Sunday, December 30, 2007

Address of Sargon to Federation Science Council Stardate 1207.30

Address of Sargon to Federation Science Council
Starbase Deep Space Nine
Bajoran Sector
Stardate 1207.30

First I would express my gratitude to the valiant efforts of Captain Korvus
and the crew of the IKS DuranQo in liberating me from a Romulan prison
asteroid. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have a proposal to put to you. The
rogue planet designated Xena and recently examined by the starship USS
Guadalcanal presents us with an invaluable opportunity for a truly long term
voyage of exploration. It will spend approximately three more weeks
orbitting local space before it is projected to leave the boundaries of
explored space and travel through the galaxy in an orbit that appears to
have at its core the center of the galaxy. The rather eccentric orbit will
take Xena close to three hundred years to complete. I propose to set up and
operate a advanced science monitoring station on Xena, along with a small
shuttle of simple enough design to maintain for the duration of the journey.
I will also employ a replicator and engineering fabricator to maintain all
equipment. The power source at the heart of my outpost will be a class
twelve matter/antimatter reactor, rated to run in simplistic mode for well
past the required time. As a benefit of this android body provided by Azimov
Advanced Cybernetic Center, I require no life support, food or drink, and
very little maintenance. As little as six autonomous repair robots will be
required to monitor my status and perform any required maintenance. In
addition, I will fabricate a supply of simple data transfer relays to allow
me to transmit reports throughout my entire journey. This entire operation,
which I am designating Magellan, after the renowned human explorer, will
cost less in resources than a new starship launched to follow courses
plotted and followed many times over in our familiar stellar neighborhood. I
urge the science council to consider and act on this with dispatch.

Warship Log Stardate 1207.30 IKS DuranQo, Docked at Deep Space Nine

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.30. Captain Korvus recording. Captain Murphy
finally returned to his starship, and I officially transferred the
scientist, a Mister Sargon to his custody. Good riddance. We have been
'invited' by this Sargon to remain to listen to news and an announcement
regarding a long-term science expedition. I declined the invitation, but the
High Command ordered me to attend. I will go, because it is my duty. But it
has been my experience that this Sargon has more love for long complicated
words than a Vulcan. It will be a great sacrifice. I will record my thoughts
on this later.

Captain's log, supplemental. It was a waste of time. Sargon plans to set up
a science platform on a rogue planet designated 'Xena' that will spend the
next three hundred years travelling through the galaxy. Apparently, Sargon
is an ancient non-corporeal energy being inhabiting an android body. So with
this technology, he will travel the galaxy on a rock. Truly inspiring. On
the subject of Spatial/Temporal Compression, Mister Sargon suggests that a
massive disturbance outside of our galaxy may be causing the effect, but
offers no solution or plan of action. Again, he is like a Vulcan in that he
seems to enjoy talking just for the sake of impressing others and himself
with his vocabulary. I have recorded his speech for posterity and will
present it to the council.

The competent engineering staff of Deep Space Nine assisted in a complete
inspection of the DuranQo, and it has been deemed spaceworthy, so I am
happily taking my leave of the Federation and Bajoran crew of this
Cardassian station. Korvus out.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Captain's Personal Log Stardate 1207.28 Captain Murphy, USS Guadalcanal

On board the Runabout Rio Grande, along with Deep Space Nine station
Commander Colonel Kira Nerys. We followed the erratic warp trail for almost
a full day, discovering very little solid evidence. All we really found was
an indication that the ship seemed to have passed through a thermobaric
cloud layer on its way here. And 'on its.way here' equals from the general
direction of the Gamma Quadrant. And judging from the decay rate (accounting
for the unpredictable nature of the decay), it could have come from outside
of the galaxy. According to the science officer on DS9, the space/time
disturbance is being called 'Spatial/Temporal Compression'. A fancy name for
saying that things are going to get more interesting. And I've been told
that the DuranQo is a week ahead of schedule, and its Captain is impatient
to transfer its passenger to the Guadalcanal. I'm starting to think we
should have taken that shore leave.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Warship Log Stardate 1207.26 IKS DuranQo

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.26. Captain Korvus recording. Our ship
encountered what our science officer calls a temporal disturbance wavefront
near the Iota Leonis system, what the humans call Argelius. It transported
us almost instantaneously to the vicinity of our destination, Starbase Deep
Space Nine. The Starship Guadalcanal is docked, although its Captain is
investigating the origin of an attack on the station. While we are awaiting
Captain Murphy's convenience, I will have the DuranQo inspected for damage
or malfunction related to the temporal disturbance wavefront. I will be
happy to dispose of this scientist and return to the Empire.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.24 USS Guadalcanal, Deep Space Nine

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.24. Captain Murphy recording. Our investigation
into the attack on Deep Space Nine has taken on an unexpected twist. The
warp trail leads in the general direction of the Gamma Quadrant. The
interesting thing is that the deterioration of the warp trail is not regular
or consistent. In places it seems to be very recent, perhaps a day or two
old, whereas other places appear to be weeks old. It might be connected with
the recent unexplained fluxuations in the space/time continuum. We will stay
close to DS9, as the IKS DuranQo is due in about a week, and our upcoming
mission is a high priority scientific one. I am, however, going to try to
talk Colonel Kira out of one of her runabouts.

Warship Log Stardate 1207.24 IKS DuranQo, enroute to Deep Space Nine

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.24. Captain Korvus recording. We passed through
the Miridian system today. It is sadly devoid of enemy activity. We hope to
deposit the scientist at Deep Space Nine as quickly as possible so we can
return to the Empire. With any luck there will be an insurrection to put
down somewhere.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

If you really, really like it....

I know there are some people who regularly read this. If you really really like it, I can send things daily..... otherwise, continue to drop in. Comments are welcome always....
 
 
 
Kapact

Open call to any tech savvy folks out there.....

I'm looking for someone who can write a program to run on a palm m505..... anyone interested, please email me....
 
 
Thanks
 
Kapact
 
 

Warship Log Stardate 1207.23 IKS DuranQo, enroute to Deep Space Nine

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.23. Captain Korvus recording. While enroute to
Federation starbase Deep Space Nine, we inadvertantly strayed into Romulan
space near the Unroth system where we encountered the Romulan Light Cruiser
Talon. Sadly for the crew of the Talon, they did not prevail. To their
honor, the explosive effect of their hull blowing apart did momentarily
threaten to overwhelm our shields.

