Mr.Popper

In theory anyone in the department can run it, but the culture right now is a cooperative effort where Engineers setup the containment equipment and Atmos Techs do the fuel calculations. Preparing the fuel is a whole process in itself of modifying piping and preparing the right gas, while containment setup is as simple as wrenching and welding a few things. So it's technically shared but Atmos bears the brunt of the work.

These are great suggestions. Shields are in line with focusing Engineer on the electrical side of the ship and making them nonessential means piloting would be more strategic-- as it stands Horizon is borderline invulnerable most of the time. I almost suggested giving Technicians more fire axes to deal with inaccessible areas, but the jaws of life would be way more convenient. While it sucks that the door will have to be repaired, it's core to balancing that one job can't perform the same tasks as another at the same efficiency. I'll add these ideas to the original post even though the jaws of life already has a PR. The problem with the lack of gloves is how limited Tech's mobility is. It's a lose-lose situation: they don't get gloves so they can't hack autonomously, but they don't have access so they end up hacking with an Engineer's help anyway. Increasing their access and/or adding more ways to force entry (jaws of life) would make the gloves issue all but disappear. As for extreme situations like when a door is an electrical hazard or blocked by a blast door, I think it's fair enough for them to need an Engineer's help. Using the medical comparison, my ideal Atmos-Eng relationship would be Technicians acting as the "Paramedics" of the department, doing the most time sensitive tasks like fighting fires and sealing breaches, while Engineers are more like the Physicians or Surgeons tackling heavier duty problems (setting up emitters, cleaning up the 50 shattered windows the vampire made). I disagree because RCON is nonessential to the round. All of the substation bypasses start enabled, the only thing a lone Atmos Tech needs to do is start one of the 2 engines they have access to and they can ignore power for the rest of the round. Job identity comes from giving each job unique strengths and weaknesses. If an Atmos Tech can set up the power as optimally as an Engineer, then why do Engineers exist? Why don't they give the ship hot thrust as well and min-max atmospherics' setup? Because it would corrode Atmos Tech's empowerment as a unique job with only things they can do. Atmosphere Control is arguably essential compared to RCON because it can stop the ship from falling apart with the click of a button, but I still wouldn't want Engineers to have it for the same reason I don't want Techs to have RCON. Atmosphere is essential to keeping the round afloat, similar to a reactor being on, however Engineers can handle those problems with suboptimal tools like PAPs that Atmos Techs wouldn't waste time on. While in a perfect world Engineers and Techs would communicate what problems they're facing, an air monitoring program would be great QOL for solo Engineers just as power monitoring is for solo Techs, so I'll add it to the original post. I do want to maintain the skill overlap but we differ on where we want that overlap to begin and end. Electrical is the de facto realm of Engineer. They are in charge of (most of) the engines, they're the only job issued insulated gloves, they do the hacking, it's core to the job's identity. If you take that away then what does Engineer have that Atmos Tech doesn't? A solved and mundane reactor in the INDRA? Just as the current state of Atmos not getting gloves disproportionately favors Engineer, giving Tech full rein over electrical work would render Engineer an obsolete job. As for what I think should be shared, I agree on construction. The job dedicated to upkeeping the atmosphere of the ship should be able to seal breaches without external help, and the difference between building a borosilicate window and laying a floor tile shouldn't be getting anyone bwoinked. This creates a nice symmetry with the electrical-atmospheric divide where the two jobs share in general construction but one replaces cabling and the other piping. I also like the status quo of Engineer having PAPs/scrubbers and Techs having access to the supermatter. These things are essential to keeping the round going and it's not uncommon for a manifest to only have either Engineers or Atmos Techs. Here's a VERY rough venn diagram of how I think gameplay should be split: (pls don't make fun of my chart)

