Announce List/2012, Part 1
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Jan 4, 2012Awards Ceremony, 2011
Friends, It's finally here! Our yearly award ceremony for Duty Post, Special, and Staff awards has been completed, and is available to read at the link below: http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Awards_Ceremony,_2011 The Top Sims Contest winner is also included, as well as Member Service Length awards -- check it out today, because your name could be anywhere on the list. Congratulations to anyone who won an award this year! Thank you for all you do :) We'll be releasing the entire list of award recipients on our website next week. Jan 18, 2012Why it's critical that we protest internet censorship
Citizens, The Federation is under attack. And this time, it's by an enemy more powerful than we've ever faced before: the United States Congress. Two bills are racing through Congress which could eventually shut down our website. In the Senate, the bill is called the "Protect IP Act," (PIPA) while in the House, the bill is called "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA). These bills would allow the US government to shut down websites that are believed to be infringing upon copyrights. The process by which this happens is vague and ambiguous. It's not even required that a website owner be aware that their site is going to shut down before it happens. The bills can also cut off funding to websites, by shutting down their PayPal account. As an organization whose sole purpose is organized around a "fair use" understanding of someone else's copyrighted works, we are particularly in danger if these bills come to pass. Under current law, we must remove copyrighted works from our website. Under these new laws, Paramount could have our website shut down without even telling us that something is infringing on their works. But we can help stop these bills, and ensure that future bills are directed at more sane and rational methods of controlling copyright abuse. Join the protest against these bills! Today is the "SOPA Strike," an event happening across the net that seeks to educate people about these bills and lobby lawmakers to stop them from passing. Wikipedia, Reddit, and even Google are getting into the action. We need your help. Here's what you can do: 1. Sign this petition against the bills: http://pccc.me/xaUBmb 2. This is important! Use this easy tool to CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE if you live in the United States! http://bit.ly/x3LPOT 3. Read more about exactly what these bills do and why they're bad: http://blog.reddit.com/2012/01/technical-examination-of-sopa-and.html 4. If you have a website, put it "on strike" for the day: http://sopastrike.com/ Don't believe people when they say that there's nothing we can do, or that politicians are "bought and paid for." They DO respond to public pressure if they feel like their vote would make them extremely unpopular. But it's up to us to make them hear our voices! Please participate today to end these draconian bills that would do little to stop piracy and copyright infringement. To talk more about this, join the discussion on our forums: http://www.starbase118.net/forums/index.php?/topic/6795-today-is-the-sopa-strike-against-internet-censorship/ Jan 30, 2012Join the USS Apollo, a new ship in our fleet!
Friends, I have some great news! We're launching a new ship this week: the USS Apollo, an Achilles Class starship getting back to the roots of StarFleet to explore the Typhon Sector -- home to many unique cultures as well as the Typhon Expanse. The crew will chart these new areas as part of her mission. Who they will encounter along the way is a mystery, but one that cannot wait to be solved! As we prepare to launch, we're building a new crew from members around the fleet. This will help us lower the number of members on each ship, making it easier to place new ensigns and giving everyone an opportunity to shine in their Duty Post. Are you interested in joining the new ship? Click here to sign-up to be considered for a transfer: http://go.starbase118.net/transfer-apollo Captain Andrus Jaxx of StarBase 118 Ops will be launching this new ship, while his First Officer, Commander Kali Nicholotti, will be taking over Ops as she begins her Captaincy Exam. Captain Andrus Jaxx started his career as a Counselor aboard the USS Challenger in 2007. He soon moved up the ranks and took over for RAdml. Rocar Drawoh as captain of the USS Victory. Later, he transferred to StarBase 118 Ops where he has been the CO for a year. He's now returning to deep space exploration aboard the USS Apollo. To take a look at the Apollo, check out her wiki page: http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=USS_Apollo Ready to sign up? Just fill out this quick and easy form with your information: http://go.starbase118.net/transfer-apollo Not everyone who puts their name in the hat will be selected. We're looking to launch soon, so volunteer now! Feb 4, 2012Reports of viruses on our website
Hi everyone, A few members have emailed me in the past month to let me know that their virus scanners are marking our site as being infected by a virus. I have consulted with numerous reference sources, as well as experts on this subject, and have come to the conclusion that our site is NOT actually infected with any viruses or malicious files. We have not only scanned the site with numerous scanners, but we've also enrolled in Google Webmaster Tools and had the site scanned for potential problems by Google itself. I have also manually reviewed potentially harmful areas of our site's infrastructure. I own a number of websites, and in the past have seen websites infected with malicious content. In each and every circumstance, I have been notified both by our webhost (the same one this group uses) and by Google's automated crawler, that a malicious file was found on the site -- which hasn't yet happened with starbase118.net. In those circumstances, I was easily able to identify the issue and remove the offending content. The only answer seems to be that home-installed virus scanners are mis-categorizing some element of our website as malicious. Nonetheless, in the name of continued vigilance, if you do receive a report that our site has been compromised, please email me at t.wolf@... with the name of your virus scanner, as well as the exact warning it gave you. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions! Mar 1, 2012State of the Federation Address, 2012
Friends, The Executive Council is tasked with addressing the fleet each year to review our past year's worth of accomplishments, and look forward to the next year. We've (finally!) finished our 2012 address and posted it on the website. Here's the URL: http://go.starbase118.net/sotfa-2012 Check out the charts we've compiled of our simming numbers and applications, among others! Once you've had a chance to read it over, you can post questions and comments in our forum thread: http://www.starbase118.net/forums/index.php?/topic/6950-state-of-the-federation-address-2012 Mar 11, 2012Fleet-wide Chat Starting Now!
