VileFault

Aha. Tricky questions, in a way, but I can take a stab at them. Humanity's religious side is something I am going to have to spend a lot of time nailing down. I saw your outline for your Idealist Movement some time ago, and that seems somewhat different than what I would like to do. Perhaps it would be beneficial here to state my aesthetic preferences here. I like secretive, ritualistic, and powerful religious organizations. Strange and arcane groups with their hands poised over the levers of power. Of course, I have no desire to make something too cliche. As I mentioned, I think most ideas succeed or fail based on how cleverly their details have been filled in. But remember that this is only my personal creative vision. I am willing to accept compromise, especially if it is competently argued for. As far as my actual plans, I intend to be careful to allow people options - nothing should be so prevalent that it squashes people's ability to pursue something they find really interesting. My discussion of religions would be, explicitly, far from exhaustive. I try to be very aware of how my decisions and suggestion affect the game itself and the potential for storytelling it creates. Therefore, my goal with this whole religion thing is to make a character's religion a more interesting and consequential choice. At the moment, most (human) characters seem to be atheistic or just religious in a vaguely Christian sort of way - this is because they haven't been given good tools for building religious characters or stories. Any additions I put in this direction would really be geared towards making religion a plausible and important part of people's stories that can help to add complexity and interest. This would, consequentially, give our dear Chaplain more to talk about and allow them to tap into a tradition the rest of the playerbase is familiar with, which will allow them to play with some more impressive concepts. Most of what is currently around is floppy lore and gives people nothing. I want to create something with complex tenants and structures of power that interesting situations can fall out of. I think that is the goal of most lore, really. Make the rules, the outline, then if it is sufficiently alive its rules will precipitate interesting ideas. But I digress. . . As I mentioned, a neat idea I had recently involved little pieces of flash fiction attached to as many human planets as I can muster. I think that is more than enough work to start with. . . I can... deal with it? Managing creative interests other than my own is fine - interesting, even. But I can't deny that this will be a point of contention. When I go dark, I go real dark. And the closest I traditionally get to "whimsy" is awe at the supreme beauty/terror of the universe in its infinite complexity. I know that rather serious take on things doesn't totally jive with the feeling of SS13, though, so I can adapt. One permutation of "whimsy" I might be able to muster is "neatness." Ah, by that I mean making stories or systems that are kind of surprising, and deliberately play with a reader's expectations. Maybe that surprise and amusement can pass for "whimsy?" Besides, people are more than capable of making the game funny and lighthearted on their own. Complexity and gravitas, on the other hand, are more difficult to conjure up round-to-round. Making situations feel impactful is something the lore can help with. . . I tend to find this model mostly acceptable. In a roleplaying game of any sort, the setting needs to be in flux - or else its characters are too limited in their movements. Biesel does this well enough as the budding republic which is, as you say, "struggling to find its identity." I have been thinking for a while about how to change the tone of this slightly to be a little more agreeable to me. I would, especially with the aforementioned flash fiction, like to stress how unforgiving most Alliance systems are. Similarly, members of the Alliance are bound to strict rules (and maybe soon subject to the manipulation of certain religious institutions?). Life under the ASSN could easily appear oppressive and authoritarian - especially to outsiders like the citizens of the Republic. Biesel appears to be a stark contrast, right, and I agree that it should be held up as an example of a "better future." In the moment, the wealth from the plasma boom has kept the system-state afloat. Its citizens enjoy relative prosperity, one of the only earth-like planets with a stable biosphere, and freedom from the control of the ASSN. In my mind, however, this is but a thin veneer covering a society that is slowly rotting down to its core. In a sense, the citizens of my Republic of Biesel have skipped out of the frying pan towards the fire - but they are still hanging in the momentary reprieve between the two. You mention the Frontier briefly - the general gist of my interaction with the Frontier (though I think the region is generally best left to the players) would be to hint at the evils megacorporations can perpetrate in the name of profit, when freed from their bonds.

Ok, so here is some lore I worked out for slimes: Slime Morphology Slime History Slime Naming I have already whinged at Nanako regarding how I think all this should be presented to the player. Ideally, it would show up as short messages shown to the scanner or dissector, selected randomly from a pool. Such messages could like like this: The organism’s cortex contains several membranous sacs which are linked together by a complex lattice of minute tubules. Each is connected to a large vessel that leads back into the medulla. The vessel appears atrophied, and the sacs are shrunken. The organism has no epidermis. The outer portions of the cortex seem completely redundant. Cutting away one gelatinous layer only reveals another identical surface as the detached material swiftly evaporates. The organism’s cortex is supported by a network of thick vessels. The creature twitches forlornly as the fluid within the vessels flows back and forth. The organism’s core is by far its most complex organ. Beneath its hard outer shell, a convoluted mass of tubules pulsates rapidly. The organism’s solid core is surrounded by a mesh of hollow tubules. Some of them connect and merge, traveling into the surrounding cortex. A few larger vessels seem to enter through small apertures in the core’s otherwise solid exterior. The organism's medulla contains an unusually turgid sac, which stands out from its surroundings. When you press on it lightly, you feel... sad? I have no intention of writing a "care-taking guide" for these creatures. If you want that, you will have to find it elsewhere. I think this project should steer clear of predigested information and instead put the researcher in the moment, tell them what they see, and let them make of it what they will. They should be able to discover the truth of the matter more or less on their own. This seems like a much better approach to integrating the lore and the game than dumping a fully-edited "guide" on the player once they complete a set sequence of steps.

