If there was ever any doubt about the fact that I am a master of burocracy, this report should just about destroy it. To outgoing President Seamus Hughes, here's what we've managed to do during your term. To new President Nick Lackie, you no longer have any excuse for not knowing what is going on over at the Fleet Four Funny Farm. (It's actually a really big party to which you weren't invited, being a Fleet Six person and all.)
My sincerest thanks to everyone who submitted a report for the Fleet Four End-Of-Term Report. It took a little doing with a few people, but in the end everyone submitted a report except Taliyah Campbell, who has an excuse as she is on LOA. Thanks to Izzy Harris and Barry Vogtman who filled in and filed reports on the Asimov in her place. While on the one hand getting reports in each month takes more work than it should, the fact that in the end I not only got a report from everyone but a very detailed one at that speaks to the quality of the Command Staff here in the Crag Annexation, especially as most FComms I've talked to have a hard time getting anything from their COs, much less their XOs. We also have reports from all relavent GMs. Of course, that means myself, myself, myself, Deanne Ashton, and N/A (for the Montgomery), but it's something to brag about nonetheless. A big thank you to Deanne for her Alliance report.
I don't necessarily expect everyone to read this entire report. In fact, if more than two people (myself and Prez Lackie) read it beginning to end straight through, I will consider it a minor miricle. However, anyone who is involved in any of the ships below should probably read the report for that ship, to get an idea of where things are. If you just want a redux review of the ship and crew, see the FComm Report for each ship. I would also note that this report is not even intended necessarily to be read in its entirely. Much of the reports I asked for from my staff were intended for me to get a second opinion on the rest of the staff, as well as for their own benefit, in particular the self reviews. It is my hope that at least some members of the fleet benefited from this little pice of introspection.
In any case, enough of me talking. Mr. President, members of the Cabinet, members of the Fleet, Ladies, Gentlemen, and Hermats, I present to you the most complete and details Fleet Report ever assembled. Let us hope, for our own sanity, that it never gets any competition for that title.
Where could he improve? (OK, you asked for this, Larry!) The question of interaction comes to mind here. Where Bligh appears, there usually isn't much room left for the other surrounding characters, so it would sometimes be not inappropriate to pass the ball to another crewmember, give them opportunity to post, to be just as brilliant as he himself without any doubt is.
Without any doubt, the Alliance MOTD is always up-to-date, and no section of the ship is lacking the humor we all have come to like. No objections here.
Honestly though, I for my part am very glad that I have the opportunity to be XO on this ship and under or with this CO.
A lot of summer LOAs have battered the Ally, which has made it difficult to get any kind of cooperative roleplaying going, and posts were averaging around six a day. Now that several players have returned, a few are working together and posting is on the upswing. Still, the crew lacks the cohesiveness I've seen on my other ships. This is obviously an issue for the captain to handle, but having so many independent characters makes producing a sim difficult. Since my normal GMing doesn't work here, I'm floundering a bit as I try to find something that does.
COS Self-Review:
My shortcomings: Well first off, I am slow to react to things outside of the RPG environment. Like these reports for instance. I saw all that you printed and decided a task as large as this one could wait till the last minute. But there are plenty of people in STF that do this. I just have the misfortune of being probably the only one in the 4th fleet.
Another one of my shortcoming is not being able to relate to newcomers to STF. I realize this a big problem because we have a serious problem keeping new members. Quite honestly I tried everything to keep secs from going AWOL. I have given them exciting duties such as Tactical Bridge Duty, and Bomb Detail. I have given them the freedom to run around the ship where they may please. I even let them blow attacking aliens up with Photon Grenades! I am a loss to explain why the Asimov cannot keep Security Officers for more then 3 months. If there is a course being offered on how to keep security officers in STF, sign me up.
Anyway, my last shortcoming I am willing to share is my vary vocal nature about myself. I am sure there are vary few people in STF that don’t know who I am. I am sure most of these people have heard rumors of me being a crack monkey, or a gunrunner, or some other blown out proportion rumor. The true is I used to smoke weed, I have a few guns I occasionally shoot at targets, and never have smoked crack. Not that there is nothing wrong with smoking crack, but I never have.
And now my good qualities. Well, I never smoked crack. :-) Ok, well first off, I a have a long track record of never letting my level of activity slide for less then three days at a time. And if I feel that I may not be able to post for any reason, I normally ask for LOA.
Next, I am proud of my post in general. I feel that I post good lengthened posts that are interesting to read. I try to bring dimension to the character I portray no matter how unbelievable they are. There may be times where I may not post as much as I like, but that’s because I got real world constraints but normally I post as much as I like to.
Finally I am proud of my ability to spot the plot of the story and react to it. Sometimes it can stop a GM in midstory, but that’s because no one has enough time to really think everything out in a story to make it truly great.
COS Review of CO:
In general I have to say that Emma Rouse-Deane is one of the better captain in STF. Over the time I have seen her as Captain of the Asimov, I have to say she has done a spectacular job. She is well suited for the job of CO of the Asimov. Her strengths are that she is into involving players into the game.
And may I say (even if she is not reading this) that Emma Rouse-Deane presence on the Asimov has been nothing if not inspiring. Before she took over as CO, the Ship was have a real problem with CO’s, I can still remember the days of Zippy and how he ignored the Asimov. It's amazing the ship did not simply disappear with the constancy CO changes that came after him. Simply put, if the Emma Rouse-Deane’s presence on the Asimov was its salvation.
But if she was asked to be a FComm... I am not sure if she could fill the job. I never really thought about it, and would have to see someone act as a FComm before I would make a dissention like that. This goes for anyone and everyone. Unless they had the job already, I will not give comment on their readiness to be FComm. But if she were asked to, I would have no problems with her being a FComm.
COS Review of FComm/GM:
Larry, you’re probably one of the most visible people In STF to date. To Simply put there is little that can be said to you that have not been said about you. You’re hard working. Always cheerful, and have a sense of leadership. You mean well for STF, Have a firm grasp of STF politics, and your word carries more weight then the wheels of 62 Chevy impala. I could vary well go on about all your good points but then I never stop.
