Duthco

Do we already have head mirrors? It'd be a hat, I'd think. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_mirror IRL, you'd use it + a bright lamp to get a clear and unshadowy view of nasal passages/ear canals/throat. They're a bit obsolete, but so are fax machines.

Best of luck and take care out there!

There have been many very good and thoughtful points made throughout this discourse, and to many of them, I've not much of substance to add at this time. Instead, I've a few comments on some different ideas mentioned. They are unfortunately rather longwinded and disparate thoughts that don't have good segues among them. But, as an overall sentiment, I think it would be nice to see other means to give characters a greater depth of canonical presence beyond a death notice or the rare commendation. I think this kind of thing, something like an exhibit in the library that a curator/librarian could use as a prop to tell the canonical stories of the Horizon to players/characters who weren't around for them, but live amid the consequences, (and might rather learn about ICly), would be pretty neat. I think what's said above gets at something deeper and more foundational than what is directly touched on in this thread and in the request for a "Crew Memorial", while they are both indirectly yet intrinsically tied to it. Most certainly this is but a piece of the broader picture, but one underlying theme is a desire for player self-efficacy and/or agency, in change in the game universe, as Evandorf said above. (Note: self-efficacy is one's perceived agency.) Moreover, the thread I see underlying the desire for recognition of either death or achievement is the desire to observe the ripples of a character's impact on this great semi-persistent improvisational work to which we all contribute, and moreover, a desire that those ripples be allowed to propagate as far as their momentum would naturally carry them, rather than see them dampened after ~2 canonical-hours or when the next arc starts. This self-efficacy is most easily observed in CM-style combat-heavy rounds, where characters "kill the bad guy(s)", leaving in their wake very obvious consequences to their personal intervention. I think this may be a contributing factor to why these sorts of events are very popular; you readily feel like you've made a difference. However, I don't think that kind of dopamine hit from perceiving one's own agency in the setting necessarily demands winning the day in a high violence situation or personally "saving the entire Spur" as much as it demands, more broadly, the world reflect the fact that the character lives in it. It is reflected in mundane things perhaps more so than the extraordinary: a character's reputation among their colleagues, authoring a text submitted to the library, creating a drink that others will remember, and perhaps even make and teach to others (a meme in the semantic sense), etc. I think it also means to find a meaningful death. To have one's story be told, staving off that second death, and chase immortality in the little ways... I might be romanticizing it a little more than many might be thinking of it, if character agency is a direct concern at all. At the same time, from my armchair, it really looks to me like a significant piece of the puzzle. Others, who have been around far longer than I, have discussed at length throughout this thread that it has not historically been the desire that individual players have significant agency over the outcome of canon events, which is the prerogative of the showrunners. But what is ultimately being asked, it seems to me, is only something for which that provides a great example, but is not in and of itself, it, that which is I argue, a more foundational desire for a character leaving the world a little different for having lived in it. Actualizing this in high-stakes/high-violence events, I don't think necessarily precludes the preference for group activity out of anti-desire for individual event-protagonists. As was said by others, I think just naming names of participants in an article/SCC Bulletin, not even hailing them as heroes per se, but noting them as people who were there, might help to that end. If I haven't said elsewhere, I would add my voice to the chorus indicating that I like small-scale things, especially ones that need not necessarily turn violent, as long as the situation has the potential to matter at some point in the future. It doesn't even have to, but I would want it on the ever-growing list of things that a storyteller, be they an antag, a writer, or participant in the proposed Mission Briefing, could use moving forward. All that being said, sometimes a bit of a bottle episode, or something very low-scale that the participants will remember, but the broader Spur won't notice, would also be nice. Regarding low intensity events, violence is not the only source of conflict that I find compelling. I don't personally need violence in every scene to find a story engaging. At the same time, there is much to be said for a credible threat of violence as a storytelling tool. I've yet to encounter anyone of mind with "Old Lore; Don't Care" or similar sentiment, but since it is mentioned as a concern by several here, I am left to assume it is a sentiment held by at least some. I rather wish this weren't a sentiment held, or if it must be, one not expressed. It's callous and disrespectful to the writers and characters for whom that lore is relevant. Regarding events and arc continued relevancy, I think they should be relevant for characters and situations for which they're relevant. E.g., I can't really fathom how folks from Konyang and IPCs are going to forget this arc, and while the Horizon will eventually be many lightyears away from Konyang, and the events aren't immediately relevant anymore, those present would generally remember and reference it as necessary, I would think. Also, who can say what the future holds? This arc, with the involvement of Purpose, made direct reference to another, older arc, which, reading up a little, helped inform how I wanted to play my relevant character's orientation to Purpose. I think people's attention regarding something like this has a natural tendency to attenuate inversely with proximity, especially when something else captures the public imagination. I think it's natural and expected. I don't see how that could be reasonably used as justification to be a dick to people who still remember or want to talk about older arcs, that, as I understand, remain canon history. (I realize this was the third discrete post I've quoted by the same author. I promise I'm not trying to pick on you, Dreamix, you just said a lot of thought-provoking stuff.) Thanks for your time.

