”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
”Socorra. Why are you screaming?”
”I am not leaving this bed until I fuck someone!”
”Very well. I will inform Wuntila his services are required.”
”…screw you for that, Tim.”
”I believe I just delegated that particular duty.”
-Socks and Tim on sexual frustration

The State of the Art

OHAI there, and welcome to the second BTL Report of Team Arete! Today is January 7th, 2014, in the thirteenth month of the ACC’s one-month shutdown. My name is Tim, and I’ll be your host for the day. Last time, I regaled you with tales of the team, ACC news, and basically spoke of how the new team was going to be awesome. This time, with the holidays behind us, we’ve got more of the same, new stuff, random IRC quotes, comics, a healthy dose of reality and even some ACC Advice for you while we all patiently await the Center’s rebirth.

This will also be the first fully-commented report. Socks was already proofreading my report, and I debated co-writing them with her for some time, but then I realized that if we did it that way (it’d never get done), she’d get both equal say and the pretense of free will, both of which are against Arete policy (that I totally didn’t make up on the spot :P). Fortunately, there’s an alternative to be found. Instead of helping to write my reports, Socks will be commenting on them (Captain Obvious here). Look for highlighted text; that’d be my dear XO (no shit). No, I didn’t check with her beforehand on what she felt like saying (good decision). Yes, that means I’m probably going to be embarrassed at some point. What else is new? :P

Other awesome stuff involves the master of Bork and beloved Herald, Orv! He’s decided that he ought to write a comic for the Brotherhood because…quantum. Anyway, he’s written one involving yours truly (yay!), which I’ve taken the liberty of showing here.

Fortunately for my dignity (which in no way resembles megalomania, honest!), our lovable - and recently married Atyiru - was in the mood for some Orving of her own, so she wrote us a followup (for great justice!):

…So, anyone know the etiquette on declaring eternal love to your sister/sister-in-law/daughter/daughter-in-law? (Word of the week: Encestarous. Adjective: Incest of, or involving, the Entars).

The State Of The Team

Well, time to take the past month in review.

First, we have a new member! We’ve already welcomed him to the team, but it bears repeating: A very warm welcome to Wuntila Arconae, former Consul and current badass! Having seen this guy ACC, I’m really interested in watching him do so again. Having him do it under me? Win. :P Hawt.

Tim: Automated the Arcona response email (again), some ACC Advice writing. Also something about Shadow Academy courses. As promised, he likewise wrote a brief fiction on founding the Battleteam, which you can read here. Nothing worthwhile. Geez, what a jackass. Next.

Socks has mostly been Orving (for Orv, duh). When I was a bit swamped with work, she additionally did some of the Battleteam work, most notably creating us our own WhatsApp group (which, by the way, is hilarious). She also finished running her wedding. I’d welcome her to the family, but I have no fucking clue what’s going on there, and since confusion makes me stubborn, I’m not going to. :P (That would mean you’re never not confused or stubborn :P) She also placed in a competition in something called PacPong, and in the Arete fiction competition.

Sai: You wanna know why AfroJedi’s hair is so big? It’s because it’s so full of secrets. In particular, there’s an announcement that he’s been dying to make…but I should probably shut up there. And I will! Just gonna say: awesome will out. :P He also did the Arete fiction competition.

Vic has been hitting TOR for a bit now, getting CFs for his efforts there. He’s also done a share of helping out Verse on things like her new Character Sheet and the ACC in general.

Sanguinius has written up an Arete Wiki page! (In Soviet Russia, Wiki writes you!) Yeah, I promise I’ll check it out soon, bro. Great work. <3

Verse has written up her first Character Sheet and with it, became a full member of the team! She also did the ACC Basics Exam! Finally, she participated in the ACC Venues competition, which even got picked for permanent use! W00t! (Oops...I should probably do that.)

Activities and other stuff

Main thing here is that there’s a new ACC Exam to do! You can find them here.. This is extremely important, as you will need to pass both of these ACC Exams in order to participate in the ACC. In fact, these are the only requirements. So Arete (and everyone else who’s interested), get started on this shit. When the ACC hits, we should be ready to start kicking ass immediately.

The State of the Centre

I’ve heard report that the ACC is probably going to get reopened this week. Then again, I heard last month that it was going to get reopened then, so eh, shows what I know. Suffice to say that, with our current exams this way, we are very close indeed to the ACC’s full return to (hopefully) glory.

