Greetings Gentlemen,

The poll that was conducted a couple of weeks ago, (sorry about getting the results up till now, I've been out of town a lot) has had it's results posted on the ComNet.  It shows something that I've feared, that not a lot of people seem to find it nessicary to respond to questions from me.  I think only about 50% of you have responded.  Based on this information I'm deciding whether or not it is worth it for me to re structure the Navy so that those 50% of the people are in the same squadron leaving the rest of you to wallow around in your own stench of inactivity. 

Warmaker is extremely pissed off at the vast majority of you.  He spent some time working on trying to find a competition that you would all be willing to participate in, only to find out that once we give you all something to do, none of you actually get off your asses to do it. So i'm putting this question to you.

What is it exactly that you're getting out of this?

I mean besides the obvious bitching and moaning about not getting anything to do while you're in the VEN.  If you could please answer that question, a lot of us would greatly appreciate it.  If you're not getting something out of this, what would you like to be getting out of it.  We can only read your minds so much before we just decide to say "FK it", and go to find something else to do with our time.  That time is rapidly approaching, so please.  Enlighten us.  Respond to this post and let us know.


 
-----------------------
::Salute::
FM Threeof4
Field Marshal - Vast Empire
Email
I'm in hell.

Personally, I've lost interest in much of the writing aspect of the VE and I'm not real big on most of our supported games anymore. I still like to play games, but they either aren't games that the VE supports or not a lot of other VE people play them.

Primarily I play Galaxies now, when I have time. I'm pretty busy but I try to get on galaxies for a good 5-10 hours a week if I can, maybe more, haven't been keeping track. Galaxies, while a "supported" game hasn't been getting a lot of acknowledgement as such, except from those of us that play it.

As far as the Navy goes, I will readily admit that Galaxies isn't much of a Navy game. About as close as I get to Navyish games anymore is Natural Selection, an aliens vs marines mod for Half-Life.

Times are changing, and the Navy is suffering from a lack of new Star Wars space sim games...
 
-----------------------
Rear Admiral Japheth Cappadocious, Krath Priest
Captain of the mSSD Atrus
Headmaster of the Dark Jedi Order Academy
-----------------------
SCAP/RAD Japheth Cappadocious/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=A=)(=SA=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)(=FCO=)[BRC][LSM][MC:1][KC:OC]
HM/KPT Japheth Cappadocious/DC-3/Krath Order/Elite Griffen Sect/VEDJ/VE

ya ....
 
-----------------------
CMDR/DJK/CAP Warmaker/Viper 1-1/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/VE/VEN (=A=) (=SA=) (=FOCE=) (=JCPA=) (=SCPA=) [VC-B] [SV] [CBV] [IC] [LSM] [SBM]
Wing Commander Phoenix Wing
Viper Squadron Commander
"You can run, but you cannot hide"
"Have you ever kissed a Snake?"

I like to play games, but none of the ones I have are supported. I realize these aren't Navy or even Star wars games, but if they were supported I would play like nobody's business. I would get new games if I could, but simply can't.
 
-----------------------
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstien

"It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it's what you leave behind you when you go." -Randy Travis


FM/LCRW Chipmunk Man/Viper 1-4/Phoenix/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=A=)

The answer is closer than you think.

I look down between my legs and I see something long, black and shiny. Yes, thats right folks. Its my broadband modem.

I do not want to waste a 2mhz 512mb RAM computer with a 27 trillion byte connection (or whatever it is) by writing. Ok, every once in a while I might be content with contributory writing - that is, contributing towards an actual VE story.

I would like to use my computer to blow away Canadians. I would like to use my computer to work in a team in a virtual reality world (or "computer game" as they are more affectionatly known). I would like to use my computer to participate in larger competitions, with other people in other countries and clubs and walks of life.

I would like to be in some sort of team with some kind of identity. Something with a motto, a crest, a name, a PURPOSE. I would like to fight for the glory of the Imperial Navy.

I would like to meet up every Tuesday night (or whenever) and train, and fight, and make fun of new recruits. I would like to become totally adept and skilled at this game, and respected. I would like to use this skill and practice to gain promotions and medals and honour.

What is this game? God knows.


Its obvious we don't have many space based simulators left; even fewer SW based ones. So, like it or not, at some point we're going to have to move with the times and become some sort of....... oh, i don't wanna say it... nggghhh..... clan.

It is my personal opinion that there isn't much room for what we know as "the navy" in a clan situation.

So maybe we should change our definition of "the navy".



Its not very politically correct, but look at Iraq. Whether or not you agree with the politics, you have to respect the strategy - both the US and UK sent in their marines as spearheads, with the Army mopping up behind. Look at where the air force was; flying 10 miles up dropping laser guided bombs.

We are in serious danger... no, scrap that. We have already BECOME the US Air Force. We fly around and drop laser guided bombs, then go home. The only problem is, we don't have the advantages of being an American pilot - the alcohol flowing like water and the ease at which they get laid, for example.



So yeh. Hope that was useful.
 
