Author Topic: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)  (Read 141181 times)

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Offline Rhymes

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
It's possible to change one's MOS--Steele did it, but, going off the personnel database, that's an uncommon occurrence. My guess is that people who want to be captains get on the command track, not the pilot track. Steele's MOS change happened right after Capella--maybe something happened during his run with SOC?
If you don't have Knossos, you need it.

“There was a button," Holden said. "I pushed it."
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Offline Snarks

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
Aken Bosch was also a pilot during Silent Threat. I would say the offer at Captain rank to be squadron leader or ship captain isn't hugely biased towards either side, being largely dependent on what the pilot ultimately wants. The only time this discrepancy is really brought up is when you are made squadron leader as Alpha 1 during Freespace 2. Of course, it can be argued that the player agreed to be a squadron leader (thanks silent protagonist) beforehand or that the extreme circumstances of the Second Shivan Incursion removed that luxury of choice.

There probably is a way to directly be a ship captain without going through the pilot route as well, but being a wing leader tends to build up quite a bit of leadership skills, which are undoubtedly useful as a cruiser captain.

  

Offline ShivanSpS

  • 210
Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
im petty sure you will need to be squadron leader first, and there you will show if you are worthy of command, you just cant really go from pilot to ship captain like that, even if you are a wing leader.

Now if a pilot with excellent leadership skills that he already is a aquadron leader can turn down the promotion or not we have no idea. You would still be a squadron leader if you were not skilled enoght trought.
« Last Edit: April 04, 2018, 02:10:19 pm by ShivanSpS »

 

Offline Homura

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
Guys, you kinda forget the thousands of crews onboard the ships who never even touched a fighter. In todays military you dont have to be able to pilot something to be a captain, general or something higher.

 

Offline QuakeIV

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
I kinda assumed a squad lead would go straight into a corvette since those tend to have authority over the fighters in their area.  Then cruisers would typically be an academy graduates path into bigger ships.  Getting a squad lead killed in some rickety ass cruiser seems like a waste of destroyer killing talent.

 
Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
What happened to the (original) crew of the GTC Duke when the Vishnans were done with them? Did they ever recover?

 
Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
Pilot captains aren't interchangeable with ship captains.

um explain steele then??!?!
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 

Offline Rhymes

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
The database explicitly stated that Steele requested and received a change of MOS, and it's a safe assumption that doing that is non-trivial (as in real-world militaries).
If you don't have Knossos, you need it.

“There was a button," Holden said. "I pushed it."
"Jesus Christ. That really is how you go through life, isn't it?”

 

Offline Snarks

  • 27
Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
Was it ever specified that Steele was a squadron leader though? He could have easily been promoted to a cruiser captain from a pilot, without ever being squadron leader.

 

Offline Rhymes

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
He actually went from something in the 99th Skulls to XO on the GTCv Bretagne, per the Database. The record for his Medal of Valor citation says he was a Wing Commander, but given that he was flying with a black ops squadron, who knows how much of that is the truth.
If you don't have Knossos, you need it.

“There was a button," Holden said. "I pushed it."
"Jesus Christ. That really is how you go through life, isn't it?”

 

Offline Snarks

  • 27
Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
Wing leader != squadron leader though. And with the 99th Skulls, they might have an unconventional command structure to begin with.

Going from pilot -> wing leader -> SOC -> XO on a cruiser/corvette doesn't seem too far fetched though.

 
Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
The database explicitly stated that Steele requested and received a change of MOS, and it's a safe assumption that doing that is non-trivial (as in real-world militaries).

that was basically the joke tbh
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 

Offline T-Man

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
Here's a question I have wondered. The UEB Vajradhara; where would they launch from? I've always had a feeling they're too big for the frigates or even Solaris-class to house them (but I am perhaps wrong in thinking that?).

Oh yeah and GTVA 'red asset'; what's 3 divided by 0? *waits for red asset to implode* :pimp:
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Offline Darius

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
From a technical perspective, the solaris destroyers are so huge because it's the mininum size needed to launch the vajradhara.

 

Offline Damage

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
We know that most (if not all) light-speed communications coming out of Sol are classified; what about those going in?  Does the UEF (or Ubuntu Elders) classify those as well?  Do the Gefs intercept them?  Does the GTVA even allow regular messages, such as routine star chart updates, to be sent in?  Does Radio Free Alpha Centauri beam messages in periodically?  (Or a Vasudan group of similar mind)

I mention star charts specifically as a lead-in to my next question--I seem to remember Noemi (or at least some in-game fiction) mentioning Capella at some point before UT2.  Does the general population of Sol know about Capella, or just the military and Ubuntu leadership?  The light from that disaster hasn't gotten to Sol yet, so my assumption is that it's not common knowledge yet.  And what will happen when it becomes such?
I didn't feel like putting anything here.  Then I did it anyway just to be contrary.

 

Offline QuakeIV

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
My vague understanding is they were given official histories by the GTVA as part of propoganda, which was not cracked down on by the UEF to any huge extent.

 

Offline AdmiralRalwood

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
Does Radio Free Alpha Centauri beam messages in periodically?  (Or a Vasudan group of similar mind)
If memory serves, the Vasudan pilots who helped destroy the Lucifer had contact with the Hammer of Light via transmissions to/from Alpha Centauri.
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(the very next day)
<MageKing17> this ****ing code did it to me again
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(...)
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Offline rubixcube

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
In terms of dead, wounded, MIA etc, what are the current casualty counts of each side at the end of Tenebra?
Stuff

 

Offline Damage

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  • I'm a Major.
Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
My vague understanding is they were given official histories by the GTVA as part of propoganda, which was not cracked down on by the UEF to any huge extent.

Just off the cuff, that seems like counterproductive propaganda.  "The Shivans destroyed the entire Capella system--we look like weaklings!"  But after a moment's reflection, I can see the Tevs making that kind of statement and using it to try and put the fear of Shiva into the UEF populace.
I didn't feel like putting anything here.  Then I did it anyway just to be contrary.

 

Offline QuakeIV

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Re: The Blue Planet Oracle (full BP2/3 spoilers within!)
Yeah, they also have their actually somewhat successful evac operation that the UEF probably wouldn't have had the firepower to pull off, including the ability to meson bomb jump nodes, which the UEF also cant do.