Stargame Help File

Stargame Help File

Below is the Help File for the role-playing game Stargame, written during the heyday of the play-by-email game and intended to assist new players and gamemasters who wished to learn about the playing system. It has been edited to remove last names of former gamers who haven't given permission to have their names reposted. A warning: because Stargame no longer exists, the domains and email addresses listed are no longer valid.

Introduction and History

Greetings, and welcome to the first edition of the newly-improved Stargame Help File. Stargame has gone through quite a few changes in the last couple of years, and to change with the times, the old FAQFile was in need of a change as well. Hence, the first edition of the Stargame Help File.

For those of you with friends without Windows but interested in this document, please feel free to print relevant sections as necessary, or feel free to get a text-only copy from the same site as you received this, stargame.org.

Now, I think a short history of the site might be in order. Stargame originally started as a list on a LISTSERV server back about seven or so years ago. Then, it was one list, and everyone subscribed to it. All the games were played on it, and, with a usual population of greater than 60 or so, you can tell there was a bit of confusion.

To help cut down on some of the confusion, a couple of things were implemented. One was the use of codes to designate the different ships in the 'fleet.' This allowed the players and Gamemasters to separate particular games that they didn't play from those that they did (and believe me, some of us old timers needed it at times; some of us participated in up to 12+ games at once!). Usually, this code consisted of either the full name of the ship, or a three-letter 'prefix' selected by the game's ga memaster.

This code usually went into the subject, and is still used in the separate gamelists even to this day. A second problem was that of players and gamemasters alike not following a form of decorum in play. A player might jump the gun on a move before a gamemaster could resolve it, thus really screwing up the gamemaster's campaign plan. About two years after the start of Stargame, Alex J. came up with a set of 'rules of etiquette' for players and gamemasters alike. Although Alex is no longer with Stargame, his 'rules' have been an integral part of game play, and form the core of this document.

A third problem came when new people would jump in an disrupt game play, when they decided they liked a game and decided to just "jump in." This led to the author(s) (Scott G. and Dave S.) to take Alex's rules and combine them with a list of ships with openings which they compiled from all the various games. This was the nucleus of the original Stargame FAQFile.

Which brings us to about a year or so ago, when PCCVM kicked us off the LISTSERV. Stargame first moved to gitvm1.gatech.edu. Then, the light dawned, and we moved to stargame.org. The current location allows Stargame gamemasters and players alike much mor e freedom and less confusion. The lists are run by the majordomo list processing program, allowing each game to have his own list for the ship. The original listowner, Brian H., is still the administrator of Majordomo, and is now assisted by a Stargame Council to help him in many of the tasks. Thus, the birth of the new Stargame.

Player's Guide to Stargame

For those that have joined us for the first time, welcome to Stargame. For you old-timers, well, welcome anyway. You might finally learn something (just a joke, guys.).

In the likelihood you're a first-time player, you might want to keep reading. I just thought you might be interested in an introduction to Stargame by one player presenting his own background. You've just joined a rare breed of individuals. What kind of breed, I don't know; I just hope it doesn't have rabies. :)

I started on Stargame back in 1990, when the list was running on the LISTSERV machines at a site known as PCCVM. Back then, the list itself consisted on only two or three games. For the first couple of months I watched to see what was going on. Then, in November 1990, I plunged right in and started playing a game called T2, or USS Thoth, GMed by Ron P. I played until Christmas break, but when I returned, I found the game had "died." But I was hooked, and jumped into another game, and I have been hooked ever since. I'm probably the first player on Stargame to have a "legacy" type of character; i.e., many of the characters that I have played or play with are now all somehow realated.

I would say that over the past five or so years I have been in over 25 or so games, many of them don't exist any longer. But they have all been worth it, I promise. I've even gone on to GM several games, starting with the USS Apache in 1991, which I co -GMed with Rick B., who is no longer on Stargame. Yes, I've seen a lot of changes, and a lot of people come and go.

FAQ

I've been here for the move first to gitvm1.gatech.edu, then to Majordomo, and I've been elected to the Stargame Council. But I'm not in it for the work. I'm here for the fun. I've just discovered Stargame. What do I do?

OK, hopefully you've signed up, because you're reading this now. If not, you're reading this elsewhere and are interested in joining. The first thing you should do is sign up on three important lists. In an e-mail, send to [email protected] the following commands:

• subscribe stargame userid@email_address

• subscribe sg-announce userid@email_address

• subscribe sg-ads userid@email_address

What are these lists? Well, the first one, stargame (address for posting is [email protected]) is the general list that everyone on Stargame is on. It is there for general discussions on Stargame and Star Trek in general. The second, sg-ads (sg-ads @stargame.org) is for announcements of new games. If you join Stargame, you are required to be a member of these lists. I've signed up.

