The road to 2409...
In the wake of the Dominion War, alliances slowly crumbled, the peace that was so valiantly fought for dissolved. In 2387, the Hobus star became a Super-Nova, unleashing devastation of the like unseen by sentient eyes for millennia. In the path of that fiery devastation was the planet Romulus, the capital of the Romulan Star Empire, one of three great super powers in the Alpha Quadrant.
Through the stalwart bravery of one Federation Ambassador, the galaxy was saved? but Romulus was destroyed. In the wake of this breath taking disaster, the United Federation of Planets mobilized in the largest humanitarian aid and relief operation in known history. An opportunity for a lasting peace through charity was at hand.
However, political maneuvering in the Klingon Empire set forward a series of events which would spiral the entire Quadrant into war. Slaying Chancellor Martok in ritual combat, the new Chancellor J'mpok rallied the Klingon people to war against the Gorn and their allies, beginning a chain of events that would alter the landscape of the Quadrant forever. Withdrawing from the Khitomer Accords peace treaty with the Federation, J'mpok warned the Federation out of the Archanis sector. War was on the horizon.
To safeguard Federation interests in the region, Starfleet commissioned Starbase 381- Praetorian, home to the 26th Fleet.
The 26ths mission is to engage in tactical and military operations in the Eta Eridani Sector Block, provide security for Federation and Starfleet assets and carry on the diplomatic and scientific missions that have been the mainstay of Starfleet since its inception.
Appointed command of the 26th, was Vice Admiral Kalus Rez, who had previously served as commander of the 3rd Fleet. His experience on the front lines as Captain of the USS Wyvern during the Dominion War had forged him into a strong, capable leader, and set him apart from his post war peers. His reputation for his willingness and capability to take on difficult--sometimes impossible?assignments made him the logical choice.
Situated on the edge of the nefarious Sea of Sorrows, an area rife with naturally occurring gravitic anomalies, Praetorian stands a beacon of hope and safety to the Federation colonies within the station theater of operations. Praetorian's task force stands guard against KDF incursions, and hunts for the pirates and raiders which have made the sea their home, and the colonies their prey.
Appointed to command of the 26th was its initial leader, Vice Admiral Kalus Rez, who had previously served as commander of the 3rd Fleet. His experience on the front lines as Captain of the USS Wyvern during the Dominion War had forged him into a strong, capable leader, and set him apart from his post war peers. His reputation for his willingness and capability to take on difficult--sometimes impossible assignments made him the logical choice.
Following Rez' tenure was Admiral Jennifer Hunter, an experienced commanding officer who specialized in engineering projects of massive scale. Previous experience in Transwarp Gate engineering and anti-Undine technologies made her a natural choice to lead the 26th Fleet's development of Starbase 381. Otherwise known as Praetorian Station, the starbase has evolved into a significant headquarters for the 26th and Starfleet along the front lines of the conflict against the Klingon Empire. Hunter recently resigned her commission to protest a contentious special operation within the new Romulan Republic.
The current leader of the 26th Fleet is Rear Admiral Corris Sprint. A former MACO operative and battle hardened Starfleet Captain, Sprint has long served as the commanding officer of Praetorian station. Where Admiral Hunter was considered to be something of a dove when it came to the ongoing conflicts engaging Starfleet, Admiral Sprint is known to have a much more hawkish attitude, and it remains to be seen how this will impact the 26th Fleet's operations.
*** 26th Fleet Story Policy ***
Overview - The 26th Fleet prides itself on offering an immersive, Starfleet experience in the world of Star Trek Online. Our common goal is to tell compelling, character-driven stories in these challenging times for the Federation and Starfleet. When we recruit new members to the Fleet, our goal is to ensure a good fit. It is important that your character, your ship and your understanding of what in-character lines should or should not be crossed is established.
What this policy is not - This policy is not about telling you how to RP. There are many styles, and many ways to actually RP. Do you prefer simulation more than story telling? Do you roll with just about any situation that pops up in RP, or do you like to /emote RollDice to determine how your character will react in a situation? Play your way, but also be considerate of the goals and time investment your fellow fleet-mates are making too.
