Jump to content

Sal Taybrim

Executive Council member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,262

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    258

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Sal Taybrim

    SB118 Ops: Quotations of the Week!

    in Appreciations

    Posted

    Quote
    Ezo: ::stunned::  Wh-why are you wearing green...? 
     
    ::Months. Months it had been since she saw him last, and that was she says first? No "Hey there Major Kelly, how's it going?" And...when exactly had he arrived? He handed her the robe. Pretty obvious when he had arrived. This day could not get any more strange.:: 
     

    I'm waiting for the post entitled "Mirra Ezo and the horrible, terrible no good very bad day..."

    • Like 1

    Lt. Commander Mirra Ezo - Explosive Ideas

    in 2017

    Posted

    ((Mines - Level 3 - Dominicus VI))

    ::Of all of the places Mirra excepted they would find their missing crew...barreling down a rickety track in a glorified metal coffin was not one of them. But, beggars couldn't necessarily be choosers, so they were running after them, albeit a bit foolishly. Zel and Max had physics and a cart, while they had...increasingly fatigued muscles and a dangerous lack of patience. It was going to be a long day.:: 

    Ezo: ::shouting while running:: Where do these tracks lead?! And who's brilliant idea was it to skip adding brakes?!?

    Kasun:  :: Also shouting while :: Do you really think a criminal operation that relies on slave labor cares about that? It’s not like the follow OSHA or anything.

    Janul: I would recommend our efforts are focused on your friends.

    Ezo: ::grimacing:: Right. Rescue them, then yell about the poor planning...

    Kasun: ::amused:: I’m sure the Orion’s will want to hear all about it.

    Ezo: ::smirking:: Horribly unsafe working conditions, would not be enslaved here again. Zero out of ten. 

    Janul: Light hearted comments are not helping the situation.

    Kasun: It’s called bonding.

    Ezo: ::scoffing:: Would you prefer we stay quiet? oO You clearly don't know me very well...Oo

    Janul: ::Grunts:: A poor imitation of R’usstai.

    Kasun: Well that’s Klingon bonding. Starbase 118 bonding is different.

    Ezo: ::grinning:: It usually involves copious amounts of drinking. Or nearly dying. Or more accurately, surviving and then the heavy drinking. 

    ::And if they all made it out of here alive, she bet she could get Janul to get drunk enough to be her partner in Klingon cage match wrestling. Tatash was apparently disqualified because of "unnatural enhancement". That prosthetic arm was already striking fear into the hearts of his would-be challengers. Her thoughts left the realm of the absolutely ridiculous, and slid back firmly into the task at hand when they all halted in front of a veritable maze of tunnels. None of which seemed to contain an errant mine cart. She began chewing her bottom lip worriedly.:: 

    Kasun: Any ideas?

    Janul: Three of us. And I count eleven other routes. ::He growled in frustration, slamming the butt of weapon into the ground.::

     
    ::Pacing while she thought, Mirra ended up wandering along the nearest track, straining to see any sign of...well...something other than the inky black of the tunnel ahead. She couldn't see anything. They could be dead ends and they just didn't have time to circumvent them all. Wait, that sound...it was familiar, the high pitched squeal of metal grinding, but where was it coming from? 
     
    Leaning closer towards the center of the track, the beginning Whoosh of air was the only forewarning she had to prevent becoming a gruesome hood ornament on the out of control cart. She threw herself away from the track, landing with a sound thud on the uneven ground beside the tracks. She stayed down, frozen in a half crouch/half heap, hair blown about her face and bits of the broken gravel digging into her palms.:: 
     
    Kasun: Are you okay?

    Janul: You are intact, Doctor?
     
    ::Grumbling angrily, she managed to get to her feet, brushing the stray bits of rock off her knees and hands.::

    Ezo: ::moving he hair from her face, she answered on a growl:: Oh those two better live through this, because I'm going to kill them for that! 

    Kasun: :: Ishani smiled, a sassy Mirra meant she couldn’t be hurt too badly. :: They went off into that other tunnel. :: She pointed in the direction the cart had gone. ::

    Janul: Then we must follow. And quickly.

    Ezo: ::muttering:: Hopefully they don't loop back around for another attempt on taking me down...

    Kasun: If they recognize us then hopefully they’ll make another pass and slow down next time.

    Ezo: Providing they have any control over the cart. Remember that whole lack of brakes thing? 

