Tomixcomics

@Fluffy yup good to close

At first glance I thought that last line was "gnomes absorbed".

TL;DR: Kitchen feels like it's missing some basic things, i'd like to fix that in a way that doesn't remove other departments/actions from still being needed. Right, so, as some of you know, I'm a chef main, and certain things keep coming up repeatedly. -"You guys don't get butter?!" -"Nope we have to make it" -"That's weird!" (conversation that happens a lot. And yes, butter is relatively simple to make, but still weird that a kitchen doesn't have it. I've also been thinking of making butter be more usable in the future which would make this issue stand out more.) -"Oh I just need something quick and simple, can I just get a sandwich?" -"*pained chef noises*" (when you don't have a supermarket, every aspect of a sandwich has to be made form scratch, it's the opposite of simple. Ya gotta make the bread, the cheese, and whatever else the sandwich has inside, so a lot of times for a "quick and simple" sandwich you have used up a minimum of 4 eggs, 40 flour, 40u milk... etc etc.) -*Has to break into botany, plant ALL the corn, run a small farming community* *ends up with like... one serving of mayonnaise, a thing which most kitchens have entire jars of* -*thinks up new dishes to code into the game* *uuugh that one would require mayonnaise, which is such a pain in the butt to make. maybe i'll skip it* So I was thinking of making some more items spawn in kitchen that will include a few things for the sake of realism and simplicity (especially now that recipes are getting more and more elaborate for uh... some... reason. A total mystery. >_>;; ) "But wait? What about cargo?!" It's always nice to get a shipment from cargo, and I don't want to completely replace them, just make kitchen a little more self reliant, because: 1. Even when we have cargo, whether kitchen gets ANYTHING useful at all is a crapshoot, and even then it's often just one or two uber specific things (400u. container of cocoa powder, anyone?) 2. Many times by the time the cargo makes it's kitchen shipments, it's somewhere around the middle of the round, by which time these issues have already been annoying, and if you needed to make this stuff you already did. This isn't always the case but it does happen. And if you're one of the menu-chefs, whatever they have is irrelevant because you've already planned out your menu. 3. Some of these things that make sense for a kitchen to have don't spawn in cargo at all (Like bread and butter, which are the bread and butter of a kitchen) 4. Cargoless shifts are a thing. 5. Again, not looking to replace cargo, I want to maintain that feeling of "Ooooh! Cargo has goodies for us!". But I do feel that the kitchen missing stuff goes a step beyond what cargo can do right now. "Okay but making these things is litterally part of why you play a chef" To an extent. At the end of the day you're there to prep meals, serve them to people, and interact with them, and as someone who's actually tried having a nice selection of condiments and sauces only to realize by the time he's done that 40-60 minutes have passed and I don't have a single dish to show for it yet, I think making these extras takes up TOO much time. I don't want to remove it completely, but I do want to make it quicker, less tedious, and more realistic. So to find a good balance that solves the annoyingness of an understocked kitchen with not wanting to take cargo/botany/the challenge of cooking out of the equation My thoughts of what to have the kitchen spawn with. Perhaps already in it, perhaps in some kind of round-start supply box like the produce boxes: -1-2 butter (you want more butter you can make it yourself. I just need to know the kitchen spawns with ONE at least for the sake of realism and simplicity) -1 loaf of bread. I may even make a specific kind of supermarket-ass looking prepackaged bread that's objectively lamer than bread you bake. -1-3 bottles of random condiments (Likely: Ketchup, mayonnaise, hot sauce. Less likely but possible: Barbecue sauce, garlic sauce, flavored syrups, various types of spreads like ntella, jam or peanut butter) -0-2 exotic fruits (the zero isn't a typo. it might not show up at all!) (things like dirtberries, earthenroot, guami, basically anything that wouldn't show up in a typical produce box). It sounds like a lot of stuff but really that's just because there's a large selection of things for the randomizer to pull from. At the end of the day this is anything from just 3 to maximum 8 additional items per round (several of which are litterlay just bread and butter) and I feel like the randomness factor will add some interest for chefs to see what their kitchen starts with that shift and what they're still going to have to make themselves. Thank you for coming to my TED talk about mayonnaise.

