Loow

Hey there. Loow here. I don't mean to cause a conflict in this application, but it looks like a conversation has to start here one way or another. I see pavement, paint, and a whole lot of signs. What I don't see is a road with a clear direction. You have a step-by-step of how you would do something, but I don't see a lot about what you're interested in working on. I see you don't want to step on the toes of other lore sections and all that, and that's a good thing. But. You're being too darned cautious right now. What sort of things do you care about with regards to Aurora, its synthetics, current or past arcs, and the future of Synth lore? What do you think is "rad" and what do you like writing about? You have a good attitude, but I came here to see incendiary opinions, ridiculous pipe dreams, and all the other things that make reading interesting. If you don't have any opinions or passions, then what're you going to do with your six-step program? 01010011 01110100 01100101 01110000 00100000 01110101 01110000 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100111 01100001 01101101 01100101 00101110

Hey there. Loow here. I like your moxie, but I came here to be mean and ask questions. Mean questions. You've got some fun stuff here about caring about ss13, being new to the community, loving building worlds. That's all good, but I'm gonna go ahead and be "that guy" for a minute. What are you applying for? I had assumed this was for the current opening for a specific whitelisted race's deputy position, but I don't see any specifics here as to what this application was for. What's more, I think this app went up before the current opening was announced. All I see is "Deputy Lore Developer." So what're you in for?

Hey there. Loow here. I'll try and keep this relatively short. -Janitoria is rightful Head of Personnel clay. The Janitor should answer to the HoP. -I like the idea of having both janitors and custodians as [mention]Menown[/mention] has mentioned. That sounds closer to what people want of this ... "Custodial Engineer" anyway.

