Lotus Orbital Drop Troops (Rikugun?)

[RaWolfe]

Lotus Orbital Drop Troops (Rōtasu kidō doroppu-tai )

I'm constantly researching certain topics and threads, pages or articles to improve the Hanako Resistance plot. What I noticed is that the SAoY tackled its weakness of having no land army by introducing the Rikugun. The Rikugun, not yet a branch of its own, is spreading over all Yamatai planets. In addition, you got specialized forces like the Star Army Rangers that work behind enemy lines to take out any enemy threads. But I thought maybe its also a good addition to have a mixture of the two, the LODT. Before I am going to write an article and put energy into it, I just wanted to see if it could fly within the standards of Yamatai.

The LODT is a specialized force that would fall under Rikugun that is used as a breaching force, by taking down critical enemy structures or board enemy vessels taking them out from the inside. They operate by being dropped into the combat area but are able to work from both space (orbital drop) or at planetary operations (drop-in by ship). They are suited in a heavy PA that is able to be deployed in space and planetary combat (I don't know if such a version is there?). They can be used for the direct action in the battlefield, they are trained to do unconventional warfare (like guerrilla warfare and other direct offensive tactics) and are used also for personnel extraction from a hot zone, this also counts as search and rescue.

This is of course just an idea, if its something that doesn't fit the bill for Yamatai or SARP in general, then I totally understand. But I thought, I rather try as I got a no and I can get a yes

 

[Alex Hart]

I really don't know if we need even more special forces right now, what with the over-abundance of them in Yamatai. Additionally, vessel boarding is mostly taken care of by Uchuugun, or Star Army infantry, and many types of Power Army can survive re-entry already. Most of what you've said that these guys do is already done by the other, far too numerous groups of 'super unique special ops guys' in the SAoY.

 

[Ametheliana]

Yeah, no more occupations imo. We have enough. Unless Wes himself sees a need for an occupation addition in the star army, I wouldn't back it. Alex is doubly right that everyone else does this or can do this. GM's don't do it too often so it's not seen much. It's less about making a new role and more about doing it in RP more.

 

[RaWolfe]

Like I said, if it's unfitting for the SARP setting due to what is present, then I don't mind dropping it. Thought I got to say that the statement of Alex is not to its right, there are in the field of Rikugun no real specialized teams. Yes, you got Star Army Rangers, you got SOFT that remotely comes close to what I said yet aimed more on SAINT operations. Space infantry have 3 months of training in the field of survival training for different environments, demolition training, advanced weapon training, how to build structures, as well as fighting vehicle, support vehicle, and aerospace vehicle training. But not in the angle I had with LODT, again if this is not wanted due that it's not often used by GM or just another label then I don't mind dropping it ^^.

 

[Firebrand]

Isn't like, everyone basically a drop troop anyway? PA can (Probably) survive atmospheric re-entry.

 

[raz]

you got SOFT that remotely comes close to what I said yet aimed more on SAINT operations.

This is a big misconception. Star Army Command operates its own SOFT teams and SAINT operates its own. There very well could be Rikugun-specialized SOFT teams.

I'm actually writing a guide compiling already-avaialble information on the Star Army's special operations and what they do right now. It should clear a lot of things up that people regularly get wrong.

 

[RaWolfe]

This is a big misconception. Star Army Command operates its own SOFT teams and SAINT operates its own. There very well could be Rikugun-specialized SOFT teams.

I'm actually writing a guide compiling already-avaialble information on the Star Army's special operations and what they do right now. It should clear a lot of things up that people regularly get wrong.

Ahh thanks, I thought it was a specific thing that both divisions had control over. Looking forward to the guide

 

[HarperMadi]

If Lotus is a thing, that's precident for the RSR. Rikugan Search and Rescue. Just a concept I've been playing with for the Star Army's equivalent of Air Force PJs.

 

[Wes]

From my perspective:

• Regardless of who's doing it (unit-wise), orbital insertion is an aspect of the Star Army that lacks information and needs information
• This doesn't necessarily have to be an occupation, it could be a qualification that soldiers go to school for and can earn (and units could be OD-qualified)
• Search and rescue is also an under-detailed part of the Star Army that needs attention. In the past the Star Army has actually been pretty shitty about rescuing lost troops...I remember times in my RP where the Star Army found a survivor years after they were lost, simply because no one had looked for them until then...
  • Also Downed Spacecraft Recovery Teams (like IRL Army DARTs) to recovered shot-down fighters and shuttles
• I imagined that one could ride down on oversize transparent Zesuaium shields but you don't have to go with that.
• Mindy and Daisy armors can be dropped from orbit

In conclusion I think this is worth looking into. Rather than introducing a new force within the Star Army, it could also be a good way to detail existing Star Army forces. Integration is key.

 

[HarperMadi]

I like to believe SAoY shields are more advanced than using a Zesu heatshield.

 

[raz]

Rather than introducing a new force within the Star Army, it could also be a good way to detail existing Star Army forces. Integration is key.

This is really important, to be honest. Too often, people don't realize that there are things that are simply un-detailed that the Star Army already does. Many common sense military activities haven't been given RP or detail, but that doesn't mean they need a whole new occupation or corps.

 

[RaWolfe]

Thanks so far for all the information that contributed to this topic. Yet while I realize and understand perfectly what you are saying @raz you can't simply presume that people know that certain duties are common sense in the military. I go with the information that is provided on the wiki and notice there are parts of the information missing. But if I went to presume that the information is common sense I wouldn't have come forth with this proposal/idea.

