Proposing A New Direction for Season 10

[Bryancd]

How about we just create all new characters and start right where the new Star Trek film left off? I think that would be more inclusive for new writers and get out moving again. I understand what you are saying Jen, but for me, the RPG has grown stagnant and I would love a "reboot" for real.

It's very difficult for me not to take offense at that. It may be stagnant to you Bryan...but there are quite a few people who continue to write in the RPG season after season. We have more writers participating in the RPG than ever before and more individuals that have seen the season through from beginning to end.  If you want to create a new character, I won't stop you but it's easier to build upon something that was already constructed than to start all over with new characters. If that wasn't the case, then JJ would have created his own crew instead of using the one we know and love.

I'm sorry you feel offended by my own personal feeling, Jen. :( You shouldn't, it's just my feelings and doesn't reflect at all on the work you and others have put into the RPG. Is the RPG beyond any criticism? For me, I just think that if we are going to change, let's change the whole thing, start a brand new series, like a brand new book. Sorry if this is somehow making others feel bad, that's not my intention nor a reflection on the characters they have created.

[X]

I'm sorry you feel offended by my own personal feeling, Jen. :( You shouldn't, it's just my feelings and doesn't reflect at all on the work you and others have put into the RPG. Is the RPG beyond any criticism? For me, I just think that if we are going to change, let's change the whole thing, start a brand new series, like a brand new book. Sorry if this is somehow making others feel bad, that's not my intention nor a reflection on the characters they have created.

I think that if we're going to change, it should be in a way that will keep the people that have been writing motivated. From my own talks with some of the writers that wrote this season. This is the best idea. They like the new direction and that they can alter their characters. There's really no need to throw the baby out with the bath water. At the same time, going 100% new would require a ton more of research and I don't think that there's many people on the boards that are going to invest their time in doing all the leg work to start completely fresh. This works better because it's easier on the people that's going to be working to build the time line and all the other stuff.

However, if you are willing to build a new time line and design a new ship and the specs for it, I'd be a little more willing to start from scratch.  For me, there is just too much good effort and detail that we can still use to toss it all.

[moyer777]

I personaly think this new idea is rocking.  New, fresh, could be a lot of fun.  I trust Jen, Kenny and Chris, and all the other creative minds.  I'll join in, perhaps with some help so I don't dissapear anymore.  :)

[Feathers]

I know I'm a new boy to this but for me I think this could work quite well. What I've found over S9 is that I like consistency and I like things to be 'right' which is difficult to achieve with forty years of TV and a whole load of books that I haven't read to be consistent with. To be honest, it surprised me when I was writing - I didn't realise I reacted like that.

What this idea appears to present (for me at least) is a much wider playing field on which to perform in terms of Galdar's character. To take a simple example - in the current universe, Galdar is the third or fourth Ferengi in the fleet (probably). 1- Nog, 2 - Lt Plummer?, 3 - Galdar. That's pretty much set in concrete from DS9 and our story. In the new universe, that doesn't have to be so...it may be the same but it doesn't have to be. This means I can invent another Ferengi character if I want to without fear of tripping over 'cannon'. FWIW I'm not planning to but this would give me that freedom.

In terms of what the universe looks like, Rico's right and it could be anything. However, as the point of this is to be a game for people to join in with I don't think we can adjust too far in terms of technology etc from what we know and I'm not sure it would happen that way anyway.

Bear in mind that technological evolution is in some ways like a jugganaut (sp?) plowing forward that a 25 year deviation isn't really going to throw off course. Yes, tech recovered from the damage to the Narada caused by the Kelvin could have thrown things off a bit and what was discovered there would be built upon. At the end of the film, however, the Romulans were swallowed by a black hole - there's no more future-tech to salvage so development reverts to the pace it was previously progressing in. I think over the time periods we're talking about there's a good arguement for things being pretty much at the same level. With the loss of Vulcan, it could even be further behind.

Politically, of course, it will be completely different. I imagine the Romulans have a lot more agressive for a lot longer, for instance. With regard to Romulus being destroyed - with the loss of Vulcan, would the Vulcans have been able to discover Red Matter with their reduced resources? Spock Prime didn't invent it so I doubt he passed the formula on. Maybe they got there just after Romulus was destroyed or maybe they had to find another way to deal with the supernova. Given that all that is off screen, we don't need to resolve it instantly.

