TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section
1: An Overview of the Handbook
Section 2: Creating a
Character
Section 3: A List of Common
Races
Section 4: A List of
Common Billets
4.1: Common Billets and responsibilities
4.2: Brass Billets
Section 5: Posting
5.1: Subject Line
5.2: Scenes
5.3: Mission Dates
5.4: Star Dates
5.5: Berth Dates
5.6: Body
5.7: NRPG Section
5.8: Mission Date Summary
5.9: Closing
Section 6: Posting Tips
6.1: Plots, Subplots, and Plot Twists
6.2: The Golden Rule
6.3: Three Axes
6.4: NPC, Non-protected Characters
6.5: Posting Tip
Section 7: Credits
Section
1: An Overview of the Handbook
This Cadet Handbook will provide you with the basics on creating
your Character's Bio, putting together a post and tips on interacting
with other players using different methods. The information
in this handbook is a collection of the many ships in the SF:PD universe
and not all ships or stations will use certain sections. Your CO,
Commanding Officer, will let you know what is expected once you've
joined the ship or station.
Section
2: Creating a Character
The first bit of business is to
create a character for you to use in order to interact with other
players. In this section you will find a CHARACTER BIO TEMPLATE
that will aid you in creating one. Each line of the template has a
small caption explaining the different parts and what information is
needed in each section.
CHARACTER BIO TEMPLATE
NAME: (Name of Character)
CURRENT RANK: (Rank the Character is holding now - Ensign, Lt(jg)., Lt.)
CURRENT BILLET: (Position your Character is holding - CEO,
CSO, CNS)
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
RACE: (What your Character is; ex: Human,
Vulcan, Klingon, part of all)
DATE OF BIRTH: (Character Age shown
by human years or both human and race)
HEIGHT: (How tall you Character is in ft/in and
meters)
WEIGHT: (How heavy your Character is)
HAIR: (Color of your Character's hair, if
any present)
EYES: (Color of your Character's eyes)
SCARS, MARKS, TATOOS: (Any other outstanding
characteristics concerning
your Character)
PERSONAL FAMILY
PLACE OF BIRTH: (Where your Character was born)
MOTHER: (Mother's name, Living/Deceased,
occupation, where she resides)
FATHER: (Father's name, Living/Deceased,
occupation, where he resides)
SIBLINGS: (Brother(s)/Sister(s), How many or
list them by name)
STARFLEET SERVICE RECORD
(all stardates approximate)
STARDATE
ACTION
(date when occurred) (quick line of what happened)
BACKGROUND MATERIAL:
(A paragraph describing a bit about your Character giving your crew a
bit of knowledge about the Character's life)
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:
(if necessary)
(Description of any psychological problem, temperament/attitude - this
can becontained in the Background Material section)
NRPG BACKGROUND MATERIAL:
(if necessary)
(This section is for specifics on unknown information that the
Characters would not know about but you wish to relay to other players.
Ex: Your Character is in hiding and the background material is the fake
information and here is the truth behind the Character. Such as,
who the Character is, or why the Character hiding. This
information should not be brought out into the
open except by you, the Character's owner, unless permission was granted
to another player)
Section
3: A List of Common Races
Part of creating your character is what or who you are. In
other words, the race you've decided your character will be.
