[jason taylor]

Unilateral Imperialism:

IMTU Megacorporations and Nobles often act on their own outside the Imperium. There are several reasons for this. One is that I thought that even SW was to favorable to the Imperium and the Darrians in it's narrative of the frontier wars. I don't like the Zho-they get inside your head where they don't belong(I mean I wouldn't like them if they existed; they are fine as a plot device). And I don't like the Vargr-they have no control of themselves(though that must be exagerrated if they can build starships). But I do like the Sword Worlders, and would like them to have a decent provocation other then "We're really cool space vikings who don't act a bit like vikings." On the other hand I don't want an Evil Imperium as such either. Having Megacorporations and Nobles do provocations on their own outside of Imperial policy fits this narrative.

Similar reasons apply closer to my characters home. The Megas are old trade rivals and are willing to use force to shove competitors out if they can get away with it, or to intimidate local powers into charging unbearable tarrifs.
Meanwhile the Imperium appears as Combat Referee. I like this because it is a paridigm shift from the typical space opera where the Empire is an active player either as a good guy or a bad and if the empire is good then the characters are it's servants and if it is bad then they are it's enemies.