Order of the Silver Jedi

[Gir Quee]

It's been about a little over a week since I announced my decision to step down as MFO, as of yet, we have no nominations or volunteers for the group's next major faction owner (MFO). I have asked a few people myself who I thought might be good candidates, but people don't have the time - which makes sense - we're the oldest current major faction out there, and our base has gotten older too with more adult responsibilities and life changes.

This, combined with fluctuating activity levels in the last month or so leads me to recommend that we take the SJC minor.

I do not see this as being the end of the Silver Jedi though.

If the faction does vote to go minor, my recommendation would be to finish up our current threads with the other major factions (the junction with the Ashlan Crusade; the diplomacy thread with the Hutt Space Consortium) so we can plan a decent story to explain why we're leaving the map.

I think our best move is to figure out a storyline for the SJC collapsing from the inside out, with the end result of the political government of the Silver Jedi Concord collapsing, but leaving the Silver Jedi Order itself intact. This would allow us to keep the SJO itself going unchanged (as most of our writers do write jedi and seem content with things), but still give space for other characters (Antarian Rangers, Mandalorian covenant people, etc) to keep on roleplaying as allies of the Silver Jedi Order itself. To that end, I think the secession of Nar Shaddaa that we're doing now could ultimately be the catalyst for a bunch of political infighting that ultimately results in the Concord collapsing.

But I'd like to hear if people have other ideas that they'd like to explore with this if we do vote to go minor.

If you do vote the Silver Jedi Concord to remain major, I ask that you also put forth a nomination for a new MFO or volunteer yourself. Thank you!

EDIT: Matsu Ike has volunteered to be a potential MFO. This makes staying major actually viable.

EDIT 2: Please only vote if you've actually been a participating SJC writer somewhat recently (as in sometime in the last year). If you've not been active within the faction since then, I'm likely going to ignore your vote.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

I will hold my vote, for now, but think that the SJO needs the defense force as well (for transportation and that some of us do write military brats as well), As for the story as to why, that could work with the general attitude leading to a huge vote of "no confidence" in leadership with current and rumored future plans(IC wise)

 

[Gir Quee]

Caltin Vanagor that's the tricky part.

I'd agree, sort of. I myself have a very vested interest in that part myself. In-character Gir Quee is my main character, and I still want to do military things with him.

However, only major factions are allowed to have large standing fleets and armies. From here:

5. Only a Major Faction has the resources necessary to role-play having a large fleet, army, etc.

We can't keep the the entire federal military as is then, because we're no longer a major faction. So, one option for us to use the Directorate affiliation for most of military stuff - that will be continuing. Another option would be to bring remnant forces under the umbrella of the Antarian Rangers. I'm open to other ideas though.

 

[Jax Thio]

I'd say stay major, it's the only faction that's purely about the Jedi. Sure, there's the NJO, but they work in tandem with the GA while the Silvers remain their own entity. It's something that I find interesting when it comes to storytelling.

 

[Gir Quee]

Jax Thio the centrality of the Jedi is more unique to the SJC. I still think the concept of the SIlver Jedi Concord (or even just the order itself) has a lot of merit and potential areas to explore.

However, it's an OOC issue right now. I'm not going to be able to run it any more. Which means that if we do decide to keep major, someone needs to be willing to be MFO.

 

[Rex Valhoun]

As an outsider, I won't vote, but I'd really like to see y'all stay around for many reasons.

First off you guys rock. I've written with you multiple times, with The Empire, and previously with The Bryn. I'd hate to see you disappear and cause a vacuum in The Core.

Secondly, you're the biggest ally to my Empire, which is big right now because we're a bit low on the activity side.

So if I can help in any way, I'm happy to, however if you choose to go minor I'm happy to continue to write stories with y'all till you return!

 

[Gir Quee]

All right, we have a volunteer to be major faction owner: Matsu Ike .

For those who are not familiar with Matsu, she used to be one of the SJO's more prolific writers and a frequent creator in the Factory. She is behind the SJC's current set of standard issue robes.

 

[Aayla Shan]

Voted on the wrong character Crysis .

I'm fine either way, if Matsu Ike wants to take up the mantle, they have my vote, and support as I've noted in the Discord.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

As one who has made the mistake of dragging out a faction (twice), and an apparent honorary silver, I would like to weigh in (but not vote). I have been looking forward to stories with this faction, but one should take a long and hard look at how the faction will be moving going forward.

