StarBase 118 Staff

Please remember to nominate a character bio for the latest round of the Featured Bio Contest before it closes on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. The rules have been simplified so it’s even easier than ever before to nominate a bio to the competition. Just check these three simple points: Nominated articles must be of a player character played by a CURRENT and ACTIVE member.Nominated articles must be either a PRIMARY or SECONDARY player character. PNPCs are ineligible.All information in the article must be CURRENT as of the submission date.We’re looking for the highest quality bios in the fleet to not only help provide an example for our members on how to structure their bio, but also to show off how much our members put into the creation of realistic and emotional characters. Head to the Featured Bio Contest forum to nominate a bio today. View the full article

Since its discovery in 1930, Pluto has been touted as the ninth planet in our solar system, though its always been an tenuous title. From the beginning, doubts about whether or not it should be considered a major planet have been in discussion by**astronomers. That status seemed even more in jeopardy with the discovery of Charon, Pluto’s largest moon that could almost be considered a planet in its own right, along with other icy objects *near the kuiper belt *that seemed to share similar characteristics to Pluto*. *Some of those objects are even more massive than the tiny planet. It wasn’t until 2006, however, that it’s grasp on the title of ‘major planet’ was lost. The International Astronomical Union (or IAU) officially sat down in 2006 to discuss what characteristics defined a body so that it could be categorized as a ‘planet’. Before that, there was no specific definition for a ‘planet’. So what is a planet? According to the IAU, a planet is a heavenly object that orbits the sun and is round thanks to its personal force of gravity. That’s not all – a planet also has to ‘dominate’ its own neighborhood. One of the sticking points seems to be the size of Pluto in relation to its moon. Most planets dwarf their moons, but Pluto is only about twice the size of its largest moon. Another definition is that planets keep their neighborhood clean by ‘sweeping up’ debris that enters their orbit. Pluto’s neighborhood has some work to do when it comes to that. This definition is still under scrutiny by many astronomers by those who don’t agree. A proposal that would have sethe bar lower and allowed Pluto to retain its status – but also would have meant reclassifying dozens of other bodies that should be called ‘planets’ under its definition. Despite protests, however, the IAU stands behind its decision to reclassify what was once our smallest planet. Mike Brown, Professor of Planetary Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology states that by keeping the definition so narrow, “Finding a new planet will really mean something.” You can learn more about the decision to officially definite a planet here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060824-pluto-planet.html View the full article

Please welcome our newest Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: HoS’elth and Cassidy Flynn! View the full article

Captain Egan Manno and Commander Ross led an away team down to Rho Aurigae IV to attempt to contact the silent Kubarey, the race that had invited a first contact. Once there, they discovered some sort of cultural event and unknowingly interrupted it. To determine their worthiness to stay, the group was allowed to undergo the Kubarey’s trials of honor, beauty, courage, and wisdom, though this was not warmly received by all members of the away team and Commander Ross was unceremoniously removed from the group, leaving Egan Manno, Counselor Jolara, Lt. Shryker, and Science Officer DeVeau to undergo the trials with the Kubarey’s speaker, Ananja. Meanwhile, the crew of the Garuda made further overtures to the Kubarey vessel in orbit and unwittingly provoked their wrath, which led to the Garuda’s disabling and boarding as members of its crew began to disappear. CEO and acting CO Roshanara Rahman led a group to the shuttlebay to try and access the power of one or more craft there, while chief of security and acting XO Leo Handley-Page marshaled the Starfleet resistance. View the full article

Please welcome our newest Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Alana Larson, and Nienne Kenoi! View the full article

As part of the ongoing overview of the fleet as a whole, here are the monthly figures for total posts for each ship. This summary will give you an idea of how active the ship is on a month-by-month basis. It’s been a difficult February – as the big freeze hit the US, posting numbers have also frozen, leaving us a little short of the bar we set in January. February is traditionally slow in comparison to other months so we’ll be looking to up our game again as we head into March, full of the joys of Spring! Our next chart gives the number of sims for each ship over the course of February. The Atlantis came out of the blocks to establish itself among the fastest paced ships in the fleet and the Gemini got off to a solid start. All remaining ships were down on their January totals (own up – you were out playing in the snow, weren’t you!) View the full article

