Lucaken

This is not what my reply said. I am under no pretense that some people will undoutably be mad that borgs will be removed. The point was that so little seperates IPCs and borgs conceptually that we are better off removing them from the game itself and save ourselves the trouble of trying to fix something that is broken by its very definitions - their rulesets, lack of character and gameplay advantages make them worse IPCs without a whitelist, who also frequently take over the gameplay loop all by themselves. The fact that they have been largely abandoned in both lore and code is just further sign that even if they were to be kept, not much would be done to improve them. The qoute which you selected refers to the dynamic between roleplay and gameplay, not the entire argument about borgs. Please read my reply more carefully before insinuating that I do not care about people's opinion.

It's rather incredible how you manage to jump over some 3-pages worth of arguments with a single snarky comment over-generalising the issue and declaring you know exactly how to solve it. I suggest that you lose the snide attitude when engaging in this thread, because it makes it incredibly annoying to read anything you write, ignoring the ways in which you belittle the other side's arguments. You write this as if it's as easy as adding more 'guidelines', but the problem goes much deeper. Borgs are, per both what little lore they have hanging onto them and the mechanics they operate by in-game, worker-bots completely limited by the lawsets they operate within. Considering the massive gameplay advantages they get, it's no surprise people don't really like it when a borg swoops in and does everything their job is meant to do, faster, without many of the danger associated with it or even just the personal interactions that may come of it. "A borg has done the job, as equipment is expected to do, guess we better move on." This is ontop of the fact that adding anything more to borgs from a lore/conceptual perspective makes them start encroaching on IPCs. As I already described in my first post, whenever a borg goes out of their way to be more than their assigned rulesets, they might prove interesting to play with - but this is all being done in spite of their rules. Until removed, they will forever be in this timeless limbo where nobody wants to work on them and anybody wanting to play them have to bend their very concept to the point of breaking it. Easily the largest misconception you have throughout your entire argument is that roleplay supercedes gameplay. This is entirely wrong - it's not a matter of opinion. Gameplay and roleplay work in tandem to achieve a greater gameplay experience. If roleplay was all that ever mattered, we would all still be playing MUDs. Bulldozing over the concerns people have with how borgs affect the gameplay loop really just shows how out of touch you are with the actual game. Removing borgs isn't going to kill our server. Pretending that it will is just a weak attempt at overblowing the importance of borgs. Even if there were dozens of borg mains (there aren't), it's not like the server doesn't already have a variety of synthetic forms to play as - who, unlike borgs, get to be actual characters.

LORE DIARY ENTRY #20 This is a lore diary entry for September 2022 See below for changes to lore in this month! Major changes in the spoiler below! There's 1 General, 4 Human, 1 Vaurca and 2 Unathi entries. Medium-sized changes in the spoiler below! There's 1 Unathi entry. Small additional fluff in the spoiler below! There's 1 Tajara and 2 Skrell entries.

LORE DIARY ENTRY #19 This is a lore diary entry for August 2022 See below for changes to lore in this month! Major changes in the spoiler below! There's 1 General entry. Medium-sized changes in the spoiler below! There's 3 Skrell, 1 Vaurca and 1 Dionae entries. Small additional fluff in the spoiler below! There's 4 Tajara, 1 Unathi, 2 Skrell, 2 Vaurca and 1 Dionae entries.

From a lore perspective, borgs as a concept are incredibly annoying to deal with, as they defy boundries and the general rules we have. We could say they are under synthethic lore, but they are not linked to the whitelist. Packing them with the whitelist would be tricky because most IPCs and borgs are nothing alike - a player wanting access to just one would have to go through the other as well. This is ontop of the fact that they have very little lore that is not old and disused. Generally when something goes ignored in lore for this long, it's because there is little to no interest for updating/adding to it. We cannot and will not force writers to write about something they are not interested in, and so borgs are likely to remain in this limbo until they are changed. On a personal note, I find them incredibly dull to interact with. This isn't the fault of the people who play these borgs, as the role quite literally forces you into being an obedient servant with very little room for characterisation. You can make a borg who is enjoyable to others (see: the people in this thread saying they have had positive experiences) but this is in spite of the idea of borgs. They are, by the very definition of their rulesets, automated worker-bots who fill in the gaps for a few necessary functions. You cannot make a character out of that without pushing past their concept or essentially becoming an IPC - neither of which should be happening.

Apart from not having bridge access (very weird) I think all of these are fair. You should be able to kick out any advisor as Captain - it's your ship for the shift, you choose who to listen to and when. In this sense, Consulars and Reps fulfill the middle role between off duty Command and actual Command. A role that demans any more backseating, even if it can be ignored, will very quickly become hated - as the initial reactions to this thread are showing. Using that argument, I think more could be done to make Reps and Consulars be closer to this advisory role, and that would achieve most of what you're suggesting without upsetting too many people. How to do that development-wise is beyond me - I just know an entirely new role wouldn't be well recieved.