The problem is engineering's jobs suffer from a lack of identity. Engineer and Atmospheric Technician gameplay is mostly interchangeable, with random arbitrary differences that leave the division of labor confused. Currently, the trend seems to be people preferring Engineer over Technician because it's less specialized and restricted. Incentives need to be given for playing Atmospheric Technician without undermining the gameplay of Engineer. Fortunately, the department's culture is fairly good at dividing the gameplay, but there are still cases of Engineers intruding on atmos gameplay or vice versa. Ideally Engineers are the electricians of the ship and do most of the engine work, while Atmospheric Technicians respond to emergencies and deal with propulsion. Construction is a gray area where I think Engineers should usually take priority except in cases of breaches or pipework. There won't be a good solution to everyone in the department doing construction until skills are added, so I will ignore it in this suggestion. My goal with this suggestion is to give the jobs stronger identities with mechanical changes rather than policy ones, however these changes only target Atmospheric Technicians so far. I would especially appreciate feedback from the atmos players this will affect or suggestions to change Engineer in the same vein. Increase Atmospheric Technician's airlock access. It seems the biggest hurdle working against Technicians is the lack of insulated gloves forbidding them from accessing zones where they're desperately needed. This forces them to either: A. Be totally reliant on Engineers to do the very basics of their job, or B. Find a pair of gloves and start doing things outside their purview. I am against giving Technicians gloves; electrical work is one of the only things exclusive to Engineers and it should stay that way. However, it's awful that "emergency personnel" can't even access most departments during emergencies. So just give them wider access to the ship. I'm not sure where all Paramedics have access, but they would be a good baseline as I rarely see them have trouble getting into somewhere. Remember: Atmospheric Technicians are the de facto firefighters of the ship. Fires, contaminations, breaches, etc. kill people and they should be able to respond quickly without stopping to hack a door open. Remove Atmospheric Technician's access to electrical computer programs, namely RCON and Power Monitoring. This should be fairly self explanatory. Engineers don't have access to the atmospheric control program because it's not their job, why do Technicians have access to electrical systems? Unlike the supermatter, the RCON is not required for keeping the round afloat, it's just suboptimal to ignore it. One job shouldn't be min maxing the gameplay of another. Alternatively, keep Power Monitoring open access and add an equivalent "air monitoring" program for Engineers that shows the atmospheric status around the ship without access to air alarm settings. This would make solo Atmospheric Technician/Engineer a little easier without letting one invalidate the other. ID lock atmospheric equipment like pipe dispensers and the gas tank controls. This is one of the only non-hackable ways to keep Engineers out of the Technicians' toys. It would also make atmos grief much harder, not that it's really a problem. The downside is Engineers would be unable to make significant modifications to their reactors without a Technician present to unlock a dispenser. Jaws of life for forcing open airlocks. While wider access would be a huge boon to Technicians, there would still be the occasional high-security airlock their access wouldn't reach. This also works independently of point 1. Already PRed: https://github.com/Aurorastation/Aurora.3/pull/20138 Limit shield generator access to Engineer. The shields are one of the biggest power draws on the ship so it's only natural to give them to the job focused around the electrical grid. In the case of an Atmos only manifest, no shields means more breaches for them to fix, and ergo more gameplay. It would also make the shields a more valuable resource and hopefully give Bridge Crew pause before flying through an asteroid field. Give Engineer access to telecommunications. Telecomm outages, whether natural or malicious, are fairly common and it's annoying that only the head of the department has access to them. I understand why the Chief Engineer is in charge of telecomms, but it really just means Engineers end up hacking in and out constantly and it's tedious. Making it officially their responsibility would make sense considering telecomms problems tend to be electrical in nature. This goes beyond the scope of this suggestion, but if telecomms was ever updated so the coolant of the room actually mattered that would be a great way to involve Atmospheric Technicians and thus the entire department in upkeep.

I played actor in the latest test and what struck me most was the lack of drip (don't laugh). The premade role kits are a cool idea, but they seemed to be incomplete placeholders. Snowy, the storyteller, was very receptive to our needs and spawned in everything requested, but I can't imagine it was fun for her to custom-tailor every one of us. I also worry how a round without a storyteller would look with everyone wearing the same generic clothes. A few clothing cabinets in the spawn room like most offships have would be great. Other than that there were some issues with map compatibility, namely the station's undersized airlock. It really congested the away team and I hope the finished maps have more room to breathe.