After rounding up a bushel of awards at the 2013 ceremony Commander Greir Reinard is also commanding a brand new vessel in the fleet, the Horizon class USS Darwin-A. Lets see what we can learn from the following interview conducted by Newsies Reporter, and Darwin crewmember, Jansen Orrey. Jansen: First off Congratulations on the Awards. Greir: Thanks very much! Jansen: So what made you choose the Horizon class as your ship? Greir: I wanted to use a class of ship that wasn’t currently being used in the fleet. I’ve never been massively into combat oriented missions; I prefer science, exploration and poking my nose in where it doesn’t belong. The Horizon class appealed to me because it has a very distinct look and the spherical containment section is quite different to almost all other classes of ship. I thought we could have a lot of fun with it and that it would add something distinctive and unique to the fleet. Jansen: How does it feel to be the winner of the Top Sim contest for 2013? Greir: It’s feels pretty great! It’s the second time I’ve won the top sim competition and I couldn’t be more proud. The sim was part of one of Greir’s major plot arcs for the year, Ed and I really enjoyed writing it. There was some pretty difficult and tense moments in there and we wanted to get it just right. I’m just really pleased that so many other people in the fleet read it and enjoyed it – that’s the best reward of all as far as I’m concerned. Jansen: Let’s talk about Grier for a moment. What makes Grier so unique of a character to write for? Greir: One of the most unique features about him is his fielding ability, which allows him to sense all manner of energy. It’s a sense no other species has and I’ve had a lot of fun exploring it. He’s great because he has a lot of personality. Before I started writing for him I did a lot of research about the Laudeans and their home planet Til’Ahn/Duronis II. Because I had a strong backstory for him and had an opportunity shortly after starting writing for him to do some great character development with him I was able to create a much richer character than I’d ever done previously. He has certain characteristics which work in his favor in some circumstances but which can hold him back in others. Jansen: Grier has also had a meteoric rise to this current stop on his career path based on your own hard work. Can you talk a bit about what you most enjoy about working Out Of Character within the fleet? Greir: What I like about doing OOC work is that it’s my opportunity to give something back. I’ve had a lot more fun playing this game than many MMORPG’s which I’ve subscribed to. I’ve met a lot of really great people and made a lot of friends. I want the group to continue being as successful and I want everyone else to have as much fun here as I do – so I roll up my sleeves and help! Not only that, but helping with different groups and projects lets me meet even more people from around the fleet that I maybe don’t get to write with regularly. Jansen: Part of that was evidence by your Rising Star award. Much of which shows your fellow members faith and trust in you as a leader. How does it feel to receive that award? Greir: I couldn’t be happier really. It’s a real honour to receive that award. Jansen: You also received, The Order of the Valiant Heart, The Strange Medallion, and The Locutus Award. What drives you as a writer? Greir: I’m always looking for ways to improve as a writer. I think that there’s always more to learn whether you’ve been writing for weeks or years. Other than that it’s the characters. I really enjoy writing for my different characters, particularly Greir and I usually have some idea or concept I want to explore with them. I also love getting to know the other characters in the fleet and seeing how they’re similar or different to mine, finding out how they interact with others and deal with events eyc. Jansen: Can you give us some outlook into the future? Both for Greir and yourself within the fleet? Greir: I want to carry on giving it my best really. As for Greir, I have plenty of ideas and plans for him in the works. no spoilers though. You’ll have to read along to find out what’s in store for him. Jansen: And tell us a little about your experience within our group so far. Grier: It’s been a very positive experience. I’ve really enjoyed all the adventures and developing my writing ability. I love that i’ve got to the point where I feel able to pass on what I’ve learned in the last two years to others. I’ve developed leadership ability too but by far the best thing about this groups is the people. I’ve met so many great people and made many friends, so I couldn’t be happier. Jansen: Thank you very much taking the time to talk with me today. Grier: No problem. It’s great to talk to you too. View the full article

