JamOfBoy

Arm guards are already snippable, at no drawback.

You've provided no character names. [mention]Butterrobber202[/mention]

I'll shorten what was in my first post since you seem to have missed most of it. Remove the Ka in your character's name if you intend for them to be a warrior. Currently, your character is in the High Queen C'thur's brood via proxy of having the default C'thur body colour. Are you certain this is the [LINK]->brood<-[LINK] you would like? Dominians would not be aggressive or rude. On the bright side, I have clarified that there should be no reason why the C'thur and Dominia reject ambassadors, so your character concept is feasible. Which is good; I like this concept, but you aren't demonstrating the right knowledge.

Hi. Deputy lore developer for vaurca here. ...ahem. This is untrue. Most unbound see the Queens as deities, mostly due to the fact they literally harbour an afterlife for them. What you said is near enough a direct quote from the wiki - except it was in the context of bound, which your character is not. Za'Ka? Your vaurca is both a warrior and a worker? Now, my knowledge of Dominia's inner workings is only what I have been able to extract from Pegasus and Zundy, but I don't see a particular reason for this to be true. As long as the vaurca in question adheres to the code of honor, there should be no reason why Dominians in particular dislike vaurca. The rule of Dominia is that if it is made to serve, but can learn, it will burn. Bound vaurca would be hated because they're similar to cyborgs, and cyborgs are similar to AI, and Dominia does not like these. I'm all for the idea that your character was sent to Dominia, however, little to no contact has been made between any of the hives and the Empire. The Aurora is one of the few places where the two would probably ever interact. Was Kiiv ever trained to be a bartender? In fact, what was Kiiv born to do? Just be an information gatherer about Dominia? What brood are they from? To be honest, it looks an awful lot like the "Maybe. Probably." reply to 'Have you read the lore section's page on this species' is true. Here's a link to the C'thur broods. Read through each Lesser Queen. They're great for making backstories. Vaurca from different broods have a different colour exoskeleton, as well as different mannerisms or behaviours. I'd provide a link to the naming convention, but it would be easier to just explain. Ka means worker. They're vaurca who are in not designed to work with or in association to weaponry. Za means warrior. While they can be born soldiers, they are not limited to this - warriors are born for anything in direct relation to weaponry - that includes other warriors. A paramedic vaurca with the backstory that they were a field medic for vaurca would be a Za. However, a vaurca born to install augments onto bound and unbound alike doesn't have to be a Za, as not all augments are weapons, and not all vaurca are Za. In summary, your character should probably be a Ka, considering they seem to have been born to gather information. Your vaurca can only be one or the other. I'd recommend contacting me, BygoneHero, or ParadoxSpace through the forums or Discord (JamOfBoy#5452, Syntax#1344, ParadoxSpace#6294 respectively) about your backstory so that we can ensure it holds cohesion, or if you have any questions. I'd also consider reworking the backstory and removing the Dominian aspect of it - however, it might be better to contact us about that later, as something might be figured out.

Hiya! Deputy lore writer for vaurca here. Got a couple of questions/statements/things I should say to you about your application. Don't worry, these aren't the defining factor on if this passes - your application already has a lot of merit to it. Firstly, while your backstory was creative and certainly unique, it doesn't seem to mention a brood at all. Broods can be found on the vaurca hives page here. This isn't a big issue, but you need to pick one, and your backstory might need to alter somewhat to accommodate the brood you selected. Secondly, the recent events regarding the Lii'dra might be worth a read. Not necessary by any means, but some big stuff happened recently. You can catch up through the news articles on the forums, or if you'd want me to summarise, you can contact me through the forums or discord at JamOfBoy#5452 (or any of the vaurca lore team). Thirdly, what is Hy's favourite food? And last of all, what augments does Hy possess?

Perhaps tying this to a verb rather than a part of the mechanics can remove some of the inherent drawbacks. What I mean by this is a button you press to do something similar to the mech charge - there is a (hopefully short) windup, including red text in the log, then you move forward 2(?) tiles. If you come into contact with another mob, your idea is the same. If a wall, door or otherwise solid object, ouch. This means no more clothesline-the-janitor as you run in to each other in the halls, while still adding another complexity to combat.