Just a reminder that a fleetwide chat is starting now (1pm EST / 10am Pacific in the US). Join us in our on-site (no registration required!) chat room: http://www.starbase118.net/chat See you there! Mar 12, 2012Survey 2012 results are posted
Friends and simmers, Many thanks to everyone who participated in our survey a few weeks ago! We've posted the results on our Community News: http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/03/12/survey-2012-results/ Mar 19, 2012Forums and Wiki offline for the evening
Hey folks, In the next few minutes, the forums and wiki will be shutting down for the evening. We're moving to a new host (which will hopefully alleviate the long load times on the wiki), and we need time for the site to migrate. I will post to this email list when things are up and running again -- it will likely be tomorrow morning. Your Yahoo! Groups are NOT affected by this. Mar 20, 2012Re: Forums and Wiki offline for the evening
Just a quick follow-up: unfortunately, the entire site is offline for the moment. We've hit a snag with the transfer, and we're working on it with our new host. Further updates will occur on our Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/ufopsb118 <https://twitter.com/#!/ufopsb118> but I will email this list once the website, forums, and wiki are back online. Sorry for the inconvenience everyone -- once this is over, we should have a much faster website ;) Mar 20, 2012Website, forums and wiki are back online!
Hi again, everyone! I'm very happy to report that our website, forums, and wiki are back online. You can access them here:
On your first visit to each, you may wish to bypass your cache and force a total reload of each page. This should "reset" your connection to the site and ensure you're reaching the newest version. It's quite simple: 1. Internet Explorer: (PC) Hold the Ctrl key and press the F5 key. 2. Firefox: (PC) Hold the Ctrl key and press the F5 key / (Mac) Hold the ⌘ Cmd key and press the F5 key 3. Chrome: (PC) Hold the Ctrl key and press the R key / (Mac) Hold the ⌘ Cmd key and press the R key 4. Safari: (Mac) Hold down the ⇧ Shift key and click the Reload toolbar button. If you have a moment, after you've accessed the site, can you vote in this poll to see if the site is moving any faster for you? http://www.starbase118.net/forums/index.php?/topic/7026-are-you-seeing-a-speed-difference-with-the-new-site/ If you're having ANY problems with the site (something isn't loading, something isn't saving on the UPDS, you're getting an error, etc.), please use the following (off-site) form: http://bit.ly/GFgx2C or email me directly at t.wolf@... -- I'll look into it immediately. Mar 24, 2012Weekly Newsletter #1
Happy weekend, fellow Trekkers! Starting this week, we're going to be sending out a weekly summary of events and news from around the fleet. Below, you'll find information about events you can participate in, as well as links to each Community News item that's posted on the members are of the website, found here: http://www.starbase118.net/members/ If you don't want to receive these, you can change your ufop-announce list settings, found here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ufop-announce/join In section #2 "Message Delivery," change FROM "Individual Emails" TO "Special Notices." We'll mark the other stuff we send to this list with the "Special Notices" designation, and that will ensure you only receive the most important news items from this list. FLEET EVENTS
2-4 sims. Be sure to vote on your favorite sims, to help them get to the next round of semi-finals! http://go.starbase118.net/top_sims
by Saturday, April 22nd. http://go.starbase118.net/writing_challenges
April. http://go.starbase118.net/chat COMMUNITY NEWS (newest at the top, oldest at the bottom) 1. February Plot Summary: USS Discovery-C http://bit.ly/GIBTQ1 2. Carbon Creek Chili http://bit.ly/GJHwx7 3. Strange Species: Eyas Wulfatine, a Pythron http://bit.ly/GIBWLN 4. Writers Block? Knock Down the Barriers: http://bit.ly/FRevz1 5. Two more donations! http://bit.ly/xYSBSJ 6. New Academy Graduates http://bit.ly/xl5HMW 7. Poll of the Week: From the Depths 3 - J.G. Hertzler http://bit.ly/FPAGQK 8. Species Close-up: Ullian http://bit.ly/AjTFKp 9. February Plot Summary: USS Tiger-A http://bit.ly/FPijep 10. Donation thanks to Capts. Jaxx & Nicholotti http://bit.ly/y9SY0R 11. The Proof is in the Captain: a profile of Toni Turner http://bit.ly/xFzo5M QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS? Post them in this thread on the forums! http://go.starbase118.net/newsletter-talk Mar 29, 2012UPDS still down -- we're working on it
Hey folks, One thing I did not mention in our last email about moving hosts was that the UPDS has been down since we moved over to our new web host. We're working on a fix, so please be patient. I'll email this list once it's operational again! Thanks everyone :) Mar 31, 2012UPDS back online!
