How is the IISS organised in the Spinward Marches?

[Chris Barlow]

I'm trying to get some idea of how the administrative structures of the IISS are set up in the spinward marches. There are lots of scouts, many scout bases, and a huge number of 100dTon ships. But I haven't found anywhere anything like the Fleet write-ups on where the administrative boundaries are, who is in charge, when the leaders are appointed or removed. The suggestion is that not all scout bases are the same - and the various branches clearly have different requirements given their missions.

Has there been a write up at any point?

Who is the IGS leader for the Rigina Subsector?

Book 6 gave a rank hierarchy for the Administration (not used in any other version of Traveller's Scouts career) but even that didn't give any indication of how the service operated in practice.

When your paycheck comes back a Cr0.06 for the month, to whom to you complain? How does your paycheck arrive at all? Who has authority to authorise a cultural survey? Who can request that a planet is isolated for its own safety? Who do those research stations report to? Where is the external mapping group based?

I'm trying to get some idea of how the administrative structures of the IISS are set up in the spinward marches. There are lots of scouts, many scout bases, and a huge number of 100dTon ships. But I haven't found anywhere anything like the Fleet write-ups on where the administrative boundaries are, who is in charge, when the leaders are appointed or removed. The suggestion is that not all scout bases are the same - and the various branches clearly have different requirements given their missions.

Has there been a write up at any point?

Who is the IGS leader for the Rigina Subsector?

Book 6 gave a rank hierarchy for the Administration (not used in any other version of Traveller's Scouts career) but even that didn't give any indication of how the service operated in practice.

When your paycheck comes back a Cr0.06 for the month, to whom to you complain? How does your paycheck arrive at all? Who has authority to authorise a cultural survey? Who can request that a planet is isolated for its own safety? Who do those research stations report to? Where is the external mapping group based?

How is the IISS organised in the Spinward Marches? May be it is just me. But having played a few Scout characters, using just the standard classic Traveller and MgT first edition rule books. I never felt the words Scouts and the IISS and organised go together. IISS and organised. A bit like putting the words Military and Intelligence together. They do not go. I believe the proper terms for this are oxymoron or contradiction in terms.

 

[Grav_Moped]

How is the IISS organised in the Spinward Marches? May be it is just me. But having played a few Scout characters, using just the standard classic Traveller and MgT first edition rule books. I never felt the words Scouts and the IISS and organised go together. IISS and organised. A bit like putting the words Military and Intelligence together. They do not go. I believe the proper terms for this are oxymoron or contradiction in terms.

IMTU, there's organization, but it's largely invisible to front-line Scouts.

 

[Condottiere]

Social service case workers.

 

[kilemall]

Hiver puppets?

 

[Condottiere]

I'd go with cat herders, but hand puppets will do.

 

[coliver988]

I'd go with cat herders, but hand puppets will do.

 

[Chris Barlow]

IMTU, there's organization, but it's largely invisible to front-line Scouts.

IMTU it is largely invisible to everyone else too.

 

[Condottiere]

Until your leash is pulled.

 

[BackworldTraveller]

By whom? The whole operates like a secret society. A shadowy administration, opaque budget, dubious employment status that you can’t leave!

 

[Condottiere]

Your free ride.

And let's not forget the Scout bases, where you need someone to keep the lazy mechanics in line.

 

[Timerover51]

In my universe, there are no Scouts. I do have Rim Scouts, but they do have a straightforward organizational structure. The Scouts as described in the OTU could not exist as an organization with no structure.

 

[kilemall]

In my universe, there are no Scouts. I do have Rim Scouts, but they do have a straightforward organizational structure. The Scouts as described in the OTU could not exist as an organization with no structure.

I strongly disagree.

The RL example is NASA. Astronauts don’t have rank, they have mission positions. Field operatives would be like our astronauts and assigned on a mission basis as to who commands the mission. NASA infrastructure and base bureaucracy would be the equivalent of the ranked LBB6 support service.

Astronaut ranks and positions - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[whulorigan]

In my universe, there are no Scouts. I do have Rim Scouts, but they do have a straightforward organizational structure. The Scouts as described in the OTU could not exist as an organization with no structure.

I strongly disagree.

The RL example is NASA. Astronauts don’t have rank, they have mission positions. Field operatives would be like our astronauts and assigned on a mission basis as to who commands the mission. NASA infrastructure and base bureaucracy would be the equivalent of the ranked LBB6 support service.

Astronaut ranks and positions - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Rank and Organizational Structure are two diffrerecnt things. NASA Astronauts do not have Ranks, but NASA itself most certainly has an organizational structure which officially assigns those mission positions to Astronauts on particular missions.

Scouts would likely be considered for mision-positions by the Scout Bureaucracy based on time-in-service and relevant skill-sets.

Timerover51's comment is accurate: NO organization can meaningfully exist without an organizational structure to decide what it is going to do, and how, and who will oversee the details. That is why the Scout Bureaucracy in Book 6 is necessary.

 

[kilemall]

Rank and Organizational Structure are two diffrerecnt things. NASA Astronauts do not have Ranks, but NASA itself most certainly has an organizational structure which officially assigns those mission positions to Astronauts on particular missions.

Scouts would likely be considered for mision-positions by the Scout Bureaucracy based on time-in-service and relevant skill-sets.

Timerover51's comment is accurate: NO organization can meaningfully exist without an organizational structure to decide what it is going to do, and how, and who will oversee the details. That is why the Scout Bureaucracy in Book 6 is necessary.

No argument there, to extend to the per mission command structure. I’m highlighting that the No rank for field operations per se is in fact done.

Besides, the story line of wrangling between stuffed shirts back at base and problem solving unconventional types is irresistible.

You could even skip the LBB6 structure and use S4 Bureaucrats for your base/mission definitions types.

 

[whulorigan]

You could even skip the LBB6 structure and use S4 Bureaucrats for your base/mission definitions types.

Good point for those who want to avoid the Advanced CharGen rules.

 

[GypsyComet]

use S4 Bureaucrats for your base/mission definitions types.

Since Book 6 is the Advanced system for both Scout and Bureaucrat, that even makes sense.

The big thing you lose by chucking Book 6 is that the two parts of the IISS are *one career* for CT (and MT, for that matter) purposes. Some editions (and many house rules) don't care about that, but we all know enough "by the book" types that this melding of the two paths is significant.

 

[Garnfellow]

Thanks to Thomas's recent post on translating old links, I found the thread I was thinking of: https://www.travellerrpg.com/index.php?threads/fleet-production.3644/

 

[infojunky]

Reading this thread all I can think of is Scouts submitting reports on "Official" Scout service bar napkins... Used in all the finer establishments...

 

[Grav_Moped]

Reading this thread all I can think of is Scouts submitting reports on "Official" Scout service bar napkins... Used in all the finer establishments...

"Careful with that swizzle stick -- the coded notches I gnawed into it are classified Penultimate!'


Yes, those dental implants do AES-256 encryption. Don't ask.

 

[TamsinP]

From the Wiki: Year 95 Events: "Pax Rulin,commander of the Scout base on Mora and director of all Scout activity in the Spinward Marches from 81 to 95, retires."
Given the date, it's not too surprising that Mora was chosen as Sector HQ. Whether it remained there later or was moved to somewhere more central to the 3I's region of the Marches (and away from interference from the Duke's of Mora) isn't something I've been able to find.