The Stryker

Looks good. This application is accepted.

Other items of note recovered on this expedition include the corpse of a psiren matriarch on an abandoned station, surrounded by dead Outer Eyes operatives. As always, this information remains eyes-only for the crew and Central Command prior to further consultation with command. ___________________________________ DTG: 04-01:18-TAU CETI STANDARD-07-2468 SIGN: Z.I. Astrild-990321

Thanks for the application. Apologies for the delay, I have some questions for the application. (Apologies as well for the wall of text!) You have a comprehensive backstory, but the implications of it on the character can still be explored a little more. In general, asking a lot about why an IPC feels the way they do about something can be a quick and easy way to build out an IPC personality from its backstory. Could you touch some more on self-preservation? It's fairly important to IPC personality preservation. Could you elaborate more on Pitchfork as a character? The backstory is very indepth and gives strong story hooks, but it's best for an application to spell out exactly how this has affected them, what their interests, goals, and overall behaviors are. Presently, we don't have selective wiping. Perhaps removing datapacks could work, but they cannot be wiped of information without getting everything past the point of wiping as well. What does Pitchfork think of its owner? Does it still keep in contact? Key points to unpack: How did each of these changes in Pitchfork's life affect its behavior? It went from owned to resident, to TCAF, to citizen, all the way to adherent Trinarist. What did Pitchfork think of each of these moments in its life? Why doesn't Pitchfork believe in the religious aspect of Trinary Perfection? Why does it donate to Trinary at all? Why agree with their message? Finally, why a janitor and not operations (it is understandable if this is an OOC decision, but it's always best to back even these up with IC reasonings for an IPC WL). In what way does this vestigial Solarian way of thinking manifest? How does their work contrast now and how do they feel about it? A frame without a positronic is fine since the former is a far less sophisticated piece of machinery. Think about it like a car chassis without an engine in it - both are useless without the other, but have very different manufacturing processes and turnaround times.

Hi, good answers so far and apologies for the delay here. I have a few more concerns for the app. The rest of the backstory is fine, except for these two components. Presently, there has never been a TCAF deployment to these two locations. If you can revise the backstory to accommodate this, then I think the application should be fine.

Hello and thanks for applying, I have some concerns for the application. The application’s backstory in general is too short and does not provide enough detail to allow us to grasp an idea of who the character is, why they behave the way they do, and why they have the personality that they have. For the purposes of a whitelist, an IPC’s personality must be internally consistent and formed by their experiences, creation, and other factors. At minimum, the following points of concern will have to be addressed: Could you expand on this section? How are IPCs treated differently across the Spur? What are the differences between corporate owned, privately owned, and self-owned IPCs? Could you also give an example of how an IPC might develop a personality? The backstory in general is too short and is too convoluted in terms of Cole’s life path. When was Cole made? For what purpose? What facility? Who was it handler? How was he treated? These are basic things but they can go a long way in determining the character’s personality and why they behave the way they do in the present day. The first invasion or the second invasion? What happened to all the people Cole worked with? How does Cole view the SLF for taking over his place of work? Why did Cole join the SLF in the first place? Why did Cole help innocent bystanders? Why did Cole help the 25th fleet? How was he able to have his past affiliations swept under the rug? How was Cole allowed to join the Foreign Legion? Isn’t he still owned by NanoTrasen at this point? Why did he choose to join Nexus? What was Cole doing in Xanu? Why a chemical plant in particular? How was he able to pick and choose his own assignment? What inspired this inquisitive and optimistic streak? Why does he maintain it even under dire circumstances? Why does he like comics? In general, I think the backstory can be improved a lot by asking why Cole chooses to do what he does. Why does Cole risk his life? Why does he choose to see the Spur? Why doesn't he just stay in Biesel and work until he gets his freedom? For now, you can keep your character and tweak it, but I would personally recommend one of two things: Expand Cole’s backstory massively to allow us to understand how he managed to work his way to the Horizon. Consider making Cole win his freedom much earlier - maybe he’s a runaway, maybe he’s from somewhere else, etc. In general, corporate-owned IPCs will have far less agency and independence in deciding their own fate. Finally, you still have to answer two questions: I realize this is a wall of text and a lot in a single post, so feel free to reach out to me or reply if you need any clarification.

Hi and thanks for applying, I have some concerns regarding the application. Don’t think about this question in terms of in-game mechanics but instead in societal differences in lore. Think about what would change if you had to write an IPC versus a human character. What is so unique to IPCs that you cannot create the same character concept as a human? Could you expand more on how an IPC thinks? Why are IPCs purely logical? Since an IPC is built to fulfill a certain purpose, how does this affect the way they view the world? How do learning and datapacks work? How does an IPC expand its definition of self-preservation? I also have some questions for the character application. I’m not asking you to answer every question for the next application, but instead I think that by answering them yourself, they can help to flesh out your character. How have all the events that have occurred affected Theta’s personality? You mentioned that Theta is a staunch Anti-Solarian, but how does this affect its behavior? How does Theta treat Solarians, especially given that the Horizon has so many of them? Was Theta sold to NanoTrasen by Zeng-Hu? Why do they have a baseline frame instead of a Zeng-Hu Mobility frame? Why did Theta practice its mimicry with NanoTrasen staff? What is Theta’s plan to gain freedom? For general feedback, you can expand on the background of the character a lot more by explaining the reasons behind their actions. For example, why does Theta have so much free time? How does Theta get to watch Greek plays as an owned IPC? Greek plays are 3,000 years old at this point, so why does it choose this method to understand people? You don’t have to answer for every hobby, but a big part of playing an IPC character is being able to explain every action they take with logic or past experiences. You are welcome to reapply in two weeks. There’s improvement here from the previous application, but I think it could be cleaned up with a little more time on the server and engagement with the rest of the IPC community. Feel free to approach me or another member of the IPC team for feedback or join the lore Discord. From my experience, asking for a second opinion from another community member tends to help out a lot.

