Well, Kyle’s resigned as ABG CO and I’ve replaced him as ABG CO. Seeing as how activity is slouching in areas, I’m disbanding certain squads, reforming others, and planning the creation of a few new ones. Wings are being reorganized with new leadership, as are squads. We have a lot to cover in this newsletter, and a lot more to cover in future newsletters. Let’s begin.

A- Reorganization
-- 1- Fleet Command Staff
-- 2- Scourge Wing
-- 3- Jackal Wing
-- 4- Jedi Praxeum
-- 5- Special Forces Wing
B- New Rules
-- 1- Upgrading
-- 2- Training Sabers
C- Projects in the Works
-- 1- New Jedi Order era squad (Scarlet)
-- 2- Rise of the Empire era squad
-- 3- Infinities squad (New Genesis)
-- 4- Possible Imperial Squad
-- 5- ABG History and Over Plot
-- 6- Class System
-- 7- Force Powers Revision
-- 8- Lightsaber Rules Revision
-- 9- Alchemy Rules
-- 10- ABG Website Reconstruction
D- Other
-- 1- Wanted
-- 2- Sim Times
-- 3- Medals and Promotions
-- 4- Closing

A- Reorganization

A 1- Fleet Command Staff
Well, the change of CO’s isn’t the only change in the ABG CS that has occurred, we also have a new XO AND a new SO, because any good Fleet CO knows you need a good XO and you want a good SO. That is why I’m proud to announce that Michael Raven and Cay-Qel Jade have become ABG XO and SO respectively. They will be the two who must suffer whenever I go on LOA and will work with me to increase activity in the fleet. Both Raven and Cay have earned these jobs, so congratulations to them.

But that’s not all; there are several “unofficial” positions that I would like to give to four very devoted people. First we’ll start with Kyle and Toran, who both may serve as my honorary advisors. You both have earned this honor for all that you’ve put into the fleet, and it’s the LEAST I can do to show my appreciation for all that you’ve done for this fleet.
I would also like to announce two other positions that have been fulfilled by highly qualified officers: ABG Internet Officer and ABG Recruitment Officer. Gambit will serve as the ABG IO after his exams are over and he has the time to spare toward the position. As for Eric, he has just returned from a long LOA and he’s refreshed and ready to recruit for the ABG and help train those recruits as ABGUG CO.

A 2- Scourge Wing
First off, I’d like to say that I’m both proud and disappointed in Scourge’s activity. I am most proud of Michael Raven’s ability to stir up activity and keep Lancer more than active, but I’m also very disappointed at the number of Bridge CO’s we’ve gone through lately. I have engineered a staff for Scourge in hopes that they can work together and get the entire wing active. To begin with I would like to announce my choice for Scourge CO: Eric Wunderlin. Eric has served this fleet well in his time here, and I hope to see him continue a reasonably constant level of activity from here on out.
Michael Raven remains CO of Lancer Squad and he picks up a new XO, Wes Belden. I hope to see many more innovative campaigns from both of these simming veterans in the future, and I know that in their hands I need not worry about Lancer.
We have a new CO for Bridge, and it just happens to be his first CO position. I welcome Tyrannus “Tyro” Dooku to the ranks of Flagship Crew CO’s and I wish him the best of luck. Also, I ask the fleet to make things easy for him until he gets into the swing of things, which I will be helping him do.
Davin Kabak will be retaining command of the Starship Support Group while we discussion the future of the squad. We have a rather innovative idea in mind for the squad and we are currently investigating the possibilities of such an idea.

A-3 Jackal Wing
Of all the wings, Jackal will be seeing the most reform under the watchful eye of Zak Ciredik. Jackal is to become the home of several new projects, including a New Jedi Order squad, a Rise of the Empire squad, and an Infinities squad. You’ll be seeing more from this wing in future newsletters.

A-4 Jedi Praxeum
Of all the Wings, Jedi Praxeum is getting away with the least revisions. The only change of real importance here is that Davin Kabak has become Jed Praxeum CO. I know he will do a good job with Jedi and keeping it’s activity levels up.

