Policies and Procedures

[Cptn Corizon 0]

Sim Guidelines and Policy Packet

Current: July 3, 2008

Version 1.0

Welcome to the world of advanced simming! You may have demonstrated to the Academy staff that you can sim at or beyond the basic level, but there are some things you need to know to continue at the advanced level. You probably know the core differences already (you create a character, the missions continue from week to week with the same crew, etc), but there are some things you may not know. Following are five items of which you’ll need to be aware. These items apply specifically to the Excalibur: Lower Decks sim; other advanced sims may follow different guidelines. These guidelines supplement the STSF rules, so make sure you are familiar with those as well.

 

Attendance

The unique nature of Excalibur: Lower Decks provides an opportunity for players unable to commit to a regular, weekly time-slot to participate in the community as well as enjoy the wonderful world of role-playing. As such the requirements are very different from the standard simulation; players obviously can’t be required to attend each week, nor does the Command staff expect you to make a post each week. However, in order to keep the flow of the plot moving along at a reasonable speed, we ask that you do post at least twice a month to the Excalibur: Lower Decks boards.

 

Players who do not meet the two posts a month requirement will be contacted by the GM-team. While we understand that real-life can often become hectic we do expect a base level of commitment to the game. If you do not think you will be able to meet this requirement, be sure and send an email to both the CO and XO.

 

Players consistently missing the posting limit will be placed on probation. Players who miss posting limits while on probation will be removed from the roster. Players removed from the roster will be allowed to return to the game on a “show-cause” basis.

 

Rank and Promotions

All STSF Academy graduates shall assume their positions at the rank of Ensign on their regular games; however, E:LD is not your regular game. As the focus of E:LD is primarily on enlisted and NCO, new players will be assigned a rank from the enlisted field, officer posting will be limited to NPC’s of established players. Promotions to the next available rank will be assigned as the Commanding and Executive Officers warrant sim involvement and logs will be points considered when deciding promotion.

 

The rank structure allows us to maintain a clear chain of command. Players who demonstrate a solid command of the Problem Solving guidelines below make more effective senior officers, while junior officers are expected to input more of the ideas that the senior officers work with. In addition to this, solid attendance, consistent log writing, and good sim etiquette are all considered before a player is promoted. The Excalibur: Lower Decks rank structure follows. (Note: some of the following information, such as advancement to the next rank should be considered IC only. Advancement in rank is determined solely by the aforementioned qualities.)

 

-Crewman- the lowest rank of Starfleet Enlisted Personnel, there exists three classes of this rank, 3rd. 2nd and 1st respectively. Officers of this type typically do “grunt” work and can be expected to be seen doing any variety of tasks from cleaning the decks to helping serve meals in the galley. Personnel who hold this rank are for intents and purposes standard soldiers. This rank is roughly equivalent to the Marine rank of Private, Private first class, and Lance Corporal.

 

-Petty Officer– the next rank of officers above Crewman, the rank of Petty Office is bestowed upon those officers who have completed the required term of service and completed such training to move to the next phase of their careers. Unlike crewman, who may only be in the service for a short duration, personnel who have chosen to move onto this rank are generally career military. Like Crewman, three classes of this rank exist (PO 3rd, 2nd, and 1st) and promotion from one class to the other is dependent on a wide range of factors. Petty Officers serve a dual role as both technical experts and as leaders. Unlike the sailors below them, there is no such thing as an "undesignated Petty Officer." Every petty officer has both a rate (rank) and rating, though they are still seen in a variety of roles, ranging from running a small repair company to clerical aids to the Command Staff. This rank is roughly equivalent to the Marine Ranks of Corporal, Sergeant and Staff Sergeant respectively

 

-Chief Petty Officer-One of the final ranks achievable by enlisted officers, a Chief Petty Officer is among the most senior enlisted crew aboard a starship or station. Advancement to this rank not only includes time of service, qualification tests but also peer review. Three classes of this rank also exist: standard, Senior and Master. For many crew, this is the highest rank they can achieve. All CPO’s are career military, having dedicated their lives to service. Petty Officers serve a dual role as both technical experts and as leaders, though they focus more on leadership roles, often heading entire “departments.” Sailors in the three Chief Petty Officer ranks also have conspicuous privileges such as separate dining and living areas. Any naval vessel of sufficient size has a room or rooms that are off-limits to anyone not a Chief (including officers) except by specific invitation. These officers to end be some of the longest serving crew aboard and generally command the respect of even the highest ranking officers. The highest of these ranks, commonly referred to simply as Master Chief, is generally the highest ranking NCO aboard any given command and may be given the title of “Chief of the Boat.” The three classes are roughly equivalent to the marine ranks of Tactical Sergeant, First Sergeant and Sergeant Major.