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, A tale of a fateful trip That started from this tropic port Aboard this tiny ship. You were a mighty sailing person, The Captain brave and sure. Five passengers set sail that day For a three hour tour, a three hour tour. The weather started getting rough, The tiny ship was tossed, If not for the courage of the fearless crew The minnow would be lost, the minnow would be lost. The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle With you A Starfleet Captain too, The millionaire and his wife, The movie star The professor and Mary Ann, Here on some deserted isle. So. Who do you think would be the Captain that would give you the best chance to have you all rescued in short order, and why? Head on down to the polls and let us know. View the full article

Ah, jewels. They come in all colours, shapes, and sizes. My particular favourite is one that’s considered on semi precious – the ever lovely, ever purple Amethyst. It probably doesn’t hurt that it’s my birthstone. Most people are familiar with that, but also stones that tend to be more desirable. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, they are all beautiful and considered precious. When one thinks of expensive jewels and precious stones, however, usually it’s the diamond that comes first to mind. Diamonds have been treasured by various peoples for various reasons for centuries. In ancient India, they were used as religious icons. They’ve been used as engraving tools for thousands of years. They became particularly popular during the 19th century, mainly due to an increased supply, and became even more so in the 20th century thanks to a DeBeers’ campaign which coined the phrase ‘A diamond is forever’. While not the only event to spur this lust for the sparkling rocks, this advertising played a large part in the modern popularity of diamonds. Today, over 78% of engagement rings contain at least one diamond. Despite claims to the contrary, diamonds aren’t really that rare. They might have been difficult to access at one point, but modern tools and discoveries of various pockets of diamonds have increased the world’s supply. Advertisers like to tout the rarity of such gems, but Earth actually abounds with these shiny stones. Funny thing is, it looks like space may also have a rather large supply! 55 Cancri orbits a star not far from our own. While only about twice the size of Earth, it’s far too hot to support life. However, that heat combined with its makeup, which is mainly of carbon, make it the perfect environment to create diamonds! It’s estimated that about a third of the planet consists of this most sought after jewel. Move over Hope Diamond! You’ve lost your crown. Read about 55 Cancri here. View the full article

The crew of the USS Thunder NCC 70605-A, fresh from returning from DS9, was now enjoying their remaining shore leave on Duronis.Some, like Ambassador Della Vetri and Lieutenant Commander T’Lea, got used to their new digs at the Embassy. The crew received the most joyous news when Fleet Captain Toni Turner went into labor, and gave birth to a baby girl, who she named Breeanna Turner-Tallis, or Bree for short. Shore leave had to end sometime, and Starfleet got the USS Thunder crew in action. Most of the senior staff, with the exception of Commander Alucard Vess and Captain Turner, now on maternity leave, were tasked with assisting a Laudean archaeological expedition in the Quentisi Mountain Range. Gathering their teams together, they set off for the site… Meanwhile, back at the Embassy, a visitor…a Romulan ambassador, requested a meeting with Ambassador Vetri and the remaining senior staff. His purpose…to gain the release of the Romulan assassin T’Ana, and return her to the new Romulan Republic. All was not smooth, as the ambassador was attacked shortly after his shuttle arrived, but it did not deter him. Several remaining crew members were en route to try to identify the perpetrator…the believed second assassin…before he/she could strike again….. View the full article

