02JUN12 - Weekly Meeting

[Aryte]

[18:01:45] Aryte Vesperia: Good evening and welcome everyone. Thank you all for joining in. Please be sure to hold your comments and questions until you are provided the opportunity to speak.

[18:02:14] Aryte Vesperia: Statistics

Sworn members: 312

Cadets: 10

Applications

New: 12

Accepted: 3

Denied: 4

Review: 5

Operations

Defensive: 98

Offensive: 21

Allied Assistance: 0

[18:02:52] Aryte Vesperia: Diplomatic notes: several organizations have rejoined the world as “open.” Top on that list would be the Remnants. Notably, their region has had some significant changes-- all quite slanted toward making life incredibly difficult for attackers. Thus far, our first raid on them demonstrated their intent to play not nice, however continued to demonstrate the relative ease in which their actual personnel are overcome by Ordo. That said, future raids are encouraged to focus energy and pay close attention to the troop distributions: the enemy essentially force you into one of two choke points. Run them back and forth until they falter.

[18:03:31] Aryte Vesperia: Not to be forgotten, the happy land of Chaos, full of their delicious aspersions of polite intent, is once again reopen after their fifth rebuild this month. Be mindful of continual attempts by the group to hit us at later hours. If they visit, escalate to maximum firepower and use heavy air assets. As a note, their gunship (the straight/narrow one with armor) is in no way legal currently. It is a fast moving, highly armored craft. Otherwise, expect and prepare for them to try diligently to camp our spawns.

[18:04:08] Aryte Vesperia: Unit reports?

[18:04:11] Hollowmengitus Yifu raises hand for Terra.

[18:04:15] Zero Itamae raises his hand.

[18:04:20] Aryte Vesperia: Mr. Yifu.

[18:04:23] Hollowmengitus Yifu: Good evening, Ordo. Terra had roughly the same week as last week in terms of activity; mediocrity.

[18:04:40] Hollowmengitus Yifu: With the community still in a state of low activity, please remember to train. Training is now, as a reminder, counted towards activity in the Alpha Cohors -- so train often and train well, it will prepare you for combat all the more.

[18:05:01] Hollowmengitus Yifu: In other news, Cohors A minimum requirements have been lowered temporarily. if you're new and wanting to prove yourself in combat, talk to an Alpha CO: now is your opportunity to advance. For more information, see this thread: http://forums.ordoimperialis.com/index.php?/topic/17454-temporary-waiver-01jun12-15jun12/page__pid__129521#entry129521

[18:05:22] Hollowmengitus Yifu: That's all for Terra tonight.

[18:05:49] Aryte Vesperia: Thank you. Mr. Itamae?

[18:05:57] Zero Itamae: For the Imperial Education Administration: 10 Schola phases, 6 Armatura Phases, and 1 Ludi course held. Two new graduates from Schola, Keena Finesmith and Dez Moody; all in all not a bad week! Only one NCO-A class held mainly due to the waiver on Cohors A reqs. Next week should hopefully have a minimum of 3 as well as starting up more Armatura classes. You're free to harass Carrious, Riff, or Shizzerk for classes anytime.

[18:06:06] Zero Itamae: Azimuth has spent some time creating some simple functions to help figure out who is actively seeking classes, as well displaying to all instructors who needs teaching. If it works out right it should make it much easier to track the whole process in general! This will likely be tested over the following week so instructors should be wary of it's implementation!

[18:06:15] Zero Itamae: As always anyone interested in teaching or developing training materials apply at: http://forums.ordoimperialis.com/index.php?/topic/13701-iea-scholaarmatura-recruitment-application/ or contact me directly. That's all for the IEA this week!

[18:06:40] Aryte Vesperia: Thanks a lot. :}

[18:06:46] Aryte Vesperia: Any additional reports? Like, Astra maybe

[18:06:54] Radryl Allen raises his mace for Adstutia.

[18:06:58] Aryte Vesperia: Mr. Allen!

[18:07:22] Radryl Allen: Adstutia had been passing by a little rough week, as we still with a low number of people on it and most of them are inactive, our progress is being delayed a little but well it is going good yet. And if you are curious to know what exactly we do here, just send a IM to Radryl Allen or Tonet Millar ( Currently have some issues with his HD though). The informations that Adstutia got for now will be handled to Tactica and to the Imperator as most of the news are about rules or rebuilding.

[18:07:41] Radryl Allen: That is all. Also KIDS TAKE THE PORTUGUESE CLASSES.

[18:08:05] Aryte Vesperia: Thank you. :}

[18:08:59] Aryte Vesperia: Mr. Montpark? :D

[18:11:53] Markius Faulkner shifty eyes

[18:11:56] Sebris Montpark: Astra has shown some continued levels of high Activity. We've kept taking to the air in multiple offenses as well as defenses. In development.We have a new CO in Aquila as Heavy666 Bolden takes the helm. He has also taken Palaestra XO while we move Incognetus as the CO of Letalis. We look forward to the Activity opportunities they will bring us. We ALSO have more instructors now Authed for the Malice which will get Malice qualification courses done in a more fluid manner.

