Kestra

So I'm technically not even a cadet yet, but yesterday I saw a few of you had created sims 2 avatars and I had to make one for myself. I searched bios looking for more because I think they're really cool, but I didn't have much luck. If you have a sims avatar will you post here? I just want to see everyone elses. Oh, and if anyone wants one but doesn't have the sims I'd be happy to make one for you ... I don't pretend to be very good at them however.

Having recently fallen prey to the terrific alternate Reaent sim, I was able to sample what it was like to be on two different STSF sims. Obviously things were a bit different on the Reaent, but I still noticed a couple of things that got me thinking. I'd appreciate anyone weighing in on some of these ideas I'm going to present here. I think it would be helpful to have more information about the ships available to the general STSF public. I know most of the ships have websites, but they all contain varying amounts of information. I'm talking about information that would be useful to new people coming in that are trying to choose a sim. It would be nice to know more about the style of the sim. I know there's some sort of unofficial suggestion to drop by sims, but it's sometimes hard to get a sense of the sim anyway. You generally don't know anything about the GMs or how things are run. Or maybe someone has more specific questions. Does it tend to be character intensive, with lots of crewmembers putting out character development logs? Duty logs? Are there briefings sent out? What about chat logs? It might sound a bit picky, but I know that when I graduated, I didn't know that all the sims were run a bit differently. I figured in an organization like this one, certain things were standard. I'm not trying to start anything here, it's just something I've been thinking about and I'd appreciate comments on the matter.

I can see where you’d be worried about that Fred, because I’m kind of one of those people. I have a vague recollection of watching TOS reruns with my dad when I was little, and the only TOS movie I think I watched straight through is “the one with the whales”. See, I don’t even know the name! I’ve seen the others in bits and pieces, but don’t remember a whole lot from any of them. The thing is though, I’d still be open to a movie about Kirk and Spock or even just the TOS era. It’s not my first choice, that’s for sure. But if they do it well, I’d actually appreciate the chance to be drawn in to that era. It would help to get past some of the cheesy props and just enjoy the characters. I’d dare to say that Star Trek fans would give it a chance no matter what it is. And after that, it’s just about whether or not it’s a well made movie, which we have to hope it will be. The following is a bit of an update, taken from Empire Online. (4/25) Basically we don’t know that it’s an Academy film. We don’t know much of anything, but Abrams has confessed to having a thing for TOS. I’ve heard a lot of people worried about it being “Star Trek: 90210” and I have to say I don’t have that same concern. I’d be more concerned about that if they were creating an Academy series (not film) with new characters. I just don’t think they’d go that route if they were doing a movie about Kirk and Spock, and more than likely a large portion of the movie would not be planet-based. Edit: I should add that the only thing that makes me cautious at this point would be the hint of a reboot. But as there's absolutely no reason to justify thinking that right now, it's not a big deal. Also Happy Birthday Fred, I just noticed that at the bottom of the index. :)

Did an avatar change and here's a quote for the occasion. :D (on taking new passengers) Kaylee: No, it's shiny! I like to meet new people, they've all got stories... Jayne: Captain, can you stop her from being cheerful, please? Mal: I don't believe there's a power in the 'verse that can stop Kaylee from being cheerful. Sometimes you just wanna duct-tape her mouth and dump her in the hold for a month. Kaylee: [kisses Mal's cheek] I love my captain.

If your avatar or rank was something I designed or hosted, the link may now be broken to it. You can find the new URLs at this location. I can't guarantee how long I will have them up here though, so please upload them to your own computer and/or photobucket account to preserve them. Contact me if there are any isssues with this. Thank you!

I know some people online that are into designing ships and such. One of the guys put together a comparison chart that has many of the fan designs as well as canon ones, so you can see the sizes and all. There is one for shuttles as well. I thought it was interesting and well put together, so enjoy! http://www.ewe-squad.com/woz/

Actually I believe that's one that was modeled on a 3-d program, so the texture simply looks odd from the side. The blue is like any nacelle, and I think the "cloud" bits you're referring to have in fact something to do with the nacelle attaching to the pylon.

