Author: Charles Star

A purple-tinted space scene featuring a futuristic starbase and a Starfleet-style starship approaching it, with the text "IDFLEET.COM" in the bottom right corner.

20th Anniversary Trivia Day: May 8th

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In honor of our club’s 20th anniversary later this summer, we’re hosting a day of trivia in our fleet Discord’s general discussion chat room on May 8th. All are invited to partake: current members, former members, and non-members.

Join the Discord server here

We have six one-hour sessions on a variety of Star Trek and science fiction topics planned. Feel free to pop in and out for the ones that most interest you.

Schedule of Events

EDT (-4)BST (+1)TopicHost
10:00 am3:00 pmStar Trek: TOS Season 1Charles Star
11:00 am4:00 pmStar Trek: Deep Space NineShran dh’Klar
12:00 pm5:00 pmStar Trek Round-RobinYou!
1:00 pm6:00 pmDoctor WhoTrident
2:00 pm7:00 pmSupernaturalAngelus
3:00 pm8:00 pmStar Wars Original TrilogyMarcus

Prizes!

Yes, prizes! We have six fantastic prizes to distribute to the six trivia winners. Here’s how it’ll work: The winner of the first event will get to pick one of the six prizes below. The next winner can then choose to take one of the remaining five prizes or to steal the first prize selected. Same thing for the next winner, all the way down to the final winner, who will have their pick of the entire lot. Anytime someone has their prize stolen, they have to take one of the unselected prizes–no back-to-back steals. You might recognize these rules as similar to a white elephant gift routine. And you’re right!

ImagePrizeRetail Value
Independence Fleet mug$15
Micro Machines Star Trek Generations set$16
A Happy Birthday message from John de Lancie to you or a friend
Must be used within 1 year		$150
Star Trek TOS S1E17: The Squire of Gothos VHS tape
signed by IDF co-founder James D. West
Not guaranteed to work		$0.99
Star Trek TNG Badge & Lapel set$17
Spock Vehicle Decal$25

Watch Party!

Finally, please also join us after trivia at 8 pm Eastern in Discord for a watch party of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Until then, good luck and enjoy!

A stylized banner for Independence Fleet featuring four celebrities dressed in Starfleet uniforms: Will Smith, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Courteney Cox, and David Schwimmer. They are flanking the glowing purple Independence Fleet logo in the center, which includes stylized wings and a liberty bell. The words 'Independence Fleet' appear below in a red and purple futuristic font, each word flanked by a Starfleet insignia. The background is a starry space scene with a faint nebula and planetary body.

=/\=INDEPENDENCE FLEET HOME PAGE=/\=

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on =/\=INDEPENDENCE FLEET HOME PAGE=/\=

If you stumbled across our website last Thursday, you might have seen something a bit peculiar. In case you missed it, we’ve archived it here.

The prototypical 1990s simming webpage, complete with animated gifs, a repeating background, and way too many Admirals was the brainchild of our Fleet XO and Chief of Technology Ken Gillis. As most of you know, IDF didn’t actually exist back then as it was founded in 2001. However, some of our members today got their starts back in the 90’s.

As with our Super Space Command 3000 gag last year, we hope you enjoyed this too. Well done, Admiral Gillis!

A futuristic, three-tiered podium with black and red bases, each displaying the Independence Fleet logo in large white letters. The top tier features the fleet's logo, a stylized star with a purple hue, surrounded by a laurel wreath. The podiums sit on a checkerboard floor, giving the scene a modern, sleek look.

2020 ToS Winners Announced

Posted on | by Charles Star | 1 Comment on 2020 ToS Winners Announced

The 2020 Tournament of Simulations (ToS) winners were announced yesterday at Ongoing Worlds. We were fortunate enough to have four of our sims listed among the 23 that won prizes.

Congratulations to the USS Wayfarer, USS Ganymede, Starbase 80, and the USS Liberty! We already knew that all of our sims are fantastic, but it’s still great to get this type of acknowledgement from the community. Well done, IDF!