ACC Advice: Proof Positive

Well, I promised it last time, and it’s time to make true on my promises with the first true ACC Essay of the Aretan School! Last time, I promised mean tricks and exploitation. But that was last year, and I felt like opening up with some light reading (yeah, that worked out well). This week, we look at an often-overlooked but essential part of every ACCer’s basic skillset: proofreading. This advice column is, of course, equally applicable to any form of fiction (I just don’t really care about them :P).

Oh, fuck you. Don’t gimme that look, I can see it right from across the internet. :P “But Tim, I’m awesome, why would I ever need to be proofread?” Alternatively, “but Tim, I’m awesome, why would I ever waste my time proofreading anyone?” So fuck it, let’s do it live and talk about proofing, why you want it, why you’d want to do it for someone else, and all the hows and whys of being an effective proofreader.

’I never make mistakes’ OR when your own brain lies to you

People make mistakes. Most of the time this is obvious to us, but there’s exceptions. Importantly, it's really easy to find fault with others, but doing so with yourself? Not so easy. People have written entire books on the subject: my personal favorite is called “Mistakes were made (but not by me)”, by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. Our brains lie to us. Our memories lie to us. What we want to see and remember has a much larger influence on what we actually see and remember than we expect. Are you terrified yet? You should be.

Note that this is not a question of skill. I’m the reigning ACC Champion , and I always use a proofreader. In fact, I use five or six if I can get away with it, but I’ll always use at least one. Do you think you’re better than me? Hint, if the answer is ‘yes’, you should still use a proofreader. Nothing sucks more than losing to an inferior writer because he’s got a better support plan.

The fact that your brain lies to you becomes obvious if you’ve ever been thoroughly proofed. You won’t just have made mistakes, you’ll have made stupid mistakes. Errors that are completely beneath you in the field of spelling, grammar, syntax and context. Entire words that are simply missing from sentences. Think of a mistake, and you’ll likely have made it at some point. Then, when you read the sentence, it all seems fine to you. Not only did you not notice the errors when writing, you might still miss it when reading back on it!

So, what happened? Is it because you suck? Are you simply not as good as you thought? No! But, mistakes happen, and your brain doesn’t acknowledge it. So it lies to you. It stops you from seeing mistakes that you’d notice if the text belonged to anyone else. You know what you meant to write, after all, and so you substitute imagination and a vague sense that it’s probably fine where you should be rigorously self-critical. After all, you’re not like other people. They make mistakes.

That’s where proofreading comes in. As a proofreader, you are the reality check. You’re the first outside barrier the writer encounters. Do it right, give proper advice, and out comes a much more polished, much stronger product. If you, as the guardian at the gate, make sure the writing stands up to you, it will have a much better chance of leading to eventual ACC victory.

And that’s why you should be proofread. As for proofreading…being nice to people is its own reward of course (Socks, you have my permission to snort derisively here) (I’ll snort when I wanna snort, you’re not the boss of me! oh wait..) , but being asked to proof someone is also a tremendous honor. It means they trust you with an unfinished, unpolished work that needs fixing. Helping others out is also the sort of team-spirited, Tiger-blooded mentality that vaults people into leadership.

This is absolutely honest and true. It doesn’t matter what rank you are, how long you’ve been in the club. Having your work proofread can help you learn by leaps and bounds, and proofreading for someone else has tremendous benefits as well. It is a very common occurrence during ACC events and everyone appreciates the help and insight. I was a timid PRT leaping into the ACC during a war, and being proofed and proofing for others was a little awkward at first, but it was so worth it. A placement was earned by the confidence and experience gained by doing these, and having such a good Arconan support system helped so much.

Mostly though, you should do it because after reading this (and some practice) you’ll have the skills and fuck it, what’s the point of a skill you’re never gonna use?

Things to do in #arcona when you’re proofed

Proof Early; Proof often: So, here’s what you gotta do if you’re writing something and need a proofer. If you’re reading this, and you’re lucky enough to be Arconan, that means you’ll nearly always have instant proofreading at your beck and call. Just pop into #arcona and ask, and chances are someone will do so. Failing that, an email to the Google Group will have to do. Regardless, odds are that you’ll have a proofer whenever you want.

Additionally, it’s more than good form to try and get your proofreader as early on as possible. While it’s possible to get a proofreader with half an hour to spare and get it checked out right quick, it’s not possible to do so without inconveniencing others. So, whenever possible, make sure that your proofers have as much time as possible to do so. Get a volunteer early on. Ideally, get him a day or more in advance. That way, they can make sure there’s no conflict of schedule. (It’s considered a bit annoying to be asked at last minute, and your proofer has to hurry, probably missing even the most obvious errors, and there generally wouldn’t be much learning gained from it. Plus there’s a chance the site might hiccup, or you accidentally time out.)

