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Jo Marshall

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Posts posted by Jo Marshall

  1. Ever thought the universe of Star Trek was all phaser battles and philosophical ponderings? Well, occasionally it tosses in some eerie tales from the crypt keeper. As we get closer to the chills of Halloween, let's navigate those episodes where Starfleet's bold journeys felt more like spooky detours.

    The iconic TOS episode "The Tholian Web" kicks things off. Captain Kirk has gone missing, and now there are eerie doppelgangers aboard?  Here, Captain Kirk's haunting apparitions create a spectral atmosphere after his mysterious disappearance in an alternate dimension. With the Enterprise trapped in the mesmerizing snare of the Tholians, one can't help but feel an impending sense of dread. And, let's face it, a ghost Captain Kirk really gives the Enterprise a haunted mansion vibe!

    But, if you thought things got weird there, Star Trek: The Next Generation’s "Schisms" takes the eerie cake. Alien abductions? Check. Creepy examination tables? Double-check. While it's a tad unsettling, it does make you wonder if the Enterprise crew might have benefited from a space neighbourhood watch program. As the crew grapples with memory lapses and the disturbing realization of being abducted and studied by aliens, the episode masterfully constructs a chilling environment where the known universe's boundaries seem to blur.

    Our voyage takes a terrifying detour with Star Trek: Enterprise's "Impulse". The discovery of a Vulcan ship with its crew transformed into violent, mindless beings serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable dangers lurking in space's uncharted territories.  Imagine visiting a ship only to find its Vulcan crew has gone full-on zombie mode. If there ever was a "turn the spaceship around" moment, this was it!

    But, as if to remind us that not all that's unsettling is necessarily tangible, Star Trek: Voyager presents "The Haunting of Deck Twelve". Our ghostly bard Neelix's recounting of an electromagnetic lifeform's eerie presence aboard the ship merges the essence of a classic ghost tale with the limitless enigma of space, making us question the very nature of the stories that echo through the galaxy's corridors. Ancient mariners would nod in approval.

    Lastly, but definitely not least, the abandoned setting of "Empok Nor" in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) eerily resonates with themes from classic horror narratives. As the crew finds themselves hunted in a desolate Cardassian station, the sense of claustrophobic terror reaches its zenith, culminating our trek through Star Trek's darker episodes. It's all fun and games until the lights go out.

    From spooky spectres to zombified Vulcans, Star Trek's brilliance lies in its diverse storytelling, sometimes making us marvel at space's beauty and at other times making us apprehensive of its unpredictable abyss. Join in the fun, cast your vote for the most unsettling-yet-quirky episode, and remember - in space, no one can hear you scream...

    Or can they? 🌌🎃🖖

    GhostCrewTrek-1024x585.jpg

  2. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

  3. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

  4. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

    • Like 1
  5. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

  6. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

  7. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

  8. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

  9. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

    • Like 1
  10. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

    • Like 1
  11. This thread is for each member of the crew to check in with their new avatar on their profile.

    For a check-in to count, each crew member must include a funny quote, quip, or greeting (i.e.- "Trick or treat!") that matches the character or theme.

    The more people you have checked-in, the higher your overall score!

    Please read these instructions very carefully – missing any step may disqualify your crew!

    • Participants must be checked-in to this thread by Monday, October 23 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Do not post anything except check-ins here – no other discussion or joking around, please!
    • Players can only check in ONCE per contest.
      • If you're playing two characters on two different ships, you have to decide which ship you want to participate with.
      • Your participation will not count against your second ship. We'll discount the other ship's roster to account for your participation on this ship.
    • If you have crew members who cannot access the forum due to accessibility issues, the CO must notify FltAdml. Wolf. 

    The second post in this thread must contain the following: 

    1. A clear and direct announcement of the ship's theme.
    2. Confirmation that your crew followed the "Halloween Avatar Contest avatars uploading processexactly – use the "Section 3. Check your work" checklist to ensure you've not violated any rules. 

    Here's an example: 

    Quote

    This year's theme for USS Phoenix-B is "Famous Crabs."

    We have: 

    • Properly named all avatar files and uploaded them to the wiki.
    • Properly named our category on the wiki.
    • Properly categorized our category on the wiki.

     

  12. 2022-halloween-avatar-contest-banner.jpg

    Join our 13th Annual Halloween Avatar Contest!

    Here's the quick-and-spooky: Each crew chooses a theme – like "Nightmare Before Christmas," or "Mugshots," or "Sesame Street" – then, each person on the crew is assigned a character and changes their forum avatar to an image of that character. A panel of judges (one person from each ship) helps decide the winners!

    HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION

    • Each crew must pick a theme. (You should already have an OOC email thread about it!) 
    • For a member of the crew to be considered part of the team, they must:
      1. change their avatar here on the forums
      2. check in to crew's official thread in this forum (more on that below) with a funny quote, quip, or greeting. (i.e.- "Trick or treat!"). Please keep any other extraneous posts out of this thread as it will be used to count the ship's participants.
    • Regarding check-in threads:
      • The second post in the check-in thread must an announcement of the ship's theme AND confirm that all rules have been followed.
      • Participants must be checked-in to their ship's thread in this forum by Monday, October 23rd at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Avatars must remain in their costumed forms until at least Tuesday, October 31st at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
    • Each crew entering the contest must upload their avatars to the wiki following this tutorial to the letter. Please follow each instructions closely and exactly – your crew will be disqualified if you do not follow the instructions! 

    JUDGING

    • CATEGORIES OF SCORING
      • We've made changes to judging as of the 2021 contest: There are now two winning crews – one each in Originality and Design. 
      • Originality of Theme category: Judging in this category is looking for new, fun, creative, inventive, and imaginative ideas. Is this something exciting, adventurous, and inspired? Or has it been done before? Does your theme have unique style and substance? A winning crew will think outside of the box when deciding on their theme and avatar concepts, with a fresh and new approach to the challenge.
        • Important note on eligibility: Crews may not choose a theme that simply mirrors a Starfleet crew we've seen onscreen or in beta canon with your characters faces subbed in – so no "SB118 Ops as the Enterprise crew," for example. You are welcome, however, to create a theme where your characters are drawn in the style of a 
      • Design quality of avatars: For this category, we're looking for the technique in the design and how it comes together. How hard was it to create the avatars, and how good is the execution? Did the crew a theme where they had to do a lot of work to create the avatars? If names are present on the avatar, how readable are they? How do the avatars look – is it easy to discern what the characters look like when they appear on the forum? Check out past entrants and winners for inspiration and ideas of what wins here.
        • Important note on design: Avatar designers should ensure that the avatars, as they appear on each person's check-in post, works best. Many ships create a "unified graphic" with all the characters on it, and then just slice that up. But this often leaves text unreadable once each person puts the avatar onto their profile. So focus more on making the avatar appear correctly on the forums.
        • Keep in mind that the unified graphic is not judged or required, so while it's a bit of fun to bring all the avatars together and show the theme, don't assume that unified graphic will win you the contest! 
      • Number of crew members checked in: This is a multiplier to the previous two qualifications that discounts your overall score. For example, if the official crew roster (maintained by the ship CO and FO) says there are 12 crew members, but only 5 people are checked-in to the thread, then your multiplier is 42%. This can easily drop you out of first place! 
    • JUDGES PANEL
      • We'll ask each ship to send a volunteer – they can't be the ship's CO, and they must not have a character on more than one ship. 
      • Each judge will rank every ship's entry on the originality and design quality per above.
      • Judges will not be able to rank their own ship in the first position. 
      • We'll use Ranked Choice Voting to determine the winner for each category. 
      • Once we have the scores for each of the two categories, we'll multiply by the number of crew members checked in, per above.
      • The crew with the highest score in each category will be announced as the winners. 

    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    • How do I change my avatar? A detailed tutorial is found here.
    • What's the deal with the funny quote, quip, or greeting required on the check-in thread? It could be a quote from the character you're using, or something funny that you just make up on the fly. But make it good -- ask your teammates for help if you need inspiration! 
    • Can my team use a theme that's previously been used? Yes, as long as you use new images.
    • Where do we get avatar images if none of us on my team are good at graphics? Check out the graphics request forum. Ask nicely for best results!
    • Do the avatars have to look like the characters? No.
    • How is participation counted? What about secondaries and disabled members? The number of possible participants will be pulled from the official ship roster (maintained by CO and FO) on Monday, October 23. We will discount properly marked secondaries and any members who are disabled and cannot access the forums, as per the CO of the ship.
    • When will winners be announced? As close to the last day of October as possible. 
    • What do the winners get? Everyone from the winning crews gets the Winner badge
    • What if I have other questions? Head to Discord and ask them in "🎃pre-halloween" channel. 
  13. From one of our intrepid cadets today :D 

    Quote

    Upon further examination of these things they appeared to almost resemble Beatles that would normally be found on earth except these were much larger and seem to be fully willing to have their very first taste of human flesh, well almost human flesh.

    giphy.gif

    • Like 2
    • Haha 2
  14. A fabulous runner up entry for the Writing Challenge 2023! Well done, Brian!

    One of our judges had some dedicated feedback for you: 

    Quote

    'The Place Where All Sailors End' was a beautiful tribute to a player I've never met, but feel like my life would have been made all the better if I had gotten the chance. Not only is the story beautiful, but it gives an end for the character, offering closure to them and any who read it. 

     

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  15. We had some dedicated feedback for this from one of the judges: 

    Quote

    ''The Fifth Ring' was unique - I loved how the rain on the hull of the starship was described and how unsettling it was to the character. The premise of the rings and escaping the planet was not something I've seen/heard before and this story left me wanting to read more about the exploits of this particular crew.

     

    • Like 2
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