I can't really tell if people like or dislike this character. I personally adore the concept behind Ryn's character, but I'm not sure if I am executing it well. So, here we are.

Hello. Deputy lore developer for vaurca here. This application has some glaring issues. Firstly, it is quite important you also read the vaurca hives page. This is great. But you were supposed to provide a paragraph for this question. Firstly, it is Zo'ra. You need an apostrophe there. Secondly, your backstory needs to be approximately 2 paragraphs, whereas you have provided one line. Thirdly, I highly discourage making a bound your application character, mostly due to the fact it is difficult to write a backstory for them. Your application is incredibly low effort as it stands. It needs more detail. You can improve it ten-fold by replacing those singular lines with actual paragraphs, at least where it actually asks you to write paragraphs. So please, fill out the application properly, and rethink some things. I'm looking forward to reading it once it's finished.

I could have sworn I wrote a reply to this earlier, but I guess it got eaten or something. Anyway: If we want to go deeper on why Ryn has a custom made cloak, its to highlight the brood they are from: Athvur'zekt'azi's brood. This brood is focused on the integration of human/Tau Ceti culture with vaurcan culture - vaurcan takes on human fashion, art, music, etc. which can be demonstrated through the cloak and hood. This reflects Ryn's character, as a younger vaurca with a more humanised attitude and approach on the world, similar to Athvur herself, the youngest queen, who values the cultures of other species. Another thing is Ryn's view on the discrimination of vaurca and other species. While there are other ways to demonstrate this through a custom item application, challenging the uniform regulations was the easiest both ICly and OOCly, due to it being the issue Ryn faced the most and knows the most about - specifically that tajara are the only species with exceptions, despite other the problems other species (diona, vaurca, unathi to a lesser extent) face with clothing; and that recolouring a tunnel cloak and brown hijab to be blue is easier to do than think of a different way to demonstrate action against oppression.

Actually, yes, the purpose of the cloak is to argue ICly. Tajara get exceptions to the uniform rules, but not any other species, which is odd; diona need to absorb light, unathi get cold, and vaurca need smooth textiles and baggy clothes (e.g. their hive cloaks - totally different from tunnel cloaks). The cadet uniform can't be rolled down, nor can the sleeves be rolled up. This gives a lot of players the impression that, from a roleplay perspective, the uniforms are very tight. This is not good for vaurca, as their carapace is prone to having fabric get caught between plates and causing pain while moving. This is an obvious issue, when members of security need to be quick to respond to radio call outs. When Ryn is forced into a uniform, I lower their movement speed to demonstrate this. Your arguments are valid, and that is the point of the cloak. The cloak isn't a uniform, but does demonstrate security colours, so people would still want Ryn into a uniform, to which I'd state all of the above to them.

While I haven't had any deep, ultimate interactions with any of Doxxmedearly's characters I can say that, from what I understand, the minor interactions I have had, and as other people have stated, they seem like they'd be able to roleplay a member of the tajara race well. They have a great ethic to roleplay in general, which I have seen by simply interacting with them, and I'm sure they'd be a welcome addition to the constantly expanding harems and cliques of the species -- uh. I'm sure they'll retain that unique spark in Nahjiya that all their other characters possess. +1 from me.

