 January 24, 2011 - 5:34pm | This thread is for us to collect various sets of ranks out there and debate what should be our official rank structure. I'll root out the one developed by committee for my game and post it latter. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 24, 2011 - 8:56pm | For the Warriors of White Light 2 game REF: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4788 Officer rank progression (according to WOWL 1): Midshipmen; Junior Lieutenant or Lt. JG (junior grade); Lieutenant; Captain, Commander personally I find it odd that Commander was given the Rear Admiral spot but we settled on changing to to Lord Commander at Will's suggestion Enlisted rank Progression: Spacer; Spacer First Class (SFC); Petty Officer (junior and senior grade); Chief; Senior Chief senior most NCO aboard ship or Clarion station is referred to as "Bosun" Note: the link above also has other decorations and knighthoods I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 January 25, 2011 - 3:21am | I've always leaned to the USMC ranks of privates, corporals, and sergeants...but I have to admit I do like the personal SF touch of replacing private with "spacer". I also don't see the need for the full list of such ranks (E-1 to E-9), if I were to utilize them I'd narrow it down to five or six like: Spacer Spacer 1st Class Corporal Sergeant Master Sergeant Sergeant Major And I do like the idea of adding the Bosun in a group. As for the officer grades...I don't see any need to change what was given in canon: Midshipman Jr. Lieutenant Lieutenant Captain Commander ...although if anything, and this probably borders on politically correct --- "midshipman" might need tweaking to factor in the non-human representation. |
 January 25, 2011 - 6:06pm | Not really. Per naval protocol, the CO of a ship is always "The Old Man," regardless of gender. I think most of the Core Four have the sense to realize Midshipman is a rank and is meant to be species neutral. " 'Beware the Beast, Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport, for lust, for greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death." |
 January 25, 2011 - 6:09pm | Will this include payday and alotments? View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 January 31, 2011 - 2:48pm | Will the enlisted P.O. rank titles be specialized, as the USN does, or left generic? For instance, a ship might have a Senior Gunner, a Junior Engineer or Sensor operator, and several spacers. The idea, to me, is that while an officer is expected to be (at least) familiar with all aspects of ship operations, an enlisted spacer is employed for his specialty, and the skill he has built up in that specialty. |
January 31, 2011 - 3:31pm | It probably could have a pay scale, we could always use the SpaceFleet rank/pay chart as a guideline here. Specialty ranks --- open for debate. My take? Five or six basic rankings is enough as far as keeping things streamlined and simple. Jedion's scale has junior and senior ratings --- but as far as a specialist rank, I think a "title" would suffice to keep things simple. I mean we could have a corporal or petty officer and simply call him "junior engineer" or "technician" or "radio operator" etc on the ship roster. |
January 31, 2011 - 5:38pm | Well it Engineer Speciallist 3rd class this would be an engineer with 3rd level engineering skill and gets paid on that skill's grade. Simple. then the actually rank of 1st officer or captain can be in story reward but pay is simply based on skill. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 February 1, 2011 - 12:19am | I like Shadow's idea for the Marine ranks. At the SF Wiki, I made a list of ranks:
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February 8, 2011 - 12:57pm | Here's an idea --- We use jedion's ratings for the marines and my proposal for the Royal Guard: CRM rank & file enlisted - Spacer, Spacer First Class (SFC), Jr. Petty Officer (JPO), Sr. Petty Officer(SPO), Chief, Senior Chief commissioned - canon Midshipman, Junior Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Commander CRG rank & file enlisted - Private, Private 1st Class, Corporal, Sergeant, Master Sergeant, Sergeant Major commissioned - Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, & General Both follow a similar pattern for simplicity - five commissioned and six enlisted ranks. Like the Royal Marines' Commander, there would be only one RG General and the Colonels would be few and far between. |
February 8, 2011 - 8:41pm | @ shadow what if their is only one brigadier or similar general and the only Full general is the monarch (on paper) meaning that the king is a commander in chief but its largely ceremonial. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 February 10, 2011 - 8:57pm | limited internet for the next couple weeks so sorry for lack of responses As for ranks you are thinking to big. The CRM only have 300 personnel so an extensive rank structure is not needed. Also they are not primarily a military unit but a security unit with police powers. looking at the officer ranks Midshipman---trainee rank Jr. Lieutenant---most common rank most officers hold it Lieutenant---commanders of ships other than flagship and leaders of sections Captain---only three literally 1 in 100 Commander---only one enlisted ranks would be similar and more in line with police ranks Trainee---self explanatory Marine---most common rank most enlisted have it Corporal---section leaders Sergeant---senior enlisted member aboard flagship and two in command section Command Sergeant---Highest rank only one works directly for Commander Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
