Announce List/2012, Part 2
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May 5, 2012=Weekly Newsletter #7
Thanks to Ensign Vid-Lotilija of the USS Apollo for putting together this week's newsletter! FLEET EVENTS
and Round 7 voting closes Sunday, May 13the. Be sure to check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting and nominations for round 8, check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
is Alleran Tan! Please also congratulate this round's runner-up, Kalianna Nicholotti, with her story, "In the Shadow of a New Alliance." May/June Writing Challenge topic is "A Broken Clock", and started Friday, May 4th will end Friday, June 22nd, so get in your entry before then, for more information check: http://goo.gl/rJoL4
Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
(newest at the top, oldest at the bottom) 1. The Borg Defera Ground Invasion, Part One: http://goo.gl/2HJPH 2. New Captains Council Magistrate for 2012: http://goo.gl/EDczW 3. Forums Roundup: May 2012: http://goo.gl/xYlqU 4. SciWorld Online Convention 2012: http://goo.gl/cDioi 5. Finding Your Creative Writing Voice: http://goo.gl/2MI5w 6. New Academy Graduates: http://goo.gl/Vof6v 7. Next Fleetwide Chat: http://goo.gl/y8Pwl 8. March Plot Summary: USS Tiger-A: http://goo.gl/9mtH8 9. First Contact Day: http://goo.gl/Lea9L 10. March Plot Summary: USS Discovery-C: http://goo.gl/4CoeB
Posted: Fri, 04 May 2012 10:00:20 The newest event in Star Trek Online involves the Borg ground assault in the Defera system. The situation is desperate: You and your fellow Starfleet officers have been called to defend the planet from the Federation's most fearsome enemy. The defense "event" runs for four hours, and begins with your transport down to Defera Prime. There are two possible theaters of engagement, the wide zone and the set zone. The wide zone is really a large, involved battle to defend the main city. You, of course, will get points and rewards for the successful defense, and if you are at level cap, the rewards are particles that can be used to craft new weapons. For those that are still building you get the points and the crafting particles. The zone engagements have missions in set areas around the city, but since the event is four hours long, you can complete all of the objectives. There is often a small lag issue due to the amount of players in the beam down zone, but once you have passed that and started your mission, things will pick up. What makes the Defera mission so unique is that you are on your own. You have no away team with you. That makes it even more of a challenge. I am still gathering more details on this event due to the fact that there is more to it than what I have written here. Look for the conclusion in part two!
Posted: Thu, 03 May 2012 17:00:13 Each year, the Captains Council chooses a Magistrate who is tasked with facilitating discussion, record-keeping for the council, as well as opening, tabulating, and closing votes. Last year's Magistrate was FltCapt. Toni Turner, who has been inducted onto the Executive Council as a full member, and as such, must relinquish the position. Following in her footsteps, Captain Andrus Jaxx has been elected as the new Magistrate. Please congratulate him on his new position, the next time you see him around the fleet!
Posted: Thu, 03 May 2012 10:00:21 It's a new month, and with it, a lot of new changes. As our Fleet grows, we experience the ups and downs along with the many members who call Starbase 118 their Star Trek and RPG home. Be sure to take a moment and check out some of the changes, as well as some of the events that are going on this month around the Starbase 118 Forums! http://goo.gl/xYlqU This past month we had to say goodbye to the Captain of the USS Mercury. While Captain Tallis Rhul is moving on to bigger and better things in the real world, for which we wish him the best of luck, it means that we no longer have the energy and enthusiasm he brought to the projects that he worked on. Thankfully, officers are stepping up to fill in the void, including our Writing Challenge competition which will now be facilitated by Commander Aron Kells of Starbase 118 Operations. Check out this month's entries and see what's new as Commander Kells settles into his new role. http://goo.gl/xIrXZ Another change occurring is the handing off of the Top Sims facilitation to Lieutenant Alleran Tan of the USS Avandar. Stop in to the Top Sims forum and welcome him to his new job. Remember to submit the very best sims from your ship, or any ship in the Fleet, to be considered for this Fleetwide honor: http://goo.gl/ux1Qr Don't forget that you can connect with new and old members alike by visiting your ships very own forum. With threads that range from OOC chatter to IC questions that allow you to learn more about the officers you work and sim with, there is plenty to see. Take a moment and stop on by to say hi to your ship or the crew of another! Everyone's welcome: http://goo.gl/0pBU6 Learn more about your duty post by participating in the duty post discussions on our forums. We've added an Intelligence forum and conversations are going on across many of the other threads. Jump in and get involved on behalf of your main character or your PNPCs. Your experiences can help others learn to sim their roles better or even offer new ideas to some officers who may feel stuck. You can find all of the duty post threads here: http://goo.gl/u25Nq We're still looking for help with many of the different programs, projects, and task forces that keep our site and our Fleet as up to date and awesome as it is. Get involved no matter how much, or how little, time you have to spare. There's something for everyone who wants to help, so check out the list and get involved today! http://goo.gl/rhIxv While April brought many changes to the Fleet, we continue to march on towards a bright summer in May. Be sure to take a minute and get involved on the Forums to connect with other members of the Fleet or to learn something new. There's lots to find out, all on the Starbase 118 Forums.
Posted: Wed, 02 May 2012 10:00:57 The annual SciWorld Online Convention, also known as SWOC for short, is a yearly soiree spanning mutliple chat rooms set over three consecutive days, so that roleplayers and simmers alike from any organization regardless of rank or affiliation can get together and celebrate the ever-growing world of roleplaying. This year, the role of facilitator and steward goes to a man named Chaz Hammer, A Simming League / Ongoing Worlds Admiral and seasoned veteran. In this special coverage article, we'll have a chat with him about the convention itself, as well as what it takes to run a world class roleplaying community. The SciWorld Convention is in its 10th season in providing a place for simmers and gamers alike, or even just fans of the Trek Franchise, a place to gather and meet one another. Originating in 1999, the convention was dreamt up by a simming efficionado named Ender Maki. Admiral Hammer, along with his team, paired up with Mr. Maki and created what would now be known as one of the more successful simming conventions around. The world that they envisioned was a place were simmers from all walks of life could get together and talk about the game, where they've been and where they plan to go. it became wildly successful, and has since then seen nine more conventions spanning from '99 to 2012. This year's convention will be sponsored by Ongoing Worlds, which is partner to the Simming League, and hosted by TRCP Alliance chaired by one Renda Carr. All parties involved decided to team up and put on one hell of a simming and chatting melee. It would seem that the powers at be succeeded in creating a "Trek Mecca" for all those who seek it to enjoy. Every group and individual personality involved in creating and managing the convention has had some serious time with simming groups of their own, and are well versed in what it takes to make stellar simming and RPG experiences. Some the tentatively announced sims are brought to you by leadership like Mr. Hammer himself, Charles Star, James D. West and more. The event is going to be held in three IRC chatrooms on Thrusday, May 10th through Saturday, may 12th. Mr. Hammer advises ".the final schedule is not up yet, but we are going to have our annual Star Trek Jeopardy tournament which is always loads of fun, and several sims that everyone can join in." If the simming with other people aspect isn't enough for you, there's more. Perhaps you're looking into that next rank, or looking to pilot a sim of your own. Mr Hammer told this writer that ".we're also going to have discussions about producing fan films, how people have translated simming skills into the real world, as well as workshops on character development and command skills. " Certainly some worth while discussion that may not directly be related to simming. Just about every topic you can think will be accessible to a prospective convention go-er at the click of a mouse. Well if you're looking to meet some of the other fantastic talent out there in the simming community, SciWorld is certainly the place to do it. Let it be known, that the location and times for the chat sessions have still yet to be announced, and this writer will continue to follow up with more information as it presents itself. You shouldn't miss your chance to see just what else is happening outside the UFOP:SB118 Community in the way of simming, or take your character to the next level with some tips and strategies from the genre's best. Either way, if you miss this convention, your missing out on quite the show. For more information on events and history behind the SciWorld Conventions, Click Here (http://goo.gl/cpNsT)!
Posted: Tue, 01 May 2012 10:00:22 One of the biggest obstacles that we face when we are sitting down to write a sim for our ship within the Starbase 118 Fleet is figuring out a way to really and truly express ourselves. In many ways, we are not just writers; we are artists and architects, building on a story that is given to us with nothing more than a base and certain framework. With the rest of it left open to whomever chooses to add to any given side, it is as if we are painters who have been given a blank canvas. Sure, it has four sides and is ready to receive paint, but what ends up on it will wholly rely on the input that we choose to add. Each sim you write is its own masterpiece, while it is also a very important aspect of a much larger, much more complex whole. And just what these pieces of art come out to be depends on the voice that you are able to use to express your particular vision to others using only the words that flow through your mind. It can be difficult to find that voice, even for the most accomplished writers, but find it you must. Having the canvas and the paint isn't enough - you must learn how to put one on the other so that the world no longer sees and empty slate, but the beauty that exists within your own mind. Make sure that you take the steps that you need to in order to locate your 'voice'. Check out Leo Babauta's post on Finding Your Voice ( http://goo.gl/vb6QQ) and see what kind of new heights you can take your writing to.
Posted: Tue, 01 May 2012 01:57:51 Please welcome our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Edward Johnson, Par Salen and Michael Valentino!
Posted: Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:07 Our next chat is coming up, so mark your calendars! We're now holding two chats, rather than just one, to ensure that both America and the United Kingdom can attend the chats at equally convenient times. Everyone is welcome to attend either or both of the chats which are sheduled for the Sunday, May 20th at the following times: Chat 1 will be 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern Chat 2 will be at 10am GMT/9PM UTC+11 In the meantime our chat page is always open. Log in at http://www.starbase118.net/chat and see who is chatting today!
Posted: Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:03 The crew of the USS Tiger-A have left Deep Space 17 on their maiden voyage, assigned to deep space exploration, heading for uncharted areas of the Ithassa Region, near and beyond Tholian space. Before heading out on this long term mission, Deep Space 17 picked up a faint distress signal which appeared to be coming from a Tholian ship in an area called "The Triangle," a region where instrumentation goes haywire, ships disappear and there are happenings which cannot be explained. En route to the location of the distress call, crew members have been researching what is known about the area of space as well as the Tholians. The possibility of an incident involving the Tholians is foremost in everyones' minds and the crew is making every effort to avoid such a scenario. It has been suggested that perhaps the Tholians are involved in nefarious activities outside their space, possibility dealing with the use of tricobalt weapons. Unbeknownst to the crew, Free Trade Union pirates are also in the area looking for treasure and opportunities. Their ship however has run into an unknown object in space and they have had to send out a distress call. The Tiger has not yet picked up the signal at this time.
Posted: Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:00:48 Thursday, April 5th is the day of the historic flight of the Phoenix, piloted by Zefram Cochrane. This opened the door for warp flight and then the first contact with the Vulcans. For Star Trek Online players, on April 5th you were able to take a mission to visit the Utopia Planitia Shipyards over Mars. There you were able to see the Enterprise-F and meet her new crew. When the visit was complete, you recieve as a reward a non-combat "pet" that will follow your ship in space: the first warp capable ship, the Phoenix. This event was for the Federation only, but for the Klingons there was a Klingon Defense Force only mission called "Alpha" involving the Hirogen, ensuring that there was a little something for all during First Contact Day.
Posted: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 10:00:13 Back at DS-285 for resupply, the crew of the USS Discovery gets some much needed down-time while the crew of the USS Valiant finds a stasis pod on Goma VI, a desolate moon off the main trade routes. The pod, containing an escaped prisoner known only as Zero, is brought on board and investigation leads to a shocking discovery. The pod was not only deliberately left on a dead moon by Captain Tyr Waltas of the USS Discovery but measures were taken to prevent its accidental discovery. The prisoner, who is catatonic, undergoes a medical evaluation. During that evaluation its determined that the prisoner, a shapeshifter, can adapt and change at the cellular level. Captain Waltas is confronted about his actions and becomes argumentative and defensive. As Starfleet resources have been stretched then dealing with the ships rescued from the Dyson Sphere, the USS Discovery is ordered to investigate the disappearance of the USS Achilles. The Achilles had been sent to investigate a plague and has gone silent. Because Zero's unique physiology might be the only way to save billions of lives, Captain Waltas is ordered to take the prisoner on board - along with a JAG Officer, Cmdr. Dylan Hawke, who will oversee Zero's safety and investigate Captain Waltas's and the crew's actions in Zero's highly unorthodox imprisonment. May 10, 2012The SciWorld Online Convention starts today!
The annual SciWorld Online Convention is a yearly soiree spanning mutliple chat rooms set over three consecutive days where members from many different simming organizations come together to meet each other and talk about the past, present, and future of simming. We encourage everyone to check out the available sessions and attend! For more information about the convention, when the sessions are happening, and where you can find them, check out this site: http://www.simmingleague.com/wiki/index.php?title=2012_SciWorld_Online_Convention May 12, 2012Weekly Newsletter #8
Thanks to Ensign Vid-Lotilija of the USS Apollo for putting together this week's newsletter!
PM. Be sure to check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting and nominations for round 8 (submissions for this round closes May 13.), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
world for many years, from 2009's movie to the finales of TNG and Voyager. Try your own foray into time travel with this round's topic: "A Broken Clock"! The round closes on June 22nd! http://goo.gl/rJoL4
Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
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. Promotions for April!: http://goo.gl/dWfim 2. April Plot Summary: USS Mercury: http://goo.gl/eDk1m 3. Alleran Tan: March & April's Writing Challenge Winner!: http://goo.gl/fon9I 4. Changes to the Leadership Roster: http://goo.gl/Z3wri 5. New Academy Graduates: http://goo.gl/rSoQL 6. Adding Another Edge to Your Sims: http://goo.gl/YuDNC 7. Poll of the Week: The many faces of Q: http://goo.gl/0ENjx 8. Poll of the Week: Favorite Pastimes: http://goo.gl/QlR03 9. Top Sims Contest: Run-off Round 1 Winner: http://goo.gl/MhpFd FULL TEXT ARTICLES: Promotions for April! Posted: Fri, 11 May 2012 10:00:31 The staff of UFoP: StarBase 118 would like to take a moment and recognize the promotions for April. Please join us in congratulating the following members when you see them in the corridors!
Congratulations to you all! Keep up the stellar work! (Pun intended)
The crew of the USS Mercury, NCC-99812, took time to enjoy the Menthar Anchorage, and after a short shore leave, the crew returned to the Mercury to begin their next mission. During a staff meeting, Captain Tallis Rhul received a call from the bridge that three Cardassian Galor-class starships had taken attack postures with weapons targeting the Oracle-class starship. Tallis spoke with the lead Cardassian commander, Gul Torolan Thenek, who informed Tallis that the Mercury would escorted back to Federation space for violation of the Cardassian/Federation treaty. When Tallis diplomatically asked for an explanation of the alleged violations, Thenek stated that another Federation starship had entered the Menthar Corridor. Knowing nothing of a second vessel in the corridor, Tallis asked for proof of the allegations. The gul sent sensor data to the Mercury. Lieutenant Commander Arden Cain and Major Jacen Fanel recognized the name of the second Federation vessel, the USS Nimitz, which was identified by its warp signature. The Nimitz had been assimilated by the Borg over a year ago and had disappeared. After reviewing the Mercury crew's explanation and data, Thenek agreed to allow the Mercury to investigate along with his three ships. While planning the Mercury's next course of action, Tallis received a subspace communication from Starfleet that his brother was missing and presumed dead. Unwilling to accept the finality of that news, Tallis resigned his commission and set out to find his brother. Starfleet Command re-assigned Commander Miles Unum to replace Tallis as the commanding officer of the Mercury.
Congratulations to Alleran Tan, whose short story "The Tempest" ( http://goo.gl/4UPIo) has won the second Writing Challenge of 2012! This is the writer's third win, following victories in March/April 2011 and November/December 2010. The March/April Challenge was built around the concept of "the storm," as chosen by Velana, the previous round's winner; this Challenge saw quite a number of fine entries, making the judging quite difficult for the panel. The May/June 2012 Challenge, with its topic of "A Broken Clock" chosen by Mr. Tan, has already begun, so get your entry in today - and certainly before the Challenge's June 22nd deadline!
We've made numerous changes to the Leadership Roster for the fleet in the past few days. Please note the following:
If you're interested in volunteering for an open position, be sure to follow the instructions on the Leadership Roster (http://goo.gl/qxPiB)!
Please welcome (http://goo.gl/Vgm7q) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Jorus Cogud, Tom Westerbridge, Peter Dixon, and Jalen Mhoram Vesole!
There are many different ways that we add complexity and uniqueness to our Starbase 118 sims. By incorporating what we know with what we know might be one day, we can create a woven storyline that is not only plausible in some instances, but one that draws on the world that we live in now. Whether you choose to include a historical fact or wordplay, adding in these extras to your sims can really take your writing to a whole new level. The problem is, often the facts that we know are not always whole and what we think we heard, we might not have. Perhaps that is why Writer's Dream Tools has compiled a set of tools to help writers in many different ways. From historical notes to a slang thesaurus, Writer's Dream Tools ( http://goo.gl/BRKxi) provides writers with something new that can help them add another edge to any kind of writing. And though these things are helpful in various areas of the writing world, you might find that they are even more useful when trying to connect science fiction with the reality of the world we live in today. So take a moment and head over to their website - the tools are located near the bottom of the page - and see what you can find to weave into your newest piece of writing.
This week we get back to another Trek inspired poll where we ask, who is your favorite Q? So who was your favorite among those god-like individuals. While all of them possesses unlimited control of space, time and matter (at various degrees of master). Each had a unique style to them. Can you just look no further then Q the most intrusive of all the omnipotent beings or did you enjoy the childish mind of Q junior and his antics before Captain Janeway had her way. Come on down and let us know. Half the fun is in the discussion afterward. Head over to the Poll of the Week forum (http://goo.gl/yfUJ6) to cast your vote!
Hi POW fans! This week we turn away from more serious topics and ask, as the title suggests, what are your favorite hobbies? How do you spend your free hours when work hasn't got you bogged down or chilling with friends and family? Do you prefer to spend your time outside playing one of a hundred different sports, perhaps for a local club, or something more sedate like reading a nice book? The categories are pretty broad this week and you may choose more then one. No doubt SB118 is among your favorites but let's hear about your other interests. As always the discussion is all part of the fun. Enjoy.
For 2012, the members have decided to implement staff-judging run-offs to our Top Sims Contest, to help guard against crews "stuffing the ballot box" for sims from their ships. As such, there are now three run-off rounds which are judged by staff of the group, rank Commander or above. Six sims (http://goo.gl/p7FTh) went to Run-off Round 1, and one came out the winner: "The Caper of the Century" (http://goo.gl/6XuKL) by LtCmdr. Danny Wilde, LtJG Luna Walker! Their sim will now continue to the final round of voting in December, to face off against the winners of Run-off Rounds 2 & 3. Congratulations to LtCmdr. Wilde and LtJG Walker! May 13, 2012Scheduled website down-time
I've just been notified of scheduled maintenance for the servers we're hosted on. As such, the website will be offline for approximately 30 to 60 minutes starting at 11pm Eastern time tomorrow (Monday, May 14). During that time, the website may, or may not, be fully accessible. May 18, 2012Having troubles with Forums / Wiki / Website emails?
Hey folks, We're aware that some of you are having issues with receiving emails from the website -- for example, password resets or automated notifications from the forums. An issue that is completely unrelated to our site is causing mail from our server to be bounced off of email providers. There's nothing we can do at this point to solve the problem, although I am looking for solutions that may include moving our website again. I apologize if you're running up against these frustrations. If you're having problems with password resets, please email me directly at t.wolf@... to ask for help. Let me know the site you need a password reset on, and what your user name and email address for that system is. May 18, 2012Weekly Newsletter #9
Thanks to Ensign Vid-Lotilija of the USS Apollo for putting together this week's newsletter! FLEET EVENTS
at 23:59 PM. Be sure to check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting and nominations for round 9 (submissions for this round closes May 27.), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
world for many years, from 2009's movie to the finales of TNG and Voyager. Try your own foray into time travel with this round's topic: "A Broken Clock"! The round closes on June 22nd! http://goo.gl/rJoL4
Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
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. A Real World Version of the Enterprise, in Only 20 Years?: http://goo.gl/yUjl6 2. April Plot Summary: Duronis II Embassy: http://goo.gl/WDr92 3. Taking Command: Commander Aron Kells, USS Mercury: http://goo.gl/rhuZ5 4. April Plot Summary: Starbase 118 Operations: http://goo.gl/EwqDM 5. Donation thank to Eerie!: http://goo.gl/aevHL 6. Testing the Limits of Your.Grammar?: http://goo.gl/381d8 7. New Academy Graduate: http://goo.gl/nKFPk 8. Poll of the Week: Wonders of the Medical World: http://goo.gl/qcGAM 9. Our Memoire: The Best of 2011: http://goo.gl/zH5LE
Posted: Fri, 18 May 2012 10:00:47 Many people have dreamed of creating the Enterprise, or even living in the realm of Star Trek in the distant future, but no one has ever put together an extensive proposal to actually attain such a lofty goal - until now. Today, an Engineer who simply goes by the name BTE (Build the Enterprise) Dan, suggests that a full scale Enterprise could be built within the next twenty years based only on technology that exists today. He believes that since we have the technology, there is no reason we shouldn't make the attempt. According to his plans, the first generation Enterprise would be able to make a trip to Mars in only three months. But is this just theory? Thos who have seen his plans note their meticulous nature and the fact that he seems to have all the details included. Not only do the plans contain ion powered engines, but also allow for artificial gravity on parts of the ship. He's even come up with a funding schedule that would allow the project to be funded over time though simple, and small, tax increases and cuts that would bring in funds from other programs. The ship, which would be built in space much like the International Space Station was, is quite functional. With a rotating plate to provide gravity within the saucer section, and nacelles that would keep nuclear powered reactors away from the people inhabiting the ship, it seems that BTE Dan has left nothing to question. He says it will act as a space station, with the capability of holding about a thousand people aboard at any one time, and as a ship to carry probes and other test equipment to various planets throughout the solar system. While the project seems quite possible when viewed through the eyes of this engineer, there are some fairly large 'if's involved. Getting Congress to approve the funding, which could come through NASA is but one of such obstacles, but it may be one of the biggest. Dan postulates that the funding of the project could be easily accomplished without a huge impact on the United States, but can he get others to agree with that idea? Find out more on the Build the Enterprise project here: http://goo.gl/GAzw1 .
Posted: Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00:13 The crew of the Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder, NCC-70605, continued their investigation into the mysterious disappearance, and equally mysterious reappearance, of the USS Canis Major, NCC-611. The away team on the Canis Major, led by Commander Miles Unum, managed to retrieve some logs which indicate that there is some type of space station elsewhere in the nebula. Meanwhile, the team on the Thunder led by Fleet Captain Toni Turner confronted the Romulan vessel, which they identified as a scout ship. After spending the evening repairing the damage caused by an April Fools prankster, and with the aid of Laudean fielders aboard the Gromati, the crew successfully located the alien space station mentioned in the Canis Major logs. Most of the staff take shuttles to the station to search for more clues. They find a shuttle from the Canis Major in the station's shuttlebay, and in a chamber full of stasis tubes they find the frozen bodies of the two remaining survivors of the Canis Major as well as their two offspring. A shock comes to the crew in the form of unexpected transfers when Unum is promoted to the command of the USS Mercury, NCC-99812, and several officers arrive from the Mercury. The crew takes the survivors back to the Thunder to be awoken from stasis in the safety of the Thunder's sickbay.
Posted: Wed, 16 May 2012 10:00:25 With Commander Miles Unum (http://goo.gl/UqiFM) taking a Leave of Absence due to a career change, the USS Mercury (http://goo.gl/cFS9G) now has a new commanding officer. Commander Aron Kells (http://goo.gl/mAqek) has reported for duty! Tony, the writer behind Aron Kells, is no stranger to Starbase 118. Graduating from the academy back in 2005 with the character Lily Ventu, he was first assigned to the USS Victory as a Counselor. When asked about his time on the Victory he stated, "The ship was running a mission that didn't have much to do with the counseling department and so I was a pretty inconsistent simmer. Nevertheless, when I finished the mission strongly, I was promoted." Lily Ventu remained in service for quite some time. She made it to the rank of Lieutenant Commander on the Victory and remained in her role until her decommissioning in 2007. Since her time on the Victory, the character of Lily Ventu served on many ships, in various roles. One of the more interesting posts was as a Diplomatic Officer on Starbase 118 Operations. Ventu also spent time aboard historic ships such as the Constitution, Triumphant, Independence, and Tiger. After a LOA, Tony returned to the group, this time with a new character.Aron Kells. Kells started on the USS Drake under then, Captain Quinn Reynolds, as a Science Officer. I asked Tony what one of his favorite missions for Aron was, he said "I'd have to say that I had the most fun with the Drake's mission to "the Ring." It was memorable for me because Aron the ensign was just beginning to come into his own, but midway through the mission he was replaced with his future self. Exploring the other characters' reactions to that, and Aron's sudden command of sickbay's evacuation, was a fun challenge to write: Aron had to grow seven years in one sim, and essentially become almost a different character!" Soon after that mission, Aron Kells was given the rank of full Commander, a rank that Tony had achieved with Lily Ventu. His time on the Drake would soon come to an end as he transferred to Starbase 118 Operations as the new First Officer under Commander Kalianna Nicholotti. No stranger to command, having once commanded Starbase 118 Operations, he quickly jumped in to the role of First Officer. It was a role that he would hold for only a short period of time. Soon after his move to Ops, an opportunity came up that sent Commander Aron Kells to the Menthar Corridor near the Cardassian border, to take command of the USS Mercury. It seemed to be a perfect match. Commander Kells was written to have deep roots in science, and science was the primary focus for the USS Mercury. When asked how his character would view the posting Tony replied, "With the Mercury, I didn't need to come up with such an explanation: He's a scientist, it's a science ship, it all made sense. I was even more pleased to discover that the Mercury's XO, Arden Cain, also came up as a science officer - they're the perfect command team for the ship!" Each commanding officer makes it to where they are by having basic skills. A couple of these skills are communication and consistency. I asked Tony what was something he learned as a junior officer that he carries with himself today. It is a pretty straightforward question since most command level officer learned a great deal before taking their positions. He stated to me, "Hands down, the most important thing to me was the community aboard the Victory, which was created and supported by the CO I served under there the longest, Captain Robin Phoenix. Fred, who played Phoenix, was unceasingly helpful, patient, and understanding, and it didn't hurt that he'd played a counselor himself for many years. It was really from Fred that I learned how to maintain a positive experience for a simming installation, even in difficult times." As Tony and his character Aron Kells take up their new role as commanding officer of the Mercury, I was left with just one question.what kind of trouble can we expect the Mercury and her crew to get into? Tony responded with, "I'm very interested in seeing what kind of mission ideas the crew comes up with, but I do have a few ideas of my own. Because the Mercury is a science ship, I intend all of its mission to have at least a partial or beginning science bent (even if they don't end up that way), and I'd like to create a semi-permanent Starfleet anchorage near the Menthar Corridor ( http://goo.gl/trm3C ), probably a deep space station, to which the Mercury can return if necessary. I'd also like to explore some of the unexplored biological and scientific mysteries from the Trek TV shows, but we'll just have to see where that may go." We would like to wish our new CO smooth sailing as he ventures out into vast openness of space, a place where many of us call our home away from home. With all that he has learned, he will begin the road to making the rank of Captain. With a strong crew and a great ship, there is no doubt he will soon reach his goal. When you spot Tony around the fleet, be sure to congratulate him. Be sure to follow Commander Kells and the rest of the Mercury crew on their Yahoo! Group (http://goo.gl/SCvgA).
Posted: Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:08 With the murder investigation underway by both Starfleet Security and the Romulan Senator Vreeya, Engineering and Science continue to work towards the construction of a special weapon to take out the incoming projectiles. Lt Commander Kevin Breeman works with the Engineering department to develop and design a special shield to deal with the intense radiation that accompanies the weapons and their firing. Both departments board the Victory and work with Tactical to install and calibrate the weapons and the shielding. Commander Kalianna Nicholotti orders the crew to the Victory in preparation for the short flight to the cloud, which is now only three days from hitting the station, to test and ultimately fire the weapon. Meanwhile, Senator Vreeya uncovers a strange plot in which a member of Reikara claims to be an Intelligence plant. He offers information on the attacks occurring on colonies in the area, which allows the Defense Fleet to be deployed in response, however, he is also thought to be the mastermind behind the virus that caused the sub processor problem in the first place. The so-called plant is arrested, and brought aboard the Victory to be questioned while Starfleet Security and Intelligence try to trace him. With records that appear to have been deleted at the highest levels, Lieutenant Katy Orman and her team work together to find out just whose side the man is on and what kind of danger they all continue to be in.
