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Forums > Home› The Foundry for Star Trek Online› The Foundry for Star Trek Online - Discussion & Feedback

The President

maninblack017maninblack017 Member Posts: 152 Arc User
edited January 2014 in The Foundry for Star Trek Online - Discussion & Feedback
After publishing Act II of my Uprising series (Act III in production now) I received numerous messages from players regarding the fact that my Federation President is not the real person. In Act II, I introduced the player to President James Locke, a gray-haired human (pictured in my forum signature) who was made up by me because I was unaware that official STO had named the president. I received some messages that I was disrespectful to Star Trek because a "a loading screen had named the president as being so and so". Right. Anyhoo

So I did a little bit of research and came up with the President's name. But that's all I've been able to find. So I'm calling on the help of the Foundry community to help me out here. What is everything we know about the "current President of the United Federation of Planets"? What is his/her characteristics? What species? What does he/she look like? How long has he/she been in office? Does he/she have a pet goldfish? What are his/her opinions on the price of self sealing stem bolts on Risa?

Yes there is some snarkiness in here (mainly because I apparently should be chased out of town like JJ Abrams because I hadn't seen a particular loading screen). But I have no issues changing the character to reflect the official storyline. As an avid Star Trek fan since I was a child, I want to make my missions as authentic and "realistic" as possible. I want them to be something worthy of being Star Trek. Therefore I respectfully request any and all information you can provide on the Federation President. Especially appearance because I wouldn't want to mold him to look like Chris Pine when he should look like William Shatner.

Thank you all.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
"The time has come to see the world as it is." - Captain James T. Kirk
Twitter - @SDVargo
Post edited by maninblack017 on

Comments

  • drogyn1701drogyn1701 Member Posts: 3,606 Media Corps
    edited January 2014
    The current president in STO canon is Aennik Okeg, a saurian. He took office in 2392, so he has served for quite a while, 17 years. Beyond that I don't think we really know much about him. We used him in the Purity series. If you want we could post screenshots of the sliders we used to make him. He is a Cryptic-created character so he's fair game for Foundry missions.

    But I will say that I played your mission and it didn't bother me. I just went along with it :)
    The Foundry Roundtable live Saturdays at 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on twitch.tv/thefoundryroundtable
  • peetapipmacpeetapipmac Member Posts: 2,131 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    http://sto.gamepedia.com/Aennik_Okeg

    His wiki page.
    It's not my fault if you feel trolled by my Disco ball... Sorry'boutit.



    R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy
  • maninblack017maninblack017 Member Posts: 152 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    I appreciate that. I just don't want to rip peoples' worlds apart by not having a never-before-seen character. Personally I like the character President Locke that I created and would prefer to keep him if it doesn't cause a paradox. Also, would it matter to Cryptic if I submitted it to them?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "The time has come to see the world as it is." - Captain James T. Kirk
    Twitter - @SDVargo
  • drogyn1701drogyn1701 Member Posts: 3,606 Media Corps
    edited January 2014
    I don't think it would matter to Branflakes if the episode was good overall. I think in this case I would look at the volume of people who mentioned the president versus the volume of people who didn't. If a lot of people mentioned it, I'd consider changing it. If not, than I wouldn't worry about it.
    The Foundry Roundtable live Saturdays at 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on twitch.tv/thefoundryroundtable
  • maninblack017maninblack017 Member Posts: 152 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    So far the response has been largely favorable. Just the ones who were whining about the president were like supremely butthurt about it. Which I kind of took as "if that's all you've got to be upset about with my mission, then it must've been pretty good.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "The time has come to see the world as it is." - Captain James T. Kirk
    Twitter - @SDVargo
  • thegreendragoon1thegreendragoon1 Member Posts: 1,872 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Just an idea, but we have no idea who the vice president is. Could the story still work with a slight title change?
  • adverberoadverbero Member Posts: 2,045 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    how long is a federation presidents term? could yours simply be the next one along from okeg?
    solar_approach_by_chaos_sandwhich-d74kjft.png


    These are the Voyages on the STO forum, the final frontier. Our continuing mission: to explore Pretentious Posts, to seek out new Overreactions and Misinformation , to boldly experience Cynicism like no man has before.......
  • cuatelacuatela Member Posts: 296 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Does it have to be the president? Could it be someone from his cabinet, or his chief of staff, or even a member of his security detail that just says "sorry, he can't see you right now, but he wanted me to tell you..."?

