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PE-629A III, BETA QUADRANT — What began as a routine exploration mission quickly spiralled into a fight for survival when two away teams from the USS Astraeus encountered a rapidly changing environment, a new alien lifeform, and unexpected dangers on a rogue planet. Led by Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek-Skyfire and Lieutenant Charles Matthews, the teams set out to investigate PE-629A III with high hopes for scientific discovery. However, the mission quickly took a dangerous turn. Rosek-Skyfire’s team, while navigating a series of caves, encountered an alien entity named Thiara, who revealed startling information about the planet’s aggressive terraforming process. Meanwhile, Matthews’ team faced a life-threatening situation when Lieutenant Wyatt Ral became trapped, requiring a daring rescue by Matthews and Ensign Alix Harford. As Rosek-Skyfire’s team continued communicating with Thiara, they realized the ongoing terraforming process was accelerating, posing significant risks. The situation worsened when an accident damaged critical equipment, leaving them vulnerable to the volatile environment outside the caves. In an urgent decision, Rosek-Skyfire sent Lieutenant Christopher Caldwell and Lieutenant Junior Grade Divya Tam back to the Astraeus to reduce the risk to their team while she and Ensign Hana Wright remained behind, determined to learn more. Outside, conditions deteriorated rapidly. Rising temperatures, geothermal eruptions, and tremors signalled the planet’s increasing instability. “We hoped everything would be straightforward after Frontier Day,” Matthews reflected. “Instead, it was almost the opposite. The planet started terraforming, we lost the shuttle, and the Astraeus had to pull out of transporter range. It was just crazy.” In a shocking development, the team’s shuttle was consumed by the planet itself due to the violent environmental shifts. Recognizing the growing danger, the Astraeus crew launched an emergency beam-out to extract the stranded away team. However, the escape was not without complications. Lieutenant Tam was injured attempting to return to the shuttle, and with exhaustion setting in, Rosek-Skyfire and Wright focused on repairing a damaged shield—Thiara’s last hope for protecting her people from the escalating disaster. After a tense struggle, the shield was stabilized, but the effort took its toll—Wright collapsed from exhaustion just as the team was beamed back aboard the Astraeus. Though battered and weary, they had survived against the odds. Flight Captain Mei’konda Delano commended the crew’s resilience. “To say that this mission went in unexpected directions would be putting it mildly,” he remarked. “Still, we made some incredible discoveries, spoke to a new lifeform, and everyone came back alive. That is a win in my book.” Following the ordeal, the crew took a well-earned break to recover, reconnect with family, and attend to routine duties. However, their respite was short-lived. Reports of rising tensions between the Valcarians and Starfleet, along with unanswered questions about the rogue planet, have raised concerns about potential conflict ahead. Lieutenant Commander Alentonis, a veteran of numerous high-risk missions, summed up the experience with a touch of humor and caution. “The sights were amazing, but standing on a developing planetoid during terraforming isn’t a good idea.” As the Astraeus crew reflects on their mission, the reality of deep-space exploration lingers. Matthews captured the sentiment best: “Just when we start to think we know our place in the galaxy, it slaps us around the face and reminds us we know nothing at all.” Though they returned with valuable knowledge and a potential new ally in Thiara, the mysteries of PE-629A III remain unsolved. With the possibility of further discoveries—and new challenges—on the horizon, the Astraeus crew stands ready to face whatever comes next. Written by Lael Rosek-Skyfire View the full article

Somewhere in between lower decks and high ranks lies a mysterious land, full of Lieutenants and Lieutenant Commanders. They make up the backbone of the Fleet, leading departments, joining task forces, and giving Lower Deckers a hard time. However, they have been overlooked by interviews recently and don’t often get the credit they deserve. This new series Rising Through the Ranks aims to change that! These interviews will focus on the journey, growth and character development that happens as Lower Decks is left behind but Command is not quite in sight yet. We will also be taking this opportunity to find out what it’s like to write for particular duty posts, lead a department, write without the training wheels of mentorship, and make plans for career advancement. Today we’ve asked Lieutenant T’Ama, a female Vulcan/El-Aurian hybrid and the Chief of Operations on the USS Chin’toka to share their experience. Harford: You spent a considerable ten months as an Ensign. Is there anything you miss about your time in the Lower Deck? Do you think there were any advantages to spending that length of time, and the subsequent eight months as a JG, in the Lower Decks? T’Ama: Well, to be fair I spent the first three months struggling to make full time. I didn’t exactly hit the ground running like some people do. Spending longer in the Lower Decks does give you more time to get into trouble, which I regret not doing more of. I kind of miss it! But I think, particularly in my case, it’s allowed me to empathize with how rough it can be as a brand new baby ensign. What point you join in a ship’s mission-shore leave cycle can make it easier or harder to get into it. I joined at the very tail end of a mission and then had an entire shore leave to wander my way through a bit aimlessly, and if you aren’t a person who is very comfortable bugging other people it can be tough arranging scenes. You were promoted to Lieutenant pretty recently, how has that transition been? What’s been the most noticeable difference for you IC and OOC? I also recently became a ship staff observer OOC and IC she also became the Chief of Operations, and so in both regards there’s this big shift to learning how to lead a team and lead a scene. T’Ama is very snarky IC and it’s the kind of humor that punches up and doesn’t really work punching down because then it’s just mean. Now she has way fewer people she can punch up at and I’m trying to figure out how to preserve this aspect of her character without punching down. There is a gulf I’m starting to feel where I’m slowly realizing I’m not Lower Decks anymore and oh I’m literally one promotion away from being the same rank as all these actual senior officers. It’s a little weird. Are there elements of real life that you especially enjoy incorporating into T’Ama’s story, or do you try to keep her as far apart from you as possible? What other sources do you draw inspiration from and how does that impact your creative process? Well I’ve made the mistake of writing a character that was too close to myself in a different game before and that was a horrendous experience, so I try to keep her away from a lot of the ways I react to things. That’s why she tends to be fearless because one of my big rules is to not put any of my own anxiety into her. I tend to embody her when I write so writing my own anxieties makes it worse. Conversely, deliberately choosing to not do that is a little bit therapeutic. I created T’Ama before I learned that first lesson of not putting too much of yourself into a character and before I even figured out what my own damage was, and as I’ve written her over the course of nearly two years I’ve had the horrible realization that she is actually like way, way more like me than I originally thought. Like I accidentally gave her all my own problems, but she’s a version of me that has made different choices. I think it’s impossible to keep everything of yourself out of a character. Every character has some little facet of you inside it because you created them and you’re drawn to certain stories because of who you are, and it’s easier to write what you know. You just don’t want to make a character that has every facet of yourself in them. T’Ama certainly has more facets of me than I intended, but as long as she’s being therapeutic rather than detrimental I’ll keep writing her. Other sources of inspiration usually get put into NPCs, though I find I struggle to write the ones that are solely based on another person. Every once in a while I can actually use something that happened to me intact, like T’Ama’s terrible shepherd’s pie that tastes like a tree because it has too much rosemary in it. Tell us about writing an Operations Officer. What sort of situations do you find yourself writing and how is that different now that you’re in the Chief role? What advice do you have for players who may be considering an Operations office or want to expand what they are writing in the Operations role? I’m finding writing the Chief role easier somehow, and I don’t know if that’s because I’m finally getting the hang of it or I can always fall back on delegating stuff to the NPC crew or what. Operations lets you stick your fingers into every pie on the ship and allows you to know just random things, like what temperature they keep the pools at on the ship. Operations is kind of the support class – a lot of things fall under their domain, but there’s also a lot of overlap with other duty posts. They are good at organizing things. We were doing search and rescue recently and I had T’Ama step in and organize a large group of survivors for extraction. It can take some creativity, but it’s often best to try to balance the team. Finally, tell us about your writing process. What helps you the most when you sit down to write a sim and what do you find most challenging? How do you maintain focus on the collaboration part of writing in the fleet? The most challenging thing is the continuous everyday fight against ADHD. Most of the things I do are to mitigate anything that would be an obstacle. So finding the sims I need to respond to again can be annoying, so there’s a label I give them in addition to the email filters. I’m time blind so staying aware of how long it’s been since I simmed is a problem, so I have an app widget on the first screen of my phone that counts how many hours it’s been since I last reset it. Taking all day to read like 8 sims is currently a huge problem, so I’m experimenting with pomodoro 15 minute timers so it’s a bit of a race. I take what I feel like is a really long time to write so 10pm is the latest I can start writing without ruining my bedtime. Keeping on top of things makes it easier to stay on top of them. If I leave something for too long then there’s all this guilt in the way of doing it which makes it even harder to do. My background is in roleplaying, not in writing, so it’s pretty natural to collaborate. I almost need another person to bounce ideas off of. It’s overall more fun that way, and I’m very good at taking a seed idea and developing it, but I feel like I’m very bad at generating ideas out of nothing. As for what makes a good push, you want to write enough that the other person knows what you’re talking about and you’re not leaving them to do all the heavy lifting, but you don’t want to box them in too tightly to what the response needs to be to make it make sense. Even if it isn’t power simming, people will often not say what you want them to say and then you’re left looking stupid. So striking that balance is a bit of an art. Thanks for your time, Lieutenant T’Ama! You can read more about Lieutenant T’Ama on the wiki. View the full article

