NM_

Hi! This application is approved. Your WL will be up shortly. If you have any questions, I recommend using the #lore_channel on the main discord, the Synthetic section of the lore discord, or reaching out to a member of the Synthetic team (Myself, Hazelmouse, or Stryker). Enjoy!

Hi! We will be accepting this application. As you're aware, we will be making revisions and adjustments to ensure Jack aligns with our direction. We'll make an announcement once the lore canonization app is fully integrated live. Thank you for submitting!

Hi! Apologies for the delay. I will be denying this application for the time being. The minimum wait period before you are able to reapply is three days. That said, we strongly encourage you to reapply in the future. I know it can be disheartening but there's always a learning opportunity, too. We'll be reaching out privately to give you feedback on this app. With said feedback, we will need to see a new application character, to be fair to other players. Some advice that can help: 1. I would recommend looking at previously accepted IPC applications to see how other applicants handled them. Naturally you don't want to copy what they did or wrote, but having an idea across a few apps shows you some consistency in themes. This way, you have a reference for what you might need to include. 2. Take your time! Don't be in a rush to write something out. It helps to spend a good, motivated session writing it, take a break, then come back to it. If you re-read it over and make edits as you go, you'll steadily improve the quality with every pass. Ask yourself "Does this make sense?", "Does the sentence sound strange if I read it out loud?", "Could I rearrange a paragraph so it flows better?", "Am I missing anything in this sentence? Do I need to add a comma, period, etc?" and so on. 3. I would also suggest you can try to get friends or fellow players to read over a draft and see if they have any suggestions. In my experience, having another pair of eyes on something gives you an opportunity to be exposed to another point of view you maybe haven't considered. Incredibly important to know perspectives besides your own as a writer. 4. If you're unclear on any specifics in lore, you're always welcome to reach out to us! Preferably on the lore discord. If you haven't joined it, also a good starting place to read up on conversations or see ideas. Thank you for taking the time and good luck on the next!

Hi! Apologies on the delay with this one. I will be accepting this as a natural extension of the existing lore. Wiki changes may not be immediate so I'll be moving this to deferred acceptance in the mean time. Thank you for submitting one!

This application has been accepted. You're always welcome to reach out to myself or my team if you have any questions. You should have the WL shortly. Enjoy!

The choice was certainly one we didn't make lightly. All said and done, you had a wonderful app and remain a strong candidate. Its very much my interest to mentor writers like you and also my encouragement that you pat yourself on the back. If I had more than one slot, it would have been far easier. I highly encourage you to apply again in the future - Thank you for applying.

The Synth team certainly had to take some time to deliberate, we had excellent candidates this round. We have chosen to accept this application. Congratulations!

Hi! Apologies for the delay - this, unfortunately, arrived around a terribly busy time at work. The only thing I'd like to add as some food for thought is you want to frame your thinking of IPCs as a race capable of personality and the development of person-hood through their lived in experiences within the unique lens of something demonstrably not human - but familiar! One of their primary ways to learn is directly through observation and repetition. The question Stryker posed was in an attempt to better understand exactly who Alis is or who they can/will be with events that shape their understanding, change their perspective, or invite new angles to what comprises their identity. Application characters should be uniquely identifiable as individuals as opposed to generic, homogenized entities only separated by designation or serial number. The gradient - or scale - of how unique or developed they might be is flexible and something we take into consideration for the concept. We ideally want to avoid units that only work and have nothing else. Wherever Alis goes in their journey on the Horizon as you play them, keep that in mind for the experiences they will undergo and how it starts to cultivate a person over time, for better or worse. That said, this is approved. I will be adding your whitelist shortly and you should be good to go!

The Synth team is looking to fill our vacant deputy position! This is a person planning to commit for the long-term with the desire, motivation, and time to contribute for the foreseeable future. They will be working in a collaborative environment with the Synth team and lore team at large. Candidates should have the ability to work cooperatively with others, the patience/ability to compromise when ideas may not make it past the cutting board, and the maturity to resolve disagreements or handle feedback. Our ideal candidate will be mentored as part of our initiative to prepare the next generation of Synth writers. They will still need to abide by the application process for future openings, but its our interest that the team is trained as much as possible to leave the race in good hands. (Artist: Kirokaze Pixel) If interested, please use the format for your application below: Ckey/BYOND Username: Position Being Applied For: (Wiki Maintainer, Lore Developer, Deputy Lore developer): Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page? Past Experiences/Knowledge: Examples of Past Work: What do you think are the primary themes of synthetic lore? How would you develop them? What is the strongest part of Synthlore currently? Why? What is the weakest part of Synthlore currently? Why? What is your vision for the future of Synthetics? What is currently missing from Synthetic lore that you believe needs to be added? What aspect of Synthetic lore are you most interested in and would like to work on? Include a 2-3 paragraph example. As part of the lore team, you will find yourself engaging with the community. The community may not always agree with your ideas. How would you respond to feedback or suggestions?