 

-Commissioned Officers-The roles of the two classes of officer, enlisted and commissioned are often very different, as reflected by the roster structure. In general, while the two classes of officers serve alongside each other Commissioned officers generally have more of a “starring” role aboard ships while Enlisted Crew have “support” roles. The non-commissioned officers (those personnel who hold the rank of PO and above) serve in a vital role to the function of starships and stations alike. They have broad leadership roles, must themselves possesses excellent technical skills in their chosen field, and serve as a link between the officers and common solider. As such the relationship between the two branches of enlisted and non-enlisted crews is sometimes very different. While any commissioned officer outranks any member of the enlisted crew in direct chain of command, only foolish officers disrespect seasoned enlisted men, who often have more years of service than the typical Ensign or Lieutenant. And while interaction is certainly not out of the question, in general the two groups tend to be separated, not only by operational roles, but in that officers have their own quarters (or barracks), recreational areas, and messes. Generally speaking, only certain “commons” areas would be shared by the two classes.

 

- Command Staff - The CO and XO are GM’s assigned to the sim. A player can not be promoted to the command staff without becoming a GM and applying for an open command staff slot. The command staff ranks are usually Commander, Captain, Commodore, or Admiral. Within the simulation itself, there are certain enlisted crew who serve as the role of senior leaders. While all of the crew would be very aware who the Captain and First Officer of the ship would be, few of them would have any direct interaction with them, unless they served as Yeoman or any some other clerical role. An exception to this would be Chief of the Boat or COB, one of the senior NCOs aboard a starship, who assists and advises the CO and XO on matters regarding the good order and discipline of the crew. There is only one COB on a starship and they are generally responsible for the day-to-day operations of the boat's non-commissioned personnel and for their morale and training. For the purposes of E:LD this position will be held by a GM or by a GM-eligible player.

 

ALL PERSONNEL matters shall be forwarded to the ship’s XO for resolution (CC all ship’s business to the CO), pending the Commanding Officer’s final approval. This includes division and ship-to-ship transfers. A roster shall be posted to all crew members and the director of STSF personnel and periodically updated.

 

Exceptions: On accepted transfer, and with the Commanding Officer’s consent, a new member may be allowed to retain his/her former rank. The same may be accorded to any veteran STSF officer depending on the circumstance. Simply because a member creates a screen name with a specific rank DOES NOT imply that this rank shall be accepted on assignment to a simulation.

 

On many ships there is often a member who serves in a different rank or capacity on a different ship/sim. That rank is NOT carried over to the Excalibur except when specified as above. Therefore, the Captain on another sim may not necessarily be allowed that rank or those privileges on a second simulation. On Excalibur we are fortunate to have several seasoned veterans who participate in other capacities because they enjoy this venue of entertainment

 

 

Roster Divisions

- Administrative Command Division - NCO and Enlisted crew in this division of the roster serve in a variety of support roles. While the command division of officer ranks in this division is fairly small, the enlisted side is much larger. Some of these specializations are:

 

Botswain’s Mates train and supervise personnel in all activities relating seamanship, and oversee the maintenance of the ship's external structure and deck equipment.

 

Culinary Specialists prepare menus and order the quantities and types of food items. They operate kitchen and dining facilities, manage large facilities, and keep records for food supplies

 

Quartermasters are in charge of all supplies related to the duties of crew aboard a starship. They also maintain the operational role of assigning and tracking quarters of all crew

 

Masters-at-Arms uphold law and order aboard deploy overseas with expeditionary forces and squadrons performing Antiterrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) duties. The basic duty of an MA is to enforce rules and regulations, maintain good order and discipline and protect life and property. Some other duties include conducting criminal investigations and personal protective services. Though generally under the Administrative Command Division, they work closely with the Security Division of officers, and in many cases may report directly to officers from that division.

 

Musicians play in official bands and small ensembles. They give concerts and provide music for military ceremonies, religious services, and diplomatic functions. Sailors are selected for this rating through auditions. Availability of this position is determined by vessel size and role.