Now you’re bad point. Yea, you only have one bad point. :-) The only really bad thing I see is that you may be spreading yourself a little to far. I feel that because you’re a GM to how many ships, SNN Deputy Editor, FComm-4 Commodore, William Bligh, CO, USS Alliance, Assistant Engineering Director, Dean of Students, and whatever else there is. All this means your everywhere you need to be but, when something needs to be done your not always the first man on call.
From what I could see, you’re somehow managing to keep all of this responcabliy in check so far. But am still wondering if I am seeing some of this over taxing of ones self.
For example you’re currently GMing the Asimov. Your story is pretty good but on some levels it is lacking something. I felt the plot could be a little more. Will this lead to a fleet war with the Seethe or the Mauls? What happened to the Crew of the Essess? They hiding or on the Asimov planing to raise some hell? What happens when the crew of the Asimov gets the generator? I am sure you know the answers to all these questions but have showed little in the way of answers if this stuff is going to happen.
I guess I feel that if you where a little less spread out, that your performance As a GM would improve. As a general rule, I don’t spread myself out to more then four ships. Currently they are the ED, The Draco, the Asimov/OP42, and the Aries. I am moving a character from the Asimov to OP42 so once the move is made I will be back to 4 ships. I know I could probably be on more ships but I feel that more then that, I would be spreading myself out and all the ships would suffer because of that. If I where you, I would ask myself if I am spread out to thin. And if these are a real concern, all it really takes in only getting off one ship to be able to concentrate on the matters of STF you really want to.
Besides that concern, I really cannot think of anything else bad to say about you. :-)
2O Review of CO:
As stated previously, Emma has done a fine job. In her short time as captain she has settled in nicely and has most of the crew working well together. She did, however, allow Julian Novotny to transfer out of engineering into a civilian character. Something I disagree with but the decision was hers to make. Emma also needs, in my opinion, to take more control in battle situations. During the current battle, command of the ship has the appearance of being under the COS even though she is on the bridge. This is not a major flaw as the COS (Izzy) is well adept at battle situations but could become confusing to new crew members.
2O Review of XO:
Again, she has settled in well and is doing a fine job. She interacts well with the crew and has a commanding presence. She was only on board for a short time when her command skills were tested as she arrived as Brady left. At that time she was a little shake as she was a brand new XO and wasn't sure of herself. That has definately changed over the months and she would be well prepared to fill in for Emma, should the situation arrise, or take command of her own ship. All things being equal, she will make a fine captain someday.
2O Review of FComm/GM:
Larry Garfield (you asked for it): What can I say other than DON'T YOU HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF STF? I mean really, do you spend every waking hour on the WeBB or what? He is the most overbearing, pig headed, pain in the you know what I have ever seen! If he died tomorrow Fleet four would definately be a better place (Just kidding Larry). In all seriousness, Larry, in my opinion, has done more than a commendable job. His sims are well thought out and interesting. The fleet is definately the best run in STF. He is tough but fair and willing to listen to alternate points of view. The only thing I think he needs to improve on is stepping back and giving himself a little bit of breathing room. He definately takes on more than one person should, but maybe that's why we love him soooooo much (*ducks*). Kudos Larry.
CO Ship Report:
When I took over the Asimov.. what 4 months ago, she was already in great shape, I like to think that hasn't changed. The adjustment period of the crew getting used to me, and me to them wasn't that long, a credit to the characters that make up the ships compliment.
Posting on the ship isn't a problem, there is always something going on, and when there isn't, we have no difficulty in doing a spot of character development, or lounging around in the bar having some lunch :)
Like every ship, we have our fair share of LOA's, but they don't seem to impact the ship or the sim that greatly, and somehow we muddle through. AWOLing on the whole is quite low, like I said, there isn't often a dull moment.
As for the departments, they seem to function well, both as a whole in the ship, and internally, in their own little groups. If they didn't it would show, with some tension. They are all headed by great DH's, whose rpging skills never cease to amaze me.
Now for security. When I first came aboard it was apparant that the team had a thing for grenades, thankfully they seem to have gotten over it.. well I hope anyway. The department is lead very well by Izzy, who more than makes up for my lack of tactical knowledge. (Perhaps I should watch a few old war movies or sommat :) ) We trust them with the safety of the ship, as a whole, and the protection of the crew, a task with which they are more than able to accomplish. The department has seen a few changes, most noticibly suicides, and other losses. For one reason or another, they don't seem to last that long, hopefully we have seen the last of that.
Charged with looking after our physical health, I'm sure they could all do with a session with the counsellor :) The medical team is headed by Rue, and although they do seem responsible for quite a few of the casualties, which Larry is more than willing to provide, they do a good job of fixing everyone up. Their fatality record isn't too bad, although I'm sure the NE Protection league will no doubt want a few words :) They are also responsible, for providing some light comedic relief, most recently the slight enhancements made to the EMH's program spring to mind. I for one wouldn't want to be a patient under him. All in all the department is stable, and well run.
Being a science vessel, the science department is more than important in regards to the ship. Headed by Jonathan, they are more than capable of finding a variety of solutions to a range of problems. Technobabble isn't a fond hobby of mine, but they manage to keep Larry on his toes, and get the job done. What with a probe that prevents Warp, and some innovative enhancements to our shields, it is no wonder that the ship is still in one piece. The department has also suffered with personnel, but that seems to be on the mend, and is no longer a one man department.
Engineering has the most difficult task, keeping the ship working, no matter what we seem to throw at it. Exploding consoles, attacking Seetha, the department has seen it all, but has managed. We lost Barry in the CE position, but the department was more than able to keep running until a replacement was found in Robert. I'm sure there is a lot more potential in him, that will become more apparent as he gains more confidence.
Tali, as the XO more than compensates for Eyota, we've had our disagreements IC, but have managed to resolve them, and still work as a team.
