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Like the army, the navy has positions in different levels. Each position comes with it a set of responsibilities and the higher up they are, the more authority they have. However, they all don’t operate in a vacuum; they interact with each other in several ways. They all form what’s known as the fantasy navy hierarchy.
When creating a hierarchy for the navy, there are several things to take into consideration. For instance, many creators model the hierarchy after the real world where there’s a clear sense of order and rigidity. You can decide whether to be rigid or go for a more loose style.
One of the things to ponder about when working on the fantasy navy hierarchy is to create and use positions that naturally feel like those you’d expect to see in the navy. This is especially useful should you decide to come up with your own unique positions. If you do go down that route, be sure to show your audience why said positions work in the navy.
The people within the navy don’t just do things by themselves. They work with those whose positions are different than theirs. Thus, it is imperative to explore and show how the dynamics from people in different positions work. Doing this makes it easier for your audience to immerse themselves into the world you’ve created since working with people from other positions is a common occurrence in the real world which is something they easily identify with.
Another crucial component of crafting the fantasy navy hierarchy is delving into how it impacts the decision-making process. Not everyone has the power to make decisions that impact the navy in a meaningful way. Generally speaking, the higher up someone is in the hierarchy, the more power and influence he has, leading to his decisions having a more consequential effect on the navy.
This is the seventh article in the fantasy military series. If you’d like to peruse our other articles, they’re located on our blog page.
A fun part of establishing and fleshing out a hierarchy is coming up with the positions that consists of. A hierarchy is only as effective as the positions that are part of it. It’s up to you to create the ones that feel like they naturally fit in, not be shoehorned in simply for the sake of building the hierarchy.
In constructing a fantasy navy hierarchy from scratch, many creators look to the real world for inspiration. This is why you see common ones such as Admiral or Captain appear in a lot of fictional worlds. They help bridge the gap between the two worlds and give their audience a sense of familiarity as they explore the fantasy world.
There’s nothing wrong if you want to incorporate real-world positions in your fantasy navy. You’d be joining a long list of people in this group. Just because you’re going with using them doesn’t mean your job is done. You still need to develop their responsibilities so that they feel like real people doing real things and not be window dressing.
But what if you want to make your own? After all, you’re making a fantasy world and it is only logical to invent the positions for your own fantasy navy hierarchy. Go for it if it’s something you really want and it’s also a great way to get your creativity flowing. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that whatever ones you make needs to fit right in the navy.
Some creators like to take real-world positions and repurpose them to suit the world. Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars is an excellent example of this. Others opt to use wholly new titles like Lord of the Sea. Basically, as long as they make sense in the context of the navy, feel free to come up with your own!
Everyone who works within the navy has a position of their own which comes with a set number of responsibilities. However, it wouldn’t be natural if everybody just stuck to their own lane and didn’t interact with people from different positions. Rather, they meet with people from other parts of the navy and it’s important to showcase the inter-personnel dynamics of the navy.
Why should you expend time and energy in fleshing out the dynamics of the fantasy navy hierarchy? Just like all the organizations you see in the real world where you see a lot of people within them crossing paths, the same can be said about the navy. You have Admirals conferring with Captains discussing strategy, Lieutenants issuing orders to their subordinates, Gunners informing their superiors they need more ammo since they’re running low on what they have in stock, and so on.
When delving into the dynamics of the hierarchy, be sure to make the rank of each person clear. For instance, admirals are near the top of the navy and their position is denoted by the clear-cut uniform they wear whereas gunners are near the bottom and the uniform they wear isn’t as straight-laced as that of the admirals. Admirals issue orders to those under their command and gunners carry them out with all due speed.
An important component of the fantasy navy hierarchy is showing how people in their position regard those both in higher and lower ones than them. For example, when speaking with someone of higher rank, the person is duly expected to treat them with the respect befitting their station.
When speaking with someone who’s in a lower position, the person has the power to treat him whichever way he likes since he knows there’s little his subordinate can do about it. This is where the personalities of the commanding officer comes into play. For those who have an authoritative style, they’re more likely to treat their men harsher than those who have a collaborative style, where they believe that each person brings something to the table that nobody else does. Exploring the personalities of the C.O.s is a great way to illuminate the dynamics within the hierarchy!
The navy doesn’t just stand still and watch the world go by. It plays an active role, whether it’s enforcing the laws or attacking hostile ships. Do you think it did all these things on a lark? No, they’re the result of the decision-making process which originated from the higher-ups.
The fantasy navy hierarchy plays a major role when it comes to making decisions. Only those in certain positions of power, namely those towards the higher end of the hierarchy, are empowered to make decisions that affect the navy. For example, the upper brass might call for a strike on an enemy port or authorize an expedition onto a supposedly deserted island to determine whether it’s deserted or not.
They don’t make these decisions on a moment’s whim. Rather, it’s due to the information given to them that they then look over and assess whether to proceed forward or not. Where does said info come from? The people in lower positions than them. When they need information, they issue orders to their subordinates to gather as much as they need so that they can then make the right call.
Unfortunately for those on the lower end of the fantasy navy hierarchy, they have a tougher time when it comes to the decision-making process. They have little to no input, meaning they have no choice but to comply with the instructions, even if they disagree with them. Thus, they are expected to follow through with all due speed.
Regarding the decision-making process, those with lower rankings have to do the lion’s share in obtaining the information their bosses requested. They have to expend time and energy conducting research, whether it’s stepping into unknown territory and dealing with wild animals or charting all possible routes to the other side of the world, and then give their findings to their superiors. They are expected to ensure that everything they present to them is valid and that there’s nothing they overlooked.
Constructing the hierarchy is an important part in fleshing out the navy. It helps you, the creator, keep track of who’s in which part of the hierarchy. It also helps your audience learn more about how the navy works, who’s in charge, and so on which helps make it feel more real to them!
The first element of creating your own fantasy navy hierarchy is coming up with the positions that will be part of it. You could always opt to take a real-world approach, meaning you use many positions like admirals and captains, or you can instead make up your own. It’s your world so you go with the one that you feel works best for you.
With the positions all established, it’s time to categorize them within the hierarchy. If you’re using real-world positions, this step won’t take you too long. On the other hand, if you deigned to come up with your own, it might take you a little longer but that’s okay. Just be sure to put them in the part of the hierarchy that makes the most sense for them.
Last and not the least, show how the hierarchy influences the decision-making process. This is a crucial element, since you’ll be showing your audience who’s in charge and who’s not and how the process is handled across different parts of the navy. You want to ensure that your audience clearly understands the process and have no confusion whatsoever about it.
If you’re bringing a navy into your imaginary world, it makes sense to establish its hierarchy as well. It goes a long way in adding a splash of realism into your world and your audience will appreciate it and will want to spend more time in the world you so lovingly crafted from the ground up!
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Sunfire
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