I plan to run a game here on the forums, depending on the interest
Players so far:
Cut
JALU3
Fugazi Grrl
Where: Forum game here on TrekRPGNet
Era: TNG, (2367, 2 years before DS9), parallel universe to the series (Ref: TNG episode Parallels)
Ship: Miranda class with outdated systems
Mission: Patrol UFP frontier space, diplomatic missions, initial system surveys, assisting in scientific missions, etc.
RPG system: "Hidden system" (Technically a custom Drakar och demoner/ICON hybrid with some inspiration from CODA, combined with winging it, in the background; while the communication is in "clear text")
Post frequency: Aiming for at least once per week
Character creation can be mainly numbers with a little text, or mainly text backed with a bit of numbers. There is no need to own any of the books. It will be done in "layers"; up to the age 18, any other time spent elsewhere if not going directly to the academy, Starfleet academy, tours. The character back story and skillset will be created together, so just a rough vision on character are needed.
Player character positions: Mainly senior staff and key positions, but there is other options. Guest playing "NPCs" would be possible (I have a couple of reoccurring NPCs that I would love to see guest played by someone; one is the Admiral in charge of the fleet).
About setting controversies:
It is the bit darker view from DS9. The United Federation of Planets strive to be the utopia Picard and Kirk seems to believe it is, but there are disagreements on how to actually get there and what it should mean.
There is no Starfleet Marines based on todays U.S. equivalent. There are however different type of combat capable units, most of them part of Starfleet security and planetary defense forces.
As the Federation doesn't expand by conquest, there are a lot of non-UFP systems within UFP space. Some being affiliated and protected by UFP, and others might be trading partners while having their sovereign space. Yet some others might be completely within UFP space and be hostile.
Background:
With the Romulan Empire being quiet for a long time, and having a peace treaty with both the Klingons and the Cardassians, Star Fleet has dwindled in size. Many of the remaining ships have been reassigned to different exploration, scientific, and diplomatic missions.
But almost at the same time as the Romulans made their presence known again, a Star Fleet ship was temporarily hurled across the Galaxy, making the Federation aware of a new threat; and making that threat aware of the Federation.
Thinking it would take decades until this new threat would manage to reach UFP space, and no direct military threat from the Romulans, no decision was made to build up the size of Star Fleet. New funds was however directed to research and development of new ships and weapons. A buildup of the fleet was considered potentially to dangerous as it could be to provoking against the neighbors, sparking a new arms race.
But that new threat did not take decades to reach UFP space. After destroying a colony and assimilating a prominent Star Fleet captain, the enemy ship headed for sector 001. Star Fleet tossed together an ad hoc fleet of every combat worthy ship close enough to reach Wolf359 in time, where they were to meet the enemy.
The ship was short, brutal, and single sided; almost not slowing down the huge cube. Luckily, the crew of the Enterprise managed to get their captain back and turn the assimilation link against the Borg, and defeated the cube.
While successful, it was only a temporary relief to Star Fleet Command. Not only had it proven that the Borg could get here much quicker than anticipated, and more could be out there heading this way; it had wiped out what Star Fleet had in the area, creating a huge gap in the defenses and was showing a weakness to aggressive neighbors. That gap could not wait until new ships were built and new crews were trained; it had to be filled now. To free up experienced ships from other areas of UFP space, old ships was pulled out of mothball and recommissioned; filled to a large degree with cadets and staff from desk positions.
This is the story of one of those old ships and its crew; NCC-1969, U.S.S Thera (Miranda class).