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+--- Thread: The higher Grand Company ranks and RP (/showthread.php?tid=5867)
The higher Grand Company ranks and RP - Seriphyn - 12-19-2013
So, I don't know if anyone noticed, but if you click one's Grand Company rank (either in search or your own in character sheet), it displays the full list of ranks including the ones that are currently locked.Â
I thought this might have some interesting implications for RP. Currently I am like a lot of lvl50s a Second Flame Lieutenant, but for RP's sake I RP a Chief Flame Sergeant (commanding officer of the Flame Yataghans, a little 20-member Immortal Flames RP LS btw for those interested; Monetarists, Garleans, Alacran etc. have at thee!). I sort of intend to RP a promotion to lieutenant down the line, more than likely when they release more RP gear, particularly the combat shirts that Flame Lieutenant NPCs wear. I think for lore's sake I would never RP higher than a Flame Captain.
The interesting thing comes in when they release the upper ranks. If we ignore RP completely (incl. those who RP it full-time, part-time, and not a member at all), it is assumed by default that all Player Characters are in the adventurer units (Free Brigade, Foreign Levy, and Yellow Serpents) which is led by a High Commander, and then the Grand Company headquarters themselves are led by Grand Marshals.
I just can't for the life of me imagine anyone roleplaying the ranks above Captain, unless maybe you were in charge of a large free company. I'm a little concerned about this because I did have at least one character try to pull rank/borderline godmode on Kale Aideron when he was giving a free paladin a hard time. That character was only 2nd lieutenant, which was a little amusing since 2nd lieutenant really isn't that high, only feels as such because it's the highest attainable in-game. But yeah, anything higher than a captain I'd begin to ask how many men you command and all that. You could just spin the first three officer ranks as being a staff officer rather than a command officer for RPing as a Grand Company lone wolf. Anything higher, one would need to back it up IMO by actually having other characters that follow you.
Since Square Enix are damn good on integrating lore mechanics, I'm curious as to how they would in-universe justify adventurers being able to become crusty old Grand Marshals. Anyway, yeah, that's the end of my :firstworldproblems: ramble
RE: The higher Grand Company ranks and RP - Aldotsk - 12-19-2013
Kale should totally make a free company into a large one so he can be the commander of us!
RE: The higher Grand Company ranks and RP - ansemaru - 12-23-2013
Well, a facet of this certainly popped up yesterday when we ran into each other at Camp Drybone.
OOC, I had my character in Immortal Flames gear for the numbers, since I was leveling him as a Thaumaturge. He's a Flame Sergeant. ICly, he's got nothing to do with the Immortal Flames- he's an actor/criminal who's never served in the military in his life. So the obvious explanation was a costume/disguise, rather than "oh, I also serve in the Immortal Flames". I imagine there may be others in the game who'd be interested in RPing people who are faking involvement in one of the Grand Companies for a variety of reasons, even.
As for the direct subject of your post, I think that's an interesting challenge. RP can mean that your character isn't actually bound to the role of "adventurer" or being in an adventurer brigade, I'd imagine, but the issue of being an officer without actual tangible subordinates seems a bit more prickly. There is of course the option to have one's underlings be "offscreen" and just implied through the text of your RP, or to be gradually assembled from actual players. The FC thing isn't a bad idea, if one can pull it off. The question of how one would actually play a Grand Company officer, of course, is a different kettle of fish entirely, and one that I am not entirely sure I'm qualified to comment on.
RE: The higher Grand Company ranks and RP - Ildur - 12-23-2013
The best solution are special units or differentiated jurisdictions. An Immortal Flame Captain is on a special unit dedicated to butchering the Amalj'aa and Ifrit, while a Flame Sargeant is on a more mundane protection of refugees arriving to Ul'dahn territory. Tecause they are on different "fronts", so to speak, you can succesfully argue that the Captain has no authority over the Sargeant.
It would be akin to one being a police man from one city while the other, while also a policeman, is from another different city. Unless their mutual higher up (who is an off-screen NPC) actually organizes them in a hierarchy, they don't have any business commanding each other around. You can apply this to anything up to Marshal, Admiral, General or whatever.
Something that has to be kept in mind when roleplaying officers is that in-character ranks should come with responsability. In-game we rank up as fast as a speeding Ferrari and the game doesn't put any real responsability on you. But in-character those ranks shouldn't be achieved in a matter of days (unless you want to use one of your 'special things' card on that), and they should carry some responsabilities besides the obvious privileges of commanding other people around. Something as simple as the illusion of not having enough time can send the message that your character is actually busy being an officer.
RE: The higher Grand Company ranks and RP - Seriphyn - 12-23-2013
(12-23-2013, 12:48 PM)ansemaru Wrote: There is of course the option to have one's underlings be "offscreen" and just implied through the text of your RP, or to be gradually assembled from actual players.
This I didn't think of. I think that's perfectly acceptable, to roleplay the whole thing being 'off-screen' (useful for people who can't do full-time RP as well). Then combine that with Ildur's comment about different chains of command, and one could roleplay a Second Commander without lording it over someone else.
(12-23-2013, 01:03 PM)Ildur Wrote: Something that has to be kept in mind when roleplaying officers is that in-character ranks should come with responsability. In-game we rank up as fast as a speeding Ferrari and the game doesn't put any real responsability on you. But in-character those ranks shouldn't be achieved in a matter of days (unless you want to use one of your 'special things' card on that), and they should carry some responsabilities besides the obvious privileges of commanding other people around. Something as simple as the illusion of not having enough time can send the message that your character is actually busy being an officer.
Right, I've had it that Kale has been in the Immortal Flames for 10+ years, and has only recently made Chief Flame Sergeant. I do have an LS of around 30 people so I could 'justify' playing an officer I'd think. If I didn't, I might have it so when I RP, I'm "off-duty", and that I'm on-duty when I'm not online.
RE: The higher Grand Company ranks and RP - Sini'to Shadar - 12-23-2013
Oh, interesting topic!
Sini'to was a maelstrom seargeant, so a higher rank IC in the maelstrom than kale was in the flames. Hes much younger than Kale, but i explained his relatively "high" rank with "connections". Namely Sinis mother, who is a rich, influental person in Limsa offscreen. She owns a whole merchant company and has some influence, i said she used her connections to pull some strings, and get her son promoted fast.
i never used that high position much, tho, i only let Sini act official and stuff, like he only always talked about how he will talk with his maelstrom officials when there was stuff happening that concerned LimLom.
He changed to Adders recently tho, and this time he doesnt have his connection bonus ^^ so he will work his way up this time, i have no idea how long or fast it will be.