The RP Mission Script & Comms Officer to Operations Officer

The mission script, tailored specifically to the TSN RP Community has continued to developed, and is starting to be used more frequently to run official missions. So far, those missions have been relatively straight forward, focusing mainly on invasion style scenarios where the enemy just need clearing out of a sector. Really, it has just been a test of the script to make sure it is all working properly, and so far there have been few bugs encountered. 

The mission script itself is purely a Game Master script. Taking the ideas from the Sandbox mission script, and adapting them to allow multiple bridges to play together, I have managed to create an open sandbox specifically for the RP Community. A Game Master can then add in enemies, allies, creatures, send messages and a number of other functions in order to take the crews through a mission or story line. I took a couple of volunteers recently and showed them the controls for the Game Master console in the hope that soon they will be confident enough and practised enough to run official missions. 

In the missions I have run recently, something that has been sorely missed was the Fuel Collection System. There have been a couple of missions that dragged on due to every ship having critical energy levels and no way to recharge. Until now, I have not included the code as it was only set up for one vessel. Today however, I have reworked the Fuel Collection System code and added it to the RP mission script. Although the code is simpler (the cascading damage effect has had to be removed), the restrictions on speed and shield state still apply, making it something that must be used when the situation allows. I have also moved the activation and deactivation keys to the Comms console.

As I completed writing the code, I realised that the role of Comms officer has been gradually evolving. During missions, they no longer sit passive, relaying standard messages that arrive and have no real consequence or bearing on the mission at hand. Instead, a Comms officer must send out instructions to activate the jump points, selecting the correct gate codes. They are responsible for activating and deactivating the Fuel Collectors. They also have to relay key mission information such as when lifepods are picked up as well as open hailing frequencies for voice communications (the voice comes over teamspeak, but a GM can hold off until the Comms Officer hits the key that puts up the "Hailing Frequencies Open" message). In a recent mission I ran, I also typed in garbled messages that the Comms officer had to decode.

With all the extra work, it means the Comms Officer role is becoming more of an Operations Officer role. There is potential for further expansion on the role too. I have ideas about how to simulate standard outgoing text messages, using a similar system to the GM controls that I developed for the script. I would have to make a few minor alterations to the script and add in a couple of new events, but I think it would be possible to generate a system for a Comms officer to send messages that a GM could then reply to. Simple messages could be Yes/No, but there could also be specific messages for different scenarios, which communicate different things. It would then be possible to play out diplomatic scenarios. Another idea I was considering bringing back was the ability to deploy extra sensors, or activate a sensor sweep. This could give extra information about the local area, or intelligence reports. These are for the future, but there is a lot of potential! 

Cronus System and Transfers

After recent patrols in the Cronus system, it would seem that the enemy precense is being steadily increased. The last patrol, conducted by the TSN Osiris, met with a heavy ambush by enemy forces. It is evident that they are now truely aware of our presence in the system. It would also seem that this is yet another system that the Kraliens will claim as their own, and I am in no doubt that they will contact us soon with surrender demands, or demand tithes in order to transit the system. Neither of these are options that I will pursue.

The engagment between the TSN Osiris and the enemy forces means that an escalation in the defence of the Cronus system will be required. The captain of the TSN Osiris and her crew performed admirably, but had to fall back due to supply issues. They did manage to cripple the enemy fleet enough to allow two TSN Destroyers to be depatched and assist in clearing up the enemy forces.

This recent action has promted me to send a request to Fleet Command for additional support in the defense of the system. I have submitted a request for an observation post as well as more Destroyers and Escorts. It is my intention to deploy a forward observation post in the system, acting as an early warning system, as well as a supply post for any TSN vessels operating in the area. I have also requested authorisation to extend our patrols and explore more of the Cronus system in order to find any links back to TSN space, or links in to Hegemony territory. This will give us a more detailed map of our local systems, and will allow a more coordinated defensive plan to be implemented.

For now, patrols in to the Cronus system will be increased and any patrols will consist of multiple vessels, formed in to a battlegroup. I have a number of TSN Destroyers and some escorts already at my disposal, and the addition that number will hopefully increase.


Back on station, the system for tranfers has been developed further. A Tranfer Request form has been created in order to allow officers to apply for transfers between ships. This will allow officers to gain more experience serving under different captains.

Operating on different crews and under different commanding officers is important for officers who wish to advance in rank. Although all commanding officers are trained to the same standard, each one brings their own personality to commanding a ship. Each one has different strengths and areas of expertise and the tranfers allow an officer to see these and learn from them. It will also allow officers to work with different crews, sharing what they know with other ranking officers, and learning from one another.

Not only this, officers will learn how different ship types operate. Currently we have only Light Cruisers and Battleships, but these ships have to operate differently to oneanother. When we have more ship types operating, differences will become clearer too, such as how a scout operates, or how a dreadnaught operates. Although it is easy to know how they work in theory, in practise it can feel very different.

