We all here love writing. Theres all diffrent styles. Yet when the piece comes together you want to capture the readers. To make the story pull them into it as if they were that favorite character they are reading about. Many of us do that here with Vast Empire. We place bits and pieces of ourselves into our characters. Writing with a group pulls things together and makes it intresting. Alot of times writers (Or shall I say most times)  take things from other books or life experiences to create stories. It’s much the same with music composers such as John Williams.  It all inspires us in one way or another.

 

Age: 24
Hair : Dark Brown, short to shoulder’s
Eyes: Green
Height: 5’5”
Breasts: 44D
Weight: 150

 
Great.. Why do I always get myself into these situations?

The creaking sounds of the trees didn’t help the young girls mood one bit. It was dark and cold. Even with the moon creeping out from the clouded sky it was making it impossible for her to see the path she was following. For all she knew she was off the path and walking in circles. At least she had a cloak draped over her shoulders and her backpack filled with her cell phone (which didn’t get any signal where she was at), some food, girls needs and a few extra batteries.

“Ugh.. I’m going to kill those guys.. ‘ Let’s go play Jason out in the woods’ . Ugh… I should have stayed at the camp and roasted marsh mellows.”
Rubbing her hand over her face she slapped the head of the flashlight against her dark blue jeans. It flickered and only made Jaina sigh. Her green eyes and dark brown hair was hard to see as her body shivered. God, where was she?

 

———

 

Not far from where the young women was, stood an old man. Dressed in garb one considered for cos play or going to a mi devil convention he watched her through grey sad eyes.
Yes.. its her.. After all these years.. Its the one.. She who will save our land..

The old man made sure he was hidden. Wishing he could go up and explain why she was walking in circles an was off path. He confounded her friends and they were off playing their game. They didn’t even know she was missing. In fact, after he was done, Jaina Mariea wouldn’t exist on this earth anymore. It took him years going through the Vail. Making sure he was on the track. He had found her once and then lost her when her family moved. Yet, the girl was only eleven and too young. Now, now he was sure it was her. She had the stance, the eyes, and her aura glowed golden. She had the power to lead and be a dragon rider of the only Queen egg left. The power to save a world she was suppose to be born into.
“I’m sorry my lady…”

He whispered and uttered a spell. Up ahead a portal opened. Unseen to her. Once she walked in there would be no common back. He only hoped that the Knight of the great Bronze would find her before terror of their land did. He knew the dragons would sense her arrival. But, there was good and bad. A dead root that needed to be chopped. The wind picked up and he watched her walk closer. It was the last spell he could muster and it would kill him. The old man wouldn’t regret it. In a last effort he mustered a spell to give the red ruby ring of the family power to appear in her right pocket before he fell to the ground and took a last look.

“Good luck.. My Daughter….”
With that.. the old man and her true father died. His body vanishing into nothingness.
——
“God I have to be lost…”
She walked on and felt a ripple of something go down her spine. It was almost painful as she stepped into the portal without knowing. There was no blur. Only a slight change of scenery. It was still dark but the trees were different. Something made her feel odd and panic started to fill her. A prickle down her back as she heard a howl in the woods and animals scurry around.
“Ok.. This isn;t working. I need to find a safe place to sleep and then re-trace my steps in the morning..”
Without further speaking she found wood and a place near a large oak tree that held a hole in the bottom she could fit it.. barley. But it would be enough to let he be safe from larger predators.. she hoped. Jains then took her lighter out and started a fire, only to gaze up into the sky as the clouds cleared and she couldn’t recognise any of the constellations.
“That’s odd.. At this time I should be able to see the big dipper and Orion.. huh..”

Thinking she was just tired from the strain and the mean trick her friends played on her she warmed herself by the fire and then climbed inside the tree trunk and fell asleep.

 

 

 

That’s only an example. Everyone has their own ideals and styles. I only hope this helps others on ideas and gives another view for those that are new and those of us that need to look outside the box. While things arn’t perfect, when it all comes together its down to the story and how much everyone enjoys writing.

 

 

With all the attention given to the Army these days thanks to the HSC and the Squad Features done by my colleague I felt the need to put some of our top Navy Commanders. First on the docket is 1st Lieutenant Trevor Evenson, Squadron Commander of Nazgul Squadron. Welcome Trevor.

Howdy.

First off, the Navy has seen a burst of activity in the past couple months mainly due to an influx of new recruits, a number of returning veterans and the recent squadron realignment. Do you have any predictions as to how the activity levels will look over the next several months?

