in a nutshell - diplomatic relations. how did Egypt interact with her neighbours and empire during the reign of Seti I and was this a product of the pharaoh's actions? ie. did he intend for Egypt to be seen this way. was Seti I imperialistic or did he concentrate on domestic growth.
remember Nubia was seen as an active appendage of Egypt, so it was necessary to keep it under tight control to maintain Ma'at, whereas the amount of agressiveness directed towards Retennu was largely related to resources.