A Proto-Traveller Approach to the Scout Service
- Thread starter jawillroy
- Start date
Really glad you dig it, Daniel! Thank you.
*Nods.* Yep, Boomslang: funds are the biggie: but I figure on a few things for revenue IMTU:
1) Mail
2) Secure financial data transfer between worlds
3) Survey & Navigational chart updating (IMTU the IISS is the supplier for the cr10,000 jump "tapes")
4) ??? gotta be more. But even so, those scout couriers are pretty economical to run, and the IISS doesn't have to put anything into retirement plans...
*Nods.* Yep, Boomslang: funds are the biggie: but I figure on a few things for revenue IMTU:
1) Mail
2) Secure financial data transfer between worlds
3) Survey & Navigational chart updating (IMTU the IISS is the supplier for the cr10,000 jump "tapes")
4) ??? gotta be more. But even so, those scout couriers are pretty economical to run, and the IISS doesn't have to put anything into retirement plans...
Actually, 2, 3 and 4 are all subsumed under Mail IMTU; without an Xboat network (and without FTL radio), Mail is the glue that holds interstellar civilization together. Being far too important to leave in the hands of a purely military organization (which, after all, is principally dedicated to destruction), it makes a fine justification for a politically-neutral (or ostensibly politically-neutral) NGO to operate in a cultural-contact-and-support capacity... for profit, of course...
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Ahhh - not for profit... for "sufficient capital to meet operating costs". Of course, those operating costs don't have to be this year's operating costs..... 
Plankowner
SOC-13
Mail contacts might be possible WITHIN a PE, but mail (and money) moving between PEs and independent worlds will definitely be the province of the IISS.
There are a couple of cultural ways to go with this, the Knights Templar approach where all the scouts take themselves VERY seriously and they are "Fighting to hold back the next Long Night, and we MEAN it" or the Gypsy way, where it is a FAMILY and we all Live Hard and Die Young defending civilization.
Secure money and information transfer will be vital in your smaller setting. Just like it is today. The government doesn't do international money transfer, the off-shore banks handle that stuff. The IISS is similar.
There are a couple of cultural ways to go with this, the Knights Templar approach where all the scouts take themselves VERY seriously and they are "Fighting to hold back the next Long Night, and we MEAN it" or the Gypsy way, where it is a FAMILY and we all Live Hard and Die Young defending civilization.
Secure money and information transfer will be vital in your smaller setting. Just like it is today. The government doesn't do international money transfer, the off-shore banks handle that stuff. The IISS is similar.
My thoughts exactly - only the Independent Scouts will have the credibility to handle inter-governmental financial transfer. Although I can see where a trade combine could start up between a few worlds, and maintain its own financial links via its own carriers... though I haven't worked that out.
I think that the templar-ish "Fighting to hold back the next Long Night, and we MEAN it" approach might be what comes out during drinking sessions. I think more often the feel will be more "Well, if I don't do this, who will?" or "Call it what you like, but what other outfit will take a guy like <i>me</i> and put them in their own frelling <i>ship</i>?"
I think that the templar-ish "Fighting to hold back the next Long Night, and we MEAN it" approach might be what comes out during drinking sessions. I think more often the feel will be more "Well, if I don't do this, who will?" or "Call it what you like, but what other outfit will take a guy like <i>me</i> and put them in their own frelling <i>ship</i>?"
This reminds me a little of the Gilgameshers from HB Piper's Star Viking, although they weren't nomadic.
I can dig this interpretation of scouts as rootless, planetless, scoutbases being full of family-members. Credit, finance, loans, assurance - the Scouts somewhere between Medieval Jews, Knight Templars and Pay Pal. Pay Pal or DHL with fusion starships.
I can dig this interpretation of scouts as rootless, planetless, scoutbases being full of family-members. Credit, finance, loans, assurance - the Scouts somewhere between Medieval Jews, Knight Templars and Pay Pal. Pay Pal or DHL with fusion starships.
