Thank you, Alak. Sorry for my delayed reply. I sort of forgot this little issue. My bad.
Well, we do have to consider that the more characters that join (either allegiance) in the game, many of them are going to be sharing the same rank. How do they work by our own military standards? We could use that as a reference. I've always thought that it depends a lot on experience, teamwork, use of skills, loyalty, performance in battle, survival on their own, and etc. I do agree that when entering the second season, those who have been with the Axalon and Darksyde since the day they both crashed on Earth (whether they're canons or OC's) should acquire higher ranks. Newer comrades should have to work their way up once they arrive. Past experiences and performances before the Beast Wars should also be considered; to an extent, I think. Perhaps that could serve as a basis for those certain characters and where to begin their ranking when they join the Beast Wars.
I know I don't have much say in this bu t I think that you (we) have to just bite the bullet and just put some of the new characters at a lower rank. For example my character, I ronclaw can be put at a lower rank because he is new, lacks experince and hasn't really proven his loyalty as OOP was talking about. However, on completion of his current mission his rank could possibly go up? From like 2 to 3. Im not asking anyhitng here im just making a suggestion.
I think the problem with the ranks system would be alot of characters don't want to take leadership roles, or take commands from those who have higher ranks. So I imagine those who are more commanding would probably rise in rank, like Orcariner or Whitegrazer.
So I updated the list a couple more times again. It's hard to update with the Character Bios topic being so disorganized due to multiple profiles from the same poster or unchanged bios. Anyway, let's move onto ranks. NK, Phoenix, and I talked on Skype and we decided that everyone should have a say in how the ranking system goes. Therefore, give us your feedback!!!
I don't want Ironclaw to be that high rank because I do t think he's earnt it yet....yet. I have a few plans for him to get up to such a rank. However I also have plans for him to clash with Optimus, so yea.
Cheetor higher rank than Dinobot? I don't think that's right. Cheetor was never put in a position of command (Beast wars), Dinobot was. The same rank atleast
I think Mystrea is correct. Since a rank of 7 is suited for command roles, I think Cheetor would be a six because of how young he is. Of course, I'm going according to the show.
We're trying to utilize the entire 1-10 scale since most of the ranks seem so clustered up at 6 or 7. Technically, in a proper ranking system, there should be more grunts and fewer leaders. We have also deliberated on how ranking should be determined for each faction. Maximals tend to reward rank based on seniority, personality, and achievements. Predacons tend to reward rank based on loyalty, obedience, and usefulness. There have been some disagreements but after about 2 hours of Skype chat, we've come to this:
Remember, the ranking system is never set in stone and these numbers are fluid. Ranks change mid-game and that has happened during Season 1 already. If you don't like your character's rank, then please post a legitimate reason as to why it should be changed. If you don't like another character's rank, then also do the same. Keep in mind what your character has done within the hierarchy of his/her own faction that warrants the new rank. Statistically speaking, all OCs are on an equal power level in Season 1 so don't use that as a reason to beg for a promotion for Season 2.
I just have question,where would Onyx lie by any chance? I don't see him on the list so I was just wondering if he was accidently overlooked, if so just a reminder is all.
FREAKIN' AAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 NK reminded me to put him in but I got side-tracked since I forgot a bunch of people and missed a bunch of fixed stats so I still ended up forgetting to put him in!!!!!!!
*ahem*
I'll fix the list later tonight. Oh, and one more thing. We also agreed that it was exceedingly difficult to rank Predacons since most of them haven't done anything to really earn their ranks. You Predacon players (both OC and canon) need to get your acts together. Stop running around with your own "evil" agendas and start obeying orders. Those who play Predacons with commanding ranks need to be more aggressive and start ordering people around. Get to it!
Just trying to help there and does it help to say Onyx is one of the few not out for really an evil agenda? I think he's just one of the few sane predacons following orders while also having some less evil ideals. (That's if they can be seen as evil.)
*LOL* Yes, motivate them! I mean heck, a freaking medical engineer raised through the ranks.. Any of the other characters have a chance at becoming a high ranking character.
