Welcome to Sturmgrenadier Planetside! If you've joined the Sturmgrenadier team, welcome aboard; if you're just browsing our website, we trust that you are finding our website chock full of useful information. We hope that once you've seen all that Sturmgrenadier Online Gaming Syndicate offers, that you'll want to join up with our team and run with the best! 

Sturmgrenadier is the most unique online gaming community to be found, with mature, professional, and friendly members who enjoy working together as a team. Sturmgrenadier's number one goal is to provide our members with the absolute best experience in online gaming. Strong leadership, vast collective experience, in-depth informational resources, extensive tools, and a robust forum community are what Sturmgrenadier's all about.

If you are a brand new member to the Sturmgrenadier Planetside team, then this guide is the ultimate resource to get yourself started in Sturmgrenadier and the SG Planetside Portal. If you're considering joining SG, this guide will lend some insight on how the Sturmgrenadier Online Gaming Syndicate, as a whole, and Sturmgrenadier Planetside Portal, specifically, operates.

This guide will be regularly updated with new information. Planetside has not yet been released to the public, so certain areas of this guide will be intentionally left blank or underdeveloped until factual information is available through hands-on experience.

2. Terms and Definitions

SG - Sturmgrenadier
SOGS - Sturmgrenadier Online Gaming Syndicate
SGHQ - Common name for this website
Portal - What each "division" or game of SG is called (AA, PS, etc.)
AA - America's Army (Portal)
SWG - Star Wars Galaxies (Portal)
WWIIOL - World War II Online (Portal)
PS - Planetside (the portal you are currently in)
TS - Teamspeak
BG - Battle Group, a component of SG PS
CO - Commanding Officer
XO - Executive Officer
Break - Used to speak on TS. Break precedes all TS comms.
Contact - A threat call on TS.
More to be added..

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3. Expectations

What does Sturmgrenadier expect from you? How are you to conduct yourself while a member of Sturmgrenadier? Sturmgrenadier places more demands upon its members than the average squad, clan, or guild; we demand a high level of participation, maturity, and professionalism, both in game and out. Our commanders are expected to perform on an even higher level. To fully grasp what Sturmgrenadier requires of all members, please be sure to read the Sturmgrenadier Online Gaming Syndicate Charter.

What can you expect from Sturmgrenadier? You can expect an engaging, exciting, and higher level of play. You can expect a community that prides itself on helping/supporting its members with a full array of resources to help you expand your gaming experience. You can expect dedicated, experienced, and fair leadership. You can expect the opportunity to gain rank and rewards for your service to Sturmgrenadier. We are a truly unique organization dedicated to the online gamer.

4. Organizational Structure

4.1 The Sturmgrenadier Online Gaming Syndicate

The Sturmgrenadier Online Gaming Syndicate (SOGS) is the main body of SG, comprised of five different sections called "Portals". Each of these Portals is a self-contained, fully supported team, complete with unique ranks and command structure. Sturmgrenadier adds or subtracts portals based on the participation and interest of its membership and the gaming community at large. The current five SG Portals are:
 

	World War II Online
	America's Army
	Planetside (you're here now)
	Star Wars Galaxies
	World of Warcraft
	Söldner

The Sturmgrenadier Online Gaming Syndicate spans two websites:

	http://www.sghq.com - SG Portal websites and operational information.
	http://www.sturmgrenadier.com - SG Community Forums and Downloads.

While each portal has its own unique command structure, all portals are under the overall command of SG Syndicate Command. Syndicate Command is comprised of the following individuals:

	Spoon - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
	Burnspot - President and Chief Operations Officer
	Scorpius - Vice President and Chief Syndicate Officer
	Jaruuk - Syndicate Officer
	LostLogic - Syndicate Officer

All aspects of Sturmgrenadier's operations are managed by Syndicate Command; Portal Commanders report directly to them.

The Sturmgrenadier Planetside Portal is currently comprised of two primary fighting units: Battle Group Hornet; Battle Group III Stinger.

	Vyrus - Commanding Officer
	Rhino - Executive Officer

The Commanding Officer and Executive Officer of Planetside control every aspect of SG Planetside's operations, overseeing the battle groups, recruiting efforts, and in-game operations. The CO and XO are the top of the chain of command for all SG Planetside members.

Planetside Battle Group Command Staff:

	PaulMuaddib - BG Hornet Commanding Officer
	Lukeduke - BG Hornet Executive Officer
	Jaxsonaias - BG Stinger Commanding Officer
	Vachir - BG Stinger Executive Officer

The Battle Group Command Staff reports directly to the Planetside Portal CO and XO; the Division Officer reports to the BG CO/XO.

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5.1 Rank

One of the benefits to being a Sturmgrenadier Planetside member is having the ability to gain rank and responsibility through hard work and determination. Sturmgrenadier's overall rank system for all portals is completely independent of any in-game ranking system- commonly referred to as "SG Rank". Earning and holding rank within Sturmgrenadier is no easy task; Sturmgrenadier places increasing demands upon members as they rise in SG Rank. Members holding Command, upper level staff officer, and NCO rank are expected to maintain a high level of performance at all times.