Posted: Tue, 15 May 2012 01:52:03 Many thanks to Eerie, of the USS Avandar, who donated today. Donations like this help keep our website ad free! Can you donate $10, $25, or $50 today to help sustain our community? http://goo.gl/kZptO
Posted: Mon, 14 May 2012 10:00:14 Perhaps one of the more difficult aspects of writing within Starbase 118 ( http://goo.gl/brTM0) that we face with each sim that we write is the need for proper grammar. The English language is not easy to master by any means and often times we see the very same mistakes being made over and over again. From simple misspellings for words that sound the same but have different meanings (homophones), to the gross misuse of the all powerful comma, grammar rules are not always the clearest and they aren't always the easiest thing to remember. Is it there or their? Or perhaps it is they're? Is it a moot point? Maybe it's just on a whole other plain.or plane. Either way, knowing the right grammar to use in your sims is important, regardless of who or how you write. So how does your grammatical knowledge add up? Daily Writing Tips ( http://goo.gl/xKcRb) offers a simple grammar test to help you find out. The multiple choice questions are simple to answer and when you're done, you'll be able to better judge just how well you have, thus far, been able to wrap your mind around all of the ins and outs of the English language. Of course there are plenty of other resources on the site as well, so if you score lower than you thought you should, be sure to look into just what you need to know before you leave and see how you can improve your writing even more.
Posted: Mon, 14 May 2012 02:56:51 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/M3IhE) our newest Academy graduate to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Johanna MacLaren!
Posted: Sun, 13 May 2012 15:21:14 Science fiction as we all know, gives us a window into what the future may be like. This future environment shows us many instances of technologies that while quite ordinary in that particular fiction world, would have ground breaking implications in reality giving inventors something to work towards. A prominent example of this is the medical technologies seen in Star Trek. Like with all technologies seen on screen, Star Fleet's medical equipment is far from perfect in a world that seems to continually find new ways to push the envelope on medical dramas. This week we ask which medical based technology do you think would have the greatest impact on a 20th century earth hospital? Do you think that the standard medical tricorder would revolutionize modern medicine or would having a EMH be for the greater good? Head over to the Poll of the Week forum (http://goo.gl/zhdTM) to cast your vote!
Posted: Sat, 12 May 2012 10:00:24 With the ever-expanding history of UFOP:SB118, each and every one of us can recall that one moment in time that as we keyed the next words of our current sim, that the breath was taken from your lungs; you laughed so hard you cried, or you just plain cried. Memories are an integral part in every aspect of the simming universe. The ability to make a history for your character; to be able to have tangible experiences and memories can be one of the bigger driving forces in the creative process. In this mini-memoire, we're going to cover each ship in the fleet and their most memorable moments of of the 2011 simming season. USS AVANDAR Our tale from the USS Avandar comes from now First Officer LtCmdr T'lea, who at the time served as the Chief Science Officer for her ship. The tale tells about a decision to leave the Avandar and serve elsewhere in the galaxy. Some people thought that a joyous occasion, but others, not so much. This couldn't be illustrated more clearly by the gag left in T'Lea's quarters. There upon her bed was a dollo combat knife through its head. This was muchly understood by the young woman as she knew exactly who it had come from, and she had decided to go and "talk" about the scenario with the gag's sender. The delivery system for the apology may not have been thought through all the way, as evident by the phaser injuries and a trip to the brig that occurred later that night. Commander T'lea and her counterpart grabbed the doll and a combat knife, proceeded to the docking bay in pursuit of the Captain in order to go over the events leading up to, when the unmissable happened. Picture this, two women making their way in a hurry to the docking area of the ship, with doll in one hand, and a combat knife in the other, yelling the Captain's name! What would you do?
some kind of stuffed figure in one hand and a glistening, gleaming combat knife in the other. He could only assume one thing, and called for backup.:: Pykor: ::hand on his phaser:: Ma'am I need you to stay where you are and disarm yourself, please.
T'Lea simply shook her head that she hadn't heard him. Furthermore, she took little notice of why the line of people waiting to clear the check point seemed to scatter like voles as she skipped ahead to talk to the man close up.:: Pykor: ::tensing his stance:: Ma'am! Please drop your weapons and get down on the floor!
wasn't in uniform, would let her pass after they checked her ID, T'Lea continued her approach. She moved purposefully toward the agitated security officer, but the way she walked could have been misinterpreted as threatening for those that did not know her - unfortunately this bunch of security officers did not know her and she was taken down by five men and a phaser set to stun after mentioning the Captain's name and waving her hands around, knife included.:: Misunderstanding at its best folks! This landed our seasoned officer in the brig until her and the captain could have a face to face. Sometimes it's miscommunication that can grant us some of the most memorable moments in space. "Ice It" - LtCmdr T'Lea: http://goo.gl/Hd4Oq DURONIS II EMBASSY and USS THUNDER One of the greatest things about our community is that our characters are always evolving and growing, learning and making revisions. Interpersonal relationships begin to flourish and become an integral part of the character's psyche. It's those very same relationships that can bring about some of the most memorable moments. For instance, at the Duronis II Embassy, though not by his own volition, we find Lieutenant Yael visiting sick bay. Perhaps throughout the visit, it wasn't so much the physical challenges that he might have had to face, but moreso a conversation with 1st Lieutenant Hella. Turns out, he had more emotional healing to go with, as opposed to physical. Yael: There we go. We're eating. Now let's share. Tell me, what's the punch line? When do you get to say "I told you so."?
had said.:: Hella: ::breaking her gaze:: "I told you so?" How can I say that when I have told you nothing?
expression was not one that belonged on his face, almost mean, something to rival her own tough personality. :: Yael: I'll tell you a secret, 1st Lieutenant. Neither of us are "innocent." The only difference between us is that I'm capable of *pretending* to be normal.
things he'd never say in a sane moment, not even to someone tough enough to take it. Maybe that was the reason he wanted her to fight back. He knew she could take it. ::
her teeth in it and ripped off a bite.:: Hella: ::looking straight at him, speaking as she chewed the mouth full:: And who in the hell told you I ever wanted to be *normal.* Or better still, who told you, you have to appear to be anything other than what you are?
then gave him another jab.:: When are you going to grow up, Ashley? You act as if you are the only one who ever got punched in places they didn't want to be punched.
juices with her sleeve. He could play his hand or not for all she cared.:: Hella: Now, get started on that soup! I'm tired of listening to your belly aching.
than he expected. Retreating. in that he stood straight up and gave her back her personal space. it took a moment, but he did sit in the second chair at the little table. Was he. acting like a child? And her last comment hung in his mind, and he turned it over. "You act as if you are the only one who ever got punched in places they didn't want to be punched." :: Yael had learned something about himself at that moment, something that all characters inevitably come to realize at some point in their journey, that they too have to worry about themselves, not just the team. "Pulling the Punches" - 1st Lt. Hella et Lt. Yael: http://goo.gl/MndQs USS TIGER-A Our next story comes from an epic battle, a battle between Starfleet and the enemy, but also with a Captain and herself. Fleet Captain Sidney Riley takes her crew down a wild slide into probably one of the most riveting sims I've read yet. Here we see the war-torn crew of the USS Independence strung up against three Klingon warships. With their ship already badly beaten, and with options and time running thin, the crew comes together to try and save their ship. A couple of the crew members come up with an ingenious solution that would require some luck, and some very technical moves that could ultimately save their ship, or leave them high and dry in a flurry of enemy fire. While solutions are being calculated to make an emergency "slipstream" using a blast from their would be ejected warp core, the situation is growing more and more grim by the second. Ships' systems are failing by the second, portions of the ship are becoming unreachable. It was in that moment, that the Captain chose to bite the bullet and make a gut-wrenching decision. Riley: We're leaving..we're going. ::Sidney looked back at the view-screen, her eyes locking on the steamrunner/wolverine. She took a deep breath.:: We're going there.to the Tiger. Riley: =/\=This is Fleet Captain Riley, all hands prepare to evacuate the ship. Instructions will be given to evacuation leaders at each transporter area, all hands evacuation protocol, alpha delta IV.=/\= ::Sidney looked at the crew still looking at her.:: Riley: I said go.get your stuff, report to the evacuation sites. Commander Brice, Commander Wilde, get over to that ship and secure it. Commander Clack, Lieutenant Walker and I have to take care of things here before we go.
looked around the bridge.:: Riley: I never thought it would be this way. Certainly a tough call for any Captain to make, especially in the heat of the moment that could mean life or death. FltCpt Riley made the ultimate sacrifice for a Captain, her ship. With the Independence crippled and badly beaten, the only alternative was to jump ship. Little did she know, the Tiger would be their new home for sims to come. "All Hands." - FltCpt Sidney Riley: http://goo.gl/VH5Ve STARBASE 118 OPS Our next best of moment comes from the Starbase 118 Ops side of things. LtCmdr Kevin Breeman would end up being the center of a practical joke that would cause him to have to think outside of protocol. Prior to his returning to his quarters to make ready for a night of fun and dinner, one of his colleagues slipped a couple of Bolites into the room in a manner that was sure to get them into his clothing. Like clockwork, Mr. Breeman entered his quarters and began to make ready for the evening. He replicated some freshly made clothing, and somewhere along the line, the Bolites did their work. He put on his clothing and proceeded to The Retreat, the USS Victory's bar/lounge.
from his conviction that to have confidence was to be wrong and to be wrong was an invitation to lose one's self to the world around one's self and lose consciousness again.:: ::Approaching the first person he said,:: Breeman: Hey there. How are you?
ankle.:: ::In the corner of his eye his nose seemed to take on a strange appearance, as though a different light were case on his skin.:: Breeman: Indeed, so it would seem.
again. What would be the most appropriate action now? Protocol wasn't needed now.:: In the time that it took him to figure out just what to do next, he was changing colors by the minute. The Bolites had contaminated him, thus accounting for the wild color changes. Placed in an extremely awkward social situation was enough to send him into down right panic! "Flow and Its Many Directions" - LtCmdr Breeman: http://goo.gl/APXLp USS MERCURY Aside from the antics portrayed by some of the other fleet's finest, aboard the Mercury, things are a little more serious. In an attempt to be granted passage to the Menthar Corridor, Captain Rhul would have to engage in a verbal tango with the Cardassians. The Cardassians at the very same time are quite interested in the Federation vessel that has requested a meeting with them, and have every intention of taking advantage. A meeting was arranged at the Cardassian Central Command on Cardassia Prime, quite the place to make first impressions. Tallis: I'm Captain Tallis Rhul of the USS Mercury, and these are a selection of my staff, Lieutenant Commander Hannibal Parker, Ambassador T'Pen, Major Jacen Fanel, Lieutenant Arden Cain and Lieutenant Bree Keely. On behalf of the Federation, we would like to thank you for inviting us to your world.
returned the greeting, but not the introductions.:: Pasek: Greetings, Captain, and the same to your crew. I am Legate Garn Pasek, the Detapa Consul's liaison to the Federation. ::His tone was cheery, his mannerisms animated.:: Welcome to Central Command. I thought it would be a mark of our trust in the Federation to allow you into our military command centre on our first meeting. We will, of course, have a chance to discuss your mission, but I felt it would be fair to introduce you to a few key members of my cabinet, as well as showing you the point of contact that you will have within our empire while you explore the Menthar Corridor. I believe you've already met Glinn Alon Brokar?
committee.:: Tallis: Good to see you too, Brokar. Pasek: So, let us get down to business. The Cardassian government has granted Starfleet's request to explore the Menthar Corridor in the hopes that it will lead to a strengthened relationship between our two peoples. It is the belief of this administration that a peaceful coexistence with the Federation will be beneficial to us all, and that we may eventually be in a position to stand alongside you as proud allies. It was certainly quite the proposition; the Cardassians and Federation, acting as allies. The adventure would unfold though as the two sides battle for compromise, and to keep the Cardassians from knowing too much about the Mercury. Despite the somewhat happy-go-lucky nature of their host, Captain Rhul agreed to enter into talks with the Cardassians, but not without a few extra cards in his deck. These people would be watched and studied intently by the counselor for any signs of fallacy. "Formalities" - Cpt. Tallis Rhul et PNPC Legate Garn Pasek: http://goo.gl/kclgB USS DRAKE How would you like the chance to go back to the present and make some changes to avoid failure in the future? Then Ensign Aron Kells was afforded that opportunity in the Drake's best of 2011 sim. Mr. Kells found himself involved in a transporter accident in which he was combined with his future self from eight years ahead. He had learned a few things during his stay in the future, one of which included being in a committed relationship with Didrik Stennes, which ended in disaster. Having traveled back to his time and space, Aron kept the information in mind in order to better mesh with Didirk, as he found that they were still in love. Didrik and Aron spoke with each other a few months after the incident occurred on what was seemingly awkward terms at an awards dinner. Although Kells being on a "don't interfere" self-prime-directive, having been to the future and back again, he had eluded to Didrik that he wanted to take things slow, and he didn't expect a relationship overnight, and at the same time, Didirk made it quite clear that he wanted to still have a relationship with Aron.
In the back of his mind, he suspected any further conversation with Aron might run the risk of the "l-word" being spoken, but nothing prepared him to hear it, and know that Aron meant it. Unrequited love was a quintessentially human dilemma, one Didrik had been on both sides of more than once.::
to be the year to be bold. To take chances and make mistakes, to be an object in motion that will remain in motion. He knew he didn't love Aron; they'd only met a few days ago. But "not" and "never" were different beasts altogether. After all, the universe took Aron, who someday would love him, and brought him back to the here and now. Didrik's heart raced and his stomach knotted as he opened his mouth to speak, knowing that whatever he said would have an effect on his future in ways even the mysterious Commander Kells couldn't predict.:: Stennes: And I. would like the opportunity. to get to know you. Even out the playing field a little bit. If you're willing. :: He'd done it too quickly, of course. With all of his over-thinking - even after what David Whale had told him, and what he'd told himself - Aron had acted quickly and without consideration for the future. Or, in other words, he'd done what he'd meant to do - he'd been himself, again. So why wasn't he pleased? :: Kells: I'm willing. I don't expect to fill you with what I feel overnight. Stennes: And I don't intend for my existence in an alternate reality to dictate my behavior in this one. In other words, you won't sweep me off my feet.
Didrik - the future Didrik - had fallen apart, he knew what had happened, he had the shared history. How could he explain - unless.? :: Kells: It's a really thoughtful gift. I wonder if you'd allow me to reciprocate? Stennes: I'm not one to turn down presents. Reciprocate how? Kells: A holodeck program. When we return to the ship, before the next mission begins, maybe you could accompany me? Stennes: I'd be happy to. ::Didrik tugged at the collar of his dress uniform.:: Hopefully somewhere casual. "An Object in Motion" - Stennes et Kells: http://goo.gl/nTMST USS DISCOVERY-C Perhaps nothing in this universe could be more quaint than the Captain's daughter having a tea party. But the Captain's daughter, a Gorn, a Birkar, and her half sister could make things a little more interesting. That's exactly what happened in the best moment from the USS Discovery C. Teagan Redstone, daughter to Captain Tyr Waltas, felt that an interstellar hooplah in the holodeck would be more than fitting, and for a party, you need friends. She called upon a fearsome Gorn Deck Officer named Ghyurn, her half sister Daisha, and a Brikar Security Officer named Skar to complete her compliment of chamomile drinking buddies. The main point in the get together, is that all members of the part had to dress appropriately for the occasion. What might that entail? Well the biggest sight would have been the Gorn and Brikar dressed in tuxedos and top-hats! DOHAN: Well I'm looking pretty sharp right? ::Looking out expectantly:: DAISHA::Winking:: I'll alert Security so we can keep the ladies off of you. GHYURN::Low hiss:: I feel ridiculoussss. But I look good. The party seemed to be a success as the four members of the Discovery got know each other a bit better, and enjoy some tea in the process. Teagan was certainly enjoying it all the while. TEAGAN: :: Nodding to the flowers :: You can take some too, Daisha . Maybe help Skar? :: She did her best work, lovely pink and yellow flowers wound together in a crown of leaves, and sized on his head. When she finished she stood up, and tapped his shoulder shyly. Chuckling slightly, Daisha stood and took some of the flowers. Her hardened, difficult childhood had never afforded her the chance to do such a thing, but she did her best, tying the flowers in knots and them placing them delicately on the Brikar's head.:: DAISHA::Cheshire cat grin:: You look sooooo cute! TEAGAN: :: Whispering :: I can't reach . GHYURN::Smiling, he leaned over:: You have to promissssse me Teagan, this memory is jusssst for usss, alright?
cheek and plopped down on the ground again to make him a matching necklace.
giant space squid.anything.. Oo "The Tea Party" - Cmdr Ghyurn, Ens. Dohan, Ens. Waltas, and the Captain's Daughter.: http://goo.gl/G3AX3 Well ladies and gentleman, these have been some of the best moments of the 2011 simming season. We've read some moments of pure silliness, or personal struggle, or perhaps even having to make that one decision that could mean the life of your crew, or even yourself. There was certainly an epic roller coaster in place for last year, but what does this year hold for us? Judging by some of the posts herein, it only gets more wild from here. May 25, 2012Weekly Newsletter #10
Thanks to Ensign Vid-Lotilija of the USS Apollo for putting together this week's newsletter! FLEET EVENTS
at 23:59 PM. Be sure to check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting and nominations for round 9 (submissions for this round closes May 27.), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
world for many years, from 2009's movie to the finales of TNG and Voyager. Try your own foray into time travel with this round's topic: "A Broken Clock"! The round closes on June 22nd! http://goo.gl/rJoL4
cancelled the UK/AUS time due to low participation. As such, the time going forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
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. Lower Decks: Lieutenant JG Vid-Lotilija: http://goo.gl/ddkbw 2. Congratulations on Ten Years, USS Victory: http://goo.gl/qMBCi 3. Species Development Interview: http://goo.gl/lcGRd 4. April Plot Summary: USS Apollo: http://goo.gl/dsYVx 5. Take Time to Write!: http://goo.gl/O1OkO 6. Poll of the Week: The Early Bird Gets.: http://goo.gl/9KwBj 7. New Academy Graduates: http://goo.gl/pAeeG 8. Top Sims: Round 7 Winner! Round 8 now voting!: http://goo.gl/XMp8l 9. Lower Decks: Ensign Edward Johnson: http://goo.gl/5Vsbn
Posted: Fri, 25 May 2012 10:00:36 In this edition of the Lower Decks, we're going to meet someone that has a home grown foundation for her character, and created one that not only represents one of the most inspirational persons in her life, but also drives her to achieve both in and out of character. Forged from the inspiration of her loving, caring and tough [OOC] grandmother, LTJG Vid-Lotilija is proving more and more resourceful as her tour of duty continues forth. Let's take a look shall we? Let's start with the brains behind the operation; the writer for Vid-Lotilija is Sadiha, or Sada as we often call her on the Apollo. She had a bit of a different drive when applying to become a member of UFOP:SB118. Even in her love of Star Trek, having learned as much as she could from books and movies, along with TV and internet sources, joining the fleet was a calculated move on her part in order to give her some valuable life skills. She says, "I joined to learn English, really lame reason, I know. Croatia is entering EU next year and my job requires better grip of the language. Going to classes is not enough, I saw little improvement from them, so guessed something that would keep me more active is in order. " Lame is hardly the word to describe it. What a better way to nail three or four birds with one stone. But it wasn't all easy. Training would prove to be an experience for the Ensign. Training began simply enough, but as time wore on, she found that it was increasingly harder to keep tags in line and in check. Having to remember who was tagged, or what someone's name was starting to overwhelm the Ensign. She was even reluctant to ask for help; "My biggest problem in training was tagging people. I knew who had what position, but it was still a huge problem asking for input from anyone". The writing style often throws some writers as well. Its the collaboration part and tagging that places a spanner in the works for most cadets. " I was writing before, but never with somebody and in a way to seek help from another character/writer. I'm still afraid of writing something so badly wrong that people will laugh at me. Or misunderstanding what is written so bad to answer something that is completely meaningless." No worries ma'am, you're doing just fine! You're making some serious progress on the path you lead now. But even progress has its limits. The LTJG is only slated to progress to LtCmdr status. "Vid-Lotilija is not a character for command. When I was creating her I had no idea how this Fleet functions and made a character I expected will be fun to write. She is, she's such a joy. I know she can be an annoying little bugger, but she is everything I don't dare to be. This can be marked as an important mark for any character or writer, as knowing just how much you wish to take on can dictate how things will go for you in the future. Command may not always be the way to go. But as far as her current assignment - Science Officer aboard the USS Apollo - she seems to be making a place for herself, and she was asked for some thoughts on the topic: "Oh, I love Apollo. Writers are nice and funny and command approachable and helpful in everything. I'm still finding my place, but this is absolutely where I want to be, to stay for a long time. " It sounds like LTJG Vid-Lotilija has found a great place to start for herself, or maybe even a great place to stay, but either way, she is proving herself as a resourceful young science officer, and as a friend to her crew. Carry on Lieutenant!
Posted: Thu, 24 May 2012 10:00:49 On May 24, 2002 the first sim (http://goo.gl/g7zzP) was submitted in the history of the USS Victory (http://goo.gl/vNv52). The ship would launch a few days later under the command of Commander Jordan Hurne as a split from the Kodiak-A. That was ten years ago. Voyager had just finished its run and Enterprise was airing new episodes. There were no such things as smartphones and social networking was in its infancy. The Victory would see much change over her run. She served as both an independent ship as well as a support vehicle for Starbase 118 Operations. Five different commanding officers would take her captain's chair. The Victory would also spawn several splits of her own including the Columbia under Captain Mal Avatar and the Aurora under Captain Megan Parker. The ship would also later be the first command of Captain Andrus Jaxx. The Victory was pioneering in many ways. Prior to the arrival of the Wiki, most ships had their own independent websites. The Victory was no different, but its website included detailed mission summaries and images for all crew members. Many of these summaries have found their way to the wiki which has helped to keep the memory of those past missions alive. The Victory's motto, "Honi soit qui mal y pense" is actually a French phrase meaning "Shamed be he who thinks evil of it." A phrase that you might see if you look carefully on the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The ship was named for the HMS Victory, the ship commanded by Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. Both Nelson and the Victory were mentioned at times throughout the run of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Perhaps it is the ship's connection to British history that has helped to keep her relevant in the fleet for all these year. Some mysteries may never be solved. Still unknown to this day is the reasoning behind the ship's abnormally high registry number of NCC-362447. Many commanding officers embed "Easter Eggs" in the registry number, but to date no one has yet been able to crack the code. During one of the early Victory's most intriguing missions, several of the crew came across a mirror universe version of the ship and its crew. But this was not the mirror universe of DS9, instead it was a universe that stayed true to the mirror universe encountered in the TOS episode "Mirror Mirror". The writers presumed that there were multiple mirror universes. This adventure gave the writers a unique opportunity to play their characters as opposites, which lead to some controlled mayhem. Some examples included officers plotting to assassinate Captain Hurne. The ship would change hands multiple times. When Captain Hurne took a leave of absence, Commander Parker took over. Parker had previously been the ship's CMO as well as a Victory original. She would eventually launch the Aurora upon Hurne's return. The third commanding was another officer who rose through the ranks aboard the Victory, Captain Robin Phoenix. Phoenix would take command of the Victory following Hurne's retirement. Ambassador Ventu, an officer under Captain Phoenix at the time recalled when "Phoenix had so recently taken over and we'd lost our first officer, so Julia Harden - our CMO and very recently promoted lieutenant commander - ended up acting XO for a ship full of ensigns and jaygees. I don't know how they/we pulled it off, but I remember having a lot of fun!" Sadly a few years later the Victory was decommissioned, but it was hardly a permanent state. In 2387 Rear Admiral Rocar Drawoh resurrected the ship before turning over the CONN to then Commander Jaxx. The Victory would continue to operate as a standalone vessel for another year before becoming the primary support vehicle of Starbase 118 Operations under Commander Kalianna Nicholotti. When asked about memorable missions many of the Victory's more recent players mention missions such as "Empire Falling" and "Between a Rock and a Hard Place." However if they had to pick just one it was "The Space Race" that stood out. The first half of the mission had to with the Apollo mission to the moon, where the crew of the Victory inadvertently collided with the spacecraft en route to the moon. According to Captain Jaxx, "In a quick stroke of genius, the crew was able to use the historical records to rebroadcast their data and used their voices from the recordings." In essence it was the Victory crew that faked the moon landing! It was perhaps the second half of the mission that players remember. There was an odd encounter with a Q that gave writers an opportunity to explore the darker corners of their characters. The ship's current commanding officer, Commander Nicholotti credits the ship's versatile mission capabilities. "That allows us to do many different things with her, which is probably why she's stuck around so long." Former commanding officer Captain Jaxx believes that the Victory has remained an important part of the group for so long because, "We did not have an abundance of Intrepid Class ships, only a couple that were mothballed. I think the name, combined with the legacy was enough to keep her on the back burner until someone stepped up that wanted her." Captain Robin Phoenix is also credited with helping to keep the legacy alive. Shortly after Captain Jaxx took command of the Victory, the writer for the retired Captain Phoenix sent Jaxx a note expressing his satisfaction that the ship was back in service. Ventu, who served under Captain Phoenix felt that it was Phoenix's ".command style [that] absolutely had the most impact on me.his kindness and desire to create a stable and fulfilling simming environment is one that I'm now trying to emulate." Next up for the Victory is a refit that will give her a fighter bay for the Marines aboard. The past two missions needed the fighter wing nearby, so Commander Nicholotti thought it would be a good idea to outfit the ship with a functional fighter bay. With the latest upgrades, the Victory projects to remain a mainstay in the fleet for many years to come. Congratulations Victory on your tenth anniversary, may the next ten years be full of adventure. Your crew would not have it any other way.
Posted: Wed, 23 May 2012 10:00:56 Today we are with Commander Tal Tel-ar. Leader of the Species Development Committee. This group deals with creating new alien races to enter our little corner of the Star Trek Universe. The team works hard to research all of the correct information that can be used to create and implement their creation. -Could you give us a little bit of your background and your Starfleet career ? Yes. I have been a member of Starbase 118 for 5 years this month. In that time I have served on a number of different crews including the USS Triumphant, USS Constitution-B, USS Eagle, USS Challenger, USS Challenger-A, Duronis II and the USS Apollo. I have also held a number of different positions starting as a security officer and progressing through tactical, helmsman, mission specialist and being the Chief of Security, Tactical and Operations as well as a Diplomat, Intelligence Officer, 2nd Officer, 1st Officer, Acting Captain and temporary Captain. I volunteered for the SDC and worked for them for a while before I became the Director almost 2 years ago. Since then we have managed to formulate a system that has allowed us to create not only brand new species but converted over some of the old entries in our files to a new more useful layout. One that we hope will make every species not only more useful but easier to use both as characters but also as bit players in any mission or shore leave adventure. -How does one join the team and what are the duties that it entails? There are a couple different ways you can join. First you can contact your Captain and he or she can forward the request to me or you can go to the 118wiki and follow the links under taskforces/teams. Once you become a member of the SDC there are 2 main duties. First for those who have the time, there are the species rewrites. This is where you select a species that still needs to be rewritten and do the research. Once you have found all the data available you transfer it onto the layout and when finished then submit it to the SDC for review, discussion, and eventually the vote. The 2nd, even more important task, for each and every member of the SDC is to review, discuss and then vote on each and every species that has been rewritten and submitted to the team for review. -Where do you gather your information? We use a number of difference sources from books, internet, articles, magazines and any other Star Trek publications, episodes or resources. -Once you have found and started to create, where do you send the information? Once a species has been created it is submitted to me for the initial review. After that if I think it is ready I will submit it to the entire membership of the SDC to review, discuss and point out any flaws, problems or tweaks that need to be done. -Does this have to be voted on by a council, and what is the process? Yes it does. Once any changes that are needed have been made the species is put to the vote. All the members of the SDC get to vote. -Once everything is completed and the new species has passed the council, what is the final process? If it passes the vote then it is added to our completed list that periodically is submitted to the Captains Council. -Once that is completed how is it presented to the fleet? That is the reason why we periodically submit a list of completed species to the Captains Council. Since the Captain for every ship in the fleet is a member this way we can inform the entire fleet in one move. We also have species write ups placed on the newsletter every once in a while. The SDC is always accepting new members. To join, you can head to the SDC Yahoo! Group (http://goo.gl/oQ98t) and request membership. If you would like to know more about the SDC and what they do, head over to their wiki ( http://goo.gl/pFQKa) page and give it a read!
