Hi!
Good points. As I stated originally the outline I posted can be used to
generate what we need and leave specific time frames for each to manage to
taste. Some believe stagnation can last eons, some don't. But in the scheme
I laid out time frame beyond a very general sense is not necessary to write
in stone.
The problem with GW fluff as Josh has pointed out lacks very important
information to back up why the Imperium is what it is. Technological
stagnation is very possible in the Imperium for a long time if we determine
that only a small percentage of Imperial worlds are "tech able". Note most
of the fluff hints that a lot of worlds live in total ignorance of the
Imperium as a whole and are very low tech (medieval). Also while there are
many "production worlds" this doesn't mean they contribute to advancement,
since their job is to "make things". Actually beyond Mars the GW fluff
doesn't really mention any major center of research. So if you are left with
one organization to do it all you'll have problems. In my view though even
this is not the major hindrance for development. It has to do more with the
superstitious tone technology is dealt with. The rituals and traditions in
dealing with "x" machine. It seems many don't want to know how it works in a
conventional scientific way, but that a spiritual context is more important.
As in real life religion and science rarely mix well.
The Imperium works more like the Roman Empire did than the British empire.
Local governors have pretty much all the authority as long as they
acknowledge Rome (Earth) its all good. As long as homage and tithes come in
all is good. Terra sets policy, but the real practical government concerns
seem to be at the planetary/system governors level.
Peter
----- Original Message -----
From: <deaconblue3_at_...>
To: <netepic_at_yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 6:00 PM
Subject: Re: [NetEpic ML] Re: Netepic Background
> I'm in.... IF we modify the ludicrous "strictly fascist, patethically
> inefficient, galaxy-wide empire stands perfectly still for 10.000
> years managing to exercise total control in an unknown manner (it's
> inefficient, remember?) and managing to continually fight on
> something like 15-20 simultaneous fronts without any bloody military
> technological advancement taking place in a period of time longer
> than what it took us to start with lances and end up with nuclear
> weapons".
>
> -->And the barrage balloons go up! 8) I think the main sticking point
> here is the nature of the Imperium. It is not a magalithic centrally run
> empire, despite the best propaganda of the Administratum. It is, at
> best, decentralized, with regional and sector governmors and commanders,
> along with SM chapter commanders, having the bulk of the effective power.
> The only exception to this would be the Adeptus Mechanicus, which has
> better communication and information transfer capabilities than the
> Imperium at large. Also, keep in mind the factionalism with in the
> Imperium, especially at the higher eschelons. Most interplanetary
> communications are handled by courier on ships, and emergency stuff
> through the Astropaths. With several factions, political,
> administrative, and miltary vying for control, and using any means to do
> so, it slows things down. Add to this the insular nature of the AM, and
> "stagnation" is a real possibility. Further, the number of "civilized"
> and "technologically advanced" worlds with in the Imperium is no where
> defined. Most of the fluff indicates that a good portion of recruitment
> for the IG and SM Chapters come from the feral and death worlds, hardly
> capable of producing sophisticated and advanced technological apparatus.
> And just to add even more to this, much of the economic and industrial
> aspects are not defined either. references are made to the AM Forge
> worlds and depots, as well as the Squat worlds, but the rest is
> undefined, and must enter into the equation. Stupid insigificant fluuf
> bits like transit times between worlds, abundance of resources, total
> population, number of civilized worlds, number of habitable worlds,
> number of personel in the Space Guild, Astropathica, AM, Administratum,
> the Clergy, etc. If we truly want to reconcile everything, and
> incorporate the new stuff, we will have to build the basic foundation of
> the Imperium. while it will have no value for game purposes, or enter
> into much of anything, if the whole is to be well grounded, and stable,
> and even dynamic, this is what we must do.
>
> Josh R
>
> Minister for General Mayhem
> "Don't let the bastards grind you down." Gen. Joseph Stilwell
> Gott weiss ich will kein Engel sein -Rammstein
>
>
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Received on Sat Nov 03 2001 - 02:19:58 UTC