Marines with Cutlasses
- Thread starter mshensley
- Start date
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hunter:
[Marines get] pretty much what you would think:
Weapon Proficiencies
Marksman (pistols, rifles, non-military firearms)
Combat Rifleman (military small and long firearms)
Armor Proficiencies
Light, Medium, and Vac Suit
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Is this enough to use Battle Dress? Don't forget that ALL marines wear battle dress...
Hans
[Marines get] pretty much what you would think:
Weapon Proficiencies
Marksman (pistols, rifles, non-military firearms)
Combat Rifleman (military small and long firearms)
Armor Proficiencies
Light, Medium, and Vac Suit
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Is this enough to use Battle Dress? Don't forget that ALL marines wear battle dress...
Hans
hunter
Ancient - Absent Friend
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rancke:
Is this enough to use Battle Dress? Don't forget that ALL marines wear battle dress...
Hans<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah I heard that rumor... from some alternate universe somewhere...
Hunter
[This message has been edited by hunter (edited 18 March 2002).]
Is this enough to use Battle Dress? Don't forget that ALL marines wear battle dress...
Hans<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah I heard that rumor... from some alternate universe somewhere...
Hunter
[This message has been edited by hunter (edited 18 March 2002).]
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hunter:
Yeah I heard that rumor... from some alternate universe somewhere...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
All kidding aside. I disagree with that particular decision (made, I've learned, by Loren Wiseman and not Doug Berry), but as a general principle I do hope you (and Marc and Loren) will strive to keep the OTU and the GTU compatible. I do so hope that the Year 1000 is supposed to be identical for both universes. That would IMO be so much more elegant than accepting discrepancies on the grounds that it is an alternate universe.
Hans
Yeah I heard that rumor... from some alternate universe somewhere...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
All kidding aside. I disagree with that particular decision (made, I've learned, by Loren Wiseman and not Doug Berry), but as a general principle I do hope you (and Marc and Loren) will strive to keep the OTU and the GTU compatible. I do so hope that the Year 1000 is supposed to be identical for both universes. That would IMO be so much more elegant than accepting discrepancies on the grounds that it is an alternate universe.
Hans
hunter
Ancient - Absent Friend
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rancke:
All kidding aside. I disagree with that particular decision (made, I've learned, by Loren Wiseman and not Doug Berry), but as a general principle I do hope you (and Marc and Loren) will strive to keep the OTU and the GTU compatible. I do so hope that the Year 1000 is supposed to be identical for both universes. That would IMO be so much more elegant than accepting discrepancies on the grounds that it is an alternate universe.
Hans<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Compatibility is one thing, all marines wearing battledress is another.
This is not something I consider an 'incompatibility'. Of course, Marc can always over rule me on this.
Hunter
[This message has been edited by hunter (edited 19 March 2002).]
All kidding aside. I disagree with that particular decision (made, I've learned, by Loren Wiseman and not Doug Berry), but as a general principle I do hope you (and Marc and Loren) will strive to keep the OTU and the GTU compatible. I do so hope that the Year 1000 is supposed to be identical for both universes. That would IMO be so much more elegant than accepting discrepancies on the grounds that it is an alternate universe.
Hans<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Compatibility is one thing, all marines wearing battledress is another.
This is not something I consider an 'incompatibility'. Of course, Marc can always over rule me on this.
Hunter
[This message has been edited by hunter (edited 19 March 2002).]
DaveShayne
SOC-12
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rancke:
All kidding aside. I disagree with that particular decision (made, I've learned, by Loren Wiseman and not Doug Berry), but as a general principle I do hope you (and Marc and Loren) will strive to keep the OTU and the GTU compatible. I do so hope that the Year 1000 is supposed to be identical for both universes. That would IMO be so much more elegant than accepting discrepancies on the grounds that it is an alternate universe.
Hans<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Consider that marine units in 1000 might not all be BD equiped but that by 1120 all regiments might have migrated to powered armor.
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I am increasingly of the opinion that RPGs are by the nature of their creation subjective phenomenon. due to the interaction between game designers, game masters, and game players all definitions, rules, settings, and adventures are mutable in acordance with the uncertainty principle as expounded by Heisenburg. This is of course merely my point of view.
David Shayne
All kidding aside. I disagree with that particular decision (made, I've learned, by Loren Wiseman and not Doug Berry), but as a general principle I do hope you (and Marc and Loren) will strive to keep the OTU and the GTU compatible. I do so hope that the Year 1000 is supposed to be identical for both universes. That would IMO be so much more elegant than accepting discrepancies on the grounds that it is an alternate universe.
