The Command Division is the Corps of Officers and Crewmen within Starfleet who specialized in Command, and control functions on Starbases, aboard Starships, and are in numerous Starfleet Command Positions.  Command is a Department on the Ship and a vital instrument to a Ship's functions. It exists to Lead and Direct the Actions of the Crew, as well as Control the Actions of the Ship as a whole, from the Bridge. Command covers a wide range of interpersonal interactions, especially Leadership, Negotiation, and both coordinating and motivating others. It also includes discipline and resisting coercion, as well as helping others resist fear and panic. A character might use Command with… Control, to carefully and precisely coordinate a group of subordinates, or to give detailed orders. Daring, to make a split-second Command decision, or to resist fear or coercion. Fitness, to coach and guide others performing the same physical activity (such as scaling a cliff, or endurance running), or to coordinate a group all performing related physical activities (such as several people moving a heavy load). Insight, to judge the mood and morale of a group of subordinates, or to try and assuage the fears of a group. Presence, to rally or inspire others during a difficult situation, or to command the attention or respect of someone hostile. Reason, to consider and evaluate the orders given by a superior, or to find a solution to a difficult diplomatic or legal situation.

TO BOLDLY GO 

Starship Captaincy is the very core of Starbase 1, and while the Fleet allows its Members to play virtually any Role, from Station Security Officers, Yeomans and Engineering Assistants through to Warp Theorists, Medical Doctors and elite MACO Snipers, Task Force Avalon remains a particularly popular path of entry for those who join the Fleet.

While it might not have the same intimacy or immediacy of playing as a member of the crew of Starbase 1, It is fairly easy to understand the draw of playing in the Task Force – you are promised Command of your own Ship, Crew, and the freedom to travel where you want as that Ship’s Master and Commander, just like Kirk, Picard, Janeway, and others. It is a license to RP independently, on far Off Worlds, in the depths of unknown Space, or in the company of a huge and imposing armada – the very pride of Starfleet.

But as rewarding as that is, it also carries with it a weight of responsibility. Whether a Lieutenant Commander in charge of a fast and heavily-armed Defiant-class Escort, or a full-fledged Captain in Command of a powerful and heavily protected Sovereign-class Cruiser, Starship Captains are routinely faced with a world of critical decisions that affect not only the lives of their Crew, and the safety of their Ship, but also the Reputation, and Standing of the Federation itself. Starships and their Crews are Starfleet’s Ambassador's, and it is their Actions and Deeds that are weighed most heavily in Galactic Diplomacy.

Expectation, and your Actions in Command…

In playing the role of a Starfleet Officer, it is important to consider the core of what that means as a Character concept. Clearly, as a Guild and as Roleplayers, we discourage the idea of a “Mary Sue” – a flawlessly over-achieving Character with no weaknesses, but at the same time – in the setting of Star Trek – it is accepted that entry into Starfleet Academy is an incredibly prestigious achievement that recognizes the best and brightest of Federation Societies.

Put simply, by sheer virtue of your Character having been accepted into and then Graduated from those hallowed grounds, there is an expectation that they are an incredibly intelligent, capable, and motivated individual. This is the baseline standard – no one gets to graduate from the Academy being being an under-achiever. And none who just scrape through will likely ever rise through the Ranks and gain the recognition they need to be offered Command of the proverbial pointy-end of Federation Policy: a Starship.

It can be difficult to imagine just what sort of Character qualifies for such a prestigious Posting, but with a little research, and a little bit of examination of the thing we call ‘the real world’, it is possible to rapidly build a General Profile of those destined for Command.

And if you’re still confused by where you begin with that – then just remember that while they don’t have Warp Drives, Phaser Arrays and Photon Torpedoes, Spaceships are indeed a real thing, with real Commanders, with very real Skillsets.

Starfleet is, at its most basic level, a futuristic look at what NASA might become, and so NASA is a very good place to start researching who you want your Starship Captain to be. The Heroes of the 20th Century’s Space Age – people like Yuri Gagarin, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Shepard, Eileen Collins, Christa McAuliffe – and those more recently like Scott Kelly or Chris Hadfield – are who you should be looking at for inspiration. NASA calls these Rocket Men and Women “the Right Stuff”. Starfleet calls it “Average.”

