Fyni

Me and Loorey have looked this over and it's a pretty clear case of powergaming mixed with OOC harassment, neither of which are acceptable on Aurora. If you are upset with someone's actions, it is better to talk to staff rather then get heated in OOC. Appropriate action has been taken, this complaint is now closed.

The point of this ban was because you were just fishing for antag spots, or playing ghost roles exclusively. It was not a week ban, else that is what would have been applied. It was a ban until you could show you were not doing this and were happy to play rounds as Horizon crew. Since then, you have played a single round on the Horizon during lowpop. I recommend you play more rounds aboard the Horizon to prove you are not adverse to none antag none ghost roles, and apply in no sooner then two weeks. If you disagree you're welcome to make a complaint.

Me and @Loorey will be handling this complaint.

Not at all. Security has the same number of slots as Engineer and Medical. It just so happens to get filled more often due to them having more interaction with antagonists and thus more likely to have out of the ordinary rounds. Also I'd like to clarify my pro "add SoP for Ody" idea: I'm not advocating for hard and fast rules, nor am I advocating paragraphs of text. I'm literally saying add a line similiar to the follow: "During away missions, provisions must be made for crew comfort, such as on site service and safe resting zones, except in the most dangerous of circumstances"

This complaint is been closed after talking to the character's player, who decided personally to delete the character. We always expect people to be considerate of other people's roleplay experience and act in a believable way IC. This will be locked in 24 hours if there are no further questions.

I truly believe in the vision of Odyssey as a way to involve the whole crew instead of having antagonists hogged by security like is often the case with merc or raiders etc. I know this because I've chatted with multiple people involved in it's creation about it. I think there are two solutions to this: 1. It comes down to the STs in charge as much as command. There needs to be a level of escalation and an effort to allow everyone to get involved in a gimmick up front - rounds can end in big shoot outs, or Spur changing actions, but they must at least start with an open door to as many people as possible. The command WL application should be ammended a little now it involves ST but also commanding Ody missions to include Ody, and a loud annoucement for current command WL players to know that some effort must be made to include the whole crew. It's a special unique game mode and people might not entirely understand. 2. An established, IC SoP for away missions. This gives characters something to point to IC to justify some odd ones ("why is the chef been sent to distress signal? Well the SoP says they should be on hand to serve survivors if possible" etc.) I wouldn't see this SoP as hard and fast "must do / follow rules!" but as a way to justify the intended openess of Ody rounds IC.

Kaizia is somewhat of an conflicted sinta, growing up in the heartlands as she did. The coup attempt by Unzi during her time at Baandr College of Spirits shook her faith a little, given she was extremely loyal to the Hegemony. The vacancy in the seat she felt was jutified, and the new call for elections left her worried. Azandar's stance which was to focus on Sk'akh over earthly politics was just the reassurance she needed, and been from a somewhat disadvantaged background saw his connection with the common sinta as another plus. She thanked Sk'akh for his election. She had some difficulty at first with aliens. While she had been around humans before, and even met a Skrell, she had largely spent time around other unathi. However she had some extra training on working with none unathi bodies (medically), and has gone into the Horizon hoping to learn more on what makes them tick - particually humans and skrell, given how much they are involved on Moghes. She is thankful her role does not interact often with synthetics (and tries to avoid them where she can), and thankful that she does not have to worry about installing augmetics too (a surgeon's job.)

More suggestions: Cancelling of hostile mob events (Grems, Hivebots) on Ody rounds - this can be highly disruptive and an excuse for holding sec, med and eng back. A "STRAP IN NOW WE'RE DEPARTING IN 10 SECONDS" button on the Intrepid which broadcasts to everyone on the Intrepid, annoucement size.

It's more it's unusual a cargo room is so deep into the Intrepid, and I foresee stuff been dumped in the central "hallway" given the chance, potentially creating those one square chokepoints that this remap is designed to beat. The exterior shutter would make it faster to load / unload cargo while also meaning it can be used as a room to aid the mission AND provide faster access to medical. I know the concerns with venting the Intrepid, but the inside door to the cargo area will limit the breach most of the time.

