"Oh, great.  Another Star Trek fleet," you say.  "Let me guess - I get to start off as a cadet, maybe an ensign somewhere... and you probably want me to complete some hokey training or whatever, right?  If I play well enough for some subjective standards over the period of months - or years - I might get promoted, maybe actually impact the storyline one day."

This sort of thing may be true in some fleets; Draconis Fleet doesn't work like that.  Everyone is welcome to come play!  If the GM for your game likes your concept, you can be a department head from day one - maybe even executive officer of your sim.  Or, if you like, you are absolutely free to start your own sim right now.

Star Trek: Draconis Fleet is simply our way to have the multiple affiliated Star Trek sims here at the Red Dragon Inn operate in a similar manner, within one given continuity, under a common set of guidelines.  This rules/FAQ post is here for all sims to refer to, and allows players familiar with our rules here to seamlessly step into other games.

Please do understand that these rules are intended to serve as a guideline.  As should always be the case in any game, your particular GM has the final word as to how any rule is applied, interpreted, or ignored in their own game. 

Please bookmark this thread and feel free to refer back to it at any point, link to it from your game, etc.

Star Trek: Draconis Fleet games at the Red Dragon Inn are done as "moderated freeform".  In other words, your GM (who usually fills the role of the Commanding Officer of your sim's ship or starbase) will lay out the main plot points of the story.  The various player characters each contribute to the story from their character's point of view.  Players are free to introduce side plots and details, though it is always good form to check with your GM to be sure that your ideas are okay (if you bring in a Borg invasion when the storyline is around a First Contact mission, your GM will be justifyably upset). 

Feel free to have your character be a hero of the story.  However, it's no fun for anyone if one character is always THE hero of the story.  Seek team solutions.  Collaborate with others.  Don't hog the spotlight!

In general, you control your player character fully.  It is never okay to post actions for another character or to put words in their mouths without the approval of that player.  You can reasonably assume that other PCs will follow orders, but it's still a good idea to give them a chance to respond, make comments, etc.  The OOC (out of character) tag is ideal for this.  Example:

"Lieutenant, put together an AWAY team and meet me in the transporter room in five minutes," said Commander Smith. 

OOC: assuming there is no issue

Smith checked his own sidearm and headed for the turbolift. 

Now, even the most populated Star Trek sim typically only sees PCs in the role of a small percentage of the crew members aboard a given ship (let alone, space station).  The remainder of the beings aboard are NPCs (which may or may not be populated on your sim's roster).  It is common for players to control NPCs - most often, junior officers or enlisted personnel within their own department.  If your GM allows, you may also have NPCs in other departments. 

Much like with other people's PCs, it is never cool to control someone else's NPC without checking with that player first.

Table of Contents (click a link to jump to that section)

1. Post formatting
2. Rank info and such
3. Chain of command
4. Game resources
5. Typical roles and their duties
6. Notes on the Star Trek: Draconis setting
7. How to join Draconis Fleet

Posts in a Trek game need to be structured, else things quickly devolve into chaos. Therefore, I ask that you follow some guidelines.

First, start every post off with the date, location, and the time (in 24 hour, or military, format). We will be using "actual" dates insted of true stardates, as stardates are much more difficult for the casual player to keep up with. You will hear Captain Drake reference these in character, however. If anyone cares, our trek tools page include a stardate calculator.

Your post header should look something like this:

Stardate: 2365.02.12
USS Peregrine, Main Engineering - 1615

The beginning of a post goes here...

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The very nature of a Trek game - with everyone working independently - means that there will always be several storylines going at once. If we wait for one another, the game will almost immediately become so mired down that we won't be able to continue. By giving our posts headers, we're able to back post, change scenes, etc, without too much confusion.

Please stay on the same mission day, except when backposting. In other words, if the rest of the ship is on day three, the CSO doesn't need to be sharing the discoveries he makes on day five. It's okay to go back and post a conversation you might have missed, but don't go ahead. The Captain's main function is to keep the story as organized as possible - we do this by regulating mission dates.

Be creative. Improvise. Add wrinkles to the plot. It's perfectly acceptable for the chief engineer to suddenly report a problem with the transporters just as we're about to visit a planet's surface. Maybe he'll need to fix it, or maybe the need for us to go is so pressing that we're forced to take shuttles.

If there's a problem on the table, don't be afraid to come up with solutions. If you have any doubts or questions, post here in the Q&A thread, PM me directly, or email me.

