WickedCyb's Last Minute Application for Tajara Deputy

[WickedCybs]

Ckey/BYOND Username: WickedCybs

Position Being Applied For: (Wiki Maintainer, Lore Developer, Deputy Lore developer): Taj deputy

Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page?: Yes.

Past Experiences/Knowledge: I wouldn't really say I have any past experience other than the bare essentials of being able to play a character when it comes to writing. I'm good at it too I'd like to think but as a creative writer in general I'm pretty bad. When it comes to being a developer, I know how to make PR's but these are generally built off of other things and I wouldn't say much of what I have done is truly original. It's just easy stuff anyone could do if they got past the initial hurdles. My efforts at spriting are nothing to write home about, as it still heavily relies on building off other stuff, so a lot of my work on that front have just been tweaks or building off of another sprite. A few of the zippo lighters, the half gas masks, the new tajara hairstyles and the Idris lunchbox are some good examples of that.

For knowledge, I think I have a good grasp on Aurora's lore in general. The first thing I did before even joining the server was reading every news article available because I like to get to know a setting and every little bit of it.

Examples of Past Work: The one thing I did for the lore was with Matt. We made a lore application about adding some notable social media to humanity. When it comes to contributions to the server, I have a lot of stuff put in that can be seen on github. I still plan on doing more but my computer I used to contribute a lot with broke in November. For the purposes of the application, I also wrote an expansion for the Tajara ethnicities page that focused on the mixed caste, here.

This link below also has all my closed PR's.

https://github.com/Aurorastation/Aurora.3/pulls?page=1&q=is%3Apr+author%3AWickedCybs+is%3Aclosed.

Additional Comments: The other two applicants are better, more qualified picks for sure. I could only really promise that I'd try to do my best because being a deputy would include a lot of firsts for me and I'm not one hundred percent certain how I'll take it. As I won't be the big boss or anything, I've concluded it's worth a try still because what better role is there to learn how to do this stuff in.

I'm not very worried about splitting my time between moderation and being a deputy. A moderator sets their own time overall and there's a ton of down time either way even if you're trying to dedicate yourself to it. So I don't really see lack of time being an issue. I have been spending less time on Aurora overall though these days, as I have been working a lot more lately and doing other things.

 

[Caelphon]

Hi there.

Spoiler

 1. If you could change any aspect of Tajara Lore, without any obstacles, what is it and why?

2. The Lore Team is often drafted to do team-wide initiatives, and might result in you working in Lore that doesn’t affect or have any impact on Tajara Lore. Do you have an issue with this?

3. How do you view interspecies lore development?

Goodluck, there are no wrong answers. 

[WickedCybs]

2 hours ago, Caelphon said:

If you could change any aspect of Tajara Lore, without any obstacles, what is it and why?

The Free Tajaran Council is something I find very interesting and I would like for them to be a permanent choice for players. At the moment, their citizenship will likely be taken away at the end of their arc as they'll be aligning with either the PRA, the DPRA or the ALA. I think that won't really realize the potential of them as an offworld community not directly linked to any of the three powers. The arc is stated to be long, but as a player I'm also unsure of making a character for it if I'm on the clock of how long I can explore acting as a person. That said, I also acknowledge I'm not really privy to the end-goals of this faction and the aims of the arc overall, so I say this as someone without all the information available to make an educated statement here past my experiences on making a character from the faction work.

If I instead went back into the past, It's probably not a secret I've tended to question the parts of the lore relating to LGBTQ+ issues. I understand Tajara are a backwards, conservative species but in my time here, it would be hard for me to say this particular aspect of Tajara amounted to much in the roleplay I saw and participated in. We're past the very overt stuff now thankfully, like the camps, but that should have never happened in the first place is my thought. 

Quote

The Lore Team is often drafted to do team-wide initiatives, and might result in you working in Lore that doesn’t affect or have any impact on Tajara Lore. Do you have an issue with this?

I figure that's expected as it's a team, after all. So I wouldn't have any issues with that.

Quote

How do you view interspecies lore development?

I feel like anyone would answer that's a good thing of course and something to strive for as isolation isn't interesting. I'd answer the same, and see very good opportunities for Tajara to highlight some more, like the Himean connection of the FTC. Where it makes sense, it's a good thing.