Following is a list of some of the races found in the SF:PD universe:
RACES
DESCRIPTION
----------------
----------------------
Acamarians (Gatherers) - Humanoid
inhabitants of Acamar III (The Vengeance Factor - TNG)
Andorian -
Humanoids
noted for their blue-skin and bilateral antennae
Angosians (military, civilian) - Humanoid inhabitants of Angosia III
("TheHunted" - TNG)
Anticans -
Sentient
lupine humanoids native to the planet Antica
Bajoran -
Humanoids
native of Bajor (DS9)
Boull'derian -
Rock skinned Humanoids native to Boull'der (see Cmdr Grae Vell -Sornaus)
Benzites -
Blue
skinned sentient humanoid needing a respiration device to breath native
of the planet Benzar
Betazoids -
Telepathic
humanoids native to the planet Betazed
Bolians -
Blue-skinned jumanoids, characterized by a mid-facial dividing line,
native of Bolarus IX
Caldonians -
Very tall bi-fingered humanoids ("The Price" - TNG)
Deltans -
Characteristically bald humanoid species native to the planet Delta IV
Ferengi -
Humanoids
known as the consummate capitalists
Gorn -
Sentient
reptilian
Humans -
(Us)
Kerelian -
Species with highly developed hearing ("Lessons" - TNG)
Klingons -
Warrior Society
Orions -
Characteristically green-skinned humanoids
Romulans -
Humanoid
offshoot of the Vulcan species
Selay -
Sentient,
reptilian inhabitants of the Beta Renna System
Trill -
Joined species, composed of a humanoid host and a small, helpless, but
long-lived symbiot
Vulcans -
Humanoid
species whose culture is based on total suppression of emotion in favor
of pure logic
Zaldans -
Humanoid
race characterized by webbed hands and their fierce dislike for human
courtesy
Section
4: A List of Common Billets
4.1: Common Billets and responsibilities
This sections describes the many different billets that you will
see in the SF:PD universe.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Commanding Officer (CO)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
COs are the plot drivers and administrative body of their unit. They
report directly to their XXXTFC. Their additional duties and
powers include the ability to recruit players themselves, plot their own
missions and create additional rules and regulations for their own
specific units. The CO represents their unit at the Round Table and they
also have the primary power of ret-conning. As with CINCxxx, the CO may
pass along any of his or her duties to the XO or 2O, but will ultimately
be held responsible for the
administrative duties assigned to the CO.
Any CO may invite any player onto his or her mailing list without
consulting anyone including CINCxxx, CINCxxxXO and xxxTFCs. For a player
to be added to play, they must receive permission in accordance with the
recruiting
regulations from CINCxxxXO.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Officer (XO or FO)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
XOs report to their COs and are assistants to aid in plot driving. While
not mandatory, it is advised that the XO be included in command
decisions with their CO. The XO is also responsible for maintaining the
roster and bio files. All rosters and bio files should be submitted to
CINCxxxXO whenever a new version is created. All bio files and rosters
should be dated with the Stardate for reference. Should the CO be
removed or unavailable, the XO must take command of the unit and the
plot.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd Officer (2O)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Unit 2O is available to be assigned unit administrative tasks by the
unit CO and XO. Duties of the 2O can be like the following:
maintaining the Posting Log, Updating the Mission Summary and Mission
History, and assigning new players to their posts after they are
assigned to the ship by xxxXO and Timeline Update.
The 2O/ OPS is to report to the XO directly, and is responsible for the
overall ship's operating functions (i.e. communications/sensor readings,
life support, etc.). The OPS posts should reflect these duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Flight Control Officer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The FCO (or FlOPS) is accountable to the OPS, and is responsible for the
motion of the ship. Iin addition to driving it, the FCO is also
responsible for parking it too. The FCO is also accountable for
all smaller craft aboard the ship, including (but not limited to)
shuttles, EVA pods, Captain's Yacht, and escape pods. The FCO's
posts should reflect these duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Engineering Officer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The CEO (or ENG) is accountable to the XO, and responsible for the power
and drive systems aboard the ship. The engineering department is
also responsible for the design and creation of special or unique
devices needed for the plot. The CEO's posts should reflect these
duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Security Officer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The CSO (or SEC) is accountable to the XO, and is responsible for the
safety and security of the ship and her crew. Many ship's combine
the CSO and the TAC (Tactical) positions, making the CSO also
responsible for ship's weapons, shields and small arms. The CSO's posts
should reflect these duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Medical Officer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The CMO (or MED) is accountable to the CO, and is responsible for the
physical well being of the crew. The CMO is to maintain and staff
a sickbay with round the clock medical/nursing care. Any injury or
disease is the duty of the CMO
to deal with. The CMO's posts should reflect these duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ship's Counselor
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The CNS (or COU) is really a two-part role. For the most part, the
CNS is accountable to the CMO for the mental health of the crew.
