=/= FAQ =/=



Q: Where do I arrive?
A: Usually the Transporter Room. Sometimes by shuttle, if the transporter is nonfunctional,
if the ship is in crisis, if the ship is docked, or if your character just prefers
shuttle piloting, or if they have a phobia concerning transporters.

Q: Where do I report in?
A: The Captain's Ready Room, under the Bridge. Click on the Bridge, then you'll see the
subforum, Captain's Ready Room. Create a new topic entitled, "Reporting In" or something
similar. It should say something about entering the ready room and basically telling the
captain you're there and ready for duty. Don't be surprised if someone else comes in
at the same time and "steals your topic" ;)

Q: After reporting in, what do I do?
A: Go to the Ship's Lounge, an R&R Area, or your quarters. There's pretty much not
much to do, unless you decide to start your first duty shift right then and there.
Be imaginative. You'll think of something to do with yourself LOL.

Q: How do I start my first duty shift?
A: If you're a bridge officer, go to your station on the bridge and either stare out
the viewscreen or start tapping away at your LCARS panel. If you're not a bridge officer,
go to wherever you're supposed to be and run a diagnostic or something.

Q: How does this ship work? What are all the technical terms used?
A: Here's a quick rundown of the systems that are mentioned most often, in order of
criticalness (critical systems at the top, non-critical systems last):

Main Power--Is distributed via the EPS (Electronic Power System) grid, which is
accessible from anywhere on the ship by removing particular bulkheads. Tricorders
can scan and tell you where these are located. To access one, simply remove
the bulkhead covering it.

Warpcore--The warpcore is the large, glowing, pulsing core that is usually
fairly close to the central axis of the ship's gravity, offset slightly to form
an accurate warp field bubble in subspace. It can be accessed from Main Engineering,
and shut down from Upper Engineering. It is vertical in Main and Upper Engineering;
horizontal and bent elbow-shaped in Lower Engineering. For an example of this, watch
any episode of Enterprise, or one of the old TOS movies. For the best visual example
of a late-24th-century warpcore, watch any episode of Voyager.
The warpcore works by forming a elliptical "bubble" around the ship, tucking it into
subspace, which creates a differential rather like that of a flying bird and a
walking person. Ever notice how a bird seems to gain ground far faster than if it
were walking along the ground? Well, imagine a ship in subspace as the bird, and
a ship at sublight as a person walking below it. See?
For a diagram of a warp field bubble, see this link>>>
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/treknology/warpfield.gif

Impulse Engines--http://www.st-intelligence.com/domtech/impulse1.jpg
On the above link, see the small red engines on the back of the Enterprise-E's
saucer section? Those are the impulse engines. These are used to travel at sublight
speeds. In other words, more than thrusters, but less than warp.

Life Support--This is many subsystems classified as life support. Some of them are:
-Environmental Controls (temperature, air, humidity, etc.)
-Artificial Gravity
-Inertial Dampeners/Stabilizers (this keeps you from feeling the ship moving when a
radical maneuver is undertaken)
-Air Recyclers (recycles exhaled carbon dioxide into breathable oxygen)

Sensors--There are three basic types of sensors; each is explained below.
-External Viewcams. These are focused facing outward at key points, and also inward
towards the ship at many locations along the hull. They are very small and hard to
spot from say, a shuttlecraft on approach. These give feedback to the viewscreen.
In other words, if external viewcams are out, the viewscreen goes dead.
-Short-Range Sensors. These range less than a light-year (LY) radius around the ship.
-Long-Range Sensors. These have a much, much farther range, about ten LY or more. In
some cases less. These sensors are pretty much critical. It is extremely dangerous
to be without them for any length of time, as you cannot see an approaching ship
on short-range sensors until they're almost in weapons range. Therefore after major
damage long-range sensors are fairly high on the repair priority list.

Weapons--There are two main types of weapons. On alien ships, a third type, called
disruptors, are used. And an example of the rarely-used, though powerful pulse phasers
can be seen on the USS Defiant.
-Phasers. These are the mainstay of weaponry used on Federation ships. They are
weaker than torpedos or pulse phasers, though are pretty much a match for disruptors.
They appear as a narrow, straight beam of orange light. If you look closely at a
phaser beam, either from a ship or from a hand phaser, you can actually see the tiny
phased particles floating through it. In the Babylon 5 universe, a similar weapon,
known as a PPG (Phased Particle Generator), is used. The one setback of phasers
is that they require time to recharge. This is usually only a few seconds on a
relatively undamaged ship, but when funcioning off of reserve power etc., the
recharge time can be up to 30 seconds or more.
-Torpedos. There are several types of torpedos. Listed in destructive capability,
most powerful first, least last: Naquadah-Warp (NW), Transphasic, Quantum, Photon, and
Just Plain Topedos.....LOL. Each ship has a set number of torpedos in storage. Most
smaller ships come out of drydock with about a hundred; larger ships with 300 or more,
such as the Unity Class which carries a compliment of 600.

