Captain Gecko

I agree and support this idea! As a Xenoarch main, it's actually very interesting to see meet Ghostroles during your adventures outside, and having a mix of sites and ghostships definitely encourages this, besides also, you know... Actually letting Xenoarchs avoid the "no sites" kind of rounds, and give us variety in ghostroles.

As the title says, adding a fax machine to the Intrepid and Spark (and perhaps even Ghostrole ships?) Sometimes I just want to send a message to your auxiliary ships, but it would take a long trip to their direction, and you generally can't when the Antag you're trying to warn them about has taken over the bridge. Sometimes you're there, but can't send the message because the only way to talk with them is through the Holopad, and they happen to be outside. A fax machine would work great there, then. Simply send a fax to the Auxiliary ship of your choice, and there we go.

> The new EVA prep rooms are great, though the Xenoarchs cannot access the room that contains the Field Generators, which sucks since they need these to actually do their work. > The Intrepid could use an integrated GPS just like the mining pod.

Oki doki! Character is interesting, but I see no mentions of faith! Spirituality is very important to most Unathi, more than with any other species I believe, and I see no mentions of it here... So, tell me about Azkohi faith, and how he sees it, how he sees faith as a concept more generally. Also cool lizard.

Right, so, so far my main issue is... That I'm not picking any traces about what faith Kalug might be following. Spirituality is extremely important to Unathi, whatever their fate or their origin... In fact I'm tempted to say that they are the most spiritual species in the whole setting. The fact that there's not even a single mention of that in his whole story isn't a great sign. Luckily we have questions to make up for such things (maybe?) So... Faith and Kalug, tell us about it.

That would be real nice! Thanks! Now I wonder, do we get a flavor text when we examine these? If not I'll probably go work on a cheat sheet to read them or something.

Here's a prototype, what do people think right now? Fieldcodes.dmi

The idea is not to go alone and go out of your way to face the dangers, even as a miner, if alone, it's dangerous. The issue is being exposed to such danger in the first place. Having played Xenoarch mainly for the last two years, combat is quick, a carp, or even now, a reaver, can quickly slip through KA or even expedition shotgun fire and get one or two lucky bites that can end your work-day right away before you even started digging. That, and I am not speaking of proper expedition here, but merely of the Xenoarch's base work, so getting security or medical to spare personel for such things is extremely rare. Keeping in mind also that this applies to low-pop players, who will most likely never get access to mining suits because there simply is no one to get them, or security or other miners to follow them for that miners. One again, I absolutely suck in balancing, so details of how armored it is, or how powerful the light is and other things will probably be left to people who know what they are doing if we ever implement this, but still, the idea here is not so much to make the Xenoarchs powerful, but rather to give them an actual chance against most kinds of danger (putting aside Unathi and other tanky things like G2). I can go with the high-visiblity-ish orange of the anomaly suit for these, with a dash of science purple then, yes, I'll work on it and send an updated version later on... Though as far as the other roles go, I don't know. Security, engineering, mining, they would probably rather keep their own suits. As far as how I envisioned it, the Xenoarch suits would be just reinforced science suits for scientists going mainly in EVA, but would probably still be weaker than a miner's for instance.

They did long ago. It was replaced with the anomaly suit, which protects against anomalous emissions AND radiations. However, it is no longer space-proof, that's where the science voidsuit is meant to be used. The point of the Xenoarch voidsuit is not to protect against anomalies, though, but to give a change to science EVA workers. The science voidsuits is fragile, its weak lights have a range of 3 tiles, and it still slows you down. In the end it's not that bad if you're a telescientist wearing this suit just for the sake of protecting yourself. It is however an issue for Xenoarchs who can get exposed to the same hazard as miners. Thus if they are to work without the protection of miner (like, 90% of the time) they will need a more reliable suit. The point of the Xenoarcheology suit is not to protect against anomalies, but to be sort of a middle-ground between the overly fragile science voidsuit, and the much tougher mining one to give EVA scientists a better chance when going solo against Xenofauna and the likes Thank you! And as far as the colors go, it is indeed from the old mining suits. The original concept was just that these are science suits quickly reinforced with bits from mining and the likes, hence the same brown colors... Though that can be changed. What other color palette would you rather have? I was thinking about all-orange just like the anomaly suit, though I was a tad worried that it could then be mistaken for engineering ones.

