1 WELCOME
1.1 Introduction
1.2 What to expect in the Academy

2 BASICS OF SIMMING - OOC STUFF
2.1 What is SIMming
2.2 Email SIMming
2.2.1 Starting and Ending the plot.
2.2.2 Attention to Details
2.2.3 Conflicting logs
2.2.4 Interaction and co-ordination
2.3 Logging styles and types
2.4 Ten Rules of Email SIMming
2.5 Subject lines
2.6 Signatures

3 BASICS OF SIMMING - IC STUFF
3.1 The IC Setting
3.2 Enlisted and Officers
3.2.1 Enlisted
3.2.2 The Enlisted Rates and Ratings
3.2.3 Officers
3.2.4 General Comments about the Enlisted/Officers Relationship
3.3 Positions/Departments, rates and duties
3.3.1 Command
3.3.2 Bridge
3.3.3 Armoury
3.3.4 Science
3.3.5 Engineering
3.3.6 Medical
3.4 Chain of Command & General Procedures and Protocol
3.5 IC NX-Class ship setting description
3.6 BIO creation

4 CREDITS
4.1 Contributors
4.2 Useful resources

Starfleet: The First Era
SIM GUIDE

Version 2.2 February 9th, 2013
Written by Capt Kjell Lindstrom
<tfe.acad.cmdt@gmail.com>

Credits
Various people have given their help and suggestions during this guide's development and revision. We learn from the past so to those in the past, we thank you. Some content was also adapted or taken from these sources:

* The STTSF (Star Trek: The Sixth Fleet) SIMming handbook written by Cmdr Jayne Fury.
* Enlisted Crewman Association - Written by PO1 Robert 'Patch' Thomas
* UCIP Command Officers Guide V3.1.2 - Written by Commodore Suzanna Blokpoel

Previous versions of this guide:
* SF-TFE SIM Guide V1.0 by Sub-Cmdr Suzhran
* SF-TFE SIM Guide V2.0 by Sub-Cmdr Suzhran & MCPO Mike Sirota
* SF-TFE SIM Guide V2.1 by Capt Suzanna Batenburg

1 Welcome

1.1 Introduction

Welcome to Starfleet: The First Era SIM group (SF:TFE). The first SIM group dedicated to Email SIMming in the 'Enterprise Era'. This is our Basic SIM Guide, in it we will go over and teach the basics of not just Email SIMming, but also SIMming in this Era of Star Trek. This is the very start of Deep Space exploration. many things are a lot more simple then we are used to seeing on the Star Trek shows of the 23rd and 24th century. Starfleet: The First Era tries to stay close the canon and we place a lot of value on that, however as Capt Hawke said, regardless of what we see in the shows or how much we try to keep this all in a role playing aspect people will ultimately be people. We aren't here to copy the show... That is impossible. What we are here to do is to role-play in as hospitable an environment as possible. The environment at this moment is based on the The First Era of Star Trek.

Where some of you may have experience in SIMming in either the 23rd and 24th century, there are a number of aspects that we will be going over which are specifically related to SIMming in the 22nd century. The section 'IC setting' will go over some of the details of that. In many cases it is remembering, and knowing, what we are not supposed to know yet and making sure we do not use technology that at this point in the timeline has not been invented yet.

The other major difference compared to SIMming in the later eras is that we are using a lot more the enlisted crewmembers, and have those actively SIMming. The reason for that is that we see a lot more of that on Enterprise, and because they are the heart and soul of Starfleet that make sure that our engines keep running, our torpedo tubes loaded, our targeting scanners functioning, and our crew fed. The NX class ships have 82 crew on board, and more than 80% of those are enlisted. In the IC section of this guide we will cover the basics about the enlisted and officers and the differences between the positions. We will also cover some of the normal protocols and procedures that are used when dealing with officers and enlisted.

Many of the resources that you need will be found at the Academy website, or via the links there.

^

1.2 What to expect in the Academy

The Academy is part of the inprocessing procedure and protocols. The first step of inprocessing is the Fleet Application that is sent in using the online form, a link to it can also be found at the Academy website. Upon receipt of the form, the Academy will contact you and ask for confirmation of the application. Your application is also forwarded on to the CO of the SIM you have applied to, and you can also expect an email from your CO.

At the same time, the basic ranks are assigned, Crewman Recruit for enlisted and Officer Candidate (also known as Cadet) for those seeking a commission as officer, and Academy training is arranged. The Academy will assign an instructor to you, who will act as mentor during the time you spent at the Academy. The Academy training is compulsory for all new members of SF:TFE. Because even if you have Email SIMming experience, it is unlikely you have experience of SIMming in this Era of our future history.

The Academy basic training course consists of two parts: a Theory Exam and a Practical Exam. The Theory Exam covers the OOC side of Email SIMming (section 2 of this manual) as well as a number of the IC details. A score of 80% or higher on the theory exam is needed to complete this part of the Academy requirement. The Practical Exam involves writing a sample log to a given 22nd Century scenario. For applicants with demonstrated Email SIMming experience, it is possible to obtain a waiver to the Theory Examination. In this case, only a Practical Exam log fitting the 22nd century setting will be requested. All waivers are subject to the approval of the Academy Commandant.

From an IC point of view, Starfleet Academy is a new entity in many ways, most of the higher ranked officers were already commissioned officers in Earth military, and were chosen for space duties. These officers then went through extra/new training to be qualified to go into space and on to the NX class ships or were working on the NX projects. In some ways it is comparable to the way NASA has been training astronauts from the various nationalities. Here we have an Academy that takes on a limited number of Officer Candidates that applied directly and do not have an Officer Commission yet, and they also take on Officers that were put forward by the various military services on Earth for space duties because of their exceptional skills in specific areas that makes them suitable for these type of duties. Officer Candidates have IC a 4 Year training program, which is completed on Jupiter station.

That means when your character refers to attending Starfleet Academy, expect small class sizes and an elite corps of students, some of these can vary in age and experience. As time goes on, and Starfleet's numbers and the number of ships increase, Starfleet Academy will evolve with it towards where it is as we know it in the 23rd and 24th century, where they accept Officer Candidates only and train them from scratch and who upon completion receive their Commission. Like Officers, Enlisted personnel will get their basic training on Earth, and complete their training on Jupiter Station. Their training programs are generally a lot shorter and more specific, however some of the basics about Space and Starships will be similar.

Still in the early days of the Federation before full integration of the military and exploratory services of all member planets, the Academy has not yet become the central training facility for all races. Andorian, Vulcan, or Denobulan characters will have received their training on their home planets and entered service on a Starfleet vessel through the Alien Officer Exchange program. They also take part in the final stages of the Starfleet training at Jupiter Station. This is to familiarise them with the Starfleet systems, emergency procedures, the Earth technology on the ships etc. Daliwakan characters on New Darwin Colony will have received their training locally at the colony Academy facility.

^

2 Basics of SIMming - OOC stuff

2.1 What is SIMming

What is SIMming? SIM stands for the word 'simulation'. When SIMming, we pretend or simulate that we are in a different environment. It involves imagination and acting within the structure of the laws of physics that govern that universe. In this case, the era depicted by the Star Trek series: Enterprise, which depicts the very first Era of Starfleet.

So what is OOC and what is IC? OOC stands for 'Out Of Character'. It is when you talk as you, the person behind your character. IC stands for 'In Character', and relates to what happens to your character and events on your SIM, within the plot.

You will choose a SIM, be assigned a position (usually one of your choice), and go through your Academy training. Once you graduate from the Academy your CO will be notified. In order to graduate, you need to gain a score of at least 80% for the basic theory exam and receive a grade of 'fair' or better on the practical part of the training. Promotion to the officer rank of Ensign, or Enlisted rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class is not possible without graduating from the Academy. The academy will train you in not only the position you choose to SIM in, but also the jobs done by your fellow crewmembers, and the nuances of SIMming in this Era and the interactions between Officers and Enlisted personnel.

Creating a character is the most challenging and exciting part of SIMming. As in all good writing, stick to something that's familiar to you. (see Creating a Biography). Because of the Era we are SIMming, the choices of races is limited, Starfleet is very much a human affair with only a limited officer exchange program with Vulcans, Denobulans, or Andorians serving aboard most assignments. New Darwin Colony is an exception to the norm, with a sizeable and integrated Daliwakan population.

^

2.2 Email SIMming

This section will explain in more detail how Email SIMming works, what to expect and go over a number of things to bear in mind when writing logs, and bring up a few 'dos' and 'don'ts'.