RIS Talon 36. Allocation: 18,18
IKS DuranQo rolls 40. Allocation: 22,18

Result:
RIS Talon: 11.
IKS DuranQo: 15.

RIS Talon rolls: 40. Allocation: 20,20
IKS DuranQo rolls 40. Allocation: 20,20

Result:
RIS Talon: 11.
IKS DuranQo: 15.

RIS Talon: 32. Allocation: 16,16.
IKS DuranQo rolls: 50. Allocation: 34,16.

Result:
RIS Talon destroyed.
IKS DuranQo undamaged.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.21 USS Guadalcanal, Deep Space Nine

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.21. Captain Murphy recording. While awaiting
the arrival of the Klingon ship DuranQo, we witnessed a sneak attack on DS9
by a ship that seemed to be able to fire while cloaked. We managed to drive
the ship off by targetting the launch point of its missiles, and gave
pursuit. The ship, which appeared to be roughly equivalent to a frigate put
up quite a fight, but we prevailed. We managed to retrieve some debris,
which has been passed on to Starfleet Intelligence for analysis. Combat
proceeded as follows:


Unidentified Frigate Rolls 21. Allocation: 11,10
USS Guadalcanal Rolls 20. Allocation: 9,11

Result:
Unknown Frigate: 15
USS Guadalcanal: 15

Unidentified Frigate Rolls 27. Allocation: 14,13
USS Guadalcanal Rolls 35. Allocation: 21,14

Result:
Unknown Frigate: 7
USS Guadalcanal: 15

Unidentified Frigate Rolls 24. Allocation: 12,12
USS Guadalcanal Rolls 50. Allocation: 38,12

Result:
Unknown Frigate: Destroyed
USS Guadalcanal: Undamaged

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Developer's Diary: Single Player Campaign

I've run what I think was a fairly balanced simple single-player campaign on
an Excel worksheet measuring 37X26 cells. Aside from a nebula and a few
planets that didn't really play a part, I had twelve Klingon Heavy Cruisers
sent after two Federatiom Shipyards. The Klingons moved one box a turn, and
the shipyards each launched a ship every two turns. I marched the Klingons
in two pretty straight lines across the border and punched a hole in the
wall of Federation ships. Then my Klingon fleets surrounded the shipyards,
took them out in pretty short order. (Five heavy cruisers versus a shipyard
isn't much of a contest). By that time I'd lost four ships. The remaining
eight ships went after the remaining Federation ships (about twenty). I lost
three more ships in the process, but won the day.

I played both sides, obviously, using the combat chart and AI rules (meaning
that the computer evenly divided available points in combat). And I didn't
really manuever the enemy ships. I just stacked them in a protective
formation around the shipyards. That means that they didn't initiate combat,
but that will change when the scenarios get a bit more complex. I didn't use
any troop transports or construction ships. That will change in the future.
All together, the game probably lasted a few hours from start to finish.

If you have Microsoft Excel (or want to use a compatible alternative, like
Google Apps and Docs), I can send you the map... or I can point you to one
that I have uploaded in Google Docs.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Random Planetary Missions

Random Planetary Missions are meant to be storytelling and story-building. This is what lends the reality to Fantasy Trek. The day-to-day missions that make up most of a starship crew's life. Just tell your story (in the form of your choice) up to 1000 words. You'll be given a bare-bones description of your mission, and you flesh it out. Doesn't have to be a novel. The mission is chosen by a 3 in 18 roll, by rolling 3 6-sided dice.


3) Upon beaming down to the planet surface, your landing party vanishes.

4) Your landing party discovers a mysterious artifact on the planet.

5) A being, seemingly consisting of only energy communicates with the crew.

6) You discover somebody on the planet who can't possiby be there.

7) A member of the crew becomes trapped on the planet.

8) Time seems to be flowing backwards on the planet.

9) You encounter an incredibly advanced civilization (optionally, there might be a primitive society existing side by side with them).

10) You meet a society that causes you to question whether or not to interfere with their development.

11) An inhabitant of the planet tries to take over your ship.

12) Members of the crew start to act very strangely when you enter orbit.

13) The landing party finds itself back (seemingly) on it's homeworld. (Earth, Qo'noS, or whatver). But according to sensors on the ship, they're not.

14) The landing party discovers someone who desperately wants to be taken off the planet.

15) A seemingly abandoned device on the planet threatens to destroy the ship.

16) The ship becomes locked in orbit.

17) Sworn enemies attack you in orbit. (In addition to the log entry, you'll consult the combat chart)

18) Create your own adventure...

FAQ

Q: Why are the stardates four-digit TOS stardates?
A: For convenience. In this case, the stardate doesn't refer to the date something takes place in the Star Trek universe. It refers to the date it takes place in Fantasy Trek. Therefore, an event that takes place on the TNG era can have the same date as something that takes place on the TOS era, or the ENT era. The format is mmyy.dd: September 22 2008 reads as 0908.22

Q: Okay, I want to play, but I don't know how to start.
A: Consult the Quick Start Guide, but here is a rundown. Pick an era (TOS, TNG, Voyager, ENT), pick a side, create a ship, and create a bridge crew. Decide what kind of game you want to play (combat, non-combat, mix). Pick a region of space. Plot your own course/mission, or request a mission within the perpetual storyline. If you want to simply write your adventures, you can do that. If you want to explore a planet, advise the moderator, and he'll point you in the right direction. If you want to go into combat, choose simplified or heavy. You can either roll and decide for both sides, or play against another player or the moderator. Go for it. Read the archives to see what we do, and really, it's just that easy. If you want to be surprised by things as you go through space, roll a die. You have a 50% chance of meeting another ship. If you do, you have a 50% chance of it being friendly. If it is friendly, you can decide to have combat drills. Roll to see what class of ship you're taking on. Roll 1 and it's Frigate. Roll 2 and it's a Destroyer. Roll 3 and it's a Light Cruiser. Roll 4 and it's a Heavy Cruiser. Roll 5 and it's a Dreadnought. Decide on Simplified or Heavy Combat. In addition, a cloaked sneak attack gives you one extra die to roll initially. That's when a bit of patience comes in. One roll per day minimum. More if both agree. And we're on the honor system. There's no point to cheating, because the only reward for winning is satisfaction.

Q: I can't post on the blog site.
A: Moderators post all log entries to the Blog site. It serves as a public archive. Members post log entries to the Yahoo Group. Members can also post on the blog site via the 'comment' feature.

