Geneva Convention - In space!(?)

[completelynewguy]

So, after a shitshow of a round, I wondered if the Geneva Convention is still relevant in the Aliens universe. This discussion of the Convention, and other international laws and the like concerning the limits of war, was prompted by the WY-PMC ERT sent in that round turning hostile and having one prominent member of its group gunning down doctors in Medbay.

So, is there a Geneva Convention in effect, in the face of things like ultra-napalm being used in flamethrowers and incendiary shells for shotguns? Is it even worth implementing in some fashion into the game?

_{Share thoughts below.}

[RedsPro]

Not the Geneva Convention we know today but an older version where shooting medics who are treating someone is a war crime but Napalm is fine. Same ROE as Vietnam.

[OatzAndHoes]

The United States never signed the treaties banning napalm. There were several different Geneva Conventions, not all which were signed by the US. Also iirc the United States in the Aliens universe encompasses all of the Americas, and might have signed completely different treaties. It's hard to really speculate what international(intergalactic?) laws the USCM and Wey-Yu follow.

[Sodah]

The Geneva convention applied to Vietnam, didn't stop the US from using flamethrowers then.
(Yes yes I know how treatys work shhh don't ruin my narrative)

I'd say it still applies, it's just that the US in-universe tends to ignore it, and obviously Wey-Yu's gonna ignore it if they're attacking a US Navy vessel, but it's not like you're gonna get shipped home ingame and tried for warcrimes or anything. It might be worth sticking some parts into marine law.. except that it's marine law, if they're so intent on ignoring the convention that they issue flamethrowers they're probably not going to write a thing into their protocol for arresting troops for using them.

It comes off more as a RP excuse than anything, "OH GOD THEY'RE KILLING DOCTORS" or the alternative of groups like IB or such refusing to shoot docs. (Which I've seen)

[Casany]

well, mercs are mercs. They don't have to follow a code as long as they're getting payed

[CeSiumShark]

Do keep in mind that the server is based on the movie (and games, but those are based on the movie as well) in which said movie was made in 1975: The addition to the Geneva convention which outlawed incendiary weapons was made in 1980. http://www.weaponslaw.org/instruments/1 ... ry-weapons

[completelynewguy]

well, mercs are mercs. They don't have to follow a code as long as they're getting payed

Technically speaking, isn't Weyland-Yutani their own country or something along those lines, according to our server's lore? Wouldn't that mean that the WY-PMCs were committing war crimes?

[Crab_Spider]

Technically speaking, isn't Weyland-Yutani their own country or something along those lines, according to our server's lore? Wouldn't that mean that the WY-PMCs were committing war crimes?

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Why would anyone need incedinaries rounds...? Actually, why aren't PMCs monitored closely by staff during events so we can avoid these instances and the people that break the RP or grief are dealt with quickly and other players can be put into that body.

[Swagile]

None of the doctors shot down were actively healing someone; heck, one was just staring at PMC's while sitting in the middle of a hallway that was an active war zone. The other tried to use an ID locked taser on a PMC but failed because... its ID locked. And promptly got gunned down.

The combat medics were the only ones healing anything that got shot down from what I saw, and even then I don't think Combat Medics are under a Geneva Convention because... they are combat medics. They are armed and expected to fight and heal while under fire.

[DyMare]

Combat medics are treated as non-combatants if they are prescribing care or treatment to someone, since most of them are issued weapons for self-defense and defense of their sick or injured, they revoke their protections under the Geneva Convention if they use them.

It's a nice thing to think about for the sake of world-building and fluff, but not sure if it's necessarily an aspect that needs to be apart of CM.

[LordLoko]

Also, executing IB prisioners.

[CeSiumShark]

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Why would anyone need incedinaries rounds...?

Dragon's breath rounds were used in Vietnam by the US in order to take down bushes/trees that could potentially be hiding areas for the Vietcong. If the pellets of the gun didn't get them, they would probably die of the fire. Same thing here, the Colonial Marines are supposed to have weapons/gear ready for any planet needed, including swamp areas/forest areas which you may need Dragon's breath for.

[Katsukai]

Warcrimes only exists for the losing side, also note in Aliens lore pulserifles have explosive-tipped rounds which is banned for a reason, cause who doesn't love to have 100 tiny fragments inside your body instead one solid piece of lead.

[Renomaki]

You have to keep in mind that Weyland isn't above committing violations of human rights to get what they want. From sacrificing employees to supply their company xenomorph cells to killing people that fail to meet company standards. They will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, even if it means killing completely defenseless people who want nothing to do with Weyland's undercover business.

[TheMaskedMan2]

Wey-Yu is the stereotypical evil mega corporation.

[Katsukai]

Lot of evil stuff happens in space, but word travels slowly or not at all. Story in Alien Labyrinth is an good example.