^

2.2.1 Starting and Ending the plot.

It's the CO's, or in the CO's absence the XO's, responsibility to start the plot. They do this 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. It is your job to react to the log and the main story line, from your character's point of view and position on the SIM, as well as exploring your character in more detail (this is done by including thoughts and feelings to your character's actions and words). Each character provides its own unique point of view to the story as it moves forward.

The CO and XO logs are used to provide the direction and to fill in any details to the story line that are necessary. As each crew member adds to the story, it is up to each crewmember to fulfil the requests made by the CO or later on by their department head, and come up with ideas, and continue the story from your point of view/perspective as well as the requirements of the position you are filling on the crew. A fairly good analogy to use in this case is to pretend that you are on the writing crew for the Enterprise series, you write for one of the characters on the show, and the other crewmembers are your co-writers. It is up to all of you to write a script that is both understandable and believable.

Email SIMming allows you to participate as often as you like. Writing one log per week minimum, as well as reading the other's logs for the SIM, is all that is required. Always remember to check with your Commanding Officer for any major plot changes as you move the plot forward.

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 often done by the CO. An example would be the use of a 'Captain's log, It has been:... ' for this purpose, often it will also indicate to the crew the direction that they will be going into next. The exciting part of Email SIMming is that daily, something new is there to read and enjoy.

^

2.2.2 Attention to Details

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 the COs logs (the latter is 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, and thus creating cohesion and become a story rather then stay loose and 'bitty'.

As crewmember you play your part in it and you help your command team by paying close attention to details, and making sure that your log doesn't contradict what is going on around you. Also, talk often with your Department Head or CO, or if you are going to be interacting with someone else, talk to them in email or via IM/IRC etc.

Attention to detail is VERY important in email SIMming, so read all the logs and read them carefully. Download your email before you press send on your log, to make sure that nothing has happened since the last time. Take note of the situation happening around you IC, make a note of who is where doing what. Look at the bigger picture when you read, immerse yourself in the story told in the logs. If the ship is under attack for instance and it is being logged that the ship rocks, then don't start writing logs about being off duty having some fun anywhere. If the ship rocks, reflect it in your log and how your character reacts to the changed situation around him and the unsteadiness on his feet.

Also remember, this is team work, no one crewmember is more important than the next, and you can not expect to be the centre of the plot all the time. The key to SIMming is that each person adds to the depth of the story from their point of view and their little corner of the ship. From an IC perspective, life on board can be boring at times, the mundane tasks need to be done as well.

The logs from the crew will be confirmed in the logs from the CO and XO. Sometimes by quoting conversations literally, sometimes they need to make some minor changes to the conversations, other times 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. As a result, always pay VERY close attention to the CO's and XO's logs, at times they may have had to change some finer details, but if that happens, it is done to make it all fit together in the right sequence with in the plot. They do that either by reflecting back, or in a 'Captain's log' type style, or by going over some of the details of what has been posted and fit it together in some sort of time line that plays out in their log before they move the plot forward again Be very careful NEVER to contradict the COs or XO's log, their log if final.

^

2.2.3 Conflicting logs

Also important is to pay close attention to who is where, do not put people in places where they can not be because they were logged as being elsewhere. Key to a cohesive story line is to not contradict any of the details previously posted. Email SIMming is a fluid environment in many ways, the other key thing to a cohesive story line is the sequence of events. This can be confusing at times because people will log about the same events from different points of view at different times of the week.

Conflicting logs happen less and less with the new technologies of the internet, where we can consult with each other in real time, using IM/IRC type media. However, occasionally this can happen. Either because two logs were posted at more or less the same time, or because someone didn't pay enough attention to the details. When this happens, remember the following words: Sequence of Events. People log about the same events at different times in the week, often things can be made to fit, by looking at the sequence of events, and finding where things can be placed. Always remember, follow the chain of command. If the CO orders you to do something and your Chief Engineer orders you to do something else... even if the CEO's log came first, first option is to look and see if it can be made to fit in to the sequence of events, if it can't remember to follow the CO's orders ultimately. Do check and see if you can make the orders that the CEO gave you to fit in from an IC point of view before the orders from the CO fit in. The more seamless the flow of the logs, the higher the quality. Even if you have to consult with your CO and CEO via email to clarify. The only person that has the authority to change details of what has logged in a plot is the CO, or XO with the COs permission.

What if somebody suddenly logs that there is an Orion attack on the ship? If it did not come from the CO or XO, wait for clarification from them before reacting! The person who posted the log may not have had permission to do this. In very rare instances, your CO will revoke a log if it is in complete conflict with the current plotline. Again, this is very rare, as CO's are trained to make everything fit. This is a good example, however, of what not to do. Never post a log that is a major change of plot without the CO's permission.

In Email SIMs it's important to keep track of the timeline and regular time skips are necessary. Also please note that in Email SIMming, IC and OOC time are not the same, and the logs posted are not necessarily linear in IC time. People log at different times of the week. It's up to the CO and XO to pace the plot in your logs and any necessary time jumps need to be made clear in your logs. OOC time is very rarely the same as IC time. Different crew members can be logging about the same thing at different points during the week. And in general it is best to avoid too many direct references to time in logs.

^

2.2.4 Interaction and co-ordination

Closely related to Interaction and co-ordination is the stipulation to never, ever 'power-SIM'. What is power SIMming? It is your character in one log, fixing all the problems, with super human like qualities. It's so immature and such bad practice it might even get you thrown off your SIM. Don't always try to be in the right, don't always win. Don't use other people's characters on a log-writing ego trip.

You can, and at times, will need to speak for some of the crew in your logs, we do not live in a vacuum. For the CO and XO it is needed to speak for others to ensure that their orders are carried out and for the plot to be moved forward. As SIMmer you can use others' characters, naturally, but only within the realm of reason. Care should be ALWAYS 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. If you doubt whether someone would act like that, or respond in a certain way, ask them. Get them to look over the log, or invite them to do a joint log. Or, write your log and leave them room to respond in their own log.

A joint log is when two SIMmers work together to create one log, one of the two starts the log, and sends it to the other, who adds to it for his/her character's point of view, and sends it back. This is repeated until the log is complete, then the log is sent to the SIM list by one of the two.

Remember a very important fact: as crewmember you can not make a decision for the CO or XO without their permission. If they want you to do something, they will order it. Do not issue orders to yourself from them in your log. Again, leave them open-ended, with a question or recommendation, and allow them to make the command decision. That is how they direct the plot, by choosing from the options available to them. The only exception to this are of course when the CO or XO has given you the go ahead for your idea in advance.

One thing other thing that is a big 'no no' when you use someone else's character, is giving other characters thoughts. You can speak for them, but you can NOT give them thoughts. Those belong to the player of the character. What you should do instead is instead of giving them specific thoughts and reactions, is have your character observe their reactions.

So, as example, instead of saying:

'Yes... I think so.' The Crewman hesitated, he was uncertain about what to do. Wasn't this too big a task for him.'

Say:

'Yes... I think so,' the Crewman replied. She looked at the Crewman as he answered, he seemed hesitant, uncertain even.

Both say the same thing, however the big difference here with the second version is that all that is done is to observe what your character *thinks* the reaction is from your character's point of view. It gives the Crewman control of his own character. If the Crewman doesn't agree with how you had him react, he can quite easily change his response or reaction without contradicting the log already posted.

^

2.3 Logging styles and types

There are two styles of logging, the first is what is known as the Storytelling or Narrative style because it appears as a story in a book. An example of this style would be:

Crewman Bergliaffa was on his way to the mess hall with a toolkit in his hand. The Chief Engineer had ordered him to fix a faulty food resequencer. He entered the mess hall and looked for the Master Chef. 'There you are, Crewman!' Came the burly voice from the kitchen area. Moments later the Chef walked out into the mess hall itself. 'The one on the right there is not working properly, all it resequences is water,' he said and pointed to the far corner of the kitchen where two resequencers were placed side by side. 'I'll get onto it straight away, Chief,' Roberto replied with a grin, 'I' sure the Captain won't be happy if all he can get here is water.'

The second style of email log, is known as a Script style or Communicative because it appears like the script of a play or movie. This form is similar to what happens in an IRC SIM, with the actual conversation and actions between crew being in similar format as on the IRC . An example of this is:

Crewman> ::walks into the mess hall with toolkit in hand::

Master Chef> ::whistles to himself as he works in the kitchen, spots the crewman entering the mess hall:: There you are, Crewman!

Master Chef> ::points to the far right corner of the kitchen where two food resequencers are placed side by side. The one on the right there is not working properly, all it resequences is water.

Crewman> I'll get onto it straight away Chief. ::grins:: I'm sure the Captain won't be happy if all he can get here is water.

