Promoting characters

Hello

It may happen in the line of duty. They amaze their superiors and after painfully long time they - the characters - might get promoted.

How did you handle promotion in you games? Currently my crew is a bunch of fresh Ensigns straight out of Academy but eventually, episode after episode they might get promoted.

I am not asking reasons for promotions - but of course if you feel you need to write about them make it so, please - but rather ways to promote characters.
To clarify: in Star Trek Generations Worf got promoted on holodeck where he had to get his new title (hat) by trying to get it by jumping. Of course he would have gotten his promotion without that but it was a cheerful ceremony. Obviously different starship captains have different ceremonies.
Some may be blunt as ever: 'Starfleet Command has seen fit to promote you. Congratulations, here are the pips'.
So I am taking suggestions for promotion ceremonies for different promotions. Let's start with LtJg. ;)


Thank you

Vesku

I'd imagine the degree of ceremony would be proportional to the rank. Most likely not a big deal is made about LTJG - the increase is fairly minor, and it is expected that everyone would make it.

Captain would be a much bigger deal - there's a lot of prestige with the rank and many folks never make it that far.

It the crewmember has family aboard (or nearby) having them pin on the rank while or after the CO reads the promotion commision is how it is sometimes done in real life US military.

Quote:

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Originally posted by toadkiller
It the crewmember has family aboard (or nearby) having them pin on the rank while or after the CO reads the promotion commision is how it is sometimes done in real life US military.

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IIRC, Jake did this for Ben Sisko when he was promoted to Captain during the run of DS9.

I treat most promotions as important aspects of the PC's development, including demotions.

Being promoted to Lt.Jr. grade is no big deal. Everyone should be able to make it there (well okay, Ensign Kim is an exception, but all the odds where against him;) ). Same for crewmen, their promotions wouldn't be something most people outside their immediate entourage would notice. Like getting promoted from Crewmen 2nd class to 1st class.

I usually have it included at the beginning of the next episode in a formal ceremony. Although, I've only promoted two or three PC's to Cmdr. and all of them were done between seasons so I could bring them unto new ships.

Commendation should work the same way.

In my experience, promotions to the O-2 and O-3 ranks in the US military are fairly automatic and are accompanied by a formal ceremony and a certain amount of informal celebrating. Promotions to O-4 (Major or Lt. Commander) see both the ceremonies and the receptions get a little more formal. By making O-4, you're being told that Uncle Sam has faith in your ability to go much higher and is investing you with greater responsibility; it's not uncommon for family to attend and for there to be speeches specifically addressing the big promotion.

Having said that, other than buying copious amounts of alcohol for one's mates, I'm not aware of traditional forms of celebration.

Among us enlisted swine, it's customary to "tack on" new rank. If you see somebody wearing new stripes on his sleeve, you punch them right on the stripes. Depending on your relationship to the promotee, you might just casually tap him with your fist, or you might see how deep a bruise you can leave on his arm.

Of course, that might not work so well in Starfleet uniforms with rank on the collar. Getting punched in the throat would suck. Maybe a backhanded slap to the neck would be more appropriate.

Thank you for your insight.

Since my crew is stranded on a Intreped -class starship with (at this point at least) somewhat smaller crew than usually promotion to LtJg might get more attention than on a more crowded ship. But maybe I'll stick to official ceremony in lounge or something like that - not too grande.
When (IF) they make it to LtCmdr in far future then I think of something more spectacular - but I have a lot of time to think about that one.

Vesku