Arcona News

Lightsaber Blade Video Tutorial

2008-01-06 05:32:02 GMT

Anubis Wrath asked me to show him how to create a lightsaber blade in Photoshop so I whipped up a quick video tutorial and uploaded it to YouTube. The quality is a little fuzzy, but it seems pretty useful, so I figured I'd share it with you guys too.

Names Are Visible Again!

2008-01-05 15:49:09 GMT

Jac fixed a bug on the main DJB site that was preventing names from displaying on this site. So, for all intents and purposes, this site is back to full working order. w00t!

Happy Holidays, Arcona!

2007-12-24 03:15:43 GMT

I was just had little pre-Christmas celebration with my wife's side of the family and it put me in a Christmas mood. I was feeling a little creative so drew a little image to spread a little Dark Jedi Christmas cheer. Hope you all enjoy it:

-Orv Dessrx d'Tana

Master / Student Program

2007-12-05 17:45:55 GMT

I am writing this post to inquire whether there are any more people within all of Arcona who are interested in taking part in the Master / Student Program.

If you are a DJK and above and you feel you might have something to contribute to a Journeyman's journey in the DB, please let me know so we can get you matched up with an Apprentice who is eager and ready to learn.

If you are a Jedi Hunter and Below and you feel you need the guidance to excel even faster than you have been, please also let me know so we can get you matched up with a Master who will help you with your journey to DJK.

I'll be looking forward to the FLOOD of email in my inbox: djb.rho@gmail.com

Arcona Site is Back!

2007-12-05 13:40:13 GMT

I have found an older copy of the Arcona database (probably about 20 days before we lost it) and have restored it. To avoid the problems we were experiencing, I've put the database on my own server that can handle the load of traffic and is pretty darn reliable.

Major Arcona Site Back-End Work

2007-07-12 07:05:39 GMT

I'm doing some major back-end work on the Arcona site so some things may be altered slightly as time progresses. Most will be seamless alterations to the majority of members...for example:

The things that have changed tonight:

Reader Friendly News Links: The news articles now use cleaned up titles rather than id numbers...this will make it a bit nicer to get an idea about what the article holds when you see a link in a report somewhere.

ATR: The ATR has moved to a different page on the site...rather than being at activity.php, the page is now at: page.php?module=atr. Basically, I'm making the site more module so that new features to the site are easily developed and integrated.

As always, if anyone notices any bugs, please let me know so I can fix them! Thanks!

Arcona Archives

2007-07-08 02:26:21 GMT

I am pleased to announce the launch of the Arcona Archives.

Maintaining Arcona's history and the achievements of its members is of utmost importance. As you participate within Clan Arcona and produce works of art be it in fiction, imagery, poetry, great battle plans, etc; I urge you to head on over to the My Archive section and upload your stuff!

To upload your personal archives:

Head on over to My Archive (the form should look fairly similar to the My Activity page with a few extra elements.)

Fill out the Title, type of submission, reason for submitting, the date you wish to make the submission publicly viewable, etc etc

Optionally check the box to auto-create an entry in your "My Activity" page

Click Save

Easy as that :)

To search the public archives, you can find the Archives link in the "The Vault" section of the sidebar. Click that and do some searching.

Note: the uploading of images via the Archiving tool seems to be flaky when files are over 100KB I think it's due to long page execution times while uploading the file. Hopefully that will be resolved soon.

Operation: Vitriol is a-go!

