Pain in the English
Pain in the English

Unpacking English, Bit by Bit

A community for questioning, nitpicking, and debating the quirks and rules of the English language.

Pain in the English
Pain in the English

Unpacking English, Bit by Bit

A community for questioning, nitpicking, and debating the quirks and rules of the English language.

Treatment of abbreviations and superscript items in full capital case

I am working on a documentary film and have hit upon a conundrum that we hope one of the fabulous Pain in the English grammarians can solve. We are using the full capital case (”all caps”) to identify our experts, in a text box that pops up below them during their appearances on screen; for example: JOHN SMITH, HISTORIAN. One of our experts has a name that includes a superscript letter (e.g.: JANE MCDONALD) and another has the abbreviation Jr. after his name (e.g.: WILLIAM DOE, JR.). 

Question: Should those superscripted and abbreviated letters stay in all caps, too? Or should they be treated differently, either lower case or small caps? (e.g.: JANE McDONALD / WILLIAM DOE, Jr.) I’ve searched the Chicago Manual of Style and the Government Printing Office’s online manual, and have found no guidance in either.

Thank you for your help!

Susan

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I used to design a lot of "lower-third" titles for video/film, and occasionally I've encountered this situation. I don't think this is a grammar issue, and I would not expect to find answers in style manuals. I think this is a graphic design issue.

Any textual elements to be designed shouldn't fall under such rules or standards. However, if the same treatment were to be repeated, you would want it to be consistent with your own rules.

When using all caps, I do lowercase names like McDONALD and do so consistently, primarily for readability. (I would not lowercase "JR." My rule would be that I lowercase a letter only if there are more letters following it without a space. In computer programming, it's called "CamelCase.") If you do so inconsistently, it would appear to be a mistake. If you never use lowercase letters ("MCDONALD"), I wouldn't consider it wrong as long as you do so consistently.

I also see designers lowercase all letters, like "mcdonald," for stylistic reasons. If you want, you could capitalize the last letter, like "mcdonalD, or capitalize random letters, like "mCdoNaLd," as long as the randomness is consistent. That is your artistic license as a designer. The key is consistency.

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kimmorgan Apr-16-2024

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Abbreviations and superscript items should be treated consistently in full capital case, maintaining their original formatting for clarity and accuracy.
Yes, both the superscripted letter and the abbreviation should be treated consistently in full capital case. So, for example, it would be: JANE McDONALD / WILLIAM DOE, JR.

Guo Apr-23-2024

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Hi Susan,

Thank you so much for reaching out with your question! Your documentary project sounds fascinating, and it's great to see such attention to detail in your text presentation.

countingtools Jul-20-2024

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Great question, Susan! In full capital case, superscript letters and abbreviations like Jr. should ideally remain in all caps for consistency. However, small caps can be a good choice for abbreviations like "Jr." to keep the text legible and balanced with the rest of the name.

For instance:

JANE MCDONALD (with the superscript letter in normal caps)
WILLIAM DOE, JR. (keeping Jr. in all caps or using small caps for a more refined look).
This way, you maintain uniformity while also giving a slight differentiation to the abbreviations for readability.

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X as in to exchange. Xchange, right? So it becomes Video Transmission Exchange. "Exchange" is a place where things are being passing back and forth or helped to pass back and forth. Take for example a telephone exchange. "A telephone exchange is called an "exchange" because it acts as a central point where different telephone lines are switched or interconnected, allowing calls to be routed between them. It's analogous to an intersection on a road network where vehicles switch from one road to another to reach their destination. " Google AI]. "Currency Exchanges" leverage the same meaning.

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In a similar vein, a major UK newspaper only capitalises the first letter of initialisms or acronyms, e.g. 'Opec' for the Oil Producing and Exporting Companies, 'Defra' for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs etc. This irritates me, I think these should read OPEC and DEFRA respectively, but how does everyone else feel? Is there an accepted style guide convention?

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Understanding the Shadowstrike Skill
Shadowstrike is a high-damage assassination ability used primarily by dagger-wielding classes such as Treasure Hunter or Abyss Walker. It’s designed for quick burst damage and mobility, ideal for both PvE boss fights and PvP ambushes.

