Salkath

Winners for Set 1, 2017: Round 1: Jalana Rajel & David Cody, "New Friends & Ghosts of the Past" Round 2: Dalor & Manyx, "A Taste of fear" Round 3: Jack Gard & Akeelah D'Sena, "This Isn't Forever" Round 4: Toni Turner, "The Getaway" Round 5: Tyr Waltas, "Cold Soul" Round 6: Jalana Rajel & Sal Taybrim, "Captain to Captain" Set 1 Winner: Jalana Rajel & Sal Taybrim, "Captain to Captain" Winners for Set 2, 2017: Round 7: Jalana Rajel, "Buying Time" Round 8: Drs Richardson and Grey, "Of Mice and Men" Round 9: Arturo Maxwell, "Things to do now I'm home: Part One" Round 10: King Mwinuroja, "We Didn't Do It" Round 11: Kamela Allison-Parker and T'Lea, "The Gloves are OFF!" Round 12: Saveron, "Zen and the art of Tribble Hybridisation" Round 13: Choi Ji-hu, "Interruption" Set 2 Winner: Kamela Allison-Parker and T'Lea, "The Gloves are OFF!" Winners for Set 3, 2017: Round 14: TBA October 2017 Round 15: TBA October 2017 Round 16: TBA October 2017 Round 17: TBA October 2017 Round 18: TBA October 2017 Round 19: TBA October 2017 Round 20: TBA October 2017 Winners for Set 4, 2017: Round 21: TBA November 2017 Round 22: TBA November 2017 Round 23: TBA November 2017 Round 24: TBA November 2017 Round 25: TBA November 2017 Round 26: TBA November 2017

HOW VOTING WORKS There are two types of voting in this contest: member voting and judges voting. After each Round of submissions, all the sims from that Round are voted-on by a panel of judges. The winning sim from each Round of judges voting then proceeds to a Run-Off Set. Run-Off Sets are open to all members for voting. The winning sim from each Run-Off Set proceeds to the final round. The final vote for Top Sim of 2017 is open to all members for voting. For a sim to win the final vote for Top Sim of 2017, at least 20% of the voters for that sim must be from a ship other than the ship it originated from. HOW THE JUDGES PANEL WORKS The judges panel is comprised of one member from each ship. Judges are free to resign from the panel at any time or be switched-out but are expected to judge for a full "Set" (see the Contest Calendar). At the end of each Set, Captains will be encouraged to review their ship's judge. A judge's "term" lasts for three Sets, after which they must be switched with a new judge from the crew. After a judge's term is over, and a new judge has been selected and served for at least one term, the previous judge is again eligible to begin a new term. Judges can be of any rank, as long as they are able to demonstrate a basic grasp of good simming skills. Each ship's Captain appoints the judge from their ship, but they are free to use whatever method they deem appropriate to select that judge. They can select themselves as the judge. Judges use a ranked voting method called Instant Runoff Voting (IRV). For more information about IRV, see the Wikipedia page. When voting, judges are not permitted to vote in the top slot the sim from their crew. This ensures that judges are not favoring their own crew's sims. They can still choose their ship's sim in the second slot or lower.

