TwoBit

+1 Shady is dedicated to CG, thoroughly understands the rules, takes initiative to solve problems, and is a naturally-followed leader. I think having a Fox, especially one with Shady's capabilities, is exceptionally beneficial for managing the duties of all officers and is almost always a significant motivating factor, when around, for newer CG members, and Shady is an excellent fit as a figurehead for CG. Additionally, this position deals with inter-battalion affairs much more naturally than anything below CMD, and I have confidence that Shady will take advantage of this to work with other battalions in the constant effort of improving CG's server-wide outlook.

5/5/5 Really appreciate all the hard work that went into this and giving me a great sendoff

5/5/5 Boston event = best event

5/5/5 Refreshing to have a nice, full RP setup to event that adds context to encounter

5/5/5 Really fun stuff and thought all the event jobs having their specific roles and defined backgrounds worked well and was cool

+1 Others have said enough, he does the position right.

+1 Already is a great communicator between battalions/factions for Jedi, and has what it takes to handle the position.

5/5/5 Acutally entertains with events/patrols

Ima start with my +1, so y'all ain't gotta read the rest. This is a pretty interesting suggestion, especially as something that would not be utilized otherwise in Foxtrot. Regarding any thoughts about adding a 3rd subunit, you get 20 whitelists; how you divide them seems rather insignificant, especially when you have something as lore-rich as the 212th. Adding a RC subdivision to an attack battalion, in actuality, does not seem to degrade the quality of any branch entirely contained within SOBDE. The notion that it would be held to a lower standard mainly comes across that the 212th is a battalion without four capable troopers. Throughout my time here, 212th has been the most consistent battalion, and having the kinds of numbers that they do shows that their members, especially in officer positions, are in the mindset to be more willing to lead and consistently contribute over long periods of time. Adding a unit of those intended to consist of the most elite can still be filtered down to the most capable, and there is enough responsibility in their high command to demand a difficult enough tryout with a high standard to be held. In everything I have seen from SOBDE, I would hold consistency towards the bottom end, with constant rotation in the positions, and those that hold them rarely do so for long. I am not very close to most 212th members, but I know and recognize their officers personally because they've committed themselves to those positions and seek more than just what their specialization provides. Introducing the idea of community members who seek consistency and an elite unit should not be farfetched, and probably the intent of the officer corps within SOBDE. It remains, though, that this is not a present force and is something that can be brought forth through Foxtrot Group. Most disagreements about this situation seem like what implications SOBDE might bear, which seems negligible. Maybe this isn't the best comparison, but Alpha ARC acts as something within SOBDE managed by another battalion. Arguing that this affects SOBDE similarly begs why don't you ask how this affects LeBron's legacy, and the only difference 212th would have in comparison to Rancor is the general baseline for an "elite" battalion. I have not tried out for either, but I would wager to say it is a pretty similar difficulty to pass the tryout for either battalion. Yet, there are few active Alpha designated ARC troopers, and those with Alpha designated lore character positions considered under the purview of SOBDE, by lore, have been generally well-managed, something I imagine would not be too dissimilar from what 212th can do with Foxtrot. I have enough confidence in Kaiser and how he plans on running Foxtrot to be at least comparable with Rancor and Alpha, and it's not like SOBDE has been trying to bring back Froxtrot for themselves. It's not like they are pulling an RC squad out of nowhere, and the only precedence this might set is that for a 3rd subunit, which can be picked apart on a battalion basis as the future would ever deem so. This seems to be bringing back a unit, previously lauded under the control of 212th, that wouldn't damage the parity in general battalion success as a whole. It's four slots after all... Foxtrot seems to be something where people can develop their leadership skills within a popular battalion like 212th where once your skills are honed, you don't have to sacrifice your standing in a batt by leaving, and you grant yourself the relatively consistent opportunity of an RC spot. If anything, it's not taking members away from SOBDE. It's giving those who seek an elite kit and unit to work with in battalions where their influence helps out more community members a chance to do more. While people may initially stray from their battalions to go to 212th seeking this role, that fades quickly, and soon enough, people will join Foxtrot by being loyal first to 212th rather than wanting to jump to a SOBDE kit instantly. Maybe if you said this in March or June, but especially in what I've seen recently, even the complete activity of all four Foxtrot members at all points wouldn't constitute this. 1: Why have the same specializations in all the battalions if any has anything? People stay in battalions longest when you find a group of people you enjoy, jetpacks and cloaks seem to initially cater to those only seeking short-term benefits. Acting like different battalions don't attract different personalities, and people wishing to RP within the top priority of a certain server aspect is kinda wild. Still gotta be 104th if you wanna drive tanks all day, or CG if you want to negotiate. 2: Why not? Seems like SOBDE members can't decide whether you care about Foxtrot existing or if you just want more control. 3: Why not move Alpha ARC to SOBDE then? Standardization is extremely relative, and I'm not very certain I want the same person in Bad Batch as Null ARC as those are two different mindsets and they are managed by the same type of people under the "standards" of SOBDE. While these are likely different, it would only be the same with Foxtrot, and I do not see why they must be managed the same as any other SOBDE, when they could provide more aspects that integrate to the larger battalion, kind of like the limited lore we know Foxtrot from Sarrish. 