EvilBrage

Great attitude, there. What Hackie is trying to say is that your proposed custom item doesn't tell us anything about Calhoun, other than he likes polo shirts and cargo pants and has a grandiose self-delusion that he's in a military of some sort (which is not the case, but you as a player knew that, surely.) Far as identifying the various ranks, that's what the prominently displayed ID cards and PDA's are for. True, a custom item doesn't have to be of monumental sentimental value and whatnot, but this literally doesn't add anything. It's just "I want a different security uniform," which is definitely not what custom items are for, in my humble opinion.

Ahahahahaha! Someone fucking said it! Rant begin: let's bear in mind that it's taken centuries for humans to accept even other humans as equals when the only difference between them was their skin color. From a societal standpoint, the likelihood that humanity as a race would accept tajarans, unathi, and varuca as anything close to equal within the tiny span of a few years is nil - but we can't go back and retroactively change the fact that we've been letting tajarans and unathi do just that for a long time on the server now, so I'd encourage us to not make the same mistake with the varuca. I'm tired of the only differences between the races being mechanical ones - sure, we stuff a wiki full of all this lore and presumed prejudice, but for some reason it never really happens when you get in-game; I'm not sure what we even have alien whitelist pages for if the standard of play is essentially the same. This is the first I've heard of tajarans being presumed terrorists, and I've been playing for a long time - nobody ever mentions it in-game because there's really no difference in-game. Let's change that. Have a few high-profile events, or maybe just some news stories about some major "accidents" or terrorist attacks and start cutting aliens from job roles. That'll make far more conflict than an excerpt from a wiki that nobody reads.

Consider also that if you're not an antagonist, you're essentially sitting in your lab waiting for things to happen. With the added biology functions to genetics, I don't think it would suffer terribly from the removal of superpowers and/or block injectors (or rather, a player wouldn't have a shortage of things to do compared to any other department.) But I can't call security on geneticists who abuse TK. Because technically I don't know about it in-game because I don't have genetics training. Therefore, I'm breaking an OOC rule in an attempt to see IC rules enforced. Get it, now? That's why nobody does anything about it to begin with, presumably. Self-testing is a problem, just not the problem I was addressing here, mind you. They don't "mind it" that much because it's become the unfortunate norm, much like those characters who love to state that the mayhem and chaos around them "always happens," cheapening conflict as a whole as a result of their indifference. It means exactly what it says. Remove block injectors, leave the geneticists with only injectors that modify all of the blocks at once. As for making genetics hard to deal with - that was pretty much the objective to counter the ridiculous geneticists who can become X-ray hulk TK'ing pink tajarans before I can even steal a pair of insulated gloves - and I am very good at stealing things, mind.

This does kind of put a hole in my ongoing "this is the same terrible dream over and over" arc I'm playing, though. (Kidding. Do it nao.)

Use a radio jammer if you're not robust enough to snag the headset before they can talk. You can even create the improvised version if you don't have an antag uplink.

No more time-consuming than it is at present. You'd know which blocks do what and could zap them on the desired individual accordingly (or, with some anti-rad medication on hand, use the feature that copies all of the SE blocks of an individual.) The point of the suggestion is to make it time-consuming, as opposed to figuring it all out thirty minutes into the round and cursing everyone with inevitable chucklefuckery, or worse, an entire security force with X-ray and remote viewing. You thought they were bad before? This suggestion was employed after watching a round of that in action, and I don't think I could stand a repeat. The self-testing isn't the issue. The issue is the players running around and using telekinesis to move absolutely everything around and slam people, only to then expect players to feign ignorance as to what the issue is because omg u metagaem otherwise. The issue is the hulks who bash through walls and blame it on the "mental effects" of the disorder. The issue is the "remote view" that can, more or less, instantly locate an antagonist in the process of his deeds (think an AI that doesn't rely on cameras.) If "command permission" meant anything in terms of mechanical balance, I might be inclined to agree. However, as we've established, scientists who're using and handing out lab equipment are punished about as often as security officers themselves. Self-testing geneticists are the target of the occasional head of staff's ire, but they are largely ignored until they become green and start punching walls. As for reverting them back to normal, 1u of Ryetalyn still does the trick, as always, so I don't see any particular difficulty there. If we want to go halfway on it, I'd actually recommend the inverse of what's been discussed already - that is, removing block injectors and forcing a complete SE overhaul instead.

If fire actually did anything beyond be a minor annoyance, it might have a little more impact.

As it says in the title. I think this would cut down on a great deal of abuse we see coming from genetics, would eliminate the ridiculous self-testing phenomenon, and would encourage working with assistants and other lab rats to figure out which traits do what - not to mention, mass-producing powers for people to chucklefuck with use becomes a chore, which is probably a push in the right direction. Thoughts?

Carp bite. Problem solved.

This one. Much less cumbersome than uninstalling security updates (which, by the way, is a very bad idea.)

So tonight, I'm getting an error where Dream Seeker stops responding once it reaches the ad screen. Can't seem to bypass the ads, and therefore, I cannot play - anyone else having the issue? Edit: Solved - I've got details for those who want them. Go into Internet Explorer. Right-click the top of the screen and click "menu bar." Select "tools" then "active X filter" so that there is a check beside it. Launch Aurora again. ??? Profit.

