[Darius]

BETAC provides them with a convenient excuse.

[Dark Hunter]

It does seem strange that Command's default modus operandi for dealing with foreign powers is to attack: the Vasudans, the Shivans (not that they gave Command much choice), and now Earth.

But yeah, I know: no story without conflict.

[Renegade Paladin]

Spoiler:

BETAC. It dictates the GTVA is the only Terran government...which means, they don't recognize the government of Sol...etc etc. Which is why they're going to invade and basically forcefully gain control. The easiest way to do it.

Basically

Spoiler:

Command is a selfish b*tch

BETAC provides them with a convenient excuse.

Yeah, none of that explains it. 

Spoiler:

Attacking outright without even bothering to find out what the situation is first is rank stupidity.  Considerations about whether or not Earth might actually be willing to join up without fighting aside, which was an open question until the task force summarily blew up a corvette, they had no idea what they were getting into; they might have walked straight into a juggernaut of some kind, or simply a larger fleet.  No scouting, no diplomacy, no nothing, just jump in and start killing people?  Even if the GTVA is unwilling to accept any outcome other than control of Earth, blowing **** up without having to is counterproductive. 

Anyway, it's also stupid because they should have known that what happened would happen; tens of thousands of personnel who thought they were going to greet Earth as long-lost children are suddenly ordered to attack?  And they didn't think they'd desert?  Command must have been smoking some pretty strong stuff.

[ShadowGorrath]

The Renjian was a frigate.

And they had probes sent to Sol, so they had an idea on what's there.

[Renegade Paladin]

My mistake.  My second point still stands. 

Incidentally, why does the GTVA name it's ship types backwards?   

[Droid803]

Incidentally, why does the GTVA name it's ship types backwards?   

Erhm, what? Which instance?

[Renegade Paladin]

All of them.  Out here in Real World Land, destroyers, frigates, and corvettes are the smallest types of warship you will find in a blue water navy; cruisers are the largest short of battleships and carriers.  In Freespace, it's the reverse.  Specifically, warship class sizes in ascending order are corvette, frigate, destroyer, cruiser; not cruiser, corvette, frigate, destroyer (although in modern navies frigate and destroyer, and to a lesser extent corvette, are so close in size and role that there's hardly a practical difference anymore). 

[Droid803]

Its not backwards per se.
Destroyers are still bigger Frigates which are still bigger than corvettes. The only issue, really is that cruisers are the smallest.

[Snail]

My mistake.  My second point still stands. 

Spoiler:

They probably would have gone along with it if they hadn't gone off on that journey to the parallel dimension and all that. I guess it changed their moralities. The COs of the ships would probably have issued propoganda and stuff to motivate their pilots (or porn... Kill 5 Sol pilots, get sexy posters)

[Mawhrin]

"Frigate" once referred to vessels as large as ships-of-the-line but faster and more lightly armed . That's not entirely dissimilar to the FS usage. The term was reused by the British Royal Navy in WW2 to refer to anti submarine vessels. "Destroyer" is probably influenced by "Star Destroyer". I'm sure this has all been discussed before.

I'm not entirely convinced by BP's ending. Perhaps Darius will provide new information in BP2 that will make it more plausible. 

Spoiler:

Perhaps the probes found a dominant ideology in Earth that Command didn't like (Earth-supremacist, anti Vasudan), but then the crews would have heard all about it as propaganda.

[Dark Hunter]

Spoiler:

Perhaps the probes found a dominant ideology in Earth that Command didn't like (Earth-supremacist, anti Vasudan), but then the crews would have heard all about it as propaganda.

You know, that's actually a plausible reason. Add that to the fact that the Terran General Assembly would have grown used to governing at least the Terran aspects of the GTVA (the Vasudan Imperium still seems to be in charge of Vasudans), and Earth would of course want to be back on top of the politics, as it was in the past.

Still, GTVA definitely is the aggressor in this case, and Earth has every right to be defending itself.

[ShadowGorrath]

Spoiler:

UEF Renjian. What else can the F mean ? Fighter ? For a ship that size, it sounds stupid. Besides, it's clearly a frigate.

[Snail]

Spoiler:

UEF Renjian. What else can the F mean ? Fighter ? For a ship that size, it sounds stupid. Besides, it's clearly a frigate.

It's UEFg.

[ShadowGorrath]

You understand what I mean though.

[Snail]

Canonically, "F" is for frigate, fighter and front (as in Neo-Terran Front). The Iceni was designated NTF Iceni, meaning Neo-Terran Frigate, or, more likely, being the flagship of the NTF, simply Neo-Terran Front.

[Jeff Vader]

Hmm. Why do I remember seeing an "Ff" somewhere? Uno momento, I'll check.

[Snail]

Hmm. Why do I remember seeing an "Ff" somewhere? Uno momento, I'll check.

That was Derelict (GTFf Saphah)

[Jeff Vader]

Really? I could've sworn I've seen "Ff" somewhere in the FS2 campaign as well. Oh, I guess I remember wrong.

[Snail]

Really? I could've sworn I've seen "Ff" somewhere in the FS2 campaign as well. Oh, I guess I remember wrong.

There is no Ff anywhere in canon FS AFAIK.

[colecampbell666]

Nope. The invertebrate is correct.