Just finished salvation day by kali Wallace and was left underwhelmed. Looking for some recommendations here based on a few examples of what I find appealing from video game narratives that brought me to the horror genre. Stroggification is a colloquialism that quickly became official medical terminology to refer to the process of an unwilling human victim undergoing advanced Strogg cybernetic augmentation and thereby being transformed into a Strogg soldier. From the Medlabs level, you are turned into a Strogg in a comfortable fashion! See full description for details of the process.The process (from QuakeWiki):0.

• Create New

Quake IV is the fourth entry in the Quake series, launched in 2005.The game was developed by Raven Software, using the Id Tech 4 engine (Doom 3 engine) and it's set in the Strogg arc, as a sequel of Quake II.

After the events of Quake II, the EDF starts the invasion to the Strogg planet in order to terminate the Strogg menace once and for all. The player controls Matthew Kane, a corporal of the Rhino Squad, and he must assist his comrades in the given objectives.

Bear in mind that a lot of tropes from Quake II also apply here. Also, the Character tropes go to the Characters page.

• Air Vent Passageway: There's an escape using one in the level after Kane's Stroggification, just before Kane's first encounter with a Teleport Dropper.
• Exclusively Evil: The Strogg race.
• And I Must Scream: A conversation overheard hints that the victims that are Stroggified are, for a time, aware of their actions but can not stop them. This is later shown to be true when Voss becomes Stroggified.
• Animal Motifs: The squad names: Badger, Bison, Cobra, Eagle, Kodiak, Scorpion, Viper, Warthog, Wolf, and, of course, the Rhino Squad. There's also the Raven squad, composed by members with the same names as the developers of the game.
• Badass Driver: Whoever is driving the truck in the early Nexus mission in Quake 4 has got to be crazy.
• Beam-O-War: The Railgun.
• Beam Spam: The Lightning Gun.
• BFG: The Dark Matter Gun.
• Big Damn Heroes: When the Rhino Squad saves Kane from the final part of the Stroggification process.
• Body Horror: The Stroggification process, where the subjects are put into heavy sedation and, as a result, are 75% paralyzed. Through an assembly-line-like process, they rip open your stomach, saw off your legs, fuse new legs and armor to your skin, put a big helmet on you, insert a control chip into the victims brain, and then activate said chip so he/she can serve the Strogg. Fortunately, Kane is saved from that last part by the Rhino Squad. Too bad the same can't be said for the many other poor souls before you that already completed the process, which you can see in the body jars moving around the facility.
• Boring but Practical: The Machinegun in single-player, especially because it's one of two weapons with a flashlight, the other being the Blaster.
• Boss in Mook Clothing: Many examples in the fourth, specially Gladiators. Heavy Hovertanks are this plus outright Demonic Spiders, while Light Tanks are fairly Level Five Onix provided you've got enough room to keep backing away from them. They're a pain in the ass, anyway.
• Boss Rush: Just before the final battle, Kane is locked in a small-medium sized room and forced to fight 3 consecutive groups of the Boss in Mook Clothing enemies: 3 Light Tanks, 3 Heavy Hovertanks, and 3 Stream Protectors.
• Bowdlerization: The German version removes the blood and gore and censor some scenes (such as Anderson's death) However, the dub wasn't changed to accommodate the censorship and so quite a few lines turn into non-sequiturs.
• Chainsaw Good: The Gauntlet, available only in multi-player mode.
• Cypher Language: The Strogg languange.
• Degraded Boss: The Harvester first appear as a Mini Boss-type encounter, then as a regular Giant Mook later.
• Dramatic Space Drifting: In the intro. Seems that is's just a marine contemplating the emptiness, then he turns to reveal a disfigured face and then half a body missing.
• Embedded Precursor: In some editions, the original Quake II was brought with the game.
• Enemy Summoner: The Teleport Dropper, that Strogg which looked like a bulldog, and could disperse several teleporters which summoned several Mooks. These can also appear at the Strogg teleporters on the game. Strogg!Voss also has this ability.
• Evil Sounds Deep: The Strogg voices heard throughout the game, including the Makron's voice.
• Fate Worse Than Death: Stroggification. As if being conscious through all that mutilation isn't bad enough, until your higher brain functions atrophy, you're forced to watch as your body is used to kill your fellow men.
• Flunky Boss: The majority of the bosses fit this trope, if you don't count the first Makron encounter as a boss.
• Giant Mook: Stream Protectors, Light Tanks, Heavy Hovertanks, and Gladiators.
• Giant Spider: The Harvesters are enormous and rather spider-like in appearance.
• Half the Man He Used To Be: This happens to an unfortunate Marine who attempts to enter a Strogg teleporter.
• Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: Kane's first encounter with the Makron.
  • Hopeless Boss Fight: Although it's somewhat unique in that Kane does have to damage him significantly, otherwise he just straight out kills him (game over man, game over) instead of immobilizing him with his tractor beam.
• Industrialized Evil: Stroggification.
• Keystone Army: The Stroggos. Once the Nexus is destroyed, every Strogg force perishes.
• Major Injury Underreaction: When on the first to the Hannibal, you can hear this exchange when exiting for the field:

