Line #8 PlayingWith/TheEmpire


1	'''Basic Trope''': "The Empire": big, mean, and obsessed with conquest.
2	* '''Straight''': The Empire of Evulz controls one-fourth of the world's landmass, has the greatest, most ferocious military of all, and a nice standard of living to boot.
3	* '''Exaggerated''': The Empire of Evulz [[MultiversalConqueror spans entire universes]] -- trillions of worlds, all answering to [[TheEmperor one man]].
4	* '''Downplayed''':
5	** The Empire of Evulz is a chain of supermarkets.
6	** The Empire of Evulz is [[GrayAndGrayMorality a grey faction among many]], but is firmly Order in OrderVersusChaos.
7	* '''Justified''': The Empire of Evulz is sitting on a cache of AppliedPhlebotinum that allowed it to become the most militarily powerful country in the world.
8	* '''Inverted''':
9	** [[TheAlliance The Troperian Alliance]] is a loose coalition of states and factions fighting for liberation of their lands.
10	** The Empire of Evulz is fighting for the survival of civilization against [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized an evil]] LaResistance led by a BarbarianTribe.
11	** The Empire of Evulz is fighting to protect its people from the local PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny.
12	** Troperia is a tiny city-state that would be crushed instantly by just about any other nation.
13	** The autocratic Empire of Evulz is fighting against the democratic Troperian Alliance, but [[DemocracyIsBad the Troperian Alliance are not the good guys]], and Evulz's reign is more benevolent and fair despite his authority.
14	* '''Subverted''':
15	** "Empire of Evulz" is merely an ArtifactTitle, and the country of Troperia [[VestigialEmpire isn't nearly as huge and aggressive as it used to be]].
16	** Alternatively, "Empire of Evulz" is, [[IronicName despite the name]], a ''good'' empire truly caring for the welfare of its citizens and deliberately avoid using iron fisted rules. It's just LaResistance who's [[PropagandaMachine spreading propaganda]] about how 'bad' the Empire is based on the common fallacy/perception of 'Empire = ObviouslyEvil' and tried to use 'LaResistance = Moral Freedom Fighters' to make themselves look good when they're not (or [[CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority just trying to look cool]]).
17	** The Commonwealth of Corruption has the trappings of an Empire (an Emperor, nobility, a strong and powerful military). However, it's governed by a democratically elected parliament, and member states not only have autonomy but ''[[VoluntaryVassal volunteered]]'' to unite under the Emperor. Its goals are peace and prosperity.
18	** The Empire of Evulz has all the bark about being The Empire, but its military and territory are no greater than those of their neighbors.
19	** The Empire of Evulz is the only bastion of good humanity remaining in the world, whereas the other places in the world has fallen into complete anarchy that tries to steal and plunder from each other.
20	** The "Empire" of the story doesn't actually call itself an Empire. Instead, it calls itself ''TheFederation''. Like the Roman Empire called itself the Roman Republic during its entire existence, the Empire, which used to be a true federation, still calls itself a federation, with a president running it and everything, and still maintains the democratic terminology, trappings, and even some of the institutions (like a legislature). However, its an Empire in function and form, if not name: the presidency is hereditary and has absolute power, the legislature is largely powerless with the courts non-independent, and an imperial foreign policy is pursued mercilessly.
21	** The Republic is a true republic or even a federation, however it maintains a colonial empire, making it an Empire to its foreign subjects, though its a democratic republic to its citizens. Think the French Republic in relation to the French Colonial Empire.
22	* '''Double Subverted''':
23	** However, it still has economic influence left over from its days of conquest, so it's still one of the major players in the world.
24	** The Empire only appears to be good, but it is unbelievably corrupt, and is slowly mind raping its citizens into obedience. The Empire's humanitarian nature is [[VillainWithGoodPublicity merely a front]] for the evil it commits behind the scenes. LaResistance are just run by people in on the secret, but because they can't conclusively prove the Empire's evil (or worse, they ''can'', but it benefits LaResistance as well as the Empire to keep the truth hidden), they look like heartless TerroristsWithoutACause blowing up malls ForTheEvulz (or even worse, they ''are'' terrorists for the evulz and the whole thing is an EvilVersusEvil situation).
25	** The Emperor's power-hungry daughter overthrows him and declares war on the world so she can conquer it.
26	** The Commonwealth is an oligarchy, with the democratic trappings being just that: trappings. The Emperor is a demon that brainwashed the nation's democratic leaders into serving them so they can rule the nation and eventually sacrifice it to Satan to become an Archdevil.
27	** An asteroid strikes the world of the Empire, and pieces hit every state on that planet...except the Empire. [[KarmicMisfire Payback is a bitch]], yes?
28	** The Empire of Evulz are ''also'' no better about doing [[OrderIsNotGood the orderly good thing]] and [[EvilVersusEvil could be worse than those anarchist states.]]
29	* '''Parodied''': The Empire is a MicroMonarchy, yet the government still insists that everyone calls it "The Glorious Empire of Evulz".
30	* '''Zig Zagged''': The conflict runs on GreyAndGrayMorality, so it's not entirely obvious which of the several Empires in the story is ''the'' Empire.
31	* '''Averted''': A standard space opera [=/=] fantasy tale lacks any Empire, evil or otherwise.
