Love this! Well written prose from the perspective of a cat. Super awesome!
Genesis
Lt. Niles McCulloch & Ensign Trevor Andrews & Capt. Emmalyn Marcus & Lt. Cmdr. T’Ponga Shemara & Lt. Sykon Son of Sran. Son of Kanok & Lt. Angelus De’luvia & Lt. JG Travis Ryson ACEO / EO / CO / CEO / XO / CNO / CSO USS Montana
Great, well rounded genesis post. Hits all the right notes.
MVP
Lieutenant Angelus De’luvia Chief Navigation Officer USS Montana
Lt. De’luvia is the consummate team player who is not afraid to voice concerns or alternative ideas. He’s a great asset to both story and crew.
Most Posts
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
For writing 13 posts.
Most Improved
Commander Finchley Kerr Chief Strategic Operations Officer USS Sunfire
The newest member of the Sunfire crew, he weaved his way into the current mission with both joint and solo posts, coming up with some great ideas along the way.
Rookie of the Month
Lieutenant JG Shoniara T’ghann Dex Assistant Chief Medical Officer USS Washington
The Washington’s new Medical Officer hit the ground running with some amazing solo work and group posting–the future is bright!
Last month may have been the earliest we’ve ever gotten the monthly awards out. This month, well, may be the latest. My apologies!
Speaking of last month, I want to offer my sincere thanks to Admirals Charles Star and Ken Gillis for all the hard work they put into our epic 20th anniversary. They hosted two really excellent events: the Science Fiction Trivia Day & Special Webcast, both which had real prizes… unlike these awards!
As we embark this month on our second 20 years, I think back to my earliest days in IDF. I wasn’t there for the fleet’s launch, but I joined soon after in October 2001 on the USS Washington. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” I had no idea back then what I was getting myself into, but golly has it been fun! Enough on me, time for the awards:
Best Post (Single Author)
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
Lots of action, lots of emotion, and some all around great Trek. Very good integration between contributions makes this seem like seamless writing as opposed to lots of different people tacking on to each other’s posts.
Funniest Post
Lt. Dean House & Capt. Rhenora Kaylen & Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell & Lt. JG Avarak CTO / CO / CSS / CSO USS Sunfire
Tactical map that looks like it was drawn by a three year old? Awesome.
Genesis
None this month.
MVP
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
Another great month for the Sunfire, in no small part the work of Lt. Durnell, who took an idea and wrapped it into a myriad of stories that encompass every other member of the crew. The result: extremely well written collaborative stories.
Most Posts
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
For writing 31 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant Aurora Vali Chief Counselor USS Sunfire
A great month for Lt. Vali. She doubled her posts from the previous month and added some absolutely stellar additions to some joint posts.
Rookie of the Month
Master Chief Petty Officer Alake Van Der Luan Master-at-Arms USS Eminence
The Eminence’s new Master at Arms introduced himself to the rest of the crew and set himself up well for his upcoming first full month on the ship.
It’s finally here: The 20th anniversary of the founding of this great club. Who knew back on July 4, 2001 that this group, launched with humble beginnings on Angelfire and YahooGroups, would not only still be around today, but standing among the titans of simming?
Independence Fleet has seen good times, bad times, and everything in between. Throughout it all, we’ve endured to create some of the best Star Trek role playing the Internet has ever witnessed. With that in mind, we have an important message from a very special guest:
In honor of this historic and momentous occasion, we hereby publish the Independence Fleet 20th Anniversary Almanac. It’s 20 pages of history, games, perspectives from the fleet, and more:
Whether you’ve been a member for one day or all 20 years, this legacy belongs to you! On behalf of the entire IDF Admiralty, we hope you thoroughly enjoy today’s message, almanac, and everything this fleet offers.
It is my great privilege to formally induct the newest members of the Independence Fleet Hall of Fame. For those who attended our 20th Anniversary Webcast yesterday, you got a sneak peak at the class of 2021. Induction into our Hall of Fame is the highest honor within this fleet. The criteria, requirements, and process can be found in the Hall of Fame Charter (pdf).