  • adverberoadverbero Member Posts: 2,045 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    cuatela wrote: »
    Does it have to be the president? Could it be someone from his cabinet, or his chief of staff, or even a member of his security detail that just says "sorry, he can't see you right now, but he wanted me to tell you..."?

    what about having a different president and chief of staff?
    solar_approach_by_chaos_sandwhich-d74kjft.png


    These are the Voyages on the STO forum, the final frontier. Our continuing mission: to explore Pretentious Posts, to seek out new Overreactions and Misinformation , to boldly experience Cynicism like no man has before.......
  • ashkrik23ashkrik23 Member Posts: 10,809 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    These are fan fictions. If people think because your story is different than the official timeline that it's disrespectful, then their's a problem.
    King of Lions rawr! Protect the wildlife of the world. Check out my foundry series Perfection and Scars of the Pride. arcgames.com/en/forums#/discussion/1138650/ashkrik23s-foundry-missions
    ashkrik_by_lindale_ff-d65zc3i.png
  • drogyn1701drogyn1701 Member Posts: 3,606 Media Corps
    edited January 2014
    I'd say it all sort of depends on how well you, the author, want your mission to fit into STO canon. I like to make it so my missions fit within the overall game world. Some folks don't (to the extreme sometimes). I would say either approach is legit :) But you're right Ash it's an author choice, whatever the players may think of it.
    The Foundry Roundtable live Saturdays at 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on twitch.tv/thefoundryroundtable
  • maninblack017maninblack017 Member Posts: 152 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Sorry for taking so long to get back to all of you.

    The story will eventually reveal why it HAS to be the president due to his authority. If not, I would definitely have used another political member like suggested (VP, chief of staff, etc).

    I understand the PoV that it's not the "Canon" character. I don't see how it's disrespectful. (Though if I were to say like 'Oh Jean-Luc Picard wasn't the captain of the Enterprise, John Smith is' then I could see the disrespect).

    I guess this is one of those dilemmas - how much liberty should one use with timelines and such.

    I'm leaning toward keeping it as-is.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "The time has come to see the world as it is." - Captain James T. Kirk
    Twitter - @SDVargo
  • ashkrik23ashkrik23 Member Posts: 10,809 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Do what you want to do, this is your story.
    King of Lions rawr! Protect the wildlife of the world. Check out my foundry series Perfection and Scars of the Pride. arcgames.com/en/forums#/discussion/1138650/ashkrik23s-foundry-missions
    ashkrik_by_lindale_ff-d65zc3i.png
  • adverberoadverbero Member Posts: 2,045 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    I'd agree with much thats been said, If your Mission sets out your character as the President, then i'd be only too happy to accept that , after all i accept/make up my own trecknobable that has no canon source half the time anyways
    solar_approach_by_chaos_sandwhich-d74kjft.png


    These are the Voyages on the STO forum, the final frontier. Our continuing mission: to explore Pretentious Posts, to seek out new Overreactions and Misinformation , to boldly experience Cynicism like no man has before.......
  • nagoraknagorak Member Posts: 882 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    If I were you I'd change it to be the actual canon (as per backstory) President. The problem is the President's identity is known. If you were naming the commander of Starbase 44, no one would care, because no one has been placed in that position, so there's no conflict or contradiction.

    I don't think it's "disrespectful", but it may be a bit jarring to discover the wrong person is President, and the contradiction may also take people, at least temporarily, out of your story. It also makes it seem like you were ignorant of the actual canon President, which no offense, but you were.

    Of course, it always goes without saying that you can do whatever you want, but in general I think it's a mistake to try to compete with established canon. There's plenty of room to create characters without outright conflicting with what (little) Cryptic has actually established.

