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So basically all I was is four things in your opinions that the imperium would most need/would be most useful in making the imperium hella powerful and be on the win again... I think it's generally accepted the imperium is (sadly) slowly on the way out ... But if you could pick four things to turn its luck around... What would it be....

Obvious ones would be:

1) Emperor being revived
2) maybe even the emperor dying
3) mars starting innovative design again
4) the return of a traitor legion

Etc.... I'm sure there are some gems I havnt thought of

Dropping it's extreme xenophobia and forming alliances/pacts/treaties/etc with other factions capable of reason (read: Eldar, Tau and possibly Newcrons - I don't know much about them).

A speedy communications network. Anything that would cut down on the tremendously long repsonse time of reinforcements would put the Imperium in much better standing.

Stopping their technology conservatism could be a good start.

lighten the bureaucracy and define roles for all of the IoM different sectors (Ordos, commissarriat, munitorum, etc.)

From the gaunt's ghost series, the munitorium seems to really like to make errors/being really slow at answering calls. That would have to change. Less paper work more action like during the great crusade led by the emperor where he was taking most of the decisions.

Define more clear lines/force cooperation between the commissariat and the ordos (herecticus specially). In the gaunt's ghost series (blood pact), an Inquisitor wants to snatcha way an Etogaur the the commisariat have been interrogating in the hopes of finding vital information to help the Sabbat World crusade. From Edur saying, the ordos sntach away vital prisonners alot which does not help the war effort.

These two are the most realist IMO, zenophobia was introduced by the emperor during his crusade, so the IoM dropping that is near impossible (plus humans hates anything that isn't "normal")

Speedy communication network is near impossible without being corrupted or as awesome as the eldar (aka having most of your population being psychic and able to control their powers or access tot he webway. That will not happen, humans are dumb and we know it).

Starting to understand the old technology instead of copying it would be possible but would force Mars to quit its roots which is near impossible (specially that most of those that stop being conservatives end up doing messed up bio-machines powered by the warp...)

TBH the way I see it is like in BSG where all the computers are un-networked due to the fact that the Cylons would just hack into them and shut them off. The Imperium is similar in that everything is compartmentalised to prevent another HH scale event happening as if part falls the rest can continue to function.

So basically they need the Emprah to either go all Star-child and save them and/or have the surviving primarchs take the mantles of High Lords of Terra

Finding a full STC would be the best thing that could happen to the Imperium right now. But of those you listed, either the Emperor getting revived as himself, or dying and becoming the Star Child.

Robute could wake up from his nap

Leman Russ and Corvax coming back from the Eye of Terror, Lion 'el Johnson emerging from The Rock, the Salamanders finding all of Vulkan's gubbinzes so he returns, Roboute waking up, Jaghatai Khan re-emerging from the webway, the Starchild being born and the Alpha Legion returning to the fold could all help.

Best option would be finding a working Standard Template Construct system.