-----------------------
FM/CAP Bear/Kaph 1-2/Phoenix Wing/m-SSD Atrus/VE/VEN/(=A=)(=SA=)(=MA=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=) [NDM] [LSM] [BRC]

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.

Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

Quite frankly this isnt a problem plaquing only VEN. Most groups are having severe trouble with maintaining navy or starfighter corp divisions

one simple reason for this

the people at lucasarts are jackasses and think only saber games sell so they ignored the petition for a new starfighter game

a new starfighter game would get the navy back on its feet cause quite honestly, its near impossible to recruit ppl that just want to write and XVT and XWA are old and many think stupid or boring

thats the unfortunate reality and dispite my attempted in kaph for almost a year (i think its that long, maybe more), my squadron and the others continue to fall further

 
-----------------------
SL/ESN_Arturus/Kaph 1-1/Phoenix Wing/M-SSD_Atrus/VE/VEN/(=a=)(=sa=)(=jcpa=)(=scpa=)[MC:1][SV][BRC][LoC]

I tired to get the VE to allow us to play army games, but nobody would have anything to do with it.  As for galaxies, the VE Supports it, so go on out there and recruit people for it. 


 
-----------------------
::Salute::
FM Threeof4
Field Marshal - Vast Empire
Email
I'm in hell.

~glares at another Navy Division in a certain Organisation~

well we have there a perfect Example, it works, but they used the chance to jump into Galaxies early enough, far before it was out and planned like hell for it.

We havent done it why? cause severall ppl still say we write more then game, well ..... we need gamers, thats a fact!

writing good and fine, but you cant recruit well with it, we need gamers, we need own Servers, a own server is a perfect place to recruit.

a own gaming server needs to get payd yes, but if some ppl would pitch together it would be possible.

But to be honest again if the VE cant even use my server how does they would be able to get a own Gaming Server.

for the JO players, use at least the chance to use the FES server and recruit from in there, nicely and ask first the fes for permission when they are there, but still use it, a 24/7 server is allways better then the Zone.


 
-----------------------
CMDR/DJK/CAP Warmaker/Viper 1-1/Phoenix Wing/mSSD Atrus/VE/VEN (=A=) (=SA=) (=FOCE=) (=JCPA=) (=SCPA=) [VC-B] [SV] [CBV] [IC] [LSM] [SBM]
Wing Commander Phoenix Wing
Viper Squadron Commander
"You can run, but you cannot hide"
"Have you ever kissed a Snake?"

I'd love to help out with the gaming aspect, but honestly I really can't. My computer is way too outdated to even successfully connect to other computers. JO doesn't run on it, JK won't even load multi-player levels, and the thing doesn't even have a P/S2 port, or USB. We got a mouse the other day, and we can't even use it because it's too advanced for our computer. I can't do anything but write until I get a new computer, which should be happening in January when my sister gets her tax return and buys a computer. Honestly, it sucks being poor. You can't get anything to use on the net. Right now I have XWA and XvT, and I don't even think any of the new gamers even play them, or have even heard of them. Navy games are hard to come by these days, because no one is really playing them. The companies have seen the success with games like JO and Galaxies, and they're making games to demand, and the demand is all "army" based games, that's the sad truth. Adapting to the times will get the Navy more recruits, we just need to do it. We're dying, let's try and be the shock paddles that'll bring us back.
 
-----------------------
Kam "Denethor" Vox
Chief Warrant Officer Denethor
Navy of the Vast Empire
Polaris Squadron Commander
SC/CWO Denethor/Polaris 1-1/Wing 1/mSSD Atrus/VEN/VE(=A=)(=SA=)[LoR]
"Only the dead have seen the end of war." -Plato

Ya I agree bear, Marine division is exactly the kinda of face that would help VEN.

And even though JA is out, there are still plenty of recruits on zone, ERC has thrived upon them.  They arent hard to get and we need em

the other thing is
80% of those who own JKO own at least one other star wars game and of that 40% own XWA so this is a great indirect way of getting some ppl. (polls done from experience)
 
-----------------------
SL/ESN_Arturus/Kaph 1-1/Phoenix Wing/M-SSD_Atrus/VE/VEN/(=a=)(=sa=)(=jcpa=)(=scpa=)[MC:1][SV][BRC][LoC]

ok, i'm gonna play devil's advocate, cause i'm good at it, and because you're gonna have to fight these arguments down before the HC will even take you seriously...

1) Marin division are you kidding?  Why don't they just join the army instead.  What are you going to provide them that the army can't?

2) It's all great and good that you guys think that you're making progress, but I still just see a lot of talk from most of you and nobody actually playing any games.  All you all really do online is just sit around and shoot the shit or pick on swomz (granted he does deserve it most of the time) instead of playing games.

3) If you're going to want to start making a gaming division out of this, you're all gonna have to be a bit more active and actually come on IRC for the purpose of making games to play against each other.  I'm sure that you all think that it's well and good that you post on the comnet every once in a while or whenever someone throws a fit about you all not doing anything, but it does not make an active division. 

