RSR Academy Guide to The Basics of SIMming

This guide is an adaptation of the Standard UCIP Academy Basic SIMguide. It has been tailored for the use of players who are going to take on the personality of a Rihannsu Character, and live out their Character life within the Rihannsu Star Republic. This work is in no way meant to infringe upon the copyright held on the UCIP Academy Basic SIMguide. Rather this version was meant to supplement the original, and add to the growing universe of the UCIP Organization.

Contents
1. Introduction to SIMming
2. Abbreviations for RSR Posts and Ranks
3. The Start of a SIM
4. Stardates
5. SIM Language
6. How to Post Logs to the Ship
7. What is expected in an Email SIM?
8. The Protocol of Logs
9. Regarding Technobabble
10. Final Note

1. Introduction to SIMming

First, you'll need to understand the basic concepts of SIMming. SIMming can be summed up as the "let's pretend" games that you played as a kid. You take on the personality of a character of your own creation, and react to what's happening in the game according to the abilities and personality of your character. If you've ever played a table-top Role-Playing Game, then you already have a pretty good idea of what playing a SIM is like. SIMs over the internet are conducted in one of two ways: "Live SIMs" and "Email SIMs". Players should familiarize themselves with both methods as a "Live Simmer" will often write a Personal Log, which allows for greater character development and the "Email SIMmer" will often participate in "Joint Logs" that are conducted in real time.

"Live SIMs", are typically run for an hour once a week, and are commonly conducted over IRC. There is a whole section devoted to the use of IRC in the UCIP basic SIMguide, so please take the time and look that over.....especially if you'll be playing a game that mostly utilizes IRC as the medium of the game.

However, there are some people (like myself) that found that IRC is not compatible with their ISP (internet service provider) -- AOL is funny that way-- so the RSR also utilizes the use of AIM (AOL instant messenger) to conduct live SIMs, joint logs, and to keep in contact with each other OOC (Out Of Character). AIM can be downloaded for free by going to http://www.aol.com and looking for the links to the instant messenger.

For those players that can not download either IRC, or the AIM (WebTV users, for instance, can not perform downloads) the RSR has set up a "club page" which has a Web-based chat room available to the club's members, for the purpose of live SIMs. You'll have to sign up at the club's homepage in order to use the chat-room (it's free!), and can be found at http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/uciprsrbase

Email is the second method. In an Email SIM, a player writes one or more logs a week, and posts them over the SIM's mailing list. The posting will then show up in the mailbox of all the players of that SIM. Email logs are typically written in a narrative format.....it reads like a part of a short story, or chapter of a novel. Email SIMs also utilize the format of live SIMs, especially for Joint Logs. Joint Logs are when two or more players within the SIM get together and roleplay a particular scene of the ongoing plot. Email logs can also incorporate both of these techniques; the "narrative" and "Live SIM" formats, into a single log.

Now in SIMming, The Leih (or CO in Federation terms) will give you a "Mission Briefing", and that should outline the basic plot for the SIM. Small twists and turns are usually entered in by the participants in the game. Remember though, that SIMs can be very short, and very boring if a AmS officer (TAC in Federation terms) simply manages to "miraculously" destroy all the ships your ship was fighting. Winning instantly will never be fun, but losing consistently won't be either. As you gain experience, the difference in how to act will become apparent to you. Adding little subplots or problems during the SIM is encouraged, and keeps monotony and boredom out of the SIM, but remember to keep such things small....don't suddenly bring in the BORG or the Jem'Hadar.... such "big" things are left upto the Leih. If you are in doubt of whether or not what you have planned will distract from the Leih's main plot, or if you are unclear as to what you should do within the plot, write up an email, or catch the officer online and ask for clarity. That's what your Leih and RS are there for.

