R. Dired presents an alternative timeline for Hard Times:
> So maybe I could have done better, but looking at GDW, I know I sure as
> hell could have done worse. This leaves our players as follows:
>
> Norris: Sixth Frontier War finishes him off. Deneb is divided between Vargr,
> Aslan, Vland, and Zhodani. Loser.
It's contrary to what we've been told about the Zhodani. The Domain of
Deneb is no threat to them, and they prefer a stable, non-threatening
predictable neighbour like Norris to a bunch of unpredictable Vargr and
all-too-predictable Aslan. And without Zhodani backing the Domain is too
strong to pull down. Certainly neither Vargr nor Aslan have a snowball's
chance in hell of getting even as far as GDW claims they have.
But be that as it may, my main objection to it is not plausibility, but
practicality. The Domain is one of the best documented areas of the
Traveller universe. To invalidate 80-90% of all material published about
it is not my idea of a smart thing to do. I'd go so far as to say that if
the destruction of the Domain was the most likely thing to happen, then
we should at all cost come up with some reason why that didn't happen.
But fortunately that's not necessary.
> Aslan: Get lots of worlds in Deneb and devasted areas. Lots become imperial
> citizens. Winners, big time.
As I've pointed out before, Aslans who become citizens will _strengthen_
the Domain, not destroy it. And saying 'Aslan' is much like saying 'Humans'.
The Aslan entities who will win or loose are individual clans.
> Solomani: Terra falls again in 1198. Entire Solomani area appropriated by
> Fourth Imperium and Aslan. Losers.
Huh? I can't see that happen. But I can see a lovely ironic developement.
Consider: The Imperium had spent generations on wooing Terra, and they
had made it. Terra had been returned to civilian control, relationships
with the Imperium were cordial, etc.. And then what happens? This bunch
of goose-stepping Solomani-uber-alles types moves in, confident that
THEY know what's best for Terra. What's the bet that they start rooting
'impsymps' and generally throwing their weight about to an intolerable
degree? Certainly the powers that be is not going to relinguish control
of the Solomani Confederation to Terra. No, Terra is going to be an
occupied planet for a long time to come, a hotspot of Imperial sympathy,
a really, really embarassing symbol for the Solomani cause...
> Vargr: Get lots of land in Deneb, find themselves under Bzrk's thumb
> trailing. Break Even.
'Vargr' is another of those terms that's much like 'Humans', only more so.
> Strephon: Gimme a break. Dies during a refrigerator accident. Loser.
If you want to save an appreciable fraction of the Imperium I'd suggest
letting Strephon turn out to be the real thing. He makes a deal with
Margaret (she becomes his heir), convinces Brzk and Craig of his bona
fides and pulls in a good bit of Ileish after Dulinor conveniently dies
(accidentally or by malice aforethought, it makes no difference). With
that he can deal with Lucan, although much of the Core goes down the
toilet in the process. The new frontier becomes a large band between
the Solomani and the Restored Imperium, filled with small polities that
recieve aid from both sides.
Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
[email removed]
- ------------
"And now to conclude and to finish my song.
Let us hope that these hard times, they will not last long.
I hope soon to have occasion to alter my song;
and sing: All the good times of the Empire.
In the Empire are jolly good times."