2007-06-25 10:13:12 GMT

Selen citadel buzzed with excitement, an odd mood for such a normally somber group of Dark Jedi, typically flitting about in the darkness as though they were the shadows themselves. Now, however, the various Jedi stood and spoke amongst each other, anxious what news Timeros would bring. The only group that did not seem to share in the excitement were the servant droids, going about their business as usual, if after careful scrutiny. After Strategos' near-murder, the Clan was unwilling to take chances.
"Brethren."
Timeros’ voice could not possibly be called loud as he stepped into the Hall, a calm and composed figure even under the current, extreme circumstances. He had called up the Clan shortly after hearing of the explosion, and they had responded in force, with over eighty of the Clan now standing before the Proconsul.
Except that Timeros was no longer Proconsul for, as he stepped into the hall, he went and sat upon the Serpentine throne, arms resting upon the coiled, twin snakes at his sides.
For a moment, the audience waited…but then they felt Timeros' mind enter theirs, linked to them through the bonds of the Throne…a Throne that accepted only the rightful Consul of Arcona as its master.
Brethren, Timeros repeated again, and this time the words reverberated through the very souls of the gathered Arconan’s, words obsolete by the Epis’ newfound authority over Arcona. I have come before you to discuss with you the state of the Clan, and the state of the Consul. Let me start with the news that may have many of you wondering: Strategos has survived the attempt on his life.
Quiet mumbles of approval and relief, in thought and in word, sprang up throughout the hall, only to be quickly silenced by a telepathic motion.
However, Strategos is incapacitated at this time, and is unlikely to recover until at least four weeks have passed. As such, and to further his own study of the Dark Side, he has ceded the Consulship to me.
Again, mumbles and words, a mass of thoughts too convoluted for the Consul to fully make out, and again, silence at a telepathic motion. Seemingly on a whim, he stood again, and telepathic contact subsided.
"However, there are matters more…grave than that of succession. Most importantly, we discovered that a data dump was performed about a day ago, containing almost all information pertaining the Clan, its activities over the past few months, and the secrets of Shadowcrafting.
"Brethren, we need to regain that data. Everything we know is available from the Clan data system. Each of you is hereby ordered to extend your more…personal network of informants to find the perpetrators and recover our data by all means necessary."
This time, no talks ensued between the Clan members, only nods of understanding. Even the most junior Clan members often had informants spread throughout the system, keeping their ears open for any news within the cutthroat political environment of the Dajorra system. A request for them to extend those networks was most unusual, and only served to underline the clear and present danger facing the Clan.

"And finally," Timeros’ voice seemed suddenly hesitant, "We need to get ready for all out war. I won’t lie to you…war between the Clans is coming. The Rite of Supremacy has failed…we are still a powderkeg. All we need is something to set it off. And, when that happens, I want us all prepared. We need, in other words, a champion."

The Epis fumbled within his robes, and when his hand emerged, he held three small discs in his hand.

"To this end, I have commissioned the creation of three estates on Getsemane. They will be deeded to those three who impress me the most in the coming weeks, be it by helping us recover what is ours or besting your fellow Clan members in combat. Information is available in the Brotherhood.
"My brethren of the Shadow Clan, you have your orders. Dismissed."

Scoring:

1st place: 60pts
2nd place: 50pts
3rd place: 40pts
4th place: 30pts
5th place: 20pts
Participation: 10pts*

For each 4 participants over 20, an additional placing will be added, and all the other placings will have 10 points more (e.g. 24 participants, 1st = 70, 2nd = 60, 3rd = 50, etc.)

For the ACC, participation means completing at least two matches. For JA/JO gaming, participation means playing at least nine matches. For non-JA/JO gaming, participation means playing at least six matches. For team gaming, participation means playing at least three matches.

Awards:

Each event will have 3rd level Crescents as awards. The overall winners will gain 1st level Crescents. Finally, the top three participants will be awarded estates on Getsemane.

Events:

We won’t be releasing all events simultaneously. Instead, the competition gets broken up into two different games.

Gaming: JA/JO
Time: Weeks 1&2
Notes: all challenges should be issued in #arcona
Scoring: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a loss. In case of a tie, the person with more wins ends higher. No more than three matches per opponent. 3 points per member of the opposing team for a win, 1 point per member of the opposing team for a loss. In case of a tie, the person with more wins ends higher. Matches should be reported under ‘other gaming gaming’

Gaming: Misc.
Time: Weeks 1&2
Notes: all challenges should be issued in #arcona
Scoring: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a loss. In case of a tie, the person with more wins ends higher. No more than three matches per opponent. 3 points per member of the opposing team for a win, 1 point per member of the opposing team for a loss. In case of a tie, the person with more wins ends higher. Matches should be reported under ‘other gaming gaming’

Gaming: Team
Time: Weeks 1&2
Notes: all challenges should be issued in #arcona
Scoring: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a loss. In case of a tie, the person with more wins ends higher. No more than three matches per opposing team. 3 points per member of the opposing team for a win, 1 point per member of the opposing team for a loss. In case of a tie, the person with more wins ends higher. Matches should be reported under ‘other gaming gaming’