Now that the Xenoarcheologist is its own job, it's time to resurect this thread! And this project as a whole. I've taken to tweaking these sprites, and making versions for Xeno species so that it can be refitted properly: So, the idea now is that, since we have 3 scientist slots and two Xenoarch slots, it feels only natural to have then 3 scientist voidsuits instead of the four we have now, and then adding two of these Xenoarch suits... And as far as the stats and proprieties go... Well the general concept doesn't change, and the details will probably be discussed with people that can actual balance things (not me.) This here is just to make sure that people here as still onboard with the idea.

Unathi Pirates of the Spur Issue #28 - The Ahzi Fleet *** The fruit of deep investigations and knowledge of Unathi culture, Unathi Pirates of the Spur is an outlet set on discovering and explaining the nature and story behind individuals, ships, or entire fleets from such spheres. Narrated, then put to paper by some of the best Unathi orators of Tau Ceti, we provide stories and report that prove both educational and amazing to our dear readers. Unathi Pirates of the Spur does not validate nor encourage the activities it discribes in its stories. Our outlet merely provides the result of investigations. *** Bolts of Lightning illuminate the night skies of Ha'zana. With each flash, the figure of small ships and crafts descending toward Iz'iz's periphery becomes clearer. A squadron of corvette-sized crafts and shuttles, bringing planetside their own crews, as well as those from their larger ships unfit to sail through the atmosphere, where affairs can be done, rest be found, and families be seen. To the usual inhabitant of the Pirate World, these are just ordinary crafts among many others, the cycle of ships landing and leaving over and over being nothing but a natural rhythm to the locals. But to a few, those are far from being just any ships. They bear unusual liveries, strange hull modifications, and a couple seem home-made as well, sporting unusually gracious shapes... These are the ships of the Ahzi. Out of the few that recognize them, most see them as a threat, a danger... Fellow Sinta that earned the right to land and live here, somewhat of course, but a threat nevertheless... The few stories and rumors carrying their name are very often told along tales of bloody boardings leaving none alive, of merciless, honorless murders... Of Sinta killers... Of pirate killers. Such rumors hardly tell the full story, but the full story is a thing that even the Ahzi do not tend to share... For anyone interested in learning about the Ahzi will sound find out that to discover them, they first have to cut through layers upon layers of mysteries... The Ahzi are, if anything, a minor fleet. The precise composition of their fleet is unknown, though it has been told that its total tonnage cannot even compare to one-tenth of Izharshan's raiders. This small size gave the Ahzi some relative lack of exposure and fame, but it is not enough to justify how little is known about them. The Ahzi do not seek to remain unknown, though they do not seek to share their stories, or the glory they could've earned if they ever earn any. While most crewmen will boast about their adventures, and at times, make up some, the Ahzi will remain silent. Honor demands that they do not lie when asked about their ventures, but one has to ask for them in the first place, thus, stories about this fleet remain rare... And passing through the filters of often drunk fellow Sinta relaying such tales to each other, it quickly finds itself distorted to the point where one can never truly know if what is told is the truth... Some even question the very existence of the Ahzi... Though they exist. A minor fleet they may be, but they remain a fleet. Their Fang Captain, Kuhri Ahzi, affectionately called "Admiral" by his people, meets with fellow Fangs, both to discuss matters internal and external to Ha'zana, though it is said that Kuhri speaks little of politics, and instead focuses on dealing with the ire of other fleets and their Fangs, for reasons that will be explained soon enough... Besides this, with a total crew of hundreds, it is only natural that quite a few Ahzi families reside on Ha'zana too, while their husbands or fathers leave for the void; families that crewmen get to visit, just like in most other fleets. The Ahzi presence is discreet, but it is here. Thus, barring rumors and stories, the Ahzi look like yet another minor fleet, with nothing truly exceptional... That is until the matter of their doctrine and actions arises. Unathi fleets have a variety of options as far as "business" goes... Piracy for their own account, or as corsairs for the sake of proper powers, bolstering the forces of said powers in a more proper way along with a good contract, smuggling, exploration... And of all of these options, the Ahzi seem to take none. In their own words, or so it is told, the Ahzi are on a "mission", one that takes them all over the Spur, in long, costly trips... And for what purpose... Ships of extravagant colors and livery tear through the void. Before them, a foe, greater than any of their ships, but isolated, the result of weeks, perhaps months of tracking, seeking the right opportunity. By now it is already over for them. There are no lines of communication to open, no hails, but the intent of the approaching fleet