Sniper Check

[Malles]

Been playing Trooper for a while, and as a real-life soldier this bugs the hell out of me.

 

Nearly ever single Republic NPC I talk to insists on saluting my character after every conversation, no matter where we are. Including in the middle of a combat zone.

 

The one and only time I ever threw out a salute in such an environment, I was a private on tour and LT told me if he saw me doing it ever again he'd break my jaw and send me home. Saluting lets the enemy know who your leaders are and, as the title thread implies, who they need to start gunning for. In most if not all military organizations of the world, you only salute on base, and only when in uniform. And it's not just with the Trooper storyline. The NPCs do it to the Imperial Agent as well.

 

To me, that's a pretty big plot hole. We just got done with a galaxy-wide war, I'm sure the Republic and Empire learned not to do that by now. Maybe that could be fixed in a future patch?

[Skotal]

yea but in the imperial army if you dont show enough subservience you are likely to be killed on the spot.

[Malles]

yea but in the imperial army if you dont show enough subservience you are likely to be killed on the spot.

 

Only to idiotic Sith and officers. Gone from 1-50 on Imp side and the only time I saw them callously kill people was for failure or security reasons. Even Vader was cool with people as long as they didn't screw up or insist on messing with him.

[VanorDM]

To me, that's a pretty big plot hole.

 

This isn't a plot hole, it's an issue that most people who weren't in the military don't know about such a thing as a sniper check.

 

It's like not knowing the proper term to call the 1st Sgt...

 

Yes it's a bit jarring for those who know better, but it's also something fairly common to video games and movies that have some sort of military in them but weren't made by people who have a strong military background.

[Irenicus_Jon]

For someone who knows stuff about the military, this is a glaring error. For someone who doesn't, it feels like a nice touch of attention to detail. Unfortunately the latter group is larger than the former, so I do not think this would ever be taken in any other direction.

[elleser]

it was the first thing forrest gump learned in vietnam

[Mozivicus]

Things are different in the future?

 

Edit :

/salute

Edited April 9, 2012 by Mozivicus

[Riftstar]

The future? This was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

[Gjorind]

Overall, I liked the trooper storyline and enjoyed it, but to give it a bit more of a military feel I'd tend to agree, a little more polish "by the numbers" would have really added to the feel.

 

I caught the salute thing right away. As has been mentioned, though, most will believe that this acknowledgement of rank is utilized in this manner all the time anyway.

 

I also rather wish I was addressed differently(with consistency, that is), as I progressed through the acts and garnered higher ranks. Much of the dialogue winds up having folks addressing you as an equal or even as if they have rank on you long after you've outranked them. There are a significant number of Lt. and Sgt rank quest givers that do this in the mid to late levels.

 

Last but not least, I sure would have liked to address General Garza as Ma'am, not sir. Yes, I'm sure it was put in intentionally as a nod toward a gender neutral military feel, but every time my character does this it take me back to my own days as a lowly private, getting owned by a lady Lt. that I'd screwed up and called "sir". "Good morning, Sir", as I left the chow hall right after lunch, as a matter of fact, hehe.

 

Not the end of the world and certainly not game breaking, but yeah, some of the inconsistencies just kind of jump at you.

[Malles]

This isn't a plot hole, it's an issue that most people who weren't in the military don't know about such a thing as a sniper check.

 

It's like not knowing the proper term to call the 1st Sgt...

 

Yes it's a bit jarring for those who know better, but it's also something fairly common to video games and movies that have some sort of military in them but weren't made by people who have a strong military background.

 

I already have an RP answer to this.

 

"LT Gojo immediately tackles you to the ground, looking around in alarm. He finally lets you back up and mutters, 'Oh my fault, private, you were saluting me and gave me a 'Raan flashback. You okay?'"

[Codename_Quincy]

Been playing Trooper for a while, and as a real-life soldier this bugs the hell out of me.

 

Nearly ever single Republic NPC I talk to insists on saluting my character after every conversation, no matter where we are. Including in the middle of a combat zone.

 

The one and only time I ever threw out a salute in such an environment, I was a private on tour and LT told me if he saw me doing it ever again he'd break my jaw and send me home. Saluting lets the enemy know who your leaders are and, as the title thread implies, who they need to start gunning for. In most if not all military organizations of the world, you only salute on base, and only when in uniform. And it's not just with the Trooper storyline. The NPCs do it to the Imperial Agent as well.

 

To me, that's a pretty big plot hole. We just got done with a galaxy-wide war, I'm sure the Republic and Empire learned not to do that by now. Maybe that could be fixed in a future patch?

 

meh, the no salute policy hasn't been in effect in afghan or iraq since 03. 02 in some places

[Skotal]

Only to idiotic Sith and officers. Gone from 1-50 on Imp side and the only time I saw them callously kill people was for failure or security reasons. Even Vader was cool with people as long as they didn't screw up or insist on messing with him.

 

vader was fairly stable for a sith. thana vesh on taris and darth bandon in swtor both randomly force pushed troopers into walls.

 

just default mode on the grunts to kiss *** as much as possible.