Just some final questions for the application. SPLYCE was recently activated. Do you have a precise age to align with their inexperience? Why was SPLYCE created to eventually transition into the Research Director role as opposed to being designed for the role immediately? What does SPLYCE provide that an IPC with similar datapacks does not? What does SPLYCE offer that a human researcher does not? Is there a reason SPLYCE was programmed to speak like this, especially given the context of a corporate and professional setting?

Apologies for the delay here. Could you expand a little bit more on how SPLYCE was treated and what experience they've faced thus far? I understand SPLYCE is very young, but past their interactions with Marcus, they must have some conception of how the world works, or at least their own thoughts and takes on the situation they find themselves in.

Hi and thanks for applying. Unfortunately, there are some concerns for the application. Could you expand on this more from the lore aspect? How do IPCs learn? How do IPCs develop a personality? How are they treated? Additionally, there are some major concerns over Emily's backstory. How was Emily treated at their place of work? An IPC's personality and behavior is heavily affected by their early years. A minor detail, but what company was Emily built by, and which company did they work for? It seems unlikely that George was a veteran of the invasion of Biesel, as he would have been 71 years old at the time. Which city on Biesel did Emily live in? Biesel does not have any cities where PMCG engages in open warfare against rival PMCs. In general, the application does not explain tell enough about Emily as a person and has a backstory that seems unlikely in the setting. For now, the application is denied, but feel free to reapply in three days and contact myself or any member of the team if you have concerns or questions.

Hi and thanks for applying, just some concerns for the application. Could you expand a bit more on this section? You nailed self-preservation, but could you talk about how IPCs learn new information. How are IPCs treated in other parts of the Spur? What rights does an IPC typically have? There are some concerns regarding the character backstory as well. Dr. S.P.L.Y.C.E seems like an unusual name for an IPC. Aside from simply calling an IPC "Dr.", it's in all-caps. Does it stand for anything? SPLYCE has a very energetic way of speaking - is there any reason they talk like this? What other influences does Marcus Hale have on SPLYCE. Do they still stay in contact, even if SPLYCE is on the Horizon? In general, the application needs to talk more about why SPLYCE is the way he is. What influences, either in their programming or their lived experiences, have lead to the state of their personality at present?

Thanks for applying, just some initial questions for Bottlefish's backstory. Why is Bottlefish apprehensive of the spiritual aspects of the Trinary Perfection? What is Bottlefish's present relationship with Trinary Perfection? Do they consider themselves a member of the faithful?

Hi and thanks for applying, just some concerns for the application. Could you give an example of how an IPC might learn a skill, and how treatment of IPCs differs throughout the Spur? Did Pascal face any discrimination after it moved to the Alaena? It feels a little optimistic for an IPC in the Alliance to go from being assaulted to being a "valuable advisor". What was Pascal's day to day like while having this job? How did it find life on Silversun, especially with thirty years, an incredible amount of time for an IPC, passing?

Good day and thanks for applying! Just some questions and concerns for the application to start. Could you expand some more on this section? How are IPCs treated in the setting? You touch on this somewhat in the backstory, but how would an IPC go about forming their own identity? M0 seems to have had a very free and luxurious life for an IPC built in Burzsia which runs contrary to the themes of that system. What did M0 think about the treatment of IPCs in Burzsia? Was M0 ever subject to the cruel treatment present in Burzsia? You also mentioned that M0 was surviving on the streets and barely making ends meet. Which planet did M0 live on in this period? This would go a long way in determining what sort of lifestyle she had.

Hi, after reviewing the questions I have some follow-ups. Did RMR have a factory designation? Part of my initial concern with the application was that the timing seemed off (like it was given at the factory). Does RMR express their Exclusionist views openly? Who replaced RMR's battery when it was still on Mars? You raise a valid point with a lack of chargers versus batteries but IPCs are modular enough to take power from something like an APC for instance. This opens a can of worms narratively as it involves more people in the process of keeping RMR alive. As for my question regarding Reade, my concern from a narrative standpoint is that after leaving Mars, going to District 11, what was so lucrative about Mars that they had to go back to it to make money, and then go back to Biesel for the residency card, and then go to Reade?

Hi, thanks for applying. I have some questions for the application. Why is joining Trinary Perfection considered a mad action? How might an IPC rationalize joining the movement? Who was in charge of naming Rejuvenation of Melted Rust? It doesn't fall in line with typical human naming conventions. Why would RMR have to go around trying to replace its batteries? Wouldn't it be better if it could just try to find a place to charge? When did the IAC pick RMR up? Why would the IAC drop RMR off at the Trinary Perfection instead of trying to find an owner, or even seizing the IPC themselves to help them with their work? Why did RMR develop Exclusionist views? Why would RMR go back to Mars then back to Reade again, even if it meant employment, after the experience of Violet Dawn? Why not just continue working on Reade or with the diona?