 

Yeomen perform secretarial and clerical work. They deal with visitors and incoming communications. They organize files and order and distribute supplies. They write and type business and social letters, notices, directives, forms and reports. They typically serve the senior officers, specifically the commanding officers.

 

Hospital Corpsmen are medical professionals who provide health care to service people and their families. They serve as pharmacy technicians, medical technicians, nurses’ aides, physicians’ or dentist's assistants, battlefield medics, and more. All work falls into several categories: first aid and minor surgery, patient transportation, patient care, prescriptions and laboratory work, food service inspections, and clerical duties. Though generally they operate within the purview of the Chief Medical Officer, they are contained within the Administrative Command Division

 

- Technical Engineering and Operational Support Division - NCO and Enlisted crew in this division of the roster serve in a variety of support roles. These crewmen have a variety of roles directly related to operation and maintenance of the ship, and are broadly under the direction of the Chief of Engineering. Some of the subdivisions within this department are:

 

Damage Controlmen perform the work necessary for damage control, ship stability and fire-fighting. They instruct personnel in damage control and repair damage-control equipment and systems.

 

Engineman are responsible for the maintenance and aide in the operation of both standard impulse fusion reactors and the M/AM reactor systems; they also aide in the maintenance of any number of support systems.

 

Hull Maintenance Technicians are responsible for maintaining ships' hulls, fittings, piping systems and machinery. They install and maintain all shipboard and shore based plumbing and piping systems. They look after a vessel's safety and survival equipment and perform many tasks related to damage control.

 

- Air Group Support Division - NCO and Enlisted crew in this division of the roster serve in number of support roles. As per Starfleet regulations, pilot must be certified to fly any vessel and typically are officers, and typically support is provided by the Technical Engineering or Administrative Command divisions. However, within the operation of certain vessels, like the Excalibur, or station based operations which carry a large number of support craft, high volume flight operations and support warrant a separate division. These crewmen serve generally under the direction of the CAG or Chief of the Air Group, though in operational management, they work closely with the Technical Engineering and Operations Support division. Some roles within this division are:

 

Aviation Boatswain's Mates are responsible for spacecraft launch and landing gear and barricades. They operate fuel transfer systems, as well as direct craft on the flight deck and in hangar bays before launch and after recovery. They position spacecraft and operate support equipment used to start aircraft.

 

Air-Traffic Controllers assist with the speedy flow of air traffic by directing and controlling aircraft. They operate field lighting systems and communicate with aircraft. They furnish pilots with information regarding traffic, navigation and spatial conditions, as well as operate and adjust approach systems and interpret targets on radar screens and plot aircraft positions.

 

Aviation Structural Mechanics are responsible for the maintenance of spacecraft parts. They maintain and repair safety equipment and hydraulic systems. In general, they are in charge of all repair work to support craft aboard a ship or station.

 

Aviation Ordnancemen operate and handle aviation ordnance equipment. They are responsible for the maintenance of guns, bombs, torpedoes, rockets, and missiles stowed aboard support craft. Their duties include the stowing, issuing, and loading of munitions and small arms for pilots.

 

- Scientific Research Support Division - NCO and Enlisted crew in this division of the roster serve in a variety of support roles. Starfleet ships are typically a floating laboratory conducting any number of scientific experiments on a daily basis. While most of this research is carried out by officers, who typically hold advanced degrees in their field of study, technical and clerical support for these missions are provided by enlisted crew. This division is overseen by the Director of Scientific Research and the Chief Science Officer.

 

Labtechs provide crucial assistance in scientific research, helping to carry out and detail laboratory work aboard a starship. They additionally can be called upon for away missions involving their area of work. Also, labtechs aide and assist in the maintenance of laboratory equipment.

 

Clerical Assistants perform tasks similar to those of the Yeoman from the Administrative Command division, but work solely for the researchers of the Science Department, aiding them in their efforts.

 

- Marine Division – With the expansion of the Starfleet Marine Corps, there has come a number of new roles aboard Federation Starships in regards to this division. Typically, the bulk of the Marine Deployment aboard a starship will be enlisted crew, and while Marine officers can serve in any branch of starships operational needs, enlisted marines are more limited in their roles. Typically, they serve in direct support roles to the Marine Mission. As such they lack specific specializations and generally serve as security and support on outbound missions. Marines may be called upon to fulfill any number of mission requirements and must be among the most flexible department aboard a starship or station. Enlisted Marines have a separate chain of command from other Enlisted and NCO crew aboard a starship as do their officers. Depending on the size of the deployment, the Marine detachment aboard a starship is under the direction of the highest ranking officer, typically a Colonel or Major and under the supervision of the Commanding Officer of the vessel.

