Whats Wrong, and Why (Training and Communication)

Kerion, Fri Jul 21 2017, 03:30AM

To Start, I do not in any way am trying to seem hateful, arrogant, or tedious in any way. I do not wish to hurt any goal, or mindsets set by any staff/community memeber. My main goal is to speak my mind and if so for some people around me and to help this community.
First- - Training

The System we had for Training (Basic) worked, and worked well but the main problem was that it wasn't suited for a large influx of people (which have been in large numbers recently). This of course called for action by which the "Galactic Council" decided it was best to scrap all previous training programs and share CR's between servers (for training). While a good idea on paper I believe it has been disastrous, I myself have spoken to a multitude of people who never knew this "training" between servers was a thing until the CR's brought it up. I myself have waited 2 weeks for this day 7/20/17 for my training and just today I learned that "I have to go to a new TS, and a new Server to get trained for this one". I have already been re-trained 3 times becasue there was either a trainer who did not do their job and shoved me aside or there was a new program everyone was getting trained in. Also I am not alone in this long wait, I have been in contact with a group of other CRs who are just as disappointed as I am when they logged into the server, almost 1 hour before the training, waiting till the designated time and get told out of no where "Ya, we aren't doing training anymore". This is one major problem among others that would like to bring to the attention to the Community and staff here at the 501st.

I and many others (Ranging from CR-C to CM) have seen a influx of CR-Cs that have came in from the "new" training that have no clue about what to do in the 501st becasue our server is not the same as others. Besides that most of them get trained the same day that they joined the Legion. As a result more Slots that were once reserved and or open for previous CR (that have been waiting for a long time) are now not available due to the fact that they were taken from underneath them by a "newbie" CR-C.

I do not in any way think that is fair for the people who have waited for designated training days to be shoved aside to a another Star-sim server to be trained. Yes the trainers might be better there, yes they might have better equipment but the simple fact is that it not the 501st training. The 501st trains CR in a great fashion, and I didn't think this change should of occurred so drastically they are not just effecting CRs (that have showed their loyalty by waiting for weeks on end) but it is also effecting new players to the Legion and even new players to Arma in general! It is not allowing the new players to learn how the 501st operates, because what I heard many times was that their "training" either they did not cover 501st protocols or they just did not care to carry over the information from the 258th to the 501st. The 501st community should be trained by Older 501st members, becasue there is always something

Solution -

To start off with, the Leaders of this Community have not included the 501st legion in any new Updates for as long as I have been here. The largest display of a "Update Preview" was when CX Revan (Not favoring, just using an example) showed the 501st Discord photos of the New Mod Update. That is just out-right horrible. The lack of communication going on here is just surprising, because the community should have a say in what goes on. It does not matter wither its shutting down the server or just have a new 1.1.1 update the Community should know about it. The more that is thrown onto new players the less they will tolerate. I am not trying to shoot down the higher staff at all, I just want them to know that they have been blessed with this influx of people and that the more time they do nothing about it the worse the situation will become.

I believe that the higher-ups should of POSTED something about how this system was going to change, as well as FULFILL the post that they have created saying that they were going to train apon a certain date at a certain time. If you posted something that your are training, either got to each person that signed up and tell them individually that "We aren't training anymore, please join here" or train them on a different time and or date. Also keep the Community updated and knowledgeable about what is going on., becasue the last people you want to blind side every day are the people who you will be playing with. Last but not least ANNOUNCEMENTS, I have seen servers from a lot of different gaming aspects (From gmod, arma and even CS:GO clans) all fall and die from mere lack of announcements, wither it be 'Server shutting down from 10pm-11pm" or "Closing server for good" it good to let people know becasuse they could be on LOA's know whats going on and or be a new person. What ever is if you could get 1 word out of my Post have it be COMMUNICATION and our server has none.

I am happy to talk with staff about ideas to help with this community, wither it be posting more on Forums and Discord or managing a the website. What ever is it, we all have something great and we all want to keep the ball rolling, so if you like my Ideas please leave a Comment.! If you hate them, even better leave a comment about why and we can chat!

-Thank You for Reading
Kerion


Re: Whats Wrong, and Why (Training and Communication)
CX-X Namenai, Fri Jul 21 2017, 06:52AM

imo the discord should be the primary source of info cause its easy to use. I do agree with the lack of comms both macro(higher ups to bottom on community info) and micro(during ops).

Id like if CT's and CS/CP would do squad leads/ team leads as it would set a example of how command should be on a micro scale. I do understand letting CRC lead( imo CR shouldnt lead cause shines tongue ) but if theres no baseline/reference line then thnigs could go wrong.