It'd be a shame to see the custom sprite go but I see why it's tricky to keep. If this remap goes through I'd like to see the Canary and Spark sprite go so we can have consistancy. As for the remap itself: I'd like for the cargo area to have a seperate shutter (only openable from the inside) to open up the side of the Interpid maybe - allow the field kitchen you propose to serve without people tramping through the whole shuttle, and allow quicker unloads too. It'd be somewhat like the "open" back of the Spark, but with closing shutters. I also like on the current Intrepid you can shutter off the rear and front half - this is helpful for dealing with a variety of (IC) issues and would like to see this remain in the new one.

BYOND Ckey: Fyni Discord username: Fyni Character names: I’ve played a lot of characters semi regularly, however most people will know: Rhea Volvalaad (Investigator) Elizabeth Joyce (Captain) Hilda Vestergaard (Security Officer now Paramedic) Ekaterina Belova (Engineer) Hazel #S-H8.11 (Chef) Species you are applying to play: Unathi ------------------------------ What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: #980606 – S’th Berry Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Yes Why do you wish to play this species?: I wanted to get this WL during the last event, seeing Unathi areas– and especially AFTER the event ironically, with the final banquet. Unathi are an interesting take on the “warrior / honour” culture trope which is pretty common in all sorts of storytelling. Instead of playing it straight, numerous “dishonourable” elements exist which give room for plenty of character ideas. I also have a soft spot for lords and lessers in roleplay – I play a Dominion, but I feel Unathi have a different angle on it. What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: There is the “Biological” / mechanical differences – eating fun meaty things, that sprint. But more importantly, there is the mindset to get into – that feudal culture, the honour but also the theology and understands of gender. ------------------------------ Character Application Character Name: Kaizia Akranis, (Medical Intern) Write a backstory for your character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived to the SCCV Horizon. You have not sought her help, of whose soft grace, For the like loss, I have her sovereign aid And rest myself content. -The Tempest, Act V Scene I (I couldn't help myself after reading all those Tempest quotes in New Blades Old Wounds) A energetic Sinta, Kaizia was born to war in 2438 in Imas’hi to a clan in decline. Not even a child proper when nuclear war reduced Moghes to its current state, he grew up in the literal fallout of this devastating conflict, surronded by a community and clan beyond supportive of the Hegemon even as the war grounb on. This loyalty only became more engrained as he benefitted the most from the Hegemony's ascent, living in the Heartland. As he grew older he turned to Sk’akh after the death of many male Unathi of his clan in the fighting. While his clan was not one to run a church, he never less sought out guidance from a young age as the war still raged, drawn to Sk’akh’s aspect as the warrior Mukari. Great dreams of fighting in the name of the Hegemon and killing the traditionalists responsible for the deaths in his clan always filled his idle time between school and helping at the church, where he gained a reputation as a reliable and faithful child. While his clan was never wealthy, These dreams came to an end when the war did, just as he was on the verge of his teenage years. A keen a diligent worker as a youth in the church, and an attentive student in the heartland’s excellent education system, Kaizia got lucky and was sponsored by a similarly faithful noble who chanced to be visiting the church. Seeing promise in the now teenaged Kaizia, he was offered a place at the Baandr College of Spirits to seek a future in the church. Kaizia had been contemplating the post war Moghes as his teenage years came to a close and a bright (personal) future loomed. More and more, he put aside thought of revenge against a now mostly shattered enemy, and instead decided to study under the mantle of the healer, Simi. With the priest of the church he has spent many years helping at alongside visiting peers, Kaizia transcended the sublime barrier and dedicated herself going forward to the arts of healing, not war – now in all respects a female to herself and other sinta. Kaizia’s time at the college was productive but uneventful, attaining her Mastery of Sacred Theology in their late 20s. Near the end of her course, she started to become involved in church politics, learning from priests and nobles alike when the High Priest Unzi’s attempted coup failed. Torn between a life long loyalty to the Hegemon and to Sk’akh, Kaizia became sceptical of the upper ranks of the church, and the continued absence of a High Priest does not concern them. After becoming a peer with the help of the same noble which sponsored her place at the college, Kaizia began travelling the Moghes and the wasteland to practice both her healing arts and spread the word of Sk’akh. How has the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted your character? More recently, Kaizia has had some hope for Moghes as the rebuilding effort picks up pace. However, the outbreak of conflict by the rebel Lord Izaku brought memories of her childhood to her – this was war once more, and she would do her part, loyal to the Hegemony still and forever. Travelling to near Mudki, she one more applied her healing skills and preached in equal measure, often treating warrior of the Isweski as a preference. As the walls fell and the rebel Izaku was executed, Kaizia felt even more loyal to the Hegemon – she considered the rebel lord as ignorant, risking Moghes future with the rebuilding effort for selfish personal gain, and the Hegemon’s swift action as justified. With the brief outbreak of war stretching their skills to their limits, Kaizia felt the ultimate test ahead: time abroad, off Moghes even to bring an end to her peership. Remembering the Horizon’s roll recently, she sought employment through the Hegemony to work aboard the SCC’s flagship. How does your character view the megacorporation they work for? Through her desire to get aboard the Horizon, Kaizia signed up for a short contract with Sekhmet Intergalactic. The trip to Sol to spend time at the PMC academy on Eridani was the first step into a new world, though she found the managers above her to be stuffy, with focuses in the wrong places. The more she learnt, the more she came to think of the PMCG as a whole to be opportunistic and honourless, somewhat ironic given her using them as a gateway to her travels.