[Alberyk]

Out of the three main Tajaran factions (PRA, DPRA, and NKA) which one is your favorite and why?

Once, the Tajara lore was focused on a big conflict between the three factions, the second civil war, which was pretty much on what the lore focused on and was built upon. With time, we moved from this with in-character developments to the current on going situation, the cold war. Now, lets say that you are tasked with moving foward narrative from the cold war into another big thing for the species, what would you do?

[WickedCybs]

2 hours ago, Alberyk said:

Out of the three main Tajaran factions (PRA, DPRA, and NKA) which one is your favorite and why?

For me it's the DPRA and it's not a close thing, though I do appreciate the dynamics the PRA and the NKA provide. I watched it go through a very interesting transformation as I joined Aurora around the time Nated "retired". It was looking cleaner (though still xenophobic) if still marred by its revolutionary history thanks to the ALA, but we did not know much about most of the cultures it was trying to protect outside of what was tied to each caste by and large. Then things ramped up. Nated returned as the supreme commander. We got to know the military juntas that were at odds with the civilian government. Cultures were expanded on. It became very easy to have a stake and things were not homogeneous either as opinions between two DPRA characters could differ significantly to a point neither the PRA or NKA can replicate. The updates to the DPRA were probably one of the best things that happened to Tajara.

I also find the struggle between the new and old very compelling. Tajara finally knew a short period of time without any monarchs and advances finally reached the average person, but most of Adhomai still wanted an authoritarian strongman. This continued to be true after the second revolution, with people rallying behind Nated even after he stepped down and even attempting to coup the young democracy that just came into existence. Now it balances on a knifes edge, as the Republic needs its military forces but still has to be wary. 

It also has what I think are the more interesting cast of "characters" between the three factions. I'm always a fan of the struggle for something better rather than accepting a bleak future, so my favorites are predictably Hro'rammhad and Harrlala but the junta leaders in general are a pretty interesting opposition, and they're not even fans of each other in a very overt way which is pretty different from the subtle politicking of the PRA's higherups or the courtly contests of supremacy within the NKA.

2 hours ago, Alberyk said:

Once, the Tajara lore was focused on a big conflict between the three factions, the second civil war, which was pretty much on what the lore focused on and was built upon. With time, we moved from this with in-character developments to the current on going situation, the cold war. Now, lets say that you are tasked with moving foward narrative from the cold war into another big thing for the species, what would you do?

Hard to say. This is a big question so I'll give a big answer. Maybe this could be considered part of the current ongoing arc overall, but I think before a total open conflict the narrative could enter a period seeing far more smaller scale skirmishes that aren't just limited to using military force and a period of big internal upheaval. There's ideological battles happening in all the factions and just like how the nations on the planet will never give up the objective of total domination, their political factions aren't giving up on the battle for ideological preeminence over each other. So naturally, I start with the effects of this on the dominant faction and the one the other two are frequently reacting to.

There is unease in the PRA. Perhaps the president is ill and has retired from the public eye. Citizens begin to become curious as his radio messages end or become clear repeats and notice the Ministers taking on more of his duties. The DPRA and NKA don't know enough to be 100% sure if he's totally out of the picture but something is evidently going very wrong, which they may try to capitalize on. Military forces within the PRA are moving around and the PSIS's own paramilitary seem to be attempting to counter that... but there's no shooting. A covert war for influence is ongoing and the Ministers are playing fast and loose with their own alliances all while attempting to placate the increasingly aware masses in a united front to veil the weakness from their enemies, but at times the PRA is simply too paralyzed internally and the President still hasn't appeared in public despite it being weeks now.

A junta leader in the DPRA doesn't want to wait and watch anymore. Ahem attempts a strike but finds solid resistance from a paranoid garrison, they haven't been relieved in a while and there's now a slugfest going on. Nobody is ready for a total war, so the civilian government desperately tries to get their forces under control and the PRA's Ministers have it in their best interest to work out a solution with them despite the warhawks on both sides.

