How to reconcile Rank and Patron?

[Alonsua]

Apparently the advantages Rank and Patron are replaceable among each other, however, the advantage Rank is the best by far, because in addition to adding to the Status it has a higher frequency of assistance (i.e. Rank 6 [5/level] gives an FR of 9 for an equivalent Patron of 30 [and also increases Status by 2 steps], which also increases with a lower cost [FR +1 per 5 CP, for a cost of 45 by FR12, also increasing Status by 3], while Patron would cost 60 by FR12 while not adding anything to Status). What is this about?

*Social Engineering Pulling Rank.

[mr beer]

Which rules are you citing? Sounds like it's not from the Basic set.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

Apparently the advantages Rank and Patron are replaceable among each other, however, the advantage Rank is the best by far, because in addition to adding to the Status it has a higher frequency of assistance (i.e. Rank 6 [5/level] gives an FR of 9 for an equivalent Patron of 30 [and also increases Status by 2 steps], which also increases with a lower cost [FR +1 per 5 CP, for a cost of 45 by FR12, also increasing Status by 3], while Patron would cost 60 by FR12 while not adding to Status). What is this about?

Having Rank is a job. Having a Patron is "You occasionally do a favour".

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by mr beer

Which rules are you citing? Sounds like it's not from the Basic set.

Pulling Rank.

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Having Rank is a job. Having a Patron is "You occasionally do a favour".

What in metagame is exactly the same, translating into a disadvantage of Duty.

[AlexanderHowl]

In essence. Rank is formal authority within a social structure while Patron is more of a social relationship between two entities with different power levels. For example, the US Attorney General possesses Administrative Rank (US DoJ) 8, giving them the ability to give legitimate orders to their underlings and giving them the ability to requisition resources for legitimate missions in pursuit to their duties. The US Attorney General might also have Patron (US President), which allows them to be able to call up the US President to requisition intelligence and military assets beyond the scope of the DoJ, such as a Marine Expeditionary Force to support the extradition of a wanted criminal from another country.

[jason taylor]

If General X sends someone on a mission because he is chief of staff for intelligence and that man is one of his countries intelligence officers it is rank. If he does so because he always keeps some likely lads around with a vaguely defined job of looking into things, it is patron.

Bill Casey would be over a CIA agent assigned to Afghanistan because of Rank but Charlie Wilson might have Patron.

[Donny Brook]

There is no real need to reconcile. They are different things even though they can have some overlapping effects.

You can have a Patron that is an individual or entity without any kind of Rank structure.

[whswhs]

There's nothing to reconcile. Rank carries baggage that Patron does not.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

What in metagame is exactly the same, translating into a disadvantage of Duty.

No, it isn't. Someone with high rank can call upon great resources to do his job. And it's going to be a full time job. A person with a Patron can call upon the Patron's resources for situations that have nothing to do with actually working for the Patron.