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World Weavers World Guide: STARFLEET
I. Introduction
II. This Is Not Star Trek
A. Timeline
B. "Canon" vs. "Non-Canon"
C. Real Life vs. Fiction
D. The Mission
III. Characters
A. Camp Venture
B. Positions Available
C. Creating a BIO
D. Making a Good Fit
E. Promotions
F. Additional Characters
IV. Technology, or, Treknobabble
A. Technological Advances
B. How to (and How Not to) Fake It
C. Ship's Books and Technical Specifications
V. Writing Conventions
A. Stardates
B. Non-RP (Out-of-Character) Notes
C. Signatures
D. Point of View
E. Starfleet Ranks
F. Communications
G. Titles of Posts
VI. Administration
A. Who Runs What
B. Where to Go with Problems
C. Becoming Part of It
VII. Additional Information
A. Books, TV and Movies
B. Websites
IX. Conclusion
SECTION I: Introduction
Starfleet is the longest-running of the World Weavers realms, with close to eight years of history behind it. It is also one of the most popular, with more than a dozen active Starships and Space Stations in play.
It is also the easiest to jump right in to, as nearly everyone is familiar with Star Trek and how it works. But this *isn't* just like regular Star Trek, and that's what this Guide is for: to prepare the incoming writer for what to expect of *our* version of the universe. It will help you to create effective, believeable Starfleet characters, familiarize you with the available technologies, give tips on writing in proper format and with continuity, and tell you where to find more specific information.
So read on, Ensign, and welcome to Starfleet!
SECTION II: This is Not Star Trek
Yes, we do write in the world of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and beyond, but with modifications and additions as we see fit. Also, in order to avoid direct conflict with the current "official" stories, we play in a time approximately forty years advanced from the current shows. None of the established characters from official stories appear, except in rare oblique references. Captain Picard, for example, will NEVER actually appear in one of our stories, but we might refer to his adventures and discoveries in the past.
Familiarity with the various shows, books and movies is good, but itis certainly not required to have a good time and write effectively. All that you need is a basic idea of Trek, and the creativity to be able to make and sustain an interesting character. Oh, and common courtesy, of course; respect for one another is paramount (no pun intended) in World Weavers, and Starfleet is no exception.
Subsection A: Timeline
Our universe diverged from the "canon" Trek universe at or about the
time of the infamous Battle of Wolf 359, in which a Borg cube destroyed or
crippled dozens of Starfleet ships. Events before that time are considered
to be true in our history, but events depicted after this time may or may
not have happened in our version of the timeline.
The current "play" year advances once per real life year, even though
events being portrayed may not seem to take that long. It is assumed that
there are long periods of "down time" between missions and during repairs
and refits which pass without actually being written. This helps close the
gap. To determine the current play year, simply add 412 years to the
actual date. For example, 1998 is equivalent to play year 2410.
Here is a listing of some significant events which you may find
mentioned on occasion.
2367: Battle of Wolf 359
2379: Jack Gerber becomes Fleet Admiral
2380: Branch Admiral Susan Antares appointed Head of SFIA
2383: Cdor. Jack Sullivan vanishes after leaving Space Station Andor
in his private yacht
2393: Klingon Emperor Kahless dies, and is succeeded by his son Komarr
2398: Branch Admiral Reginald Foxx appointed Head of JAG
2404: Sullivan reappears on Earth and is reinstated and promoted to
Branch Admiral as Head of Engineering Branch; Captain Roberto
Sanchez, former USS SABRE CO, is named his Assistant
2406: Timeshift Incident; Gerber resigns as FA, becomes Earth delegate
to Federation Council, with honorary rank of Executive Admiral;
Judith Marko becomes Fleet Admiral; Sullivan becomes Fleet XO and
Head of Fleet Operations, promoted to Senior Admiral; Sanchez
replaces Sullivan as Head of Engineering Branch, promoted to
Branch Admiral
2407: Commander Adam Crown named Head of Medical Branch
2408: Marko marries Ambassador D'Arque and steps down, with honorary
rank of Executive Admiral; Martin Shaw becomes Fleet Admiral when
Sullivan refuses; Borg/Symbiont attack on SSV1
2409: Marko returns temporarily during Shaw's illness; Branch Admiral
Walker Greye becomes Head of Security when predecessor is found
mentally incompetent; Branch Admiral Hayden Sweeney replaces
retiring General Zim as Head of Camp Venture; Shaw later becomes
Head of Personnel
2410: Daniel Gregg becomes Fleet Admiral when Sullivan again refuses;
Fleet Captain Remy Devereaux appointed Ass't Head of Engineering
Branch; Fleet Captain R'Morna Trost appointed Head of Counseling
Branch; Romulans declare war of Federation after USS CALYPSO is
sabotaged and forced into Romulan space; Admiral Mia Sherman
replaces Shaw as Head of Personnel; Branch Admiral Matt Hydeman
replaces Sweeney as Commandant of Camp Venture
Subsection B: "Canon" vs. "Non-canon"
There are a lot of similarities between the official Star Trek
universe and our own. The dark reaches of space are dangerous places,
filled with hostile aliens, enemies, pirates and other Bad Guys.
Strangely, in spite of the superlative efforts of the best fighting force
in the known Universe, nothing ever seems to go right on an Starfleet
mission until the very end when, just in the nick of time, victory is
snatched from the jaws of defeat.
But none of this is written in stone. Just because something happens
on one of the TV shows, or in a movie, that doesn't mean it happened in
our universe. We did not have a major war with the Dominion and split with
the Klingons; we don't mention the USS VOYAGER at all, because we haven't
decided whether ours got home or not; we haven't allowed the established
characters to move up into our Admiralty, when they might have otherwise.
We do use all of the standard races and technologies introduced, but
details may change. For example, although the Star Trek Animated Series of
the 1970s is not considered canon any longer, we have characters who come
from races described in that show, such as Edoans and Caitians.
So don't expect everything to be just like it is on TV. Check around,
ask your co-writers who have been around longer. But on the positive side,
you have more freedom to create something truly different, that "real"
Star Trek wouldn't accept. We're not sticklers about things, but we do
appreciate it when our writers take care to be consistent within our
framework.
Subsection C: Real Life vs. Fiction
Because of the vagaries of Real Life, we sometimes have to bend our
fiction a bit to fit. There's always a way to justify anything that might
happen, though. That's why you see changes within the Admiralty much more
often than would be expected in a "real" universe. Players come and go,
and they take their characters with them.
Some of the technologies we use would never be introduced in real
life, as they are more RP aids than actual advances. A good example of
this is the Holo-link. It permits us to have interactions between
characters who would normally be separated by light-years on different
ships or planets. More information on these "invented" technologies can
be found in Section IV.