To put that in perspective, the current head of NASA’s Astronaut Office is a man named Christopher Cassidy, and to give you an idea of his professional Credentials, he graduated the United States Naval Academy, rose to the Rank of Captain, is a Graduate of the US Navy’s Basic Underwater Demolitions School (He is a Navy SEAL), and holds a Masters in Ocean Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – one of the finest Technology Schools on the Planet. It is probably fair to say that Captain Cassidy is the closest thing modern day Earth has to a Starship Captain, and so the benchmark is high.

Clearly, as Roleplayers, we aren’t going to know everything there is to know about being Astronauts, let alone Starfleet Officers. Those who RP in Engineering and Medical can tell you about the wealth of Character Research they do into the Systems and Processes of those Fields, and I believe it is no different for those who wish to Command. Knowing how to do something is not anywhere near as important as the attitude you take to it, and as Star Trek fans, it goes without saying that the Staff hope that attitude is one of wanting to Learn, Explore, and Investigate thoughtfully.

Every action a Starship captain takes has a consequence, and this should be the foremost thing on Roleplayers’ minds when they are in that role. A Starship is several million tonnes of Duranium hull wrapped around a large, contained Antimatter Explosion that is driving it through Space at a velocity of many billions of kilometers per second. Stop to consider that even the smallest of these Starships has (by canon statements) enough firepower to exterminate all Life on the surface of a Planet, and then ask yourself – what sort of Person is Starfleet expecting to Command that type of Responsibility?

THE CHAINS OF COMMAND: CONSEQUENCES

The Fleet has a very clear Policy of In Character Actions having In Character Consequences. (We simply abbreviate this to ICA and ICC.) Anything your Character does, carries Consequences – usually Positive, but also Negative.

In pen-and-paper RPGs like D&D, Rogue Trader, or Vampire, it is fairly easy for Players to do ‘Risk Analysis’ on their Actions because of hard Stat Lines that represent their Personal Capabilities. But every now and then, a Player will attempt to take an Action prompting an almost traditional, softly-worded question from the GM: “Are you really sure you want to do that?”

Veterans of pen-and-paper RPGs know that this is a question any wise individual should not simply dismiss, for the GM is trying to do their Player a kindness in suggesting the gravity of their Actions – Indeed, those nine words usually precede many Roleplaying tales of hilarity, and woe that end in total disaster.

As Staff and GMs, the same holds true in Starbase 1. We will try to steer Players in the right direction fairly without Violating the Spirit of Players having the power to make their own choices, but when we ask the question, ‘Are you really sure you want to do that?’ perhaps it is time to stop, and think about what your brave Spaceship Captain is about to bring down upon themselves.

So, as clearly as it can be said: If you think having your Ship blown up, severely damaged, captured, violating the Prime Directive, pre-emptively opening fire on a Ship, or anything else that might be contrary to Federation Procedure is a good idea, you should really think about just what the people who gave you responsibility for that very expensive, very large planet-destroying Spacecraft are going to say when you get Home.

Over the last couple of years, the Fleet has been quite relaxed in allowing such incidents to go by without comment. In theory, it is up to the GM’s personal discretion to how much leeway Officers under their Command are going to get, in practice – the first priority of the Staff Officers is to provide a realistic environment for Roleplaying a Starfleet Officer, and that means – more often than not – we are going to take the serious line when dealing with Actions and consequences. Starbase 1 prides itself on being quite rigid in this regard, but we acknowledge that this style of Roleplay is not for everyone. That, ultimately, is for you to determine as a Member of this Fleet.

In the end, if you aren’t sure whether your actions in character are in keeping with the expectations of Starfleet Command, then you should either err on the side of caution, or absolutely feel free to ask one of the Veterans or Staff.

HOW TO THINK LIKE AN OFFICER IN COMMAND  

Across the United States Armed Forces, NASA, and countless international civil services including Police and Fire Authorities*, those who are in positions of Command over a unit of personnel rely on something simply called the Five Paragraph Order to organize and explain Critical Information.

*Including the one which the author of this essay works for in Australia

The Five Paragraphs – each with a critical component of relevant information – are easily remembered by the acronym “SMEAC”: Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration/Logistics, Command/Communications.

