New basic training

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Welcome to Basic Training, recruit. The Vast Empire thanks you for choosing to enlist, and we hope you enjoy your time here.

Basic Training is exactly what is sounds like: on this page you'll find all the basic information that you need to know to be an active member of the Vast Empire, whether you choose to role-play/write as a TIE-pilot in the Starfighter Corps (or, SC), or as Trooper in the Stormtrooper Corps. The goal of Basic Training is to teach you everything you need to know to participate in the Vast Empire, as a club and as a literary rpg, but don't let the "school" vibe of these pages discourage you; we're all here to have fun, and these guidelines exist only to maximize everyone's enjoyment.

So, to launch your fun and exciting career in the Vast Empire Military Services, read on...

The ComNet

The ComNet

The ComNet is the Vast Empire's forum, on which members write stories, and through which they communicate with each other. Before you do anything else, you must register your presence there with the Academy's training staff. This is accomplished by creating an introductory thread on the Naval Academy ComNet board; if you haven't done this already, do so now. Simply click on "Post New Topic," and write a brief message saying hello, and identifying yourself as a new recruit. Someone will be along to help you shortly.

The ComNet is central to VE life: everything from your initial training assessments to your participation in stories to routine announcements will be posted somewhere on the ComNet. We recommend that you take a look around the rest of the ComNet, even while you go through training in the Academy board, and familiarize yourself with the various sections. As a member of the Navy, the two most important boards for you will be:

• The Navy Main ComNet - This is where all OOC ("out-of-character," or "out-of-context") activity takes place. These include discussions of active stories and announcements of transfers/promotions/awards.

• The Navy Story Board - This is where all IC ("in-character," or "in-context") contributions are made. All stories are posted here, whether personal, squadron-level, ship-level, or involving multiple units; all fiction competitions are run here as well.

As a member of the Stormtrooper Corps, the two most important boards for you will be:

• - This is where all OOC ("out-of-character," or "out-of-context") activity takes place. These include discussions of active stories and announcements of transfers/promotions/awards.

• - This is where all IC ("in-character," or "in-context") contributions are made. All stories are posted here, whether personal, squadron-level, ship-level, or involving multiple units; all fiction competitions are run here as well.

Once you have passed Basic Training (and either Starfighter School or Advanced Combat Training depending on which career path you choose - a choice we'll cover in just a moment), there is really no need for you to re-visit the Academy board on the ComNet unless you become a staff member, or are taking an advanced course. But feel free to drop in from time to time, to check for updates and say hi to the new recruits who follow in your footsteps.

Slack

Slack Outside of the Comnet, many of the VE's members talk to each other via IRC, a form of instant communication similar to MSN or AIM but on a larger scale. Members of the VE access IRC on Slack, which is the current IRC provider being used by the Vast Empire.

We do recommend that you get onto IRC. Chat allows for more efficient planning/plotting of collaboratively-told stories, and helps build a sense of community. You're also more likely to get noticed this way, as you are in constant communication with your leaders. We understand that this mode of communication is not for everyone, but we do encourage you to use it as much as you are able/comfortable.

Also, you must abide by the CoC (Code of Conduct), which can be found here. Violating these rules or creating problems will not be well-received by the Ops (Operators) of that channel, and may lead to punitive action.

Information on how to connect to the VE IRC servers can be found in the Main Comnet board.

There is an age warning that goes with IRC; if you are underage, please make note of the following:

• If a member is under 13, he/she must have a parent’s permission to access Slack.
• If a member is unable to secure parental permission, or there are some other extenuating circumstances preventing his/her use of IRC, the member must notify a member of the Academy's staff of the situation.

Imperial Initiation

So here you are, all gung-ho and ready to start blowing things up. Before we get to that awesomeness there are a few training elements that we need to get you through.

Chapter Zero: Weapons

Whether you are a pilot and spend most of your time in a cockpit, or a Stormtrooper and use them on a daily basis. You must learn the capabilities, and limitations, of your primary sidearm, if you are a Stormtrooper you will be using the E-11 Blastech Blaster Rifle, if you are a pilot you will be using the DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol. Your assignment for this mission is simple, locate the stats of this weapon available on the Vast Empire website, and paste it onto your training topic, as well as the magazine capacity for each weapon.

