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Cptn Moose

Tips From The Moose

32 posts in this topic

"All For One, And One For All!"

 

This was the rallying cry of those immortal Three Musketeers (of both literature and candy bar fame).  Alexander Dumas' famous nineteenth century novel was a story of a young man who wanted to become a musketeer, and of the three more experienced soldiers who adopted him, and aided him, as he completed enough heroic deeds to become a full-fledged swashbuckler.

 

Their motto was their rallying cry.  The team worked for the good of the one, and each one worked for the good of the team.  This was just as appropriate for 17th century adventurers as it is for 23rd and 24th century adventurers.  After all, everyone needs their friends behind them in a pinch.

 

Does this sound to you like the Academy?  I'll bet it does.  But then why do I always see the department heads leave their assistants behind as they run off to do the fun stuff by themselves?  "I'm off on the Away Team," they call out.  "Monitor that piece of equipment for an hour until I get back."

 

The problem stems from the fact that our game is based on a TV show which makes stars out of their featured actors.  And their featured actors just happen to hold down the department head jobs.  When you're already spending top dollar on a Michael Dorn or a Jeri Ryan, you don't give many lines to the assistants.  Think about it; who was Asst. Science under Spock?  Who treated patients when Dr. Bashir attended medical conferences?  And why couldn’t anyone else on the ship figure out Romulan syntax when Hoshi was in sick bay?

 

These same shows are our rule books.  We don't beam through shields, and cloaking devices are illegal because that's how it was on TV.  Tom Paris couldn't fly faster than warp 10, so neither can we.  But this is one instance where we have to model our behavior on another genre.

 

Every player has the right to play, chief and assistant alike.  We've previously discussed how the department head acts as chairperson, passing information from bridge to staff and back again.  I'm about to add another task to their job description.

 

The department head must make sure that the department assistants are included in the action.  If you're Chief Engineer, and your only task for the night is to change a light bulb, then you make sure one of your assistants is holding the bulb while the other one turns the ladder.  Granted, this doesn't sound as fun as reenacting the "Remember Me" scene from "The Wrath of Kahn," where Spock single-handedly saves the day while everyone watches in anguish and awe.  But it certainly isn't fun waiting patiently for someone to expire so you can have a turn at doing something useful.  And remember, Spock ended the scene with his famous "The good of the many outweighs the good of the one," quote.  And his death certainly meant there were more lines for Nichelle and Walter in Star Trek III.

 

This task doesn't fall on the department head alone.  The department assistants need to cheerfully cooperate with the department head, carrying out assignments and communicating back their actions to keep the Chief involved.  Giving them grief will only make playing alone seem preferable to them.  And keep an eye on the other assistants as well.  If you notice that a player is spending too much time watching the doors swoosh, ask them to give you a hand with whatever you're doing.

 

They weren't just "Porthos, Asst. Musketeer 1, and Asst. Musketeer 2."  They were "The Three Musketeers."  Play like them, and go out of your way to keep your teammates involved.  This not only makes you a better candidate for the advanced sims, it's the mark of a GM candidate.

 

Tip From The Moose #5: All For One, And One For All.

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They weren't just "Porthos, Asst. Musketeer 1, and Asst. Musketeer 2."  They were "The Three Musketeers."  Play like them, and go out of your way to keep your teammates involved.  

Play like Porthos?  Chew on stuff, bark in the middle of the night, and crap everywhere?

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::Gives Moose a round of applause::

That was my trouble in the academy, my department head either

did everything themselves, or left everything up to the assitants.

Thanks Moose, your a grand old GM  :P

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Thanks Moose, your a grand old GM  :P

::blinks:: She just out and out called a GM "old".

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Van roy I honestly dont know what I'm going to do with you.

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Hey don't forget the Three Musketeers movie, its a classic...Oh did I say that outloud.  :D

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I like Snickers better.

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I like Snickers better.

If he falls off the Hoover Dam, I had nothing to do with it....

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::Defends self:: Hey i didn't mean aged, by old I meant someting else

 ::scrambles to think of something:: Ah, I meant wonderful, so there!  :D

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::Defends self:: Hey i didn't mean aged, by old I meant someting else

 ::scrambles to think of something:: Ah, I meant wonderful, so there!  :D

Chronologicly challenged?

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Dubmass said:

 

Chronologicly challenged?

Now I say:

 

::coughs politely:: Umm..speak softly, sir. I happen to resemble that remark.  :D

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You ought to do something about that cough, Doc.

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I like Snickers better.

If he falls off the Hoover Dam, I had nothing to do with it....

"I was in the gift shop at the time, Officer.  I have *no* idea how it happened."   ::D:

 

Dac

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I was in the gift shop at the time, Officer.  I have *no* idea how it happened."   ::D:

Officer> Yes miss...but it seems your heal print was found on the victim's forehead.

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Officer> Although we're not sure how coconuts migrated all the way out to the Hoover dam, the point is moot.

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They could be carried by a swallow - African or European?   :D

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They could be carried by a swallow - African or European?   :D

I am the GM who says...  NEEE!

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They could be carried by a swallow - African or European?   :D

I am the GM who says...  NEEE!

Psst!! Atragon....didn't you get the memo?

 

We are now no longer the GM's that say Ni !

 

We are now the GM's that say 'Ecky- ecky- ecky- ecky- pikang- zoop- boing- goodem- zoo- owli- zhiv'

 

Blu 019.gif

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I got that memo Blu.

 

And I am still waiting for the cadets to build me my nice little walkway, not to high, not to short, perhaps at different heights going up, with a little gate, and...

 

:::looks around:::

 

Why are they all running away?

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LOL - Why can't we have a Monty Python sim?

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LOL - Why can't we have a Monty Python sim?

Oooooh, sounds like an Academy idea to me!!

 

After all, I remember doing evil Santa aliens in December once and there were those gigantic rabbits that threw brightly colored concussion grenades at Easter time, too.

 

Monty Python sim, hmmmmm, yeaahhhhh

 

(hee-heeee)

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Monty Python sim, hmmmmm, yeaahhhhh

 

(hee-heeee)

And he's the one we put in charge..... :D

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A9 said:

 

After all, I remember doing evil Santa aliens in December once and there were those gigantic rabbits that threw brightly colored concussion grenades at Easter time, too.

 

Monty Python sim, hmmmmm, yeaahhhhh

 

(hee-heeee)[/size]

Now I say:

 

And this only goes to prove beyond any doubt that you've been around toooooo long.  :D

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