Q: I hate the verification process for posting comments on the blog site.
A: Sorry. It helps to keep out spambots and other lower lifeforms.

Q: How fast do ships travel?
A: Not an issue here, really, at least while there are so few players. Space is big. If pressed, I'd say ten lightyears a day.

Q: Is this a game, or is it story-telling?
A: Both. Star Trek has always been about story-telling and exciting combat. This is the first game (that I know) that involves both. Both Combat and Non-Combat play gives you experience points, which can greatly enhance your game. For details, consult "Experience Points: How To Get Them And What To Do With Them".

Q: How many ships can I run at once?
A: Moderators can run as many as they like. The first five regular players to sign up can start with a maximum offive. After that, consult the Experience Points Table.

Q: What kind of ship do I start with?
A: Your first ship is a heavy cruiser.That provides you with enough muscle to learn your way around the galaxy. Of course, players are encouraged to try other classes. Things can get boring if there are nothing but heavy cruisers.

Q: I can't think of anything interesting for my ship to do.
A: Well, that's where creativity comes in. But if you're stuck, either say so (and we'll give you something to deal with), or encounter a planet and roll to pick out a random planetary mission.

Q: Random Planetary Missions?
A: Consult the Random Planetary Mission chart.

Q: Can I customize my own ship?
A: "Template" ships will soon be added to the Starship Library. They will contain basic spaceframes, with a few guidelines (to avoid the whole 'super-ship' trap) as for how many weapons ports and power restrictions. That will also form the basis of pirate and alien ships.

Q: What is the minimum level of participation?
A: There isn't one. Players are asked to do 'something' once a week minimum, and moderators are expected to keep a handle on things. But this is just a game, and we all have RL's, so there are no minimum participation standards. Do as much as you like and have time for.

Q: What if I think someone has cheated in a dice roll?
A: Since nothing can really be verified, the parties will (if they cannot reconcile the issue) not play together anymore. That should eliminate any serial-cheaters.

Q: What about Flame Wars?
A: There is a zero-tolerance policy for any flaming/verbal abuse/intolerance. If you hate it so much that you can't play nice, this isn't the place for you. If you've had a rotten day and posted without thinking, publicly apologize, and if the offended party forgives you, things will probably be okay. Everyone makes mistakes. On the other hand, if the owner decides that something justifiesimmediate removal, that can happen. And this isn't the place for politics/religion/chain emails. Remember that something that is great and/or important to you might offend someone else. They will be deleted. Anything like that should be privately emailed. Game related out-of-character posts (like questions/suggestions) are fine, but should include 'OOC' in the subject header.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Informational Alert: Temporal and Spatial Anomaly

For all starship command and science officers. According to information from
a Federation allied scientist, the fabric of space extending out beyond the
galaxy has, within the last two solar weeks, been inexplicably expanding and
contracting. While there has been no reported damage, due to the immense
distance between objects in space, starships will detect anomalies in the
fabric of local space, as well as being able to cross distances faster than
expected. Further research indicates that the effect exists in time as well
as space, meaning that starships in the past and future may record the same
phenomenon.

Starships are encouraged to report any extraordinary results immediately,
and log any other findings for archival purposes.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.14 USS Guadalcanal, Lamemda Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.14. Captain Murphy recording. Escorting
freighters USS Stebbings and USS Tucker to Deep Space Nine. We've just
entered the Bajor Sector. Yesterday's ETA was in error. Based on our current
speed, DS9 is four days away. We have updated our projections and advised
Starfleet and DS9. Fortunately, there have been no unfriendly contacts. We
did encounter a Bajoran patrol heading into the Badlands, and exchanged
pleasantries.

Warship Log Stardate 1207.14 IKS DuranQo, in Lambda Hydrae System

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.14. Captain Korvus recording. We decloaked in the
Lambda Hydrae system, within the Federation/Romulan neutral zone and were
immediately set upon by a skulking coward of a Romulan Dreanaught. We were
severely damaged but emerged victorious.

RIS Superhawk rolls 60. Allocation: 30,30
IKS DuranQo rolls 21. Allocation: 0,21

Result:
RIS Superhawk: 15
IKS DuranQo: 4

RIS Superhawk rolls 36. Allocation: 18,18
IKS DuranQo rolls 45. Allocation: 27,18

Result:
RIS Superhawk: 4
IKS DuranQo: 4

RIS Superhawk rolls 24. Allocation: 12,12
IKS DuranQo rolls 40. Allocation: 28,12

Result:
RIS Superhawk: Destroyed
IKS DuranQo: 4

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.13 USS Guadalcanal, Lamemda Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.13. Captain Murphy recording. Escorting
freighters USS Stebbings and USS Tucker to Deep Space Nine. We spent several
hours in orbit of the Bajoran colony Free Haven. It is a beautiful colony,
and if we didn't have a tight schedule to keep, I would have been happy to
authorize a few days of shore leave. But that will come soon enough. We are
plotting a course for tomorrow that will take us through a gap in the
Badlands. We should arrive at Deep Space Nine in about three days.

Warship Log Stardate 1207.13 IKS DuranQo, on classified mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.13. Captain Korvus recording. We are within range
of the neutral zone. Once we are in friendly space, we will decloak and dare
the Romulan Ha'dibaH to attack. Tomorrow....

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.12 USS Guadalcanal, Lamemda Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.12. Captain Murphy recording. Escorting
freighters USS Stebbings and USS Tucker to Deep Space Nine. During our
second day in the Rolor nebula, we discovered that our 'shadow' had grown a
tail of plasma residue. We swung around quickly to find an old DY-100
freighter had been refitted as a pirate craft. We tried to warn the ship
off, but were answered by weak weapons. Due to interference from the nebula,
we were unable to obtain detailed scans or a transporter lock. Combat
proceeded as follows:

Unknown Freighter Rolled 14. Allocation: 7,7
Heavy Cruiser USS Guadalcanal Rolled 10. Allocation: 3,7

Result:
Unknown Freighter: 15
USS Guadalcanal: 15

Unknown Freighter Rolled 12. Allocation: 6,6
Heavy Cruiser USS Guadalcanal Rolled 40. Allocation: 34,6

Result:
Unknown Freighter: Destroyed
USS Guadalcanal: Undamaged

Warship Log Stardate 1207.12 IKS DuranQo, on classified mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.12. Captain Korvus recording. There is nothing
new to report. We remain undetected. I find myself hoping that we will
encounter another enemy before we enter friendly space.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Warship Log Stardate 1207.11 IKS DuranQo, on classified mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.11. Captain Korvus recording. We are cloaked, and
remain undetected. We should be in friendly space in two days.

