Rank Structure Proposal

Ols

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I know this initially might not be very popular, but I think it might up the activity of some of the Republic soldiers and maybe even get us some new members. I also think it will add a lot to the realism of the RP. It's basically dividing the Republic up from just one army, into an Enlisted Corps and an Officer Corps. It will aid people, when creating their characters, for which they want to apply for, what background they come from and how the character is.

Fairly obviously, the Enlisted Corps is for the Squaddies, the out and out soldiers, not the best with intelligence, but those willing to learn from experience, full of grit and hard as nails. And the Officer Corps, is for those with a little bit more of a richer background perhaps (can afford Officer Training), more naturally astute, intelligent and better tacticians, but perhaps not as tough. There is no reason to say that these are rules or set in stone, or even that one cannot be transferred from the Enlisted to the Officer Corps after demonstrating clever tactical ability or the like (they would ahve to got through Officer Training)

There would also be a bit of a limit, as we can't have everyone being officers, but basically it would be (obviously) the ultimate decision of Nexus. It would come from a combination of the person's RP skill, intelligence and the Character background and intelligence (and anything else you see fit).

There would also be room for training for the new recruits, and I can understand many people would not want to do this, but I for now would be happy to train the Officers, whilst an enlisted rank (Corporal or above, see proposed structure below) would train each one. Training would be better for the Officers on a one to one, or one to two basis, but Enlisted it could be anything from one to one to one to four or five. It would not be that in depth and cover basic combat skills, fieldcraft, basic medic stuff etc. I, again, would be happy to draw up a more detailed plan of what must be undertaken. A plan to get more people happy to do training would be it adding to their chances of being promoted sooner (IC a big thing, OOC less big but a carrot before the donkey nonetheless).

I propose the rank structure below:

Enlisted Corps
Sergeant Major of the Republic (Most Senior Non-Commissioned Officer at any one time. Unique.)
Sergeant Major
Sergeant
Corporal
Private First Class/Lance Corporal
Private
Recruit (Training Only)

Recruits would be trained, and not sent on missions. In times of need, this training can be rushed. To train I think one should be at least a Sergeant, but in practice it might be easier to allow Lance Corporals/PFCs to train too. Privates are not technically superior to Recruits, but a Recruit becomes a private on completion of training.

Officer Corps
Supreme Commander (answers only to Chancellor. Unique)
General
Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Under Officer (Training)
Officer Cadet (Training Only)

The bottom two are training ranks. Officer training should be a little more in depth than Enlisted training, basics covered as an Officer Cadet and then practical side of things (actual missions, RPed only by trainer and trainee if necessary) as an Under Officer. Under Officers are still technically in training, but are permitted to go into battle situations under their trainers in order to show their ability as a leader. Once the trainer is satisfied, they are promoted to Lieutenant. Lieutenants and above can teach the the Cadets and under Officers.

This is only an idea, but I think it might up activity, membership and realism. I am expecting this to be met mostly negatively, but I believe in it nonetheless.
 
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Ser Gregor

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I've got no issues with this. Anyone else want to give any suggestion.
 

The Balance

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Seems kinda complicated at first glance, but after looking through it another time, it looks like it could work out.
 

Ols

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I'd be happy to rewrite this in a more newbie-friendly format so the rank structure could be placed in the public Republic boards, and would draft a reorganisation of the current rank structure (everyone currently in the Republic, I would say would keep their rank, but any new members would probably have to go through training, unless the char is designed for a specific rank).

I would also suggest adding a SMoR (from the Enlisted Corps already perhaps), but a Supreme Commander is less necessary, as we have a Supreme Chancellor telling us what the Supreme Commander would be ordering.
 

Ser Gregor

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See if you can make it more user-friendly.
 

Ols

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See if you can make it more user-friendly.

Well bear in mind this is to explain the transition and how it would work from our perspective. Writing it for new recruits would be easier as we wouldn't have to explain the transition as much as merely explain the system.

Either way, I'll have a user friendly version done sometime soon.
 

