Choosing a DepartmentRealistically, there would dozens of different departments on a starship, from Science or Tactical to Sanitation or Logistics. As you'll be playing a bridge officer, however, the number of available departments are limited to a handful, which are described below. Be sure to check the roster of the ship you're on to see what positions are available. If the position you want isn't available, talk to the ship's Game Director about other possibilities. After all, this is what the AUX position is for - to make sure all players are accommodated as well as possible!
You will also find explanations of each department's expected duties, and what kind of role you can expect to perform in-mission.
Navigation (NAV)Flight Control. The Helm. The Conn. All of these are in reference to the Navigation position. Put simply, NAV officers control the ship's movement, whether it's evasive maneuvers at sub-light (impulse), minute adjustments while adrift (thrusters), or the initiation of Warp or Quantum Slipstream Drive.
All Navigation Officers train extensively in both routine flight and combat drills. It is the responsibility of the Navigation Officer to execute the flight portion of attack patterns when ordered, and to generally avoid enemy fire or space-borne hazards in the absence of specific orders. The Navigation Officer is also responsible for operation of auxiliary craft, and either heads or is part of a division of trained and dedicated pilots for such craft.
Finally, if you're serving aboard a ship that carries a compliment of Fighter craft (such as an Akira-class vessel), the Navigation Officer is the liaison between the Bridge and the Flight Deck if there is no dedicated AUX officer to do so.
Tactical (CTO/TAC/SEC)Tactical Officers (CTO/TAC) are responsible for the maintenance and operation of shipboard defensive systems, including phasers arrays, torpedo launchers, or shield emitters. In combat, the Tactical Department executes the offensive and/or defensive portions of attack patterns, as well as monitoring enemy movements (though this responsibility can be shared with Science Officers when needed). Outside of combat, Tactical Officers are responsible for monitoring the movements of other ships, analyzing the combat abilities of unknown or unidentified vessels, and may also be charged with managing ship-to-ship transmissions should the need arise.
Tactical Officers are also responsible for their ship's security, whether it's restricting access to sensitive areas, investigating reported crimes, or repelling hostile agents. The Tactical Department includes the ship's Armory, which oversees and maintains the ship's compliment of personal defense equipment, including phasers/phaser rifles, armor, photonic/stun grenades, or tactical EVA gear.
A Chief Tactical Officer generally remains on the Bridge, and oversees the whole department.
Starbases have an additional compliment of Security Officers (SEC) who are solely responsible for internal station security, while Tactical Officers are solely responsible for external defense.
Engineering (CEO/ENG)Engineering Officers are responsible for the maintenance of the ship's power and computer systems. Their primary concern is the operation and maintenance of the ship's Warp Core, located in the heart of Main Engineering, which is responsible for powering the ship. They are also responsible for maintenance of the Electro-Plasma System, Optical Data Network, Warp Nacelles, and all other aspects of ship operation. When a phaser coil fuses, or the computer core experiences an error, or the holodeck goes on the fritz, an Engineering officer is charged with fixing it.
A Chief Engineering Officer can be found either in Main Engineering or the Bridge, both of which have a Master Systems Display, which allows the CEO to coordinate any needed repairs.
Operations (OPS)The Operations Officer is primarily responsible for ship logistics, whether it's assigning crew quarters, managing cargo, or accommodating VIP guests. The Operations Department is in charge of managing requests from all departments regarding personnel or equipment, whether it's for a new mess officer or a fresh supply of quantum torpedoes.
The Operations Officer is also responsible for handling nearly all external communications, including ship-to-ship and ship-to-ground. In addition, an Operations Officer may be required to perform some of the duties of Science, Tactical, or Engineering Officers. As a result, Operations Officers tend to have the most diverse skillset aboard a ship, and the ability to effectively multi-task is a must.
Sciences (CSO/SCI)Science Officers represent a diverse array of scientific disciplines. The department includes geologists, botanists, meteorologists, chemists, biologists (including Exo- and Xeno-), anthropologists, astronomers, physicists, and more. Aboard a Starship, Science Officers are responsible for most exploratory scans and surveys, whether it's analyzing the atmosphere of an unknown planet, mapping the extent of an asteroid field, or trying to decipher an alien language.
While the Science Department is largely a peaceful one, Science Officers can be called upon during combat to analyze enemy vessels, operate Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), or attempt to interfere with the operation of hostile vessels or installations. Depending on the situation, a Science Officer may be required to monitor enemy movements, operate defensive systems (particularly deflector and shielding systems and tractor beams), or scan for cloaked objects.
In addition, the Science Department is responsible for the operation of the ship's compliment of scientific probes and monitoring devices.
Medical (CMO/MED)The Medical Department is comprised of the ship's compliment of doctors, nurses, and psychiatric personnel. Medical Officers are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the health and well-being of all shipboard personnel, both preventively and in the case of injury. Medical Officers are frequently called to be part of Away Missions, particularly if the risk of harm is significant.
The Chief Medical Officer is responsible for scheduling regular medical evaluations for all crew, including Command Staff. Chief Medical Officers also have the authority and duty to relieve (temporarily or permanently, if warranted) any personnel they feel are medically unfit, up to and including Commanding Officers.
The Medical Department may also be called upon to work with the Science Department, particularly in matters of biology or behavioral analysis.
Command (CO/XO)Command Staff are responsible for executing and relaying orders from Starfleet Command, and the general operation of a vessel or installation. Command Staff have the authority to issue lawful orders, which their subordinates are required to follow.
Executive Officers are primarily responsible for issuing orders to the various shipboard departments. They are also responsible for managing crew assignments to ensure effective use of personnel, and are primarily responsible for seeing to the direct needs of the crew. Executive Officers generally lead any Away Teams required to complete a mission, and are responsible for the safety of the Commanding Officer. In the event that a Commanding Officer is incapacitated, the Executive Officer assumes the role of Acting Commanding Officer until the assigned Commanding Officer returns to duty, is replaced, or the Acting Commanding Officer is assigned as such.
Commanding Officers are responsible for the safety and well-being of their ship and crew, the lawful execution of the orders of Starfleet Command, and the adherence to the United Federation of Planets Charter and all Starfleet General Orders. As such, a Commanding Officer is responsible for the conduct of all crew under their command. A Commanding Officer can issue orders to Department Heads directly, or to the Executive Officer, who can then relay those orders to Department Heads. A Commanding Officer may lead Away Missions at their prerogative, though are generally advised to send Executive Officers in their stead.
A Commanding Officer's authority is paramount aboard a Starship. If there are objections to an order given by a Commanding Officer, that Commanding Officer will note those objections, though the order is still to be followed. Refusal to follow said order may potentially result in the refusing officer being relieved. The only exceptions to this are when a Commanding Officer gives an order that is clearly unlawful, in which case the ordered officer is required to refuse, or if the Commanding Officer is deemed medically unfit for duty. Only the assigned or acting Chief Medical Officer has the authority to make that determination.
Generally speaking, a Command-level position on a chat-based ship must be earned through play, and cannot be assigned to a new player. As described in the
Player Handbook, a rank of Lieutenant Commander is required before one can be considered for Executive Officer, which has a minimum play-time requirement of 2 years. Exceptions
may be considered for players coming from other sims, or in times of player shortage, though these instances would be rare.