Message posted on Stardate 06071.9 at 1238 hours
Posted by Therle Dregansky (Presidential Candidate).
We have been dragged dreadfully off course, and I agree with Sarah entirely that a shift of focus back to the matters at hand are in order. To that end, I would like to reintroduce our ticket, with our plans and goals for the coming season.
Plans and Goals: "It's all about the Special Effects."
While it is true that a recent search for Star Trek roleplaying sites revealed approximately eighteen thousand hits, a search for Star Trek special effects on the same search engine revealed over Two Million hits. If we want to attract members, we need to attend to detail.
The Dregansky/Carter ticket intends--by working with the assistance of the Engineering Department--to develop a Master Ship Roster, which will increase the richness of the site by improving overall graphics; providing a more standardized format coupled with point-and-click support; and a general improvement in presentation, which can be described as general clean-up of designs not in use and the consideration of the refit of designs with the permission of Designers to expound on the original.
Working with our Designers, we hope to encourage the growth of a standing team of developers to both introduce ship designs and refit old designs as ideas are presented. By the same token, and to reaffirm our commitment to our Designers and players, no one will be forced to make a change. No one will lose a design if they find it dear to them or vital to the image of their crew or Fleet. This is not an attempt at uniformity--it is an attempt to increase diversity and the options we have available to us, and perhaps draw new members with a more friendly, more graphically-charged site.
Plans and Goals: "Who is your daddy, and what does he do?"
The Yearbook has done a fine job of representing the present and past membership with a short blurb and a photo of the player, but a search for Star Trek characters turned up a whopping Six Million hits, while a search for a Star Trek roleplayer turned out only ten thousand. People interested in joining a new game want to see your characters. They may want to understand that character's motivations, goals, aspirations--even their service record.
It is the goal of the Dregansky/Carter Ticket to develop an LCARS-styled database with a warehouse of character information, accessible by character or player name (similar to the GMD's very successful report archive). By including character information, photos, links to the character's missions, comments from CO's logs and showing off commendations that last longer than mission or memory, we can bring a vast richness to the site.
It will also serve to encourage player retention by offering the investment of effort into a quality character that others will see, and possibly even relate to--something we can only do now by reading a ship for a long time and getting to know the character, without the benefit of any track record of what came before.
This project is even bigger than the Ship Roster, as it will incorporate the Ship Roster and virtually every other department from Academy to Command. However, again, this will not be a requirement. If someone enjoys playing a "fuzzy" character that's okay, too; again, it's about offering our membership choices, and a chance to make the experience as realistic for them as possible.
Plans and Goals: "The Alpha Quadrant"
We have taken a bold step into a new world, advertising via banner exchange link. If a group is located that has a viable product with a good outlook, they should be approached and offered the opportunity to join a banner exchange. While this program has been approached carefully, and slowly, it has met with early successes, as we've found a good site that has honoured in good faith the agreements that have been made.
As STF does not permit outside solicitation, however, we shall have to maintain the same moral standard, and practice what we preach. If a banner exchange results in the accumulation of new members, it will only strengthen us if we maintain good relations with our exchange partners. To effect a good working relationship from initiation of contact to final determination of success, a single liaison will be appointed to each group, keeping open the lines of communication and hopefully forging new friendships. It is a universal truth that a liaison should belong to one group only, in order to represent themselves fairly, so a system will need to be put in place to ensure that decisions are made freely and without bias. Also, periodic re-evaluation will need to be performed, as well as the occasional development of new banners to catch eyes that have not yet noticed us.
This is our future; regardless of the strength of other arguments, we all tend to agree that exchanges and recruitment will become vital to STF's survival within the next five years.
Plans and Goals: "Recover the Wonder!"
In all our ideas, aspirations and competitions, we have to recognize one truth: we came to play. To quote Eric Partridge, "if it is the clearest and most natural construction, use it boldly. The angels are on our side." Not just angels, of course, but Star Trek captains, the people that play them, and all things in between.
Thank you for your consideration.
Therle