Everyone, The UPDS is back online. http://www.starbase118.net/lcars/ Please head there and update your profile when you get the chance. Remember that this is your OFFICIAL record of promotions and character data that is used by the staff to determine promotions and awards! Apr 1, 2012Weekly Newsletter #2
FLEET EVENTS
Voting for Round 5 will soon begin! Be sure to vote on your favorite sims, to help them get to the next round of semi-finals! http://go.starbase118.net/top_sims
by Saturday, April 22nd. http://go.starbase118.net/writing_challenges
April. http://go.starbase118.net/chat COMMUNITY NEWS (newest at the top, oldest at the bottom) 1. February Plot Summary: USS Drake http://bit.ly/GJHvcH 2. Next Fleetwide OOC Chats http://bit.ly/GNzjHD 3. Donation thanks to Eden Redstone! http://bit.ly/GNElny 4. Where In the World? http://bit.ly/H5wzG2 5. Reality Buried Deep Within Science Fiction http://bit.ly/H0HQae 6. Donation thanks to Eric Lundrigan! http://bit.ly/GYVwlU 7. New Academy Graduate http://bit.ly/Hm5Bnv 8. Mixed Berry Cobbler http://bit.ly/H86kwK 9. February Plot Summary: USS Avandar http://bit.ly/H3FnKW QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS? Post them in this thread on the forums! http://go.starbase118.net/newsletter-talk Thanks to Lt. Alucard Vess of the Duronis II Embassy for putting together this week's newsletter! Apr 7, 2012Weekly Newsletter #3 + Fleet-wide Chat Reminder (Tomorrow!)
CHATS TOMORROW You can access the fleet-wide chats at: http://go.starbase118.net/chat All are welcome at both/either chats taking place tomorrow, Sunday, April 8:
OTHER FLEET EVENTS
Challenge! Head to the forum and submit your story by Saturday, April 22nd! http://go.starbase118.net/writing_challenges
to the forum and submit your vote (only 3 sims this round!), and also be sure to drop in a new submission of a recent sim you've really liked! http://go.starbase118.net/top_sims COMMUNITY NEWS (newest at the top, oldest at the bottom) 1. Lower Decks: Ensign Kaleo O'Kalani http://bit.ly/HlnrI7 2. Forums Roundup: March 2012 http://bit.ly/HEDikb 3. March Plot Summary: Duronis II Embassy http://bit.ly/I52v7M 4. Writing Tips for People Who Don't Write http://bit.ly/HeT9am 5. STO: Ship Variants http://bit.ly/H6MW18 6. New Academy Graduate http://bit.ly/HbmFD8 7. Two more member donations! http://bit.ly/H5g4px 8. Poll of the Week: In the Presence of Inspiration http://bit.ly/H9fKe0 9. Lower Decks: Ensign Donato Romero http://bit.ly/H5mx77
News by heading to the following URL and clicking the link titled "Get UFOP: StarBase 118 delivered by email": http://feeds.feedburner.com/ufopsb118 QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS? Post them in this thread on the forums! http://go.starbase118.net/newsletter-talk You can stop receiving this weekly newsletter by setting yourself to "Special Notices" on this Yahoo! Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ufop-announce/join Apr 13, 2012Weekly Newsletter #4
FLEET EVENTS
latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting and nominations, check here: http://www.starbase118.net/forums/index.php?/topic/7055-round-5-voting/
22nd, so be sure to get your entries in. The topic is "The Storm", and brings a plethora of images to the creative mind. Be sure to get your entries in here: http://go.starbase118.net/writing_challenges COMMUNITY NEWS (newest at the top, oldest at the bottom) 1. That Extra Mile: The Ensign's Guide to Promotion http://bit.ly/HFgEwS 2. March/April Writing Challenge Reminder! http://bit.ly/IsjN2M 3. Forums Roundup: April 2012 http://bit.ly/IozwzS 4. Making Your Writing Weakness into a Writing Strength http://bit.ly/HrJ21S 5. Lower Decks: Apollo helmsman, Ensign Kaleo O'Kalani http://bit.ly/HlnrI7 6. March Plot Summary: Duronis II Embassy http://bit.ly/I52v7M 7. Writing Tips for People Who Don't Write http://bit.ly/HeT9am 8. Star Trek Online: Ship Variants http://bit.ly/H6MW18 9. Forums Roundup: March 2012 http://bit.ly/HEDikb QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS? Post them in this thread on the forums! http://go.starbase118.net/newsletter-talk Apr 21, 2012Weekly Newsletter #5
Thanks to Ensign Vid-Lotilija of the USS Apollo for putting together this week's newsletter! FLEET EVENTS
Rounds 1-5, entries are now being accepted through April 29th for Round 7 of the Top Sims Contest. Voting for Round 7 will begin on 30th of April -- at the same time as the winner of Round 6 is announced. For voting and nominations, check here: http://go.starbase118.net/top_sims Winners list for the first 5 rounds of this year can be found here - congratulations to winners: http://www.starbase118.net/forums/index.php?/topic/7058-winners-list/
(yes, just 2 more days), so be sure to get your entries in. The topic is "The Storm", and brings a plethora of images to the creative mind. Be sure to get your entries in here: http://go.starbase118.net/writing_challenges COMMUNITY NEWS (newest at the top, oldest at the bottom) 1. Lower Decks: LtJG William Tindall http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/20/lower-decks-lt-jg-william-tindall/ 2. New Academy Graduate http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/19/new-academy-graduate-15/ 3. March Plot Summary: USS Mercury http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/19/march-plot-summary-uss-mercury/ 4. William Shatner: Rock Star http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/18/william-shatner-rock-star/ 5. March Plot Summary: USS Apollo http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/17/march-plot-summary-uss-apollo/ 6. Prompting Creative Works: The Power of a Question http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/16/prompting-creative-works-the-power-of-a-question/ 7. March Recruitment Statistics http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/15/march-recruitment-statistics/ 8. March Plot Summary: Starbase 118 Ops http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/14/march-plot-summary-starbase-118-ops/ QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS? Post them in this thread on the forums! http://go.starbase118.net/newsletter-talk FULL TEXT ARTICLES New Academy Graduate Posted: Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:38:12 Please welcome our newest Academy graduate to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Emmanuelle Versse! March Plot Summary: USS Mercury Posted: Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:00:49 Continuing in their exploration of the Menthar Corridor, a region of space between Cardassian, Breen and Tholian territory, the USS Mercury discovered a concealed trading post under the ownership of the Ferengi entrepreneur Tol and his cousin Golt. Accepting an invite to board the station, Captain Tallis Rhul led an away team comprised of members of the Mercury�s senior staff to take a tour and partake of a free meal. When it became apparent that the station, known as the Menthar Anchorage, left quite a lot to be desired from a hygeine standpoint, concerns mounted. It rapidly became obvious that the area that the away team had beamed into, initially thought to be safe, was infested with rats and fleas, and with Captain Tallis suddenly taken ill, the away team returned to the ship. The Aldebaran Lunar Plague, a mutation of an influenza virus that escaped detection by theMercury�s biofilters, spread throughout the Anchorage and Mercury personnel, while behind the scenes, Golt fought his culpability for allowing the rats to escape. His plans to extract their musk for resale and his enthusiasm for the potential profit had led to a lack of precautions in keeping his �merchandise� secure. With the crew�s health deteriorating to critical levels, Lieutenants Saveron and Ba�Eli battled to find a cure while Lieutenant Commanders Hannibal Parker and Arden Cain co-ordinated a clean-up attempt. With a cure found in the nick of time, the crew are now taking time to convalesce. William Shatner: Rock Star Posted: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:00:28 Every year, Canadians celebrate the best in the Canadian music scene with the Juno Awards. The Junos are not much unlike the Grammies or the American Music Awards. However, they focus solely on Canadian talent. Past winners include Bryan Adams, Arcade Fire, Jann Arden, Bachman�Turner Overdrive, Barenaked Ladies, Billy Talent, Michael Bubl�, Justin Bieber, Tom Cochrane, Crash Test Dummies, Celine Dion, Alanis Morrissette, Avril Lavigne, and I could go on and on, but will stop here for brevity�s sake. Needless to say, these artists represent many diverse types of music, and thus such an awards show has no lack of great content. This year was no different. On April Fool�s Day, in the nation�s capital, Ottawa, the Juno Awards took place, hosted by none other than another notable Canadian, William Shatner. He made an hilarious attempt to pass for a rock star in his opening segment. Accompanied by three leggy backup singers, the self-depracating 81-year-old strapped on an electric guitar and doddered his way through medley of rock hits. Nevertheless, it was a memorable evening for many, and at the end, the big winner was Feist, who took home the �Canadian Artist of the Year� award. March Plot Summary: USS Apollo Posted: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:00:34 The USS Apollo, NCC-71669, while en route to the Typhon Sector, has encountered a disabled Altoran freighter. A freighter which has been going to great efforts to hide the contents of its cargo hold. An away team, led by Lieutenant Commander Liam Frost, had boarded the freighter, ostensibly to perform needed repairs. While performing said repairs, the away team discovered what the freighter crew was hiding: the salvaged remains of a Borg scout vessel. The freighter captain claims to have discovered the wreckage in neutral territory and has filed the appropriate legal documents to make his salvage legal. Thus far, the away team has found no substatial information to refute this claim. During the investigation, the remains of a heavily damaged drone were recovered. The remains have been transported back to the Apollo for examination by science officer Vid-Lotilija and medical officer Sidney Pierce. It is their hope that they will retrieve enough information from the drone to determine where it came from and how it came to be in the possession of the Altoran freighter. One of the freigter�s crew, a young Bajoran medic, has also beamed aboard the Apollo, under escort from intel officer Viktor Lanius. It is Ensign Lanius�s hope that the young man will shed enough light to resolve this already murky situation. Prompting Creative Works: The Power of a Question Posted: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:00:10 We�ve all been there. You know, there, in one of those moments where you sit and stare at the blank email as if your sim were going to suddenly write itself. With your hands on the keyboard, you stare at your own blank canvas and try to will something creative out of your mind. But alas, as hard as you try, you can�t seem to come up with anything worthy of being grown into a sim. Sound familiar? If it is, then perhaps you just need a simple jumpstart. Just like a car, sometimes our creative minds need a little bit of a jump start to get them going. Some people turn to books, while others like to watch an episode of Star Trek. Some of us, however, simply need to be asked a question. Why a question? Because asking yourself a question invokes the human need to answer that question and when you take the time to answer the question, you will often find yourself on track to locating your much desired creative path. WritingFix calls these questions �prompts�, as they prompt writers to answer a question that can start, or restart, the creative flow of ideas. No one likes writers block, but now you can fight it and move on to something bigger, better, and much more creative. Take a moment to check out the Writingfix website ( http://writingfix.com/classroom_tools/dailypromptgenerator.htm) � while some of the prompts are definitely geared towards a younger audience, there are plenty that can help you find your way back to the path to writing your best sims, and that, after all, is what we�re all after. March Recruitment Statistics Posted: Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:57:00 Each month, the Publicity Team posts the number of applications our community received for the current year and how those applicants found our group. This summary will give you an idea of how we are reaching new applicants and how we can improve our efforts to reach new audiences. If you�re interested in helping with our publicity efforts, click the link above to check out the Publicity Team�s wiki