gregory
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Joined: Fri 17 Jun 2022, 18:52

Unclear: Blade Runner Partners?

Tue 21 Jun 2022, 16:55

Something which may need to be clarified sooner than later is the concept of partners. The only vague definition around partnerships in the core rules is on page 194 with a DiJi partner being assigned to a case—which doesn't read as a true police officer "partnership" and has no actual mechanics defined around it. On page 57 in the first example box, it states "Later, JN7-4.79 “Jane” and her Blade Runner partner, old-timer and Cityspeaker Resch..." and on the Willem Novak character sheet it states "Your previous partner Remy Krumpak is a fellow Blade Runner and an old-timer like you..." and on the Fenna character sheet it states "Radha Udaya was your first partner in the Rep-Detect Unit."

Up until now none of the Blade Runners we've seen in the films, books, show, or comics have had partners, though in 2049 Gaff does say "Deckard liked to work alone. So did I. We worked together to keep it that way." which implies that a Blade Runner could have a partner if they preferred. It makes sense that with a lone-wolf detective fantasy the primary mode of play would be going at it solo, and indeed the rules seem to be built around the idea of even group play involves Blade Runners going off and working alone as much as they are able.

That being said, the text of the materials here does reference partners, and with most other aspects of police work in this world well-defined, it seems a bit unusual that partnership is referred to but skipped over. Perhaps the implication is that all the PCs in a campaign are loosely partnered with the other PCs, but the wording of several of the references implies that official partnerships are also on the table. It might make sense that rookies get partners until they are up to snuff, but McCoy in the game was a rookie without a partner.

Would love to hear how a more defined partner mechanic might work, or at the very least get some flavor text in one of the subsequent books that goes into how Rep-Detect partners are assigned and operate together. Getting stuck with a corrupt or squeaky-clean partner when you're the opposite could be a lot of fun, especially.
 
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aramis
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Re: Unclear: Blade Runner Partners?

Wed 27 Jul 2022, 04:13

Given the RPG timeframe - 2037 -- not the 2046 of the second movie -- and some real world tradition...
Assuming LAPD keeps it's constitutional and traditional training...
Currently
  • Academy 6 months (Police Officer I)
  • Field Training 18 months (Police Officer I)
  • Police Officer II for at least another 3 years, A Police Officer II retired after 34 years on the job - Barbara Carranza.
  • Police Officer III is for veteran officers, but can be as early as..4 years from starting the academy... but as Officer Carranza shows, Police Officer III isn't a guarantee. No matter how optimistically LAPF advertises it.
  • Detective I and Sergeant I both require holding Police Officer III for elligibility and passing the correct examination.
    • Detective II and III, and sergeant II, don't have listed requirements, but do have them in position announcements
  • Lieutenant I requires 2 years as a Sergeant I or Detective I, plus an exam, and seldom is that fast...
    • Lieutenant II doesn't have a specified time
  • Captain I requires a year as a Lieutenant I ... but the job postings for captain usually list 2 years as a LT and a 4-year degree. Sample one linked below.
    • Captain II and III don't have public facing requirements listed... other than being a captain I or II, and interviewing
Typically, news footage shows most LAPD officers in 2 person partnerships. Generally, that is done for safety. Some officers are allowed to patrol alone (often traffic), but what news footage shows is those are typically PO III or higher grades.

In 2037
We can see from the text that partnering a replicant with a non-replicant is at least not uncommon, from the examples.
We can see that a Diji as partner is unusual, but possible.
We can see that Blade Runners are not all on retirement duty.
on 158 to 159, THere's Criminal Investigation, Vice, and Retirement, plus, based upon Character Gen, RDU may have its own lab types.

One could also easily see some Rep PO I officers and a PO III+1 FTO working a handful of residential units for "minor offenses"... especially if those domiciles house legal replicants...



Reference links

https://www.joinlapd.com/career-ladders
https://aliveemployeesclub.com/officer- ... y-service/
https://agency.governmentjobs.com/lacit ... edWindow=0
https://www.lapdonline.org/lapd-manual/
https://www.lapdonline.org/lapd-manual-2nd-quarter/
—————————————————————————
Smith & Wesson: the original point and click interface...
 
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Glass Hammer
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Re: Unclear: Blade Runner Partners?

Sat 12 Nov 2022, 19:06

There's always the reliable film trope in which a lot of movies begin with an (sometimes) older detective being saddled with a new partner after a period in which they were clearly dodging one being assigned to them, either by being so difficult to work with their partners beg for reassignment or the last one died and they're being given "some time." Assuming they're too good to fire and are being indulged in their lone-wolf stuff. Usually, that detective is too good to just fire, or they once were. That's excellent info above, but fiction often deviates with good results.

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