Power is a goal. Pleasure is eternal. Welcome to Canopus.

[Marveryn]

most mechwarrior i always thought were officer at worse warrent officer treated like air force pilot or helicopter pilots.. and rank as such but then they do put in some scenerio book corp and sgt for some odd reason for lance mates

[Moonsword]

most mechwarrior i always thought were officer at worse warrent officer treated like air force pilot or helicopter pilots.. and rank as such but then they do put in some scenerio book corp and sgt for some odd reason for lance mates

It depends on the force in question.  Different groups do different things for different reasons.  The Clans certainly don't.  At best, they're equivalent to the leader of an individual point of infantry or BA.

[jimdigris]

For those wondering (and since I worked it out for another thread):

MoC (as of FM:U/3067) - 16 regiments
MoC (as of FR:P/3079) - 11.1 regiments

What strength do the IS house armies stand at using your calculation methods?

[ArcaneRaven]

And the odd ranking is something I wish HB:MPS had cleared up a bit.

I do like the MAF ranking system. What exactly do you dislike?

I seem to recall that Double Blind has all the non-Command MechWarriors that show up as Ensigns, but I don't have the pages to back that up right now (nor can I swear that those Ensigns aren't lance commanders or something, but I don't recall them being that way). And I'm pretty sure that all the aerospace fighter pilots mentioned are ensigns as well.

I'm not familiar with Double Blind. Which era does it play? Maybe it plays befor Doru's alterations within the MAF?

Of course, with the Magistracy, that could just indicate that they were able to purchase the Ensign rank, rather than it being standard practice.

You do need more than just the money to purchase a rank. For all officer ranks there needs to be at least a free slot for the rank you want to purchase. Higher ranks have to be approved by the Magestrix.

[Ian Sharpe]

I'm not familiar with Double Blind. Which era does it play? Maybe it plays befor Doru's alterations within the MAF?

Double Blind takes place several years prior to Doru signing on with the MAF. 

[ArcaneRaven]

Than that may explain how they all could be commissioned officers despite lacking a command.

[Dread Moores]

What strength do the IS house armies stand at using your calculation methods?

Wait, you want me to go through and do all the FM:U things for each faction, and all the Field Reports?!  :o

Maybe next week. We'll see.

[Maelwys]

I do like the MAF ranking system. What exactly do you dislike?

Oh no, its not that I dislike it, its just I wish HB:MPS had cleared up things like "Are MechWarriors Ensigns, or Star Corporals?" Are they Ensigns if they can pay for the rank, Star Corporals otherwise? Ensigns if they go through the Canopian Institute of War, Star Corporals otherwise? My guess is they're Star Corporals if they can't pay, Ensigns otherwise.

I'm not familiar with Double Blind. Which era does it play? Maybe it plays befor Doru's alterations within the MAF?

3058. So its pre-Doru

You do need more than just the money to purchase a rank. For all officer ranks there needs to be at least a free slot for the rank you want to purchase. Higher ranks have to be approved by the Magestrix.

Sure, but we have an example or two of all MechWarriors (and aerospace pilots) being officers. The CapCon for instance. So its not outside of the realm of possibility for the Ensign rank to be rather loose when it comes to "What's available." And if there are multiple Lts, then its a matter of "First among equals."

[Moonsword]

Oh no, its not that I dislike it, its just I wish HB:MPS had cleared up things like "Are MechWarriors Ensigns, or Star Corporals?" Are they Ensigns if they can pay for the rank, Star Corporals otherwise? Ensigns if they go through the Canopian Institute of War, Star Corporals otherwise? My guess is they're Star Corporals if they can't pay, Ensigns otherwise.

My inclination is to reserve officer ranks for proven warriors.  Sure, they get to pay for their commissions.  It wasn't an unknown practice historically.  But to qualify for the list of candidates, they need to prove they know what they're doing.

Sure, but we have an example or two of all MechWarriors (and aerospace pilots) being officers.

