One part of my concern about this "virus destroying the centralized CPU
factories of the Imperium" is two-fold. First, if the Imperium is reliant
enough on computers that their loss would cause a crash, one would think
that there would be *MANY* production sites -- surely, not all of them
would be seeded. One would think that elementary concerns about security
and safety of a proprietary production line would lead to the production
CPU being isolated from outside interference and the planetary network,
just to avoid corporate espionage and tradewar sabotage.
Second, the Imperium did have a lesson about the dangers of concentrating
industrial facilities at the end of the Solomani Rim War. According to
an old Trav.Digest I saw, part of the reason the Imperium was unable to
follow up after Earth was the destruction, by deep-penetration commandos,
of one of their rear-area Industrial worlds. You see, it had a highly
centralized life-support system for the populace, since it was located on
a hostile world, and the commandos just went in and blew it away. This
might not be common knowlege, but in the 110 years from the war to the
Rebellion, you'd think that INI, IISS/IB, or IRIS would attempt to suggest
some doctrinal changes to the Emperor, and implement them.
I won't be using this virus in any campaign I might run, because it is
unnecessary and changes the character of Lucan from understandably
incompetent, if perhaps a bit crazed, to STUPID. After all, Lucan is the
only "Emperor" who is likely to try this, what with his "Super Weapons"
(gag) and all. Can anyone see Norris, Brzk, or Margaret trying this? Or
the mercantilist, conservative Vilani? (What, destroy our own megacorps!?!)
I don't think Dulinor would, simply because he believes so strongly in
improving the lot of those in his Domain. After all, that's how he got
his title. Would the "Strephon" supporters, or the Brothers of Varian?
Perhaps, since we know so little about them...a darn shame too. I doubt
it, though. Or Daibei, a former Sector government? No.
After all, without a latter-day Arbellatra, the empire will fall all by
itself. It's already halfway there.
- --Steve
"Mega- what? What does the metric system have to do with a SF-RPG?"