The life path system in Mechwarrior is a very detailed and in depth way of creating a character. It allows enough direction to make the kind of person you want (sometimes through a little haggling with the GM and the expenditure of several Edge points) but with enough twists and turns that you can really tailor the character to be unique. It provides far more depth on the character sheet than the 2nd Edition.
One complaint about the system, though, is still the design of "cookie-cutter" characters. Yes, there are a finite number of path choices, and yes, certain events in those paths are going to be preferred, so there may be remarkably similar backgrounds for some characters. We all know that similar backgrounds are unrealistic and stereotypes are false. Do we really know that, though?
Since there are a limited number of ways to join the military, and since most players want militant characters, that may be the source of the complaints about "sameness." Let's take a step back, though, and look at the most common trends and stereotypes for how a character gets from birth to boots.
"What's my motivation" is an often mocked phrase from the acting community, yet at its core it has a ring of truth. Military service can be hard. Individuality is sacrificed for the group. Comfort is sacrificed for efficiency. Death is a very real possibility. So why would a person, your character, choose to go into military service?
Money: Money is a common motivation for people to join the military. In most realms, the pay is reasonable, steady, and benifits are often provided. Signing bonuses are offered in times when recruitment is low. On the extreme edge are those who choose mercenary (or pirate) service in order to reap the potential rewards of getting to keep your plunder! If a character is lacking in the Wealth department, the prospect of a comfortable income may motivate him to join up.
Travel: Even in an age of interstellar travel, not everyone gets to go interesting places or see interesting things. The military lifestyle often requires uprooting and moving on a frequent basis, but this might appeal to some people. Being a soldier offers the common man a greater chance to see other worlds than most other job opportunities.
Adventure: Being a soldier can be exciting! There are training battles and actual battles. There is jumping out of dropships and climbing down cliffs. There is training with some of the most awesome and destructive weapons known to man. For someone who is bored and seeking a way to live life on the edge, soldiering is that way to go.
Service: Some citizens feel it is their duty, to friends, to family, and to their realm to sign up and serve in the military. In most places being in the service confers a certain amount of respect. A soldier can be proud to wear the uniform, knowing that he is giving of himself to people who don't even know his name. Recruiters often play up the patriotic aspects of service, especially in times of war.
Tradition: It may be in the history of a person's family to serve in the military. This could be a proud tradition, where the person signs up to continue the lineage and bring honor to his family. For some, though, the obligation of tradition makes them feel pressured to join, whether or not they really want to.
Challenge: Everyone speaks with a little awe of the special forces, the ultimate soldier, the ubermann. Holovids movies and shows are constantly made about these heros. A person may feel the need to prove himself. He wants to excel and wants to see if he can meet the challenges that only the military can offer him; body, mind, and soul.
Opportunity: The military is amazingly forgiving when it comes to who it will accept. Folks who are down on their luck, unemployed, unskilled, or don't have the education they need to get a decent job can often find opportunity in the military for a way to earn a respectable living. When times are tough, people will take the jobs they can get.
Education: Getting a higher education is an expensive proposition. Unless the student is independantly wealthy, he must rely on working or scholarships to make it through school. Most militaries offer some form of scholarship for soldiers who wish to pursue their education. In a more immediate way, the training they receive for their military specialty, technicians, clerks, etc. can often be applied to the civilian world.
Discipline: The highly structured life of a soldier can give an individual direction, purpose and discipline. Sometimes a young person can recognize a need for these things in their own life, or their parents can pursuade them that this would be the best way for them gain a greater maturity.
Escape: As stated earlier, the military will accept almost anyone. Although a serious criminal record will eliminate you from most formal militaries, lesser offenses are often forgiven. A solid military service record can go a great way towards erasing things in your past that would prevent a normal well employed life. Also, with the great capacity for travel, it is a good way to escape violence, debts, and other things that might not be able to pursue a person across the stars.
We can pretty much narrow down the ways to enter the military using the life path. The military is broken down into two main classes: Officers and Enlisted. Additionally, the means of becoming an Officer using the life path is broken down into two ways: Military Academy and battlefield commission. Areas that are neglected by the life paths and that will be discussed elsewhere include militia training, mercenary training, House apprenticeship, and reserve officer corps training. As it stands, a character's starting background largely influences how he ends up in the military.
Back Woods: Coming from a rustic background with little education, the only real hope for joining the military is to enlist. Excellence in service or a natural aptitude for learning can land the individual a commission, however it is unlikely. Back Woods characters with a loggermech background may be able to become non-commissioned mechwarriors, but most of these character types will end up in the infantry, or as scouts.
Blue Collar: Blue collar backgrounds are one of the most flexible, for those whose achievements allow them to excel. Otherwise, it provides few advantages or disadvantages. Enlistment is the most common option here, although a scholarship to an Academy is a possibility. Based on education and their parents' jobs, they probably have a good shot at being techs, tankers, or infantry. Note that this background covers characters whose parents were enlisted themselves, and that may provide enough of a stepping stone for them to make it into an Academy.
Farm: Those characters with farm backgrounds are similar to those from the Back Woods, although they are more likely to have some more mechanical knowledge. Because of this, they have a good shot at becoming techs or tankers as well as infantry. Agromech pilots sometimes show enough aptitude to become non-commissioned mechwarriors.
Adolescent Warfare/War Orphan/Fugitives: The only backgrounds that really allow any sort of "guerilla fighter" style training. Most of the training here represents paramilitary background and not any reall entrance into service, although it is a possibility in all cases.
Nobility: Bred to rule, trained to lead. Many nobles end up going to prestigious academies and serving as officers. The few from the noble classes that enlist are either rebels, have a desire to "prove themselves" or "earn their rank the hard way", or have been disowned or disgraced and have no other means to get in.
Street: Unless a criminal record blocks the individual from military service, enlisting is often the best way off of the streets. How far they made it in the public schools will largely determine whether they can only join the infantry or if other branches are available to them. Like anywhere, a little luck and talent can take a person anywhere.
White Collar: Although many nobles become officers, the majority of the officer corps is made up of people from a white collar background. Unlike the noblity, enlisting is not considered a dishonor or a failure, but since most white collar characters pursue some form of higher education, it is much more likely they will join as officers.
There are several general reasons that a person might want to join the military. Similarly, there are several backgrounds that they can come from. Ultimately, though, the number of reasons and backgrounds are finite and limited by the commonality of being a soldier. This may seem bland or forced, but in actuality it is realistic. Members in the military often find that they have a surprising amount in common with their fellows, whether by background or motivation.
Until next time, feedback and comments are welcome!