Re: [HIST??] Culture shock

--- Scott Siebold <gamers@ameritech.net> wrote:

> issue. Each of these
> colonies is a frontier to start with. You have
> various communities with
> mines, farmland or some other specific item being
> produced that are
> scattered with little contact between them and no
> large population base.

Actually, there will be a starport and there will be a
cluster of population around the starport.  In fact,
in Pournelle's Codominion universe (major influence on
GZGverse, at least in atmosphere/technology), there's
a point in which one character says something to the
effect that on Sparta, _unlike_ most planets only a
quarter of the population lives in Sparta City and the
outlying area.	The group he's speaking to agrees this
is much more healthy than the settlement patterns
which predominate in human space, in which "more than
half" of the planet's population is in one city.
 
> You are talking about planets with population
> density's measured in
> hundreds maybe thousands of miles per person. You

On an average, yes.

They are not evenly distributed.  Take Australia for
instance.  Overall, it has a very low population
density, but if you look at a more detailed breakdown
you find urban areas, moderately settled areas, and
huge tracts of land uninhabited except for tiny bands
of Aborigines.

> don't have
> brigades or even battalions (except for political
> reasons). You have

Ummmm. . . all militaries exist for political reasons.
 Police exist out of necessity.  Soldiers exist to
force on other bodies politic the political will of
the society they fight for.  (Note: Not a values
statement--the 'will' may be as benign as 'leave us
the hell alone')[1]

> local communities which may have 500, 50 or 5
> "soldiers" present
> and only what weapons are on hand (or some special
> weapons
> that are surplus from the colonies originators). The
> threat that they
> make is that they are armed, scattered and will
> resist.

Maybe in your universe.  My Empire prefers a tighter
pattern of control.  The central government sends the
brigades and batallions to the planet to provide a
force capable of putting up real resistance.

The local community defense forces are built around
the company, although occasionally having an
independant platoon is necessary.  Anything less is a
waste.	Militia is comprised of all ablebodied males
ages 16-50, and some female volunteers ages 18-40.  On
frontier of Balkanized planets (and I've got 6 of
those in my background) there are fortress zones
 
> Now you want to land an invasion force that may have
> a brigade or
> a battalion to"take and hold" one of these worlds.

Well, pretty much not likely less than a division or
two.

> The act of tying
> up your military force may be more costly to you
> then anything your

May be costly, but guerilla forces cannot ever achieve
anything in the long run without conventional military
force, safe havens, and outside logistical support. 
Thanks for playing, though.

> enemy could do to you. Fine you hold the planets
> spaceport and
> most valuable raw materials and industries but how

That's all I'm after. . . Living area is cheap and
we've got plenty elsewhere.

> many of your
> best soldiers are going to be tied up and how long
> before your best
> soldiers start breaking down.

None. My best soldiers (Tagmatic Corps, all veterans
with grav tanks and power armor) are rarely comitted
and if they are, they are withdrawn as soon as serious
organized resistance breaks down.  

Within 6-12 months I'm rotating second-line (but still
active duty) units through and setting up training
encampments to start training collaborationist
military forces (feoderatii).

Plus, I'm evacuating the population of guerilla
districts offplanet and setting them down on other
planets to dilute their support base.  This tends to
get everyone's attention pretty damn quick.  

And if we ship an Amnesty International camera crew to
the dilithium mines of Rura Penthe, that's too damn
bad.
 
> Now lets start talking about the real type games.
> 
> A company of	NGs (all 50 of them) are chasing a

In those armies that actually have more soldiers than
are absolutely necessary to hold one deployment,
deploying units get plussed up to about 105-115% of
authorized strength.  

John

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