Popular Post Jo Marshall Posted June 28, 2022 Popular Post Posted June 28, 2022 (edited) Today we are proud to present the Length of Service and Special Awards! Length of Service Awards Length of Service Awards are presented to members who have been continuously active for at least a year, there are also tiers for three, five, 10, 15, 20 and even 25 years of continuous service. This year, thirty-two players have achieved a length of service milestone. Eleven of them are enjoying their first anniversary, having received the accolade for one year of active participation. Another nine people have been here for three years and nine others have been here for five years. One player has reached the remarkable ten-year mark, while two others have reached fifteen years! 1-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for one year. Kivik, graduated from training on 2021-06-01 Scotty Reade, graduated from training on 2021-04-20 Ikaia Wong, graduated from training on 2020-11-02 Cassandra Mason, graduated from training on 2021-03-01 Elizabeth Snow, graduated from training on 2020-07-26 Dekas, graduated from training on 2021-02-01 John Kendrick, graduated from training on 2021-01-01 Bryce Tagren-Quinn, graduated from training on 2012-09-01 Meidra Sirin, graduated from training on 2020-07-01 Tahna Meru, graduated from training on 2021-01-01 Aine Sherlock, graduated from training on 2020-12-13 3-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for three years. Wil Ukinix, graduated from training on 2018-11-13 Quentin Collins, graduated from training on 2018-12-01 Edward Spears, graduated from training on 2018-02-01 Lazarus Davis, graduated from training on 2018-10-02 Addison MacKenzie, graduated from training on 2019-02-19 Karrod Niac, graduated from training on 2018-09-01 Samira Neathler, graduated from training on 2018-08-27 Corliss Fortune, graduated from training on 2018-10-03 Sheila Bailey, graduated from training on 2018-12-01 5-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for five years. Ceciri Ariadust, graduated from training on 2014-12-15 Kettick, graduated from training on 2014-07-01 Talos Dakora, graduated from training on 2011-11-01 Vitor Silveira, graduated from training on 2012-06-20 Hallia Yellir, graduated from training on 2017-01-19 Piravao sh’Qynallahr, graduated from training on 2016-11-21 Prudence Blackwell, graduated from training on 2016-08-17 Ishani Kasun, graduated from training on 2016-06-15 Henry Maxwell, graduated from training on 2016-11-21 10-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for ten years. Jalana Rajel, graduated from training on 2012-06-11 Ashley Yael, graduated from training on 2005-11-12 15-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for fifteen years. Atan T'Seva, graduated from training on 2006-12-09 Quinn Reynolds, graduated from training on 2007-01-25 Special Awards Great Bird Award Awarded to an officer who contributes to the development and/or invention of a new method of simming, thinking, or seeing the Star Trek universe. It has only been presented twice in the group's existence, for creating the community, and for defining a new way of what a ship-based sim can be. This is a unique distinction and the greatest honour bestowed upon any officer. Roshanara Rahman (Rivi Vataix), Amity Outpost Presented by Ossa V’Airu: The very first email I ever wrote to Rich was back in September 2012, when he wanted to transfer to the Mercury, the ship I’d begun COing a few months prior. I didn’t know much about him, but I still began my message to him by saying “I'm very happy to have you join us.” He let me know then that he was interested in playing a new character, Roshanara Rahman, and he linked me to the wiki bio he’d created for her. Even from that brief intro to Rich and Rahman, I could tell that he put a lot of thought and feeling into his simming – and about a week after that, he presented a group portrait he’d made of the senior staff to the Mercury’s OOC list. About two weeks after that, he was spearheading the Mercury’s entry for the second annual Halloween Avatar contest. Within a month, I couldn’t imagine my ship without Rich, and thanks to his innovative thinking, I didn’t want to. Jump forward to now, almost a full decade later, and Rich’s fingerprints are all over Starbase 118 – and much like when I first got to know him, he’s irrevocably changed things for the better. When I initially nominated him for this award, I focused mostly on his creation of Amity Outpost, since it is a simming installation that, I believe, improves the simming status quo. I wrote in that nomination that Rich has expanded our corner of the Trek universe with the effect and atmosphere of Amity, and by demonstrating his commitment to changing things up by giving up a Starfleet PC for a thoroughly non-Starfleet CO. However, when I started to talk with other staff members, I received some healthy reminders that Rich’s contributions go much deeper than the simple introduction of a new installation, however innovative. He’s fundamentally changed the nature and operations of Starbase 118 in more ways than I can count – but since I want to make sure he’s recognized well, I’ll try to name some of the most important! For one, if you clicked on those wiki links, especially the old Rahman bio, you probably saw that they’re quite different from our standard pages and bios today. Edit a modern wiki page, scroll to the bottom, and you’ll see the list of templates employed on the page to help make the wiki streamlined and user-friendly. Rich didn’t create all those templates singlehandedly, but he did spearhead the overhaul of the wiki and collaborated with many others, culminating in the creation of the Wiki Ops squadron, where Rich is still the Chief of Wiki Ops. Speaking of creation, Rich has left a substantial trail of game-changing groups in his wake. These include Veterans Affairs, which, in his own once-upon-a-time words, “is a