Happy new year! As we close out 2021, I think of all the many great things that happened in this fleet over the last 12 months. There’s not enough room here for it all! But we do have room for our final batch of 2021 award winners…
Best Post (Single Author)
Lieutenant Aiko Kato Flight Control Officer USS Washington
Lt. Kato wins for an incredible third month in a row with an excellent character introspective that distills information into direction for the rest of the crew. Well done!
Best Post (Joint Post)
Lt. Callie Raven-Grayson & Cmdr. Jonathan Grayson & Lt. Shoniara T’ghann Dex CC / XO / ACMO USS Washington
Commander Jenna Ramthorne Chief Flight Control Officer USS Sunfire
Cmdr. Ramthorne returns to action! She’s a brilliant writer and an incredible asset to the ship and fleet, always willing to lend a hand or an ear to whoever needs it.
Most Posts
Lieutenant Shoniara T’ghann Dex Assistant Chief Medical Officer USS Washington
For writing 22 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant Brakon Ryal Executive Officer USS Eminence
Lt. Ryal really stepped up his game, driving the story forward and helping organize posts.
The W’s new security officer jumped aboard with phasers blazing. He showed an ability to adapt quickly and push the story forward, all while developing his own character and working with others.
Not only is this the latest edition of My Favorite Trek, but it’s also announcement time: Commodore Heather Meadows hereby joins us today as our new Director of Media. Her main responsibilities will be My Favorite Trek interviews and other blog & media content. She has a long and distinguished simming career, frequently filling roles similar to this, that goes back two decades now. Without any further ado, let’s meet Commodore Heather Meadows…
Name: Heather Meadows Rank: Commodore Sim: N/A Position: Director of Media Other Characters: Lieutenant Tosh Tarkin of the USS Eminence
Favorite Star Trek episode? It is incredibly difficult to narrow Star Trek down to one favorite episode. However, I will go with “Measure of a Man” from Star Trek: The Next Generation’s second season. Why? The writer of this episode is Melinda Snodgrass, an accomplished science fiction author, but has a background in law. She earned her Juris Doctor from University of Mexico School of Law. Snodgrass’ knowledge of law applied to the science fiction setting of Gene Rodenberry’s 24th century brings about a thorough discussion of morality, ethics, and what constitutes sentient life. Favorite Star Trek series? Alas, a continuation of a predicament that places a fan in a tug-of-war within a wonderful franchise. Star Trek: The Next Generation has the best cast, but my personal favorite is Star Trek: Voyager. Why? When measuring each series and comparing/contrasting them, Star Trek: Voyager edges out the others for me on a personal level because the premise was good, the pilot was interesting, and the first season was solid. Where other series needed time to grow and develop (surpassing Voyager even), Voyager as a series did not need to go through the same growing pains. Favorite Star Trek film? This would be Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home for me. Why? This is probably one of the more divisive films because of the plot and humor. I, however, greatly enjoy both the plot and the infusion of humor throughout the movie. The 1980s was a quirky time and having Kirk and the crew travel back to this period of time in Earth’s history worked out well because the actors were contemporary during the time. This made for sharper writing than having them sent back to say the 1880s. Environmental conversation is also something that is very important to me, and that is essentially at the core of this film. Favorite Star Trek Captain? Most people have the ongoing battle of Kirk or Picard, but mine is actually a struggle between Picard or Janeway. Any given day, it could go either way for me, but I will go with Captain Kathryn Janeway. She adjusted to the situation that she found herself in, and part of that adjustment meant being more than just the Captain – Janeway had to become softer and more integrated with her crew, especially because there’s a huge difference between a Galaxy class starship and an Intrepid class.
What year did you start simming? I started simming in 2002 which does indeed feel like a million years ago because things were different back then.
What sim was it? It was Dowding Station, a space station sim and it was not part of a fleet. I actually spent about eight or nine years, strictly on the independent scene before setting foot in a fleet.
