Conspiir

I don't know. I feel like if you pick AI, you're doing it to be omnipresent. If we add this, it's just like a better borg. You can be physically present AND omnipresent whenever you want.

The server doesn't forget its own. You could be gone three years and still find friends. We'll carry your torch on for you.

This is a correct use of i109. More importantly, it falls in line fairly well with slander. Calling the Director incompetent (I assume to their face) is a huge blow and an insult, as the current definition provides. The Director's whole embodiment is "competent." BUT, if you do believe the Director IS incompetent, you have the right to think that without it being slander. In one of my classes, we get together when the professor isn't around and talk shit about the professor. It makes us feel better. She doesn't know any better. She really is bad at her job and we have proof. But is that slander? No. It becomes slander when its baseless. And that, I think, is where the current i109 definition is trying to explain, but isn't quite there. "With no valid complaints." Too vague. Make it outright say "when the statement is slanderous or untrue." And more than that, what if the Head decides it IS untrue, but it objectively is not? Who has the authority there to hear out the situation?

I'm sure most people by now know who Bretscher is. One of those characters you can't miss if you happen to play at the same time. But more than that, VT understands the crap that's going on overall. The lens of Bretscher doesn't stop VT's willingness to help or joke. In advance, I'm so sorry for you making an IAA character. Really. So very sorry. What I like about this application is you know your characters. You know Bretscher isn't about to be RD, that's not what this app is about. By opening up the opportunity to being in a head of staff position, you know you are letting go of time you spend playing grumpy smart man. I can see your RD being a great addition to science, willing to teach. That's what I look for in an RD; someone who is willing to take the time to assist someone in learning or exploring new things. And VT is that kind of person. I'd like to see them get a trial and evaluate from there +1

This suggestion is apt for the reason it should (theoretically; honestly, I don't have any coding experience) be very simple to add. Why rework an entire system people don't like using when we can make a small addition to the system people already use? We already have the framework. The "Pay" button already exists. All that's needed is another button that connects to the department account of the ID inserted as well. This would make it extremely easy, mechanically. And for 95% of the cases, that's where it'll end. The chef will buy their chickens and clams. The engineers can get a supply of plasteel. The scientists can get their protohumans. The virologists can get their virus samples. It's the other 5% where there's grey area that we've already had a heated discussion on the discord about. Who would be at fault if someone used department funds for something that isn't department-related? Is the CT obligated to accept the person's request that it be paid with department funds even if it seems like a strange order (and would they have to report the strangeness to security)? This would be the field of the CCIA, to ensure regulations hold up and any grey areas are cleared up. Very bizarre, but that's because it's easy. Very complicated, but why does it have to be? This was the best idea I could come up with for streamlining it. I'm totally open to anyone that has ideas. It kills me a little bit inside every time someone comes in to buy something for their job and has to hand over their ID and pay with their own money because there's no Head. It shouldn't be that way. And I really, really want this fixed.

Sure, if people actually did it instead of just handing over their ID for department purchases. And what if there isn't a head of staff? You still have to hand over your ID anyway.

This payment button should be locked behind the Cargo Tech/QM-only portion. This selectivity will be a good part of their job. People pass their IDs to a tech to pay. The Tech/QM will review the order, make sure the person knows what they're paying for, and then hit the >Pay button. My proposal is adding a >Pay with Department Funds button right under it (or off to the side, however this UI best works), so the Tech/QM has to weigh "is this department-fund worthy or not?" I don't have a problem with making it gated by an HoP (except if they're a Head of Staff) before the funds are transferred. The problem with making it pre-fund transfer is cargo doesn't always have the ability to deal with taking out so many credits at once. Bounties are meant to help, for sure, if cargo actually does them. If something does go wrong, ultimately the cargo techs get yelled at by a QM for not doing their job and the QM gets yelled by the HoP for not doing their job... To ensure correct fault is laid, maybe additionally add a "Approved by Xxxx" so the tech that actually hit the "Pay with Department Funds" button for pizza on the Research Department's dollar can be scolded?

