Author: Charles Star

The Good Ole Days: Right Now

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on The Good Ole Days: Right Now

I often think back to my original time in IDF, the fleet’s classical era in the 2000s. I remember them as the good ole’ days. The same for the renaissance period of the early 2010s. In reality, I was only a member of the fleet for about two and a half years during my first stint, and then I was Chief of Fleet Operations for less than a year and a half 2010-12. They both were fleeting moments, but I recall them much differently. No pun intended.

To quote Andy Bernard from the finale episode of The Office: “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”

So it is with IDF: These are the good ole’ days! Over the last few months, we’ve rebuilt our community, reestablished our Star Trek lore, and even played the old Super Space Command 3000 joke again. What a time it is! We’re right in the middle of the good ole’ days and our best years are yet to come. Cherish the moments we have now to write Trek with our fellow crewmembers. The future is limited only by our own imaginations.

On that note, I would like to bid a happy retirement to Fleet Admiral James D. West. Without him, there would be no IDF: He was one of our three founders and has been instrumental in leading our rebuild this year. To me, he’s been a mentor, a rival, a friend, and much more. To everyone else, he’s one of the all-time greats, not just within IDF, but for the entire simming and online role playing community.

In that light, I accept the authority and responsibility as Independence Fleet’s Commander-in-Chief and General Executive Director. As my first official act, I hereby permanently retire the Fleet Admiral rank. No one else can ever fill West’s shoes, so no one else will ever wear his rank either. Furthermore, Fleet Admiral West will always be the most senior historical member of this club.

Farewell, Fleet Admiral!

P.S.–Yes, I do need a new signature block.

A Milestone of Milestones

Posted on | by Charles Star | 3 Comments on A Milestone of Milestones

A recent review of our records revealed something very interesting: Captain Shran dh’Klar of the USS Washington is currently in his 90th month of command in Independence Fleet. This breaks the previous tie of 89 months with Steven MayTa Death for the fleet’s all-time lead. You read that right–Captain dh’Klar is now the longest serving sim Commanding Officer in the history of Independence Fleet. A quick recap of his command career:

  • December 2010 – May 2012: USS Washington (18 months)
  • December 2012 – August 2013: USS Archimedes (9)
  • April 2015 – current: USS Washington (63)

Let’s put the 90 months into perspective: That’s 7.5 years of command! Wow! As of June 1st, that includes 1,320 total posts and a tie with Rhenora Kaylen for first place all-time with 26 monthly posting titles.*

I still remember when Captain dh’Klar first took command of the Washington. I had just returned to IDF as Chief of Fleet Operations and we were re-launching several historical sims. I really wanted him to be one of our Captains and offered him whichever command he wanted. I was very happy when he selected the Washington, which at the time was already one of our most storied games. Captain dh’Klar has since taken the Washington to even greater heights, creating a nearly unparalleled legacy.

Captain, thanks again for your service and we’re looking forward to the next 90 months!

* IDF does not have sim records from January 2004 to September 2010 and is missing posting totals for September – October 2018 and December 2018 to May 2019.

Take a Visit to Starbase Mikia

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on Take a Visit to Starbase Mikia

Independence Fleet hereby announces the launch of Starbase Mikia, currently our only starbase sim. This is an open role playing game, set after Star Trek: Nemesis, led Captain Jensen Russell. In case you were wondering, Mikia is unofficially the Klingon name for Michael.

Located in the Beta Quadrant, where the action never seems to end, starships and traders from all over the galaxy make stops at Mikia for all sorts of reasons. Captain Russell and his team are loaded with mission ideas for Star Trek storytelling.

If you would like to be a part of the adventure, join Starbase Mikia today!

USS Eminence Launches

Posted on | by Charles Star | 1 Comment on USS Eminence Launches

Star Trek: Picard has arrived in role play: The USS Eminence commanded by Captain Caymen Greener. The ship is a Saber-class scout/patrol vessel assigned to the former border areas with the Romulan Empire a few months prior to the events of Star Trek: Picard in 2399.

While the sim is set near the old Romulan border, it will not exclusively run Romulan-based missions. Captain Greener has a lot of great ideas for this game, and it will only get better and better as both the crew and the series continue to build the lore.

