I've made my first official post since my return.  I did leave it open for two ships to have fun with a few new medical supplies and some staff as well.

Unless our rather smelly Wookie stumbles inside our perimeter Strill won't be out looking for him. We have no clue he is even on this asteroid so there would be no scouting parties out and about. If he comes up to the sentries then something can happen but unless that happens we don't even know he's here.

As much fun as rescuing Stormz would be, I do agree that we shouldn't. Do the squadrons even know where Stormz is let alone the fleet? By this time I've forgotten who knows what.

On the same page now, yes. Thank you, Tryk.

In light of that, our main priority is to fight the forces now surrounding us. I believe Joamer will write a post with orders for us. Thankfully now that the pulsar is down, the coms are back up for the moment and coordinating that portion of it will be easier.

Just a quick off-topic thing: All of the VEN-related IRC channels lost their registration through disuse, so I went ahead and snatched them up just in case. Hop on if you own one of the channels and I'll restore your Ops.

Back on topic: I'll try to get a post up today, assuming I can get in touch with any of Chlovi's leadership.

It's kind of weird to see that, whereas War was mainly Chlovi and barely Strill, now we have basically all Strill and no Chlovi.

If I find extra time and you guys want some NPCs written on that side, I'd be willing to help fill in some gaps for you.

Am I right in thinking that Avalar isn't able to fly currently? If so, who's Besh acting flight leader?

Also, with ancillary skills, I've done the ground attack one. Does that make Gurlanin better than the rest of his squadron (who haven't done it) at strafing and the like?

Notice that I purposefully hit her non dominant hand. Yes it's going to hurt to fly, however, it does not make it impossible. Should she not be flying regardless? Probably not, but she's gonna try anyway even if it turns out she has to land soon else end up dead.

And who says that the NPC's haven't done it? Point is, as Tryk said, don't think of it as comparisons. Frankly, even if certs/skills have been completed, the point of Death as I see it is that, even with training, this place is chaos. Some training will hold and some won't, especially for those who have been trained well but have never been in a war situation before.

Gur, I'm not saying that your character can't be good at something. I'm just stating how I am personally handling it. Tryk is right. You have the skill and so you are skilled at it. You have every right to write that way.

So as Tryk said, have at it!

Gurlanin, I'll reiterate: focus on your writing/character, and try not to worry so much about whether others are getting "unfair advantages."  It's part of my job, as the story's CO, to make sure people are following the "rules" of our little RPG, and yes, part of that is abiding by the skills/certs system.  But I know my job, and I'm fairly good at it.  Leave enforcement to me, okay?

Yes, the Ancillary Skills and Certifications programs DO matter, and as I said, the fact that you have completed Ground Attack means your character WILL be good at it.  Yes, folks who haven't completed the skill shouldn't be able to excel at that task in-story, yet.  But you are all still going to TRY.  Even a mediocre strafing run is going to be more useful, under the circumstances, than a dead-shot with a blaster on the ground, I think is the thinking.

I sense a little frustration in your last couple posts.  Please, re-read what we've written (Avalar and me): we're not mad, and we're not trying to take anything away from you or your accomplishments OOC.  We're just trying to turn your thinking from negative to positive.  And give this story the best IC ending we can. 

I know, buddy.    I'm pretty secure in my job, at the moment.  I was just trying to say: it's covered.

Try to have fun, taking full advantage of the prep work you've done by completing skills and certs, rather than being the guy at the DnD table who's constantly taking out the rulebook, paging through looking for ways the other players are messing up (to use a metaphor).  There are orcs to slay!

I mean, there's a Dominion to kill! 

Hehe.  I can tell. 

And for the record, there's nothing wrong with that guy at the DnD table!  Everyone has different priorities when they play role-playing games.  But when the DM steps in and says, "enough, let's move on," it's time to move on.

Which is more or less where we are now. 

Your play style is just as valid - and as valuable - as anybody else's, Gur.  But that's the point: some other people aren't as particular about the rpg-style details of the club, and some see this more as a collaborative storytelling club rather than a play-by-post rpg, and they're all "right," too, same as you.  All viewpoints are lovely, and we just have to get along.  That's accomplished mostly by the gamemaster-type folks (in the VE, that role if played by the officers) striking a balance.

As one o' those types, I absolutely hear your concern, and I will do my best to make sure the rules are applied well, in this case. 

"Trust me!" (I'm quoting Han Solo a lot, today, for some reason...)

If you could wait a post for the pulsar to come online. I need comms.

I can wait, my friend, no probs!

Apologies for making you guys wait. Having some trouble with my computer. Doesn't want to work properly for me. Should have a post up tomorrow early PM (BST) at the latest.