I feel that over the next few months we should see a slight rise in activity. The recruits we have coming in are great, and if we can find ways to keep them active and interested in the organization, they’ll definitely stick around and continue to be active. The squadron re-alignment definitely was a bit of a curve ball, as in some cases it took away good team work, but in other cases it gave the opportunity for better teamwork and increased activity because of it.

We’ll probably see the regular dip in activity as the holidays approach and people start to spend more time with fmaily and friends, but as a group we’ve come to expect this and can compensate for it by finding new ways to provide interest in writing through the holidays.

You mention keeping the new recruits active. With “burnouts” a common phenomenon in the VEN, are there any specific steps you take to avoid this in your squadron? Is there any advice you can give the new pilots on this matter?

Personally, I try to avoid pilot burnouts by not pushing too hard for a new post from every pilot, day after day. I do encourage longer posts, but at the same time I don’t force them out of my pilots. As for advice, I’d definitely say that they should try to make their posts enjoyable to do, and not a chore. I’ve been told that many times myself when I’ve felt burnt out, and sometimes changing your attitude towards a post or a story in general can make posting on it much easier. If you find that you’re wanting to post but can’t seem to muster one, take a break and read a good book, or try listening to music that relates to what you’re writing. something up-beat for an action-packed post, something a little calmer for character development. Music can work wonders with the mind.

Any particular music choices you turn to for such inspiration?

When I’m writing a post that’s climatic or action packed, I tend to listen to rock bands like ACDC or Twisted Sister. Whatever I can find that’s got good guitar and can get me pumped to write.

You will be coming up on two and half years of service in a couple weeks, what would you say your greatest achievement would be thus far in your time as a pilot?Well, I personally think that my greatest achievement within my two-odd years here have been the Top Writer awards in the ESC, although working my way up to Nazgul commander and remaining in that squadron my entire career has been pretty fulfilling too.

With the position of Squadron Commander under your belt, what would your ideal position be in the Navy?

My ideal position in the Navy, well, that’s probably right where I am. I feel that i can accomplish a lot as Nazgul SC, and personally I love being able to write as much as I can when I’m in a squadron. I might be able to help out in other areas or positions in the Navy, but my heart is at the squadron level.

Alright almost done now, it obviously took some hard work to get where you are today. What advice can you pass on to those recruits looking to climb the position ladder?

The only thing I can say there is do your best and try to have consitant activity. Although a burst of posting and other activity over a few days looks really good, It’s not nessicarily going to help your chances of moving forward if you can’t sustain that kind of activity for long periods of time. Work at making quality posts, not a huge quanitity of them. My experiance has taught me that a commander will pay more attention to a two page post with no spelling errors then he or she will to a post that’s five pages long but filled with spelling and grammatical errors.

Thank you for your time, Trevor. One final question. With all the initial excitement of the squadron realignment, things were changing and moving along quite quickly. Now that that things have calmed down a bit, do you find yourself missing your old executive officer?In all honesty, I kind of have. He was a good man to have around and handle things for me when life got too busy to be doing the things I needed to be doing in the Navy. I see him doing a good job with Viper now though, and wish him the best for his future career in the VEN.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for another feature on another of your favourite commanders in the near future.

Through the life of any Enlisted Imperial Personal in the Imperial Navy, from a Cadet in the Vast Empire Imperial Naval Academy to life in one of the Star fighter Squadrons of the Imperial Navy, a pilot will go through many ranks all with different rewards and responsibilities. When a Person first joins the Imperial Navy, they are entered into the Vast Empire Naval Academy (VENA) and given the rank of Crewman. As a crewman, their responsibilities are entirely based on graduating from the VENA Flight School and then after taking the Aviators Exam, Being placed into a star fighter squadron. They make Six Hundred ICs per month; Five Hundred for having the rank of Crewman, and One Hundred for having the position of a Trainee.

The next step in their career is to take the Aviators Exam, which then sets the first crossroad for their career, the opportunity to skip one rank entirely. It all depends on their grade on the Aviators Exam. If the pilot passes the Exam they earn the rank of Leading Crewman, they are placed into a star fighter squadron, and receive the certificate of (=A=). As a Leading Crewman, their responsibilities are simple, to be active in the squadron and in the Vast Empire as a whole. Their pay is raised from Five Hundred to One Thousand ICs for the increase of rank, and their pay is raised from One hundred to Five Thousand for the increase of position from Trainee to Flight Member. Also Depending on whether or not they are placed into an Elite Squadron also affects their position pay. If they are placed into an Elite Squadron as an Elite Flight Member, their position pay is raised from One Hundred to Seven Thousand Five Hundred.

