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Do you feel you have what it takes to make it in the Imperial Navy? Are you prepared to restore peace and order to the Galaxy…preferably by force! If so, then apply for Galactic Empire membership now.

You might at this point be asking yourself what the Galactic Empire Clan is all about. Basically, we are a Sins of a Solar Empire (SoaSE) Clan that also happens to have a minor Star Wars theme. This theme actually works out well, as both SoaSE and the Star Wars Galactic Empire revolve around galactic conquest.

Our Clan’s primary goal is to have fun while waging war against fellow SoaSE clans/groups. Our secondary goal is to crush our opponents in the most efficient way possible.

We also put a lot of emphasis on training and preparing our members for multiplayer games.

The Galactic Empire differs from many other clans by using an internal ranking system. All members must abide by the ranking system, as well as all other Clan rules.

So, what is this ranking system about?

The purpose of having a ranking system is to organize Clan political and military affairs in the most efficient way possible. This is meant to give our clan the edge in dealing with (and defeating) other clans. It IS NOT meant to be used as a tool for members to boss around others of lesser rank…in fact, doing so wouldn’t be tolerated for long.

Additionally, Clan rank is fluid. This means that any members skilled enough can participate in challenges/elections in an attempt to achieve a higher rank for themselves. The purpose of having a fluid rank system is to guarantee only the very best and most deserving of members are placed in charge of clan affairs.

There are two ranking paths within the present ranking system.

The first is the political branch. As of now, there are three political ranks total. They consist of the Emperor, Grand Moff and Chancellor.

The second branch consists of the military. The lowest rank is Ensign. All new recruits start off as Ensigns. The next highest rank is Captain. All core clan members are Captains. Above Captain are the Commanders (elite players of the clan). Above that rank, lies the Admiralty. The Admiralty, in order of lowest to highest rank, includes Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral and Grand Admiral.

The following is a breakdown of all Ranks and their associated powers.


The Political Powers within the Clan

The political ranks are NOT determined by in-game combat & multiplayer co-ordination skills. IDEALLY, officials in political positions should be determined by leadership skill, communication skills, technical skills, diplomatic skill (especially for the Emperor), conflict resolution skills, and a personal drive to keep the membership united and motivated.


Emperor:

The Emperor is the highest political position. He/She is the official representative of the Clan. In essence, this means that the Emperor is fully in charge of all official Clan-Clan discussions/decisions. This can range anywhere from organizing official Clan vs. Clan battles, allowing members to temporarily aid/play on other clans, to agreeing to (and organizing) inter-Clan alliances.

Furthermore, the Emperor can participate in any secret military discussions with the Admiralty. However, while the Emperor can make suggestions/observations, he/she cannot overrule any military decisions made by the Admiralty.

Emperor responsibilities also include writing/sending membership newsletters, serving as the backup moderator for the Clan forums, and facilitating team spirit/cooperation within the Clan. Additionally, the Emperor is the one who determines the best times for general votes, and when Admiralty rank challenges/elections occur.

The Emperor position can be immediately vacated and an election forced if ¾ of the membership (rounded up) petition him/her for that to occur (even an Emperor needs a certain amount of public support). The member who runs for office and receives the highest vote then becomes the next Emperor (ties will result in run off votes).

At the moment, Paradoxnt (that’s me) holds the title of Emperor.


Grand Moff:

The Grand Moff rank is a static position in the Empire. As long as he/she is able to complete their responsibilities, they will retain their rank indefinitely.

The responsibilities of the Grand Moff revolve around being the prime forum Administrator. They manage the forum and enforce the rules for ALL members, regardless of rank. They also have the power to warn/punish/ban those who break forum rules/etiquette on a regular basis. They can also change user names and user status to ensure that the forum and Clan runs smoothly.

The Grand Moff will also participate in all political and military discussions/decisions; however the final word will always belong to the Emperor for political issues and the Admiralty for military issues.

Ron Lugge has been awarded the rank of Grand Moff for our Clan.


Chancellor:

Like the Grand Moff, the Chancellor rank is a static position in the Empire. As long as he/she is able to complete their responsibilities, they will retain their rank indefinitely.

The responsibilities of the Chancellor are very similar to the Grand Moff. The general idea is that the Chancellor serves as an aid and backup to the Grand Moff.

Spartan has been awarded the rank of Chancellor for our Clan.


The Military Powers within the Clan


Ensigns:

Non-members have to start somewhere. They start their initiation into the clan by asking a Captain (or higher ranking member) to back them as a potential recruit. Once they have been acknowledged as a recruit, they become Ensigns. As Ensigns, they need to participate in forum discussions and multiplayer games with other Clan members. They also need to follow forum rules and be respectful of rank.

