Star Trek RPG - Setup thread

SG went to bed early, so I'll be presumptuous and answer for her. :devil: I actually just saw The Post tonight, and... wow, it was great. A must-see for any fan of good journalism dramas like Spotlight, Truth, The Insider, Absence of Malice, and of course All the President's Men--which would be the perfect second half of a double-bill if you see it streaming.

It crackles and speeds along, very intelligently written, a first-rate cast (Streep is masterful at subtlety, and Hanks is, as always, the guy you want running any venture headed for potential disaster), and a pair of subjects that resonate now more than ever.

It's all the more amazing for having been whipped out so fast. Spielberg apparently read a first draft of the script in early spring of this year, somehow got Hanks and Streep on board (how did they happen to be free?!*) along with a very deep bench of character actors like Bruce Greenwood and Bob Odenkirk, got John Williams to write a feisty score, and it was ready for previews by Thanksgiving! Maybe that helped keep it mean and lean, but even so, the paean to old-school newspaper technology was so beautifully shot that it doesn't look rushed, that's for sure.

Given the importance of historic court decisions and their impact on the freedom of the press, I think you in particular will find it fascinating. Although the subject won't be news (no pun intended) to you.

* I suspect both of them were lured both by the movie and the political importance of the film's message, which couldn't be more timely. Also, when Spielberg calls, I guess you're gonna pay attention. And the opportunity to act with one another for the first time(!) was probably icing on the cake.

Thanks! Now I will definitely see it. I thought Spotlight and All the President's Men, in particular, were both excellent.

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Originally posted by anthonydlangford

...“You.” Nathaniel says in a nearly accusatory tone. “What in the hell are you doing in here?”

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This is why everyone at Starfleet Medical calls him "Doctor Warm 'n' Fuzzy."

Hello again everyone. Just wanted to pop in to reintroduce Rangin, resurrected under this new screenname. Hi!


Edited by choie - Note that for tech reasons, I'm acting as a sort of 'post medium' for our friend. EH can confirm that Rangin's still the same player; cias can't access the board directly. He's writing, I'm merely passing it along.

Righto! Thanks, choie, and welcome back, Rangin. Love the avatar!

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

Righto! Thanks, choie, and welcome back, Rangin. Love the avatar!

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Uh-oh, is Rangin coming to dinner? Perfect way to rain on Graham's promotion parade! :eek:

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Originally posted by general_urko

Uh-oh, is Rangin coming to dinner? Perfect way to rain on Graham's promotion parade! :eek:

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Just imagine it from Rangin's point of view: he jumped out of a space station and will awake in a universe where Graham is now a superior officer! :devil:

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Originally posted by choie

Just imagine it from Rangin's point of view: he jumped out of a space station and will awake in a universe where Graham is now a superior officer! :devil:

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LOL :bravo:

Are we basically heading into the big captain's dinner?

I ask because I wasn't going to start Graham doing anything new if that was the case.

Either yes or no is fine with me, just checking...

Onward! :hist:

Ditto! I wasn't sure if Nia should text Graham or not. Will there be at least a little time before or after the dinner for Nia to give Graham her special gift?*

(SidonianGal would've asked, but she doesn't feel like logging in, the lazy cow!)


* and also the book. Heh.

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

Guillaume Vaudreuil

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Alors, c'est un bon nom, maître de jeu! :angel:

Tech question: Wouldn't it be the Helm Officer NPC who'd spirit the Yorktown out of orbit, rather than the gal at Nav? I know their jobs cross over a lot, but I've been sorta imagining the Nav to be like the GPS of a car, with the Helm taking on the roles of the steering wheel/gas pedal?

Merci!

I didn't mention who the Helm officer is, but yes, it would be him or her and not the person at Navigation who would actually move the ship.

ETA: I've changed the next-to-last paragraph of that entry, to add Onn at the Helm. This would be after her and Graham's rendezvous.

Just have to say, I love that Booker fell asleep before Onn came back to bed. Hilarious!

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

Just have to say, I love that Booker fell asleep before Onn came back to bed. Hilarious!

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I know, right? Heh.

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Originally posted by general_urko

He falls...no, flows...into a dark welcoming wonderful long-lost place.

"Sweet dreams, Jane," he whispers on the way.

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This whole post was really touchingly written, g-u, but that second-to-last line was especially lovely.

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Originally posted by choie

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

Just have to say, I love that Booker fell asleep before Onn came back to bed. Hilarious!