area, and then the link to the Publicity Team�s Yahoo! Group where you can sign up to be a part of the team. We also want to keep you apprised of the number of graduates from the Starbase 118 Academy. Unfortunately, not all applicants graduate from the Academy because they either do not respond to roll call or do not complete the Academy requirements. The Training Team makes every effort to involve all applicants and to encourage them to complete the training. (http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/15/march-recruitment-statistics/) March Plot Summary: Starbase 118 Ops Posted: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:00:08 With limited power, the crew of Starbase 118 Operations struggles to bring things under control. Not knowing where the attack came from, the crew begins to work on the symptoms of the problem, including faulty sub-processors and unresponsive systems. In the dark, literally, the crew doesn�t know about the big picture until Ambassador Vreeya, a Romulan ambassador with ties to a newly formed border alliance in the Neutral Zone, arrives with one of the ships hired to attack one of the colonies in the sector. She brings news of multiple targets, having infiltrated Reikara � a faction of Romulans seeking to reclaim all that was the Romulan Star Empire, and of their end goals. Intel is soon discovered that tells the tale of a virus � yet to be unleashed � and of a hidden enemy with a secret connection with the remaining Romulan Star Empire Ambassador on the station, Kerok. Blueprints of a new weapon are also uncovered as the Science team works to build a weapon of their own that will take out the solid projectiles sent forth by the weapon in the blueprint. When the virus finally is unleashed, in the diplomatic sector early in the morning, the crew finds it heading right for the computer core wrecking havoc on every system along the way. In the dark once again, a Romulan diplomat is murdered, critical systems in Sickbay begin to fail, and the crew finds themselves faced with an even more convoluted situation than before. That Extra Mile: The Ensign�s Guide to Promotion Posted: Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:00:42 Someday� just when is someday? Some experts in our community, the many Captains and command level staff, will tell you that the process can be as involved or as hard as you make it. The one thing that will determine the expediency of your promotions throughout your service aboard your vessel is, simply put, going ( http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/12/that-extra-mile-the-ensigns-guide-to-promotion/ ) March/April Writing Challenge Reminder! Posted: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:45:13 There are still a few weeks left to get your entries in for the March/April round of the Writing Challenge! This year, it�s all to play for, as all of the ships in the fleet compete head to head for the title of overall Writing Challenge winner 2012! Each winner scores 3 points for their ship, and each runner up scores 1 point. At this early stage it�s all to play for: the Tiger is currently in the lead on 3 points, with the Mercury in second place on 1. Of course, you can�t have a shot at earning points for your ship if you�re not involved! The category for this round is �The Storm�, as chosen by last month�s winner, Velana, who will be joining us on the judging panel this time around. Whether you�ve entered before or you haven�t, why not take a shot at submitting a piece of flash-fiction, up to 3000 words in length! Not only do you have a shot at taking your ship to the top of the league, but the winner will also receive a banner to forever preserve the honour of their victory on the forums! What are you waiting for? It�s time to get scribbling! ( http://www.starbase118.net/forums/index.php?/topic/6971-marchapril-2012-writing-challenge/ ) Forums Roundup: April 2012 Posted: Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:00:23 It�s already April! Where�s the time gone? It seems like things are moving quite quickly both in, and out of character. Sometimes, it goes so quickly that it�s easy to lose track of what�s going on outside of your own ship. But as the community and Fleet-wide aspects of Starbase 118 make it just what it is, so to help everyone get a good glimpse of the latest and greatest, here�s some of the more important happenings going on around the Forums (and Fleet) this month: http://www.starbase118.net/blog/2012/04/10/forums-roundup-april-2012/ Making Your Writing Weakness into a Writing Strength Posted: Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:00:02 It�s only natural for people to try to cover up their weaknesses. We do it every day in fact. By getting organizing and planning, checking the mirror multiple times before leaving the house, and by ensuring we look our absolute best we emphasize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses. But when you�re talking about the art of creative writing, covering up the flaws that we have can actually keep us from meeting our full potential. Who doesn�t want to improve their writing skills, especially when they participate in a form of entertainment that is based entirely in a world of words. It�s no small feat doing what we do; each member of the Fleet tackles a new obstacle each day with only a single weapon at their side � words. From time travel to Romulan battleships that really want to shoot you out of the sky, there are numerous things to overcome within our sims, but we can only use words to overcome them. With this in mind, it�s easy to see why improving our writing and turning those writing based weaknesses into strengths is so important. Thankfully, actually doing this isn�t that difficult either. In fact, Write to Done ( http://writetodone.com/2012/02/11/mastering-words-transform-your-writing-weakness-into-strength/) knows that many people want to succeed in the use of their words, so they�ve created a very helpful list of ways that you can do just that. Don�t let your writing downfalls hinder the amazing depth that you and your character can bring to the game � transform your weakness into strength and boldly go where no one has gone before! New Academy Graduate Posted: Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:42:36 Please welcome our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Vance Carter! Apr 27, 2012Weekly Newsletter #6
