Command Officers Training Guide

Congratulations on becoming or aspiring to be a Command Officer in the Confederation. If you have made it to this point,
your current simulation abilities must be of high quality, that fact alone makes us even more proud of you. Soon you will be
in a position to direct simulations; having the unique ability to enhance the fun for your crewmates whom will be under your
command.

Many years of Command Experience go into this document, however this one document will not teach you everything
about command. It takes years of experience to master the art of a simulation, everyone is in constant learning. You
need to know how to recruit, talk to your crew, create missions and keep everyone happy at the same time. Being a
Command grade officer is a lot of responsibility. We as an organization entrust you with a group of 8 to 20 role-players
to mold them to follow in your footsteps along the path of command. You are their guiding light in the organization, you
are their link to the fun and exciting world of Star Trek. You are the master of your domain, your simulation.

This Guide acts merely as mini-encyclopedia; within you will find procedures used by existing COs, hints, advice and
examples pertaining to both administrative ("paper work") and simulation aspects of Command that otherwise come
from experience (or not at all). As it is formatted in sections, it can be referred to again when you need it, and we
recommend that you keep this and other materials in the Command Course handy. Even if you are an old hand at
being CO or XO, you should find new information, be reminded of ideas or find slight alternatives within these pages.
Thus, regardless of your qualifications, take the time to read the entire Guide and see the ideas presented here.
Experience: If you've got this guide, do you really need it? Absolutely. These pages can only hold words; it will be up
to you to gain the experience needed to guide a plot, solve people-problems, and still enjoy being an XO/CO.
After taking the knowledge-portion of the Command Course, we recommend you apply yourself "in the wild" to
further your abilities. Lastly, history is also a good teacher.

Index:
1) Overview of the Command Positions, and Command
2) Character Duties
3) Leadership Training
4) Out-Of-Character Duties

Overview of the Command Positions, and Command

It is expected that you are already familiar with the SimGuide's description of the Captain and First Officer. Here we
explore the command roles a bit deeper than the simulation Guide touches upon the subject.

Commanding Officer / Captain: The Commanding Officer is the central control person of the simulation. All bridge
stations report to him/her when new information regarding the mission at hand comes up; new discoveries (eg "new
ships decloaking") or finished commands (eg "arrived in-system" or "shields are up"). Impulsively, or in response to
new information, the Captain asks questions (to stimulate more input) and gives orders. This system forms a structure
that both controls (so it doesn't get out of hand) and guides the simulation. If you are just learning to CO a simulation,
have this "input/output" system in mind.

Executive/First Officer: As a character in the simulation, the First Officer is the Captain's hypothetical third arm and
second mind. Thus, the job covers a complex set of in-simulation responsibilities. When on the bridge with the CO,
the XO should offer courses of action and advice by asking for information from the bridge officers, and making
expected command orders (eg. going red-alert when encountering hostile threat) which the Captain needn't worry
about. Unless ordered or expected otherwise, the First Officer's place is on the bridge with the Captain. Another duty
is commanding the ship in place of the CO (unless the Captain is incapacitated or unavailable, this should be an
explicit order). In this situation the XO takes on most responsibilities, notifying the CO if his attention is required.
Notification should be given to the Commanding Officer about incoming communication, security alerts, and other
important issues; minor problems need not be reported to the CO if the XO can handle the problem. If the CO is
incapacitated or unavailable, then the XO takes all responsibilities until the CO is available and fit to resume command.
There are some Non-bridge duties which are common or expected of the First Officer. These include, but are not
limited to, advising the Captain during diplomacy, leading away teams, ensuring the Captain's safety when he must
leave the ship, and keeping tabs on how the crew feel about the Captain. It is also common for a CO to have the XO
personally oversee important tasks elsewhere on the ship, eg. moving critical supplies into storage. Out of character
duties include the XO brings the crew to attention before and after the simulation. The XO usually plays the characters
on the view-screen (preferably changes nicknames before doing so) that the ship encounters. Simulations are different
in the respect of what OOC duties are assigned to the XO and what duties are not. As the Executive officer, it is key
to talk to your Commanding Officer and find out exactly what is expected of you, before you step onto the bridge for
the first time.

Other Positions:
As a command-level officer, you should be well-versed in the responsibilities of all other simulation positions. It's
not necessary to be a jack-of-all-trades to be a command officer, but a broad knowledge is required in order to
know what to ask them and what to expect from them in return. If there are certain positions you are not familiar
with, see the SimGuide and read over the advanced Academy guides to become familiar with them. If in doubt, read
the SimGuide and the Academy Course guides; they are a good read, and will keep you in the know. Remember, if
you are not sure of something technical, do not be afraid to find out the information ICly or message a crew member
on your ship; we said a CO is not a jack of all trades and should not be expected to be.