Remember too, that SIMming is always IC (in character). The Rihannsu are an extremely Honorable species, and are Respectful to their superiors, as well as their fellow officers....even if the characters distrust each other, or don't like each other very much. To conduct yourself with Honor is the goal of each Rihannsu. Remember too, that in the Rihannsu society, to cause another to "lose face", especially a superior, is indeed a grave matter. Your character could very well be killed for his or her rude behavior. Also remember, that whatever you type is indeed very real for your character. If you say your character was shot at point-blank range with a disruptor....then your character is dead. There are no "stun" settings on a disruptor!

2. Abbreviations for RSR Posts and Ranks.

Now, don't be put off by all the fancy words. :-) Just look them over, and become familiar with them. The most important ones to know, will of course be "Leih"....as that is the CO of the game, and the RS, as that is the XO. All the others will come in time. And, on many occasions, we still use the standard SF terms for simplicity's sake. :D
SF post and abrv. Rihannsu Post and abrv.
Commanding Officer (CO) Leih (L)
Executive Officer (XO) Rhaetelh'Saehne (RS)
Tactical Officer (TAC) Amnei'Saehne (AmS)
Security Officer (SEC) Dheno'Saehne (DS)
Helm Gonaiih'Saehne (GS)
Science Officer (SCI) Afwe'Saehne (AfS)
Engineering Officer (Eng) Paectum'Saehne (PS)
Medical Officer (Med) Hiifvehi'Saehne (HS)
OPS Ifvhelhr'Saehne (IS)
*COM (Communications) Khhae'Saehne (KS)
*Political Officer (PO) Nraehhi'Saehne (NS)
*Diplomatic Advisor Kiith'Auethnen (KA)
*Marine Commander (for Naval Ships) Gekha'leih (GL)
*Naval Advisor (for Non-Naval Ships) Galae'Auethnen (GA)
*Flight Commander (for all Military Branches) Aevr'leih (AL)
*Flight Techs (for all Military Branches) Aevr'iahwil (AI)
*Naval Intelligence Advisor Tal'Diann'Dohyrl (TD)
*These positions are unique to the RSR.

There is a brief run-down of the posts listed on the "Military of the Republic" page, located in the RSR SIM guide. So we won't go into them all right now. Just read what is on the web site, and pay particular attention to the Leih and RS sections.....and whatever post that you'll be assigned to, as you'll need to know what to do in your post. :-)

Now, there are three different ranking structures within the RSR. The Galae, the Tal`Shiar, and the Rei`Krannsu.

Galae ranks:
Rihan terms SF equivalents and translations
Farein Cadet
Erien Crewman (Ensign)
erie'Arrain Sub-Centurion (Lt.jg.)
Arrain Centurion (Lt.)
Enarrain Highest Centurion (LtCmdr)
erie'Riov Sub-Commander (Cmdr)
Riov Commander (Capt)
Ael'Riov Wing Commander (FCapt)
Vaek'Riov High Commander (Como)
Khre'Riov Commander-General (RAdm)
Enriov Highest of Commanders (VAdm)
Galae'Enriov Highest Fleet Commander (Adm)

Tal`Shiar ranks:
erie'Eredh Private
Eredh Corporal
EnEredh Sergeant
erie'Arrain 2nd Lt.
Arrain 1st Lt.
Enarrain Capt
erie'Aendah Lt. Major
Aendah Major
erie'Ssiebb Lt. Colonel
Ssiebb Colonel
erie`Khrein Lt. General
Khrein General

Rei'Krannsu
Farien (F) Recruit (cdt)
Eredh (E) Trainee (ens)
Erien (En) Soldier (ltjg)
erie'Arrain (Era) Sub-centurion (lt)
Arrain (A) Centurion (lt cmdr)
erie'Riov (Erv) Sub-Commander (Cmdr)
Riov Commander (Capt)
Enarrain Highest of Soldiers (FCapt)
EnRiov Highest of Commanders (Gen)

3. The Start of the SIM

For a live action SIM, it is typical for the beginning of the SIM to be called by the Leih with the simple message: BEGIN SIM. This is your cue that you should be "in persona" as it were, and to begin playing the game. In some SIMs, the RS will type "Vaed'Rae" before this, and you will respond with ::hhrau`vaed'rae:: this indicates that you are standing at attention. Once you are at attention, you must not speak or move unless you have a significant game-related question. Listen closely to what the Leih is going to say, as he will give you the mission briefing. Once the Leih has typed BEGIN SIM, you are considered at your post, or at your current assignment, and are on duty.

