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Old 11-13-2015, 05:31 AM   #24
Icelander
 
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Join Date: Mar 2006
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Default Re: [Mass Combat] Discipline, Law, Order and Preventing Atrocities

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kalzazz View Post
People who are wise enough in being idiots not to get caught conveniently enough will not need to be hanged

The idea of 'wise enough in being idiots' makes my mind hurt a bit though
Consider that if the local civilians learn of any atrocities that might interfere with their friendly cooperation with their new masters, it might be expedient for the PC to hang someone for them, regardless of specific guilt. Establishing a clear correlation between committimg a crime and suffering swift and sure punishment, usually through effective law enforcement, is the best form of deterrence. That doesn't mean savagely punishing semi-random people who look like they might as well be guilty doesn't have political benefits.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kalzazz View Post
PSo I think you will have very few people to be hung, those who decide to be criminals in the first place, and do it in such a way to be caught

The same people in this day and age who share videos of their crimes on youtube and facebook
Remember that around half of the soldiers fighting there belong to fairly typical TL2-4 armies and just recently came under the command of the legandary foreign mercenary lords (PCs). In such armies soldiers loot because it's necessary for survival and the only way to social and economic advancement, rape because it's a conqueror's prerogative and kill anyone they like because they are the warrior elite (Status 0+) who have swords and most civilians are worthless peasants (Status -1 or -2) who have no way to object or resist.

No matter how rational, concise, sensible and well-worded the general orders that percolate through the ranks of these soldiers happen to be, it's still just the words of foreigners with funny ways against everything they know from experience and cultural conditioning. Some X percentage of their number will not believe that the foreign mercenary lords are serious or that even legendary commanders can change something they perceive as a fundamental part of warfare.

And another X percentage will have PTSD, experiences of terrible atrocities against families and loved ones or other psychological issues that for some of them manifest in irrational hatred of those of their countrymen who give aid and comfort to the enemy. And not all of them will bother to ascertain how willingly such aid was given.

Then there is the fact that in war, under combat conditions, there are unbelievable stress factors that are rarely compatible with rational thought or sensible behaviour. Someone who can maintain the sort of minimal intelligence, rationality and capability for abstract reasoning that passes for basic common sense under better conditions while he is engaged in combat is essentially a supersoldier. There a reason simple tasks and apparently dull, routine standard responses are drilled into soldiers until they can be performed mindlessly. It's because combat and warfare tend to make even intelligent, alert and strong-willed people perform at the equivalent of near-mindless people.

With no death, fear, shock, stress and distraction, with plenty of time to think, most people would probably not risk angering the legendary heroes. In combat, however, they might rate a 5-10% risk of discovery and punishment as being 'none', and/or they might not be capable of thinking on a time scale beyound minutes or even seconds.
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