Magog Military

[looney-bin]

Considering how much power the industrialists have over the planet and the technology they possess, how powerful would you consider their armed forces to be compared to our own or others? From what I've seen within the games and read in the concept art book, it may have stagnated because of the lack of any real opposition, which could be indicated by the piles of unneeded fortification at the slig barracks.

[nuf (Lord Loki)]

Smaller than our planet. Just imagine. 3000 Sligs, 250 slig tanks and 750 3leg robots are attacking our planet. 1 nuke and by bye oddforces. But I guess Sligs are not main militar foces on oddworld.

[Fartuess]

why nuke? Old good carpet bombing would be enought. We also can use MOAB, fighters, drones or modern arillery.


But i think that there aren't any army on part of Mudos we know. Because glukkons and vykers don't have any enemies to fight with. Security force is just enought for them (yes, thats true that this security force is huge.)

[Nate]

glukkons and vykers don't have any enemies to fight with.

That you know about yet...

[Anty]

*Opens curtain to check for Slig troopers*

I think the Slig forces would be highly undisciplined, but their numbers would make up for it. But as there is no real opposition that we know of currently, it's hard to tell their military stance. I've always looked at the Magog v Mudokon/Industrial v Native rivalry if you like as Cowboys v Ancient Indians. Sligs bear guns but Modokon wield Spears, holding many ancient beliefs.

That demo video for MO on PS2 had me thinking, I may be getting confused with Hand of Odd stuff, but I remembered seeing Mudokons riding on Elums and many Sligs marching in line. War-like scenario perhaps.

The Magog business profile in Oddworld may have given them supremacy, but given the destruction of Rupture Farms and Soulstorm Brewery, other forces may view the Magog as declining/capitalisable. It's interesting to think what other organisations may rival the Magog. Industrialists v other Industrialists?

Man, I hope Hand of Odd comes out at some stage!

[Josh]

Man, I hope Hand of Odd comes out at some stage!

Not likely.


I don't think that there is some sort of army. Lots of individual corporations with lots of Sligs, but no army.

[Andrelvis]

We so far only seen industrialist facilities quite far from their centers of civilization, so it's hard to tell.

[STM]

Agreed but that you don't see vast military complxes outside the statue of liberty do you

[Anty]

Although, if the Slig Barracks was structured to contain a war room, Trophy room, and a General, then it may be more than just a security training facility, and instead an operational military unit. Also, judging by the amount of medals Dripik has, it perhaps suggests that there have been war like scenarios in the past, controlled by Glukkons.

[Josh]

No, Dripik is just an old, crazy Gluk that has his on personal army.

[Wil]

Dripik's medals are awarded for profit, not military success.

[Anty]

Oh right, fair enough then, what sources say about his medals?
Edit: Never mind, I've just found stuff on the Australian Oddworld site.

That does throw the idea of an army out into the open. But even if his medals are given for profit, I can still see a Glukkon calling all the shots and Sligs soldiering in a war. I wonder how many different Slig Barracks can be found Mudos.

[Wil]

There's an Australian Oddworld site?

[Josh]

I wonder how many different Slig Barracks can be found Mudos.

Just that one. Dripik had it built for himself.

[Wil]

It might not be the only training facility, though. The industrial society of Oddworld is vaster than we've seen and have undoubtedly at some point in their history been in military conflict, internally or with external forces.

[Anty]

There's an Australian Oddworld site?

Yeah, sorry if I was a bit mis-leading. Came across it whilst Googling. I assumed it was official given the URL, but it does appear fanmade.

http://www.oddworld.au.com/

[Sekto Springs]

Smaller than our planet.

Wait, are you saying Oddworld is smaller than Earth? Oddworld is ten times the size of earth.

[Wil]

That's Oddworld-Web, the fansite made by Cloverfield, the owner of the Oddworld Forums. Note the link at the top of the page. Definitely fanmade, but nonetheless a good source of information, especially since Cloverfield had the chance to visit Oddworld Inhabitants multiple times back in the days when they were operating internal production of video games.