    ::Once again, the screeching sound of metal filled the air as a second cart, loaded with angry looking guards came rushing past. Near plastered against the wall, once again avoiding "Death by mine cart" appearing as a final entry in her medical records, Mirra stared wide eyed, blinking a few times in confusion...::

    Kasun: You know when we tell this story later no one’s going to believe us, right?

    Ezo: I...am not quite sure I believe it and I just saw it happen....

    Janul: Were I to report such things myself, I would be declared to have the mind of a simpleton.
     
    ::He wasn't wrong. This was shaping up to be a "You...had to be there" type of stories. They had run into some rather unexplained things before, like weaponized tribbles, but even this seemed less plausible.:: 

    Kasun: :: Once again running in the direction of their companions and their mine cart. ::  It does feel almost out of a holoprogram Dad would write.

    Ezo: ::snorting, beginning to run again:: If we make it out of here alive, ask for writing credit when you give him the idea...

    ::Once again, in far too short of a time, the three were running after a mine cart full of escaped crewmates, but this time they had the added fun of a cartfull of angry Orions with more weapons then they currently had. There was no way this day was getting any weirder. At least this time, they had a direct route.::
     
    Whittaker: =/\= Whittaker to Ezo. =/\=
     
    ::Well, Theo and Aitas were still safe. She hit the hidden comm while frantically trying to keep pace with the two others. Once again, she was reminded how she really needed to build up some better endurance. Who knew being a doctor required such a surprising amount of running?::
     
    Ezo: ::slightly winded:: =/\= Ezo here, go ahead sir =/\=
     
    Whittaker: =/\= I don't suppose you've seen Ensign Zel have you travelling at high speed? =/\=
     
    ::Now that was unexpected. How did he know where Zel was? And his unconventional mode of transport...? oO Oooh right. Aitas. Oo She must have worked her intel magic::
     
    Ezo: ::grimacing:: =/\= You mean the lunatic pilot and his equally crazy co-pilot that we've been chasing after like blind rats through a death trap maze?? Yeah. Got a great look at him and Max. Zel somehow commandeered a mine cart...that he's attempting to steer...=/\=
     
    Whittaker: :: with a sigh. :: =/\= Of course he is. Keep me informed. Whittaker out. =/\= 
     
    ::The commline cut out, and the running didn't seem to be slowing. Except, once again, because this place truly was a death maze from hell, they were faced with a crossroads.::
     
    Ezo: ::skidding to a stop:: Which way?? 
     
    Kasun/Janul: Response?
     
    Ezo: I didn't see, I fell behind when the Comm call came in. ::pointing:: That one looks like it goes up, but up to where? 
     
    Kasun/Janul: Response?
     
    ::It was intensely hot, and each breath in made her winded lungs protest as if she were inhaling cotton. Staying clear of the tracks this time, she ran ahead and squinted through the dim haze. A Flash. An extremely far off one, but was there, if only for a moment. 
     
    Ezo: ::raising an eyebrow:: Was that...phaser fire...? ::eye widening:: The guard cart!! 
     
    Kasun/Janul: Response?
     
    Ezo: ::nodding quickly:: Right, this way! 
     
    Damarkus: =/\=Starfleet, I know you're here.  In anticipation of this I have gathered every slave at gunpoint.  For every minute you remain in my mines I will slaughter one slave.  For every step you advance towards me, I will slaughter one slave.  Get out now, or you will die with the blood of countless "innocents" on your hands.=/\=
     
    ::Once again, she skidded to a halt, but this time it was to hear the last bits of the faint, clearly hostile threat. Her jaw clenched so tight her molars ground together in protest.::
     
    Ezo: ::through clenched teeth:: They know we're here. Our timeline just shortened significantly. What weapons do we have? We'll hit the guards before we find Zel and Max... 

    SB118 Ops: Quotations of the Week!

    in Appreciations

    Posted

    Quote

    The gloom of the tunnel sharply reminded him of the crippled U.S.S. Albion minutes before it's self-immolation. He had bounded through dark corridors to reach the saucer section. oO You survived that, you can survive this Theo Michelangelo Whittaker! Oo.

    A: Awesome description

    B: You know it's serious when he calls himself by his middle name...

    • Like 3

    SB118 Ops: Quotations of the Week!

    in Appreciations

    Posted

    Quote

    Antraydin: Huh. :: He refrained from saying how unfortunate it would be if powerful sleeping pills fell in to Bomba's coffee so someone else could handle the situation.:: Well what you looking?