In Email SIMming, the Leih (or the RS in the event that the Leih is absent) will start the direction in which the SIM will ultimately head. If there is a particular plan for the SIM the Leih will cause the event to occur in the first log for the SIM. The Leih's first log of the week will often point the way as to the direction that the SIM will take. He may (or may not) give your character specific duties to perform, in which case you will describe your performance of said duties in your log that follows. If you have been given no specific assignments, then you are free to write a personal log for that week; write a duty log in which you man your post in the day-to-day affairs of the ship; or a combination of both. Pay attention to all logs that follow the Leih's, as sometimes another character will interact with yours, and you may be requested to perform an action through them. When this happens, remember to mention that you are doing such errands, or how you fulfilled the task, as this will move the plot forward.

Here are the Ten Rules for Email SIMming, as found in the UCIP basic SIMguide:

While intended mainly for the Email SIMmers, these rules can be applied to IRC as well.
1. Creativity is key, creative logs give life to your character.
2. Pay attention to detail. Keep up with what others write in their logs....it just might effect your character.
3. Be flexible, when you're SIMming anything can happen.
4. Remember the Golden Rule, treat others in your logs the way you want to be treated in theirs....with respect.
5. For every action there is a reaction. If you put a phaser to your head and fire, chances are you're dead. Don't do dumb stuff.
6. Words are powerful, use them carefully, and write so others understand what you're doing.
7. Communicate; talk out of character (OOC) with other crew members in email. It builds cohesion and can add to creativity.
8. Stay involved, you can't always be the center of attention, but that doesn't mean your character can't do anything. It is a big ship.
9. Develop your character. Make sure you use traits about your character in your logs. Don't just write a BIO and then play your character completely different.
10. Be consistent, that way others know what to expect of you. Over time it can be like ESP.

4. Stardates:

Live SIMs and Email SIMs in both the UCIP and the RSR use the same standards for stardates for it's SIMs. This format is simple to learn, but looks impressive and very 'Star Trek' ;) Stardates are written as 24YYMM.DD

So, to convert Real Life Dates to Stardates would be this:
RL Dates Stardates

February 16, 1999 239902.16
March 21, 1999 239903.21
April 5, 2000 240004.5
July 23, 2000 240007.23
January 1, 2007 240701.01

Don't be dismayed if you see that the "century year" (ie, the '24' in the very beginning) has been dropped entirely. Some ships within the Org will do this, and the "century year" is considered to be 'understood'.

5. SIM language

Now, in the RSR we do use the Rihannsu Language to give our SIMs a flavor of reality. However, this is not the Language we are referring to when we say "SIM Language". The Language we are referring to here, is the language that is found in a live action or joint log. If you are using IRC, it is strongly suggested that you read over the UCIP Basic SIMguide, as that guide will explain some of the commands that are used with the IRC program. Since the RSR utilizes AIM and web-chat, we will focus on this instead.

In Live SIMs and Joint Logs, statements by your character, (ie, speaking out loud) is typed like this:

tr'Vedek> Run a scan of the planet below.
tr'Bohlr> Ie, Rekkhai

Actions and personal thoughts by your character are typed within a double set of colons, like this:

t'Koval> ::wonders why the prisoner is groaning::
t'Koval> ::thinks: what's he up to?::
tr'Hvid> ::salutes and waits for acknowledgement::

Remember, you shouldn't type your character's name within the action statement. This would be wrong:
t'Koval> ::Koval draws her disruptor::
this is the correct way:
t'Koval> ::draws her disruptor::

Also, be careful not to put the double set of colons around a non-action or non-personal thought. For instance, this is incorrect:

tr'Vedek> How long till we dock at the base?
tr'Hevid> ::ETA is five minutes, Rekkhai::

tr'Hevid's reply above is a Statement....not an action or a personal thought. Therefore it should read thusly:
tr'Hevid> ETA is 5 minutes, Rekkhai.

