STF FAQ
From Bureau of Information
Frequently Asked Questions About STF
[edit] What is STF?
STF us short for Star Trek: Frontiers, the name of our interactive fiction club. It is a role playing game set in the Star Trek universe, about forty years after the events of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
==I see the USS ????????? on the newsgroup or in on your web-archives. Obviously, that's a
ship, but what does that mean?==
Those ships are what we call role playing units (you may have seen others--like SB/starbase, DS/deep space station). They are players who follow one storyline together, each of whom has a character with a senior staff position (engineering officer, security officer, etc) on the ship or station in question.
[edit] So how do I join a ship?
The way STF runs, you do not join a ship (or other unit) directly so much as you join the club. We have a system in place to accustom you with the rules and customs here..
[edit] So how do I join this club?
In order to get started, you need to send mail to the our personnel department at personnel@startrekfrontiers.com.
Include your name, email address, and the name of the character you wish to play. You should also develop a short bio (or longer one if you are familiar with this type of game) which at minimum includes information like species, gender, age, speciality, history, and personality profile.
Once characters are approved, they will depart Star Fleet Academy to complete their training. 'Fleeters', members of Starfleet Navy, upon graduation will be assigned the rank of Ensign. Marines will be assigned the rank of Second Lieutenant upon graduation. Describe the character's shuttle ride from San Francisco to Starbase Alpha. From there you will be assigned to one of our training programs.
[edit] Can you refuse to approve my character?
Yes. Why? This is to make sure that we don't have disruptive characters assigned to ships. Disruptive includes things like active connections to the mafia/underworld and/or rival intelligence communities, extraordinary offensive psionic capability, "hard" immortality (Q like beings), felony criminal records, training as an assassin, etc. These are precisely the same things that would cause MUSH/MOO wizards to refuse to approve you and are generally not conducive to good role play.
The Personnel Officer also looks closely special "red flags." These include enlisted service experience (mustang or fleet appointments), special operations training, marine/naval commensurate commissions, non-felony criminal records, conscientious objection, unusual age, awards/medals/decorations obtained at Star Fleet Academy, unexplained leaves of absence, obscure racial origins, shapechanging/shapeshifting ability, soft immortality, extensive psychological problems, and other such exceptional characteristics.
The character probably *will* be approved but you are encouraged to -balance- characters and use such backgrounds *only* if you are responsible with them. Things that confer 'status/advantages' over others are subject to a certain scrutiny. We expect you to remember that you are playing and writing with other people.
Nevertheless, some of these "red flags," if used *responsibly* do make for very interesting characters. We are not trying to limit creativity, but we have a responsibility to make things fair and fun for *all* players. Good judgement, character balance, and maturity go a long way.
[edit] OK, I now have a character approved. What is this final training?
New players are offered a brief orientation by an assigned personnel representative that will assist with you adapt and understand our style of posting and story writing.
That person will help route you through the right channels to your assigned billet and unit.
Once aboard your unit, the unit administrator will help you settle in.
[edit] I'm not a Star Trek expert. Can I still play?
Yes; by all means. STF attracts a lot of people with very different interests--some are Trekkers, others are not. We have units that emphasize gaming, others that focus on interactive storytelling. Regardless of your area of interest (classic Trek, hardcore science fiction, military fiction, space opera), there should be at least one ship in STF to accommodate your tastes.
[edit] Is it possible to play multiple characters?
Yes...however, you must already be assigned and integrated into an active unit first. Further, we recommend that you get a true feel for the game before making the choice to field another character and consider if you can still maintain the writing requirements for both.
[edit] OK, so I read this whole FAQ, can live with the rules (and am still interested.) Where can I go for more info?
Check out our website at http://www.startrekfrontiers.com. We also recommend that you lurk on our newsgroup at alt.rpg.startrek.frontiers or follow storylines through our web-based archives at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/STF-Archives.
[edit] Ok, where do I send my bio to sign-up?
Send you completed bio to personnel@startrekfrontiers.com.
