FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (modified from AES FAQ)

What is e-mail simming? 

E-Mail Simming (also known as PBeM, E-Mail RPG, or several other acronyms) is the process of creating a character, then portraying that character in situations set up and run by the CO or GM and his/her crew. The emphasis in e-mail simming is on developing your character to make him or her more realistic and to interact better in his/her environment.                                             

Why create a character to sim? 

Creating a character instead of simply being yourself gives you the chance to broaden your horizons and see things the way you normally don't see them. It's an interesting way of putting yourself "in the other person's shoes", and also gives you a place where you AREN'T expected to be yourself.   

What goes into a character?

For the most part, anything you want. Most COs have a list of information about your character that they want as a minimum; the information you provide is called a bio, or biography, and essentially is a "cheat sheet" on who your character is. This information will be placed on the sim's website so that other players interested in learning more about your character can.

Also, should you need it, the Sirius runs it's own Academy program. Offering several courses and tips on bio creation, as well as several holosimulations..

How does E-Mail simming work?

Each person is expected to write a log - a piece of writing - using generally their character at least once a week; you can have your character just about do anything that's within the logical realm of your sim's background (Refer to manuals for more details). There are several suggested rules you need to follow when you write your log as well.

E-Mail simming itself takes place through either a mailing string, which is a list of addresses that every crew member must send a log to, or via listservers, which is a program that you send the log to, and it in turn sends it to the crew. Sirius PBEM is a non-profit organization, and in order to remain free, our staff either opt to not pay for listservers, or find alternate solutions.

Who is the CO? and GM?

Like a normal rpg, the sim needs someone to directed the game, however due to the complexity of simming, one just isn't enough. The CO (Commanding Officer) and GM (Game Master) is the same person. Aboard the Sirius, that would refer to James Zeun. Who takes on the character of Captain Thomas Jorin. Related to that, AGM (Assistant Game Master) is someone who helps the GM in managing the game officially - currently, Stuart Billson(Playing William Kyle ) is the AGM.

I'm frequently out-of-reach on business trips or have frequent periods when I cannot access e-mail or write logs. OR I'm going on vacation. What should I do?

For one, let your CO know this if you're already in a sim. Most COs are flexible around posting, and sometimes will let someone take over for you while you're away. Your CO will keep an eye on your character to keep him/her out of trouble.

And if I'm going to be away for more than a few weeks?

DEFINITELY talk to your CO about this. It may be possible to turn your character into an NPC or non-playing character for the time you're away. Each CO has his/her own rules regarding this.

That's not enough - I want to know more, I can't just go into this blindly!

We advise anyone interested in joining the crew of the Sirius, to read through the episodes. This will halp you get a feel for the characters and the direction the sim is going in. Also take the time to read through some of the biographies, being familiar is an important step towards simming with the rest of the crew.

Joining

To join the crew of the Sirius, you fill first need to read through some of the episodes. Familiarise yourself with the crew, then work on the outline for your character. Looking through some of the crew bio's might prove useful. Once you have done that, you will need to contact Captain Tomas Jorin. Briefly telling him why your interested in joining and include your character bio. If you have any idea's about your character, mentiioning them would be a good idea. Now lets just recap on what you need to do


1. Read through some recent episodes
   
   
2. Work on an outline for your character (use crew bio's as a referance). If you get stuck with your character bio, don't worry. The Sirius is part of the StartrekPBEM.net network which runs a brillient academy for new players.
   
   
3. Send an email to Captain Jorin by clicking here . The message should contain atleast a paragraph, describing who you are and why you would like to join. Then describe the character you wish to play in the sim, Include any ideas about them you might have.
   
   
4. Once you have spoken to the captain, please return here and use the subscription form below. Please choose and email that you will be checking regularly.

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CONTACTING

All of the SIrius crewmembers can be contacted through email. The Crew Bios page contains the email addresses of each member.

• The commanding officer of the USS Sirius is Captain Tomas Jorin. He can be contacted by clicking this comm badge
• Any questions or comments about this website should also be directed to the address above.