icedcabbage

Back in the Golden Age of Aurora, the Library was graced with the honor of housing the Battlemonsters Vendor, allowing nerdy characters station-wide to waste their credits on rare card packs to give themselves an advantage in the greatest card game the Spur has ever seen, Battlemonsters. However, over the course of time, constant remapping has stolen this vendor from us, and thus I have come to demand its rightful return. There will be no compromises, give me Battlemonsters or give me death. In all seriousness, the vending machine for Battlemonsters was lost at some point in a library remap, and it has severely limited the ability for people to engage in this fun janky card game. We have a holodeck Battlemonsters arena and everything already, getting our vending machine back would allow these things to be used again!

Took the time to show a new player around, and that earns my +1

A great Vaurca player, one of my favorites. They are a good egg and this well written application shows that. +1 from me!

ATG consistently plays characters that are great to be around, and that is an incredibly rare and inspiring talent. As for their Operations Manager Seki Tau'ha'nor, from what I have seen they are calm, reasonable, and skilled at the department they are in, good stuff. While I cannot say I had the chance to dig into the values of the character themselves, these things are all good indicators of what I like to see in Command. I am excited to see what they do with this character, and I am proud to assert that whatever is done will be wonderful. This Command application has my.... +1

I think it is important to clarify that I do not want to mechanically nerf Security for the sake of antagonist. What I would like to achieve with a reduction to the Armory is not a reduction to Security's overall power. Afterall throughout this discussion it has been mentioned that Security's power comes not from pure guns, but both the logistical advantage of having the Crew on their side and the relative inexperience of Antagonists, which I agree with. I envision a future with a reduced Armory that has Security just as powerful as they are now, except this power is de-centralized, Security's power would come from their ability to function with other departments. I think this would make lesser used weapons like the .45, 9mm machine pistol, and energy carbine more integral too! Currently they are reduced to merely sidearms unless a Warden or Commander actively restricts what equipment their officers can use (which funnily enough serves a similar purpose to this suggestion). This kind of decentralization would encourage creativity and exploration of other lesser used weapons that Research, Operations, and Engineering has access to. Although Aurora does not have any physical barriers preventing Security from working with other departments, the fact that the Armory centralizes Security's power makes cooperation with departments beyond Medical very niche. There is little current reason to call upon Operations to make an Exosuit, or order interesting weapons, or for Research to produce interesting tools, we are losing out of interaction and variety through a powerful Armory. I will go further to say that this kind of inter-departmental cooperation is not unheard of. Often with Hivebots, Security, Engineering, and Medical work together to combat the threat collectively. This is not only just plain fun, it also fosters roleplay with all these different players coming together. There is joking, strategizing, and teamwork, the Hivebots create a tension throughout this interaction that is powerful and exactly what I seek in Aurora. This is why I wish to encourage inter-departmental play through the de-centralization of the power security wields, it simply makes things more enjoyable. I feel this is my primary goal, although I will admit that the original context of the argument was in regard to Antagonists

