A bit of an update today on a number of my focus areas, including unit summaries from last quarter, a quick hit on a co-op checklist I'm working through, a GJW related ACC updated, and some general thoughts from the Dark Council. I'll close with a list of open positions I've seen advertised. Enjoy!

Unit Performance Summaries for Jan-March 2017

Above you can see the metrics we track quarterly for each unit, covering Jan 1st to April 1st. We do not directly compare units due to differences in unit size and the way in which units run competitions and instead look for trends quarter to quarter. We do tend to emphasize the participation ratio metric as a method of seeing how many members a unit is reaching, and then we look at the relative standing of a unit's total participations when compared to this ratio, along with the number of competitions being run, to get an idea of how units are appealing to their memberships. Although we often make suggestions to Consuls based on these numbers, they are not the only way we evaluate units.

As a whole, we had nearly 250 active members in units participating in at least one competition. Compared to last year, this was pretty similar on a per-unit basis for this time of year. We did see a post-movie decline in roster sizes across the club, as last year, and the 'bump' in joins from Rogue One was smaller compared to TFA. These metrics are useful in comparing over more distant time periods as we try to keep the same approximate set of metrics from quarter to quarter, and we are just starting to look at the club across the last couple of years of the same general leadership team.

We continue to evaluate this method of tracking unit performance, as well as the units themselves. We add new categories as the need arises, such as the inclusion of CGs this quarter, or remove those that are problematic - such as the previous "average entrants per competition" metric. These numbers are hopefully useful not only to us, but also to the summit members, to be able to easily see a summary of their unit's general activity over the last quarter.

Co-Op competitions checklist

The last year or so we've seen a swelling of co-op competitions. The activity generated by these competitions is usually quite high, and I think it is a good opportunity for members and leaders to get a lot of exposure to one another. Members also seem to like them quite a bit based on feedback we've heard, and overall react very positively to the events - usually more than leaders running them!

We differentiate co-op competitions from Feuds in the nature of the competition. Co-ops can be as casual or competitive as summits want, while Feuds are a type of Vendetta event pitting two units against one another for rewards, sanctioned by the Dark Council, and overseen directly. In the case of co-ops, the DC takes a very hands off approach, typically only asking to be kept informed of decisions being made and offering to help in breaking ties in event grading and the like.

At times, this has lead to some issues where expectations differed between summits. In order to avoid this, I've been working on a 'checklist' of sorts to assist in planning of co-op events. The goal here is not to create a 'policy' units have to policy, but a set of helpful guides to ease communication. I've taken the feedback from the last year and attempted to distill where issues have occurred in a way that can allow summits to make sure they are on the same page. For instance, one checklist item asks which summit members are in charge of posting announcements about new phases or fiction related to the event, and for what phases/rounds, while another asks if explicit graders have been defined for each competition from each unit.

To that end, I'm soliciting members feedback... If you are part of a unit that has recently taken part in a co-op event and you would like to express some idea you had that could allow summits in the future, please email or message me on Telegram @DJB_Mav with your feedback!

The ACC in the upcoming GJW

The Dark Council has been planning the Great Jedi War, and due to a variety of real life factors, we are currently aiming for a start date that is mid summer. One of several decisions we have tentatively decided on pertains to the ACC in the GJW. The ACC is unique to the Brotherhood and has a long history as one of our competitive events that generates huge interest. On the other hand, there have been complaints for ages about 'spam to win' ladder sort of events where individuals earn points based on number of wins alone (and some combination of lost points for timeouts and/or losses). Yet there is not enough time in the War to have a large, open bracket tournament such as what we saw in Fading Light, and we firmly believe every member should have a chance to earn participation from events.

The solution? After discussions with the CM and Voice, we are currently tentatively planning a two-phase ACC event. Everything I share with you here is subject to change, so please keep that in mind.

The first phase will be an open ladder event and will occur before the GJW itself, where any member may participate and challenge other members. Participation during this phase counts for participation in the GJW, even though it will occur before the war. Members will earn placements based on number of wins (exact formula to be determined), which will count towards GJW point totals for each unit. Once the GJW itself starts, there will be a second phase, wherein a small, select group of members will compete in a bracket tournament. Consuls will be able to select one champion to represent their unit, drawing either from their highest placing member in the ladder, or another member of the unit, at their discretion. Finally, we are likely going to automatically advance the first place individual from the ladder to the bracket during the War itself, allowing any member to 'play their way' into the bracket tournament. This small bracket will take place during the war, and will be handled similarly to Fading Light in terms of grading (albeit with far fewer matches). Members placing in the bracket tournament will earn far more for their unit than placement in the ladder tournament, but they will count towards the same event for participation purposes.

We are currently working out the full details of the event, but I wanted to share with everyone the rough plans we have so far for the ACC. What this does mean is you can expect more updates on the GJW, and specifically on the ACC event for it, in the coming month.

How decisions are made

We've been getting a few questions lately about how decisions are made by the Dark Council. The vast majority of our decisions are made collectively, involving not just Councilors but also the summits of the Brotherhood, former Grand Masters, and the Star Chamber - and this involves everything from position appointments to major policy decisions. We try to run decisions by people quite ahead of time - 'socializing' decisions - and collect feedback and data prior to making a decision.

While it is not always the case that everyone agrees with our course of action, we listen to feedback and attempt to incorporate it. Both the Grand Master and myself have been swayed by discussions with Consuls and the Dark Councilors in regards to policy decisions or appointments. So we welcome feedback and frequently solicit it, either explicitly or implicitly through the way we discuss changes. At the same time, the best place for us to gather and respond to feedback is typically email - it is difficult for us to sort through the hundreds of Telegram messages a day, and we often will miss discussions in channels. So if you feel passionately about a topic, reach out by email.

A Note On Judging Competitions

With the introduction of possessions and credits, minor mistakes when entering in competition results and the like cause greater and greater headaches down stream as adjustment takes far more work than just changing placements. Please take the extra time to double-check every entry you make into the system when judging competitions. While mistakes happen and we are okay with that, we would like to cut down on the manual editing of competitions and membership credit details as much as possible!

News post policy page

It has come to my attention that quite a few of our members and leaders haven't looked over our News Page Policies and Best Practices, although it is linked at the top of the page to post news! I would strongly suggest leaders check it out, if only to get an idea of what categories they should be posting under, and what different groups can see different categories.

Open Positions

There are several open positions that are accepting applications, so if you are looking for a job, head on over and read up on the requirements. Even if you think you might not be the most experienced member, give an application a shot - or at least reach out to the position that posted the application - you may find yourself surprised!

-Aedile in House Liath of Clan Tarentum

-Quaestor in House Dinaari of Clan Taldryan

-Proconsul of Clan Arcona

That's it for now, all! Thanks for tuning in, and a special thanks to the Herald's staff for making me various report graphics and the like over the years!