NG+7 Gael

Honestly, all for this. The criticisms section especially, I felt, really shows an understanding of what exactly is problematic in current lore, and I couldn't agree more with the assessment given. Also, the fact that this section included "the economy" makes me very happy, as this means seeing Alb as deputy loremaster could potentially mean seeing some form of economic lore in the future, which would be very good. That aside, the roadmap of solutions also looks promising, it is not focused on what any individual might do to fix the state of pieces of lore, but rather the fact that it will require more contributions from writers as a whole, as well as further organization of the wiki. Plus, Alb has experience in dealing with this sort of stuff already, so I'm pretty sure it would go well. +1

+1, the FBP lore is interesting, and everything involving the prosthetics themselves from maintenance to the cost and accessibility section are very good, and help ground something which is already a large part of many characters.

I'm genuinely surprised burn damage hasn't been nerfed already considering it's so strong and everyone knows it. I really think it should be nerfed significantly, and/or laser weaponry should be made more rare and replaced with ballistics.

terminally drone brained

Yeah, no thanks. If you decide to play secret, you're accepting the fact that you may be involved in combat, get injured, die, or otherwise end up interacting with "combat antags." RP is a joint effort, things will not go exactly as planned. This is true even for tabletop games with a small group of friends, let alone a ss13 server full of people. If you don't like what's happening in the round, you can cryo. People's idea of 'fun' is different, and I highly doubt many people here would want to remove combat antags. Also, cult can be really fun. It doesn't have to be a "kill everyone destroy everything summon evil god" gamemode just because the option exists. That seems to be something that's missing from this- the end goal of most of these rounds, even when they do turn into combat, is not the combat itself. The combat is generally just a consequence of whatever actions the antags were taking. Just because the antags have the option of combat, or end up in combat, does not mean that the entire point of the round was the combat. I would say team-based antags also have the most flexibility for interesting gimmicks, especially mercenary.

so true

I honestly don't see the point of the service manager. Service is already basically entirely autonomous and rarely requires command presence, and even if they for some reason do, the service manager still has to go to the XO or whoever else has real authority to actually get anything done. Plus, with XO losing cargo (though gaining bridge ops), they'll just have even more time for whatever service needs... it kinda seems a lot like QM 2.0 but with even less purpose to me, idk.

After a bit of consideration, I thiiink it's worth trying out? Worst case scenario it doesn't work out well and gets reverted, so... I think it's worth giving it a try for a little bit at least. See how it goes and all. That being said, I think Carver brought up a good point... ...with it potentially being harmful to pre-event rounds, since it may discourage people from playing during the round before the event... but, even then, I think that is a fairly niche concern imo and may be outweighed by the positives of having it for every other round.

Oh, that's fine. She wouldn't have been anyways, dreg + way under age requirement. Wasn't a char meant for that kinda stuff. Also just to clarify, as I just realized I may have worded that quote poorly, I meant that the character herself isn't a serious person, not that I'm not playing them seriously.

Fair, though as I mentioned to Triogenix, I really just don't like to sit in security considering there's often nobody else there, which means it's... boring. I know it leads to a delay in response for unlocking disruptors and getting stuff from the armoury, though, which is why I've been going back to investigator recently (plus there's actually other people playing warden recently). Of course, HoP is my main interest here, so I wouldn't have a specific "place" that I would need to be with them, which solves a lot of that. That being said, I know the app is for all of command, and as command (including HoP) I know I'm expected to be available when needed and relatively easy to find, and can say I would prioritize my job as command over other things, both as a character and as a player.

I'd assume it was the rounds? I don't sit in security, so I have to run up to wherever I'm needed, IE the brig or armoury when I'm playing warden, whenever something is happening. I do try to do my job quickly when needed as well, but it usually requires running across some amount of the station. That being said, Atiyah is also a very non-serious character. Regardless, I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the feedback.

