Greetings to all worthy Cardassians!
Welcome to the Seventh Order PBeM Club posting rules. This will give you all of the basics you need to get started posting. Many wonders and adventures await you. In order to make the game more enjoyable for everyone, we post our messages using a standard format. This makes it easier for people to know who and where messages are coming from. As well, in this document you will find information about how the Seventh Order is structured and who you can go to if you require assistance. It's very important that you read everything in this handbook.
First of all I want to go over a few terms that you will need to know while reading the posting rules provided below and while playing in the Seventh Order's play-by-email games in the future.
GM:
The GM or Game Manager is the person who controls the over-all Seventh Order Email Games. The current GM of the Seventh Order's play by email games is Lynn Parr (Ardeth).
AGM:
AGMs or Assistant Game Managers are Seventh Order staff members. One AGM is assigned to each vessel or starbase to oversee the running of that game and to ensure that all plotlines are administered the proper way that the SDT (see next entry for description) intended them to be. The AGM is often the same person as the Gul (Captain). The AGM as a staff member plays NPCs (Non Player Characters or supporting characters) that are involved in a specific situation that will affect the plot. Players can only create and run a NPC in a very limited non plot affecting manner. For example, if a player needs a medic, he can call one and run that NPC as long as he doesn't create any new side plots with the NPC.
SDT:
The SDT or Storyline Development Team is made up of various staff members, mostly AGMs who create the missions for each ship or starbase. The SDT also develops and implements a long term story arc that connects all the ships and starbases within the Seventh Order into one continuum of events. (Everyone will feel like they are in the same "universe" as all the other players in the various Seventh Order games.)
CO:
The CO or Commanding Officer, sometimes called "Captain" by Federation crews, is a player/character that is in charge of the ship or starbase in the storyline. They are the highest ranking officer on the ship and all officers will report to the CO. Generally a commanding officer in the Cardassian military is a Gul.
Seventh Order Rank Structure compared to the Starfleet structure:
| Seventh Order Rank | Star Fleet Rank |
| Yelbrin | Ensign |
| Galt | Lieutenant Junior Grade |
| Galt Rin | Lieutenant |
| Leyvan | Lieutenant |
| Glinn | Lieutenant Commander |
| Jurvot | Lieutenant Commander |
| Tulgryn | Commander |
| Gul | Captain |
| Hydak | Commodore |
| Kaylan | Admiral |
| Legate | Diplomat |
The basic setup will be that each player on a ship or starbase will be e-mailing all of his postings or messages to a mailing list. This list consists of all other players on your ship or starbase, the CO/AGM and the GM along with the occasional interested lurkers in the background following the game. All players will be required to check their email each time before they post a new message so that we don't have any posts going in different directions or players performing the same action as another player. Occasionally posts may cross and then the AGM will either let the story continue if no serious damage was done, or intervene by setting the plot straight so the game may continue. The Phoenyx listserv sends out batches of messages every thirty minutes, so on rare occasion this has happened but with no significant disruption of the game.
The AGM's job is to see that the plot is followed through. The reason they are called AGMs (Assistant Game Managers) is because there is only one GM of the whole Seventh Order game and currently that role is filled by Ardeth. Each AGM of a ship reports to Ardeth (gm@7thorder.org) and all the players report to the Captain and AGM of their ship.
All game plots will be created by a Storyline Development Team (SDT).
The SDT is made up of staff members, mostly AGMs. It is not a requirement
for a AGM to be on the team but it would help them in having a say in what
their ship is involved in for plotlines. A SDT will help us coordinate
our stories so that we create a greater sense of continuity between
the various ships. After all we are in the same universe.