The narrative, storytelling style is what is highly recommended over the Script Style for several reasons. It is a lot easier to read and it allows for a more flowing story and plot. It is also a lot easier to add more description and depth to the story, background and character. When you write a log, try to add those to it, give your character thoughts, let him/her think about what is happening. What does he/she see? How does what he/she does affect him/her?

Besides the two styles of logging there are also two types logs: the duty log and the personal log. The duty log is a specific, plot related log in which your character carries out the tasks assigned to it. A personal log is a log in which you explore your character, it often is an off duty log, but it doesn't have to be. It is a log where your character does something that is not necessarily plot related, and where we get to see character growth. Sometime this can be achieved on duty, however often personal logs are not plot moving logs.

Examples can be a log in which your character reflects back on something that happened, either recently during the mission or further back, it can also be the exploration of a friendship or relationship or other off duty activities that give more depth to your character. As you get more experienced, duty logs and personal logs can be combined, while performing your duties, your character can be reflecting back, relating what is happening around him/her to something that your character has experience with, or not. It takes some time, some experience in SIMming, patience and creativity to make that happen. The more time you spend with the SIM, the more creative solutions you will see. Combination of style, wit, experience will bring you to better understanding of Email SIMming.

Try to find a balance of duty and personal logs. If you only write duty logs, your character may be dull and uninteresting. If you write all personal logs, you are neglecting your duties as a Starfleet Officer. You won't be following orders, and you won't be advancing the plot. Besides of that, it gets very boring for people to read all of one or the other, particularly if they get repetitive. The ideal officer will
post a mxiture of duty and personal logs. There's no need to write a log that deals with repairing a conduit nut-by-bolt, and nothing else. What is the character thinking and feeling at the same time? Then, every so often, a purely personal log for character development alone.

Just remember, a log is not really a log unless it advances the plot. This applies less to personal logs than it does to duty logs, for obvious reasons, but the basic point of posting a log is to add to the plot. If you simply reiterate action that has taken place from a different point of view, the plot will never go anywhere and a series of very boring logs will be produced. Do not be afraid to carry the plot forwards and do not always rely on your command staff to do it for you. Having said that... If you have a big addition to the plot, or want to introduce a subplot, then - of course - you will need to clear it with the CO first.. Otherwise, whoever is directing your mission or subplot should have indicated the overall direction of the plot. As stated before, itIt is your superior officers' jobs to make everyone's logs into a cohesive story, so, so long as you don't do anything stupid, you can be very creative and drive the plot forwards. Have fun with your character in the plot!

A few other points to remember:

Be clear about who is speaking, use a spell checker if at all possible. At the same time, we need to be tolerant of, and have respect for, those SIMmers among us for whom English is not their first language. There are several in our group. Just think how it is for you to learn SIMming in your native language, we should respect and applaud the effort they make to do this in what is for them a foreign language.

^

2.4 Ten Rules of Email SIMming

1. Creativity is key, creative logs give life to your character.
2. Pay attention to detail. Keep up with what others write in their logs... it just might effect your character.
3. Be flexible, when you're SIMming anything can happen.
4. Remember the Golden Rule, treat others in you logs the way you want to be treated in theirs... with respect.
5. For every action there is a reaction. If you put a phaser to your head and fire, chances are you're dead. Don't do dumb stuff.
6. Words are powerful, use them carefully, and write so others understand what you're doing.
7. Communicate; talk out of character (OOC) with other crew members in email. It builds cohesion and can add to creativity.
8. Stay involved, you can't always be the centre of attention... but that doesn't mean your character can't do anything. It is a big ship.
9. Develop your character. Make sure you use traits about your character in your logs. Don't just write a BIO and then play your character completely different.
10. Be consistent, that way others know what to expect of you. Over time it can be like ESP.

*Written by Captain L. Horatio Hawke
-Used with express permission of the author

^

2.5 Subject lines

The subject lines help to bring a bit of OOC structure to the IC environment, by indicating early on who has written the post and how it fits into the storyline. The listservers usually add the SIM name in brackets on your subject line upon delivery, so no need to add that unless your CO specifically asks for it. We are still very early in the history of Starfleet, and stardates are not used. The First Era SIMs are set 150 years into the future. The reason we ask for specific Subject lines is so it is easier to see who has posted, what their position is and how and what it falls into the story.

* Date, Position, Character Rank/Rating and Name
* 2151 October 15th, Exobiologist's log, PO1 Simonis
* 2152 July 7th, Captain's log, Capt Mendoza

If you are writing a personal log you may add that to your subject heading.

* 2152 April 15, Science Officer's personal log, Sub-Cmdr Suzhran

If you are writing a joint log together with mutiple players, add a name for each coauthor.

* 2152 March 1, joint duty log, Capt Lindstrom, Sub-Cmdr Suzhran, and BM2 Armstrong

IF you are doing a post but on a shuttle, planet or otherwise not ON the ship, use a bracket to outline your location for example:

[Shuttle Acropolis] date, position, character

If you are doing a joint SIM with another ship and are posting to another list other than your own, put YOUR SIM in the brackets as below:

[Yorktown] 2152 July 7th, Captain's log, Capt Hawke

Please remember to follow these protocols, it helps to avoid confusion.

^

2.6 Signatures

Along with subject lines, it is customary to sign off on logs with a signature for each author of the log. The standard format contains the rank, name, position, and assignment of each player's principle character:
Cpt Roger Finney
CO
USS Meridian

If a player is portraying a non-player character (NPC) other than their primary played character (PC), this can be noted by labeling the NPC in the signature and adding 'apb' or 'as played by' followed by the players PC identity.
Governor Melmnon (NPC)
Alien Dignitary
apb
Cmdr Sergei Kovalenko
XO
New Darwin Colony

Only one signature per actual player participating in the log is required, not an identifier for each character, and these should match the subject heading. This aids the command team in monitoring player participation.

^

2.7 Expectations

One quality log a week minimum.
If you remember nothing else, remember that sentence. Your crewmates depend upon YOU for your addition to the story. Remember, this is a game and done for everyone's enjoyment and it's also a team. One team member doesn't make the whole true, however as a true team works together, so will you work with your crewmates.

What is a quality log? A log that shows some development of the plot or if no main plot is present (such as shore leave) something that develops your own personal storyline. Don't be daunted by this. A quality log does not have to be long it simply has to contribute well, not contradict any of the previous logs and fit in with what is happening around you. Generally speaking, as a guideline, a quality log consists of no less than three paragraphs. Think of the term DUTY FIRST when creating a log. If you have already done a duty log, then feel free to explore your personal storyline.

If you are unsure as to if your log is a quality log, send it to your CO or XO to look over and give you feedback on, a CO and XO are not just a Commander, but experienced SIMmers and can give you some great input. It's their "job" to make sure that you are enjoying the environment that is being created by the Command Team.

Behavioural courtesy is expected within a SIM. Respecting one's crewmates and the members of The First Era is expected. Our SIMs are kept PG13 rated, the age range of our members varies greatly, from age 13 upwards at the moment. So, no excessive swearing, no explicit sexual overtones etc. It is more fun to keep things suggestive and let people use their imagination than to write out the details. Remember what was shown on the series and keep it along those lines.

^

3 Basics of SIMming - IC stuff

3.1 The IC Setting

A perhaps unusual section for a SIM guide, however, for our Group and for SIMming in the First Era it means remembering that many things that we take for granted in the 23rd and 24th century are not yet invented or not yet known. The Federation has just formed out of the Coalition of Planets. Cultures are slowly uniting but it is still a far different picture than the more familiar scenario of later eras. That is for a large part the challenge of SIMming in this Era. This section will cover some of the details that you need to remember to forget.

Other technology issues: Turbolifts aren't the sort of turbo lifts as we are used to in the 23rd and 24th century. They are a simple up and down system that doesn't go through the whole ship like they will in the future. The NX class ships only have 7 decks anyway. Also the lifts do not have a voice interface to operate, we have to use a lever (much like TOS had).

Most panels, etc are pretty much non-touch screen, we use buttons, levers, switches and pulleys, etc with the occasional flat screen being used only for displaying the work done.

Transporters have steadily improved in reliability with experience, and people are starting to use them without automatic fear, but accidents do still happen with them. Remember the episode 'Strange new world'? The crewman that was beamed up in an emergency beam up had sand and other stuff that was flying around him in the storm phased into his skin, to name an example of what might happen. Don't expect for them to come to the rescue. Shuttle pods are still the main source of transportation in this Era.

