Welcome to the USS Highlander NCC 11895. The USS Highlander sim is a role playing game played via Internet E-mail. It is a cooperative story-telling effort where each participant ( player ) creates and controls one of the characters ( Player Character or PC ) in the story. The PC then interacts in the game world environment. In the case of the USS Highlander, the setting is a few hundred years in the future; the 24th century to be a little more precise. The USS Highlander is part of the Star Trek universe created by Gene Roddenberry. The current year in the sim is 2377. If you are familiar with role playing games, then you should understand the processes involved in creating a character for a game of this nature. In a traditional role playing game, there is a set of rules that govern what abilities and characteristics your character can possess. In a Sim like the USS Highlander, your character's biography replaces all of those characteristics, attributes, and dice rolls. The biography covers any of the key points in your character's life or the basics of who he or she is so that the other players can visualize and interact with your character correctly when they write their parts of the story. In a way, this simplifies the process. You won't have to read hundreds of complicated role playing manuals just to figure out how to create your character. All you need to do is put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, and let your imagination paint the picture of who you will be in the Star Trek universe on board the USS Highlander. When creating a character for the USS Highlander Sim, there are a few guidelines that you'll want to follow. First things first, check the Open Positions page for a listing of which departments currently have openings. Next, send an e-mail message to the GM. The message should cover three things: 1. You should describe a little about yourself. What is your sim/roleplaying experience. What are your likes, dislikes, interests, etc. This will give the GM an idea how to tailor elements of the stories toward your interests. 2. You should describe the character you would like to play on the USS Highlander. Your idea could be very sketchy or an elaborate biography at this stage. This information will give the GM an idea where your are headed with your character. At this point, he will be able to offer additional suggestions or point out potential trouble areas with your character concept. 3. Tell the GM which department you would like to have your character serving in. Remember to check the Open Positions page to find out if there are openings in your department of choice. This is also a good time to decide if you would like to have your character specialize in a particular aspect of a department. For example, you could have a Xeno-biologist, or a Transporter technician, or immunologist. The list is nearly endless. Also, if you would like to specialize but aren't sure what's available, the GM is an excellent resource. After receiving your message and reviewing your character concept, the GM will get back to you with his thoughts on your proposal. Once you and the GM have ironed out the specifics of the character, he'll give you the green light to create the full biography for your character. Writing a biography for a ficticious character can be a lot of fun. It gives you the opportunity to create a person from the ground up. In a sim like the Windsor, the only limitations are determined by your own imagination. One thing to keep in mind when creating your character: Could this character be a regular, featured character on Star Trek? One item of note: We are trying to keep the sim as close to Canon Star Trek as possible (ie. if you don't see it on Star Trek, it hasn't happened). The invention of new and amazing technology will be few and far between. The focus is on the characters--not the gizmos. But, that doesn't mean you should scrap that innovative, brilliant idea you have for your character. Talk to the GM first--you just never know sometimes... There are certain types of characters tend to be very popular among some groups of roleplayers and simmers. On the Windsor, we don't encourage the portrayal of these types of characters. For some of them, it is because we are trying to keep the sim true to the Star Trek vision. For others, it is because there are certain roles that should remain in the realm of the non-player characters. You will need to obtain special permission from the GM to have a character on the following list: Starfleet Intelligence ( SI ) Officers ( Former or Current )  Members of Section 31  Characters with SI contacts  Super-characters  Androids  Non-Federation races not previously listed  Former Borg ( such as Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager )  Full Borg  Changelings, Jem'Hadar, or any other member of the Domininon  Any of the Delta Quadrant species  Genetically Engineered characters  Q and Q-like beings  It is a big list, but do not let that discourage you. If you have a good idea, please let the GM know. If he likes your idea, perhaps a deal can be made... What is the USS Highlander looking for in a character? We are looking for well thought out characters that could be found on The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, or Voyager. A good character will have a detailed background that at least touches on the major aspects of the characters life--the decisions and events that led to their joining Starfleet and going to the stars. A good character will be a realistic character--the interests and goals will match where the character is in life. A good character will have room to grow as the story progresses. Your biography should use the following outline. Name: What is your character's name? Terran Age How old is your character? Height How tall is your character? Weight How much does your character weigh? Species What species is your character? (ie Vulcan, Bolian, Trill, etc.) Place of birth On what planet was your character born? Which city? Languages Spoken Which languages can your character speak? Interests What does your character enjoy doing? (ie hobbies, sports, etc. Education Where was your character educated? Don't forget about Starfleet Academy. Starfleet Service Record Where has your character served in Starfleet? (ie ships, starbases, colonies, etc.) The current year is 2375. Decorations Has your character earned any awards or medals? Background This is where you give the life history of your character. Of the entire biography, this section should be the longest. Personality Profile This section describes what your character acts like. This is an important section, as others will reference it when writing stories that involve interaction with your character. Physical Description What does your character look like? Which actor would play your character if the Highlander were a televised series? Special Notes Is there something that didn't fit in anywhere else? Go ahead and put it here. After you have written your character's biography, e-mail it to the GM so he can review it. After it has been approved, you will be all set to begin. Please make sure that all your dates add up. If your character is 24 years old, and spent 4 years at Starfleet Academy and 6 years in Starfleet Medical, that would mean your character entered the Academy at the age of 14. NOTE: You are expected to post at least one log entry per week. All new characters will be given the rank of Ensign, unless otherwise discussed. The GM will provide you with the email address for submitting your logs. Next, the GM will put a copy of your 'official' character biography on the web page so that the other players can read it. Finally, the GM will post a message to the other players announcing your arrival. From there, it is up to you to create your adventures and life in the Star Trek universe on-board the USS Highlander. You should read through all of the Crew Bios on the website to familiarize yourself with the other characters with whom you will be interacting. It is also a great way to get ideas on how to write a biography. It is a good idea to read through the last several Episode Logs to get a feel for the style, and frequency of the other players posting into the game. That way you can get familiar with the characters (stars) of the Sim, and bring yourself up to speed on the current story line. Though it's not required, it is recommended that you have access to a modern web browser. TheUSS Highlander website is the central repository for all sim information. It will serve as a valuable reference tool in your writing for the sim. On the site you will have access to the biographies of all the player and non-player characters, the logs of every episode, technical information about the ship, and everything you need to know about Star Trek and the Federation. Email the GM or AGM at Captain Connare James and Commander Inez James