What keeps you simming today? I actually don’t write (simming) as much these days, but I do keep involved with the simming community. I stay involved because I like being a mentor and helping new COs (Game Managers) find their confidence and get into their groove.
Favorite non-simming hobby? I actually am a bit Neelix myself. I enjoy cooking and baking (hate the cleaning) and experimenting with recipes.
Favorite non-Trek series? That would probably be Buffy the Vampire Slayer because it’s a relatively timeless piece that has embedded itself into pop culture, and it is a series that any writer, director, or producer could learn a lot from.
Favorite non-Trek film?North by Northwest because I love James Bond, and though this is not a ‘Bond Film’ it still has the feel of one, and it is a well written film. It certainly is rightfully a classic.
Favorite book (fiction or non)?I’m going to give a quick shoutout to Nightshade, a Star Trek novel by Laurell K. Hamilton because Star Trek books do not get enough attention. However, because I am a literary geek, Frankenstein by Marry Shelly is my favorite book.
Favorite video game? I really don’t do gamming aside from auto racing games and such. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the Uncharted series and Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order.
Favorite musician or band?The Cranberries (Yes, the band known for “Linger” and “Zombie”) as I loved the Singer (she passed away a few years ago) and the band had a lot of gems of songs that weren’t hits or singles.
Favorite superhero? Nightcrawler from the X-Men.
If you could have any super power, what would it be? I would take telepathy though it would literally be a headache. The ability to know what people are truly thinking is alluring as you’d get them in their truest form.
Favorite sport? I’m an auto racing and motorsports person. Be that Formula 1, IndyCar, or NASCAR.
Favorite team? Team Penske
Favorite food? Pretty much all of it though I am fond of Tacos, Pide, and Malai Kofta.
Coke or Pepsi? I reject your binary cola thinking and insert my own. Royal Crown (RC Cola). However, I am less of a ‘cola’ person and more of a: Moxie, Dr. Pepper, birch beer, root beer, sarsaparilla, and cream soda person.
Lennon or McCartney? Let’s just say I am not a Beatles person.
Jordan or LeBron? Basketball – Nope.
Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Trek because it was less action and more philosophical.
Rank the Trek TV shows from best to worst. VOY / TNG / DSN / ENT / TOS / PIC / DSC Rank the Trek movies from best to worst. TVH / FC / TUC / TWOK / I / G / TSFS / N / TFF / ID / B / TMP / ST (2009) Was this too many questions? Not at all. It was a nice opportunity for people to get dome insight into me from a Trek perspective. I welcome any questions they may have.
Ten years ago today, our very own USS Chuck Norris launched. That makes it the longest continuously running IDF sim in its current form: Despite two URLs and two Novas, it’s still Defiant class and NCC-4005. And as far as I know, no other ship in Star Trek simming has anything like the USS Chuck Norris facts!
Through four Captains (Dick Sprague, Shane Youngblood, Grover vonMcCormick & Aurther Winters), dozens of crewmembers, and many zany adventures, the Chuck has seen it all. Beyond the story, it’s also been quite the historical sim. It sponsored the 2012 Simulation Cup (aka Tournament of Simulations), the only game ever to do so. It later won its own award at the 2014 competition, the last IDF sim to win until the 2020 tournament.
Let’s also not forget perhaps the Chuck Norris’s biggest contribution: When IDF’s old website went offline in early 2019, the Chuck kept simming over email to keep our legacy alive. Without that effort, there would be no Independence Fleet today. Like so many other fleets, IDF would already belong to the ages.
But we are here today. So let’s all write a post in honor of the USS Chuck Norris!
Gets the story going and leaves many openings for other players to take the story in different directions, everything a Genesis post should be.
MVP
Lieutenant Callie Raven-Grayson Chief Counselor USS Washington
The Washington’s Counselor has really came into her own, crafting in-depth posts that moved the story, included much of the crew, and created lots of personal development for both herself and others.
Most Posts
Lieutenant Shoniara T’ghann Dex Assistant Chief Medical Officer USS Washington
For writing 13 posts.
