Have Mercenary Enclaves Made War Too Commercialized?

For many, war is viewed as diplomacy in its purest form. However, as conflicts increasingly become outsourced to private mercenary enclaves, there are concerns it’s becoming too commercialized. The CrossTalk panel ask - have we lost touch with the real meaning of war?
Xenonion News: The galaxy's most trusted news source - according to four out of the five arthropods we nerve stapled.
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Copyright:
► Voiceover: Veltassa (Melissa, Fiverr @melissaepp), Ashley (Sheena, Fiverr @sleithm), Globsig (Dylan, Fiverr @flfalcon)
► Animations / Graphics: Under license from Shutterstock, Storyblocks, Motion VFX
► Audio: 'The World News', 'Emotive Technology' under license from Premium Beat
*All other content copyright to Paradox Interactive Studios; we are not affiliated with them and do not represent their views.
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[@XenonionNews]

Get your one way ticket to the ISS Xenonion here: discord.gg/Xenonion For more galactic news, visit us at xenonion.com

[@darkner2390]

As a tyranical emperor who just kills xenos because they are despicable in my eyes, going to war meant something before it became all about the money. Now whenever I want to obliterate my enemies, I just pay some money and sit back. It saves me effort, but it doesn't feel satisfying. Destroying others' home planets is just not as fun when it's not your appendage that presses that big red button.

[@Flaming1100]

Love the "in my eyes" .You want to exterminate the xenos but that's doesn't mean you don't respect their opinions.

[@tnynfox1669]

But the mercenaries aren't despicable to your eyes?

[@90skidcultist]

Forced assimilation just isn’t the same anymore…

[@StarboyXL9]

@@Flaming1100 Based and xenophobe-pilled

[@shadowwatcher5042]

@Darkner I agree. It not fun anymore. But I will say, the "Punch-bag-Plushies"TM you can buy based on the current xeno you are killing are great for the kids. Gets them in the spirit of things.

[@StrudelerOfTheTSociety]

Dr. Fish yearns for the days when it was but a guppy in a United Earth aquarium. These xenos and their bloodlust make Dr. Fish nostalgic over the cold and quiet confines of glass!

[@darkner2390]

When Dr. Fish said: *ERROR: XENO FILTH TRANSLATOR MALFUNCTION*, I felt that.

[@Marqan]

It's clear how biased Xenonion is on the matter, they didn't even bother inviting a representative of the Mercenary Enclaves..

[@samueltrusik3251]

Average morality compass of Stellaris players.

[@saqwana25]

funny thing i avoid war in most of my games i focus onf science and economics to the point wher ei my fleets are so powerful not one ever tries to got to war with me.

[@sunso1991]

I recently played a game as fanatical pacifist with spiritual minor. I was pretty shocked how much unity and pop happiness you can stack up. I was running multiple high ascension planets and edicts barely into the 2250s.

[@saqwana25]

@@sunso1991 nods

[@SirDankleberry]

Me being a materialistic technocracy who's just trying to explore the universe and galactic war breaks out again: Oh great, the primitives are fighting again...

[@plmokm33]

@@saqwana25 The trouble I find when I try to avoid war is that I don't have enough envoys to corral all the spastic AI who insist on shit flinging at each-other.

[@auraguard0212]

I love that all of these broadcasts occur in the brief window between the Unbidden steamrolling the galaxy and the Vehement & Aberrant steamrolling *them*.

[@jagothegamer5750]

Dr. Fish? More like *POV: You are a pacifist in a militaristic galaxy*

[@Sahdirah]

Dr. Fish DID ask whether there's benefits to corporate-led war, so perhaps less pacifist, and more "does it really all have to be so messy and personal, though."

[@jagothegamer5750]

@@Sahdirah True, maybe he's just a moderate

[@dazeyndrowsy]

My kinda game.

[@jagothegamer5750]

@@dazeyndrowsy Stellaris as it was ment to be enjoyed!