I know from the title, you're going to say "You can already do that, move to bin." But there's no better way to explain this than a paragraph, so: If you want to buy something necessary, such as plasteel for engineering or eggs for the kitchen, the easiest by far way to go about it is just to hand over your ID to the cargo guy and pay for it yourself. This stuff is intended for your department, your job, but you take money out of your pocket to get it. This is the way it's been for a while now. Yes, you can talk to an HoP about getting the department account number or have the funds transferred by the HoP themselves yada yada… But why. That's a hassle. It would literally take longer to get the attention and acceptance of the HoP than it will just handing over your ID, getting the stuff delivered, and getting back to work. Here's what I propose: A "Purchase With Department Funds" button on the payment page. Cargo can go into the payment page and press that button and presto, the money is taken from the department's account of the person that ordered it. (If it is a guest or assistant or merchant or something along those lines, an error will pop up instead saying there is no connected department account. They'll have to go through an HoP.) Speak of HoP, they can finally keep track of finances appropriately! Make sure people aren't charging recreation items to the department accounts! Cargo can show incompetence by thinking pizza is an appropriate charge for the Science Department just because a scientist said so! This should theoretically streamline payment of goods of a nonpersonal nature.

That's where the Visitors come in. They pay for what they get because their plan cards are either down when they aren't working, or they don't work there to have one. Additionally, it could be limited to just one meal per shift and anything more needs to be paid for. The problem with the meal plan cards is it only lasts one shift. That's why it should be extended to be a lot longer, for a lot more money. The lump sum goes to the service department. It doesn't just disappear. They're making profit.

It makes sense to me that food would be "free" because I imagine it like a college. You pay for a meal plan. A big lump sum. And then you can swipe your card for a set number of meals throughout the (semester, but in this case) workyear. This lump sum could be paid for a little bit each month, even, directly from your check. It's not actually "free". You just don't pay for it directly every single time you want a soda or coffee. Same reason prescriptions are "free". You're paying for it another way.

Side note: That's what the autoinhaler is for. Huff it and you're set for the round if you have a lunchbox. Places that specialize in medicine and research do not do this. You take your break when you have the time. Experiment running for two hours? Take your break during that time. Things are time-sensitive very often. If the entire research center suddenly blasted out a notice saying "ATTENTION. IT IS NOW TIME FOR YOUR BREAK. PROCEED TO THE CAFETERIA." then you'd get a lot of middle fingers. The cafeteria is just as open at 3 as it is at 10. Yes, commonly people take breaks around noon for "lunch" but not always. It is up to you, it is up to what work you have to do, and it is up to your lab manager when you can take your lunch. Not a pre-determined "lunch now" alert. At the very least this can apply to Research and Medical. I'd also argue very much it can apply to Cargo and to Security. Engineers don't really do anything anyway, they're always on break (I'm kidding).

If people have time to stop working and seek out other roleplay, they'll do it. Sometimes people go to the kitchen with some friends or alone to chat with the chef. Sometimes they go to the bar (a far more popular choice, given... it's a bar). Sometimes they sit in the holodeck. Sometimes they sit in the department's break room… for a break. This change doesn't make any sense. If a chef joins midround, or even 10 seconds after the round started, it'll just be... exactly the rounds we have now??? I don't see the problem with the rounds we have now. People get hungry at different times. Some people ate before work, others didn't. Some people shove a goddamn sandwich and bottle of water in their bag so they don't have to play the "Is a chef going to be at work today or not?" game (a game I have nearly all of my characters play. It isn't great.) This change isn't a good one and it's the second time you've brought it up. Let this one go.

[mention]Arrow768[/mention] You have the Notes with which to access your account manually iirc. Really, though, it's a matter of if someone feels like mapping something that may get used once in thirty rounds or more. We don't need it; sure, we could use it, but it's not pressing, particularly since--as you say--you can just do the same once you arrive.

Correct, this minute detail did get a fine applied to my Skrell who, in speaking to a friend, called the HoP "snide" due to an earlier incident where the HoP commented on my Skrell's wages when he bought a cow (… long story). The incident was... rather dumb. It was a private conversation the HoP eavesdropped on, not shouted over the radio with additional profanity. Yet, because of the wording in the in-game book, the HoP could press it. This should be corrected because, even though the incident is an IC one, things should be clear if something like this happens again.