Absolutely.  This is why the US Air Force has the smartest enlisted men in the world - they send the officers out to die gloriously.  Apparently the CCAF has the same system.

[ArcaneRaven]

My guess is, that after Doru, there are only a specific amount of officer slots and if none is available to purchase, than you have to wait. Each officer has either a combat command or a respective slot in the administrative service of the MAF. A successful graduation of the Canopian War Institute doesn't automatically grant a commission. But graduates do have received a better training and therefore will get more prestigious assignments and therefore better chances for promotion.

[Maelwys]

There are probably restrictions yeah. I'm just not sure that the Ensign rank has to be that restricted, as long as the "First among equals" is respected.

As I said, this is one thing I wished HB:MPS had cleared up :)

Does anyone else find the upgrade percentages in FR:Periphery kind of odd?

[Ian Sharpe]

There are probably restrictions yeah. I'm just not sure that the Ensign rank has to be that restricted, as long as the "First among equals" is respected.

As I said, this is one thing I wished HB:MPS had cleared up :)

Does anyone else find the upgrade percentages in FR:Periphery kind of odd?

In Double Blind, Ensign Keppler's wingmate was an Ensign as well, and Keppler was in charge of all 4 ASFs.  Its not mentioned whether the other 2 pilots were Ensigns or not.  Those are pilots though, not mechjockeys.

[Ian Sharpe]

My guess is, that after Doru, there are only a specific amount of officer slots and if none is available to purchase, than you have to wait. Each officer has either a combat command or a respective slot in the administrative service of the MAF. A successful graduation of the Canopian War Institute doesn't automatically grant a commission. But graduates do have received a better training and therefore will get more prestigious assignments and therefore better chances for promotion.

Purchase systems tend not to work that way.  Its time in grade and money.  You can have a Commander stuck at Commander for years because he can't afford to buy a Major's slot that the little rich girl can as soon as it opens up.  Emma isn't going to pick up the tab for everyone.  Given the lack of officer ranks, I think most MWs are probably at Star Corporal pay grade and lances will be led by Ensigns. 

[ANS Kamas P81]

Does anyone else find the upgrade percentages in FR:Periphery kind of odd?

Odd in what way?

[Moonsword]

Interestingly, the Magistracy has access to the Inner Sphere Standard suit as well as the Theseus and the Ravager.  I don't have a lot to do with that information at the moment but I figured people might find it a bit interesting.

[Dread Moores]

Odd in what way?

A number of them have not changed one little bit from the percentages found in FM:U.

[Moonsword]

I could see them not changing much - a lot of the Magistracy's newer hardware would have wound up right on the firing line, although a certain amount of it should have been salvageable thanks to CASE.  It makes me wonder if someone just got lazy.

[Dread Moores]

I think it is the latter, since it isn't just the MoC forces with this issue. But that's just personal conjecture.

[Maelwys]

Odd in what way?

A number of them have not changed one little bit from the percentages found in FM:U.

Exactly.  There are 4-5 units whose upgrade ratings remain exactly the same after 12 years, despite their unit count bouncing up and down. Now, I could see a unit managing to lose modern and Succession War tech in exactly a 1 to 1 ratio...I just find it odd that 5 managed to do it.

Probably most bizarre are the Highlanders who stayed on Detroit for most of the Jihad, and yet their ratings remained the same. You'd think for being on the most advanced factory planet in the Periphery (besides whatever the Snow Ravens have set up in the OA, and whatever the Blakists have hidden),  they'd have managed to sneak in a few upgrades, but even their ratings have remained the same.

Again, some of this could be due to the way loses work out. I just found it kind of odd.

[jimdigris]

I would think that the percentages would remain roughly the same because all the new equiptment is going to units that are taking losses over and over again.

[Maelwys]

Interestingly, the Magistracy has access to the Inner Sphere Standard suit as well as the Theseus and the Ravager.  I don't have a lot to do with that information at the moment but I figured people might find it a bit interesting.

