Happy 23rd anniversary, Independence Fleet! For anyone new and not aware or simply not wanting to do the math, this club was founded all the way back on July 4, 2001. Continuing a tradition we began a few years ago, here is a message from a special guest:
What else do we have for this year? You might remember the 20th Anniversary Almanac that we published three years ago. Well, we got the cover page signed by none other than Star Trek legend William Shatner:
In case you were wondering, the cover photo at the top is indeed based on the greatest Star Trek selfie ever taken by LeVar Burton. Thank you to Captain Misaki for creating our header image two years in a row.
I almost forgot, we have a second message this year too:
What an exciting bit of Independence Fleet news that I get the opportunity to share with you all. This very post marks the 100th blog post since IDF launched the new website on February 29, 2020. That’s a lot of blogging and I am delighted that these 100 posts have been mostly celebratory and honoring our members.
Ironically, we also have 100 blog comments so far. It is always nice to receive comments from the IDF community. It makes every blog post all the more wonderful and though my work schedule the past few months derailed my involvement, I am glad to be part of the fleet in this capacity. I don’t know where we will be 100 more blog posts down the road, but it undoubtedly will be a great journey with you all.
Let’s have a look at some blog statistics:
Author
Posts
Charles Star
50
James “Rook” Mirtoh
32
Bolak
6
Ken Gillis
5
James West
4
Heather Meadows
3
Stay tuned for more exciting IDF news and blog posts!
With a long a illustrious history in the simming community, Independence Fleet has been a bedrock for quality Star Trek role playing for over twenty years. Although IDF’s leadership works hard to ensure our members have several games to suit their role playing needs, we also know how to have fun, and what better day to enjoy our brand of humor than on April’s Fools’ Day. For those of you who have been part of IDF for a while, you know that April Fools’ Day jokes have become a pretty big tradition around here. We’ve done World Wide Sims, the classic 1990s simming website, and Super Space Command 3000. Actually, we’ve done Super Space Command 3000 three different times–no one said we were original! For those of you new to IDF this year, your introduction was our, er, rebranding where we took on a new menacing moniker.
Additionally, what we included for our humorous 2022 was the spectacular trial and banishment of our fleet CO–this is simming after all! And then added for good measure, a good ole’ useless administrative burden for sim COs, complete with threats of facing JAG. All in good humor, but these whimsical jokes mirror the real-life history of dozens of simming fleets (sadly including even this one at times), fleet XO Ken Gillis overthrew fleet CO Charles Star and installed Joseph “Stealth” Carroll as his JAG Magistrate… just in case you missed it! These were all great ‘Easter eggs’ for those of you who have been around the community and witnessed some of the ludicrous events that have unfolded in past years outside of IDF.
Here are some of actual statements Admiral Star received in response to the gag:
“Loving this year’s prank by the way! I was hoping Super Space Command 3000 would have made a come back.”
“Were you kicked out of Independence fleet?”
“Are you really in trouble?”
“Hahaha you got me.”
“Let me know if you need any help.”
“Apparently I was fooled by Ken on April fools day. He got me good!”
“What happened?”
“I just remembered what day it is. April 1st.”
And here are a few of the quotes from our Discord server:
“Qapla!”
“Wrong Empire, but you got the spirit!”
Long live the Empire…”
“I see we have a new Grand Admiral. I guess it was going to happen eventually.”
“JAG got more positions [open], or just the Director?
“I am always looking for Inquisitors.”
“Long Live the new IDF Empire!! I expect sims that post less than 300 posts a month will be immediately shut down and mothballed? Right?”
“You had me going for a while there.”
“I was around IDF in 2003 when Federal Appeals Court Judge, Lance Stiffler, had ruled that due to copyright law IDF could no longer be affiliated with ‘Star Trek’ and so had to change its name to Super Space Command 3000. I can’t believe that joke is almost 20 years old now!”
Thank you again to Ken Gillis for planning and organizing this year’s joke, and a special thanks to Charles Star and Joseph “Stealth” Carroll for playing along and being great sports. On behalf of the Imperial Defense Fleet, I hope everyone else enjoyed it! I can’t wait to see what tomfoolery that is in store for 2023 and remember: “Forget the ring! The ring is bupkis! I found it in a Cracker Jack box!“
Edit: This post was part of the 2022 April Fools’ Day gag.
