Red Holes

Ok. Ya got me there. There is no such thing as a "redhole." And while the "new' Star Trek movie utilizes the illusory "red matter" (taken from the 21st Century TV show "Alias")as a creative device, obviously even the director doesn't know how to use it. The biggest (and reddest) whole in the Star Trek movie is the unswerving stupidity of both Vulcans and Romulans as they have been written of late. Sad.

Nero blames Spock for the death of his world. But it getting sucked through the black hole created by red matter, he creates a new reality---an alternate reality. Excuse me folks, but where are the Time Police when you need them. Doesn't Starfleet have a future organization (circa the 29th Century) to stop just this kind of stupidity from happening?

Nero has red matter aboard his ship. That being the case, why didn't some brilliant pointy-eared person in the 24th Century just use the damned red matter in the first place when the supernova first occurred? Oh, I'm sorry. Then Mr. Abrams would have had to write a REAL Star Trek story. Just like Nemesis. Poor use of a great race, namely the Romulans, once again. This is as plausible as a human clone rising to power and becoming the Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire. Oops did I say that out loud?

Oh and Nero, it doesn't matter if you destroy the Federation. It's an alternate reality you dumb Romulan miner! NOTHING you do will change a damned thing, including bring your wife back! Why cry in your milk when you could have used your seven mile long phallus symbol---er---starship---to take over Romulus and make yourself praetor? Is there NO ambition left in the Empire? DUMB MINER!

But for the sake of argument, let's just say that the Star Trek movie was a Q-induced fantasy. Maybe next movie they will finally succeed in blowing up Earth (in some alternate reality) as well.

Oh and did anyone ever stop to think that, as has been postulated many times in canon, that wormholes are unstable? Neither Spock nor Nero should have ever arrived where they did.

Where No Man Should Have Gone

I saw the "new" Star Trek movie. It is a very good movie. It's just not a very good Star Trek movie.

Mr. abrams is the latest in a long line of individuals (that means YOU Rick Berman) who don't seem to have a clue what Star Trek is. What does this have to do with Simming? I'll get to that in a moment.

The movie begins the year that James T. Kirk is born. But Trekkers all know that Kirk was born in Iowa. Not on a starship. At that time, families were not part of starship crews anymore than they are part of aircraft carriers today in the United States Navy. So it makes no sense that George Kirk would have his wife there. And where was his other son----George Samuel Kirk, James T. Kirk's older brother? I could go on and on about the inconsistencies. But that is only part of my point.

For some reason the ENTIRE Starfleet is involved in a battle in the Laurentian System. And the starship Enterprise is launched 13 years later that in the original time. While Spock turns down the Vulcan Science Academy and joins Starfleet, James T. Kirk not having a father becomes the equivalent of a drifter, jouning Starfleet Academy only after a chance encounter with Christopher Pike.

If Pike thought so much of Kirk's father, why didn't he seek Jim Kirk out much sooner? Maybe Kirk's mother becomes anti-Starfleet after losing her husband. Who knows. But after speaking with Pike, Kirk joins Starfleet, vowing to either complete Starfleet Academy or get his own ship in three years( after Pike telling him he can get his own ship in eight, presumably four years after graduating from Starleet.).

The Enterprise launches with a crew that is presumably made up of cadets. Chekov is only 17. So he could not posibly have completed Starfleet Academy. And we are not told how long Uhura has until graduation after her meeting Kirk.

Then there is this whole Red Matter crap. If one drop of Red Mater can create a huge and powerful Blackhole, what will liters of the stuff do----create a new Galaxy? Keep in mind both Nero's and Spock's ships had a considerable amount of Red Matter aboard them. They should have created a Blackhole that destroyed the Milky Way galaxy itself, thus nullifying this crappy story altogether. But the most glaring piece of crap in the entire film comes at the end.

How does James T. Kirk go from a cadet to Starfleet promoting him to captain and placing him in charge of the newest and presumably most powerful ship in the fleet? A 25 year old captain, who looks before he leaps, and doesn't have one tenth of the experience of his first officer.

Among cadets Kirk may be a big deal. But among seasoned Starfleet officers this premise is a joke. But it reflects today's society and it reflects the poor simming that has become prevalent.

Any roleplaying game is based on accumulation. Accumulation of money, power, hit points, experience points and so on. There are simply things you cannot even begin to do without it. The Kirk in the primary timestream had experience. He served aboard the Republic, and the Farragut as well as having his own command prior to being selected to command the Enterprise. He was battle tested on many occasions, not just one. He held the position of first officer and learned what he needed to eventually become a captain. The Kirk in Mr. Abrams timeline has none of these experiences to fall back on.

I have seen so many genius 20 something captains in RP. But none of them had the experience to hold the position.

Do you think that Starfleet's most experienced and decorated captain, i.e., NOT Kirk, is going to just stand by and applaud? Do you think a Navy midshipman is going to save the world and get promoted to captain and given command of an air craft carrier. It is ridiculous.

Rant?

