What impact on PCs?

[jcrocker]

The way 2320 is presented, France seems at a crossroads - desperately attempting to hold onto superpower status, faced with dissention and failed rebellions in the colonies, a Kafer War that saw the rise of other powers relative to France, and an ongoing occupation that probably isn't helping popularity at home.

What would the most likely impact of these things be on the player characters?

Will you have have 'business as usual' but with more red tape? Aggressive 'customs inspections' by the French Navy, to root out any illegal shipments to the colonies - and huge payoffs for those that are successful in running any blockades? Are some colonies virtually occupied by troops from Terran France?

Do the locals feel that this is just a phase, or is there an 'us versus them' mentality in place?

 

[Anders]

I would think the instability means lots of manouevering: there are political groups trying to get dominance overtly or covertly, various ideological groupings are recruiting people, and emotions are running hotter. The Emperor is still unchallenged, but he will in the foreseeable future either have to change something big, or allow somebody else to do it - which means that this is the time to find allies and get dirt on your potential enemies.

Field agent and trouble shooter PCs will likely notice that there is a higher demand for their service and that some of the games they are involved in are getting stranger: someone from Paris Petrochem wants them to spy on a politician's peccadillos rather than on industrial competitors, agents are sent to French Arm to get their hands on all available dirt on Admiral Rochemont - but they *must* make sure DSGS knows they are doing it. Small protest groups are suddenly swelling extremely fast: who are supporting them, and can those people control them?

I think the Kimanjano uprising was the opening shot of a serious but so far secret political war. The governors did not act alone: they had to think Paris would relent and fall for the "Dunkelheim gambit". Either they were totally misinformed, or more likely they had allies that either betrayed them or were weaker than they expected. An interesting game would be about trying to find out what really went on - something that definitely would be a *major* embarrassment for powerful imperial forces. If it turns out that a group of key senators secretly conspired to create a "colonial diversion" or force the Emperor to take colonial matters more seriously but botched it, that could be a spark that ignites real political conflict.

Out in the colonies the trouble is probably mostly visible as uncertainty among colonial administrations: play it safe and obey every Core order to the letter, even when they do not work? Try to take initiative and become indispensable (or too dangerous)? Try to find other allies to work with? The uncertainty spreads downwards: if the governor's office is nervous and wants all regulations followed to the letter, that means great opportunities for the local bureaucrat to get bribes for cutting red tape - or that it may be safer to also fall into line, since inspectors might be arriving at any moment. Overall, I would expect an inconsistent response.