I am willing - but it depends on the timeframe. In the past, I have been perfectly happy to talk over Discord during my day (EST). Doing so after, say, five hours ago would be less-than-considerate to my mates, however. Normally I would set it up on my phone so I can take a stroll instead, but my phone is 7 years old... I am sure I can manage. If worst comes to worst, I can get a new phone. It is high time anyhow.

Fair enough. My last comment was a bit... restrained and didn't express the full breadth of my concerns here. Do note that I have little to say on your personality, having only talked to you tangentially through Discord, so I will leave your defense or attack on that front to others. Lets talk about this whole "nuking earth" plan though. How? The problem I see here revolves around exactly what you have demonstrated here: your very cavalier attitude toward the deletion of earth, and massive changes in general. This worries me because, though you seem to have good intentions, you also seem to have barely considered all the work such a thing would take. Your last answer to me wasn't what I was trying to get from you - a real plan for how you would go about changing the human timeline with all this work. Instead, it was a series of kinda vague answers to my example questions. The only thing close to a process you propose here is the following: It strikes me as almost comical when you talking about deleting weeks of work that you have just bothered read literal minutes ago. First off, I think there is a lot of subtly to Delta's work that you are missing. Secondly, and we will return to this point later, how can you possibly feel that you are prepared to drastically change something you barely have an interest in personally finding, much less reading? You maintain that you "wouldn't have suggested it as a change if I wasn't willing to go through with it." The gap between those who are merely willing and those who actually put in the work is the gap between heaven and hell, man. Based on the limited interest and effort you have shown here, I remain thoroughly unconvinced. Why? But my problem is not just your evident lack of a motivated strategy here. It is also your lack of any really solid reasoning behind your choice. Throughout this thread, we see a few one-liners thrown out in support of the idea. You yourself pretty much only say the following: That first line sounds more like the abbreviated plan of a supervillain than the statement from a loredev, to be honest. But, in all seriousness, merely forcing people to put "Biesel" or "Mars" on their sheet instead of "Earth" doesn't strike me as a worthy goal for a project that will literally take months of work from you and others. Also, you talk providing a reason for people leaving earth. Well, remember the lore now. Its biosphere was basically obliterated a few centuries ago. They were forced to leave already by economic catastrophe, but it has been rebuilt to once again house the upper echelons of interstellar civilization. There aren't a whole lot of planets with usable atmospheres, significant amount of fresh water, and the right amount of gravity in the absence of generators. Earth also has plenty of minerals left, though it may have been stripped clean of a few. Anyhow, you might not like how Earth is right now, which is fine. Nothing is perfect. But merely being able to tell new people who don't wanna read the lore to fuck off when they say they are from earth is not something you should spend the next few months ironing out. All of this has led me to worry that you aren't putting as much thought into your decisions as a lore writer really should be. Puristic impulses are fine, as long as they tempered by some sense of what is practical, but I don't see that here. It seems very likely that they will compel you to rip everything up with no real plan for laying it back down. A trip like that should easily leave humanity's lore a disjointed and fragmented mess. I think that, especially at first, you should focus on building on what exists, and subtly changing the tone of Delta's timeline where you feel that it is necessary. If that is not your intention, I have no interest in you becoming a lore developer. Edit: As an addendum I thought it would be worth pointing out that, though I am also making a lore developer application, I don't see Chaz and I as being in competition. There were two resignations, and there were barely enough lore developers around before that. I hope you don't dismiss me as butthurt competition. I assure you that my criticisms are my genuine feelings as a player.

I am vaguely curious as to exactly how you would go about retconning Earth's history. A lot of lore has been built on a restored Earth. Are you really prepared to go through the Wiki and all the media streams ripping up or changing every single reference? Or do you have a different plan in mind? Would you, for example, move the Sol Alliance's capital to a more substantial place in the absence of a populated Earth? What happened to earth animals? Were they cloned on other worlds? This could be workable, but it would almost take a great deal of effort on your part. Just wanna make sure you realize that this isn't a change that can be made casually.