Posted: Tue, 22 May 2012 10:00:54 After discovering an inactive Borg scout ship within the hold of an Altoran freighter, the crew of the USS Apollo, NCC-71669, has tried to come up with the best solution regarding how to deal with it. But with the variety of experiences of the crew, reaching a consensus has been a challenge. Some favour taking the ship aboard the Apollo for study, while others favour destroying it. The only thing they can seem to agree on is that it does not belong in the hands of less than reputable traders. But even doing that is posing its own challenges. Any grounds the the Apollo crew has for confiscating the ship is shaky at best. Captan Andrus Jaxx's solution is to combine legal standing while appealing to the freighter captain's business sense. An offer of supplies, assemebled by Commander Tal Tel-ar, was offered to the captain, and accepted. An away team, led by Lt. Commander Liam Frost boarded the freighter in order to make the needed preperations to the ship, while the engineering and science departments of the Apollo work together to build protections for the Apollo and her crew once the Borg vessel is aboard. Their task finished, the Apollo is free to resume her journey to the Typhon sector in order to continue her primary assignment.
Posted: Mon, 21 May 2012 10:00:25 We often find that time is always at a premium. Whether it's the Starbase 118 OOC stuff we want to do, or just an extra sim we want to write, there are always moments when you simply run out of time. Other things begin to take precedence, and before we know it, the time is gone and we have no sims to show for it. Finding time to set aside for your writing pursuits, be it simming or writing a book, takes a certain amount of self determination and a schedule that you will stick to. And while finding the time to write isn't always something that you'll be able to do, there are some very easy things you can do to make it a much easier thing to do. About.com's Fiction Writing guide sets out a good number of things that you can do in order to facilitate writing time, and when you have a million other things going on in your life, any one of these simple steps might be able to help you uncover the bits of time you'll need to participate and keep up even when things might seem a little overwhelming. Be sure to head on over to About.com to check out these tips and much more within the Fiction Writing guides (http://goo.gl/deOXX) you'll find there. And if you already have time to write, head over there anyways - you might find ways to make your writing time more productive and efficient regardless of what, or who, you write.
Posted: Sun, 20 May 2012 16:31:22 There is an old say, the early bird gets the worm. While this can apply to almost anything but the most prominent meaning, to me, is whether or not you get up really early at the start of the day. This week we are asking if you are an early riser or if you prefer to sleep in late. I am sure that there is no singular answer to this conundrum as every one is different leading different lifestyles. Perhaps you have to get up early for work or a student which allows a certain degree of latitude. Then again I know of quite a few people that physically can't sleep in after the sun has risen. Head over to the Poll of the Week forum (http://goo.gl/3q86J) to cast your vote!
Posted: Sun, 20 May 2012 15:50:53 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/RtpRz) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: S'Kai and Vareth Kio!
Posted: Sat, 19 May 2012 10:00:41 Congratulations to Fleet Capt. Sidney Riley and Commander Darius Clack for "LtJG Katherine Sharkey and Laeni: Children are like a pack of wolves", the Round 7 winner, which is continuing on to the semi-finals at the end of the year. Voting for Round 8 submissions is now open, so pop on down and vote ( http://goo.gl/zNZKN)!
Posted: Sat, 19 May 2012 10:00:23 Here again in another issue of Lower Decks, we find ourselves delving into the world of one Ensign Edward Johnson, an up and coming Helmsman from the USS Apollo. The writer for Mr. Johnson fills us in on what it took to create Ed, what he's got going on right now, and where he'll plan to take us for the future. Based on some of the responses I recieved in the initial interview, this should be one heck of a ride! Ensign Johnson was born of a dream, a dream that his writer thought was just that at one point and nothing more. After leaving one community to find UFOP:SB118, he decided to make that dream a reality. The writer for Mr. Johnson, Mr. Ellis Passmore, III, is an eighteen year old student from Pennsylvania. He's had his fair share of authoring short stories set in the Star Trek realm, but feels that his talents might be best put to use here. He spoke of playing PBEM groups before, but after hearing about UFOP:SB118, he decided to give it a whirl. Ensign Johnson is of Yassengoro decent, and was only spoken of in his last PBEM game. This time around, he figured Ed would be the backbone of his character creation. "Well, I figured, 'Hey, should a time come for me to do another game, I have a template to work from.' And I was right. I had to come up with some of the backstory for Johnson but that was okay, considering that he is a flyboy much like his great-grandfather. I have really liked working with the new Johnson." Sometimes our thoughts and ideas as writers coming to fruition can be just one of the rewards of simming. "Johnson now is a thought being acted out; because I have always wanted to figure out where the rest of the story behind the Johnsons is going and how it may end or continue. And I am willing to see how it goes." As far as where he is now and how he got here, Johnson tells of his time in training, both in and out of character. Sometimes it's our mentors that guide us through the hard times, and with the help of FltAml Wolf himself, Ensign Johnson found himself back on his feet after a few attempts at training. He graduated with a new found confidence, and also a last impression with one of his trainers. " I made it through training although I ended up giving LtCmdr Dupruis a broken arm in the holodeck. Whoops!" Good thing for Starfleet medicine, otherwise this might have been a far too long lasting impression for the young Ensign to have left. Johnson is currently posted on the USS Apollo under command of Captain Andrus Jaxx, their course plotted for the Typhon Expanse. When asked about his time on the Apollo thus far, he replied with "I might be scrubbing plasma conduits, since I interrupted the captain during morning briefing. But other than that, I LOVE the Apollo right now. I can't wait until battle. I could probably do donuts around the enemy ship while El-Tee Ra shoots the living cripes out of them." Just the sort of spirit a vessel travelling to the proverbial Pandora's Box of the galaxy. What better way to test out those piloting skills at the helm of a brand new vessel, headed to one of the most melancholic yet wondrous areas of space! No pressure now Ensign. Jun 2, 2012Weekly Newsletter #11
Thanks to LtJG Vid-Lotilija of the USS Apollo for putting together this week's newsletter! FLEET EVENTS
at 23:59 PM. Be sure to check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting for Round 9 and nominations for Round 10 (submissions for this round closes June 10.), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
world for many years, from 2009's movie to the finales of TNG and Voyager. Try your own foray into time travel with this round's topic: "A Broken Clock"! The round closes on June 22nd! http://goo.gl/rJoL4
cancelled the UK/AUS time due to low participation. As such, the time going forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
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. Future Drugs: At the Speed of Now: http://goo.gl/D7rEC 2. April Plot Summary: USS Tiger-A: http://goo.gl/JnWvp 3. New Academy Graduates: http://goo.gl/KAtdz 4. Lower Decks: Lieutenant JG Zinna: http://goo.gl/Y0yPL 5. April Plot Summary: USS Discovery-C: http://goo.gl/bQlvH 6. Next Fleetwide OOC Chat: http://goo.gl/Aa2Oh 7. Improve Your Grammar and End World Hunger!: http://goo.gl/A2soV 8. Poll of the Week: Vacation Vacation: http://goo.gl/ezJYK 9. April Plot Summary: USS Drake: http://goo.gl/l6O6y
Posted: Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:00:20 It�s a thought that makes even the strongest of stomach a bit queasy. It makes your children want to run, and be a complete pain for you while you take them to the doctor. Needles have been the bane of most people as they progress through their pharmacological journey through life, and have proven to make doctors into monsters when it comes to children. Many a TV series have depicted solving this age-old problem by way of medication delivered faster than the speed of sound through the skin. The �hypospray� may be a little more than a pipe dream. Soon enough, it might just be a reality. Above is the MIT Lorenze Force Jet-Injector, which promises to deliver a painless and accurate drug infusion transdermally. The heart of the small tattoo-gun-like machine features a magnet and coil driven piston that can be controlled by computer to deliver a wide array of medication and dosages for each in a calm and controlled manner. The operation occurs so quickly that the body doesn�t have much time to react, therein, no pain! In practical terms, this is useful for individuals with diabetes, as the fear of inflicting pain on oneself for testing sake might lead to compliance issues. The problem has been rectified, and future tech is upon us. Check out the video with a more in depth synopsis by clicking here ( http://goo.gl/im4FD)!
Posted: Thu, 31 May 2012 10:00:06 The second mission and the maiden voyage of the newly commissioned USS Tiger-A has brought the ship and crew to a sector of the Ithassa region known as the �triangle�. As the word suggests, it is a triangular area of space which hugs the Tholian Assembly. The mission assigned to the Tiger is to investigate a distress signal coming from the area, as well as trying to ascertain the reasons as to why so many ships have disappeared in that particular region over the years. Upon arrival, the Tiger was hit by metron radiation and its effects have begun to manifest with some of the crew. The Tiger also encountered the ship that was placing the distress call and have communicated with it. The Tiger is preparing to send an away team to help with repairs and to deal with the radiation. A second, much larger vessel, has also been detected. As of this writing, it is unconfirmed as to what that vessel is exactly, due to the area�s surrounding environment lessening the sensors� abilities. However, it�s distance has been measured at 1 AU from the Tiger�s location. The Tiger has yet to encounter interference or resistance from the Tholians themselves.
Posted: Wed, 30 May 2012 17:31:03 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/HrK8t) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Diablos Kerberos, Lara Reisgraf, and Zaryn Dre!
Posted: Wed, 30 May 2012 10:00:06 Here in another edition of Lower Decks, we�ll talk with a counselor and her writer about getting an early start in the PBEM forum, where age is limitless, and so is the imagination. Lieutenant JG Zinna ( http://goo.gl/1UBD4), hailing from the USS Tiger-A (http://goo.gl/Px3Za) is fueled by an insatiable desire to create and weave new stories, and with her writer being a musician, novelist, and aspiring comic artist, there are no short comings when creating new sims. Sometimes its the younger spirit; the natural will to create and need for new and exciting worlds of imagination that lead to some of the more interesting characters and stories in our community. Erin Green, the writer for LTJG Zinna, seems to have that insatiable need for creativity born from her aspiring visions of becoming a comic artist, playing 1st chair viola, and an appetite for books of all kinds. Being a younger writer, 15 to be exact, that spark of imagination has not yet become tarnished, and if anything, is flourishing. Cartoons served as more of a conduit for getting into Trek, as she began to see more and more starships and Star Trek anecdotes in her daily routine on Goanimate.com. She decided to learn more and embarked on a journey that would lead her through TNG, DS9 and Voyager, ultimately serving as the foundation for her career in Starfleet. Being that her hunger for Trek wasn�t satisfied, she decided to do what most of us inevitably did, and �googled� �star trek role-playing games�. I�m sure we all know the story from there, but from that fateful set of keystrokes, the community here at SB118 gained a new and resourceful young writer. ��I thought this was the perfect opportunity. So I joined hundreds (metaphorically) of role playing sites and all were really bad, but when I found UFOP:SB118, it was like Star trek role playing heaven.� It was here that she decided to lay anchor and really let her RP experience unfold. With limitless boundaries as to what she could be in the community, Erin fell back on one of her comic icons for guidance. The inspiration for LTJG Zinna is non other than �Storm from the X-Men. I love her from the old original comics (Giant Size X-Men: #1) where she was portrayed as a Goddess. She was magical like and calm and with nature, which is how my character is like. And from there I expanded it as I simmed and made her even more unique.� As most of us have discovered through training, and just being new in general, there are hardships that may come with any new topic we care to devote any amount of time to. �The only challenge I face was over-simming. I was excited about this and wanted to sim 24/7. I had to learn to slow down and give other�s a chance to sim, and once I joined a real ship it came easy to me.� Learning the dynamics of writing with others is always a tough parcel to overcome, but Zinna began to fit right in. Goals began to form for the writer; �When I first joined I wanted to be a counselor and that�s it. I wasn�t interested in command at all. I didn�t want to be a captain and command a ship. I asked someone once, �Can I be the rank of Captain and still just be a counselor on a ship?� But now I think I want to join command and can�t wait. Maybe once I reach rank Commander and feel like I�m ready I could be a captain. But as of right now, I think I can wait my turn. I�m not in a rush.� Sounds like a stable plan of action. The LTJG currently serves the USS Tiger-A as her counselor, and from the sounds of things, Zinna has her hands full. She comments on their current plot: [We are in]��Tholian space with Tholians sending out a distress signal but with the radiation so bad we are unable to help them, but more specifically, my character is trying to help a patient who has several mental health issues and is an endangerment to himself and the crew. He recently tried to commit suicide and she�s been dealing with that and other several crew that may disagree with her suggestions. But in all, it�s pretty fun to sim.� So much for patient confidentiality ma�am! As the future of the Lieutenant unfolds, we as readers should be in store for some rather interesting developments from both the writer, and her character. Carry on Lieutenant!
Posted: Tue, 29 May 2012 10:00:32 The Discovery-C has been dispatched on a mission to search for the missing USS Achilles. The Achilles was on a research mission to Vendra 3 to study a plague outbreak and disappeared during the mission. Commander Mitchell re-assumed his former post as Chief Tactical Officer, and has been working closely with Lt Rogg to modify a shuttle to survive in the dense atmosphere of Vendra 3. Meanwhile, the Discovery has also taken aboard a JAG officer, and his special cargo. His special cargo is the comatose serial killer know to the Discovery crew as Zero. Zero had been left on a dead world by the crew of the Discovery years ago after his last attempt on the crew, especially the Captain. During the time the Discovery had been trapped in a Dyson Sphere, Zero had been found by the USS Valiant. Now tests have found Zero�s DNA to have a possible cure for the plague being studied by the Achilles. The ship is to find the missing Achilles, while convincing Zero if he awakens, to help them in curing the plague. To learn more, follow the Discovery crew on their Yahoo! Group page ( http://goo.gl/9Ti5X)!
Posted: Tue, 29 May 2012 10:00:29 Next fleetwide OOC chat is scheduled for Sunday, June 10th. We�ve cancelled the UK/AUS time due to low participation. As such, the time going forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
Posted: Mon, 28 May 2012 10:00:25 What could be better than finding a fun game that can actually help you improve your grammar and vocabulary? Finding such a game that not only offers you the benefit of learning, but one that offers the world something fairly significant in return. Sound too good to be true? Well, it isn�t! The World Food Programme has created a way for people all over the world to play a word game (http://goo.gl/thHFZ) that not only helps improve vocabulary and grammar, but one that offers ten grains of rice to hungry people for every single answer users get right. The interface is simple, and you don�t even have to sign up or log in unless you want to track your progress. As you move through the questions, they get harder, offering a real challenge to even those of us who think they have a pretty good handle on the English language. As writers, it is always beneficial for us to expand our understanding of the language we write in while expanding the available words that we can use to write. For this reason, Starbase 118 now has it�s own Freerice.com group. Anyone, both members and friends, can join and start collectively earning rice to help feed those who have nothing to eat in the world. Check out the Starbase 118 group (http://goo.gl/VMJ33) on Freerice.com and expand your horizons while helping the world today.
Posted: Sun, 27 May 2012 18:44:54 This week we will dive right in and ask; out of the whole universe where does your character like to take a vacation? Although it is a well known fact that life in the fleet keeps people busy, downtime is equally vital in order to keep the brave men and women of Star Fleet in ship shape condition. The universe certainly doesn�t lack nice tropical planets with open beaches much like the divine Duronis Embassy. Or does your dream vacation spot have a touch of culture to it like Vulcan or Bajor. The possibilities are as numerous as the number of habitable planets out there.We would all love to hear what makes your characters dream holiday location special whether it be close to home or far flung and exotic. Head over to the Poll of the Week forum (http://goo.gl/xdc8Z) to cast your vote!
Posted: Sat, 26 May 2012 10:00:28 After facing the dangers of NullSpace, the crew of the USS Drake, NCC 1987, engaged in some much-needed rest and relaxation among the beaches and resorts of Alpha Centauri. Commander William Rogers got to know his new first officer, Major David Whale, while playing golf � badly. The Drake�s CMO Dantin-Vex and his family became acquainted with Sakorra Reed and her family while surfing � also badly. Later, several officers, including Chief Engineer Pandora and new transfer Karynn Ehlanii-Brice joined Rogers in a game of poker. Despite their weakness at certain sports, the Drake crew proved adept at enjoying themselves at their awards dinner. Ensign Didrik Stennes became a Lieutenant Junior Grade, and both Pandora and Sakorra Reed became full Lieutenants. The merriment was short-lived, unfortunately, as the Drake and her crew were recalled to active duty to deal with a growing political crisis. With the death of its benevolent dictator, the Jektim Imperium � an independent system populated by Bajorans, Betazoids and Trill � finds itself in a state of instability as various faction vie to fill the power vacuum. The Federation has been called upon to help provide stability. The Federation, in turn, has called on the USS Drake. Jun 8, 2012Weekly Newsletter #12
FLEET EVENTS
at 23:59 PM. Be sure to check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting for Round 9 and nominations for Round 10 (submissions for this round closes June 10.), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
world for many years, from 2009's movie to the finales of TNG and Voyager. Try your own foray into time travel with this round's topic: "A Broken Clock"! The round closes on June 22nd! http://goo.gl/rJoL4
cancelled the UK/AUS time due to low participation. As such, the time going forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
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: Lieutenant Commander Arden Cain: http://goo.gl/dWabh 2. May Plot Summary: USS Drake: http://goo.gl/eMwGI 3. Forums Roundup: June 2012: http://goo.gl/23kDD 4. May Plot Summary: Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder: http://goo.gl/RgpbF 5. Calling All Engineers!: http://goo.gl/sPkLs 6. Helpful Tips for Short Story Writing: http://goo.gl/GxVWz 7. New Academy Graduates: http://goo.gl/PTT1z 8. Poll of the Week: In the darkest moment: http://goo.gl/E9l5M 9. Top Sims: Round 8 Winner!: http://goo.gl/3N8bZ 10. April Plot Summary: USS Avandar: http://goo.gl/4sXil
Posted: Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:00:39 There is always a duty to be performed when you have taken the oath in Starfleet. Even though there is a downtime, there is a time for an officer to step up and take command of new duties that involve more responsibilities.Such is the case on board the science vessel USS Mercury. Within less than a month we have seen one honored Captain retire. The honored Captain Tallis Rhul. Then an officer from the USS Thunder and the Embassy on Duronis II be called to take command of the Mercury, Commander Miles Unum. Due to a real life situation Commander Unum had to step down. Temporarily command had fallen upon Lt. Commander Arden Cain, the first officer and was the acting commanding officer. I am here now with Lt. Commander Cain. Sir, thank you for taking the time to talk to me on this day. You're entirely welcome, Lieutenant. First of all, how do you feel about the situation and what are your thoughts? I was fortunate to have the honour to serve with Captain Tallis for several months across two different ships, the Ronin and most recently the Mercury. I was shocked and deeply saddened when Captain Tallis told me about his retirement. The departure of Commander unum was sudden and he will be missed. Hopefully we will see Commander Unum back when his real life settles down. Its like what everyone always says, real life comes first. There are times, I think, when that is true for Commanding Officers just as it is for Lieutenants or Ensigns. I wish them both all the best. I have to agree that the situation is very sudden. Can you tell us about your early career? After graduating from the Academy I was posted to the USS Constitution-B as an Engineer taking over as head of that department. As you can imagine that made me a little jumping, head engineer on a Galaxy class star ship and all. At the time that was a lot of responsiblity in my eyes. I served in that capacitiy during a brief encounter with the Borg at Duster's Range and the assimilated USS Nimitz. Shortly after that the crew of the Constitution ventured into Klingon space for the Hell's Gate Games (I think thats the correct spelling of the event.). It was there that I first encountered the Cardassians as a Star Fleet officer. Sadly Captain Perkins, the commander of the Constitution, was killed while preventing the Cardassians from assasinating the Klingon high chancellor. After that tragic event the Constitution was decommissioned and I was transferred to the Ronin. At first I was placed down in Engineering under the command of Lieutenant Commander Tobias Walker. While my father saw this as me being demoted I loved the opportunity to learn further from other more experienced officers. After the Ronin's mission in the Badlands to destroy a Orion Syndicate shipyard I recieved my first promotion to Lt(Jg) and was transfered to head up the Ronin's science department. while the science department on the Ronin was tiny compared to the Mercury and fairly outdated, I loved every second of that time. I think that engineering evolved into a job for me due to my time prior to Star Fleet. Science though was and still is my passion. The highlight of my time in the science department on both the Ronin and the Mercury would have to be our mission to Camar Prime where we collected sensor data on a once in a life time event. The Prominence of Peace, the event itself was anything but peaceful but I suppose thats all part of the job. Unexpectedly the Solar flare was much larger then expected critically damaging a observation station threatening the lives of many scientists. What started out as a routine mission quickly become a choatic situation as the Ronin swooped in to save those scientists and attempt to make it out alive. There were a couple of tense hours with a whole lot of outside the box thinking used to get the Ronin out mostly in one peice. You have had some major adventures in your career so far. Can you tell us how it feels to command a ship of the line? To be honest it was fairly nerve racking. Captain Tallis and Commander Unum left some big shoes to fill especially with a dangerous mission in progress. Having said that I am always more then happy to help out in troubled times. I also knew that many people were ready to support me as needed during the transitition and that made all the difference. One day I would love to call myself the Commanding Officer of another fine ship of the line maybe even the Mercury herself, but I have still a lot to learn before that day comes. I would like to personally congratulate Commander Kells on the appointment of becoming the Mercury's new CO. I certainly look forward to working with him long into the furture. Thank you Commander Cain.
Posted: Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:00:51 The Jektim Imperium - a fully independent star system in the heart of Federation space - is in crisis. With the death of the man who ruled the Imperium for the past century, the USS Drake, NCC 1987, has been called in to help maintain peace and stability while the Jektim people attempt to fill the power vacuum. Unfortunately, before Commander William Rogers and his crew even arrive at the Jektim Capital, suicide bombings and targeted attacks on several key political players - and their families - threaten to derail the fragile political process. Along with the majority of his senior officers, Rogers is currently attending a banquet in the Jektim CGC - Central Government Complex - where he is attempting to get a read on the three key government ministers, Kin Zaht, Tully Ander and Zadon Larkus. Meanwhile, aboard the Drake, a security team led by Lieutenant Jade Shryker attempts to apprehend a pair of presumed hostiles who have managed to beam themselves onto the Drake using a highly dangerous unconfined transporter beam. To keep up with their story, follow the crew of the Drake on their Yahoo! Group page (http://goo.gl/IiJV8).
Posted: Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:00:45 It's already the summer of 2012! While it seems like New Year's day was just a few days ago, it is really becoming apparent that this year is flying by at warp speed. As we hurtle towards the time of vacations, fun, and warm weather, don't forget there's still plenty to do on the Starbase 118 forums. Here's a few things that are going on right now on the Starbase 118 forums: Round 9 voting is open in the Top Sims contest. There are quite a few awesome entries this round, so head over to the Top Sims forums and read the best that the Fleet has to offer: http://goo.gl/uT8SV The publicity team is working hard at building our online presence as the world gears up for the next Star Trek movie. Take a minute to see what they have going on and see if you can spare a few minutes to help: http://goo.gl/22p42 Welcome our newest members by visiting the official welcome thread. Remember, one of our strengths is our community, so make that one of the first things that people see when they arrive at Starbase 118: http://goo.gl/91GX7 Another one of the coolest parts about being involved with Starbase 118 is the diversity behind our membership. Head to the Location thread and see where your fellow simmers hail from: http://goo.gl/rRVnw New this month! Join fellow officers who work in your duty post or in one of the guilds your character belongs to for an IC sim on the forums here: http://goo.gl/JQ1jQ for duty posts, and here: http://goo.gl/ro5Cf for guilds. Remember, these are IN CHARACTER threads for simming holo conferences and the like, so get together with like minded officers from across the fleet and have even more simming fun! There's much more to see and do on the forums as well, so take a moment while you're cooling off inside to connect with our community and check out everything happening now right here: http://goo.gl/l9s1g
Posted: Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:00:58 The crew of the Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder, NCC-70605, continued their investigation into the USS Canis Major NCC-611 and the abandoned alien station that brought it to the nebula. Following the departure of Commander Unum, Lt Cmdr Alucard Vess, the new first officer, leads a second away team to the station, with the intent to collect as much information as possible, and then destroy it to prevent the station from falling into enemy hands. The team manages to collect data from the stations library, but their attempt to rig the station for detonation fails when the stations artificial intelligence re-awakens, setting off a chain of self-preservation systems, culminating with shots being fired upon the Thunder. The away team blows up the stations door, enabling their escape and return to the Thunder. A hard landing on the Thunder sends Lt Skyleena Blake into early labor, who delivers her daughter Faith during the following fight with the station. The crew disengages from the station to regroup and come up with a plan of attack. A breakthrough comes when Ensign Kasara discovers that the station contains some old Klingon technology which can be shut off with a code, allowing them to destroy it. A team takes fighters to get close enough to set off the plan, and the station is destroyed. Following the successful destruction of the station, the crew gather in the ships lounge to celebrate the end of a successful mission. Follow the crew on the Embassy Yahoo! Group (http://goo.gl/51o3O).
Posted: Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:00:41 . or those with Engineering tendencies! The Starfleet Corps of Engineers is putting out the call to all Engineers to join the IC Duty Post Conference (http://goo.gl/4SOFE) and discuss what the Engineers throughout the fleet are currently doing! Formatted like our SIM on ship, the IC Conference welcomes all those who play an Engineer in the Fleet or those who have Engineering PNPCs. There is also the Duty Post Discussion (http://goo.gl/jn1dq) for all things Out of Character relating to the IC Conference. So, if you feel you have something to contribute to our ongoing mission, please join us and lend your brains!
Posted: Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:00:28 Simming, for the most part, is nothing more than a vast collection of short stories, and as such, the act of building your sims should be approached in a very particular manner. From the beginnings of the piece of the plot you are trying to address, to the resolutions that you will find near the end of your sim (if there are any), building something that could be considered more than just another everyday sim definitely takes some work. But even if you have the time to put into it, if you don't know the ins and outs of writing shorter stories versus longer one, or creative writing versus writing a paper for school, then the task becomes even more complex. That's why you should head on over to the Jerz's Literacy Weblog (http://goo.gl/XhfxB) to check out the ten tips that are offered for those who want to get a jump start on creatively writing a short story. From emergency tips to get you started, to finding the climax and resolving the problem, Kathy Kennedy and Dennis Jerz walk you through the entire process. While all of the tips may not apply to each and every one of your sims, there are a good number of ideas that you might be able to take away from the list that could point you in the right direction. And in the end, sometimes direction is all we need to write a really killer sim.
Posted: Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:24:54 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/5CvvQ) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Michael Hunt, Alex Blair, Joseph Clark, and Rostan Frye!
Posted: Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:42:14 This week we continue with the theme of our character's, this week we are asking if your character is religious at all? It can be said that in spite of all the wonders a Star Fleet officer can see during their career, they are also likely to see some truly horrific sights and even find themselves in the midst of unimaginable peril. In such dark circumstances does your character turn to some higher power for comfort . A pioneer in early television and continuing such trends in its later series, Trek has certainly given a large amount of thought in creating a diverse range of religious backgrounds for our character to turn to. While in most cultures the idea of religion has dwindled its influence remains in the way each species thinks about an afterlife or even philosophies to live by. If your Character doesn't believe what drives them in the darkest of times? Head over to the Poll of the Week forum (http://goo.gl/mtaMD) to cast your vote and join in the discussion!
Posted: Sun, 03 Jun 2012 12:00:05 Congratulations to Major Whale & LtJG Weston for "Staying Sharp" (http://goo.gl/vay27), the Round 8 winner, which is continuing on to the semi-finals at the end of the year. Voting on Round 9 (http://goo.gl/W0HCW ) is now open!
Posted: Sat, 02 Jun 2012 10:00:15 he events of the last mission left their mark on the crew of the USS Avandar NCC-80203, and a stop at Starbase 23 gave them a chance to let off a little steam and take the chance to get to grips with what had happened to them. The layover didn't last all that long, however, and the crew were soon back among the stars, with the intention of getting the region of space they were to explore to yield up more secrets than trouble. At first, things were pretty mundane, with a few somewhat interesting stellar features located for possible further study, but the real prize came in the form of a beacon that led the Avandar to their first planet-side contact on the far side of the Rabbit Hole. With an invitation offered to pay a visit, an away team led by LtCmdr. T'Lea shuttled down to the colony to take a look around, whilst the Avandar itself began the job of investigating the possible mysteries of the nebula that lay only a short distance away, and seemed the destination of at least one other ship quite possibly the source of the beacon they had investigated.
