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E_McAllister

Greetings, Folks!

Hi there, all :)

 

I've been reading about STSF for about a week now, and as it looks like I'm probably going to give it a try, I wanted to try breaking the ice with an introductory post. It'd be nice to at least meet a few people before diving into Starfleet Academy, heh.

 

A little about me: I've been an avid fan of text-based RP for about...12 years or so, now. I primarily play on pueblo and telnet clients, specifically those with a MUCK interface. I run a MUCK RPG (yeah, yeah, I run amuck :)) that's been in operation since about 2000. It's anime based. I hope nobody thinks I'm trying to toot my own horn with that bit. I promise I'm friendly! I just wanted to say something about my experiences with online text-based RP, so people have a better idea where I'm coming from.

 

I was eight years old when TNG hit the air, so I grew up with the series during my impressionable years. I pretty much like anything Star Trek, but I prefer the TNG/DS9/VOY universe to that of TOS. There's nothing wrong with TOS, it was just a bit before my time, is all. I even loved Enterprise -- about the only thing I can't palette from the Star Trek universe is the original Motion Picture. To date, I've tried to watch it three times...even when I was actively trying, I wasn't able to stay awake during any of those attempts :P

 

I found STSF by random searching, which was prompted by a friend of mine who's been trying to get me to play Star Trek Online. I have a general contempt for MMOs which exceeds my love for Trek, so I decided to see if there were any alternatives out there.

 

What most interests me in STSF are three things. One, it's Star Trek. Two, it's text based RP. Three, it looks as though it would fit into my schedule nicely. I'm married, with a full time career and my little 7 month old daughter/trekkie in training. So far I'm pretty sure she has no idea what Star Trek is, but she seems to like it when the show comes on while I'm feeding her, and Alexander Courage's mighty score is reduced to hastily crafted lyrics regarding eating her vegetables :( Because I have her, though, what I really need is an RP experience that I can enjoy after she goes to sleep, but not so late that I'll be a zombie at work tomorrow. Not hogging the computer would probably be something my wife would appreciate, as well. I can be flexible, but the one-hour stints once a week around 11pm EST would be ideal for that, with postings about logs and such scattered in-between.

 

At this point, I'm planning to sit in on at least one advanced session as a passive observer before I enter the Academy, to get an idea of exactly how STSF does it's thing. From what I've read, I hear that's an acceptable thing to do...

 

I have an extensive background prepared for my character, but I thought it best not to go into all that, just yet. Though, if anybody could give me some tips on how I should time things, I'd appreciate it. For one, when is it appropriate to start sharing said character background? After I've attended at least one Academy session? Or would it be better to post it somewhere beforehand (where?), so the character I intend to play at least somewhat "exists" before I begin? Also, I have written my character up to the rank of ensign, awaiting a pending assignment and fresh from the Academy, to make it easier for her to fit into an advanced session as a new officer, when the time comes. Of course, she'll have to go through the academy first, and I respect the fact that she (and I) will need to graduate. Is it okay for my background to reach this far already? I was hoping to just say that her experiences in the Academy sims just sort of "fit in" with her time there, in her background.

 

Anyway, I tend to type to exhaustion, so I hope this wasn't too long. Nice to meet you all! :P

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TKAR -WELCOME to STSF

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Welcome aboard. Since we had a classroom session on just this topic last night, I thought I'd chime in.

Because I have her, though, what I really need is an RP experience that I can enjoy after she goes to sleep, but not so late that I'll be a zombie at work tomorrow. Not hogging the computer would probably be something my wife would appreciate, as well. I can be flexible, but the one-hour stints once a week around 11pm EST would be ideal for that, with postings about logs and such scattered in-between.

Sim time is one of the most important considerations once a cadet graduates the Academy. The more regular your attendance, the better the experience. We have several sims at just that time throughout the week, specifically Challenger (TOS) on Sun, Republic (TNG/DS9/VOY) on Mon, Arcadia (TNG/DS9/VOY) on Wed, and Talon (Rihannsu) on Thurs.

 

At this point, I'm planning to sit in on at least one advanced session as a passive observer before I enter the Academy, to get an idea of exactly how STSF does it's thing. From what I've read, I hear that's an acceptable thing to do...