First, though you have been very eager to point out your, er, extensive military record, you should note that it is of very little relevance here. Saying "I know this thing for face because I was in the military" is actually less convincing then making an argument for why that is the case with, you know, rational argument. Additionally, boasting about how good a role-player you are and how demeaning it is that the staff should question your actions without more to back it up is kinda unimpressive. Finally, blaming your problems on the server's "cool kid's popular club" is kinda immature and poorly thought out. I joined this server less than 4 months ago, and didn't really experience any harassment. It may just be the way in which you present yourself, if we are being honest. That all said, I am happy to look at the meat of this complaint... It is worth remembering that this is a research station. Though I wouldn't argue that everyone has to play a timid scientist, I would say that when you make your character a hardened war veteran ready to spring into action at any moment you are setting yourself up to face increased scrutiny if anything is out of place. Secondarily, I don't want to get into a debate on military ethics and I really don't care if you actions were right or wrong, or whether you were, "doing something to protect myself (or another person)" by bashing an incapacitated woman's head in with a crowbar or melting her face off. The question, as you rightly ascertain, is whether these actions seem plausible enough and were roleplayed out correctly. You point to some version of shell-shock or a "damaged mental state" as the culprit here. That is a reasonably fine explanation, so long as you were really bombed and fireball'ed and whatnot. My first question here, however, is why the incredible pain of all this didn't seem to effect your engineer enough to stop him from violently attacking his aggressor. Maybe your explanation for that is adrenaline, or maybe it wasn't quite that bad, or maybe he received treatment. If that is the case, however, I would still question your execution here. So, you say you screamed obscenities into the general comms for a while. Ok, I guess that is something. But all-caps ranting doesn't exactly make up for what I see in the chat logs - feverish spam-clicking without so much as a /me thrown in. I mean, the person was on the ground being dragged around by your own admission! You could have spared a few seconds out of your busy schedule to throw out something that made the situation a little less absurd, right? Even a groan or shout would have convinced me that you were still playing a character, and not just having a laugh beating the shit out of a captured antag. If you really wanted to play it safe, however, and avoid the wrath of the oh-so-scarry "cool kid's popular club," you could have easily played a traumatized worker who, after suffering through several bombings decided not to beat the shit out of his attacker, and instead retreated inward for some quite inner turmoil. Not that you really had to - as I said, this could have worked if you put a bit more effort into it and swung that crowbar a little less. And another thing - you really are trying to compare yourself to the wizard here, but there is a fundamental difference between the standards by which you are judged. She was an antagonist, you were not. Simple as that. She gets to blow shit up more, because that is her job. She is assumed to have a reason, where as you are generally assumed not to have a reason to go crazy unless you give, through your RP, a convincing account of why you would. Finally, and this is the important part, you were only given a warning. You weren't banned, and the modmins were clearly not trying to get rid of you. Instead, they were point out to you what is and is not acceptable behavior. Again, you may think that you are this paragon of roleplaying talent, but what you have presented here really doesn't convey that. When you are warned, you shouldn't take it as an offensive emblem of some conspiracy against you. Instead, you should acknowledge the reasoning behind it (which in this case was perfectly sound) and try to take it in stride and improve. Good luck.

Ckey/BYOND Username: VileFault Position Being Applied For: Lore Developer Past Experiences/Knowledge: I write a lot, and think a decent amount. I have read a ton of sci-fi (though not Gibson, who's writing it seems like a fair bit of humanity was based on), so this will inform my work a fair amount of the time. I have a limited background in biology and computer science, and generally enjoy the sciences. I have never made many very serious contributions to SS13 servers in the past, though I have drifted through several. Examples of Past Work: Well, I just posted an unfinished (and notably unedited) lore submission which can be found here: (http://forums.aurorastation.org/viewtopic.php?p=71608#p71608). That is probably pretty typical of my writing style when it comes to lore, though I am always struggling to be more readable. I could also post some old novice scientific review I wrote, but I doubt you would all find that a very enthralling read. Preferred Mode of Communication: I am happy to talk through Discord (Pyrrhic#8695) and I can do Skype, though I would prefer not to. In all honesty, talking by phone for longer or more complex things would be great, though I might be a bit old fashion in that regard. Additional Comments: Although the recent openings are all for human and corporate lore, I really am interested in a great deal of things. I think synthetics and humans are in need of the most attention, but skrell include some interesting themes that I would hate to pass up. It might be a good idea to give you a rundown of what I would do if I were accepted here. Since I haven't been on the server, much less the staff, for all that long I would steer clear of large alterations. For the moment, I would really like to give a few of the races more three-dimensional cultures. If you really think about it, you may be surprised by how much of our current culture in the West derives from either past or present physical realities. Though it is a bit of a truism, it is easy to forget that culture comes from and returns to a society in which individuals actually do things in their spare time and contend with certain facets of everyday life. The point I am trying to make here is that, by expanding upon the entertainment, religion, and employment of a people you can really give them a lot of depth. This would lead me to answer questions like: "How have human holodecks impacted everyday life in the Inner Colonies?" "What is life like in the underwater cities of Jargon IV?" "What religions exist in Terran space, and how do they interact with technology and recently discovered xenoforms?" "What do modern day cities (outside of Mars) look like?" "How does the reign of megacorporations affect the lives of everyday people in the Colonies and on the Frontier?" "What are the procedures for designing and building synthetics, and in what ways are most designed synthetics similar?" Now, to some this might look like pointless trivia, but I would argue that it is essential for characters to have this sort of background. Questions like these shape the feelings that define ages, and humanity in the 25th century feels an awful lot like humanity in the 21st century. Why be that, when you can instead imagine a new society that poses new sorts of problems and provides a different framework for human stories. I am a man of details, and I would definitely make an effort to begin by making humanity today feel more tangible and unique.

