[Denied] Meep's IPC Application

[Meep]

BYOND Key: noxid47
Character Names: Rectangular Advertisment Shines Bright, Starbound Hope For Dorviza, Quina Ordas
Species you are applying to play: IPC
What color do you plan on making your first alien character: Exempt I know but I'm gonna make them Purple.
Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes


Why do you wish to play this specific race:
I wanna send emojis over EAL
IPCs are a very versatile race from a character creation and writing point of view. Wanna make a beautiful shell waifu rescue maiden? IPC can do it. Wanna make a 8 foot industrial robot that works as a cook? IPC can do it. A scrapbot barely making ends meet to pay it's maintenance costs? You get the picture, you can do a lot. Playing as this race is also a way to explore a classic scifi theme of what does it mean to be human/alive? Do robots have souls? Do they deserve rights? I think it would be interesting to develop a character that is owned by a corporation and essentially a non person. Will the character want to be free? Will they be indifferent? Will they just end up wiped and reset? All great chances for fun (and tragic) development.

Finally I really enjoy races that are mechanically different as it really hammers home that you are indeed, different and helps immerse me in the experience. You don't feel pain, you “eat” power and rather than getting injured and having to go to medical, you are damaged and have to head to the machinist.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human:
The big one you need to take into account is how IPC's think. Rather than having silly chemical emotions, IPCs run on logic. With self preservation as the highest priority, this leads to IPCs been much more level headed and less prone to irrational decisions. As they get older however self preservation can manifest in more eccentric ways. Their posibrains are also programed with directives or behavioral cores that provide instruction on how to act but unlike laws provide the ability to grow, learn and adapt, while still fulfilling the original objective. There is also the social side of things, IPCs are considered little more than property to many people and will be treated as such in game. Rather than an assault charge someone would get a simple vandalism charge (if you are an owned IPC). If you are taken hostage along with an organic there are many who would prioritise the organic over you.

Character Name: Sweep
Please provide a short backstory for this character
Sweep is a lightly customised baseline IPC, commissioned by NanoTrasen for janitorial duties and constructed in the factories of the Hephaestus Production Station Sidirourgeío. The unit itself is a fairly standard baseline IPC frame with rubber coating protecting the unit from the harsh chemicals and other contaminants often encountered in the janitorial role. It also has basic integrated tools to assist in any light maintenance tasks that the role would require.

After activation and orientation in a NanoTrasen facility, Sweep was shipped out to serve on the SCCV Horizon. Although only recently activated, Sweep is eager and optimistic about working there. The unit is curious about this new world they exist in but more importantly is focused on proving their worth to the corporation that owns them. Things like freedom, philosophy, religion or even something as simple as making friends are things not at all on the young IPC's mind right now. But with such a diverse set of people aboard who knows how Sweep will soon come to see the universe.

What do you like about this character?

The big reason I like this character is being given the opportunity to create a character that has a very minimal backstory, that will have their personality organically (ironic I know) grow on ship depending on interactions had with other crew members. I've always liked it when every part of a characters backstory is something that actually happened in-game. I've also always like the innocent ignorance this type of character can have. It leads to lots of fun interactions in my experience.

I also just really like the aesthetic of a bright purple robot with corporate branding and a big TV for a head.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?

I'd like to think it's fairly good. I try to keep in character as much as possible with only slight drops to help nudge a story along. My main weakness is my actual writing ability, mainly spelling and grammar. But I try my best and keep a spell checker close by!

Notes: Seriously though, emojis in EAL!

Edited January 27, 2023 by The lancer

[EJJ]

I've played a decent amount of rounds with Meep. They show great consistency with their characters, make engaging and diverse characters - Also you play Rectangular????????

+1 very consistent RPer from what I've played with them

[The Stryker]

Thanks for applying and apologies for the delayed response, some concerns and questions for the app first.

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 With self preservation as the highest priority, this leads to IPCs been much more level headed and less prone to irrational decisions. As they get older however self preservation can manifest in more eccentric ways.

Could you give an example of self-preservation manifesting itself in a different way?
Furthermore, I understand that a completely new character is the point of Sweep, but could you talk more about how they behave?

Why is Sweep eager and optimistic to get to work?

Alternatively, could you briefly write a character background that incorporates how an IPC is treated in the Spur?

[Meep]

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Could you give an example of self-preservation manifesting itself in a different way?

When they are first activated self-preservation manifests in wanting to ensure the unit's physical form remains functioning. But as the unit ages it begin to see "self" as something more than simply the physical form. The more eccentric forms I mentioned could be many things such as wanting to leave a legacy of sorts, to ensure they continue on through their actions. This legacy could be built by taking up creative pursuits such as painting, writing, or even an acting career. They might also seek to create it through social groups and relationships. While the physical form may not survive, ideals and beliefs can be passed on. This could be through a religious group (self-preservation of the soul if lucky too), or perhaps even an adoptive family.

 

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Furthermore, I understand that a completely new character is the point of Sweep, but could you talk more about how they behave?

Sweep is polite and professional while on the job, as to be expected of a brand new corporate owned IPC.  Sweep is still very new to the world though, so there is a natural curiosity there. They will listen to conversations as they work and muse on what they overhear. Even better than that though is getting to take part in conversations. Peoples thoughts and beliefs, their tragic backstories or even just what they had for dinner. These are all things Sweep is interested in. Sweep will be particularly interested in hearing what other IPCs think about their lot in life.

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Why is Sweep eager and optimistic to get to work?

Sweep's optimism is mostly because they are naive and don't know any better. They know they are different to organics and have different rights but they haven't experienced the harsher realities first hand yet. Their eagerness comes from a desire to just get started with well everything. With only being activated recently and their experiences limited to a boring facility with only job training to pass the time, they look forward to entering the "real" world as they see it. They also want to prove their worth to their owner NanoTrasen, seeing the corporation almost in a way a child might see their parent, wanting to impress them. But of course there is also the fact that if they are not very good at their job they might just be reset, resold or recycled.

 

[UponASeaOfStars]

In this house, we love and appreciate Rectangular Advertisement Shines Bright and their player, who has a consistent tendency to make every single round better just by joining. That's gonna be a +1 from me!

[The lancer]

Hi, I'll unfortunately be denying this application.

The character backstory in question is too barebones. While IPCs can get to work straight out of the factory, I'd like to see an actual character with a backstory. Experiences, how they got treated, how their personality was formed, etc.

The rest of the application is fine though, so you only need to make a new backstory when you reapply. You can reapply whenever.