On the other hand, the CNS plays a vital role in negotiations, and
inter-species confrontation. In that role, the CNS is accountable to the
CO and is often on the bridge. The CNS's posts should reflect these
duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Marine Commanding Officer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The MCO (or MO) is the commander of the marine unit(s) aboard the ship.
In matters of his/her own unit, he is answerable to the Marine chain of
command. In matters of the ship, he is answerable to the CO only. Often,
the MCO works in conjunction with the CSO for ship's security, and is in
charge of most away team missions. The posts of the MCO should
reflect these duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Science Officer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The SCI (or SCO) is accountable to the XO and responsible for any and
all scientific materials/discoveries. All sensor readings are
given to the SCI for analysis, and the SCI is often found in Sickbay
working with the CMO for various reasons. The SCI's posts should
reflect these duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic Operations Officer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The SOO (or SOPS) is basically the intelligence officer on board who
performs these duties in addition to tactical and security duties in
coordination with the ship's Chief Security Officer. The SOO gathers and
studies intelligence information, and is often instrumental in analysis
of a new enemy/tactical situation. The posts of the SOO should
reflect these duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Protocol Officer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Protocol Officer is charged with assisting the ship's command staff
with situations that involve sensitive diplomatic relations or first
contact relations with other species. The posts of the PRO should
reflect these duties.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Head Medical Researcher
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The HMR is charged with working in conjunction with the CMO and her
staff to develop medical solutions to current problems as well as
investigate the causes and behaviors of biological diseases and other
organisms. The HMR
also works in conjunction with the Science Department, especially in
dealings
with unknown lifeforms or in situations requiring extensive biomedical
knowledge.
--------------------------------------------
OTHER Billets not expanded on:
--------------------------------------------
CIC: Combat Information Center Officer
HELM: Helmsman.
INTEL: Intelligence Officer.
LO: Legal Officer/Liaison Officer (Usage varies).
MXO: Marine Executive Officer.
NAV: Navigation Officer. See NAV/A.
NAV/A: Navigation/Astrogation Officer.
RO: Recreation Officer.
TAC: Tactical Officer. Often also the CSO or SEC.
4.2: BRASS BILLETS:
This section describes in a general sense the BRASS billets that
you'll see in the SF:PD universe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Commander in Chief, blue Fleet (CINCxxx)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CINCxxx reports directly to CSFO and any conflicts with the CINCxxx
should be directed there. CINCxxx by definition is the
highest-ranking officer in the blue Fleet and sits on the Flag Council.
CINCxxx also sits as the blue Fleet Representative at the Round Table.
CINCxxx is ultimately responsible for the daily operation of their Fleet
1. Appoints and Removes any and all Administrators in their Fleet.
Advises and assists these administrators as needed and oversees all
aspect of their Fleet activity.
2. Provide the ultimate authority from which all others from their
Fleet Administrators draw their authority.
3. Be responsible for all actions and decisions made by their
Fleet Administrators and Members.
4. Assist Unit CO's in mission planning and unit administration.
5. Launches all new units and may close a unit on his/her own
authority.
6. Appoints and Removes all Command Officers (CO,XO) and Second
Officers (2O) regardless of their billet (OPS, SCI, etc).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Officer, <Color> Fleet (xxxXO)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CINCxxxXO reports directly to CINCxxx and any conflicts with the
CINCxxxXO should be directed there. CINCxxxXO is by definition, the
second in command of Blue Fleet. CINCxxxXO is the primary personnel
officer in their Fleet and all issues regarding personnel should be
directed to this office.
1. Responsible for recruitment of new non-command players which entails
advertisement, screening, authorization and placement.
2. Maintenance of the their Fleet Roster. Updating COMREC when
roster changes occur.
