Knight

[Jsc]

Now Trending: Allowing Knight Rank for New Characters

Recently encountered this trend while exploring the interwebs of RP. Originally I disdained the idea but after having been involved in a similar system for a few weeks now myself, I can safety say it wasn't the apocalypse I was expecting. In fact. I'd like to engage the community here about their thoughts and feelings towards making such a change.


About Expectations

Here is my own personal guide entry to the expectations of Rank 2 for new Apprentices. Please note that many of our veteran members already fulfill these qualifications earnestly. And yes, again. These are simply my own personal expectations as a Jedi/Sith mentor. Not the Staff's nor the majority.

"Aspiring to Knighthood is less about being powerful and more about being comfortable. Seek to be comfortable in your writing and the power of success always will come with time. You are a member of the community first and a brave warrior for your faction second. So relax and enjoy the ride.

Knighthood is best achieved between 4 weeks -> 6 months of activity on the website. Any longer than this and you are probably taking too long to advance yourself and open up new teaching opportunities. By way of invitation, a prospective Knight must always express a familiarity with the following duties: the English language, friendly online behavior, teaching others, dueling others, and using Wookieepedia."


What does Rank really mean in May 2016

Anybody can beat anybody. From Padawan to NFU. A popular motto among PvPers these days. So popular in fact that Rank itself is becoming less and less powerful every single day. And maybe that's a good thing too. Heck, with New Invasion Rules on the way? Who says you can't win an Invasion by telling a powerful story, rather than by having a powerful character. Mm. Maybe everything we thought about Rank and power has already changed.


Your Feedback, Your Discussion

Okay. I'm done talking now. Now, it's your turn. Take a moment to ponder the pros and cons towards adopting such a system here on Chaos. Pros. AND, Cons. Cons. AND, Pros.

Q1: What are some of the good things that can come from imagining such a change?
Q2: What are some of the bad things that can come too?
Q3: And most importantly, what does Rank mean to you really in May 2016?

 

[Ellie Mors]

Q1: What are some of the good things that can come from imagining such a change?

I won't have to start over with every new character from zero.

Q2: What are some of the bad things that can come too?

Devalues the rank completely. Creates a non-existent gap between knight and master that was already somewhat present. Thrusts the ability to have "power" to new characters/members too freely.

Q3: What does Rank mean to you really, in May 2016?

A character that has developed enough to be considered at the middle-stage of their force ability.

 

[Jsc]

Jay's Pros & Cons

• + More Teachers
• + More Leadership Opportunities
• + Less Padawans needing Masters
• + Stronger Opponents
• + Less Training Threads
• + Older Characters
• + More PvP Deaths
• + Less paperwork for FAs, RPJs, and Admins

• - More Force Users
• - Stronger risk of God-awans & Baby Knights
• - Less IC development per FU character
• - More Anti-FU tech demand
• - Easier to get Master Rank

 

[Jsc]

Thrusts the ability to have "power" to new characters/members too freely.

Can you expand upon this idea here Braith. As an RPJ yourself, what do you believe is the most accurate correlation between Rank, power, and abuse?

 

[The Red of Sinner]

>..>

 

[WolfMortum]

You'll have to excuse me as I was just at fault of trying to enter a faction as a Jedi Knight without previously having been one in the past, part of the rules that I'm fully aware of now that I hadn't considered when making the character.

Personally, I don't think the rule needs to change which may surprise some given what I just said but as I see the rank of Jedi Knight more about leading others in Role-play, more so than it is about the Force powers a character can have, I think experienced Players are better off being able to lead students both In-Character as well as encourage them in their writing ability, descriptiveness etc.

The answer to my predicament was an easy one, as I have other Characters who I plan to ascend to Knighthood or an equal rank in the long run, this Character is to be an exile. I'm pleased regardless but I thought i owed it to everyone to chip in, apologize and offer my appreciation for the current outset.

 

[Jsc]

[member="Romeo Sin"] - +1 Helpful ~ Riot Games

[member="Veiere Arenais"] - As the writer who responded to your request and question in that specific circumstance. This topic is only 10% your fault, 90% my own curiosity.

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"]

Lol, I honestly had no idea that was you xD You'll have to excuse me, I've only been on the sites a few months and recently come back from an LOA. I should have known better really, no one to blame but myself

 

[Jsc]

[member="Veiere Arenais"]

This thread is now 11% your fault for just now apologizing needlessly. Lol.

...Umm. You also now owe me 100 $ American. Because reasons!

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"], You and I shall definitely have to thread at some point, Veiere might have something to say about the Academy charging entrance fee's

On a serious note, I'll stop hogging this thread. Genuinely curious to see how the majority reacts to this.

Thanks again

 

[The Red of Sinner]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"]

<..<

 

[Jsc]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"]

<..<

So deep. So thoughtful.

Teach me Senpai!

 

[Aleya Dajov]

MY THOUGHTS:

I love the idea. But I think it would need a process. Like, one WELL written story about how the character came to the rank. This will demonstrate whether the writer has accurate knowledge as well as proving the writer's ability as a writer. I feel like if we did something like this, it could work pretty decently.

 

[Ellie Mors]

Can you expand upon this idea here Braith. As an RPJ yourself, what do you believe is the most accurate correlation between Rank, power, and abuse?

