Well, after putting this off for many weeks, the Ultimate Combat Pilot Award (=UCPA=) Competition is finally here, Navy pilots. This competition, sponsored by the Naval Academy (a big welcome to our new flight school and Captain Bear ), will establish the best pilot in the Vast Empire Navy. That pilot will be recommended for a promotion (except under special circumstances) and may add =UCPA= to their ID line. Now, here are the details: First off, anyone who is on active duty on the Navy roster may participate except trainees, who may enter in once they're placed into a squadron. You AND the pilot(s) you are playing against must ALL submit a screenshot of your scores to me, as I will be using my own scoring system to score the matches. You may CC to them to whoever else you feel needs to see them. If you really don't feel like taking a screenshot, and I can see the results on the battleboard, just point me on over to the BB (but you must have the match recorded on the BB). The games that will be allowed are XWA, XVT, Rebellion, and Galactic Battlegrounds. Everyone who participates in the match must be an active member in the VEN. I will be posting the scoring system later on. To give you some quick info, it will be judged on your wins, losses, total kills, total matches played, the apparent skill level of who you are playing against, what game you are playing, and probably some more factors as well. No one with any major CoC infractions will be allowed to win this award. The competition will end on April 26th, 2002. In the case of two (or more) pilots ending with extremely close scores, a run-off match will be held April 27th. As mentioned earlier, the winner of the =UCPA= will claim the award without question for an entire month. At the end of that time, other pilots may begin to issue challenges against the Ultimate Pilot, through the academy, atttempting to strip him/her of his/her title. More details on that will soon be on the VENA website, as will these rules and the scoring system. Thank you all, sorry for the long delay, and GOOD LUCK! *me salutes*
 
-----------------------
NTO/SC/FL/CM Darkhawk/Raptor 3-1 (Raptor Nine)/ISD II Devastator/OFF/VEN/VE/(=A=)(=SA=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)(=FOCE=)[BRC][VC:Ebony]

Those are also Navy supported games, I imagine thats why they're being used. Also I got the impression that it was screenshot or battleboards, not necissarily both.
 
-----------------------
Captain Japheth Cappadocious, Dark Jedi Knight
Naval Executive Officer
NXO/FC/SC/FL/CAP Japheth Cappadocious/Raptor 2-1/ISD Overlord/OFF/VEN/VE/(=SA=)(=SCPA=)(=FOCE=)[MC:1]
ECM/DJK Japheth Cappadocious/Krath Order/Elite Griffen Sect/VEDJ/VE

Thank you, Japheth, for managing to COMPLETELY miss the point.  The initial post by DH did establish that this contest was to establish who was the best PILOT in the Navy.  The name of the award is Ultimate Combat PILOT Competition. Again, I reiterate, what part of Battlegrounds or Rebellion is pilotry?  Donitz

Japheth has already clearly answered both of your questions, Donitz. Thanks, sir. That is - screnshots OR battleboard and GB and Reb. are Navy-sponsored games that will allow some pilots who do not have XvT or XWA to participate. And they do have fighters in both. But don't expect anyone to win from just those two games snce they are scored differently from the strictly-piloting ones.
 
-----------------------
NTO/SC/FL/CM Darkhawk/Raptor 3-1 (Raptor Nine)/ISD II Devastator/OFF/VEN/VE/(=A=)(=SA=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)(=FOCE=)[BRC][VC:Ebony]

ok, not trying to side with don or anything, but, I see his point. Piloting skills to me means in the cockpit. Now I have GB also, but alot of ppl don't. I think that there should be a way to decipher who is good at which game, and then give each of the games a seperate medal. And for the ppl who do not own but 1 or 2 of the formentioned games, how will they not be discriminated against for not participating in but 1 game, thus my idea for individual medals for each game. Hopefully someone who can put my idea into circulation will see the post and act on it, if not, that is what my squadron leader is for. Anyone that agrees should make a point to tell your squadron Leader, get the wheels turning........ Anyway, thanx and may the best PILOT win!!!!!
 