All in all, the ship is looking good, although I am sure it can still improve. They say a ship is only as good as her captain, in our case the ship is only as good as her crew.
CO Self Review:
What am I good at... good question. I have a laid back command approach and I'm easy going, which makes it easy to get along with me, and I don't annoy people easily, unless I'm really trying to. I believe I'm not too bad at decision making, and I think I make a good leader. I try to make myself accessible to everyone, and I like to think my door is always open.
What aren't I good at... lots of things. Technobabble confuses me completely, never was very technically minded, but luckily the crew is made up of people who are, so we are well balanced. I only get so far into the technical manual, before I'm lost, and even with a map, I wouldn't get very far.
Experience is another weakness, I don't have too much of that, leading without the safety net that you have when you are an XO, but I think I am coping well. Remembering to modify the date on the MOTD, that always keeps slipping my mind :-)
What am I proud of? I get on well with the crew, there is no tension, no arguments, again that has something to do with my personality, and that they are a good group of people. The way the ship is running is another thing to be proud of.
Improvements.. people have been trying that for years, but it doesn't seem to work.. I'm definitely set in my ways, but am willing to try new things. I could read a bit more, become knowledgeable in a few more areas, who knows it might come in handy :-)
Would I promote me..hmmm. I'd have to say no. I've had what, 4 months experience as a CO, and I'm just settling down into the responsibilities that that entails. I believe I need to grow in that role, gain a more fuller understanding, before I'd even consider promoting myself. :)
CO Review of XO:
Tali does a great job of XO, she has the respect of the crew, and although we have had one IC skirmish, I believe it was beneficial. If I was to drop dead, (be warned, I'm not planning of doing so any time soon :) ) she would be more than ready to take command. She has the character, and the capabilities to become a great CO. She is willing to help, and is easily approachable, and she has that commanding presence. Her posting is top notch, and we make a great team.
CO Review of FComm:
Larry does a great job at what he does. He's there if you need him, and is more than willing to point out where you go wrong, both critical attributes. He's been around for goodness knows how long, and has a good understanding of how things work. The fleet is sharp, well organised, and I believe that has something to do with him, as well as the people he has around him. He keeps it in order,and I could see him going around with a duster and some polish to make sure it's clean and tidy.
I also have the pleasure to be in a position to have him as a GM. His sim is entertaining, and Guido and Nunzio never cease to make me smile. He makes sure there is enough to do for everyone, and is more than willing to injure a few NEs, and cause damage.
FComm Report:
I have GMed over 8 different ships since 1997, and I can honestly say that the Asimov is the most fun. The crew has picked up on several plot threads that I hadn't planned on making a big deal out of, but have changed my plans to do so. They also manage to keep me on my feet, both in terms of technobabble and plot. They've thrown me more than one monkey wrench, which has been hard for me to deal with. That's the sign of a good crew. I do remember the time when the Asimov was the Black Sheep of Fleet Four, but that is most certainly not the case any more. Emma Rouse_Deane has been strong and consistent since the day she came on board, and XO Taliyah Campbell has also been a strong leader for the ship. CSO Johno Hughes and former COS Izzy Harris both contribute greatly to the ship as well. The loss of Izzy to Outpost 42 is a great one. I know Izzy had a "Kick-Da-Seaus" reputation for a long time, and for a long time it was deserved, as well. But I've been pleasantly surprised with Izzy since coming on board. Paula, you're getting a good one. Also worthy of note is the Barkeep, Julian Novotny, who started out as a lackluster Eng but has turned into a damn good barkeep. :-) Some side plans of his will actually work out very nicely, although he doesn't know it yet. As to Izzy's claim that he's unsure of what will happen when this mission is over, that's the point. I wouldn't be much of a GM if I let you know all of the answers at the beginning, would I? Don't worry, some fun new information is forthcoming. (That's actually the point behind this mission.) I recently checked the CO Log, and discovered that not only has it been updated recently, but the back logs for this mission so far make a damn good overview of the mission for new crew members. That is exactly what the Log is supposed to be used as, and I think Emma is the only CO in the fleet other than myself that can boast such a useful Log. Great job, Emma. All in all, the Asimov is a fine, ship, with a fine crew, and a fine command staff.
USS Columbus
CO: Paul Jones
XO: Kystelle Bromilow
GM: Larry Garfield
RPG Update:
Hmmm well....Linus and I are still stuck trying to get a message out to the ship, we have managed to escape capture. On board ship they are trying to decipher signals coming from the Viceroy's ship.
Activity Level:
Umm still slow. Under ten posts aday sometimes only five. I am still not happy with the ship's status, we have a pulse but it is still faulty.
Crew:
Hmm well I can't remember if Emma has an XO, I think I keep adding her and she may but this woman is good :) She posts well and is an excellent DH. Steve Caldwell is also an excellent poster and DH, he handles the responsibility of the department well. Lt. Kelly Byers, a Sec assistant, has come a long way and this boy deserves a DH position somewhere if he hasnt' already.