For those who are telepathic, a rare and almost never seen ability with the Rihannsu unless they are bonded as mates, but hey! We're going to cover it! ;) would be typed as this:

t'Ruhl> {{ Jolan'tru e'lev}}
tr'Stoval> {{Good morning, my love}}

If you are communicating with other characters not in the same room as your character, you would use +taps+. Example:

tr'Vedek> +taps+ Engineering! I need those weapons online now!
tr'Stoval> +taps+ Ie, Rekkhai! They're good to go!

For out-of-ship communications (to another planet, ship or away team) you would use +com+

tr'Vedek> +com+ Away team, report.
t'Ruhl> +com+ Still haven't picked up anything with the scans, Rekkhai. They may be trapped and their signal hidden.

If you are communicating with members of a shock unit, which is using 'in house' equipment that can only be picked up by other members of the team, you would use +ip+ (for interpersonal or person to person only communications) Example:

tr'Stoval> +pc+ Striker one to Dogma, in position now rekkhai.
tr'Vedek> +pc+ Ie, on my count, take out the guards on the far wall.

The ACTION command is a statement, and is used ONLY by the Leih during a SIM. In the event that the Leih is absent, the RS may use this command. If you need to use the action command to make something happen, you must request this of your Leih, and they will perform the action or not as they see fit. The action command is frequently seen as this:

tr'Vedek> ACTION>::sensor readings indicate the approach of a Jem'Hadar vessel::

Remember, your character must report all findings derived from the Action Statement to the Leih IC (in character). For example....if your character was manning the long-range sensors, and you saw the Action statement above....your character should immediately tell the Leih that the Jem'Hadar is in the vicinity. Remember, what the Leih hasn't directly seen or heard, the Leih doesn't know. The crew are the eyes and ears of the Leih, and it is their duty to keep the Leih informed.

Ship Location Lingo: For Live SIMs -- If you are not on the Oria, you will need to indicate where you are by putting an abbreviation of the room in front of everything you say.
Location Abbreviation
Away Team AT (sometimes the Leih will designate something different)
GD Battle Bridge (or Gunnery Deck)
E Engineering
M Medical
HD Holodeck
Q Quarters
S Main Security
SB Shuttle Bay
FB Fighter Bay (Some ships do not have a shuttle bay)
TR Transporter Room
TL Turbolift
* Unspecified hall or corridor
Using these location indicators cuts down on the confusion during a SIM. The Leih may designate alternate abbreviations for other locations as well. If he does, he will let you know.

