The Solomani, not just bad guys anymore

[Murph]

I like a clear moral stance as well since in todays world everything is shades of gray. I get tired of gray.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Honestly, that's probably the best argument for the final pair of Big Imperium-Wrecking Events (Virus and The Wave). The first is both Evil and "Not Really Alive" which makes it a guilt-free target by default. The latter is a Force of Nature (so to speak).

In that context, a mostly steady-state Imperium is just a place to argue over who should have what, with no intrinsic "right" answer unless you write it in, yourself (Duke _________ is good, the ________ Corporation is unusually exploitative, the Solmani really are the Master Race or something, etc.).

 

[aramis]

Honestly, that's probably the best argument for the final pair of Big Imperium-Wrecking Events (Virus and The Wave). The first is both Evil and "Not Really Alive" which makes it a guilt-free target by default. The latter is a Force of Nature (so to speak).

In that context, a mostly steady-state Imperium is just a place to argue over who should have what, with no intrinsic "right" answer unless you write it in, yourself (Duke _________ is good, the ________ Corporation is unusually exploitative, the Solmani really are the Master Race or something, etc.).

Neither of which is truly fightable; they're "forces of nature" to be endured, at least as written.

The Solomani-as-space-nazis are a clear source for really obnoxious spy action. In both directions.

The Imperium itself is a fairly light grey, but Solomani a la the CT AM Solomani are serious moustache twirling moral bankrupts, perhaps a bit too close to modern nationalist political movements for comfort. But those nationalists aren't the model; the WW 2 era ones were.

And yet, the SOlomani can be run as a people lead by psychopathic xenophobes who are not themselves xenophobes nor psychopaths, and are just trying to make it through the dark times... shades of Bab 5 season 3? Firefly?

 

[mike wightman]

The CT Alien Modules are written from a Imperial point of view and are thus an unreliable narrator as to the "truth" contained within.
The Imperial bias of the author leads to emphasis on the "bad", while downplaying the "good".

The Solomani are no more goose stepping Nazis than the Zhodani are goose stepping Mind Controlling Communists, and to label an entire people and culture as anything so stereotypical is to do disservice to that culture and its peoples.

 

[Murph]

I run (or ran) a modified "Wounded Colossus" type universe to get over the Rebellion BS, and the other silly stuff. But after the Imperium crushed the Solomani, they had an internal rebellion against SolSec and the Party, and so the party lost power, and many ex-SolSec type turned pirate. I had that before Weber had his books do something similar. The current campaign year is 1142 in my universe, and the after effects of the Rebellion are still felt to some small extent.

 

[aramis]

The CT Alien Modules are written from a Imperial point of view and are thus an unreliable narrator as to the "truth" contained within.
The Imperial bias of the author leads to emphasis on the "bad", while downplaying the "good".

The Solomani are no more goose stepping Nazis than the Zhodani are goose stepping Mind Controlling Communists, and to label an entire people and culture as anything so stereotypical is to do disservice to that culture and its peoples.

I don't know what you've been mistaking for CT AM Zhodani, but it not only doesn't present them the negative fashion you accuse, If anything, it's written from a strongly Pro-Zhodani view. Several players were annoyed by the utter lack of negative reactions from Zhodani, as long as they were being honest... after the campaign, they skimmed it and realized that the Impie propaganda encountered in TTA was strongly biased...

Oh, wait... Adventure Zero has a pretty negative and short bit... as does SMC... but not AM Zhodani. TTA also gives a pretty thickly biased view, but never has one actually dealing with the Zhodani. Comparing AM: Z to TTA, one gets a very different view.
All of the CT (and MT) alien modules present a pretty pro-whichever-is-included view, save one for each... AM Solomani, and the solomani half of S&A.

AM Solomani, and the MT Solomani & Aslan, both present them in a fairly unbiased way, giving a pretty nuanced look at a functional mono-party interstellar polity which treats non-humans as non-citizens, and variant humans as second class citizens (unable to join the Solomani Party)... and it's a polity which, taking game rules (as opposed to setting text) as neutral evidence, since they are the embodiment of the reality of the canonical setting, And that includes Party internal agents undercover long term, risks of party actions for "anti-government sentiments", and a number of other quite problematic issues.

It's not quite the third reich nor the Lenninish/Maoist communism, either, it's something different... much more close to Early 20th C Union of South Africa. (British Dominion era.) And a touch of Diaspora Zionism thrown in.
It is a toxic party which doesn't respect aliens, distrusts uplifts, even as it's the only polity in canon we KNOW to be uplifting in the 57th C, and it's speciesist and subspeciesist.

For me, that it puts spies in all other services besides the party itself, and has an agenda of denial of rights to sophonts, and some ghettoization of indigenous non-solomani humans... that's where the evils lie.
As for Jackboots? Front Cover art is close enough for me...

Character gen for Solomani in CT AM 6 includes party monitors, the option to be undercover or not as a monitor, to report on the encountered persons, and that CGen is supposed to be done partially privately so as to allow for in-party diversity of opinion on the party and its actions... (CT AM6 p18), and that the party does not allow human non-solomani to rise above standing 2... also p. 18, that's in the RULES section, not the setting fluff.