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.11 USS Guadalcanal, Lamemda Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.11. Captain Murphy recording. Escorting
freighters USS Stebbings and USS Tucker to Deep Space Nine. As we passed
through the Rolor nebula, we detected what seemed to be a reflection of our
own sensor image behind us. We tried executing an evasive course, just in
case our shadow was an unfriendly, but so far it is proving innocent. By
tomorrow we plan to arrive at the Bajoran colony Free Haven. Deep Space Nine
is about three days away.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.06 USS Guadalcanal, Valeria Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.06. Captain Murphy recording. Freighters USS
Stebbings and USS Tucker are up and running, and we are passing through the
Mariah system. All seems very quiet, and I am holding my breath. We are very
vulnerable, bypassing Breen space and on the other side a pretty wild
Cardassian frontier. I'd rather skirt Cardassian space if possible, but
we're prepared to cut through if need be.

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.06 USS Guadalcanal, Valeria Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.06. Captain Murphy recording. Freighters USS
Stebbings and USS Tucker are up and running, and we are passing through the
Mariah system. All seems very quiet, and I am holding my breath. We are very
vulnerable, bypassing Breen space and on the other side a pretty wild
Cardassian frontier. I'd rather skirt Cardassian space if possible, but
we're prepared to cut through if need be.

Warship Log Stardate 1207.06 IKS DuranQo, on classified mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.06. Captain Korvus recording. While on a
classified mission in the Gasko system in Romulan space, we came upon the
heavy cruiser RIS Jolin and used the advantage of surprise to launch a
cloaked attack. Combat proceeded as follows:

RIS Jolin rolls 35. Allocation: 18,17
IKS DuranQo rolls 70. Allocation: 52,18

Result:
RIS Jolin destroyed
IKS DuranQo undamaged

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.04 USS Guadalcanal, Valeria Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.04. Captain Murphy recording. We are keeping
station in the Kobheeria system while repairs are made to freighters USS
Stebbings and USS Tucker. The pirates left a big mess, along, hopefully,
some clues as to their origins. So we are making sure to run detailed scans
of every centimeter of the ships as we work. Then it'll all be turned over
to Starfleet Command. I'm told that our next assignment is already waiting
for us as soon as we dock at Deep Space Nine.

Warship Log Stardate 1207.04 IKS DuranQo, on classified mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1207.04. Captain Korvus recording. We are cloaked, in
an undisclosed location, approximately three days away from friendly
territory. After that, we will meet with the Federation Heavy Cruiser
Guadalcanal at starbase Deep Space Nine.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.02 USS Guadalcanal, Portas Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.02. Captain Murphy recording. Starfleet Command
informs me that they consider the mission to be a success, despite the loss
of three freighters. I'm not so sure, but I'm not worrying myself over it
any more. We are proceeding at half speed (the best the freighters can do)
toward Station Deep Space Nine. There we are to drop off the freighters and
rendevouz with a Klingon ship, the IKS DuranQo.

Warship Log Stardate 1207.02 IKS DuranQo, on classified mission

Warship Log. Stardate 1207.02. Captain Korvus recording. We have at long
last arrived at our classified destination. While I am not at liberty to
divulge our location, I can say that we have used the advantage of a cloaked
vessel in order to rescue a Federation citizen from a Romulan prison
asteroid. We launched a successful assault on the asteroid, retrieving the
human without losing any warriors in the process. We have set our course
home, and are proceeding apace.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1207.01 USS Guadalcanal, Portas Sector, in Pursuit of Hijacked Convoy

Captain's Log, Stardate 1207.01. Captain Murphy recording. As we left the
Portas Sector and started to point our sensors at Breen space, we
intercepted the convoy. The first thing I noticed was that the five
freighters weren't being towed. That meant that they had, against the odds,
been captured intact. So that means we had to fly into the (rather spread
out) formation and bring their shields without destroying them. Then we had
to attempt to board and capture the freighters without the pirates
self-destructing. We met with limited success.


USS Trudeau Freighter Multiplier X2
USS Tucker Freighter Multiplier X2
USS Berman Freighter Multiplier X2
USS Stebbings Freighter Multiplier X2
USS Byrne Freighter Multiplier X2

USS Guadalcanal Heavy Cruiser Multiplier X5

Trudeau Rolled 20. Allocation: 10,10
Tucker Rolled 16. Allocation: 8,8
Berman Rolled 12. Allocation: 6.6
Stebbings Rolled 10. Allocation: 5.5
Byrne Rolled 12. Allocation: 6,6

Guadalcanal Rolls and Allocation:
Rolled 25. Allocation: 15,10
Rolled 30. Allocation: 13,17
Rolled 35. Allocation: 11,24
Rolled 30. Allocation: 10,20
Rolled 30. Allocation: 11,19
(note: in each case, Guadalcanal limits damage inflicted to 5 points,
disabling shields but not damaging freighter)

Results of attempts to capture (based on single die, high roll between
Guadalcanal and defending freighter)

Trudeau lost
Tucker captured
Berman lost
Stebbings captured
Byrne lost

Friday, November 30, 2007

Warship Log Stardate 1107.30 IKS DuranQo, on classified mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1107.30. Captain Korvus recording. In the Delta
Velorum Sector, we launched a cloaked sneak attack on the Romulan
Dreadnought RIS Romii. This pride of the Romulan fleet put up a minimal
fight, but was, inevitably, destroyed. We are looking forward to the
conclusion of this classified mission soon. Combat proceeded as follows:

Dreadnought RIS Romii (Multiplier X6)
Heavy Cruiser IKS DuranQo (Multiplier X5)

