Shenaanigans

I can't say that I'm too familiar with your one character, we probably just haven't crossed paths, but I like this application! The Queendom is a piece of lore that I haven't seen used in a character backstory yet and that's a shame, because a culture where the strict gender roles of Unathi society are flipped on their head will absolutely produce characters that have interesting interactions with others of their race. I'd be very interested to see it played out in Drarak and your answers seem to convey a solid enough understanding of Unathi to portray this unique background well. +1 Questions are always great to show off a character, so, I'll pitch a few! What are Drarak's opinions on Unathi outside of the Queendom? Does he resent having to be subservient or does he accept it? Does he have any goals beyond working to support his family?

Exactly what I was thinking. If needing to write FT bothers someone so much they just troll with it then, well, HRP isn't really the right environment for them.

Agreed. It is true that you can glean a bit about someone's appearance from the sprite, but even a single sentence mentioning height, hair style, and body type (even if it's just to say "brown hair, brown eyes, average build") expands upon that a lot and makes me feel that someone didn't just roll a random character to mess around. This is a HRP server, you should at least put in the effort to jot down a brief description of your character.

I feel like this mechanic would fix most of the issues people are having with this proposal. There isn't really a reason for non-engineers (with the exception of janitor having a path to the crusher) to have access to maintenance off of code green, since ICly on your average day you're not looking out for suspicious people skulking in the tunnels (why would you when only engineers have access?), and I do agree that it's a major buzzkill for there to just be a rush to sweep all the contraband out of the tunnels at round start. Yeah maybe Joe Schmo will get their hands on a combat knife, but if they start self-antagging with it they'll get bwoinked and it's no longer a problem. Taking away all access to less than legal tools just because you think some dickwad will troll with them really isn't the right attitude for a role playing game where antags are meant to spice up a round, not get immediately shut down by ISD. Removing contraband entirely would also take away the freedom for antags to be resourceful with what they find in the tunnels and get a teensy bit more of an edge. But anyway, things get messy and there suddenly is real reasoning to think there's someone lurking in the tunnels? Boom, you're free to roam now. Access when you need it, none when you don't. EDIT: One thing I do disagree with though is letting Paramedics have code green maint access. They should go along with sec in that they typically don't, but it gets switched on at higher alert for similar reasons. No reason for people to bleeding out in the tunnels when they didn't have access in the first place.

I'm glad I've managed to convey a good knowledge base! As for your concerns I can absolutely try to address those and explain the decisions I made for her character. First off, a clarification on her response to mistreatment. Sreznai would almost never raise a formal complaint against another Unathi for this sort of thing since, as you said, it's the norm for the species and she'd probably be laughed off for creating an IR about it. She's also just a very independent sort of character who does not want to attract attention to herself from any authorities during her time on the Aurora, so when I mentioned that she'll act on being mistreated I meant that she will make it a personal, one-on-one confrontation where she makes it clear to whatever character she's interacting with that she's not the type to take it lying down. Aggressive posturing, that sort of thing; establishing a reputation for herself as being strong and anything but easy pickings for those looking to torment their local Guwan. I also don't really have any intention for her to go through any sort of "redemption arc" where she regains a Clan name. Sreznai was intended to be a character who broke the laws of Unathi honor and is now paying for it, just while trying to be such a menacing presence that it discourages people from messing with her. It's unlikely she'll do something so amazing as to earn a Clan name back and she isn't particularly seeking to do so as much as she's just trying to get by and live with her mistakes. As for why I went with a Guwan storyline for her in general, it was honestly just what fit with the concept I had come up with-- a fierce formal noble who wanted nothing to do with the life being set out for her. Within Unathi lore it naturally followed that she would end up a Guwan, having stomped all over honor and code, and I'm well aware of how she'll likely be treated simply for that. Being abrasive and unapologetic of course only makes things worse. I definitely did lean into that whole "unacceptable by Unathi standards" angle with the combination of her backstory and personality, but a big part of my desire to make Sreznai was having a character who could generate some interesting conflict with other characters. Maybe she'll manage to carve out some friendships among the distaste she attracts from the rest of her race, or maybe not, I'm interested to see what interactions she ends up having regardless.

I see Genevieve around often and she's always been RPd very well in my opinion, solidly the type of officer who prefers to talk and try to avoid instant laser fire which is especially good in an aspiring command player. So big +1 on the merits of being a capable RPer! Two(ish) months of play does seem like a very ambitious time to go for a command whitelist, in my opinion, but if you feel familiar enough with the game mechanics to begin tackling that mountain then I see no reason for there to not be a trial at least.