Has anyone else actually watched some of their stuff? I was impressed by the production, but not so much by the actual plots and scripts of their material. Either way, it's cool that Takei is taking part.

Thanks Laura, I appreciate that. It's hard to imagine any of the GMs ever had problems simming. :blink: And thanks to everyone again that has participated in the discussion so far, GMs and players alike. It's nice to know that whether you agree or disagree, you're at least willing to hear me out and discuss this.

Originally posted by Cdr Corizon: Very cool, and good things to know. Thanks for pointing them out. I'm someone who totally hoards information and it wouldn't put me off at all, but I can see where you wouldn't want to overwhelm someone that felt otherwise. This sounds odd, but it's what I'm talking about. I'd like to know if a sim is "information heavy" because that's the type of player I am. On the other hand I'd imagine there are some players that would be turned off by too many details or rules. Well like I said above, I like information so I would have loved something like this. I started in the middle of a somewhat confusing plot myself and I didn't quite understand what was going on. Including a mission briefing in a welcome packet would help a newcomer to jump right in and get involved. I completely agree with you here. That's why I'm not calling for all sims to send out chat logs or anything like that. Sometimes I open up a window and save the chat log myself if I think I'll want to look over it later. And it's a pain to edit out even my own PMs from it. I don't think all the sims need to have this; I think it would be nice to know which ones do (whether it's through the boards or their personal mailstring).

Okay, I have to admit I've been avoiding the questions because I feel a bit awkward about it. But I agree that they are good questions and I'm the one that started this, so ... I think there are two pieces of information that would have helped me. One, does this sim have a welcome packet? Two, are briefings or chat logs sent out on any sort of regular basis? There are dozens of things that, looking back, might have been relevant. How structured is a sim, and more specific questions along those lines. But I think the first two questions I posed would have had the most impact for me and I wish I had known to ask them.

I was under the impression that they in fact don't. Edit: Someone suggested to me that I came off a bit testy. I'm not trying to be rude in any of my posts, only direct. Just wanted to clarify that.

I'm really glad you enjoyed yourself. :blink:

Alright, well I'm disappointed that you feel that way but you've been simming much longer than I have, so maybe you've got some knowledge I don't.

Well, everyone else has given you good advice. If you decide to change your forum name, I would suggest not adding a rank to it. Presumably you won't be a cadet (or ensign, or so on) forever. Don't forget to check out Moose's tips at the top of this forum. There's one that's a great help if it's your first time in the academy. Welcome to STSF! :rolleyes:

Thanks Nick, and LoAmi, for responding. I really appreciate it. I suppose part of my point is that new players might not even know to look for those things or ask those questions. Right now, if I want to add another advanced sim on, I know who to ask questions and what to ask. I probably know at least one person on each advanced sim that I'd feel comfortable asking questions to. Coming in as a new player, it's much more difficult. Do you drop by the advanced sim, pick someone at random (or the GM, who always looks very busy), and ask them all your questions? Like I said above, I wouldn't have even known what to ask. Even if I had, I feel like it makes a bad impression. I didn't know how regularly people put out logs. I don't think I even really understood what a log was. I thought maybe the sims themselves had general guidelines on the matter. I didn't know who was on the roster of each ship so I didn't know if only a small percentage were writing logs or if that was most of the crew. It's actually quite a bit of work and very confusing to try to get a sense of each of the ships on your own. I remember trying it and failing utterly. Even if you can't generalize answers, maybe something to point people in the right direction. A "you might want to consider these while choosing a ship". Maybe something saying whether or not a ship sends out a welcome packet, briefings, chat logs, or something to do with departments. Mind you, I'm not saying that all the sims should. I guess I'm just having a hard time expressing the information I'd like to see available.

Great log! Very well written and very emotional. I like how you did a different viewpoint; it adds yet more depth to the alternate universe Fred created.