RIS Romii rolls 48. Allocation: 24,24
IKS DuranQo rolls 45 . Allocation: 21,24

Result:
RIS Romii: 15
IKS DuranQo: 15

RIS Romii rolls 60. Allocation: 30,30
IKS DuranQo rolls 30. Allocation: 0,30

Result:
RIS Romii:15
IKS DuranQo:15

RIS Romii rolls 24. Allocation: 12,12
IKS DuranQo rolls 35. Allocation: 23,12

Result:
RIS Romii: 4
IKS DuranQo:15

RIS Romii rolls 42. Allocation: 21,21
IKS DuranQo rolls 40. Allocation: 19,21

Result:
RIS Romii:4
IKS DuranQo: 15

RIS Romii rolls 36. Allocation: 18,18
IKS DuranQo rolls 60. Allocation: 42,18

Result:
RIS Romii: Destroyed
IKS DuranQo: Undamaged

Captain's Log Stardate 1107.30 USS Guadalcanal, Portas Sector, in Pursuit of Hijacked Convoy

Captain's Log, Stardate 1107.30. Captain Murphy recording

Entering Portas Sector on the edge of Breen space. Little has been heard
from the Breen since the end of the Dominion War. The ship that we
encountered at the outer fringe of Breen space bore no resemblance to
anything on the Starfleet database, and we find that the trails we've been
following have gone dry. Attempting to stop the unidentified heavy cruiser,
we were unable to establish communication. Did they receive but refuse to
answer? Were they unable to receive or understand? Readings are
inconclusive. In any case, the unidentified ship attacked us, and we were
forced to respond in kind. Apparently the alien ship had a flaw of some
kind, because our weapons completely overwhelmed their defenses, and they
were destroyed. Sensor logs have been flash transmitted to Starfleet. Combat
proceeded as follows:

Unidentified Heavy Cruiser Multiplier X5
USS Guadalcanal Heavy Cruiser Multiplier X5

Unidentified Heavy Cruiser Rolls 30 Allocation: 15,15
USS Guadalcanal Rolls 45 Allocation: 30,15

Result:
Unknown Heavy Cruiser: Destroyed
USS Guadalcanal: Undamaged

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1107.29 USS Guadalcanal, Iota Cephei Sector, Cardassian Frontier

Captain's Log, Stardate 1107.29. Captain Murphy recording.

The sense of optimism that we all felt as the rogue planet designated Xena
moved along a generally eliptical course away from us was quickly replaced
with one of exhiliration as we detected the first indications of five ships
being dragged away at maximum impulse. There is little doubt that we took
the right course (educated guess actually) in pursuing the missing convoy.
According to the head of our science department, Commander Whittaker, the
warp trails pulling the convoy are not Cardassian, nor do they appear to
come from Cardassian warp coils. That leads me to believe that whoever took
the convoy aren't pirates operating in the frontier. Of course, beyond
Cardassian space lie the Breen. And they are infamous. At maximum warp, we
should intercept the convoy in about a day.

Warship Log Stardate 1107.29 IKS DuranQo, on classified mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1107.29. Captain Korvus recording. In the Delta
Velorum Sector in Romulan Space. As we approach our classified destination,
we are meeting continued resistance. As we moved, cloaked, at half speed, we
came upon an unsuspecting heavy cruiser, the RIS Rael. We launched a
successful cloaked surprise attack. While suffering no damage, we destroyed
the unprepared cruiser in our initial volley. While we celebrate our victory
over the honorless Romulan Ha'dibaH, I must admit to being surprised at the
ease with which we have crushed them.

Combat proceeded as follows:

Heavy Cruiser RIS Rael (Multiplier X5)
Heavy Cruiser IKS DuranQo (Multiplier X5)

RIS Rael rolls 10. Allocation: 5,5
IKS DuranQo rolls 25. Allocation: 20,5

Result:
RIS Rael Destroyed
IKS DuranQo Undamaged

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Warship Log Stardate 1107.27 IKS DuranQo, on classified mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1107.27. Captain Korvus recording. In the Delta
Velorum Sector in Romulan Space. As our classified mission takes us further
into enemy territory, we are finally starting to encounter resistance to
test our warrior's mettle. On this day, we came upon an unsuspecting Romulan
carrier, the RIS Superwing. The battle was glorious, and truly worthy of our
ship and crew, but as expected, the Romulan was destroyed. Combat proceeded
as follows:

Carrier RIS Superwing (Multiplier X7)
Heavy Cruiser IKS DuranQo (Multiplier X5)

RIS Superwing rolls 77. Allocation: 39,38
IKS DuranQo rolls 55. Allocation: 16,39

Result:
RIS Superwing 15
IKS DuranQo 15

RIS Superwing rolls 21. Allocation: 11,10
IKS DuranQo rolls 40. Allocation: 29, 11

Result:
RIS Superwing destroyed.
IKS DuranQo undamaged.

Captain's Log Stardate 1107.27 USS Guadalcanal, Mu Andromedae Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1107.27. Captain Murphy recording. I was prepared to
name this rogue planet after someone in the crew, but Federation
cartographical records show that the planetoid was officially designated as
Xena almost a hundred years ago when it was orbitting a star close to the
edge of the galaxy. So warrior princess it is. With that in mind, I beamed
down with a geo-science team. We found an environment rich in surprises.
Xena was home to an advanced civilization that seemed to have found that
rare balance between nature and science. This is evident in records stored,
somehow (as my science team tells me) within biomatter. Where we might learn
about terrestrial creatures from fossils, Xena's indigenous population has
stored it's entire history within the perfectly fossilized biomatter of the
planet. In order to maintain the integrity (and presumably honor the
intentions of Xena's population) of these findings, we transported down a
portable bio-imager to record every microdetail available. This was done
with scanners only. At no time was any fossil even exposed to space.

So what do the fossils tell us about the population that existed on Xena?
Our best linguists determined that the civilization on this planet was
remarkably advanced and peaceful (judging by the incredible amount of
undisturbed records, and the lack of any apparent reference to major
conflict), perhaps due in part to it's distance from major space going
civilizations that we're aware of. That is mainly supposition on my part,
and I have to admit to not being the top cultural scientist on the ship. And
of course, linguistic experts at the Sato Institute will make sense of all
the data we collected and tell us more about the civilization that once
flourished on Xena.

Supplemental entry. Xena's mysteries continue. A deep scan, as we pulled
away from Xena, showed the growth of crystalline structures kilometers below
the surface. Something is still alive within that planet. This seems to me
to justify further attention from a dedicated science mission. I've made
that recommendation to Starfleet Command. Initial projections show that Xena
should make it through the Cardassian frontier with no interference from
natural objects. Given the serious and sometimes downright depressing nature
of our assignment, Xena has been a very positive interlude, and I'll keep a
close eye on her progress.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1107.26 USS Guadalcanal, Mu Andromedae Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1107.26. Captain Murphy recording. The rogue planet
entered the sector at 0600 ship's time, starting my shift about an hour
early. I temporarily amended the rules prohibiting coffee on the bridge and
waited while the planetoid drifted into sensor range. By 0800 senior
navigator Templar had plotted us a course that would bring the Guadalcanal
into orbit around the rogue planet by 1000. I will beam down with an away
team for a full scientific survey. We can remain on the planet for six
hours. After that, we'll need to leave orbit and change course in order to
pursue my theory about the disappearance of the convoy. My next log entry
should be interesting.