Type: Skrell Faction Founding/Settlement Date: 100 - 200 BCE Region of Space: The Jargon Federation Other Snapshot information: The Aelao (or the Manipulators) is an ancient group of highly augmented Skrell clones who specialize in working with complex spacial and mathematical puzzles that are incomprehensible to most. Though they suffered greatly during the rule of Glorsh-Omega, the Aleao have risen from the ashes as a prominent and well respected force in the modern Federation that may play a role in the course of events to come. Long Description: Here we go... | --- Regarding the Aelao ---| |---The World that Begat Them: As the Alliance of Three grew to an intercontinental empire during the early 100s BCE, it began to contend with problems the Skrell had never before suffered. Vast factories produced a multitude of luxury items and essential goods, yet the Alliance was still beset by numerous woes. Famine and disease often wracked the land, even though many regions produced plentiful antibiotics and food. Eventually, it was determined that this was due to the suboptimal distribution of goods; their pricing and movement was regulated only by the small worker councils that had little economic expertise or personal motivation. Most such councils regarded production as their civic duty, but rarely were incentivized to transport their goods to the areas where they were most needed. Entire crops of algae were once left to rot in the bog-fields of temperate Miftaup'nion while the people of frigid Q'luatop starved! Of course, when the situation became this dire the Alliance would send aid convoys to alleviate the famine, but such methods only ever lessened suffering - they did little to prevent it in the first place. |- The Skrell came to believe that some central body was needed to assure that everyone partook in the benefits of their considerable production and the bounties of modernity. Indeed, most Skrell workers were glad to hear out any proposal that would magnify the positive impact of their work, and balked at these seemingly avoidable tragedies. But talk of central planning raised many questions. What prices should be set? Where and when should goods be moved? Who needs how much of what? No Skrell bureaucracy seemed fully ready to take on the immense complexity of the management of Jaron IV's global economy. No matter, however. When Skrell encounter a problem they cannot yet conquer, they will create Skrell that can. To this end, a team of scientists was assembled from the Heshyu Collective and and Tzqul Republic to bring together cutting edge implant technology, genetic manipulation, Qeblak teachings, and a contemporary paragon of Skrellian virtue. |---The Genesis of the Aelao: In these years, the early 100s BCE, the technology that now produces legions of vat-grown Tup commandos was in its infancy. Perhaps was was fitting, however, that our scientists' optimistic project was pursued with a device so emblematic of Skrellian progress and ingenuity. The team knew their goal: they would find a exemplar of the traits they wanted to cultivate - multilayered, complex thinking and a strong sense of civic virtue - and they would build on and magnify these qualities until they made Skrell fit for the monumental task their governments had set out. Immediately, all eyes fell on one Skrell: Qeltuo Rzeo'waa. A practiced philosopher, scientist, and Qeblak monk, she was known throughout the Alliance as a thinker of incredible depth and character. It was said at the time that her advice was so eloquently phrased that but a single sentence could advise a Skrell for years to come, regarding problems they didn't even know they had. Some of Qeltuo's contemporaries even believed her to be prescient. Though the team didn't entertain such superstition, they reasoned that with a hundred similarly exemplary Skrell working together no mental task would be be beyond the Alliance's reach. Qeltuo discretely contacted, and after a day of contemplation she agreed to donate her genome to the Alliance's project, with a single condition: she alone would supervise the education of her modified clones (after all, she had intimate knowledge of their mental tendencies). The team grudgingly agreed to the sense of such a proposition, and the modification process was soon begun. |- For a time, everything was in flux and no recess of Qeltuo's genome escaped the scientists' meticulous manipulation. The team isolated and studied the traits that separated Qeltuo from her fellow Skrell, amplifying some and removing others. Hormonal balances were adjusted, organs resized, entire swaths of the Skrellian brain were radically shifted in both form and function. After nearly eight years of careful tinkering, they were ready to create the future administrator of their society. Everything was aligned: the vat, the genome, the embryo. Its growth was consistent and its neural activity regular - all was going according to plan. After