Rebellion Redux
- Thread starter BwapTED
- Start date
I couldn't agree more. Completely insufferable. No wonder the Solomani fought a war to get away from them.
I once toyed with the idea of a campaign called Evil Stars, in which a party of intrepid Solomani, as ruthless as they are morally bankrupt, would lash out against every annoying thing in GT and blaze a trail of terror and destruction across Charted Space. It would be the Traveller version of a D&D 'evil campaign'. The group would be a team of criminals trawled from worst prisons in the SolCon, trained to the pinnacle of lethality, and tricked out with cyber/bio/nano implants at a SolSec black site.
Their mission: Strike the oppressors of Solomani everywhere under cover of a self-funding crime wave, forcing the aristocratic megacorporate power structure to drop its goody two shoes mask and reveal its true face to the 10,000 worlds. Activities would include developing organized crime as an insurrectionary force, creating maximum terror among the populace, and attacking critical military, economic and political targets in Imperial space.
Well, to some players.
Players generally like to have agency and take action, and what they described was the antithesis of that.
I dunno, I mean aren't they basically Star Trek's TNG society with more stratification and less replicator post-scarcity at that point?
Then you've got the Stargate-style Solomani who went out, saw the established order of the galaxy, and proceeded to muck it up and beat up the top dogs.
The Vilani society (including the subject races that it dominated and imposed its way of life upon) is described as being rigidly caste-based, which is not ST:TNG. The Solomani were able to bring down the Ziru Sirka at least in part because many of the subject races jumped at the opportunity to aid the Solomani and throw off the Vilani yoke.
Not at all. Star Trek always had a utopian vibe. The Federation of equals, with many different nations represented, trying to do good while struggling against malignant forces like the Klingons. Post scarcity economy with the accompanying standard of living improvement.
The Vilani in Traveller?
War, conquest, economic coercion, and absolute power concentrated in a trio of megacorporations. Corruption and ambition turned inward, which eventually caused the downfall of their ancient empire. Hiring alien mercenaries to fight against your own government in a power play to advance one's position in that same government. A caste system maintained by force that their subjects were glad to be rid of. The stigmatizing distinction of major and minor races. Indigenous cultures coerced into cultural assimilation. Political, economic, social and technological stagnation. Service to the status quo. Explicit manipulation of indigenous cultures to serve the military-political-economic ends of the Vilani.
Definitely not ST.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
I always describe the Vilani culture as being a blend of the Imperial Chinese bureaucracy and medieval India caste system.
I use the Imperial Chinese qualities of internal ambition, stability focus, stagnation, corruption and unchanging order with an ancient Egyptian/Babylonian aesthetic. Unchanging styles, massive ziggurauts, history described in a mythic form, ancient social traditions in which all must play their role, but seek individual advancement within those roles and traditions. Starship captains are often portrayed as trickster figures in order to harmonize their individual exploits with the larger ethic of the individual deferring and supporting the larger society.
epicenter00
SOC-13
I don't think the Vilani are corrupt, though some Solomani might see them that way. If asked why they're so corrupt, I personally feel the Vilani would ask why the Solomani are liars.
Yes, you're expected to bring a "gift" of a Naaru fruit to a bureaucrat when you're delivering paperwork to be processed or else the bureaucrat won't do anything with it for months, even years. If you offer him a Naaru fruit, it'll get done in the order he gets it (it gets put in the stack). If you bring him one of the more expensive Naaru fruits from Dagu, he'll get your paperwork done before the end of the day. If you get the Sylean-breed Naaru fruit, one regarded very highly for its sweet nectar and fragrance and difficulty to cultivate, he'll process your application immediately while you wait. There's even more expensive gifts you can give, but at that point there's customs on the limits of how expensive of a gift you can give a clerk, after that you start gifting the clerk's boss. Heck, there's probably a few stores or stands selling Naaru fruit near Vilani bureaucratic offices, though the more expensive ones you have to go downtown. (Naaru fruit doesn't actually exist OTU to my knowledge - this is just for purposes of illustration.)
