Newsletter/January 2006

Newsletter for January 2006, Star Trek: Freedom

News from the Front

• USS Nimitz: The Nimitz is currently orbiting Starbase Geneva in a hope to help them discover who attacked Counsellor Lronen (A counsellor who should have been transferring to the Nimitz) -- Posted by Jono

• USS Boudicca: The Boudicca is on a mission to deep space, and is attempting to flush out a lab where Doenitz grows his 'special' weapons...

• USS Spectre: The Spectre is on the trail of Rondar Nell, the Federation President at the time of Doenitz's took over the Federation.

• USS Dennison: The Dennison's Crew is investigating a series of attacks on board by an unknown assailiant. Will the crew pull together or fall apart?

• USS Mystique: Docked at Starbase Geneva and is ready to enter into a new adventure, 'Port of Call.'

• USS Champlain: About to be commisioned and that promises to be an adventure in and of itself.

• USS Paladin: Orbiting Beta Aquari III

Growing Game, Growing Story

by herbalsheila

July 21, 2006 Star Trek: Freedom has now passed 80 members. J.R., who plays human character Ensign Derrick La Qua aboard the new about-to-be-commissioned ship USS Champlain is the 80th member of the world wide ongoing play-by-email website.

Anthony and one of the site's longest running players is the super administrator for the Star Trek: Freedom site, is very happy to see the site grow. "Star Trek: Freedom is proud to announce the launch of our 7th ship, the USS Champlain, under the command of User:JPB, aka Captain Edward Wolfe."

"I'm very proud of the USS Champlain as its both fully intergrated and a slight departure from things. We're going to be involved in the civil war, but I expect to be spending more time on exploring the Beta Quadrant at this point," saids User:JPB, aka Edward Wolfe CO of the new vessel.

Greg Cox, the 60th member to graduate from the Academy, was excited to participate with his new character Lewis Nymes, a joined Trill, and was looking forward to participating in the storyline aboard the good ship USS Dennison. herbalsheila, the 75th graduate of the website Star Trek Academy playing Ensign Maraht the Horta, was the first to play a totally non-humanoid character and was assigned to the USS Mystique. Another player, dragonman-clone, is working to develop the first lizard-like Gorn to graduate from the site's Academy as a character.

Though many of the players are from all over the USA, often the players hail from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, India and Canada. "It is truly an international effort put together by a wide variety of creative and amazingly imaginative people, who all secretly yearn for many of the better ideals of the Star Trek universe to come into being here in our world today," said herbalsheila.

Top 10 Questions

Top Questions for a member to answer Top Ten Ten things you never knew about...

Why did you join?

• I have dreamed for years of being able to play a Horta. Right now my character Maraht the Horta is assigned and aboard the USS Mystique and has now met the Commanding Officer. I really am enjoying the Forums and I'm learning how to work with Wikipedia to contribute some articles. What do I love the most about this game? No annoying stats and dice rolls, but you get to fill in the blanks as a PC as you contribute with your small part to the overall story. Too cool! -herbalsheila

• No idea, thought it would be fun.... guess I was right too :-D -- Anthony S.

• I was looking around for Star Trek RPG's after looking at Frontier Fleet, which rejected me, and I really liked the look of this one. -- Spencer O.

• I was writing some crappy Star Trek fan fiction and I needed deck plans. I googled "Star Trek Deck Plans" and STF's page about the deck layout of the USS Nimitz was at the top of the list (or near the top). I quickly liked the look of the game. I figured that writing stories/fiction would be more fun with other people, so I deleted my horrible story and joined up! -- Kevin S.

• As someone who has always been into Star Trek, I just thought this would be a great way of exercising my imagination & meeting likeminded individuals with the hope of forging a few new friendships along the way. It seems to have worked well :-) -- Alan Reading.

• Well, to be really honest. It was by pure chance that I stumbled across such a great game! I think I also was searching for something to do with Star Trek on Google and this popped up! -- Jono Bradley

• I was looking around the internet for some place to make your own Star Trek character and Freedom came up. I joined and its been fun ever since. -- Will Banowsky

How long have you been playing?