Hans<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Consider that marine units in 1000 might not all be BD equiped but that by 1120 all regiments might have migrated to powered armor.
------------------
I am increasingly of the opinion that RPGs are by the nature of their creation subjective phenomenon. due to the interaction between game designers, game masters, and game players all definitions, rules, settings, and adventures are mutable in acordance with the uncertainty principle as expounded by Heisenburg. This is of course merely my point of view.
David Shayne
bozzutoman
SOC-12
Being competent in battledress isn't quite the same as owning battledress. A Navyman with Ship Tactics doesn't necessarily own a battlecruiser.
This is state-of-the-art ordinance, and an expensive piece of the Emperor's property. While a soldier may have served 4 years in battledress, I'm fairly certain they don't just give that stuff away as spiff.
This is state-of-the-art ordinance, and an expensive piece of the Emperor's property. While a soldier may have served 4 years in battledress, I'm fairly certain they don't just give that stuff away as spiff.
Simon Jester
SOC-12
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hunter:
Compatibility is one thing, all marines wearing battledress is another.
This is not something I consider an 'incompatibility'. Of course, Marc can always over rule me on this.
Hunter
[This message has been edited by hunter (edited 19 March 2002).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
One way to run it would be to say that all Marines receive the equivalent of BD-0, having gone through a basic course in BattleDress ops in basic training. After all, wouldn't the military want to know which of their new recruits actually had the 'knack' for BD warfare, rather that just assigning a section of trainees and hoping they don't waste their time on someone that just can't deal with the non-intuitive tactics. Given the total number of recruits for the Marine Corps, empire-wide, they can just take their pick of those who just seem to take to BD naturally, and still have plenty of troopers to fill the BD regiment ranks.
Simon Jester
------------------
Good. Fast. Cheap.
Pick two.
Compatibility is one thing, all marines wearing battledress is another.
This is not something I consider an 'incompatibility'. Of course, Marc can always over rule me on this.
Hunter
[This message has been edited by hunter (edited 19 March 2002).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
One way to run it would be to say that all Marines receive the equivalent of BD-0, having gone through a basic course in BattleDress ops in basic training. After all, wouldn't the military want to know which of their new recruits actually had the 'knack' for BD warfare, rather that just assigning a section of trainees and hoping they don't waste their time on someone that just can't deal with the non-intuitive tactics. Given the total number of recruits for the Marine Corps, empire-wide, they can just take their pick of those who just seem to take to BD naturally, and still have plenty of troopers to fill the BD regiment ranks.
Simon Jester
------------------
Good. Fast. Cheap.
Pick two.
I may have played on some off the wall MT and CT campaigns but are there not planets with different tech levels and places that just aren’t up to par, I’ve mostly played scout types and eventually I always end up in a situation where I have to leave all my belonging behind, As such the Empire would never be rich enough to go to all power armor, there are simply too many places with out the resources to afford it.
Even today most militaries don’t have flak jackets for all their marines, yes the western nations do, but most 3rd world countries don’t. The empire is a vast place and it’s military reflects the places they come from, the guys getting in Battle dress are the guys who are from rich planets or where highly honored on back water planets and where transferred to rich planets, sure the creation system doesn’t spell it out, but think a bit and you can fill in many gaps.
As far as the cutlass, its part of the game and it reflects the mentality that the ship is worth more then your life is, something completely not in our mentality today, but there was a time that a captain and his crew would not abandon a sinking ship until it was under, the cutlass reflects that mentality, the fact that the GM is not going to account for every missed shot is another issue, but if he did I bet you would start opting to use a weapon with the minimum collateral damage possible.
Open your minds a little, accept alien concepts, like sacrifice and the value of a buck, this is what makes role playing fun. What if the captain charged the marines for everything they break or gets broken during a boarding attack, or as a pirate you know you will have a hard time getting past the clearance codes, but it will be a little easier if a consol with access is already available and hasn’t been destroyed by a stray shot.
Just an idea take it or leave it.
Even today most militaries don’t have flak jackets for all their marines, yes the western nations do, but most 3rd world countries don’t. The empire is a vast place and it’s military reflects the places they come from, the guys getting in Battle dress are the guys who are from rich planets or where highly honored on back water planets and where transferred to rich planets, sure the creation system doesn’t spell it out, but think a bit and you can fill in many gaps.