I am hoping, with an easier system for transfers, officers will take the opportunity to move around crews and gain greater experience.

The Command Staff and Senior Officers

With the Division growing at a steady rate, the work required to effectively manage the Division has also increased. Promethean is now home to almost 100 TSN Officers, and there are 3 fully crewed TSN ships in service, all under my command.

Now that I have a trusted core of Senior Officers, I have started delegating some of the tasks required to manage the Division. The first responsibility assigned was the management of the Officer Records. Each ship captain has an assigned crew, and all those captain have access to their officers' records. The responsibility for keeping them fully up-to-date is now that of the captains. So far it has worked well, and the captains are showing me that I can trust them with such tasks.

There has been an overall general restructuring of the way that Senior Officers work too, particularly those in command. I regard the current Senior Officers as being a "temporary" command staff, in that they are given assigned tasks, or involved in making decisions about the running of the Division. As the number of Senior Officers grows, only a small selection of them (around 5 or 6) will make up the actual Division Command staff. Other Senior Officers will be involved in Senior Officer meetings, which are a relatively new idea to allow regular meetings before a duty shift, however it would be the Command Staff who make the final decisions about the Division.

Until now, much of what I have done to manage and develop the Division has been done solely by me, and I have kept a tight control over the Division. I have always intended giving others greater responsibility, but only to those who have proved to me that they can do so in a way that will not compromise what has been created. The current 'temporary' Command Staff have progressed from cadet through each rank. At each point, they have fulfilled the requirements of that rank virtaully to the letter. They have become close colleagues and proved that they can be trusted with some of the most important tasks. They have not tried to contradict, change or compromise the current systems in place, but instead have given ideas and worked to develop the Division. And when an idea has been dismissed, they have not been deterred, or taken it personally. The trust that I now place in them has been earned over time, and now I hope they can prove that that trust is well placed.

Examinations & Wiki Pages

During the last duty shift, the first Ensign examinations based upon the new training documentation were held. The examinations were challenging for those who took them, but they tested the most essential information that an Ensign needs to know. The process worked well for the Ensign examination, and both the Commanders agreed that it was a suitable way to test new officers.

The examination questions were quite challenging, testing an officers knowledge of systems and roles on a TSN vessel. Although we were not expecting the candidate to answer every question perfectly, we were expecting most questions to be answered to a satisfactory level. After each examination, we discussed the answers given and made a decision based upon how well they had answered, as well as what we had seen of that officer.

With the success of the first examinations, there will be time scheduled to make the examinations more regular, perhaps held fortnightly, or on a monthly basis. It should be possible to examine three to four officers during a duty shift, perhaps more.

Now that the basic training documents have been completed and examinations process established, the next level of documents and examinations can be addressed. These will be the Lieutenant-Junior and Lieutenant level examinations. At this level, officers are expected to begin developing expertise in certain roles. The new Advanced training documents will focus on tactical considerations and more advanced thinking behind the roles; for example, the Helm training document will include details on manoeuvring the ship and tactical choices; the Communications training document will include detail on organising and directing allies.

Testing and training for command roles will differ slightly. At this level, there will be a greater focus on practical experience and coaching from senior officer, looking at more advanced tactical considerations. Examinations will feature less, and observations of the officer will be the main method of assessing their suitability.

I have continued work on the TSN RP Community wiki pages, updating them and organising them clearly. They are almost completely up to date now, however I will continue to manage and alter them to keep them maintained. On the TSN RP Community page, there is a brief paragraph about the RP Community and then four main sections; Getting Started - for new people joining the RP Community; The TSN Universe - giving background detail of characters, systems and technologies; Officers of the TSN - created to provide all the information a TSN officer will need; and finally The TSN Library - collecting together all the documents, handbooks and other written reference material.

Each of these sections are divided in to sub-sections with extensive information for members of the RP Community. They have been carefully presented and organised to make them easy to navigate and find all the necessary information. There are some bits just to finish up, however the majority of the pages are complete. It is my hope that all members will use the pages extensively for reference and that members will begin suggesting additional information to include, or submitting additional reference documents. To ensure consistency in format and presentation, and that information is appropriately organised, the Command Staff will review and format all new submissions for the wiki, before they are added, or authorisation given to them member to allow them to add files and information.

New Recruits, Communications and Fleet Orders

TSN Command reported that a number of new recruits would be shipped out to Promethean to boost our numbers in this system. Now that there is an established core of professional officer, they felt that we could handle the training of larger numbers of new recruits. Last duty shift, I assigned Commander Feltes and Commander Corwin to train the new cadets. With 12 new recruits arriving on a shuttle, there were two full crews to man the academy ships. Both Commanders went through all the basics about how we run things on station with all the new cadets. Although most cadets come with some training, it is our job to show them how a real TSN crew operates. Many have little awareness of the Combat Orders, or procedures aboard station, and this final stage of their training is to ensure that they learn these.