• Heh, I think for about a year, can't remember exactly... -- Anthony S.

• Has of Feb. 2006, I've been playing for 11 months. My sign up date is March 4th 2005, so a year is coming around soon. Its been an absolute blast. If you had told me that after playing this for a year, I would have, commanded a space station for about 2 week and a half, gotten a medal, had 4 different characters across 3 different stations (including the Academy) and taught at the Academy I would of never believed you. -- Kevin S.

• Since May 2004. -- Spencer O.

• The first time I joined was in April 2004. I remained in the game until December 2004 when I had to leave because of RL problems. I rejoined in July 2005 and have been playing ever since. --Esther C.

• August 2004 onwards.... Alan Reading.

• I joined the Academy sometime in February of 2005, I've been playing since then. -- Will Banowsky

• I joined the FGN (before Freedom started) in 1998, left due to RL issues, came back, came out of the FGN with Freedom, left for more RL issues and now I'm back again :-) -- Liz Geuken

Where have you played?

• I have done role playing games around a table with dice and stats of various typed on and off for some years, but they didn't hold my interest for long. Naraht the Horta my character is the most fun I have ever had since I don't get bogged down with game mechanics, and is currently serving as ACSO aboard the USS Mystique. -herbalsheila

• At home...... but if you mean ships, then it has to be USS Nimitz, USS Mystique, and right now with the sodhopper along the USS Paladin. -- Anthony S.

• Ships: I started at Starbase Geneva, and now I'm on the USS Paladin. -- Spencer O.

• The first time I joined I started at Starbase Geneva, then was transferred to the USS Paladin. Second time I joined, I started at Starbase Geneva again and now I am currently on the USS Boudicca. --Esther C.

• My PC is currently on the USS Champlain, i also have an SPC on the USS Nimitz, USS Boudicca, USS Mystique], USS Paladin and USS Dennison also... -- Jono Bradley

• My PC started on the Cochrane but found is way to the Mystique where the Spectre crew was at the time and then onto the Spectre. Now though my PC has been posted on the Dennison. I have had an SPC on Geneva and the Boudicca but I didn't use him much, sadly. -- Will Banowsky

• My PC, Edward Wolfe is currently on the USS Nimitz. I have SPCs on the Nimitz, USS Boudicca, and USS Dennison. I was FO of Starbase Geneva when it briefly relauched and have had a character on the USS Spectre. I also have an instructor in the Academy as well as play the Academy CO and FO. I started with Paul Casely as my PC on the Nimitz. -- JPB 15:59, 20 May 2006 (EDT)

• My PC, Susan Rivers is currently TAC/ASC on the USS Boudicca. I have SPCs on the USS Nimitz (Francesca dela Rosa), on the USS Mystique (ACOUNS Ens Regan Alessi) and on the USS Paladin (COUNS Lt(jg) Ayesha Kotal). Previously I have commanded both the Boudicca and the Nimitz, and was the FO of the USS Spectre and the USS Athene. I played Louise Palmer, a Scientist on the USS Nimitz married to Captain Aragorn. I also had an SPC (civillian scientist T'len) on the former Cochrane Research Facility. -- Liz Geuken

Favourite character

• Jason and Cassandra Dema -- Anthony S.

• My PC, Joran Matthew Brownlee. -- Spencer O.

• I kinda like my new SPC Yelena Vasilyovna cos she`s a cute Russian, but all my characters have a special place in my heart.. :-)

• My PC Will Banowsky, because he is just fun to write. -- Will Banowsky

• That's tough... of the two PCs I've had, it would have to be Wolfe. He's similar to Casely, but has a harder edge which makes him appealing. Casely was always too much of a nice guy. Of my SPCs, I'd have to say Jewort Trewe. He's a miserable old codger, but its mostly an act. -- JPB 16:04, 20 May 2006 (EDT)

• My PC, Susan Rivers. We've been through a lot together over the years! -- Liz Geuken

Most Memorable Moment

• The time I got to play 3 bad marines, I'm a good evil person *grins* -- Anthony S.