Welcome to Top Sims Contest of 2017! All announcements for the entire 2017 Contest will be posted in this thread. The Top Sims Contest allows members of our fleet to be recognized by their peers for superior writing ability. This contest allows only sims that have been used in a current plot to be considered. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES You can submit ANY sim -- from your ship, or another ship. You can submit your own sims if you wish. All sims are welcome, including staff (Captain, First Officer, etc.) sims. The sim must be written with good spelling, good grammar, and be in the correct format. Poorly structured sims will be disqualified. When a sim is submitted, it must have been created within the current submission period, or the previously lapsed submission period. Put another way: do not sims which are any older than a month. Submitted sims may not have any open dialogue tags. (i.e.: [respond here]) All dialogue in the sim must be filled in. (Just find the responding author's sim and fill in the blanks.) Sims must not include any "canon" characters. (i.e.- no characters who have appeared onscreen.) Please find a balance between nominating too many, or too few sims. Don't submit every good sim -- instead, post every great sim! Encourage your fellow crew-mates to submit at least a few sims a year. If you want your crew-mates to win more, you have to nominate the best sims, and encourage others to write higher quality sims! HOW TO SUBMIT A SIM First: Click the "Start New Topic" button. The format of the topic title should be as follows: "Character - Sim Title" For example: "LtJG Tristan Wolf - Everywhere you go, there you are" Note: Please do not clutter the topic title with an endless list of NPC or PNPC names or "JP" designations. Instead, simply include the primary character's rank and name. If it's a joint post, just include both rank and names -- no need to include the "JP" in there. Second: Choose from the "Topic Prefix" box the correct round number. (To check what round we're currently in, see the contest calendar below.) Third: Copy into the message box the complete sim. You don't need to worry about column width. Check to make sure that the sim is readable. You can click the "Edit" button to fix any issues, but don't delay -- you'll be barred from editing the post after 60 minutes. COMMENTING ON A SIM Everyone is welcome to comment on submitted sims. If you're going to provide constructive criticism, you are required to employ the "hamburger" criticism method: first, mention something you like; second, something you didn't like; third, something else you liked. If you just want to provide praise, no hamburger method required! Commenters who are rude, unfair, or overzealous in their commenting will be barred from future comments in the contest forum, and will have their actions brought to the attention of their CO. CONTEST CALENDAR Set 1, 2017 Contest Round 1, 2017 submissions: Monday, October 31 to Sunday, November 13 Round 2, 2017 submissions: Monday, November 14 to Sunday, November 27 Round 3, 2017 submissions: Monday, November 28 to Sunday, December 11 Round 4, 2017 submissions: Monday, December 12 to Sunday, December 25 Round 5, 2017 submissions: Monday, December 26 to Sunday, January 8 Round 6, 2017 submissions: Monday, January 9 to Sunday, January 22 Run-off Round 1: Monday, February 6 to Sunday, March 5 Set 2, 2017 Contest Round 7, 2017 submissions: Monday, January 23 to Sunday, February 5 Round 8, 2017 submissions: Monday, February 6 to Sunday, February 19 Round 9, 2017 submissions: Monday, February 20 to Sunday, March 5 Round 10, 2017 submissions: Monday, March 6 to Sunday, March 19 Round 11, 2017 submissions: Monday, March 20 to Sunday, April 2 Round 12, 2017 submissions: Monday, April 3 to Sunday, April 16 Round 13, 2017 submissions: Monday, April 17 to Sunday, April 30 Run-off Round 2: Monday, May 15 to Sunday, June 11 Set 3, 2017 Contest Round 14, 2017 submissions: Monday, May 1 to Sunday, May 14 Round 15, 2017 submissions: Monday, May 15 to Sunday, May 28 Round 16, 2017 submissions: Monday, May 29 to Sunday, June 11 Round 17, 2017 submissions: Monday, June 12 to Sunday, June 25 Round 18, 2017 submissions: Monday, June 26 to Sunday, July 9 Round 19, 2017 submissions: Monday, July 10 to Sunday, July 23 Round 20, 2017 submissions: Monday, July 24 to Sunday, August 6 Run-off Round 3: Monday, August 21 to Sunday, October 23 Set 4, 2017 Contest Round 21, 2017 submission: Monday, August 7 to Sunday, August 20 Round 22, 2017 submission: Monday, August 21 to Sunday, September 3 Round 23, 2017 submission: Monday, September 4 to Sunday, September 17 Round 24, 2017 submission: Monday, September 18 to Sunday, October 1 Round 25, 2017 submission: Monday, October 2 to Sunday, October 15 Round 26, 2017 submission: Monday, October 16 to Sunday, October 29 Run-off Round 4: Monday, October 30 to Sunday, November 26 FINAL RUN-OFF OF 2017: Monday, November 27 to Sunday, December 24 - this run-off selects the Top Sim of 2017. Set 1, 2018 Contest Round 1, 2018 submissions: Monday, October 30 to Sunday, November 12 Round 2, 2018 submissions: Monday, November 13 to Sunday, November 26 Round 3, 2018 submissions: Monday, November 27 to Sunday, December 10 Round 4, 2018 submissions: Monday, December 11 to Sunday, December 24 Round 5, 2018 submissions: Monday, December 25 to Sunday, January 7 Round 6, 2018 submissions: Monday, January 8 to Sunday, January 21 Run-off Round 1: Monday, February 5 to Sunday, March 4

Yes, congratulations to @T'Lea and @Rune Jolara! You faced some stiff competition, but your masterful sim resonated with many in the fleet, and is truly worthy of the title of Top Sim of 2016. I hope you enjoy your badge!