[mention]Kaed[/mention] got back to me! Right on! "I remember a time like Jackboot mentioned when we transitioned from your old code to bay. " I didn't make that code. I will admit that I wish I did. " There was much whining about security being crippled for antag hugboxing." That's some strong wording there, Jimbo. It kinda makes it seem like you don't take contrary opinions very well. That's fine, they catch a lot of people off guard. Some people even see them as a personal attack when they're usually anything but. Or maybe you just feel strongly about the pain-tasers. Or maybe Jackboot's been spinning the stories in an exaggerated way, like a showman weaving a yarn. That said, yeah there were a lot of people who weren't happy with the change. If memory serves at least. "This tool is so iconic and potent that it seems unimaginable to a traditionalist." I wouldn't exactly call myself a traditionalist. I have pushed for a new role to be added quite recently (Bio-Physician! Look it up). I wouldn't go as far as to call anyone who may have an issue with a possible change a traditionalist either. Sides are a lot like risque pictures: we could draw them all day and never get anything done. "Is that a less interesting alternative to you then the research director standing over an antagonist flashing them every 5 seconds until security arrives or a nearby engineer can cable cuff them?" I'm not particularly worried about interest as much as the viability of the flash as a tool and its usefulness for the average player. I thought my previous post got that across quite well. For what the tool does (stun), I feel it works well. Changing the flash (a common item) to something which does not carry out its intended purpose (stun) seems like an overreaction. Did something happen recently? Did someone get dragged out of some A+ chair RP by a gang of flash-toting assistants? Anyway. The stunbaton is essentially a much more effective flash without the blindness or sunglasses-weakness. I don't think taking the flash's stun away is going to get rid of "stunlocks" entirely from the game. Oh, I'm getting sidetracked. "And I completely reject your assertion that 'how it is now is how it needs to be'. " I don't believe I said that. I believe what I said was "This is a significant change against a tool which nearly anyone can get a hold of. A change which, I feel, would be for the worse." I'll admit, I like my wording better. I like to think it opened the points I laid out for debate quite nicely, but I don't really see many of my points being addressed here. Maybe I'll have to go back to the drawing board on that one. It seems like your interpretation follows the analogy of drawing sides all day and not getting anywhere. I do believe I pointed out some of the positives I saw in the current system, but maybe I did so poorly. I typically suggest looking at an opposing or supporting argument and taking a good look at it. Really wrap your head around the parts of the statement, then respond after you think you understand the points which are being made. I'll admit, I don't always take this advice. "Nope. I haven't forgotten that people besides security have flashes. " Wonderful. Let's carry on then. I don't believe I ever said you'd forgotten, nor did I even address you in my response. Strange, it seems I made points about a concept without addressing a single person in the discussion. I hoped to remind everyone reading about the flash's status as a somewhat commonly accessible tool, and I'm glad you've kept that detail into your heart. Let's remember that, because it's going to come up a lot. "Because that's what this item encourages in its state. A free, easy and repeatable stunlock. It's not fun for anyone except the people holding the flash." Keep in mind that flashes do burn out. I'll admit, a good, sturdy flash will probably do its user proud for a good altercation. I believe part of the appeal comes from the items simplicity and, as I've said many times, accessibility. It seems you didn't think to respond to the how I addressed the bulk of your argument. Let's take a look at it You'd originally said: "You flash a really bright light at someone, and they collapse... because... that's how the game mechanics work? I don't really understand the precedent for this working this way other than just 'because we wanted a cheap, easy disable'. Really, they should just cause temporary blindness, like they already do (maybe for longer?) but not make people magically get stunned by them. Is everyone on the station born epileptic? " That seemed like your big point. Basically saying that this My response to that was: "In this setting and game, we have laserguns, large mechs, and faster-than-light travel. I find it incredibly easy to believe that there is a device which stuns people and emits bright light." We can circle back to that topic if you like. It seems like you leaned on flashes not making sense scientifically (in a setting with aliens, faster than light travel, and wizards) when what you really meant to say that you didn't like the mechanics. I don't think scientific realism is really a part of your case that you hold onto very tightly, or at least, it shouldn't be. "I would much rather have a blind gunman firing wildly into the room trying to hit someone, or running into a wall because they just got blinded, then them sitting helplessly on the ground being flashed repeatedly for the next 30 seconds then being carted off to security in cuffs." This really undoes the whole point of the flash though, doesn't it? It's not strictly meant to escalate the situation, as you assert. it's meant to be a part of deescalation. You mention "why because mechanics say so?" and "magical" stuns. Well then let's look at why it might be like that. Rather than giving every staff member in need of protection a baton or force them to use a firearm, they have access to a non-lethal, easy to produce self-defense tool. It seems to have a very easily defined purpose with no magic involved at all. As to "why does light stun people?" well I feel it worth mentioning that light can be quite shocking. There's plenty of science and pseudoscience which could explain the phenomenon without being much more jarring than "sentient artificial intelligence" or our setting's faster than light travel. So it seems to be that you don't like that flashes stun because it's boring. That's the only sort of argument you seem to offer in your response. If you have trouble accepting when you botch an antag round, well, that's pretty understandable. It can be frustrating having all that work and careful planning fall apart because of a well-known defense tool. I know this may not be the best thing to say to someone as they grieve over their wasted potential, but the round isn't over yet. You can look forward or backward, but being mentally trapped in that stun is what makes a lot of people so frustrated. Pro-tip: Think forward. How can I, (the victim or antag) make this round work for me? Or think backward. If you're an antag, maybe the plan that got you caught by cautious RD wasn't so great? Maybe you should have guessed that the stranger following you in the maintenance tunnel might be up to something? Maybe avoiding being alone in dark, cramped places is a good idea? Maybe picking a fight with a cadet because he's a catperson isn't a great way to keep yourself from getting robusted? "If people really feel the desperate need to have an instant stun method, stun gloves and makeshift stun prods still exist in the code. They just require knowledge and resources to make, and have sharply limited times they can be used, instead of an infinite use easy to find item that almost every department can get." Reminder. Despite your assertions, flashes do burn out. They are not infinite. Maybe the code has changed and my understanding is flawed, but I believe that flashes are not as "infinite" as you've said. I've had flashes fail at key moments, and it's been quite the source of shenanigans. I highly recommend using them. Work or fail, they fill an interesting niche. Now let's look at a point you had that was pretty good, albeit short lived. "...why do we need to give people this ability?" The flash exists to be a cheap-and-easy stun. Less escalation than shooting or prodding someone with what is essentially a cattle-prod. I imagine quite a few people would hesitate to defend themselves with a firearm or beat-stick, but may be less intimidated by a more compact flash device. It's also painfully simple to counter if you're in a situation where you think you may get flashed (like breaking laws, doing antagonist things, attacking people). Get sunglasses. It's that easy. What if you're in a situation where you weren't exactly expecting to get flashed? What if you got ganked? Well, gank is one of those things which is typically against the rules. If you're in a situation where you might get flashed and you're not expecting it, then I hope there's been enough telegraphing by the antagonist beforehand so that you don't feel you've been cheated. I don't know about you, but I don't feel I'm "expected to either wear sunglasses all the time or just eat shit whenever they provoke anyone holding a flash." Most rounds and characters, I go without sunglasses. I just don't powergame that hard, i suppose. In terms of "eating shit", I pretty much accept that if I'm not wearing sunglasses, I'm not prepared to "provoke" someone with a flash. Interestingly enough, I got caught by an antag a while back (flash) and managed to have my character talk his way out of getting killed. Rather than getting supremely frustrated when this sort of thing happens, I suggest trying to figure out what your character would or could do to survive the situation. I'll again admit that I don't always take this advice. Actually, that quote makes a whole lot of sense. I guess you keep "provoking" people who have flashes. If you're doing it for antag reasons and your character knows a scrap is coming, maybe they should try to come up with a strategy that doesn't involve getting within flash-range. Otherwise, just stop "provoking" people in general. If your books get ruined every time they get wet, then stop swimming to the library. Let's change gears now. "Seriously, if you can give me a valid reason why a baton should be used in lieu of a flash on a generic character not wearing sunglasses, I'll support keeping the flash stunlock." [mention]alexpkeaton[/mention] If you're serious that it would only take one good reason for you to support the stun, then I hope this one works for you. Because hitting people with a baton makes you feel like a big, strong man. I'm serious. People who want to hit someone with a weapon will likely go for the weapon. It depends largely on the person, of course. If you want another reason: Because flashes burn out. That flash in your pocket might be good for what? Ten more flashes? Five? I'm not so sure that there's an easy way to tell. With a stunbaton, you can tell (more or less) exactly how much charge you have. You know that thing's got juice to spare. Flashed burn out. Spamming flashes even makes them burn out faster. But a baton? That's your trusty problem solver. You take care of her and keep an eye on that charge, she'll take good care of you. I've had flashed fail on me at awkward moments, but batons? Those are wicked reliable. Maybe someone (hoS/Captain/the victim of this harmbaton beating) will get more upset because a baton got used over the much-more-civilized flash, but the truth of the matter is that a baton is as trusty as it is robust.

