must have on board at least 35 crew members of rank 7 or higher, they have to be paid in Celestran Credit (Form CC), and they can only be hired at a designated colonial base, as per starfleet manual. Rick Loomis, who invented this genre of game-by-mail in 1970 and now runs Flying Buffalo, the most reliable play-by-mail commercial service, describes the general procedure:
“The concept is simple: you send written instructions for each turn to the game company. The company processes and plots out the results. It reports back your new position, and acts as moderator and referee. Your role in the game will vary according to the game setting. Thus, you might be a feudal baron, a chieftain of a nomadic tribe, or — in the case of Illuminati — the wise and
