Why "CMDR" instead of "Captain"?
- Thread starter Leadfoot
- Start date
It goes back to the very first Elite, released in 1984. There may be some lore faq about it.
Last edited:
Because it's the appropriate rank for ships of the size and type we pilot.
This. No other reason.
Well, in the Royal Navy, at least during the Napoleonic Wars, you could be the captain of a ship, without actually holding the rank of Captain.
But you would still, most definitely, be the Master and Commander of your ship.
On your ship, you were next to God. [yesnod]
Because in real life the "pilot" of the Space Shuttle was always called the "Commander" while the person who in a normal aircraft would have been called the "co-pilot" was instead given the title of "Pilot". This was done partially to avoid bruised egos ("I Piloted the Space Shuttle!"), but it also reflects that every shuttle deployment was part of a Mission, and a Mission has a Commander who is in charge of seeing it through.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronaut_ranks_and_positions
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronaut_ranks_and_positions
Last edited:
Rather unlikely, given that "Commander Jameson" was the name chosen for the player in the original Elite, pre-dating Wing Commander by 6 years. And I doubt very much that David Braben is the slightest bit interested in the Roberts-Smart spat.
Last edited:
Any rank can hold the post of captain (small c), for example a minesweeper may well have a Sub Lieutenant as her captain. None of the ships we fly in Elite would be big enough to have a commander actually holding the rank of Captain (large c). The capital ships would have a full Captain, and if in fleet an Admiral would be on board the flagship.
I've always assumed it's because "commander" sounds more space-y. "Captain" sounds like it belongs more in the age of sail.
And yes, all American space ships to date have been captained by a "commander". This dates back to the Gemini missions, when the two-man ship had a "command pilot" and a "pilot". The three-man Apollo ships had a "Commander", "Command Module pilot" and "Lunar Module Pilot".
And yes, all American space ships to date have been captained by a "commander". This dates back to the Gemini missions, when the two-man ship had a "command pilot" and a "pilot". The three-man Apollo ships had a "Commander", "Command Module pilot" and "Lunar Module Pilot".
Commander is the minimum rank at which they let you take command of a ship in western naval forces. Usually the smaller ones.
Afraid not, it all depends on the size of the vessel. Minesweepers, MTBs, offshore patrol vessels are usually commanded by Lieutenants and even Subbies in the RN.
Commander sounds better than Captain (And I also prefer Commander Bond to Captain Bond --- However Captain America is very nice too).
Last edited:
You are commander of your fleet
All that needs to be said on the matter. Not just the space shuttle, Commander is the title of any person in overall command of a spacecraft.
Last edited:
two things really why; tradition - Commander Jameson of original Elite. also a captain is usually in charge of a multiple crew ship like a capital ship, or a liner. yes i know we can buy those and multicrew is a thing, but its still not really a bunch of npcs you are just driving a bunch of other commanders around in a drive by shooting situation. not the same thing as being responsible for a lot of npc crewers.
the rank is more naval than it is army. so the thing about unit commander and captain being under them is not relevant - since in the navy i knew, a commander or lieutenant-commander might command a small vessel but a destroyer or frigate or aircraft carrier would have a captain in command. this brings up the question of the federal corvette - but in the second world war corvettes were commanded by lieutenants and commanders, rarely by captains in the royal navy. now if the corvette was a true capital ship then you would have to be a captain. and probably in the regular federal navy lol.
the rank is more naval than it is army. so the thing about unit commander and captain being under them is not relevant - since in the navy i knew, a commander or lieutenant-commander might command a small vessel but a destroyer or frigate or aircraft carrier would have a captain in command. this brings up the question of the federal corvette - but in the second world war corvettes were commanded by lieutenants and commanders, rarely by captains in the royal navy. now if the corvette was a true capital ship then you would have to be a captain. and probably in the regular federal navy lol.
I always assumed, going off of Star Trek episodes, that Commander was a title given to someone who had command of the ship, but who wasn't necessarily the Captain.
I think specifically there was that episode where Star Fleet had to set-up some sort of detection web using star ships and Data was given command of a vessel because it was missing its Captain for some reason. While in the position he was refereed to as Commander Data.
I think specifically there was that episode where Star Fleet had to set-up some sort of detection web using star ships and Data was given command of a vessel because it was missing its Captain for some reason. While in the position he was refereed to as Commander Data.