Arma 3 metagame
 | This page is currently under construction! Expected information may be missing, sections may be empty, prose may cut off abruptly, etc. |
 | The Arma 3 metagame is entirely irrelevant to anyone in the Endurance Coalition who isn't interested in Arma. |
The Endurance Coalition's goal is similar to others: be a safe place to hang out and play games. The caveat is that EDC has a focus towards Arma 3. To facilitate the Arma 3 aspect, there is a “metagame” for it – an underlying social system that exists specifically for it.
The metagame has 2 aspects: certifications and ranks.
Certifications
- For information on how to create certifications, see Creating certifications.
A certification is a course written by any member of EDC and which is rubber stamped by an EDC administrator. A certification can be completed in 1 of 2 ways.
- The person is taught the material by a certified person in real time. Once all material is covered, they are certified.
- The person studies independently and, when ready, demonstrates their understanding through performing actions on the certification’s dedicated checklist – all certifications have these – in the presence of a certified person. If the certified person believes they did everything satisfactorily, they are certified.
Certifications serve 2 purposes. The 1st purpose is Standard Qualification 1 and Standard Qualification 2. These are specialized certifications designed to get someone who has never played Arma 3 before into a state where they are more or less competent at being a riflemen.
The 2nd purpose is to teach how to play specific roles, such as medic or radio operator. The intent here is, as someone gets more certifications, they become a more competent player, and as more people become competent players, operations[1] can be made more challenging and complex.
The carrot used to get people to engage in this system is that, when operations are created, there is typically a sign-up sheet so people can determine ahead of time what role they want to play. Signing up for a role requires having it's relevant certification. Then, on the day of the operation, if any roles are not filled[2], people without a specific role can choose to fill it, but preference is given to those present with the certification. If no one with the certification is able or desires to take the role, then a non-certified person can take it.
Lastly, some certifications expire. This is automatically kept track of with EnduraNet. A member with an expired certification is treated as if they do not have it at all until they re-certify. This is particularly relevant for the Standard Qualification certifications which currently expire annually. At the discretion of the EDC administration, a member who fails to timely re-certify my be reduced in rank until they catch back up, with all of the relevant restrictions the reduced rank entails.
Ranks
The term rank is misleading, as it doesn’t mean you are a “private”, “lieutenant”, or whatever. It’s a 3-step ladder that indicates your proven level of knowledge of how to play the game, and whether you fit the desired “vibe” of the unit – a term used in Arma communities to refer to organized groups of people who play operations together.
The ladder is as follows:
- Enlisted
- Cadet
- Member
Enlisted
An enlisted is someone who is fresh to EDC, fresh to Arma, or both, and has indicated interest in it to an EDC administrator. That’s it.
Those who are enlisted may not participate in an operation unless it is marked “casual” by the operation creator. EDC wishes to ensure that participants in a more “serious” environment have a baseline understanding of Arma and team-based play within it before allowing them to play.
To verify this understanding, the certification Standard Qualification 1 (SQ-1) exists. It teaches the very basics that will be needed to participate in a more “serious” operation without breaking the suspension of disbelief for other players. Once it is obtained, the person is immediately made a cadet.
Cadet
Cadets may now participate in non-casual operations; but they may not take roles with heightened responsibility. This means they cannot be medics, cannot be squad leaders, even should the situation occur where it would otherwise be permissible. This is because while SQ-1 is a good foundation, there is more information – so to speak – that EDC wants all their full members to know. Furthermore, before becoming a full member, a “vibe check” is desired. Being a hyper-competent player is great, but if the person just isn’t a fit for the social dynamics of the community, then that is a disservice to both them and EDC.
So, going from cadet to member is a two-step process, but the steps can be completed in any order. One step is to complete Standard Qualification 2 (SQ-2) which goes over all the additional information that EDC wants to ensure you know. The other step is to participate in at least 1 non-casual operation and, once it ends, all full members will be asked if they have any major complaints or concerns.
If SQ-2 is completed, and no full member voices a complaint or concern, then the person immediately becomes a full member. This is permanent (unless requested), with the caveat that the Standard Qualification duo must be done once a year, and as part of a disciplinary action reduction to a lower rank may be enacted by an EDC administrator.
Member
A full member has no additional caveats to consider. They may begin working on role based certifications if they so desire.