Whilst the Commanders trained the cadets, I took the full officers and conducted simulations to further refine the Fleet Orders and operations. The simulations went well. Lt. Jr. Alice, who I assigned to command the Osiris, quickly picked up the Fleet Orders, and was able to closely coordinate with the Falcon. Due to the Lt. Jr.s performance, I decided to promote her at the end of the evening to full Lt.

The final simulations of the evening saw four ships, the Falcon, Pegasus, Gallant and Osiris, fighting in the same sector. To make things more manageable, we paired off; the Falcon and the Osiris working together, and the Pegasus working with the Gallant. Although the Pegasus and the Gallent were unable to coordinate as closely due to the crews being training crews, they were able to successfully work together in an area of the sector to defend it from enemy fleets. The Falcon and the Osiris, with more experienced crews, worked in close coordination with one another to eliminate a number of fleets.

The simulations were yet another test of the Fleet Orders. Before the simulation, a way to communicate with all the bridges had to be established (until now, we have only had two ships working in a sector). This was discussed with the senior officers and the links between the ships were decided upon. All the captains had direct links to one another on a private comms channel. Each captain also had individual links to each bridge for a more open broadcast. The system worked well as ships could communicate actions clearly on the open broadcast. Captains also had the private channels to discuss finer tactics or issues without having to broadcast openly to the bridge.

With such an influx of new recruits, the Ensign examination documents are being finalised and made ready for the next duty shift. I have started to set up the examination suites aboard Promethean Command, and have been uploading the examination software for the practical simulations. The examinations themselves will include general questions about each role aboard a TSN vessel. There will also be more difficult questions specific to their own area of expertise. For certain roles, the cadet will also have to conduct a practical examination to test their skills.

There are a few cadets who are eligable to take the examination. The requirements are that the cadet must have served in all roles aboard a TSN vessel (whilst on duty), ahave a more indepth knowledge about their specialist area, know procedures on station during duty shifts, have a working knowledge of the Combat Order, and have served on at least 2 -3 duty shifts.  I think I may allow them to put themselves forward for the examination if they feel they are ready, however to pass the examination, the cadet will have to answer the questions, demonstating very secure knowledge. Only those that answer the questions in a satisfactoy way will be promoted to a full officer. It may result in a few failing to meet the mark, but it will also result in the Light Division having the best officers.

I have continued to work on the Sandbox mission script, but rather than focus on adding to the mission packs, I have started to tailor it to meet the needs of the RP Community. I have devised a way to significantly increase the number of GM keys that I can set, and have started working on creating more functions for a GM console. Once completed, I want to run missions using the GM console for the RP community, with missions starting at Promethean Command. With the addition of a number of new systems and a waypoint sector, I have managed to link Promethean system to Atlantis system. I want to add a number of other systems that are not under TSN control; "badlands" which have dangerous anomolies and phenomena (blackholes that bounce around for example); and areas which are "contested" where it is likely that the ship will meet enemies, or where nagotiation missions might take place. I think though, that I will develop the Sandbox script for more for GMs. I'll still write in the odd mission for crews to play without a GM, but I feel that it has much more scope and potential as a GM controlled script.

Updating the Wiki Pages

Recently, I started work to overhaul the TSN RP Wiki pages. The original pages had a lot of information on them and it was mentioned by a member or two in the community that they were a little overwhelming for new players. I have therefore started making them easier to navigate for new and current members.

I have created a new "homepage" that can be reached from the main Artemis wiki page. The information includes a little about the community, then several links to other pages; Getting Started, The TSN Universe, Officers of the TSN and The TSN Library. Each of these is going to be constructed to make it easier to find out about the RP and find all the relevant documents that any member might need.

The Getting Started pages have recently been completed and details all the most basic and most useful information for new people joining the community. There is a little about how to join up, how the session runs and some information about the rank system.

The TSN Universe pages are going to be updated eventually. They will have similar background information and layout to the current TSN Universe pages. All I will do with them is just give a quick revamp and update any information.

Officers of the TSN pages are going to be specifically designed for current members of all ranks. They will include detailed information about training and promotions, extra background information on the Division, and anything else a full officer might need to know. 

The TSN Library is going to be a single page with links to all the documents created by the RP Community. Included here will be handbooks, training documents, and any other reference material.

In the meantime, I will continue to work on the other training documents that I have been creating. My aim is to complete the Communications Basic Training document first giving the RP Community a complete set of training documents for Ensign level. I'll then move on to the Duty Officer document. Examination documents are currently being put together by other senior officers of the RP. They need to be reviewed, but examinations should soon be back up and running, along with a form of training programme (the basic training documents forming the base of such a programme).

Training and Testing

With the help of senior officers of the Light Division, I have started creating training documents and examination materials in order to create a more thorough training programme for TSN officers. The training documents provide information for officers to study in preparation for oral examinations. Once they have been created, promotion will be based upon the outcome of the examination, as well as observation of the officer during simulations, where appropriate. 

