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The role of a CO is to be the head of a ship both In Character and Out of Character. As such it is the most important role on the ship, but not necessarily the most critical.
As a CO you will be responsible for making the decisions about your ship both IC and OOC. OOC will include the recruitment of personnel to your ship and the appointment of crewmembers to the key roles DH, XO and GM. Each of those positions is critical to your ship...and if you get the wrong person it can be difficult, or worse, detrimental to your vessel.
Take, for example, the role of GM. We have all seen the effect of a truly awesome GM on a ship. They can inspire and interest the crew, keep the roster active and make recruitment a dream. But a poor GM can also destroy a ship, lose the players interest and cause the ship to drag down. Who is responsible for appointing a GM? You are. Who needs to make that decision to replace a GM that is performing poorly? You do. When do you keep encouraging someone or replace them? Again it is down to you, the Commanding Officer.
As the Commanding Officer it is your job to provide a clear direction for your ship, an example in character and out of it. You should always be focussing on that one statement. "To maintain a healthy and active role-playing environment."
The In Character (IC) job of a CO can be characterised as being the eye of a storm. Your crew will look to your for focus and direction; and you must respond. You should be calm, authoritative and decisive. Doesn't matter if the decision doesn't work out the way you hoped, at least you tried something.
However what this means to you as a role-player is big change from all the roles you have had before. The Commanding Officer is head of the ship and it is tempting to be heroic and to show every one your skills. However, that is not your job. Your role-playing skills are vital now but not to solve the problem, rather to delegate the problem to your crew. Your job now is to give orders that will keep the crew busy, often far busier than the CO themselves.
Why? The answer is obvious. People are on your ship to role-play, so you must give them tasks to be able to role-play. Do this by breaking up your orders and giving them to your Executive Officer (XO) and Department Heads (DH). It is tempting to try to leap in, but always restrain that enthusiasm. On many ships the CO is nearly always in his ready room, or sitting in the command chair, rather than being in on the actual action. That is the way it should be. Your own pleasure and enjoyment should be coming from seeing your whole crew active and interested.
In character you have to give the orders, but also let your crew do their job and don't try to overrule someone. After all you will have been a DH once so don't interfere with how they do the task you have assigned to them, unless you absolutely have to.
Listen to the IC advice from your Department Heads after all they are experts in their fields. Also rely on the support and advice from your XO. In Character and OOC the XO is your right hand.
Remember that your example IC and OOC is key on your ship. Your behaviour sets the tone for your ship. Your IC posts must be of the detail and nature that you wish your crew to follow. Laziness on your part will be seen as a good example by your crew. Post regularly and post well. You are a role model. If the CO doesn't seem interested in their own ship and the sim then the crew will be the same.
OOC you are the main cause and continuation of any atmosphere that your ship has. Aim to make your ship have a positive and friendly feel. People will follow your example. If you reinforce good posting with positive OOC comments your crew will be encouraged. Don't let OOC comments get out of hand or they can take over the ship, but always offer praise to your crew, even if only for everyone posting within the last day. Encourage good performances and make your crew feel noticed and wanted.
Similarly with negative OOC don't let it start on your ship and be quick to end it. Take it to email and resolve it there.
So to summarise what are your powers?
You have the right to promote someone that you feel has earned it for their in character actions. Promotions mean a lot to people as they care about their characters. Even people whose club rank is much higher than that of the character you are promoting can be pleased with it too. Just remember promotions should be used to set an example for good in character behaviour. Don't promote too often or the effect loses its' worth too. Most CO's will leave promotions until after a sim is completed as a reward for the participants who have shown the most commitment through the sim.
Remember the following!
When someone is an Ensign in a particular field and passes an academy course for that discipline, they are entitled to ask for a promotion for their character to Lieutenant Junior Grade.
Promotions to Full Commander are subject to the whim of the Fleet Commander. In many cases the Fleet Commander will only require notice of said promotion. It is your responsibility to know before you promote someone to the rank of Commander. If in doubt ask!
Although most promotions are done at the end of a sim, you can promote during a sim. This is useful if you are promoting someone to a position of authority, such as DH, and you are trying to show that they now have the in character rank to separate them from their Junior Officers.
Discipline can take many forms. Some characters might have committed offences within the military code that they would be operating under. Refusal to follow orders, disobeying orders and insubordination are all common examples. Another STF role-playing favourite is the fight. Characters everywhere love to have a fight, but this is an offence under military codes of behaviour. As such as the CO you have to choose to either turn a blind eye, or to punish.