Now what?

Good. You're probably interested in playing, or just watching a game or two for the time being. But you need to know how to navigate with majordomo. Here is a list of the commands usable by players and gamemasters for gaining information about the l ists on Majordomo. Commands need to be sent in the body of an e-mail post to [email protected], NOT the specific list you are interested in. lists - This is the most useful at the start, since it will give a complete list of all the lists on Majordomo, as well as a brief description of the games. It s updated automatically and regularly, so you might want to try it every so often.

info list - This command will send you the info file on a particular list if there is one. It is very useful for giving you a feel for what the list is like.

subscribe list userid@email_address - Use this command when you have decided on a list to try. It will add you to the list of members, so you can receive posts. Just a note: A few of the lists are considered private. That means that you can attempt to subscribe to a list, but you will have to be approved by that list's owner, or GM. In many cases, GMs don't mind you watching the games, and will let you in. But don't jump in and start playing without the GM's approval.

unsubscribe list userid@email_address - the opposite of subscribe. Unsubscribes a player from a list.

who list - This command will give you a list of people who are subscribed to the list requested. Please note that if the list is private, only members of the list can receive the who list. index - This command will allow you to see a list of files that pertain to the list requested. A lot of GMs like to put technical stuff and background files connected to the game where players can get info for themselves.

get list filename - This command will retrieve a file pertaining to a particular list.

I've observed a while. Can I play now?

By now, you've found a game you're interested in, and are ready to try playing. The first thing to do is to find out if there is a place for you in tht particular game. GMs in many cases have spent days or weeks preparing a game, and the introduction of an uninvited new player could upset the applecart. So the idea is NOT to dive in. So, how do you find a place?

Well, one way is announcements from [email protected]. A GM will post an add describing the new game for everyone to play. He'll give you a brief description of what he has planned, what players he needs, if he has any restrictions on the types of players, and how to get in touch with him on how to join in. Read these announcements carefully. The announcements could be for new games, or for filling positions in older games.

Sometimes you find a game that is in progress, and you'd really like to play it. Well, then, you should get in touch with the GM at that time and see if there is a place for you. If you aren't sure who the GM is, e-mail privately one of the players on the list. He'll be happy to help you get in touch with the GM. Once you get in touch with the GM introduce yourself and tell him your interest in playing. In many cases, he'll figure out how to work you in, and then you can start playing! I've found a game. How do I make a character?

Characters are the meat and potatoes of Stargame. When you make a character, you want to make him seem as real as possible. This is how you're going to interact with everyone in the game, and you have to make him interesting.

In many cases, the GM will give you a few specifics of what he is looking for in a character when discussing a game. You need to keep in mind the restrictions, as it could keep you from having the character accepted. A few things you need to keep in mind are :

• When does the game take place? Is it a part of the Next Generation time period or of the Old Series? DS9 or Voyager? Time period is important because that will restrict the races you can be, the technology you can use, and a lot of other things.

• What races are allowed in the game? One GM might allow Romulans as PCs in a game, while another won't. Be sure you find this out.

• What positions are open? In many cases, the game will be ship-based, which means it'll need a CO, XO, Chief Engineer, etc. The position will determine the character's rank and age in many cases. Very seldom will a 22-year-old Academy graduate he the Chief Engineer of a Galaxy-class starship. Find out the restrictions from you GM.

Now, you've got an idea on what the GM is looking for. Now you can design a character. I can't say what other GMs look for in a character, but this is what I generally look for as a GM in a character:

• The technical stuff : Character Name, Age, Race, Sex, Height, Weight, other distinguishing physical characteristics, Rank, Position applied for.

• Personal history : What was your character's life like before the game began, even before he was in the service.

• Career history : What ships did he serve on? What were his positions on those ships? What were some of the memorable events that occurred on those tours? How long did he serve, etc.

• What is he like as a person. What motivates him? What are his hobbies? What does he like/hate?

Make this character as detailed and as real as possible. You want it to catch the GM's eye and say, "Wow, I want him in that position." If a GM sends a character back and says he wants to see more, he'll usually tell you what else he wants to see. Don 't feel put out. He's saying he's interested in the character and wants to know more. Give it to him. Once the character is made and the GM has accepted it, you are ready to play.

