Your Imperial Ministry of Defense

[Yef]

I was wondering, when you are playing, which Dpt in your Imperial Ministry of Defense do you assume that have the control of the diferent branches of your military?

The navy would be, of course, under control of the Imperial Navy. But what about the weapon platforms, troops, fighters that are based on planets, drones, sats, mines, and the pop transports?

Would there be an Imperial Army as an independent institution?
What about an Imperial Air Force? Would that make the fighters in carriers "Naval Aviators"?

It appears to me that the nature of space combat would make all branches of the military to be of secondary importance in comparisson to the Navy, because of its ability to take combat to your foes, but many planets in secured systems (without neigbouring hostiles) will probably never in their life see a warship pass through their sectors, and their defenses will remain land based, and even if you build them fighters, those fighters would be very unlikely to see the interior of a carrier.

So, should colonial defenses be under control of the Imperial Navy, the Army, or the Air Force?
Or should they be independent, as in Colonial Planetary Defense Force?

There is also the issue that ground forces in an Space Empire would be more like todays marines, since they have to go into battle in navy ships and then land, to do any combat at all.

And finally we have the Weapon platforms, which have nothing to do with the navy at first sight, other than fighting them.

What are your ideas on all these diferent possibilities for military structure and organization?

[narf poit chez BOOM]

I think applying the term 'navy' to a space-based force would be a misnomer.

As for attached forces, they should be integrated into the force they are attached to. If your weapon platfom commander doesn't know what to do with fighters, your training is lacking.

[Yef]

Yes, but under whose command?

Should the weapon platforms be under command of the Navy, the Army, or have its own branch in the military?

[Combat Wombat]

National Guard?

[ April 05, 2004, 20:45: Message edited by: Combat Wombat ]

[PvK]

Really it depends on the alien species/society/military in question. Personally, I rarely play as the same type of nation twice, except I think I have played the EEEvil Oooze three times, but their answer is something like "whoever the nearest meanest Ooozoid is. Kill! Kill!"

In general, though, ya in SE4 the star fleet dominates. A lot of that is due to the limited nature of the other types of units, though. If troops were organized into armies with experience and supplies and generals and they had to actually do detailed protracted battle on planets and weren't dead meat to planetary bombardment, then they might be more like their own branch of service.

Static units that stay on a planet often seem like they could be under local command in a different organization. But generally, unless doing heavy roleplaying, they can be snapped up and deployed to another location by the fleet.

I do however like playing "captain's games", where I give control of practically everything to the ministers, except a single squadron which I control myself. In that case I tend to severely limit which forces I am allowed to commandeer.

PvK

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Originally posted by Combat Wombat:
National Guard?

That sounds about right. With adjustment for actual combat experience. about one rank up, i'd say. and an adjustment for no combat experience. about one rank down.

[TerranC]

I would go on about organizing my empire's military as such:

I would begin with a colony. Undeployed (as in still on the colony) troops on that planet would be a part of a planetary army reserve/national guard/paramilitary unit with policing powers (limited or total, your choice). Undeployed fighters on that planet would be a part of a planetary air reserve/air national guard serving its home planet. Undeployed Sats, mines, and drones would be maintained by an invisible planetary armory or a network of them, controlled by a Imperial logistical command of some sort, with the emperor having the ultimate say in their deployment. Weapon platforms would be the responsibility of a planetary air defense command (NORAD on a global scale), which in turn would be a part in a huge network of planetary defense commands in your empire.

Moving on to the planet's orbit, satellites and mines deployed in orbit would be under the command of the planeatary NORAD I just mentioned above. Some satellites such as recon satellites would be under the control of the Imperial Starfleet, or perhaps under the control of an Intelligence service, should there be one. Military Bases in orbit would not be under the planet's jurisdiction, and would be handled by the Imperial starfleet, which are commanded by a base commander, or a base command AI unit. Space yard bases and/or repair bases could be controlled by private companies. Any troops that have been loaded onto a transport is now considered active, and is now under the direct control of the Imperial Army (which is under your direction). Fighters loaded onto Carriers are also now under the control of the Imperial Starfleet. Mines, Sats, and drones loaded onto their respective carriers are also under the control of the starfleet, or that logistical command once more, awaiting to be delivered and deployed. Deployed drones would be controled by the Starfleet.

Moving onto outer space, Bread and butter warships and fleets of them would be under the control of the Starfleet/admiralty/navy. Population and Troop transports would be under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Merchant Marine. Ships with boarding parties would be under Starfleet control, but specifically under the control of a Starfleet Marine Service. Carriers would also be under the control of the starfleet. Specialty ships, such as Space Yard Ships, repair ships, medical ships, minesweepers, mine and sat layers, drone launchers, supply tankers, and such, would be under the control of the starfleet or special branches made for controling such ships. Mines and sats deployed over empty/enemy planets and/or warp points would be under the control of the starfleet.

Which all comes under the emperor's jurisdiction.

I hope my little post here answered some of your questions.

[Puke]

sounds like you guys should be in on the Play By Committee game. we have an overall Minister of Defense whom delegates authority to fleet commanders responsible for their specific ships, fleets, or theatres of operation.

and of course we have roles for all the other ministers, and local governors and system lords.

edit: oh, and some of our bases and space yards ARE controlled by different private companies. corporations compete with each other for design approval, mostly for prestige and Role-Play value than any tangible effect, although there is a detailed financial system administered by Minister Krsqk.

[ April 05, 2004, 23:45: Message edited by: Puke ]

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