 

Logs

Excalibur: Lower Decks is a message-board based simulation, running plots roughly parallel to the plot of the main Excalibur simulation. However, a key difference is in the plot structure and game play. Players are expected to post their contributions in the form of message board posts. In general the style for this is a hybrid between what we call “play-by-one-thought-posts” and a more detailed, thought out process. Essentially, we aim to create a mosaic of short-story style logs that will give a wider picture of life aboard a starship from an enlisted point-of-view. While this does not mean that there will not be, from time to time, more classic elements of play-by-forum, they will not be the norm. As such, the typical log writing types applicable to a regular advanced simulation continue to apply, here are some general ideas:

 

The most basic log is the duty log. Despite its simplicity, it’s also the most important type. The shortest duty log (a single paragraph) can be nothing more than a summary of the last sim from your character’s point of view. A more complex log could include analysis of events that occurred, speculation as to why they occurred, suggestions as to how the crew could react to them, and plans for the next sim. Such a log accomplishes quite a bit. By reading it, your crewmates can enjoy an extensive recap of everything that happened during the last sim, especially events that they weren’t paying direct attention to. In a busy sim, there can be over five separate events occurring around the ship and possibly off of it, all at the same time, from the integral events that drive the mission to the subplots that occupy the departments; even an experienced player can have difficulty keeping track of all those plot threads. Without duty logs, the only recap available is the recording of the chat session, but reading this is boring and still requires separation of the plot threads, though many players find reading the chatlog (which is posted weekly) helpful. A duty log also sets the stage for the next sim. By recapping a previous sim and indicating what your plans are for the next sim, you won’t be lost when the sim starts. Additionally, your crewmates will be aware what you plan to do and make their own plans accordingly. Keep your eyes open for the mission briefing, usually written by the CO; while other logs may set the stage for various plot threads, the briefing sets the stage for the central plot thread.

 

You were encouraged to make a “stock” character in the Academy--less personality, more attention to duty. In the Advanced sim, where you’re simming with the same group every week, creating and developing a unique character and his/her relationships makes for a much more vibrant game. To start, you should write a character bio. Your bio can be as simple as a short list of attributes (name, age, gender, etc) or it can include more detailed background information--childhood history, education, personality, medical records, or anything else you can think of. It doesn’t need to be this detailed at first since your bio can be updated as you sim. Whichever your preference, your character can be developed further in the sims and through use of personal logs.

 

You are asked to create a biography within a month of being posted to the simulation. All Biographies should be sent to the CO and the XO for approval before being posted into the Bio’s folder on the Excalibur: Lower Deck boards. The host team reserves the right to modify all biographies to fit the simulation regulations, and will be subject to the “magic bullet” rule.

 

Personal logs usually have very little to do with the mission, instead focusing on your character. You can define your character’s feelings for another player’s character, detail an important lesson your character recently learned, recount moments from the character’s past, describe strange hobbies, habbits, personality quirks, emotional struggles, mood swings, or anything else you can think of to give your character extra dimensions. But be careful--don’t get so wrapped up in your personal logs that you disconnect your character from ship business. If you plan to write a lot of personal logs, mix in enough duty logs to create a healthy balance.

 

Sometimes, logs are made for two... or three, or four, or five, etc.. This is where joint logs come in. Joint logs are a collaborative effort by one more than one log writer. They can be duty logs featuring several officers discussing and brainstorming a plot thread (same as a standard duty log, only with several people offering input). Or they can be personal logs, recounting an off-duty hangout such as a poker game, movie night, a friendly stroll through the arboretum, or even something a bit more intimate. If you have an idea for a log, and you think it would involve some of your crewmates, send them a PM or E-mail to arrange a joint log. Joint logs are usually simmed out in a PM or chat room and converted to a more log friendly format afterwards, but a few are exchanged by e-mail with each writer contributing a piece in turn.

 

Check out the Advanced sim forums on the STSF message board to get ideas of what sorts of logs are written and how they are written, you might also want to check out the “Special Section | Camelot: Twilight of Empires” for an idea of the general expectations of game play.

