Talaysen
First Post
Hey all -
I realize it's been a while since I've poked my head into this particular forum, but I trust EN World (generally) and figure there are a fair number of...shall we say...multiclassed Trekkies/LARPers or Trekkies/Scadians in here - and I wanted to run something past that kind of crowd. Yes, this will be a Trek thread, so if you can't stand the stuff I suggest you run before we start speaking Klingon. (Unless you're training to be a hospital translator.)
Right. Anyway, I've been getting back into TNG lately - mainly because I finally have access to TNN once more - and I seem to have developed a renewed interest in Star Trek in general. I even started looking up Star Trek roleplaying online - for some reason I feel more like a LARP sort of deal than anything else, so I focused on that.
You know what I found?
Nada. Zip. Zilch.
Well, ok, a few German sites and an English site that promised live action and turned out to be a message board sim.
So I've realized something. There are a few Star Trek LARPs out there. I've even played in one (at my one and only GenCon so far - three long years ago). But they seem to be pretty isolated.
Then I thought of something else. Star Trek has become a culture unto itself. It's spawned languages, cultural profiles, the whole nine yards. You can download instructions for costumes and occasionally props right off the Internet. Heck, a few people have even made strides in simulating Starfleet's computer interface (in terms of graphics/layout, though of course touchscreens are a reality now). It's not a complete picture, but one could make a fair go at reconstructing the 24th century just as one might reconstruct, say, the 15th.
So then it hit me: what if a group of intrepid Trekkies were to found a group much like the Society for Creative Anachronism - except focused on simulation and study of the Star Trek universe? The same sort of world wide network. The same sense of camaraderie and belonging. The same opportunities for fantasy roleplay in a live group environment. The same obsessive attention to detail.
...well, ok, maybe we shouldn't get QUITE as obsessive. I've had enough of stuffy Carolingian dance fascists; I'd rather not meet up with stuffy Vulcan mind-meld fascists. But you see my point.
Groups within this organization could be broken down into sectors (geographic regions), starbases/outposts (metropolitan areas) and starships (groups of people - and these smallest groups could be affiliated with specific regions or "freelance" as they chose). There would be a ranking system, standards for promotion, rules for ship assignment and transfer, etc. Rules for resolving personal and starship combat would be provided and individual groups would be encouraged to sponsor live action roleplaying and combat events. Gatherings might be organized at cons or through the use of campgrounds and public spaces.
Members would also be encouraged to enlighten themselves through actual study of the disciplines associated with the exploration of new worlds: physics, anthropology, political science. Just as SCA groups have dance practice, jewelry workshops, etc., groups in this organization might keep up with anything from astronomy to zoology. They would be encouraged to think of others as well - imagine a group of Trekkies working together to provide free children's workshops on space exploration at the local library, or a group of thespian fans performing Hamlet "in the original Klingon" for charity. We've already seen a little of this, but an international organized effort could do wonders.
Perhaps I'm getting too caught up in this. Perhaps it is a little too fannish. But...am I the only one who wants an outlet? I'm not talking about holding up Star Trek as a perfect standard for our society, nor am I talking about living it 24/7. I just think it's time to go beyond fan clubs, beyond Internet sims, and provide a way for Star Trek fans to get closer to "Starfleet" (or the Klingon Defense Force, or the Romulan Empire...whatever) than ever before - even if it is only on weekends and vacation days.
It seems to me that this could be accomplished easily - with the rise of the Internet, most communication could go through that channel. We wouldn't charge membership fees or so forth (I'm not sure we could) - this would be a not-for-profit organization - all we might ask is that members print out various forms (crew registration, sector registration, etc.) and send them theirselves. We'd need some dedicated volunteers to keep track of the logistics. And of course we'd need to establish the charter and regulations and such. But I think this could all be managed.
The more I think about this, the more I want to do it. Is anyone with me on this? Or am I just chasing after windmills and Dulcineas here?
