Basic Training
From VEWiki
Welcome to Basic Training.
On behalf of the Navy, thank you for choosing to enlist with us. We hope you enjoy your time here.
In this section, we will help guide you through the initial steps of becoming a pilot in the VEN Starfighter Corps. It is our hope that 'BT' will help provide new members with the most important information without making them feel like they've gone back to school. Even though technically we are a school, being an 'Academy' and everything, this is just to give the entire VENA experience a more authentic feel. Our main aim is help you have fun; everything else is just a bonus.
To kick off what we hope will be an exciting career for you, we will go through some basic steps that will help you on your journey.
The ComNet
The ComNet is the the forum on which the members of the Vast Empire communicate and write our stories. First and foremost, in order to even begin your training, you must register your presence there with the training staff. In all likelihood, you have done this already by creating an introductory thread on the Naval Academy ComNet board - so well done, you've already gotten started.
Everything is done via the ComNet, from training assessments to participation in stories. It is recommended that, while you train, you take a look around the rest of the ComNet and familiarize yourself with the various boards. As a member of the Navy, the two most important ones for you are:
- The Navy Main ComNet - This is where all out of context (OOC) discussions and announcements are made.
- The Navy Story Board - All stories, from personal to squadron, to competitions, are done here.
Once you have passed Basic Training, there is really no need for you to re-visit the Naval Academy board unless you become a staff member, or are taking the advanced courses. But it helps to drop in from time to time, check for updates and say hi to the other new recruits.
mIRC
Outside of the Comnet, a lot of the VE's member ship talk to each other via IRC, a form of instant communication similar to MSN or AIM but on a larger scale. Member's of the VE access IRC usually by one of two ways: Via the Javachat client accessible from the main page, or by downloading an external client called mIRC.
Whichever one you chose, we do recommend that you try and get onto IRC. You're most likely to get noticed this way, as you are in constant communication with your leaders. Obviously, it would be unethical of us to hold it against you if you don't get onto IRC, as not everyone can/wants too, but it does make things a whole lot easier.
If you decide to download a program, or even use the javachat, you must keep in mind the CoC (Code of Conduct) which can be found here. Abusing these rules or creating problems will not go down well with the Ops (Operators) of that channel. Information on how to connect to the VE IRC servers can be found in the Main Comnet board.
Unfortunately, there is an age warning that goes with both IRC and the VE as a whole, please make note of this if you are underage:
If the member is under 13, they must have a parent’s permission to install and use mIRC. If they don't get approval or there is some other extenuating circumstance in which they cannot use IRC, simply notify the Academy staff of the situation.
Apart from that, we just covered all of the basics. Consider this your official 'Initiation' into the Vast Empire Navy. As a final note, it is recommended that you familiarize yourselves with the whole VE website by following the links from the Vast Empire main page. This is a good opportunity to ask questions on the ComNet about our many features, such as the First Galactic Bank and Imperial Center Store. Not only will this help you during your career with the Vast Empire, but it will allow you to meet new members of the Vast Empire via ComNet interaction or at least to recognize some of the names off of the VE Online Roster.
Flight School
With the preliminaries over with, you may now proceed to the next step: Flight School (FS).
Flight School is where the real training begins. The chapters listed within will teach you the basics you need to know in order to be an effective member of the VEN. You'll be guided through Flight School by a Trainer, a flight instructor employed by the Academy. They will issue instructions to you and help you as you advance through Flight School. As you proceed you will need to read over basic information in each chapter. Once you've completed all the chapters, you should be placed in a squadron. If a Trainer has greeted you in your introductory thread, you should click on the link above to begin.
