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Sim Manual | Character Creation | Membership Application
This was written by Stuart Clapperton, who formerly played the part of Lt. Jack Lawson, Director of Strategic Operations, and several other NPC's, and was at one time the Knight's webmaster.
0. Introduction
Throughout this manual, examples have been used to illustrate the points that are made. For these examples I am using an NPC character, that I created, who is called "Katrina Marshall". Her full bio can be seen in Section 2.3
1. The Basics
1.1 What is a Roleplaying Sim?
A Roleplaying Sim is a game where participants are actively involved in the storyline with a character that they create. The characters actions and other events are created by the players to create a moving story much like any book or movie does. For Example, in "Die Hard (3): With A Vengence", Officer John Mclaine and the bad guy Simon both have scenes viewing the story from their perspectives, and interact together to create an interesting story.
1.2 What's the difference between PBEM & IRC?
There are two main roleplaying mediums that are used to give an interesting story. The first, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), a medium where people gather in an online chat room and the story is created in real time. Missions or parts of missions would usually happen in one session which would allow each session to be an interesting and unusual medium to play on.
The other main medium is Electronic Mail. This medium allows greater character development, longer missions, continuing progression of the story line as well as having many other benefits. The USS Knight NCC-4141 simulation is run through E-Mail. See the logs page for an idea of what to expect in an E-Mail roleplaying game.
There is currently no specific system to determine the actions your character can do, with common sense, creativity, and imagination as the only limits.
1.3 What does simming on the Knight involve?
Each time you create a log, you may use the actions of other characters to help tell the story. Minor uses of characters that are run by players is acceptable, but major use requires either direct input of the other players' characters from the players themselves, or at least send the log to that player and get their approval for what you have done. The former is what we call a Joint Log where two or more people get together and write a log involving interaction and such of the players' respective characters. This is a great way for new players to get actively involved and to feel more welcome in the group.
The only really important rule that we would like all players to follow is to post at least one log per week as this allows the story to keep flowing. It is best to read your email as often as possible. More than one message may be required if you are in an important position. The Commanding Officer should post several times, Department Heads should post three times every two weeks, and key crew members should post more often. For Instance, if the Knight is in a major fire fight with Psion/Combine forces, it would be silly for the Tactical Officer on duty to post once a week as the story is concentrating on the fight.
We don't mind how you present your logs, be it formal, personal, third person or whatever works best for you. When you mail your logs to the listserver, please refrain from using blind CCs. When you want to put Out Of Character (OOC) comments in your logs to ask questions, elaborate on something, or just say something to the other simmers, please use (OOC: ...) to denote them. Example:
(OOC: Does anyone want to play chess?)
Also when sending your logs to the listserver, please put Knight: at the beginning of the subject line in your E-mail, with the title of the log in quotes following it. Example:
Subject: Knight: "Fire Fight"
This helps to sort through the mail for those on more than one sim.
2. Joining The Knight
2.1 Creating your Character
To create a character for the USS Knight Sim, please read these instructions.
You can also provide a crew bio image as well if you like. The images are usually of a famous person's face attached to a Starfleet uniform. You do NOT have to provide an image if you don't want to. If you do decide to provide an image, please make it 165 pixels wide and 240 pixels in height, or any size with the same ratio of width and height as the asked for size.
2.2 Submitting your Character
After working out what your character's bio will be, submit it to the Recruitment Officer for review by either emailing her or using the Application Form provided.
2.3 Sample Character Bio
Name: Katrina Marshall
Rank: Private
Age: 2 (Appearance: 27)
Species: Human (Emergency Marine Hologram - Mark 1)
Gender: Female
Place of Creation: Holo-Tech Research Labs, Jupiter Research Station
Birthdate: 5th September 2373
Languages: All known languages
Interests: Weapons, Swimming, Aerobics, Exploring
Physical Description:
Height: 5'11"
Weight: N/A
Hair: Strawberry Blonde
Eyes: Azure
Education:
2373 - 2374: Jupiter Research Station, Full Information Installation
2374 - 2375: Mars Marine Training Camp, Full Marine Training
Service Record:
2375 - Pres: USS Knight, Private, Emergency Marine Trooper
Background:
Katrina was created in the Holo-Tech Research Labs (HTRL) on the Jupiter Research Station by a Dr. Emma Russell, the foremost Holo-Tech engineer at HTRL. She had previously worked with many famous Technicians, and in conjunction with Starfleet Marine Corps Holo-Tech engineers, she began the development of the Emergency Marine Hologram.
