u/Kraken6375

I’ll start off by saying that I don’t have much experience with RPGs; mainly historical combat simulations. I plunged into the deep end with Captain’s Log, STA 2e and several supplements. I was excited about playing as part of a starship crew within the ST universe. My first CL mission wasn’t the best, which was to be expected when learning to play by playing. It got better towards the end when I realized I wasn’t writing for a grade and allowed myself to relax and have a bit of fun. However, I realized that the element of mystery that I was looking for was missing due to the fact that I had to play GM as well as player and in most cases knew what was coming next. I started off thinking I wanted a writer’s room experience and ended up realizing that might not be the case.

I’ve been toying with the idea of using Mythic GME to act as my GM during CL play. Being a novice, I enlisted the help of chat gpt to help with the initial playtest my first time through. I think this might be my system going forward as this story has had more than a few twists and turns and really caused me to think about my next move as it relates to the mystery in front of me and not in light of the story continuity. However, I feel like I’m still missing something to make these sessions feel complete. I feel like I want a bit more crunch to my games. I know that CL was designed to be a stripped down version of certain aspects of STA 2e, but I found when playing previous combat simulations, I like the level of detail involved. Sometimes that detail impacts the gameplay decisions on my part as well, making it a bit more realistic.

My question to the community and to those who have way more experience playing and playing STA/ CL than I do, is has anyone combined STA and CL with Mythic or another GME? What advice do you have as far as what to keep from what and what to ignore and why? I plan on using STA/ CL to handle what the characters are capable of within the game universe and Mythic to handle information the characters can’t or couldn’t know. I appreciate everyone’s time and thanks in advance!

I finally finished my first mission of Captain’s Log, and I was exhausted afterward. It seemed to take forever and I think it’s because I felt like it was a creative writing assignment that was going to be graded. I put those expectations on myself and really started to stress myself out about where the story was headed and whether or not it made sense or aligned with ST canon. I felt like I needed to write down everything in an attempt to accurately document what was happening. I added dialogue to move the scenes forward and provide information. To whom I am not sure. So I took a break for a few weeks and started researching. Several people mentioned using a system of shorthand to document what they did during a session and I thought that’s exactly what I needed. Something to quickly record what happened during a scene with enough information that I can come back to it later and understand what was going on and create a log entry. I’m sharing this for those that may have felt like I did and wanted something quicker and easier than writing everything out and becoming overwhelmed.

I based the following on Lonelog Notation and added to it for items specific to Captain’s Log. This system-agnostic shorthand separates game mechanics from fiction, making your notes searchable and easy to read later.

The Core Symbols

Track your gameplay by chaining these five fundamental symbols:

@ [Action]: What your character attempts.

? [Question]: A question you ask the probability matrix. .

d: [Roll Setup]: [Attribute] + [Discipline] (Target Number / Difficulty).

-> [Dice Result]: Note the two d20 results, number of successes, and whether it's a Success (S) or Failure (F).

Tags: Use brackets for quick indexing (e.g., [N: Silas] for NPCs, [L: The Council chambers] for locations, or [T: Find the infiltrator] for threads).

Episode Structure & Tags

[E: Title] / [A: X] / [S: X]: Tracks the episode, act, and scene (e.g., [E: A Dark Nebula], [A: 1], [S: 2]).

[C: Name]: Crew member (e.g., [C: Spock]).

[V: Phrase]: A character Value used or challenged in the scene.

Narrative Conditions & Matrices

In Captain's Log, Momentum and Threat function as binary states (either active or not) rather than large pools.

[+M] / [-M]: Momentum gained or used.

[+T] / [-T]: Threat added or triggered.

=> [Adv] / => [Comp]: The pure narrative Advantage or Complication resulting from the task or Focus matrix.

Shorthand in Action: Actual Play Example

Scene Setup

[E: Ghosts of Sector 4] [A: 1] [S: 1]

@ The USS Venture drops out of warp at the edge of the Paulson Nebula.

? Is there an immediate sensor ghost? -> Yes, strong readings.

Running a Task

@ Scanning the anomaly to pinpoint the source.

d: Reason (9) + Science (3) = TN 12 / Diff 1

-> Rolled: 4, 11 (2 Successes) [S] [+M]

=> [Adv: Targeted Telemetry] We lock onto an old Federation distress beacon.

Combat or Complication Escalation

@ Arming phasers and ordering yellow alert.

? Does the anomaly shift toward us? -> Yes, instantly.

d: Daring (10) + Conn (2) = TN 12 / Diff 2

-> Rolled: 14, 18 (0 Successes) [F] [+T]

=> [Comp: Shields Offline] The sub-space rupture drains our primary grid.