People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Jun 10, 2012Website, forums, and wiki are back online
Hi everyone, In an effort to resolve the poor performance of our website over the past few weeks, I've completed ANOTHER move to a new web host. From my end, the website, forums, and wiki are now operating normally again. There are still a few problems that we'll be fixing in the coming days, including bringing the UPDS back online. Hopefully that will happen within 24 hours, but when it does, we'll post on the Twitter account: http://twitter.com/ufopsb118 -- you DON'T need an account just to see our most recent status. If you find any errors on the site, you have problems accessing the site, or you're noticing that the site is slow or unreachable, please contact me _directly_ at t.wolf@... Your Captains and First Officers generally don't have administrative access to the website to fix most errors or slowness, so I'm your first and best person to contact if you're having a website problem. Sorry for the inconvenience over the past few weeks, and thanks for your patience. I hope this new web host will be our home for the indefinite future. Jun 12, 2012Do you use Sky / BT Internet as your ISP?
Folks, We've received numerous reports from members who live in the UK and now cannot access our website since we moved to the new host. After an investigation spanning multiple days and staff at two different web companies (1. our web host & 2. our DNS provider CloudFlare), we've come to the conclusion that this is an issue with Sky and BT Internet services. If you live in the UK and are still having this issue (please try accessing our site at starbase118.net to make sure!), please immediately call your service provider at one of the following numbers:
(Of course, we're not responsible for any calling charges. These numbers were retrieved from their respective websites and if you are concerned about calling charges, we recommend you access the sites for more information.) Try to connect to a technical support agent. Explain the following: 1. you are trying to access our website at starbase118.net and that this is the only website you're aware of that you're having problems with. 2. you are fully connected to the internet and can access many other sites (if true) 3. you can provide a traceroute showing that your connection stops before accessing our site. You can perform the traceroute and provide the information to the agent. Instructions on performing a traceroute can be found here: http://www.ehow.com/how_6306910_perform-traceroute.html You may find that you are connected to a low-level technical support agent who cannot solve the problem. If you find them unable to fix the problem, please ask to speak to a manager, or a level 2 or 3 tech support agent who can help solve the problem.
As always, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions. Jun 15, 2012Weekly Newsletter #13
FLEET EVENTS
at 23:59 PM. Be sure to check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting for Round 10 and nominations for Round 11 (submissions for this round closes June 24.), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
world for many years, from 2009's movie to the finales of TNG and Voyager. Try your own foray into time travel with this round's topic: "A Broken Clock"! The round closes on June 22nd! http://goo.gl/rJoL4
forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
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) Top Sims: Round 9 Winner!: http://goo.gl/YPXkr UFOP: StarBase 118: Past, Present, and Future: http://goo.gl/T87OS May Plot Summary: USS Avandar: http://goo.gl/uOiu0 The Publicity Team Interview: http://goo.gl/ZWXzi May Plot Summary: USS Mercury: http://goo.gl/wfZjZ Simple Tips to Improve Your Writing - A Note from A Professor: http://goo.gl/SEgWS New Academy Graduates: http://goo.gl/aWWKx Poll of the Week: It's a Date: http://goo.gl/DKRhK May Plot Summary: USS Apollo: http://goo.gl/B14wE
Posted: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:00:15 Congratulations to Lieutenant Saveron for "Not In My Sickbay," (http://goo.gl/8Tzlu) the Round 9 winner, which is continuing on to the semi-finals at the end of the year. If you see a great post come across your list, submit it to the Top Sims Contest (http://goo.gl/W0HCW)!
Posted: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:00:02 Imagine a time before the modern web browser, when the Internet was mostly confined to AOL and other small dial-up services. It's there, in 1994, that our community's story begins with one young man's vision for entertaining others through a shared interest and fascination of Star Trek. That vision became what we know today as UFOP: StarBase 118 - from AOL chat rooms to a community that now spans almost two decades. Many people don't realize that our community was founded by the writer behind Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf when he was just 13. When asked about the approach he took in getting the group off the ground, he said ". we did what everyone did at the time: we jumped into the official Star Trek chat rooms and invited people over to our room. You just kept doing this until you had enough people to get started. You'd usually get kicked for spamming a channel, so you had to run in and out rather quickly." Many things have changed since those days. Now our fleet boasts a very comprehensive Academy where our simmers learn the basics of script style and how to properly format their sims, as well as a professional online marketing approach to find, and bring in, those new simmers. As you'd expect, Admiral Wolf ran into the normal roadblocks any 13-year-old might come up against at that age. "I wasn't very open with my age at first. I had a bad experience where one of our popular captains became dismissive of me because he found out how old I was. After that, I clammed up for years and only recently have allowed people to know how old I am." In the early 90's and into the beginning of the 2000's we had nearly 150 members. It took many years to develop things like a website, constitution, and training program. Like many groups, we used trial-and-error to develop our policies and procedures - there just wasn't many good examples to build from at the time. The AOL chat room days didn't last for long before the group switched to a PBEM format. Wolf remembers, "I was originally in a group called 'Star Trek Sims' which was one of the larger live action RPG's on AOL at the time. The person who ran it had begun experimenting with AOL-mail simming, and I was still watching what they were doing and took the idea." It's easy to see how, using the PBEM format, the fleet is able to reach more members - without a specific day and time you need to be in front of your computer, the convenience of being able to play at your leisure is clear. Starbase 118 changed my life. No really, it did! When I joined the group just over three years ago, I never imagined that I would find so much more than a hobby here. At first I discovered how much fun it was to play the game, but it wasn't long before I found the community as well. Amazingly, my discoveries didn't end there! It quickly became apparent that I had found so much more than fun and friendship; I found a window to myself through my character, and I uncovered love. That's right folks.my soon-to-be-husband and I met right here, at Starbase 118. They say that great minds think alike; well, an awful lot of those great minds have found their way here, to Starbase 118. Over the past three years I've had the pleasure of making friends whom I connect with outside of the game, as well as meeting my fiance, and learning a few things about leading people. It's been a wild ride that I plan on hanging on to for a great many more years yet to be discovered. -Commander Kalianna Nicholotti, Starbase 118 Ops Admiral Wolf has long retired from actively simming on a vessel. One of the questions he's often asked relates to the need for him to sim to continue enjoying the fleet. Some may view him as a slave to the administrative process, but he responds, "I really enjoy the administrative side, making things work better, and streamlining processes. It can be a burden when I am trying to do things that are hard, and that I have limited knowledge of. But for the most part, I get as much enjoyment out of being the mechanic as others do riding in the car." The big existential question: why am I in SB118? 1 - The dynamism of the community, along with its friendliness. There are always plenty of posts to read, which is essential for inspiration. 2 - The writing quality is pretty good, and yet mistakes can be made without getting the impression that it's the end of the world. 3 - The game can be as light or involving as I want, depending of the free time I have at my disposal. 4 - The Academy was super fast and delivered what it promised: placement in a solid simm. -Lieutenant Brek, Starbase 118 Ops The character of Tristan Wolf has served in many different roles, starting on the Phoenix-B as Captain and then - once the group grew to a few ships - the character became an Admiral. When StarBase 118 Ops was added to the fleet, he was the first commanding officer. After a short hiatus from StarBase 118 Ops, he returned as Captain Malcolm Lysander, retiring Wolf as a primary character entirely. You may have also spotted Admiral Luke Reider popping his head onto your ship for a promotion or awards ceremony. Although that character never actually commanded a vessel in the fleet, he is listed as the Admiral in Charge at Ops and is used by Wolf for promotions and ceremonies to this day. I joined Starbase 118 over ten years ago and for me it has been a way to share my love of Star Trek with others through creativity and writing. Surprisingly it has also been a vehicle for me to learn about myself. The characters over the years that I have created all contains parts of my own personality that I like, that I don't like, as well as what I strive to become. In my opinion this is what works with this group. It is a way to get personal and to express ourselves while leaving whatever we choose to in the real world behind. To paraphrase Captain Sisko, ".no matter what the future holds, no matter how far we travel, a part of us. a very important part will always be here, at Starbase 118." -Lieutenant JG Ra-Uleyra/Captain Mal Avatar, USS Apollo The community has persevered for 18 years, and Admiral Wolf has been around for the entire ride. He semi-retired in 2009-2010 while trying to launch his own non-profit organization, but still had an eye in the sky on what was happening throughout the Fleet, assisting with the website on a limited basis and monitoring the fleet's progress from behind the scenes. When asked if he ever sees himself walking away, he said, "At the time, I thought it would be good to just walk away and hand over the proverbial keys. But when things calmed down the first thing I wanted to do was get back to the fleet and work on some things that had fallen by the wayside. I am 31 now, and so I have been running the group longer than I haven't been running it. It only makes sense to stay as I really feel like it is an integral part of who I am." Though he has not totally discounted the idea of retiring one day, he has set some pretty high expectations for anyone who would assume his place as Fleet Admiral. As the Grateful Dead once said, "what a long, strange trip it's been." When I simmed my introductory piece of Tyr wandering the Vulcan desert, I never dreamed that I'd still be writing for the group 10 years later. When I googled "star trek play-by-email," I figured I'd toy with it for awhile, probably get bored and quit. Needless to say, that hasn't happened. UFOP has managed to keep my interest and earn my writing efforts for this long and into the foreseeable future. Sometimes life imitates art, and it's amazing, looking back, on what the poor Ba'ku has been through. Wounds, broken relationships, the loss of dear friends. it's almost as if I'd traveled into the UFOP world myself. The thing that never ceases to amaze me (and is probably the primary contributor to me remaining interested) is the creativity and writing prowess of those around me, both on the crew of the Discovery and in UFOP as a whole. I guess when you're the best, you attract the best people, eh? Here's to 10 years with UFOP, and many more to come. -Captain Tyr Waltas, USS Discovery-C The popularity of this community continues to grow and draw in new members. Many that were once a part of the group and have departed end up gravitating back at some point! Even though old ships are decommissioned and new ships are added, the group remains one of the best RPG's in the Star Trek genre. While new sites like Star Trek Online have helped to reinvigorate the focus within the fanbase, but have also threatened the livelihood of text-based RPGs. Wolf said, "At one point I thought Star Trek Online would be our undoing. that people would seek that visual imagery over writing. But now that it hasn't done that, I think we can safely assume that our community will survive far into the future as long as the Star Trek vision remains the same." With so many people in one place that share one single joy with you.why would you not want to be a part of it? I have found friends, colleagues, and even my fiance here at Starbase 118. The stories we create keep the dream alive. One day the world will realize there are things much bigger than our petty differences. Until then, we will uphold those ideals in our little corner of the Internet and keep moving forward. -Captain Andrus Jaxx, USS Apollo That very vision is what has contributed to 18 years of simming. Under Admiral Wolf's supervision, the members, past and present, have created a community that includes the best traditions of StarFleet. "Equality was definitely a goal from the beginning. As a gay man, I have always had a vested interest in making sure we have a welcoming environment," he said. That holds true to both the community we are members of, as well as the philosophies we live by on our vessels and installations. Like with any group, you can look at the past and have a pretty good idea about where we are going in the future. As for Admiral Wolf, he simply quotes Chancellor Gorkon: "I offer a toast. The undiscovered country. the future." Nobody knows where UFOP: StarBase 118 will be in 18 more years, but sticking to the path that this community has forged, it will undoubtedly continue to be a great ride. As we look back on the last 18 years, we look ahead with a renewed resilience. Whatever the world, or Star Trek Universe throws at us, we will enthusiastically greet it head on.
Posted: Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:00:38 After the Away team's departure to the Werent outpost, the USS Avandar headed the short distance to the nearby nebula. Looking for signs of the transport ship that had dropped the beacon they had followed here, the Avandar was still taken somewhat by surprise when the ship responsible for the disappearance - a n old Romulan Warbird commanded by a rogue - attacked from out of the nebula. The resulting conflict was rough, with both the Avandar and the Warbird having to fight the turbulence of the nebula itself as well as the other vessel. Eventually, creative use of the erratic terrain allowed the Avandar to prevail, with the Warbird's crew abandoning ship. On the planet, things went equally roughly, with an initially warm and welcoming beginning soon turning into something from a nightmare. Whilst questions still exist as to the exact nature of the creatures that attacked the colony, two things became abundantly clear - Count Iblie, the colony's ruler, knew all about them. and the closest thing any of the away team could use to describe them was "zombies". At LtCmdr T'Lea's command, the away team made a break for their shuttle, only to find themselves having to fight the monstrosities the whole way. Two of the team were seriously injured in the fighting and for Lt Blackwood, her encounter with the attackers proved fatal. Now, with the Away Team back on the Avandar, the crew are faced with the decision of just how to proceed after their loss. Follow the crew on the Avandar Google Group (http://goo.gl/oNrYN)!
Posted: Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:00:29 Have you ever wondered how members are attracted to our group? Have you thought how you could make a difference and draw people to our community? Would you like to help make Starbase 118 the best RPG group in the world? Here in the interview, I have spoken with with Lt. Colonel Miles Unum of the Duronis II Embassy, and leader of the Publicity Team. He explains the duties and requirements of joining, as well as what is gained with what the team does. I also spoke with Commander Kalianna Nicholotti of Starbase 118 Ops about what she does with content created by the team each month. - Could you tell us what exactly the teams duties are? The Publicity Team works to attract new members through direct contact with friends and acquaintances, posting on specific websites, utilizing social media, and working to boost our search engine ranking. - What is the most common duty that the team does on a daily basis? We vote daily on websites that list play-by-email role playing games, and we also discuss current and prospective projects as the need arises. - Is there a monthly requirement for the team? We like for each member to submit one article of at least three hundred words each month. The article is simple and not expected to be your best work because it is used to increase our search engine ranking. Of course, we understand if a team member is busy and unable to submit an article, but the search engine ranking is our greatest publicity tool at the moment. - What are the requirements to join the team? Just to be an active member of SB118. We welcome anyone who has time to participate in an out-of-character activity and has a desire to recruit new members. - Commander Nicholotti, I understand that you take the essays and place them in a keyword engine, could you explain the process? The SEO (Search Engine Optimization) side of things is actually pretty convoluted and full of industry secrets that I've learned over the years, but the basic idea is to take one essay, code it to become multiple essays, and distribute them to niche specific blogs across the web, whose owners post them with active links that all point back to our site. The search engines see these links, which are always keywords that we want to rank for in the search engines, and associate our website with those phrases. One example is the phrase 'Star Trek RPG'. Now, because of the blogs and other sites around the internet have linked to our site using these words as the anchor text (the linked text), when someone searches that phrase in a search engine, our website shows up as one of the first few results. Because most users click within the first five or so results on any given search, having our site show up there brings in traffic, visitors that wouldn't have otherwise found us. We also run a growing social media campaign, making use of Tumblr, Facebook, and Twitter to bring in visitors, keep our members in the loop on Fleetwide news, and provide authority to our main site, again, through the eyes of the search engines. If you would like more information check out their wiki page (http://goo.gl/N798p)! To join, head to the Yahoo Group and request membership (http://goo.gl/ytLXy)!
Posted: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:00:14 As the USS Mercury, NCC-99812, began its pursuit of the Borg-ified USS Nimitz with its escort of three Cardassian warships, CO Miles Unum was also recalled. XO Arden Cain took command shortly until the new CO, Aron Kells, arrived aboard the USS Pythagoras. The Mercury and the Cardassian vessels discovered the Nimitz hiding behind a moon in an unexplored solar system, and were immediately set upon by the Nimitz's support craft. While the Cardassian ships received a pounding, the Nimitz's shuttles beamed several parties of drones over to the Mercury as they deemed the Oracle-class design worthy of assimilation. Resistance in engineering, sickbay, and the computer core was especially stiff, but the Mercury crew slowly gained the upper hand and repulsed the invading force. However, the Mercury crew soon discovered that the Borg had other plans: They were assembling a Queen in the computer core. The Nimitz appeared shortly to gather its support vehicles and made its escape as the Mercury crew disconnected the unfinished Queen from the Nimitz collective. With the Nimitz gone, both the Mercury and the Cardassian warships were able to assess their damage; the Mercury offered its assistance to the Cardassians, who refused; and so the Mercury continued deeper into the Menthar Corridor. The Mercury has just arrived at the star Eta Corvi, where the crew will spend a little shore leave time and finish their repairs. Follow the crew on the Mercury Yahoo! Group (http://goo.gl/OVx0n).
Posted: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:00:27 If you've attended a college or university class before, you may be familiar with the standards that some If you've attended a college or university class before, you may be familiar with the standards that some professors hold you to, especially when it comes to writing. These higher level instructors expect you to be articulate and able to convey your ideas in a written form without stumbling over your words and your grammar. And while they know mistakes will be made, some of them, such as David Patterson, a Computer Science Professor at UC Berkeley, have gone out of their way to give students and writers around the world some simple ideas on how to make writing better. Devoid of frilly additions to the page, or ads that take away from the basic premise and simple ideas of the text, this professor has pretty much hit the nail on the head. He simply takes the time to put forth some 'from the teacher' tips (http://goo.gl/M6Syp) that can be used in almost any kind of writing. With simple to use advice, you're sure to walk away from this page with some new technique or hint that can help you make your sims better, which, in the end, is a goal we all share. Be sure to take a minute to check out the page and the simple writing advice Mister Patterson offers today!
Posted: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 02:58:22 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/rVlzu) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Nearian Ben'thal, James R. Connelly, Jalana Laxyn, and John Marks!
Posted: Sun, 10 Jun 2012 18:00:28 Of all the significant dates to arise throughout the ages, Friday, 21st of December 2012 has to be on top of a very short list. That date of course is the last day of the ancient Mayan calender which has inspired multiple films, untold amount of conspiracy and undoubtedly a lot of fear as it looms closer. The reason for such interest in that day of all others could only be that people will always be curious about the reason why the Mayan calender just stops this year and not some other random point in time. So the question being posed this week is this, what do you think will happen on Friday 21st of December 2012? Do you think that it will be another normal day like the day after it or do you think that the world will come to a blockbuster finish as the movies suggest? I suppose that they are a few people that might have been able to tell us once upon a time but now it is up to us to figure out. If we have a little fun during the debate all the better. So come on down and cast your vote at the forums (http://goo.gl/JMoFX) and join in the speculation that will no doubt follow.
Posted: Sat, 09 Jun 2012 10:00:29 The USS Apollo NCC-71669, having safely disposed of the confiscated Borg scout ship, has resumed it's course to the Typhon expanse in order to continue it's mission. A sense of unease seems to be passing over the crew, as the Expanse has been known to cause a host of unexplained problems. The first to experience difficulties with the expanse has been Lieutenant (JG) Vid-Lotilija, who is suffering from a number of unexplained symptoms. After several days in the Expanse, while avoiding hazardous phenomenon and anomalies, the crew has discovered two significant things. The first appears to be some kind of energy based life form native to the expanse. No record of this creature exists, but it is possessed of at least basic intelligence. The second, and more somber discovery, is the discovery of the missing Intrepid-class USS Nelson. The Nelson was reported missing several days before the launch of the Apollo. Sensors show that the Nelson is heavily damaged, with no power, and the majority of the escape pods gone. There are no life signs aboard the ship, suggesting that the ship met with an unfortunate, and potentially violent end. the crew of the Apollo is now working to determine how best to conduct their investigation into the fate of the Nelson's crew. To keep up with the story check out the Apollo Yahoo! Group page (http://goo.gl/9GgXC)!
People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Jun 22, 2012Weekly Newsletter #14
FLEET EVENTS
(newest at the top, oldest at the bottom) 1. The Curiosity of Black Tower: http://goo.gl/U5kHy 2. May Plot Summary: StarBase 118 Ops: http://goo.gl/6wxtV 3. Lower Decks: Ensign T'Mihn Ah'mygahn: http://goo.gl/FMHfo 4. May Plot Summary: USS Discovery-C: http://goo.gl/FTkBD 5. Staying Behind the Curtain: Keeping Your Invisibility Intact: http://goo.gl/Wjjqq 6. New Academy Graduates: http://goo.gl/nrmyC 7. Poll of the Week: Just Dessert: http://goo.gl/Yzd67 8. Fleet Promotions for May: http://goo.gl/mX0Uc 9. Top Sims: Round 9 Winner!: http://goo.gl/0v3jk
Posted: Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:00:12 Intelligence has been a part of Star Trek lore for years. Section 31, the Obsidian Order, and the Tal Shiar have been integral to the story lines of TNG and DS9. Today, most ships/bases in the Starbase 118 fleet have an intelligence officer. But what you might not know is that long ago intelligence existed as its own simming group. This is the tale of Black Tower, a group that was not a starship and not quite a base. Roughly ten years ago Black Tower began operations under the command of Lieutenant Colonel K'sena of Kyrl. This was a group unlike any other that had previously been under the command of Starbase 118. When Black Tower was first introduced, to join a player must have been in the fleet for no less than six months. They would then have to submit a new application, creating a new secondary character. As part of this application, which ensured that every player joining Black Tower was truly elite, the applicant had to write two assessments. The first was an undercover mission impersonating a Tal Shiar officer aboard a Romulan Warbird. While collecting information for SFI, the applicant uncovered a plot that would destroy an unsuspecting Federation fleet. The second was more open-ended designed to explore the writer's creativity. They simply had to expound upon their tricorder suddenly picking up energy fluxes that their ship did not pick up during a planetary scan. Unlike other simming groups, Black Tower had its own set of specialties. Although the usual security, operations, counseling, science, and engineering positions were available, Black Tower players also had the option of simming as a crypto/intelligence analyst, infiltration specialist, linguistics expert, or specializing in insertion/extraction. Additionally naval ranks were replaced with marine ranks for the entire group. Mission types were well thought about by Black Tower's commanding officer. Black Tower was expected to participate in Counter Intelligence, Deception & Disinformation, Extraction, Infiltration, Reconnaissance, and Investigations. Each of these mission types were detailed on the Black Tower website. The group took part in two missions,the first to monitor a spy within Romulan space and extract her if necessary. Intelligence officers disguised themselves as Zibalanians and piloted a freighter across the Neutral Zone. Black Tower's second mission was to the planet Tantalus, where Black Tower personnel would retrieve captured fellow intelligence personnel that were being held hostage. However that would be it for Black Tower. Most of the crew would transfer to the USS Albion under the command of Commander Mike Rourke, ending what has since become a footnote in Starbase 118 lore. Perhaps the reason that Black Tower did not flourish over the long haul may in part be due to its recruiting practices. Black Tower was almost exclusively made up of secondary characters. Although the group was filled with pre-screened quality players, most players that have played multiple characters are well aware of the challenges of simming in two groups and with an entire group made up of mostly secondaries, it put Black Tower at a severe disadvantage. The other issue was that her commanding officer, Lt. Colonel Kyrl was forced to leave the group as the player's real life commitments overruled her simming time. Kyrl was about to begin medical school. Today Black Tower exists merely as a curiosity within our group's history. Players who have heard about the old group are often intrigued by its potential. Players that once simmed there reflect fondly on their time simming with the unique group. The consensus is that it was a shame that the group disbanded and for years people have rooted for its return. Perhaps someday, Black Tower or some other derivation of intelligence may make a return to the Starbase 118 fleet.
Posted: Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:00:36 The special weapon produced by engineering and science to destroy the incoming projectile cloud was tested successfully prior to the Victory moving too far from the station. Unfortunately the weapon's power needs were more intense than initially expected, leaving the ship vulnerable to attack. Commander Nicholotti utilized the Station's fighter wing to help protect the Victory while the engineers worked through methods to fire the gun without blowing out power conduits. When the time came to destroy the cloud, the event itself was almost anti-climatic as the weapon, and adjustments, performed as expected. The harmless remains bouncing off the deflector fields of the ships. A single vessel fired on one of the fighters, but fled before the Victory could clear the cloud. The crew, having been running for several days straight, gratefully returned to the station. Once there, a short debrief occurred, along with the news that Lt. Cmdr Walker would be taking over Commander Kell's position as FO. The crew then enjoyed a day of rest and relaxation during leave before meeting up again for a meet and greet in the holodeck. Follow the crew on the Ops Yahoo! Group (http://goo.gl/2MFD6).
Posted: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:00:44 In yet another edition of the Lower Decks, we explore the inner workings of one of our many Vulcan characters serving Starfleet. Ensign T'Mynn Ah'mygahn is one of the up-and-comers of the USS Tiger-A, and demonstrates her willingness to contribute to the crew. The writer for T'Mihn, Alysha, comes from a very astute background, having covered grounds in Cross Cultural Communications and Theology, as well as experimenting with various techological avenues. A self-proclaimed "gear-head", she's always devling into new gadets and figuring out their inner workings. Amongst her love of knowledge in its many forms, she enjoys sports, sewing and of course, Trek. having attended various cenventions and joined different fan based community activites, her involvement with the UFOP:SB118 communtiy seemed alsmost inevitable. Alysha has been following the franchise since Star Trek: TOS, all the way through the JJ Abrahms reincarnation, and was drawn to the PBEM sector simply out of love for the genre. "The convenience of being able to think about the writing, and exposure to other writers I can learn from. Star Base 118 has a wonderful mentoring system that has aided me greatly in my writing. A big 'thank you' to mine. It is also a good opportunity to run about the Star Trek universe interacting with who knows what will come my way. " Mentors can be a vital part of any cadet's journey through training, if they choose to embrace them that is. " The only challenge I encountered was the unique script inspired sim style SB118 uses, but that is no longer a hurdle. At first keeping up was a slight challenge but Tiger and her crew are great at leaving tags, lending help and advice." But through perseverance and help from her higher ups, T'Mihn graduated and was posted to the USS Tiger-A. Alysha has plans for T'Mihn including command at some point in time, as well as the coveted promotion. When asked about the future of the ensign, she stated " Besides surviving her current mission. :Grins: and rank advancement. She will have had some internal growth dealing with her past, her present and how she'll face her future. From a writer prospective, I am enjoying the challenge of thinking my way out of situations from a Vulcan's point of view with realistic science coupled with Trek Science to make it sound plausible. Our crew is being put through a crucible of sorts on many levels including T'Mihn. How we all emerge has yet to be seen. I believe we as a crew will come out stronger, closer as a whole and Tiger would have gotten the edges knocked off." The current mission of the Tiger-A and her crew seems to be challenging them every step of the way. " It is only the very beginning and I'm enjoying the roller coaster ride. We will need to rescue Pirates, who may not want us there and Tholians who also don't want us around. Each has the potential to go in either direction of turning into a seriously ugly fire fight or shaky alliances turning into a burgeoning friendship. There is another unknown element that is causing some headaches with the Pirates but my character doesn't know about this yet. It seems to be Murphy's Law on overdrive. From the character's perspective it is a harrowing, and a little mind bending to not be able to solve the problem with tried and true methods. She will be forced to think so far outside the box, there is no box. At times equipment and physics are acting unusual as they should to the normal repairs because of exposure to an environment that is equally unusual." As for the Ensign, keep up the good work and service to the community. Carry on!
Posted: Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:00:22 The Achilles has disappeared without a trace. Their last transmission contained all of their data on the plague, showing a strange ability to adapt to all known treatments. Putting two and two together, the scientists have determined that the only person with the antibodies to develop a cure is the same person that has threatened the Discovery's crew. In a bizarre and questionable decision, JAG has decided to allow Waltas one chance to make things right - he must convince Zero to help them end the plague, and in the meantime contain the plague and rescue the Achilles if possible. The Chief Tactical Officer, Commander Mitchell, crashed onto the surface of Vendra-3, where the Achilles is marooned, after encountering atmospheric disturbances, and was rescued by the remaining crew of the Achilles. Unfortunately, Mitchell is now infected with the plague virus. The Discovery is still trying to establish contact with the Achilles and Mitchell. Meanwhile, Zero managed to escape and is now confronting the Captain on Deck 14 for a serious discussion. To complicate things even further, the plague virus has been detected within the transporter buffers of the Discovery and randomly infects those who use the transporters; at least two officers have been confirmed to have the plague. Follow the crew on the Discovery-C Yahoo! Group page (http://goo.gl/N2vcv)!
Posted: Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:00:00 Ever imagine, as a kid, how it might feel to be invisible? Now that you spend at least some of your time doing just that, how does it feel? It might sound funny, but as a writer, a lot of work goes into making sure that you remain invisible and behind the curtain of your story. While some of us may pour quite a bit of ourselves into our characters, there is a fine line that we walk each time we sim here at Starbase 118; a line that defines what we write as 'In Character' and who we are 'Out of Character'. To maintain that line, keeping ourselves invisible in the story is imperative. But there is more to staying behind that curtain than the simple RPG rules that we follow such as keeping OOC knowledge away from your character. We also have to think about how we show readers what's going on in our sims, rather than just telling them the story. That's why the New York Times' writer Elmore Leonard put together this handy list of rules (http://goo.gl/WYThF) to consider when writing. Among them, some handpicked solely for the purpose of helping other writers remain invisible. Take a look and see if you can implement some of these suggestions and hide behind that curtain better than the old wizard from the city of OZ.
