ESF Explanation File 

This file is designed to explain most of the abbreviations commonly used in
 ESF.

Abbreviations:
 ESF : Email StarFleet. This is the name for the whole game, and will be
  mostly used in reference to matters of fleet-wide importance. 

 CinC: Commander in Chief, a title usually held by officers commanding 
  one of ESF's major divisions or one of ESF's seven numbered fleets.

 Base and Ship Types
  SB : StarBase
  CV : Runabout Carrier
  BB : Battleship*
  BC : Battle Cruiser*
  CA : Heavy Cruiser*
  CL : Light Cruiser*
  DD : Destroyer*
  FG : Frigate*
  FFG : Fast Frigate*
  CR : Corvette*
  LHA : Amphibious Assualt Vessel
  TV : Transport Vessel

 * Combatant Ships, mostly classified based upon speed, size, and weaponry.
   These all vary, and all are a factor. For instance, the LOS ANGELES class
   is classified as a Heavy Cruiser, while it is smaller than the GALAXY
   class, a Light Cruiser. The difference is the LOS ANGELES's heavier 
   weaponry. Also, take the CONNERY and COOK classes. They are very similar,
   but one has more speed, and is classified as a fast frigate, while the 
   other is classified as a frigate. This is based upon the fact that speed 
   is an attribute generally associated with smaller vessels.

 SD : StarDate
   StarDates are a standardized dating system used by StarFleet, based for 
   convenience upon standard Earth time. The first two digits of the six 
   digit date-code is the last two digits of the Terran year. The middle two
   are the month, and the last two are the day. Often, these are used with
   military-style 24-hour time references for greater clarity.

   For example, 5:15 AM on June 21, 2473 (a date that is far in the 
   future in ESF time, but useful for example) is written as 0515 hours, SD
   730621.

 RP Units:
  Known as RolePlay units, these are the groups into which most Player 
  Characters are placed for administrative and gaming purposes. Usually,
  characters in different RP units have little or no interaction with
  each other. The following abbreviations are to be used to identify RP units
  at the beginning of the subject line of all messages pertaining to them.

  SFA : StarFleet Academy
  SFA HD # : StarFleet Academy HoloDeck #. SFA's HoloDecks are used for the 
     Cadet Exams, a training course in the intricacies of ESF. All new 
     players are required to play their first character through the Exams.
  SB LoneStar: Located in the Polaris System, LoneStar is one of StarFleet's
     most pivotal installations, and serves as the administrative center
     for StarFleet Command. Most of the Admirals keep offices there, most
     notably Fleet Admiral Kaktoviik. It is also the base of Fifth Fleet.
  SB Last Frontier: This is StarFleet's first permanent outpost in the 
     Delta Quadrant, located at the mouth of a wormhole from the Wolf 359 
     battlefield in interstellar space. Equipped with a phasecloak, it is
     the base for Seventh Fleet.
  USS LOS ANGELES: The first active starship, the LOS ANGELES is assigned 
     to Seventh Fleet.
  USS WILLIAM WALLACE: The second active starship, the WALLACE is a 
     STENNIS-class fighter carrier assigned to Fifth Fleet.
  USS FELICITY KING: The third active starship, the KING is a PASTEUR-class
     medical ship assigned to Fifth Fleet.

 Message Types:
  NRPG: Non-RolePlay message. These are often of an administrative nature.
     Usually, a section at the end of a message is used as an NRPG, so the
     player can comment on the message or other occurrences.
  RPG: Role Play message. The bulk of ESF messages fall into this category, 
     and this is where the action takes place. These should be written in
     novel style, third person past tense.
  Roster: As it sounds, a roster of a ship, numbered fleet, or all of ESF.
  Orders: These are sent by the Admiralty to the RP Units themselves at 
     various times. Often, the command officers will recieve one version, 
     while staff officers will recieve a more vague version. This is done
     when the orders include sensitive or classified information.