Age of sail exploration/colonization was at the same time as honor societies of medieval knights and squires. The Imperium's knighthood is more like nighteenth century knighthood then Medieval style. As for squires, that depends on the custom of a given planet; fosterage with a given noble that is similar to medieval squires is easily imagined.
Age of sail exploration/colonization was at the same time as honor societies of medieval knights and squires. The Imperium's knighthood is more like nighteenth century knighthood then Medieval style. As for squires, that depends on the custom of a given planet; fosterage with a given noble that is similar to medieval squires is easily imagined.
Except Godfather is just the feudal system pushed underground by the pressure of a modern state.
Black Vulmea
SOC-12
The question was, do I model my Third Imperium on Imperial Rome, and the answer is no - more broadly, I don't self-consciously immitate any specific time or place or system of governance in portraying the culture or institutions of the Third Imperium.
From near orbit it shares similarities with other human institutions from across the sweep of history, because it is a human institution, but that's not the same as putting in "chariot races" or "senators in togas."
My goal is not to make the Third Imperium feel like Imperial Rome, or the Mughal Empire, or the VOC, or Japanese zaibatsu, so directly borrowing from one of those cultures and institutions doesn' get me where I want to go.
In my experience, good speculative fiction extrapolates from history; bad speculative fiction apes it.
Black Vulmea
SOC-12
That depends on what you mean by "feudal system." Is it seigneurial privilege? Is it manoralism? Is it military obligations between a lord and vassal?
mbrinkhues
SOC-14 1K
I tend to mix
+ Austria/Hungaria during it's final month
+ Byzantine during it's last century
+ Real life nobles like Prince of Hannover (1)
+ A good infusion of Hans Landa for the Marines
+ Some "Oberst Kling" for the Navy
(1) Maybe the fifth frontier war broke out because Lucan did an "Ernst August" on the Zho Pavillion during a interstellar trade show on Darrian...
+ Austria/Hungaria during it's final month
+ Byzantine during it's last century
+ Real life nobles like Prince of Hannover (1)
+ A good infusion of Hans Landa for the Marines
+ Some "Oberst Kling" for the Navy
(1) Maybe the fifth frontier war broke out because Lucan did an "Ernst August" on the Zho Pavillion during a interstellar trade show on Darrian...
Actually all three just used in a different contect. Instead of manors they have casinos and neighborhoods to collect protection from. Instead of military service they have goon service. Privelege remains similar and has similar symbols.
shadowcat20
SOC-12
I see the Imperium as sort of a 16 to 17 century Europe. The Kings/Emporers make decrees but the local governors run things. The outlaying sectors are sort of like the new world. The Emporer sends missives out but by the time they get there wars are started and won or lost. The same with the Navy's, Each Fleet Admaral runs things as he wishes reporting results back up the chain of command. Fleets sometimes are not sure where the other ones are at and have to follow the trail or send out scouts to find them. The Governors run the planets and the Navy runs the sectors in space. Both report to the court who reports to the Emporer. Sometimes they even get it right...
The Mega Corps are more like the East India Company. The do their own thing and are a government unto themselves. This sometimes brings them into conflict with the Navy or Governors when they get to high handed and full of themselves.
As for the Roman idea, there was a string of generals who fought to become the Emperor just like the Emporers of the flag. So that was more than likely taken from history as a good story line. And who are the Praetorians then? In the later half of the West Empire they were Emperor makers and put more than a few on the throne ( For a proper donation to the troops of course)
The Mega Corps are more like the East India Company. The do their own thing and are a government unto themselves. This sometimes brings them into conflict with the Navy or Governors when they get to high handed and full of themselves.As for the Roman idea, there was a string of generals who fought to become the Emperor just like the Emporers of the flag. So that was more than likely taken from history as a good story line. And who are the Praetorians then? In the later half of the West Empire they were Emperor makers and put more than a few on the throne ( For a proper donation to the troops of course)
RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
Togas? Not for me, at least not on Capital; maybe elsewhere.
However, triumphant music, like...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiq3Tm8Duns&feature=related
...yes, there's stuff like that.
IMTU, there are elements of:
1) Roman Empire, a little bit.
2) Great Britain when it ruled three-quarters of the Terra, a lot.
3) Bits and pieces of the invented Vilani culture, primarily the extensive bureaucracy.
4) It's own unique flavor. After all, the Imperium is an institution of size and scope that never existed before. Even the Shadow Emperor never ruled as the Emperor of the Third Imperium does. (Although, the Emperor's of the Imperium wielded vastly greater direct authority in the past than they do by the 1100 era.)
However, triumphant music, like...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiq3Tm8Duns&feature=related
...yes, there's stuff like that.
IMTU, there are elements of:
1) Roman Empire, a little bit.
2) Great Britain when it ruled three-quarters of the Terra, a lot.
3) Bits and pieces of the invented Vilani culture, primarily the extensive bureaucracy.
4) It's own unique flavor. After all, the Imperium is an institution of size and scope that never existed before. Even the Shadow Emperor never ruled as the Emperor of the Third Imperium does. (Although, the Emperor's of the Imperium wielded vastly greater direct authority in the past than they do by the 1100 era.)
As I said somewhere else(maybe on this thread), political institutions tend to go for the retro in ceremonial style. So all of these are credible. As for the others, some elements will remain the same, some different. The British empire was sprawled all about; there were possessions of other empires mixed together with them and while individual provinces had defined borders, wasn't a compact Empire within one area. That is there was Britain on one side of the globe, India on the other, all the other stuff scattered about, and other Great Powers in between. The Third Imperium, however has nothing blocking one piece from another.
One thing I picture is that many Nobles will think of their mercantile possessions the way planters think of theirs rather then in the manner of merchants. That is, they provide an independent income as cash cows, but most Nobles will have more the mindset of a bureaucrat then an enterprenuer. That is in fact not inappropriate for managing a mega corporation.
The heads of various houses will also have a rule(perhaps unspoken) to keep their competition away from Capitol. Thus politics toward Core will resemble parliamentary politics while toward the borders it will become more brutal, possibly having Dune like feuds. Or proxy wars on various planets; much of the disorder in various frontier regions will be fed by the schemes of the great Noble Houses and Megacorporations. These will in turn have their possessions scattered and tangled amidst each other so that no one can build a power base that can threaten the Imperium, and to make sure that it is obvious that if the Imperium falls everyone loses.