Hey there. Loow here. I've seen a world where flashes don't stun. It's not pretty. The blinding effect on its own does very, very little. Virtually no one stops and goes "Ah I'm blind" in the cases I've seen. The nerfed-flashes do, as some have pointed out, encourage even more erratic and extreme behavior. Rather than putting a threat on the ground for a few moments, the flash would encourage sudden running, firing of weapons, attacks against nearby people. The stun effect should not be removed from flashes. In this setting and game, we have laserguns, large mechs, and faster-than-light travel. I find it incredibly easy to believe that there is a device which stuns people and emits bright light. Flashes are an integral part of the game, as some have pointed out. Security cyborgs rely on them heavily. They are conversely one of the few effective counters to cyborgs themselves. What's more, they are a relatively accessible tool. Heads get them, science can get a hold of them, etc. Removing the stun of a flash would mean removing a well known, common, and quite useful tool from the hands of characters across the station. This would not only hinder security and force them to escalate to other tools. Flashes are one of the few tools which can be acquired by antagonists regardless of position. Cargo technicians, scientists, heads, bartenders, and anyone with access to those people has a chance of getting a flash as a tool for their shot at antagonist actions. This isn't just an action against security, and I feel we should remember that. This is an offence against those who might knock security down a peg. This is an action against players who finally have a chance to play as an antagonist. This is a significant change against a tool which nearly anyone can get a hold of. A change which, I feel, would be for the worse.

Hey there. Loow here. I like aspects of this proposal, and I think we should seriously consider it. Giving virologists the chance to work with Chemistry would, in my mind, make the job seem more viable and friendly to at least some players. (If you're still learning virology, at least you have your familiarity with Chemistry to fall back on most rounds.) I also feel i would personally enjoy playing this. Chemistry has work it can choose to do every round, and this would add virology to the list of potential skills to master while still doing a useful job. (That is to say that virology is mostly useless unless there is an outbreak, but adding the option to work chemistry/medical-light would guarantee you have at least something you can contribute with.) I, personally, could believe the explanation that diseases sprout up super quickly, making the need for this job plain to see. We need someone on-staff who can respond to the sudden viruses which spontaneously mutate on our station. This would also explain why we suddenly get dramatic diseases during rounds. On switching the chem lab and lobby: It's be a rough change to get used to, but I think it's doable. There'd be less lobby-space, but it would mean an easy-to-access quarantine area immediately next to the entrance. This might be better than running the sick through the entirety of medical as quickly as possible. Of course, I can also understand just making a new role with access to both chemistry and virology. Would this also be considered a Research/Science position? I may be pushing my luck there. I hope this topic starts a nice discussion.

Hey there. Loow here. While I like the sprites, I find myself wondering how often this will come up. Is our :B:aymond :B:awkins the sort of stereotypical "proud father" who shows strangers pictures of his kids so that his death means more to them later in the round? I've always been an avid supporter of small talk and banal character details. Still. [mention]Sharp[/mention]. What makes you think that this item will fix the lack of depth you see with the character? Won't this be like shoveling dirt to try and fill in a hole that is really an endless void? Isn't it all just meaningless in the end? How do these pictures and these sprites make you feel? Why does it hold such weight to you? More importantly, why does this hold such weight to your character? I don't know, Sharp. Until I see some answers to these questions, I'm not sure I can say I approve of this. That and some horrible person keeps shilling this application across channels, so it's possible that their relentless manner has colored my impression to some extent.

Hey there. Loow here. [mention]Mofo1995[/mention] , you silly person. You just dropped an explosive bit of info in the last Royal Telegram. Straight up, a civil war almost happened off-screen. People were trying to ice each other for nobility bragging rights and parliament seats, and we find out about it once it's winding down. Like, I believe it mentions that there's around a thousand warrants still out for all the crazy stuff that went down in the Kingdom. How you gonna drop that and dead-ass ignore NKA life? Don't think you can, man. Hit me with that lore. Then there's the old PRA themes you need to remind people about. While we're at it, the ALA could use some non-war-related news. Gee, Mofo, it looks like all of the factions could use some love. Also for the love of all that's good, NKA articles. C'mon man. Royal Telegram.

Stop being a lazy cuss and write more articles about dance crazes. (haha could you imagine if I said that?)

