The Players' Guide to Starfleet

[Greg Davis]

This message also appears in the Starfleet Branch Guides thread, but I've also posted it (in part) here, as it warrents a new thread.

Originally, I had intended to try and produce a series of guides for the various Starfleet branches. After some thinking, though, producing a series of sourcebooks just about each branch seemed, well, a little boring, IMHO. To that end, I propose something else...a Player's Guide to Starfleet! Granted, our fine friends at LUG have provided us information about Starfleet, but I really feel that it can be greatly expanded, and that Starfleet, as much as anything (if not more so) deserves its own sourcebook.

If anyone is interested in working on this project, drop by the site and sign up! The address is: http://www.egroups.com/group/Players_Guide_To_Starfleet

Hopefully, we can get this whole thing rolling sometime soon!


Greg


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Cry woe, destruction, ruin and decay.

The worst is Death...

Death shall have his day.

[Greg Davis]

Well, I just thought that I would toss out this quick update for everyone.

Our team is forming nicely, and we already have 8 members. We can certainly use more though, so if anyone else is interested, drop by the link in the above message!



Having said that (and completed my recruitment plug), I have more good news: Steve Kenson, who has provided us with his work for the Starfleet Security Handbook, has graciously allowed us to use his work for the Guide. Again, thanks Steve!

At this point, we're working on content issues, and reviewing some information that individual members of the group have already come up with.

As things progress, I'll be certain to let you all know what's going on. Also, if there's something specific you'd like to see in the book, post a response here, or, better yet, drop by the group forum, join up, and help us all out by contributing to the project!

Ok...I'll stop plugging and recruiting now!




Greg

[Greg Davis]

Ok...here's another quick update for everyone.

The group is coming together nicely, and we're now up to 11 members total. We're hammering out the overall goal of the sourcebook, as well as the overall theme. Contrary to what some would do (I would imagine), we are focusing more on the canon elements of Starfleet (as presented by Paramount and LUG), and themes like science, knowledge, and exploration.

Also, before anyone asks, we do not plan on writing about Starfleet Marines. While we will discuss select, elite forces, such as Rapid Response and the Starfleet Rangers, as well as some species'-specific organizations, we don't plan on turning Starfleet into the military of the future.

Please bear in mind that this is not intended to belittle any military personnel, or former personnel, or those that see Starfleet in a different light than we see it, it is simply my opinion, and the opinion of some of those involved in the project.

Having said that, we do intend to discuss the strongly debated issue of the nature, duty and mission of Starfleet, from both the military side as well as the scientific, explorative side, as there are active characters in Starfleet who feel strongly for both sides of the topic.

This will probably be the last update for a while, as I try to focus on the project, and getting everything, and everyone, organized. Of course, if anyone has any (not too specific) questions, I'll do what I can to answer them, as best as I can!

Thanks for your support!

Greg

[This message has been edited by Greg Davis (edited 12-28-2000).]

[Erik Filean]

Originally posted by Greg Davis:
Ok...here's another quick update for everyone.

The group is coming together nicely, and we're now up to 11 members total. We're hammering out the overall goal of the sourcebook, as well as the overall theme. Contrary to what some would do (I would imagine), we are focusing more on the canon elements of Starfleet (as presented by Paramount and LUG), and themes like science, knowledge, and exploration.

Also, before anyone asks, we do not plan on writing about Starfleet Marines. While we will discuss select, elite forces, such as Rapid Response and the Starfleet Rangers, as well as some species'-specific organizations, we don't plan on turning Starfleet into the military of the future.

Please bear in mind that this is not intended to belittle any military personnel, or former personnel, or those that see Starfleet in a different light than we see it, it is simply my opinion, and the opinion of some of those involved in the project.

Having said that, we do intend to discuss the strongly debated issue of the nature, duty and mission of Starfleet, from both the military side as well as the scientific, explorative side, as there are active characters in Starfleet who feel strongly for both sides of the topic.

This will probably be the last update for a while, as I try to focus on the project, and getting everything, and everyone, organized. Of course, if anyone has any (not too specific) questions, I'll do what I can to answer them, as best as I can!

Thanks for your support!

Greg

[This message has been edited by Greg Davis (edited 12-28-2000).]