When I think of Tomix/Jamari, I think quality. Quality food, quality conversation, quality characterization, I've not a single doubt that Tomix will bring the same level of care, effort, and style to frankly any species he would approach playing. +1

I fully support this as someone who plays characters who use the piano in the Dining Hall in different ways as means of development and characterization. I would note in regard to the concerns of abuse [of the instruments] as expressed on the GitHub page: Were someone being a nuisance enough that crew would complain to Security about the matter, I would think it would be an open and shut case of i105, Hooliganism, for which confiscation of the instrument would make for a pretty simple IC resolution. Additionally, there is a piano in plain view in the Dining Hall, the abuse of which I've yet to witness. (Not to say it is impossible and may very well happen in my absence. Also, while it is true that a loadout item is more likely to be abused in the ways expressed, a public fixture, like the piano, I would think, would serve as a bit of a barometer for propensity of abuse.)

From what it sounds like, it reminds me some of a Vitality-Wounds rule variant. I know for sure D&D 3.5e had it, and so too did a d20-based Star Wars system I played for a short campaign. The little bit of digging I've done, seems to suggest Pathfinder has/had it as a rule variant as well. If memory serves, Here, Vitality is a PC's Hit Points, and then additionally you could sustain Wounds up to your Constitution score, and then after, you're downed and making death saves. They are functionally one pool of damage accrued, but the way it was explained to me, (a long time ago), Vitality was like your ability to parry and dodge attacks, that kind of thing, and then you take Wounds once that'd depleted, or an opponent crits on you. It made for some flashier fighting that still offered very real and present threats to PCs. Vitality refreshed the way HP normally would, and I think Wound points took longer to get back, at least the way we did it. The ruleset described in the OP sounds like it would graft very well onto some form of a Vitality-Wounds health variant. For sure it's a neat take on a varied health mechanism. Like say PC1 is downed, making death saves, and was already down all of his Vitality, he'd get some Vitality back from his successful death save, but still has those broken ribs and dislocated jaw, but maybe he can get out of the way of the baddie that hits like a Mack Truck in time to survive the encounter, or could play dead long enough for the baddie to move onto someone else. Like it gives downed PCs more options, which I think is generally a good thing. Neat idea!

In repeated interactions through a handful of different characters, I have never known Ren Hartfort to be anything but a stalwart of quality from flavorful interactions to the programmatic work by the good doctor himself. He doesn't simply fill a role, but plays a character with ideals, goals, and purpose. I've every faith that NM would bring the same level of quality to his Tajaran, as evidenced already by the application's content. +1

To what was said above about the SM lines, our SM engine is a type of Thermoelectric Generator (TEG). The gas put into the lines is there as a medium of thermal exchange, not exactly as a fuel. The electricity used to initially energize (via emitter) the SM crystal, run the freezers (which could theoretically be replaced with piping that goes outside to the frigid void of space, at the cost of creating a point of vulnerability), and run the pumps, is the real 'fuel' input here. The SM crystal heats the gas, the hot gas pipes eventually run next to cold gas pipes, and the temperature difference is used to generate EMF across a conductive material presumably inside the generator boxes. Then the resulting current is output. The only risk that I can think of for that gas to run out is due to workplace accident or potentially some of it leeching out from pipes over a relatively long period (think refrigerant in AC units, but even a bit less volatile). (I could be mistaken: real engineer mains, feel free to correct me.)

