House, Military, Police and Intelligence IDs

[jammi]

In SP, border and hazardous systems were patrolled solely by House militaries. Core systems were dealt with by a mixture of police and navy depending on the context - how dangerous particular regions were. In Discovery, that situation has changed somewhat. I'll drop some infocards to illustrate how pants-on-head silly this is, from a lore perspective at least. Different arguments can be made for gameplay balance because that and lore usually have a passing relationship at best.

I'll back this up with two examples I'm most familiar with: Omega 3 and 7. However, with 10 minutes work I could easily find lore pertaining to military and police presences in Cortez, Hudson, Bering, Tau 29, Kepler, Galileo, etc etc.

Omega 3

Many of the inhabitants first established themselves in Omega 3 to escape from the Houses. This lifestyle has since been endangered by Bretonia moving into the system in force, and de facto annexing the system through the settlement of Sprague. Laws being applied there wasn't sloppy development or an accident, it's a part of a major story arc in the region.

IDS 132537

Now that Sprague is being colonized in earnest, the Police Authority has had to assign folk to that system. It's been a right nightmare so far. Corsairs, Hessians... Even those Daumann rascals try to start trouble from time to time. And the Armed Forces aren't a lot of help, they have their hands full up north. Still, we make the best of a bad situation, that civilian militia initiative they're running is having some effect."

IDS 132573

We've extended our patrols into Omega-3 per the conditions of the Omega Trade Lane Pact with Rheinland. Rheinland is finally keeping up their end of the bargain in Omega-7, but moving a battleship into the system wasn't exactly what the Crown was hoping for. No doubt Rheinland is making a statement against our colonization of Sprague. But whatever the reason, it makes our jobs in the Omega borderworlds a little easier.

IDS 133591

Now that Bretonia's got Sprague under lock and key, we've pretty much cemented our claim to this space. That makes the Zoners mighty nervous, seeing as it was the governments they were running from in the first place. Hopefully they'll jump ship and scuttle off into the deep Omegas. They might not like me, but I don't like them either.

IDS 133593

This system is Bretonian space now, didn't I tell you so? The Ole Doug was originally plopped down by BMM on the Queen's orders to keep an eye on them cretinous Rheinlanders. Sprague ain't exactly all fixed up, but we're living on her as best we can. Can't afford to contract Planetform and I don't know if they'd even want to take a job in Omega 3.

IDS 133613

Daumann and BMM hate each other. Did you know that? Aye, they are trying to establish colonial presence in this system so that they may eventually annex Omega-3. That contest is pretty much decided now that Bretonia is settling Sprague, but I don't see Rheinland letting go of the Rugen installation any time soon. Mark my words, there'll be war in the Omegas again before I'm dead.

IDS 133616

Zoners hazard the Border Worlds because we don't want any governments telling us how to live. That's why Sprague has been such a disaster - you can't trust Bretonia as far as you can throw them. We just wanted to be left alone, and now they're knocking the door down and bringing their bloody war with them.

IDS 133605

Bowex is paying me very well to protect its shipping convoys that pass through this system. This is probably the most dangerous shipping route in all of Sirius, so their pilots are top notch. Even so, a lot of them get charbroiled in Omega-3 and Omega-7. We team up with the Bret cops as well, now that their navy has pulled out. The constables are good shouts, but the milita ships... It's sick. Ordering them out to Omega 3 should be charged as murder.

IDS 468736

Police manpower only stretches so far. In peace time, we'd patrol the safer stretches of Cambridge and Leeds and all of New London and Manchester. Cushy job - if you'd suggested we stick our necks out in Dublin and Omega 3, you'd have been laughed out of the office. How times change. The Armed Forces are kept busy defending the front lines, and we pick up the slack.

IDS 468741

The BPA have requested a detachment of Vickers gunships be sent down to Omega 3 to reinforce our patrols. We've been considerably empowered by a Royal Decree giving constables requisition rights for the use of Templars, but the additional gunships would really help us keep volatile zones suppressed. //Looks like this was referencing the Bretonian gunship which was never actually included.

Omega 7

Omega 7 is a main conduit through which commerce into Rheinland flows. The battleship Schwerin was stationed in Omega 7 in order to provide additional security, as well as sending an aggressive message to Bretonia that their territorial claims in Omega 3 are highly unwelcome. Both Omega 3 and 7 are governed by the Omega Trade Lane Pact.

IDS 065800

Freistadt Base is run by the Independent Mining Guild to provide support for the mining of Copper, Cobalt, and Silver from nearby asteroid fields. Originally a DSE waystation left over from the construction of the Omega-7 trade lane, it was reoccupied by unemployed miners in the wake of the economic collapse of Rheinland after the 80-year war. These miners joined with the Independent Miners Guild not long after the discovery of abundant mineral deposits in the surrounding asteroid fields.

Recently, Rheinland has deployed Battleship Schwerin to keep an eye on Freistadt and it's surroundings, suspecting IMG support of the Hessian movement. Protests by the IMG, citing the presence of a warship would needlessly endanger the station, have fallen on deaf ears in Rheinland.

IDS 133625

You know, the only reason BMM built a base in this system is to try and take Omega-3 away from us. With the colonisation of Sprague, they've overplayed their hand - the Schwerin in Omega 7 is watching them very closely. Sure, both governments paid for the Trade Lanes and Jump Gates here, but we were the ones who first moved in. New London only wants the system to take it from Rheinland.

IDS 525016

Launched in early 814 A.S., the Schwerin is one of the newest battleships in the Rheinland Fleet, commanded by Commodore Jessika Lowe. It has seen action in Omega-15 prior to the collapse of the jumpholes leading into the system, and was withdrawn before the system became inaccessible. The ship has recently been redeployed to Omega-7 to secure Rheinland interests in the Omega borderworlds and curb the increasing number of Corsair and Hessian raids against the mining operations at Briesen and Elbich.

Extremely badly thought out decision that will have an immense negative impact on police and military factions. Corporate faction PvP potential is getting a massive boost through this, but is that really the intended effect? There's no logical reason why law enforcement shouldn't be able to patrol their own border systems. That was the primary original purpose of the naval groups!