Hey there. Loow here. [mention]Tomiix[/mention], your post is long and reminds me of Reddit. Sad. Seriously though, too long of an intro. One of us has to be the one who posts EZPZ posts. I see no bolded TL;DR either. Now that I've picked apart something meaningless with advice I myself would ignore, we can move on. "New Unathi Religion" is disgusting as a phrase. We already have Dominia, which involves a bastardized religion which Unathi influenced despite only being around for like 20 years. Dominia is gross. Let's move on. If you're gonna make a "new religion" it should either be an ANCIENT religion or a BASTARDIZATION brought upon by "recent" events. Also, holy heck, the stance you care about the most is "synths are cool." Sad. We've already had "aaaa are synths cool aaaa" as multiple plotlines, arcs, and an ongoing theme. We spent over a year hammering the question of synthetics so hard that now it feels bland and passe. Two entire playable races are almost completely about that very question in the eyes of many. Frankly, this seems more like stripping a bit of culture away from one of the races rather than adding much to it. Why don't we just all play humans? I don't like your idea. I think it is lame. I think Jackboot could like it because it is "literally any new content" and because it affords him space to let Unathi become major players in another market. I suggest going a different route. If your main kicker for a new religion is "oh yeah and they like robots" then miss me with that. Don't even bother. "So this is my first question, what do you feel about this? Do you think it would be fitting for a Unathi faction to be okay with prosthesis and synths in these fringe cases, and could believe that they could be home to a soul like a weapon could?" This idea couldn't be further out of my strike-zone. It's so far off-base that people in the stands are reaching to try and grab it and take it home. Frankly, I'm disappointed. "I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself." - Hayao Miyazaki The "aaa synths tho" question is so glaring that it distracts from any other good ideas you might have had. It seems the same can be said of the "gender question" you removed, which seems to have distracted quite a bit as well. In as few words as possible: "Bad job."

http://i.imgur.com/9D0IQsB.png Representative on Tau Ceti: “Star Still Shines” Editors note: Translated to Basic. Surprise and excitement can be seen in the faces of Skrell Representatives across the galaxy in the wake of Representative Lioquix Jrugl’Wliesh’s most recent speech. Representative Lioquix has headed diplomatic initiatives between the Nralakk Federation and the factions of the Tau Ceti system for the majority of his career, and left the system for the first time in over a year to speak at a public meeting of the Grand Council. Although he was speaking in his native Nral’Malic to a Skrell audience, the normally mild mannered Representative was strangely fervent in his speech and motions. The following is a transcript of his speech translated to Tau Ceti Basic. Certain liberties had to be taken with the original speech to get its meaning across in Tau Ceti Basic. “Forgive my jagged tone and mannerisms, people of Kal’lo. My time in Mendell has left me impassioned to such an extent that even distracted Human could sense my displeasure. I stand here in the light of Our Unifying Star not as a Representative of our lands, but as a citizen who has witnessed a cruel injustice to a distant star. The system of Tau Ceti lost a noticeable number of its Federation Representatives, leaving myself and two others to repair relations. These Skrell who left have gone on to serve admirably in other fronts, but still their positions remain vacant. I said then that this system is worth the attention of our Representatives. Still, the positions remained vacant. Human citizens on Biesel’s coastal city of Craterview saw a revival of their boating races, a tradition which harkens back to Humanity’s ancient days and reminds vigilant Skrell that we are not so different. This cultural display was its first occurrence in years, and footage of the event was made readily available throughout much of our space. However, the positions remain vacant. Corporation NanoTrasen worked with the people of Biesel to provide easier access to energy. This feat should have been hailed by the Representative system as a commendable initiative to improve the planet’s infrastructure, but only a few stood to congratulate them for their efforts. Even at this point, the positions remained vacant. What can be seen here is a regrettable product of our relative longevity. Although citizens display a vibrant culture, we are slow to forgive past indiscretions. Although factions give back to their community, we remember their mistakes. Spending time in Tau Ceti is a different experience. In my time there, I have seen much. I recall the faces I saw on space stations in Tau Ceti. Hard working individuals of many species working to better their lives and the lives of those around them. Whimsical strangers claiming to be magicians so that they may entertain people they do not know. Concerned medical professionals aiming worried glances at stubborn patients. Security officers standing firm when instincts tell them to run. These are the people who are hurt by lessened relations. Reports on the recent embargo were not printed in Tau Ceti Basic. Sol remains a treasured ally, but this small system should not be ignored to preserve relations. Do not give up on the small systems. Tau Ceti is important. Worth time. If you believe a star system can make a difference in the galaxy, then recognize Tau Ceti. Flaws are numerous, but culture is alive. Their star still shines.” In the hours following this speech, no less than five newly-vetted Representatives have already volunteered to fill the three vacant positions in the Tau Ceti system. Other Representatives have had a variety of responses ranging from vague congratulatory motions to statements agreeing with Representative Lioquix Jrugl’Wliesh outright. Representative Lioquix himself vows to make relations with the small, phoron-dependant Republic of Biesel warmer, so long as the star shines. With the wave of new assistants coming, it seems the emotive Representative will have plenty of help.