From an IR perspective, there is value in an exchange of emissaries between even the most adversarial polities. From what I understand regarding the behavior of states in an international system, this would be desirable from the ASSN's perspective as it would be a kind of tacit acknowledgement by the Republic of Biesel of ASSN sovereignty over at least some elements of what is yet considered Solarian space (my, my how the turn tables), and it would allow them to push their preferred border-lines (not outward, per se, but push as an idea in an international arena of competing preferences). Further, the kind of international acknowledgement received by having one's diplomats accepted into another polity is rather important to the perceived legitimacy of any government that just won survived a civil war. Among many things, such a line of communication helps broker trade and stave off insurgencies and, potentially, complete dissolution. The military might of the Alliance is notably consolidated and remains an immense force in the Spur. I would think the prospect of rising factionalism within the Solarian Navy would be thought rather frightening from several perspectives, as this has historically been foundational for precipitating more civil war, or, at the very least, potentially spawning more rogue warlords from defectors, as was seen after 2462. From a Republic of Biesel perspective, one which, relatively recently on a galactic history time scale, won a war of independence, now is the time to spend that political capital in shaping its relationship with the Alliance moving forward. Depending on the goals and IR ideologies of neighboring polities, it may not be desirable to see an ultimate end of a potentially stable neighbor, even if that cause were to come from within. Instead, it may be preferable to use this newfound position, with a former foe far weaker than they have ever been, as means to... influence ASSN policies, so as to promote its stability, and whatever else (Here is a place to retain tension. The Navy is a reckonable power, and not one to disregard). It would be well known that a massive sector rife with piracy in the middle of civilized space is no good for anyone, ask the peoples of the Badlands and Weeping Stars. Worse still, would it be were those pirates and warlords fanatical former ASSN naval officers fallen to factional politics, yet holding still a keen edge having been honed as much as they have in various recent skirmishes on the edge of Solarian space. That said, the above really speaks more so to a direct exchange of Solarian emissaries with Biesel proper, rather than more simply allowing participation at a roundtable of diplomats already present aboard an internationally staffed vessel. I worried for a bit that it may only be ASSN-RoB relations that are really at play here, but given that the Alliance does not seem to have a diplomatic presence in many places at all throughout the Spur, I think what I have said, and continue to say in this post remain generally valid. As it stated in the 2462 entry of the Alliance's History page, "The goal of the Alliance, which once ruled the Spur, is now to simply reclaim its borders of 2462 rather than 2259. Gone are the days of the long shadow, and here are the days of desperate survival." This stance is well enough known to be an entry on the wiki, so I do not think it would have escaped sight by Biesel, et al.'s diplomatic corps, nor be thought to be secret by the ASSN Department of State. The ASSN Foreign Service has notably been gutted over the years, but from the description of their dropdown on the Sol Alliance page, I am given to believe them eager to reassert competence after a decade and a half of neglect. I can imagine no better an accomplishment to tout than the installation of Solarian Consulars aboard a premier SCC vessel where emissaries from across the Spur are stationed already. Further, the description suggests that members of the Foreign Service have been hard at work since the end of the Frost Regime in their efforts to try to restore diplomatic relations with the broader Spur. What seems to be necessary is a transition from the ASSN provisional military government to a civilian one, or at the very least, a change of the present, rather isolationist, stance by the ruling party to one more willing to recognize political reality of the Republic of Biesel as a sovereign state and perhaps more willing to embrace its own soft power so long in disuse, (especially given that they aren't in quite the same position to assert hegemonic power as they once were). This does not have to mean an easing of tensions, but it may mean a reduction in instability. However, instability is but one source of tension. In short: I want diplomacy, and I want it with a side of animosity, and an extra sachet of resentment. The desire to station diplomats has some considerations independent of the easing of tensions, and I would think, both the Republic and Alliance (and others too) would be interested in the value this would bring to their respective home offices. I agree with pretty much everything said above this post, and would like to see Solarian Consulars, but first, I would like to learn of some events that make it a feasible thing. This will undoubtedly take time. There is no reason to expect change like this overnight. What is being asked here, is kind of a 180 in apparent ideological intentions, or at the very least, for a wildly less aggressive and isolationist faction to win out which would cause, untold ripples throughout a highly factionalized and yet powerful navy, so it is a bit difficult to say what the most politically savvy idea would be at exactly this second. I've a few ideas, but I would rather not risk treading on toes more than I already have here. Very (sort of) sorry for the length of this post; it kind of got out of hand as I did more research. Hopefully, it is as coherent as it reads to my eye. I, of course, have every faith in our lore team that they will continue doing the great job that they have. Who knows, maybe there is a plan already, and I can only glimpse its shadow.