Attention SB118 PBEM Members! You’re invited to the next fleet-wide chat this Sunday (23rd) at 7 p.m. EST / 12 a.m. GMT / 11 a.m (24th – Sydney, AUS). Join us on Discord to connect with the fleet! We look forward to seeing you there! Find your time zone here This chat is open to all and casual, so come and go as you please. See you there! View the full article

DREVER IV — After a tense confrontation with changelings who had infiltrated their ranks, the crew of the USS Constitution NCC-9012-B is finally embracing a sense of peace. With the threat behind them, the focus has shifted to healing, celebration, and a return to normalcy. Lieutenant Commander Azura Ada has taken the lead in fostering creativity and relaxation by organizing a unique clay workshop. Using holographic materials that can be replicated into real objects, crew members are sculpting designs that produce music based on their shape and composition, offering both artistic expression and a therapeutic escape from recent hardships. The crew is also eagerly anticipating an upcoming awards ceremony that will recognize their bravery during missions on Drever IV and Hermes Station. Speculation is growing over potential promotions and commendations, adding to the excitement. In an unexpected but welcome addition to the event, the Paoike Colony on Drever IV has chosen to include a ceremony of its own. N’Veri, a ten-year-old Kameryan child, will mark an important cultural milestone by selecting their own name, a moment they wished to share with the Constitution’s crew as thanks for their help in overcoming a devastating crop sickness. Yet, beneath the surface, the scars of recent events remain. Commodore Jalana Rajel, who suffered a severe injury in the battle, is still adjusting to the loss of her eye and the emotional toll of being impersonated by a changeling. The trauma of knowing her crew was harmed while she was imprisoned weighs heavily on her. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Junior Grade Imas Heeka faces an uncertain future as she resists a recall order to Cardassia. Other crew members have taken this time to visit family, while many continue to recover from burns, injuries, and the lingering psychological effects of their ordeal. “When you’re going through these difficult times of chaos and trauma, the most important thing is to keep those who are closest to you together,” said Counselor Manuel Imperioli, reflecting on the challenges ahead. Despite the lingering hardships, hope remains strong as the Constitution returns to the serene landscapes of Drever IV. The crew is looking forward not only to their upcoming ceremonies but also to resuming the argo buggy race that had been interrupted by their previous mission. As they seek comfort in camaraderie and the tranquillity of their surroundings, the crew of the Constitution is reminded that healing takes time—but with resilience and unity, they will move forward. Written by: Mason Stone View the full article

We’re here with another interview featuring a newer member of our community. The title of this column is “Lower Decks,” a nod to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode of the same name, in which junior officers aboard the Enterprise-D speculate on the reasons behind recent unusual actions taken by the command crew near the Cardassian border. The theme was further popularized by the animated series Lower Decks, which ran for five seasons, following the antics of an engaging group of junior officers as they carried out missions aboard the USS Cerritos. This month’s interview is particularly special because we are speaking with three lower deckers from the USS Octavia E. Butler: Lieutenant Junior Grade Morro Caras and Kimonzi Lahl, both engineers who recently became co-assistant chiefs of engineering, and Jania Nis, a medical officer who was recently promoted to assistant chief medical officer, specializing in physical health. Nilsen: Folks, it’s awesome to have all three of you at the newsies desk. Let’s kick things off with introductions. Tell us a little about the writer behind the character—where in the world do you hail from? Anything you’d like to share! Caras: I hail from a little place called Texas, USA. For work, I’m a computer infrastructure engineer. Tabletop RPGs are my primary hobby that eats up all my weekends in the best way. I used to be a forever GM but not as much nowadays. I’ve done some forum RP, but this is my first PBEM. Lahl: I’m an attorney on the West Coast of the United States working in Civil Insurance Defense. I’ve had some experience playing in Star Trek-themed games, but like Nis’s player, this is my first time playing by email. Nis: I’m an anthropologist and tour guide who lives in Yucatan, Mexico. I study Maya culture and history. I’ve been writing fiction since I was a little kid, and I come from a gaming family. My mom played D&D back when it was an all-white box and the rules made no sense. This is my first time doing a PBEM game though. Why did you choose your specific character and duty post? Was it the vibes? Any sources of inspiration? Caras: I wanted to create a character that was amicable so that he could fit in anywhere. Big, cute, and kind of dumb, but his heart was always in the right place and he had the spirit. They say write what you know so engineering seemed like a natural fit. I accidentally made Morro Caras an idiot savant, but he still has his struggles. Lahl: So, Kimonzi Lahl was a Trill character I had back with an RP I did with a friend. Like many things with that friend we’ve ebbed and flowed with it, and Kimonzi is almost entirely different here than she was in that RP. I’ve also loved the Trill as a concept and love playing as them in RPs as the past hosts allow so many different opportunities for shenanigans. Nis: She’s already strayed pretty far from her original inspo, but one time when I had a severe medical issue in Mexico, I had this bizarre doctor who wore scrubs with little skulls on them, looked like she was about 12, and kept telling she needed to cut me open to “palpate” my organs. It was disturbing and I decided to go with a doctor who didn’t want to palpate me, but that planted the seeds of Jania. I ended up adding a lot of Jania’s faceclaim’s (Alexia Demie) personality to the character, so she still prefers to get her hands dirty rather than use a tricorder, but she also likes spa days and spending hours on her hair. She’s got layers! What was your introduction to science fiction in general and Star Trek specifically? What brought you to SB118? Caras: My late grandfather was a geek back before people had a word for it. He was reading the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books as they were coming out. He was the one who introduced me to Star Wars, Star Trek, and a whole slew of science fiction and fantasy. When I’d stay with my grandparents we’d always watch a Star Wars movie, and reruns of TNG. As for how I discovered SB118; My wife , who sims as Sevantha Saa, joined and was telling me how exciting it was. I had never really joined her full-heartedly into an RP that wasn’t a TTRPG, and I had been going through all of TNG/DS9/VOY for the first time as an adult. It sounded fantastic so I signed up. Lahl: Star Trek was the movies with my Dad and Uncle. (I’m fairly certain the first one I technically saw was Insurrection, but I was a kid.) The first introduction to science fiction that I remember was the Special Edition VHSes of Star Wars when I was a kid. (As I’m typing this, I can look at my television stand and see where those old VHSes in the box set are. What can I say? I’m a hoarder collector.) And then my actual fandom intro Star Trek was discovering DS9 when it was on Spike TV back when I was a preteen/teen. Still my favorite Star Trek series. I discovered Starbase 118 because I was looking for reference photos for a different chat based role play I was about to participate in, and someone’s picture was one of the top results. I went to the website and was like, “Oh hell yeah, I’m down for this.” Nis: I loved TOS and the movies when I was a kid. Mostly it was the vibe (best uniforms are still the Wrath of Khan ones, fight me if you disagree!), but I also appreciated the utopianism which was so rare in other scifi works. I like a good post-apocalyptic thriller as much as the next person, but there was just something different about Star Trek. I honestly don’t click too much with most of the new stuff coming out, mostly because it’s steered pretty far from the utopianism, but I absolutely loved Lower Decks. One thing that’s fun about this game is I can play Jania to be a utopianist without her being naive. She believes in the essential goodness of the Federation. You three have really made an impact in your short time here, and it’s hard to imagine the OEB without you. What’s been your favourite in-character moment so far? Caras: You’re making me choose? I don’t like being the centre of attention in a scene. I wrote Caras to help mix in with anyone and be able to bring the best out of other characters. But I will say having to really drill down on Caras’ personal issue was a challenge and it spun straw into gold for me. His scene in the gym with Lhandon Nilsen after he discovered that his sister had been abusing him for his entire childhood really made me value him as a character. Lahl: My favourite in-character moment to write was Kimonzi’s Zhian’tara. Each person from my crew that I brought into the JPs helped really frame Kimonzi’s headspace and her journey to become a Joined Trill. To read, it was probably the lead up and then finale to our Time Heist mission, where Kimonzi was trying to stay alive long enough to get the rest of her team home. Fricken’ Iain Turnbull stealing my “most dramatic end to the mission” crown at the last minute. Nis: If you mean her most heroic moment, I’d say it was doing surgery on the Lahl symbiont. It was the first time I’ve ever really written medical drama, so I spent a lot of time researching conventions of the genre to avoid messing up too much. In the end, I wrote something I was really proud of, and I think Nick and I did a great job making Kimonzi seem like she was in legitimate danger even if we knew behind the scenes that Jania would be successful. But I think I’ll be most remembered for canonising the idea that there is a rumour in the Academy that the Butler has the hottest crew in Starfleet …. Yes, we are the hottest ship in the fleet. What’s next for our trio? What are your goals, both IC and OOC? Where do you see yourselves in the next five years? In command? Heading up a department? World domination? Caras: IC Caras is trying to do his best as Co-assistant chief engineer. He’s somewhat in over his head, but he’s lucky he has Lahl there. He just wanted to make friends and show people the kindness that Starfleet showed him. I think he’d make a great Chief Engineer or diplomatic officer. My goal would be to have him dual-wield that kind of responsibility on a mission by having to interact with a species that is all digital or artificial. OOC, my goal is to sim with everyone’s PC on the ship. Something that I still haven’t done yet, so there are a few people I’m gunning for this shore leave. I’d also like to do a mission proposal sometime in the next year, but I really only want to do it If I have an idea I think is worthwhile; I’m sure it will come to me. Lahl: ICly, Kimonzi is trying to keep it up with her new responsibilities and is trying to figure out if she really wants to know what happened to her late boyfriend from the Academy. OOCly, I want to climb up and eventually command a ship. (I have some ideas already for what type of ship and missions I would want to do.) But in the short term, I’m hoping to get into the mentoring game and help out with the Academy. Nis: My mentor and I have chatted about this and one thing that’s tough about Nis is she’s actually happy where she is. She likes to be a doctor, she likes to be on a starship, and she likes to help people in a direct way. I can’t imagine her as a captain. CMO maybe. So that’s good for her, but not as easy for me from a narrative standpoint, because I sometimes struggle with giving her something to strive for. Protagonists are not supposed to be happy! I have some ideas for her to experience a failed romance, but as far as her career, I couldn’t imagine her being happy if she got taken out of sickbay, so I hope if I’m still writing her in five years, she’s still getting the chance to palpate her colleagues. Thanks for your time, Caras, Lahl & Nis You can read more about LTJG Morro Caras, Kimonzi Lahl & Jania Nis on the wiki by clicking their names. View the full article

Welcome Seleya! Glad to have you!