is clear, and so is their nature, for their bear the Ahzi colors, a standard displaying a Sinta slain by spears under an omniscient eye. Formations are tight and precise, and their maneuvers are swift and executed with perfect synchronicity. Small crafts act as support, taking care of fast threats that could then harm the approaching shuttles or frigates modified for boarding. Said boarding crafts, then, dock. An entrance is made, and from there begins an assault of unparalleled violence. A first line of fighters in heavy armor comes. They walk slowly, shields raised in one hand, unusual "boarding spears" in the other. Slowly but steadily, the cramped corridors of spaceships find themselves blocked by a marching wall of steel and clogged by threatening pikes of metal. If such is not enough to push back the defenders, a second line follows closely behind, properly armed with pistols and rifles, firing beam or lead, protected by their fellow Ahzi in front of them, offering them the opportunity to align precise shots with relative ease. An Ahzi boarding is at first, or so the stories say, an exemplary display of discipline and competency, very often used against disorganized and little-trained enemies. It is then, a show of absolute mercilessness... For once a ship is "marked", boarded after days upon days upon days of tracking, it means that none will walk out of it alive besides the Ahzi that assaulted it. Once a ship is boarded by Ahzi, there will be no survivors, for they come to kill. Such stories, such rumors, are the source of the Ahzi's despicable reputation to the few that know of their name... And perhaps the reason why there are so few stories about them; after all, dead men tell no tale... Though there are tales, even if rare, so one might be allowed to think that this doctrine of unconditional massacre might not be so devoid of mercy. In any case, such tales do little to explain their missions, but they can offer clues, and lead to theories. Such acts offer little in the way of profit, hence why these can hardly be called acts of piracy; and their sparse nature do not indicate then a mere thirst for blood. Their assaults are targeted. Our research had us a pattern, however. Ships marked tend to have a history, and so do their captains and, or, crews... The Red Rage, a Hiskyn ship was known for taking part in particularly gruesome actions against civilian crafts, ones that even had the rest of the ruthless Hiskyn clan look at them with disdain. it was boarded and purged of its crew during the battle of Corot 1155... The Black Flight, a lone pirate ship that found itself eventually known for ravaging an independent settlement in the depths of the Badlands was found one day drifting in the dark, with nothing but corpses left within, something fitting the stories of Ahzi at work. And so on, and so on... It has become clear that the Ahzi seem to pick for targets ships and crews known for particularly dreadful acts... But why? A vendetta? Are they paid for such acts? For, after all, said targets always had quite a few enemies themselves... One will never know for sure, and in truth, to many, they remain what they are, pirates slaying pirates, the reasons behind it matter little. Despite these stories of outstanding violence, the average Ahzi tends to be described as surprisingly well-mannered, for pirates, that is; and at times, does a lot to separate himself from other pirates, at least in their behavior. Even their habit of calling Kuhri Ahzi "Admiral" instead of Fang Captain is evidence of such a desire to distance themselves from their pirate nature. Surprisingly as well, the Ahzi have managed to avoid the ire or even attention of most nations and major corporations... And the few that know of them generally pay little attention to this fleet, for they seem to fight pirates and other unpopular targets only. The fact that they seek mostly unpopular targets has also allowed the Ahzi to keep an uneasy harmony, and respectable relations with other fleets, and the rest of Ha'zana's population in the case of the crewmen's families. Another unusual part of the Ahzi might as also be the unique caste they created to allow their fleet to cope with their "mission". Obviously, their actions bring little profit their way, far from enough to maintain their fleet, no matter how small it may be. While smaller jobs done on their way to proper targets may be done, it will rarely ever pay for the entire fleet and its crew. There come the Transporters, trusted individuals, chosen by the Ahzi Fang Captain himself to act as independent agents, given their own shuttle and some funds to then venture the Spur. There, no matter the means, they seek to earn credits, find resources and goods, information, or create advantageous relationships for the sake of their fleet. For many, meeting a transporter is the only Ahzi they may see in their life- and for the better, perhaps... The Ahzi fleet. A small fleet, yes but a fearsome one. Shrouded in mysteries, and surrounded by a threatening aura... How true are these tales? Who are they truly? What is their mission? Perhaps we shall never know... But the Ahzi show to all something ever present in the realm of Unathi Piracy: mystery. There are no news outlets, no investigations, but tales and rumors shared between sailors over drinks and games. This is something strange, yet fascinating... A life surrounded by stories, tales... By legends.