BYOND key: CriticalDuck Character names: Currently played - Atiyah Hakim, Yelizaveta Caladius, Ka'Akaix'Miina K'lax How long have you been playing on Aurora?: Nearly 3 years on and off. 2 months for the current period of activity. Have you received any administrative actions? And how serious were they? Sort of, 3 minor warnings from back when I was new to ss13. Nothing else came of them. Can provide more info if needed. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph each. What do you think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff is, ingame?: I think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff in-game depends slightly on the individual role itself, but generally speaking I think their purpose is to primarily, of course, assist in driving good roleplay through use of their position, providing other characters with opportunities to interact with both the command player and other players in ways that would be more difficult, or impossible, without their position. In the case of Head of Personnel, this roleplay involves things such as reassignment and managing the crew, including promotions to interim command positions or demotions to staff who are acting out, as well as making sure to the best of their ability that all departments are functioning without issue, providing what they can to assist when necessary, including filling out empty roles if possible. Aside from this, another important OOC purpose would be helping players learn, whether they are new to ss13, the server, a job, or department. Another important part of command is helping to set the pace of a round, specifically when interacting with antags or events. Basically, their job is to make sure they do their best to help the round run smoothly and get crew involved in whatever roleplay opportunities are present. What do you think the OOC responsibilities of Whitelisted players are to other players, and how would you strive to uphold them?: I think a good part of the answer to this question coincides with the answer to the previous question. Namely, the idea that command players are meant to assist in providing good roleplay for other players and using their position to help drive the round, furthering whatever narrative is being presented, while doing what they can to provide interactions for both crew and non-crew. They should assist other players when they can, providing them with information or helping them learn roles if needed, or getting them set up with a member of their department for learning. As command, these players are also expected to have presence both within and outside of their department. In the case of Head of Personnel, I think this role generally offers the most freedom (aside from captain) to check in on departments and interact with the rest of the crew unhindered. Whitelisted players are also, of course, expected to be responsible with their position and set a good example for other players. Could you give us the gist of what is currently happening in Tau ceti and how it affected your character and their career? There is currently quite a bit happening in Tau Ceti, with the phoron shortage and the formation of the SCC, along with the other events that are being or have been run, including the most recent Ghosts of War event, which while not a major event to the galaxy as a whole, may leave lasting marks on certain characters. The current events revolving around the Vaurca, with the C'thur hive developing the Bulwarks, and the Zo'ra and K'lax hives obtaining their genetic code, is important to Miina, as being part of the K'lax hive means that they would expect more disputes with members of the C'thur than usual, and even possible violence, especially considering recent events in District 9. These events have led to further unrest amongst the hives. For Katya Caladius, as a member of command, she would be expected to help deal with any unrest between Vaurca under her jurisdiction that stem from these disputes. Being a Dominian in a command position also comes with a number of interesting obstacles, such as learning to work with IPCs, xenos, and augment/prosthetic-heavy cultures, which may vary in difficulty based on her individual beliefs. This difficulty is likely to be furthered by the formation of the SCC and eventual switch to a ship for NBT, as she is expected to balance upholding Dominian values and honour with performing the job required of her, and at the same time learning to adapt to cultures that may directly conflict with her own. At the same time, as the Head of Personnel, she would be expected to assist in solving disputes between crew while at least appearing to be as unbiased as possible. What roles do you plan on playing after the application is accepted? ATM just Head of Personnel, swapping to XO when NBT comes around. Maybe a consular. Have you familiarized yourself with the wiki pages for the command roles? Yes Characters you intend to use for command or have created for command. Include the job they will be taking: Katya Caladius - Head of Personnel Do you understand your whitelist is not permanent, and may be stripped following continuous administrative action? Yes Extra notes: GODDESS BLESS DOMINIA!

I still don't think service manager is a good idea considering how quartermaster is, and with this just being service QM.