Wiltshiresaint
SOC-6
Great thread, really interesting and useful stuff.
The whole idea of scouts as an independent organisation is intriguing and more than feasible based on the rationale you've provided. I really like the idea of these guys and girls 'holding back the dark night'. The idea that they try as much as possible to be neutral in matters of system squabbles and politics provides a number of game ideas, for example where do they stand if a warlike system looks likely to reduce the overall tech level of a sector with it's activities? How do scout service members react when dealing with unpleasant but system stabilising governments? And so on..
I also like the fact you've used as a starting point LBB1-3 only. A similar approach at my end makes my drawing board ideas for a merchant adventurer campaign easier to justify
I've also wondered about the TAS. To my mind the benefits are just too good for most of the characters who are members, but reading about it being given as a reward for outstanding service/heroism, combined with the suggestion that it's similar to the informal network of taverns, inns, etc run by ex-Servicemen makes it easier to swallow. The hint at an obligation to assist the Scout service in return for the benefits offered is also appealing and seems believeable enough. I was thinking about ditiching the TAS IMTU and replacing it with a merchant 'Captain's Guild' based on the organisation with the same name that features in Elizabeth Moon's 'Vatta's War' series of novels, but using the rationale above there's no reason why the two organisations can't run alongside each other. Captain's Guild for merchants, TAS for ex-services/diplomats, etc.
Lastly I like the overall 'impending dark night', pocket/scattered empires ideas. I think IMTU I'll have similar, but in a post-Imperium setting e.g. great empire has failed, scattered pockets of civilisation. The other aspect will be that even at it's height the much-lamented Imperium was still exploring systems on it's fringes - maybe it was much, much smaller than the OTU version. That leaves plenty of scope for the scout service, and subsequently merchants, to venture into uncharted territory. In fact, it's another plot hook - the conflict between keeping the lights burning in known space and the original scout service aim of discovering new worlds...
All good stuff
The whole idea of scouts as an independent organisation is intriguing and more than feasible based on the rationale you've provided. I really like the idea of these guys and girls 'holding back the dark night'. The idea that they try as much as possible to be neutral in matters of system squabbles and politics provides a number of game ideas, for example where do they stand if a warlike system looks likely to reduce the overall tech level of a sector with it's activities? How do scout service members react when dealing with unpleasant but system stabilising governments? And so on..
I also like the fact you've used as a starting point LBB1-3 only. A similar approach at my end makes my drawing board ideas for a merchant adventurer campaign easier to justify
I've also wondered about the TAS. To my mind the benefits are just too good for most of the characters who are members, but reading about it being given as a reward for outstanding service/heroism, combined with the suggestion that it's similar to the informal network of taverns, inns, etc run by ex-Servicemen makes it easier to swallow. The hint at an obligation to assist the Scout service in return for the benefits offered is also appealing and seems believeable enough. I was thinking about ditiching the TAS IMTU and replacing it with a merchant 'Captain's Guild' based on the organisation with the same name that features in Elizabeth Moon's 'Vatta's War' series of novels, but using the rationale above there's no reason why the two organisations can't run alongside each other. Captain's Guild for merchants, TAS for ex-services/diplomats, etc.
Lastly I like the overall 'impending dark night', pocket/scattered empires ideas. I think IMTU I'll have similar, but in a post-Imperium setting e.g. great empire has failed, scattered pockets of civilisation. The other aspect will be that even at it's height the much-lamented Imperium was still exploring systems on it's fringes - maybe it was much, much smaller than the OTU version. That leaves plenty of scope for the scout service, and subsequently merchants, to venture into uncharted territory. In fact, it's another plot hook - the conflict between keeping the lights burning in known space and the original scout service aim of discovering new worlds...
All good stuff
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beowulf2044
SOC-12
Excellent material. I assume that the Scouts must take an oath to their dedication to service ("In brightest day, in blackest night" sort of thing). Considering that 'information is power', it makes me wonder if there's a possible storyline where a Scout went Rogue, and what the consequences would be?
How about this?
