Attempting to Subvert the Plan: Dominion Edition

Retcon: Should General Horner (the MC) have been The Magistrate (Starcraft 1 PC)?

  • Yes

    Votes: 35 43.8%
  • No

    Votes: 29 36.3%
  • This does not matter to me

    Votes: 16 20.0%

  • Total voters
    80
  • Poll closed .
So I have two comments to make to the above.

On an immediate just reading level - oh cool, how fun. What a nice little element, kudos!

When my analytical mind starting thinking - But wait, only the security division became like an 'armed forces', the rest remained a bureaucratic civil agency. Meaning Victoria is still simpl a Special aDvisor and the leaders of other committees are still jsut ministers and such. Oh, and Jacob is still his personal secretary.

Yeah, but they need their military titles.

A couple notes for the record: I've noticed across the franchise that very few Generals/command-level officers pop up. Duke and Warfield only for the Dominion, for one. Also, that Companies are apparently significant-size formations (enough to justify hiring them from the Merc Market in WoL), and in this quest, that a Colonel has enough pull to get people pardoned.

This suggests to me that the Dominion has a relatively flat rank structure to begin with. It fits too, that Mengsk would want a minimal amount of Generals, those he personally trusts (Duke, Warfield, Chuck), and a broader mass of Colonels (and Commodores) who don't have the authority or status to bring a significant chunk of the military to their side if they get ideas about a coup.
 
The Confederacy definitely had the gentleman officer vibe where the upper ranks are all more or less peers, so it actually makes sense that they'd combat title inflation by having generals be very rare.
 
Note: Etranger had me make a couple tweaks to harmonize the table with DLS ranks, and fit his preferences a little more. Victoria's title is now Chief of Staff, Commander has been replaced by Brigadier, and Warrant Officer by Treasury Officer. On the bright side, it's fully canon now, and he gave us an extra non-canon bonus as well for QM Guilt.
 
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TREASURY RESERVE UNIFORMED SERVICE TROOPS - Table of Ranks

Chancellor (General):
Charles Horner.
Vice-Chancellor (Lt. General): Samuel Smith.
Aide de Camp: Jacob Arendt. Formerly titled Personal Secretary to the the Chancellor.
Chief of Staff (Sergeant-Major): Victoria Archibald III. Formerly titled Special Adviser to the Chancellor.
Commandant (Colonel): Heads/Commanding Officers of all Sub-Ministries. Formerly titled Deputy Secretary.
Vice-Commandant (Captain): Heads/Commanding Officers of Agencies within a Sub-Ministry. Formerly titled Undersecretary.
Brigadier [1st-3rd Class] (Lieutenant): Heads/Commanding Officers of Departments/Sections within an Agency.
Treasury Officer [1st-3rd Class] (Sergeant): Mid-level personnel within an Agency.
Trooper [1st-3rd Class] (Private): Low-level personnel within an Agency.​

In response, Mengsk on TRUST: "I don't mind saying, Chuck, I was a bit disconcerted at seeing all those Treasury fellas out doing field exercises. Just a bit, you understand. But I came to realize, you know, Arcturus, Chuck's the one you put in with a bunch of pencil-pushers instead of letting him do what he was really made for. It's no surprise he tried to get them in shape a little. And besides, seeing some of those overfed bureaucrats running that obstacle course did put a smile on my face. Keep up the good work, General."
 
Would be fun to send out Treasury forces to worlds to do our thing, like if there bandits and raiders on the Fringe Worlds, we can send them out to kill those bandits and raiders as they are mess with the tax income from that world

I'm imagining a Wings of Liberty mission now...

Horner: Sir, we've stopped the zerg but I'm reading Dominion Forces inbound to your position.

Raynor: Ah hell those are Treasury forces! They don't screw around. Let's move Raiders! Time to get out of here.
 
Ah, Mengsk thinks Chuck just misses his army days and wants to turn his hilariously inept bureaucrats into marines. Or at least make them less flabby and disappointing, which given how he saw a bunch of red tape writers sweating there asses off and giving some hilariously bad performance at the course…

Leads Mengsk to believe that for the moment, TRUST is simply making sweaty limp wristed bureaucrats that resent Chuck more than do anything useful.
 
I'm imagining a Wings of Liberty mission now...

Horner: Sir, we've stopped the zerg but I'm reading Dominion Forces inbound to your position.

Raynor: Ah hell those are Treasury forces! They don't screw around. Let's move Raiders! Time to get out of here.
Won't Chuck and the Raiders be friendly by that point, though? Like we're already doing stuff that helps the Raiders out a lot, like smuggling them guns and supplies.
 
My hope is that we can effectively use Horner to 'launder' the information gained by StatPlan's insights into a form palatable to Mengsk. Chuck Horner seems to be quite good at putting up a rustic, simpleminded facade that conceals his own sharper, more calculating side.

