Help please....

[Farein 0]

first off, I'd like to apologize to the people that were in Thursdays academy, for ruining your academy.... that was my second time being XO and I'm just not very good at it.

 

I'm confused here, can someone please explain to me what it is an XO does? I know Moose said somewhere in his tips that XOs do administrative work... but that's still a little fuzzy... if someone can help out it'd be great, thanks :P

[Tachyon 0]

First off: you did not ruin Thursday's Academy. Sure, you had a hard time being XO. XO is one of the hardest positions. So don't worry, you'll get better with practice.

 

The Executive Officer is responsible for communicating with the department heads. All department heads report directly to the XO, and the XO may issue orders, as the CO's mouthpiece if you will. Normally the department heads notify the XO of things, unless directly asked or ordered by the CO.

 

The XO also leads away teams, and makes on-the-spot decisions. When on the ship, they usually get status reports from the department heads, and monitor the situation.

[Images 0]

don't worry mate. xo is bloody hard and the one time i got it in the academy i really nosedived!

[Atragon9 0]

Hmmm, XO - well, just think of Commander Riker on TNG. In the absence of the CO, you're in charge of the crew. The dept heads report to you and you get to go on the away team as command, since you're important... but not THAT important (just ask my XO on Manticore - oh wait, you can't, he's in a coma after the last Away Team mission)

[Sovak 0]

Acedemies are for learning, so don't worry that you may have "ruined" it. The XO spot is a tough one to play, because he interactes with all the departments heads, and reports to the CO, all while trying to play a character, himself. He gives orders to officers on the bridge, even though the Captain is present, so he almost has to be a mind reader, so he doesn't give orders that contradict his CO's wishes.

 

His job is to anticipate the CO's directives, and be ready to have his officers carry them out, all while maintaining duty rosters, leading Away Teams, and keeping all the paperwork done, and gathering all the creative ideas from the crew and relaying them to the Captain, so the Captain can have his moment of glory when he dramatically raises his fingers and says "Make it so", like HE had thought of it all! :P

[Tachyon 0]

so the Captain can have his moment of glory when he dramatically raises his fingers and says "Make it so", like HE had thought of it all! :D

:P Indeed, I think we should start a new topic listing examples of the "Picard Syndrome."

 

::Runs off to start that topic::

[HyperDrive 0]

Please note that Department heads should, unless in the case of emergency and/or importance, go through the Operations officer... and Ops will communicate with the XO. :P

 

(Much how Data would say "Engineering reports engines are ready, sir." or something like that. Mostly the small stuff... ::shrug:: )

 

~HD

[Tovan 0]

(just ask my XO on Manticore - oh wait, you can't, he's in a coma after the last Away Team mission)

Check his neural patterns, he's NOT IN comma! ::ducks::

[John_Anderson 0]

Do what I do. Bark a few orders, listen to what the CO says, repeat it to him and then bark those same orders to the bridge people and Department heads. :D

 

All you should ever actually do some work on when you head on one of the away missions. Then you actually gotta do some work.

 

Besides that, you should just sit there and look pretty :P

[Tachyon 0]

Please note that Department heads should, unless in the case of emergency and/or importance, go through the Operations officer... and Ops will communicate with the XO. :P

 

(Much how Data would say "Engineering reports engines are ready, sir." or something like that. Mostly the small stuff... ::shrug:: )

 

~HD

Sure, make more work for us Ops officers! I remember being OPS to HOPS to XHOPS to HOPS to OPS to TOPS in the very same sim Farein is mentioning . . . might as well just replace us all with computers.

[Darrik 0]

Don't worry about "ruining" the acadamy. I've done it all the time in {AA} (Afterhours Academy). Also, if you feel you need more practice, or you just want some fun, come to AA.

 

::goes into cheesey host for some tv commercial::

The acadamy takes place every weekday, at 5pm est. It won't count towards graduation, but it will help you become a better simmer. Honest.

 

::goes into pre-prepared speeches given by "actuall" users paid by AA::

 

The first time I went to an acadamy, I was completely comfused. After joining AA, I've become a better simmer.

 

::back to cheesey host::

 

All this for twenty payments of 25.42!!!

 

::Farien:: Really?

 

::back to host:: No, but I just saved a load of money by switching to Gieco.

Edited June 22, 2004 by Darrik

[Tachyon 0]

No, but I just saved a load of money by switching to Gieco.

As well as Geico, don't forget:

 

"Go ING Direct, and save your money." :P

 

One more for the road: :D

[Farein 0]

Thanks for your help everybody, I hope I can do it better next time.

and :P Darrik, I come to AA every Friday, see ya there. :D

[Cptn Moose 0]

I'm confused here, can someone please explain to me what it is an XO does? I know Moose said somewhere in his tips that XOs do administrative work... but that's still a little fuzzy...

A fuzzy Moose? That's hard to believe. ;-)

 

XO is an extreamly difficult position to play. When we sim, we all pretend we have a job on a starship. But when you were a kid playing Fireman, were you the guy driving the truck, the girl breaking down the door with a pickaxe, or the schlump back at the station processing the Worker's Comp. paperwork?

 

Well, if startships were real, that would be how the XO spends their day. And yet everyone fights over the post ... go figure.

 

If you are a Mission XO in the academy, you have two duties:

 

a ) Manage the away team.

b ) Manage the bridge if the CO asks you to.

 

Beyond that, you have to do the same thing any other player does when the story isn't about them ... keep yourself busy and don't trip on the furniture. It's no different than being the Chief of Security in a Medical Research story.

 

What partly makes this so difficult is that you can't learn by emulating others. The role is usually played by a GM. They also have an OOC job during every academy, which is cadet management. My definition of "keeping myself busy" is to worm my way into any situation where I think a cadet needs help. This is inappropriate if you're not the GM hosting the sim. A Mission XO who starts giving orders to the other players without being asked to by the CO is "cocky" and "grandstanding", and generally gets beaten up by the other players once the game is over. Yes, it's a double standard, and it's one that's extreamly hard to navigate, which is why personally I rarely assign a Mission Xo.

 

I hope this helps. : )

[KhreRiovtRex 0]

All you should ever actually do some work on when you head on one of the away missions. Then you actually gotta do some work.

Unless you are serving on a Rihannsu ship (That's Romulan as the Terrans' call us).

 

On a Rihannsu ship, the XO also serves at the Tactical Officer.

 

Khre Riov L'haiy t'Rexan

Commanding Officer

RES Talon #2415

[NDak 0]

Unless you are serving on a Rihannsu ship (That's Romulan as the Terrans' call us).

 

On a Rihannsu ship, the XO also serves at the Tactical Officer.

 

And for some reason Have a bad tendency to yy'a!

[Cmdr Laura Issia 0]

Hmmm, XO - well, just think of Commander Riker on TNG

 

(Much how Data would say "Engineering reports engines are ready, sir." or something like that. Mostly the small stuff... ::shrug:: )

 

It's not a bad idea to watch episodes specifically looking for 'normal' interactions. They're usually quick moments, because what's good ship protocol and what's good TV are rather different, but there are some really great examples of how smooth problem-solving can run.