community-oriented taskforce run by general members to support their colleagues who face issues that usually come up after the ensign phase of the SB118 experience and aren't addressed in the Academy.” Ensuring that the Starbase 118 fleet is a fair and equitable place for everyone is one of Rich’s goals, toward which he works tirelessly, which has most recently included the creation of the Investigating Diversity & Inclusion Committee (IDIC). Rich has also put together group elements that are based on expanding and exploring the breadth and depth of the universe we share. These include the Federation News Service, which offers both its member-writers and the larger fleet an outlet for creating and reading about the Trek universe beyond our characters and ships, and the Advanced Starship Design Bureau, which delights in technical details and takes as part of its manifesto that “specifications should mean something” and should “be a fun, interactive process.” I’ve emphasized elsewhere for this awards presentation that part of exceptional leadership in the Starbase 118 fleet is having fun and ensuring that others are having fun, too, and Rich exemplifies that like no one I’ve ever had the pleasure of simming with. Everything he does is in the service of making sure that as many folks are having the best time possible, and whether that’s best done through fleetwide groups and initiatives or through individual interactions, he will do it. As a final example – back when Rich and I were a command team on Garuda and Invicta, one of us accidentally typed DOOF instead of DOOC on a direct email to the other, and from that point, all our direct emails were DOOFs. It’s a small thing, but one that I think exemplifies Rich at his best – creative, smart, fun, and always making sure that you’re having a good time, too. Rising Star Award Awarded to members of Lieutenant Commander rank or higher who show great promise in many facets of their participation in the group, and to whom we look to as a future leader. Officers who qualify for this award consistently demonstrate their capabilities in leadership and facilitation of their fellow officers, including a recognisable dedication in their In Character and Out of Character activities to enhance the community. Wes Greaves, USS ‘Oumuamua Presented by Ossa V’Airu: Jacob (Wes Greaves) won last year's Luminary Award for his impressive accomplishments up until then, including his excellent simming for and reimagining of Starfleet marines, as well as his leadership skills and the beginning of his participation in fleetwide taskforces. A year later, I'm delighted to recognize him with the Rising Star Award as, well, his star continues to rise! He follows in the eminent footsteps of Brian (aka Karrod Niac, formerly Geoffrey Teller), the only other simmer in the history of Starbase 118 to earn first the Luminary Award and then the Rising Star Award, and it’s been my absolute pleasure and honor to be a part of both their journeys. Jacob’s leadership skills have been further honed through membership in the Academy and as first officer of the Thor and ‘Oumuamua, and he further serves the fleet as a mentor on Thor and ‘Oumuamua and as a member of the ASDB. As of this awards season, he's in the midst of his promotion to full commander (lieutenant colonel, in Greaves' case, as he plans to remain a marine -- the only one to do so in the group's history while also serving as a commanding officer simultaneously!), and I confidently expect to see Captain (or Colonel!) Greaves before long, and for Jacob to become a steadfast member of Starbase 118's fleetwide staff. Jacob is also the well-deserved recipient of the Strange Medallion this year, and his nominations for that award and the Rising Star came from friends and colleagues from across the fleet, who both sang Jacob’s praises and helped to put those praises into a fleetwide context. “From the very beginning,” one nomination noted, “he’s been kind, level-headed, has sought to work out what is best for the group as a whole and has always tried to encourage those in the group.” Another said that, “His reputation proceeds him and he's earned the respect of those beyond the bulkheads of his own ship.” Yet another, from a newer member of the ‘Oumuamua crew, said that he was “instrumental in guiding us, while still encouraging us to come up with creative solutions of our own to get out of the perilous situation. OOC, via email and through discord, Major Greaves is usually the first to offer a helping hand when anyone has questions. He is always reliable.” One final quote: “He has fun, but even more wants others to have fun.” And while Jacob’s qualities are many, ultimately this is what I want to see in someone the whole fleet recognizes as a rising star: He’s having fun, and he wants to help everyone else have fun, too. It’s my privilege to recognize an extremely deserving Jacob with this year’s Rising Star Award. Luminary Award Awarded to members holding the rank of Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, or Lieutenant. Officers qualifying for this award have shown outstanding promise in their future endeavors by displaying their skills in leadership, dependability, and dedication to the community. Trovek Arys, StarBase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: I am thrilled to be able to present this year’s Luminary Award to Sarah, aka Doctor Trovek Arys, Chief Medical Officer on StarBase 118 Ops! Sarah is a powerhouse simmer who was also recognized with Ops’ TOSMA award this year, and in the words of her crewmates her “dedication to creating better stories' ' is one of the most notable and driving factors of her simming. Able to sim consistently above full time, even as a Lieutenant JG Trovek Arys was capable of leading away teams, coming up with creative solutions for plot complications and being able to offer tags to other simmers that opened doors for them to join into the action. During