If they pass the Aviators Exam with Distinction, their rank skips Leading Crewman and jumps directly to Senior Crewman. As a Senior Crewman, their responsibilities also are simple, to again be active in the squadron and in the Vast Empire as a whole. The major difference is in their pay rate. They are paid Two Thousand ICs per months for their rank, though they still have the pay of Five Thousand for being a member of a flight in their squadron.  Also instead of receiving the basic certificate for completing the exam, they receive the Certificate with Distinction, (=*A*=). If the pilot does not pass it with distinction, then they are able to receive the rank of Senior Crewman by showing consistent activity in their squadron. Once the pilot reaches this rank, they have a feel for how things in the Vast Empire and the Imperial Navy function. They then begin their Journey to the ranks of Petty Officers, growing and gaining leadership as they go. In addition, while a Crewman they have the verbal addressing of Crewman or Mr. (or Ms. when it applies)

Once a Senior Crewman gains the experience in their squadron, they are no longer called a rookie pilot, and they begin their journey into the rank of a Petty Officer. This begins with the rank of Petty Officer Second Class. This begins their time where the go from learning the ropes, to teaching them to newcomers. Their responsibilities also shift from learning to being active, story writing for their squadron, and getting in reports weekly. Their Pay rate also changes again, as it does with every rank, the Pay raises to Three Thousand for Rank, with no change to position. In addition, with this rank they gain the ability to take the Senior Aviators Exam. This sets the next crossroad in their path, with another ability to skip a rank.

The Senior Aviators Exam, the second of the VENA exams, gives questions relating to a pilot in a squadron (as apposed to the Aviators Exam, asking questions about basics of the Imperial Navy.) and the Imperial navy. If a pilot passes the Senior Aviators Exam, they receive the rank of Petty Officer First Class, and have the ability show that they have experience in their squadron. In addition, they gain the certificate that goes with completing the Exam, (=SA=). With limited changes in responsibility, the change shows in their pay, where their pay changes to Four Thousand ICs per month for their rank, with again no change in position pay. However, there is always a way to skip this rank, and more onto the next higher rank up the chain.

The rank of Chief Petty Officer is given to those who passed the Senior Aviators Exam with Distinction, and gives them the certificate of (=*SA*=). In addition, this rank can be achieved my showing major amounts of activity while in the rank of Petty Officer First Class. In this rank, there are major changes in responsibility and pay rate. If they only keep the rank, position, and its limited change responsibilities, their pay is raised to Five Thousand for the Rank Pay. However, with the new rank they gain the minimum rank needed to hold the position of Flight Member of a squadron. If this is so, the position pay is dependant on the element of being in an elite squadron or not. If they are not in an Elite Squadron and are a Flight Leader (FL) their pay for position is raised from Five Thousand to Ten Thousand. If though they are in an Elite Squadron and are one of the squadrons Flight Leaders then their pay is raised from Five Thousand to Fifteen thousand for their position. However, while a flight leader is not all about the increase of pay, you now command four other pilots into combat, guiding them with all you have learned. Nevertheless, you are under the watchful eye of your Squadron Commander, who will be there when you are asked something that you do not know. This also requires a more detailed report to be sent, that keeps your Squadrons Executive Officer and Squadron Commander informed in how the Flight is functioning.

The next two ranks are very similar in responsibility and rewards. The Rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer is given to experienced Flight Members and Flight Leaders showing leadership in their Flight. The Pay for a Senior Chief Petty Officer is raised to Six Thousand for the rank pay. Similar to the Rank of Master Chief Petty Officer which is given to Pilots and Flight Leaders who have a long history of leadership and activity. Though the responsibilities only slightly change, the pay raises to Seven Thousand ICs per Month for the rank pay. Nevertheless, as with any rank after taking the Senior Aviators Exam, there is the opportunity for Pilot Skills and Studies. (Also, you can have the verbal addressing of “Master Chief”.) This is the last rank in your time as a Petty Officer, and it makes way for a stronger role in squadron operations, the ranks of the Warrant Officer.

