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Star Trek Observations Part 1b

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

[This article is in support of my project to design an unofficial (and free) Fudge role-playing game adaptation of Star Trek: The Original Series.]

In the episode “A Taste of Armageddon,” an ambassador of the United Federation of Planets refers to “Federation Central.” We already know there is a Space Central, which I have deduced is short for Federation Space Central (q.v.), so it stands to reason that Federation Central is likewise short for the same. Rather than trying to retrofit the Classic Star Trek Universe with a makeshift organizational hierarchy incorporating all the terms ever used or pretending that certain terms were a slip of the tongue, I think it is useful to role-players and probably more in the spirit of the original screenwriters’ intentions to interpret these terms in the original context in which they were used. In both cases, Space Central and Federation Central were mentioned in reference to a governmental authority, which we may assume is the United Federation of Planets. For the purposes of the episodes in which they were mentioned, they are effectively interchangeable whether by accident or design (and I tend to think the former). Therefore, Space Central and Federation Central are synonymous with Federation Space Central, the government of the Federation, and each Federation world of a certain population size has its own planetary Space Central, e.g. Earth Space Central, Vulcan Space Central, etc. (q.v.). The U.F.P. is, after all, a federation, so each member world capable of self-governing within the bounds of Federation law would have its sovereignty respected and protected.

Star Fleet is, of course, the combined service of the Federation, and Star Fleet Command is Star Fleet’s central authority and headquarters, answerable to the civilian government of the Federation, Federation Space Central (its governing body being the Federation Council — as first mentioned in the episode “Amok Time” — and whose members represent and are elected by the member worlds).

Thus:

United Federation of Planets

  • Federation Council (governing body)
    • Federation Space Central (civilian government)
      • Star Fleet Command (combined service authority)
        • Star Fleet (combined service)

It’s all nice and simple. Alas, what are we to make of “Space Command,” “Star Fleet Control,” and the “United Earth Space Probe Agency”?

Space Command, mentioned in the episode “Court Martial,” was probably meant to be Star Fleet Command, and since I don’t recall it being used subsequently, I’ll assume the terms are synonymous.

Curiously, Star Fleet Control and United Earth Space Probe Agency were both mentioned in the episode “Tomorrow Is Yesterday,” although the latter was first mentioned in “Charlie X.” Star Fleet Control is almost certainly an alternate term for Star Fleet Command, but where then does that place the UESPA in the scheme of things? We know that certain starships, possibly most, in Star Fleet had single species crews. The Intrepid was notable for being crewed entirely by Vulcans, whereas the Enterprise was depicted as being crewed by humans with the exception of a single crewman of mixed Vulcan/human parentage. Is it possible that the Federation member worlds had their own service divisions within Star Fleet, each perhaps descended from the planetary space administrations from the time of their admission to the Federation? Earth, Vulcan, and every other member world would each have its own Star Fleet division. Or perhaps the designations are a formality that have no basis in anything but tradition. This bears further consideration.

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Erol Otus, Artist

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Here is a link to an interview with Erol Otus, one of my favorite illustrators of the role-playing hobby — indeed, one of my favorite illustrators of anything!

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Total Attack!! Soccer Actual Play Report 3

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Early last week Mater and I played our third game of Total Attack!! Soccer, which was also our briefest since we had to halt it to watch an important hockey game (wherein the Columbus Blue Jackets clinched a place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in their history — hurrah!). We only played until the 22nd Minute, at which point I was leading 1-nil.

This was the first game in which we used the third Advanced Element: Shots on Goal, and it certainly reduced the scoring opportunities. Mater, frustrated by my increasingly conservative tactics, quoted the rule book with an accusatory tone, “Players should shoot on goal as soon as possible.” (Emphasis hers.) Dramatic pause followed by my hysterical laughter and then hers — thus was much valuable playing time lost.

It should be noted that AE 3 made scoring much more difficult and the only goal scored in the game was accomplished by dribbling.
(Continued)

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Stepping upon the Field of Glory

Thursday, April 16, 2009

I neglected to mention this earlier, but I finally purchased Field of Glory and subsequently ordered and purchased two expansions, Rise of Rome: Republican Rome at War and Legions Triumphant: Imperial Rome at War. And so another addiction is added to my maladies, or rather two addictions: Field of Glory expansion books and historical miniatures. The former is the new addiction, the latter is one that was lying dormant. The problem with satisfying the latter (other than the cost) is the limited availability of historical miniatures, at least in my locale. I realize ordering is the solution, but it’s also a more expensive solution when shipping costs are considered. It will be a long time before I can afford to field armies of pewter miniatures, and I do not want to wait that long before playing, but I might be able to buy some plastic historical miniatures for less. I believe Airfix made a number of 15 mm plastic armies that will suffice in the meantime. As for the availability of those, I’ll have to look into it.

N.B. I was just made aware of a special Field of Glory Web site apart from the Osprey Publishing site: www.fieldofglory.com.

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Dave Arneson, 1947-2009

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Dave Arneson, born 1 October 1947 in Hennepin County, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, the 7th of April.

Arneson was the co-creator (with E. Gary Gygax, who passed away in March 2009) of Dungeons & Dragons, the first role-playing game.

