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Cardassian/Dominion Reorganization Idea

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
As noted elsewhere, out of all the wars, Cardassia seems to be the one big new ally for the Federation in STO and seems very much at the point where Bajor was circa the middle to latter part of DS9.

As it stands, I think it's somewhat confusing that there are three Dominion factions (old Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant and possibly the exploration missions, new Dominion which is Laas' splinter group and friendly to the Feds, True Way) and two Cardassian factions (True Way, Cardassians). There's also the Pagh Wraith cult.

Personally, I'd like to see a consolidation because, among other things, the game doesn't make it readily apparent which group we're fighting aside from text and even people who follow the text seem fuzzy about it.

My proposed reorganization would go something like this:

- I'd have the True Way, fueled by the Pagh Wraith cult, seize control of the Dominion. I think it's probably pretty apparent by now that the Founders aren't gods. The Pagh Wraith, however, seem a bit less murky regarding their divine status and I could see where, effectively, they could consolidate the rogue Cardassians and Dominion forces under a new leader. I think a lot of people have trouble following what The True Way is since they look like vanilla Cardassians.

- As part of the coupe in which the Pagh Wraith's followers claim the Dominion, the head is cut off of that organization. The Pagh Wraiths control the Dominion. The Great Link (both the Alpha and Gamma versions) is poisoned by Vorta and Jem'Hadar. The surviving founders leave the Dominion.

- Cardassia Prime, shaken, renews its resolve towards its allies in the Federation and joins.

So the net result is:

The Dominion becomes a military organization headed up by Vorta and Cardassians who now worship the Pagh Wraiths. Maybe with a renewed Breen alliance.

The Founders have a separate faction and are a splinter group of survivors after having been ousted. I think it would be great if you gave them Empok Nor.

Cardassia joins the Federation outright.

This provides a lot of clarity, overall. If you see a changeling, it's allied with the Founders and this group is both friendly and hostile depending on the situation but is, above all, mistrustful. (I could see where the Founders may be tied to the Preservers too, given their mutual love of creating races through genetic engineering and shared appearance.) If you want to evolve the game in an interesting direction, maybe after having been betrayed by the Jem'Hadar and the Vorta, the Founders are creating new races to serve them, just as they created the Vorta and Jem'Hadar. (This would be a great place to work in things like the sentient Mugato that some have asked for.)

If you see anyone in Cardassian military fatigues or a Jem'Hadar, it's the Dominion, which now worships the Pagh Wraiths instead of the Founders.

Meanwhile, Cardassians who are friendly would now wear Starfleet uniforms.
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