The following individuals are hereby inducted into the Independence Fleet Hall of Fame:
Inducted by Election:
Admiral Joseph “Stealth” Carroll
of the USS Washington
One of the most colorful characters in fleet history, Joseph “Stealth” Carroll has done it all. He joined the USS Washington during the fleet’s first month, then rose through the ranks and earned his first command on the USS Liberty, winning a posting title in his first month. He also served in numerous Admiralty roles up through 2020, most notably Fleet Inspector General. A contributor at every level, Carroll’s loyalty is unmatched.
Captain Wesley Chase
of the USS Avalon
A longtime Captain during IDF’s late renaissance period, Wesley Chase led many original adventures on his two commands, the USS Avalon and USS Archimedes, including during a three month stint as Commanding Officer of both. He knew how to push the boundaries while staying true to the best ideals of both Trek and simming. Chase tallied two posting titles and 2.33 Genesis awards.
Vice Admiral Caroline Marion
no sim selection
A member of the Admiralty through much of IDF’s history, from the late early years up through 2020, Caroline Marion is best known as the genius behind the fleet logos developed circa 2004-06. Building on earlier fleet emblems, the graphics received rave reviews from players and were highly influential on subsequent club artwork. Indeed, the theme and feel from Marion’s work remains today.
Fleet Admiral James D. West
of the USS Sunfire
One of the club’s three founders and instrumental throughout its history, James D. West has left an incalculable mark. He coined the Independence Fleet name, created the first bell & wings logo, and served as the first, third & sixth fleet Commanding Officer. He additionally created four sims and returned in 2020 when the fleet was teetering on collapse. Without West’s many contributions, we wouldn’t be celebrating today.
Fleet Admiral AJ Wheeler
no sim selection
The third and final individual to achieve the Fleet Admiral rank, AJ Wheeler was also the longest serving fleet Commanding Officer, a position held for more than nine years. While the fleet saw many ups and downs during Wheeler’s tenure, it was noted for its extreme growth and many contributions to the greater simming universe, including hosting and sponsoring major community events.
Inducted by the Veterans Committee:
Commander George Ruiken
of the USS Sunfire
A champion simmer from IDF’s late early period, George Ruiken was a go-to player who know how to push the plot forward and make it entertaining for all. He quickly rose through the ranks to Commander, and is still in the top 20 all-time with 6 total awards, including 2 MVPs and 2 Funniest Posts. Ruiken’s posts were always imaginative and provided many opportunities for others to get involved.
Congratulations to all six of our 2021 inductees! Well done, and thank you for providing an example for us still role playing to follow. You will forever be remembered for your extraordinary contributions to Independence Fleet. There are now 33 total members of this most exclusive club.
In a stunning coincidence, the three sims represented this year are the USS Sunfire (x2), USS Avalon, and USS Washington–identical to our original fleet line-up on July 4th, 2001.
Speaking of that, stay tuned for more news regarding our 20th anniversary today…
Wow, what a 20th Anniversary Webcast! It was so awesome that I think we have a new tradition here in this fleet. Our very own Admiral Ken Gillis hosted the event, where he introduced the Hall of Fame class of 2021 and awarded prizes to three people from among our monthly award winners. If you missed it, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see the Hall of Fame inductees. However, I can give a quick recap of the prize drawing.
First, here are the prizes:
Next, the names of the monthly award winners were added to the big wheel. Players received a spot on the wheel for each award they won dating back to March 2020 (award fractions were rounded up):
Lieutenant J’goss Yass G’odoss, also of the USS Chuck Norris
and Chief Petty Officer Remal Kajun of the USS Sunfire
Congratulations to all three! And thank you again to Ken for hosting and putting this on. Bravo!
Please stay tuned for more anniversary news tomorrow…
EDIT: Due to our current embargo on shipping goods to Canada, Aurther Winters will instead be getting a Tim Hortons gift card as a consolation. Also, Remal Kajun has offered to donate his prize. As such, we drew two more winners: Lieutenant Dean House of the USS Sunfire & Lt. Cmdr. T’Ponga Shemara of the USS Montana. Enjoy the prizes!
Commander Jackson Andrews Executive Officer USS Albion
A prototypical XO, Andrews led his ship in posting and showed great leadership by nimbly playing off of the leads from other characters while simultaneously creating openings for others.
Most Posts
Lt. Chester “Duo” Maxwell Chief Security Officer USS Sunfire
For writing 13 posts.