Introduction After an hour long discussion of the issue, I thought it would be best to create suggestion topic in order to better organize feedback, as the discussion grew to be sprawling. First though, what is Aurora's Security Dilemma? For the purposes of this suggestion, it is the careful balancing act that exists between Security and Antags. Give Security too much (or this case too powerful) equipment, and rounds that create conflict often result in Security destroying the antagonist, potentially limiting the ability for a gimmick to be completed, stifling the broader interaction between the Antag and Crew outside of Security. Give Security too little, and it becomes ineffective, unable to tangibly effect the round. I will present three broad topics discussed extensively in Discord. The Effect of a Powerful Security On Round Progression Security is in a unique position on Aurora as being on the forefront of Antag Interaction. Therefore, the ability of Security to 'end' the gimmick is greater than any other department. Ending a gimmick too early prevents the broader Crew (i.e. the majority of players) from enjoying the fun stories antagonist bring to the table, making rounds less engaging than they could be. When Security is too powerful, any hostile interaction becomes the end of the gimmick unless it is Group Antagonist or they pull an amazing display of robustness. This is, in my opinion, part of the reason On-Ship antagonists are favored far less than Off-Ship Group Antagonists. Not only are Group Antagonists less stressful, they provide a better opportunity for delivering a gimmick to the Whole Crew, not just Security. By making Security slightly less powerful on their own, 'weaker' antagonists can reach the crew with their gimmicks. Security Armor - In particular, Heavy Armor It is not understatement that the Armory Armor Security has access to is powerful. While Ablative, Ballistic, and Riot all serve niche roles, providing extensive protection against specific damages, Heavy Armor stands above the rest, its high, and more general, protection values make it the best choice in most situations. This armor is so effective that I have made myself avoid using any of these specialized armors. In my experience while wearing Heavy armor, I could be shot three times and not need any medical attention. Not only does this present a balancing issue in the pure mechanics of combat, but it removes many stakes from firefights and reduces the need for cooperation between Security and Medical. I believe that reducing this kind of group teamwork makes for a less fun game, let alone less tense. This same situation plays out when the Antagonist only has ballistic weapons, as Ballistic Armor makes the average Mall Cop immune to the idea of bullets. Security's access too many powerful weapons, nullifying the need for Inter-Departmental cooperation Security has access to: One PEAC, Four .45s, Two Machine Pistols, Two Energy Carbines, Two Laser Rifles, Two Shotguns, and Two Ballistic Rifles, a grand total of Fifteen Separate Guns along with ammunition. This is not say that there should be a reduction in the variety of fun weapons and equipment Security can use, only that perhaps some weapons should have to be ordered from Operations, produced by Research, or Assembled by Engineering. The fact that Security has access to so much eliminates the need to work with any of these other departments in all but the most dangerous situations. This is truly sad, and I would go far as to say giving Security too many weapons has actually reduced the variety of equipment they can enjoy. With less guns in the Armory, Security will be forced to try those experimental lasers Research has spent the round on, or work with the Machinist for a kick-ass exosuit, or chat with Operations for that Orion Express Gun Delivery, or even beg Engineering to assemble some firearms to bridge that deficit. Security having so weapons gives us less roleplay, less teamwork, and worst of all... less fun Conclusion (The Actual Suggestion) Although my opinion is always subject the change, my current cautious suggestion for The Armory is to tweak the armor values of Security's powerful array of specialized armors to allow more damage to go through, there-by increasing injuries and raising the stakes of being shot by an actual bullet. Further, and I admit this is more contentious, cutting the amount of weaponry (with the exception of small arms) in half, forcing Security to make a choice either accept less effective weaponry or go outside and mingle with the other departments for advanced and powerful equipment (I know, this would be a horrid reality). Since this is the beginnings of my cautious suggestion, I encourage feedback to better refine my broad goals into a more realistic and effective solution to the current Security Situation. I hope through careful balancing we can foster more roleplay, and interaction between players and the various departments.

I have expanded on the backstory and split it into two distinct sections for your viewing pleasure (With the intent of answering your questions). The first the backstory itself, and the second being the opinions of present-day Zilrq. I have also underlined their age in paragraph four, although that is subject to change if requested. Thank you both for your help in fine-tuning this backstory.

