06AUG11 - Ordo Weekly Meeting

[frisk Yifu]

[17:58] Aryte Vesperia shouts: Meeting start. As a reminder: all questions, comments (etc) are to be held until given the opportunity to speak. When that opportunity is provided, be sure to raise your hands. Failure to do so may result in dismissal from the meeting.

[17:58] Aryte Vesperia: Statistics

Members: 314

Cadets: 9

Applications

New: 11

Accepted: 1

Denied: 7

Review: 3

Combat

Defensive: 98

Offensive: 23

Allied Assist: 0

[17:59] Aryte Vesperia: Diplomatic notes for this week: interactions combatively have remained relatively steady. By statistics, the Ordo has a wide dispersement of interactions—we engage multiple groups throughout the week, rather than focus on any single one. Trending, however, is the amount of interaction that we have with the Alliance Navy. This is a fairly exciting note, as the AN has remained an entertaining party to clash with. Although they have a habit of nuking their own spawn, it is a refreshing change in attitude from “ban everything.”

[17:59] Aryte Vesperia: Unit reports this evening?

[17:59] Hollowmengitus Yifu raises hand.

[17:59] Aryte Vesperia: Mr. Yifu.

[17:59] Hollowmengitus Yifu shouts: Invictus: Overall fairly solid week for invictus raids were taken out and as usual people were purged! Besides that next week should be promising as trainings will commence with a few people having suggestions which I am eager to try so again keep eyes peeled for notices, group chat, etc!

[18:00] Hollowmengitus Yifu shouts: Insidiae: Insidiae has had a pretty coo' week this week, taking in Lanny Ansar who came over from Astra to be a cool kid with all of us, and also taking in Strealok, former commander of the AN Marines who left AN to specifically join this squad. These dudes are Insidiae now and so can you! (To join Insidiae, contact either Krow Ames or Afevis Sodertelge. :])

[18:00] Hollowmengitus Yifu shouts: Saevitas: Pretty slow week for A-5. However with the Saevitas armor closer to being created and continued duel combat ops Invictus next week is building to be quite promising. On another note, I would like to remind all the Saevitas to make sure they meet the minimum raid requirement. We'll be doing some purging mid week.

[18:01] Hollowmengitus Yifu shouts: Praescius: Activity level rising up, been leading a lot raids. Also been a very very quiet week. That's all for Praescius.

[18:01] Hollowmengitus Yifu shouts: Evalidus: Things are advancing at a steady pace, with squad activity holding around similar levels to last week. Development on the internal workings of the squad continues however we are nearing a point where we could declare the squad "finished", policy and role wise that is. We do have several slots open, so for those of you who feel fire support is the way for you, feel free to contact either Huttser Ishelwood or Awanken Wasp for more details!

[18:03] Hollowmengitus Yifu shouts: /b/: Everything is in standard operation thus nothing super special to report :| Also some of you guys have been contacted about activity levels, if you are one of them and for some reason haven’t responded you are in risk of being moved into B-2 or in some cases Cohor C so respond asap that way we can find a workaround your schedule if that is conflicting.

[18:03] Hollowmengitus Yifu shouts: That's all for Terra.

[18:03] Aryte Vesperia: Thank you. Next?

[18:04] Ethan Schuman raises his hand for Astra.

[18:04] Aryte Vesperia: Mr. Schuman.

[18:04] Ethan Schuman shouts: Not much new from Astra this week. The most important thing I have to note is that Disembodied finished the gunship model. As a single person aircraft, the Malice will serve the purpose of enemy asset supression and direct ground attack. The weapons it will use in pursuit of this goal are still being determined, but rocket pods will be one of the weapons in the primary loadout. One idea we are heavily considering is changing the bullets the main gun uses from 100% damage to 33% damage, and lowering the rate of fire. This will change the main gun from "OMFG BAN" to a more reasonable weapon that takes four shots to kill, discouraging enemy infantry from shifting on defense to give our infantry cover as they advance. The Malice will be an unlock, but its QP cost has not been decided. In addition, depending on how the brainstorm session (more on that next) go, there is a possibility that the Malice may have an attachment flight mode as well as a sitbase. Don't hold me to that, because while I'd like to do it, we

[18:04] Ethan Schuman shouts: 'll have to see how others feel.

