Joining the Crew
From Star Trek: Theurgy Wiki
At this juncture, Star Trek: Theurgy is open for new Applicants. However, Applicants may only apply for positions from the Wanted Positions list. Recruitment is not open for any other kind of character unless a listed position is applied for. Please bear in mind, however, that:
- You may not get the position you apply for depending on the character concept you apply with. See below for more information about proposing your character concept.
- In-Character, as s/he transfer to the Theurgy, s/he will not know what position s/he might get on the ship. This is decided In-Character after arrival.
Current members of the sim may create new characters if they are eligible (see the bottom of the page). In that case, they must also pick a role in the Wanted Positions list.
Joining Information
"What kind of writers are we looking for at Star Trek: Theurgy?"
We will be looking for good, descriptive and creative writers that can handle English fluently. You should also know enough about the Star Trek Universe to be able to partake in creating intense, interesting storylines together with the other writers. We are a very literate group, with rules that demand a minimum posting requirement of 200 words per post, and with a deadline of 7 days maximum to reply in all the threads you are involved in. Moreover, the commitment to the story is long-term. We have been running the story actively for years, and we will continue for many years to come. Therefore, we are not interested in casual, brief commitments, but something that will last.
In other words, if you are not a dedicated and prolific writer, who can write long posts and reply to threads within 7 days, you should not apply to join this sim for your own sake as well as the present writers. Also, you should be well versed in proper Forum Writing Etiquette. If you are too inexperienced with forum writing or not literate enough to contribute, your application might be rejected.
Lastly, Star Trek: Theurgy promotes socially progressive views, including all sexualities, identities, male/female/trans artistic nudity, equality of opportunity, civil rights, and multiculturalism. If you have a problem with this, then you should not register.
"What's the nature of the story?"
Star Trek: Theurgy is a detailed, quite dark, story-driven and long-term roleplay and while it has a 18+ rating, it is not some shoe-horned excuse to write Star Trek smut scenes. If that's what you are looking for, you should look elsewhere since you'll be really disappointed.
It is not expected of any of our writers to detail the intimate relations of their characters with others, even if it's allowed. Several writers among us have an aversion to writing graphic sexual scenes, so if that's not what you care for, then that's no problem at all. The story revolves around a ship and a crew in dire straits, against impossible odds, and with a lot of intrigue and mystery to it. We just don't enforce limits on what you care to write, like explicit scenes of violence or intimacy. This, as long you adhere to our General Rules and all writers consent to the specific scene their characters are in.
In short, this is a serious Star Trek sim, not a dating sim.
"How do I join the story?"
This page should serve quite well for an answer, but it's recommended you contact the GM if you have any questions.
1. Register on the Forum
First, in order to join Star Trek: Theurgy, you need to register on the Forum. To register, you must be 18 years or older. If we find anyone who is younger than that, it will result in an immediate ban in the interests of protecting minors. Upon registration, you verify that you are of age, and at the discretion of the GM, an age verification process will be conducted if there is cause for doubt to your claim. For more information on age restriction, read our General Rules.
When you have read the General Rules and registered, you should check the Star Trek: Theurgy Canon page and read through the Story Archive. More information about the current ongoings in the story will be sent later on in the joining process, but feel free to have a look around, and get acquainted with the place.
2. Contact the Game Moderator
When you feel ready, send a PM (personal message) via the forum to the Game Moderator, Auctor Lucan. Follow the joining process below and we take it from there; perhaps you just want to verify if you have the right profile to write with us?
Here are the steps in the Joining Process:
- Introduce yourself, describe your writing experience, and ask your questions. Given the rich detail and minimum words-per-post that we have in our General Rules, any writing of yours available online in your previous sims is of great interest. This, to make sure your writing style will fit in with the rest of the community. The GM need samples that he can verify is yours too, preferably online and listed by a username, and not some text that could be stolen from somewhere, since we've had issues with that in the past.
- When the writing samples have been approved, you later pitch a character concept for the story, without filling out an entire character sheet. This is really important and must be emphasised; you pitch a character concept for the GM initially. Again, without filling out an entire character sheet. Since your character idea might be rejected, you should not waste your time writing up a character entirely. Instead, you should just describe what you have in mind in terms of a character concept. If you have more than one concept in mind, you can submit more, but you can only have one character to begin with. Things worth mentioning in the character concept are:
- Name and species
- Personality and traits
- Position from the Wanted Positions page you apply for
- In-Character ambitions, short term and long term
- Out-of-Character ambitions for the character, short term and long term
- Upbringing and education
- Defining character flaws
- What faceclaim you have in mind for the character (You can't pick an actor/actress from any Star Trek series or movie, or those already listed Faceclaim Directory)
- Which way the character enters the story (see the Onboarding Information section further down on this page) - If the concept is approved, the Game Moderator will then send you a character template to fill out, and you PM the filled out template to the GM for a first review. The template is not made available here because the character concept should be discussed with the Game Moderator first, before any further time and effort is spent on creating a character.
