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{{Header|#29235C|List of Featured Players}} | {{Header|#29235C|List of Featured Players}} | ||
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|Ash MacKenna | |||
|RELATIONSHIP=January 2019 Spotlight | |||
|PICTURE=Ashsmall.jpg | |||
|COLOR=Purple | |||
|BLURB= This month's spotlight is focused on one of the most prolific, experienced, and dedicated members of the UFOP: Starbase 118 fleet- Marissa. Over her years of exemplary work, this fleet has been treated to her astounding writing abilities, demonstrated through her menagerie of likeable, intriguing characters. Her work out of character has benefited our group in ways too numerous to list in their entirety. With three staff awards and a whopping seventeen badges to her name, there can be no doubt of her monumental service to the fleet. She has set the example on every ship she’s ever been assigned to or commanded, and this group would not be nearly the same without her. | |||
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Thank you to Marissa for agreeing to answer a few questions that will allow us to get to know the player behind Commander MacKenna a little better!: | |||
'''<font color="#350069">When did you join StarBase 118? Why were you drawn to it?</font>''' | |||
I was drawn in not long after the first reboot movie came out on DVD. Things at home were rocky and I was seeking a creative outlet to ground myself with. As a teenager I had often dabbled in mIRC and PbEM sims, and I thought it would be cool if they still existed. The group I had been a part of before was defunct, but I stumbled upon 118 and immediately applied. The rest, as they say, is history. | |||
'''<font color="#350069">In your opinion, what makes a good ship/station?</font>''' | |||
Just like in any game, if the leadership isn't there, if the creative freedom isn't there, it's hard to drive a story. A good sim (ship/station) is less about the actual environment and more about the feel of that environment. I could happily sim on a garbage scow, given the right leadership and freedom to develop the story in whatever direction it seems to want to go. Leading by example is a big thing to me, as is loose restrictions on story diversion. No one wants to play out something that's pre-written and has all of the major points set out in front of them. Part of what makes simming so amazing is that even the writers don't know where the story will go, and that makes them want to keep coming back for more. | |||
'''<font color="#350069">In your many roles during your time with the fleet, what has been your most rewarding?</font>''' | |||
I think the most rewarding role I've ever been in was Command. Leading the Ops crew, and then the Excalibur crew, was one of the best experiences I've had here. Not only did I learn and grow as a person, but I was able to participate in a number of amazing stories that have almost become history for me now. My husband and I often speak of these events as if we actually participated ("remember that one time when you shot that Klingon ship...") and there are so many moments I look back fondly on. The one thing I have the most pride in though is the creation of the Image Collective. Back when I was trying to go for Command, one of the requirements was to lead a taskforce or team. All of the teams had leaders, and none of them really called out to me. As a result, I floated a proposal to the EC and developed a new team later known as the Image Collective. The name was based on the fact that we assimilate actors into starfleet characters, so they actually stop being the actor and start being the character. The team has grown and is now, I feel, a very ingrained part of the fleet that will live on. I don't think I'll ever top that. | |||
'''<font color="#350069">So far, what is your favourite part about being a member of StarBase 118?</font>''' | |||
My absolute favorite part of being here is that I met the love of my life here and married him IRL. Aside from that, I love the connections I've made, the friendships I've forged, and the fun we all have no matter how geographically sparse we may be. The stories are awesome, but the connections are best. | |||
'''<font color="#350069">You've played many different characters during your time here, could you give us some insight into how you develop the characters?</font>''' | |||
It may sound strange, but honestly they kind of develop themselves. Kali was the most difficult, as she was the first and I created her because I needed a character to play. She was based on my childhood mentors, built with aspects of me that I am often unable to show (I'm actually rather shy), but then she kind of took off and grew into her own. All my other characters were created in response to a need or a gap. Either someone left 'anyone' tags that I felt I could fill, or we needed a specific officer or type of officer to help drive a story or something. Ultimately each character ends up jumping off the page and comes to life on their own. Yes, they argue with me sometimes too. They hate doing things they feel forced to do. | |||
'''<font color="#350069">What got you into Star Trek in the first place? Any particular movie, or show?</font>''' | |||
I grew up in the shadow of America's space program, living mere miles from where the Space Shuttles lifted off and returned home. As a kid, I ate, drank, and slept space. My step-father worked putting the heat shield tiles on the Shuttles, which gave me the ability to go to 'family day' and actually walk into the processing bays and meet pilots, astronauts, and many of the people who worked on the space program. With an eye for the future, I also quickly fell in love with anything space, especially anything realistic like Trek was to me. I followed my Step-dad and mom around to various conventions, met a number of the actors involved, and took part in the very welcoming community that is Star Trek fans. All told, it wasn't any one thing, but many that made me the fan I am today. | |||
'''<font color="#350069">Which character from Star Trek, (either the shows or movies), would you most like to meet in real life?</font>''' | |||
Not long after Voyager came out, life at home crumbled a bit and left teenage me without much of anyone to really look up to or consider a mentor. The result was that I often looked up to the strong women I would see on TV, most notably Captain Janeway from Trek and Commander Ivanova from Babylon 5. I've met Kathryn Mulgrew in person at a convention, but I think I would also like to meet the character Janeway as well. As I look back at the most difficult moments in my life, I realize that she was at least a kind of a guiding force that helped me reach for the good. Alternatively, I'd love to meet Kali too. She's got a lot of the good in myself, along with some of the capabilities I don't feel I have. I think I could learn a lot from her. | |||
'''<font color="#350069">If there was one thing you would want everyone to know about you, what would that be?</font>''' | |||
I'm not sure really, other than to say that I'm super approachable, I love JPs, am always happy to help, and I adore writing connections with others. Be it friendships, romantic relationships, enemy-ships, or any other interpersonal connection, my favorite part of writing involves anything to do with the inner emotions and psyche of the characters we play. It is these things that make the story and all of us who participate so much more real. | |||
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