So we do whatever makes sense based on StatPlan's predictions, and then we come up with some folksy metaphor or old war story to justify why we're doing it when Mengsk asks us. None of this "aha, production targets are down, boss, because you did the thing you don't want me to remind you of."
I think that you may be overthinking things. I don't think that folksy metaphors or old war stories will be particularly needed for a while. We can just call back on a classic trick among politicians, blame the previous administration.

For example, let's say we need to build the Donette Terrestrial Shipyards. We can say they are needed because the Confederate nobility didn't want any heavy vehicle manufacturing outside of their center of power. We don't mention what Mengsk did to said center of power.

In a fair few cases, I suspect it will even be true. The health care and education systems were already horrifically messed up by the Confederacy, to the point that I don't think Mengsk's actions had too much of a lasting impact. Of course Mengsk's paranoia is a detriment to getting stuff done in those areas, but Mengsk's the kind of guy who will ignore inconvenient facts like that if they go against his internal narrative.

Speaking of education, I think I may see a potential crisis on the horizon. Right now, with reconstruction going on, there's an unholy demand for unskilled labor. However, reconstruction won't last forever. When the pace of construction slows down enough, there will be quite a few folks without a whole lot of legal employment options. Not the sort of thing that you like to see, especially since Mengsk seems the type to respond to unemployed protesters with automatic weapons. Hopefully I am overthinking things and the information from PlanStats will prove me wrong. If not, we probably want to move Mass Literacy, and whatever it's follow up project is, up the list of priorities.
 
Speaking of education, I think I may see a potential crisis on the horizon. Right now, with reconstruction going on, there's an unholy demand for unskilled labor. However, reconstruction won't last forever. When the pace of construction slows down enough, there will be quite a few folks without a whole lot of legal employment options. Not the sort of thing that you like to see, especially since Mengsk seems the type to respond to unemployed protesters with automatic weapons. Hopefully I am overthinking things and the information from PlanStats will prove me wrong. If not, we probably want to move Mass Literacy, and whatever it's follow up project is, up the list of priorities.

You aren't wrong, but I think you're underestimating just how atrocious the Confederacy was. Unlike everything else, Mass Literacy and Healthcare aren't returning back to baseline, even the first phases of them are better than what the old regime ever gave its citizens.
 
You aren't wrong, but I think you're underestimating just how atrocious the Confederacy was. Unlike everything else, Mass Literacy and Healthcare aren't returning back to baseline, even the first phases of them are better than what the old regime ever gave its citizens.
There is a reason nothing in Services but UNN and the Labor Corps was Reconstruction-tagged.
 
MengskQuest Character Generation (Non-Canon)

Dominion- An Original SciFi Ruler Quest

After years of fire and struggle, the Great War is over. The Zerg and the Protoss have left Terran space, and left behind the smoldering remains of the Terran Confederacy. Out from these ashes you, Arcturus Mengsk, have arisen, pulling together the desperate fragments of a once-great nation and reforging them into your new Terran Dominion. You have climbed your way to your throne with blood, sweat, and promises to your new subjects, and to your Sons of Korhal, your most ardent supporters.

However, these promises will not be easy to fulfill. Enemies still hound you at every turn, both within and without. Your grip on the throne is tenuous, and if you do not quickly prove your worth the people will look for a different master. The monstrous Zerg left behind traces of their infestation when they left, and nobody knows what the enigmatic Protoss are up to. However, you wouldn't have gotten this far if without trouble and turmoil. You will surely be able to rise to your new challenges, and forge yourself a legacy that will resound throughout the stars for centuries to come.


Of course, there was a price to your power, skeletons that your enemies could uncover and use to topple you from your throne. What secrets do you want to keep buried?

[] Darker Forces: During the Great War, you came into contact with a faction of Protoss called the Tal'Darim. You struck a deal with them, calling a Death Fleet down on Tarsonis in exchange for repayment. You have your throne, but there's a price you'll have to pay to keep it…

[O] Moths to a Flame: On Mar Sara, a raided Confederate facility yielded the schematics for a device called a Psi Emitter. The machine amplified a Ghost's psionic signature, drawing Zerg to the planet like a candle flame. You deployed this device on Tarsonis, and the monsters devoured the world, paving the path of your ascendancy. Despite your best efforts to keep it silent, records of your actions still exist out there somewhere…

[] Outside Backing: Shortly after the arrival of the Protoss, you were contacted by a Terran faction from outside the Sector. They offered advanced weaponry, far beyond what you knew humanity capable of, if only you would help them when the time came. You accepted, and used your new arms to take your throne. However, there's still the matter of your mysterious backers…


Your secrets are not the only things that propelled you to power. What Benefits did you possess? (Choose one free)

[O] War Buddies: One of your old war buddies from your time in the Confederate military came to you when the Sons started up. They never officially joined the Sons, but their aid was invaluable, and you made them a General when you took the throne.

