Spoilers are now leaking from children's costumes on the backstory.
http://www.buycostumes.com/p/809233/star-wars-episode-7-mens-kylo-ren-deluxe-costume
When Kylo Ren joined his fellow knights, and the quest of the First Order, it was all a part of the mission to claim the galactic power once held by Palpatine and the Empire. Over the last thirty years, that government has crumbled into near nothingness, yet few remnants - powerful remnants - still remain. This is the tale that unfolds in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, and it’s one of the stories that you may embody with Star Wars costumes on Halloween.
So the Empire has crumbled to "near nothingness" and Kylo and the Knights of Ren are seeking Palpatine's power.
Seems pretty straightforward. Just don't quite see how "powerful remnants" remain of the Empire if its crumbled to near nothingness.