Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of July 29th through August 4th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.
July 29 Happy Birthday to Wil Wheaton. @wilw https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Wil_Wheaton #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekReadyRoom #StarTrekPicard #StarTrekLowerDecks #StarTrekProdigy #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“And you are…?” Kore Soong “That’s a very long and very complicated story.” Wesley “Honestly, I’ve got nothing pressing.” Kore Soong “OK. A long time ago, I was known as Wesley Crusher. But now, I am a traveler of all of space and time.” Wesley- Farewell, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“I love feeling feelings.” Tilly- Choose Your Pain, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 31 “She seems harmless enough.” Dr. McCoy “The sand-bats of Manark Four appear to be inanimate rock crystals, Doctor, until they attack.” Spock- The Empath, Stardate: 5121.0 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
August 1 “He couldn’t find a cup of water if you dropped him in a lake but, even if he is an idiot, he’s still my brother.” Quark- Invasive Procedures, Stardate: 47182.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“Why would you need someone who speaks a few languages on a ship that can translate all of them?” Gwyn “Ah. But language is more than translation; it is interpretation.” Zero- Kobayashi, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekProdigy #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
August 3 “What you’re doing isn’t self-defense. It’s the exploitation of another species for your own benefit. My people decided a long time ago that that was unacceptable, even in the name of scientific progress.” Janeway- Scientific Method, Stardate: 51244.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
August 4 “Even Freud said “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Troi- Phantasms, Stardate: 47225.7 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.
August is quickly approaching and I’m electing to participate in the new #RPGaDAY2024 campaign. I’ve participated this challenge for the past three years as I think it helps me as a writer/blogger. I know I need to do more for this blog. Not only do I get a good feeling from creativity, but I’ve loved the interaction that I’ve experienced with the RPG community. Just recently I got a big thrill from discovering that the artist at Dyson Logos reads my blog. While watching a recent Twitch stream where he draws his maps (and plays some damn good music) he buzzed me in the chat to ask me about my recent review of the Shadow Ops espionage RPG. Needless to say, I was jacked. This isn’t the first time someone has reached out to me (or even talked to me in person) about how they have enjoyed reading my blog posts. So, I’m trying to get more posts put up for the geek community. Thank you for sticking with me during my dry/busy times.
Starting on August 1st there will be 31 days of RPG posts based upon various suggestions as seen in the image above. There were two different options for daily subjects this year, but I’ve elected to stick with the standard listing. It will also be an additional challenge because I’ve also been invited to a weekly Castles and Crusades campaign. I’m excited to be in a long term campaign again.
While I will be posting my entries here on this blog, I will be posting links on social media with the hashtag #RPGaDay2024. I also plan to post entries on the RPG.net message boards. I’m looking forward to seeing what I type up.
Do you have any interest in participating in this challenge? Does the list inspire you? Is there anything you want me to focus on during the challenge? Let’s have some fun. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.
Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of July 22nd through July 28th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.
“I was in a Cardassian prison camp for five years, and I can remember each and every beating I suffered. And while you had your weapons to protect you, all I had was my faith… and my courage.” Winn- Rapture, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“Faster, Doctor. We risk being consumed by their trajectorial decay.” Spock “Damn back seat driver.” Dr. McCoy- Star Trek Beyond, Stardate: 2263.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 23 “You cannot explain away a wantonly immoral act because you think that it is connected to some higher purpose!” Picard- Man of the People, Stardate: 46071.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 24 “In…accepting the inevitable, one finds peace.” Tuvok “If that’s another Vulcan saying, Tuvok, I’ll stick with ‘Live Long and Prosper’.” Paris- Once Upon a Time, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 25 “Those are P-51s! I’ve seen them at air shows!” Mayweather “I don’t think this is an air show.” Tucker- Storm Front, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“There’s an old saying on Bajor. The land and the people are one.” Kira- The Storyteller, Stardate: 46729.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 27 “I only want what you have the luxury of taking for granted—freedom.” Moriarty- Ship in a Bottle, Stardate: 46424.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 28 “My love has wings. Slender, feathered things with grace in upswept curve and tapered tip.” Mitchell- Where No Man Has Gone Before, Stardate: 1312.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.
