How Missions Work
Star Trek: Uncharted Course combines scheduled live roleplay with continuing collaborative fiction.
During a live mission, the crew of the USS Navigator gathers on Discord and writes their characters’ dialogue and actions in real time. A Game Director introduces events, portrays supporting characters and responds to the decisions made by the crew.
When the live session ends, the story does not. Players can explore the consequences through personal logs and collaborative scenes, while the reviewed mission transcript becomes part of the permanent Uncharted Course archive.
You do not need experience with online roleplaying games to take part. Everything you need to know will be explained before your first mission.
The Mission Cycle
Every mission follows a simple journey from briefing to permanent record.
1. Mission Briefing
Before the live session, the crew receives a briefing explaining the current situation, the mission objective and anything their characters would already know.
Some officers may also receive information relating specifically to their department or assignment.
Read the briefing before the session where possible, but do not worry about memorising every detail. It is there to give everyone a shared starting point—not to reveal how the mission will unfold.
2. Crew Assembly
Players gather on Discord shortly before the mission begins.
This gives everyone time to:
- confirm attendance;
- ask questions;
- resolve technical issues;
- review the posting format;
- and catch up with the other players.
The mission’s bridge ambience may also be streamed during this period to help establish the atmosphere aboard the Navigator.
3. Live Mission
The Game Director formally opens the mission and introduces the first scene.
From that point, every player controls their own Starfleet character. You decide what your officer says, how they respond and what actions they attempt.
The Game Director controls the wider universe around you: unfamiliar vessels, alien representatives, dangerous phenomena, computer responses, environmental changes and supporting characters.
A typical live session is expected to last around one hour. It uses one canonical in-character text channel so that the whole crew can follow the same unfolding story. This preserves the immediacy of the original Star Trek: Engage format while avoiding the confusion of splitting one episode across several different rooms.
4. After the Mission
Once the session ends, players can discuss what happened out of character and consider how their officers have been affected.
The story can then continue through:
- personal logs;
- joint posts;
- private conversations;
- departmental scenes;
- medical or counselling sessions;
- mission reports;
- and other character-led writing.
The live mission creates momentum. The writing that follows gives everyone room to explore thoughts, relationships and consequences in greater depth.
5. Permanent Archive
The live mission transcript is reviewed before publication.
Accidental posts, technical interruptions and out-of-character messages can be excluded, while the original meaning and energy of the live session are preserved.
The approved transcript is then added to the website alongside the mission summary, participating characters and related stories. This creates a permanent episode record rather than leaving the mission buried inside Discord history.
The planned Uncharted Course system is specifically designed to take players from briefing, through live play and continuing fiction, into a structured public archive.
What Live Play Looks Like
Live missions use a small number of simple conventions so that actions, dialogue and communications remain easy to understand.
Character dialogue
Write ordinary spoken dialogue as normal text. When directing a line towards a particular officer or station, begin with their position abbreviation:
CO: Captain, the distortion appears to be moving against the solar wind.
Character actions
Place physical actions or descriptive behaviour inside double colons:
::checks the long-range sensor display and increases resolution::
Communications
Use asterisks when speaking through a combadge, intercom or communications system:
*BRIDGE* Engineering to Bridge. The port EPS grid is beginning to fluctuate.
Game Director narration
The Game Director uses ACTION messages to describe events affecting the shared environment:
ACTION: The deck shudders as a second gravitational wave strikes the Navigator.
Supporting characters
Characters controlled by the Game Director or an authorised mission assistant are clearly identified:
ADMIRAL T’LARA: This vessel will carry more than the name Starfleet has given her. She will carry the trust we place in all of you.
Supporting-character names identify the NPC speaking and are added by the Game Director or Mission Assistant. They are different from position abbreviations used to address another officer.
These conventions are based on the live-text grammar used by many online RPGs, where players distinguish dialogue, physical action, communications and Game Director narration within one shared mission stream.
A Short Mission Example
ACTION: The lights across the bridge dim as the Navigator enters the edge of the spatial distortion.
CO: Captain, navigational sensors are becoming unreliable.
::steadies herself against the console as the deck shifts beneath her::
CO: The distortion is reacting to our sensor pulses. It may be responding to us.
*BRIDGE* Engineering to Bridge. Our warp field is destabilising. I recommend we reduce power immediately.
FLIGHT: Bring us to one-quarter impulse.
SCI: Find another way to communicate with it.ACTION: A pattern begins to form across the main viewscreen—too deliberate to be a natural phenomenon.
There are no fixed dialogue choices and no single correct solution. The story develops from the decisions made by the crew.
Your Character Is Yours
You control your own character.
Other players should not decide what your character says, thinks, feels or does without your permission. In the same way, you should not dictate the actions or injuries of another player’s character.
You may propose an action:
::attempts to bypass the damaged security lock::
The Game Director then determines what happens and provides the relevant result.
This keeps every player in control of their own officer while allowing the mission to respond consistently to the crew’s decisions. The original player guidance described the same principle clearly: the Game Director presents the universe, but each player alone controls their own character.
The Role of the Game Director
The Game Director is similar to the director of an improvised television episode.
They:
- establish the setting;
- introduce the mission objective;
- portray supporting characters;
- describe events beyond the players’ control;
- answer questions about what characters can perceive;
- judge the outcome of attempted actions;
- manage the pace of the session;
- and guide the mission towards a conclusion or cliffhanger.
The Game Director does not write every decision in advance and does not script what the crew must do.
Their role is to present a responsive Star Trek scenario and react to the choices made by the players. As the earlier guidance put it, the Game Director directs the story rather than dictating it.