This suggestion was made long before the machines were deleted. As for if there's an ATM at the starting point of the ODIN... I don't know. Probably not? No reason not to have one if you want your character to bring a little cash aboard.

And the third app, Sleepy. Sudden upriser, you are. Let’s pop open this essay and get to work. So what I’m getting from the first paragraph is that Skrell society is a huge hidden dystopia. You agree with the government, or you disappear and that is how they maintain their cultural homogeneity. In reality, with how big and how influential the Federation is, I don’t know if force or “climb the ladder” will work on their society. It would have to be based off of the idea that every Skrell has extreme ambition. Again, Thank you for addressing the idea of how they’ve juggled their workforce. But the reality of it is their workers have to be content and even though the military force of the Federation is incredible, it won’t be if they’re spending a lot of their time pressing down on their own people. Something has to keep the masses content and competition may not be the answer. There’s a reason that worker unions can be extremely formidable. Not everyone aspires to be a doctor. I have the brains for it, I could do the job pretty well. But if I ever had to be a doctor because it was forced on me, or it was how society judged my worth, I wouldn’t do it. Holy shit I had to take a step back. “Testing pheromones in planet water systems.” Plot twist: The Frogs are putting chemicals in the water and turning us gay. Gold. Ooooooh I like the purpose you gave to Glorsh. “Fix the bugs we’re having with the other AI around here.” It’s response? “… Yeah, let me just fix all those problems you’re having.” It reminds me a lot of what happens on station. Little hiccups. It’d give Skrell a way to say “Uhhh…” without it sounding completely baseless. Like if the Fourth Reich were to start to rise, everyone could say “Oh shit we’ve seen this before. Don’t do what happened last time.” What I’m seeing is taking Skrell subtlety and tossing it to the light and making it the mainstay of their whole society. I’m not sure, with the history the Skrell have in dealing with everyone, that they’ll work like Dominia does with their shell hunting. I’d also be interested in hearing your responses to Coalf’s questions when you get the time! Your weird Skrell question from me is…! “Skrell colors. Light Skrell come from Aloise, is about all we have there. But what’s the basis of it? Is it entirely genetics or does environment actually play a role? If a Skrell is born to two darker blue Jargon parents but raised on Aloise, are they going to be a lighter blue than either parent?”

Heyo, second application, let’s do this. First, you’re a different person to Fowl, and I respect that. So I’ve given myself a few hours between reading his and reading yours. Let’s talk about the essay! Hm. A generation wouldn’t be a full 400 years. Natural lifespan is currently 200 (which would be about 70 for Humans today) but can live between 300 and 500 with medical help (something like our ability to live up to 115 or something). A generation would probably be closer to like… 100-130 years. Assuming education takes a while and people aren’t looking to start families until they have careers. If a Skrell waits too long, their eggs will definitely shrivel up. No 400-year-old Skrell is going to pop out a babe. The Skrelluminati sounds awesome. It’s a piece of what some might already see happening, particularly with Frost a while back and the Skrell input in the situation. I’d like Skrell to make a comeback on the recent Frost events. Right now, a lot of who Skrell are is based on their history. Really, that accounts for humans, too. Every culture and country now can be identified by events in their past. What I’m getting is you want to push the major event Skrell have a bit back, which would make it less major, and take away what a lot of Skrell have right now: reason to care about Glorsh-Omega. I have a Skrell that grew up in Ceti. Glorsh is just a fairytale when you’re removed from seeing the effects, just as a human would care less. What Skrell need isn’t less Glorsh influence, but more. There are ruins all around the federation of what Glorsh supposedly did. Guaranteed, the government keeps those up as memories. Keeps the Skrell people remembering. Resi. You’re cool. We’re tight. I’ve no doubt you could handle the position as a person. But the direction your Skrell ideas are trying to flesh out the race don’t appeal to me very much. It sounds like you’re pulling out some of the stuff we have for Skrell right now and trying to give them a bit of a different identity focus. The sterility of the Skrell should definitely be given more prevalence. Every Skrell should be tested to see if they’re naturally fertile or not. The fertility treatments are probably expensive. Skrell would have like 8 kids at once. Their parental drives are probably horrifically strong. Just imagine that. Your whole body and mind are telling you you would be an amazing parent that could teach your children so much. And then… too bad. Lore should be more personal, not more general. There’s a lot of stray dogs in the world. Does that affect my life? It's sad, but not really. Is my dog the center of my whole world? 100%. Anyway, here’s your super-weird Skrell question that I believe is extremely important: “How would you describe Skrell skin? Is it membranous and slightly see-through? Is it moist and slimy or just casually dry like a person’s might be? Is it any easier to cut? How do you feel about Skrell having any sort of… flaps, like a cuttlefish might?”

