Bravo Fleet
Bravo Fleet Logistics Officer
To all the members of Bravo Fleet:
This doesn’t happen too often, but I’ll get to the point. Shannon has been unanimously voted to be removed as Bravo Fleet Logistics Officer. There is a lot of timelines that would go into an explanation, but the tl;dr version is that Shannon ceased all contact with myself, the rest of the BFA, and the Specs Team on August 14th. All subsequent attempts to contact him were met with the Bravo Fleet version of ghosting (that’s what the kids call it these days), with ample proof we were all being ignored. As a result, Shannon has been removed from his position as Logistics Officer.
Moving forward, the BFA is going to re-evaluate the long term viability of the Logistics Officer as a BFA position. There are other areas of concern which have prompted discussion for additional pressure relief on the BFA. COs, look for votes to hit your inboxes in the coming weeks as we reshuffle the fleets prioritizations for continued growth.
Starfleet Medal of Commendations!
A yearly award for the players of each Task Force (each Task Force can nominate up to 5 people) whom have shown extreme dedication and resilience to their task force and Bravo Fleet, given on the 19th of August (Gene Roddenberry’s birthday).
Task Force 9
Task Force 64
Task Force 72
Task Force 93
Bravo Fleet & Star Trek: Picard
To all the members of Bravo Fleet, past and present:
In early 2020, we will be receiving the first new official canon in the late twenty-fourth century of the Prime universe in nearly twenty years with the debut of Star Trek: Picard. This is an exciting time for Bravo Fleet, and we intend to take full advantage of it. This is something that Bravo Fleet, and in fact the simming community at large, desperately needs. Bravo Fleet will be going in both feet first! We want to make this announcement now so that everyone can get ahead of the game and be properly and fully prepared!
Within a month of the end of the first season of Picard, we will be changing the default setting of Bravo Fleet’s fiction to 2399 to line up with Picard. Through the run of the series we will be proceeding at a 1:1 time scale, with one year passing in-universe for each that passes outside. This will allow us to keep pace with Picard in time.
This is a necessary step in the long-term security and survival of Bravo Fleet. With the exception of the Hobus storyline, Bravo Fleet has largely languished in its own fanon (“fan canon”), far removed from any source material, since Nemesis premiered in 2002. And while we are all some of the most creative people on the planet, we can only do so much with so little over almost two decades without feeling stale. Another large reason for this change is because we don’t want to have to continually and constantly have to retcon our own ongoing writing as Picard is airing. It’s much more conducive for us to move to 2399 and adjust our “history” according to Picard. Rather than Picard outright changing what we’re doing in its history.
What does this mean for you? It means that our primary canon support will be focused on the new 2399 setting. Most current fleet stories will be wrapped up or see major changes as we prepare for the time skip, and new stories to tell in the new setting will be discussed. Some stories will endure a decade into our timeline’s future. In the end, the specific year doesn’t affect most individual sims, but it does affect fleet storylines which, in turn, trickles down to the sim level. For your sims, we will offer as much time as you need to tie off your current storylines and make ready for the time skip. For those who do not want to move to the 2399 setting, there will be options as well. If the number of sims staying in the 2389 setting is small, they will be moved to a new Task Group in Task Force 99; if it is large, we will open a new Task Force for the “classic” Bravo Fleet setting. Fictions outside Task Forces 99 and 64 will need to advance to the new setting – a part of the point of fictions is to help tell the fleet’s stories, and that means they need to run inside the main setting of the fleet. All non-alternate (TF99) or historical (TF64) sims opened once the time jump is made will be 2399.
This will also serve as a soft reboot of sorts for Bravo Fleet. We have two decades of our own canon, and we do not know how much of that will be contradicted by what happens in the new show. We will, as always, be following screen canon first, so this will be an opportunity to bring our stories and those being told by the creators of Star Trek more closely into line. But it will serve as a fresh start for many people and will allow us to tie nice ribbons on other storylines.
At the same time as the time skip, we will be restructuring our Task Forces! The current structure, while straightforward, has led to situations where areas of operations and breadth of storytelling, especially in 72 and 93, are overwhelming. While each task force is simply divided into the four quadrants, 38 and 9 don’t encompass the entire quadrants they represent. Asking the staff of 72 and 93 to manage the canon and sheer potential number of sims in those task forces is not fair. Additionally, we’re looking for stability in our task forces, and burnout is not the way there. We will be adding multiple Task Forces to Bravo Fleet between now and around the time skip, each with a smaller, more focused area of operations. We’re hoping this will help sims focus on the stories they want to tell a lot better, allow task force staff to have more individualized attention on specific stories and areas of operations, and help build a more cohesive story overall between the sims in a task force.
COs – look for surveys to be hitting your inboxes in the next few days so that we can get a tally count for those wanting to stay in the 2389 era and those going with Bravo Fleet to 2399. We will also be releasing more information on future task forces as we finalize what that will look like.
New Task Force 93 CO!
