If you stumbled across our website last Thursday, you might have seen something a bit peculiar. In case you missed it, we’ve archived it here.
The prototypical 1990s simming webpage, complete with animated gifs, a repeating background, and way too many Admirals was the brainchild of our Fleet XO and Chief of Technology Ken Gillis. As most of you know, IDF didn’t actually exist back then as it was founded in 2001. However, some of our members today got their starts back in the 90’s.
As with our Super Space Command 3000 gag last year, we hope you enjoyed this too. Well done, Admiral Gillis!
The 2020 Tournament of Simulations (ToS) winners were announced yesterday at Ongoing Worlds. We were fortunate enough to have four of our sims listed among the 23 that won prizes.
Congratulations to the USS Wayfarer, USS Ganymede, Starbase 80, and the USS Liberty! We already knew that all of our sims are fantastic, but it’s still great to get this type of acknowledgement from the community. Well done, IDF!
Outstanding Star Trek:
Star Trek Gameplay:
Independence Fleet actually has a long history of winning at ToS. Our first awards came in 2011 with the USS Liberty and USS Sunfire. 2012 was a monster year with five winners: USS Chirikov, USS Liberty, USS Rioja, USS Sunfire, and USS Victory. We then had one winner apiece in 2013 (USS Victory) and 2014 (USS Chuck Norris).
2014
Excellence in Creativity:
2013
Best Star Trek sim:
USS Victory
2012
Outstanding Star Trek Sim:
USS Chirikov
USS Victory
Excellence in Creativity:
Excellence in Character Development:
Excellence in Readability:
USS Rioja
2011
Best Star Trek Sim:
Most Creative Sim:
Which of our sims are going to win for 2021? It’s anyone’s game!
Great character development, brushing the exterior of being half Human and half Vulcan.
Best Post (Joint Post)
Cmdr. Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Capt. Rhenora Kaylen & Lt. Dean House & Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell & Lt. Aurora Vali & Lt.jg. Sarah Wilson & CPO Remal Kajun & Crewman Ronson Mitchell XO / CO / ASTO / CSS / CC / MO / C / Y USS Liberty
After being MIA for a bit due to real life, he came back strong at the end of month leading several joint posts that helped the crew drive the plot forward in a big way.
Brand new to simming, Ensign Mack started with the rest of the Albion crew mid-month and still managed to produce a fleet-leading 28 posts! Even more than that, he integrated well into the game and learned how to include his character while also writing for others.
One year ago today, we launched IDF’s new website and URL. Or was it yesterday? I’m not really sure! Regardless, what a ride it’s been.
On behalf of the Admiralty, thank you to everyone who has been a part of the journey and for making our 10 Star Trek sims as great as they are today. If you’re not currently a member of any of them, feel free to give one a try by clicking their link in the “Join!” column of the table below.
Prose = typical language of a novel or short story Script = role playing syntax similar to a movie script (see this Ongoing Worlds article) Both = uses Prose & Script formats
Traditional = players only write for their own characters (this is how most role plays work) Open = all players write for all characters (see this Ongoing Worlds article)
Our newest sim, the USS Albion launched earlier this week on February 16th. If that date looks familiar, you have a good eye! The original USS Sunfire opened in Utopia Fleet on that date all the way back in the year 2000. The rest, as they say, is history! Speaking of history, this is Captain Dick Sprague’s 10th command in Independence Fleet, by far the most all-time.
While continuing the tradition and legacy of IDF’s USS Avalon series of sims, the Albion seeks to capture the original theme and feel of that original USS Sunfire. As such, this is an open role playing game that uses script format. All potential players are highly encouraged to read the Albion’s Sim page before joining to ensure they know exactly what they’re getting into. It may be different, but it’s a lot of fun.
I hope your new year is off to a good start! And if it’s not, I trust simming with us here in IDF is giving you a good creative outlet.
If you remember from last month’s announcement, we are now presenting two Best Post awards, one for a single author post and one for a joint author post.
Without further ado, here are your January award winners:
Best Post (Single Author)
Chief Petty Officer Remal Kajun Counselor USS Liberty
Fine piece of writing here! Quiet and introspective, a solid juxtaposition to the excitement of life aboard a starship.
Best Post (Joint Post)
Capt. Rhenora Kaylen & Crewman Ronson Mitchell & Cmdr. Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lt. Dean House & Lt. Aurora Vali CO / Yeoman / XO / ASTO / CC USS Liberty
Great opening with a cliffhanger of an ending. Well done!
MVP
Cmdr. Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen Executive Officer USS Liberty
What an exceptional month of role playing! He not only led the fleet in posting, but also crafted a fabulous idea for the Liberty’s new mission and encouraged some new players as they got their footing.
Most Posts
Cmdr. Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen Executive Officer USS Liberty
For writing 30 posts.
Most Improved
Lt. Michael Stonebridge Chief Intelligence Officer USS Washington
His posting consistently pulled the crew in and kept the story moving and fresh. He also worked behind the scenes on several collaborations.
