circa 780.M30, and currently it is roughly 100.M42)
Population: Quadrillions
Territory: Millions of Planets across the Milky Way Galaxy
Technology/Abilities: Bullets powerful enough to completely blow up humans, Power Blades which slice the victim on a molecular level, Laser, Plasma and Microwave based Weapons, Power Armour & Tanks which can withstand city-leveling firepower without a scratch, Colossal Mechs which far outclass the aforementioned weaponry, Multi-Kilometer Sized Spaceships capable of Massively FTL+ Warp Travel, and Relativistic+ Realspace Travel, with enough firepower to boil oceans, crack continents, atomize the surface of worlds, tear colossal craters down to a planet's core, and even mass-scatter a planet with sufficient firepower, among numerous other achievements and capabilities
Attack Potency: Firearms range from Small Building level to Large Island level (Lasguns vaporize chunks of their target's body, Bolters are akin to semi-automic rocket launcher, Flamers can reduce an armoured human to ash in seconds, Plasma Guns fire blasts of concentrated plasma as hot as the core of the sun, and Melta Weapons destroy their target on a sub-atomic level), with Heavy Weaponry and Warmachines potentially reaching up to Multi-Continent level (Even the weakest Warhound Titan can destroy whole cities with single shots, and outclasses the power of the aforementioned weapons. The strongest Macrocannons can destroy orbiting Warships with single blasts). Spaceships employ Firepower that can range from Multi-Continent level to Large Planet level (Spaceships possess enough firepower to boil oceans, crack continents, atomize the surface of worlds, tear colossal craters down to a planet's core, and even mass-scatter a planet with sufficient firepower). Remnant Weapons & Ships from the Dark Age of Technology can reach up to the Solar System level (The Ark Mechanicus Speranza was capable of easily causing stars to explode in supernovas, fire black holes into its targets, and erase the space-time of entire solar systems from existence)
Power Source: Coal, Oil & Gas Fuel, Electrical Energy, Nuclear Energy, Solar Energy, Geothermal Energy of entire worlds
Industrial Capacity: Thousands of Forge Worlds throughout the Galaxy dedicated to the constant production and development of weapons, warmachines, ship, and other technologies. Thousands of Mining Worlds which are mined until they are stripped bare of all their mineral resources. Thousands of Agri Worlds dedicated solely for the growing of food and crops to feed entire systems. Mars alone produced hundreds of thousands of spaceships in years.
Military Prowess: Galactic Army of Trillions of soldiers, with individual armies numbering up to Millions. Billions of Tanks & Warmachines and Many Millions of Spaceships
Notable Individuals: The Emperor of Mankind, Malcador the Sigillite, The Primarchs, The High Lords of Terra
Weaknesses: The vast majority of its population live in constant suffering, fear and ignorance. Information is scattered and fragmented, and history is constantly suppressed and rewritten by the Inquisition. The Ecclesiarchy enforces blind religious devotion to the Emperor and discourages free-thought. The Imperium's Bureaucracy moves at a snail pace, and it can take a decade for an army to be gathered and deployed into a world. Warp Travel is unreliable at best, and prone to failures. Technology is hardly understood, viewed with mystical superstition, and often only reproduced rather than created. The Imperium's vast armies and resources are spread gossamer-thin across a galaxy ravaged by War, and they are barely able to hold off against the Alien, Traitor, and Chaotic forces which greatly outnumber them.