Yeah, one could have fun with that...

Aitas Jalana Rajel Chelin ch'Gabor Solaris McLaren

This is it, the final round of voting for 2016's Top Sim! The winner of this vote will be considered the Top Sim of 2016 -- one of the most highly coveted writing awards in our community. Voting closes automatically at 23:59 Pacific Time on Sunday, December 25, 2016. Please read all four sims before choosing the one you like the best in the poll above: Set 1 winner: Merrick R'Ven, "Past Goodbyes" Set 2 winner: Doctor Saveron, "There, but for the vagaries of chance, go I" Set 3 winner: Capt Tyr Waltas, "Showdown" Set 4 winner: LtCmdrs T'Lea & Rune Jolara, "Defying a Direct Order" These sims were submitted by members of the community. A panel of judges, consisting of one judge from each ship, voted on the best sim from each round. The sims they selected from each round were then voted-on by members of the fleet. You can see those votes here: Run-off round 1 Run-off round 2 Run-off round 3 Run-off round 4 The 2016 Hall of Fame archive contains all the sims submitted in 2016. Pinned sims are the winners from each round. FAIRNESS AND VOTING For a vote to win the final round, at least 10% of its votes must come from a ship other than the one the sim was created on. Your vote in this poll is public so that we can ensure that one ship's crew is not "stuffing the ballot box." If we find that any one crew is trying to force someone from their crew to be the winner, that sim will be disqualified and the ship will be ineligible to participate in the contest for all of 2017. Similarly, if anyone is found coercing members of their crew to vote for them, or a sim on their ship, that sim will be disqualified -- before, or after the vote. That does not mean that you can't vote for a sim that was originally simmed on your vessel. You just shouldn't vote for a sim from your ship simply because it's by your crew-mate. Instead, choose the sim that you believe is the best written, most engaging, and embodies the principles of good simming that this community values.

LtCmdrs T'Lea & Rune Jolara, "Defying a Direct Order" wins this run-off round! Congratulations -- this sim will head to the final run-off round of the year!

Great job, folks! Welcome to the Fleet!

Congrats folks, and welcome to the Fleet!

