Hey there!
I'm a very old STO player that has been gone for years and only just now returning so if this is an easily answered question try not to make me feel too silly for asking.

I opted to make a new captain so that I would get the best experience re-learning the game from the ground up. The faction I chose to go with was the Romulans, upon reaching the point in the story where I could join one of the main factions I selected the Federation. I then spent some time buying and customizing four "alien" Starfleet bridge officers (as there are no "alien" Romulan bridge officer options available, not even from the flotilla). Once I finished customizing my officers to a space race that I like to jokingly call astro-smurfs I slotted them into stations on my Romulan ship and set off.
...It wasn't until I popped onto my bridge that I noticed a problem, none of my custom officers show up on the bridge just nameless NPCs and Torvan (however you spell his name, the Romulan story officer). Is there something I'm doing wrong? Do Starfleet officers only show up on a Starfleet ship's bridge?
I know it's mostly cosmetic but it matters to my gaming experience, so any advice or help is appreciated!
Comments
In a related note, don't expect to set any trophies either.
aside from the mandatory tovan, it seems quasi random what/who shows up and in what places. I don't seem to have an issue the few times Ive used a c-store ship, like the faction agnostic temporal, but honestly don't visit those much.
But it seems to have mostly solved itself. Can't remember the last time I popped into my bridge and *didn't* see the familiar faces of my BOFFs.