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Imperium Uniform Research

Canon says that the officer ranks are on epaulettes or sleeve rings, or both... but it doesn't define the sleeve rings.

I think it's time for me to rotoscope the uniforms... hehehe...
 
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1. Imperial Uniforms will vary by period. This has been quite likely in every military force in history we know of so far, so I see no reason for it to differ in the various ages of the Imperium(s).

2. Imperial Uniforms will vary by location. There may be a standard, but the military brass and military units being what they are, there will be exceptions granted left, right and center. There will be preservation of a number of traditional uniforms simply because allowing them to persist, with attendant espirit de corps and unit history, is part of building elite units. No Emperor in his right mind is going to try to turn every fighting unit into the same thing. Even Rome had divergences and it was more consistent than most. Look at the British Empire - uniforms varied all over the place (as it did with most Colonial and far-flung empires). And if one Emperor changes this, another may well change it back.

3. Regardless of what regs say, uniforms will vary in use quite a bit. I know what Canadian combat uniforms are meant to look like, but I also know that when they sent our boys to Afghanistan first, they only had the green CADPAT. Soldiers, being pragmatic, splotched them with paint in desert tones to get closer matches to local terrain. (That's combat uniform, but still....)

4. Uniforms would have to vary dramatically to account for anatomy of alien races and their visual and other perceptors, esepcially in areas where the Imperial officers and NCOs may be the only humans (if there are that man) while most of the troops are ... something else.

5. What does a dress uniform look like for a Dolphin, a Githiasko, a Virushi, etc? Do they even have a concept of dress uniforms? Or uniforms at all?

Yes, some of these are tangential to what you are trying to do. And the Imperium is somewhat humano-centric, despite having a ridiculous number of different intelligent species serving in one capacity or another.

6. Navy Work Dress/Shipboard Uniforms: Don't like the depictions with zippers and seperate jacket and pants.

Seperate jacket and pants - no point in this. The shipsuit coverall makes more sense. If you must have the jacket and pants look, then the pants must have a moderately broad area of touch-seal around the top (can be hidden under the jacket) - think like the top of "Hammer pants" - and the jacket must come down to cover this and the interior must have the quick-seal mating material. So effectively you turn the jacket and pants INTO a coverall. The only reason to have them seperate is you can remove the jacket at times.

Zippers in a tailored vacc suit? Not likely. Some sort of touch-seal closure. And I would think that the point-down style of collar would just not happen. You'd have a priests collar that went around the neck (perhaps you have to pull a piece across to close the loop) and that the soft helmet or hard helmet could mate to. Similarly, wrists would be tight so you can mate to the gloves.

If you are assuming they are carrying the soft helmet, the collar/back of collar should be thick and/or bulgy and that's probably where the helmet is stored, to deploy like a Mustang Floater vest (opening out).

The gloves are probably stored in one cargo pocket on the leg (or two if you prefer symetry). If you get a breech to fast vaccuum (large hole blowing out most of the air immediately), you've got about 20 seconds to get sealed or you'll pass out. The uniform probably has sensors in it to pop the collar holding the hood so you can just reach back, pull it forward, run your finger around the neck joint, and its on. Then grab your gloves from the pocket.

Also your O-7 to 0-10 ranks probably should have the silver/gold (or whatever) colours on the stars reversed and maybe add a 1 pixel outline so you can see the edges versus the yellow (or gold if you will) epaulet. I'm assuming these are going to be precious metals as the admirals are likely to be just that sort....

Keep up the good work (my comments are all meant in the spirit of constructive criticism).
 
Duty/combat uniforms will probably change every time there's a war or TL increase, but dress uniforms rarely will (the military loves tradition).
 
Duty/combat uniforms will probably change every time there's a war or TL increase, but dress uniforms rarely will (the military loves tradition).

Tell that to the US government... After all, the US Army uniforms changed before the Spanish American War, after WW I, After the Korean War, slightly in the 1990's, and again 3 years ago...

Seriously, tho', I want to raise another question...

How many different dress uniforms should there be?

US Army when I joined was 1.5 for enlisted and 3 for NCO and 5 for officer...
Mess Dress (NCO Blue, Officer Blue or white)
Full Dress - "Dress Blues" (NCO and officer)
Full Dress White (Officer, possibly SNCO)
Formal Service Dress Modified Class A - Green, with white shirt and bowtie (Enlisted to Sp4, cadets, Possibly also NCO)
Service Dress "Class A" Green (All) green shirt and four-in-hand tie.

USSR's Army had, at about the same time:
Mess Dress White
Parade Dress Blue/green
Parade Dress white
Walking out dress blue/green
Walking out dress white
Service dress green
 
Uniforms change quite a bit there was a phase out of a number of uniforms while I was in. When I entered there was an actually good looking Air force Uniform that was pleated dark blue shirt and dark blue pants looked cool phased out after I was in for around 2 years. Also the air force went from olive drab fatigues to Nato tri color BDU while I was in.

The wearing of the uniform can change from assignment to assignment. An example I was chewed out while I was Temporary Duty to Oklahoma from Florida. In Florida (Eglin) we had uniform standards that were more for comfort in the heat and humidity. Fatigue shirt worn outside the pants (not tucked in) sleeves rolled up this was the standard there for summer use. Well in Oklahoma a certain master sergeant had a difference of opinion and proceeded to tell me of how i was a disgrace to the uniform etc. Well he was informed by a third party that this is an acceptable practice elsewhere and I well leaned to tuck my shirt in during the rest of my stay.

Just trying to illustrate that wearing of uniform can change from place to place due to different reasons like what the commander thinks or prevailing weather conditions.
 
