Ethics of Terraforming

"As exciting and potentially beneficial as terraforming could be for our species, there are those who question the ethics of transforming entire worlds for our own benefit. Some suggest that it is fundamentally not our right to alter worlds beyond Earth, while others argue that each planet's nature is inextricably tied to its uniqueness, and that making other planets more Earth-like would diminish their variety and beauty. There is also the very real possibility that changing a planet and introducing Earth-based life could destroy any native, alien lifeforms that may exist on or under the planet's surface, possibly before we can discover and preserve them.We have some time before the discussion of interplanetary engineering policies becomes urgent, but likely not as much as many would believe: already, various nations and corporations are developing systems aimed at creating a permanent human presence on Mars. By the time such a thing exists, the decision may have already been made. Contamination from human activity is a real risk if one's priority is conservation of the planet's current state, and an established off-world population may end up taking action on their own, without regard for the wishes of those back on Earth. Terraforming is an exciting concept, but it is also a controversial one. As an offer of respect to those who share this point of view, we designed TerraGenesis to be equally playable by users interested in terraforming and those who prefer conservation. In fact, one of our in-game factions is dedicated to that very idea: the Sons of Hephaestus, a political advocacy group dedicated to preventing the alteration of other planets during hominization. All victory conditions are equally available to such players, and the Hephaestians come with in-game bonuses that will help them stay true to their doctrine.It is up to each and every person, including you, to decide their position and beliefs regarding terraforming. We as a civilization are rapidly developing capabilities that threaten to outpace our ethical consensus. It will be up to the forward-thinkers of our generation to shape the early days of this debate and would be wise for us to begin soon."