Sheilds--The main defensive system of any starship. Once the sheilds reach 30%, systems
start to go out. Past that, and inertial dampeners go out, and you feel each jarring
impact as the ship is being fired upon. Sheilds are powered by the warpcore power grid.
Sheilds can sometimes be enhanced by routing them through the deflector grid.

Deflector Dish--You'll notice a blue or reddish dish-shaped device on the lower front of
most Federation ships. This is the deflector dish, which generates a field around the ship,
pushing aside micrometeroids or other spacial debris. This is also part of the
Structural Integrity Field which allows a starship to survive the strain of warp speed.
This is a critical system and MUST be online if warp speed is to be acheived.

Bussard Ramscoop--A.K.A. "Bussard Collectors", these are the red devices on the front end
of each warp nacelle. They primarily function to collect particles as the ship moves
through space. Many of these particles can be harvested and refined by the ramscoops and
used to power the ship. This system isn't completely critical, but it is certainly
preferable to have it.

Formation Lights--You may have noticed the tiny red and green lights along the sides, front,
and back of starships. These are the formation lights, or fleet lights, that allow star-
ships to maneuver in fleet formations, to enter a shipyard or drydock, and to avoid
collision. Not a critical system, as a good pilot will suffice when formation lights are
offline.

Q: My character is a CMO, but I don't know much about 24th century medical terms and tools.
A: Here are a few terms you should know:
--Dermal Regenerator: A small, four-inch-long device held about an inch above a person's
skin, used to regenerate damaged tissue and seal cuts. Does not work for more than minor
cuts and gashes, though.
--Thormal Regenerator: Looks very similar to the Dermal Regenerator, but is used to heal
broken bones and severed arteries, etc..
--Hypospray: Go here for a picture of a hypospray: http://www.darktrekvoyages.net/images/technology/voy_hypo.jpg
The hypospray is the 24th century replacement for the 20th century needle injection. It
uses a microtransporter to beam the contents directly into a patient's bloodstream. It
makes a small hissing sound as it does so. It is completely painless.
--Cell Regenerator: Regenerates damaged cells.
--Stasis Field: A field that places a patient in neuro-cellular stasis.
--Neuro-Stimulator: A small device placed on a patient's forehead that stimulates brain
cells and causes the synapses to fire. Can be used to revive a dead patient if the death
occurred thirty or less minutes ago. Can also be used to keep a dying patient alive.

Q: What will my rank be depending on my position?
A: Here is a guide to ranks in 7th Fleet. Rank is determined by your position.
--Captain: Captain, or in rare cases, Commander.
--First Officer (XO): Commander, or in rare cases, Lt. Commander.
--Second Officer: Is selected by the captain.
--Ops Officer: Ensign or Lt.
--Helm Officer: Ensign or Lt.
--Science Officer: Lt. or Lt. Commander.
--Sec/Tact Officer: Lt. or Lt. Commander.
--CMO: Lt. to Commander. Also will be a Dr.
--Nurse: Ensign or Lt. Also might be a Dr.
--1st Med. Asst.: Crewman or Ensign.
--2nd Med. Asst.: Crewman or Ensign.
--Counsellor: Lt. to Commander.
--SFMC (Starfleet Marine Corps.): Undefined.

Q: What species should I be familiar with?
A: Klingon, Romulan, Vulcan, Bolian, Tholian, Cardassian, Bajoran, Human, Species 8472,
Borg, Q, Hermat, Betazoid, Pedchincan, Thallonian, Trill, Hirogen, Ferengi, Suliban,
Goa'uld, Tok'ra, Vorlon, Shadow, Minbari, Centauri, Narn, The Ancients, Orion, Naussicaan,
Yridian, Ktarian, Jem'Hadar, Changeling/Founder/Shapeshifter, Vorta, Caitian, Triexian,
Xenexian, Mugato, Human.

Q: My character is a Science officer. What do I do while on duty?
A: Your job as the science officer is to do all routine and specialized scans, to perform
diagnostics on sensors with the assistance of Engineering and/or Ops, to keep both
long-range and short-range sensors calibrated, focused, and maintained, as well as
providing sensor and scientific data when needed. Other than that....the science officer
has a very dull job, though he/she gets to go planetside more often than most.

Q: My character is an Ops (Operations) officer. What do I do while on duty?
A: Ops works closely with Engineering and Science. Whatever they are doing, you will
probably end up assisting with. Ops also coordinates efforts involving two or more
departments, and is usually Second Officer. Lt. Commander Data (ST:TNG) was the Ops
officer of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D. If you watch TNG, you probably have a
pretty good idea of what an Ops officer does.