[18:04] Ethan Schuman shouts: Sebris is also working on a new Palaestra course for Liberator training. Friday Night Flights are being met with enthusiasm from multiple members, so we'll be holding more of those. We have a few cadets in the queue, but knowing Sebris and his crew, they won't be there for long. We've been quiet on activity lately, and I'd like to kick that up a notch. Regularly scheduled activities on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (we already have Flight Night), may well come up in the next week if we can find a list of hosts who can run them reliably. Last thing I have to note is that Xoza has been working on a new mesh fighter concept for us. The running name for it right now is the Phantom, and it looks scary. Seriously, it makes the Nemesis look like the Easter Bunny. Like the gunship, it too will feature a detailed cockpit to add to the immersion factor, and probably a few other nifty things as well.

[18:05] Ethan Schuman shouts: Next up on the plate is a brainstorm meeting with ARK and 2142. Talks with AN did not yield enough positive output to justify the amount of brain cells our people would kill as we repeatedly slammed our heads into desks for a few hours the first time around to merit a second session. The "proposal" they passed to us to sign was nothing more than a carefully worded license for them to come grief in our sim and those of any other parties who signed on. It has been deemed unacceptable. Instead, we have decided to approach the matter from a different angle. A team of Ordo members will be sitting down with members from 2142 and Ark in the next day or so (Clix and Ayamo seem to have really bizarre online times) for the sole purpose of dropping as many ideas, good and bad, onto a table. We'll then take those ideas and sort through them to see what we can pull together in order to make air to ground combat far more reasonable, and hopefully, more common.

[18:05] Ethan Schuman shouts: Also, starting a thread on the forums instead of reading the massive statment I have.

[18:06] Ethan Schuman: That's all from us.

[18:06] Aryte Vesperia: Thank you. Any additional reports?

[18:06] Kyra DeAllura Kitsune raises her paw.

[18:06] Drasamax Python raises hand for the IEA.

[18:07] Aryte Vesperia: Ms. Vixen.

[18:07] Kyra DeAllura Kitsune shouts: The year 2012 may be nearer than we think. Order of Light, who has been in their initial build for who knows how long, is finally open for combat. Erebus has resurfaced, and is now in the region Jellyfish Fields. Please remember to avoid the tendrils, as you run the risk of being stung. Erebus was added to the Tactica board during this report cycle, and was initially slated as an Officer target, but due to recent events, they are now in the blockaded/unattackable section. Also, a pan-flash occurred, with Steel Angels being brought to our attention by 2142 Recon, and subsequently dying before opening.

In other news, the Tactica board's been updated, and should now be current with the latest rulesets. Please let the CO (Kyra Vixen) or XO (Acheron Gloom) know if any new rulesets pop up in-between routine updates. This concludes this week's "Flash-frying Steel Jellyfish" edition of the Tactica Report.

[18:08] Aryte Vesperia: Thank you, haha.

[18:08] Aryte Vesperia: Ms. Python?

[18:08] Drasamax Python shouts: From myself for The Imperial Education Administration: A good amount of classes held this week for Schola and Armatura alike. :] Even a couple of Ludi classes. Most of which are still being held by Mikeo Amiot which seems to be on a roll with classes in general in both Schola and Armatura. Reports turned in on time.

[18:08] Drasamax Python shouts: A Schola cadet clean up was started sometime on Monday by myself giving cadets a week to respond if they have not been actively taking classes without a good reason. We do this periodically to weed out any dead weight or people who are simply way too busy or uninterested anymore. So far that has been going well and my list of keep and remove seems pretty solid at this time but any removals won't happen in till sometime on Sunday.

[18:08] Drasamax Python shouts: We got a new Magister recently, Jath Andel who will be teaching Schola and Armatura classes soon. \o/ Any other Schola/Armatura Magister applications that have not heard anything back are probably still being looked into.