I don’t recall how I found out about the Shadow Ops Kickstarter. Most likely it was a post on one of the RPG message boards that I read. I’m always a sucker for espionage roleplaying games. I’m also someone who is willing to pack a project that isn’t mega expen$ive. Too many times I see an interesting Kickstarter campaign, but when I look at the pledge prices I wonder where they are pulling the numbers from? Unless I really know about the people involved (which has happened on a few Kickstarters) I’m a little wary about backing something. But if the price is reasonable (and not hitting at a bad time), I’ll chuck in a few bucks to see how it comes out. In the case of Shadow Ops, the prices were right for both a physical book and a PDF of the game.
Well my physical book arrived so I decided to do a quick review of the game in a look see. I had received the PDF last month, but as I’ve mentioned before, I really like learning a bout a game with the physical book in my hands.
Shadow Ops: A Game of Cinematic Espionage Action was written by Christopher Peter (it is not known if this is a cover name) and published by Divine Madness Press. I picked up a softcover copy of the rules that was delivered by POD via DriveThruRPG. I’ve previously reviewed some POD products that DriveThruRPG has sent me in the past and this matched the same level of quality that I have received before. The book is 214 pages in length and contains black and white images throughout. It wasn’t identified as an ISBN number, but there is a barcode with 2 370020 914112 on the back which might be one. There is an introduction, ten chapters and an appendix with the last two pages being the character sheet.
Each of the chapters are listed on the side of the pages like file folders. My oldest daughter really liked t his when she was looking at the book.
The introduction gives two very interesting points. It states that this is not a beginners RPG. Not that it’s complicated or crunchy, but that the author assumes that the reader already knows what roleplaying games are. The second is that Shadow Ops is an emulator, not a simulator. With the full title containing “cinematic espionage action”, I believe this is the type of game that I would be interested in playing. When I’m watching espionage shows, I want to see some over-the-top scenes and action that have come from James Bond or Mission Impossible. Getting bogged down in rules that are trying to add real-life simulation to what is supposed to be an action genre, that would turn me off playing.
Chapter one is The Core Mechanics. Let me just say, thank you for getting to this right away. As I’ve mentioned before, I hate having to slog through 20-50 pages of background material before I see the basics of the RPG. It’s an RPG book, not a reference guide. For those of you who are curious, Every time your character completes a task, you roll three dice (which range from d4 to d12). A die for the attribute, a die for the skill and a stress die. The number that is the middle value of the three die becomes your Result Die to see if you fail or succeed that task. If something makes the task more difficult, you would count the lowest rolled as your Result Die and an easier task would take the higher result. There are other additional items that could have you roll a higher sided dice, but rolling the three dice are the basics of the system.
The second chapter is called Agent Recruiting and it deals with the character creation process. I’m certain that I’ll be taking a deeper dive into this when I use this game for the 2025 Character Creation Challenge. The attributes are Insight, Intellect, Personality, Coordination, Endurance and Strength. There are also skills, fortes (special talents) and abilities. The skill descriptions are found in chapter three and are broken down by skill sets (IT, infiltrator, tactical leader, etc.)
Chapter four goes into tradecraft. How do you handle things like stealth, disguise, forgery and the like. Chapter five, called Tricks of the Trade, gets deeper into the description and uses of the character’s fortes.
The equipment that characters may be able to use is brought up in chapter six, Tools of the Trade. How to obtain mission gear, enhancing equipment, resources available, assets and gadgets.
Hunting Packs is the title of chapter seven and it covers the team stealthily following a mark, or being followed themselves. I didn’t get a chance to go to deep into the system, but it uses a standard set of 52 playing cards with values and suites. For those wondering about chases (by foot or vehicle), that also uses the playing cards and is covered in chapter eight “Fast and Furious”.
When the stealthy or speedy sides of the espionage game goes wrong, it can turn into the subject of chapter nine, Firefights and Fistfights. This covers the combat system for Shadow Ops.