BYOND Ckey: Mr.Popper Discord username: mr.popper Character names: Manuel Barros (engineer) 👷 Dariiz Ranura (machinist) 😾 Ezho Guwan (miner) ⛓️🦎⛓️ Khidr (xenobiologist) 🤓 Vakrsh Ozeuoi (chief engineer) ☢️ Species you are applying to play: Vaurca 🐜 ------------------------------ General Whitelist Requirements What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: 96B4FF (Mouv) Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Yes. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question. Why do you wish to play this species?: As an outsider, I love the sense of community Vaurcae have; it’s like every character is part of the same extended family. I could engage with it in the form of the Phalanx, but I have no interest in the militant angle and I would much rather play a native of the species. The external interactions are similarly great. Vaurcae are politically relevant to almost every major faction, and whether it be ostracization by Elyrans or subjugation under the Hegemony, there’s a lot to bounce off of. What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: Similar to synthetics, Vaurcae are purpose-built to fill a certain role. Where they differ is their communal society; almost all Vaurca are loyal to an Alate, Lesser Queen and/or High Queen who support them in turn. There’s a level of individualism among the unbound, but everything they do ultimately benefits their family and race. Likewise, a Vaurca’s life cycle is unlike any other species in the Spur, with most surviving indefinitely after death in VR. All of these alien quirks together make integration in the Spur a challenge for the less intelligent castes, and I appreciate how every hive offers a unique experience on Horizon. ------------------------------ Character Application Character Name: Ka’Akaix’Spol C’thur Write a backstory for your character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived to the SCCV Horizon. A Dreg would say Suits are born, but some are hatched. The Lesser Queen Mouv’s ventures into the Eridani Corporate Federation have come with an increased demand for Vaurca labor throughout the nation. Ever acquisitive, she meets that demand in her offspring; Ka’Akaix’Spol was destined for a career in Eridanian digital forensics. Its surrogate’s rationale was that a meek, non threatening Vaurca would fit the dull work of human information technology better than a hyperactive warrior, although this choice went on to make Spol an easier target for Vaurphobic coworkers. Spol’s year of virtual reality training was a strange childhood. Once it learned the very basics of being a Vaurca, the worker progressed to simulations of life as an Eridani suit, based on mostly accurate data collected by Mouv’s diplomats. These months of simulations engrossed Spol in the corporate world and molded it into the perfect Suit— or at least a bastardized, Vaurcaesian understanding of one. Equipped with a dictionary of poorly transcribed Suit slang and training in digital forensics, Spol’s Alate sent it off to Eridani I under an N4NL contract. Eridani life was nothing at all like the simulations in VR. Spol’s month in the Foreign Hire Program was arduous, not due to the trivial curriculum but the other contractors; every day was a worse hazing than the last with no sign of relenting. This mistreatment never completely faded, but died down significantly after Spol passed its internship and the contractors moved onto harassing newer recruits. Spol, meanwhile, took its abuse at face value as normal coworker behavior and never fathomed fighting back. Although Spol never noticed its hostile work environment, its Alate did. With multiple years spent in Eridani and only minor improvements to Spol’s situation, she decided it was time for a change in course. Unfortunately, Spol’s training in human culture as a member of the C’thur hive left it with little options outside of Eridani and within Mouv’s influence. Spol’s Alate deliberated for some time, both within the hive and with Spol’s EPMC superiors. Finally, she reached an agreement with N4NL. Spol would remain within the EPMC but be reassigned to its Biesellite operations, resulting in minimal shakeup while offering Spol experience in another human country— Biesel. Seeking utmost loyalty to Queen C’thur regardless of time spent in human space, Spol’s Alate influenced it in the Modern Pantheon. The long work days spent in human space have only cemented Spol’s faith, with mundane Suit life sharply contrasted by the fleeting euphoria of Her Aether. Although Spol has put little research into theology, it does have some thoughts on the other faiths. While Preimminence posits interesting questions about duty to one’s hive, Spol associates it with the Lii'dra due to its historical education and has avoided learning more. Similarly, Pilot Dream is just K’laxian nonsense made to cope with the tragic loss of their High Queen. While Spol is sympathetic, if not condescending towards the K’lax, it finds more common ground with the Zo’ra. The hive’s efforts to integrate with humanity were always of great interest to Spol given its upbringing. Comparatively, Spol has very little experience with the Skrell and struggles to relate its own struggles with those of its peers in the Federation. Its reassignment to the Republic is a source of excitement for the curious worker, who is eager to learn more about both humans and its Zo’rane relatives. How has the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted your character? Events such as the Phoron Scarcity, the Solarian Collapse or even the Invasions of Biesel for interstellar-wide affairs, while region-specific events such as the Peacekeeper Mandate, The Titan Rises or even Cold Dawn may impact your character. Although not alive for first contact and the subsequent founding of C’thur, LLC, Spol is a product of Mouv’s machinations for economic control of Eridani. Every one of her brood sent to Eridani or an EPMC is another piece of leverage for the recondite Queen, and Spol doesn’t even realize it. Outside of C’thuric influence, Spol is curious but oblivious. It was vaguely aware of the Solarian Civil War waging outside of Epsilon Eridani but never directly interacted with the conflict; Spol’s N4NL Asset Insurance team discreetly profited off the conflict through remote electronic warfare contracts, but these were just nameless clients to the Vaurca. The War in Heaven hits closer to home, yet another tragedy sparked by the tragedy of Mother K’lax’s death. While the technologically inclined worker is fascinated by the events in the Xathul Xon, its intrigue is dashed by horror at the bloodshed taking place. Spol’s biggest takeaway from the K'lak'iek is that the K’lax have fallen without the guidance of their original High Queen. Its not its place to judge a deity, but how can the lifegiving Queens create so much death? How does your character view the megacorporation they work for? Gullible enthusiasm. Integration into human culture is no different from work to Spol; a fun game to be played while outside the Aether. It doesn’t truly understand the discomfort its alien coworkers at N4NL feel towards it, instead mistaking their behavior as normal work culture. Consequently, Spol vastly overestimates C’thur’s influence in the Spur. If you asked it, Mouv basically owns Eridani already, and the other SCC corporations are small fry that will eventually be absorbed into C’thur, LLC. In the meantime, Spol will focus on its profession and serve the Conglomerate for the good of the hive.

