The admirals of the Amarr fleet were the first to find new civilizations, destroy their ships, and enslave local populations. Recent military defeats have changed this slightly, but Eve Online players would do well to know this faction's starting skills.
When Cortez discovered the new world he brought slavery and misery to the people who had inhabited those lands for generations. Neither Cortez nor his fellow conquistadors ever played Eve Online, but the empire they served as inspiration for is the largest faction in the popular space MMO.
The Amarr were the first race to re-discover the secrets of interstellar travel after the wormhole that brought humanity to the habitable worlds on the other side of it collapsed. The first race the early Amarr space employers encountered were a barbarous, backwards people suitable only to be enslaved. The Mimnatar eventually won their independence, but many still toil away for their masters as slaves within the borders of the Empire.
The superiority with which these people see themselves, coupled with their religion, has led to notably strained relations. Over 200 years ago, the Empire decided to take on the Gallaneteans and the newly-discovered Jovian Directorate. The Imperial forces expected an easy victory over these smaller powers, but found that the technological might of the Jovians and the Gallenteans was more than equal to their own.
The Amarr Empire’s views on religion and slavery have not won them many friends in the Eve Online universe. The government has attempted to improve its relations since losing to the Gallente Federation and the Jovian Directorate, but it is not necessarily trusted. (The Caldari, fortunately, will sell their wares to almost anyone.)
There are not many storyline missions that a pilot can fly for non-Imperial factions that will improve the faction rating. An Amarri pilot will need to maintain good relations with his government for a long time.
These military defeats bruised the psyche of the Empire, but the victory would have another unintended consequence. The barbarous Mimnatars used these military defeats as an opportunity to rebel and declare their independence. The Mimnatar Republic adds yet another faction unfriendly to the deeply-religious people of the Empire. This information can be gleaned from the Amarr Empire secion on the Eve Online main page.