User:DCody

David Cody
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In that thing called Real Life my name is S. (Steven) David Scott Hood, and I reside in the South Bay area of California, United States. In the UFoP, I help where I can and lend a hand where needed. ;)

Stats

Name: S. David Scott Hood
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 9th October 1972
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Location: San Jose/Los Angeles, CA
Country: United States
Nearest Major City: see above
Occupation: Post Production, Screenwriting, Director
Main Language: English
Other Languages: some French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Latin
Religion: none
Ethnicity: Caucasian (Scot-Irish)
Weight: roughly 185 lbs
Eye Colour: Blue
Hair Colour: Dark Auburn

Original Joined: 21 April 1995, formerly of the USS Alliance, through the USS Centris and USS Ranger.

Rejoined group: 15 February 2006 (First Post) Last Sim: 11 March 2010 (The Last Character Post)

Characters

• Ensign Ukiah (John) Coffin
• Cmdr. David Scott Cody, retired
• Jack Kelray
• LtCmr. (or Cmdr.) Michael Blade a.k.a. Gersh Nathan

Favorites

• Films of Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, the Wakawski Brothers to name a few
• Books by Rex Stout, Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver, Harry Harrison, Arthur Conan Doyle, J.K.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkin to name a few
• Everything from Classical music to modern rock, alternative, blues, jazz, name it (except rap).
• Writing (whether screenplays, articles, journalism, short form fiction, gave up the novels, radio)
• Fan of OTR (Old Time Radio)
• Constantly learning or researching something new.
• People, life and the world.
• Snow skiing, most definitely, as well as fitness sports (former competitive swimmer)
• Winemaking and distilling (only I can only read up on the latter as I would need a license to practice).
• Audio/Video post-production (as I do that in real life).

Some Notes Regarding the Group and What the UFOP is Really About

One of truisms of this group is its members have given so much, and sometimes at the dedication of the work they do that will (and does) go unacknowledged. If you're looking for acknowledgment, I would suggest writing some original fiction. Here at the UFOP, we do this because we love the system and what Wolf and others have done to keep this game alive. We don't ask for compensation, and I would worry about the person who thinks there is some due consideration since those of us who have toiled in the capacity of running ships, or any aspect of the Fleet, we do it out of love, not for consideration.

For example, Jeff's willingness to host the the body of what the UFOP was on his webpage back in the early years, along with Elinor's management skills, are early precursors to the bulk of work that's needed to be done today, in a different time and era with a radical 180 degree change in the capability of HTML and what old gamers like myself like to call "graphic redesign". I have lived and died so many incantations, maybe more times now than Brian has ressurrected his first character (*evil grin* - Bri... don't kill me).

Any one of us may climb through the ranks and for reasons we cannot explain away or deny, we can make some horrendous mistakes. And we are not alone. The UFOP has a long history of members who have accomplished this faux pax, and not because we thought we were right, but because we forgot an important lesson. This is ultimately a group and game that is supposed to be fun. It is not about the # of sims your ship/crew puts out per month (although it is one of many factors), it is not just about your relationship with the people you will interact with in the ship grouplist, or the region (in the case of the Ronin and Independence), it is your ability to be flexible and welcome input from other voices.

I've been a writer for the better part of my going on thirty-eight (38) years now. The first original fiction story I wrote, I was a wee lad of seven years old and enjoying the social atmosphere of what primary school brings. I have crossed spectrums in so many areas, from self-publishing poetry to writing for established and original tabletop RPG systems (Project: Whiterook,Vampyre, Werewolf, Heroes, Robotech, Gurps, AD&D [2nd Ed]), novels, optioned screenplays and published short stories (and a few unpunblished novels), where Michael Blade was originally born before Alex and I dialed into the first of the Bulletin Board services (among other things, which I will decline to state). I'm from an era like our esteemed Wolf here, maybe one step before. I have lived and killed characters since the first story I ever wrote, which is what I would like to emphasize here during your stay (hopefully, for a very long time) with the UFOP.

We make mistakes. That's life. However, no mistake I have ever committed while collaborating with other writers has ever truly been unforgivable. What matters is what you and others learn from those moments, and whether you can stand up and say, this is what I have done, and I acknowledge the mistakes that I have made, and hold myself accountable and take responsibility to apologize and hold my conduct appropriate as a lesson for the generations to come. The character of David Cody had a good run. Who knows? He might have a few more moments. Michael Blade, for some reason I cannot fathom, has survived so many incantations, from the time he was originally created within the Project:Whiterook tabletop system to launching him under IRC with Relic, and transferring over to have the opportunity to write with Wolf, and Jeff, and Elinor, S'ven, Magaera, Brian, to name a few. Even now, as a retired civilian freighter Captain in his current incantation, Blade still manages to find a way to keep going (perhaps the character of David Cody might pull this feat off, who knows?).

This is what I would like every member, whether current, or former, or returning, to remember:

It's not about rank. I'm having just as much fun being an Ensign again as I did being a Captain/CO. It is very much about being a part of something larger, and what I can do to (a) preserve your contributions, and (b), make this a fun and rewarding experience for you guys (really, there's not a lot of rules when you think about it... the UFOP Constitution may look scary, but it's pretty friendly and cut-dry for the ambition player). It is very much about what you, as a player, would like to contribute. ;) I spend my days now, between script assignments, writing my own original fiction while posting among like-minded writers here. Why? Because simming (or RPG) is such an integral part of the person I am, I very much doubt I'll ever be able to leave RPG/PBEM for good. There may be RL spells when I have to focus on my original work, but I am always there for the RPG writers.

It is so much about the people you meet, their creativity, and the joy of making new friends within this particular ST environment we call the UFOP. If you're in it to climb to the highest possible rank, you're going to miss what the UFOP is really all about. If you're too busy making high ranking characters in your character profile, you're going to defeat the purpose of designing a character that only has his/her wits to go by. ;) I really don't care if I'm a Captain, or an Admiral, or an Ensign. It is the joy and contributing to creating a positive environment for everyone who loves to write (and doesn't mind a few rules to keep us from getting crazy) that makes it worthwhile, which is what I hope to leave with new, returning and future members.

Take it from the guy who's been online since 1985. :) Have fun, enjoy writing with people (because in life, and as a career, writing is a solitary exercise, even if you've got the laptop up at the local coffee house, like I do). We should never take this seriously, but rather enjoy the times and if you're willing to contribute more, we welcome it.

The writer behind RAdm. Anassasi, and someone I count as a very good friend, said something I firmly believe is true. Have fun here! If I can leave you with something (especially for advancement-minded members), don't be in a rush to climb the ladder, keep it simple and uncomplicated. Collaborative writing should never be anything other than a fun learning experience, and a joy to read other writers' insights. :)

• Steve