[@dazeyndrowsy]

@@jagothegamer5750 Nothing better than 3 wars at once as an inward perfectionist. Ah, good times.

[@lostmarble540]

has war become too commercialized? find out, after this commercial break.

[@CSLucasEpic]

As a member of a devouring swarm I have to disagree. It matters not who is doing the fighting as long as the result is that they all end up as more food. All hail the hive.

[@randomintrovertedspider7510]

Yes. The food does not matter where it comes from, all that matters is when it ends up in front of your mandibles. All hail the hive.

[@mattmorehouse9685]

@@randomintrovertedspider7510 I bet you use drones as well. What's the point of war without the adrenaline surging through your body and the thrill of charging a tank, armed only with the outdated armor on your back and a detonation charge. Kids these days say wars should be fought with drones, while the so called "soldiers" are in some underground air conditioned bunker behind the lines, sipping nutrient broth, or worse- in orbit. And it's all you stupid hives' fault, making the younger generation not want to show true heroism. I went through the first dust war eating nothing but nutrient sticks and drinking rain water from my boots, and I liked it!

[@BananaB0yJr-v8b]

Macdonald cheese buger

[@jesusjuicethe2nd707]

I like the unbidden arc of them slowly taking over the galaxy

[@Matteus2109]

Anyone else get the irony that the whole premise of the show was to be discordant, yet we have an unprecedentedly civil and constructive conversation on the ethic of bloodshed?

[@13g0man]

Doctor Fish was providing the much needed difference of opinion that a healthy discussion needs. He also volunteered his species for involuntary work reassignment with his pathetic ethical stance, and is now aiding my empire with replenishing seafood stocks.

[@invincibleadmiral3764]

“Taken the magic out of jingoism.” XD The lines in this are priceless.

[@randomdude2386]

Dr Fish: *blub* Me: Dear god…

[@smartestmoronx19]

There's more

[@felalot8801]

No...

[@gethk.gelior4214]

It contains the PMC alloy cost of every life form here.

[@memelord97-99]

As a representative for the United Souarian Republic and top leader in the biological weapons program, we agree that war has become far too impersonal. Starting today, we shall now develop a new disease that makes you have the worse skin rashes possible, and you will spend your last waking moments of agony being reminded by the voices in your head that it was your fault for eating the suspicious looking potato. A true way to get war back on track to the true, unfiltered suffering that it should be! - This message has been sponsored by the "Department for Humane Sounding Warcrimes That Really Aren't"

[@mattmorehouse9685]

Yah, war used to be about fighting against the odds, acts of heroism by small bands of soldiers against vastly larger and more technologically advanced forces. But then my advisors said attrition was too high and we were running out of volunteers. I'll tell you why we're running out of volunteers; it's because kids these days have been corrupted by those damn Lumeris, with their food that aren't hyper processed and their retirement. Back when I was in the fleet you took your nutrient sticks and you liked them! You yearned for a good war instead of gardening.

[@eleethtahgra7182]

Honest govt ads?

[@NoSTs123]

I'm the only fanatic materialist in the Galaxy and they are out to get me!

[@localhearthian2387]

As a Hearthian I'm curious about a) what is war? b) can you roast it over a campfire?

[@Silverraptorvideos]

I was all for mercenaries bringing in a lot of money through all the wars. But ever since my stockpiles for energy credits became full, and I have been unable to spend enough of it away, the money generated from these wars seems to go to waste and disappear. Maybe we should cut back on war for a while to let the stockpiles empty. Then we can go right back to war and fill them back up again. Filling up stockpiles of credits feels great. Watching the credits overflow out of the storage containers and disappear into the ether does not.

[@boredkid5704]

Notice. Comprehensive analysis of PMC operations has demonstrated a tangible benefit compared to risking Machine Intelligence resources against our inferior organic neighbours. A state of war is beneficial for both us, in that you are weakened, and you, in that it decreases the time until you are hooked up to processing plants for body heat.