Every ship operates on a code of discipline and the actions IC of a character can give an idea of what the CO is prepared to allow or to tolerate. For example, two of your characters have a fight and you turn a blind eye to it, effectively pretending IC it never happened. Other members of the crew may think this looked fun and stage their own fights. You have already set an example of ignoring one fight. Pretty soon you could have a ship full of characters fighting and no way to put a halt to it.
In character punishments for offences can often show people that although it was good role-playing, characters must face consequences for their actions. In this way you are setting a precedent for all role-players on your ship and enforcing positive behaviour.
A CO should never, ever, play favourites. You shouldn't excuse someone's character because you like the role-player or trust their role-playing. You should always enforce standards equally.
There are, however, circumstances where you might decide it is appropriate to ignore what a character just did. For example the role-player controlling the character might be inexperienced. A gentle chat to them by email might reveal that they didn't understand the implications of their actions. Rather than draw attention to it you can just ignore the post.
Maybe someone doesn't understand what the IC rules are. It is your job as a CO to help them, rather than punish them.
In character punishments should fit the nature of the crime committed. A case of insubordination could just be left to the XO or DH's to handle by way of a dressing down to the individual's character. Repeated insubordination should be treated more severely. Consider the possibilities of confining the individual to quarters or similar punishments.
There are many types of punishment. From the dressing down in private, to assigning cleaning duties, to time in the in the brig and court martial leading to demotion and/or dismissal from the service.
These punishments are open to any CO In Character. However, it is advised that the CO makes sure that the role-players involved are okay with the level of punishment. To suddenly threaten a player with court martial or demotion could alienate the role-player.
Most experienced role-players will be aware of the nature of the punishment they are likely to incur and in fact will be more than willing to discuss punishments with you to fit in with where their character story could go.
As a general rule, if you think a character needs to be punished, email the person involved and explain that you although you appreciate their characterisation, your character will need to punish their character as a realistic response to their actions. Ask them what they think would be suitable.
Finally, sometimes all a character needs is an in character dressing down. However, remember the attachment people have for their characters. Make sure that the role-player doesn't think you are dressing them down! In character discipline should always be considered carefully.
The temptation of all CO's is to try to be at the heart of the action or everywhere at once. Sooner or later, regardless of time lines, you have to realise that you must trust your crew.
In fact most of the time you will find your character spends most of their time on the bridge or in the ready room. Your time as a hero is at an end. It is your job to make sure that everyone has tasks to do.
As mentioned previously delegate tasks. This may be by breaking down a mission task and assigning it to departments, or something as simple as telling the XO to select an away team.
You are the CO and your authority is absolute. You can assign people to roles as required. In character and out of character no-one expects you to be perfect, but they will expect results. So make sure you make the best use of your resources. Make sure IC and OOC the RIGHT people are in the RIGHT roles. You can assign people to roles or tasks, you can reassign them and you can remove them too.
The choice is yours. In character try to find characters with the right skills and abilities, out of character try to make sure that everyone gets a chance to shine.
When to do so will give other members of the crew tasks and allow them to post creatively without endangering the progress of the sim.
Well as a CO you are always in charge, even if you aren't physically there. What you should do is monitor a situation. If progress isn't being made, such as several people are not posting, or no-one seems to know what to do, it is okay to have your character check on progress. This can be done via the communications badge as well as personal visits.
Use your common sense. Is the ship in immediate danger? Would you not reacting and unifying the chain of command result in danger to the ship and the crew? You are ultimately responsible for the ship and her crew. You have to make the tough decisions, life and death decisions.
If the sim presents that the ship is under attack or in immediate danger as CO you should be in command and in charge. That is your job.
STAR-FLEET EXPECTS THAT EVERY PERSON WILL DO THEIR DUTY
This might sound strange but you are in charge of the ship and the crew. You can delegate the responsibility, but you are the person that gives the direction, points the finger and says "Engage."
The crew can't make decisions for you. So tell them what to do. Order your course, order your speed, fight your ship and fire your weapons. In a crisis do you really want your ship being handled by someone else?
All that the crew of a star-ship really do is to make sure the thing is working so when the Captain says go...it goes!
So make sure you develop that command persona. Imagine the examples from the shows, Kirk, Janeway, Sisko, Picard and Archer. When they gave an order it was obeyed without dispute. So be decisive! When you give an order, it should be obeyed. Speak with authority and presence. You earned your rank and your position. Star-fleet is a military organisation with a military chain of command. Make sure you give the direction both In Character and Out Of Character that your ship needs.