• More Dakka: Some vehicles.
• Nail'Em: The Nailgun. In the campaign mode, you can upgrade the weapon, so it can shot homing nails, by keeping the alternate fire button pressed.
• Nintendo Hard: General difficulty. The weakest, basic enemy Mooks can kill you in just a handful of shots. All enemies have noticeably more health, so that even mid-level enemies like Berserkers and Gunners take more than a full clip of assault rifle fire to kill. Your teammates are no longer invincible powerhouses, making all levels with them into Escort Missions. The game is already fairly stingy with Health and Armor on Normal, so imagine what all this is like on Harder Than Hard. Legendary has nothing on this.
• Nitro Express: One Escort Mission has a demolitions expert carrying explosives that will 'take out half the mountain' if set off.
• No OSHA Compliance: Any Strogg facility you could think.
• Nostalgia Levels: Quake IV, Multi-player-wise, plays this straight with its remakes of 'Claustrophobopolis', from the first Quake; 'The Edge' (plus a CTF version) from Quake II; and 'The Longest Yard' and 'The Very End Of You' (renamed as 'Xaero's Gravity') from Quake III Arena. Subsequent patches added also 'The Camping Grounds' from the latter.
• Not Using the Z Word: Played straight with the actual monster names, averted in-game where one of the marines panics after getting bit by a 'zombie' before being corrected that they're just botched Strogg.
• Orange-Blue Contrast: A variant. The Marines are, rather than blue, olive green, while the Strogg are orange. This is reflected in their respective UIs as well as in their uniforms. It also makes Matthew Kane stand out even more, post-Stroggification, when standing amongst the rest of Rhino Squad.
• Spider Tank: They're called the Harvesters and Kane find them four times: the first two before the Nexus tower as a human, the second when Bidwell dies and the last once you've escaped from the Strogg Medical Facility as a Strogg.
• Strapped to An Operating Table: The entire Stroggification process, although the victims aren't strapped to the tables--they're just heavily sedated.
• Suspicious Videogame Generosity: Used right before the first Makron battle. Kane runs down a hallway lined with ammo to an obvious ambush. After taking out the two (relatively) easy Stream Protectors, the Makron shows up. In spite of it being a Heads I Win, Tails You Lose scenario, if he doesn't do enough damage to it first, he will die; he has to 'win' to advance.
• Translator Microbes: When Kane is Stroggified, the chip implanted in his brain lets him read and hear the Strogg language as English.
• You Don't Look Like You: The entire Strogg race.
• Zombie Apocalypse: The level before the second squad intermission is all about this. They are called 'Failed transfers' and 'Slimy transfers'.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Differentiate between open and closed stratification systems
• Distinguish between caste and class systems
• Understand meritocracy as an ideal system of stratification

Sociologists use the term social stratification to describe the system of social standing. Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power.

