It’s finally here: The 20th anniversary of the founding of this great club. Who knew back on July 4, 2001 that this group, launched with humble beginnings on Angelfire and YahooGroups, would not only still be around today, but standing among the titans of simming?
Independence Fleet has seen good times, bad times, and everything in between. Throughout it all, we’ve endured to create some of the best Star Trek role playing the Internet has ever witnessed. With that in mind, we have an important message from a very special guest:
In honor of this historic and momentous occasion, we hereby publish the Independence Fleet 20th Anniversary Almanac. It’s 20 pages of history, games, perspectives from the fleet, and more:
Whether you’ve been a member for one day or all 20 years, this legacy belongs to you! On behalf of the entire IDF Admiralty, we hope you thoroughly enjoy today’s message, almanac, and everything this fleet offers.
It is my great privilege to formally induct the newest members of the Independence Fleet Hall of Fame. For those who attended our 20th Anniversary Webcast yesterday, you got a sneak peak at the class of 2021. Induction into our Hall of Fame is the highest honor within this fleet. The criteria, requirements, and process can be found in the Hall of Fame Charter (pdf).
The following individuals are hereby inducted into the Independence Fleet Hall of Fame:
Inducted by Election:
Admiral Joseph “Stealth” Carroll
of the USS Washington
One of the most colorful characters in fleet history, Joseph “Stealth” Carroll has done it all. He joined the USS Washington during the fleet’s first month, then rose through the ranks and earned his first command on the USS Liberty, winning a posting title in his first month. He also served in numerous Admiralty roles up through 2020, most notably Fleet Inspector General. A contributor at every level, Carroll’s loyalty is unmatched.
Captain Wesley Chase
of the USS Avalon
A longtime Captain during IDF’s late renaissance period, Wesley Chase led many original adventures on his two commands, the USS Avalon and USS Archimedes, including during a three month stint as Commanding Officer of both. He knew how to push the boundaries while staying true to the best ideals of both Trek and simming. Chase tallied two posting titles and 2.33 Genesis awards.
Vice Admiral Caroline Marion
no sim selection
A member of the Admiralty through much of IDF’s history, from the late early years up through 2020, Caroline Marion is best known as the genius behind the fleet logos developed circa 2004-06. Building on earlier fleet emblems, the graphics received rave reviews from players and were highly influential on subsequent club artwork. Indeed, the theme and feel from Marion’s work remains today.
Fleet Admiral James D. West
of the USS Sunfire
One of the club’s three founders and instrumental throughout its history, James D. West has left an incalculable mark. He coined the Independence Fleet name, created the first bell & wings logo, and served as the first, third & sixth fleet Commanding Officer. He additionally created four sims and returned in 2020 when the fleet was teetering on collapse. Without West’s many contributions, we wouldn’t be celebrating today.
Fleet Admiral AJ Wheeler
no sim selection
The third and final individual to achieve the Fleet Admiral rank, AJ Wheeler was also the longest serving fleet Commanding Officer, a position held for more than nine years. While the fleet saw many ups and downs during Wheeler’s tenure, it was noted for its extreme growth and many contributions to the greater simming universe, including hosting and sponsoring major community events.
Inducted by the Veterans Committee:
Commander George Ruiken
of the USS Sunfire
A champion simmer from IDF’s late early period, George Ruiken was a go-to player who know how to push the plot forward and make it entertaining for all. He quickly rose through the ranks to Commander, and is still in the top 20 all-time with 6 total awards, including 2 MVPs and 2 Funniest Posts. Ruiken’s posts were always imaginative and provided many opportunities for others to get involved.
Congratulations to all six of our 2021 inductees! Well done, and thank you for providing an example for us still role playing to follow. You will forever be remembered for your extraordinary contributions to Independence Fleet. There are now 33 total members of this most exclusive club.
In a stunning coincidence, the three sims represented this year are the USS Sunfire (x2), USS Avalon, and USS Washington–identical to our original fleet line-up on July 4th, 2001.
Speaking of that, stay tuned for more news regarding our 20th anniversary today…
Commander Jackson Andrews Executive Officer USS Albion
A prototypical XO, Andrews led his ship in posting and showed great leadership by nimbly playing off of the leads from other characters while simultaneously creating openings for others.
Most Posts
Lt. Chester “Duo” Maxwell Chief Security Officer USS Sunfire
For writing 13 posts.
