.:List of Active RPG Roles:.

[Blackrosefencer]

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!

Well....that's kind of what Predacons do. I feel like, to a Predacon, skidplate kissing would not be a highly respected quality. I mean Megatrons always seemed to have hired the most crooked of bots as their second in command. I mean Starscream always had his own agenda....and so does Tarantulas. But despite that, once Skorpy died, Megatron almost always turned to Tarantulas for things. Not to mention, even in the show, the Predacons were a much different crew than the Maximals and there were bots running around on their own agenda, ignoring calls to battle and pretty much the same stuff that's going on here.

Incidentally, where does Arachnitron belong? Is she on her own list? Or......would her rank change depending on which side she's on at the moment?? Or does she not get a rank at all?

[Alak]

Again, I'm not saying Predacon OCs should outright cancel whatever agenda they have (see my response to Phoenix). What I am saying is that the team's agenda supersedes the individual's agenda. Starscream still fought with Megatron in all their battles. Tarantulas - at least until Season 3 - fought side by side with Megatron despite all his scheming. See where I'm going with this?

What we're currently looking at in our RPG is Predacons doing their own thing all the time. That is, until Glowstick had enough of it and led them on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, that has led to the current predicament of the players seeing Glowstick as the de facto leader while Megatron is the technical leader. Since Glowstick is dead, who will organize and lead the OCs on their missions? I can't think of anyone who's shown that same initiative. That's why we need players to gravitate to one another and work out some situation where they won't get curb stomped in every battle from here on out.

[New Moon]

Quite honestly I have no issue with rankings for Frilla or Feralnight. I agree with Frilla's because for one she is still finding her place among the Maximals a little bit, which I know it isn't going to be a quick right-off-the-bat thing, though it's getting there progressively. And second she hasn't done a lot to help the Maximals but enough to hold some form of ranking in their crew so yes I agree with this. Think the biggest thing she's done right now is spare Primal, which to me only goes to show she isn't exactly Pred material and I think the only other big thing she would be doing is this virus Optimus asked her to make to help prevent more communication jams.

Now Feralnight with a low ranking then even Frilla is no surprise considering she hardly has done much that's note worthy and the fact she is holding back a bit in getting close to anyone. Quite frankly she isn't even good friends with anyone, least not that I have come to notice and most of this is from her recent behavior and much of her past still going unsaid. Though I do plan at some point, if the maximals start to question her about why she's acting so oddly or if any situation will seem right, that I'll go into more detail for it. Quite frankly the only ones that seem to have noticed are Primal, Rattrap, Airazor, and Wintersong. So it's not likely to come out in this season though possibly next.

And this might be surprising but I had initially intended to maybe ridding of Frilla during near end of Season 1, bbbbuuuutttt I've come to love my lizard so that idea was thrown out. (I know it's just random info but thought it would be good to know.)

[Alak]

Good to hear you're keeping Frilla So in Skype chat, Phoenix brought up Cheetor. He's currently a rank 7 for season 2 but given his behavior and actions (in both the tv show and the RPG), does he really deserve to be in the upper echelon? Discuss.

[Alak]

I added Onyx into the list, but not into the current rank proposal list. I'd like to hear Wildfire's opinion on where Onyx should be placed.

[Blazemane]

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! :twisted:

He killed the penguin- what more do you want!?!

Seriously, though, Steelclaw could try to take on a leadership role, and that would entrench him a bit more explicitly in the bad side of things. He'd just have to work really hard to actually get Predacons to take him seriously- Glowstick endeared himself to most of the troops. Steelclaw's a follower by demeanor; any leadership is by example.

And Cheetor- in this new system, 7? I don't think so, either. At least, not for season one. He did what was expected of him, and he didn't make nearly as many bone-headed mistakes as he did in the show (perhaps I've played him too safely), but he's been a follower, too. Maybe in season two, he'd earn a 7 at some point. But even in the old system, I liked him at 6. With this one... 4?

