What was life like on the Ark before it go flooded with refugees? Was the Ark self-suffcient? Did they grow thier own food, have a ranch, or have everything flown in? What did they do for entertainment? How did they determine who got on the Ark in the first place? What did the housing look like? Why did the Ark lose contact with the rest of the world?

If Brink can make me think this much about its world before it's even released, then it going to be a great game.

It's true Brink is going to be great. I don't think to much on the world as much as I wonder about how the gameplay will be and how sweet the SMART system will be. I still wonder about before it got flooded and what the story will reveal.

The Ark was originally a five-star, top-of-the-line resort. The Security, at the time, simply had the role of protecting celebrities who were vacationing on the Ark. Entertainment wouldn't have been much different: hanging out at the beach, watching movies, etc.

Originally the Ark was designed to hold around five thousand survivors in the event of an international catastrophe, so it should be self-sufficient. Unfortunately, this international catastrophe did happen, and the Ark is the only known surviving place as of our current standpoint. There really was no determining how people could get on the Ark: if they lived and found the Ark, then they lived and found the Ark. If they didn't, they would be dead at sea.

If only five thousand people were supposed to live on the Ark, then the houses should be very comfortable and large. Of course, due to the massive influx of people on the Ark, some live extravagantly (the Founders), while some live in extreme penury (Container City favelas).

Taken from the http://www.fragworld.org/frag/brink/the-fragworld-brink-compendium.html:

"Brink takes place on the Ark. Built in the near-future as part of a contemporary green vision, the Ark was a model for sustainable living. The massive man-made floating city became a home to the scientists and thinkers focused on making the vision a reality, while its wealthy patrons built a recreational paradise. But soon the threat of a global environmental crisis became real: glaciers melted, sea levels rose, and the very survival of humanity was threatened. Thousands from around the globe fled to the Ark as a last hope. Refugees clung to survival however they could, while the original founders and their descendants struggled to maintain the island.

Now, existing in 2045, A whole generation has grown up on the Ark, and while it was originally supposed to house around 5,000 people, it now houses around 50,000. Now, the Ark has lost contact with what remained of the mainland and exists in total isolation. As the Ark's supposedly renewable resources dwindle, the balance of power threatens to unravel and throw competing social factions into a horrific conflict.

With tensions growing, Security and Resistance forces are locked in a heated battle for control of the Ark. Which side will you choose?"

And in addition, my thoughts about it:


The ARK was an experiment and laboratory, first and foremost.

It was an experiment about the possibility of having a completely self-sufficient environment - in this case an artificial island hosting 5000 inhabitants.
It was a laboratory, but I think there is no detailed information released about what the main research is/was about (I believe that is part of the story-line; the fact that there is security leads me to the asumption, that they did weapon-research there as well).


Now obviously the ARK-project was partly there to secure a possible survival of humanity if the world collapsed under the influence of human industry. Unfotrunately the climate collapse happens before the ARK-project does deliver many results. Well populated areas get flooded and of those people who manage to get into something that swims, quite a number find the ARK.

The climate collapse happens in 2025, the game takes place in 2045. So during that time, the ARK population raised from originally and ideally 5000 to roughly 50.000. That means the ARK is not self-sufficient anymore. And that again leads to the civil war which we are about to face in the game, covering the first (and perhaps only) week of this conflict.

the ark was meant to be a self sustaining tourist attraction/research lab. the plan was the ark would not only be a contemporary green vision that would be the model for all cities but also turn a profit to pay for more eco-friendly technology, then once it lost contact it was unable to profit off of celebrities and business executives.

It was self sufficient, perfectly green, most famous stars were there, it was like a 5 star vacation. Now it's a hell hole.