Posted: Mon, 18 Jun 2012 02:42:34 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/94Q3e) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Mike James, James T'Pau, and Telice Shagan!
Posted: Sun, 17 Jun 2012 19:46:27 This week we turn away from superstition and ask a question even harder than the Biscuit/Cookies or Cake dilemma. That is right, this week we are asking what is your favorite ice cream flavor? For many people ice cream is a common dessert especially in summer time. But with so many different varieties out there to chose from which gets your vote? Do you prefer a classic like Chocolate or Vanilla or do you have a hunger for something more exotic? And how do you decide when all the family likes something different? While I wouldn't recommend sitting down and taste testing every flavor out there just to decide which you like best for this week's poll I am sure your taste buds would enjoy the experience. Just as I hope you will stay and enjoy the discussion after you vote. Be sure to visit the forums (http://goo.gl/u3xVg) to cast your vote and join in the fun!!
Posted: Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:00:50 The staff of UFoP: StarBase 118 would like to take a moment and recognize the promotions for April. Please join us in congratulating the following members when you see them in the corridors! USS Tiger-A Sturm Kobylarz to Lieutenant Scarlet Delores to Lieutenant Junior Grade T'Mihn to Lieutenant Junior Grade Velana to Lieutenant Zinna to Lieutenant USS Apollo Vid-Lotilija to Lieutenant Junior Grade USS Mercury Alexander Matthews to Lieutenant Commander Eyas Wulfantine to Lieutenant Commander S'Peek Avandar to Lieutenant Starbase 118 Ops Danica Valyn to Lieutenant Junior Grade Necessity James to Lieutenant Junior Grade Kaedyn Zehn to Lieutenant Congratulations to you all. Keep up the great work!
Posted: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:00:15 Congratulations to Lieutenant Saveron for "Not In My Sickbay," (http://goo.gl/ZpciR) the Round 9 winner, which is continuing on to the semi-finals at the end of the year. If you see a great post come across your list, submit it to the Top Sims Contest (http://goo.gl/W0HCW)!
People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Jun 29, 2012Weekly Newsletter #15
FLEET EVENTS
2012 at 23:59 PM. Be sure to check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. For voting for Round 11 and nominations for Round 12 (submissions for this round closes July 8.), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
writers who submitted stories. For reading submitted stories and further information check Writing Challenge Forum: http://goo.gl/xK90Q
forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
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.
Posted: Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:00:14 In this rendition of Lower Decks, we take a look at the counsellor who's making sure that all of the Starbase's occupants have a shoulder to cry on, or a wall to vent to. Lieutenant JG Danica Valyn is proving to be a challenge, both in character and out, as her writer begins to learn what it means to sim the polar opposite of what he's used to. Let's take a look shall we? The writer for Danica, Brian, is a billing coding specialist for a phsycian's office in Indiana. He can recall not always being hooked on the Trek, but it wasn't until he discovered TNG that he was roped in for good. "It has always been my favorite series. The only Star Trek series I really didn't like is Voyager, and most of the time I just like to pretend that none of those episodes ever really happened." It wasn't until the final season of Deep Space 9 did he look towards a PBEM group. "I think I started for a couple different reasons. First, it provided me with a way to continue to explore, and enjoy, the Star Trek universe. With DS9 ending, and my contempt for Voyager, it was the first time since middle school that I didn't have a new episode of Star Trek to look forward to. Secondly, it gave me a forum that I could use to practice, and hopefully improve, my writing." This is actually Brian's second round with UFOP:SB118, as the first round was halted by something we all experience. Life. Embracing his second chance to be a part of it all, he decided to go a different route than before and face all the challenges that entails. "My inspiration for Danica was actually to make a character who was the polar opposite of my previous character (Tobius Rehn). Tob was a security officer, introverted and antagonistic. When I decided I wanted to come back to the group, I thought about reviving him, but ultimately decided that I wanted to do something different that I had done earlier. So I developed Danica Valyn. Not only did I want to make her much more open and friendly than Tobius, but I figured that playing her as a counselor would force her into interactions with other crew members. This way, she would always be in some one else's business, rather than being content to sit alone in her quarters like Tob." Certainly a stark contrast to his previous character. The transition back into the subculture proved to be rather run of the mill for Danica, as she made it through academy with no real issues. "I think my training mission went rather smoothly. I was asked to take over the role of the team's medical officer, which I hope I did semi-competently." As far as her current posting she comments, "I'm enjoying Starbase 118 Operations very much. Commander Nicholotti was very helpful as I was getting started, and the crew is full of talented writers. The biggest challenge has been trying to get to learn everyone's NPC characters. The Hammond was a much smaller group, and I'm not sure any of us had recurring NPCs. There's still a few, every now again, that make me stop and run to the wiki to remind myself whom they are." With goals of being a top-notch counsellor, it would seem as if her plate was full at the present time. We should continue to look for great things from this rising star in the UFOP:SB118 community. Carry on Lieutenant!
Posted: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:00:14 Writing challenges are usually designed under the premise of being. well, challenging. As an Ensign, or as Commander Kells has shown us - a cadet, it may be more challenging than one might think at first. Knowing the ins and outs of the process and how the challenge works can be the key to getting started. LTJG Vid-Lotilija of the USS Apollo has compiled just the article for any prospective Challenge candidate. Take it away Lieutenant! When I first joined UFOP: SB118, one of the first places that attracted my attention was the Writing Challenges Forum (http://goo.gl/xK90Q). The stories there were fantastic, and I wondered "with such great writers, can I even pass the Academy?" Reading previous winning entries in the Hall of Fame told me that if there is a place where I can learn, then it is here, go and read them, you may learn a lot. Writing Challenges are bimonthly contests, so in every round you have enough time to prepare, write, edit or even redo your story until you're sure it's the best it can be. There are topics that may be hard to write for. Maybe you don't know enough about the topic or just plain don't have idea how to develop the story. But again, the topic may strike the cord right away and make you write the masterpiece. If it does, don't be afraid to write your story and submit it. - One thing I would recommend to every new writer thinking of entering the contest, but fear they may be laughed at, is to read backward into the stories posted and I saw that all the comments are always kind and civil, so no matter how well story is written you will get only proper recommendations on how to improve your writing. Back to be-monthly explanation. Basically it's Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun etc, but since it depends on both regular and round judges; and after they chose a winner also on winner choosing the next theme, the dates are flexible, but in any case there's always more than a month of time for every round. RULES: 1. To can enter contest you have to start the topic in the Writing Challenges Forum and title it with the title of your story, absolutely be sure you chose from the "Topic Prefix" selection list current round. 2. You can post your story even if it is not finished, but be sure you make a note of that by adding "Work in Progress" at the start of the story post. Later when finish it, post it in the same Forum Topic, denoting it as finished entry. Be sure to do that before the deadline or your story will not be considered. 3. Your work must be completely original. 4. You must be the sole author of the work. 5. Your story must take place in the Star Trek universe, but may not center upon canon characters. (Canon characters are those from shows and films, mention them scarcely if absolutely can't avoid it.) 6. Sign your final draft as you would a post on your ship. 7. Your story must be between 300 and 3000 words. Some rules about Previous Winners: 1. A challenge winner may not participate in the challenge directly after the challenge they just won. Runners-up, or Honorable Mention recipients are exempt from this rule. (Challenge Winner is choosing the topic and is one of the judges for the round.) 2. Any entrant who wins two challenges in one calendar year will be considered the "Champion" for their year. If there is more than one, both will be considered "Champions." 3. An entrant who wins their second challenge in one calendar year must wait three challenges before they may again enter their work. When I offered to write this article I thought I already asked all the questions and knew everything I should know about the Writing Challenges, but then realized there is much I don't know, but would like to, so I went to the source and asked current facilitator Commander Aron Kells few more questions. Who are the permanent judges, and how were they chosen? Right now, the permanent judges are Toni Turner, Karynn Brice, Arden Cain, and I. All of them were in place when I took over the Writing Challenges, so I can't say how they were chosen, but if I was going to chose a judge in the future, I would base it upon their experience with the Challenges - I'd expect that they've won once or twice and have participated before. How is voting performed? Each of the judges reads all of the entries and then assigns them a number between 1 and however many entries there are - so between 1 and 4 if there were four entries, or 1 and 7 if there were seven - with 1 representing the story they believe is best, 2 the second best, and so forth. When everyone's voted, I tally up the rankings and the story with the lowest total score wins. What if there's only one story? Can it be a winner? If that were to happen, then yeah, I think it would have to be the winner. I mean, the writer would've gone to the trouble to construct it, and it's not his or her fault that no one else entered. I can't think of any time that this has actually happened, though. A lot of entries come in at the last minute. What if two or more have equal numbers of votes? Then we'd have a tie for first or second place, and declare whoever tied co-winners, or co-runners-up. How to address it to someone who's never entered the contest before: There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Way back when, I first entered the contest as a cadet, not even as an ensign! (I'd been through my training cruise but I wanted something to do in the week before I was posted.) Then, for me, it was another attraction of the community: I was excited about simming on a ship, but I also liked the idea of the Writing Challenges, and I used it as an opportunity to dream big: For that first contest, I wrote about an insouciant member of the Q Continuum for a theme ("Devil in the Dark") that most of the other entrants took as a deep, dark theme. Don't be afraid to push the boundaries and play around - because, after all, that's how I think great stories come to life! If all that is not enough to encourage you to enter the Writing Challenges, maybe this award may: The Data Artistic Award: Rewarded to any officer in the fleet who has made a consistent effort to enter each of the bi-monthly writing challenges. Most notably, the officer must have continued participation even if their submissions were not picked as the winner, thus sticking with the challenge and always giving other something exciting to read. - This has been a rather informative summation of what it takes to write for the Writing Challenge contest, brought to you by one of the up and coming writers in our community. Get out there Ensign, and conquer those fears. It's only as challenging as you make it! For the ultimate idea on what it takes to win, take a look at some of these Writing Challenge Winners (http://goo.gl/VWvYl)!
Posted: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:00:21 Today, I have the privilege of talking with Captain Andrus Jaxx, Facilitator of the Starbase 118 News team, and also the Captain of the USS Apollo. The news team provides articles of Star Trek and Science News from around the globe. Not only does the team hunt for interesting news to report from outside of our community, but also from within. As you notice there has been plenty of news and interviews coming from the different ships. Plot summaries, changes in command, and the current events that happen around the fleet. Thank you for taking time to meet with me Captain, could you give us a little background of your career? Sure! I started my career with Starbase 118 back in 2007. It was actually an accident the way I stumbled across the site. I had just watched Nemesis for the billionth time(slight dramatization) and I was curious about Captain Riker and the USS Titan. So I did as anyone does these days when they want to know more and plugged "USS Titan" into my search engine. Whist I found some information on Riker, I found some on Starbase 118's inactive vessel carrying the same name. I thought to myself, "Wow, this is a place where the story can continue!" I did not consider myself a writer in any way. As a matter of fact, I hated it. I continued to surf the site for about 2 weeks before I decided to take the plunge. I was so worried that I would not be good enough, that because I hated writing I would not like it, and basically any other excuse you can come up with to make failure okay in your mind. Once I started, I hit the ground running! Fresh out of the Academy I was assigned to the USS Challenger as a Counselor. I think at the time it was my 3rd choice in duty post, but to get a ship that simmed as fast as I wanted.I had to make some concessions. I spent nearly 2 years in that role before moving to Strategic Operations Officer and Second Officer. From there I served as First Officer on the USS Resolution under FltCpt(then Commander) Toni Tuner. From there I transferred to the USS Eagle as Strategic Operations Officer under R. Admiral Rocar Drawoh. My next assignment came when Captain Quinn Reynolds assumed command of the Eagle. I made the move with R. Admiral Rocar to the USS Victory as First Officer. Upon his retirement, I assumed command of the Victory and eventually took her with me to Starbase 118 Operations as our support craft. After nearly a year on the starbase, I transferred command to my XO at the time, Commander Kalianna Nicholotti. As she started her Captaincy Practical, I launched the USS Apollo with a mixture of officers across the fleet, as well as some fresh graduates. Could you please explain in a little more depth about the News Team and what are the duties? The News Team serves a duel purpose. First, they way a website thrives is started by their content. As we gain popularity in the eyes of Google, Bing, Yahoo, and any other search engine our content is the base that everything is built on. We make sure that each day their is a fresh article posted to our main site. While the topics can be reused, the content inside has to be unique and not found anywhere else on the web, and constant. The second purpose is to educate and entertain our fleet. Most of our posts come from internal matters. Since the new year we have put more focus on interviews with fleet members, articles on our history, announcements, and anything else our writers deem worthy to write about. The result is a fleet that feels like they know what is going on all around them. Each month our readers can look at the plots being ran on every ship. Knowing where ships like the Discovery-C, Tiger, or Avandar have been excites some people, as well as stems creativity for their own plots. What have been the most interesting articles that you have come across? This is a hard one! As facilitators, Commander Aron Kells and I read over every single article before it is scheduled. I think it is easier to go with my favorite columns. I love the Lower Decks column. It is fun for me to read about writers and characters that I do not serve with. It helps me feel like we are closer, even if not on the same ship. I also love Mondays, and the Writer's Workshop/Officer's Guide column. When I started, writing was not something I was great at. Now, I seem to do pretty well, but I am always looking on tips to be better. I still hate writing, but anything Star Trek related is exempt! How does one join the team and what are the requirements needed? We have a very simple process. If you head to the News Team wiki page, you will find a link to our Yahoo! Group page. Just request membership, be sure to list your character name, and poof you have joined. There is no rank requirement to join the group. When you start, you are given the link to important information about posting and procedures and then you are off and running! What type of composing editor is used for the News Team? Our website is powered by WordPress. Therefore, we use their very easy interface to post our news content. It is a very easy process that allows our writers to seamlessly create their articles. Is there a weekly requirement for submitting the news? We ask that writers remain consistent. If you join and can commit to 2 articles a month, that is what we expect. Of course, the more articles we have, the better. We are always looking for writers to jump in and join the team. Right now we are scheduled about a week in advance. We would love to get to the point where we are able to schedule a whole month and have articles on stand-by. The more we have to pull from, the better. If you would like to contribute to the News Team, head over to their Yahoo! Group and request membership (http://goo.gl/Wh9ln)!
Posted: Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:00:34 There rarely comes a time when we can look at an officer that has been with the fleet for over a decade. The name Steve Lee McCall (http://goo.gl/wWFBq) has been on a roster for well over 10 years. He had the privilege of serving on multiple vessels during his time with the fleet. He spent most of his time with the USS Discovery and all of her namesakes. After a very distinguished career, Captain McCall has decided to retire. He helped pave the way for what Starbase 118 would become, just as every past command officer and member has. While we wish him all the luck in his future endeavors, he will be missed. Captain McCall has served alongside another longtime member for years, Captain Tyr Waltas. Of everyone in the fleet, Captain Waltas knew McCall, and his writer Rob, the best. As Captain McCall drifts off into the sunset, we leave you with the words of Captain Tyr Waltas. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.." Cliché, for sure, but it truly was. After simming my way up through the ranks and attaining the position of Second Officer, I suddenly found myself in the middle of a massive squabble with my Captain threatening to leave the group due to a disagreement with several characters' preferences with relationships. As Second Officer I was expected to smooth things over along with the First Officer, but when our Captain abandoned the group entirely and then began to attempt to recruit people away, things got even uglier. I found myself in the First Officer slot, and sliding into the command position was none other than Rob Hilliman, a person I'd become friends with over the 2 years prior and had come to rely on as a mentor. As part of our friendship, we even traded samples of each others' taste in music-I still to this day don't know who was more shocked at the others' songs, but receiving a CD from "across the pond" was exciting. Rob (having been promoted to Captain) and I spent the next few weeks attempting to not only stop the bleeding, but to keep the crew interested, simming and on their toes. This was, needless to say, a daunting task, considering I was hardly ready for command and Rob, quite frankly didn't want it. Looking back on that situation now, it served as the glue that kept us together through the years. Rob and I traded advice and stories, and I found myself relying on his advice more than once when things got difficult with certain situations. Rob was always the steady hand-the calming influence that would soothe even my fiery temper. When he decided to step down as CO and I was promoted to Captain, he did the best thing a mentor could do-he stayed around, but he didn't get in the way. We didn't do things the same, and we certainly had a drastically different command style, but Rob was always there to mentor, to support, and to kick me in the rear when I desperately needed it. The name Captain Steve McCall has echoed through Discovery's hallowed halls on 4 different vessels and a Starbase. Through a Romulan prison camp, inside a Borg sphere and in the destruction of Daris II. He has seen the departure of some of the most senior staff of UFOP and the ascension of others, and through it all he has remained steady, dependable, and obliging. It is my wish that that name continue to echo through UFOP as we do the unthinkable-move on without him. Fair weather, Captain. May our paths cross again one day.
Posted: Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:00:08 Do you know what your writing voice is? What does it sound like? Is it able to come out and speak, or do you have to tone it down when you write? We all have a writing voice, though some of us find it difficult to really locate or pin down. We often struggle through one sim or another while we search for the next 'wave' of writing inspiration. Unfortunately, actually finding your writing voice is often a task that is not described by the words quick, or easy. As in all things, if it's worth doing, it takes time, but the journey is usually well worth it. Sure, there will be times when you have to force yourself to actually sit down and write. This is especially true when you might feel a bit lost in the plot or after a week of illness that has kept you away. It may take some time to find that voice again, but along the way you should relish the other discoveries that you make. Confident Writing has come up with a list of at least 37 things (http://goo.gl/1Xf4s) that you might stumble upon when you start the search for your writing voice. Have you found any of these things along your writing path?
Posted: Sun, 24 Jun 2012 20:01:22 Although any crew will argue defiantly that their ship is the best, if there is a single star ship to be the crown jewel in that illustrious list it would be the USS Enterprise. Each of the seven known vessels that have carried that name have been at the forefront of excellence in terms of crew, achievements, technology and simply being known as a ship that should never be underestimated. But of course it takes more then a fine ship or a name with heritage to ensure greatness. So it falls to those skilled Captains to lead the charge. From Archer to Kirk right through to Picard. Each of these men have been titans equal to that of their respective ships. And while any number of other Captains match this description how many have what it takes to live up to the legacy that the name Enterprise has created. This week we return with a Trek inspired poll that I hope you have fun with. So if you haven't put the pieces together, this week we are asking, do you think that the USS Enterprise should be the setting of the next Star Trek tv series. Putting aside the fact that we may be waiting quite a while for another tv series, what is your opinion on this subject? Do you think that another brilliant Captain from a script can live up to the legacy? Or do you think it isn't worth trying if only to protect the name? So come on down and cast your vote and share your thoughts because that's where the fun begins (http://goo.gl/nbYtF).
Posted: Sun, 24 Jun 2012 17:15:57 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/GDNYs) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Collim Kieran and Ben Livingston!
Posted: Sat, 23 Jun 2012 10:00:38 The USS Tiger, NCC-52199-A was responding to two distress signals in deep in the Ithassa Triangle, an area legendary for its strange occurrences. Upon arrival they found a Free Trade Union vessel adrift: the Morgan's Bounty. The Tiger beamed an away team on board to help with repairs, and found a somewhat receptive (and deceptive) crew. Meanwhile aboard the Tiger, metron radiation had begun to alter the crew's perceptions. Console readings would be appear accurate to one, and yet be completely different to another. Engineering was still reeling from the radiation as well, which had caused intermittent loss of power in certain sections. The other distress signal had come from a nearby Tholian station, the K'Tharkk. The station was tearing itself apart, and the remaining crew and supplies had been forced into a single room. Infested with an unknown disease and plagued by a station rapidly cooling, the Tholians were near death. However without a functioning radiation shield, the Tiger was unable to assist. Things went from bad to worse as the Morgan's Bounty collided with the K'Tharkk. This luckily brought the vessels together close enough to communicate, and before long the Tiger was able to beam aboard the Tholian survivors, as well as those on the Morgan's Bounty. Follow the crew on the Tiger-A Yahoo! Group (http://goo.gl/5kko3).
People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Jul 7, 2012Website down temporarily
Hey folks, As you may be aware, the website has been down over the last day or so. Our host's server is currently under a "denial of service" attack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack) which has nothing to do with our website specifically. Unfortunately, some "bad neighbors" on this server are affecting everyone's service. I've been assured that they are doing everything they can to resolve the issue, but at this point there's not much that can be done. I'll email this list when the site comes back online. You can also keep tabs on our Twitter account: https://twitter.com/ufopsb118 Jul 9, 2012Website back online -- this time for real
Site is back online. Should be good to go for indefinite future -- hopefully no more downtime! If you have trouble accessing the site or the forums on your first try, please clear your browser cache and cookies, and try again. If you still have difficulty, email me directly. Sorry for the inconvenience, everyone! Jul 9, 2012Weekly Newsletter #16
FLEET EVENTS
(Newest at the Top) 1. Poll of the Week: From Humble Beginnings - http://goo.gl/UvAiJ 2. Forums Roundup: July 2012 - http://goo.gl/WjoJp 3. Strange New Worlds - http://goo.gl/T5oUo 4. Switch Perspective for First Person Fortnight - http://goo.gl/PhSm5 5. New Academy Graduates - http://goo.gl/ZwTS8 6. Ten Tips for Writing for Your Audience - http://goo.gl/MXfSU 7. Poll of the Week: Nails on a Chalkboard - http://goo.gl/nHrGK 8. History Never Forgets the Name "Enterprise" - http://goo.gl/qoeJj
This week we take a break from Trek related debates and turn our attention to a topic a little closer to home. At home on the web that is. This week's poll is based on internet forums. Forums like our every own SB118 first popped up as far back as 1994 and have only grown in popularity and number every since. Just like anything else on the web, the content of web forums, is only limited to the communities interest. Some other popular topics have centered around technology, video games, sports, music, fashion, religion, and politics, over the years. These are of course only the tip of the iceberg but have helped people come together in this digital domain, to socialize, to obtain the latest knowledge or even just because the user has friends involved. So the question posed this week, is how many internet forums do you actively participate in? Is SB118 the only forum for you or do you find yourself frequenting others. If you are actively involved with multiple forums does each serve a specific purpose for you (for technology advice for instance)? I am sure we can all promise not to judge each other because as informative as the SB118 forums is not everything can be found here. Most importantly of all remember to visit the poll of the week forums to post a comment because that's where the fun begins.
Another month gone as the summer is in full swing for most of us. While the heat keeps a few of us indoors, there are plenty of things going on around the world to keep us busy. Some of those things are the updates and changes that you'll find on the Starbase 118 forums! Here's just a few things going on around the forums now that you can get into:
Remember, the forums are always changing and there are always new things going on there. Take a minute and check it out to see what's new this month throughout the Starbase 118 Fleet!
Science Fiction writers are often tasked with creating fantastic worlds for their characters to explore. Some are covered with rich verdant forests, some with vast oceans, and some inhospitably frozen. But, with astronomers having discovered over 700 planets outside of our own solar system, we are beginning to learn that the reality of our galaxy is even more fantastic than those writers have dreamed. Take for example the planet PSR J1719-1438b. This planet used to be part of a binary star whose pair exploded. PSR J1719-1438b was just far enough away from the explosion to avoid being consumed. The collapsed star became a pulsar, which sucked all the gaseous matter away from PSR, but leave the carbon core intact. Why is this significant? Well the carbon core of PSR J1719-1438b is slose enough to be affected by the super-gravity of it's former partner. This has cause massive amounts of pressure to be exherted on the remaining matter over tens of thousands of years. Remember how most of that matter is carbon? That's right. PSR J1719-1438b is made entirely out of diamond. But don't get too excited about launching a mining expedition yet. The radiation generated by the pulsar is more than enough to turn the human body into a pile of glowing green goo. Assuming the pressure doesn't crush you into a tiny diamond first.
OngoingWorlds.com is running their very own, First Person Fortnight Competition. Most RPG's play in the 3rd person. This is and has been the preferred method for years. But we ask ourselves, what would it be like to change things up a bit? You cannot dive any deeper into a character than you can in the first person. Whilst we keep the 3rd person jargon on our ships, we will be running a special writing challenge and the style will be in the first person. Submissions to our contest will be entered into their contest, as well as judged for our in house competition. For more information on the competition being held by OngoingWorlds.com, check out their submission rules and requirements. Good luck in your writing endeavors. We are interested to see what our community of writers can come up with!
Please welcome our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Aaron Riley Sanderson and Vitor Stone Silveira!
No matter what role on what ship you write, finding a way to make your sims better for the audience who will eventually read them is something we all struggle with from time to time. It isn't always simple to sit down and write something that fulfills your own requirements of a good piece of writing, which is why so many of us are always looking for tips and tricks that help us make our contributions even better. From some simple ideas, to more complex exercises that make us delve into the pits of our writing, there's never a better time to find out just how to create that master screenplay that could serve as a Star Trek episode all on its own! While we don't necessarily write screenplays here at Starbase 118, we certainly write something very much like them. Sure, our stories are made to be read, not seen, but we want to invoke the images of a movie or television episode within the minds of our audience. For that reason, this week's Writer's Workshop brings to you ten tips from acclaimed writer/director; Billy Wilder(http://goo.gl/H41cO). Be sure to check out these tips direct from the source and see if they can bring a bit more of an edge to your writing!
This week we start a new bi-weekly series entitled "Nails on a chalk board". This series is going to be dedicated to discussing all those characters throughout the Trek series that we simply love to hate. Whether these characters are so repulsive, dull witted or simply annoying is for you too point out. This week we are starting off with a long list of characters from DS9. While it has been said that a character's flaws are more important then its strengths in order to build a original and hearty character. I am sure we can all agree that there are times when characters are just to flawed and stick out, much further then might be intended! So this can also be a place to discuss features of character creation so that we can all improve our writing. Remember to visit the Poll of the Week forums and let the voting commence!