4) If you want to start playing games and getting other people in this division excited about playing those games, you're gonna have to start making it worth their while.  Which means you're gonna have to start having some sort of prize/recognition.  (Granted the way to solve this would be to bring back the trophies on the battle board, but they don't really mean much when you're the only person playing the game).  Let's face it most of you are all capitalists, which a couple of exceptions, so you're all about what you can get out of it and aren't gonna do a damn thing if you're not getting anything out of it.  I hate to break it to you, but some of you just don't like doing things for the greater good.

5) Creating groups within the division that are purely devoted to one game is a great idea, too bad we don't have enough people with a particular type of game to actually make it possible.  (See the Multiplayer Poll where only half of you bothered to reply to the nice email that i spent a lot of time working on) 

6) Granted, yes, if you want to start having people participate in games and actually come out of their way to make things happen you're going to have to make a name for yourself.  Very few of you actually take the time to go out and make that name for yourselves, and i'm pretty sure most of you aren't going to in the couple of months after this post has died down.  Let's face it, You all like to talk about doing things, but you don't ever do them...

I'm sure that a lot of these all tie together and could prolly be best summized by the following phrase.

Talk is cheap. 

If that doesn't click, then try:

Actions speak louder than words.

And if that still doesn't click:

Get off your god damn asses and do something.



 
-----------------------
::Salute::
FM Threeof4
Field Marshal - Vast Empire
Email
I'm in hell.

I'm sorry i didn't see this earlier but i have been busy over the past few days.


What we need to do is accept it, absolutely realize that we can no longer have a navy. It has become painfully clear that this divsion was standing on two legs: writing and gaming.

both of those legs are screwed.

What we should realistically do is transfer our units to one militant force. We got nothing to back up our division with now, it was a fad, something Lucas Arts had a fetish with but now its no longer there. The only way we could revive it is if Lucas creates more internet MP flight games.

The only reason i could imagine a navy to remain would be for storys, but heck, no one ever fallows them anymore!

gaming? heh! we haven't really recruited anyone in gaming! how were getting noobs bugs me. I dont see a whole squadron of ppl all hyped about the new games. Heck you have to pay to play them monthly!

I understand that the navy has drastically changed. I was only lucky enough to go through a peak of it. God i miss those days when it was that simple, when we could all post and play games because we could and it was fun. it's dead now. and so is my era.


I would like to ask for removal from my post in Polaris. All I am is talk in there now, all i'm doing is taking up space. If it's possible i would like to help the navy still, how? i don't know. It's been a great run though. Now its clear though that im a bred of pilot thats out of date.
 
-----------------------
Lonewolf/Polaris 2-1/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=A=)(=SA=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)[SRC][VC:Ebony]

CM/DJK LoneWolf/Sith/Eagle Sect/VEDJ

"With each kill, I grow wiser, with added wisdom, I grow stronger..." -Artemis Entreri

All right, here are my thoughts.

I don't think that we should move complety to army games./  that would be selling out, and we'd be nothing more then any other clan out there.  Personally,I've never even played the Navy games, but I am typically the exception to any rule.

Second, I think that s marine corps or special forces squad is just what we need.  It would give us a change in stories, which have lately all sounded the same, and hopefully breath some new life into the Navy.

Third, don't you think you're being just a trifle defeatist, LW?  I would hardly call those that joined at the end of 2001, myself included, a dying breed.  I don't even think you can be a dying breed after 2 years.  Yeah, we've got problems, but they aren't unsolvable.
 
-----------------------
LCM_FL_ JMac/Kaph 3-1/(=A=)(=SA=)(=MA)(=FOCE=)(MC1)

It's God's job to forgive Bin Laden... It's our job to arrange the meeting -USMC

Semper Fidelis

Lusthawk 12

I consider us dead until something major happens. Defeated? No. Realistic? Yes. I would hope that we can get out of this ditch, but its already a cliff. I just gave my 2 cents worth thats all. i could give my own ideas on how to resolve this but i dont want to confuse ppl.
 
-----------------------
Lonewolf/Polaris 2-1/mSSD Atrus/DEF/VEN/VE/(=A=)(=SA=)(=JCPA=)(=SCPA=)[SRC][VC:Ebony]

CM/DJK LoneWolf/Sith/Eagle Sect/VEDJ

"With each kill, I grow wiser, with added wisdom, I grow stronger..." -Artemis Entreri

I am getting galaxies on Monday from a friend at work. I will try to recruit some ppl and get a VE thing going for Galaxies, if we don't already have one.......
 
-----------------------
Polaris Squadron Commander/VEDJ JRN/ESN MegaDeth/Polaris 1-1/Wing I/mSSD Atrus/VE/VEN/VEDJ (=A=) (=SA=) (=JCPA=) (=SCPA=) [CoB] [VP] [BRC] [VC: E] [VP-VEDJ] [SoV] [IEM]

    "To all the World, To all my friends, I love you all, Now I must leave you." - Dave Mustaine
A Tout Le Monde