Hello! Deputy for vaurca here. I have a couple of questions. Keep in mind, I might include some trick questions! Vex seems like a thought-out character. Though not explicitly stated, they're from Zoleth'akeh's brood, which I inferred from references to Caprice. To explain a more personal gripe I have with Vex, let me start by explaining the differences between Ka and Za. Warriors are vaurcae either in direct operation of, or associated with the operation of weapons. So on the flipside, workers are vaurcae NOT either in direct operation of or associated with the operation of weapons. Weapons is a broad term in this sense; information is as much a weapon as a gun is, and information can refer to pretty much anything, even if it's incredibly specific. Anyway, now that this is clarified, your character becomes a little vague. They're simply an unbound warrior that fights, similar to a soldier. While this isn't necessarily an issue, as soldiers would exist, I'd like to encourage a bit more creativity - though it honestly isn't needed for you to pass this application. Another, perhaps more applicable issue I have with the backstory is the apparent time leap between realising reality isn't like virtual reality and becoming a cadet. Once away from Caprice, surely Vex would've been introduced to first hand but not necessarily first time experiences with other species and cultures. What are Vex's opinions on the other species? Born from the Herald of Scars' brood, does Vex share their Queen's tendency for warmongering, even if only internally? Essentially, I'd like to see some finer details on the character's perspective of the world. How augmented is Vex? Out of all hives, Zo'ra have the best bio-mechanical implants. Why did you pick to have Vex a cadet, and not an officer? How does Vex spend their free time? Aside from the points raised in these questions, I don't really have anything else to criticise about this application. You have shown good understanding of the species and developed a believable character from your knowledge. My interactions with your characters lead me to believe that you are capable of roleplaying a vaurca. As a side, that 5/10 is very harsh on yourself. If you have any questions or want to talk about anything, you can contact me on discord. Thanks for applying!

BYOND Key: Jamchop23334 Character name: Za'Akaix'Ryn Zo'ra How will you use this to better interact with crew and/or stimulate RP?: If people challenge Ryn about not wearing a uniform, Ryn can now argue their case. People, other vaurca, may inquire about the blue cloak, to which Ryn can provide the tale of it's conception. Additional comments: The hood is actually just a brown hijab turned blue. Why I used brown is a mystery, even to myself, but as long as it works, I guess. If making the cloak species restricted isn't an option, I could probably copy the colour set over to the non-vaurca sprites if needed. I've debated having the hood function like winter coat hoods, but I think it's fine how it is. I have dmi files.

OCELOTS ARE PROUD CREATURES THEY PREFER TO HUNT ALONE gun spinning, but like, a lot i mean there is no reason not to add it - if you don't like the concept you can just not buy it

Well, through emotes, excessive cleaning, and different tactics. One of the ideas I was playing with is ditching the janicart and stuffing bags, pockets and hands with everything and anything else. Also doing what Menown does; wiping windows and tables down with rags, things that other janitors might not necessarily do. Though Hyisi is a clean-freak, this does not mean they do not have other interests. They are interested, especially considering their age, in other species, cultures and the like. As for his germaphobia intensifying, let's just say Hyisi is not a fan of insects especially. Hyisi is devoted to their work, with other interests being non-physical. Though it sounds generic, they enjoy studying, but not associating with the cultures of other species. Sorry for the short answers, in a bit of a hectic situation but wanted to get some answers out. I can elaborate if needed.

Considering you can climb up smooth steel walls, I don't see why it is impossible to climb up smooth glass panes. This would also allow risky escape from the compactor. If climbing glass is too abhorrent a concept, perhaps make it more risky, or slower, as opposed to walls. Providing an option, even if it is more likely to get you killed, is better than there being no option at all.