This is all really a long winded way of saying I quite like this idea since it keeps a lot of what we know but gives us a lot more scope to play with it all inside the new political arena that the film opens up while being far enough away from the film that we won't trip over continuity for future films.

[Dangelus]

I like the idea and I would love to continue to participate. It would certainly chnage Lester Garriss completely though, no more Vulcan influence and I'd have to change the character completely...

I will hold off any thoughts until I see the timeline sketched out. I think we do need certain 'guidelines' to draw from but the potential for this is amazing!

On a side note (and I haven't read the book yet) doesn't the movie imply that Nero used the red matter in the past to destroy the system that went supernova in the future to prevent Romulus being destoyed? This would mean no supernova at all in the alternate universe. I don't know, I'd have to recheck...

[Feathers]

I like the idea and I would love to continue to participate. It would certainly chnage Lester Garriss completely though, no more Vulcan influence and I'd have to change the character completely...

I'm sure the Vulcan influence is still there but I guess it's far smaller than it was in the 'Prime' universe. I wonder what other impacts that loss would have on things.

I will hold off any thoughts until I see the timeline sketched out. I think we do need certain 'guidelines' to draw from but the potential for this is amazing!

On a side note (and I haven't read the book yet) doesn't the movie imply that Nero used the red matter in the past to destroy the system that went supernova in the future to prevent Romulus being destoyed? This would mean no supernova at all in the alternate universe. I don't know, I'd have to recheck...

Did it? I don't remember that.

Still, I've only seen the film once so perhaps this would be a good excuse for a rewatch. :)

[Meds]

Ok here is my throw in on this new idea. I love it. I enjoy writing joseph and he's different from when i first started which annoys me as a writer. I've now got the chance to write joe as he is now but more or less from scratch which is so exciting. I've grown as a writer and i find this new proposal a idea. Bryan i actually believe this is the best thing especially for you and other writers who have become bored or maybe out of ideas. You say the rpg is stagnant. You can't say that without hinting you feel my writing, jen's writing, chris, erics, mike's and dan's writing is boring. I challenge that as i think this story has been challenging and dramatic. I'm not having a go at you, you're welcome to your opinion but don't expect me to sit back and have mine or anyone else's creative work knocked. I want to see the likes of you Bryan and the others who have great character breath some new life into them and bring them back into the stories. I'm not changing an awfull lot about Joe, but what i am changing is allowing me to write him easier and have him as he is now. He won't have had the trauma he had originally he'll be more laid back which how i wanted him. This i feel is a great opportunity for everyone to join in again. I love writing Dunn but he would be better if Bryan wrote him, he's a great character and in my mine more than a NPC. Anyway that's my thoughts.

[Rico]

Another thought popped in my head with regards to this.  I really doubt the new young Spock, Kirk and the Federation will let the star (Hobus?) go supernova and destroy Romulus in their future.  Their involvement with Nero, older Spock, etc. has given them plenty of evidence to stop this - or at least let the Romulans know about it over a hundred years before it will happen.  So do we really think they won't do something about this?  Isn't that kind of one of the points of the movie? 

Again - up to all of you.  I like the idea of the using the alternate timeline/universe, I just really think some of the particulars need to be worked out still.

[billybob476]

As long as you guys keep writing I'll keep reading! At first I wasn't sure if this was the best idea but I'm warming to it. This will kind of be like season 8, except people won't necessarily be 'mirrored', just...different.

Obviously Sevryll will be a different person, Garriss as well. A lot of the rest of the characters could remain relatively unaffected (if the writers deem it to be so). It's a good opportunity for writers to 'fix' their characters and to stretch their muscles outside of the prime timeline.

And hey. Worst case scenario, for season 11, we revert to the prime timeline. It'll be a fun experiment.

[Bryancd]

That's what I mean mean, Meds, for me I felt the story had sort of run it's course as far as my participation in it and my character. Even last season when I stopped writing I kept reading and listening to the podcast and enjoyed all of your collective work. I said this is not a knock on the work everyone put's in or it's quality, it's just I personally haven't felt engaged to participate. I really like the idea of using the new time line, I just like the concept of making this in the same era in which the films are now being made. I think it's exciting and dynamic and fresh and would be fun. I understand what Chris is saying about set up, but maybe we don't need all of that to get it going.