General:
Well, we are certainly not dead,dead like we were last month but we're not really alive and kicking either. Our posts and activity has gone up maybe an average of 5 posts a day. I still think we still need a GM that will either be more active and energetic or one that will kick the crew in the pants and scare em:) Larry, your an awesome GM don't get me wrong but I honestly think we need a GM that can concentrate solely on the 202, I think your spread out a little thin and the crew seem to get frustrated waiting for your posts:)
Historical Review:
Hmm well... huh here's a sad story. This was a ship that when I boarded at first as XO was lively, fun and took me an hour to read! Unfortunately due to several factors (one mainly being to my belief) Jeff's several AWOL's as GM, the crew grew frustrated and a lot left. The core members stuck around though there was little posting. This has all progressed over the last four mos or so I think. Jeff would come back and promise to do better, though we told him if you can't handle it with rl np we'll get another GM. Then he would AWOL again. Larry has taken over for GMing for Jeff, though at this time he doesn't seem to be able to post as often as the Columbus needs a GM to right now. I think we need a GM with lots of energy, ambition and will to get the ship moving. Either that or the crew needs a kick in the pants.:-)
XO Self Review:
Hmm well, now . We're talking bout me again :-) Well I do all the XO admin work and keep the MOTD up-to date pretty well. I also do the XO report monthly. As for my XOing on the Columbus I have created a bit of a zany, crazy XO, who actually does the duties of an XO pretty good. She knows the rules and how to be a good STF officer but has to fight her Caitian instincts a bit to be a successful XO. The COS thinks she's a terrible XO and the CO loves her, so I am not sure how I am doing on there as XO though I am having fun:) Oh the XO does take on the away missions fairly well, and can lead an away team and various crew members correctly. I think the only trouble I have there with being an XO is always coming up with ideas and solutions. It can take me a while, I do have a hard time thinking abstractedly sometimes.:)( Come to think of it I do on the 202 too:)
XO Review of CO:
Well I like Pauly, he is a cool CO. He is ever ready to kid and joke around but when he needs to be serious he most certainly can be. I think Pauly does an excellent job as CO, he is one of my favorites. He is like I said pretty laid back and approachable. The whole crew seems to love him and they will work for him:-)
I noticed this most I think when he went on LOA a bit ago, when we were having trouble with Jeff AWOLing. The ship just seemed to lose all its heart that it had had while Pauly was there. It wasn't the same. Now at the same time Stu went LOA as well and Larry who attempted to fill in for Jeff ended up LOAing a time or two as well. So the ship went through a really bad spell. No GM, no CO, no COS, and it did affect posting, nevermind sim progression. I think it was made worse without Pauly though.
On a bit of a downside of things, Pauly really doesn't do much admin wise. He doesn't do much for reports, I do most of the MOTD work (not that I am complaining, I like it:). But I don't think that should detract from him being a good CO though:) The reports he will usually do, sometimes and infrequently :-).
XO Review of FComm/GM:
Well already talked about Larry and his FComming ability so for the Columbus I will talk bout his GMing ability. I personally think Larry is an awesome GM, very talented, deceitful and conniving :-). He puts on a good sim when he has the time and energy. I know, he does it on 202 but that spark seems lacking on the Columbus. Perhaps its because it was Jeff's simline first or he could be just stretched a little thin:) He doesn't seem to post as often here and it doesn't seem to be working in drawing out the rest of the crew on the ship. This concerns me, though the posting has risen a bit since Pauly's and Larry's return it is no where near even half the one time level of posting from the Columbus. I also still seem to feel undercurrents of frustration from the crew and even still hear that they don't think Larry is around that we still seem to have a GM that's not all the way there with us. I think perhaps if Larry is feeling he's busy enough, maybe we could finish this sim and bring in a fresh, strong posting GM. Perhaps that will bring back the ship.
CO Ship Report:
Well, the Iceberg has disappeared and, against all odds, the Columbus has started to rise again. Slowly. Though far from being as good as it was, the Columbus is gradually picking up again. Posting now is about 10 a day (whoopee-do), as opposed to the 2 or 3 of last month. Still, this is a far-cry from the 30-odd posts of which the Columbus is used to. The reason for the slight increase is the arrival of a GM who actually gives a damn (hi Larry). This, plus my trusty XO throwing everybody a life-jacket (how far can I push this analogy). The senior crew are all doing their best to salvage what they can, and its slowly paying off.The only problem I see at the moment is the sim. The crew are bored of its slow-pace; whilst not completely Larry's fault (he was thrown into the midst of a sim which wasn't his), many of the crew are feeling as if his heart isn't in it. Whilst not strictly true, I look forward to getting this sim out of the way, and either doing one of Larry's own, or another GM's.
The last eight months of the Columbus could be called 'The Rise and Fall of the the USS Columbus' (or the 'Captain must go down with his ship'). All biases aside, at one point the Columbus was the best ship in the fleet. As AFComm I feel I am in the position to make that claim. Posting was very high, and the ship was immense fun to be on board. For the most part, the senior crew has hardly changed, sticking with the ship in a hope for a return to the Glory Days. The senior crew are very strong, and are the main reason for the ships previous success. With their help, we should be able to eventually get the ship up to scratch. All we need is a little Energon, and a lot of luck......:-)
CO Self Review:
Review myself? Not usually a difficult job for someone with an ego as big as mine. Too much ego for such a small person. I think in the past 12 months I have added a bit of life to the ship- in order to make a good impression, I used humour as a weapon. It seemed to work; everyone else on board was weird too, it seems, and within days we had a brilliant group dynamic (I swore I'd never use that phrase). All the characters semed to get on really well, and I like to think that I helped initiate that. Additionally, the posts increased a lot when I took over, as people queued to throw insults my way :-). I post every day, which is a rarer trait than you'd think. My main failing as a CO, I reckon, is my inability to do things which require effort (or, as my mother would say, I am a lazy sod!). Looking at the MOTD before Krys arrived would confirm that. As would checking the Captain's log (don't though, as I fear I may be shot). Lucky for me, Krys realized how useless I was, and took over the job for me. I think someone should pay her to be honest.
My other failing was not realizng how bad a shape the Columbus was in until it was too late. I kept thinking that it was just a bad few days. Eventually those few days became months, and bad became god awful! I'm working on new ways of getting the ship out of trouble; the trouble lies aobviously in the lack of GM consistency. After that, maybe a leaflet campaign, and some souveneir t-shirts and cups.
