NerdyVampire

Good luck on the application possibly-future AI colleague!

Hm I wouldn't mind it as long as the images upload to a shared server where they can (potentially) be reviewed by command/AI, like PDA messages can. The PDAs are company issue after all

I think canonicity is something that needs to be planned ahead to work well, I don't think it is something the pop should vote for each time. I prefer having the storyteller tell me if it is canon or not. I think it is indeed a sensible solution you are proposing, so why not? If we can get more canon rounds this way, which are usually great for engagement, I am all for it.

I am on the fence about it. On the one hand I wouldn't mind seeing an actual store that has the layout and feel of a store where you can buy basic necessities and stuff. Perhaps it could even be considered to give them some of the merchant mechanics for purchasing select items, like through a special supply-line exclusive to their merchanting license. On the other I fear it might overstep a bit with the chef & merchant, the former of which I already feel can be neglected by the crew by their location (like when everyone hangs around the central ring instead of visiting the service roles). It could be done with a departmental switcheroo.. I've long felt the library should be in a more discrete location for.. discrete meetings.

My issue is that the difference between visitor and passenger is minimal, only the absence of records and absence on the crew manifest. Doesn't really seem like enough to warrant a ghost role, unless the ghost role gets something special to it.

The visitor ghost role is a role that sometimes pops up, that tells you that you are visiting the Horizon for any reason, and that they don't have documents on you. That's just.. bland honestly, and the text doesn't really encourage doing anything dramatic with it. Imagine instead a role, where you get the text: "You are aboard the SCCV Horizon, but they don't know it yet. You might have stowed away by mistake (getting lost on a tour, falling SSD, boarded the wrong shuttle and not being properly checked...) or you might have intentionally boarded to escape trouble - for example a criminal background, Idris collectors or some otherwise unavoidable calamity.) Regardless, you are here now. You should either try to stay hidden and scrounge what food and drink you can, or make yourself known and hope the crew will accept you - at least for the foreseeable future. This is NOT an antagonist role, but you are allowed to concoct a criminal background to explain your presence - and deal with the consequences believably." Honestly I think this would make the role more interesting for all parties.

Yes, it was implemented but recently (~2-3 weeks ago) we talked about it on discord, and the developer of it realized that its configuration wasn't adjusted properly, so it couldn't actually fire at all. I think (hope) that they fixed/are fixing it so it can actually fire soon.

Back on the Aurora station it wasn't unheard of for the AI to launch an evacuation by a captain-level order, and AI's can still do so. But as we are now on the Horizon, an evacuation is a far more unique occurrence and is quite a bit more dire in implications. It makes more sense that command members should be able to order the AI to launch a distress beacon, through a captain-level decision, so I suggest adding an AI verb to that effect. I don't see any realistic possibility for abuse from this, from any party. It is just a reasonable addition that is subject to admin-scrutiny when used. It should come with the same warning/confirmation as the evac verb.

Hi, I played BUDDY in the round yesterday evening, and it's probably the only round I've played with your XO! I only got the side of you on comms, and cameras, so there's likely a lot about your character I missed, so take my constructive criticism with that in mind! You have a few things I think you should work on, but they are also things I think you can showcase in time for the end of your trial. I would focus on these and gather some positive feedback that you're on top of them going forward! Your responsibilities There was a very small service department and no bridge crew during most of this round, but there were still some things that seemed to fall through the cracks, that were really in your ballpark as XO. The hailing frequency is your responsibility as XO. Foreign vessels ask for docking permission from you. The responsibilities of other department heads do not cover this, but you are in charge of the bridge and docking permissions and off-ship communications are a bridge matter. It is only the captains if she takes it from you. You can/should offload most of this responsibility to bridge crewmen, but in their absence it falls to you. The same issue arose when the antags were asking for docking permissions, which should be a no-brainer, but which we look to you for as XO to approve. It shouldn't have to wait for the captain to do it personally. It was also a bit of an oddity that the captain was doing the shuttling to Konyang when an XO existed, but I expect it was an agreement for a good reason. Your communication It did not seem to me like you were present on the command channel at all, or that you kept yourself informed about what was going on. The gimmick involved crew finances and logically it would eventually involve their job positions, payment, etc. You should have been more involved, if not in-person due to your pizza-party, at least on the command comms to stay informed, and show us that you were informed and aware of your place in this. Frankly it was more logical that you would be leading the meeting. Alright, work on these and if I see your character again I'll drop a new feedback if it has improved

I wouldn't mind a longer lobby timer at all. Maybe a minute or two longer than it is now would hit the sweet spot.