For those of you who do not like my rants, I kindly ask you read something else. This is my Blog and my opinion. Your acceptance of it is not a requirement. Apparently much of what I write strikes all too close to home for some. The mirror does reveal all. I stand by what I write and am quite proud of it. And the title is "AOL Star Trek Simming Sucks." If you dispute it, write your own blog. Have fun and knock yourself out. Later.

Resistance is NOT Futile!

You are not a Borg. You probably don’t need someone to “mentor” you, or to tell you when they “think” you will be ready to be an ensign. Especially someone who does not have a solid foundation in Simming, writing, and couldn’t get the position you are applying for on another Sim. That is usually the reason that this person is the “moderator” of this new and different Sim. And that reason is because that “expert” could not cut it on an even playing field with another group. Therefore they either left voluntarily or were kicked out. And voila, suddenly they are running a group.

Now they have started their own “group” and want to lead you down the Primrose path. Don’t be suckered into it. You probably know more than this person that is telling you that you need so many posts to do this, and to attend so many Sims to do that. Unfortunately, few have resumes in the AOL Star Trek Sim world. But chances are good that they are rejects from another group.

Do your homework. Do your research. Pick up a copy of the latest Star Trek Role Playing Game. Everything you need to know is in there. These “groups” will do little to help you enjoy Simming, or to help you develop your creativity or writing skills. And the fun will soon be replaced by infighting, jealousy and personal attacks. It is a pattern that once established, holds true for these individuals.

Start your own Sim. Why not? You don’t need to be admiral this or ambassador that to have fun in the Star Trek genre. There is nothing wrong with running or being part of an Independent Sim. Many prefer independence, and for all the reasons that I have stated below. Less politics and less drama. It takes a bit more prep. But once the Sim is set up, then you are ready to play, and it only needs to be updated periodically. Get a basic set of rules in place and stick to them. Make everyone accountable. And make it a fun experience that people will want to come back for. Consider different mediums. Bulletin Boards Sims. Play By Email Sims. And so on. If you have a particular story to tell and no one else sees your vision perhaps you should write a story. Tell it how you see it.

Remember, your personal life and business is just that, yours. You are entitled to your privacy. It is the law. AOL has Terms of Service. And they forbid others to abuse you online. There are penalties for such behavior. People who are abusive and attacking do not make good Roleplay partners.

Resistance to bad Simming is not futile. You don’t have to be assimilated by the dregs of other groups. Start your own Sim. Stay away from other people's problems and problem makers.

The Back Stabbers

"They smile in your face, all the while they wanna take your place..." The Back Stabbers. That is from a very famous song many have heard. It is also a sad truth in the AOL Sim world.

There are many written and unwritten rules of Simming, and of life. The Golden Rule states "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." That having been said, there must be a lot of Simmers who feel that they should stab other players in the back, or it would not be so prevalent. Why? Because many of these individuals are, contrary to what you have read in your Theology books, not very nice people.

There are many vindictive and spiteful, even resentful individuals who Sim and who Sim with you. I know. I have Simmed with most of them. And unfortunately there are more of them than anyone cares to count. Not only that, but these individuals stand together. Misery loves company.

I am speaking of the people who sit on the fringe of groups, always observing the action, but never really taking on responsibility or committing to any direction. They are "fringe" players. They generally start off very congenial, friendly and above all else, inquisitive. They want to know everything about everything and everyONE in the group. What they are doing is compiling a database. On you and what you do. On how other players do things and on your ideas. And their purpose is nefarious to say the least.

Their intent is to plagiarize other players ideas and usurp their positions, then reap the benefits of these other people's work, be it, new plot ideas, new technology, or the recruitment of someone else's players. They use their knowledge of others to begin a campaign of lies and deceit, carefully assassinating the character of these other players. Creating events to cause dissension and, behind the scenes, blaming other for the problems that they have stirred up.

There are other dissenters and they are willing to chime in and pick up a sword and cause chaos and destruction wherever and wherever. They do not require facts. They do not require figures. All they want is someone to hate and to destroy. It is, unfortunately, why these individuals come online, not to Sim and to explore Gene Roddenberry's universe.

Again the question is why?

Many of these "wolves", the hired guns have no lives outside of these "groups." They enjoy being able to come online and exert their will on others. this is why they come online. This is what they are here to do. They attack their targets and they are relentless. They send emails. they IM repeatedly. they create other screennames to do more of the same from multiple fronts, lying about their identities. When the victims have them TOSed, they create new screenames. They band together with others to continue the intimidation. They create chatrooms, calling them "Recruit Rooms". But what these rooms are is merely organized gangs where these packs of wolves plan their attacks. many of the attacks are carried out when the unsuspected victims come in, assuming they will find camaraderie and common goals to share, not to mention support.

Once these individuals have driven the other players out of the group, they assume their positions, and take their ideas, plotlines, storylines, Sim partners, documentations and so on, which the wolves have not had to develop or cultivate themselves and use them for their own purposes. The people who have helped and supported them have been deemed pariahs and subsequently "punished" and ostracized.

I personally have had individuals steal items off of my websites word for word and repeat it back to me, not bothering to read the site credits, ignorant of the fact that I developed and wrote the very things they have stolen. Ignorance is not bliss.