Outstanding Star Trek:

Star Trek Gameplay:

Independence Fleet actually has a long history of winning at ToS. Our first awards came in 2011 with the USS Liberty and USS Sunfire. 2012 was a monster year with five winners: USS Chirikov, USS Liberty, USS Rioja, USS Sunfire, and USS Victory. We then had one winner apiece in 2013 (USS Victory) and 2014 (USS Chuck Norris).

2014

Excellence in Creativity:

2013

Best Star Trek sim:

USS Victory

2012

Outstanding Star Trek Sim:

USS Chirikov

USS Victory

Excellence in Creativity:

Excellence in Character Development:

Excellence in Readability:

USS Rioja

2011

Best Star Trek Sim:

Most Creative Sim:

Which of our sims are going to win for 2021? It’s anyone’s game!

A purple-tinted space scene featuring a futuristic starbase and a Starfleet-style starship approaching it, with the text "IDFLEET.COM" in the bottom right corner.

One Year Ago…

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on One Year Ago…

One year ago today, we launched IDF’s new website and URL. Or was it yesterday? I’m not really sure! Regardless, what a ride it’s been.

On behalf of the Admiralty, thank you to everyone who has been a part of the journey and for making our 10 Star Trek sims as great as they are today. If you’re not currently a member of any of them, feel free to give one a try by clicking their link in the “Join!” column of the table below.

FormatTypeEraClassJoin!
ScriptOpenTNG/DSN/VOYGalaxyAlbion
BothOpenTNG/DSN/VOYDefiantChuck Norris
ProseTraditionalStar Trek: PicardSaberEminence
BothTraditionalPost-Dominion WarLunaGanymede
ProseTraditionalPost-Dominion WarSovereignLiberty
ProseTraditionalTOS MoviesMirandaMontana
BothOpenPost-Dominion WarAkiraSunfire
ProseOpenPost-Dominion WarSovereignWashington
BothTraditionalPost-Dominion WarIntrepidWayfarer
ProseTraditionalPost-Dominion WarN/AStarbase 80

Prose = typical language of a novel or short story
Script = role playing syntax similar to a movie script (see this Ongoing Worlds article)
Both = uses Prose & Script formats

Traditional = players only write for their own characters (this is how most role plays work)
Open = all players write for all characters (see this Ongoing Worlds article)

We’ll see you onboard!

Banner image of the USS Albion, NCC-3020, a Galaxy-class starship illuminated by fiery light in space. The ship name and registry number appear in bold white text in the corners.

All Aboard the USS Albion

Posted on | by Charles Star | 1 Comment on All Aboard the USS Albion

Our newest sim, the USS Albion launched earlier this week on February 16th. If that date looks familiar, you have a good eye! The original USS Sunfire opened in Utopia Fleet on that date all the way back in the year 2000. The rest, as they say, is history! Speaking of history, this is Captain Dick Sprague’s 10th command in Independence Fleet, by far the most all-time.

While continuing the tradition and legacy of IDF’s USS Avalon series of sims, the Albion seeks to capture the original theme and feel of that original USS Sunfire. As such, this is an open role playing game that uses script format. All potential players are highly encouraged to read the Albion’s Sim page before joining to ensure they know exactly what they’re getting into. It may be different, but it’s a lot of fun.

USS AlbionNCC-3020
Format: ScriptEra: TNG/DSN/VOY
Type: OpenClass: Galaxy
CO: Captain Dick SpragueJoin!

Go check out the USS Albion today!

Banner image of the USS Montana, NCC-1889, showing a close-up view of the starship’s saucer section and registry markings in space. The ship name and registry number are displayed in bold white text.

New Sim: USS Montana

Posted on | by Charles Star | 1 Comment on New Sim: USS Montana

Let’s give a warm welcome to Captain RS Harrison and our newest game, the USS Montana, which launched yesterday on January 8, 2021. The Montana is our only sim set in the TOS movie era, something that many of our players have been asking for for quite some time. Well, here it is, folk. Enjoy!