In my personal exprience, Consulars and Corporate Representatives generally fulfill the role you're describing. Certainly that is not their intended use, but if anyone wanted to be an advisor to Command, they are the closest to them while having no actual power. You also get the added benefit of, well, the rest of the role - representing and generally engaging with crew of the same or different faction. In comparison, I don't think a fulltime command advisor would see as much gameplay.

This was put up for discussion in one of the lore staff chats, and I will provide my frank opinion from that. Game time is not indicative of lore knowledge or roleplay ability. These are the main things a species whitelist application tests for. We aren't really interested in whether the player in question has 'gamesense' or famaliarity with the server's culture - contrary to a command or AI whitelist which gives an explicit and heavy responsibility of power over the round. Concerning 'general knowledge' new players are heavily encouraged to read through the new player guides by the server rules, and failure to read through the wiki generally means a chat with moderation. Some people (very few, mind you) are denied with the reasoning that they haven't been on the server long enough, which more often than not just means they need to be more confident in their roleplay and/or knowledge. The questions on the format are specifically designed to suss this out, hence why we have no required minimum for rounds played. There are very few cases where we actually need to ask for a round count, as again, you can generally tell when a player is not quite up to the standards we want.

BYOND key: lucaken Discord Username: Lucaken#8171 Character names: Leonid Myagmar Gentle Wind Over Turbulent Seas and Sands Yuhan Lyong-Haas Jean Biassou Raimi Kalleste How long have you been playing on Aurora?: Almost two years. Have you received any administrative actions? And how serious were they? None that I can see. What do you think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff is, ingame?: They provide in-game representation of the SCC's hierarchy, organize individual departments and provide much of the driving force of rounds. They are given tools and responsibilites to steer a round's narrative in concert with the antagonist. Command are also there to teach new players if needed in an organic, friendly manner - thus they are also expected to be familiar with the ins-and-outs of their department's respective mechanics. Lastly, they uphold the Corporate Regulations and the general status-quo of a corporate-owned vessel, with the expectation that it keeps the round flowing. What do you think the OOC responsibilities of Whitelisted players are to other players, and how would you strive to uphold them?: Command whitelistees are expected to be generally welcoming to everyone, but especially newer players. As mentioned above, should someone need mechanical assistance, Command staff need to be able to help in an organic way. They must also interact with antagonists in a way that leaves plenty of leeway for whatever gimmick they plan to do. I would personally aim to keep a cool head when playing Command, as Head of Staff have to keep a round moving even if something frustrating/difficult has happened. Could you give us the gist of what is currently happening in Tau ceti and how it affected your character and their career? Following the collapse of the Outer and Middle Rings of the Solarian Alliance, the Orion Spur has been thrown into a precarious economic downfall. The Phoron which fueled the great megacorporate empire of NanoTrasen has began to atrophy in what is known as the Phoron Scarcity. In reaction, the SCC is formed to centralize the power of the Chainlink. Now, the SCC has launched the Horizon, a flagship meant to wander the galaxy in search for as yet unused phoron deposits. Currently, the Horizon is caught in the middle of a trade war between the SCC and Elyra over certain deposits in the Valley Hale region. Santiago Herrera has had to face the most difficult decision of his life, despite a history of already rough hardship. The old Civil Guard veteran turned retirement-club police chief believes he had seen the writing on the wall the moment Ozdemir's battlegroup was dashed against astroids of Tau Ceti - San Collette, despite how bravely it has stood for so long, will eventually be taken by one power or another. Leaving his headstrong son behind in his former position, he flees with his wife and two daughters to Mendell City, where he puts his decades of experience into a profitable but hesitant corporate position. Hoping to support and protect the most valuable parts of his life, he works tirelessly against a tide of uncertainty. The empathetic collective that is Gentle Wind Over Turbulent Seas and Sands had expected a calm transition from their job aboard the Aurora to the Horizon. Their original goal, having travelled much of the Spur in the hope of helping as many forsaken souls as possible, has been partially slowed by their hardening bark. More than that, the aging, diverse collective has been growing displeased, too; and when an opportunity presented itself to lift them out of the comfortable seat of a psychologist, they took it. Now serving as a Chief Medical Officer, Gentle Wind works harder than ever to help ailing peoples of all kind. Katiana Pellegrin has come very far from her start as the last hope of an aging trade family. She grows up in the years tracing NanoTrasen's rise to dominance, and quickly begins to sees her life on Xanu Prime as a complete waste. Total freedom is total uncertainty, and the wars which bound her family to the Coalition have long since passed. Throwing everything away, she puts her all into climbing the corporate ladder, and in about thirty years time, she succeeds. Now a Captain of the SCC, Pellegrin watches carefully as all she's built up begins to rot at the bottom. As fortunes change and glimpses of a young frontier-loving girl resurface, Katiana is forced into spiral that may well consume her. What roles do you plan on playing after the application is accepted? Head of Security, Chief Medical Officer and Captain. Later on, after my application, I want to dip my toes into Liasion. Have you familiarized yourself with the wiki pages for the command roles? Yes. Characters you intend to use for command or have created for command. Include the job they will be taking.: Santiago Herrera - Head of Security Gentle Wind Over Turbulent Seas and Sands - Chief Medical Officer Katiana Pellegrin - Captain Do you understand your whitelist is not permanent, and may be stripped following continuous administrative action? Of course. Have you linked your byond account to the forums? Yes. Extra notes: Although I list Captain among the roles I may play during the trial, I will definitely try HoS and CMO first. If I find those two too difficult, I may withdraw the Captain section later on. Hope that is fine.