Lenny is the resident Unathi Person in my brain, having taught me a ton about the species with their fun characters. I'm sure Blob will do the same for Vaurcae+1

justice for bluwan

In the aforementioned Evil Barros round, Fletcher unintentionally outed the impostor prematurely by calling the real Barros to his office. While it's unfortunate the antag couldn't complete his original plan, Fletcher did an great job of damage control by letting him escape and playing along with the doppelganger gimmick, despite how easy it was to identify the real one OOC. A bad head of staff wouldn't have even entertained that idea, and yet Fabian ensured it flourished despite the antag's handicap. When it comes to everyday play, Fletcher is good at organizing the department, makes frequent announcements, and is proactive in teaching newcomers. My only criticism comes from one round in which Fletcher assigned me and 1 other engineer to do a routine check on the reactor and fill out the accompanying form. While normally I like when Command remembers paperwork, there was no reason that I'm aware of to examine the reactor so it ended up feeling like 15 minutes of busywork. I would suggest saving mundane stuff like that for when the department has more people or when there's an actual reason. For comparison, he proceeded to send us to do the same thing with the sensor array, except it felt less tedious because the sensors were damaged, and we actually had something to report. Regardless, this one hiccup doesn't change the fact that Fabian is competent and has handled the whitelist with care. +1

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My perspective is limited to a member of Operations and I haven't seen how Jasorn handles antags, but I can confidently say he knows how to lead a department. A recurring behavior I appreciate is how Fernand always provides the crew with shortwave radios during emergencies where telecomms are down. I can't say I remember another head of staff ever doing this, and it's exactly the type of contribution an Operations Manager should be making as head of supply. As a character, I also enjoy what I've seen of Fernand, particularly his seedier side; he shows hints of the crookedness you'd expect from a corporate stooge, yet without being blatant or overbearing. Altogether, Jasorn plays a good head of staff and I look forward to seeing more of his OM. +1

Thank you for the response. Zhrdtuur was enthusiastic at the announcement of the humanitarian program in mid-2466. Already loyal to Hephaestus by this point, he had full faith in the corporate efforts to rejuvenate Moghes. One day, he hoped, the environment may even recover enough for his birthplace to be habitable again. Clan Azstak shared a similar, albeit more acquisitive, view, hoping to profit off the increase demand for guild work. His poorer kin in Skklet, however, were less enthusiastic. What good are promises from aliens when every day is a struggle to feed the clan? And, unlike the romantic warrior, their old village was now but a distant memory in the minds of the eldest. Mudki offered shelter in a time where it was sparse, why wish for anything else? Lord Izaku's betrayal, ironically, united them. Azstak's xenophilic, thrifty outlook often clashed with Izaku's xenophobia, while Skklet had held a grudge in secret ever since the death of Zhrdtuur's brother. Although Zhrdtuur was shocked to hear of the uprising and feared for his clanmates still in Mudki, another emotion came to him— vindication; Zhrdtuur had not betrayed his Lord with his disloyal thoughts following his brother's execution, his Lord had betrayed him in ordering it. Izaku's death was the climax of years of resentment and the start of a new chapter in Zhrdtuur's life, one in which he can forgive himself for the part he played in his brother's death and move on, like Moghes itself. The conclusion of the initial humanitarian mission and Hephaestus' hand in it have only strengthened Zhrdtuur's resolve. His homeland will recover, and Hephaestus Industries will be there with them every step of the way.

