Hi everyone!

With the appointment of Crissy to the XO role on the Saracen I decided to run over some of the positions on board, as it never hurts to refresh things and it means all of us are all on the same page with our communication and knowledge. We have a good number of Swings on this ship and with our DH positions full, I wanted to give some clarification into roles that I see our characters filling. It may also let newer writers or those with less Trek knowledge have more clarity around who does what.

I have also fielded numerous questions OOC about what people are supposed to do, so thought I would put this together as a resource we can use, especially with no official works for our swings as such and various ships working them slightly differently depending on their own requirements.

Feel free to read, give feedback and offer improvements. This is after all our RP environment. Hopefully it is simple and makes sense. At the bottom are two other role descriptions for clarification.

This is intended as a positive resource to help RP and you are all welcome to use this and modify it elsewhere if you wish. If your role joins onto another role, such as how Operations is able to take on a number of jobs in threads like Engineering and Science, feel free to support those departments in Sims if your own primary position is not involved. I see Swings as a brilliant opportunity to develop a character and play a role in several ways, perfect for characters and writers who can inject themselves positively into threads and stories.

So, here we go:

Captain: Commanding Officer of the ship and has the Big chair, responsible for overall oversight of the ship and making the big choices. Drinks lots of coffee.

XO: Second in Command and directly responsible for the day to day operations of the ship. DH’s report ‘day to day’ issues to the XO. Reports to CO if needed and assists the CO in planning. Generally leads away teams and selects the team members unless directed otherwise.

CIO: Ships Chief Intelligence Officer, a Command Division role (red tunic) responsible for providing information to the Command team and where needed the DH’s that may not be readily available without his/her contacts and intelligence clearance, which may well be higher than the CO and XO. Works with the DH’s where needed in a Sim and assists the CO more directly than a regular DH. Still Officially reports to the XO. On the Bridge operates as a Relief Officer for any of the stations. Has an office with Intel Specific equipment.

CTO: Chief Tactical Officer. This is a Command Division (red tunic) position responsible primarily for ship to ship engagement, supporting the Chief of Security in their role as well as planning missions, away teams and advising the CO, XO and CoS with up to date Tactical information on the region they operate in. On the Bridge stands at the Tactical Console and operates ship weapons and shields, and is also responsible for operating Communications. The console can handle damage control and security issues if the Security Console goes down. The CTO has an Office, reports to the XO.

CoS: Chief of Security, Operations Division (gold tunic). This role holds responsibility for all Security issues aboard the Saracen and away team missions, and supports the Tactical Officer during ship-to-ship combat. On the Bridge the CoS has a Security Console that supports the Tactical Console, and handles damage control assignment. The console is able to control weapons if the tactical position goes down and in heated combat is not unusual for the Security position to take over shield control. Has an Office and reports to the XO.

CoO: Chief of Operations, Operations Division (gold tunic). This role handles day to day operational running of the ship in areas like the shuttle bays, transporters and other non-dept specific areas. The CoO is also a direct line of support to the Chief Engineer, Chief of Security, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Science Officer and will often assist them on missions. On the Bridge this Officer has a station next to Helm Control and is capable of acting as helm if required. The station is responsible for ships internal sensors, standard external sensors and wider navigational control. Has an office and reports to the XO.

CE: The Chief Engineer is an Operations Division role (gold tunic) responsible for the overall maintenance and operation of the ships mechanical systems. Generally based in Main Engineering the CE handles repair, maintenance, operation and monitoring of all physical components on board, and works with the CSO in maintaining the ships Computer. When on the Bridge the CE can transfer control to their console and maintain control of Engineering systems from that point in order to better liase with the Command team. Has an Office and reports to the XO.

CSO: The ships Chief Science Officer is a Sciences Division role (science blue tunic) that handles specific scientific issues such as on board experiments, sensor analysis, advising the Command team and other DH’s on Scientific related matters and has operational oversight of the Ships Computer and AI. On the Bridge has a console that is set up to more deeply scan and analyse sensor readings than what the Operations console can do. This Officer often supports the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Engineer directly. Has an Office and reports to the XO.

CMO: Chief Medical Officer is a Medical Division role (medical blue tunic) that looks after the physical health of the crew, visitors and people met during away missions. This role advises the Command team on known and possible medical dangers they may face and takes the lead during medical missions. This Officer has no specific Bridge position, but in many cases will sit to the Captains left on the chair often held for a ships counselor or specialist not already at a console, if ever on the Bridge instead of in their Sickbay. Has an Office and reports to the XO, but also more directly to the CO as part of their medical role.

Command Master Chief: We have as part of our crew a character playing a Command Master Chief that is rated as Command Division but reports as a Security JO to the Chief of Security. This character wears a gold tunic as part of Security and in the role of Command Master Chief is the main point of reference for the non-enlisted crew other than their DH’s, as you might have guessed that is mainly a RP point as we don’t have any other Crewmen etc. The Master Chief is rated as a Bridge Officer and is considered a Relief Officer (think Worf in the first season TNG where he served on the Bridge at a number of stations as a Relief Officer while a Lt j.g.) capable of serving at various stations, the Helm, and if needed sitting in the chair on watch. This character has no office, and reports to the Chief of Security as their primary role in Sim is that of Security JO.

Helm Officer: Nice and simple, this Officer belongs to the Command Division and wears a red tunic, and is the main helmsman of the Saracen. Also responsible for being the main man to pilot the shuttles when needed on away missions, this character reports to the XO and is able to assist the other DH’s where required, especially on away missions. No office. It was confiscated to fix the hole he put in my ship.

Counselor: This role is part of the Medical Division (Medical Blue tunic) but is free to wear civilian clothing if this is felt more appropriate in a situation. Responsible primarily for the mental health of the crew aboard the ship and to advise the Captain and XO if a crew member is compromised in their duties. This crew member may be available on away missions to advise the team where needed, and may or may not as an extra duty be capable of standing watch on the Bridge as a Bridge Officer if they have the required training.

Finally and again, I am really looking forward to what lies ahead for us all, and I thank you for being a part of the Saracen’s crew. Feel free to comment.

-Dave