Making a Minor Power, was Re: First Order of Business

This from the GZGPedia List:

The Brain said:
>> One problem with homebrew nations is the 'ubernation' trap: Someone
>> invents a nation and says, "We have supertech that nobody else does
yet,
>> not even the big powers"
>
>Agree. HiTech in small doses, quite OK, but anything other than
>Homeopathic doses would be poisonous. Case in point: OU Grav Bikes. The
>OU technological superiority (if it exists at all) in grav unit
>miniaturisation isn't exactly world-shaking. It provides colour and
>flavour, that's all. (snippage)
>The OU stuff I generated had some of this in mind. Given that the OU
>claims vast numbers of worthless or nearly worthless (and a few real
>valuable...) Class M worlds, it has to have a patrol fleet big enough
to
>police them, and a Navy big enough to stop anyone other than the big 4
>from taking them without unacceptable losses.

>This means a comparitively small ground force. So that has to be Hi
Tech
>indeed, with many force multipliers. Which fits in with then Light
Horse
>Models...
>
>Still not enough though. So add a large number of economic or political
>treaties, so it's in the interests of every one of the big 4 to not
>allow anyone else to extinguish them. Or even snatch a system (at
least,
>not very often, and not unless it's extremely valuable, and 2 or more
of
>them can share the cake..).
>
>To offset the treaties, make sure there are enough hotheads within and
>without the OU to have a grudge against one or more of the major
powers,
>preferrably over something really minor. Otherwise evrything is too
>"sweetness and Light" and the OUDF never gets an innings.
>
>Finally, to stop any delusions of grandeur, make the off-world
>population a reasonable size, about 10% of the Earth total, but the
>Earth total is relatively small, comparable to the USA + Canada today.
>After all, apart from Oz and Kiwiland, we're talking about atolls,
>islands, and sub-oceanic settlements (probably at least 40% of the
>population). The latter provide ready-made colonists for inhospitable
>worlds too, so have only a few permament settlements that are large,
and
>many small mining or scientific camps. Which gives us the multiple
>M-types again...

   Similarly the Alarishi Empire.  We live and work in space, so high
tech
and a large proportion of people suitable for the Fleet.  No planets, so
not
really worth grabbing in the eyes of most other nations, and enough of
fleet to deter raiding.  A severe manpower shortage, so not much army
(but a
popular destination for emigrants--want to double your pay?  Come to
Alarish).  High cost of labor again reduced by high tech.  An empire in
which any social pattern is acceptable--want an all-lesbian homeworld?
all
conservative nuclear families?	group marriages? a monastery? your own
planetoid and everyone leave me alone?	We have it all.  On the other
hand,
the Emperor doesn't bail out failing colonies, so economic competition
can
get fierce.  What does this leave me with?  A small power, a good fleet
but
too small to invade anyone, mercenary ship builders, and a place where
anyone--such as agents and unofficial ambassadors from nearby
powers--can
find neutral ground.
  Also, people cheer for the underdog.