The Earth vessels received their first tractor beams in the 2161 refit of the NX-class vessels. They are not quite as powerful and reliable as the Vulcan models, but they are starting to serve their function. The grappler is still installed as a backup system and probably preferred for shuttle docking by the veterans of the crew. It consists of two magnetic grappling pads shot out on metal wires. Being near large sources of disruptive ore interferes with the magnetic field they use.

Shields were also another technological leap forward in the 2161 NX-class refit. Like the tractor beams, the technology is still 'homegrown' and not quite as powerful as the Vulcan and Andorian designs. The Earth vessels still have hull plating that can be polarised. This is a low level barrier that doesn't absorb much punishment.

Earth ships still lack the phasers of the 23rd and 24th centuries, but we do have phase cannons (2 front, 2 rear and 2 below) that replaced the pulse lasers. Missile-like spatial torpedos with nuclear warheads are still the most common projectile weaponry installed on Earth ships, though the 2161 NX-class refit saw the introduction of the first photonic torpedoes of human design.

Comm badges? What are Comm badges? ;) Communications are done via the TOS way. Off ship, we use hand held communicators (yes, the flip open and press the button type). On the ship, comm panels are placed along the wall and on consoles in strategic places, and again, buttons need to be pressed before you can speak. Sub-space beacons are still being deployed (by Enterprise and our ships) so unless you are near one, you are not going to be able to contact very distant places and expect an instant or quick response.

Tricorders (and sensors, except for the science officers, Spock-like scanner) are simpler than the 24th century ones, a lot of the particles, emissions etc are not known yet either. The tricorders do not have the sort of range, or clarity as you would in the 24th century. As a result, take it easy on the science specific techno babble ;).

Replication systems won't be invented for another 150 years or so. Instead they use molecular re-sequencers, where everything gets recycled and transformed into non-complex items, like food, uniforms, and some spare parts.

Not all the doors are sliding doors, and you do have to press a button for them to open (these include crew quarters, sickbay, bridge, lifts and Captain's Ready Room). The rest of the ship, such as the entrances to engineering, and the armoury etc, are still hatch-like, with latches you have to pull, and doors you have to push/pull as well.

Personal weapons: So far only the pistol version of phase weapons are available with two settings stun and kill. No in-between settings, and no wide beam, etc etc. We still use laser rifles, (as well as many other species) and other energy weapons as well, since pistols are limited in number. (Enterprise has only 16 according to Reed during one episode.)

As for PADDs. Think of the current Palm Pilots of today, with stylus, and then add bright screens with full digital colour to it. Computer data is stored on semi-clear disks, somewhat larger then ours today, and used much as on TOS.

As for the ship, be careful with the use of NPCs, the NX are cramped and small in comparison with the later Starships like the Constitution Class, not to even mention the Galaxy or Sovereign Class of the 24th century. Think of a submarine as a size to 'crampedness' comparison. It also means the number of crew are a LOT smaller. The NX class ship has a total of 89 crew onboard. With more than 80% of them enlisted. The rooms and quarters are small and cramped and spartan. The enlisted share rooms between 2-4 of them for instance. Some of the junior Officers have a room mate too.

The ship only has one doctor, a corpsman and perhaps one nurse for instance. Most departments with the exceptions to Engineering and the Science labs are one room with a small office attached. As for the numbers, expect about 25 people in engineering, 20 in science, 10 in security and that would leave about 15 people in total for all the other departments and functions and general crew, we have 4 or 5 people in the Galley of course :), these numbers are in addition to those positions listed on our crew roster.

As for living in the 22nd century, civilian clothing looks just like our current fashion... jeans, and a shirt for example. Communications and press-junkets are still being made by Enterprise to Earth occasionally, much like how they do from the Space shuttle's of today. They watch movies still in the mess hall ever so often. (Mostly early 20th to early 21st century ones) No holodecks are available yet to humans. The mess hall is an important room on the ship where people gather. Most of the food, although re-sequenced is still cooked, and prepared by the chef, where crew members can select from it much like a dining hall of today. (Although drinks are purely re-sequenced by the machine next to the food). Also don't expect alien dishes to be served, except a few Vulcan ones if the Chef has done it before. Human food is what's on the menu. The Captain has his own little closed off to the rest of it, where he dines with his senior-ranked officers.

One key thing to remember... this is still very much an EARTH ship. The Federation has only been in existence for a few years. We fought the Romulan war alongside the Vulcans, Andorians, Denobulans and Tellerites, but bringing the planetary governments into the United Federation we will all know and love in the future is a gradual and evolving process. As a generalisation, Humans are still just as naive and curious despite their decade or so of deep space travel. Many are still distrustful of most Vulcans since they kept Humans form moving out to space sooner (in their opinion). Prepare to look at things from different eyes. Many of the general orders and Starfleet regulations with regards to alien interaction and space travel that we know have not been written yet. The Prime Directive, to name a prime example, doesn't exist... yet.

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3.2 Enlisted and Officers.

Before going into the section about the various positions and duties, this guide will cover the Officer/Enlisted question. Unless you know the military well, it is unlikely that you know much about the structure and what enlisted are. In Startrek of the 23rd and 24th century, few if any were seen, that doesn't mean they are not around. Far from it. This section will cover more about the enlisted than about the officers, we generally know what the Officers do because we can see it every day on Startrek. On Enterprise, we have seen a lot more enlisted than before, even though it are still the officers that are the main characters ;).

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3.2.1 Enlisted

The enlisted crewman's role in the First Era is critical. The First Era enlisted man is the one of the most trained people on the ship in his or her specific area. But not only that, all enlisted crewmen receive, during basic training and periodic refresher courses, Fire Control (how to put out ship borne fires), First Aid, Zero G training to include the emergency evacuation of ships, and Personal Weapons training. Normally in long arms, such as plasma rifles. Usually an enlisted crewman will be a jack of all trades relating to his or her specific job. A Warp Core Specialist will know the warp core in and out, but also will know some basic engineering skills, such as re wiring and repair of related systems. This sort of cross training will relate to all enlisted crewmen. Perhaps a biologist won't know how to readjust a dilithium matrix, but he'll know how to access the information that might help him from the ship's computer core. The ship is relatively self sufficient and people do have cross training in key areas.

The role of the enlisted man aboard ship is that of a lower ranked person performing his job for pay. But that is a generalization. His role is also that of a person out in space who is there as part of a crew. He may be working for a living, but he is also there serving his world for a singular purpose. Another thing to realize is that the enlisted crew is the heart of the ship. With their feelings and
emotional highs and lows, the ship as a whole takes on that feeling. Playing an enlisted crewman, you must reflect those common group feelings. Morale of the ship will be played through your character. On board most NX class ships we can guess that most enlisted crewmen have had some advanced learning in school. Definitely more than most high schools of today would give someone. Also, remember that along with continuous training, most enlisted personnel work to better themselves with degrees from colleges that will assist them in their jobs or when they get out of the service. Most senior NCOs will have some sort of degree.

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3.2.2 The Enlisted Ranks, Rates and Ratings

The Enlisted Rating is basically the rank and the position combined. The enlisted ranks itself in Starfleet are divided into three categories:

Junior Enlisted
Non-Commissioned Officer
Senior Non-Commissioned Officer

The Junior enlisted ranks comprise the Crewman Recruit, Crewman Apprentice and Crewman. At this stage of the enlisted time, they are in training. Learning the job, about Starfleet in general, learning about life in a military fashion, and learning to survive in the inky black cold of space. Normally, these rates are 18 to 21 years old with little or no life experience. When addressing a junior enlisted rate as an enlisted person, you may call them by their first name, last name, rank, rating, rating and last name, or just plain crewman. When addressing them as an officer, you may call them by their first name, last name using mister or miss first, rating, rating and last name, or just plain crewman. When as a junior enlisted person you are addressing a higher ranked enlisted person, you may address them by either last name, rate, rate and last name, or by their first name if they give you permission. When you are addressing an officer, you may address them by rank, rank and last name, Sir or Ma'am, or any combination of the two.

The Non Commissioned Officer or NCO is the heart of Starfleet's enlisted corps. These crewmen have seen the world and know their jobs. The term NCO refers to their stage of training and leadership as they have not been commissioned but do have some power as a leader and therefore were recognized as almost an officer. Although they know what they are doing, they sometimes lack leadership skills. Much like the Ensigns and Lieutenant Junior Grades of the officer corps. This corps of enlisted crewmen is made up of the petty officers. PO3 through PO1 is the largest group of enlisted in Starfleet. Usually, these people range in age from 20 to 28, but sometimes can go all the way to 35 years in age. You may address them by either their rank, or rate, or last name, or first name, or rate and last name, or rank and last name. As an enlisted person, you may address them by either rank, rate, last name, first name, rate and last name, rank and last name, or just first name if you have their permission.