Yes, uh-huh, I love you too Eowyn-- I mean Arwen. ::proceeds to mentally curse himself::

"You Can't Go Home Again" A Miral and Sans production Ariago sat back and watched the happy group continue their talks for a while, before quietly excusing himself to get the rest of his belongings from the station. "Need some help?" Kestra offered, noticing the quiet officer. "I'm heading back in a bit myself." He turned his head around. "Uh, sure Lieutenant...I mean...I wouldn't want to bother you or anything..." "Oh no, no trouble at all," she assured him. Saying goodbye to the rest of the group, she followed him out of the bar. "So I thought I heard someone mention you're in engineering." "Uh, yes...I just graduated from the Academy before being posted." He walked along somewhat awkwardly, not sure of his step as he passed a security officer. "Well that means we'll be working together. Have you been on board and met the chief yet?" She tried not to notice his awkwardness. Oddly enough, he made her feel outgoing. He continued to walk along, clutching his clothes bag. "Uh yes...but if I may say...he seems like a very...'odd' man." Kestra laughed quietly. "Odd?" She thought about it for a second. "Yes, I suppose he is a bit odd. But he's a good officer, and really quite pleasant. I heard the last chief was a slave driver." From the odd range of behavior Ariago had seen from Commander Light...well, he decided to wait until he saw the man as his true self. "Well then, I am glad he's around. My sister she was never...uh...that hard on the engineers either..." "Oh, you have a sister in Starfleet? Me too. What ship?" He pause for moment, trying to find proper words. "She used to serve. She was the Chief Engineer on the USS Bozeman." She noticed his hesitation and was confused. Was she just reading too much into it? She couldn't read a thing from him. "That's quite a feat," she said, glancing over again. "My sister's in medical. So is the rest of my family actually, though we're the only two in Starfleet." He nodded in an interested manner as they reached a large area, with an overwhelmed Starfleet officer trying to manage the people retrieving large personal items. The only thing there for him was a rather large couch, that appeared to be rather badly burned. He quickly got an anti-grav hauler, and the two made their way back to the Arcadia Kestra looked at the couch and back at the confusion of people. "That's it?" She peered curiously at the couch, trying not to seem overly obvious. Ariago walked along, looking at the couch for a moment. "Uh, yeah, it was my sisters. Its the only thing I really held onto from the Bozeman." This time the past tense hit Kestra like a ton of bricks. Was. How could she have been such an idiot? ~You sure have a way with men, Kessa.~ She wanted to kick herself but instead nodded slightly and continued walking. Even though she couldn't read him through his shields, he extended his perceptions enough to feel her. "Yeah...The Bozeman participated in the Battle of Sector-001 against the Borg. My sister was killed." The embarrassment and sadness was plain on her face. "I'm so sorry, Ensign Sans. I didn't realize. I should have." Was now a good time to run away? He walked along, looking forward this time brushing past one of the many security officers that had seemed to flood the promenade since he and Lt. Miral had left the bar. "Don't be, it was over seven years ago. I don't expect every inquisitive crew member to be a scholar of Federation Military History." "This is why I stick to machines," she mumbled as they reached the airlock to the Arcadia, which would force them to go separate ways. She turned, and waved him goodbye, hoping he had a good time on the ship. He gave her a weak wave of his own until she was out of sight. "Me too."