You may remember the word “stratification” from geology class. The distinct vertical layers found in rock, called stratification, are a good way to visualize social structure. Society’s layers are made of people, and society’s resources are distributed unevenly throughout the layers. The people who have more resources represent the top layer of the social structure of stratification. Other groups of people, with progressively fewer and fewer resources, represent the lower layers of our society.

Strata in rock illustrate social stratification. People are sorted, or layered, into social categories. Many factors determine a person’s social standing, such as income, education, occupation, as well as age, race, gender, and even physical abilities. (Photo courtesy of Just a Prairie Boy/flickr)

In the United States, people like to believe everyone has an equal chance at success. To a certain extent, Aaron illustrates the belief that hard work and talent—not prejudicial treatment or societal values—determine social rank. This emphasis on self-effort perpetuates the belief that people control their own social standing.

However, sociologists recognize that social stratification is a society-wide system that makes inequalities apparent. While there are always inequalities between individuals, sociologists are interested in larger social patterns. Stratification is not about individual inequalities, but about systematic inequalities based on group membership, classes, and the like. No individual, rich or poor, can be blamed for social inequalities. The structure of society affects a person’s social standing. Although individuals may support or fight inequalities, social stratification is created and supported by society as a whole.

The people who live in these houses most likely share similar levels of income and education. Neighborhoods often house people of the same social standing. Wealthy families do not typically live next door to poorer families, though this varies depending on the particular city and country. (Photo courtesy of Orin Zebest/flickr)

Factors that define stratification vary in different societies. In most societies, stratification is an economic system, based on wealth, the net value of money and assets a person has, and income, a person’s wages or investment dividends. While people are regularly categorized based on how rich or poor they are, other important factors influence social standing. For example, in some cultures, wisdom and charisma are valued, and people who have them are revered more than those who don’t. In some cultures, the elderly are esteemed; in others, the elderly are disparaged or overlooked. Societies’ cultural beliefs often reinforce the inequalities of stratification.

One key determinant of social standing is the social standing of our parents. Parents tend to pass their social position on to their children. People inherit not only social standing but also the cultural norms that accompany a certain lifestyle. They share these with a network of friends and family members. Social standing becomes a comfort zone, a familiar lifestyle, and an identity. This is one of the reasons first-generation college students do not fare as well as other students.

Other determinants are found in a society’s occupational structure. Teachers, for example, often have high levels of education but receive relatively low pay. Many believe that teaching is a noble profession, so teachers should do their jobs for love of their profession and the good of their students—not for money. Yet no successful executive or entrepreneur would embrace that attitude in the business world, where profits are valued as a driving force. Cultural attitudes and beliefs like these support and perpetuate social inequalities.

Recent Economic Changes and U.S. Stratification

As a result of the Great Recession that rocked our nation’s economy in the last few years, many families and individuals found themselves struggling like never before. The nation fell into a period of prolonged and exceptionally high unemployment. While no one was completely insulated from the recession, perhaps those in the lower classes felt the impact most profoundly. Before the recession, many were living paycheck to paycheck or even had been living comfortably. As the recession hit, they were often among the first to lose their jobs. Unable to find replacement employment, they faced more than loss of income. Their homes were foreclosed, their cars were repossessed, and their ability to afford healthcare was taken away. This put many in the position of deciding whether to put food on the table or fill a needed prescription.

While we’re not completely out of the woods economically, there are several signs that we’re on the road to recovery. Many of those who suffered during the recession are back to work and are busy rebuilding their lives. The Affordable Health Care Act has provided health insurance to millions who lost or never had it.

But the Great Recession, like the Great Depression, has changed social attitudes. Where once it was important to demonstrate wealth by wearing expensive clothing items like Calvin Klein shirts and Louis Vuitton shoes, now there’s a new, thriftier way of thinking. In many circles, it has become hip to be frugal. It’s no longer about how much we spend, but about how much we don’t spend. Think of shows like Extreme Couponing on TLC and songs like Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop.”

