Campaign ideas, your input please

Hey guys,

over at a german RPG board someone is actually trying to set up a Star Trek game using the CODA rules.

Although I don't have the time to participate, at least not in a long running campaign, I am part of the group discussing the game and the proposed setting.

The campaign proposal as posted by the Gamemaster of the adventure to be, differs from all Star Trek campaigns I have ever participated in.
The GM posted roughly the following outline and asked for ideas and some player input:

Th outline so far:

The idea is to place the action in a (mining?) colony somewhere on the outskirts of Federation Space, during the run of DS9. The exact time-frame is yet to be set, but as far as I know the Dominion War is already under way.

The setting will consist of some structures under Federation authority (a hospital and so on...), but most of the colony will be private property (maybe something as we have seen with the Tigan Trill holdings in some DS9 episodes when Ezri travels home. But that's just personal conjecture).

Due to the shortages imposed on the Federation in general and Starfleet in specific by the war efforts the characters will have access to all the know-how of the 24th century, but not the resources that a Starfleet crew usually has right at hand.
This means, improvising will be a major part of each mission (whatever those may be...) and there will be a lot of morally and legally grey areas for the PC to dwell in.

Also, the campaign outline suggests a vacuum concerning the leadership of the colony.
This harkens to the lack of Federation attention.
All this is preparing the stage for power struggles between different factions, trying to get control over the
colony...

That's about it, what has been made known so far...

My questions are the following:

Generally I am asking you: Does this setting holds some merrit for you? Can it actually feel like Star Trek?

What kind of Starfleet officer would fit into such a setting?
My personal idea was adding an Andorian OPS officer.

What sort of ideas or input concerning the setting would you add?

What I am thinking is look at themes used of Lawmen in Westerns ... but set in a sci-fi/space setting.

Almost like that one Sean Connery film where he was that Marshall on that Mining Asteroid.

As the colonial administration begins to break down, as Official Federation resupply/check-up/show the flag ships begin to decrease in frequency, as factions amongst the colony (and from outside of the colony (that have contact with it (like the "ranchers" outside of "town") begin to rub up against each other in not so social ways...

The PCs are the last vestiges between anarchy, lawlessness, and the wild. They are the symbols of Order, civility, law, justice, civilization, etc.

Does this help?

 

On a side note, thinking about westerns, I was thinking something about Captain Bong being similar to the character played by Fonda in Fort Apache.

My question is how does one introduce the PCs, and what would you suggest they have as far as equipment goes? How new or established would the settlement be? What is the settlements purpose?

Having a newer (under 25 years) colony would lean towards a more rural, wild west feel. Having an older colony would be more of a city of urban decay type setting, which would lean itself to perhaps 60's-70's police shows in theme type.

I would think that the PCs don't even have a starship, that would mean that they don't have access to large weapons or sensor array's and a huge energy resource which to replicate anything their heart desires. Perhaps a detachment of Runabouts? An older surplus frigate, at most, like a Jenolan? Perhaps they are stationed out of the largest community in the system, or perhaps on the lone link to civilization (the subspace relay); depending where they are will determine how much interaction or detachment they have towards the local population (much like operating in an isolated FOB is different from those who have to live in the community. Perhaps no greater than 40 persons including support personnel, or even down to just 9?

What type of Officer or Enlisted personnel would one find in this type of setting? Those who have been passed up for promotion? Burn outs? Once great 'Steads long past their prime? Fresh faced recruits from the region itself?

UFP doesn't have to mean Starfleet. So the average person won't have to be as polite and disciplined as we are used to from the series. ;)

I can definitely see it work with a Star Trek feel, but seen from another lens. :)

Then Starfleet could have a research/science base close by, which could be somewhere from good ties to ill blood.

There's been talk in the past of Starfleet conducting Customs operations, and border patrol work. But Cpt. Lundgren is right, doesn't need to be Starfleet. Could be local constabulary/police force or a reserve force of some kind.