((Arboretum, Deck 9, USS Za)) :: With his belly filled by all the oriental snacks Alex lied down like a well fed Roman of the ancient times. As he laid on his side he looked at Femi again. She seemed happy. Alex assumed she was probably looking for new friends out here too. He wanted to know more about her and thought of several ways to bring up “home” but he didn't want to get to young woman homesick. Even though she signed up for this assignment leaving home, and earth on top of that, it was a big step for someone her age:: ::Femi sighed happily. She was glad that they choose to meet up at the Arboretum. The peace surrounding them was nice and Femi felt calm. She looked at Alex who laid on one side. The basket with food was almost empty. Femi made herself comfortable too and laid next to him on her back with her head turned towards her. Her ponytail was in the way so she freed her hair from the strap. Her brown curls fall on her back and shoulders:: oO nothing beats a fresh breeze through your hair Oo Williams: So, here we are.. In the middle of nowhere, about to discover new life and new civilizations. Who knows.. we might find something like the old Egyptian culture out here… It reminds me about one of my first missions. We found this gateway to a planet that was in a pre-warp state. Best view of our history I’ll ever get. Cattan: :: Femi was surprised and intrigued at the same time:: wow that must've been an amazing experience. Only imagine, Earth was once like that. Williams: It felt like home even though it was far away. Camping in the moonlight, hunting for deer in the morning… Believe it or not… it was the best mission I ever had. Cattan: I believe you it sounds… romantic. ::smiles:: camping outside joined by the moonlight watching the stars. ::her eyes were dreamy as if she was living in that moment.:: but I don't think I would join you on the deer hunting. :: Alex tried to bring back the memories, knowing the full story about the tense situation in the mine and losing his friend Marcus wasn't “romantic” at all. It was relaxing at night at the small camp but once trouble found them it was one disaster after another:: Williams: What do you hope to find out here? Cattan: ::she was quiet for a moment thinking about the right answer since there were many reasons:: I think… learning more about our current and new species and of course the medical treatments used in different cultures. ::she looks at Alex:: And you? :: That question was easy to answer as it was something that had come up with his bar talk with Baxter a few days earlier:: Williams: A fresh start most of all. Exploring. Living the life on the frontier sounded like a good and welcome challenge for me. Cattan: ::nods:: it does sound challenging. oO what could he mean with a fresh start. Did something bad happen to him in the past? Oo ::They laid next to each other listening to the chirping birds and it was quiet for a while. Femi did have some “burning” questions but she'd tried to resist herself from asking. But after a while her curiosity won:: Cattan: Alex, ::she turned to her side so she could face him. The space between them was minimised but for Femi it didn't feel strange :: I've been wondering about one thing. ::beat:: Where on earth were you born? Williams: hehe.. haven't read my file yet? ::Femi starts to grin. He just played her own joke against her:: I’m from Straatsburg, North West of the European continent. Nice place, but nothing special. Spend a lot of time with my father hiking in the Ardennes and Black Forest and by the time I got to go to high school we moved to Hawaï. My folks still live there. Cattan: It must be wonderful to be outside in a forest, together with your dad....Never been to those parts of Earth.. oh but I’ve heard from Hawaii before. :: she was careful with asking people about their home. It brings a lot of emotions and memories with it:: Do you miss your home place and family Williams: I miss the hiking with my dad at times… ::Femi nodded. She could understand that he would miss doing such activities together with his dad:: but beyond that no, not really. I’ve been on my own for almost ten years now. You? ::Alex said it before thinking about it, and quickly added something to comfort her assuming she was feeling a little homesick:: Williams: … Leaving Earth your age is a huge step after all… :: Femi got the feeling that he was thinking about those questions too for a while. She wanted to get to know him better and she felt comfortable enough with him to exchange some personal information:: Cattan: ::it was like he was trying to comfort her. She didn't mind talking about home:: it was a huge step as you know. And of course, I miss my family but I'm not homesick…. yet. ::She gave him a comforting smile because she knew he was being considerate:: I enjoy being here, with this crew, it's all I ever wanted. ::she paused for a moment and looked for a second into Alex’s brown eyes.:: But I was ready to leave my home and family behind despite the consequences…. Williams: I sense there is a story behind that answer…. but only if you want too. Cattan: I don't mind telling you...but it's kind of a long story. And I don't know if it's that interesting ::She smiled at him:: Williams: All in good time. ::She smiled gently. He was interested but not pushy at all and she liked that. He had manners, something a lot Egyptian men round her age were lacking:: Cattan: ::her right side began to ache. She pushed herself up and stretched for a moment:: Let's make it easier...is there something specific you'd like to know about me, my background? ::she picks up a flower:: You're allowed to ask anything Williams: uhm… ::The question caught Alex off guard. He looked up towards her assuming she made some sort of bad joke but she seemed dead serious. He thought of something he should or could ask but nothing came to mind:: Williams: ::he couldn’t do anything else than give her a somewhat sad look as it kinda killed the mood:: It's not an interrogation Femi… ::Femi was surprised by his answer. She didn’t mean to make him feel uncomfortable with her question. She just wanted to give him an appropriate answer. Somehow the mood changed and Femi felt some sadness overwhelming her:: ::Alex could see the disappointment in her eyes. And then he started to wonder what this was all about. :: Williams: oO Is she looking for something more than a friend? She has done everything I could think off to please me and really wants to open up somehow. A bit too direct maybe for a first “date” if you could call it that to begin with. Oo :: Alex turned his eyes away from her for a moment and looked at the playing children again thinking of a way to get them on the same page somehow:: ::Femi saw Alex drift off for a moment. He didn’t respond at all and he had even averted his eyes from her. There was something on his mind but she didn’t know what it could possibly be. Was it because she wasn’t that tactful?:: oO I should really think first before speaking Oo Williams: oO Should I just ask her? If she says no I make a fool of myself. And what do I tell her if… Oo ::The more he thought about it the more complex it became. As far as Alex was concerned he wasn't really “on the market”. Until a two months ago he’d been dating with Sun. It wasn't a formal relationship and come to think of it they hadn't spoken since his transfer or the holodeck accident on the Constitution:: oO Guess that ship has sailed. Oo Cattan: Sorry, let me try that again….I didn’t mean to make it sound like an interrogation. :: she looks at him and ask quietly but kind:: Is there something on your mind? ::she looks a little bit worried at him:: ::Cattan laid down on her side again with her head towards Alex. As she came to his level Alex caught her eyes. As he looked at them he looked for something. A blink, a sign, anything that could give him more to go with. But he couldn't really tell if “it” - whatever it was- was