Space Knights and Chivalrous Response Team

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

What is a Kataphract?

Kataphracts are a set of warrior Unathi specifically bound to a strict code of honor and chivalry. Their honorific is Saa. They have squires, called Hopefuls with the honorific Zo’Saa. For the rest of this document they will be referred to as Knights and Squires to properly portray their intended purpose and aesthetic. The in-character goal of these knights is to go out and engage in adventure serials throughout the galaxy both in lore articles and in away missionw. Squires are trying to make a name for themselves to be knighted.

Why are they in Tau Ceti?
    The Tau Ceti chapter of the Kataphract Order is an independent chapter of the knightly order. Their goals are to go on a myriad of adventures that involve the player base in ‘pulp fiction’ style adventures. These include:

-Monster hunting across the system.

-Fighting pirates in and around the system.

-Uncovering ancient ruins and defeating the evils sealed away.

What is the intent?

Unathi possess a unique place in Aurora lore. The intent is to play with their themes of a romantic space opera on the nose.

Kataphract Order Response Team And Whitelists

Knights in shining armor are a ubiquitous part of western pop canon and the Kataphract Order is an unembarrassed outlet for that sort of roleplay. Therefore, with a minimalistic blurb upon spawn even a player entirely new to Aurora who has never seen Unathi before has enough to go on to ‘get it’ in combination with the equipment available, which will be melee focused and with the aesthetic of armed knights.

You are a warrior of the Kataphract Order; a brave knight. As a Kataphract, you are referred to as Sir, or Saa. Your goal is to defend the innocent, to protect the weak, to uphold the ideals of chivalry and honor, and to bring glory to your name and your brothers. Your squires are called Hopefuls, or Zo’Saa.

The response team remaining inclusive will also be a benefit to exposing players to the Unathi species and having benefits to the analytics of the race.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Marlon Phoenix

[Chada1]

I like it though my main concern is how it'll push out the TCFL/ERT roles which are already contending harshly for the response team slot.

I think maybe it would be cool if they could be an attachment of the TCFL, and make a lot of sense that way, if a little cheesy.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

It would be given a percentage chance to show up like the other two.

 

Kataphracts and Hopefuls also can be statiom characters do itll be the second response team with a regular presence. 

[VTCobaltblood]

I don't feel good about a response team that purely consists of a whitelisted species.

Imagine the following hypothetical situation. It's lowpop, and an ERT has been called. Kataphracts roll, but there are no Unathi whitelistees on the server/wanting to play a Kataphract right now. Do the players on the server just hang in limbo without a response team, or does it require several whitelisted players to be present to be able to roll?

If a Unathi whitelist is not required, how can you be sure that the lore of your species is reflected properly? ERT and TCFL have extremely basic lore to back them up, and can be played by a no-personality human if need be. This, however, serves an explicit purpose of promoting Unathi lore - what do you do if the players that play as Kataphracts simply don't know it and are just there to kill?

You are also making a very large gameplay change. Gameplay-wise, what do Kataphracts accomplish that ERT and TCFL do not?

[Snakebittenn]

Just now, VTCobaltblood said:

Imagine the following hypothetical situation. It's lowpop, and an ERT has been called. Kataphracts roll, but there are no Unathi whitelistees on the server/wanting to play a Kataphract right now. Do the players on the server just hang in limbo without a response team, or does it require several whitelisted players to be present to be able to roll?

Theoretically, the players solve their own problems.

[Chada1]

I think it could work a lot better if Kataphracts were folded into the TCFL, then you could have a one whitelisted Kataphract potentially and some Vol.'s, no need for a full unathi squad at that point and Kataphracts could still see use in an interesting way, they could even spawn with unique gear that other TCFL don't get.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

I made the explicit point in the OP that you don't need a whitelist.  I answer your questions in the op as well.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Marlon Phoenix

[GreenBoi]

The thing is, why would NT want kataphracts when they have TCFL who are literally patrolling around the Aurora.

Also, what tech would the Kata-squad have? If it's worse than the TCFL, why would NT want them at all if TCFL is always an option? If it's on par of TCFL...then why not just make it a TCFL side-option?

[VTCobaltblood]

No, you do not answer my questions.

Edited July 28, 2019 by VTCobaltblood

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

2 hours ago, Marlon Phoenix said:

Knights in shining armor are a ubiquitous part of western pop canon and the Kataphract Order is an unembarrassed outlet for that sort of roleplay. Therefore, with a minimalistic blurb upon spawn even a player entirely new to Aurora who has never seen Unathi before has enough to go on to ‘get it’ in combination with the equipment available, which will be melee focused and with the aesthetic of armed knights.

