NOTICE [SWO] LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

[Raine]

Our community is led by a group of role-play facilitators, known as the Game Masters. We do not have a 'command staff' per say – but we delegate our GMs to act as guidance counselors, game facilitators and disciplinary officers. Thus, 'promotion' in SWO takes place not only through character advancement but also through attaining various ranks as a GM. Due to the nature of the trust that must be invested in any of our GMs, advancement is solely at the discretion of the current SWO Head Game Master. Because GM-ing is something that requires practice to do skillfully, the best way to grow as a GM is to, quite simply, GM. The primary responsibility of any GM is to provide an imaginative environment for all players and characters to interact in, within the boundaries of good judgment and the SWO rules system. The primary right of an SWO GM is nearly unchecked power that they wield in their sims.

Head Game Master (HGM): Davin Kabak is the current HGM of SWO. The Head Game Master is the final authority on any subject in the SWO. Along with the Senior GM, they are the only Game Masters currently empowered to run upgrade sims within SWO.

Senior Game Master (SGM): Senior GM is the second in command of SWO; he or she is a veteran with a thorough understanding of the SWO's rules system and a proven track record of good judgment and leadership, both inside and outside of sims. The SGM's role in the club should be to alleviate some of the burden from the HGM in terms of character sheet maintenance, rules questions and upgrade sessions. The SGM can run an upgrade session without command staff observation, may use equipment in their sims that does not require command staff approval and also has Admin database access. The SGMs may also assist the SWO HGM writing and reworking rules to a larger extent than other members. SWO's current SGM is Raine.

Game Master (GM): A full GM has proven to have an adequate understanding of SWO's rules system and has proven themselves as an aGM. The GM can run regular sims and charsims without the supervision of another, more senior GM. The GM cannot run upgrade sessions without command staff supervision. The GM is still expected to have an SGM or HGM 'look over' anything non-standard they plan to use in their sims (especially equipment that players could potentially recover). Currently, GMs database access is limited to a select number of individuals – mostly contingent on their seniority in SWO and their exemplary service to its community. Our current GMs include Matthias, Runk (on leave), Cal Jeth, and Gumbo (on leave).

Assistant Game Master (aGM): The assistant game master is, for all intents and purposes, a neophyte to the world of game mastering. That's okay though, because the primary role of the assistant game master is to learn and advance. The assistant game master demonstrates a rudimentary, basic understanding of SWO's game system and its mechanics. The assistant game master can (and is encouraged to) run char-sims without the supervision of another GM — however any equipment purchased or character interaction that involves injury probably will not be considered to be 'lasting'. The aGM cannot run sims without the supervision of at least a Game Master, preferably a Senior Game Master. The aGM will never run an upgrade session and will not have Admin database access. The aGM can essentially be considered a 'probationary' Game Master. Our current aGM is Lana Star.

Lore Master (LM): The Lore Master is responsible for the daily upkeep of the Resources section, as well as making sure that all RP falls in line with the currently accepted SWO lore. He or she is empowered with creating new content for the aforementioned section, with the final approval of any new content resting in the hands of the HGM. The Lore Master is also a Global Forum Moderator and Game Master. SWO's current LM is Matthias.