Please note: The ASG is not affiliated with or endorsed by America Online, Inc.

Greetings!

After this brief introduction, some information is included about the Alliance Simulation Group for America Online members. If after reviewing this information you are interested in joining, please let us know or use the join form on our website (its URL is listed below in this file). Information concerning mergers is also included in this file. We look forward to simming with you in the near future!

We offer many different sims; check our schedule on the website for the latest offerings.

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Questions You Might Have: (If you're new to simming, read the first and second section of this document last)

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-> Why should I choose ASG over the other groups? <-

The Alliance Sim Group (ASG) is a unique organization. It is a large sim group that provides online simming entertainment to a large group of people on America Online. As the name suggests, it is also an alliance. Not only does the ASG have its own sims, but it also acts as a central organization to lots of independent simming groups that have chosen to become a part of the ASG's support network. As a result, there are different sims available for a member of the ASG to choose from. The ASG is always looking to add new sims to the fleet, and more will be come available if there is sufficient interest. In addition, the staff is always available to help out.

If you are already in command of or a member of another sim group and might be interested in merging with the ASG and receiving the many benefits of being a part of a large network, please read this file and send any questions to our Advisory Council. (http://www.asghorizon.org/)

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-> What are some of the features of the ASG? <-

Because AOL was the birthplace of ASG over five years ago, ASG's services on AOL have been expanding for a long time. Available to ASG members is an extremely useful webpage located at <http://www.asghorizon.org/>. The site is updated to keep members up to date on the latest ASG news, as well as the history of the ASG. As well, the ASG provides an extensive sound collection that allows simmers to use sound during sims to make them more enjoyable. The sounds can be obtained from the website. Everything you need to know, and ways to contact us, are posted on the ASG Website at <http://www.asghorizon.org/>.

If you want to sim in a particular area of science fiction and do not find a sim that suits your needs, please send an e-mail to the Advisory Council telling them what you think the ASG should add to its services. We will make it our top priority to get that service up and running so you can join it and the ASG can better meet the needs of its members and future members.

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-> What is a sim? <-

If you are new to simming, that's fine; the ASG is a great place to learn! You don't need to have any simming experience to join.

The word "sim" is short for "simulation." The ASG ships in each division meet once a week to carry out a sim in a private room, a member room in the "Arts and Entertainment" section, or the NAGF "Orbital Velocity" conference room. Members come to the assigned room about fifteen minutes before the scheduled time (see the schedules below) and the Commanding Officer assigns each participant a position on the ship. Many of our sims have fixed positions, and not all positions are available for use. Some of our ships allow you to request your posts before the sim, allowing positions to be different each time. The Commanding Officer then reads a mission that he or she has prepared earlier, and then says "BEGIN SIM." The sim starts and the crew works together to perform whatever the mission specifies. Each crew member performs his or her post as if they were really in that timeframe and place.

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-> What position/post will I be? <-

-> What positions/posts are there to choose from? <-

Some of our ships have fixed rosters, and not all positions are available for use. Others allow you to request your post.

Position on Request Sims:
At the beginning of each sim, when members start to arrive, the Commanding Officer will ask for the crew's position requests. Each member of the crew then sends an Instant Message (IM) to the Commanding Officer stating their top two or three position requests. The Commanding Officer then organizes the positions and determines who is doing what, and he then reads the final positions and the mission before starting the sim. You will not always get your first or favorite position because many people want the same position on the ship, but you will usually get one of your three favorites. The assigning of posts usually takes about 8 minutes, so it is a good idea to arrive about 5 to 15 minutes early to the simming room. If you do arrive early, you have a better chance of getting the position you want.

Fixed Roster Sims:
In a fixed roster sim, the Commanding Officer uses the same positions from the previous week, or ones set in a crew roster for that ship. Sometimes there are continuing sims, with long missions that may last as much as a month. If there are still open positions, the Commanding Officer will ask for position requests from those still without a position.

The list of positions that we use in our sims varies from ship to ship and within the divisions. If you are not sure what positions are available on a particular ship, you can always ask the Commanding Officer of that sim.

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-> What does a sim look like? <-

Here is a very short segment of what a sim might look like. This is a segment from a Star Trek sim, but all sims in the ASG are run in a similar style.