-----------------------
FM/PO2 MegaDeth/Viper1-4/Wing I/mSSD Atrus/VE/VEN (=A=) (=JCPA=) (=SCPA=)   

    ....99 ways to die....Mustaine Rulez!!!

Yes, thank you too Japheth.  While I would be tempted to also say "FINALLY", it is regrettably not your final post. It is all too amusing how you would rather endorse a chain of command instead of public debate.  Yes, that is very useful, a chain of command where ideas or suggestions are passed up a ladder with opportunities for the next person up to change, alter, or dismiss it along the way, for whatever reason, with no debate.  And we ALL know that these sort of completely secret processes are totally uncorrupt and completely democratic *and* effective, as is evidenced by the number of totalitarian/dictatorial superpowers in the world today. And if it was his "actual military experience" that made it a bit more natural for him to blindly follow orders, whether or not those orders may have been inefficient or just plain idiotic, well, I don't see how thats a particularly good trait.  The more I take my time to question things, the more I find it hilariously laughable at the demonstrated utter incompetence of some officers in this organization to actually shout down public discussion, and especially anything which questions their own personal decisions or capabilities.  I suppose that having to defend ones ego from wrong comes far before the need to improve or simplify.

And another thing Donitz...... If you do not agree with a chain of command, then why are u in this club?? I really want to know......That is the unique aspect of this club, a ranking structure to perserve order, write stories and acknowledge the accomplishments and achievements of this great clubs members.....if u do not agree, then why are u on the bandwagon??
 
-----------------------
FM/PO2 MegaDeth/Viper1-4/Wing I/mSSD Atrus/VE/VEN (=A=) (=JCPA=) (=SCPA=)   

    ....99 ways to die....Mustaine Rulez!!!

MegaDeth, first, please make a clear distinction.  I did not say that you WERE blindly following idiotic orders.  I *was* saying that creating a mindset in which it is *good* to blindly follow orders, no matter what kind of orders they are, is not productive towards the greater good.  For those of you who think I am completely off my rocker, well, I will give you two historical quotes from military men who were much more intelligent and had much more experience than any of us. --- Excerpt from "Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare" by Mark McNeilly: In today's military parlance a sea-change in tactics and weaponry as noted above is called a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA).  Numerous RMAs have been driven by visionary leaders.  Other examples include the Theban improvements of the traditional phalanx by Epaminondas, the maniple Legion of the Romans, and King Edward III's deployment of English bowmen at Crecy.  More recent instances of RMAs are Napoleon's exploitation of conscription and German General Heinz Guderian's development of Blitzkrieg.  In each situation a leader with military genius saw the potential capabilities and speedily took advantage of it.  General Rommel summed up the need to seek out RMAs: " However praiseworthy it may be to uphold tradition in the field of soldierly ethics, it is to be resisted in the field of military command.  For today it is not only the business of commanders to think up new techniques which will destroy the old; the potentialities of warfare are themselves being continually changed by technical advance.  Thus, the modern army commander ... must be able to turn the whole structure of his thinking inside out." Furthermore, as an instructor of troops Rommel was fond of telling his officers, "Don't tell me what Clausewitz thought, tell me what you think." End citation. Additionally, a quote by the great Emperor T'ang T'ai-tsung of China. "For if the emperor is a boat, then the people are the waters of the river.  And while the waters can bear the boat, they can also sink it." ---- So, in conclusion, don't necessarily think that I'm being some sort of chaos-inciting dissident here.  I am performing a duty and a responsibility *not* to keep things that I think are wrong secret, and to make them public so that others, who may think along the same lines, will see that their thoughts are not unique and thus may join in the chorus. If everyone shuts up and follows the chain of command when there is a problem, nothing will be accomplished.  Public debate is the surest and best way to resolve these things.

