Jonathan Clarke's Empire

User summary: The Empire rules are divided into two major sections: Setting (about 80 pages) and Mechanics (about 22 pages). The mechanics are somewhat typical of science fiction role-playing games but are definitively not presented for inexperienced gamers. The setting is well-developed if somewhat roughly presented. It presents a vast human hegemony with centralized power staving off continual encroachment by about a dozen alien societies. The Empire itself is run by an established aristocracy of several great houses; inter-house conflict is continuous and expected. Other power centers include a partially-organized underground and several mega-corporations.