Chapter One: Military Organization

As long as you are a member of the Vast Empire you will have some sort of Military Reporting structure, both IC and OOC, whether you are a member of a Squadron in the Starfighter Corps, or a member of a squad in the Stormtrooper Corps, you have to report to someone. In preparation for this assignment you will review the following article: Vast Empire Chains of Command, once you have completed that, pick an active member of a Squad, and an active Member of a squadron, and post their current chain of command on your page, one of each.

Chapter Two: Character Wiki

Construct a wiki page for your character, can be as brief, or as in depth as you desire, but the following pieces of information are required:

• Character Name
• Character Callsign
• Character Biography (Does not need to be extensive just a brief outline of your character's physical, psychological, and historical information.

Chapter Three A: Starfighter Tactics

If you are a member of the Navy, complete part B only, during this section you will cover the types of situations in which you would have to write about a starfighter from your point of view, in this case, write a short post, 150-250 words, detailing, specifically, calling in, and from your view, carrying out, a strafing run in support of operations.

Chapter Three B: Ground Combat Tactics

If you are a member of the Stormtrooper Corps, complete part A only. During this section you will cover the sorts of situations in which you may have to write about ground combat from your point of view, you have two choices as far as how to complete this chapter.

• Write a post 150-250 words, outlining you as a pilot who has been shot down during a close support mission, and is in a firefight, you have only a DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol, in your 150-250 words show your perspective of a firefight between four troopers sent to rescue you, and a group of eight to ten enemies.

• Write a post 150-250 words, outlining you as a pilot, flying a close support mission for a squad of Troopers pinned down by a superior force, describe your strafing run covering their withdrawal under fire, with emphasis on their movements as they withdraw from the combat.

Those are the basics, recruit. We do recommend that you familiarize yourself with the whole VE family of websites by following the links from the Vast Empire main page, now, and take this opportunity to ask questions on the ComNet about our club's many features, such as the First Galactic Bank and Imperial Center Store, or the On-Line Roster. By getting answers, you'll be better able to personalize the VE experience and have more fun, and you'll simultaneously be meeting other members.

Career Paths: Starfighter Corps (Pilot) or Stormtrooper Corps (Trooper)

With the preliminaries over with, you may now proceed to the next step: beginning the career path your in-story persona will follow. You may choose to start your Naval service as either:

• a TIE-pilot (as a member of the Starfighter Corps), or as
• a Stormtrooper (a member of the Stormtrooper Corps).

Your responsibilities and opportunities for advancement, as well as your access to other members for story collaboration, are absolutely equal, regardless of which branch of the service you choose.

Starfighter School is where the real training begins for those who want to be starfighter pilots, while Advanced Ground Combat Training is the Advanced training course for those who want Ground Combat Duty with the Stormtrooper Corps. The Chapters listed on the SS and AGCT main pages will teach you how to be an effective member of the VE, and the Academy also employs several Trainers, who will guide you through these Chapters one at a time. One of these Trainers will identify himself/herself in response to your introductory thread you posted on the Academy board, and will give you instructions. Follow your Trainer's instructions to advance through the Chapters of your chosen School. As you proceed you will need to read over the information in each Chapter, complete any Assignment listed, and post your work to your introductory/training thread on the ComNet. Your Trainer will review your efforts at each stage and then clear you for the next step. Once you've completed all the Chapters of your chosen School, you will graduate from the Vast Empire's Basic Academy, and you will be placed in an active Squadron, or Squad (again, depending on which branch of the military you chose).

So, if a Trainer has already greeted you in your introductory thread, and you have chosen which branch interests you more, you should click on the appropriate link above to begin your career in the VEN - Starfighter School for potential pilots and Advanced Ground Combat Training for Stormtrooper Recruits. Good luck, recruit, and have fun!