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| | == Image Quality == |
| | Yes, it's nice to have the best image quality possible. But, it also is a good thing to have the lowest file size possible to get that quality. Bandwidth doesn't grow on trees, and doing everything we can to minimize it makes the people that have to worry about that sort of thing happy campers. So, if the image doesn't require transparency, why use a larger PNG file? Use an optimized JPG to reduce file size. In one article alone the change from PNG's to JPG's netted a change in KB size for the affected images from 836kb to 120kb. You might say who cares about 700kb, but that's one article, and over several can add up. Then, with the number of times articles can be viewed... well, you get the idea. Bandwidth usage 12% of what we had is always good. |
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| | The following tools are essential: |
| | *[http://www.ardfry.com/pngoutwin PNGOutWin]: For optimizing PNG files for size and compatibility. Be sure to select both compatibility options in the preferences. Some PNG implementations are more retarded than others, and PNGOutWin compensates for just about all of them. If you must (for the love of pete) use a PNG. |
| | *[http://www.xat.com/jpegopt/index.html Xat JPEG Optimizer]: For optimizing JPEGs singly or in batches. |
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| {{Positions}} | | {{Positions}} |
| Bentre Kairn'tel Sadow
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1980's
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Ohio
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Alaska
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Male
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mostly intact
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just....short
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heavier than I like
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on his face and his head
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in his head
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Postal service
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Tabletop Roleplaying games, computer games, Star Wars-related silliness, writer, sometime artist and all-around dabbler
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- "I feel I must remind you, that it is an undeniable, and may I say a fundamental quality of man, that when faced with extinction, every alternative is preferable."
- ―Dr. Leonard Church, UNSC Project Freelancer
Bentre (also known as Benny, previously as Zachary or "Sparta") is a the current Consul of Clan Naga Sadow and also serves as the Wiki Tribune. He considers himself a fair writer, a barely passable artist, enjoys watching movies, trips to the beach when possible, walking through the woods with his wife and family and speculating on stupid minute details like whether the Enterprise could really even begin to square up against an Imperial Star Destroyer, or how many Sith it would take to topple the infrastructure of a planet. When he isn't getting whipped on by his the Dark Council he can usually be found chilling out to whatever pops up on his playlist.
Characters
Bentre Stahoes - His current character, Bentre was the first Dark Jedi Brotherhood character Bentre used and one could would argue in a way the strongest. Benny tried to fight the trope of being a lightsaber-wielding space wizard, but that changed a bit as the character developed. Bentre still takes a note from both Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds, but an attempt was made to make him into his own entity. Bentre's insanity, talkative nature and his quickness with a blaster may be a boon at times though may prove a liability at others. Following the destruction of Boyna, this Sith swore to get an eventual vengeance upon then-Grand Master Pravus, whom he considered insane for the deaths of his Obelisk brethren. The memories of marching against the Obelisk under the orders of the Brotherhood haunt him mercilessly. At one point he had hoped to deliver some of his kin from destruction. His nerve was not strong enough and he was consequentially unable to do anything to sway the battle elsewhere.
Over time, Bentre Stahoes would climb up the ranks of his Clan. Starting as a member of Sapphire Squadron, he would in time take command of the Devil's Shroud Battleteam. He would move up from Battle Team Leader to Aedile, serving in this position for some time. His gumption would find him appointed to the position of the Clan's Rollmaster, where he would serve faithfully for several months.The death of Marcus Kiriyu and later the departure Jax Bendal would allow Bentre to ascend to the position of Proconsul with the approval of Sanguinius Tsucyra. This is where he remained, quite content to serve his fellow Sadowans. It would be after the events of Inferno, that Sanguinius would step down and Bentre was selected by the permission of the Dark Council to step into his former mentor's shoes and into the office of Consul. With his attention further split, his service to the office of the Headmaster would be brought to an end after a change in regime in said office. This would leave him to continue his service as merely the Master of Holocrons and the Consul of Clan Naga Sadow. He had one goal as Consul: to restore the glory of Sadow, in his eyes the original Sith Empire. Whether he should live or perish, he had all intentions to start this restoration by returning his Clan to their former home once again.
Zachary O'Maille - Former character and current NPC. Is actually a twist on a previous character Benny previously RP'd within the Freeworlds mod. Whereas the original O'Maille was a Republic soldier turned Jedi (though very only very briefly New Republic), this version has never been particularly given to the Jedi way. Both played the Jedi part for a while but while one rose to become a Knight the one in the DJB spurned the Jedi teaching and lamented their ignorance. Both suffer a dark taint, one through his father and the other as a result of his wife's death. O'Maille prefers to resolve things through words, but never turns away from a fight he deems necessary, though he will try to spare a life if he believes the person is of use or may be coverted/redeemed in some way- though his definition of redemption may make some wish he would kill them. Zachary came into the Orian system by will of the Force, and he was selected to serve as Aedile of House Shar Dakhan. Zachary would be deposed by Bentre at a later date. He was never seen again after the Orian system was seized by the Collective in 34 ABY.