Email SIMs -- These are used at the top of your log. Example:
~~~~~In Engineering~~~~~~
the log goes here.....

Now, this next bit is used mostly in Live SIMs and not Email SIMs, but they may show up from time to time, so it's a good idea to know what they mean. Besides.....it looks kewl! ;D

Disruptor Pistol / Rifle symbol for firing: t'Koval> ::fires disruptor:: ---------->

AmS (Tactical) ONLY:
Ship Disruptor symbol for firing:
tr'Dohryl> ::fires ship disruptors:: =========>>

Plasma / Quantum Torpedo symbol for firing:
tr'Dohryl> ::fires torps:: =*=*=*=*=*=*=>>

OOC Comments:
These are comments that are made outside of the SIM by the RL (real-life) person behind the Character. They are always surrounded by sets of double <<...>>. The OOC comments are used for Clarifications of what is going on within the SIM itself. Example:

tr'Vedek> What are the results of the scans?
t'Koval> <>
tr'Vedek> <>

Remember, be considerate of your fellow players, and keep the OOC comments to game-related issues for clarification purposes. To use the OOC comments for other purposes within the SIM will distract and confuse others from what is happening in the game.

In an Email log, the OOC comments can be written either before the actual log itself, or at the End of the log. They are often used to clarify something that was misunderstood in a previous log, or someone else's log. You may also use them to comment on what's going on, mention that it is a joint log and thank the participating players, or add suggestions or information for other players to play with. Another excellent...and important!....use for OOC comments within the Email log, is to let others know that you will be out of town for a period of time; or to explain why your log is late.

Remember, ALWAYS keep your Leih informed of such matters as going out of town, computer problems, or other RL (real-life) issues that may cause you to miss SIMs and / or logging!! If you are silent for too long without an explanation as to why, you may very well find yourself dropped from the roster as someone who has retired from play!

Messaging Behind The Scenes:
Live SIMs -- This differs from the OOC messaging above, in that BTS (behind the scenes) messaging is private, and can not be seen by anyone else other than the person you are messaging....which in effect, keeps the element of surprise within the SIM :) To send a BTS message with AIM or webchat, all you do, is click on the name of the person you are sending the BTS to. A separate screen will pop up, and you will use this to send the BTS. The receiver will be the only person to see your message.

Both the Leih and the RS have a lot of work to do with keeping track of everything IC and OOC during a game. If you are a AmS (Tactical) or IS (Operations) officer and you wish to bring in a potentially plot-skewing object or person into the SIM, you NEED to ask the Leih first if it will be allowed. If you have a question about what you should be doing, or a question about what the Leih or RS just said, it's better to message the RS, NOT the Leih....as the Leih already has too much to do! The Leih has probably already informed the RS regarding his plans for the SIM, so the RS will be able to help you in these matters. The more BTS (behind the scenes) messaging is used, the smoother and more fun the SIM will be for all.

Email SIMs -- The crew should always feel free to send any questions by email to the Leih, or in his absence, the RS. You will have to wait for the return mail, of course, but usually (barring any RL or technical difficulties) the Leih will respond to your question within 24 to 48 hours. If you are unsure as to whether something will be allowed, but it seems to be within reason, then include it anyway. If the Leih does not agree with a particular point, the Leih will correct the matter either in a log of their own, or in an OOC mailing. Remember, what is acceptable and what is not, all comes down to common sense. You'll get the idea of what's expected after you've Simmed for a few weeks. :)

6. How to Post logs to the Ship:

You post logs as the Leih instructs. The Email ships in the RSR use a mailing list. Ask your Leih for details on this.

Subject Lines for your email posts:
The standard format is: [your ship's name] Stardate, Your Post, Your Character Rank & Name. Examples:

[Hama] 240004.23, Operations Officer, Erien Stelok tr'Hevid
[S'Task] 240010.03, Security Officer, Arrain Rihan tr'Koval

Remember: The ship's name in [..] is usually the name of the mailing list. As such, it is not necessary to actually type this in your subject line as the "list-bot" will automatically insert it for you. So what you would ACTUALLY type would look like this:

240004.23, Operations Officer, Erien Stelok tr'Hevid
240010.03, Security Officer, Arrain Rihan tr'Koval

And yes...just for simplicity's sake, *please* use the English term for your post in the Subject line! We sometimes have Federation members on our SIM, and not everyone is going to understand what a Dheno'Saehne is from the get-go. ;D

7. What is expected in an Email SIM?

Typically you are expected to write one *quality* log each week. While the standards for what is deemed a quality log will differ from ship to ship, it is generally a log in which you either add to the current SIM plot that is going on within the ship; or to show something about the character you are portraying....his thoughts and feelings about things, or a glimpse into his past or personal life. A quality log isn't so much about the length of the log, but about the content of it. However, do not think that this means you can get away with writing only a short paragraph for your log! Quality logs will typically have at least *some* kind of development in them, whether plot or personal, and are at least two paragraphs in length...if not longer. :)

