A post is part of a story. Anyone on a ship can post at any time. Posts do not have a certain length, they can be long or short. Some will be fast paced and others will be slow. Whoever posts has free reign over what happens in the story, with a few exceptions. Players cannot destroy the ship or kill another player without the Captain's permission. Anyone can write anything as long as it makes sense and works. Good things to do when posting is to throw in some plot twists, meet new characters or alien races, have a good bit of action, or add some character development for the crew. Of course some posts may not have any of these, they are just suggestions.
The first part of the post is optional, it does not have to be included. It is called the "OFF" section. It contains anything that is not part of the story. Here is an example:
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The next part of the post is the "ON" section. This is where the story of the ship and crew is contained. It consumes a majority of the post. It begins as follows and then the player begins with the story.
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From here, there are two different ways to post. It can be either a Script Post or a Novel Post, depending on what the ship uses. Some ships may even use both. In a Novel Post, the story is written just as if it were part of a novel, using all of the grammatical rules of English. It should be self-explanatory. The Script Post is written similar to a movie script, with a few rules to show what is going on. The Script Post is what will be discussed here.
The first thing the player does here is to signify where the story is taking place. This is done by using the two odd looking parenthesis, located right next to the letter "P" on the keyboard. Here is an example:
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During the duration of the post, this will likely be used many times. It should be included every time the post moves to a different place.
In a post, players will use many different characters. To show what character is talking or taking action, the player simply puts the character's name and then a colon. As seen below:
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To make Jim do an action, the player surrounds the action with double colors on each side. Example:
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To make Jim think to himself, the player would use parenthesis. Like below:
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The parenthesis are the character's thoughts.
To make Jim speak out loud, the player would use quotation marks. Here is an example:
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Bob: "Aye, sir. Scanning now."
Jim: ::arrives at command chair and takes a seat.::
Bob: "No more ships in this sector, Captain."
To show that someone is talking through a communicator, combadge, intercom, or ship to ship audio, a player will use these symbols: =/\=. Example:
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Bill: =/\=Engineering, Lieutenant Bill here.=/\=
Jim: =/\=Activate energizers now!=/\=
Players may sometimes like to emphasize a word spoken by a character. This is done with the underscore. Here is an example:
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Bob: "But how could they? We only detected the bomb _after_ the ceremony was over."
To review, here are all of the symbols for a Script style post:
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::action::
(Thoughts)
"Speech"
=/\=Communicator=/\=
_emphasis_
At the end of the post is another "OFF" section. This is found in both Novel and Script formats. It is not optional, but required. Once in the "OFF" section, a player can include more information that is not part of the story, this part is optional. After that is the player's signature, which is required. Signatures vary from ship to ship, but usually include rank, name, position, and ship. Example:
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I hope you guys liked my post, this story is really getting good!
Lieutenant Frank Bandwidth
Communications Specialist
USS Sunfire, NCC-3001
Well, that's about it for posting. Players will learn more as they go along. Here is a sample Script post about our two favorite people, Jim and Bob.
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ON:
{City on an alien planet}
Jim: ::is taking a stroll down the street:: (Man, Im hungry. I need to find some food around here somewhere.)
Bob: ::comes up to Jim:: "Hey Jim, what are you up to?"
Jim: "Oh nothing, I was just...::is interrupted::
XO: =/\=Jim and Bob, please beam back up to the bridge=/\=
Bob: ::taps combadge:: =/\=Aye sir=/\=
Jim and Bob: ::transport::
{Bridge}
Jim and Bob: ::arrive to find the XO speaking to an alien on the viewscreen::
XO: ::is talking to alien on viewscreen:: "Well Chancellor, as you can see, we are on a recreational trip to this planet, we mean no harm."
Chancellor: "I understand Commander, I will tell my patrols of your clearance. They will not question you anymore."
XO: "Thank you."
{Holodeck battle simulation}
Jim: "RETURN FIRE!"
Bob: "SHIELDS ARE FAILING.....WERE GOING DOWN!"
::the ship takes one last hit and the holodeck sim ends::
Computer: "You were destroyed. Simulation over."
Jim: "That stinks! We must figure out how to get past the defenses alive."
Bob: "Its ok, lets just go get some food first."
Jim: ::stomach growls:: "Ok."
Jim and Bob: ::walk out towards the mess hall::
OFF: Thats it, I hope y'all liked it!
Lieutenant Frank Bandwidth
Communications Specialist
USS Sunfire, NCC-3001
Players are encouraged to write long and descriptive paragraphs in both the Novel and Script formats, although not mentioned above. Also don't forget to spell check posts! That's about it for posting. If you have any questions, contact your CO or the Independence Fleet Admiralty. Superior posting comes with practice and experience. Two things to remember when posting: 1) Be creative and 2) Have fun! BACK