[18:09] Drasamax Python shouts: Speaking of Magisters and applications, we recieved a couple more for NCO-A Magisters which should have gotten contacted and set up recently with the teaching materials. Thanks to Afevis Sodertelge for holding the first NCO-A class this week. I am greatly hoping to see more of these NCO-A classes held not just from Afevis but from the others who are prepared to teach NCO-A that have not yet. If there is any issues, concerns or just a question please contact me, Vice Commandant Drasamax Python or Commandant Zero Itamae.

[18:09] Drasamax Python shouts: Where is the Schola/Armatura magister application? Its right here:

http://forums.ordoim...nt-application/

That is all from the Imperial Education Administration.

[18:09] Aryte Vesperia: Thank you. :]

[18:09] Aryte Vesperia: IEA~ the more you know. Etc.

[18:09] Aryte Vesperia: Moving on.

[18:09] Aryte Vesperia: > Development

[18:10] Aryte Vesperia: The big note for development this evening: say hello to the Malice gunship. Model wise, the weapon platform is complete and ready to roll. Detailed schematics and operation notes will be handed over for scripting. We will be going for a dual set up: an armored and an unarmored option. Speed will vary on version—armored craft will be a bit slower, whereas unarmored will have increased speed.

[18:10] Aryte Vesperia: Malice will primarily be a ground support weapon: VTOL, rocket pods, and twin 30mm chainguns. Any air-to-air capability has not yet been determined. It will likely be given the ability to defend itself, but not to the degree that it can be utilized as a replacement for an air dominance fighter (such as the Nemesis).

[18:11] Aryte Vesperia: Primary replacement HUD slated for final compilation next week. Ms. Gregoire had some matters to deal with offline, but has some free time now to finish off the project. The HUD will be released in stages, with a limited BETA to ensure everything is working appropriately, and then a full release to replace our current HUD.

[18:12] Aryte Vesperia: The Autocrat is complete, pending release and distribution to replace the Infensus. Furthermore, the TI C-14 is complete and is pending release this weekend for market distribution next week.

[18:12] Aryte Vesperia: > Gear Allotments / Armory

[18:13] Aryte Vesperia: Earlier this week, Mr. Karlfeldt took the time to conceptualize a sort of armory revision—although the specific gear items listed are not in stone, the general idea of streamlining is something I have a great deal of interest in. Our armory has, for the most part, been a compilation of various projects, with one “main” line that strings it together. Being the OCD individual that I am, I am definitely interested in running with the idea of tailoring items down into categories to avoid overlap and redundancy.

[18:14] Aryte Vesperia: Mr. Karlfeldt’s ideas coincide with something I have been chewing on for some months now: “gear slots,” “load outs,” and sort of quasi “subclasses” based on gear choices. We have already seen a bit of testing on the subclass area—for example, the tiered unlocks (Boostpack + Jetpack = XR-5).

determinant of categories. Hypothetically speaking, personnel have various slots that would fit into a load out: primary weapon, secondary weapon, helm, backpack, HUD. All of the aforementioned are what I would consider “active” items—stuff that’s scripted to do something—whereas there could be vanity slots on the shoulders, boots (etc).

[18:15] Aryte Vesperia: A lot could really go in to load outs. For example, determining the amount of “active” items that can be utilized at once based upon their impact. Again, hypothetically speaking: someone wielding an assault rifle could likely wield a secondary weapon, whereas someone wielding a minigun may not have that luxury.

[18:16] Aryte Vesperia: This is all very basic in design at the moment, but there is a ton of potential—both in the armory aspect and in the individual load out aspect.