Structure of Command:
One bit of knowledge that some new First Officers do not have is the fact that only the person that has control of the
bridge gives direct orders to the bridge crew and senior officers. Meaning, if the Captain is on the bridge, the First
Officer cannot order the Helm officer to lay in a new course or the Ops officer to transfer power (and certainly
cannot tell the Tactical officer to fire weapons!) unless expected (or has permission) from the Captain. Your
relationship with the Commanding Officer has an effect on the extent of your control on the bridge. The First Officer,
while he does not have control of the bridge, can only make suggestions to the Captain, and ask for additional
information from the bridge and senior officers. The same "control" applies to away missions; a First Officer, when
leading an away team, gives direct orders to the others. Another member of the team cannot be giving orders to the
other, unless it is the usual cooperativeness needed to get the job done. This same one-person-in-command also
applies to chief/ assistant department structures, eg. the Chief Medical Officer gives orders to the two assistants,
but one assistant doesn't give an order to the other unless the CMO is absent (then, of course, the first-assistant
becomes the acting-Chief). The major reason of this is because command requires that one person have a plan of
action, and the ability to have their immediate subordinates fulfill that plan. If someone else is giving orders without
the person-in-command's permission (eg. the First Officer is giving bridge orders while the Captain is on the bridge),
this interrupts the commander's plan of what needs to happen when. Thus, remember, unless you're the one in
command, don't become over-enthusiastic to help and start giving orders. Your idea of what needs to happen can
easily be different from your superior's. Acting independently will easily bring disorder to the simulation. Suggestion
and communication is key, if you have a suggestion you are allowed to voice your opinion through the chain of command.

Character Duties:

The Captain of a simulation has these responsibilities: Controlling the beginning and ending of the simulation, or in
Email the plot. Giving in-character direct orders to bridge crew and senior officers Speeding along the plot during
slow times (with the use of ACTION, and in Email with logs). Communicating with crew members in private for
behind-the-scene orders (e.g.asking the Science Officer to find tetrion emissions). Keeping all officers involved in
the current plot, if someone is not involved find something for them to do. Evaluate information that is received to
find possible effects on the simulation. The First Officer's responsibilities are: Assisting the Captain during the beginning /
ending phase of the simulation, In Email helping to steer the plot. Requesting in-character input from bridge crew and
senior officers and evaluating if the CO needs to be informed about the information or if the XO can handle the
information. Making in-character suggestions to the Captain. Taking in-private requests from the crew, taking care
of what s/he can and presenting what they cannot to the Captain. Taking command of Away Teams. Please note
that away teams are done by Hazard team members only. See Hazard teams for more information.

Here are some things that you as a commanding officer should always remember.
Communication: In character communication is key to the quality of a simulation. An Executive Officer is a key
element to the simulation. As an executive officer, they receive information that may not seem important to inform
the CO of at the time it was received, but it may prove to be important as the simulation develops. The XO and
CO need to communicate so that the important and non-important information comes together to see if there is a
congruence.
Adaptablility: If the plot is not going the way you planned it, try to adapt your grand plan to go with the flow of
what everyone else is moving toward. It is better to let your crew take a plot somewhere then it is to have you
direct it where they do not want the plot to go.
Respect: Onboard a simulation, the executive officer must support the decisions of the Commanding Officer
unless the decision endangers the lives of the crew or the Commanding Officer. It is important for the crew to
see you support the actions of the CO especially in times of difficulty.
Teamwork: The CO and XO that work well together will complement each other in the responsibilities of commanding
a simulation, and result in a good simulation environment for the rest of the crew. Team work is one of the main key
things.

Starting and Stopping an Email plot
It's the CO's, or in the CO's absence the XO's, responsibility to start the plot. This is done by posting a 'plot starting
log'. This log should contain enough background information and orders to set the scene, such that the rest of the
crew has an indication of where the plot will be heading and they can then start logging accordingly. Email plots
don't always have a clear ending, as one plot sometimes rolls into the next. But where possible a concluding log,
which has a short overview of the events that have happened, and perhaps a mention of the performance of the
crew is advisable. An example would be to use a 'Captain's log, Stardate:... ' for this purpose.