a restless and taxing month of accelerated growth, the team's creation finally emerged to greet the world. It life from that point forward comprised 37 short minutes in which it, having never been taught language, uttered nothing but pitiable cries before lapsing into a faint, then into convolutions, then coma, and finally drifting into that vast ocean all Skrell find in their time. |- The team, of course, was mortified. Not only was it dissatisfying to have created a creature who was so quickly consumed by agony, but the episode also represented a sizable personal failure for all involved. Or, more properly, all but one. For her part, Qeltuo seemed strangely unsurprised by this tragic turn of events. It was, in fact, her council that encouraged the nations to continue their endeavor. And continue they did. Five years later, they brought another "prototype" into the world. This time, the creature seemed far more stable. Though it, or she, emerged as a fully formed young adult, there was still a great deal of work to be done. As promised, she was taught exclusively by Qeltuo. Though all their conversations were recorded (the team had no intentions of losing another), little could be made of them. Qeltuo spoke in strange allegory, and her pupil spoke in disjoined and broken prose, when it spoke at all. Nonetheless, the fledgling grew readily. In but two months it was verbal, and chose for itself the title of "Aelao," the Skrellian word for "manipulator." Though the significance of the choice was lost on the researchers, it clearly struck a cord with our esteemed philosopher. In four more months, it was trivially solving high-level maths that would take a normal Skrell years to learn, and seemed eager to put its considerable intellect to good use. |- After a year of life free from the growth-vat, however, the young Aelao's condition began to deteriorate. Strange metabolic imbalances left her weak and pallid, and she was often beset by seizures that would last for first minutes, then entire hours. Luckily, however, the researcher's previous genetic editing seemed to have drawn the process out over many years, rather than compressing it into mere minutes. Though problematic, this development was far from insurmountable. The team, determined to avoid another failure, set about diagnosing and devising a cure. After years of this, with the continued full support of the Alliance, they had developed a solution: a specialized set of implants that could sustain the Aelao, and compensate for her genetic deficiencies. Once installed, her symptoms retreated and her brilliant golden hue returned. Satisfied that they had finally created a being who could administer and direct the innumerable complexities of their grand society, they produced a dozen more and turned their focus towards potential applications. |---The Zenith of the Aelao: As more Aelao were birthed from the vats and fitted with implants, it was expected that they would take on different titles. This was not the case, however, and the Aelao merely began appending short words or syllables to the end of the first’s name. The second modified clone was called “Aelao’gee” (meaning “manipulator close to (or related to) the underwater darkness”) and the third took the name of “Aelao’etlo” (which translates roughly to “manipulator bound to the annealing of glass”), and so on and so forth. At first their titles seemed to be picked at random, considering that their studies (still lead by Qeltuo) were now focused around the Skrellian economic knowledge of the day. As the Aelao grew in number and age, however, the mechanism of their thought became more readily apparent. It became clear that they were not merely calculators, mechanically crunching through complex equations (though they were certainly capable of that as well). Instead, they seem to find patterns in their environment like every Skrell, finding patterns in their environment and using the gross similarities to tease out subtle differences. The Aelao, however, seemed to seek out decidedly more fundamental patterns. Instead of analogizing global trade to a flowing river because of a few general visual similarities, as a human would, an Aelao might instead deliberately compare it to some seemingly unrelated phenomenon such as the movement of planets in a solar system. Among the Aelao, such metaphors were not merely poetic tools. They had no use for such frivolous and flowery language. Instead they believed the processes they connected to share numeric patterns invisible to most and thought that one phenomenon could be readily used to predict the other. While most contemporary Skrell who questioned the Aelao on this point retained a healthy amount of skepticism regarding these supposedly fundamental numeric patterns, the Aelao appeared to have an unprecedented ability to predict the future course of complex systems. |- In no time... |---The Collapse of the Aelao: |---The Fallen Aelao:

