MAA Report: The Clock is Ticking - Dark Jedi Brotherhood

So much awesomeness in the world of Star Wars, summed up by Yacks here and there. Force Awakens photos and footage everywhere! Rebels Season 2! Tickets for TFA on sale! Excitement to the MAX!

I purchased the PS4/Battlefront bundle and am pumped to get gaming. My PS handle is “DexterPax” and all should friend me! I can also be friended on Xbone under “DexterPax.”

This report includes a few “heads up” notices, details regarding Equite timeline changes, and some numbers.

Equite Stopwatch…GO!

As alluded by Sarin, we are cutting time-in-grade requirements for Equite ranks hard core. This is in response to a pretty overwhelming opinion across Brotherhood members and leaders that people want to tear down the DJK Wall, more or less.

I view ranks as a bell curve. Everyone will not become an Elder, but it’s important for Sarin and I to agree on where we want the peak of the curve to fall. Right now, I think it falls around EQ2 and that is not good. EQ4 seems the better option. This is one step in that direction.

These changes come with notes. First, the numbers:

• EQ1: 2 months minimum; 4 months average
• EQ2: 4 months minimum; 6 months average
• EQ3: 6 months minimum; 12 months average; 3 months of CON-level leadership or equivalent
• EQ4: 8 months minimum; 16 months average; 6 months of CON-level leadership or equivalent

Before today, the standard member would need to be active for 40 months to go from JM4 to EQ4. Now, a regularly active member can go from JM4 to EQ4 in as few as 20 months and on average between 25-38 months.

These changes come with notes:

• The minimum time for each rank is a HARD minimum; no exceptions.
• The average time for each rank is where most promotions will fall. I will spend the next few months gathering example promotions of each type, but it is also the responsibility of good unit leadership to recognize the difference. Average activity typically means weekly activity via gaming, competition participation, regular communication, so on.
• At least one-third of time in grade must be recent. This applies to members returning from Rogue status or members who stay on the roster yet do nothing for months (shown via DJB History tab).
• There remain no checklists for Equite ranks. There is a time requirement. The leadership requirements for EQ3 and EQ4 stay. Otherwise, be active. Look at other members at that rank and read their promotion recommendation. Read our Golden Recommendation examples.
• Read the Promotion Requirements Wiki page.

A CON By Any Other Name

Recently we ran into a scenario of a QUA wanting to award his CON for internal clan work and needing to pass that through Sarin first. After discussing, we have tweaked the standard “go up the chain of command” rule.

Inward and Outward Activity: if a Consul manages a clan event or does something that only affects the clan, any clan leader can award the Consul without GM approval so long as the award is for the specific activity (not “general CONing”). Leaders should, however, consult the PCON to make sure everyone is on the same page.

For Consul work that extends beyond the clan (which includes general CONing as that means DC-level communication), awards should be channeled through the Grand Master. Promotions always fall under outward.

Skinny Dipping Journeymen

Also recently we ran into a scenario of how Journeyman promotions work with our double dipping policy. The answer is loosely. Journeyman promotions are cumulative, yes, but we still maintain an across the board rule against recommendations referencing activity from before the last promotion. This system is not perfect and we continually debate improvements.

In the meantime, it is accepted that Journeyman promotions are given slack. This is not to say you should start referencing all activity. Our overall preference is for a promotion to only reference activity since the last promotion, but unless the request is rampant in double dipping we may not always remand it.

Sarin, Mav, James, Howie, and I debate regularly better ways. It is a tough thing that we have yet to crack in a way that will appease everyone and not result in unfairness. My personal goal is once more pressing matters are resolved (possessions and New Canon DB 2.0) I intend to get this discussion going full steam ahead.

Some Competition Class

My staff has recently started getting more strict on competitions. This will continue. Here are some general notes and tips that come up regularly:

• Only put information in subscriber details if it needs to be kept hidden (flash game link, trivia questions); we remand competitions with details that should be public.
• Everyone cannot make their competitions DJB-wide just because. There’s little to no reason an AED’s competition should be DJB-wide.
• Few competitions require multiple co-organizers. Auto-graded competitions (most gaming) require none but can have a max of one. Major clan parent and sub-competitions may be exceptions, but a Journeyman’s promotion competition does not need the master, QUA, and AED attached. This is stat bumping and will be remanded. Take a look at the Crescents Wiki page for a reminder on how crescent tiering is selected. Trivia and flash games are bumped down a tier.

Bagel Bites

Journeyman Transparency

At the prodding of Aexod and coding genius of James, there is now an outward facing Promotheus tool that allows Journeymen to view their progress and list of activities.

Leadership Competitions

After helping create the course and grading it for months, Landon has passed Docent duties to Kelly Mendes for Leadership Competitions in the Shadow Academy. Thank you, again, for your diligence, Landon!

Tip of the Report

Sometimes, a request is remanded because of the recommendations; the promotion/medal may be justified, but the writing has to adhere to standards. Otherwise things get thrown in my face six months down the road!

These last two months of 2015 are going to be absolutely amazing. Battlefront. Star Wars 7. More books. More comics. It’s too much to handle!

Friend me on Xbox or PS: DexterPax. I look forward to playing with everyone.

As always, hit me and/or my staff up if you have questions about policy or a request submitted or recently remanded and/or denied. We can be reached en masse at [Log in to view e-mail addresses].

The Numbers Game: September

• Promotions Approved: 56
• Medals Approved: 62
• Medals Remanded: 14
• Competitions Approved: 68
• Competitions Remanded: 24
• Name Changes: 19
• Unit/Path/Order/Tradition Changes: 72
• AWOL to Rogues: 9

The Numbers Game: October

• Promotions Approved: 51
• Medals Approved: 64
• Medals Remanded: 14
• Competitions Approved: 144
• Competitions Remanded: 37
• Name Changes: 13
• Unit/Path/Order/Tradition Changes: 41
• AWOL to Rogues: 22

TL;DR

• Time in grade for Equite ranks drastically reduced
• Inward and outward distinction regarding who can award who
• Journeyman promotions are cumulative, but try not to double dip when wording recommendations
• We’re being more critical with competitions; learn from it
• Battlefront releases 17 November!
• I bought too many Ep 7 tickets…

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