Perfectly acceptable. Sim format and style are probably the next-most important thing to consider when selecting an Adv Sim, post-graduation. Not just the era (TOS/TNG), but the overall feel (station versus ship, plot speed, number of players, log commitment, canon in's and out's, etc) and environment (intel missions, Gamma Quadrant-centric, long plot arcs, recurring villians). Observing a sim is the best way to gauge how you would react/interact as a player.

 

I have an extensive background prepared for my character, but I thought it best not to go into all that, just yet. Though, if anybody could give me some tips on how I should time things, I'd appreciate it. For one, when is it appropriate to start sharing said character background? After I've attended at least one Academy session? Or would it be better to post it somewhere beforehand (where?), so the character I intend to play at least somewhat "exists" before I begin?

Leave character development (or it's revelation) until after the Academy. In the Academy, hosts are concerned with teaching the mechanics of play, seeing if one can work with others, and determining if the level of play is sufficient to warrant moving up. It has been found that introducing backstories or racial traits in the Academy complicates this assessment, especially since cadets come from a variety of Trek experience. For Academy sims, all cadets are therefore assumed to be a standard human template (no Borg enhancements, split personalities, or Admiral grandparents).

 

Also, I have written my character up to the rank of ensign, awaiting a pending assignment and fresh from the Academy, to make it easier for her to fit into an advanced session as a new officer, when the time comes. Of course, she'll have to go through the academy first, and I respect the fact that she (and I) will need to graduate. Is it okay for my background to reach this far already? I was hoping to just say that her experiences in the Academy sims just sort of "fit in" with her time there, in her background.

Keep that background ready for when you've graduated and are about to select an Adv Sim. Some sims or host teams may have standing rules about certain races or attributes (no Borg enhancements, split personalities, or Admiral grandparents), so that's a good time to let them vet your bio. They will work to make sure your character can be integrated in, adapted, or (worst case) recommend an alternate sim.

 

Just my thoughts.

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Welcome to STSF, McAllister! Really hope you enjoy your time here, and I look forward to seeing you in the academies!

 

I think Sorehl covered everything major that you asked...feel free to let us know if you have any other questions; we're a friendly bunch. :)

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Ah, excellent. Thanks for clearing all that up, and for the detailed reply! That actually helps a lot, knowing that I don't have to be concerned about who sees the ideas for my character and backstory until after the Academy sims. It'll be easier to just be J. Random generic Cadet-man until I get a feel for the place, and then introduce a real character idea. I can completely understand the desire to disallow certain ideas when it comes to character creation. I've had to do that on more than one occasion on my own game, to keep characters from having unfair advantages, or advantages that aren't fun for others.

 

You mentioned "log committment". By that, do you mean the player would be called upon to create a certain number of logs throughout the week, between sessions? Fair enough -- when/if I get to that point, I'll give each advanced sim the once-over before I commit to anything. From what I have read of them already, I have my eye on some over others. I like all trek, so the timeslot is more important than the era, really, though if I played TOS, I would probably change a lot of the character concept I have in mind. Number of players is a factor, too. If there's a sim that doesn't have many people, and is looking for participants, I'd be willing to consider helping it out :)

 

And thanks for the welcome, Kent :P I wasn't really sure what to do for a username, but McAllister is the last name I chose for whatever character concept I come up with, so...there ya go, heh.

Edited by E_McAllister

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You mentioned "log committment". By that, do you mean the player would be called upon to create a certain number of logs throughout the week, between sessions?

To be honest, I'm not aware that any sim has a minimum log requirement, but some sims will encourage players to post more often than others. I know on sims I've hosted, I've tended to promote more readily among those players who post logs - I appreciate the depth it adds. If you like posting and reading logs, it's not a bad idea to check out the Message Boards and see if the sim you're interested in posts a little or a lot.

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-- about the only thing I can't palette from the Star Trek universe is the original Motion Picture. To date, I've tried to watch it three times...even when I was actively trying, I wasn't able to stay awake during any of those attempts :)

 

I myself am a die hard TOS/New TOS/Enteprise/Classic TOS Movie Era fan, but I'm right there with you with the assessment; the Motion Picture is a very, very, very dry Trek film.

 

Welcome to STSF and have fun learning our RP simming system McAllister. Great group and community here.

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Welcome aboard, McAllister. From your background in text based OLRPG and your knowledge of Trek (not to mention your Trekkie in Training) you will definitely fit in nicely. There are actually a few of us (who shall remain nameless) who have simmed with newborns on their laps. But that's another story.

