Game Rules

Play realistic

• You're not all-knowing
  
• You're not almighty
  
• Technique doesn't solve everything
  
• Be realistic
  
• You're not immortal
  

Interactions

During missions, characters are presented with various events which require them to make decisions and take action. The result of character actions are determined by a Ship/Station Manager (SM) then communicated to the players. The quality of character decisions and the timeliness of character actions determine the success or failure of a mission.

Actions

During missions certain actions may occur. Only the Ship Manager is allowed to post actions. These messages will start with ACTION.

Chain of Command

Ship Manager

SMs are hosts responsible for Game operation. Their responsibilities include providing game materials, managing the game environment, and maintaining game quality and player satisfaction.

Game Materials - Before each mission begins, an SM will provide a player with mission orders which detail the objectives of the mission. The SM may also provide additional information to players whose characters will have important roles during the mission.

Game Environment - During each Game session, an SM will communicate information about events that are taking place. When characters react to these events, the SM will then communicate the result of character actions to the players.

Player Satisfaction - At all times, an SM will provide an open forum through which players may ask questions, make comments, and submit suggestions. The SM will respond to all such correspondence.

Commanding Officer

COs are players responsible for mission direction. Their responsibilities include directing fellow players.

Player Direction - During each game session, a CO will give direction to the players. This direction will be in the form of orders from the CO's character to other characters. It is up to each player to decide whether or not to obey the orders.

Executive Officer

XOs are players responsible for mission direction during the absence of the CO. Their responsibilities include directing fellow players.

Player Direction - In the absence of a CO, during each game session, a XO will give direction to the players. This direction will be in the form of orders from the CO's character to other characters. It is up to each player to decide whether or not to obey the orders.

NPCs

The use of NPCs is only allowed with the permission of the Ship Manager.

Reassignment

To request a change of position within the same starship, i.e. from Flight Control Officer to Operations Officer (if the OPS Officer position is open), all requests should be made directly to the Ship Manager. The SM will inform you via email/PM of the status of your request.

Leave of Absence

If a player is aware that he/she will be unable to participate for 5 days, it is possible to allow a request for a Leave of Absence to be granted. All Leave of Absence requests must be made directly to the SM responsible for that particular starship or station. Although a player may leave for an extended period of time and still be guaranteed participation, there is no guarantee regarding availability of positions.

Resignment

Players may resign from the Game at any time, although players on a starship should consider giving some warning if they plan to resign, to help assure a graceful storyline transition for their comrades. This request should be made directly to the Ship Manager.

Players who resign from the Game can return at a later date with the same rank or position that their character previously held as long as the same character is used. If a new character is created he/she will start with a rank that is equal to or lower than the previous character's rank. Previous positions may already be taken so the reinstated player may have to settle for a different position. Also, depending on the situation, it may make more sense for a reinstated player to assume a lower rank since they could be subordinate to another character⤙s rank.

For instance, it would not make sense for a Tactical Officer to have a higher rank than the Chief Tactical Officer. This could be considered a temporary reduction in rank as happened in the first Star Trek movie where Admiral Kirk assumed command of the Enterprise and the actual captain became his First Officer, with a temporary reduction in rank.

Communication protocols

Telepathic Communication

Some races have telepathic powers, in varying degrees by virtue of birth (i.e. Vulcan, Betazoid, etc). If your player is one of those, or if a powerful being sends a message to you (providing you are able to receive and understand such message), you will need to know the protocols for telepathic communication.

1) No one, but NO one can hear one telepathic conversation to another unless they are included in it.
2) All telepathic conversations are to be preceded by three tildes, the position or name of the one in communication, the message and then followed by three tildes. ~~~ All: Many of you know this, but it does not hurt to repeat it. ~~~
3) Telepathy needs to be limited. Use your best judgment. Telepathy is a means of communication, not an answer to solving everyone⤙s problems and getting into everyone⤙s head.
4) When using telepathy in an unusual situation, you need to get the SM permission first on whether or not you can succeed. For example - someone is on the planet and one is on the ship or on another ship or ... well, you get the idea and you want to be able to communicate. You need to ask them if you can succeed... or if you can successfully hear someone. There is limitation on telepathy. Please know what yours is and try to stay within it, no matter how tempting it might be to hear something far away, don't. All telepathy, from species to species, has its rules and protocols. Know what your race⤙s is.

It is very tempting to use telepathy in crisis situations. The problem with that is it can make a mission ridiculously easy. That is to be avoided. It may be used as a tool just like any other. And like any other, it has its limitations.

Face-to-Face Communication

This form of communication is used when speaking to another character in the immediate area. To use face-to-face Communication precede your text with the last name or title of the character (like CO, XO, etc.) to which you are addressing, followed by a colon. If you are speaking to everyone there is no need to reference a name or title.

Example:

When the CO talks to OPS
OPS: Scan the area.

When the OPS answers
CO: Aye sir.

Non face-to-face communication

Asterisks plus Colon: This form of communication is used when speaking to another character out of the immediate area. To use non face-to-face communication, precede your text by enclosing the last name or title of the character, or area of the starship/station to which you are addressing, with asterisks followed by a colon.

The following scenarios will use the asterisks (Crew to crew or crew to home ship/station):
⤢ When not in person or on different decks of a ship.
⤢ When not in person or on different decks of a starbase.
⤢ When not in person or on different decks of a station.
⤢ When contacting assigned ship from one of its own shuttles/runabouts.

Example: When the CO talks through combadges
*OPS*: Report to the Ready Room.

Note: Starfleet personal combadges are integrated into the Home Ship/Station com-system so that no matter where the crewmember is, they can speak to each other without the use of COM:. No COM: is needed for an Away Team whether they are on a planet, in a shuttle, or inside a deserted ship, investigating the disappearance of its crew.

COM plus Colon: The following scenarios will use the COM: protocols (Crew and/or ship/station):
⤢ Communicating with vessels or starbases that the character is not assigned to.
⤢ When one ship/station/starbase/planet com-system contacts a different ship/station/planet com-system.
⤢ For all ship to ship, ship to station, ship to starbase, station to station, and station to starbase
⤢ For all planet to ship, and planet to station, and planet to starbase.(This form of communication is used by the planet government/rulers/people contacting your ship when you enter orbit usually, you should respond in kind by using COM:)

Example: CO calls SBOPS of Kemaris Station
COM:SBOPS: USS Equilism requesting permission to dock.

Non Verbal Communication

This form of communication is used to express actions and emotions. To use non-verbal communication, enclose your actions and emotions in double colons. Actions and emotions should be integrated with other forms of communication whenever possible.

Alternate Location Communication

This form of communication is used when away from the starship/station, or away from the main group of characters. To use alternate location communication, precede any other form of communication with the @ sign. Home Ship/Station = your ship/station, whose mission it is, never uses a designation such as @. Just picture your ship as the center of the universe and everything else around it is an alternative location. @ = is used by AT's and other ships/stations/starbases/shuttles (if used in your mission) to designate an alternate location: away from the Home Ship/Station. If there are more than one alternate location, then the SM will assign different symbols to each for ease of communication such as # or $.

Open your post

< [if an NPC: NPC] [Position abbreviation] [First name] [Last name] >
Examplex:
<NPC Beta OPS Jeral Nevit> or <FADM Jerry Taylor>

Conclude your post

To keep things clear, end your post with:

=/\= [Position abbreviation] [First name] [Last name] =/\=
Example:
=/\= FADM Jerry Taylor =/\=

Use of characters from the series and movies

In RPGs it isn't common to use characters from the series and movies. We're not going to use them in ST:EQ, unless the Game Manager approves.