 August 18, 2013 - 11:09pm | In light of the political situation in the system I think the Inner Reach militia should have a standard militia much like the Royal Marines. It sees more action then most other militias. Under the authority of the militia is a special forces type group (Delta force or Seal Team or what ever you like) that is usually tasked with cleaning out pirate outposts, clandestined raids and such in, on or around Outer Reach. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 August 19, 2013 - 5:52am | While Delta Force might be one way to go we should not forget, especially when dealing with pirates that paramilitary and especially police forces might be better. Under special circumstances Delta might go after pirates but Coast Guard cutters and police SWAT teams, both of which have elite units would be much more common. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 August 19, 2013 - 10:25am | How IR has been presented in Dramune Run, they seen to be a stereotypical leftist liberal paradise, where everyone is nice and good to the enviroment, while OR is the "wretched hive of scum and villainy." This would greatly effect the style and make-up of the IR militia fleet. If anything, they would have a name that would suggest a humane, non-aggressive force, like a "Peacekeeping" or "Self-Defense" force. Although given their history fighting smuggers and pirates, "Gendarmerie" ("a soldier who is employed on police duties") sounds appropriate. Something - like all the other militia fleets in this project - have to be addressed: Namely the colors and icons of each force. Colors are simple enough: Black on orange. Yeah, its garish, but I have seen it pulled-off on some '70s-'80s sci-fi, and it needs not be a bright orange, but just slightly red. And as for the symbol of the planet: "Several decades ago the chukkah became the planetary symbol. To protect their beloved mascot, the citizens of Inner Reach enacted stiff laws to deter any who might molest or harm the creature." "The most intelligent animal is the chukkah, a mammal 1-1/2 meters from its nose to the tip of its tail. The chukkah does not have a high reasoning ability but it is more intelligent than other mammals." I have no idea what this creature looks like, but this is a start. |
 August 19, 2013 - 12:07pm | There are pictures of chukkahs in the Dramune Run module since it is the transport of said creatures that the module focuses around. On the colors, despite what the color schemes are, remember that the ships may be mostly silver or white. Otherwise the hull won't be very reflective. I suspect that most ships with reflective hull coatings, which is described in the rules as a "mirror like coating" will be silvery in aspect when viewed indirectly. Viewed directly they'll reflect whatever is around. Colors may be more highlights than main body colors. Although if the rules didn't describe the reflective hull coating as "mirror like", and even though it does, I might lean more towards a "corner reflector ball" type system. This is what is used in our road signs and some road paints. It effectively bounces the light right back at the origin making the signs highly reflective. Something similar might work on lasers and you could have colored paints but I think a sliver mirror coating would be more effective. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
August 19, 2013 - 1:20pm | I was thinking more in terms of a specialize team that was trained to a higher standard then the rest of the militia and took on the hardest targets. Traditionally police are about policing citizens. a military unit is not really concerned with affecting arrest but rather completing a mission. I think the example of the US Navy SEALs is the ticket here as the PCs would be part of a team that could be covertly inserted via the SF equiv of a submarine insertion, do their dirty work and extract. The wider range of military operations would be open for a miliatary themed campaign but perhaps a police project might also be called for to address gaming from the perspective of police operations though I think there is already a project that exists that would be a good place for that. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 August 19, 2013 - 1:53pm | You could call it a SWAT Team, for that matter, but "special" is still in the title. I have no argument that boarding teams should have training for that, and when pirates and smugglers are regularly challenged, and perhaps usually armed, then the boarding inspection teams should be heavily armed and armored, too. |
August 19, 2013 - 1:58pm | While what you are saying makes sense in one situation I would say it does not necessarily apply to Inner Reach. With the constant threat and law breaking of Outer Reach a military unit may not be the best unit to use. Think in terms of the current Iraqi Police Forces. While they have police powers they are very well armed and trained for the counter insurgency they must investigate and fight. Also thinking the that a large part of their naval militia would be "Coast Guard" with several system ships instead of star ships that go running off to save the Frontier from the Sathar. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
August 19, 2013 - 4:27pm | I was under the impression that both planets were actually members of the Council of Worlds and thus shooting between them actually smacked of international issue which is thus a military matter. Despite the fact that both planets share the system they are not portrayed as being part of the same political pollity which makes police units seem odd unless its Star Law which have a mandate to go after interstellar criminals (though in this case we are talking about interplanetary) I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
August 19, 2013 - 8:00pm | The police aspect works as long as they use UPF law and apply proper procedures. While most of their action would take place on their own world and in the space they claim jurisdiction over, there would be the special cases where they have to go wherever and whenever they need to to get their being. You could use the Texas Ranger approach where Texas gave these men the authority to go anywhere to track their criminal. The bounty hunter approach where if they are wanted then they can go after them. The Interpol approach can work too. Since both are members of the UPF a clause in the charter would allow an agency to go after criminals anywhere in the UPF. While this would seem to be Star Law's main approach they are limited to specific areas. Inner Reach could use this clause to set up a unit to go after criminals on Outer Reach. Now of course any of these approaches would lead to endless political wrangling and debates at UPF council but what else do you pay diplomats to do? Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
August 20, 2013 - 3:20am | OK, Dramune Run is a blinds pot in my physical collection, so I looked it up on a PDF. So yeah, it is so $#%&ing adorable! They would totally have that think as a national mascot. Its cute, nonthreatening and can communicate like an annoying animal sidekick from a Disney movie. |
 September 22, 2013 - 3:45am | would be part of a team that could be covertly inserted via the SF equiv of a submarine insertion, do their dirty work and extract. ... Jed, I think like Putra - it is a SWAT team but, use an Assault Scout. They are small, plentiful and can insert a 10 - 20 man team. The idea of the militias is a cross between Customs/Coast Guard/Police and National Guard. During outbreaks of war - this force is used and or militarized. US Coast Guard cutters were used on convoy missions as escorts during WW II, as well as patrolling the home seas. I think that a "Special" team would be like SWAT. 75% of what the Militia does is Customs/Coast Guard/Police oriented. They capture the criminals and trace them back to the source. Dead criminals tell no tales. |