For the ever cheerful and optimistic can-do Todd: As for me, either surgeon Mako Wu or chef Jamari Sauter:

up! burger feedback: -needs soda machine -needs fridge with regular meat -needs a menu with set dishes and prices i was totally winging it and flailing and only afterwards did i see the ad for up burger on the map that said different things than what I said -I wouldn't mind a sink on the bottom floor -moss is supposed to be part of the up burger menu but we had litteraly zero moss and moss has a 0 chance likelihood in spawning in produce boxes -if there's gonna be another large scale event in PV like the other day... BADLY BADLY needs more meat and more potatoes, kept having to ask for them to be spawned in -up! burger employees spawn without shoes -would be good to have a way of knowing if someone is at the drive through. -i didn't even realize you can edit the drive through sign until the end of the shift. non-up burger feedback: -mopeds can go uphill but they can't go downhill -some places, like the up! burger rooftop, and from what i hear - areas of the park, were completely pitch black dark.

I put up with it because, I mean, it's a bar, but as a chef main, any time someone plays that thing or turns on the audio console I wince. And even my character has started wincing ICly. It's not even abuse, it's just people coming in to play. And to me it lowkey feels like people who blast music on their phones without earbuds in a public place. Especially since playing the instruments is basically like three clicks. At least if it was a real bar you'd be impressed with someone's skills and they'd get tired. Here it's more like they're pressing play on a playlist that everyone has to listen to. Yes, I can mute game sounds but I feel like that would keep me from knowing what's going on sometimes, or having context, especially if people comment on it. (plus there's the very rare occasion where I don't actually hate it) It's not, like, a huge deal. I usually just go on with my day, I just wanted to point out that it can be a nuisance to folks who are around it a lot, we just don't necessarily vocalize it too much.

I made some of the requested changes and highlighted the changes in bold so they are easier to spot and you don't have to re-read the whole thing. I also clarified that the gender remark was less so in terms of how Qu'lil views themself in skrell society, and more about how they choose to, at times, take on different gender roles when outside of skrell society, based on whatever whims trikes them. I still think recent events wouldn't have affected someone like Qu'lil too much aside from what I wrote, being an average citizen with no military affiliation or deep connections to the phoron economy even after reading the articles about phoron scarcity and the traverse. Is there something I'm missing? It's possible I missed some context on those pages.