LtCSethASG: Cloak has been reinstalled and online at my command.
EnsWorfASG: Weapon systems online, sir.
CdrFlintASG: Have we made contact with the Bajoran Government?
LtCSethASG: All power systems online.
LtCSethASG: Engineering standing by.
LtjJoshASG: At warp 8 our ETA is 15 minutes sir
LtjBltlASG: Channel to Bajor open {S chnlopen} now, sir. I'm putting it onscreen.
CdrTrohASG: Yes, they are aware that we are coming and know the situation.
CdrTrohASG: Good
EnsWorfASG: Tac standing by.

Ranks are designated by a three-letter abbreviation (Ens, Ltj, Cdr, LtC, etc.) followed by the simmer's name, and then "ASG" (showing he or she is an ASG member). Executive Staff (the highest level of the ASG for AOL members staff) members have an ASG-only name (ASG Dal, ASG Mulder, ASG Seth, etc.), and captains have a "Cpt" designation.

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-> What is a multi-room sim? <-

A few of the ASG ships meet across two or more rooms for one sim. Both rooms run on the same mission, but have different crews and Commanding Officers, and are run collectively as one sim. The separate rooms coordinate efforts, ideas, and events that occur. An example would be a ship and a space station, or a ship and its away team. There are very few situations where this style is used.

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-> What kinds of missions do ASG ships go on? <-

There are five basic different types of basic missions that we sim. These are Deep space exploration (survey, mapping), scientific investigation (research), contact with alien life forms (exobiology, sociology, translation), policy and diplomacy (envoy), tactical and defense (patrol, protection), and emergency and rescue (distress calls, evacuations). The actual mission given at the sims is at the discretion of the Commanding Officer.

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-> How do you get promoted? <-

New cadets are promoted after attending their third consecutive sim on the same ship. In order to earn a promotion after cadet, you must attend at least three sims a month, perform well at the sims, be a positive influence on the rest of the crew, and contribute to the group (by giving ideas for missions, recruiting a few new members, or proposing ideas that will make the ASG a better place for everybody).

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-> Can we get awards and recognition? <-

At this time, we do not have an awards program.

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-> What are the ranks used? <-

The ranks in the separate divisions are different, and there may be some special positions on some ships. All new members start out as a Cadet (Cdt) and work their way up the ranks from there.

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-> How do I join the ASG? <-

To join the ASG, just follow these steps:

1. Create a new screen name that you will use while you sim. This screen name includes your rank in the front, your sim name in the middle, and "ASG" in the back. You will start out as a Cadet, so your name will be "CdtNameASG," replacing "Name" with any four letter name of your choice (i.e., CdtMikeASG, CdtGrgeASG, etc.). To create a screen name go to Keyword: NAMES, then choose "Create a Screen name," and then type in your chosen ASG screen name. If you are unable to create a new screen name for whatever reason, you can skip this step.

2. Go to the ASG Website at <http://www.asghorizon.org/> and head for the Membership section. You can also go directly to <http://www.asghorizon.org/join.php>. Fill out the forms on that page and hit the send button. You will be immediately added to the crew rosters and our member list.

3. Attend the sims regularly. ATTENDANCE IS A MUST! You will have selected the division and sim preference on the website's Join the ASG form, and one of the sim commanders will get in contact with you. If people don't come to the sims, then we can't have a sim. The more people there are, the better the sim is! You may attend any of the sims listed below. They are held on America Online (AOL) chat rooms.

The official schedule is available on our website at <http://www.asghorizon.org/schedule.php>, and is updated whenever a change is made.

Should you not be able to attend a sim you have a post on, you should always let the sim commander know. If you won't be around for an extended period of time, you can request to go on Leave of Absence status (LOA) so you won't lose your rank and other positions in the ASG.

4. Make sure to check out the helpful information on our website. Most of your questions will be answered there. If you have any questions that are not answered by the site, use the forms on the site to contact the staff with your question.

5. Have Fun! The ASG is designed for you to have a fun time. If you come to the sims, and participate in the sims, you will have a great time!

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Please feel free to e-mail any of the people listed throughout this text to ask questions. Thank you for your time and interest!

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Rear Admiral Seth Mattinen
ASG on AOL Website Director
Commander, USS Commador, Galaxy Class Starship
Alliance Simulation Group

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ASG Information Packet for AOL members - October 29, 2002