 

All logs should be posted to the Excalibur: Lower Decks boards. This allows everyone in STSF the ability to see what is happening aboard our vessel. This is often helpful for newly assigned crew members who can read the boards to get up to speed on the current mission.

 

One more reminder on logs: Please, make your logs readable. In other words, try and use standard grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. Read a few of the other crewmember’s logs. You’ll get the idea.

 

DO NOT POST THREADS WHICH WILL AFFECT THE SHIP WITHOUT THE CO OR AND XO’S APPROVAL. DO NOT POSTS THREADS WHICH WILL AFFECT ANOTHER CREW MEMBER WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION.

 

 

Etiquette

For most people, this is not a major issue. We can all respect each other as gamers and enjoy the sims together. But a reminder of the various points here can be helpful in avoiding problems between players. These are simply basic rules of conduct. You’ll see the term PM (Private Message) used a lot. PM’s are the “magic lamp” of player etiquette, useful for both resolving disputes and for getting to know your fellow players better.

 

Don’t take your rank too seriously. Rank is only a convenience that allows for a more smoothly run sim. A Lieutenant does not have a right to “talk down” to an Ensign, unless they’ve both agreed by PM that it’s appropriate (see OOC and IC below), and junior officers are just as important to a sim as senior officers. Our characters may outrank one another, but as players we’re all on a level playing field and we can all at least role-play seniority in a respectful manner.

 

Keep in mind that a fine line exists between what goes on out of character (OOC) and what goes on in character (IC), and that that line can sometimes become blurred, leading to confusion and conflicts. Sometimes a character can be *very* different from the player behind it--rude, bitter, and ill-tempered, for instance, whereas the player is far more amiable. And sometimes arguments and fights can take place between characters whose players are actually very good friends OOC. If you see something like this in a sim, assume that it’s exactly what it is... a staged performance by online actors. If you think you’d like to sim a little tension or even hostility between your character and another player’s character, first be sure to let that player know what you want to do and make sure it’s alright. Any physical violence between characters, no matter the circumstances, should be cleared by PM.

 

PM’s are useful for many other reasons. If you’re confused about something (you’ve lost track of a plot thread, you’re not sure why someone’s doing something, you’ve forgotten how a certain technology works) PMing the appropriate person can help. PM’s are exchanged regularly during the course of a plot to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

 

If you write a log that involves another player’s character extensively, send the log to the player for approval first. No one wants a character misrepresented in someone else’s log. If you’re planning a log that involves another player’s character extensively, you may want to consider contacting the player for a joint log.

 

The nature of E:LD creates a number of situations where a player may create several NPC’s for player interaction, please note that it is not acceptable to use someone else’s NPC without their permission. NPC’s should be considered an extension of the player for this purpose.

 

Finally, if you have a dispute with another player, take a simple two-step approach. Politely contact the player by PM and try to resolve the dispute yourselves; if this doesn’t help the situation, notify the command staff. The best way to avoid disputes is to get to know your crewmates. How can you do this? Simple... send them PM’s.

 

But please, please be aware that each of us has “feelings.” Out-of-character attacks upon another crew member will not be tolerated. There is absolutely nothing wrong with two “characters” arguing, but make sure that each person understands it is a “character” interaction. If the hosts feel the interaction is disrupting the simulation, we will warn you via IM or email. Continued disruption will be dealt with under the Terms of Service.

 

In addition to your play on Excalibur: Lower Decks, we expect you to maintain your behavior across the board at STSF. This includes any other games you may participate on, Academies and the general boards. If you are reprimanded by another GM, or caught behaving poorly, this is not only a reflection of yourself, but also the entire Excalibur: Lower Decks simulation and the GM-team. Any incidents reported to the command team will be dealt with under the terms of service and may result in the player(s) being demoted, held back from promotion, removal of the game or any other methods deemed appropriate by the command team. Excalibur: Lower Decks’ command team takes great pride in the simulation and we would ask that you would show this same pride by abiding by standard behavioral conventions.