shore leaves, she was masterful at creating side plots and actively invited other players to join in. When asked to join Ops’ staff she was quick to jump in and lend a hand and soon was performing far above her rank and helping with administrative details including wiki upkeep, mission summaries, mid-mission and weekly plot updates as well as quickly mastering mentoring skills to touch base with her fellow crewmembers. You might know Trovek Arys from Discord, where she is an active and welcoming chat member, who is quick to say hello. She’s also an amazingly supportive member of the forum community and frequently posts in the appreciations forums, not only recognizing her crewmates, but initiating a positive conversation around appreciation sims from other ships. In this, you can clearly tell Sarah has a love of simming and the stories that we can make possible in a game like this. But one of the best qualities about Sarah is that she is brave enough to look at something and give constructive criticism. Sometimes getting quality feedback is difficult, and having someone who can look at how we run a ship and how we structure our missions and she raises compassionate yet critical feedback is both rare and intensely valuable. It started an ongoing discussion on ‘how can we do better?’ and Ops had markedly improved because of her feedback. But what truly makes her an outstanding up-and-coming leader isn’t just that she started a conversation with great feedback - but that she was also willing to put in the hard work alongside other staff members to make things better. She’s implemented a weekly mission report that helps keep all players on the same page with the mission and together Ops staff was able to update and clarify their wiki and player’s handbook to update old and outdated information to match new simming and story standards. Sarah dug right in and started doing the wiki updates once a consensus was reached on staff. This is the mark of a true leader in the community - one who is willing to be brave enough to say ‘this could be better’ and committed enough to then follow through and help make it better. As this game grows, it will continue to improve, and we need brave, dedicated individuals like Trovek Arys who love simming and see the potential our sims have to bring meaningful stories to life. It is a joy to work with her and I look forward not only to the stories we have to tell together, but watching how she grows and can help the game grow and improve in the future! It is my privilege to honor Sarah as our Luminary for 2399! Locutus Award Awarded to members of the Publicity Team who go above and beyond their monthly requirements for participation on a regular basis. These team members are enthusiastic about spreading the word about our role-playing community and are actively looking for new methods to draw people into the fold. Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Presented by Kalianna Nicholotti: Having led a number of taskforces and worked with tons of people over the years, I can speak to the ever-changing landscape of officers who come and add their personal touch to a project for a while and then leave again. It's nice, of course, to have so many willing to jump in here and there, but at the same time, having a set, stable core to rely on over the long haul is a cornerstone of any successful team. Over the relatively short time that the Social media team has been in place publicizing our group, Samira Neathler has been a steadfast and stable pillar around which so much else is done. Without Samira's consistent additions, posts, and input, the team would be nowhere near where it is and our social media accounts, particularly Facebook, would not be so active, alive, and interactive. Knowing we are active does so much to help push people to join, even if they aren't interacting with the posts themselves. Sometimes just seeing them can spur them to put in an application. Thus, though this may sometimes seem like a repetitive or even boring job, I can attest to the value and importance. To that end, for the efforts, time, care, and attention put into this job, I am proud to present the Locutus Award to Samira Neathler! Thank you for all you do, and I look forward to another year of working with you! Sarpeidon Award Awarded to members who have made outstanding contributions to the 118Wiki. Sarpeidon was the world in TOS's "All Our Yesterdays," in which the planet's population created a library containing their entire world's history. This is, in essence, what our wiki strives to become: a collection of our group's history and a simming database. Maz Rodan, USS Arrow Presented by Randal Shayne: When the Arrow was commissioned, one of my preparations included creating the wiki pages for her. I was like a kid in a candy store, yoinking this style and that template and- ooh, that’s a cool GIF…! It was too much, and I quickly realized I’d need help in building and maintaining our nascent pages. Everyone, at some point, has had a hand in contributing to our wiki, but Lieutenant Commander Maz Rodan is the one who not only built upon the framework, but has maintained it, and grown it, in the two years since we’ve been launched. When I head to the Arrow page, I’m always tickled to find that it looks just as sharp as before, but now with up-to-date links. The alert icon in the corner fits the status of the ship. Changes, major and minor, can be found with every new addition of information to ensure that it’s all presentable. His work is not limited to the Arrow- all across the wiki, we can enjoy his input, either as a result of direct contributions or advice and guidance that he helps other players with. His consistency, willingness to help out, and desire to make the wiki the best it can be is why I am truly proud to present this distinction to David, with my thanks. Boothby Award Awarded to a trainer who has gone above and beyond their Academy Training