Nothing will be 'impossible to change' as Elemental is designed to be supremely moddable! When the game comes out you can make whatever changes you want. You can have Fallen civilizations running orphanages and 'save the whales' campaigns if you like.

It's funny that you mention that because I was having related thoughts after reading The Fallen's description:

Of The Fallen

When the powers strove for dominance before the cataclysm, some felt that men were too random and too unpredictable to be of use to them. Some of these powers selected men of cunning, brutality and might. They created an “improved” or “idealized” version of men that came to be known as the Fallen.

The Fallen are stronger, faster and more lethal in battle. They are quicker to make use of magic whenever available. The fallen are consistent, patient, and considered all together evil.

The Fallen do not embrace change well nor do they appreciate new technology or the value of community. The strongest thrive and the weak are eradicated.

 

With the exception of the last sentence, there is little to suggest "evil" as it is commonly formulated.  Perhaps distasteful, but not evil.  I hope The Fallen are better fleshed out in the evil department...or the whole term is dropped.

Actually, I want an evil race to fight against.  But a race that fails to "embrace change" isn't exactly something that raises my ire. 

Hmm the way the Fallen are described they remind me a little of SM Stirlings Draka (ie genetically engineered super nazi's albeit in a fantasy setting).

A cool way to portray the Fallen would be like the Sith, they respect strength over all things and the weak are simply expunged. In this way you can portray the fallen as the "bad guys" because they have little use for compassion as they see it as limiting your potential, either you fight and survive or you simple die, but they won't be evil for the sake of being evil. Cartoon levels of villainy is getting old.

I don't mind them being represented as a society that has principle such as survial of the fittest, I just don't want to have to fight, or play as a society that is 'EVIL'. I get the feeling that the lore will just say they are 'Evil' and that will be that, which would be bland, I hope they have principle which you could sort of understand, even if you find them distasteful.

I also prefere it when races can't be truly defined as evil. Some races and cultures may be more suited for evil then others, but I think that all should have some option to be both.

You could maybe have a fallen faction that instead of killing the weaker, transforms them in something stronger. That faction could claim that it wants all people to become strong and powerfull, it could pretent to be the savour of the weaker men. Yet could that "transformation" involved magic or technology that makes it a rather unpleasant process and some could view that forced transformation as losing their self.

Having factions that are not clearly good or evil, but who have elements of both, adds to the game I think. This uncertainity adds to the story and the drama of the world, it makes choices real choices(because you are quite never truly sure whatever you did the good thing)