Welcome to O'Shaughnnessy Base, Devon Continent, Rochester, Federated Commonwealth
AU To Reboot in July 2014
This message is for both potential new members, and for old members, alike. I intend to try this grand experiment one more time, because I think it's worthy, because my conscience will not allow me to let it go, and because I am a stone-cold glutton for punishment. If you received a message from me pointing you to this page, it was not meant to be responded to, especially if you're going to hate on me; it is simply to inform you that I may have been down, and I am too busy, now, but I will not stay out.
In one year's time, roughly the end of June 2014, I will be sending out messages to ALL former members of AU asking them if they desire to try and forge on. Why one year? Firstly, I am now in college to finish my degree in Homeland Security/ Emergency Management, and by the end of next May I intend to get out of Colorado, forever. Second, this amount of time will, hopefully, allow me to find work that I love, and allow my sons and I to get our lives straight just in time for my oldest to leave home. Finally, this amount of time will determine whether MechWarrior Online and/or MechWarrior Tactics will still be viable games, perhaps even complete ones, which will in-turn help determine the course of this unit. My bet is that both games will not only be here, but will be very strong, indeed, and as close to BattleTech as their individual game mission statements have expressed.
Lessons Learned
You can either let the ignorant and selfish and non-understanding people of the world beat you to a pulp, and die from your wounds; or, you can choose to take your lumps, get up, and do it all again, even if you continue to bleed. Move or die!
One year is a long time from now, but it's also an extremely short amount of time and will pass before any of us knows it. Over the course of this year, I intend to finish several things unit-wise, revise several others, and prepare for the renewal in accordance with the lessons learned, especially over the previous iteration, which lessons and remedies are detailed, below.
In re-igniting the fires of Armageddon Unlimited for a fourth time, there are many lessons I have learned concerning running this unit effectively. For one, I cannot simply appoint people to take high positions and hope they will do well; people will need to EARN their positions, though a brevet program will exist to place people in opening slots as I need them, in order for this unit to grow. Second, as was heavily recommended by the previous iteration's Command & Staff, there will be a rather extensive Reserves list; indeed, everyone will begin on the Reserve's list, except for me, at the rank of
E1 Recruit. Any points you have earned, from your application through active duty with AU in the past are still yours, still accounted for, and will only improve as necessary for how you characterize your continuing service in AU. However, everyone will begin at the bottom, and will have to EARN their way up, within the following rules...
- Your completion of various portions of available training in AU will determine whether you can advance to certain positions within our unit. Requirements for advancement include education, time-in-service, and activity on our forums, on TeamSpeak, and in the game;
- The less you do with these, the slower you will advance, and the fewer positions and opportunities for advancement will be available to you;
- If you advance in the unit, and EARN a position, and then someone passes you because they've done more work, you will be replaced and moved to a less-intense portion of the unit. Do not lose your command, or your advancement, because someone is more competitive than you.
I will not appoint anyone to a position unless they have EARNED it. This means there will be no Executive Officer, no Regiment, Battalion, Company, or Lance commanders, unless they are breveted, or they EARN their way there. If you have not completed your education opportunities and you're not very active, even if you have the rank to be able to do it, that rank will be breveted, and you will be frozen in that position until I need to brevet you higher and/or you earn the next highest position.
In short, if you do the work, you will EARN the prestige, the rank and the requirements and responsibilities of that rank, and the position to which you aspire, or to which we need you to participate by brevet.
Third, there are conditions and requirements, and they are rightly and justly set forth by my authority as the Commanding Officer and Founder of Armageddon Unlimited, that need to be met in order for this unit to function correctly. If that is not understood by someone, whether from the Reserves or the Officer Corps, that someone is welcome to find the door.
Is this a game? Yes.
Is this also a team sport? Yes.
And, if you don't show up to participate, you will not advance.
So, for those of you who wish to come and just play the game, your lack of participation on the forums and in TeamSpeak, and your lack of completion in the education programs available, will keep you where you want to be. For those of you, however, who are more serious about seeing this unit succeed, and in moving forward with your career and responsibilities in AU, in seeing your privileges, prestige, rank, and position improve, your diligence in service to AU will also show through, and you will gain those things.
Fourth, rank will work from the bottom up, and is based on your application points accrual and your service to AU. If you have enough points to be a Lieutenant, you will start off, nonetheless, at the rank of Private. If you desire to be an Officer, and take your rightful rank of O2 Lieutenant, you will complete your education opportunities, gain time-in-service, and be active with AU, as described, above. Then, near the beginning of each month, you will be promoted accordingly. If you fail to commit yourself to completing these items, your promotion will stop at E3 Private, 1st Class. Once you've completed Lance Leader requirements, you may be promoted into an Active unit slot from the Reserves and given the rank of E4 Sergeant. From there, once you complete Officer educational requirements, you may be promoted to O1 Lancer and command your Lance as an actual Officer rather than an NCO. Remember, you may also be breveted to these positions. If you choose not to advance to Officer, and earn the right to do so, you can become an E5 Senior Sergeant, an E6a Master Sergeant and, if the slot becomes available, E6b CSMAU, the highest Enlisted Rank in the unit.