I realize it's been a while since I've poked my head into this particular forum, but I trust EN World (generally) and figure there are a fair number of...shall we say...multiclassed Trekkies/LARPers or Trekkies/Scadians in here - and I wanted to run something past that kind of crowd. Yes, this will be a Trek thread, so if you can't stand the stuff I suggest you run before we start speaking Klingon. (Unless you're training to be a hospital translator.)
Right. Anyway, I've been getting back into TNG lately - mainly because I finally have access to TNN once more - and I seem to have developed a renewed interest in Star Trek in general. I even started looking up Star Trek roleplaying online - for some reason I feel more like a LARP sort of deal than anything else, so I focused on that.
You know what I found?
Nada. Zip. Zilch.
Well, ok, a few German sites and an English site that promised live action and turned out to be a message board sim.
So I've realized something. There are a few Star Trek LARPs out there. I've even played in one (at my one and only GenCon so far - three long years ago). But they seem to be pretty isolated.
Then I thought of something else. Star Trek has become a culture unto itself. It's spawned languages, cultural profiles, the whole nine yards. You can download instructions for costumes and occasionally props right off the Internet. Heck, a few people have even made strides in simulating Starfleet's computer interface (in terms of graphics/layout, though of course touchscreens are a reality now). It's not a complete picture, but one could make a fair go at reconstructing the 24th century just as one might reconstruct, say, the 15th.
So then it hit me: what if a group of intrepid Trekkies were to found a group much like the Society for Creative Anachronism - except focused on simulation and study of the Star Trek universe? The same sort of world wide network. The same sense of camaraderie and belonging. The same opportunities for fantasy roleplay in a live group environment. The same obsessive attention to detail.
...well, ok, maybe we shouldn't get QUITE as obsessive. I've had enough of stuffy Carolingian dance fascists; I'd rather not meet up with stuffy Vulcan mind-meld fascists. But you see my point.
Groups within this organization could be broken down into sectors (geographic regions), starbases/outposts (metropolitan areas) and starships (groups of people - and these smallest groups could be affiliated with specific regions or "freelance" as they chose). There would be a ranking system, standards for promotion, rules for ship assignment and transfer, etc. Rules for resolving personal and starship combat would be provided and individual groups would be encouraged to sponsor live action roleplaying and combat events. Gatherings might be organized at cons or through the use of campgrounds and public spaces.
Members would also be encouraged to enlighten themselves through actual study of the disciplines associated with the exploration of new worlds: physics, anthropology, political science. Just as SCA groups have dance practice, jewelry workshops, etc., groups in this organization might keep up with anything from astronomy to zoology. They would be encouraged to think of others as well - imagine a group of Trekkies working together to provide free children's workshops on space exploration at the local library, or a group of thespian fans performing Hamlet "in the original Klingon" for charity. We've already seen a little of this, but an international organized effort could do wonders.
Perhaps I'm getting too caught up in this. Perhaps it is a little too fannish. But...am I the only one who wants an outlet? I'm not talking about holding up Star Trek as a perfect standard for our society, nor am I talking about living it 24/7. I just think it's time to go beyond fan clubs, beyond Internet sims, and provide a way for Star Trek fans to get closer to "Starfleet" (or the Klingon Defense Force, or the Romulan Empire...whatever) than ever before - even if it is only on weekends and vacation days.
It seems to me that this could be accomplished easily - with the rise of the Internet, most communication could go through that channel. We wouldn't charge membership fees or so forth (I'm not sure we could) - this would be a not-for-profit organization - all we might ask is that members print out various forms (crew registration, sector registration, etc.) and send them theirselves. We'd need some dedicated volunteers to keep track of the logistics. And of course we'd need to establish the charter and regulations and such. But I think this could all be managed.
The more I think about this, the more I want to do it. Is anyone with me on this? Or am I just chasing after windmills and Dulcineas here?