Please, by all means, create NPCs as needed. If you're the chief of security, you'll obviously need security personnel to flesh out your duty roster. We won't be having twenty people playing those roles, so you'll need to create them.

There's no need to go so far as to create a bio for most of them, but if you plan to use them in a recurring role, it wouldn't be a bad idea.


Now, then... don't be that creative! Don't "God mode" - i.e., don't play your character in such a way that he solves every problem without help, knows the answer to every question, never has any trouble, etc. Share the spotlight - everyone deserves a chance to contribute on the missions. Don't control someone else's NPC without conferring with them first.

Never, ever control another person's main character.  It's okay to make reasonable assumptions, but post them as such. This is bad:

Captain Drake nodded to Commander BillyBob. "So commander, what is your plan?" he asked. The commander paused for a moment, then spoke, "Captain, we should fire up the xyz in order to make the abc work correctly."

In this case, I'm posting the commander's intentions and speech for him. No, no no.

Better:

Captain Drake nodded to Commander BillyBob. "So, commander, what is your plan?" he asked.

OOC: assuming BillyBob shares the plan...

Drake nodded again. "Carry on," he stated.

I'm reacting to what I anticipate the answer to be, but giving myself edit room if it happens differently than I expect. I am not controlling the commander.


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Format your posts.

This is a writing intensive game, and we all have different styles of posting. That's fine, but we want some standards, so that no one is confused.

Speech should always be included in quotes.

"How are you doing today, ensign?" Drake asked.

No bold, no other colors. Just quotes.

Internal throughts should be italicized.

Why does he keep blathering on? his players wondered.

Communictions via a communicator or other device is set aside with a special symbol.

Captain Drake keyed the intercom. "Drake to engineering."

=/\= Engineering, Thompson here. =/\=

"Thompson?" Silas asked. "Where is Commander Kennedy?"

There was a moment's hesitation before the reply.

=/\= Commander Kennedy is a little... preoccupied right now, sir. =/\=

Computer speech uses this same notation. It might seem cumbersome at first, but this makes the posts so much easier to read!

Your GM will play the role of your sim's commanding officer (typically, a Captain or Commander), but understand that the CO is as much a plot device as a player character.

Chain of command does matter. The command staff of the vessel often acts in something of a "helper GM" role to the GM, and their orders carry full authority and weight. I doubt that will ever be an issue, but I wanted that to be clear.

Note that our version of Trek is slightly more military than that often portrayed on the various TV shows. Unless a superior officer has given you leave to act more informally, assume that you should salute, make formal reports, etc. Pay attention to the standard forms of address (which basically mimic those of Her Majesty's Navy):

Superior officers are always referred to as "sir" (unless you are using the proper rank address below). This is regardless of gender. Likewise, the term "mister" is pretty universal, regardless of gender.  While it is technically okay to use feminine pronouns, you should understand that in Star Trek, some species have more than two genders, some have none, etc.  Ergo, "sir" and "mister" have lost essentally all gendering by the 24th century.

All flag officers are always called "Admiral", regardless of grade. A commodore is called "Commodore".

The captain (or commanding officer) of a ship is always called "Captain", regardless of grade (such as when a commander is in charge of a smaller vessel, as is the case with the USS Peregrine).

A full commander is always called "Commander" - unless, as above, said Commander is in charge of a vessel. When under weigh, said officer would be referred to as "Captain".

A lieutenant commander is called "Commander", unless a captain (or higher) elects to refer to him as "Mister". However, doing so is giving offense, as it indicates that the lieutenant commander is a junior officer.

Junior officers (ensign up to lieutenant) are referred to by their ranks or by "Mister" Lastname.

Cadets or warrant officers are referred to as "Mister" Lastname.

NCOs are addressed solely by their rate (the term rate is prefered over "rank" for enlisteds). It is appropriate to address a petty officer (of any grade) as "Petty Officer". A chief petty officer is referred to as "chief", a senior chief petty officer is referred to as "senior chief", and a master chief petty officer is referred to as "master chief".

In addition, note that chief petty officers are expected to assist in the training of junior commissioned officers, so while the lowliest ensign may technically outrank a chief, the ensign would be wise to pay proper respect!

Enlisteds are typically referred to as "crewman" or "yeoman", without the last name attached.|

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Time in rank

For those looking to fill out your service record, these are the typical times spent at verious officer ranks. 