At the moment, documents are being created for Officer Cadets to study. These documents include all the basic information about each role aboard a TSN vessel. They will also include standard operation procedures and orders, such as in depth detail of combat orders currently in use. Once these have been completed, advanced documents on the different roles will be created, detailing things such as specific manoeuvres or tactics to utilise, as well as how to effectively operate within the specified role. Documents produced for ranks of Lieutenant-Commander and higher will shift focus from knowledge and operation of consoles to tactical considerations and the role of command. Until that point however, all documents will focus upon mastering the different roles.

The progression will be set so that officer must master a number of role, as well as become very competent at all the roles, before progressing on to command ranks. It is essential that all commanding officers are able to operate any console to a high level so that they can train their crew to a high standard. The training programme therefore aims to establish this base of expertise before officers can move to higher ranks. 

Currently, the Helm and Weapon officer documents for Officer Cadet level have been completed and are due to be released shortly. The Engineering, Science and Communications documents should follow shortly. Once they have been release, more rigorous testing of officers will begin and work will start on the next set of documents for Ensigns.

I have been continuing the development of the Sandbox mission script. So far, the script has a total of 4 different systems to explore and two waypoint sectors. In total, there are 14 different sectors to navigate through, some of which have additional hazards within them. There are also 3 working missions and a fourth side mission, requiring the crew can pick up data readings and return them to a research base. I have started a process of more thorough testing of the script itself. At the moment, I have tested that navigation through all nav points and gateways works correctly. Some of the missions have been tested, but not as thoroughly yet. Once I have completed the testing, I want to begin adding more entities such as allied vessels and creatures to the sector map and then start working on additional sectors and missions.

There are a few "upgrades" that I have made to the player ship as well. I have installed the Fuel Collection System in order to increase the operational range of the ship, making the ship able to operate more effectively away from main sectors with bases. In addition, I have added an extra sensor array that can be activated by the Science officer. It allows them to initiate a scan of the local vicinity and gather additional information about phenomena that may be encountered. To tie in with this, the Comms officer can access a number of reports, one being from the sensor arrays. If the sensors activated by the Science officer picks anything up, the Comms officer will be able to see it by requesting a sensor report. The Comms officer can also request reports from "Internal Ops" to get updates on things such as the storage of cargo, or the transfer of passengers, or from "Engineering" to get further details on what is happening on the engineering decks. All these systems are aimed at making the Sandbox more immersive for crews, and add a few extra things that they can access. 

Wargames, Crew assignments and a Galaxy to explore

The Wargames event was a great success and the crew of the TSN Falcon put on a great display for a live audience. We were able to show how a crew works together on a TSN ship and some of the tactics we use as we approach engagements. TSN Command were also impressed and plans to make additional videos and hold more live stream events in the future. Personally, I hope that in the next we'll be able to demonstrate how several ships operate together. I have already started training officers of the Light Division in basic fleet tactics and manoeouvres, and soon we will be able to move on to the more advanced fleet tactics.

Crew assignments are now my next priority. I now have a list of the crew assignments completed and I have discussed it with my senior officers. The assignments should provide a good balance of experience and expertise to both the TSN Falcon and the TSN Pegasus. I intend to keep the assignments the same for some time to allow the new crews to train together and get used to working together. Eventually, when we have several ships and crews operating, there will be procedures in place to allow officers to apply for new assignments or transfers to other vessels. For now these procedures are still being developed. There will likely be a minimum amount of time that an officer must serve aboard a vessel before they can transfer. This will ensure that crews are not impacted by continual changes to crews. My hope is that the transfers and the chance for officers to change and work with other officers will push the experise and skill of all TSN crews.

New systems have now been implemented across all ships in the Division. Officers are adapting quickly to the new systems and the transition has been relatively smooth. The Skaraans we have encountered recently have confirmed the intelligence reports that I received from TSN Command. Skaraans have improved may of their systems and now have ways to effectively combat our missiles and mines. It would seem that the Hegamoney can now effectively detect our mine fields too. I have observed several changing course to move around the minefields. Although it means that we can destroy fewer ships using minefields, it does mean that the enemy is delayed trying to get around them and gives us more time to get in position to defend allies and stations.

We have also encountered several "biomechs", an advanced space dwelling species of bio mechanical entities. I have heard several reports about the species being agressive, however I have currently only observed them attack in self defense. I have issued orders to the officers of the Light Division that the biomechs are not to be provoked or attacked unless they attack first and that all reasonable measures must be made not to engage the biomechs. In a way, they are like wild animals on Earth. This is their space, their home, and we are the guests.

OOC -  I have started writing a mission script that will allow players to explore USFP space. Using my gateways and nav points, I have created and linked around 14 sectors so far. In all there are four systems (Atlantis, Titan, Al'Mare and Osiris; each with several sectors), and two waypoint sectors. The script allows players to activate gateways and nav points so that they can move around the space. I have a couple of bugs to sort out (there seems to be a problem when moving around sectors in the Al'Mare system) and two or three more sectors in Osiris system to populate with bases, nebula and asteroids but in all, most of the base script is now finished.

