Enzayne

But the problem here is that there is literally one gamemode available at some points during server uptime. As in, when secret starts, it says "possible gamemodes: extended" and nothing else. Because everything else requires more ready players. Removing extended in this case would result in 0 available gamemodes. To say it will never happen is handwaving an actual issue.

That is factually incorrect. It happened to me earlier today. Edit; Aka, a round got extended during secret deadhour. Round after had extremely low ready count and only had extended as an option despite being secret.

What about deadhour? There are times where extended is currently the only available secret option during certain server times.

I played Rooks, one of the mercenaries in this round. I was the mercenary that caught BSA red-handed as he came back in through the window, and we exchanged stiff pleasantries before going on our separate ways. When the bomb went off (instantly killing some of our recruits and mortally wounding myself and another mercenary: we died later on the base while the round-end was delayed) it was so obvious to me what had happened that I could only be amazed. We were hilariously outplayed, and at the same time, it was pretty clear to me that BSA would have had little to no way of knowing we would be filing into the shuttle when we did. We did not originally intend for the peace to last so long as it did, but our mere presence (backed by the raiders) neutered any real security response, so I suppose we just ran with it. Like Itanmulli said, the mercenaries were confined to the Bar for much of the round, though I did personally do some running back and forth to medical to try and bring more people to the bar. We brought enough suits for both the raiders and the recruits. I think we had eight spares, coming onto the station. Cassy Hendricks and our borg did indeed stomp Willow Harper pretty bad, I believe the fight started over Harper refusing to turn over a medkit. I don't know, really. What I do know is that by the time we were leaving, everyone was on edge, and there had been consistent chatter on station channels to do something to try and overturn this neutering of Aurora by a band of scummy thieves. I agree with the intent that we were clearly a target; I had several weapons on me, and though I didn't really use them, I came onto the station to steal NanoTrasen employees (by force if necessary), although our methods stayed peaceful enough. I cannot speak for BSAs past behaviour or anything regarding any gank intent. It seems ludicrous to me however, to hold someone responsible for an act that they expressely received permission for, when it escalated beyond their control. Gank intent or not. It seems extremely arbitrary to me.

I am very against this for a few reasons. Firstly, I live in Europe. This alone positions me awkwardly to high-pop server times, and then when I need to account for work and classes, my play window shrinks to what is generally dead-hour and the start of 'regular' server pop. With this in mind, I honestly feel as though I am being punished if this suggestion goes through, simply because I don't live in America. Furthermore, any system that first regulates the roles I can play when I am online, and disables my ability to actually practice the 'real' map, will inevitably feel like Aurora Lite. I can't experiment, I can't dawdle around and RP whatever low-pop canon discussion I elect to have. On the Aurora. Not the Odin, or Mendell City, or wherever you want to put it. I didn't make Mendell Office workers, I made engineers and AI and Heads of Personnel. People with ties to the station. If it was put in as a legitimate gamemode or something, like for the roundstart vote, then maybe. That means a majority decision could bring up the map. That is at least, only as bad as having the round voted into something I didn't like, and prepares me so I can go do something else. Instead of firing up SS13 and realizing I won't be getting to play what others are playing, and I don't get a say. -1

If you put fifty units of ammonia in your janicart, and top up with water, the resulting mix still cleans but doesn't slip. -Asher Smith, delinquient custodial engineer

I play CE from time to time, and while I personally also enjoy setting up the engine with phoron whenever I can/want, I would like to note that what you are arguing for is the very definition of powergaming. As far as roleplaying is concerned, you are arriving to a work shift, and your superiors are expecting you to work with the supplies you have been provided. How many blue-collar workers would regularly break protocol/the law just because the possibility of optimization exists behind closed doors? It is far likelier that -you- want to optimize the engine, and therefore you break into atmospherics and take what you need. Would your character do this? Why? They can lose their job for it, and not many supervisors would get in on the "ends justify the means"-train (I mean, we're not science, after all).

Stop teasing us Xander, and post them directives!

I was present for the recovery (being the EMT medical staff mentioned previously), and watched Menown's struggle to get him loose. There was some definitive bug-type deal going on there, and it was an absolute ordeal to get him moved anywhere. I can not say that ghosting made by the Quartermaster had any particular effect on how I felt the round went.

While I personally have no problems with "corrupt" officers, or even made up charges (I actually think they enhance RP when done well), my concern in regards to this topic is the fact that most security officers have no intention of actually roleplaying with their captured offender. They are putting them in their place, and then wandering off to do other, presumably security-related things. This leaves most incarcerated criminals alone, sometimes for a very long time, at which point they will either AFK, log entirely, or constantly try to make trouble in an effort to have something/anything happen or for someone to actually engage them in roleplay. Sitting in the brig is at it's core not particularly fun, and getting taken out of the round for an extended amount of time with noone sticking around is awful. I play a few rough-around-the-edges characters, and most of my traitors get brigged, and I think I've been abandoned to my ticking fate 19 out of 20 times. Law enforcement in any roleplaying game is troublesome, but it is exarcerbated with lack of or poor interaction from either side. Furthermore, I feel as if many security officers play security in a very goal- and task-oriented manner. There is no negotiation, no thought, no sympathy, only law. This is fine for a synthetic and your more uncaring goons, but not really for normal, organic beings, to my mind.