Systems of Stratification

Sociologists distinguish between two types of systems of stratification. Closed systems accommodate little change in social position. They do not allow people to shift levels and do not permit social relationships between levels. Open systems, which are based on achievement, allow movement and interaction between layers and classes. Different systems reflect, emphasize, and foster certain cultural values and shape individual beliefs. Stratification systems include class systems and caste systems, as well as meritocracy.

The Caste System

India used to have a rigid caste system. The people in the lowest caste suffered from extreme poverty and were shunned by society. Some aspects of India’s defunct caste system remain socially relevant. In this photo, an Indian woman of a specific Hindu caste works in construction, and she demolishes and builds houses. (Photo courtesy of Elessar/flickr)

Caste systems are closed stratification systems in which people can do little or nothing to change their social standing. A caste system is one in which people are born into their social standing and will remain in it their whole lives. People are assigned occupations regardless of their talents, interests, or potential. There are virtually no opportunities to improve a person’s social position.

In the Hindu caste tradition, people were expected to work in the occupation of their caste and to enter into marriage according to their caste. Accepting this social standing was considered a moral duty. Cultural values reinforced the system. Caste systems promote beliefs in fate, destiny, and the will of a higher power, rather than promoting individual freedom as a value. A person who lived in a caste society was socialized to accept his or her social standing.

Although the caste system in India has been officially dismantled, its residual presence in Indian society is deeply embedded. In rural areas, aspects of the tradition are more likely to remain, while urban centers show less evidence of this past. In India’s larger cities, people now have more opportunities to choose their own career paths and marriage partners. As a global center of employment, corporations have introduced merit-based hiring and employment to the nation.

The Class System

A class system is based on both social factors and individual achievement. A class consists of a set of people who share similar status with regard to factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation. Unlike caste systems, class systems are open. People are free to gain a different level of education or employment than their parents. They can also socialize with and marry members of other classes, which allows people to move from one class to another.

In a class system, occupation is not fixed at birth. Though family and other societal models help guide a person toward a career, personal choice plays a role.

In class systems, people have the option to form exogamous marriages, unions of spouses from different social categories. Marriage in these circumstances is based on values such as love and compatibility rather than on social standing or economics. Though social conformities still exist that encourage people to choose partners within their own class, people are not as pressured to choose marriage partners based solely on those elements. Marriage to a partner from the same social background is an endogamous union.

Meritocracy

Quake 4 PC Stroggification Process And Final Boss Fight - YouTube

Meritocracy is an ideal system based on the belief that social stratification is the result of personal effort—or merit—that determines social standing. High levels of effort will lead to a high social position, and vice versa. The concept of meritocracy is an ideal—because a society has never existed where social rank was based purely on merit. Because of the complex structure of societies, processes like socialization, and the realities of economic systems, social standing is influenced by multiple factors—not merit alone. Inheritance and pressure to conform to norms, for instance, disrupt the notion of a pure meritocracy. While a meritocracy has never existed, sociologists see aspects of meritocracies in modern societies when they study the role of academic and job performance and the systems in place for evaluating and rewarding achievement in these areas.

Status Consistency

Social stratification systems determine social position based on factors like income, education, and occupation. Sociologists use the term status consistency to describe the consistency, or lack thereof, of an individual’s rank across these factors. Caste systems correlate with high status consistency, whereas the more flexible class system has lower status consistency.

To illustrate, let’s consider Susan. Susan earned her high school degree but did not go to college. That factor is a trait of the lower-middle class. She began doing landscaping work, which, as manual labor, is also a trait of lower-middle class or even lower class. However, over time, Susan started her own company. She hired employees. She won larger contracts. She became a business owner and earned a lot of money. Those traits represent the upper-middle class. There are inconsistencies between Susan’s educational level, her occupation, and her income. In a class system, a person can work hard and have little education and still be in middle or upper class, whereas in a caste system that would not be possible. In a class system, low status consistency correlates with having more choices and opportunities.