Email SIMs,
Attention' is not called and the requirement is for only one quality log a week. It can happen that the CO posts a log
on Saturday in which he/she gives orders to, or requires information from, the CMO. The CMO, however, may not
have the time to log until much later in the week and the CO/XO must be able to deal with this situation to avoid the
plot coming to a stop while they wait for the CMO to respond. It should be stressed to the crew that they need to
inform the CO and/or XO if they know that they will be unable to log that week, so that it can be taken into account
when writing your logs. If the absence is only going to be one week, the CO or XO can speak for the officer involved,
avoiding the plot having to wait for the officer to return. If the absence is going to be longer, an acting chief can be
appointed IC on a temporary basis. Guests are relatively rare in Email SIMs, and would be unlikely to hold a chief
position while they are on board. Guests in Email SIMs usually join during a fleet plot. Thank your guest for attending
at the end of the plot, and when you make your SIM Report, note them in the attendance.

Mission Briefings / Mission Statements / Plot Starters
In Email's the plot doesn't start without a 'plot starting log' from the CO, or in the CO's absence the XO, it's their
responsibility to start the plot. This log should contain enough background information and specific orders to set the
scene, such that the rest of the crew has an indication of where the plot will be heading and what they need to do to
get started in the plot. The plot starting log should paint a picture of the situation as it is at the moment and give a good
indication of what can be expected, ie, what sort of direction the plot is going. The latter is done by issuing specific
orders to all Departments Heads. They will then log accordingly, adding to the plot themselves as it develops.
Remember, unless you tell them in a briefing or other way, via message or comm badge.. they do not know things.
You need to talk to your crew to get them started in the plot. Remember that as CO you have to look at the bigger
picture, you need to ensure that *all* your department heads are involved in the plot you create and give them
information and orders in your plot starting log. They will then involve their assistants. If it is not possible to involve
all the department heads, you can consider creating a small subplot for them until you can get them involved in the
main plot.
It may be worthwhile to note that there are several types of missions, depending on what you as a CO want your crew
to simulation on a particular week or during a particular plot. The different kinds can be broken down into this list:
Exploration - Going to "uncharted sectors", and the like.
Scientific - Investigating scientific phenomena, like "polarized nebula".
Rescue - Investigating why a ship/outpost is experiencing trouble.
Tactical - simulation involving combat, or military-related missions.
At times two or more simulations (or an entire fleet) may band together to a common plot, and often this may call
upon more of one type of simulation than another. For instance, when a fleet-wide plot has many simulations fighting
off an invading force, many simulations during this situation will be Tactical simulations. Afterwards, there may be
some Rescue simulations for fallen comrades. Two simulations that agree to become a two-ship mission of voyage
on the outer rim of known space will have a lot of Exploration- and possibly Scientific-type simulations. And so on. On
the whole and during times when your simulation is acting alone, however, a good mix of all types is a good idea in
general. If you have any trouble knowing what each of these types involves, ask the instructor for examples.

Directing the plot
In Email, after the plot has been started and the crew has started logging based on the 'plot starting log', the CO
will need to post logs as and when the plot requires it. Please remember that the general logging requirement is
only one log a week and the crew will need *at least* 24 to 48 hours to respond to logs. In your logs, as CO, you
need to clarify situations, make decisions, and in doing so steer the plot in the direction you want it to go. It's the CO's
and XO's responsibility to ensure that the logs posted by the crew are tied into the main plot line and story. This is done
by creating a sequence of events from the crew logs, confirming details established in those logs from the crew and
on a regular basis establishing an overview of what has happened in your logs (the latter can be achieved by
reflecting back briefly over what has happened in the last few hours/days for example) before moving the plot forward
again. This is to make sure that the logs posted by the crew make sense within the plot, creating cohesion and become
a story rather then stay loose and 'bitty'. You can, and at times, will need to speak for some of your officers in your
logs to ensure that your orders are carried out and for the plot to be moved forward. Care should be taken though that
when you do, you portrait the character correctly. Play it on the side of caution if you are unsure, and keep the
conversation to a minimum without harming the log or the plot.
Attention to the *DETAILS* in the logs from your crew is *CRUCIAL*, and whenever possible you should use
them. The logs from the crew need to be confirmed in the logs from the CO and XO. Not necessarily by quoting
them literally, but by using the information given in those logs to move the plot forward and dealing with the situations
in the subplots created by the crew. The crew wants and *NEEDS* to have the freedom to add to the plot, move
it forward with their, with their own ideas as well. They will become disillusioned and eventually drop out if they can't
or if they *feel* they can't, and if they are always only filling in the bits after the event so to speak. They each have a
great imagination, let them help you write the plot and unfold the story. Having said that, the crew should be made
aware that major changes to the plot should be cleared by the CO and/or XO before being posted to the list. Extra
subplots should only be introduced by the CO if the crew are not doing so themselves, or if the plot needs to be
guided into a specific direction.
Email SIMs have more depth rather than width, and creation of subplots by the CO for the sake of it, is not Encouraged.
Too many subplots make the plot too complicated and confuse the crew. They won't know what to focus on and the
result is half finished subplots that haven't had the opportunity to be properly developed because of time constraints
and the possible confusion. This in turn will harm the overall quality of the plot and the SIM. Also, be aware *NEVER*
to end your log with a cliff hanger, it may look good for a general non-participating reader. But unless someone else
in the crew knows how you want to move the plot forward and will do so within 24 hours of your cliff hanger, such an
end of the CO's log will stop the plot dead in the water until you log again and move the plot forward.

