Milestones for Dummies

Making a Milestone

Part I: Tone of your Writing
First and foremost, the request isn’t necessarily just a place for you to throw your threads together and maybe add some words with it. It’s where you pitch to Staff why you deserve the GP you’re asking for. Every time you make one of these, you never want to say “I guess this is okay. I mean, if you think I deserve this…” No! You lift your chin up, put on that smirk and say “Okay, kiddies. Take a seat because I’m about to knock your socks off.”

Confidence, confidence, confidence.

You might be thinking “Well, what if I don’t want to sound like an arrogant bastard?” That’s a fair thought indeed! There’s a line between knowing what you deserve and just being a prick about things. The former comes with a better understanding of how the system works, which hopefully you’re starting to understand a bit more, and some general public speaking skills.

If you are second guessing your own work, why should I do anything but that? Don’t mention past mistakes, focus on the good you’ve done. Don’t say anything to the effect of “Nothing’s really changed, I guess” because if nothing’s changed, you wouldn’t be here, would you?

The Milestone should always be a pitch. You’re trying to sell your Milestone, not begging for Staff to grant your wish.

Part II: Quality of your Writing
This is another huge thing in your request. Proof read, proof read it again, have your friend proof read it, and then proof read it again. If there are typoes, weird sentences, and whatnot all throughout your Milestone, you’re just showing Staff that either you don’t care, or this is the typical quality of your writing.

Especially once you get into the high base GP ranges, your writing will be a big factor in your score. So if you put half the normal effort in your request, we can only assume you put the same level of work in your writing.

Now you’re probably thinking “Well, why does it matter if my threads all have great quality anyway?” Because laziness. If you can’t take a few extra minutes to take this seriously, why should Approvals? Not only that, if we can’t read your request, how do you expect us to know what you want?

Part III: To Style or Not to Style?
Surprisingly, this is a very big misconception. At some point in time the community here got the idea that the prettiness of your request will somehow boost your score. This just isn’t true. You can make the most stunning, HTML/CSS request on this side of the planet, but if your actual posts aren’t up to snuff, you won’t get that score you’re looking for.

However, that doesn’t mean that you should just doing everything in plain text either. If everything meshes into each other and it’s nearly impossible to tell when you’re changing sections, you’ll probably be asked to rewrite it so Staff can understand what you’re doing.

At the very least, bold your section headers and make a new section for each part of your Milestone. When in doubt, use the template.

Base GP Brackets

Milestones scale with you base GP. What that means is in the beginning it easy to cross large margins, but as you go it gets harder and harder to get the same amount. As you reach each stepping stone, the requirements for a certain increase gets increasingly harsher.

So, this is a breakdown of what you should be showing off in your writing depending on what you’re requesting up to. Don’t mistake this as an end all goal for every single character. Every story is different and circumstances will always be taken into consideration.

This is not a rubric that will be used to grade your milestone.

Many of the guide-points will be framed in the context of a Shinigami and the ranks of the Gotei. This has been chosen because, as a military organization, there are clearly defined ranks that have come to normalize levels of character power. Any person familiar with Bleach will have at least some reference when you say, 'A Captain level character', and a set of expectations based on things they might be familiar with from canon. The same cannot be said for other races on Bleach-Gotei, at least from top to bottom. This choice of language is deliberate however it was not done to slight other races.

Recruit
1,500 BGP
-This is the starting point from which all Characters begin
-Characters of this level are little more than a list of traits and physical characteristics, and are in the process of becoming more.
-We expect a Character is transitioning from what is essentially an NPC and into a dynamic force in our game.
-At this level, we would see Academy Students and various Unseated Shinigami.

Soldier
1,600 - 2,000 BGP
Average 0-1 Masteries
-We expect to see the rudimentary creation of relationships.
-Characters should be seeking out to prove some of the things they claimed in their Application; show us that the traits you claimed to have, that the psychology and motives you described is how this character actually works in practice.
-This may often include stepping into basic roles in their organization; essentially 'doing what you said you would'.
-While perhaps ambitious, pursuit of a first Mastery may fit the right type of character.
-At this level, we may still have Unseated Shinigami, but Seated Officers begin to make their appearance.

Unseated Officer
2,100 - 2,500 BGP
Average 0-1 Masteries
-Relationships begin to expand and offer additional connections and depth.
-Characters should be fully 'alive' and begin to see their ideals challenged.
-The introduction of antagonistic figures, or becoming one for someone else.
-The formation of 'the first major hurdle' in your character's development
-While definitely ambitious, this range may include the pursuit of Second Power.
-At this level, we would see primarily Unseated Shinigami

Low-Seated Officer
2,600 - 3,000 BGP
Average 1-2 Masteries
-Additional relationships and the growth of existing ones.
-Characters should have a handful of allies and/or antagonists.
-Crystallizing your character emotionally and mentally in the face of their first major hurdle; this may include pursuit of Second Power.
-The major conflict and theme of the characters early life is likely present, if only subconsciously.

High-Seated Officer
3,100 - 3,500 BGP
Average 2-3 Masteries
-We expect tangible progress towards the conflicts and goals that occur in your characters life.
-Existing relationships continue to deepen, possibly exposing one or two true, allies or antagonists.
-While not necessary, we may see the conflict present in your character transition from the subconscious theme it had been, to a very real awareness.
-Should already be armed with a Second Power, although some characters may have been delayed.

Lieutenant
3,600 - 4,000 BGP
Average 3-4 Masteries
-The introduction and setup for your character's fundamental crisis; this is essentially the footwork for Prestige.
-Many of the investments from earlier relationships are beginning to pay significant dividends, and your character will be able to gauge their own growth in the context of other growing characters.
-A true sense of identity should be evident; your character is now a significant 'distance' from what was on their application.
-Characters may also be learning that what they wanted, and what they need, may not overlap.
-While ambitious, this is an area that may include the leap to Prestige.

Captain
4,100 - 5,000 BGP
Average 4-5 Masteries
-A fundamental change is on the horizon for your character and their story is heading towards a conflict that should be readily apparent.
-Relationships are becoming recurring, and are yielding a 'second generation' of contacts that will help challenge your character.
-This is a common area to make the leap to Prestige.

Captain Commander
5,100 - 6,000 BGP
Prestige level character, 5-7 Masteries
-Characters have faced the fundamental conflict that has guided them this far.
-The original Application is nothing but a fond memory; they are a different person in most facets of their personality.
-The 'fundamental question' of a character, as the only true test left for them to face, and it begins to bubble to the surface.
-While not necessary, the culmination of the character's story towards either their breaking point, or their inner peace, takes shape.
-There will be obscure aspects of a character's personality, morality, and emotional well-being that now become the focus rather than broad details.

And Beyond
6,000+ BGP
While we have no actual cap for BGP, there is simply very little left for characters to do in order to tackle their final personal problems at this point.  This might be a place where you wound find a Broken Transcendent who is wrapping up there story, or looking to cure or be damned by their Broken state.  In general, the only major hurdle we 'expect' at this level is to tackle that character's fundamental question; that one, underlying thing that had plagued them their entire lives at one level or another.  But, if resolving that is not in the cards, or if the player simply wishes to save it for another time, you can continue requesting additional BGP for the arcs that you are able to complete.  Just be warned!  Nothing at this level could even be remotely viewed as 'easy GP'.