Rank and Status [Space/Social Engineering] - Page 2

AlexanderHowl · 01-14-2021, 10:41 PM

Because of the way that hierarchies work though, there has to be a chain of command. While a private will be very respectful of a colonel, the colonel cannot tell the private to disregard existing orders unless they are in the same chain of command, though the private will likely need a change of pants if they have to defy a colonel in order to obey orders. Even if they were in the same chain of command though, it would usually be considered bad form for a colonel to directly give orders to a private who was not in their C&C company, as they should channel such orders through their junior officers and/or senior enlisted.

When it comes to macrosocieties and megasocieties, the chain of command would become even more important, as the vast majority of people will usually only know the people who are six ranks above them and the people who they work with. A Rank 12 general officer would be so remote that that a Rank 0 private would not know them from Adam and even a Rank 6 colonel would have trouble remembering their face. Of course, such officers would likely control the defense forces of ten of thousands of systems, so they would be stuck on some central planet and would be surrounded by thousands of top brass.

jason taylor · 01-15-2021, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericthered

Heirarchies in gaming are weird, because most of the time there are only a few ranks that matter:

The lowest level, of people who don't have any rank
The level the majority of the PC's are at
The level immediately above the majority of the PC's (which may be held by the PC)
The level at the top of the organization. Sometimes the person at the top of the society
The levels between their immediate supriors and the top.

If the PC's are footslogger infantry in world war II, They care about the private rank, they care about Sergants/Leitenants, and they care about the big names making decisions. Other than that, the difference between a Captain and a colonel really doesn't matter: they outrank you by enough that it doesn't matter. You don't particularly respect one more than the other. Now if Eisenhower shows up, you will respect him more, but that's because he's at the top of the organization. And he's famous. You'll also be extra impressed by the famous names, but that's about reputation, not rank. You might have extra respect for the Colonel or captain leading your unit, but that's more of a relationship, and you don't respect the faceless officer giving him his orders more.

That has to be modified by reputation. Someone like Eisenhower is a bureaucrat. He may be a respected bureaucrat but he still is a bureaucrat. A Captain and maybe a Colonel is a soldier.

Now Harold Godwinson was a King. But he was also a soldier and died as one. That was typical of his time. That is one reason why in the past commanders could get a regard that appears either idolatrous or homoerotic from their men.

AlexanderHowl · 01-15-2021, 11:52 AM

That is why I believe that most feudal leaders should have Military Rank and Political Rank. A medieval king with Military Rank 8 and Political Rank 8 would receive 6 levels of Status for 'free', meaning that they would only need Wealth (Wealthy) or higher to receive Status 7. They would have the vast majority of their cost of living supported by their position, needing only to spend $1200/month, and could receive extra cash through benefits of rank through either Military Rank or Political Rank (each would be a different pool of benefits).

01-14-2021, 10:41 PM	#11
AlexanderHowl Join Date: Feb 2016	Re: Rank and Status [Space/Social Engineering] Because of the way that hierarchies work though, there has to be a chain of command. While a private will be very respectful of a colonel, the colonel cannot tell the private to disregard existing orders unless they are in the same chain of command, though the private will likely need a change of pants if they have to defy a colonel in order to obey orders. Even if they were in the same chain of command though, it would usually be considered bad form for a colonel to directly give orders to a private who was not in their C&C company, as they should channel such orders through their junior officers and/or senior enlisted. When it comes to macrosocieties and megasocieties, the chain of command would become even more important, as the vast majority of people will usually only know the people who are six ranks above them and the people who they work with. A Rank 12 general officer would be so remote that that a Rank 0 private would not know them from Adam and even a Rank 6 colonel would have trouble remembering their face. Of course, such officers would likely control the defense forces of ten of thousands of systems, so they would be stuck on some central planet and would be surrounded by thousands of top brass.

01-15-2021, 11:52 AM	#13
AlexanderHowl Join Date: Feb 2016	Re: Rank and Status [Space/Social Engineering] That is why I believe that most feudal leaders should have Military Rank and Political Rank. A medieval king with Military Rank 8 and Political Rank 8 would receive 6 levels of Status for 'free', meaning that they would only need Wealth (Wealthy) or higher to receive Status 7. They would have the vast majority of their cost of living supported by their position, needing only to spend $1200/month, and could receive extra cash through benefits of rank through either Military Rank or Political Rank (each would be a different pool of benefits).