Qob: Tranquility FAQ

[Joe Manning 0]

What is Qob: Tranquility?

 

Qob: Tranquility is a total redesign of the Qob sim, placing it in a completely new Star Trek setting which was inspired heavily by the canceled Firefly scifi series. Qob is no longer a Klingon sim, though the Klingon Empire is in close proximity to the new setting and has influenced its culture. Qob: Tranquility is a vision of Trek's future, taking place in the 2420's, approximately forty years after the events depicted on Star Trek: Voyager. The alternate timeline of the new Star Trek films is followed.

 

Rather than portraying a military fleet vessel, Qob: Tranquility portrays a ship crewed by mercenaries loyal only to the Captain. Qob plies the starlanes of a semi-independent society in and around the Hyades star cluster (locals call the region 'Bull's Head') on the far frontiers of Federation space. There are no missions being handed down by Generals or Admirals; rather, the crew is paid to perform jobs for various employers around Bull's Head. The work is dangerous in the unprotected reaches of Federation territory, and sometimes it puts the crew's morals to the test, but it's a small price to pay for independence from Federation mandate.

 

For more detailed information about Bull's Head and the Hyades cluster, consult the Welcome Pamphlet.

 

 

Independence from Federation mandate? Is that even a good thing?

 

In the future depicted by Qob: Tranquility, the Federation has lost its way. A devastating invasion by an extra-galactic alien species was closely followed by the darkest period in Federation history -- a civil war that lasted eight years. A faction which believed that Federation advancement and security should take priority over the Prime Directive emerged from the war victorious and is now largely in control of the Council and Starfleet Command. There are reports that pre-warp worlds are routinely bought off with technology to secure services and resources, and Starfleet responds harshly to anyone who works against the goals of Federation security.

 

The people of Bull's Head are mostly refugees who fled the core of Federation space during the war, or those citizens who left afterwards in protest of the new policies. Since Bull's Head is still within the recognized Federation borders, some Federation restrictions must be followed. But the Hyades cluster is far away from the Federation core, and Starfleet is still licking the wounds of two major conflicts; for the most part, the people of Bull's Head are allowed to govern themselves independently.

 

For more detailed information about the Federation and its relationship with Bull's Head, consult Edger's Guide.

 

 

Is Qob a Klingon ship?

 

While Qob: Tranquility is not a Klingon sim, the ship used is a D-13 model Bird of Prey. It's not the biggest ship in the Hyades cluster. The D-13 Birds were designed for scouting and skirmishing, requiring a crew of only 10-15. Qob, specifically, is not in the best of shapes. The ship is over forty years old, having originally served in the Klingon Defense Force. It's gone through a lot of refits and repairs and requires a steady and attentive engineering staff to keep it together. But Qob offers its crew versatility and elusiveness, two qualities which are especially important in Bull's Head.

 

For more information about Qob, consult the Qob Overview.

 

 

What is Qob's overall mission?

 

For now, the crew of Qob is concerned chiefly with getting by. With replicators restricted by the Federation, supplies are not so easy to come by. The crew has to perform jobs to secure a basic income, and, given the widely varying needs of Bull's Head's paying employers, missions will take on many different flavors.

 

Is that all the crew is concerned with, making money and surviving life in Bull's Head? Is any job, no matter how morally reprehensible, acceptable? Are there any more long-term goals, whether exploring beyond the Hyades cluster, helping to expand Bull's Head and defend its people from troublemakers both foreign -and- domestic, or even fighting to restore the Federation to its old ways? These are questions that can only be answered in the sims and in the logs.

 

To follow Qob's missions to date, consult the Mission Records.

 

 

What type of character can I play on Qob: Tranquility?

 

Bull's Head is a broad-minded society that's open to all sorts of individuals. Anyone who doesn't disturb the local peace or bring unwanted attention from the Federation is welcome. This provides you with a gamut of character background options that wouldn't make sense on a traditional Starfleet sim. Broad character options that would be common on Qob: Tranquility include:

• Former Starfleet officer. You left Starfleet before or during the war because you couldn't go on fighting fellow officers. Or you left afterwards because you were on the losing side.
  
