[FH] NRE

> > > it does seem that the NRE is trying to be totally economically and

Well, I wouldn't go that far. I'd say it's an extension of your espionage arm

> > Not something you brag about. Ideal way to handle publicity is to
(snip)

> it seems a little convenient that all the powers are constantly locked

I have to agree with Tom on this, and I think, John...

(taking a deep breath before plunging in where angels fear to tread)

...that there is a fairly grating incongruity between the historical
Byzantines (who had the only really professional army and foreign service of
their day, with their opponents mostly being unsophisticated) and the NRE. The
NRE, as described, doesn't seem to *rely* on being clever; and in
the GZG-verse, it simply isn't the biggest, baddest power around.
Whoever mentioned South Africa had, perhaps, a good analogy. South Africa is
the toughest power in that area by a long shot, but the potential to casually
swat Angola doesn't mean they could treat England the same way. Your tagmatic
troops may be the toughest, roughest, most highly disciplined
troops between here and Velikiy Alarish--but the FSE Legionnaires are
probably pretty hot stuff too, and there are a lot more of them. Maybe a
little more of "the NRE troops were badly outnumbered, but superior discipline
and military tech were sufficient to inflict a defeat on the brave, but poorly
trained, IF forces." Everyone loves an
underdog--that's
why my Alarishi Empire is a SMALL power. Just my $.02

> Laserlight wrote:

> NRE. The NRE, as described, doesn't seem to *rely* on being clever;
and in

Note:  Incomplete description so far--I'm still debugging.  :)  Also
don't take bombast put out by any of the NRE's partisans as gospel.;)

> swat Angola doesn't mean they could treat England the same way. Your
Maybe a

Note that I tried to write the conflict with superpower early on--in
2103 the FSE are in the middle of a fight for their life with NSL armored
divisions on Earth itself! Why would they care if a colony declared
independance, and they could refer to themselves as whatever they wanted as
long as they didn't land reinforcments for the NSL. I imagine a LOT of former
EC colonies went their own way[1], if they were
anything close to self-sufficient (at least in things like oxygen and
drinkable water, heh). Since then the conflicts have been with other
third-rate outfits like RH and IF.

> little more of "the NRE troops were badly outnumbered, but superior

:) Will revise some in light of comments on list. This is what I mean by
wanting feedback.

[1]My view of universe is somewhat more fragmented than some--many, if
not most, colonies are not affiliated with any of the Terran powers.