Situation: The first thing Picard, Kirk, Sisko, Janeway, Archer, or any other Officer in Charge does when they walk onto the Bridge is ask for a Report on what is happening. This, in a nutshell, is the Officer beginning their SMEAC Orders by determining what is happening with an understanding of all the critical facts.

Using a combat situation as an example, relevant information may include the size and number of the Enemy Force, their capabilities, their weaknesses, what they are likely to do next, and what the worst-case scenario for their Ship is.

Other information may be whether or not Friendly Forces are near to their location.

With an establishment of these Facts, the Officer may make initial calls on how to proceed further, if at all.

Mission: Based upon the Situation, the Commanding Officer will then determine their Mission Objectives based on the simple questions of Who, What, When, Where and Why? Simply, the Mission determines the Objective that is to be achieved, and nothing more.

Execution: Once the Officer knows what the Mission Objective is, they may formulate a plan of how to do it – this is the Execution Phase of their briefing, and is – after the initial situation report – the most important phase of their Orders.

In establishing a Plan of Execution, the Officer should:

· Establish their intent clearly so that their Staff understands what needs to be done,
· Identify the odds of success or failure, and what factors dictate advantage or disadvantage,
· Identify what Tools and Assets they have at their disposal to best exploit weaknesses,
· Understand what the outcome should be and the factors that need to be considered after the fact,
· Form a Plan based on the above information to achieve the desired outcome,
· Identify factors outside their control that can be used to support their Mission,
· Delegate Tasks to Crew and subordinate Officers,
· Establish how those with delegated Tasks should coordinate their Actions.

Administration/Logistics: Having established and committed to a Plan of Action, the Officer must take steps to ensure those whose Task it is to indirectly support the Mission (such as Medical, Engineering, Armories and Shipboard magazines/weapons Storage, damage control, Fighter Pilots providing Air Support, etc) understand what is required. Again – simply put – once your force of Soldiers are carrying out their Mission, how do you plan to supply them with Food, Ammunition, and Medical Support for wounded? All of these thought processes are just as critical to areas of Starship Operations as they are ground Forces.

Command and Communications: The final part of the Briefing is to establish the operational Chain of Command, and how a Force is to Communicate once they are engaged in their Operations. This Task can be simple, or it can be very complex depending on the size of the Mission in question. In practice, at a basic level, junior Starship Captains will only need to worry about their own Ships. It falls to Captains and Admirals to worry about the Fleet itself.

Identifying a Chain of Command should include contingency planning on what to do should the Commanding Officer him/herself be incapacitated or removed from Command through Injury or Fatality. On a Ship, this will nominally fall to the Executive Officer, and then the Second Officer, and then the Third Officer, and so on down the Chain of Bridge Officers in order of Seniority and Rank.

This step is critical when multiple Starships collaborate to put together joint Away Teams, as the Chain of Command may be far less clear.

Understanding the SMEAC Five Paragraph Order is the first and most important thing Officers in crisis situations in the real world must learn, and it applies elegantly to both Military and Civilian Authorities over a range of different disciplines and purposes. Police may use it when conducting a large Public Order Exercises, or simply when closing a Street, Ambulance Officers and Medics may use it to Triage on a large scale when dealing with Disaster Relief, Firefighters use it to coordinate multiple Crews against weather and moving Fire Fronts to defend Homes, Military Officers use it to coordinate the actions of their Squads, and NASA Mission Commanders use it as the basis for complex problem solving in Earth Orbit where Time, Resources, and the Margin of Error are all equally in short supply.

In short – the origins of the Five Paragraph Order being Military in nature are irrelevant in accepting that it has become The Standard for Crisis Management around the World. While you don’t have to RP with great detail around using the Five Paragraph Order, knowledge of it may help you establish an understanding of your Character in how they manage critical incidents, and the huge responsibility and burden of Command.

'STARFLEET IS NOT MILITARY!"

What is Starfleet? It’s a question that has divided Star Trek fans since the 1960s - especially when challenging the notion that it is a Military Service in a society that purportedly has no need or want of such a force.

It is also debated when discussing the import and extent of a Chain of Command, and the attitudes of Starfleet Officers when faced with a crisis.