3. Must step in during the absence of any Task Force Commander.
4. Must step in during the absence of CINCxxx.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
<Color> Fleet Task Force Commander (xxxTFC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
xxxTFC is an Administrative coordinating position between the units and
CINCxxx. The units supervised by xxxTFC must include xxxTFC on all RPG,
NRPG and Command Discussion posts. xxxTFC also works on side projects
CINCxxx as well as aid in recruiting new players.
1. Assist Unit COs in Maintaining plot cohesiveness, recruiting
new members, acting as liaison to CINCxxx and answering pertinent
questions.
2. Read all posts for the assigned units and monitor these posts
for adherence to the FT and ASR rules, consistency and to note quantity
and quality of posts.
3. Provide to CINCxxx a weekly report on the supervised units.
This report will include a summary of plot progression, a listing of
posts for that week and thoughts, opinions and commentary about each
unit.
4. Bring to the attention of CINCxxx any post or action of a unit
that merits attention. This refers to violation of FT rules, plots
and posts that disrupt consistency, continuity or the spirit of ASR as
well as exceptionally well-written posts or plots for consideration of
awards.
5. Bring to the attention of the unit COs any post which warrants
ret-conning in accordance with ret-con rules.
Section 5:
Posting
5.1: Subject Line
On the mailing of your post, you have a subject line, which is
the title of your post. It should begin with your assigned
ship/station followed by what you're calling your post.
Example: USS HOLOSHIP: A Cadet reporting for duty
5.2: Scenes
The Scene input to your post tells the reader where the following
story takes place. This will aid you in bringing your readers
information in a simple and concise manner. All that is needed is
a short description of where the 'action' is taking place.
Example: Scene: Holodeck 1
5.3: Mission Dates
Mission dates are used to tell the time when an action of a post
is taking place. This is used to ensure that your character or
another's doesn't end up in two different places at the same time, which
is a trick in itself. The Mission Date consists of the 'Day of the
Mission' and the Hour the action/activity is taking place. You'll find
that some list the Mission Dates at the end of their posts with a
summary of what occurred at that time. This has been found to help
an individual who is in charge of keeping a running 'Timeline of
Events'. An example follows:
MD: 1.1300 => MD -
Mission Date; 1 = Day One of the Mission; 1300= Hour/minute
of activity
5.4: Star Dates
The StarDate is used to show the date of when your post was sent
to your ship or station. The first two digits depict the current
year, the next two the month, the next two the day followed by period
"." then the hour and
minutes of the submitting post. An example follows:
SD: 110116.1315 => SD - StarDate; 11 =
2411; 01 = January; 16 = Day; 1315 = Hour/minutes
In the SF:PD universe, it is the year 2411, which is
approximately 42 years from the beginning of Star Trek: The Next
Generation. This would then make the RL (Real Life) year 1999
begin with 11 (representing 2411) and when the
RL
year changes, the number changes (i.e. 2000 = 12 ).
5.5: Berth Dates
The use of Berth Dates is the same as Mission Dates except they
are used when a mission is NOT being performed. These are used for
R & R posting which follows a mission plot line. An example follows:
BD: 2.1000 => BD - Berth Date; 2 = Day Two
of R&R; 1000 = Hour/minute of activity
5.6: Body
The body post should read much like a story told from your
character's point of view. Interaction between your character and
others is always wanted and at times expected. As you write your
post, keep in mind the many people who are going to be reading it; and
having to weed through spelling errors will not only rob from the
portion of your tale in the story arc, but could also
cause confusion in your line of thought to the point where your
character instead of stopping a deadly spreading disease, actually
receives it. Therefore, a simple spell checker should be used on all
posts. It will aid you in making sure your thoughts are clear and
understood, and less of a hassle for others trying to read your posts.
When you write your post, try to keep moving your character
forward in the story line, perhaps even, at times, moving the story
forward. The CO, Commanding Officer, of the ship or station, has
some general knowledge of
the main plot line but there is always room for creativity and
additional sub- plots circling around your character. The use of
Character Development can be used for this fashion. By bringing
past, present or future problems to your character, the character starts
to become more three dimensional, add gives others with you on your ship
the chance to interact and learn with and about
your character.
