Crescentise

I decided to dish out some praise that I couldn't hold in anymore! Here are some of my favourite characters of all time. Garry Milders - Enkas. Garry Milders is one of the few employees of Aurora that is just genuinely, truly kind. A wonderful doctor. It's not his defining characteristic, either. Watch as he shrieks in terror at the slightest mention of a spider, flawlessly performs his medbay duties, and sips lattes. Oh, and guess what, he's also gay. A person who doesn't hit on every person that shares his gender and then commit suicide upon imminent rejection? That's just about as rare as a unicorn. Zheng Lu - Erik Tiber. On the other end of the spectrum is this guy. A mean little man who likes to act like he's top dog among his fellow cargo thugs, but cowers from the slightest threat of real danger. His unique way of speaking is a real one - Singlish - extensively researched and extremely accurately implemented by Erik. I love that he has no illusions of being The Protagonist when played. There are few characters out there who are inconsequential shitheads. Zheng Lu is just that, and owns it. Elena Raschnikova - Bokaza. Attractive, well-qualified, and... human. Elena is like the entire crew's aloof, objective mother who exercises very good judgement in crises, can give you relationship advice, but remains a good level of professionally detached. Unlike certain other heads of staff, you won't see a lick of her personal drama on station. You can call her Ellie and she won't give a shit; she doesn't pull her rank yet commands respect from everyone wordlessly. It's no surprise she's designated 'Best Catpain'. Haruspex - Inverted Rectum. The original, exemplary 'ancient' IPC that has inspired hordes of crude imitations. It isn't just a synthetic who calls people by their obsolete profession. This is Haruspex, who divines from the internal organs it fixes (the role of his namesake), who trades with others for 'eldritch' trinkets, who organises mad tea parties to induct fresh faces (read: noobs) into the environment of Aurora. I fell in love with this character the exact moment I saw them speak over comms. Roy Wyatt - Keinto. Blah blah Cres is biased blah blah. He's objectively a great character. The resident hothead who provides plenty of much needed non-antag conflict arpee. He's loud and blunt, yells at the slightest provocation, and is more than up for a fight considering how achingly robust he is. But this isn't all he is. Roy gets all smug and happy at his own achievements, is childishly mischievous, always moving. He used to be quite the manwhore, too. But then character development happened. This is probably only the first organised volume of kudos. I have a lot of love to give! c:

Good application, nice person OOCly, Karen Pierce is very well-played ICly. Mature, good credentials. You'd be mad not to accept.

Bumping and supporting because Sierra's credentials look pretty impressive, and they have contributed an insanely useful and popular character record-making tool for the community. +1

As far as I can tell, most of the current 'spriters'/'mappers' have contributed far less to the server than Smiley has in the few short weeks he's been around for. +1, please, this man deserves a fancy green name. Why, Smiley, why? :c

I might be a bit late, but I vastly prefer this latest version of Sue's brig shown in Skull's post. It is pretty and compact. However, I also have two things I dislike about it. My opinion is probably unimportant and useless, but I'll say anyway. It also varies how fixable my 'problems' are. 1) I LOATHE the segmented desks. Particularly the brown ones. At least join up all the brown ones please please please (like that HoS desk, come on, wouldn't there be a smacking great wooden desk instead of a few shitty small ones pushed up against each other?). And the grey front desk ones. (EDIT: oops, I was informed in deadchat and over here why that was, scratch that) 2) Everything, I think, is beautifully designed, except for (what I think is) the detective's office. It looks awkward and ugly. Especially considering detective being a traditionally 'stylish' role, it just doesn't fit. Please please shift around the furniture for maximum prettiness.

Illyrithea Mi-Un... … chooses to live with partial blindness in order to heighten her other senses. … sleeps underwater. … was given away before birth to a community of Altariser acolytes and missionaries. … speaks Tau Ceti Basic with a cheap, damaged speech synthesiser. … enjoys meditation and singing. … struggles with issues of vanity and social class.

You're right in a sense, Jakers. Perhaps it would have been better not to mention names at all for purposes of reducing the likelihood of incensing anyone, at least. But I'm not pussyfooting around in this application. I will not lie, omit relevant information, or go back on my observations for reasons like saving face. If someone chooses to retract their support because of that, then so be it.

