Over the past few weeks and months, recruitment of officers to the Light Division has been steady and the numbers of officers now under my command have grown substantially. There are currently a high proportion of officer cadets that have trained under different instructors and in different USFP systems. It is becoming apparent in training and combat patrols that there are no set ways of communicating with one-another on the bridge. I have therefore been working with my first officer to develop training courses that will be used to standardise communication and improve the effectiveness of bridge communications.
The first focus was combat orders and a way to quickly and effectively communicate tactics and manoeuvres to the crew, without being misunderstood or having to micromanage officers. The new combat orders are a refinement of the Attack Patterns from the first release of the Tactical Handbook. Through trialing them in simulations with senior officers, extremely effective orders have been created that communicate whether to take aggressive or defensive action, how aggressive or defensive to be and the types of manoeuvres or firing patterns to employ in one quick and clear order. Of course, they only work if the crew are clear on the meaning of the order (which is where the training is going to come in of course!)
The next focus was to look at how officers select and relay information to the captain, from simple confirmation when they receive a new order, to providing key information at vital moments. At the moment, there are no set ways of presenting information verbally, or confirming orders or responding and acknowledgeing the contribution of information by an officer. What is currently being considered is the use of simple words and phrases that can be used. With my own crew, I have simply acknowledged I have heard information by saying "Confirmed." This quickly tells an officer, "I have heard what you've said and have taken it on board."
The whole purpose of developing training is to standardise the way in which the crews of the Light Division work, with the overall aim of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of operational crews. Being able to communicate effectively in any situation is the first step to achieving this aim. The next will most likely be improving the skills of the officers, and then finally refining tactics. In the end, I hope to have a Division made up of professional and experienced officers who can stand as an example to all other crews of the TSN.
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Patrolling Cronus Sector
The first patrol of the Cronus sector since establishing a presence in the area met with heavy enemy forces. Multiple enemy fleets were detected entering the sector. Those fleets took immediate aggressive action, setting course for the automated command post that has been deployed in the area with the intention of destroying it and therefore denying access to the Gateway between Promethean and Cronus. It took several hours and many hard fought engagements before the sector was once again secure. By the end, almost all the supply of ordnance weapons had been exhausted and the ship has sustained damage to multiple systems. Throughout the patrol, there were also a number of technical glitches with the ship's tactical interface systems.
It was evident from the patrol that the Cronus sector is going to be an area of continual hostile incursions and vessels sent to patrol the area will need to be equipped for long range patrols. The stockpiles of ordnance are also to be increased at the automated command post to allow patrol vessels to deal with multiple incursions.
It was evident from the patrol that the Cronus sector is going to be an area of continual hostile incursions and vessels sent to patrol the area will need to be equipped for long range patrols. The stockpiles of ordnance are also to be increased at the automated command post to allow patrol vessels to deal with multiple incursions.
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Promethean System; A New Frontier
I have been assigned to the Promethean System; a system on the frontier of USFP space. My mission is to secure and protect the system, as well as explore neighbouring systems. Along with my own vessel the TSN Falcon and a number of support vessels, I have been given command of several academy vessels and a number of cadets.
The Promethean system is relatively small and is made up of four main sectors. The colony in the central sector was only established a decade or so ago. They are relatively self reliant in terms of their governance, however they do appreciate the presence of our division and the added security it provides. There have been only a few reported raids from hegemony ships, but they have been enough to cause damage and disrupt the colony's way of life. The tithes that the colony pays to the TSN are obvious worth something; well enough to assign a division to protect the area.
On arriving, my first order of business has been to explore our neighbouring systems; Cronus and Volantis. I have already taken the opportunity to explore a sector in the Cronus system. A support vessel accompanied us to provide refuel and resupply, as well as carrying a gate device for our return journey. The sector we entered was relatively quiet. We encountered small enemy patrols in the sector, nothing that wasn't manageable. It gave the cadets some combat experience, although not as much as some seemed to want. It is good that they are eager. The enemy know that we are here now and are expanding our borders, so I'm not sure how quiet things are going to remain.
The Cronus sector we explored seems like a sector worth securing. On the patrol, I was able to identify at least two other potential gate points. The band of asteroids stretching across the sector could also prove an asset. I am sure that Promethean's governor will be wanting to send survey teams to assess mining opportunities.