As obituaries and history books (both written and yet to be written) will attest, Arneson’s place in the pantheon of our hobby’s Founders (and beyond) is secure. As with Mr. Gygax, I wish to honor his contributions, thank him for his Wisdom and Intelligence, and commend his spirit to the Outer Planes of Good alignment.

Game on, Mr. Arneson.

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Star Trek Observations Part 1a

Saturday, March 28, 2009

[This article is in support of my project to design an unofficial (and free) Fudge role-playing game adaptation of Star Trek: The Original Series.]

In Star Trek Observations Part 1, I erroneously referred to “Space Control” being an organization mentioned in the Star Trek episode “Miri.” What Kirk actually said was “Space Central.” Investigation revealed that there was also a Vulcan Space Central in the episode “Amok Time.” The topic, in light of this information, deserves further consideration.

If there is a Vulcan Space Central, it stands to reason that there is an Earth Space Central and probably a Space Central for every other home world. Kirk didn’t say Earth Space Central, which gives us two possibilities. Either there is also a Federation Space Central, or he meant Earth Space Central and merely abbreviated it since everyone would know that he was referring to a situation of interest to Earth since they had discovered a planet that was Earth’s identical twin several hundred light years away.

Since the Enterprise is a vessel answerable to Star Fleet, a combined service of the Federation, I would assume the Space Central to which Kirk referred was the Federation Space Central. Space Central, then, is probably the headquarters and central authority of the United Federation of Planets, which would be the body that would assign such tasks as sending “teachers and advisers” to a planet in need via one of its subordinate agencies in charge of delivering emergency aid or assisting in rebuilding efforts or integration into the Federation.

I think it all fits rather nicely and without disposing of a useful term.

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War and Fudge

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

I have neglected to mention this here before, but one of my projects is a modern-ish miniature war game utilizing plastic soldiers and Fudge. Yes, those plastic soldiers. (Perhaps my favorite of all console games is Army Men 3D, which is fully half the inspiration for this project — the other half being the plastic soldiers themselves and my memory of playing with them as a young lad.) Fudge, I realize, is not combat rules-heavy, but I think it is flexible enough and powerful enough to support a fast-paced and tactically interesting war game (or skirmish game, to be more precise). Details will follow.

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Total Attack!! Soccer Actual Play Report 2

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Mater and I played our second game of Total Attack!! Soccer last night, and we decided to implement the first two Advanced Elements, AE 1: Offside and AE 2: Player Types and Abilities. Neither of us were offside during the game, but Mater came close, and it did affect our strategy. The new player types and abilities made the game more interesting, but the game should have included more tokens. If you divide the player types evenly amongst the tokens provided (after the goalkeeper), you end up with four strikers, four midfielders, and four fullbacks from which to assemble your formations, which means you cannot try a formation that includes five of any one type. For that reason I’ll be on the lookout for extra pieces.
(Continued)

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Total Attack!! Soccer Actual Play Report 1

Thursday, March 12, 2009

I first learned about Total Attack!! Soccer from the review by Steffan O’Sullivan. It is no longer in print, but I eventually acquired a copy, and after a long wait I finally played my first game.

My opponent was my mother, and we decided to start with the basic game as recommended in the rules. We didn’t have time to play a full game, so we played just a single half, which consists of 45 turns.

Mater scored the first goal by dribbling the ball straight past my goalkeeper. I evened the score by dribbling it straight past hers.

She then attempted to shoot, but my goalkeeper saved, whereupon the action was taken back to her end of the field and one of my players took a shot and scored a goal for the lead.

Later, Mater outmaneuvered my fullbacks and goalkeeper to score another goal (I had foolishly allowed my goalkeeper to stray and was one hex too far away to attempt a save). The score was 2-2 and I was the Offense, but Mater swiftly stole the ball and pressed home another attack with scant minutes left on the Clock, firing another shot at my goal hexes. This time, however, my goalkeeper was in place and successfully made the save, leaving one turn left, thus ending the half (since the ball cannot be moved from one end of the field to the other in a single turn).

There was much running, passing, and tackling, too, but without a system of notation or a series of illustrations I’m not quite sure how to describe it. Be assured, however, that the game has an excellent pace.

All in all, it was a fun game that I am sure is even more satisfying as the advanced rules are added, which we shall be implementing in the near future. Further actual play reports will follow.

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On the Trail

Friday, March 6, 2009

One could argue that I do not need any more role-playing games in my life. I own 87. Most of the games I wish to acquire are out-of-print or nearly so, but there is one new role-playing game that has really captured my interest, Trail of Cthulhu (q.v.), published by Pelgrane Press. It is a year old now, but the release today of one of its supplements, Shadows Over Filmland, has reminded me that I don’t have it my collection and I need it. (I also need the complete set of the publisher’s Dying Earth role-playing game, but that’s another topic.) This is the first game or supplement based on the Cthulhu Mythos that has held any interest for me since the classic Call of Cthulhu releases of the 1980s. My only reservation is the GUMSHOE role-playing system it utilizes. I’ve never been exposed to it, and I don’t know whether it is a true role-playing game, a story game, or a hybrid. If it’s the first, then I can almost guarantee I’ll buy it.

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