Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I be an NCO?

Noncomms start to learn their skills "in the field". If you're the type of person who learns better by hands-on experience rather than through classroom instruction, you'll benefit more from enlisting rather than attend the Academy. Also, in an NCO rating (position), you'll have more responsibilities than most junior officers are given.

How much power do NCOs have?

Each NCO is a crucial link between the minority of commissioned officers who make the command decisions and the larger group of noncommissioned officers who put those decisions into action (or keep the ship or base running in spite of them). This link is even important in an age where computers execute millions of tasks a second because while commissioned officers are filling out reports, noncomms are busy getting the job done. A successful commissioned officer is one who knows when to take the advice of an experienced NCO and how to stay in his/her good favor.

What do I do if I have a problem from an officer?

There are various ways to resolve this type of situation peacefully, most of which are dependent upon the circumstances. For advice, contact Master Chief Petty Officer of Bravo Fleet St. Lucent directly.

Can there be more than one of each rating?

Yes and no. There should be only one player-character in each rating. However, on larger ships, ratings may have a chief (CPO, SCPO, or MCPO) and an assistant (PO3, PO2, or PO1). The decision to have more than one, and whether one should be NPC, rests solely with the Commanding Officer and is related to the size of the crew. (ex. For a Galaxy-class starship, there could be a player and an NPC, but for an Intrepid-class starship, there would be only the player.)

What's with this 'rate' and 'rating' stuff?

An enlisted 'rate' is the equivalent of an officer 'rank'. An enlisted 'rating' is the equivalent of an officer 'position + rank' or just 'position'. While it is expected that most people will use the latter in both cases due to habit, the former is actually the correct and preferred terminology. However, note that Warrant Officers use the terminology of 'rank' and 'position' as if they were fully commissioned officers.