All right. So I finally picked up my feet and decided to read everyone’s apps. Yup. Fowl, you get to be first, because you applied (I mean, not counting Schev) first. Three pages of posts and three essays. I write as I read and will edit appropriately if any question or concern is answered in the posts prior to this. I admit, I had to take breaks, so if I missed something, direct me. I completely agree with your three pillars. Culture, History, and current events are what make a species to me, too. How they interconnect is what should make a species fun to explore and to roleplay. Onto your first essay, “The Last Days of Glorsh” First off, giving "It" the capital "I", gave me actual shivers. I had to take a step back for a few minutes because I had never thought of It that way. Glorsh has always been “Yeah, Glorsh, you know. AI singularity, absorbed all the other AIs, killed a lot of Skrell, and then vanished. Hooow did it vanish? Up to you.” But giving it that… that It in the eyes of all the Skrell, in them trying to explain to others that it wasn’t so simple… Jesus. Your three major rebellion factions interest me. Not going to lie, a lot of Skrell lore that we have glazes right past things like this; did Skrell just accept Glorsh or did they find ways to fight back? The answer up to now has been “Well, both, I guess. Up to you.” What you have here is solid. And I noticed: not entirely clear-cut. This implies… maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. Some Skrell might say, maybe they just don’t want people thinking anti globalism is good. And that would work, because, look, you see! In the past! It didn’t do anything good for us, did it? That’s a damn good way to push a monoculture, particularly for a species that depends and weighs its past so heavily. And the end! Those fucking Glorsh Sympathizers! How dare they take Kal’lo away from us! That’d be like Washington keeling over at the Battle of Yorktown, like what the hell. There’s still so much work to do. Definitely entertaining, and I’m glad to read it. I love history, just in general. It’s great to see the little influences the past has on the present. This essay gives more life to the time of Glorsh and how it even impacts today. Best rebellion happens to have pulled out on top in the government, eh? Kal’lo, still the capital, now with a real history attached to it. Onto the second one, “Another Day in Paradise” THANK YOU. One of—if not THE—biggest glaze-over in the lore in my eyes is how the fuck do we support a culture of doctors and scientists if we don’t like AI? Who does the cleaning? Who does the farming? Who does the mining? SOMEONE has to do the fucking job. Sure, C’thur are coming in now, but we’ve had a few hundred years of holding ourselves up. HOW!? Alright, calming down, actually looking into the content of it now. The main problem I’m finding is how does this work, Skrellpower-wise. Skrell aren’t exactly the proliferous species they once were. How do you explain that so many Skrell are needed to run their machines? Basically, does the math work out that so many Skrell can be in charge of the machines that are that numerous and complex for each settlement even out into the frontier? Now the addendum essay, “In the Pipe” I was on Discord when you mentioned you were writing this one. I’ve honestly never had very much interest in the subject. But it’s extremely important, culturally. This is the Jargon Federation Navy we’re talking about. … Submerged in water to help with the G-forces. I would never have thought of anything like that. Using a species’ natural abilities and molding the lore around that in such a way that physics checks out. A Human could never use this tactic. A Tajaran could never use this tactic. Vaurca could sure try, but no telling how well it would really work. Only Skrell can do this efficiently. And it sets them apart. So this is what you present to us. It’s pretty great. I can see all of my characters sliding in to pockets you’re opening up and explanations you’re making without much (if any) alteration. And that’s important. A character is their background and culture, and if we went with big changes, it would throw off some characters. You’re taking the framework and digging deeper, and that’s what we need. Now, I don’t really know Fowl. I can’t comment on his personality. All in all, when I go to a lore dev, I go armed with questions. If Fowl is going to politely answer these questions, then I, as a player, won’t have an issue. Whether Fowl can work with a team, is going to have to be the decision of the team, and I won’t overstep there. But I like this applicant and what they’re bringing in. Now. As I’m fond of asking strange questions, little trifles that wouldn’t usually be present in the lore, I will ask you your weird question: “How does Skrell reproduction work? Are we talking full genitalia on both sides? Does the female get fertilized and then lay the eggs (a la squid) and lay them beneath her tentacles or does she lay the eggs and the sperm gets added after (a la frogs)? Are Skrell too “modern” for that and use incubators now?”