Requirements. These trainers provide an excellent example of commitment to bringing new cadets into our community, strong leadership and innovation to encourage new members into simming, and are continuously offering successful and imaginative training programmes. Genkos Adea, USS Excalibur-A Presented by Quinn Reynolds: I love presenting this award! It gives me a chance to honour one of our fabulous training team and thank them for investing their time and energy in one of the fleet’s most important endeavours. Genkos Adea has proven himself one of the Training Team’s most dedicated members and volunteers regularly, in any post that’s needed. He brings his trademark wit to the role and ensures that classes big and small run smoothly, guiding both the training team members and cadets through the week with patience and positivity. The nominations spoke not just of the cadets who learned from him and thanked him in their feedback, but also staff who’ve used his leadership and mentoring as a gold standard when stepping into the CO roles themselves. High praise, and very well deserved, and it’s for this reason I am delighted to present Genkos Adea with the 2022 Boothby Award! Quark's Bar Awarded to members who are regularly active on the chat room, and forums, and have been supportive and involved in conversations enhancing the overall community experience with activities like keeping a quote thread up to date, consistently nominating simmers in the Appreciations forum, starting engaging chat discussions, attending chat events regularly, or being a helpful presence for new players. Ikaia Wong, Amity Outpost Presented by Roshanara Rahman: If you visit the fleet Discord server, you’re going to run into Ikaia Wong’s writer S4RK at some point. If the StarBase 118 Discord server is like the titular bar that this award is named after, then S4RK is no doubt our Morn! And just like those on Deep Space 9 often noted how much Morn talked with other patrons at Quark’s and added to the life of that establishment, S4RK is a beloved presence on the 118 Discord server. They were nominated by not one, not two, but six separate players for this award! For an award based on one’s impact in a community forum like the Discord server, it only seems fitting to quote the people directly who enjoy what S4RK brings to this venue every day. Here are just a few select excerpts from some of those nominations: “S4RK, Ikaia Wong's writer, is a constant presence on the Discord, always a cheerleader wanting to ensure that the chat areas are fun and welcoming. He shares his art and animations with his fellow fleetmates and he engages with them in interesting conversations about life, Star Trek watch-alongs, and other musings.” “Wong. Wong, Wong, Wong. Where to begin with Wong? [...] He's always finding ways to chat and perk people up in Discord, like coming up with games, or posing questions.” “What I also like is the way he makes us part of the little projects he does, either OOC or even IC. [...] If there's one person who's spreading a positive vibe on Discord, it's Ikaia Wong.” “They embody the very essence of this award through their kindness, humor, engagement, and helpfulness.” I want to end this citation with a particularly poignant comment from one of Wong’s nominators: “It is warming to see Ikaia spread his big heart beyond the Amity channel and bring his joy to the entire fleet. In recent times of RL darkness, Wong brings the light that the world needs.” I wholeheartedly agree! Congratulations, S4RK and thank you for all the joy you bring to our Discord server and community! The Xalor Clan Xifilis Award Awarded to simmers who overcome a disadvantage throughout simming. This award was initially known as the "Rachel Garett Pendant," but was renamed for the 2000 event to commemorate a valued StarBase 118 PBEM RPG simmer who died that year. In each event, this award can be given to all qualifying simmers. Connor Dewitt, USS Arrow Presented by Randal Shayne: The past few years have tested all of us, and though the consistency and dedication shown by our members is universally impressive, there are some challenges overcome that make me sit back, shake my head and chuckle in amazement. One of these individuals is Tim, who writes for Arrow’s Connor Dewitt. It’s one thing to work on overcoming a language barrier, but to do so in a way that earns him the TOSMA, on top of building a house? Impressive and remarkable. It’s this sort of thing that inspires me to do my best daily, and in recognition of challenges met head-on, I am pleased to remark upon Tim’s success and contributions with the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award. R'Ariel, USS Arrow Presented by Randal Shayne: When you aren’t feeling your best, just finding the motivation to write three times a week can be a struggle. Insisting on high-quality writing each time must feel monumental. But to then balance all of this alongside a cheerful and soulful attitude and a genuinely helpful outlook? That takes a strength I’m not sure I could match, and yet Lieutenant Commander R’Ariel makes it her modus operandi. In many ways, Kat is not just the counselor IC- her writing is provocative and soothing and depthful to the point where I feel like I’m being counseled alongside my character. Her ability to balance exquisite character growth, conflict, and helpful anecdotes makes her a singularly unique individual in my time here, and it is my pleasure to recognize her determination with the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award. Sera, USS Juneau / Denali Station Presented by Oddas Aria: Sometimes the biggest challenges are those that come within, the doubts, the anxieties, and the constant fears that what you are doing is not enough among your peers. Sera not only faced these fears in the past year, but destroyed them, constantly turning in superior work that amazed her peers, staff, and Commanding Officer alike. She does