BYOND Ckey: Mr. Popper Discord username: mr.popper Character names: Manuel Barros (engineer) Dariiz Ranura (machinist) Species you are applying to play: Unathi ------------------------------ General Whitelist Requirements What colour do you plan on making your first alien character?: Mudki Stone Have you read the lore pages for the species you wish to be whitelisted for?: Yes Why do you wish to play this species?: I like the lore for Unathi, which I was mostly introduced to during the latest arc. They have a similar “new kid on the block” vulnerability to Tajara but with very different execution; rather than being divided politically, Moghes’ divisions are more environmental. But that is not to say the Unathi are socially perfect, by any means. Feudal oppression is still alive and well, providing plenty of concepts for characters who benefit or suffer under the regime. The central conflict of Moghes’ nuclear trauma is also a great hook and I love how every Unathi has a different perspective on it. With Zhrdtuur, he feels cheated out of the life promised for him but has begrudgingly accepted his new path for the good of his clan. What makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a human?: There is the obvious that I will need to get used to, like mannerisms, but I am more interested in the social differences. The highlight is definitely gender, which I haven’t seen any other sci-fi race really play with. Gender is something an Unathi “does” rather than “is”. When I find myself thinking of an Unathi character, I always start with their gender and how that affected their life as each has its own varying expectations. Clans are also significant, with Unathi having a very collectivist culture that stresses the needs of the many more than most human cultures. Religion is another major consideration, dividing Unathi far more than it does other races like humans or Tajara. Unathi society is really in such a vulnerable state that a desperate Sinta will believe anything, and that drives conflict. ------------------------------ Character Application Character Name: Zhrdtuur Azstak Write a backstory for your character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived to the SCCV Horizon. Born into clan Skklet, Zhrdtuur’s formative years were what one might expect for a peasant in the Zazalai Mountains. Each day was a new lesson in the way of the fisher, preparing Zhrdtuur for the day they would have to provide for their village. But that day never came. The Contact War broke out in their teenage years, and suddenly the serene mountain range was flooded with invaders. The Skklet clan was able to escape to nearby Mudki, but not without a cost; Zhrdtuur was one of many non-warriors desperately called upon by Lord Izaku to defend the city. Thanks to his courage, or perhaps youthful naivety, Zhrdtuur fought with distinction for a levy. He was one of the few newly minted warriors to never desert a battle, fuelled by his hatred for the invaders who had sacked his home. For nine long years he fought, yet when victory finally came it was bittersweet. The village he was born in was gone for good, taking two thirds of his homeworld with it. It was not home he returned to but asylum, one of many haphazard shelters allocated to refugees. But that is where his clan was, wounded but alive, and so that is where he stayed. The aftermath of the Contact War was a confusing period for Zhrdtuur. They were nominally a fisher again, trying to pick up the pieces of life before the War, but life was so different from when they were a hatchling. The beautiful countryside was replaced with weathered walls, and the clan’s lake, once abundant with fish, was no more. For nearly a decade they had done nothing but fight, and it seemed they had forgotten how to do anything else. After months of contemplation and guidance from their shaman, Zhrdtuur officially decided to follow the life of a warrior. Zhrdtuur’s first few years as a warrior were spent in Mudki’s city watch. He considered an offer to become a man-at-arms for Lord Izaku, but his experiences as a fisher got the better of him; in the city he could finally pursue his childhood dream of becoming a guildsman. Leveraging his military experience, he secured an apprenticeship in the local Fighter’s Lodge chapter, providing far more for his clan than before. Yet even still, clan Skklet struggled in poverty, and so his clan leader began seeking a spouse for the warrior. After much deliberation an agreement was made with clan Azstak, a local guild family established in Mudki. Zhrdtuur was betrothed to the fisher Geslsid Azstak, promising prosperity for his impoverished clan. The marriage price afforded to Skklet may have saved the clan from an early demise. After many years of hard work, Zhrdtuur Azstak made his way up in the Fighter’s Lodge. He eventually earned a spot in the Lodge’s Chosen, traveling all around Moghes doing clients’ dirty work. One of these contracts was his first run-in with Hephaestus Industries. The corporation appreciated Zhrdtuur’s subtler approach at curbing unruly workers compared to his warrior peers, as well as his “self-made” story, so when Hephaestus absorbed the guilds in full he was a natural choice for a corporate enforcer. Zhrdtuur’s latest assignment is as a “workplace liaison” to represent Hephaestus’ interests on SCCV Horizon, although time will tell what the corporation really intended with his posting. How have the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted your character? Clan Skklet was profoundly impacted by the Sk’akh inquisition. Although a staunch Th’akh clan, Zhrdtuur and many of his clanmates fell for the hysteria surrounding alleged cult activity. This came to a head with Zhrdtuur’s discovery that his twin brother, a talented hunter and respected warrior in his own right, had converted to Si’akh. After failing to make his brother see the light, the two had a falling out. Seeing no other option, Zhrdtuur reported his brother to Mudki’s authorities. This decision would haunt the Sinta for the rest of his life, as the next day his twin was given a public execution as a message against heresy. Zhrdtuur was commended by his Lord but he felt only hollow, dishonorable. Closure only came to the bitter warrior six years later with Lord Izaku’s execution. Hephaestus Industries’ takeover of the guilds has drastically changed Zhrdtuur’s life for the better. While he previously would have had to settle for retirement from the warrior lifestyle as his age caught up with him, Hephaestus offered a transition into a less physical— but still honorable— role where his talents for crushing dissent could flourish. His new position also meant substantially more financial security for his once destitute clan. How does your character view the megacorporation they work for? Zhrdtuur sees Hephaestus Industries as a positive force in the Hegemony. Part due to his childhood as a fisher, part due to his distrust of nobles like Izaku, he genuinely believes economic forces like the guilds and Hephaestus to be Moghes’ salvation— not that he would ever say it to a noble. Himeans, Unionizers, Aut’akh, and anyone else who would oppose Hephaestus must be backwards Traditionalists who refuse to embrace progress. It is his duty as a warrior to out these dishonorable schemes and protect his employer’s interests.

