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.
I am sure no one thought this day would come so soon. Even I am in disbelief that it is already here. But after conferring with members of the Admiralty and others in our simming community, it is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement as Fleet Admiral/CinC of Independence Fleet, effective 0000 hours EST USA, Wednesday July 1st 2020.
It’s been an amazing journey since July 4th, 2001. I remember starting IDF with three ships and a handful of very dedicated simmers, most of which originated (like myself) from an older, defunct simming fleet. We made it work. And today it has grown into one of the premier online role playing communities on the web.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless hard work and dedication by the Admiralty and Captains, as well as the simmers themselves who really make this happen. Without the talented writers in this group, there would be no community.
After my retirement I can think of no better officer than Charles Star to lead this fleet into the future as Commander-in-Chief. I have known Charles for over 20 years. We served on an old incarnation of the USS Sunfire; he as CMO and me as XO. This friendship would lead us to where we all are now.
Admiral Star has made this fleet his life’s work. When the rest of us had real-life issues keeping us from the simming world, Charles pressed on. He was there during all the difficult times and kept pressing forward, never losing sight of the future for our fleet.
Admiral Star will make one hell of a Commander-in-Chief, and will assume command of Independence Fleet at 0001 hours EST USA, Wednesday July 1st 2020.
As for me, I will continue simming in a non-administrative capacity, as a low-key but active character on one of our great Sims. This is not a retirement from simming. It is a retirement of the Admiralty, and leaving that aspect of our community in Admiral Starts capable hands.
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.
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!
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!
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:
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 Norris
2014
USS Victory
2013
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
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!
The IDF Hall of Fame is active once again. After an 8-0 vote of eligible voters, I hereby officially approve the latest amendment to the Hall of Fame charter, which re-activates the institution after it was suspended indefinitely in 2014. Look for us to take nominations later this spring for the 2020 class that will be inducted on our 19-year anniversary of July 4th.
Below you’ll find a list of all 20 current Hall of Fame members and the newly amended charter. It’s a great day to be in Independence Fleet!
Hall of Fame Inductees
Class of 2013
Captain Jasson Asuka
Lt. Cmdr. Seth Rain
Lt. Cmdr. Mira Rodale
Captain Alayne Tolbin
Commodore Zachari Vrona
Class of 2012
Lieutenant Airika Calhoun
Captain Ace Decade
Commander Paula Fredericks
Fleet Admiral Jeremiah Griffith
Admiral Richter Hiron
Class of 2011
Captain Julie Absecon
Commander Samira Barajas
Commander Entera Danae
Commander Ingoldo
Lt. Cmdr. Reggie “Big” Johnson
Rear-Admiral Henry “Hank” Logan
Captain Steve McCloud
Lt. Cmdr. Dick Phelps
Commander Kiara Rodale
Commander Tavik
Independence Fleet Hall of Fame Charter
I. Purpose
A. The Independence Fleet Hall of Fame shall recognize individuals for exemplary service or extraordinary contributions to the fleet.
II. Eligibility
A. Characters, not players, are to be inducted. Multiple characters from a single player are eligible.
B. Characters must be inactive for at least one year prior to induction.
C. Characters shall be inducted no more than once.
III. Process
A. Nominations shall be taken every May. Nominations may be made by anyone, regardless of rank or fleet affiliation. Self-nominations are permitted.
B. Voting shall take place every June, with each nominee receiving a separate vote. All Commanding Officers and active members of the Admiralty may cast one ballot (yea or nay) for each nominee. A player with multiple characters may cast no more than two ballots per nominee.
C. Characters receiving yeas for more than one-half of their ballots and finishing in the top five of the year’s nominees shall be inducted. Characters receiving more than one-half of the ballots cast, but not finishing in the top five of the year’s nominees shall be automatically re-nominated the following year. In the event of more than five nominees receiving the required votes for induction, tie-breakers for the final spots shall be determined by the Command-in-Chief to prevent more than five inductions in any cycle.
D. Characters inactive for more than ten years, regardless of nomination status, may be inducted by consensus decision from the Veterans Committee. All active members of the Admiralty shall serve on the Veterans Committee. Veterans Committee selections shall be capped at three inductions per cycle and shall not count toward the maximum of five from the standard selection process.
E. Inductions shall take place every July 4th. All inductions are final and shall not be overturned.
IV. Amendment
A. Changes to this charter must be approved by at least two-thirds of eligible voters and Independence Fleet’s Commander-in-Chief.
B. Amendments shall not be proposed in May, June, or July.
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.
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!
As of 00 hundred hours this morning, I have assumed command of Independence Fleet (IDF / IDFleet.com). All active sims with the exception of the USS Sanctuary (NCC-2880) and the USS Chuck Norris (NCC-4005) are hereby released from the fleet and free to continue as independent games or to seek membership with other groups. Additionally, all members of the Admiralty are also released from their duties with this fleet.
I have appointed Admiral Charles Star as Chief of Fleet Operations to assemble a new Admiralty and reorganize the fleet. I’m also proud to announce that the USS Ganymede (NCC-80107) is launching for action today.
I know that none of you were expecting this. I’m sorry. I’m going to have you to ask you to grow up a little sooner than you expected. Know that I have full confidence in you and every member of this fleet to continue role playing excellence.
Independence Fleet may be almost 19 years old, but I believe her best days are still ahead. Let’s role play!