- When the PM with the filled out template has been reviewed by the GM, you will be sent feedback and a link to a wiki form, where you create a draft page for the character in our wiki database, using the template and implementing the feedback.
- When you have filled out the form (remember that you need to be logged into the wiki!), and you've generated the draft wiki page, you PM the hyperlink to the Game Moderator for a final review.
- When approved, after some possible rounds of edits, the application will be processed through the site, and the character added to the sim.
3. Joining Application Accepted!
When the character is approved, the GM will notify you of this and an announcement will be made on our OOC board (Out-of-Character). You will also be given full access to the site. Next, you will be writing your inaugural post in the story, and begin the adventure.
Welcome aboard the Theurgy!
Onboarding Information
Right now, your character could enter the story in three different ways:
Option 01: Thawed from stasis on the USS Theurgy
If your created character is originally assigned to the titular USS Theurgy, it is recommended that your character has been in stasis since before Episode 01, and only now could be resuscitated after getting the medical attention he/she needed. Your character would then have been injured during the flight from Earth and Starfleet and put into a stasis pod to preserve his/her life. Whatever position your character held before their injury, that position might not be available any more, which would lead to them serving in an vacant position instead. Many possibilities with this option.
Option 02: Arriving aboard the IKS Kajunpak't
Another method of joining the story, is that your character is somehow affiliated with the Director of Covert Operations in Starfleet Intelligence, namely Rear Admiral Joseph Nerva Anderson. Perhaps your character used to be a Starfleet Intelligence operative? Perhaps Anderson was a friend of you character's mother or father? In any case, Anderson has personally contacted and convinced your character to join the Theurgy crew, having great faith in you because of this previous affiliation that you conjure in your character background story. Your character was contacted by Anderson via a heavily encrypted subspace transmission from Earth on March 15th, 2381, after he'd verified that the crew of the Theurgy weren't the traitors the Infested in Starfleet Command claimed them to be.
Your character will board the Theurgy from a Klingon ship, namely the IKS Kajunpak't. Please read this thread for more info on the scene in which your character would be stepping aboard the Theurgy: CH02: S A Most Furtive Transfer. When this thread was created, there were ten (10) character slots available for this Option, in which characters affiliated with Director Anderson would join the Theurgy crew. Please also note that regardless the position applied for during character creation, your character would not be assigned to such a position prior to arrival. This needs to be handled In-Character.
Option 03: Transferring from the USS Oneida
Admiral Anderson has also been able to convince the Captain of the USS Oneida that the Theurgy crew is telling the truth about Starfleet Command, in them being overtaken by a parasitic infestation. Captain Jesse Jackson looked long and hard at the collected evidence, convened his Senior Staff on the Oneida, and they decided to side with the Theurgy in its mission. With that decision, they cut off communications and subspace links with Starfleet after sending a false distress call - thus simulating that the Oneida was destroyed somewhere in the Beta Quadrant. The crew aboard the Oneida generally trusts their Senior Staff's judgement with the mission undertaken, but some might not like the prospects of the mission. Either way, the Oneida undertakes its new mission as a renegade ship cut off from the rest of Starfleet, and the next day, they use the Intel Anderson gives them to find Captain Ives aboard the shuttle Sabine.
Given the needs of the Theurgy to replenish its ranks after all the battles she's been through, Captain Jackson would have asked his own crew if there were any volunteers who would consider transferring to the Theurgy once they made a rendezvous. Perhaps your character have an affiliation with someone already on the Theurgy, or they want to leave something behind on the Oneida? Perhaps they feel like they would have a greater chance to make a difference if serving on a larger ship? Whatever might motivate your character to leave the Oneida should be mentioned in the character's background story.
Again, please note that regardless the wanted position applied for during character creation, your character would not be assigned to such a position prior to transfer. This needs to be handled In-Character. Lastly, here is some recommended reading:
- This is the first thread in which the Oneida appears in the story (no need to read the whole thing, just from this post and onwards): Chapter 06 Battle Log: Qo'noS Bound and Down.
- For further context, here is also a speech Captain Jackson held on the Oneida after the encounter with the Sabine: CH06: S Of Late I Think of Qo'noS.
- If you want to get to know the Senior Staff of the Oneida and refererence them in your character application, here is the NPC page where they are listed.
Here are our Mentors!
Given the size of our community, we have a number of friendly writers that are not only experienced with the story and the functions of the forum, but they are also available to write an inaugural thread with your new or newly inherited character. This all depends on how many threads the Mentors are already writing, of course, but once you have become a full member it is encouraged that you reach out to these writers on Discord or via PM on the forum so that you can learn the ropes. If the Mentor you contact is temporarily available, they will help you find someone else to write with instead. The GM is also available to help with any questions you might have, and in that case, it is encouraged that you write him a PM on the forum instead of using Discord.
