For Empire and Senate!
Sep. 24th, 2005 06:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreHad my first read through of Terran Empire and I can say there are several goodies here I'll be stealing, but as a setting, it lacks a certain something. One thing that annoyed was the number of aliens who were humanoids in funny (or not so funny) suits. I like my aliens to be alien.. radically different body structures, psychologies, etc.
Anyway, I began thinking about how I would design an empire for a space opera game. (One nice thing about my job, I can think about these things and still function.) So here is some broad, very rough outlines. Feedback and suggestions are encouraged.
The Birth of Empire
One of the things I'm keeping from the book is the concept of the Empire being forged during/after a massive exterior threat. In Terran Empire, these are the Xenovores, a race that seems to get off on eating other sentients. In my setting, it's the Kafers, from 2300AD. For those unfamiliar with the Kafers, they are large, cockroach-looking critters that live in terror of "smart barbarians." Kafers, you see, are normally pretty dumb, but when threatened, they get smarter. Their species' version of adrenaline speeds up their brains. So throughout Kafer history, dumb city dwellers tended to get massacred by barbarians who spent more time scared and threatened. Once the Kafers made it to the stars, they found races that were intelligent all the time to be demons out of legend. So they kill them. (And eat them when its biologically possible.)
A Kafer invasion hitting human space when it was still a growing affair would be just the thing for my empire. Humanity would still be locked in national struggles, and the early resistance would be piecemeal and doomed to failure. Enter the visionary Admiral who forges the disparate fleets into a mighty hammer and send the bug-eyed monsters straight to hell! And then uses that fleet to seize political control when it becomes clear that we face a larger threat. Hey, if Earth got hit hard enough, people may fall on their knees begging our Admiral (call him Janos) to take over. So he does. All Hail Janos I, Emperor of Mankind!
Checks and Balances
But how does this empire run? There are three main power bases.
The Imperial Court
The Emperor holds executive and legislative power. His word is law. He backs his position by virtue of fleet control (tradition and law too, of course, but when push comes to shove, having the battleships is better.) In my vision the Emperor selects his heir. This does not have to be his eldest child, or even a child of his at all! Most Emperors will at least "keep the family business" going by selecting a favored nephew or cousin if none of his kids appear to be right for the job. This system has the advantage of making the throne something you earn, rather than get given because of order of birth. If the Emperor's grand-nephew is an economic whiz who also astounded the instructors at the Academy with his strategic thing, then he gets the crown. This also has the metagame effect of creating great plot points.. remittance men, children who feel they were denied what was rightfully theirs, palace intrigue as the old Emperor slips into his final illness without naming his heir.
The Senate
Worlds with a Gross Planetary Product over (insert reasonable amount here) are full members of the Empire, and get a voice in the Senate. Each world selects its Senator in its own way. Some elect them, some are appointed by planetary governments, some are even hereditary posts. The Senate's main day to day duty is to advise the Emperor on matters of import to the realm. In reality this means that Senators spend much of their time sitting on various committees that gather and judge information before writing nice executive summaries for the Emperor. The Senate also controls the purse strings. They have to approve the budget, which can result in some hard-fought battles behind closed doors. The Senate also has two vital duties that are rarely discussed. They confirm a heir's suitability for office; and with a 75% vote they can dethrone an Emperor.
The Bureaucracy
The numberless ministries, offices, and bureaus that run the Empire on the ground floor have a power that few suspect. The Emperor can declare, the Senate vote, but until the 2nd Assistant Director signs the form, nothing moves. Understanding and using the vast mass that is Imperial law and regulation is an art form.
Worlds without number...
There are three levels of Imperial membership.
Full Membership
As pointed out, this is reserved for worlds that reach a certain level of economic worth. This level should be high, but not impossible to reach. Full members are virtually independent. The are self-governing, cause raise armies and reasonable space fleets for local defense (what's reasonable, you ask? If the 23rd Battlefleet comes through and destroys 2/3rds of your local fleet, it was unreasonable.) Member worlds are the economic powerhouses of the Empire, and tend to get richer as time goes by. Typical populations will be 100 million+ (except where local conditions make such crowding unlikely) Roughly 20% of the Empire's worlds are Full Members
Colony
Worlds not meeting the economic requirements for full membership, but having more than 10,000 permanent residents are colonies. Colonies may have limited self-rule, but an Imperial Governor will be assigned by the Ministry of Colonization to oversee all exterior relations and serve as a watchdog on the locals. Imperial policy is to develop colonies to the point of full membership. Colonies make up about 40% of the Empire's inhabited worlds.
