U.S.S. VOYAGER
By Richard Chua
Due to Decipher’s copyright demands, I am unable to display the actual card images here. So I have rewritten the actual cards to text versions with the accompanying image and also took the opportunity to make some amendments incorporating changes since release of the Deep Space 9 expansion. Hope they are now better represented and appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
Revision October 1999: Switched [Enterprise-E icon] staffing requirement to [Command icon]. Revised ‘May use as Shuttle’ to ‘May land on planets’
This one was rather fun to invent! Cramming out the lore in the space available was real tricky so I hope the bit on 'Variable Warp Nacelles' is worth it, especially for those who are wondering why those nacelles have to change position when going into warp (well, this would have been noted if I could have actually displayed the actual card image). I gave Voyager a RANGE 11 as it has been said that it is amongst the fastest and most manouverable starships in Starfleet with sustainable warp of 9.975 (though everyone in the Delta Quadrant seems to be able to catch up to them and take several shots at the ship!). The WEAPONS and SHIELDS I think is reasonable accounting for the small size of Voyager so it has not quite the firepower of the Nebula-class starship. The 'May act as Shuttle' I think is something really cool so away teams can simply land on planets (as seen in the show); restrictions are as the updated rules of Alternate Universe and also relates to the 'Engage Shuttlecraft Operations' card (so perhaps Voyager should be able to escape attack by landing on a planet?). The Delta Quadrant symbol I believe comes into effect where the ship cannot be deployed normally in Alpha Quadrant like normal cards at this time.
Comments by other CCG players so far:
Revision October 1999: Switched [Enterprise-E icon] to [Command icon]; order of skills.
I think these skills are rather representative of what has been seen of Janeway's abilities. The SCIENCE skill is definitely something she has which is unique attribute in an officer so far; note that none of the Enterprise-D bridge crew has SCIENCE! I previously had the Enterprise-E command symbol which I believe represents unique training required to command Starfleet's newest starships (Voyager was commissioned just a year prior to Enterprise-E) but this has since been clarified by Decipher.
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Revision October 1999: Added Non-Aligned affiliation as first (yellow background card); added [Maquis icon]; replace Archaelogy with Resistance.
Chakotay seems like the typical Starfleet first officer, ala Will Riker. Nothing much dramatic in terms of skills and abilities. All the standard Leadership, Diplomacy, and Navigation stuff. However, a 6 skilled character is hard to come by and seems that he might even be better than Janeway. As suggested, I have now replaced Archaeology with Resistance and added the Maquis icon. Overall, quite representative I think. Your comments very welcome of course.
Comments by other CCG players so far:
I think this is pretty representative of Ensign Kim, though perhaps 'Youth' should be placed earlier amongst the skills. He might also sport a Command insignia, but then he really only took command of Voyager after 3 seasons in the 'Future's End' episodes. And he is still an Ensign (and seems likely to remain so until all the way back to Earth at this rate!) So perhaps in an updated version instead representative of Season 5 or 6 Kim. Anyway, it seems good as it is.
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Doing this alternative Tuvok from Jonathan's version was interesting. Basically I felt that Tuvok is not sure an all perfect infallible Vulcan. But one with Treachery?! This might have been unique when I designed this card before the release of Deep Space 9. Anyway, in various episodes, it has been shown that the good guys are capable of treachery e.g. Vash, Nikolai Rozhenko, etc. Tuvok and his role in security and much the same. He did afterall infiltrate the Maquis to turn them over to Starfleet. As a Vulcan, I guess Chakotay overlooked that logic can be used deviously. Tuvok displayed such traits again in the episode 'Prime Factors' using logical reasoning as reason to break the Prime Directive and betraying Captain Janeway in aiding the Maquis to trade for a 'teleportation' device to install in Voyager. Tuvok's lowered integrity reflects this and, of course, Honor and Treachery don't mix. I've also removed leadership since Tuvok's isolation and attitude as shown in the episode "Learning Curve" does not make him the best leader despite his years as instructor in Starfleet Academy. Finally, Tuvok always seems to have one of these 'portable vacuum' phasers handy, so why not incorporate one of those new downloading features in his skills. With regards to the continual reference to Tuvok being isolated, it seems rather out of place as there is another Vulcan on the ship, Ensign Vorik of various episodes, especially 'Blood Fever'; well, I suppose Tuvok could be somewhat too 'arrogant' to mix with the junior officers.
