On 8/2/2018 at 12:53 PM, Jeff Wilder said:

Am I the only one who thinks it robs Imperials (and First Order) of some mystique by having call-signs? For example, I really prefer "Omega Leader" to "Midnight." (This isn't true on the Rebellion/Resistance side. I like call-signs for the plucky heroes. But the Empire/FO is supposed to be faceless jackbooted thugs.)

I disliked all the "generic" call signs of the FO aces. It felt like FFG were at a loss to give names without the EU to draw on. While I agree that the Empire is supposed to be faceless thugs, they also have their named villians. "Darth Vader" for one.

It does take away some of the faceless villian tone, but when you're actually playing the Empire faction, every ace is a named villian.

On 8/3/2018 at 12:29 AM, Darth Meanie said:

Lastly, from a human psychology point of view, only the most indoctrinated are going to not find some way to express a little personality. They might be DS-6-3 on paper, Black 3 on the comm, but "Backstabber" in the cantina or locker room.

Agreed. It's natural. Even the clones do that, to be fair - Oddball, Rex, Fives, etc. When you think about it, it's kind of odd that the First Order, it's implied, don't - FN-2187 not having one.

6 hours ago, T70 Driver said:

I don't know how pilots get their callsigns in the other US military services but, in the US Navy, pilots don't choose their own callsign. It's left up to their squadron members, usually while in training, to give a pilot their callsign. For example, Randy "Duke" Cunningham was given his callsign because of his love for John Wayne films.

Very much so in most cases. It's definitely the case in the RAF and was so in the RN Fleet Air Arm (when that was a thing). Which is why " Mauler " and " Scourge " have always felt a touch pretentious because frankly most of them tend to be either in-jokes, puns or flat-out insults; the Top Gun esque " Iceman " and " Maverick ", but....well....of the former RAF pilot officers I've actually met, I should point out that three of them had the call signs " Durex ", " Smiffy " and " Wazzock ".

Obsidian squadron always seemed more like in a 'real' military unit in that regard.

• Cive Rashon - OS-72-1 - has the call sign ' Howlrunner ', named after a Kamarian pack hunter which is all claws, skull face, vicious aggression, and scary howls. It would be the top of its food chain....if it didn't come to about halfway up the human shin. Replace her call sign with ' Ugly Hyper-aggressive Chihuahua ' and it's less impressive.
• Dodson Makraven - OS-72-2 - has the call sign ' Night Beast ' not due to any expertise in the cockpit but because of repeatedly getting caught sneaking out of Obsidian Squadron's barracks to get drunk and/or laid. I've often wondered if his ability is tied to pulling green/blue maneuvers due to his being hungover.
• OS-72-7 is supposedly called ' Winged Gundark ' due to 'numerous high altitude kills'. But did they give him the call sign ' Raptor '? ' Dragon '? ' Hawk-Bat '? No....they named him after ugly, slimy, flying vermin.