Things are also a bit stale because we are disassociated from our missions. From the Horizon page, our mission is: "While detecting Phoron is considered the primary objective, there also exists secondary and even tertiary objectives in which the crew of the SCCV Horizon must attempt to accomplish - examples of which are investigating potential colony sites for the expansion of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate and the Republic of Biesel, as well as analysing deep space anomalies to uncover the mysteries of the Orion Spur, and hopefully unearthing additional information on why Phoron exists and why it has such a profound impact within the regions of which it is discovered." However, we can only really do these things in canon events. We don't have a long-range-Phoron detector that crew can operate to pin-point where mining should go, and there aren't really any deep space anomalies to analyze for science, other than that single bluespace river (which is cool in itself). My head-canon for our "practical" primary objectives are: [Security/Command] Further/protect corporate interests: We are the Horizon flagship. Despite claims that our security department is only for "internal" security, we hold a responsibility to all SCC facilities, vessels and interests in whatever sector we are in. This includes sites of interest such as crashed NT/Zavoidskoi/Idris vessels, to secure assets and to keep track of other SCC vessels and protect them however we can. That IS the main mission of the Horizon as I see it, and something command/bridge crew/security should prioritize immediately after our internal security situation. [Science] Document/gather anomalies: Science and its xeno-labs are here to investigate and profit off of anything "new" that the Horizon might encounter, this could be exotic plantlife, aliens or artifacts, or grand-scale anomalies like the bluespace river. It is the second most important thing the Horizon could do - we just need excuses to do it. [Operations] Exploit/Salvage: Phoron scarcity necessitates that we have active salvage teams and active mining teams. The department is crucial to keeping the Horizon fiscally viable and well-supplied, and if ever the Horizon does encounter Phoron, it will inevitably take a place as the most important department of all. [Engineering/Medical/Service] Support SCC personnel and vessels: Neither of these departments have any real mission outside of providing their services to the SCC crew and vessels. However it is also expected that they do provide these services on request. That means allowing other SCC vessels to dock for R&R, to provide medical and engineering aid when required as well. It might not be what was originally intended for the Horizon, but they honestly seem more realistic and true to what we actually do. If we want to make rounds a bit more interesting, I'd start by looking at those and implementing some things to strengthen our mission in practice.

This might be a derailment, but why not make this fully dynamic and make the captains' able to choose whether they are contracted with the SCC at all. Consider that the captain has a list of "presets" to choose from in an interface, and launching shoots an announcement to the Horizon or a fax to the bridge with a "heads up" about the type of vessel it is. This could then be tailored to each type, whether they are SCC, SCC-contracted, fully independent, potentially hostile, or downright wanted for crimes. Then the procedures for dealing with them falls to the Horizon bridge crew / command, from "make contact asap" to "provide supervision", "avoid if possible" and "engage to disable/arrest".

Thanks for the clarifications 👍 it helped!

I honestly didn't realize that there was something concrete for bio/bot to get off-ship. Is it different from what they can obtain from strange plants in cargo or gold slime extracts? This isn't an attempt at a counter argument, I'm just curious since I haven't seen that side of their jobs (for the same reasons you mention)

Actually, why give the freelancer any office at all? Seems an overinvestment for the SCC to accommodate a freelancer. Make them set-up shop in the vacant office or stay roaming with their little PDA and PAi, and continuously apologize to their interviewees for not being able to provide a private space.