Star Trek RPG: Star Trek Role Playing Game: Sim Guide

Star Trek RPG

The USS Eagle, NCC 2185

Star Trek Sim Guides

Star Trek Sim Basics: Definitions and Directions

Click on links for fast transport or scroll below to find a topic

What is a role playing game?
What does "Sim" mean?
What is a "Simmer"?
What does a "CO" and "GM" do?
What does "PC" stand for?
What does NPC stand for?
What is an Email Sim?
What is a Live Sim?
How do you play?
What are the most common abbreviations?
What other Star Trek sim guides are there?
What positions are open to play in the game?
What are common Star Trek abbreviations?
How do you ask more questions or join the Star trek Sim?

Role Playing Game (RPG)

A Star Trek role playing game or "RPG" is a type of game where people create a character and use him or her to role play an adventure. You have probably heard of a game called Dungeons and Dragons. This is one example of a role playing game. There are some companies that have made Star Trek RPGs, Last Unicorn, FASA and West End games. They produce books with rules, game ideas, character sheets, and dice. With the advent of computers, RPG can now also refer to online RPGs. Most commonly an online RPG is called a "sim".

Sim

"Sim" is short for "simulation". This can refer to any number of online role playing games played in a variety of formats.

Simmers

The players are called simmers.

CO and GM

Someone runs the sim. For live Star Trek sims, this person is usually called the "CO" or Commanding Officer. They can also be called the GM or Game Master. The term Game Master comes from the time before computers and dice role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. A CO or GM is responsible for planning the game, making up the plots, setting a schedule, sending out notices, prompting players, etc. In short they are responsible for keeping it going. In recent times, this person may also create and run a web page for the players in the game. Of course any of these responsibilities can be delegated to someone one else, but the overall running of the game is the job of the CO/GM. (An older term, DM, may be familiar to some people. In Dungeons and Dragons, the DM was the Dungeon Master, who made and ran the dungeons and other parts of the game.)

PC

Each simmer has a PC or playing character. This is the main character someone uses to play the game. In Star Trek sims the CO/GM is also a simmer.

NPC

Sometimes there are non playing characters, NPCs. These characters may be used for several games or just for one scene. Their purpose is to enchance and augment the story game. NPCs can be any kind type of character: crew, visitors, villains, persons on stations, natives of a strange new world, a pet targ, etc.

Email Sim

Some sims are played out soley by email or on message boards. These are called "email sims". "PBEM" means Post By Email.

Live Sim

The Adventures of the USS Eagle is a live sim. A "live sim" is an online game that takes place in a chatroom.

Actions and dialog are typed by everyone who plays in response to other actions that have happened. Depending on your internet connection, this happens in "real time". Many people find a live sim more fun than an email sim since there is no waiting around for days to get the next action and the spontanity makes it more exciting. There are special typed symbols/punctuations to use that tell people in a chat room if something is a thought or action. These symbols/punctuations go both at the beginning and end of a thought or action.These can vary from game to game. No special symbol is used to denote speech.

Actions

The most common action codes are:

A pair of colons ::eating breakfast::
A single asterisk * drinking orange juice*

Thoughts

For thoughts or telepathic conversations, some sims use:

A single tilda (curvy line) ~Oh no!~
A pair of tildas ~~What are you doing here?~~

Actions run by the CO/GM are usually typed in all capital letters.

ACTION: THE TRACTOR BEAM FAILS.

Here is an example of how it fits together in a live sim. Each line is a separate line in the chatroom that you would see displayed. The part in parentheses denotes the name of the character which would be obvious if this was typed and sent in a real chat room.

Sample Sim

BEGIN SIM!

(XO) ::On the planet, searching for the missing Ensign::

DOWN ON THE PLANET/XO ACTION: YOU FEEL SOMETHING STICKY DRIP ON YOU FROM THE FOLIAGE ABOVE.

(XO) ::feels something sticky drop on him::

(XO) ::looks up at the tree canopy to see what it is::

(XO) ~~Oh no! It can't be! I better warn the others...~~

(XO) ::looks warily above and flips the communicator open:: Captain I have found...

END SIM!

Common Star Trek Acronyms

There are many different series show on televisions and the movies based on the Star Trek idea. Each has its own acronym or abbreviation.

ENT	Enterprise
TOS	The Original Series
OS	The Original Series
TNG	The Next Generation
DS9	Deep Space Nine
VOY	Voyager

Star Trek sim and real military acronyms, billets, abreviations and definitions - Includes billets and watch assignments - IN PROGRESS!

AENG	Assistant Engineering Officer	Billet. To assist the Chief Engineering Officer as needed.
AMO	Assistant Medical Officer	Billet. To assist the Chief Medical Officer as needed.
ASCI	Assistant Science Officer	Billet. To assist the Chief Science Officer as needed.
ASEC	Assistant Security Officer	Billet. To assist the Chief Security Officer as needed.
CDO	Command Duty Officer	Watch Assignment.
CENG	Chief Engineering Officer	Billet. Responsible for keeping everything on board the ship running. Famous TOS CENG: Scott
Chop	Supply Officer	Billet. Responsible for securing and maintaining supplies, especially food, to keep the ship and crew running (and happy) .
CMO	Chief Medical Officer	Billet. Responsible for Sickbay/Medical department and health of crew.Famous TOS CMO: McCoy
CO	Commanding Officer	Billet. Responsible for overall running of the ship, station or base. Famous TOS COs: Kirk, Sulu, Styles, Esteban
Commo	Communications Officer	Billet. Responsible for sending and receiving messages. Able to send communications in different languages as needed. Famous TOS Commo: Uhura
CSCI	Chief Science Officer	Billet. Coming Soon!
CSEC	Chief Security Officer	Billet. Coming Soon!
Helm	Helm Officer	Billet. Responsible for flying the ship.
OOD	Officer of the Deck	Watch Assignment. Coming Soon!
Weaps	Weapons Officer	Billet. Responsible for firing ship's weapons and training crew in use of hand weapons
XO	Executive Officer	Billet. To assist the CO as needed. Responsible for running of ship. Famous TOS XO: Spock