Jim going good or bad?

[phazonjunkie]

The difference between the USA in 1964 and the Terran Dominion in 2505 is that the Dominion is a hereditary monarchy... and the USA wasn't. When Mengsk dies, his 25-year old son assumes TOTAL control of EVERYTHING. Nobody gets a say in any of it. If they had a working relationship with Mengsk, Sr., well, they just have to start all over again. If everything was lining up and they were set for life, but suddenly Mengsk Jr. doesn't agree for some reason or another, tough luck.

How many senior members of Mengsk's cabinet do you think would be willing to take this lying down?

ARRRGGHH!!! Damnable logic!

But I suppose Mengsk Jr. could resolve the issue of dissidence with a few good ol' fashion purges and what not.
Sigh....but then such Machiavellian schemes would really make him no different from his father, who he's resolved to be COMPLETELY different from.

[Krikkitone]

As I stated in an earlier post, I find it rather unlikely that the Dominion would simply collapse and revert into civil war with the death of Emperor Mengsk, any more than the U.S gov collapsed with the assasination of Kennedy or the Roman Empire collapsed with the assasination of Julius Caesar. It just doesn't seem likely that the Dominion's position is so precarious that Mengsk's charisma and pragmatism is the only thing keeping it all together.

Not saying that there WOULDN'T be any serious ramifications but nothing that would result in an all out coup d'etat. Somebody would simply replace replace him.

Ummm.. the Roman Empire Started with the assassination of Julius Ceasar. That assassination was followed by a bloody civil war, that basically established Rome as an empire not a republic.


Also the Dominion is not a hereditary monarchy, Yet.
You can't be a hereditary monarchy until you have had at least one successful transfer of power.
If Mensk dies options are
1. Mensk Jr. has enough power, on his own or from his father, to maintain control of the Dominion, easily... ie the Dominion is a true hereditary monarchy

2. Mensk Jr. barely has enough power to maintain control, when his father dies several coup/assassination attempts, and possibly mass rebellions must be put down.
If he does it, then the Dominion Becomes a hereditary monarchy

3. Mensk Jr. has minimal power compared to a tight knit group of power players in the Dominion, when his father dies he is either killed or put in as a puppet.... the Dominion more closely resembles a modern police state (Soviet Union/China)

4. Mensk Jr. has minimal power, but his father also killed off anyone else with significant power. When Mensk Sr. dies, the minor power holders rapidly struggle for position and the Dominion collapses like Alexander the Great's empire.

or

5. Mensk dies, and the situation is so chaotic (possibly killing Mensk Jr. as well) that the people proclaim Raynor as their liberator, demanding that he take the throne [assuming Raynor's personality has developed in such a way for him to do so.... other possibilities are that Findlay..or some other introduced 'good' character takes it, and makes Raynor his General]


note, none of these possibilities require Mensk Jr. to me like his father. His father may have been sufficiently Machiavellian to stop any threats to his throne so that Mensk Jr. doesn't have to be too vicious/backstabbing to keep it.

[phazonjunkie]

Ummm.. the Roman Empire Started with the assassination of Julius Ceasar. That assassination was followed by a bloody civil war, that basically established Rome as an empire not a republic.

Heh, looks like I'll have to brush up on my history....

note, none of these possibilities require Mensk Jr. to me like his father. His father may have been sufficiently Machiavellian to stop any threats to his throne so that Mensk Jr. doesn't have to be too vicious/backstabbing to keep it.

Valid points, but then there is also the likely possibility that Jim will not actually be the one to kill Mengsk, even if given the opportunity. I've noticed that a semi-prevalent theme in the 'frontline' manga series and several in-game dialogue scenes with Tychus Findlay is Jim being asked as to his reasons for laying into the dominion with such gusto. That I think, implies a bit of introspection on Raynor's part.

Also there is the small matter of the Zerg and their full scale invasion of the K sector. That simple fact changes everything. I mean, sure Raynor isn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he isn't a complete Jackass either. He has on more than one occasion shown the ability to look (at least temporarily) beyond petty grievances and see the bigger picture. Perhaps he'll see that Arcturus being a douche aside, neither he nor the dominion can really afford a petty rebellion based on little more than a personal vendetta in times such as those.

[Krikkitone]

Also there is the small matter of the Zerg and their full scale invasion of the K sector. That simple fact changes everything. I mean, sure Raynor isn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he isn't a complete Jackass either. He has on more than one occasion shown the ability to look (at least temporarily) beyond petty grievances and see the bigger picture. Perhaps he'll see that Arcturus being a douche aside, neither he nor the dominion can really afford a petty rebellion based on little more than a personal vendetta in times such as those.

True, but even if the rebellion is delayed in Wings of Liberty, I seriously doubt the Dominion will last through Heart of the Swarm. I'm certain Arcturus won't last as the leader of it (I could see him deposed, but not killed, he could escape).