Avian Gamers Network

1: What is Avian Technology and Trade?
Avian Technology and Trade (or just Avian for short) is a business oriented, guild for the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies. We are a network of support, helping our members to further their own goals and aspirations. Also, there is a strong probability that Avian will expand into other games. As of now none are official.


2: What are the goals of Avian?
Avian's primary goal is to make Avian Technology and Trade a household name in the Star Wars Universe. Achieving that will show that we have succeeded to earn respect from our fellow players. Coming into the game our secondary goal was to construct our own city. Now that we have our city, we are striving to develop Avian City as a strong commercial center.


3: Where can I find Avian?
Avian is on the Chilastra server. Avian City is located at -6080 480 on Talus, and can be reached by shuttle from any other Talus city.


4: What is the advantage of joining Avian?
All Avian members work together. Some of the things that Avian has to offer for its members are discounts, loans, security, and, most importantly, friendship.


5: What faction does Avian belong to?
Avian itself is a neutral player association, although its members are allowed to declare covert for either faction if they wish to participate in the Galactic Civil War. Members are not allowed to declare overt however.


6: What is the advantage of Avian’s factional stance?
The advantages of being a neutral guild are similar to the advantages of being neutral in the game itself. By being neutral, we don’t expose ourselves to constant player vs. player combat. Since we are mostly economically oriented, our members are not necessarily the best fighters in the Galaxy. Instead, we plan on being the best business in the galaxy. Remember, just because Avian is neutral doesn’t mean you can’t participate in the Galactic Civil War. As a member of Avian, you cannot be an overt member of a faction, but you can be a covert member of any faction.


7: Does Avian fight wars?
Avian is a peaceful PA and is neutral in the Galactic Civil War. We will not participate in inter-PA warfare either.


8: What will prevent other players from attacking Avian?
We rely on the game system to protect us. Other guilds cannot attack us if we do not accept a war, and as a neutral guild, faction declared players may not attack us either.


9: What role do combat members play in Avian?
Avian members are free to take combat-related professions. Many of these members participate in player versus environment combat in order to supply our crafters with resources, while others mix crafting and combat professions. Combat players can also participate in duels or in the GCW as covert faction members.


10: How does Avian’s government work?
Avian's government has three main parts. The Board of Directors (BoD) is composed of one representative from each Section. The Directors create and vote on policies to address issues of importance to our members. The Departments are focused groups of members interested in a specific aspect of Avian's functions, following the responsibilites and jurisdictions laid out in the Charter. They were created to ease the responsibilities of the Board of Directors. Finally, the President of Avian is elected by a vote of all members, and serves as the in-game guild leader. The President and Vice President also review the policies of the Board of Directors in order to ensure the ideals of Avian are upheld.


11: What are "Sections"?
Avian's membership is divided into seven sections. Each section elects a Section Director to represent them in Avian's Board of Directors for the purpose of governing the guild. New members are placed into these sections according to Avian policy.


12: Why aren’t the Sections organized by professions?
The Founders of Avian created a democracy that is independent of profession types. Our current setup keeps everyone represented fairly by not organizing our government into professions.


13: What is the Board of Directors?
The Board of Directors is the main governing body of Avian. It is composed of the seven section representatives/directors. Directors are elected to their position every four months by the members from their same section. After each election, the Board of Directors elects a Chairman from their ranks who acts as the organizer of the Board. Each director is expected to represent his section with his votes, so members should inform their director of what issues they are concerned with. The Directors are also expected to report back to their sections to inform them of what the Board is working on, and get and give feedback.


14: What are the Departments?
The Departments were created to identify and discuss issues in several different areas of interest, as described in Charter Article 2.3. They allow interested members to focus their discussion on certain topics and create policies to submit to the Board of Directors.


15: How do I join a department? Do I have to join one?
Members of Avian can belong to any Department they are interested in. A member may belong to more than one Department, or no Departments at all. Members can find information about joining each specific Department on the General Departments Forum.


16: I have heard that Avian will tax its members. How much will they tax, and how often?
The current Avian Tax Policy allowed for members to be taxed in-game credits once every two-months. The amount will be minimal and shouldn’t be much of a burden on its members.


17: Where does all the tax money go?
Every credit of the taxes will be given back to Avian members in some form. The credits will be used for new construction, upkeep, programs, and any other needs that may arise. All the taxes will be well spent, and will be set at a minimum rate.


