The court martial of Ens Drako Matrix

[Drako Matrix 0]

1st & foremost I'd like to apologies to anyone who felt my conduct during the Academy Sim on 09/20/04. However, I'd like to point out a few key points. I was a Ferengi Security Officer (If there is such a thing) on a mission to salvage a derelict ship for profit. Being a Ferengi, with an away team, that potentially could repair the ship engines and weapons, my intent was to take control of the ship, disable the Marauder and sell it off at the nearest salvage yard in true Ferengi style. When the Cardassian ship arrived, like a Ferengi or a Rat being cornered, I attacked. Just like a Ferengi. So, any action I took here was Role Playing. I will agree however that I missed the fact that the AT was beamed off the "salvaged" ship. It was an oversight and an error, one I did not make alone. This, I will apologies for and accept any disciplinary action felt necessary. I hope this clears up any concerns regarding my actions during the SIM.

 

Ens. Drako Matrix

[Commodore Moose 0]

Oh Drako... I wasn't even there, so all I know about whatever incident there was is what you just wrote. But as an Academy Instructor I just can't pass a opportunity to lecture. ;-)

 

The Academy is the place where we teach new players the mechanics of the game. Tenured players and prior graduates are of course, always welcome, and even encouraged to attend. However, their place in the academy is to serve as an example to the cadets of "how it's done right." Grads are held to a higher standard. You're the role-models.

 

One of the basic rules is "follow the mission brief." A Ferengi Security Officer sounds like an interesting character indeed, but it doesn't exempt them from following the same mission brief as everyone else. They key point is not that they're Ferengi or Klingon or even an Android. They key point is that they're a member of the crew working towards the same goal as the rest of the crew.

 

If a character would naturally work against the group goal towards their own personal agenda, as you claim a Ferengi would in this example, then the character choice is inappropriate for the Academy and a better choice needs to be made. Many GMs insist that players only use human characters in the Academy just to avoid this situation.

 

If you weren't asked to be the SGV, then you were asked to be a member of the crew. And that's the most important characteristic in any Academy character.

 

Just my two cents. : ) I hope you at least had fun.

 

Moose

[STSF Laura 0]

I wasn't there either. But the author in me can't help pointing out that the scenario for the character is flawed. A Security officer, Ferengi or otherwise, serving on a Federation ship, would have taken an oath to serve the Federation and Starfleet, which would include following the orders of his superiors. In this case, whatever the Ferengi would like to do with the ship, the fact remains that he's on-duty and therefore obligated to follow orders, whether he likes them or not. If he couldn't follow orders, he wouldn't have made it through the Academy, and if he couldn't sublimate his desire for profit to the needs of Starfleet, why did he join in the first place?

 

Unless of course this was a Ferengi sim, in which case one figures a DaiMon has ways of keeping his crew in line...

[NDak 0]

I wasn't there either. But the author in me can't help pointing out that the scenario for the character is flawed. A Security officer, Ferengi or otherwise, serving on a Federation ship, would have taken an oath to serve the Federation and Starfleet, which would include following the orders of his superiors. In this case, whatever the Ferengi would like to do with the ship, the fact remains that he's on-duty and therefore obligated to follow orders, whether he likes them or not. If he couldn't follow orders, he wouldn't have made it through the Academy, and if he couldn't sublimate his desire for profit to the needs of Starfleet, why did he join in the first place?

 

Unless of course this was a Ferengi sim, in which case one figures a DaiMon has ways of keeping his crew in line...

Yes, we installed little shock chips in their lobes to prevent stealing, fixed the dabo tables, and strip searched them!

[Drako Matrix 0]

A Security officer, Ferengi or otherwise, serving on a Federation ship, would have taken an oath to serve the Federation and Starfleet, which would include following the orders of his superiors.

This was a Ferengi ship with a full Ferengi crew. But, like I said, I do admit to the one error (The beam out). I feel my actions were appropriate to the SIM, and as pointed out in the first reply, this was not a typical Academy Sim, no ties to Starfleet, therefore typical rules did not really apply. I did have fun, and that is why I joined, so I guess that is what really matters. The whole reason for the original post was an appology to those that felt my actions were not appropriate. I just wanted to explain why I felt they were and that my intent was to have fun with everyone. I did not intentionally want to ruin the Sim in anyway.

 

Ens. Drako Matrix

[STSF_BluRox 0]

This was a Ferengi ship with a full Ferengi crew.

Be that as it may, that fact that the crew was "Ferengi", Cardassian, Romulan, Klingon...ok, well maybe not Klingon, was besides the point. The fact was that there was a misson briefing given, objectives to be reached, and teams set up to do these things, that was what was important. While independent actions are encouraged to keep your character busy, and we encourage these actions and interactions with others actions, players still have to remember to follow the specific plot that is being run, and to run "Major plot changing actions" through the GM's first for approval.

 

In the instance the other night, players were reminded several times to follow ithe plot, but several decided to go off on their own and do their own thing without approval from the GM's. Even to the point of not responding to subsequent action statements. This makes it difficult for the GM's trying to assist new players in the game learn how things work, if other players are trying to do the exact opposite of what we're trying to tell the new person. It also makes it difficult for someone we're watching for graduation, to allow us to see how they will react to a specific situation, if that situation has now been disrupted.

 

What happened Monday, wasn't really a big deal. The Academy is where we learn, and everyone makes a bad move now and then. Heck, I know I've had more than my own fair share. Just remember, that not all sims, are going to be "the super bang up, shootem up, cowboy space aliens attacking dog barking affairs". Some, are going to run as if you were dusting your house...cause some nights, that's what you'll find on your advanced sim. I've seen ships where it takes 3 sims to get from the bridge to the transporter room.

 

On a side note, being Ferengi wouldn't have made them steal their own ship. In every episode seen with Ferengi crews, they all snap pretty fast when their Daimon is telling them what to do. And, this is speculation, but I'd assume that any Ferengi serving on a Maurader class ship, which are not something to be triffled with, even Picard was worried about them, but I think that all crew would have had to sign a contract before serving, about how much salvage they were entitled to, and not inciting a mutiny, which would be a loss of profit for the Daimon. Again, just speculation. They may be little trolls, but they're fairly smart little trolls!

 

Anyway Draco...dont' worry, there is no discipline needed here. This is why we encourage advanced players to still continue to attend the Academy, so that they have the opportunity to find out these type of things, and learn from them before they would do something like this on thier advanced ships.

 

Stop by again!

[Drako Matrix 0]

Thanks for the advice and pep talk. I look forward to seeing you in the next SIM!!