Earlier last week Leam (Adm Bradley J. Harrison) gave me his resignation as TFCO of Task Force 93. He had some parting words which I think are worth sharing:
I’ve decided to step down as TFCO this morning. I want to spend some time just on my sim and myself. I thought I could stay on with things that are going on but at the moment, I can’t and it would be unfair to stay and do a disservice to the TF. I’m sure Vince will make an announcement soon about an acting TFCO and Andrew is still around as TFXO. I wish all COs in TF93 all the best with whoever is asked and approved to step up to the role. Pretty small shoes to fill.
Leam was an integral part of the transition team in the past few months and has been a huge help and good friend to me, personally. On behalf of the entire BFA, we wish him the best in his mini-retirement and look forward to everything the Excalibur has to bring to Bravo Fleet canon in the future!
Filling his shoes was indeed no small task. The BFA deliberated on nominees for a few days until we finally had someone we felt was experienced enough, familiar enough, and ready to hit the ground running with little oversight to run Task Force 93. Voted in by the BFA and confirmed by the COs of TF93, I’d like to welcome Thrace, who will be playing Vice Admiral Kara Thrace, as the new 93CO. Thrace is a former TFCO of TF93 who has helped create much of the canon that is still in use in the task force. He currently sits as CO of the USS Excelsior in TF38 where he has been helping the COs and staff there formulate canon for the Delta Quadrant going forward. Thrace has a storied history in TF93 as a team builder, someone who drives canon, and is very “customer-friendly” in helping COs get done what they need to make their sims successful. In his move to 93, Thrace will be opening up (well, reopening!) Deep Space 6 as the new (old?) Task Force HQ.
Congratulations, Thrace!
TF9 – Executive Officer Announcement
Hello Bravo Fleet!
It is my great pleasure to announce the promotion of Commodore Caymen Greener (better known as Chris on Discord) to the role of Executive Officer of Task Force 9. Caymen brings with him a wealth of experience in varied roles around the Fleet, but I’ll let him speak for himself!
“My name is Chris and I’ve been around the simming universe for almost 20 years. I have been in Bravo Fleet since around 2014 as a CO several times, TFXO once before in TF93, and as BFIO for a stint. You may remember Caymen Greener, my main character and pseudonym. Hopefully they are good memories! I’ve been around in similar roles in other fleets as well.
I am glad to be back in BF as a member, CO, and helping on the staff side as well. I like what I have seen with the fleet in recent months and, with the encouragement and kindness of some close friends here, I am ecstatic to be here. My own ship is a story I love to continue, TF9 has a lot of good canon to lay out, and I hope I can be successful there and in other areas in the fleet.
Thanks and appreciate the opportunity to be back!”
Please join me in both congratulating and lamenting Caymen, as he makes a fantastic addition to our weird little Task Force, but also has a world of work ahead of him.
Thanks!
Sean aka
Task Force 9 – Operational Report – July 2019
The Slow Drums
Bridge: USS Opaka
1126 HRS
“Leaving Deep Space 9 local authority. ETA to wormhole three minutes,” the steely voice of the helm officer announced.
A flagship she was not, but Admiral Erszebet Virkov couldn’t help but admire the efficiency of the crew of the USS Opaka. The ship had been a relatively new build, despite being a somewhat older Steamrunner class starship. After the fallout caused by the Consortium in the Gamma Quadrant, Starfleet Admiralty had finally decided that New Bajor needed a ship assigned to the planet for defensive purposes.
Why they won’t just build the damned orbital platforms is an argument for another day, Virkov thought to herself, her face a mask of stoicism.
“Excellent,” she replied audibly to the helm. “ETA to New Bajor?”
“Twenty minutes, sir,” he responded.
She nodded affirmatively, and took a seat to the right of the vessel’s commanding officer, Captain Wojahn. She’d had conversations with the woman prior, and impressed upon her that regardless of the presence of an Admiral, the vessel and her crew were under the command of the assigned commander, and as such she would sit next to the command seat, not in it.
“What do you think of the Dominion’s new ultimatum, Admiral?” Wojahn asked, leaning in and speaking under her breath.
Virkov exhaled sharply, and replied, “Firstly, we are going to be working together quite closely, and while I may have a reputation of being a frigid ice queen, I prefer to have a familiar relationship with my direct reports. So please call me Beth.”
Thinking a moment, she continued, “I think that at the end of the day, the Founders are a group of blowhards asking for something they know they’re not going to get. The idea of them trying to reneg on the Armistice and limit our presence in the Quadrant is asinine, when one considers that we have assets on the far edge of their space, and ships assigned out there. I’m looking forward to meeting with them, and reminding them who won the war.”
Turning her head towards the Captain, she asked, “What are your thoughts, Captain?”
