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To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)

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To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest) Starfleet Ship Design Bureau, Refit ("To Boldly Go...")
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Simon_Jester said:
I'm going to be honest, I really, really hope Oneiros doesn't rewrite the combat engine. Sooner or later we're going to get into an actual war. I'm reasonably satisfied that the current combat engine is, for lack of a better term, "fair," in that we know how it works and have prepared ourselves to deal with it. If the combat engine changes, then either it'll have to change just exactly so, maintaining the balance while shifting the fulcrum it rests upon... Or it'll create unforeseen and/or counterintuitive results that cause problems for gameplay.
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I still maintain that we won't notice the differences until we see the combat logs. Or until later tech arrives, which the proposed system supposedly lays the groundwork for (again, shield burn-through %, shield regeneration).

We already know combat mechanics are getting tweaked constantly, with the latest revisions we're aware of being focused on evasion %. Before that it was attack patterns (for future tech). And way before that, it was tweaks to that 1.15 exponent, and the Biophage shuttle attack wave concept.

I suppose this is one major reason why Oneiros likes keeping the inner workings of the combat engine so close to his chest. I partially retract my argument I made a long time ago that combat RNG provides sufficient variability to allow us more visibility into how combat works while maintaining that sense of mystery.

If there is one thing I do not like about this quest, and that is a serious "if," it is the fact that the underlying mechanics of how things like research and ships work keep getting rewritten on the fly, in ways that are alarmingly likely to have unforeseen balance consequences.

At least when the rules are stable, you can predict the balance problems and compensate before they arise. When at least one major chunk of the mechanics is undergoing revision every month, not so much.
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I'm sympathetic, but I think we just have different thresholds for what is "too much change" (like what counts as a "rewrite") and the importance of very long-term predictability.
 
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Put this way.

There's a difference between making changes to a number, and making changes to a mechanic.

We know how evasion chances work- they provide a suitably evasive ship with a percentage chance to "no-sell" an attack that would otherwise damage it. That is a very straightforward, comprehensible thing. Oneiros changing the values of evasion chances for certain ships to rebalance them is not a problem- because the effects of this on game balance are easy to test, and fairly easy to predict even without playtesting. The effects are simple, apply only to the ships whose evasion stats have been altered, and can easily be "fine-tuned" to preserve balance.


That's making changes to a number.

Making ship damage proportionate to the Combat score of the firing ship? That's a change to a mechanic. The mechanic in question is "hits dealt in combat," and the change is that what it means to "get hit" is now a variable thing rather than a constant thing. This has far-reaching effects, including some that we probably won't be able to predict in advance. To preserve game balance, we would then have to go in and change those effects, the unintended side effects of the new mechanics. And we might not even know what the effects were without play-testing (i.e., if it turns out that we've made explorers dangerously overpowered in combat, this may not become obvious until years of game time have passed).
 
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2311.Q4 - The Rat Race
  • Threadmarks
    • Starfleet Personnel - Promotions Board

    2311.Q4
    Highlighted Officer's Summary

    Commissioned as Ensign
    None

    Promoted to Lieutenant
    Celnaiass Tabrin - Assigned to Point 12 Supercomputing Facility, Starfleet Intelligence
    Awa - Assigned to USS Yukikaze
    Calai Tabriec - Assigned to Berth A, San Francisco Fleet Yards

    Promoted to Lieutenant-Commander

    Solen - Assigned to Starfleet Security Command, Starfleet Tactical from USS Sappho
    Aaron Wolfe - Assigned to Orion Desk, Starfleet Intelligence Command

    Promoted to Commander
    Roberth Kenichi - Assigned to Chief Engineer, USS Enterprise-B

    Promoted to Captain

    Abigail Taggart - Assigned to USS Winterwind
    Rish ka'Lothorn - Assigned to Superintendent, Berth A, Utopia Planitia from Chief, Site Fabrication, 40 Eridani A
    Bazeck - Assigned to Chief, MARA Framework Office, Warp Core Fabrication Division from Chief Engineer, USS Enterprise-B

    Promoted to Commodore
    Constance Lecras - Assigned to Deputy Chief of Staff, Starfleet Operations Command from USS Thirishar
    Tomas Meyer - Assigned to Chief of Staff, Explorer Corps from Director - Personnel

    Promoted to Rear Admiral
    Rachel Ainsworth - Assigned to Commander, Starbase 7
    Maynard Banks - Assigned to Director, San Francisco Fleet Yards

