[Supers] A More Scientific Golden Age

[Prince Charon]

OK, revised version; probably in need of more positional titles, and something related to organization.

Working Title: BIS Operational Ranks

There were many arguments over what rank system uniformed BIS personnel should use, some of them still ongoing, though most in the BIS have accepted this compromise:

Space Chief Marshal (one crown over crossed rockets, wreathed) (theoretical rank, no current holder)

Space Marshal (one crown over crossed rockets) (theoretical rank, no current holder)

Space Vice-Marshal (crossed rockets) (theoretical rank, no current holder)

Rank 5 (with Courtesy Rank 2) [27]
OF-6 Space Brigadier (one crown and three bronze pips) (de facto professional head of space operations)
<might work better as Rank 4 w/Courtesy Rank 3, haven't firmly decided how large Operations is, and that's rather important to the game-mechanical Rank advantage>

Rank 4 (with Courtesy Rank 2) [22]
OF-5 Group Colonel (one crown and two bronze pips)

Rank 3 (with Courtesy Rank 2) [17]
OF-4 Wing Colonel (one crown and one bronze pip)
<might change to Wing Commander>

Rank 3 (with Courtesy Rank 1) [16]
OF-3 Squadron Major (one crown)

Rank 3 [15]
OF-2 Flight Lieutenant (two bronze pips)

Rank 2 (with Courtesy Rank 1) [11]
OF-1 Pilot Officer (one bronze pip)

Courtesy Rank 3 [3]
OF(D) Space Cadet (one to five orange pips, showing class ranking)

Rank 1 (with Courtesy Rank 1) [6]
Sergeant (three chevrons)

Rank 1 [5]
OR-3 Leading Spacecraftman (one chevron)

Rank 0 [0]
OR-1 Spacecraftman (no insignia)

The Rank/Courtesy Rank levels are due to the small size of the service not matching the intended prestige of the service, nor the level of training required.

'Captain' exists as the positional title for the onboard commanding officer of a rocket, rather than as a substantive rank as the Royal Navy had wanted. The Executive Officer has the positional title of 'Vice Captain.'

[johndallman]

You have only two officer ranks below major. Creating a notional one that isn't used (yet) will simplify things when the service has expanded.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Rank 1 [5]
OR-3 Leading Spacecraftman (one chevron)

Rank 0 [0]
OR-1 Spacecraftman (no insignia)

I ended up using "Spacehand" for the Private/Seaman/Airman equivalent ranks for my Starfleet and Starfighter Corps ranks. "Spaceman" seemed wrong, and to be fair anything ending in -man that I tried either looked wrong or was far too wordy. "Spacecraftman" seems to be far too wordy for drill sergeants to shout at someone in boot camp.

YMMV, ofc.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by johndallman

You have only two officer ranks below major. Creating a notional one that isn't used (yet) will simplify things when the service has expanded.

Hmm. Maybe giving Flight Lieutenant three bronze pips to fit with the intended level of prestige, and a rank equivalent to Flying Officer ('Space Officer,' perhaps? maybe Pilot Officer being Space Officer Grade 2 and the next rank being Space Officer Grade 1?) having two bronze pips.

Originally Posted by Phantasm

I ended up using "Spacehand" for the Private/Seaman/Airman equivalent ranks for my Starfleet and Starfighter Corps ranks. "Spaceman" seemed wrong, and to be fair anything ending in -man that I tried either looked wrong or was far too wordy. "Spacecraftman" seems to be far too wordy for drill sergeants to shout at someone in boot camp.

YMMV, ofc.

Well, the RAF has been using 'Aircraftman' (often shortened to 'erk') for just over a century, so I guess British drill instructors handle it better?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Hmm. Maybe giving Flight Lieutenant three bronze pips to fit with the intended level of prestige

That would make Flight Lieutenant equivalent to an RAF Flight Lieutenant or a naval Lieutenant, which would make life simpler all round. I failed to follow the rest of your paragraph.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by johndallman

That would make Flight Lieutenant equivalent to an RAF Flight Lieutenant or a naval Lieutenant, which would make life simpler all round. I failed to follow the rest of your paragraph.