Ensign -  duration 1 - 4 years
Lieutenant Junior Grade (j.g.) - duration 2 - 4 years. usually referred to as "Lieutenant"
Lieutenant - duration 3 - 6 years
Lieutenant Commander - duration 4 - 8 years (can be permanent)
Commander - duration indefinite
Captain - duration indefinite
Fleet Captain - usually only a temporary rank
Commodore - duration indefinite
Rear Admiral - duration indefinite
Vice Admiral - duration indefinite
Admiral - duration indefinite
Fleet Admiral - duration indefinite
Commander in Chief, Starfleet - Usually 4 year posting

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Prior to commission

Starfleet Academy lasts for four years.  Many cadets will have first attended civilian university, though that is not always the case.  Science, engineering, and medical personnel are far more likely to have completed four years of university - if not graduate school - prior to the Academy.

Enlisted personnel do not attend Starfleet Academy, and instead complete Basic Training - which takes four months.  You will sometimes see very educated personnel in enlisted ranks, filling the roles of various specialists; but typically, enlisted personnel are of a good deal less training and education than officers.

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A note on gender and address

"Sir" and "mister" are considered to be gender neutral.  We are in the 24th century, and society includes species that have more than two genders, as well as those that have no gender.  Rather than risk ofense with "ma'am", "miss" or other intentionally feminine pronouns - to say nothing to trying to apply terms for nongendered or extragendered species, "sir" and "mister" ALWAYS apply, without any attachment to the 21st century ideas of gender.  This is not sexist, this is reflective of a society that has truly evolved beyond the concept of sexism.

Starships and starbases carry two types of officer - Line Officers and Staff Officers. 

Line officers come from the Command, Flight Control, Operations, and Tactical departments.  Staff officers come from Engineering, Medical, and Science departments. 

Line officers are part of the chain of command, while staff officers more or less exist outside of it.  Yes, there are ship Captains who have come from the traditional Staff departments, but these have taken command training and have served as more junior line officers prior to taking command of a ship.

There are no ties in the chain of command of a starship or starbase. Note that in all but the most catastrophic of situations, only line officers are eligible for command. This means that, even though the Chief Engineer and Ship's Doctor are higher in rank and have more experience, a green Ensign fresh from the Academy would theoretically command the ship first. That said, staff officers are afforded the same level of respect given to a line officer; their orders are still followed, etc. 

The chain of command itself flows from most to least senior, first in rank, then in seniority in that rank.  Say, Lieutenant A has eight years of experience in Starfleet, but has been a full Lieutenant for eighteen months.  Lieutenant B has seven years in Starfleet, but has been a full Lieutenant for two years.  In this case, Lieutenant B has seniority, and is higher on the chain of command than Lieutenant A. 

The only exceptions here might come with the designations of Executive Officer (aka XO or First Officer), Second Officer (2O), and Third Officer (3O - typically only a thing in large ships or starbases). 

These are titles designated by Command.  While they traditionally will follow the seniority model above, Command (either Starfleet or the Captain in question) may designate an individual with less experience as, say, 2O. 

Example: Lieutenant A is the Ops chief with six years in rank.  Lieutenant B is the Tac chief with four years in rank.  These are the two most senior, experienced line officers on the ship aside from the Captain and the XO.  Nominally, the Ops chief would be the Second Officer.  However, the Captain may feel that they trust the judgment of the Tac more, seeing them as an up and comer with real command potential, whereas the Ops chief is viewed more as an Operations specialist with a career that will not proceed beyond that department.  In that case, the Captain may elect to designate the Tac chief as 2O, instead. 

Unless your GM rules otherwise, you can treat the information at the tech specs section of Star Trek: a Call to Duty as complete canon in regards to startship technical info.  They have some wonderfully organized data there for virtually all common Starfleet vessels, as well as some on Klingon, Romulan, and Cardassian vessels. 

Memory Alpha is a superb canon source for a host of Star Trek info gleaned from the movies, television series, official documents, and so forth.  If you Google vitually any Trek-related topic, you'll almost certainly find information at Memory Alpha. 

Memory Beta is another great resource; it leans a little more towards fan-created items designed to fill in the gaps to be found in official Trek canon, but most of the time, it is outstanding. 

In a typical Trek game, you have a handful of "main characters", which more often than not are department heads.  There is often some confusion as to what each role is responsible for, so I figured that I would touch on them here.