Without attempting to take a position one way or another, I would surmise that the question of whether Starfleet is a Military, is largely academic in accepting that it has both a Military Chain of Command, and a major responsibility in filling the role of a Defense Force.

Starfleet uses Weapons and Defensive Systems that are grotesquely powerful at all levels of operations - from Anti-personnel Weapons capable of vaporizing Organic, and Inorganic Matter, to Tricobalt Warheads that make modern Nuclear Devices look like the equivalent of Pocket Fireworks.

Starfleet also uses Military Ranks and a strictly-observed Chain of Command necessary for the maintenance of good discipline and operational stability.

On multiple, bloody occasions in Federation History, Starfleet has been required to fight wars against a range of intransigent Adversaries who could not be reasonably negotiated with - the Borg being the pr-eminent example of the necessity of a capable Defense Force.

Again using the perennial example seen throughout this essay, NASA is not - in itself - a Military Organization. A Civil Agency, NASA’s Mission to advance the Frontiers of Human Space Flight is the closest real-world analogy we have to what Starfleet represents, but in saying that, we must also recognize that almost every single Mission Commander and Pilot in the Agency’s History has a Military background, and held Military Rank, and therefore it can be said that the Agency has good knowledge of Military Procedures at an Operational Level - and those Procedures have unquestionably affected the Agency’s own SOPs.

Starfleet is a force that fulfills every Role which the Federation requires - be it Scientific Research and Exploration, Defense, Civil Protection, Humanitarian Relief, or even Diplomacy - and no one role is given greater importance than another (a fact, we see reflected consistently in the design of Federation Starships which are, by far, the most versatile vessels in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.)

Because of this, it is not enough to have a Starship Captain who is simply a Soldier, or a Diplomat, or a Scientist - the primary responsibility of the Captain is to balance the needs of the day, and truly, they must be masters of creating around them a controlled environment in which Specialists of all Disciplines and Trades, work together as a cohesive Unit.

If your Character cannot do this, then you should expect them to run into trouble. While every Officer has rough spots in their Career, it is the Fleet’s expectation that every Officer should - in the long run - be emulating Starfleet’s best and brightest.

In closing, I leave you with what I believe is the most succinct Description of what a Starship Commander is, as delivered by one of the most qualified authorities on the subject:

Quote:

”Welcome to Command College. You’ve just embarked on the most challenging course that the Academy has to offer, and also, the most rewarding.

It is often said that Command School Cadets are the best of the best, and it is also said that I commanded the best. The best Ship, and the best Crew. But the Truth is, there is no such thing as ‘the Best’. One Ship may be brand new, state of the art, but it also has countless bugs to work out. Another Ship may be a hundred years old, and shake like a Rattle, but the Bugs are long gone - and that’s why she’s a hundred years old.

The same goes for your Crew. They may be Technical Wizards, but if they can’t work as a Team their Skills are useless to you. When you meet your Crew, you’ll find a thousand Abilities, and Talents, and Flaws, all crackling against each other, and, that is where you come in.

Those of you who succeed in building a Team, will be among the elite few to take us to the Stars.

Good luck, Fair Weather, and never forget… that Risk, is your Business.”

-James T. Kirk.

 

DETAILED TIMETABLE

COMMAND DAILY SCHEDULE

Those in the Command Division are considered to be among Starfleet's Supervisory Personnel. Members of the Command Division are Trained in Leadership and have Tactical Training, allowing them to decisively take action in Organizing and Mobilizing Starfleet Away Crews to perform Missions. Command Officers included most all of the Admiralty, Captains, Executive Officers, Adjutants and Pilots (Flight Control Officers, Navigators, Helmsmen).

IN-GAME CALENDAR AND TIME

Days on Starbase 1 are counted starting from the opening of Starbase 1 Station. The LARPs starts during “Starbase 1 Day” #15. The exact year is deliberately unspecified.

Each Player’s day on Starbase 1 lasts 14 hours: approximately 9 hours of wake and 5 hours of sleep.

During sleeping time, it is MANDATORY to stay in the Sleeping Quarters, or Recreational area’s such as the Mess Hall or 10 Forward. Please make good use of the little time you’ll have to sleep.

It is strictly Forbidden to be Loud in the Sleeping Quarters. This is an Off-Game Rule.