As Dessysalta sorta touched on, legalizing execution isn't really necessary when it's just as achievable indirectly. Just look at how uncontainable antags are treated now. It's pretty common for them to be shot to death by Security, even though a regulation busybody could argue "OMG you used excessive force you could've taken them alive!!!" The reality is that, 9 times out of 10, no one will scrutinize Security for killing a massive menace late in the round. Corrupt characters, especially command, are a great natural source of spice so long as they aren't breaking server rules. But trying to justify their actions through IC laws for OOC convenience destroys this moral ambiguity. Why would anyone be tempted to take sketchy actions if the regs already make their job easy? Another issue is the OOC redistribution of gameplay. Reducing the number of shootouts for security, borging for machinists, or marooning for pilots in favor of the Captain straight up killing the antag with no room for error is pretty lame. A lot of antag rounds already have the issue of command and sec being the only departments involved, antag interaction doesn't need to be further concentrated in the crew's upper echelon.

Hepht Colette bros our time is now

I like everything suggested above. Also: The field containment is a really cool idea, but kinda janky in its current form. AFAIK you can't even turn the main field off unless it runs out of power, making full shutoff unfeasible. Either A. Remove the inner field generators and make the outer shield generators do all the work (assuming they can even contain a singulo) or B. Alter the field generators so they can be turned off. In either case, I think the drive should be contained by only one energy field. Two containment fields is redundant and leaves less room for funny OSHA violation RP— also engineers can build another anyway if they feel inclined. Two PSUs are similarly unnecessary; each one can hold 6 coils, so having two with one each is a waste of space. Maybe, to make the drive look cooler and reuse some assets, it could get the cryogenic capacitor from the Leviathan? The power draw would just have to be much higher to justify the insane throughput. I love the idea of weird unexpected outcomes like malfunctions and anomalies. As Hazel touched on, maybe each gas could have its own stats, including reliability. E.g. you use phoron and it's perfectly safe, but you put in something like CO2 and there's a high probability of failure. Failure could vary in severity from an electrical overload to the ship going drastically off course. Anomalies could be more passive, randomly occurring while the ship is in bluespace transit. Some fun ones would be doppelgangers, phantom mobs, lights going out, teleporting objects, etc. Name ideas: Bam Slam Blam Drive, Doppler, Lorentz Drive, GAMMA or GAMA, Tigard-Demopoulos Drive, Homeros' Drive or Homer's Drive.

Hi. There's been a lot of feedback already I both disagree and agree with, so I'll try to avoid repeating others. Here's a wish list of things I would love to see: Homebrew > premade modules. Sure, you can just play an Einstein Engines operative or a shapeshifting alien that eats people, but with the current game modes I find the most interesting antags are ones which subvert their game mode's tropes. Similarly, Odyssey will age better the more freedom players have to craft their own story rather than rigidly follow a pre-built one. Granted, as a non-volunteer, it's hard for me to say how railroaded the test odyssey was, especially since there was no storyteller, I just think this should be kept in mind when designing odysseys. Don't eliminate prep time. I get that people want to get into the action right away but it's not sustainable for every round to begin with the same deployment at 00:10 exactly. Following up on my previous bullet, there's a lot of fun fluff actors and storytellers could do to add flavor to the away site before Horizon arrives. Placing their own notes, spawning in structures, altering their IDs, etc. I assume the timeline of events would be controlled by the storyteller, so in the absence of one there should be some way for the actors to confirm "OK we're ready for the crew", preferably without having to Ahelp every time. Smaller maps. I don't know if this will be standard but the map seemed very tailored to high pop. While I'm sure the full update will bring a wave of activity, it's unrealistic to assume every round will be so packed and having a humongous map with a pop of ~20 people won't be fun. The exception is wilderness maps which can get away with having a lot of empty space, but manmade structures like ships or buildings should be more realistically sized. Even in the case of high pop, I personally don't want to see everyone on the ship transplanted to the away site like in the test run because of the clusterfuck nightmare it creates, although that will presumably be less common as the game mode becomes standard. Demographic categories. There's been a lot of talk about X role getting nothing to do or Y role being required for the game mode to function. I have no idea how feasible this would be, but what if odysseys were grouped and selected based off player readies? For example, say there's a category for "high engineering" odysseys which require engineering to be playable. Broken ship, FOB that needs to be built, whatever. Have those odysseys more likely to be selected the more engineering readies there are, and vice versa. This could also address the pop problem previously addressed by having a size categories, only selecting larger maps during high pop. Unfortunately this may further encourage oversaturation of the same departments (security) and guarantee only those same jobs are catered to. Maybe cap the selection rate at a certain point so, say, 3 researchers are just as likely to get their round as 9 security are.