Hey Geno. I have personally seen you ghost out multiple times when it’s clear you’ve not rolled antag, and the same when a ST starts to propose a none violent Ody round. While this could be a coincidence, it seems to always happen at round start when you don’t roll, and it is lucky you do not suffer the same problem when you do roll antag. This is something of a trend, which is why the ban was placed. if you are having connection problems, you’re free to ping us on Discord telling us you’ve DC’d too. Additionally, regarding you not DCing but ghosting on purpose because it is lowpop and would be boring – you can see how many people are queued in the lobby before a round starts. If you do not want to play lowpop at all, you are always free to not queue. While sometimes you can’t get the role you want, you should still play the round and get involved – we are a HRP server, and you have the opportunity to partake in antag stuff and create a story even without rolling it yourself. Given all this, I’d like to see you try and play some none antag rounds to know it’s not just DCing when you don’t roll. Feel free to appeal again in at least a week if you do this, and you may escalate to a staff complaint if you disagree. For now this is denied.

I gotta say I agreed with Goolie (and the others) about your aversion to antags. However, over the past few days I see you have made an effort to be there and present even as antagonism happens. I'm going to give this a tentative +1, though I would really like to see more of this to be certain.

I do think Ody actors (and all off ships in general) should start with chameleon clothing kits which get stuck on whatever they're set on past a certain roundtime. I know the ST has the power to set outfits and roles, but people generally like to customize on top of that. Additionally, this may be a map thing, but actors should geenrally have universal access to away site doors - as of right now, I give them the BST ID and let them scan it. I've said this to Matt directly, but I also think ghostrole ships shouldn't be autonotified as to a "distress signel". I've had them arrive before the Horizon on multiple rounds. The ST however should have some means of communicating with them IC to get them involved.