If you deem it really important for the story, you might consider waking up an individual Character (“Savic, they found the contrabad you hid, what do we do?”). Keep in mind, though, that several Players dislike to be woken up like this, so be ready to leave them be, and be careful not to disturb others.

ALPHA (α) AND OMEGA (Ω) SHIFTS 

Workers are divided in two Shifts: Alpha (α) and Omega (Ω), that alternate in running the Station, because Starbase 1 never sleeps. It means that each Lab and Work Environment is always manned by one of the Shift Teams, while the other is off Duty, and viceversa.

Each working day involve also a period of time while both the Alphas and Omegas are Awake. In order to coordinate, the Teams working in the same area can leave Messages, and Notes to the Coworkers of the other Shift.

CALENDAR AND TIME ON STARBASE 1

Days on Starbase 1 are counted starting from the opening of Starbase 1 Station. The LARP starts during “Starbase 1 Day” #1. The exact year is deliberately unspecified.

Each Player’s Day on Starbase 1 lasts approximately 14 hours: 9 hours of wake and 5 hours of sleep.

Each "Starbase 1 Day" starts when Shift α Wakes up, it lasts 14 hours, and it ends when Shift α wakes up again for the next Starbase 1 Day. Shift Ω wakes up every Starbase 1 day at 07:00 or 07:30, and goes to sleep about 9 hours later (that is, at about h02:00 of the next Starbase 1 day, since days last 14 hours there is no such thing as “h16”).

 

TYPICAL SHIFT SCHEDULE

This is the framework of the Alpha and Omega shifts for the LARP:

 

Off-Game Day & Time		SHIFT Ω	SHIFT α	Starbase 1  Day & Time
Day	Time			(When SHIFT α wakes up, a new day starts)
Friday	22 - 23	they start "asleep"		Starbase 1 Day 15	4 - 5
	23 - 23:59				5 - 6
New off-game day: Saturday
Saturday	00 - 01		DINNER / First Meal & Second Meal		6 - 7
	01 - 02	wake up 1:30 breakfast til 2:30			7 - 8
	02 - 03	Both shifts are active			8 - 9
	03 - 04		shift ends 2:30		9 - 10
	04 - 05				10 - 11
	05 - 06	LUNCH / First meal			11 - 12
	06 - 07	LUNCH / Second meal			12 - 13
	07 - 08		wake up 8:00		13 - 13:59
	New Starbase 1 Day: #16
	08 - 09	Both shifts are active (albeit VERY briefly) breakfast α		Starbase 1 Day 16	0:00 - 1:00
	09 - 10	shift ends 9:00			1 - 2
	10 - 11				2 - 3
	11 - 12				3 - 4
	12 - 13		LUNCH / First meal		4 - 5
	13 - 14		LUNCH / Second Meal		5 - 6
	14 - 15	wake up 15			6 - 7
	15 - 16	breakfast 15-16			7 - 8
	16 - 17	Both shifts are active			8 - 9
	17 - 18	Both shifts are active			9 - 10
	18 - 19		shift ends 16:00		10 - 11
	19 - 20	LUNCH / First meal			11 - 12
	20 - 21	LUNCH / Second Meal			12 - 13
	21 - 22				13 - 13:59
	New Starbase 1 Day: #17
	22 - 23	Both shifts are active Shift α: wake up 22:00 breakfast til 23:00		Starbase 1 Day 17	0:00 - 1:00
	23 - 23:59	Both shifts are active			1 - 2
New off-game day: Sunday
Sunday	00 - 01	shift ends 23:30			2 - 3
	01 - 02				3 - 4
	02 - 03				4 - 5
	03 - 04		LUNCH / First meal		5 - 6
	04 - 05		LUNCH / Second Meal		6 - 7
	05 - 06	wake up 5:30 breakfast til 6:30			7 - 8
	06 - 07	Both shifts are active			8 - 9
	07 - 08		shift ends 6:30		9 - 10
	08 - 09				10 - 11
	09 - 10				11 - 12
	10 - 11	LUNCH / First meal			12 - 13
	11 - 12	LUNCH / Second Meal	wake up 12:00		13 - 13:59
	New Starbase 1 Day: #18
	12 - 13		breakfast 12:15-13	Starbase 1 Day 18	0:00 - 1:00
	13 - 14	Both shifts are active			1 - 2
	14 - 15	Both shifts are active			2 - 3
Day	Time	SHIFT Ω	SHIFT α	Starbase 1  Day & time