I don't know what was confusing (if that's what you meant), which makes it hard to figure out how to rephrase it to make it more clear.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

I don't know what was confusing (if that's what you meant), which makes it hard to figure out how to rephrase it to make it more clear.

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Hmm. Maybe giving Flight Lieutenant three bronze pips to fit with the intended level of prestige, and a rank equivalent to Flying Officer ('Space Officer,' perhaps? maybe Pilot Officer being Space Officer Grade 2 and the next rank being Space Officer Grade 1?) having two bronze pips.

The lack of sentence boundaries makes it unclear what you're suggesting. It can be read as making Flight Lieutenant equivalent to Flying Officer, which is probably not what you mean.

I think you're saying "Space Officer grade 1" would be equivalent to Flying Officer, and "Space Officer grade 2" would be equivalent to Pilot Officer, but I'm not certain, and I'm not confident of any of the deductions above.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by johndallman

I think you're saying "Space Officer grade 1" would be equivalent to Flying Officer, and "Space Officer grade 2" would be equivalent to Pilot Officer, but I'm not certain, and I'm not confident of any of the deductions above.

Yes, you are correct. Flying Officer = Space Officer Grade 1 (or something similar), and the lower rank, Pilot Officer, being something like Space Officer Grade 2. I'm still not sure on the names, but that is what I meant.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Yes, you are correct. Flying Officer = Space Officer Grade 1 (or something similar), and the lower rank, Pilot Officer, being something like Space Officer Grade 2. I'm still not sure on the names, but that is what I meant.

In which case, make them Space Sub-Lieutenant, with two pips, and Pilot Officer, with one pip.

"Space Officer Grade 1 (or 2)" doesn't really fit with British officer rank practices: "General Staff Officer grade 1 (or 2, or 3)" was a post, not a rank.

[Prince Charon]

OK, new draft:

Working Title: BIS Operational Ranks

There were many arguments over what rank system uniformed BIS personnel should use, some of them still ongoing, though most in the BIS have accepted this compromise:

Space Chief Marshal (one crown over crossed rockets, wreathed) (theoretical rank, no current holder)

Space Marshal (one crown over crossed rockets) (theoretical rank, no current holder)

Space Vice-Marshal (crossed rockets) (theoretical rank, no current holder)

Rank 5 (with Courtesy Rank 2) [27]
OF-6 Space Brigadier (one crown and three bronze pips) (de facto professional head of space operations)

Rank 4 (with Courtesy Rank 2) [22]
OF-5 Group Colonel (one crown and two bronze pips)

Rank 3 (with Courtesy Rank 2) [17]
OF-4 Wing Colonel (one crown and one bronze pip)

Rank 3 (with Courtesy Rank 1) [16]
OF-3 Squadron Major (one crown)

Rank 3 [15]
OF-2 Flight Lieutenant (three bronze pips)

Rank 2 (with Courtesy Rank 1) [11]
OF-1 Space Sub-Lieutenant (two bronze pips)
OF-1 Pilot Officer (one bronze pip)

Courtesy Rank 3 [3]
OF(D) Space Cadet (one to five orange pips, showing class ranking)

Rank 1 (with Courtesy Rank 1) [6]
Sergeant (three chevrons)

Rank 1 [5]
OR-3 Leading Spacecraftman (one chevron)

Rank 0 [0]
OR-1 Spacecraftman (no insignia)

The Rank/Courtesy Rank levels are due to the small size of the service not matching either the intended prestige of the service, nor the level of training required.

'Captain' exists as the positional title for the onboard commanding officer of a rocket, rather than as a substantive rank as the Royal Navy had wanted. The Executive Officer has the positional title of 'Vice Captain.'


I still think I should add more positional titles and/or some things related to organization, but I'm not sure what.