Likewise, get as many active proofers as are available. If someone has a free moment and is willing to proof? Get them. Even if you think you’re a better writer than them. Hell, even if you think they suck. If they’re willing to proof you, get a proof. It’ll help you build relationships (see below).

Make it easy on yourself. GDocs for the win: When it comes to proofing, Google Documents has made things a million times easier. These days, getting something proofed just requires someone to say ‘yes’ and to add them to your Google Document. Hell, the latter is optional; quite often you can get a proofer just by adding a buddy to your document along with a message saying ‘proof plz?’ or something similar. That’s not to say you have to write your stuff in Google Documents. Some people do, I hate it myself. So most of the time, I write up my stuff in Word like an old person, then upload the pre-proofing document on GDocs. From that point on, all the invites can use the comment function to help with easy proofing , especially since you as the writer can change or reply to anything while proofreading continues. Quick, easy, convenient, and insert your own Sang’s Mom/Wally’s Sister (Wallycat!) joke here.

Make it easy on your proofer: There’s always some things that are easy for you to do when writing something and being proofed. First, if your post requires Markdown for italics or bold or whatever (like your ACC posts probably will), use the actual italics/etc. as well. This allows your proofer to check if you’ve done it right (nothing sucks more than unclosed italics messing up your entire ACC post). It also shows them what you mean even if they’re not very adept with Markdown themselves.

Second, throw out a few links at the start of your document. If you’re in an ACC Battle, give us some links to your Character Sheet, your opponent’s CS, and the battle itself. Sure it’s probably only a minute’s work for your proofer, but that’s a minute they could be proofing (and frankly, you should have both CS pages and the battle page opened when you were writing, so it’s not like you still have to look them up).

Build relationships: Every experienced writer will eventually have one or more favorite proofers. Me, for example? I love the way Strat handles my writing, whereas he loves the opportunity to show off why he had a higher grade in English than me when we went to High School together. :P I have other favorites, too (you know who you are) (aw, shucks) for various reasons. Some are insanely, absurdly strict. Some have a tendency to write things the same as me. Some have a tendency to write things completely differently. All those are useful traits, so long as you’re aware of them.

Let me offer you another example: Invictus hates the Oxford comma (O Comma, Comma! wherefore art thou Comma?). I don’t know why; personally I suspect an Oxford comma molested him as a child. The details escape me. But, I know he hates it (As I hate hell, all Montagues (ok I’m done :P)). So what does that mean? It means that if I really want to keep one for some reason, I can ignore him when he says it’s wrong. Likewise if I’m proofing him, I know I should watch out for it extra since there’s no way he’ll have put one in there on purpose. If he’s used one, it’s always a mistake.

Listen and Take Advice: Don’t forget, you’re in control here. Sometimes, people will offer corrections that you flat-out disagree with, and there’s nothing obliging you to accept it. In the end, it’s your name on the post. Your win or loss. Nevertheless, you also invited these people to pour over your work for a reason, so pay heed to them. Weigh your response and search your feelings (use the Force?). If you disagree with what someone writes, is it out of pride or because you truly believe that keepings things as-is is for the best?

Not everything’s always clear-cut, either. Often, contentious parts of an ACC posts come about by a process a lot like negotiation. A proofer will comment on the part of a post he dislikes, state his reasons, and perhaps even an alternative. You, in turn, can try to explain what you were going for, make your case and again, offer alternatives. Eventually, you’ll arrive at something you both like/enjoy (or not and you’ll have to put your foot down, but that’s rarer than you think and typically gentler than I’m making it sound here :P).

How to be a proofer:

(I’m not sure how I made it 1600 words into this advice column without getting to the actual subject, so I’m gonna play it safe and blame it all on Socks.)

Proofreading is like…I don’t want to say it’s like an onion. Not because the analogy isn’t correct, but because fuck onions. I hate onions. They make me cry. So, instead, let’s say that proofreading is like a huge cake made out of many delicious layers. The more layers you proof, the more involved and difficult your task becomes, but also the more useful you are as a proofer. Layers have been arranged in a widening scope and complexity, and it’s important to make sure the base is in order first; in general, it’s a bit silly to worry about things like pacing if there’s a lot of basic spelling and grammatical errors. In general, the better-written the piece already is, the more easy it becomes to do a more detailed proofing. Many of these layers, particularly the more complex ones like realism and pacing, will have their own articles at a later date.