Congratulations and welcome to the fleet!!

Congratulations! It was a pleasure writing with you as Qartok!

Please welcome our newest Academy graduates to the StarBase 118 fleet: Seleya of Khanda View the full article

DATES: The class began on 02/10/2025 and ended 02/17/2025 COMMANDING OFFICER: Commander @Tomas Falt FIRST OFFICER: Lt. Commander @LuxaLorana GRADUATE: Seleya of Khanda Congratulations and welcome to the fleet – we're so glad you're here! 🎉

ALPHA QUADRANT — Following months of extensive repairs, the USS Ronin has set course for the Alpha Isles, resuming operations after a harrowing temporal displacement that sent its crew to pivotal moments in Bajoran history. According to reports, the Bajoran wormhole aliens—known to the Bajorans as the Prophets—sent three groups of the Ronin’s crew to key moments in Bajor’s history to prevent a catastrophic shift in the timeline. Unconfirmed sources suggest that a fringe group of Bajoran radicals attempted to alter history in an effort to prevent the Cardassian Occupation. The Ronin’s crew successfully thwarted their plans, only to uncover that at least some of the radicals were servants of the Kosst Amojan—beings said to have been exiled to the Fire Caves of Bajor by the Prophets millennia ago. While the long-term consequences of this temporal interference remain unknown, the crew appears relieved to be back in the present. One rumor suggests that shortly before their arrival at B’Hala, a mysterious box—believed to be a “gift” from the Prophets—was discovered at the sacred site. With repairs completed following the ship’s role in the defense of Deep Space 33, the Ronin is now en route back to the Alpha Isles. Due to time constraints, Deep Space 9’s yard crews were unable to complete the full set of recertifications, leaving the Ronin to handle post-refit trials while underway. The journey has also provided an opportunity for the crew to enjoy some well-earned rest and relaxation—though this has reportedly included an unexpected extravehicular excursion by the captain and two “lucky” ensigns to secure a loose hull plate. The Ronin’s departure from DS9 was not without incident. A docking clamp malfunction required the crew to polarize the ship’s hull plating. While this successfully freed the vessel from its moorings, preliminary reports suggest that the power levels used may have been excessive, causing a cascade failure that temporarily knocked out DS9’s Operations Center. Allegedly, the Ronin engaged warp speed immediately after the mishap. A request for comment from station command was met with a response that, due to excessive profanity, cannot be printed. As the Ronin continues its journey home, we extend our best wishes to its crew—and our condolences to the unfortunate crewman trapped in a turbolift when the Department of Temporal Investigations “arrived” on board. Written by Toryn Raga View the full article

Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of awards from our 2401 / 2024 Awards Ceremony last June. Our goal is to give you insight into how our fleet’s best simmers write, and imagine their characters as well as their out of character contributions and achievements. This month we’re interviewing the writer behind Lieutenant Commander Tahna Meru playing a Bajoran Chief Science Officer assigned to the USS Gorkon. She won the Cochrane Award: “Awarded to Science officers who have contributed greatly to the advance of science in the midst of their Starfleet career, by staying knowledgeable about their field, participating in the community of science, but most importantly, by placing their knowledge at the service of their ship and its mission. They have performed weird and wonderful feats of scientific innovation and ingenuity, enabling their commanding officer to make those informed decisions.” Harford: Thanks for joining us, Meru. Would you start by telling us a little bit about yourself, the writer. What part of the world do you call home and what do you do outside of SB 118? Tahna: Hello! I’m Eris, from the southern USA, where I’ve got a tiny old home filled with books and animals. I love stories and specifically figuring out what makes characters tick, so my hobbies outside of 118 predictably include writing, reading, TTRPGS (tabletop RPGs), and hyper fixating on video games. Sometimes I fool around with medieval weaponry for fun. The award you won last June was for making a great contribution to Science. Tell us a bit about writing a Science Officer. What do you do to make your duty post come alive and your sims feel genuine? Do you have any tricks for coming up with good Science jargon? I have a background in science, anthropology specifically, so I love when sims give me the opportunity to dive in and research a new discipline or emerging scientific topic. That’s part of the fun! I think the key to “good Science jargon” is grounding your writing in both reality and Trek, and having at least a surface level understanding of what you’re talking about. You certainly don’t have to be an expert on, say, stellar formation, but you need to at least know you’re using basic terms correctly. It’s important to remember that a character’s background informs everything they do — it’s baked into how they see the world. Even when your scientist isn’t running experiments or coming up with innovative new answers to scientific problems, they’re still going to think like a scientist. How they view an alien city, say, is going to be fundamentally different from how a security officer sees that same place. They don’t stop being a scientist the moment they step out of the lab or set down their tricorder. They don’t stop thinking like one the moment they’re away from their papers and bunsen burners. What do you most enjoy about writing Tahna? Are there any specific difficulties you face while writing? How do your characters’ strengths and weaknesses synergize? I can be very distractible, so for me the hardest part is always starting a sim. I’ll sit down and open my document and suddenly I need a fresh cup of tea, a blanket, some chocolate, the cats want attention… But once I’ve jumped that hurdle, I actually find Tahna to be quite an easy character to write. Her voice didn’t always come so naturally to me, but I suppose that’s what spending four years with one character will do to you. She’s taken up residence inside my head. This might sound a bit basic, but her development and growth has been, by far, my favorite thing to write about about her. I said I like figuring out what makes characters tick, and I do; I love seeing how different experiences can forever change characters, sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once. Meru was a very nervous, reserved Ensign in the beginning who thought she’d make a terrible leader. But throughout her years in Starfleet she learned to fake confidence, and eventually did that with enough frequency that she created some real confidence of her own. She’ll probably always be fairly reserved, but recently she’s been very conscious to at least try to embrace the more social aspects of life on a starship rather than running from them. She’s Chief Science Officer now, and while generally she’d much rather be hiding in a lab by herself than overseeing personnel, she’s learned to think of the more administrative duties like a puzzle, and is enjoying it probably more than she’d admit. That kind of goes hand in hand with the question about strengths and weaknesses, as I tend to think of them as two sides of the same coin. Being clever and reserved is not a bad thing until it makes you a hermit. Being stubborn isn’t a bad thing until “refusing to give up on people” means you can’t make the hard choices. Any strength taken to the extreme is a weakness, so my characters are always trying to find that balance. You’re coming up on your four year anniversary with the fleet and it looks like all of that time has been spent on the Gorkon. Care to share your favorite IC story or anecdote with us from Tahna’s time in Starfleet? I’m afraid this answer changes daily. Tahna’s introduction to the Gorkon was as an Orion pirate’s captive, drugged and covered in ketracel-white, and that has set the tone for the rest of our time in the Fleet—trauma and fun! But as much as I love daring adventures and quiet moments between characters, the most precious moments are those of joy, like sneaking Alieth’s dog Cheesecake into the captain’s chair for a photo during Gorkon bingo, or getting in trouble with the Vedek for making a new friend too loudly in a Bajoran temple, or even time traveling with tube grubs. You’ve won an impressive ten OOC awards to date. Which of them was most memorable or meant the most to you? Well it’s gotta be this one, hasn’t it! But I’d also like to shout out the B-Plot Award, as it’s one of my favorites to nominate folks for. I love seeing what characters get up to when they have free time, how friendships, relationships, and rivalries develop off the clock. Joe Starfleet Man is a pretty boring character to read, so I love seeing peeks of characters’ lives outside their duty post. Finally, do you have any advice for your fellow writers? Anything you’d like to share about your writing process that we may find interesting or helpful? Remember that it’s alright to try things! Whether you’re reading a book or a sim, if you think a certain writer does description, or dialogue, or rhythm really well, break it down! How do they do it? How can you learn from them to improve your own writing? Play around, have fun, and add new tools to your writer’s toolbox. You’ll need them, because when you write, it’s like you’re trying to spoon the ocean into a teacup. Even if you follow a character for years and years you will only ever record a small portion of their life. Your written story cannot possibly contain everything you know of it, so choose carefully the details that matter and capture them with honesty. Thanks for your time, Lt. Commander Tahna! You can read more about Lieutenant Commander Tahna Meru on the wiki, here! View the full article

