Combat Master is one of the most unique positions in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. While it is not formally part of the Dark Council, the workload is on par with that of any Councilors. The position combines both staff management and personal exertion of tasks. It would be more accurate for me to say that Atra has been like a second Praetor to me, all while staying on top of the expectations that come with his actual position . And Atra not only meets these expectations, he exceeds them.
As Combat Master, Atra’s first immediate impact became the planning and execution of the ‘Guests’ of the Matron ACC Event. The event generated 47 total participants while generating 51 total matches for the ACC. He has produced 9 reports, each with helpful tips and tricks to help members get more out of the ACC and have a better experience. He updates the Voice Staff Resource Hub with recaps of every report, making it easy for members to find changes and get answers to their questions. He has rewritten multiple cs mechanics to read better, caught countless syntax errors in existing database entries, and is perpetually looking for ways to balance the system in the interest of fairness and playability for the membership. One of the larger things he tackled was how the “mental” Force Powers worked in our system. This update had been pending for a long time, and Atra made sure it got pushed through approval process and then executed. Feedback from members has been positive as more and more writers turn to the ACC as a writing outlet/platform.
A lot of this has to do with how Atra handles, well, everything. Atra is patient, calm, and always finds a way to get members the answers they are looking for. Are those always the answers that they want to hear? No, but Atra tells it like it is, and never escalates or tries to strut his bravado or throw his weight around. His ability to stay level and handle the technical side of the ACC and CS’s makes him invaluable, but his passion and heart for giving back to the writing community is where he truly shines.
Atra also implemented a recurring feature to his reports that highlighted a member who showed high or notable levels of activity in the ACC as a platform. He worked their character into a fictional story that he has maintained on a thread on discord. This is a great way to give back to the community and make members feel included in things, and the feedback has been entirely positive.
On a more rudimentary level, Atra has graded 15 matches on his own since taking over as CM for the last 8 months.. This does not take into account the time he’s spent helping the judges with their matches, providing second eyes while training and onboarding new judges thanks to turnovers. Atra expertly maintains his own staff of 5 Judges, patiently guiding and serving as an anchor in the storm that can be member writing. This means working with each of the judges to help make sure they are kept up to date on grading procedures, and that they are staying on top of grading times and turnarounds. Atra has made updates to the ACC Exam where and when they were needed. He has also helped qualify 15 members into the ACC, which is the same as bringing 15 new members into the fold of a previously niche activity within the Brotherhood.
Beyond his duties as CM, Atra is still a part of the Voice Staff. To that end, Atra has proof read every single document I’ve put out since taking over as Voice. He was a steady hand on the backend of the soon to be released Arx article, the Fiction Center, all three entries into the New Order: Anthology fictions, and the Writing Department revamp projects. He also stands as a stalwart fixture in the Fiction Chat as the master of the daily fiction questions. Every morning, Atra checks the member-submitted sheet and posts a question for the members of the Fiction Chat. These questions help keep members talking about their characters, their CS’s, and the relationships they are forming with one another. This has helped grow our community significantly, and Atra has been a sterling example as not just an admin, but a participant. Atra was also integral in working with James to implement a few coding-related improvements to administrative tasks, as well as assisting with the Snapshot features and NPC Slot system.
Atra also helps handle the Character Sheet queue when my Magistrates/Praetor need an extra hand. This has prevented the need for me to jump into the queue on multiple occasions, allowing me to focus on the other elements of my job that require my attention more. The peace of mind that comes with having Atra around as an admin is invaluable, and I don’t really have the writing talent to properly voice how much easier it makes my job having here. Since taking over as CM, Atra has managed to approve 168 Character Sheets. That is 20% of the total number of sheets approved, second only to the automatic approvals from member activation.
On a more fun note, Atra has also passed me for most CS’s approved (since the new system launched) overall. I’d like to say I’m sad about this fact, but that would not be the truth. Put simply, Atra is a workhorse. But more than that, he is a passionate contributor who dedicates all of his time and energy to helping make the Brotherhood a better place. I’m probably missing a few things, but with how much Atra does, it’s almost impossible for me to keep track of everything. He’s just that good.
I have no doubt that this award, combined with his upcoming work with GJWXII will help contribute to his path towards achieving the rank of Elder. For now, however, I’m honored to award him his first Amethyst Kukri.
Congratulations Atra. Thank you for existing.
-W
Voice of the Brotherhood
Legend Wally, 2017-06-30 01:58:37 UTC