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Rank Names and Stuff!


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Some thoughts on the Rank names for each hull upgrade for each race.

The names largely follow a pattern that diversifies by race and profession. Terrans typically have well-known, Anglo-American based military ranks, Progens have ranks styled after Ancient Roman ranks, and Jenquai have vaguely Asian inspired ranks.

Traders tend to graduate from apprentices to some sort of merchant royalty - note the top two ranks of each trader class

  • TT (Tradesman) : Prentice > Journeyman > Agent > Emptor > Guildsman > Magnate > Merchant Prince
  • JT (Seeker) : Nan'Jeu > Zi'Jeu or possibly 子爵 > Bo'Jeu > Hou'Jeu > Gong'Jeu or 公爵 > Wang'Jeu or 王爵 > Huangdi'Jeu or 黄帝爵
  • PT (Privateer) : Quaestor > Aedile > Tribune > Praetor > Procurator > Triumvir > Imperator (Emperor)

Of particular noteworthiness is how the upper two Jenquai Trader ranks (the L100 and L135 HU) are comparable to royalty.... also the upper two Progen Trader ranks as well. They are a perfect match for the lofty and exalted feeling conveyed by being either a "Magnate" or a "Merchant Prince".

The JT ranks are Chinese-language based and were a bit less obvious to suss out the meanings, but a "Wang'Jeu" is 王爵 where "wang" is a "king", and "jeu" is a civil title, like a governor. In like manner, "Huangdi'Jeu" contains "Huangdi", a reference to 黄帝 or the legendary Yellow Emperor (founder of Ancient China). Pretty dang impressive, if you ask me.

The others use the -'Jeu construction, which again was a suffix for a type of government official (represented in Japanese as "shaku", distantly related to "ruler" or "standard" in much the same way the English term "rule" (the measuring device) derives from "ruler" (the sovereign, by whose authority a system of standards and measures was often established).

FWIW, a "Gong'Jeu loosely corresponds to a "Duke" (koushaku in Japanese) and it probably follows that the other JT ranks range up and down along the same lines. The Zi'Jeu is possibly a cognate of 子爵 (Japanese: shishaku or Viscount - a minor noble rank)

The Progen Trader ranks are similarly arranged, with the lower level "Quaestor", more or less an entry-level to the Cursus Honorum (Course of Honours), to "Triumvir" (a group of three men who ruled Rome at various points in its history: the better cognate here would have been "Rex" or King)... and lastly, the Imperator - an exact rendering of "Emperor".

Title Check: These upper ranks sound pretty sweet!

Now, let's look at the Warriors:

TW (Enforcer) : Ensign > Lieutenant > Lt.Commander > Commander > Captain > Commodore > Admiral

JW (Defender) : J'nai > D'nai > U'nai > Lai'shao > Dai'shao > Ten'shao > Ken'shao

PW (Warrior) : Legionaire > Centurion > Lancearate > Praefect > Legate > Consul > Proconsul

The Jenquai Warrior ranks are again, somewhat more esoteric, again using a blend of Japanese and Chinese. A Dai'Shao is a cognate to the Japanese Taisho, which is a "General". Ten'Shao could be interpreted as "Sky General" or "Heavenly General"; and a Ken'Shao appears to be a contrived title, or a mix of Gensui (roughly, "Field Marshal" and -'Shao, for a type of "Generalissimo".

The Progen Warrior ranks are fairly straightforward, with their top two ranks of Consul and Proconsul being very high ranks in Ancient Roman government.

As an aside, in keeping with the trend of the lower ranks being more strictly Roman military ranks, two better choces might have been "Dux" in place of "Consul", as a Dux immediately outranked a Legatus (Legate). Not coincidentally, "Dux" is the Latin root for the modern English word, "Duke", a rank of nobility generally subordinate only to kings.

The Dux reported to his boss, the Magister Militum. But more often than not, Consuls and Proconsuls often held very high military rank as Duces and Magister Militi in their own right.

And of course, the Terran Warrior ranks make plain sense, being based upon the US/British Navy rank system.

Title Check: These upper ranks sound like something you'd want to aspire to!

Finally, let's take a look and see if we can spot the ugly duckling among this group of Explorers:

JE (Explorer) : Aspirant > Initiate > Novice > Disciple > Adept > Master > Grandmaster

PE (Sentinel) : Inceptor > Librorum > Savant > Pedagogue > Doctrinaire > Magister > Magister Magna

TE (Scout) : Cadet > Private > Corporal > Sergeant > Master Sergeant > Sergeant Major > Warrant Officer

Title Check: *cue the "toooo bad, you lose" music from "The Price Is Right"...

The Progen and Jenquai lines of Explorer hull rank titles both shine radiantly as they match closely, showing a progression from a learner to a teach, and finally, something like a Great Master (Magister is Latin for "Master", and not surprisingly, a Magister Magna is a "Grand Master").

The Terran line kind of ruins the "learned explorer" vibe with its military ranks. And that's all well and good - considering the revealed knowledge that the Terran Scouts are in fact related to a GETCo security outfit.

BUT ... these are ranks contemporary with enlisted ranks (Warrant Officer being a technical exception).

Now, I'll say that enlisted men and women serve their nations well, and they are the backbone of any military outfit... but I wish that folks (and the DEVs) would re-think this:

After grinding 150 levels and dropping hundreds of hours into a toon.... how does a mere Sergeant Major or Warrant Officer compare in dignity to titled royalty (Merchant Princes and Imperators and Chinese Emperors) - or even the esteemed academics that the Progen and Jenquai Explorers turn out?

In a (now thoroughly buried) thread, I've proposed several hull rank title promotion lines.

Recruit > Rookie > Patrolman > Detective > Investigator > Inspector > Commissioner

Anwaerter > Gefrieter > Fahnrich > Wachtmann > Wachtmeister > Rittmeister > Kommandant (these are cavalry ranks, related to mounted scouts from 20th century German Army)

Candidate > Lightfoot > Spotter > Outrider > Pathfinder > Ranger > Elite Ranger

A few ideas along that line to mull over, and it won't break my heart if this also disappears down the lane of forgettable posts... but really. It'd be nice to have a really elite, kick-@ss sounding rank after hitting L100.

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Thanks :P

Here's what I committed last night, so unless I change my mind this'll be it for a while. Thanks for the ideas. I didn't really like the original set myself, I just never got around to updating it.

Scout > Tracker > Spotter > Outrider > Pathfinder > Ranger > Elite Ranger

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Seeker,

Thoroughly explained(are you a lawyer??) , well argued (again if your not consider it) and very well put ...Gratz .... BTW I like the new title - Pathfinder for my TS toon.

Kyp , good work. It was a fair arguement/view point and I like the new rank progression.

All the best

Alk

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