Warship Log Stardate 1107.26 IKS DuranQo on Classified Mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1107.26, Captain Korvus recording. Repairs have been
completed, and we are again underway. We will be out of the sector in a day.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1107.25 USS Guadalcanal, Mu Andromedae Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1107.25. Captain Murphy recording. Following
yesterday's detection of what appeared to be a rogue planet traveling along
our general flightpath, Science Officer Sakharov has determined that the
planetoid comes actually not from Tholia, but in fact might have somehow
escaped a nova beyond the range of explored space. Initial scans show that
any atmosphere would have been ripped away in the cataclysm that sent it
hurtling through space. We don't expect to find any life, and I don't expect
any connection to the missing convoy. But we are also on a mission of
exploration. We can do both at the same time.

Warship Log Stardate 1107.25 IKS DuranQo on Classified Mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1107.25, Captain Korvus recording. Running cloaked at
half speed in Alpha Pictoris Sector in Romulan space as per orders, we
encountered Romulan Frigate Hawk, which launched a surprise cloaked attack.
We immediately decloaked and attacked. Despite significant damage from the
cowardly attack, we destroyed the frigate and recloaked. Combat proceeded as
follows:

RIS Hawk rolled 39. Allocation 20,19
IKS DuranQo rolled 10. Allocation 0,10

Results:
Hawk 15
DuranQo 5

RIS Hawk rolled 12. Allocation 6,6
IKS DuranQo rolled 20. Allocation 14,6

Results:
Hawk 7
DuranQo 5

RIS Hawk rolled 24. Allocation 12,12
IKS DuranQo rolled 25. Allocation 13, 12

Results:
Hawk 6
DuranQo 5

RIS Hawk rolled 21. Allocation 11,10
IKS DuranQo rolled 40. Allocation 29, 11

Results:
Hawk destroyed.
DuranQo 6

While our cloak is still functioning, the DuranQo shields were overloaded,
and it sustained major structural damage. Unfortunately, we have been forced
to stop in order to effect repairs. This will not have any lasting effects
on our mission.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1107.24 USS Guadalcanal in the Mu Andromedae Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1107.24. Captain Murphy recording. We are proceeding at full impulse in the Mu Andromedae sector, concentrating our scans for any signs of tractored ships. Since there was no evidence of the convoy's destruction, I am assuming that the ships were either captured or towed. Capture seems unlikely, since freighters are usually equipped with "dead man's switches" which detonate the ship if the pilot releases direct manual control. It has happened, but very rarely. It was more likely that the ships were captured, and are being dragged back to some hidden pirate base. But where? That is the question. Freighters are slow, vulnerable craft, but they have powerful engines. They would have put up a struggle that even days later we should be able to detect. The alternative is to continue our course and call for a dedicated science vessel, but by then it will almost certainly be too late.



Supplemental entry. We have detected a large gravitational mass on a course generally parallel to ours. From Tholia to Cardassia, basically. Initial readings show it to be a rogue planet. I can't imagine how this can have anything to do with the loss of the convoy, but since it will be passing us at a relatively slow speed, we will investigate. I hope to have more to report tomorrow.

Warship Log Stardate 1107.24 IKS DuranQo on Classified Mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1107.24, Captain Korvus recording. Running cloaked at half speed in classified mission. No ships detected, no anomalous readings. Nothing to report, but we hope to engage the enemy soon.
 

Friday, November 23, 2007

Captain's Log Stardate 1107.23 USS Guadalcanal Entering Mu Andromedae Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1107.23. Captain Murphy recording.

As we entered the Mu Andromedae sector, I found myself hoping that we would
run into someone. Bigger than us, smaller than us, I didn't really care. I
wanted someone to take a shot at. Someone to blame. We didnt run into
anyone. There is still utter silence from Talarian space. An entire race
that seems to have vanished. We are getting pretty close to Cardassian
space, and I am getting a little apprehensive. We have every right, and this
Galaxy Class ship is capable of taking care of itself in a scrap. But if I'm
right (and I don't want to think about what happens if I'm wrong), we've
lost a convoy and are looking for whoever took it in the dark, largely
unpatrolled frontier of a power that not too long ago posed a serious threat
to the Alpha Quadrant.

I could easily say that the Cardassians got what they deserved, and not too
many people would argue. But lots of innocents were slaughtered, and some
Cardassian heroes died to throw off the Dominion. And there is also the
consideration that big losers in history, if victorious powers are too harsh
in post war retribution, tend to come back with a vengeance if they don't
see any alternative. Most notably, the Klingon civil war at the end of the
22nd century that swept conservative forces into power and handed us a de
facto war that lasted seventy years, and Earth's first world war, that
created sufficient poverty and despair in Germany for a rabble-rouser named
Hitler to seize control with promises of power and prestige. Steps are being
taken to avoid that here. Prime Minister Elim Garak has negotiated
permission to create a defense force that will protect Cardassia and
reinstill a sense of pride for his people. But I think our convoy has been
taken by pirates active in the Cardassian frontier, and I'm not going to
wait for the diplomats to find out for sure.

To that end, the Guadalcanal is dropping to impulse, and we are going to run
a hard scan of every sector, including Mu Andromedae, in our search area.

Warship Log Stardate 1107.23 IKS DuranQo on Classified Mission

Warship Log, Stardate 1107.23, Captain Korvus recording. Running cloaked at
half speed in Khazara Sector in Romulan space as per orders, we encountered
Romulan Frigate Decius. We immediately decloaked and attacked. There was
little challenge.