there or not. As he kept staring he felt as if he knew Femi for a long time. It felt comfortable yet totally awkward. :: oO Ugh.. what is this! Oo ::Femi noticed Alex staring into her eyes for a long time. She didn't mind that, but he looked troubled and she didn't like to see that. The sparkle she saw earlier in his eyes was missing:: Williams: No need… My mind is playing tricks on me… I feel like I know you for a long time. Is that weird? ::Femi was quiet for a moment. She did respect him a lot and she did have a great time when she was with him. Yesterday on the ceremony he was the first one to come up to her and they had a wonderful time. She liked his humor, they shared some same interests. There was just something about him that made her happy and smile :: Cattan: I don’t think that’s strange. I noticed, that when I’m with you I feel at ease. You have a great sense of humor... even though you think you don’t and you’re really kind hearted ::she smiles at him:: ::With the warm compliments out there Alex felt the need to give her some parts of his thoughts:: Williams: It's just that. oO Damn! How can I explain this without hurting her feelings, assuming she has any feelings for me Oo I was sort of in a relationship when I left the Connybe and … oO And what? Oo ::Alex now wished he hadn't started but this time his heart had spoken before his mind. He never dreamed of speaking about his feelings like that, especially not as he brought it up first. But with the start out there he had no chance to run all the scenarios in his mind to make sure it was said the right way:: ::Femi saw that this kind of conversations were hard for him. She thought it was very courageous to tell her about his feelings and doubts. She gave him a warm smile and hoped that he would understand that she didn’t mind him telling this. She wanted to give him some time to speak up what's on his mind:: Williams:... and. Sorry I’m not very good at this. ::He took a deep breath. He was about to embarrass Femi or make a total fool of himself. If either was true it could ruin a starting friendship but with the die cast, there was no turning back now:: Well I get this feeling you might see me as more than a friend… and If that’s so I’m not sure if I’m open for it at this point. I mean… it’s going a bit fast with the transfer just behind us and all... Cattan: It’s oké Alex. ::she gently places her hand on his arm:: There’s no need to apologize. I think you’re very brave to muster up the courage to talk about this. :: she takes her hand from his arm. Now it was her time to answer his question. She wasn't even sure herself.:: How should I say this, I’m not good at this either ::she laughs:: Right now I don’t see you as more than a friend….yet, I think. ::she fell silent for a moment:: oO Gosh! this is difficult. I don't want to give him the wrong idea Oo Cattan: I have to admit that there is something about you that makes me want to know more about you. Not just your background, I could read your file if I wanted to know more about that ::she was trying to lift the air with a joke:: ::She was quiet for awhile. She wanted to tell him that she was willing to wait for him to make up his mind but she was in no position since she didn’t know yet if she was “into him” like that. But something about her was not content with saying to “just stay friends”:: Cattan: This might sound weird, and I’m a little bit ashamed, well you had your share too ::she grinned but felt embarrassed at the same time:: I wouldn’t mind giving us a try but I do think that is best for you to take some time, think things over…. just don’t take too long ::she gives him a playful wink:: ::With the truth out there for both of them Alex felt relieved. She wasn't hurt, far as he could see, and being honest with her turned out to be rewarding in its own way. As he thought back of the past five minutes he came up with a simple yet encouraging idea:: Williams: You did mention you like to try that spaghettio? How about next week? ::Not waiting for her reply Alex tried some of his humoristic skills again:: You have seen me in my pajamas it's only fair you get to see my cooking skills. Cattan: ::thinking:: mmm let’s see. Only if you’re going to wear those same bordeaux pajamas again.::she laughs:: next week is fine by me. Williams: Ha! Don't get your hopes up on those pajamas. I’m confident my cooking is enough to please you. Cattan: Let’s see if you can beat this :: With his mouth half open to say something she picked up one of the remaining snacks and put it in his mouth. Femi laughed out loud when she saw his surprised face:: sorry couldn’t help it! ::Alex tried to speak but with his mouth full he couldn't. His first thought was to push her over and kiss her but it didn't feel right yet. And with the food still in his mouth it would have been a weird kiss anyway. So instead he picked one of the pink hydrangea flowers that was in his reach and handed it over to her:: Williams: mom always told me to bring flowers to a date… Cattan: ::she smiled and smelled the pink flower she got handed:: And suddenly this is a date….::she smirked at him:: Williams: Well unless you do this with all the pirates you meet at a bar I’m calling this a date ::He stuck out his tongue which was really immature, but somehow it felt right:: Cattan: ::she laughs:: You should be thankful to be on a date with a Egyptian Goddess. To be in my presence…. to even get a chance as a mere Pirate Captain… :: she stick out her tongue as well:: Williams: A Goddess and a Pirate walk into a bar… ::They laughed and laid down on their backs and looked at the beautiful atmosphere of the Arboretum. Femi was happy and relieved and so was Alex:: Williams: oO Taking that transfer turned out perfectly Oo ::As he lied down and looked at the scene he started to feel something he didn't expect. It was more than happiness. It wasn't the trees or the fresh air. It was her. She was making him feel this relaxed. He felt appreciated again, and it had been a long time since anyone gave him that feeling. He knew that people valued him as a good officer but she was accepting him as a person:: Williams: I could get used to this you know? Cattan: Please do… ::it slipped out before she knew it. But it was the truth. Something gave her the feeling that he’s worth waiting for. She thought back at the conversation she had with her sister. The difference in age and rank didn't bother her anymore. It wasn't even noticeable in the way they're interacting with each other:: ::It was getting late. The artificial light started to dim and the birds had fallen silent. For Femi and Alex it was time to head back even though they didn’t want to leave at all. They stood up and folded the blanket together. As the pieces of cloth were brought together they looked into each other's eyes again but neither one had to courage to take the next step. The basket was empty, their stomachs full, and their hearts and mind wondering what would happen next. Cattan: Thank you for this wonderful day. You did your job well as “food tester” ::she grinned when she looked at her empty basket:: Your turn to impress me…. same time, next week? Williams: You sure know how to set the bar… but don't celebrate your victory just yet. Cattan: oO There’s that twinkle in his eyes again. It suits him much better Oo ::Femi just couldn’t resist it. She leans forward to give him a kiss on his cheek. His beard was softer than she expected. She spoke softly into his ear:: You’re a wonderful person Alex ::Alex could feel his cheek turn red as her soft lips gently moved away from him. They could hear the children giggling in the distance as they headed out with a smile on their faces:: ================================ With great pleasure written as: Ensign Femi Cattan Nurse Officer USS Za Z239308FC0 & Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Williams Chief Tactical/Security Officer USS Za News Team member Writer ID:A239006AW0