This is a little disappointing. Let's go through a blow-by-blow. 0. I acknowledge that I've seen the app and encourage Ezuo to seek feedback. 1.A few people stepped up to say they had faith in Ezuo, liked Ezuo's previous RP, and liked that there was a lot written in the bio. They spoke only in general terms about the character design. 2. I step in and point out that there is very little discussion about the character design/biography. I ping people who gave some feedback previously in the app and give not-so-subtle HINTS at the beginning, middle, and end of this message that it's very, very important. This goes as far as saying things like "I'd love to get some more perspectives on this character design" and underlining such phrases. The pings encouraged that people who responded to the app already should respond again, maybe with more insight onto the app itself. Nobody other than Ezuo, Mofo, or myself have posted multiple times in the app, pings or no. I even go as far as to talk about one thing I thought was "neat" in the character design in the hopes of sparking discussion. This doesn't prove very effective. 3. More feedback arrives, but it's just as "safe" and general as previous responses. 4. Mofo posts the best feedback in this entire application. He goes as far as to point out things he personally dislikes about the lore, the character's physical look, weak-points he sees in the character's design, a perceived lack of personality in the character, and more. He is, as some might say, cheeky about much of it. I was under the impression, upon reading this lengthy response, that Ezuo would be able to "handle it" and respond to some surprisingly valid critique appropriately. Mofo even shows he is self-aware of just how he's presenting many of his points. "I've been memeing without really being serious for most of my review, but in all seriousness, I feel like Xerei isn't really described here as a person but as a lifeless emotionless portrayal of a dedicated ideologue." 5. I draw attention to Mofo's post. 6. Mofo responds with appropriate meme response number 5. I'll be honest, this post didn't add much to the discussion as a whole, but it did help draw attention back up. 7. Ezuo responds to Mofo's feedback. Not too happily. Let's look at a rough description of Mofo's points next to Ezuo's responses. Reminder: This is the applicant's interaction with the one and only post which gave him any useful critique on his application. "A skrell's headtails have the same skin as the rest of the skrell..." Mofo is saying the head should not be a different color from the body. " It isn't too obvious in game, but side by side the difference is noticeable and the slightly darker head tails look much nicer." Ezuo says that having this discrepancy it isn't obvious and looks better, so he's doing it anyway. Mofo, in many words, points out that parts of the character's story seem rushed or don't make sense to him. Ezuo specifies what certain parts of his app were meant to convey, but does so while assuring readers that Mofo's feedback is simple or otherwise illegitimate or unimportant. Essentially, the "blame" for any misunderstandings is pushed away from Ezuo by Ezuo. Otherwise, some parts come off as defensive. Examples include "The app was already pretty long so I did need to cut out some bits, or just leave them as they were." "I was being flowery with my language when I said epiphany, since the basis for writing a good story is good use of language." "Also, I don't think being taught chemistry and a moral is enough of a reason to marry someone, it seems kind of shallow and short lived." I've never been a big fan of acting as the old-west tone-police, but there was one part that stuck out as a particularly red flag. "So you'd like to know more about the smaller details of Xerei's life? Well, I suggest that you... Find out ICly. Seriously though, your understanding and comprehension skills go right out the window when you drink. I really suggest being sober when trying to seriously analyse a big block of text." Evidently Mofo was sober enough to crack wise with a few jokes that went right over the applicant's head due to his (possibly offended) state. "Well why doesn't she just /marry him/?" Sober enough also to make some stellar commentary which is not just ignored, but snubbed. Ezuo, you could have picked apart your only source of feedback as harshly and with as much venom as you may have liked if you had only treated it as critique through-and-through. You really pull it together on the points which involve literal readings of your application and implied development of the character as an employee. Where you slack is anything involving making this character feel like a person. Take this paragraph here: "I dont believe in directly inputting all of those fine details into an application that is meant to show general backstory and understanding of the lore. If you want to find out what food she likes, or what music she listens to, then I think that you should interact with them ICly to find out. Whats the point in putting up every detail and blueprint of the character for everyone to see? Theres no development or intercharacter relationships built by doing that, and I would much rather people take the time ICly to find things out about a character. Besides, trying to insert details like that would be clunky at best, as I would have to shoehorn them in." This entire train of thought hinges on the assumption that your application is going to be accepted. That's a risk which, in my opinion, nobody should ever take. As far as I can tell, one person read your application. One person gave you in-depth feedback. You responded to technicalities regarding the character's life story readily, but there's not a person here. You didn't need to write a big all-encompassing personality chart with likes and dislikes. But something. Anything would have been a help. Mofo even came back to talk about your response to his feedback. He asserted how important he thought it was to take at least one part of the feedback seriously. As you read: Passion is something I look for. I don't have telepathy. The only way I have to see if someone genuinely cares about their character design or is just going through the motions is an applicant's application. I try and see if people care about their character design. There's a good map written here for a Skrell's professional career. There is not a person here. In the past, I have been completely turned around by how people respond to feedback for the better, with decent applications being carried by strong discussions. This application does not come across as a labor of love. If the existing feedback had been handled differently and/or if the app had more in-depth feedback to go off of and discuss, things might have gone differently. I suggest holding off for a while if you decide you want to apply again, Ezuo. You care about having a whitelist, yes, but it doesn't feel like you care about the character you've applied with. What if I'm wrong and you do care? What if you feel like this is the best character you've ever written and you think I totally missed the mark? This application was your chance to prove that. To show off. To make big statements and get a guarantee that at least one person would read it. As it stands, we don't even get a mention of Xerei's family other than to specify that she has no siblings. In any future applications, I suggest you don't be afraid to take chances and delve into what makes a character interesting to you. (Other than the size of their biography) Remember that it's not the end of the world, and that there's quite a bit of fun to be had on the station. Considering I was getting pings from Ezuo to accept this app within 3 days, I think this application has been open quite long enough. The biggest statements which could have helped this application have already been said, responded to by the applicant, and ignored. Application denied.

Just so you know, you did type +1 AND -1. [mention]Mofo1995[/mention]

I can't follow up that response. I just can't.