STARBASE 118 — The crew of Starbase 118 Ops gathered at the Trutone Bar to celebrate their latest mission success, as Commander Gogigobo Fairhug, in his first official ceremony as commanding officer, recognized outstanding officers for their bravery and ingenuity against the rogue AI, Lemoncable. “Okay, this is, of course, my first time handing out awards as the Commanding Officer of Starbase 118 Ops, and I couldn’t be more proud to be doing so for this amazing crew,” Fairhug said in his opening remarks. “You all continue to impress me every day with your dedication and hard work, as well as the way you care and look out for each other.” The ceremony also saw the return of Commodore Sal Taybrim, who reflected fondly on his former crew. “I loved it! And I especially enjoyed being the spectator!” he said, after years of leading Starbase 118 Ops. The event not only celebrated a successful mission but also highlighted the individual efforts that helped neutralize the AI threat. Among those recognized was Ensign T’Reyna, who received the Purple Heart for sustaining injuries in the line of duty, as well as the Diplomacy Ribbon for convincing Lemoncable to surrender peacefully to the Daystrom Institute. Ensign Samuel Woolheater was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Ribbon for protecting his fellow officers and the Innovation Ribbon for assisting Captain Theo Whittaker in countering the AI. Whittaker, newly promoted to Captain of Engineering, also received the Innovation Ribbon for his role in outsmarting the rogue program and ensuring his crewmates’ safety. Ensign Ryden Kel, Lieutenant Vitor Tito, and Commander Shar’Wyn Foster were honored with the Starfleet Investigation Ribbon for their work inside the holodeck, helping dismantle the AI’s influence and secure the station. Doctor Corey Wethern received the Purple Heart for being wounded in action, yet remaining calm under pressure and continuing to assist his crewmates. Lieutenant Evan Ross was awarded the Silver Lifesaving Ribbon for his quick response in treating Doctor Wethern’s injuries. Lieutenant Haukea Willow, newly appointed Chief of Security, was recognized with the Excellence in Adaptability Ribbon for her leadership and quick thinking in keeping those around her safe. Lieutenant Sasch Kreshkova was awarded the Spliced Mainbrace Distinction for her problem-solving and ingenuity in aiding the holodeck-trapped crew. Commander Solaris McLaren received the Captain’s Commendation for tracking and apprehending an Orion spy, successfully thwarting their plans before Lemoncable could complete its objective. The entire Starbase 118 Ops crew was awarded the Superior Support Ribbon for their swift and decisive actions, ensuring no lives were lost and minimizing damage to the station. With the USS Narendra still undergoing repairs following the aftermath of Frontier Day, the crew has now boarded the USS Aegis and is en route to Lieutenant Korras’ homeworld of Kerret’raa for a diplomatic mission. Written by Madison Marsh View the full article