1. Imperial Uniforms will vary by period. This has been quite likely in every military force in history we know of so far, so I see no reason for it to differ in the various ages of the Imperium(s).

2. Imperial Uniforms will vary by location. There may be a standard, but the military brass and military units being what they are, there will be exceptions granted left, right and center. There will be preservation of a number of traditional uniforms simply because allowing them to persist, with attendant espirit de corps and unit history, is part of building elite units. No Emperor in his right mind is going to try to turn every fighting unit into the same thing. Even Rome had divergences and it was more consistent than most. Look at the British Empire - uniforms varied all over the place (as it did with most Colonial and far-flung empires). And if one Emperor changes this, another may well change it back.

3. Regardless of what regs say, uniforms will vary in use quite a bit. I know what Canadian combat uniforms are meant to look like, but I also know that when they sent our boys to Afghanistan first, they only had the green CADPAT. Soldiers, being pragmatic, splotched them with paint in desert tones to get closer matches to local terrain. (That's combat uniform, but still....)

4. Uniforms would have to vary dramatically to account for anatomy of alien races and their visual and other perceptors, esepcially in areas where the Imperial officers and NCOs may be the only humans (if there are that man) while most of the troops are ... something else.

5. What does a dress uniform look like for a Dolphin, a Githiasko, a Virushi, etc? Do they even have a concept of dress uniforms? Or uniforms at all?

Yes, some of these are tangential to what you are trying to do. And the Imperium is somewhat humano-centric, despite having a ridiculous number of different intelligent species serving in one capacity or another.

6. Navy Work Dress/Shipboard Uniforms: Don't like the depictions with zippers and seperate jacket and pants.

Seperate jacket and pants - no point in this. The shipsuit coverall makes more sense. If you must have the jacket and pants look, then the pants must have a moderately broad area of touch-seal around the top (can be hidden under the jacket) - think like the top of "Hammer pants" - and the jacket must come down to cover this and the interior must have the quick-seal mating material. So effectively you turn the jacket and pants INTO a coverall. The only reason to have them seperate is you can remove the jacket at times.

Zippers in a tailored vacc suit? Not likely. Some sort of touch-seal closure. And I would think that the point-down style of collar would just not happen. You'd have a priests collar that went around the neck (perhaps you have to pull a piece across to close the loop) and that the soft helmet or hard helmet could mate to. Similarly, wrists would be tight so you can mate to the gloves.

If you are assuming they are carrying the soft helmet, the collar/back of collar should be thick and/or bulgy and that's probably where the helmet is stored, to deploy like a Mustang Floater vest (opening out).

The gloves are probably stored in one cargo pocket on the leg (or two if you prefer symetry). If you get a breech to fast vaccuum (large hole blowing out most of the air immediately), you've got about 20 seconds to get sealed or you'll pass out. The uniform probably has sensors in it to pop the collar holding the hood so you can just reach back, pull it forward, run your finger around the neck joint, and its on. Then grab your gloves from the pocket.

Also your O-7 to 0-10 ranks probably should have the silver/gold (or whatever) colours on the stars reversed and maybe add a 1 pixel outline so you can see the edges versus the yellow (or gold if you will) epaulet. I'm assuming these are going to be precious metals as the admirals are likely to be just that sort....

Keep up the good work (my comments are all meant in the spirit of constructive criticism).

Ummm No,

Studies in WW2 showed coveralls were unpopular. Separates needed because the wearers like to go to the bathroom and coveralls make that difficult particularly in combat conditions. US submariners don't seem to mind them. Modern survival suits quickly got the name Poopy suit. Slang extended it to all USN coveralls. They are again being phased out for a new blue-cammo BDU uni. So coveralls/skintight spacesuits will appear, wear out their welcome and then disappear for a few generations in Imperial service.

Am article on WW2 use appeared in STRATEGY & TACTICS magazine some years back.
 
Hmm. In the 3I, I would guess the uniforms would be based on whatever megacorp has the contract to supply basic enlisted uniforms. That would imply a change very, what, 5-10 years?

Jut my thoughts on it....
 
The corp would just supply whatever the military order.

The Imperium is huge, and it would take years for changes to reach the frontiers. That plus the military's love of tradition and the Vilani hatred of innovation would mean it's unlikely uniforms would change without a good reason.
 
The corp would just supply whatever the military order.

The Imperium is huge, and it would take years for changes to reach the frontiers. That plus the military's love of tradition and the Vilani hatred of innovation would mean it's unlikely uniforms would change without a good reason.

Proliferate, perhaps; change, only if the emperor demands.
 
Ummm No,

Studies in WW2 showed coveralls were unpopular. Separates needed because the wearers like to go to the bathroom and coveralls make that difficult particularly in combat conditions. US submariners don't seem to mind them. Modern survival suits quickly got the name Poopy suit. Slang extended it to all USN coveralls. They are again being phased out for a new blue-cammo BDU uni. So coveralls/skintight spacesuits will appear, wear out their welcome and then disappear for a few generations in Imperial service.

Am article on WW2 use appeared in STRATEGY & TACTICS magazine some years back.

Hi,

I agree that a one piece uniform seems kind of not all that useful.

I remember back when originally watching Star trek the Next Generation in college, they initially seemed to have a single piece uniform but eventually changed to a two piece one in late seasons. (Wikipedia has some info on this).

To me, a two or three part uniform that covers reasonably loosely but still protects would seem much more useful than a single piece uniform that would have to be able to conform to a wide range of motions and postures without being overly constrictive or limiting in motions.

Pat
 
I use old Soviet era uniforms for an example:

Istvanspeaks.jpg
 
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