Important: Unlock System 27AUG09

[Aryte]

>> The Ordo Imperialis

>> Unlock System: Reviews and Set-Up

Thank you to everyone who weighed in and assisted with the shaping of this system restructure. I want to be sure that everyone who was involved gets the due credit. This has been a very long process, but it will be one that dramatically increases our overall standards—no longer will rank = gear. Instead, rank will be reflective of someone’s actual desire and ability to handle responsibility.

Xayvien Rau: your first design and concepts are the underlying basis of this whole restructure, without you we’d have never gotten this far. Thank you so much—even though the full idea wasn’t used, you provided the actual working model and proof this system has merit.

Inoue Katsu and Sam Troell: your assistance with the technological and hardware elements put this into motion. Thank you, both of you, for putting so much effort into making it effective.

Everyone else: thank you for your patience, input, opinions, and understanding!

Now, on to the details!

> How do I earn an unlock?

I. Unlock points are no longer awarded based upon rank, instead, they will be awarded in two major ways: a. reviews and b. special commendation.

Ia. Reviews: the mainstay of unlocks will be awarded based upon a review system, in which an individual opts-in and requests a personnel review from their immediate superior. Said commanding officer or command sergeant is then responsible for completing a provided review form. Based upon that review, the individual receives a number of ‘quality points.’ After accruing X amount (based upon tier—explained below), of quality points, he or she receives an unlock. There will be a limit of [2] reviews permissible per month: thus allowing for a total number of [100] quality points monthly to be earned this way. The beauty of reviews is: not only does it provide the opportunity for gear, but it provides feedback to the group’s personnel and streamlines communication. Reviews may be requested anywhere from the 1st to the 25th, allowing for ample time and opportunity for the command personnel member to process and file it—from the time of requesting a review, a command NCO or officer has [4] days to complete it. There must be at least [7] days elapsed between each review request: for example, if you request a review on the [23rd], and it is your first review for the month . . . unfortunately, you’ve forfeit your second review for that month! In the event that the direct superior of an individual is unavailable (ex; an octet lead is on vacation), the responsibility is passed up to the next level of command (in that example, the century leader). Reviews have no negative repercussions: you can only benefit by requesting them, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of the [2] a month limit! The worst case scenario from requesting a review would simply be not receiving the maximum [50] quality points from the review. Why only [2] a month? Logistics and numeric reasons—we don’t want to overburden or turn this into a “review grind” for quality points. After a review is completed, the officer/nco sends a copy in with his weekly report. Quality points will be totaled weekly and unlocks issued every Saturday.

Ib. Special commendation: reviews may not be everyone’s forte—so they’re not specifically mandatory to receive quality points/unlocks. A special commendation is a rather blanket term, quality points/unlocks may be attached to: merits, accomplishments (ex; the shooting range), or even stand alone—like if your officer witnesses an exemplary feat of valor and wishes to reward you with a quality point payout. These circumstances will be more of the exception than the norm, but will still provide a respectable number of opportunities.

> What are the tiers of unlock points?

Why, I am sure glad you asked. As you progress and earn quality points, at certain thresholds you receive an ‘unlock point.’ Quality points are sort of like exp, whereas an unlock point is an actual negotiable instrument—as in, you can use it to get gear. Tiers, feasibly, have no roof, so as additional gear is added we will simply increase the number of tiers. The formula is simple. Tier 1 begins at 100 points. Tier two is 250 points. Tier three 450 points. Tier four is 700 points. Don’t be confused, however, when you reach tier one . . . you keep that 100 points, it doesn’t just vanish. So you do not need 250 additional quality points to reach the next level, just 150 more! Make sense?

As point tiers increase, the significance of each unlock equally increases. There are three types of unlock points: primary, secondary, and special. Primary points unlock basic weapons, like shotguns and assault rifles. Secondary points unlock heavier weapons, like the Adjudicator or a rocket launcher . . in addition to anything the primary point could unlock. And special unlock points are able to unlock any general/special weapon within the armory—for example, non-squad members could potentially get a hold of squad only gear.

The tiers, currently, will be:

Tier I (100 points): Primary unlock.

Tier II (250 points): Secondary unlock.

Tier III (450 points): Secondary unlock.

Tier IV (700 points): Special unlock.

