'Imperial Culture' (non-canonista)

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Malenfant

If I may, we had a similar discussion about this on the SFRPG boards - see http://www.sfrpg-discussion.net/phpB...hp?f=45&t=1918 (saves me reposting everything I said there...)

Isn't that more,"Why we think the Imperium is impossible." Then "Imperial culture"?

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Isn't that more,"Why we think the Imperium is impossible." Then "Imperial culture"?

A good chunk of it did read that way, Jason, but I'm trying to look at the positive aspects. One poster did describe how the Imperial government might work.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Isn't that more,"Why we think the Imperium is impossible." Then "Imperial culture"?

One suggestion it did have was that access to starship technology was rare enough to give an incentive. One that was not pointed out is that there is no reason to suppose that people 3000 years in the future will prefer independence(meaning rule by a nearby overlord not limited by a faraway one) to money. Another is that each planet is easily isolated in the event of rebellion.

Also a few planets will be more in tune to the Imperium then others because of their dependency on imperial favor for various reasons.

Suppose worlds that have artificial environments absolutely require outside support, and Terraforming hasn't advanced to the point where it won't right away collapse? Many of these worlds are the richest-that is why people come there. Really when you think about it, rebellion might only be a viable option in an Earth-like world and many of these are sparsely populated and have few resourses.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

Yup.

The palace does have sewers, of course. There are nasty, unpleasant, downright dangerous parts of Sylea- only most nobles will never see such places. Neither will visitors who have armed themselves with a proper guide.
If you know where to look in the cities, you can find brothels, underground duelling arenas, and black market 'agoras.'

Strict gun control laws haven't prevented professional criminals from making, stealing, or smuggling in firearms. A shooting is a good way to attract police attention, though.

In some cities, the criminal underclass have adopted the noble custom of duelling. Of course, the underclass duel is a rather less dignified and polite matter than an affair of honor among two nobs. Still, there are some rules; no guns, two men for one fight, surrenders should be taken. Knives or spacers' blades are used at least as often as proper swords. Betting on the outcome of a fight, and cheering from the sidelines, are not only expected, but encouraged.

What's a spacer's blade like?

[Malenfant]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Isn't that more,"Why we think the Imperium is impossible." Then "Imperial culture"?

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.

[combatmedic]

More on Language-

Galanglic was the administrative and trade language of the Second Imperium. It is based on English, the default or common language of the military of the ancient Terran Confederation. Galanglic includes thousands of loan words from other languages, including Vilani.

Sylean Standard, or Imperial Standard, is the main dialect of Capital. It is used in Imperial institutions like the military, starport services, scouts, etc.

Solarian Standard is used in the Solomani Sphere, along with a number of minority languages. It differs from most Galanglic dialects in that it has fewer Vilani loanwords. Some extremist Party members go so far as to avoid using any Vilani words, except in a perjorative way!

The common tongue of the Old Ziru Sirka has survived as a family of languages rather than a single coherent language. Even on Vland, only scholars are fluent in Old Stellar Vilani.

[combatmedic]

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.

IMC, there is most definitely NOT anything like an 'Imperial Bill of Rights.' The Imperium doesn't bother about things like individual 'rights' of people on member worlds. Those are local concerns, if they are matters for concern at all.

The Imperium exists mainly to regulate and protect interstellar trade. The Imperial control of starports and the power of the Navy/High Guard assures that immense wealth flows into Imperial coffers and the core worlds. Tariffs and corporate profits fund the Imperium.

If Imperial agents get into trouble on a local world, and said trouble threatens to disrupt the flow of trade or seriously harm the prestige of the Imperium, then Imperial intervention is possible.


If travellers not working for the Imperium get into local trouble, too bad for them.


Anything that happens inside the extrality line is handled by Imperial law, of course. Serious offenses are handled by a military tribunal. Do something really stupid and you may win a one-time only 'frontal inspection' of a Marine firing squad, or a paid vacation in a lightless cell on some airless moon.

[Malenfant]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

The Imperium exists mainly to regulate and protect interstellar trade. The Imperial control of starports and the power of the Navy/High Guard assures that immense wealth flows into Imperial coffers and the core worlds. Tariffs and corporate profits fund the Imperium.

As pointed out on the SFRPG thread, the Imperium is basically a huge protection racket - they blackmail planets into allowing their starports on them and prevent them from doing anything independently. It's not really a government concerned with people, rights, or anything else like that.

IMO the Imperium is an impersonal, self-serving, oppressive, undemocratic, highly unpleasant entity that every world should be fighting against.

[jason taylor]

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.

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.

[jason taylor]

But what is a spacers blade like Combat?