ATG brings high quality characterization and inter-character engagement to every round I've seen them. I look forward to what they would bring to Command positions. +1

I'm content to try it out, but I would rather not sacrifice outfits that help individualize characters, therefore I would prefer an alternative be sought. In terms of alternative solutions that only provide suit sensors to a subset of crewmembers while maintaining the ability to have them on non-job clothing, Would it be possible to tie suit sensors to role/job slots instead of uniform articles? From the way they function, I imagined them as something you clip onto your outfit as part of clocking in. Alternatively, would it be feasible that it be an accessory device with its own slot issued to everyone applicable and have it attached on spawn?

While I don't think anyone is disagreeing that a pickaxe is a better weapon than a machete, in terms of inventory, it seems there is a misconception: - Machetes generally live in sheaths that attach to your uniform, occupying a holster/webbing space, not a 'general inventory space'.

When I first saw the suggestion, I was on board, but as I saw more perspectives, I became less sure that I agree with the idea. (Obligatory appeal to ethos: I have done some Minering, but would not say I am a miner-main.) I like the idea that there is a variety of different equipment that a miner can choose to take. However, I worry that, like with certain other jobs, rather than choosing what one thinks would be most fun, one would eventually become semi-obligated to choose what is most optimal, and that's not everyone's idea of fun. (There's a really good Folding Ideas video called "Why It's Rude to Suck at Warcraft" that gets at this dichotomy of optimal vs. personal-preference approaches to play.) Therein lies my agreement with concerns regarding Powercreep. Optimal choices lessen threats. To keep it interesting, threats are changed or intensified, rinse and repeat: arms race death spiral. This is not necessarily the only possible outcome, but it is the Nash Equilibrium. That said, there is a thermal drill available on company credit (read: mining points) that renders most threats irrelevant so, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ In terms of round-flow, (given that one would return at some point and upgrade their equipment), it's the first haul that is guaranteed to be the most dangerous, and it's really only dangerous in a germane way on sites where there are xenofauna threats at all, which is not all of them. Why can't dangerous work just be dangerous? Orion and Hephaestus are the primary employers of Miners, and neither has a particularly good track record when it comes to employee health and safety. I don't think it unfathomable that they would send their employees un-strapped out into the ether. Nevertheless, I do think this suggestion comes from a place with player enjoyment in mind. I don't imagine the average person would like their round to end 45 minutes in because they fell over and died just outside the door of the Spark from hoofing it a quarter mile on a broken foot. To that end, I would personally prefer Fluffy's or Mrgodzilla's suggestion of putting a stronger painkiller or maybe an injector of Coagzulug with the Spark's medical equipment that a miner could choose to take with them when they exit the Spark at the site to give them some better survivability while they are out there, since it's not just xenofauna that are breaking their hands and ankles, but also just mistakes with the Kinetic Accelerator even under ideal conditions. As a kind of note: As I suspected, there was an innocent reason for the machetes' inclusion in the PR; however, I am not a fan of the title and content of this feedback thread and the intended PR not matching. I appreciate the intention of the suggestion, nevertheless. Thank you for your hard work.

I adore both Athena and Warden Johnson. They're both very well written and flavorful characters whom I am always glad to see on the manifest. As was mentioned above, I agree it will be a shame to lose Ublicto from the cadre of semi-regular antagonists, as their antagonism tends to be high quality, with an eye not only on their broader episodic arc, but also on the minutiae of individual interactions. That said, all of that is really just evidence in my eyes that they would serve any given round very well from a Command position. +1