The NKA's royal navy is observing as the PRA's arctic outpost has had a failure of its government to resupply it. Its patrols are shrinking, nobody is really going out anymore. The NKA's researchers are merely using this opportunity to get ahead, but an up and coming naval officer sees an attempt to secure prestige and nip a thorn in the side of the Kingdom. A blockade is formed and a siege begins. The Queen is informed and after a session in the parliament, decides to wait and see if it will have any consequences from the struggling PRA. Thus the conflict continues but there is no war at the moment. The Naval Minister may attempt to sort it out alone, or it might force him to come together with Zhuldyz. This is going to be a blow to their prestige after all, and nobody else cares. Or maybe they realize it weakens those two not to help.

Taking a break from outright describing events I envision now, essentially the idea is the PRA is suffering significant internal issues. Battle lines are being drawn from within and the other two factions have a chance to make some moves without the full force of the PRA breaking their necks. Depending on how the DPRA and NKA play it, they might end up in stronger positions for the future war. Meanwhile, the PRA may potentially strengthen itself and become a bigger threat than before depending on how it comes out of the chaos, so this must be kept going as long as possible but nothing so overt that it'll galvanize the nation. It all serves to set the stage for the future and opens a new chapter for the PRA.

I could see this being represented in increasingly unreliable articles from the PRA, rumors circulated by the news sources of the other two factions and perhaps even a new news source from within the PRA that isn't from the government itself. Events might have the Horizon being entrusted with some SCC efforts to keep things afloat, by assisting a beleaguered Hro'zamal which the other two factions may attempt to sabotage/influence. 

And for the question if Hadii died or not? Find out ICly.

Edited April 19, 2022 by WickedCybs

[canon35]

Alright, here's the questions I asked our other applicants. 

1) Tajara lore is pretty full and detailed as is and collaboration projects can sometimes result in your idea being thrown out entirely or heavily altered. How do you handle it when people reject your ideas or say there simply isn't a way to incorporate them?

2) What is your views on the current "bad" parts of the lore? Do you think we should tone down any aspects such as the child soldiers or anti-LGBTQ views? 

3) How long are you hoping to stay in this staff position?

4) Would you be willing to offer non-writing assistance (IE Sprites, artwork, graphics.) to other members of the lore-staff? 

5) What is your thoughts on the religion of the Tajara? How relevant do you view them to their lore as a whole and do you have any plans or desires for them?

[WickedCybs]

7 hours ago, canon35 said:

Alright, here's the questions I asked our other applicants. 

1) Tajara lore is pretty full and detailed as is and collaboration projects can sometimes result in your idea being thrown out entirely or heavily altered. How do you handle it when people reject your ideas or say there simply isn't a way to incorporate them?

This is fine, though I may try to figure out a way if I felt strongly about something and discuss it with the group if it wasn't a firm no. I'm usually quick to think of changes as well I'd say.

7 hours ago, canon35 said:

2) What is your views on the current "bad" parts of the lore? Do you think we should tone down any aspects such as the child soldiers or anti-LGBTQ views? 

The former isn't a problem but the latter is something I don't find much value in. Like I touched on in my post to Cael, I view it as holding things back somewhat and it always seems to be a stumbling block for a new player until they settle for only engaging in those topics with other Tajara. It's a very present, relatable issue. I'd want to change it in some way.

7 hours ago, canon35 said:

How long are you hoping to stay in this staff position?

As long as I'm available to guide things along, can contribute and have a passion for it. It's hard to give a solid number other than saying a while hopefully. A lot of things can happen and I'm in a pretty active part of my life.

7 hours ago, canon35 said:

4) Would you be willing to offer non-writing assistance (IE Sprites, artwork, graphics.) to other members of the lore-staff? 

Yes and that's something I've already done for teams like human lore. Graphics aren't my strong point though.

7 hours ago, canon35 said:

5) What is your thoughts on the religion of the Tajara? How relevant do you view them to their lore as a whole and do you have any plans or desires for them?

They're interesting and I usually try representing something from either even on less devout characters. It's a core component to the species and most every Tajara is religious or at least superstitious. Things would not really be the same without it.

Not one hundred percent sure on what direction I'd take them but having the Parivara continuing to influence and interact with the three nations and maybe expanding on Ma'ta'ke with some more stated regional variations could be interesting.

Edited April 20, 2022 by WickedCybs

[Alberyk]

We accepted someone else, but thanks for applying. If you want to incorporate what you wrote in the lore, you are free to make an application in the forums. You are also invited to apply again when a slot opens or when I retire.