Commanding Officer: this is the Captain of the vessel.  The CO makes all final decisions on what happens on the ship; their word is absolute law.  They are typically the only person to have direct contact with Starfeet Command.  If necessary, they will run matters of discipline - the NJP (non judicial procedure - aka "Captain's Mast")

The CO is the primary character played by the GM of the game, but in many ways, they are a plot device.  While there can be dramatic scenes and storylines around a CO, a good Trek game should involve the rest of the crew in solving problems and such; it should not be a simply telling of the Captain's adventures.


Executive Officer: the First Officer/XO is the Captain's right hand aboard the ship.  They interface with the crew, handling questions and discipline before they reach the captain, whenever possible.  The XO typically leads away missions; In the 24th century, Starfleet has long since abandoned the concept of the James Kirk style "punching Captain", as it just doesn't make a lot of sense to put the resource you have the most invested in to harm's way on a regular basis.  The XO often commands the ship when the Captain is not on duty.

On smaller ships, the XO may wear a second hat as the head of a department, but on larger ships, this is a dedicated role. 


Second Officer: the 2O fills much the same role as the XO, simply one step further down the chain of command.  If the CO and XO are both off duty, the 2O is probably in charge of the ship.  While many of the duties are largely symbolic or redundant, a Second Officer position indicates that the individual is on their way down the path of obtaining their own command some day. 

The 2O will almost invariably be a department head in all but the largest of vessels or space stations; it is extremely rare for this to be a dedicated role. 


Chief Flight Control Officer: this person is usually the primary Helmsman, so this is a bridge position.  They are also in charge of all flight operations on the ship or starbase; this includes shuttlecraft and shuttle bays, as well as any fighter craft. 

Flight Control is a line officer department.


Chief Tactical Officer: this person mans the tactical console on the bridge.  They are responsible for the shields and weapon systems, as well as for internal security.  The CTO can access scanner data for tactical purposes from their station. On larger ships, there may be a distinct Chief of Security, but that person will almost always still answer to the CTO, as Security folds into Tactical. 

Security maintains and operates the brig, as well as the ship's armory.  Note that on duty Security officers are always armed; other crew may or may not be.  The armory contains spare sidearms, as well as heavier weaponry. 

Tactical is a line officer department.


Chief Operations Officer: this person mans the operations console on the bridge.  They are responsible for the ship's scanners and communications systems here.  They are also in charge of the largest department on the ship; operations controls many systems (such as the transporters and computer), and also handle supply and requisition, personnel matters, catering and food services, damage control, hydroponics, and various personal areas (such as chaplains, recreation, and other interpersonal areas).

Operations is a line officer department.


Chief Engineering Officer: the chief engineer has access to the bridge, but typically works from engineering.  They are in charge of the engine room (warp drive, impulse engines), and they also handle the lion's share of any repairs, refits, or upgrades necessary on the ship.  They word hand in hand with damage control in times of crisis (damage control puts out the fires, engineering makes the repairs). 

Engineering is a staff officer department.   


Chief Science Officer: the CSO has access to the bridge, and will man a science station there in times where they are needed.  The CSO is in charge of all probes, as well as of the various research laboratories and special development projects.  The CSO can access and work in concert with the ship's scanners from the bridge, and can often bring extra insight there.

Science is a staff officer department. 


Chief Medical Officer: also known as the Ship's Doctor, the CMO has access to the bridge, but normally works out of sickbay.  They are responsible for the treatment of injuries, as well as for preventative care and the day to day wellness of the crew.  The CMO is in charge of the medical staff - any junior doctors, plus the nurses and technicians that make up the department.  Larger ships may have a Ship's Conselor; this individual reports to the CMO.

Ship's Counselor: this is a post that typically only exists on larger ships or starbases.  The Counselor is the primary mental health resource for the ship.  While they have access to the bridge, they usually work out of offices adjacent to sickbay.  This individual reports to the Chief Medical Officer.

Medical is a staff officer department. 

[RESERVED]

If you are a player looking for a game, you may want to check the "recruitment threads" area of our forum.  Any Trek games currently looking for players will advertise there.  Alternately, you can message the GM of any Trek game here to see if they have an opening.

If you are interested in starting your own Trek game, go for it!  You can add a sim to our Trek Tools, which will enable you to manage your roster and logbook there.  You'll be allowed to break your roster into any departments that you wish, as well as desinate the uniform colors for those. 

We typically recommend that you split a game into three forum thread:

1. The actual in character gaming thread
2. A Q&A thread where players can ask questions or chitchat about the game
3. A recruitment thread hwere you advertise the open positions you are trying to fill.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly, as I will be happy to provide as much help as you need.