 

Enjoy your time in the academy. Remember it's a game and keep it all in perspective. Teach the 7-y.o. to touch type early and by all means - veggie lyrics to Trek themes rock out.

 

Look forward to seeing you around.

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Welcome Aboard!

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Wow, thanks for all the great responses, folks :)

 

I was planning on observing the Arcadia sim last night, but...life got in the way. I'd still like to observe at least once before I get involved any more deeply, so I'll have to peruse the schedule a bit more. I'm glad for the realization that "it's just a game" around here, too...I must admit, I've had more than my fair share of people who tend to take RP a bit too far, and too personal.

 

As I was saying in my last post, I think I'll take Sorehl's advice and lay off a solid character concept until I get through the academy. I have a habit of getting interested in an RP, creating a crazy-detailed character concept, and then finding out what fits in best, meaning that said character undergoes revision, anyway. At this point though, I'm interested in something operations/engineering related, if it's TNG. I enjoy the technobabble from that era, heh. If I end up getting involved with TOS, I'd probably go the route of medical or sciences, just because I'm not quiiiite as good with the technology of that time period. An ENT sim would be interesting, but I imagine that's not in the cards at the moment :P

 

Anyway, thanks again for the warm welcome, all!

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McAllister:

 

Just adding my two-cents worth in, I have opted to do a little of both while in the academy. There are many SIMs here and making the correct choice (finding the right fit) can be difficult. That combined with my RL situation, I have chosen to slowly develop my character while he is in the Academy and continue to participate in as many Academy SIMs as possible while I 'get to know' the other SIMs. As there are many SIMs there are as many different styles being used. Some can be very laid-back and include many ((Hi Jill! What's the Haps?)) OOC commenting while others can be highly formalized. I am still looking for a good fit for my self. Also, as this is basically my first time ever doing THIS, I still have a LOT to learn...

 

That being said, I look forward to working (and playing) with you in the Academy SIMs.

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Hmm...you make an interesting point, rosetto. It may be advisable to check out several of the advanced sims. I myself prefer a more laid back atmosphere, but not so laid back that nothing gets done -- I mean, these sims only have an hour bracket per week, to run. On the kind of RP I'm used to, one hour is barely enough time to get ten minutes into the scene at hand, unless all the participants already know what they plan to do ahead of time, and just dig right in. A decent length scene on a MUCK usually takes three to four hours, if you plan to complete the entire scene in one sitting. One of the main reasons I'm not as active in that kind of RP as I used to be is that I don't usually have that many reliable, consecutive hours to devote to online RP, anymore. The one hour brackets they use here are more alluring now, for that reason.

 

See, I'm not used to chatroom RP. It sounds like that might be the reason why these sims are able to get a lot more done with much less time. MUCK client RP is freeform, but usually turn-based when you have more than three people in a scene -- there are no strict rules, but everybody usually agrees on a turn order, and each player posts only one at a time. I was reading some of the moose tips on these forums, and I heard that one of the main reasons that prefixes like {Cptn} are used is to keep it clear whom is supposed to be responding to whom. I take it that on here, everybody is posting in the same room at the same time, and several different scenes are occuring all at once? If that's the case, I'd like to sit in on some of the advanced sims, to see how the 'flow', so to speak, works.

 

I see you've been posting several logs for your character -- I apologize that I haven't had time to read through them, just yet. I'm curious -- how far are you going with your character's development, at this point? My original intent was to come up with a character beforehand, and then integrate them into the academy, but...I'm starting to think it might be better not to do that. The ultimate goal is to graduate and join an advanced sim, right? Some are TNG, some are TOS...some have open spaces only for engineers, some only for doctors, some sims I imagine will have different background restrictions from others....etc, etc. I don't have a problem with any of that of course, but it leads me to conclude that I shouldn't really do much with my character concept, until I know where I'll be playing.

 

I like what you're doing, and if you're game, I think it would be interesting to maybe involve one another in some logs at some point in the future. Also, I don't know anything about how STSF itself works just yet, but you mentioned you were new to this sort of thing. I'd be happy to help out if you're looking for advice or a sounding board for things like character concepts, RP tips...stuff like that :)

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It may be advisable to check out several of the advanced sims. I take it that on here, everybody is posting in the same room at the same time, and several different scenes are occuring all at once? If that's the case, I'd like to sit in on some of the advanced sims, to see how the 'flow', so to speak, works.