 

[mike wightman]

AM4. Is there another?

It has been said that psionics has made the Zhodani
Consulate the most powerful, effective, and absolute tyranny
in human history-and also the happiest and most stable. Both
statements are quite true.

Too much deviation from the norm is considered an
aberration and subject to re-education

The solution is re-education-a retraining of the individual
to recognize potential situations and to avoid or properly
handle them.

Most sentences for insane crimes call for re-education until
the insanity has been cured. Occasionally, an execution can be
ordered if the individual appears incurable. Prison sentences
simply for confinement are not used. lncited crimes are dealt
with by quick reeducation to avoid being incited again

The Thought Police are a branch
of the government charged with maintaining right thought by
the population. To non-Zhodani, they are seen as a secret police
constantly spying on the population with psionics. Their mission
is to catch anyone who is discontent with the system, their
lot in life, or their superiors, and to brainwash them into acceptance
of the system.

The cure for any aberrant behavior is reeducation.
The Zhodani psionic society is excellent at reeducation;

Note that once the "Thought Police" concept is introduced they are continually referred to as the Thought Police - a deliberate choice of phrase?

the military Thought Police is
responsible for the administration of occupied Imperial worlds.
The military government is concerned primarily with maintaining
a safe and docile population, and proven methods of achieving
such a condition include some brutal exploits to prove they
are serious, followed by inclusion of locals into the governing
process. The people that are included often receive a quick reeducation
and then take their position with sincerity an$ dedication
to the Zhodani cause. To the rest of the population, the
individual appears to be brainwashed or coerced.

 

[aramis]

AM4. Is there another?






Note that once the "Thought Police" concept is introduced they are continually referred to as the Thought Police - a deliberate choice of phrase?

No, merely a kindness to tongues unaccustomed to consonantal clusters. Tavrchedl' twists way to many Englsih speakers' tongues into proverbial knots, especially thos unaware that the r in many germanic languages can be used as a semivowel.

The underlying issue you're bringing up is in fact addressed in the module. The Zhodani don't see reeducation as a bad thing. And it's clear that they don't.

But let's see the softer side in the module...

p.12:
Because the Zhodani are homogeneous in appearance, they are slow to accept other humans who are strange or unusual in appearance. They are by no means xenophobic, but they open up to strangers only slowly. By the same token, any human who looks outwardly Zhodani (tall, lithe, swarthy complexion, dark or grey hair) is in itially welcomed as a friend. Later experience with individuals shapes future attitudes, of course.

Ambition: The advanced educational tools available to the Zhodani make it possible for nearly all members of society to see their own potential and to see the paths they can take toward realizing it. Ambition exists in varying degrees; some individuals might pursue physical conditioning, while others can form long-range plans for the advencement of their careers. The individual ambition differs for each person, but ambition is more commonly accepted as part of Zhodani society.
Ambition is accepted in all areas of society except one: major social advancement. Advancement in Social Standing depends on Psionic Strength, and without it, advancement to Intendant or Noble status is impossible.

Zhodani society instills its values in its members. One of the foremost values (the one that humans from the lmperium notice most quickly) is the basic honesty that pervades everything. Trust is an assumption. Locks are rare, and more likely safety devices to protect children than anti-theft devices. Walls protect from the elements rather than from intruders. Laws deal more with appropriate action than with crimes.
Zhodani society also helps direct individuals to the most productive and satisfying pursuit available. Psionically based techniques help each person understand his or her needs and motivations and place that person where ability and aptitude can contribute most to personal well-being and to the community as a whole.

To the Zhodani, the view is completely different. The term Tavrchedl' literally means Guardians of Our Morality; the organization is seen as filling a role much closer to fireman than policeman.
Zhodani society is a happy one, but even in a happy society, individual members can fall prey to depression, frustration, or disillusionment. They can still suffer from mental illness or imbalances. Individuals can make find themselves losing trust or confidence in the system. And it is for these people that the Tavrchedl' exist.

Re-education: The cure for any aberrant behavior is reeducation. The Zhodani psionic society is excellent at reeducation; psionics has made possible extremely efficient reeducation. Long ago, psionics made possible studies which confirmed what educational techniques worked, and how efficiently. They allowed academics to plan out lessons which could be learned to any degree of efficiency. Psionics also makes possible tests and examinations which can confirm that learning has taken place.
The result is excellent diagnosis and careful treatment in reeducation centers. When treatment is completed, the individual rejoins society without any stigma or blot on his record; the period of re-education is much like a period of recovery from an ilness.
The end result is that occasionally a Prole will sit awake late at night, depressed and angry. Some aspect of society has affected him adversely, and he has been unable to cope with it. Perhaps he lost his old job and is unhappy with his new one; perhaps he is jealous of a neighbor who is more successful than he is. The thought patterns spell deviance, and roving Thought Police patrols pick them up. Late at night, there is a knock at the door. The Prole knows the Thought Police have arrived; he invites them in. They enter, talk quietly or loudly depending on what their quick diagnosis indicates. After a few minutes, the Prole leaves with the Thought Police. A note is left behind telling where they have gone. Already, the Prole feels slightly better knowing that someone cares.
A few days or weeks later, the Prole returns home, much happier. His new job is exactly what he needs and wants; a perfect outlet for his ambitions. His successful neighbor, he now knows, leads a shallow life without the enjoyment and fulfillment that it should have. The world itself seems brighter and clearer.