So good! Especially when we have a persistent economy! Congrats, this is a nifty idea.

Ah, sorry for hijacking your poll to discuss one of the options on that same poll? Such hostility. I just made a vaguely amusing anticipatory comment, and Delta effectively said that the loyalty implants do not (and presumably will not) work in the same way as synthetic laws. If that doesn't sit right with you, fine. Take it up with Delta. I would point out, though, that a 52% "mandate" is of limited usefulness if you don't convince the lore people. I really have a very limited amount of interest in this particular spat. I just thought the laws would lead to some clumsy conversations, which could well be fun.

Delta and I had a long conversation about this in Discord. Both ways of thinking about things are plausible alternatives - we would need a statement from the lore people to really confirm it either way. And since, if I recall correctly, Delta is the current curator of our favorite featherless bipeds, I am inclined to go with him here. Think classical conditioning, and behavioral reinforcement.

Heyo - that thar be moral ambiguity crestin' tha horizon. I can taste the clumsy pseudophilosophy now, and it is delicious.

This would be really great, and wouldn't interfere with how I play at all. In my opinion, this is a serous plus. Having a consistent group of colleagues is something that I think is really good - knowing and following characters over multiple rounds is the closest thing SS13 has to an endgame, in my opinion. There is one particular employee in the science department who I am thinking of here especially - they have a very consistent behavioral pattern and always look and dress the same, but often switch names. Thus, I can't really recognize them ICly, which is stupid. If people want a new character each round (though I don't really know why they would), I am fine asking them to actually make a new character, rather than just relabeling their old ones. I also am very eager to see the economy system come to fruition. Getting a simple framework in first would be nice, but I really look forward to making pay docks and raises a real and persistent thing (though pay brackets and standard changes should be documented). Also, and I will probably make this a suggestion, but it would be great to have your living standards affect the custom load-out points out have. We could then make the items there take a certain number of credits to buy ... there are so many possibilities! Also, what about medical records? Should cloning be cannon, or is death generally left uncannon? Or could it be that you have to flag it as a valid death on the WI? Maybe electives can be automatic cannon? This would also encourage the use of (still probably sparing, because who wants to spend the entire round writing) medical notes, if they stick around, and would make our doctors a little more like actual doctors. Again, maybe the doctors notes are deletable on the WI so the page doesn't get too cluttered and events the player doesn't think fit the character can be voided. I am pretty sure this "strike it from the record" attitude should be applied to brig records (I think antags shouldn't be bound to their shenanigans), though it definitely shouldn't be a thing with CCIAA reports. Regardless, this all looks pretty cool!

Indeed. I do think, however, that there should be more lore regarding how the three act. As far as I can tell, there only exists vague head cannon about robots sounding more robotish.

Man, IPC's still have literal screens for heads and you are talking about adding bound cyborg variety? Maybe if you wanted to divvy up the sprites we already have for each borg?

My god, stop the mice war! Why the hell are we worked up over mice? Listen, if a mouse wants to come into science and start pointing at things we should deconstruct, I am content to ignore or kill it. They are stupid little pests! Nobody has to care about mice. If you really think this is such a problem, then just put a little cooldown on becoming mice. Some people enjoy it, in the same way as I find playing a drone vaguely therapeutic. I don't think admins need to spend much of their time dealing with _mice_ infractions, since players can very easily deal with these sorts of problems on their own.

Evidently, should micro-transactions be implemented, we will have neither a staff nor a player-base. Which would, admittedly, be kind of a drag. Personally, I would be pretty put off by the idea of restricting people's interaction with the community according to their IRL financial means. I really think that the most viable longterm strategy here is to find a really rich guy, bate them into the community, then collectively ball-wash them whenever we see them so that they continue to fund us. Anyway, I guess I have to thank Nanako for making this thread. It kinda amusingly highlights an issue on which we all agree. It reminds me of that moment at the end of the last debate where Trump and Clinton were forced to say nice things about each other. Whatever our differences, we can all be united in our utter hatred of micro-transactions. How touching.

I don't have a problem with Dawnguard because he lets out the slimes, whether or not that is a thing. Dr. Bard has been cannon-killed by slimes and cloned once, and now he is deathly afraid of the things. I only rarely go down to xenobiology. It is a small part of his responsibilities, and the fear is kinda fun to roleplay anyway. Dawnguard can find some way to work around it, I am sure. Just as long as he doesn't personally let out the slimes as an RD it will all be fine. I have looked back at your story with its edits. First, it is Nanotrasen (or NanoTrasen), not NanoTreson. Not a huge thing, but if you say that IC people will laugh. Second, the obvious thing that it is missing is any conflict at all. You don't need something major, like some "my parents died when I was five" shtick. It can be very minor, in the grand scheme of things. But there should be something that your character is struggling with, or wants to change about themself or the world. As things stand now, you seem to be telling the story of a happy young boy who likes technology, goes to college, rises up the corporate ladder, and becomes an RD. That basic progression isn't objectionable. But there needs to be some conflict of some kind, somewhere.

In my opinion, Malf needs a serious rework to make it more variable (all it would take would be adding and subtracting more varied laws at variable times), but that is the topic for another suggestion. As an RD, I fully support this. Every single Malf round, I am expected to convince the crew that something is really wrong and spearhead the fight. Yet every single round, I have to work past the "none of these have ever malfunctioned before, you are crazy, nothing is wrong, just a little bug" thing. That is fine, right, and I don't blame anyone. That is the lore. But it is incredibly tedious to explain some supposedly groundbreaking event three rounds in a row. No joke. I honestly thing that making most rounds traitors and revs and increasing the rarity of wizard and ninja would do a lot to make those rounds more interesting and less pedestrian. It is easy to deal with corporate espionage. Well fun, it isn't spectacular. Neither is employee unrest. It is not too hard to imagine these things happening, so we don't have to feign some new and crazy discovery round after round after round. Then, when we do get a really wacky or "undiscovered" antagonist (like changelings, the light of my life), we can actually be somewhat impressed and surprised OOC, which makes RP more interesting and genuine. This suggestion would be a good start in this direction.