The cadets that I have been assigned are proving able, although there is still training to be done. There are some things still to go over, such as operational guidelines and standard procedures. TSN Command have also provided me with a training simulator program, and although still in its testing phase, it is proving a useful piece of software. From what I have seen of the cadets, on the patrols and in the simulator, there is great potential in several of them. I am hopeful that some will soon be ready to be promoted to full officers.
The Promethean system is relatively small and is made up of four main sectors. The colony in the central sector was only established a decade or so ago. They are relatively self reliant in terms of their governance, however they do appreciate the presence of our division and the added security it provides. There have been only a few reported raids from hegemony ships, but they have been enough to cause damage and disrupt the colony's way of life. The tithes that the colony pays to the TSN are obvious worth something; well enough to assign a division to protect the area.
On arriving, my first order of business has been to explore our neighbouring systems; Cronus and Volantis. I have already taken the opportunity to explore a sector in the Cronus system. A support vessel accompanied us to provide refuel and resupply, as well as carrying a gate device for our return journey. The sector we entered was relatively quiet. We encountered small enemy patrols in the sector, nothing that wasn't manageable. It gave the cadets some combat experience, although not as much as some seemed to want. It is good that they are eager. The enemy know that we are here now and are expanding our borders, so I'm not sure how quiet things are going to remain.
The Cronus sector we explored seems like a sector worth securing. On the patrol, I was able to identify at least two other potential gate points. The band of asteroids stretching across the sector could also prove an asset. I am sure that Promethean's governor will be wanting to send survey teams to assess mining opportunities.
The cadets that I have been assigned are proving able, although there is still training to be done. There are some things still to go over, such as operational guidelines and standard procedures. TSN Command have also provided me with a training simulator program, and although still in its testing phase, it is proving a useful piece of software. From what I have seen of the cadets, on the patrols and in the simulator, there is great potential in several of them. I am hopeful that some will soon be ready to be promoted to full officers.
Sunday, 3 March 2013
RP Community officially launched & Updates (OOC Post)
Well, the TSN RP Community was officially launched last night. Sadly, some people were not able to turn up, so our numbers were a little thin on the ground. I am confident that as more people join, the turn out will increase and the TSN RP Community will begin to grow and thrive. I am in the process of writing up rules and regulations to follow to bring the RP to life, and have had some assistance from members of the RP community. In them there are details such as coming to attention when a captain enters, etiquette when addressing with other members, and how a member's name needs to be set out to include their rank etc. I am hoping that other RP elements will come through from the players too (one member emailed saying his transport was delayed, so couldn't report in on time).
As people have been sending me applications I have been issuing crew records to them and adding their details to a central database. On record, there are now 9 members officially (including myself). These are members who have submitted an application and had a crew record issued. It is my hope that over the coming weeks I will have more people applying to increase the total of official members. The more people who join, the more academy ships will be running. As the RP really begins to get going, officers will be getting promoted as their experience increases (the first Lieutenant-Junior was promoted last night!) and eventually we will end up with other official TSN vessels and more commanders and captains to run them.
To make the whole RP more official, I looked in to setting up a teamspeak server especially for the official RP sessions. Last night I sorted out the server and I have been working away, creating multiple channels or "rooms" so people can move about the channels as if they were moving about different ships or stations. I have created a TSN Command channel in which there is a main room for members of TSN Command, an Examination Suite for officers taking examinations, a court room for disciplinary hearings and finally two conference suites. The TSN Falcon has been created and two sub-channels set up; a briefing room and a command deck. There are also two standard Academy Vessels with a similar layout. Finally, the default channel is named "The Mess Hall" and is a place for officers to gather off duty and chat. It has a side room, accessible only to captains of the TSN called the Captain's Lounge (although it is currently a lonely place!). Anyway, the server will act as the main place for people to gather and begin their RP sessions.
So with most things set up, I am looking forward to future sessions. There are a couple of things to finish off like the Rules and Regulations, but the RP will be running each week now.