Vedai'Kwia Xizal: Drexel Azanti BONUS: Vedai in the eyes of every chef:

How does that work? Does it go based off of a time zone? Or just general time passing--which... would make literal sense on how it should already work?

I'm pretty sure A) It's on the table with the toolbox and B) You can print one from cargo's autolathe Magboots is definitely a pressing need, though, I'd say. Particularly since we're given a few piles of rods. Odds of slipping from any rod-built lattice is fairly high without mags.

I agree with this. One addition: Give it a little warning flash and a countdown on the console. If I want to go into the disposals for, perhaps, some reason, I don't want to get suddenly and randomly crushed. There should be some warning lights just before it crushes and anyone should be able to check the console for a countdown until the next crush.

Your points are interesting, and definitely give me something to think about. Right now there's a dichotomy between what I CAN get away with mechanically vs what I SHOULD be doing ICly. Maybe if we make it mechanically more difficult to just disarm someone with a gun (I was thinking things like misfiring, with a high chance of hitting the person trying to push them, an automatic defense toggle thing like aiming would be) we could see improvement from the playerbase side, too. Because it isn't just an admin thing, we could improve this with players as well, methinks.

Through quite a bit literally a few minutes of experimentation, and what I can remember off the top of my head, I've found that the cheapest 3x3 radius KA is as follows: Medium frame Meteor Core Converter Kinetic Cell (technically, advanced pump works, but you have pump like 20 times for 2 shots and I think people would seppuku. I would.) No chip. Focus removes the 3x3, capacity is just bad, aoe makes it giant, who cares about any other chip that you never find anywhere ever. A bit much. Professional converters don't give any sort of splash, and meteor converters are arguably the best. Maybe I'm biased, but I actually like mining's round setup. I like RnD's too. But it's difficult if you've never done it before. Things should be difficult if you've never done them before. But they shouldn't be impossible. RnD is actually impossible if you're not taught or find a guide in the WI. You just kind of stand there, being useless and feeling bad about it. And maybe you experiment a bit, but believe it or not, experimentation in science gets you nowhere. This isn't a failing of "roundstart is boring and tedious", this is a failing of how RnD works in SS13. There's a deeper problem there and just having the job done for you isn't going to fix that. Apparently, the last time we changed jobs to not have anything to really improve on, we lost our atmospheric techs. So we definitely shouldn't start RnD with the job basically done. Mining's gameplay, on the other hand, is literally to go out and break turf. That is it. There is nothing else. Conversely, you have ever-changing elements in other departments, such as medical treating those that come in, security responding to calls, Research building circuits (another thing that could be improved by porting more) or finding RNG artifacts (on purpose, and not accidentally stumbling across a bowl of endless lube) or even messing with chemistry (and setting yourself on fire by accidentally making napalm), engineering fixing the station when it blows up, cook and bartender and hydroponics creating things as-needed, janitors--... I could really go on, but it all comes back to the fact mining does not have that. You give science materials to make cool things no one ever requests and make a lot of virtual money for the station that goes nowhere and that's the job. It's not a bad job, by any means, but giving them KAs isn't going to fix that problem. The low class KAs are arguably worse than just a mining drill. Give them mag boots. Give them mining drills instead of having to pay 200 points for it. Like, pickaxes and shovels, really? Are we in medieval times now?