Server Moderator Application Basic Information Byond Account: fyni Character Name(s): I’ve played a lot of characters semi regularly, however most people will know: Rhea Volvalaad (Investigator) Elizabeth Joyce (Captain) Hilda Vestergaard (Security Officer now Paramedic) Ekaterina Belova (Engineer) Hazel #S-H8.11 (Chef) AI Name(s): JOY Discord username + tag: Fyni Age: Over 25. If you need specifics please ask! Timezone: UTC + 0 When are you on Aurora?: Usually for one or two rounds between 8pm and 3am UTC. Experience How long have you played SS13?: About 14 years. How long have you played on Aurora: I played some in 2021, before taking a break for a two years. I’ve played pretty solidly the past year and a half now I think. How much do you know about SS13 (Baystation build) game mechanics?: When I started in 2010 or so, I played on Baystation exclusively. While I moved onto other servers, nearly all of them were Baycode. This gives me a broad spectrum knowledge of mechanics across all departments – however I will admit I am not a code reader. There are some specifics which I don’t know. Do you have any experience moderating for an SS13 server?: No. Have you read through the criteria - and believe that you mark off all the criteria?: Very much so! Have you ever been banned, and if so, how long and why?: Never on Aurora or any other server I played on over 14 years! Personality Why do you play SS13?: Something about the simple graphics and tile based movement and mechanics make for an engaging game to explore – from my early days playing science on Bay, to engineering. There is always something more to learn. But then you add in the roleplay and it becomes a game I can play forever – it’s a blend of these deep mechanics while working alongside other players, creating characters and doing character arcs, and the ability to create new things for the game given its surface simplicity – I made sprites on Bay and have now even made a few used on Aurora – which makes it endlessly replayable. Why do you play on Aurora?: It was rarely hard for me to write the last paragraph without talking about Aurora Station. People love to create compelling character – especially those who are not just by the books cut outs – and I love to play a part in each and every one of their stories, their arcs. Seeing my and (so many) other people character develop is almost like watching and partaking in a long book series. Add into this interesting antag gimmicks to see how those character react out of the norm, the event arcs to move the greater narrative forward and drive personal change – there is nothing else quite like it. What do moderators do?: Ok, literally everyone made this joke but it’s true: they moderate. More specifically, they ensure people breaking the rules do not ruin the game for other people, with the assistance of other staff. They look for or are alerted to rules breakers, and deal with them according to the rules using the power given to them. Additionally, they are also there to help players – answering mechanical, lore or rules questions that might pop up, be it in admin tickets or possibly other places. All of this makes it so players within the rules can enjoy the server to it’s fullest. What does it mean to be a moderator for our server?: It means taking a serious step to maintain and preserve that which I love of Aurora – that serious roleplay environment, the exploration of mechanics, while also been a good example - in and out of the game! Why do you want to be a moderator?: Just recently, I’ve seen Santa taken down. Joke name characters, wordless attackers. And I’ve seen them dealt with, the environment maintained as best it can. I want to help in this and other more complicated matters. I really appreciate all the staff team does and honestly feel this the best way to show it. What qualities do you possess that would make you a good moderator?: I am calm and even handed. I can keep on top of my emotions, and I can do so with a professional smile. I have a broad knowledge of the mechanics, able to help with a lot of queries, from the simple to some more complicated. I have a desire to help people improve. How well do you handle stress, anger, or insults?: I like to think I am the calmest person I know – to get angry or upset over something as stupid as insults is just not worth it. As for stress, I know my limits and this helps immensely – again, it is self-acknowledgement that you are doing your best, and that is all that matters, getting worked up over it does not help. Anything Else You Want to Add: Not to be insulting, but I work with children weekly. They can be insulting, argumentative, disobedient. But I have noticed also that a lot of them act out when they think they are not been treated fairly. Over the years I have learned this, tried to be fair as I can, and to explain why somethings have to be done the way they are. I have dolled out punishments, such as missing out on games or having to sit quietly, but never in excess – because these are not really punishments meant to make them hurt emotionally, but a way to hopefully give them the opportunity to acknowledge their mistakes and grow up a better person. I appreciate that this is the system that Aurora tries to do it’s best with. Perma bans (at least the first time) and not true lifetime bans in most cases. The staff have accepted apologies if they seem sincere. The same I’ve seen talked about in game and experienced myself! Mistakes happen, mix ups or bad communication – if someone is willing to be better, they are given the chance. This is my brand of “justice” through and through, and I’d love to be a part of it.

Further small tips: Don't be afraid to just walls off parts of a map you don't need, especially in low intensity Ody gimmicks. The crew likes to wander, and maybe leave a few areas to explore, but cut rooms and doors with new walls without hestiation. Need a somewhat clean site? Unleashe a horde of cleanbots at roundstart to clean up the muck Give your actors chemeleon kits to dress themselves. You can also give them uplinks, but I recommend against this unless you trust them - far too easily abused. It can take the Horizon some time from your first annoucement to actually show up - don't be afraid to call them in before your fully ready to help get the round going. Too many actors? Spawn more actor vendors - it has the IDs and radios they need. In fact, vendors let them equip themselves fairly easily without giving them the free reign uplinks do. I'll add more as I think of them!

