What is the difference between the various Cadet programs?

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Many new and old players alike are sometimes confused by the different tags and names for the various Cadet program names and tags. This article attempts to explain which course is which and why are they all different.


The past: @CDT-A and @CDT-B

The @Cadet program, originally, was an eight week monolithic program aimed to bring new players from "newbdom" to squad levels. Each week had a ship of the week cadets were strongly encouraged to fly whenever possible.

For reference, here is the index of the old CDT program at some point of its life:

  • Week One: Basics. Learn controls, ships, terminology, try everything. Tactic post: quick signals.
  • Week Two: Scout I. Focus on probing, nanning, sector view and comm 1 game. Tactic post: hunting eye.
  • Week Three: Scout II. Focus on miner hunting, mine use, offense and signature. Tactic post: Teleport probe.
  • Week Four: Stealth Fighter. Focus on miner hunting with SF & Stealth Defense. Initial damage post. Tactic post: Stealth Defense.
  • Week Five: Dogfighting with Interceptors and Fighters. Tactic Post: Galvonic Blaster Runs.
  • Week Six: Turrets. Focus on observing good bomber and capship pilots. Tactic Post: Cap Ships
  • Week Seven: Ending the Game. Bombing, HTT, Capships.
  • Week Eight: Command Week. Basic Comm practice, exam, wrapup.

The course was accompanied by pop quizzes along the route. At some point, an exam was added to let pilots graduate off the programs, while others could only claim having attended it.

Two identical sessions of this course ran in parallel, @CDT-A ("Cadet Session A") and @CDT-B ("Cadet Session B"), each possibly four weeks off the other.


The future: @CDT and @CDT-II

BlackViper, former Cadet Head Instructor, decided to split the monolithic @Cadet program in two shorter chunks.

The first chunk, @CDT ("Cadet"), would give new players the basics required to play, be useful in pick up games and continue with unassisted self-study if so they wish; no exam is required to finish the course.

The second chunk, @CDT-II ("Cadet Two"), would bring Cadet attendees to squad play level with a shorter five weeks program; graduation would happen after passing a final exam.


The transition: @CDT and @CDT-A

The @CDT rewrite has been completed and the course has been active since January 2008; a whopping 309 players took the course in its first year. Since January 2009 the course contents have found a new home on this wiki (now being borrowed by @AFS; more on that below).

However, the @CDT-A rewrite, head by Ogorass, is still in (albeit slow) progress. The current cadet classes are using the old material from the eight week course. This "mixup" between the two courses is called @CDT-A ("Cadet Advanced").

The transition transition: @AFS and @CDT-A

The Allegiance Flight School was originally proposed by Idanmel during the course of 2009 as a set-your-own-pace course that aimed to provide players ASAP with a buffet of information complimented by training events held by the staff.

The AFS formula is currently being tested; in particular, @CDT materials is being used by @AFS while Cadet-A continues using the good ole CDT-A/B material.

Should the test succeed, AFS will replace Cadet in its entirety. Should the test fail, the CDT program will be reinstated.

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