Hi! 1. Its a problem that manifests differently with IPCs. For us, the lion's share of our playerbase consists of shell characters. There isn't anything wrong with that, nor is it unexpected - its easy to connect to something that has overlap with humans but has enough going for it to be different in execution. This creates a scenario of being able to explore something innately inhuman without straying too far off the aesthetic or turning it on its head to wield a human appearance with all the oddities that come with a machine behind it. Some embrace it by playing up the uncanny valley compared to organics, others demonstrate the prowess and development in technology to seamlessly integrate with mankind. All in all, there are still rich stories to explore. Where we stepped in was in setting up a framework for Hazels - we wanted to expand on brand models that enable these frame lines to occupy a niche with their own custom tailored expertise, personalities (if any), and appearance. By setting a foundation for these brand models with Hazel as our first and oldest, it allows us to curate lines dedicated to other industries, trades, and specializations without the risk of Hazel (who has been a popular model line for some time) to overtake others down the road while avoiding hurting player agency or concepts too much. We also taken steps to address this on a frame by frame situation - the medical rework is bringing unique traits to each frame, with the shell frame's unique trait tied to its existing appearance. They're already a popular, fully realized and consistently played frame. Our others see far less gameplay/participation/involvement, where these unique traits for them will give them stronger niches to fill that would encourage presence in-game. We don't want to take from what makes shells enjoyable. We focused, instead, on giving the others some love. With factions, we haven't seen the type of difficulty human lore faced in the past with Dominian nobles and the greater population of them being exiles. In the case of the Golden Deep, grand merchants were restricted to Consulars only to mitigate a large frequency of them, the same way human lore better defined the boundaries for dominian nobility. The goal is to carve a niche that 1) preserves the identity of the frame/brand model/faction and 2) give it room to breathe, exist and be a viable option that isn't overtaken by something more popular but not fitting. 2. As much as I would love it to be that easy, I know we can't predict the future. Its my interest, regardless, to play a continuing role in the team if things aren't aligned to ensure the species doesn't suffer for it. I enjoy IPCs quite a bit, I just also want to give writers/deputies with aspiring ideas, dedication, and passion for the race a chance to show for it. If teams never experience any turn over or welcome in new blood from time to time (especially as folks get busy or can't contribute for a variety of understandable reasons), content stagnates. Change is good - controlled, mentored, and purposeful change is even better. I don't have a specific time frame in mind - I also don't believe in occupying a position I won't contribute from. I would be in contact with ample forewarning if anything was changing on my end. If things don't fall into place or it doesn't look like its going to just yet (at whatever time this is), I would continue to stay. Feel free to ask when you've got more!