I have spend a bit of time with Prometheus in the science department, and the IPC is played quite well. Attyz has definitely shown that they are very capable of making a complex story and sticking to it, which isn't always easy in real time. This skill is doubly important when playing an alien race. I also like their emphasis on the most important aspect of Vaurca culture: obedience. I worry that playing a bound drone will be a bit boring after a while, however, if you don't add a few additional drives beyond total servitude. Being lobotomized kind of restricts the higher brain function you have to play around with, but I like the thought you have at the end about being restless without servitude. I think this could, if expanded, help make sure that this character isn't only something that events happen to. Not being able to initiate action or work towards some personal ends (even if they are just acquiring new satisfactory orders) is a bit of a drag. Anyhow, I think you are going into this with a good mindset, and will be more than able to change your character or craft a new one (bound or unbound) should you so choose. +1 P.S. We do need more unbound, there are a strangely low proportion of the things about. Just like we need people who aren't white, but oh well. I guess our diversity quota will go tragically unmet.

- WARNING: CLASSIFIED MATERIAL - This file is the property of the Zeng-Hu Corporate Conglomerate. The contents of this document may only be read, copied, scanned, or otherwise reproduced or interpreted by Zeng-Hu employees with corporate clearance level X9 or above. The unauthorized viewing or reproduction of this document will result in punitive measures up to and including immediate contract termination. . . . . . . Project Designation Code: D56 . Subject Identification Number: 006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-Trial Number: 038 . . . . . . . . -Overseeing Specialists: Megan T. Orr, Simon E. Bard, Josefina H. Royo . . . . . . . . . . Additional Personnel: Adis H. Brooks, Derrick M. Dutcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Trial Date: 8/26/2453 Trial Methods: A full description of the preparation process for Compound D56 can be found in the supplemental notes of trial 032. As in prior trials, Cryoxadone was manufactured in-house using a base of HG Modified Scatter Factor. A quantity of phoron was also ground into liquid prior to compound synthesis. To attain the required 60ml dose of Compound D56 for this trail, 30ml of Cryoxadone was combined with 30ml of lithium carbonate and 3ml of liquid phoron. A further 2ml of liquid phoron was added to catalyze the bonding of the lithium-phoron group with the Scatter Factor. Subject 006 was restrained and placed inside a Model 2.11 Zeng-Hu Pharma DNA Modification Tank, where SE Blocks 1 - 26 were subjected to sustained irradiation for 4 minutes. The subject was then moved to a Type-G Zeng-Hu Pharma Cryogenic Tank into which the 60ml dose of Compound D56 had already been loaded. The genetic damage was measured over time and the results record. Trial Results: The irradiation of subject 006 was successful, despite numerous temporary lapses in consciousness during the procedure. Radiation burns were sustained, and significant genetic damage was confirmed. Transfer to the cryogenic tank was completed quickly, though the subject at one point lashed out, damaging an assisting cyborg. The cryotube was running at approximately 100K, and had already suspended an adequate dose of Compound D56 upon subject insertion. Genetic damage healed at a rate far more considerable than that induced by Cryoxadone alone, pointing to the engagement of additional repair pathways by the active lithium-phoron subgroups. A sampling of the subject's DNA taken from the tube after three minutes was indistinguishable from a sample taken and expanded prior to irradiation. In light of these repairs, the subject was removed from the cryotube for observation. Subject 006 regained intellectual lucidity with unusual speed. It is unknown whether this was the result of a heightened emotional state prior to the engagement of cryogenic states, or an effect of Compound D56. The subject was verbal after 24 seconds, but lost this faculty after 49 more. At this point, 73 seconds since exiting the cryotube, the subject lapsed into convulsions and was immediately led to a scanner. The subject experienced acute gastrointestinal distress and considerable renal and cardiac disfunction. Pharmacotherapy was forgone to fully observe the effects of Compound D56. The subject expired following a major cardiac event 29 minutes after leaving the cryotube. The symptoms of subject 006 are consistent with acute lithium-phoron overdose, and were likely precipitated by molecules freed from the therapeutic complex after it bonded to the DNA repair enzymes referenced in trial 009. To avoid lethal toxicity, this team recommends the substitution of lithium carbonate for a similarly reactive but less neurologically active substance, such as sodium. This possibility will be discussed and explored further in the September division meeting, and future trials will will be conducted using an adapted version of Compound D56. Supplemental Notes: Subject 006 was a 34 year old female of Colonial Arabic decent. Initial psychological testing confirmed satisfactory mental acuity and quickness. The subject had previously been diagnosed with hebephrenic schizophrenia, but was asymptomatic during preliminary testing. Subject 006 was previously treated for a number of terrestrial pathogenic illnesses, including a case of influenza followed by secondary bacterial pneumonia which precipitated moderate bronchial scarring. Subject 006 also had a history of mild lumbosacral spondylosis. Apart from these aforementioned known conditions, no additional abnormalities were detected during bodily scans and blood tests confirmed that the treatment of prior terrestrial illnesses had been sufficiently effective. The blood tests, however, also revealed that the subject had been regularly taking Paroxetine. This compound was removed via standard electrically assisted hemodiafiltration over the course of a two hour period, to avoid unpredictable interactions with Compound D56. Additionally, subject 006's WBC was recorded as 16,890 mcl. This was taken as evidence of a budding xenofungal infection in the subject's right foot, which had suffered a small wound in transit to our facility and appeared visibly inflamed. Pharmacotherapy was forgone to avoid unpredictable interactions with Compound D56. - WARNING: CLASSIFIED MATERIAL -