Communicative, assertive and knowledgeable of the department; basically everything you want from a command player. In particular, I appreciate Gessler's efforts to engage other players, from recruiting random assistants to paying out bonuses for bounties (I really enjoy department gimmicks like the latter). He also responds well to antagonism from what I can tell, tolerating my nonsense for a time but still cracking the whip in the absence of more appropriate heads of staff. +1

I regrettably haven't played research under Qurioxi, but both as a random crewmember and fellow head of staff they have been consistently communicative, going out of their way to keep the crew informed with the announcement system. They're also a funny character. +1

BYOND key: Mr.Popper Discord Username: mr.popper Character names: Manuel Barros, Engineer Biri-Biri, Bartender Z.I. Ayanda, Scientist Yrosla Araz’irr, Security Cadet Dariiz Ranura, Machinist How long have you been playing on Aurora? I have lurked on the server since at least early 2022, but only became an active community member around October of 2023. Have you received any administrative actions? And how serious were they? None in-game (that I am aware of). I have been warned on the Discord for inappropriate memes. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph each. What do you think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff is, ingame? Facilitate. Like antagonists, command members facilitate roleplay, albeit by organizing departments and keeping everyone in the loop rather than sowing chaos. Unlike antagonists, command is vital for certain round functions, whether it be opening the armory, hailing foreign vessels, or raising to red alert. However, heads of staff should be careful to not become “super-characters”; command exists to manage and make calls. You should not be stealing thunder from your subordinates, you should be empowering them to do things that would be impossible in your absence. What do you think the OOC responsibilities of Whitelisted players are to other players, and how would you strive to uphold them? As I touched on, heads of staff have a responsibility to improve their staff’s experience, but this also extends to antagonists. If I play a command member I am playing a punching bag. John Sol can shoot me, burn me, electrocute me, and gib me. As long as it gives him and everyone else a fun round, I am game. In the absence of external (usually Solarian) factors, heads of staff take on an educational role. SS13 is not the most transparent game for newcomers and every server has its quirks. I know it took me years to become a remotely competent spaceman, so I do everything in my power to impart knowledge on newcomers and appear welcoming. For this reason I only plan on playing heads of staff for departments I am fairly knowledgeable of (currently CE and XO). Explain how the recent events in the Spur changed your character and how they came to be employed on the SCCV Horizon. One day a Xion Manufacturing engineer had a question: can the machine run the factory? Here, the 80:20 Industrial Overseer was born. This experimental line was first limited to a test trial in the Solar system, but as the Conglomerate went public demand for skilled personnel skyrocketed. The initial order of four units more than doubled to ten, then eighteen, and so on. While the young 80:20 excelled in managing resources and minimizing losses, they were unprepared to tackle the social challenges of a real workplace. This was to be expected from an experimental model, but Xion programmers were unable to properly quality control the rising numbers and a wave of catastrophic failures eventually hit the line Spur-wide. Juran 80:20 was among the first to emerge from the belly of HPS Amoni in 2460. After only a brief posting in line management aboard the mega factory, the demand for manpower called it elsewhere: Valkyrie. It was one of the lucky few sent to Biesel, assigned to the Helios Manufacturing Zone. Luckier still, Juran was spared from the more fatal malfunctions of its counterparts, only temporarily incapacitated from its duties. The terminal failures of Juran’s brethren allowed for Xion engineers to quickly pinpoint the most severe defects and correct them, saving Juran and the other surviving 80:20 units from early death. The 80:20 Industrial was an embarrassing failure for Xion and Hephaestus. Ironically, an attempt to cut corners sent millions of credits in lost assets and costly recalls down the drain. Though any future units were scrapped, what was left of the project were some of the most effective (and expensive) synthetic managers in Hephaestus. Juran proved extremely lucrative in its half decade tenure at the Helios Manufacturing Zone. But considering the money lost on it, the IPC has a long way to go to break even. Hephaestus has agreed to temporarily loan Juran to the SCC proper. Both companies have high expectations of the Industrial, and it in turn has high expectations of its subordinates. What roles do you plan on playing after the application is accepted? Chief Engineer, Consular, Corporate Liaison, Executive Officer, Captain Have you familiarized yourself with the wiki pages for the command roles? Yes. Characters you intend to use for command or have created for command. Include the job they will be taking: Juran 80:20, Chief Engineer. Industrial management unit that expects synthetic results from its mostly organic workers. Deborah Grady, Workplace Liaison. Enthusiastic but sheltered Hephaestus rep more interested in the idea of hard work than actually doing it. Ernst Strelitz, Consular. Hardline Dominian veteran who was maimed in a terrorist attack early into his military service. Do you understand your whitelist is not permanent, and may be stripped following continuous administrative action? Yes. Have you linked your BYOND account to the Forums? Yes. Extra notes: None (yet)

I like this as something for Warden to do that isn't gunning the antag down. Alternatively, give the Warden an unarmed remote control drone (seriously)

Yrrosla's nationalism mainly manifests in his hatred for the Al’mariists. Numerous raids and even the temporary seizure of his village by the Liberation Army made the conflict far too personal for the previously isolated Tajara. Although the occupation was far less centralized or brutal than in Zatushka, the Al'mariist forces still pilfered the area's resources and killed many of his friends in the fighting. The village bore the scars of war long after its liberation by the Republican Army, manifesting in Yrrosla as antagonism towards the DPRA. This first-hand experience with war also informed his later determination to avoid enlisting. Conversely, his attitude towards the royalists is more tame, yet still distasteful. The war with the NKA was never as personal to him, so his limited knowledge combined with Hadiist propaganda makes him see the Kingdom as an irrelevant backwater— unlike his village, of course. Unsurprisingly for a Zhan, Yrrosla is a strong believer of the Ma'ta'ke pantheon. The Araz'irr family worships Dhrarmela, paying tribute by providing craftsmen just like her with lumber. Despite being a self-proclaimed devoted Hadiist, the more atheistic attitudes of the ideology have flown over Yrrosla's head, paling in influence to his superstitious upbringing. But what does fit is Ma'ta'ke's teachings of unity and how they relate to Hadiist collectivism; piety and patriotism are one and the same to Yrrosla.