I adore Assunzione. When looking for a background for the first characters I made, I was taken with the origin, so I really appreciate the effort to develop the planet's lore. Roughly following the order of the linked long-description document (Note there are elements therein for which I don't presently have comments. To other readers, please consult the long-description for yourself. A fair amount of work has clearly gone into it.): Love the aesthetic of dense cities of Gothic-ish architecture, and it could gel really well some of the vibes I get from Assunzione. A logistical element that offers a flavor opportunity: for such monumental undertakings as cities of stonework not carved entirely out of the rock below, that stone or those bricks (or the material(s) thereof) need to come from somewhere, and the how and why could be interesting, especially with the above proposal noting a somewhat rocky relationship with Hephaestus Industries. Below is a brief argument about the Mediterranean-ness of Gothic architecture that may or may not matter at all (per the cultural style of Assunzione), but in short, I think it should be considered Mediterranean-enough. It gets arguably rambly, so I have it spoiler-ed. All of that said, I think that style, with all of its flying buttresses, incorporating some Renaissance-ness and Baroque-ness, could make for a very neat look, especially when taking into consideration the necessary adaptations meant to meet the needs of a fairly dense urban environment in 2465, as each domed metropolitan area plays host to between 35 million and 100 million residents. I imagine stone catwalk-sidewalks, mezzanines, and atria. A distribution of space not dissimilar to how Hollow Knight's City of Tears makes use of vertical space. Something worth remembering: per discussion of the domed cities: the cities' domes themselves, are not the only domes. There are smaller domes radiating out from each city's center, as a central hub-"bulb"-dome. So while population density is definitely high, it isn't as high as it might be, were we to forget this. I really dig the concept of the Assunzione Expeditionary Corps and the spritework for their void/hardsuits. Given that the organization manages to keep the majority of findings secret, I am curious about the kinds of things that people think they've found, given nothing breeds speculation quite like what is effectively an information embargo. I would also imagine that such institutional secrecy would enable rather severe abuses of power. I wonder if there have been any examples of this yet. On the note of the AEC, I quite like the noted detrimental psychological effects suffered by some of their number, as a bit of organic depth to exploring the space between spaces for prolonged periods. I wonder if a native Assunzionii is more or less susceptible to "Light's Edge Syndrome" than the average space-farer similarly subjected. I really like the idea of local universities with a focus on Anomalistic Sciences within their Colleges of Natural Science. On a nitpick regarding the name of the proposed Triesto Federal University: By my understanding (per the wiki), the Republic of Assunzione is not necessarily a federation, in fact, the Republic could conceivably behave like a confederation or league of seven city-states, not unlike the 4th century BCE's Hellenic League, (League of Corinth) with an elected President in lieu of a Hegemon. I personally think this is more interesting a government type than a federal-republic. I thought the section about a near mythological Dr. Alden Saraspova was humorous, but I'm personally partial to an Alden and a Saraspova being the surnames of two different scientists. My attitude regarding this is founded mostly in how the exotic energies meter bearing the names does so connected by a hyphen, suggesting a pair rather than a singular scientist. This is a practice extremely common in physics and mathematics. I count no fewer than a handful of examples of exactly this on the Wikipedia page for Maxwell's Equations alone. That said, the way all the supposed achievements of the individual are listed has a very collegiate-mythologization feel, so good flavor nevertheless for how an incoming freshman might be regaled of the man, the myth, the legend, even if it's not quite my cup of tea. I might have more commentary once I've had more time to chew on it. Thanks for your time.