The GMs section starts with chapter ten called Mission Briefings. It covers the session zero, the types of campaigns and designing missions.
In the appendix there is a listing of the inspirations (boo, Archer wasn’t listed), and something I thought could be useful, Player aids covering the basics that could be printed out and left on the table.
Overall this looks like Shadow Ops is a well thought out game. It’s built towards more of a Mission Impossible group of players instead of a single James Bond style campaign. I can’t wait to make a character for it in January. I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to actually play this game, but overall I’m very happy that I backed this Kickstarter campaign. Oh, one last thing that I thought was kewl, the author thanked the backers of the campaign in the back of the book.
Have you received any Kickstarter rewards lately? Are there any campaigns that you have wanted to back. Tell me about them. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.
Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of July 15th through July 21st. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.
July 15 “Bones was right. These people aren’t living, they’re existing. They don’t create, they don’t produce, they don’t even think. They exist to service a machine.” Kirk- The Apple, Stardate: 3715.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 16 “We are more alike than unlike, my dear Captain. I have pores. Humans have pores. I have fingerprints. Humans have fingerprints. My chemical nutrients are like your blood. If you prick me… do I not… leak?” Data- The Naked Now, Stardate: 41209.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 17 “So, what’d you find out?” Quark “That you should never try to match drinks with a Klingon.” O’Brien- Image in the Sand, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 18 “Stories are an important part of their culture. They seem to provide more than entertainment. They’re kind of a measuring rod of values and beliefs.” Kim- Prime Factors, Stardate: 48642.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“Why would a Starfleet Admiral ask a three-hundred year-old frozen man for help?” Kirk “Because I am better.” Khan “At what?” Kirk “Everything.” Khan- Star Trek Into Darkness, Stardate: 2259.55 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 20 “It must be difficult adjusting to new cultures.” Zorbal “It’s challenging at times, but that’s why we’re out here.” Archer- Desert Crossing, Date: February 12, 2152 #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 21 “You will never come up against a greater adversary than your own potential.” Dr. Paul Stubbs- Evolution, Stardate: 43125.8 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.
If you’ve never heard of Ogden-Con, don’t freak out. Two months ago I had never heard of this event either. I was walking out of one of my local gaming stores, I noticed a flyer posted in the window. Curious, I went back in and talked with the owner. He told me that this was the second Ogden-Con after they had successfully run one last year. This came as a little bit of a shock to me as I’m usually aware of the geek events happening in Utah. But wanting to support a convention closer to my neck of the woods, I checked out the Facebook page.
Ogden-Con was organized by Rudy Entertainment Company and would be a charity convention. A raffle would be held that would benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Most of all, the admission fee (according to the flyer) is “ONE LOUSY DOLLAR!” It was held at the Comfort Suites just off of I-15 in Ogden.
I talked with my local Star Trek club about this event. I also talked with a few other fans of geeky things and it peaked an interest in attending. So, how did it go?
Well due to a scheduling conflict, we didn’t get there until after 1:00pm. I noticed attendees walking out of the convention center carrying their newly painted dragon figures from the figure painting class. The convention was held in a large room that had dealers tables on one end and a mini-wrestling ring on the other. The bulk of the dealer tables were comic vendors. As you can see from my loot photo above, I picked up a few comics that I didn’t have in my collection. There were also several dice vendors, a 3D printing vendor, a video-game vendor and a few artists promoting their own work. This include a young child (under the age of 10 I believe) who was selling their own hand-drawn comics.
Not having an interest in wrestling, I mostly stuck with the vendor tables talking with several different vendors. I also had a chance to meet the organizer of the convention. I introduced myself, gave him a business card, and asked “What is your vision for the convention” before offering to help. While I won’t chair a convention again, I’m more than willing to help or advise. He asked if we could get together for dinner at a later time because he wanted Ogden-Con to grow, but stay as a fan-run convention. So it will never be as big as the large scale comic conventions, but that’s a good thing. It was a relaxing place to visit and geek out. I met up with a friend and also compared notes with some other friends later.