Fifth, as new portions of the unit come open, in the way of Lance's, calls to fill those positions will go out to members of AU before recruitment outside the unit begins; those in Active slots will be queried first, followed by a unit-wide call, including the Reserves, then completed with a Recruitment call on the MWO forums, and in other appropriate places of recruitment. You must be continuously, minimally active in Armageddon Unlimited to hold an Active position, including being an Officer, or you are just a MechWarrior. Minimally active means you're dropping with the unit enough times a week that your name is recognized and you're greeted fondly, or that you have a good reason for not dropping, and that you check the forums several times per week, preferably posting something, whether you like forums or not.
In short, if you are unknown, you are NOT active, and thus will be removed to the Reserves after a reasonable amount of time.
Your career in Armageddon Unlimited is based on your activities within the unit, and the unit's needs. Don't be out-paced by someone new to the unit because they forged ahead of you. The reason everyone is starting at the bottom is because I want only the appropriate people, who actually care about Armageddon Unlimited, in positions of authority and power, people who have EARNED my trust and who have EARNED the right to be where they are. As well, I have had enough of appointing the people I thought were right for the job, only to find out they couldn't care less about how this organization runs, and have instead counter-manded the rules, regulations, and direct orders of this organization, which are not burdensome for anyone in their right mind, in favor of their own agenda. So, now, if you want to have your own agenda, and you want to make change for the better or worse in and of AU, you'll have to EARN that right.
Now, if you're up to the challenge and you've already been a member of Armageddon Unlimited, simply let me know you want back in and you're ready for this. If you're new to this whole thing, and can wrap your head around what's been written, here, then when I open this back up for recruitment, including the forums, feel free to go to the application on our forums, copy and paste it into an email, fill it out, and send it to me.
If what I've described, above, is ambiguous to you, in any way, or you're unable to see yourself under these sorts of rules, thank you for visiting and good luck in the games.
Thank you.
Colonel Kay Wolf, Armageddon Unlimited, in transition
ARMAGEDDON UNLIMITED - DEAD, BUT WHY?!
NOTE: If enough former MechWarrior's want AU back, get a petition together and let me know!
REQUIREMENTS:
• A dedicated web space with designer/maintainer
• A dedicated administrator/records keeper
• Individuals willing to act for the better of AU
← Click here for our full history. Armageddon Unlimited has been around a long time, from the tabletop game beginning in 1985 to getting our 'Mech on beginning in '97 through '99 with MechWarrior's 2 and 3, and '02 through '04 with MechWarrior 4, and last between early '07 and early '08 with MW4: Mercs in Inner Sphere Wars. This will be the fourth time we will have this unit up and running, and this time promises to be the best. Welcome.
← Click here and shoot us an email if you're looking for a home in MechWarrior Online, mercenary work appeals to you, and you want a good place to hang your hat. Feel free to ask any question(s) you have; I promise, we don't bite... Oh, and feel free to check out our recruitment policy, as well...
← Click here to find our recruitment standards and policy; don't worry, it's nothing all that hard to do.
DISCLAIMER: BattleTech, MechWarrior, BattleMech, 'Mech, and other associated terms are Publisher and Electronic Copyright © Smith & Tinker. MechWarrior: Online © Piranha Games Inc. and Smith & Tinker. MechWarrior Online Log used with permission (@Garth Erlam). MechWarrior 4: (et al) is © Cyberlore and Microsoft. MechWarrior 3: (et al) is © WizKids, Zipper Interactive, Hasbro, and Microsoft. MechWarrior 2: (et al) is © Activision, FASA Studio, and Microsoft. No copyright infringement is intended by anything posted on this web site.
Armageddon Unlimited (we are the ONLY originals) started in 1985 as Red Death Squadron, '87 as Wolf's Cavaliers, '92 as Equal Opportunity Destroyers, '95 as Shadow Blade/Lynx Lancers and, finally, '97 as Armageddon Unlimited for MW2: Mercs, MW3, MW4, and MW: O each new name advanced as a result of a new Commanding Officer and/or a new era. So, you imitators out there claiming Armageddon Unlimited as your name, make sure you hold to a high and honorable standard, or we're comin' for ya. 'Nuff said.
If you have any questions, comments, or complaints about this site, please feel free to contact the Webmonkey.