Looking back, my wording was definitely poor in the second half of my response. Said more clearly, I do not think it’s been enough time since those incidents for me to confidently recommend your application, because I haven’t directly seen the improvement I want. This is not your fault - it’s a matter of not enough time passing. The above and previous comments should not be taken as a seal of disapproval, however. I think you would make a wonderful addition to the team, but I have to voice my concerns as deputy loremaster, which in my view still stand as valid.

Before Caelphon's reply, I would have similarly pointed out your lack of written work, but thankfully this was quickly fixed. Although obviously unrefined, I think the document proves that you do indeed have the writing ability required for the job. My only other concern is the number of hats you will have to wear if you do become a writer. Others have harped on this fact already, but I'm going to reinforce it as the deputy loremaster - juggling this many positions is no joke, especially when responsibilites overlap. It's not just about managing burnout, it's also about knowing where one position starts and when it ends. I have faith in you both as a friend and a fellow staff member. But you should double-triple-quadriple check with yourself that this amount of responsibility is something you want and can handle.

Although your passion, skill and past work are undeniable, I find it very hard to support this application when I consider your background and attitude towards previous issues. Just as one example that I was involved in, I remember the player complaint that was lodged against you for defamatory statements when discussing Dionae. By the end of that complaint you vowed to never speak again on Dionae matters. I've said it before and I'll say it again - this is the wrong way to approach a problem, no matter how sincere you were. Being silent on an issue is not the same as improving your stance towards it, and it is exactly this kind of attitude that I don't want to see from a writer. This is not to say that I think you are beyond improvement or growing more mature. It would be very hypocritical for me to claim otherwise. Even if we weren't friends, I would still have faith in you and the quality of your work. It helps that the worst of these incidents are in the far past, but just like how not talking about a topic does not equate to bettering your opinion on it, a period of good behaviour is not necessarily evidence of improvement. As deputy loremaster, I would need very strong guarantees that you do not relapse, and actively try to work on your approach towards arguments that will undoubtedly come up as part of the team.

Article #1 of the Dreary Futures Arc Drones pick up signals NanoTrasen has announced, separate to the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, that its drones have located anomalous signals within Valley Hale. Spokesmen on behalf of NanoTrasen confirmed that the megacorporation has experimented with altering the technology present on the SCCV Horizon to be more compact, with the first prototypes of such technology being sent across the Orion Spur. Hope has been relit within the hearts of many, especially those impacted by the growing scarcity of the valuable mineral. Many have critiqued the megacorporation for prematurely announcing the discovery, some accusing them of doing so to increase the prices of their stocks, or merely to reignite the tensions between the Solarian Alliance and the Republic of Biesel. Other members of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate have not commented on the discovery, and our attempts to communicate with their spokesmen have been in vain. Date: 7/23/2464

LORE DIARY ENTRY #17 This is a lore diary entry for June 2022. See below for changes to lore in this month! Major changes in the spoiler below! There's 1 Unathi entry. Medium-sized changes in the spoiler below! There's 1 Tajara, 3 Skrell, and 1 Dionae entries. Small additional fluff in the spoiler below! There's 1 Tajara entry.

Application accepted. Remember to consume Vhoron in moderation.

Even though the Unathi section of this application is now invalid, I feel the need to clarify the following; if and when you have an issue with how your project has been handled by a respective lore team, it's not the best practice to make an application asking to be made the third deputy. Given that the application format asks you to read the regulations, you should have known this beforehand. Considering you rescinded that project following feedback, I am not sure why you expected to see a follow-up on it from the team. Lastly, basing your application solely on wanting to fix one personal project is not advised either. All in all, due to both your history and your reason for wanting to be wiki maintainer, I do not support this application.