Ols

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Okay, I've written up the basic posts for the rank explaination thread(see below). The signup would probably have to be changed to include a "Preffered Corps" option, but if that does not match the character then obviously they would be told which corps they are being put into. Officers tend to come from more well off backgrounds than the soldiers, they can afford officer training and tend to be fairly well educated, as certain results are required to qualify for officer training. The enlisted corps, however, has no restrictions, so it is for the less wealthy, less intelligent and, generally, the more hardcore. A career soldier, who is the depiction of a hardcore soldier, would be in the enlisted corps, and a leader, an intelligent fighter, would be in the officer corps. There is no reason that a member of the enlisted corps cannot be transferred to the officer corps after displaying great tactical ability and intelligence in the field.

It is likely, I think, that most people are of the mentality "I wanna be top rank!!!" and regardless of the character (as most of them do tend to be career soldiers of the kind found in the enlisted corps) will all sign up for the officer corps. It will of course be Nexus' final discretion, but I do implore him to check out the character and remember how many more enlisted soldiers there would be than officers. (Officers are paid more for a reason!). I also implore him to remember the differences in character and background from a soldier to an officer, when people signup.

Becoming a mentor to another soldier (Lt and above for the officers, Pfc and above for the Enlisted) should be taken on by as many PC chars towards the bottom end of both corps as we can encourage. Remind them that promotion may come around quicker if they train more recruits or trainees.

I hope you give this real consideration and I think it could well help in a rejuvenation the Republic needs.
 

Ols

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Ranks of the Republic Military

Officer Corps

Supreme Commander
This is the highest rank in the military. The Supreme Commander is selected by the Supreme Chancellor, from the Chancellor’s leading Generals, in order to coordinate the war effort.

General
This is the highest rank in the Officer Corps that one can be promoted to. There is no assurances that after a lifetime in the Officer Corps anyone will achieve this rank. It is reserved for the best tacticians and leaders only, and they should be treated with absolute respect. They are in command of all operations in the Military and work with the other Generals to ensure the smooth running of these operations.

Colonel
Colonel is the next highest rank above Commander and below General. Colonels command Infantry Legions. Colonels are also the Chief of Divisional-Level Staff Agencies. This is the highest rank one should expect to achieve after a long, hard term of service in the military.

Commander
Commander is the next highest rank above Major and below Colonel. Commanders serve as Senior Officers of regiments, or some as Executive Officers for legions and Task Forces. In addition, Commanders command augmented companies in Combat Service and Service Support Units. One must serve as a Commander for at least two months or show considerable merit in order to advance to the rank of Colonel.

Major
Major is the next highest rank above Captain and below Commander. Majors command Battalions, or some are the Executive Officers or Regiments. One must serve as a Major for at least two months or show considerable merit to advance to the rank of Commander.

Captain
Captain is the next highest rank above Lieutenant and below Major. Captains are the Senior Officers of a Company, or some are Executive Officers of Battalions. They also have the privilege of commanding Republic Navy vessels while in battle, though your experience determines the type of ship you command. One must serve as a Captain for at least two months or show considerable merit in order to advance to the rank of Major.

Lieutenant
Lieutenant is first rank an Officer achieves upon completion of training, and it is below Captain. Lieutenants are the Senior Officers of Platoons, and some are the Executive Officers of Companies. While aboard Republic Navy Vessels, Lieutenants serve as Deck Officers, still outranking all of the Enlisted Corps. One must serve as a Lieutenant for at least two months or show considerable merit in order to advance to the rank of Captain.

Under Officer
This is the first rank that holds any real authority over the Enlisted ranks. Although still technically a training rank, Under Officers are permitted to go out on missions, accompanied by their mentor, who now can teach them in the field. It is on the advice of this mentor that the Under Officer graduates and becomes a Lieutenant.

Officer Cadet
This is the first title a new addition to the Officer Corps is given. They have this only during their officer training, where they learn the basics of command and leadership, along with the protocols and regularities of life as a Republic Officer. They are trained by an assortment of officers and other soldiers, at this point holding no real authority over the Enlisted ranks. Having said that, it is usual practice for most Officer Cadets to be taken on by an officer, of the rank Lieutenant or higher, in order for them to learn more. It is upon the advice of this mentor that they progress to Under Officer, and there is no set timescale for this.
 
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Ols

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Enlisted Corps

Sergeant Major of the Republic
This is the rank given to the most senior Sergeant Majors in the army at any one time. It is a coveted title, and thusly awarded sparingly. There are usually no more than one of these at any one time, but it has been known to show a decorated Sergeant Major respect by giving them this title. Very few soldiers ever achieve this rank, and as such its holders should be treated with respect accordingly.