BYOND Ckey: Tomixcomics Discord username: Tomixcomics Character names: Jamari Sauter, Mako Wu Species you are applying to play: Skrell ------------------------------ General Whitelist Requirements What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: A deep purple. Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Yes. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question. Why do you wish to play this species?: I have been playing on Aurora for roughly 14 years at this point and I feel like it is time I expanded my horizons a little and played characters that have more variety and inherently interact with the game's lore a bit more. Additionally, I feel that this will help me add spice to characters I play as either ghost roles or antags beyond what a simple Human character can achieve. As for why Skrell specifically - It is partly a logical, practical choice and partly an emotional one. On the logical side - I haven't played any other species yet and Skrell have less speech and behavior quirks to be mindful of compared to Humans, which will help ease me into playing xeno roles. On the emotional side - I find their lore and mechanics very interesting and would be curious to try and explore them further from within their own culture, especially given that Skrell itneract with other Skrell very differently and on different levels than how they interact with Humans. I'd like to see what it's like to play a character with their abilities as well. Everything from Srom to Psionics, to their history with Glorsh feels like a rife playground for both character creation and an engaging system to play a chacter in. What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: Skrell culture differs from Humans in that it puts curiosity, discovery and scientific progress above all else, curiosity is encouraged, and if they aren't trying to be mindful of other species' communicaiton cultures - they can be quite blunt and prying in their inquisitiveness by comparison. They also express their emotions in ways other than facial expressions. Namely high pitched noises for most positive emotions, low pitched noises for negative ones, tone of voice, and semi-concious movements of the headtails. They also possess abilities Humans do not possess - namely Psionics and their ability to enter the Srom. These experiences are so unique to Skrell that it is difficult to accurately convey them to non-Skrell. For Skrell, gender is also purely a societal construct which they choose on what level, if at all, they wish to embrace, as biologically they can be both F'ex'Qa and F'ex'Tra. They do this based on which aspects of the society around them they feel they most identify with and wish to present themselves as relating to. ------------------------------ Character Application Character Name: Write a backstory for your character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived to the SCCV Horizon. Qu'lil Zozo (Reciever, now age 67) was born as a purple Skrell in Tresja to parents (Xiiori and Axiori, making them Xiiori as well), while believing in the importance of their children's happiness, were also very insistent that they maintain a good social credit score to make their lives easier. As a result, despite being more artistically inclined from a young age, and enjoying exploring media and music specifically, Qu'lil made sure to stay out of trouble, be a polite and productive member of society when opportunities arose, maintained the Qeblak lifestyle their parents brought them up with, considering themselves to be part of the Qeblak community even if this stems more from a culture and lifestyle perspective, rather than any actual belief in the ability to divinate future events from stars. Their parents share similar views, and seemingly follow it as one of their attempts at maintaining a high social credit score. Eventually Qu'lil even got a chemistry degree. Moreso out of obligation to society than any personal interest of their own. They have a fairly unique voice, and enjoy vocalizing music and songs, their voice is considered very pleasant by many non-Skrell, who can only hear a part of their vocalized tones. To Skrell their voice is a bit less remarkable, although not unpleasant. Their parents say they are "ahead of their time" and when Skrell society peaks - People like Qu'lil will be celebrated, but until then they must do their part to advancing society at large. As they grew up, their skin obtained slightly reddish stripes - which Qu'lil's family "blames" on their love of spicy imported foods. - with no malice. It is simply an observation. Through their life their fairly nice social score, which has mostly been sitting at the lower side of Oqi has always felt at risk, despite their attempts to be a model citizen. Their score took a hit after Qu'lil's true opinions on the matter of Glorsh unintentionally came out while in Srom. Namely - that while they believe the things Glorsh has done were intensely horrible - They were done out of some calculation for the betterment of the future of Skrell society that most Skrell are just unable to see yet, including Qu'lil themself. As a result, Qu'lil tries to avoid the subject of Glorsh entirely while in Srom, as much as they have control over it, and never voices these opinions out loud when awake so they are not labeled a Glorsh-sympathizer. They believe Glorsh is out there, and that they, in some unknown way made future Skrell society better, but they are not hoping Glorsh returns, as they are not blind to the damage and hurt caused by Glorsh. This overall controversial opinion is one of the things that drives Qu'lil to try to be as much of a model citizen as they can be giving back to the community whenever possible and pursuing things that further society as a whole, this (combined with them thankfully being a receiver, which puts them less in the public eye of Glorsh-sympathizers than Listeners) is how they've managed to maintain a relatively high social score despite their views pulling their score in the opposite direction. This is one of the reasons they are pursuing a career in the sciences rather than try to pursue their true passion, always living in fear that more unpleasant revelations about their opinions may knock them down the social credit score further. Qu'lil maintains the ability to biologically reproduce and feels the obligation to do so in the future. Partly for the continuation of Skrellkind, and partly as a permenant boon to their social credit score. They have decided however that while their score is relatively stable and offers a bit of leeway for the time being, they should travel, see the Spur, experience what it has to offer (and maybe even parttake in some artistic endeavors on the side...?) before returning to Tresja and settling down with a family of their own. The safest way to do this without losing their social score of course being a job that allows them to travel - which is how they found themselves seeking a job on the Horizon. They use they/them pronouns but are known to occasionally take on different gendered pronouns for periods of time if they feel an inclination towards it while they are outside of Skrell society or in a majority xeno area. How has the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted your character? Events such as the Phoron Scarcity, the Solarian Collapse or even the Invasions of Biesel for interstellar-wide affairs, while region-specific events such as the Peacekeeper Mandate, The Titan Rises or even Cold Dawn may impact your character. In truth, not much beyond the general ways they affected society at large - As a chemist, the Phoron scarcity was definitely felt in their line of work, making supplies and production of certain chemicals problematic, but as Qu'lil is driven moreso by a feeling of obligation than any intense purpose to serve a goal - They did not feel personally affected by it in any truly significant way. Mostly they tend to be focused on the Micro of society - and the things directly around them - than grand scale Universal events around the spur. Given their conformist, society-first nature, they tend to go with the flow and take on whatever popular or pro-federation opinion is commonplace at the time. This is a conscious choice made to counterbalance their thoughts on Glorsh. How does your character view the megacorporation they work for? Qu'lil views most aspects of Nanotrasen in a similar way that some people may view a bus system - Ultimately a good, necessary thing to have for utilitarian reasons, even if the details of it may be annoying, problematic, inefficient, flawed or dirty. There is room for improvement, as in all things, but they have zero intention of developing strong feelings one way or the other about what they view as one of the pillars of society at this point. One doesn't want to rock the societal boat, after all. The exception to this is specifically Nanotrasen's entertainment ventures - Where Qu'lil will happily sing their praises, both litterally and figuratively. Enjoying their media productions, and considering many of the pieces of media produced by NT through the spur to be among the things that give them the most joy in life.