Thanks for posting some information on how you plan to do the sourcebook. I think I can look forward to it, because the team's opinions seem to match mine pretty well: stick close to what we see on the screen, but (if Steve Kenson's Security excerpts are anything to go by) look for the abundant opportunities to expand within that framework.

I think it perfectly appropriate to address the give-and-take of an organization with defensive as well as scientific functions. I'd be more surprised if a "real" Starfleet could avoid this tension than if they made it an ongoing debate, although the material on screen tells us a lot about how that debate has come out in practice in the canon ST universe.

[SIR SIG]

How will this relate in content and such with 'Price of Freedom'?

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SIR SIG a Aussie TREK Narrator

[Greg Davis]

Well Sir Sig, without being overly specific (as is my unfortunate wont at the present time) I can tell you that what we have in mind is to expand on the information presented in The Price of Freedom. We're going to also try and go into more detail, as we'll be focusing on Starfleet as opposed to the entire Federation. We'll discuss various matters that concern Starfleet, as well as issues within and about Starfleet, not just in the 24th century, but also before, and after that.

Amidst all that, toss in some game-mechanic stuff. Things like stats for characters, new overlays, new skills, new advantages and disadvantages, new backgrounds, and a bunch of other stuff. Then take all that and blend well and bake at 350 degrees, and hopefully when it's all said and done we'll have a sourcebook for you, and for us as well!

I hope that helps. When the time comes that I can be more specific, I'll certainly let you all know.


Greg

[Ineti]

Anyone know the status of this? It sounds like something I cobbled together for one of my campaigns, but I'd love to hear more.

[Greg Davis]

Oh, the Players Guide to Starfleet...

A few of us had some rather grand ideas for it, and we'd done some work, but it rapidly fell apart for a variety of reasons, among them a lack of time (for a bunch of us) and the seemingly endless debate of "Starleet: Military or Not", and the damnable Starfleet Marine argument...

Needless to say, the project imploded, rather spectacularly. A shame, really...



Greg

[Ineti]

Any chance of resurrecting it, or is it dead and buried? This is a topic that has long plagued my players. Some of us "get" Starfleet, and the others are just lost in playing a character in uniform.

I would think this would be a great tool for players, but if it's dead, I don't think I can jump-start it alone.

[Greg Davis]

Well, it's been in a coma for a long, long time (almost a year, if memory serves).

I still have ideas for it, but I've lacked any sort of motivation towards really working on it.

I'm certain others have ideas, though, so starting a thread (or continuing this one, I suppose) might not be a bad place to get things rolling for it.



Greg

[Ineti]

Well...I guess the main question would be: "Are there enough people here who think such a sourcebook would be worthwhile?"

I certainly think so. I know I'd love to have a section of the book talk about what a Department Head is responsible for, what a captain and XO do, and so on about the other positions on the ship. I'd like to have some history of Starfleet so that all the players can have a common frame of reference as to the organization their character belongs to. Some stuff on what rank is, stuff like that.

Opinions?

[C5]

I for myself would find this book very useful (hey, I started a thread a few weeks ago to ask what command branch officers exactly do).

Being rather new to RPGaming and relatively new to Trek as well, I don't think I could be of much help on this topic, but I'd be glad to bring any support I could (well mainly as questions and suggestions).

[Ineti]

Questions and suggestions are the best things to spark ideas and answers.

What are some of your questions?

<pulling out a shovel and commencing to dig>

[Phantom]

I'm sorry I don't believe I heard the question.

Are talking about doing some kind of Field Manual for Starfleet?

If so then, yes. I would be interested in such a book.

[Greg Davis]

Well, the previous incarnation of the Guide, as I had envisioned it, is described in some of my previous posts on this thread.

What we had intended, in essence, was a Starfleet refence source, with information for each branch, some Starfleet history, probably some sort of Starfleet timeline, some notable NPCs, some new overlays, backgrounds, advantages, disadvantages, and other packages, to sort of round out the previous LUG stuff.

Of course, the way you'd choose to take the project would certainly be up to you.

I can, though, give you one bit of advice. Find people who either all like, or all dislike, the concepts of a militaristic Starfleet and Starfleet Marines. It was a prime factor to our self-destruction.



Greg