Actually no proof at all of me being a changeling until I went ham on the Warden and Detective near the round end :^) Actually you stunned and killed the IAA in the first fifteen minutes of the round right where I could hear you and see you as the AI. :^) Honestly, how did you think that would go? I didn't see a lot of RP going on in that room; wonder how that IAA liked what happened. The only reason you weren't permabrigged for the entire round is the captain came along and inexplicably ignored the fact that you were directly witnessed murdering the IAA, you fought back against security vehemently when they arrived, and your story was downright terrible. I even had PDA logs of the attempt at luring Constantine to the same fate, but a few characters that round seemed to suffer from a severe lack of brain. I can execute some willful blindness for the sake of some good antag shenanigans, but really? Right in the conference room? Can't speak about the other nonsense about graverobbing and food-making, but I made it very clear that Keelin was a cold-blooded killer and that he should definitely not be released. Even had my laws checked mid-round when I had to replace some vowels with apostrophes. There was no "security bias" - there was security acknowledging the fact outlined in the identifying antagonists page, that AI units are not known to malfunction and their word can be taken as truth. Soon as I saw that several people weren't cooperating and Keelin was going to escape, again, I was tempted to lock down everything and write everyone in the brig off as a loss. Amidst the slimes that got into the bridge and medbay and all the other nonsense that was going on, though? It was a terrible round, and security wasn't able to keep order because of all the infighting. When that happens, people go nuts.

I forget when I made this. [attachment=0]Jaylortacticool.png[/attachment]

Or maybe remove the markers for everyone, but have a situation a la the mutiny game mode where the anonymous benefactor who bestows telecrystals to the rev leaders also gives them codes via the PDA to help them find the others.

Or how about the shuttle doesn't happen and only the escape pods happen during a mutiny? Or you need two head-level ID's to call the shuttle? Granted, for the head of personnel that wouldn't be much of a problem, but it's something.

How about just "universal translator." Boom, done. As for how loud it plays, why not either: A) Make it an encryption key for headsets so it just plays in your ear, or B) Have a volume button to control how loud the playback is.

Except anyone who wants to do something like this will have a precedent set by the administration's failure to react to this incident - which means they can't be punished for doing it without setting a double standard. Which means it won't stop. See where I'm going with this? Allowing this sort of thing once opens the floodgates for everyone who's ever wanted to do it, and they're completely within their rights to follow through. "Humorous" as it was to some of you, that's how servers devolve from serious to, well, most of the other servers you see out there. What's the difference between this and the greasers we had running around a year ago or so? We 'enjoyed' that, but ultimately the administration had to put their foot down, and that's my point. I may secretly judge those of you who liked the round, but I'm not bashing you - it's not your fault you're ridiculous. I'm bashing Garnascus and Killhurtz for failing to understand the consequences of inaction in a circumstance like this. I'm not new to this kind of thing, so you can take me for my word on this and see how it turns out.

Reporting Personnel: Jaylor Rameau Rank of Reporting Personnel: Quartermaster Personnel Involved: Jaylor Rameau (QM), Jun Ivanova (Security Officer), Yuri Daruski (Cargo Tech), Samuel Steel (IAA), Walter Brooks (HoS), Jim Calhoun (Security Officer) Time of Incident: Approx. 0200 hrs Real time: 12/19/2015, 2:00am EST Location of Incident: Cargo Office Nature of Incident: []Workplace Hazard []Accident/Injury []Destruction of Property []Neglect of Duty [X]Harassment [X]Assault [X]Misconduct [X]Other Exceeding Official Powers Did you report it to a Head of Staff or IAA? If so, who?: Samuel Steel, IAA Additional notes: Jim Calhoun assaulted me with pepper spray and attempted to detain me for a fabricated charge; Walter Brooks verbally instructed him to stop and only after several minutes did he comply and release me. No punitive action was taken against Calhoun, despite multiple death threats and instances of assault (spitting on me, the pepper spray, etc.) Samuel Steel and the others were witnesses to the event and can testify that the events took place as I've described them.

Who's to define grief, though? I thought it was pretty funny - and since it was funny, it's completely okay!

Some people think it's great fun to release the singularity, or to unload a plasma canister in a hallway. I suppose this makes a round "less bland" as well, then? Oh, but I wasn't being serious, it's funny to watch people keel over and vomit and die! And bombs on the escape shuttle? Hilaaaarious! I think I'm going to play my head of security and order the entire force to wear swimsuits instead of their uniforms. Doesn't this sound like such a quirky and fun way to spice up the round? EEEEEE! I hope more administrators will chime in here, because if this is acceptable, then my years here have clearly given me the wrong impression of this server.