CO Review of XO:
Well, what can I say about Krys? She came on board, and suddenly everything was up to date. I don't think I'd still have a job if it wasn't for her :) In fact, if she wasn't already married, I'd marry her myself :) Seriously though, Krys is a wonderful XO, and never complains if I forget things, and don't do what I should. Many a time I have logged on to find all those non-posters have been marked AWOL (which I really should have noticed), and that the Orders have been updated. To be honest, I think she enjoys the power :) Anyway, she's a great XO, and I couldn't cope without her. Obviously she could cope as CO if I kicked the proverbial bucket, as she has her own ship already. But if she ever left, I think the Columbus would probably explode. If I was drinking beer right now, I'd propose a toast to Krys, the best XO in Star-Fleet. As I'm only drinking tea, it would probably look strange. Thanks, Krys :)
CO Review of FComm/GM:
And Larry- the essence of Fleet Four. Not a bad boss to work for; he never gives me many jobs to do, which is always nice (and never pays me either, which isn't so grand). He's very dedicated to the Fleet, and frankly I don't know how he finds the time. He's done a lot for the fleet, so everyone should applaud him. My only gripe is that as a GM he is evil incarnate. Come on, you've all experienced it, you know what I'm talking about. Everytime you think you're onto something, a little surprise will appear to prove you wrong. Come on Larry, gis a break!!!
FComm Report:
I am pleased to announce that the Columbus is no longer dead, just very badly burned. Posting is still not quite up to where I would like it, but things have been improving. Much as I would like to take credit for it, though, I really can't say I've done anything but fill the void that was here previously in the GM space. It's good to finally have the whole ship's staff back, and not have everyone on LOA, which has helped a great deal. But I would have to say that most of the credit for picking up activity goes to the crew. Stuart Coll has invented some truly criminally evil ways to disipline officers, which I must say I am going to have to steal for the Alliance. CSO Steve Cawdell should also be commended for his work, as he has been able to push forward without prodding. The CE, Sinead Doyle, has similarly helped push things forward despite the dearth of activity before, with no small help from Drew Sewell. Plot-wise, I'm still trying to pick up the loose ends that Jeff left me with. I should be used to thinking on my feet by now, but it's still not easy. :-) I do have a somewhat better idea of where things are headed now, and what to do with them, but it's an ongoing process. I do plan on ending the mission as soon as is feasible and turning the ship over to another GM to start a new mission. Mind you, knowing me and the missions I run that won't be any time soon, but it's my plan nonetheless. :-) Interestingly, the CO Log goes all the way back to 1998, yet hasn't been updated since the beginning of this mission. Paul, Krys, I suggest one of you do something about that. In general, the patient is still recovering but is out of the ICU.
USS Montgomery
CO: Jeff Field
XO: Philip Hobday
GM: Doug Van Ness (GMT) / Larry Garfield (GMM)
RPG Update:
We're recovering from the after-effects of the XO's party, and beginning to get acclimitised to our new crew members, and ready for our new GM(T)
Activity Level:
Very good, considering between sims - stable. Maybe 8 per diem on average.
Crew:
Jason Rauch (Ensign Pendragon) and Karnj Johal (Ensign Terac), have both impressed me greatly with their speedy adaptation to a new RP environment, and their eagerness and enthusiasm, and that they both laugh at my jokes.
General:
In conclusion, the Monty in particular, and STF as a whole, are in very good shape. We have dedicated, committed crew who are working together within their ships and starbase to build up friendly communities of skilled RPers who enjoy a talent for RP and a zest for fun which, I believe, is outstanding.
XO Self Review:
Well, my predecessors had a short shelf-life; I think we succeeded in going through three in a fortnight at one stage...but I've been around for about a month and half, being promoted from Chief Tactical Officer, and am settling into the new responsibility (such as it is) quite well.
I'm quite proud of the fact that I have survived for more than seven days in the hotseat! Endurance must be some strength - and I enjoy RPing very well, interacting with characters new and old. I'm probably not rigorous enough in chasing up AWOLs, etc., which is something I intend to begin improving, and I've just begun to email every new ensign with a welcome aboard, I'm-here-to-help kind of email. I also - now my Internet access is free and my exams are over - have been able to post almost every day. This means I have been able to interact with almost every character aboard, and know them all quite well. It's also given me some insights into dragging sims along and encouraging interest in the plot, which can be a useful asset at times!
I submit I would, were Jeff to drop dead tomorrow, I could probably manage! I've been with the Monty since I arrived in STF, way back in September 1999, and I know most of the older crew members, and through a couple of neat IC tricks including a huge party am getting to know most of the newcomers!
XO Review of CO:
The CO is someone I have come to know and admire. Fleet Captain Jeff Field is a forthright, forceful and capable Commanding Officer, with a real understanding of how to keep an RP moving. He is especially good at delegation. :-) His major fault is his inconsistency in posting; I am aware of RL difficulties, and these occasionally mean he goes without posting for quite extensive periods of time, leaving the XO, supported in particular by CE Larry Garfield and COS Stuart Drake, to run the ship. There is also a slightly alarming tendency to be inattentive to updating the MOTD and completing Captain's Logs. However, he does know his crew, and the fact that so many of us were deemed worthy of promotion recently indicates how well our characters have developed underneath his command. Having been STF4's original Fleet Commander, I think his range of experience is such that he could assume that position when - I mean, if tragically - Larry Garfield were run over by a passing bus driven by Izzy Harris! Seriously, he is a sound CO, hampered by long gaps between posts, but otherwise capable and competent.
XO Review of FComm:
Now I get to hold forth on FComm-4 Larry Garfield, the man whom we have all come to love to hate. ;-) Larry's faults are a tendency to be over-bureaucratic, to require intensely long and detailed reports on minuscule aspects of Fleet life, and having a finger in every pie in STF. It does, however, give him a range of up-to-date practical knowledge which I think is almost unrivalled in STF; and, he is always willing to assist with advice or practical support wherever required. Although Larry is, at times, is a pen-pusher - one can imagine him working in the White House as Director of Paper Clip Acquisition and Deployment for the Stationery Resource Allocation Working Party - he knows his stuff, is genuinely interested and supported, and keeps us subordinates on our toes. He is to be congratulated as the most thorough (if, perhaps, not the most popular) Fleet Commander in STF.