On literalism: It should be noted that, unless you’re absolutely anal about following instructions, you won’t literally be going about checking one layer after another. Most of the time, you’ll instead just be reading the entire thing and pointing stuff out as you go along, while the writer corrects the things in whatever way he or she considers best. The layer cake is a useful analogy to keep in mind and give you structure as you work, but they are also just an abstraction, and almost every proofreader functions on multiple ‘layers’ concurrently.

On involvement: Proofreading can happen in many ways. Some people like to just dive in there and correct things directly if they consider them wrong. Others prefer to point out each and every little thing. My own preferences skew towards the latter, as I believe (hope?) that the writer will gain skill by having frequent mistakes pointed out to him and become a better (and hopefully, less difficult to proof) combatant that way. Additionally, some things that appear to be errors can actually be stylistic decisions, especially if the person you’re proofing is a skilled writer. On the other hand, simple spelling mistakes tend to not need much pointing out, and it can become extremely pedantic to point out the fifth or sixth “Dark Side should be capitalized”.

So, be flexible. When there’s a common mistake, point it out once or twice, then correct the mistake on your own the rest of the time. This works out well with grammar and spelling errors. Never, however, ‘fix’ realism or continuity errors. This is called ‘writing the ACC post’, which is the one thing that the writer is supposed to do themselves. You can critique, even offer suggestions, but you are absolutely forbidden from ‘fixing’ things on your own. When in doubt, err on the side that does not get you CoJ’d. :P

The layers, from least involved to most, are:

Spelling and Capitalization

This hardly requires any explanation. Fuck, it doesn’t even require much doing anymore. If this is the base of the layer cake, it’s a boring base. The vast majority of spelling errors are going to be filtered out by spell-checking software, leaving you with only a few things to quibble over (really obscure words (yeah, Tim, ‘quincunx’ still sounds dirty), Star Wars-specific terminology, proper names, etc.).

How to go about it: In essence, just go over each and every word and ask yourself whether or not it’s real word. Again, basic spellcheckers will have already filtered out most of the mistakes, but Star Wars-specific terms and names still slip through, as does the occasional word when the writer is hurried. Likewise capitalization. Go about each word and ask yourself ‘should this word be capitalized?’.

Things to watch out for: Remember that species names, in the Brotherhood, are proper nouns (even ‘Human’, which looks really stupid but fuck it). Likewise ‘Force’, ‘Dark Side’, ‘Light Side’ and so on. Also remember that the DJB language is not German. You cannot get away with sprinkling Nouns like Salt, believing it makes all Things better.

Grammar and Syntax

Every proofer’s bread and butter. Much of your work will be concentrated in this layer, as this is the place where ‘obvious to the proofer’ and ‘not obvious to the writer’ tend to intersect. Comma errors, sentence fragments, forgotten words, you’ll see it all here. It’s also the layer in which you’ll be looking at the technical issues of italics, bolding and so on.

How to go about it: This is where you jump from words to sentences. Go about each sentence and read it as a separate entity. Does it work as a sentence? That is, does it have all of the parts to make it a complete sentence (subject, some verbs, no missing words and all that stuff)? You should also check if any commas are superfluous or (much less common) missing. Finally, check if things with special emphasis or internal monologues have been italicized as per Markdown standards (encased in asterixes ).

Things to watch out for: Commas are some of the most infuriating things to get right, especially if you’re not a native speaker. Most of the time, people tend to err on the side of caution and sprinkle them all over a sentence like salad dressing. And when I say ‘err’, I mean ‘you’re doing it wrong’. Commas have specific functions and it’s important to know and understand those so you can write it properly. This is a good guide for proper comma usage. Read it. Bookmark it. Learn it by heart. And above all, apply it.

Sentence fragments are a sensitive topic. Strictly speaking, using them is wrong. However they can be useful for dramatic purposes. Like so. Hence, think before pointing out the ‘error’. Is it necessary, here? Is it not overused in the rest of the post? Does it have dramatic purpose? If so, let them use it. But at the same time, be careful. Too many sentences miss things like basic verb structure and nouns. A good sentence fragment, used dramatically, is brief and to the point. If the phrase is a long and beastly motherfucker that still somehow lacks the essentials of a proper sentence, tell them to change it.

Vocabulary and descriptions

This category covers the general use of words and description as a writer. Unlike the last two categories, this represents not so much a step upwards as a step sidewards, and can cover anything from single words to entire paragraphs.

