Quote from: Revengers on Mar 11, 2009, 02:37:41 PM
I think a book of "just the facts" wouldn't hold any real entertainment value. If we grouped mission data into one area of the book (an appendix, or something of that nature) and combined that with personal accounts of the troopers, we'd get a pretty kickass book, in my opinion.
You mean a linking together of the two? Personal accounts would be presented after the official infomation provided by the USM and other sources. I could see that would work really well.
I wanted to show what I mean by 'just the facts' so I typed out an example of an early stage of an imaginary campaign, if you want to take such a direction.
An example beginnings of a campaign: In the year **** contact was lost with *****, it was not uncommon for communication to be lost between worlds, as the vast distances of space made communication difficult between newly-settled worlds and the older, more established worlds which were linked together with a complex system of communication satellites that routinely rotated around, ensuring contact was both frequent and reliable between the core worlds.
**** was a newly settled world on the far reaches of *****, that was colonized due to the vast influx of ****, a valuable material that produced an enormous output of energy when burned, making it effectively the most valauble fuel in the system. Some bureaucratic error within the united systems had ensured that the loss of the world was never discovered, despite its importance to the local governing body. Slowly it was discovered that an error had been made, and an entire colony had not paid taxes for around **** years.
The only option would be to send a dispatch force to discover what had happened to the colony, due to the vast value of the material on the planet. It was decided that the loss of ***** could not go unopposed, through the colony had been relatively small, a mere 10, 000 miners, the material was simply too valuable to give up. An example had to be made, before the governing council of the USM discovered the error of Governor *****, who's reputation would be on the line.
If the planet had gone rogue, or a rebellion had occurred, the problem had to be dealt with quickly, before more valuable ***** was lost. The 8th regiment from the 54th battalion of the USM were sent to investigate the problem. This regiment had been assigned to this system for many years, and had earned a solid reputation amongst the colonies.
It was decided that a military takeover had occurred, as the world would surely have contacted them years before. ***** was a barren world, filled only with rock formations and utterly worthless save for the valauble ***** beneath its surface, to have survived this long from the core USM worlds in the local system, it must have either been completely obliterated or have found a nearby supply world. The crime for avoiding taxes for so long would be harsh, and the Governor was eager to exact retribution and restore his prestige with the ***** on the planet he would seize and use to maintain his reputation.
A frontal infantry assault was decided on as air strikes would run the risk of destroying the mining facilities and supplies of *****, with drop ships sending the 1st company, the 2nd company, the 6th company and the 8th company of the 8th regiment, to a wide plain 1 km from the city, who would then proceed on foot, waiting the signal for ships flying in low-orbit to direct fire upon the city walls with powerful explosives, leaving it open to an infantry assault. The potential risk to the mining buildings prevented a bomber run from obliterating the city, the lives of a few infantrymen were nothing in the grand scheme of things.
It was like that the heaviest anti-infantry and anti-armor weapons would be stationed on the walls, leaving the infantry relatively safe immediately after the strike on the walls, such weapons would not be situated behind walls where they did not have line of sight to potential enemies, or so tactical command thought. The infantry would bring their superior technology to bear, armed with the most high-tech handheld assault weapons, as well as support squads armed with portable heavy anti-infantry and anti-tank weapons.
The USM infantry would be pouring fire into the breech while they advanced and would then take control of the mining colony after breaking the resistance, in the unlikely event that the enemy had armored support, the USM would be landing armored support (I need to research USM military vehicles. I don't know any names or anything.) for their infantry approximately around the same time, but due to rough terrain, it was unlikely that the tanks would be able to reach the battle. In effect, the tanks were the backup in case an unknown factor tipped the battle in favor of the renegades. The tanks had supply vehicles to accompany them for a protracted campaign, as well as trenching equipment if the need arose to create a static defense line.