I see your point, and the new belt is a lot more visible with all its gear, but I have seen cases where the jacket over it really distracts/hides it. I'd say the belt could easily be on the list I mentioned. The plate carrier in the meanwhile is a bit of a moot point, if sec is armouring up I'd say they're going to be very visible no matter what. I think the pre-approved list is the best compromise. Removing it completely is just opening the gates of Hades, like Omi said above me.

If I have to go out of my way to inspect someone to check if they're an officer, that is a problem. You really can't compare it and other departments in terms of 'fairness' because there is a very clear need for officers to be identifiable. If we can't come up with a reasonable, highly visible list of items that are required for an officer to wear to be indentified, then the rule shouldn't be changed.

…Wow, that is even worse than I thought. Everything I said goes double if it’s for every officer. If it didn’t fit for some of the more professional PMCs, It definitely doesn’t look right on Zavodskoi or Idris either!

Still not a big fan, for largely the same reasons. Even if they can be removed, people seem to keep it on (from my limited experience watching rounds), and that then relates to the issue of aesthetics. We could make it loadout toggle-able (a la labcoats) but then you just have two seperate hazard vests, one for PMCG and one...for everyone else. It's weird either way.

I really really don't like that pretty much every PMCG security member now wears a hazard vest. It may have been fitting for some of the rougher PMCs, but it's certainly not something that represents all of them. Somewhat like what Nienna said, I think the corporate uniforms should reflect a wide range ideals held up by their group, a sort of mostly blank canvas that players can then decorate with our frankly massive selection of clothes. What's particularly frustrating about the PMCG changes is that Himeans in specific have lore about wearing bright, hazard gear-y clothing as a fashion choice. Obviously they don't hold a monopoly on it, but it still feels awkward. I think we should definitely revert the uniforms in the case of the PMCG - if anybody misses the aesthetic, hazard vests are already available through the loadout.

As I discussed in previous questions here, I’m aware of my disadvantages as someone with no lore team experience. I can tell you now that I’m almost certainly going develop some new ideas the moment I’m in the position - it’s just natural once you get access to bigger team discussions, especially at a Loremaster level. To what degree is a trickier question. It would entirely depend on how far Caelphon has planned, and how the team receives me should I be chosen. As for whether I’d ‘soften’, it’s a matter of perspective. My ideas and plans might certainly change, but not my drive. I’m always going to be the kind of person that will push things if I feel they are wrong. That’s a big reason why I’ve applied in the first place, and I definitely don’t expect to see that part go away.

It's a bit hard to accurately say how one half of the community feels about another, but overall I would describe it as more positive than ever before. We have fresh writers who were regular players not so long ago, older writers who are respected and LTM is as directly involved with the community as needed. I have noted small disputes (see: Mars and Mictlan discussions) but from where I'm standing, I feel these small arguments are not what we need to be worried about, as I'll elaborate in a later question. I would be more worried if there was radio silence between the team and the community - I think that is always a much worse sign. I did call for something like this in the past, but it partially belongs to the list of ideas I've mulled over more. I do tend to critize the team for not being as open as they could, because I think it leads to the majority of those petty arguments that don't add much to the situation - plenty of which I've been in myself. On the other hand, it's understandable that the team cannot be as open as players often want. Plans and projects change in the matter of days, you can't exactly reveal much without spoiling things, and frankly, too much player feedback too early can often disrupt the flow of an idea. Going forward, I think the team needs to be open wherever they can be without compromising their own writing. Easier said than done, I realize, but I personally see myself advocating for more transparency whenever it is not detrimental. I was/still am a frequent critic of the lore, so I know fairly well what it feels like to be a player wanting to give honest and impactful feedback. I think that position has given me a lot of experience in what is and isn't a good way to give or respond to it, and by now I feel I am good enough at it to serve as deputy loremaster. That said, I think the most important thing to understand is that we need criticism from players, because even a big group like the lore team can fall to becoming a bubble. That's aside from the fact that ultimately, we are making the lore for the players. It can be hard to change our work based on someone else's word, but that's what you need to do for the lore to serve the players and their environment. When you view criticisms as a fundamental part of the process, without which your writing will stagnate, it all becomes easier to digest. As I hinted to in the previous question, allowing the public to have too much influence over a project as its being done can often de-rail things. The team exists to lead things, and it needs to remain flexible to make big decisions about that direction. Stressing over player feedback can and has messed up tons of other projects in my experience. That, however, does not mean we should disregard players entirely. We should simply focus on applying it once we are done with aa project, and if we cannot rectify it, we sould definitely keep it mind in future endevours.