According to reports, apparently I'm pretty good at it. At least as far as the first episode went.
The problem is that said lieutenant is shipping out way ahead of schedule and, for his sake, we're moving it to a Play By E-Mail (or, more accurately, Play By Google Groups) format. As this means we don't have to worry about drives, commutes, or scheduling as much, I figure--drawing upon my experience on running online RPs before--that we can fill out the crew somewhat. PBEM allows for a more ensemble cast, and I can always cut from whole cloth to make sure everyone has something to do.
"Right. So, Scolo," I hear you cry, "get to the point already."
Sure thing. First things, first, though:
BEING A STAR TREK NERD IS NOT REQUIRED.
Rule number two of the campaign is "'They did it on Voyager!' should never be an allowable rationale for anything. Ever. Even breathing." I'm going to avoid -meaningless- technobabble as much as possible.
The campaign's set in 2280, putting it about four or five years before the Wrath of Khan. Needless to say TNG and all that other stuff hasn't happened yet. Enterprise hasn't happened either, for continuity's sake. The player characters make up the bridge crew of USS Eagle, an Enterprise-class heavy cruiser currently playing Horatio Hornblower's Royal Navy Frigate out in the middle of nowhere (about two years out from the core of the Federation, to be more precise). The campaign is exploration-centric, with opportunities for whatever anyone really feels like doing. We're also using the FASA percentile-die rules set.
Format-wise, we'll mostly be using PBEM but in situations where drama calls for it (i.e. combat) all the local folk can either get together for PNP or else we'll do it over IRC or Skype or Google Talk or some other similar medium (or a mixture, as necessary). Thus, other than the IRC/VOIP/PNP sessions, this will be a very relaxed schedule: you see it, you respond to it, no worries about having to gas up the tank and make sure the dog's looked after before gallivanting out across the city... although I do reserve the right to move things along so we're not all stuck waiting for habitual slowpokes. ;)
I have characters already generated, and as we're not far into the campaign there's no problem if you want to generate your own using the rules put up on the Google group. Failing that, the NPCs haven't been fleshed out much so if you want to take them and make them your own, that's fine too.
I plan on ramping things back up after the holidays, but anyone can jump in anytime... and there's no commitment: if you find it's not your thing, you can bow out. I'm fully flexible with these sorts of things.
So, right now the taken roles are:
- Captain: Captain Emil Quintana (Human Male), played by Jet Black
- Communications/Public Affairs Officer: Lieutenant Commander FF’rixx Firefur (Caitian Female), played by The Lieutenant
- Chief Engineer: Lieutenant Commander Murlock (Vulcan Male), played by UberSnotling
- Chief Science Officer: Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Fraser, played by Cetaganda
- Executive Officer: Commander John Albert (Human Male), a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, golly-gee-whillikers All-American Boy Scout straight out of the 1950s. Too bad he's about three and a third centuries out of time. Is currently acting more or less as the Proper Starfleet Conscience at the moment ("Sir, we can't General Order 24 the planet unless it's a threat to the Federation as a whole." "The planet's melting and if that stuff got elsewhere, that'd be a threat, right?").
- Chief Tactical Officer: Lieutenant Commander Throx Jagwartz (Tellarite Male), a sullen ex-hero who doesn't talk much about any of the rumors surrounding him (namely, being a heroic cadet who single-handedly saved a colony mission from bandits, or falling from grace due to a bribery scandal). Expresses himself primarily through grumbling, muttering "headshot" to himself when he fires the phasers, and making modern art out of smashing alcohol bottles full of sticky paint at a canvas. He's considered a modern Pollock and held in surprisingly high regard in artistic circles.
- Chief Navigation Officer: Lieutenant Xedwee il’ip’sa’Noss (Edoan/Edosian Female), a quiet, unassuming ship-driver who, unlike most crack pilots, isn't very good at being a braggart and is probably too cautious for her own good. Apparently she used to front a locally popular band at one point but she doesn't talk about it, much preferring to fly, sail, or drive.
- Chief Security Officer: Lieutenant Peter "Old Man" Yates (Human Male), a grey-haired friendly mutton chopped man built like a tank and, while not as dense (that would be stereotypical!) has absolutely no interest in doing anything other than what he does: maintaining the law. Imagines himself to be a great Victorian-era explorer in his free time; uses his years as a frontier lawman to its fullest when on duty. Enjoys reading Kipling.
Thanks for at least giving it a look!