Decius rolled 12. Allocation: 6,6
DuranQo rolled 36. Allocation: 30,6

Romulan Frigate RIS Decius destroyed. While we celebrate the combat and
revel in the deaths of our enemies, we hope for a more fitting challenge
while on these classified maneuvers. We cloaked without further detection.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Ship's Log Stardate 1107.21 IKS DuranQo on Classified Mission

Running cloaked in Khazara Sector in Romulan space as per orders, we
encountered Romulan Light Cruiser Intala. We immediately decloaked and
attacked. Combat proceeded as follows:

Intala rolled 16 allocation: 8,8
DuranQo rolled 12 allocation: 4,8

Remaining points:
Intala: 15
DuranQo: 15

Intala rolled 6 allocation: 3,3 9
DuranQo rolled 12 allocation: 9,3 15

Remaining points:
Intala: 9
DuranQo: 15

Intala rolled 12 allocation: 6,6
DuranQo rolled 21 allocation: 15,6

Romulan Light Cruiser Intala destroyed. DuranQo suffered no measurable
damage, and recloaked without further detection. Proceeding on classified
mission. We have one day left in the Khazara sector.

Captain's Log: USS Guadalcanal: Entering Iota Cassiopeiae Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 1107.21 Captain Murphy recording. We have arrived in
the Iota Cassiopeiae Sector. There is no intial sign of the missing convoy,
and no immediate evidence of its destruction. There are residual warp
trails, but they are decayed to the point of not being identifiable. That
leaves me with a dilemma. The two most probable directions to investigate
are Tholian space and Cardassian space. I have decided to proceed towards
Cardassian space for the moment for the following reasons. Relations with
Tholia are cordial at the moment. They tend to avoid contact with aliens at
all costs. unless they think someone has infringed on their space. They are
less likely to allow pirates to operate in their space than the Cardassians,
who are rumored to be using pirates to tap into cheap, black market goods of
all sorts. And most convincing of all, if the Tholians thought the convoy
was in their space, there would almost certainly be plenty of evidence of
their destruction. I am also well aware that if I'm wrong, there is little
chance of finding out what happened or rescuing any possible survivors.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

IKS DuranQo Log: Undisclosed Course

Captain's Log. Ship is cloaked and undetected. We have crossed over into area of operations without incident. Helm advises that due to nature of our mission, it will take twice as long to traverse each sector. That should make the journey interesting, and greatly increase our chance of a glorious death.



(moderator's note: I am maintaining a private log of the ship's progress. To make things interesting, it will take two days... and two rolls of the dice for the ship to make it across a sector while cloaked)

Captain's Log: USS Guadalcanal

Captain Murphy recording. One day out from Iota Cassiopeiae sector, lack of readings persist. Continuing updates to Starfleet, and preparing to determine the fate of the convoy near Tholian Space. HIgh alert status continues, as I think there is foul play involved.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Captain's Log: USS Guadalcanal

Captain Murphy recording. USS Guadalcanal is enroute to Iota Cassiopeia. We are making our closest pass to Talarian space, and running an intensive long range scan. As before, we can detect no signs of any activity. No communications in or out, either government or civilian. Due to the urgency of our mission, we are not investigating further, but will continue to transmit all sensor data to Starfleet.

IKS DuranQo at Delta Doradus

IKS DuranQo cloaks at Delta Doradus. proceeds on undisclosed mission.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

IKS DuranQo completes mission to Delta Doradus

Arrived in Delta Doradus sector. Rendevouz with IKS Gorkon to receive further orders.

Captains Log Supplemental: Federation Heavy Cruiser USS Guadalcanal in Gamma Trianguli Sector

Supplemental recording. Long range scan of Talarian space reveals no
artificial transmissions. No civilian or government traffic. No evidence of
natural or manmade disaster. We are continuing scans, and a copy of our
sensor data is being transmitted to Starfleet.

Captains Log: Federation Heavy Cruiser USS Guadalcanal Mission to Iota Cassiopeia Day Three

Captain Murphy reporting. Upon entering the Gamma Trianguli Sector, we began
a long range scan of Talarian space. Relations with the Talarians are not
the best right now, but the unusual complete silence from them justifies
some discreet extra attention. As we continue towards Iota Cassiopeia, we'll
pause for a complete, detailed scan without delaying our investigation of
the missing convoy. Supplemental log to follow.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Captains Log: Federation Heavy Cruiser USS Guadalcanal Mission to Iota Cassiopeia Day Two

Captain Murphy recording. Entered Beloti Sector, adjacent to Cardassian and
Talarian space. Listening post in the Tracken system reports no Cardassian
activity, despite reports of a negotiated build up in Cardassian defense
forces. Normal commercial and military chatter from Talarian Republic is
also silent. I have ordered a shipwide yellow alert as a precaution, and
intend to conduct long range scans of Talarian space as we pass it by.

(Moderator's note: see, it's just this easy)


Kapact

Friday, November 16, 2007

Launch of USS Guadalcanal to investigate loss of convoy near Tholian border


Federation Heavy Cruiser USS Guadalcanal departs Starbase 129 in Alpha Majoris Sector, enroute to Iota Cassiopeia, investigating loss of convoy near Tholian border.

Simplified Combat Chart

I've simplified the combat chart, so that all you need are two common six-sided dice (or the random number generator equivalent). I have ten classes of ships/platforms. Each has a multiplier. All you do is roll two dice, apply the appropriate multiplier, then allocate to offense and defense as usual. Here are the classes and multipliers:

Defense Platform X1
Freighter X2
Frigate X3
Light Cruiser X4
Heavy Cruiser X5
Dreadnought X6
Carrier X7
Outpost X8
Shipyard X9
Starbase X10

There will be a link to this on the side bar for easy reference.


Kapact

IKS DuranQo Combat Drills in Balduk System Round Three

Klingon Heavy Cruiser DuranQo versus Romulan Frigate Praex
Round Three

Praex Rolls
3,4,3,4 for 14
Allocation: 7 offence, 7 defence

DuranQo Rolls
4,5,4,3 for 16
Allocation: 9 offence, 7 defense

DuranQo 11
Praex 0

Klingon Heavy Cruiser IKS DuranQo destroys simulated Romulan Frigate RIS
Praex in three rounds, Shields sustain 80 percent damage. No hull or
internal damage.

The Maps

These maps come from the Star Trek Starcharts. I didn't make them up, nor was I the first person to post them to the web.
Alpha/Beta Quadrant











Political Maps






Detailed Maps








Route of USS Voyager in Delta Quadrant














Thursday, November 15, 2007

Notes on Combat and other Missions

Note: These notes refer to the combat table previously posted. Any
questions/comments welcome.