32	* '''Enforced''': The writer wanted a story with [[BigBad a singular, unified threat to everything the heroes hold dear]], so the Evil Empire fits the bill perfectly.
33	* '''Lampshaded''': "So, this is a fairly standard conflict: an evil empire bent on world conquest."
34	* '''Invoked''': [[WellIntentionedExtremist General]] [[TheDragon Drake]] decides that the world [=/=] galaxy needs order. Deciding on the only way he can accomplish this, [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans he works to create an Empire]] with his master Evulz as TheEmperor.
35	* '''Exploited''':
36	** Realizing that the Empire is rising, an industrialist gets in good with the future Emperor. Since the Empire needs a lot of war material for their conquests, the businessman gets rich ''and'' powerful.
37	** A king with a weak claim to his throne realizes that conquest is a particularly good way to gain a lot of king cred easily, so he goes a-conquering to create his own Empire.
38	** A group of nations are forcefully united into a single nation by a relatively large one. Looking for a title to elevate him above all the other kings, archdukes, presidents, etc within his nation and get some prestige, the leading King takes the title of Emperor.
39	** A particularly enterprising general goes to work for the Empire because he knows that with the Empire constantly expanding, he will always have a job.
40	** TheFederation[=/=]TheRepublic is collapsing as member states are leaving left and right. Realizing that a strong central authority is what is needed to hold his nation together, the federation/republic leader [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith declares himself Emperor and uses his Empire to bring the revolting states in line]].
41	* '''Defied''':
42	** During the formative process of, well, TheEmpire, the decision is made to actively ''avoid'' calling it an Empire, to avoid provoking the [[ObviouslyEvil obvious]] [[LaResistance reactions]].
43	*** Alternatively, during the formation of Empire, the decision is made to turn the status quo around and be a good Empire: Don't use iron fisted rules, keep the conquest thing at minimum and [[PayEvilUntoEvil only at scums that truly deserve it]] (those massive firepower is only for self defense), etc, and most importantly, educate the higher ups and the people with morals and [[ComesGreatResponsibility responsibility from the big power of the Empire...]] And if there's another Empire that played the trope straight and ridiculed this Empire for being too much of a pussy, send the message: "StopBeingStereotypical!"
44	** TheGoodKing attempts to prevent his nation from becoming the Empire, seeing the danger it poses to peace.
45	* '''Discussed''': "So you're gonna create a massive global superpower that enforces your will with an iron fist? What're you gonna call it, The Empire?"
46	* '''Conversed''':
47	** "Oh c'mon, everyone knows that any nation calling itself an empire is evil and bent on world domination."
48	** "There’s an Empire? Lemme guess, they’re the bad guys."
49	** "Seriously, cartoonishly-evil empire vs pure-white-as-snow rebels is the most ''[[ClicheStorm done to death]]'' plot ever! So why do writers keep using it?!"
50	* '''Implied''': The Supremacy conquers other worlds, consist of millions of star systems, and commands a powerful military. Their colors are red and black, employ mean looking weapons, and SigilSpam is everywhere.
51	* '''Deconstructed''':
52	** The work takes a closer look at the Empire of Evulz, and shows all the trouble the Emperor has to get through to keep it in one piece: keeping down national tensions, [[BalkanizeMe separatism]], [[SleazyPolitician political corruption]], [[ObstructiveBureaucrat bureaucratic inefficiency]], the list goes on and on.
53	** It’s FascistButInefficient: the only way the Empire of Evulz manages to be good at conquest is by pooling all of its resources into it, and the result of such CripplingOverspecialization is that for all its "glories", beyond the gates of the Emperor's palace and monumental military bases the Empire is basically [[WretchedHive one giant slum]] where you can expect things to work badly, if they even work at all.
54	** Shortly after the Empire of Evulz is formed, its leadership has to face the unpleasant truth: [[TakeOverTheWorld conquering the world]] and [[PoliceState maintaining an iron grip on it]] proves to be a task so difficult that they may be incapable of fulfilling it - as DystopiaIsHard, after all.
55	* '''Reconstructed''':
56	** After the above troubles threaten to tear the Empire apart, TheEmperor initiates sweeping reforms, shaking up the entire system, causing a period of upheaval and social unrest but ultimately culminating in a government that runs smoother and more efficiently than ever before, while keeping the masses happy with BreadAndCircuses rather than brutal oppression.
57	** [[IronicName Despite its name]], the Empire of Evulz is ''not'' run by [[CardCarryingVillain card-carrying villains]], and its glories and prosperity are ''not'' just for show; its goals are to ensure [[GunboatDiplomacy peace through superior firepower]] and [[BreadAndCircuses offer real prosperity]] [[VoluntaryVassal to anyone who might want to join]]. That being said, [[AntiVillain it still relies on strong-arm oppression of the people and waging wars of conquest]] in its search for a prosperous future, and even as the heroes fight against it, a large subplot of the story concerns the Imperial officials trying to make sure the Empire is considered "ultimately worth it" (for example, checking the power of the Imperial nobility so that the the Empire's plebians still get their share and aren't dissatisfied enough to join LaResistance).
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59	All Tropers, sing glory to TheEmpire!
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61	%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
62	%%
63	%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
64	%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

Context PlayingWith / TheEmpire