The Commoner Who Could Be Queen

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, who is in line to be king of England, married Catherine Middleton, a so-called commoner, meaning she does not have royal ancestry. (Photo courtesy of UK_repsome/flickr)

On April 29, 2011, in London, England, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, married Catherine Middleton, a commoner. It is rare, though not unheard of, for a member of the British royal family to marry a commoner. Kate Middleton has an upper-class background, but does not have royal ancestry. Her father was a former flight dispatcher and her mother a former flight attendant and owner of Party Pieces. According to Grace Wong’s 2011 article titled, “Kate Middleton: A family business that built a princess,” “[t]he business grew to the point where [her father] quit his job . . . and it’s evolved from a mom-and-pop outfit run out of a shed . . . into a venture operated out of three converted farm buildings in Berkshire.” Kate and William met when they were both students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland (Köhler 2010).

Britain’s monarchy arose during the Middle Ages. Its social hierarchy placed royalty at the top and commoners on the bottom. This was generally a closed system, with people born into positions of nobility. Wealth was passed from generation to generation through primogeniture, a law stating that all property would be inherited by the firstborn son. If the family had no son, the land went to the next closest male relation. Women could not inherit property, and their social standing was primarily determined through marriage.

The arrival of the Industrial Revolution changed Britain’s social structure. Commoners moved to cities, got jobs, and made better livings. Gradually, people found new opportunities to increase their wealth and power. Today, the government is a constitutional monarchy with the prime minister and other ministers elected to their positions, and with the royal family’s role being largely ceremonial. The long-ago differences between nobility and commoners have blurred, and the modern class system in Britain is similar to that of the United States (McKee 1996).

Today, the royal family still commands wealth, power, and a great deal of attention. When Queen Elizabeth II retires or passes away, Prince Charles will be first in line to ascend the throne. If he abdicates (chooses not to become king) or dies, the position will go to Prince William. If that happens, Kate Middleton will be called Queen Catherine and hold the position of queen consort. She will be one of the few queens in history to have earned a college degree (Marquand 2011).

There is a great deal of social pressure on her not only to behave as a royal but also to bear children. In fact, Kate and Prince William welcomed their first son, Prince George, on July 22, 2013 and are expecting their second child. The royal family recently changed its succession laws to allow daughters, not just sons, to ascend the throne. Kate’s experience—from commoner to potential queen—demonstrates the fluidity of social position in modern society.

Summary

Stratification systems are either closed, meaning they allow little change in social position, or open, meaning they allow movement and interaction between the layers. A caste system is one in which social standing is based on ascribed status or birth. Class systems are open, with achievement playing a role in social position. People fall into classes based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation. A meritocracy is a system of social stratification that confers standing based on personal worth, rewarding effort.

Strogg | QuakeWiki | Fandom

Short Answer

1. Track the social stratification of your family tree. Did the social standing of your parents differ from the social standing of your grandparents and great-grandparents? What social traits were handed down by your forebears? Are there any exogamous marriages in your history? Does your family exhibit status consistencies or inconsistencies?
2. What defines communities that have low status consistency? What are the ramifications, both positive and negative, of cultures with low status consistency? Try to think of specific examples to support your ideas.
3. Review the concept of stratification. Now choose a group of people you have observed and been a part of—for example, cousins, high school friends, classmates, sport teammates, or coworkers. How does the structure of the social group you chose adhere to the concept of stratification?

References

Köhler, Nicholas. 2010. “An Uncommon Princess.” Maclean’s, November 22. Retrieved January 9, 2012 (http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/11/22/an-uncommon-princess/).

McKee, Victoria. 1996. “Blue Blood and the Color of Money.” New York Times, June 9.

Marquand, Robert. 2011. “What Kate Middleton’s Wedding to Prince William Could Do for Britain.” Christian Science Monitor, April 15. Retrieved January 9, 2012 (http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0415/What-Kate-Middleton-s-wedding-to-Prince-William-could-do-for-Britain).

Wong, Grace. 2011. “Kate Middleton: A Family Business That Built a Princess.” CNN Money. Retrieved December 22, 2014 (http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/14/smallbusiness/kate-middleton-party-pieces/).