BYOND Key: Jamchop23334 Character Names: Eosisei Guwan, Meris, Zhen'ya Amaliah, Q2-MA, Za'Akaix'Nii C'thur, Ka'Akaix'Luu C'thur, Za'Akaix'Kapi K'lax, Za'Akaix'Ryn Zo'ra, Ka'Akaix'Mezi Zo'ra, D.A-Ze, Ohrisel Oseul, Roehez Senteriss, Wren, Sanrra Zinj'surrjah Species you are applying to play: Skrell What color do you plan on making your first alien character (Dionaea & IPCs exempt): Still contemplating! Either dark green, orange or this odd shade of turquoise I have discovered. I can show you on request. Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Of course. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question Why do you wish to play this specific race: Because they're the one race I haven't got a whitelist for. Aside from this, the population of skrell on station is woefully low, which I would like to see change, and their culture, mannerisms and relations to the other species are things I haven't experienced (and would like to). Their general air of superiority among others is also something I haven't done with any of my characters, and considering it is natural for the skrell, they seem like a smart starting place. Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: Ceti Basic, along with other languages, is not adequate for them to express themselves in, so communicating in this results in a monotonous, almost cold and emotionless manner of speaking. Their short, snappy method of speaking doesn't help with this fact. Something I particularly find interesting is their logic of only picking fights they can win. Taken to an extreme, you could result in an extremely reserved and reclusive skrell - too anxious to take any risks for fear of failure. But for most skrell, this results in not rising to insults, challenges or claims unless they are adamant they can win. Character Name: Hyisi Fleijeylii Please provide a short backstory for this character, approximately 2 paragraphs While most skrell succeed in the realm of sciences, driven by their society to become the best that they can academically, logically and physically be, for some, being the best lies elsewhere. For Hyisi, a young male born upon a developing colony amidst the Traverse, being the best lied within his obsession with cleanliness. Hyisi is a germaphobe. Since childhood, Hyisi demonstrated this - cleaning his living quarters tirelessly, and often as a method of relaxation or to pass time. His two bewildered parents, both engineers who worked to establish their colony (who ultimately ended up staying through choice), who formed their relationship through coincidence of both being assigned to the same jobs time and time again, raised concerns to doctors, therapists and other professionals. While their concern was heard, they were told that throughout the more developmental stages of Hyisi's early childhood things like this could occur. Many professionals described the futility of trying to control such a quirk, elaborating on how it would 'most likely disappear upon maturing'. Since reaching an older age, the potency of his germaphobia has declined somewhat - logic is instead applied (albeit in a mild manner), weighing the energy used compared to the energy required for the rest of the day, which keeps him from scrubbing everything nearby including himself excessively. Unnecessary contact such as handshakes, hugs or comforts still disturb and disgust him. From this, a tendency to carry extra bottles of hand sanitiser and hygiene products while in public places formed. In terms of education, sciences were incompatible with Hyisi's method of thinking, and did not couple well with his obsession. Well, all sciences except the science of cleaning! With little else to do, Hyisi often cleaned for other people as a form of payed service. Eventually, noticing his own efforts and talents, Hyisi enrolled into a local college and left with a custodial degree. After working within Federation space, at the age of 34, year 2460, Hyisi was offered a job by Nanotrasen. The prospect of new lands, an unfamiliar scene stuck out to him, and after consideration, Hyisi accepted - and left the Traverse, the Federation, in search of new floors to clean. What do you like about this character? It goes against the tradition of science and engineering skrell - not that going against norms is necessarily good, as it can make characters appear to be snowflakes, but this is admittedly different from the couple of other applications I've seen. Playing a somewhat rude, cleaning obsessed waterboy in a station full of drunkard vomit, miner blood and - is that a leg on the floor? - should be a fun avenue to explore, not only for myself but people I happen to interact with. How would you rate your role-playing ability? This, unfortunately, isn't something I feel confident rating myself. In the past, it remained above five out of ten, which I would like to hope remains the same today. In daring honesty, I would say a seven. But again - I can't really tell. Notes: I understand that this might seem like a meme, or done for the purpose of comedy. And in truth, it somewhat is - but writing this felt refreshing, and I wasn't inclined to make the story excessively ridiculous - what I wrote felt organic and natural. Once I started, things from the wiki kept coming to me. Of course, this application doesn't demonstrate the real kicker of skrellian lore - the Glorsh incidents, which fuel their disdain for synthetic entities, nor does it cover religion. I don't really know how to prove that I have read these, as the relatively young character I've made here doesn't have an avenue to really talk about such things. In skrell years, they're incredibly young. Also, I've probably missed things, made mistakes, or otherwise done something wrong. Please point this out. If you want to criticise the jokey nature of this application, this is also welcome. If people, namely the species lore developer, want to see a more serious, traditional character, this is fine. Expanding on the backstory is definitely possible.

I can understand why you think this makes sense, but a dumb miner is probably better off not knowing the entire workings of the Science department. There you are, mining away when you hear that the roboticist is about to cram someone's brain into a machine. Or, vice versa, there you are, figuring out why the miner sent you platinum and shit talking them over the Science radio when you realise they can hear you. I don't see the point. They can communicate fine over common. Mining is not part of Science, miners are in the Cargo department, and mining doesn't serve Science only. All I see is the Science radio being flooded with "give ka" and "fuck you give me metal", which is better off in the common channel.