CO Ship Report:
I took Command of the Monty in November of 1999 in
midmission, at the behest of FComm Garfield. The ship wasn't very active at that point, but had a good crew. As the sim picked up, activity did as well. By the end of the sim, we actually had most of a full crew (except medical. We never have a medical staff. They *always* leave). That mission was followed by a mission GM'd by Colin Wyers. While the mission was good and original, the crew didn't pick up on it very well. However, all of the crew is posting frequently currently, and we are between sims. An IC wedding is planned between the COS and CSO, which will happen soon, and after that we will start a new mission. I fully expect the best performance out of the crew, except for the medical staff, who will undoubtably quit, except for Jaret, the CMO, who manages to stick around.
CO Self Review:
Little old me? I need to be more active. My activity died for various reasons for a month or so. I'm doing much better now, and expect to do well in the future. However, I don't know what effect going to college will have on my posting.
CO Review of FComm:
Larry is a bastard. Always bugging me. "Where is your fleet report? Why is your fleet report 2 weeks late? Damnit Jeff, I'm going to throttle you if you don't give me that fleet report. Jeff, I'll be at your house to kill you in two hours". Sheesh, you'd think he'd layoff the death threats :-). Other than his nazi-esque Fleet Report tactics, he's ok. I'd be better, but he's not leaving Fleet 4 unless he dies, and I'm not close enough to him :).
FComm Report:
Under the tender care *cough* of GM Colin Wyers, the Montgomery slowly slid into the dulldrums as there was scarce little for anyone to do, save 3 or 4 key people. Once that was over, however, activity picked up again, and has been fairly good ever since there was no longer a mission. I'm not completely sure I understand it myself, but I am not going to complain. At present, slated GMT Doug Van Ness is revising his mission plan at the suggestion of the GMM, giving the crew just enough time to squeeze in a wedding. They should try and get it done soon, as activity is beginning to slip again. The ship received a large influx of new members since the mission ended, and most of them have so far decided to stay, thanks to the welcoming treatment they received from the XO and that wonderful CE. :-) Seriously, though, the core crew is very good. The one weak spot in the command structure is the CO, Jeff Field. Jeff is CO IC, from time to time, but OOC XO Philip Hobday is CO in all but name. He handles the MOTD, AWOLs, welcoming new crew, all of those other things you would expect the CO to do. And he does a pretty good job of it, too. Jeff, look out, he's after your job. The CO Log is rarely updated, but all of the available entries at the moment were filed by Phil. I expect the ship to continue to plug along, and the Engineering staff looks forward to the wedding, for which it is already making plans. After that, Doug will try his hand at GMing. We'll see how that works out.
Starbase 202
CO: Krystelle Bromilow
XO: David Yim
GM: Larry Garfield
RPG Update:
In order to find the suspects of the explosions, a trap(Suggested by the COO) has been set up in the infirmary, using Ms. Coka Kola, the sole surviving witness as bait. Also, new evidence has been discovered.
Activity Level:
The posting rate is steady and I would say it's pretty fast. All of the post are good and detailed. Also, the no. of one-liner has decreased a little bit.
Crew:
All of the crew show promising potential and the mix of old and new personal has created a lot of chances for character development. The COO, Michael Seiler and the BMO, Nikolle Burchett has proven themselves to be crucial to the ongoing sim. Their creativity and harmonious relationship with other crewmember have helped a lot in progressing the sim.
General:
All in all, I would say that the SB202 is in great shape though we can acheive more as time goes by.
XO Self Review:
I'm obsessed with STF. Don't laugh. According to the words of the CO of Lexington, Robert Anderson, quote, 'You can't live without STF.', unquote. I'm proud of this, actually. :-) This kind of attitude is a double-blade sword. It makes me to post frequently, however, it also makes me to aim at promotion only. In the other hand, I won't allow my personal feeling to influence my judgement on other members.
Although I want a promotion badly, however, I don't think I'm capable to be a CO yet. I need a couple more months to get more command experience. The only promotion that can be occur now is a promotion in rank to Commander.
I post daily but most of my posts are short. I've got to write more expressive and detailed.
XO Review of CO:
Krys is a very good CO and she handle the SB properly. However, she should learn how to be tough at tough times. For example, we've some arguments between some crew aboard recently and I believe Krys' handling is a bit too soft on this.
Also, I don't think Krys is capable to be FComm yet. The FComm spot is an administrative one and Krys only has a little bit of admin experience only. The 'boring' nature is not suitable for some people.
XO Review of FComm/GM:
Your GMing is good but the length of the sim has some negative effort on our morale. The 'neverending' sim may make people feel tiring and boring so the length of a sim should be a little bit shorter. As for your administration, I'm new in the inner circle so I don't know much about that. I'm not familiar with the AFComm so I won't comment about his performance.
CO Historical Review:
I took over the 202 on Jan the 5th of this year, I stepped into Bill Gunty's shoes and took over his base as he moved onto to the Nautilus.
It was my first CO position and though I felt a little apprehensive I set to with gusto to deal with AWOL's, resignations and turnovers the base was having.
It was a grueling few months work to try and work out a balance between crew, I knew that I wanted both some older and newer members so that they balanced each other out.
With Larry as GM it made for some very challenging sims and for the newer members this left them a little lost. I felt with the balance of older, experienced members that this would help to give the newer inexperienced members guidance and confidence.
I feel that in the last few months that I have achieved that aim and 202 is the better for it. I have members aboard that started out as newbies and have now progressed to good working DH's.
For the future I would like to continue this endeavor of integrating good working crew on the 202. I would also like to see us one day be up for Larry's sims instead of running a mile behind trying to catch up to him. But perhaps that is a sign of a good GM.:-)
On suggestions on improvements for the crew of the 202 and the ship itself, I am attempting that with trying to insure good quality posting DH's. I am also trying to place an XO on the 202 that will do both the XO and the ship good.
I think that the 202 needs a very strong XO, both in quality of posts, leadership abilities, posting frequencies, and trouble shooting. This leads to very careful selection of the XO.
I think with Doug Van Ness that I came very close to having an excellent XO for the 202. His posts were of excellent caliber,he lead well, but unfortunately he could not post and interact in the sim as well as I think he could have and that the crew needed him too.
