Thought for the week…

Thought for the week…

Each week Rear Admiral Rocar will discuss some of the current events in the UFoP: Starbase 118 fleet or reflect on issues that we tend to encounter as a community.

In a recent discussion on the Executive Council Captain Tyr Waltas (commanding officer, USS Discovery) reminded us all of an incident that had taken place in UFoP: Starbase 118 a number of years ago. At the time his message came through to our inboxes I was in the middle of an informal conversation with Captain Sidney Riley (commanding officer, USS Tiger). She asked me about the events and I was left thinking about how the fleet was back then, the problems we encountered and the ways in which we have changed in recent times.

On the one hand I have very fond memories of those days. I was partaking in exciting missions with some excellent writers and I had a lot less things to keep track of or worry about. In many ways, however, these were also turbulent days with some players clashing and a number of different opinions that pushed people apart. There was, I believe, a very real danger that we might force ourselves apart. Fortunately, however, we did not and I believe this was, in part, because of something Commander David Cody (first officer, USS Independence) reminded me of in one of our e-mail correspondences at the start of the week. At the time when cliques were forming, tempers were flaring and players were fighting; Fleet Admiral Wolf advised us all:

“Say what you mean and mean what you say.”

“Base your case on the facts, and keep emotion out of it.” This advice is as poignant and relevant today as it was back then. On the Executive and Captain’s Council we have a group of dedicated people who are getting on and working together collaboratively in a very positive way. When we encounter problems everybody has an equal voice and we always try to bring contributions that will fix problems in a positive way. I actually really enjoy working with them all. We do, however, all have much larger crews at moment than we have done in recent history. This will take some getting used to for all of us from Ensign through to Captain. One problem this may at times create is stepping on one another’s toes or misunderstandings as we all try to find enough to do. There are, however, an infinite number of directions that we can take any plot or mission in and plenty for everybody to do. On my own ship, the USS Eagle, we have three officers in both Sickbay and Engineering which has meant we have recently been able to experience what goes on in each of those areas during a Red Alert. This is something that’s much harder to do with just one player in each area and I think really adds depth to our sims.

The key to succeeding in this, however, is to take care of one another OOC. And the best way to ensure this is to follow Fleet Admiral’s age old advice: “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” Always take care of the words and tone you pick. Try not to get upset by what others may have done or said: “Base your case on the facts, and keep emotion out of it.” We, inevitably, all get hurt by what someone writes to us at some point. You can help avoid this by never writing something in a way that will cause hurt to another. When I read something that upsets me (and trust me, when you’re doing the OOC jobs I have assigned to me you get plenty of vents directed at you) I always make it a point to physically step away from the computer and go do something else for 5 – 12 hours. I only respond once I’m calm and no longer upset. I would advice you all to do the same.

When I am unsure I turn to Captain Mar or Captain Riley with my concern and they help sort it. If someone upsets you then remember you should always ask your commanding officer or first officer for advice or to deal with your problem for you. If you problem is with a member of command staff then my door is always open (as are those of all the other EC members) and we will take care of you. However, if things do crop up during your everyday interactions with your crewmates then, please, remember the advice: “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” I would like to add to Fleet Admiral Wolf’s words and invited you all to take care to “always address your crewmates and captains with the same politeness and respect that you yourself would like to receive from them”.

Best wishes,

Rear Admiral Rocar Drawoh

UFoP: Starbase 118, Executive Council
https://starbase118.net

We are a star trek roleplaying game

We are a free, fun, and friendly community of Star Trek fans who write collaborative fiction together. It’s easy to join – we’ll teach you everything you need to know!

Latest Mission Reports

Latest Interviews

Latest News

OOC Activities

Looking for something fun to do? We have a whole list of fleet activities that are looking for members like yourself! Check out the Fleet Activity List today to see where you’ll fit in.