The most important rule of rping, Role Playing, is that
everyone's character is sacred. No one person may decide the fate
of another's, without consent from that player. With this, your
character is protected from someone coming around and placing him/her/it
in a situation where they're blown to smithereens and you're now playing
with goo as your character. You can
write your characters and others into traps but just remember that if
anyone will die, it would be yours and by your OWN WORDS.
5.7: NRPG Section
This section is for the players to say howdy or leave messages
concerning ideas on something that you wrote concerning their character
in your post. NRPG stands for Non-role playing game. And is taken
as a player conversing with a player, not character to character
interaction. That's what the body of the post is to be used to
accomplish.
5.8: Mission Date Summary
Some ships/stations request that a summary of what has transpired
in the post be summarized at the end. This also aids the
individual in charge of the timeline so that they do not have to weed
through a post to discover what
happened and when.
Example: MD: 1.1200 Lunch with fellow cadets
MD:
1.1300 Returning to Holodeck exercises
5.9: Closing
The closing section is a simple signing off or signature of who
wrote the post. Can be as simple as you name, email, character's
name, billet and ship. To as complex as listing all the characters you
play, their billets and
ship.
Example: Respectfully submitted,
I.M. Posting
imposting@here.com
Cadet Samuel Trainer
USS HOLOSHIP
Section
6: Posting Tips
6.1: Plots, Subplots, and Plot Twists
A plot is the main story line that the entire crew, or a good
portion of it, is working on.
A subplot is a side story line involving a handful of characters.
A plot twist is an unexpected development in the main story line.
Mission orders will be developed by the CO, XO, 2O, and FC.
When mission orders are posted, they represent the main plot line.
All subplots (personal threads), if followed, should either help develop
that plot line or not interfere with the main plot line.
Also, the introduction of major new thread that would potentially
distract from the main plot line should be cleared with the CO, XO, and
2O before posting.
Example 1: Your ship is en route to drop off medical
supplies to Jaris IV, as per mission orders. Out of the blue, a
player decides to introduce a planet eating monster off the port bow.
This is a new plot. This should be cleared with the CO, XO, and 2O
first.
Example 2: Same mission as above. A player decides to
challenge another character to table tennis down in the rec rooms on
level seven. This is a subplot. No problem. Go to it.
Plot twists are trickier. They are welcome, but they need
to build on what has gone on before. A good plot twist makes the
reader go "aha!" not "oh no!" If the writer is
uncertain about a plot twist, run it by the CO, XO, or 2O
first. Most likely we'll think it's great.
6.2: The Golden Rule
Writing style and expectations differ across the fleet.
This style guide is not intended to impede creativity, but to enhance
it. Hopefully it will provide a useful framework in which the
writer can write.
Because this is group writing, not simply writing for the
individual, each writer must keep in mind the other writers on the ship.
Consider this the golden rule of posting: Post unto others as you
would have them post unto
you. In other words, be considerate.
6.3: Three Axes
The style of posts can be effectively evaluated on three axes:
Re-active
------------- Hyper-active
Solitary
------------- Inter-active
Character-driven ------------- Plot-driven
In each of these, the aim is usually for moderation.
Case 1: Re-active vs. Hyper-active
A re-active post is one that simply responds to a post before it,
usually in a plain and unimaginative manner. It doesn't develop
the plot or the character. It doesn't add to the situation or take
anything away. It is simply there - an innocuous piece of prose
that says nothing, demands nothing and leads nowhere.
A hyper-active post, on the other hand, changes things. In
the extreme, a hyper-active post would create new characters, new
obstacles, new races, new worlds, new threads, new everything. It
doesn't settle for the status-quo, but injects lots of things for people
to deal with. These are the posts that
every CO dreads.
The middle road would be one in which the writer takes what has
gone on before and uses it as the foundation on which to add something
new and consistent. A good post should develop plot, character,
and such, but not at the sake of continuity. Plot twists are fine.