Scouts are the equivalent of various non-military functions of a polity;
Coast Guard
Customs
Border Patrol
Alcohol-Tobacco-Firearms
Postal Service
Thats in addition to exploration
Some military-type disciplines in there, though its not the same level as dedicated fighting forces.
so.... they'd probably be scary to f*** around with.
Hi-Tech SWAT teams that specialize in mayhem outside of a set-piece battlefield?
in MT, "special combat" is a possible skill, which cascades into all kinds of high-end fighting skills like battledress .
an odd thought occurred to me... the Octagon Society
the octagon was very important to the Templars ( symbols and architecture ), so if the scouts are based on a Templar-like model, then maybe the Octagon Society was once the organization that became the Scouts.....
Maybe transformed themselves into the TAS as a result of the financial scandal mentioned in library files.
Perhaps the Octagon Society's findings on Twilight's Peak ( and other places? ) led to scandals involving the origin of man which caused an uproar and which is being kept secret by various secret societies. Much like the conspiracy theories surrounding Rennes-LeChataeu ( Holy Blood-Holy Grail, DaVinci Code ).
Who better to keep such secrets hidden, than the organization who would be charged with discovering them? What secrets do the Scouts hide? bwahahahahahahaha.
Also...
Imagine the power the Scouts wield!
Scouts map the Imperium and publish its UWP list.... that info could strongly influence trade and the flow of wealth and power.
Xboats
Those who control the flow of information control that information
Knowledge is power!!!! bwahahahahahahaha
Who really runs the Imperium now!!!!!!
bwahahahahahaha
the TAS
Travellers form of Freemasonry?
just an idea
Scouts are the equivalent of various non-military functions of a polity;
Coast Guard
Customs
Border Patrol
Alcohol-Tobacco-Firearms
Postal Service
Thats in addition to exploration
Some military-type disciplines in there, though its not the same level as dedicated fighting forces.
so.... they'd probably be scary to f*** around with.
Hi-Tech SWAT teams that specialize in mayhem outside of a set-piece battlefield?
in MT, "special combat" is a possible skill, which cascades into all kinds of high-end fighting skills like battledress .
an odd thought occurred to me... the Octagon Society
the octagon was very important to the Templars ( symbols and architecture ), so if the scouts are based on a Templar-like model, then maybe the Octagon Society was once the organization that became the Scouts.....
Maybe transformed themselves into the TAS as a result of the financial scandal mentioned in library files.
Perhaps the Octagon Society's findings on Twilight's Peak ( and other places? ) led to scandals involving the origin of man which caused an uproar and which is being kept secret by various secret societies. Much like the conspiracy theories surrounding Rennes-LeChataeu ( Holy Blood-Holy Grail, DaVinci Code ).
Who better to keep such secrets hidden, than the organization who would be charged with discovering them? What secrets do the Scouts hide? bwahahahahahahaha.
Also...
Imagine the power the Scouts wield!
Scouts map the Imperium and publish its UWP list.... that info could strongly influence trade and the flow of wealth and power.
Xboats
Those who control the flow of information control that information
Knowledge is power!!!! bwahahahahahahaha
Who really runs the Imperium now!!!!!!
bwahahahahahaha
the TAS
Travellers form of Freemasonry?
just an idea
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Coast Guard, Customs, Border Patrol: almost always military or paramilitary, usually military. The role of the CG and BP is a military role: intercept and interdict.
The USCG is an anomaly; in most countries it's either part of the navy, customs, or absent altogether. The USCG starts out as the US Treasury Revenue Cutter Service... and merges with with Dept of Transportation's Lighthouse and Bouy service.
Most countries Customs and/or Border patrol are paramilitary.
Most don't have an equivalent to BATF; it's usually just rolled into either the religious police or the civil police; the latter are almost always paramilitary; the former soviet block generally treats police as a military branch.