In response to:

1 hour ago, VTCobaltblood said:

If a Unathi whitelist is not required, how can you be sure that the lore of your species is reflected properly? ERT and TCFL have extremely basic lore

Can you try asking in another way what you asked? I genuinely can only think of rephrasing what i said.

1 hour ago, GreenBoi said:

The thing is, why would NT want kataphracts when they have TCFL who are literally patrolling around the Aurora.

The Aurora sends out a distress signal and our response team is whoever is able to be assembled. Sometimes thats  NTs personal mercenary fleet, sometimes its the government militia, and sometimes its another mercenary group that NT has on retainer.  The kataphract are patrolling around too.

Wed get them because they're nearby.

1 hour ago, GreenBoi said:

Also, what tech would the Kata-squad have?

Cool as heck energy and plasteel melee weapons dude. Energy shields... its gunna be sick. Some laser rifles as well.

I am going to get in touch with a spriter/coder to work on it. I have the aesthetic, but nothing in specifix. My goal is to play on unathis strength in cqc but relative weakness against kiting.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Marlon Phoenix

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

Vt the simple answer is i trust players to roll with such a simple premise and any ignorance of the wider geopolitical situation is fine. Unironically RPing as an actual knight should be enough for almost anyone playing in good faith.

 

I hope this is a good response

Edited July 28, 2019 by Marlon Phoenix

[DronzTheWolf]

I will give this my approval in one condition.
Being melee-based and very honorable to their ideals, the only real solution is to make them antags like the proper ERT is so they can't be converted by cult or influenced by anything but a max level vampire. Only then will you get my full approval. 

+1 anyway because Saa Lii'ssard

[Sytic]

Kataphract being an addition to TCFL would be appreciated, as an effective "gimmick team" would get boring over time. An assisting group could provide a nice duality to TCFL's MURICA FUCK YEAH aesthetic and could be very neat.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

Theyre very different from the tcfl in aesthetic and function (how they look and feel and play and talk). They need different equipment and blurbs. A stand alone team will provide more variety, not less.

Edited July 29, 2019 by Marlon Phoenix

[Carver]

I like it, variety in emergency response can't hurt. A little lighthearted without taking one out of the setting.

[Conspiir]

Basically what everyone else was saying. Fold the option of being a Karaphact or a Hopeful into the TCFL, let Karaphacts and Hopefuls join up to prove themselves. A third response team just for one species is asking for trouble. It opens the need for there to be Skrell response teams, Tajara response teams... It gets to be too much.

[Mogelix]

Karaphact as part of the TCFL, please, maybe just as a badge they wear and a attitude they take to the battlefield. We really don't need regularly occuring ''lol silly knights that have a chance to spawn with no unathi players ready to play instead of a actual ERT/TCFL.''. I'm generally opposed to silly things in general, as much of a hardass that makes me sound like.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

It's not silly or meant to be a joke, and I highly doubt it will be played as one regularly.

[Ornias]

A strong +1. We can do this in a non-silly way.

I'm just as anxious as anyone about the unathi being played by the non-whitelisted, which is my only drawback. While you say roleplaying as a knight should be enough, I'd tend to disagree. I believe your average unathi should be playing with much, much more complexity than that.

But, I'm willing to put that aside. I think it will be manageable, and that minor transgressions can be easily corrected.

I kind of don't want them to have energy weapons. That doesn't make them stand out, to me. Give them something no-one else has: special energy armor, special/customizable regular melee weapons, some kind of crash-docking system, gear specifically designed for hunting space monsters, anything like that. Stuff that really emphasises their dramatic flare, their purpose, and the traditional Unathi ramming tactics.

 

It would be nice is they weren't expected to be as efficient as the TCFL/ERT were, for a mix of both speciesism and allowing them to actually interact with crew to gather information before their response.

[stev]

Maybe there could be an optional leadership role open only to whitelist holders? That might help with sticking to lore.

Love the idea itself though, hope it gets added.

Edited July 30, 2019 by stev

[Mogelix]

Okay, it can be done in a non silly way by non whitelistees. I'm slightly less hesitant on this. Question. Could we make it part of the cool and sick rad new faction liaison system?

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

Ive asked for a kataphract liason (whitelisted) regardless of the response teams development fate.

[Arrow768]

Definitly interesting.

I might work on that soon ™️

[DronzTheWolf]

Inspired by this, I created some Space Knight armor based on my old Unathi armor. 

 

Unathi Armor Icon.dmi Unathi Armor.dmi Unathi Helm Icon.dmi Unathi Helm.dmi

[NerdyVampire]

I can see the appeal and use in this. But isn't it possible that other species might adhere to the same code of honor and join them in their quest for glory? Either way, I'd enjoy having them spawn.