Once they are well known to the core members, they can ask to be put on the voting list for the next ‘graduation vote’. If ¾ of the membership votes in favor of them becoming full members, they gain the rank of Captain and become core members themselves.


Captains:

Captains represent the bulk of the membership. They are generally skilled players who participate in forum discussions and votes. In multiplayer games, Captains are charged with offering guidance to any Ensigns that might need help. The goal here is to help Ensigns learn and grow as players and members.

Captains have a responsibility to help all members increase in skill. They can do this through multiplayer games, as well as contributing to the forum tactics/strategy section.

Captains should try hard to participate in Clan votes, as who gains rank and who becomes a member is pretty serious business.


Commanders:

Commanders represent the elite of the clan. They are the most skilled players, and have demonstrated leadership ability as well as their commitment to the clan. They have full access to the High Officer forums and are expected to contribute to any High Officer discussions. However, their voting power is not applicable to High Officer issues.

Additionally, the High Officers themselves choose which members are promoted to Commander. As long as a Commander displays commitment to the game and clan, participates often in multiplayer matches and represents the clan well, they will remain a Commander. However, IF the Commander consistently fails to show up for games, or behaves in a manner not fitting his position, the High Officers can demote them back down to Captain status.


The Admiralty:

There are four Admiralty ranks within the Imperial Navy that surpass Commander. In order of lesser to greater rank, they are:

1. Rear Admiral
2. Vice Admiral
3. Admiral
4. Grand Admiral

They together form the Admiralty.

The purpose of the Admiralty is to form a command & control linchpin within multi player games. Once a game starts, they will assign tasks/missions to their teammates (usually based on membership strengths and weaknesses), in order to better unify Clan forces and increase the likelihood of victory.

The Admiralty will also be responsible for holding military discussions on issues such as; what members work best together, who are the Clan aces, which members need additional training, reviewing enemy clan battles and analyzing the results, testing/discussing new tactical/strategic ideas and theories, and so on.

Achieving Admiralty rank involves a challenge with 3 separate components.

1. -Members attempting to gain such a rank must compete in a series of 1v1 battles during an official ‘Rank Challenge’ match. Winners move onwards until they reach the finals, while losers are removed from the competition. The finalists must then face off in their own 1v1 battles, however the losers are not removed from the competition.

2. -After all the 1v1 challenges are done, the finalists are then subjected to a 'leadership' test. This test involves them leading a group of fellow clan members in battle. Afterwards, the recording of their test is made available to the clan membership for review.

3. -Finally, the challengers will post their reasons for why they merit entrance into the Admiralty.

Afterwards, the finalists are subjected to a membership vote. Who is the best 1v1 player, who performed the best in the 'leadership' test, who is the most charismatic leader are all points that the membership must consider when deciding who to vote for.

The winner of the vote is then promoted into the Admiralty as either Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral or Grand Admiral (depending on which rank is being fought over).

In commanding multiplayer games or making military related decisions, the Grand Admiral takes precedence over the Admiral, Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral. The Admiral takes precedence over the Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral. The Vice Admiral takes precedence over the Rear Admiral. Finally, the Rear Admiral takes precedence over any Commander. Please note that any Admiralty can let another of lesser rank take command, if they so wish.

Having 4 Admiralty level commanders will ensure that we always have 1 available during Clan vs. Clan games. Failing that, our Commanders are more than capable of filling in for our Admirals.

Gauntlet presently holds the top rank as Grand Admiral and Eet presently holds the rank of Admiral. Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral ranks remain open for the moment.


Additional notes about the Galactic Empire Clan.

Besides the standard release of SoaSE, the Galactic Empire will also support multi player battles involving mods that will ‘hopefully’ be created. Expect to see discussions and multi player arranged games for mods such as Star Wars, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, Star Trek and others.

We also have Ventrilo Server support for members to use during multiplayer.

Finally, potential members need to understand that the Galactic Empire Clan name will not be changed. Nor will the Clan structure be subjected to any major overhauls. By joining, you have effectively agreed to honor these points.

Furthermore, members are not permitted to engage in multiplayer back stabbing, even to help Clan mates. Not only would such actions harm our Clan's reputation, it also denies our members to opportunity to increase their skills. If you are playing against Clan mates during non official Clan vs. Clan games, then you should do all you can to be victorious.

Finally, members who behave in an unacceptable fashion can have their membership removed. If it is found to be necessary to remove a member from the Clan, a vote will be held. A vote of 3/4 will be sufficient to successfully remove the member from the Clan.

If you’ve read through the Galactic Empire description, and feel you want to play a part in our Clan, please contact us via our link.