February 12, 2011 - 2:28am | Yep that was my feeling as well. With roughly 300 as of the WoWW module, I didn't see the need for an overly complicated structure...hence my recommendation for five officer grades and six tops for the enlisted. And I only say six for the enlisted as there would be more of them hence a need for a slightly larger breakdown...of those 300 I would surmise 50-75 of them would hold a commissioned rank. As for jedion's general/commander in chief query --- I think it goes without saying that the ruling king or queen is the CIC but has a staff of general(s, if there would be more than one) and colonels to advise him/her in military matters. |
February 12, 2011 - 6:08am | The point was that on paper the only full admiral or for that matter full general is the king that the any admiral or general ranks in the rank structure should be the lower grades of that rank- commodore or rear..... I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
February 13, 2011 - 3:49pm | Ah, sort of a "Grand General" or such high title. On paper, that would probably be the case for a militocracy. A King or Queen would no doubt possess some military knowledge, but I don't see it being enough to warrant a "supreme" ranking amongst them. A theocratic King merely has a strand of commanders or high officers at his disposal to carry out his will. He doesn't need a rank, his word is without contestation. Technically, he doesn't even need the 100 seat parliament. That merely exists to promote capitalism more than anything...that and to extend the king's will to their respective regions as "sub-leaders". The citizens vote for their representatives in parliament, the parliament members have their sessions and vote on issues, and the king decides what is best based on voting and his own views. In the end, parliament could vote 100-0 in favor of something but the king can still override it...it's simply in the king's best interest to side with popualr vote as that represents what might be best (and if it doesn't work out, the king can always overrule it later). In other words, even if the Libertation Party held all 100 seats, the king still has the final say --- although in such a case the LP would end up declaring war on the king anyways, but until he is actually unseated he is still in charge. |
 February 13, 2011 - 10:56am | Somehow this reminds me of Dune. The royality was instructed in military ways and knowledge. |
February 13, 2011 - 3:50pm | Reflecting on what I wrote last night --- the simple rank of "just plain General" instead of the various sub-ranks used by US military forces could apply in the absence of a "Supreme General". And really, I can see the need for more than one general...that was just a thought that echoes the RM structure. Seeing as the RG structure is to a much larger scale, I can see where there would be more than one "highest ranking officer". One per major city perhaps (re: one base per major city, 12 total)? |
February 13, 2011 - 7:16pm | WOOT wrote: Somehow this reminds me of Dune. The royality was instructed in military ways and knowledge. Ah Woot you do know the entire fuedal system was based on land and military support to keep control of that land. Of course royalty had to know the military if they didn't they would lose their kingdoms. They might not have been good at it but part of their basic education would cover all aspects military theory and study. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 February 13, 2011 - 10:36pm | I see the Clarion nobles serving in short active duty much like British royalty. One to two years, officer position, in harms way only when politically necessary to bolster social opinions. The closer to the crown, the more choice they get for their training and specialty. In times of peace a noble may only server from one training school to another, qualifying to get the badge then off to earn the next. I would not expect that they are reliably counted as the 300 CRM or even the CRG for that matter. They are there to gain their place, then off to prestigious universities. They may come back for yearly reserve training but it is likely not the same as the common citizen. Their commissions are likely for life as well. -iggy |
February 14, 2011 - 4:13am | I like that concept, iggy --- having the nobles ranked with (often lower) officer grades but serving as reservists rather than active duty. With few exceptions of course, notably being Commander Arconium, Duke of Hiatia (who no doubt entered service and stuck with it rather than pursuit of politics as a parliamentary member). |
February 14, 2011 - 11:16am | @rat - I'm actually researching this for a D&D module I'm writing for DwD. Still trying to wrap my head around it all! I also like the idea of "Imperial Conditioning" - a trusted source allowed to be near royalty. |
February 14, 2011 - 4:42pm | The quick history of NOBILITY is that the baddest warriors and their followers seized control of things (land, people, farms, mines, villages) they then kept control by defeating all comers. Since loyalty is very important Nobles tied themselves together by oaths and bounds of marriage. They then passed what they had on to their children and so on. Then after decades and centuries of telling people we are better than you because our ancestors were bullies and we have taken the best things (food, housing, education, luxury items) for ourselves everyone believed they were. OK now you know. Of course the whole Royalty thing is much more complex but that is a good start. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