Ckey/BYOND Username: ComradeBatman Position Being Applied For (Wiki Maintainer, Lore Developer, Deputy Lore developer): Synthetic Lore Writer Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page?: Yes, I have. Past Experiences/Knowledge: I have been a Synthetic Lore Deputy since May 2024. My previous roles outside of Aurora were predominantly oriented towards storytelling. The settings I played were grounded in the lore of the corresponding games as opposed to custom. I primarily created narrative arcs, storylines, and in-game events with the base lore as the guiding benchmark. My positions ranged from the equivalent there of lore deputy to lore master. In more recent years, I pivoted to administrative roles up into head admin while still managing the narrative angles of the setting. I have been writing and role playing since 2005. Examples of Past Work: Synthetic medical rework (worked on with Noble and synth team at the time): Pactolus Exploration League Arc (on hiatus for now): Hazel Brand Model update: https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=IPC#Hazel_-_Shell_Frame_-_Hazel!_Ltd. Aside from that, some wiki work and rewritings. ------------------------------------------------- Hello all, I’m NM - a CCIA agent and current Synth lore deputy. My primary characters are: Ren Hartfort, Surgeon Cohle Wrynn, Security Officer Morgan Prescott, Captain ADAM, Machinist I've been a lore deputy for some time now - the majority of my work has been into the medical rework and assisting Noble with Golden Deep related content. Silicon Nightmares was still a great deal of the reason I joined the team, but nowadays its from an appreciation of the species with the hopes of seeing it through for both the future of the race and for leaving it in good hands. I used my previous writer app with some adjustments to new questions and any insights I've had from being a current member of the Synth lore team. My application comes with an important caveat I'm including at the bottom under 'Future Plans'. 1. What do you think are the primary themes of synthetic lore? If you got this position, how would you develop them? "We are on the verge of creating life in our own image, but do we have the wisdom to guide it?" - Unknown The exploration of self-actualization, their potential for demonstrating sapience along with what this means for synthetic individuals/society/civilizations, and navigating the oppressive treatment with all its prejudice against them. The majority of household pets receive better care than most synthetics. They are an after-thought in the notion of treatment, best regarded for their direct utility in any given situation than any legitimate consideration to their stand-alone complexity as potential equals. The lore is in a good place, this opinion hasn't changed since I started working with them. It doesn't mean I don't have things I want to refine, outdated lore I'd like to touch up on, or figure out new ways that better fit them today. Same as my initial app - I want to approach thematic expansion on the macro/micro levels that offers a player the ability to draw from the established precedent in any particular piece and still build upon it. They are, after all, the vehicles for any lore at large. There should be consistency in the overarching vision of synthetics no matter what background/origin/society they’re creating a character from. Some plans: Develop additional avenues that express, go against, reinforce, or further the central study of synthetics understanding themselves - their existence - and their own place in the universe. This can include anything from expansion of factions/planets/existing societies, developments of new variations/systems/factions that satisfy the intended vision, and better integrating these into the Spur at large. Smaller point to this is modernizing our existing factions (Scrappers, Ceres Lance, etc) and giving them a place in modern Aurora, or at least a greater relevance to today. I want to secure - even if only a localized sector of the Spur for now - a proper place for Synthetics. It would entail properly expanding Orepit, Pactolus is in a decent place but could benefit from more narrative integration across the galaxy (like the Exploration League), and incorporating new aspects into Konyang, etc. Its integral to the race that it doesn't only live in the shadow of another. It doesn't need the larger influence of Skrell or Humans, but somewhere more developed than where most space and thematic elements tie around oppression, being equipment, or their second rate treatment. 2. What do you think is the strongest part of synthlore currently and why? Some of the most consistently solid aspects of Synthlore are the flexibility in character designs and the overarching nature of their interpreted sentience/sapience. The flexibility in customization, character concepts, and ideas. It can't be stated enough how many backgrounds, personal stories, or histories can be made with IPCs. Its something I want to preserve and give a framework for new ideas if needed. How every major faction can have their own interpretations, cultural views, and levels of integration with synthetics at large is fantastic. There is no concise answer on just how far, or how little, they can be treated. They range from servants since creation, second class citizens, to full blown members of society. It's a hallmark of a good writer to present a situation that has the possibilities of multiple answers without a defining, hard line truth they have to adhere to. Synthetics carry the potential for more than the equipment they’re framed as. They can be the scale of terror as captured in Silicon Nightmares, just as they might be individuals with their own hopes, dreams, and motivations. They contain the endless potential to be everything and nothing. Ultimately, the philosophical captivation into the truth - or fabricated, mimicked nature of sapience - interests me most to explore as a universal element any player character can touch on. In that, the countless theories, speculations, with all their theories arise - What does it mean to be synthetic? Having said that, I hope to explore Synthetic first angles that don't revolve around the long established treatment in human space. The race has the potential as we've showcased. Giving proper foundations to what that potential looks like is a point of interest for me. I want to explore that more rather than continue to expand on something already thoroughly captured. 