Report time...

The big thing of the week was the mentioned Shadow Academy restructuring proposal. While I don't want to put it here in all depth, here's the rough gist:

• The big big hurdle between "signed up" and "member in Clan" is the Phase 2 course - especially in the gaming orders. Without knowing folks in the DB, many newbies just don't get the needed games. Thus, Phase 2 will become an optional course - and folks get to take it after they are in their House. Instead, they can also participate in a House or Clan competition. That gets the same result.

• With this change, members will join their Clan as Apprentices. We've come full circle here.

• There will be a way to get NOV, ACO and even PRT through Shadow Academy advanced training. It's open for everyone not yet up to PRT rank, even those who graduated by the old system. (The PRT stuff will take a while to create as it will be a new course. There'll be an interim way to earn that rank - and I mean earn, not get it for free ;-) )

• Anyone currently an Apprentice can graduate either way - we however encourage you to finish your SA the old way. It'll be faster for you than to wait for the new stuff to be coded.

Also, watch out for the ASP and ICQ courses to hit the SA site this weekend or shortly thereafter!