03-03-2024, 01:13 AM
It's been a few months since I've done one of these, and almost a year since I started doing them. I like to think they prove informative/useful to the membership, and at the very least they document the health and wellbeing of the site as a whole.
Happy Birthday, Federation Space!
Yesterday, March First, Federation Space turned twenty-four years old! Who knows whether FAdm (later Pres) Beckett knew that the site he would create would go on for nearly a quarter century, but the fact it has says a lot about the dedication and tenacity of the membership.
In that time, the site has changed, as has Star Trek itself. Regardless how people feel about the newer shows (Discovery, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Picard), they are now all part of the Star Trek universe. When the site was formed, no such shows existed (Voyager hadn't ended and Enterprise had yet to premiere), and the game Star Fleet Battles was instead used as a base. As time has gone by, that basis for the site went from being a boon to a drawback as prospective members found it difficult to identify with the site's plots and unique ship classes.
We made the decision to therefore integrate site canon with real canon and "move back" events twenty years to help prospective members and fans of the newer shows find a home here. We continue to honour the work of those who came before us, but in a way that embraces the continuing development of Star Trek lore.
Membership Update
Membership has dropped in the last four months to 35 active players. Since the site moved to the new forum I have been conducting biweekly sweeps of active members to ensure Autumn and I have accurate information about how many people we have and how many characters each is playing.
Artemis (11) - 10 PRCs, 1 NRC
Charon (5) - 5 PRCs
Geronimo (9) - 8 PRCs, 1 NRC
Philadelphia (10) - 8 PRCs, 1 SRC, 1 AWOL
Titania (7) - 4 PRCs, 2 SRCs, 1 AWOL
The USS Aquila Returns
Eagle-eyed members may notice that the Aquila has returned to the boards. This is part of a planned ship-swap at the request of a CO, who thought their crew needed a change. Though we try to keep ships the same in order to foster consistency, sometimes a change is needed and a ship may be retconned into a new design to better line up with canon (like the Geronimo was), or due to the requirements or preferences of the crew. These changes are always carefully considered by Autumn and I; we aren't simply handing out new ships like candy to anyone who wants one.
It's also worth noting that some missions may require crew to temporarily take charge of a ship other than their own. In future, rather than just having the crew post in multiple Away Team threads, I'll create a temporary posting area for that crew; it adds more depth and richness to the site overall.
Creative Team Updates
The Creative Team is looking for Mission Authors and GMs! The team I currently have is overworked and burned out, and I need people to step in so they can take a break. Prospective GMs require CO approval, and the OOC rank of Lt (JG). Mission Authors can apply regardless of rank. Interested parties please e-mail me using the E-Mail function on the forum!
As always, players who wish to contribute ideas but are not interested in becoming full Mission Authors may submit their ideas here.
I am also, starting next cycle, going to start experimenting with time limits on missions. Obviously crews all post at different rates, but players being on the same mission for eight or more months can get tedious. Back in the day, missions had a hard limit of three or four months, but this is not always feasible. My goal is mission start to finish being no longer than five months, with a month between missions for shore leave. This would ideally mean every ship gets through two missions per year. Whether or not that works, we'll just have to wait and see!
Closing
As we head into Year 25 of Federation Space, be on the lookout for new and exciting things that the Creative Team is cooking up! Including the possibility of a much-requested sitewide set to conclude on the 25th Anniversary!
Happy Birthday, Federation Space!
Yesterday, March First, Federation Space turned twenty-four years old! Who knows whether FAdm (later Pres) Beckett knew that the site he would create would go on for nearly a quarter century, but the fact it has says a lot about the dedication and tenacity of the membership.
In that time, the site has changed, as has Star Trek itself. Regardless how people feel about the newer shows (Discovery, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Picard), they are now all part of the Star Trek universe. When the site was formed, no such shows existed (Voyager hadn't ended and Enterprise had yet to premiere), and the game Star Fleet Battles was instead used as a base. As time has gone by, that basis for the site went from being a boon to a drawback as prospective members found it difficult to identify with the site's plots and unique ship classes.
We made the decision to therefore integrate site canon with real canon and "move back" events twenty years to help prospective members and fans of the newer shows find a home here. We continue to honour the work of those who came before us, but in a way that embraces the continuing development of Star Trek lore.
Membership Update
Membership has dropped in the last four months to 35 active players. Since the site moved to the new forum I have been conducting biweekly sweeps of active members to ensure Autumn and I have accurate information about how many people we have and how many characters each is playing.
Artemis (11) - 10 PRCs, 1 NRC
Charon (5) - 5 PRCs
Geronimo (9) - 8 PRCs, 1 NRC
Philadelphia (10) - 8 PRCs, 1 SRC, 1 AWOL
Titania (7) - 4 PRCs, 2 SRCs, 1 AWOL
The USS Aquila Returns
Eagle-eyed members may notice that the Aquila has returned to the boards. This is part of a planned ship-swap at the request of a CO, who thought their crew needed a change. Though we try to keep ships the same in order to foster consistency, sometimes a change is needed and a ship may be retconned into a new design to better line up with canon (like the Geronimo was), or due to the requirements or preferences of the crew. These changes are always carefully considered by Autumn and I; we aren't simply handing out new ships like candy to anyone who wants one.
It's also worth noting that some missions may require crew to temporarily take charge of a ship other than their own. In future, rather than just having the crew post in multiple Away Team threads, I'll create a temporary posting area for that crew; it adds more depth and richness to the site overall.
Creative Team Updates
The Creative Team is looking for Mission Authors and GMs! The team I currently have is overworked and burned out, and I need people to step in so they can take a break. Prospective GMs require CO approval, and the OOC rank of Lt (JG). Mission Authors can apply regardless of rank. Interested parties please e-mail me using the E-Mail function on the forum!
As always, players who wish to contribute ideas but are not interested in becoming full Mission Authors may submit their ideas here.
I am also, starting next cycle, going to start experimenting with time limits on missions. Obviously crews all post at different rates, but players being on the same mission for eight or more months can get tedious. Back in the day, missions had a hard limit of three or four months, but this is not always feasible. My goal is mission start to finish being no longer than five months, with a month between missions for shore leave. This would ideally mean every ship gets through two missions per year. Whether or not that works, we'll just have to wait and see!
Closing
As we head into Year 25 of Federation Space, be on the lookout for new and exciting things that the Creative Team is cooking up! Including the possibility of a much-requested sitewide set to conclude on the 25th Anniversary!