For some that may seem dystopian - but given the section on haggling, and verious other fairly positive light sections, it's very easy for me to run them with their mindset... and make them damned sypathetic types. I've even had some Zhodani PCs played.

Hell, having the Tavrchedl' around would have made my dating life so much easier.... and teaching.

Page 23 notes that familial name patters do vary within the otherwise fairly conformist society...

Page 27: Aging saves... Like the Vilani & Solomani, the aging saves are easier than baseline imperial.
Acquired Skill Table... these guys proles are almost as specialized as Vilani in MT... (7/18 skill reciepts in useful skills... but alas, no farming. I guess the bots do that...

 

[mike wightman]

Then ask yourself why the majority of the fanbase still see the Zhodani as no better or worse than the Imperium or bad guys - I even ran a poll on it a few years back. Very few consider them further towards "good" on the morality scale.

 

[aramis]

Then ask yourself why the majority of the fanbase still see the Zhodani as no better or worse than the Imperium or bad guys - I even ran a poll on it a few years back. Very few consider them further towards "good" on the morality scale.

Most players I've run for consider the Imperium to NOT be good guys... in the same way that the Empire in Star Wars aren't the good guys, and the Rebel Alliance are the lesser evil.

 

[Condottiere]

I would suppose benign neglect is the best of all possible worlds.

 

[Tobias]

Then ask yourself why the majority of the fanbase still see the Zhodani as no better or worse than the Imperium or bad guys - I even ran a poll on it a few years back. Very few consider them further towards "good" on the morality scale.

Because they represent a different, and in fact alien, model of a social mindset. And people don't like things that are different.

Players have often read a good amount of "Space America" into the Imperium. Admittedly there has also been a fair amount of subtle or not so subtle, unintentional or quite intentional (looking at you, GURPS Traveller) encouragement to do so from TPTB. But overall this image of the Imperium, i.e. a free society where the ruggedly individualist little guy rises up and snubs his nose at the stuffy aristocrats, is wishful thinking as aramis has correctly pointed out.

RAW, the Imperium is as much (arguably, much more so) of a tyranny as the Consulate. It is just far less effective (arguably, on purpose) at being an actual government. It is run by nobles just as the Consulate is, and to shatter one illusion that players of the mindset referenced to above often harbor, the point of a nobility is not to let anybody who "proves themselves" join, but the opposite.

Hypothetical: If you had to give away a small orphaned child of a close relative to be adopted by a randomly chosen human family living in one of the major interstellar polities of the stable OTU ca. 1100 (i.e. no EW, no Virus, no Rebellion going to happen), which of said major interstellar polities would you chose? For me the Imperium would be near the bottom of the list, ahead of only the 2000 worlds and the Vargr extents. Hive Federation would probably be top, followed by the Zhodani Consulate.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Players have often read a good amount of "Space America" into the Imperium. Admittedly there has been a fair amount of subtle or not so subtle, unintentional or quite intentional (looking at you, GURPS Traveller) encouragement to do so from TPTB. But overall this image of the Imperium, i.e. a free society where the ruggedly individualist little guy rises up and snubs his nose at the stuffy aristocrats, is wishful thinking as aramis has correctly pointed out.

Some of that is inherent to the player base. The market for the game is almost entirely Western, and largely American. Unless directed otherwise, players and referees are going to act and interact with the game universe with their existing mindsets -- so the default setting is going to feel "American" unless people make an effort for it to be otherwise.

 

[Dragoner]

I think a lot of it is because it was made by Americans. I mean I have had my setting called international feeling, and I know I have struggled to include American things w/o it feeling unnatural, writers write what they know though. On another site recently, people discussing Traveller were calling the Imperium like the space Commonwealth.

 

[Condottiere]

Orwellian.

Wealth being uncommon.

 

[aramis]

Some of that is inherent to the player base. The market for the game is almost entirely Western, and largely American. Unless directed otherwise, players and referees are going to act and interact with the game universe with their existing mindsets -- so the default setting is going to feel "American" unless people make an effort for it to be otherwise.

Traveller seems to have done better in the UK than in the US, on a per capita basis. I don't have the numbers to hand, but I can say that the number of UK IP addresses is well more than the 9% relative population should indicate

 

[Murph]

Most players I've run for consider the Imperium to NOT be good guys... in the same way that the Empire in Star Wars aren't the good guys, and the Rebel Alliance are the lesser evil.

Yep the Solomani are the plucky underdogs, against the might of the Eeeeeevvvviiiillll Empire! Or just scummy mercantilists out to rip off everyone? I tend to look at them as the Anti-Empire, darn near stupidly independent individuaists.

 

[Condottiere]

Humanists.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Humanists.

Humanitarians?
You know, like vegetarians?

 

[Condottiere]

Smells like pork, tastes like chicken.

With Chianti.