Hey there. Loow here. I really like this line: "Loow looked at it and gave me no feedback but 'The names are well done', so I'm pumped for it already." I wish every app could start off like this. Now let's talk about the app itself. I believe this is partly my fault. I encouraged a small amount of corruption ambiguity, or at least I thought I did. This app features a lot of it. A lot. Like, there's so much corruption in here. Either implied or outright stated. Let's count how many people in high command are corrupt, are rumored to be corrupt, or may have been brought in by virtue of nepotism (corruption). etc 1."Though these allegations were always present during his early years, no repercussions of investigations ever occurred, and during his ongoing tenure within the upper command in Kal’lo, no remotely legitimate claims of corruption have been put forward." 2 "...Joute has multiple times remarked on her exceptional aptitude. Rumours have recently arised considering her relationship with Grand Chancellor Jrugl, though they're only rumours." 3. "A mild-mannered figure that was subject to much stipulation upon her hiring, as she had next to no experience within the field of politics. " 4. (Maybe more) "The most controversial Justice in recent history. During process of selections by the newly appointed Chief Superintendant, there were two persons in the spotlight to be elected Supreme Justice: Koriilc’ni Bu-qorla and a certain rival of his; Kyerrini’aret Juol. However, only a week before the announcement for the position was to be released, Juol was found and charged with substance abuse and several related offenses, and within two days acquitted and found guilty by one of the Associate Justices (who was also a known friend of Bu-qorla’s)." 5. "Viil’iry is hardly known to attend meetings within the capital, normally residing in his home in Gli’morr where he delegates work to several personal attendants. Joute has himself voiced concern over the lack of actual work being done, but with re-election so close he has decided to pass up on finding any replacement." 6."Oversees all cities within the Tuz’qlip ocean. Nillep has been a longstanding friend of Joute since they entered the Lu’uriinq together as young adults. Nillep herself is unremarkable as a leader of official, with no controversy to speak of, but neither any great achievement." 7. "Yeelir is often seen as using her influence to steer Gfua’Qrsulf and Duivzliak’Qlip into greater standings than Kal’lo, directly against the best wishes of many upper officials." 8. "...something never seen before and the centre of much attention. Rez’iniir is a much unliked pick for the position, public ratings some of the lowest in the galaxy according to certain outlets. However he has retained power, and by all accounts has done much good work for his area." That's a pretty significant amount! Things I like about this app: 1. The structure of the police system. 2. Details surrounding how the system works. 3. The names of the officials and the fact that each has quite a bit of personality. Things I dislike about this app: 1. It depicts the majority of the police system's higher-ups as scandalous/corrupt. 2. The fact that my "Ja'loow" translates to mean "powerful ones". I think using my ckey as a word might be a bit much. 3. The high emphasis on corruption. Which is also the first thing I don't like about this app. All this said, the idea that there's intrigue in the homeworld's police system is pretty damn interesting. This app is open for comments. [mention]Muncorn[/mention] you've done some damn fine work. I'd like to tweak what you have here and include it in a page about planetary police systems in Skrell space. Thoughts?

I encourage anyone who plans on responding to this app from now on to actually read and respond to some aspects of the app's biography. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing so many people spring up to endorse an application without saying anything about the specifics of the applicant's character design. I value feedback, detailed feedback, much more highly than what I call "blank +1's" who don't tell much. That said, I'd like to thank [mention]Datamatt[/mention] and [mention]Mwahahahaha[/mention] for giving some insight into Ezuo's previous RP. Even if there wasn't much feedback about his character design. If anyone reading this has a detail about this app or bio they'd like to talk about, I encourage them to bring them up here. So let's talk about the character design for a moment. The character's name and the story behind it really jumped out at me. Xerei Quexan'Lii is quite the name, and it looks pretty good. I like what you have here about a professor teaching her a life lesson. In light of this, I have to make sure you know you have another option. Rather than just taking "Lii" as an addition, she could take the entire name. This would make her Xerei Quexan'Liixanri. This would be a perfectly reasonable name, and it would get across a huge honor to her professor. Just letting you know that's a valid option. That said, the whole "partial name for partial agreement" angle is a really strong story. I like this. A lot. A name addition with a story behind it that a Skrell feels strongly about? Good form. Very good form. You could say it's even the very intention of the name addition system. I really like how you've developed the character into her job as well. You seem to understand and enjoy working with quite a few themes in the Skrell lore. There's more to be said about this app, and I'd love to get some more perspectives on this character design.

Hey there. Loow here. I see you're taking a somewhat cheeky approach to the app. That's nice. Really japed and jived. Make sure you advertise the app and get feedback.

I see. Hmm. Let's forget the "duel ecologies" angle then. I don't want to /completely/ hijack Xrim. I can always throw that gimmick in elsewhere. Maybe into another system or something. I keep visualizing Xrim as "Adventure Island" in my mind. I typically picture Jargon as being a place of swamps, lots of swamps, mountainous ranges, potentially covered with tropical areas near the mid-areas. Then there's those tundra zones as well... Now I'm thinking about Jargon IV far too much. Let's run with your rain-forest vision. Maybe the significance of this place to Skrell and Skrell history is that it was one of the first places they found with such a rich alien ecosystem. So when it got discovered, it was kind of a big deal to study it. Thousands upon thousands of new species in the rain forests alone, and the whole planet has gained this sort of romantic reputation as a breath-taking wild land. Xrim could be synonymous in the minds of City-Skrell with stories of adventure and discovery! Maybe an inspirational place for xenobiologists and xenobotanists. (Let me know what you think of this reputation.) While we're at it, what kind of cities do you see this place having? It stands to reason that there /are/ cities on Xrim, of course. It's not all wilds. Domed-in structures strike me as a great option. Such things would serve to separate living areas and research facilities from the "vast untamed wilderness" of the alien environment outside. But maybe there are some open areas for tourists? Maybe it's fun to go on guided tours and hikes on Xrim? How's that sound, [mention]nursiekitty[/mention] ?

