Drawing Proof

Author: Darren_Kitlor
Mission Code: ST-HDP5HLT39
Date Played: March 31, 2011 / Replayed: April 2, 2011
Length: 10-20 minutes

Author Description:
Vulcan separatists are vowing to leave the Federation after word spread of the P’Jem incident and the Undine infiltration of Starfleet. They see the multi-faction conflict as an affront to logic and the pacifism Vulcans are respected for. You will be contacted b Elder Sardek, representing Vulcan local authorities on the matter.

Review

Many UGC missions — and for that matter, many professionally made STO missions — are bloodbaths compared to the original source material. By no means am I stickler for pure canon, but it is difficult to dispute the fact I usually destroy more vessels in a single patrol mission that any Enterprise ever destroyed in one season.

With that in mind, Darren_Kitlor’s Drawing Proof is a refreshing return to the diplomacy that is at the heart of the Star Trek franchise.

As of writing this review, Drawing Proof has a solid four-star rating across twenty-three reviews. One of the most glowing reviews praises Drawing Proof for its “professional-quality, story-driven” nature; its only one-star review concisely critiques the mission as “short and boring.” Both reviews are correct — it’s just a matter of what you want out of a UGC mission that decides whether you emphasize the mission’s quality of writing, or its short length and lack of violence.

At the heart of the mission is Sur’el, an old Vulcan who is tired of the Federation’s escalating military involvement throughout the Alpha and Beta quadrants. Toward this end, Sur’el and his Surak’s Tear separatist movement are publically agitating against the Federation’s military policies. Starfleet and the Vulcan High Council are increasingly worried, and my captain has been brought in to facilitate negotiations.

Darren_Kitlor writes Sur’el as a believable and sympathetic rebel with valid concerns. As a player invested in the game’s backstory, Sur’el even expresses my fears for the Federation. Ultimately, the Vulcan is correct — the Federation knows it’s being played by multiple faction — if a bit naive. The timeline on the STO website makes it clear that war broke out only after multiple attempts at a peaceful resolution were disrupted; it’s difficult to maintain the peace when several different manipulative factions want war to begin.

The culmination of this short mission is a round of negotiations aboard the Vulcan ambassador’s ship, the Vurak. Here, Darren_Kitlor deftly circumvents the limitations of the Foundry and creates a negotiation scene worthy of any Star Trek episode. Standing at the negotiation table, working my way through the branching dialogue, I truly felt like a Starfleet officer. I actually replayed the mission so I could get a screenshot of my Captain in his dress uniform.

I immensely enjoyed this mission, and I recommend that any player interested in an authentic, dialogue-oriented mission give it a shot. It requires you to holster your phaser and use your brain, though, and I understand that type of mission isn’t for everyone.

It took roughly ten to fifteen minutes to complete the mission. It is equally split between ground- and space-based negotiations, with little travel and no combat. Several typos during the final negotiation were unfortunate, but they did not significantly detract from the mission. I have every reason to believe Darren_Kitlor will go back and fix those errors as soon as he has a chance; I’ve played the mission several times now, and the mission continues to improve each time.