Honestly, though, what is the fun of "not following own agenda and merely follow orders"? Being a skidplate kisser is soooo boring. A lot of the things I have done with my pred character has gotten the game active, as is the case with what others (such as Glowstick when he lead the attack on the Maximal base against orders) have done as well. The blindly obedient followers may be what Megatron enjoys (he must have the shiniest skidplate on the planet) but that doesn't necessarily apply to all the players. What's more important, after all, the players having fun with their characters or Megatron being one happy dude?
The hierarchy based on how well placed your mouth happens to be on a purple dinosaur's rear end might have worked in the show, with the limited amount of characters they dealt with, but we have a much larger character base to deal with here. And to be blunt, due to certain canon characters being passed from player to player and never really getting a chance to be developed or play an important role, even some of the bigger names such as Megatron and Tarantulas have had limited importance in the rpg so far. Mind you, I'm strictly talking rpg here, since we are taking certain liberties which deviate a tad from the show, which I honestly think we should. Otherwise the rpg would be stale and boring and certainly wouldn't attract attention. The closer to a manuscript we are, the slower the progression of the game seems to be. Although I cannot speak for everyone, personally I post less when I'm bored. Or, if I can, I try to do something about said boredom.
Anyways.. before I lose track of where I was going with this..
I'm sort of semi-positive to the change to a 1-10 scale for rank. It seems to me that the people who get lumped into the "1" and "2"s are merely unimportant gunfodder, not even qualifying to be soldiers. Untrustworthy civilians if you will, or in beastie terms.. somewhere along the lines of Transmutate. If you have a rank of one it just seems like you're a random stranger passing through, certainly not a valued member of a team in any shape or form. In human military terms the lowest rank is a private, yet even a private has a certain amount of training making them better suited for their job than a civilian off the street.
So are these ranks based on what the character has contributed to their team? If so I think Frilla is too low. Yet for the preds it doesn't seem to be about what they contribute, but rather how blindly loyal they are (which certainly doesn't encourage individuals to use their brains any..).
My suggestion would be a 3-10 scale for the majority, with only very specific reasons for anything lower than 3. Anything above 6 being officers.
Let me correct you on one thing: rank does not equate to significance in the RPG. A character with a rank of 1 can change the story just as much as a character with a rank of 10. In our RPG, the grunt is no less important than the leader. However, in a situation where one character has to give orders to another, ranking becomes very prudent. If a lone-wolf character comes in and bosses around a team player, that would make absolutely no sense in the chain of command. Everyone has his/her own agenda, so if you want to do your own thing then no one's going to stop you. However, we also have teams for a reason. If the leader of said faction needs you, then you need to do what that leader says. Should you want to play the role of the maverick, then by all means do so... but don't complain if you get a low rank as a result of it.
That's one of the reasons why Rampage was unanimously agreed to be brought down from a rank of 9 to a rank of 5. For all the power and intimidation that he commands, he's always running off and doesn't take part in some battles because no one can get a hold of him. Compare him to Waspinator who holds a rank of 6 despite not being the best soldier on the field. Waspinator isn't around all the time, but he's there when Megatron wants him to be. He's there to fight when the Predacons need him. That's how ranking works. Now, does Rampage listen to what his superiors tell him to do? No, he only does so when Megatron uses his spark against him. Otherwise, Rampage does whatever he wants to do and he doesn't give a care in the world about his rank.
Look at the Maximals in our RPG. All of them so far have had no issue pushing their own agendas, but they still fall in line with Primal's command. If they run off on their own, Optimus calls them out on it. If you look at all the large-scaled battles we've had, the Maximals have clearly been more organized. Players have played off of each others' posts really well and that has led to some pretty awesome moments. The Predacons are the complete opposite. We have OCs running away from fights, refusing to answer calls to battle, running solo missions and getting themselves captured, etc. etc. etc. That's what we're referring to when we say that Predacon players need to get organized. Obviously, we can't solely fault players who run around a lot because they have no one to put them in line. Higher ranked characters are responsible for setting them straight. That's why Glowstick ranked up from a 6 to an 8 within one season because NK actually took the reins over the Predacon grunts. I only hope that players for Megatron and Tarantulas can show just as much initiative.
Now, regarding Frilla's rank. If you think she's too low, then we'll be more than happy to hear your reasons for it. Remember, ranking is relative so don't go by the number. Tell us why she deserves to surpass the individuals ranked above her.
My bad.