The Senior Non Commissioned Officer is the older, wiser group of crewmen. These people have seen the best and the worst life can dish out. They are in charge of groups of enlisted people and report to the officers in charge of the department. They are the supervisors. They know the job, but also know how to delegate responsibility. They can act as officers in charge of departments in the absence of an officer. This group is made up of the Chief Petty Officers. CPO through MCPO. This group is the smallest of all enlisted personnel. Normally only the "lifers" or people who intend to make Starfleet a career stay long enough to make it to the senior enlisted tier. These people range in age from 26 to 45 years of age. Usually everyone, including the officers call these people Chief as a sign of respect for the time that they have served. The specific rank is also acceptable, as is the rank and last name, or Chief and their last name, or their first name if they give their permission.

The Enlisted Rate itself is the job they are specialised in doing. The enlisted ratings were developed because of the specialized training that enlisted members receive. Each crewman on board a ship has a specific job to do and therefore receives a rating once that crewman has achieved NCO status. The ratings basically are the job plus the rank.

For example, a Petty Officer 2nd Class Gunnery Mate would be listed as a GM2 or Gunnery Mate 2nd. This works up until the senior enlisted ranks where a Chief Petty officer would be called Chief. Senior Chief Petty Officers are called Chief or Senior Chief. Master Chief Petty Officers are called Master Chief or Chief. The senior enlisted do not go by their rate. By the same token, junior enlisted are not given a rate and just called Crewmen.

See the description of the duties and positions in each department to get an idea of the jobs/ratings available in TFE. Also please remember that not all ratings on the ship are played actively by people and are in the background as NPC even though we have such a small ship complement. Many of these positions are there repairing and maintaining the ship and her crew and exist because if we didn't have them, systems would break down and there would be no one to fix them, leaving us stranded in space.

Chief of the Boat/Senior Enlisted Advisor:
A speciality of the senior enlisted tier. They are usually the most senior enlisted crewman aboard ship (CoB) or station (SEA). They serve as a liaison between the Commanding Officer or Executive Officer and the enlisted crewmen. They advise the commanding officer and executive officer regarding enlisted morale. They can also advise the CO and XO about decisions made regarding the safety of the ship and crew. They can never veto an order given, only advise for or against. They also evaluate the training, quality, and leadership qualities in NCO's under their command. The COB works with the other department heads, Chiefs, supervisors, and crewmen to ensure discipline is equitably maintained, and the welfare, morale, and health needs of the enlisted personnel are met. The COB or SEA is qualified to temporarily act as Commanding or Executive Officer if so ordered or needed. There is only one per ship.

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3.2.3 Officers

Generally, most is known about this as it has always been the most visible part of Star Trek, as a result there is no need to cover much of this in detail. More specifics of the duties are given in the section below.

Starfleet Academy is a new entity in many ways, most of the higher ranked officers were already commissioned officers in Earth military, and were chosen for space duties. These officers then went through extra/new training to be qualified to go into space and on to the NX class ships or were working on the NX projects. In some ways it is comparable to the way NASA has been training astronauts from the various nationalities. Here we have an Academy that takes on a limited number of Officer Candidates that applied directly and do not have an Officer
Commission yet, and they also take on Officers that were put forward by the various military services on Earth for space duties because of their exceptional skills in specific areas that makes them suitable for these type of duties.

That means when your character refers to attending Starfleet Academy, expect small class sizes and an elite corps of students, some of these can vary in age and experience. As time goes on, and Starfleet's numbers and the number of ships increase, Starfleet Academy will evolve with it towards where it is as we know it in the 23rd and 24th century, where they accept Officer Candidates only and train them from scratch and who upon completion receive their Commission.

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3.2.4 General Comments about the Enlisted/Officers Relationship

Enlisted and Officer personnel have set protocol on how to act and behave amongst and towards each other, just as there are protocols between senior and junior officers. While some of these are rules, and others historical conventions, most are followed as best as possible.

An officer (Ensign and up), is always addressed by an enlisted as "Sir", or by the specific request of a female officer, "Ma'am". As officer, you can call enlisted people by their rank, rank and name, Mister or Miss and last name, Rating, rating and last name. The same goes for another officer: Rank, Name and Rank, Mister or Miss and last name, position.

The one thing you want to remember about addressing anyone is respect. By calling an officer Sir or Ma'am, you respect them. Just like calling them by rank. The same goes for enlisted. By calling someone "Crewman" you downgrade them in their eyes unless they are a Crewman. Try to use their rank and name, or if the situation calls for it use "Chief". Calling a Master Chief by "crewman" is a big no-no. You'll get no respect from any enlisted person doing that.

It's rare to have an officer and NCO be close friends. Because of the nature of their working relationship, the officer needs to be able to maintain professional distance to be a good leader. This doesn't mean they can't be friends or have a good professional relationship, or even be mentors, but close or intimate relationships are generally frowned upon. This does not mean that it doesn't happen. Space is a lonely place and we are, after all, sentient needy beings ;).

While Cadets of Officer Candidates do not outrank anyone (including any NCO), the moment they become Ensigns, they have been commissioned as officers. This means that they now, as officers, officially outrank any NCO. While this may be true, junior officers would be wise to hear and follow the advice of senior enlisted personnel. Often, those senior NCOs speak as someone with literally a lifetime of experience in Starfleet, as compared to an officer with maybe a few weeks of active duty experience.

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3.3 Positions/Departments, rates and duties

In this section the key positions are covered, also a number of the enlisted positions/rates are covered.

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3.3.1 Command

CO - Commanding Officer
The qualities of a Commanding officer are like those of a good boss. The responsibility of the ship lies in their hands. From an IC and an OOC point of view. He or she is the person that makes the decisions ultimately after listening to the officers. On his/her shoulders rests the safety and the future of the ship.

He or she knows that the crew makes the SIM. They must be leader, mediator, director, producer, writer at any given moment. Respect is to be given to your CO at all times. They spend a lot of time behind the scenes working to make the SIM environment as realistic and as fun as possible. The only person who may make overall plot changes is the CO and he/she uses the godlike power if need be. As stated earlier in section 2, only the CO may retract a log or change IC details after they have been logged to make them fit. The CO will write a plot starting or
directional log that will give you and your crewmates specific tasks to accomplish.

All major plot changes must go through your Command team of CO and XO, if you are unsure if your plot changes is major or not, err on the side of caution and ask, they are only ever an email away ;). The responsibility of the SIM is in the CO's hands and therefore he or she has final word on anything to do with the proper functioning of the SIM.

XO - Executive (First) Officer
The Executive officer is the CO's number one, right hand. Together with the CO, this team comprises the Executive Staff of your SIM. In TFE, from an IC point of view, has other main duties besides being First Officer. Unlike the 24th Century, where we saw Cmdr Riker only being XO, then again, the Galaxy class ships had 1000 people on board. From an OOC point of view the XO is an extension of the CO, they work in tandem and the ideal is to be of one mind, working simultaneously. Behind the Scenes, the XO works together with the CO to make the SIM experience enjoyable. He or she takes command of the SIM in the absence. It is the duty of the XO to give the CO alternatives in a given situation, this requires imagination and ingenuity. The XO never shows disagreement with the CO in a public forum such as on the bridge or in a meeting. If he or she disagrees, this matter is taken into account privately as the Command staff must always show solidarity.

Dedicated Executive Officer (Colonies and Bases only)
While starships in this era are still too small not to have personnel fill multiple roles, Starfleet installations are large and not only allow, but require a dedicated position to assist the commanding officer. Having no other duties allows for the Executive officer to focus on the command team. The position's responsibilities are otherwise unchanged from a starship XO.

Chief of the Boat/Senior Enlisted Advisor:
A speciality of the senior enlisted tier. They are usually the most senior enlisted crewman aboard ship (CoB) or station (SEA). They serve as a liaison between the Commanding Officer or Executive Officer and the enlisted crewmen. They advise the commanding officer and executive officer regarding enlisted morale. They can also advise the CO and XO about decisions made regarding the safety of the ship and crew. They can never veto an order given, only advise for or against. They also evaluate the training, quality, and leadership qualities in NCO's under their command. The COB works with the other department heads, Chiefs, supervisors, and crewmen to ensure discipline is equitably maintained, and the welfare, morale, and health needs of the enlisted personnel are met. The COB or SEA is qualified to temporarily act as Commanding or Executive Officer if so ordered or needed. There is only one per ship. Falls under command unless they a re assigned to another command section with their regular duties (Yellow/ Teal/ Red uniform piping)

Operations Department (Colonies and Bases only)
- Operations Officer - While the day to day operation of a starship may fall solely on the commanding and/or executive officer, installations are much larger and complex and require the oversight of an additional department. The Operations Officer manages the activities of quartermaster personnel and supports the other departments as necessary. - Flight Control Officer - An installation does not have a helm, though there are typically a number of shuttle pods and other support craft that still need repair and maintenance. In addition to commanding an installation's boatswains, the Flight Control Officer, or simply "Flight Officer", manages the incoming and outgoing air traffic that swarm around bases, colonies, and the local space lanes. Some Flight Officers report to a Chief Operations Officer, while larger installations, or installations with a focus on flight operations, consider Flight Control its own department with its own chief officer.

