Q: How old do I have to be to join?
A: You need to be at least 17 years of age to join. The reason is because the sim may contain material (such as fairly graphic violence, fairly bad language and non-graphic sexual material) that may be unsuitable for younger participants. If you lie about your age and I discover the truth later, you will be removed from the sim, so please be honest. :-)

Q: What's this sim all about?
A: Very simply, this is an email sim based on the Federation starship U.S.S. Helios, an experimental timeship from the 29th century that has an accident on its first time jump. Since then, whenever they make subsequent time jumps, they get sent to random times, places and sometimes even different universes. For more detailed information, click here.

Q: So... what's a PBeM sim?
A: PBeM stands for Play By eMail and sim stands for simulation. Think of it as an interactive story all done through your email. You write about something - generally called a post - email it to the listserve which then gets automatically emailed to everybody - including you - on the listserve. Then other crew members may write their own post responding to your last post, which may prompt you to then respond to their post. And so it continues. Sound confusing? Trust me, it's really not. All you need to do is read the posts and respond accordingly.

Q: Okay, so what is a freestyle sim?
A: Freestyle means that the posts are written the way you read in novels; i.e. set out in paragraphs and written in the 3rd person (he, she, it, they). This is in contrast to the script style of sim. These are written in the 1st person (I, me, we), and set out like you would read in a movie script. If you're familiar with IRC sims, then that is script style. This sim uses the freestyle method.

Q: How closely does this sim stick to established timeline rules?
A: As closely as possible. But differences can and do occur in the name of excitement and fun. Besides, as most Trek fans know, there are few "rock solid" timeline rules and most can and do change to suite the current TV episode.

Q: How quickly does the sim move along?
A: Generally, the Helios has an easy, relaxed feel. It's rare that you'll get multiple emails a day, but like the saying goes, "Never say never." Every sim goes through up's and down's, so there may be times when the pace picks up quite a bit and times when it's quite slow. But generally, the Helios will suit you if you like easier paced sims without being deathly slow.

Q: I'd like to join the listserve to just observe. May I?
A: Lurkers (i.e. people who observe but don't actually participate) are welcome! Sign up for the listserve, then email the Captain about your request to lurk. The Captain will then remind you of the rules for lurkers and accept your sign up if you agree to the rules. The rules for lurkers are simple: They may not send a message to the listserve for any purpose without the express permission of the Captain. They may not interact with the sim or plot in any way. Lurkers are allowed to email the Captain or XO to ask questions, as long as the emails aren't constant enough to cause a nuisance. If these rules are not followed, you will be removed and banned from joining again.

Q: I don't have any email simming experience. Can I still join?
A: If you are inexperienced with email simming and want to join then there is a website that you need to read which teaches you the tricks and tips of email simming. Click here for the website. Please do NOT join up with the email academy, because the U.S.S. Helios is NOT a member of the sim group FSG - the academy was created by a good friend; just read over all the lessons thoroughly. You can also read over our previous posts to see how we do it. If after that you feel you could do it then please email the Captain a sample of your work and he will decide whether you may or may not join.

Q: What if I've simmed on IRC but not email? Is that enough?
A: Unfortunately, no, it's not. IRC simming and email simming is very different from each other. There are some email sim that use the IRC script form of writing, but this sim uses the freestyle form of writing. (See elsewhere in this FAQ for an explanation) It is recommended that you follow the above guidelines to learn more about email simming.

Q: What rank will have when I join?
A: Your rank will depend on your level of experience and your character's age. The more experience you've had in the past, the higher your starting rank will be. Although the younger your character is, the lower your rank is likely to be. 23 year old Commander's are VERY few and far between. One exception to these rules is if you're a junior officer of your department: you will not be given a rank higher than your chief division officer. Please note that this only affects your starting rank. The rank you are assigned is entirely up to the Captain, and the decision will be final.

Q: How often do I have to send in a post?
A: You have to send a post to the listserve at least once a week. Although, if you plan on writing a multi-part post (e.g. part 1 and part 2, with the purpose of leaving part 1 on a cliff-hanger) then you should only do so if you know you'll be able to send part 2 within a day or two of part 1. The reason is that if important information is going to be revealed in part 2, then the sim can come to a halt to wait for the conclusion to your post. Or the sim can move on and leave you and your post behind.

Q: Can I write more than 1 post a week?
A: You can write as many as you like, but you should give others a chance to respond to your last post before you write a new one.