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Revision October 1999: Removed Federation affiliation; added [Maquis icon]; changed order of skills.
Whilst doing this card, I was about to make Torres wholly Federation. Then I hit me that they were in fact Maquis, renegades eventhough they were Starfleet uniforms on Voyager. Hence, I decided to do all the Maquis crew on Voyager with the Neutral background colours yet with the Federation insignia as an option to crew Starfleet vessels. Anyway, the Maquis icon now adequately accounts for this 'sub-affiliation'. She has also got pretty standard bridge crew engineering skills.
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Revision October 1999: Switched Non-Aligned affiliation as first (yellow background card); changed order of skills.
This card required quite some work, not so much in doing the graphics but wondering what skills Tom Paris really has. By the show, he seems to typical exceptional helmsman but with nothing obstanding enough to warrant being a bridge crew, or even more than a universal personnel. Anyway, after them deep thought, I think I have managed to incorporate something which is rather representative of the actual Tom Paris. Navigation is the obvious skill, but MEDICAL took some thinking back in the pilot episodes when Paris was delegated as a relief nurse when all the original sickbay crew were killed. Anthropology incorporates his understanding of earlier Earth history, as shown most prominently in 'Future's End'. The 'Does not work with (Federation) personnel without (Delta Quadrant icon)' indicates his outcast status in Starfleet as shown by the Voyager crews' initial hostility towards him.However, Paris did become a full crew member after Voyager became stranded in the Delta Quadrant, hence, the ability to work with Federation personnel who are similarly trapped in the Delta Quadrant (presumably even when Voyager returns, he will continue his duties as crew member so logically in the game, the Delta Quadrant icons remain on the character cards). The decision on whether Paris should be Non-Aligned or Federation was also somewhat difficult considering I decided to make the Maquis predominantly Non-Aligned. Since the introduction of the Maquis icon, I have decided to switch him to Non-Aligned.
Comments by other CCG players so far:
There was not really too much to think about this card since the generic EMH program character card already existed from First Contact. Anyway, from the stuff the Voyager EMH does, I figured he deserved an extra MEDICAL skill and afterall he has said that his programme adapts to improve itself. With his interest in Opera, I added Music. I considered that perhaps the Doctor could only be played on Voyager but then decided against it as it would be too restrictive, the Delta Quadrant icon makes it difficult enough already since Voyager is probably the only ship there with holodeck facilities. The final touch with Kes shows that the two work really well together. With regards to holograms and away teams, I considered a download for 'Portable Holo-Emitter' to enable him to transport to planets, but then players would probably just use a Holoprojector instead which includes all their holograms (like Jonathan's card). Maybe this download should be included instead for the more developed version of the doctor (Season 4 onwards?).
Comments by other CCG players so far:
Kes as a Delta Quadrant character obviously begins with the icon. We take Kes here as the younger version initially joining Voyager. Her empathic abilities are just manifesting and she has just learned to be the Doctor's medical assistant. I gave her reasonable cunning since she is smart though not in the typical engineering solving problem sense as with Starfleet officers. She has high integrity as well, with a strong sense of right from wrong. Realistically though, she is almost useless in a battle.
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Neelix was a really hard one to figure out. As a character, he has got no outstanding attributes nor skills aside from cooking. Special abilities considered include 'Reduce (Delta Quadrant icon) space range by 1 when abroad' and 'Diplomacy versus (Delta Quadrant icon) cards'. But then his knowledge of the Delta Quadrant has been shown to be limited as of halfway through season 3. Future glimpses from various episodes hinted at Neelix becoming security personnel but there is not a bit of indication of this in his character in the earlier seasons. I eventually settled for the mission bonus as it somehow seems reasonable that if anyone bothers dragging Neelix into an away mission and putting up with him, they deserve the bonus points. However, setting limits to this means that sending Neelix on subsequent missions runs a certain level of risk in that these points will be lost if he gets killed, which seems a reasonable trade-off.
Finally, the integrity enhancement with Kes is expected with her being his conscience, especially in the earlier episodes. And with the introduction of Acquisition skill, this has been added to represent his scavenger skills.
Comments by other CCG players so far:
Some general comments from other CCG players:
If have any comments or wish to add to any existing comments, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at 'ryyc@yahoo.com' .
These are card versions were designed by Jonathan Yip. Feel welcome to e-mail any feedback to him at 'yipmaster@juno.com' .
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