Arkin100

Seems reasonable to me. For the new players it will allow for a chance to learn the general mindset of the server, and for veteran players it's not such a long wait.

You were too humble to attest to your own level of roleplaying, so allow me to do that for you: Dedicated, immersive, convincing, subtle, helpful (and a genuinely nice guy in OOC too). This guy is one of the best borg players I've come across in the game. He picked a very specific way to play his unit OneZero in the game, and his ability to maintain character bars on that of a stage actor. I can't help but admire the way he takes the time and effort to portray the little subtleties that depict his character: The protocol-driven behavior, the constant beeping when engaging in conversation, or the little gestures that genuinely make me forget I'm interacting with a real person, and not an actual machine. And then there's the backstory: I just want to see how this unfolds in game, I can't imagine it to be anything but a great experience to witness. It's well written, interesting, and a complicated challenge to take on. Needless to say, I approve.

Let's not forget that Oxygen is also a very flammable gas, so perhaps filling a whole mask with it could be considered a safety hazard. Furthermore, as with pilot helmets - in extreme G forces gas gets displaced to the back of the helmet, which can result in suffocation, that's why pilot helmets also come with a built-in mask. It's not inconceivable to assume that the people who work in voidsuits might be exposed to such forces when traveling on shuttles or escape pods. Killerhurtz only tried sharing his personal views with you regarding the suits, not force them upon you (Hence the beginning of his statement: "The way I see it"). This is the wonderful thing about roleplaying: We all get to fancy how we imagine stuff works when it comes to the finer detail. All in all I could accept this idea as reasonable, but I'm going to stand by Killerhurtz and disapprove this for now. You can't expect your own ideas to be respected and considered if you don't take the time to at least acknowledge another person's point of view.

Thank you very much!

By the way, there are sooo many other things that can be explained as easily by applying Killerhurtz's reasoning: - PA is dismantled between shifts as part of the maintenance process: It needs to be taken apart to be scanned for any damages that might have been caused by long exposure to the Singularity. - AI sometimes changes (or is even uninstalled in some shifts) because NT also uses to Aurora as a place to field-test new AIs (which is also why they can malfunction sometimes). - Door wires are scrambled between shifts for security reasons: You don't want some syndicate agent to be able to infiltrate one shift and then figure out how to permanently hack the doors whenever he comes back on board.

Yeah, likewise. I love how we got this far by discussing simple time synchronization.

I like those numbers, can put it down to the AI resetting non-essential configurations between shifts. I like the idea, in fact we might not have to go to such lengths to explain it: Maybe the Singularity itself isn't the problem, but the massive amounts of radiation it emits slowly weather the shield generators, emitters, and collector array, so every few hours it has to be shut down to allow those components to be either repaired or replaced? I like your idea! - the Aurora is mainly supposed to be a research station, so why not make it something akin to a giant scientific experiment? Between shifts everything is reverted in order to set the 'experiments' back to their default states, so that new data can be gathered under consistent conditions. As for research, it's not too far-fetched to imagine that scientists would be running the same experiments from shift to shift. That's just the way science work, you test theories multiple times to further consolidate them. Could just be for bureaucratic reasons: NT demands an equipment count from shift to shift in order to keep track of the station's stock and discourage petty theft. I can imagine a department head getting chewed out for being 1 hardsuit short at the end of a shift. So, putting everything back in place makes sense, since that's how you usually keep track of logistics. If a certain item is missing, depending on the item, the department head (or all the department that manned last shift) get a pay dock (not necessarily needs to be implemented, that's just how I fancy it) Usually, if I end a shift in cryo I spawn back at cryo the next round, and vice versa. I like what you're saying though - the Aurora isn't meant to be lived on for long periods of time - that's what ODIN is for. There are dorms to allow for short rest during shifts, but otherwise the crew spend most of their off-the-clock time either on ODIN or planetside (on vacations and such). We can say solars are de-wired to prolong their lives (being online for long periods of time degregates the solar array, for argument's sake). Excess power can easily go to towards charging and powering the drones and machines that refit the station between shifts, or it can simply be vented off as heat into space. We can also say Atmos is reset for similar reasons - most atmos optimizations opt to pump more air into the station, so this status is reverted to save some of the precious gasses used in the process. All in all I like your ideas alot. They give a very neat explanation to most of the inconsistencies that occur between rounds. Context accounts for much when creating immersion.