POSTING POLICIES
The Assistant Game Manager (AGM) who is also your Commanding Officer (CO) will set up the missions and guide them along, but it is really the players who develop the story of each game through their postings to the group. When you post a response you are basically telling everyone what your character is doing, what he or she is thinking, how they are interacting with other players and NPCs (non-player characters: controlled by the AGM). Also, when posting, players are encouraged to expand on the story begun by the AGM/CO and the other players. Keep in mind that you can interact with the other players in posts, but please don't make decisions for your fellow players. You are welcome to give the game some plot twists or add elements to the ongoing story. Only the AGM/CO should make major changes to plots. Players are urged to write as much as possible. ***However, the minimal posting time is once per week to avoid falling behind in the story.*** If you know that you will not be able to post within the week, please contact your AGM/CO and let them know.
This will prevent the story and other players being held back in your absence. If you have not posted in longer than two weeks and have not contacted your AGM/CO, your character will be given NPC status and may be used at the discretion of the AGM/CO. If you wish to return to the game at a future point, you can contact your AGM/CO who will consider your case. If a good explanation can be given for your absence, you will be allowed to rejoin the game.
If for some reason you feel as though you can not keep up the posting frequency of once per week, we can offer you what we call a "guest starring" role. All this means is that your character will be moved to a less story important role. Or you will be prompted to create a new character that can easily slip in and out of the story. In this guest star role you can post at your own speed as long as it is reasonable.
Understandably there are times when certain characters are
not the focus of the mission. In this instance a player is responsible
for finding a way to stay in the game. Become useful to another division
on your ship or role play personal encounters with other players.
Their are many ways to do this. Contact your AGM/CO for help if you need
it.
MAILING LISTS
All Seventh Order games are played via mailing lists (listservs). The advantage of this, is that instead of having to keep track of a large number of email addresses, you subscribe yourself to the list and send your posts to the single list address. It also means that when crews are docked together at Felor Vi or on joint missions, they may interact simply by subscribing to the other ship's mailing list.
There are two ways you can get on the mailing list.
The first is to go to the URL listed below:
http://www.phoenyx.net/subscrib.html
Once there, you can enter your email address and the name of your character (rather than real name). Make sure that the button to subscribe, and not unsubscribe is tagged. Then choose the button for the appropriate ship (e.g. Ravek-L) and click the "Send Request" button.
You can also get on the mailing list by sending a message to the list. Send a message to: majordomo@phoenyx.net with subscribe ravek-L youremail@youraddress in the body of the message. Leave the subject line empty.
For example Gul Hecat would subscribe with the following in the body of the message.
subscribe ravek-L hecat@7thorder.org
Once you have subscribed, you will send all posts to one address
only. That address is
ship-L@phoenyx.net. Substitute the name of your ship.
For example, ravek-L@phoenyx.net
Please note that it is different from the address used for subscribing. When you post a message turn, the subject of your message need only be the subject line of the current story (initiated by the AGM) and no the name of the ship. One note on the naming of ships. Since the Ravek/Rylok Nor are a combined play area, all officers stationed aboard Rylok Nor will subscribe to the Ravek list. If you have any questions about this, or have trouble getting subscribed, please let us know!
deklar-L (Kobrys - Flagship of the Seventh
Order)
maksuun-L (Erdani - Seventh Order Warship)
ravek-L (The Ravek Diplomatic Escort
Vessel and the space station Rylok Nor)
THINGS TO REMEMBER!
| 1. | Check your email before posting so that you don't write something
that someone else has already done.
|
| 2. | Make sure that your post is decent, as we do have younger
people involved in the club and they could be on any number of ships.
We have players as young as eleven and as old as sixty five.
|
| 3. | If you have a spell checker on your computer, then please spell
check your post before sending it. This will make reading it a lot
easier for everyone else in your game.
|
| 4. | The subject line of your post will be determined by your AGM.