Yeoman, YN (Enlisted)
The Yeoman, the personal assistant of the commanding officer, performs secretarial and clerical work; deals with visitors, communications, and inquiries; coordinates departmental records and supplies; and prepares official departmental memoranda, directives, forms, reports, and briefings. In this way, he or she represents the non-commissioned element of the Administrative and Diplomatic functions within Starfleet. The Yeoman serves the Commanding Officer of the ship. Falls under Command. (Yellow uniform piping)

Galley Mate, GC (Enlisted)
Prepares three to four meals a day for the entire crew, plus any guests that the ship may be entertaining. Also cleans and dresses tables, chairs, dishes and silverware. Responsible for coordinating supplies with the quartermaster. Normally four to five aboard per ship. Some will be accomplished chefs, but be able to whip out 100 or more of the same desert in a few hours. Falls under Command. (Yellow uniform piping)

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3.3.2 Bridge

Helm Officer
The helm officer is responsible for the actual piloting and navigation of the spacecraft. Although these are heavily automated functions, their criticality demands a humanoid officer to oversee these operations at all times. The Flight Control Officer receives instructions directly from the commanding officer.

* Navigational References/Course Plotting
* Supervision of Automatic Flight Operations
* Manual Flight Operations
* Position Verification

Always remember to be accurate and respond to the directions of the Commanding officer.

Quartermaster, QM (Enlisted)
The Quartermaster trains and supervises enlisted crewmen in Bridge operations, repairs, and protocols; maintains the ship's compass, the ship's chronometer, the ship's log, and watch and duty assignments for all bridge assigned personnel; ensures that Bridge and Bridge-assigned personnel are properly equipped, supplied, and maintained; establishes procedures and checklists in the proper operation of the Bridge, auxiliary spacecraft, and mission execution; Falls under Command. Is also responsible for ships supplies prior to a mission. Normally two to three per ship. Falls under command (Yellow uniform piping)

Boatswain Mate, BS (Enlisted)
The Boatswain was historically in charge of the ship's deck crew, riggings, cable and anchors. For our purposes he will be the enlisted assigned to Ship's Operations. This includes maintaining the Life Support systems and Data Tech as well as pilot all shuttle pods and maintain them. These are the last of the enlisted pilots in starfleet. Although highly qualified pilots they, unfortunately, usually only work on the pods ensuring that they are fully prepared for any mission. Usually three to five per ship. Falls under Command (Yellow uniform piping).

Communications Officer
One of the main duties of the Comms officer is that of chief linguist on the ship. The Comm officer is in charge of the universal translator, he or she acts as interpreter and programming and updating the language and universal translator database. The communications Officer would be on the bridge about half the time and most command watches. The position was a relatively new posting, never before located on the ship's bridge itself, but this was a correction of a problem. The Communications officer had turned out to be far more important to the moment-by-moment workings of a ship in space than anyone had expected, even when nobody was talking to anybody. It would be the communications officer's
responsibility not only to make sure the crew heard every command, but that all the systems in the ship were communicating with each other, from sensors to the red alert klaxons. The Comm officer was also in the command line, simple because the comm officer always had first hand knowledge of exactly what was happening. (Teal uniform piping).

Communications & Electronics Technician, CE & TE (Enlisted)
Obviously this enlisted rate will deal with servicing and maintaining the ships communications equipment and communications buoy and transponders as well as other ship integrated electronics. Normally two to four per ship. Falls under Engineering (Red uniform piping)

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3.3.3 Armoury

Chief Weapons Officer/Chief Armoury Officer
Security is responsible for the security of the ship and all personnel therein. They man the weapons console, are also the tactical officer, declaring all ship to ship sensor readings. They arrange any high-level counterintelligence measures to negate possible sabotage or terrorist penetration of the ship. During diplomatic missions, they arrange for security escort as well as constant guard. All dignitaries must be given proper reception and it is the duty of the Security office to ensure that takes place efficiently and with the highest attention to safety for all parties. They collaborate with other departments for the security of their personnel and equipment as well as collaborate with Engineering on all maintenance of Security systems. Security must be present on Away Missions, it is up to the Chief to decide which member of his/her department will go IC and how many teams OOC. This department oversees all aspects of the ship's security including Tactical.

DUTY LISTING:
1. At the command of the CO only, controls and fires all weapons and polarises the hull plating, puts the ship to the alert level status
2. Launches probes and beacons (with coordination from Sci and Engineering).

Gunnery Mate GM (Enlisted)
Another historical name we will use to handle the ships weapons, both beam fire and torpedo. Responsible for torpedo loading and maintenance of the torpedo tubes, plasma cannons and related targeting sensors. Can fire weapons from all capable stations as well as energize the hull plating. (bridge, manual cannon control, and torpedo room). Trained in security as well and can accompany landing parties in a security roll. Normally three to five per ship. Falls under Armoury (Red uniform piping).

Master-at-Arms Mate MA (Enlisted)
The Master-at-Arms is basically this era's Security crewmen. He will train and supervise others in ships security operations and protocols; maintains duty assignments for all Security personnel; supervises weapons locker access and firearm deployment. Usually deploys on landing parties as the security presence. Trained in zero g combat as well as ship boarding/seizing/repelling operations. Normally three to five per ship. Falls under Armoury (Red uniform piping).

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3.3.4 Science

SCI - Science Officer
The Science officer is one of the most important officers aboard the ship. The Starfleet's goal is to "seek out new life and civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before" which is why a SCI officer is so important. They are the link, the reason. SCI officers conduct everything from planetary scans to the study spatial phenomena and cataloguing the smallest particle to studying various life forms.
In so much as Science wears Teal, the Science officer often works with the Medical department for a number of cross-departmental items. One of the biggest parts of Starfleet is science, and enlisting in Sciences gives many people the chance and opportunity to gain hands on experience with their trades. Many enlisted in this area have a background in science (some even with degrees), but use their time in Starfleet to gain field experience and practical working experience. Jobs include lab technicians, and department specialists (such as an archaeology or exobiology specialist).

Sensor Systems Tech, SS (Enlisted)
Handles ship sensor pallets, telescopes and probes. Maintains the various sensor arrays. They are often the ones who keep ship systems and sensors in tip top shape i.e. properly aligned, running right, calibrated. Usually assigned to an astrometrics technician or lab. One to two per ship. Falls under Science. (Teal uniform piping)

Exobiologist's Mate, EX (Enlisted)
Exobiology includes everything biological, not just intelligent races, but also plant life, animal life and insect life. Assists in all science related matters. In matters specific to exobiology, may assist Medical if required. Highly skilled and trained before being sent to the fleet. Normally will have a college degree. One to two per ship. Falls under science. (Teal uniform piping)

Cartographers Mate, CT (Enlisted)
Maps and charts known space. Highly trained in map making and reading. Normally will have some sort of college degree. Uses all available sensors and visual clues to formulate maps and charts. May leave behind marker buoys with bridge consent with certain maps for dangerous regions of space. Will work closely with Helmsman and Sensor Systems Tech. Usually one to two per ship Falls under science. (Teal uniform piping)

Geologist's Mate, GT (Enlisted)
Will be well trained with specific knowledge of the geological sciences. Takes samples from all available sensors as well as hand samples from new worlds for cataloging. Assists in all science related matters. Normally one to two per ship. Falls under Science. (Teal uniform piping)

Xenoarcheologist's Mate, XM
Studies ancient alien artifacts and ruins. Highly trained in artifact collection and cataloging. May have some alien language skills. Will work closely with Communications officer. Assists in all science related matters. Not normally assigned to ships, one at the most per ship. Falls under science. (teal uniform piping)

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3.3.5 Engineering

CEO - Chief Engineering Officer
"The Man in the Basement" is the occasional label given to the CEO. The Chief Engineer basically keeps the ship together during crisis situations, and during day-to-day life. The CEO can be called upon to perform everything from balancing the power distribution net to ejecting the warp core. Though often overlooked, the Chief Engineer should be kept quite busy, especially during battle SIMs, either by the CO or by himself just keeping all systems running smoothly. He is also known for problem solving tasks, and called upon when no one on the bridge can
understand something engineering related on another ship or planet.