Most Improved
Lt. Chester “Duo” Maxwell Chief Security Officer USS Sunfire
Returning to simming after a lengthy break, Maxwell rejoined the Sunfire and was a powerhouse all month. Initiating posts, working well with the existing crew, and being a general pleasure to role play with.
Rookie of the Month
Lieutenant JG Avarak Chief Science Officer USS Sunfire
Despite joining after the joint mission began, Avarak jumped straight into the fray, initiating several posts and participating in the ship-wide joints posts. A great first month!
Recruitment
No award this month. Get recruiting!
Another great month for our ships and the entire fleet. In other news, our 20th anniversary is just three days away! Also don’t forget to attend our special webcast on July 3rd. See you there!
On July 4th, 2021, Independence Fleet celebrates its 20th anniversary, having been founded on July 4th, 2001. In honor of this event, we will be holding a webcast in the fleet watch party voice channel of the fleet’s Discord server at 12:00 PM ET (-4) / 5:00 PM BST (+1) on July 3rd (in order to allow members to enjoy the holiday with their families).
We will honor our past by announcing the new members to be inducted into the IDF Hall of Fame, and there will also be prizes! Make sure to mark your calendars to tune in to our Discord server on July 3rd!
Admiral Ken Gillis Chief of Technology Independence Fleet
I hope everyone enjoyed SciWorld yesterday. It was an instant classic! Thank you to all who played a part in putting it on, including Aurther Winters, who was just awarded the Ongoing Worlds Community Honor for his efforts as Chair. Congratulations!
And now, on with the May monthly awards:
Best Post (Single Author)
Lt. Cmdr. Grexx Chief Engineering Officer USS Albion
A classic ensemble post that reads like a great sitcom episode! Hilarious!
Genesis
None this month.
MVP
Lt. Cmdr. Grexx Chief Engineering Officer USS Albion
The Chief Engineer joined the Albion after many years away from simming. He immediately integrated himself into the story, drove the plot forward, and worked well with the crew. It’s as if he never left!
Most Posts
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Liberty
Ensign Phoenix dove into the current mission and showed an eager willingness to advance the story, both for his own character and the greater storyline.
Rookie of the Month
None this month.
Recruitment
None this month.
Keep up the great work, everyone, but let’s make sure we have winners in all categories for June!
Join us this Saturday, June 12th, at 11:30 AM EDT (-4) / 4:30 pm BST (+1) for the 2021 SciWorld Online Convention. Chair Aurther Winters, Fleet XO Ken Gillis, and many others have put in a lot of hours to make this an extra special event this year. After the 11:30 opening ceremony, we have seven hours of provocative discussions, interactive trivia games, and live role playing planned.
This will be the 19th SciWorld, and the third hosted by IDF. The first SciWorld was held all the way back in 1999. And just to see how far we’ve come over the years, here’s the opening video from the first modern SciWorld, which we hosted in 2011:
We know this is crazy, but basically the crews are trading ships: USS Sunfire CO Captain Sandy “Ghost” Shannon & crew and USS Liberty CO Captain Rhenora Kaylen & crew are permanently swapping ships.
Wait, what?
Over the last week, each crewmember added their character to the other sim. Then today, the two Captains published joint genesis posts on each sim: Here’s the Sunfire’s & here’s the Liberty’s. Crewmembers are free to participate on both sims for the remainder of the missions, which will be wrapped up before the end of the month. At that time, legacy Liberty members will have their characters deactivated as they continue on the Sunfire, and legacy Sunfire members will have their characters deactivated as they continue on the Liberty.
Why do this?
Both sims have tremendous histories here at IDF. In fact, IDF was born out of the original Sunfire, and it was one of our three launch sims back in July 2001. Shortly thereafter, the Liberty was our first expansion sim on August 1, 2001. The current registry numbers hark back to those early days. When we relaunched both sims last year, circumstances led to the Liberty crew largely consisting of players from the last incarnation of the Sunfire. They’re simply going home now. And fortunately, the crew of the Sunfire are good enough sports to play along.
How will these joint missions turn out?
I have no idea, but they’re sure to be wild as we’ve never attempted anything like this before!
With that said, as of today, Captain Rhenora Kaylen is now the Commanding Officer of the USS Sunfire, and Captain Sandy “Ghost” Shannon is now the Commanding Officer of the USS Liberty. Congratulations, Captains! May you continue to lead your sims to new heights!