Once I have worked the bugs out of the main part of the script, I am going to start adding missions in as well as some upgrades for the ship.  The way the script works should allow me to add missions and upgrade in to the script, without making any changes to the sectors I have already created. There is one mission already; just a simple one requiring supplies to be delivered to another sector. I have also put in my fuel collection code to allow refuelling away from bases.   

I was also considering making the start point random, so that when players start the mission, the start sector is randomly selected. I already have an idea of how to script this and it should be relatively straightforward. I think I'll have it so that the start sector is in one of the main systems, or in a sector with a command base within it, rather then entirely random. Crews could the go out from that main command base and explore the surrounding systems.

The whole script only works with one ship; the Artemis. I have no plans to make the script support multiple ships. I have made a multi-ship script called Guardians, but it took a lot of effort and I'm not sure if all the bugs have been sorted in it yet. I had to add a lot of extra script to support the additional ships and there may still be one or two errors in it, or things I have not considered.

I am going to continue working away at the Sandbox script. The script is available here for anyone who wants to try it. As I work on it, I continually update the file that people can download so that the most current version is always available. It would be worth downloading the script when it is going to be run to ensure the latest version is being used.

Back on Station

I have now arrived back at Promethean Command after my journey to TSN Command HQ and Earth.

I journeyed to TSN Command in order to give an update of the Light Division and receive new information about system upgrades to TSN vessels. There is to be an overhaul of the systems interface aboard all TSN vessels. HQ allowed me to see a version of the system interface in the final testing phases, so that I may become familiar with it and therefore able to brief the Light Division on its integration. After looking over it, I can see that there will be a need to organise a few training sessions for senior officer to get them up to speed.

One major change is the addition of finer control inputs to the vertical thrusters. The thrusters themselves need only minor modifications, but the new software will allow helms officers to fine tune our vertical position much more precisely. Combat tactics are going to evolve as a result, and helms officers are going to need the most training in order to adjust their tactical thinking beyond the limited plane we have been using until now. The sensor arrays are also being upgraded on all TSN vessels. Equipment will be delivered to Promethean Command soon, and is designed to pick out greater detail of vessels in a sector; displaying a symbol to indicate the ship configuration rather than the original arrow showing the current heading of the vessel. 

New intelligence also suggests that Hegemony forces are now able to mask their ship signature to a greater extent, and have made improvements to their external sensors allowing them detect hazards such as mines with greater accuracy. Skaraans seem to have been investing a lot in technology too. Many reports claim advanced systems becoming more common aboard many Skaraan vessels, including better cloaking devices and advanced targeting systems.

Now I am back on station, I also have a few other matters to attend to. TSN Command have asked the Division to take part in a live Wargames event, where we stage a simulation to show a TSN crew in action as part of a TSN military celebration. I have already hand picked some of the best officers in the Division to take part and engineers have been working to set up the simulation software to ensure that the event is broadcast for all to view. Hopefully everything will run smoothly. Final preparations are being made to ensure it does. I intend to brief my officers beforehand so they are fully aware of how the event will run. As long as we are prepared well enough, I am confident that we will be able to show the the high levels of professionalism and capability of officers of the TSN and in particular, officers of the 4th Light Division.

I also have to sort out crew assignments. With the promotion of my first officer to Commander and his newly assigned captaincy of the TSN Pegasus, a permanent crew needs to be assigned to him. Currently, the Division has a good number of full officers; enough to create two full, permanent crews aboard the Pegasus and the Falcon. I am considering reassigning several officers to new assignments on the two vessels. This will allow officers to work as part of a different crew, potentially under a new captain, and for me to build up solid crews on both vessels with a mix of ranks and abilities. I'll have to appoint a new first officer for the TSN Falcon too.

Now that there are two vessels running and the process of training new officers is becoming more refined and well established (senior officers are now regularly training new recruits and junior officers), I will be able to shift greater focus upon training commanding officers on how to operate as part of a coordinated Division, working closely alongside other TSN ships in combat. Already we have been trying out new tactical fleet manoeuvres, attacking enemy fleets in pairs using coordinated firing runs and manoeuvring. To see such coordination in action is an impressive sight indeed and demonstrates the true might of the TSN. Operating independently, TSN ships and their crews are a force to be reckoned with. Operating together, and in close proximity, TSN ships and crews are even more formidable!

TSN Live Stream Event

On 17th August 2013 at 21:30hrs UTC, senior officers of the TSN RP Community are going to come together to host a live stream event. The intention is to showcase what the TSN RP Community are about; creating and playing as part of a professional crew. 

On the night, we'll be looking at running a couple of missions with just one ship. We're going to be using the "Elite Co-op" mode so that the enemy ships can be made more challenging, boosting shields, and weapon strength. People watching will be able to see the general tactics used by crews of the RP Community, as well as hear orders and watch how the crew works together to carry them out.