The beginning of your time as a Warrant Officer begins similar to that of a Petty Officer, with the rank of Warrant Officer Second Class. Pilots receive this rank by showing great conduct and activity. In addition, as always there is an increase in your pay rate. It changes from Seven Thousand to Eight Thousand ICs per month for rank pay. Thus, this rank is where your leadership is to show, by going back to the VENA to take a trip on the “Road to the Master Aviator Exam”. It begins with the technical Exams, where you learn the in-depth parts of the equipment you carry and fly; it also includes a section of a Tactical Exam. Then you move into the Leadership Exam, where you show how you would handle leadership situations to the best of your ability. Once the Technical Exams and Leadership Exams are Complete, you have the opportunity to move onto the Master Aviators Exam. This is where you skill as a pilot is tested to extreme levels; its purpose is to see what you know and how you handle situations. Once you complete that, you are awarded the proper certificate and rank.

Depending on if, you pass with distinction or not you go to different ranks, positions, and get different certificates and pay. This is done in a very similar way, if the pilot passes the Master Aviators Exam he/she is moved up one rank, but if he/she passes with distinction, he/she is moved up two. If they pass without distinction, they receive the Master Aviators Exam Certificate, (=MA=), they will be raised to the rank of Warrant Officer First Class, the second highest rank a pilot can receive without commission. At this point, they have to take a leadership position before they can move up any more into the chain of ranks. Also with passing the Master Aviators Exam, they become eligible for the position of Squadron Executive Officer. That would bring your pay rate to, Nine Thousand ICs per month for rank, and again depending on whether they are in an elite squadron or not, Fifteen Thousand for a Non-Elite squadron Twenty-Two Thousand for being the XO of an Elite Squadron. Although there is always the change that happens if they pass the Exam with distinction, If this be the case then their rank will be raised to the highest possible without distinction.

Now, the pilot will look at their career, and they will be at one of their most proud moments. They have reached the point of the highest rank a pilot can receive without commission, Chief Warrant Officer. They can achieve this through activity or distinction in the Master Aviators Exam, and by doing the distinction they earn the certificate of distinction, (=*MA=). At this rank they would already have a leadership position in their squadron, the changes to responsibility would be small, mostly just being a good example for the younger crewmen who will look up to them. They pay again would change though, going up to the Enlisted Maximum Rank Pay of Ten Thousand ICs per month. This is also the time where Command Internships are available, which get future officers out of their squadrons and onto capital ships to learn how to command to the highest ability. Either way, at this point in a pilot’s career, leadership is necessary. They must show massive amounts of activity and leadership to continue on their trail to a Commissioned Officer Rank.

Okay then. I’m writing this article for any newcomer’s to the VE. It can be a very confusing place when your a fresh piece of mea….I mean cadet.

So, here we go. You found the link to this article, congratulations. Bet your wondering what to do next? Well here’s the answer? See that little red box with a white cross through it in the top right of your screen? Looks really appealing doesn’t it? Just sat there, begging you to press it? Well, now’s your chance. Just hover your mouse over it, thats it. Ok ready? On three you click that little left hand mouse button.

One…
Two…
Three!

Alright that’s the idiots gone. Now for the serious article. Well, kinda. Any of you who are fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to know me well know I hardly do anything seriously.

But, just for this article, I shall concentate.

I’m starting this tutorial thingy from the point where you have just passed out of the Storm Trooper Academy, or the Naval Academy. Whichever one you left, you will of been placed in a squad (or squadron, in the Navy’s case). If you don’t already know which squad(ron) you are in (I didn’t), now’s your time to find out.

The Navy side is easier to figure out, the only squadrons actively running are Kaph and Nazgul, plus Shazam is pretty good at taking your hand and leading you through everything. I don’t expect many Navy member’s to get lost.

You Corps however, it’s slightly more difficult. Cosmic has to run around finding you a squad, which depending on activity levels, might take a while. Regardless, take the opportunity to have a look through all the various squad topic’s, and check out the general stuff that goes on inside them. Squad topic’s aren’t taken seriously, they’re very light hearted places. Just don’t post in another squad’s topic, it tends to get them a little mad.

Alright, you’ve found your home in the VE. Now what? If you’re lucky, the man/woman in charge has arranged sending out a welcome e-mail to you, which will detail all the finer points of the squad. Rely on that e-mail more than this, I can only offer general advice, your SL/SC will know far more about what your supposed to do than I. Only exception is if your a Wraith, in which case this e-mail will come from myself, and I hardly ever know what I’m doing.

Alright! Now, you should be settled into your squad, and you should spend some time getting to know your squadmates. Make sure you know who to go to if you have a problem, on what day reports should be sent, and know of your squad story. If you keep those three pieces of information in your head, you should be alright.

