Military resources and CR

[Stormcrow]

Let's say I'm using GURPS City Stats to build New Plymouth Dome for GURPS Tales of the Solar Patrol. I have declared the government a "Representative Democracy, Municipality," as it is a city under the Earth League. Now I get to military resources, p. 9 of City Stats. "A colony, municipality, or free city usually has CR1 and MBF 0.5%; this represents the combat capabilities of its local police force."

I'm not sure I understand this line. Clearly a municipality will not have its own army or space fleet. But why is it CR1? I had already decided on CR3, for many laws that mostly favor the people. Or is it CR1 for some specific area? But why would military resources of a municipality be less restrictive than a in free city?

[Peter Knutsen]

I think by "Colony", they imply that it's a new colony, relatively newly established, and so without much government and certainly with very little law enforcement: Laws against weapons and drugs are either few or else very poorly enforced.

[Stormcrow]

No, colony has a very specific meaning: "A dependent region ruled by the mother society, usually through a governor. The colonists may have an elected council (through which they influence the governor), an elected representative to the mother government (with nonvoting power), or both – but they have no direct say in their own government." You can have strong law enforcement in a new colony or an old.

In any case, your reason doesn't apply to municipalities, for which there can be no implication that it must be a new one whose law enforcement hasn't been built up yet. For instance, the write-up for San Francisco in City Stats says "It has no armed forces of its own; the effective Military Resources of the city police assume CR1 for mobilization." It's this that I don't understand. What does it mean, "CR1 for mobilization"?

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

In any case, your reason doesn't apply to municipalities, for which there can be no implication that it must be a new one whose law enforcement hasn't been built up yet. For instance, the write-up for San Francisco in City Stats says "It has no armed forces of its own; the effective Military Resources of the city police assume CR1 for mobilization." It's this that I don't understand. What does it mean, "CR1 for mobilization"?

It probably a refer ace of re-tasking non military resources for miltary purpose ala the militia model, what the equipment they have for the job is the same equapment they have for the non military resoraces.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

Let's say I'm using GURPS City Stats to build New Plymouth Dome for GURPS Tales of the Solar Patrol. I have declared the government a "Representative Democracy, Municipality," as it is a city under the Earth League. Now I get to military resources, p. 9 of City Stats. "A colony, municipality, or free city usually has CR1 and MBF 0.5%; this represents the combat capabilities of its local police force."

I'm not sure I understand this line. Clearly a municipality will not have its own army or space fleet. But why is it CR1? I had already decided on CR3, for many laws that mostly favor the people. Or is it CR1 for some specific area? But why would military resources of a municipality be less restrictive than a in free city?

This isn't a statement about its control rating in general, but only about its control rating for purposes of military mobilization capability. See the next line, which says that a subjugated city has CR0. Obviously in most subjugated cities, the external rulers impose a higher control level than that!

Bill Stoddard

[Stormcrow]

Thanks for replying, Bill. I'm still not sure I understand. Is this intended to allow a municipality's or colony's police forces to have access to items of lower LC than otherwise indicated by the CR? Or to allow citizenry to supplement military resources with their own equipment? Exactly who does the CR1 apply to? Everyone? Just the police?

Can you give a descriptive example of what it means to have "CR1 for mobilization"?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

Thanks for replying, Bill. I'm still not sure I understand. Is this intended to allow a municipality's or colony's police forces to have access to items of lower LC than otherwise indicated by the CR? Or to allow citizenry to supplement military resources with their own equipment? Exactly who does the CR1 apply to? Everyone? Just the police?

Can you give a descriptive example of what it means to have "CR1 for mobilization"?

The only aspect I'm looking at is this: In City Stats, you have a Military Budget Factor, which measures how big a share of a city's resources is available to spend on military forces. And that can be from 0.5% up to 50%. But Military Budget Factor varies with CR. A city with very little control can't collect a lot in taxes, or conscript people; a city with total control can turn the entire adult population into a combat force, more or less, and take all their wealth to pay for war. Cities with CR 1 have the smallest possible share of their funds going for any sort of military gear, training, or organization.

Now, if a city is subsumed inside a larger state, it probably doesn't have its own armed forces. So you treat it AS IF it were CR 1 (or 0, if Subjugated) for this purpose, and that means it has 0.5% of its budgetary base available to support troops and the like. But that has nothing to do with how high its CR is for any other purpose, including, for example, private weapons ownership.

Bill Stoddard

[Stormcrow]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAH, I get it! Thanks!