The First Officers Fake Blog

I, your friendly First Officer, and all around good, well, Vulcan, welcome you to the game!

One small tip for anyone new to BF, or is just rusty (like me). It never hurts to add some NPCs to your department. It gives you and others dealing with your section more people to interact with. Also, some of these guys (or gals) can have their own things going at the same time. Though they are not Player Characters, they can be sort of an extension of your character.

Back on an other ship, the USS Laffey (in the days of yore), I played a Marine Starfighter pilot, who had command of the fighter group. I had a host of NPCs, I dealt with all the time. One was a young hotdog I was constantly yelling at. Another was a Tech (a Gunny by rank), who yelled at me if I so much as scratched one of 'his razors' (a fighter of the time). All of this, while taking my part in the over all story line. Though, in my case, it didn't necessarily make my posts bigger (I type too slow for that), it did add color and it invited the reader to my part of the ship.

(Crash! Bang! Arrg!) Damn it! The soap box broke!

I guess for now, that's it.

Except...Post.

I wrote this on the USS Endearor, where I played the Chief of Security. I, as the First Officer of the Starfire, believe this to be logical on both ships. here it is:

Back in the days of yore, when the Relay Station Bravo forum was still a bit new and Mike Bremer still the head of BF. There was a heated discussion going on about the role of Star Fleet Marines vs. Star Fleet Security. The opinions tended to go along party lines, with no give or take.

I'm writing this more for our future Marine CO, when we get one (come down to Honest Cal's used Marine CO emporium! Where we'll get you a deal on a slightly used MCO!). Also, this will reflect how I intend to work with the Marines in my posts.

First of all, The Marines and Security, each have unique jobs to do.

Security, provides security for the ship, making sure it is a safe and orderly environment to work and live. Along with that is investigation of anything on the ship that could endanger the crew or cause damage to the ship. Also, it includes the apprehension and arrest of anyone causing said danger or damage. Another is the apprehension and arrest of anyone breaking Federation Law or Star Fleet Regulations (though, unless the Captain says differently, I don't think I'll be cuffing you for a scruffy uniform).

The Marines have it simple (at least on paper). Their job is to...well?...Break things, kill people and acquire real-estate. Most of their duties take place outside the ship. If Commander Harrison wants to beam an away team to the surface of a planet, and the spot he needs to send them to, is full of unfriendly bad guys, he's not going to send me and my boys down to arrest them. He's going to have the grunts secure the LZ. Yes, once there, Security provides protection for the team.

If you need a place captured, you send the Marines. If you need someone snatched from behind enemy lines, you send the Marines. If there's a hot looking woman sun bathing on the beach, you sent MacAl...Oops, sorry!

Back to the subject.

Now, there are circumstances where both department's jobs overlap.

Defense of the ship against boarders. In this case both Security and the Marines would be working together. And in most cases, the Marine CO, would be in command of the resistance. That's because my battle station would be on the bridge, if not firing weapons at enemy ships, then at least monitoring the internal sensors, providing tactical info to the repellers and putting up internal force fields where they might do good (Ops would probably be helping me in this area too). Also, some of you are probably thinking, "Repelling boarders! That's everyone's job!" Only if they enter your battle station area. I personally don't want the Engineering crew leaving that warp core to scrap hand to hand with the bad guys.

You're probably also wondering. What if I, the Great Charles MacAllen, out ranked the MCO? Well yes, I would, in the case of boarders, be in overall command of the two departments, but, I would be a fool to micromanage the Marine CO's job.

Also, there are times when one department might supplement the numbers of another department, i.e.: We have some super bad hombres in the brig, who have a bad habit of escaping...with fatal results for the guards ("then you take the communicator and put it in this corner..."). Or, the Marines might need a few more good men for a mission...There are probably other situations I haven't thought of.

So, These are my thoughts on this subject. So, until I think of something else to babble about...

(And right here at Cal's, we have a slightly used MCO, a Grunt model, that's only killed on Sundays and Holidays!..

Oh, Palfrey, just to let you know, we have a Marine CO, Marine Captain North. He has been here since our first shakedown mission, and is on the SMS manifest as well good post btw!

Marks wrote:Oh, Palfrey, just to let you know, we have a Marine CO, Marine Captain North. He has been here since our first shakedown mission, and is on the SMS manifest as well good post btw!

Yeah, I know. This was written on another ship, which didn't have a MCO (notice I refer to myself as MacAllen). On that ship I play the Security Chief.

Also, anything I write on this 'Fake Blog' is totally my opinion. It's not intended to dictate to anyone on how to play their character or run their department. Though if you don't do what I say,...I will become flatulent, and the Earth as we know it will end.

LOL, niiiice! well i will take this into consideration lol