The IS Standard isn't that surprising. I'm sure the Periphery nations could pick up IS Standards for cheap once the faction specific Battle Armors went online (not to mention they're produced everywhere). HB:MPS and I'm pretty sure FM:Periphery told us that the Magistracy is buying suits from the CapCon, and for a while all the CapCon produced were the Fa Shih and Standard suits. And somehow the CapCon managed to keep all the standard Fa Shihs to themselves forever and ever, so that only leaves the IS Standard suits.

The Ravager should be surprising, but it seems they're in the "Sell to everyone so we don't go broke" kind of mood. I'm not surprised the Magistracy picked some up, to study and so they have something to hold the line if they have to deal with Marian Ravagers later on.

Still, its not that bad of a BA Corps that the Magistracy is creating, and even the weapon types are similar across most of the suits.

[ArcaneRaven]

So when will we see battle armor fully integrated and not being any kind of special force lent to units for temporary assignment?

[Ian Sharpe]

And somehow the CapCon managed to keep all the standard Fa Shihs to themselves forever and ever, so that only leaves the IS Standard suits.

My Fa-Shih in the 2CLH fell off the back of a DropShip. ;)  But then I am undeterred by lists!  Lists!  Bah!

[jimdigris]

If you're going by the MUL, they're still fixing errors.  We're not getting Marian "battle armor", if for no other reason than pride.  Besides, it seems like they're not raiding us much anymore with our alliance with the CapCon,easier pickings right next door, and trouble on the Lothian worlds.

[Maelwys]

So when will we see battle armor fully integrated and not being any kind of special force lent to units for temporary assignment?

My guess is that we already have. We just haven't seen it really mentioned (something that the Field Report is lacking, along with information on the 2 Canopian Fleets). Originally the Battle Armor was grouped into a single unit controlled by Doru, and dolled out when it was needed, but some of the fluff we've seen from the era (such as in the Trinity writeups in 3075) suggest that regiments have their own contingents (atleast to me). With Canopus under a Blackout for the early Jihad, the centralized Battle Armor Corps just couldn't have been very effective.

[jimdigris]

Did anyone notice that the average skill rating is veteran?  There are 4 elite regiments and 4 regular regiments, but everyone else is veteran.

[ArcaneRaven]

My guess is that we already have. We just haven't seen it really mentioned (something that the Field Report is lacking, along with information on the 2 Canopian Fleets). Originally the Battle Armor was grouped into a single unit controlled by Doru, and dolled out when it was needed, but some of the fluff we've seen from the era (such as in the Trinity writeups in 3075) suggest that regiments have their own contingents (atleast to me). With Canopus under a Blackout for the early Jihad, the centralized Battle Armor Corps just couldn't have been very effective.

I hope so. I was never a fan of the centralization, though I understand it was necessary at the beginning.

Did anyone notice that the average skill rating is veteran?  There are 4 elite regiments and 4 regular regiments, but everyone else is veteran.

Yep, we're quite the powerhouse of the periphery now! Muahahahahaha!  [skull]

[Maelwys]

Did anyone notice that the average skill rating is veteran?  There are 4 elite regiments and 4 regular regiments, but everyone else is veteran.

Considering how long they were fighting for, its not that surprising. If they're still alive, they probably have experience.

I think the big question is going to be how well can they keep those ratings up? I'm sure quite alot of the people caught up in the Jihad who just wanted to do their basic military stint in order to get their citizenship will be looking to get out, and the Magistracy took heavy losses to their Provincial Military Academies, as well as the Canopian Institute of War. As those forces rebuild, the experience ratings may plummet.

[ANS Kamas P81]

Well, the Canopians' best way for bootstrapping up an academy system is to stand down a lot of your vets and use them as cadre and training personnel.  Bring the experience to the next group; it'll hurt your current force but bring the next ten-fifteen years up to a much better standard than they'll get otherwise - all the trashed academies aren't going to train anyone...

[ArcaneRaven]

That would be the best idea, I guess.