Romance has always been a present plot point in Star Trek. Whether it’s Kirk’s famous lust, Riker & Troi’s slow burn, Jadzia & Worf’s relationship, or a subtle flirtation between Garek & Bashir, Trek fans are invested in the love lives of their favorite characters. Thus, it’s quite logical that here at SB118, writing an in character romance can be a big part of a character’s development. With so many new members joining, and even for veteran writers who haven’t explored that side of their character yet, we hope to shed some light on the experience. In this interview, we’ve gathered a few of the more successful relationship writers in the Fleet and asked them some questions. It will mostly focus on best practices for writing in character romance and tips from their own writing process. Don’t worry though, we’ll try to get a bit of gossip to share with you as well. By the end of this interview, perhaps you’ll have a better understanding of what goes into writing a safe, healthy and engaging relationship inside of SB118. After all, “Love is the universal language” according to Captain James T. Kirk. To start us off, I’ve asked arguably the most well known couple in the Fleet to join us from Amity Outpost and share their story. Welcome Lt. Commander Robin Hopper & Lt. Commander Nathan Richards. Harford: Start off by telling us a little bit about your story. How did Robin & Nathan meet IC, and more importantly, how did the two of you get to know each other OOC? Hopper: Yeesh, I didn’t know we were going to have to remember things… I think a big part of it was convenient timing. During the mission that Travis (Nathan Richards) joined Amity Outpost as an Ensign, I was getting ready to introduce a new Player Character, Lieutenant Robin Hopper – the station’s new Chief Science Officer. I’d been developing her behind the scenes for a while, and one of the many reasons I’d decided to change PCs was an interest in writing different kinds of stories I didn’t feel worked for my first PC, Kivik. Exploring in-character romance was one of those avenues… I’m sure I broke the ice first. Richards: By dangling a very enticing storyline in front of me. Hopper: What can I say, I’m very persuasive! I do try to make a habit of being gregarious with new members, especially on my crew – and, as it turned out Travis and I seemed to have a pretty natural rapport, and a lot in common. So, knowing I wanted to explore that sort of story, he seemed like a natural person to approach about it. Richards: Nathan had a bit of a “Physical Therapy” project after he lost his arm that he got approval from Rivi to undertake. He had found a shuttle tucked away in the bottom of Amity Outpost that he decided he needed to restore. Once most of the boring stuff was fixed, he needed help programming the ship’s systems. After a less than successful attempt from another scientist to help him, Keegan’s then PC Kivik asked Robin to help him with the programming. I’m not sure if it was an attempt at hazing from Kivik for the new Chief Science Officer, or a deliberate attempt to torture Nathan– Hopper: Bit of Column A, bit of Column B. Nathan had it coming, that’s for sure. Richards: –but it worked. They got to know each other while working on the shuttle, and I think everyone knows the story from there. Hopper: And if you don’t, I can share a lot of sim links with you. Harford: What challenges have you faced while writing two characters who are so closely connected? What benefits do you see from having developed this kind of writing relationship? Hopper: I think the biggest challenge, in my eyes anyways, is dedicating the proper time to it. Early on, we agreed we wanted to have their relationship play out over a long period of time, and that it wouldn’t all be smooth sailing – but that meant spending a lot of time with them as we saw them first take interest in each other, try to maintain a professional friendship, and then eventually giving in to their deeper feelings. From start to finish, that took over a year, and it was important that we kept up with them so that the progression would feel natural and earned. That meant we tried to write at least a Joint Post for every shore leave covering their mutual storyline – which is not an inconsiderable amount of writing time! Richards: Yeah, spending the time with them to make sure we get the relationship right and feel earned was definitely the biggest challenge. And I will be honest, there was a moment when a character joined right after they finally got together that I, as the writer, never actually entertained the idea of going a different route, but Nathan did have a bit of internal back and forth about it for some character development. Hopper: And as for a benefit, I mean, for me that’s just the deep well of earnest stories and emotions they have to pull from. I think it adds a lot of weight to have that foundation, where any time the story starts leaning this way or that, or if some sort of complication is introduced, we both feel properly invested – and I’d like to think that readers feel invested in them too! Richards: It creates great stories, and a great read really. For myself at least. Getting to write this relationship has been an exciting opportunity and has given both of us some great chances to develop my character in ways I honestly hadn’t even thought of. Harford: Tell us about your process? How do you work together to weave Robin & Nathan’s story? How do you write together? How much OOC communication and trust does it take? Richards: I feel like in many ways, getting to know each other OOC has helped tremendously in being able to write it. In getting more comfortable talking to each other, we’ve been able to learn each other’s characters on a deeper level and be able to write it all like a real, believable relationship. Hopper: It’s a real blend of planning and improvisation (and, yes, sometimes deliberately trying to surprise one another). But that initial communication, figuring out what our shared interests were, how much time and effort we wanted to put into this relationship, and having a vague sense of where things were going to go between them – as well as what our boundaries were, what stories we weren’t interested in telling, and how we’d handle potential speedbumps – was very crucial to establishing that trust… and I think you need that trust to be able to throw surprises at one another in a way that feels fair and comfortable, instead of one-sided. Harford: How do you maintain focus on individual character development in addition to developing your story together as an IC couple? How important is it to you both that your characters are perceived as individuals who are growing in their own right? What sort of boundaries have you established to help keep things on track? Richards: Keeping the individuality of our characters has been just as important as writing their relationship. While we try to have at least one scene (sometimes a JP) to show their relationship and growth, for the most part we still keep a focus on what they want or their general responsibilities around the station. We don’t want to bog down everyone with sims of just their relationship and nothing else, and we want to continue to develop them as individual characters and not create a combined social media account, if you know what I mean. Hopper: Yeah, and I think in a way, maintaining their identities as individuals is also crucial to keep the relationship from getting stale. You know, they both have their separate priorities and desires and that means there’s always an element of uncertainty in their relationship. We’ve also been exploring this in our current mission, in which we see the Amity Crew (or their descendants) forty years in a dark future timeline… This has been a cool opportunity to imagine some of the major life events that would have solidified or challenged their relationship over the years, and how they could eventually even be pulled apart by circumstances or family drama. Richards: Circumstances and family drama that we are actually currently exploring! Having a future timeline to play with has given us a solid opportunity to think about and mess with possible future storylines for our characters in a setting that really doesn’t hold a lot of weight over our current timeline. Hopper: I’m also happy that something we’ve aimed to do is keep their relationship generally supportive of their IC goals (and our OOC goals). They want what’s best for each other, even if that means doing something hard to stay together, like transferring or leaving Starfleet. I don’t see either of those things happening any time soon, but I’m glad to know if they did we’d both approach it as just another point of interest along the roadmap of their relationship. Harford: Have the two of you ever discussed how you would handle it if one of you needed to retire from the fleet or retire your current character? How would that impact the other? Hopper: Yes. We actually discussed a number of possible scenarios along these lines pretty early on, when we agreed that they were going to eventually get together. Richards: In the early days of getting these two together, we sat down and actually had the conversation in regards to LOAs or retirement. We decided that if one of us needed to step away for the long term, we would hand off our character to the other as a PNPC to continue the relationship. We’ve put so much into this so far, that we absolutely do not want to see it suddenly end because one of us can’t continue. Hopper: We’ve also both agreed that the road ahead isn’t set in stone, IC. You know, we agreed that we were going to get them to a certain point – where they were in a serious relationship – and beyond that we decided to let the momentum of the story, and the missions they go on, carry them where it will. So, where their story goes from here is as much an ongoing mystery to us as it is to anyone else. But, again, I think having that foundation of understanding and trust goes a long way to making that feel exciting rather than kind of terrifying. Harford: What advice would you like to give members of the fleet who may be considering developing an IC romance for their character? Richards: The biggest piece of advice I can give is to just do what you feel comfortable with. A slow burn relationship might not work as well for everyone as it has for us or a few others within the fleet. Hopper: I think we’ve maybe inadvertently touched on a lot of it already in our other answers here. Building on what Travis just said, I really do think it’s critical to be aware of what you’re comfortable with, and what your scene/relationship partner is comfortable with. You know, these are ultimately just characters, but real people are writing them and it’s important to keep in mind each other’s real feelings and comfort levels in all this as well – and that requires communication and, especially if there’s anything going on long-term, some planning to avoid straying into territory that could lead to someone getting hurt. Richards: Communication is key, as we all know. Hopper: The other thing is that an IC romance doesn’t mean you need to include another player / player character. I think there’s a lot of cool benefits to that, such as the dynamism that comes from writing with someone else who’s actions you can’t control, but you can also save yourself a lot of the potential headaches by writing on your own (or perhaps involving someone else’s PNPC). There are a lot of approaches, you just need to decide what works best for you! Harford: Although it might still be under wraps IC, it’s no secret that a Hopper & Richards wedding is on the horizon. Congratulations! What can you share about the development that brought your characters to that point? Tell us about the wedding planning. How is that going IC and OOC? Can you give us a tiny morsel of an inside scoop, maybe the wedding colors or the honeymoon destination? Hopper: Oh, this was so fun. During Frontier Day, we had a unique opportunity to throw Nathan and Robin, now a well-established and publicly-dating couple, into legitimate harms’ way. By that point we had reached the agreed upon point and started treading into unplanned territory. At the same time, I was beginning to make plans behind the scenes to eventually move into the role of First Officer on Amity, and so I really wanted to sew a little confusion, going so far as to introduce an NPC vessel (the Cambridge), along with an offer to transfer Robin to be it’s new First Officer… and to have her seriously considering going. I really wanted it to feel like anything could happen, and that their relationship was not a sure thing anymore. Richards: That was, until I blew that whole thing out of the water by simming the Cambridge being destroyed during Frontier Day. I, of course, was clued in on the plan to create the confusion and suspense around the Cambridge, and when the opportunity arose to put an end to the confusion I absolutely went for it. But I wasn’t included in all of the planning though… Hopper: The proposal was a surprise to Travis. At least, I think/hope it was. I’ll admit I did ask him a little in advance if he was okay with me throwing him “a curveball” – and for all I know, he might have guessed what I had in store. But it felt right for the characters, who had just gone through this deeply traumatic and foundation-shaking incident to want to grab on to what they had and hold on tight. Robin’s always been characterized as sort of flighty, and ready to move on to the next best thing, so I found myself a bit surprised actually how strongly my gut was telling me this was the moment to have her completely shift gears. Richards: The “curveball” was definitely a surprise. When Keegan came to me and asked, I was honestly thinking that because of the trauma of Frontier Day and everything that came up with that, it was going to be the end of Nathan and Robin. But it turned out to be the exact opposite. Hopper: Anyways, we’re still working out a number of details, but what we can say for sure is that they’ll be getting married sometime in 2402/2025… And the wedding colours are blue and gold, of course! Actually, I don’t mind sharing that I’ve commissioned a piece of artwork specifically to mark the event, since it feels so special. SB118’s own Alieth, who is incredibly talented, made us a beautiful illustration that I can’t wait to share when the time arrives. Richards: I’ve been quietly sitting to the side, nodding and agreeing on decisions like a true fiance. I’ve never been one to really think about the logistics of a wedding and am happy to let the enthusiastic bride-to-be make all of the decisions. Hopper: Oh, you’re “letting” me make these decisions, are you? Richards: You are the creative mastermind behind this wedding after all. Hopper: I think it’s fair to say we’re both excited and a bit nervous and are trying to figure things out without really knowing what we’re doing with this particular un-planned life event… Oh! And I’ve been working on a playlist for their wedding for ages, haha. Long since before they were even officially together, IC. What can I say, I just think they’re cute together and, as much as I think we both enjoy tormenting them a bit, we also both want good things for them. Harford: Thank you both so much for sharing and for opening up about your process. I can confidently speak on behalf of the fleet when I say, we love Robin & Nathan together and we wish you all the best… as long as there is still some drama along the way! Our next couple has a rather unique situation. Their characters are not stationed together which adds an extra bit of challenge to maintaining a solid IC relationship. The two writers are prolific, each maintaining two active characters, and have both been with the Fleet a considerable amount of time. Welcome and thank you for joining us, Lieutenant Vitor Tito from Ops and Commander Alora DeVeau. Harford: First off, Amanda, you’re not writing for Alora in the relationship with Vitor. Tell us who it is you write for and what it’s like using a PNPC in such an involved storyline. Ayala: Those who know me know that I have about a million and one NPCS (okay, not that many, but I have a lot), because while I focus most of my ‘on screen time’ with Alora on the Eagle and Peri on the Butler, there are other stories out there too, and people who can fill in the gaps as needed. Taisa Ayala is a medical officer who I created before Tito moved over to Ops. When he came over, the two hit it off and it turned into something more. Honestly, writing an NPC is very much like writing a PC for me. When I write, I think about how the character would respond, what makes them unique, and I put my mind in the mode for that specific character. So while they are technically PNPCs and thus aren’t played as often, my brain doesn’t really differentiate. The two of you have a bit of a unique situation being stationed on different ships. I understand that all of your love story is written through JPs. Tell us what that is like. Share your process with us. Tito: First let me thank you for having us. Well, it’s like any normal long distance relationship. Since we aren’t on the same ship we use JPs to have Tito and Taisa meet when they are on shore leave. At this point we split between them meeting in person somewhere and speaking over a “long distance call” as I like to say. Tito already visited Taisa back in Denali, they had an “adventurous” date in Rome and we are currently working on another adventure this time in Risa. JPs are actually easier for me, we take our time, plan what we want to do and write accordingly. And there’s always the magic word “Backsimm” and the OOC note saying when that happens, if we take a little longer to finish. Ayala: I do love JPs (another thing that people who know me know about me), and so writing in this way is just as natural for me as writing sims over the list. The only difference is, I have to prioritise those list sims so that means the JPs sort of get pushed aside until I have enough brain left for them. This kind of comes and goes in waves depending how much insanity is happening in my life at the time. Kinda like Tito, I like being able to take our time. It’s laid back, there’s no stress, especially since I have a great writing partner and friend who’s supportive and understands when I can’t necessarily respond every single day. As for what it’s like, it’s kinda like how it was with my husband (then boyfriend) when we were doing a long distance relationship. Most of our interaction was through text based messages (back in the ancient times when we had ew-too talkers and Mushes and Muxes…who remembers those? Anyone?) and we would spend hours either doing that or on the phone. When I moved to the same state as my husband, we still couldn’t see each other every day because we were still 4+ hours away, so we had to schedule times together. I see this play out with Tito and Ayala, specifically creating opportunities to spend time together in person because they don’t really have any other choice. Have either of you written IC relationships with other writers? How is it different writing with each other versus your other previous (or current) writing partners? Tito: Yes, I wrote romances alone and with others. We are all different, and actually I also have a potential romance for Sil in the “works” although it’s still very early and they are only friends (and