Postal services are usually civil service.
beowulf2044
SOC-12
I love those Chandler stories. His Federation Survey Service also included officers who were excellent spies I think the character of Soyna Verrell (sp?) was an near-perfect model for a Scout: she held a reserve commisson, she was skilled in aspects of ship-handling, and she was damn near Modesty Blaise in capability.
IMTU...
Scouts are fun ones, I'm a big fan of Postal Union aspect, which doesn't require Imperium or xboats for that matter. A lot depends on if you use Jump Tapes !!! 10kCr *per*parsec one use, Vilani Tech at it's best. Scouts are the ones who jump in, scout it out, set up the orbital parameters, work up the tapes (and get the funds...). They prospect in the belts as well!
A scout gets his life support recharged by landing somewhere filling the tanks with air and water, grabs his carbine and hunts up a couple weeks food, maybe even on horseback for that matter. The postal union boats are like stagecoaches, regular small amount of traffic some people some cargo to all them backwater worlds.
They favor the lowest possible tech level equipment to get the job done. I *love* that the scout courier is TL9 J2 ship. The idea is that low TL stuff is easier to maintain. So there is an aspect of preventing the long might, more these people are the types that kept going through it, and likely to still have star capability should it ever happen again.
Scouts are the ones salvaging the disabled and misjumped ships with xboat tenders, the ones who'll likely hear your mayday call with a picket ship, heck are probably the ones buying pirate's captures (corsair holds a 100t ship hm?) for return to the insurance companies.
But again, 10kCr, *per ship*, *per jump*, *per world* ! ! ! Mail yeh right sure i'll take that letter, call it a Cr kid ok?
Great thread! lots of good ideas in here!
Scouts are fun ones, I'm a big fan of Postal Union aspect, which doesn't require Imperium or xboats for that matter. A lot depends on if you use Jump Tapes !!! 10kCr *per*parsec one use, Vilani Tech at it's best. Scouts are the ones who jump in, scout it out, set up the orbital parameters, work up the tapes (and get the funds...). They prospect in the belts as well!
A scout gets his life support recharged by landing somewhere filling the tanks with air and water, grabs his carbine and hunts up a couple weeks food, maybe even on horseback for that matter. The postal union boats are like stagecoaches, regular small amount of traffic some people some cargo to all them backwater worlds.
They favor the lowest possible tech level equipment to get the job done. I *love* that the scout courier is TL9 J2 ship. The idea is that low TL stuff is easier to maintain. So there is an aspect of preventing the long might, more these people are the types that kept going through it, and likely to still have star capability should it ever happen again.
Scouts are the ones salvaging the disabled and misjumped ships with xboat tenders, the ones who'll likely hear your mayday call with a picket ship, heck are probably the ones buying pirate's captures (corsair holds a 100t ship hm?) for return to the insurance companies.
But again, 10kCr, *per ship*, *per jump*, *per world* ! ! ! Mail yeh right sure i'll take that letter, call it a Cr kid ok?
Great thread! lots of good ideas in here!
Sifu Blackirish
SOC-14 1K
Indeed, the thread necromancy spell still works...
I found some scribbled notes that I wrote in December that seem appropriate, so I post them here. IMTU of course, YMMV...
Even though the initial Scout exploration was under nominal UN jurisdiction, with the United States Air Force supplying the American contingent (sidebar: just think of the fight that must have happened for them to get this juicy peach), corporate interests quickly took over after the initial exploration phase.
What was the phrase Napoleon used...making war pay for itself? Of course my head is full of useles information (ask my wife), so I might be mangling several metaphors at once. Oh well...
Corporate traders had a stranglehold on merchant activity. If you actually knew a free trader, he was (almost always) either really a spy for a merchant house/government/political faction, or he had extortion information on someone. Sort of like things are with company/independent truckers in RL, but much worse...
As a matter of survival, Scouts attempted to maintain their independence by forming their own contracts for mail delivery, or hauled data on their own...or were associated with news media or science bureaus with data collection.
That brings up an interesting concept...having a scout land at some outpost and say...want the news? pay me! Or...want someone else to hear your story? pay me!
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