As far as the cutlass, its part of the game and it reflects the mentality that the ship is worth more then your life is, something completely not in our mentality today, but there was a time that a captain and his crew would not abandon a sinking ship until it was under, the cutlass reflects that mentality, the fact that the GM is not going to account for every missed shot is another issue, but if he did I bet you would start opting to use a weapon with the minimum collateral damage possible.
Open your minds a little, accept alien concepts, like sacrifice and the value of a buck, this is what makes role playing fun. What if the captain charged the marines for everything they break or gets broken during a boarding attack, or as a pirate you know you will have a hard time getting past the clearance codes, but it will be a little easier if a consol with access is already available and hasn’t been destroyed by a stray shot.
Just an idea take it or leave it.
FlightCommanderSolitude
SOC-13
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>The empire is a vast place and it’s military reflects the places they come from, the guys getting in Battle dress are the guys who are from rich planets or where highly honored on back water planets and where transferred to rich planets, sure the creation system doesn’t spell it out, but think a bit and you can fill in many gaps. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Exactly!
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>As far as the cutlass, its part of the game and it reflects the mentality that the ship is worth more then your life is...[snip...I bet you would start opting to use a weapon with the minimum collateral damage possible. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I still, and probably always will, disagree with this stance on the prevalence of blade weapons in the Traveller universe. The box cover of my edition of Snapshot shows a guy spraying submachine gun fire into a cargo hold, and people shooting back. I simply cannot imagine that these starships would be fatally susceptible to small arms fire. Sure, I can understand that some important electronics or control panels might get damaged - but that can be fixed. And I can understand why one might want to avoid a gunfight in an enclosed space (ricochets, etc) - but if I'm a pirate, or a customs officer for that matter, I'm not going to board a vessel with my halberd! If people were honestly worried of explosive decompression if their sidearm went off, they'd never leave the planet.
In fact, I much prefer your first explanation - the great range in tech levels, population and affluence (not to mention local tradition) that define the worlds of the Imperium will have an effect on the kinds of weapons that are in use.
-FCS
Exactly!
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>As far as the cutlass, its part of the game and it reflects the mentality that the ship is worth more then your life is...[snip...I bet you would start opting to use a weapon with the minimum collateral damage possible. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I still, and probably always will, disagree with this stance on the prevalence of blade weapons in the Traveller universe. The box cover of my edition of Snapshot shows a guy spraying submachine gun fire into a cargo hold, and people shooting back. I simply cannot imagine that these starships would be fatally susceptible to small arms fire. Sure, I can understand that some important electronics or control panels might get damaged - but that can be fixed. And I can understand why one might want to avoid a gunfight in an enclosed space (ricochets, etc) - but if I'm a pirate, or a customs officer for that matter, I'm not going to board a vessel with my halberd! If people were honestly worried of explosive decompression if their sidearm went off, they'd never leave the planet.
In fact, I much prefer your first explanation - the great range in tech levels, population and affluence (not to mention local tradition) that define the worlds of the Imperium will have an effect on the kinds of weapons that are in use.
-FCS
TravelerGM
SOC-2
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mshensley:
Also, I'm not going to care if the ship is damaged or blows up when the alternative is some guy hacking me apart with a sword. I'm going to pull out my accelerator rifle and blow them away. Anyway, if I'm being boarded, my ship probably already looks like swiss cheese.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
That depends on the intent of the marines boarding it. The other side to think about is what did you do to have Imperial Marines board your vessel? If they feel that they will be facing pirates or cutthroats, they will probably blow your ship out of the sky long before they consider boarding her. If not, maybe they aren't there to kill everyone onboard, but to perform a police duty action to take prisoners to sort things out later.
Boarding parties are for capturing a ship. With this in mind, then it DOES matter what damamge is done to the vessel. I don't give a rat's tail about the walls, but I don't want the control panels shot out on the bridge.
I like cutlasses, in their place. One of the best tactics is to put the boarders in really heavy armor with cutlasses and flash bangs.
Just my Cr.02
Roger Barr
TravelerGM@aol.com
Also, I'm not going to care if the ship is damaged or blows up when the alternative is some guy hacking me apart with a sword. I'm going to pull out my accelerator rifle and blow them away. Anyway, if I'm being boarded, my ship probably already looks like swiss cheese.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
That depends on the intent of the marines boarding it. The other side to think about is what did you do to have Imperial Marines board your vessel? If they feel that they will be facing pirates or cutthroats, they will probably blow your ship out of the sky long before they consider boarding her. If not, maybe they aren't there to kill everyone onboard, but to perform a police duty action to take prisoners to sort things out later.