In Character and Out of Character
Live sessions use separate spaces for the story and for ordinary conversation.
Mission Channel
The mission channel contains the canonical episode:
- character dialogue;
- character actions;
- communications;
- Game Director narration;
- and supporting-character interactions.
Keep this channel in character once the mission begins.
Mission OOC
The out-of-character channel is used for:
- rules or format questions;
- technical problems;
- clarification requests;
- temporary delays;
- and general conversation during the session.
Messages posted in the OOC channel are not included in the published mission transcript.
Voice and Ambience
Voice is optional and non-canonical.
It may be used before the mission for greetings and technical help, and afterwards for discussion and debriefing. Bridge ambience or visual material may also be streamed to help establish the setting.
The actual episode remains in text, ensuring that every player has an equal opportunity to contribute regardless of confidence, accent or speaking style.
Writing Beyond the Live Mission
The live session is only one part of the experience.
Personal Logs
A personal log is written from the perspective of one character.
It might explore:
- their private reaction to a mission;
- a difficult command decision;
- an entry in a personal or official log;
- a memory from their past;
- an off-duty moment;
- or something they chose not to say during the live session.
Personal logs allow characters to reveal thoughts and emotions that would not naturally appear in fast-moving bridge dialogue.
Joint Posts
A joint post is a collaborative scene written by two or more players.
Joint posts can cover:
- conversations between crewmates;
- departmental work;
- medical examinations;
- counselling sessions;
- investigations;
- diplomatic meetings;
- friendships and disagreements;
- or events taking place between live missions.
Each participant controls their own character while contributing to the same scene.
The earlier Engage model encouraged players to write together because joint scenes could deepen character relationships and carry important mission information beyond the live hour.
Mission Transcripts
The transcript is the reviewed record of the live session itself.
It preserves the dialogue, actions and events in the order they happened, allowing readers to experience the mission even if they were not present.
Together, transcripts, personal logs and joint posts create the complete story of the USS Navigator.
Do I Need to Be an Experienced Writer?
No.
You do not need to write like a professional novelist, understand every piece of Star Trek technology or produce long paragraphs during a live mission.
Clear, thoughtful participation matters more than elaborate prose.
A good live response may be as simple as:
CO: Captain, I recommend we move the injured to Sickbay before attempting another manoeuvre.
Longer-form stories give you more time to develop your writing, but the expectation is simply that you make an honest effort, respect your fellow writers and contribute to the shared story.
Attendance and Absences
Regular attendance helps the Game Director plan missions that give every department and character something meaningful to do.
Real life, however, always comes first.
When you know that you will miss a mission, inform the Game Director as early as possible. This allows the story to be adjusted without leaving your character unexpectedly responsible for a critical scene.
Extended absences can be handled through a formal leave-of-absence arrangement.
The important thing is communication. Advance notice allows the Game Director to adapt the mission around an absent player.
What Happens If I Make a Mistake?
Nothing terrible.
Live writing is naturally imperfect. Spelling mistakes, crossed messages and misunderstood instructions will occasionally happen.
You may correct a small error in the OOC channel or clarify your intended action. The Game Director will help when the pace becomes confusing.
During transcript review, accidental posts and technical interruptions can be removed without rewriting the decisions that actually shaped the mission.
The aim is to preserve the energy of live play—not to demand flawless performance.
Public Transcripts and Archive Consent
The in-character writing produced during live missions may be reviewed and published on the Star Trek: Uncharted Course website.
Published transcripts will normally identify your fictional character rather than your private personal identity.
By taking part in a recorded live mission, you acknowledge that:
- your in-character contributions may become part of the public mission archive;
- accidental and out-of-character posts may be excluded during review;
- the reviewed transcript may be connected to your character’s service and appearance record;
- and the published mission becomes part of the continuing Uncharted Course chronology.
The raw record and reviewed public version will be handled separately so that corrections and exclusions remain accountable. The project specification requires archive consent to be made visible before a player applies rather than hidden after registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a mission last?
A standard live mission is expected to last approximately one hour, although an important closing scene or technical delay may occasionally extend the session.
Do I need to use voice chat?
No. Canonical roleplay takes place in text. Voice may be available for optional conversation before and after the mission.
Can I play from a phone or tablet?
Yes, although a keyboard may make rapid live participation more comfortable. The website and Operations system are being designed with mobile use in mind.
Do I need to know every Star Trek series?
No. A basic interest in Star Trek and collaborative storytelling is enough. Mission briefings will provide the information your character needs.
Can my character fail?
Yes. Actions can fail, plans can create consequences and characters can make mistakes. Failure often produces the most interesting stories.
Can another player control my character?
Not without your permission. Every player controls their own officer.
Are the missions scripted?
The situation, supporting characters and possible complications are prepared in advance, but the crew’s decisions determine what actually happens.
Do I have to write after every mission?
The final participation policy will explain the expected balance between live attendance and continuing writing. Personal logs and joint posts are central to the project because they develop the characters and consequences beyond the live session.
Will everything I type be published?
Only the designated in-character mission channel is captured for the canonical transcript. OOC conversation is excluded, and the transcript is reviewed before publication.
What happens if I cannot attend?
Tell the Game Director as soon as possible. Your character can be written around for that session, and no one will expect real life to be placed below a roleplaying game.
Ready to Join the Crew?
The USS Navigator is preparing to leave Spacedock.
Her systems are online. Her mission has been authorised. Her story will be shaped by the officers who step aboard.
View the current vacancies, create your character and take your place among the crew.
Where the charts end, the mission begins.