Arma 3 metagame

The Arma 3 metagame is an underlying social system that exists to facilitate the play of Arma 3 in the Endurance Coalition

Flowchart of how to go from an enlisted to a member.

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 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.

Soliciting for assistance in getting certified on something can be done in the cantina Discord forum. Members are not obligated to certify others, so one may need to shop around a bit. A member who wishes to document their successful certification of another person will do so by telling an EDC moderator or administrator.

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 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, people without a specific role can choose to fill it, but preference is given to those present that have 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 by 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 expire annually. At the discretion of the EDC administration, a member who fails to timely re-certify may be reduced in rank until they catch back up, with all of the relevant restrictions the reduced rank entails.

Ranks

Visual quickly identifying the restrictions pertinent to each rank.

The term rank is misleading, as it doesn't refer to someone being a “private”, “lieutenant”, or etc. It's a linear 3-step ladder which indicates knowledge of the game and whether the person fits in socially.

The ladder is as follows:

1. Enlisted
2. Cadet
3. 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.

Those who are enlisted may not participate in an operation unless it is marked “casual” by the operation creator. This is because EDC wishes to ensure that participants in a more “serious” environment have a baseline understanding of Arma and how to play collaboratively.

To verify this understanding, the enlisted must complete the Standard Qualification 1 certification. If the enlisted is experienced in Arma they are encouraged to go the checklist route to save time. 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 the enlisted is successfully certified on Standard Qualification 1, they are immediately eligible to become a cadet.

Cadet

Cadets are permitted to join non-casual operations, but they may not take roles with heightened responsibility. This means they cannot be medics, cannot be squad leaders, or any other role deemed to meet the criteria. A role meeting this criteria is determined by the operation creator and/or the EDC administration. This prohibition is in force even in situations where slotting into a role without it's certification would otherwise be allowed.

This restriction is in place because, while Standard Qualification 1 is a good foundation, there are more skills that EDC wants all their members to have. Furthermore, before becoming a member, a “vibe check” is desired by the unit. Being a competent player is great, but if the person just doesn't mesh well with the unit socially, then continuing the metagame is a disservice to both them and EDC. Vibes are easier to assess when someone is not in a role that may be critical to the enjoyment of the operation.

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 which goes over the additional skills that EDC wants prospective members to have. Again, experienced Arma players are encouraged to go the checklist route.
• One step is to participate in at least 1 non-casual operation.

The non-casual operation step is followed internally by all members who attended being asked if they have concerns or complaints with the cadet. This can range from competency (e.g asking at a frustrating rate how to perform actions covered in the Standard Qualifications), to attitude (e.g combative, passive aggressive, not approachable, difficult to get along with), to behavior (e.g insubordinate to operation leadership, failure to heed reasonable advice from a member, actions in-game do not align with EDC ethos). Any concern or complaint will be forwarded to an EDC administrator.

If the EDC administrator determines that concerns or complaints are material, they will contact the cadet to discuss next steps. The steps are determined on a case-by-case basis. In certain circumstances, while regrettable, the EDC administrator may decide to deny membership and remove the cadet from the metagame. It is not EDC's desire to appeal to everyone; sometimes the shoe just doesn't fit. This removal does not impact the individual's ability to interact with the EDC community in whole, nor does it bar them from participating in casual operations.

If the EDC administrator finds that concerns or complaints are manageable, or no concerns or complaints are forthcoming, then the non-casual operation step is completed.

Once the cadet is successfully certified on Standard Qualification 2, and gets a green light from an EDC administrator regarding their non-casual operation, they are immediately eligible to become a member.

Member

A member is a fully-fledged participant in the metagame. They may begin taking on role based certifications, write certifications themselves, and all restrictions the prior 2 ranks possessed are no longer in force.