What this policy is - This policy is about identifying problematic RP situations, and asking you to plan around them at the beginning of your recruitment process. Since the 26th Fleet formed, there have been countless instances of amazing, Trek-appropriate RP in our fleet. Some of it has been heroic, some of it villainous. Some RP has made us laugh, while sometimes we've cried... for good reasons. Some situations make us cry for bad reasons. These situations, often laden with 'drama' need to be prevented, and we ask for your help in doing this.
***Character Design Goals***
1) Starfleet Compatible Backstory - Your character should be someone we'd expect to find leading a crew, or being on a crew. We're not asking for saints, here! If you're character is a wanted criminal, a member of a hostile faction or in a situation too unique to be a member of Starfleet, we really need to stop and think about this.
1a) No Black Ops. Spec Forces, etc. Maybe some covert action is on your file, but the 26th Fleet is a Regular fleet. We get involved in all kinds of actions, so there will be a chance to put on the 'TNG Black Sweater' and do something in a sneaky way, but we simply can't support running an outsourced Section 31 program and keep true to our Fleet's theme.
1b) No superheros. This could include recovered Borg characters who can control every computer they come across, the genetic augment of the week, the super-spy, and a frequent favorite - the AI. The problem isn't so much with the concept embedded in these characters, but in the idea that you're asking for superman without any kryptonite. Try to avoid this, or be prepared to tell us how the story of your character's development could contribute a lot to the Fleet's RP.
1c) Time Travel is tricky. We do have characters from the past who cannot get home. We have characters from alternate timelines and even the Mirror Universe. It is much harder to envision how a regular division of Starfleet would adhere to the Temporal Prime Directive for someone who came from the future. Navigate these waters carefully, please.
2) Resist being over-powered (OP) - You've seen it before, perhaps even played one. You're the recovered-Borg, Spock-melded, Vice Admiral decedent of Picard from another timeline who rejected the presidency of the UFP because you hate desk work. One could use terms like Mary-Sue, Marty-Sue, X-Sue here, but let's be clear - this isn't about inserting a bit of yourself into your character. This is about not making your character so all-capable and powerful that you'll never ever be challenged. OP characters also take away opportunities from other characters on their team. What is the point of having a team, if you can succeed at everything?
***Starship Design Goals***
1) Review our acceptable starship policy. Please.
2) Modified Acceptable Use Ships - Do not be desperate to run a Galaxy class ship who's IC story is that it has completely Borg-guts, fires Polaron weapons and disruptors. Since the 26th Fleet's IC Story is that it is a regular division of Starfleet, we are a bad place to bring your one-off ship with special requirements. According to our ongoing story, we supply photon and quantum torpedoes, service phaser arrays, warp drives and Starfleet-based small craft. The IC decision to see a snowflake like ship enter service in the 26th Fleet just isn't there.
Caveat - Let's say you started with a vessel that was essentially Starfleet standard equipment and wanted to RP modifications to the ship over time... because this can lead to some cool RP with other players, we might actually be able to support this.
3) Captured ships - As we suggest in the starship policy, we're not in the business of putting captured enemy vessels to work in our fleet. There might be some good story around the capturing and study of such a ship, so try to think of it like that - we could support the limited time running of a non-Starfleet ship to support a story.
4) AI Driven ships - Again, this is non Starfleet standard and will usually be denied. If this is a compelling part of your character's RP vision, do declare this early and work with us to understand how this will work, and how the story will evolve and bring lots of people together to RP.
***Trek Universe Design Goals***
1) Keeping Canon - The 26th Fleet keeps to canon very closely. We know... STO takes some liberties, and some parts of Trek canon seem to contradict others, but in general we do consider canon when approving your character, your ships and plots that occurs in our Fleet's RP.
1a) No JJ-ing our universe! - This is meant a bit tongue in cheek, as many of us love the newer Trek films. The intent here is to let you know that were not going to be re-writing continuity of the STO timeline.
1b) What year is it? - We have a link to a Stardate calculator on our site, and you should use that to keep some kind of sequencing in any IC posts you make to our forums.