The subject goes along with the current thread of where your character
is interacting and is used to sorting the different elements of the over
all mission by those who save every game message. This is scene based,
which means you would type "Fighting Klingons on the bridge" if you were
involved in a fight on the bridge of your ship or maybe you would type
"Investigating the Alien Building." The subject is set by the
AGM and you should follow that thread until they change it. This
avoids having a myriad of different subjects and makes the storylines easier
for everyone to follow. The listserver will append a ship name to
the beginning of your subject. For example someone on the Ravek
would type in "Investigating the Alien Building" as the subject, but when
it was delivered to the other players by the listserver, it would now appear
as "Ravek: Investigating the Alien Building." There is no need for
you to type the name of the ship, it is done for you.
|
| 5. | Location Lines: This will be written on the top line of any posts
that you send to the other players. This gives the reader of your post
several important pieces of information. First off, it will say your
character’s current Rank and Name. Then it will have your character's
general location, and finally it will state the time. Sometimes you
may want to put in a stardate or sometimes state what just
happened. In some cases you are not able to put a time in because it doesn't
fit the situation and that's okay. Always place "<"
and ">" signs before and after your location line. This will help distinguish
it from the main text in your story.
<Gul Mynar, Dutapa Council Chambers, after Testifying> <Gul Mynar, on the Deklar, Stardate 9610.20> <Gul Mynar, Waking up in his room> |
| 6. | Any O.O.C. (Out of Character) statements should be placed
in brackets "[" and "]" and begin with "OOC:". Example:
|
| 7. | Players are not allowed to write for other player's characters
beyond the simplest of actions. Write what your own character does
and then wait for other players to respond. This is a play-by-email game
and the missions do take several months to complete. Remember you
can post anytime you like. If a player doesn't respond to your ship's listserv
within a reasonable amount of time then contact your AGM.
Below are a few examples of crew interaction with the system of posting
for the Seventh Order.
Player Number One ======================================== <Leyvan Quchant, Operations Station, After Gul Mynar's Announcement> Quchant was in deep concentration trying to get the ships systems rerouted around the shaken Deklar's conduits. When Gul Mynar's request came over the comm system the third time, he jumped and hadn't realized what had happened. Quickly calling a 'stand-in' to the post, he rushed into the Ready Room, "Sorry, I'm late Sir, but I was working on a way to convert the replicator energy to be used on the SIF via the Warp Core Dilithium chamber, I think I am on to something, which is why I was concentrating too hard to hear the first two hails, but with engineering's help I may be able to get at least a holo-simulation up and running within about 2 hours. ==========================================
<Gul Mynar in the Ready Room, Right before the meeting> Mynar had risen from his chair to have a quiet word with Yelbrin Mekar, when the door opened and in rushes Leyvan Quchant. "Sorry, I'm late Sir, but I was working on a way to convert the replicator energy to be used on the SIF via the Warp Core Dilithium chamber, I think I am on to something, which is why I was concentrating too hard to hear the first two hails, but with engineering's help I may be able to get at least a holo-simulation up and running with about 2 hours. "Really? Using replicator energy...Excellent idea Leyvan...we need to be underway after the briefing is complete..go ahead and have the engineering division start preliminary trials as soon as possible, and once we're finished here you may join them." Standing near his desk, the room begins to quiet down and he begins to speak... "First of all, I'd like to commend you all for your exemplary performance during the recent Kayla-Alien crisis...I believe that this situation was handled as well as it could have been no matter what the circumstances. I'd also like to add that we have received from the Seventh Order Head Quarters a communiqué that has some promotion announcements...I'd like to be the first to congratulate Galt Rin Ribra and Galt Amead Mekar. You should all be very proud, and I am pleased to have you serving with me." Mynar looks around the room at the faces of his senior staff to gauge their reactions... "The situation we are now facing is this... We need to deliver Kayla to Cardassia Prime now that she is sedated and in a containment cell. As I'm sure you are all aware getting back through the DMZ will be pretty tough considering the roving bands of Klingon marauders there. Expect to be fired upon for no reason other than