Corporations -> Civilians?

[Marcus Lindberg]

Should corporations be considered civilians (excluding PMC's/mercs)?

Consider this, the corporations have escorts to protect them from pirates. I've seen many times where House militaries asked corporation escorts to help them fight the other house their at war with. It doesn't make any sense because these escorts would probably have very minimal combat training and would probably die from a House military raid.attack/invasion. Against pirates, I can understand, but looking at a universal escort assisting LN units take out RM units personally don't make that much sense to me.

I haven't seen this scenario happen yet, but lets say 3 RM fighters showed up at Texas where a universal convoy is forming up to head for Bering to the freeport (just using this as an example), would the RM units necesarily have permission to fire at the convoy, or its escorts? They are civilians, and I'm sure all sides in both the House wars would (and probably should) be trying to hold off attacking corporation convoys or escorts, coz' it don't look to good when you kill a civilian :/

But thats just my opinion.

Discuss.

[Bobthemanofsteel]

In the case of House Militaries asking for assistance, I would say it's not much different to on the spot conscription, in a sense.

A minutemen style approach.

[eyvind]

I would consider corporate employees to be very much civilian. Their security employees may have very good training, some of them may be ex-military, but the training they are guaranteed to have is not military and they aren't combatants until they engage in combat.

That is my first take on it, on short notice.

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[atlantis2112]

Yes civilian.

Its like the military fighting off an invasion force on the street, then one of the soldiers bursting into a mall and getting all of the mall cops to help shoot the invaders.

[jammi]

To be honest, corporations in Freelancer fill a gap between a House military and Freelancers. They're not overly close to either, because there is a mind bogglingly huge gap between them. I'll use Bowex as an example, because I lead that particular faction, so I know all about it.

Bowex is split into divisions. There is the Shipping Combine (does what it says on the tin), Ex/Sec (a merger of Exploration and Security - also has a ground based paramilitary for guarding ground facilities), Colonial Authority (is technically the government client for Planetform projects and manages Port Jackson), Consumer Products Division (produces stuff...), Ship Construction Division (Scarborough).

Massive infrastructure. Bowex is also nationalised, so it's a wing of the government. It's a public service. Now, look at the trade fleet. We own thousands (at least hundreds) of transports. An NPC wing will usually have 1-3 NPC fighters on it. Do the maths - most corporations have what equates to a small military force to call on. Bowex is particually gifted, seeing as the BAF are actually obliged to assist them due to their Royal Charter.

Ok, write off perhaps 2/3rds of that number as mkI escorts that aren't much good for anything, but you've still got a sizeable force of heavier fighters who can equal anything a pirate cares to field (see Eagle, ect). That's still a militia.

Now, on to the war. Kusari will happily murderise any Bowex ships it comes across, and our escorts proactively attack all and any invading forces. We're also obliged to due to the Royal Charter. Corporate fighters can and will be drafted on the spot for defensive actions. The above is a bit clumsy, but I'm just trying to point out that spacing umbrella corporation =/= civilian.

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[Ceoran]

My Samura escort has very well assisted the KNF against pirate intrusion so far, but it never took place in a battle against the BAF except in self-defence (happens every now and then in Dublin). So yeah, I consider myself a civilian while on it.

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Go play the game, within the given limitations. That is how role play games are played. Not by trying to work around those limitations or whining about them.

[Agmen of Eladesor]

I think the closest comparison to Freelancer / Discovery corporations is the East India Company. It started out strictly as a trading company, then used military forces and expanded to rule a country (at least for a while). So yes, they're civilians - but like Wells Fargo used to have someone riding shotgun on the stage coach and would hire outriders (hired guns) - but they're civilians with guns. Lots of guns...

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Oh god... The end of days... Agmen agreed with me.

[jammi]

The East India Company is actually what Bowex as a faction was modelled on. Very good comparison there.

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[Malexa]

Everything that isnt Military, Police or part of the government itself is Civilian.
A corporation is a civilian thing.

Most of the civilians are also considered as civilians. Some are militant insurgents but if you look at things you may mostly find them beeing former civilians. The RHA is an exception since they have a lot of ex Military guys.

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[Dab]

It doesn't make any sense because these escorts would probably have very minimal combat training and would probably die from a House military raid.attack/invasion.

Most corporate escorts are ex-military, ex-police, mercenary, or ex-mercenary pilots. The people that fall into those four categories usually carry with them considerable combat experience. The ex-military/police pilots most of all, by having formal training and being good enough to stay alive until retirement. I wouldn't underestimate corporate escorts. Most of them will be the bread and butter, but a goodly portion of the rest will be hardened pilots. This is in-RP mind you, not just player perspective.

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