Your ID line! I almost forgot. This is a really scary piece of gibberish for most newcomers. But don’t worry, it will begin to make sense in time. The best advice I can give for the long term is to look it up in the handbook and create it yourself, it’s valuable experience. However, it’s far from necessary. The easiest thing to do is copy the ID line of another member of your squad(ron), and change only what you need to. In most cases, that will be your callsign and your rank. And if you were unlucky enough to copy a person with awards, please make sure you take them out, or it could get you in a hell of a lot of trouble. Awards are normally bracketed.

And now, aside from your squad, what else can you do in the VE? Well there’s the pay per click directory. Filled with lots of buttons to press, which magically spew out money! Well worth a try.

For the gambler, there is the stock market! Dont worry, you only gamble your (sometimes) Hard earned Imperial Credits, not your real money. All of these links can be found on the Vast Empire homepage.

What next? The world my son (or Daughter)

————————————-
Kanderin Draken
VE Journalist

Simply put, I usually stay away from those that requires a certain hold time period, in case there was any sudden drops in prices, it won’t hurt me a lot. But occasionally, it would be smart to buy certain division stocks such as navy or army when you know that there’s going to be a period of high activity coming up, i.e.: ESC. Those are almost guarantees that the prices will go up. But when those times come around, those stocks go fast, so you gotta buy fast, else they’re gone before you know it. Another thing i watch out for is the actual prices when I buy them. I try not to buy anything that’s over 100 ICs, unless there’s a good reason for me to. Much less ones over 200. There are very little growth on those stocks that are that high. The idea is to buy them when they’re low and then sell when they’re high. The Quotes section provides very good information to how the stock has been doing in the past. If a certain stock has always been high, and it suddenly starts dropping, then that would be a good time to start watching it, and once it flats out, that would be the time to buy it. I would usually give a stock a week or so to make sure that it actually does flat out instead of keep dropping after a couple of days. The same goes for when to sell the stocks. Given that it’s a 0 hold time stock, it’s a good time to sell it when it flats out for more than at least a week.

If there was ever an easy way to make money, this would be it. The Pay Per Click (PPC) system might just be the best thing that has ever happened to the Vast Empire. Containing five links to RPG voting websites, the PPC does a good thing for both you and the VE. For you, it gives you a ton of IC’s (if you click on all five links in one time, you’ll get 2,100 IC’s) and for the VE, it attracts more members. If you follow the link through on each of the voting sites, you help promote the VE across the World-Wide Web, or, in our case, the Galaxy-Wide HoloNet.    Plus, there is another reward for clickers. If you have a total of 500 clicks, you’ll get 150,000 IC’s of Imperial Stock. If you get 1,000 clicks, you’ll get 300,000 IC’s worth of Imperitrade stock. For 2,000 clicks, you get 600,000 IC’s worth of stock. For the full list of stock prizes, please visit the PPC rewards list.

    Now, on to the Top 15 Clickers list. Due to the size of the list, I am only going to list the top 5 clickers. Tieing for fifth place, Jack Nebulax (myself) with 1,129 clicks, and chipmunk man with also 1,129 clicks. Coming in third with 1,475 clicks, is a great man: Cosmic. Second place, with 1,653 clicks, is the greatest man that we know: Grand Moff Kadann, and in first place, with an astounding 1,981 clicks, Willtconq, King of PPC. If you’d like to see the rest of the list, please visit the the PPC member stats page Also on that same link, you can view the top 15 IC earners. The Top IC earner list contains the same order of the top 5 clickers, with a slight variation with fourth and fifth place in which chipmunk man and myself switch places.

    Just remember, if you ever want to earn money the easy way and can’t wait for your next paycheck, it’s always good to check out the Pay Per Click system. Even if you’re a new recruit, check out the PPC to earn a few extra IC’s before you even get assigned. That sure beats robbing people, right? Just kidding. The PPC is the easiest way to Moneyland, or, in the Empire’s case, Muunilinst.

~ Reporter Jack Nebulax, VE Today Staff
Rep|Int/Rep Jack Nebulax/Rep: 4/Reporters-Interviewers/VE/VET

As many people may or may not have noticed we have been receiving a large number of new members. Most of these members are either very new to online communities or new to role playing all together. The purpose of these interviews and their summary will be to educate the newbs on how Vast Empire runs, and the dos and don’ts. First I’d like to start off with a few Q and As from some of the members, so here we go.

The extent of the author’s knowledge of the process ends with the Dark Jedi Order, and there for so does this interview. I hope that the readers of this have found this helpful and useful. I also hope that this can and will be used to teach and help future generations of new Troopers.