Any new FO will have to reignite the spark that will get posts going, and they must formulate some idea to keep it going. If there is no plan. If all you have is hoping for the best, then is it really viable?

I want you to stay, but no one should want you to stagnate.

 

[Madison Starr]

I like the Minor idea. Let the Concord decide they've had enough of the joint Jedi-Military force that protects 'Silver Space' and vote to give all the planets back their independence. (Just like Hutt Space.)

The Silver Jedi and the military are honored as heroes and get to bow out gracefully. Leaving the rest of the map open for new stories and new factions to rise as independents when our cloud disappears. Very natural. Very positive spin on things.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

I will wholeheartedly support either decision in this matter. Speaking as one of the few founding members that's been through it all, I can guarantee that no other major faction in this site's history has ever earned its rest more so than the Silver Jedi. We've weathered every storm and held firm, not the least of which being the Bryn'adûl War where we acted as the galaxy's shield.

If we end up choosing to go minor, I have zero objections. We've been a major faction for almost 8 IRL years, far longer than anyone could have imagined. In our lifetime there have been countless majors that failed to stand the test of time, including numerous iterations of Sith factions, Imperial factions, Mandalorian factions, etc.

Regardless of our decision, I feel my time has finally come. I've been a staff member of this faction pretty much since its inception, to varying degrees of activity, and lately I just haven't found the urge to keep going. I've therefor come to the decision that as leadership of the Silver Jedi changes hands once more, I too intend to finally step down as a member of faction staff.

And no amounts of lightside cookies will make me change my mind this time.

 

[Kei Amadis]

I voted major but only because I have so much history here. Any other faction i'd have abstained for my long absence. I have seen what happens to factions that go minor and only a handful make it for any length of time.

Can't say anything more or less but yep that's it.

Oh and I love Matsu as a writer but they already know that so. I'd vote for them any day of the week.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

I've been with the SJO/SJC nearly since its founding. I've watched it become possibly the longest running major faction on the site. In a perfect world, we would be able to continue on as normal.

As things are, it sounds like that's no longer possible. And that's ok. With limited options for MFOs and a great deal of strain on the remaining staff, perhaps it's time to bow out of the map game and just focus on telling stories by themselves as a Jedi Order. We've been at this for a long time now, many of us have grown up, started new jobs, started families. As our lives change, as do our needs for an entity like this.

We may no longer be a Major, but the community we've amassed and the bonds we've forged as part of it will remain forever. Our stories can continue and we can continue to focus on the fun factor that we've brought for the last 8 years.

 

[Gir Quee]

This is a tough call for me, and I'm not 100% certain it is the right one.

But since Matsu (Junko Ike) has stepped up to volunteer to be MFO, I'm going to open up the next MFO owner vote this weekend.

For those in our Discord, Sunfrog outlined some challenges facing our faction. I think they're largely on point though I don't think they are necessarily as severe as stated. These are issues that come eventually to almost all major factions they have existed for at least a few years - factions end up with stale ideas and baggage with other writers. I don't think they're insurmountable for the right team, but I don't think it's going to be cakewalk.

But let me provide a few observations to explain my course of action, especially since I'm going against the overall numbers in the poll.

Most of us who voted to go minor have been members for a long time, most of whom were more active in the past. One voter has not made a SJC-related post in years. Another one has only posted once with their SJC character during my tenure as MFO here (to the best of my knowledge). The general activity level of these voters (and I don't mean all of you) for the SJC recently has been low. And that particularly makes sense given this viewpoint, because you may feel that there is no more point to the faction or you may feel like you're happy with how things have turned out - quit while you're ahead so to speak - or you just feel like it's time to move on to other things.

To be clear, I don't think that there's nothing wrong with being at that point. All things come to an end eventually, or at least we lose some of initial passion for them.

On the other hand, while the number of voters choosing to remain major are currently the most active writers within the faction. The top one or two writers in this category easily have written more posts than all of the voters in the first category put together during my time as MFO.

To me, these are the people more invested in the SJC as it currently is and in its future.

And there are more than five people voting this way. To become a major faction, a faction must have five writers. Ergo, these writers who want us to stay major alone form the minimum to establish a major faction per the board rules. I could theoretically take us minor, and they could with some work submit a new version of the SJC to go right back to major.

