: Posted by Amanda Noon in Discussion - What is Fleet Identity?
: : Posted by Amanda Noon in Discussion - What is Fleet Identity?
: : * Problem: What is the problem that you are addressing? Why is this problem important to address? Include any relevant background information.
: : * Proposal: What is your solution (the plan)? How does your solution address the problem? This is where the edict text would go for edict proposals.
: : * Discussion: What are some forseen pros and cons? What would your plan cost the club? What would the club gain?
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: : What is Fleet Identity?
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: : In the discussion on Fleet Identity our new President said...
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: : "When I say Fleet Identity, I mean something IC which distinguishes it from other fleets. History, culture, race, landmark, all of these are methods of enhancing fleet identity. Using the oft referenced Fleet 4 as an example, Crell (Not Larry, the planet :P), the Crag, the Seetha and the entire record of the Fleetwides that gave the fleet its name and unshakeable identity that lives with us all these years later."
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: : Yes that is part of what gives a Fleet it's identity... but there is much more to Fleet Identity.
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: : Fleet identity used to include more than just the IC stuff, it is the style of command, the type of ships, speed of posting. It is the people that make that fleet and their creativity. It is past events that have happened to that fleet....
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: : The Great White Fleet.... and the Pink one.
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: : The Fleet Seven Race was unique to Fleet Seven.
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: : Fleet Two is the crazy fleet.
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: : Fleet Four is not only Star Wars but one of the most traditional.
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: : With our President asking us to consider strengthening Fleet Identity, maybe first we need to say what we as a club consider makes a Fleet's Identity. More importantly before we pin ourselves down to standardised report forms.... (a slippery slope towards losing identity maybe?) we should consider what makes each Fleet Unique and how we are going to build on that.
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: : What does the club gain from strong Fleet Identities? I think Andrew describes this best in his election website.
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: : "4. Encouraging Fleet Identity and Individuality
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: : During my last term as FComm-5, I made it a mission of sorts to give Fleet 5 an identity. Whilst I achieved this to a certain extent in previous terms in this role by introducing the Animal Nickname ceremony to the Fleet along with Symon Silvester, its expansion into the mainstream club as a method of indoctrinating newly frocked Captain's made it feel important to me to give the Fleet a greater IC flavour by giving it what identity I could. In concert with the other GM's in the Fleet (I was and still am GM'ing the Entente) we spent several months in email conversation swapping ideas and seeking the best way to integrate our sims more directly into the IC history to create a more corporeal Fleet in the minds of the crews who play in it and those who play elsewhere.
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: : Whilst we didn't get as much as I would have liked done, before the RL gremlins took me, several key ideas were placed to begin giving Fleet 5 an identity.
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: : Fleet 4 has always been known for the Crag and the Fleet-wide sim which gave the fleet its Star Wars-ian identity, much as Fleet 2 has been known for the Flarn in recent years. A Robinson/Olinski administration would like to see each fleet given the tools and resources it needs in order to create its own identity and flavour. We feel that the enjoyment and sense of realism that can be achieved by an undertaking such as this is well worth the effort required to determine with the Command Staffs and crews of the ships in each fleet would like to see as part of their own fleets identity. "
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: : It is interesting to that the first thing he mentions and is proud of is the OOC tradition of animal names for Captains. Fleets need both OOC and IC identities to become strong, supportive communities full of friends who want to stick around for years.
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: : Just my twopennorth to get the ball rolling....
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: : Amanda Noon
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: Bringing this to the front... as it is very relevant to the proposed "standardised" report form.... or should we call it "homogenised"... cos that what it feels like it is doing.
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: Amanda

Thanks for this, Amanda. Fleet Identities was actually on my list of discussions and with the SURF and M&A discussions winding down, this is as good a time as any to get into it :).

I do agree that fleets need both OOC and IC traditions, the animal nickname being the perfect example, as well as the Fleet 6 POM POM awards, although a number of fleets do adopt both of these now, albeit in a slightly different format with the POM POM. Whilst IC traditions that previously tended to be laid out in fleetwide sims are the primary focus for enhancing fleet identity there are a number of OOC traditions that do come into effect. The problem with OOC traditions is that if they're good other fleets tend to use them too, which makes them less unique (such as the animal nick tradition expanding into a clubwide tradition and the POM POM as mentioned).

IC traditions, on the other hand, tend to be unique because of their very geographic specific nature, such as the Fleet 7 flagship race held in the Oecania solar system and the entire Fleet 4 and Fleet 2 storylines.

As to your continued insistence that standardising fleet reports is some sort of elaborate scheme on my part to remove all fleet identity, I find the notion somewhat fallacious. Establishing seperate identities and cultures within each fleet is an absolute priority for me and has been since long before my involvement in any form of government (I frequently spent my first year in the club attempting to push for both a Fleet 5 fleetwide and a Clubwide sim (both momentous tasks, the latter being practically impossible). Fleet reports function as an administrative tool, as each of the commenting members have pointed out in their own arguments for it (the enhanced ability to compare and contrast various ships across the club, the ease in compiling data for the PD, a unified format for each officer to make comments using the same judgement method rather than a number of different methods). Administrative tools shouldn't be independant. In a corporation, the reports issued by each department of that corporation follow a single format, not a number of different formats (I say this having to compile them for my employer daily, weekly and monthly using the same format that is used throughout the world for the same corporation, no matter the department). Even were I to feel your argument here had more merit, the sheer overwhelming support in favour of it is more than sufficient to make it a certainty.

I do think your idea of listing the individual identities established within each fleet and comparing them for the purpose of generating ideas at a clubwide level for enhancing them is excellent. As it was your suggestion, would you care to get the ball rolling with your own list?

Andy