2) Keeping Trek - The spirit of Star Trek is said to be one of a journey into being human. We see this explored in many thematic ways, but there are some things we can count on. Good is going to win, but at what cost? The things that motivate our characters should the kinds of things that motivated the characters in our favorite Star Trek TV shows and films. Maybe with less lens flares.
3) No Plot Hammers from Starfleet Command - It happens fairly often, that a player will post some communique from Starfleet Command ordering the 26th's IC leadership to suck it up and accept the transfer of some secret-special ship and a unique AI-telepathic character to the Fleet. It isn't going to work that way. The IC leaders of the fleet are often the OOC leaders as well. We care about the ongoing, smooth running of the fleet, and therefore, we deserve to be consulted about potentially controversial story elements that could affect the entire 'universe' or game-world of our story.
How to join as a Federation officer
The first step in joining the 26th Fleet is to visit our Enjin site at
http://26thfleet.enjin.com/home
After that its simple, please read over the rules and regulations under the tab "The Story"
Fill out an Application and wait for one of our fleet recruiters to get into contact with you.
How to Join as a Romulan
New applications to the 26th Fleet will first be required to establish a Starfleet character before they will be permitted to add a Romulan character. Tthe 26th is primarily a Starfleet guild and will continue to be so.
Points of Contact.
Rhys Llywarch@Juroden
I hope to hear from everyone soon, so they can join us on our adventure into the Final frontier.
Comments
On the RP side of things, the 26th Fleet has responded by participating in a Joint Task Force with the Republic. Lots of great opportunities to add a Romulan experience to your RP portfolio!
Hope you're enjoying LoR, and stop by to visit the 26th when you're able. Simply join the channel SB381 and icly hail us for docking permission!
Hunter
Star Trek: Praetorian Official Website / 26th Fleet Recruitment thread
Obviously its your fleet and you can specify what you want but realistically if I was to join a rp guild I wouldn't want such limiting factors.
I've RP'd across many different games and in many different formats and I've found my time in the 26th to be amongst the best RP I have encountered. In the 26th you don't have to worry about 'what makes my character super special', you get the chance to RP in an environment that places everyone on a level playing field and where characterisation and growing your character through interaction with others is placed in High regard.
I can't wait to see the development of some of the plot lines currently running.
Yet some of the things that don't work for you, I know for a fact have worked for our fleet especially the much maligned AI which has given us some of our best stories.
However it's where you and your players comfort zone is, if you have a specific arena you wish to play in then it's needed to set boundaries.
At present we are pushing the boundaries as Gene Roddenberry has left us with a static world with nothing being added to it, other than the content of the game. We have been asked is Starfleet all there is....does everyone join Starfleet?.
This has caused us to sit down and think of what is happening away from the limits of the game and the information that is known, to actually come up woth storylines, plots and a whole universe that we know is feasible, logical and above all realistic in this future time of advanced technology.
So I think it comes down to the players what they want, and where they wish their sand pit placed. I have seen a lot of TOS ships, Next Gen, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise based RP's.
Heck even a fair few JJ ones..., however other than the game we don't have anything else to work with, and the world is moving on.
As long as their are different sand pits available I don't see a problem, bottom line RP is about fun...
That heady feeling you got as a kid when you dumped the coal scuttle on your head, picked upa branch and became Darth Vader....
Where worlds of imagination were created daily, then packed away in the box at tea time...
If just a few or our RP'ers feel that..then I feel our work is done.
Sarah
In response to some concerns about what i shall call 'the boundaries of the sandbox' that some above have mentioned - the rules tend to be more signposts along the way than chiseled in stone code-of-Hammurabi. The idea is though that we want to give everyone a framework to work within (as our fleet has quite a few members) - which isn't to say that no concepts outside of that framework will be allowed, it will just require some coordination with Fleet Leadership, and you may need to be willing to compromise some of the ideas to make sure they're compatible with the setting and the dozens of players who are active.
Moreover, and this is the important part - the 26th has some exceptionally strong role players. Coming from a guy who usually hates the MMO experience across the board, the 26th's players keep me coming back to STO, and make me willing to pay for STO stuff in game, all for the sake of greater enhancement of my already awesome experience with this Fleet.
