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Congratulations on completing Level 1 of your training process, and welcome to Level 2. I am Commander John Dean, your instructor for this portion of your training.

During your last session you learned the basics of posting for this RPG simulation. In this next level we will take your training one step further, to build on what you've already completed and to prepare you for your third, and final assignment.

Your last level consisted of learning basic post set-up, including the use of stardates, locations, response tag brackets (<<,>>), +TAPS+, OOC and proper closing signatures. In this next lesson we will cover working with other players, personal post development, subject lines and the +COMM+ command.

One of the most important things to remember when playing any RPG is that there are other player characters to consider. They, like you, have their own character personalities to work with, and their own development to control. In order to be able to work with these players, without compromising their characters, it is important to have an idea of how they would react to the situations you will face.

When you receive your ship placement, after your final training assignment, it would be a good idea to take a look at the profiles of your fellow crew members, found on your ship's website. These profiles will give you a better idea of the other players in your game. Once you start interacting with the other players, pay attention to what they write about their own characters and how they respond to the situations you are facing. The further into the game play you get, the easier it will become to guess or anticipate how others will respond to you.

Personal post development is a vital factor of playing this game. As you learned in your first level, posts are written from a first person perspective. What goes on around you needs to be rewritten by you as your character would view the happenings. When you are re-writing your posts it is important to remember that all gameplay works on two levels - working with the other players, and your own character development.

When making your responses try to include hints into your own character. Add in, not only your thoughts, but other personal information about your character that may pertain to your past or even possible future actions. Hints into your own character's life, interests and dreams will help your crewmates learn how to work with you more effectively.

Now, onto other matters...

As you know, each post begins with the current stardate and ends with your signature block. The date tells us when the post was written, and the signature tells us who wrote it. As you begin playing with more people you will find it easier if you can identify who wrote a given post before you actually read it. This is even more important as you take part in joint missions where you interact with players from one or more crews that are not your own. To make things easier we write an identifying subject line for all posts submitted.

USE OF THE SUBJECT LINE
The subject line is easy to write, and consists of:

[Ship or Station] - [Rank and Name], [Position] - [Title of Post]

As you will note, my email to you is subjected:

FA - CDR Dean, Lvl 2 Inst - Level Two Training

This tells you that this post comes from the Federation Academy by CDR Dean, the Level 2 Instructor and that it will be regarding your Level 2 training. It's a simple post title, but don't be afraid to get creative with your own, possibly providing a hint as to what will happen in your posts.

USE OF THE +COMM+ FUNCTION
The final task of this training is an introduction to the +COMM+ command. It works much like the +TAPS+ you saw in your last assignment, coming at the beginning of each line during a conversation. However, where +TAPS+ is used between individual players on the same ship/station, +COMM+ is used to signify communication between two ships, ship to station, or ship to planet. It is a longer range communications device.

In the following mission you will be expected to utilize all that you learned during your first training session, as well as adding in what we have discussed here. Don't forget to include a subject line when you reply. For the sake of this assignment your position will be 2nd Level Cadet, or 2nd Lvl Cdt.

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SD 50212.13

=/\=Federation Academy, 2nd Level Instructor's Office=/\=

I stood at the window in my office, looking out into the colorful cloud that swirled around the station. The Antares Nebula. A beautiful thing to witness, the perfect hiding place, for this station, and for the series of buoys that had been set up for a cadet training mission.

With a smile I turned back to my desk and picked up my coffee. Slipping into my chair I took one last look at my computer console, studying the face on the screen. This wasn't the easiest of searches, but so far the cadets hadn't had any trouble finding the targets, as long as they used their sensors properly.

Satisfied with my last choice for this assignment, I tapped my commbadge.

+TAPS+ "Commander Dean to Cadet [your name]"

+TAPS+ <<Cadet>>

+TAPS+ "Please report to my office."

+TAPS+ <<Cadet>>

+TAPS+ "Dean out."

I closed the channel and leaned back in my chair, sipping at my coffee, while I waited for the cadet to arrive.

::Five Minutes Later::

My door chimed and I invited the cadet in. One thing was certain, they were prompt.

I gestured for the cadet to take a seat, then continued sipping my coffee thoughtfully for a moment before setting the mug on my desk and giving the cadet a friendly smile.

"How are your classes going so far Cadet?"

<<Cadet>>

"That's good to hear," I responded, keeping my demeanor rather pleasant and conversational. "I've been looking over your files. You seem to be doing quite well in your courses."

<<Cadet>>

I found my mind slipping momentarily back to my own academy days. In some ways I missed the classes, the assignments, and the mini-missions. However, my life with the Federation had taken me some great places and I would never trade a moment of it.

"You've settled into your class studies just fine, now it's time to start working on the more practical side of things."

<<Cadet>>

"Outside the station there are ten buoys hidden in the nebula. You, and a fellow cadet will take a shuttle out, and using your sensors as a guide, you will retrieve all ten buoys, then return to the shuttle bay. Report back to me as soon as your mission is completed."

<<Cadet>>

"You are the last of 10 teams that have taken part in this exercise over the last week. As an extra incentive for all of you, the team that completes this exercise in the least amount of time gets dinner on me. To help keep track of how each team is making out, I've required contact with me when the fifth target is retrieved."

<<Cadet>>

I smiled at their assurance they would come back in the least time. "You have stiff competition," I warned them. "Now, your fellow cadet on this little mission will be Cadet Lisa Henderson (NPC). She'll serve as your pilot. I believe she is currently aboard the shuttle, waiting for you. Good luck Cadet."

I stood and walked them to the door to my office, wondering how they would fare in this little race. From the reports I had received, they would be one of the top five at the very least. Shaking my head in amusement at their enthusiasm, I returned to my desk to go over some reports and await the mid-point call.

::Sometime Later::

+COMM+ <<Cadet>>

I reached out and activated my console, bringing in the communication.

+COMM+ "Well Cadet," I greeted him with a smile. "How are things going so far?"

+COMM+ <<Cadet>>

+COMM+ "Well done." I checked the list of completed retrieval missions. "You're only a few seconds behind the leader. You should be able to make up the time in the second half. Good luck. Commander Dean out."

I closed the channel and sat back, letting my mind drift for a few minutes. Judging by their time so far I would have time to complete only two more reports before they returned.

<<Continue Cadet>>

CDR John Dean

Academy Instructor
2nd lesson

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Assignment #2

Your orders consisted of finding the ten targets and reporting back to me.

Your return post should include responses to my initial tags for you, a portion on the search, both before and after reporting in halfway through.  Cadet Henderson is an NPC, or non-player character, and free for your control. 

Complete the retrieval mission and post reporting back to me, leaving tags for me to answer you.  I look forward to getting your response.

When completed please send it to me at federation@klingongeneral.com