I approve. It’ll be a direct example of why vaurca should be discriminated against for crew. Who is to say the bugs we employ don’t have the same motives as the Lii’dra? On the other hand, it might draw some attention to the race, and incite new species apps and more players. All in all, I love the idea.

Well, first I'd have to find out why people don't play vaurca. Perhaps the lore is too mind-boggling, or the phoron system is too much of a hassle. Perhaps people are just against playing a race who is designed to be discriminated against. Once we find the cause, we can develop a solution - or not. I'm certain it'll be fine, though I'm going to make mistakes at one turn or another. I'd provide my input. If Bygone changes their mind, then, well, I guess I got what I wanted. If Bygone doesn't change their mind, then I'll accept it and carry out the task, as long as I can assure myself I won't subconsciously implement my bias against it whilst doing it. I'm sure Bygone is reasonable enough to listen to my opinion on the matter, right? Well, it'd depend on the reasoning. Take for example, my additions to the Masters Of Ideal Forms. Say Bygone thinks, "Wow, these are bad additions to the lore and wouldn't be feasible additions to the wiki." I'd be disappointed, sure, but as long as it's justified there wouldn't be an issue. I'm not going to nail everything right away, and I'd be incredibly surprised if everything I contribute is accepted instantaneously. Sorry for the short responses. Hectic day. I can elaborate if needed.

Vaurca are supposed to be discriminated against. They're the toxic-gas inhaling, toxic-mushroom eating weird internet bugs that often land in more trouble than they're worth. On station, this is demonstrated somewhat effectively. Discrimination tends to be incredibly subtle - sending the Vaurca engineer to fix the part of the station right next to a fight, sending the Vaurca officer in first, dropping a conversation with a Vaurca because my human friend showed up - I was once drafted into spreading ATLAS flyers regarding the ALA. However, there are instances where Vaurcae are treated as equals, which I have experienced. This is fine, because it never occurs instantly, and for me, was done through a lot of time. In terms of hives, the C'thur have sort of used the skrell to secure a contract with NT, allowing Vaurca from that hive to take any job (aside from command) without the need for an Avowal Of Responsibility. Being diplomatic, the C'thur are probably the easiest Vaurca face to deal with in regards to any other species. The K'lax, on the contrary, are typically the most difficult. One brood simply distrusts outsiders a great deal, while the other takes great offence to having their ideals mocked. This isn't helped by how technologically focused (or historically focused) they can be. The Zo'ra are a good, general ground between the two - with some having a lesser distrust for other species, and some working in tourist jobs in Phoenixport. There are no notable Vaurca aside from the Queens on the Vaurca Hives page, unless I have missed something. This is something I want to address with the Masters Of Ideal Forms - creating Vaurca who have achieved great strides for their hive's or brood's goals, which players can use as mentors for their own characters; eg. little old ka'akaix'joz zo'ra is learning under big wise ka'akaix'khiz zo'ra, a Master of Ideal Forms in engineering. However, I can tell you my favourite Lesser Queen - Ta'Akaix'Mouv'lek'tanta C'thur. Her hive could be summarised as iceblue-cyber-hacker-business-bugs. They're uniquely coloured, being a vivid and bright blue, which has been historically useful as identifying them as diplomats between hives in the dark tunnels of Sedantis. Their virtual reality is an torrential ocean of raw, translated machine code, which unbound literally have to dive into with the goal of extracting valuable data, even though they run the risk of being literally swept away with the data. However, should they extract some juicy secret buried within the tidal waves of code, they may receive the honour of ascending to breeder-hood; being reborn a Ta, who are increasingly becoming representatives for the Queens. I'm not really sure what to say here, so excuse me if the following is unrelated to your question: My favourite narrative lies within the history of the Vaurca, with the Lii'dra. Essentially, way back on Sedantis, the Lii'dra invented VR. This was great. Then the Lii'dra invented an evil VR, which essentially took the concept of your consciousness inside virtual reality, but made it so that everyone who entered was interconnected. Thoughts, emotion - all were essentially clumped together in a hivemind. What is worse, is that the Lii'dra already assimilated some smaller hives into this hivemind - and those smaller hives were part of the entity speaking to the rest of the hives. The Lii'dra then detail how collecting all thought of a hive into one, and all thoughts of all hives into one would position them as a supreme intelligence. This incident is what triggers the original conflict between the Lii'dra. The Lii'dra carry huge potential from this small snippet of history. Canonical Lii'dra events would be awesome to see, but problems arise with getting 'good' Lii'dra players to begin with. The playerbase is absolutely something I want to address. From what I can gather, people seem to stray away from playing Vaurca, even if they have a whitelist. I want to rectify this. In terms of how well the few regular Vaurca players RP, I think they're all of acceptable standards, if not generally well informed. I hope this gives you an understanding of why I've picked out those specific niches - especially with notable Vaurca. I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have.