    Promoted to Vice Admiral
    Shey ch'Tharvasse - Assigned to Chief of Staff, Starfleet Command

    Retirements
    Admiral Kahurangi - Commander, Starfleet
    Rear Admiral Gellond Choss - Director, San Francisco Fleet Yards

    Key Reassignments

    Captain T'Leea - Commanding, USS Salnas, from Commanding, USS Winterwind
    Commodore Victoria Eaton - Amarkia Sector Command from Data Modelling, Ship Design
    Commodore T'Lam - Rigel Sector Command from Chief of Staff, Starfleet Intelligence Command
    Rear Admiral Laura Mendoza - Assigned to Deputy Chief of Staff, Starfleet Command from Chief of Staff, Starfleet Operations
    Captain Maryam Ajam - Assigned to USS Docana
    Commander Anne Usha - Assigned to Assistant Chief, Naval Architecture Office from Chief, Future Design Trends Department, Naval Architecture Office
    Ensign Tiberius Kahurangi - Assigned to USS Enterprise-B

    Changes to Explorer Panel of Captains
    Out: Langa Mbeki (pending inquiry)
    In: Maryam Ajam (appointed), Vol Chad (appointed)

    Placed on Sabbatical/Convalescent Leave
    -




    ===============

    Member World Coordination Office

    Commenced:
    Vulcan - 1 Miranda-A Refit
    Tellar - 1 Miranda-A Refit
    Earth - 2 Miranda-A Refits

    Commissioned:
    -

    Repaired:
    -

    ===============

    Starfleet Judge Advocate General Corps - Disciplinary Notice

    Boards of Inquiry are being established into the following incidents:
    The Loss of the USS Lion to Spatial Anomalies
    The Disablement of the USS Kearsage in orbit around New Rigel
    The Loss of the USS Miracht to Unknown Forces

    Captain Min-Jee Lee and Captain Langa Mbeki will both be subject to Courts-Martial procedures presided over by Commodore T'Maris. However, in both circumstances, it is the considered opinion of most observers that the Captains involved will be cleared of negligence.
     
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    • Is it bad that I read Anne Usha's position as "Assistant CHEF" at first? Knowing how she and Kuznetsova work, I'm not sure there's a difference...

    Also, Abby Taggart has been given a Centaur-A and is no longer serving aboard the Broship.

    And... whoa. Bazeck has been prosidewaysmoted into Eddie Leslie's department. Now I need to figure out what to do with him. Good thing Leslie gets along well with Tellarites.
     
    OneirosTheWriter said:
    Promoted to Lieutenant-Commander

    Solen - Assigned to Starfleet Security Command, Starfleet Tactical from USS Sappho
    Aaron Wolfe - Assigned to Orion Desk, Starfleet Intelligence Command
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    Put behind a desk where he can't walk endlessly? How will Wolfe cope?!

    Promoted to Rear Admiral
    Rachel Ainsworth - Assigned to Commander, Starbase 7
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    Awww, Ainsworth managed to make Rear Admiral even though we never pick her for anything because of all the militarization points she brings. Still, this is probably as far as she'll get unless we actually start choosing her for promotions.

    Retirements
    Admiral Kahurangi - Commander, Starfleet
    Rear Admiral Gellond Choss - Director, San Francisco Fleet Yards
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    Goodbye Gellond, sorry we never picked you for anything.

    Key Reassignments

    Captain T'Leea - Commanding, USS Salnas, from Commanding, USS Winterwind
    Commodore Victoria Eaton - Amarkia Sector Command from Data Modelling, Ship Design
    Commodore T'Lam - Rigel Sector Command from Chief of Staff, Starfleet Intelligence Command
    Rear Admiral Laura Mendoza - Assigned to Deputy Chief of Staff, Starfleet Command from Chief of Staff, Starfleet Operations
    Captain Maryam Ajam - Assigned to USS Docana
    Commander Anne Usha - Assigned to Assistant Chief, Naval Architecture Office from Chief, Future Design Trends Department, Naval Architecture Office
    Ensign Tiberius Kahurangi - Assigned to USS Enterprise-B
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    Well, at least Maryam got a ship assignment out of being passed over for Commodore, even if it's a Constellation. And she's back on the Explorer Panel as well!

    Changes to Explorer Panel of Captains
    Out: Langa Mbeki (pending inquiry)
    In: Maryam Ajam (appointed), Vol Chad (appointed)
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    Vol Chad, huh? Looking forward to seeing who that dashing person is.