• When I played a first officer on the USS Raven sub-mission. It was fun since John Armstrong (the FO character) was very different than my PC. It was good fun.. Then, I had to play a NPC character who had been taken over by the little bug things from that TNG episode where those little aliens try to take over the Federation. Then there is the time where my PC got knocked out by a female security officer. Getting beat up by girls is fun. -- Kevin S.

• When I got to play a bunch of reptilian aliens stuck on a strange ship adrift near the Federation border. -- Spencer O.

• I think the very long episode when my PC character was stuck in a jerfferies tube with a modified torpedo warhead/bomb & a hair trigger threatening to trip at the slightest move. What fun... Alan Reading.

• When my PC was name the first officer of a ship...that was memorable. But other than that, I dunno, there was the time him and some of the Spectre crew had our bodies switched with some evil folks from the USS Phantom. That was cool because I got to play as my character who was in a new body trying to figure things out, and also as the evil dude in my PC's body. -- Will Banowsky

If you could change one thing… what would it be?

• Seeing some action in the storyline for Ensign Maraht the Horta. But good things come to those who wait! -herbalsheila

• Possibly have Earth secede and get massive help from its defense systems. Now that would make for an interesting game. -- Spencer O.

• The fact that I can`t change one thing... Alan Reading.

• I wouldn't change a thing. -- Will Banowsky

Which is better is Starship or Starbase and why?

• Starship, but I haven't played on a station yet, but I think starship is more fun, cause you get to go to different places, while a station is stationary, and you just sit there at the same spot..... -- Anthony S.

• Starship - You can actually go places rather than hoping interesting things happen to you. -- Spencer O.

• Starship, purley because they have more interesting missions... -- Jono Bradley

• You guys are all fuddy duddies. We had loads of fun on Geneva, however, I must also say Starship, but a station isn't that bad. -- Schrammie _{Talk to me here}

• Well you can have fun on a starbase, Deep Space 9 did last for 7 seasons. But in the end I have to go with Starship, because it overs you more liberty in what you can do. Well unless you take out that Stations smaller assigned ships out. But definetly starship. Though if my PC was on a starbase, I would definetly say Starbase. -- Will Banowsky

• Both have their charms. You can really develop characters and concentrate on a more progressive storyline on a Starbase. The action and adventure quotient climbs higher on a starship though. I like them both, but for different reasons. -- JPB 16:06, 20 May 2006 (EDT)

If your character could have one superpower, what would it be?

• My character Ensign Maraht the Horta already has a super power or two. He he he! -herbalsheila

• Telekinesis. Then he could control everything around him on some level or another. -- Spencer O.

• I'd kinda like the powers of the green lantern, that would rock. -- Will Banowsky

Name one person in the game who has inspired you

• I would have to say the new player Sal whose character is Ammon Ranae the Bajora/Cardassian on the Mystique wrote a truly inspired introductory post that has helped to fire my imagination. My hat is off to you Sal! -herbalsheila

• My first CO, Vladek Rofellian. He beat all odds of prejudice to rise through the ranks, and finally become a captain, against all odds. -- Spencer O.

• Its hard to name one person. First person to comes to mind is Jeff who really helpped me when I was rookie. He really taught me a lot of stuff about how the game worked and of course gave me the shot at command, both when my PC was made Acting Third Officer and later in the Raven sub-mission when I was Jeff's FO. Then there is my instructor and first CO, Katherine Mazurok. Not only did she instruct me in the ways of posting, but she was my first CO. She was an excellent poster, and it was too bad when she had to leave the game for RL reasons.Anyway, I could go on and name another 10 people, but I think I've over written this little section anyway. -- Kevin S.

• Calvin Capps, at a moment when I was thinking of giving up the game, Calvin was the guy that convinced me that I actually had something good to contribute, and for that I thank him. -- Alan Reading.

