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Multiple Awards

Aendri

Aendri

Inactive Member
Like the title says, I was wondering how the SAoY handles people getting multiples of the various awards. Since they're worn on the formal uniform, especially with nekos actually living more than 5 years now, the awards can start to add up. So I was wondering if they use a system like the US military, where there are symbols that get pinned onto the awards themselves to indicate multiple awards, like either small bronzed stars, or in some cases, numerals or even olive branches, ala this. If not, we should probably make one, since it would be coming up more and more at this point in the Timeline.
 
From the awards page.

When medals are worn, and there are multiples of a certain medal, a numerical pin is worn on top of the award ribbon — “4” for four of the same medal.
 
What Nashoba said.
 
Completely lost track of this train of thought, so a bit delayed on the response, but is it stylized in any way? Like how the US military uses oak leaves, and other things like that.

If not, we may want to look into doing something like that. Maybe bellflowers, like on the cap and other pieces of stuff? Bronze, silver and gold ones marking out 1, 5, or 10, for example? I just remember seeing my dad's medals, and the ones with numbers always seemed less... well, impressive than the ones that used stars or oak clusters.
 
Would you consider something like what I said, then? It just feels remarkably plain, as it is. Someone who earns multiple awards should earn a decent looking piece, not just a number. To me, that just diminishes the meaning.
 
How about using Japanese/Yamataian numerals instead of plain numbers? Then it would look a bit more artistic, I think. I'm picturing the Bleach officers' badges/jackets.
 
I've been using the numbers since around 1996 when I was coloring Weslian army ribbons on paper in class and it pains me to think about eliminating of the oldest traditions in the setting. There's not a lot of "ancient pre-SARP" stuff left and this is one of them. Also it helps set SARP apart from the US Military, which was part of the original point when I started the tradition so long ago. Also because a hardcore soldier could easily get service ribbons totaling in the 30s or higher.
 
That's my point though, Wes. Seems kinda silly to just have the number "30" on your pin. It would look way better if, using my example, the medal had 3 golden bellflowers on it.

Also, if the goal is to separate yourself, you probably shouldn't use a system that actually IS used on some medals for the army, then. Both Roman Numerals and traditional numbers are used, in addition to letter, and the usual oak clusters/stars.
 
You only need one Red Tessen to let people know how badass you are. In a society like Yamatai, signifying more than one seems more like bragging, which would be discouraged.
 
Agreed. But you're also remarkably unlikely to GET more than one Red Tessen. If you did, there would be no need, because your name would probably be a household one. The difference is when it comes to the more normal medals, like the Service medal, the exploration medal. Even the training or command medals. It just seems to me that the number looks silly on the whole. We have better ways of representing something like this.
 
I didn't even know you could adopt a number, to be honest. It makes sense to do something to signify multiple medals when in your dress whites, but SAoY personnel seem to hardly ever be in the kind of formal circumstances to need to wear medals at all. Maybe that's why I didn't think of it.

The numbers certainly do separate the less battlefield-tested troops from the front-liners. Man, that makes Masako look so elite with her two Red Tessens. Heh.

It seems very Japanese to use Arabic numerals. For design purposes, Roman numerals and Japanese numbers are harder to read and take up more width on the ribbon, covering it.
 
Doshii Jun said:
You only need one Red Tessen to let people know how badass you are. In a society like Yamatai, signifying more than one seems more like bragging, which would be discouraged.
Click to expand...
All I gotta say is my Neko would totally love to brag any way she could. Bragging contests are fun in RP even if they're annoying IRL.

Also, I'm deeply distraught Akemi didn't get one by helping quell the Iroma crash landing crisis and I'm terrified of the idea of not being able to display more than one as a result.

I can't be alone in wanting the ability to potentially have a character that wears a massive sheet of medals like a banana republic despot.
I want the potential for so many medals they add to my formal wear's PDR.

We already don't have ostentatious stuff like epaulets so I think we're good in the modesty department.
 
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That's part of why I suggested the bellflower design, Doshii. It's a uniquely SARP style of doing it, isn't huge, and would look a bit classier. I dunno. Using barebones arabic numerals for a medal just feels like "Oh, hey, here's this AWESOME MEDAL. Oh, and you can tack a number on top if you get more." Just feels like a very meh way of dealing with it.
 
I've linked to this in the Star Army uniforms thread.

I'm hoping to create an updated set of medals by the start of next year and new devices could possibly be part of that.
 
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