Q4 2021 Update

FleetCom Update

A lot has been going on over the last few months. All three divisions have had a lot of activity and it’s always great to see! Instagram has been active with a number of great posts and we are even starting a TikTok channel! This is an exciting development for us and is being taken up by Douglas. If you have some great in-game clips, make sure to send them over to him. He is currently gathering videos.

Last quarter we introduced a way for members to create their own ad-hoc voice channels in Discord. This seems to be a very popular feature and we are leaving it active for those that like using it.

We would like to thank all those that continue to donate through Patreon or Discord Server Boosting. Our Patreon supporters: Aarius, AnJoy, Bushman, Hubok, Johnrexet, Karrth, Oni, RabbiMaxx, Razzun, Sivien21, Straker, TwoGreen, and Zahraphim. Your continued support is greatly appreciated and is solely used to offset the costs of the Microsoft Azure servers that host all our communication tools and SCNet website.

Discord Server Boosting gives our Discord server a little extra flair from server banners to a custom join link. Discord has recently changed the number you need to reach the different tiers and we have double what we need. If you are looking at canceling or moving one of your boosts, please post it in the #supporters text channel so that we make sure to stay at tier 3. Our Discord Server Boosters: Aramova, CaptainWicky, Ech0Whiskey, FallenHylian, Farquharson, Greg_nog, Hubok, JeffonGaming, Lee Adama, NavyRigger, Oni, Razzun, ReapszD, Sheamus-V, Sivien21, Yuki, and Zahraphim. Sorry, we do not have the ability to determine the number of times each person boosts, but we greatly appreciate all of your support!

Division Updates

ARMA

Human Resources Department

It’s that time of year again ladies and gentlemen! The weather is starting to cool down, the leaves are changing colors, and women all over are flocking to their nearest favorite coffee shop for a pumpkin spice latte. Meanwhile, as it starts to grow chilly outside, things are starting to heat up within the Arma division. In the past three months, there has been a slew of new applicants and promotions, so buckle up, this one is going to be a doozie.

First on the list is our new applicants, AP Sam and AP Duckett. Duckett joins us as a dual member from TFT8. We welcome you both to the unit and are happy to have you with us. Also, we would like to welcome back OP Powell after his return to us from starting his career in the US Navy.

PROMOTIONS FOR ALL! Not really, but it certainly feels like it. Starting from the bottom to the top, we have a laundry list of promotions. Our newest member, Duckett, has completed his TIG as an AP and has been promoted to OA. Rios and Bis have both been promoted to OP. Carl and Lovelace have been promoted to OS3 after volunteering for additional responsibilities within the unit. Khan has been promoted to OS2. Curtis has been promoted to OL3. Lastly, Varian has been promoted to DF. Congratulations to all and keep up the good work.

Things have been shaking and moving within the unit over the course of this last quarter, and there are several individuals who have stepped up and deserve to be recognized for their commitment to the unit. The first of which would be OS2 Khan, who has not only become a junior member of the Training Department, but also VG1’s ATL, and has been appointed the Senior Enlisted Advisor for the whole division. Next, we have OS3 Carl, who has taken on duties as a junior member of the Training department but also has been appointed as VG2’s ATL. OP Bian has been appointed as a junior Training department member as he is helping to develop the still WIP heavy weapons PQS. OL3 Curtis stepped down as the MAC NCO, giving the position to our talented pilot, OS3 Lovelace. Chairman Ferris has stepped down as the Director of the Marketing Department, granting that role to OL3 Curtis, who has earned his quals as an AT instructor and been reassigned to VGHQ as the new Platoon Sergeant.

The final item on the list for the Human Resources Department is the Awards System. At this time, the document for the awards system is complete. However, we are still trying to figure out a way to display awards and medals for each member in the unit.

Research and Development Department

Mad Scientist Chairman Ferris has been hard at work in his laboratory, grinding away at various R&D projects. First and foremost, we said goodbye to the Global Mobilization DLC. As great as some of the details on the weapons, vehicles, uniforms, and other items were in that DLC, having similar, and in some cases, better alternatives in the mod pack already did not justify the 20gig+ hard drive price tag attached to it.

There have been several new additions made to the mod pack by Mad Scientist Ferris, assisted by his Egor equivalent, OL3 Curtis. Over the past quarter, new skins for the A-10V, Mi-35, Mi-17, and Yahbon were added to the pack. In addition to the new skins, Ferris worked his arse off to customize all of these platforms, even going as far as allowing the eastern bloc aircraft to be able to equip NATO weapons. This was accomplished by Ferris’s very own Frankenstein mod, the VVAR Air Weapons Suite.

In addition to new custom, unit-made content, we saw the return of some old mods that were removed in the past. The naval arm of the unit welcomed back the VNMS Crusader after the addition of the Nimitz Experimental build was added back. After a little TLC, we also saw the triumphant return of Custom VVAR Deployables, to accompany the creation of our new Whiskey element (WIP).