The next official session is scheduled for Saturday 9th March. If you want to join check out
the RP wiki pages for all the details or email me at Xavierwise.TSN@gmail.com
As people have been sending me applications I have been issuing crew records to them and adding their details to a central database. On record, there are now 9 members officially (including myself). These are members who have submitted an application and had a crew record issued. It is my hope that over the coming weeks I will have more people applying to increase the total of official members. The more people who join, the more academy ships will be running. As the RP really begins to get going, officers will be getting promoted as their experience increases (the first Lieutenant-Junior was promoted last night!) and eventually we will end up with other official TSN vessels and more commanders and captains to run them.
To make the whole RP more official, I looked in to setting up a teamspeak server especially for the official RP sessions. Last night I sorted out the server and I have been working away, creating multiple channels or "rooms" so people can move about the channels as if they were moving about different ships or stations. I have created a TSN Command channel in which there is a main room for members of TSN Command, an Examination Suite for officers taking examinations, a court room for disciplinary hearings and finally two conference suites. The TSN Falcon has been created and two sub-channels set up; a briefing room and a command deck. There are also two standard Academy Vessels with a similar layout. Finally, the default channel is named "The Mess Hall" and is a place for officers to gather off duty and chat. It has a side room, accessible only to captains of the TSN called the Captain's Lounge (although it is currently a lonely place!). Anyway, the server will act as the main place for people to gather and begin their RP sessions.
So with most things set up, I am looking forward to future sessions. There are a couple of things to finish off like the Rules and Regulations, but the RP will be running each week now.
The next official session is scheduled for Saturday 9th March. If you want to join check out
the RP wiki pages for all the details or email me at Xavierwise.TSN@gmail.com
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Creating a TSN RP Community(Post is out of character)
Forming a permanent crew for the TSN Falcon has presented a few issues. The initial posts about recruiting for the TSN Falcon gained a lot of interest. The problems that occurred were some people wanted to join who could not play regularly, and more than 5 people allied, so had to be turned down. A couple who were successful and joined left soon after due to various reasons (unfortunate hardware issues, things life throw at you etc). As a result, the TSN Falcon has remained in dry dock, and the RP group has not really developed anywhere.
What I wanted to do was begin with a core group on the TSN Falcon, train them and fly a number of missions, promote officers to higher ranks, and eventually have someone who I felt could be promoted to a command rank and given their own vessel. This someone would have to be a regular player, who had learned the playing style of the RP and would help develop my vision of forming a TSN RP community. The problem was, it would take a long time, an people wanting to join would have to wait.
Last night I came up with a solution. I would create a more inclusive RP community and TSN organisation, in which players could join, regardless of their experience or availability. Those who played regularly could eventually serve aboard TSN vessels and progress in to higher ranks, and those who played when they could, would still be able to participate. I have typed up a document and posted it on the Artemis Wiki with all the details. Players will be organised in to two categories Active Players and Casual Players. Basically, all players join the TSN as Officer Cadets. They are effectively members of the TSN Academy. Officer Cadets are not required to be online on a regular basis, or be part of a permanent crew. They can play along with any other officer on an Academy ship. The Academy ships would be temporary vessels set up by Officer Cadets (although the same crew could play the same vessel week in week out if they wished it).
Official TSN vessels will operate for Active Players only. Initially there will be one TSN vessel, the TSN Falcon. When a position is available on an official TSN vessel, Officer Cadets can apply for the position. They will then undergo an Officer Examination/ Interview and if successful will be given the rank of Ensign and assigned a duty aboard an official TSN vessel. One they have reached the rank of Ensign, it is up to the Captain to determine which officers will be put forward for promotion and Active Players will be able to move up through the ranks. There are several paths to choose: moving in to a command position, becoming a senior officer and being chosen to join TSN command (the controlling committee of the community) or joining a TSN corps in order to develop a particular area (e.g. the Flying Corps, Engineering Corps etc.) Each time a player is put forward for promotion, they will undergo an examination for that rank to see if they are suitable. Members of the TSN Command will form an assessment board to test the officer.
I am also going to begin writing a document on officer 'etiquette' to give details on how to participate in the RP games (e.g. calling people by their rank etc).
I have already posted some of the details, and I am re-writing the RP wiki page and making it more available to people. Hopefully I will get more interest and can get this community in motion.