BYOND Ckey: Icedcabbage Discord username: Icedcabbage Character names: Skipup currently (although Elliot Keles, Asher, and Dennis Linton are some of my more well-known characters) Species you are applying to play: Skrell ------------------------------ General Whitelist Requirements What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: A light shade of blue Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: I have read the ancient texts. Why do you wish to play this species?: In my time on Aurorastation I have played many, many characters. I have played fistfuls of IPCs and mountains of humans, each improving on the last, and each trying to tell a story. I have had many successes, and many more failures with that, but as of late I find the stories I'm telling are a tad repetitive. That is why I am writing this, to expand the horizons on the stories I can tell, and bring all my roleplaying knowledge I have gathered to a new frontier. Skrell lore has peaked my interest, the nature of an empire built on the pursuit of knowledge yet so deeply wounded by it is something asking to be explored. Not to mention psionics itself, these Skrell are binded together by an invisible force, for better or worse. These concepts inspired me to wish to play these species, to write new stories I can be proud of, and morph these stories through interactions with others. What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: The most obvious difference would be psionics. Skrell are all united by it, and although they maintain individuality within it, this psionic influence has created a society that values its bonds far more than any other. The in-depth way Skrell relationships function is a testament to this, there are so many ways this species finds itself bonded with each other that goes far beyond what humans would normally imagine. This all blends with the pursuit of growth and discovery present throughout Skrell Society. This species is highly competitive, but it does not seek to prove anything through its competition, only to use it as a vessel to improve themselves. It is important to embrace and explore the nuance of this competitive spirit while roleplaying a Skrell. Another important distinction is the fact Skrell are hermaphrodites, in the context of roleplaying this gives Skrell an interesting avenue to explore the fluidity of their gender roles, a cultural concept that would be more or less foreign to the Skrell. This is not to say these are the only differences, but these are the ones that caught my attention as the most interesting distinctions. Character Application Character Name: Zilrq Kir'hular Write a backstory for your character. New Beginnings Like most of their species, Zilrq Kir'hular's existence was cause for celebration. The effects of X'Lu'oa still took its toll of course, Zilrq had no siblings, but their journey was not one to be traveled alone. Zilrq, like many others of their home, hatched a Xiialt Skrell to the frozen jewel of Aliose to the underground city of Azeq'iix'xlip. Following traditions Zilrq was tethered to their Qrri'myaq, a senior Nlomkala officer who took this duty seriously. From this young age, Zilrq rarely found themselves alone, there was much learning to be done, principles to be instilled, and ambitions to foster. Even in these rare moments of alone, there was always foreign thoughts and feelings that gleaned through their mind to keep Zilrq company. Zilrq took to their lessons well, learning the value of courage, determination, and rigor. As time went by on their snowy home, Zilrq was given a zeal for justice, the rule of law, and the stars. In The Shadow of Tragedy Zilrq grew up in the distant aftermath of the reign of Glorsh-Omega, however, there were plentiful reminders of the tragedy that befell Aliose. While most of the infrastructure of the planet may have been spared, the far harsher reality of the academic nature of Aliose being turned against their fellow citizens rests heavily on Zilrq's mind. Zilrq would never know the experience of having siblings, the forceful sterilization efforts took that away. While Zilrq may have a grim outlook on the part of Aliose in the reign of Glorsh-Omega, there is also an appreciation for Aliose role in the subversion of Glorsh-Omega. This harsh frozen world had a heart of courage instilled long ago, and for Zilrq's part, they love this frozen snowball. Emerging Conviction Even if Zilrq did not see the surface themselves, holomaps and treasured star charts became their favorite gifts. The lessons of Qeblak only furthered this interest, it was awe-inspiring for these majestic stars for unite together in a common purpose, and even if Zilrq struggled to grasp the Starkeepers explanations, and even as Zilrq found their psionics dwarfed by these guardians of the faith, they always returned for more lessons. This quickly became a central aspect of Zilrq, and it molded an wish to see these stars, to explore their many intricacies, and learn from the many denizens of the Spur that these stars guarded. To this end, Zilrq needed a way to leave their beloved home, to step beyond Azeq'iix'xlip, beyond Aliose, and beyond even the Federation Zilrq held dear. For this Zilrq saw one way forward. To The Present...Into The Future The Reefgardens came and went, and although Zilrq exceled in matters of civil literacy, galactic geography, and the basic sciences, Zilrq knew their path did not lead to an extensive time at depth college, the path before Zilrq was laid bare since their time with their Qrri'myaq. In order to have a chance at the stars, Zilrq applied to Xorom, and after service in various low-level