The most important aspect of this, however, is the difference
between the characters and the people who play them. Please remember that
we're all human beings with feelings behind our monitor screens. Don't
do anything which might offend someone without checking with them first.
And on the flip side, don't assume that anything written which puts your
character in a bad situation is an attack directed at you. Keeping this
distinction in mind is the biggest key to enjoyment of writing here.
Subsection D: The Mission
All of our Starship missions are assigned through the Fleet
Operations office. This is required so that we can keep tabs on what's
going on, and avoid conflicts between what two ships are doing at the same
time. WW Starfleet's internal continuity cannot necessarily be enforced
outside the individual unit, but it is encouraged.
Missions are usually created and assigned by the Fleet Operations
Admiral, but a CO may request a specific mission if he has an idea. These
must still be cleared through FOPS, though, in order to help maintain
consistency, and to avoid conflicts. FOPS is always eager to hear new
mission seed ideas, so feel free to send your to the Admiral at any time.
Most of our missions are relatively simple and involve only one ship,
others can get more complex and involve two or more ships. Sometimes a
ship will get into "trouble" and call on another ship for assistance. This
sort of scenario must always be approved ahead of time by all involved
COs and the Fleet Operations Admiral or Fleet Admiral.
A special web page listing all of the recorded missions, past and
present, for each of our ships, is in the process of being drawn up.
Section III: Characters
A career in Starfleet begins as you graduate from Starfleet Academy
in San Francisco and take the lunar shuttle to Camp Venture on Space
Station Earth One. The Commandant will assign new officers to a holodeck.
There, Ensigns spend about five days to two weeks getting acquainted with
WW and how we play. They then move on to their permanent assignments in
Starfleet.
Subsection A: Camp Venture
Camp Venture is the WW training facility. In the Starfleet framework,
it is located on Space Station Earth One, in geostationary orbit above
Starfleet's groundside HQ at San Francisco.
Initially, it is customary to report to the Camp Commandant's office,
often with a brief account of how your trip on the shuttle went, what
happened when you reported, what your hopes and expectations are (as a
newly commissioned Ensign) and anything else that will help to make the
whole experience real for you and us. Remember, when you enter Space
Station Earth One and Camp Venture, you are now in a new world; one that
exists in virtual reality, to be sure, but a world nonetheless. The more
real and vivid it becomes, the more exciting and enjoyable will be your
experience.
The purpose of being in CV for a few days is to get acquainted with
our style of RPing. Your instructor will help you get acclimatized, and
offers tips and hints on how to work well with the other writers you will
meet, as well as general information about format and style.
If you don't get a reply to one of your posts from your instructor
within a few days, please let both the Personnel office and the CV
Commandant know via e-mail. We'll try to find out why, and let you know.
We want to assign you to a ship ASAP but we know that some people
will only post once or twice and then stop. To keep this from disrupting
the routine of a ship, we use CV also as a screening tool. So as soon as
you show you can work with other crew and will keep posting, your
instructor will graduate you. We try not to keep you at CV more than a
week or so, if possible.
When your Camp Venture instructor graduates you, you'll be told to
which ship to report. You will be expected to write your travel and
arrival there, and then the CO, FO or someone else in the unit will
normally respond to your first post within about 72 hours. The CO or FO
will make sure that your address is added to the ship's mailing list, and
that you have all of the addresses for the other players. You may receive
a Roster and/or Bio file for the other charcters in that unit.
You will be assigned to a ship that needs more crew and has an
opening for the type of position you request, if such is available.
However, you may request a specific assignment if there is a particular
ship or station that you would like. While there is no guarantee the staff
will be able to immediately honor the request, we make every effort to do
so.
So, while you are in Camp Venture, you can be looking around at the
ships subjects and get a feel for what ship you might like to join. If you
have something special in mind for your character, please let us know.
There are a number of ships commissioned in Starfleet. Most are general
purpose, but a number are specialized for those who have a preference for
certain types of role-playing and missions. For example:
*USS CALVIN - lighter, more humorous RPGing (comedy)
*USS DAMOCLES, USS SABRE - warships with heavy battle action
*USS ODYSSEUS, USS CALYPSO - science and exploration ships
There also may be other specialized ships from time to time, on a
short-term or "one-shot" basis. Also, there are support organizations such
as the Judge Advocate General's office and Starfleet Engineering. Such
special positions are available to established members who have
demonstrated dependability and good interaction skills.
The general patrol ships get involved in all types of missions,
including, but not limited to, combat, diplomacy, exploration, first
contact, investigation, reconnaissance, infiltration, re-supply, support,
and protective escort.
All characters for new players, and nearly all for established
players, will join their crews as department heads. This is not entirely
realistic, as new Ensigns fresh out of Starfleet Academy are hardly the
best choice to become, say, a Chief of Security or a Chief Medical
Officer. The reason we do this is that the department heads are generally
much more "visible" than run-of-the-mill junior officers, and will be
present on the Bridge or in staff meetings, which is where a lot of the
action takes place.
It is certainly possible to create and run a character who is not a
department head, but for new players especially, we think it best to put
them in a position where information and opportunity will be readily
available to their characters.
Subsection B: Positions Available
Here is a brief listing of the normal positions we assign, and
their general duties aboard Starships. Positions on Stations may vary
somewhat; for information on that, contact the person in charge of the
Station in question.
1) Commanding Officer (CO)
The CO, usually called Captain, whether or not he has achieved that
actual rank, is in overall command of the ship. As a player, the CO is
the interface between the crew and the Starfleet administration
(Admirals and such). The work of the Captain is somewhat similar to
that of the other club administrators, in that his job is to ensure that
all members of his crew can enjoy themselves in RPing with the least
amount of restriction or interference. Of course, he is also responsible
for maintaining order, and seeing that things don't fall into complete
chaos.
Captains also have duties which include assigning personnel to
positions so that all ships in the fleet can be properly staffed and so
that there are ample opportunities for RPing for the members. To do this,
Captains may, on their own authority, create such positions and RP duties
as they may need and promote characters to the rank of Lieutenant
Commmander in Starfleet. Captains may also, with the advice and consent of
the Fleet Admiral or his designee, promote to the rank of Commander and
assign First Officers.
Transfers may not be done by the Captains without the consent of the
player being so transferred. In the event of a transfer, if the member
and both Captains agree, a courtesy request is expected to be made to the
Director of Personnel. If it is necessary to effect an involuntary
transfer, the matter is to be referred to the Fleet Admiral or his
designee, as well as the Director of Personnel.