A-5 Special Forces
Perhaps the hardest thing about all of this came to what would go in Special Forces. I knew that Rapier would stay here, and that Sentinel would most likely be moved here, but what I didn’t know at first was that I’d have to disband a Wing and merge it into Special Forces as a single squad. After merging Renegade into Special Forces, I felt there was really only one person who could handle this wing: Cay-Qel Jade. I know that under his command Special Forces will flourish.
Rapier, while inactive as of late, has always been extremely active when it was active. It is with this hope of activity that I name Borsk Kun the CO of Rapier. He will command the ABG’s Intelligence division well, I believe, and Rapier’s activity will once again flourish.
Sentinel has been moved here because that’s what it is, Special Forces. For months Michael Raven has led Sentinel, and under his leadership the Commando squad has remained active. I am very proud of his accomplishments with this squad and will allow him to remain Sentinel CO for the time being.
Alas, Renegade has the potential to be one of the ABG’s greatest wings, but it wasn’t meet to be… yet. Still, I feel that given a fresh group of simmers to work with and Renegade could once again regain its status. This is why I have decided to let Eric Wunderlin retain command of this squadron.


B- New Rules

B 1- Upgrading
Well, Toran and myself (mostly Toran) have come up with a new system for upgrading skills. The following rules apply to ALL skills and attributes, be they Force or not…

The costs of Skill upgrades are essentially the same, except for a slight increase of the cost for each D over the Species Max for the character in question. The increase would be +1 CP for each D over the max, i.e. +1 CP for upgrades to 5D in Human characters, etc. The increase would first come into effect upon upgrade to the first pip over the Species Max (4D+1 in Humans) and would increase at a constant rate of +1 for every D over the max. This CP increase rule applies to both Skill Specializations and Advanced Skills, as well, which the basic rules for will remain the same.

Attribute upgrade costs have always been "10 times the number before the D", but under this system the cost would be the same as the Force attribute upgrade cost, the number before the D times the number of skills under that attribute. An increase in CP cost would also apply to attributes, but the cost increase would be +2 CP for every D above the Species Max. Also, the penalty for failing an Attribute upgrade roll has been reduced from half of the CP cost to 25% of the CP cost. All other failure penalties will remain the same.


Character Point Discounts for High Rolls

During the upgrade, the bonus will be kept on, and if someone rolls higher than the "possible" roll for that number of dice (meaning the highest possible roll sans any bonuses), they will get a discount on the CP cost of their upgrade, based on the following chart:

# Over CP Discount
1-3 1 CP
4-6            2 CP
7-9            3 CP
10+       4 CP


Upgrading By A Dice Roll Vs. A Standard

The major change in this system would be the replacement of the old "Desired roll vs. Species Max roll" with a "Desired roll vs. stated number for desired roll", making it infinitely easier to upgrade past the Species Max, but slightly more difficult to upgrade very low dice stats. During an upgrade session, a player will declare what Skill or Attribute they are trying to upgrade, then roll their desired roll for the Skill or Attribute. If the total is equal to or higher than the number designated for that roll, they successfully advance to their desired roll. If they fail, they have two more chances to get the needed total before they must move onto a different Skill or Attribute to upgrade.

Dice Roll Number Chart (Based on Human Species Max)

# Of Dice | # to beat: (Skill) (Attribute)
1D+1 4 5
1D+2 4 6
2D 7 8
2D+1 7 9
2D+2 8 10
3D 10 12
3D+1 11 13
3D+2 11 14
4D 14 16
4D+1 15 17
4D+2 15 18
5D 18 20
5D+1 19 21
5D+2 19 22
6D 21 24
6D+1 22 25
6D+2 23 26
7D 25 28
7D+1 26 29
7D+2 26 30
8D 28 32
8D+1 29 33
8D+2 30 34
9D 32 36
9D+1 33 37
9D+2 33 38
10D 35 40
10D+1 36 41
10D+2 37 42
11D 39 44
11D+1 40 45
11D+2 40 46
12D 42 48
12D+1 43 49
12D+2 44 50

B 2- Training Sabers
I have decided to abolish Apprentice and Journeyman sabers and create training sabers. A student receives a training saber upon entering Jedi training and he may wield it until he reaches Journeyman, at which point he can build his lightsaber. A Student or Apprentice can also build sabers, but ONLY with their master’s approval. Stats for the training sabers are below…

Training Sabers (3D) [Note: Can only inflict a maximum damage result of "Wounded" to any target struck. A training saber CAN block blaster bolts, but cannot be used to deflect them back at the shooter. Also, training lightsabers do not focus their power strongly enough to cut through objects; when used against inanimate objects, the damage of training saber is reduced to 2D.]