One of the most notable additions to the mod pack recently was NiArms new weapon pack, which added a slew of weapons including the XM-8 fish gun weapon system. In regards to recent events, and a desire for our veterans to get a little payback after what happened in Afghanistan, we saw the addition of the Taliban Force 2021. This new mod created a new faction out of our once-favorite targets, gave them modern military armor, weapons, and equipment, including, but not limited to UH-60 Blackhawks. Replacing the aged JSRS sound mod, the addition of SigSounds, and SigSounds Compats has certainly caught our attention.

Lastly, we saw a shift in our map choices. After a handful of ops that created some frame and lag issues for many players, Kerama Island is no more. However, we did see the addition of several new maps. Hebontes will eventually be our new training map after a memory leak issue was discovered on Sugar Lake. Khoramshahr, Laghisola, Scottish Highlands, and TRIA Swamplands are new maps that the mission makers are excited to try out and put into action.

Marketing Department

The past couple of weeks has been a truly exciting time for the Marketing department within VVarSecServices. OL3 Curtis continues to post screenshots of operations onto the VVarMachine Instagram account. As always, the Marketing department encourages everyone to take screenshots for submission to put on our Instagram, and who knows? Maybe your screenshots will get used in future hype videos! Before moving on, I would like to personally welcome OP Bis as a junior member of the marketing department. He and OP Walrus have been taking some incredible screenshots during our operations, which in turn have been used to get us a lot more exposure on Instagram.

For those of you who are unaware, our very own DO Douglas has become something of a TikTok influencer, and he has volunteered his time and experience using TikTok to create and manage a VVarMachine TikTok account. This will be for not only the Arma division but our Star Citizen and PlanetSide 2 divisions as well. TikTok has become a popular social media app over the past year or so, which means that, potentially, this could create a lot of exposure for our unit, and hopefully some new faces across all divisions. The VVarSecServices Marketing department asks that all members who are able, record footage of our ops, be it serious or silly, so we can send that footage to Douggie to post onto the unit TikTok account.

Lastly, and possibly the most exciting thing to happen to the Marketing department in a while, VVarSecServices FINALLY HAS THEIR FIRST RECRUITING VIDEO!!! Special thanks go out to OP Bis, OP Walrus, OA Duckett, OP Rios, CN Ferris, OS1 Dotson, and our TFT8 ally, CW3 Ampers. Without the contributions of video footage and screenshots from all of you, the creation of our first recruiting video would not have been possible. The video itself was several months in the making as footage and screenshots were compiled together. From a recruiting perspective, this could be a huge boon for us. In the past, we have used just recruitment posts on Reddit for recruitment. However, with this recruiting video at our disposal, not only can we use it on Reddit, we will have additional exposure on YouTube, Instagram, and soon, TikTok as well.

Training Department

The last quarter for the Training department can only be described as – BUSY.  In the previous quarter, we saw an influx of new players joining the unit, and after a couple of months, it became apparent that there was a gap within the training department for several of the PQS courses.  This was not the fault of anyone person, but more so an overlooked issue that was a result of losing a large number of members at the beginning of 2021.  Several of the members that either stopped playing or had other interests elsewhere in the unit held several of the instructor positions that were vital to our PQS system.  Once this was discovered, the Training department rushed to correct these errors.  

Many of our members stepped up to the demands that were needed to make our PQS system work, and the Training department is truly grateful for your commitment.  While the PQS system isn’t back up to full speed just yet, because of you all, things are running much smoother than before.  Additionally, OP Bian has been hard at work developing and working on getting a heavy weapons PQS created.  This will utilize the deployable weapon systems we have access to, such as .50 cals, Mk19, 60mm and 82mm mortars, and TOW anti-tank systems.

With the addition of new instructors, we have seen a rise on the number of training being conducted.  Since last quarter, OS1 Dotson and SO Douglas have instructed one member on basic rifleman course and medic course.  CN Ferris has instructed two members in the AT course and certified one instructor for the course.  Additionally, Ferris instructed three members in EOD, as well as certifying OS2 Khan as an instructor, while putting three members successfully through the RTO course. OS3 Carl has been appointed as an AT instructor and certified one member in the course.  OS2 Khan has instructed two members in the CLS course, and three members in the EOD course.  OL3 Curtis certified one AT instructor, instructed six people in the Marksman course, four people on the Basic Rifleman course, and three people on the CLS course.  

Again, thank you all for stepping up and helping to get the Training department back on track! 

Production Department

The Production department has seen several new changes in the past quarter.  We started out the quarter with OP Yuki taking us back into South America to deal with the El Wueno cartel, a ruthless and well-connected drug cartel that was causing major problems in the area.  One by one, we prosecuted each operation, dealing with high-ranking members of the cartel along the way.  The campaign certainly had its ups and downs, literally.  The El Wueno cartel, while not as well equipped as a modern military organization, certainly presented some unique challenges for our members.  This was one of the first times we encountered unarmed, single-engine prop planes acting as spotters for mortars and heavy artillery.  At one point, we had an MH-60 Blackhawk full of reinforcements chasing after one of the spotter planes, while the door gunners managed to successfully shoot it down.  