Captains do not have authority to interfere with the development or
direction of the storylines of their ships or units. Captains have the
same authority to guide and shape the development of the scenario as any
other member. They do NOT have control of the story and they cannot
arbitrarily direct it, although they can exert considerable influence and
most players will follow the lead of the Captain. Captains UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES may stop a story because of their own absence and may not
cancel the development of the mission on their return.
Captains are required to follow the guidelines and traditions of WW
and do not have authority to make new rules or requirements. They do have
broad latitude in setting up new positions (but not new ranks) and new
technology. The CO also is responsible for keeping the ship organized and
the crew motivated and trained. He is normally expected to post frequently
(unless special arrangements have been made or there is an emergency). He
is responsible for making sure crew rosters and status reports are posted
and mailed to the Roster Keepers and Fleet Operations, respectively, in a
timely manner. He or she has primary responsibility for setting up a good
RPG environment and cooperating with the administrators to achieve this.
This is considered a critical position, and therefore is only open to
established members. The most important thing to remember about the
position of CO is that it is one of responsibility, not authority. It is,
in all aspects of the word, a job. But as they say in the U.S. Navy ads,
it's not *just* a job...
On the Character RP side of things, the CO is responsible for
choosing from among the various options that are presented, the one which
best contributes to the successful completion of the mission. He is also
answerable to the Admiralty for the actions of his crew. The Captain
receives the mission orders from the Fleet Operations office, and calls
staff meetings to discuss options. He also is the chief negotiator on a
ship, responsible for dealing with aliens and civilians.
COs normally carry the rank of Captain, although Commanders and
Lieutenant Commanders may be given command of some ships unders special
circumstances. No one of lower rank may become a CO, except in an
emergency, and in that case, it is only as Acting CO.
All in all, there is quite a lot involved in being a Commanding
Officer. It is a demanding position, both for a player and a character.
2) First (Executive) Officer (FO or XO)
The FO is second in command of the ship, and assumes all duties of
the CO in the event the CO is unavailable for any reason. He does not,
however, assume the position permanently until and unless that is
confirmed by the Admiralty.
If the Captain fails to respond to posts or NRPG mail for more than
one week, he or she is considered "off the bridge" and the First Officer
becomes the Acting Commanding Officer (ACO) until the Captain's return.
Note that this crew member does not become "Captain". This person has the
position, duties and privileges of the CO, but not the rank.
Normally the FO is responsible for maintaining the crew roster and
also BIO file, if one exists, but these may be assigned to other players
on a voluntary basis.
In RP terms, his primary responsibilities include making sure that
the crew is ready at all times to carry out the mission, and seeing that
the CO's orders are obeyed. The FO is also responsible for making sure
that the Captain is aware of all of the various options that are available
for successfully completing the mission.
The FO has primary responsibility for the safety of the CO. The FO
will normally choose and command any away teams, although this will vary
from ship to ship. The FO is also responsible for the development of the
ship's officers' careers in Starfleet. The FO is the ship's personnel
officer and he, in consultation with the CO, should make position
assignments.
FOs are generally Commanders, but may be Lieutenant Commanders or
even Lieutenants, under some circumstances.
Much like CO, the position of FO is one of high responsibility, and
so new players are not permitted to hold this position, although they may
advance to such later, through good play and reliability.
*NOTE* We request that if players cannot post on a regular basis that they
not accept a position as a CO or FO. Infrequent players are certainly
welcome to hold another job even if they can only post occasionally.
3) Operations Manager (OPS)
This is a critical position on any ship. OPS's job is to allocate the
ship's resources in an efficient manner so as to meet the demands of the
mission. The OPS Manager runs the ship's sensors and communications,
functioning as the CO's eyes and ears.
He also has primary responsibility for the ship's computers and data.
As such, the officer can supply information from the computer on
essentially any subject including alien races, unusual phenomena, etc.
Because of his responsibility for the ship's smooth operation, OPS
is generally (but not always) the ship's Second Officer (2O), and thus
would assume temporary command should both the CO and FO be unavailable or
incapacitated. OPS may be any rank, but if 2O, should be at least a
Lieutenant.
4) Tactical/Security Officer (TAC/CSO)
This is actually a combination of two duties in one character. As
Tactical Officer he handles the ship's weapons and shields, via the
Tactical station on the Bridge.
As Chief Security Officer, he is primarily responsible for the
safety of the ship and its crew. This includes running the Brig, providing
guards for visiting VIPs, and generally running the Security department.
Also this officer shares responsibility for sub-space communications
with OPS. There are rarely Away Teams which do not include some Security,
so there is plenty of opportunity for action.
Traditionally, this character takes a hard-line, short-sighted, even
a touch paranoid, approach to problems. He presents this view to the
Captain who must decide to what degree to follow it. Of course, any
individual character may vary. TAC/CSO may be any rank.
5) Chief Engineering Officer (CEO)
The Chief Engineer is responsible for the repair, maintenance and
proper functioning of the ship's physical components, including engines,
shields, life-support, transporters, replicators, holodecks, and
peripheral equipment such as shuttlecraft and runabouts.
This position has secondary responsibility for energy and resource
allocation, which is normally handled by OPS. As such, OPS and CEO work
very closely much of the time, OPS submitting requests and CEO making the
necessary adjustments.
The CEO handles investigations of problems of a mechanical and
technical nature, including damage control. He is often looked upon as the
resident "miracle worker" aboard ship. He can be of any rank.
6) Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
The ship's Doctor handles all medical matters, whether they be
simple bruises or plagues and other medical emergencies. Exotic injuries
are common on Starships, so this position has a great deal of freedom for
creativity.
The CMO also handles investigation into biological matters and may
develop biological solutions to problems, usually in cooperation with the
Science Officer. A physician is almost always included on Away Teams, so
the CMO position can also be quite full of action.
The CMO is secondarily responsible for the same work as the Counselor
and one character may, if necessary, serve in both capacities. The CMO may
be of any rank.
7) Ship's Counselor (CNS)
The Counselor assists the CO with ambassadorial functions including
dealing with alien races and trying to make peace. Counselors are also
responsible for the mental health and well-being of the crew, in
cooperation with the CMO.
Other duties may include responsibility for internal communications,
morale, and scheduling and preparation for special events aboard ship.
This person should also assist in getting new recruits settled into the
routine of the play.
Dramatically, the traditional Counselor offers an optimistic,
starry-eyed approach to problems to contrast with the TAC/CSO. Counselors
may be any rank, or possibly even unranked civilians in some cases.
8) Chief Science Officer (SCI)
The Science Officer (SCI) is responsible for investigations into
all manner of scientific problems, both mechanical and biological. This
officer also can act as a back-up for both the CMO and the CEO, and either
of those positions may also act as SCI, if necessary.