"Let's Make Sure History Never Forgets The Name .Enterprise" Those are the famous words uttered by Captain Picard in the Next Generation Episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" (S3;Ep15). We are all aware of the Enterprises in Star Trek, however there were many ships named Enterprise in real life as well. With the US Naval Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) undergoing its final mission, I have decided to put together a chronological list of ships named "Enterprise", both through history and into our future. In this multi segmented series, I will begin with the 18th Century with the very first Enterprise. The French vessel L'Enterprise. This first Enterprise saw action between 1705 and 1707. and was quickly captured by the British Navy ship, the HMS Tryton in May of 1705. It served in the Mediterranean under the command of J. Paul. On May 19, 1707, W. Davenport took command and she saw action off of Leghorn, (Livorno) Italy. She wrecked on October 12, 1707 off of Thornton. On April 19, 1709 a second Enterprise was built. This one was named Enterprize. It was completed and launched on April 28, 1709 and patrolled the Virginia under command of Nicholas Smith. In June 1711 the ship began an expedition to the St.Lawrence seaway under Rear Admiral Sir Hovenden Walker. In 1712 the ship returned home and patrolled home waters from to 1718 until it undertook a major repair and refit in that same year. In 1719 it was responsible for both the destruction of the depot formed at Donan Castle by the Spanish expedition to the coast of Scotland, and in October of the same year, the capture of Vigo by Vice Admiral Mighells. Between 1721 and 1724, it patrolled off of Virginia again. On February 20, 1740 the ship was renamed Liverpool, and became a hospital ship until it was decommissioned in 1745. On April 3, 1749 it was sold for 280 pounds. Buyer unknown. Between 1730 and 1764 a British sloop named Enterprise was used in War of Austrian Succession and Seven Years War. It was broken up in 1764. In 1738 the passenger vessel Enterprize relocated German and Swiss immigrants leaving for America via England, bound for the Philadelphia ports to live in Pennsylvania. There were 120 passengers aboard. In 1743 an Eight Gunned British Sloop captured from the Spanish in 1743 went into service. This Enterprize spent her entire career in the Mediterranean as a despatch vessel and tender, being commissioned in 1743 under Lieutenant Thomas Herring. She was present at the Battle of Toulon in 1744, and was then paid off in 1745. She was recommissioned under Lieutenant William Cooper in August 1746, spending a further two years in service with the Navy until being put up for sale in at Port Mahon, Minorca in the summer of 1748. In 1759, the French built another vessel named L'Enterprise. Information on that vessel is difficult to find, however and thus I cannot give more information. The above depiction is a painting of the hull model of the HMS Enterprise by Joseph Marshall in 1777. Some may recognize the image as closely resembling the Enterprise used in the holodeck by Picard and crew, in the Star Trek movie, Generations. In fact, it is the same. This Enterprise was built at Deptford Royal Dockyard, England and launched in August 1774. It was commissioned in April 1775 under the command of Captain Sir Thomas Rich. It served throughout the American Revolutionary War as cruiser and convoy escort. On 7 June 1780, Enterprise, under command of Captain Patrick Leslie, was at anchor in the Bay of Gibraltar with other ships of the Royal Navy. At about 1:30am, Enterprise saw some vessels drifting toward the harbor. When they came within hailing distance, the seaman on watch called a challenge. The six drifting vessels were set afire by their crews, who made their escape in small boats, leaving the flaming hulks drifting toward the British ships. Captain Leslie fired a three-gun salvo to warn the other ships, cut his anchor lines to let Enterprise drift away from the hulks, and then opened fire on the hulks in an attempt to sink them. With the Spanish fleet waiting just outside the harbor for any British ships trying to escape, the British seamen took to small boats and, at great peril to their lives, boarded the flaming hulks to attach lines to pull them away from their own ships and burn themselves out. After this action and continued service in the Mediterranean, she sailed under the command of Captain John Payne on 27 April 1782, for the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean. In October 1782, now under the command of Captain William Carnegie, she captured the 22-gun American privateer Mohawk. Enterprise was decommissioned in May 1784. From 1790 until she was broken up in August 1807, she was stationed in port in British home waters as a receiving ship, monitoring the arrival of foreign vessels. In 1791, during the war scare known as the Spanish Armament, she was hulked as a receiving ship for impressed men at the Tower of London. In April 1806, another Enterprise-class frigate, HMS Resource (built at Rotherhithe in 1777-78) was renamed Enterprise, and joined her sister ship at the Tower as another receiving ship to accommodate men taken up by another press at the end of the Peace of Amiens and the outbreak of the Napoleonic War. In 1806 the original Enterprise was taken to Deptford and broken up in 1807. The second Enterprise, ex-Resource, was broken up in 1816. The above image depicts the first US vessel named Enterprise, and the first USS Enterprise. It is pictured with galley Congress and other ships in the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain in New York in October 1776. Originally a British sloop named George, built at St. Johns (now Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu) in Quebec, Canada. It was captured in May 1775 by a small American force under Colonel Benedict Arnold who sailed up the Richelieu River on the recently captured Liberty. At 07:00 on 18 May, Arnold and 35 raiders captured the fort and shipyards at St. Johns, along with the newly-launched George, with no loss of life. Two hours later Arnold's raiders left with the newly captured sloop, which was later armed with 12 guns and renamed Enterprise. Enterprise was, at first, the most significant warship in the Lake Champlain squadron which was charged with maintaining American control of the lake early in the war and at times she acted as flagship for Colonel Arnold. Control of Lake Champlain and the adjoining Hudson River would have enabled the British to cut off vital supply routes between New England and the other colonies, and it would have allowed British troops to cross and attack Albany. On 28 August 1775, Enterprise and other vessels embarked with more than 1,000 troops as part of an expedition against St. Johns, Montreal, and Quebec. Though St. Johns and Montreal were captured, and Quebec was besieged, the arrival of strong British reinforcements forced the Americans to withdraw from Canada in the spring of 1776. Enterprise and the other craft sailed to Isle aux Noix in the Richelieu River, where they waited while Arnold directed the building of a fleet at Fort Ticonderoga and Skenesboro (now Whitehall). The battle was finally joined in the Battle of Valcour Island on 11 October 1776 at Valcour Island, near Plattsburg, New York, a site of Arnold's choosing. Markedly inferior in firepower, much of Arnold's fleet was sunk or damaged by nightfall. However, he managed to slip the remaining ships, including Enterprise, past the British fleet that night towards Fort Crown Point. A running battle took place over the next two days, and resulted in the loss of all but five of the American ships. Enterprise and four others escaped to Crown Point, then sailed on to Ticonderoga. Although a tactical defeat, the battle was a strategic victory for the Americans, as they had disrupted the British invasion into New York such that it couldn't be mounted before the onset of winter. It was nearly a year before the advance could be renewed, eventually resulting in a decisive American victory in the Battle of Saratoga. During the British advance prior to the Battle of Saratoga, Enterprise was one of five vessels assigned to duty convoying bateaux in the evacuation of Ticonderoga. The small American force was no match for the British fleet on Lake Champlain, and after two ships had been captured, Enterprise and the other two were run aground on 7 July 1777, and burned to prevent their capture. Yet another Enterprise was purchased on 20 December 1776 by the Continental Navy. However, little information on this ship survives. It operated in Chesapeake Bay, and was returned to Maryland Council of Safety February 1777. Well, I think that's enough for today. Next article will focus on ships named Enterprise from the 19th Century. Jul 13, 2012Weekly Newsletter #17
FLEET EVENTS
Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
(newest at the top, oldest at the bottom) Top Sims: Round 11 Run-off and Round 12 Votes!: http://goo.gl/bo1Ig June Plot Summary: USS Avandar: http://goo.gl/qXdxv Imagine a Different Trek Uniform: http://goo.gl/NEPo8 New Academy Graduate: http://goo.gl/Y50Q7 June Plot Summary: USS Apollo: http://goo.gl/VA6GZ Poll of the Week: From humble beginnings: http://goo.gl/yDGu4
Posted: Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:00:38 Round 11 went in to a three-way run-off, so this week we have two sets of sims to vote on! Head down to the Top Sims Contest forum to vote for your favorites from Round 11, and the new set from Round 12 (http://goo.gl/w9Ife), which just closed. As always, be on the look-out for great sims by your crewmates, and submit them to the Top Sims Contest for Round 13 (http://goo.gl/zNZKN). Show your friends and ship staff that you appreciate the hard work that goes into a really beautiful sim, and surprise them with a submission to the Contest!
Posted: Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:30:24 After bidding farewell to their fallen comrade, the crew of the USS Avandar got back to the business of seeing what mysteries waited for them. Things were not totally smooth sailing, however, as two of the crew still needed further treatment for injuries sustained on the last Away Mission, and the tension it had aroused among the crew caused a number of incidents, including a confrontation between one of the Engineering staff and a Marine that left the CPO Valaine in sickbay (again) and LtCmdr. Eerie and others investigating just what had happened - and why the ship's internal sensors had failed to record anything at all in the area the incident occurred. Things settled down quite quickly, however, and the Avandar's new Chief Science Officer, LtCmdr Sorani, was welcomed aboard, though with perhaps a little less enthusiasm from some quarters as might have been preferred. The crew have something new to focus on now, however, with the discovery of a previously unknown form of apparently space-dwelling life. Eager to get to grips with this new discovery, the Avandar's officers have begun trying to piece together just why these creatures seem so interested in an apparently utterly mundane comet in deep space. Follow the crew on the USS Avandar Google Group (http://goo.gl/oNrYN)!
Posted: Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:32:28 There are plenty of what if's that run around out there regarding the realm of trek; so many in fact that mirror universes and alternative dimensions are far from unheard of within the franchise. Perhaps one of the biggest thoughts regarding Trek and possible alternate choices involves the uniforms. What if they had been different? What if we hadn't ended up with the designs that we ended up with? The uniforms at the various stages of Trek are incredibly varied, but they are all iconic. Still, have you ever considered what things might have looked like if they took a different route? What about if they preserved the coloring of the original uniforms for the movies? Could we have skipped the Motion Picture uniforms (pajamas!) altogether and simply gone to this? Image Credit: http://imgur.com/gFCuH Would your character wear one of these? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:15:34 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/9Ikn0) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Greekle and Nathan Reade!
Posted: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:00:14 The USS Apollo, NCC-71669, in an effort to complete its mission, is facing a double edged dilemma. They have located the lost USS Nelson, adrift in the Typhon sector. An away team led by LtCmdr Liam Frost boarded the ship in an effort to recover any data that will help them to determine what caused the near-destruction and abandonment of the Nelson. Commander Frost and CMO Lieutenant (JG) Sidney Pierce located several logs from the crew, as well as the body of the Nelson's Commanding officer, while CEO Lieutenant Elya Tali and CSO Lieutenant (JG) Vid-Lotilija were able to retrieve partially complete sensor and navigation logs. Meanwhile, the officers aboard the Apollo herself are faced with the threat of the energy creature that is suspected to have been responsible for the damage to the Nelson. The Apollo has managed to recover a number of escape pods from the Nelson, and are attempting to attend to the injuries, both physical and psychological, of the rescued crew. On the Bridge, Lieutenant (JG) Viktor Lanius, Commander Tal Tel-ar, LtCmdr Ethan Brice and Captain Andrus Jaxx are working to determine exactly where the energy creature originated from, how it came to be in the Expanse, and if there is a way to send it back before it can do the Apollo what it did to the Nelson. Follow the crew on the Apollo Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/9GgXC)!
Posted: Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:58:38 This week we take a break from Trek related debates and turn our attention to a topic a little closer to home. At home on the web that is. This week's poll is based on internet forums. Forums like our every own SB118 first popped up as far back as 1994 and have only grown in popularity and number every since. Just like anything else on the web, the content of web forums, is only limited to the communities interest. Some other popular topics have centered around technology, video games, sports, music, fashion, religion, and politics, over the years. These are of course only the tip of the iceberg but have helped people come together in this digital domain, to socialize, to obtain the latest knowledge or even just because the user has friends involved. So the question posed this week, is how many internet forums do you actively participate in? Is SB118 the only forum for you or do you find yourself frequenting others. If you are actively involved with multiple forums does each serve a specific purpose for you (for technology advice for instance)? I am sure we can all promise not to judge each other because as informative as the SB118 forums is not everything can be found here. Most importantly of all remember to visit the poll of the week forums (http://goo.gl/s8dDi) to post a comment because that's where the fun begins.
~Newsletter Team Facilitator~ People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Jul 20, 2012Weekly Newsletter #18
FLEET EVENTS
2012 at 23:59 PM. Since we have 3 way tie from round 11 run-offs between those 3 sims are also set. Be sure to check out the latest Top Sims from around the Fleet and cast your vote. **For voting for Round 11 run-off, Round 12 and nominations for Round 13 (submissions for this round closes July 22.), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
in the first person, and will be submitted to OngoingWorlds.com for their competition. Challenge ends July 23rd, so hurry up folks. Check out all the details in the writing challenge forum. - http://goo.gl/xK90Q
allows you to recognize your fellow writers devotion to their characters wiki page! http://goo.gl/iiubH Contest rules are explained here: http://goo.gl/lGBII and minimum criteria explained here: http://goo.gl/wCdT4. Nominations for Round one are closed, Round 2 nominations (http://goo.gl/QwTCA) are closing 1st of August.
there's something for everyone, so don't be shy.
going forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
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.
Posted: Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:00:22 Many years ago, it was thought to be a good idea to start a podcast for our community. After two episodes, key members of the team were unable to continue with the task of editing and producing the podcast. The team has been dormant ever since. Interest was gauged on the forums about relaunching the team, and may jumped at the opportunity. Currently the team consists of many people. We have people working on writing scripts, producing segments, editing, and distribution. If you would like to join, head over to the Podcast Team Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/7mEfN) and request membership. The old run of podcasts were very interesting, and though some of the information is out of date, you can still find it on our youtube channel. Check out the old podcast (http://goo.gl/If4tg)! And for those of you that wonder what we have in store for you, checkout the preview (http://goo.gl/nL48z)!
Posted: Thu, 19 Jul 2012 10:00:35 After a successful mission to recover the USS Canis Major NCC-611, the crew of the Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder, NCC-70605 return to Duronis II for some well-deserved shore leave. Lieutenant Commander Alucard Vess uses the shore leave as an opportunity to further his relationship with Angie Reynolds, asking her to marry him. Lieutenant Junior Grade William Tindall's triplets take a big step in their lives when the crew comes together for their Christening ceremony. After the ceremony Fleet Captain Toni Turner surprises several of the crew with awards and promotions. Several members of the Tindall family, along with Lieutenant Commander Kamela Allison and the newly promoted Lieutenant Junior Grade Winyah Kasara go out to celebrate the triplets Christening and Kasara's promotion. The group ends up at a karaoke bar, and prepares to take on the challenge of singing in front of a crowd of strangers. Meanwhile, a surprise visit from Vess's father Alfons leads to revelations about his unknown past, and Lieutenant Commander Skyleena Blake is called home to Brekka. Follow the crew on the Duronis II Embassy Yahoo Group(http://goo.gl/51o3O)!
Posted: Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:00:31 A very large part of Starbase 118 (http://goo.gl/HDNpV) exists within the community and the individual writers who comprise the different ships of the Fleet. Each character is different, just as each writer is different. We each come to this focal point, a central place in space and time, for various reasons and from geographically diverse locations, from differing walks of life and with various beliefs, but perhaps the best part about it all is that we each find something special here as well. While the game, and the community, revolves around the ideas that one man created in the 1960's, our members and writers have not only brought their own flavor of Trek to Starbase 118, but they've each taken something away that really sticks with you. What brought you to the Fleet? What have you taken from the experience? More importantly, what has changed between now and the day you joined? Each one of us experiences things slightly differently, but we're all privy to many of the same things. With an 18 year history, the possibility to be with the Fleet for many years into the future exists. And as time passes, not only do our characters grow, but we grow as well. Whether you've built friendships, learned about yourself or your writing, found some insight on life, leadership, or anything else, you can record it all in the Starbase 118 Memory Book. Designed for the many members of the Starbase 118 Fleet, the Memory Book is a simple and easy way to record some of your most important thoughts as you enter the Fleet and then again as you grow with it. You can return to your page over and over to see where you started, and compare with it just how far you've come. As a sort of scrapbook, the Memory Book serves as insight into the rich past that Starbase 118 really does carry with it throughout time allowing you to see not only your own past, but to get some insight on the players you write with on a day to day basis here. While not required, participation is simple. Visit the main Memory Book page (http://goo.gl/AozoS) for simple, step by step instructions on setting up your Memory Book page today. A year from now, you will be glad you did as you look back and see the humble beginnings from which we all come.
Posted: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:00:45 The crew finally dispelled the cloak of deception surrounding Commander Hawke, and his participation in the development and testing of a horrible bio-weapon that had actually caused the plague they were investigating. When Hawke escaped confinement using his telepathic powers and an amplification device, he was hunted down by none other than the serial killer Zero, whom Hawke had loosed on the Discovery to kill Captain Waltas and keep the Discovery crew off his trail. Remembering Hawke as one of the scientists who created him and tortured him, Zero recalled his past; how he had been developed and conditioned to be used as a weapon and, when that failed, his biology used to develop the bio-weapon. Zero, Captain Waltas and Ensign Nickels tracked down Hawke and cornered him. With another telepathic wave Hawke was able to disable Waltas and Nickels, but Zero, in a final, heroic act, leaped in front of the phaser blast intended to kill the Captain, giving Nickels time to "go to bat" on Hawke's body and eliminate him. The crew, still shaken but having rescued the USS Achilles, has returned to DS-285 for a long-needed rest and relaxation, and some promotions as well. Still, questions remain-how deep does the rabbit-hole go, and who knew about the bio-weapon? Follow the crew on the Discovery-C Yahoo Group(http://goo.gl/N2vcv)!
Posted: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 19:10:12 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/JSXbd) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: David Cody and Amy Young!
Posted: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 18:43:11 Often, when we think about making our writing better at Starbase 118 (http://goo.gl/HDNpV), we think that it takes a lot of reading. What we don't understand is that we can learn an awful lot from listening. These days, technology allows us the gift of sharing our experience with others without ever having to actually write a word. Instead, we can make use of a new tool; the Podcast. With so many resources out there that all claim to give your writing a new, and sharper, edge, it might be difficult to uncover the ones that are not only good for you, but useful as well. It can be frustrating to spend your limited writing time scouring the net for tools and helpful information about writing creatively, which is the reasoning behind Joel Lee's compilation of 6 Must-Listen Podcasts for Novelists, Screenwriters, and Storytellers (http://goo.gl/Xjs9P). From short, fifteen minute, regularly released shows, to less-than-regularly released insights, there is something for everyone in this short list. And while you may not have the time to listen to all of the podcasts on the list, you can take them with you unlike any time in history before. Load one up on your iPod, cell phone, or other mobile device, and learn more about writing no matter where you are or what you are doing.
Posted: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 17:20:47 This week we are back with another edition of the "Nails on a chalk board" series, and we turn our attention to the oldest of all the Trek crews. That's right it is time to point the individual that really annoyed you from the Original series. From the heroic Captain Kirk to Spock and who could ever forget Scotty. Who did you really find irritating and why? And don't forget to stick head down and visit the forums (http://goo.gl/nbYtF) and add a comment or two because that's where the fun begins
Posted: Sat, 14 Jul 2012 19:15:56 With the political situation within the Jektim Imperium deteriorating rapidly, the crew of the USS Drake, NCC 1984, struggles to keep the peace between the three factions vying for power. In addition to the political powers, the spectre of the Black Ravens - the Jektim special forces - remains a major concern for all involved, after the group had commenced military action against one of the four main mining facilities that sustain the Jektim economy. After the stunning revelation that Tully Ander, leader of the Trill political faction, was the mastermind of a bombing that took the lives of two children, Commander William Rogers brought together all remaining elements at a conference in an effort to stave off further upheaval. However, just as the negotiations get into the core issues, another disaster occurs, causing a large number of civilian injuries, which is quickly followed by the Black Ravens surrounding the summit meeting. Through concerted effort, the Drake crew helps with the disaster relief and manages to neutralize the Black Raven influence on the summit.As the Jektim people prepare to hold their first free elections in a century, the crew of the Drake helps with the clean-up and prepares for a much-needed shore leave. Follow the crew on the USS Drake Yahoo Group(http://goo.gl/IiJV8)!
Posted: Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:15:09 This round of Writing Challenge is a bit different than usual, it doesn't have a standard theme; instead, all stories must be written as a first person narrative (http://goo.gl/mj8zP) . The deadline for this challenge is July 21st and instead of our regular 3000 word limit, this time you have some more space and can write up to 5000 words. Though unusual, first person narrative is not foreign to science fiction, on the contrary, some of the best stories are written in the first person. So if you don't have idea what to write about or how to approach to the Challenge and want to write for it, here are few stories that may help you. My personal favorite is "Forever War" (http://goo.gl/UrXLu) by Joe Haldeman. Also awarded, "Forever Peace" (http://goo.gl/b0ILp), which is kind of a sequel, is written partly in the first person. "Forever War" is a story about the William Mandala, a former physics teacher, who is drafted into the war between Terrans and Taurans. He goes to war, and when he returns, twenty seven years pass on Earth, when to him it's only been a year. He becomes unable to cope with the change, so he returns to the army. "Forever Peace" is a story of the "cold war" with the use of remotely controlled robots. While I really loved Forever War, Forever Peace - despite its ideas and visions - didn't satisfy as much as the first one. Another famous first person story in the SF genre is "Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand" (http://goo.gl/l6BSn) by Samuel R. Delany. It's a space fantasy about the industrial diplomat and star traveler Marq Hyeth, the narrator in the story. In some segments it's hard to read, with reflection on complicated unresolved philosophical questions, but this story belongs to some of the best SF works of all time. "Prey"( http://goo.gl/3J9h3) by Michael Crichton is a story based on a nano-robotic threat to human-kind. The book is full of action and features lot of modern nano-technology. "Roadside Picnic" (http://goo.gl/fQlCS) by Arkadi and Boris Strugatsky was one of the first SF stories I remember reading. What I remember mostly is all of the wonderful artifacts. For a long time I was dreaming of being an archeologist, just because of this book; always expecting to maybe one day prove "they" visited Earth, to uncover something fantastic and unbelievable, no matter how dangerous. Stanislaw Lem's short stories about Ijon Tichy (http://goo.gl/pAznv) with books like The Star Diaries, Memoirs of a Space Traveler, The Futurological Congress, are also told in first-person, although Tichy is mainly operating as a dispassionate observer. I hope this will help you in your endeavor.
~Newsletter Team Facilitator~ People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Jul 27, 2012Weekly Newsletter #19
FLEET EVENTS
2012 at 23:59 PM. **For voting for Round 13 and nominations for Round 14 (submissions for this round closes Aug 05th), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
allows you to recognize your fellow writers devotion to their characters wiki page! http://goo.gl/iiubH Contest rules are explained here: http://goo.gl/lGBII and minimum criteria explained here: http://goo.gl/wCdT4. Nominations for Round one are closed; Round 2 nominations (http://goo.gl/QwTCA) are closing August 1st.
there's something for everyone, so don't be shy. ** The Podcast Team is relaunching! To check out what is going on, or to join, check out the Podcast forum! - http://goo.gl/duH4K
going forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
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.
Posted: Fri, 27 Jul 2012 10:00:22 Congratulations to Lieutenant Eliaan Deron for "For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come," (http://goo.gl/d7dMU) the Round 12 winner, which is continuing on to the semi-finals, at the end of the year. The Round 11 Run0ff resulted in another tie! Therefore, both sims will be sent to the Staff Run-off judging round! Be sure to head over and vote for your Round 13 favorite now (http://goo.gl/c6j4Z)!
Posted: Fri, 27 Jul 2012 10:00:08 One of the few questions that we always ask our newest members is simply 'How did you find us?' While the answer to this question varies, it all points back to one place; the Publicity Team. From Google searches to posts on various RPG related websites, it is the work that this team does that brings in new members from all over the net, and similarly, all over the world. But how does it work? For those new to the team, or older members that have not been on the team in the past, let me explain some things in a nutshell about what the team is. As you know not all things are that easy to find on the internet. Some things that you enter into a search engine can bring you tons of possible links that can take you almost anywhere. Because there are millions of websites out there, it takes a specific strategy to show up at the beginning of the search results where people are more likely to find us. That is where this team comes in. By employing a certain strategy to market our site and our service, the game, to the search engines, and in turn, those who would be interested in playing, the Publicity Team is able to show up at the top of various searches related to the Starbase 118 (http://goo.gl/HDNpV ) game. But that's not the end of what we do! Team members also use facebook, and twitter to promote the group via social media, and we turn to the real world as well, where we talk to our friends, family members, and associates about this awesome hobby. The time factor involved in the daily duties for a team member is next to nothing, just a few clicks once a day and you're done. Want to contribute more? There's always more that can be done! Joining the team is simple too; just contact Lt Commander Alexander Matthews (EvelineWilliams11@...), or post in the Publicity Team recruitment forums (http://goo.gl/SBip0). There is no rank requirement, so everyone, even new Ensigns are welcome to join! Recently, the team's gone through quite a few changes. Lt. Colonel Miles Unum, the team's previous facilitator, had to retire due to real life commitments. Since this event has come about, the publicity team has restructured and reformed. The missions for the team are basically the same, but with a new outlook, new rewards, and more to get involved with. Here are just a few of the interesting things to look for: A points system, with monthly awards and recognition. A new membership forums badge with distinction for different points benchmarks. Invite a member to join the team and receive points. Invite a friend to join, after they graduate the academy, and after each promotion they receive, get points. Submit weekly reports for your points to be recorded and accumulated. Facebook likes and shares still continue, but we're always looking to expand our facebook program. Posting on StarTrek.com (http://goo.gl/wceCN) where other fans can see what we do and who we are. Vote for our game on the RPG Gateway. Writing three hundred word articles, for publication throughout the internet, giving us a Search Engine boost. These are just some of the things that you can look forward to while helping to place the name of the fleet around the world. No matter how much time you have to give, there is a way that you can help. Join today and help grow the Starbase 118 Fleet by simple contributions and easy tasks.
Posted: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:00:15 The crew of the USS Tiger A successfully completed their mission to rescue the Tholian scientists from K'tharkk Station. Having returned the Tholians to their space, the crew found themselves enjoying some much deserved leave. Being so far away from Deep Space 17, the crew spent leave on the ship enjoying many different activities according to their interests. On StarDate 238906.29, the ship encountered an unknown vessel on the edges of explored space in the Ithassa Region. The unknown vessel was traveling at incredible speeds when the Tiger began the pursuit. As the mystery ship continued to travel at high speed, the Tiger entered a temporal wake that lead to a mini-wormhole. When the Tiger emerged from the wake, it had traveled nearly halfway across the quadrant and the crew found themselves on the outskirts of the Earth's solar system. After compiling data, the shocked crew find they traveled back in time to the 1940's. The mystery ship arrived decades earlier and crashed in the Arctic. It is now in pieces buried in a glacier and it appears scientists from the era have taken pieces to study. To complicate matters further, the trip through time has damaged the Tiger's warp core and matter/anti-matter injectors. The crew are currently coming together to assess their situation and try to find a way to return home without disrupting the time line. Follow the crew on the USS Tiger-A Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/5kko3)!
Posted: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:00:44 Back to the ever growing Lower Decks, where up-and-comers and rising stars alike are brought to the table for a bit of Q&A. In this edition, we'll be talking with Ensign Par Salen, the counselor of the Duronis II Embassy and her sister ship, the USS Thunder. The writer for Mr. Salen isn't a stranger to our community, and feels that this time everything's going to be A OK. The writer for Mr. Salen, 44 year old Mike from Lafayette, Louisiana, comes to us with a variable background including time served in Desert Storm as a member of the United States Air Force - THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! - a psychiatric technician and currently a Registered Sleep Technician, which involves helping people to breathe and sleep uninterrupted throughout the night. With activities in his spare time such as LARP, table-top RPG, hiking, kayaking and certainly anything that involves being outdoors, he tends to keep his life interesting enough. One thing you could add to the list of things that keep him going, is a love of Star Trek and all its wondrous bits and pieces. The Trek had always been a part of his life. He can recall a time where Star Trek was more than just something to watch: "I grew up watching reruns of of Captain Kirk and crew, wishing they would come pick me up in the enterprise." Most all of the other franchises followed suit with doses of TNG, DS9 and Voyager also in the mix. Eventually the interest in the genre led to what we've all done at some point in our career: aimless searching of all things Trek. This led him here, to UFOP:SB118. I simmed this character years ago, and he made it to Lt.Jg aboard the Tiger with Flt. Captain Riley, a great Captain and excellent crew. Due to Rl issues I had to leave the group and start over once I was prepared to come back. I never stopped missing the talent and comrades I found here so I am happy to be involved again. Happy to see him back in action, but hopefully this time he'll stay! Par is not unfamiliar with the toils of space and war. The Battle of Betazed was a huge factor in the shaping of the Ensign, as Mike comments: "He was involved in that process, watched friends suffer and die and saw his people being tortured and experimented upon. It changed him from naive optimist to being deeply guarded about his personal life yet committed to helping others." Truly a noble cause of anyone in that profession. But not all is doom and gloom. Par made it through training with the only caveat of having to pay extra attention to the format of the sims being written. "Sometimes I had a hard time remembering that most of the characters were being simmed by the Training Instructors, they did such a great job making it real ! Thanks to you all." He's hopeful that in a years time he can be something beyond Ensign, but when it comes to command, he feels he may take his time. Being the best counselor he can be is the name of the game for the time being. As far as his current post, the Duronis II Embassy, or more specifically the USS Thunder, Par had nothing but kindness to throw in their direction. "I really like the crew he is stationed with at the Embassy and their enormous talent and kindness. Hopefully Par will have settled in and found some friends and a level of trust with the Crew, especially the marines..oh boy the marines. It's very bright, please wear sunglasses outside, as well as UV protection. Duronis II is a beautiful place with a rich history and amazing culture. The crew of the Thunder are top notch and have been nothing but helpful to Par, and out of character are very kind, intelligent and wonderful writers that tell a great story ! It's an honor to serve with them in StarFleet." Ensign Par Salen seems to be fitting in nicely once again with his crew, but getting back in with the community can be equally as challenging, but not in this case. Warm welcomes all around for this returning writer. He was also quick to add, "I would like to say thanks to all the Trainers and Sys Admin people who make all of this possible for the rest of us. Thank you Admiral Wolf for making the best PBEM in the Universe and to everyone on the message boards that keeps everyone involved, thank you and Great Job!" Well said Ensign, but for now, CARRY ON!
Posted: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:00:22 The beginning of June found the crew of the USS Mercury on shore leave, and while some chose to enjoy the uninhabited tropical ocean world they'd discovered in the Menthar Corridor, others engaged in more personal exploits. However, the discovery of a flooded city by the XO, Lt. Cmdr. Arden Cain, brought shore leave to an end. Obsolete equipment in the city helped Cain to then discover a derelict space station in a decaying orbit around the planet, which Cmdr. Aron Kells ordered Cain and an away team to explore and save from falling from the sky, if possible. While the away team has found the station to be uninhabited, they have reawoken some spiderlike automatons, though their presence as yet doesn't seem to be too hostile. Meanwhile, on the surface of the planet, ops chief Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Matthews led another team to explore the flooded city and discovered there an amphibious and evidently non-indigenous race called the Corvians. While Matthews and his team continued to explore the surface, the military leader of the Corvians beamed up to the Mercury to meet the ship's CO . but his visit resulted (or perhaps simply coincided with) the strange transformation of medical crewman Gypsy Hawker from fully human into an amphibious humanoid creature - one whom CMO Lt. Velana has just discovered is pregnant.. Follow the crew on the USS Mercury Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/OVx0n)!