so with “kindness, humor, and love” and, in the words of the nomination “I feel like I've been able to be more comfortable with my own struggles, and my growth into better things because of Hope's friendship, vulnerability, and openness about things she's dealt with, and her willingness to just be there.” Congratulations Sera, you deserve it and much more! Trovek Arys, StarBase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: As StarBase 118 has grown and matured, the way we approach the game and its players has changed. With the addition of Discord and better open channels of communication we start to understand that while we write the game in English, there are so many incredible players across the globe that have English as a second language. And often we don’t even realize this because their skills at writing are so good. As her nominator puts it: “ I have always been amazed at those who are able to speak more than one language, but even more amazed when that second language is English. English is not an easy one to learn, has many rules and just as regularly breaks them. To then go beyond and actually write fiction in a language that is not one’s native tongue is even more astounding!” Lieutenant Trovek Arys, however, does just that. Born speaking German, she also knows English, but she does more than simply know it - she uses it artistically to create beautiful sims and engaging characters. She doesn’t just write something and do the bare minimum, either, she always engages in the scene and adds her own flair. She goes above and beyond, in any language and I am so proud to be able to recognize her accomplishments! Vitor Tito, StarBase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: One of the wonderful things about SB118 is how many people there are from all over the world. It never ceases to amaze me at how much of the globe is represented in our group which, when you think about it, isn’t all that large considering. Even more astounding is how many of our members are from other countries where English is not the native language. Bruno, the player behind Lt. JG Vitor Tito is one such member. Hailing from Portugal, he lives in a land that speaks a language very different from our sim, and yet he participates using English and does so beautifully. His characters are fun and engaging, and I know that there are times our language doesn’t make sense, and yet he navigates it so well despite that. Furthermore, it has been absolutely beautiful to watch his mastery of both writing and the English language grow over his long tenure on StarBase 118, and with each new sim he gains a better ability to describe the struggles his characters are going through and he continues to connect with his audience on a whole new level. This consistent improvement is not only compelling to read but absolutely inspiring and a great reminder that we are all on a journey to improving our communication skills. I am so happy to be able to recognize all of Bruno’s hard work for so many years and so proud of how far you have come! The Community Champion Award Awarded to members who participate in – or help facilitate – simming community events, representing the best of StarBase 118 RPG to other organizations by hosting events, acting as contest judges, or otherwise contributing their expertise in a way that benefits the wider community. Jaelyne Isa, USS Chin'toka Presented by Mei’konda Delano: Consistent and well organized, Jim / Commander Jaelyne Isa has been facilitating our monthly Fleet chats on Discord for quite some time now. Jim is very well organized, and his predictable methods of encouraging conversation between disparate members of the fleet who are assigned to different vessels, people who may not always get many chances to communicate and catch up with what other ships are up to, is a highly valuable service that he provides to SB118. Northern Star Award Awarded to members holding the rank of Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander who show constant commitment to the fleet as members of task forces and through our other fleet endeavours. These officers are vital to the success of our fleet, showing their support and enthusiasm for their crews and our community through their tireless efforts. Alieth, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: Everyone in the fleet has seen Alieth’s fingerprints. As the facilitator of the Image Collective, she has not only helped many of our members realise an image of their character, but her art direction led the way in the fleet’s new branding, bringing a clean, bold and modern identity to 118. On top of that, she has been a driving force in establishing and increasing the fleet’s presence on Deviant Art—something which has brought in several new members! Her efforts are not restricted to the art and graphic design field, either. On the Gorkon, she’s a tireless member of the ship’s mentoring team, helping the fleet retain simmers by welcoming, guiding, and inspiring new additions to the fleet. She also gives her time to the training team, welcoming and teaching new cadets and expanding her own repertoire of skills. She supports and encourages her fellow simmers with her activity on the forums, highlighting the quotes and sims which stir the emotions. For everything she does, for her unfailing devotion and dedication to making our fleet a better (and prettier!) place to be a part of, I’m proud to present Alieth with the Northern Star Award. Jake Sisko Prize Awarded to members of the Federation News Service Team who regularly go above and beyond in their contributions and participation. These team members show dedication and creativity in editing and writing news reports, helping to maintain our IC news service, build the 118 universe and provide inspiration for our members. Yogan Yalu, USS Excalibur-A Presented by Jo Marshall: Wow, this is an honour! The Federation News Service holds a very special place in the