SG Planetside ranks include a mechanism for automatic advancement, through time served with SG PS, for lower ranks. Upper level rank advancement will be based on evaluations made by Battle Group and Portal Command Staffs as the higher ranks will be limited to specific roles. Refer to our Ranks page for a full listing of the ranks within Sturmgrenadier Planetside and how they function within SG PS.

5.2 Awards

Sturmgrenadier Planetside recognizes and rewards members for various achievements and/or special efforts through a complete Awards system. SG Planetside Awards come in the form of unique ribbons and/or badges for use in forum signatures wherever the member may tread. Sturmgrenadier encourages all members, from any portal, to wear their decorations proudly!

Awards are distributed by Syndicate Command and by the Planetside Portal Commanding Officer/Executive Officer or by those granted the power by the PS CO/XO. SG Planetside Awards may be viewed here.

There is a specific way in which you display your awards in your forum signature; here is the exact order your SG signature must follow if you use one:

1. Your name, unit, and rank (text).
2. Any and all SG ribbons and awards, 4 across, unlimited down.
3. Badges and/or non-standard size awards.
4. One personal image, not larger than 350x100 (optional).
5. Personal quote (if you use one).

Sturmgrenadier prohibits excessively large personal images for the sake of bandwidth and of our members who do not have access to high-speed connections.

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Good communications is the key to any successful team operation; Sturmgrenadier highlights communication in all of its operations. Communication builds camaraderie. efficiency, and enhances the overall experience of any undertaking. Sturmgrenadier provides its members with several means of communication, in-game and out:

	Sturmgrenadier Forums and Chat
	SGHQ Website
	Teamspeak 2.0
	In-game text chat
	Email

6.1 Forums and Chat

The Sturmgrenadier Online Gaming Syndicate conducts all its general out-of-game communications and community discussions within the Sturmgrenadier Forums located at http://www.sturmgrenadier.com/. The Sturmgrenadier Forums are the place to find up-to-date information about any of the portals as well as any important announcements or events. More importantly, our forums make up the lifeblood of the Sturmgrenadier family; members can discuss just about anything in a secure, extremely robust environment.

Our forums also serve as a gateway to our file library and webchat areas. All members have access to the Public Forums and the Private Members Only forum, as well as any private forums their assignment within a particular portal rates them. The use of Sturmgrenadier's forums is governed by articles contained within Sturmgrenadier's Charter.

6.2 SGHQ Website

Sturmgrenadier's main website, http://www.sghq.com/, is the home for all Sturmgrenadier Portals. Each specific portal contains it's own rosters, news, and member resources. All members are expected to regularly check their Portal's website for important updates and information.

6.3 Teamspeak 2.0

Teamspeak 2.0 is a voice-over-internet application that is invaluable to all Sturmgrenadier operations. We utilize Teamspeak for not only all in-game communications, but also for out-of-game meetings and events. For Sturmgrenadier Planetside members, the use of Teamspeak is mandatory. Directions for setting up your Teamspeak installation may be found in the Teamspeak Instruction Manual. Members may download the Teamspeak 2.0 client from our File Library.

6.3.1 Teamspeak Usage Policy

The following lists Sturmgrenadier's general guidelines regarding the use of SG Teamspeak Resources:

	SG PS Teamspeak resources are reserved solely for the use of active Sturmgrenadier members who are actively participating in SG PS operations, in-game or out-of-game. If you're not participating with the PS crew and yet wish to use TS, move to the MAIN TS server.
	Teamspeak secure Portal channels are reserved solely for the use of the members of that Portal.
	Teamspeak server information is considered "top-secret" and not to be released to any non-SG personnel nor any SG member who's not a member of the particular Portal in question.
	All members are to call "Break", "Contact", or "Emergency Break" (dependent upon the situation) before beginning their transmission; a channel commander will acknowledge the "Break/Contact/Emergency Break" whereupon the member may continue with their transmission. The Field Commander, or duly designated representative, is not subject to this rule (in-game operations or designated out-of-game events).
	"Play by play" or any other disruptive, irrelevant transmissions are forbidden (in-game). There's a time and place for horseplay; your commander will specify.
	Classify your information before transmitting; ensure it is relevant to the situation. Use landmarks for contact calls (in-game operations).
	Voice-activated transmission on SG Teamspeak is forbidden; use "Press to talk".

The Sturmgrenadier Online Gaming Syndicate Charter applies to SG Teamspeak usage as well.

Teamspeak access information is found in the "Planetside Members Need To Know Information" thread in the Planetside Members Only forum.
 

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In addition to Sturmgrenadier's Teamspeak resources, Planetside furnishes in-game text chat. Here are some general guidelines are to be followed:

	During active operations, transmit only pertinent, mission-critical information. Keep irrelevant chatter to a minimum.
	Do not spam the channel(s).
	Do not attack fellow members via text.
	Be aware of the orders passed and redistribute them in text for members unable to clearly hear them called on Teamspeak. Use common sense, if you see the order in chat, don't follow up with the same information unless it's absolutely necessary.
	Be aware of your transmissions, use common decency.

6.5 Email

Email is used by the Sturmgrenadier Command Staff to communicate with individual members regarding administrative actions or general communications. Apart from the beginning steps of a recruit's application process, generally email use is far lower than with any other form of communication that Sturmgrenadier uses. Critical events or announcements will occasionally be transmitted via Portal or unit-wide emails. Always ensure your email address is updated in the forums.
 

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