Quote:
Originally Posted by Malenfant
It seemed to end up that way, but the point I made when starting it was that as far as I could see there was no such thing as "Imperial Culture" beyond the very core worlds (for reasons that combatmedic pointed out). Beyond that, every world has its own government, law levels, and customs (some are very oppressive, some are very liberal), and it's very hard to see any cultural commonality between them. There doesn't even seem to be an "Imperial Bill of Rights" that applies to every citizen of every world in the imperium, and Imperial laws don't seem to take precedence over planetary laws.
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I consider Imperial culture to be centered on the starports except in particularly Imperial-oriented worlds(like sector capitals). In a way it is like the organization of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages where it had a decentralized system of extraterritorial entities. Given that planets are big places, sometimes the extraterritorial area is the size of a medium sized nation in twentieth century Terra. Or like district officers in the British Empire.
Imperial influence on planets varies and is somewhat subtle.
The Megacorporations are definitely intertwined in fate with the Imperium. Their ability to survive a collapse of the Imperium is questionable. The Megas depend on the ability to maintain set routes and carry enough goods to make their tonnage worthwhile. Free Traders could survive another Long Night, not the Megas.
The Megas in turn, while they might play loose with the law will in the end support the Imperium and the Imperium will in the end support them.
Relations get less polite closer to the border, and some of the fighting in the Marches is partially proxy fighting betwen the Megas.