heart of many article writers and article editors who dedicate a chunk of their time every month to expand on our universe. Making sure we have articles to go out every week is a feat in itself, and one Justin rises to with aplomb. Since coming back to the Fleet from his leave of absence, Justin has cracked forward with such vigour in the FNS, that it's left me astonished. He's got plans for the future of it, developing guides for our writers, hoping to bring more of our Fleet into the FNS fold. He writes fantastic articles that are the springboard for missions, for spin-offs, and never fails to come up with something utterly brilliant, insightful, and creative. Where he gets his ideas from, I'll never know, but it's a well I do not want him to stop tapping. For boundless enthusiasm that I couldn't stem even if I wanted to, total dedication to making the FNS the best it can be, and one astoundingly creative writer, I am incredibly happy to present Justin with the Jake Sisko Prize this year! Okuda Award Awarded to members of the Image Collective who regularly go above and beyond in their contributions to this team's efforts, creating images and graphics for the fleet. These team members display their artistry and dedication with a visual feast for members new and old, bringing our creations to life and stoking imaginations. Aine Sherlock, StarBase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: Recognized with the Vega award on ship, Aine Sherlock’s contributions to the fleet at StarBase 118 go well beyond just their own ship. Jared, the writer behind Aine is a prolific contributor to the image collective, and specializes in not only character portraiture but more complicated designs such as 3-D models, blueprints for locations and odd jobs such as memorial plaques, coffee designs and in-world signage. This amazing graphics talent helps to being our setting alive and invigorates our wiki! Aine’s skills are always growing and the player is not afraid to tackle challenges. Special thanks for all the hard work done on the 3-D models of Amity station as well as settings for the Excalibur-A and StarBase 118 Ops! It is commendable for a graphic artist to support their ship, but Aine goes above and beyond, supporting other ships and installations at a fleetwide level. Nominations from across the fleet recognized and thanked Jared for his willingness to work with others and incredible graphic skill. A true graphics wizard, a wonderful fleet supporter and an amazing player, I am thrilled to present Aine Sherlock with this year’s Okuda Award! It is very well deserved! Please join us in congratulating these talented players! Edited June 29, 2022 by Jo Marshall redirecting Rahman bio link to old wiki capture 15 1
Popular Post Wyatt Ral Posted June 28, 2022 Popular Post Posted June 28, 2022 Congratulations everyone 👏👏👏 6
Popular Post Serala Posted June 28, 2022 Popular Post Posted June 28, 2022 Congratulations to all our winners! Well deserved, each and every one of you! And many humble thanks for the Community Champion Award. I totally did not see that one coming. 9
Sera Posted June 28, 2022 Posted June 28, 2022 Congratulations to all! I'm thankful to have met such an interesting bunch of folks who happen to share an equally unhealthy love of Star Trek! 😁 3 1
Alcyone Brennan Posted June 28, 2022 Posted June 28, 2022 Congratulations to all! ❤️ You're all amazing 3
Ikaia Wong Posted June 28, 2022 Posted June 28, 2022 No doodle today. But congrats, y'all! You've all earned it! 2
Oddas Aria Posted June 28, 2022 Posted June 28, 2022 Congratulations everyone. @Sera there is no question you make Denali a better place, your award is deserved on so many levels I cannot begin to express it. Thank you as a member of your crew, and your CO. Great work Karise, just good work in all you do. Rich, if you don't know how much I hold you in esteem at this point, well there isn't much I can do about that - but truly this award could not go to a better player and contributor. When I joined up I naturally assumed you had been with the fleet forever, your presence was so engrained in everything, I can't imagine the place without you. Congratulations again! 2 1
Popular Post Sal Taybrim Posted June 28, 2022 Popular Post Posted June 28, 2022 Excellent work everyone! Fantastic job! WOW @Jalana - 10 years of being awesome?! Here's hoping to ten more of amazing stories. @Atan T'Seva - 15 years is remarkable!! I am so glad I have had the chance to sim with you over so many of those years! @Quinn Reynolds CONGRATS on 15 amazing years! You are a superstar throughout! I am so proud of @Arys - you have done such great work on Ops as a staff member and across the fleet! Thank you for all your great ideas and wonderful sims! @Vitor S. Silveira - I adore simming with you and I am so glad I get to sim with you again in a new face! You make the fleet a happier place when you are active! @Lt Aine Olive Sherlock - you do amazing work and I am so happy to have you as part of my crew! I love simming with you and love how much you do for the fleet! @Jaelyne Isa - Thank you so much for being such a wonderful steward of the Fleetwide chats! You have done an amazing job and I am so proud of all you have done with the chat team! and last, but certainly not least, @Rahman and Rivi Vataix - thank you so much for everything you have done for StarBase 118. You are a true and wonderful friend, an amazing admin and a great person to play a game with. Someday I would love to write many sims with you, but I appreciate every conversation we have and love working with you! Congratulations!! Fantastic work everyone!! 4 3
+ Arturo Maxwell Posted June 28, 2022 Posted June 28, 2022 Congratulations everyone, very well deserved! ❤️ 3
Alora DeVeau Posted June 28, 2022 Posted June 28, 2022 Congratulations everyone! Well done and well deserved! 3
Theo Whittaker Posted June 28, 2022 Posted June 28, 2022 Congratulations to everybody who has won an award! You truly deserve all of the platitudes- you’re an inspiration to al of us! 1