Outpost
Any world with less than 10,000 permanent residents and not meeting the requirements for membership are termed outposts. (I can see situations where a very low-population world will be enough of a treasure trove to merit membership. Think about South Africa for a bit.) Outposts are to small to get full Imperial attention. Most have a Consul or other minor official (who will often also be the Customs Officer and Postmaster as well) to deal with any need of the locals that requires Imperial attention. Outposts are often established by outside concerns (corporations, planets setting up daughter colonies, universities setting up research camps) and tend to be ruled under the laws of that authority. Some Outposts are small colonies established by utopia-seekers or minority groups seeking isolation. Outposts make up about 40% of the Empire.
In addition there are worlds owned by the Empire.. military reserves, garden worlds, etc. The Empire also places some worlds off-limits for any number of reasons. Protection of a developing culture is a common one.
And there will be war.
The military has several components.
The Imperial Navy
By far the largest force, the Navy is charged with guarding the frontier, patrolling the Empire, and providing aid to worlds when threatened by force or natural disaster. Since this is space opera-level stuff, the ships are huge, and the weapons devastating. The fleet is almost a player, but generations of tradition make the idea of mutiny nearly anathema to every officer.
Of course, there are fighters. And they dog fight. Physics can bite me.
Being the largest and most powerful branch, the Navy is seen as a good place for social advancement. Naval Academies are filled with the second sons of powerful families, hoping to make a mark on the universe.
The Guard
The Empire's shock troops, Guardsmen are dangerous even without their powered armor, and devastating when in it. The Guard recruits only the best, then runs them through a hellish training course that has an 80% attrition rate. Guardsmen get the latest implants and biomods. They are expected to do the heavy lifting of man to man combat for the Empire, and do it well. Properly supported, a 12,000-man Guard Division can conquer a world. In times of war, the Guard also serves as cadre for the rapid expansion of the Imperial Army. The Emperor's personal bodyguards are Guardsmen.
The Home Army
The core of the Imperial Army, raised on member worlds and optimized for the defense of the realm. Home Army units tend to be armor-heavy, and not overly mobile in star-hopping campaigns. Although raised on member worlds, these army units do not answer to the local government.
The Frontier Army
Also known as "Colonials" these troops are raised on the edges of more civilized space. They tend to be lighter (more infantry and special operations) than their Home Army counterparts. They also see more action. Many units of the Frontier Army are on long term "loan" to their home worlds where they act as a support to the existing militia and emergency services.
Matters of Rank
In my Empire, there are no nobles. In fact, the only real title in the entire Empire is "Emperor." "Senator" is an office. This is to make a more Roman feel to things, and to emphasize that ambition and skill will count more than birth rank. Even the Emperor's own family don't have titles. Just for fun, let's say that the current emperor is Janos Rodriguez, 15th Emperor of Mankind. In official documents, he's Emperor Janos VII. His son, Antone, is simply Antone Rodriguez until the day he is crowned, at which point he becomes Antone I (or Janos VIII, if he wants to follow family tradition.)
This isn't to say that social status isn't important. Families of of Senators, wealthy industrialists, planetary nobility, all will be interstellar jet-setters, and will tend to marry among their own for mutual advantages. Yes, individual worlds may have their own nobility, but announcing yourself as "Fred, the 28th Earl of Foobar" on a world where nobility is passe is considered quite the faux pas.
Well, what do y'all think? My apologies if this got a little unfocused near the end; I was slowly drinking a beer while writing...
Anyway, I began thinking about how I would design an empire for a space opera game. (One nice thing about my job, I can think about these things and still function.) So here is some broad, very rough outlines. Feedback and suggestions are encouraged.
The Birth of Empire
One of the things I'm keeping from the book is the concept of the Empire being forged during/after a massive exterior threat. In Terran Empire, these are the Xenovores, a race that seems to get off on eating other sentients. In my setting, it's the Kafers, from 2300AD. For those unfamiliar with the Kafers, they are large, cockroach-looking critters that live in terror of "smart barbarians." Kafers, you see, are normally pretty dumb, but when threatened, they get smarter. Their species' version of adrenaline speeds up their brains. So throughout Kafer history, dumb city dwellers tended to get massacred by barbarians who spent more time scared and threatened. Once the Kafers made it to the stars, they found races that were intelligent all the time to be demons out of legend. So they kill them. (And eat them when its biologically possible.)
