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.
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