I played as the Borg EVELYN during the "infamous" malf round, and was present from the start. For me, what was lacking was communication. We barely ever heard from you unless we repeatedly prompted, and were told to chill out and work like normal for an indeterminate amount of time. When the crew started getting majorly suspicious, we were given relatively vague orders of aggression as the station descended into chaos. I did what I could to make the round entertaining for as many as I could, but it's difficult as a Borg with little direction. I have no doubt that you meant well and may personally have been enjoying it, but I feel as though you may have been "too" goal-oriented, to the exclusion of other parts, whereas roleplaying centers on communicating and entertaining everyone involved. That includes enemies, most of whom believed it was extended until rooms started venting. As a Head of Staff you are required not only to communicate effectively but to be the player that others aspire to be. I do not think you meet those standards yet, and for that reason I'm giving you a -1 today. With more experience under your role I would be happy to alter my vote in the future. Right now, I don't think you're ready. I hope you will stay on with us and aim to improve, rather than reflecting negatively on it. -Enzayne

Would like to see something like this. Maybe a vacuum if you want to be all fancy-schmancy and hi-tech or whatever. Either way, I am usually begging chemistry for solutions to my excessive wet floor problem, as I just want to give the place a little polish..

Yes please. Writing any sort of document, I constantly worry that I will accidentially mess up when adding something, and that I'll have to start over simply because I've managed to make part of my text massive. It'd be better imo to have a [big] or whatever, if one would like to use the original size.

I am aware of the implications they bring, but I feel as though with restrictions as to what convictions can actually still leave you eligible for this as well as my initial limitation of low-skill jobs (read: service/supply/greytider, I like the science angle though.) will give you criminals that are mostly willing to reform or at least harassed enough by security to stay in line. I have a personal character in mind for this, and would be listing his inclusion in the program for Security to give me shit for. I am imagining things as no-warrant searches and stricter protocols.

Type (e.g. Planet, Faction, System): Program/Institutional Settlement Date: Following some political grandstanding. Region of Space: Sol Alliance - Other. Controlled by: Sol Alliance, various private contractors. Other Snapshot information: The Sol Alliance Convict Reeducation Program (SACRP?) is a function meant to put those who are convicted and detained - but not dangerous - into basic employment to bolster industry. Long Description: Born as an answer to the ever-present question: "What are we doing about our prison system?", the Convict Reeducation Program is the resulting attempt of government and institutions to keep the machine going without overcrowding or likewise putting possibly dangerous criminals back on the streets in their various planetary bodies. Long-term prisoners convicted of non-violent crimes (or deemed to have been reformed during incarceration) will be offered chances to enter the program, at which point private companies are encouraged to hire them into their labor force. Being convicted felons, they are allowed to earn salary - albeit less than a trained worker would - and are usually limited to basic, untrained positions within a workforce, even if they have the expertise of a certain field. The Sol Alliance transfers oversight of hired convicts to the company that takes them in, and time served in the company will count towards time served in a correctional facility. All hired convicts are second-class citizens, and are encouraged to be regularly searched and inspected if allowed to otherwise roam areas on their own, and are required by the Sol Alliance to remain in housing assigned to them when not working. Companies have the last say in how their hired personnel is treated, and government oversight is effectively null following transfer to private employers. As the Alliance relies heavily on NanoTrasen for continued upkeep, they are a natural inclusion for the program, but other independent contractors are brought in depending on interest and influence. Companies are essentially allowed to pick and choose convicts for cheaper, presumably effective labor for unskilled work. Convicts that sign into the program and "fail" to meet company standards are returned to the Sol Alliance, where opportunities for life outside of the correctional system becomes an impossibility.

X-Com Bald Dude sample:

I believe I was one of the operatives this round, my first round as op at that. The plan was initially to capture the CE, which failed when he escaped SM control and left two terrified workers. We clumsily evacuated and the plan became a hodgepodge of opening and closing the airlock to our ship. Suddenly we stopped above departures, and I got shot by my teammate (by accident, by our shuttle). I was in the red so I stayed back, but there were 2-3 of our team who engaged departures head on, at least at first. I don't know what happened after, as I infiltrated the station by holodeck and desperately tried to get to Medbay. Fired half a clip the entire round, to break a maintenance window. Pretty sure it was this round, if it wasn't I apologise, the whole round was a mess. I was Mason. Edit: I don't remember anything about engine sabotage, but I recall a team member staying in the engine room for x minutes. (We fled the scene in chaos and abandoned the straggler.)