Welcome back, folks! It great to have you back in the Fleet!

Winners for Set 1, 2015: Round 1: Alora DeVeau & Lobo, "Unlikely Fellows" Round 2: Renos & Traenor, "Point of View/Pain of View." Round 3: Didrik Stennes, "A different calling” Round 4: Akeelah D'Sena & Tabitha Gard, "Sleepover" Round 5: Merrick R'Ven, "Past Goodbyes" Round 6: Safine Tan, "The Room Where I Died" Winners for Set 2, 2015: Round 7: Captain Shelther Faranster, "Lost Context" Round 8: Cpt Jalana Rajel, "Fear the Reaper" Round 9: Dr Tarna & Iria, "The pain of rejection" Round 10: Lt Commander Falcon/Rhino the hamster, "The New Smell" Round 11: Doctor Saveron, "There, but for the vagaries of chance, go I" Round 12: 302nd Tactical Fighter Wing, "New Assignment" Round 13: LtCdr Sinda Essen & LtJG Solaris McLaren, "New Experiences" Winners for Set 3, 2015: Round 14: Ens Paul Scudder & Ens Savan, "Submitting to the Current of the Godavari" Round 15: Capt Jalana Rajel, "Familiarity" Round 16: Lt Mirra Ezo & Lt Antero Flynn, "Big Trouble in Little Risa" Round 17: P3 Damien Bagwell III & Lt Mirra Ezo, "Fighting fire with...foam?" Round 18: Lt John Valdivia, "Unexpected visit" Round 19: LtCmdr Kaitlyn Falcon & Yillara Khante, "Time to Play" Round 20: Capt Tyr Waltas, "Showdown" Winners for Set 4, 2015: Round 21: Councillor Dempok, "Ashes and Bone" Round 22: LtCmdrs T'Lea & Rune Jolara, "Defying a Direct Order" Round 23: LtCmdr Kelly, "Man Overboard" Round 24: Lazlo, "Lost Luggage" Round 25: Lt Mirra Ezo, "Big dang heroes sir" Round 26: LtCmdr Sabrina Holly & Cmdr David Cody, "Cooking Lessons & Kitchen Curveballs"

