The Arconan Contract Bureau (known more commonly as the ACB), was created as a way to create individual fiction competitions for members. Each "Contract" is treated as a mission that is specifically catered to the requesting member's specifications. With these personalized missions, a member would be able to practice their writing and storytelling skills without the need for a competition or DB-wide event to get work on writing fictions. The prompts would also allow for a more personalized feeling to the missions, and would help with building character background, history, and lore.

In essence, we put the power in the members hands. They are the master of their own activity.

At the completion of a given contract, the member is awarded a grade, as well as a fictional debriefing of the results of their story. They are then given feedback on their writing, offered tips on how to do better or what could be improved on.

The reason this is different than running a typical Fiction competition is that the members are able to get individual feedback on the work they submit. In a major competition where 50 fictions are submitted, the Judges will never have the time to sit down and point out (in detail) what the person could have done differently, or why they liked or did not like a particular piece of writing.

This in turn gives writers the ability to get better, learn, and grow. It is as much a tool for activity as it is a tool for educating and learning.

A contract can range from escorting a shipment or VIP to infiltrating an enemy base or extracting intel or information. For practical purposes, you will choose a TYPE and CLASS (Difficulty Level).

Mission TYPE:

• [SECURITY] - VIP/Cargo Escort, Bodyguard, and varying forms of protection.
• [ASSASSINATION] - The elimination of a target individual or group ranging from political to personal.
  
• [INFILTRATION] - Hacking, Stealing, or breaking into secured facilities and anything from retrieval or destruction of information/data.
• [RECON] - Scouting/Research/Information gathering.
• [UNDERCOVER] - Go low-key/undercover into a group or organization to destroy from the inside out.
• [RECRUITING] - Bringing a target over to the Dark Side, to your cause, or to your unit.

Mission Class:

• [A-Class]: Beginner / Entry level missions difficulty; (NOV-JH)
• [B-Class]: Intermediate level missions difficulty (DJK-EQ2)
• [C-Class]: Upper level missions difficulty (EQ3-4)
• [S-Class]: Advanced/High Risk missions difficulty (ELD+)

Each class determines how difficult a given contract will be. There is nothing stopping a Novice from taking on an S-Class mission, but if they write their character breezing through the mission, they will lose points for realism. The Classes are for the Officer of the ACB to tailor the difficulty of the mission to the member's rank and writing ability.

For example: An [S-Class Assassination] would involve a target that is Elder rank in terms of power. A [A-Class Assassination] would involve a target that is Journeyman rank in terms of power.

Have a look at this news post for more information, and fill in this form to sign up!