    Oh, Captain Bomba, I just don't know how those pills got in there...

    • Like 3
    • Popular Post
    • Popular Post

    2017 Awards Ceremony – Duty Post awards

    in Past ceremony archive

    Posted

    Oh my gosh, so many awesome awardees!

    I'll start with the Conny...

    @Prudence "Rue" Blackwell - I have known Rue since we played together on a Changeling chat and one snowy day she was talking about how she missed online roleplaying and I prodded her to come play SB118.  I knew then she was a great player!  Rue is a really modest person - every time she gets a promotion she asks me "do you think I really deserved it?" - the answer is emphatically YES!!  Rue is a great writer with a ton of experience in roleplaying games with creating great character development and it really shows in everything she writes for Rue.  Rue's writer is a newbie to Star Trek games; which really makes how well she writes as an Ops officer all the more impressive.  But what sticks in my mind about Rue is how much she develops Rue as a person.   We've met Rue's family, know all about her quirky parents, her affection for her brother and how her sister in law has added an element of tension into her family structure.  We've heard all about Rue's upbringing through flashbacks and stories and she's a character with tons of hobbies, interesting and interesting things to talk about every shore leave!  I am so happy to see Rue honored with this award - it is so deeply deserved!

    @Saveron - Being a counselor is tough.  Being a great counselor is probably the toughest job on the ship.  And you know when you have a great counselor on board when that player pushes other characters to face some uncomfortable things.  Saveron does this with the most realistic portrayal of Vulcan compassion I have ever seen.  And in return he pushes every player on the Constitution to improve and develop their character.  Saveron is the sort of counselor that makes others think about what's happened in their characters pasts and discuss it openly - and that immediately opens up the players to think about their characters in a more interesting and intricate way.  This makes Saveron not only a great character, but a wonderful player.  Reading Saveron's posts is a joy because they are always so detailed, cohesive and gently challenging.  I absolutely look forward to seeing how Saveron's interactions with the crew prompts the Conny to come together more and I'm certainly going to enjoy every interaction that my character has with Saveron!

    Next, a quick shout out to all the wonderful winners from the Embassy!  While I don't know most of your characters well, I've had the joy of working with @Oddas Aria in the academy program and no one can miss @Hannibal Parker's enthusiastic presence on the fleetwide chats.  What I do know is that for years I've heard roleplayers pooh-pooh planet bases and starbases as "boring settings for sims" and following in DS9's footsteps the Embassy is proving all the naysayers wrong!  Every time I look at the Embassy, they are having fun and their players love playing there.  That really shows in seeing fantastic up and coming players like Oddas Aria and @Savan who started as ensigns on the Embassy and are now respected Lt Commanders!  I love the joy and energy you guys bring to the fleet and (being a massive fan of bases rather than ships myself) I'm so excited to see the Embassy so well represented by such wonderful players!  Congratulations you guys!!

    And now... I'm going to gush about my own crew just a little bit.  I'm allowed, right?  ;-)

    @Mirra Ezo - did you have enough tears of joy or can I embarrass you a little more?  You are one of the stars of the show this year and you've earned every accolade!  I think almost every player in this game has gotten a chance to get to know you over the last year and they all agree: you are fantastic!  From your humor and positive presence on the forums and the chats to your wonderful posts, I want to thank you for everything you do.  Thank you for posting quotes and sims that recognize your fellow writer's work.  Thank you for welcoming so many people to the Discord chats.  Thank you for being a friend to my character; and to every character on Ops.  Personal interactions are one of the most interesting and wonderful aspects of roleplaying and I think when people interact with Mirra they are so excited to read every post and fill in every tag because there's such a sense of personal connection with your character.  Thank you so much for being such a wonderful player; and so many heartfelt congratulations on this award, it is so well deserved!

    @Taelon - Your portrayal of a science officer is fantastic!  I love watching the dichotomy of a scientific genius layered onto of an awkward maturing personality; and I love the amount of detail you put into Taelon's relationships and family.  Furthermore, you have done a fantastic job in creating new plots for Ops and well fleshed out NPCs.  I love how Taelon can take concepts that could quickly become overpowered or ridiculous and turn them into gritty, realistic and well thought out plot points that are peppered with a lot of love and humor.  I remember hints of Taelon's mad scientist self coming out in the planning for Tatash's biomechanical arm; which after some wishful thinking and a lot of arm puns ended up being a very realistic treatment of trauma and overcoming the loss of a limb.  And I love seeing the contrast between all the crazy stuff Taelon might plan or want to do, but watching his writer pull Taelon back into reality.  It's a wonderful combination and Taelon is an absolute joy to have on Ops, both as a staff person and as a player.  Thank you so much for all your wonderful and creative ideas and I can not wait so see how you're new mission plans play out!  :D