W-Well I've been credited three times on this, but Quailius did all of it. I just gave a couple of pointers for where to look for inspiration. I relied on my judgement for the stuff about Aliose - seeing as it's mentioned literally once in barely any detail - so if anyone has gripes with that, yell at me and not him. This is one of the most real, developed, and lore-true backstories I've ever seen for an app. Despite never playing a round with the guy, his writing style is clearly up to and beyond the standard. His answers are as in-depth as possible. The flavourtext for Wulfe is well-written. Trust this guy with a Skrell. I implore you. +1 (HE EVEN DID THE 'TUP' THING GUYS. HE DID THE TUP THING. ISN'T THAT AWESOME.)

I did not dig at you. I implied you were sensitive, and despite this you got loredev. I'll say it more explicitly for you to really get the message across. Xander, you are sensitive. Your track record of over one year confirms it. And I'll explain my other non-dig. Sue is blunt. She also has a track record to support this. And guess what? Can't we bond over our mutual 'flaw'? I pointed it out not to insult you, but to show that sensitivity is not a dealbreaker for being on the lore team. I'm truly sorry that you did end up being insulted. I know that feel. We're both sensitive. Finally, answer your question, yes. I think I would be able to take that without being upset with the team.

Okay, everyone who's reading this. Listen up. This could be pretty valuable for you. When somebody is upset to the point of crying because of a problem they have, or feelings they're feeling, there are two ways to help. 1) Comfort them, reassure them, help them through the pain into a rational state of mind. 2) Try to seek a solution for their problem by rationally discussing the issue with them. Ideally, you would do both of those things, in that order. Most people are not so savvy as to use this heuristic. Dea went straight to 2. If you're crying your eyes out about something unrelated to being disagreed with, answer me this - would you react well to being disagreed with during said freakout? I highly doubt it. Your mind is irrational. It is clouded with pain, hurt, outrage, whatever overwhelming emotion(s) you're feeling. You need to clear the fog somehow by waiting, being comforted, whatever. This is the context in which I don't like disagreements. In day to day circumstances, I believe it is asking too much to expect somebody to be reasonable and receptive to criticism while they're bawling their eyes out. But that's just my opinion. Those private logs were brought into existence on the day of my only freakout ever recorded on forums - about Skrell related stuff. I was repeatedly pitching a suggestion that was not being acknowledged. Supposedly it was being discussed in lore chat, which I found out a while post-freakout. How was I supposed to know? I didn't. For all intents and purposes, I was being ignored. I was putting my heart and soul into elevating those stupid squishies into something more respectable, and I had zero acknowledgement. Of course I was upset and discouraged. I'm a sensitive person, too, with plenty of fucked up personal issues to boot (some of which happen to do with privacy violation, by the way, Dea). Is sensitivity a dealbreaker for a loredev? Considering Xander's recent ascension, I would not say so. I look to my precious, yet threadbare, internet support network in such moments for comfort. Just some internet hugs or words like 'it'll be okay' to help me get back on track and thinking objectively. From my post history, I believe anyone can see that I am capable of such things. I can even 'hold my own' against as well as have a pleasant, objective conversation with Sue, somebody I (and probably others) find jarringly blunt and intimidating. tl;dr - It Was One Time.

Ckey/BYOND Username: Crescentise. Position Being Applied For (coder, mapper, spriter): Lore person. Purple-text. Question-answerer. Inspirer. Developer of creative things. Past Experiences/Knowledge: I don't know how to work wikis. But I will learn. I am eager to do so. I've been an admin (no in-between moderator stage either, might I brag) and high-ranking position of IC power before on a popular forum arpee site. PM me for details. Examples of Past Work: A personal long-term world-building project. PM me for details. Preferred Mode of Communication (Skype, Steam, etc.): Skype. PM me for details. Additional Comments: Here are some things I want to work towards and, ideally, achieve: 1) Standardise the quality of writing on the wiki. Spell-check, grammar-check, sculpture of writing. This is what I do best. 2) Generally make the wiki a place to browse and get lost in with interest, not obligatorily wade through for a species whitelist application. This means more pretty pictures and hyperlink-words. Also deal with the standalone articles that aren't linked to, like, anywhere. 2) Increase the popularity of Skrell and Dionaea through interesting and up-to-date lore. 3) Increase the effective 'on-point'-ness of the lore team. There are many accepted lore canonisation applications that haven't been put on to the wiki yet, even the simple additions like Jakers' Unathi taxonomy. 4) Reduce any tension and problems, within reason, between the general playerbase and the lore team. Sorry if there is any offence taken. Goals are good. Being frank about problems is good. Please consider my application for the benefit of the lore, wiki, and community as a whole. Thanks for reading.

