How do YOU view the Imperium?

[Murph]

How do you view the Third Imperium?

a) The greatest Empire yet
b) Nosey Parkers who should mind their own business
c) A semi-Fascist state
d) A really really free place for those with ability to rise to the top
e) A stagnant edifice, we are watching the dinosaurs die.
f) Other

I see it as a combination of all of them, perhaps allowing people with real talent to rise to the top, thereby coopting the very people who if held down would cause rebellion.

 

[DrSkull]

f) Other: a state that tries to do only a limited number of tasks and does them reasonably well. While it seems to allow a lot of evil to take place, it's prudent enough to realize that trying to fix all the evils only leads to worse evil. It admits it's not perfect but it's built on a premise that perfection is impossible.

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Dave "Dr. Skull" Nelson

 

[DaveShayne]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Murph:
How do you view the Third Imperium?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

g) As background detail I can occasionally raid for my own completely heretical non 3I game.



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I am increasingly of the opinion that RPGs are by the nature of their creation subjective phenomenon. due to the interaction between game designers, game masters, and game players all definitions, rules, settings, and adventures are mutable in acordance with the uncertainty principle as expounded by Heisenburg. This is of course merely my point of view.

David Shayne

 

[Mår Ekkertsen]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Murph:
How do you view the Third Imperium?
f) Other<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nothing else you offered was even close. It is a difficult thing making a useful poll.

 

[Nurd_boy]

planetary autonomy is the key, almost anything can be allowed on/in planet/system...as long as you don't pose a threat to other planets/system or trade and comerce...such as lobbing nukes...

 

[Nurd_boy]

so, more of a D/F entity...

 

[Christopher Jennings]

How have I viewed the 3rd Imperium over the years? One word fits better than any other-home.
Yes it was far from perfect, and had its racist elements. But it recognised these flaws and tried to work around them, allowing personal achievement to make a real difference. It was with great sadness to see it all thrown away for the all too human reasons of ego and stupidity. In a way that even Roddenbury's UFP didn't reach, the 3I was a living thing that many of us could relate to and wish we could be part of.
It is my greatest hope that the new editions can recapture that dynamic feeling and maybe even a future to beleive in again.

 

[kafka47]

To the average citizen, (e) mainly. The Imperium is a stagnant cesspool of corruption and officialdom combined. In some ways, it resembles the current Russia.

However, there are nobles who wish to invoke the Milieu 0, sense of adventure. Therefore, this plays into the High Adventure whereby nobles try actively to change society. These are usually the disgraced sons and daughters of the High nobility. Therefore, are able to apply some leverage but not much.

As planetary governments are rather autonomous of the Imperium, I imagine Imperial influence is strongest in the areas around the Core and Solomani Rim which I run like a Fading Suns milieu. The further you get to the frontier, the more individualistic things get until you have worlds that are merely in the Imperium to save on costs (eg. shared defence, free trade, starports).

The interesting role for me, what is the role of planetary governors or the Imperial Embassy. Although, all planets in the Imperium swear loyality to the Emperor, not all are monarchies most are some form of republic.

Social Standing confers a title that does not always correspond to social class of planetary regime.

 

[Spinward Scout]

I like the 3rd Imperium, but I also am mixing a bunch of games for a unique space game:

Traveller (mostly)
Star Wars
Star Trek
FTL:2448
Fading Suns
Trinity
Battlelords of the 23rd Century

and a lot of others... But when it comes down to it, the Imperium is still there.

Scout

 

[MT++]

Like the British Empire in the 1830-1880 period

Some parts of virtually independent (Marches, Vland. Think Canada, Australia), others are watches (Ilelish. Think South Africa) and others are sat on to keep them calm (The Rim, Daibei. Think India)
Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves.
She rules the seas but prefers to let the colonies run themselves (less expensive)
The Imperium would rather let the worlds handle their own affairs but will step in to maintain order (and their dominance)

 

[aramis]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MT++:
Like the British Empire in the 1830-1880 period

Some parts of virtually independent (Marches, Vland. Think Canada, Australia), others are watches (Ilelish. Think South Africa) and others are sat on to keep them calm (The Rim, Daibei. Think India)
Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves.
She rules the seas but prefers to let the colonies run themselves (less expensive)
The Imperium would rather let the worlds handle their own affairs but will step in to maintain order (and their dominance)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just about what I think, too, except that MTU has jackbooted thugs holding it together for the nobility, along with rabidly brainwashed/reprogrammed psionicists, spec ops, and such.