I have been threatened and have no choice. Really though, most of my experience with them in-game comes from non-personal departmental interaction with Officer Kangala, and from what I've seen I believe they have played the Eridanian Suit angle well. They seem to be quite persistent about playing a Head of Staff, and I believe they would be able to uphold the purposes they stated in the OOC 'purpose' and 'responsibilities' sections. +1

I don't have a lot of personal experience interacting with their characters, but from what I've seen through indirect means, based on their Dominian HoP, I think they have a great high-effort roleplaying style that would fit well with any species they put work into. I also really like what I read on the roleplaying as a Human vs IPC section, and they seem to have a solid idea of what they want out of HIRO. +1

F

BYOND Key: My new key is CriticalDuck, soon-to-be old one is Duckeroo Character Names: Only one I play now is Xyvina Yuvi Species you are applying to play: Vaurca What color do you plan on making your first alien character: 11, 84, 31 Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yezzz 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: Well, more than anything, it's for the very different experience from playing a human. I do enjoy playing my humans and all, the familiarity and relatability is certainly enjoyable, but getting to look at the game from the perspective from probably the most alien race in the server would be a huge change of pace to the standard. It's also a largely underplayed race, apparently the most least played, moreso than even dionae, so I think it might be nice to get some additional active Vaurca around the station. Also so I can zzzzay zzzzzzz. Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: Well, there's a whole list of differences between the races from both mechanical and lore perspectives which bleeds into roleplay. I guess one of the most important differences would be the fact that, unlike the majority of humans, Vaurca, even as unbound, almost always work towards the benefit of their Hive and their queen's goals and ambitions first, rather than any sort of set of personal goals, though this doesn't mean that unbound lack personality or personal interests or beliefs. While they almost always put their queen's instructions and the Hive before themselves, they will still pursue their own interests outside of the queen's instructions, though even with this curiosity and exploration, their interests tend to be something that will benefit the Hive as a whole, rather than themselves. A large part of this comes down to Vaurca biology, with their birthing methods meaning that the Queens can develop their Vaurca as they choose, with a specific image and purpose in mind, though there are some like the K'lax who tend not to interfere with mutations and other developments unless they prove to be unproductive. The Vaurca's VR is also a major difference between Vaurca and Humans, as it plays a major role not only in their initial development and indoctrination into the Hive, but also throughout their lives, and even after, as they continue to live on in VR. Vaurca also tend to be very passive and lack the competitive nature often found in Humans. A good way to describe Vaurca when compared to Humans would have to be their natural (mostly) unwavering loyalty and focus on productivity and the improvement of their Hive above all else. Character Name: Ka'Akaix'Laoz K'lax Please provide a short backstory for this character Laoz is a very recent addition to the K'lax hive, born under the Iron Queen, Vetju, at this point being just over 2 years old. After the first 6 months of organ development, Laoz spent their 6 month training period in her VR, the Klo'vtak, learning proper Vaurcean mining and refinery techniques, along with neutron forge operation, and anything else that would be important for mining, as this was the purpose assigned to them by the hive. Following their training and release into the real world, Laoz was implanted with vocal augments in order to allow proper communication between the alien species that they would be working with, however due to the nature of their work, they received fairly low quality implants, resulting in some of the more common speech impediments (Soft S sounds as a harsh buzzing, PH and F type sounds as vh.) Having spent just about a year outside of VR by this point, Laoz is still extremely unfamiliar with the alien world around them, and often has difficulty understanding certain alien practices or cultures, with extreme difficulty understanding the nuances of general language, particularly among humans. However, despite this, they have taken a liking to certain cultural aspects which would not have originally be seen among the Vaurca, such as fashion and culinary efforts, though they still do not understand the purpose of these and views them as cultural anomalies. Like many born to the Iron Queen, Laoz shares a distrust of outsiders, though to a far lesser degree than many, often able to overcome it in order to gain new experiences or knowledge. Though Laoz lacks a deep understanding of Vaurcean history, especially the more specific parts of the K'lax's relationships with the other hives, like most Vaurca among their brood, they feel that the K'lax should push for independence from the Zo'ra, establishing themselves as a powerful and individual hive in the system they now call home, using their technological superiority to separate themselves from the hegemony. They believe that their role in this is working to assist in providing the hive with the funds and materials it needs to reestablish itself. Laoz also believes that their best chance at this would be contacting their homeworld, Sedantis I. What do you like about this character? Aside from the fact that they're not human and all of the initial differences that come with that, I think being able to play around with the exploration and ideas of an alien culture, especially being in their shoes, and the way they approach what to them is a relatively unknown system can make for some fun and interesting interactions. This character specifically was made to be fairly easily able to switch jobs with not too much background work, though I have like 2-3 other Vaurca character ideas as well that I would like to work on. For the specifics of this character, I think it would be fun to play someone who genuinely doesn't understand some of the interactions that other species may find common between each other based on the language they use and its intention, for example humour being lost on them. The character is also very young and has barely more than the experience they gained from their queen's VR, meaning that there is a lot for them to learn, and they have already shown an interest in certain aspects of other alien society such as cooking and fashion which allows for the development of personal interests in the crew and their lives. How would you rate your role-playing ability? I think it's a bit weird trying to rate my own rp, but I think I can do fairly well with certain characters, it just largely depends on the character itself, and it can just be kind of hard to find something I can really get into and may take some trial and error depending on how inspired I'm feeling. I do play tabletops, as well. Not too bad, solid 3.5/10 Notes: IT IZZZZ ILLEGAL TO REFUZZZZZZE VAURCA VVVVHORON IF VVEY NEED IT TO PREVENT ZZZZUVVVOCAZZZZION, IVVV YOU ARE A CHEMIZZZZZT DO NOT REFUZZZE VAURCA VVVVVHORON.

