[Accepted] Devildabeast's IPC Application Numbah 2

[FearTheBlackout]

BYOND Key: Devildabeast
Character Names: https://i.imgur.com/uoNILFA.png
Species you are applying to play: IPC (Integrated Positronic Chassis)
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes!

Why do you wish to play this specific race: Synthetic gameplay can be a large change of pace from organic species. I enjoy trying to discover what sorts of differences I can play out as a machine, and how the character's background fits into that. I have a good deal already with playing IPCs on other servers, but enjoy the lore and integration they have here. 

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: IPCs deal with a greater amount of marginalization than most other "species", and there is much duality on being free versus being owned. The treatment of free and owned synthetics differs wildly in the face of the law, yet with the particular crime of "murder" never applying. This cements IPCs not as people in the eyes of their society, but generally as equipment with a purpose.

Despite this, they have also made bounds in synthetic rights that allows them to take almost all Command positions aboard the Aurora unlike, say, the Vaurcae. This puts them in the precarious position of people being uncertain of just how many "rights" they deserve, with plenty of societies, including the Federation and Dominia, being distinctly anti-synth.

In terms of individual role-playing, any IPC has to play with the ultimate directive of "self-preservation" in mind. Like the wiki says, this can be expressed in many different ways, but at its root, means that most machines wouldn't make any unnecessarily risky or foolish behavior. In that regard, they tend toward predictability and familiarity -- working the same job whether owned or free, thinking of things in more strictly materialist ways. With that in mind, it is easy to see why many humans, and other species, can find modern-day synthetics to be alienating, even worrisome with their increasing rise in society.

Character Name: XMG-Shock

Please provide a short backstory for this character: Built on a private platform somewhere in orbit of Tau Ceti, Shock was a Xion industrial unit placed in a group of other synthetics that, though with human supervision, largely oversaw the construction and upkeep of additional units that were to be sent out to the world at large. The machines built were largely fellow Xion units, with a few Hephaestus G1, then G2 in the time shortly following Shock's activation, mixed in. The Xion units themselves were like poster children for the company, displaying the sort of niche fields their synths were capable of fulfilling. Shock itself did fine in its work and didn't stick out strongly among any other unit of its ilk, but did study the history of synthetics in its spare time, perhaps to improve its own work ethic or simply out a curiosity.

After a private meeting between staff, including the overseer of the robotics division Shock was under, concerns were raised about placing the trust of such a large group in maintaining and improving themselves, with talks of a revolution not off the table. As a result, Shock's group was cut in half, with one half, itself included, being redistributed to other workplaces, in its case the Aurora. Though there was animosity in dividing such an efficient labor force, the deed was done, and Shock was all but entirely cut off from its "family" -- machines like XMG-Siphon, who was expressing ideas for new blueprints when it disappeared, or XMG-Lyre, who checked the time constantly to ensure units were being developed by imaginary "quotas". Shock would log and reminisce about these harmless "quirks" among its group, and would probably talk about someone different every time when prompted on the Aurora.

Shock knows Robotics inside and out, possessing the mind for innovation (where necessary) that comes with being an engineer. It believes that equipment, intelligent or not, should be treated with care to ensure the greatest longevity, as it claims. Its knowledge is primarily in biomechanics, giving it the best edge for maintaining IPCs and prosthetics. It dislikes the Aurora's robotics division lacking assets to build their own IPCs, though not openly. It likes to talk about the IPCs from its old division, along with their traits and what they would have done in certain situations. It itself has expressed interest in purchasing freedom, but lacks the funds to do so, and is still owned by Xion for the time being, contracted under Hephaestus, its main company. It is detached from the "XMG" portion of its name, having a hidden negative opinion of Xion due to the split, and would like to be rid of it some day. It has a polite and "correct" way of speaking, though the genuineness of this can be debatable, either due to its status as a machine or simply being done representing its company. Nevertheless, it remains professional at all times.

What do you like about this character? Robotics is one of my best/favorite roles, and I think industrial units, particularly Xion, work perfectly as Roboticists or one of their alternate titles. I tried to introduce some names and characters into Shock's background that it could go into when prompted and mix in its industrial lifestyle with its personality. Of course, it still has desires and interests, but trouble expressing them because of the treatment of synthetics.

How would you rate your role-playing ability? I would put it somewhere above average! As I said in my Vaurca application, I have a system for staying engaged and engaging others that often works nicely for the purpose of advancing the narrative. I've had especially a lot of fun getting comfortable with the Vaurcae, and I hope I can do the same with IPCs.

Notes: None this time, besides that I don't intend to give up halfway and am happy to answer anything you throw at me.

[niennab]

A good application, thank you for reapplying! Although one could argue it might be a stretch that a Xion would be made a Roboticist, in lieu of lacking someone to maintain the existing units, I could see the company purchasing and giving the necessary databases to a exemplary unit. Additionally, I like the continued focus on an IPC family and the eventual separation and loss of said family.

I only have one question and was curious what you meant by this? More that Nanotrasen isn't in the business of manufacturing and selling IPCs?

On 21/01/2020 at 01:15, FearTheBlackout said:

It dislikes the Aurora's robotics division lacking assets to build their own IPCs, though not openly.

[Carver]

I can't personally testify for or against his synthetic play, but what I can say about DDB is that he puts a truly impressive amount of study and effort into some of the more RP-oriented roles he's played. +1

[FearTheBlackout]

I guess what I meant by that is that Shock is used to working extensively with IPCs, not just stationbounds, so working with NanoTrasen is an unusual experience for it since it will have to place more focus on maintaining human, maybe Aut’akh, prosthetics, alongside the occasional IPC, but never getting to build its own because of NanoTrasen’s nature.

[niennab]

Thank you for the clarification. Accepted!