UTC Empire 15AO by Irishkaiser, shows the extent of the area in-game that the Company has effective control or influence over by 2015. The idea of Imperialism has existed since 2014.
Imperialism means to extend a country's power through military and diplomacy. Its name originated from the Latin word "imperium", which means to rule over large territories. Imperialism is "a policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means".[1] The term Imperialism has been applied to the era of the Second Renaissance, and the Company's 2016 Foreign Policies which opened up the UNKNOWN [?] Trading Company from its previous isolationist policies to be more open to the Shotbow Community, particularly MineZ.
In MineZ, the Company maintains what it considers an empire both "formal" and "informal" with the former under direct control of the Company through membership and or association and the latter being influenced through association by sharing or adopting common values, ideas and interests.
Justification by the Company[]
Success Breeds Jealousy, is the Company's reaction to groups and individuals who oppose their ways and or ideals.
The UNKNOWN [?] Trading Company's Imperialist policies has largely been a self-defensive reaction rather than any overtly aggressive desire to subdue or control MineZ. The Company's bitter experience fighting admins, premiums and celebrity players over the game has created a marked distrust between the UTC and Shotbow. However, the Company was also assisted or even joined by admins, premiums and celebrity players in the fighting who believed in the Company's values and philosophies.
Many of the UTC's strength and help came from areas that it had already influenced and because of its influence and allies, they were able to weather through the admin abuses and premium attacks. Realizing this, this gave the UTC the idea that in some ways, their enemies or acquaintances could be taught or shown the superiority of the Company's structure and way of life, which would offer a better option for clans and groups to play the game, as shown by Shotbow's decline of 2014. This in turn would bother the UTC much less or at least, offend the Company in far more acceptable or expected manners.
This was affirmed in an Empire issue, where Irishkaiser proclaimed that spreading the Company's way of life and ideals is therefore seen as a way to help defend the Company by defeating the enemy's culture rather than the enemy's players.[2]