Most Improved
Commander Finchley Kerr Chief Strategic Operations Officer USS Sunfire
Finchley stepped up big by driving the plot forward, offering many valuable suggestions, and creating opportunities to engage the rest of the crew.
Rookie of the Month
None this month.
Recruitment
None this month.
Congratulations to our award winners. I’ll see you again in 2022!
Very well written bit of backstory, with a great perspective established in the “Previously On” section.
Best Post (Joint Post)
Lt. Cmdr. Trevor Andrews & Capt. John Wells & Cmdr. Yadira Tristan House Kilrah & Lt. Cmdr. Timber Wolf & Lt. Nerex & Lt. JG Hank Solomon & MCPO Alake Van Der Luan ACEO / CO / CEO / XO / FCC / CSO / MaA USS Eminence
It’s been a while since I’ve read a good old fashioned time travel post, and this one didn’t disappoint. Great character interactions, and the authors didn’t skip over the gravity of someone discovering they’re out of tine. Kudos also for the transporter room scene. Well done!
Funniest Post
Lt. Sheeraashaa Genno Chief Security/Tactical Officer USS Albion
As is typical for the Albion, the odd title is indicative of the goofy mission to follow, with plenty of opportunities to be taken in many directions.
MVP
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
What more can I say about this powerhouse simmer? A rock-solid team-first player and sounding bound for the Captain, there’s nothing Durnell can’t and doesn’t do.
Most Posts
Lieutenant Callie Raven-Grayson Chief Counselor USS Washington
The Sunfire’s new Chef joined in October, showed exceptional improvement over the course of the month, and blended in nicely with the experienced crew.
Rookie of the Month
Lieutenant Callie Raven-Grayson Chief Counselor USS Washington
The Washington’s new Counselor immediately brought excitement and creativity to the sim, and has been a joy to the rest of the crew.
Recruitment
Commander Jonathan Grayson Executive Officer USS Washington
For recruiting a new player who turned out to be a game changer.
Congratulations to everyone who took home hardware this month. I’ll see you in November!
The fourth amendment to the Independence Fleet Hall of Fame is hereby approved after a vote of 10 ballots for, 0 against, and 2 abstentions. The main change is reducing the maximum number of annual inductions from the standard process from five to three, and from the Veterans Committee from three to two. It also clarifies that future amendments can’t be voted on during May, June, or July so as to not interfere with the election process. These changes were primary driven by feedback from the voters this past year.
I don’t anticipate this resulting in any major changes practically, but it should help us focus our efforts moving forward. Speaking of forward, I’m already looking toward inducting a new group of outstanding individuals next year on our 21st anniversary to join the current 33 inductees.
Good writing from a team that is used to working together getting it done. Not all Trek posts need action sequences to be good, and this one hits the mark with the threat of violence without actually getting into it. Had me on the edge of my seat!
Funniest Post
Commander Jackson Andrews Executive Officer USS Albion
Nice intro and good tags all around on this one. Well done!
MVP
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
What a player! From creating well crafted posts to encouraging engaging joint efforts, Durnell also acts as the Captain’s counsel to bounce suggestions and ideas off of.
Most Posts
Lt. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
For writing 15 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant Aiko Kato Flight Control Officer USS Washington
The Washington’s young pilot really worked to get involved with the crew and to become more integrated, creating some excellent contributions along the way.
Rookie of the Month
Lieutenant Trevor Andrews Assistant Chief Engineering Officer USS Eminence
Don’t let the rank fool you, Andrews arrived on the Eminence and hit the ground running. A great addition to the sim!
Recruitment
None this month. Get recruiting!
It’s been a while since we’ve had 5 sims represented within the awards in a single month, well done! Keep all the great posts coming, and maybe we’ll see a few more next month.
Rear Admiral Bolak has resigned his position as IDF’s Director of Media due to time constraints. His last official day will be October 31st. I would like to personally thank Bolak for all of his hard work and the many contributions he has made to the fleet, especially the My Favorite Trek and Captain’s Chair interviews.
