Imperial Marines

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Unavailable in the campaign, then? So I'll remove it from NI lists as well?

Yes. Automatic successes on "impossible" Per rolls will do this job, I think.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Although if Esbouvier provides 12 recruits a year...

It possibly provides more, since it is a populous planet. About ten times the average population, I think.

On the other hand, people on Esbouvier have strange upbringings and lives, and it is likely that comparatively very few of them develop the motivations and motivation to join the Imperial Service.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by Icelander

There is sufficient empirical evidence on the ability of humans to sense hostile observation even without audible clues for Field Manuals to teach one to avoid staring at the sentry during sentry removal. I suspect that this represents him picking up on various subconscious clues in the changing rhytm of the tiny environmental stimuli that are too weak to register in our conscius brain, but the effects are real even though the mechanism is different than him sensing your gaze.

How about Danger Sense with Hypersensory then (Powers p69, under Psychometry)? Works kind of like- "You notice the birds go silent/someone across the road staring at you in alarm/a sudden movement of shadow in the corner of your eye..."

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

How about Danger Sense with Hypersensory then (Powers p69, under Psychometry)? Works kind of like- "You notice the birds go silent/someone across the road staring at you in alarm/a sudden movement of shadow in the corner of your eye..."

Icelander isn't arguing for superpowers, something that I would definitely forbid in this campaign. He's arguing that in real life, a significant number of ordinary people, military sentries, are more likely to be alerted if they are stared at than if their stalker looks away.

In the first place I am not convinced that it is true, and in the second place we are not talking about people with superpowers or rare expensive abilities, we're talking about ordinary sentries.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Brett

Icelander isn't arguing for superpowers, something that I would definitely forbid in this campaign. He's arguing that in real life, a significant number of ordinary people, military sentries, are more likely to be alerted if they are stared at than if their stalker looks away.

In the first place I am not convinced that it is true, and in the second place we are not talking about people with superpowers or rare expensive abilities, we're talking about ordinary sentries.

I think he got that. He was just suggesting that perhaps the phenomena where our unconscious picks up on clues that we don't consciously notice, it could be modelled by using the Hypersensory modifier on Danger Sense. Which I think is a neat idea.

For other games, obviously. The Hat has spoken for this one.

[Agemegos]

Okay, some military demography.

The Imperial Marines consists of about 450,000 all ranks, in 245 regiments of 1,780 all ranks, plus the Staff. At any time, about 25 regiments are in transit, retraining, or on furlough. 66 are split up for Public Duties (security, riot control, and ceremonial, with counter-terrorist and hostage rescue when and if), about 66 are split up for Fleet Protection (boarding & inspections of ships and habitats and other space facilities, direct action when & if), about 80 are deployed in Imperial interventions (warlike operations, occupation, peacekeeping—mostly on colonies with modest populations and tech development), and about sixteen are actually in reserve. ("We need a minimum of 22 regiments in reserve. Will the Senate please authorise raising another six regiments urgently.")

Eyeballing historical loss rates, making allowances for high-tech armour, reinforcement, high-tech medevac and surgical care, considering the "put your life on the line to protect the vulnerable" ethos of the Imperial marines, and considering the kind of loss rate that troops might put up with year in and year out, I reckon that the annual fatality rate for the Imperial marines might average at most 0.3%, or 5.3 per regiment per year.

So each regiment is going to need 5.3 replacements per year for KIAs (medicine and surgery are TL10, the wounded can come back if they want to). Add in say 1% per annum for non-retention of various sorts. 1.3% per annum losses. 45.6% of intake reach retirement at age eighty, so that's 0.76% per annum losses to superannuation. Total wastage is 2.06% per annum. A regiment needs on average 36–37 new privates and subalterns per annum. The entire Corps needs 9,270 new privates and subalterns per year. Given 5.3% officers, and supposing that excess casualties among subalterns are balanced by very low casualties among field grade and general officers, that suggests that 491 newbie subalterns are needed each year.

Of people who join the Imperial Marines and complete training, 12.5% are killed in action over sixty years, 42.9% transfer out, and 45.6% serve to retirement.

Does that all seem ballpark reasonable? is the loss rate too high?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Brett

Does that all seem ballpark reasonable? is the loss rate too high?

Looks plausible to me.

[Daigoro]

I presume the loss rate is looking at peace-time, with casualties being through accident or in short peace-keeping style actions.

Full on war-time would greatly increase this rate, if there's any enemies in the setting that could provide the conflict. There may not be, but over the sixty-year lifetime you're looking at, how many of those years could nominally be given as "at war", with respect to the career of an average troop?

[martinl]

Originally Posted by Brett

Of people who join the Imperial Marines and complete training, 12.5% are killed in action over sixty years, 42.9% transfer out, and 45.6% serve to retirement.

Does that all seem ballpark reasonable? is the loss rate too high?

I would not join a service with a 12.5% KIA unless I thought the need was truly dire. ... This is probably a feature then.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by martinl

I would not join a service with a 12.5% KIA unless I thought the need was truly dire. ... This is probably a feature then.

12.5% over 60 years isn't likely much higher than civilian rates (especially on some of the tougher colonies).