The Science Officer will normally work closely with OPS in arranging
the use and adjustment of sensors and other detection devices. Sciences
covers a very broad range, from stellar cartography to geophysics to
anthropolgy to biology. As a result, this officer will usually have a
large staff of specialists for these areas. Chief Science Officers tend
to be well-rounded, but can certainly be specialists in various fields.
The Science Officer acts dramatically as an advisor to the Captain on
technical matters, and will present scientific proposals and evaluations
of mission situations. He may be of any rank.
9) Flight Control Officer (FCO)
The navigator, also sometimes referred to as NAV/HELM (navigator/
helmsman) is the character who actually "drives" the ship on the Captain's
orders. On many ships, NAV/HELM usually acts as the chief backup for most
other non-command bridge officers, especially OPS and TAC. The officer
is secondarily involved with both weapons and sensors. The FCO is also the
principal shuttlecraft pilot, and responsible for shuttle and support
craft maintenance, in conjunction with the CEO.
The position of FCO is among the most flexible of the regular
positions, and can be of any rank, although they usually don't stay in
that role after reaching Lt. Commander.
10) Other Positions
Some ships may have openings for other sorts of characters, such as
Communications Officers, Lounge Hosts/Hostesses, and Mission Specialists.
These types are usually made for special circumstances by established
players, but if you are interested in such a position, please check with
the CO of the ship or station you'd like to play on before developing
things too far. The CO will tell you what would be required of such a
character.
Other types of characters are also possible on Space Station Vulcan
One. You do not have to play a department head on this station, nor even
a Starfleet officer. Civilians of all sorts are welcome. Diplomats,
criminals, shopkeepers, scientists... all are possible. Enlisted personnel
and non-coms are also possible on this station.
Subsection C: Creating a BIO
Upon graduation from Camp Venture, if not before, the new player will
be required to put together a Biographical Information File, or BIO for
short. There are several reasons why such a file is required, not the
least of which is helping the new player sort things out in his own mind
about why the character is the way he is. Another important reason is to
provide the other writers you will be working with some basic background
information ahead of time, so they will be better able to write casual
interactions with your character right from the start.
BIOs will be updated every so often, as the characters grow and
change, and significant events occur. It's probably a good idea to keep
your BIO updated at least twice a year, and re-submit each update to your
CO or FO, and/or whoever maintains the ship's BIO file.
A complete character biography should always include all of
the following at a minimum (remember, all information is fictional):
* character name
* current rank (usually Ensign for new players)
* race
* age
* physical description
* height and weight
* hair and eye color, if applicable
* other distinguishing marks/characteristics
* home planet (residence)
Other things which are important, and should be included if possible,
are:
* place of birth
* education
* family information
* parents
* siblings
* spouse
* children
* service record
Then there are the things which help make your character unique. The
more of this you have, the better defined your character will be in the
minds of the other players:
* beliefs
* traditions
* quirks
* ambitions
* annoyances
* hobbies
There are several different ways to present this information.
Usually, the basic 'factual' information is listed in category format. The
more in-depth things can be discussed in sections, such as these:
* Medical history
* Psychological evaluation
* Personal information
* Significant events
Much of this will also come out during the writing, so don't worry
too much about going into exhaustive detail at first. There will be plenty
of opportunity to add to and update the basic information.
Finally, a section for Non-RP information should be included. The
earlier portion of the BIO should be assumed to be "in character", but
some important information, especially secrets, cannot be included in such
an "official" document. If there are things which you know about what
will happen to the character in the future, or how he might react to
certain specific situations, this is the place to include them. You can
also throw in a few tips and hints for other players on things which are a
bit more subtle than what was included above.
Characters are not required to come from any of the 'documented'
races in the world of Star Trek. Characters with completely unknown races
pop up in Starfleet occasionally and do just fine. One caution, though--
characters from the "Q Continuum" are strongly discouraged at this time
because of their tremendous capabilities. Q characters need to be very
maturely played or too many things can happen that could dramatically
impact a ship's story line without any control from the crew members.
Anyone wishing to create a Q character needs to talk directly to the
Admiralty. This applies to any other beings with extraordinary powers,
such as Organians, or unique beings like Nagilum. Approval of such
characters is very unlikely for beginning players, but later on, after the
player is well established, acceptance becomes more likely.
There are many sources of information that might help you create a
character.
* Star Trek TV series (Original, Next Generation, DS9, Voyager)
* WORLDS OF THE FEDERATION book, by Shane Johnson
* Star Trek novels and movies
* Other Science Fiction books, movies and games
* Your own imagination
Here are a couple of sample BIOs. The first is a relatively new
character, the second a long-running character with much history in the
club.
Link: Esn. Rolex BIO
Link: Cmdr. Torphek BIO
Subsection D: Making a Good Fit
Something which is very important to consider while creating a
character is how well that character will fit in with others. There are
certain standards of education, behavior, and such to which all Starfleet
officers are expected to conform, at least on the surface.
For example, all officers are expected to have attended Starfleet
Academy, or at the least, tested out of Academy requirements. SF Academy
is usually a four-year program similar to college, but accelerated
programs are available for persons who have prior college experience or
similar training background. This would include such things as Medical or
Law school. Even these characters must have some Academy training in
Starfleet procedures before being cleared for service.
Troublemaker characters are not impossible, though. Everyone has some
sort of flaw, and even the best of us isn't perfect. You will need to
consider, though, what you would think if you were in charge of personnel
for Starfleet. Would you want this person on your ship? There must be some
good reason to think he'll be successful in Starfleet.
Similarly, consider who your character will be working with. If you
are going to a ship full of Klingons, you probably don't want to play a
Romulan. Crews must be able to work together as a unit. It can be
difficult, but not impossible, for characters to get along. Don't create
someone who is likely to provoke hostile reactions from others, unless you
are prepared to deal with the consequences.
Starfleet is supposed to be the best and brightest of what the UFP
has to offer. It takes a lot just to be accepted into the Academy, and it
gets harder from there. Inappropriate behavior will be dealt with harshly
(in character, of course); the penalties for insubordination, behavior
unbecoming an officer, and similar infractions can be severe. And you
don't even want to know about treason...
Try to remember, though, that punishment of a character is no
reflection on the player. Player problems are dealt with outside of RP.
Many characters get into trouble now and then; it's just one of many ways
to create conflict, which is what drives all fiction.
Subsection E: Promotions
All new members start as Ensigns, but promotions come rapidly for
dedicated and good role-players. All new members are initially assigned to
a ship as an Ensign, then promoted to Lieutenant<jg>, Lieutenant, etc.,
based on the frequency and quality of their contributions.
