SPOILER - Political/Security Changes via Treecat

pappilon wrote:

Loren Pechtel wrote: True, the low level information gathering won't be stopped, but the influence would be.

Would be for now, granted, but spying always goes on as a rather open secret. The MA simplymust rebuild its spy system and it still has oodles of money and secret files to ... persuade the already persuadable.

I think you're discounting how treecats fundamentally effect spying. It'll be extremely difficult for them to insert new spies. One of the easiest changes the GA can make will be using treecats during hiring interviews/backgrounds with relation to security clearances.

Treecats are a game changer, they literally can sense when people are lying. Just having them around your sensitive areas its going to make it extremely difficult to hide there regardless of why they're spying or collecting information. Not to mention, most of the MAlign's network probably took literally decades to establish. Now that it's been broken it'll likely take decades to reestablish anything useful.

Loren Pechtel wrote: True, the low level information gathering won't be stopped, but the influence would be.

pappilon wrote:Would be for now, granted, but spying always goes on as a rather open secret. The MA simplymust rebuild its spy system and it still has oodles of money and secret files to ... persuade the already persuadable.

ywing14 wrote:I think you're discounting how treecats fundamentally effect spying. It'll be extremely difficult for them to insert new spies. One of the easiest changes the GA can make will be using treecats during hiring interviews/backgrounds with relation to security clearances.

Treecats are a game changer, they literally can sense when people are lying. Just having them around your sensitive areas its going to make it extremely difficult to hide there regardless of why they're spying or collecting information. Not to mention, most of the MAlign's network probably took literally decades to establish. Now that it's been broken it'll likely take decades to reestablish anything useful.

As long as humans remain human they are susceptible. Treecats may slow things down, may make the spies even more disposableI think you're basically correct. But one disposable Chief Petty Officer can do a brisk business in unauthorized ... trading.

I feel that the treecats will definitely help with vetting people for important and sensitive positions. They will also be able to cut back on MAlign infiltrators.

What they won't be able to do is deal with crafty spies and smart operators. A good spy won't be trying to get into a position to do things for themselves they'll try to influence some one who's already there. Maybe it's subtlety pumping them for information without them realizing how much they're giving up. Or maybe it's encouraging some one to take actions that they don't see a problem with which help the MAlign agenda without knowing it.

Fireflair wrote:I feel that the treecats will definitely help with vetting people for important and sensitive positions. They will also be able to cut back on MAlign infiltrators.

What they won't be able to do is deal with crafty spies and smart operators. A good spy won't be trying to get into a position to do things for themselves they'll try to influence some one who's already there. Maybe it's subtlety pumping them for information without them realizing how much they're giving up. Or maybe it's encouraging some one to take actions that they don't see a problem with which help the MAlign agenda without knowing it.

I think you guys are totally overestimating the number of treecats actually available for all these super dooper super high security jobs. At this point in time they number in the mid 2 digits.

pappilon wrote:

Fireflair wrote:I feel that the treecats will definitely help with vetting people for important and sensitive positions. They will also be able to cut back on MAlign infiltrators.

What they won't be able to do is deal with crafty spies and smart operators. A good spy won't be trying to get into a position to do things for themselves they'll try to influence some one who's already there. Maybe it's subtlety pumping them for information without them realizing how much they're giving up. Or maybe it's encouraging some one to take actions that they don't see a problem with which help the MAlign agenda without knowing it.

I think you guys are totally overestimating the number of treecats actually available for all these super dooper super high security jobs. At this point in time they number in the mid 2 digits.

1% of 12.5 million Treecats with mini-pulsars may cause a ripple

"Treecat Wars Part Deux"
Excuse my French

Nimitz

I am still waiting to see 'cats in powered armor. The unit would either be slightly bigger than a treecat and similar to human powered armor or MUCH bigger than a 'cat with serious weaponry. I would love to see a deathfang sized unit spinal mounted plasma cannons or flechette guns.

Powered armor guided by a body evolved in a 1.3g environment that relied on speed rather than strength. Their muscles would be powerful and incredibly quick. The smaller recon 'cats in their stealthier powered units would be tough enough, their heavier assault cousins would likely be able to take out several human powered units on their own. I doubt they will be in the marines, but planetary assault units would love those guys.

PeterZ wrote:I am still waiting to see 'cats in powered armor. The unit would either be slightly bigger than a treecat and similar to human powered armor or MUCH bigger than a 'cat with serious weaponry. I would love to see a deathfang sized unit spinal mounted plasma cannons or flechette guns.

It would have to be bigger than a Death Fang.
You'd have the 'cat in a cockpit in the torso in a mo-cap haptic-feedback suit allowing it to control the exo-suit which would have a saddle on the back for the power-armoured human partner to sit on.
It would probably amuse the 'cat to be carrying his/her partner into combat while the human carries the cat when not armored up.


Back to the proper subject.

While there will be very few treecats relative to how many could be used, it is almost certain that they will be placed where they can do the most good. Furthermore, as they learn what to look for and how to do it effeciently, they can pass it to a Memory Singer who will then teach the next group of volunteers, thus massively increasing their ability to do the job since they are effectively getting instant veteran-level skills.
Seriously. Memory Songs are total Hax. From N00B to L33T in one session.
Hax.

pappilon wrote:

Fireflair wrote:I feel that the treecats will definitely help with vetting people for important and sensitive positions. They will also be able to cut back on MAlign infiltrators.

What they won't be able to do is deal with crafty spies and smart operators. A good spy won't be trying to get into a position to do things for themselves they'll try to influence some one who's already there. Maybe it's subtlety pumping them for information without them realizing how much they're giving up. Or maybe it's encouraging some one to take actions that they don't see a problem with which help the MAlign agenda without knowing it.

I think you guys are totally overestimating the number of treecats actually available for all these super dooper super high security jobs. At this point in time they number in the mid 2 digits.

There are a lot of treecats available. The number adopted was small but then a lot volunteered to go out.

It is not that hard to question people...a lot of people. Actually in many places everyone could be checked. Even more to the point, if ONE spy get spotted, it is not that hard to find all the rest of them that he knows.

If Treecats start showing up in battle-suits that cute furry harmless protection goes out the airlock

Nimitz

Nimitz1923PD wrote::?:
If Treecats start showing up in battle-suits that cute furry harmless protection goes out the airlock

Nimitz

That went out the airlock when Nimitz and Honor protected Benjamin against those Macabeus assassins. Not sure if there was any footage of that, but everyone who reads about that episode knows Treecats are deadly up close. Give the pulsers and everyone knows they are deadly period.

All 'cat armored army units will do is scare the crap out of any enemy. Unaugmented, they are strong and fast. Augmented, they will be pure nightmares. Toss in their ability to sense emotions and at least detect mental activity of their targets and those 'cats are death incarnate. The enemy can't hide or run from them. They will have to fight and probably die.