Katie: How long have you been in the trek gaming scene?

DJ: far far to long LOL, I have been around since the day Starfleet Academy was released in the UK, that has to be 5-6 years ago now, ok thanx Katie now I feel old :P

Katie: Whats your earliest memories of your first few week's playing star trek games?

DJ: I remember when people left Kali to go to Heat and we were all in one clan the entire lobby united it was amazing while it lasted, it was amazing.

Katie: Looking back on your first week's in trek gaming, how much has the gaming scene changed for star trek and do you think that the star trek genre will rise up from it's current hiatus due to the Activision/Viacom issue?

DJ: The Star Trek Gaming world has changed a lot, back then it was mainly adults playing the games I was considered one of the youngest, and I strongly believe that far to much is been made of the Activision/Viacom issue, we all hated Activison making the games, well now there gone and it is a good thing, ok so there sueing Viacom big deal they aint got a leg to stand on. Now is the time for the ST gamers out there to e-mail Viacom and politely tell them what you feel should happen next, tell them who you want to see making the ST games of tomorrow. It is a great opportunity for us gamers to get our say across. Fleets should e-mail Viacom as well remember you are there consumers and fleets are large groups of there consumers they will listen if we all start singing from the same hymm sheet.

Katie: What's been the biggest changes to the clan/fleet scene since Red Squadrons first appeared?

DJ: I think the two biggest changes since Red Squadrons Started are the Average age of gamers and Faster net connections, gone are the days of the old timers who remember TOS when it first aired, but those who still have to use 56k modems are often banished to playing amongst themselves due to there poor pings or the fact that the mods and patches are to big for them to download.

Katie: What do you think is the worst issue with clans and fleets that need's to be changed?

DJ: I think that there are two major issues with clans these days, Respect and a lack of actual gaming, Most clans are demanding respect but not giving it to anyone else or to there own members, we have all seen it, they come in to the lobby shoot off there mouths but refuse to play a game, or they just sit in the lobby cursing. This is not a good evenviroment for gaming, who wants to enter a lobby were all that happens is they get cussed out?

A lot of clans and individuals need to realise that unless they start showing respect and playing the games for fun and enjoyment not out of a desire for revenge or some over inflated sence of Ego, or they will and do drive people away from online gaming.

Katie: What would you say to someone who stated that "clans and fleets ruin trek games"?

DJ: I would say that a well run clan/fleet is a wonderful place to play games, meet new people and increases the enjoyment of online gaming, but a poorly run clan. one that is run to boost someone's ego or to be used as a tool of revenge, will ruin your gaming experience, look at a fleet very carefully before you pick the one to try. Picking a fleet is like picking a house consider the other fleet members as your neighbours you would not want to live next door to an nosing foul mouthed racist, so don't pick that fleet.

Katie: Red Squadrons has been a long running trek game clan, many people look at RS as one of the top. What do you think has made RS survive for so long in the Star Trek game scene while other clans have fallen?

DJ: Our Ability to change with the times while keeping the best of what we started with, we are always willing to look at new options, new ways of doing things and of thinking. Positions in RS are ernt not given, we follow the saying of the right person for the right job. We train our members not just how to play games but all so how to lead and about loyalty, Honor and respect, this way when a senior officer leaves there is a replacement all ready trained and ready to take his job thus the fleet continues more or less undisturbed.

Katie: If you were given the opportunity by Paramount to take over the gaming division of Star Trek and release one game, with a huge budget, what kind of Star Trek game would you like to develop?

DJ: I would develop a game where in some missions you were flying a starship ( BC style) and in others you were commanding a away mission ( EF1 style). I believe this would work much better than trying to make a BC2 or an EF3 as it would bring two parts of the community together not to mention make for far better sales figures as a lot more people would want it since you would be able to decide whether you flew a starship or slogged it out on the ground.

Katie: Do you think that diplomacy and pacts in trek games have there place in clans? Or is there too much emphasis on diplomacy in trek clans these days?

DJ: Yes Diplomacy has a place in clans/fleets and yes there is a bit too much emphasis on diplomacy these days. I feel that Alliances are a good thing and add some unexpected twists to the gaming world but MPP's, NAP, friendship treaties and the rest are rubbish and add nothing but petty arguments and drama. Remember guys and girls war is not a bad thing in the clan world, it is a fun enjoyable experience win or lose does not matter just have fun with it and remember it is a game, if ya die you just click a button and hey presto your alive again.

Katie: If you had the chance to go back to your early days of trek gaming, would you change anything or would you do everytng all the same all over again?

DJ: We all regret certain things we do, I have my fair share of them but I would not change what I have done as I believe every experience good and bad and every mistake we make helps shape the person we become and that changing some events would alter things in an unpredictable manor.

Katie: Games like Bridge Commander and the Starfleet Command series have had a large amount of mods released for them. Do you think that the modders and scripters are hurting or aiding the trek game scene? Also, should modders be more closer to the online gamers and clans/fleets who play these mods online?

DJ: Mods on the whole are a good thing for any gaming world, they add new life to games that are starting to go a bit stale, but the mods must be well balanced and stable often a problem with the mods is they are to unbalanced to one race or to one ship and crash to often, the modders seem not to spend much time talking with the individuals and groups who will / are using there products. I would welcome talking to any of the modding community about how to improve there mods or what I and RS would like to see in new mods, they should also consider better read me files or installing the mods and consider breaking there mods in to smaller parts to make it easier for the 56k'ers to download them.

Katie: Got any advice for people trying to start a new clan?

DJ: Get some experience of the clanning world before you thing about starting one make sure you have the following.

1. Lots of Time every day to spend on your fleet.

2. AT least 3 Experienced members with you at the beginning.

3. Someone who can design and maintain a web site, preferably with it's own domain and no pop ups or adds.

4. A good Executive Officer.

5. A clear vision and plan on what you want your clan to be and how your going to get there.

6.Respect your own members and the members of other groups and well as the new guys and solo players, remember who you treat them may lead to them joining your group. or helping you in times of hardship.

7. Never trust any info given to you without screenshots people will try and manipulate you and your group.

That's about it if you follow those tips you wont go to far wrong.

The STG would like to thank DJ for the interview...