With the guidance of the CO, players can also expand their roles or
positions in other ways. Often players believe that if they were a Captain
or Admiral they could do more. In fact, this is often the opposite of the
case. Here, one of our members describes what his character did as a
Lieutenant:
"Hunter Thorpe managed to get a Galaxy class starship to the rescue
of a badly damaged fellow vessel, fight off Ferengi attackers, tow the
damaged vessel back to Starbase Beta (now destroyed), participate in a
hellacious battle, fight a running battle with the fugitive Lt. Commander
JJ, get a nasty dose of Hydo-wacko medicine, went crazy as a result and
nearly destroyed his own starship, and finally threw a party in Traveler's
Rest after being decorated and promoted even though, by then, Hunter was
in a body cast."
Subsection F: Additional Characters
Many times our more active players, who are able to post frequently,
ask about playing more than one character. We allow an established member
to play as many major characters as they can handle. This must be
coordinated through the Personnel Director. Such additional characters are
handled just like new members except that they do not need to go through
Camp Venture before being assigned to a ship, and may start at advanced
rank. Except in special situations, however, a player may not start a
character of higher rank than his primary has achieved. Special situations
might include, for example, an offer of a command, which would require
creating a Captain-level character.
There are also other possibilities, too. First, you can add
additional non-player characters (NPCs) as desired. Second, you are free
to play a Villain (enemy character), if approved. This must be agreed to
by the Personnel Director and the CO of the ship involved. This is a good
way to get to write with people who are not currently in the units in
which you normally write. Bear in mind, though, that the bad guys always
lose in the end.
Each crew member can create as many additional NPCs as he or she
wishes on his or her ship. These crew can range from efficient assistants
to inept and/or hostile bunglers who can be used to add color and humor to
the story. Usually these are within the player's own department, but can
be in others if that department head consents. They are also expendable
and can be killed or otherwise mangled as convenient, by any player, not
just their creator. They are the "supporting cast."
Once established, members are welcome to field additional PCs on
different ships or on stations. No player may have more than one PC in any
given unit, however. Consult the Personnel Director and the CO of the unit
you wish to join for information on creating a secondary PC.
Any member who wishes to field a Villain may do so by checking with
the Personnel Director and coordinating efforts with the COs involved.
Villains may be any type, and pretty much do as they please as long as at
the end of the mission the Villains lose, and they do not involve ships
that are not approved for the scenario. The Villains do not have to be
destroyed or captured but they must be foiled in their nefarious schemes.
Once an agreement has been reached, Fleet Operations or the Fleet Admiral
should be notified for final approval. Be advised that, in most cases,
playing a Villain is time-dependant, coinciding with the beginning of a
new mission for the ship; you may have to wait a while to get started.
Special note re: STARFLEET INTELLIGENCE AGENCY characters
While we are very reluctant to interfere with or limit in any way our
member's abilities to play their characters as they see fit, we still have
a responsibility to maintain some degree of order to allow all players to
enjoy themselves here. Therefore, the following rules are in effect for
ALL characters who want to be affiliated with SFIA.
1) At the sole discretion of the CO, one PC on each ship is permitted to
be an SFIA affiliate or agent. Only one is allowed per ship.
2) SFIA affiliates must be regular PC line officers at the department head
level such as NAV/HELM or CSO. The CO and FO may NOT be SFIA agents. If
an SFIA affiliated character moves into one of those positions, the SFIA
affiliation must be immediately terminated. This applies to both temporary
and permanent assignments.
3) SFIA characters are not allowed to overrule a superior officer purely
by virtue of their affiliation with SFIA. They must always follow the
orders of the CO and FO, except as normal RP would dictate (for example,
if the CO is insane at the time), just like any other character.
Section IV: Technology, or, Treknobabble
Since this is a science fiction realm, there is a lot of science and
pseudoscience floating around. It's not necessary for you to really know
how a Warp Drive works, but you should have a basic general knowledge of
what exists in our imaginary future.
Subsection A: Technological Advances
Pretty much anything which has been mentioned in Star Trek will come
up at some point during play. There have also been several advances since
the time of the TV shows and movies. Here are some of the more important
ones. More detailed information can be found on the WW SF Sciences page
on the World Wide Web.
1) Dimensional Warp (D-Warp)
D-Warp is a newer method of ship propulsion which makes use of an
alternate dimension. Because the ship is entirely removed from this
universe while traveling in D-Warp, no time passes is the normal universe
between start and finish of the journey. In other words, D-Warp travel is
instantaneous, as far as any external observer is concerned. Because of
power requirements and health hazards, use of D-Warp is restricted to
emergency situations only.
2) Holo-link
Like D-Warp, Holo-link was created as a plot device, to make it
easier for characters on different ships and stations to interact with one
another. It has changed significantly since first introduced, but
basically, all play units are equipped with a dedicated Holodeck which is
linked into a network joining all of them together. This means that any
character may visit any other ship or station at any time, as long as the
CO of that unit agrees. All Holo-links also connect to the Traveler's
Rest, our lounge on SSE1.
3) Phaser Cannon
This is a very powerful variation of the ship's phasers, similar to
what was seen in the final Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "All
Good Things". It is powerful, but requires a lot of energy to fire.
4) Artificial Wormhole Generator
Still in the experimental stages, the AWG can create wormholes on
demand. Control is imprecise, however, and so there is no way to tell at
this point where the other end of the worlhole will be. As of now, the AWG
should be considered to be a last-ditch emergency escape means, and
nothing more. Only one type of ship currently has the AWG. (See the specs
for the ANDROMENDA Class on the WW SF Engineering pages)
5) Sullivan Cross-Transfer Matrix
The Matrix allows any one Bridge terminal to run all vital ship's
functions, in the event of damage to other stations. Although it is very
difficult, one person can run the entire ship using the Matrix. Also, any
department functions can quickly and easily be moved to another terminal.
The Matrix was developed by Admiral Jack Sullivan, after whom it is named.
6) Transporter Hard Buffer Backup
An additional failsafe has been added to all transporters, which
will store the information on a character in mid-transport in the event of
transporter failure. It has a completely independent power supply. This is
another of Sullivan's innovations.
7) Transporters in Replicators
Many shipboard replicators now are equipped with micro-transporters,
which will allow the items requested to be materialized anywhere in the
room. Failsafes prevent items from being replicated in the same space as
an existing object or being.
8) D-Cloak
This was discovered by accident, during one of Admiral Sullivan's
attempts to create an effective bio-shield against D-Warp radiation. The
shield works, but has the side effect of turning the ship completely
transparent to all standard forms of radiation (in other words,
undetectable). Originally abandoned due to a treaty with the Romulans
which forbade the Federation from research and development of cloaking
devices, the D-Cloak is now able to be used. Only one functioning model
exists, currently on the USS PEGASUS. If and when the current war with the
Romulans ends, its use may once again be forbidden, but that is
undetermined at this time. The D-Cloak is a secret!
