Mock Cadet Training Manual
This training manual will walk you through the process of acting as a Mock Cadet for a training group. Please read carefully, keep this site bookmarked, and refer to the manual on a daily basis during your training class. The Training Admin team takes procedure and process very seriously, and this manual details the exact training progression that has shown to work best in successfully graduating cadets.
Role
The Mock Cadet has a very important role in helping to keep the group active. Often the number of applications can be too low to justify an actual group of just cadets. Nonetheless, a class must be formed to ensure that we don't lose applicants to waiting too long before beginning a group. As such, the Mock Cadet participates within the group, acting as a cadet themselves, to give other cadets confidence and show by example how to sim. Mock Cadets should not reveal that they are already actual members of our group.
Pre-Requisites
- Acceptance into the training team by the Academy Commandant
Main duties
- Sim often
- Sim well
- Interact with other cadets IC
Challenges
- Not overwhelming the cadets
- Not revealing that you are already a group member
- Simming in accordance to the tutorials that are sent out so as to show good examples for the cadets
- Using characterization, introspective sims, and flashback sims where appropriate to give cadets ideas on other ways to make their sims interesting
Expectations
Before going any further, be aware that there a number of things we expect from a Mock Cadet. While this position isn't as "visible" to the cadets, as they think you're one of them, it's still a critical part of a successful group. If cadets feel like they are engaged by others, they are more likely to feel a part of the community and want to finish successfully.
While the training admin team, who authored this list, realize that it sounds harsh and demanding, we hope that it's clear why a strict attention to quality is absolutely necessary. The current low number of available, incoming applicants makes it necessary to ensure that each and every cadet who is recruited manages to make it to a ship. The more professional we appear, the more likely we are to gain word-of-mouth recruits.
- Attendance: all officers who volunteer are expected to participate in the training class all the way through. Unless life or limb is at stake, you ARE expected to at least give us the courtesy of a short e-mail stating that you cannot participate if something comes up before the end of the class.
- Simming regularly: mock cadets are expected to meet the same requirements as regular cadets! This means at least three, high-quality sims. We hope that, in the spirit of helping cadets learn the art of simming, that you will sim more often.
- The importance of proof-reading: You MUST proof-read and spell-check sims before sending them out. This not only helps your sims look more professional, but also helps to catch any misspellings.
- Simming well: ALL training officers in a group are expected to be an exemplary example of what a simmer is, and does. That means not leaving any open response tags, not power simming, and so on.
- NPCs: NO sims are allowed from Mock Cadets which are entirely for an NPC character. Such sims generally confuse the cadets, and direct the plot away from cadet creativity. While training officers (the CO and FO) are allowed to use NPCs in their true form -- as side characters who facilitate the direction of the plot -- mock cadets should NOT be using NPCs, except to interact with ones that the CO or FO created.
- Behind-the-scenes collaboration: mock cadets should not be collaborating to direct the plot towards any specific ending or event. They should instead be responding to the "real" cadet plot direction. If the cadets are failing to move the plot forward, the CO and FO will use the staff list to decide a course of action.
- Everyone is expected to focus solely on helping the cadets discover good ways of moving the plot forward with their characters.
How does this work?
After you volunteer for a training group, and you have been accepted as a mock cadet, you will receive an e-mail sent directly from one of the training admin staff to you and the other training officers. The e-mail will tell you what training list you're on, and give you the name, e-mail address, and group position of all the other training officers participating in this round.
You will next receive an invitation to the main academy list for this group. Please respond quickly, and affirmatively following the directions of Yahoo! Groups. If you don't receive the e-mail, be sure to check your junk/spam folders.
Once you're on this list, you'll also receive an invitation to the staff list. Respond again quickly and affirmatively.
In the introductory e-mail from the training admin staff, you should see a link to the "Roll Call" e-mail. Go immediately to that link and copy/paste the "roll call requests" into a new e-mail. You may not receive this e-mail in your inbox, as it was probably sent before you were subscribed to the list. As such, you'll need to create your own e-mail and put in the academy list's e-mail address, copy/paste the original subject heading and put a "Re:" in front of it, and then copy/paste the roll call requests into the new e-mail. Answer as you would if you were a cadet, and send it off.
The Commanding Officer will write an introduction to the academy list and tell the cadets who they are. They will then wait about 24 hours for all of the cadets to respond (including the mock cadets!) and send out the first sim. We strongly encourage all mock cadets to get their sim responses out FIRST, before regular cadets do. This will help the regular cadets see what a "good sim" looks like.
From thereon out, it's simply your duty to sim as you were if you were a cadet, and "lead by example."
Do I need a new character?
We recommend that you create a new character when playing as a mock cadet. Use this chance to be creative and play a character you wouldn't normally!
Remember: you must also submit a bio to the group, when asked. Be sure to have one ready and e-mail it in when it is requested!
Do I need a new e-mail address?
You are not required to create a new e-mail address for use. However, you're welcome to do so if you'd like that extra layer of "protection" against a cadet finding out who you are. If you are going to use a new e-mail address, please notify the Deputy Commandant before the group begins.
What if a cadet finds out who I am?
No problem. We don't disavow you like the CIA might if you're discovered! Just fess up, and tell them that members of our community often play along in training groups to help cadets learn faster. Ask them nicely to not blow your cover with other cadets, to keep it fun for everyone.