How to go about it: Look at the writing as a whole and identify points that seem to gel badly with the rest of one’s work. Are things always described in a uniform manner (when, for example, a character is constantly called by their proper name only)? If so, suggest a fix. Try to visualize the scene as it unfolds. Can you see the events as they play out? Is everything obvious to you from reading the paragraph? If not, it’s probably best to ask for a bit more detail. If a battle enters a new room, for example, is it well-described? If one of the fighters then grabs a chair and telekinetically hurls it at the opponent, does that seem surprising to your mind’s eye, or was it there all along (even if only by implication)? This is a fine balance to strike if you are to avoid overdescription, but it’s possible.

Things to watch out for: Description uniformity is a plague that afflicts many unfortunate writers, especially inexperienced ones. I make a lot of those mistakes myself (though writing in Word means that when I do discover I’m being too unvarying in my descriptions, I always have the Synonym List to help me out). Remember that someone’s proper name is not the only way to address them. Socorra, for example, is more than just that name. She is also “the Battlelord”, “the Arconan”, “the bronze-skinned former Executive Officer”, “that woman who dresses like a prostitute” (courtesy of Atty) , and a host of other descriptors that can act as a way of obliquely telling her history. Lightsabers are that, but depending on their context they can also be described as ‘blades’, ‘sabers’, ‘pillars of molten flame’ and a ton of other things. Try to encourage this diversity.

This actually flows into my second point of descriptiveness. Using a lot of variation in description helps establish the scene better. If I variously describe Socorra as all the terms used above, you’ll learn a host of things about her. You’ll know not just her name but her rank, position, skin color and allegiances, thus giving you a wealth of information about her while still maintaining pacing (which we’ll cover below). Encourage your ward, as much as possible, to paint a picture with their words.

Realism

Usually, this is one of the most dreaded steps to take in the process of climbing the Layer Cake. Realism is a tricky and slippery thing, and a focus on it is far too often written off as being “anal about numbers”, “too mechanical”, or a hundred different excuses used by the incompetents that crawl out of whatever pit we keep them in for this occasion. The fact is, consistency is not the hobgoblin of little minds, and in the end consistency is the one thing that realism is about. Consistency with the world and consistency with the Character Sheets. Idiots fear it. Good writers (and good proofers!) embrace it and make it their own.

How to go about it: Read sentences within the context of the surrounding paragraphs and ask yourself whether or not they make sense. That is, are these things possible as they are written? Keep in mind here the way things work in real life (for example, it is impossible to duck faster than gravity allows without leverage), but likewise keep in mind the way things work in Star Wars (sabers slice through things and can block blaster bolts) and the character sheets (someone with Might 2 won’t physically overpower someone with Might 5 barring exceptional circumstances like exhaustion or Force use). Wherever possible, don’t try to axe your ward’s writing when the writing is not realistic but try and find a way to make it realistic. Is a clumsy character trying a somersault that he shouldn’t reasonably be able to do so? Amplification can help with that, so have them mention using the Force. Is it pivotal, within the story, for a less-skilled duelist to beat a stronger one at an appropriate time? Have them kick some sand in their opponent’s eyes (provided some is there). In many cases, realism is about justifying a given outcome rather than outright forbidding it. Remember also that Judges cannot read minds: they are under no obligation to believe that any justification exists unless it’s somehow written into the story. Hence, think one up.

Things to watch out for: It is hard to delve into specifics here, as the Brotherhood is currently still in flux about the ACC. Two things, however, will almost certainly still hold. Realism flaws will still exist, and they will still mainly occur in two ways.

First, there is the realism flaw of commission, which I’ve pretty much described above. The writer takes an action that is in direct contradiction to the established context of the fight. In this case, it’s often best to just find a proper justification and move on.

More insidious is the realism flaw of omission, which receives less attention (including, sadly, from Judges) but is no less jarring when discovered. In this case, the issue tends to be that an event occurs that could have gone differently given even basic competence on the act of one or more characters. I attack someone by surprise and hurt them, but they have Precognition. Why wasn’t it used? I fight an opponent who’s not nearly my equal with the saber and they meet me head-on, even though they’re more proficient with guns (and there’s no reason for their character to pick melee over range). Why didn’t they? This often means a lot of abstract thinking, and it’s usually best to place yourself in the mind of your ward’s opponent. Remember that everyone is the hero of their own story. A proper ACCer has his opponent’s character display the same narrative agency as his own. If he fails at that, you should step in to correct them.