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I know, right? Heh.

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choie deserves all the credit for that (brilliant!) idea :bravo:

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Originally posted by general_urko

choie deserves all the credit for that (brilliant!) idea :bravo:

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Oh pshaw, the hilarity of the timing--while Nia was giving her reproductive monologue in the bathroom--was all yours!

Hmm, I forgot all about Kjarstaad! I'm interested to see if he and Graham will have any tension, post-OCIII and Kjarstaad's screw-up (or possible malicious 'prank') leaving Kylah to confront Mrs. Hsu alone. Pretty sure Graham dressed him down for that, and it was his report that (IIRC) caused a black mark on Kjarstaad's record.

Edited belatedly to add: just checked the Setup crew list post -- ooh, Kjarstaad was demoted as a result of that debacle! Ouchies. :devil:

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Originally posted by choie

Hmm, I forgot all about Kjarstaad! I'm interested to see if he and Graham will have any tension, post-OCIII and Kjarstaad's screw-up (or possible malicious 'prank') leaving Kylah to confront Mrs. Hsu alone. Pretty sure Graham dressed him down for that, and it was his report that (IIRC) caused a black mark on Kjarstaad's record.

Edited belatedly to add: just checked the Setup crew list post -- ooh, Kjarstaad was demoted as a result of that debacle! Ouchies. :devil:

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Yeah, Graham's inclination is to not rub salt in the wounds and let Kjarstaad kinda reset / restart with no words needing to be spoken (...Graham himself having been massively demoted). But of course a lot depends on Kjarstaad's reaction to taking orders from Graham...

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Originally posted by general_urko

Yeah, Graham's inclination is to not rub salt in the wounds and let Kjarstaad kinda reset / restart with no words needing to be spoken (...Graham himself having been massively demoted).

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Oh true, Graham's very much a forgive-and-forget, second-chance-giving kinda guy when it comes to guys behaving badly toward women he cares about.

(Glances meaningfully toward the unconscious figure of Rangin.) :D :D

But I suppose it's yet another Thin Blue Line (or rather, Thin Red-shirt Line). Yorktown security guys stick together in the end!

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But of course a lot depends on Kjarstaad's reaction to taking orders from Graham...

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Yeppers, that's what's also intriguing! I'm wondering how thrilled Kjaarstad will be after getting stripped of his higher rank due to Ensign Graham, only to find that same Ensign promoted to not just a higher rank, but ACoS.

And Graham's a pretty new officer to the ship, too, so it might not seem "his turn" to some of the longer-serving officers. I could understand some side-eyes going on amid a few of the more ambitious red-shirts. Seems like Graham having to navigate that would be an extra challenge.

Even the NPCs deserve some character arcs of their own. We've got so many of them with fascinating names and backgrounds, and I'm actually curious to know what goes on while we PCs are busy having our missions and personal drama.

Like, over the past 24 hours we've gotten tidbits of people feeling uneasy/looking odd (first whatshisname, er, the normally jovial Engineer whom Nia saw looking awfully glum, and now Friedman... something must be going on, right?)

Then again, y'all know I'm a continuity 'ho, and I looove seeing old plot/characterization threads being woven throughout stories, especially if it leads to conflict and obstacles to put in our heroes' way. It's a bit soapy but ain't nothin' wrong with long-running story arcs!

(That's why--although TNG is my sentimental favorite 'cause I love the characters so--for me, DS9 was the ne plus ultra of ST! Ron Moore and Co. excelled in continuity.)

Anyhoo, sorry for blabbing. However the game proceeds is cool with me!!!

Thanks! I always like to drop hints about stuff going on behind the scenes, either official or personal, for your crewmates. Some things you can discover, with a little or a lot of digging; some will remain hidden, just like in real life. And on we go....

+1 to DS9, DS9 and Babylon 5 were Holy Grails of "the arc" for me.

Yeah, Graham's not, like, genetically sexist, but there's brotherhood/sisterhood of red shirt that definitely skews his behavior...

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Originally posted by general_urko

+1 to DS9, DS9 and Babylon 5....

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What about DS9?

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

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Originally posted by general_urko

+1 to DS9, DS9 and Babylon 5....

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What about DS9?

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There was an arc within the arc, I swear it, if you playback each episode backwards in backwards order from how they aired...

I remember it well. I just wish you'd mentioned DS9 - a curious oversight.

