So Knighthood is obviously really, really tough. I was wondering if we could introduce some digital badges towards the journey there, for example:
3/10 rides = Peasant of Sufferlandria
5/10 rides = Yeoman of Sufferlandria
7/10 rides = Duke of Sufferlandria
9/10 rides = Squire of Sufferlandria
Thoughts?
Neat idea and I love it! but I worry that targeting some of these would put people off doing the whole thing
And as many have pointed out - once you’re at 7, you might as well just gut it out from there…
I’d go even further and say if you’re gonna do 5 in a row, just get it the SUF over with.
Also, @averydarkplace, If it was easy…
Those are good points–importantly, you’d only get a digital badge, and neither title nor privilege. Effectively the same as completing one of the monthly challenges, but in a single day, back-to-back.
I think it would motivate people to push themselves further, but if they feel like they are risking physical injury/illness by ride 6, then they can stop without being entirely empty-handed.
GVA doesn’t settle for mediocrity, neither should you. If it was easy everyone would do it. This is kinda like the “everyone gets a participation trophy” for trying and failing to make the knighthood.
Besides, Sir @averydarkplace is objectively hilarious!
To me, it’s more like marking milestones along the way.
Honestly, I see what you’re going for @averydarkplace
I’m not 100% opposed. I’m just not sold on it either. Knighthood has always been an all or nothing kind of achievement. A thing that seems unreachable but really isn’t.
Like lots of folks I would have thought knighthood was just beyond me. Not a lifelong athlete. I was already in my 40s when I came to become an avid cyclist. I’d ridden some hard rides. I’d ridden a few centuries. But Knighthood?!
Man, I coveted that OG decal from the day I landed on the shores of the Great Lactic Acid Sea back in late 2015. When I first did the MTP, in 2017, it was clear to me that my Mt Sufferlandria was a knighthood quest. So, with thoughtful planning and a vigilant application of the MTP, I planned my quest for the better part of a year.
During that time asked tons of questions, learned tons of stuff, watched some others succeed and yet others not. Sucked it all in like a Pain Sucker 
I’m not sure I’d have been as singularly focused and driven to achieve my goal with stepping stone awards/rewards/digital badges.
I dunno. There is the badge for back-to-back rides already. That in itself could act as what you suggest without the need to bestow additional titles.
Edit: oh and there’s a badge for doing the MTP too
Half is easy 
exactly! and that’s the reason why it’s not eligible for a Knighthood attempt 
Haha and because in our land, easy is not only forbidden but a foul word too 
Oh flashbacks. Stage 7 of KoS nearly ended me. Gut it out became more like out of the guts 
. Darker than even AVP. But luckily as I was chewing stem at top tune came on, and lifted me to glory.
Chills. Literal chills. 
13/10 rides = Baron/Baroness of Sufferlandria
15/10 rides = Viscount/Viscountess of Sufferlandria
17/10 rides = Count/Countess of Sufferlandria
20/10 rides = Duke/Duchess of Sufferlandria
Naturally, you can only be a prince/princess if you’re blood-related to GvA…
Wouldn’t a Duke be higher than an Knight, and certainly a squire?
Badges / gameification are a great way to engage people.
Great idea and one for Wahoo to implement I’d say.
*Wahoo - and we could create levels which get us away from gender as well at the same time.
agree, most badges are rather of type “collector” and not so much about fun i.e. suffering. Well, except the monthly challenges.
Yes. That’s why you have to ride more.
Peasants and Yeomen definately had to pay dues to the hierarchy above.
How is that supposed to be organised. Could one make a living being duchess or duke?
(Boy, I should concentrate on my job instead of hanging out in this forum…)
I think I spent too much time thinking about my citizenship status in Sufferlandria. I’ve been on the platform for about 2-3 years, so a recent immigrant. Surely I’ve at a minimum, plowed and tilled the lands of Sufferlandria enough to be a serf! But perhaps that’s not enough…
In any case, I think this discussion brought up a lot of fun ideas for new challenges/badges. Maybe we should make a badge for rides at 100% FTP for doing 3-5 specific rides in the same day? For example for doing:
The Wretched, A (Very) Dark Place, and The Downward Spiral, back-to-back ?