Boarding parties are for capturing a ship. With this in mind, then it DOES matter what damamge is done to the vessel. I don't give a rat's tail about the walls, but I don't want the control panels shot out on the bridge.
I like cutlasses, in their place. One of the best tactics is to put the boarders in really heavy armor with cutlasses and flash bangs.
Just my Cr.02
Roger Barr
TravelerGM@aol.com
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FlightCommanderSolitude:
Snip
I simply cannot imagine that these starships would be fatally susceptible to small arms fire. Sure, I can understand that some important electronics or control panels might get damaged - but that can be fixed. And I can understand why one might want to avoid a gunfight in an enclosed space (ricochets, etc) - but if I'm a pirate, or a customs officer for that matter, I'm not going to board a vessel with my halberd! If people were honestly worried of explosive decompression if their sidearm went off, they'd never leave the planet.
Snip
-FCS<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
While I agree with you, mostly. And it would be easier to say a marine is a modern marine, look at it this way, cops today carry Mace and batons, they use both more often then they do their gun against people. The Cutlass can be the Baton of the imperial marines.
I am not sure how armor is going to work in this game, but I imagine that high tech armor will repel anything that wasn’t a threat of going through the internal walls. Some weapons can risk going through wire ducts and other fun things, while not the main means of fighting, cutlass would be an option, just like a flame thrower and shotgun would be, Flame throwers are my personal favorite, pirates come on, they go into one of the flame thrower rigged rooms we torch it and we open the air lock, fire gets put out by the vacuum, boarders get taken out by the flames…then again we where half pirates ourselves.
But getting an air leak in a ship would be the worst kind of problem.
Also what if a ship was paid for over 200 years (your grand kids would be paying for it) and the insurance clause gets you out of ownership if you are killed protecting the ship, or if the ship is taken by pirates and you are ransomed and they take the ship…there are a great many different types of pirates and if you try to kill them they will probably try and kill you (classic escalation of force) so you try and cut him up (modern medicine being what it is if he lives to get to the medical bay he lives, if he dies on the spot, well he is dead) so different levels of response are taken, while most military vessels would not allow a boarding and deal with one in a very lethal way, Merchants may take a different approach, the cutlasses are for when the marines have to board a merchant ship…
Just another possible explanation for cutlasses, I don’t think it’s so far fetched, but if you want to blow the air locks and go in with grenades and laser pistols blazing, they are probably going to attempt to space you, and then mess with gravity to 3Gs to pin you and use internal security systems like flamers and corrosive gels to kill you.
Basically it depends on the GM if Pirates are after the ship, and have 3 ships pinning the merchant ship, calling it to surrender its ship and they will transport the captain and crew to the nearest star port… or they just want the Cargo…any number of things, or they are forced into a space dual where your ship and all the PCs will likely die. Think about it, would you allow the boarders, use archaic weapons as a show of defiance and security that no harm will come to the personnel by the boarders…
Just think about it, would you allow a prisoner crew to keep their cutlasses as a sign of good will so they may protect themselves or allow them to have a couple of submachine guns.
Just a couple more possible reasons for cutlases.
Snip
I simply cannot imagine that these starships would be fatally susceptible to small arms fire. Sure, I can understand that some important electronics or control panels might get damaged - but that can be fixed. And I can understand why one might want to avoid a gunfight in an enclosed space (ricochets, etc) - but if I'm a pirate, or a customs officer for that matter, I'm not going to board a vessel with my halberd! If people were honestly worried of explosive decompression if their sidearm went off, they'd never leave the planet.
Snip
-FCS<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
While I agree with you, mostly. And it would be easier to say a marine is a modern marine, look at it this way, cops today carry Mace and batons, they use both more often then they do their gun against people. The Cutlass can be the Baton of the imperial marines.
I am not sure how armor is going to work in this game, but I imagine that high tech armor will repel anything that wasn’t a threat of going through the internal walls. Some weapons can risk going through wire ducts and other fun things, while not the main means of fighting, cutlass would be an option, just like a flame thrower and shotgun would be, Flame throwers are my personal favorite, pirates come on, they go into one of the flame thrower rigged rooms we torch it and we open the air lock, fire gets put out by the vacuum, boarders get taken out by the flames…then again we where half pirates ourselves.
But getting an air leak in a ship would be the worst kind of problem.