4: Why does this matter? If anything it seems that this gives an opportunity to flesh out the individual roles any user might wish to establish, and provide a more concentrated focus on what any squad member's RP might be. In the main roles you could assign, you generally have leader (Sergeant), medic, scout/marksman, slicer, EOD, and heavy. Forcing a squad's structure to be limited to a certain framework seems pretty constrictive, no? It's not like the squad members' specialties were already dictated in lore. 5: IDK whether this is really overstepping if he brought it to y'all's attention and didn't just go over your heads. It's no one's unit currently, and y'all do not seem to want it by your second point, so why do you care if it wouldn't affect your battalion, nor its image? It definitely wouldn't be portrayed as such upon implementation. If you think the unit is being mismanaged, that would be another thing, but this comes off as more of a fear of not having an initial shut-down decision. 6: I get that you think an attack battalion handling an RC unit would lower standards, but have some faith and at least consider all the anecdotes that the 212th controlling Foxtrot wouldn't be an issue for your standardization. As I see it, SOBDE's problem isn't finding anyone to get a role but rather finding the right person who wants to stay in it. Most of the time someone tries out for a position in SOBDE is because the battalion itself is elite, and usually not that it's the lore character they've wanted to RP as. You guys will always have that "elite" allure and Foxtrot, and the anticipation others have shown for it, demonstrated it will be as competitive as an SOBDE spot. Four positions is seriously not harming your battalion's state, and would you really want the others that seek Foxtrot since they cannot get into SOBDE? It's not like Synergy has some training program to mold a few of its members into the elite bunch that is only contained within SOBDE. The management would be in just as good of hands. This would not be managed by just some random, it is someone with good intentions and the ability to enforce standards. I do not really know what problems having a third subunit introduces past what you mention for recruitment, and even then, it's not like the average CT who chooses to join a battalion since they are the largest is really the ideal archetype for an SOBDE recruit, anyway. They are just as likely to join the largest battalion at any point, I highly doubt the recruits ponder over deciding their battalion based on opportunities in subunits other than maybe an easy jetpack. Having a 3rd subunit is pretty insignificant when they are capped at four members, at that rate, you might as well say that SOBDE has four subunits already with them all being kept to limited squads. There are plenty of opportunities to go around in the server and any given user is going to be attracted to different ones naturally. I personally find that plenty of people do not want to get caught up in the specific grind of being in, and trying to move up, a large battalion. The hype over a new squad will die pretty quickly, and there will always likely be a 212th more willing to replace a Foxtrot Group member that leaves in comparison to someone of another battalion willing to risk transferring and halt any progress they might have achieved just for the Foxtrot tryout, and the number of new recruits joining 212th just for Foxtrot would be too inconsequential to consider. It's just one squad, and an opportunity to provide something fresh to the server and not mainly to those who just switch around in different positions withing SOBDE. Regardless, I would always rather have a trooper in my battalion who has a defined goal and the mindset to work and contribute until they can earn a position rather than one who seeks the most immediate new thing and does not show they are willing to maintain it. Having someone bide their time and really want one of these positions with the everpresent opportunity to work for it when any opportunity opens up caters to the type of trooper that is willing to benefit the battalion for what it can be, those who just want the position are the type who do not end up sticking around and are generally not worth the time. Most arguments around the addition of this squad center around what 212th would do with this unit, what it takes away from others, and how SOBDE is not behind this. What I mainly gather from this, is that this is not as big of a deal as most are making it out to be. It is four people. Not a 10-trooper subunit, but four members in an RC squad that provides a different aspect to large battalion interactions like 212th or 501st have, wherein the specific dynamic achieved would vary greatly from anything that the culture in SOBDE produces. I can see that it comes off as undermining when this is brought up through 212th without explicit approval of the implementation, but there is not much lore knowledge about this group, and under the manner of the lore, it is under SOBDE but an attachment of the 212th. The understanding implied throughout this post is that SOBDE has control over all RC's operations, yet their claim to Foxtrot seems holds as much water to the understanding that Foxtrot was with 212th in the war. No argument has been yet made in this thread to garner any concern on another battalion being granted the type of loadout that SOBDE has and that Foxtrot would receive, and no one else gets close without paying for the shotguns. Adding this unit grants that opportunity for more people, especially those who do not want to risk their standing or projective loyalty in their battalion by even just trying out for SOBDE, or sacrificing what they have built for their own battalion by successfully transferring for an SOBDE slot. I find it very unlikely that these positions would go to those who are considered "rejects" from SOBDE tryouts rather than those who have proved themselves within 212th and want a more elite unit to work within while attempting to make a name for themselves in such a consistent battalion. Overall, this seems much more of a benefit to the abilities of the 212th than a detriment to any other unit, much less SOBDE.