For those of you who have thought about going minor, I think that most of the opportunities associated with it are still there if we remain major. You can choose to decouple your characters from the faction if you so desire or retire them with almost whatever story you want.

But the reverse is not true.

If I take the faction minor right now, there are some issues for our more active writers. As discussed with Caltin above, it limits fleeting, people who want to write with large amounts of forces, or people who want to have a solid hold / claim on assets when roleplaying with other major factions.

I do not want to be the one to take those opportunities or abilities from our most active writers, who I have seen using them. The contrapositive is also true - If I saw that our most active writers wanted to quit, but a bunch of less active writers wanted us to stay major, I'd take us minor.

So I intend for us to stay major, but I will reiterate that the SJC's status as a major faction is tenuous because of our relatively low activity.

I give Matsu or anyone else who wants to be MFO my full support in their efforts, and I will continue to write a few of my characters within the faction itself though I will probably less active.

 

[Aayla Shan]

Most of us who voted to go minor have been members for a long time, most of whom were more active in the past. One voter has not made a SJC-related post in years. Another one has only posted once with their SJC character during my tenure as MFO here (to the best of my knowledge). The general activity level of these voters (and I don't mean all of you) for the SJC recently has been low. And that particularly makes sense given this viewpoint, because you may feel that there is no more point to the faction or you may feel like you're happy with how things have turned out - quit while you're ahead so to speak - or you just feel like it's time to move on to other things.

 

[Matsu Ike]

I will admit that I was tentative about the support that might be given but am surprised in a good way so thank you.

As I said on discord, I am not going to promise the moon, I am going to try and curate the stories many have been doing and try to help where I can. Iella/Coci did a lot with Rasu, Sochi and Aika when they left the Republic under Kiskla and Popo to make the faction and it has seen a great deal of change for the good and for the bad... and some for the indifferent.

Most of you I do not know well or have had small conversations with, some I have made equipment for over the years. So I am looking forward to meeting this new crop of jedi and I want to go for ideas. I want to use the worlds within silver jedi space for stories and there are some good ones that could be told. I reached out to GIr because I believed I could help and as he said

On the other hand, while the number of voters choosing to remain major are currently the most active writers within the faction. The top one or two writers in this category easily have written more posts than all of the voters in the first category put together during my time as MFO.

To me, these are the people more invested in the SJC as it currently is and in its future.

THey want to be major and I will do all that I can to aid them, if being on chaos since augest 2013 almost daily (barring evacuations from fire and power outage) I haven't gotten crushed yet and shall endeavor to incorporate your ideas and your stories into things. This will be hopefully like a better DnD session with the MFO using backstory and important points to craft the narrative to engage. That does mean that I need to know what it is that you guys would like to see or do. As I saw something about darkside antagonists and we could do that... there is always a chance for darkside cults or groups. Gir has given me a run down on the hutts and ashlan somewhat. I'll reach out to the creative team members on the discord and see what sort of plot ideas they have.

My discord and pm's are open if you have questions or want ideas and preferably Matsu likes meeting and getting and IC feel for the different people she is around. She has done threads with Caltin Vanagor and seen how stubborn he could be. She made for Aayla Shan one fo the fastest starfighters in the galaxy that I am not sure if she still uses. Kei Amadis and Matsu have known each other forever and Gir Quee is always welcome as he helped with ideas but inspired aspects of the ships in the Kenobi Fleet. There is a number of robes from Sasori's robe series to fit any flavor of jedi and while on Ahch-To many more advancements have been worked on in terms of force or technological development. Self replenishing rations for the field, force enhancing bacon, force blades to aid and focus the mind for teleportation, purified force crystals and materials for construction. We have a great deal of resources to work on solving situations. We'll have even more in the future.

Matsu works with Romi Jade and Coren Starchaser in the enclave as needed and when she is around Jyoti Nooran is always welcome. Darth Ophidia is someone I have wanted to work with for awhile so if she is willing who knows in the future. Jax Thio is someone I know as around and am not sure if we have crossed in threads before but if you are around it will be good to have you.

Now one of the downsides is... I am not always tactful about things.. I will make jokes and if you don't like them tell me. The other is I am heavily bias towards traditional shadows and have always disliked Iella's silver shadows.... but if that is a rroute you guys want then I will work to make things you can do and come up with some ideas.

Lastly I generally work 5 days a week from 8:30 to 6:30 west coast time so I can take questions and will get back to you when I get home.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

I.am.not.stubborn.