(OOC: This takes place prior to the last sim.) "In the End" starring Simon Ljungberg and Kestra Miral She sat at her table, running her finger lightly over the fruit in front of her, not really thinking about food. A slight smile played on her lips despite the serious tones of the conversation around her. Simon entered the mess hall. He was in a bad mood after his fights with Kestra and Captain Jalil and the little incident with Dr. Vio. All he wanted to do was have lunch and be left in peace for a while. As he turned from the replicator and looked for a table his gaze fell on a familiar figure sitting alone at a table. He walked over to her, hoping she'd give him a chance to apologise. "Hey, Kes. Mind if I join you?" She looked up at him and smiled. "Of course you can, Simon." Pushing out a chair with one of her feet, she motioned for him to sit across from her. "I was hoping to run into you." He looked at her, his expression a mixture of surprise and skepticism. He couldn't believe that after their fight she'd be glad to see him. There must be something else. "Thank you," he said as he sat down and put his tray in front of him. "Any particular reason you wanted to 'run into me'?" "I just wanted to apologize. For our argument." She could sense his skepticism but continued anyway. "It was silly and immature, and unnecessary. I think we've just all been stressed out lately. All the tension from the fighting out there. Not knowing." She glanced out one of the windows before looking back at him. Simon's jaw dropped and he had stopped moving his fork towards his mouth. " I couldn't have said it any better." He finally managed to say after a moment. "Listen, I didn't mean to say all these things. I have to apologise, too." "Oh no, please don't," Kestra interrupted him. "Tell me how things are in sickbay." He raised his eyebrows at the abrupt change of the topic. He pushed his tray away from him suddenly not feeling hungry anymore. "Alright, Kes, what's going on?" Simon simply couldn't believe it. Here he was ready to apologise, something that didn't happen often, and that was one thing Kestra had accused him of, and she changed the topic. He was getting confused and he was sure she could sense it. Did she enjoy playing games with him, he wondered. "What’s going on?" She watched him slide the tray to the side and made an effort to keep his confusion from affecting her. He exhaled audibly and closed his eyes briefly. "I was trying to apologise for what happened and you ask me what's going on in sickbay. Kes, I might not be able to sense what you feel but I know you long enough to be sure there's something else. And please don't try to play games with me. I'm not up to that right now." His frustration and anger was getting the better of him and he just didn't manage to keep either out of his voice. It didn't matter anyway since he was sure Kestra would have known anyway. She reached out to hold his hand for a moment to calm him. "I'm not playing games. It's just that all that suddenly doesn't seem important." Kestra withdrew her hand and looked at him, wishing for a moment that he was empathic. That she didn't have to sit here and explain anything to him. "Simon, I think I'm going to leave after this." At her touch his heart started beating faster. He squeezed her hand gently. When she withdrew it he wished he could have held on to it. "I've got no idea what you're talking about Kes." He leaned back and looked into her eyes. Almost pleadingly he went on. "Please, Kes, don't tell me you're leaving this ship already." She simply nodded at him. "The crew seems great, but ... we'll be lucky to make it out of this alive. I don't really know what I'm doing out here." Another pause. "I'm leaving with Travis." He had opened his mouth to reply when the last piece of information sank in. He just sat there staring at her for a few moments. A wave of emotions washed over him. The first thing he felt was anger closely followed by a feeling of betrayal and a sense of loss as he understood what she meant. In the end all he was left with was anger again. "What!?" What do you mean, you're leaving with Travis?" She leaned in closer, her voice remaining quiet and calm. Perhaps he would calm down a bit as well. "We've worked things out," she said. It was hard to keep from smiling at the memory. At the thought of it. "My father's spent most of his life working against the UFP. Travis has spent his whole life doing the same. His parents were killed for it. I don't want that; I want to get out of here while I still can." Nothing she said could calm him down now. Granted, things had not exactly gone right between the two of them ever since Kestra had come aboard but Travis? He got up, knocking over his chair. "It seems like you've got it all worked out already." He threw his napkin on the tray and glared at her. "Well, have a good life." With that he turned and stormed out of the mess hall, attracting quite a few curious looks. She sighed quietly, watching him leave. At least she wasn't the one storming out of the mess hall this time. He was never going to understand it; his work was his life. It wasn't even about Travis. Kestra noticed a table of officers still looking over at her and whispering and she let herself take it all in for a moment. There were massive fleets outside the ship, fighting, waiting. Some of them hidden. Other forces unknown. Simon was mad at her; people were talking about her. She ignored them, picked up the apple from her tray, and smiled again. It didn't matter. It would all be over soon.

I'm generally either out or traveling on Friday evenings, but I still think it's an excellent idea. It will be especially good for those dedicated simmers who do not live in the US and will find it easier to join an Academy at this time. More academies are always good (at least for cadets and players, if not GMs) and it's great that the GMs have been able to do that. I'll definitely try to join in on one sometime!

Who voted "meat only"? :lol:

Everything of course! I tend to like most of my food with a pretty good amount of meat, although with Indian food I often find myself eating vegetarian dishes because they are almost better.

Awww, that was a great log Miranda. Don't worry, I'm sure Kes won't be scared of her forever! And besides, now they've got matching necklaces. ;)

Which ones? A lot of the GMs are a bit sneaky and have multiple names. Still confuses me quite a bit.