Also what if a ship was paid for over 200 years (your grand kids would be paying for it) and the insurance clause gets you out of ownership if you are killed protecting the ship, or if the ship is taken by pirates and you are ransomed and they take the ship…there are a great many different types of pirates and if you try to kill them they will probably try and kill you (classic escalation of force) so you try and cut him up (modern medicine being what it is if he lives to get to the medical bay he lives, if he dies on the spot, well he is dead) so different levels of response are taken, while most military vessels would not allow a boarding and deal with one in a very lethal way, Merchants may take a different approach, the cutlasses are for when the marines have to board a merchant ship…
Just another possible explanation for cutlasses, I don’t think it’s so far fetched, but if you want to blow the air locks and go in with grenades and laser pistols blazing, they are probably going to attempt to space you, and then mess with gravity to 3Gs to pin you and use internal security systems like flamers and corrosive gels to kill you.
Basically it depends on the GM if Pirates are after the ship, and have 3 ships pinning the merchant ship, calling it to surrender its ship and they will transport the captain and crew to the nearest star port… or they just want the Cargo…any number of things, or they are forced into a space dual where your ship and all the PCs will likely die. Think about it, would you allow the boarders, use archaic weapons as a show of defiance and security that no harm will come to the personnel by the boarders…
Just think about it, would you allow a prisoner crew to keep their cutlasses as a sign of good will so they may protect themselves or allow them to have a couple of submachine guns.
Just a couple more possible reasons for cutlases.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by paxx123:
The Cutlass can be the Baton of the imperial marines.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
No, a baton is a nonlethal weapon. A cutlass is not a substitute.
The thing to think of is how common is combat aboard ships. In real life, when was the last time there was a boarding action on a navy ship? Hmmm... at least a hundred years ago I would guess. I doubt it would become much more common in the future.
What about the coast guard you say? They board a lot of ships, don't they? What is the % of boardings that result in combat? I would guess that it is very low, like 1%. What is the reason that the crews of stopped ships don't fight? Is it because the coast guard boards the ship armed with swords? No, its because the coast guard ship will blow the other ship out of the water if there is trouble. Oh, and the fact that the coast guard guys are armed with shotguns, M16's, and M60's. Gosh, and they don't seem too concerned about blowing holes in the ship if there is a fight.
Ok, now what % of marines today are see duty as shipboard guards. Very low, again probably like 1%. And the ones that do see shipboard duties are given police training, not fencing classes. The majority of marine training revolves around ground combat and amphibious landings. That would not change in the future.
All marines should have skill with a rifle and a bayonet - but not with a cutlass. MT did away with the free cutlass skill - it was changed to a free skill in blades. This is appropriate. The CT rule for giving cutlass as a free skill to every marine was dumb.
The Cutlass can be the Baton of the imperial marines.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
No, a baton is a nonlethal weapon. A cutlass is not a substitute.
The thing to think of is how common is combat aboard ships. In real life, when was the last time there was a boarding action on a navy ship? Hmmm... at least a hundred years ago I would guess. I doubt it would become much more common in the future.
What about the coast guard you say? They board a lot of ships, don't they? What is the % of boardings that result in combat? I would guess that it is very low, like 1%. What is the reason that the crews of stopped ships don't fight? Is it because the coast guard boards the ship armed with swords? No, its because the coast guard ship will blow the other ship out of the water if there is trouble. Oh, and the fact that the coast guard guys are armed with shotguns, M16's, and M60's. Gosh, and they don't seem too concerned about blowing holes in the ship if there is a fight.
Ok, now what % of marines today are see duty as shipboard guards. Very low, again probably like 1%. And the ones that do see shipboard duties are given police training, not fencing classes. The majority of marine training revolves around ground combat and amphibious landings. That would not change in the future.
All marines should have skill with a rifle and a bayonet - but not with a cutlass. MT did away with the free cutlass skill - it was changed to a free skill in blades. This is appropriate. The CT rule for giving cutlass as a free skill to every marine was dumb.
For realism purposes, Book 4 probably had it right, you get Combat Rifleman in basic training and make a save vs "marine tradition" to avoid getting cutlass skill everytime "blade weapon" came up in skill generation.
That being said, even if it isn't realistic, the cutlass-wielding marine was actually an effective combat monster in the basic CT combat system, especially in boarding actions where the encounter range was limited. It was easy to get a +3 or +4 (I even saw a +7 once) cutlass skill and that allows you to hack things to bits quite handily.