Battleplan:
Time: Weeks 1&2
Topic: Gearing up
Notes: To combat the rising threat of warfare between the Clans, we must ready ourselves for all-out fleet warfare. As such, you are requested to draft a Battleplan to defeat opposing forces. Your action may be either offensive (Arcona invading hostile space) or defensive (a hostile force attempting to attack Arcona). Any Clan is a valid target for said Battleplan. Make sure to include the following:
The mission objectives (attempting to secure a certain planet or moon, destroying the opposing fleet, capturing mining stations in asteroid belts, etc.)
A listing of both our own fleet and the opposing fleet.
A complete plan on how to defend the opposing force.
Scoring:
Quality of plot 40
Overall assessment (style, etc.) 30
Stays with topic 20
Grammar and spelling 10
Total: 100

ACC:
Time: Weeks 1&2
Notes: Personal combat to enhance the overall state of readiness. You may challenge anyone provided they qualified in the ACC, and you both have proper handedness systems on your Character Sheet. Only Clan Venues may be used for this event.
The location of the ACC Hall is: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/acc/hall.asp?id=89
All battles have a 3 day time limit, and a 2+2 postcount limit.

Scoring: 3 points for a win, 1 for a judged loss, and no points for a timeout. In case of a tie, the person with more wins ends higher.

Graphics:
Time: Week 1
Topic: Premonitions
Notes: Draw a depiction of your character, either in the current competition, or something foreseen at some point in the next GJW, with a brief (2-3 sentences explanation to accompany it) Points are awarded for aesthetic appeal and originality.
Scoring:
Quality of graphic 20
Overall assessment 20
Stays with topic 10
Total 50

Fiction 1:
Time: Week 1, days 1-6
Topic: Vitriol
Notes: Write an in-depth intelligence report on the organization codenamed ‘Vitriol’. Information should include any possible fronts for the organization, influential members, information on a likely hideout/base (within Dajorra), and finally at least one ‘lead’ that could conceivably aid in retrieval of Arcona’s stolen data. Information should not include the true power behind the organization. Be specific in its known activities and some of its personalities, but not with regards to its motives or the forces controlling it. Points will be awarded for writing style and detail, and the minimum size is two pages, 12 pt. font.
Scoring:
Quality of plot 40
Overall assessment (style, etc.) 30
Stays with topic 20
Grammar and spelling 10
Total: 100

Caption Comp:
Time: Week 2
Topic: Caption!
Notes: It’s a caption comp…you will get sent a set of five Star Wars-related images, and it is your job to find the funniest caption for each of them. Points are awarded for hilarity.

Scoring:
Points from 1-10 will be awarded for each of the five captions, judging on how funny they are. Scores will then be accumulated, and the person with the highest total score wins. Max. 50pts.

Fiction 2:
Time: Week 2
Topic: Data Retrieval
Notes: You have been given the information requiring the organization codenamed ‘Vitriol’, and have received orders to organize retrieval of our maintenance droid with Clan data. Write a fiction about receiving your mission and how you eventually retrieve the data. Who is behind Vitriol? What were they eventually planning to do with the stolen data? How did they manage to bypass Arconan security and nearly assassinate the Consul? Someone within the Clan? Internal enemies within Dajorra? Other Clans?
The story should be a minimum of three pages, 12 pt. font.
Award: Third level Crescents and possible canonization, within Arcona, of the event for the winner. Special attention will be paid to the consistency and detail of the plot, as well as adherence to the datafile given.
Scoring:
Quality of plot 40
Overall assessment (style, etc.) 30
Stays with topic 20
Grammar and spelling 10
Total: 100

Arcona and Tarentum to be allied!

2007-06-24 16:53:16 GMT

As posted on the DJB News Page by Dark Jedi Master Sith Bloodfyre-Tarentae:

A suspension of hostilities between the great Clans of Arcona and Tarentum have spread forth from both Dajorra and Yridia. Though the two Clans have not lately been official enemies, the ceasefire agreement comes in anticipation of a formal treaty that will ally the two Clans against any and all common threats both now, and in the future.

New Report & Envoy/RM Position Update

2007-06-19 17:43:58 GMT

Hello everyone,

Heres the link to the newest addition of reports and also some information regarding the open position of RM/Envoy:

The news you’ve all been waiting for, here it goes. I am opening applications for the position. If you feel like you are up to the job then apply for the position. I would love to see lots of applications being sent in.

Requirements:
Rank: JH and up
Ability to work well in a group.
Steady email response time of at least 48 hours.
Not a hater of myself or Alex

Not many requirements but they pretty much sum it all up. Applications will be open until one catches our eye.

And now my AED Report: http://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/dbjedi/viewreport.asp?ID=10161