And Tigatron is too low, I think. Maybe 5, or even 6, what with Airazor being at 6 and both filling extended-range scout roles. Why is Silverbolt above Tigatron? Pointing back to "rank-does-not-equal-value", Silverbolt is my favorite character and all, but he will at times go against protocol, and really does get kicked around a lot. Of course, we have yet to see how he gets played in our game.
Tigatron just seemed a little more reliable. And he isn't disappearing in our game.


Orcariner and Dinobot, good.

Warspark is a commander by trade and intended personality- he might prove himself more commanding than what a rank of 4 indicates. My guess is actually 6 or 7, and he might even step in for Glowstick (with a much more aggressive approach) and earn 8 or 9. But I guess we'll see.

For the incoming characters- and I'll edit this into the bio thread-

Drillclaw: 3 (emotional distance, but extreme versatility and self-sufficiency to match the problematic self-reliance.)
Aphrodite: 2, or maybe 1 if she stays intent on protoform X. She doesn't sound like a team-player either.
Silverstreak: Seems similar to Cheetor- 4?
Tantrum: 3? Definitely not a commander, but he would have the extremely-valued loyalty.
Warspark: I can't begin to guess, so I'm not sure my opinion matters. But averaging my expectation of his different potentials... 6.
Banshee: This is hard to predict, too, especially since we don't know which side she'll be on, and therefore, which qualities will determine rank. If she's with the Predacons, rank 4, I think. If she's with the Maximals, rank 3. Both of these are high subject to change.

[Mystrea]

Btw, I appreciate that you think that Ironclaw is worthy of rank 7. Thank you very much, makes me think I have played him correctly.

Another thing I was thinking. Rank has nothing to do with the significants of a role.

[starshadow]

I have no idea why I am laughing at Starshadow's and Cece's rank. I really loled. XD kinda makes sense anyway seeing how b***** Star is and how lazy Cece is.

As for ze doctor, hmmm...I guess a rank of 3 to 4 will do since she's not the kind of pred who likes to waste her energy and time in battles. She's more of a "Want some energon?", "Call me if you require any assistance." or "I could set up a session for you at dusk." person. She rarely smiles, nobody knew if she had ever laughed before.

[Phoenix]

Stop running around with your own "evil" agendas and start obeying orders.

Orders? What orders? Perhaps Megatron could now start giving some orders for his underlings to follow, since such really was not the case for a long time of the character being passed between players. Alas, in the game, Megatron was rarely seen in the past, unlike Optimus Primal, so it doesn't exactly seem right to slam the Preds for running around with their own agendas when frankly.. that's the only way the Preds did anything at all.

Btw, I appreciate that you think that Ironclaw is worthy of rank 7. Thank you very much, makes me think I have played him correctly.

Ironclaw: 3
Steelclaw: 7

While I do like where Ironclaw is headed, I think there might have been a mix-up with the names. Ironclaw does seem to be eager to prove his worth, is showing loyalty to the cause, and has a genuine interest in gaining a rank. Is he supposed to prove his abilities as a leaderish figure with the rank of 3?

Albeit falling in line and following orders is a way to climb the ranks, I hardly think that's always the case. Tarantulas didn't exactly go out of his way to appease Megatron, yet he maintains a high rank likely because of his intelligence and abilities, and perhaps even so Megatron can keep a close eye on his movements. The entire 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer' deal. There was certainly no trust there, no friendship, Tarantulas was just good at what he did even if I doubt he followed Megs' every lead.

In short I don't have a problem with characters setting out on their own agendas when there are currently no orders for them to do anyway. Should they just sit around the base and twiddle their thumbs while they wait for said orders?