18: Are Avian members required to give a discount on their services or products to other members?
No, Avian does not require that any discount be given to Avian members, nor will it tell you what price you have to sell your products or services at. Avian does suggest that you give a discount to other members to encourage intra-Avian business and cooperation, but we do not want you to lose money on any sale to an Avian member.


19: Do Avian members role-play?
Role-playing in-game is highly encouraged, but is not required. Role-playing your character out of game, such as in the forums, can be done in the Role-Playing forum. There you are free to develop your character.


20: Will I be free to explore the galaxy and do quests on my own?
Yes, Avian tries not to create restrictions of how you play your character. We are open to every member’s needs. As long as you are considerate to Avian and your fellow members you are free to do as you please.


21: What are companies? Do I have to join a company?
Some of our members have decided to group with others in their profession and form companies. Companies are an unofficial part of Avian. Companies are not a part of Avian’s government so should not be directly associated. Joining a business is completely voluntary, and Avian also supports all members who wish to work solo.


22: Can I, as a new member, still become an important figure within Avian?
Yes, you can. Of course, to become an important figure you need to be active in the community and make beneficial posts on the forum. Activity is highly encouraged and is looked highly upon in Avian. If you are interested in achieving a position feel free to speak with your section Director or any senior member of Avian. They will be able to give you advice and guide you through the process.


23: I have a great idea for Avian, what do I have to do to get it voted on?
The best way to get your ideas noticed is to first create a thread in your section’s message board. There you can discuss the issue with your section Director and section members. Your Director may then want to bring the issue to the Board of Directors. Either that or you may go to your Section Archive, accessed through the main page, and submit your proposal there.


24: What do I need to do to become a member of Avian?
The details on how to join Avian are expressed on the Join Avian page. There it will provide the necessary application to fill out and post on the Application board in the forums. Before you post your application please read the top thread on that board entitled “New Applicants: Read this first!”


25: What kind of qualities does Avian look for in a member?
Primarily the Board of Directors looks for fun, mature, intelligent members. One that would contribute to the community, will be responsible with any duties they take up, and will make Avian a better place for all members. Details of their character are also a deciding factor, but are not as important as the caliber of the applicant’s personality.


26: How long will it take for my membership application to be processed?
Response times on applications have varied greatly throughout Avian’s history. Some have taken weeks, some have taken hours. The factors that affect application response time depend on the current workload of the Board of Directors, and the applicant’s performance. If you want your application to be processed quickly, answer all the application questions, and any other questions that might be asked in you application thread. Most importantly is for you to be active on the guest boards or in-game with Avian members. If you positively contribute to the discussions and make a warm presence your application will be processed with far greater speed and success.


27: Can I reapply to Avian if I was denied membership?
Yes, you can. Our policy regarding that is as follows:
“Reapplications for Avian membership will be accepted. All applicants are limited to a maximum of two total applications. The time between the decision of the first application, and the submittal of the second application must be a minimum of thirty days.”


28: I’m from another guild, who should I contact within Avian?
Our foreign affairs issues are run by the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Presidential Office. If you wish to open up communications between your guild and Avian please feel free to contact our President. You can find their information on the Contact page or from another member.


29: Who should have access to what boards?
When you first join Avian you should have access to four public boards, four member boards, your section board, and two various information boards. As you join departments, join companies, and achieve government positions you will be able to access more boards according to your situation.


30: How many message boards are there?
As of now, there are over thirty message boards. However, only site administrators have access to all at once.


31: Can I have a custom avatar?
Yes, you can. We like to use the forum avatars as actual in-game shots of your characters. We want to ensure that they are all headshots of your character, so we're are not allowing linking or user uploading (have to maintain continuity).

If you want to have an avatar upload, there are a few guidelines:
It must be 60x60 (including border)
It must be a .gif (approx size 3-4k)
The image MUST be from a game screenshot of your individual character. No 'real' images.

If you wish to submit a custom avatar you may PM or e-mail the webmaster, Obo al’Can. When available, he will upload it to the server.


32: Can I have a house in Avian City if I am not a member?
Yes, you may. We do require a small out of game application process however in order for you to reserve a lot in the city. You may visit our public message boards for further information.


33: How is Avian City's mayor chosen?
Periodically, the members of Avian hold an election here on the boards for our official “Avian Sponsored” candidate. Once a candidate is chosen all members, if a city resident, vote for that candidate in the in-game election. An exception may occur however, if another member needs politician experience. In that case, only a minority of Avians will vote for that member in-game.