 

Problem Solving and Game Play

In the Academy, you weren’t expected to do much--follow the chain of command, watch out for and react to ACTIONs, don’t lose focus of the mission, keep busy, and interact with others. You graduated past all of that. In the Advanced sims, with missions continuing from week to week, problems will tend to be a bit more complex, but this will offer you the opportunity to be more creative. Now you have an additional challenge of involving yourself in a plot, but must do so with even less GM-interaction due to the nature of PBF. You’re now expected (rather than encouraged) to chip in with observations and ideas about a mission. But you also have to be mindful of the limitations...

 

Excalibur: Lower Decks missions are generally series of problems to be solved. You have the one central problem (the officers are conducting first contact with a new species how can we help them get the ship ready?) that must be ultimately solved, and several smaller problems that crop up along the way (not all of them related to the central problem). A common misconception by an inexperienced simmer is that the goal of simming is to solve these problems. Actually, the goal is to have fun role-playing the effort to solve the problems... possibly failing miserably along the way. In fact, not all missions end with a positive result, but as long as the players had fun, the game was a success.

 

Sometimes a player will try to be a superhero, coming up with and executing the one action that quickly solves everything (usually involving the character performing a feat well beyond his/her capability or the use of some technobabbical innovation that no one understands). The problem with such a solution (aside from possibly not making sense) is that it will cut any given mission down to one or two sims, which means no one will have any opportunity to enjoy pitching in. You want to contribute ideas, but how can you do it without going overboard? Here are some suggestions:

 

-Practical solutions - If you go before your chief or the CO suggesting that we escape the nebula with a baryon/tetryon deflector pulse combined with a phaser beam modulated to an alpha wave frequency, you’re going to get some glazed expressions... at best. At worst, your idea will actually be used, the problem will be solved, and there will be no room to come up with anything more creative. Use of technobabble is appropriate to fit the Trek setting, but it should not be the sole solution to any problem. Rather, it should be used to embellish a more practical solution to a problem. Ask yourself... what, exactly, does the baryon/tetryon pulse do? Or the modulated phaser beam? Would they push the ship, create a protective bubble around the ship, open a rift that the ship could use as an anchor? Outline what they do, and your superior officers will be able to figure out what sorts of consequences would arise (more of those “smaller problems”) and how those consequences could be addressed. If you’re not sure yourself what they would do... you might not have the best solution. It’s often best to start by putting the problem in practical terms. If the ship is trapped in a nebula... what exactly does this mean? What smaller problems are posed? Can you draw analogies between the problem and real-life scenarios (maybe a car being stuck in mud during a hurricane)? When you have the problem in practical terms, come up with practical solutions, then put the solutions into a Trek context.

 

- Imperfect solutions - Should your solution be the immediate answer to everything? Of course not. If it is, you have something to learn about teamwork. Simming is a team game, and the best players are the ones who find ways to involve others. When coming up with a solution, don’t say “I think it will work.” Instead, say “it could work, but there are a lot of elements that need to be addressed.” Maybe the baryon/tetryon pulse would create radiation harmful to the crew. Maybe the phaser modulations would require direct modification of the phaser arrays. Maybe the nebula would have to be monitored for dangerous particle concentrations. Make your solution full of even more smaller problems, and the rest of the crew will have ways to become involved. If another player is presenting a solution that isn’t full of holes, put some holes in it yourself (especially if you’re a department head). The solution wasn’t your idea, but your character is an expert in areas that the other player’s character is not, so you might know more about some of the problems that would be posed. On the other hand, don’t simply say “no, that won’t work.” That’s just negativity. Indicate that the solution could work but that there are a lot of gaps to fill first.

 

- Believable solutions - Obvious enough and something that any Academy graduate should understand. You’re not going to move the comet off its collision course by detonating the system’s star, and you’re not going to send a command that makes the consoles in Engineering come alive and fight off the intruders as if Excalibur has become Fantasia. Some solutions are not quite that exaggerated but are still outside the realm of possibility. On Excalibur, using forcefields to seal off the ship would be a perfect example... forcefields aren’t in use on starships yet. But don’t even respond to a solution like this with “no, that won’t work.” Take the solution presented, acknowledge that the idea has merit even if the method does not, and offer alternatives. You’re not going to blow up the star... but maybe you can create a smaller shockwave significant enough to push the comet. You can’t make the Engineering consoles pop up and fight... but you might find a way to surround them with electricity fields. And there are always practical alternatives to using forcefields.