Charges
The Defendant, Charles Star, is charged with the following crimes:
Mutiny and Sedition
Theft of a Starship
Disreputable Behavior
Verbal Abuse
Unauthorized Shuttle Parking in Disabled Shuttlebay
Harassment
Discrimination
Sabotage of a Starship
False Statements
Dematerialization of a Beagle
Hacking
Crude Behavior
Terrorism
Facts of the Case
Charles Star was removed from command at 11:59 PM EST, March 31st, 2022. Charges were brought by Grand Admiral Ken Gillis.
The Defendant was contacted by carrier pigeon to appear. Since the pigeon did not arrive, the assumption was made that the Defendant was waiving his right to a trial by a tribunal and confessing to all above crimes.
Ruling
Presiding over the case were Judge Advocate General Joseph Carroll, Commodore Meadows, and Admiral Satie.
By unanimous vote, the tribunal has declared Charles Star GUILTY of ALL CHARGES prescribed above.
Sentence
Charles Star is hereby stripped of all rank, awards, and honors, and shall further be BANISHED from Imperial Defense Fleet for ALL TIME.
Edit: This post was part of the 2022 April Fools’ Day gag.
Today is a momentous day in the history of IDF! We are evolving beyond the organization we created over 20 years ago, and making way into a more glorious future! As of today, IDF will no longer stand for Independence Fleet (poor acronym anyway, where’s the D? In the middle of the first word?). No, it will now stand for:
Imperial Defense Fleet
Imperial Defense Fleet will be boasting a command structure, effective immediately! First of all, Charles Star is no longer in command of IDF. Star is stripped of all rank and privileges of his station.
In his place, I have taken command, as Grand Admiral. I will bring a new era of glory to IDF.
Joining me is Admiral Joseph Carroll, who will be taking up his new position as Magistrate in our newly formed Judge Advocate General Corps.
You don’t see a lot of detailed posts like this kicking off shore leave. I like it!
MVP
Ensign Laurel Zatara Chief Flight Control Officer USS Albion
Ens. Zatara joined during January and immediately finished second on the ship in posting. Even better than that, her posts were always excellent, driving the plot forward while giving other players a chance to get in on the action, and best of all, they were usually pretty funny–which is par for the course on the Albion.
Most Posts
Lieutenant Shoniara T’ghann Dex Assistant Chief Medical Officer USS Washington
For writing 25 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant JG Torvin Anor Chief Engineering Officer USS Wayfarer
Lt. jg. Torvin joined the Wayfarer as an engineering officer and was initially mainly in the background. However, after the recent mission he really stepped up and into place of a CEO both in and out of character. He is a pleasure to write with.
Rookie of the Month
None this month.
Recruitment
None this month.
Thanks for a great start to 2022. Keep the excellent posting coming!
Last month may have been the earliest we’ve ever gotten the monthly awards out. This month, well, may be the latest. My apologies!
Speaking of last month, I want to offer my sincere thanks to Admirals Charles Star and Ken Gillis for all the hard work they put into our epic 20th anniversary. They hosted two really excellent events: the Science Fiction Trivia Day & Special Webcast, both which had real prizes… unlike these awards!
As we embark this month on our second 20 years, I think back to my earliest days in IDF. I wasn’t there for the fleet’s launch, but I joined soon after in October 2001 on the USS Washington. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” I had no idea back then what I was getting myself into, but golly has it been fun! Enough on me, time for the awards:
Best Post (Single Author)
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
Lots of action, lots of emotion, and some all around great Trek. Very good integration between contributions makes this seem like seamless writing as opposed to lots of different people tacking on to each other’s posts.
Funniest Post
Lt. Dean House & Capt. Rhenora Kaylen & Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell & Lt. JG Avarak CTO / CO / CSS / CSO USS Sunfire
Tactical map that looks like it was drawn by a three year old? Awesome.
Genesis
None this month.
MVP
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
Another great month for the Sunfire, in no small part the work of Lt. Durnell, who took an idea and wrapped it into a myriad of stories that encompass every other member of the crew. The result: extremely well written collaborative stories.
Most Posts
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
For writing 31 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant Aurora Vali Chief Counselor USS Sunfire
A great month for Lt. Vali. She doubled her posts from the previous month and added some absolutely stellar additions to some joint posts.