Captain Xavier (Captain of TSN Falcon; member of TSN Commmand)
The TSN (RP Group document)
What I wanted to do was begin with a core group on the TSN Falcon, train them and fly a number of missions, promote officers to higher ranks, and eventually have someone who I felt could be promoted to a command rank and given their own vessel. This someone would have to be a regular player, who had learned the playing style of the RP and would help develop my vision of forming a TSN RP community. The problem was, it would take a long time, an people wanting to join would have to wait.
Last night I came up with a solution. I would create a more inclusive RP community and TSN organisation, in which players could join, regardless of their experience or availability. Those who played regularly could eventually serve aboard TSN vessels and progress in to higher ranks, and those who played when they could, would still be able to participate. I have typed up a document and posted it on the Artemis Wiki with all the details. Players will be organised in to two categories Active Players and Casual Players. Basically, all players join the TSN as Officer Cadets. They are effectively members of the TSN Academy. Officer Cadets are not required to be online on a regular basis, or be part of a permanent crew. They can play along with any other officer on an Academy ship. The Academy ships would be temporary vessels set up by Officer Cadets (although the same crew could play the same vessel week in week out if they wished it).
Official TSN vessels will operate for Active Players only. Initially there will be one TSN vessel, the TSN Falcon. When a position is available on an official TSN vessel, Officer Cadets can apply for the position. They will then undergo an Officer Examination/ Interview and if successful will be given the rank of Ensign and assigned a duty aboard an official TSN vessel. One they have reached the rank of Ensign, it is up to the Captain to determine which officers will be put forward for promotion and Active Players will be able to move up through the ranks. There are several paths to choose: moving in to a command position, becoming a senior officer and being chosen to join TSN command (the controlling committee of the community) or joining a TSN corps in order to develop a particular area (e.g. the Flying Corps, Engineering Corps etc.) Each time a player is put forward for promotion, they will undergo an examination for that rank to see if they are suitable. Members of the TSN Command will form an assessment board to test the officer.
I am also going to begin writing a document on officer 'etiquette' to give details on how to participate in the RP games (e.g. calling people by their rank etc).
I have already posted some of the details, and I am re-writing the RP wiki page and making it more available to people. Hopefully I will get more interest and can get this community in motion.
Captain Xavier (Captain of TSN Falcon; member of TSN Commmand)
The TSN (RP Group document)
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Halfway and Status Reports
Well, it looks as though I have reached the halfway point with the Officer's Handbooks. I have three more to write; Captain, Tactical and Helm. In the original Officer's Handbook, these three sections were the ones that I focused on predominantly, however after considering how I have expanded the Engineering, Communication and Science Officer's content, I feel that the remaining three sections can definitely be added to and improved.
After scanning through the original content, the new content includes much more information on interacting with other bridge officers as well as with the Captain. In each of the new handbooks, I have included guidelines for giving a Status Report giving details on the information that a particular officer should provide to their Captain. I have presented them in a hierarchical order, with what I consider to be the most important information at the top, and have tried to ensure that no officer has the same information to report.
The Status Reports are guidelines and recommendations, and I wouldn't expect officers to use them in a strict manner. What I really wanted was to provide officers with a clear list of the essential information that they should and could present to the Captain based on the information available to them. The Status Reports are there to make the officer aware of what they need to focus on a report. In addition, it meant the Captain would know who to ask for particular information, and by making each list different nothing would be repeated; conflicting information and excess 'bridge chatter' would be reduced.
I am not sure which Handbook to work on now. I am going to leave the Captain's Handbook till last, as having detail on how to fulfil the other roles will dictate how a Captain will interact with and use those officers. For the Tactical Handbook, I want to include details on weapons and how to employ them to maximum effect against an enemy. Although Tactical Officer could be considered a relatively straight forward role (just point and shoot), I think more experienced officers should be considering how the can effectively disrupt and destroy enemy vessels, for example by manually targeting specific systems. The Helms Officer role I consider to be the more challenging of the two to write about. I don't want to present a list of manoeuvres and positioning that the Helms Officer should follow, rather give ideas and guides on how to fly the ship more effectively, just like the Engineer's Handbook. I never wanted to provide a list of presets, but give ideas and guidelines to improve the Engineer's ability and effectiveness.
Anyway, that is all for now. To find all of the TSN Handbooks that I have created, follow this link: TSN Handbooks.