    @Aitas - You've done such a good job in blending intel with the crew as a whole and adding a realistic focus on how an intel officer can help in so many aspects of a mission!  It's so wonderful to be able to trust your chief of intel to develop a department which can easily be powergamed into something realistic and wonderful; and Aitas has proven herself time and time again that she can develop intel into something that works with the crew and benefits the story as a whole.  Thank you so much for creating a great intel department as well as being a deep and connected character.  We've seen so many facets of Aitas, from her family to her growing relationships on the ship including a developing romance!  I love how realistically you approach issues of family, motherhood and family relations in ways that are compelling to read and enrich the storyline as a whole!  Also thank you for all of your wonderful plot ideas - Aitas is a fantastic member of the Ops staff and she tirelessly supports the ship through wiki updates and helping plan plot points!  Thank you so much for being a fabulous player and congratulations on this honor!

    And last; but certainly not least...

    CONGRATULATIONS @Theo Whittaker!!

    Oh my gosh, Mikey.  You deserve this honor so much.  Theo had been a fantastic first office not just all through this year but all though last year as well!  His longevity and stability as first officer of Ops is only rivaled by his fantastic ability to lead away teams, plan missions, support his crew and write fantastic posts.  Theo has it all.  Incredibly responsible staff member that helps keep the game running?  Check.  Friend to every member of the crew?  Check.  Forms deep and lasting relationships with fellow PCs?  Check.  I'm sure every single member of Ops can give a story of a wonderful scene they had with Theo.  My favorite is the time Sal beamed Theo in his pyjamas onto the newly delivered Columbia.  Theo's reaction was priceless.  But then again I'm sure Tatash, Flynn and Mirra could tell the tale about the Romulan ale...

    Theo creates amazing villains and gives them epic long term plot arcs that conclude in a mission that engaged every member of the crew in exciting ways.  He helps plan every plot on Ops and always has creative ideas to share.  He reaches out to every crew member with support and mentorship and helps in the administration tasks of Ops on a regular basis.  He pushes plots forward, makes sure that all players are enjoying themselves and supports the story with NPCs whenever needed.  He did an absolutely fantastic job in running his own mission on his practical and deeply cares about every player on Ops both IC and OOC.  He is a consummate storyteller and he absolutely makes Ops a better place to play.  Thank you so much for all your hard work and support, Theo - I am so happy you won the Strange award this year.  It is so deeply deserved!

    CONGRATULATIONS to all my wonderful Ops crew!  And congrats to all the winners!  Great job everyone!!

    • Like 6

    2017 Awards Ceremony – General awards

    in Past ceremony archive

    Posted

    I'd like to give just a few special shout outs.

    First - to all my Ops crew, you guys are absolutely fantastic!  Thank you so much for making each mission special and every character such a joy to interact with!  You are the best crew a CO could ask for!

    Of all the Ops crew who were given general awards, I know I have gotten to sing praises of the senior officers so many times over so I want to put a focus on @Ishani Kasun and @Arturo Maxwell - two of our fantastic junior officers.  Ishani has been such a wonderful character to see progress and she's made such a tremendously creative niche for herself as a crisis control officer as well as Asst. chief of security.  A wonderful combination of counselor and security, she brings such a unique and realistic perspective to her role on the ship.  The way she deals with trauma - both when it happens to her character and when she helps other characters work through it is incredibly detailed and believable.  I know in the upcoming year Ishani will grow from a fascination junior officer into a strong senior officer and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us!  Maxwell is one of our newest officers and he's already become a beloved fixture on Ops for his humor, his enthusiasm and his creative plot twists!  In a very short time he's quickly gone from a newbie to a three dimensional character and we've had the joy of meeting his family and friends, as well as seeing his writer develop wonderfully interesting pNPCs that help give Ops more humor and life.  Again, I know Maxwell is a player who is headed upwards in the next year and I'm so excited to watch him grow!

    I want to give a special shout out to @Trel'lis as well!  Trel'lis has been one of the most loyal and long term officers on Ops and we've had the joy of watching her continuously improve year after year.  I know her writer gets frustrated at times and doesn't always get in the spotlight; so I want to take a moment and let everyone know that Trel'lis did a phenomenal job this past year dealing with the IC loss of her beloved, forming bonds of friendship between the crew and starting up a side plot to finally confront an old nemesis.  Congratulations on a great job, and I look forward to watching more plots unfold next year!

