OpenXcom Forum

Modding => Released Mods => The X-Com Files => Topic started by: Marrik on October 04, 2019, 05:01:08 am

Title: Commissars
Post by: Marrik on October 04, 2019, 05:01:08 am
Why does a multinational black ops group have "commissars?" That seems like kind of an odd choice. Is that the highest rank?
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: Hashirama015 on October 04, 2019, 08:46:34 am
No but close. I find it funny at first playthrough though. Being a 40k fan  and stuff
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 08, 2019, 04:05:08 pm
No... They're normal commissars, not 40k commissars or Soviet commissars. Just commissars, as in, a police rank.
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: Marrik on October 09, 2019, 09:31:54 am
What country has "commissar" as a police rank?
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: Meridian on October 09, 2019, 10:06:46 am
What country has "commissar" as a police rank?

Switzerland (Kommissär), Germany (Kommissar), Czechia (Komisař), Slovakia (Komisár), ... it's not a rank as far as I know, it's more of a title.

Pretty sure other European languages have similar words.
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: LytaRyta on October 09, 2019, 12:55:21 pm
in russia´s police too (as higher rank)
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: Jimboman on October 09, 2019, 03:46:58 pm
We don't have it in England.  Our ranks go constable, sergeant, inspector, chief inspector, superintendent, chief superintendant and (in some forces) commander.  After that it's assistant chief constable, deputy chief constable and finally chief constable.  Only the London force has a commissioner instead of a chief constable, which I suppose is similar to commissar :)
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: Alex_D on October 09, 2019, 04:57:44 pm
I know in some countries in Latin America, "el comisario" o Commissar is the Police Chief of the police station (or "comisaría"). It's a title rather than a rank.
In the same note, an Army's "el comandante" or Commander, is the position of the Executive Officer of a Battalion or similar sized unit. The position is usually filled by a Lieutenant Coronel, so much that they are often called as such instead of LtCol.
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: Dakkdakk on October 09, 2019, 05:15:07 pm
Comissars are a holdover from 20th century european military police doctrine, AFAIK, a good deal of which got adopted into modern police forces in europe, but most were little like the 40k comissar, those are mostly based of the worst stories that soviet soldiers told of their experience with russian komissars, who would shoot fleeing soldiers during the siege of stalingrad and whatnot.
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: LytaRyta on October 09, 2019, 06:29:28 pm
Police Comissariat - local (but usually higher - county', provincial, metropolitian..) police office
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: Solarius Scorch on October 09, 2019, 10:47:06 pm
Exactly - X-Com is supposed to be an international organization, so I picked pretty international words for X-Com things.
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: Jimboman on October 10, 2019, 12:13:45 am
Exactly - X-Com is supposed to be an international organization, so I picked pretty international words for X-Com things.

Works for me.  International groups don't have to be anglo-centric.  Stargate Atlantis for example uses American military ranks when it's meant to be an international CIVILIAN expedition, which I always though was silly.

The mod works well the way it is.  If it ain't broke don't fix it!
Title: Re: Commissars
Post by: The_Ranger on October 18, 2019, 12:57:02 am
Comissars are a holdover from 20th century european military police doctrine, AFAIK, a good deal of which got adopted into modern police forces in europe, but most were little like the 40k comissar, those are mostly based of the worst stories that soviet soldiers told of their experience with russian komissars, who would shoot fleeing soldiers during the siege of stalingrad and whatnot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blocking_Detachment

Although arrest and conviction for cowardice (sometimes leading to execution) was ten times more common... apparently over a thousand were summarily shot at the front for retreating. Yikes.