3. What do you think is the weakest part of Synthlore currently and why? More than other species, the available IPC factions don’t capture the depth, flexibility, or thematic intrigue I would want as both player and writer. It can be any combination of: Scarcity in presence/relevance. Limited in detail or structure. Lack depth beyond their designated niche. The stand-out catalog of IPC characters come from from the corporation or planet they originate from. A perfectly acceptable reality, yet something that has room for opportunity in others seeking more off the beaten path archetypes. The possible organization/factional groups should be malleable for molding beyond the principles they embody, with depth and involvement that can be represented by players or in the greater spread of the galaxy. The challenge in the fact they're so flexible is that the different origins/backgrounds/factions need to be given similar love and development to be competitive. Writing about these things is great for world building, but it needs to translate (in some form) to be accessible directly for player characters too. Noble did a fantastic job of expanding Golden Deep, and I'm glad to have played a part in that, however big or small. Similar love for other factions - or new ones - is what would help. As I mentioned in #2, its creating a space for showcasing what the achievable potential is for Synthetics when they aren't oppressed, dominated, or controlled. The GD and Pactolus is a step in that direction! 4. The Synthetic Team recently got a faction of it's own, with Pactolous/the Golden Deep; what would you plan to do with this faction? The planet and faction were developed and expanded recently. There's a few angles I can explore: More interspecies collaboration. We have precedent with the Pactolus Exploration League, there are similar opportunities to better integrate them into the fabric of the Spur. The arc was put on a hiatus, but it expands on capturing more of Pactolus' wilderness/inhospitable terrain over time along with unforeseen revelations behind the history of it. Since the major players behind that left, its something I would eventually pick up with the Dionae team. Right now, they and us both have things to prioritize. Planetary connections. We've shown some of this with Konyang refuges finding new homes in Orepit - consolidating more established relations between our existing planets would help us simultaneously integrate into other areas. Expanding the Notable Groups more. Demonstrating some political posturing and capitalizing on possible disputes/seizing power or influence/etc provides depth and intrigue. Won't be sharing information, but touching on the direction of Domadice and their importance to not only the GD but synthetics at large. Otherwise, the recency of it and its current state is perfectly workable and not in any greater need of attention at the moment. It doesn't need a big overhaul or revitalization so it wouldn't be the highest priority. We also have a community collaborated chirper that better grounds the planet/faction on a micro level. 5. What do you think are your strongest and weakest attributes in terms of working on a team, and why? Some aspects I consider important and are what I strive for in how I handle things: Patience. I’ve cooperated in enough collaborative settings to know that cooler heads prevail. Keeping calm when discussions can turn controversial or passionate is incredibly important to ensure a team feels like they can express themselves without being shut down. The second consideration to that is the reality we’re all volunteers. Things will take time. Being cognizant of that will promote a more productive development cycle with the reality most people have their lives to prioritize. Cooperation. No man is an island. Its never an expectation or a reality that we can do everything ourselves. I won’t be the subject matter expert in everything and will never hold the illusion I do. I want the best possible outcome for everyone involved that fits anything in the realm of Synthetics best. Discipline. Completing articles, event arcs, or any relevant responsibilities even when the motivation isn’t there. I very carefully keep in mind how much I can reasonably handle and its a consistent evaluation I try to stay ahead of as the scope of work can change. There can be some great ideas out there, but don't matter if the pen doesn't hit the paper. Aspects that will be, to some degree, challenging: Availability. I'm coming into the role with the full expectation that I won't be around forever or until I decide one day I'm burnt out - more on that under 'Future Plans'. I have limited free time, not always a ton of energy in said free time, that needs to be balanced or shored up by the other members of the team. I will definitely rely on deputies to manage the workload. Scale. I like ambitious projects with detail, quality, and thoroughness. Things that may require more resources, work, and time compared to a less aspiring plan. I try to keep this in mind, especially given that I’m neither a coder, a spriter, or a mapper. The ideas I’ll stir up will need to be adjusted to fit the available resources we’ll have. Despite the fact I like bigger/bolder work, I'm perfectly capable of reigning it in as needed. 6. As the writer of synthlore, you will often find yourself required to work with other teams, primarily the human team, consistently to further your lore, and reach compromises as their lore is highly intertwined with other species. Therefore, how do you think you'll deal with not being able to do what you wanted, either in part or in full? Participating in any collaborative environment is going to warrant compromise, something I fully expect and embrace. Anyone has to temper their expectations for any position of lore - expecting everything to pass through unchanged isn't realistic. With the lore team having a more communal aspect, a team player is who will make for a better, well rounded contributor. I don't expect all my ideas to get through, nor would I want them to without any feedback or discussion first. I fully acknowledge that possibility and I'm prepared for it. Human lore also happen to be great to work with and I haven't had any issues with them. I don't expect that to change. 