If you would like to join simming’s cutting edge while still honoring Star Trek’s past, join the Eminence today!

Super Space Command 3000: 2020 Edition

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on Super Space Command 3000: 2020 Edition

If you visited our website yesterday, you might have seen something peculiar: IDF replacing Star Trek with Super Space Command 3000 branding after a court order authorized CBS to collect royalties from fan fiction websites. April fools! In case you missed it, we’ve recreated that main page at the bottom of this post.

This is actually the third time IDF has pulled the ole’ SSC3K joke. The first was all the way back in 2003. The second was in 2011, when we were joined by Theta Fleet and Starfleet Legacy Alliance. Theta Fleet played along with us again this year.

Of course, thank you to everyone for being a good sport about it once more! Here are some of the best comments we received for 2020’s joke:

You’ve got to be kidding!!!!!

Not cool.

It seems wrong and I am sure even from an outsider perspective.

Come on CBS, that is such a mean move!?

This is an outrage! Greedy corporate execs! We should all write in and give them a piece of our minds 😡

How the heck are we supposed to pay royalties to CBS?

How much do I need to pay to not see that?

Did you get this on a graphic design consultation website or in house? 😛

Omg hahahaha!

Love it lol

Hahaha Hilarious!

This better be an April Fools joke.

I hate this day.

Nice April fool’s day gag.

I hate April Fool’s Day. 😝

I’m not a huge fan of April Fool’s, but well done 😉

Independence Fleet website, April 1, 2020:

The Fleet

Alert: Yes, it’s true. CBS is going to require that Star Trek role play sites pay royalties that we simply can’t afford.  Here’s a link to the article we’ve cut and pasted below:

SAN FRANCISCO-A three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled yesterday that CBS Studios has the authority to collect royalties from Star Trek fan fiction websites, even if the websites generate no revenue. All privately-owned publicly-facing Star Trek themed sites will be required to register with CBS immediately to pay fees based on policy to be set later by CBS.

The decision was a blow to many Star Trek fan writers, who commonly organize themselves into groups called “sims” or “role plays”. Lawyers representing an anonymous group unsuccessfully argued that CBS’s demands are a violation of free speech. CBS countered that “Star Trek” is a registered trademark. The court agreed with CBS in its 44-page decision.

Immediately following the ruling, CBS announced that official policy will be determined in six to eight weeks. Since so few fan fiction websites collect revenue, CBS is expected to charge royalties based on membership and participation. All affected websites who refuse or are unable to meet the financial demands will be forced to choose a new theme. Representatives for several websites have vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court.

It is unclear if CBS plans to pursue a similar policy with any of its other trademarked franchises or if other media companies will follow suit.

But not to worry!  We’ve come up with something even better than Star Trek: Super Space Command 3000!  That’s SSC3K for short!  We think this will give us all more flexibility with our stories and characters, and most importantly, we hold all the legal rights for SSC3K.  In short, we’re excited about our future in Super Space Command 3000 starting today.  Please send any comments or suggestions to star.idf@gmail.com

Thank you,
Independence Fleet Command

Welcome to Independence Fleet Command!  We’ve hosted top quality Super Space Command 3000 role playing since 2001.  Regardless of what you call it–simming, play-by-post (PbP), play-by-email (PbEm), or even creative writing–it’s what we’ve been doing for nearly 19 years.

         

Join one of our exciting adventures below and tell your Star Fleet tale with other Trekkies from around the world!

USS Ganymede

USS GanymedeNCC-80107
Format: Prose & ScriptEra: Post-Dominion War
Type: TraditionalClass: Luna
CO: Captain Dyllon McMahonJoin!

USS Washington

USS WashingtonNCC-81533-E
Format: ProseEra: Post-Dominion War
Type: OpenClass: Sovereign
CO: Captain Shran dh’KlarJoin!

USS Chuck Norris

USS Chuck NorrisNCC-4005
Format: Prose & ScriptEra: TNG/DSN/VOY
Type: OpenClass: Defiant
CO: Captain Grover vonMcCormickJoin!

Stay tuned…

What does prose and script mean?