Rookie of the Month
Master Chief Petty Officer Alake Van Der Luan Master-at-Arms USS Eminence
The Eminence’s new Master at Arms introduced himself to the rest of the crew and set himself up well for his upcoming first full month on the ship.
We’re less than two months away from our 20th Anniversary this summer on July 4th. As part of the ongoing celebrations this year, we held a 20th Anniversary Trivia Day this past Saturday. In addition to giving away six “fantastic” prizes to our winners, we were able to cap the evening off with a Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan watch party. For those who were unable to attend, here’s the summary:
Prizes
Description (estimated retail value)
Independence Fleet mug ($15)
Micro Machines Star Trek Generations set ($16)
A Happy Birthday message from John de Lancie ($150)
Star Trek TOS VHS signed by IDF co-founder James D. West ($0.99)
Star Trek TNG Badge & Lapel set ($17)
Spock Vehicle Decal ($25)
Results
Aurther Winters won Star Trek: TOS Season 1 and selected the IDF mug
Galaxis won Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and selected the John de Lancie birthday message
Aurther Winters won Star Trek Round Robin and selected the Badge & Lapel set
LuckyFan won Doctor Who and stole the Badge & Lapel set; Aurther Winters selected the signed VHS tape
NisaMage won Supernatural and selected the Spock Vehicle decal
NisaMage won Star Wars Original Trilogy and selected the Micro Machines set
Beyond the prizes above, we will also be sending a small token to each person who correctly answered at least one question at any point during the day. Finally, we thank our event hosts for helping make it a truly special occasion: Shran dh’Klar, Trident, Angelus, Emmalyn Marcus, and yours truly.
All-in-all, it was a fantastic experience. Thank you again to all who were able to take part.
9/9/2022 CORRECTION: Aurther Winters actually stole the mug from himself, and then selected the Badge & Lapel set.
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.
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)
Topic
Host
10:00 am
3:00 pm
Star Trek: TOS Season 1
Charles Star
11:00 am
4:00 pm
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Shran dh’Klar
12:00 pm
5:00 pm
Star Trek Round-Robin
You!
1:00 pm
6:00 pm
Doctor Who
Trident
2:00 pm
7:00 pm
Supernatural
Angelus
3:00 pm
8:00 pm
Star Wars Original Trilogy
Marcus
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!
Image
Prize
Retail 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.
I hope your new year is off to a good start! And if it’s not, I trust simming with us here in IDF is giving you a good creative outlet.
If you remember from last month’s announcement, we are now presenting two Best Post awards, one for a single author post and one for a joint author post.
Without further ado, here are your January award winners:
Best Post (Single Author)
Chief Petty Officer Remal Kajun Counselor USS Liberty
Fine piece of writing here! Quiet and introspective, a solid juxtaposition to the excitement of life aboard a starship.
Best Post (Joint Post)
Capt. Rhenora Kaylen & Crewman Ronson Mitchell & Cmdr. Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lt. Dean House & Lt. Aurora Vali CO / Yeoman / XO / ASTO / CC USS Liberty
Great opening with a cliffhanger of an ending. Well done!
MVP
Cmdr. Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen Executive Officer USS Liberty
What an exceptional month of role playing! He not only led the fleet in posting, but also crafted a fabulous idea for the Liberty’s new mission and encouraged some new players as they got their footing.
Most Posts
Cmdr. Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen Executive Officer USS Liberty
For writing 30 posts.
Most Improved
Lt. Michael Stonebridge Chief Intelligence Officer USS Washington
His posting consistently pulled the crew in and kept the story moving and fresh. He also worked behind the scenes on several collaborations.
Rookie of the Month
Lt. Dean House Assistant Security/Tactical Officer USS Liberty
Lt. House jumped into the Liberty’s plot with gusto, with an impressive 12 posts in only two weeks. He also helped organize the Liberty’s discord and became a main character in the current series of posts.
Recruitment
Lt. Cmdr. Emmalyn Marcus Executive Officer USS Montana
The XO recruited one new player and continues to give the Montana a good presence elsewhere on the web.
Congratulations to all of our winners! Congratulations is also due to our very own Charles Star and former Director of Art Sadie Stanton as they won the prestigious Simming Prize due to their work producing The Simming Endeavor game show back on 2019. Well done to all!