C- Projects in the Works

C 1- New Jedi Order era squad (Scarlet)
I’ve been talking about this for a little while, but Cay and I are going to try and get Scarlet going. I’m in the process of finding and assembling stats for this era of Star Wars history, and we will be accepting character sheets very soon. I look forward to what the New Jedi order may bring to the ABG.

C 2- Rise of the Empire era squad
I’ve been talking with a few people in the fleet about creating a Rise of the Empire squad, which would basically take place sometime between the blockade on Naboo and the start of the Clone Wars. I like the idea and I will try to find someone to help me organize the squad and to run it for me. Look forward to Jedi, fringers, soldiers, and other types of characters being readily available in this era.

C 3- Infinities squad (New Genesis)
This is an idea I’ve done before, and it was met with great response, but I had to stop it awhile back due to time constraints. Well now I’m bringing the idea of an Infinities squad back, and hopefully the response will be as good as it was the first time. Basically Infinities is a What If? Timeline: what if the Emperor survived the destruction of the Death Star and Vader, Luke, Leia, Han, and Mon Mothma died? New Genesis would serve to answer some of these questions, both in its back-story and through the actions of the characters. Nothing in the Infinities future is preset, so ANYTHING could happen.

C 4- Possible Imperial Squad
I’ve been kicking around the idea of an Imperial squad to create actual enemies that we could sim against or with (depending on the story) to create a more realistic simming experience. Nothing definite has been decided about it yet, but most likely it would involve an Imperial Army squad, and perhaps maybe an Imperial Navy Starfighter Corps squad. More to come in the future about this idea.

C 5- ABG History and Over Plot
An idea I’ve been kicking around for awhile, the idea of solidifying the ABG’s history and creating a fleet wide plot that allows flexibility in squadron campaigns, but may require them at times to perform certain tasks that will affect OTHER squadrons. Also, there will be campaigns were instead of capturing a base and leaving it to regular New Republic troops to hold, WE will have to hold that base against counter attacks, meaning we have to try and take the base as intact as possible.
I’m working with several people to organize the history and the first over plot of the ABG and it should be done sometime soon.

C 6- Class System
Raven, Cay, Toran, and myself are working on this project and hope to have it done by the end of this month. The counter part to the Force Class system, the Class system introduces over 80 classes for the non-Force Sensitive characters and a few more Force classes for those who wish to play Jedi or other Force Sensitives. Also with these new classes will come new rules concerning classes, expanding on the rules already laid down for the Force classes. Keep your eyes open for more news on this highly innovative project.

C 7- Force Powers Revision
Davin and I will soon be beginning the revision of the Force powers and the hierarchy. We will be eliminating certain powers, inserting new powers, and revising a few old powers. We hope to eliminate certain powers that are more specializations of their base power, and not truly separate powers. Look for more of this in the upcoming months.

C 8- Lightsaber Rules Revision
Davin and I will also be working on reforming the lightsaber rules, especially in areas involving Lightsaber Construction. We hope to have this system ready in the upcoming months, as it is one of the smaller updates that will be occurring.

C 9- Alchemy Rules
Several months ago I introduced Force Alchemy and Sith Alchemy and I had a set of rules written up for construction of items using these two powers, but I lost them after catching a bad computer virus. I should have rewritten them right away, but they have gone unwritten for quite awhile now, but no longer. I will rewrite these rules and officialize them and get them on the sites soon.

C 10- ABG Website Reconstruction
This is the fun stuff: fixing, updating, and redesigning the ABG Website. A team of capable coders, including myself, will be working on updating the material in the Library and in the Manual, as well as updating and redesigning the wing and squad web pages. Already we have several of our advanced powers back, especially in Dexterity and Knowledge, and more are to come.