We will be running version 1.702. Although version 2.0 will be out by then, we'd want to get used to the new features before showcasing what we can do. There has already been lots of discussion how our tactics will be able to evolve and become more interesting and complex with some of the new features. 

Everyone is welcome to view. The session will be streamed live (link address will be posted on the Artemis forums, as well as on Artemis Community websites) and a view of the helms console, along with other views including a sector map and mainscreen display will be on show. 

Should this event be a success, we'll be looking at hosting another, but with multiple ships. We have already started developing tactics for multiple ships so that they can coordinate together in combat and would love to show off what is possible in the game.

Come along and check it out!

New Recruits, Training and true Officers of the TSN (OOC)

The RP community is beginning to thrive and grow as I hoped it would. Applications to join continue to come in regularly, and attendance during RP sessions is growing. The rank system is also starting to come into play more as officers gain experience and improve their skills. There are now seven full officers participating in the RP, all of which are regular and dedicated players. To move up the ranks is not easily achieved, with the officers having to fulfil strict criteria. This ensures that those promoted are dedicated and experienced individuals with an excellent knowledge of their chosen areas of expertise. 

As more new recruits join, there is an increasing need to provide a clear induction for those recruits, bringing them up to speed on the basics of operating consoles, as well as acting as an officer of the TSN. As a result, development has begun on official training courses which can be run on a regular basis. The intention is to run a Basic Training course once a month for all new recruits. The course will be split into two modules; Basic Ops will cover how to operate each console on the most basic level; Basic Officer training will introduce the cadets to combat orders, how the session works and other aspects that apply directly to the RP element. All cadets would have to take the Basic Officer training, however those with previous experience of the game would have the option of skipping Basic Ops should their knowledge already be up to scratch. Overall, the course aims to give all new recruits the same basic level of knowledge and skill that will enable them to fully participate in the RP sessions.

After these courses have been developed, the next stage will be developing courses for specific areas of expertise, such as Helm, Weapons and Science. Courses such as advanced courses in Piloting or Engineering, Command courses for senior officer, instructor training for those wishing to lead courses and so on have also been considered and will potentially be created in the future. An outline of the content has already been drafted for future courses, however they are yet to be fully developed.

I started this RP Community because I wanted to play and train with the best. I wanted to command and be part of crews of experienced and professional officers. Officers who knew their role and could execute orders seamlessly. Officers who develop a knowledge of tactics and strategy, and who follow standards and procedures that allow TSN vessels to operate at peak effectiveness. Such officers now exist in this community, and I am proud to serve alongside them. They are true officers of the Terran Stellar Navy.

Updating the TSN RP Community (OOC)

I have started work on updating all the information available for the TSN RP Community. So far, I have reorganised the Artemis Wiki pages relating to the RP Community and have started combining and updating the information in to one book. The intention is to bring the information together in one reference to make it easier for all members, new and old. Everything in the book will be up-to-date and officially part of the RP.

Why am I doing this? Over the past few months the RP Community has grown and changed. There have been many additions to how the community is organised and how the sessions run. A lot of documents have been created and they need combining together to make a central source of information. Some of the older and original information has been superseded by newer documents, so this one reference document will make it clear what is official and what is not.

 

The new reference document will contain all the information about the community for people who wish to join and play as a member. Much of the information is already available, however there are a few new ideas and changes that I will be making.

 

The first major change will be to do with membership. There are those out there who want to help with the community, but are not necessarily play in role duing RP sessions. Instead they want to help with developing mission scripts and campaigns. Previously, the idea was to have such individuals join as "civilian" members, however that kind of membership created a grey area about the role of civilian members and how they took part in the RP session. To address this issue, I am going to create two main membership types; Non-RP contributors and RP players. The non-RP contributors are exactly that, individuals who want to contribute mission scripts, campaigns, GM missions and take part, but not play during the RP sessions, or play in role. The RP players will be as they are now though, having to apply and playing in role during RP sessions.

 

As a reult of this change, the application form will be altered for RP members, and a process put in place for those wanting to become non-RP members. All this will be detailed in the new reference document.

 

There will be a lot of other information within the document too, including new session guidelines that were created recently, promotional structures, communications protocol, pointers to other official documentation  such as the Officer Handbook, application forms etc. I am not sure when it will be ready for release, and it will be updated periodically as the community continues to grow. I am sure that it will provide an invaluable source of information for anyone wanting to be involved in the RP community though and will make things much clearer to understand and easier to find.

Oh and one last thing, this whole post is in italics for a reason - because it is written "out of character". It is another idea that is going to be incorporated as part of the RP community to help differentiate between "in chararcter" and "out of character" chat.

Rank Structure & Expectations

As part of the on going process of creating the most professional and highly trained TSN division, I have been formulating criteria for officers. These criteria outline what an officer should be capable of, and the level of experience they must have, at each rank. It was something that I have considered for some time, and when my first officer suggested something similar, I decided to begin work on developing the criteria.