 

I like what you're doing, and if you're game, I think it would be interesting to maybe involve one another in some logs at some point in the future. Also, I don't know anything about how STSF itself works just yet, but you mentioned you were new to this sort of thing. I'd be happy to help out if you're looking for advice or a sounding board for things like character concepts, RP tips...stuff like that :)

 

Yes, I strongly recomment that you watch several different SIMs here. You will find that basically the methods used in the Academy (Flow, as you say) can be found on the other SIMs as well although each GM has differing preferences.

 

I would like to participate in (what STSF calls) joint logging. In fact, I am currently working on one with a couple other cadets. This will be fairly RARE here in the Academy and so I don't know how well it be received, however, I have read some joint logs from Advanced SIMs where they are widely accepted. Please add me as a frend here and we can discuss this log and more...

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Welcome. :)

 

I haven't been to the Academy for about a week because I have Pneumonia in my left lung. I plan to be back as soon as I can, and look forward to simming with you in the Academy. :P

 

Tilli

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I mean, these sims only have an hour bracket per week, to run.

There are several players who like to do joint logs, as previously mentioned. Sometimes these are done by sending e-mail back and forth, but plenty of players just pick a convenient time and go RP the dialogue they intend to use. No requirements to do so, but it makes joint logging somewhat easier.

 

... I heard that one of the main reasons that prefixes like {Cptn} are used is to keep it clear whom is supposed to be responding to whom. I take it that on here, everybody is posting in the same room at the same time, and several different scenes are occuring all at once?

That's the reason we use "tags" like <CO> and <CENG> in the Academy, it helps people remember who's who, since Academy assignments change with each session. (Most Academy sims are also "one-shot" stories, although continuing arcs have been known to occur.) I should note that tags are not used in the Adv Sims. There, players are fairly stable in number and you quickly learn to remember who's who and who does what. Often, graduating cadets will opt to change their screen name to align with the character they create. The one convention that is used to separate different scenes is the use of a prefix like "@" or "#" for people who are grouped together, like an away team. People who type a particular prefix (usually adopted at beam down/over) are assumed to be together. Those still on the ship tend not to use a prefix, even if they're in other rooms like sickbay or the bridge. There are exceptions, like when there's a party in Drankum's Bar (where the use of "$" as a prefix is preordained).

 

Example:

Sorehl> @ Alright, team, we've arrived in a fairly wooded area. Let's set up a perimeter scan.

OPS> Sir, the away team has made it to the surface.

Blair> @ Wooded area? I half expect the cowardly lion to jump out.

Corizon> Keep an eye on them, OPS, then open a hail to the Romulans.

 

The ultimate goal is to graduate and join an advanced sim, right? Some are TNG, some are TOS...some have open spaces only for engineers, some only for doctors, some sims I imagine will have different background restrictions from others....etc, etc.

There's also sims that take place in a "future" era, a decade or more beyond TNG/DS9/VOY - these would be Agincourt and Qob. Hood is early TOS, while Challenger is movie-era TOS (Star Trek VI - ala the burgundy uniforms.)

 

On the subject of availability, although there are sims with a full roster, you'll probably find most are able to accommodate any department you're interested in. Hosts may be willing to tell you in advance if you have a specific question about openings. Be aware, there are some sims with unique positions - Marine commander, flight wing instructor, intel officer, counselor - and due to the era on TOS sims, they may use Helm, Nav and Comm, instead of the TNG roles of CONN, OPS, and TAC. Watch and learn how the various Adv Sims do it and you'll get a feel for the diversity.

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Also, you don't need to worry about character development until you get onto an advanced sim. Many of the various command teams have restrictions on what they will or not allow. For instance the RES Talon, we are a Rihannsu only sim (That's Romulan to you humans). We also do not allow players to be members of the Tal Shiar. On the Republic, pretty much a DS9 era/post war ship, we only allow Federation races, and those that have been allies long enough to have been through an academy (ie, no Cardassians, Romulans, or Gamma Quadrant species, and we pretty much stick to the standard races in the old Races of the Federation books).

Not only races, but also some ships have restrictions on telepaths, or cross genre species. IE..no Highlander immortals please....you'd be surprised I've gotten that request several times int eh past.

 

So just have fun and learn the conventions in the academy.no need to be doing character development yet, as your command team may not even allow what you've went and spent time working on...

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