Email SIMs move slower then IRC's or chat's SIMs, they are generally less 'action packed' in the sense of direct
interactive action, but they more then make up for that in having more depth and background. Allow at least 24 to 48
hours for the crew to respond to logs and as CO you should not expect more then one log per week from each of
your crew members. If something has been posted in a log, it *has happened* and you as CO and XO need to deal with
it. It can not just be ignored. It requires the ability to improvise and adaptability on the part of the Email CO to be able
to deal with the things your crew will add to your plot. Everything fits, otherwise we'll make it fit... and doing exactly
that is half the fun of Email.

Leadership Training:

Leadership is one of those challenges that can be defined in countless ways. For out purpose here, think of it this way.
A leader is expected to get other to work together to have fun. A real leader uses teamwork and respect for others to
get the job done. If others think of you as just the "boss", you are probably not leading. If they think of you as one of the
guys and everything you set out to do is getting done, you can bet you're doing a pretty good job leading.

Other Command officers currently use these skills and don't even know they are doing it. Observe a successful simulation
and watch how the commanding staff acts. Watch them closely. They ask a lot of suggestions and make many suggestions,
don't they? They also know when they need to make orders. (Note that orders are given in the simulation, but when
dealing with the crew it is better to ask for suggestions and opinions before making a final decision out of character.) Use
the other Command Officers as resources. When you face a new challenge, chances are they've faced the same or a
similar challege. They can help you meet the challengs that you are faced.

Finally, it's important to see, right from the start, that everyone in command has been down the trail you're just beginning
to travel. You can take advantage of their experiences. One of the easiest ways to do this is by in the field work with your
own simulation and asking for advice. Experience in the field is a must. It will help you discover what's expected of a leader
in your position. When you know how to be right, it's a lot easier to be right. The more often you can do the right things,
the more the other crew-- and people in general-- will respect your leadership.

Out-Of-Character Duties:

In this section, the myriad of procedures that should be done by a CO or XO of a simulation is explained, hopefully in full
and accurate detail. Some of these duties may be given to the XO, for instance doing the personnel-related issues of
keeping a roster and replying to new-officer applications (although promotions in particular are only to be done and
authorized by the CO).
Whether the CO does all of these or the XO takes part depends on the CO. However, it is recommended the XO at
least be well informed of and involved with what the Captain is doing in respect to the roster changes, promotions, and
simulation ideas. This is all part of the teamwork expected between the Captain and First Officer

Keeping a roster list:
It's surprising how often such a simple but important list can be neglected for months. Keeping a list of crew and their
assigned position is important because your crew must know each other and what position they simulation in without
having to guess; outsiders may also want to know who is in your simulation as well.

Given this importance, the roster should be kept accurate. Your crew should receive regular updates via email, and it
should preferably be accessible to others via a webpage. Don't rely on your crew to look up the roster on a webpage
if you have it there already -- they can't be bothered enough -- so DO send them regular updates. Also, as a CO, make
sure that your XO has an accurate roster even when the rest of the crew haven't received an update in a while; at some
time they will need to become an ACO, and having an out-of-date or no roster is unhealthy to that week's simulation
when that time comes.

Accepting new recruits:
New recruits are now being trained on the USS Excalibur for several reasons. One is the ship has the most
experienced officers around as most of them hold CinC positions in the fleet. This makes it easier to train from several
different angles. The department heads can train and answer queations from the new recruits. Command can watch
over their writing skills and post. This gives us the abilities to make sure they know how to write our way and by
the time they get to your ship, know how post and work with others. Training in this way takes about 3 to 4 weeks.
It depends on the players ability to learn the system.

