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The Orson Empire wrote:

Agreed.

To add further, Novo did state that Wagondia was an "empire run by art majors"- while that was a joke, I think there is some truth in it. Orson, Mamara, and Lucija are the "old-school Empires" like ancient Rome or China, and it shows in their ideology and culture.

Haha, that's certainly true. Mamara, Lucija, and Orson are all classical empires which have been politically united for many centuries, often at the centre of their own cultural sphere. Wagondia, meanwhile, is much younger, having been founded by liberal revolutionaries and built by successive waves of immigration from many other parts of the world. It's a strange combination of anti-colonialism and monarchism, held together by a shared Latin culture and a Third-World identity (though of course Wagains wouldn't see it that way).

As for Mamara, I think you make a convincing argument. I've always viewed the Exalted Empire much like the Ottomans, with clear political/religious authority emanating from the Sultan, but alongside an elective parliament, extensive devolution of powers, and a fair amount of civil liberties. Economically, I also think of the Mamarans as fairly left-wing, with a generous welfare state and extensive nationalization of industry, though the same could be said for the Orsonians. The key difference between the two for me is openness to foreigners, with Orsonian society being considerably more xenophobic and traditionalist than Mamara seems to be.