Under Construction: Star Trek Roleplay (Sorta) in a Federation Shipyard Town (Updated)

You know how in the trailer of the upcoming Star Trek movie, there's a shot where young Kirk rides up to the looming silhouette of the Enterprise being built on the horizon, and your jaw just has to drop?  There's an island under development in Second Life now which captures that feeling, then creates a mini-world around it.  Known as Shipyard, it will offer Trek-flavored roleplay [see below] around a starship construction site.  Judging by the bars and hangouts that ring the construction site, it could be a tough town.  It's also a beautiful one, glittering with fine details like hologram billboards, gorgeously articulated vehicles, and of course, a Trek-style teleport room that takes you from the sub-orbital station (where you begin) to the Shipyard itself.  Here's the island's official site.  Though still in development, it's already rich in potential.  (Especially as it comes from the creator of Crack Den, a popular and complex urban roleplay area.)

Take a preview stroll for yourself, and be sure to explore the places beyond the ship, which is only the beginning.  [Direct SLurl teleport to Shipyard at this link.]  Many thanks to Nimil Blackflag for the tip!

Updated, 10:45am: Just heard from Nadir Taov, Shipyard's owner, who describes what he and his team are planning.  He aims to open it officially "within a month", and as he tells it, roleplay is not actually set within the Trek universe:

"It's actually my third iteration of the build," he writes me. "The first two were very Trek-oriented. After experimenting with some roleplay there, I felt that the ability to write creatively was hindered by people starting to think it was their knowledge of the Trek universe which made them better roleplayers. To free people from that misconception (in my opinion), also to include a much wider audience, I converted the entire sim into a 'futuristic industrial metropolis'. The obvious remaining Trek element, which I couldn't find the heart to remove, is the actual ship itself (it was my first large-scale detailed build in SL.)" So if it's not Trek roleplay, what's his universe like?

"The roleplay will revolve around very social themes, both the 'good' and the 'bad', and much of the core background history of the universe will be preset. The storyline will be set about 150 years into the future, decades after a third world war and the governments of the world were forced to unite. After rebuilding the planet, they also reached farther into space until they eventually discovered they weren't alone. It was at this point, [after] three races have started to visit Earth. In the cities, including the one nicknamed, 'Shipyard', you'll find themes such as xenophobia, religious/cults based on extra-terrestrial origins, cyberpunk movement, etc."

To expand on that narrative, Taov will create a blog network, forum, and wiki on the game's site.  "It is my hope, as people begin to pickup certain themes I present in the wiki, that they will run with the idea and define it even more through their character's roleplay. It's also a very open universe, and with the collaboration tools the community will online, can define it much more themselves."

Comments

[cube inada]

Hmm
150 years in future... and NO longer a unlicensed commercial TREK world.

STARBASE C3, in SL for 2 1/2 years, online for 12 at:

www.starbasec3.com

drop by the Cube3 sim in SL to rent starship building docks and join the RPG.

Imitation is the best form of flattery?
;)

[N]

@Cube

The old saying goes "You have to be first, better, or different."

Judging by this new place's build and its website ambitions, you get the advantage in the first but I think you are about to be edged out in the latter two.

[cube inada]

really?
time wil tell:)
I welcome all to make up their own minds soon.

www.starbasec3.com
Cube3 Sim in SL

best to all
cube inada

[Ann Otoole]

The question is when the Red Shirt Rebellion will begin.

[Nadir]

@Hamlet - Thank you for the unexpected review. It's motivated me to buckled down and finish the sim! I also appreciate the update and clarification on the rp theme :)

@Cube - I visited your sim for the first time today. Suffice it to say, there's hardly much "imitation". I didn't build the sim to compete w/ anyone. In fact, I've had the pleasure of networking and meeting some amazing builders in the same genre. Good luck w/ your project.

[Chenin Anabuki]

All should be welcomed to bring in their creative interpretations for whatever passion he/she is into. The trekkie kingdom is long, prosperous and large enough to accomodate more than one Star Trek themed sim.