Damage Control man, DC (Enlisted)
Does just what the name implies. Controls Fires and repairs damage, does general maintenance when required. Trained in zero g fire fighting, first aid, and basic engineering skills. Normally five to six per ship. Falls under Engineering. (Red uniform piping)

Machinists Mate, MM (Enlisted)
Manufactures parts and such for the ship using highly specialized equipment and tools. Rebuilds and repairs worn parts. Fabricates speciality tools for all departments. Normally two to three per ship. Falls under Engineering. (Red uniform piping)

Colony Development Officer - (Colonies and Bases Only)
Fundamentally a civil engineer, the CDO often occupies the role of a colony's engineering department chief. Focusing on public works and the efficient and effective expansion of a planetary colony, a CDO must also reconcile the colony's future needs with environmental and sometimes economic issues.

Warp Core Specialist, WS (Enlisted)
Works strictly on the Warp Core. Highly trained in power generation before he or she is sent out to the fleet. Understands the theoretical parts of warp fields and gravity wells. Normally, this rate will have a college degree in power generation or warp dynamics. Usually this rate is very attention to detail oriented as the calibration of warp fields and dilithium matrixs is very exacting work. Usually one to two per ship. Falls under Engineering. (Red uniform piping)

Engineman, EN (Enlisted)
Handles Impulse rockets or engines. Maintains the nozzles, plumbing and impulse reactor. Specially trained in the care and use of deuterium slush fuels. Usually three to four per ship. Falls under Engineering. (Red uniform piping)

Hull Maintenance Tech, HT (Enlisted)
Inspects, repairs and replaces hull plates and related polarization cells. Trained in zero g maintenance to include welding, plasma heating, and magnetic boots as well as EVO suits. Sometimes trained in the use of small work pods, used for moving large mass plates. Usually there are three to five per ship. Falls under Engine Room. (Red uniform piping)

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3.3.6 Medical

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3.4 Chain of Command & General Procedures and Protocol

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3.5 IC NX-Class ship setting description

NX Class Ship Deck Plan desciption

A Deck:
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Bridge
This is as we all know nerve center of any ship. Helm control, weapons control, secondary engineering control, operations, sciences, and communications are main stations around the bridge.

Communications Array:
Basically the antenna's for the ships many comms systems. Sub Space (only while we are at warp or close to a sub space relay), ship to ship, ship to shore and intership.

Captain's Ready Room:
This is the Captain's office while he or she is not on the bridge.
Situation Room: This is a small room at the back of the bridge where staff meetings are held and emergency plans are developed. There are no chairs and the room is cramped, but the display system is state of the art.

B Deck:
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Junior Enlisted Crew Quarters:
(Crewman Apprentice through PO3) Between two and four crewmen to a room. Depending on the location on the deck. Two bunk beds, each with one bunk over the other. Four lockers for uniforms and personal gear. Shared latrine between two rooms.

Power Distribution Systems:
Conduits and high temp/pressure plasma relays. Throughout the decks walls. Gives the entire deck a higher ambient temp than all other decks. C Sub Deck and Main Engineering also have an elevated ambient temp.

Sensor Pallets:
Includes weapons targeting sensors. There are four pallets. One fore, aft, port and starboard. All pallets focus up, down, left and right. Overlapping sensor scans (scans from two or more pallets) are the most accurate and finely focused. Collects all necessary raw data for the central core processor.

Deuterium Tankage:
The deuterium slush is the raw fuel for the impulse engines. There are two tanks, one port and starboard of the centerline.

C Deck:
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Dorsal (top side) Observation Deck:
This room is on the aft section of the deck, looking between the two nacelles. It has a high power radio, infrared, and visble light spectrum telescope. The Stellar Cartography Lab is attached to this room.

Main Engineering High Bay:
This section of the engineering deck contains Warp Power Transfer Conduits and the warp core Coolant Tanks (running from the top of C Deck to the floor of D Deck)

Port and Starboard Cargo Bay Doors.

External Hydroponics Lab:
Where all manner of plant life is grown without the aid of soil. Nutrients and water are periodically sprayed on the roots of plants where they are absorbed by the plant as they would in soil. The ships fresh fruit and vegetables are grown here as well as some off earth plants cultivated for science. This lab has a high CO2 content as it acts as another filter for the ships atmosphere.

Day Room:
This room contains several tables, chairs, couches, extensive reading material, carpeted floor, and a subspace SNS linkup viewer. It also has several forward facing windows. A very popular recreational room for junior enlisted personnel.

Guest Quarters:
Seldom used rooms. One bed and one latrine. Comparable to a Junior Officers quarters. Normally sealed.

C Sub Deck:
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Note: This deck does have an atmosphere but it is only three and a half feet tall. This deck can be reached from several locations on C deck and D deck. Cannot be reached from the turbolift.

Life Support Filtration and Pumps:
Hydrocarbon air and water filters. Forced air heaters and coolers as well as bulk water storage.

Resequencer Bulk Storage:
Where bulk raw materials are stored in large bins. While using basic transporter technology, recycled materials are separated into thier component elements.

Power Transfer Sub Systems:
More high energy plasma relays

Anti Matter Stream Manual Shut Off:
This is the manual control for directing the antimatter stream from the pods to the warp core. It takes some time to get to, as its location was not very well engineered and placed as a second thought during the construction of NX class ships. The knowledge of the location and time to reach are critical for engineering and damage control personnel.

Fire Retardant Storage:
This is a high pressure tank full of retardant foam that goes out to all decks. It is very safe for all humans and will cause no secondary injury if you are sprayed with it.

Secondary Data Storage:
This is a back up memory cache for the primary data. This includes: star charts, warp core operating systems, life support functions, sub space transponder frequencies, and helm control.

Gravity Decking Generator:
Generates a high power gravity well that can be manipulated through sub space fields to generate an adjustable gravity field on each deck. Works in cooperation with the Warp Core and Life Support subsystems. The controls for this are in Main Engineering.

D Deck:
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Main Engineering:
This room, along with the High Bay on C Deck, includes the warp core and impulse drive controls. There is also controls for life support, hull polarization, auxillary deflector control, and gravity plating generator. The Chief Engineer's office is also located on this deck.

Transporter Pad:
This pad is for basic transport only, even though it is the cutting edge of Earth's technology. Although it is approved for bio transport, it is not advised. It is located inside the Starboard Cargo Bay. It is capable of transporting 700 lbs and or 4 cubic yards of material at one time. Usual time it takes to transport this mass is 1.4 seconds. Smaller masses take less time, unless the mass is very sophisticated chemically, like a person. There are no biofilters on this era's transporters. All sorts of contaminates can easily be brought on board by the transporter.

Cargo Bay Access (port and starboard):
Where bulk supplies for the crew and the mission are stored. This access area is a controlled air lock, due to the exterior doors just above on B Deck.

Junior Officer Quarters:
(Ensign through LtJG) One to two officers to a room. Two separate bunks with separate lockers for uniforms and gear. One shared latrine between two rooms.

NCO and SNCO Quarters:
(PO2 through MCPO) Two crewmen to a room. Two separate bunks with separate lockers for uniforms and gear. One shared latrine between two rooms.

Gym:
Weights, stationary bikes, treadmills, and a padded mat area. This room is very popular with enlisted and officer personnel alike.

Manual Plasma Cannon Control:
This small room contains the manual aiming controls for both the forward and aft plasma cannons. It is not usually manned during battle stations.

E Deck:
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Captain's Quarters:
A relatively spacious room, even on an NX Class ship. Has its own personal latrine.

Senior Officer Quarters:
(Lt. through Cmdr and Department Heads) One officer to a room. Personal latrine.

Enlisted Mess:
Usually called just the messhall. This is where the majority of the crew get to eat their meals. It is also used as a recreational area for large groups when meals are not being served. This area also contains the food resequencers. These machines use basic transporter technology to manipulate raw elements into food or drink. The taste is never what you expect. The food prep area and cold storage lockers are also here.

Captain's Mess:
A small room off of the main messhall where the senior officers dine with the Captain. Guests are also entertained in this room.

Sickbay:
Where the sick and wounded are treated. It also includes a decontamination area, two laboratories, three beds and one intensive scanner. The Chief Medical Officer has his or her office in this room. This room also has two morgue slides, or places to put dead bodies until they are either returned to earth or are left in space.

Science Labs:
Several separate rooms. These rooms are the individual study areas for exobiology, xenolinguistics, exogeology, xenoarcheology and a basic sciences lab used for analysis of data from the other areas of study. The Chief Science Officer's office is also found within these rooms. There is also a separate room for the computer core processor and data disk storage.

