A few nice words about last year’s Squiddie nominees
Ongoing Worlds Medal for Superior Online Role Playing
Earlier this month, we asked for nominations for our top award, the Ongoing Worlds Medal for Superior Online Roleplaying (aka the Squiddies). The nomination window is quickly closing as all submissions must be received by November 1st. Before that happens, however, I’d like to share some of the kind words given for last’s years nominees. It’s clear that we have quite a lot of talent and sharing in our community! Please also read about 2013 and 2014 winners.
Clubs/Groups
Star Army
“For over 10 years, the Star Army has been one of the shining beacons of science-fiction role-playing on the web. Wes of Star Army is a pro-active contributor to the role-playing community having shared his wisdom and intellect in numerous initiatives.
Star Trek: Borderlands
“Borderlands is the internet’s longest running Star Trek PBeM, and covers many different aspects of living in the Star Trek universe, while not infringing at all on the various series. It is divided into a number of different Duty Stations, each of which represents a different faction, and each has its own distinct flavour. While there are some players who only take part in one Duty Station, several members partake in multiple, allowing for good communication between the stations, as well as providing opportunities for cross posting.
Borderlands is directed by the Borderlands Council, a body of volunteers responsible for deciding the overall plot of the game, and how the various Duty Stations are affected by another’s plot line. This also means that the Captains of the various vessels making up Borderlands have an official method of communication outside of character. This gives them excellent opportunity to develop the Delta Quadrant.”
Phoenix Roleplaying
“It provides a community of support and friendship where any player can not only play and create characters in widely ranging genres (Star Wars to Middle Earth to police procedural and everything in between), but also any member can set up and run their own sim (there are no ‘ranks’ or restrictions that preclude players from setting up games).
The forum is run by a democratically elected group, and participation is encouraged and supported in a myriad of admin and out of character areas where skills, experience and ideas are shared and developed for everyone to enjoy. If players need images, help with any technical issues, plot or gaming advice, or even just a shoulder to cry on, there’s a thread for that. All legislation is voted on by the members – ensuring that the club is always reflective of what players want it to be.
The club has a dedicated blog, as well as a monthly newsletter that keeps everyone up to date, a great facebook group and a twitter account, and a team of amazingly dedicated individuals who devote hours of their time every week to ensure that players enjoy the best possible simming experience. It really provides the best php roleplay possible, whether you want to join in once a fortnight or three times a day (or more!).”
Sims/Roleplays/Games
“SB400 is SMS/Nova based simm that’s been an active simm since 1995. For 19 years we’ve provided quality interactive simming for new and veteran players alike. We take Canon Trek and mix it with elements of Simi-Canon as well as the Simm’s history to make a unique simming experience! Our LCARS site features a custom flash menu with data ranging from a Historical Timeline to Support Ship specs, a full Star Trek database to image galleries. Read though our mission logs, galactic news, apply for our web design award, or tour the Starbase. The SMS site also has crew info, mission logs, application to join SB400, and more!”
USS Gabija
“The USS Gabija has faced hard times: loosing a website, a CO, and a forum in the last two years, but made an extreme come back in 2013 in major way with new crew, active posting, and an exciting mission.”
USS Harbinger
“The Harbinger is a Star Fleet role playing simm, based on a NOVA website. Her members have produced a good story, with detailed plotlines intertwined into a well read story that is both creative and interesting to read.”
Kepler Station
“Kepler Station, does not allow politics that is often the downfall of other games. Instead, Brian our GM, keep us focused on the story. Encouraging development for both characters and writers. Our innovation comes from our collaborate storytelling style, and to help facilitate this style; we have a player’s only chat room, where we are able to create plots that adhere to our characters. The game itself has shifted into a real-time writing simm, enabling us to provide a more in depth feel and reality for what we are writing, while allowing for our more inactive players to keep pace with the faster ones.”
ORIGIN
“I hand crafted ORIGIN (as in wrote the lore, designed the ships, and developed a rudimentary story) over the span of four months to be an open-ended space opera in which players took part in a deep space expedition to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Ironian race. It has a dedicated community of members and has developed a wide range of colorful characters and lore, there has even been a spinoff taking place in the same universe (not by me). I think the time and effort that my members and I have put into this game deserve some sort of recognition.”
USS Apollo
“The enthusiasm is almost palatable in every sim that comes across the Apollo list. With a commander that allows absolute creativity, and an environment that fosters amazing storytelling, there is something special about this game. No one is ever left behind, and everyone is pulled into the action, no matter how new the character is. But more importantly, there is something real about the ship and her crew which tells the tale of excellent roleplaying in all meanings of the word. All you have to do is follow them for a few days to become immersed in a world of your imagination.”
USS Sunfire
“I would like to nominate the USS Sunfire of IDF because I feel it is a deserving sim that shouldn’t be over looked. There are a host of talented writers writing on a daily basis, one of the most prolific posters in the IDF that values quality over quantity despite the high number of posts. It is a sim that focuses heavily on character development and story. The characters are explored so in-depth that when you read their posts, you feel you’re right there in that story. You understand their actions, their words, and their thoughts as it relates to the story or mission at hand. The variety of different characters aboard the ship is great in that you feel one post you’re reading a comedy when the next one can be tragic followed by a romance.”
USS Chuck Norris
“The Chuck Norris has been in creation for over 2 years now, and in those two years it has gone from the small little Sim that could, to one of the powerhouses of the Independence Fleet. Filled with a combination of veteran, experienced and new simmers, the Chuck Norris is great place to either come and learn how to Sim, how to work on your own skills. The missions range from serious to lighthearted to hilarious. As one of the few Sims that let’s you write from your character, as well as the rest of the crew it makes players really sit down and learn each others characters as well as their own. Taking home numerous awards from IDF as well it stands out as a shinning star to the multiple Star Trek Sims our there.”
Vault 713
“I don’t remember for how many years the site is going, but it is for 7+, and it has been active before under another name. It is a wonderfully organised Harry Potter site, which I admire even if I am not into this fandom. I am not sure if to nominate it as facilitating the community experience or for excellence in roleplaying, because it is doing both, through its well thought monthly events, IC news, writing prompts.”
The Dark Cometh
“The Dark Cometh is an epic modern Superhero sim created by Raven Warner and Brandon Lovell. The immersive setting, currently hosted on Phoenix Roleplaying, is an original creation with its own complicated mythos, blending science, fantasy and religion from various cultures across the world. The setting bridges genres including Superheros, espionage and magic. The universe of The Dark Cometh revolves around nine gifted individuals with powers based on the elements of creation. They are called together to defend Order in our world by a shadowy organization known as CANIS. Together they learn to use their abilities to hold back the power of The Dark, championed by the Four Horsemen.”
Blue Dwarf
“I find the game an enjoyable read, and also to participate in. (A short and sweet rationale – and I blame it on Twitter!) :)”
Application Form
Just a few days remain to get your last nominations in! Good luck!
Squiddies are presented for exemplifying one or more of the following characteristics, primarily during the previous calendar year (2014):
- Excellence in role playing
- Originality and innovation
- Facilitating the community experience
Nominations may be made by anyone. There is no limit to the number of nominations one can make, and self nominations are also permitted. Each nomination should include a write-up of why the person, sim, or club is deserving. The write-up should not exceed 250 words and should concentrate on one or more of the three areas mentioned above (focusing on actions and events of 2014). All nominations will be considered by the Ongoing Worlds Board of Advisors. The winners will be decided by consensus and will be announced shortly after the nomination process ends.