Thanks to Ensign Vid-Lotilija of the USS Apollo for putting together this week's newsletter! FLEET EVENTS
check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting and nominations for round 7, check here: http://go.starbase118.net/top_sims
follows:
Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/ COMMUNITY NEWS
every day and keep us informed about happenings in the Fleet. If you like what they are doing, show them appreciation by leaving comments under the favored articles. (newest at the top, oldest at the bottom) 1. Mercury Rising: Commander Miles Unum: http://goo.gl/1ovBQ 2. March Plot Summary: USS Drake: http://goo.gl/WLgmL 3. Lower Decks: Ensign Winyah Kasara: http://goo.gl/UP6Gr 4. Capt. Tallis Rhul resigns: http://goo.gl/JNgkE 5. March Plot Summary: USS Avandar: http://goo.gl/Jyrlf 6. From the Hook to �The End�: Keeping Your Readers Reading: http://goo.gl/WlNE6 7. Destination London�s Five Captains: http://goo.gl/o2huP 8. New Academy Graduate: http://goo.gl/KyXnQ 9. Top Sims Contest Run-off Round 1 Winner Chosen!: http://goo.gl/18rS8 10. Lower Decks: LtJG William Tindall: http://goo.gl/78Hyh 11. New Academy Graduate: http://goo.gl/qyLXh FULL TEXT ARTICLES: Mercury Rising: Commander Miles Unum Posted: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:00:03 There is always a call to duty that all Starfleet officers must heed. We all must honor the call to duty. An honored officer has retired and another has been called to take the reins of command. Today we are honored to talk with Commander Miles Unum, formally the first officer of the Embassy on Duronis II and the USS Thunder. Commander Unum is stepping in to take command of the USS Mercury since Captain Tallis Rhul has retired due real life commitments. Commander Unum is now in command of the Mercury, there have been a few crew transfers and changes in the departments. Now with the transfer of command completed Commander Unum and his new crew are about to enter new adventures. But before that can start, let us talk with him and see what is going on in the mind of newly appointed Starship Captain. Commander Unum I have to ask, how do you feel about this new venture, the responsibilities and how you came to chose the officers to join you on this venture. Alexander, first I�d like to thank you for contacting me about this interview. It�s a pleasure to talk with you today. I�m feeling pulled in two opposite directions emotionally about these changes. I�m excited but at the same time saddened. Captain Tallis and I first met over two and a half years ago on the USS Challenger. He was the helmsman, and I was a security officer. We immediately hit it off in-character and also out-of-character, and we remain friends to this day. I had the opportunity to serve with him on the USS Ronin and at the Duronis II Embassy before he became the commanding officer on the USS Ronin and then on the USS Mercury. I�m going to miss him, and I understand and support him in his reasons for retiring. I wish him the best with his plans for the future. The opportunity that I�ve been given by the Executive Council is one that I greatly appreciate and am very excited about. Becoming a commander of a starship in Starbase 118 has been a goal of mine for a while, and I�m looking forward to the challenges and adventures that the position holds. As with previous changes in leadership in the Starbase 118 group when a commanding officer retires or otherwise steps down from command, crews are often re-assigned to assist with the changes. When I was informed about the new roster for the Mercury, I was happy to see a blending of both Mercury and Embassy crew members. These changes will allow new friends to be made and new families to be formed on the Mercury and at the Embassy, and it allows for new ideas and stories to form. As has been done in the past, Fleet Captain Turner and I plan to have a shared shore leave for the Mercury and Embassy crews in the not-to-distant future to reunite us all. What involves the three month trials for commanding a ship? During this three month period, I will complete the written Captaincy Exam and lead the crew through at least one mission and shore leave, while observed and evaluated by my proctor. This is my opportunity to show everything that I have learned during my journey to being a commanding officer. Will you miss the Thunder and Fleet Captain Turner? Absolutely! Fleet Captain Turner was my first commanding officer when I joined Starbase 118, and I have served with her on several starships. She guided me from day one and has always encouraged me to excel. She has been a great teacher and leader for me, and I can never thank her enough for taking the time to do that for me. I had the honor of serving on the Ronin and continued on to the Embassy with great crew members, some of whom are still simming at the Embassy and others who transferred to the Mercury. I simmed in different duty posts at the Embassy for over a year, and it was home to me. The crew was a family, and I will miss the times we had together. But, we all know that things never stay the same, and I look at these recent changes as opportunities for all of us to grow. One of the things I said both in-character and out-of-character to the Embassy crew was that this isn�t goodbye; it�s just until we see each other again. Please tell us a bit more about your background and some of your adventures on some of your duty posts. I joined Starbase 118 three years ago, and I have loved every minute of my time with this awesome group. I currently lead the Publicity Team, and I�m really excited about the momentum we�re building as the next Star Trek movie release for next year approaches. After graduating from the Starbase 118 Academy, I was assigned to the USS Resolution under Fleet Captain Turner�s command, and I was assigned to the tactical officer duty post. I�ve served on the USS Challenger and USS Constitution as a security officer, on the USS Ronin as a Marine officer, and at the Embassy as a Marine officer, strategic operations officer, and finally as the first officer. Each of those positions helped me to grow and learn, which assisted me in moving into new leadership positions. There was something about my first assignment that I still hold very dear today. We had a fantastic crew, commanding officer, and first