It didn't just break the atmosphere. It took a dump on it. You didn't show up in wrestling masks with your brightly colored jumpsuits rolled down after a brief foray with the station's security forces about holding a wrestling tournament. You showed up with military-grade syndicate masks and tossed on clown outfits and xeno robes while quoting the John Cena prank call with "GWE" instead of "WWE" and expected everyone to go along with it because look how goofy and funny we are. Unannounced visitors arrive on secure research station and start babbling nonsense without warning, crew responds by subduing and capturing intruders, and then someone called a shuttle because the "armed with prop weapons" wrestlers set off a bomb. The entire round was over within 20 minutes of their arrival and absolutely nothing of substance happened. Honestly, how did you think this was going to go? Hell, there's nothing wrong with being silly, but there are literally dozens of other servers that do this sort of thing on the regular. Go there when you want to be silly, come here when you want to be serious, but don't use the "if this happened all the time we wouldn't allow it" excuse. We have to set standards that are very clear; how often is too often, exactly? You either allow it, or don't allow it - because when you ping someone for doing it, they're going to come right back and say you've allowed it before - and they're right for pointing it out. That's administration 101, guys - if this kind of nonsense is acceptable, you're setting a bad precedent for any chucklefuck who walks in.

Lame. It sounds too snobby to be a proper insult. I'd rather go with ghoul, zombie tree, deadbrain, etc. Or just let players make up insults and see what sticks.

They don't, but here's why I decide to stick them on anyways: I've done moderating for a great number of other servers, and while I haven't felt the need to contribute to Aurora in that capacity yet, I just like to toss in my preliminary observations as someone who used to do this kind of stuff fairly often.

Then again, I really have no interest in helping someone unwilling to learn in the slightest. I'm sure you'd like to have the last word, but I want this on the record so that my opinion is irrefutably clear: -1

"One bad round" isn't the issue. Your attitude and maturity level are the issue. A few players here can tell you that I also tend to get heated when things don't go exactly according to plan (I take great pride in my antagonist shenanigans, see) but the crux of the issue is that you had a bad round and then went on to file a complaint against someone for changing their mind on whether or not they believe you should get a whitelist - that's the most alarming part about your behavior. Someone slighted you, and so you tried to get back at them. The complaint has been active for a few days now, despite the statement that the incident had been dealt with already by Killerhurtz (I'm not even sure why Garnascus decided to stick his nose in at that point without the former's yea or nay.) If I give you a negative review and my character does things you don't like, will you attack me for two days? I can't say I've had any memorable interaction with your characters, personally - but I can already see a number of issues that I would be extremely wary of, were I in charge of accepting or denying this application. I am not bashing you, but I want to outline them in the interest of constructive criticism. First, you start with a contradiction that just seems to be written to "sound cool." She's both determined and uninterested? Determined to be uninterested? You're using contradictions as "cool factor." You've created three characters within your very short time here, all related to one another. Feel free to disagree, but this implies you project yourself onto your characters, which is the very breeding ground for the "Mary Sue" you're being referenced as. You seem unable to distance yourself from your characters emotionally. Second, you imply that her ability to beat people up is a significant factor in determining whether or not she's accepted for the position, which leads me to believe that you're not aware of what a head of staff application is really geared towards judging; this is further compounded by the fact that when asked about the OOC purpose of a head of staff, you decide to call the question "iffy." It's there for a reason, and I'm not convinced that you get it. Third, your character has no weaknesses. Let's not beat around the bush - what you've outlined as her "greatest weakness" is a run-of-the-mill trait that's run its course through many, many characters. It's extremely obvious that you've sculpted an archetype to be the "perfect" candidate for this position, rather than creating a character. She can apparently take down several men unarmed, she boasts a great 'mental library,' etc etc. "She might want to see her sisters again" is the only twinge of anything resembling humanity that this character has, and I'm not saying that in a good way. Finally, after a scant week of being on the server, the overall tone of your application seems to scream "they're doing it wrong, I'm doing it right, and I want to be a head of staff to force them to do it right," as evidenced by the following: And perhaps the most damning of all: Ironically, that's the biggest reason I would reject this application immediately. We can get past Mary Sue characters, and I could even give you a few pointers on how to avoid that trap. We can educate those who don't know about the OOC expectations of a head of staff, that other players will see your actions and recognize you as a senior community member and emulate what you do, that you have to lead by example. One thing we cannot deal with, however, is an individual who judges the server before even being around long enough to witness a 'baseline.' You assume the worst of our community and have set out to change it without understanding it to begin with, and that speaks volumes to your inability to appropriately handle this role. Here's my challenge to you: create a character, not an archetype. Play a character completely unrelated to any other character, yours or someone else's, and RP organically. Let things grow on their own, and let your character involve themselves with the various cliques of characters around the station. Immerse yourself and have this character learn as they work, and use that character to create a head of staff application - because I guarantee you that you'll see a much better reception. Or use a different character for the application, but this is an experience I really think would benefit you. Don't rush it just to get your next application pumped out; that defeats the purpose. Try it out through the next month, or through February, but have the character get involved and let another player's character help yours grow before you come back and make another application. Roleplay here isn't just about playing a role; we're creating a massive, collaborative work, and it won't do for everyone to write their characters as the main part 24/7. Try it, I guarantee you'll love it (and as an added bonus, it'll help you with your application, too.) You're obviously an individual of intelligence with the potential to evolve into a great member of the community, and there may come a day when you're able to handle the head of staff role appropriately. However, I do not believe today is that day.