STF

STF FAQ

Q: Who are we?

A: STF (Star-fleet.com) is a Star Trek text-based RPG. We started out on the Prodigy boards back in 1991! Running continually since then, we’ve grown and evolved and are now on our third major operating system (all custom designed). We have multiple fleets and over 25 Role-Playing areas. If you like Star Trek and writing, there’s an RP here for you!

Q: How do sims work?

A: We are a bulletin-board style RPG and all posts are done on the boards. Each ship has a designated posting speed (which gives you the expected max number of days between posts) and some have specialty themes or Trek eras. Most ships have a designated Gamemaster (GM) who run the story or “main sim”, and the crew also run their own side sims and character development threads. Working together in their designated roles, they build the story up with the clues and interaction provided by the GM.

Q: How do we write?

A: Our IC (In-Character) posts are written in Third-Person, Past-Tense ("Ensign Smith pulled out her tricorder to scan the device" rather than "I pull out my tricorder to scan the device."). Think of any Star Trek novel and that’s what you’re aiming for.

Q: What sorts of characters can I play?

A: New members are typically able to play a Federation species for their first character, and after that we allow Allied and Custom species at the discretion of your Commanding Officer (CO). (Ex: Humans, Betazoids, Vulcans, Andorians etc.) Less conventional species like a former Borg drone or say an Android are also at the discretion of the CO. (Ex: Ferengi, former Borg, Androids Etc.) We do not allow hostile species, though in some cases, with a very solid background story about how they came to be on a Starfleet vessel/base, a CO may allow it, but they have the right to say no. (Ex: Romulans, Cardassians, Breen, Orion, Changeling etc.) Because they are copyrighted and the intellectual property, players are not allowed to play any character from any of the shows or movies, nor claim their character is a descendent/relative of those characters. The exception is for Gamemasters who are allowed to use them for cameos within missions.

Q: How do I sign up?

A: There’s a big orange button on the right side of the main nav bar, or you can go here: https://www.star-fleet.com/accounts/register/

Q: Why choose the Academy?

A: Are you new to role-playing? Or have you done other forms of RP but feel uncertain about our format? The Academy hosts training ships to help new members get a feel for STF and our RPG-style by running short sims under the guidance of an experienced crew and GM. The Academy is entirely optional and you are eligible to graduate usually after 3-4 months. Every member who opts for the Academy is paired with a Mentor, who is also your DH (Department Head). Between them and the command team, you have lots of people to ask questions of and help guide you on your way to awesome RPing. The Academy does have some restrictions though, including only being on that one ship until you graduate, but after that you are free to join as many as you feel comfortable joining! If you decide you do not want to join the Academy you can still request a mentor in your new membership application. For more info, check out: https://www.star-fleet.com/core/acad/

Q: I’m an experienced member of another RP; How will the Academy help me?

A: If you’ve been RPing for years and after reading our boards a bit feel you have the basic idea, you can opt to go directly to the Mainfleets an as Ensign and skip the Academy. This also means you have no ship restrictions and can join more than one ship.

Q: What is the year In-Character?

A: The easy formula to know what year we are playing in is Current Year+376=IC Year. So, 2019 RL = 2395 IC. Some ships are based in different eras or timelines, so their IC year may be different.

Q: Do you do stuff as a group OOC (Out-of-Character)?

A: Yes! We have an OOC Board (Ten Forward) where we organize and host social events, discussions and other fun stuff like our book club. It’s also home to The Writer’s Hub, our new and developing area for writing resources. You can join us for live chat in our Discord server where members from around the world come to hang out. We also host some of our social events there in our Events channel (ie. episode watch parties, the STF Awards, Live RP etc). You can also find us on social media. We have a Twitter Feed, official Facebook Page for major news and announcements, and a Facebook Group which hosts all the social and fun stuff.

Q: Where can I get help if I haven’t asked for a Mentor?

A: If you find yourself needing extra help after joining, you can request a Mentor from the Academy. Also, joining in our Discord chat will give you access to plenty of helpful members who are always willing to answer questions.

Q: How is the club run?

A: STF is run by a group of volunteers, with our top leader (the President) being elected by the club. The Executive (President and Vice President) choose their cabinet who run the different Fleets and Departments. The Department Directors and Fleet Commanders choose their assistants. The President moderates our Command board and sets the agenda for the term, including any important discussions or legislation that they or the club need to debate. There are also Executive Assistant roles in the club that are not term specific and are appointed by the President. Each term lasts 8 months.

Q: I keep seeing people with animal names on the boards and in chat: what’s with that?

A: The animal nick is a long standing tradition in STF for when a player earns the rank of Captain. This is often accompanied by their first ship command but not always. When the player is promoted by Presidential Edict, a group of people already with animal nicks (and usually including the person higher up in the Chain of Command) get together to pick an animal that best suits the person. Sometimes they are comical, sometimes they are more factual, but they are always presented in a ‘ceremony’ (in Ten-Forward) and admitted into the STF “Zoo”. A list of all current nicks in use can be found on the Ten Forward board. Animal nicks are not mandatory and a player can request not to receive one.


© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service

Version 1.15.9