Plot alterations or detours are problematic.
Case 2: Solitary vs. Inter-active
A solitary post is one which involves only one's character.
They touch on no one else in the ship, except maybe NPC's. They
generally are character building pieces, and are fine as such, but, as a
rule, they don't develop
the plot much.
An inter-active post touches on many player characters in many
facets - whether through dialogue or action or both. The writer
develops relationships, creates conflict, develops characters, and, very
likely advances the plot. The problem with a post that is too
inter-active is that it can involve other people's characters beyond the
other writer's comfort zone. If you are unsure how a character
might react in a situation, it is better to let the character's player
decide than take a chance and be wrong.
The middle road of these poles would be one in which the writer,
while concentrating on his or her character, contacts a few player
characters on the way. Note that in this medium the player
characters are the featured players and should take precedence in
consideration over NPC's. The interaction with the other
characters should be in the idiom and style the characters' players have
already set out. The character development that is done should be
concerned mainly with the writer's character, and not others.
Case 3: Plot-driven vs. Character-driven
Character-driven posts develop the character to the exclusion of
the plot. The plot only serves as a foil against which the character can
unfold and become. This leads to some interesting characters, but
leads nowhere for
the rest of the players.
In a plot-driven post the character is secondary to the story
that is being told. The story encompasses the whole of the
writing, and little or no attention is given to developing the character
through the post. The story, not the character, is developed.
The character is simply an observer or conduit for the writer. The
problem with this is that it leads to flat, unimaginative characters who
stand like paper cut-outs before whatever confronts them.
The middle road is, of course, to develop the plot as well as
character. The plot can be developed through the character,
or the character can be developed through the plot. Both are
possible and equally valid. The idea is that neither the plot nor
the character is to remain untouched. Each should change when they
come in contact with each other and help the writer write. Indeed, a
well-developed character suggests many plot pathways to the observant
writer. Likewise, good plot development can't help but impact upon
the character that is in the midst of it. In good writing
character and plot dance an intricate dance of interdependence.
6.4: NPC, Non-Protected Characters
Another part of the game is the development of NPC, Non-Protected
Characters, or otherwise known as the supporting cast. Think of
them as extensions of your character but perhaps not as strongly
protected. These NPCs are used to perhaps round out your billet
staff. Your Commanding Officer will be able to tell you how to
bring NPCs onto their command. Some have you create as many as you
need, while others may only have you create a few. These characters are
also 'owned' by you and once again under your scrutiny to do with
as you please. If someone has a 'need' to kill one off, your
permission must be obtained. There are ones that can be used just
for cannon fodder but it's just common courtesy to ask permission from
that NPCs creator.
6.5: Posting Tip
Something to remember in writing with others is that any
lime-light able to be captured by you need not happen every time, in
other words, 'spread the wealth'. Not to many people enjoy playing
with someone who ALWAYS comes up with the answers or ALWAYS saves the
day. In real life, you don't have all the answers, so why would
your character act that way. Let others enjoy the same feeling you
had when you were able to pull everyone's fat out of the fire.
This not only develops friendships and wonderful interactive writing but
creates an atmosphere where people enjoy writing because they just might
be the one to save the day for that particular part of the mission.
Section 7:
Credits
Portions contain both original text and
modified information from the
following documents:
The MERDIAN handbook compiled by Clayton Sears.
The RED Fleet Handbook, based on the ANC Handbook written by Randy
Severance and later edited by Seth Green, Chris O'Conor, and Scott
Maxfield;
The USS HERMES Ship Book and FAQ, written by Lawrence Van-Vactor-Lee;
The ALB Handbook, written by A. Rosina Bignall and Lawrence Van-Vactor
Lee;
The USS DAEDALUS Ship's Handbook, written by J.P. Balzen;
The USS TEMPEST Ship's Handbook, written by Eric Snyder;
The USS PERSEPHONE Ship's Handbook, written by Wendon Pettey;
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