BYOND Ckey: Mr.Popper Discord username: mr.popper Character names: Biri-Biri, Manuel Barros, Z.I. Ayanda Species they are applying to play: Tajara ------------------------------ General Whitelist Requirements What colour do they plan on making their first alien character?: Chocolate Have they read the lore pages for the species they wish to be whitelisted for?: Yes Why do they wish to play this species?: One of his favourite periods in human history is the industrial revolution. Next to the present information age, it stands as one of the most radical changes in history, uprooting ancient systems and transforming the lives of people across the world for better or worse. Adhomai reflects this turmoil in several struggles he finds compelling: rural vs urban, tradition vs progress, liberty vs security, etc. For this one’s application, he is especially interested in the People’s Republic of Adhomai for its authoritarian themes and the character hooks they provide. What makes role-playing this species different from role-playing a human?: Besides the obvious, a good Tajara player has to consider the circumstances of their character’s origin and how their culture informs their behaviour. Tajara are possibly the most backwards race in the Spur. Most Tajara grew up in relatively archaic living conditions, yet there are exceptions; the contrast between the technologically literate and illiterate is an intriguing social barrier that offers great variety in characters. On the topic of Tajaran society, Tajara have a lot of work to do if they want to catch up. Although an uncomfortable subject, this offers great conflict with the other races of the Spur and one should imagine how their traditionalist society has benefited or mistreated them. ------------------------------ Character Application Character Name: Yrrosla Araz'irr Write a backstory for their character. This may include their origin, education, personality and how they arrived at the SCCV Horizon. Yrrosla grew up in a village off the outskirts of Zatushka, right where the prairies meet the vast tree line. One would expect a Zhan-Khazan born to a woodcutting family to have a mundane childhood, but Adhomai during those years was anything but mundane; the second revolution began when he was barely five years old. Initially, it was a game to the children, playing make-believe wargames in the security of their homesteads. Yrossla was among the largest of his playmates with an ego to match, always boasting about how he would lead armies and crush the traitors to the Republic, but very soon his bold claims were put to the test. War did not spare the serene Ras'nrr prairies. Zatushka quickly fell to the Liberation Army, leaving the loggers in dire straits without their primary buyer of lumber. Soon enough Yrrosla’s father and the other working men were called away to war, leaving the women and children to pick up the slack. Yrossla and his older siblings strenuously fell the trees and hauled them to camp while his younger siblings floated the logs down the river to the sawmill. These were trying times, only aggravated by the local garrison’s appetite for the village’s scarce rations, but eventually, the war ended and a semblance of normalcy returned. After years without contact, Yrrosla’s father finally returned, yet their reunion was not how he imagined; his father was paralyzed and he would never work again. He held his composure but in truth, Yrrosla was mortified that his country would soon expect the same sacrifice from him. But after some research the Tajara came up with a sly plan: if he became employed by Nanotrasen he would be ineligible for the draft. A brief, yet irritating, application process later and he actually succeeded. Ironically, with his lack of education, he was only fit for the security division. How have the recent events of the Orion Spur impacted their character? Due to his youth and isolation on Adhomai and further isolation in the countryside, Yrrosla has mostly only been affected by Adhomian events. The Hadiists’ rampant industrialization campaign drastically changed life for his family, introducing conveniences like powered saws and rapid wood processing. Politically, he was less fortunate; the second revolution ruined any cohesive family dynamic and forced him to rapidly mature. Indirectly, the phoron crisis and Nanotrasen’s ever-expanding workforce had an impact by giving the otherwise unqualified Yrrosla a ticket off Adhomai. How does their character view the megacorporation they work for? As a country bumpkin, Yrrosla seldom questioned his government and blindly adhered to orthodox Hadiism (or a layman’s understanding of it). This extends to his perception of Nanotrasen and its security branch, Nexus Corporate Security. To Yrrosla, Nanotrasen is an extension of his country and more: a means of escape. His employment is an opportunity to finally leave the homestead and go on the adventures he dreamed of as a child, without the frightening baggage of joining the army. At worst, he is bored of his training and studies, but this has only made him more eager to become a full-fledged Nexus Security guard.

Scream if you love GAHHHSSUNZIONE!!!!