How do I play?

Many of you have probably played a lot of role-playing games, and many times even gamemastered. From my own experience, I started with the old Dungeons & Dragons Game (First Edition) and progress through numerous other universes out there. There is one piece of advice about Stargaming that I can give you :

When you play or run a Stargame, throw EVERYTHING you know about role-playing away, or at least most of it.

You see, Stargame is really only a slightly more interactive form of E-mail than many people are used to. You are playing a character in an individually-created campaign, most of the time not part of any unifying background. In an RPG, you usually do a session in one night, and a campaign can last several months and consist of several adventures. You also mainly play with a bunch of friends whom you physically see, probably on a regular basis, but in many cases are in the same room with them to play your game. The gamemaster as well is in the same room with you conducting what is going on. In many cases these days, the GMs or players have some sort of prop(s) to assist them in imagining what is going on in the "world" they are playing in.

In Stargame's case, though, this is much more difficult. For one thing, everyone is around the country or even the world. In one game I play regularly, USS Defiant, the players are from Florida, New York, Texas, Maine, California, and Georgia. I myself am from Louisiana, and the GM, I believe, is from Illinois.

In many cases, you may be the only player form your state or even from your country. Due to this melding, conducting a game can be very interesting. A typical mission, for example, may take an average of six to eight months, maybe even a year or more! And thats just one adventure!

Why? Well, because all the players are all over the planet (and possibly all over this dimension. One or two of the guys I play with I'm not entirely sure are human. :) ), the GM has to take into account, somehow, people's schedules. I, for example, have a job I work at from 7:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. So I mainly access my e-mail at home every early in the morning (5:30 A.M.) or after work (usually after 4:00 P.M.). So if anyone has to post what they consider a critical move, they really have to wait until I can respond. There's no way around it. Some people may not be able to answer for days, literally! You are responsible for your part in a story. You have to give the other players in your post a feel of what your character is experiencing. Remember this is a section of a story that you are writing. You want to make it seem realistic. Here are a few suggestions I have :

• Early on, the GM will "sit down" with the players and tell them what the rules of the game are. Basically the "gentlebeings agreement" of sorts will consist of what he will and will not allow to go on in the games. You'll know exactly what you can and cannot do from the offset. Follow these rules carefully and in the spirit in which they were set. They are, in effect, the rules of you universe.

• If your character is going to perform an action, particularly one that is critical to the game, do not assume that it happens or is successful. The GM has to determine what has happened and how it affects the events in the game. You can completely screw up a game and tick off a GM if you do this. When you send in a post on an action, leave the place for the actual result open. The GM will describe the result, and then you can go on from there.

• If you have a question on a particular action or event, do not hesitate to ask questions. Odds are, another player may be just as confused, or something just needs a little better explaining. If you do this, you'll have much more fun in the long run.

• When writing a post, you should be as detailed as possible. Explain what your character is experiencing. You can't assume another player's character is experiencing the same thing.

• You should do your best to answer all posts that directly involve your character, particularly if you are having a discussion with one or more characters. If it is a discussion, and you can do it, try to have the text you are using in the text with you. But try not to go overboard on replies. If you are doing a third reply to a long post, that post is getting longer and longer. It takes up space and has so many brackets and similar characters in the body that it makes the post difficult to read. If you can, do your best to take the time to do a proper edit. You'll be helping out your fellow players' eyes and email accounts out quite a lot.

That's it for this little section. If you have any question, you can drop me a line at my e-mail address in the Help Section.

Gamemaster's Guide to Stargame

So, you're interested in trying your hand at gamemastering a Star Trek RPG game on Stargame? Well, you've opened an interesting can of worms. The job of gamemastering a game can at the same time be one of the most interesting and frustrating things you can ever do in your life. Take it from an experienced GM. In the five years I have been on Stargame (GOD, has it been THAT long?), I have created over thirty characters for various games, and either created or took over the reins of several different games as a GM. I've specifically created the following games, Apache, Ambassador, Northampton, Enterprise-F, and, my latest game, Enterprise-G. Both Apache and Northampton are two of the longest running games on stargame.org and, although I don't GM them anymore, are still going strong. If a man is judged by the actions and things he leaves behind, as the old adage goes, then I should be remembered for a long time in the annals of Stargame.

