Wintermute wrote:Still, this page raises the question in my mind of exactly how frequent a ship going critical (in the delayed post-damage fashion seen here, where minutes pass from "hit" to "boom") is in the Outsider-verse. Winter Tide being lost in combat I expected, but the manner of it's passing I did not see coming (in that it was a delayed reaction).
The specific reason for the delay was because Moonglow and Ashrain's awkward "wager" exchange would have been even more awkward immediately following the loss of a ship. But I think the delay is somewhat realistic; my readings of military history suggest that ships rarely sink instantly when hit, and often a ship that survived the worst of the battle later succumbs to something much less exciting.
NOMAD wrote:man the damage didn't look that bad and all from the first hit. I guess that means loroi ships aren't as durable as I first though. But still it doesn't seem fair the damage looked survivable.
It was certainly survivable; Nova was in the process of reporting that she thought if they could get the reactor under control, she would be able to restore main power and make headway. But, c'est la guerre. With a matter-annihilation reactor, I don't think there's much margin between "having problems" and "oops, gone"... not really any time to consider evacuation. And I don't believe that engines with ejectable "warp cores" are practical or desirable in a warship in this milieu.
GeoModder wrote:Was the commanding officer of Sirocco the most senior in Van Squadron after Winter Tide foundered?
Yes. I have tried to minimize the number of ships and captains that I show in this introductory battle, in an attempt to reduce reader character overload... but I know I'm riding the far edge of that boundary.
Siber wrote:I would like to say, since I haven't mentioned it before, that I'm throughly impressed by the Umiak ship design in general. They're all very striking.
Thanks Siber! I'm particularly proud of the Umiak ship drawings, perhaps because many of them are done off the cuff without much in the way of prepared designs. And the first panel of page 84 is definitely my favorite (of that page).
CptWinters wrote:Do the Loroi consider certain positions to be an "honor?" For instance, being a member of the first rank of medieval knights in a charge, or the first centurion in a Roman legion connoted a greater honor and conveyed the skill and experience of those who were in such positions. Do the Loroi have similar sentiments about the physical positioning of their units? Is being placed in command of the center (or the left, or the right, etc.) a reflection of skill or experience, or is it simply based on the vagaries of war, and the decision of the commander?
As a self-described warrior culture, I think it's natural that most Loroi captains will consider it a point of honor to be placed in a position where contact with the enemy is expected and she can demonstrate her abilities. I don't think the Loroi captains actively seek death, but they do seek danger, and they are very professional soldiers; they know death is part of the business. Ashrain did request a transfer from her "safe" Imperial Guard posting to a raider group for this reason, and many of those (
captains) in Strike Group 51 are volunteers. That said, in a war as long as this one, with casualty rates so high, those with a "me first!" attitude often won't live very long. So I think in a long war through process of selection you will have many young, aggressive, inexperienced captains, and a few more veteran commanders who are likely to be a bit more cautious.
The Loroi concept of luck holds that a warrior who dies in battle -- even from ancillary causes -- draws misfortune off her comrades and therefore contributes materially to their chances of victory. As such, it is considered unseemly to overly lament a lost comrade, lest her contributions be minimized. Any Loroi who accepts a position of command also knows the Loroi tradition that the destiny of the most brilliant commanders is often to die. That's what makes a commander like Stillstorm so valuable; she is aggressive, sometimes to the point of recklessness, and yet she wins, and survives to bring her experience to the next engagement.
But yes, for the raider groups, they are operating in an environment disconnected with direct contact with headquarters, in which casualties or change in plans or a split in forces can sometimes result in a junior captain suddenly in command of a squadron, changes in assignment can be instant, frequent, and totally subject to the whims of the current commanding officer.
Karst45 wrote:Arioch has his own Easter egg in Homeworld 2.
arioch_sexier.mp3 You get this message whether you win or lose.