Hey there. Loow here. NK, I'm gonna follow the Sharp Tactic on this one. Ask questions, converse, get/give feedback. Then I'll paint a picture (read as: "ruin your vision") and see if you like it. For here and now, lemme know what you think about all this and fill me in on anything I might be missing about your vision for Xrim. For this, I'm pulling out the obscure lore. First thing's first. Do you want the colony to be new or old? It was originally a scientific endeavor, so I think it would fit in well as a newer colony. Here's a rough description, I suggest looking at the link above. BASICALLY THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF SKRELL COLONY: FIRST WAVE colonies. There's only a couple of them, and they're named in the link above. They're so well off and old that they're basically Jargon, but "less" cool. I think this option is a poor fit, as it would suggest that it's of HUGE importance in today's Federation. SECOND WAVE colonies sprouted up after the first. They're typically smaller and range from settlements which were intended to be permanent to more temporary things like research outposts or mining jobs. I think this is the best fit for Xrim. Next is The Traverse, which is the Skrellian frontier. Unlike the human frontier, it's heavily watched, documented, and patrolled by the shining star of the Federation. Also they may be tax havens and covered in red-tape, government resources, and growth initiatives. This one might work but it would imply that the place only got started in the last "few" (150 or so) years. Also you could argue there's a third wave between reunification and first contact with humanity, but I can't be asked to fight on that hill. Now about the "Skrell appeal" of Xrim. You seem to be working that Xrim is attractive because of its weather and such. Therefore, it became a place for research. Okay, now we get into weird territory. This 9 year cycle. These 2 warning types. What if we make it so that this planet, with its huge main landmass, has two vastly different ecosystems based on what time it is in that cycle. Think like our seasons, but so extreme that the ecology has evolved either to survive 9 years of hot/cold time or move fast enough to stay in its preferred weather zone. "In addition, some of Xrim's coasts are far from safe, sporting untarnished rockfaces and treacherous rock formations along the shores." So the extreme terrain, weather, weird ecology and animals/plants/etc are so "WOW" that Skrell settled the place in domes. I'll even throw in that the place is a common setting for stories. Let me know what you think about all this, [mention]nursiekitty[/mention], and feel free to banter or ramble. It's all useful.

Hey there. Loow here. I've been asked to give some honest opinions on this app by the applicant. I've been urged to "tear into" said app. I've been told to "go wild" here. Okay. Firstly, there's an old idea which I've always liked. The idea that staff positions are like a tech-tree or level-system on an rpg or turn-based game. Common strategies include using CCIA as a jumping-off point to reach other teams, etc. Personally, I started in lore, became a mod, and multiclassed so that I could be a mega-rare Loremin for a short time. Abosh fell into a classic trap by becoming an admin before going into lore, a stance which had been hard-coded to be impossible until recently. Abosh botched his build early on by going the headmin route (a well known dead-end of progression). A recent patch made his lore ambitions more viable, but I still find it disrespectful to the meta that he has interests and dreams. But I digress. Abosh has always been terribly easy to get along with, and it's somewhat off-putting. When I joined lore, it was because I was a loud, obnoxious upstart who assumed he could handle some themes pretty well. If Abosh wanted to be in lore, he should have been more immediately hostile to the current devs of his time and taken to insulting them personally. Rather than gradually bringing up concerns and feedback over time, he should have exploded into the scene suddenly, and with reckless abandon. All in all, he's really not handling this whole "lore" thing in the way self-entitled "outsiders" traditionally do. This in unsettling, and I think anyone responding to this app should consider such things. Moving on. Deputies, as they exist, are experimental, gross, and kind of scary. I foresee a lot of overreaching, big egos, and quality banter. I barely view "Human Lore Dev" as a position itself. I've traditionally held the belief that the position should be named, "A loredev who happens to work a lot on Humanity", but the phrase has failed to catch on. Zundy's hard work, willingness to let others chime in, and lack of metal gear references are some of the only things which are causing me to gradually respect the position, even if I do see it as accessory. With this in mind, I'm fairly certain that I'll see "Human Lore Deputies" as even more accessory. Like a necklace with little rings around it. Frankly, I can't apologize enough to anyone who wants this position. But never mind that. Abosh has offered interesting bits of feedback in the past. He once offered two apps for Skrell lore at the same time. After my initial rage at the sudden influx of work to be done passed, I found them to be quite interesting. He is able to take critique quite well from what I've seen so far. Frankly, if he can handle my sometimes mildly insulting banter, I'm sure he can handle being at "the bottom of the totem pole" in the lore chat. Typically, Admins who want to do lore-work are met with raised eyebrows. As legend says, their red-text and bwoink powers typically cause them to lose any sense of humility. I don't foresee this issue with Abosh. That said, much of his lore-philosophy aligns with mine, and he occasionally brings me joy by recognizing themes I write without being prompted. But I wasn't told to write nice things here, so let's not dwell on that. There's more to say on this app, as there always is. But that's a good start.

That's not a bad idea.