[@svijj_]

I think the spirit of warfare is just lost with the introduction of mercenaries. My father was the general-priest of an Inzikari bloodband. I remember sometimes he'd let me execute the prisoners and then raise their mutilated hearts above my head. This is just our tradition we are cultivating since the Iron age. But the thing is we did all of this ourselves, with our own appendages. But now, what, you're going to just pay someone to invade the hopeless future initiates, or even worse, paying them more to execute them? That's just sacrilege and madness! Now that I've inherited the title of the bloodband general-priest, I wanted to take my son on a ship and pillage some unsuspecting fungoids, but the high council won't let me, citing that It's too expensive. And because of this, my bond with my son is much weaker. Open your visual organs, xenos. Mercenaries are destroying families!

[@mattmorehouse9685]

Indeed! Next they'll be saying the customary pillaging of the civilians is "bad for business." It's the spoils of war- how can that, in any way, be bad? They even want us to use drones- soulless machines- instead of flesh and blood troops! The cyborgs are bad enough!

[@seacatlol831]

Demand for PMCs has skyrocketed.

[@yoareyoumad]

War. War never changes...

[@Infernal_Elf]

Mr fish says we should considering the morality of war and gleipsig goes. ARE YOU SERIOUS! Amazing

[@letsplaysvonaja1714]

"so-called experts"

[@jakobi4971]

I’d love for you to lean into the crosstalk series more. It’s one of my favorites

[@AkukAkuku]

Thanks for making these!

[@HereticHub]

The community are legends for keeping Stellaris alive as long as you have, thank you.

[@IncTheCredible]

"Well you see, the prizd of my troops getting killed, and the general taz of war, the already too big of a market, and the imposibility of my ships to not be returning, I'll put the primero to... *25.000 energy credits*"

[@cooldude333]

This is the only True News left in the Universe.

[@insignificantgnat9334]

As the leader of an up and coming fanatic purifier I feel that the true meaning of war is to see my enemies driven before me, hear the lamentations of their women, and really snazzy skull-theme military uniforms.

[@maltheopia]

*Slave Shields your planet* Do all of that pervert ritualism in your pervert basements; hell is full, bitch.

[@thetyler101]

I may be an old fashion country Megacorp CEO, but nobody can tell me anything, not even a genocidal war is more important than making giant piles of profit!

[@Telenil]

Can we talk about orbital bombardment? Back in the old days, real males had to storm enemy fortresses, step by step, inch by inch. You heard the seven legs of your enemy crissing on the durasteel, your own respirator suddenly sounding too loud, and you knew one of you would be dead in a minute. Today you're just bored in a ship for a year and watch little lights turning on and off on the planet below, until all resistance is gone. At worse, you risk a twisted ankle as you move accross the craters - and that's if some lazy brass doesn't prefer to destroy the planet before you get there. Pathetic!

[@witherrose1566]

Clearly, a mercenary enclave is just a haven for disenfranchised and bitter veterans. These enclaves are a home for abandoned soldiers; a home outside the heavens. An outer heaven if you will.

[@sunso1991]

It is funny the Necro is the one questioning the morality of war and body making lol Wonderful sarcasm

[@michaelthayer5351]

Rather than debating about the morality of commercializing war we should instead be thinking how to benefit from it. For example, Patronizing Mercenary Enclaves is a good way to funnel resources from regions plagued by endemic war, but strategically irrelevant, into our own domestic war machine. In this was we can effectively use future conquests to pay for ongoing genoci- I mean living resource reallocation.

[@nathansingleton7532]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Starfish and Dolphins, as Galactic Councilor of the Galactic Community, I am pleased to announce that I have made it my mission to veto any resolution that would give mercenaries more power over warfare as soon as they're proposed and have already succeeded in vetoing one such resolution. I swear that warfare in its current form, with minimal mercenary interference, shall be preserved for as long as I can manage. -Sincerely, the Human Commonwealth

[@jamesbaxter5147]

We must *Share the Burdens* of Warfare & Military Industry! Say no to Private Contractors! Brought to you by the Union of Solaran Socialist Republics.