With no subject to base the holographic marine on, Emma asked for volunteers from the Marine Corps, however, none came forward. The project was put on hold for 6 months before a young injured Marine officer approached her and offered to be the 'model' for the Hologram. And so the EMH Mark 1 was born in 2373.
After months of learning, training and being infused with knowledge, Katrina was transferred to the Mars Marine Training Camp for further training in warfare and other facets of Marine training. Her skills grew, and she quickly outpaced her fellow "Bootcampers". It wasn't long before she was given her first posting, on the USS Knight, a Sovereign Class starship.
Personality Profile:
Katrina doesn't spend much time outside of the Marine Training area, and hasn't seen much of the ship, apart from the Marine Reaction Team's area. She is charming, sweet, and almost always has a smile on her face. Her survival instincts kick in when needed, and due to the fact that she is a hologram, she has direct access to the Computers, and Internal Sensors.
3. Writing Logs
3.1 Basic Log Features
A log (or post as it is also called) is an email that each player writes about the goings on that take place on the Knight and other areas of the Galaxy. Each log should have some parts that are essential to the sim to allow other players to understand your post.
We will start with the title of the log. The title of your log may be whatever you like, although it usually has some sort of significance to the events, people or places in your log. For Example, A log that talks about the start of a battle could be called "It begins..." or "The attack". View past logs to see the sorts of titles that are given to logs.
Due to the large numbers of emails that some players receive, we have a system in place for sending emails to the listserver. The subject of the email should start with Knight: and then have the title in quotes, and finally have your character name at the end.
For Example:
Knight: "A lonely EMH" - Private Katrina Marshall.
The Next main area of importance is the first few lines of the body of the email. There are two acceptable ways to set this out.
The form you should use is:
"Title of Log"
Rank Name, Position
For Example:
"A lonely EMH"
Private Katrina Marshall, Emergency Marine Hologram.
You can put this before the above portion if you wish.
USS Knight.
There are two other important things to do when writing logs.
3.2 Writing your first log
When a new crew member comes aboard, it is wise for them to write a log describing their experience coming aboard the USS Knight. This may be written alone, or with the help of your department head or another writer. Feel free to make a 'first contact' to seek a writing partner for this.
Entry logs should have the character transport onto the ship, carrying a bag of possessions and perhaps with one or two small boxes of belongings. If you have additional stuff to transport aboard, clear it with the CO or XO ahead of time. On occasion, you will arrive by shuttle, or may even walk across if we are physically docked to another ship or base.
New arrivals usually enter at Transporter Room 2. They are greeted by an officer, often from Counseling/Rec Services or Medical, and by a Security staffer. Initial processing will include a medical and security scan, and an identity check. We take medical and security matters seriously aboard the Knight.
You will be shown how to reach your quarters. Enlisted staff generally share a room with another enlisted person, with 2 or 4 rooms connected to a common space. Warrant Officers get an individual room in a 2 or 4 room apartment, as do senior enlisted staff. Couples may get a smaller apartment. Family apartments are available to those staff with children.
Officers are all assigned individual one bedroom apartments, or larger units for ranks above Lt(jg), unless they arrive with family, in which case they may be assigned family apartments. Note that family apartments are limited, and available on a first-come first-served basis. Sub-department heads are assigned larger apartment units. Department heads are assigned units with a workroom/conference area attached, and a small private office, in addition to their assigned workspace elsewhere on the ship.
If you wish to have a room-mate in a apartment, arrangements may be made for reassignment of quarters. Quarters are located on many decks, with only subdepartment head and department head, and XO and CO, and Admirality quarters, limited to certain locations.
You are required to submit to a complete physical examination and to report to your department head or to the Captain or XO within 24 hours of arrival. It is recommended that you meet one of the Counseling staff for a tour of the ship and to clarify special needs not related to medical matters. When you arrive, you will typically be given an emergency assignment but will have 24 to 48 hours of ship leave, during which your only real duties are to get familiar with the ship.
Children must be registered with the Ship School officer in the Counseling/Rec department. Children are subject to medical and security checkout, as are all crew members.
Pets may be brought aboard the ship, with approval of the Medical, Security and Counseling departments. All pets are subject to medical and security checkouts, and will be quarantined for at least 48 hours on their arrival, and must come aboard in a quarantine travel case. Pets may not be permitted unrestrained access to the ship, and a field must be set on any quarters in which a pet lives, to prevent that pet from escaping those quarters. There will be no more incidents like the escape of G'Murniks Bashto lizards!