As Xelnaga said - Station time doesn't necessarily correlate with character's biological clocks. A character might get the 'night shift' on the station, but to him he considers it day time. Alternatively, time can be randomized each round to allow for a bit of variation in the dynamics of the shift. It can even be subjected to the current number of players - can deliberately be made so that when the server isn't very populated the time automatically shifts to late at night to simulate the so-called 'graveyard shift'. This is mostly a suggestion to add a bit more color to the game, nothing too drastic or urgent about it.

I agree it's hardly imperative to the experience as a whole, but I think it's a nice touch, if it's not too hard to implement.

Just a thought I was having lately while playing on the server: I like how the station's timeline exists 442 years into the future, and that is correlates with the current year - allowing characters to age and whatnot. The thing that I feel is missing is sort of a day-night mechanic. What I mean is that every shift starts at 12:00 PM and advances in real time (I.E. - one minute game time = one minute irl). In a way I feel like an opportunity was missed here. Every shift starts at the same time, and at most will last up to 3 hours before resetting. You never really get to wish people a 'good morning' or a 'good night' without coming off as slightly inconsistent. Can't we set the Aurora's clock to match standard GMT time? It doesn't matter if the 'graveyard shift' (so to speak) were to start around 5PM, but it'll be nicer to actually have that sort of feedback in game. That sort of dynamic shift in the station's time would add a subtle touch of variety, in my opinion. I was leafing through this section of the forums to see if the idea was pitched before, but couldn't find any thread title that would confirm that. I apologize if I missed it, but if it has gone stale I would still like to rehash the idea. What do you guys think?

Thanks! And thanks for keeping Weaver healthy xD

I have to agree with the others on this one, your application betrays a measure of either disinterest or lack of motivation. You should really aspire to try and sell yourself and your character in this regard, think of it like an actual job interview: Why should they hire me? What have I got to put on the table? Also: Just a personal pet-peeve of mine. '8' doesn't really tell me anything about your roleplaying skill. You see, numeric scales, despite their apparent mathematical accuracy, are in fact very subjective. We each hold our own scale for these numbers, so 8 for you might be a 6 for someone else. Instead try and explain in words what you think makes you a strong roleplayer, what makes you a weak roleplayer, and why. It will also help illuminate who you are as a member of the community, and people can actually gauge your testimonies in game. Better luck next time, don't give up just yet.

Well I can honestly say I feel quite silly now xD I'll be looking forward to seeing you in game!

Finally an application for a character I know relatively well! Normally I feel hesitant about posting in these forums, both because I'm new, and I feel that my input is slightly irrelevant. I'll definitely take a stab at this one: To cut to the chase, I honestly hope you do end up getting the position, because if you're not worthy of it then I'm probably not worthy of my own application. Now to those of you who actually wish to know why, here are my considerations: I've had the pleasure of running into Dr. Halliwell several times over my short career on the server, and I have to say he was always a striking figure to me. He always seemed to know what he was doing, always seemed calm and in control, and always gave my character the best possible treatment at the time (I've never been fatally injured while on the Aurora, but I've seen him taking care of other critical patients while I was in the area, so I count those as well). Sadly I never got to interact with him on a scale that would allow me to accurately gauge his character's performance - but I certainly never felt any inconsistencies with his act. OOC wise: Code2200 strikes me as a player who knows nearly every aspect of this job to a fault, and deliberately handicaps himself in order to portray his character more convincingly. Considering how easy and tempting it is to Metagame, this is truly admirable in my opinion. Lastly: To me, it goes a long way when a character's personality and traits match the background story behind it. Usually I love to nit-pick and find small clashes between a character's story and their personality ingame, but I can honestly say I found none in your application. Goodluck with your application, I'll be looking forward to more adventures in game!

Wow! I can't thank you enough for the compliments! But thanks! Who do you play in game? Forgive me if I've already asked and forgotten - I try to write these things down when I'm able to. Either way, I'd like to know who I have the pleasure of talking to at the moment.