    Member World Coordination Office

    Commenced:
    Vulcan - 1 Miranda-A Refit
    Tellar - 1 Miranda-A Refit
    Earth - 2 Miranda-A Refits
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    Now that we opened it up, everyone wants to refit their Mirandas.
     
    Simon_Jester said:
    And... whoa. Bazeck has been prosidewaysmoted into Eddie Leslie's department. Now I need to figure out what to do with him. Good thing Leslie gets along well with Tellarites.
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    I wonder if this means that he and Stol finally finished the Project Car prototype shuttle design they were tinkering with on Enterprise?
     
    A comment for those wanting the next Explorer to use Miracht crew and instantly become Blooded - there will be several years before the next Explorer is awaiting working up crew, I believe, and in that time those crew are going be scattered across the Federation. Some are going to retire/die from something. Some are going to get married/spawn and request ground-side positions. Some are going to discover their love of tiny Oberth quarters and request transfer to cloak monitoring in the RMZ etc. They are going to have promotions and role changes.

    I would be honestly surprised if they can even half the crew back together, and most of those will now be the senior people on the ship, not the regular positions.
     
    OneirosTheWriter said:
    Retirements
    Admiral Kahurangi - Commander, Starfleet
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    o7

    I hope someone has an omake lined up to note her amazing accomplishments to the Federation.

    Captain Maryam Ajam - Assigned to USS Docana
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    In: Maryam Ajam (appointed), Vol Chad (appointed)
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    I'm now glad we didn't choose her for sector commander, since she now has a chance to continue being a FYM captain again :)

    Ensign Tiberius Kahurangi - Assigned to USS Enterprise-B
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    Interesting... A promising start for the young Kahurangi.

    Starfleet Judge Advocate General Corps - Disciplinary Notice

    Boards of Inquiry are being established into the following incidents:
    The Loss of the USS Lion to Spatial Anomalies
    The Disablement of the USS Kearsage in orbit around New Rigel
    The Loss of the USS Miracht to Unknown Forces

    Captain Min-Jee Lee and Captain Langa Mbeki will both be subject to Courts-Martial procedures presided over by Commodore T'Maris. However, in both circumstances, it is the considered opinion of most observers that the Captains involved will be cleared of negligence.
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    Next judicial year will be busy, and something Kahurangi is no longer on the hook for.

    Briefvoice said:
    Goodbye Gellond, sorry we never picked you for anything.
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    From my searches, I think the only time he was up for a vote was back in 2302 for the Shipyard Ops head position, which Sousa won.

    Goat said:
    A comment for those wanting the next Explorer to use Miracht crew and instantly become Blooded - there will be several years before the next Explorer is awaiting working up crew, I believe, and in that time those crew are going be scattered across the Federation. Some are going to retire/die from something. Some are going to get married/spawn and request ground-side positions. Some are going to discover their love of tiny Oberth quarters and request transfer to cloak monitoring in the RMZ etc. They are going to have promotions and role changes.

    I would be honestly surprised if they can even half the crew back together, and most of those will now be the senior people on the ship, not the regular positions.
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    Nope, we're almost surely going to make the 2312.Q1 Excelsior crewing be an EC crewing, and so the Miracht crew are the obvious candidate to assign to that. The year between crewing and launch is not just something on paper - the crew are actively preparing and helping with the launch.
     
    Goat said:
    A comment for those wanting the next Explorer to use Miracht crew and instantly become Blooded - there will be several years before the next Explorer is awaiting working up crew, I believe,
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    No, we have an Excelsior crewing up Q1 every single year. There's an unnamed one that will be crewing up right now (Q1 2312) in fact. Don't know where you're getting "several years" from. And it's what crew we put on them that determines if they're an Explorer Corps ship.
     
    Goat said:
    A comment for those wanting the next Explorer to use Miracht crew and instantly become Blooded - there will be several years before the next Explorer is awaiting working up crew, I believe, and in that time those crew are going be scattered across the Federation. Some are going to retire/die from something. Some are going to get married/spawn and request ground-side positions. Some are going to discover their love of tiny Oberth quarters and request transfer to cloak monitoring in the RMZ etc. They are going to have promotions and role changes.

    I would be honestly surprised if they can even half the crew back together, and most of those will now be the senior people on the ship, not the regular positions.
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    Nope. We have one getting crews assigned this upcoming quarter.
     
