 April 8, 2013 - 6:46pm | This weekend, I was reminded of this article: http://jrients.blogspot.com/2012/08/star-frontiers-and-space-elitism.html. The gist is that in SF, being a spacer means you are an Elite person, like an astronaut would be now, or in the '70s-- seriously well-trained, and probably really smart. I'm trying to think how that relates to some things that we've put up here about the CRM and SpaceFleet, and the like. We talked about UPF spacers, primarily the officers, being elite, with maybe the scum of several earths as crewpersons who are trusted to turn wrenches or push buttons, and that's it. Whereas the RM, and perhaps other space militias, since they are small, they are all well-trained and elite. I used to think that giving everyone in the CRM officer ranks, and rating the PCs as "midshipman" and not trainees, was silly, but now, not so much. Perhaps we should play up that getting a trainee/midshipman slot in any militia (or space academy) is pretty hard, and the Clarion RM consider themselves even more elite. And they have the track record to prove it! Anyway, those are my thoughts. |
 April 8, 2013 - 6:53pm | I dont disagree, also IIRC the WoWL module had the RM as responsible for security on Clarion station- something about PCs have to assist if crap happened on the station, clearly security personnel on the station are not on the same level as the star ship crews- so perhaps the first step is to get into the RM and put in time, keep you nose clean and try to qualify for "flight school" EDIT: In fact this could be the kernal of a prequel adventure to WoWL: Warrior of Clarion Station and the PCs could start out with the standard 2 or even 3 skills and run a series of encounters on Clarion station before transfering to the flight school for star ship duty. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 8, 2013 - 7:08pm | Duh, I forgot where my train of thought had been a few hours ago. I had been thinking of the thread on Clarion politics and nobility. What if certification as a spacer in the Marines (level 1-2 in some skill), came with promotion to Lord/Lady, or Knight/Dame? Or an honorable discharge really did come with an honor? |
April 8, 2013 - 8:36pm | I would think that promotion to peer of the realm would come with having served as captain of a vessel in defense of the planet under fire (sathar incursion or other) I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 April 8, 2013 - 11:28pm | A while ago, I made a article about the CRM at the SF Wiki. It was more then a cut & paste job from WoWL; it was an expansion on the core concepts. In it, I noted how "hands-on" the training is. With the UPF, they train well before they enter the the fleet. When they are done, they have a primary spaceship skill (Astrogation, Piloting or Engineering) at level 2, a gunnery skill at level 1, and a Lieutenant's rank. Starfleet has the resources to train men like this, but not militia fleet like the CRM. Although they try to attract former UPF officers (including full-rank promotions and maybe even bonus pay), most militia fleets tend to attract the vary "scum" that applies for crewmen roles in the UPF fleet. Since they don't have the resources to train superb UPF-quality officers, they take what they can get, and teach them from the ground up. Enlistees are given hands-on training to learn a spaceship skill at level 1, and given the rank of Midshipman. Petty Officers who show the right amount of experience may even apply for officer training. Militia officers may not get the same level of respect as UPF officers do to the lower application standards, but they are still "elite" by their own right. |
 April 10, 2013 - 2:33pm | When it comes making elite or at least superior units and personnel there are quite a few factors. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
April 10, 2013 - 4:11pm | Rettraveller left out one: hammered on the anvil of battle some units emerge from the fire as elite but usually after the dross has been weeded out as casualties or deserters. It also is not from one battle but many and there is usually a element of a "personality" someone that the members of the unit just cant or wont let down. EDIT: you are right you could role play this: start the PCs as enlisted on a UPF frigate (big ship campaign) and throw the works at them- misjump, alien artifact, mutiny, pirates and sathar. As the crew gets whittled down the PCs get promoted. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 April 10, 2013 - 5:03pm | ... If you go with making them Lords/Ladies (what's the Dralasite version?) for exceptional service than it truly needs to be spectacular. Lordies? -iggy |
April 10, 2013 - 6:11pm | ... If you go with making them Lords/Ladies (what's the Dralasite version?) for exceptional service than it truly needs to be spectacular. Lordies? I suspect that dralasites find nobility very amusing and ham it up over the top if they can about one being being noble. However, its clear from the Malthar that the dralasites are not strangers to power structures and nobility originally was about power and structure no matter what its become in a modern post interstellar fight age. So perhaps dralasites will just view nobility and its titles in terms of power and structure and while they might not put much stock in primo-geniture because of their reproductive process they might just adapt to the names and power structures of a monarchy and nobility system. Edit: David Weber originally used a herriditary presidency for the cheif executive of the Republic of Haven in his Honor Harrington series and IIRC one of the recent star wars pre-quels had an elected Queen. I think these are just modern writers trying to take a twist on monarchy and no reason we could not do the same, even rip one off. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
