What is Arcadia?

:'''''Note:''' The Arcadia website is currently undergoing reconstruction due to a previous database corruption. Content is in progress and will be available in [[User:Sasoriza|the webmaster]]'s time.''

You do not have to register on this site to contribute to Arcadia. To join, go to the Yahoo site and click "join this group". Email the webmaster if you have problems, questions, or if there is something you simply don't understand.

what is Arcadia?

Arcadia is a saga, an experiment, and a universe of fan fiction, inspired by, and based upon, Star Trek. While set in the future, exactly 400 years from now*, it's meant to reflect our own era more literally and intensely than Star Trek does. Here you may find thematic content based on current issues, lifted from our lives or from news headlines, and given a futuristic, Trek-style treatment.

*347 CE, what to us would be the early 25th century, several years beyond the latest canon Trek developments.

Arcadia's vision of the Star Trek future differs from anything ever seen or likely to be seen in any other Star Trek-based production. It explores the Star Trek universe in a new way, by exploring the nature of that universe as interpreted by those who create it, and it does all of this in character. Stories feature heavy political overtones and personal views, sentiments and opinions. Issues may appear, transposed, of a nature not "politically correct" or suitable for everybody. If you are sensitive, easily offended, agitated, liberal, anti-racist, homosexual, or a minority, you may want to move on and find a different place to write Star Trek. Stories here are a vehicle for exploring these issues, with brutal honesty. No apologies will be offered for this. There will be no bending over backwards to kiss anyone's ass or to appear "politically correct." This is not television; we aren't in it for ratings, and we aren't making money or trying to sell a product. If you don't like it, you don't have to join or participate. It's that simple.

The Federation in this future is an analog of the modern United States, with our world as the galaxy. Aliens represent our own world's different races and nations. Stories are traditionally written by American (U.S.) writers with Western values, for a generally American audience (with that audience typically the Arcadia community of writers), so that is our focus: A white, Western, European/American perspective. Characters should be these sorts of people; people like us... because they are us. We are our characters. All that we bring to our characters, and to this fictional world, is what we know and who we are. "Write what you know." – a writer's adage. Things which are important to us may likewise be important to our characters. This makes Arcadia a meaningful opportunity to explore these things, to learn about each other and ourselves.

See: fourth wall

Arcadia is not restricted to one ship, planet or other location. Two recurring settings that bear the name "Arcadia" are the starship Arcadia and the planet Arcadia. These have been used here in the past; they were once the basic, primary settings in this fictional world, and may end up getting used again. The main setting here is the world-stage, and the "ships" which travel through it are the characters themselves. Rather than battle it out with phasers and starships, we rely on characters for conflict (who may use phasers, but it's more interesting when they don't). Conflict is drama. That's another writer's adage: Drama = conflict.

How can characters interact, if they are not together in one location? It relies on impetus, imagination and the desire of the writer. Arcadia demands imagination, and a little effort, to get involved, as with most any form of interactive fiction (like a game). Characters may go places to meet up with other characters, or use other avenues of interaction. The setting (or how we get there) is not necessarily as important as the characters, because, again, we are the characters. The people are what's important, the drama and the conflict if there is any, and the story. (New places can still be fun to explore. Arcadia is all about exploration. Exploring new worlds is really about exploring ourselves.)

This connects to an important aspect of Arcadia's vision: Technology. In reality, we have much of Star Trek's "future" technology in the real world and may have more by the end of the 21st century (whereas Star Trek is usually set in the 23rd or 24th centuries). Extrapolating from that rate of advancement, we may be much more advanced by then, with technology so great or different compared to now that it's difficult to imagine. Arcadia has technological developments which place it well ahead (or outside) of traditional Star Trek – which itself is a vision of narrow-minded Hollywood writers with limited imaginations & sociopolitical, liberal agendas.

See: Star Trek futurism

Arcadia is more than Star Trek: It's based on Star Trek. It tries to use more of the science in science fiction than Star Trek does, while using science that Star Trek doesn't. Subspace transporters, wormholes, holographic interfacing, artificial telepathy*, shared consciousness... All offer avenues of interacting and communication beyond the restricted confines of a fixed setting. While plots and traditional Star Trek appeal let us use starships & similar vehicles for fun or travel (there's a bit of a "fanboy" in all of us), subspace beaming can make the need unnecessary.

*If you plan methods that involve use of "mental"/psi-powers, read this first.

Arcadia deals in mature subject matter. This means intelligent, sophisticated content (NOT pornography), which may hopefully be fun & entertaining, among reasonable adults. It's not your typical Star Trek sim. (It's okay to let loose and be silly once in a while.) What kinds of writers are welcomed? Those with the above qualities, who know how to write (and format their posts), understand and accept the expressed terms and conditions, are not looking to cause grief or harass other writers, and want to learn or help others through this medium. Generally, age and experience are prerequisites and determining factors. Such contributions tend to make the difference, and make a fan-fiction world such as this one stand out.

Arcadia strives to be novel, unique, original and exceptional, to truly go where no one has gone before. If you believe that you have something valuable to offer, please consider joining. The more, the merrier!