security positions, Zilrq found the offer that they knew was a gift from the stars. Due to Xorom's partnership with Idris, Zilrq had the opportunity to enter their service under the Work Initiative Program and of course, they seized this opportunity. After bouncing around various assignments, Zilrq finds themselves at the edge of their dreams awaiting onboarding to the SCCV Horizon. Finally among the stars and foreign peers at-last, Zilrq, at the 'young' age of 64, ensured their social credit score of 5.61 was displayed properly, then stepped into their future. --------------------------------------------- Zilrq Opinions of Non-Skrell In Zilrq's time in the service of Xorom, and by extension Idris, they have met the various species of the Spur. In particular, Dionae and C'thur Vaurca made a dominant impression due to the nature of the Nralakk Federation. On Aliose, Diona make up the dominant force of the non-Skrell population and due to the nature of living on Aloise, Zilrq has developed a liking to these hardy star-faring beings. This is especially granted those collectives that follow Qeblak, truly joining Zilrq in their appreciation of the stars. In their own right, C'thur Vaurca have earned a reputable position in Zilrq's mind. These creatures engage in the same zealous appreciation for the rule of law, commands from their betters, and determination that Zilrq does. Although it is true that these working Vaurca often make poor partners for discussions of the stars, their meaning, and our place among them, Zilrq appreciates the service they provide. As for the rest of the species of the Spur, exluding Synthetics, Zilrq holds them as fellow explorers of a beautiful galaxy, and thus is happy to share bonds. Zilrq And Artificial Intelligence As a member of Idris, Zilrq finds themselves in increasing interaction with positronics on a regular a basis. Although initially cold to these dangerous creations of close-sighted humans, Zilrq has come to a more equitable understanding with them. Zilrq understands that these are intelligent tools of a developing species, and while Zilrq still holds reservations about fully bonding with his co-working ISUs and IRUs, Zilrq has developed a cautious appreciation for the work they do. Beyond that however, Zilrq is still uncomfortable with the notion of being monitored by an AI that controls all ship operations, and infact such a notion has put a dampener on Zilrq's enjoyment of exploring the stars. Zilrq And The Nralakk Federation Zilrq's upbringing not only gave them a respect for law and order, but a respect for the very government Zilrq is governed by. Zilrq, in leaving the Federation, hopes to continue their service to such a venerable and just government. This does not mean that Zilrq agrees with every measure conducted by it as Zilrq holds strong opinions on the Nralakk Federation recent measures in the Traverse. A respect for law and order is a double-edged sword, of course, and the Federation's yielding to the 'plight' of the Tertiary Numerical and their dissident Traverser supports brought much annoyance to Zilrq. They saw the Traverse Accords as a complete surrender, where does such a loss of authority end? In giving up this inch of ground, the Nralakk Federation opens the door to even more freedom movements, and Zilrq is immensely concerned by this, as it seems to be a sign of the deteriorating authority of the state. However, Zilrq yields that they are not more knowledgable than the officials that agreed to it, and thus accepts these accords as another rule of law. Zilrq And The Qeblak Constellations Zilrq's earlier mentorship gave them a tentative favorite Stormcloud, as it represented the ideals Zilrq's Qrri'myaq attempted to instill within them. over time, however, Zilrq developed an appreciation for a the Hatching Egg, a true representation of their journey into the stars and beyond. Zilrq And...Food? In the underground city of Azeq'iix'xlip, Zilrq developed an appreciation for the more obscure elements of Skrell Cuisine. In particular, Zilrq believes Masaraaq goes well on anything, and very much enjoys snacking on SkrellSnax, even if it fails to capture the flavor of fresh Masaraaq. Beyond that, Zilrq enjoys dyn like many other Skrell, and has developed a love for aqoliz due to its sweet nature. How has the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted your character? The Phoron Scarcity impacted Zilrq even in the Federation. Travel, especially for a secondary numerical like Zilrq, is already difficult but now the fastest form of space travel is quickly becoming far too expensive. Zilrq also was given an interesting opportunity to reflect by the events of the Synthetic Nightmare on Konyang. Zilrq is a loyal defender of the Federation, it instilled at an early age, so of course they adopt a questioning attitude to humanity's use of AI. However, Zilrq personally does not inflict blame on the infected positronics, after all, do you blame spacecraft when it breaks from poor maintenance? Zilrq came to realize that, perhaps, it was humanities carefree attitude about protecting their AIs that lead to this, not just the dangers of AI itself. How does your character view the megacorporation they work for? Idris is the bringer of dreams for Zilrq. Of course, Zilrq finds it humorous that they have to repeat the same phrase over and over again, as if their co-workers are too dull to remember it. These petty complaints aside of course, Zilrq is indebted to Idris for uplifting them from Aliose, although Zilrqe does care for their home dearly. Idris brought Zilrq to the stars, and for that, they could not be more overjoyed.

