In Command: Liam Frost

[StarBase 118 Staff]

There are many types of characters that inhabit the world of Starbase 118, and many different positions to be held within Starfleet. For many, the ultimate goal is to advance through the ranks and become the commanding officer of one’s own star ship. It takes time, dedication, and hard work to achieve this goal. Today, we’re going to find out a little bit about the writer behind one of the characters who has stepped up and successfully slipped into the commanding chair – Commander Liam Frost.

DeVeau: So, let’s start from the beginning. How long have you been at SB118 and how did you come to find this group?

Frost: I joined the group just about three and a half years ago. The short version of how I came to be in this group is through a friend of a friend. I’ve had an interest in Creative Writing RPGs for many years. A good friend of mine (currently writing for LtCmdr Oliver Weston) heard about the group from a friend of his. We both decided to have a go at it and we’ve been here ever since.

DeVeau: Has Liam been around since then, or did you start with another character?

Frost: Liam is my first and only PC. I spent a lot of time thinking about the kind of character that I wanted to play. I wanted him to have a solid idea of who is was, but give him enough room to grow as well.

DeVeau: You originally were assigned as a Tactical officer, but then that assignment change. Would you tell us a little bit about that and any challenges it brought?

Frost: When I filled out my graduation paperwork in the Academy, Tactical was actually my second choice. I had hoped for a position as a pilot, but Tactical officers were needed more. A few days before the next mission started, Captain Jaxx (then Commander) told me that the previous helm officer was taking a leave of absence and offered me the position. I couldn’t turn it down.

DeVeau: In the three and a half years you’ve played them, how has Frost change, for good or ill?

Frost: A little bit of both to be honest. When he first joined the fleet, he was incredibly cocky; confident to the point of arrogant and believing that he could save the galaxy by himself and rising through the ranks by the sheer force of his charisma. He truly believed that he could do anything, or if he couldn’t, that he could convince people he could. His motto was “You’re as good as you can convince your Commanding Officer you are.”

He got taken down a few pegs over the years, which was a hard pill to swallow, but has been good for him overall. He’s still confident, but he’s much more aware of his limitations and when to rely on people more qualified than he is.

DeVeau: Did Frost always aim to move up the ranks to position of Commander? What challenges did he face to achieve this goal?

Frost: He wanted to move up pretty early on, especially after being promoted to full Lieutenant pretty early on. The biggest challenge came when he took temporary command of the Apollo. Captain Jaxx was incapacitated during a mission to escort a Cardassian diplomat. After thwarting an assassination attempt against the diplomat, the Apollo was confronted by a Romulan Warbird and a Cardassian named Dreth. Long story short, Liam fired the first shot. The confrontation resulted in the destruction of the Warbird. He was pretty sure that was going to be the end of his career. He was so distraught over the incident that he resigned as First Officer.

DeVeau: You’ve achieved one of the ultimate goals of many officers. Do you have another goal in mind for him to strive toward?

Well, the next step is obviously to keep working towards the rank of full Captain. That fourth pip is really the ultimate goal. As always, I’m always trying to explore different character ideas and making sure Liam never stagnates as a character.

DeVeau: What about you, the player? Would you mind sharing us a little about your real self? Where did you grow up and are is there anything you feel you’d like to share about your early self?

In real life I’m 29, I’m from Toronto, Canada, and I work for a medical alarm company. I live with my two cats, Havoc and Casey. When I’m not simming I enjoy playing games (video when I’m alone, board when I’m in groups). I’m a moderately talented musician, and I play bass and guitar. I’ve considered trying to put my musical ambitions to use by joining a band, but haven’t had the time to put much effort into it. The real me is actually quite boring.

DeVeau: I wouldn’t necessarily say that! I love board games and video games. What are your favourite games?

Settlers of Catan, Letters from Whitechapel, Acquir, basically anything that makes me think.

DeVeau: What about music? What sort of music do you like to play and do your talents extend to singing?

A little. I enjoy the occasional karaoke night. Doing backing/lead vocals in a band would be really cool should the opportunity arise.

DeVeau: Okay, last question. If you could change something about Star Trek’s universe, what would it be?

I wish there was a better defined economic systems. Obviously the day to day citizen of any major settlement doesn’t need much in the way of day to day items. But what about if they want something from outside that system? Something hand-crafted or something rare? It leaves me with a few questions.

DeVeau: Thank you Liam Frost – and Steve! Tune in next time for another ‘In Command’!

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