Competition awards

[Lenanor]

I am writing to express concern about a currently-widespread practice: that of using both the IVC/IVM and the MoM to reward competition winners. This is particularly prevalent on the ladders, but is seen elsewhere as well.

This usage is illogical. The Medal of Merit, being a merit medal, ranks higher than the IVC/IVM, so "1st place: IVC-BW; 2nd place: MoM" means that the 2nd-place participant is receiving a higher award than the 1st-place participant.

Also, GE policy specifically prohibits this practice. Per http://empirereborn.net/docs.php?page=MAT :

"What should not ever occur, however, is usage of both merit and service medals to award the victors of a single section of a competition. One or the other must be decided upon. (E.G.- A flying competition requesting the Imperial Victory Cross with Silver Wings for "XvT - 1st Place", Bronze Wings for "XvT - 2nd Place" and a Medal of Merit for "XvT - 3rd Place" is commonly attempted, but may not be awarded as requested. Very simply, if there was enough participation for three placings, then the Gold, Silver, and Bronze variants of the IVC should be awarded. If there was not, then only first and second placings should receive awards.)"

Since there seems to be a need for a competition award ranking lower than the IVC/IVM in bronze, and the MoM does not adequately fill it, I propose a new award: the Imperial Victory Cross with Iron Wings/Leaves, ranking just below the IVC-BW/L. And, for the sake of consistency, I propose an IVM-IB as well.

Comments and suggestions are welcome, of course.

[CM Jamie]

A decent preposition, Lieutenant. I hope it is at least considered.

[COL Longstreet]

In general I indeed agree that the [MoM] as third place is not what I personally like
as it´s a merit medal (lol) and should be seen as this and not downgraded like it´s within nowadays.

But I´m against creating Iron Wings/Leaves/Bar. At first we shouldn´t forget that we have the high valuable Platinum at top, and it´s there to be used. And as second we should eather use SB/BB for 1st and 2nd places and no third (or LoC as third) or, what I´d prefer, more often use GB/SB/BB, also on competitions without sooo much participation.

Well, my opinion

[Munro Burton]

The Platinum is there to be awarded in very infrequent and very large-scale competitions. I quote the JO ladders of the 2006 Summer round before continuing...

Jedi Outcast
1st place - Major Burton with 1788 points (333 games, 257 wins) awarded IVC-GL
2nd place - Corporal Sklib with 1757 points (276 games, 168 wins) awarded IVC-GL

And, as far as the medal search facility tells me, no Platinum Leaves has been awarded. The single Platinum Wings awarded was to the winner of Outer Sectors. The IVM-PB was also awarded once - to the winner of GE Domination II.

That means the Platinum is something considered very rarely awarded, only for supremely extraordinary efforts. Quite outside the capacity of the Combat Ladders - see my quote.

An Iron variant sounds good to me. Of course, it'd be a pity award, given out much like the MoM is... but I suspect most of us wouldn't mind them.

[COL Longstreet]

Yes, but Platinum for Ladders would really be a bit ... special.

To use Iron is some kind of ... remnant policy.

Just ment that Gold, Silver and Bronze should be used more often instead of Silber, Bronze and [MoM].

[steel]

Instead of introducing Iron, I would rather propose a simple IVC, without wings/leaves.

[CM Jamie]

Sounds much better, but then is it clear that it is lesser than the bronze?

[Jagged Fel]

Sounds much better, but then is it clear that it is lesser than the bronze?

Yes, since no device is always the lesser. MoX and MoT are the obvious examples.

[Munro Burton]

I'd think so. IVC, then B, S, G, P variants. Simple enough to me. Only an idiot would fudge it up.

Either way, I'm all for adding a competition medal lower than the bronze... and iron or a plain IVC would do that.

[Lenanor]

I'm opposed to a plain IVC/IVM, because without a device of some kind there's no way to indicate whether it's for space or ground combat (Wings versus Leaves).

Alternatively, we could stay with Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum, and simply not give medals for 2nd and/or 3rd place, where the 1st-place award is Bronze or Silver. (This is the solution advocated in the "Medal Awarding Theory" document.)

Platinum Wings/Leaves/Bar should be reserved exculsively for "supremely extraordinary efforts" (if I may quote Colonel Burton) in very large-scale competitions, on the order of Outer Sectors or Dom II. I can't really see them being used for the ladders (although I suppose, in the most extraordinary of circumstances, they might be appropriate).

I am also opposed to the use of the LoC as a "lower variant" of the IVC. It's intended as a lower-ranking analogue of the MoM, and thus not appropriate to reward competition victors any more than the MoM is.

Ultimately, I think a lower-ranking addition to the IVC and IVM is probably the best solution. (And it doesn't have to be called Iron - if anyone has a better idea, I'll wholeheartedly support that.)

[CM Jamie]

I don't like the idea of not rewarding 2nd/3rd place. How about the IVC-leaves/wings then to show Army/Navy.

[Talon Jade]

I like the plain award idea.

[Vortagh]

@Jamie: You dislike a great many things that make sense. Like Admins. ;P

Anyways, please bear in mind that Ladder medals are awarded for activity on said ladders. If you have three people playing the ladders and they got 10 matches done in a period of - what is it nowadays? Two months? - it's definitely NOT worth awarding medals at all. If 20 people are on the ladders and the guy at the top played 19 matches and the others played one each, it's not fair to give out medals to anyone but the guy who came in first.

Keep one thing in mind people: YOU yourself make up what medals are awarded. Get your fellow pilots and troopers to play - and play often!


I know that this was off-topic, but I figured I might as well mention it.

[Munro Burton]

Aye. Three matches a day is actually manageable(for JO/JA at least), so in the roughly 90-day period, people should theorically be able to get 270 matches.

As far as I know, this has been reached only by myself and Sklib. Even then, only once by each of us.

[CM Jamie]

MUNRO! You aren't still at the academy sitting exams, so it's easy for you to say that!