Thanks for reading!
After scanning through the original content, the new content includes much more information on interacting with other bridge officers as well as with the Captain. In each of the new handbooks, I have included guidelines for giving a Status Report giving details on the information that a particular officer should provide to their Captain. I have presented them in a hierarchical order, with what I consider to be the most important information at the top, and have tried to ensure that no officer has the same information to report.
The Status Reports are guidelines and recommendations, and I wouldn't expect officers to use them in a strict manner. What I really wanted was to provide officers with a clear list of the essential information that they should and could present to the Captain based on the information available to them. The Status Reports are there to make the officer aware of what they need to focus on a report. In addition, it meant the Captain would know who to ask for particular information, and by making each list different nothing would be repeated; conflicting information and excess 'bridge chatter' would be reduced.
I am not sure which Handbook to work on now. I am going to leave the Captain's Handbook till last, as having detail on how to fulfil the other roles will dictate how a Captain will interact with and use those officers. For the Tactical Handbook, I want to include details on weapons and how to employ them to maximum effect against an enemy. Although Tactical Officer could be considered a relatively straight forward role (just point and shoot), I think more experienced officers should be considering how the can effectively disrupt and destroy enemy vessels, for example by manually targeting specific systems. The Helms Officer role I consider to be the more challenging of the two to write about. I don't want to present a list of manoeuvres and positioning that the Helms Officer should follow, rather give ideas and guides on how to fly the ship more effectively, just like the Engineer's Handbook. I never wanted to provide a list of presets, but give ideas and guidelines to improve the Engineer's ability and effectiveness.
Anyway, that is all for now. To find all of the TSN Handbooks that I have created, follow this link: TSN Handbooks.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Progress of The Comms Officer Handbook
The Communication Officer's Handbook is almost complete and I will be made available shortly. In writing it, I have realised that as Comms Officer you need great strategic and tactical awareness (as well as a little luck) to really fulfil the role to best effect. In a sector with multiple allied ships, a Comms Officer can be an immensely important member of the crew.
Most of the writing has been of a tactical nature, from effectively coordinating allied combat vessels (such as Destroyers) to anticipating the requirements of the ship and organising the production of specific ordinance. From personal experience, I have seen how an effective Comms Officer can influence the outcome of a mission and can recall several instances when they have done so.
As a Lieutenant-Commander, I recall a battle in a heavily contested sector. The enemy had launched a major raid against the sector, and the vessel I was serving on had been assigned to defend the starbases there. Our capabilities were stretched to the limit and multiple enemy fleets were closing on several different starbases. As we were dealing with one fleet and defending a base, a second enemy was manoeuvring to attack a base located a distance away from us. Our comms officer had already anticipated this, and had ordered allied vessels to move in to defend the base. Although some Destroyers were lost, the enemy were delayed long so that we could dispatch the first enemy fleet and quickly move to join our allies and defend the stricken starbase. The base was saved because of the comms officer and the fact that he had maintained an awareness of the situation and planned accordingly.
(Since writing this, I have completed and released the Communication Officer's Handbook on the Artemis Wiki)
TSN Handbooks
Most of the writing has been of a tactical nature, from effectively coordinating allied combat vessels (such as Destroyers) to anticipating the requirements of the ship and organising the production of specific ordinance. From personal experience, I have seen how an effective Comms Officer can influence the outcome of a mission and can recall several instances when they have done so.
As a Lieutenant-Commander, I recall a battle in a heavily contested sector. The enemy had launched a major raid against the sector, and the vessel I was serving on had been assigned to defend the starbases there. Our capabilities were stretched to the limit and multiple enemy fleets were closing on several different starbases. As we were dealing with one fleet and defending a base, a second enemy was manoeuvring to attack a base located a distance away from us. Our comms officer had already anticipated this, and had ordered allied vessels to move in to defend the base. Although some Destroyers were lost, the enemy were delayed long so that we could dispatch the first enemy fleet and quickly move to join our allies and defend the stricken starbase. The base was saved because of the comms officer and the fact that he had maintained an awareness of the situation and planned accordingly.
(Since writing this, I have completed and released the Communication Officer's Handbook on the Artemis Wiki)
TSN Handbooks
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