USF’s 30th Anniversary: 1995-2025
Main banner/logo from December 18, 1996 (archive.org)
USF (short for United Space Federation) officially marked its 30th anniversary back in January. One of the oldest clubs still in existence today, they continue to thrive in their chat-based format literally decades after their 1995 launch. To celebrate, they are inviting the entire community to an open house:
And You’re invited!
- When: Friday, March 8th and Saturday, March 9th
- Where: The USF Main Discord channel in the Anniversary rooms.
- Time: 11 AM EST through to 8 PM EST with an hour break both days
- Why: It’s a chance to help USF celebrate its 30 years of simming and to have a lot of fun too! See you there!
The United Space Federation was founded by early simming legend Andy B. Clements. As far as we can tell, this was the second group that Clements founded. According to the Timeline of Simming, Clements created the Federation and Klingon Alliance (FKA) in late 1993, but left in late 1994 with his sim USS Excelsior to eventually launch the United Space Federation. It should be noted, however, that not all early sources reference the Clements/FKA connection.
Regardless, Clements and his team not only masterfully used AOL message boards, the leading solution of the day, but the chat format they instituted continues to thrive in an entirely different environment today. Indeed, USF was awarded the 2020 Simming Prize for their exquisite use of chat role playing after almost all of the Star Trek community had moved to the play-by-post model:
A true unicorn in the community today, USF still focuses mainly on chat-based role playing while almost all others exist exclusively in the play-by-post arena. The unique style is just as fresh as ever while remaining true to its AOL roots and 1995 founding. Their longevity is a living testament to the community atmosphere, and their dedication to the craft that is evident in each chat session.
Congratulations to the latest Simming Prize Winners