[STM]

The oddworld military (I mean sligs, I'm not including interns) is hired by factories like rupturefarms as defenders and guards, basically to shut up the riff raff, they aren't a war force. Am I right Max?

[Anty]

That's Oddworld-Web, the fansite made by Cloverfield, the owner of the Oddworld Forums. Note the link at the top of the page.

I'll be sure to have a look through all the partnered sites. Do feel like a right plonker for linking a site that's been right in front of my eyes ever since I joined!

[Wil]

The oddworld military (I mean sligs, I'm not including interns) is hired by factories like rupturefarms as defenders and guards, basically to shut up the riff raff, they aren't a war force. Am I right Max?

The ones we've seen so far have been, yeah. I don't know what we haven't seen, though.

[GlukkonGluk]

I think I read somewhere that the Vykers would sometimes aid and sometimes hinder the Mogog Cartel. Or something along those lines. Point is, could this "hinderance" involve fighting? Bloodshed? Other nasty things? They could possibly be described as enemies of a sort, no?

[STM]

I'm pretty sure no one knows about whether the Vykers Conglomerates and the Magog Cartel have any business agreements or are allies or enemies.

[Wil]

Glukkons and Vykkers are competing families who both belong to the Magog Cartel. Like any distinct companies they can compete or they can cooperate. Bloodshed is unlikely since they're both part of the same lawful society.

[STM]

as in "lawful" mind you. Sort of like mafia law if you will surely.

[Wil]

More like the laws that govern large companies.

[STM]

Yes but if the law of a company is the law of a country as I expect the Magog law is, then law can be bad. Sorry that made no sense.

[Andrelvis]

Just that one. Dripik had it built for himself.

Are you sure? I recall it just being one of many Slig Barrackses.

[Goresplatter]

War itself seems pretty unlikely on Oddworld.
Seen as though the Mudokons are at best apache-like fighters and generally don't get hold of / use guns, it seems to me like once they reach a city-like environment with mass security, they'd be done for. The only way I could see the Mudokons being able to bring a meaningful fight against the Magog Cartel is through the following occurences:
1) A mass-uprising of the entire slave caste (fairly unlikely; a few isolated cases in the history of Earth which I could give examples of).
2) Organised possession / assassination of military or government figures (but given the societal structure of the Glukkons, it seems like those underneath would be happy to try step into their shoes if it meant a promotion).
3) Pulling some mass-supernatural trickery, like they did against Molluck in Rupture Farms (we don't know the extent of this power, so it's hard to make judgement).

War between industrialists is possible, but improbable in my opinion for the following reasons:
1) The Magog Cartel run the planet through a series of businesses, which keep the economy flowing. Business takeovers are unlikely to be different to how they are on Earth; through buying stocks, etc.
2) War would be a nightmare for everyone who puts capitalism before anything else. It's extremely expensive, and a very risky venture. Even winning runs the risk of Pyrrhic victory conditions, which could result in becoming bankrupt anyway.
3) As every Glukkon can be fitted directly into a right-wing capitalist agenda, it seems unlikely that they'd possess any ideological differences with each other, which is just one less reason for fighting.

Having said this, it's unlikely that the Magog military would be able to compete with ours. If we were the aggressors, however, and they realised that without cooperating to make a defensive force and destructive technology, it would be their annihilation, I daresay they could produce some pretty astounding defences, as some of their technology we've seen is what we would describe as futuristic.

I think if they came into contact with Earth on neutral terms, they'd be more keen to find a favourable exchange rate of Moolah to USD, and seeing what they could sell to us.

[Andrelvis]

Has it been said that the big cities aren't controlled by States? Because, AFAIK, we've only seen the Magog Cartel own lands in the wilderness, in a way not very different from the railroad companies of the 19th century Wild West USA.