In my experience, "anything goes" RP tends to devolve into a "more special and/or powerful than thou" competition, as everyone attempts to make their own character (1) unique and interesting and (2) immune to being casually messed with by others. Every new addition has to outdo those who came before. Power and concept creep quickly ensue.
But I will admit to some slight bias, having two characters in this fleet (and one associated with it, redside). IMO, it's a solid group of roleplayers, some of the best I've encountered in this game (or any other MMO).
Click for more details
On a more serious related note, I can highly recommend this fleet as a returning player. I wouldn't have been around STO anymore if it wasn't for them, and this is comming from someone who has tried a few 'RP' fleets here already.
The fleet is comprised of a large variety of personalities and stories, definitely worth trying.
Feel free to stop by the base and hang out with us. You can reach us through the SB381 chat channel.
http://26thfleet.enjin.com/forum/page/1/m/9239612/viewthread/5367628-no-win-scenario
NX-9336
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0RyII5e7Cm4
"Damn the Torpedoes! Full Speed ahead!"
AFFILIATION
Owner: United Federation of Planets
Operator: Starfleet
Commissioned: 2245
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Constitution/Exeter Skunk-work Testbed (Exeter MK I Class)
Length: 289 meters
Mass: Almost one million gross tons
Crew Compliment: 430
Speed: Warp (8.2) Transwarp under risky conditions
ARMAMENT
Primary: MK IX Phaser Arrays (Fore & Aft)
Secondary: MK IX Photon Torpedoes (Fore)
DEFENSES
Shields: MK VI Shield Array
The Hartford started life as a MK I Constitution class cruiser and after a few years of service found herself given over to the Daystrom institute as a testbed for technology and devices that would eventually become the Constitution Refit. The Hartford was then grounded at Starfleet Academy Corp of Engineers where until she was brought back up to join Starfleet's ship musuem. During that time Young starfleet Cadets would practice and install several different era's of Technology on her. Due to several extraordinary circumstances the ship was placed back on active service and in 2412 underwent a partial refit of the Exeter light Cruiser model. The Hartford has several differences from the Standard new Exeter class being put out at Utopia Plantia. The shape of the hull still has the familiar Constitution class shape instead of the more streamlined Exeter model. The Neck of the ship also retains its original Constitution shape having none of the Added armour and support the newer Exeter provides. The downside to this Skunkworks mash of shipclasses is the Hartford's subspace field and Transwarp ability is severly hampered at times at higher warp speeds.
The Exeter Nacelle aboard the Hartford is not particularly fast in Warp or advanced compared to the sleeker Nacelles of an Oddyssey class or a Vesta class. But the Exeter Nacelle is quite advanced in its simplicity. From the Bussard collector to the Warp coils themselves the Nacelles are a dummyproof reliable system that almost never seem to fail in Combat and Environmental situations. The down side to this is the Engineers aboard the Hartford need to constantly monitor the support Pylons for microfractures and stress warping that usually is not a problem aboard modern day starships. Simply put the Nacelles almost put out too much power for the rest of the ship to keep up with.
While to most people the Exeter Refit to the Hartford's saucer seems to be very Similar to the Constitution class the Saucer of the refit is actually 35% bigger then the standard Constitution saucer. This added space gives room for another seventy crewmen, two science labs and an extra Medical bay. The trade off being that the added mass of the saucer combined with the weakened neck gives the Hartford major issues in high gravity and/or atmospheric conditions.
Overall the Hartford is a ship far past her prime but practical advances in Federation technology squeeze a few more years out of the aged craft. Despite her disadvantages a reasonable Captain and light duty will keep this ship running Starfleet missions for a while.
Commander Robert Nakamoto
Utopia Plantia, Mars
Starfleet Corps of Engineers
Event Starts:Saturday, Jul 6
Description: Alert: Commadore Corris Sprint is recalling all ships and personelle of the 26th Fleet and Task Force Thierr for the yearly Category J Inspection. A full Category J Inspection is a full inspection of Systems, Ships and personelle. This means you have one week to get your ships scrubbed and clean. Your Dress Uniform cleaned and pressed and to make sure all your paperwork is backlogged and completed. The Commadore will assign several other officers to help and inspect the heavy workload.