It's alright! Take your time. Also thank you to @geeves and @Screemers for the kind feedback, much appreciated.

I'd agree on room for exceptions. It seems like the sort of thing that needs to be presented with good justification, a "here's why my character would feasibly be working with the antags", along with the planning that goes in early round to decide on an antag gimmick. It'd be a shame to completely bar existing characters from doing this when it can certainly be done well.

I definitely see the reasoning behind why this sort of thing could be immersion breaking/would require good justification, but having witnessed the round where this just recently happened my only disagreement is that it sparked some really good RP. Having a character you know and worked with suddenly turn out to be colluding with raiders or leading a secret double life as a cyber ninja is dramatic, if a little far fetched and thus contained only to one round that's not canon. In my mind it can actually take a rather basic "raiders invade and steal stuff" premise and turn it into something chock full of interesting RP and character confrontations if a recognizable face is among the group. Plus a turncoat character using their familiarity as an advantage when antagging isn't harmful in my opinion, it would make for memorable role play.

Love how vividly colored the and shiny spites are. It'd also be really fun if/when you do get around to implementing them as crafting materials for something like jewelry, since aesthetic items are always fun, and it could provide a new motive for antags like raiders/mercs/traitors. Raid the mining area for their stocks of gems.

A little bow-tie. Or googly eyes.

I have to say, that dig at the tendency for Tragic Backstories(tm) on the Aurora? Got a solid laugh out of me. A+ Skrell lore is something I need to do more of a deep dive into before I would consider myself a good eye for a whitelist, but I really like the concept of a Skrell being befuddled by human emotion and thought in a profession where that sort of understanding is important and applying themselves to become an expert on bridging that gap. It sounds like something that gives you a lot of material to work with in RP. +1 One question, because I'm curious. You've mentioned Naali doing a lot of work to generate papers on the human psyche, but how have they applied their findings to help patients when they work one-on-one with them? Do they have any special techniques or approaches?

You did warn me, but I'm living on the edge and relying on Sreznai's backstory to be (hopefully) airtight enough to prove that I have enough understanding to handle it. Honestly the pressure of applying for a whitelist with her character concept has done wonders for making me really hammer out the details and make sure they're up to standard. Thanks for catching the glaring errors earlier lmao. 1) Spending an extended period of time out of Unathi dominated space really did give Sreznai a lot of exposure to the alien races she may have only seen rarely in passing on Moghes, and she has developed some opinions on them. Humans are... humans, extremely varied and hard to anticipate-- a little off putting in how so many of them advocate for personal achievement over a more collective, family oriented view --and she has met both ones who were helpful and kind as well as harsh and cruel, so she tends to take them as individuals. Skrell and Vaurca get a bit of a leery approach from her because they're just so strange, each in their own way, while Tajara are actually a race Sreznai feels some level of kinship with. A lot of them naturally crossed her path as refugees from the constant war on Adhomai and she liked to listen to their stories; their stratified society of nobles and sub-races was something she could relate to. 2) Avoidance, primarily. Sreznai became very reclusive during her time on the run and interacting with other Unathi while being evasive about her Clan name was bad enough, so having the target of being a true Guwan on her back definitely won't encourage her to be starting any conversations. She is, however, very touchy about being mistreated or looked down on for her Clanless status and is NOT afraid to get in someone's face if they try to push her around. The worst thing you could do when you have no laws or Clan protecting you on some random smuggler's ship is present yourself as weak, so she never takes it silently. 3) In general she just tries to continue upholding the doctrines of Sk'akh and live in a way that's considered "good" by the religion's teachings. Sreznai does, however, have this line of reasoning going that Sk'akh would not have given her a duty that was impossible to uphold-- which is what she viewed staying in a marriage where she was expected to be this mild, subservient housekeeper to be. Impossible. So the Goddess must have some other plan for her or, at the very least, won't punish her for failing to do something that was never possible in the first place for someone with a spirit like hers. 4) In line with the general opinion of those who follow Sk'akh: they're heretical religions. Cults. Self-mutilating fanatics. That sort of thing. She would probably react to meeting a member of either with a dismissive sort of disgust or more outright hostility if they try to preach their beliefs around her.