that we are in the way ....Galt Plya...you will assume your station at the helm to make sure we avoid the Klingon patrols. Galt Kervel, you will assume your station at tactical and make sure we are ready for any confrontation...Leyvan Quchant...You will assume your station at OPS and make sure that we have enough resources to keep the structural integrity field intact over the breach we sustained during Kayla's rampage. I also want a report on the repair of the microfractures...we need them fixed before we enter the DMZ. Yelbrin Jalay...you will coordinate with the medical staff and make sure the rest of the ship is "fit to get back to duty..Tulgryn Vurdel..I need you on the Bridge with me....any questions?" Gul Mynar awaits the inquiries of his staff, if any, regarding this mission or their assignments. =========================================
<Galt Amead Mekar, Ready Room, During Briefing> Amead motions to Mynar that she has a question. He nods his head for her to speak. "Gul Mynar, what sort of resistance from the Klingons are we to expect going across the DMZ now that open warfare has resumed?" ==========================================
<Gul Mynar, Ready Room, During Briefing> Gul Mynar listens to the newly promoted Galt ask her question. "Gul Mynar, what sort of resistance from the Klingons are we to expect going across the DMZ now that open warfare has resumed?" He thinks for a second and then answers. "Frankly we are expecting heavy resistance, but it's nothing that I think this crew can't handle." ==========================================
|
| 8. | When posting a message to the crew, please *do not* include the whole body of the previous message in your message.(This makes for very large emails after a while.) You may of course clip and paste various sections that you need in order to reply in character to their questions. So please create an entirely new message when sending a posting out to your fellow players. |
| 9. | Before beginning a side plot to the main story, contact your AGM for your ship and run the idea by them first. We don't want players posting that "A Romulan Warbird has just decloaked in front of us sir!" when the AGM has not planned for that incident to happen. |
POSITIONS
This is a quick description of the various duty stations that are used within the Seventh Order games.
Flight Controller - (Conn, Helm, Navigator)
The officer responsible for both helm and navigational duties. The
flight controller is the pilot of the ship. On a space station,
the flight control officer is assigned to the shuttle bays or as the flight
control officer aboard any attached support vessels.
Operations Manager - (Ops Officer)
This bridge officer responsible for coordination of the various
divisional (departmental) functions aboard the ship. Operations also
has the ability to scan planetary bodies with the ship's sensors.
Communications Officer - (Comm Officer,
Intelligence Officer)
The communications officer is charged with operating all communications
equipment onboard the ship or station. They handle all ship to ship
and ship to planet communications. The officer is also the official intelligence
officer.
Tactical - (Tactical Officer, Tac)
The tactical officer is a member of the security division.
Any security officer can fill in for the tactical position, but only a
certified tactical officer would normally man the post.
Security - (Chief of Security, Sec)
The security division is charged with maintaining the ship's security
at all times. This includes but is not limited to; policing the crew,
repelling boarding parties and providing security on away missions.
The security division also places a officer at the tactical position on
the bridge.
Science - (Chief of Sciences, Sci)
The science division is charged with conducting all scientific studies
and investigation needed onboard the ship or station.
Engineering - (Chief Engineer, Engineer)
This officer is charged with responsibility for the operations
and maintenance of the ship's power, environmental, and other key systems.
Political Officer - (Chief Political
Officer, PO, Corps Officer)
The political officer is outside the normal chain of command as
a member of the Political Officer Corp. A body charged with maintaining
Central Authority's control over the military. The political officer is
also responsible for all diplomatic negotiations and must retain
a broad base of knowledge regarding foreign powers and alien races.
Medical Officer - (Chief Medical Officer,
CMO, Medical Officer)
The officer charged with responsibility for the health and well-being
of the ship's crew. The chief medical officer does not have the authority
to relieve a Gul of his command as a medical officer aboard a Federation
vessel has. The medical officer can make a recommendation to the Political
Officer if they feel the commanding officer is unfit for command.
Any questions can be directed to me, or your CO/AGM.
Lynn Parr / Gul Ardeth Hecat
Seventh Order GM
gm@7thorder.org