Event Start:Sunday, Jul 7, 01:00:00 am (GMT -6)
Description: Commadore Sprint has ordered a full Category H Inspection. What that means is a day long combat exercise. All ships and starbase personnel are going to engage in a long term siege exercise to determine the current operational strength of the fleet. Do not be caught under the standard on this one, The Enemies may only be Photonic but enough damage will still put your ship in the drydocks.
((OOC: Just a day where we run a ton of fleet mark events ICly. We can whine and complain about being tired and having to go on and on. Should be fun.))
Event Start: Friday, Jul 19, 10:00:00 pm
Description: Alert: Intelligence reports KDF forces massing on the edge of our sensor probes. The 26th is ordered to get a solid count on their numbers, Commadore mass your fleet and get it done.
Admiral Jeckobi
Event Start: Sunday, Jul 21, 08:00:00 am
Event End: Saturday, Jul 27, 08:30:00 am
Description: Alert: Commadore Sprint has issued the Op-Order for High ranking Officers and select other Personnel to come with him to the Quarterly Field exercise. You are to hand control of your ship and/or duties to your XO and pack your rucksack for a week of Rain, mud and animals. The official Uniform for the field is as such.
http://sto.gamepedia.com/File:A-02_red.png
http://sto.gamepedia.com/File:A-02_gold.png
http://sto.gamepedia.com/File:A-02_blue.png
((The goal of this event is to just get us outside the ships and station for a bit. Wander around in the woods. Icly build a camp. Should be fun since Icly most of our characters aren't used to the natural elements.))
Event Start: Friday, Jul 26, 10:00:00 pm
Description: The Subspace Inhibitor; an awesome piece of technology that prevents subspace fields from being formed around a ship attempting to go to warp or simply pops the field around ships already at warp. A huge tactical advantage or at least it would have been if it had been finished. In the 23rd century the project was abandoned when it seemed to be a technological dead end. Can the 26th find the long forgotten base this technological doorstop was dumped in and do they have the the technical and scientific skill set o get it working?
Event Start: Tuesday, Aug 6, 10:00:00 pm
Description: The power is suddenly lost in all ships! The men and women of the 26th suddenly find themselves on a jungle planet being harrassed by an energy being of the harshest type. Can the men and women of the 26th find a way to defeat this Demi-god and return home?
Event Start: Saturday, Aug 10, 06:00:00 pm
Description: The History of the Warp drive, Practical and strange uses for the warp drive over the years. The current bleeding edge of Warp Technology. This lecture will be given by Noted Warp Theorist Doctor John Llywarch on Memory Alpha. The Doctor has moved several of his prototype warp coils for the public to touch and see. Come join us for this noted speaker and learn all you can about the warp drive!
The Memory Alpha Tourism board.
Event Start: Friday, Aug 16, 10:00:00 pm
Description: A vital gas is needed for the fleets plans, the only spot near Preatorian station is a Star Forge. A birthplace of stars. Beautiful thick gases of Azure and yellow. The ships of the 26th travel thru the wonderous area filling their ram scoops full of the precious gas. But something is alive inside the gases. Is it friend or foe?
Feel free to hit me or another member of the fleet up if you are interested in taking part in any of this. Or join the channel SB381 to get Incharacter pernission to dock at station Preatorian,
Rhys spurred his horse faster as it galloped toward the edge of the cliff. The Aliens had taken the woman and Rhys had to get her back. He had commed the Hartford she should be arriving soon. The horse Whinnied as Rhys approached the edge. He hoped that his crew had all the skills he thought they did. The horse leaped off the cliff and Rhys closed his eyes. The clack of hooves on metal was the sweetest he had heard in a while. The horse panted and continued to run as it made a lateral move toward the other side of the canyon. The horses hooves clattered over the freshly painted USS Hartford scratching up the sign. He turned his head to the right to look up at his bridge. He could see Commander Blish and a communication ensign looking at him like he was insane. He probably was. The Captain could see the Bandit Camp coming up to the side of the Hartford. He pulled his phaser and prepared himself for the showdown.
http://i.imgur.com/SjyhWoT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MTIVleZ.jpg
some pictures from the Cat J Inspection