Isn't it 2557? I think it's 2457? Isn't it? While I personally didn't have many interactions with Bickerson in the time spent on board the Aurora, I do remember him well from those few times that I have. I can also attest to the fact that he seems to have basic flaws when it comes to following the chain of command, however as Bozaka so eloquently said - I can respect that (to an extent) when it's done in order to add some excitement to the round. I can also safely say I find your brand of roleplaying to be convincing and engaging, from what little I have experienced with you. I also like the idea behind your story - I think it fits well with where your character is at present, and where he wants to be in the future. That being said, I would like to address a couple of things you've said in you application: While I wouldn't say hot-headed-ness is necessarily a deal-breaker when it comes to a good Warden, I'm finding it hard to couple that with a man who's supposedly a calm, level-headed leader at other times. I'd say pick either and make those work - if he's hot-headed and reckless when it comes to danger, make him something of a red-army commissar: He runs his shift hands-on and with an iron fist, and always charges into action at the head of his men. Or: He's a calm level-headed leader who recognizes the importance of having a man in charge. He delegates work to his subordinates, and he trusts his peers to execute his orders, even when in danger. He only steps in to intervene at extreme cases, and usually thinks before he acts. That's just my humble opinion on this matter. Personally from what I've seen of him, I think Bickerson might fit into the former rather than the latter categories. I'm not sure simply doing what you believe is right qualifies as being a good HoS. If anything I'd say that Heads of Staff probably constantly second-guess themselves. There is a lot of responsibility weighing on the shoulders of these people - it's bound to show. Not to mention - not every decision in game (or indeed, in life) is black-and-white: What if by doing right by one person you're committing a terrible wrong by another? What if by choosing to rescue one man from a fire you condone another to a slow-agonizing death? What if by choosing to save an officer from an escaped convict over locking down the department you allow him to escape? And perhaps murder another innocent? Bravery is one thing - I'm certainly convinced that Bickerson is indeed courageous. However, as they say - Bravery and foolishness walk hand in hand. Just try to portray him as brave over foolish as often as you can. As for the year, if it turns out I'm right - just move everything back by 100 years. No big deal Overall you have your +1 from me, as far as I'm concerned. Goodluck!

Thanks for taking the time to read the post and write a review! Even (and maybe even especially) if you don't know my character that well at all. Cheers!

Funny, I didn't know you played Bob Jackson until this very moment. I only just got to know your character recently (quite literally - in the very last game I played). Jackson and Weaver (my character) were sitting in medbay awaiting their turn to donate blood, and I absolutely loved the subtle way in which you portrayed Jackson's apparent discomfort at that thought (whether it be a sensitivity to blood, or syringes, I'm still not sure) both before and especially after the procedure. While I can't attest to your character's function as a security guard due to lack of personal interaction, I certainly get the impression that you're an avid roleplayer, and that says alot. Personally, I don't think rating your roleplaying on a numeric scale goes a long way when attesting to your own skill level. If I were you I'd try and explain what you think makes you a good Rper, what makes you a bad Rper, and perhaps why? Either way, judging by what little interactions we have had, chances are this is certainly not an issue for you. Lastly - while I did get the 'socially awkward' vibe from Jackson in the game, I'm having a hard time trying to picture this supposedly level-headed, patient individual getting into a violent sword-fight with his brother. Would you care to elaborate? It seems to me this part of the story has potential to greatly illuminate your character and his past, and it seems a shame to leave it so vague. All in all, you have your +1 from me. Goodluck.

Never lose faith! FOR NARNI - oh wait, wrong movie. You're too kind, thank you very much for the kind words and support. Your forgetfulness is not entirely on you - as Jboy2000000 said: My character doesn't leave a strong impression. Weaver is the kind of guy who generally stays out of people's hair until he's needed, and he has a rather mild personality as it is, for the most part. I don't mind that about him all that much. His work is his life, so it sort of makes sense to me.

Honestly my views of Head of Staff are based on my experiences with some of the exceptional players we have on the server. Credit where credit's due. I did read the Aurora wiki, and most of the Baystation12 wiki too. Since the other stations are also NT stations, I didn't think it would be a problem, but I can always rework the story to fix this issue if needed. The NSS Tiberius, for example, is a made-up station that was inspired by one game I had in Yogstation. I thought it would be interesting, since I did create the same character in every server I played so far - to consider his past experiences as something valid. Either way, I'm not too attached to the story, it can always be remodeled a bit to suit the canon. Thank you very much for your review and support!

Thank you!

But... I am applying for a head of staff, I was given to understand from the guidelines that this was the forums section in which to post this.