As for communication with the community,discord would probably be the best and you could have it where people would have to link their forum/steam accounts to it to prevent any unwanted persons.

the biggest problem is imo that there isnt enough people in leadership, or enough active ones. This could be down to the times that I play but idk
Re: Whats Wrong, and Why (Training and Communication)
BC Jay, Fri Jul 21 2017, 04:23PM

Thank you for posting your concern.

First - Training

The system we had in place (Initial) Training worked in a sense but we could not sustain the large number of people. This new idea of a integrated training is a new concept on being worked on by all sides. It isn't the final product, nor is it perfect. Yet. We're working on it, and learning with every cycle that goes through. It looks good on paper, but like any plan, or course of action it takes time, understanding, and patience to refine and work on something this large. The people, that need to be concerned about the Training are CR's only. CR-C's or anyone besides CP's or higher shouldn't concern themselves with it. Those people that completed our Initial Training on our side are grandfathered in. And I apologize, for in this large community, and running one this size, I'm completely new to. Guidance was given out to instruct new CR's on what to do, and possible waivers for those that have been here long enough and we deemed didn't have to go through it. The, logging into the server, and hour before and waiting for the time and getting told it isn't happened, happens for one of two things. Information was not passed along by your fellow troopers to yourself, and along with It I failed in the sense of getting that information down to you guys.

Second - Influx of people and placement

The large influx of people coming from the trainings etc If you actually look most were slotted in last night 7/20/2017. Further CR-C's that have are being placed in 1st, and 2nd PLT, which they have not yet been placed into because for the most part these "older" CR-C's havn't been around or seen for upwards of 2 weeks. So these select groups of CR-C's that would like to get placed, where are they? Where are there names? Why havn't these concerns been voiced, and I have not heard about it? Communication goes both ways. Not just from the top to bottom. but from bottom to top as well. Again, before place the "older" CR-C's which I'm handling personally right now I'm waiting on them to come online, so I may talk about their placement. I'm not going to give a slot to someone who hasn't been here in 2 weeks. Just not happening then we just have dead PLTs.

Third - Fairness

Indeed it might not be fair, for those who have wait for designated days for trainings to be shoved aside. Indeed, you were not "shoved aside", and for the information of those reading this, that other Starsim server is hosted by the 501st. And, IT IS the 501st training if you take the same principles of the training we were doing, and take it from there it IS the same training. Future AIT training for designated roles are in the works. More advanced medical training, down to assault troopers. If you look up, at most the older CR-C's they joined and trained on the same day as well, and just cause it is a new form of training I believe this to be a unfair judgment on your part. They, took it upon themselves that day to train and want to join. So did these new people.

Forth - Solution

The current solution is as followed.

GARC training is staying for the foreseeable future. If you want to be apart of it, and HELP the cause then get with myself, or a trainer on that server. It's not just "258th Training" its 501st training as well, we have OLDER members over there helping training. The basic protocols etc, for the 501st, is gone over in Inprocessing and further "protocols" arn't going to come from initial training, that is to each them the BASICS in arma to help them, not teach them OUR protocols. The FTX's, PLT, and Squad trainings are better suited to teaching protocols to new people. Even the FUNOP stuff, is where you'll find most the the protocol training. What better way to learn, and stuff about the community, than acutally playing with them? Even after the new training. Communication is currently being worked on. This, mentality to just go, "Ask Jay" has to stop. Information is put out, and it MUST trickle down. This is something we are working on our side. This new system is currently in place as of Sunday. I'm currently writing up the correct post to, to post about this, and to be discussed at the Town hall tonight.

Side Comments

I currently agree with the large part of everything you're saying don't get me wrong. We're heavily understaffed and currently trying to fix that. We boomed in a month, and it was said "DONT CLOSE RECRUITMENT WE'LL LOSE PEOPLE" Well, you see where the boom has got us, because we didn't and didn't take the time to place our foundations and get properly set up we're now on the standstill and ITS HURTING US.

In the future, for people that WANT to help us, the way isn't about posting about it. It's asserting yourself, ATTEMPTING to help and ATTEMPTING to solve the problem for people instead of sitting on it and letting it boil over. Is it not? Yes, it might be hard sometimes to get in touch with someone I know. IF you came from the steam posts you'll read that, it says we NEED patience, and understanding. This is ALL NEW. and Isn't going to happen over night. Larger community like this had YEARS or even just a year to set up. This communit has had less than 3 months.

Regards,
Jay