Dark Empire of the Sith

Dark Empire of the Sith
Game	Jedi Academy
Mod	Base
Type	Casual
Founded	2009
Years Active	2009-present
Leader	Darth Apocalypse
Website	darkempireofthesith.com

Dark Empire of the Sith (also known as Dark Empire, -[DE]-, or just DE) is Sith-themed a clan that originated in the PC version of Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy. The core philosophy of the clan is just casual gameplay with occasional competitive events. DE typically sticks with basejka for their server, however it is currently running jaPRO with base damages.

Members use the tag -[DE]- to indicate their membership. Trial members (Sith Hopeful rank) used the tag -[DE-T]- to indicate their trial status before they are granted membership.

History

-[DE]- Dark Empire of the Sith, a Jedi Academy clan. 2023 logo.

The Dark Empire of the Sith was founded as a Sith-based JA+ clan in March 2009 by Darth Apocalypse with the inspiration of his fan-fic novel. As members flooded in over the following months, infighting became a problem, and DE gained the unwanted attention from hackers. DE eventually switched over to a privatized base server at the end of 2009 and focused more on no force dueling.

Towards the end of 2009, as an effort to gain more members, Cerberus and Apocalypse brainstormed and came up with an idea to include Jedi ranks turning The Dark Empire of the Sith into The United Forces using the clan tag =¥=.

The idea worked well until eventually the activity of the clan hit another hiatus. Upon the return of Darth Apocalypse the following year with the aid of Martyr, he decided to bring back the roots of the clan. Dismantling The United Forces and going back to the Dark Empire of the Sith, forcing all returning members who were Jedi-based to fall under Sith ranks.

The activity of the clan dipped and returned consistently between 2010 and 2016 but continues to remain a small casual clan of close friends as of 2023.

Ranks

The ranks in -[DE]- changed a lot over the years due to member feedback and growth, though there were always a core set of ranks: Dark Lord, Dark Council, Sith Lord, Sith Warrior, Sith Adept, and Sith Acolyte. Other ranks that have been used but removed were Sith Master, Knight, Battlemaster, Prophet, Marauder, Alchemist, Inquisitor, Apprentice, and Emeritus. Below are the current ranks of -[DE]-.

Traditionally the only members allowed to use the title of Darth are Dark Lord and Dark Council members.

Dark Empire of the Sith Ranks

Rank	Role	Responsibilites
Dark Lord	Leader/admin	Lead the clan, plan events, moderate the server, resolve any issues, final decisions
Dark Council	Council leaders	Help with leading, planning events, moderating, resolving any issues
Sith Lord	Advanced members	Reliable & loyal members, help out where needed, enforce rules
Sith Warrior	Active members	Members that have been around and active for a decent amount of time
Sith Acolyte	Core members	Members that completed their recruitment trial and are freshly new members or pop in every so often
Sith Hopeful	Recruits	Players that have applied for membership and are undergoing an activity trial to see if they'd be a good fit for the clan

Server

The -[DE]- server has traditionally ran on basejka or a mod with base damages. In recent years it has run on the jaPRO mod for better defrag and racing features.

The server typically runs under the name [DE] Dark Empire in the server browser. It implemented the JKHub jk3.in shortening service, so the IP was always found with de.jk3.in.

The default mode was always set to FFA with saber only and force jump 3 only, though later years the server has had weapons and force enabled. Occasionally it would get set to TFFA during events or if people were feeling like doing some quick PUGs.

The server has many custom maps, some of the most popular, and some obscure. Some popular maps include Sith Council V2, The Academy V3, Jedi's Home, Race Arena, Taspir Power Complex, Siren's Enclave, the clan maps listed below and many more.

Clan Maps

DE's Shola Sith Temple clan map

The maps created by the clan and for the clan and used are Shola Sith Temple, Sith Sanctuary, Korriban Tomb Trial. Other maps have been created but either are still in progress or shelved until a later date.

Trials

The trials of -[DE]- were constructed to test both skill, resolve, and ability to not take things too seriously. Some trials involved a trial map that required the member to traverse and survive. Other trials were certain tasks or activities that needed to be completed. All trials were administered on a case-by-case basis according to the Dark Council's will. Trials for joining the clan meant the trialee (Sith Hopeful) was given the tag -[DE-T]- to signify their Hopeful status, and a certain period of time had to pass to ensure the player was going to stick around for longer than a day or two and genuinely wanted to join.