I am hoping that with David Yim, that he can bring out all these qualities in his new XO character. The crew on the 202 are needful of a firm hand in some areas. I have had to twice now threaten with IC disciplinary forms to get the DH's to post in sim and follow orders.
CO Self-Review:
Well I came onto the 202 as CO thrilled with the new post and all fired up to do 202 some good. I also enjoyed the base serving as her BSO and liked the sims, challenging and frustrating as Larry makes em:-)
The first obstacle I found was the appearing and disappearing crew, I had to quickly become proficient at finding crew and and judging who would be the best DH's for the ship. This was where I realized I needed good experienced DH's to coincide with the newer members as so many people were lost in the sims.
It was also here I began to see a bit of a fault in myself as a CO, I was to soft-hearted. I had a difficult time denying my crew the chance to try different things and it was starting to interfere with the sim. I had to put my foot down and insist that they concentrate on the sim, when my DH's ignored my orders I was forced to threaten IC action on their characters if they continued to refuse.
I ended up having to do this another time as well when certain characters were refusing to listen their DH orders as well. At the beginning of my captaincy I also feel that I messed up on assigning some of the orders to various departments. I have learned to think carefully where I put the various departments and what the future results may be, it cuts down on the confusion :-).
I suppose the other thing I can be considered to be a little lax in is keeping my log up to date. The only thing is, is Larry's sim is so long that I have found that it doesn't need quite as much updating as other ships as the orders don't change much.
On the plus side, I think as CO I have been good for the ship in trying to get a wide variety of people working together on a common goal,and in keeping them working at it. I have been successful with training new members in posting and encouraging them in their character building. In several cases newer members became ready for a DH position in short order.
I tend to use a combination of praise, commendation and instruction with the crew in their simming capabilities. I find that the more praise you give people the harder they will work on the difficult things.
I think I have also made this crew feel a part of their base and very proud of it and their successes in completing parts of Larry's sim.
CO Review of XO:
Well, this came a little late as my XO for a time Doug Van Ness is leaving and now a CO. I have appointed David Yim to replace him but as of yet we have not worked it out in sim yet as Doug may wish to do a farewell post.
Doug was an excellent XO in the administrative work, posting wise and leadership ability. The only thing that disappointed me a little was his frequency of posting and I felt he could have been a little more involved in the sim,he went in fits and spurts simwise.
David, I have yet to see in any XO capacity but as a DH he had the leadership ability and a good rapport with his assistants. Simwise he was also been an excellent contributor throughout.
CO Review of FComm/GM:
Well, what can I say? That you can overbearing? Definitely :-). Your also one of the best FComm's I have seen. I am on Crell, 202 and the Columbus and have seen Larry in both GM and FComm capacity and I have to say he does it well and with efficiency for the most part.:)
On the 202 with Larry as FComm I have found him to be fair, open-minded and easy to approach in regards to questions I had or advice if that was what I was seeking.
He had reseasonable expectations from us CO's and had no trouble discussing any issue that we had qualms about or disagreed with. In regards to being GM on the 202, Larry has certainly kept things interesting and his sims appear to be well thought out and challenging.
Personally I am not sure how the 'never-ending sim thread' idea that has been implemented will work out. I know that the crew feels that we need breaks in-between sim threads so that there can be down time to relax character and player wise. Perhaps that is why we have trouble periodically with a bit of rebellion with crew following orders.
It does seem a bit exhausting to never have an end in sight
FComm Report:
Starbase 202 has improved significantly in the last 8 months. I think just about the entire crew has turned over in the last 12 months, some positions multiple times, but the crew has begun to solidify in recent months. Like the Asimov, SB202 used to be a chronic weak spot in the fleet. Although it is not has high-flying as the Asimov, it too has improved considerably. Krys can probably receive the credit for much of this. She's steadfastly pushed to hold on to strong people when she can find them, and does a very good job pushing and helping those who aren't so strong. Krys is quite simply a one-woman Mentor Program all by herself, and I've seen the positive effect that has. Mackael Stockhausen improved greatly with her help, and went from medicre to quite good in a surprisingly short time. Not everyone is such a success story, but Krys certainly does try. That is also, probably, one of her weaknesses as well. She is so optomistic and positive that she sometimes will not recognize a problem until it has grown, and isn't always able to make the hard decision of when to come down on someone like a ton of bricks. While a good CO shouldn't do that often, they should be able to do so when needed. Krys is almost always on time with her fleet reports, but being able to decipher it is sometimes a chore, as she can't seem to organize them the way I ask, even when I DO provide ready-made templates for her by means of the web forms. :-) XO Doug Van Ness was quite good when he posted, but wasn't quite as frequent in his posting as would have been nice. David Yim is daily or nearly daily, so Krys and I have high hopes for him as XO. The CO Log is updated once every few months, and tries to summarize the past several months of activity. While this may be good for achival purposes, it is not very useful for new crew. The All B-Story mission that I began last year (it started in mid to late August of 1999) has slowly mutated into a major plot thread, as the other plots have been solved. The crew will be happy to hear that once they get through this last plot, they will be getting some time off while *I* rest and recoup. :-) Overall, a stable ship, finally.
Crell
Active Members: Larry Garfield, Deanne Ashton, Krystelle Bromilow, Nathan Miller
Status:
Crell is about as Crell has always been. An adult-issues oriented, high-skill, Self-RPG Area, Crell has a very small core set of people and regrettably little else. For those who serve there, it's Lots'o'Fun(tm). Almost everyone on Crell has multiple characters, especially Deanne Ashton, which leads to some rather amusing interactions from time to time. The downside, of course, is that any one person taking an LOA can seriously impact the activity rate. A few people occationally request characters, but they never get back to me when I ask them for details on their characters, so the core group is pretty much stable. At the moment, things are healthy. I would like to see about getting a few more people onto Crell to boost STF's own little soap opera, but the people I've talked to so far have said that they are too busy elsewhere already. My search continues, on and off. Until then, Crell is happy as it is, with its small, dedicated, highly-skilled core.