There are a lot of wise (and wise-ass) gamemasters who you can use to learn more about Stargame. Many of them I believe will be happy to help you, but please, try not to push them. They, like you, are very busy people and they WILL get back to you, I promise. It just takes a while. Please be patient. It just takes a little while for a few of them. They have many jewels of wisdom for you. You might also want to join the Stargame GMs list by sending the subscribe command to Majordomo.

What Should I Do Before I Announce a Game?

Many of you have probably played a lot of role-playing games, and many times even gamemastered. From my own experience, I started with the old Dungeons & Dragons Game (First Edition) and progress through numerous other universes out there. There is one piece of advice about Stargaming that I can give you :

When you play or run a Stargame, throw EVERYTHING you know about role-playing away, or at least most of it.

You see, Stargame is really only a slightly more interactive form of E-mail than many people are used to. You are playing a character in an individually-created campaign, most of the time not part of any unifying background. In an RPG, you usually do a session in one night, and a campaign can last several months and consist of several adventures. You also mainly play with a bunch of friends whom you physically see, probably on a regular basis, but in many cases are in the same room with them to play your game. The gamemaster as well is in the same room with you conducting what is going on. In many cases these days, the GMs or players have some sort of prop(s) to assist them in imagining what is going on in the "world" they are playing in.

In Stargame's case, though, this is much more difficult. For one thing, everyone is around the country or even the world. In one game I play regularly, USS Defiant, the players are from Florida, New York, Texas, Maine, California, and Georgia. I myself am from Louisiana, and the GM, I believe, is from Illinois. In many cases, you may be the only player form your state or even from your country. Due to this melding, conducting a game can be very interesting. A typical mission, for example, may take an average of six to eight months, maybe even a year or more! And thats just one adventure! Why? Well, because all the players are all over the planet (and possibly all over this dimension. One or two of the guys I play with I'm not entirely sure are hu man. :) ), the GM has to take into account, somehow, people's schedules. I, for example, have a job I work at from 7:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. So I mainly access my e-mail at home very early in the morning (5:30 A.M.) or after work (usually after 4:00 P.M.). So if anyone has to post what they consider a critical move, they really have to wait until I can respond. There's no way around it. Some people may not be able to answer for days, literally!

So, in preparing, realize that your games are not going to be done quickly, and plan for that. Here are a few little rules that I go by usually when I am creating a game:

• When designing a particular game, make sure the design is not rigid. Allow for possible changes, for, boy, will there be some. Particularly from players. All players are unique and so will be their characters. Be ready to deal with that.

• Make sure you have a firm idea of how your campaign is to be. And write it down.

In creating a campaign, the games have basically falen into several different categories based on what the Star Trek series (all four of them), movies, and novels have done. There is a great deal of information out there, and more is generated every min ute, even on Stargame! The various eras are :

• pre-TOS (AD ? - 2263) - This is the period before the original series. It is a time of mystery as there isn't very much written about it. Best sources are a few novels (Final Frontier, Best Destiny), and a few FASA resources. Games : USS Xerxes, run by Randye Jones

• TOS (AD 2263 - 2270) - The period of the original Star Trek.

• TFS (AD 2270 - 2296) - The period of the first six Start Trek movies, as well as a number of novels. This is a time of sweeping changes throughout the Federation and the rest of the Alpha Quadrant. Games : USS Kitty Hawk, run by Randye Jones, USS Venture run by Juan F. and USS Xavier, run by Rich D.

• Post-TFS (AD 2296 -2364) - The time after the TFS period and before the TNG era. Another time of mystery. Games : USS Andromeda, run by Ron P. , USS Northampton and Space Station Phoenix, run by James B., and USS Defiant run by Dennis C.

• TNG (AD 2364 - 2371) - The time of the Next Generation.

• DS9/VOY (AD 2371 - 2376) - The time of DS9 (The Series) and Voyager. Games : USS Lincoln.

• DSCC (AD 2376 - 2394) - Another period of change and mystery. Games : DS9 (the game) and USS Missouri run by Dave S., and USS Deathstrike run by Deborah C.

• SFCC (AD 2394 - 2405) - The period of the Starfleet Command Club, an experiment in organizing the Stargame community. Games : USS Apache, run by Eric N., and USS Defender, run by Anthony B.

• post-SFCC (AD 2405 - ?) - The future after the SFCC. The most intriguing of all eras. Games : USS Enterprise-G, run by Scott G.

When you decide to place your campaign depends on the resources you have to use as well as the era you prefer to play. Lately there has been a trend away from the earlier Trek eras and play in the TNG and beyond. However, I would recommend personally the era YOU find the most intriguing to play in to creat your campaign. Once you've decided, then you have the resources of other games from that era, other materials, etc. Just remember that the Star Trek universe is info intensive, and can overwhelm you.