These individuals are untalented, uncreative, unskilled, lazy and vindictive individuals. instead of applying creativity, or working hard to build, earn and develop something, they seek to destroy others and take what they have worked for. And if they can get enough other wolves to go along with it, then they rewrite history to make themselves the hero, giving themselves promotions they have not earned, taking entire Sims and groups over they have not developed and would not know how to if you paid them. Smiling in your face and stabbing you in the back, with lies and deceit, jealousy and disdain. There is another saying"no good deed goes unpunished."

The funny thing about this, and the only thing I might add that is funny, is what happens after the Backstabbers have achieved their goal. Because invariably the Backstabbers will eventually turn on each other and destroy that which they have stolen. And the cycle begins anew.

...A Galaxy Far Far Away

Gene Roddenberry............. George Lucas

Captain Kirk .................Luke Skywalker


It behooves me to remind that this blog is about Star TREK, not Star WARS. However, one of the reasons AOL Star Trek Simming Sucks is because of the many individuals, unfortunately a good portion of them being COs that don't know the difference between the two.

The Star Trek and Star Wars universes are two separate places. And while there have been, are and will be Sims that combine the two, a Star Trek Sim is not a Star Wars Sim. There are the technological considerations to be sure. Star Wars is rediscovering technology from earlier incarnations, and doesn't use photon torpedoes. But the real problem is GMs/COs who don't know and don't police use of subject matter for themselves and for others. This leads to a confusing hodge-podge as the attempt is made to assume these two universes and their technologies co-exist. Often this is done less than masterfully.

Star Wars GMs/COs think that because they are whiz kids at Star Wars that Star Trek should be no problem. Many of these individuals don't know the difference between a "senator" and a "councilor." Star Trek uses a governing body called the "Federation Council." While Star Wars utilizes a "Senate" and "Senators."

This lack of knowledge of the subject matter sends Simmers and Sims spinning off in all directions, leaving loyal Trekkers confused at best. After all, they signed onto the Sim to play in the Star Trek Universe, not the Star Wars universe. However, never let it be said that COs/GMs are not opportunists as well. recruiting is, after all a full time job. Many of these individuals switch to a Star Trek Sim from Star Wars as it is a more popular genre in the AOL Live Sim Community (at least for the past 10 years it has been.). This only does a disservice to the Simmers and the Star Trek genre itself.

I am not on any game company's payroll. But for over 20 years now, Paramount has awarded a license to such companies to put out the "Star Trek Role Playing Game." Several companies have had the license since it first came out. But what the RPG has always done is come up with sourcebooks. These sourcebooks, generally used for D&D type roleplayers, but adaptable for any genre, provide a framework.

These sourcebooks always provide good information, basic information and updated (creative) information. They are an excellent resource and are licensed by Paramount Studios, who own the rights to Star Trek. They are officially licensed for RP use. It is a shame how many actually seek out these resources. It is an even worse shame how many COs/GMs/ have no idea, or simply don't care that these sourcebooks exist. That does a great disservice to Simmers.

Bottom line, for COs/GMs especially, but also for players. If you are going to Sim in the Star Trek universe, take the time to learn the Star Trek universe. Study. Read. Research. Plan.

And if you want to run a Star Wars Sim, then go for it. But don't masquerade as a Star Trek Sim.

The Dating Game.

To continue on the subject of personal storylines let's just say that Bob Eubanks never envisioned this. AOL: The New Hookup Spot!

Perhaps this is a phenomenon of the internet. People hooking up with other people in a cyber (take that however you want) sense of the word. Online dating has become a phenomenon, some say a curse. But who would have thought it would come to Star Trek.

We are all familiar with Captain Kirk. And even those who have never actually watched an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, we all know that Captain Kirk was quite the ladies man. Well in the 21st Century, the ladies have started to catch up. Some say it is about time. But Captain Kirk is a fictional character. AOL Simming "hookups" involve real people.

Unfortunately one of the unfortunate side effects of AOL Simming and "chatroom etiquette" has been internet "hookups". This is not new, true, but before this was an strictly an online phenomenon. This was accomplished through cybersex and in "virtual", pardon the pun, anonymity. Now it has gone from online to Real Life.

The old adage about women being treated like a piece of meat has come to AOL Simming. Writing partners have evolved into potential partners in real life. And more than a few, I am afraid to say, intending hat from the beginning of their writing partnership. The familiarity that AOL provides providing a better avenue to break down the barriers of internet anonymity. In society this is called predatory.

When you have individuals calling and harassing people on the telephone, in real life, because of "online relationship issues" there is a serious problem. This phenomena is not just a male problem. Women have the same problem. Women, for example, making up screennames to "sneak" into a chatroom or onto a board to "stalk" a former writing partner/simming partner to force them to "be" with them again. As stated earlier, yes it is possible for women to stalk men as well.

Is this the symptom or is the problem? Who can say? Are there a lot of lonely people out there who need to get out from in front of their computer and find a real relationship? Yes, to be sure. Are individuals who have just been captivated by the"power" the internet has given them? That may well be part of it. But yes there are people who try and twist other people's arms. When they are rebuffed, this leads to the next problem I will discuss: Internet Assaulters.