Eh, 1200 wise guy, Graham replies to Mahmoud.

I was distracted thinking about DS9.

Oh dear! Okay, see, now we're at the point where a player's scientific ignorance is hindering her character!

I was going on the--erm, wait. Note to SidonianGal: you don't mind if I use the perpendicular pronoun when referring to you, do you?

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Originally posted by choie

(Note to SidonianGal: you don't mind if I use the perpendicular pronoun when referring to you, do you?)

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No problemo, babe. Rock on.

Awesome, thanks. Okay, so as I was about to say, I was going on the assumption that when a ship/object is travelling at a speed of X, something cutting the engine (for the sake of argument) wouldn't slow the ship to a stop, not in a vacuum. Barring running into some asteroid, comet or planet or whatever, wouldn't the ship keep going at the same speed/course?

Of course now that I think of it, warp bubbles probably work in some weird 4th dimensional way, and it wouldn't be physically possible for a ship to continue at warp if the engines went dead and lost the warp bubble. Right?

Thing is... I wouldn't know that 'cause I'm not a Starfleet expert. And given Kylah's not the brightest bulb in the drawer lately, she probably wouldn't know/remember it either. (Especially given her empathy toward the idea of a helpless crew, which overrides logic, as usual.) So it's okay that she didn't make the warp connection.

But Nia... Nia should know this stuff as well as anyone on the ship. So now I've gone and embarrassed her. :) Can anyone think of a reason I/SG can use for why she thought it might be adrift that doesn't make her look like a flake rather than the expert she is?

(Unless somehow ships might still travel at warp without engines, but I really doubt that...)

Hm, at non warp speed I think the upshot is that something in a vacuum keeps going (I recall an SF story or video game mentioned that mass throwing weapons in space might give somebody far away a real s**t sandwich if they missed their initial target).

Warp though -- doesn't a warp field "collapse" in ST when things go wrong? Does that mean a ship stops?

A starship would drop out of warp and but keep moving at a high sublight velocity if its warp field failed, or collapsed, or was simply turned off. It wouldn't come to a complete stop, although it might slow further or be diverted in its course if acted upon by the gravitational well of a star, planet, moon etc., or latched onto by a tractor beam.

Maybe Onn could simply say she misunderstood or misheard Antonov's initial report.

Ouch--if a ship going several multiples of the speed of light were to drop out of warp all of a sudden like that, it had better have some amazing inertial dampers! :)

Mishearing is the only thing I can think of, EH. Nia might be saved from too much embarrassment now that her early guess seems to have been borne out... although alas, she didn't voice it aloud, so she gets no bonus points.

(The original issue still remains. I cringe at being so scientifically ignorant that it makes Nia look like a doofus! See, now this is the reason I should've paid more attention in Physics back in high school. Never thought I'd need that stuff, but 30 years later it comes back to haunt me!

Well, at least Kylah's mistakes can be hand-waved away by her angst-du-jour/flakiness/PTSD/inexperience.)

All good points. Wish i could come up with a better response. Sorry.

Your response was fine! It's my lack of expertise that letting poor Nia down. I'll just have to improvise and hope I can fake it.

New question for you, o mighty GM: So how much leeway does a BDCO have to make a little course change like this? Would Nia be required (or at least well advised!) to contact Vargas / Singh to ask permission?

(Hope you don't mind the questions. This too feels like something that Nia--who's on a command track, after all--would know like the back of her hand. So I figure it makes more sense to clarify this out-of-game. Also might be helpful for any future rounds when someone else will be in a similar situation.)

A course change would probably be within the Bridge Command Duty Officer's discretion - but the Captain might appreciate hearing about it ahead of time, just the same.

Makes sense, thanks, EH!

I am outraged that you felt it necessary to link to explain the "42" reference, Mr. EH! Surely you know the geeks you're playing with by now! :) :hug:

Well, you never know just how far, or in what directions, people's geekery extends....

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

Well, you never know just how far, or in what directions, people's geekery extends....

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To the end of the universe, I'd say. ;)

Speaking of references, hope you didn't mind the nod to Thingol there. Seemed appropriate under the circumstances.

Apparently Rangin is so engrossed with his reading material that he didn't hear Bennett's question!

Okaaay, I'll bite. What the heck is an "FIEI"? Federation.... something something something, I gather? (Look at me, makin' with the Sherlockian ratiocination!)

Edited to add: Having eyesight restored, I just spotted it -- "Federation Interstellar Exploratory Institute."