Rookie of the Month
Lt. Dean House Assistant Security/Tactical Officer USS Liberty
Lt. House jumped into the Liberty’s plot with gusto, with an impressive 12 posts in only two weeks. He also helped organize the Liberty’s discord and became a main character in the current series of posts.
Recruitment
Lt. Cmdr. Emmalyn Marcus Executive Officer USS Montana
The XO recruited one new player and continues to give the Montana a good presence elsewhere on the web.
Congratulations to all of our winners! Congratulations is also due to our very own Charles Star and former Director of Art Sadie Stanton as they won the prestigious Simming Prize due to their work producing The Simming Endeavor game show back on 2019. Well done to all!
What a great way to close out a dreadful year: with monthly awards! Before we reveal the winners, I want to announce a change for next month’s awards:
Starting in January, we will be awarding two Best Posts each month: One for a single author post and one for a joint post. Sim Commanding Officers will be eligible for the joint post version. This is a result of your feedback and several discussions over the last few months. We heard you!
Now, on to the the December winners:
Best Post
Lt. Cmdr. Tyroh Vantic Chief Security/Tactical Officer USS Liberty
While there were multiple excellent submissions for Best Post this month, it’s clear that this writer is very familiar with the post’s subject matter: martial arts. It’s one of those rare posts that truly develops a character, providing a great baseline to be used in future missions.
Funniest Post
Lt. Anna Thesia & Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Chief Medical Officer / Computer Systems Specialist USS Liberty
The Liberty’s intrepid Doctor built upon her Rookie award last month and has engaged every player onboard for a joint post, drawing the already tight crew even closer together. She is motivating, engaging, and a lovely person to write with.
Lt. Cmdr. Tyroh Vantic Chief Security/Tactical Officer USS Liberty
Vantic returned from a leave of absence with a delightful 4 posts, jumping straight into the organic and detailed storyline without hesitation. A seasoned player from the old days of IDF, it is an honor to have him back onboard.
Rookie of the Month
Lieutenant JG Steven Wright Encryption Specialist USS Chuck Norris
Joining at the beginning of December, Wright made a great impression with both Captain and crew through his posts and shows great promise for future growth.
Recruitment
None this month!
Thanks again for another great month, and don’t forget about the change with Best Post for January. You can read more about all of the awards here.
Let’s give a warm welcome to Captain RS Harrison and our newest game, the USS Montana, which launched yesterday on January 8, 2021. The Montana is our only sim set in the TOS movie era, something that many of our players have been asking for for quite some time. Well, here it is, folk. Enjoy!
Although brand new to the Liberty, Dr. Thesia threw herself into the current mission and established a fantastic report with the crew. She has posted both solo and joint posts and is very active on Discord.
Most Posts
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Liberty
For writing 18 posts.
Most Improved
Lt. Cmdr. Balen Pibb Chief Security/Tactical Officer USS Chuck Norris
After having communication issues with others, Pibb came back into the fray with increasing post quantity and quality.
Dr. Thesia came onboard the Liberty with a bang, throwing herself into the mix with an amazing 8 posts within her first 10 days. She is an amazingly talented writer who motivates and encourages others to participate.
Recruitment
Lt. J’goss Yass G’odoss Chief Flight Control Officer USS Chuck Norris
He recruited two new crewmembers to the ship in November, and continues to put the good name of the Chuck Norris out there on the Interwebs.
Congratulations to everyone again and have a great holiday season.
It’s awards time again! Congratulations to all of our October winners below:
Best Post
Lt. Cmdr. Shylow Vitari Chief Intelligence Officer USS Liberty
For “Like a Glove” With strangely compelling imagery, this is a nicely written post describing things and spaces on a starship I’ve never seen before. Well done!
Funniest Post
Cmdr. Samantha Howard Chief Medical Officer USS Washington
For “The War” A blood curdling scream and an undignified string of something. This one has funny written all over it.
Lt. Cmdr. Ech’am G’ginloss Chief Engineering Officer USS Chuck Norris
Leading his ship in total posts, G’ginloss continued to keep things interesting with some excellent ones about trying to keep the USS Chuck Norris together while in the heat of battle. Great writing, a nice amount of joint posts, and star for the crew.
Most Posts
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Liberty
For writing 13 posts.
Most Improved
Lt. T’Strella Drake Chief Diplomatic Officer USS Liberty
T’Strella increased her post count from 3 to 8, played a major role in the current storyline, and threw an interesting curve ball to boot. All in all, a massive leap in overall participation.
Rookie of the Month
Lt. J’goss Yass G’odoss Chief Flight Control Officer USS Chuck Norris
G’odoss took the initiative to create new plot lines, joint posts, and multiple interesting takes in addition to tying for the sim lead in totals posts. His performance continues to increase.
Recruitment
Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen Executive Officer USS Liberty
The Commander recruited to the sim one new player, who has already begun making solid contributions to the game.
In other news, our fleet XO Admiral Ken Gillis was awarded the Ongoing Worlds Community Honor for his efforts with FallFest. Congratulations, Admiral, and thank you to everyone who had a role in putting on an outstanding FallFest.