Posted: Mon, 23 Jul 2012 20:20:40 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/s1uic) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Chloe Mannin, S'kahh Rossh, and T'Paan!
Posted: Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:00:57 Starbase 118, Trinity Sector (Stardate 238907.23) - After recent attacks on Starbase 118 (http://goo.gl/HDNpV) , analysts say that turmoil and unrest throughout the Romulan Empire will continue to be a problem, both to the Romulan people as well as Federation colonies and bases bordering the Neutral Zone, until a new centralized government is formed. In the wake of events that brought yet another splinter group to light, analysts say that the civil unrest occurring throughout Romulan space will continue to create problems both in and out of Romulan held territories. Reikara, a faction known for its use of technology to accomplish its goal of a government takeover, has been forced back into the shadows of their broken Empire, but Intel reports of other, similar factions are already making their way across the border to Federation space. Though unconfirmed, some reports say that the Empire is in such disarray that multiple people are claiming to be Emperor, praetor, or commander of the military forces. While there is no real system in place to verify any of these claims, none of those who make it last long enough to gain traction with the public. Assassinations are becoming more and more common as things degrade according to what little information escapes the region. Federation diplomatic personnel have been assigned to help the colony worlds meet in an attempt to create a new centralized government. As of now, communication remains slow, but representatives from the diplomatic corps state that they have made contact with the majority of the main players. The next move is yet to be seen, but could mean peace for a still hurting Empire. Contact: Commander Alexander Jayson Cregg Press Secretary Starbase 118
Posted: Sun, 22 Jul 2012 19:04:36 If there is one thing that is often missed from text based role playing when thinking about certain species, it is the visual-shock factor that the enemies usually have. I mean that while some species boast of their cleanliness like Humans or Romulans others are absolutely revolting in both appearance and habits. So this week we are asking which species you find the most revolting of some of the Federations most loathed enemies. From the green blooded Romulans to the dentally disgusting Klingons or the eternally degrading Vidiians, which do you find less pleasing to the eye. While you certainly can't judge a book by its cover there are some things a quick glance might tell you about someone. So let the voting commence and remember to visit the forums (http://goo.gl/nbYtF) to add a comment because that is where the fun really starts.
Posted: Sat, 21 Jul 2012 10:00:23 Shore leave ended abruptly with the noticed of a ship discovered by the USS Avicenna within the Epsilon Gamma XIII nebula. The USS Calgary, discovered within the nebula, apparently had been lost four years ago. There were two survivors, who told a tale of aliens attacking and killing the rest of the crew. The Avicenna towed the Calgary to SB118 for a deeper investigation. The crew's initial evaluation lead to an increasing believe that the ship hadn't been in combat as described. Meanwhile, a probe of the minds of one of the survivors left one of the doctors in a catatonic state. An away team was sent to the Calgary to investigate further, only to discover odd disappearances occurring to those on the ship. As the investigation continued, those who'd been on the ship longest began displaying erratic behaviors, as well as a message from the FO stating he'd been on the ship for a year. This was especially odd, as the FO was present when the message was received. The crew was pulled off the Calgary to be checked out in sickbay, and take stock of the situation. Follow the crew on the Starbase 118 Ops Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/2MFD6)!
~Newsletter Team Facilitator~ People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Aug 3, 2012Weekly Newsletter #20
FLEET EVENTS
2012 at 23:59 PM. **For voting for Round 13 and nominations for Round 14 (submissions for this round closes Aug 05th), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN
allows you to recognize your fellow writers devotion to their characters wiki page! http://goo.gl/iiubH Contest rules are explained here: http://goo.gl/lGBII and minimum criteria explained here: http://goo.gl/wCdT4. August 2012's Featured Bio is Captain Della Vetri of the USS Avandar, being a winner of the Round 1. Nominations for Round 2 are closed; nominations for Round 3 (link) are closing MMM DD.
Of..." Every entry must be under 1000 words for this round, which means that flash fiction and short-short stories would be ideal. The deadline for this challenge is August 22nd! http://goo.gl/rJoL4
there's something for everyone, so don't be shy. ** Create Lasting Memories with Starbase 118 Memory Book: http://goo.gl/AozoS
going forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
YouTube channel (http://goo.gl/z3NBj) and downloaded from Archive.org (http://goo.gl/dRnVH).
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.
Posted: Fri, 03 Aug 2012 10:00:45 Are you tired of wearing the same old threads oriented toward your male Trekkie? Would you like to finally be able to wear all the trek gear you've always wanted, but geared more towards women like you? Well Her Universe, one of the top dogs in the female merchandising world, has picked up the liscensing rights to most all Star Trek apparel. Coming to the Star Trek community July 11th of this year, her Universe will be debuting its new line of women oriented clothing to suit all her Trek fashion needs. The roll out is set to kick off at San Diego's Comic Con, as well as online at www.heruniverse.com. Founder of Her Universe and voice actor Ashley Eckstein has always been invloved in the scifi genre for most of her career, and figured now would be as good a time as any to introduce some new ideas to the fashion world. "Star Trek has been one of the most requested Sci-Fi franchises from our fangirls," said Eckstein. "It is truly a dream come true for me to design for this iconic brand. We plan to Boldly Go where no one has gone before with the first ever Star Trek apparel line just for women." (Taken from trekmovie.com - http://goo.gl/K8u3v) Having already done fashion lines for franchises such as Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars and the ever-popular Doctor Who, this is sure to be a hit that in all honesty is a long time coming. No more baggy t-shirts or oversized hoodies; being able to show your trekdom in fitting style is finally a reality. Here (http://goo.gl/K8u3v). Check out the article for a few more details!
Posted: Fri, 03 Aug 2012 10:00:23 In celebration of 25 years of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Star Trek Official Store has released 24 limited edition poster's depicting various scenes and characters from the coveted franchise. Prices vary from eight dollars, to $140.00, depending on which scene you chose. These things are going like hot cakes, and purchasing one should be on any Trekkies' list. Here's the link (http://goo.gl/KaACb)!
Posted: Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:00:25 Starbase 118, Trinity Sector (Stardate 238907.30) - Proposed talks to help now established colony worlds recover and form a unified government within the Romulan Empire have come to a halt. This morning, attempts by Federation diplomatic corps personnel to encourage leaders from the Romulan Empire's biggest colony worlds to meet and unify under a single, centralized government have met with the first real problem. Responses to messages sent to the colony worlds have been slow coming in, but today it became readily apparent that the first hurdle in the process will be finding a location where representatives all agree to meet. "Messages received from over half of the colony worlds show an unwillingness to bend," claims Lieutenant Michael Kylle of the diplomatic corps. "Each representative claims they will meet in a different place, each feeling those offered by the others put them at a political disadvantage." For now, the talks are on hold while Federation representatives try to work out a way to keep the dialogue open and the representatives talking despite the growing animosity between colonies. Though the original plan seems to have collapsed, members of the diplomatic corps are working hard to find alternatives. "A unified Romulan Empire is vital to their very survival. That's all there is to it," claims mister Kylle. With the weight of the loss of the majority of their population, as well as most of their leaders, this unification will have to be built from scratch. Stay tuned to FNN for more news on the story as it breaks. Contact: Commander Alexander Jayson Cregg Press Secretary Starbase 118
Posted: Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:00:25 Today, we congratulate Kalianna Nicholotti on her promotion to the rank of Captain! She has officially completed her Captaincy Exam requirements, and her promotion has been approved by the Executive Council. Kali has been a member of the fleet since 2009, when she joined the USS Resolution under the command of Fleet Captain Toni Turner. She later served on the USS Eagle, USS Victory, and StarBase 118 Ops. Kali assumed command of StarBase 118 Ops when Captain Andrus Jaxx launched the USS Apollo. She has faithfully served the fleet in many ventures. Kali is the facilitator of the Image Team and serves on the News Team, Podcast Team, Training Team, and Publicity Team. She and her crew will remain aboard StarBase 118 Ops for the near future. We look forward to hearing more about the adventures of StarBase 118 Ops, and the USS Victory under the command of their newly promoted Captain, Kali Nicholotti!
Posted: Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:54:49 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/XC3in) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Eoghan Byrne, Sastia Amanda Everton, and Trel'lis!
Posted: Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:00:49 Congratulations once again to the writer behind Alleran Tan, who has won the July Writing Challenge with his story "Ethical Considerations" (http://goo.gl/Vd2CX)! This is his fourth win, an accomplishment unprecedented in the history of the Writing Challenges! The special monthlong July Challenge required the participants to craft a first-person narrative as part of the site Ongoing Worlds' "First-Person Fortnight" competition. The Ongoing Worlds contest has also ended but the winners of that contest have not yet been announced.
Posted: Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:00:28 Service Ribbons (http://goo.gl/zeluC) are In Character awards presented to characters for acts of heroism and participation in plots and campaigns. Ribbons can be received at any time, but are generally presented alongside crew promotions. It is not uncommon for all members of a crew to receive campaign ribbons. These brave and honorable members of our group received them in June; please join us in congratulating them.
the line of duty Fleet Captain Toni Turner of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder Lieutenant Junior Grade William Tindall of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder Lieutenant Junior Grade S'Lone i-Ra'thleifl tr'Khellian of the USS Avandar Chief Petty Officer Chase Valaine of the USS Avandar
is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the Federation. The required gallantry, while of a lesser degree than that required for the Distinguished Service Cross, must nevertheless have been performed with marked distinction. Lieutenant Commander Hannibal Parker of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder 1st Lt Michael Valentino of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder Lieutenant Junior Grade Leon Sll of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder
to a person who distinguished himself or herself by extraordinary heroism not justifying the award of a Medal of Honor while engaged in an action against an enemy of the Federation. The act or acts of heroism must have been so notable and have involved risk of life so extraordinary as to set the individual apart from his or her comrades. Lieutenant Commander Jaxon McGhee of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder Lieutenant Colonel Miles Unum of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder
Starfleet who participates in, and successfully completes, a mission where keeping the peace is the primary goal. This ribbon will serve as a reminder that, whenever possible, peace is the best option. Lieutenant Commander Tobias Walker of the USS Mercury Lieutenant Commander Skyleena Blake of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder Lieutenant Commander Hannibal Parker of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder
participates in the discovery of a new planet, region, or species. Lieutenant Commander Tobias Walker of the USS Mercury Lieutenant Commander Skyleena Blake of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder Lieutenant Commander Hannibal Parker of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder
participates in a successful first contact event. Lieutenant Commander Tobias Walker of the USS Mercury Lieutenant Commander Skyleena Blake of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder Lieutenant Commander Hannibal Parker of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder
risked their own life to save the life of another member of StarFleet. Lieutenant Commander Alucard Vess of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder
been taken prisoner. Fleet Captain Toni Turner of Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder
Posted: Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:00:15 The Podcast Team has been hard at work producing the first episode of our podcast relaunch! The new episode has been released! For those of you that want would like to listen online, check out our release on the StarBase 118 YouTube channel (http://goo.gl/z3NBj)! Whilst we recognize that some members would love to listen to the podcast on the go, we have uploaded it to Archive.org (http://goo.gl/dRnVH). You can download it for the menu on the left hand side! Keep your ears open for our next release due the first week of September! Feel free to subscribe to our YouTube channel for automatic updates. Soon we will be establishing a RSS feed for those interested! On behalf of the Podcast Team.happy listening!
Posted: Sun, 29 Jul 2012 10:00:35 Back with another "Nails on a chalk board" we are about to take a magnifying glass to the crew that really did go where few Federation citizens dared to go, the crew of the USS Voyager. Now its often been said that news travels fast on even the largest star ships. So I have to wonder how those people would feel about their ship mates and who they would peg as the most irritating. Having said that this poll is about you and your preference, so who did you really find irritating and why? Don't forget to visit the forums (http://goo.gl/nbYtF) to add a comment or two because that's where the fun begins.
Posted: Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:00:30 This article has been making its way around the fleet as of late, but here it is to print. The people at Pixar have released some tips of the trade from a few of their best writers on how create some of the best stories around. Emma Coats will lead us through what she's learned over the years from some of the brightest members of the Pixar writing force, with twenty-two basic story writing rules. Making a thrilling story, or sim for that matter, can be a bear of a task. Tuning in to The Pixar Touch (http://goo.gl/3ghwh), a blog documenting the journey of Pixar writers as they conjure up some of the best ideas to give to the world, we can tap into some of the great success that their writer's have received over the years. Taking the information right from it's original book form, the article provides you with twenty-two "rules" that writers adhere to when going through the creative process. Take the time to explore the site a bit more and you'll find other links to articles that may be helpful in the long run, dealing with creativity and literature. Also there's a link to the Blog (http://goo.gl/048pg) Section for some further reading. Enjoy, and shake free of those limitations, officer!
~Newsletter Team Facilitator~ People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Aug 10, 2012Weekly Newsletter #21
FLEET EVENTS
YouTube channel (http://goo.gl/z3NBj) and downloaded from Archive.org (http://goo.gl/dRnVH).
Of..." Every entry must be under 1000 words for this round, which means that flash fiction and short-short stories would be ideal. The deadline for this challenge is August 22nd! http://goo.gl/rJoL4
going forward will be as follows: 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMT / 4am Monday UTC+11. Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Chat is always open on the site: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/
(http://goo.gl/2wdpJ) of the USS Avandar, being a winner of the Round 1. Nominations for Round 2 are closed; nominations for Round 3 (http://goo.gl/A0BJk) are closing September 01.
19th, 2012 at 23:59 PM. Round 14 winner LTJG Lanius: "The Truth Hurts" is going to the Round 3 run-off (judges voting). **For voting for Round 13 and nominations for Round 15 (submissions for this round closes Aug 19th), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN.
there's something for everyone, so don't be shy. ** Create Lasting Memories with Starbase 118 Memory Book: http://goo.gl/AozoS
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.
Posted: Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:00:55 There are lots of exciting things going on right now around the Starbase 118 (http://goo.gl/HDNpV )forums and it's never been a better time to jump in and have some fun. The forums foster the best part of this group; a feeling of community and togetherness that cannot be found in similar games. Of course, this sense of community is nothing without YOU! So take a moment and see what's going on around the Fleet right now and join in the conversation right here, on the Starbase 118 Forum (http://goo.gl/l9s1g ) boards. Check out the latest Writing Challenge - a 1000 words or less compilation that fits the theme of 'A moment in the life of.'. This challenge will only be one month long though, so be sure to get started now so that you can participate (http://goo.gl/xK90Q)! Still fairly new, the Featured Bio Contest gives our members a chance to show off their character's and the extensive stories built up behind them. Check out the rules and nominate a page of your own right here: http://goo.gl/od134 There's always something going on aboard your ship. Share it with the world and learn more about your shipmates in your dedicated ship forum threads here: http://goo.gl/ecTU8 The Publicity team has relaunched and now offers a number of ways for you to earn awards, recognition, and help spread the name of the Fleet all over the world at the same time! http://goo.gl/SBip0 Want to learn more about your duty post? Connect with other officers serving on other ships in the same duty post as you by visiting our duty post threads: http://goo.gl/Kuxys As the summer blockbuster approaches, it's a great idea to log onto the forums and connect with officers from other ships as well as those from your own. Be sure to take a moment to check out what's going throughout the month of August; you'll not only learn something about other members, but you'll be helping to build the wonderful community that our Fleet is so well known for.
Posted: Thu, 09 Aug 2012 17:00:23 "I wanted to show my appreciation," Kevin - a simmer on SB118 Ops - said to me when I asked if the donation amount was correct. It's this kind of generosity that ensures our community can continue running without annoying ads, and without relying on just one person to fund everything. Our extensive website, active forums, and 6,000+ page wiki are incredibly resource intensive, but members like Kevin ensure that we can continue provide a level of excellence that is unparalleled in the Star Trek simming world today. If you'd like to join Kevin in donating to keep our website ad-free and running smoothly, use our quick and easy Donation Station (http://goo.gl/E8rwV).
Posted: Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:00:42 Ever get a great t-shirt idea that you wish could be printed up and sold to the masses? Design an image that would look great on the next, new Star Trek t-shirt? Well, now's your chance to shine! WeLoveFine.com's newest design contest is for a new Star Trek shirt. With only 18 entries so far, it looks like they could use some of our creativity, so why not participate? The rules are simple: -You must submit your entry by 11:59:59 PM (PST) on September 10th, 2012. -Everyone is allowed up to 5 entries per person. - GIF/PNG/JPG are the file extensions permitted for this contest. -When you enter the contest, you basically have to agree completely with and unconditionally with(a) the Official Rules and (b) Mighty Fine's ("Sponsor") decisions, which are final and binding. To win a prize, you have to meet the requirements outlined within both of these. - Star Trek titles/characters which may be submitted for this contest: Star Trek (original television series cast); Star Trek: The Next Generation; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Voyager; Star Trek: Enterprise; and any of the motion pictures featuring the original TOS cast or TNG cast. You may NOT use any likenesses of any actors who appear in the 2009 Star Trek motion picture or its upcoming sequel. With John de Lancie as one of the judges, you'll get the chance to put your design in front of a well known Trek star as well as the rest of the world! So head on over to the contest homepage (http://goo.gl/dNMKF) today and download the submission packet to get started!
Posted: Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:49:44 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/7E0p0) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Richard Matthews!
Posted: Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:00:37 On the morning of August 6th, 2012 at 05:14:39 UTC, a wondrous and breathtaking stream of data came from the Curiosity Rover all the way back to Earth, who's nine month journey had finally landed it on the surface of the Mars. The planet is once again being probed by the minds at NASA, and this adventure proves to be one that may strengthen what we know about the infamous Red Planet. It was on November 26th, 2011 at 10:02 am that the Curiosity rover along with the Mars Exploration Laboratory took flight from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. From there, the Rover representing the American born dream of exploration, would begin its nine month journey into what we could consider here on Earth to be "deep space". Equipped with state of the art communications and imaging arrays, the hope and chance placed on the SUV sized rover was immense. Due to catastrophic difficulties with maneuverability and and latent imaging, the taste left from other rover expeditions was less than sour. The initial goal of this voyage would be a simple one: to be error free. Engineers working on the new project would have to be on their toes, thinking of all the things that befell other rovers before Curiosity. Tracks could no longer be used after too many turning issues had been discovered, causing millions in lost dollars. Imaging, optics and sensors would have to be of utmost importance, as well as the power that sustained them, for what is a trip to mars without eyes or even ears to experience it? Wrought with the problems of the past, NASA's scientists worked overtime to make sure they didn't happen again. Built of lightweight aluminum, the rover would not be bogged down by its body weight alone. The mobility system featured six aluminum wheels which are powered by four steering motors, allowing it to turn on a dime if need be, as well as follow an arc path. Complete with upgraded optics, imaging systems and radio transponders, the only thing left to do was to launch. That would be the only means of determining if the fate of Curiosity would be the same as its predecessors. All that changed on the morning of August 6th, when the module entered the Entry, Decent and Landing (EDL) phase of its rather long flight plan, sensors indicated that the vehicle and its delivery system had successfully broke through the martian atmosphere. The folks at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory control center were blessed with not only pictures of the planet's surface, but video of its plunge through alien air. The "7 Minutes of Terror" as it was dubbed by scientists present, chronicles the rover's decent and landing on the planet's surface without error. 2.5 billion dollars, and 352 Millions miles later, the forever-long dream had finally become a reality (Landing as it Happens) (http://goo.gl/ieUBB). The mission for now? Well the Rover is slated to explore the various geological facets of the Gale Crater, its original landing position, and through use of the Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons or DAN, the hunt for water begins again. Also, on Sol 2, a benchmark for the rover's activities, it is scheduled to raise its six foot high mast complete with navigational, chemical and imaging cameras for images of the sky above mars, as well as panoramic shots of the alien flatland. All in all the 98 week mission on mars is going to be a fruitful one at that; a mission that will certainly broaden our understanding of the great frontier. Click this link to view the 257 frames of the Rover's landing on mars, along with many other facts about the program (http://goo.gl/00LGt)!
Posted: Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:00:35 Shore leave continued for the crew of the Duronis II Embassy/USS Thunder, NCC-70605. A rather dangerous shore leave for some, as Lieutenant Junior Grade Winyah Kasara and Dr. Lakshmi Tindall were captured outside a Laudean bar and sold as "brides" to a Brenndar nobleman, and Lieutenant Commander Skyleena Blake was caught in an explosion on her home planet of Brekka. Lieutenant Commander Hannibal Parker lead a small team to successfully rescue Kasara and Tindall, and on the way home they pick up an injured Blake. While on a secret mission Marine Captain Hella discovered a potential Klingon/Scarlett Brotherhood alliance, and on the evening of Lieutenant Commander Alucard Vess's wedding word arrived to Laudean Prime Minister Vail Daysa of a Klingon Ambassador requesting Ambassadorial representation, prompting Fleet Captain Toni Turner to call for an end to shore leave. Follow the crew on the Duronis II Embassy Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/51o3O)!
Posted: Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:00:55 Starbase 118, Trinity Sector (Stardate 238908.06) - Scattered reports have emerged from systems along the Klingon-Romulan border that Klingon forces are preparing for a large scale military operation, the purpose of which is unconfirmed. A Federation task force, led by the USS Cortez, has reported that a large fleet of Klingon Warships has been amassing in the Mempa Sector near Beta Thoridar. Data from the Cortez indicates that the fleet was last seen headed towards the Romulan border. Systems on the Romulan side of the border, particularly the Nequencia system, were once heavily defended, but since the destruction of Hobus and the subsequent dispersion of a centralized Romulan military, the majority of the Romulan Empire's side has fallen into chaos. Unconfirmed reports also indicated that Klingon scout ships may have already infiltrated Romulan space, traveling as far as the D'deridex system. No attacks have yet been reported in this region. But such incursions into Romulan territory suggest that the Klingon Imperial Fleet is testing the defenses and responses along border regions. With Romulan Fleet Command all but destroyed, responses have been limited at best. Whether or not such actions are a preparation for a larger operation, or simply an extended exercise remains speculative. The Office of Senator Vreeya (http://goo.gl/r088l), Ambassador aboard Starbase 118 (http://goo.gl/HDNpV), released a statement, saying "The Romulan Star Empire has undeniably suffered as a result of the destruction of our home system, and faces a long journey in the process of rebuilding. However, regardless of internal politics, the Empire will not tolerate violations of our sovereign territory, and if threatened, will respond in full measure. Klingon Consular staff did not respond to a request for comment. FNN will provide more details as they become available. Contact: Commander Alexander Jayson Cregg Press Secretary Starbase 118
Posted: Sun, 05 Aug 2012 14:58:30 It has often been said that behind ever great man there is a great woman and vice versa. So it is unsurprising that when such couples are so madly in love marriage is never far from the horizon. Previously in the Polls and in various discussion threads we have talked about marriage regulations for Star Fleet officers and even if children should be allowed aboard starships but the one thing that might have been overlooked is this: Should married Star Fleet officers serve on the same ship/base? Organizations in the present day Earth have also had to deal with this issue but it seems that in the future previous concerns have been overridden. So do you think allowing those ever so romantic couple to stay close best for morale? Or do you think that keeping our love birds apart will increase work productivity among other things. Remember everyone, that we want to hear your comments so please take the time to visit the forums (http://goo.gl/mZ9AG) and have your say because the discussion is where the fun begins.
Posted: Sat, 04 Aug 2012 10:00:41 The Featured Bio Contest has official gotten off the ground and is pleased to announce it's inaugural featured articles. Basically, articles nominated that meet the contest's minimum selection criteria are awarded Featured Nominee status. From those Featured Nominees, one is chosen as the Featured Bio of StarBase 118 to be displayed on the wiki as such for the next month. You can find out more about the contest on the Featured Bio Contest wiki page (http://goo.gl/4V5yy)! August 2012's Featured Bio is Captain Della Vetri of the USS Avandar. The remaining Featured Nominees are as follows: LtJG James, USS Discovery-C Captain Kali Nicholotti, StarBase 118 Ops LtJG Telice Shagan, USS Discovery-C Lt Kaedyn Zehn, StarBase 118 Ops
~Newsletter Team Facilitator~ People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Aug 17, 2012Weekly Newsletter #22
FLEET EVENTS
Of..." Every entry must be under 1000 words for this round, which means that flash fiction and short-short stories would be ideal. The deadline for this challenge is August 22nd! http://goo.gl/rJoL4
19th, 2012 at 23:59 PM. **For voting for Round 13 and nominations for Round 15 (submissions for this round closes Aug 19th), check here: http://goo.gl/zNZKN.
YouTube channel (http://goo.gl/z3NBj) and downloaded from Archive.org (http://goo.gl/dRnVH).
(http://goo.gl/2wdpJ) of the USS Avandar, being a winner of the Round 1. Nominations for Round 2 are closed; for nominations for Round 3, visit http://goo.gl/A0BJk. Round 3 is closing September 01.
there's something for everyone, so don't be shy. ** Create Lasting Memories with Starbase 118 Memory Book: http://goo.gl/AozoS
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.
Posted: Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:00:51 The staff of UFoP: StarBase 118 would like to take a moment and recognize the promotions for July. Please join us in congratulating the following members when you see them in the corridors! USS Drake Dantin Vex to Lieutenant StarBase 118 Ops Kalianna Nicholotti to Captain
Posted: Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:00:06 The science fiction satirist Harry Harrison (http://goo.gl/8Uxci) has passed away at the age of 87. Harrison is best known for his novel "Make Room! Make Room!" adapted into one of the Science Fiction classics "Soylent Green" and a series of comical SciFi books Stainless Steel Rat. Harrison started his career as an illustrator for EC Comics in early 50's. In the 50's and 60's he was the main writer of the Flash Gordon series. Harrison was also well known as a huge advocate of Esperanto (http://goo.gl/EwiMq) and translator for the language that lost its importance because of internet and international use of English as the main World Language - but it still has its place in the history. Some of the best written obituaries are from The Guardian (http://goo.gl/PSs8l ) written by another SF great Christopher Priest and one published by BBC News (http://goo.gl/yQJTe). Rest in peace Sir, your works will continue to entertain through often dodgy characters and always fresh and the entertaining escapades you created for them.
Posted: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:00:10 Sorry for the alarming title, but the subject matter of this article may just be that alarming. Alarming, yes; but not in the sense of mechanical failure, or economic catastrophe. Ladies and gentleman, the latest problem to hit the missions to Mars is one that no one planned for, a problem that even the most skilled and versed scientists couldn't even predict. It would seem that on that awesome August 6th morning that all was going well. The Rover and its landing module descended through the martian atmosphere with utmost brilliance, and it to rest on the flat red rock that is Mars. Footage can be seen all around the web of the men and women at the control center leaping with joy, as nearly two years of hard work and preparation finally came to a grand and well deserved hallmark. Video detailing the landing, dubbed the "7 Minutes of Terror", could also be pulled from "dailymotion.com" to YouTube so that all may enjoy one of the most momentous occasions in nearly a decade. That was. until the unexpected happened. In spite of the monstrous success of the mission, and the simple fact that man had done it again, this monumental video footage would still have to suffer the wrath of non other than the Bureaucrats. The video was viewable on YouTube and other video streaming sites for nearly 10 hours before the infamous message would rear its ugly head: "This video contains content from Scripps Local News, who has blocked it on copyright grounds." Short lesson in public domain: it's generally accepted that NASA is an adjunct of the federal government, which means that any footage that it may take and release to the public is indeed PUBLIC domain. When NASA prompted Scripps and YouTube for an answer as to how they could possibly own public domain, they answered in true lobbyist fashion. Scripps responded early the next day with a statement negating the allegations that they wanted the materials blocked based on copyright infringement: "We apologize for the temporary inconvenience experienced when trying to upload and view a NASA clip early Monday morning," . "We made a mistake. We reacted as quickly as possible to make the video viewable again, and we've adjusted our workflow processes to remedy the situation in future." -Taken from Motherboard Blog (http://goo.gl/smxj4). The video was made viewable once again by the good folks at YouTube. At one point in the debate, there was talk that perhaps YouTube's DCMA screening rules (http://goo.gl/smxj4) might have been solely to blame, however there is one large caveat to the story. In order for the rules to take effect, and the screening "robots" as they were to do their jobs, a claimant must file a claim of infringement and set the factors that determine such action. In other words, our good friends at Scripps might have prematurely claimed ownership of the footage. Nice try guys. Nonetheless, you can now enjoy any of the Rover's mission footage which can conveniently be found by clicking this link (http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/). ENJOY!