• Federation Refugee. A lot of the common people of the Federation escaped to the outer territories to get away from the fighting. You quickly learned that life isn't as easy in Bull's Head as the pamphlets advertised. You had to pick up the sorts of survival skills that work well on a starship.
  
• Outlaw. You were a criminal or mercenary before the war even started or picked up your renegade ways in the bleak years during or after the war. You might still be wanted for crimes you did or didn't commit and came to Bull's Head for refuge, or you might have come to Bull's Head looking to prey on the locals.
  
• Original colonist. There were already several Federation colonies in and around the Hyades cluster before refugees began flocking in to start up a new society. If you're old enough to remember those days, you may have strong feelings about the way your home has changed.
  
• Transient. A lot of people lost their homes and livelihoods to the alien invasion thirty years prior, and took to new lives among the stars. Every interstellar power, not just the Federation, was hit by the alien invaders, so transients from throughout the galaxy find their way to Bull's Head. You decided that Qob would be a good place to stop for a while.
  

These are just general guidelines to get you thinking of a more specific character background, and your options are by no means limited to those above. Let your imagination run wild and ask the command staff if your ideas would work on the game.

 

In keeping with the sim's Klingon history, Bull's Head maintains a close relationship with the Klingon Empire, with Klingons making fairly common traffic through the cluster. Romulan space is also fairly close, and the alien invasion combined with the almost simultaneous supernova of their home star has made Romulan transients rather common. For the most part, however, any Trek race is fair game. Just keep it reasonable -- nothing that would distract too much from the game, like, say, an unassimilated Borg. You could also develop a race of your own (perhaps something from the largely unexplored regions of space near the Hyades cluster). As always, command staff approval is needed for whatever you choose.

 

Keep in mind that while your options are more open for character development, you would have been accepted aboard Qob because its Captain felt that you would work well together with the rest of the crew. Your motives for joining the ship may vary (in it for the money, running from something, fighting for a cause, etc), as may your attitude toward others on the ship, but anyone constantly fighting with crewmates or revealed to have purposes that are harmful to the crew would quickly find him/herself left behind at the next port.

 

Consult the Bull's Head Database to find out how your choices might fit into this alternate vision of the future. If your choice isn't listed in the database, it's a safe bet that you can make it up.

 

 

What positions are available?

 

The four traditional Trek sim departments all operate on Qob. There are no ranks (Qob isn't a military vessel), but a chain of command is still followed for the sake of smooth crew operation -- Captain, First Mate, Department Chief, Department Assistants. Bridge positions will not be assigned to anyone specifically; they will be rotated among the crew when they are needed.

 

The Captain and First Mate positions will be assigned to GM's, as per STSF policy. Department Chiefs will be chosen from among the rest of the players. Be advised that certain qualities are going to be targeted when Chiefs are selected. Qob's Chiefs are going to be expected to share in the responsibilities of directing missions and to be active in writing logs and discussing the game between sims.

 

To determine which positions are currently open in each department, consult the Roster.

 

There is also the opportunity for STSF graduates to fill the 'Passenger' openings aboard Qob, serving any of a wide variety of roles to the crew or simply hopping aboard for some role-playing. If you're interested in playing outside the departmental structure, read up on these guidelines.

 

 

No rank? Does that mean I couldn't qualify to be an STSF GM?

 

A LtCdr rank is a requirement for applying to be an STSF GM, but don't worry -- Qob's command staff will make separate determinations of each player's GM eligibility. Players deemed eligible will be considered to hold the equivalent of LtCdr rank for application purposes.

 

 

How do I apply for a position?

 

New Academy graduates will receive an application to join an advanced sim; Qob: Tranquility will be one of your choices.

 

If you are already an Academy graduate active on an advanced sim, you must request an application for transfer or additional duty. Send an e-mail to the command staff -- [email protected] and [email protected] -- letting them know of your interest in Qob: Tranquility. The usual STSF policy for additional duty apply -- after receiving your first assignment out of the Academy you must wait two months before joining an additional sim, and any requests are subject to GM approval.

[Joe Manning 0]

The FAQ has been updated with links to our new website at http://qobtranquility.cz.cc