Sergeant Major
This is a well earned rank in the Enlisted Corps. A Sergeant Major serves as the senior non-commissioned officer in a Company, and as such is not a common rank. They are pure bred soldiers, and it is their ability that has got them to this rank. It is not natural progression for all Sergeants to be promoted to this rank, and as such the Sergeant Majors are respected by the enlisted ranks, and indeed many officers.

Sergeant
This is the highest rank in the Enlisted Corps that a soldier should expect to attain. They would have to show great merit to be promoted to Sergeant Major, and as such not many Sergeants are. Nonetheless, Sergeants are career soldiers with experience. They are the senior non-commissioned officers of platoons. They operate best leading in combat, but are not the best tacticians compared with the Officer Corps.

Corporal
Corporal is the rank below Sergeant and above Private First Class. They serve as the junior non-commissioned officers of platoons and the ICs of squads. One must serve as a Corporal for two months or show considerable merit to advance to the rank of Sergeant.

Private First Class
This is the lowest rank of a non-commissioned officer in the army. They usually serve as the 2ICs of squads. They are the first rank with the privilege of command, over the privates. One must serve as a Private First Class for two months or show considerable merit to advance to Corporal.

Private
Private is the title given to an unranked soldier. They are the lowest in the hierarchy, but that does not mean they are poor in skill. This usually reflects their lack of experience in the military, and they make up the fighting force of the army. One must serve as a Private for two months or show considerable merit to advance to the rank of Private First Class.

Recruit
Recruit is the title by which the new signups of the army are referred. Whilst they are a recruit, they are trained in the art of battle, how to shoot and how to be an effective member of a squad. They learn respect and discipline. Whilst this basic training is not long, it sets them up for a career in the army. They are usually trained in groups by a non-commissioned officer (Pfc or higher) and it is at the digression of their instructor when they are properly brought into the army as privates.
 

Ols

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Any opinions? Approval/being shot down in flames?
 

Phil

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And you have MY AXE!!!

Oh, and my vote, i like this. Very nicely done, Ols.
 

Ols

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Well if we're voting you've got my vote.

And you have MY AXE!!!

Oh, and my vote, i like this. Very nicely done, Ols.

Merci beaucoup. Just gotta wait for Nexus' final decision.

Also I think that perhaps Colonel and Commander should be switched, with Colonels commanding Regiments and Commanders in charge of Legions, but it's not a major point.

Oh and to clarify, this works with the army being arranged something like this:

Army
Senior Officer is Commander in Chief (Supreme Chancellor)
Executive Officer is Supreme Commander
Senior NCO is SMoR
Contains indefinite number of Legions (varies upon how many people sign-up)

Legion
Senior Officer is a Colonel
Executive Officer is a Commander
Senior NCO is a Sergeant Major (Or SMoR)
Contains 4-6 Regiments

Regiment
Senior Officer is a Commander
Executive Officer is a Major
Senior NCO is a Sergeant Major
Contains 4-6 Battalions

Battalion
Senior Officer is a Major
Executive Officer is a Captain
Senior NCO is a Sergeant Major
Contains 4-6 Companies

Company
Senior Officer is a Captain
Executive Officer is a Lieutenant
Senior NCO is a Sergeant Major
Contains 4-6 Platoons

Platoon
Senior Officer is a Lieutenant
Senior NCO is a Sergeant Major or Sergeant
Contains 4-6 Squads

Squad
IC is a Senior NCO (Sergeant Major, Sergeant or Corporal)
2IC is a Junior NCO (Corporal or Pfc)
Between 6 and 8 other soldiers (Private or Pfc)

And the reason "some" officers serve as Execs in higher denominations of troops is because they're better.
IE In one Company:
One squad will have a Sergeant Major as it's IC
3-5 Squads will have a Sergeant as it's IC
13-31 Squads will have a Corporal as it's IC (I think my maths is right...)
 
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Ser Gregor

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We're going ahead with this. Ols, do you want to create a post that I can post in place of the old Rank Structure?
 

Ols

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It'll just be a thread with all that stuff copy and pasted, basically. And I'll post a new roster with all current people in it, you can just lock and sticky it then Edit it as and when we get new members, okay?
 
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