9) D-Comm
Another offshoot of D-Warp technology, this is an experimental means
for instantaneous communications anywhere in the universe. Only a few
ships have been equipped for D-Comm so far.
10) Tsurani Missiles and Quantum Torpedos
Advanced weapons systems similar to, but more powerful than, photon
torpedos.
There are more such developments, but these are the most commonly
mentioned or used. Individual ships may also have special items or systems
aboard.
Subsection B: How to (and How Not to) Fake It
Some people are better than others at using techincal language. Don't
let this discourage you from creating a Science or Engineer character.
There are lots of ways to get around the use of Treknobabble.
First, you can read up on what you want to talk about. There are
plenty of resources for folks who want to know more about Trek science.
Second, you can avoid the issue entirely, by referring to things
obliquely, or not referring to them at all. For example, instead of
writing this:
As ordered by the Captain, David ordered his assistant to
re-calibrate the flux capacitors. "Be sure you don't polarize
the framistan, or we could end up with a discombobulated nexus,"
the CEO said, as he climbed into a Jeffries Tube.
You might try this:
David followed the Captain's orders and told his assistant
engineer to fix the problem. He warned him to be careful of possible
complications and their consequences, as he climbed into an access
tunnel.
Third, and sometimes most fun, you can make it up. You do have to be
a bit careful about this, but nobody can tell you you're wrong if it's
something that has never come up before. Watch out, though; you don't want
to end up like one of our old-timers who, with no technical knowledge,
wrote that her CEO character had "aligned the Jefffries Tubes." She made
the simple error of confusing tubes such as tunnels with tubes such as
those used in old-fashioned radios and computers.
We're not going to punish you for making a mistake, so don't worry
too much. Just be prepared for a little good-natured ribbing from the more
technically savvy players if you screw up. The above player is dearly
loved by most of us, but she'll never live that little episode down.
Subsection C: Ship's Books and Technical Specifications
For those who are interested in that sort of thing, complete
technical specs are available for most of our Starships and stations.
These can be found on the WW SF Engineering pages. Ship's Books vary in
amount of detail, but in general, you'll find at least this much
information:
*Ship's Book: [ship name] - [class] - NCC [registry number]
*General Specifications
*Standard Crew Complement: #
*Decks, Primary Hull: # (this MUST be consistent with the class)
*Decks, Secondary Hull: # ( " " " " " " " )
*Turbolifts: # discrete systems, # cars in each
*Holodecks: #
*Shuttle Bays: #
*Transporters: # Personnel, # Cargo
*Cargo Bays: #
*Notes: (A description of what the ship is like and how it fits in with
the other ships in the fleet. Included should be a general physical
description of what the overall design is and what it looks like, e.g.:
how many warp nacelles, etc. Some ships also include a section on history
of either the particular ship, or the name, or both.)
*Deck-by-deck plans: (Specific details of what is where on the ship, in
deck order.)
Section V: Writing Conventions
You will find, as you write with us, that certain standard forms are
used for expressing things. It is not required that you follow all of
these religiously, but bear in mind that they do make things easier for
everyone to understand if you follow the guidelines.
Subsection A: Stardates
Stardates are used to indicate when a post was submitted by the
author. We could use just normal dates like anyone else, but since
Stardating is an established Star Trek phenomenon, we adopted it for our
own use. Here's how it works.
Each Stardate is composed of nine (or ten) digits in the following
configuration: YMMDD.hhmm
Y = Play year (last digit, example 2409 would yield 9)
MM = Month (03 = March)
DD = Day of month
hh = hour (24-hour time, Eastern Time Zone)
mm = minute
Play year is always considered to be exactly 412 years advanced from
actual year, therefore 1998 = 2410. Use the play year when making
Stardates, rather than the actual year.
We request that you convert all times to Eastern for convenience.
During years which end in zero, such as 2410, an extra year digit is added
so that the Stardate does not begin with a zero. Here's an example, based
on the date and time this portion of this document is being composed.
Date: August 30th, 1998 at 4:30 AM Eastern Time
Stardate: 100830.0430
Subsection B: Non-RP (Out-of-Character) Notes
At times, it is necessary to communicate something to the other
players without character knowledge. For this purpose, we use NRPG notes.
You will find these most often at the beginning or end of a post, but on
rare occasions, may be inserted in the middle. They are prefaced by the
designations NRPG (non-role playing game) or OOC (out of character). For
example, at the end of a post where you wrote a character discovering
something wrong with the transporters, but do not want anyone to
interfere with that discovery until you write your next post, you might
add this sort of note:
NRPG: I have something specific in mind for the transporters, so please
don't change anything with them until I post next.
NRPG notes can also be used to make compliments or complaints to
other players, but this is usually better handled in a separate, private
message by E-mail. Sometimes, an NRPG section will be added by the CO or
another player for clarification of things such as sequence of events, or
to accomodate real life events which alter or interfere with play.
Experienced players have found that most discussion out-of-character,
such as discussing plot alternatives, asking everyone how they are doing,
congratulations for promotions, etc., are best done separately from the
RPG posts. This creates a better RPGing environment on the ship and a
story-line that is easier to follow, especially for people who only read,
and do not participate in the story (lurkers).
Subsection C: Signatures
This is more a general Internet standard than a World Weavers one,
but please keep your signatures to a reasonable size. Large graphics and
quotations are nice, but they also take up space which can be better used
for other things. You might want to consider making a separate signature
file strictly for WW posts.
When signing a World Weavers post, be sure to include both your
character's name and position, and your own name. You may also see such
commonly used phrases as "Respectfully Submitted," or variations thereof.
Subsection D: Point of View
Normally, posts are easiest to read and follow when written from a
third person perspective. Both the omniscient and the internalized modes
are common, but be careful not to put thoughts into the heads of
characters belonging to other writers.
Occasional use of the first person can be effective, especially when
used for such things as personal log entries. Another effective technique
can be a change of point of view during a post, such as moving to a
villain or other NPC as the focus.
Subsection E: Starfleet Ranks
Here is a listing of the ranks we use in our version of Starfleet
and the SF Marines.