What will your universe be like? This is by far the most difficult part, as a universe, as far as I know, is infinite. You have to decide where to put the societies and planets of your universe, and the basic mechanics. You also have to decide if it will be a "shared" universe of some sort. What I mean by this is that you should decide of there will be a joint background of any sort with another GM(s) campaign. ESPECIALLY if you plan to use his campaign as a prop at some time, or even conduct a joint campaign. You also have to decide if you'll allow characters to cross over from other games that are played at the same time. If you do, then you should have a friendly chat with the Gms of other games to see what they are planning, Usually, they are willing to tell you what's up, unless you're one of their players, then don't expect them to reveal everything.

If you are interested in some sort of "shared" universe concept somewhere around the TNG era, you might want to consider the Starfleet Command Club. The SFCC was designed to provide a sort of unity to the games of that organization. It has an actual Board of Administrators who take care of many nitpicky details. It will also assist you in the developing of a campaign for that time period which will allow you to use characters and concepts from other campaigns.

The biggest thing I can suggest to you is to make sure you have as much as possible planned but be ready for anything. Be flexible. Be ready for a character to not go along with what you have planned out exactly, because they will, I guarantee it. Try to go with the flow, but if it completely blows your plan, don't hesitate to put your foot down.

I've got a game planned. What do I do now?

Now comes a lot of techinical stuff. First off, you need a list from which you will run the game. In order to create a list, you should get in touch with one the the members of the Stargame Council. The council was set up by Brian H., the original creator of Stargame, to assist him in managing the new lists being created on stargame.org. Your best bets are to email either Brian H., Scott G., or Dave S.

The application for a stargame list is linked here. Send the completed form to [email protected].

Once one of the council has created the list, you will receive a list of materials from the server where the list is located, [email protected]. This document is very important since it will have your password with which you run your list as well as commands you need to use to maintain your list. If you have trouble understanding the commands or difficulty using them, get in touch with the council. A list of commands is listed below:

In addition to the the following commands, the gamamaster also has access to the player commands as well. Majordomo likes to call the gamemaster commands "undocumented" since they usually don't get posted to the regular players. Regular players have no need for them since they all require a password to make them work.

Here are the commands :

approve password {subscribe|unsubscribe} list userid@email_address - a GM is required to use this command to allow a new person to join his list if it is a closed.

passwd list old_password new_password - allows the GM to change his password. I recommend you use this command when it first becomes active since the creator of the list will have set up the command with his own password initially.

newinfo list password - this command will allow you to insert a new info file. Majordomo will read everything after the newinfo command to the end-of-message or the word "EOF" appears on a line by itself. The GM should immediately send the following in a message to [email protected]:

newinfo list password

Game Name

GM name and e-mail address

Any other info you are adding to the info file.

EOF

This is a standard we use on Stargame to allow everyone who views the info file to know how to get in touch with the GM.

config list password - This will send you a copy of your current configuration file. The password is either your own or the admin password used by the Stargame sysops to perform maintenance. Although you can change the admin password in the config f ile, DO NOT DO SO without asking the sysops first.

newconfig list password - Validates and installs a new configuration file. It reads everything after the newconfig command to end-of-message or the word "EOF" if found on a line by itself. The configuration file is expected to be a complete file or it will not be accepted. Best thing to do is to access the original configuration file using the config command then editting it carefully and sending it back using the newconfig command.

writeconfig list password - writes a completely new config file in standard form with all comments and default values. Also updates documentation in the file if it has changed.

However, don't start using the list immediately. Although you'll receive info that the list has been created, it has not yet been activated, and only the majordomo administrator, Brian, can do that. The person who created the list will notify Brian that a list has been created and needs to be activated. It is usually best to wait a few days before trying to use the list.

The list is activated. What's next?

At this time, you're all set to start that game. The first thing you need to do is get players (a tad difficult to play on a list without players, isn't it? :)) So what you need to do is get into a friendly neighborhood mail or text editor and crank out the announcement for your game. In the announcememt, you should try to have the following:

• The name of the game and the game's address (usually [email protected]).

• The time period of the game, especially if the game is SFCC. SFCC games are treated differently. You have to apply to the SFCC to introduce a game there. More information on this can be found in the Starfleet Command Club section.

• A brief description of the background to the game. Example : The game is based during the Four Years' War, a Klingon/Federation conflict shortly before the TOS period. Try to be as detailed as possible here. You want to use it to grab the prospective player's interest.