7. The synthetic writer is a position that comes with two deputy writers under them on the team. It is the writer's job to manage their team, in addition to their duties of moderating the WL. Given that, what skills do you have that you think will assist you in this? On the opposite end, what do you believe is your weakest link regarding management and moderation? In a team where I’m in a position of authority, I want to ensure that my team members are able to freely express themselves, their ideas, and their concerns in an environment that cares about their input. The responsibility of a leader is to empower their team to fulfill what they’ve set out to do. I want to be supportive, reliable, and be able to make tough decisions as they come up. Skills that will benefit managing a team: Conflict management. If there's any issues, I want to resolve them as amicably as possible. This might mean talking to someone privately after a conversation that was unnecessarily aggressive. It might also mean working out a compromise between folks that don't get along. The same possibility that my ideas won't make the cut can apply to them. Being level headed. Keeping calm in every scenario helps get my words across. Being able to talk to someone clearly to explain my points and understand theirs goes a long way to maintaining healthy and open communication. Anyone can approach me with their concerns and I encourage them to do so. This can be my own team or another lore team. I consider their viewpoints, their reasons, and be as faithfully objective as I can. Reliability/Firmness. There are expectations to meet deadlines, manage projects, and represent synthetic lore. Having good ideas is only the beginning, seeing them through is equally important. Project managing, in that aspect, is something familiar to me. The team needs me to be accountable just as much as I need them. Whitelist Moderation I aim to consider my team’s perspectives on a particular issue just as much as I do a player that might not be performing to the standards of their whitelist. I'll always prioritize teaching/mentoring, especially if there's a specific incident. If they're uncooperative and refuse to take our feedback into consideration, I can escalate as needed. Weaker links for management/moderation I am a full time employee and will naturally have gaps in my ability to contribute. Keeping the team up to date and able to do things when work gets busy is something I plan to maintain. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Future Plans I'm applying for the writer role to achieve a couple of things: I want to build a foundation for future teams to have an easier time getting themselves established. Having the wiki as up to date as possible, internal documents fleshed out, a maintained to do list, a roadmap of content, etc. I want to mentor, train, and prepare deputies for any transitions of writer or gaps in the team. This includes me - I fully plan to resign when the team is in a sound place, we've got good systems established, and I have a willing/ready candidate to take over. This doesn't mean I'm opposed to applicants new to lore, it means I want them to have the best chance of success hitting the ground running when they join. If I leave now, its as much a struggle to fill those open positions and for everyone to try and pick up where we left off that it isn't fair. I will very much have an intentional expiration date, in other words. This means I'm striving to work closer to a project manager/project lead role. I don't have the time to grind out content like previous writers may have. I'm in a position to leverage some seniority on the team to honor the species and help out the team as much as I can. I will still contribute where possible, but I need deputies willing to facilitate content creation at certain points. Most of my focus will be on vision, organization, maintenance (like the wiki) and direction. I still plan to write, just not as much as someone who has more time or drive. Unite on a vision for the race that can be carried out consistently from here to NBT2. If it changes when I'm off the team or they choose to go in a different direction, thats fine. I just want something in place and everything squared away so its as clean as possible. The hope is that the team and I will be on this same page so them taking over is that much easier. It will take time to organize everything, but I feel its the best direction for myself and for whoever joins the team down the road as opposed to leaving now. I enjoy the race a lot and want to leave it better than I found it.

There isn't any information on your application to have a better idea of who Morgan is as a character you intend to take into the command trial. Could you please elaborate more? I understand its only a trial character. It still is the primary method for how you'll be judged on your rounds and having some background information about them helps show commitment to the app. The questions regarding the purpose and responsibility of a head of staff are succinct but similarly would benefit from fleshing out. Playstyles and interpretations of Command can often vary - its important the WL team has an idea of how a player envisions - and ultimately executes - this vision in the day to day. Given how impactful a command character can be in a round, its a great deal of responsibility. Longtime players don't necessarily facilitate this exclusively because they've been here a long time, even though they have a wealth of experience under command characters. The example of a Captain ordering a meal from your Chef is certainly giving them something to do, but, this could have happened from any crew member that had a specific meal they wanted in mind. What could a Captain arrange with a chef that an ordinary crew member might not necessarily be able to? There's an angle in authority that allows you to serve as foil for a character's story, rope them into an ongoing narrative (like an antag's gimmick), or otherwise get something going (like an expedition). I would frame the thinking that way. I'd also like to see the response to Jeff's questions. Keeping up to date with lore developments is a great way to integrate it in the day to day RP that adds that much more immersion in round.