Author Topic: Tell Me About: Clan Goliath Scorpion Battle Language (Read 8785 times)

Cannon_Fodder · « **on:** 03 February 2011, 13:22:08 »

I am playing a CGS Seeker in a RPG game and ended up with the CGS Battle Langue. I read through the CGS entry in FM Warden Clans and found no mention of it. Other then skill points toward it, there are no mentions of it in Mechwarriorâ€™s Guide to the Clans. Is there any canon reference to what its like?

ShadowRaven · « **Reply #1 on:** 03 February 2011, 13:51:39 »

[Keanu Reeves voice]"whoa dude, I'm like seeing some bad dudes over there."[/KRV]

Alan Grant · « **Reply #2 on:** 03 February 2011, 14:50:38 »

Honestly this is news to me. Never heard of it.

Joshua D · « **Reply #3 on:** 03 February 2011, 15:05:11 »

Ya, i noticed it too. I also noticed Goliath Scorpions get Russian. Maybe the two are synonymous? I'm pretty sure the other Clans use English exclusively...

Stormfury · « **Reply #4 on:** 03 February 2011, 15:31:20 »

Old material for the Clan Invasion talks about the Clans having a special "battle language" that made use of code words and so on that rendered Inner Sphere attempts to tap their communications pointless; even if they could ovecome the Clans' superior scrambling, they had no idea what anyone was saying.

Presumably, the Scorpions have a more evolved version of that which makes it harder or impossible for non-Scorpions to understand what they are saying, even if they are Clan.

As far as MWGttC goes, the Scorpions don't get Russian. I was very surprised that the Wolves did not either, as many (if not most) of their warriors spend a great deal of time studying the original writings of the Kerenskys. IMO Russian should be a Clan-wide Secondary Language for that reason, with the Wolves gaining a small bonus to it because of their additional interest.

Your mileage may vary.

ShadowRaven · « **Reply #5 on:** 03 February 2011, 16:29:41 »

Between the code, the loan words from Russian and any other language, and the necrosia. I don't think anyone not a Scorpion can understand them

Maelwys · « **Reply #6 on:** 03 February 2011, 16:44:00 »

If I had to guess, its a quick way of expressing relevant information in combat (yeah, I know, not very helpful). If you've ever listened to a professional rally racer's navigator, you can probably get a hint as to what it might be like with the Goliath Scorpion Battle Language.

Stormfury · « **Reply #7 on:** 03 February 2011, 19:49:42 »

*Suffers Colin MacCrae Rally flashback*

I'll cut if I damn well want to >:(

joechummer · « **Reply #8 on:** 03 February 2011, 22:35:21 »

Quote from: Cannon_Fodder on 03 February 2011, 13:22:08

I am playing a CGS Seeker in a RPG game and ended up with the CGS Battle Langue. I read through the CGS entry in FM Warden Clans and found no mention of it. Other then skill points toward it, there are no mentions of it in Mechwarriorâ€™s Guide to the Clans. Is there any canon reference to what its like?

How did you end up with CGS Battle Language? Is it a skill from AToW or something?

Johnny 'NKH' Leyland · « **Reply #9 on:** 03 February 2011, 22:41:31 »

It was in 'Mechwarrior's Guide to the Clans', a book for an earlier edition of the RPG. The info for generating Scorp characters featured it but didn't give any fluff details.

joechummer · « **Reply #10 on:** 03 February 2011, 22:45:19 »

Quote from: Johnny 'NKH' Leyland on 03 February 2011, 22:41:31

It was in 'Mechwarrior's Guide to the Clans', a book for an earlier edition of the RPG. The info for generating Scorp characters featured it but didn't give any fluff details.

Huh. I wonder if it's something akin to the whistle code the Falcons used during the Dark Age, as mentioned in Flight of the Falcon or something like the Navajo Windtalkers that were used during WWII.

Johnny 'NKH' Leyland · « **Reply #11 on:** 03 February 2011, 22:47:45 »

It's probably just deranged necrosian ravings over open comms that the Scorpions tell other Clans is 'Battle Language' to save face.

Top Sergeant · « **Reply #12 on:** 03 February 2011, 22:49:08 »

Quote from: Cannon_Fodder on 03 February 2011, 13:22:08

I am playing a CGS Seeker in a RPG game and ended up with the CGS Battle Langue. I read through the CGS entry in FM Warden Clans and found no mention of it. Other then skill points toward it, there are no mentions of it in Mechwarriorâ€™s Guide to the Clans. Is there any canon reference to what its like?

Holy crap its Klingon!

Ever read The Final Reflection ? 8)

Basically its curt one or two syllable words which represent a full order, which cuts down on reaction time.

Alas Paramount decided not to follow John Ford's viable vision for the Klingon Empire and decided to go with adolescent lobster headed aliens instead.

joechummer · « **Reply #13 on:** 03 February 2011, 23:00:39 »

Quote from: Top Sergeant on 03 February 2011, 22:49:08

Basically its curt one or two syllable words which represent a full order, which cuts down on reaction time.

