Other players in the Dominion War

[Phoenix]

I apologize, it's 2:00 AM local, and I'm having no luck with sleeping...but...
Out of shear curiosity a question for the masses;

During the Dominion War, what was your status of the many lesser governments around the Alpha/Beta Quadrants.

We know from canon that the Federation, Klingon Empire, Romulan Empire, and Bajorian Provisional eventually opposed the Dominion. While the Dominion had the Cardassian Union, Breen Confederacy, and Son'a in their camp by the end of the war.

To the best of my knowledge the Tholian Holdfast remained neutral throughout the war, as did the Ferengi Alliance - officially.

That leaves the canon governments of Acamarian, Barzan, Caldonian, Chalnoth, First Federation, Gorn Commonwealth, J'Naii, Lurian, Lysia, Melkotian, Mizarian, Pakled, Satarran, Sheliak Corporate, Talarian, Tamarian (A.K.A. Children of Tamar), Tzenkethi, and Zalkon Unity. Now not all of these governments would be able to help out equally (Pakled war fleets?, Lysia technology?), nor are all of them on good terms with either side. However all had reason to be involved in the defense against the Dominion.

Thoughts, comments, Phoenix go to sleep please...

[Captain Otto]

My guess is that most of them would wait till it becomes clear who will win the war and then join the side of the victor. Many of these Species have little large offensive capabilities or none at all and by and large lag behind the Federation in terms of technologie.
Comitting any of their ships against the Dominion would constitute suicide as it is clear that the Federation looses many more advanced ships.
My bet is that they try to stay neutral as the Romulans at first did, and later join the side they think would benefit most of their own goals.

Many of these Races are not on good terms with the Federation. The Tzenkethi fought a war against the Federation for exampel and the Sheliak Corporate views everyone else inferior to themselves... so I doubt they would enter the conflict on behalf of the Federation or the Dominion. Both races have strong tendencies to isolate themselves.
Even if any of these would decide to support the Alliance against the Dominion they would at best be tasked to guard duties in remote sectors, aid the Alliance with raw materials and so on...
But I doubt they would be any great help against the dominion, as most are really lesser players on the astropolitical board.

[Diamond]

In my Dominion War campaign the minor galactic powers allowed for a LOT pf PC diplomacy. For example, on the Gorn/Federation border, the Federation was very interested in moving ships, static defences, sensor bouys, etc from the Gorn border to use those assets against the Dominion. The PCs job was to try to negotiate a mutual disarmament along that frontier. While the short-term benefits for the Federation were clear, the PCs had to sell the long-term benefits to the Gorn (after the war, the Federation, being bigger and richer, can afford more defences. Gorn would get a bigger benefit proportionately with the resources they would both save. Assuming the Federation could be trusted of course).

That was early in the campaign. Not too infrequently afterwards, the PCs had to deal with having less border sensor bouys, less redundancy in comm relays, etc for other adventures in that sector. All in support of the war effort far on the other side of the Federation.

[First of Two]

Let me see what I can remember from my campaign notes...

Acamarian, - Unknown - probably neutral, they have enough problems.

Barzan, - Unknown, probably neutral

Caldonian, - Neutral

Chalnoth, - Dominion ally

First Federation, - missing entirely

Gorn Commonwealth, - Fed ally - common ground at Cestus III

J'Naii, - neutral

Lurian, ostensibly neutral, but some citizens active pro-Fed partisans

Lysia, - Fed ally, but not particularly helpful.

Melkotian, - neutral

Mizarian, - very neutral

Pakled, - run away!

Satarran, - Dominion ally

Sheliak Corporate, - Neutral, Islolationist, but holding favorable impression of Dominion (all that non-humanoid imposition of order)

Talarian, - Neutral unless attacked

Tamarian (A.K.A. Children of Tamar), - "Barga and Melnek when Kiram arrived"

Tzenkethi, - Neutral, hostile to everybody.

Zalkon Unity - unconcerned.

And of course, my game had the Kzinti Patriarchy, which joined the Alliance after the PC's sent as diplomatic envoys acquitted themselves well in battle against a superior Dominion force. (Although having the first Kzin to join Starfleet on board probably helped)

[agamemnon_b5]

I have to disagree about the Gorn. In the instruction manual for Star Trek Bridge Commander PC game it states the Gorn allied with the Dominion.

[Owen E Oulton]

Computer games are hardly a reliable source. Although their disposition during the War wasn't directly dealt with, several episodes mentioned Federation/Gorn relations in the Cestus III area and strongly hinted that the Gorn are a Federation ally.

[Dan Gurden]

I dont think that the S'ona were ever allied with the Dominion. the closest link is their production of Ketracel White, but that was during the Dominion War, whilst allied to the Federation in t6he annexe of the Ba'ku homeworld.

And after the events of that movie, the remaining S'ona would have likely either rejoined the Ba'ku, or gone rogue (I agree the Dominion would be a likely direction, but so would be the Orion Syndicate, or Mercenary work.

On that subject though. We do know that the Orion Syndicate allied itself to the Dominion, but this is a seperate entity from the official Orion government (I know semantics), who would have likely remained 'neutral'.

Another Gorn source is the comic book 'The Gorn Crisis' also taking place during the Dominion War, where it leads from friendly political ties through to a closer alliance.

And not forgetting the Ferengi, who were seen on screen taking an officially neutral stand, but offering a slightly favourable deal to the Alpha Quadrant alliance.

[agamemnon_b5]

I just figured since Star Trek products are given the okay by Paramount, that someone ae Paramount had to have looked at the manual. I also figured since Star Trek veteran writer D.C. Fontana worked on the game, that it could be considered canon.

[First of Two]

Well, you know what assumption does, don't you?

"everyone knows when you make an assumption, you make an ass out of you and umption." -- Samuel L Jackson, "The Long Kiss Goodnight."

[agamemnon_b5]

I guess in this case the position of the Gorn would depend on the tastes of the narrator.

And First of Two, I made a good assumption, being that the game was written by a Star Trek writter and approved by Paramount.

And P.S.
I tend to go by the registry the game has for the Sovereign, NX-74(I don't remember the rest.)

[Owen E Oulton]

Canon consists of one thing and one thing only - aired versions of the live-action episodes and movies. Books, games, TAS, comics and everything else is licensed, but not canon. I really don't know why this seems so difficult for people to grasp. Approved by some mindless drone in the bowels of the marketing department of Viacom does not mean it's canon. As has been pointed out by Sternbach and Okuda in the forewards to their own books, even stuff produced by staff members as a licensed product is not canon, although in many cases it may be taken as authoritative where canon is silent. In the case of Dorothy Fontana, she hasn't worked on Trek since the first season of TNG, so her statemenst regarding the Dominion War are no more relevant than any other third-party writer.

In other words, the shows are the dog, the licensed stuff is the tail. Watch which is wagging which.

[IceGiant]

But at the end of the day it's your game. Cannon is irrelevant compared to your view of what "feel" right.

[Phoenix]

Ok, this was not a canon based question, what I asked was

During the Dominion War, what was your status of the many lesser governments around the Alpha/Beta Quadrants.

not if there was any canon, PC game, or other source references to the list of governments. I just wanted other peoples thoughts on how the galaxy would have been divided during the worst war in modern history.

[Ezri's Toy]

Originally posted by Phoenix
To the best of my knowledge the Tholian Holdfast remained neutral throughout the war...

The Tholian Holdfast ? That's a new one. Every piece of background material I've ever read on the Tholians (official, novels, or fan-made), said their government was called The Tholian Assembly.

[Phoenix]

Sorry, Starfleet Battles...I think...