This is the biggest fact I think - all the character who bend on what is acceptable in the roleplay workplace enviroment of the Horizon only work because there is the CCIA. Without it, more drastic and none IC actions must be taken - unless attacking people, been caught with illicit substances etc. is meant to be acceptable in character, at which point the Horizon setting breaks. Lower stakes punishments which are less of an OOC punishment might be better but the facade of accountability IC allows these things to continue. Other HRP servers I played on in the past did not have anything close to the canon conflicts and (in universe) law breaking as Aurora does, and that's because on those other servers you get a character deleted, a temp ban or noted for breaking the setting too much.

Honestly, I'd be down to a "scent" section of flavour text, only visible when uncovered, and maybe distance based too (only readable in 2/3 tiles) with some species like Vaurca able to use it from further away, and some like IPCs unable to see it at all.

I’ve played in most of the test Odyssey rounds now, both as command, a grunt and an actor, alongside one round as the Storyteller. Therefore, I’d like to compile this little nugget of wisdom I think are applicable to any future Storytellers. These are not rules – rather, things to always keep in mind. 1. Thou wilt keep it simple, stupid. ST gimmicks should not be overly complex, and should be able to be summed up in two or three sentences, tops. You can add details on top of that, but the basics should be simple. This allows actors to improvise and add to your story. Make something too complex and your actors might struggle to know what you’re going for, which will make the crew struggle more. 2. Thou wilt improvise and adapt. No plan survives the crew. Mistakes from actors and the Horizon will complicate things, and even mistakes from yourself. Be willing to improvise, study the flow of the round and know what will make for a better story – change things as best you can without contradicting yourself. 3. Thou wilt acknowledge the 2 hours. Sadly, it usually takes an hour to get things set up and going – assuming the Horizon is also on the ball. Most rounds are about 2 hours + transfer time, and like antags and command (which you are whitelisted for) you should at least nod to it. Be ready to wrap things up nearing the end of the two hours so your story doesn’t get cut off by bored and lobby voters. An ending can be escalation in such a way which forces a Horizon retreat/evac, a fight, deaths, faxes etc. 4. Thou wilt have an ending in mind. This kind of ties into point 3, but I think it is essential. Tasks such as reconstructing an entire outpost or endless mob wave defence will inevitably grow boring, especially if there is absolutely no way for players to make a difference. For engineering, consider a simpler project (“Make a SM generator / set up a hospital!”) rather then a vague “do everything”, for example, or against mobs give them a macguffin to destroy with clear directions. With actors, ask them to escalate so they are eventually killed / evacuated / arrested / saying “it’s all fine now thanks!” 5. Thou wilt involve as many people as possible. This is less of a numbers thing, and more of a departmental thing. It’s a well known fact that on the Horizon, Security get most of the time to play with antags. Involve other departments – service can provide food and drink to actors (even if they are evac’d to the Horizon), medical can deal with injuries and psychological issues, engineering can fix things (but remember, goals focussed, not a “fix everything!”). This is imo the hardest commandment to do, but do try. Key rule here: do not make areas atmospheric hell, or filled with enemies, or you will not involve anyone but those who are absolutely necessary. 6. Thou wilt not force the Horizon / Command. As the voice of god, you have the power to send “must obey” messages to Command. This is good for some things – getting the ship going someplace, sending certain people down etc. but you should not force them to make certain decisions. Your job is to present a situation, a (hopefully simple and mostly achievable in one round) task and to allow them to figure out how to resolve it. If you want the Horizon to disobey orders as part of your gimmick (“this task is clear impossible!”) it might be worth using your storyteller LOOC to inform an appropriate command member of your intent as I am sure most will go along with trying. 7. Thou wilt make it easy. Always always ALWAYS make scenarios easier then you think they need to be. Less hostile mobs, less damage to structures, less demands for tasks. Why? Because it is far far easier to make things harder on the fly then it is to make things easier. Have an APC blow up, or more mobs appear just down the hall if you need to. But once the crew are dealing with a problem, it’s hard to remove it. Remember, RNG events and crew incompetence can lead to problems which you have not factored into “balance”, so always err on the easier side. 8. Thou wilt use all IC means available to you. Often, something goes wrong. You can’t get an item to work, or players are not set up, or someone DC’d. It’s too easy to ask OOC for time, or to ignore something, but this can often be accomplished by a simple excuse delivered IC, by an actor or a fax / announcement. Always try and do this over communicating OOC. 9. Thou must not be afraid to ask for help. Your actors are there to tell a story too. Admins are often willing to help – especially with the tools which for many (me included) are unfamiliar. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from both groups, and to take and use recommendations. 10. Thou will aid Fyni. This list needs others to look at it. While I agree with most of it’s points, and have seen each failures on some of them (some by myself in my one chance in the ST chair), I think it is a good list of guidelines to create a fun round but I welcome feedback to improve it.