That makes a lot of sense. My only question is, why is this sort of thing unique to the Scorpions?

Johnny 'NKH' Leyland · « **Reply #14 on:** 03 February 2011, 23:18:25 »

As a Clan the Scorpions are rather isolationist, not in the same way as the Vipers and Spirits but because they're inward-looking and concerned mostly with their own affairs. Battle Language would seem to be something that developed in the Clan, perhaps as early as the very first years. Between not having much contact with the Scorpions, and not having much need of secret language in their up-front ritual combat styles, I guess the other Clans never developed their own version. I've no proof but it would be in keeping with the Clans, and the Scorpions especially, if Battle Language was mainly used nowadays as much from tradition as for any practical benefits.

joechummer · « **Reply #15 on:** 04 February 2011, 01:00:21 »

If their battle language is anything along the lines of what Top suggested, I would figure it evolved out of the Scorpions' love of a quick, clean kill. The Scorpions love speed (but in a different way than the Hellions), efficiency, and finesse, and being able to convey an entire order with such an efficient economy of syllables sounds like something right up their alley.

Maelwys · « **Reply #16 on:** 04 February 2011, 02:20:20 »

Quote from: joechummer on 03 February 2011, 23:00:39

That makes a lot of sense. My only question is, why is this sort of thing unique to the Scorpions?

Possibly because only the Scorpion's writer decided to add it in. MW3 really seemed to have the issue of a different person doing their own little bit (that's why some life paths seemed to be wildly out of scale with the others I believe).

I'm not even sure if the language is mentioned in their writeup in FM:Warden Clans.

Cannon_Fodder · « **Reply #17 on:** 04 February 2011, 06:21:31 »

Quote from: Maelwys on 04 February 2011, 02:20:20

Possibly because only the Scorpion's writer decided to add it in. MW3 really seemed to have the issue of a different person doing their own little bit (that's why some life paths seemed to be wildly out of scale with the others I believe).

I'm not even sure if the language is mentioned in their writeup in FM:Warden Clans.

I read the FM:WC CGS entry before asking this. There is no mention of it at all.

20th Militia · « **Reply #18 on:** 04 February 2011, 21:31:55 »

My best guess would be lots of portmanteaus, either of (Star League) English or Russian phrases. Quicker to say in the heat of battle, and given the clans non-use of abbreviations (with a few exceptions) if might take a non-Scorpion a minute to figure out what imhevlas (improved heavy laser) means.

Maelwys · « **Reply #19 on:** 05 February 2011, 08:08:09 »

Quote from: Cannon_Fodder on 04 February 2011, 06:21:31

I read the FM:WC CGS entry before asking this. There is no mention of it at all.

In that case, its probably the sole invention of whoever did the writeup for the Goliath Scorpions in the MW3rd Era. A little bonus that made sense to them, that didn't really change or abrogate anything.

Johnny 'NKH' Leyland · « **Reply #20 on:** 05 February 2011, 20:30:09 »

It adds a bit of color, I like it. I kinda hope it gets another mention in a future sourcebook somewhere.

joechummer · « **Reply #21 on:** 06 February 2011, 03:12:45 »

Considering MWGttC was published 3 years after FM:WC and has a different line developer, the after-the-fact mention of the Scorpions' battle language doesn't surprise me.

StCptMara · « **Reply #22 on:** 06 February 2011, 05:14:56 »

I always figured the "Battle Language" was a reference to Dune.
I mean, think about how Necrosia is kind of like drinking the Water of Life, and
the Scorpions have not built up their holdings as much as other clans, being semi-nomadic
within them....And Fremen Battle Language, IIRC, was actually a key factor somewhere in
there...

Johnny 'NKH' Leyland · « **Reply #23 on:** 06 February 2011, 18:18:40 »

That's pretty cool, I never thought about them from that angle before.

joechummer · « **Reply #24 on:** 06 February 2011, 23:01:48 »

Fedaykin FTW!

Does this also imply that Goliath Scorpions call burrocks and ride them across the desert?

StCptMara · « **Reply #25 on:** 07 February 2011, 00:30:40 »

Quote from: joechummer on 06 February 2011, 23:01:48

Fedaykin FTW!

Does this also imply that Goliath Scorpions call burrocks and ride them across the desert?

No....but that would be AWESOME 11M!

joechummer · « **Reply #26 on:** 16 February 2011, 20:46:33 »

So, I was re-reading the Wolf Clan Sourcebook, and I came across a more specific mention of Clan battle language. Check the sidebar about Clan Star League-era English, on the page that lists all 20 Clans (I don't have the book sitting right in front of me). I'm guessing the Goliath Scorpion Battle Language is just so radically different from the one the other Clans use, which is why it got its own specific mention.