Originally, I had developed a set of questions to test an officer's knowledge as they progressed from one rank to the next. These questions were to form a basic "criteria"; if an officer could provide acceptable answers (or demonstrations) then they would progress to the next rank. The main issue with them however, was that they did not form a complete and clear "image" of what that officer should actually be capable of, the questions instead just provided a means of testing an officer. There was nothing that could be shared with officers beforehand, detailing what they should have done and be able to do, and there was nothing outlining the experience that an officer should have.

The new criteria gives a series of bullet points, clearly outlining what an officer must be able to do and must have already done to obtain the next rank. So far, only the criteria for junior officer has been completed; the criteria for the senior officers is still being developed. The main focus for junior officers is the development of skills and experience operating the main consoles. Command experience isn't required to advance up to the ranks of Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Commander (at the rank of Lieutenant-Commander an officer is expected to begin gaining command experience).

The criteria can be found in this document.

Looking ahead to Multi-ship tactics

The number of officers in the light division continues to grow and it recently occurred to me that it will soon be possible to have multiple ships operating together more frequently. With the introduction of new bridge communications training and the newly formulated combat orders, I have started considering how the ideas can be extended to situations in which multiple ships are operating together. I have looked into this area before and had a few different ideas that I think, with a little development, will work well. I also have several fresh ideas that I would like to try out. Overall, my aim will be to make communication and coordination between ships much more effective and efficient.

As a starting point, I intend to focus on how two ships could communicate with one-another, particularly during a combat situation. I envision two ships working together to engage the same enemy fleet, coordinating fire and manoeuvring to quickly overcome the larger enemy formations. My first idea is to use a simple hierarchy to aid in coordination; before a combat, one ship would be designated the lead vessel, the second the supporting vessel.

My next idea is to develop something similar to the combat orders. The combat orders allow a captain to give the helm officer more autonomy; the order outlines the general tactics and types of manoeuvres that the captain wants without having to detail specifics about what to do. The multi-ship orders would do a similar job, but between ships. Only captains need know them, and they would give a general outline of the tactics that will be used. For example, an order may be a simple "Fleet Order 2" issued by the senior officer. The captain of the lead vessel would translate this as "you can use the following combat orders - delta 1, echo 1, etc. Overall the idea is to close in with the enemy". The captain on the support vessel would translate them as "the other ship is going to close in, you have to support them with long range fire from homing torpedoes e.g. Evasive pattern Gamma 2." It would add to the knowledge a captain requires, but it would also become part of a senior officers training as they progress into command ranks.

Of course, these are only ideas at the moment, but I doubt it will be long until I can begin experimenting and improving them. For now, my main focus is still on standardising bridge communications protocol and developing the skill and experience of the officers in the division.

Creating an example to follow

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.

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.

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.

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

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)

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!

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

Science complete, now for the next Handbook

Yesterday, I managed to complete the update to the Officer's Handbook for the role of Science Officer, expanding the content considerably. I did receive a message regarding an addition that I could make; stating that the Science Officer should be able to comment on enemy capabilities such as weapon capabilities. It was a valid point and I intend to add the comment in a future update. Before I do so however, I am going to complete the Ship Recognition Handbook in order to reference this as a source of information. The Science Officer can then use the document to aid their recognition of enemy vessels. The completion of the Science Officer's Handbook now means I need to shift my focus on to the next Handbook project of course.

Of the Officer's Handbooks, I still have Communications, Helm, Tactical and Captain to review and update. Both Helm and Tactical Officers already have a great deal of content to draw on, both from version 3 of the Officer's Handbook as well as the Tactical Handbook that I have released. As a result I am considering focusing initially on the Communication Officer's role.

The role of Comms Officer is one that most seem to see as the 'less engaging' role aboard a vessel, with little to do, particularly during engagements with the enemy. I have read many comments of "during combat my comms officer has very little to do", or "I regularly have to shout at comms to keep them awake." Since the beginning of my TSN career, I have found myself disagreeing with the view that Comms Officer is 'less engaging' entirely. I believe however, that it is down to Comms Officers themselves to ensure they are being a productive member of the crew. With some thought and initiative, the Comms Officer can become an extremely valuable addition to any crew. The information that I would include therefore, would be guidance on how to make the most of the role.

As with all the new handbooks, I intend to include a section on giving a status report, outlining the kind of things that the Comms Officer should report on. I also want to include information on ship-to-ship communications when operating with another vessel, or as part of a Division or Fleet formation. In my opinion, the Comms Officer should be relaying orders to the Captain from the Division Commander or an Admiral. I also think an important aspect of being a Comms Officer is having a good strategic awareness. Having access to a sector map means the Comms Officer can effectively coordinate allies, as well as influence the movements of enemies. Knowing how and when strategies should be implemented to affect the course of a mission is learned with experience, but I hope that I can include guidance to make Comms Officer's aware of their potential capabilities in this area.