• What characters are you looking for? A ship-based campaign is different from a shore-based, intel, etc. campaign. Also, be prepared to tell them what you will and will not allow, as well as what you want to see in a prospective player.

• Finally, tell them how you want the character sent to you. In most cases, you'll want them to send you the character directly, so make sure your E-mail address is there.

Once you've completed your announcement, send it to [email protected], the announcement list for new games. Just remember to get it right the firt time, as you are only allowed to post once to this list. Since everyone is required to join this list on signup, it's the fastest way to get your game seen. Another way is to post the announcement on other gamelists, but CHECK WITH THE LIST'S GM BEFORE YOU DO THIS.

I've made the announcement, and I have a bunch of characters. How do I decide on who to choose for my crew?

There are a couple of ways to do this. One is first come, first serve. But another that is more interesting is if you peruse all your requests and take the ones that interest you or look like they would be fun to the GM. Hey, you have to enjoy running the game. You're there to have fun, too.

You also might want to consider what kind of mix of players you want. Personally, I like to try to have a good mix of experienced players as well as "newbies" playing. New players bring new ideas, and old players bring experience which will help you run the game in many cases.

I've got the crew. Now what?

Next thing you need to do is organize the crew into a crew roster of some sort, and send it out to your players. The roster should have the character's position, name, race & sex, and email address. This gives everyone an idea of who they are playing with and, most importantly, allows them to create a distribution list in case the stargame.org server goes down. Which it will at times. That way, you can keep playing the game if the list is down. Also make sure you get everyone subscribed to your list.

You send an email to majordomo with the command for subscribing to a list with a twist, especially if the list is privately. You should type out a line for every player on the list exactly like that, with the appropriate substitutions, of course. Majordomo is very literal. An important note : If you use a .sig file, either type the word end at the end of the message after you've created a list of commands for majordomo, or turn it off. Majordomo will assume EVERY line is a command until it gets to the end or file or the command end is entered as the last executable command.

E-Mail addresses of Helpful GMs and Players

The following is a list of experienced players and/or gamemasters on Stargame. All of them will be happy to help anyone starting out.

James B.

You sometimes got to watch out for James. He can be quite a character if you're not careful. He's an experienced player and is the GM of the USS Northampton, Space Station Phoenix, and ISP (campaign based on the Mirror Universe shortly after Star Trek VI), all set in the period after Star Trek VI.

James can be reached at [email deleted].

Anthony B.

Anthony B. has been participating in Stargame since 1991. In 1993 he created the SFCC (Starfleet Command Club) where he participate on the SFCC council as the Chief of Operations. Anthony also is the gamemaster of the USS Defender campaign.

Anthony can be reached at [email deleted].

Pete B.

Pete is one of the oldest players on Stargame. He is currently in a number of games as well as the co-GM of the Maquis game.

Pete's address is [email deleted]. His WWW address is: [URL deleted].

Dennis C.

Dennis is the GM of the USS Defiant Campaign. Defiant is one of the older games on the list with an interesting assortment of characters.

Dennis just graduated from [information deleted].

He cannot be contacted at present.

Deborah C.

Deborah C. is a relative newcomer on the Stargame scene, but she has literally performed an explosion of activity. The number of games rivals even the number that Randye Jones or Rich D. play in, and she even finds time to be one of the Starfleet Command Club Board of Administrators' members as well as gamemastering the USS DeathStrike campaign in the DSCC era.

Deborah can be reached at [email deleted].

Juan F.

Juan is 38 years old, going on 39 on Dec 20. He am of African American/Portuguese/Cherokee descent. He love to sing all kinds of music (except C&W). Juan hates the Dallas Cowboys. He teaches from time to time at an actor's conservatory. Turn-ons include petite brunettes, pepperoni pizza and Sci-Fi movies/TV. Turn-offs include closed minds and shallowness.. Juan have terrible temper, which he never lose, and always give people the benefit of the doubt---until they give him reason not to. Juan is the GM of the USS Venture and Maquis games.

Juan can not be contacted at present.

Scott G.

Scott is the current editor of the Stargame HelpFile, as well as a member of the Stargame Council and the Starfleet Command Club Board of Administrators. He's also the GM of the USS Enterprise-G campaign, as well as having characters in many of the games (if the character in the game is a McIlhenny, a James, or DEFINITELY a Reymond, then in all likelihood, it's Scott.). He's also the creator of the USS Apache and USS Northampton campaigns, now run by other gamemasters. Scott's a computer programmer.