Many doubt their abilities to write a log, simply because they haven't tried this type of writing before. It's not as difficult as you may believe, and once you've done it a few times, you'll be surprised at just how easy it is to do. :) If you are ever uncomfortable with your log, or are not sure that it's sufficient, send it personally to your Leih, (or the RS, if the Leih is absent) with the question, "How is this? Is there anything wrong with it?" The Leih will usually respond to you within 24-48 hours. In most cases, the log you sent will be fine, and the Leih will tell you to post it. He may also give you suggestions, tell you what you might want to change, add or delete to your log. And if you're ever confused about what you can write about...the Leih will in all likelihood point you in the right direction by giving you a suggestion about what your character could be doing. Don't be shy in asking the Leih questions. The Leih is there to guide you, and to make sure that you have a good time while SIMming.

The two types of email logs:
Duty logs: Logs in which a person posts what their character is doing in his/her job. Remember that duty always comes first, but it doesn't mean that your character can't have time for fun.

Personal logs: This is when a person posts his feelings, off duty recollections of what happened to that person personally, or a glimpse into the personal, or family life of the character.

Both of these, the Duty and the Personal logs can be incorporated together into one log if you want to do this. The other type of log is a joint log, in which two or more characters get together in a chat-environment, and do a live SIM. Each of the participants (if they actively contributed to the dialogue / story within the joint log) will get credit for the log.

When you are on the mailing list, pay attention to how the others write their logs. You can learn a lot from all the different examples.

8. The Protocol of Logs

Remember that you are playing a Rihannsu character. The Rihannsu are a very duty-bound and Honorable species. You will be required to carry out your orders after having received them. If you receive an order from a superior officer or receive a task from a fellow officer in an email, then you should do so immediately in your own log. Example: tr'Dohryl, the AmS (Tactical) Officer has written this in his log:
tr'Dohryl> ::arms ship's weapons systems:: Rekkhai, weapons are offline!
tr'Vedek> Gonaiih! Evasive maneuver Oi-thi-ni, hnah!

This is assuming that you are the Gonaiih...or Helm ;) Even though you received this order from tr'Dohryl's log, and not directly from the Leih (tr'Vedek), you should still carry out the order as it will move the plot along.....and in this instance, help keep your ship from being fired upon! ;)

Remember, if the Leih believes that an order that was given by another player in his name is unreasonable, the Leih will order a countermand on the initial request in the Leih's own log. If the action or order seems to be of the "large and potentially plot-threatening persuasion", you should check with the Leih to ensure the SIM is heading in the direction planned. Always remember to carry out your 'orders' in your log first, and then you may proceed with the rest of the log as you had planned.

If you have not been issued 'orders' in someone else's email, or by the Leih, you can always log about what you are doing at your post while the other events are going on around you. You can also log your feelings and personal life if your character is off-duty. Remember it's a big ship! Not all characters will be on duty at the same time. ;)

9. Regarding Technobabble:

Now....some people are really good at this. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. ;D A good rule of thumb however, is to write about what you know. True, in Star Trek, we are dealing with the future, advanced technology, and theories, but we also love that element of reality as well. If you're going to throw some technobabble in, be sure that what you are doing is allowed within the scheme of things. We can't all be Westly Crusher (would we want to be?) who miraculously saves the day like a futuristic McGiever! But there are some things that are open for us to use. If your character has created some kind of Wonder-Gizmo that will ultimately save the day for our Valiant crew, be sure to ask the Leih if this would be allowed, as you don't want to inadvertently end the SIM before it begins. Be creative enough with your Wonder-Gizmo, and who knows? It may be allowed to work.....with some interesting side effects no doubt! ;D

10. Final note:

Remember SIMming is supposed to be *FUN*. It is a form of recreation, and a way for us all to pretend that we are someone else, and to forget our own RL problems for a little while each week. ;) Please don't get so wrapped up in the game that you begin to nitpick at each other over little details. Your shipmates are there to ensure that *you* have fun, just as you are there to ensure that *they* have fun as well. The Rihannsu may at times be ruthless and backstabbing towards each other.....but that's your *character*, not you! Always remember that the Rihannsu are also a very Honorable species and Respectful towards others. To show disrespect is to lack Mnhei'sahe (The Ruling Passion)!! Be nice to your fellow players, treat them with respect and help each other have FUN! ;)

Erien Llyriah t'Lhoell
RSR Academy Instructor 240005.07

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