TSN Handbooks

Officer's Handbook: Science Officer

Today, I have been continuing with the update of the Officer's Handbook, focusing primarily on the Science Officer's role aboard a vessel. The content is being expanded to include additional details with the aim of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Science Officer, and the extent to which they are utilised by the captain. I was dissatisfied with the previous section as it is rather short and does not provide detail and depth in to really operating as a science officer. To me, it is too easy to ignore the input that the science officer can provide, relegating them to scanning enemies and reporting shield frequencies as the captain's map can provide the same wealth of information. In my opinion, it is up to the captain to use them to a much greater extent, relying less on the captain's map and more on the science officer.

Borrowing ideas from the engineering section that I previously released, I have included information on how to provide a status report to the captain. There is an incredible amount of information that the science officer has access to, and I feel that it is the captain's duty to allow the science officer to provide this information, and the status report allows a science officer to do so in a structured manner.

I believe that a science officer should also be utilised in a navigational role on occasion, in order to free up the captain and allow him/her to focus on other aspects of command. With the information available, a science officer could provide bearings to a helms officer and effectively guide the vessel around a sector and potential hazards. For example if the vessel needs to transit through a narrow gap in an asteroid field, or steer around particular nebula, the science officer could plot the course and give bearings and speeds to navigate the ship safely to its destination. In the meantime, the captain would have the opportunity to check in with other officers, or plan the next course of action.

Along with the above additions, I am also re-writing the information on one of the fundamental aspects of the role of science officer; gathering intelligence. Tracking enemy movements and gathering details on shield frequencies, shield strength and current level of damage is the key requirement of a science officer when encountering hostile forces. This information provided to the captain and the bridge officers can have an immense impact on engagements and the tactics used and therefore essential information to include.

I am hoping to complete this section of the handbook soon and will be releasing it initially as a Science Officer's Handbook, just as I did with the Engineer's Handbook.

TSN Handbooks

Additions to TSN Structure and Operation Handbook

I have made additions to the Structure and Operation of the TSN handbook this week. The new content includes more information on officers ranks, from Officer Cadet to Captain. The additions include details about the how promotions work in the TSN, with notes on the examination process that the officer must undertake. I have also separated Flag officer ranks from officer ranks and defined ranks of Lieutenant-Commander and above as "command ranks"; the ranks in which you could be assigned either temporary or permanent command of a TSN vessel.

In addition to this, I have been writing guideline questions that can be posed during the officer examinations. I also have a series of questions that I would ask a new officer (an Ensign just graduated) who requests assignment to my vessel that will allow me to ascertain their suitability for the position.

Over the coming weeks, I am going to continue adding more detail to the TSN Officer's Handbook. I was considering rewriting and expanding the Science Officer or the Comms Officer sections as I think both need an alteration to the information within them. For the Science Officer section, I was considering adding information on plotting courses and directing the Helms Officer. It will allow a Captain to free themselves from having to continually navigate, particularly in situations where multiple anomalies results in multiple course changes being made.

Recruiting

I have made the decision to begin recruiting officers to form a permanent crew. So far I have Captained a number of vessels for short periods, however I have been tasked by T.S.N command to form a permanent crew. Currently one officer has submitted an interest in joining my crew; an Ensign who specialises in Engineering. I am considering giving officers trial runs in order to see what additional training I may need to organise and to ensure they are fully aware of the operation standards and guidelines set out in training manuals. 

I have high expectations of my crew, but I am confident there are many highly skilled T.S.N officer's out there. 

TSN Handbooks; What Next?

Last week, I completed the Engineering Handbook and uploaded it to the Wiki. From the comments I have received, it seems that many officers find it a useful document. Looking back on the handbook, I think I have managed to write something that provides a solid foundation for all engineers, both novice and experienced, from which they can effectively work from. I have tested the ideas during simulations and found that they have improved my own management of the engineering systems.

Now that the engineering handbook is complete, I am going to shift my focus back to my other handbook projects, although at the moment I am unsure which one. The Tactical Handbook needs additional content adding to it and some revisions. I want to add guidance for operating a fleet of ships, commanded by an Admiral. The section on operating a Division of ships needs refining further too, however I still need to gather other captains and crews so I can test the principles that I lay out in the document. The original Officer's Handbook is one that I was aiming to continually update (the new Engineer's Handbook will be incorporated within it in the next revision). I have already started the update to a new "Version 2", so could continue to focus on that update. I am intending to re-write the whole handbook, releasing each section as a handbook in its own right. The section on the Captain's role will most likely be the focus if I were to pursue this project, releasing a Captain's Handbook when the section is finished. Other projects that are unfinished include the Ship Recognition Handbook and the Structure and Operation of the TSN Handbook. One is a matter of plugging in data and inserting graphics, whilst the other is more creative. 

All that remains is to decide which of the four I will pursue first.........