Archive through February 15, 2006
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Prime Directive RPG: NEW EMPIRE BOOKS:
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Archive through February 15, 2006
Andy: That would cause me to throw the book in which it is included across the room. Had I intended to play Spelljammer, I would presumably be purchasing that line.
RWW: Huh? Are you referring to the Elven/Dwarven resemblances? If so, they are just there as a common frame of reference, and is for the names only.... ???
Andy, all of the races that were in PD1-FEDERATION have naming conventions defined already (on pages 77-94). Are you basing this upon those, or what?
Not just the Elven/Dwarf concept, though that was annoyingly out of context and probably close to the worst starting point possible.
I had 2 other problems with it:
1) It enforces a monocultural view of aliens. Aliens should have multiple cultures with differing naming conventions.
2) Those phonetic constructs do not take into account physiological differences from human standards. A species should be an integrated whole.
Gary. I hadn't - the last time I brought up anything from PD1-Fed, SVC made a comment about "basically throwing that out and starting from scratch."
RWW.
DE. I was just thinking "Sushana Eliadra" for an A-C name and "Delgar Gargoma" for a Rigellian; it wasn't as if I was thinking "Lilean Aspenleaf" or "Algar Silveraxe." For me anyway, putting it in "standard RPG" context helps me come up with names.
1) monoculturalism may sound bad in our terms, but humanity is moving toward that NOW. By the time we develop FTL ability, I am sure that we will be. i.e., there will be different religions, still names based on different languages, but the FIRST LAST convention will be universal by then.
2) I don't understand this comment...
I agree with Andy that humanity is indeed moving toward "monoculturalism". Technological improvements in travel and communications probably make this almost (though perhaps not quite) unavoidable. And it's pretty clear that, Scottie's accent or Chekhov's comments about this or that having been "...inwented in Russia" not withstanding, the Earth of Star Trek (both TOS and the mutant yuppie follow-ons) really had one common culture.
Andy, it's just that you're very close to what was in PD1-FEDERATION, for all three races.
There are pieces of the background material in PD1 that are still good. As I understand it, SVC's comment was intended to mean that we don't have to adhere slavishly to PD1 stuff.
Andorians
"In a society in which wasted time and effort is a primary foundation..."
s/b
In a society in which *avoiding* wasted time and effort is a primary foundation..."?
Alan: Except that TOS had differing names that meshed with the cultural history for that character. TNG and successors went with generic character names that could be filled by generic actors in order support generic plots.
Andy: Some real world cultures are very strident in maintaining their identity and will not adapt. Mashing differences within alien cultures seems to kill half the fun.
Regarding my point two: not all non-human species will have the exact same vocal equipment therefore certain sounds can not be made by a given species and those sounds can not be used in names for that species. (The A-C are identical; the others are not.)
Gary. Oh...I guess great minds think alike? 
I'll check out PD1-Fed and see what it says.
Will. Yeah..what you said.
RWW.
1) ..and which of those real world cultures is working with those on the leading edge of technology? Many in Indonesia have only a single name, but they have a heck of a time taking a TOEFL exam without adding a second. From a SFU lit perspective, having those differences is only useful if you plan on making it a subplot of the story or want to take the time to flesh out the character with an interesting sub-cultural aspect. If you're just looking for general naming guidelines, they're more trouble than help.
2) I agree completely. However, I have found nothing to indicate that the few races I selected have any different vocal physiology than humans and A-Cs. They are all descendant from the same Spirit Kings, after all.
Andy: We will most likely fail to convince the other on this issue. The Japanese have retained their traditional naming and pronounciation despite 150 years of close contact with others and one would be hard pressed to describe them as other than "on the leading edge of technology."
Since the history should involve names of major groups in a given planet's past, adding a couple of paragraphs to flesh out each subgroup (including naming and language differences). More useful than a lot of the other filler common to SFU publications and a way of stopping the whole "it was raining on planet Mongo" problem. And I get tired of the traditional RPG meme where every member of a given alien species follows much the same template except for a handful of exotic warrior-monks that are powergamer faves.
Painting a race with broad strokes is an easy way to get a handle on it. Amittedly, it doesn't cover all the potential variances. But once you have the broad strokes, it makes the gaps easier to fill in.
Consider: PD1 Fed said that Andorians are a very mercantile culture. With the whole avoiding wasted effort thing, everyone made a point of being useful to everyone else, making them a more ethical version of Ferengi (If you'll allow the comparison). My thought is: What if Andorian marriage is like a Limited Liability Corporation? What if they were pretty much one and the same? If all participants are of the same gender, no-one presumes they're having sex, but if different genders incorporate, children are expected and are raised by all participants to learn the company's trade.
Here's a question-- I may have missed this info somewhere, but what is the social position of Orion females? On the one hand, apparently the orions have at least some toleration for slavery, but is it only restricted to females, or are they the ones that get the most play on the "special federation reports" (the ones that suggest not letting the kiddies watch).
What is normal protocol for an officer reporting to a Commodore/Admiral's office? Are salutes exchanged or is it less formal?
Words mean things. "Report" means you walk into the office, march to a point in front of his desk, stand at attention, salute (do not drop your hand until salute is returned or the admiral says "at ease, take a seat"), and say "Lieutenant Palmer, Reporting as Ordered, Sir!"
The Admiral might say any of the following:
"Be Seated" (stay at attention, which means do not speak unless spoken to, sit up straight).
"At Ease" (stay standing but at the less rigid position of parade rest, do not speak unless spoken to)
"At Ease, Take a seat" (sit down, less rigid posture, do not speak unless spoken to")
[Asks lieutenant a question"] Stay at attention, select one of the following:
"Yes, Sir"
"No, Sir"
"No excuse, Sir".
"Sir, I do not understand your question."
"Yes/No, Sir. May I offer further information."
"Here is my written report, Sir. May I summarize it for you?"
Cool, thanks. That's what I remember from my Army JROTC training; I wasn't sure if the Swabbies did it differently.
I seem to recall that Navy dosn't salute indoors, including reporting. But I could be wrong since I've had limited contact with navy brass types. (Most of my contacts are Army or Air Force.)
PHD.
No, that's correct. The only time Naval personnel salute indoors is when you're around Army or Air Force officers, or on one of "their" bases, and those officers might take it wrong if you ignored them.
And when "they" are on a Navy base or ship, they play by OUR rules.
SVC. Can you confirm that Star Fleet salutes indoors (ala US Army instead of US Navy)?
Why does it matter?
Fiction.
I can't recall ever seeing anyone salute in Star Trek. In fact, there have been a could times in ST:TOS that the lack of use of the salute was illustrated. Take Mirror, Mirror for instance. The alternate Federation used a chest to held out arm salute. There have been other episodes where Kirk had to salute to blend in and he always looked uncomfotable doing so.
I could see it as a marine thing though.
Klingons salute and so do Romulans. Interesting the picture that Roddenberry created where the salute remains where the organizations are imperialistic in nature.
Like, Whatever. I have work to do. I have no doubt that if the captain of the Intrepid says "you will salute" that the crew does and if the captain of the Hiawatha says "forget that saluting crap" that the crew does.
Gary Plana;
Huh? I've been out of the Air Force about a decade now, and maybe things have changed. But it used to be that the only time we saluted in doors was during formal occasions. If you were reporting to your Squadron Commander for some routine purpose you would stand at attention until directed otherwise (which was usually almost instantaneous), but there was no saluting.
It is my recollection of my airforce days you only saluted if you were wearing your hat, and you didn't wear your hat indoors, of course that was (cough) 22 years ago.