Flag Ranks
----------
Abbrev Title Marine Equivalent Abbrev
FA Fleet Admiral None
SA Senior Admiral General Gen
Adm Admiral Major General MG
BA Branch Admiral Lieutenant General LG
RA Rear Admiral Brigadier General BG
Cdor Commodore Brigadier General BG
FCpt Fleet Captain None
Shipboard Ranks
---------------
Capt Captain Colonel Col
Cmdr Commander Major Maj
LtCdr Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant Major LM
Lt Lieutenant First Lieutenant 1L
Lt<jg> Lieutenant Junior Grade Second Lieutenant 2L
Esn Ensign None
Enlisted personnel/non-coms (NPCs only)
------------------------------
WA Warrant Officer Sergeant Major SgtM
CPO(m) Master Chief Petty Officer Master Sergeant MSgt
CPO(s) Senior Chief Petty Officer Sergeant Sgt
CPO Chief Petty Officer Corporal Cpl
PO Petty Officer Private First Class PFC
ST Star Trooper Private Pvt
These enlisted ranks are normally addressed informally as "Chief" or
"Trooper". When those do not apply, generally ether the full rank or just
their name is used.
In addition, there can be "Specialists" for each department. These are
designated Spec/1 though Spec/5, which are equivalent in rank to PO
through WA. Thus one could have an Engineer/3 or a Security Spec/4.
PLEASE NOTE: We are aware that these ranks do not correspond exactly to
current real world ranks. This is Starfleet, 400 years in the future, and
the ranks have changed somewhat.
Subsection F: Communications
Here's an example of the format used to send a communication between
two starships or to/from a starbase:
*<SUB-SPACE TRANSMISSION>
*From: USS Comet, Commanding Officer, Capt Doe
*To: USS Steed, Counselor, Lt. Frank
*Re: Strange Sensation
*SD: 50321.1833
*CLASSIFIED GRADE 3
<insert text of message here>
*<END OF TRANSMISSION>
Classification Grades are:
1 = TOP SECRET 2 = SECRET 3 = CONFIDENTIAL 4 = UNCLASSIFIED
There is no real purpose behind the classifications at this time.
They simply show the relative sensitivity of information in your
communication that might assist you and others in your RPing. Anything of
this nature that adds to the realism is helpful.
Subsection G: Titles of posts
Ship and mission subjects almost always begin with the ship's name
(although for multi-ship scenarios we occasionally use the mission name).
If you do not want to, or cannot think of a "title" for your post, you
should use a location, such as an area of the ship. For example, if you
are on the Starburst, your material can be posted under such subjects as
"USS STARBURST", "USS STARBURST Sickbay", "USS STARBURST Away Team", etc.
Otherwise, after the ship name and a colon (:), list the title. For
example, you might call a post "USS STARBURST: When It Hits the Fan".
Section VI: Administration
Like any other club or organization, World Weavers has a group of
administrators who help keep things running smoothly. Club administrators
and World/Unit administrators are kept separate, although one person might
hold more than one position. The overall Club administrators keep WW
running, approve new worlds, set broad policy, and settle disputes. You
can find more information on these people on the main WW Web Page. This
section is a listing of only those administrators who help run the
Starfleet realm.
Subsection A: Who Runs What
All ship and station CO's are considered "Unit Administrators", and
are responsible for running their play units. Beyond this point, Starfleet
is run by a group generally referred to as The Admiralty, even though some
of the members do not hold the rank of Admiral. This group includes the
various Department and Branch heads, as well as the policy makers and
overall commanders (Starfleet Command). The person in overall charge is
called the Fleet Admiral.
Most of these positions are combined RP and Non-RP roles. There are
characters who may appear in various places, but each of the players is
also responsible for some aspect of club operation relating to their
department. You will find that each of these officers has an "office" on
the WW Starfleet Web pages, where information about their departments can
be found.
Here is a listing of all of the Starfleet administrators and their
responsibilities:
Fleet Admiral Daniel Gregg
Played by Greg Armstrong, Admiral Gregg is in overall command of
Starfleet. He makes all of the big decisions, such as war plans, planetary
quarantines and general policy. Out of character, Greg is the man who
keeps Starfleet moving for us, appointing new COs and creating new ships
when needed. He also appoints new members of the Admiralty, and assists
with the other departments as needed.
(E-mail Greg at: roboman@andrew.cmu.edu)
Senior Admiral Jack Sullivan
Brian Davidson's Jack Sullivan is a long-running character who began as
a ship's CEO and progressed through a Captaincy to a Sector Command, then
Head of Engineering Branch. He is now Gregg's Fleet Exec, second in
command of Starfleet and head of the Fleet Operations department. Brian's
main job in Starfleet is to assign new missions to ships as needed, and
maintain as much consistency as possible. He also wrote most of the
Starfleet documentation, including this Guide.
(E-mail Brian at briand@indy.net)
Senior Admiral Susan Antares
Admiral Antares is the head of Starfleet Intelligence Division. She was
created originally by club founder Jack Gerber (now retired), but is
played when needed by several people. She is an RP-only character.
Branch Admiral Roberto Sanchez
Sanchez is head of Engineering Branch, responsible for design and
construction of new ships, development of weapons and defenses, and repair
and refit of older ships. He is played by Eric Rzeszut, who is responsible
for putting together the Ship's Books and Class Specifications.
(E-mail Eric at erzeszut@uab.edu)
Fleet Captain Remy Devereaux
Devereaux is Admiral Sanchez's assistant, the man responsible for most
of the paperwork in the Engineering offices. Rob Hines, Jr., is his
creator. Rob made and maintains the SFENG Web pages, and has been working
on assembling all of the Ship's Books into a standard format.
(E-mail Rob at rook@iquest.net)
Branch Admiral Walker Greye
A former Marine, Greye now heads Starfleet's Security Branch. He was
created by Jason Kee, and is mostly an RP character.
(E-mail Jason at eclipse@ionsys.com)
Commander Adam Crown
Commander Crown is the current head of Starfleet Medical. He also serves
as CMO of the flagship, USS OBERON. Matt Hydeman brought Adam to life, and
Adam is among our longest running active characters.
(E-mail Matt at voyage@cjnetworks.com)
Fleet Captain R'Morna Trost
R'Morna is a Betazoid, and heads up Starfleet's Counseling department.
She's a relative newcomer to the Admiralty, and was created by Brian
Davidson, mostly so there'd be a name to use when needed.
Lieutenant Nneka Achebe
Nneka is the Admiral's Counselor, with offices near theirs. She was
created by Lynette Cowper, and has served on ships in the past. She is
an RP-only character.
(E-mail Lynette at lcowper@indy.net)
Branch Admiral Reginald Foxx
Head of Starfleet's Judge Advocate Branch, Admiral Foxx deals with all
investigations of officers, up to and including courts martial if needed.
Adam Brown, an actual law student, created Foxx, who is mostly an RP
character.
(E-mail Adam at havoc@hudsonet.com)
Admiral Mia Sherman
The newest member of the Admiralty, Mia is our head of Personnel,
keeping track of ship rosters and arranging transfers when necessary. She
is self-named, as this position is almost exclusively an administrative
one.