As a Solomani, you might see this as insufferably corrupt. The Vilani would reply that everyone knows these things, it's a custom that's endured for three-thousand years. They'd ask why our "Amazoom-Egg" claims we can pay $10 more to get our order expedited to one-day delivery. Isn't that a bribe? And not only do they brazenly expect this money, when you pay it, the product might not even come on the next day despite the implied promise. Of course, when you actually read it in the legalese you discover it's somehow not binding, despite the fact Solomani society is proud of their "truth in advertising" laws, and you actually have no legal recourse if it doesn't show up on the same day. How is that any better than their system?
Another example might be haggling. Generally in the modern 21st century West, haggling is somehow seen as a sign of "those corrupt eastern cultures." Perhaps the Vilani haggle over many things at market. Yet, the Vilani might get this knowing smile and ask, "You claim haggling is terrible, yet in your culture you call it 'negotiation' and for large contracts and purchases it is normal. You Solomani do it to buy an automobile, a home, or when determining the price of large orders between corporations. Yet, because your merchants can lord over you in day-to-day purchases with set prices...you have no experience with negotiation when there are large sums of money involved, so you have great difficulty with it and negotiation is considered some specialist skill possessed by a select few and the wealthy instead of a life skill everyone should know."
It's not ridiculous at all.
It's officially colorless.
It's necessary to give the Imperium the legal means to render the Imperial Sunburst in whatever way is necessary for a sophont to see it and understand it to be the Imperial Sunburst. If you can only see in the infrared, x-rays, or use echolocation to "see"- the local Imperial presence can render the Sunburst in graduated heat-patterns, bas-relief, or whatever else is necessary for the local sophonts to recognize it; without it, the colored image of Imperial sunburst in red looks like a blank piece of paper to the IR-visual types. Once the "official" display standard for IR visual types is determined, then that version of the Sunburst is official for that sophont species and has co-equal authority as Imperial stationery as the familiar red sunburst.
It's just a bit of cocktail party trivia in most of the Imperium. For humans and others who share a visual system reasonably like humans (eg; the overwhelming population that participates in the Imperium), nothing changes; the official color of the Imperial sunburst remains a certain shade of color on a certain background.
Yes, you're expected to bring a "gift" of a Naaru fruit to a bureaucrat when you're delivering paperwork to be processed or else the bureaucrat won't do anything with it for months, even years. If you offer him a Naaru fruit, it'll get done in the order he gets it (it gets put in the stack). If you bring him one of the more expensive Naaru fruits from Dagu, he'll get your paperwork done before the end of the day. If you get the Sylean-breed Naaru fruit, one regarded very highly for its sweet nectar and fragrance and difficulty to cultivate, he'll process your application immediately while you wait. There's even more expensive gifts you can give, but at that point there's customs on the limits of how expensive of a gift you can give a clerk, after that you start gifting the clerk's boss. Heck, there's probably a few stores or stands selling Naaru fruit near Vilani bureaucratic offices, though the more expensive ones you have to go downtown. (Naaru fruit doesn't actually exist OTU to my knowledge - this is just for purposes of illustration.)
As a Solomani, you might see this as insufferably corrupt. The Vilani would reply that everyone knows these things, it's a custom that's endured for three-thousand years. They'd ask why our "Amazoom-Egg" claims we can pay $10 more to get our order expedited to one-day delivery. Isn't that a bribe? And not only do they brazenly expect this money, when you pay it, the product might not even come on the next day despite the implied promise. Of course, when you actually read it in the legalese you discover it's somehow not binding, despite the fact Solomani society is proud of their "truth in advertising" laws, and you actually have no legal recourse if it doesn't show up on the same day. How is that any better than their system?
Another example might be haggling. Generally in the modern 21st century West, haggling is somehow seen as a sign of "those corrupt eastern cultures." Perhaps the Vilani haggle over many things at market. Yet, the Vilani might get this knowing smile and ask, "You claim haggling is terrible, yet in your culture you call it 'negotiation' and for large contracts and purchases it is normal. You Solomani do it to buy an automobile, a home, or when determining the price of large orders between corporations. Yet, because your merchants can lord over you in day-to-day purchases with set prices...you have no experience with negotiation when there are large sums of money involved, so you have great difficulty with it and negotiation is considered some specialist skill possessed by a select few and the wealthy instead of a life skill everyone should know."