Nevermind. </litella>

I'm gonna stop posting and just read the Nia - Kylah interactions:):popcorn:

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Originally posted by general_urko

I'm gonna stop posting and just read the Nia - Kylah interactions:):popcorn:

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:D It's kind of fun to have characters who don't particularly like each other.

But I am trying to have Nia interact with Graham. It's difficult to get personal with these pesky colleagues around us.

Get a room, you two! ;)

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

Get a room, you two! ;)

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Nia tried, it didn't work! Why do you think she's so pissy?

BTW if any of the sensor crap I just wrote in Kylah's latest post makes some sorta sense, I win at ST technical research, via Trek message boards, Quora answers and various ST novels available via Google. Although the "dual-phase pulsing transponder" technobabble is ^TM me. :)

Most impressive.

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Originally posted by SidonianGal

Every one of us has been drilled on the importance, the delicacy, involved in First Contact scenarios. They're unpredictable by their nature. So we have no idea how these hypothetical aliens will perceive that message. Or how they'll react. That's why we use sensor masks with probes in the first place."

She glances around to see if everyone finally sees her point. It's incomprehensible to her why most of these folks don't get it, while she and Kylah--frickin' Kylah of all people!--do.

Then it hits her. Oh yeah. I'm dealing with a half-dozen humans and a Vulcan who've been in the Federation as long as they've lived. They have no clue what it's like to be one of those aliens.

To them, the Federation is benign and safe, has the good of all races and peoples in mind. So how could anyone misunderstand its intentions?

But that's not how everyone views them--Nia's planet, for a start. Sidonia's impending death is the only reason her people had to cry out for help. Even then, most Sidonians distrust Starfleet and the Federation. They're at the mercy of Starfleet's goodwill, such as it is, and not surprisingly, Sidonians don't like asymmetrical relationships. In fact, they resent the hell out of that.

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:bravo:

Nicely done s a foil to Graham's response, which was entirely about whether the Federation could handle potentially hostile aliens - not at all about how aliens might feel about being probed the Federation!

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Originally posted by general_urko

:bravo:

Nicely done s a foil to Graham's response, which was entirely about whether the Federation could handle potentially hostile aliens - not at all about how aliens might feel about being probed the Federation!

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Aw (blush) thank you! Let's face it, being probed ain't what it's cracked up to be! Well, depending on who's doing it. :devil:

But yeah, it suddenly hit me that the only people on the Bridge worried about the aliens' reactions were the two non-Federation crew members, and the rest came pretty easily. And Graham's reaction made perfect sense for him as a security guy: his first priority is the safety of the Yorktown crew, after all.

Antonov still doesn't get it, bless his heart. (He still thinks the problem is the probe not working.) But again, he's a scientist first and foremost, so that's where his mind is focused. Everyone's pretty much acting well in character.

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On a different subject... I was very saddened to hear about Alan Bean's death this week. Of course, he had a long, fulfilling life, but I hate that we're losing most of the moon-walkers... and naturally it'll only get worse as time goes by.

I seem to remember having Nia tell Graham about a mishap at the Academy where she and some fellow cadets were supposed to be going aboard the Bean, and of course Nia made a crack about being powered by flatulence. This got her in trouble with the instructor, who blasted her for being disrespectful and demanded a report on the history of Earth astronaut pioneers. :)

Anyway, Tom Hanks wrote a touching note on Bean's website about his having been the only artist to walk on the moon, and how fortunate we were to get that unique perspective that only art can achieve. Very true and a lovely sentiment.

Seems fitting for Memorial Day somehow.

Quite so - all the best to each of you, and rest in peace, Mr. Bean.

Hey gentlemen. I'm traveling via train down to Florida (as I write this we're probably in one of the Carolinas, maybe? oops, just checked--nope, still in Virginia. Geeze this state is tall!) for a brief writing retreat / intensive workshop thingy from Thursday through Monday. I'll certainly be able to check in at least once a day, but it might be at odd hours. The schedule is packed from 9am - 10pm each day, yipe! Anyway, just wanted to let you know on the off-chance someone notices Kylah and Nia are responding less frequently.

Now is Tsu gonna answer Nia or is your BCDO* gonna have to bring the pain?


* Got it right! But on the second try, believe it or not. Dang my mind is stubborn!

Tsu is really gender-fluid, isn't s/he? :devil:

Dammit!