I like to rationalize the marine/cutlass combination as a traditional custom that dates back to the Long Night, when an intact starship was a pearl beyond price. Sylean Federation amrines were trained in cutlass to avoid damage to scarce electrical and engineering systems (it also saved mass and money in ammunition). Imperial marines use cutlasses simply as a relic of those days.
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Dave "Dr. Skull" Nelson
That being said, even if it isn't realistic, the cutlass-wielding marine was actually an effective combat monster in the basic CT combat system, especially in boarding actions where the encounter range was limited. It was easy to get a +3 or +4 (I even saw a +7 once) cutlass skill and that allows you to hack things to bits quite handily.
I like to rationalize the marine/cutlass combination as a traditional custom that dates back to the Long Night, when an intact starship was a pearl beyond price. Sylean Federation amrines were trained in cutlass to avoid damage to scarce electrical and engineering systems (it also saved mass and money in ammunition). Imperial marines use cutlasses simply as a relic of those days.
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Dave "Dr. Skull" Nelson
Shadow Bear
SOC-12
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mshensley:
What about the coast guard you say? They board a lot of ships, don't they? What is the % of boardings that result in combat? I would guess that it is very low, like 1%. What is the reason that the crews of stopped ships don't fight? Is it because the coast guard boards the ship armed with swords? No, its because the coast guard ship will blow the other ship out of the water if there is trouble. Oh, and the fact that the coast guard guys are armed with shotguns, M16's, and M60's. Gosh, and they don't seem too concerned about blowing holes in the ship if there is a fight.
dumb.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
As a former Coasty I must say we never gave a damn if the vessel being boarded could be taken as a prize. We did not get a bonus or prize bounty for taking a vessel in tack. The most important consideration was our boarding party, the hell with the vessel.
What about the coast guard you say? They board a lot of ships, don't they? What is the % of boardings that result in combat? I would guess that it is very low, like 1%. What is the reason that the crews of stopped ships don't fight? Is it because the coast guard boards the ship armed with swords? No, its because the coast guard ship will blow the other ship out of the water if there is trouble. Oh, and the fact that the coast guard guys are armed with shotguns, M16's, and M60's. Gosh, and they don't seem too concerned about blowing holes in the ship if there is a fight.
dumb.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
As a former Coasty I must say we never gave a damn if the vessel being boarded could be taken as a prize. We did not get a bonus or prize bounty for taking a vessel in tack. The most important consideration was our boarding party, the hell with the vessel.
Kriegspiel
SOC-1
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mshensley:
The thing to think of is how common is combat aboard ships. In real life, when was the last time there was a boarding action on a navy ship? Hmmm... at least a hundred years ago I would guess. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
USS Pueblo - Jan 23, 1968
Not quite 100 years.
The thing to think of is how common is combat aboard ships. In real life, when was the last time there was a boarding action on a navy ship? Hmmm... at least a hundred years ago I would guess. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
USS Pueblo - Jan 23, 1968
Not quite 100 years.
Marine Cutlass skill represents basic Sword Drill that all marines use for ceremonial occasions.
The reason the cutlass is carried in a baording action is mainly as a show of force - but it allows some non-lethal actions like slitting a vacc suit sleeve (survivable) or threatening with the blade as a barrier to keep poeple back. If it comes to a fight though, Marines use guns unless there is some reason for close action with hand weapons (such as a bridge storming where the defenders are wanted alive but not necessarilt uninjured.)
The reason the cutlass is carried in a baording action is mainly as a show of force - but it allows some non-lethal actions like slitting a vacc suit sleeve (survivable) or threatening with the blade as a barrier to keep poeple back. If it comes to a fight though, Marines use guns unless there is some reason for close action with hand weapons (such as a bridge storming where the defenders are wanted alive but not necessarilt uninjured.)
Also keep in mind High Tech Medicine. With access to well-rounded High tech medical equipment, like that in a ship's infirmary, any wound that doesn't out-right kill someone is survivable. And with the right drugs and first-aid equipment, a simple combat medic can take someone on the brink of death and keep them alive for hours, even days, until a doctor can bring them around. Cripples and severed limbs? No problem. Between regeneration and bionics, you're right as rain. Destroyed eyeballs and other vital organs? No problem. Regeneration and bionics, once again.
Brain injury? Well, so sorry, pal.
So "less that lethal" is anything that just doesn't blow your head off. Cutlesses are just fine.
Brain injury? Well, so sorry, pal.
So "less that lethal" is anything that just doesn't blow your head off. Cutlesses are just fine.
Shadow Bear
SOC-12
I like the way the cutlass is handled in the new TA1. Get it and read it!!!
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