His e-mail address is [emails deleted].

Brian H.

Brian is the listowner for starrgame.org, as well as the sole creator of the original Stargame Listserv list. He is a Sysop at one of the department's at [school deleted] of the computer from which Stargame is run. Brian's a real busy guy, but does his best to help anyone with any questions they have. He does find time to run the USS Yamato game on Stargame, usually between shuttle launches.

Brian can be reached at [email deleted].

User:Singin1, AKA Randye Jones

"The Singing GM of Stargame" is the current Stargame Librarian and member of the Stargame Council. She's also the Commander-in-Chief of the Starfleet Command Club, as well as the GM for the USS Xerxes and USS Kitty Hawk games, and plays a number of char acters throughout many games.

Randye is a graduate student in music at Florida State University.

Contact Randye at [email protected].

Eric N.

Eric started in Stargame about three years ago (Jan 1993) on a few games. He is currently a full-time employee at a four hospital system where he holds the title of Jr. Systems Analyst/Programmer (Which means he get to do nothing all day ;). Eric's been married for two years and he just became a dad. He is also a part-time student at [school deleted] where he majors in Computer Science (Again, I do nothing all day ;)

Eric is currently the GM of the USS Apache, and is also a part of the Starfleet Command Club Board of Administrators, created and maintains the SFCC WebPage, and is involved in several games.

You can reach Eric at [email deleted]. His WebAddress is [URL deleted].

Ron P.

Ron is one of those people that can truly be considered a "founding member" of Stargame. He's been with us since the original list at PCCVM. He's one of the most experienced players and gamemasters on Stargame. He currently runs the USS Andromeda camp aign, set in the turbulent period following the events arising in Star Trek VI. He's quite a guy.

Ron can be contacted at [email deleted].

Dave S.

Dave is the current guru of stargame.org, as well as a member of the Stargame Council, former editor of the Stargame FAQFile, and the GM of the "DSCC" section of the universe (primarily, the USS Missouri, and Deep Space 9 (DS9) games.). If he's not hidden in a box somewhere, he can usually be found torturing his players with new and sadistic methods of play. Watch out! Dave works as the lab manager for the Physics department at [email deleted].

Dave can be reached at [email deleted].

HelpFile History and Credits

The Stargame HelpFile and its associated "sister", the Stargame FAQFile, started off back in 1991 as separate papers. The first "incarnations" were originally the Guidelines for Gamemasters and Players by Alex J. and the Stargame Ship Registry by Scott G. The Guidelines detailed how a player and/or GM should create a game or character respectively for Stargame, as well as provided a set of rules of etiquette for the list itself, which was necessary since as many as 30 games could be playing on Stargame at one time. The Registry was an attempt to gather information on the particular games and providing new players an idea of what games were out there and what positions were open on particular ships.

The two works were distributed separately for several months on a monthly basis until late in 1991, when Dave S. burst on the scene. Dave put the two documents together and organized it in such a way to create the first Stargame FAQFile. In addition to the Guidelines and the Registry, Dave added a list of explanations for abbreviations as well as a brief intro on Stargame. After a few months, Dave left and Scott G. assumed the reins of the Stargame FAQFile.

Scott ran the Stargame FAQFile for two years (1993) until forced to give it up, when he turned it over to John W. John continued as it's editor/presenter until late 1994 when Dave returned and reassumed the reins to begin its conversion for Majordomo use. When important concerns on Majordomo grabbed ahold of Dave, Scott again reassumed the editorship.

Recently, Scott took a very long look at the Stargame FAQFile. He realized that the document was quite out-of-date and needed to be completely rewritten. That rewrite has become the latest version of the Stargame FAQFile and the Stargame HelpFile.

Credit for the current and past versions of the HelpFile and the FAQFile goes to a whole bunch of people. The main credit goes to the past and present editors, namely Dave S., John W., and Scott G. Scott and Alex J. receive the greatest amount for creating the Guidelines and the Registry, which started off the creation of this document.

The following folks supplied suggestions on the current version of the Helpfile, as well as ideas for various things associated with it : Brian H., Dave S., Randye Jones, and Deborah C.

The section on the Starfleet Command Club was written by with comments from the SFCC Board, particularly Randye Jones or Anthony B.

Finally, thanks to all the gamemasters who sent in the brief descriptions of their games that were used to illustrate the references the author made, as well as for the experienced players and gamemasters who allowed the author to add their addresses to this work.