The argument I make with Example 2 is not the borging was only acceptable as a result of a round being OOCly almost over, but that the story therein was concluding, and some form of Capital punishment was a next narratively-natural step after such a 100/100 point of escalation, as a gunfight in the Captain's quarters that left a member of Command dead on the floor. The crew is not entitled to win, as was said. However, the crew does have the deck stacked in their favor in many ICly and OOCly ways such that a complete crew loss is a statistically unlikely outcome. I agree wholeheartedly with the notion that, crew should not be needlessly escalating just to "win" and kill the antagonist. I also agree that Borging should not be used except in the most dire of circumstances. But, I have yet to see any evidence in this thread that supports anything but a more judicious use of that punishment. A Captain would not be in a position that they hold, if they are easily shaken from their convictions by the words of a relatively recently hired Security Cadet. Moreover, they trusted the word of other members of command in disregarding what a bottom-rung subordinate said, even though I was right to have doubt, and that doesn't get more realistic. Personally, RP is more than an exchange of words. In those moments, I had some IC internal conflict. I was thinking ICly what I could do, and arrived at a defeated conclusion, that there was nothing I could do, which was a character decision. Before any OOC notions, my Cadet is a kind of person who has a hard time questioning authority, which is part of his personal journey. I will say I would have preferred that the Second On the Table was brigged, and talked to, before any punishment, but that didn't happen. Would the RP have been better? It would have been different. Potentially better, but also potentially less impactful. As per the question of whether or not Second On the Table had a good time, that is something neither you nor I can answer. We might make assumptions given how we imagine we would feel, but I don't believe either of us are that player. I think this thread would be benefitted immensely to hear more opinions from those who have been borged, especially where they believe it cut their gimmick short or happened unnecessarily. We lose significant context and motivation for actions by considering only OOCly, as player choices are made as a result of OOC and IC information. Aurora wouldn't be an RP server if IC information didn't matter to player choices. As was said, it is a game, and the OOC dynamics are extremely important to making such a round-ending decision for any player and particularly an antagonist. I do wish we saw less of a preference for borgings over maroonings lately, but that is ultimately up to players and characters. I would rather there be a choice than not one. Regarding attempted murder, it may result in borging, and it may result in marooning, which also takes the antagonist out of the round. As I understand, a desire to avoid unnecessarily removing an antagonist player from the broader round is the crux of the complaint against Cyborgification in this thread. The problem, again, does not appear to me to be cyborgification itself, (as without it, I would extrapolate we would see a far greater number of maroonings); it seems to be what is being perceived and asserted throughout this thread as a lack of restraint by those who order it. That seems to me to be a matter of OOC policy for Command and Security players to not opt first for Capital punishment where it isn't warranted, which should be most of the time. As a final note for this post of mine, N8-Toe, I commend you for posing the original thought. I imagine it to be a fairly difficult position, responding to several different thought threads simultaneously, so thank you for the discourse.

I don't think Example 2 is effective evidence for cyborgification being a bad thing. It does, however, make compelling evidence that its manner of usage matters a great deal. In Example 2, I played a Cadet ordered to wheel the Tajaran Officer from Medbay to the Machinists' and was in the room when the order to borg was given. I was deeply unsure whether or not the Other Officer, as they were hauled into Machining, acted against the Commander at all, (I was on the other side of some shutters during the fight, and saw glimpses of it.) but the Captain gave the order to borg. Given significant IC pressure to answer to IC power dynamics, not complying was unthinkable, even as I tried to make a case of reasonable doubt for the Other Officer, an attempt to convince the Captain to wait and try to learn more about that Officer's role in the altercation, while they themselves pleaded with the room to not to be borged. My only realistic choice was to comply with the Captain's orders, stand aside, and suffer some IC trauma. I would say, there was good RP in the hectic moments through the borgings. It was heartbreaking, and it didn't feel good, but it was good RP. (I cannot attest to the experience for others in the room, especially the Borged, so do consider that.) In the final moments as the Other Officer was put on the table, I remember telling the Captain I didn't like this, and they effectively said, "Tough. Leave us, and go secure the ship," (Which, to me, felt like exactly the right response to a Cadet's questioning of proceedings.) I'm not a fan of the Captain's choice to order a straight-to-borg without any process or interrogation, or any real effort to get at the truth of what happened, but, the Captain is a character-person who would make boundedly rational choices, (that the Command-WhiteListed Player is notably tasked with balancing against round-pacing.) Further, that Captain's immediate subordinate was executed by one or more of their immediate subordinates. And, perhaps most importantly, such orders, (Given that participation in the killing of a HoS is most certainly a borgable offence, see i303.) are the prerogative of a Captain: they need only justify themselves to the SCC at the end of the day. So, while I am not a fan of the Captain's choice, I don't think the Player did anything wrong. In-character choices were made in a high-pressure environment with imperfect information, and punishment for mutiny (i303), for which the slaying of a HoS qualifies, is marooning or cyborgification. The Captain trusted the evidence available (particularly the confident testimony of another member of Command who said they witnessed the altercation) and made a choice. (In post, I'm 98% sure the Other Officer was completely innocent, but got borged anyway, which is sublimely tragic, but exactly the kind of thing you would expect to see in our dystopia.) - Most importantly, I would say, in Example 2, these borgings took place during or very close to the round end vote. The round-arc, so to speak, I would argue, was completed by these borgings, and not interrupted by them. The players whose characters were borged were not missing much ordinary gameplay. Were these borgings carried out a mere hour into in the round, or if there wasn't a massive culminating conflict (e.g.. the confusing fight that left the Commander dead, and blood on people's hands) for which the borgings offered some conclusion, I would be making a very different argument. I am confident that there are potentially other examples that make the case intended for this one, but such a case this particular example does not make in my opinion. Additionally, the charge was ultimately mutiny, an intolerable offence to the SCC, for which there is only a final punishment: maroon'em or borg'em. A person might choose one or the other for a multitude of reasons, ICly and OOCly. It doesn't make sense to me to demand that one choose one or the other, as cases are always going to be situational, and the greater good of RP whom it stands to benefit is also going to be situational. As a couple of final notes: - I would like to note again, I'm personally arguing that borging should be used as a last resort, akin to marooning, depending on that particular Command's favored style of execution-adjacent punishment. - It would be nice if we took the kind of care we expect to see from our antagonists and helped them build the story, since this is ultimately a collaborative storytelling game.

