Some of you may be familiar with the concept of the Antei Contract Bureau in its capacity as the Arcona Contract Bureau, which has been a staple of Arconan activity in the last three years. The current iteration - as per the Independence Games - has been opened up Brotherhood-wide, and I wanted to provide a little clarity other than the mass of text found on the the Independence Games: Antei Contract Bureau competition page, and notify everyone about a few slight changes we have implemented in order to streamline the contract request process.
The best way I've found to describe the Antei Contract Bureau is as the alternative to the ACC.
By the alternative to the ACC, I don't mean it rejects the ACC, what the ACC does, or the ACCs mission statement, but rather, instead of "mere" combat writing, individuals are given the opportunity to compete by writing a story. What is more, these stories are not isolated competitions, but part of a larger "ladder system" which enables people to rack up points and undertake contracts at their leisure. It offers a framework for competition, and enables individuals to reap the rewards of their labour in the guise of physical medals - in this case, Novae - and the pride of being top of the ladder <small>(if the Antei Contract Bureau becomes a permanent fixture in the Brotherhood - something that pivots on this particular trial run - there will be more in-depth developments, such as leagues, the equivalent "Championship Ladder" and a host of other features that offer similar rewards to the ACC)</small>.
Each CONTRACT is treated as a missions that is specifically catered to the requesting member's specification. It is then up to the member to write it as they see fit. If they want to write 1,000 words, sobeit. If they want to write 20,000 words, that's cool too. The point is, members can give as much as they want to give or do as much as they want to do. The point is, every contract is graded and held to a particular standard. The general scoring guide is as follows:
*Incomplete: -2 pts
Needs Work: 1 pts
Satisfactory: 2 pts
Excellent: 3 pts
Superior: 4 pts
A Class: 1 pts
B Class: 2 pts
C Class: 3 pts
S Class: 4 pts
That means, should you want to request a number of contracts, you are more than welcome to. But don't bite off more than you can chew, as you will be penalised for incomplete works.
You may also ask, "What's the point in doing an A-Class, B-Class, or C-Class mission when the S-Class gives off a four point pay off?" To that, I can only say that all contracts are held to the strict standards of realism we have come to expect in Brotherhood fiction events. That means that if you pick an S-Class contract as an EQ1, for example, you will be up against at least one Elder, and you are not likely to come back from the mission. That would thus be an incomplete contract. And there is obviously no leniency for "god-moding".
We've also added an extra option called "Lightsaber". This is for Journeyman who are looking to knock off one of the requirments for their promotions towards Dark Jedi Knights.
You can find any information I have not covered on the Arcona Contract Bureau forum page and the informative F.A.Q and Guidelines page, or on the "Request A Contract" form <small>(information about which follows)</small>.
So, this is the part that truly matters. Contrary to the Independence Games competition page (which states that you need to email the commissioner for a contract), Wally and I have created a "Request a Contract" form. That means if you request a contract via e-mail, that contract will NOT be commissioned and launched.
Instead, please use the Request a Contract form, which should contain all necessarily information.
I can already hear people screaming, "But where's the ladder for this trial run?!!!!one!!1!!!eleven!" Well, as soon as we have a couple of contract (and, importantly, when they're graded) we'll begin posting the ladder on a new sub-forum dedicated to this iteration of the Antei Contract Bureau! We're just waiting on Socorra so we can get said forum launched.
I just want to say, please bear with us on this. It is, for all intents and purposes, a trial run, so there are going to be plenty of bumps in the road. The point is, this will both enable you guys to enjoy the Antei Contract Bureau for what it is, and hopefully we can work together to start smoothing out the process.
This may seem like a little bit of a long "clarification" newspost, but I thought I'd ensure that no one was confused by the system. It is, after all, a new, complex system. Thanks for taking the time to read it all.
If you have any questions, or if you feel we haven't covered everything adequately, do not hesitate to e-mail Wally and I. We will be more than willing to help you out.
Don't forget, the main point of this newspost was to let you know to use the Request a Contract form instead of the email!
_In Darkness,
Wuntila Arconae._
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Well said, Wun!
The ACB was originally created to give back to the members.
This is an important Trial run for us, so thank you all for working with us! :D