It is with much swearing and gnashing of teeth that I type out this week's report on my old craptop. So please excuse any missed spaces between words, because this keyboard hates me. But enough about me, I bet you all want to know about what's been going on in the DJB world!

DJB News

• Exams regarding the ACC have changed. There is now only a single Qualification Exam, so if you have not yet earned your ACC qualification, the process should be a bit simpler now. Note that anyone who is already ACC qualified does not need to take the new test. The new ACC Combat Studies course expands upon many of the details of the Combat Center, but is not required for qualification. More details in Wally's post here.
• Mav updated us on some new happenings in his Deputy Grand Master Report. The short of it is that we may have a new Tradition soon, and the old Test of Lore has been eschewed in favor of a hip, new Trial of Identity that new members will take. There is a lot more information in the report, so check it out!

Star Wars in the News

• As I first mentioned last week, there is an upcoming open beta for Star Wars Battlefront. Well, we now have a date, and that date is October 4-12. Included in the beta are three modes:

  • Walker Assault on Hoth, an asymmetrical assault match that pits attacking Imperials against defending Rebels. This fight has been EA's poster child for this game, which allows for up to 40 players to participate at once and incorporates both land and air units. The Empire of course has their AT-AT walkers, which they must protect against Rebel Y-Wing bombers.
  • Drop Zone on Sullust, in which two teams of 8 fight to control drop pods as they land. This sounds vaguely reminiscent of the Battlefronts of yore, except that the command posts now move around. This should keep the map more dynamic and prevent the easily predictable ZONES OF CERTAIN DEATH that inevitably happened in 2004 Battlefront. Yes, Bespin Platforms, I'm talking about you.
  • Survival Mission on Tatooine, a nod to the growing popularity of Firefight-esque games in which you fight off a never-ending onslaught of enemies. One or two players will play as Rebels in this match, fighting against wave upon wave of Imperial forces.

  The full details of the announcement are here.

Talydran-Hosted Competitions

• DJB vs the Hawkeye Initiative. Only two submissions received so far. Where you at, Tally?
• Talydran Dozen of Games. We're on 9 out of12 now, don't miss out on an opportunity to out-score our resident panda!
• Hunt the Jedi #26

Warden Achievements

Acolyte Aiden Lee

• Earned 1 Crescent with Sapphire Star
• Earned 1 Crescent with Emerald Star
• Earned 7 Clusters of Fire

TL;DR

• New ACC Qualification Exam
• New Trial of Identity for new members
• Star Wars Battlefront open beta announced for October 8-12
• Aiden Lee still making the rest of us look lazy

Overall, it seems to have been a fairly slow week. Just remember that when life gives you lemons, try not to get crushed under the oppressive weight of citrus fruit. Until next week, may the Force be with you!