 

PERSONAL SCHEDULE

Every Player is entitled to have Personal Free Time every Shift. Besides Working Hours, there are other compulsory Activities that everyone on Starbase 1 Station must attend, during each and every Shift: Physical Training in the Leisure Area - Meals - routine Medical Checks in Sick Bay - Socializing Time in the Leisure Area.

Every Player receives a Personal Schedule that establishes how many Working Hours there are in every Shift, which Meals to attend, when the Physical Training is supposed to happen and so on.

DUTY AND PERSONAL LOGS 

After each Mission, every Crewmember is expected to write one Duty Log (DL), and one Personal Log (PL). You've seen these before in Star Trek: often, when an Episode opens, you'll hear "Captain's Log" followed by a brief Summary of the Events which have led up to the point depicted, while at other times you'll hear a Character making a "Personal" Log Entry of their Private Life and/or feelings about the Mission.

 

Well, it's the same way in the Starbase 1 LARP. Your Duty Log is usually a summary of what happened to your Character during the course of the Sim, written from a First-Person perspective. Remember, though you as a Player are aware of all Sim Events, your Character is not—you should try to limit your DL to your Character's experiences. A DL can also include your Character's recommendations for the following Sim: for example, a Counselor on the Bridge during a Battle with a hostile Alien Species could, in his or her DL, offer theories about why the Aliens attacked, and offer recommendations for avoiding future conflicts. Duty Logs also include your Character's job-related activities between Sims: if, for example, your Character writes a Report about a piece of Alien Technology s/he encountered, that's a DL.

 

Personal Logs, on the other hand, detail your Character's Off-Duty Life. These can include your character's plans for time off, your character's feelings about the current Mission, or even your Character's feelings about his, or her fellow Crewmembers—how are they getting along? Does your Character feel as though s/he is fitting in? Just like in real life, your Character will often grow and evolve as a Person—your Personal Logs will give you, and your Crewmates a weekly Chronicle of your Character's development, and add to the fun of the Sim.

 

There's another type of Personal Log: the Story Log. Story Logs, as the name implies, tell Stories about your Character that take place outside the confines of your weekly Missions. You frequently see Star Trek Characters spending free time in a Holodeck Simulation, for example—well, there usually isn't time to do this in your weekly Sim, so why not write a Story about an Experience your Character had in the Holodeck? Want to flesh out experiences from your Character's past? Dramatize them in a Story Log! Want to write about your Character's Shore Leave on Risa? Story Log—just keep it clean! Many Starbase 1 simmers prefer the Story Log to the more traditional Personal Log—the important thing is to write something you enjoy.

 

A third type of Log—one which is not required of a Crewmember—is the Joint Log (JL). Sometimes, this simply means that two (or more) People collaborate to write a Story Log, just as two People might co-Author a Novel. More common, however, is the "mini-Mission," in which the Authors get together in their free time and actually Sim out the action of the Story. Once the "mini-Sim" is completed, one of the participants writes up the Events in prose form, and sends the completed story to the other Participants for their suggestions and Approval. When all Parties involved approve of the Story, it is sent to the Crew and posted to the appropriate Message Board by one of the Authors.

 

Remember, Log Writing is the best way for your Crewmates to get to know your Character. While you Sim In-Character, most Missions won't provide many opportunities to show your Character's intricacies—and even when they do, these details often scroll off the screen before everyone can read them. Your Logs, however, can contain almost anything you like—and your Crewmates can read them at their leisure. To qualify for Promotion, you must Write Logs, send them to the Crew, and Post them on your Starbase 1's Message Boards. However, once they find a style they enjoy, many Starbase 1 Members take the opportunity to explore their Characters, and write in excess of the basic requirements.

ROLEPLAYING Surgery

Phases

Start Phase

Treatment Phase

Finishing Phase

Treatment SCAN

Green Scan

Yellow Scan

Red Scan

Black SCAN

Escalating Consequences