The Maximals are more of a tight-knit group due to the efforts of Primal (kudos to OOP) being such a strong leader figure for all of them. Without Primal's presence, I doubt the Maximals would be what they are today. In the past of this game the Predacons have not had this advantage, in addition to many of the Predacons' more free-spirited nature. For this reason it just isn't right to merely tell people not to have fun playing their characters while they wait for orders to actually be given, so that they can indeed follow them and grow tighter as a group.

rank does not equate to significance in the RPG

A character who is given the lowly rank of 1 isn't really being given the chance to prove themselves in any shape or form. Yes, the unruly characters should not be given officer ranks (7-10?) due to the lack of trust and cooperation. But a low rank of 1 hardly seems to place any value on the character's contributions to the team. Is a friendly character who hangs out with his team mates often well liked? Certainly. But that doesn't necessarily say the character makes a difference in the overall functioning of said team. In the show not many of the Predacons would form a buddy-system with each other. They were fighting for a common cause, however, whether that was by blindly kissing skidplates, or by taking things into their own hands by attacking enemies and their territories (provided there's no truce), and the likes. Actually I have to agree with "Rose" on this one. A predacon who doesn't have the willpower to stand up for themselves hardly oozes respectability, which I think should be taken into consideration in the ranking question. If nobody respects you, it doesn't matter how high of a rank you have. Nobody will follow you regardless. Wasn't Waspinator given leadership assignments when his 'crew' just ignored him and went elsewhere?

Is a skidplate kisser respectable? Not really. Is the guy with the huge cannons aimed at you? Oh yes.

[Mystrea]

Rank 3 was just an example, I was leaving it up to you. I would have been happy with 4. Im glad you like where he is headed. I wont spoil it all yet but i think it will work out really well for the coming events.

[Alak]

I already addressed the Megatron issue (multiple times) so we are not going there again. If it gets remedied, then we won't suffer the Season 1 issues in Season 2. As for Ironclaw, 3 is a suggestion to where he'll be at from the beginning of Season 2. Once again, I'll reiterate for those who keeping ignoring my points: RANKS ARE FLUID!!! They are constantly changing, therefore, a character's rank will be determined by their role in their faction at that given time. If Ironclaw becomes more commanding and starts leading missions, OOP will promote him to a higher rank for the ensuing episode and that number will change in this list of active RPG roles. Now, I'm getting a bit annoyed by how many times we're going in circles with the fundamentals of the ranking system. I don't like repeating the same things over and over again like a broken record only to be ignored so I'm going to summarize this for everyone one last time.

- The ranks for Season 2 are only applicable to the first episode.
- The ranks or not set in stone; they're active & dynamic. As the season progresses, ranks will move up and down depending on the character's actions.
- The Megatron issue will be addressed one way or another, so Predacon rankings will indeed change within a few episodes. Unfortunately, we cannot undo the lack of authority in Season 1, so we have to base initial ranks off of what has been said and done.
- It does NOT matter what your character is planning on doing. If your character is "planning", then no action has been completed yet. Therefore, your character does not deserve the rank you think he/she deserves until said plan comes into fruition.
- Rankings =/= character significance. Ranks haven't been a problem until we started revamping the system and now some people are clearly freaking out over it. The numbers are based off of how your characters have behaved thus far. The numbers will NOT significantly change how your character behaves from here on out. The only change it will provide is determining who is allowed to give orders to which character. Contrary to popular belief, obedience is NOT required (although recommended for organization's sake).
- Rank =/= respect. This is especially true with the Predacons since most high-ranking officers don't even get respect (Scorponok, Waspinator, Inferno).
- The list that's been posted is merely a proposal and it is far from being finalized. Only a few people were involved in its creation, which is why I'm posting it publicly in order to get feedback from the rest of the players. We cherish recommendations and revisions! Complaining over trivial matters, however, will only hold us back.
- Rankings =/= power level. It doesn't matter how strong, how fast, how intelligent, etc. your character is. That will not be a variable in how rank will be determined.