Fleet Command Staff Reviews
AFComm Fleet Report:
Fleet four is one of the strongest fleets in STF. I think each vessel can boast a high crew complement, and excellent post rate (at one time or another). Also, due to Larry slowly seeping onto every ship (in an act similar to osmosis), the fleet can boast of an an overall plot which encompasses every ship. The state at the moment is that you need to be on every ship in the fleet to truly appreciate the links. Fleet four has some of the strongest CO's and XO's on the WeBB, and these contribute to a fine and efficient little group. Personally, I reckon the unity of the ships is the Fleets strong point, and one which most other fleets should envy.
Not much has changed in the last eight months. Various ships have risen or floundered (Asimov up, Columbus down), but overall the fleet has remained strong. When I first came on board, the fleet was already one of the best, due mainly to Larry's punctuality and active involvement. Luckily, he chose a Virgo for his Assistant, as I too like things to be on time (though you wouldn't be able to tell recently). Anyway, keep up the good work you people!!!
FComm Self Review:
Ah, payback time for the staff who complained when I asked them to review themselves. :-) In short, I am proud of my fleet, and of myself. I would like to think that the high level of skill in the fleet's upper ranks is at least partially due to my constant badgering. I take a personal interest in the fleet and its success, and work to keep everything moving along properly. That includes leaning on COs and XOs to do their part, as well as doing my own part from my roving office. I like to be "in the trenches," so to speak, as it gives me a better feel of each ship as well as putting me in a better position to do something about it when necessary.
That is, however, also a weakness. I think Izzy Harris said it best in his FComm Review above. I hadn't planned to end up GMing over half the fleet, but it sorta turned out that way. As a result of that, as well as happenings on my other ships outside the fleet, I am stretched thinner than I should be right now. I have been aware of this for a while now, and I am working to ameliorate the problem. I will be dropping the GM Columbus spot as soon as I can finish the mission Jeff left us with, as (not to let out too much of a secret), it is fairly important in the grand IC scheme of things. The same is true for the Asimov, where as Izzy said there are a few loose ends that have fallen by the wayside, for better or worse. I will also be pulling back elsewhere in STF to regroup, and have already notified the appropriate authorities.
My biggest shortcoming, I would say, is that I am not very good at deligating. Too many group projects in high school have given me a very strong "If you want something done, you've got to do it yourself" attitude, so I find it difficult to hand off projects to others. However, I am working on that, and will be reviewing replacement GMs carefully once that becomes my job under GMDevolution. :-)
That said, I do contest that as far as FComm is concerned, I do my job, and I do it well, dagnabbit! I would like to think the extra work I give my staff in these reports helps them to improve themselves as much as it helps me to keep track of them. I know it helps me to keep track of my own ship and of myself. And as other people have stated, I am always available if anyone has a problem or question, CO, XO, or other. In short, as several of my GM characters would say, "Iz da, tovarisch."
DH Recommendations
USS Alliance
CO Larry Garfield:
-
David Goldsberry (Lieut (j.g.) Jaco Sels (Sci)): David and his CSO, Peter Hull, have managed to keep themselves active and constructive for quite a while now, without any real prodding from anyone. They are both to be commended.
XO Ralf Steen:
-
David Goldsberry (Lieut (j.g.) Jaco Sels (Sci)): David has been on the Alliance for some months now and has during all that time shown his ability to post consistently and to contribute to the sim.
USS Asimov
CO Emma Rouse-Deane:
XO Taliyah Campbell:
FComm Larry Garfield:
-
Julian Novotny (Civilian Cactus Jack Foley (Bartender)) You normally wouldn't expect a civilian character to shine, but Julian has made his engineer-turned-barkeep into an active and interesting character.
USS Columbus
CO Paul Jones:
XO Krystelle Bromilow:
USS Montgomery
CO Jeff Field:
XO Philip Hobday:
-
Evan Casey (Lieutenant Evan Casey (Eng)): I still think he needs a new challenge - deserves to be a DH, if not an XO.
-
Lucky Bradley (Lieutenant Lochlainn Devries (Eng)): Again I still think he needs a new challenge - deserves to be a DH, if not an XO. Good RPer, active in OOC life too.
Starbase 202
CO Krystelle Bromilow:
XO David Yim:
XO Recommendations
USS Alliance
CO Larry Garfield:
-
Brian Smith (Commander Brian Smith (CTO)): Brian was my XO for a very long time, before he was forced for personal reasons to leave STF for a while. When he came back, the XO slot had been filled by Ralf Steen, so he returned as CTO. However, he is just as qualified for an XO position now as he was during the year that he was the Ally's XO.
-
Peter Hull (Lieut (j.g.) Thomas Hull (CSO)): Peter and his Sci, David Goldsberry, have managed to keep themselves active and constructive for quite a while now, without any real prodding from anyone. They are both to be commended.
XO Ralf Steen:
-
Peter Hull (Lieut (j.g.) Thomas Hull (CSO)): Peter is always very reliable, imaginative and helpful in his posting. He should be considered for an XO position.
-
Brian Smith (Commander Brian Smith (CTO)): Brian has already shown his ability to fulfill the duties of an XO exceptionally well. He should be considered for this position again.
USS Asimov
CO Emma Rouse-Deane:
-
Barry Vogtman (Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Avery (2O / Ops)): Posting is imaginative, well thought out, and entertaining to read, definitely XO material.
XO Taliyah Campbell:
USS Columbus
CO Paul Jones:
XO Krystelle Bromilow:
USS Montgomery
CO Jeff Field:
XO Philip Hobday:
Starbase 202
CO Krystelle Bromilow:
David Yim
Quote of the Month
"Well I think so, brain, but are you sure we'll have enough time to read all of these reports before dinner?"
Report signed: FComm-4 Larry Garfield 1 August 2000
Page authored by FComm-4 Larry Garfield
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Last updated: 1 August 2000
Version: 1.00a
