Diplomat Simming Guide

			Divisions and Personnel Assignments

This is a role that requires a lot of creativity, since it is a department that is often under exploited in sims. Due to this, there can often be a sense of isolation compared to what the other departments offer. You have no crewmembers to heal, labs to run or engines to maintain. As a diplomat, your function is to understand the sector where your ship/starbase/colony operates.

What other species live in your sector? Do they have specific rituals or cultural traits that would affect negotiations? How do these species get along together? Has there been any conflict between them in the past?

Also, what's the economic landscape like? Who are the main powers in this sector, and what are their positions regarding Starfleet?

Some of this info will exist within Star Trek lore, but in many cases you'll have to invent those relationships and keep tabs on the alliances and rivalries that you've created.

Adding to the sense of isolation, because so few players choose to portray a diplomat, you will often be the sole person in diplomacy. Whether you are the head of your department or not, you need to give life to diplomacy. Create aides, secretaries and special guests who will make it easier for you to get into your role.

Before the mission

Because not all missions focus on diplomacy, you often have to create your own material. Once you have a fair idea of the political atmosphere in your sector, you need to find your way into the plot, and enrich it with background information. Are there any sign of trouble between the various species that inhabit the sector where you operate? Signs of unrest, economical difficulties?

You need to build on those aspects and create plausible conflicts that will feed the ongoing plot, and also give credence to your character. If your input is going to have dramatic consequences on the mission, be sure to check with your C.O and F.O. that what you have in mind to do will fit with the way the mission is going.

Also, when the roles are attributed at the start of a mission, you might get the opportunity to write with other diplomats (often MSNPCs), which will help you develop your skills as a diplomat.

During the mission

This is where you get to develop the relationships between the different species that exist in your area of space.

Being a diplomat is all about expressing yourself and promoting not only the Federation's image, but also the goals set out by your C.O.

After the mission

This is the time to reflect on what has happened during the mission and how those events are likely to affect the sector in the future. Your role as a diplomat gives you a chance to bring the sector to life, covering aspects of the game that other players wouldn't think of. To make this easier, don't hesitate to describe meetings between various species and keep your character up to date with the situation.

Credits

Brek

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