I would really like to see this room expanded, with kind of an Indiana Jone warehouse feel. Do we have shelving? If so, that would be good. We have racks I guess. I think a hodgepodge of disorderly racks, crates, lockers, and other things. On to actual item suggestions, though. I am mostly focusing on rare and semi-useful knickknacks that make a guy wonder "how the hell did that get there?" I think it could kind of be a running joke in cargo that all sorts of shit just sort of sits deep in the warehouse. Maybe it has something to do with them sifting through disposals, eh? Canisters of every gas except Phoron should be able to spawn. That includes N2O. Or just extended tanks, if canisters are too extreme. Robotics parts that very rarely include a discarded Posibrain. Other more common parts could be proximity sensors, robotic arms, and buckets that could be used by intrepid tinkerers to build basic robots. Water tanks. Fuel tanks too, if the grief/accident danger isn't too high. Random printed medical, security, and employment records of a specific crew member. Should we really report these? Extra materials like metal, glass, and plasteel. Occasional slime cores. Are they used? What do they do? Should I put them in water? Cargo sure doesn't know. A few choice items from the science list, rarely. Experimental welders, for example, or basic laser scalpels? Extra seeds, mostly traditional but occasionally xenobotanical. Partially insulated gloves. Also insulated gloves. Toolboxes. A crate of basic medical supplies, partial mislabeled but generally helpful. Think dex, tricord, and derm. Also a few bandages and a splint. An entire rack full of different color ties. Who bought this? An entire rack full of suits. Looking good, cargo boys! A random head of staff uniform (or dress). A security hailer. Extra holobadges. General maintenance nonsense. Airlock boards, APC boards, wires, pipes. Maybe a rare pipe layer? Bit much, that. A cute slimeling pet, contained with a small note that explains that it bears no relation to the dangerous xenobiological "Slime." (http://forums.aurorastation.org/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=2981&p=41196&hilit=pet#p41196) Also, I like the idea of having bad crates. Everyone needs a little danger in their lives. I was inspired by IJ's suggestion of spiders (that presumably are let loose when you open their crate.) Here are a few more bad crate ideas, that only pop out if you open them. All the adventure of mining, without any of the productivity! These would obviously super rare. It would be stupid if security had to disarm the rogue securitron in cargo literally every round. An emagged securitron. HALT, CRIMINAL! BEES! OH GOD, NOT THE BEES! Some crate of medicine that looks similar to the legit medicine, but is actually all toxin. Nar'sie. Obviously all of this kinda has to be toned down. It can't be a literal treasure trove of weird and amazing shit. Most of it has to be mundane. But thinking of the spectacular is so much more fun at three in the morning!

Carry hard suit modules you aren't using Why should there be tradeoffs, when you can carry everything!?

AHH! This is so good! Just imagine the AI over the radio... "Warning - an intruder has been detected in the security department's security subroutines. I am attempting to identify the threat, but they have already bypassed the department firewall..." "Warning - brig timer subroutines accessed." This would fit quite well into a few other ideas I have regarding the AI. I actually considered making a AI researcher / antag hacker character, but I quickly realized that the mechanics simply weren't there to support this play style. I think the job of overseeing the station's networks and whatnot could be taken up by either science or engineering (though in my opinion engineering is usually a little less interesting at the moment, so we should probably give it to them). Being able to download hacking software to a laptop as an antag or someone with access to R&D, and adding a console that allowed the managing of firewalls to keep such people out that the AI could access would be really cool. The hacking software could have a mini game to find vulnerabilities or a simple timer to search and exploit them if they were not closed. You could do things like engage the science lockdown permanently, break APCs, turn off equipment using APCs, lock doors, that kind of thing. The AI should get alerts about it occasionally. This would be amazing if someone can work out exactly how we should do it so that it wouldn't be too much programing work, and make use of existing system. It would also work great with the light-dimming suggestion we were looking at in another suggestion.

Nanako, since I don't think that all rooms have light switches (though I could be wrong), it might be better to add the functionality to APCs. But the rest of it all seems good to me. As for making it a centralized thing, I think that is kind of weird. I think heads of staff probably have better things to do than micromanage lighting, generally, but if you want this it seems like it should be integrated into the power network thing as just another button. That wouldn't be super hard, and would allow for the CE to put us in "low power mode" or whatever.