> You're absolutely right about the hypothetical power of an organized village! Yet, in this scenario such a thing never comes about and can never come about. A village requires collaboration and trust, things the hunters do not posses.
The books highlight that trust cannot be established. All civilizations are very alien to each other, the huge differences and the lack of a common culture makes establishing trust almost impossible. Imagine sending the first message “I am a farmer, and would like to collaberate with other farmers.” How would you determine if the responder was a farmer, or a hunter pretending to be a farmer?
There are other aspects of the fictional world that makes a farmer collaboration impossible, but I wouldn’t want to spoil it.
>How would you determine if the responder was a farmer, or a hunter pretending to be a farmer?
Farmers already made that choice by sending the message. Whoever wants to attack will be prepared to the point of full domination.
That said, why should space faring civilizations be incapable of cooperation? Without leaving the solar system, we are already in a state of post-modernism and multiculturalism. A civilization that can travel between solar systems can be even more advanced in respecting other cultures.
If there is a risk then it is us, not pouring more resources into research so that we have nothing to offer once somebody else comes along.
> Farmers already made that choice by sending the message. Whoever wants to attack will be prepared to the point of full domination.
Part of the setup for this particular game is that there is no being prepared to the point of "full domination". There is only first strike, and whoever attacks first wins. This is a huge part of why every player is incredibly careful - there is no surviving, enduring, or being prepared for an attack.
Bear in mind that this discussion is not people advocating national or global policy around guns versus butter. This is people wrapping their heads around a particular model explored in some science fiction works. The model you prefer and advocate can be found in a different set of science fiction works.
Not every model used in every work of literature will produce outcomes preferred by every person. Not every game has an outcome or stable state that everyone likes under the rules of the game. That's fine. That is, after all, why we have different models and explore their consequences.
Though I understand if some reject this and seek for a way for every model to produce their preferred outcome. It's a very human response.
> There is only first strike, and whoever attacks first wins. This is a huge part of why every player is incredibly careful - there is no surviving, enduring, or being prepared for an attack.
There are three key attributes to a dark forest strike. They are increadibly cheap for the attacker, they are abosultely devastating to the victim, and they do not give away the attacker’s position.
Given these attributes a few hunters could set up conditions where civilizations that decide to communicate would be quickly eliminated. Being friendly would be a trait conditions would select against.
It’s an interesting game, and a truly horrifying answer to Femi’s paradox.
The books highlight that trust cannot be established. All civilizations are very alien to each other, the huge differences and the lack of a common culture makes establishing trust almost impossible. Imagine sending the first message “I am a farmer, and would like to collaberate with other farmers.” How would you determine if the responder was a farmer, or a hunter pretending to be a farmer?
There are other aspects of the fictional world that makes a farmer collaboration impossible, but I wouldn’t want to spoil it.