It's not ridiculous at all.
It's officially colorless.
It's necessary to give the Imperium the legal means to render the Imperial Sunburst in whatever way is necessary for a sophont to see it and understand it to be the Imperial Sunburst. If you can only see in the infrared, x-rays, or use echolocation to "see"- the local Imperial presence can render the Sunburst in graduated heat-patterns, bas-relief, or whatever else is necessary for the local sophonts to recognize it; without it, the colored image of Imperial sunburst in red looks like a blank piece of paper to the IR-visual types. Once the "official" display standard for IR visual types is determined, then that version of the Sunburst is official for that sophont species and has co-equal authority as Imperial stationery as the familiar red sunburst.
It's just a bit of cocktail party trivia in most of the Imperium. For humans and others who share a visual system reasonably like humans (eg; the overwhelming population that participates in the Imperium), nothing changes; the official color of the Imperial sunburst remains a certain shade of color on a certain background.
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At that point we were discussing how we depicted the Vilani in our own TUs, but even in official materials, Vilani officials did things like cut deals with the Terrans and report victory to their superiors, hire Vargr mercenaries for destructive power plays weaking their own empire, detach portions of the empire to rule independently, and subjugate minor races with long term plans of economic conquest.
Seems a bit iffy. IMO this type of thing indicates a culture of dishonesty, honorlessness, manipulation and exploitation of others, disloyalty, and destructive personal ambition, as well as not particularly life affirming.
And the Imperium changed the golden sunburst to a no official color sunburst because of an utterly inconsequential minor race who can't see it. They didn't do that for all the colorblind humans, but they did it for a minor race that doesn't matter. Ludicrous.
Imperials= d-bags who think Anton Wilson Peale is funny
Vilani= DMV with ortillery
SolomaniConFed= Commies in spehsss, with more racism
Sword Worlders= cool bros, will bring mead to the house party
Zhodani= boring guys but well-dressed--- turbans 'n' swoopy capes
Daryens= science nerds, but their chicks are hawt
Vilani= DMV with ortillery
SolomaniConFed= Commies in spehsss, with more racism
Sword Worlders= cool bros, will bring mead to the house party
Zhodani= boring guys but well-dressed--- turbans 'n' swoopy capes
Daryens= science nerds, but their chicks are hawt
Nice link!
The campaign would be designed to give players different experiences in one campaign.
Some spy vs. spy, criminal adventures, struggling to survive, fomenting revolutions, and commando raids.
Like hijack a ship to get funds to raise a regiment of Ine Givar to attack an IN facility. Different activities.
The campaign would be designed to give players different experiences in one campaign.
Some spy vs. spy, criminal adventures, struggling to survive, fomenting revolutions, and commando raids.
Like hijack a ship to get funds to raise a regiment of Ine Givar to attack an IN facility. Different activities.
No, it's a service charge. "Amazoom" isn't part of the State.
Yes, that's different. Yes, it matters.
Exactly.
Ordinary Vilani make terrible player characters! But then, ordinary Vilani were never meant to be player characters, but instead to provide the context of a stultified culture from which the player characters were breaking free.
It was the Vilani who didn't fit in, who wanted more out of life than that, who'd been out and seen the wider universe and didn't want to go back home -- these were the player characters.
The background flavor stuff (weird cuisine, explicit class stratification, bits of language) was only there to provide the "not in Kansas anymore" atmosphere, rather than to define the characters.
I dunno...
I think the stuff about shared responsibility, group consensus, and talking plans though as a team fits a fair number of RPG parties as I have seen them in actual play.
I haven't noticed any strong trend of player character opposition to tradition. It would really depend on the individual PC and the context.
NOTE on parties
I've seen three kinds:
- Leader and companions (PCs) with hirelings/followers (PCs or NPCs)
- group of friends/teammates with a lot of talking through everything
- murder hobos
- broken/forced party
