The Milestone Update [4 Dec, 2016]

FOREWORD
Now that I've had some time to see how "life goes" with the Character Life Cycle in place, there are still some changes necessary to push reality closer towards what I would like to achieve.  The short explanation is that Milestones are still being viewed as "too big of a task", and therefore people are waiting a long time on cashing in on their progress.  Additionally, there is a serious block, or "deadzone" of GP between about 3500 and 5000 where players feel like they really have to be Prestige, be on their way to Prestige, or they might as well not bother.  Both of these things are things I want to change.  More options is the name of the game.

The primary gate for character power always has been the Rank-Up Requests (Second Power, Prestige, Post-Prestige), and always should be.  Therefore, the changes in this Update are intended to further encourage people to ask for GP via Milestones, and to make it easier for them to do so.  There is no single thing more satisfying for a brand new player than to do your handful of your first threads, throw up a short, 4-6 thread Milestone, and get handed several hundred GP.  I'd love to see that happening more, and seeing our players transition from the 50-75 Reiatsu range they normally start, and really dig into the 100-200 range where they feel as if they have a lot more agency.

Part of the allure of BG is ensuring that players feel like they can impact the world and make a difference as people of importance.  Anyone can become a Captain of the Gotei, anyone can become the Monarch of Las Noches, and anyone could become the Monarch of the Quincy, provided they have a goal in mind and are empowered to get there.  When you compare your brand new character to a faction leader, I don't want you to feel like you have to write 250,000 words and do three years of work to match them.  I want you to feel like if you just get out there, and knock out one or two small Milestones quick, you'll be in a position to reach for a Seat and make some moves.  Anything that helps players see the road in front of them more clearly is good in my book.  I hope you'll agree.

I'd like to add a brief editorial from Jian Oreachi to help explain some of the sentiment here. He put it quite nicely:


Base GP
-Base GP has expanded from "6,000+" to "9,000+" as the listed top end.
-Starting BGP remains 1,500.
-The Character Life-Cycle has been scaled upwards to reflect the new scale for BGP.
-All characters are eligible to immediately scale upwards if they have already received Milestone GP.
-Characters will gain 5/3 of the difference between their current BGP and our Starting BGP.
-A conversion table has been provided with rounded numbers, broken down by 100s.

If you have already received a Milestone, please post a reply to your App/Stats/Powers page claiming the new Base GP.  
Please indicate your old Base, as per the 1500-6000 scale.  And then indicate where you are going to, as per the new scale of 1500-9000.

**Aside** Why have we chosen 5/3 of the difference?
In simple terms, we don't just want to -add- more GP to the system for all characters (even brand new ones).  But, we want to emphasize the GP earned via Milestones and not just inject more GP into the system universally.  So, by subtracting the starting BGP of 1,500 and scaling the difference up by 5/3, you fall into the same place on the scale as you would have before these changes.  This also prevents players from arbitrarily missing out on GP based on approval date.

Mathematically, we're going up to +7,500 to BGP, up from +4,500 to BGP (assuming a starting point of 1,500).  7,500/4,500 reduces cleanly to 5/3
So with respect to 1,500 as the "Starting point", 5/3 lets us keep you the same, while giving you more credit for work done.



Legendary Challenges
-LC's will no longer provide diminishing returns.  There is no cap on the number of LCs a character can earn credit for.
-All LC's will now be scored 100 to 1,000.
-The Request template for LCs will be updated to reflect this change.
-In general, LC's will reward more as the number of threads that set up the LC rises.

Milestones
-The 'requirements' for submitting a Milestone have been streamlined to highlight that only very brief, 1-2 sentence summaries are required for threads.
-Milestones now suggest a soft cap of 5-8 threads.
-Milestones are intended to present a more informal summary of a character's arc; something that can be read quickly and understood at a high level.
-Graders will then read the Milestone and ask pertinent questions regarding events and conclusions.
-Overall, this should present a forum where Milestones are EASIER to do while granting MORE GP for doing them.
-How this plays out in practice will likely require minor revisions as the first few Milestones are done.  Any significant alterations will be publicly posted in follow-up to this Update.

The Revised Character Life-Cycle
A roadmap to when to request a Milestone, and a suggestion for how much GP to ask for.  The following brackets are the general categories we see characters fall into as they progress through their story.  These are by no means hard lines you must fall into, but rather merely a suggestion for when experience teaches us most people look to make certain moves.

Any person familiar with Bleach will have an idea of what you mean when you say a 'Captain level character'.  That is to say that the broad stroke by which you classify a character comes with a certain set of expectations that help you identify how far along they are in their story.

**The scale has been adjusted to reflect the 9,000 cap for Base GP.

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.
-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 are how this character actually works in practice.

Fifth Seat
1,600 - 2,000 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 ideas 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.

Fourth Seat
2,100 - 2,500 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 the pursuit of Second Power.
-The major conflict and theme of the characters early life is likely present, if only subconsciously.

Third Seat
2,600 - 3,000 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 be armed with a Second Power, although some characters may still be working on it.

Lieutenant
3,100 - 5,000 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 perhaps ambitious, this is an area that may include the leap to Prestige.

Captain
5,100 - 7,000 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
7,100 - 9,000 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
9,000+ BGP
-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'