BYOND key: Arkin100 Character names: Arkin Weaver How long have you been playing on Aurora?: I've been playing on the Aurora server for just over a week now. I did had previous experience with Space Station 13 in the past - as I used to play on Yogstation for about a week before I found this community. Why do you wish to be on the whitelist?: To be honest, as cliche' as it sounds: It has been something of a little dream of mine to get to the stage where I'm experienced enough to play as the Chief Engineer. I always liked playing the station engineer in SS13, in all its aspects, but playing on the Aurora has presented me with the opportunity to actually work without a CE on shift, and so I had to work twice as hard, and oftentimes manage the shift myself - delegating work between the other engineers and apprentices on duty, and working directly with heads of staff from time to time. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and wish I could do so on a more regular basis. The fact that I often find myself without a CE is another reason why I thought I might try and apply for that position at this time - to fill that slot in the hours which I play. I know the staff whitelist regards all heads of staff (or at least that is what I gathered), but really I am only interested in the CE position. If there was a way to apply for just that I would. I hope that doesn't ruin my chances for applying, but it is the honest answer. Why did you come to Aurora?: Well, long-story-short: As said, before finding the Aurora I used to play on the Yogstation server. For the longest time I struggled to enjoy the rounds on that server - they were always short, fast-paced and completely chaotic. Normally I'd barely set up the singularity before coming back into engineering to find half the station missing, the shuttle already departing, and the antagonist waiting there to shoot/blast/eat me. I raised my opinions in the OOC there, and someone mentioned I might be looking for a more RP oriented server. I took that advice and leafed through the other available servers, and sure enough there was the NSS Aurora dubbed 'Heavy RP'. I joined in a game, went through a whole shift with the worst incident being a meteor shower that punctured the R&D department, and had the time of my life just being immersed in the game itself. Needless to say I was hooked, it was the only server I played for the following week, until the crash. Have you read the BS12 wiki on the head roles you plan on playing?: Yes, I have. I have also read the official SS13 wiki on the CE, I've read the guides on engineering, construction, hacking, watched what little Youtube had to offer, and even recently read up on Atmospherics so I can have a more complete knowledge of the task. I believe the CE needs to be a master engineer, with hands-on understanding of all the departments under his care, and I plan to portray that in my character as best I can. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph each. Give a definition of what you think roleplay is, and should be about: In my humble opinion, roleplaying is about immersing yourself in a fictional life and story which you were a part in creating. It's a game of imagination and empathy: Imagination - because the possibilities are literally endless, and a certain measure of creativity is needed to fill in for what the interface lacks, and empathy - because a roleplayer needs to view the world from the eyes of a fictional character. To see as they see and feel as they feel. It's a very personal experience, in my opinion, and different people like to take it to different levels: Some, like myself - play characters they can easily identify with. Others - play characters that are extraordinary, or the complete polar opposite of what they are. The diversity is truly what makes SS13 so colourful and alive. I always fancied roleplaying to be somewhere on the border between books and games. On the one hand roleplaying is all about the story: The characters, the settings, the plot and the drive. Except unlike a novel, you actually get to take an active role in the story and influence its progression, just like in a game. What do you think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff is, ingame?: In my opinion the role of any good HoS in game is divided into 3 categories: 1) The game: By this I mean that, in my opinion, a HoS should strive to help drive the story of any given round. These people have the experience, the knowledge, and the means by which to direct the flow of the game itself, and allow it to progress in avenues they think would be interesting to explore. This can be as simple as setting up the basic stuff at the beginning of the round (Singularity at engineering, etc.) and really complex, like making difficult decisions under pressure (like abandoning a missing crew member, etc.) It's the admins or the game mode that throw the obstacles at the players in a round, it's the Heads of Staff that direct the general population on how they're going to deal with those obstacles. 2) The players: I've played with some very good Heads of Staff on the Aurora, and I have to say that what I especially liked about them is the way they strive to create an interesting experience and encourage the players under their care to participate in these scenarios. I honestly think a good HoS would engage the players under his department so that they find any round interesting, regardless of conflict or situation. There are many times where players of certain jobs or departments can find themselves bored when there's lack of things to do - but even the most laid-back rounds can become immersive and interesting when a HoS delegates a job to a subordinate, suddenly giving him a purpose in the grand scheme of things. It can even be simple as a HoS teaching an apprentice how to do certain aspects of a job, when the round is relatively quiet, and thus helping another player learn the game itself, and enjoy it all the more. 3) Himself: Any HoS is a player in the game. If he's not having fun then he's probably not doing it right. What do you think the OOC responsibilities of Whitelisted players are to other players, and how would you strive to uphold them?: In many ways, many of the above points can apply to this. As players who are oftentimes veterans of the franchise they can provide guidance and insight for newcomers in the