Yes... YES... Lizards grow in NUMBERS! My turn to ask questions, then... > What would Shiuz think of less... Traditional Unathi? I'm speaking of Dominians, Aut'akhs, Spacers/Pirates or simply Sinta that got really used and integrated in the the Biesellite/Corporate way of life. How would he treat them? > The opposite, since Shiuz is Ouerean after all, what does he think of more traditional ones, mainly Moghean Unathi who remain much closer to the Hegemony? > What does he think of Hephaestus? How does he feel about working for them?

The Unathi Slugger will also shatter the hand of any non-Unathi firing it too.

Just gotta ensure that it remains light, or at least an option that is off by default. You don't want the local Unathi to pass out and die the moment the holodeck is shifted to snow, or the same to happen to a Tajara when the holodeck then renders the desert. Other than that it sounds cool.

Make of that what you will, but I feel like dropping this here! If it doesn't matter for this very app, then perhaps for the next one, anyways... For what it's worth on a moderator application, I can definitely say that Sputnik is part of the better roleplayers in this server, and I'm not just speaking about writing skills. I've had the chance (?) to get targeted by one of his characters turned antag. He knew to read exploitables, which isn't that common, and knew how to properly roleplay with this. As he went, he even asked me if I was okay with this or that... He basically ensured that everyone involved had fun, and we had. I do have reserves for a few of his characters and concepts, but putting that aside... For what it's worth for a moderator, Sputnik is at least a good player who happens to be very conscious and considerate of others.

The Horizon landing is... A bit wild. As far as I know, it's not even made for atmospheric flight. The using the hangars as airlock also sounds like a recipee for incidents. The other propositions however? I'm all for it. For events or not it sounds like a good thing in any case. +1

It was nice, character tried to organize a photoshoot during a low-pop, engine-less round to make it all more fun and interesting. May it have worked or not, I salute the idea and effort!

So my brother being really into SCP once red about that thing they call field codes, and I found it very interesting... And I think Aurora could use an equivalent. Think about it, communication in EVA is hard, or perhaps you just want to leave a note for whoever might want to visit a site later on, notes, or "field codes". A "field code" category of symbols one could draw on the floor with pens and chalk would be much quicker to make then writing a message word-per-word, or bringing paper and leaving a paper note on the floor (one that can be taken away, moved, destroyed, etc.) These field codes would obviously be relevant to the Aurora setting, with codes for: Vacuum / No atmosphere Non-breathable atmosphere Breathable atmosphere Automated Defenses People Inside (Implying things like "do not vent".) Inactive Anomalous Materials Active Anomalous Materials Xenofauna Hostile Xenofauna Danger (To tie with other codes, for instance, "Radiations Danger" implying possibly lethal doses of radiations) High Danger (To tie with other codes, generally implying that you should be geared up and prepared for what lies beyond, or flee.) Radiations Psionics Help These codes would be universal, either to the SCC or to the Spur as a whole, with characters naturally able to understand them as this would've been something they could recognize easily, with a basic training to work with the SCC including getting to recognize these codes. Also, I can definitely handle the spriting part of this, this is more a suggestion to know how people feel about this, and perhaps if they also have ideas of other codes to include.

I agree with Dreamix. No matter what happens we should make sure that we will always have at least one place that Miners and Xenoarchs should be able to work in, no matter how many ships there are out there.

I can't tell about the details because I suck at balancing and don't know much about medical, but this whole idea in general definitely makes sense! +1

Just passing by to say that I approve of the idea!

I like having oil be more slippery than water, it's a nice touch! But also, yes, screw Hivebots. Except Ives. Ives is fine.

I have a question too! I have a question too! So... You mention how unique Unathi culture is, concepts of culture shock, it's GREAT! Now the question is, how would Arkoss react to this new culture he is to work with (and within)? It's less about how he would react with specific cultures of specific characters, and more about how he sees the megacorporations and a whole, how he feels working in one, and the overall multicultaral-ish biesellite atmosphere he finds himself in?

Uh damn, my bad then.