USS MontanaNCC-1889
Format: ProseEra: TOS Movies
Type: TraditionalClass: Miranda
CO: Captain RS HarrisonJoin!

Check out the USS Montana today!

Promotional banner for FallFest X, presented by Pegasus Fleet and Independence Fleet, held on Saturday, November 14, 2020. The image features bold gold and black text on a radiant sunburst background, with a mischievous green alien mascot holding a globe and leaning on a large black "X".

Today may be Friday the 13th, but tomorrow is FallFest; Sorry, we can’t do anything about the 2020 part

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on Today may be Friday the 13th, but tomorrow is FallFest; Sorry, we can’t do anything about the 2020 part

That’s right–join us tomorrow at 11:00 am Eastern for the FallFest X opening ceremonies. Our fleet XO Ken Gillis and friends AlexM & Amethyst from Pegasus Fleet have put together an absolutely fantastic schedule of events with an outstanding panel of hosts. It’ll be 8+ hours of simming and role playing fun!

Everything will happen in chat rooms in the FallFest Discord Server–be sure to sign up early so you don’t miss anything. And, of course, don’t forget about my Star Trek Trivia and Star Trek/Role Playing Family Feud games. These are must attends!

FallFest is a unique event, open to all simmers and online role players, regardless of rank or club affiliation. It’s where we all come together as a community to share ideas, energy, and fun! Independence Fleet and the Simming League held the first FallFest back in 2011. Originally intended to be a mini-SciWorld more friendly to European time zones, it has since grown into much, much more. OngoingWorlds has been the caretaker since 2012, although TNU Project will be taking the lead for organizing in 2021 and beyond.

See you tomorrow at FallFest 2020!

Promotional banner for FallFest X, presented by Pegasus Fleet and Independence Fleet, held on Saturday, November 14, 2020. The image features bold gold and black text on a radiant sunburst background, with a mischievous green alien mascot holding a globe and leaning on a large black "X".

Join Us for FallFest X!

Posted on | by Charles Star | 2 Comments on Join Us for FallFest X!

If you haven’t already heard, we will be hosting FallFest this year with our friends from over at Pegasus Fleet. Please join us in three weeks on November 14th in this discord server for a full day of engaging discussions, interactive trivia games, and live chat role plays. All simmers and online role players are welcome regardless of rank or club affiliation.

AlexM of Pegasus Fleet and our very own Ken Gillis are serving as the co-chairs to put on the event. Here’s where to go:

So first, we hope to see you there. Second, invite all your friends to attend too. And third, email me at star [dot] idf [at] gmail [dot] com if you would like to host a one-hour event during the festival.

The first FallFest was held back in 2011, and Independence Fleet was the original host. Let’s help keep the tradition going with all of our partners in the greater role playing community!

The bridge of a futuristic starship, designed with a circular seating arrangement. In the center, a large, command chair is surrounded by four other seats, all with ergonomic, cream-colored upholstery. The curved ceiling has a series of geometric panels with ambient lighting. Behind the seats, large control consoles with touch-screen interfaces are mounted on the walls. Two doorways and an elevator are visible on either side of the bridge.

So You Wanna Be a Captain?

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on So You Wanna Be a Captain?

Over the last month, we’ve received quite a few inquiries about being a sim Commanding Officer (CO) in Independence Fleet. So, what are we looking for in sim COs? Before I answer, I’d like to tell the story of two:

Jimmy Rogers

Hall of Famer Jimmy Rogers joined his first sim in December 2010: the USS Liberty, which we were just relaunching. It all clicked. He ran away with the MVP award that month, and became CO of the Liberty on January 1, 2011 after only a single month of simming. Yes, you read that right: one month of simming.

The rest, as they say, is history! Rogers commanded the Liberty for 19 months, winning 2.33 Genesis awards, capturing 3 posting titles, and leading the ship to an incredible 315-post month in September 2011, which is still tied for 9th all-time. Beyond the numbers, he led amazing stories and mentored dozens of role players.