Polling closes at 11:59pm Pacific on Sunday, November 27th. This is a run-off poll, where our general membership (that's you!) chooses which sim, from Set 4 of 2016 (Rounds 21-26), should proceed to the final round of the contest for a chance to be selected as the Top Sim of 2016! These sims below were chosen by a panel of judges (one from each ship) from the sims submitted in Rounds 21-26 of the contest. TO START, please read these sims: Round 21: Councillor Dempok, "Ashes and Bone" Round 22: LtCmdrs T'Lea & Rune Jolara, "Defying a Direct Order" Round 23: LtCmdr Kelly, "Man Overboard" Round 24: Lazlo, "Lost Luggage" Round 25: Lt Mirra Ezo, "Big dang heroes sir" Round 26: LtCmdr Sabrina Holly & Cmdr David Cody, "Cooking Lessons & Kitchen Curveballs" NEXT, using the poll above, vote for the sim you like the most. It should be the sim that's the best written, with strong characterization, and evocative or descriptive scene-setting. DON'T vote for a sim just because you serve on the same crew as the person who wrote it. Any crew that "stuffs the ballot" (by having everyone on the crew vote for the same sim to ensure that it wins this poll) will be eliminated from the contest and shamed by the rest of the community as terrible, terrible cheaters. That would be awful. Good luck to the nominees!

Tyr Waltas, "Showdown" wins this run-off round! Congratulations -- this sim will head to the final run-off round of the year!

Congratulations, folks! Welcome to the Fleet!

Lael Rosek

Ishani Kasun

Randal Shayne

Christopher Lambert

Congrats and welcome!

Though my current character is male like his writer, and most of my main PCs through the years have been male, I am also comfortable writing as a female character. In almost all cases, the human condition is exactly the same regardless of gender, and prose comes out exactly the same whether the character is male or female. The only time it becomes an obvious chore is when a writer tries to lean too heavily on archetypes or stereotypes, and an unfamiliarity can become a little more obvious when these are over-utilized. Thanks to the inspiration and guidance of a writer I heavily respect, I had a chance in the recent past to write for a non-gender species, and that honestly was a much heavier challenge than writing for a gender opposite of my own as a writer. It forced me to realize my own pitfalls as a writer into falling into gender roles, and I think it will definitely help me moving forward in writing for the opposite gender or non-binary genders.

Congratulations, folks! Glad to have you with us!

My earliest memories of Trek were syndicated reruns of TOS on Friday nights, when my kid brother and I were able to stay up late. We were merciless! We mocked the episodes, tore them to shreds like our own version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Stupid kids! But it must have left a lasting impact on me, for when TNG came out, I was a religious follower. And the rest, as they say, is history

Droids! Robotics is an exploding field in our current reality, be it industry, personal care, entertainment, or arguably even our transportation. I've always found it slightly odd that robotics has been almost conspicuously absent from the Trek universe, aside from the odd android or Exocomp. Why aren't there more robots!?