After that, OL3 Curtis took us back to the Pacific, specifically an outlying island of the Philippines.  Before our arrival on the scene, the Philippine forces were in the middle of constructing airfields to increase their reach around their islands.  To quote Ferris, “China, always the bully,” didn’t take too kindly and they sent their equivalent of Green Berets to the island, a group known as the Shadow Dragons.  Our initial attack saw a unique application of our Demolitions experts, but swimming under warships and planting explosives, timing them to explode at nearly the same time.  Bravo Zulu to our demo team for that operation!  Subsequent operations found us pushing back the Chinese created rebel threat all to the  northernmost island.  Sadly, the campaign wasn’t able to be completed due to repetitive issues with the map impacting people’s frames.  

That said, thanks to Ferris and Varian’s contributions, we have begun using audio recordings for our OPORD’s instead of our traditional written OPORD’s.  Not only has Ferris’s voice acting talents made for some very interesting and entertaining OPORD’s, we also had some good laughs.  Quoting DO Douggie, “Shut up Ferris!  I am trying to listen to Recorded Ferris!”  Additionally, recorded OPORD’s mean that VG1 doesn’t have to learn to read anymore, and they can listen and be informed of what’s going on prior to logging onto the server on Op Night.  

As we proceed into the 4th quarter, the Production department welcomes OS2 Khan to the ranks of mission makers as he starts his Zeus PQS course.  We are all very excited for your first Op, Khan, and know you will do great things!

To see this in document form, please follow this link.

PlanetSide 2

There has been a lot of measurable improvement in the Planetside 2 division over the course of Q3. In July, we posted another biannual Feedback Survey regarding our schedule, the Operations experience, and our current goals. The information received from this survey was exceptionally helpful, as it helped reaffirm that everyone is on a similar page regarding the goals for the division in a way that was not obvious previously. We will still be reaping the benefits of this Feedback Survey moving into Q4.

August was the site of experiments and a needed revamp and return for training (outside of just Jump Spot Training). We ran at least one training session for every aspect of Planetside over the course of August. This greater focus on personal improvement has made most, if not all, of our Operations during August and September consistently great, with our combined arms capabilities improving in vital areas, such as communication and competency (the ability for small fireteams to perform squad-sized tasks). Throughout the back half of August into early September, we experimented with some time changes, which ultimately served as a reminder that our current schedule is here to stay.

As of September 26th, ToastyMan has been promoted to the rank of Staff NCO within the PS2 Division, and the VVarMachine community at large. Over the last several months, and especially throughout Q3 this year, he has been a consistent source of valuable information, support, and good morale. He has been a reliable person to depend on for important jobs during Operations, as well as an important source of ideas while designing our revamped series of trainings (which is still ongoing). He is capable of taking the reigns of our squad during the rare times both Echo and I (Cannon) are absent. He has been integral to our improvements and has shown a desire in continuing to develop the division that I have been thankful for. Congratulations to him on his promotion, and thank you for your presence.

Moving into Q4, you can expect to see new iterations of our Training and some more specific, pointed goals regarding our cohesion as a combined-arms unit. Thank you all for your continued support, whether you can show up to our Operations or not. Let’s make the next few months as great as the last few, together.

Star Citizen

It’s been a busy summer for our StarCitizen division. Since the last update, we’ve engaged in 4 Joint Operations with our allies in UEEPF and EE, and we’ve maintained a packed schedule of 3 events per week on a regular basis, ranging from training to internal OPs to competitive events to joint-OPs. Our fleet adapted well to the major changes brought in Alpha 3.14, especially around the new flight mechanics, power and systems management, stealth improvements, and many more. Shout-out to all of the officers and NCOs for their work to keep up with the game changes and enhance our training so we can stay on that leading-edge of readiness.

Alpha 3.15 Incoming!

Looking forward, version Alpha 3.15 has been released to Evocati as of 9/24. This patch will bring some major additions and changes to the game, most notably the introduction of the first implementation of Medical gameplay, along with persistent physicalized inventories for players. NOTE, the release of 3.15 will include a FULL WIPE of player data, the first we’ve seen since long term persistence went live in 3.8

CitizenCon Incoming

CitizenCon 2951 is right around the corner, scheduled for October 9th, starting at 8 am Pacific. Our fleet will be hosting a “watch party” for the event on Discord, we hope to see you all there to share in the enjoyment!

New Events Schedule Rotation

Lastly, we’ve begun a new approach to scheduling events for our Fleet, moving to a 6-week rotation of events in which each Naval Command is responsible for hosting events during a given week. Each rotation culminates in a large-scale joint operation against one of our allied organizations. We are currently in the 2nd week of the first rotation, and I’m pleased to say that it’s going well so far. You can read all about the new event’s rotation in the wiki section of SCNet.

Screenshot Contest

The screenshot contest is currently on hiatus. Please stay tuned.

Final Thoughts

See you online and see you around!