The High Command is not omniscient, and it is possible for other people to think of things which they have possibly missed or gotten wrong. A new club is not a good idea, because it would be far easier just to improve this one.  That is all I am talking about, suggestions and improvements.

Woooooeeeeeee, aren't public debates just WONDERFUL? But anyway..... Let's see here. So far, the only person who has sent me anything for this competition is Donitz, which puts him WAY in the lead. If you don't feel like sending screenshots, let me remind you that you need to E-MAIL me and tell me that you have flown a match over the BattleBoard. I know this sounds snotty, but I don't have the time to check every game on the BB every day and see who is winning games. SO, I hope to see some other people get into this besides Donitz - he needs SOME kind of opposition. (13 days left...)
 
-----------------------
NTO/SC/FL/CM Darkhawk/Raptor 3-1 (Raptor Nine)/ISD II Devastator/OFF/VEN/VE/(=A=)(=SA=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)(=FOCE=)[BRC][VC:Ebony]

OOPS.  Hurry up and join the fun, Lonewolf. Btw, ESN Warmaker sent me two screenshots today, and I think once I calculate the points, he'll be **** close to being tied with Donitz. So, really, everyone's still in this thing.
 
-----------------------
NTO/SC/FL/CM Darkhawk/Raptor 3-1 (Raptor Nine)/ISD II Devastator/OFF/VEN/VE/(=A=)(=SA=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)(=FOCE=)[BRC][VC:Ebony]

All right, pilots, the UCPC is almost over, but there's still a few days left to get out there and try to win! If you have any screenshots hiding somewhere, don't forget to send them to me. I scoped out the battleboard to see if there were any matches i missed, but no one has been playing. So, here are the current stats for the competition... 1. Warmaker    75 points 2. sk8guy        72 points 3. ERISI          61.5 points 4. Lonewolf      24 points 4. swomz          5 points 5. doggy          1.5 points 6. Rogue          -.5 points I have some points myself, but I'm not elgible. That doesn't, however, mean that you can't play me in order to earn some points. I hope to see some people flying here in the next few days. We wouldn't want Warmaker to win. j/k, WM. GOOD LUCK! *me salutes*
 
-----------------------
NTO/SC/FL/CM Darkhawk/Raptor 3-1 (Raptor Nine)/ISD II Devastator/OFF/VEN/VE/(=A=)(=SA=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)(=FOCE=)[BRC][VC:Ebony]

CM/SG Darkhawk/Sith/Eagle 1-5/VEDJ/VE

*nudges DH and whispers to him* Hey, tell me who gets 2nd place, I'm gonna drop a Cross of Bravery on 'em
 
-----------------------
Captain Japheth Cappadocious, Dark Jedi Knight
Naval Executive Officer
NXO/FC/SC/CAP Japheth Cappadocious/NHC-2/ISD Overlord/OFF/VEN/VE/(=SA=)(=SCPA=)(=FOCE=)[BRC][MC:1]

head like a hole
black as your soul
i'd rather die than give you control

And the winner is..
 
-----------------------
CMDR/CAP Aaron 'Bear' Le'pue/Flight School 1/Training Fleet/Plt Saratoga/VEN/VE (=A=) (=SA=) (=FOCE=) (=JCPA=) [BRC] [BRC] [LSM] [LoC] [NDM]
VE Today Chief Editor
-----------------------
Bear - [email protected]
Vast Empire Today - [email protected]

I've fixed my joystick, and now I wanna get down to some action! I'm gonna get my a longer ID line! When can we challenge?
 
-----------------------
        Captain Aaron "Bear" Le'pue, Naval Instructor & VE Today Chief Editor
                                                        ~~~
   INS/CAP Aaron "Bear" Le'pue/Flight School/Training Fleet/ISD II Crusader/VEN/VE
           (=A=) (=SA=) (=FOCE=) (=JCPA=) [BRC] [BRC] [LSM] [LoC] [NDM]
                                                        ~~~
                                      Bear : [email protected]
                             Vast Empire Today : [email protected]