> Can unlock points/quality points be taken away?

The potential for a “negative” quality point reward is something that has been considered for addition to the potential repercussions in punishment. At this time, tentatively, I would say yes, yes quality points and unlock points could potentially be taken away for bad behavior. They cannot, however, be taken away during the reviews—as in, if you get a “bad review,” it wouldn’t give you anything less than 0 points.

> How will unlock points and quality points be tracked?

Easy! Mercury will be utilized to keep track—since quality points are primarily based on reviews, it’ll be easy to total and add the number of quality reports into the notes field on Mercury. Unlocks will be, also, tracked by Mercury. In actuality, all we have to do is tell the server you have an unlock point and then you click on a locker to pick what you want. Simple, effective, no hassle.

> When will this go into effect?

The new unlock system, review expectations, etc . . . will begin promptly as of Sunday, August 30th. New Schola material will be released before then—be sure that any classes instruct that unlocks are currently being revamped before then. Do not teach the old system any longer.

> What does this mean for me, as an officer/unit commander?

Primarily, the individuals with the most impact will be the octet and flight leads—the century, cohors, and overall Astra officers will be more responsible for ensuring no holes are left and time constraints are fulfilled. It is the explicit responsibility of every officer to ensure their command is functioning within the review performance. An octet leader must:

I. Be certain all reviews are processed in a timely manner;

II. Be certain their members are aware of the review and unlock changes.

III. Ensure that all reviews are included in their weekly report, to ensure proper credit is filed for the individual who is reviewed;

IV. Properly inform any commander above them of absence or inability to complete requirements on time;

V. Keep track of how many reviews have been completed for any given individual within a month; if an individual has more than [2] reviews in any given month, something went wrong!

A century and cohors leader must:

I. Routinely ensure that all reviews are properly filed, denoted, and completed in timely manners;

II. Ensure that a flow of reviews continues up channel, properly ensuring that all members of the octets beneath them are aware and being treated fairly/given opportunity;

III. Mitigate disputes in review; ex: an octet lead gives a poor point review, but the individual in question wishes to receive feedback on why.

Failure to perform any of the aforementioned will be treated as a dereliction of duty: command is directly responsible for their subordinates. The first week of September will be a leeway period, in which commanders will not be held accountable too strenuously. After which, it will look pretty damn curious if their weekly report doesn’t have at least one completed review. If members aren’t coming to you to ask for reviews: go to them! Ask if they’d like one.

> What if I have not yet spent an unlock point from the old system?

If you currently have an unspent unlock point, it is your responsibility to send Aryte Vesperia a note card by August 31st, detailing your name, rank, and how many points you should have left over. Be sure to include an audit list, explaining where each point came from. For example:

Name: Sosarin Demar

Rank: E-4

Total # of unspent unlocks: 3

Unlock 1: E-3 unlock; unspent.

Unlock 2: E-4 unlock; unspent.

Unlock 3: Range unlock; Marskman score 99/100; unspent.

> What’s next?

After the unlock system we will be producing a comprehensive promotion requirement list to correspond with this. In tandem with Armatura and Schola adjustments, the promotionary system will greatly increase the quality and education for all levels of ranks.

> What can I do to help?

Be sure to bring up any questions you have. Any issues need to be clarified before we launch this program. In addition, please be sure to report any dated material you find—such as handbook listings. But wait until August 30th to do so: we may have already found it, new materials will be released.

> Sooo . . when can we see the review form?

Soon. Almost done with it.

[Gulliver Carpool]

My main concern is that it will be difficult at the officer level to judge who should get what and for what action.

[Aryte]

The form will clarify that down to a very simple 't'.

[Inoue Katsu]

Easy! Mercury will be utilized to keep track—since quality points areprimarily based on reviews, it’ll be easy to total and add the numberof quality reports into the notes field on Mercury. Unlocks will be,also, tracked by Mercury. In actuality, all we have to do is tell theserver you have an unlock point and then you click on a locker to pickwhat you want. Simple, effective, no hassle.

I can also add a 'points' thing somewhere *shiftyeyes*

[Crash Silverfall]

My Brain just blew up. with the reports things i lost track.

In my case i'd have no idea what to do. it sounds weird, but looks kewl.