To stay with an analogy that has been used so far, for ideal medical outcomes, a physician doesn't ignore symptoms, they treat them and their causes. Sometimes when the causes are chronic, symptom management is all that is possible. I would not go so far as to say that the causes of what are cited as problems throughout this thread are intractable in that way, but they do seem to be beyond the scope of this particular suggestion thread. That is also not to say these concerns shouldn't be discoursed over and addressed elsewhere. I don't think cyborgification as a high order punishment should be removed, but I do think it should not be ordered lightly. (As was stated elsewhere, such practices are a focal point of literal galactic conflict.) Given the stringent standard for continuously holding such a position, I assume those with the authority to do so, indeed ICly weigh that choice, as it would be quite a missed RP opportunity otherwise.

By chance, I found a Fire Alarm Pull Station hidden just under the Disposal chute in Bar Prep on the Horizon: I managed to snag it and then subsequently couldn't find it, and YouJustGotOwened saved me from being trapped in Bar Prep for eternity with a reminder that alt-clicking was a thing. You can barely see the faint line of red of the Fire Alarm Pull Station under the disposal chute (horizontal line of red just above the disposal sprite). It's nigh invisible under the red light of the fire alarm.

I want to give the tag system an honest shake, since it does seem like a fair amount of effort went into solving what was seen as a problem, so I've waited a bit to post here. When I first saw it, I poked around at it, and didn't like it very much. But I realized that could be entirely because Brain says, "change = bad." Yesterday, I decided that I was still too afraid to put my readings to the test and try Medbay in practicum and instead I would make a Security cadet to see how it functioned as intended. While I disagree that reading through categorized lists is a terrible way to organize things, there did seem to be some... missed opportunities with the previous organization paradigm. Like, I made the reasoning in my head, that the Zeng-Hu Vinyl Gloves previously lived under "Factions" because they were work attire, but there's no reason they couldn't have lived with the wristwatches. But now, say I'd like to see all the Zavodskoi stuff all in one place. This is something that toggling only the "Zavodskoi" tag allows, which I quite like. Then, the things still show up where contextually relevant: e.g. the Zavodskoi Security Sleeve Patch also shows up when I only have "Security" selected, which is also quite nice. Notably, that kind of thing would be possible under a categories paradigm too, but only under the bloat of many redundant entries. Not so under a tags paradigm. I will say, it looks much nicer today than it did yesterday, although I do look forward to a return of the search bar. I like the default being no tags selected. I think today's ordering of tag categories is just a bit better than it was, from my subjective point of view. I prefer the Slot tags towards the top, General tags next, etc. I've no real objective explanation for how this might be better, but I just like this vertical ordering more than how it was. (See previous posts' images for comparison.) I'm sure, if put to task, I could bs some reasonable/believable explanation, but I'll spare you the floridity in what is already becoming a lengthy post. I also like how, at least as of today, the default tags also don't list everything a character has equipped at the top, which seems to now be exclusively the task of the "Show all selected items" toggle. In short, my exercise of making a character with this loadout system was successful and without too much frustration. Ultimately, there are things I like and things I don't. - I can't say it's more intuitive to select a tag so as to find things that aren't restricted and then scrolling through a list than simply scrolling through a relevant categorized list. (Like it's nearly the same situation, except it's now slightly harder to find things that don't have a buzz-word tag.) - I agree for the most part, with previously mentioned sentiment that, it doesn't seem done yet, but at the same time, I'd imagine there's no faster way to get feedback than via debut. I do think it's a little odd that there wasn't automatically created a feedback thread for a change like this. It was only after a day or so it was noticed that there wasn't one, and Zelmana started this one. Like, this is the kind of thing I would anticipate would necessitate some feedback from non-dev types. (Of course, expecting "change=bad" to be the core sentiment expressed.) - While "Cosmetic" previously lived between "Belt" and "Earwear" because the letter "C" is between the letters "B" and "E", I like the new slightly more contextual arrangement where it lives among things that are largely, not attire-focused categories. - I almost agree with the notion that "General" and "Utility" could be merged, but, by my read, it would seem that articles under "Utility" do something or hold something very specifically, whereas articles living under "General" are just things. I think maybe photos and the photo album might could go to "Utility," but an ontological conversation about specific items seems on the edge of germane, so I'll pin it there. - There are aspects that I don't care for that have been mentioned already in this thread, so rehashing them would only really serve to make a long post even longer, so I'll just leave it at this handwave. Action Items: (Just suggestions, feel free to ignore if I'm overstepping) - In service of brevity, I think the word "Restriction" on the Tag categories list to the left of the tags lists on the Loadout Menu could probably be dropped from "Department Restriction Tags:" and "Species Restriction Tags:" without loss of clarity, especially since one of the tags in both categories is "No X Restriction". Further, the category, "Corporation Tags:" is an exact execution of what I'm talking about. - The category name "Miscellaneous Tags:" seems to miss the unifying trait that most of the articles therein are not attire, and are generally usable or held items of one sort or another. (Ignoring Religion. That one is concise and well fit, and really doesn't belong under another existing banner.) I'd propose "General Tags:" or something similar. I suppose still "catchall" but with a different tone. IN CONCLUSION: I'm ambivalent on the whole new Loadout tags paradigm. That said, I get the impression that it was a great deal of work, and in service of the community. So just saying "New = Bad" doesn't feel right, in my opinion. Thanks for bearing with a long bit of waffling.