This year’s Simming Fall Festival will happen on November 13th. It will be hosted by our friends over at 5th Fleet. As always, we look forward to supporting 5th Fleet and engaging with the rest of the simming community at FallFest.
As everyone knows, we celebrated our 20th Anniversary earlier this year. What you might not know is that several other fleets also marked significant anniversary milestones in 2021. You can read more about a few of them over on the Ongoing Worlds Blog. Speaking of milestones, yesterday was the 11-year anniversary of the launch of the award-winning USS Sunfire-D.
Favorite Star Trek episode? This is a hard one, but I’d have to go with The Best of Both Worlds Parts One and Two.
Why? This is something I genuinely enjoy about many shows and Trek, but I really liked how it showed different possibilities of what could have happened. For example, the promotion of different officers, Picard’s possible fate, etc. I also like how it slightly segues into future TNG episodes.
Favorite Star Trek series? If the last question wasn’t clear, Star Trek: The Next Generation is by far one of my favorites. But I also enjoy most of the other shows that take place in the 24th century. Most notably: Star Trek DS9 and Voyager.
Why? I like how it shows how far the Trek Universe had advanced since The Original Series. It also vastly explored what Starfleet expanded to. Who wouldn’t like to explore the universe on a big Galaxy Class ship?
Favorite Star Trek film? Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home
Why? Multiple reasons, actually. It felt more laid-back than many other Trek films. It was cool seeing a legendary cast go back in time to the 80s, which was the present day when the film was released. Plus, Kirk and Spock’s “Colorful Metaphors” were enjoyable to watch too.
Favorite Star Trek Captain? Honestly, it’s a hard decision. But if I could give an answer at this moment in time, I’d have to say Janeway. Even if she broke the Prime Directive a few different times, she had to make tough calls for her crew. Not only that but she is a fellow coffee drinker. However, I am salty that she never promoted Harry Kim.
What year did you start simming? I started simming in 2020. I know that it’s far from as long as many of the others have been simming. However, before I was doing simming, I roleplayed constantly on various video games, and other forms of entertainment. I had been looking for a way to roleplay Trek when I came across the world of simming.
What sim was it? My first sim was one of IDF’s finest, the USS Washington.
What keeps you simming today? Today, what keeps me simming is the strive to know what happens next in the story, whether it’s small or large. So essentially, it’s the story that keeps me going.
Favorite non-simming hobby? I have many different hobbies outside of simming, especially, watching various shows, including Trek. However, I have a big passion for cars. I genuinely love the automotive world.
Favorite non-Trek series? Right now, it’s probably the new Magnum P.I series.
Favorite non-Trek film? This is a hard one, because I actually have two: Unstoppable and Need for Speed.
Favorite book (fiction or non)? I don’t necessarily have a favorite right now, but I have been reading the Star Trek novel, The Dark Veil. I also enjoy reading the Harry Potter Series.
Favorite video game? Honestly, while I have the games I constantly return to, like the Forza Games, I played and finished Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. It is by far one of the best story games I have played so far. That’s not to say that it will change. But hey, I’m a sucker for story games.
Favorite musician or band? Linkin Park is by far my favorite, but I also like Greenday, Foo Fighters, and pretty much anything that is rock, or alt rock.
Favorite superhero? Probably Spider-Man at the moment, because I can relate to him the most.
If you could have any super power, what would it be? Teleportation
Favorite sport? Anything to do with motorsports, mostly with cars.
Favorite team? McLaren F1
Favorite food? Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi
Lennon or McCartney? Lennon
Jordan or LeBron? Jordon
Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Trek
Rank the Trek TV shows from best to worst. DSN, TNG, VOY, ENT, PIC, DSC, TOS
Rank the Trek movies from best to worst. TVH, FC, TWOK, I, G, N, ST (2009), ID, TUC, B, TFF, TMP, TSFS
Was this too many questions? No.
Commander Jackson Andrews, and all his other characters, everyone!
