I have been simming for nigh on twenty years. In that time I have worked with and under many XOs and I have to say that Raiden Kasugi is a rare find. Like XOs of Trek fame he keeps my mind on the path of the sim. Whenever someone has an idea he helps incorporate the idea and keep the mission on track. Raiden is an exceptional mediator often settling disputes to the benefit of all involved. Whenever a crew member is having a problem Raiden makes sure to check up on them both in terms of the sim and on a personal level. It can be very hard to be the power behind the throne as it were, and Raiden handles it with aplomb. It can be equally as hard to take a bundle of different ideas and weave them into a cohesive story. Raiden does that with what seems like ease.
N’Garzi Zora – USS Athena
Kieran is an amazing XO/asst game master on the Athena. He personally reaches out to every member of the group to keep them engaged and fosters creative ideas to support the mission or character development. There have been plenty of times when I’ve bounced ideas off of him and together we’ve come up with ideas or character interactions that keep things fresh and interesting. Kieran is an absolute blast to write with. His characters are fantastic and he utilizes them in a way to keep everyone involved. We couldn’t ask for a better XO!
Kieran has done so much with the crew this last year, in the midst of working our way through some tough storylines. He’s also managed to stay up-to-date despite moving house (trust me, I know that’s stressful). What he does out of character I really couldn’t live without; he engages the crew, builds rapport, works through endless character development with solid writing and a great sense of humour. Some of the work he’s put in to building character storylines with others in the simm has been terrific, and a huge part of why we’re so successful.
Running a sim as successful as Athena is time consuming and Paul has so brilliantly chosen Kieran as his right hand man. Kieran is the life and soul of the party in Discord, and so warmly helps to bring our little community together. He is forever on hand for support, advice, and it is very much evident that he and Paul work closely together. Since coming into the Command Team myself, I’ve been able to see this first hand and can only attest to how dedicated Kieran is to the sim. His skills as a writer are incredible, diverse, and genuinely fun – his array of characters help support and progress Athena from strength to strength, leading from within and helping to foster a truly collaborative space with real pocket friends.
Gary Taylor – USS Elysium
This player has always been available to the players of the USS Elysium, for support, for posts and for more. He has been the XO of the Elysium since its opening in 2017. He has worked hard, and written characters for various subplots throughout the years, and his efforts have seen the ELY through many adventures. So impressed by him, I suggested him to other CO’s who need a steady hand to assist them with their games.
Captain Gary Taylor works hard to support and interact with as many players as possible. He often initiates the first JP new players will see. He is supportive of the GM and of the authors and is adept at working with people with all kinds of temperments. Helping to make the joint accessible, safe and welcoming.
Jake Ford – SS Mary Rose
Paul has truly stepped up this year to be asst gm of SS Mary Rose in what has been a truly interesting year from leading a mission that gave him a new nickname to creating some truly long standing lore that will follow through for many years to come. His characters are insightful and he makes the Rosie Fam a joy IC and OOC. He sets the tone of the community by supporting the GM with planning and background running things, pushing storylines forward as well as keeping the GM in check and on task in a way that truly makes her lucky to have him as a friend. Paul deserves Asst GM 2022 as he has had a remarkable year pushing forward the unique.
William Gerhard – NX05 – Atlantis
Tristian stepped up midway through the year and whilst it has not been smooth sailing with extreme ups and downs he is something Atlantis can rely on both in character and out of character. He jumped in with both feet delving into John Smith and who he was, supporting the CO with planning and background running things, (even helping her break into her kitchen when the door lock mechanism broke. Thanks Tristian) and made great strides in helping to push storylines forward this year increasing how unique the ship is. He is truly someone who can be relied on and he needs to be recognised for that.
Edra Crow- USS Mercutio
I am not on the Mercutio but it is easy to see that the same drive that the GM has is within the Asst GM. She runs live sessions, providing nova writing opportunities to people who miss sessions and is passionate about the lore and community that has been created over the 20 years that the game has been running. She leads from the front running things when the GM is not around in running sessions and driving stories to take an active lead in the wider community which should be commended. Long may Jill continue being the amazing asst gm that she is.
Calliope Zahn – Obsidian Command
Whilst no longer a member of the crew I cannot help but nominate the Asst GM of Obsidian Command for all the work that I know she puts into everything that she does. Nikki is possibly the standard that all Asst GM’s should be. She is leading from the front and is enthusiastic and talented. Always willing to create NPCs to help other players reach potential writing ideas or plots. I valued her plotting and writing whilst I was a player on Obsidian Command. She must spend a ton of time on plots because everything works out so smoothly and gets wrapped up in a bow at the end of things which is a skill that not many have.