This is part of your In Character position. You are the person ultimately in charge of the ship. Her performance reflects your own as Captain.
Your XO is your right hand man. It is their job In Character to encourage and monitor the effectiveness of the ship, but you should always feel free to ask for status reports and performance drills. Why? Because it is your ship and you should know how good your crew are and what their performance will be like in a crisis.
You will rely on your XO but you must also monitor their performance too, you should ask your XO how the ship is performing, encourage improvements and never accept second best.
Ask for drills. You have a myriad to choose from including Fire Drills, Damage Control Drills, Target Drills and Battle Stations. These are always useful in sim dead time or when a particular department doesn't have anything to do. Make sure you use these events well. Remember that these events will constitute side sims and should not take the place of the main sim.
Do not circumvent your XO. Work with and through your XO to create a great In Character atmosphere and ship performance. Demonstrate your trust in your first officer.
This is one of the biggest aspects of any CO's life and is often one of the most time consuming. It is rare that someone will just happen to drop by your ship and offer to join. If they do it is a sign that your roster is full and active, the sim interesting and that the ship is moving in the right direction.
There is no real limit on the amount of people you can have on your roster. Some CO's believe the more the better. Others are happier with smaller rosters which are tight knit and active. The choice is yours. What is important though is that the roster is active. Do not let inactive role-players hold roles just on the off chance that they decide to post once more. Try to find a solution with the role-player but in the end the ship comes first.
There will be more details on roster keeping and cleaning later in this course.
Most often you will have to approach people or advertise roles to attract the right candidates for the positions you have. The first thing you should bear in mind is making sure you know what you are looking for in a position. Look at the role. Do you need someone experienced? Do you need someone who posts daily? Would it be a role for a promising newbie? Is experience in a similar role vital?
Make sure you know what you want to achieve. You can't sell a role to someone unless you know what you want. Above all be prepared to be rejected. Don't be discouraged by this. Most people will be genuinely too busy and will be flattered. Some people might rearrange ships to join you too. Recruitment is the life-blood of any ship from JO to DH to XO. Don't be put off by a no, move onto the next candidate. It is better to have someone who is genuinely keen on a role. That enthusiasm translates into their posting and approach to your ship.
There are several sources for recruiting that you should look at. These include:
Look within your own ship. Ask other role-players if they know of anyone who should be or could be approached about joining. It is sometimes worthwhile considering posting an announcement about recruitment on ships as well, especially if you wish to invite internal applicants for positions. Consult your XO and get their opinion. It might well be that someone on the ship knows someone looking for another ship.
Look at other ships you are on. Are there any role-players on those ships that catch your eye or that you think would be good additions to your ship? Do they match the criteria you set? Sometimes this is the best way to search for a candidate as you will see their role-playing first hand. Also look at other ships in your fleet and see who stands out for you.
Try to get your ship name into the open so people can notice it and might approach you about joining. There are several methods of doing this. First, place a note on your own MOTD about what positions are open and how to get hold of you. Next approach your Fleet Commander about placing a message about recruitment on the Fleet MOTD. Most Fleets will have options for advertising open positions within your ship or will be open to placing a news item on the MOTD about it. Finally, speak to the Personnel Department. They have access to an advert on the opening main page for STF. If you supply them with the text for your advert they will happily spotlight your ship for you.
Fleet reports always contain sections based on spotlighting role-players who excelled that month. Read the fleet reports published in command each month and see which role-players are spotlighted the most. Take this opportunity to have a look at that role-player.
Your friendly neighbourhood Personnel Department are there to help place people and match your needs. Speak to them about what positions you have open and general recruitment issues. They will be happy to help you.
Sometimes the best recruitment is done via IM. The personal touch always works best with people. They feel valued and wanted, not to mention they can discuss the role with you directly. The official IRC channel #star-fleet is always a good place to speak to people about positions. Remember to obey channel rules and be polite.
Speak to the Academy Commandant and ensure your ship is registered as one of the ships to take the new graduates. Always liaise with the Commandant or Vice-Commandant. Never approach cadets directly about recruitment. This is a direct breach of rules. If a cadet approaches you about joining your ship, you must refer the matter to the Commandant.
Always back up an offer with an official email this will make sure there is no miscommunication. Remember how you do your recruitment is down to you, but the responsibility is yours. No-one is going to do your recruitment for you. Be proactive!
Specialist recruiting is where you are searching for someone to fill the two key roles on any ship; those of your Executive Officer (XO) and the Gamesmaster (GM).