A Kafer invasion hitting human space when it was still a growing affair would be just the thing for my empire. Humanity would still be locked in national struggles, and the early resistance would be piecemeal and doomed to failure. Enter the visionary Admiral who forges the disparate fleets into a mighty hammer and send the bug-eyed monsters straight to hell! And then uses that fleet to seize political control when it becomes clear that we face a larger threat. Hey, if Earth got hit hard enough, people may fall on their knees begging our Admiral (call him Janos) to take over. So he does. All Hail Janos I, Emperor of Mankind!
Checks and Balances
But how does this empire run? There are three main power bases.
The Imperial Court
The Emperor holds executive and legislative power. His word is law. He backs his position by virtue of fleet control (tradition and law too, of course, but when push comes to shove, having the battleships is better.) In my vision the Emperor selects his heir. This does not have to be his eldest child, or even a child of his at all! Most Emperors will at least "keep the family business" going by selecting a favored nephew or cousin if none of his kids appear to be right for the job. This system has the advantage of making the throne something you earn, rather than get given because of order of birth. If the Emperor's grand-nephew is an economic whiz who also astounded the instructors at the Academy with his strategic thing, then he gets the crown. This also has the metagame effect of creating great plot points.. remittance men, children who feel they were denied what was rightfully theirs, palace intrigue as the old Emperor slips into his final illness without naming his heir.
The Senate
Worlds with a Gross Planetary Product over (insert reasonable amount here) are full members of the Empire, and get a voice in the Senate. Each world selects its Senator in its own way. Some elect them, some are appointed by planetary governments, some are even hereditary posts. The Senate's main day to day duty is to advise the Emperor on matters of import to the realm. In reality this means that Senators spend much of their time sitting on various committees that gather and judge information before writing nice executive summaries for the Emperor. The Senate also controls the purse strings. They have to approve the budget, which can result in some hard-fought battles behind closed doors. The Senate also has two vital duties that are rarely discussed. They confirm a heir's suitability for office; and with a 75% vote they can dethrone an Emperor.
The Bureaucracy
The numberless ministries, offices, and bureaus that run the Empire on the ground floor have a power that few suspect. The Emperor can declare, the Senate vote, but until the 2nd Assistant Director signs the form, nothing moves. Understanding and using the vast mass that is Imperial law and regulation is an art form.
Worlds without number...
There are three levels of Imperial membership.
Full Membership
As pointed out, this is reserved for worlds that reach a certain level of economic worth. This level should be high, but not impossible to reach. Full members are virtually independent. The are self-governing, cause raise armies and reasonable space fleets for local defense (what's reasonable, you ask? If the 23rd Battlefleet comes through and destroys 2/3rds of your local fleet, it was unreasonable.) Member worlds are the economic powerhouses of the Empire, and tend to get richer as time goes by. Typical populations will be 100 million+ (except where local conditions make such crowding unlikely) Roughly 20% of the Empire's worlds are Full Members
Colony
Worlds not meeting the economic requirements for full membership, but having more than 10,000 permanent residents are colonies. Colonies may have limited self-rule, but an Imperial Governor will be assigned by the Ministry of Colonization to oversee all exterior relations and serve as a watchdog on the locals. Imperial policy is to develop colonies to the point of full membership. Colonies make up about 40% of the Empire's inhabited worlds.
Outpost
Any world with less than 10,000 permanent residents and not meeting the requirements for membership are termed outposts. (I can see situations where a very low-population world will be enough of a treasure trove to merit membership. Think about South Africa for a bit.) Outposts are to small to get full Imperial attention. Most have a Consul or other minor official (who will often also be the Customs Officer and Postmaster as well) to deal with any need of the locals that requires Imperial attention. Outposts are often established by outside concerns (corporations, planets setting up daughter colonies, universities setting up research camps) and tend to be ruled under the laws of that authority. Some Outposts are small colonies established by utopia-seekers or minority groups seeking isolation. Outposts make up about 40% of the Empire.
In addition there are worlds owned by the Empire.. military reserves, garden worlds, etc. The Empire also places some worlds off-limits for any number of reasons. Protection of a developing culture is a common one.
And there will be war.
The military has several components.
The Imperial Navy
By far the largest force, the Navy is charged with guarding the frontier, patrolling the Empire, and providing aid to worlds when threatened by force or natural disaster. Since this is space opera-level stuff, the ships are huge, and the weapons devastating. The fleet is almost a player, but generations of tradition make the idea of mutiny nearly anathema to every officer.