crewmates, sorry but that’s an inside joke on the Artemis). I have had wonderful “partners in writing” and I can’t thank Jamie and Jo enough, and specifically Amanda here for putting up with me. Each have different styles and Amanda, like Jamie and Jo, is a very dear friend, which I think helps a lot as we both communicate and easily set down what we are looking for when writing the relationship. Amanda is without question one of the most talented writers in the fleet. She was also one of the first to welcome me when I returned, even if back then we never wrote or knew each other. She was one of the reasons I transferred Tito to Ops, so I could write with her, and I admit I miss writing and reading her stories more regularly. It’s been a great experience and one that helped develop Tito further. I couldn’t have developed him this further if it wasn’t for her help. Ayala: Don’t listen to him about me. He’s lying. As for romances, Alora had one romance with a former PC. The player has since gone LOA, but at the time, the two characters clicked really well and it just naturally evolved. Eventually, they grew apart and broke up, but that’s how real relationships work sometimes. In the end, I did give Alora an ‘off screen’ relationship with the man who became her husband. Unfortunately, he died in the line of duty (twice, but that’s another story for another time) and now she’s raising her daughter Shyla. I did also have a brief IC relationship between my Cardassian Ambassador, Lukin Zorkal, and a writer’s PC, but that also didn’t work out. Currently, I also have my other PC, Katsim Peri, on the Butler who’s in a relationship as well, and as far as I know, Greaves’ writer hasn’t gotten tired of me yet! As for the difference, it’s just a different style. I can’t really pinpoint a specific way it’s different, just that each person had a different voice in how they wrote their character. Just like every writer, every character is unique, and you just sort of lean into that when you write with them. The two of you both write two characters, and in Amanda’s case nearly twenty PNPCs. How does that impact the writing of your characters’ IC relationship? Tito: Well, I keep trying to write Tito differently from Sil. According to what I have been told, it’s working. So in this case I had to make a different approach as Sil is a known flirter and Tito had a much darker backstory in that regard. Amanda has been helpful in the way the relationship moved on, and in a way helping to keep the two personalities of my characters apart. Although there are admittedly some traits that I still pour a little in our JPs (after all I am writing both of them) I hope I have been successful in making Tito grow and develop at his own pace. IC Sil is part of Tito’s life, they call each other “brothers from different parents”, although he is yet to meet Taisa, that is something that certainly will happen in the future. Ayala: Twenty? Hold up…that doesn’t sound right. It’s actually probably more than that because there are a few that don’t have wiki pages yet…. Anyway, I digress. With Taisa, she’s an NPC, so unfortunately for my writing partner, she doesn’t have as much of a focus as my PCs do, so that means she gets pushed back a little bit and he (in his great kindness) has to be patient. Another thing with an NPC, like Tito, I try to give each character their unique voice. In a way, I guess I’m kind of a method actor. I try to get into the role, so to speak, and really think in the way the character thinks. I don’t think it really impacts the relationship, but I do need to make sure that the person in my head is Taisa and not someone else when I’m writing with him. It can also be harder to get into Taisa’s head, because she’s not my PC. I slide into Alora and Peri pretty instantly – especially Alora – but sometimes, my NPCs take a little more effort. What sort of relationship do the two of you have OOC? How important is that connection to your writing process? What sort of boundaries have you established to help keep your writing relationship on track? Tito: As I said Amanda is one of my dearest friends in the fleet. We had written together and she is an amazing writer and person. If I didn’t feel comfortable with her I would never have asked her to get on board with this. I think it’s that trust and confidence that has helped shape our writing. Amanda is extremely imaginative, she usually has the best ideas (I am more into the “stupid/crazy” stuff like running into water fountains and riding Vespas) and we always set up a sort of plan on what we will write next. I think the boundaries come naturally as we write, and Amanda knows if there is something that I write that would make her uncomfortable she can call me and I can cut it in an instant. On my side I never really felt that because Amanda is such an amazing and awesome writer that she had never stepped on any kind of boundaries. Ayala: Communication is absolutely imperative, but so is respect. If someone isn’t respectful of you, then it’s not going to work. If someone decides that they want something different and doesn’t communicate that, then it definitely isn’t going to work. Let’s take the example of Alora and her first relationship. Eventually, the writer realised that the character wanted something different and while he very much cared for Alora, he didn’t see how their relationship could work beyond friendship. So, she had a conversation with me out of character. I’m not about to ask someone to write something they aren’t comfortable with, so we wrote a sim together where they broke up. The other writer felt comfortable with coming to me with that change, and I felt comfortable enough with them to write it out. We remained friends even after the IC relationship ended – and that’s because of a very important thing. The romance was IC and IC only. Bad feelings were IC and IC only. And we respected one another. Frankly, Tito is really easy to write with because I trust him. It takes trust to make any relationship work, and that includes an out of character writing relationship, especially when two characters are in a romance. I can’t stress communication and respect enough, because I have seen how badly it can go when someone is not only unwilling to communicate, but unwilling to be respectful out of character. Make sure you talk to one another and are open with each other. If there are things that might trigger something, please let your partner know – don’t hide it. It’s only fun if both of us are enjoying it. What advice would you like to give members of the fleet who may be considering developing an IC romance for their character? Tito: First see if it makes sense. Don’t start something just because it’s “fun”. If you want that, make it a one night stand. I am not saying to not start a romance, but personally I think that a good romance needs to be well set up. And sometimes it might not work out, for instance there’s a certain “romance” that I love around the fleet that isn’t exactly a romance, but it had a great backstory and it made sense to me as a writer. Also I love the writing of the characters because the romance is part of their story but it isn’t the whole story. That’s what I strive to do in my relationships. Second, do it with someone you trust, that you like to write with and ask if they are on board. And if they don’t agree, respect that, you can have your character hurt a bit but move on, because that shows good character growth. If they are on board then that brings up the next piece of advice. Communicate. Talk, share ideas, speak up with what you want and don’t and how to make it happen. And listen. It’s certainly a “four hand” writing job and you really need to be at the same pace. And that is easier to do with someone you respect and already have a good friendship with. Ayala: I have to agree with Tito. Don’t do it because it’s fun (I mean, romance can be fun, can’t deny that), but do it because that’s how the story winds up going. If two characters hit it off, don’t force any romance, just enjoy it and see where it goes. If it ends up in a romantic relationship, great! If not? Great! Both situations offer plenty of opportunities for character growth. I also agree with his second point. I absolutely trust Tito. He’s one of the sweetest people I know and has been a great friend to me over the last few years. He’s been a steady source of kindness and encouragement, and I’m glad that Taisa fell for Tito, because now I have a really great excuse to write with him – something I wouldn’t do if I didn’t have trust in him. And yep, I definitely agree with the third point. I could add more, but I pretty much gave a long rant on that earlier, so I’ll just ask the readers to refer to that. One thing I would like to add, though, is don’t always try to write adventure and excitement! Except for the relationship I created for Alora and her husband, the other relationships my characters have had (including the one my other PC, Peri, is in) simply happened in the course of normal, every day interactions. And that’s where most relationships dwell, in normal, every day interactions. Oh sure, we’re going to have big moments, maybe even huge moments, but writing about the mundane from time to time is a good thing too. Don’t feel like every moment of everything you write has to be dramatic. Trust me, drama will happen. Finally, tell us where your characters are at now in their relationship? They took a pretty big trip together recently and I believe a big question might have been asked. How did that go? What are the next steps for Tito & Ayala? Tito: They are getting to know each other even more, and are setting up plans, and eventually foundations not only for their relationship but also for a home. Although that will have to be worked on because they are a little apart from one another. Almost a Quadrant away… But it will be a building and hopefully enduring relationship, so marriage will take… ::Turning to Amanda:: What? A couple of years to plan, maybe? Ayala: I would say so. It’s not that Taisa isn’t interested in the prospect of marriage, but as much as she loves Tito, she’s been married once before. While it was with someone completely different from him, and who treated her pretty horribly, and even though she got out of it, it’s still her own source of trauma that she’s going to have to work through. She trusts Tito, but some things are harder to get over than others. She wants to take her time, because she doesn’t want another marriage to end badly so…sorry Tito, you’re just going to have to wait. Harford: Wow! What a great perspective. It’s interesting to reflect on how things might be a little different writing an IC romance with someone’s PNPC rather than their main character. We can’t wait to see the next chapter of Tito & Ayala’s story in your Joint Posts. Finally, I decided to interview a writer who has developed an IC relationship between two of his own characters. Lt. Commander Aine Sherlock is here to share some of his cautionary tales and how he overcame them to still have a rich story for his character’s personal life. Thanks for joining this unique article. Tell us about the experiences that led you away from writing an IC relationship with another writer. Sherlock: Oh boy, we’re diving right in! Honestly, it was the last time I’d given it a try. IC, it was great. I really enjoyed the storyline, it put my character out of her comfort zone. However, OOC, the writer took a bad sim (in that it just wasn’t a great sim narrative wise) as I suddenly had no interest in writing with them. There were some assumptions thrown about that just wasn’t the case. Though we talked it out, the damage was done and without the trust it just wasn’t worth it to try to continue. So after that and a couple other experiences that just didn’t go well due to IC things, I just decided if I want my character to have a romantic relationship storyline, I’ll write it myself. Once you decided to take Aine’s love life into your own hands, what were your first steps? What kind of guidance can you offer someone who has decided to travel down a similar path for their character? Sherlock: I didn’t want to just do it to do it. There had to be a believable story. The simplest thing was “The Ex.” Familiarity is a comfort, something a lot of people who’ve been in and out of relationships can often relate to. I’d already set the two characters up for a redemption/friendship arc to fill out the backstory of their Academy time. So it was just one more step. The best advice I can give is to consider what the purpose is. Where do you want this to go? If it’s just to have the character in a relationship, don’t. Have a real story planned out. That includes thinking about how things will change the character, but don’t do it if you’re just stuck with the character’s development and feel the need to change things up. One other thing to consider is the future. You’re likely going to have to limit your character if someone comes along and you probably don’t want to flip back and forth with the relationship just to try to develop something with another PC. What do you see as the pros and cons of writing without another player to bounce off of? How have you kept the process interesting? Sherlock:The single biggest pro, you’re the one deciding where it goes. When I wrote with others I had a simple deal: play it out in character. You can write your two characters convincingly if you try, while staying true to them. The biggest con is that you’re writing by yourself. Which will lead to the next answer in a second. In some ways this can seem self-serving, which isn’t great. But again, staying true to the characters is the most important part. Definitely don’t write “the perfect” relationship. Keeping it interesting by not writing about it all the time. Give little vignettes. Don’t clog up the list with solo-sim after solo-sim. A little mention in the narrative of other sims is all you really need. Save the sims for big things and don’t overdo it. Most of the time, on shore leave, people shouldn’t really be reading about the pairing unless something important to their overall story arc is happening. One of the benefits of having a writing partner is to have someone who helps develop your craft. Do you ever lean on other writers in the fleet to help further your writing, help you plan or proofread, or challenge you? How do you incorporate this into your writing process? Sherlock: On occasion, yes. Mostly if there’s an idea I wanted to run with I’ll run it by someone to see if it sticks. The best example being the pregnancy. Which contrary to some people’s belief had been planned almost a year in advance. This was done in bring some change to the character, not because I was bored, but there were some things with her that I wanted to see develop and this was the most convincing way to go about it. From your experience, what is the best advice you can give to someone who has decided to pursue a close writing relationship with another player? What sort of boundaries and expectations should people take with them when they enter into that kind of relationship? Sherlock: First, like a real relationship, there needs to be communication. Second, planning. But there’s a serious caveat to planning. Don’t agree to things that could pigeon-hole your character into responding to a situation in a way they wouldn’t if it wasn’t the relationship. Third, don’t be afraid to end it. Just like real people, relationships aren’t perfect. And they can go bad. As for boundaries, as much as we can get emotionally attached to our characters (and other people’s), keep the IC and OOC separate. Don’t let the fiction you write bleed into and affect your personal life. If you have a partner in real life, for example, that you tell about your adventures in 118, but you don’t tell them about an IC relationship, you may be going about things the wrong way. Finally, tell us about Aine’s relationship with Mel. How did their story come about? How do you keep the two characters separate and how much of your own life experiences guide their journey? Sherlock: Their story started as backstory at the Academy. There’s some writing somewhere that will likely never be seen that fleshes it out. There’s some references on the wiki too. But basically he graduated before her and decided to focus on his career. Post-graduation there’s some sims that show them meeting and it not going good, but eventually they settle things and are at least friends again (enter that old familiarity trope). To be honest, it wasn’t supposed to get that far but a certain writer really liked the story so I decided to go further. Keeping them separate is actually really easy. He’s a PNPC that can be used, but I intentionally don’t use him often. IC, they work in different departments. With more recent events he moved to being a reserve officer, little more reason to not use him so much. Character writing-wise, they are two totally different people. She’s headstrong and professional (on-duty). He’s calm and goes with the flow, and not afraid to break her on-duty rules, but also knows he can get away with it. As for how much of my life informed their story, quite a bit of experience actually. But my story stops much where theirs was supposed to. That backstory and follow-on was based on something I went through when I was much younger, though not the same. I wanted her story to be one of personal strength and overcoming that particular adversity on her own. Okay, we all love a bit of gossip. So tell us, how are Mel and Aine dealing with the prospect of becoming parents? What are their plans for building a family on a Starship? If I remember correctly, Mel made a pretty big sacrifice to make their new life work. How’d he come to that decision and how did Aine react? Sherlock: For them it’s become a journey of rigting their wrong. Doing what they should have done all along. They’re happy and ready (or so one of them thinks…) and they’re taking it in stride. Though at first Aine was terrified. But words of wisdom from her Captain really set her at ease. And the fact he was sticking around despite her fear of him not being there. Not only did he transfer to the Chin’toka, but he’s now just a Reserve Officer, so he’s put his career on hold because he knows that Starfleet is more important to her, it’s never really been the end game for him. I’d say her reaction to his decision was relieving. The fear of doing this alone was gone, which gave her confidence that she’d still be able to continue forward with her career. Her biggest fear is that her Captain is going to use it as an excuse to go on an away mission. As for how they’re going to do this, raising a family on a starship, they’re just going to go with his method of going with the flow…for now. Harford: Thanks so much for joining us today and giving us some insight into writing romance for your character with one of your own characters. It seems like it’s a really good option for people who maybe want more control over their story. I’d like to give a big thanks to the five writers who gave us their stories and perspectives on writing romance for their characters. Also, thanks to you, the reader, for hanging in this far on a very lengthy interview. I hope this has shed some light on the process, potential and pitfalls of writing a love story for your character and from all of us at the Newsies, Happy Valentine’s Day! View the full article