[18:12:21] Sebris Montpark: That is all from Astra for now.

[18:12:44] Aryte Vesperia: Thank you.

[18:12:46] Aryte Vesperia: Final call!

[18:13:16] Aryte Vesperia: Moving on. :}

[18:13:22] Aryte Vesperia: ✠ Development Updates

[18:13:52] Aryte Vesperia: Several projects have rounded the bend in the road, among which are: our new sniper rifle, the command baton, and the new formal attire. First up, the rifle, is pretty much ready to go. The weapon features some new tricks to give more bite to an otherwise unappreciated and unused unlock slot. Featured with the weapon shall be three ammunition types: standard, depleted uranium, and a raycast round.

[18:14:43] Aryte Vesperia: The baton is a title based reward that a few folks will pick up immediately. It is a pretty neat little item that will give Warlords an extra bite to add to their arsenal. As for the formal attire? Mr. Hand has been working his rear off, rigging and tinkering with the design to roll out our new formals. As I understand, he is pushing very close to completion. From what I have seen, the final pieces have a much higher level of detail with the cloth and items associated with each piece.

[18:15:27] Aryte Vesperia: Looking ahead, Mr. Flaks has been posting routine updates on the AK-12. Thus far, the model is pretty much done and texturing is soon to begin. I am extremely excited to be soon saluting the SCAR off to its place in our history, despite years of excellence in use. The AK-12 will be an outstanding replacement, I have no doubt of that.

[18:16:14] Aryte Vesperia: A little further down the road, I intend to revisit the issue of some of our items being a bit underpowered. Rather than being reliant upon new models, I am preparing to propose some enhancement packages to existing gear pieces-- general survivability and power upgrades to help us deal with groups (a growing number of such) utilizing heavily filtered armor. More on that later.

[18:17:22] Aryte Vesperia: ✠ Reminders / Announcement

[18:17:56] Aryte Vesperia: Foremost, please remember that on 09JUN12 at 6:00 PM SLT we will be holding our summer group picture. Changing plans a tad bit: rather than wearing formal attire, we will be using battle garb for the image. As such, if you are newer to the group, be sure to take the time to get your armor fitted.

[18:18:38] Aryte Vesperia: We will begin gathering around 5:30 here in the meeting room and take pictures promptly at 6:00. After which, we will collect weekly reports and utilize the time as our meeting for the week. However, we will be holding two off schedule events: ART at noon on 12JUN12, and a brief gathering on the same day at 5:00 PM to go over details of Occupy New Jessie plans.

[18:19:50] Aryte Vesperia: On that note, we will be holding that Occupy New Jessie weekend over the 15th, 16th, and 17th. The goal being to give Disembodied Hand some uninterrupted build time (also testing time for the build), while inspiring some unusual mischief in NJ. In short, we will be establishing NJ as our war zone for three days and cause utter mayhem for several hours each day. It will be glorious.

[18:20:58] Aryte Vesperia: As a final comment, the revision project we founded over the winter has essentially run its course. All, if not most of the items listed are in some degree of finality or pushing close to such. With that, we will be closing that chapter, reviewing its success, and implementing a new plan to carry us through the rest of the year. As always, we continue to look to ways to improve the Ordo and its procedures.

[18:22:06] Aryte Vesperia: ✠ Keynote ~

[18:22:47] Aryte Vesperia: For the good of the team, I wanted to spend some time covering expectations in combat, while expanding on some potentially un-codified elements that need to be more formalized. Let us begin by underlining the basic elements that must exist in all combat situations: battle buddies, fire teams (if applicable due to numbers), use of terminology, orderly cohesion, and chain of command.

[18:24:09] Aryte Vesperia: Battle buddies, by this point, are not a negotiable element. They must be utilized on every deployment and every defense. In planned situations, such as offensives or prepared defenses, battle buddies should largely be assigned and pre situated. In unexpected defenses, as an individual, you are expected to grab the person closest to you and make it work. The core interest is to work with one another: medic, cover, and hold territory. Fireteams in an extension of this and follows the same ideal: in planned events, fireteams must be assigned and use callsigns (alpha, bravo, etc). In unexpected events, fireteams form out of placement-- ex: all the folks in NE turn into the NE fireteam until otherwise ordered.

[18:25:54] Aryte Vesperia: The use of terminology is a very wide topic: this covers the necessity to use one’s name (not I/me, etc), the necessity for shorthand (ET, EI, etc), and the necessity to remain on topic / avoid redundancy of information. As such, please be mindful of what you are saying and when you are saying it. Do not vent frustrations or inundate the channel with repeated calls of “it is lagging/X attacker is using Y item/is that legal?” Maintain on task, stay focussed, and deal with the situation effectively.