[@breadtoast1036]

off topic this inspired me to either download a futurama mod or make one myself

[@003mohamud]

1st human

[@albusvoltavern4500]

Maybe war was the friends we made along the way

[@NG-gy6iv]

I for one love the new commercialization of war. IT'S JUST LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS AFTER 9/11!

[@Archangelm127]

It's all fun and games until the corpos show up.

[@Biodeamon]

it isn't commercialized enough! every citizen should have the right to purchase planet cracking weaponry!

[@vazak11]

I dunno, in my experience mercenaries tend to be worse about this stuff.

[@UninvitedApparition]

//REBUTTAL STATEMENT INCOMING// Omni Matrix Super Intelligence expects an increase in xeno technology due to constant skirmishes. Omni Matrix Super Intelligence finds the increase in Technological research .00000000000012 percent more useful to the overall progression towards exterminating all life within this galaxy. Omni Matrix Super Intelligence concludes the existence and expansion of biological mercenary units a necessary boon. //END REBUTTAL STATEMENT//

[@explodingwolfgaming8024]

Commenting 4 algorithm

[@willfungusman8666]

Why are they speaking English? I think this video is fake...

[@jackthegamer9342]

Fifth!

[@worldofthought8352]

You have no idea how commercial my wars have become, I can't blitz through my campaign as I have marketing insist I get merchandise of my troops, even letting toy companies have a say in ship design, even telling me I can't call my wars 'wars' anymore, as 'superheroes' don't declare wars. And that I have to stall the combat so a streaming service has enough content to make 10 episodes! Now I have to call my wars 'campaigns', 'missions' and even 'special military operations.' The worse thing about this is they give away my secret weapons by having it on latest toy edition before i can attack! And don't get me started on fast food chains taking over cafateria offering 50% discount, fighting shape my men are not!

[@mattmorehouse9685]

That sounds awful. Whatever happened to running up through hails of machine gun fire to bravely stab the enemy with your sword? But now my analysts are telling me we should switch to drones since they're "more cost effective" and "save money on rations and morale." I tell you it's ruining the adrenaline pumping purity of a good battle.

[@yourfriendlyneighborhooddi3915]

@@mattmorehouse9685 Have you tried giving the drones swords?

[@mattmorehouse9685]

@@yourfriendlyneighborhooddi3915 I thought of making them into rolling death balls with blades and spikes, but one of my advisors said that was inefficient, since the blades will get dulled while they charge towards the enemy. I could try giving the drones swords, but it- it just doesn't feel the same! It just isn't as manly and traditional as flesh and blood sapients learning to charge the enemy and chop them into little pieces! *sigh* I should've never invited these "scientific" strategy advisors into my council.

[@nicholasleclerc1583]

"Special military operations" Lol, that last one got me X D

[@joeltrekwars2162]

At this rate only genocidals remember the true spirit of war. Even the local Devouring Swarm is more in touch -- literally -- with war compared to everyone else!

[@michka841]

As the governor of Cadia, a fortress world (not this Cadia, the other Cadia in the Cadian cluster), I hate those mercenaries: I spent countless years building the most advanced fortification system in the galaxy (well... the second most advanced after the one of the other Cadia) and those suckers just past by my planet without even trying to take it! What is the point of naming a planet Cadia then?.... anyway I have to left you, there's an enemy colossus coming toward our system, I hope it won't create too much trouble

[@michka841]

UPDATE: The planet broke before the guard did, press F

[@birbofhermes9472]

@@michka841 F. Cadia Stands

[@michka841]

@@birbofhermes9472 the other one yes, mine not so much Now I have to find a new job, bruh

[@Timurelang]

@Michka I hear there is a job opening in one of those fancy museums run by those nice skeleton men

[@54032Zepol]

This is real journalism at work, going deep inside the story and making breaking studies.