Beast Wars International RPG Rankings [CURRENT]

Maximals

Optimus Primal: 10
Rhinox: 8
Cheetor: 7
Ironclaw: 7
Orcariner: 7
Rattrap: 7
Saber-Fang: 7
Silverbolt: 7
Whitegrazer: 7
Airazor: 6
Dinobot: 6
Drillclaw: 6
Feralnight: 6
Wintersong: 6
Aurora: 5
Frilla: 5
Tigatron: 4

Predacons

Megatron: 10
Rampage: 9
Tarantulas: 8
Inferno: 7
Sonar: 7
Steelclaw: 7
Warspark: 7
Buster: 6
Cecaelia: 6
Manterror: 6
Nemesis: 6
Quickstrike: 6
Starshadow: 6
Waspinator: 6
Blackarachnia: 5

Beast Wars International RPG Rankings [PROPOSED]

Maximals

Optimus Primal: 10
Rhinox: 9
Rattrap: 8
Whitegrazer: 8
Dinobot: 7
Orcariner: 7
Tigatron: 7
Airazor: 6
Silverbolt: 5
Cheetor: 4
Wintersong: 4
Frilla: 3
Ironclaw: 3
Feralnight: 2
Aurora: 2
Drillclaw: 1
Saber-Fang: 1

Predacons

Megatron: 10
Tarantulas: 8
Inferno: 7
Steelclaw: 7
Nemesis: 6
Waspinator: 6
Blackarachnia: 5
Rampage: 5
Warspark: 4
Starshadow: 2
Cecaelia: 1
Buster: 1
Manterror: 1
Quickstrike: 1
Sonar: 1

Not listed: Onyx (waiting on Wildfire's feedback) & Arachnitron (she's neutral and so she's sort of unranked)


I went ahead and switched the ranks for Tigatron and Cheetor. It looks more logical now. Let me see if I can explain the reasoning for a few characters ranks for those who were not part of the Skype discussion. Note that my explanations are probably more based on my own opinions and do not exactly reflect the opinions of others on Skype.

Drillclaw: She's a 1 because thus far she has yet to have operated under the Maximal chain of command. Once she becomes introduced into the group, her aloof character will gravitate her to lone-wolf and/or one-woman-army tendencies rather than teamwork. If Drillclaw is able to overcome this, she will in turn be able to rise in the ranks.
Saber-Fang: We bumped her down because she hasn't acted her official rank thus far. We've seen her run off on multiple occasions despite Optimus Primal's warnings. She still has the unpredictable habit of changing into an uncontrollable monster. She hasn't made much of a commanding presence despite her past as a vaunted general. If Saber can learn to control both the Beast as well as her emotions and follow orders, then she'll most likely get back to that rank of 7 that an ex-general deserves.
Rattrap: We collectively agreed that Rattrap deserved a really high rank due to his commitment to the team. He's done a lot for the Maximals and certainly understands the system well enough to contribute in all of his appearances to date.
Every Predacon who's a 1: Without Glowstick, you all would've been lost. The lack of Predacon ambition has been replaced with a really bad case of "I don't care about the plot, I'll just do whatever the heck I want" syndrome.
Rampage: Easily the most powerful character in the game, he still suffers the syndrome that rank 1s have. However, like Tarantulas, he is not a disposable body which we can see since Megatron prefers to keep Rampage close as often as possible. We agreed that once Rampage starts cooperating in Season 3, we'll see him jump back up to the top.
Tarantulas: Yes, he's a schemer, but he at least feigns loyalty. As I've mentioned, Tarantulas isn't just cannon fodder to Megatron. His skills far exceed what can be accomplished on the battlefield. Even after his exile in Season 3, Tarantulas proves himself to be invaluable to Megatron's cause.


On that note, I'm thinking that Manterror should be at least a 3 or a 4. He's dumber than Waspinator, but he certainly has a lot of ambition in him. He also fights when he's told to fight, balancing this commitment with his own personal wanderings. What do you guys think? I'm especially eager to see what WorpeX thinks.

[Phoenix]

Are there more preds who haven't been listed? Maxis: 17, Preds: 15. I think Onyx is staying on with Preds.

[Alak]

Not listed: Onyx (waiting on Wildfire's feedback) & Arachnitron (she's neutral and so she's sort of...

[NaitoKage]

I could see Manterror going up in rank, that'd be interesting.

I've set Drillclaw's rank to 1 and edited the profile to remove the sniper rifle. I don't really see her going up in rank.

[Phoenix]

Alak, I meant beyond Onyx and Arachnitron.. such as Tantrum, Aphrodite, and Silverstreak whom I cannot see on the list.