mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Better tell Mongoose to cancel their next book - Bounty Hunter, I'm hoping it will explain the economics of it, because as you say the return is unlikely to outweigh cost.
Proof of idenity in the OTU?
- Thread starter strycat
- Start date
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
It isn't a Marshal's service, it was so super secret even the INI, IAI and the IISS didn't know about it. Or. It was sent by jump torpedo to the delete folder. Why the TNR GDW staff were happy to crap all over Gannon's work is a bit of a mystery.
Although there is a school of thought that the decanonisation during Survival Margin is just more proof that the Real Strephon didn't know about it (could such a secret be kept from the Emperor?) or the Real Strephon was just an edited wafer personality in a clone.
Personally I liked the IRIS.
An Imperial passport could be issued at any Starport or any world with an Imperial Embassy or passport office.
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Wasn’t one of IRIS’ mandates preventing dodgy sorts getting close to the Emperor (and to ensure smooth transfer of power to the heir).
Arguably even if they were still cannon they ⌧ed their two primary missions so badly (allowing assassination and allowing the civil war) their effectiveness as a secret organisation is circumspect at the time of Survival Margin anyway.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Dark secrets of the Imperium time.
There has been a Shadow Government ever since there was a Shadow Emperor.
When the original Annic Nova crew returned to the Vilani Hegemony and gifted them with jump 2 and improved jump 1 they also had several other secrets.
1 - they also had jump 3 which they kept to themselves
2 - they had the Hieronymus nexus which improves the performance of linked jump drives
3 - they were all dead.
or at least they had all been killed. The alien race that discovered the wreck of their ship also discovered the corpses and the few survivors. They used the survivors to learn about the DNA, physiology and structure of the Vilani - sadly killing the survivors in the process. They did learn enough to scan the brains of the dead and recover theri personalities and memories, They then reconstructed clone bodies and downloaded the dead.
To be continued...
When the original Annic Nova crew returned to the Vilani Hegemony and gifted them with jump 2 and improved jump 1 they also had several other secrets.
1 - they also had jump 3 which they kept to themselves
2 - they had the Hieronymus nexus which improves the performance of linked jump drives
3 - they were all dead.
or at least they had all been killed. The alien race that discovered the wreck of their ship also discovered the corpses and the few survivors. They used the survivors to learn about the DNA, physiology and structure of the Vilani - sadly killing the survivors in the process. They did learn enough to scan the brains of the dead and recover theri personalities and memories, They then reconstructed clone bodies and downloaded the dead.
To be continued...
"Bounty, the Dog Hunter"
Doug the Bounty Hunter
Marcatlas
SOC-12
VERY good points. And as above, only capital type crimes and Imperial crimes would be broadcast. Calling the leader of a High Law Level world a fink (a crime on that world) is going to be ignored on almost all other worlds of the 3I
Enoki
SOC-14 1K
Now, I can see one way that might possibly work for interstellar bounty hunting--assuming the bounty is large enough--would be to employ AI and robotics in the form of small drones loaded with the necessary data to look for the presence of lots and lots of wanted persons, or other information that isn't particularly valuable or sensitive.
Think of this as say 3rd class mail or package mail. These are loaded on either an X-boat or merchant ship (the Imperial government would have their own version separate from this too) and sent to a system for say, 500 to 1000 cr or even less. So, the cost of sending a drone to some system isn't cost prohibitive.
Once there, the drone is released and starts moving to find data nodes that it can scan for the information it was told to look for. In the case of bounty hunting, it looks for information about the presence of not one, but many fugitives. If it finds that one or more are present, it moves to return that data to its owner.
Since the drones take up very little space in a ship's cargo bay and wouldn't need much in the way of energy use while idle, it would be a cheap way for someone to send a probe to see what's what on some system. The only downside is that there's likely people who figured out that these same drones are valuable enough that they are worth hunting, like shooting ducks or rabbits, only for their scrap value and potentially the data they contain. So, their use would be constrained somewhat by their vulnerability to being detected and hunted down as described.
Think of this as say 3rd class mail or package mail. These are loaded on either an X-boat or merchant ship (the Imperial government would have their own version separate from this too) and sent to a system for say, 500 to 1000 cr or even less. So, the cost of sending a drone to some system isn't cost prohibitive.
Once there, the drone is released and starts moving to find data nodes that it can scan for the information it was told to look for. In the case of bounty hunting, it looks for information about the presence of not one, but many fugitives. If it finds that one or more are present, it moves to return that data to its owner.
Since the drones take up very little space in a ship's cargo bay and wouldn't need much in the way of energy use while idle, it would be a cheap way for someone to send a probe to see what's what on some system. The only downside is that there's likely people who figured out that these same drones are valuable enough that they are worth hunting, like shooting ducks or rabbits, only for their scrap value and potentially the data they contain. So, their use would be constrained somewhat by their vulnerability to being detected and hunted down as described.
Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
Also, doesn't care about bounty.
Cares even less.
Going back to proofs of identity/competence
How does this work for things like drivers licences and masters certifications etc?
Having spent a few hours this week in a Korean DMV getting my international licence converted to a local one ( it’s meant to take 30mins but my name is too long for the form so there was an issue with it not matching my alien registration card…) I was thinking about the difficulty of doing this on an interstellar scale.
It’s sort of been agreed that you are who you say you are in terms of interstellar ID though there may be some Imperial ID cards that confirm this within the 3I. It seems dangerous to do assume that people are as competent as they say they are when it comes to driving or flying.
Is there an imperial driving test (available at any class A or B starport) or do you have to swap out and reclaim your liscence (for a fee) at every planet?
Are some planets so notoriously bad at driving (or their tests so easy/corrupt) that you have to resit the test anyway? (For comparison in South Korea certain US states have to re-sit their written tests while others don’t due to perceived laxity in test rigour. South Africans have to do a full driving test or so I’ve been told because their country is so corrupt.)
How does this work for things like drivers licences and masters certifications etc?
Having spent a few hours this week in a Korean DMV getting my international licence converted to a local one ( it’s meant to take 30mins but my name is too long for the form so there was an issue with it not matching my alien registration card…) I was thinking about the difficulty of doing this on an interstellar scale.
It’s sort of been agreed that you are who you say you are in terms of interstellar ID though there may be some Imperial ID cards that confirm this within the 3I. It seems dangerous to do assume that people are as competent as they say they are when it comes to driving or flying.
Is there an imperial driving test (available at any class A or B starport) or do you have to swap out and reclaim your liscence (for a fee) at every planet?
Are some planets so notoriously bad at driving (or their tests so easy/corrupt) that you have to resit the test anyway? (For comparison in South Korea certain US states have to re-sit their written tests while others don’t due to perceived laxity in test rigour. South Africans have to do a full driving test or so I’ve been told because their country is so corrupt.)
Marcatlas
SOC-12
The IBMV (Imperial Bureau of Mobile Vehicles) takes care of such things
casquilho
SOC-13
What if you need it faster than 6 months?
Sorry, something about past experiences with the CA-DMV forced its way to the top of my mind and out into a smart arse post.
Here on Terra Dirt, in the US, you get a international Drivers Permit issued HERE, and take it with you, and it's valid, well, wherever it's accepted (which is a different story). For some reason, a US one is accepted in the UK, even though they do everything bas-ackwards there. Guess its not enough to disqualify drivers from one country or another.
I've seen photos of rental motorcycles in New Zealand with big "KEEP LEFT" stickers on the dashboards to remind riders which side of the road to be on. Perhaps its easier in a car because the wheel is shifter, vs a bike.
But also recall that there's a reasonable set of agreed upon "international road signs" signs that are somewhat universal which lessens the burden on drivers.
Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
Interstellar Driver's License, valid for one year.
If you're in the same jurisdiction for more than year, you need to get a local one.
It's either issued by your planet of permanent residence, or the local starport.
If you're in the same jurisdiction for more than year, you need to get a local one.
It's either issued by your planet of permanent residence, or the local starport.
Several people have posted certification systems, including me. Hadn’t considered what the criteria was for driving vehicles per se re licenses, but it would IMO largely be the same process.
My certification process had the possibility that you might fail your actual skill level test, or be able to pass a higher one, meaning those cards might not go 1:1 with actual skill. Also, a pay level system where Skill-2 is full pay, Skill-0/1 is much less and Skill-3+ is greater pay.
Perhaps more cruft then some would like.
Hadn’t really expressed where you could get licensed, but I would assume that fostering interstellar trade function of the Imperium or most polities would make that a starport function.
I think I would roll per week availability of license exam checkouts on the 68A system, with each level corresponding to A/B/C starports.
So typical relicensing would occur during downtime, particularly the yearly maintenance refit for ship crews.
Combat skill licensing should probably be a separate function with whatever Merc Guild type function exists in your universe.
Then acceptance of interstellar skill licenses as valid planetside would be a law level check. I would make it roll LL or below, with skill level as a negative DM to help. Of course with ridiculous LL, bribery is in the cards to grease the ‘acceptance process’.
My certification process had the possibility that you might fail your actual skill level test, or be able to pass a higher one, meaning those cards might not go 1:1 with actual skill. Also, a pay level system where Skill-2 is full pay, Skill-0/1 is much less and Skill-3+ is greater pay.
Perhaps more cruft then some would like.
Hadn’t really expressed where you could get licensed, but I would assume that fostering interstellar trade function of the Imperium or most polities would make that a starport function.
I think I would roll per week availability of license exam checkouts on the 68A system, with each level corresponding to A/B/C starports.
So typical relicensing would occur during downtime, particularly the yearly maintenance refit for ship crews.