Of course, there are fighters. And they dog fight. Physics can bite me.
Being the largest and most powerful branch, the Navy is seen as a good place for social advancement. Naval Academies are filled with the second sons of powerful families, hoping to make a mark on the universe.
The Guard
The Empire's shock troops, Guardsmen are dangerous even without their powered armor, and devastating when in it. The Guard recruits only the best, then runs them through a hellish training course that has an 80% attrition rate. Guardsmen get the latest implants and biomods. They are expected to do the heavy lifting of man to man combat for the Empire, and do it well. Properly supported, a 12,000-man Guard Division can conquer a world. In times of war, the Guard also serves as cadre for the rapid expansion of the Imperial Army. The Emperor's personal bodyguards are Guardsmen.
The Home Army
The core of the Imperial Army, raised on member worlds and optimized for the defense of the realm. Home Army units tend to be armor-heavy, and not overly mobile in star-hopping campaigns. Although raised on member worlds, these army units do not answer to the local government.
The Frontier Army
Also known as "Colonials" these troops are raised on the edges of more civilized space. They tend to be lighter (more infantry and special operations) than their Home Army counterparts. They also see more action. Many units of the Frontier Army are on long term "loan" to their home worlds where they act as a support to the existing militia and emergency services.
Matters of Rank
In my Empire, there are no nobles. In fact, the only real title in the entire Empire is "Emperor." "Senator" is an office. This is to make a more Roman feel to things, and to emphasize that ambition and skill will count more than birth rank. Even the Emperor's own family don't have titles. Just for fun, let's say that the current emperor is Janos Rodriguez, 15th Emperor of Mankind. In official documents, he's Emperor Janos VII. His son, Antone, is simply Antone Rodriguez until the day he is crowned, at which point he becomes Antone I (or Janos VIII, if he wants to follow family tradition.)
This isn't to say that social status isn't important. Families of of Senators, wealthy industrialists, planetary nobility, all will be interstellar jet-setters, and will tend to marry among their own for mutual advantages. Yes, individual worlds may have their own nobility, but announcing yourself as "Fred, the 28th Earl of Foobar" on a world where nobility is passe is considered quite the faux pas.
Well, what do y'all think? My apologies if this got a little unfocused near the end; I was slowly drinking a beer while writing...
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no subject
Date: 25 Sep 2005 03:37 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Sep 2005 05:23 (UTC)Is the capital on earth? where?
What happens to 'Guard' members when their enlistment is up? do they get to keep all their internal gadgetry? (reference: Alicia deVries in "Path of the Fury" D.Weber auth) do they just go on 'inactive' status?
If the navy is seen as a good pace for social advancement, would navy ranks become defacto titles of nobility? ditto army, ditto guards. After a certain period of time certain service families would become defacto nobility within the services.
no subject
Date: 25 Sep 2005 13:44 (UTC)This is all pretty abstract construction right now, so I haven't picked out a capital yet. One thought was to have had Earth so devastated by the invasions that most people left; and it's now held as a garden world/museum.
Navy careers are good for getting noticed by powerful people and making connections. A Captain will probaly have some level of high social standing, but it won't reach the level of actual, legal nobility. Think of the respect given officers in the British Empire as an example.
no subject
Date: 25 Sep 2005 15:22 (UTC)You might want to read Gordon R. Dickson's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_R._Dickson) novelette "Call Him Lord." IIRC, it's in the first volume of Pournelle's "There Will Be War" anthology series.
no subject
Date: 25 Sep 2005 06:20 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Sep 2005 06:32 (UTC)Huzzah! *waves tiny Imperial flag/pennant*
no subject
Date: 25 Sep 2005 06:36 (UTC)1.) If the Emperor controls the imperial fleet, and is essentially the final arbiter of violence in the setting, why does the Senate have so much power? How could 75% of the Senate vote him out of power, if he has the fleet?
2.) Are you sure you want to re-use the Kafers? They're one of the best RPG aliens, it's true, but I'm always hoping I'll run across an original fictional alien species as creative as the Kafers.
no subject
Date: 25 Sep 2005 14:00 (UTC)2. Using the Kafers saves me a lot of time. In this setting, they're mostly a part of history and lurking around the edges.
no subject
Date: 25 Sep 2005 22:09 (UTC)Doug, are you on the Hero boards, you might consider posting your above entry there.
no subject
Date: 26 Sep 2005 08:48 (UTC)