[Woolie Wool]

It would work on the GTVA.

[Knight Templar]

... But it'd be stupid either way, because sooner or later, they'd just start killing everything indiscriminantly.

[Woolie Wool]

Not unless they want to destroy parts of their constitution. BETAC is the cornerstone of the GTVA. That's like the US saying "since these guerrillas in Iraq are disguised as civilians, why not shoot everyone indiscriminately?"

[Knight Templar]

IIRC there were plenty of instances of that in the Korean and Vietnam wars, no?

[Woomeister]

Originally posted by Knight Templar


eww...you reversed the engine pods..  

No I replaced the engine pods...

[mr.WHO]

What file I need to have that engine trials?
can you post me a link?

[Deathstorm V2]

On that note, isn't that science ship using an afterburner engine glow?  Is it just the texture, or is it actually using a burner?  I didn't think that worked for capships...

[Woomeister]

All EA stuff is green so I changed around the glows.

[Woolie Wool]

Originally posted by Knight Templar
IIRC there were plenty of instances of that in the Korean and Vietnam wars, no?

That was Vietnam. This is now.

Ever heard of war crimes? The guy who led the My Lai massacre was charged and convicted of war crimes.

[Woolie Wool]

Could you put up a picture of the Terran Mihos and the Ashtur?

[Knight Templar]

Ever heard of Governments not really caring because they are losing x amount of soldiers/money per day?

Or editing instead of double posting like a tard' all the time?

[neo_hermes]

[Woolie Wool]

To commit such war crimes, the GTVA would have to rip apart BETAC. You don't understand. YOU JUST CAN'T KILL PEOPLE INDISCRIMINATELY. Hell, we're losing soldiers all the time to guerrilas disguised as civilians in Iraq. WE'RE NOT OPENING FIRE ON CIVILIANS AT RANDOM. In the GTVA, the officers responsible for atrocities like firing on civilian ships would be prosecuted for war crimes. If they didn't prosecute said officers a lot of people would be really pissed off at the GTVA government, and since the GTVA is (or part of it is) a democracy, the citizens would exact vengeance with their votes come election day (it doesn't take a sociologist to figure out that elected officials want to stay in office). The GTVA would care that EA science vessels modified to become warships were attacking their cruisers and convoy but they would be able to do **** all about it except impose a harsher peace treaty after the end of the EA war.

Sure, we shot up civilians during Vietnam. That was partly why the antiwar movement was so strong.

[Woomeister]

EA science vessels and freighters are valid targets since they aren't classed as civilian targets. Even if there are civilians operating the ships, you'd be expected to destroy them.

[SadisticSid]

The GTVA would care that EA science vessels modified to become warships were attacking their cruisers and convoy but they would be able to do **** all about it except impose a harsher peace treaty after the end of the EA war.

What a load of rubbish. Civilians who fire on military forces are classified as combatants, and are subject to the same rules of engagement as opposing militaries or militia. And regarding BETAC, who says it still exists? I don't remember anyone mentioning it.

[Zarax]

EA recognizes BETAC... it's written somewhere in the techroom, just look at the Hippocrates description

[Woolie Wool]

Originally posted by SadisticSid


What a load of rubbish. Civilians who fire on military forces are classified as combatants, and are subject to the same rules of engagement as opposing militaries or militia. And regarding BETAC, who says it still exists? I don't remember anyone mentioning it.

I was talking about INDISCRIMINATE KILLING. That came from KT's suggestion that they kill everyone because they COULD be combatants. I guess it's just too bad for the family who entered the GTVA ships' crosshairs who was taking a trip to visit relatives in a colony installation orbiting Neptune. The US forces IIRC, AFAIK, never fire upon people unless the target(s) have been identified as combatants or are very likely to be combatants.

That's a lot different from destroying civilian ships on sight because a few days ago some civilian ships fitted with concealed weapons and being used by the EA navy attacked and destroyed a GTVA cruiser.

Also, abolishing BETAC would mean reincorporating the GTVA and creating a new government.

Originally posted by Zarax
EA recognizes BETAC... it's written somewhere in the techroom, just look at the Hippocrates description

Those are the EA's rules of engagement and are unrelated to BETAC except they might forbid the same thing. BETAC is the GTVA constitution.

[Knight Templar]

Weapons + Ships = Enemy during war. Civilian or not.

[Liberator]

Originally posted by Woolie Wool

Those are the EA's rules of engagement...

Given EA's lack of acknowledgement of the basic humanity of their enemy, one would expect that they wouldn't bat an eye at whackig a few dozen civilians.

[Ypoknons]

You do realize that in the midst of war, individual, soldiers, fleets or even governments can freak out. It's not like the BETAC is anymore than a set of rules - and in war, rules are sometimes forgotten when you're fighting for your lives.