That’s simply the style of writing used for the particular game.  Prose means it’s written in regular language like you would find in a novel or short story.  Script refers to a specific role playing syntax:

{Location}

Character: (Thoughts.) ::action:: “Dialogue.” =/\=Communicator dialogue.=/\=

Still don’t get it?  Here’s the same line written in each format:

{Planet’s Surface}

John picked the communicator up from the table. He wasn’t sure what to do. “Here goes nothing,” he muttered before speaking into the device.  “Bridge, this is John.”

{Planet’s Surface}

John: ::picks up communicator from the table:: (I’m not sure what to do.) “Here goes nothing.” =/\=Bridge, this is John.=/\=

As you can see, the {Location} tag is frequently used in both formats. Also, the exact syntax will likely vary from sim to sim.

What’s the difference between traditional and open role playing?

In traditional role playing, you only write for your own character without explicit permission or guidance from other players, generally speaking.  This is how almost all Star Trek simming games usually work.

Open role playing differs in that everyone writes for everyone.  All characters are at at your disposal for use with every post.  While this is uncommon in the role playing community, you’ll see a higher number of open role playing sims in Independence Fleet.  Here’s an article from Ongoing Worlds that explains open role playing in more detail.

Independence Fleet = Excellence

Tournament of Simulations

USS Chuck Norris2014
USS Victory2013
USS Chirikov
USS Liberty
USS Rioja
USS Sunfire
USS Victory		2012
USS Liberty
USS Sunfire		2011

Ongoing Worlds

Squiddie Award

James D. West, 2015
AJ Wheeler, 2013
=/\=
Community Honor

James D. West, 2018
Landon Wakeland, 2013

Legacy Simming League

Simming Prize

Charles Star, 2016
Independence Fleet, 2011
USS Sunfire, 2010

=/\=
Distinguished Service Medal

Charles Star, 2011

Fair Skies and Happy Warp Drives to the USS Sanctuary

Posted on | by Charles Star | 7 Comments on Fair Skies and Happy Warp Drives to the USS Sanctuary

At 11:59 PM tonight, the USS Sanctuary will officially transfer from Independence Fleet to UCIP. The Sanctuary has been a mainstay in IDF since she launched back in October 2012. According to available records as of March 1st, the Sanctuary had seen 1,718 total posts and 17 monthly posting titles. Wow!

Perhaps even more impressive is that Commanding Officer Steven Mayta Death is not only the longest currently-tenured CO in IDF, but he is also first all-time in IDF history with 89 completed command-months, all with the Sanctuary. His alter ego, Steven Mayta Cha’Dich adds five more (one with the Sanctuary and five with Starbase Prime). What a record!

But Steven’s and the Sanctuary’s run doesn’t end here. Steven actually began his career back in UCIP, and he’s simply going home. Here’s to all the adventures he and his crew are going to continue to have for years to come!

USS SanctuaryNCC-2880
Format: Prose & ScriptEra: TNG/DSN/VOY
Type: OpenClass: Intrepid
CO: Colonel Steven MayTa DeathJoin!

The Captain’s Chair: Bolak

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on The Captain’s Chair: Bolak

As most of you already know, Rear Admiral Bolak is our new Director of Media. When I first told him of the old My Favorite Treks we used to do, he immediately came up with this new format. As a result, I can’t claim to be the brilliance behind it. Expect him to do a mix of My Favorite Treks and Captain’s Chairs moving forward. In the meantime, here’s Bolak…

Welcome to the Captain’s Chair, Mr. Bolak. Please input your details into the data pad before we begin.

Name: Bolak

Rank: Rear Admiral

Position: Director of Media

Fleet Sim: Currently None

Thank you, Rear Admiral. So let’s get started with your favorite Captain. Whose chair are you sitting in this evening? 

“It has to be Picard’s. Sorry Kirk but despite the off screen tiff with James Corden Picard is class in a glass, and man he even has his own series now and it is fantastic. Q and I agree that Picard is our man!”

Does that make TNG your favourite series or is there another?

“TNG all the way. It’s the series of my youth and contains a whole bunch of my favourite personalities and story arcs. Also for me it brings more breadth and depth to the star trek universe than any other series in the franchise.”

Do you have a favorite episode?

“Now that’s a tough question, there are so many! Let’s go with Q Who… Why? Not only is it action packed, With a healthy dose of our friendly neighbourhood Q. This is where we meet the Borg for the first time! Fantastic. This is where shit got real for the Federation.”