    Also much love to my Constitution crewmates!  Jerry Milsap is a wonderful player and character to sim with in sickbay and I'm so proud of how he's grown and improved in his writing year after year.  He's done a great job with creating new MSNPCs (and with keeping my character in line!).  @aphelion - aka Choi Ji-hu is a fantastic writer who makes playing on the Constitution more fun <3  I know Choi's a writer who has great things in store and I absolutely love reading his sims.  And thank you to @Jalana for being a great captain and making the Conny a great place to play!

     

    Congrats to everyone!!

    • Like 2
    • Popular Post
    • Popular Post

    2017 Awards Ceremony – Special awards

    in Past ceremony archive

    Posted

    Many congratulations to all the winners!

    I'd like to give special shout outs to @Jalana - I really hoped she would get recognized for all the amazing work she does with the image collective - and has done for years!  Not only is she fabulous and committed to providing amazing images for our wiki and forums; but she's been doing it for as long as I can remember.  It's something we take for granted sometimes, and really needs to be pointed out and congratulated because it's one of the things new members immediately see and are drawn to; and it's also something that provides joy and a aids for storytelling to our longtime members.  A picture tells 10,000 words and by that logic, Jalana has written an entire library of novels for our game by providing us high quality images to help bring our stories to life.  Congrats, Jalana!

    Also a special shout out to @Mirra Ezo who is Ops' own little ray of sunshine!  If you've been on the chat, no matter what ship you're on you probably know Mirra.  She's always ready to welcome a new member or talk with anyone.  She's attended online conventions bringing smiles and humor across the roleplaying community and presenting a great face for SB118; and she's a fixture on the forums.  I can't think of a nicer, more welcoming member to receive this honor than Mirra!

    Many congrats to @Oddas Aria, who I have had the pleasure of working with in the academy!  You've done a great job this year and everyone is looking forward to seeing you grow and where you go from here!  And a big round of applause to @Renos for being the second person in the group's history to win the great bird award!  That's amazing! 

    I very much look forward seeing great things from all of our special award winners in the upcoming year!  Excellent work everyone!

    • Like 8
    • Popular Post
    • Popular Post

    2017 Awards Ceremony – Staff awards

    in Past ceremony archive

    Posted

    Congratulations to all the staff winners!

    I would like to give a special shout out to Tony (Solzano) who assisted StarBase 118 Ops both in its initial startup and in the transition from Captain Handley-Page to myself.  I have never met a more patient, thorough and caring mentor than Tony.  He always provided good advice, was a wonderful person to talk ideas through and made sure that our ship - along with so many more ships across the fleet - had a strong and stable foundation to create a great game.  I miss him, and hope that he can return to playing full time again soon!

    Congratulations to Rear Admiral Renos, who leads by example in every aspect of the game.  I still remember his tireless work on the publicity team, and that's how I first saw this game advertised.  I believe he brought many of the fantastic players who currently play into the game and he had worked on innumerable projects and taskforces since then.  It is wonderful to see him recognized for his devotion through the Picard award and for his work on the training team.  Congratulations, Admiral, and we're looked forward to a wonderful new year with your help and support!

    Congratulations to Admiral Turner!  While I have not worked extensively with Ann, she is the champion of reminding all staff that the most important purpose of a game is to have fun, and this shows clearly through her work as a staff member as well as though the joy in her crew on the Embassy.  Ann makes sure this game is a better and more fun place to play in!

    Congratulations to Captain Rahman for all the hard work he has done behind the scenes over thee past years.  It is great to see him getting recognized for his longterm devotion to SB118 and his recent accomplishments!  Congrats, Rich!

    And Congratulations to Brell!  It's been a treat watching Brell climb up the ranks and grow as a game leader and as a writer.  I enjoy working through the academy program with Brell and look forward to where he goes in the next years!

    Congratulations once again to all the winners!

    • Like 8
    • Popular Post
    • Popular Post

    Simming death

    in Poll of the Month

    Posted

    I don't really care how it happens just so that it is meaningful to the story... and that dead character stay dead.

     

    Nothing ruins the gravity of mortality more than a dead character magically coming back to life after they're been pronounced dead and mourned.

    • Like 6
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.

  I accept