SOL STATION — The USS Khitomer has been recalled to Sector 001 for an unscheduled and highly classified refit, fuelling speculation about Starfleet’s response to recent setbacks in its war against the Lattice Alliance. The crew of the Khitomer received a welcome shore leave far from the front lines of the Federation’s war against the Lattice Alliance, courtesy of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. For many, it was a much-needed respite after the brutal Battle of Deep Space 33. While the Corps declined to comment on the refit, some aboard the Khitomer were only slightly less secretive. “The last time we went head-to-head against the Alliance, we got our teeth kicked in,” said Lt. Cmdr. Nolen Hobart before hurrying off to address personal matters. “We don’t intend to let it happen twice.” Details on the ship’s upgrades remain scarce, but the changes appear to be extensive. Visible modifications observed at Earth Spacedock include the removal of the New Orleans II-class starship’s navigational deflector and large sections of its armored hull plating. Reports from within the Khitomer suggest additional, less visible adjustments are underway. “That’s the thing,” a junior officer was overheard saying to a colleague over a meal. “They’re in every system! Or thereabouts. Everywhere I send a crew, they’re stumbling over officers and enlisted who don’t know Deck 6 from 16.” When reached for comment, Capt. Randal Shayne, commanding officer of the Khitomer, offered little in the way of answers—though in his usual, characteristically colorful style. “I’ve got the ship’s first anniversary to plan, a wedding to attend, enemies to murder, and a Q to frame for it,” he said with an apologetic shrug. “I’m swamped.” With the Khitomer undergoing major modifications under a veil of secrecy, speculation continues over its next mission—and what role it will play in the ongoing war. Written by Nolen Hobart View the full article