In recruiting an XO you must make a decision whether to appoint someone with experience or to give someone a chance. There are several things to look at. Do you feel you would benefit from having an experienced XO as your second in command? Will it help you in settling into your role? Does your ship need the experienced leadership? With an inexperienced XO do you think you are ready to train someone in their duties? Can you teach them what they need to know? Will they be able to make a difference to your ship?
Selecting an XO means choosing someone to be your right hand person; you must be able to form a bond of trust with that person. Trust them to do their job and to give you support in doing yours. Make sure you choose wisely and take care in your selection. It is worth seeking opinions on a prospective candidate and taking time to make sure you are happy.
When appointing an XO ensure you are both clear on your expectations and the shared duties before the appointment is made.
Selecting a GM for a ship is just as important. It is important to consult with the Gamesmaster Department (GMD). They will have a list of active GMs and a list of those GMs who are looking for additional work. When choosing a GM it is worth looking up their previous missions and speaking to former CO's. Perhaps you might also have experience of that GM from your time on another ship. Make sure you are happy with their style.
Just with appointing an XO, there are options to appoint an experienced GM or a GM Trainee (GMT). Make sure you consider the possibilities well. The GMD will always be there to give you support and a GMT will come with a Mentor to keep them on track.
Think about whether you have specific requirements from your next sim. Some sims will concentrate on certain departments more than others. Work out what you would want from your next sim. It is important that you pass these stipulations onto a prospective GM so they can make sure they can fill them. Every GM will have their own style and preferred types of sim.
A GM is the heart and soul of your ship. You must be able to trust them to post regularly, keep your crew entertained and to be reliable. Take your time, seek opinions and make sure you choose wisely for you and your ship.
As CO it is your choice to make changes to your roster or not. Perhaps someone has left your ship and you want to appoint someone to the role. Well, it is for you to decide if you want to give someone else on your ships, perhaps a JO, a chance in that role; or if you intend to appoint someone from outside your ship.
There are pitfalls with either scenario. If you appoint from within the ship will the person be able to handle the step up to the position. Will you just create a new problem for yourself? Are there multiple candidates for the role? Will that just create resentment from the other applicants?
If you appoint from outside the ship will your current crew feel overlooked? Will they feel you have given them a fair chance?
You will often not know if these problems have occurred so good communication is always the key. Always explain your selection choices positively to all candidates.
As well as appointing people there is also the prospect of removing someone from a position. The most obvious case for this is when some one is AWOL and shows no signs of coming back or hasn't responded to your emails. This is permissible and you should act to keep your roster clean and active. There are more details on roster cleaning and AWOL's later in the course.
The other reason to remove someone from their position is for poor performance. Poor performance can take many forms and it is for you to judge what you think is the correct level of performance you would expect from someone in that role. Always bear in mind that that person may well not know that they are doing anything wrong.
Strong communication is the key. Talk to the person concerned and help them. Explain what you want, offer support and training. Removing someone should always be a last resort. However, in the end you may have to act and remove someone from a position. This should be done after discussions with them. It may well be they will agree with your reasons or that they may choose to leave the ship. This is one of those hard decisions every CO must make at some stage.
You are responsible for your roster and the performance of your crew. From your XO to the lowest JO you are responsible. No-one else on the ship has the authority to make those decisions. In the end you must make the right decision for your ship.
A GM's focus will be on providing a main sim for a ship, but most GM's are pretty flexible. If you have feedback you should provide it to the GM. Be positive in your approach.
Communicate any needs you think the ship has. If you feel that a particular department or individual is not being included in the sim you should be proactive and communicate this to the GM. Work with your GM in arranging to keep your crew busy. Discuss potential side sims before implementing them. Never just create a side sim and then dump it onto the GM to handle. That is unfair.
Ask the GM for their feedback. It may well be that the GM needs help to push the crew in a particular direction Work with your GM to ensure that the main sim pushes forward. GM's suffer from problems as much as any role-player and you should always ensure that your GM is happy in their position.
It is also important that you have good communications with your GM about areas such as LOAs. Your GM should be informed if you are planning on a LOA. It might well be something that can be worked into the sim and the GM can cover for your absence. You should also make sure that you know when your GM is going on LOA. You should ask for sim notes and be prepared to cover the sim yourself until the GM has come back. If the absence is to be for a long term and you are reluctant to GM, approach the GMD about acquiring a temporary GM.
A missing GM or one not posting regularly can disrupt a ship. Make sure you work with your GM to avoid this.