The Empire: An Essay*

[TaraJess 2848]

16 hours ago, Plausifraunz said:

i just skimmed over this. How???? what's the story behind this???

It is a great story don't listen to mail he didn't tell it right

[JudgeTrudy 610]

A well-written post.

 

I do particularly agree on the bloat of nobility, which I admit I take some part in. I feel as though every few days I watch as yet another new patent rises within the Empire to elevate some individual, or some small family that I have never heard of and may genuinely never interact with. But that's been an issue I've had with LotC since I joined and saw pretty much every individual nation doing it. I do think it would be interesting to see Werewolf or any future Emperor put forth some kind of regulation on nobility, some expecations, but I also understand that some of this comes down to the individual vassals and their own leaders, too.

 

There's a part of me that would love to see more people actually take up issues IRP about the Empire even if they know they will fail. The idea of rebellions,  "revolutions", factions to seize the throne of a Duke, a King, even the Emperor, those are all valid concerns with a continent-spanning Empire. I think your points on nobility, especially if the Imperial government started enacting various laws/mandates, could play into this very nicely. I believe there's a line between chaotic civil wars popping up every month versus the very real factional infighting between vassals of an empire this immense, especially with so MANY noble houses coming into play as frequently as they have been.

 

My biggest worry about the Empire on a long-term scale, is that once its conquering of the world inevitably comes to an end via the vassalization or destruction of other states, you just get left with one hegemony that could grow stagnant at best. Furthermore, from what I've heard of at least a couple of earlier imperial states, is that the overarching OOC communities could (and, I think, are) grow(ing) more and more hostile toward one another. I already see a lot of people hate the Empire for the sake of hating it, and even the people I've seen have very valid critiques, rarely wish to help push for some kind of solution.

 

hm. ive lost my thoughts at the end there...

[yeeter2k 247]

On 12/3/2025 at 10:24 PM, growingivy said:

a cultural language or accent like The Haeseni or Reinmaren have

why, we're flattered!

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[monkeypoacher 8055]

don't worry. once the imperial dynasty and nobility have been respectively enfeebled by inbreeding and elite overproduction, the scheming burghers of the city watch and steward's office will realize their true power. it happened in the last empire of Man 🇮🇲 and will happen again

[Jensen02 337]

On 12/3/2025 at 11:24 PM, growingivy said:

 

The Empire has little to no cultural identity when it comes down to it. While we hear about a clothing post pertaining to the Capital, there still lacks a cuisine, a cultural language or accent like The Haeseni or Reinmaren have,

 

 

[ydegirl 2357]

i think, in all truth, the empire is too young to really say it's "uncultured." i do agree on some points, but we also have to remember the empire is only a year or so old at this point, and there's only been one emperor. i do, however, think there could be more intrigue created for nobles who don't like participating in court (lets face it, courts often have a crazy ooc culture of mean girls), and commoners. i wonder if perhaps the emperor could work alongside ST to create some cool events for the wider audience in the empire (such as famines/shortages/whatever). i remember in kaedrin in 2020ish we had tried to do a little famine arc and no one rlly followed it - but perhaps with the help of ST it could've been more interesting (and the server culture has changed in the past 5/6 yrs). off the top of my head i'm also thinking of a great depression type thing or perhaps something like the dutch tulip fever? it'd take some convincing for players but i think stuff like that could be really fun instead of just war war war. i don't actively rp in the empire right now so i could very well be wrong now, but i remember feeling really disconnected from all the roleplay because there wasn't anything to do.

 

i will also say for event planners: think of fun event ideas. balls are fun until everyone and their mother is throwing a ball - how can you make it different? how can you make it fun. hopey is honestly a genius at this. same goes for jousts. i, personally, tried to stay away from throwing a ball when i rp'ed in alba & aaun - instead i did scavenger hunts, poetry readings, philosophical discussions, archery contests, cultural contests (such as ivorian cheese racing), pageants, so on and so forth. don't be scared to look to other people and sources for ideas and wonder how *you* can alter them to make them fun. an empire isn't an empire if no event is occuring!!!!

[Suzzie 866]

On 12/3/2025 at 11:24 PM, growingivy said:

Noble lines are uncelebrated, yet the majority of players in the Empire are of noble lines (an issue of itself in our opinion), yet when some are more notable or longstanding than others, there is nothing to really show for that.

 

Now I'm not too familiar with the empire at the current moment (I hide in my volcano), but this particularly struck a cord with me.

 

I had wanted to try and play a like orphan-bard girl in the previous map in one of the human nations, and I felt genuinely awkward and off-put as it felt like everyone around me was some sort of nobility. . . What I really wanted were some genuine good ol mere peasant interactions, because realistically is some street urchin really going to run up to nobles and socialize?? This is no one's fault or anything by the way, but a conundrum I felt I faced, haha. 

It ironically felt like peasant characters were what noble lines should be, rare lol. Just my two cents. 

[Chuuwys 502]

On 12/5/2025 at 1:01 AM, JudgeTrudy said:

There's a part of me that would love to see more people actually take up issues IRP about the Empire even if they know they will fail. The idea of rebellions,  "revolutions", factions to seize the throne of a Duke, a King, even the Emperor, those are all valid concerns with a continent-spanning Empire. I think your points on nobility, especially if the Imperial government started enacting various laws/mandates, could play into this very nicely. I believe there's a line between chaotic civil wars popping up every month versus the very real factional infighting between vassals of an empire this immense, especially with so MANY noble houses coming into play as frequently as they have been.

big agree here that if there was some sign or signal of IRP discontent within the empire folks would probably feel a bit easier on this subject of the empire's continued warpath to ultimate growth, but as it stands when the biggest playerbases collected in one or two areas outnumber most other nations sometimes multiple times over, it feels like global takeover is less a fight by tooth and nail for survival and more-so a form of seal clubbing where so long as you are small enough and the odds are stacked, you either accept being wiped out or forced under the banner. and no, it isnt fun to be day-by-day facing a real concern that your nation will be genocided lmfao.

 

some of it causes some interesting politically dynamic RP, but if all rivers lead to the sea, then idk what the point is IRPly of trying to build more lakes by forcing people under a single banner. and at the end of the day i wonder how much of this is an actual desire with an end goal of total takeover takes into consideration the sheer number of players forced to accept it. i think so far the horde has been the only major nation to so willingly fight back because the reason is so solid to do so and theres the numbers to back them up for pvp default battles if they arise.

[NotEvilAtAll 10906]

The empire’s role on lotc is to be the evil villain just like in Star Wars. So far they are living up to expectations.

[MrMojoMordor 2413]

On 12/4/2025 at 6:24 AM, growingivy said:

There’s hardly any sense of community or collaboration between all of the groups under the empire.

Tbh, Empire is sort of treated like that one annoying spoiled kid you meet at the supermarkets. You just give them shit so they'd shut up leave you alone for awhile. I remember there being a whole dance with Numendil that "We're not really part of the Empire guys :)" & i guess it's kinda worked. Everyone who wasn't originally part of Burgundy is kinda out there doing their own thing - continuing to function like they used to. 

I do like the current direction though, i'm even kinda jealous of Werew0lf & Lenny  - but i think they should behead more important nobles. Orcs & Beast-races are notoriously not cared for - I don't think people feel as oppressed as they should feel.

Besides me, i play a goblin.
Leave my goblin alone.
He just wants to write bills & scream at people in the local NHW meetings :((