With this year’s Writing Improvement Month behind us, it might seem like the activities are dying down, but they really aren’t! No matter what time of year, there is always something happening around the Starbase 118 forums. Here are just a few of the things you can get into with your fleetmates in March. We’re always looking for ways to make our events better for everyone involved. As such, we’d love to hear from you you with your thoughts on this year’s Writing Improvement Month. Be sure to share any ideas you might have for next year and we’ll see if they can be incorporated: http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php?/topic/9821-have-your-say/ Looking for other places to write and share your creativity? We’ve got a few areas where you can write IC on the forums just to have some fun. Even better, you can interact with people from other ships while you’re having fun. http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php?/forum/464-in-character/ There are always a number of groups and teams that could use your help around the fleet. From large projects to small ones that would only take you a few minutes, there really is a way for everyone to help no matter how much time you have to offer. Take a look at the list of available teams that need you today and contact the facilitators or your CO for more information: http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php?/forum-105/announcement-29-fleet-activites-that-need-you/ There are some new ships on the block! Head over to their forums and welcome them to the fleet or learn more about their vessels: http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php?/forum/216-starbase-118-ships/ There’s a new Trek related question on the forums every single week. Head over to the Poll of the Week thread and join in the conversation or suggest a question for the future: http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php?/forum/328-poll-of-the-week/ And of course, there’s tons more. Be sure to check in from time to time so that you don’t miss a thing. See you around the fleet! View the full article

Our 118Wiki marks its 10th anniversary of launching today! You can take a look at the first layout of the page at this link. Step through the history of the main page by clicking the “Newer revision” link at the top of the page and see how things have changed over the last 10 years. In 10 years, there have been nearly 306,000 views of our main page on the wiki, and we currently have over 7,100 pages. Recent improvements to the wiki include hundreds of revamped pages with more graphical elements, templates that make it easier to create and upkeep pages, auto-building rosters, and much more. Many thanks to LtCmdr. Roshanara Rahman, our resident wiki coding expert, who has been tirelessly working on these improvements. There’s another big anniversary coming up on June 15th: Our community’s 20th anniversary of launching! View the full article

The Vigilant crew was still mired in problems and split into two groups. An Away Team joined FltCapt. Diego Herrera to meet with the Zakdorn Stratigo, Bokzadema Bokzadeshti in Prak Zel. Lt Cmdr. A’ern Zerxes, First Officer, remained on the ship as team works to stop a virus-triggered auto-destruct. Herrera’s team faced accusations from Bokzadeshti that Federation policies were favoring founding races such as Terrans and Vulcans to the detriment of other worlds. Herrera sent a team led by LtCmdr. Eerie to investigate suspected conspiratorial activity at the Sulliban embassy. Shortly after they left, the chamber that held Herrera, Bokzadeshti, and other crew suddenly began filling with toxic gas! They managed to access environmental systems to reverse the gas flow but remained trapped and detected armed Sulliban nearby! Meanwhile, Dr. Velana and LtCmdr. Alleran Tan worked on the evacuation of both Vigilant crew and civilians at Zakdorn IV’s Gelesev Shipyards. Lt. Dueld taJoot and his engineers eventually found a way to access the virus’ source and shut it down. The ship was completely powered down and temporarily emptied. Shortly after, Zerxes received communication from Herrera informing them of the problems at the capitol. Zerxes’ and Eerie’s teams encountered Sulliban assault teams in the streets. The teams chased off the Sulliban and reconnected with Herrera’s group. Lt. Richard Matthews was able to retrieve data from a chip found on the Sulliban. It revealed communication between the Sulliban and the Vulcan homeworld, adding significant weight to the Stratigo’s earlier conspiracy theory. View the full article

The staff of UFOP: StarBase 118 would like to take a moment and recognize the officers promoted in the month of February. Please be sure to congratulate these folks when you see them in the corridors of your vessel! Darwin James to Lieutenant CommanderJack Corbin to Lieutenant JGExcalibur Sal Taybrim to Lieutenant JG View the full article

Join us today at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern (US) / 6pm GMT (UK) / 5am Monday UTC+11 (AUS). (Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable!) for our monthly OOC chat event in our chat room: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/ You’ll have the chance to meet other members of the fleet, catch up on what’s going on in our community and in the world of Star Trek, and dish about upcoming in, and out of character events. If you have problems connecting, use the instructions listed below the chat box. See you there! View the full article