Promotion of positions:
When faced with crew leaving, especially at XO and Senior Officer level, be it for RL reasons a person no longer
having the time to SIM, or be it for a transfer to another SIM. Always look INSIDE your own SIM first for a
replacement, and do not be put off by a 'low' rank. I've seen COs look outside their SIM for these positions and when
I questioned why not promote from within the SIM, I heard the answer 'they are not ready'.

They may not be ready at this moment in time, but give them a chance. You show not only to the officer in question
that you have confidence in their potential, you also show the rest of your crew that you believe in them and their abilities.
You show that you are prepared to train and invest time and effort in your own crew. Sometimes all a junior officer
needs is a little push, be challenged or given the chance to show what her or she is capable of. To give an indication, I
was assigned as IC XO on an email SIM 4 weeks into LtJg, when I had barely figured out what I was supposed to do
as Chief Science. I didn't think I was ready. But the CO had seen the potential that was there and threw the challenge
at me. I was given direction and clear orders IC and OOC hints as to what was expected and within a few weeks I
started to grow into the position and the rest is history. Don't ever be put off by a low rank or someone being in an
assistant position, I have seen several Cadets who started out in Assistant Positions or Department Head positions go on
over time to XO and CO positions.

If a Senior Officer leaves your SIM, assign first of all an Assistant in an acting Capacity for a period of 4 weeks and
give them a probationary period during this time. Advice them to take the Senior Officer course during that time and
that you will review their performance during this time. You catch more than one bird with this stone, it solves your
immediate problem of the vacancy in a key position. It sets a positive example to your crew and if it doesn't work out
you will know within two weeks, and you have bought yourself some time to look at alternatives.

Rank promotions:
Promotions are relatively straightforward on most simulations. We use to use the point system but have decided to
leave that system for a newer one. Once a crewmember has reached the minimum number of simulations, and has shown acceptable attendance and simming quality for their level and have any training needed, hold a promotion ceremony in
which the officer is promoted. As a CO, you may make additional requirements to the minimums, eg. "A Lt. must show
willingness to help newer officers before becoming LtCmdr."; these are at your discretion. We are try to be friends with
the crew, however promotions must reflect what you expect to see in the rank you are promoting that individual to. Even
if the individual meets the basic requirments it is up to you to decide if they reflect what you believe a person of that rank
should be. Promotions on the minimums are for exceptional officers, if individuals are always promoted on the minimums
there may not be a maturity progression over the period of time. Ranks reflect the maturity of an individual within the
organization, it is a reward for acting as someone should who holds that rank. We are trying to mold the command
generation which will follow us... so be careful how you promote, it is a serious matter.

One last thing, I do from time to time check out officer bio's which you will need to keep up. These are your players
records and should have things like promotion dates, write ups of exceptional post or bad acts on a ship. AR-15's
are when a player gets out of hand and you have to write them up. This goes on their records for ever and should have
a reason as such. One area I look at is the Certification area to make sure that an officer has all his requirements for
the rank and position they hold. CO's bio's will be done by the admirality.

Below is the minimun time from rank to rank promotions. The second time in months is total time in the fleet.
Ensign to Lt(jg) 1 month
Lt(jg) to Lt 2 months                (3 months)
Lt. to Lt.Cmdr 3 months          (6 months)
LtCmdr to Cmdr 4 months       (10 months) 
Cmdr to Capt 5 months            (15 months)
Capt to FCapt 7 months           After captain the Admiral of the Fleet can change the requirements.
FCapt to Comm Approximately 9 months
Comm to RAdm Approximately 11 months
RAdm to VAdm Approximately 13 months
VAdm to Admiral Approximately 15 months

Note: these can be changed if the need does arise and the Fleet Admiral approves of the promotion.

Simulation reports:
Simulation can seem like paper shuffling at times, but is quite helpful to you and other administrative volunteers. For
you and your crew, it summarizes the plot each month and makes your crew know how attendance is going, and also
acts as a published reference into past attendance and a plot history. For email SIMs, the best plot summaries are when
you summaries the logs for each crewmember in one sentence. That way it shows that you have been paying attention to
their logs and what is going on in the SIM. For your fleet commander, it lets them know what's going in within their
command. For personnel, the attendance and roster notes gives the information they need. The main item for a simulation
report are a plot summary, and adding to that the stardate, a list of attendance/logs-done, promotions or awards, and
roster updates. You will find the ship reports in the Fleets main page on the bottom. THIS most be done monthly.