[Vicelance]

 

Last but not least, I sure would have liked to address General Garza as Ma'am, not sir. Yes, I'm sure it was put in intentionally as a nod toward a gender neutral military feel, but every time my character does this it take me back to my own days as a lowly private, getting owned by a lady Lt. that I'd screwed up and called "sir". "Good morning, Sir", as I left the chow hall right after lunch, as a matter of fact, hehe.

 

Not the end of the world and certainly not game breaking, but yeah, some of the inconsistencies just kind of jump at you.

 

Theres a codex that says it's always sir since this military is dealing with multiple species.

[Malles]

Theres a codex that says it's always sir since this military is dealing with multiple species.

 

Especially those self-fertilizing species.

[Skotal]

Especially those self-fertilizing species.

 

that might make bunking awkward

[Malles]

that might make bunking awkward

 

I think they addressed that very issue in the EU.

 

Or maybe not. Are Gand's hermaphrodites? I'm thinking about Ooryl Qrygg, Corran Horn's roommate from the X-Wing series.

[Kesrik]

meh, the no salute policy hasn't been in effect in afghan or iraq since 03. 02 in some places

 

^This, at least for the U.S. military. I remember running comms for the post commander of my FOB in '08. Pretty much had to walk around with my hand held in a salute the entire day.

 

And no, watching Forrest Gump doesn't make you a soldier.

[Malles]

^This, at least for the U.S. military. I remember running comms for the post commander of my FOB in '08. Pretty much had to walk around with my hand held in a salute the entire day.

 

And no, watching Forrest Gump doesn't make you a soldier.

 

On a FOB? We were told not to because we knew beyond any doubt we were being watched. The locals tried dropping mortars on us every couple weeks.

 

You must have really hated your officers

[Kesrik]

On a FOB? We were told not to because we knew beyond any doubt we were being watched. The locals tried dropping mortars on us every couple weeks.

 

You must have really hated your officers

 

Apparently, rendering the proper Military Courtesy was SOP, even downrange. The post was run by a Marine Col., but we had Air Force guys doing patrols and Base Security. Yes, it was a complete soup sandwich.

[Malles]

Apparently, rendering the proper Military Courtesy was SOP, even downrange. The post was run by a Marine Col., but we had Air Force guys doing patrols and Base Security. Yes, it was a complete soup sandwich.

 

That is way too many toes to avoid stepping on.

[Aelaias]

If we are talking about problems with Star Wars' ideas of warmaking by technologically advanced societies the warzone salutes are probably the least significant issues. I mean they are stuck in WW 2.

[Morticoccus]

Been playing Trooper for a while, and as a real-life soldier this bugs the hell out of me.

 

Nearly ever single Republic NPC I talk to insists on saluting my character after every conversation, no matter where we are. Including in the middle of a combat zone.

 

The one and only time I ever threw out a salute in such an environment, I was a private on tour and LT told me if he saw me doing it ever again he'd break my jaw and send me home. Saluting lets the enemy know who your leaders are and, as the title thread implies, who they need to start gunning for. In most if not all military organizations of the world, you only salute on base, and only when in uniform. And it's not just with the Trooper storyline. The NPCs do it to the Imperial Agent as well.

 

To me, that's a pretty big plot hole. We just got done with a galaxy-wide war, I'm sure the Republic and Empire learned not to do that by now. Maybe that could be fixed in a future patch?

 

So basically, saluting someone in a combat zone is pretty much painting a bullseye on their forehead (Base of the skull technically, though most snipers go for heartshots from what I heard, which from an anatomical standpoint is still a guaranteed kill, and a much larger target area.)

 

I guess it's pretty much self explanatory, everyone wants you killed XD

[Malles]

If we are talking about problems with Star Wars' ideas of warmaking by technologically advanced societies the warzone salutes are probably the least significant issues. I mean they are stuck in WW 2.

 

Last I checked, the title was Star Wars. Not Star Barney's Sing-a-Long Time.

 

Though we should probably raise the question as to why the technology has stayed frozen for ten thousand years.

[Malles]

So basically, saluting someone in a combat zone is pretty much painting a bullseye on their forehead (Base of the skull technically, though most snipers go for heartshots from what I heard, which from an anatomical standpoint is still a guaranteed kill, and a much larger target area.)

 

I guess it's pretty much self explanatory, everyone wants you killed XD

 

Hence the whole, "I'll will send you to the medics in a shoebox, private." comeback.

[RikiWataru]

Well I was a Marine Corps Sniper and I always thought that was ********.

 

It was either something someone with too much time on their hands to think of pointless bull came up with or an excuse enlisted came up with not to salute.

 

If I have enemy in my sights odds are I'm already pink misting them not laying around waiting for some noob to salute some dick making his rounds. If I want to headhunt officers it's not all that hard to tell who they are without shine on their collars and kids flashing their palms at them.

 

I'm just saying even in the real military a lot of stuff is pointless and likely thought up and implemented by people who've never been in country.

 

Besides. The republic military is largely composed of people in shiney white armor with power ranger striping. Subtle or camouflaged they are not and I don't think theyre terribly concerned with snipers in their power ranger get up. You can assume defense screens or whatever if you like but odds are one shot one kill is not a fear in the game verse.