Gonna be a nice solid +1 from me for sure. I don't have experience interacting with their character prior to their RD trial, however the interactions I have had with them since they have become RD have been great. I think they play a scarab well, and based on the way they interact with the rest of the science team really give off a "resourceful" feel as well as seeming generally approachable while looking over the department with care. they also have a nice fashion sense The player themself also seems to be quite nice.

Big +1 from me, love the changes to OD values as well as the additional effects of ODing and mixing chemicals. Makes people put at least a bit more thought into how they handle and use different chemicals, plus probably giving chemists more to do based on whatever doctors request. Only real concern was the wiki being fully updated, but that seems to be getting taken care of, so I can't think of anything negative about this.

+1 John is a pretty fun character, think could be a good synthyboi

auto +1 from me, Lin is one of the sec players who is just about always fun and interesting to interact with, especially as an antag which really says something. I honestly can't list or think of any bad experiences I've had with this player, and I've never seen them have problems with others either.

I think it sounds like a good idea, would making nuking more interesting as well, rather than just boom u ded. More interesting round end whenever the nuke is used. Also, having it not affect things off the station itself would allow for a few people to evacuate, probably. Only thing against it that I think is a fairly good point is the sensitive data left on the station, and non-living things. I guess if a NT cleanup crew was sent anyways it wouldn't really matter though since it would likely all be recovered safely. People who managed to escape would probably be killed off after that or something. I dunno.

+1 Arlo good bot, always enjoyable to interact with, even when being rogue bad boi

Right- thank you again, much so. Very useful information, hopefully I can put it to good use. One question though, on the flash point- the goal is to hit the flashpoint while also packing in as many mols of each gas as possible, correct? But from what you said it sounds like you'd only want to get phoron to flashpoint temperature with as many mols as possible... wouldn't that cause it to NOT explode though? Don't you need to be at flashpoint AFTER the oxygen and phoron combine when the valve opens? That's what I thought, anyways, so correct me if I'm wrong.

Ah, that's unfortunate. Any specific reason why they're not on Aurora? I'm not too familiar with them but woulda liked to mess with them. And alright, so how are mols calculated then, if there's no way to check ingame? Also, when it comes to mols and temperature transfer, would an equal amount of mols of highly heated gas and extremely dense cold gas simply be additive? So, 100mol of 600c phoron combined with 100mol of -200c oxygen would come out as 400c? What are the calculations on this?