The rank/pronoun mismatch grated on me too, a bit, but ultimately at the end of the first planet in the Trooper storyline you're promoted into an officer rank anyway, justifying all the "Sir"s, so it stopped mattering nearly as much to me. Still run into it every now and again with NCO NPCs being called Sir, but not nearly as often.
In response to your post title, I ran across a gem from a friend the other day: "The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'."
Oh, FFS... I really SHOULD expect this on the internet. One of the other SWTOR gamer-folk replied to my comment above with this:It could just be a preference of the NCOs if you think about it. That formally they would be called Sir/Ma'am, but since they go into the battles like ya said they prefer to cut the formality. It'd also more than likely be by choice so they could have an easier time with the men and women they lead in. Here was my reply:Yah -- but that's far too different from the real world rank titles and military customs. Like I said, in the real world you don't call a noncom "Sir" or "Ma'am" unless you want to provoke them
( ... )
Your assumption is likely correct. Fleet officers seem to use naval ranks (Admiral) and Havoc Squad uses infantry ranks -- my character currently holds the rank of Major, having been promoted up from Lieutenant through Captain. I'm curious to see whether I ever make LTC. or Col.
My own mental handwave to the confusion was the assumption that in the Republic military, a NCO calls everyone who ranks them, Sir.
That's what I'll likely have to do (I just want to get her to 10 so I can see one of those BFGs). But right now it looks like I'm focusing on my BH merc; just hit 30. Mercenary (BH): 30 Assassin (Inq): 29 Operative (IA): 17 Scoundrel (Smuggler): 12 Trooper: 5 Proto-sniper (IA): 5 Proto-juggernaut (SW): 5
As a former Sergeant (previously Corporal, also a non-com) in the Marines, my fellow NCO's and I made it abundantly clear that we were to be addressed as "Sergeant Lastname" or "Corporal Lastname" and not sir and that we were indeed the ones who got things done.
Thank you and your dad for your service! It's always good to see another service member with a family line of Military service, as was mine...
In the army it is certainly an insult to address an NCO who has worked his way up the same as a wet behind the ears ROTC.
I'm think sure most nations' Army's are the same in this regard, I know the UK Army is.
But in the marines NCO's do get addressed as sir. (jarheads go figure, I guess remembering more than one honorific is too hard;)
Also anyone who has been awarded the CMH is addressed as sir regardless of rank, and all officers are required to salute them.
So I would guess your take would be correct. Possibly an Imperial Marine Sergent (are there Republic Marines?) might be addressed as 'Sir' but it would seem natural that regular leg infantry would be addressed by their rank.
My contribution was the result of a lecture I got at Camp Leatherneck. When addressing multiple male officers in the USMC, it is "Gentlmen", when addressing multiple females and multiple male officers it is "Ladies & Gentlemen". However in the Army, in a mixed crowd of officer, it is addressed only to the highest ranking in the room with "Sir" or "Mam" as appropriate. (And titles can be used in replace of "Sir", like "General" or "Colonel").
It takes some meat eating types to point out the differences between service-level protocol...I certainly never got that level of insight from Army types. Gotta watch the Marines, especially in the mid and senior ranks, they are painfully smart and hide it like Hamlet.
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In response to your post title, I ran across a gem from a friend the other day:
"The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'."
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YES!
BTW, have you seen Sci-ence.org?
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Cool --
The latest one used the anecdotal quote:
http://sci-ence.org/red-flags2/
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I really SHOULD expect this on the internet.
One of the other SWTOR gamer-folk replied to my comment above with this:It could just be a preference of the NCOs if you think about it. That formally they would be called Sir/Ma'am, but since they go into the battles like ya said they prefer to cut the formality. It'd also more than likely be by choice so they could have an easier time with the men and women they lead in.
Here was my reply:Yah -- but that's far too different from the real world rank titles and military customs. Like I said, in the real world you don't call a noncom "Sir" or "Ma'am" unless you want to provoke them ( ... )
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My own mental handwave to the confusion was the assumption that in the Republic military, a NCO calls everyone who ranks them, Sir.
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That's what I'll likely have to do (I just want to get her to 10 so I can see one of those BFGs). But right now it looks like I'm focusing on my BH merc; just hit 30.
Mercenary (BH): 30
Assassin (Inq): 29
Operative (IA): 17
Scoundrel (Smuggler): 12
Trooper: 5
Proto-sniper (IA): 5
Proto-juggernaut (SW): 5
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You were a Butter Ball in the Army? *j/k*
As a former Sergeant (previously Corporal, also a non-com) in the Marines, my fellow NCO's and I made it abundantly clear that we were to be addressed as "Sergeant Lastname" or "Corporal Lastname" and not sir and that we were indeed the ones who got things done.
Thank you and your dad for your service!
It's always good to see another service member with a family line of Military service, as was mine...
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In the army it is certainly an insult to address an NCO who has worked his way up the same as a wet behind the ears ROTC.
I'm think sure most nations' Army's are the same in this regard, I know the UK Army is.
But in the marines NCO's do get addressed as sir. (jarheads go figure, I guess remembering more than one honorific is too hard;)
Also anyone who has been awarded the CMH is addressed as sir regardless of rank, and all officers are required to salute them.
So I would guess your take would be correct. Possibly an Imperial Marine Sergent (are there Republic Marines?) might be addressed as 'Sir' but it would seem natural that regular leg infantry would be addressed by their rank.
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Reading up, I found out that the USAF is lax and sometimes allow Sir for NCOs...
But that's the USAF, so who are we to expect a higher standard? ;)
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*Like*
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Tim C.
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Wow --
I recognize that, but could not have explained it.
Talk about acculturation! ^_^
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Tim C.
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They are indeed --
Though I shall still make fun of them! ;)
MARINE = "My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment"
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