Events

Elimination Championship Bracket Example

-[DE]- typically hosts events for their members, but only a few are exclusive, so most events are open to the public as long as they adhere to the rules set by the hosts. Most events are scheduled ahead of time, but sometimes they are impromptu when a lot of members are on the server and have the urge.

Elimination Championship

DE's Elimination Championship arena on Shola Sith Temple

A (traditionally) monthly 1v1 duel tournament that had a ladder. All members are encouraged to participate, even if they are new to the game or don't like to duel - it is about fun. Each month the winner was given a badge on their website profile and the ability to have a gold star asterisk in their name in-game, and the previous month's winner removes theirs. First player to win 3 duels moves on. If a player loses, they are out of the tournament and respectably spectates.

Tag Team

DE's Tag Team arena on Sith Sanctuary

A mix between FFA and TFFA where your team gets assigned a lightsaber color, and one person from each team enters the arena, while the remaining teammates stay on the sidelines (usually in their colored booth) until the active member either dies or returns to the booth to "tag" the next team member in. Last team to survive wins the round. Typically the first team to win 5 rounds wins the event. Teams are decided by the host, depending on the skill gap between players. Played on a map that has a dedicated Tag Team arena on custom clan maps like Shola Sith Temple and Sith Sanctuary.

Infected

A classic mode where one person starts as "infected" and tries to "infect" the survivors until either all survivors are infected, or the time runs out and the survivor(s) win. This is typically played on the main clan maps (Sith Sanctuary and Shola Sith Temple) in the lower levels. Players are greatly encouraged to keep r_gamma below 1. Infected players must use the dedicated infected skin, and a lightsaber on at all times. All survivors must keep their lightsaber off at all times. Survivors are not allowed to attack infected, in the traditional version of this game. It is all about movement and hiding. The host of this game acts as the referee to make sure nobody is cheating. Every few minutes the host must called "SWITCH" in the chat and make sure everyone moves from their hiding place to a new spot, to keep the game from taking too long by someone that found a crazy hiding spot. Host can decide if jumping is allowed or not, depending on the skill gap of the players. Traditionally no jumping is allowed, so you must rely on hiding and evading by running.

A-Mountain Race

This event is a race to the top of A-Mountain, the giant vertical grey course in the Race Arena map. First to reach the top twice, wins. Usually there is no attacking permitted, however some events did allow it as a special variant of the event.

One Cut

This event is similar to Tag Team or King of the Hill, but it is played on a map that has a dedicated platform (Sith Sanctuary) with a pit underneath it for an added risk of falling. All players line up outside the platform in a single file. The first two players in line enter the arena and begin to duel. The first person that gets hit by a lightsaber once must go to the back of the line, and the next person in line joins the arena, and so on. Everyone must start the event with full health and shields, but never fill it back up after the start using medpacks or anything. Last person to survive wins. Of course hunting down a person after they attempt to leave the arena is prohibited, and poaching from the line is also prohibited. The people with the best footwork typically prevail.

Sith'ari Showdown

DE's Sith'ari Showdown Banner

The ultimate test of a Sith's true strength, the Sith'ari Showdown is a duel tournament similar to the Elimination Championship. This event takes place once or twice a year on Jedi Academy. Participants are to 1v1 duel against their randomly matched opponent. First player to 10 kills wins the round. Once a player has won 2 rounds, they move on in the bracket, and the loser is eliminated. This event takes place across multiple days, and can last for about a week, depending on schedules and number of participants. The winner is able to wear the unique black star * at the end of his/her name on the server and on their showcase forever, with the date of the victory.

Notable Members

• Darth Apocalypse
• Darth Martyr
• Darth Arken (Circa)
• Sidarious
• Darth Cerberus
• Darth Pandorum
• Darth Sacrilege
• Blackout
• Defcon
• Wildfyre
• Starlight
• Smoo
• Radiuks
• Sensei
• Empari
• Meylxx/Eradicus
• Aries
• MountainDew
• Slayus
• Qordis
• Sidonius
• Nienna
• Wookiee