I accidentally deleted both the mail and the extract, so no quotes on this
reply. . .
Language:
I agree that in many settings, not just science fiction, language
skills have been ignored. In sci-fi it most players would sooner carry around
smart translators (a step or two up from the electonic language dictionaries
of today). Of course, in a Virus campaign, they might not rely on such computer
enhancement. I don't believe in "universal translators" that can learn a
language with just a few minutes of exposure, but translators that have a
database of existing languages to translate are, IMHO, wholly plausible.
Introducing language to your campaign can also help you bring the
"cultural advantages" Jeff Zeitlin was looking for. If all your NPCs sound
the same, they'll all seem the same. If you can come up with accents or
other speech patterns common to a given race's rendition of Galangic, you'll
find the players remember that they *are* different from the other hominids
in the Galaxy.
Government:
I don't own TNE stuff at all, and to be honest have never actually
*played* a Traveller campaign, so I can't comment on the RCES. However, I
think a feudal technocracy can be either strong or decentralized, depending
on just how much authority the chief monarch asks for and is ceded. An example
would be the back&forth of State's Rights in the US, showing that at times
a rep. democracy can have either a strong central government, or a weak one.
A strong leader makes for a cetral power; a weak one allows his vassals to
do as they please.
Lucan *could* have cowed the Moot, if he had the backing. If Lucan had a great
deal of military power, whether formal or informal, or had a vast spy ring,
or simply controlled many resources, or was friends with many Moot families. . .
any of these factors could have made the members of the Moot look favorably
upon him - or at least enough that the Moot could not agree on action, leaving
a power vacuum which Lucan, through sheer force or will, was able to fill.
Examples would include many of the great dictators: Caesar, Napolean, and
Hitler. All of these men were able to seize power, usually legally, even
though the were intimidating the people who gave them power. Civilization
isn't much different from street life: people with the backing will take
power. All the fancy laguage and sharp threads are just dressing.
Good vs. Bad
As has been pointed out before, the cool thing about Traveller (and
many GDW adventures) is that there aren't really good guys and bad guys.
The Solomani, for instance, are agressive and often racist in their politics -
but they also colonized and dominated most of space after defeating their
rivals, who had them outclassed in numbers and technology.
Anyway, the "Space Vikings" seem to be in a similar situation. On the
one hand, yes, they are using force to reclaim technology from other people -
sort of deciding that if anyone's going to have it, they should - a philosophy
that makes sense in a strict "national interest" approach to foreign affairs,
which is likely to happen in the post-Virus world. However, you cannot deny
their success, and like it or not, they *are* bringing order to their patch
of space - 200 years down the road, many of the conquered planets will be
*happy* to be RCES members, especially if it gives them access to tech from
dozens or even hundreds of worlds that would not have come together without
the RCES.
Of course, there's always Quebec :)
Democracy from the ashes:
I don't think a representative democracy is too unreasonable, even if
the Imperium was an autocratic-feudal organization. Let me adapt something I
got from (I think) FASA's Battletech (blechh, I know):
In a society as large as the Imperium, and with the travel time
between worlds, sectors, and so on, it could conceivably become more effective
to have an autocrat in charge of government, at some level. I imagine that
in a more enlightened society that such a government would be a representative
monarchy - much like the British model circa the 17th or 18th centuries. In
other words, there is a parliament with legislative duties and the ability
to override the monarch - but the monarch is still in charge. Depending on
the support of the people, the monarch may have great power, or be as weak
as the modern Royal Family.
After the Virus, there would be many strong leaders, I'm sure - but
after a time the "tribes" they lead would realize they had more to gain
by joing together, forming a - what's that wored? ahhh, COALITION! They would
then be democratic for a time, at least until they controlled an area (say, the
size of Norris's old stomping ground) too large to govern by commitee, at which
point a strong leader could step in and establish a new line.
Gunging Ho to Market:
Yes, markets are needed for commerce; but when the RCES says "secure
& preserve" that means make sure they're friendly to the RCES. Just because
you're out to re-establish order doesn't mean you won't look out for #1.
The collapse of markets may have come about during the collapse, but
I'm sure 70 years is enough time for *new* markets to develop.
As for Exxon and Alco coming in. . .the analogy may be valid. Better
yet, the Penn/Beads deal. AS history has shown, they have their good and
bad sides. :)
Bootstrap: The RC *will* benefit in the long run, having new trade
partners that aren't directly controlled by the RCES. Sort of like the US
Peace Corps jobs.
Well, that's enough for now. I'm babbling.
J Roberson