Shuttle Pod Access and Flight Control:
Where landing parties board the shuttle pods. Also where Shuttle Pod flights are coordinated with the bridge via flight control. This is a controlled air lock area, due to the launch bay doors directly beneath on the exterior of F Deck. This is also sometimes called the Ventral Observation Deck as the Flight Control windows are exposed to space.

Deflector Control:
Manual control and recalibration of the ship's main deflector. This can also be used as a sub space antenna. Its main purpose is to deflect microscopic debris from the path of the ship at warp speed via a negative gravity well.

Impulse Reactor:
Where the deuterium slush fuel is detonated and shunted to the impulse rockets at the aft of the ship. Efficiency of these engines is almost 99%. Only 1.3 percent of the fuel leaves the reactor unused. There are four impulse engines on NX class ships, two on the saucer section and two on the nacelle section.

F Deck:
------

Weapon's Locker:
Where the ship's EM33 and Plasma Pistols are stored as well as the Class 3 Pulse Rifles. The Chief Armory Officer's office is located here.

Torpedo Magazine:
12 to 14 spatial and photonic torpedoes can be stored in this area. New torpedoes are loaded through the forward section of the Shuttle Pod bay. Spatial torpedoes are much like 21st century torpedoes as they can be locked onto a target from the bridge or launch control and they will continue to the target unaided after launch. They have the equivalent of two hundred megatons of TNT. Much like the small tactical nuclear warheads of the 21st century, just smaller and not radioactive. They have small impulse engines on them and travel at just under .8 C or eighty percent of light speed. They have a range of 400,000 Km. before their fuel is exhausted. It is useless to fire a torpedo at warp, as the torpedo could never catch the target.

Forward Torpedo Room:
Where tubes 1 through 4 (2 spatial, 2 photonic) are loaded and fired.

Aft Torpedo Room:
Where tubes 5 through 8 (2 spatial, 2 photonic) are loaded and fired.

Brig:
The jail onboard ship. Two very small and claustrophobic rooms. One door, one bunk, one open latrine and no windows for each cell.

Shuttle Pod Doors:
The bottom of the ship where Shuttle Pods are recovered and launched via the grappling arm. There are four doors, but only two Shuttle Pods.

Anti Matter Pods:
Where the ship's virtually unlimited supply of anti matter is stored for future use in the warp core. Each NX class ship has a five year supply of anti matter if the ship were to run at warp five for five years. The pods containment fields are powered by the impulse reactors energy generator, or in an emergency, the pods themselves can be dumped overboard where their containment fields are held in place by small battery packs for five minutes. After that, they explode as the
antimatter reacts with the pods themselves. There are three individual pods.

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3.6 BIO creation

As a friend of mine so aptly stated: the Golden Rule for character creation is to never, ever, create a superman. Don't give your character hordes of special powers, seventeen arms, x-ray vision or fire-breathing abilities. Stick to what's been established in Star Trek so far (including new races found in our IC Universe, which at the moment is not a lot ;) ) but avoid all-mighty characters. Most CO's don't allow them anyway, because they can badly skew a SIM by simply snapping their fingers and solving all of mankind's problems. Besides of that, the Q is not yet known, the first time a Q was known was in Encounter at Farpoint. Ask yourself, why would a Q join Starfleet, even less so a Starfleet that has barely managed to get to Warp 5? It isn't reasonable. The whole plot formula for Star Trek has always been that a crew faces a problem, suffers setbacks, then triumphs (sometimes against the odds). It is a character's flaws that make them interesting, not a host of superpowers. Along those lines, remember to keep your BIO up-to-date after you have created it. General recommendation is to update it at the end of every plot. It's a useful reference for you, and for anyone wanting info about your character.

You'll find SIMming much more rewarding if you take the time and make the effort to create and develop a defined biography. Use your imagination, use the references on the net for canon races, please remember though, that in this Era of Starfleet, it is very much a Human affair as stated earlier. We do have Officer Exchange programs set up with the Andorians and Vulcans, for other aliens, we are very limited, since we don't know many of them yet, so even less of them would ever serve on an Earth ship. A limit of not more than three aliens per NX class ship has been set, and if you play a race that is not Andorian, Denobulan or Vulcan, your position is restricted to that of Medical or Science only and requires approval from the Fleet Commander. Picture your character in your mind, then delve into his or her psyche to decide on their background and what made them who they are. Make your character believable.

The best way to create your character is:
a. Select the post you wish to be in, then create the character's talents and history to reflect that.

The outline below will give you a good basis for creating your character:
FULL NAME:
NICKNAME:
RANK: (given by the Captain)
ASSIGNMENT:
PLACE OF ORIGIN:
SPECIES:
SEX:
AGE:
HEIGHT:
WEIGHT:
EYE COLOUR:
HAIR COLOUR:
OTHER PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES:
PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY:
HOBBIES:
STARFLEET SERVICE:

If you are new to Role-playing, it's best to choose a human character and your own gender. Familiarity is the key to successful role-playing. There are times that even the most experienced of role-players will have difficulty with playing an alien race. Also remember as stated before, Starfleet is very much a Human affair. If you want to tackle an alien race, make sure they are known to Earth and have a good reason to be assigned on a Starfleet vessel. Approval from the Fleet Commanding Officer for non-Vulcan, non-Denobulan and non-Andorian races is required. Also remember that only three aliens per ship are allowed, it maybe that the ship you have applied to already has its quota. If you are unsure, discuss it with your CO or XO. This race choice will narrow certain aspects of your biography down, such as place of birth.

Physical attributes are next, how old he or she is, weight, height, hair and eye colour. Don't forget to include how the character wears their hair, length etc. This gives you and your crewmates something from which to draw upon. Give their general physical build, such as if they are muscular, wiry, etc. Any other unique attributes such as a tattoo, big feet, scars? These items might have some good storytelling.

Personality Traits are next, put that under Personal Biography. What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses. Always give good balance to your character, super characters are boring to play with and only serve to frustrate you and your crewmates. If your CO feels your character is too "super" he or she may ask you to balance it out more. As you create this portion of the bio, a clearer picture of the character will begin to form for you. Be thinking about historical events in your character's life that may have been instrumental in forming his or her personality. Now that you've got that sorted out, it's time to write the history. Personal and Family history is first which covers birth to the time your character entered Starfleet. This is where you can describe their parents, siblings, places they have been in their childhood etc. Where were they born? What was their childhood like? Any significant events that occurred? What did their parents do? Were they part of a failed colony? The more detailed you make that history, the more fun you will have playing this character as you will refer to this history the same way that you refer to your own history in your real life.

Second portion of history is their career life, adulthood. Academic experiences, Starfleet or other Military records, this portion will continue to grow as you role play as well, so keep your biography available on your computer for updates, you will want to include past missions and experiences in it with a timeline. Some folks have portraits done or make JPGs or GIFs from pictures found around, this is a good suggestion and helps other SIMmers to picture the character and helps to bring them alive in people's minds. Once you're finished, Email your bio in to the Ship's Captain, Executive Officer or put it up on the web if you're good at that sort of stuff...

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4 Credits

4.1 Contributors

The following items were used as resources when writing this guide:

Previous versions of this guide:
* SF-TFE SIM Guide V1.0 by Sub-Cmdr Suzhran
* SF-TFE SIM Guide V2.0 by Sub-Cmdr Suzhran & MCPO Mike Sirota
* SF-TFE SIM Guide V2.1 by Capt Suzanna Batenburg

* Large parts of this were taken from or adapted from, the STTSF (Star Trek: The Sixth Fleet) SIMming handbook written by Cmdr Jayne Fury. Used with permission, thank you Jaynie!

* Enlisted information taken mainly from:
- Enlisted Crewman Association - Written by PO2 Robert 'Patch' Thomas Used with permission, Thanks Patch!

* Also used as a reference:
- UCIP Enlisted Academy Course Guide v1.0 - By Rick Hunter
Used with permission. Thanks Rick!

* Parts of the IC setting information were taken from Emails posted to the NX-05 Yorktown SIM list by Cmdr Eric Templar

* UCIP Command Officers Guide V3.1.2 - Written by Commodore Suzanna Blokpoel Used with permission ;-).

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4.2 Useful resources

General purpose and Database:
The First Era Fleet Policies The First Era Rank and Promotion Policies The First Era Fleet Awards and Decorations The First Era Officer Exchange Program (non-human ranks) Memory Alpha - The Star Trek Wiki

Visualisation:
Android Monkey Designs Enterprise NX-01 Deck Plans

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