[] Speaking Softly: You brought a major political activist along with you to the throne, and she's quite persuasive. You've made her one of your public faces.

[O] Magistrate: Another old friend of yours called you for aid during the Great War, and ended up assisting you in your rise. His loyalties to the Confederacy shattered, you placed him as head of the Treasury.

[] Ghostly: You saved the life of a Confederate Ghost, and grew close enough for you to trust them as your head of Security.

[] They Called Them Mad: When you founded the Sons, you brought a brilliant scientist alongside you. Although some would call them eccentric, you can't deny the results.

[O] Spaceborne: You managed to flip a Confederate admiral during the War, and he brought a fleet alongside him.

[O] Better Lucky Than Good: The Confederacy was immensely incompetent and left you small shoes to fill.

[O] Worthy Heir (Requires Family Man): Your child is almost as brilliant as you are. They'll surely continue your legacy in time.

[] Unscathed: The actual worlds of the Confederacy actually got out of the Great War quite well, so you won't have to do nearly as much rebuilding.

[O][O] Vassal States (Can be taken multiple times): The Confederacy had vassals that were mostly untouched by the War. They have tentatively transferred this loyalty over to you.


Of course, you may have had some Setbacks, as well… (Each Setback allows for one more Benefit)

[O] Family Man: You have a child hidden away somewhere, a vulnerability your foes will take advantage of.

[O] Devil's Due: You've gone through extensive pains to hide the things you've done, as your secrets are especially abhorrent to those without your vision.

[O][O] Traitor (Can be taken multiple times): You betrayed someone on your path to power, and they're not happy with you in the least…

[O] Good Old Days: You're not a fan of all this newfangled technology, aside from the parts that let you blow things up.
-[] Luddite: Not even the guns are safe from your disdain.

[O] Self-Made Man: You have a distaste for the old Confederate nobility.

[] Confederate Holdouts: Not all of the Confederacy fell with Tarsonis. There are still some holdouts against your enlightened rule…

[] Dead Man Walking: You have a severe illness, one that could kill you if not cured soon…


AN: Sorry for the doublepost, but have a MengskQuest chargen. Comments may come later, I just cannot channel my inner SBer today.
AN 2: Yes, it says "original." StarCraft doesn't exist in the Negaverse.
 
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Won't Chuck and the Raiders be friendly by that point, though? Like we're already doing stuff that helps the Raiders out a lot, like smuggling them guns and supplies.

I know. The humorous part of me just wants it to be because he was dodging his taxes.

TRUST Marine: We will hunt you across the galaxy until you pay for what you've done Raynor!

Horner: Sir, did you ever file in your taxes all the money we made doing work for Moebius?

Raynor: I...was going to. Eventually. We're kind of busy trying to save the galaxy.

Tychus: Brother, the only thing the Dominion hates more than rebels is a tax cheat.
 
I know. The humorous part of me just wants it to be because he was dodging his taxes.

TRUST Marine: We will hunt you across the galaxy until you pay for what you've done Raynor!

Horner: Sir, did you ever file in your taxes all the money we made doing work for Moebius?

Raynor: I...was going to. Eventually. We're kind of busy trying to save the galaxy.

Tychus: Brother, the only thing the Dominion hates more than rebels is a tax cheat.
I find it mildly amusing that Tychus knows this, considering he's been in jail for the last twenty years or so.
 
I know. The humorous part of me just wants it to be because he was dodging his taxes.

TRUST Marine: We will hunt you across the galaxy until you pay for what you've done Raynor!

Horner: Sir, did you ever file in your taxes all the money we made doing work for Moebius?

Raynor: I...was going to. Eventually. We're kind of busy trying to save the galaxy.

Tychus: Brother, the only thing the Dominion hates more than rebels is a tax cheat.
Raynor: Matt could you ask your uncle for his next care package to come in the form of covering our back taxes?
I find it mildly amusing that Tychus knows this, considering he's been in jail for the last twenty years or so.
Maybe we released him along with the political prisoners?
 
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I also really like the fact everyone is assuming easy contact between Chuck, Matt, and Raynor. I really like that. In fact maybe we can start creating a sector-wide intelligence agency. hehe
 
I love the idea that people fear the Treasury more than the Dominion and have a much higher if reluctant respect for their forces and capabilities.

"It's not uncommon to see a statue of Mengsk defaced, anti-Dominion slogan painted on the side of a recruitment office, or even bottles and boots thrown at the head of government officials during speeches. But when the Treasury comes to collect their taxes, everyone bows their heads and hopes their math is right." - Unknown

"I'm crazy enough to take on Mengsk and his dogs, but the Treasury? Nooo thank you!" - Unidentified Anarchist Agiatator
 
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