    Briefvoice said:
    Put behind a desk where he can't walk endlessly? How will Wolfe cope?!
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    Treadmill desk?
    Briefvoice said:
    Awww, Ainsworth managed to make Rear Admiral even though we never pick her for anything because of all the militarization points she brings. Still, this is probably as far as she'll get unless we actually start choosing her for promotions.
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    Twenty years later...
    Briefvoice said:
    How did Ainsworth manage to become Admiral without us ever promoting her?
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    Fare thee well, Vitalia, wherever thy travels take thee.


    And hopefully Sulu won't begrudge you too much all the shit you left him to deal with from the gate o_O
     
    2311.Q4 - Admiral Vitalia Yukiko Kahurangi- A Satisfied Mind
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    • Admiral Vitalia Yukiko Kahurangi
    Born: Auckland, New Zealand, 25 April 2239
    Academy Campus: San Francisco

    2256 - Entered Academy
    2260 - Graduated 1st in Class, Commissioned as Ensign, Assigned to USS Lexington
    2262 - Promoted to Lieutenant, JG
    2264 - Promoted to Lieutenant
    2267 - Wounded aboard USS Lexington during Test of M5 Computer
    2269 - Promoted to Lieutenant-Commander, Assigned to USS Hood
    2273 - Assigned to Starfleet Operations Command
    2274 - Promoted to Commander, Assigned to USS Miranda
    2278 - Assigned to USS Lexington
    2279 - Promoted to Captain, Assigned to CO, USS Steadfast
    2283 - Assigned to USS Potemkin
    2285 - Promoted to Commodore, Assigned to Sol Sector Command
    2287 - Assigned to Chief of Staff, Starfleet Operations Command
    2290 - Promoted to Rear Admiral, Assigned to Director, Starfleet Operations Command
    2293 - Assigned to Chief of Staff, Starfleet Command
    2295 - Promoted to Vice Admiral, Assigned to Starfleet Tactical Command
    2298 - Takes Sabbatical
    2301 - Returns from Sabbaitcal, Promoted to Admiral, Assigned Commander, Starfleet
    2303 - Manages Biophage Crisis Successfully
    2306 - Oversees Incorporation of Amarki
    2308 - Oversees Incorporation of Betazed
    2310 - Oversees Incorporation of Caitians
    2310 - Manages Kadak-Tor Crisis Successfully
    2311 - Oversees Incorporation of Rigel
    2311 - Retired

    ================================

    You review your last report as the graveyard shift begins to shuffle into the halls of Starfleet Headquarters. You've already laid aside your crimson jacket, and are wearing civilian clothes. New Years will toll in a few hours. You take a moment to reflect on a fifty-one year career in Starfleet, on the highs and lows. The mishaps, the mistakes, the triumphs, the glories. You've seen them all. You've saved men and women under your command, and you've sent them to their deaths. You've broken new ground, helped forge new worlds.

    You've been the first head of Starfleet to realise the dream of expanding the Federation. Well, you did your part in it, at least. You've overseen the design and development of a new starship class. You've met existential crisis head-on, and triumphed. You've known stresses and pressures that all but the tiniest sliver of the population will never understand, and come through unbowed. Only the miracle of modern medical technology has kept your hair in-place, and your health in check, of that much you are sure.

    Your name is a household name to billions of sentient beings across the Federation. Perhaps that should not be so, but it is the case anyway. You've interacted with heroes of the Federation. You've seen relations with old enemies forged anew. You've seen the dawn of a golden age crest over the polity you love more than life itself.

    Most importantly, you are passing on your beloved Starfleet in a stronger place than where you found it. Oh, it still has it's problems by the bushel. It always will. But you have twice as many explorers, twice as much shipyard capacity, twice as many members, twice the resources, twice the crew.

    'Well done, my good and faithful servant,' the old scriptures say, and you feel that down to your bones. You have seen and accomplished so much. And now it is time to pass on the baton.

    You lay down your last report. You pick up and finish your last Starfleet coffee at your desk. You stand and go out into your lobby.

    A full constellation of senior officers are waiting for you. Hikaru Sulu, Valentina Sousa, your old friend Patricia Chen, Leonard McCoy, Heidi Eriksson. To your eternal shock, President sh'Arrath has joined the others, with Councillors Langford, Singh, and Stesk. Commodore ka'Sharren is there, and Michel Thuir, and many others whom you have interacted with.

    Warm applause ripples through those present, and you afford yourself a smile. When the door closes behind you, it closes on the longest chapter of your life, and you leave it behind you with a satisfied mind.

     
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