(E-mail Mia at shatavari@erols.com)
Branch Admiral Matt Hydeman
He runs Camp Venture, our training facility, and is also a new
appointee. As a self-named character, Matt is taking his sanity in his
hands. He's responsible for assigning new recruits to a trainer, and then
finding them berths on our ships and stations. This is a combination
RP/admin role, with heavy RP involvement with all new applicants.
Each department head is also responsible for maintaining the info on
that department's web page, although Mia and Renee Lewis-Grothe, our
webmaster, will handle the actual design and updating of the pages, and
Brian is writing the basic starting text for them. This is a new project,
just barely underway.
(E-mail Renee with web page comments at grothes@amug.org)
Subsection B: Where to Go with Problems
Here are some of the types of problem you may encounter, and how to
handle them appropriately.
1) Expected absence
Absences are often necessary for various reasons. We request that if
you are going to be gone for more than three or four days, you notify your
CO. He or she will inform the rest of the crew.
2) Unexpected absense
If you are absent for a period of time, but unable to notify anyone,
we will try to hold your position open for a while. After a month or more,
however, you will probably be replaced if another character is available
to fill that position. In that event, we will try to either place you
elsewhere, or move you into another department on the same ship. This will
be handled by the ship's CO and the Personnel Admiral.
3) Request for transfer
Sometimes, players just don't mesh well with the style of a certain
unit. If you have a problem with your ship or station, you may wish to
transfer to a different unit. Transfers are allowed between ships if for
any reason the person is not satisfied with a current assignment. Any time
you are not satisfied with your ship or assignment, please let the
Personnel Admiral know, and we will make every effort to accommodate you.
4) Player conflicts
We don't want this to get around, but we have strong evidence to
support the belief that there really are no alien races playing Star Trek
on the Internet. That means that all the players, at least when they are
not in WW, are human beings, and human beings have an unfortunate
proclivity for conflict.
There are three kinds of conflict in WW. First, there is some good-
natured teasing, which is perfectly OK, and usually no one minds. Try to
be careful how you say things, though.
Second, there is legitimate criticism. Our role-playing often gets
quite complex and there may be legitimate disagreement or confusion over
the development of the plot or action. To discuss this, in WW we exchange
out-of-character NRPG messages via E-mail if possible. The newsgroup is
not the place for such discussions, as they are merely distractions to
those reading for pleasure. See the Non-RPG section above for more info.
Remember, if you criticize someone, make it as gentle and diplomatic
as possible. Anything you say will come out more harshly than you mean
when it appears in writing. There are no facial expressions, no tone of
voice or other mitigating factors. Expect your comments to be taken as
more negative than you had intended.
Occasionally you may have difficulty getting along with another crew
member. This is very difficult, especially if the crew member is your
Captain. We want you to have fun. However, to leave a ship because of
another crew member is usually regarded as a serious insult to that person
and can be very upsetting. Do you really want to hurt that person? We
would rather you tried to work out your differences. If you can't, then we
will consider your request for a transfer, or try to work things out with
you and the other party.
Subsection C: Becoming Part of It
Every now and then, an opening in the Admiralty will come along.
When such occurs, the FA will seek out an appropriate replacement. It's
a lot of work being an administrator, so we always look for dedication and
reliability first as requirements.
Players who have demonstrated these, and have been around for a while
(usually at least a year), will be considered for the position. A good way
to favorably impress the Admiralty is to volunteer to do some work for
them. We can use all the help we can get with all of this paperwork and
red tape.
If you are interested in administration, be sure to let us know, but
don't be a nag about it. We'll remember.
Section VII: Additional Information
There are LOTS of resources available to you for help in your writing
with World Weavers. Many WW SF players use various books and reference
materials to help them create role-playing material in their scenarios.
This section provides a basic bibliography of some of these materials.
Readers are encouraged to add books to this list and update each book's
synopsis by critiquing this section. "nfi" means "No Further Information."
Subsection A: Books
THE STAR TREK ENCYCLOPEDIA: A Reference Guide to the Future
Michael Okuda, Denise Okuda and Debbie Mirek
Pocket Books, 1994, $18.00.
About the most comprehensive and valuable reference to the entire ST
universe.
STAR TREK--THE NEXT GENERATION TECHNICAL MANUAL
R. Sternbach and M. Okuda
Pocket Books, 1991, $13.00.
Describes the Galaxy Class starship and much technical information, such
as phasers, shuttles, engines, etc.
STAR TREK--THE WORLDS OF THE FEDERATION
S. Johnson
Pocket Books, 1989, $14.00.
Describes the different races and home planets of the Federation,
neutral planets, and enemies.
STAR TREK--STAR FLEET TECHNICAL MANUAL
nfi
Similar to the ST-TNG Tech Manual shown above, but focuses on the
Original Series.
STAR FLEET TECHNICAL JOURNAL
Star Log Press, $5.95.
Star Log, a magazine company, publishes this book containing
blueprints/equipment on the Galaxy Class starship.
SHIPS OF THE STAR FLEET, VOL 1
Mastercom Data Center, 1988 and 1991.
Shows complete schematics on 17 different starships.
STAR FLEET PROTOTYPE
Star Fleet Academy Training Press, 2292.
Much like SHIPS OF THE STAR FLEET described above, but with more ships
and designs.
STAR FLEET DYNAMICS
Star Fleet Academy Training Press, 2291.
Complete officer's guide for equipment and information.
STAR FLEET OFFICER'S MANUAL
FASA, nfi.
A book for the Star Trek Role-Playing Game by FASA.
BLUEPRINTS: - USS Enterprise NCC-1701A Deck Plans
Strategic Design, 1992.
USS ENTERPRISE EVOLUTION BLUEPRINTS
SF Department of Graphic Design.
Describes how Constitution Class evolved starting from the Horizon
Class.
USS ENTERPRISE BRIDGE BLUEPRINTS
nfi
Describes every button on the Original Series bridge.
Subsection B: Websites
This is not a listing of Star Trek websites. There are WAAAAAYYYYYY too
many of those. Instead, what we offer here is a list of related sites
which you may find helpful or entertaining, and also the official World
Weavers sites for Starfleet and its ships.
WW Home page
http://www.amug.org/~grothes/weavers.html
WW Starfleet Command page
http://
WW Master Roster page
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~roboman/rosters
<more to be added>
IX. Conclusion
Are you still with us? Great! Then you're all set to get started on
your new career in Starfleet. If, after all of this, you still have
questions, please feel free to drop an E-mail to Greg, Brian, Mia or
any of the department heads for specific info on their areas. Their
addresses can be found in the "Who Runs What" section above.
World Weavers, under several different names and incarnations, has
been in existence for many years. We hope that you will join us and find
out why it has been so popular. The stars await!
Last update: 11 September 1998