While I strongly agree with this, I have sadly been told it is impossible from a technical standpoint. However, at the very least I believe there should be automatic instand respawns for the ghosts wanting to get the role in Odyssey rounds (missing out on a contest job is already bad enough), and perhaps some sort of lottery (instead of "whoever is fastest gets it") - give ghosts a minute to sign up then randomly select one eligble ghost. I have already asked this but also the ability to jump directly to them via pressing an F next to their name in AOOC chat like you can in regular chat would help too - and perhaps adding to AOOC a note, for example: Fyni (playing as Jane Doe) to help co-ordinate better. Easier (safe) destruction, ability to interact with things easier (like an AI - closing / opening doors for example), easier way to make bodies are all the things I think are required to enable most ST ideas at this point.

I personally think the IR/CCIA is an excellent part of Aurora. It all but enables the type of play that people are complaining it stifles - by allowing questionable character and actions that other HRP servers I have played on in the past would have just outright not allowed by admin action. Aurora has interpersonal conflict on a none antagonistic level which I havn't seen across multiple servers, enabled by allowing characters to not always fit the (let's be honest, fairly low) IC standard expected of working on the flagship. The CCIA / IRs remain as a way to know there is accountbility in character - there are numerous characters I know who are on the verge of breaking the illusion the Horizon has, but the exsistance of the accountbility helps reinforce it and allow these characters to exsist. I hope I don't have to name these characters but I think people know exactly who they are. If the problem with the CCIA is it makes some characters difficult to play, the problem is with the setting, not the CCIA. But the Horizon is a workspace, and if things do escalate beyond (IC) rules then there does need to be some (again, IC) accountability, otherwise the whole illusion breaks. However I don't think it's perfect. I do think there should be more that effects the day to day rounds, and this comes to alternative punishments. Demotions can be unfun (forcing you to play a job you perhaps don't like), fines are meaningless beyond just been able to mention them and "retraining" or whatever takes a character away for a short time (though personally as someone who plays multiple characters regually I'm not too fussed by this). I think a good alternative punishment would be merely to mark records of effected characters with an "Under watch" "on notice" etc. on their records which command and security can see (and perhaps even alert command more directly when such a character comes up). This could allow command, security and the effected player to interact in an intresting way which is otherwise absent from the CCIA systems ("I see your already on notice, don't make a same mistake!" or "That mark is bad, let us have a chat about how we can improve to make sure we get you through this", depending on the chracter ofc.) I would also like it to be semi transparent OOC - hiding punishments of these I think is a bit silly since they are IC actions, and a quick report on why (one paragraph tops) a decision was made would be helpful. I also think the OOC restriction on lying is crazy considering the whole point of the CCIA is to be an IC investigation. Make it clear IC that if caught in a lie, there is some sort of punioshment (no matter how small) then let characters say what they say. Not all investigations will conclude successfully perhaps once this is introduced, but again this is an IC system, and sadly in real life that often is the end result.