How about the movies, which is the best one?

“Come on… Wrath of Khan all the way! Isn’t that everyone’s favourite? Notice I said favourite, not favorite. It’s like the Empire Strikes Back of the Star Trek universe. Dark and gritty with some amazing action scenes and even a smattering of Shakespeare.”

Good choice, and the worst?

“The Undiscovered Country. Oh Sybok, if only Deadpool would cross the multiverse and shoot you in the head at the start of the movie to save us from what follows. It’s just utter mush.”

Wow ok, so not a fan of The Undiscovered Country. Noted! How’s Picard’s chair by the way? Comfortable?

“Very.”

Good, good. How about the ship? Are we on the Enterprise-D or would you prefer another? You can have anything you like, we have a huge imaginary budget.

“Can I have a Firefly?”

Darn right you can!

“Shiny!”

When did you start simming Bolak?

“2016.”

And what was your first Sim? 

“I started off with a Stargate Destiny game on Ongoing worlds. It was great fun but only had a few players so it eventually fizzled. I took a small break then before returning with a few games of my own that I still mod today.”

What keeps you interested?

“I’ve just always wanted to write and I am a huge fan of role play games. This is just the perfect hobby for me. I love the communities I write with and have had the honour to write with some amazingly talented people.”

Me being one of them of course?

“Erm, yes of course.”

What about real life? What else do you enjoy doing?

“Minecraft is my guilty pleasure, as well as working through my out of control Steam Collection. Damn you Humble Bundle why are you so cheap! Between work and the kids I don’t have time for a whole lot else.”

It take it you’re a Firefly fan given the ship we’re on. What else are you into besides that and Star Trek?

“Yeah Firefly is amazing. I am a massive Buffy and Angel fan as well.”

And at the Movies?

“Ok so let’s put Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings on the shelf because that’s too easy. I’ll also pop Shawshank up there next to them because damn that movie is a masterpiece. I am going to go with… Barbarella. That movie is bubble gum for my brain. Jane we salute you!”

Time for the quick fire round now before go to warp.

“I am pretty sure the Firefly is a sub-lightspeed vessel so capable of warp.” 

Don’t be pedantic.

“Sorry.”

Quickfire round. Are you ready?

“Yup.”

  • Favorite book? – Mere Christianty by CS Lewis
  • Favorite video game? – Minecraft or anything in the ElderScrolls universe
  • Favorite musician or band? – Pixies
  • Favorite superhero? – Hell Boy
  • If you could have any super power, what would it be? – Good Luck
  • Favorite sport? – Bloodbowl 
  • Favorite team? – Greenfield Grasshuggers
  • Favorite food? – Tandoori Chicken
  • Coke or Pepsi? – Coke
  • Lennon or McCartney? – Lennon
  • Star Trek or Star Wars? – Star Wars (Wait do I get fired now?)
  • Jordan or Lebron? – Jordan

Excellent! Thank you for sitting in the Captain’s Chair. It’s been a pleasure to get to know a little more about you today.

Bolak, everyone!

I’m not sure if I was conducting that interview or if it was this. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it!

USS Washington Stays in IDF

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on USS Washington Stays in IDF

After discussing the matter with his crew, Captain Shran dh’Klar has elected for the USS Washington (NCC-81533-E) to stay in Independence Fleet. The Washington had been released last month to explore opportunities outside of the fleet. However, we’re more than pleased to have Captain dh’Klar and his crew remain a part of the IDF family.

The Washington’s tradition dates back to IDF’s founding on July 4, 2001, when we launched with three active sims. The Washington’s crew has won numerous awards and set many records over the years. We look forward to watching their role play adventure continue here for many more to come.

My Favorite Trek: Sadie Stanton

Posted on | by Charles Star | 3 Comments on My Favorite Trek: Sadie Stanton

This section may be familiar to those of you who have been with Independence Fleet for long time. We even did a whole group interview over at Ongoing Worlds back on Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary. For those who might be new, this is where we interview a fleet member about their favorite Star Trek episode, some other Trek-related items, and now even some non-Trek topics.

