Starting a new series

Let's just imagine for an instant that i am dying to narrate a game of ST:RPG (system not really that important.)

Here's a rundown of my potential players:

Player 1: Loves TOS and knows a lot about it. Watches reruns a lot. Likes the other series but is really no expert on them.

Players 2 and 3: Can sit down and watch some Star Trek. Can play a Trek computer game and know who is supposed to be the enemy.

Players 4 and 5: Random players from my other gaming groups. Probably know the words Enterprise, Transporter and photon torpedoes :)

What advice could you give me? Here's the things i already set down:

1) No cadet series. While great for learning, i'm not sure it's exciting enough. Unless someone wants to convince me otherwise. The trick here is to hook them on the game.

2) The first few games are an attempt at getting them to play Star Trek, not a full blown series of 300 episodes. So i need a setting with some closure after maybe 3-4 gaming sessions but with some loose ends if we decide to continue. A 2 hour pilot if you will.

I'd suggest some exploration episode - meeting a strange lifeform, a new planet, or something similar. This allows you to be relatively independant of the era, and slip some notions about the technology and politics as well. Alternatively, the adventure could have multiple layers - like, exploring a planet with strange phenomenon on it and wich happen to have some Klingon/Romulan/Cardassian/Dominion spies on or around it. This would allow the players to get a look at the diversity of what can happens in the ST universe - and the game :)

I'd go with something in either a high-stakes diplomatic or espionage mission vein, myself. Spin a subplot or two for the characters that link in with the main plot -- give 'em some kind of teaser that gives 'em a real BAM! kind-of "action & this is why your character is such & such a way" beginning.

Choose a main character! Someone who is central to the plot and make at least one or two of the others connected to him/her in some way, to give them motivation & not leave them out. Have one character that has some knd of cross purpose requiring them to have a struggle of conscience or some such.

For the TOS/TMP era, do something with the Klingons.

If post movie, pre-TNG, use the Cardies (when they're still something of a mystery...)

If TNG/DS9 or after, I'd use the Rommies as the bad guys.

But that's just me.

Bob,

What about a little Robinson Carusoe here. The Pc ship is exploring some uncharted space and runs into the "bad guys" and there is a terrible battle with both ships being badly damaged but the feds win. The Pc's beam over to the ship and are trying to help when their ship explodes (with dramatic flare of course ).

Now on board an alien ship with alien tech they manage with the help of their former enemies to make to a class M no intelligent life planet. The ship is destroyed, stranded whatever.

The leader of the "bad guys" says that's great you stay on your side of the world we stay on ours and basically bugger off. The PC's have to figure out how to stay alive...who took Survival at what level?

You could intoduce a third "bad guy" who is actually the mortal enemies of the first and now they really have to work together or they end up worse than dead. Or spin it however you want. With a race to see which side responds first for a rescue.

Ronin84