BYOND Key: Shenaanigans Character Names: Nasrin Knezevic (Gardener), Sloane Goldhirsch (Security Cadet), Eveleen Pawgi (Janitor), Tae Su-Yeongseon (Engineering Apprentice) Species you are applying to play: Unathi What color do you plan on making your first alien character?: Black Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes! Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question. Why do you wish to play this specific race?: I wish to play an Unathi because their information and lore grabs my attention the most out of any of the custom races. Also because lizard-snake people cool. They are a very detailed, nuanced species with a culture all their own and, in addition to just wanting something that’s totally different from playing a human, I really enjoy their honor based values systems, clearly differentiated social castes, and the way that becoming a part of the larger galactic stage has shaped their recent history. It all comes together to provide a massive amount of material to work with when creating character concepts, which can look wildly different depending on where they come from or how they fit into the race’s rigid pecking order. I’m looking forward to getting to explore each of the race’s subgroups and see myself creating multiple Unathi characters as this happens, since I already have some ideas brewing. Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: Physically, Unathi are set apart from humans in many, many ways that go beyond outward appearance. Unathi are a reptile based race, blending a mixture of lizard-like and snake-like characteristics, and as a result they have a different means of reproduction (laying eggs), dietary needs (meat only, with ethanol being toxic to them but carpotoxin not), temperature tolerances (increased heat, decreased cold), and physical appearance which is the most obvious bit. They have scales, horns, long tongues, and sharp teeth— all traits that humans do not. These traits all come together to impact the way an Unathi would be RPd versus a human, since their physical needs are unique and they would thus navigate the world in a way unique to their species. The way they speak and convey emotions— with hisses, growls, rattling scales, and thumping tails --is also not something you would RP in a human or any of the other alien races. Socially, Unathi likewise have plenty of traits that set them apart from humans. They have their own culture, shaped by thousands of years of existence before Unathi even came into contact with other species, and so their attitudes and reactions towards certain people and events would be focused through that cultural lens. They value one’s personal honor and duty to Clan above all else and typically strive to prove themselves in life so not only they will be seen as worthy, but the Clan they represent as well. This belief is why those unworthy of a Clan name are viewed as a lesser class all their own and why specific attitudes on marriage and gender roles have been formed. All of these attitudes, reinforced by culture and religion, are bound to affect how an Unathi interacts with the people they meet and draw the line between what is acceptable and not. Character Name: Sreznai Guwan (born Rezedan, formerly Kah’litz) Please provide a short backstory for this character: (it's not short.............. I apologize in advance) What do you like about this character?: I’ve grown to like Sreznai’s character concept a lot as I was creating it and thinking on the details of her backstory because I feel that it gives me a lot of interesting material to incorporate in regular RP. Her feelings on being a Guwan, effectively the lowest of the low to an Unathi, are very complicated— a mixture of guilt for the people she hurt in cutting herself off from Moghes, anger towards those who forced her hand, and a strange sort of pride that she was able to make it through all the hardships to win her freedom --and it’ll definitely make things interesting when her being Clanless is inevitably commented on. She’s very serious about being respected despite her low status and will fight to maintain that respect, believing that since she has no Clan name to draw honor from it has to all be won by her own deeds. There’s an interesting element of contradiction surrounding religion, too, as she is a dedicated follower of Sk’akh yet facing down the prospect of never being able to join the Great Spirit after death because of her misdeeds. Personality wise Sreznai is rude, aggressive, and stubborn beyond fault— traits that I see creating some fun clashes between characters and interesting responses to the drama that goes on in so many rounds. How would you rate your role-playing ability?: Around a 7/10. Role playing has been a hobby of mine for almost a decade now, so I do think that I’ve gotten quite good at writing and creating characters out of all that practice, but I’m well aware that I’m still new to SS13 and that being out of my comfort zone with the new medium is hindering me a bit. Something only practice and playing the game regularly will fix. Notes: As I mentioned at the tail end of her background, Sreznai will be a shaft miner! I may also try out cargo tech with her.

I poked around on Beestation for a few rounds before coming to Aurora and, while it was nice to not have the pressure of doing anything right because the station was advertised as a place for beginners, dear god I couldn't imagine trying to learn real jobs there. Good for getting a feel of general mechanics, terrifying otherwise because everyone wants to kill you including the mime. I didn't stick around long enough to see what the OOC culture was like in terms of getting help, but I'm a RPer at heart and the HRP environment just feels a lot less....... unpredictable.

I'm still new here myself, but I certainly wouldn't have guessed that Sinclair Khaing was new to the Head of Security role based on what I saw! They immediately took charge ICly with their character as soon as they entered the round, delegating tasks in an efficient way that kept the department occupied, and continued doing so even when things got a bit crazy due to ninjas warping about. Much more focused on dialogue and peaceful resolution than jumping into a firefight, too, so in my opinion they're doing a very good job of the HoS command role thus far. Have a +1!

Are you looking to change the service channel color too? That one's struck me as very similar to common/medical as well with the light green.