A special thanks to Eric N. for supplying the Star Trek fonts used throughout the HelpFile.

The Stargame Council

The Stargame Council is the group that assists Brian H., the listowner, run the Majordomo program. Any questions should first be referred to one of them before asking Brian, although he will be happy to help you as well. But please, ask one of the other council members first.

The Council members are :

• Brian H., Listowner, Stargame
• Dave S., Assistant Listowner
• Scott G., Editor, Stargame HelpFile
• Randye Jones, Stargame Librarian
• Juan F.

Games used as examples in this document.

USS Apache

GM: John W.

Creator: Scott G.

Era: SFCC (2394 - 2405)

Status: Currently active.

The USS Apache is an Apache-class borg hunter known to a select few of Starfleet's brass. The Apache has some of the newest and yet to be revealed technology that the Federation has to offer. The Apache project is spearheaded by Admiral Jean-Luc Pica rd and supervised by Captains Data and LaForge. The Apache is the ultimate fighting vessel, built to take on anything or anyone that threatens the safety of the United Federation of Planets.

IF INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT THE GM DIRECTLY.

USS Defender

GM and Creator: Anthony B.

Era: SFCC

Status: Currently Active

The USS Defender is a Quasar -Class ship. These ships are designed for long range mission with very little contact with Starfleet. They are designed for self sufficiency. The USS Defender is currently on a undercover mission directed by Starfleet Command. They are to aggressively gain control of a stable wormhole that leads to the otherside of the Galaxy. Once taken control, the Defender is to go through the wormhole and then establish a Federation Colony on the otherside. It is a difficult mi ssion as the Federation knows about the mission and needs it to be successful, however they will deny any knowledge of it in order to prevent any repurcussions for its aggressive nature.

USS Defiant

GM and Creator: Dennis C. (Pete B., temp gm)

Era: Post-TFS/Pre-TNG(2346)

Status: Currently active.

The USS Defiant is one of the longest-running games on the list, taking place during the Cardassian War in the time before the Next Generation. The ship is an Ambassador-class vessel patrolling and taking part in the Cardassian War.

NOTE : This is a closed list. If you are interested in joining, you should contact the GM directly.

USS Enterprise-G

GM and Creator: Scott G.

Era: Post-SFCC (2446, to be exact.)

Status: Currently inactive.

The USS Enterprise-G takes place 75 years after the current Star Trek timeframe. She is the eighth of her line, one of the new Universe-class exploerers incorporating the latest in Federation technology, including the new ultrawarp drive, capable of pro pelling vessels great distances in a matter of days.

NOTE: This is a closed list. Please contact the GM directly for information and if interested in subscribing. GM will ignore any other requests unless inquiry comes first!

Maquis

GM and Creator: Juan F.

Era: TNG/DS9/VOY

Status: On Hiatus.

This game is multi-faceted game involving a Federation Starbase, a Maquis Cell, a Federation Starship, a Cardassian starship, and a Cardassian planet in the demilitarized zone. The game takes place about the time DS9 came on the air. There are openings for new players.

USS Northampton

GM: James B.

Creator: Scott G.

Era: TFS (five years after ST VI)

Status: Currently active.

The USS Northampton is a Northampton-class frigate exploring the fringes of the Federation in the post-TFS period. Originally, it was commanded by Montgomery Scott, before his loss on the USS Jenolyn. It is closely associated with the Space Station Pho enix and ISP campaigns.

NOTE: This is a closed list. Anyone interested in joining should get in touch with the GM.

USS Venture

GM and Creator: Juan F. (Pete B., temp gm)

Era: TFS (just before ST:TMP)

Status: Currently active

The USS Venture is the last of the Old-style Constitution-Class starships built by Starfleet. The games takes place about the time the Big E went in for it's re-fit. The game has been running continuously since then. The ship has recently undergone a re-fit and is now like the Enterprise in ST:TMP. There are openings in the game for good and dedicated players.

USS Thoth

GM and Creator: Ron P.

Era: TFS (post-ST V/pre-ST VI)

Status: Defunct

The USS Thoth was one of the earliest of the Stargame games on PCCVM, and lasted only a few short months. It was based on a Reliant-class cruiser patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone. It was also one of the first to be in an era later than the time of th e original series.

Created by Scott G., edited by --Singin1 (talk) 23:31, 23 December 2012 (UTC)

References

Stargame Redux on Facebook | Spacedock Website | Star Trek Role-playing Game (FASA) on Wikipedia