Commodore Moose

Although it's been some time since I've written a new tip, I'm feeling the need to discuss a topic that I thought was pretty obvious. It's fairly timely, this being an election year in the states (or the colonies, depending on how you look at them). No matter how well you've mastered the various positions, how well you build a scene, how skilled you are at not saying no and how wonderful a musketeer you've become ... you will not graduate if you're a pain in the aft thrusters. Graduating from the academy is a lot like running for office; people have to like you. Advanced simmers treasure their weekly hour-long vacation from reality, and they tend to walk away from it when someone spoils their fun. Everyone gets a fresh start with every Academy sim, but we're not going to invite you to join an Advanced sim if you can't get along with people in the Academy. Things to do in the Academy: Be polite, thank your hosts, take turns, accept other people's ideas, try your hardest to follow the story, and show respect the other players and the hosts. Someone doing all of these things is going to be welcomed, even if they're not the best player. Things not to do: Complain about the plot, pick fights with the other players (in character or out), brag about past accomplishments, whine about having to go through the academy at all, shoot down people's ideas while insisting they play out yours, go renegade "just to make things interesting", or bad mouth the hosts or any of the other players. We're not a professional sports team. Ability won't get you a job if it comes with an attitude. And just in case you think it's open season on Moose; that it doesn't matter what you do in my room because one of the other hosts has taken a liking to you ... guess what? We talk to each other. I know this makes it sound like a popularity contest. Is that fair? Yes, it is. It's even fair to the cadets. We're not doing anyone any favors if we graduate a player into the advanced games knowing they're not going to make any friends. And anyone who discounts the value of being liked can bake cookies for Martha Stewart and discuss it with her on visiting day. Everyone in the Academy is considered a cadet. Prior graduates should keep in mind that these rules apply double for them. It's hard for us to tell cadets that they don't have the right attitude when prior grads are behaving worse. And yes, the GMs talk about those people too. Whether you think of it a a job interview, meeting your date's parents for the first time, or another stop on the campaign trail, you're on display when you come to the Academy. You are going to be evaluated on what you say and do. Be polite and kind to everyone you meet. Tip From The Moose #6: Run For Office

Can we revise this a little? I know I'm splitting semantical hairs here, but it implies that people who haven't graduated are 'bad' players. That isn't accurate. Our game is filled with many conventions and rules, and it takes time to become comfortable with them. How do you differentiate actions from speech? How do you get from one place to another? What is your character allowed to hear and how do you talk to someone in another part of the ship? How do you get something done? What details are you allowed to make up and what details do you have to learn from others? How do you contribute when the action isn't centered around your department? These skills come from practice, and that's the purpose of the Academy. You can't master these skills unless you play the game, and you won't have fun in an advanced sim until you have a good grasp on them. Once you get to an advanced sim, your attention changes to building your character, and you can't do that if you're worried about how to maneuver in a chat room or if you don't understand your character's job. Good, creative players could still take many academy sessions to graduate while they learn our online conventions. So how many Academy sessions does it take? I don't know. It takes as long as it takes. But you're going to have as much fun in the Academy as you are in the Advanced sims, and when you're ready for the next challenge, then you graduate and are put in the other game where there are other skills to learn. Don't rush to graduate. Graduation is not a measure of "good" or "bad", just of how quickly you can be assimilated. Relax, have fun, and enjoy the game. Moose

Why not? I get sent time every week. Newsweek too.

Oh geez, two birthdays on the same day? Ok then, here's two horoscopes. Feel free to exchange them if they don't fit or you want another color. For Blu: IF DEC. 12 IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: Musician Grover Washington Jr. (1943) shares your birthday. You're expressive with your body and face. You relate to the world in a physical way, and in particular, you often have a distinctive voice. You are confident, self-possessed and know how to entertain others: You can put on a show! In the year ahead, you will be faced with an important choice. Choose wisely. (Stolen from Georgia Nichols) For Andrew: IF DEC. 12 IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: You mine your potential this year, and destiny smiles on you! In February, be open to introductions. By March, an important issue concerning home or family will reach fruition. A spiritual catharsis is headed your way in April. Debts are cleared in June so you can justify that extravagant vacation! Love signs are Cancer and Libra. Your lucky numbers are 3, 15, 28, 50 and 39. (Stolen from Holiday Mathis) Happy Birthday both of you. Moose

Are they letting you have another one of these? Good for you. I went to my astrologers website to get the birthday prediciton of the day, and in it's place, there was this pithy little quote: BIRTHDAY WORDS: "Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from." Man, did he see you coming. Happy Birthday Admiral. Moose

Thank you all. I wish I could say I was "older but wiser" this year, but the truth is that I'm just "another day older and deeper in debt." : ) Thanks for the well wishes. Moosethusela

I can't imagine that they'd still have punk. It's ... like ... so last century.

Happy birthday Republic. By now, you've probably had more episodes than all the Trek series combined. : ) Here's to 14 more. Moose

Usually when I try that I get slapped. Every year when I take my son out for trick-or-treats, I pull out this black baseball cap I have with moose antlers on it. It doesn't matter what else I wear, I walk around with the rack. This year, my excited cry of "Hey, guess what it's time for?" was met with rolled-eyes and a "not the moose antlers again" groan. But when we were done gorging ourselves on Milky Way bars, he admitted he thought they were pretty special. I'm a contented Moose.

I never would have thought of myself as "well travelled", but it's amazing how much you can see in one or two car trips. Oops ... I forgot Iowa.

