Application Guide

Created by Captain Tim Williams on Sat May 25th, 2013 @ 8:20pm

On this page I will put the most important things that I look for in an application, and I would highly recommend that everyone who is planning on joining the USS Highlander give it a read, as there are several things that you need to take note of in order to create a good application that will earn you a strong place here.

The Basics

The most basic thing that you can do to make your application noteworthy is to simply fill in all of the boxes. Some things, such as Middle Name, the IM fields and Pre-Starfleet Career can be left blank, as not everybody has them, but everything else relevant to your character should be filled in.

The next step is for you to think about what you are putting in the boxes! I won't accept a new applicant if it looks like they've just thrown in a sentence or two into each box just to fill it with something. Be creative!

History & Personality

These are two really big determining factors when I am making my decision on an application, so they must be good. Short answers are a definite no-go, as these are the sections that tell me who you are, and where you come from! As such, I will impose a minimum word count on applications, to ensure that you think about what you write:

The absolute minimum I would like to see is 50 words for your personality, and 150 words for your history. This is the base minimum, and I think everyone can achieve that, and significantly more. At the time of writing this guide, my personality general overview section stands at 193 words, and my history sits at 2128 words. The Early Career section of my history along is 388. 50 and 150 respectively is nothing.

Anyone considering an XO position must have a minimum of 100 words personality overview and 500 words history overview. This is because the XO must be an example to hold up for the crew, and that starts with their biography, and follows right on through to their posting.

Be aware that regardless of these figures, the numbers stated here are a minimum. The longer and more detailed any section of your biography is, the higher the chance of your application getting an outstanding review. Outstanding reviews equal a greater standing in the sim from the start, and a higher starting rank.

If you feel you may need some help in crafting a biography, then I definitely advise that your first port of call should be our Biography Guide here on the site.

Diversity

This isn't a must in an application, more like a bonus for me as the ship's commanding officer, but I would like to see some diversity amongst the crew. Try playing a female character, or an alien race. This doesn't mean that I am less likely to accept you if you play a male human - this has no standing on how likely I am to accept you or not - it's just something extra for you to think about that might make your character stand out a bit more from the crowd.

Player Experience

So great! You've been a member of tonnes of sims, you've commanded your own, you've created your own fleet before....brilliant! Let me know by all means, but don't rely on it!

Just because you've told me all of these things that you've been part of before, don't think that I owe you anything for it. It's likely I don't know any of these places, so I have no idea how good you were there. This has no standing on your application.

I've applied, now what?

I aim, as the CO, to reply to all applications with a yes or a no within 48 hours of the application being received. If for some reason I can't process your application within this time, I will either notify you (if for example I just want a second opinion) or I will pass it onto my XO (if for example I'm going on an LOA)

Replied with a No

If I rejected your application, please don't be disheartened. I will never flat-out refuse to have anyone on my ship, and if I have refused your application, I will always tell you what I thought it was lacking, and give you tips to improve it. I will even help you improve it if you need me to via IM or Email, and will always offer for you to re-apply with an improved application. It doesn't matter how many times you have to try; the more times you keep on hitting those applications at me, the better they'll get, and the more you'll show me you're determined to stay with us and improve your writing skills and creativity.

Replied with a Yes

Congratulations, and welcome to the crew! In your acceptance email I will let you know of any details you'll need to know about the sim, and I'll fill you in on the status of the current mission, so that you can hop right in without disturbing the storyline. Just remember, from now on, play the character that you applied! Don't role play someone with a different personality than the one you wrote for me! And most importantly; now that you're in, make sure you stay in! The most common cause of player removals is a severe drop or simple lack of activity after they've joined. You've gone through all that effort to get in here, so why waste it?

Best of Luck!

Well, off you go! Best of luck with your application! If you think that I'm being too harsh with my expectations, simply remember that I am doing it so that I can ensure a worthwhile simming experience for you and my crew.

Captain Tim Williams
Commanding Officer
USS Highlander NCC-74962