OOC. I don't think it's their job to enforce the rules, as that would only result in stepping over the admin's feet, but helping maintain a friendly and welcoming environment in chat can't hurt. Personally, I don't use the OOC often while I play IC - either I'm too immersed in the game itself, or feel I shouldn't be butting in on other people's conversations. That being said, certainly do strive to be a positive influence on the OOC, and plan to remain that way. Please pick one of your characters for this section, and provide well articulated responses to the following questions. Character name: Arkin Weaver Character age: currently his age is 28, if promoted to Chief Engineer his age will be appropriately set to 32, and his biography updated to account for the time it took him to become certified. Please provide a short biography of this character (approx 2 paragraphs): Weaver was born on the 17th of January, 2429, in Lowell-city, Mars, of the Sol system. He always had a knack for computers and was arrested at age 16 for hacking into his city's hospital records for reasons which he refused to specify. Because he was a juvenile he was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and was assigned a parole officer. Upon finishing school he was accepted as a Computer Engineering student at IMIT (the Illustrious Mars Institute of Technology) and completed his degree after 3 years, with honors. During his degree he worked part-time at a NanoTrasen QA office, and after his studies was promoted to a system engineer at NanoTrasen's Lowell-city ground control center. It was there that he was first introduced into the actual concept of space-travel. He became obsessed with it - insisting on taking the physical tests and the qualification exams that same year, so that he may apply for work off-planet. 2 years after starting to work at the ground control center, he was accepted for work as an electrical engineer on board the NSS Tiberius - a space station orbiting Titan that served as a midway refueling station for passing spaceships. During his time on board the Tiberius he completed his EVA certification, but his 1 year contract on board the station came to an abrupt end when a syndicate infiltrator implanted a bomb that destroyed the station's engineering department, killing most of his teammates in the blast. Weaver survived the ordeal, albeit slightly injured - and was prescribed Hydrocodone as a painkiller, due to his Ether allergies. He was later transferred on board the NSS Cyberiad as an EVA engineer, where he signed a 3 year contract. During his last year of work he developed an addiction to Hydrocodone. He was eventually caught by a chance scan by one of the on board doctors at the time, and was suspended by security and sent to rehab for 2 months. He was later reinstated to limited duty in his department until his contract ended, whereupon he requested a transfer to work as a station engineer on board the NSS Aurora, bringing us to present day. * ** What do you like about this character?: I like his drive - I like that this character knows what he wants, what he needs to do to get it, and that he has the capacity to do so. I like his decisiveness, his ability to think on his feet, and the fact that he talks to cyborgs like people. His relative calm and level-headed approach to matters which I wish I personally had in real life. In a way he seems like he always had a plan. I like that about him What do you dislike about this character?: I dislike his obsessive nature. I know it's a part of what makes him good at what he do, but it's also what makes him lonely and oftentimes misunderstood. He's a complete workaholic. All he has is his job. In short: He's the kind of guy that orders water at the pub, just on the off chance there'll be work to do. I dislike the fact that he comes off as crisp and humorless. He feels so strongly about being professional and formal he sometimes forgets that he's talking to people, and not ranks. The fact that he's so strict with everyone, including himself. His reliance on corporate policy and protocol, his bossiness, his complete incompetence in a fight, and his drug problems. What do you think makes this character fit to be a head of staff?: Weaver is responsible, professional, by-the-books kind of man. He's level-headed, reliable and generally honest (if he can't tell you the truth the he'll opt to say nothing). I'll even add the reasons that make this character not so fit to be a head of staff - He's obsessive, he can delegate tasks, but often oversees them anyway to make sure they are to his liking. While he makes for a good engineer - capable of managing the department itself - he's afraid of making decisions beyond that scope. In fact, he generally seeks to approval of a higher authority before making a difficult decision (even within engineering) - making him somewhat dependent. And, of course, there's his history. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions. How would you rate your own roleplaying?: A difficult question to answer for two reasons: 1) In my country they say that a baker can't attest to the quality of his own bread 2) I don't really believe such questions can be quantified on a numeric scale. I think I am an avid roleplayer. I've been roleplaying for years both on the computer and beyond it. I hardly think I'm an expert - oftentimes I run into other players and see how they conduct their own character in the game, and get filled with a sense of envy at their skill. I do try to learn from them - especially when it comes to the subtle details that really draw the character out and make it more tangible. I tend to sin when I panic - especially when I recognize an antagonist. I'm working on it. Honestly I am. That being said, I feel I can certainly play a role given to me relatively consistently, and that I can really immerse myself in a story, given enough context. Extra notes: I know I'm a relatively new member of this community (I only created my forum account today) and I know many people won't know me as I generally play the engineer (which is a relatively understaffed department when I play) and the fact that I don't use OOC often. I really do like this community, and I loved playing with you guys and partaking in all these crazy adventures on the server. I hope you will consider me worthy of your approval. Until then see you on board!