PSO2 Roleplayers

[Antecia]

Pretty excited for episode 4, and I am actually happy that it is Earth because I can actually consider my human character to be originally from Earth and become part of ARKS.

I am aware that people are upset to see the result of the episode 4's route, but maybe it's not so hard to RP and my character is cosplaying as hobby in Tokyo.

[KLMS1]

With the way episode 4 is gonna go, answer is yes

I'd say that's a somewhat hasty conclusion. Besides, the field ops apparently undergo at least a year or two of training before being qualified - and don't get me started on the obvious continuity issues when going back to Ep 1...

[Aldotsk]

I think in those kind of cases, they can build up plots to make sense and bend it if they wish to do so. Not everyone needs to do the two year training. Heck, you can just make it six months to year.

[KLMS1]

AFAIK the only ones who've canonically skipped it by special dispensation from someone very high up on the totem pole are Matoi who already completed it anyway back when she was still Claris Claes and Claris Claes who's basically a supersoldier experiment and presumably wasn't exactly taught knitting during her time in the VOID labs. (Not sure if Sara is actually even an official member, but fudging the paperwork would be trivially easy for her mentor.)

If you look at for example the young!Zeno eventfields, or IIRC just the intro with AfinAIBOU, the strong implication is the curriculum normally takes several years. Which makes sense enough; ARKS field ops aren't just the de facto soldiers of the Fleet, they're also the all-purpose "away team" exploration and first-contact service and the training regimen would presumably be duly multidisciplinary (and hence time-consuming).

An Earthling would have to be taught literally everything from the ground up as they lack even the most basic familiarity with Fleet tech, weaponry and whatever. No way no how they'd be getting an abbreviated course.

[Antecia]

Aside from trying to be a lore nazi restriction, wouldn't trainee be still allowed anyways? I didn't say anything about field ops just yet. If anything, I'd start as a trainee like how military soldiers start. Even militia would fit.

[Aldotsk]

Well it's your character and KLmS is just basically giving you advice than being a lore nazi. Whatever you do for your plot is your choice .

[KLMS1]

Aside from trying to be a lore nazi restriction, wouldn't trainee be still allowed anyways?

Trainees don't get sent out to fight "war form" Dark Falzes and Magatsu. Hell, if the intro is to judge by they get obstacle courses on planets where the local wildlife has thus far been mostly harmless.

I didn't say anything about field ops just yet. If anything, I'd start as a trainee like how military soldiers start. Even militia would fit.

No military worth the name sends raw recruits to the frontlines unless they're desperate beyond measure. (And seeing as how the ARKS are a salaried volunteer force they clearly aren't.) Did you know? Back in WW2 US formations weren't considered combat ready before they'd spent *at least* a full year training, just to give an example.

Just to reiterate: by Fleet standards Earthlings are pretty much cavemen as far as technology is concerned, to speak nothing of the whole photon-manipulation thing. Inducting one into their de facto army would require teaching him/her literally everything from zero, and that's just so s/he can fight at least vaguely effectively. Teaching the primitives everything *else* the ARKS job description covers will only add quite a bit of extra time on top of that.

[yoshiblue]

ARKs is just a mercenary group isn't it? Granted its a large one, but still. Heck I don't even know anything about their ranks. Just your dude, special forces dudes like Matoi, council of the six and then Luther/Xiao.

[IronKrone]

I guess the whole BG/plot for this kind of depends on what OP has in mind?

It could simply based off on whichever direction ep 4 and anime is taking; meaning, it may be possible to have characters who are from Earth or actual Arks members coming down to Earth to fight Phantom enemies. It could also be some sort of an AU, which was what the last RP was.

But I do think it may be a little weird if new trainee Arks (whether they're actual citizens in the Oracle or Earthings) can simply jump into any areas and fight big scary bad guys.

[KLMS1]

ARKs is just a mercenary group isn't it?

There's a fairly important difference between a volunteer military and straight-up mercenaries, even if in practical terms both make their living by service under arms.

Heck I don't even know anything about their ranks. Just your dude, special forces dudes like Matoi, council of the six and then Luther/Xiao.

The command structure is never really delved into and seems to be rather loose, but obviously there are senior decision-making and management layers who keep the whole thing running and plan and organise the operations grunts like the MC & Friends then get handed. Also the closest thing to "special forces" would probably be the "death squad", eg. Quna, who seem to double as internal security operatives.

Note that Luther was apparently never formally part of the ARKS command structure, being the director of the R&D branch ("VOID") instead. His power and influence was mostly behind the scenes.