Most Improved
Lt. Chester “Duo” Maxwell Chief Security Officer USS Sunfire
Returning to simming after a lengthy break, Maxwell rejoined the Sunfire and was a powerhouse all month. Initiating posts, working well with the existing crew, and being a general pleasure to role play with.
Rookie of the Month
Lieutenant JG Avarak Chief Science Officer USS Sunfire
Despite joining after the joint mission began, Avarak jumped straight into the fray, initiating several posts and participating in the ship-wide joints posts. A great first month!
Recruitment
No award this month. Get recruiting!
Another great month for our ships and the entire fleet. In other news, our 20th anniversary is just three days away! Also don’t forget to attend our special webcast on July 3rd. See you there!
I hope everyone enjoyed SciWorld yesterday. It was an instant classic! Thank you to all who played a part in putting it on, including Aurther Winters, who was just awarded the Ongoing Worlds Community Honor for his efforts as Chair. Congratulations!
And now, on with the May monthly awards:
Best Post (Single Author)
Lt. Cmdr. Grexx Chief Engineering Officer USS Albion
A classic ensemble post that reads like a great sitcom episode! Hilarious!
Genesis
None this month.
MVP
Lt. Cmdr. Grexx Chief Engineering Officer USS Albion
The Chief Engineer joined the Albion after many years away from simming. He immediately integrated himself into the story, drove the plot forward, and worked well with the crew. It’s as if he never left!
Most Posts
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Liberty
Ensign Phoenix dove into the current mission and showed an eager willingness to advance the story, both for his own character and the greater storyline.
Rookie of the Month
None this month.
Recruitment
None this month.
Keep up the great work, everyone, but let’s make sure we have winners in all categories for June!
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.
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)
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!
Although brand new to the Liberty, Dr. Thesia threw herself into the current mission and established a fantastic report with the crew. She has posted both solo and joint posts and is very active on Discord.
Most Posts
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Liberty
For writing 18 posts.
Most Improved
Lt. Cmdr. Balen Pibb Chief Security/Tactical Officer USS Chuck Norris
After having communication issues with others, Pibb came back into the fray with increasing post quantity and quality.
Dr. Thesia came onboard the Liberty with a bang, throwing herself into the mix with an amazing 8 posts within her first 10 days. She is an amazingly talented writer who motivates and encourages others to participate.
Recruitment
Lt. J’goss Yass G’odoss Chief Flight Control Officer USS Chuck Norris
He recruited two new crewmembers to the ship in November, and continues to put the good name of the Chuck Norris out there on the Interwebs.
Congratulations to everyone again and have a great holiday season.
We had a lot of great contributors in August, including some fantastic award winners below. However, there’s one thing missing: No Recruitment award. If you’re doing any work to recruit players to your game or the fleet, please make sure your CO is aware so they can nominate you for an award.
Best Post
Cmdr. Samantha Howard & Cmdr. Jonathan Grayson & Lt. Lisa Olsson CMO/XO/CSTO USS Washington
Grayson does it again: Leading by example and filling in while the Captain had IRL items to deal with; A true example of what a team player XO looks like.
For “The Illusion of Diplomacy” Junior officers reacting to a hologram of a Vulcan diplomatic officer – hilariarious and well deserving of funniest post this month!
The original USS Sunfire (NCC-3935) was launched in old Utopia Fleet on February 16, 2000 under the command of Commodore Jay “Robbie” Robertson. However, Robertson retired a few months later and James D. West took over. West then commanded two more versions of the Sunfire (NCC-3935-A and NCC-3001) in Utopia Fleet and as an independent sim before Independence Fleet came to be on July 4, 2001. Indeed, the crew of Sunfire was split into three to serve as the backbone for IDF’s original sims: the USS Sunfire (NCC-3001-A), USS Avalon (NCC-3002), and USS Washington (NCC-11988).
In the many years since, we’ve seen three more versions of the Sunfire (NCC-3001-B/C/D). She was awarded the 2010 Simming Prize and took home awards in both the 2011 and 2012 Tournament of Simulations. The Sunny is also where Sunfire script and the concept of open role playing developed. Dozens of future Captains began their careers there. In short, if someone were to make a list of the top five or ten sims in the history of role playing, the Sunfire would have to be on it.
That’s right, she’s back. Captain Thomas Devoe leads his crew in this continuing adventure. Join the sim where legends are born.
