Operations Manual

Introduction

This manual sets out the rules, terms of service and ethos of Starfleet∞, a role-playing game that is set in the Star Trek® universe which is based in 3rd Rock Grid in the Opensim environment.

This manual outlines how Starfleet∞ is played; the canonical resources that are relied upon; the rights and privileges, tasks, duties and responsibilities of members; our code of conduct; dispute resolution; etiquette and behaviour.

Code of Conduct

1. Fairness. Kindness. Respect.

People who engage in virtual reality as avatars come from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, age groups, gender identifications and cultures. This diversity is a core feature and a strength of virtual communities but it also lends itself to misunderstanding and to the possibility of behaviours that some deem normal and others find offensive. Misalignments cannot be completely foreseen and guarded against. For this reason, we provide an ethical framework that we expect all members to follow regardless of rank or position in the organisation.

Members shall not threaten violence of any sort towards other members or guests at our facilities, or engage in threatening, sexist, racist, lewd or offensive behaviour on Starfleet∞ lands or while wearing the Starfleet∞ uniform, or in any situation where they are representing Starfleet∞ . A violation of this rule will lead to censure, up to and including expulsion from the organisation.

Members shall treat each other with fairness so that no person is advantaged or disadvantaged by any factor outside of a reasonable system of rewarding their performance within the organisation through opportunities and deployment. Failure to adhere to this code, which applies especially to senior members, will result in disciplinary action.

Members shall treat each other kindly, regardless of disagreements, differences or disputes. Starfleet∞ Officers will act with dignity, empathy and respect towards their fellow gamers and guests at all times. We may be playing a game but we deport ourselves as adults. Failure to adhere to this code will lead to disciplinary action.

General Guidelines

2. Rank.

(i) Rank is an artifice that gives structure to missions. For example, only one person can be Captain on a vessel for a story to make any sense. Aside from in-game situations, rank is fictional. Rank is salient only inside the gaming environment. Outside of the gaming environment (OOC) there is no rank or hierarchy. Individuals should be addressed by their avatar names or preferred greetings in messaging, and not by their rank or any other terminology that restricts mutual respect or implies superiority.

(ii) Rank is assigned and affixed to the character/branch position you play through a continuum of missions. There is no promotion-as-reward system in place. A good mission is your reward kiddo.

3. Executive Command/Chiefs.

Executive Command is a panel comprising three Commanders (Lyonesse & Galileo COs, XOs) who:

• Manage Crew
• Manage Assets
• Evolve Policy 

The Chiefs are a panel of senior members forming a Command Group who:

• Maintain and evolve the organisation and its assets
• Contribute to the effort
• Plan missions
• Mentor junior members
• Resolve disputes
• Manage recruiting
• Plan events

4. Dispute Resolution.

(i)The duty of a Chief is to act in ways that serve the greatest good and facilitate the activities of the group.

(ii) Captains/COs/XOs will hold office hours to meet with their crew members and/or be available on email (or Discord) at other times.

(iii) A Captain/CO is the first person to resolve any dispute or disagreement between members; or that members have with Starfleet Infinity. If no acceptable-to-all-parties resolution is found, then the issue shall be referred to the Command Group. The decisions of the Command Group are made by majority and are final. The member(s) involved in a dispute are invited to represent their case to the Command Group and to have a support person present throughout the process.

5. Dress.

(i) The dress code within the active gaming environment is a supplied uniform which denotes Branch.

(ii) This uniform remains the property of Starfleet∞ and should not be sold or passed to any non-member. Doing so is a breach of the intellectual property rights of the maker.

(iii) Outside of the active gaming environment there is no clothing restriction other than that imposed by the sim owner (Adult, Mature or General sim settings) and general respect for the sensibilities of others using the facilities.

6. Joining and Participation.

(i) New members join by application on a supplied form. Their member avatar must be based on a 3rd Rock Grid account.

(ii) There is no restriction on “alts” (secondary avatars) joining Starfleet∞. Where a member joins themself and an alt to Starfleet∞, they must alert their Captain of this. Alts do not need to resit any courses. “Your body is temporary, your spirit animal is eternal.”

(iii) A new member is encouraged to set their own level of participation within the organisation. Civilian members have no mission attendance or academy requirements and are based on Lyonesse Colony. Fleet officers choose an active branch from the list below. They must participate in an introductory class to familiarise with the requirements and canonical knowledge of that position to attain the rank of Ensign. Their commander may also require them to undergo role-play simulation before being assigned to a ship.

(iv) Ensigns are encouraged to sit advanced modules in their chosen branch to improve their general knowledge in that position. They are also invited to learn the positional requirements of any other branch to become more versatile and reactive to mission needs. The more you know, the better your personal experience will be.

(v) New recruits are encouraged to create a backstory for their character to enhance their own character play and generally add colour to mission interactions.

(vi) A service record will be supplied to track members’ backstory details, positions, rank and awards conferred.

LIST OF FLEET BRANCHES & UNIFORM

Command . . . .Chosen Branch
Operations . . . .Yellow
Science . . . . . . .Blue
Medical . . . . . . .Light blue
Engineering . . .Dark Red
Security . . . . . . .Red
Intelligence . . .Silver

7. Absence.

LOA (Leave of Absence) is requested from and granted at the discretion of the Assembly. As a guide, an application for LOA will generally be accepted if it is for a year or less. This only applies to officers and not to civilians who are not required to request leave. The absent officer will retain their rank for the duration of a granted leave period. The absent officer will retain their position (e.g. Branch Chief or tactical deployment) for up to 3 months. Beyond that duration of leave their Captain/CO has the discretion to retain the officer who has been acting in the vacant position in that role if they are satisfied with that arrangement.

Inactive status is assigned to any officer who is missing from missions for a calendar month and does not communicate with captain/personnel to apply for LOA. The captain can take any steps necessary to replace the position temporarily or permanently at their discretion. Any officer who is inactive for 6 months or longer without communication loses their rank upon rejoining Starfleet∞. They will automatically be removed from the duty roster after 6 months.

Special dispensation to retain rank can be applied for and granted by the leadership group where there are extenuating circumstances, such as a medical or other emergency event, or a deployment which is beyond the control of the officer.

8. Complaints & Discipline.

(i) Complaints are formal requests to the command group to review an action by any officer or group of officers that breaches the code of conduct or rules of Starfleet∞. A complaint is NOT a dislike of Starfleet∞ rules, policies or assets. A complaint is made in writing to any member of the command group who will then bring it to the attention of the command group, excluding anyone in that group the complaint may be about.

The complaint process should not be entered into lightly. We are a group of adults and personality clashes and minor disputes should be handled interpersonally. Where an issue rises to the level of a complaint, it should be clear that:
• settlement can only be reached through intercession or arbitration,
• the complainant has compelling evidence that a breach has occurred.

When a complaint has been received it is the duty of the command group to deal with it in a timely fashion. The command group may seek corroboration and clarification: comments from witnesses; audit trail review; commentary from the accused and third parties. When a decision is made the compainant will receive a full explanation of the judgement, the decision process and its findings.

(ii) Breaches of the code of conduct may invite disciplinary action. Disciplinary action ranges from asides or warnings for minor and uncharacteristic infringements, to removal from Starfleet∞ for major breaches or persistent infringements. Where a disciplined member is deemed to be an ongoing risk to the wider community or their assets, they may be banned from relevant Starfleet∞ simulations and properties.

(iii) The level of disciplinary action is at the discretion of Executive Command.

* * *