Here is how to weave your ship’s systems into the shorthand and generate immersive "Captain's Log" entries at the end of each act.

Part 1: Starship Systems Shorthand

In Captain's Log, your ship can assist your tasks or take actions on its own using its Attributes (Communications, Computers, Engines, Sensors, Structure, Weapons) and Departments (Command, Conn, Security, Science, Medicine, Engineering).

Update your notation with these ship-specific tags:

[S: System] / [D: Department]: The ship’s stats.

d_ship: [Ship Assist]: The ship rolls 1d20 alongside your character's pool.

=> [Hull: X/X] / => [Breach: X]: Tracks ship health and damage.

Example: Ship Assist Task

@ Attempting to outrun an Orion interceptor through an asteroid field.

d: Daring (10) + Conn (4) = TN 14 / Diff 2

d_ship: Engines (10) + Conn (3) = TN 13

-> Character Rolled: 8, 15 (1 Success)

-> Ship Rolled: 6 (1 Success)

-> Total: 2 Successes [S]

=> We slip through the gap. The interceptor shears its starboard nacelle.

Example: Ship Under Attack

@ Engaging shields to absorb a plasma torpedo volley.

d: Structure (9) + Security (2) = TN 11 / Diff 2

-> Rolled: 12, 19 (0 Successes) [F] [+T]

=> [Breach: Engineering] Main power grid overloads.

=> [Hull: 4/5] Minor hull buckling on Decks 10 through 12.

Part 2: Act-End Log Entry Generator

Instead of writing long paragraphs mid-game, use this quick 3-Sentence Summary Matrix at the end of each act. It converts shorthand bullet points into a classic, structured Starfleet log.

Step 1: Establish the Heading

Always start with: Captain's Log, Stardate [Choose a Number]. Act [X] Summary.

Step 2: Apply the 3-Sentence Formula

The Context Sentence: State the main objective of the Act and the ship's current status or location.

The Complication Sentence: Highlight the biggest hurdle, failed roll, or Threat ([+T]) event that disrupted the plan.

The Cliffhanger/Resolution Sentence: State how the act ended and what the immediate, critical next step is for the crew.

Shorthand to Log Entry: A Visual GuideYour Raw Mid-Game Shorthand

(Act 1): [E: Whispers in the Void] [A: 1]

@ Investigating dead subspace relay in Sector 8.

d_ship: Sensors (11) + Science (4) = TN 15 / Diff 1 -> Rolled: 3 [S] [+M]

=> [Adv: Cryptic Signal] Relay was intentionally sabotaged by encrypted frequencies.

? Is there a ship hiding nearby? -> Yes, a Romulan Warbird uncloaks.

@ Powering weapons and raising shields.

d: Reason (9) + Command (4) = TN 13 / Diff 2 -> Rolled: 14, 17 (0 Successes) [F] [+T]

=> [Comp: Weapons Jammed] Romulan plasma net traps the Venture.

The Generated Log Entry Output:

Captain's Log, Stardate 58321.4. Act 1 Summary.The Venture arrived in Sector 8 to investigate a disabled subspace relay, where our sensor scans quickly revealed signs of deliberate sabotage utilizing highly encrypted frequencies. However, our investigation was abruptly interrupted when a Romulan Warbird uncloaked on our bow and successfully ensnared us in a plasma net before we could bring our weapons systems online. We are currently trapped, power is fluctuating, and I am ordering all hands to battle stations as we attempt to break their hold.

I'm currently in the 3rd act of my first mission in Captain's Log and I am having a blast putting the crew of the USS ARGOS in different situations and seeing how they find their way through. However, I feel like I have been playing for a long time. Maybe I'm taking it a little too seriously and trying to find the perfect solution to each problem and running it against my own B.S. detector.

I'm wondering how others play their missions. Do you do a series of log entries and stick to the main plot points? Or do you write it like an episode with plenty of descriptions and dialogue to really flesh out the story? Or is it something in between? I love that this game is all about creativity and making it our own, but I feel kind of overwhelmed at all the possibilities to choose from. Any advice on speeding gameplay up without losing the details of the story? 

I am new to RPGs and recently purchased Captain's Log as I play solo out of necessity. I am excited to start my first mission and have had a lot of fun creating my Starship (Nova-class) and her CO. I've created names and ranks for my department heads and have the urge to make character sheets for each one, in the hopes I can use them in future episodes that might focus on their specialty. Does anyone else play multiple characters in a mission? I wouldn't be playing every member of the senior staff, possibly just a max of 3 an episode.