Squad Leader Reference Sheet
Squad Leader Reference Sheet
Useful information or locations, so you look epic and knowledgeable to your troopers.
SCOPE[edit]
This is a list of our SCOPE standard loadout gear. Become familiar with it. When you are doing squad stories you can throw in something special but for all platoon and army wide stories these are the only things your troopers should be using.
Specialties[edit]
This page has information for the troopers on all the spec's currently available. If you have a trooper that's completed a spec, make sure you look up what new equipment has opened up to them. Also note your Squad's spec.
- RAIDERS: A5 – Close Combat
- Wraith: A1 - Infiltration
- Blackjack: A11 - Interrogation
- Eclipse: A8 – Mobile Ordinance
What do these mean? So if let's say RAIDERS does a squad story that involves "Close Combat" troopers in RAIDERS can complete the Close Combat spec with half the requirements normally necessary.
Army Awards[edit]
List of Awards Obtainable by Army Members
Make sure you are familiar with this list so you can give out awards to your troopers. Especially this one:
Emperor's Shield
- The standard excellence award of the Vast Empire Stormtrooper Corps, it may be bestowed for any outstanding service. This medal can be granted by Squad Leaders.
- This medal has two classes, with first class being a higher honor than second class, but is not an upgrade to the second class.
- Abbreviations: [ES1], [ES2]
The Writing Process[edit]
From Jegora:
1)Proofread. It doesn't hurt anything to go back and read a post through again to make sure there are no glaring mistakes. In fact, I highly recommend it. So take some time and look a post over before you put it up on the boards. For all our sakes, please.
2) Spell-check. It's your best friend. If nothing else, at least spellcheck your story posts before posting them. The easiest way to do this is through a program like Microsoft Word, but even our ComNet has a 'Check Spelling' feature. Use it.
3) Use a dictionary. It's your friend. Don't make up words, or invent your own spellings. Some programs like Word come with both a dictionary and thesaurus, which are both enormously useful tools. But even if you're not using Word or a similar application, believe it or not they do still print actual dictionaries. If you don't own one it would probably be a decent investment.
4) Read a post aloud. This is one of the best ways to proofread a post. By reading a post aloud you ensure that you're reading what is actually written, rather than what you think should be there. By reading aloud through a post you can catch many minor mistakes that you probably wouldn't have otherwise. Personally, this is what I do with every post I make. It helps, trust me.
5) Get a beta reader. By far, this is the best way to ensure that your post is up to snuff. By having someone else read your post before you submit it to the ComNet, you can ensure that your writing says what you want it to. A beta reader isn't biased by intent, either, and so they will catch the small details that you as a writer wouldn't. Although time consuming, if you really want a post to shine this is the way to go.
From Ron:
Here's some suggestions and questions to ask yourself in order to get you in the mood for writing:
1) Does my character care about his/her mission? Why? If yes, what about the mission does he/she care about? If no, what does my character care about, and how can I integrate that into the story?
2) Is my character a violent or peaceful character? If violent, how can I vary the ways in which he/she is violent, rather than always having he/she kill someone? If peaceful, think about the situations that pushes him/her to become more violent.
3) Does my character agree with all the policies of the Vast Empire? If yes, think about things that might change your characters mind, and reveal to him/her that the VE is not as good as it seems. If no, think about ways to make your character discover the good things about the VE, and how that changes how he/her thinks and acts in the story.
4) Is my character passionate? (not necessarily romantic) If yes, try to come up with different passions rather than just romance. Have them addicted to smoking (like Ron), or have them always talk about how great their homeplanet is, or have them always reading a podracing magazine. If no, ask yourself why your character is not passionate and try to come with things that may make him/her more or less passionate.
5) Does my character change throughout the stories that I write about him/her? If yes, how does he/she change, and how can incorporate that into this story? If no, consider things that could happen to your character that could make him/her change.
6) Is my character a leader or follower? If a leader, take fifteen minutes and sketch out a simple NPC who looks up to him, or make a rival leader who is always fighting with your character. If no, look for a fellow trooper or make an NPC whom your character looks up to. Or you could consider ways to make your character more of a leader than a follower.
The key to making a good character is to write how he or she changes throughout their life. No one is always the same from birth to death, there are things that effect us all which make us different one day than the next. Consider these things and try to come up with the ways in which your character is influenced like this.
Remember, the key to writing good squad stories is to try to write 90% character development and 10% plot development. Your characters themselves should move the plot, and not you simply saying "then stuff blew up and shit hit the floor". Treat your characters like real people, and you will not have any trouble coming up with things to write about.
Now let's see some posts.
GiMP[edit]
I get asked for this a lot so I figured it should go here too.
Wiki HELP![edit]
First off here is the tutorial you can give your troopers. If they are having a difficult time with it, I usually just start the page for them and let them fill in the information, most people can handle at least that, and they feel the love.