Congratulations and welcome!

We’d like to congratulate all who saw their hard work and dedication pay off the last couple of months with a promotion to a higher rank, and we welcome everyone to congratulate these members around the forums and in chat! USS Artemis Ollie Bergmen Lieutenant JG Want to learn more about advancing in rank like these hard-working fleet members? Check out our Promotions Guide on the wiki! View the full article

Welcome! Glad to have you!

Congrats and welcome to the fleet.

Congratulations and welcome to the Fleet!

January was an amazing month with 27 appreciations. Simmers can submit a post to the appreciation forums any time they find a post that makes them laugh, cry, or is an inspiring piece of writing. This newsie had to make several spreadsheets. The following are presented by ship, with the ships listed in alphabetical order. Within each ship, they are listed in no particular order. Let us know what you think of this monthly round-up format. Remember that the appreciations forum is moving to this Discord more information can be found here: You can now post your appreciation in the discord by going to this channel: https://discord.com/channels/201534052631576579/1337818376218611802 Amity Outpost Amity was transported to new heights of appreciation with this sim Dr. Robin Hopper: What We’re Made Of Rebecca Iko said: “This sim by @Robin Hopper was an amazing blend of fun wit and serious worry. In 2442, Between the transporter room where Wil Ukinix sits, ripped straight from 2401, and sickbay, Hopper learns that her husband Nathan Richards has irumodic syndrome. As always, Keegan’s writing wonderfully shows the nuanced character’s thoughts and feelings on the whole matter, while she also tries to deal with what is right in front of her. There wasn’t a certain part of this sim I could pick out, so you get the lot of it.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25205-dr-robin-hopper-what-we’re-made-of Artemis-A The Artemis crew are inspiring each other with lawless savagery LT Gila Sadar – THE LAWLESS SAVAGERY Samantha Richards said: “Gila reacting to this awkward situation she has been forced into is hilarious! I love the reactions and internal thoughts of our favorite Mizarian!! @Gila Sadar GREAT JOB!” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25207-lt-gila-sadar-the-lawless-savagery Ens Lyara Alroyo – Eat My Dust! Vitor S. Silveira said: “I think all of us know this feeling. When you have an idea and start something, hoping the rest of the crew likes it. And some people join in, others don’t, some give great contributions and others…Well, other’s like @Lyara Alroyo just take it to the next level. Literally. Very well played Isa, I never expected it to be this good and I have to share it her so everyone can see.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25147-ens-lyara-alroyo-eat-my-dust Chin’toka The Chin’tokans are up to no good. Lieutenant (JG) Is’Kah Xiron – The first rule of JOPA… Aine O. Sherlock said: “A well thought out and prepared prank. Some Lower Deckers could learn a thing or two about how to annoy their CO and FO in a creative (and most importantly: well covered) way.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25152-lieutenant-jg-is’kah-xiron-the-first-rule-of-jopa Constitution-B The constitution has a quiet dignity, they prefer to let their sims do the talking, and the following three sims were left without comment. PNPC Senior Cmdr Nugra – Her Posted to the appreciations by Jalana https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25167-pnpc-senior-cmdr-nugra-her PNPC LtJG Chandni Kapoor – 3 … 2… 1.. Tag! Posted to the appreciations by Dizmim ChNilmani https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25159-pnpc-ltjg-chandni-kapoor-3-2-1-tag Commodore Jalana Rajel – Through the fog Posted to the appreciations by Dizmim ChNilmani https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25158-commodore-jalana-rajel-through-the-fog Cross-ship JP There was one cross-ship sim that was posted to the appreciations, which involved members from the Chin’toka, Astraeus, and Octavia E. Butler JP: Lt JG Sevantha Saa & Daniel McGillian Jr., Ensign Leenaya Edrei & Alix Harford – The Need to Connect Lhandon Nilsen said: “I couldn’t wait to post about this JP, so I’m sharing this before the final part is released. As Sevantha’s mentor, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at this JP, and it’s a brilliant piece of writing that had me hooked from the very first page. I could truly feel Mac’s pain, especially in the first half, and Saa completely tore our hearts out. Both Edrei’s and Harford’s parts made me so angry (in the best possible way). The first three parts are below on our ship list and when the final parts are out, they will appear in the link below. @Sevantha @Daniel McGillian Jr @Leenaya Edrei @Alix Harford You four should be so damned proud of yourself and proud of this JP. “ https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25160-jp-lt-jg-sevantha-saa-daniel-mcgillian-jr-ensign-leenaya-edrei-alix-harford-the-need-to-connect Eagle The Eagles soured with four applications as they transitioned away from Denali Station. Commander Tomas Falt: Not goodbye, but rather au revoir Posted to the appreciations by Drex0379 https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25209-commander-tomas-falt-not-goodbye-but-rather-au-revoir Lieutenant Drex – Afraid of the unknown Posted to the appreciations by both Kalianna Nicholotti & Alora DeVeau https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25187-lieutenant-drex-afraid-of-the-unknown Lieutenant Drex – Unexpected Alora DeVeau said: “Barbara always gives lovely insights into Drex and his life.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25150-lieutenant-drex-unexpected/ Gorkon The Gorkonites found honour in three posts. Ensign Nera Ay – Out in the Cold of Space Doz Finch said: “Another great opening of Act 3 of our plot, this time from @Nera Ay who marvels at a rare experience he’s having (floating through space tethered to two other officers)”. https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25153-ensign-nera-ay-out-in-the-cold-of-space Lt.JG Taelon – Old Fears Borne Anew Doz Finch said: “Brilliant opening here from @Taelon who goes into Act 3 of our mission torn apart by fatherly worries.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25151-ltjg-taelon-old-fears-borne-anew Ensign Russell Standish — Smoking Leaves Doz Finch said: “I chuckled a few times during this sim, so better to share all of it than just standalone quotes. Standish fumbles over his words whilst enjoying a drink with Tahna Meru, and it’s so endearingly funny (and well written!). @Russell Standish has been with us now for a few months, and it’s been a joy to see both Mike and the character Standish meld in with the ship over time.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25146-ensign-russell-standish-smoking-leaves Khitomer Those cool cats of the Khitomer meowed their way to four posts Lieutenant Commander Talia Ohnari ~ What’s a bit of hazing between colleagues? Nolen Hobart said: “Doctors see everything.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25200-lieutenant-commander-talia-ohnari-~-whats-a-bit-of-hazing-between-colleagues Captain Shayne – Faces Jacin Ayemet said: “A superlative bit of writing from my Captain. Evocative and heartfelt. Just wonderful stuff…” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25195-captain-shayne-faces Ensign Amelia Semara – Nesting Ras El Heem said:”Love the way Max portrayed what it’s like being a telepath! Eloquently done.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25190-ensign-amelia-semara-nesting Ensign Richard Matthews – Not a Fun Ride, Would not do Again Nolen Hobart said: “It’s midnight,” I thought to myself, “I’ll just read one sim, and then go to bed.”” But the one sim was by @Richard Matthews and it was fantastic, so now it’s midnight and he’s got me making a dang appreciations post.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25170-ensign-richard-matthews-–-not-a-fun-ride-would-not-do-again Octavia E. Butler The Octavians are making their namesake proud with five sims posted to the appreciations Chairman Ualara – Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss Lhandon Nilsen said: “Sevantha having way too much fun introducing a brand new MSNPC at the start of Act Two.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25224-sb118-butler-chairman-ualara-gaslight-gatekeep-girlboss First Lt. Arturo Maxwell – Dignity, restored Sevantha said: “Posted snippets in our quote thread but @Arturo Maxwell wrote a beautiful SIM in which his character not only reflects on a father dealing with the grief of a lost child, close to his own daughter’s age, but as a Starfleet Marine showing compassion for the dead beautifully.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25210-first-lt-arturo-maxwell-dignity-restored LtCol Wes Greaves – Through the Lens of Resolve (Prologue) So good it was posted twice by Alora DeVeau and then Lhandon Nilsen: “You know a piece of writing is good when you are inspired to write one of your own. I love this sim from @Wes Greaves so much. We’re heading into Zet territory on this mission, and Jacob has set up this wonderful dichotomy: there will be the officers who have met the Zet before and formed their opinions, few of which will be positive; meanwhile, there will be the younger, newer officers for whom this will be the first time meeting them. Jacob has also, in one go, shown us Greaves’s motivations and given us a clue as to how he may react in the negotiations.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25181-prologue-ltcol-wes-greaves-through-the-lens-of-resolve King Toal’Dius – The Albatross Lhandon Nilsen said: “I love a slow-burn start to a mission. I love that we take the time to build things up, crank up the tension, and set (or in this case, Zet) the stage. Zac sets the stage with his Zet MSNPC so wonderfully here. We get a clear sense of who King Toal’Dius is, what his goals and motivations are, as well as insights into how the Zet view the Federation. We also gain a broader understanding of Zet philosophy. Zac also does an excellent job of reintroducing the Zet, who we haven’t encountered for quite some time in our adventures. Now, tell me—what do you think of King Toal’Dius? Can we trust him” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25180-king-toaldius-the-albatross LtCol Wes Greaves – Among the Stars Again Arturo Maxwell simply said: “Absolutely loved this! ” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25149-ltcol-wes-greaves-–-among-the-stars-again Ronin They were Ronin down the river with three posts. Tina Turner would be proud Ensign Sybil Nemes – Follow-up exam Alyndra Syrex said: “I really enjoyed reading the characterisation here from Sybil Nemes! The vivid description of her smelling the books ink and comparing it to the refurbished Ronin was really interesting and made her feel really characterised!” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25206-ensign-sybil-nemes-follow-up-exam Capt. Karrod Niac – The Real Treasure Toryn Raga said: “Exquisite writing from our beloved Tribble faced Cap’n, @Karrod Niac. The piggybacking of ideas from the glowing earrings, and temporal ghosts of the other teams courtesy of @Alieth @LuxaLorana T’Fearne and Sybil Nemes, being the focal point for the rest of us to play off of just made this mission all the more wonderful. This was one of the most fun missions we’ve had and this XO just has to share the love.” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25198-capt-karrod-niac-the-real-treasure JP: Lt JG Vailani Zoyara & Ranjen Gruvush Vane – A Life of Service Karrod Niac said: “While most of the Ronin’s crew has been tossed across the timeline two NPC’s, brilliantly realized by @LuxaLorana & @Marty Tucker, have gone on their own strange and quietly beautiful journey. Arcs like this enrich our narrative so much and the writing is superb. Thanks so much for helping to make this mission another special one for all of us you two!” https://forums.starbase118.net/topic/25164-jp-lt-jg-vailani-zoyara-ranjen-gruvush-vane-a-life-of-service An amazing NINE of the ELEVEN ships and stations in the fleet are represented here for the month of January. We, at the Newsies, want to encourage everyone to continue to show their appreciation for their shipmates. We hope to see ALL ELEVEN ships & stations represented in future months. We’re looking at you, OPS 118 & USS Astraeus. And that’s all, folks, for January! Don’t forget that we are moving from the forums to Discord—more information can be found here: You can now post your appreciation in the discord by going to this channel: https://discord.com/channels/201534052631576579/1337818376218611802 Alright fleet, keep those appreciations coming in! View the full article

Congratulations! Welcome to The Fleet! It was great having you in class and I can't wait to see you out in the fleet.

Congratulations and welcome to the fleet, it was a pleasure writing with you as Qartok!

DATES: The class began on 2025-02-03 and ended 2025-02-10 LIST: Academy 4 COMMANDING OFFICER: Lt. Commander @LCDR Aine O. Sherlock FIRST OFFICER: Lt. Commander @Robin Hopper GRADUATES: @Leran Perax Congratulations on graduating, and welcome to the fleet. 🥳 It's great to have you here!

Every year in June, we take time to recognise our members’ achievements and accomplishments during a week-long Award Ceremony. This is a core tradition of our group that began in 1996 – just two years after Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf co-founded our community – and has been a staple every year since. Here’s how it works: You nominate your fellow community members for awards that recognise their hard work and accomplishments in simming and OOC engagement throughout the previous year. A judging panel made up of staff members from the Captain’s Council will analyze your nominations and will select the winners. You can get started now, learning more about the awards and thinking about what nominations you might want to submit for your fellow crew, and your ship or base’s staff members, by checking out these pages on our wiki: General awards: Any member can receive a general award. One general award, per vessel, is allowed per ceremony. Duty Post awards: Duty post awards are awards given to individuals in a designated duty post, department, or division. Only one recipient from the entire fleet is selected for recognition with a duty post award each year. Special awards: A special award is an OOC award that is awarded during the annual fleet awards ceremony. Any member can receive a special award. However, only one of each award is allowed per ceremony. Staff awards: A staff award is an OOC award reserved for officers ranked commander and above. Only one of each award is given per ceremony. Nominations are open year-round on our Award Nominations form, but we’ll remind you closer to the event when it’s time to really start submitting those nominations! Until then, remember to bookmark any great sims you’re seeing and outline the list of people you know you want to nominate! Learn more about our yearly awards is available in the Hall of Honors on the wiki. Click through to learn more now. View the full article