Each player gets four rolls, one for each system. (Except in the case of
stationary objects, such as bases). For each system, the maximum for each
roll is as shown. For example, a frigate can have a maximum of 20 points to
work with. The player can distribute those points to taste. If player one
devotes (for example) ten points to offense and player two devotes six
points to defense, four points of damage are recorded against player two's
shields. Shields absorb five points of damage before going down. (But can
regenerate one point every three turns) After that, four more points will
disable ship. (These points regenerate at the same rate) Six more damage
points destroy the ship. So it takes fifteen damage points to destroy a
ship. In addition, a player can set aside points to reinforce shields. For
example, if a ship has sixteen available points, it can use ten points for
offense and defense, and add six to the shields. It will then take eleven
points to bring down the shields.

After five science missions, ships automatically get 1 free point toward EW
and sensors. This is to reflect the edge an experienced science officer
brings in.

After five combat engagements, the extra points go toward weapons and
maneuver.

No ship, regardless of the heroic name, starts out better than its peer.
It's up to you to make legends and heroes.


Kapact

IKS DuranQo Combat Drills in Balduk System Round Two

Klingon Heavy Cruiser DuranQo versus Romulan Frigate Praex

Round Two

Praex rolls 13, as AI evenly distributes for 7 offense, 6 defense.
DuranQo rolls 18, distributes for 15 offense, 3 defense.

Result

DuranQo 11
Praex 6

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

IKS DuranQo Combat Drills in Balduk System

Simulated combat was random selection. I use a roulette wheel from a casino
program as my random number generator. In this case, I had three choices,
frigate, light cruiser, or heavy cruiser. So I went by the three thirds of
the board. I got the first third, which gave me a frigate to fight. Then I
consulted this table:

(And until I find a way to import a table into Blogger, you'll just have to figure what I mean here. First number lines up with Weapons, second with Sensors, third with maneuver, and third with EW)


Weapons (O) Sensors (D) Maneuver (D) Electronic Warfare (O)

Defense Platform 4 4 0 6

Frigate 4 4 8 4

Light Cruiser 6 6 6 6

Heavy Cruiser 8 8 4 8

Shipyard 16 16 0 16

Starbase 32 32 0 32

What that boils down to is this. With the 36 numbers on a roulette wheel
(and the zero's as random bad luck counting for zero), here are the charts
for roll = result for the two ships:

Frigate Praex 20 points max possible per round

4 rolls
1-7=1
8-14=2
15-21=3
22-28=4
29-36=5


Heavy Cruiser DuranQo 28 points possible per round

4 rolls

1-5=1
6-10=2
11-15=3
16-20=4
21-25=5
26-30=6
31-36=7


Praex rolls (with one extra roll, to simulate the advantage of a cloaked
approach and sneak attack):
2,16,26,23,15

DuranQo rolls:
0,32,16,15


Using the charts above, the Praex ended up with a total of 15 points, which
I split up into 8 for offense and 7 for defense. Then I rolled for the
DuranQo, and

got 14 points. I put 6 towards offense and 8 towards defense. So the first
round ends with both ships at a level 15, or no damage.

Round One

DuranQo: 15
Praex: 15

Tomorrow is round two.


Kapact

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

What's Happening

As any new visitors might be looking around wondering what is going on here, here is what I am doing. I am running a bit of a shakedown with the IKS DuranQo. Stopping to run some combat drills. That means the ship won't move, and I'll start the combat tomorrow. The rules post will move down, but I'll post a link to it along the side soon. Also, soon to come are links to Trek references on the internet which I encourage players to have a look at. I'll also have a look for a web-based random number generator. Nicely takes the place of dice. Anyone looking around is encouraged to comment. If you want more info, or are interested in playing, you can either contact me through my email if you know it (if you belong to a group where I advertised it), or comment on a post. I'll receive email notification, and let you in. You can also contact me at an alternate email, kapact at xtra dot co dot nz. (obviously the dots are '.' and the at is @).


Kapact

Monday, November 12, 2007

Quick Start Guide

To get started, answer the following questions:

Game Type:

Pure Combat

(Do you play for pure combat? You know that other events might decide the nature of that combat, but you just want to blow things up. And think about this: Do you like to micromanage combat, allocating power to personalize your attack/defence strategy, making combat a personal match of wits, or do you just like quick matches that can be over in minutes?)

Non-Combat

(You don't care about the combat. You like to write and you want to explore.)

Mix

(You appreciate both aspects of game play. You accept that the ship you love to write about may lose battles from time to time.)

Alignment:

Federation
Klingon
Romulan
Other (specify)

Ship name

Command crew
(You can stick to the TOS crew configuration of science officer, helm, navigator, communications officer, etc, or you can use the TNG idea of Operations Officer combining some duties.You can also customize your bridge crew configuration. You're the Captain)

Note: unless you have something else in mind, all players in this stage of the game get a Heavy Cruiser to start. The 'something else in mind' I mentioned is if you decide you want a mission-specific ship like a scout or police ship, which is likely to be a frigate or destroyer. Just remember that you might be limiting yourself in a case like that. And don't be intimidated by the need to create a command crew. If you're a story-teller, you're used to this, but it isn't necessary to start. And if you're in it for pure combat, the command crew is recommended but not necessary.

That is really all you need to start. I will happily walk any new players through the first few missions. If you are concerned that you don't have enough time to contribute, don't be. This game is as casual as you want. Exploring takes as much or as little time as you want. Write once a day or once a week. A hundred words or a thousand. The most intense level of this game, heavy combat takes a commitment of no more than one email a day. And even in that case, if you miss a day, it's forgivable. Even the moderator has a RL and the occasional computer issue. The game is turn-based. Combat results will be posted online daily. And if it still doesn't make sense, think of it like your favorite role-playing/writing group gathering for some table-top game playing.

IKS Duran'Qo Vor'cha Class Heavy Cruiser H'atoria Sector to Delta Doradus

IKS Duran'Qo Vor'cha Class Heavy Cruiser from H'atoria sector to Delta Doradus Sector





Projected course

H'atoria Encountered allied ship. Maintained course.

to Narendra Arrived in Narendra sector. Nothing to report.

to Balduk Arrived in Balduk sector. No ships encountered. Stopping to conduct combat drills.

to Tyrellia Arrived in Tyrellia sector. Long range scanners show no ships in range.

to Delta Doradus Arrived in Delta Doradus sector. Rendevouz with IKS Gorkon to receive further orders.