[@bond0815]

Ashley Easterbrook looks extra faboulus today. Her stay at the ressort world clearly did her good!

[@samuelcrow4701]

You have good points, but mercenaries allow commercially inclined empires have have and extra edge, as they can hold a quality navy while replacing all their shipyards with walmarts. Which, as one of the barbaric despoilers ravaging said empires, I think makes war more bloody and vigorous than ever!

[@Matoro342]

True. Think about how much more you can wage war on the poor and impoverished of your own civilization, when you don't have to waste resources on your 'rivals'! Why exploit others, when your work at home isn't even done?

[@dust1209]

Dr. Fish seems like he's about to have his peace-loving empire rolled over.

[@felalot8801]

I would like to see them try

[@CharliMorganMusic]

This is some of your best work. You have to know good bit about the reality of the subject to make something this witty.

[@etaoinshr]

"Renowned Thing" is going on my business card

[@jak2266]

War is a safe and pleasurable pastime that the whole family can participate in. I will not have it slandered it these partisan politics.

[@ScarletEvergreenCh]

I say that the entire Galaxy are using the wrong Mercenary Enclaves, and I would like to suggest that the Galaxy should use the Mercenary Enclaves that just so happen to make their Enclaves in my space for no particular reason. Well on another note, if anyone wants to hear about the great prices they offer for their "service", alongside a nice chance for the Leaders of the Galactic Nations, to get an all expense paid holiday on one of the Best Resort World in the Galaxy, that again just so happen to be in my space. I mean sure, two third of the entire Galaxy is currently on a knife edge where a misplace atomic particle that had discharge its energy in a wrong place could cause a War in Heaven, but at least the Mercenary Enclaves that again just so happen to be in my space can "provide" save passage to the pops in the effected areas (even if that area in question was not in the red zone) to places that are safe, which just so happen to be in my part of the galaxy by some miracle. And my Government would be more then happy to help the effected pops "resettle" on liveable worlds [well Tomb Worlds are consider liveable by Robotic definition] and they would be "given" jobs in the Mining Districts to gather Minerals till the event blow over.

[@felalot8801]

!roll d100 !Flood the comment section!!! Roll [100] Reason: FLOOD THE COMMENT SECTION

[@director5325]

I need to ask Dr. Theo if we can install flood proof shields in Medical.

[@The-Ent1ty]

Oh, wait you- ohhhh with water? Shit.... I wonder how quick can a gravemind will form?

[@ComedicLetter]

No, not commercialized enough! How am I supposed to become an arms dealer if I cannot sell my highly advanced weaponry to those who are technologically inferior for a ridiculous markup? How is _Lokhart & Endell Defence Concern_ supposed to manage to stay in business?! We’re verging on bankruptcy (L&E.D.C is not associated with Lokhart & Endell Investing or the Lokhart & Endell Shipping Company)? You’ve created an echo chamber of yes men to ensure your side of the narrative is the one that gets published! Well, except Dr. Fish. It seems like it knows it’s way around an economic battlefield.

[@calniotrey5083]

Good talk!

[@MadamLava094]

*Snake voice* "War... has changed."

[@themigmadmarine]

I look forward to the follow-up discussion about the Christmas -on-war

[@Legio_Purpura_10_28]

Erradicating all life so I can use their souls to tear up The veil is my war.

[@mill2712]

Let's get these dogs off our lot. -Crosstalk 1

[@korvusgaming4927]

Thank you for your interest in Axiom Security Consulting. As the CEO and President of the company, our duty is to provide top logistical support, and quality results in our ventures of war, death, and destruction for our clients. Our position is that governments are unable to provide efficient results when it comes to building a powerful armada, and raising armies to conquer the planets of our clients. Would you rather spend all of your energy and alloys on a fleet that runs the risk of being destroyed, and armies that simply orbit your capital planet? Or would you rather choose Axiom? Axiom Security Consulting: The Way Forward.

[@burningbronze7555]

honestly the whole idea of war is disturbing, making it profitable just adds insult on top of death.

