General Breaking down SOC

[kilemall]

Perhaps, and I'm not addressing that. I'm only describing how the game rules treat it.

Also, there is no "management" skill*... probably because most of that happens at the meta level (between players and the referee).

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*personnel management, operations managment, etc. Nor logistics!

To me Admin does the logistics and operations, of which bureaucracy is just operationalizing org design and goals.

 

[kilemall]

Titles for social positions in hierarchies change, the deference those of a lower rank must pay to those of higher rank is baked into the system. Doesn't matter if it the civilian, military, religious or corporate authority, if there is a hierarchy you have a social rank.

Don't like it? Don't play in a setting with a hierarchical culture. Or have your characters join the Ine Givar... but I bet there is still a hierarchy.

That’s the core of the conclusion I came to- there is a hierarchy even in human orgs/polities that loudly proclaim there aren’t.

SOC can provide an easy ranking system to handle the overall society- I would tend to use career rank for sub orgs like military, megacorps or outlaws like the IG or pirates. That principle should handle something like a low SOC high rank entertainer.

 

[Condottiere]

You can handle Social Standing as a hard statistic, which means that they have a title tied to each tier.

That would mean that any influence these titles carry, only have an effect if the other party is aware of it.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Or have your characters join the Ine Givar... but I bet there is still a hierarchy.

That might be called a 'pecking order'.

 

[aramis]

I like this, but since Soc is also tied up with actual Social, and noble, status, it implies that all nobles are uniformly adept at Soc tasks. I imagine that's the case for most of them in any event, but I am not comfortable with saying every knight is a suave smooth talker. Then again, maybe the people who get knighthoods are the smooth talkers and the dorks just get Leters of Appreciation. *eyes his own pile of LOAs*

TTNE added Cha for dealing with the difference...

 

[Black Vulmea]

Reaction rolls- the greater discrepancy between SOC levels, the more negative the DM and the closer the more positive.

This is key to me: someone Soc 7 is okay interacting with someone between Soc 5 and Soc 9, but outside that range you incur a penalty. Streetwise and Liaison are your buffer against this.

And I don't have "Charisma" or "Charm" - that's what skills are for.

 

[mike wightman]

That might be called a 'pecking order'.

or caste, or rank... it is still a social ladder that you have a rung on.

Many consider the UPP to be an actual in universe document, there is evidence of this with the exemplar Imperial forms and charts. So it appears your social status is something that is assessed in universe and you have a score in it for various purposes - sounds a bit like the social credit score the WEF wants to roll out to the masses and is already being considered in the EU and Canada...

this is your place in society and this is what you are allowed to do.

 

[Condottiere]

Since Social Standing, initially, is inherited, if the parental units drop in status, the player character's would lose some points, as well.