The morning following the live test, the crew of the USS Excalibur-A, NCC-41903, prepared for a mission of pure exploration. With the directive to test the slipstream drive and explore beyond charted space, excitement traveled quickly. Some chose to join the occasion on the bridge, while others buried themselves in work. Whatever they were doing, it didn’t last long. Not long after the drive was engaged, the ship was ripped from the slipstream and thrown through ‘normal’ space. Soon, everyone began experiencing mental illusions and hallucinations around them. Ranging from seeing passed loved ones to fears brought to life, the stability of everyone was questioned. While the medical staff and science officers worked on a solution, a distress call came in. A ship nearby was being swallowed by some unknown force. With seconds to act, the Captain orders the occupant transported aboard allowing everyone to learn a little about the area of space they’ve stumbled into. Not far from their position in space was a station made of biotechnical material. The occupant that had been saved seemed leery of the crew, yet was diplomatic enough until she was returned to her station upon an ultimatum issued by the station’s commander. Since her return, nothing had been received from the station, even in return to a request to come aboard in peace. There was an eerie silence between the two, broken only when a massive energy wave sweeps through the sector hitting both station and ship like an invisible brick wall. View the full article

There has been rumor, keyword, rumor, that a new Star Trek series may be on the horizon. No matter how far fetched it may be, it is something I am sure a lot of us would like to see. Star Trek back on the small screen! Now I reiterate that this is all rumor because I don’t want my team of pollsters to be inundated with hate email should there not be a new Star Trek television series within your lifetime. But that being said, it is once again dream time. Should there be a new television series for Star Trek, in what era would you like it to be placed? In which universe? In what fashion? Yes, this week will be a multiple poll in one because of all the elements involved in which a new Star Trek series could be based upon. So head on down to the polls and vote for your favorite potential Trek ideas for a new series, dictated to me by a famous local fortune teller and palm reader. And as always, don’t be afraid to add your own ideas to the mix. View the full article

This week, we had two members donate: Sundassa Faranster of the USS Apollo, and Nugra of the Duronis II Embassy. Donations like these help keep our website ad free and ensure that we’ll fulfill our yearly fundraising goals! Can you donate $10, $25, or $50 today to help sustain our community? View the full article

Following decommissioning, the crew of the USS Discovery and Starbase 118 Ops are reshuffled and reassigned to the USS Atlantis, recommissioned after nine years in the inactive fleetyard, under the command of first-time CO, Commander Raj Blueheart. The crew gets together on Deep Space 26, an abandoned Chon outpost taken over by Starfleet to establish a Federation presence in the Par’tha Expanse, the region of space Atlantis is tasked to oversee. The Expanse, being largely uncharted, makes it an ideal sector for the Atlantis to explore and conduct scientific research, its primary objectives. As the crew members begin to get to know each other, they receive their very first mission: to provide transport to Ambassador Haerin, representative of the Grenushi Imperial government on Uzoka 5, to the Krayav Republic on Uzoka 4. The Ambassador is to deliver a gift to the Krayav following a successful peace dialogue between the two governments. But there those amongst the crew who feel the mysterious gift may be something more, and that the Ambassador is hiding a terrible secret from them. With the Ambassador on board, the Atlantis begins its journey to the far side of the Expanse, having to pass the fringes of the enigmatic and unpredictable Jenatris Cloud along its way. Will it be an uneventful maiden mission for the new crew? What will they encounter along their journey across the Expanse? And what of the Ambassador and his curious gift? All will be revealed as the Atlantis’ first mission unfolds! View the full article