Lav'anre is a burnt-orange Twilek who stands a bit of a contrast to the continued sneaking about of her Master, Bentre. A spacer by nature and held down only by her own whims, she is unnerved by her own perceived weakness. Still young, she wants a place and a family that she can call her own. Since being elevated to the rank of Knight, this Marauder has also been seeking a way to step out of her master's shadow. As such, she is more willing to undertake risks in hopes of claiming prestige.
RL Stuff
Benny started his Star Wars obsession at a very early age, having seen Episode IV and instantly becoming enamored. As a child he fantasized about having a lightsaber, traveling the galaxy and seeing its wonders and spendor. In high school his excitement piqued when he came across a novel for Star Wars, the New Jedi Order: Vector Prime. In the last few years of high school, Benny would start collecting as many of the New Jedi Order books as he could from the local book store, and even began to write some short stories of his own- though little came of that.
It wouldn't be until his Freshman year of college that Benny would be introduced to the game Freelancer, and a TC (or total conversion) mod for the game called Freeworlds (18.xx)- which he would play in the evenings after classes on a private server. Still the man desired a little more. One and a half years later, Bentre found himself leaving college due to financial and academic troubles. During a vacation the summer after, he remembered Freeworlds and on a whim, googled the mod. Lone behold, the mod and its community seemed to still be kicking. Excited, Bentre downloaded the current version of the mod, installed it, joined the forums, and played into the wee hours of the morning as his family slept. A new fascination occured as Bentre found himself first applying to join the New Republic, and flying about the game's Coruscant system looking for adventure. It would be at a ship Mon Calamarip ship and in game base, the Wavefront (or "Wafflefront" as it was known to Freeworlds players, also known as Freeworlders) that he would meet his first Jedi. The player, whose name is lost to antiquity, forum wipes and website changes, offered Bentre- then going by the handle Old_Sparta and later Sparta- the chance to join the game's Jedi Order. Ecstatic, the man accepted.
Quickly he crafted a persona, got involved with the community, and eventually rose to be a leader of both an NPC "News" faction run by Freeworlders, Server Police (what the name says on the tin), and even a member of the Jedi Council (after a schism split the sinking community again). Though he went on to become the President of the New Republic in the later Freeworlds: Tides of War mod, but after becoming disillusioned, he left the community to find his own path. It wouldn't be until years later when an old friend, Marcus Kiriyu would tell him about the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Marcus quickly recruited Bentre, and thus on April 8th, 2015 a new age was born.
The persona of Bentre Stahoes was created and Benny tried to throw himself into many aspects of the Brotherhood: the ACC, the Shadow Academy, the GMRG, the Inquisitorius and fiction activities and competitions throughout the Brotherhood. He would get his first taste of Run-ons in the Clan Naga Sadow and Clan Scholae Palatinae joint event, Red Fury. Though he came in after the start of the event he managed to place in a few events and managed to impress his Battleteam Leader well enough that he was presented with his first merit award, a Dark Cross. As time went on, Bentre continued to keep pushing the envelope, pushing for promotions through early ranks as quickly as possible and participating in anything that he was able. His persistence would pay off, as he was eventually positioned as a Battle Team Leader, later becoming an Aedile within House Shar Dakhan and taking on other positions as mentioned in the table at the bottom of the page. He also achieved Eleventh Echelon of the Grand Master's Royal Guard twice, first protecting Darth Pravus and later Cethgus Tiberius Entar when he served as FIST- before the Eleventh and Twelfth Echelons became static and he joined the members of the Twelfth permanently.
Bentre continues his efforts to help mentor and serve his members to this day. Only time will tell to what heights or what lows he will achieve in the process. In this spirit he has mentored two students to the Rank of Knight, also having won an event or two, and attempted to make his page more appealing by borrowing (possibly "ripping off") the appealing design of Slagar's page.
Image Quality
Yes, it's nice to have the best image quality possible. But, it also is a good thing to have the lowest file size possible to get that quality. Bandwidth doesn't grow on trees, and doing everything we can to minimize it makes the people that have to worry about that sort of thing happy campers. So, if the image doesn't require transparency, why use a larger PNG file? Use an optimized JPG to reduce file size. In one article alone the change from PNG's to JPG's netted a change in KB size for the affected images from 836kb to 120kb. You might say who cares about 700kb, but that's one article, and over several can add up. Then, with the number of times articles can be viewed... well, you get the idea. Bandwidth usage 12% of what we had is always good.
The following tools are essential:
- PNGOutWin: For optimizing PNG files for size and compatibility. Be sure to select both compatibility options in the preferences. Some PNG implementations are more retarded than others, and PNGOutWin compensates for just about all of them. If you must (for the love of pete) use a PNG.
- Xat JPEG Optimizer: For optimizing JPEGs singly or in batches.