The following is more of my opinion, as an RPJ I look at it the same way the board does:

Writers look at ranks as milestones, whether it be for achievement or some other manner of deciding what makes that character that rank. A knight is generally the rank where you, as a force user, see the most freedom to use the force without being considered top-tier (or master) while still striking pretty close in some specialized areas.

Because there's only three grades of power here, there's still some sharp changes in how each rank is able to use it. For some, it's like a gradual shift that takes place by self-limitation, for others it's a sudden and abrupt shift from being a novice to being someone who is pretty skilled, or really skilled, at the force. If everyone was of the same mind of the former, lifting limits slowly and over time rather than suddenly moving from point A to B to C, it would probably be much less of an issue.

And, personally, it isn't the abuse that could potentially come with it that puts me off, it's the fact that I'm suddenly being handed a free card to being able to do what I want without having to rely on having someone else promote me (although I can already contact someone to see if I am ready for promotion after just over a few weeks of being on the board, or even right off the bat). I know that, if given the option, I'll go with knight over apprentice 9/10. And I'm pretty sure most others will, too.

The problem with this, though, is that at that point you might as well not even have force ranks besides Rank 1 and Rank 2 because Apprentice and Knight effectively became the same rank, and suddenly there's going to be a huge disparity between Knight and Master (bigger than the imaginary one already there) that makes being a master that much more valuable. It also makes it that much more difficult to reach master once it reaches that point.

 

[Curupira Hawk]

Q1: What are some of the good things that can come from imagining such a change?

To be honest, I don't see any kind of good things that would come of it. For the sake of argument, yes, you are right, with your list of pros. However, at the same time, it's too easy getting to knight as it is.

Q2: What are some of the bad things that can come too?

Like I said, it's already too easy getting to knight as it is. It's takes very little time and very little training threads to achieve knighthood. We get that from the place most people come from. Sure, maybe I come from different board training methods but to me moving to the ranks shouldn't be easy. In the movies, the Jedi remain on a rank for a long time. And sure, why years wouldn't be reasonable in rp time, there's a something about it that does work - time & training. And I'm not talking about Luke's own path because lets be honest, that's different. He came from a time when there was no Order in the old way but we RP more like in the time of the prequel trilogy. There's Orders, there's Masters, Councils etc.

And since Curupira is a Witch though my alt Satara is way more into it, I have to say it would be very very bad to rush these things. Being a Witch is cool but a lot of the new people don't know much about it. It already takes some time to educate them on what a Witch is, what spells are, how spells are supposed to be done etc. And frankly, if we moved any faster, we'd be creating a generation of Witch trainers who have skipped all the basics necessary for WoD or any Witch faction to function. So yes, that's pretty much become my basic beef with the too fast advancing system in the last few years.

Q3: And most importantly, what does Rank mean to you really in May 2016?

It means to me what it has always meant. I take it more seriously than I did when I start RPIng where I sorta understood it but I wanted to climb the ranks desperately because Knights and Masters were cool (fun fact, my first Master was Mastered a few years ago, second one maybe a year after that and that's pretty much all I have right now). But yes, it's character development in its finest. Sure, we have the character development of the character where there's chit chat and finding friends/enemies/etc. But there's a hierarchy which adds to it. This is one of the things I love about Star Wars roleplaying. We're not just here to write stories (though we're of course here for that) but also because of the ranking, the advancing, learning abilities. Because of all this understanding, I've come to take a very slow and delicate approach when it comes to my Force Users. Yes, I want them to move up in the world but at the same time, I want them to earn it, I want them to understand what they must, to wield the powers that they can, when they are ready.

 

[Jsc]

[member="Braith Achlys"]

What would you say personally if I told you that hypothetically there was no mathematical correlation between Abuse and Rank. Rather, that what we are assuming is the very real correlation between Abuse and Writer Maturity. Which, funny enough, can have nothing to do with being a New Member on this website. As, many new members are exceptionally mature writers both IC and OOC. Would that change your opinion?

[member="Curupira Hawk"]

What if I told you that Training Threads are not required for Rank Advancement on this website. Only participation is. Would that change your opinion?

 

[Curupira Hawk]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"]

Which site? I would ask: why????? And honestly, you miss out on fun times when training isn't a thing. I'd still do it though.

By the way, there may not be a correlation between Abuse and Rank. But there is a higher possibility of it when you rush people through ranks and they don't learn what a lot of the older rpers learned. Sure, there's abuse even with them but that's gm. When a writer is gonna do it, there gonna do it. But just rushing them through without the in character education (which is an ooc education as well for the writer on how things work) helps a lot.

 

[Aleya Dajov]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"]

Take a look at what I put just above and let me know your thoughts

 

[Jsc]

I'd still do it though.

As would many people!

In fact, I believe that grant Knight Rank immediately would not dissuade anybody from playing a Padawan or Witch Initiate at all. It might even give them more reason too. As, the number of mentor-type character would increase dramatically on this website. Promoting even more Master & Apprentice RPs throughout the whole community. Even among awesome and beautiful witches like you.

But. That's just my thoughts. Lol.

 

[Ellie Mors]

What would you say personally if I told you there was no mathematical correlation between Abuse and Rank. Rather, what we are assuming is the very real correlation between Abuse and Writer Maturity. Which, funny enough, can have nothing to do with being a New Member on this website. As, many new members are exceptionally mature writers both IC and OOC. Would that change your opinion?

Writer maturity is generally low in new writers, which was my specific example. Regardless, abuse wasn't the reason behind my distaste for this suggestion. See my latter two paragraphs.