The woman took a moment, and replied, “I think they’re a civilization coming back from the brink of extinction. I think they feel like they got a raw deal in the Armistice agreement, and they’re trying to flex their muscle as best they can. I think they are, despite everything, a force to be reckoned with, and I don’t think we should underestimate them. They don’t want us to explore in their territory, that’s understandable. Most governments would make that request. I think we should honor it to every extent possible. But asking the fleet to stick solely to shipping lanes is…problematic, at best. I think if we can meet them from a place of diplomacy and empathy, we can smooth out the rough edges.”
Virkov smirked and nodded in agreement, and replied, “I am aligned with that.”
“Now entering the Celes…eugh…the Wormhole, sirs.”
“Steady as she goes, ensign,” Wojahn replied.
News from Task Force 9!
- USS Ride: The USS Ride has encountered a terrifying threat to sentient life on the border of the Gamma and Delta Quadrants. Working alongside the Dominion, the crew are on a long, investigatory mission to ascertain the nature and level of this new threat, and what can be done to combat it.
- USS Triton: Following much needed repairs and refits, the crew of the Triton is gallantly preparing to set off on their mission of exploration in the Gamma Quadrant once more.
- USS Proxima: Following several command changes, the new CO of the Proxima is working diligently to bring the crew to order and get back to their mission at hand.
- USS Trafalgar: The crew of the Trafalgar is diligently rescuing Federation scientists from a governmental collapse in the Sebrisan Empire.
- USS Unification: The USS Unification has been tasked with tracking down one of the last leaders of the Consortium, Captain Sunon Mexena, who was responsible for the destruction of several starships during the opening moments of the Consortium attack on Deep Space 11.
- USS August: The USS August is the newest addition to the task force and is currently taking on crew.
Canon Updates
There are several canon updates in the works! With the closing of the Consortium story arc, and the addition of the Bajor system to the Task Force Area of Operations, the opportunity for compelling storytelling is here!
- Bajor System – A new Kai must be elected, and while several candidates are vying for the position, a soft diplomatic hand is necessary… especially when several candidates express anti-Federation sentiments.
- New Bajor – Rebuilding of the Planetary infrastructure has commenced in earnest. The Dominion, ostensibly our lukewarm allies in the Quadrant, have offered their assistance…but at a price.
- Reliquary – The Reliquary’s database holds myriad wonders stretching through most of the Gamma Quadrant. But with the database being on the order of at least a millennia old, how useful will this information be? And who will take up the mantle of exploration to find out?
Bravo Fleet and Task Force 9!
There are some new policies in place regarding sim activity levels, which I know sounds scary out of context. These new classifications give you the power to tell the story your way, without having to be worried about volume.
I would strongly urge all COs to look over the new policy shift and determine which classification is best for you, your crew, and the stories you’re trying to weave. Full disclosure, I changed my ship’s classification this week!
As always, quality over quantity! We are a small but mighty Task Force, and our stories are grandiose and epic in scale.
In Conclusion
The past few months of transition have been a little rough on the Task Force. We took a big hit, but I’m proud to say that rebuilding is going well!
Keep writing amazing stories involving amazing characters, keep coming together in the spirit of camaraderie, and most importantly, never trust a Founder!
New Task Force Logos!
To all the members of Bravo Fleet:
As part of our fleet rebranding, the task force logos have also been at the top of our list. They have largely gone unchanged since their current inception which has been well over ten years. I will also explain some changelog thoughts with each one!
TASK FORCE 9
This one is pretty self-explanatory. 9 is keeping its iconic cyan-like blue color, but the logo in the center has changed to something more 9-centric: the Bajoran Wormhole!
TASK FORCE 38
Task Force 38 keeps its purple color! The Greek delta logo has changed, though. The lowercase Greek letter was simply too “fat” to fit into the new Bravo Fleet logo correctly. The solution was straight-forward: use the uppercase delta letter!
TASK FORCE 64
This one was probably the logo that saw the most change and was a bit tricky to work with. A few concepts were drawn up that changed the inside logo to laurels and other imagery. However, with a 64 “rebranding” of sorts coming soon (more on that once Domingo returns from STLV!) we wanted some imagery that really conveyed what 64 is all about. The logo color was also changed to red for the simple fact that the gold coloring did not work well with the gold accent of the new logo. It was very much a pain in the ole’ eyeballs.
TASK FORCE 72
Very little change here. 72 has barely changed in 20 years. Continue on with your sexy logo, 72!
TASK FORCE 93
This is the other logo that, along with 64, got quite a bit of change. The first was the color. With 9 and 72 occupying a lot of the blue spectrum, 93s “greyish blue” was hard to accommodate. To set it apart and on its own, it has been given a more emerald green. To mix with 72, you get some very Earthish colors. It’s also a reminder that those sneaky Romulans are right around 93s corner! The sextant that originally occupied the 93 logo was also changed for similar reasons to 38: it was too “fat” to sit in the current logo properly. 93 has instead been given the replacement of a compass, which is the most fitting logo 93 could have.
TASK FORCE 99
Just as with 72, 99s logo remains largely unchanged. Black, infinity, infinite possibilities. Go 99!