As Director of Media, Rear Admiral Bolak will be conducting these and more moving forward. I think he even has a few ideas on how to change them up a bit. I can’t wait to see what he has planned!

Until then, I thought Director of Art Rear Admiral Sadie Stanton would be a good place to start. She’s the creative force behind all of our graphics and the general artistic theme of the fleet. Doesn’t the site look great! Since she’s done so much with the visual, why not give her the change to share her words too? Here’s Sadie Stanton…

Name: Sadie Stanton
Rank: Rear Admiral
Sim: N/A
Position: Director of Art

Favorite Star Trek episode? “In the Pale Moonlight”
Why? I love the drama. I love Avery’s delivery, and the way he and Robinson bounce off each other.
Favorite Star Trek series? Deep Space 9
Why? Again, drama. I LOVE a good overreaching plot arc, and I like seeing a grittier side of Trek.
Favorite Star Trek film? IV or VI. I’m not sure.
Why? I love the whales and the humor of IV, but I like the mystery of VI.
Favorite Star Trek Captain? Sisko when I’m watching DS9; Janeway when I’m watching VOY.

What year did you start simming? 2001
What sim was it? USS Cortez
What keeps you simming today? I love to write. I love the interaction and the stories.
Favorite non-simming hobby? There’s other hobbies?
Favorite non-Trek series? That’s a hard one… Depends on the day you ask me.
Favorite non-Trek film? No way I can choose.
Favorite book (fiction or non)? The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
Favorite video game? I don’t have time for video games much these days.
Favorite musician or band? Within Temptation
Favorite superhero? Black Widow
If you could have any super power, what would it be? I honestly don’t know.
Favorite sport? I watch college football on rare occasion.
Favorite team? UCONN Huskies Women’s Basketball
Favorite food? I like a good steak and potato dish.
Coke or Pepsi? Coke.
Lennon or McCartney? Don’t care…
Jordan or LeBron? Jordan
Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Trek

Rank the Trek TV shows from best to worst. DS9 -> VOY -> TNG -> ENT -> TOS. I don’t watch DSC or Orville. I haven’t gotten to Picard yet.
Rank the Trek movies from best to worst. G, FC, I, TVH, TUC, TFF, TWOK, Abrams, N, TSFS, TMP, B, ID
Was this too many questions? Yes. I didn’t like the ranking thing. 😛

Sadie Stanton, everyone!

Meet the Admiralty

Posted on | by Charles Star | 9 Comments on Meet the Admiralty

So much for a little training cruise.

Thank you for that introduction, Fleet Admiral West.  I can’t express how excited I am for the days ahead, especially as we get closer to some big fleet milestones.  Yes, our best days are ahead.  To help us get there, we’ve put together a highly talented and absolutely fantastic staff.  Without further ado, here they are:

Vice Admiral Ken Gillis
Director of Technology
Responsible for IT architecture & infrastructure

Ken Gillis has long been a technical leader and trailblazer within the role playing community. In the early years, he led RolePlayerUSA, which provided hosting services to many of the top clubs. He even served as Simming League President in 2002 and later won the Squiddie Award in 2015.

Rear Admiral Sadie Stanton
Director of Art
Responsible for graphics & design

Sadie Stanton is a veteran role player who has served in a number of fleets during her career. Her artistic talent rarely goes unnoticed as her outstanding work adorns the sites of several groups. Most recently, she provided all of the graphics for and co-hosted The Simming Endeavor game show.

Rear Admiral Bolak
Director of Media
Responsible for media content & engagement

Bolak, new to simming in 2016, wasted no time in making an impact. He has been a player and leader in many games across multiple genres on the Ongoing Worlds platform. Known for his quick wit and imaginative stories, he finished as runner-up on the 2019 Simming Endeavor game show.

Rear Admiral James “Rook” Mirtoh
Director of Personnel
Responsible for awards & recognition

Rook Mirtoh hails from Independence Fleet’s early days, having joined in the first year. He has served in many capacities and made numerous contributions since. Known as one of the most talented role players ever, he is the only fleet member to have individually won all five of the fleet’s original awards.

As always, the IDF Admiralty exists to support you, the role players.  Our goal is simple: create and maintain the best simming environment possible. If there’s ever something we can do better, please don’t hesitate to let us know.  Here’s to IDF!