BYOND key: Enzayne Character names: Nicholas Quinn, Evelyn Strong, Madisyn Harrow, Lydia Wile, EVELYN (AI), Rowan Hunt, Asher Smith How long have you been playing on Aurora?: Roughly a month, give or take a few days. Why do you wish to be on the whitelist?: I would like to elevate my roleplaying to encompass these prestigious roles, as well as help fill out positions of authority in rounds where there's a lack of it. Why did you come to Aurora?: I have spent nearly all of my time on Aurora, as I found the game following new year's eve, and experimented with goon and /tg/. I found Aurora, and stayed. Have you read the BS12 wiki on the head roles you plan on playing?: I certainly have. I read the ones I'm not gonna play, too! 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: Roleplaying is ultimately about fun through escapism. Not just for me as an individual, but for everyone involved. We craft a story together, and act out fictional lives, and we probably do it for different reasons, but in the end we all derive simple enjoyment out of it. Structured roleplaying (such as that on Aurora) is about creating a separate reality, where we can spend our creativity to engage and amuse. What do you think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff is, ingame?: Organization. A well-disciplined or knowledgeable Head of Staff will balance out chaos and bickering among players, and may just save the admins (or just the players) some ooc drama in the long run by mediating on an IC level. Furthermore, they have a responsibility to keep the station running, hopefully ensuring the flow of the game for everyone. What do you think the OOC responsibilities of Whitelisted players are to other players, and how would you strive to uphold them?: Being whitelisted is a privilege that is quite clearly earned, and thus should be respected as a privilege by the players that hold it. You are the "top dog", so to speak, and it falls to you to set an example in how others should strive to act. If you derp around, expect your entire staff to assume the same stance, eventually. You are a building block of the in-character structure, and should conduct yourself accordingly, both IC and OOC. Please pick one of your characters for this section, and provide well articulated responses to the following questions. Character name: Nicholas Quinn Character age: 36 Please provide a short biography of this character (approx 2 paragraphs): Born on Luna, Quinn has led a rough early life. His mechanical interest was prevalent even through his childhood, and he grew up knowing more about basic electric systems and mechanical terms than most learn their entire lives. It seemed a natural fit for him to slip into employment as a mechanic for what counted as a starport in proximity to where he was holed up for most of his early life. He eventually drifted into proper education in his field, and graduated with good grades despite attendance issues. He earned a name for himself as a rough-around the edges mechanic. NanoTrasen swept him up not long after. Essentially "drafting" the brightest people from his workplace by offering a paycheck they wouldn't or couldn't match, Quinn made the life-changing decision of migrating off-planet, enticed by a hearty paycheck. That was some ten years ago. Nicholas Quinn has been firmly entrenched in the corporate machine that is NanoTrasen, and musters just enough strength to handle his workload every shift, be it a long quiet machine maintenance, or a hectic cluster of chaos. He has not been without incidents, his mannerisms earning him accusations of laziness or insubordinations, but most of it is eventually found to be distaste for the man, rather than neglect of duty or slander. Now he sits on the NSS Aurora, waiting for the next mistake to clean up. What do you like about this character?: His determination! Nicholas Quinn will not surrender reason and logic, and will generally take the path that most closely follows his goals, which is - due to years of working as an engineer for NanoTrasen - usually maintaining the status quo. He will stoicly perform near any task with a minimum of complaint, no matter how dangerous, so long as that task actually needs to get done. Better he take the hit from that emitter than someone who hasn't been hit before. Risk his skin to save an errant Security member in space. It's all in a days work. He's seen it before, and if it fazes him, he doesn't like to show it. What do you dislike about this character?: Lackadaisy! Quinn carries with him a certain attitude that gets him into hot water ever so often, or leads people to assume that he knows less than he does. He does not like arguing with people unnecessarily, and will murmur a concession to sigh about the problematic individual behind closed doors. He prefers to get on with his work, yet the attitude he displays about it is more often than not rather carefree. He'll drop it when things really start going downhill, but as long as he perceives safety or "easy pickings", he'll be rather blasé about the whole thing. What do you think makes this character fit to be a head of staff?: Mainly his technical know-how, and the underlying professionalism hiding underneath the veil of lacking social skills. He is a singular individual who wants to do his job to the best of his ability, and will naturally attempt to assume leadership roles when none are available to direct his department. Despite his attitude he is level-headed and clear-thinking, and approaches problems with the caution he needs to safely perform the task. This will inevitably bite back one day as he electrocutes himself, but what he loses in relative safety, he gains in efficiency. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions. How would you rate your own roleplaying?: 7/10, I have been roleplaying in different mediums over the last fifteen years. Extra notes: I do not intend to play medical or research. While I have a working knowledge of each job in the departments, they scare my tiny brain, and I feel much safer in security and engineering. Thanks on beforehand if you provide feedback or commentary. Even if you dislike me. <3

I don't know if this is totally unwanted seeing as I am not staff or anything, but: I played the Cargo Tech that was also in on the whole remodelling shtick, and it was the second/third time we remodelled Cargonia that evening. This man/woman/other is a layout genius, far as I can tell. So, uh, there's that.

While I have only lurked on the forum until it suited my purposes, this was adequate reason to register. I have RP'd with Krowstorm on several of his/her characters, and this seems to me exactly like the sort of person who should have a whitelist for the senior positions. He/she knows how to hit the notes IC, and isn't too bad a person to talk to, either! +1 from the silly newb