HA! Take that Task Force 47! New year new me! 72 shall reign supreme in the reports!
With that out of the way, let’s dive into the report. 2019 is shaping up to be an interesting year for the Task Force, and while we look forward to what lies ahead it’s not without challenges or unfortunate news. Ultimately, I’m excited for what lies ahead for the Task Force and the Fleet at large.
Task Force Status
While we have no new simulations or pressing matters to address, I’m sorry to report that the Commanding Officer of the USS Cassiopeia (the Cassie to many of us) will be resigning from command of the simulation. We hope someone from the Cassie will be able to step forward and fill the void, but we are aware that a number of the crew are already commanding officers.
It’s been a privilege to watch Aranis develop the Cassie in no small part because the Cassie was one of the first sims that came aboard during my time here as Task Force CO. Aranis built a fun, welcoming simulation that I hope we can see continue in some capacity here in the Task Force. We wish him the best in his writing endeavors and hope to see him return to the role when the time is right.
Task Force War Games Scenario
We have been kicking this idea around for the last month since the announcement, and today I’m excited to bring some more details about the story elements of the War Games scenario and some mechanics we’ll be fleshing out. This is all subject to change based on feedback from the community and our own deliberations.
As the year rolls over and the Federation once more celebrates a year of peace, Starfleet finds itself with an increasingly inexperienced officer corps. To compensate for this, Task Force 72 has pledged an unprecedented number of vessels to the annual Federation Starfleet Exercises (FEDFLEET Exercises) hosted at the Andorian Imperial Proving Grounds (AIM-ProG). The scenario replicates an strategic situation faced in the Federation-Cardassian War and the Dominion War: Raids on colonies and installations by powers disinterested in respecting the Intergalactic Convention on Warfare and Treatment of Prisoners of 2355.
The Games will be divided into two teams: One tasked with defending and evacuating a colony and the other ordered to overpower the defenders and seize the colony. We’re still determining victory conditions and mechanics for play, but our vision, in brief, is for our existing vessels to engage in a simulated fire exercise at the Proving Grounds. We will develop a timeline and lay out the narrative beats of the Exercise to provide players a framework for participation.
If you have questions about the event or how to help the Command Team get it organized, please let us know!
Open Command
- Starbase 249
- USS Rook
- USS Athena
- Starbase Protector
- USS Cassiopeia
Unit of Merit
From the TGCO
For January, I would like to nominate the Majestic. I love reading the posts the the Majestic puts out every month, they are fun and interesting, but most of all they feel like you are watching an episode straight from the TNG era. The characters are their own people and have their own personalities that really seem to lend themselves to good plot points and minor arcs. The quality of their posts are impressive as well as the CO’s ability to sort of make things fit together. The CO deserves much of the credit and it reflects her ability to run a great sim.
Congrats to the crew of the Majestic! Well earned! Overall, I’m pleased with what I see around the Task Force and the Fleet at large. Best of luck to everyone for February, and please, as always, contact anyone on the Command Team if you have an interest in taking to the Center Chair or have questions, comments, concerns, or ideas!