If you need help with a first, aka inaugural thread, it is advised that you pay careful attention to what characters the Mentors are writing (see below). If you have an idea for how to start up with your inherited character, and one of the Mentor's characters would be perfect in the scene, then make sure you flesh out the idea for the scene you have in mind when you contact the Mentor. You should also factor this into account before you approach a Mentor: Does the Mentor's character have a reason to interact with your character? Are they in the same Department aboard the Theurgy? In either case, does this have relevance for the scene you have in mind? When an inaugural thread is started, the Mentor should PM the GM with the link.
Here are our current Mentors!
| Mentor Program | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Theurgist | Characters | Discord | Personal Message |
| Brutus | Available | Link | |
| Griff | Available | Link | |
| Fife | Available | Link | |
| jreeves1701 | Available | Link | |
| Juzzie | Available | Link | |
| Pierce | Available | Link | |
| Nolan | Available | Link | |
| Stegro88 | Available | Link | |
| Swift | Available | Link | |
All Mentors earn 5 Story Tokens for writing inaugural threads with new Theurgists, but it's not mandatory that your first thread in the story is with one of the Mentors. Perhaps you already know one of the writers here, or you get to know someone on Discord that you can write with. Either way, the Mentor Program is there to help those who need help starting up.
Do you want to add another character to the story?
If you have been an active member of the sim for more than 3 months, and you would like to add another character, you should take a look at the Wanted Positions Page, and then contact the Game Moderator via PM on the forum (not on Discord) and see if you are A) eligible to add another character, B) if your character concept fits the story and C) if s/he can be added at the current juncture in the story. If the story is in the middle of an Episode, this might be difficult depending on the circumstances.
The maximum allowed player characters in Star Trek: Theurgy is 4 (four) characters for all members except the GM, who has to tell the story on many fronts, spread across the whole ship and all its departments. Total number is not counting NPCs, which are available for all writers. There is also a Token Reward on the Story Objectives page to strive for, if you're ambitious. Besides this Token Reward, the only exception to the maximum limit of 4 characters is if the Game Moderator grants specific permission to write a story-specific, temporary NPC in an Episode.
"How do I know if I am eligible to add another character?"
Just like with new characters, additional characters are approved at the behest of the Game Moderator, and they are approved based on writing capacity for each member. These are the criteria for all requests:
- 3 months must pass between each character addition request or after you joined the sim.
- The writer should not have a tendency to break the 7 day maximum response time rule (See General Rules)
- Writing capacity is judged by number of In-Character posts per active days in the sim. (Total posts - OOC posts) / (Total days - Inactive days). A writer is marked as Inactive if s/he leaves the sim and returns at a later time. The resulting number (the writer's Capacity) is an indicator that tells the Game Moderator if the writer has the capacity to write another character. Se the table below:
| Capacity | # Characters | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | <<<< >>>> | 0,19 | 1 Character |
| 0,20 | <<<< >>>> | 0,29 | 2 Characters |
| 0,30 | <<<< >>>> | 0,39 | 3 Characters |
| 0,4 | <<<< >>>> | ~ | 4 Characters |
If your Capacity rating is high enough, you reply within 7 days in all your threads, and it is 3 months since you last added a character to the story or joined the sim, you are eligible to add another character. The Game Moderator can quickly tell if your Capacity rating is high enough since he has a spreadsheet that can easily crunch the numbers for you.
"I am eligible, and the character can be added to the story! What happens next?"
Just like with new characters, here are the steps:
- You pitch a character concept for the GM initially, without filling out an entire character sheet. This is really important. You pitch a character concept for the GM initially. Again, without filling out an entire character sheet. Since your character idea might be rejected, you should not waste your time writing up a character entirely. Instead, you should just describe what you have in mind in terms of a character concept. Things worth mentioning at this stage are:
- Name and species
- Personality and traits
- Position from the Wanted Positions page you apply for
- In-Character ambitions, short term and long term
- Out-of-Character ambitions for the character, short term and long term
- Upbringing and education
- Defining character flaws
- What faceclaim you have in mind for the character
- Which way the character enters the story (See the Onboarding Information section further up on this page) - If the concept is approved, the Game Moderator will then send you a character template to fill out, and you PM the filled out template to the GM for a first review. The template is not made available here because the character concept should be discussed with the Game Moderator first, before any further time and effort is spent on creating a character.
- When the PM with the filled out template has been reviewed, you will be sent feedback and a link to a wiki form, where you create a draft page for the character in our wiki database, using the template and implementing the feedback.
- When you have filled out the form (remember that you need to be logged into the wiki!), and you've generated the draft page, you PM the hyperlink to the Game Moderator for a final review.
- When is approved, after some rounds of edits, the application will be processed, and the character added to the sim.
- The Game Moderator announces the character in the Main OOC thread on the forum.
Congratulations on your new character!