Full continuing education, counseling, recreation and leisure services are offered through the Counseling department. The USS Knight hosts a wide array of leisure facilities with the most up to date and estensive lounges and holo-facilities of any ship of the Starfleet. The Ten Forward (now re-named the Braxton Lounge in honor of former CO Capt. Benjamin Braxton) is quite elegant, matching and in some ways exceeding the facilities available of Star class liners. All crew are encouraged to pursue their favored leisure activities and to get together for group sporting and other events. Schedules of use of facilities for intramural events can be maitained thought the Ship's computer.
If your character has special environmental, social, mental or physical needs, please inform your Counselor or your department head. The USS Knight is a home to many of us, and we want every crew member to feel that way about their stay with us here.
3.3 Writing logs in general
We want to know what's going on in your character's life. We want depth and motivation. Naturally, you don't want to tell all. You should keep the reader wondering about the subtleties, and where the story will go. But a character who doesn't share their personality, particularly their weaknesses, with the readers can't be identified with.
If you find you can't think of things to write about don't worry. Try doing something that your character hasn't done yet. Maybe, Katrina will venture to the holodeck for the first time. Perhaps, she detects an anomily in the ship's databanks. Or you could go in a completely different direction and have her memory banks partially destroyed in a freak accident in the computer core. Although something like that may have to be given the OK from the Game Master (Commanding Officer) first as it could affect other events going on that have been carefully planned.
Have fun, enjoy yourself and if you really need help, speak to the Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, Second Officer, or your Department Head and get their ideas about what you could write about.
3.4 A Sample Log
"A lonely EMH"
Private Katrina Marshall, Emergency Marine Hologram
Katrina was lonely. She was trapped in the Marine Facility in the depths of the Knight while her fellow Marines were over on the Station fighting bad guys. She hated being a hologram, the uneasyness that the other marines showed towards her, not having the ability to leave the marine complex, not being able to deactivate herself. That was the worst part of all... Not being able to deactivate herself.
But then again, being a hologram did have it's advantages. She didn't need food, water, oxygen or sleep. She was an expert at throwing things, and marksmanship, her ability to defeat other opponents was matched by only two others in the whole galaxy, and one of them was her namesake Katrina. if only she had more freedom.
Dari, her Commanding officer was nicer to her than the other 'grunts' in the unit. She respected Dari, and she could tell that Dari respected her. Of all the marines on the Knight, she felt closest to Dari.
"This is going to be a long day..." She said to no one in particular.
She sat down at a terminal and started reading the news. It seemed more and more often that Starfleet facilities were being infultrated by Changelings. Starbase 104 had just found a Changeling high up in their command structure. Katrina sighed. She was a lonely EMH.
(OOC: Can someone please come along and deactivate Katrina!)
4. Other Matters
4.1 Contacting other players
To contact other players, go to the PC Roster page and either use ICQ to contact them with their ICQ number or email them by clicking on the image of the Comm Badge for their character. This also applies to the NPCs aboard the Knight and also those that are not on the Knight.
4.2 Taking leave from the sim
If you wish to leave the Knight for an extended period of time, contact the GM and discuss it with him.
Depending on the amount of time you will be away from the sim for, different possibilities can be presented as to what happens to your character. For instance, if you decide to leave the sim for good, you have 3 main options. 1) Kill the character off, 2) Have him transfer from the ship to another, and 3) Make him into an NPC for the other players to use in the sim. Other situations where a player can't continue simming for a while can also have another alternative whereby the character is wounded, and must be put into stasis until the character is healed.
As with most situations like this, your best possible route is to discuss it with the GM and work something out with him.
If you will be away for a while, like a couple of weeks or so, please send an email to the listserver with an OOC saying that you are going to be away and roughly when to expect you back as this helps other players keep track of where every character is, and whether or not they can create a joint log with you.
4.3 The Knight Website
The Knight site webmaster tries to keep the website as up-to-date as possible, however, she does have a job and sometimes can't find the time to do half-weekly to weekly updates. She also reserves the right to alter slightly the logs of the players for display on the site. This usually includes obvious spelling mistakes, paragraph seperating, redoing separators between sections of some emails, and general tidying up of the posts. If anyone has a problem with her editing of their emails, please contact her and discuss it with her.
The webmaster is still looking for anyone who wants to help out with various aspects of the website, ranging from the creation of graphics to coding HTML, to writing articles. Also, anyone who wants anything added to the site including Possible mission ideas, and messages to the crew/players etc. E-Mail her about it.