Aurther Winters

Aurther Winters began simming in 2003 after seeing an ad on a college message board. As James Sullivan, he slowly rose from Ensign to Commander on the USS Dragon in a Hall of Fame career that ended with seven monthly awards, still good for a tie at 11th place all-time. Then life happened and he drifted away from simming.

He returned to role playing on the USS Chuck Norris in 2012 as Aurther Winters. Winters picked up his 10th monthly award in August–one of only four people in IDF history to hit double digits. As with Sullivan before, Winter rose through the engineering ranks to eventually become XO of the Chuck Norris under two different Captains. He was the type of XO who just made the Captain’s job easy. Winters became CO of the Chuck Norris this month.

That’s right–James Sullivan/Aurther Winter simmed for the first time about 17 years before he became a CO, while Jimmy Rogers simmed for one month before becoming a CO. Both are in the Hall of Fame, and both are incredible Captains. Every career is different, and every route to CO is different.

Show Me the Money!

One of the most basic principles of good wring is show, don’t tell. Let the reader experience the story through thoughts, actions, feelings, dialog, etc. instead of saying what happened. The same with being a sim CO: Telling us you want to be a CO is great, but you know what’s even better? Showing us you want to be a CO! How do you do that? Like this:

  • Post! Quality & Quantity
  • Get others involved in the story
  • Recruit new players
  • Mentor younger players
  • Help solve and de-escalate disputes
  • Engage at the fleet level on Discord, Facebook, and Twitter
  • To sum it up: Lead by example!

Do you have what it takes to be a sim CO in IDF? Show us! Make the ship you’re already on great. Make your crew great. Make your Captain look great! It’s not necessarily easy, but then again command isn’t for everyone.

Colorful banner titled "The Simming Endeavor" with a vibrant collage of avatars, characters, and icons representing a diverse community of simmers. The background features a mysterious, ancient building overlaid with abstract cosmic and handwritten elements. A small green alien mascot holding a globe appears in the bottom left corner, symbolizing the collaborative and creative spirit of the simming community.

The Simming Endeavor: The Sequel?

Posted on | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment on The Simming Endeavor: The Sequel?

Last year on Ongoing Worlds, we hosted a role playing game show called The Simming Endeavor. The concept was simple: Bring 13 different role players together into a single game, allow them to compete each week to write the best post on a particular topic, and then have them vote each other out until there’s only one left. As host, it was tons of fun–some of my best all-time memories of role playing.

Our very own Bolak (aka Largehobbit) was one of the contestants. I’ll save you the spoiler and not tell you how he did! James “Rook” Mirtoh and James D. West both served as special guests (episodes 3 and 8, respectively). And finally, our former Director of Art, Sadie Stanton (aka Bella), created all the graphics for the show.

The purpose of this post isn’t to shameless promote our prior work. Well, at least not entirely. One of last year’s contestants, Messenger of Heaven, is looking to host and produce a second season of the show this fall. If you’re interested in serving as a contestant, please contact me on discord or through email. Believe me, it will be a unique experience you can’t recreate elsewhere.

Or if you just want to read the episodes, we’ve posted links below. We recommend starting with episode 1, obviously.

EpisodeAir Date
USS Endeavor role playN/A
Episode 1 (Introduction)September 8, 2019
Episode 2 (Abdication)September 15, 2019
Episode 3 (Déjè vu)September 22, 2019
Episode 4 (Humor)September 29, 2019
Episode 5 (Others)October 6, 2019
Episode 6 (Change)October 13, 2019
Episode 7 (Switch)October 20, 2019
Episode 8 (Action)October 27, 2019
Episode 9 (Return)November 3, 2019
Episode 10 (Random)November 10, 2019
Episode 11 (Decision)November 17, 2019
Episode 12 (Finale)November 24, 2019

In unrelated IDF news, Captain Aurther Winters has relieved Captain Grover vonMcCormick as Commanding Officer of the USS Chuck Norris, and Captain Dick Sprague has relieved Captain Michael Meezo as Commanding Officer of the USS Wayfarer. Both turnovers are dated to September 1st.

Good luck, simmers!