[Feathers]

As you've read the comics Rico, you'll know Spock warned the Romulans in the Prime timeline. They didn't listen then so why should they listen in any new timeline? I seriously doubt the presence of Spock Prime would make any difference to the Senate. But that's only my view obviously.

Strictly we could imagine just about any set of events we like. What I see from this plan is that it becomes a little more 'our' Trek universe rather than an extension of someone else's. 

[Rico]

As you've read the comics Rico, you'll know Spock warned the Romulans in the Prime timeline. They didn't listen then so why should they listen in any new timeline? I seriously doubt the presence of Spock Prime would make any difference to the Senate. But that's only my view obviously.

Strictly we could imagine just about any set of events we like. What I see from this plan is that it becomes a little more 'our' Trek universe rather than an extension of someone else's. 

The Federation would just stop it themselves then.  They have over a hundred years to fix this.  I truly doubt they would just let it happen all over again.

[Jen]

Who's to say that the universe doesn't want Romulus gone? And "mother universe" finds a way to keep it from being saved? If it can bring the same crew together over and over again, it can make sure no one can save a dying star.

Remember that the point of an RPG is to be creative...to imagine what 'could be'. We are in our own realm here, and always have been. The books and movies have been a guide, but we have written whatever has tripped into our imagination. Can Andorians mate with humans and produce a child? There's nothing in cannon to say that could happen...but I thought it made for a great story. Can a dude with nanites control machines? It doesn't seem plausible, but it works as a story...

We have written of many events in the past that wouldn't be 'logical', and from those 'illogicial' ideas sprang unique and fun stories. All we are doing here is trying to come up with a catalylist to create a new perspective on what we've built for 9 seasons. We're not reinventing the wheel or throwing the baby out with the bath water. The people who continue to read this story, and write in it, love the characters we have all created. For those of us who have invested a lot in our characters, it would be like killing a favorite pet with our bare hands to ditch them and start from scratch. If you don't have much invested you wouldn't mind scrapping them. This is your opportunity to do that if you want to create something new.

Challenges are what inspire creativity. It's about working with other writers to come up with ideas to meet the challenge head on and solve it with something witty or unique. If you look at it as "hard" or "difficult" then it will never be fun or exciting.

What Kenny and I suggest to writers who are frequently frustrated by the RPG or can't keep up or can't come up with ideas despite the help of others, is that they take some time to consider if this game is a hobby they enjoy or if is it a chore. If it isn't fun, then chances are it's a job that doesn't pay. Not everyone enjoys spinning stories and inventing characters, worlds and dialog.  It it is my hobby and I spend a lot of time writing here when I could be writing a novel, LOL. In fact, I think I've probably written about 9 of them already. :)  Maybe it's not the game you find unengaging...maybe it was never your cup of tea to begin with. And that's okay...everyone is different.

Kenny and I were pondering an alternate timeline story several seasons back. After I saw this movie, I thought the questions it left us all with would inspire the writers of the RPG. I didn't like the events of the movie, I think I've said that more than a few times, but I thought it would be good for us to wonder how our characters would be affected by that one event. It's a ripple in a pool...but please remember this is actually a sandbox. And we, as a group, can make whatever we want with the sand. If there's a will there's a way. :)

[Rico]

I'm sorry if I have upset anyone by my comments.  That certainly was far from my intention.  I guess using a "Star Wars" phrase, I just have 'a different point of view' about what the future would bring to the alternate movie timeline.  And even in Kirk's time it seems quite a bit different already.  Please, feel free to take the RPG where you see best.

[Jen]

I'm sorry if I have upset anyone by my comments.  That certainly was far from my intention.  I guess using a "Star Wars" phrase, I just have 'a different point of view' about what the future would bring to the alternate movie timeline.  And even in Kirk's time it seems quite a bit different already.  Please, feel free to take the RPG where you see best.

No biggie, Rico. :)

You may be right, it may not turn out this way in the films...Spock could save the day. But for our RPG,  I think it's more interesting to deal with a disaster and the fall out from that. It makes things interesting. Again, it's our own universe of Trek it doesn't have to be perfectly in step with the movie or TV show. Consider the RPG story a "what if' scenario. What if he didn't save it again? What would happen?