The Top Sims Contest is now accepting nominations for Round 9 of 2014. Every day, your crew mates write the kinds of sims that make our community one of the greatest groups of our kind. Making sure they get the recognition they deserve is easy, and only takes a minute: 1. Visit the Top Sims Contest forum. 2. Check the calendar to see which round we’re on. 3. Start a new topic and paste the sim into the text field. Nominating a sim is as easy as enjoying it, so don’t hold back. Each sim will go to our judges panel to determine which one goes to the next run-off round. One of the sims you read today could be the Top Sim of 2014, but only if you take the time to nominate it. And while you’re out there, be sure to vote in the First Runoff Round of 2014. Voting closes March 9th, so make your voice heard. View the full article

Captain Quinn Reynolds is chief intelligence officer aboard the USS Garuda. Her long, rich history in the fleet has seen her serve on a myriad number of ships including occupying the centre chairs of both the USS Eagle and the USS Drake. A tormented Martian genius, she has been involved in a number of classified, high risk missions that led to her posting to the Menthar Corridor, an area near to Breen, Tholian and Cardassian space. Tolerant, flexible, yet socially awkward, Reynolds often spends off duty time working on a thesis or academic project, or playing the piano. She appreciates the relationship between music and mathematics and finds the logical nature of technology reassuring. In some respects, that makes life aboard a starship ideal, although she is also a gardening enthusiast and keeps a sizable garden at her home in the Columbia Hills settlement on Mars. This month, our star pick bio belongs to Lieutenant Alexander Richards, so congratulations to him!! Captain Reynolds’s bio will be displayed on the wiki’s front page for the month of January. As always, you can find out more about the contest at its wiki page or in its forum. Round 5 is now open, so be sure to drop by and submit your own nominations! View the full article

With the planet of Talvath armed with the tools they needed to begin their restoration, the crew of the USS Darwin, NCC 99312-A headed to Deep Space 6 for some much needed rest and relaxation. Wasting zero time of their first shore leave together they began forging strong social and professional relationships right up until the Commander signalled an official end to shore leave. As the Darwin prepared to leave, Commander Reinard presented the crew with service ribbons and promotions for the excellent work on the last mission. As the crew dispersed, Captain Hallum briefed Commander Reinard about the suspected contents of the just departed Freighter Tenacity. Armed with the knowledge that this Freighter was believed to be carrying weapons illegally the Darwin set out from Deep Space 6 at high warp. Working diligently the crew of the Darwin successfully followed the path left by Tenacity despite the freighters attempts to shake them. Shrugging off the dated weaponry on the Tenacity, the crew disabled and brought the Freighter into the Containment sphere to hold, pending their investigation. As away teams beamed over to the contained Freighter the task of trawling through the the contents of the Freighter became a quick priority. Back on the Darwin, Commander Reinard and his team began to ask questions of the two Laudean officers, accused by Deep Space 6 of transporting weapons illegally. Their claims to innocence were soon to be tested as the away team begins to uncover the true nature of their cargo. View the full article

Please welcome our newest Academy graduate to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Larren Cye! View the full article

A new bylaw has been added, which deals with the decommissioning of ships. You can find it on the Bylaws page of the website, under Bylaw 8. While decommissioning of a vessel is still in the hands of the Executive Council (EC), this bylaw has been introduced to remove some of the ambiguity around the process and create firmer guidelines for when a ship might be in consideration to be decommissioned. The EC has carefully considered the circumstances in which a ship is headed into what we call “the death spiral,” which is characterized by a decreasing sim count month-by-month, and come up with various metric which would trigger a decommissioning. The goal is to ensure that captains are not only more aware of their monthly metrics, but that there is a procedure by which the EC will be prompted to warn a captain that a decommissioning could be imminent, so that circumstance can be avoided. As always, we’re looking for ways to clarify our policies and make them clearer and more transparent. If you have any suggestions about other ways we can improve the community, be sure to talk to your captain! View the full article

Many thanks to Jalana Laxyn of the USS Apollo, who donated recently. Donations like this help keep our website ad free and ensure that we’ll fulfill our yearly fundraising goals! Can you donate $10, $25, or $50 today to help sustain our community? View the full article