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-aramis
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Smith & Wesson: The Original Point and Click interface!

 

[Vargas]

The Imperium is fundamentally good and doing the best job it can given the difficulties of running an empire across vast distances. Nobody else comes close in terms of ability without having a 'trick up their sleeve' (Zhodani/Hivers), really bluffing their way through (Aslan/Vargr) or imposing a monolithic police state (Solomani/K'Kree). The Imperium knows it can't be everywhere at once and so it must rely on its nobility (and their troubleshooters) to plug the gaps and police itself.

 

[aramis]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Vargas:
The Imperium is fundamentally good and doing the best job it can given the difficulties of running an empire across vast distances. Nobody else comes close in terms of ability without having a 'trick up their sleeve' (Zhodani/Hivers), really bluffing their way through (Aslan/Vargr) or imposing a monolithic police state (Solomani/K'Kree). The Imperium knows it can't be everywhere at once and so it must rely on its nobility (and their troubleshooters) to plug the gaps and police itself. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree with this, too. But I love to explore the line of "how far is too far" in the 3I setting.

Did Dulinor go too far? Probably.
Did Lucan go too far? Absolutely and uneuivicably.
Brzk? Yes.
The Solomani? of course.

I like the imperium to have a dark side. It allows for an edgier feel, which allows for more convoluted plots.

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-aramis
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Smith & Wesson: The Original Point and Click interface!

 

[Elliot]

e)
The 3I is what happens when Vilani miscreants usurp the rightful place of the Solomani to rule.

Onward for the liberation of Earth.

 

[plop101]

f) other [ALL OF THE ABOVE]

1. The Imperium is the greatest empire ever.
2. The Imperium does get involved in things that IT believes needs to be resolved.
3. Many planets in the Imperium are totalitarian in nature [a significant plurality anyway].
4. Service with the Imperium, military or civilian sector, allows for upward mobility.
5. The Imperium is not expanding.

 

[BigBadRon]

F) Other: The Imperium is remote from the vast majority of it's citizens. Worlds are allowed total autonomy, so long as they pay their taxes and don't make too much trouble with their neighbours.
To the average inhabitant of those worlds (say 90% plus of the population) the Imperium is probably something they've heard of, but know little about.
It's only those who travel the stars, or live near a port that have much to do with the Imperium itself.

 

[Jame]

I think that I agree with parts of what MT++ and plop101 said.

 

[savage]

E

Communications killed it.

 

[thomryng]

Originally posted by MT++:
Like the British Empire in the 1830-1880 period

Some parts of virtually independent (Marches, Vland. Think Canada, Australia), others are watches (Ilelish. Think South Africa) and others are sat on to keep them calm (The Rim, Daibei. Think India)
Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves.
She rules the seas but prefers to let the colonies run themselves (less expensive)
The Imperium would rather let the worlds handle their own affairs but will step in to maintain order (and their dominance)

IMTU, this is very much the model of the Imperium, though for colour I toss in some Hapsburg and Imperial Russian flavour for the Core regions and the Court.

My Imperial Navy and Marines are very much based on the British model, while the Army is more of a Prussian model.

The Scouts are, well, the Scouts: coveralls, Hawai'an shirts, cowboy boots.

thom

 

[kafka47]

Originally posted by Valerian:

Originally posted by MT++:
[qb]

My Imperial Navy and Marines are very much based on the British model, while the Army is more of a Prussian model.

The Scouts are, well, the Scouts: coveralls, Hawai'an shirts, cowboy boots.

It must be quite a sight to see these troops marching off to war...