Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: Prime Mover Sep 8 2007, 03:58 PM

Just looking back through Emergence (still waiting on AUG grr). Noticed MCT Dept who's acronym is ROM. Made me chuckle, remembering long time ago reading in Comstar Battletech book about Comstars intelligence arm being called ROM and no one remembering what it stood for.

Posted by: BookWyrm Sep 8 2007, 06:24 PM

You'd have to query a dedicated Classic Battletech player for the answer.

Posted by: mfb Sep 8 2007, 06:27 PM

it stands for Rasslers of Mexico, of course. los luchadores ftw!

Posted by: TBRMInsanity Sep 8 2007, 07:29 PM

Rho = Intelligence gathering
Omicron - Obedience (World of blake only, but also comstar before the philosophy changes)
Mu = Intelligence Analysis

I found the following on a Comstar Forum. I remember reading something like this in the Covert Ops Book (AKA the Shadowrun book of CBT:RPG).

Posted by: Adam Sep 8 2007, 07:34 PM

Posted by: Begby Sep 8 2007, 10:32 PM

http://www.angelfire.com/ok5/sabre/comstar/rom.htm

LOL, describes them in detail here, but still doesn't say what ROM stands for...

Posted by: Adarael Sep 9 2007, 12:24 AM

I believe TBRMInsanity has the right of it. ROM is broken down into multiple divisions, identified by two letters of the Greek alphabet. ROM should stand for Rho Omega Mu or Rho Omicron Mu, given its original purpose as an intelligence gathering and analytics bureau, sworn to be loyal to Comstar's long-reaching goals. The Intelligence Operations Hgandbook (FASA 1673) doesn't specifically state this, but hints at it in the Word of Blake section.

Posted by: Penta Sep 9 2007, 02:48 AM

Just as likely, given Comstar's tech-worship, is that it means "Read Only Memory", but that was lost in history.

Posted by: Adarael Sep 9 2007, 04:02 AM

I'd actually be willing to bet they extrapolated Rho Omicron Mu OUT of "Read-Only Memory" - that they forgot what ROM stood for, and started inventing some stuff to add to the mystique.

Posted by: apollo124 Sep 9 2007, 04:31 AM

ROM was also a 75 issue Marvel comic book series based on a (really ugly and awful looking) toy. The toy lasted about 20 minutes on the shelf, before being trashed for something better. The comic turned out really well, especially after the toy company lost interest in it and Marvel took over.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rom_the_Spaceknight

Posted by: BookWyrm Sep 10 2007, 05:21 AM

Yeah, I collected that comic. Had a couple of my letters printed in a couple issues too.
The figure sucked, but the comics was OK. The 'sequel' miniseries, Spaceknights was artisitically excellent, but Marvel didn't renew the contract after it's 5-issue run.