I want to know too. What is Aliose? We only know that it's a 'colder' place and you can be 'on' it. Is it a planet? Which system?

That's really great to hear, Neb, good luck! Eat some ice cream~

First of all, hilarious backstory. Second of all, need more Dionaea. Third of all, if you have an issue with Johnny's grammar just remember that he's foreign and it's also not representative of his ability as an arpee-er. Because I have been very very very impressed by the wide range of characters and sheer creativity that this player has put out there. He is also brilliant at engaging with other characters and fostering inclusive, non-cliquey arpee. +1

As it stands, lockers just aren't realistic. You go inside, and you can see everything as normal. That's mindblowingly silly for obvious reasons. When you get inside, you should have vastly reduced visual range. You should still be able to see a tiny bit, due to the slits on the locker. So, say, the range you'd get when under anaesthesia, or if you wanted more - as if you were wearing welding goggles. Hopefully this wouldn't be hard to implement.

Well sometimes you guys miss those issues so isn't it nice that I'm pointing them out well in advance?~ I knew from day one there's different special formatting involved with wiki stuff, right, I'm not daft. What I mean is - to fit a significant section into a table requires a lot of cutting down, minimisation, rewording. That's not just knowing formatting codes, it's being skillful with the sculpting of the writing. Hopefully somebody can do it.

Well, yeah, Nik. Why else would jackfractal be using the subpar name 'Shell'?

Alright. I'll put it straight out there - this is very dense and hard to read. I would not like to see it on the wiki in its current state. If you could somehow organise it a bit more - with tables, say, with headers like 'capacity', 'designation', you'd know better - it would be more digestible. Also you wrote 'is a common sight' twice. Using phrases/words too often isn't exactly bad, but to me it's jarring. There is more of a demand for well-written lore the more detailed and voluminous it gets. This was my feedback. Hopefully it is taken constructively and not offensively. Good luck~

I adore this, and it's objectively good for the reasons that Jamini stated. Also it's deliciously structured and formatted, making for a pretty wiki page. Please please this. +1

