[Accepted] Predatory Instinct's IPC Application

[Predatory Instinct]

BYOND Key: PredatoryInstinct
Character Names: Malcolm Reeves, Head of Security | Jason Warren, Head of Security | Murdoch Suatrius, Shaft Miner | Hans Hofmann, Surgeon
Species you are applying to play: IPC
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: N/A
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes, extensively!

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 specific race:
 I have been a long-time synthetic roleplayer, on SS13 and other platforms as well. I like the lore Aurora has for synthetics, specifically IPCs, and I feel I can work with so many options given the state of them in the setting. The options of different chassis to add more flavor and options just reinforces this idea. IPCs are generally the idea I have for when I roleplay a synthetic character in other settings, where things operate off of basic stories, and the way Aurora's lore team has fleshed them out gave me quite a good few pages to read through only making that desire to play one grow more and more.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:
Synthetics are wildly different than humans, let alone IPCs in specific. IPCs can have a wide variety of physical manifestations via chasis, rather than just being catch-all housing units for positronic brains. They can have personalities at almost the scope of most normal humans do, with obvious nudges in the right direction depending on what they were made to do.

As far as roleplay and physical traits they are far removed from humans in that they do not feel pain, and their emotions are only external. Their true mind has no emotions, and generally react to things based on what happens around them. A strict restriction to cause-and-effect mentality in most cases. Seeing that they do not feel pain, can survive without atmosphere with little assistance and so on, they are able to operate under much harsher conditions and are able to reasonably act slightly deeper in a dangerous area where a human's self preservation would keep them at a wall the IPC could pass. That is not to say that they do not have self preservation, of course, they are after all very expensive and complex machines.

Character Name: Kilo-14
Please provide a short backstory for this character
Kilo-14 is a standard-issue Hephaestus Industries G1 chassis, meant for general labor and specifically tuned for hauling heavy crates and conducting mining operations in zero atmosphere with or without gravity. They have been issued to NanoTrasen and worked in the Tau Ceti region for almost six months, currently employed as a shaft miner for the NT station Aurora. They are owned and contracted out to NanoTrasen by a private entity. Kilo-14's current motivation to continue bringing in more than their quota of Phoron is to eventually buy out their chassis and freedom, granted they are a fair way away from that mark. For the time being, they toil in the Mines of Aurora's home asteroid in order to get ever closer to that goal, and with it being reached Kilo-14 is sure that they will find a greater meaning to their work.

What do you like about this character?
Kilo-14 is a bit of a blank-slate type with enough backstory to flesh out before I were to enter the game as them. I feel that they would be fun to roleplay based on the idea that they know very little about human tradition or culture, they are simply there to mine and do a good job at that. But learning about organics on the side would be sure to entice most curious synthetic minds. Granted, that could lead to some very interesting things if they were misled by certain types of people.
How would you rate your role-playing ability? I would say I am a strong 7-8, as reinforced by positive reaction by others to my roleplay.

Notes: Thank you for taking the time to read my application. Any feedback, positive or negative helps.

Edited May 3, 2019 by kyres1

[Bear]

+1 from me. Solid rp always garunteed with his chars in my experience. Character concept sounds interesting as well!

Edited May 1, 2019 by Bear

[Soultheif96]

I will give him an automatic +1 given all my interactions with him are amazing and memorable. He shows the aptitude fit for an IPC player.  

[ClearThoughts]

It's hard to rival Pred's roleplaying expertise when it comes to his in-character choices, and how his gameplay really reflects how deep he gets into his characters. I feel he can play the dirty synths IPCs well enough to convince any Turing test. Godspeed, +1 . 

[MissNatcula]

+1 Never had a problem with his rp. He details his me's like no one else and I know he can pull off any role he wanted with ease. I think he deserves a chance to show this with an IPC character and I'm really curious to see where he takes it.

[Dark1Star]

+1 Pred is an awesome roleplayer, and he also plays HoS real well. I feel if he gets the IPC app he will do really well too. The app is great too.

[kyres1]

I've seen good things from your characters, honestly, though in the few encounters I've had.

I have no issue with the majority of this application, except one thing. Many applications in the past have gone the route of "blank slate" to describe their backstories, providing no external motive or purpose to their character, or any simple story points for that matter. The result are simplistic backstories with little effort put into them that are basically seen as "free passes" to getting a whitelist.

I intend to change this.

Now, I'm not saying this was your intent whatsoever. What I am saying, however, is that things like blank slate backstories should really be avoided. They are ultimately detrimental and give me no insight to your capabilities as a role-player. To not be a jerk about it, I'll just ask two questions instead of asking for a rewrite of the current backstory however.

On 30/04/2019 at 20:58, Predatory Instinct said:

They are owned and contracted out to NanoTrasen by a private entity.

What's this private entity? What's their name, and why are they contracting things to NanoTrasen? Not that it's a bad thing to do so, but just for clarity here.

On 30/04/2019 at 20:58, Predatory Instinct said:

Kilo-14's current motivation to continue bringing in more than their quota of Phoron is to eventually buy out their chassis and freedom, granted they are a fair way away from that mark.

Were they designed to feel this motivation, or did this develop over time? Either is a valid response.

 

[Predatory Instinct]

Totally understandable! Just to clarify on my application's written response, by blank slate I meant more that they are pretty basic both in their goals and their way of thinking! I suppose since I wrote it, that is evident to me and I have the character concept rolling around upstairs and all. @kyres1

What's this private entity? What is their name, and why are they contracting things to NanoTrasen?

Romanovich Mineral Industries, a smaller company based in the Romanovich Cloud in Tau Ceti. Presently on their eightieth anniversary, and still being moved farther out of the Romanovich Cloud by NanoTrasen and other larger companies in the mining industry, or with interest in claiming and buying out area. They have a much smaller claim than their glory years something like forty or so back, the peak of their expansion. Now, they are contracting their mining units to NanoTrasen as they hold claims on almost all of the well known phoron rich areas. With little area left to operate out of and even less chance of finding suitable metals and the like, they find other ways to stay afloat.

Were they designed to feel this motivation, or did this develop over time?

Kilo-14 was designed to feel this motivation. The people behind this held the idea that humans work best while motivated to do their work for many reasons, and that the synthetic would yield a much, much more profitable amount of Phoron in particular. With the drive set to be buy out their chassis and freedom, they do not recognize other ways to do so beside through their meager cut in mining, in turn their parent-company stands to make a lot of credits off of them.

Edited May 3, 2019 by Predatory Instinct
Clarification in answer.

[kyres1]

Both great answers. I believe there's misinterpretation with how tight the grip of NanoTrasen's monopoly over phoron in the Romanovich Cloud really is, though. Last I remembered they were the sole occupant of all phoron mining installations in Tau Ceti. Regardless, knowledge in that subject is not required here, and there's been much debate as of late as to the true swaying power of NT in development and community channels.

Application accepted.