D- Other

D 1- Wanted
Ah yes, the wanted section. Here you will find ads for positions that need to be filled. Many of the changes in Wing and Squad command staffs are only temporary, and so they may need to be filled with others as things progress. Once an XO has acquired a certain amount of experience he/she may become the CO of the Wing/Squad. So lets get going.

Wanted: Wing XOs and SOs
That’s right, folks, we need both XOs and SOs for almost every wing. If you’re interested in the position, e-mail the CO of that wing and CC me the mail as well. If they need the help, you will be chosen to assist them. It is recommended that you list any skills you possess that may be useful to the position in question, as well as any previous positions you have held.

Wanted: Squad XOs
We also need XOs for several squads. If you’re interested in one of these positions, send an application to the Squad CO and CC a copy to the Wing CO. It is recommended that you list any skills you possess that may be useful to the position in question, as well as any previous positions you have held.

Wanted: Wing and Squad IOs
We need Internet Officers for several squads as well. You must have a working knowledge of HTML, and knowledge of PHP and CSS is also recommended. To apply just send a mail to the Squad/Wing CO and they will decide whether or not they need your assistance. It is recommended that you list any other skills you possess that may be useful to the position in question, as well as any previous positions you have held.

D 2- Sim Times
Each Squad has it’s own specific slot, and I can’t speak for many of my new CO’s schedules as of yet, but I can say that I will still be GMing sims every Saturday at 5:30 pm EDT (Eastern Daylight Time, which is GMT –5) and every Sunday at 3:30 pm EDT. I will allow the new Squad COs to announce their sim times.

D 3- Medals and Promotions
There are several people who have played key roles in the survival of this fleet, and now I would like to take the opportunity to honor them.

Rear Admiral Kyle Tobarn, step forward. For your service to this fleet, and before that to Allegiance Wing, I am most pleased to nominate you for the Distinguished Service Cross. You did an excellent job of running and maintaining the fleet over the years and I hope to continue seeing you as an active member of the ABG.

Commander Michael Raven, step forward. For you devotion to this fleet and to keeping it active and healthy, I am pleased to nominate you for the Dagger of Courage. Keep up the good work, Michael, I hope to see great things from you as XO.

Lietenant Colonel Cay-Qel Jade, step forward. For your continued devotion to this fleet and all that it stands for, I am pleased to also nominate you for the Dagger of Courage. Keep up the good work, and never forget that the ABG is a family, and we’re in this together.

Lieutenant Commander Eric Wunderlin, step forward. For your devotion to the fleet and to simming and to the pursuit of happiness, I am hereby promoting you to the rank of Commander. Good luck, Eric, and continue the good work.

Lieutenant Commander Toran Celd, step forward. For all the hard work you’ve put into this fleet, even when you weren’t recognized as doing so, I am hereby promoting you to the rank of Commander. Keep up with the fresh ideas and the hard work, Toran.

Major Kell Horn, step forward. For your creation of a program that has made GMing easier by far, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Good work, Kell, and I hope to see more from you in the future.

First Lieutenant Dareesha Anais, step forward. Although you’re currently on Extended Leave of Absence and will most likely be resigning to focus on real life issues, I would like to award you for your devotion to this fleet. I hereby promote you to Captain. Good luck, Spyder, and I wish you the best.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Marcus Varus, step forward. For your activity in this fleet as a simmer, I hereby promote you to the rank of Second Lieutenant. Stay active, Marcus, and I see you going far in this fleet.

D 4- Closing
Well, to finish off this long newsletter I would like to ask a few things of you, the membership. First, I ask you to direct ANY complaints or ideas you have about the rules we play by to me, Mike, and Cay. Also, if you find any D6 stats (Templates, Skills, Races, Vehicles, Starships, etc.) to send them to me, Mike, and Cay. Finally, I ask one more thing: to have fun, because that’s what this fleet, and the RS, is all about.
Hopefully things well go well as we enter this new era of the Allegiance Battle Group. Good luck to all of us and keep up the good work!
“:)

Lieutenant Colonel Randy Starkiller
ABG CO