Skill Traits:
Type: Active Melee Skill

Effect: Deals massive critical damage from stealth or behind the target

Bonus: Increased crit rate and chance to ignore defense

Cooldown: Moderate (requires precise timing)

Shadowstrike excels when combined with speed boosts, evasion, and stealth mechanics, allowing you to slip past guards or raid bosses’ AoEs for pinpoint lethal strikes.

Building the Shadowstrike Assassin
To maximize Shadowstrike’s potential, you need to optimize your character for speed, precision, and critical output.

Class Path
Start: Rogue

Advanced: Treasure Hunter / Abyss Walker

Specialization: Choose abilities that boost crit rate, evasion, and stealth duration.

Key Stats to Prioritize:
DEX (Dexterity): Increases accuracy and evasion

STR (Strength): Boosts melee damage and critical power

AGI (Agility): Reduces cooldowns and increases attack speed

Recommended Gear:
Weapon: Dual Daggers or Enhanced Assassin’s Blade

Armor: Light armor sets with evasion, speed, and crit bonuses (e.g., Phantom Set)

Accessories: Crit rings, evasion earrings, and cooldown reduction pendants

Enchantments: Focus on crit rate, movement speed, and backstab damage

Preparing for the Antharas Awakening Raid
Antharas, the Earth Dragon, is one of the mightiest world bosses in Lineage 2M. He awakens periodically and requires a full alliance raid or a highly-coordinated party to bring down. His mechanics challenge even veteran players.

Entry Requirements:
Character level 55+ recommended

Gear enhancement level +6 or higher

Access to the Dragon Valley Cave – Core Chamber

Time-limited event participation (Antharas Awakening events are typically scheduled weekly)

Antharas Awakening Boss Mechanics
Antharas uses a combination of AoE earth magic, tail swipes, summons, and rage phases. Knowing his patterns is critical for survival.

Phase 1: Earth Shockwaves
Antharas uses wide-range ground slams.

Spread out to minimize damage stacking.

Melee DPS should flank the rear and sides.

Phase 2: Stone Summons
He summons golems to protect him.

DPS should quickly clear adds to avoid overwhelming support roles.

Shadowstrike users can burst down casters or healers among the mobs.

Phase 3: Rage Awakening
At 30% HP, Antharas becomes enraged.

Increased damage and faster attack patterns.

He uses Roar of Destruction, which can one-shot undergeared players.

Shadowstrike Strategy vs. Antharas
Using Shadowstrike effectively during the Antharas fight requires both timing and stealth mobility.

Before Combat:
Use stealth abilities to close the gap safely.

Coordinate with your tank to avoid aggroing Antharas prematurely.

Activate buffs and cooldown reduction potions.

During Combat:
Circle around to Antharas’ back and wait for a moment when he’s not performing AoEs.

Use Shadowstrike when your crit chance is boosted (via buffs or class passives).

After attacking, immediately disengage to avoid retaliation — use skills like Evasion Roll or Shadow Retreat.

Mob Control:
During the Stone Summons phase, switch targets and use Shadowstrike to snipe high-priority mobs (casters or healers).

Shadowstrike’s burst makes it ideal for deleting low-HP mobs instantly.

Team Coordination Tips
Assign Shadowstrike users to flank Antharas and handle rear-side DPS responsibilities.

Tanks must maintain threat while leaving the back clear for assassins to operate.

Healers should prioritize movement-based healing to support mobile DPS like Shadowstrikers.

Voice or in-game chat is essential to coordinate AoE avoidance and burst damage phases.

Loot and Rewards
Defeating Antharas offers high-end loot including:

Earth Dragon Jewelry (rare accessories)

Dragon Scale Fragments (used for crafting)

Unique Dagger Blueprints

Antharas Rune Crystals (enhance Earth-elemental resistances and skills)

Shadowstrike assassins especially benefit from the Antharas Cloak, which boosts critical damage from behind and improves stealth duration.

Final Thoughts
In Lineage 2M: Shadowstrike of the Antharas Awakening, mastering both a deadly assassin build and one of the game’s most dangerous bosses offers a uniquely satisfying experience. Shadowstrike brings high-risk, high-reward gameplay, and when paired with strategic movement and precision, it can turn the tide of the battle.

Antharas may be a colossal threat, but with the right build, smart tactics, and a well-prepared team, even the mightiest dragon can fall to the blade of a silent killer.

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