But nice job i guess

[Foxers]

Agreed with Crash there

[Kellervo]

My Brain just blew up. with the reports things i lost track.

In my case i'd have no idea what to do. it sounds weird, but looks kewl.

But nice job i guess

The reports thing, in my mind, is actually probably the best way to do it, and it makes sense given all the other tasks assigned to Octet/Century/Flight leads.

[Aryte]

>> The Ordo Imperialis

>> Personnel Review Form

Please be certain to title the note card appropriately: [Ordo] PRF: First Initial.Last Name – DDMMYY.

This form is to be considered internal – confidential: document not to be disseminated beyond the individual reviewed and the appropriate chain of command.

[Name of Reviewer]:

[Date of Review]:

[Review #]: (1/2, 2/2—only count this period’s review.)

[Name of Review Subject]:

[unit]:

[Rank]:

> I. Participation:

Ia. Number of defensive operations individual has been present for in the last week:

[Comment]:

[0]: 0 Points

[1-2]: 2 Points

[3-4]: 3 Points

[4-5]: 4 Points

[5+]: 5 Points

Ib. Number of offensive operations individual has been present for in the last week:

[Comment]:

[0]: 0 Points

[1-2]: 3 Points

[3+]: 5 Points

Ic. Number of training related operations individual has been present for in the last week:

[Comment]:

[0]: 0 Points

[1-2]: 3 Points

[3+]: 5 Points

Id. Number of general group related activities the individual has been present for in the last week; meetings, etc:

[Comment]:

[0]: 0 Points

[1-2]: 3 Points

[3+]: 5 Points

[subtotal]:

> II. Contribution:

IIa. Has the individual contributed any material based goods to the Ordo Imperialis within the last [14] days (or from the time of last review)? If so, what did he or she contribute?

[Comment]:

[No]: 0 Points

[Yes]: 5 Points

IIb. Has the individual contributed to any structural, policy, or other intellectual development within the Ordo Imperialis within the last [14] days (or from the time of last review)? If so, what did he or she contribute?

[Comment]:

[No]: 0 Points

[Yes]: 5 Points

IIc. Has the individual progressively pursued the opportunity to further themselves and the Ordo Imperialis within the last last [14] days (or from the time of last review)? If so, how did he or she pursue this?

[Comment]:

[No]: 0 Points

[Yes]: 5 Points

[subtotal]:

> III. Behavior:

IIIa. How would you rate the individual’s overall behavior in the last [30] days?

[Comment]:

[Poor]: 0 Points

[Moderate]: 3 Points

[Excellent]: 5 Points

IIIb. Has the individual been involved in any incident reports in the last [30] days?

[Comment]:

[Yes]: 0 Points

[No]: 5 Points

IIIc. How would you rate the individual’s professional attitude and demeanor?

[Comment]:

[Poor]: 0 Points

[Moderate]: 3 Points

[Excellent]: 5 Points

IIId. How would you rate the individual’s overall outlook toward the Ordo Imperialis?

[Comment]:

[Poor]: 0 Points

[Moderate]: 3 Points

[Excellent]: 5 Points

IIIe. How would you rate the individual’s overall camaraderie/friendliness to other members of the Ordo Imperialis?

[Comment]:

[Poor]: 0 Points

[Moderate]: 3 Points

[Excellent]: 5 Points

[subtotal]:

> IV. Appearance and Presentation:

IVa. How would you rate the individual’s overall appearance; ex: uniform properly utilized and merits in order?

[Comment]:

[Out of Standards - Major]: 0 Points

[Out of Standards - Minor]: 3 Points

[Within Standards]: 5 Points

IVb. How would you rate the individual's ability to communicate, in terms of proper spelling, grammar, and syntax?

[Comment]:

[Out of Standards - Major]: 0 Points

[Out of Standards - Minor]: 3 Points

[Within Standards]: 5 Points

[subtotal]:

>V. Miscellaneous Comments

Va. In addition to the aforementioned, what else would you like the individual be aware of?

[Comment]:

[Additional Points Awarded (0-5)]:

[subtotal]:

[Total]:

[Crash Silverfall]

I do would like to say, that report you posted, makes its a bit better to understand tho.

(Ps: dammit this reminds me off school :<)

[Foxers]

Now this makes more sense :>