'Imperial Culture' (non-canonista)

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

I should think that would vary. On a restive world certainly. On a loyal Imperial world that exports marines they would be a symbol of nativist pride.

I agree with this. Further, on a restive world the Imperium would work with whatever pro-Imperial elements it could find, and present a positive image of the Imperium. A hearts-and-minds campaign, and what better image is that of the dispensers of justice, armored in virtue, impersonal, inevitable and final?

Such a propaganda campaign would only be promoted on violent or borderline worlds. It might be a default image, if not actively presented, in areas/worlds that have a military history, and it might be shunned in areas/worlds that abhor violence or images that imply militarism - very likely only select Core area worlds that have long been stable with unified, worldwide cultures.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Drifter

I agree with this. Further, on a restive world the Imperium would work with whatever pro-Imperial elements it could find, and present a positive image of the Imperium. A hearts-and-minds campaign, and what better image is that of the dispensers of justice, armored in virtue, impersonal, inevitable and final?

Such a propaganda campaign would only be promoted on violent or borderline worlds. It might be a default image, if not actively presented, in areas/worlds that have a military history, and it might be shunned in areas/worlds that abhor violence or images that imply militarism - very likely only select Core area worlds that have long been stable with unified, worldwide cultures.

At least some of the core worlds would contribute to the Imperial Service. As the forces raised from the frontier worlds are needed to watch the powers just opposite them, a strategic reserve is needed from somewhere.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

At least some of the core worlds would contribute to the Imperial Service.

Just so. And a favourable image of the Imperial forces is required to attract [the right] recruits. The USMC's image is cultivated more assiduously (and is better) where they are recruited than where they fight.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

Just so. And a favourable image of the Imperial forces is required to attract [the right] recruits. The USMC's image is cultivated more assiduously (and is better) where they are recruited than where they fight.

Places where the marines fight would be to beaten-up to raise anything on the level of the Imperial Marines even if they had a favorable opinion about them.

[Hans Rancke-Madsen]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

I should think that would vary. On a restive world certainly. On a loyal Imperial world that exports marines they would be a symbol of nativist pride.

Why would any Imperial world specialize in marines? I see Imperial service as something you volunteer for, whereupon you are assigned to whichever service wants you. You can express a preference when you sign up, but where you end up is up to the selection board (This is how I rationalize the "draft" in the game; you can refuse to join the service they assign you to, but just making the initial cut is rare enough that the overwhelming majority of volunteers take anything they're offered -- the lure of getting offworld is very strong).

And of all the various Imperial services, I think the Imperial Navy guy will be the poster boy, not the battlesuited marine.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

Just so. And a favourable image of the Imperial forces is required to attract [the right] recruits. The USMC's image is cultivated more assiduously (and is better) where they are recruited than where they fight.

But that doesn't mean that the marine is going to be the representative of the Imperial forces.


Hans

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Hans Rancke-Madsen

Why would any Imperial world specialize in marines?


Hans

Because military service is a high prestige occupation and the Pax Zhunastu has left fewer opportunities at home?

I never thought of it as simply being volunteering for the Imperial Service and being assigned whichever service wants you but as each service handling it's own recruitment locally. I don't remember anything of the sort you describe in canon.

[Hans Rancke-Madsen]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Because military service is a high prestige occupation and the Pax Zhunastu has left fewer opportunities at home?

And you don't consider the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy to be military?

I never thought of it as simply being volunteering for the Imperial Service and being assigned whichever service wants you but as each service handling it's own recruitment locally. I don't remember anything of the sort you describe in canon.

You never noticed the game rule that is the draft? You try to get your character into a specific career; if you fail, you roll a die and the character is "drafted" into the career indicated by the die (Including one sixth of them into a civilian career and another sixth into the Imperial Other Service). As I said, I rationalize that draft as a game reflection of the setting reality that I described.

Naturally it's not canon. If it had been canon, I would have referred to it directly.


Hans

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Hans Rancke-Madsen

Why would any Imperial world specialize in marines?

Tradition, maybe? Or perhaps its modest tech and features of its education system prepare comparatively few volunteers with the basic technical skills and aptitudes the Navy tests for, and its lack of shirtsleeve-habitable outdoor environments mean that comparatively few kids develop the instinctive habits of fieldcraft that the Army favours. Perhaps there are cultural reasons. Perhaps there is a Navy base or Marines base but no Army base, so the kids who want to get into personal combat think "marines" rather than "army". Perhaps a lot of discharged marines settle there (being discharged at the Marines base there) and raise kids who tend to want to follow their parents' examples. Perhaps the word "Army" is homophonous to a childish dirty word in the local dialect and teenagers feel self-conscious about saying it int the Imperial Service Recruiting Bureau.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Places where the marines fight would be to beaten-up to raise anything on the level of the Imperial Marines even if they had a favorable opinion about them.

Exactly so.

[jason taylor]

"And you don't consider the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy to be military?"

They are unless one accepts the old usage of "naval and military". That does not stop one planet from recruiting a disproportionate number of marines.



"You never noticed the game rule that is the draft?"

No. That sounds like a meta-issue from description though.