Combat skill licensing should probably be a separate function with whatever Merc Guild type function exists in your universe.
Then acceptance of interstellar skill licenses as valid planetside would be a law level check. I would make it roll LL or below, with skill level as a negative DM to help. Of course with ridiculous LL, bribery is in the cards to grease the ‘acceptance process’.
Krikkitone
SOC-12
There’s also the Cultural Extension
Hi Strangeness/Symbolism means local signage is
-not Imperial standard/hard to decipher
Hi Acceptance means an Imperial standard Grav Vehicle permit is probably accepted (or at least they make it essy for visitors)
-Hi LL would be additional Bureaucracy to go through if it is not accepted, and a lot of laws you really should be aware of and will probably break even if your Imperial permit is valid (you need to know about maximum and minimum climb rates and light and noise levels if you don’t want your vehicle forfeited.)
Hi Strangeness/Symbolism means local signage is
-not Imperial standard/hard to decipher
Hi Acceptance means an Imperial standard Grav Vehicle permit is probably accepted (or at least they make it essy for visitors)
-Hi LL would be additional Bureaucracy to go through if it is not accepted, and a lot of laws you really should be aware of and will probably break even if your Imperial permit is valid (you need to know about maximum and minimum climb rates and light and noise levels if you don’t want your vehicle forfeited.)
The skill is pretty basic, which is likely why there's no need to recertify for cars today.
The vast bulk of driver training is rules, rather than physical skill. There is absolutely skill involved, as demonstrated when my mother tried to teach my brother and he lithobraked the car using a fence. But it only take a little practice to become adept.
I, personally, am self taught. We used to have a back lot, and my mom would let me drive the car around it. It has a manual transmission, and was great at throwing rooster tails of dirt up in the air. It was great fun. Learned all about friction zone, shift time, fishtailing the car.
I am self taught on a bicycle, self taught on a motorcycle. The trick on a bicycle is going fast enough the first time, then its easy. During my adventure, I couldn't figure out how to stop (I dragged my feet, wished I was learning on a girls bike >.< ). By about my 4th try, I had the coaster brake down, and was skidding in the dirt. Whee!
My first motorcycle was a moped, I road it around the block the first day I got it. I, literally, put 50 miles on it that day. Moved up to a scooter, had mishaps, survived. When I got my "real" motorcycle, I learned to shift in a parking lot (friend rode it off the lot for me). 1/2 hr later I was on the street. I started riding in 1983-84. I finally took a formal class (MSF course) in 1989.
It has not been a scratch free learning experience, looking back, nothing I learned in my classes, likely would have prevented the mishaps that I did have. I do recommend them though.
Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
Enoki
SOC-14 1K
It'd go further than that...
Your vehicle doesn't have a permitted tracking device.
Your vehicle has some dents and dings in it. Until these are repaired, and the vehicle is repainted, you can't use it.
You need to demonstrate you have a place to park it and need a permit for that.
Your vehicle's interior isn't ecofriendly so it will have to be replaced.
The windshield is pitted. Replace it.
You need to get an inspection and inspection sticker at a valid inspection station. Schedule an appointment. These usually require 2 to 4 weeks notice.
Basically, if the locals don't want you using your vehicle, you're not using your vehicle on a high law level world.
As you’ve mentioned the International Permit is valid where accepted. IIRC there are two conventions that govern the permits the 1949 agreement and another one from the 80s (essentially they’re the same thing but the 49 permit (which is what much of asia accepts only lasts one year from issue). If you tried to drive in Korea with the wrong permit it’s a bad thing.
As for the road signs, from my experience driving in most of Europe, the US and now Korea there are certainly shared signs but what you’re meant to do at them is not always the same. This i guess in the 3I is law level and local custom.
Enoki
SOC-14 1K
An international driver's license is just a form that says you have a license in whatever language is local. It doesn't mean you have some automatic right to drive in some country. Driving on the 'wrong side of the road' is toughest when there's nobody around to clue off of.
Of course, there's worse. Try driving in places like India, the Middle East...
In the Middle East, they have lots of 'roundabouts' (aka traffic circles). The direction of traffic rotation is often optional...
They 'Christmas tree' the lights. Green to yellow to red. Red to yellow to green. That generally means the light goes from red to yellow-- you start moving, and when it turns green the second or third car is in the intersection... Now, in Traveller, imagine the local traffic signals are:
Red = go
Blue = warning to stop
Green = stop
Yellow = stop and then go
In India traffic lights are little more than suggestions. There are no traffic lanes. The bigger vehicle gets the right-of-way.
Some countries put traffic cameras everywhere. Good luck not getting a ticket in the mail...
Try driving in Japan or China some time... The traffic signs are indecipherable. In Japan, there are blind corners all over the place. They put these large mirrors you are supposed to use to see around them. Doesn't help usually...
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