Posted: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:00:47 With the Away team returned to the ship, and the survivors of the USS Nelson recovered, the crew of NCC-71669 USS Apollo is faced with a difficult decision of whether to leave the energy creature alone, or whether to try to return the creature to it's home dimension. And how. Ultimately, the crew decides that the best course of action is to try to send it back to it's home dimension. Using the crew's scientific knowledge, and data obtained from the USS Nelson, they are able to open a small singularity which will draw the creature back to the space in which it belongs. But there problems are not quite finished. A small portion of the creature has managed to use genetic material from one of the Nelson's crew to take physical form in an effort to communicate. Lieutenant Commander Hugh Barnes was able to make contact with the creature. However, to Lieutenant Commander Liam Frost, observing from the bridge, the process appeared to be an attack on Commander Barnes. The decision was made to beam the creature off of the Ship and into space for the safety of the crew. With their mission complete, the Apollo is currently on the way to a rendezvous with the USS Carpathia to transfer the Nelson survivors before making their way to the Trinity Sector for their next mission. Follow the crew on the Apollo Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/9GgXC)!
Posted: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:00:23 Starbase 118, Trinity Sector (Stardate 238908.13) - Starfleet Command confirms the first reports of unprovoked Klingon attacks on systems within Romulan borders. Despite communications blackouts that still exist throughout Romulan space following the destruction of the Hobus star, Starfleet Command has verified at least one report of unprovoked violence against a Romulan colony world near the Neutral Zone. The colony, known as the Nequencia colony, lies just within Romulan borders on their side of the zone, making the Klingon incursion seem deliberate and intentional. Thus far, communication with Klingon officials by FNN representatives has been met with silence. Likewise, Klingon ambassadors and representatives aboard Starbase 118 have either left their posts to return home or remain tight lipped and hidden within the Diplomatic Tower. Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps are already opening lines of communication with those representatives who have not returned to the Empire, but no updates on their progress have been released as of yet. "We're hesitant to call it an invasion as of yet," says Commander Zorah Reckt of the Diplomatic Corps. "As of right now we're just trying to figure out what's going on and we're willing to give everyone involved the benefit of the doubt until they prove they deserve otherwise." Be sure to stay tuned to FNN for the latest regarding this breaking story. Contact: Commander Alexander Jayson Cregg Press Secretary Starbase 118
Posted: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 05:57:59 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/9orCR) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Alan Williams and Hsina Amman!
Posted: Sun, 12 Aug 2012 18:33:14 Having bounced our way around the various Trek series we have reached the most recent of them all as we do our second last "Nails on a chalk board" poll. In simpler terms we are taking a look at the crew of the Enterprise NX-01, the pioneers of the modern day Star Fleet. With no basis for comparison they were often seen making up the answers as they went along with mixed results. So far it has been either the poorly developed character or the one that stereotypically gives the unusually wise advice that has been named the most annoying character. So who do you think fits either of those descriptions this week or is there a different culprit on the loose. As always remember visit the forums (http://goo.gl/kmtKP) to leave a comment or two and have fun with the poll.
Posted: Sat, 11 Aug 2012 10:00:59 August's theme is "A Moment In The Life Of." Every entry must be under 1000 words for this round, which means that flash fiction and short-short stories would be ideal. The very last day to enter is Wednesday, August 22nd. Short fiction was always the most important part of Science Fiction, but reached its height in the time called Golden Age of science Fiction (http://goo.gl/ZyZiS), greatly popularized by Astounding Stories (http://goo.gl/fcFUq) led by visionary John W. Campbell (http://goo.gl/q403Z). Campbell definitely shaped the Golden Age of the genre, what some see as good and some as too controlled. But still in 10 years of his "control" in SF publishing, some of the best short stories were published and it formed some of biggest names in the history of the Science Fiction genre like Theodore Sturgeon, Robert A. Heinlein, Joseph H. Delaney, Joe Haldeman, and Isaac Asimov. To help you in writing your entries for this, again short, August challenge; let me recommend a few of my favorite short stories. Daniel Keyes: "Flowers for Algernon" Richard Matheson: "Born of Man and Woman" Poul Anderson: "No Truce with Kings" Harlan Ellison: "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" Gordon R. Dickson: "Soldier, Ask Not" Larry Niven: "Neutron Star" Second, the "very short" known theme in Science Fiction is Filk or Filk music (http://goo.gl/xUNEV). The term is formed as a typo error, but stuck and remained as a way to defer the type of songwriting specific for genre. In most cases it's a text written on famous or well known music, but lately many authors write their own music for the songs. "Bein' Red" (http://goo.gl/cIMv1 ) and "Star Trek Fan - Trekkies Filk Song" (http://goo.gl/ETlJK) are some I found Star Trek related. While Leslie Fish's "Banned from Argo" (http://goo.gl/Tgs5g) and "Pushin' the Speed of Light" (http://goo.gl/iUKjw) belong among the classics. Good luck with your entries.
~Newsletter Team Facilitator~ People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Aug 21, 2012Important Information About This Year's Summer Blockbuster
Greetings All Starfleet Officers and Crewmen, What some have feared since the destruction of the Hobus star has finally become reality; the Klingons have invaded Romulan space and are launching attacks on colonies closest to the border. As we speak, multiple Klingon Fleets have crossed the Neutral Zone and are actively attacking the outlying colonies belonging to the newly formed Thracian Alliance just outside Romulan space, as well as the Khitomer colony and areas near Tranome Sar inside Romulan space. The situation has quickly descended into a violent and bloody conflict. Starfleet has mobilized a number of ships to deal with the many fronts of this attack, including not only outright attacks on colonies in the Trinity sector where the Romulan and Klingon borders meet, but potentially aggressive posturing by Klingons near the Duronis II Embassy and aggression in other sectors of space as well. While these representatives of Starfleet are not taking sides in the actual conflict, they have been tasked with providing protection for Federation interests and colonies, as well as those who have allied with them, and to provide humanitarian aid to any who should ask. These are dire days we live in where the situation changes daily. To keep up on the latest news from the front, stay tuned to FNN for the latest updates (http://www.starbase118.net/members) or visit the record of communications and public log entries (http://www.starbase118.net/forums/index.php?/forum/469-klingon-invasion/). Information is power, especially at a time like this, so don't hesitate to share your own thoughts, logs, and communication attempts as well. Though things seem out of control, Federation representatives will continue to work around the clock for a peaceful solution to this conflict. In the meantime, may everyone stay safe. (OOC - Questions are always welcome! If you have one, please don't hesitate to ask on the forums or via email to me or your command team.) -- Captain Kalianna Nicholotti Commanding Officer Starbase 118 / USS Victory Aug 24, 2012Weekly Newsletter #23
FLEET EVENTS
Posted: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:00:29 If you've been a member of Starbase 118 (http://goo.gl/HDNpV) for long, of if you've taken a good look around the wiki at all, you know that we don't limit ourselves to the creativity put forth by the creators and designers of Star Trek itself. From unique locations in space, to brand new alien civilizations, our members have come up with some pretty stellar ideas over the years. And while anyone is able to work with the Species Development Committee to create and design their own race within our game, now we have a chance to step outside the bounds of 118 and put that creativity to use while spreading the word about the Starbase 118 Fleet - by participating in Sci-Fi Ideas Alien Week (http://goo.gl/o05uS)!
Alien Week is a week long event, hosted by Sci Fi Ideas, where writers, dreamers, and anyone with an imagination come together to share ideas about alien races and the societies that they come from. It goes beyond the simple speculation about what they might look like, often delving into societal issues, biological diversity, their level of technology, and possible interaction with other species. Many people will be coming together to offer ideas and feedback throughout the week, providing a great opportunity to share and learn from like minded individuals throughout the world.
Of course, one of the highlights of the week will be a special Alien Profile Writing Competition (http://goo.gl/JE14y). During the competition, writers will be asked to describe various aspects of an alien race depicted by one of three different images found on the competition website. Once your profile is complete, send in your entry and be sure to include a link back to Starbase 118! The entries will be published on their blog, showing the world your creation. While we only have about a week and a half to participate in this competition, it's a great opportunity to show the world some of the creativity we have here in the 118 Fleet. So take a moment and check out the Sci Fi Ideas (http://goo.gl/6DdRG ) website to learn more, see the images, or submit your entry!
Posted: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:00:06 The Shadow creatures that had been discovered by the crew earlier turned out to be a mixture of a new race from the Nebula, and that races "catch"; the crew of the USS Calgary. Several chiefs, including the Captain and First Officer were attacked by the shadows, draining away their emotional and physical energies and leaving those affected in varying stages of emotional distress. The crew discovered some devices on the Calgary that had been used to keep some of the shadows at bay, and modified them to begin driving back the shadows from the station. Finding a device that created a link to the nebula, the shadows were enticed to release the USS Calgary crew on threat of their destruction. Keeping their word, the shadows were sent back into the nebula. This was a death sentence for those creatures, as there was no food present. However, since the nebula was empty of life due to their previous "feeding" it was deemed the least dangerous answer. The crew has now entered shore leave, physically and emotionally exhausted. Follow the crew on the Starbase 118 Ops Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/2MFD6)!
Posted: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:00:29 Service Ribbons (http://goo.gl/pcVK1) are In Character awards presented to characters for acts of heroism and participation in plots and campaigns. Ribbons can be received at any time, but are generally presented alongside crew promotions. It is not uncommon for all members of a crew to receive campaign ribbons. These brave and honorable members of the USS Drake (http://goo.gl/RP6Hh) received them in June; please join us in congratulating them.
Lieutenant Dantin Vex Lieutenant Commander Jerry Reid
Lieutenant Sakkora Reed Lieutenant Jade Shryker
Commander William Rogers Major David Whale Commander Karynn Brice Lieutenant Cmdr Danzia Lieutenant Cmdr Jerry Reid Lieutenant Pandora Lieutenant Sakkora Reed Lieutenant Sinda Essen Lieutenant Dantin Vex Lieutenant Junior Grade Oliver Weston Lieutenant Junior Grade Didrik Stennes
Posted: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 03:09:48 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/0QfNk) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Alia, Erelis, and T'Mar!
Posted: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:00:02 Happy to have the chance to get down to some serious scientific study, the crew of the USS Avandar begin the task of puzzling out all they can about the cosmozoans they have discovered and the deep-space cometary body they are gathering around. The task was made somewhat trickier by the fact a probe launched to get a closer view of both targets was swallowed by what appeared to be a more juvenile creature, whilst the biggest and seemingly oldest of the group held the prime attention of the science and medical teams. The creatures were not the only puzzle, however. The comet itself gave off some interesting readings, suggesting something beneath the surface, something that strongly resembled a masked chamber of some kind. Despite the potential hazards of going walkabout on the surface of a comet, the selected away team was eager to get going - an eagerness that lasted right up until they encountered an entity of some kind on the comet and things took a turn for the the strange. Now, with the away team completely off sensors and experiencing some very vivid hallucinations apparently caused by the entity, a gas sample from the comet's corona totally ignoring containment methods after being beamed aboard for study, and an incoming call from Starfleet Command, things have gotten notably more hectic than any of the crew had hoped for in this little endeavor. For more information, check out the Avandar Google Group (http://goo.gl/oNrYN)!
Posted: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:00:07 Each month, the Publicity Team (http://goo.gl/N798p) 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.
Posted: Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:00:04 You can all relax as this weeks poll has little do with romantic/comedy movies despite the title. The only similarity is that this weeks poll is about long distance travel. To be precise, your preferred mode of traveling over long distances. Since day dot people have always looked for faster and easier ways of traveling of vast distances. From simply walking from place to place to riding horse back, to steam powered trains and boats to the first cars people have been obsessed with getting to our destinations faster for whatever reason. This urge has seen mankind develop faster and larger cars, more mobile boats and even jets to traverse the the skies. With so many options at hand, others better suited for the job then others, this week we ask which mode of transportation do you prefer given the choice? Do you simply love your car or would you rather do your part and take a train or bus to work? Is flying the only way to travel on business or do you like the sedate pace of cruise liners? The sky is quite literally the limit on this one so let us know what you think by visiting the forums (http://goo.gl/uPWGO). Like always remember to leave a comment because that is where the fun begins.
Posted: Sat, 18 Aug 2012 10:00:18 After uncovering the truth behind the bio weapon, the crew laid the body of the serial killer-turned-hero to rest, as they fired Zero's body into the a star, ensuring that no one could ever use his biological makeup to create such a weapon again. The crew returned to DS-285 for a long-awaited shore leave, and the younger members of the crew chose to have a "night out" with plenty of alcohol and a bar fight to keep them busy. Captain Waltas, his heart heavy from his wife's desertion, battled his own demons and resorted to the bottle as well, his indiscretions becoming the talk of the ship. Lieutenant Nickels dealt with problems at home and approached Waltas for a way out, and the Ba'ku obliged by sending the Discovery on shore leave to Sigma Iotia II, allowing Nickels to deal with his personal issues and the crew to have a long-deserved vacation. Beginning their journey, most of the crews' thoughts turned inward, each dealing with personal issues or relationships. Commander Valdivia and Ensign Frye are working on a prototype shuttle to replace the lost Romulan Scout nicknamed "Ace", and no one knows what awaits them in the anachronistic culture that comprises Sigma Iotia II. Follow the crew on the USS Discovery-C Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/N2vcv)!
~Newsletter Team Facilitator~ People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! Aug 30, 2012Weekly Newsletter #24
Happy Friday, Fleetmates!
What some have feared since the destruction of the Hobus star has finally become reality; the Klingons have invaded Romulan space and are launching attacks on colonies closest to the border. As we speak, multiple Klingon Fleets have crossed the Neutral Zone and are actively attacking the outlying colonies belonging to the newly formed Thracian Alliance just outside Romulan space, as well as the Khitomer colony and areas near Tranome Sar inside Romulan space. The situation has quickly descended into a violent and bloody conflict. Starfleet has mobilized a number of ships to deal with the many fronts of this attack, including not only outright attacks on colonies in the Trinity sector where the Romulan and Klingon borders meet, but potentially aggressive posturing by Klingons near the Duronis II Embassy and aggression in other sectors of space as well. While these representatives of Starfleet are not taking sides in the actual conflict, they have been tasked with providing protection for Federation interests and colonies, as well as those who have allied with them, and to provide humanitarian aid to any who should ask. These are dire days we live in where the situation changes daily. To keep up on the latest news from the front, stay tuned to FNN for the latest updates (http://www.starbase118.net/members) or visit the record of communications and public log entries (http://www.starbase118.net/forums/index.php?/forum/469-klingon-invasion/). Information is power, especially at a time like this, so don't hesitate to share your own thoughts, logs, and communication attempts as well. Though things seem out of control, Federation representatives will continue to work around the clock for a peaceful solution to this conflict. In the meantime, may everyone stay safe. (OOC - Questions are always welcome! If you have one, please don't hesitate to ask on the forums or via email to me or your command team.) -- Captain Kalianna Nicholotti Commanding Officer Starbase 118 / USS Victory
Posted: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:00:06 In 2387, the fleet participated in plot arch in the Ithassa Region. It involved a terrorist attack on DS17, resulting in the Vaadwuar taking control of the station. With a hope for a diplomatic resolution gone, Fleet Captain Mar organized Operation Bright Star. The operation was designed to retake DS17, and bring the Vaadwuar aggressors to justice. Today, we honor those who participated in this conflict with a new Service Ribbon, approved by the Captains Council. Any officer involved in this conflict is asked to contact their Commanding Officer to find out if they are eligible. For more information on our Service Ribbons, check out the Awards area on the wiki (http://goo.gl/SK0lf)!
Posted: Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:00:17 The crew of the USS Mercury has continued their exploration of the derelict space station in orbit above Eta Corvi IV. Interactions with the amphibious and pre-warp Corvian race have revealed that they did not build the structure, as they were a race of space gypsies that settled on the planet thanks to its Class O status; and while they volunteered to assist CMO Velana with restoring Crewman Gypsy Hawker to fully human, diplomatic officer Danning and Counselor Avandar at last exposed the contradiction of the Prime Directive their contact with the Corvians implied. Direct intervention from Cmdr Kells reinforced Velana's decision to proceed, and the Corvians left the ship soon after the procedure was completed. Meanwhile, Cmdr. Kells led another team over to the station and the away teams split into three groups, one for each of the nodal control centers the station possessed. The teams succeeded in restoring minimal power, and contact with an android evidently created by the station's builders assisted them in shutting down the cybernetic spiders, which were nothing more than service bots with corrupted programming. As the month closed, the Mercury and the away teams were working together to move the station back into a stable orbit. Follow the crew on the USS Mercury Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/OVx0n)!
Posted: Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:00:08 In March of 1999, the Federation starship Kodiak was launched under the command of Captain Jasen Rendary and his first officer Commander Lang Vedoc. Later the ship would be best known as Vice Admiral Hollis Calley's ship. The venerable Bajoran admiral would become the only player to have served aboard all of the various incarnations of the Kodiak as well as her successor ship, the Ursa Major. He would command all but the original Galaxy class ship. After all of these years, the mark of the Kodiak is still deeply imprinted in the fleet. Every single commanding officer currently serving in the Starbase 118 fleet traces his or her lineage back to the Kodiak under the command of Admiral Hollis. The story begins in early 1999 when the group was already a mature 5 years old. The Kodiak became the second command of Captain Jasen Rendary, following his captaincy training aboard the Ithaca. Rendery was portrayed as a Native American and he chose the name Kodiak for his ship as a reflection of his character's roots. Interestingly enough, Rendary was actually Apache and the name Kodiak was more associated with Alaska, which is quite far away from the traditional Apache nation. The connection to the Kodiak Bear would lead to the ship earning the nickname, the Great Bear. Captain Rendery's first mission as captain would be to rescue the survivors of the Daris Colony, which at the time was its own simming group within the UFOP. Rendary's reign as master of the Kodiak would be short lived. His character would be killed off later that summer coinciding with the decommissioning of the Kodiak following a battle with the Tholians. First Officer Lang Vedoc would take over the group as commanding officer, but it would be a few months before a new Kodiak would be launched. While the new Kodiak was being built, the group served aboard the USS Regent. The new Kodiak, also known as the Kodiak-A would be a Dauntless Class ship. This was somewhat of a controversial choice of Captain Vedoc. The Dauntless Class was first featured in an episode of Voyager called Hope and Fear where an alien race constructed their own Federation Starship known as the Dauntless to trick the crew of Voyager. The use of a Dauntless Class vessel was explained as Starfleet finding merit in the design upon their examination of Voyager's logs after she had returned to Earth. Some of the features of the Kodiak-A were over the top. The ship had extravagant decor like a brass chandelier in the wardroom and real wood conference tables. It was separable into a "saucer" and "stardrive" sections which were both warp capable. The Kodiak-A would also be known for having a full complement of marines and fighters. A wing command of fighters known as the GS50s would help to guard the Kodiak-A during battle. Within a year of the Kodiak-A's commissioning, Hollis Calley would take command. Hollis began his career in the UFOP as the counselor aboard the original Galaxy Class Kodiak. During Hollis' tenure as commanding officer of the Kodiak-A, several future commanding officers would serve aboard who would become the building blocks of the current fleet. The Kodiak-A would split multiple times over the years. First Captain Xan Hebron would depart, launching the Constitution-B. Shortly thereafter, Captain Jordan Hurne would spin off the Victory. Then less than a year later, Captain Christopher Hutton would launch the Steadfast. Other future commanding officers also spent time aboard this ship such as Captains La'ang, Daninburg, Avatar, Y'Shirad, Perkins, Taboo, and T'Pen not to mention the future Admiral Jessa Anasassi. Although many future commanding officers began their careers as the first officer of the Kodiak, Hollis never actually served in this capacity. When Captain Vedoc left the fleet, Hollis was second officer. At the time there was a Lieutenant Commander exchange program underway in the group. Commander Speed, the first officer, was essentially traded to the USS Nemesis for Lieutenant Commander Matthew Lee. Hollis would chose him as his initial first officer after deciding between Lee, M'Gret, and Kailun Khanar. The Kodiak-A would go on to undertake nearly 20 missions under the commands of Lang Vedoc and Hollis Calley. Interactions with the Orion Syndicate occurred on at least two occasions. The Kodiak-A would also undertake several rescue missions, an exploration of a Dyson Sphere, battles with the evil Doctor Solitaire, battles with the Breen, and the discovery of a Borg transwarp conduit. The Kodiak would also take part in several joint missions. The first of which would be to take part in the summer blockbuster of 2377 known as AB45. She would later join forces with the Ronin, the Ranger, and the Tiger on joint missions. The crew would help build a colony on the planet known as Kismet that would result in strange metamorphic effects on the crew after encountering the native lifeforms. Finally it would take a climactic battle with an inter-dimensional race of aliens known as the T'Lithians that would ultimately result in the Kodiak-A's stardrive section being destroyed and the rest of the ship decommissioned. The Kodiak-A would eventually be replaced with the Kodiak-B. This time Hollis decided to replace her with a more canon established ship, the Norway class. The Kodiak-B would be launched with Hollis in command and former Hammond commanding officer, Allen O'Malley as his first mate. Hollis would actually not end up as the Kodiak-B's final commanding officer. That honor would belong to Rhys Bejain. At the end of 2005, when Captain Megan Parker suddenly resigned as commanding officer of the Aurora, Hollis left the Kodiak-B and created a new ship, the Sovereign Class USS Ursa Major, with the former Aurora crew. Rhys would undertake a practical as CO of the Kodiak-B, before launching his own starship, the USS Triumphant. The Ursa Major would become the successor the Kodiak-B in spirit, as the constellation Ursa Major is known as the Great Bear, and through Hollis' continuation of the Kodiak tradition. Many of Hollis' sims over the years would reference former Kodiak crew, ensuring that their legacy would not be forgotten. Amazingly a starship named the Kodiak would serve contiguously in the group for nearly seven years. This is a feat that few other ships can claim. But clearly the Kodiak's most relevant contribution to the group today is the legacy of captains.
Posted: Wed, 29 Aug 2012 01:19:41 Please welcome (http://goo.gl/S1FH8) our newest class of Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Dax of Bleem and Emma Valentine!
Posted: Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:00:39 The USS Tiger-A was plunged into a time warp while in rapid pursuit of a mysterious unknown vessel. Upon exiting the time rift, the crew of the Tiger found themselves in orbit around the Earth in the year 1942. While an investigation was made to determine the damage sustained to the ship and to locate the mystery ship, the crew welcomed two new crew members to the ship, Doctor Estrane and Greekle. While repairs to the ship were being made, it was determined that the mystery vessel had crashed upon the Earth decades prior to the arrival of the Tiger. The mystery ship was now lodged in a ice glacier near the Earth's North Pole region. While an away team composing of the Captain and the First Officer were sent to investigate, another ship appeared on the outer fringes of the solar system. Its identity and intentions were unknown and soon it vanished without a trace. On the planet's surface, the away team found that the United States Military had taken possession of a whaling station located directly above the crash site. The crew managed to infiltrate the facility on the premise they were members of a whaling ship that came to dock a few miles away. Follow the crew on the USS Tiger-A Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/5kko3)!
Posted: Mon, 27 Aug 2012 10:00:54 Starbase 118, Trinity Sector (Stardate 238908.20) - The Nequencia and Khitomer Systems have fallen to the Klingons, along with areas located near Tranome Sar. According to confirmed reports from Romulan space, the Nequencia system - recently part of the Thracian Alliance - as well as the contested system of Khitomer, have fallen to the advancing Klingon fleet who has now turned their attention to other colonies and outlying systems in the area. Estimates of casualties are still being calculated, but what images have escaped the inhabited planets of the system show the brutality of the attacks. Federation representatives have made multiple attempts to bring the Klingons to the table, but a message from the Klingon High Command has stated that the Federation has no jurisdiction over the matter, and it is strictly between the Klingon and Romulan Empires. Meanwhile, Starfleet has started sending ships in the general direction of Starbase 118 (http://goo.gl/HDNpV) where fighting between the two Empires has broken out, but until official aid is requested, ships must remain outside of the Neutral Zone. FNN will have more on this breaking story as soon as it is available. Contact: Commander Alexander Jayson Cregg Press Secretary Starbase 118
Posted: Mon, 27 Aug 2012 08:48:14 Well its been a while in the making but we are have finally arrived at the last edition of "Nails on a chalk board" series. Having covered the first two Enterprise's as well as the crews of DS9 and Voyager its time to take a look at the crew of the Enterprise D. After seven seasons, four feature length films and countless other novels based on this crew, its easy to say that they are some of the most recognizable Trek characters out there. With all that in mind who is your pick for the most irritating? Wesley Crusher is usually the prime suspect from what I have seen (for reasons beyond me) but are there any others that are even more irritating perhaps? Was Troi's psychobabble too much for you or did Data's constant malfunctions flip your switches? Let us know what you thought. Remember that if you want to see something specific in future polls, by all means let me know on the suggestions thread (http://goo.gl/y1dPK). You all know the drill, visit the forums (http://goo.gl/nbYtF) and add a comment or two after you vote because that is what makes this fun. Enjoy!!
Posted: Sun, 26 Aug 2012 10:00:34 "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." - Neil Alden Armstrong On July 21st, at 2:56am (UTC), Neil Armstrong stepped off the ladder of the Apollo 11 landing module, and into history. At approximately 2:45pm (EST) Armstrong passed away due to complications of heart bypass surgery at the age of 82. Armstrong was born on August 5th, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and joined the United States Navy in January 1949. After serving as a Naval Aviator in Korea, he graduated from Purdue University in 1955. Following hs graduation, Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics at Edwards Air Force Base where he served as both a chase pilot and experimental aircraft pilot, flying both the Bell Aircraft X-1B (A variant of the plane used by Chuck Yeager in the first manned supersonic flight) and the X-15 rocket-powered experimental aircraft. In September 1962, Armstrong was asked to join NASA's Astronaut Corps. His first journey into space with NASA was as the Commander of the Gemini 8 mission, and although mechanical failures would cut the mission short, he achieved the main objective, and performed the first docking of two vehicles in space. He was named the backup Commander for Gemini 8, and served at CAPCOM for the mission. On April 5th 1967 Armstrong, along with 17 other Astronauts met with Apollo Mission Coordinator Deke Slayton, who remarked "The men who will fly the Lunar missions are in this room." Armstrong was named Mission Commander for Apollo 11 in December 1968 and, after months of preparation, boarded the Saturn V rocket that would carry them to the moon on July 16th. After nearly 104 hours, the landing moduleEagletouched down on the surface of the moon. Four and a half hours later, Neil Armstrong went where no man had gone before, setting foot on the surface of a world beyond our own. The scientific data gained from the mission was remarkable, but even more importantly that that was what the mission represented. It was a fulfillment of President John Kennedy's promise to land a man on the moon before then end of the decade "not because it is easy, but because it is hard." They proved that, if enough people believed in an idea, then there was no force great enough to stop them from achieving that idea. President Barack Obama described the magnitude of Armstrong's actions, saying: "Neil's spirit of discovery lives on in all the men and women who have devoted their lives to exploring the unknown." So today, let us remember, and more importantly, let us not forget the legacy of the man who, in the words of President Obama, taught us the enormous power of one small step.
Posted: Sat, 25 Aug 2012 10:00:44 The mission to the former Jetkim republic was concluded successfully with the announcement of the new government's intention to hold open and free elections. Leaving the support of the fledgling democracy to the Diplomatic Service the crew of the USS Drake 1987 head off to their next mission and a spot of shore leave. On route Cmdr Rogers holds a promotion and awards ceremony where the CMO Dantin Vex is promoted to full Lieutenant and the entire crew is awarded the Peacekeepers Service Ribbon in recognition of their outstanding effort in the Jetkim Imperium. A tourist promotional holo program is played for the crew highlighting the many activities available on the Shard Worlds of Ishkara and upon arrival the crew wasted no time in exploring this fascinating system. The Ishkarian home system is a dizzying array of shards in orbit around a star. Some shards are huge, easily the size of a small moon. Many are protected by vast force fields that hold in an atmosphere and are covered by grasslands, verdant forests and even small seas. Still others are vast open cut mines with a multitude of small mining vessels busy extracting the rare metal and mineral deposits laid bare by the destruction of the planets. While Major Whale leads a diehard group from the SAR unit on a hair-raising rescue training mission others of the crew prepare for the upcoming weddings amongst the members of the Medical Department. Follow the crew on the USS Drake Yahoo Group (http://goo.gl/IiJV8)!
~Newsletter Team Facilitator~ People say you can't live without love... ...I think oxygen is more important! |