Popular Post Jordan aka FltAdmlWolf Posted June 29, 2022 Popular Post Posted June 29, 2022 Oh my gosh, it's crazy that we roll up the length of service awards with the special awards because there's so much to say about these folks! This is the day to recognize the people who have staying power and crazy amounts of extra-curricular motivation. First, I just want to say a hearty congrats and thanks to all the people who earned Length of Service awards this year. It's no small feat to make it a year! And from there, the list shrinks but the prestige grows. I really can't believe that it's been 10 years for @Jalana, and more than 15 for @Atan T'Seva and @Quinn Reynolds. You've all been incredible companions in this journey and I hold deep appreciation for everything you've brought to the community and your willingness to contribute your incredible creative energies to sustaining and improving this place. Without people like you, we would never have made it more than 28 years "in the biz." And that 15 year club is truly something incredible because only eight of us have made it at least that long out of the thousands that have passed through these hallowed halls. Onto the Special Awards, where we get a chance to really hone in on the folks who are putting in the special magic that make "everything else" work around here. @Rahman and Rivi Vataix earning the third Great Bird Award – which has been around since the 90s! That's incredibly special and shows just how much Rich has brought to our community. His creativity and imagination sparkles, but what it took to earn this award was not being afraid to apply all that. He brings to the table these innate abilities and learns new skills and is never afraid to try new things, make proposals, and be fearless. I love that about him. @Wes Greaves has been a "rising star" from almost the first day. I remember hearing buzz about him from the training class and thinking that if he made it past the first few weeks – I was a little worried that, as a member of the military, he might find fault in our failure to salute on the bridge! – he'd go really far. It's so much fun to trace his path from that day and see how he's been a great simmer, mentor, and now leader as the First Officer of the impossibly named USS ‘Oumuamua. I guess I can also piggy back on the "spoiler alert" in this presentation that he's also earned the Strange Medallion (which moved from the Duty Post awards into the Staff awards category this year and will be announced tomorrow on Day 3), doubling down on two major awards just to prove how great his contribution is in the past year. Can't wait to see what comes next for him! Thanks to @Samira Neathler who's been a force on multiple teams this year, but is being recognized with the Locutus Award for substantial contributions on the social media team – a real day-to-day responsibility that helps us maintain our search engine rankings and the communities we've cultivated outside the bounds of our forums and chat. We made this award because it's so important to have folks that are willing to contribute to these efforts and I really appreciate when someone brings the kind of energy required to win this award. And it's fitting that this award is about bringing new people into the fold because Neathler has also been an incredibly prolific member of the Academy Training Team! It's been 18 years since we established the wiki, and it's fun to see how this little corner of our community has cultivated its own culture. Many thanks to @Maz Rodan for all the contributions that led to receiving the Sarpeidon Award. Without people who are willing to dive in and learn more about how to code on the wiki, help others with tricky formatting and page-building, and help our captains maintain all the most important pages for their ships, it wouldn't thrive the way it does now as, dare-I-say-it?, the "Memory Alpha" of RPG wikis. Surely there are no other RPG wikis out there that even come close, thanks to people like Maz! Newer folks might not realize the utter insanity that is our training program and how incredible it is for @Genkos Adea and others to be recognized for the Boothby Award. Our training program began in the 1990s and now runs a class almost every single week of the year, rain or shine, 1 cadet or 6. Founded by Elinor of Kanist, this incredible – mostly hidden – piece of the community is staffed by dedicated Lt. Commanders and Commanders like Genkos who show up regularly and volunteer to help train new folks. There are miserable weeks, when we lose a whole class for one reason or another, and there are glorious weeks when we graduate six people at once. But mostly it's just a routine and above all, that's kind of the most important point? The fact that trainers are able to shine in a week-in-week-out cycle, learning new things every week and helping improve the program over more than two decades. Thank you to Genkos and everyone who makes it possible. It would be hard to have missed @Ikaia Wong's contributions to the Discord chat, where illustrations pop up regularly as the quirky Klingon character peeps shyly from behind a PADD. But folks like Wong make our chatroom a delightful and fun place to hang out. I have Discord open all day on my computer, which I'm at most of the day, and I often lurk and just watch the madness and fun unfold. I'm thankful for Wong's contributions that make me smile and everyone else who is always there, sorta like our own little version of Cheers – everyone knows your name. Speaking of making the community more fun, and Discord, we can't help but recognize @Jaelyne Isa with The Community Champion Award for helping facilitate our monthly chats every month. But it's not just the chats themselves that are so great, but also the preparation, which is like a 20-step process to ensure that the fleet is aware of what's