Think Tank
I'm quite disappointed with the Think Tank. It's great if there is something to actually talk about, but the TIE Corps has been going quite smoothly the past month, with no real changes taking place and thus no opinions need on these changes. There have been the occasional posts though, and I will do a summary on the most interesting topic.
COL ranks for FMs!!!
Not quite, but certainly higher ranks for loyal pilots who decide to stay in a squadron that they love. It was suggested by CM Marcin "Mike" Szydlowski that loyal FMs should be rewarded with higher ranks, that only CMDRs and WCs can receive. For example, take a FM who has been in a particular squadron all their career. They would only be able to become a LCM, or a CPT if they become a FL, and they would not be able to work thier way further up the ranks no matter how long they stayed as an FM. It was Mike's idea, that these pilots should be rewarded for such loyalty to their squadron, and a good reward would be the ability to rise further in the ranks even if they didn't ever go into command.
This restructuring of the ranks system had a few problems though, and a number of other member had to point them out. CPT Goatham asked how pilots would be judged for the higher ranks. Most long-standing FMs tend to be undeserving of the higher ranks as "they'd either:
1. Have gone somewhere better
due to talent
2. Be inactive so rotted as A FM."
Of course there as some exceptions, LIKE ME, and a few others like CPT Vexan and MAJ Ford Prefect (okay, he's a CMDR now, but it took him a while as he never left his squadron).
"Rank promotions are not for achievements, but to show responsibility and experience" noted SA Kawolski, "If you're not at least a CMDR, you have very little responsibilities." So, CMDRs deserve the higher ranks because they do far more, such as BSFs, running competitions, looking after FMs, as well as the normal responsibilities a pilot has.
For a more detailed look at the topic, the follow the link below to see the actual posts on the topic: -
Wrote up by CPT Werdna Elbee