Mission Brief, Stardate 10410.20 The mission to the prison planet Risa was unsuccessful in finding former Arcadians trapped in this parallel dimension. But it did give the Science and Engineering teams time to work with Dr. Virax in finding a method for returning home. Hopefully, they will have more success. Cptn Moose USS Arcadia, NCC-1742-E

It does happen. But what almost never happens is the funeral scene where everyone cries over the overwhelming loss of the former character. Personally, I'll allow anyone to remake themselves, but I don't allow the funeral scenes.

Mission Brief: October 17, 2154 The Challenger crew has been detected in the forests on Acamar III. Baruk, leader of Clan Tralesta, is being led to camp where he expects to collect his proper tribue from the odd-looking trespasser. He has no idea that the Acamarian woman is already there, nor that she had been injured at the hand of the Challenger crew. Commodore Fitzgerald M. "Bull" Moose Commanding Officer Challenger, NX-05

First of all, I have to say that I like Enterprise. Is it the best we've seen in 20 years of Trek? That's hard to say. But what it does better than the other Trek shows is that it makes us wonder 'what's coming next', instead of 'what just happened'. From everything I can tell, the producers are committed to bringing us unique and interesting stories this season, as opposed to re-hashing old plots. What's been leaked sounds pretty fun. You young'uns who don't remember a time when there was no Trek on TV should open up your minds and enjoy the ride. : ) Moosethusela

Thanks Darrik. I wouldn't have seen these without your post. I have a friend that I absolutely must buy the Picard/Riker shirt for. : ) Thanks for your help. Moose

Mission Brief, October 10, 2154 On Challenger's first away mission to Acamar III, a local woman has been shot by a phaser. Her head wound is critical. The native must be restored to health before either she realizes what happened, or her clan-mates come looking for her. Commodore Moose Challenger, NX-05

Arrival at Acamar III cha092604.txt

The introduction of jello wrestling to advanced simulations. arc092204.txt

Mission Brief, September 26, 2154 Due to Suliban interfearance, the Challenger has been transported far into an unexplored region of space. Protein re-sequencers are still off-line. If Challenger is going to avoid returning to Earth, they must suppliment their organic food supply. The nearest star is the Acamar system. The third planet appears to be Class M. Commodore Fitzgerald M. "Bull" Moose Commanding Officer Challenger, NX-05

One of Spock's ancestors was actually H. G. Wells, who travelled forward in time to 2045 so he could marry and produce the children that eventually became Spock's ancestors. Then, he went back in time and whispered all the good quotes to Doyle.

Mission Brief, Stardate 10409.22 After escaping two-dimensional space, the USS Arcadia has found itself in a parallel universe. In this reality, Axaia has been destroyed by the Coalition's Revelation Device. And the only lifeforms detected are a renegade band of Klingon party girls in a pink Qob Lakotah. There is one similarity between their home universe and the parallel one. A human is travelling with the Klingons. They call her Sol Avah, but she is the mirror image of the Arcadia's former first officer Brianna Sullivan. Sullivan left the Arcadia years ago, to travel to an alternate dimension in search of the Arcadia's former CMO, Dr. Khiaara. Molecular scans have not yet proven which universe she comes from. But if she is the former Arcadian, why is she travelling with these Klingons? And what business does she have on the prison planet Risa? Cptn Moose USS Arcadia, NCC-1742-E

Oh Drako... I wasn't even there, so all I know about whatever incident there was is what you just wrote. But as an Academy Instructor I just can't pass a opportunity to lecture. ;-) The Academy is the place where we teach new players the mechanics of the game. Tenured players and prior graduates are of course, always welcome, and even encouraged to attend. However, their place in the academy is to serve as an example to the cadets of "how it's done right." Grads are held to a higher standard. You're the role-models. One of the basic rules is "follow the mission brief." A Ferengi Security Officer sounds like an interesting character indeed, but it doesn't exempt them from following the same mission brief as everyone else. They key point is not that they're Ferengi or Klingon or even an Android. They key point is that they're a member of the crew working towards the same goal as the rest of the crew. If a character would naturally work against the group goal towards their own personal agenda, as you claim a Ferengi would in this example, then the character choice is inappropriate for the Academy and a better choice needs to be made. Many GMs insist that players only use human characters in the Academy just to avoid this situation. If you weren't asked to be the SGV, then you were asked to be a member of the crew. And that's the most important characteristic in any Academy character. Just my two cents. : ) I hope you at least had fun. Moose

Sorry, I dropped the final "l". all the prior links have been edited. Give it a try

If you were born between August 23 and September 22 ... You are a TRIBBLE. You're precise, refined, clean & hygenic (I mean, have you ever seen a TRIBBLE poop?) You're orderly, conventional, reserved & observant (you can always spot the storage bin that has the quadrotriticale in it.) You're critical (to food stuffs, mostly), patient, undemonstrative & selective (you shriek loudly everytime a Klingon walks into the room.) You're reserved, polite, charming & you're dignified. On the down side, you're stressed out & worried all the time (especially when it comes to Klingons.) Purrr, purrr. Famous TRIBBLES in Star Trek: Aug. 24 - Jennifer Lien (Medical Assistant Kes, VOY) Aug. 28 - Gates McFadden (Doctor Beverly Crusher, TNG) Sept. 3 - Merritt Butrick (Dr. David Marcus, ST2, ST3) Sept. 11 - Roxann Biggs-Dawson, (Lt. B'Elanna Torres, VOY) Sept. 14 - Walter Koenig (Cmdr. Pavel Chekov, TOS) Sept. 14 - Bruce Hyde (Lt. Kevin Riley, TOS) Horoscope courtesy of http://community-2.webtv.net/TrekAdamG/STARTREKzodiac/ Birthday courtesy of Jami. Happy birthday dear. Moose

Has someone posted this link already? Just to put it on a Trek topic ;-) http://www.wischik.com/damon/Texts/myersbriggstrek.html