5/5/5 Really cool idea and great execution!

This is cool

4/5/4 First part on Csilla was a really cool concept and great execution with the passive RP and AA in the sky. Venator stuff was pretty entertaining but sad Palpy got tk'd.

5/5/5 Fun event!

4/5/5 Was a nice execution of a low pop defcon 1 event

I'm pretty undecided on this, but I believe a convincing argument can be made to sway my decision. I have had 2 actual Palpatines in my time in Synergy. The first, I couldn't even tell you who because they were only afk in HCO, and the second is Gears, who has had good moments as well as those akin to the former. I really want a Palpatine who is not active just for the sake of racking hours, but truly seeks to interact with those present. As CG in lore is the battalion Palpatine developed to be his most loyal protectors in place of the Senate Guard, we always prioritize protecting him when around, deliberately assigning the largest number of VIP protectors to Palpatine. Regardless of acceptance for you towards this position, I want someone who will not bore my troopers by having to guard an afk person that doesn't seek interaction with those present. While Diplomatic Services caters, though required, to VIP protection duties, Palpatine is expected to garner at least 2 CG regardless of whether they are DS or not. Having to stand around someone doing nothing for extended periods of time makes my guys disinterested, as I know I occasionally felt during my early days of CG in protecting a perma-afk Palpatine. You mention the ideas of how to get all factions and battalions involved in a general sense, but what do you plan on doing to stay interactive while on the Palpatine job? As Gears said: but those I will require, including myself, to guard the Chancellor at any given point will not necessarily feel like they are doing anything productive. This should be the most important position, RP-wise, in the server, and I don't know yet what a great Palpatine looks like. I want someone who is going to show me what that is. Do you have plans to address your actions when nothing large-scale is going on in the server, even in downtime? My next point mainly concerns the point that you still left much to be desired within the Naval branch, including the propositions you proposed. This is all considering that and that you'll In other words, though this seems like the highest/most desired position, how can I trust you to do what you set out to? In your Yularen application, you state "[Naval] is heavily reliant on 2-3 people. That isn't healthy for them or the Faction." Yet in its current state, I cannot say that they are in a better position activity-wise, and I do not see enough from them to say that more than the number you described influence the battalion positively. I do not place this blame solely on you, but more on the general lack of opportunity that any Naval might want to take, not that a Yularen could add much more interest to their position. I believe you could still contribute significantly towards Naval, but going for Palpatine in the state that they're in comes off as a power grab. Not saying that you are doing that. Throughout your time as Admiral, I cannot say that activity has consistently increased. I agree that there have been times throughout your term where I have seen naval larger than I have ever, though during any debrief when you were to promote your Naval, at least half of those numbers were afk themselves and required staff to be moved in front of the stand for promotion. Generally, however, it is the same status quo of only 2 or 3 naval on at a given point, where at least one is not really doing anything. In its current state, Naval is pretty inconsistent, so much so that the moniker 'Naval Thorn' was established enough in my battalion from the work Thorn has done, instead of having any naval around, to the point where he has managed ATC, DEFCONs, and debrief throughout any given day. I do not know if you have ideas in place for Naval and the officers you put in place to move forward upon receiving Palpatine beyond your idea around RSB and prioritizing attention , or if you have a suggested successor as Yularen in place. This just seems to address that you know you can do more for Naval before moving on to a different position. I believe you would still be able to contribute towards the benefit of the Navy more than that in the position of Palpatine. Further, a couple of your points seem to imply that you would not be a decision-maker, and rather defer to those specifically involved in a given faction. You make good points regarding the direction that you want the factions to go, especially the civilians, but how do you plan on making that coexistent with the ideas of those you plan on differing to? You mention having a more defined presence, but besides interacting with the propositions any faction might have, what would this look like from the opposite perspective, other than your stance of being willing to be controversial to get things done? Would it be that of influencing the decisions made based on a battalion scale, or only a larger or maybe even just an RP-based one? I will again reiterate that I do not know what a great Palpatine does or should act like, but I want you to convince me that you embody that ideal. I do not intend to pressure you by comparing you to a perfected imagination, I just want a Palpatine who I know will make a consistent impact and isn't just a name connected to a title. I know you have all the best intentions, and the experience to back that up, but the decision to become Palpatine seems obfuscated from your goals and effective results of your current position as Yularen. To end on a colloquial note, how good is your Palpy impression?