So this idea just connects towards the information that is currently present and that requires the informational update. Thought the first thing I would like to propose is to change the average infantry training phase, they got to learn so much in 3 months that it is getting unrealistic even for supercomputing Neko's. I would say 6 months would cover these trainings (including the orbital drops).

The general idea was that this team be a group of heavy armored PA to go into hot zones. I would think twice if I was a Captain of a ship to send infantry to a hostile location for an S&R or VIP extraction. But if this is more seen as part of the military duties, would it be an idea to make a page for it or add it as duties with a short summary on the current infantry page? And @HarperMadi are you talking about the shielding of a PA in general? I was thinking that an orbital drop would be too much that a PA could handle.

Thanks again for all your input!

 

[club24]

well i'll tell ya what, if yam doesnt want cool stuff the foxes will gladly have more special teams, gives me more narrative things to call on in my plots. Though yes we dont have PA as such in foxland ODST's we can do just fine ;3

 

[raz]

The general idea was that this team be a group of heavy armored PA to go into hot zones. I would think twice if I was a Captain of a ship to send infantry to a hostile location for an S&R or VIP extraction.

This sort of stuff falls under the general job description of basic Special Operations Fire Teams from Star Army Command. Star Army Command fire teams can be assigned to a wide range of sub-units, such as Yamataian warships (this has happened with the Eucharis and Kaiyo), so they could likely be assigned to assist a Century or Legion with their specialized training as well. One of the SOFT teams I roleplay from Star Army Command is led by and staffed with soldiers who came up through the Rikugun, so her team is definitely among those that are given missions that have them working closely with the Rikugun rather than the Uchuugun. Beyond their intelligence-operations-related SOFTs, SAINT additionally has a specialized SOFT unit called "AEGIS," which specifically focuses on SAR of high value soldiers (usually SAINT operatives and those with sensitive information) and VIP/materiel extraction (space nukes, biohazards, etc). Think PJs mixed with Nuclear Security Forces for those guys.

Part of the reason I'm working on a compiled Star Army spec ops guide is that all of the different groups are presented in one place for easy comparison. I can imagine the Rikugun having their own dedicated SOFT variant focusing on hardpoint assault and orbital operations (not necessarily with more training because all SOFTs are capable of "orbital drop operations") with a special name — just as I could see the Military Police having one for arresting fugitives, and Star Army Medical or Logistics having their own SOFTs for dedicated SAR duties beyond what SAINT's guys already do for the Star Army. But I could just as easily see all of these orgs being portrayed as simply using Star Army Command SOFTs under the standard three-number team designation. Star Army Command directs the entire Star Army, so it definitely makes sense for their elite teams to be sent on operations in concert with any part of the service.

I'm not saying don't pursue the creation of a new unit type, but it's important to look at what we already have. What you have described currently exists without a unique name and being specifically attached to the Rikugun. Special Operations Fire Teams were designed, it seems, as a sort of do-it-all unit for special operations that would allow GMs to run special forces plots within the Star Army. Once they've been given a mission, SOFTs have really wide discretion in carrying out their mission. There's nothing stopping you from making a SOFT team, assigning them to a Rikugun Legion, and having them undertake the exact kind of missions you're talking about in your opening post. In fact, during a fairly recent Kuvexian War space battle, SOFT teams were employed to "board enemy vessels [and take] them out from the inside."

 

[Firebrand]

I reckon that its a very good thing that people want to add to Yamatai and make new stuff and new things for Yam players to do- It might be better, then, to have a dedicated orbital drop school rather than a whole new special forces unit, however.

 

[Soban]

To me, orbital drop seems like a qualification that you can get.

 

[Wes]

So do we want to treat it somewhat like the US Army does with the Airborne pin?

 

[Glein]

I think that's a fair way to work it Wes. I'd like to have Ranger training to be akin to US Army Ranger training. It is its own thing, but it's also a course folks can take part in to improve or learn new skills. That being said, if RaWolfe was willing to detail out some of the stuff that comes with ODT (Orbital Drop Training), I'd love to have that be a course that would be highly recommended for Rangers to take, if only due to the expanding of options it gives them to perform their duties.

 

[raz]

So do we want to treat it somewhat like the US Army does with the Airborne pin?

Would it be for Rikugun only? Uchuugun soldiers have been shown to go from space-to-planet in their Mindy armors as far back as I can remember, so it'd seem kind of weird that they suddenly didn't count as qualified unless they went through a special course. I've always simply assumed it was part of standard power armor training because of the in-RP portrayals. And even for Rikugun, they've done combat deployments in drop ships since the 2nd Mishhu War.

I'm all for fleshing out training procedures but it's not like orbital drops are something that the Star Army's soldiers haven't always done.

I'd like to have Ranger training to be akin to US Army Ranger training.

The School of Advanced Infantry Combat is already almost exactly like U.S. Army Ranger training. Star Army Recon rangers are written and currently approved to act more like light infantry raiders.

 

[demibear]

This is something I wanted to get clarified with Jack, Glein, and now Raz. There is a lot of stuff out there, kind of like the pre-SOCOM days of the US Army. haha The Giretsu infantry seems like the Heavy Infantry unit that could be used in a ODST like fashion, in addition to raiding (boarding actions/direct action). I always call them poor man SOFT since they are still considered lowly Rikugun.

School of Advanced Infantry Combat needs to be tweaked to be its own thing and the Girestsu Course falling under it, but it is among a number of projects I have to plan and propose.

I really think there needs to be more of a split between the Rikugun and the Uchuugun. Infantry from the Rikugun can be used as guards/boarders. Would help solidify infantry to one side of the coin that occasionally enters and supports the other. Certain professions could be moved to the Uchuugun (looking at you medics) since it is a more general field. But that is something that can be argued over.