March 31, 2013

Post of the Month--March 2013



The time to announce our Post of the Month has come around once again. This month, we invite you to take a look at a post solely devoted to setting the scene by planting an idea of the character's thoughts and surroundings nicely in the reader's mind.

[Gamma 448 - Northern continent]

The alien sun of Gamma 448 was at its zenith in the sky, bearing down on the harsh iron-rich, sandstone terrain of the planets surface. The temperature was exceeding what any human would consider ‘unbearable’. This particular patch of red-hell was located on the southern tip of one of Gamma 448’s northern continents. Positioned almost directly on the equator, it received the full dose of daily solar radiation.

Jon Tulley halted and futilely tried to stem the flow of sweat pouring into his eyes, it was blurring his vision and causing considerable discomfort. He was wearing Starfleet issue UV protectors along with desert-certified clothing, but those didn’t stop the profuse sweating. He had been following a lead for the past couple of days, trying to find a remote shrine or religious site which may hold some significance with Starfleet. The local dust farmers had told Tulley he was heading in the right direction, but they couldn’t give him a precise location. Jon had tried to pinpoint his destination using the Churchill's planetary scanning suite to no avail. Tulley had to go back to basics and search using more traditional methods.

Liking himself to the early european explorers of the 15th century, Jon was trying to find a little piece of Solen and Human history. In a previous mission, Jon had recovered the log of an old NX-class ship which crash landed onto this planet. In that log, it was found that the Solen gained warp-theory from the stranded crew by less than peaceful means. Of course, the Solen had changed from their violent ancestors but, as Jon knew well, they still had the tendency to simply take what they needed.

Looking into the distance, Jon thought he caught a glimmer of light in the heat haze. Maybe it was just a mirage or his imagination but, he decided to investigate anyway. Wiping his eyes once more he replaced his eye protectors, took a swig from his camel-pack and proceeded up the slight incline of the hill in front of him.

He was not disappointed. Cresting the low hill, he came across a small graveyard and monument. The monument was fashioned from what looked to be a duranium girder, and stood approximately twelve feet tall. Surrounding the metal in a loose circle, were around a dozen headstones crafted from the local stone. Walking closer he could make out an inscription burned into the metal. It read: Here lies the crew of the NX-Osaka. Stranded away from home, they served with honour to the last.

The names of the crewmen were also carved onto the headstones, Jon wondered which one belonged to the captain in the video log. His search was over. As Mike had stated, the descendants of these crewmembers could now be contacted and informed of the final fate of their missing family members.

Taking a seat in the shade of the duranium monument, Tulley removed his sun protection and took a long drink. He would document this site and record everything for the history books.

Commenting on this post, USS Churchill Commanding Officer Reece Thompson said, "I think it sets the scene very well with amazing imagery. It puts the reader in no doubt about the setting, or the actions happening."

Don't forget if you notice a post worthy of recognition, submit it to your Commanding Officer before the end of the month. Please congratulate Petty Officer Third Class Jon Tulley on his remarkable post and the award of Post of the Month for March, 2013.

March 23, 2013

New Pip For Long-Serving Admiral

We have come a long way over the past six years. From a barely-staffed one-SIMM RPG to a four-strong fully-crewed fleet, there is one person who has been an integral part of it's development for the whole journey. I am both pleased and excited to announce the promotion of one of our long-serving admirals, John Kawolsky.

Joining the fleet from it's inception in 2007, John Kawolsky's first assignment was as Security/Tactical Officer on the Nova-class USS Discovery. Quickly rising through the ranks, it wasn't long before he attained the position of First Officer on the ship. Soon after and with the departure of the ship's Captain Kayla Harper, Kawolsky stepped up to lead the crew through new missions and role-playing action. In 2011, he received promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral (Lower Half), leaving the Discovery to focus his attention on building up the fleet's only Task Group which now consists of four starships. Ever since, he has shown tremendous dedication and organisation, and without that Shadow Fleet would have crumbled long ago.

With his work now done in Task Group Alpa, it is time for Kawolsky to move up to take command of the fleet's Task Force 10 and oversee the future development of our RPG. Please congratulate him on this achievement.

Well done, Rear Admiral.

-Fleet Admiral Chris O'Neill

March 16, 2013

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 
St. Patrick's Day is upon us, which can mean only one thing...it's time to change the forum logo!

We'd like to wish everyone a wonderful day celebrating the most popular patron saint of Ireland. Whether you're dressing up in green and parading through town or enjoying a more traditional celebration in the comfort of your own home, we'd like to hear how you're celebrating St. Paddy's Day this year.

As part of our own celebrations, we're offering new players the opportunity to join the fleet at the increased starting rate of Crewman Apprentice, effectively skipping their entire probation period completely! So if you know of anyone looking to take part in a Star Trek RPG with difference, send them our way!

No matter what your plans are this year, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable St. Patrick's Day this year.

March 13, 2013

Wanted: Startrek.com Account Manager

An exciting new opportunity has opened up for a player wishing to become involved in advertising the fleet externally as part of the Media & Recruitment Team.

We are looking to recruit a new StarTrek.com Account Manager, responsible for maintaining and updating our account on StarTrek.com - the official website of Star Trek.

Responsibilities of the role include:
  • Logging in daily to check profile posts and responses to recruitment topics
  • Posting recruitment invitations on other user's profiles
  • Regularly updating the Shadow Fleet recruitment topic 
  • Participating in meetings and discussion topics as part of the Media & Recruitment Team
  • Advertising fleet social media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogger) through StarTrek.com
  • Assisting in planned fleet recruitment events
  • Exercise appropriate control of restricted information
  • Following instructions from the Head of Media & Recruitment
Candidates applying should be extremely organized, trustworthy, online often and hold the minimum enlisted rate of Senior Crewman. Additionally, all candidates should have had at least three months time within the fleet.

If you think you meet this criteria and wish to apply for the role, please send a PM to Admiral John Kawolsky explaining why you think you would be a good choice along with any relevant experience you may have.

The deadline for applications is March 18th, 2013.

March 11, 2013

Announcing "Spread The Word" 2013!

As one of the biggest events in the Shadow Fleet calendar, our annual "Spread The Word!" Campaign is back and this year it's set to be a good one!

"Spread The Word!" is all about us - the members - going out onto the internet and literally "spreading the word" about Shadow Fleet. This could be in the form of a link submission to a website, a Facebook status update, a twitter post, a post on another forum or blog, or even by putting up posters in your local area...the list is endless!

The aim is to increase the fleet's online presence which, in turn, will help us to gain new members. And you know what new members mean? That's right, more members equals more ships, and more ships equals more promotions all round! With over forty players regularly posting on the forums, even a minor contribution from of each of us could help enormously.

This years' official "Spread The Word!" Campaign will take place from April 1st - 14th and is an excellent opportunity to show your support for the rest of the fleet. And as an added reward, all participants will receive the coveted "Spread The Word!" Campaign ribbon to proudly display in their forum profile!

So get your thinking caps on and tell us, what will you do to "Spread The Word" in 2013?

March 8, 2013

Three New Officers Get Their Pips

It is our pleasure to announce that three players have successfully graduated Shadow Fleet Academy following successful applications during our recent Commissioned Officer Recruiting Period.

Ensigns John Harriman, Rennan Protheus and Revek Tre'el are about to embark on their new career path as fully-fledged commissioned officers. In their new roles, they will be held to higher standards and expected to demonstrate a standard of leadership befitting an officer in the fleet.

Are you aiming to become a commissioned officer? Keep your eyes open for our next CORP, coming later in the year. Until then, please congratulate our latest additions to the Shadow Fleet officer corps.