Hey there. Loow here. I appreciate some of the things which are being said here, but I don't quite appreciate the way it's being said. I want Coalf, and anyone reading this, to know that I understand quite a few of the frustrations which are being felt by players. Frustrations which Coalf talks about in this conversation. For vocalizing these and reminding me that things aren't ever "fixed", I'd like to give thanks. I appreciate the work Coalf has done, and I've found him to give useful feedback on several occasions. In this thread, he states that he'd like to see events on the station. Or rather, more little events which offer insight into what's going on in lore rather than occasional "bulks" (as he puts it) of many events where the lore suddenly takes a front seat. While I personally enjoy events and appreciate their use, I can understand having a "bad taste in my mouth" after events like the previous antag contest. That contest was interesting, but largely automated and imbalanced in favor of the anti-organic side. I'm choosing to interpret Coalf's hope to mean that he'd like more of the foreshadowing and intrigue, which can sometimes be seen in the lore, to instead be more prevalent in bimonthly or monthly events. To me, that sounds like it could be doable, if not somewhat difficult to pull off regularly. Frankly, I liked the last week of the antag contest. Every day featured events which impacted the way the whole situation played out. I personally found that to be more interesting than the automated system which had been going on previously. I think we should pat the dev team on the back for really coming through for us and allowing us to try things like the automated system, sol-based job positions, and other things which really made that last week work. I'd also like to thank the admins, mods, and players who made those events possible and influenced them. I digress. There's a lot to talk about in this thread, and I'd love if we could discuss it in a civil manner. Thank you for bringing this up, Coalf. Now I have to say that while I am glad this conversation started, I do not endorse this as an application. To put it simply, I've grown fond of our current loremaster. A long while ago, I harassed him in ways which could be considered downright insulting for how he handled certain themes. After some time, he asked me to send my thoughts to him via a PM. I did so in a way which was far more civil than I had previously done. Turns out he thrives off of feedback, and he continues to do so. He may not appreciate hostilities like the ones I originally gave him, but he's proven to be more than a little receptive to feedback. Jackboot also, from where I stand, works harder and more consistently than any loredev I've ever known. He has consistently been putting out content for those who enjoy lore. He's shown that he's capable of extending his creativity to all species in the lore, often for extended periods of time. He also pushes for events and comes up with ways to "shake things up" often enough that I sometimes find it annoying. Frankly, he's encouraging to those of us who put out lore. Or at the very least, he's encouraged me. Jackboot is a credit to the Lore Team. I understand that the lore, how players and characters interact with it, and its availability will continue to be issues going forward regardless of who's in charge. While I don't support your application for "head lore manager", Coalf, I want you to know that I appreciate what you're trying to say. There is a lot more work which needs to be done and will always need to be done. I hope this conversation can continue in a constructive manner, but I'd like to make sure it's known that I believe our current team is more than capable of cooperating and growing. Thank you for your time.

Dear Diary, -I recently posted a festive article about the upcoming holiday: April 1st. Be safe out there, warblers. https://forums.aurorastation.org/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=5161&p=90222#p90222 -I not so recently got some headway into wiki stuff like Martial Arts and Skrell locations other than Jargon. There are some WIP pages on the wiki, if anyone feels like peeking. I /hope/ stuff like this will help new applicants and players making new characters. -I've talked to other devs about a lot of stuff over the last few months. I let myself get a little distracted with it and from it. Future articles and plotlines. Then there's always my hodgepodge of notes and ideas. Maybe I should just focus? - I've seen a few words of interest and encouragement from the brave people of Aurora. If you're the sort to read the loredev diary entries, chances are good that you're one such person. Thank you. -There are a few older articles with some fun themes I'd like to revisit soon. Of course, there are always new ideas and new people to work with. I may even branch out of the warble zone again. -I'd like to post an article per month minimum during this new year. Let's see how that goes. Let's see if I can't usher in a new age. Glory to the Federation. Glory to scientific progress. Glory to organic life.

There's a good bit of feedback here, and there's quite a bit to read in the app. I appreciate the compliment, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that Skrell history is "richer" than human history. No matter what I, previous, or future writers might add... human history in real life is comes across as "stranger than fiction" to me. It's dense, it's zany, and it really happened. Good name. Doesn't abuse the apostrophe key. Doesn't throw shit-tons'OFADD-ons'on'Top Of'Each-Other. Don't start doing that. I'd be sad. Hold on there, Eager McBeaver. It's 2459/2460/#currentyear. "Many thousands of years" ago, the Skrell weren't in space. TBH, the whole "thousands of years ago" thing seems like a typo or a bad call. I /like/ to think that you actually looked at dates or at least got a rough estimation of years/centuries in the history of Skrell. I'm not gonna come out and /say/ that this one little detail calls into question whether you read any of the lore at all. I'm just gonna suggest that this is a typo and ask that you refresh your understanding of a few things. No biggie, I'm sure I've left some jarring typos as well. Maybe "hundreds" rather than thousands. I'm not gonna lie. I really like the bio here. I could go on. But I'll spare you for now. Maybe later, eh? Thanks to [mention]Datamatt[/mention] and the rest for giving feedback, and good on you for reacting to it. I look forward to seeing how this goes for you, sdtwbaj. There's some potential with Wren'Ishii here. Let's see how you do. Application Accepted.

There's not enough feedback, and the applicant didn't respond to or interact with what feedback there was. It's been long enough to assume that this is all we're going to get. Application denied.