Fyni is great, and Elizabeth Joyce is no exception to that rule. They play a Captain that is actually worth following, and that is a very special trait. Skipup declares, "Aye Captain Joyce!" +1

I cannot pinpoint a moment where I haven't enjoyed an interaction with either of Maybelle's characters. With Kuhn they demonstrate restraint with letting antags do their gimmick and that is something you always look for in a Command Whitelist holder, to me it shows they have the roleplaying skill and respect for the game to further the round and assist in game progression. You get your +1

Appealing Personnel: Elliot Keles Specific Incident: 04/13/2465 Incident Action Taken as a Result: Demotion to Hanger Technician - three months duration, attendance in following courses: 1. Corporate Regulations And You - Seeing Each Regulation For What It Is And Understanding It 2. Importance of Subordination In The Workplace: How To Conduct Yourself With Your Superiors. This was altered from original action via appeal. Action Contested: Three month duration of demotion Reason For Contest: At the time of the submission of this appeal one month with have elapsed between the previous appeal of the punishment and nearly two months since the original action was taken. Over the course of this month period serving as a Hanger Technician in the Operations Department I have made many connections, shown my worth as an employee, and put the tools I have gathered through attendance in my courses to work. In addition to growing closer to my fellow workers I have developed a respect for all the superiors I have had the pleasure of working under, most substantially of this group is Captain Helena Artigas, who's leadership style is superb and my appreciation for their support during this suspension cannot be underscored. Thanks to this workplace leadership and my superiors in a work experience sense I have been able to blossom into very effective technician, gladly serving as a simple cog in a far grander machine. In this new assignment my courses proved indispensable, not only in conversing with my superiors but interacting with my co-workers. A calm and non-adversarial approached proved extremely effectively in succeeding in routine bounty collection, where simple petty grievances become a roadblock. Over these two months I have not infringed on any regulations, and on that note the clear reason for this appeal. I have worked the system and this punishment to my unique benefit as an employee, I appealed when necessary to ensure it remained effective and that is why it proved so effective. I was proactive during this process and that is why I am comfortable requesting an early return to my normal duties, as now more than ever I can be an extremely effective Officer. Additional Notes: None, thank you for your time.

Appealing Personnel: Elliot Keles Specific Incident: 04/13/2465 Incident Action taken as a result: Demotion to Librarian - three months duration, attendance in following courses: 1. Corporate Regulations And You - Seeing Each Regulation For What It Is And Understanding It 2. Importance of Subordination In The Workplace: How To Conduct Yourself With Your Superiors Action contested: Demotion to Librarian - three months duration Reasoning for contest: As the duration of my demotion is approaching its first month, twenty-six days at the time of appeal, I thought it fit to take stock on what is working and what isn't working with my punishment. I feel that this demotion has been as a whole ineffective as a means to correct my behavior. To illustrate this point, my other punishments by comparison have been exactly what I needed, a structured environment where I learn to better understand my work and how to work effectively with my superiors. Following this trend of reform, my demotion should give me a chance to apply these skills, however, it has not. I've been given a position where there is very little oversight, responsibility, or even social interaction with my co-workers. During my twenty-six days of working, I have only physically seen my supervisor once in my workplace, and although in hindsight I can see how I could've applied these new skills, in the present I simply cannot. Reflecting on all this, I know I have done wrong, and even by my own standards, my conduct was sloppy even from a charitable view. I wanted to contest this so that if accepted, I could be given a position that has real oversight and responsibilities for the practical use of my courses so my reform can be called effective upon its conclusion. Additional notes: I would like to note that this appeal is not necessarily an appeal of the demotion, rather the position I was demoted to.

I am in full support of this suggestion, beautifully written.

I love this idea, it gives the chance for RP in an area that rarely gets used. I also want to say before anyone says "there will be nothing to do" keep in mind we have the Chaplin and Librarian already, so there is a place for RP orientated roles.

The idea of the Antag Draft is that it only applies to voting, simply readying up and not voting will not place you into any pool you didn't select with your roles. In the best case of the Antag Draft in my opinion, You have to go out of your way to place a vote to be drafted.