My wife and youngest attended with me. My youngest came in cosplay for an online animated series that they liked and got excited when someone recognized the character. There was a couple of other cosplays present, one of which caused a little bit of excitement.
Talking with some friends who had been in attendance earlier in the day, they told me about a cosplayer that showed up in full tactical gear (including helmet and gas mask) that had been altered to look like a post-apocalyptic warrior. Someone outside of the hotel had seen someone enter the building with the gas mask and helmet and black gear and thought something dangerous was happening. So they called the police. Law enforcement had showed up and talked with the cosplayer to confirm that nothing bad was happening. In a way, I’m grateful that the effort was made to check in this day and age. Making sure is better than not doing enough if a really dangerous situation was unfolding.
The organizer told me that he wanted to add a costume contest to future Ogden-Cons. He is planning to hold another event in February at the same hotel, but wants to do another summer event at the Union Station in downtown Ogden. Not only would this get in more foot-traffic, but it is also right next to the Ogden Frontrunner station. So attendees could show up from other parts of the Salt Lake metro area. There are also more food options downtown than just off of I-15. I’m really looking forward to having a sit down with this gentleman to see what is plans are. Once I know that, I’ll know what I can offer. It could be help with contacting the local fandom groups in Utah, getting in contact with gaming organizers or just fans in general. This could very easily become a relaxa-con.
My wife told me that she loved going to a local event that wasn’t high pressure or over-crowded. A co-worker had told me that she was able to talk her sister into going since the admission price was very reasonable. A friend I met at the event told me that he had seen more comic dealers at this event than he had at larger conventions. And the members of the USS Ticonderoga who were in attendance had a lot of good things to say about it at our meeting last Wednesday. It will be interesting to see how this starts small and organically grows to a fan-run charity convention. I’ll keep you posted on any future involvement. Even if that involvement is just attending and having fun.
Have you recently attended a smaller convention? What is the best way to let you know of local events. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.
Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of July 8th through July 14th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.
“Betray me, and I’ll live long enough to hunt you down and kill you slowly. Understood?” Georgiou “I’ve been killed before, Georgiou. You’re just telling me I’ll have time to enjoy the scenery.” Tyler- Perpetual Infinity, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“Slowly please. I’m just learning Risan.” Sato “Really? Most people wouldn’t bother.” Risan Woman “When I go someplace I like to learn the language.” Sato- Two Days and Two Nights, Date: February 18, 2152 #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 10 “Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra.” Dathon- Darmok, Stardate: 45047.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 11 “I knew it was wrong. I shouldn’t have done it.” Dr. McCoy “What’s that?” Kirk “I should have never reconnected his mouth.” Dr. McCoy- Spock’s Brain, Stardate: 5431.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 12 “Absolutely not. One for you, and seven for me. One for you, and seven for me. Is that better? And where are you going?” Quark “To bed. To dream of an equal share of profits.” Rom “Dream on.” Quark- The Homecoming, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“Your arguments have reminded me how precious the right to choose is. And because I’ve never been one to play it safe… I choose to try.” Picard- A Matter of Time, Stardate: 45349.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 14 “You want me to be the new nurse?!” Paris “If that’s the title you prefer. It…will only be temporary, three duty shifts a week. Report to sickbay at 0600 hours. Bring a tricorder, and a smile.” The Doctor- Revulsion, Stardate: 51186.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.
Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of July 1st through July 7th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.
“But this battle won’t be won with firepower. Deception and surprise can be just as potent as brute force.” Reed- Marauders, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“We have rights, Ben, including the right to be as stubborn or thickheaded as we want.” Joseph Sisko- Homefront, Stardate: 49170.65 #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“This president is not above the law.” Federation President- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Stardate: 9521.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 4 “…freedom…is a worship word…” Cloud William- The Omega Glory, Stardate: Unknown#StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 5 “We always come back to the human equation.” Data- Code of Honor, Stardate: 41235.25 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
July 6 “Do not underestimate the power of the mind.” Tuvok- Barge of the Dead, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
“There’s something to be said for a good, old-fashioned flogging.” Mirror Forrest- In a Mirror Darkly, Date: January 13, 2155 #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote
What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.