[18:27:15] Aryte Vesperia: Cohesion and chain of command go hand in hand: order is critical in combat. Combat is inherently chaotic, based upon the actions involved and the investment of emotion into the actions. Every situation can quickly turn hectic. If the enemy put pressure on any given area and create stress in our lines: orderly responses will win the day. Further, utilize your chain of command-- in those aforementioned topics of issue, contact the lead responsible but be sure not to choke them with the problem. “X is using an illegal jetpack” is all you need to say. Leave the rest up to the OIC and get back to the fight. You play an important role in battle: being distracted constantly with what things the enemy are doing that displeases you removes you from that battle.

[18:28:53] Aryte Vesperia: Further, let us talk specifically on the elements that are critical during offensives. The processes we have in place, the tiers of authority, and the expectations of handling combat.

First, offensives need to follow proper procedure: use the CAE listed in policy to determine who needs to be involved. This step takes mere minutes, but saves you as a raid leader (and participant) a lot of heartache. Be sure that raids are approved by the standing OIC and that an officer has given their OK. This creates a triangle of accountability: the OIC can help find reinforcements, the officer can help provide back up if things get rough.

[18:30:01] Aryte Vesperia: Prior to deployment: planning is /critical/. Assess what you are getting in to: cover the basic battle plan, the weapons allowed and disallowed, the enemy’s rules, the enemy’s terrain. Set the expectation as to how the battle will persist and ensure that battle buddies/fire teams are prepared. Throughout the battle, hold those teams accountable for their individual pieces of the job ahead.

[18:30:50] Aryte Vesperia: During the battle, use our combined force to its maximum effect: you hit the enemy with a fist, not an open hand. Do not spread forces out unless it is determined to be critically advantageous: hit the enemy at a single point, turn their flank, and drive the victory home. If all else fails, use your resources and ensure that you expend all of them-- the officer who granted the raid, reinforcements (if applicable), gear escalations, and (in rare events) seek the high-end raid help from the experienced leads.

[18:32:01] Aryte Vesperia: This whole scheme of things may appear cumbersome, but it is a flow and it is critical to our success. It enforces excellence and sets raids up for success. A few minutes of sweat and an abidance to proper practice will create a positive atmosphere, maximize the chance of success, and build confidence.

[18:32:54] Kasumi Quartz smiles lightly

[18:32:59] Aryte Vesperia: I can’t stress it enough: practice these. Start with ART. Build confidence with NJ. Then push to the harder targets-- ask for a hand the first few times. Have an experienced raid lead tag along and provide focussed feedback. Excellence begins with the willingness to try. Willingness coupled with a reverence for established procedure and the fire to learn will lead any individual to a level of expertise that shall humble our opposition. Huttser Ishelwood didn’t join the Ordo a great raid lead. Nor did Ron Bleac. Nor did I. We learned through practice and continue practicing.

[18:34:16] Aryte Vesperia: Zerowinged Vailiev didn’t just magically become an outstanding combatant. He learned through practice. To this date, he seeks feedback and participates in ART to hone his talents.

[18:34:49] Aryte Vesperia: We have a great thing going here. Use it. Expand your horizons, embrace the established procedures we have, use the materials available and use your resources (both written and individuals).

[18:35:48] Aryte Vesperia: I emphasize the need for procedure and practice with very good reason, I promise. From order and routine, the general individual is able to exalt his or her self and shake any nebbish nature. Only individuals who shirk routine will be poor raid leaders or poor combatants. Now, when you multiply the use of routine among a body of twenty troops . . . you generate a really impervious force. And that is what we rely upon. Order and routine. That is the Ordo.

[18:36:43] Aryte Vesperia: Thank you all for coming. :} Have a good night. Go raid and pillage!

[18:36:45] Aryte Vesperia snaps his fist to his chest, presenting a brief salute.

[18:36:46] Andriste Nesiote salutes crisply. "Heresy grows from idleness."

[18:36:48] Markius Faulkner salutes and shouts. "VICTRIX! It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake!"

[18:36:48] Kyra Vixen salutes! "For the glory of the Imperator!"

[18:36:48] SalemAdams Wobbit: /sa;

[18:36:49] Shizzerk Kostolany salutes!

[18:36:49] Huttser Ishelwood: /saluteas

[18:36:50] Radryl Allen salutes.

[18:36:50] Zero Itamae salutes!

[18:36:50] Reinhardt Stenvaag salutes, barking out proudly "I march for Titan. AND I SHALL KNOW NO FEAR!!!"

[Tsume Xiao]

Sorry I wasn't at the meeting. RL Family stuff.

I would like to add a bit of a note on the new rifle.

It will have 2 types of ammunition: Anti-Personnel and Depleted Uranium

Both ammunition types will have RayCast and standard physical variants.

As of yesterday afternoon it is ready for full fledged beta testing.