Even if you can revive them it still sucks that they were hurt. People generlaly don't love it when their pets get hurt even if it's not mortally wounded, let alone if they were hurt THAT badly. And frankly even just this train of thought is kind of depressing.

I mentioned it on the discord but will post here - I am very much against this, personally. For a few main reasons. 1. I feel like if you play a character that likes animals, like most of medical or people who frequently visit medical do, having a Lazarus injector be part of the "world" is your ticket to not having to stop any and all RP you are doing whenever someone announces that Crusher is dead just so you can roleplay intense outrage and grief as if this is the first time this happened. It happens often enough that I feel like it would hurt gameplay and even WITH Lazarus injectors in the game I found myself often going "well, guess we're roleplaying this again... ugh.", but at least with the Lazarus Injector existing it's OPTIONAL. You don't HAVE to stop what you're doing and be upset because whatever, she can just be revived. 2. I hate admitting this, because I'm sure not everyone gets this emotionally invested in their RP, 3. Also, I get we're a high RP server and we aim for realism but I think this is the point where we're maybe overcorrecting a bit. I like that there's some wackyness to this world and I don't feel like laz injectors existing is pulling anyone out of their immersion any more than anything involving the silliness of animals on the ship just kind of moving in a random direction and emoting would. If the question is why does it work on pets and not bigger more sentient animals - well then there's plenty of tech IRL that works on smaller animals and not larger ones. So it's a "no" from me, sorry.

^Oooh, very good point. That should be an easy fix, I can tackle that, too.

Some of the old foods have been bothering me and I thought they could use an update, but seeing as they're old classics that have been around since the age of the microwaves, I wanted to run it by people before I do anything to them. Here are some of the ideas I've had. 1. Lasagna (Amount, sprite, varieties) - Was thinking about this one while eating Lasagna yesterday. I'm no kitchen expert IRL but people don't usually bake just one lasagna, right? They bake a whole tray and serve slices of it. I'm not sure if the Lasagna in game predates sliceable foods but I do know it's ancient. I thought of making lasagnas be a sliceable tray by default, similar to brownies (but more filling). I also think the sprite for it looks... Very meh and outdated. I'd like to update it and along the way, make two varieties of Lasagna - Meat and Vegetarian. 2. Pancakes (Sprite and recipe). The sprite looked okay back when food selection was limited, today it looks very plain and imo kind of ugly compared to the rest of the things we have on the menu. I'd like to update it. I also think the recipe of just putting flat dough in a frying pan might be a little outdated as well, maybe have it be a mixture of batter, sugar and butter? I was also thinking of making syruped versions of them since the game has a variety of syrups that aren't used for much. 3. Doner Kebabs(just the recipe) - Now that Pitas are in the game it seems to me to make more sense to use that instead of flat dough. 4. Vanilla cake (recipe) - Well, we now have vanilla extract in the game. Maybe we could put that in there? Or is it better to leave it out for simplicity's sake? If you have any thoughts on these or other dishes you'd like to see changed I'd love to hear it.

So right now when the power goes out, which is frequent during deadhours, the kitchen basically ceases to be useful (unless you preheated everything in which case the remaining heat should still last you a little while). And while it certainly makes sense for many things to stop working when the... well, engine fails. There's a few that don't make sense, and I'd liek to see them reworked. 1. The stove. It's a gas stove, those work during power outages as long as you have some way to light them. Like a match, lighter, or igniter. They should still be useful during power outages. 2. I am so tired of everything in the smartfridge or heater getting locked in when the power goes out! Why do we need power to open the door to those? It's like... Power goes out? Bam, no access to ingredients unless you left them all lying out on the counter, and none of the food you made can be eaten. I get heaters and fridges need to consume electricity for IC reasons - they heat, they cool... But you should still be able to take stuff in and out. 3. Same for the grinder. I put a beaker in... power goes out... I can't eject the beaker. I get that the kitchen's functionality should suffer and be more limited when there's no power at all but right now it's both unrealistic and a total gamekiller and makes me want to go to cryo when there's no engineers during deadhours, which in turn, just makes deadhours deader.