[18:16] Aryte Vesperia: > Strategic Level Revisions

[18:17] Aryte Vesperia: Since we’re on the topic of revisions, I would also like to share a structural idea I have been mulling: strategic level group formations. The purpose of which? Streamline chain of commands and group together administrative elements into definable trees. For example (using names as placeholders; nothing in stone, etc etc):

[18:17] Aryte Vesperia: > Ministry of War

- Astra

- Terra

- Tactica

> Ministry of Interior

- Curia

- Munitorum

- IEA

- INN

- Civilian Admin

> Ministry of Intelligence

- IAC

- AIR

[18:18] Aryte Vesperia: Strategic level groups would likely have a single representative to each, which would . . . possibly, alternate between the respective heads of the divisions. So, one quarter of the year the head of Astra would head the War Ministry, and then one quarter the head of Terra would head the War Ministry (etc).

[18:19] Steeltael Lykin raises paw

[18:19] Aryte Vesperia: Each “Ministry” would serve more of a cooperative element, rather than an additional layer of bureaucracy—so the final word for a division would still rest with the division head, but matters pertaining to a wide reaching matter could be coordinated by the respect head of a “Ministry.” For example: access of information between all of the “Interior” groups, ensuring Curia has all the information it needs from IEA and Civilian records, while simultaneously ensuring the INN has safe information to report.

[18:20] Aryte Vesperia: There is a lot of potential here. We could definitely increase overall functionality and set the stage for the Ordo to grow beyond its current size, however it really comes down to shaping out the respective responsibilities of each strategic level group to ensure it is worth our while.

[18:21] Aryte Vesperia: NEXT:

[18:21] Aryte Vesperia: > ART

[18:21] Aryte Vesperia: As a quick reminder: ART session tomorrow at 5:00 PM SLT. If you are not sure what ART is—check under the IEA section of the forums. Dependent upon who turns up, we will do either a T1 or a T2 session. I do apologize that I have not been able to accommodate a second session weekly quite yet. My place of business is short staffed (really terribly) at the moment, so I am working oogles of overtime.

[18:21] Aryte Vesperia: > Keynote

[18:22] Aryte Vesperia: This evening I would like to speak on the importance of involvement, both on an individual level and on a command level. Foremost: involvement in this term pertains to interacting and engagement within the organization, or with other personnel. Involvement is really king to ensuring success, cohesion, and a desire to continue participation.

[18:24] Aryte Vesperia: On an individual level, involvement means to participate—simple as that. Participation has many faces and means something different to every member. Participation can be as simple as defending the base, going on raids, or as complex as developing friendships with as many members as possible. Participation is the difference between a lasting career, and a short involvement.

[18:25] Aryte Vesperia: Consistently, it has been noted that individuals who participate—especially on our voice chat programs—wind up becoming lasting members. For several reasons! One: it develops friendships and bonds with other members, increasing a feeling of belonging and commitment. Individuals who choose to be relatively aloof and do not participate in any social elements of the group (voice chat, COM discussions, etc) routinely develop sentiments of feeling “out of the loop” or have perceptions that other members are unfriendly to them.

[18:27] Aryte Vesperia: It really, truly comes down to having the comfort level of participating. It’s a self-fulfilling issue to /not/ participate. For example: not too long ago we had a member decide to leave, citing he “had no friends.” It was noted said individual rarely came on Ventrilo, rarely participated in trainings, and rarely came on base . . . well, obviously it is hard to make friends when you do not do anything group related. (non-whispered)

[18:27] Aryte Vesperia: On a command level, it is additionally important to remain involved with one’s unit or units. Involvement on a command level is to be not only involved personally, but to keep those within the unit involved. It is putting a face to an authority while maintaining a sense of what it’s like to be on the other end of the command tree.

[18:28] Aryte Vesperia: The Ordo puts heavy investment into command involvement: weekly reports, PRFS, meeting expectations—all of it fits into a very basic requirement of commanders to be out there, present, and constantly involved. But as I said, those are just the basic requirements. Command staff should feel more than comfortable with simply sitting down one on one with any member of their unit, as both a friend and a mentor.

[18:28] Aryte Vesperia: And that concludes my speed-meeting. PHEW. Thanks for coming. Promotions up tomorrow. Go raid! I’ll be back in a couple of hours.

[18:28] Aryte Vesperia: Bye you all! Dismissed.