    What I would do is replace the President with Okeg. And then if you really like the character traits of the President you created, then just recycle him into another position. There's no need to lose him entirely.
    DerelictionDutyR.jpg

    Click here for my Foundry tutorial on Creating A Custom Interior Map.
  • lincolninspacelincolninspace Member Posts: 1,843 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    By the power vested in me. I grant you a presidential pardon :D. One idea that I don't see here is that Oked could have taken a temporary leave of absence and your president is a place holder until he returns. That kind of thing happens a lot in real world politics.
    A TIME TO SEARCH: ENTER MY FOUNDRY MISSION at the RISA SYSTEM
    Parallels: my second mission for Fed aligned Romulans.
  • maninblack017maninblack017 Member Posts: 152 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Perhaps a temporary leave of absence could work. Saurians have 4 hearts...maybe he's recovering from 20-bypass surgery because he just couldn't stay away from those French fries he discovered on earth.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "The time has come to see the world as it is." - Captain James T. Kirk
    Twitter - @SDVargo
  • nagoraknagorak Member Posts: 882 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    maninblack017 wrote: »
    Perhaps a temporary leave of absence could work. Saurians have 4 hearts...maybe he's recovering from 20-bypass surgery because he just couldn't stay away from those French fries he discovered on earth.

    Yeah, if you come up with some plausible explanation for it, then that would be better. It could even be that another election has taken place and Okeg is gone. It would be an improvement if you at least provide some sort of explanation to show that you're aware of who the canon President supposedly is, and have tried to explain the change some how.
    DerelictionDutyR.jpg

    Click here for my Foundry tutorial on Creating A Custom Interior Map.
  • maninblack017maninblack017 Member Posts: 152 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Thank you everyone. You've all been extremely helpful as always.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "The time has come to see the world as it is." - Captain James T. Kirk
    Twitter - @SDVargo
  • maninblack017maninblack017 Member Posts: 152 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Drogyn,
    Would it be possible for you to post those slider screenshots? Therefore if I choose to use Okeg at some point I'd have them?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "The time has come to see the world as it is." - Captain James T. Kirk
    Twitter - @SDVargo
  • wombat140wombat140 Member Posts: 971 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Couple of extra suggestions a bit late:
    Given the hectic political situation that Episode II refers to, there could quite easily have been a recent election or some other kind of exceptional arrangement, as Nagorak says.

    Alternatively, could Locke be the United Earth president? However close the Federation is, somebody has to be representing Earth, and I like the near-the-bone quality you get from his being a human and in the middle of all this trouble on Earth itself. It would work for Episode II; obviously I've no way of knowing about Episode III.
  • castsbugccastsbugc Member Posts: 830 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    You can, always 'cheat' by saying at the beginning:
    "Meanwhile in Startrek ONline: Universe 616..."

    +1 Nerd Culture Reference
    +1 Comic Book Reference
  • thay8472thay8472 Member Posts: 6,165 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    maninblack017 wrote: »
    Drogyn,
    Would it be possible for you to post those slider screenshots? Therefore if I choose to use Okeg at some point I'd have them?

    Ditto to this please.

    I'd like to throw in Okeg in one of the "fluff" consoels in my next mission :P
    zx2t8tuj4i10.png
    Thank you for the Typhoon!
  • drogyn1701drogyn1701 Member Posts: 3,606 Media Corps
    edited January 2014
    Thought I had better ask Cerberusfilms, our costume designer, before I post the picture. Will let you know when I have permission. I will say though that we left him as a pretty standard Saurian. Pink skin tone and wearing a suit.
    The Foundry Roundtable live Saturdays at 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on twitch.tv/thefoundryroundtable
  • maninblack017maninblack017 Member Posts: 152 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    I actually decided today during a revision of the script of Act III that I should respect the canon timeline and use Aennik Okeg. after thinking long and hard about it, I realized that I should because I had even gone back shortly after initially publishing Act II and put Jorel Quinn into the story (originally was going to be a made up guy named Admiral Chamberlain). If I took the time to do that, then Okeg should've been a no-brainer.

    As much as Locke intrigued me because he was a human, it wasn't right. I want this series to make you feel as if you are stepping into the Star Trek universe as much as possible. Locke.- as written - did take away from the continuity a little bit. Though I really like that idea, wombat.

    I made Okeg pretty standard Saurian. Pink skin wearing the same outift Locke had.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "The time has come to see the world as it is." - Captain James T. Kirk
    Twitter - @SDVargo
  • maninblack017maninblack017 Member Posts: 152 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Though I really wish the main game of STO would introduce us to Okeg. Perhaps even give us a backstory. I'm going to go with the premise that he was a starfleet officer in the past.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    "The time has come to see the world as it is." - Captain James T. Kirk
    Twitter - @SDVargo
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,236 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    What's your Quinn look like?
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
    Costume_marhawkman_Tsin%27xing_CC_Comic_Page_Blue_488916968.jpg
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