I kind of like that the radiation levels taper off, as the Horizon leaves a radiation belt, the radstorm ends, etc., but I agree that the announcement for their end happens far too soon thereafter, (i.e. before radiation levels have decreased past safe-ish thresholds.) (This could have been fixed since my most recent round played last night, but based on that experience, it seems like the announcements haven't been mechanically changed yet.) Further, people lose maintenance corridor access far too quickly to make it reasonable to wait for very long, especially if there isn't anyone around who can restore access to maintenance after authorization reqs. are readded. Were the announcements and door authorization timings tweaked, I'd like what we have now better, narratively.

Lightbulbs and a couple other things on the Intrepid: Here, behind Silas, a lightbulb that, I think might clip into the wall device if it weren't floating. The bloodbag cabinet's door, immediately in front of Silas, when opened, clips under the fire alarm pull station. There's a lightbulb that appears over the door when it's shut, and inside when it's open In the North of the room, a lightbulb appears over a fire alarm pull station, and to its right, a camera covers the top of the air alarm panel. In the South, a lightbulb floats.

Wow! Until I read this, I didn't realize that Marcus was a newish character when I first started playing on Aurora in February. He was one of the first characters my first guy met back when Marcus was a Bridge Crewman sitting in what I assumed to be his favorite spot at the end of Lyric Valana's bar. It's been pretty cool to see him climb to being an XO and now as a Consular. His co-hosting Cmdr. Montaigne-Rammstein's Ezerat, listening to his commentary throughout, and watching Marcus slowly develop an... appreciation for Kvass ever since has been splendid. Echoing what the others have already said, I get a sense of multi-dimensionality in my interactions with him, and that he not only says things with nuance, but also thinks and believes things that aren't necessarily said, but inform what is. Having been accosted already, I really enjoy the newest member of the Dominian Tourism Board. Just, overall great work. I wish I had actionable feedback for you.

I've enjoyed the handful of times I've interacted with Stev's characters, including and not limited to being jettisoned out the back of the Spark by Fox-Hound to careen through space and eventually find rescue for the third time that shift. (In Fox-Hound's defense, the first two times were unrelated.) Akyn's synopsis reads like the bones of an engaging character with a well thought out set of experiences to inform values, ethics, personality, etc., and despite the character's described ignorance of various things, it is fairly evident, to me at least, that Stev has a good grasp of the relevant Vaurca history, sociology, biology, bits, and bobs. I hope to see them in the machine shop soon! +1