Continuity

This is a complex topic, once again worthy of an essay all its own. Where Realism concerns a story’s consistency with the world, continuity covers a story’s consistency with itself. As a topic, it is less thorny than realism, but it’s also a much bigger issue when the Judge spots it (to the point that I’ve seen these errors wreck entire battles), so be extra-careful when checking for these.

How to go about it: This is where start to look beyond paragraphs and study the story as a whole, including posts written previously by other people. Again, try to visualize the story in your mind’s eye. Are there any odd ‘gaps’ in the story? Think of things like two combatants who were far apart one moment but then very close. Think of someone using a hand they lost earlier in the battle. That’s the sort of thing that must be rooted out and destroyed.

Things to watch out for: Be careful, here, of abrogating consequences. Actions, in a rational universe, carry over into the future. If something happens, it cannot be undone or ignored. Remember that when proofing your ward. Likewise, keep in mind that the post needs to not just be consistent within itself, but also with the circumstances of the battle (the Venue description, etc.) and the previous posts. Everything is relevant.

Pacing

This is...yeah, I have no idea how to explain this in just a few paragraphs. Suffice to say, pacing is what limits most good ACCers and stops them from being great. It’s about keeping up the action, while still maintaining all the flavoring to give you a tasty story. It’s about scattering descriptive elements through your posts without bogging you down. It’s the quality that lets you write a huge post without boring the reader.

How to go about it: Think of the post as a slab of meat for a moment. All meat has some fat in it. If it’s threaded properly through the rest of the meat, it makes the food better, enhancing its flavor. If, instead, it’s gathered in huge chunks somewhere, you’ll probably want to slice it off and ignore it while consuming the rest. This is what description is like, in the ACC. Properly paced, it enhances. Done badly, it bogs you down. For this, simply go through the post and ask yourself: are things happening here?. Is the plot moving forward at a reasonable pace? Are there no huge infodumps in the post? If the answer is no but description is otherwise fine, that means the writer did well. If not, try and help them thread the descriptions through the post.

Things to watch out for: As with most of the more complex topics, this is a tricky one. Sometimes, an infodump can be useful. The start of a fight, for example, can give a writer the space to add some information without boring the reader. A brief lull in combat, when it occurs, can likewise help the writer. In general, look for moments in which action is diminished or gone entirely; brief bursts of pure description might work there.

General Advice: Be harsh

Spare the rod, spoil the writer. It’s a good lesson to keep in mind, here. While proofreading, you need to understand that you are not there to praise your ward’s work. Praise is fine, sure, and if you want to add that do so. But remember, you are here to uncover flaws and correct them. Not to gawk in admiration. Proofreading makes you the guardian of your ward’s skill as a writer. It can also make you the worst enemy of their flaws.

Iron sharpens iron. Words temper words. Make sure yours are as hard and sharp as they must be to build and maintain excellence.

Ask the Tim

Kalon asks: What happens when Ood and Solari go out on a date?

Well...I dunno that much about Solari, but I do know Ood. So, my bet is that it’ll involve a hidden sex dungeon, ball gags, plugs and all those bodyparts from Arconan soldiers he’s been harvesting.

Xathia asks: how much time will Tim spend trying to get Krissi to understand the new ACC? =P

Well, honestly, I dunno. The real question is ‘how long will Tim spend trying to get Tim to understand the new ACC?’. Right now, I know only slightly more than you guys do (not that it stops me from having an opinion). At the moment, I’m very much expecting the initial battles to involve a lot of groping in the dark: occasionally rewarding, but only by accident.

Nath asks: will our BTs be working together at all in the near future?

You will know the answer soon. ;)

Alaris asks: How DID you get so many titles, Timeros Entar Arconae di Plagia di Plagia?

I got Entar….because I wanted to troll Enahropes, I guess? Or like, show fealty or whatever. I got Arconae because of efforts in the Ninth Great Jedi War, much of it trolling Plagueians and insulting the Dark Council. And my di Plagia titles...those, you gave me for trolling Plagueians.

Let that be a lesson for you all, kids. Hard work ain’t enough. If you want to get titles and become important, trolling is clearly the way.

Parting Words

Jesus fuck what happened here? I’m pretty sure this thing was going to start out modestly. I guess we found out how well that works.

Honestly, I’m utterly spent by this thing, and I’m currently wondering what the team prefers: Keeping it this way, or write shorter and more regular reports while putting the ACC Advice in a separate column?

All the best,

-Tim