 

- One tree, many branches - If a solution to a problem is being worked on, do you... a) lend a hand and/or your brain to help develop the solution or come up with a completely different solution? Saying “I’ve got a better idea” is a signal that you’re ignoring your teammates and trying to become the focus of attention. Contribute to solutions that have already been presented. If you’re a department head, develop the solution by presenting problems that need to be addressed (as indicated above). If you’re an assistant, and you’re not sure how you could pitch in to the problem solving effort, ask your superior officer what you can do to help. Don’t scrap your “better idea” entirely--maybe it can somehow be integrated into the solution already being developed, or maybe it can be saved for a similar problem further down the road.

 

- Imperfect characters - You’re sitting in the holding cell in the middle of the mysterious alien lab... but you’re not about to stand for this! You bust open a wall panel with your bare hands and disconnect the circuits inside, shutting down the force field. Out of your cell, you overpower the four guards, managing to dodge all of their pulse rifle blasts. You move over to the nearby computer terminal and start accessing all of the lab’s systems, even though this terminal is only meant to access the brig. You seal off all the doors, lock the aliens out of the computer, and send out a distress signal for Excalibur to pick up. After a few seconds, you remember to release your crewmates from their cells. By the way, did I mention you’re a medical officer? This is called “god moding” and it’s inappropriate because if one character can do everything you don’t need any other characters. This was an exaggerated example, the kind of thing that would hold you back about 10 sims in the Academy (not to mention invoking a swift GM ACTION killing your character off). But god moding can always creep up in more subtle ways. Try to remember... you’re not here to solve problems, you’re here to have fun making the effort. Avoid the mindset that the sim is a challenge to be overcome and put more emphasis on what you’re *not* capable of doing. Flaws encourage teamwork and are a lot more fun to role-play.

 

- In-Character Romantic Relationships - While the Excalibur Command staff does not discourage romantic relationships “in-character;” we strongly advise against jumping into them the first week you’re on a game. And while they can certainly ad depth to a character, and realistically romance would be a normal part of any fleet officer’s life, we advise extreme caution.

 

Some pointers:

-Don’t turn it in to “Days of Our Lives: Excalibur,” a little drama now and then is okay, but melodrama isn’t a way to win points with anyone. And besides, most people really don’t want to read it, if they did, they’d check out a V.C. Andrews book.

-Take care to make sure that both parties are aware that relationship is IN CHARACTER ONLY. When OOC becomes involved, things tend to get messy

-Please keep the in-sim relationship to a minimum. After all, in-game is usually while characters are on duty, and this a military ship where flirtations would not be looked upon kindly.

 

- Gamemasters Actions- It was once said that if everyone had a perfect life, it would be boring. Occasionally, the command team might decide… at random… to throw a huge monkey wrench in your characters plans. If this happens, don’t panic! Just like real life, not everything should work out the way we plan it. In fact, it usually doesn’t.

 

If a GM decides (or their dice decide) that something is going to go wrong, just go with the flow. If you have a problem with something, talk to the GM in private and ask them about the situation. Generally a GM isn’t going to turn your character’s life upside down without asking you about it first, but even if they do… go with it. You might find that a little bit of strife once in a while can be far more fun than being June Cleaver.

 

- Telepath Players - In regard to telepaths, please note that as with logs, permission MUST be obtained from other players before your character can sense any particular thought or emotion that is not explicitly spelled out on screen. For example, without permission, the following is NOT acceptable

 

Corizon> ::throws chair across the room::

Telepath> ::senses Corizon’s anger::

 

Since I simply may like throwing chairs, the following IS acceptable:

 

Corizon> ::is extremely angry::

Telepath> ::senses Corizon’s anger::

 

- A Final Reminder on Role Playing - This is a game, played for enjoyment; it is natural to assume that a variety of circumstances will occur. However, please understand that while this simulation is not real we still expect an atmosphere of realism. Thus, it is expected that your character will not engage in actions that exceed the bounds of what can be called realistic. There are no “super heroes,” just a team of dedicated officers. Likewise, the ship does not heal herself. Any damage the ship receives must be repaired. Please note, repairs take time, they are not instantaneous: no “magic bullets.” Finally, while 24th century technology is quite advanced, Star Trek has its limits, and we work within them.

 

 

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The USS Excalibur: Lower Decks is a sim of Star Fleet Simulation Forum. This document is an internal policy packet intended only for the Excalibur: Lower Decks simulation. The command staff of the Excalibur: Lower Decks reserves the right to modify this document without notification.