officer. Thinking about it, many of those crew members are still around the fleet. They are Fleet Captain Turner, Captain Jaxx, Commander Nicholotti, Lieutenant Commander Townson, Lieutenant Deron, Lieutenant Orman, and Lieutenant Commander Barnes, who is currently on a leave of absence. We participated in two missions, �Act of Mercy� and �Broken Promises� before we went to different ships. Those two missions overshadowed important future moments in my character�s life. In �Act of Mercy�, the Resolution crew visited the planet Lavon, and during my character�s practical for commander rank, the Thunder returned to Lavon for an unrelated mission. During �Broken Promises�, my character got to know the counselor, Talon Lee. He fell head-over-heels in love with her, and today, the two are married with twin boys who are six months old. After the Mercury�s current mission, my character will have his family join him onboard and continue their professional and personal lives together. I have to say that your career thus far has been filled with adventures, with your new command and crew, including myself are off to more adventures and good times. It has been a pleasure to talk with you sir and thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. For more on the character, visit Commander Unum�s wiki page ( http://goo.gl/2jH5O. And be sure to follow the crew of the Mercury ( http://goo.gl/OVx0n) as they continue to prosper under his command. March Plot Summary: USS Drake Posted: Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:00:29 Stuck in the region they dubbed �null space,� the crew of the USS Drake NCC-1987 have managed to partially adapt the systems of their ship to the new physical reality in which they have found themselves. Utilising jury-rigged solar sails, the Drake moved closer to the nearby M-class planet in an attempt to rescue the marine SAR team and others trapped on the planet. As they began their approach run the Saksenna vessels began to sacrifice themselves in an attempt to destroy the intruders by crashing into the planet, initiating a cataclysmic, planet-wide series of earthquakes. The combination of the Drake�s modified transporters and some exceptional flying by the various support vessels assigned to the Drake enabled all the crew and survivors to be rescued. The final part of the crew�s plan to return to normal space requires a shuttle load of dilthium to be detonated, creating a rip back to their own space-time. Ensign Jo�rek, the Drake�s enigmatic Romulan crewmember, volunteered to fly the shuttle to the detonation point. The plan worked perfectly and after beaming Jo�rek back on-board the Drake negotiated the spacial rip back to normal space-time. The Drake then made for Alpha Centauri to affect repairs and allow the crew some R & R. Lower Decks: Ensign Winyah Kasara Posted: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:00:24 +0000 Character Name: Winyah Kasara Rank and Current Post: Operations and communications, Duronis II Embassy and its support vessel, USS Thunder Species: Klingon You hail from the Klingon homeworld of Qo�nos. How was life growing up on your planet? It was very enjoyable. I come from a well-off family, distinguished for its service to the Empire. I was taught, from earliest time of my life, that we must all contribute to the family reputation, in some way. That may sound somewhat stern, but we had fun, too. What made you choose Starfleet? I wanted to go in the navy, and I wanted to see other cultures and worlds. My family thought Starfleet, if I could make it in, was the best place for that. What was the most interesting event while you were in the Academy? Hmmm��. That�s hard to say; there were so many interesting events. I guess the most interesting event of all was when I was on an away team mission on my senior cruise. We were surveying a previously unsurveyed planet and discovered a previously unknown culture, or, rather, the ruins of it. It had disappeared hundreds of years ago; we discovered some remains of temples and other structures. What made you choose your current position? I thought I would be in on a lot of action. I like the challenge. Was the choice of taking on your career a difficult one? Well, in a way. I first thought I would go in the Klingon navy but my parents thought Starfleet, though tough to get in to, would be something more to my liking. They were right. If you did not enter the Academy, what would you have chosen to be your profession? Probably some other profession that would take me to different worlds, like a planetary geologist. How do you find life on the ship different from Academy life? I haven�t been aboard very long, but I find two things stand out. One is that people don�t seem to be so rigid about rules and regulations. But, two, on the other hand, one is expected to know one�s job. It�s not a classroom exercise; it�s the real thing. If you fail an exercise in the Academy, you get a failing grade; if you fail here, you may cause people to lose their lives. Do you have a favorite pastime? I like to socialize and get to know people. Do have a favorite food? I love Klingon cuisine, hahah, of course. I like gagh, and heart-of-targ. In closing, I see that you have the nickname of Winsome. How did you come by that name? Hahah, I know I am not physically winsome, by human standards. A fellow cadet once said he was very impressed by my ability to be charming and interact with humans. He called me that, and I guess it caught on because of its similarity to my first name. I am actually very happy to have that nickname. Thank you, Ensign Kasara. You�re welcome, sir. Capt. Tallis Rhul resigns Posted: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:47:49 Captain Tallis Rhul, a rising star among the command staff and captain of the USS Mercury, has resigned his position due to Real Life career changes. We�re incredibly sad to see him go, and wish him all the best. To leave a �goodbye� message, head to Capt. Tallis� forum profile and click �Profile Feed� on the left. (http://goo.gl/5p3p3) Cmdr. Miles Unum, former First Officer of the Duronis II Embassy under FltCapt. Toni Turner, will be taking over as Commanding Officer of the USS Mercury after a crew shuffle between those two ships. He now begins his final steps toward captaincy, undergoing a three month Practical Exam as the CO of a crew. March Plot