BYOND Key: Crescentise. Character Names: Luna Fountain, Vitaly Zheleznikov, Lola Ih-Na, Aryss Wolfe, Kiki Ranayyah, Neil Khatchadourian, tons of others who haven't even set foot in game a single time, help, someone adopt them. How long have you been playing on Aurora: Since December 2013. Species you are applying to play: Unathi. What color do you plan on making your first alien character (Dionaea & IPCs exempt): Out of the four main colours, I'd go with the brown-sand-yellow. Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: 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 specific race: Honestly, there has been a recent revival of Unathi interest and I'm easily influenced by others so I sort of want to get on that bandwagon a little. There are unique interactions to be had with my hypothetical Unathi, those of interest, and the rest of the crew. Or so I think. Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: You have to convert hardsuits, you are at an advantage in hand-to-hand combat. Only meat provides nutrition (arpee-wise). They have unique features to emote with – their scales, throats, tails, tongues being focal points. They have a brutal traditionalist stereotype, but a relatively untouched (player-base-wise) population of liberals. Why does this species in particular hold your interest? I think Jackboot did a very good job with the Unathi lore, despite the race themselves being essentially scaly anthros (or in their roots at least). There's plenty to be both guided and inspired from on the wiki page. Character Name: Deidreth Kaas. Please provide a short backstory for this character, approximately 2 paragraphs: The Kaas patriarch, Odolwa Kaas, was on the brink of raising his clan – its history short and peppered with cowardice - to new heights of status. He would fly with the brave crew on the first rocket to Ouere, and become a revered contributor to the legacy of the Unathi race. His abrupt death in the explosion propelled most of his kin to anguished and self-inflicted Guwandi. But not his wife, nor their young daughter Deidreth. They continued to waste away in their futureless lives on Moghes. Neetzara Kaas had always been a bitter and oppressed woman who poured all of her feelings into pottery and primitive sculpture. However, when the second Ouerean rocket was built, she was filled with hope but for a more practical reason than her late husband. She flew with Deidreth to help colonise Ouere, and they settled there as a nuclear family unit. A fraction of what their clan used to be, yet she correctly predicted it would be to their benefit. Where to start? The emphasis on equality was novel and liberating. Neetzara flourished into a renowned sculptress, leading an entire movement of art that even permeated Skrell and Human society with its tribal charm. The growing Deidreth saw art in kicking over her mother's work, rather than the works themselves. The influence of the Skrellian and Sol Alliance gave her technical education unparalleled on her homeworld, and cultivated her interest in, well... destruction. Deidreth had always wondered where exactly the Traditionalist Coalition of old had obtained their atomic weapons, and how they worked. What kind of fascinating – yesss, yesss, quite horrible, but neverthelesss fassscinating - hocus pocus could demolish an entire planet such that the very fabric of society unravelled? The young Unathi female went above and beyond her studies and proceeded to become a pioneering Plasma Researcher for NanoTrasen. What do you like about this character? I'd say she's fairly original as far as Unathi go. I mean, she's the least popular colour, gender, and department. I've also never seen another Ouerean Unathi. I am also fairly excited about using her to the benefit of Science – increasing its prominence as a department through her own vocal nature, having her interact with the crew on her breaks so that others know what a Scientist even looks like when they're not holed away doing research, bringing in departments with anything they could possibly have relative expertise with. How would you rate your role-playing ability? Decent. I'm an unwitting cliquemeister, but well-intentioned, creative, and always striving to improve. Notes: For the love of Nar'Sie, somebody clarify how Unathi sit down if they're reverse-jointed.

Welp, I won't lie, it's an application that doesn't necessarily meet the requirements. But Jakers is a good roleplayer, Miko being one of my favourite cats aboard. Afaik he started out on a bare bones level too, but now look what he is. Jakers just one of those people (like Tain) who prefer to develop their characters as they go. And we always need more Skrell. So +1.

Just because they're amphibians doesn't mean they're frog people... You can't stop me from calling them frog people. Ribbit.

Just because they're amphibians doesn't mean they're frog people...

Oh. Well then. I'll go hurt myself now for being dumb.

Overall, while the emotion transferral idea is pretty original, like Delta said, seeing it in practice would make me understand it/be more enthusiastic about it. I have two problems with it. First, the Classic Meh-Skrell Dilemma. That idea, to me at least, seems intrinsically less sparkly/attractive/advantageous than being able to break out of cuffs quick or resistance to brute or something (not that I am suggesting such for Skrell, just pointing out what other species have). Even though it technically is a mechanic, it doesn't feel like one because it is arpee-based due to the interpretation and uncertainty of it all. While I completely understand why the original Skrell Link isn't possible (because it's too OP), one of its main attractions was how advantageous it was. Second, it retcons the whole 'emotionless-seeming Skrell thing', if they're able to express emotions like that. Suddenly the constraints of Basic not having the tones of their language are gone, and they can pass on general moods to whoever. Easy peasy to express themselves now, in a basic way. While that in itself isn't a bad thing, one of their most defining characteristics - how they appear to other races - is gone. Their feel of alienation, gone. Do people mind this? Is this what we want? Thanks for acknowledging biolum stuff! I understand about having to wait. The fact that you will look into seriously implementing it makes me super happy. About the mucus. I would prefer it if it was an adrenaline boost, or an equivalent thereof. If it were toxic, wow, okay, so I use a cup on myself and collect the goop then throw it at somebody? Seems a bit clumsy to me. Whereas a little temporary hyperzine, just what someone suggested, would be more easy to feel as a mechanic. You get redtexted? You can get out of there quick. Lorewise, maybe it'd be something retained from their less sapient ages, being able to swim/move faster underwater if threatened. The only problem I could see is like... hitting yourself regularly to exploit it. So how else could it be implemented smoothly...? Sorry for the hard to read stream of consciousness. I really can't word today. Hopefully it's clear enough not to be ignored/misunderstood.