coming up and that the events are planned! And I'm hugely grateful for the competent and diligent help in this area. I hold a very special place in my heart for @Alieth, who has been such a positive and wonderful presence. The Northern Star Award is kind of like a "best all around community member" recognition, and Alieth certainly deserves it. From being a delightful person to interact with on Discord, to bringing incredible graphics that have built on the work of Rich and Jess before her, we're on a whole new level now because of Alieth! She's always so helpful and thoughtful, providing encouraging feedback and great ideas. I'm very thankful of her contribution. The Jake Sisko Prize is fun one because our Federation News Service is so incredibly unique in the world of RPGs, and maintaining it is such a creative niche for us. Like, can you imagine any other RPGs having a spinoff group that is this diligently maintained, pumping out worldbuilding like a factory to help enrich their stories and where the motivation to sustain it is just "it's a hell of a lot of fun"? You know you're in a special community when you've got that. So thanks to @Yalu, who also brings my favorite bearded avatar to the table, for all of the creative energy that's gone in to helping develop and maintain FNS over this past year. What a wonderful talent! Once again we come back to folks who contribute beautiful imagery to the fleet for the Okuda Award, and thanks to Aine Sherlock for contributing many unique visions to the fleet. The graphical sparks that they contribute help make the game so much richer and more fun to participate in, and once again it's just important to remember how much time and effort goes into these kinds of contributions, above and beyond simming! Thank you. I almost forgot the Luminary Award, with up-and-comer Trovek Arys who inspired quite a few paragraphs of recognition from Com. Taybrim! We're so appreciate of new folks who bring this kind of enthusiasm to everything they do, learning the ropes by trying out many things and being willing to dive right in and learn how many things work. The fresh ideas of newer folks keep us young and ensure that we can iterate on what we do year after year, and also help invigorate the old folks like me on the staff who need that spark to help inspire us. Many thanks for what you've brought to Ops and the larger community. Finally, I can't forget all the folks who received the Xalor Clan Xifilis award. Many thanks to each of your for continuing to participate and contribute on a regular basis through challenging circumstances and trying personal situations. We so appreciate what you bring, despite how difficult it can be to show up and put in great work. 8 6
Connor Dewitt Posted June 29, 2022 Posted June 29, 2022 Congratulations to everyone! This community is a huge inspiration for me and the Award season - although it is my first - only underlines what a great community this is I am glad to be a part of SB118. My humble thanks to be among those, did not anticipate that 3
+ Vitor S. Silveira Posted June 29, 2022 Posted June 29, 2022 Again Congratulations not only to the recipients but to all this wonderful community. 10 hours ago, Sal Taybrim said: Excellent work everyone! Fantastic job! WOW @Jalana - 10 years of being awesome?! Here's hoping to ten more of amazing stories. @Atan T'Seva - 15 years is remarkable!! I am so glad I have had the chance to sim with you over so many of those years! @Quinn Reynolds CONGRATS on 15 amazing years! You are a superstar throughout! I am so proud of @Arys - you have done such great work on Ops as a staff member and across the fleet! Thank you for all your great ideas and wonderful sims! @Vitor S. Silveira - I adore simming with you and I am so glad I get to sim with you again in a new face! You make the fleet a happier place when you are active! @Lt Aine Olive Sherlock - you do amazing work and I am so happy to have you as part of my crew! I love simming with you and love how much you do for the fleet! @Jaelyne Isa - Thank you so much for being such a wonderful steward of the Fleetwide chats! You have done an amazing job and I am so proud of all you have done with the chat team! and last, but certainly not least, @Rahman and Rivi Vataix - thank you so much for everything you have done for StarBase 118. You are a true and wonderful friend, an amazing admin and a great person to play a game with. Someday I would love to write many sims with you, but I appreciate every conversation we have and love working with you! Congratulations!! Fantastic work everyone!! Thank you so much Jamie. I always loved simming with you and I am really proud of how far and long you have been with us. 3
Popular Post Oddas Aria Posted June 29, 2022 Popular Post Posted June 29, 2022 Hi everyone, There was a slight discrepancy with some bookkeeping and, thanks to some sleuthing by some top brass, it has come to our attention that @Ashley Yael has also earned themselves a 10-year Service Award, having served, as of total, 11 years and 2 months. Please join me in celebrating such a momentous milestone, it is truly a major accomplishment! Thank you for service! 7
Popular Post John Kendrick Posted June 29, 2022 Popular Post Posted June 29, 2022 Can’t believe I’ve been part of this great community for over a year now 😄. Congratulations everyone 👍! I had the honor and pleasure to write with some of the Special Award winners when they served aboard the Juneau. @Arys @Vitor S. Silveira it’s great to see you both get an Award for all your hard work and fantastic stories. Also proud to see two of my fellow Denalizens, @Sera and @Jaelyne Isa (doc Indobri) up there too. Well deserved ❤️! 4 1
Maz Rodan Posted June 29, 2022 Posted June 29, 2022 Many congrats to everyone! Very well done. 18 years since the launch of the wiki? That’s incredible. I remember when it was just one page 😂 Congrats! 1
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