Summary: USS Avandar Posted: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:00:14 For nearly ten years, the survivors of the USS Avandar�s crash on the world they dubbed Eden have worked to adapt to their new home. After a very rough beginning, they had even managed to reach an accommodation with the natives, the crew and the nearest tribe coming to live in, if not harmony, then at least amicable proximity. The relative peace wasn�t to last, however, as Lieutenant Commander Umas and his small band of rebels, tired of eking out an existence in the wilderness, found a way to capitalise on what they saw as their chance for revenge on those that had cast them out. The beacon, the one hope the crew had for eventual rescue, was found to be having a detrimental effect on the atmosphere. Slow, subtle, but significant, this effect was enough for Captain Vetri to order it to be shut down whilst an attempt to fix the issue was made. There was no chance for that to happen, though, as Umas managed to get his hands on the device, modifying it for a more powerful transmission burst � a burst that, within minutes, had burned Eden�s atmosphere into oblivion. In the wale of the planet�s destruction, the Avandar�s crew were left to find answers to a number of questions � including what had just happened, and why where they back on the ship � which was parked neatly in orbit around the dead world they had approached only ten hours before�
Destination London�s Five Captains Posted: Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:00:29 This week, the enormous convention event revealed the crown that will top its impressive head: All five captains from the Star Trek television series � William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, and Scott Bakula � will appear together for the first time in history. Perhaps following on the success of William Shatner�s recent documentary �The Captains,� this announcement is sure to draw even more fans to London for this post-Olympic Trek con. Tickets will go on sale on April 30th via the event�s official website, www.startreklondon.com, so head on over now to learn more about other guests, exciting venues, travel highlights, and more! New Academy Graduate Posted: Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:08:59 Please welcome our newest Academy graduate to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Drennon Kul! Top Sims Contest Run-off Round 1 Winner Chosen! Posted: Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:51:00 Congratulations to LtCmdr. Danny Wilde and LtJG Luna Walker, whose sim �The Caper of the Century� (http://goo.gl/ICvVB)has been chosen by a panel of five group staff judges to continue on to the final round of the Top Sims Contest at the end of the year! There are three run-off rounds each year, which bring together the previous member-chosen sims. A panel of staff judges then select the best sim from that group. This new run-off round process, which includes the staff judging, was added for 2012 to mitigate concerns about sims being weighted too heavily toward crews that are more active in the voting process. All five members of the judging panel were from different ships. The other sims from this run-off round were as follows: 1. Round 1 Winners: �Always on My Mind� by Ensign Velana & �To Ask of You (Part 1)� by Lt. Diego Herrera and Lt. Ashley Yael. 2. Round 2 Winner: �Don�t Eat the Blue Ones (Part 2)� by Lt. Alleran Tan 3. Round 3 Winner: �An Unorthodox Family� by Lt. Eliaan Deron 5. Round 5 Winner: �Cameo� by Ensign Didrick Stennes We�ve just opened Round 6 voting today(http://goo.gl/XGmcm) (due to a schedule mix-up � sorry about that!), so please go and vote for your favorite sim now! Lower Decks: LtJG William Tindall Posted: Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:00:01 Today on the Embassy/ Thunder Hotseat is one of the security officers: LtJG William Tindall and Dave the SAR dog! Welcome Mr. Tindall and Dave! Thank you, say hello Dave. Your duties include security, but you are also a SAR with the K-9 Corps. Could you explain your role? My role with the canine squad is primary search and rescue the dogs are also trained for bomb searches and are used whenever tricoders are not effective. I feel there better than any tricorder. I understand you are married, can you tell us about your wife? Tess and I are childhood sweethearts. There was never anyone else. We broke up while at the Academy. But; last year while I was on home leave we fell in love and got married. What was the most interesting event in your life thus far? The birth of my children How does being a new father feel? Surreal at the moment, but I know the kids are fighters. I understand that you were a marine, what made you change? You got me mixed up with my brother. Patrick. Forgive me, I�m still learning about the crew, being newly assigned to the Thunder. What else did you study at the Academy? I studied security and tactical. How do you find life on the ship different from Academy life? No more studying for exams. Nothing changed I still the thorn in my chief�s side. Do you have any hobbies? Earth history, give me a holo novel about the British Royal Navy and I will be there for hours. Even better with the safeties off. I�m partial to a game of poker if I get the chance. Can you tell us more about your family? I�m from a military family. I have eighteen brother and sisters, we all multiple births. And we all went into Starfleet. We grew up on Bruin outpost. The Academy was out first real experience of earth. Most of us have the Tindall love of pranks except my brother Alan. He will be the first to reach Admiral. He lives and dreams Starfleet, and he is the only one to stick to the regs like glue. ::with a smile:: I wonder if the Captain would like to trade, a know it all for a prankster. Only kidding. In closing, what is the most important thing in your career that guides you? My parents and my honorary grandmother. She gave me an understanding of the Klingon culture. She was my dad�s CO and mentor, then later becoming a close family friend. Thank you very much Mr. Tindall and congratulations on the new additions to your family. New Academy Graduate Posted: Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:38:12 Please welcome our newest Academy graduate to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Emmanuelle Versse! |