Q: I've got some great ideas for plots. Do you want to hear them?
A: Absolutely! The Captain isn't arrogant enough to think that his own ideas are always the best, and therefore loves to hear the ideas of others. In addition, crew members are awarded 2 points for each plot they suggest that is subsequently used. Also, it helps to take some pressure off the Captain if others are willing to help with the plot. It also looks good when promotions are due. ;-)

Q: What if I'm going to be unable to post for more than a week?
A: Simply email the captain or send a message to the listserve stating your intention and the approximate time you'll be away for and - if you'll be gone for a while - the captain will change your status to LOA - Leave Of Absence. Apart from special circumstances, a crew member will only be allowed to be on a LOA for a maximum of 2 months. Their status will then be changed to MIA - Missing In Action. If they fail to post within a month of becoming MIA, they will be removed from the sim. The purpose of this is to stop people from taking an LOA without any real intention of returning.

Q: Are the posts archived anywhere online?
A: Yes, all posts sent to the Helios listserve are archived at Yahoo! Groups. The URL for the Helios Yahoo! Groups website is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/usshelios/ Please note that eGroups has merged with Yahoo! Groups.

Q: Can my character be a Q?
A: No, Q and Q-like characters are not allowed to be a crew member of the U.S.S. Helios.

Q: Can my character have super human abilities?
A: No. Abilities - either physical or mental - above and beyond established Trek races are generally not accepted for the good of the sim. Email the captain if you have any doubts.

Q: Can my character be from one of the enemy races?
A: Yes, they can. He/She can be a Romulan, Cardassian or even a Vorta. You can also create an entirely new race.

Q: Can my character be from a century other than the 29th?
A: Well... yes, they can. But a trend I've noticed developing is that most people looking to join want to be from the 24th century, and all of them as an adult from the current TV timeline. Please remember that the ship and original crew are from the 29th century, and it's highly unlikely (and more than a little frustrating) if most of the crew are from the 24th century. If you must be from a different century, ask the Captain what timeline the Helios is currently in and choose that century. UPDATE Because almost everybody that is requesting to join wants to be from the 24th century, I'm putting a temporary stop to that. That means I won't be allowing any new characters to be from the 24th century for the time being. I'm sorry I had to do this but it has become necessary.

Q: Why are you so strict on what type of characters can join?
A: Because Q characters and characters with various super human type abilities invariably end up causing trouble within the sim and does nothing to promote quality writing. Characters with flaws and weaknesses are not only more realistic but much more fun to write about and to develop as a character. But when it comes right down to it, I'm strict because I want to provide a fun simming environment for everybody and to discourage troublemakers.

Q: Can I use the listserve for other stuff, like chatting and sending jokes?
A: No, the Helios listserve is strictly reserved only for information directly related to the sim. But we now have a second listserve that you can freely chat about anything you wish! Go to this URL http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oochelios for more details.

Q: So just how big is the Helios?
A: The U.S.S. Helios is somewhat bigger than the Defiant. For the technical data of the Helios, click here.

Q: What about promotions?
A: Promotions are based on a points system. You get points for each post you send and become eligible for promotion after a certain number of points. You can also earn points for recruiting people to this sim! Just pass on your character's name to the person you are recuriting, and they'll enter it on the application form. But promotions are NOT automatic, and will only be given if it is deemed you're ready and capable of such. For further information, click here.

Q: What if someone does something with my character that I don't like or approve of?
A: Email that person explaining what you didn't like and why you didn't like it. If the problem persists, email the captain.

Q: What if someone ruins a plot I was setting up?
A: Email that person explaining what you had planned and to seek a compromise. Email the captain if a compromise cannot be reached.

Q: I've noticed you (the Captain) seem to spell some words strangely. What the hell's wrong with you! Ever heard of a spell checker?
A: Hey, there's nothing wrong with me, pal! I'm an Australian and we spell certain words differently than the US. I'm proud of my country, and will continue to spell words the way we're taught to here. So yes, believe it or not, there are indeed different ways of doing things than the American way. ;-)

Q: Do you enjoy being a power-hungry control freak?
A: Yes, so bow down before me, puny mortals! LOL Actually, not really. No more than the average person. But a sim like this is one place where there has to be one person in control, making most of the important decisions. If everybody has an equal say then a complete and total breakdown of the entire system is almost guaranteed to follow. Trust me... been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. I am very conscious of keeping the crew informed about things concerning the sim, though. I'm also well aware of the dangers of keeping the crew in the dark with everything, and avoid it as much as possible. I often seek the crew's opinion on various sim related things, and enjoy their valuable input.

Q: Okay, but what if I'm still not sure I'd like to join?
A: Go to the Yahoo! Groups website and read over a few of the posts. If you're still not sure, you could try emailing one or two of the crew members to see what they think of the sim. But please, do not join if you're not completely sure you wish to sim with us. A number of times I've had people join but fail to post even once. That's frustrating because, until they are removed, it fills a position that someone else may want. Also, you'll be just waisting my time and yours. But we're a very friendly bunch, so why not join us? :-)

If you have a question which isn't addressed here or elsewhere on the website then don't hesitate to email the captain.