[@VarangianGuard13]

If these myriad Empires, Organizations, Enclaves, Conglomerates, and other entities didn't want mercenary groups to solve their problems, they'd have grown the species-appropriate anatomy which was required, and would have been capable of doing the job themselves.

[@georgsgrants9925]

Corporate profiteering has ripped the magic out of jingoism.

[@avatarwarmech]

0:10 is this actually in the ingame soundtrack because it's fire

[@archmagemc3561]

hey its not my fault my advanced AI neighbor likes to hire my mercenary enclave. Its like they want to be my vassel.

[@garthst.claire3459]

Uh...shouldn't the Blorg be against war and suggest that they all hug or something?

[@Bloodlyshiva]

Hmm? Mercenaries winning entire wars? How so? They have no land troops.

[@addaccount9246]

"What about all the good things war has done for us? Why don't we ever hear speeches about that? Jobs, technology, a common purpose... All we're sayin' is... GIVE WAR A CHANCE!"

[@ProfezorSnayp]

This pleases Snayp.

[@roaringbeardragon4531]

War't have you done!

[@surge1229]

reminding me a lot of warhammer 40k

[@Navar4477]

Usually Xenonion broadcasts are halted at the border of The United Closed Systems, so I'm haunted by the news that news is getting in here!

[@phluphie]

Love you guys. Please keep at it. 8^)

[@Darth_Niki4]

Our Machine Intelligence sees no problem with this trend. Commercialisation of combat units makes warfare more accessible to everyone, potentially giving them an equal chance of successful assimilation in our collective.

[@lDarkSlayerl]

War has changed...

[@CatArmyGeneral]

Isn't it meant to never do that?

[@blacksabre5343]

I enjoy war by proxy, but you occasionally have to remind them that you speak softly, but you carry a big stick. Lol.

[@zdugo]

”Token molluscoid” lmao

[@bestsynth4102]

Fish

[@felalot8801]

FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESH

[@caad5258]

Awesome

[@TheEmolano]

War is about creating cool weapons and using them on enemy kids. While mercenaries can do quite a bit of damage to enemy kids, their lack of weapons creativity takes out a lot of the fun.

[@Redem10]

War used to be about pillaging, not profit

[@silverchairsg]

We also need to talk about the speciesist problem in the military as well. Far too often, Thybloibs are underrepresented in the ranks of senior commanders while being overrepresented in the ranks of cannon fodder, logistics bot handlers, and biojanitors. Not to mention they also are frequently undercompensated for their contributions to the war efforts, resulting in a "Mandible Ceiling" in the military. This needs to be changed.

[@KouNagai]

👌

[@lautin6226]

War has changed...

[@Jakthemoron]

They really need to speak to the Terrans of Earth. Those fanatic spiritualists know how to war.

[@JacoDeltaco]

some time I forgot that I am already at war with some one form the other side of the galaxie

[@auraguard0212]

1:40 Roughly around when this talk goes off the rails

[@AnotherLuckyStar]

I am so happy Dr Fish got their own subtitles.

[@sunso1991]

There is a curious thought. Wouldn't it be fun if fleet and army require a new resource called manpower that consumed population? Like it take 1 pop to make a 10k fleet power, or 1k army. And you can convert it back if you disband the fleet. It would really make war hurt

[@mattmorehouse9685]

I think Endless Space 2 has that. They've also got the Cravers and Hissho in an expansion, for all your warmongering needs!

[@molybdaen11]

In that case everyone would just send robots.

[@sunso1991]

@@molybdaen11 and that would be interesting too. it increase the chance of robotic uprising, and some empire cant use robots like Spiritualists. and your planets would need robotic assembly plant which take 1 tile away

[@WhatTheFuckIsAHandle]

What kind of nonsense?! Is Dr. Fish even a real doctor?

[@SirDankleberry]

Me being a materialistic technocracy who's just trying to explore the universe and galactic war breaks out again: Oh great, the primitives are fighting again...