Star Trek MU*s
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So. Are there any about? Or, probably more to the point, is there any interest in one being made? I have a hankering for some Star Trek roleplay (with or without massive report systems)... preferably not in the Abrams-verse.
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There's only two that you could consider "active". One is a MOO (WNOHGB), and the other is a glorified space combat sim (ATS). Neither of them are canon Trek. No new Trek game seems to be able to get any traction. Not sure why.
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@RnMissionRun said in Star Trek MU*s:
There's only two that you could consider "active". One is a MOO (WNOHGB), and the other is a glorified space combat sim (ATS). Neither of them are canon Trek. No new Trek game seems to be able to get any traction. Not sure why.
Because there is such a stink over them. So many started up from 2000 to 2015... Look at how many are left. Better yet, how many actually had decent leadership? Very few. Seen way too many implode due to bad leadership.
Look at what's been going on in the Star Wars MU* community. Same thing's happening now (IE: Zero, Vaapad, others, etc...).
Ambassador Kosh
"Understanding is a three edged sword."
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@Kosh They need to attract some players before they can implode. The whole attracting players bit isn't happening.
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Starfleet@Anomlay and Halmar@Gamma One both ran really decent Star Trek games. (Starfleet had his problems and some people wouldn't agree with me). But both are pretty much no longer mushing-- or aren't as far as I'm aware. That particular style of star games (heavy on the storytold "missions" and plots) was left with Rapier@Gamma One, and he basically ran things into the ground. Also was very heavy on the play-by-reports that people always complain about here (though to be honest I never thought it was that bad to put in a report saying 'hey there's this thing, lets talk about it and do some stuff' and then add to it afterward saying 'hey we figured out this stuff'.)
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I think that a part of the problem is the lack of a currently running Star Trek series to catch people's interest. Another is the fact that without space combat and such, you're essentially a 'Federation Bureaucracy MU' which a lot of people, myself included, do not like. Then there's the paramilitary structure of Starfleet which leaves only 1-2 people in charge (this is especially a problem on single ship games). I've often been tempted to try making a non-Starfleet centric MU* to see if that might get people interested again, but who has the time?
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@RnMissionRun That would be an interesting idea to test. I'd play on a game like that.
I know my time on Trek games... like TOS or ATS... I stayed clear of the Federation.
I prefer playing as a Bajoran, Cardassian.. Even Romulan.
I didn't care for the shift in 'large scale' games to the 'ship crew' style of games. I'd rather be able to go out and do stuff then be confined to a ship that, if you have less than a stellar player base, may not be overly active.
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My first MU was a ST mu, my favorite MU was a ST mu. All I miss really is ST mu but like was said, they often become Federation Bureaucracy, Position Sitting (Dept. Heads, Captains, etc), or Report Centralized. I think too often they become staff event driven, sit in quarters and idle, or bar RP.
If any of those sound appealing to a person, then they'll be drawn to it; but as I've gotten older I think that these things are the drawback of the Star Trek genre. So let's be constructive here; is there actually a rectifying solution to those afore mentioned problems?
How do you set up a system that lets people who WANT to be a Captain, be a Captain but not water things down?
How do you have Space Combat without Space Sim?
How do you have stories and adventures that aren't dependent on Staff +events?
How do you have progression as a character beyond promotions, etc?
The answer I have come up with while pondering all these over the years has been Starfleet Academy. Not because yay college, but because yay, variety of jobs. No one is the ships Captain, because as training everyone could get the opportunity. Events can be driven by staff, but simulations can be driven by players and instructors. Iunno, it's the best I've come up with. Any other ideas?
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@BobGoblin said in Star Trek MU*s:
How do you set up a system that lets people who WANT to be a Captain, be a Captain but not water things down?
If you're having a game set on a ship (which is the obvious, but not only, choice), then I'd say... the Captain should be an NPC. The Department Heads should be players capable of, and willing to, running plot for their department
How do you have Space Combat without Space Sim?
Use the game system ruleset of your choice. In this instance, I'd probably look at the FASA Star Trek RPG but there are other options.
How do you have stories and adventures that aren't dependent on Staff +events?
Main overarching plot should be under staff direction, with department heads running smaller-scale things as above, with staff assistance if necessary.
How do you have progression as a character beyond promotions, etc?
Skills and such, as with any RPG system. IC progression would likely depend upon the exact setting chosen.
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Before I started WNOHGB, I did an all-rp non-space coded Trek at The Nexus in 1994-1995. Combat was done purely by @diceroll using the Palladium RPG. Worked fairly well. Travel was done by having the ship container @move to a "warp room" that was connected to all the individual system rooms, and the crew could RP being in transit for however long they wished and then came out of warp as soon as it was time for the plot to continue.
When we started WNOHGB as a standalone concept, we were going to try that same concept. It wasn't quite a popular and a lot of players were demanding coded space with 3D movement, etc. We hired on an amazing coder and the rest is history.
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Well my most immediate "plan" would be to set it on one ship during The Original Series (not the Abrams revised edition), with a monster of the fortnight type thing. Go to a planet, deal with monster/threat/story, move to next planet. So really no space system would be needed.