I've made an application.

Ckey/BYOND Username: Jamchop23334 Position Being Applied For: Vaurca Lore Developer Deputy Past Experiences/Knowledge: There isn't much I can mention here, other than being whitelisted since ChevalierMalFet became the species lore developer (I was his first whitelist application, if I remember correctly), and also playing as a breeder for the C'thur hive in a semi-recent canon event. Examples of Past Work: The vaurca application I made is outdated, but can be viewed here, as well as my other species applications, here, here, and here. Other than these, the only thing I have to offer is my roleplaying ability, which others will have to testify for, because my word means nothing. Preferred Mode of Communication: Discord, at jamofboy5452, Steam, here. Please detail a facet of the lore you think should be expanded upon, and how you would expand upon it if given opportunity: The Xakat'kl'atan or Master of Ideal Forms. While an interesting concept, right now they lack anything substantial. I intend to provide every lesser queen at least one Master of Ideal Forms recorded, so that vaurca can boast about their brood’s achievements. Here is a rough summary/brainstorming, mostly just a few Zo’ra broods: here is a google docs of it. Additional Comments: I'm green to lore writing, but I've decided to try and write legendary vaurca historical characters and teachers. It's midnight, I don't know what I'm doing, aaah bugs eat fungus. I promise I'll try my best to learn fast, despite the fact there are probably many others better suited for this role already. Sorry for the mess that this is.

Do we apply here, or in the Developer Applications board?

There are a couple things, so I'll start from the top. 1. You say both Unbound and Bound vaurcae alike are heavily augmented, but this isn't the case. Unbound tend to keep their natural physiology, as this makes them more versatile. While Unbound can and do have augmented aspects, the most common being vocal augmenters to help them communicate, they are never heavy. 2. Bound. They aren't 100% mindless machines, they're lobotomized and conditioned tools. True, they obey orders without question, but as long as such doesn't deviate from their duty as stated by the hive queen. 3. Ceti Basic. Most vaurcae are hit and miss with this - they either speak it decently enough or they call pens ink cylinders and fingers touch-stumps. I'm sure you understand this, but your wording makes it sound as though all vaurcae struggle. 4. Backstory. It's... sort of empty. It doesn't convey a character. They're an Unbound warrior in the warrior brood - whats unique about them, compared to the others? Do they prefer close combat, or range-based weaponry? What motivates your character, why are they working here? Could it potentially be the famine that the Queen Of Warfare's brood is suffering from? Or were they inspired by the warriors of old they saw in VR, and wanted to claim their own glory? What combat training did your character receive in VR? Does your character share the warmongering ideals and philosophies of their brood's queen? And so on. One thing to mention is... Which is an error. The wiki states... ...and your character is Unbound. Only Bound are being culled. The rest is petty, but I'll say some anyway: The "ra" in Zo'ra doesn't need to be capitalised. You have "Ta'" as your name. This is very close to Ta, as in breeder. I'm sure you can do better, and I can already think of some names just by replacing the apostrophe. Is that apostrophe even supposed to be there? So, considering this, I'll have to leave a -1. Your app conveys a brief grasp of vaurca lore, but I'm sure you know more inside your mind. Unfortunately, it's not much use in there right now. With a little bit of work, you can pull it off. If you'd like to ask me any questions specifically, or anything like that, you can message me over Discord (@jamofboy) or the forums.