• Well too bad cos im gonna name 3! Theres Jeff, Dave and Al. - Jono Bradley

• I definitely would have to say Al first was a big inspiration in the game for me. Jer was too, its nice to find someone as sarcastic as you are out there, but he definitely had a lot of helpful hints to pass along. -- JPB 15:11, 20 May 2006 (EDT)

• Adrie Geuken, who played my first CO, Captain Aragorn. I think I learned more from him than from any other one person. I met Adrie in the game, so I don't feel unduly biased in saying he was the person who inspired me most. I also learned a lot from Tony Keen, my instructor in the Academy and second CO. And I'm still learning :-) -- Liz Geuken

• Adrie Geuken, who played my first CO. Not copying you Liz, honest! He was more than just a Commanding Officer, he was also and still is a very good friend. There were times when he went out of his way to help me both in game and out, and he certainly inspired me to be the best I could be within game. --Wendy Gibson

What do you think of the future of Freedom?

• As long as the our players and storytellers in charge have and continue to use thier imaginations to evolve stories and characters, the game and site will continue to grow. -herbalsheila

• I think that Freedom will continue to grow and evolve, and that one day, the 52nd Fleet will triumph over the Federation, but not before they enlist the help of many extraterrestrial allies that may one day join the New Federation. -- Spencer O.

• I don't think that the civil war over plot will last forever. Hopefully the game won't change too much if/when we move to a peace-time game. -- Schrammie _{Talk to me here}

• I think as long as Freedom has players willing to put time into the game it will grow and it will expand and be even better. And Lord knows, I'll be here. -- Will Banowsky

Counsellor's Corner

Counsellor Laan, our resident Klingon Agnony Aunt, answers your questions

3-5 questions to go here, Laan will answer!

Counsellor’s Corner - Laan listens

Dear Counsellor,

It feels odd to be writing this, as I am myself a counsellor. after all, if I refuse to seek self understanding, how can I expect others to do so?

So, on to my problem. seems to be two of me. One's Kahila, counsellor to the officers of Starbase Valhalla, the career I'd planned for years. it is a career I find meaningful and interesting -- and sometimes frustrating. But of course, all life is like that. The other me -- that's Marianne Anmec, undercover investigator, fighter, pretend-pirate. I met her when I actually was her, for a brief away mission. I feel her lurking beneath my daily thoughts and activities, feeling dissatisfied and restless. when I'm vulnerable- especially when ill, she takes over. I become Marianne, until Kahila regains control. Marianne's not around, I miss her. was a fun person, strong and headstrong, unworried, unruffled.

- Kahila Lono, Utopia Planitia

Qapla' Lono, daughter of the Empire, thank you for contacting me this day with your problem. Inside all of us lurk the weak and the strong, the ability to kill and be killed and that can only be a matter of seconds away from emerging. Even the Federation Marines put aside their weak nature to fight when they have no other option.

You dual persona gives you an unique opportunity to explore a hidden part of yourself, embrace her and give her the chance to control your life.

Perhaps a sabbatical away from your Federation shipyards and the Federation life would be useful. There is a retreat I know of and you could perform a Klingon ritual that will allow you to put aside your primary personality, it does require the blooded knife of a Targ, I will send you one at the first chance I get!

Be not afraid of yourself, Lono and be well.

Website Secrets

• Some times, it is fun to refresh the main page 20-50 times so I can see my character's image on the main page! -- KevinSchram
• I am guilty of this as well. It also makes me feel special when my character is the first one to pop up.-- Will Banowsky
• Wow, and I thought I was the only one to do that! Haha! -- VulcanTrekkie45
• Nah, I do it too sometimes. Although I'm looking for any of my characters. -- JPB 16:09, 20 May 2006 (EDT)

Finally

Thanks for playing STF! -- Jono Bradley

"MOTOOORRRRINNNNGGGG! What's your price for flight, in finding Mr. Right? You'llllll BE ALLLLRRIIIGHTTT TONIGHTTTTT!" -- Schrammie _{Talk to me here}

You're an embarrassment to us all Schrammie. ;-) -- JPB 10:21, 21 May 2006 (EDT)

Yeah, that was a little bit random. Is it supposed to mean anything? -- VulcanTrekkie45

"Sister Christian" by Night Ranger. -- Schrammie

Yeah, Schrammie, we know its Sister Christian! Why put it on here? What does it have to do with Star Trek? -herbalsheila

I thought some singing would be a nice way to close this newletter. -- Kevin Schram

Hes right singing is always a nice way to do it... -- Jono Bradley