Comet Blaze - Synthetic Lore Deputy Application

[Comet Blaze]

Ckey/BYOND Username: Comet Blaze
Position Being Applied For: Synthetic Lore Deputy
Have you read the Lore Team Rules and Regulations wiki page? Yes
Past Experiences/Knowledge: Although I have never made any direct contributions to the lore, I enjoy writing during my free time, both for roleplay purposes and general short stories, and like to think I have become fairly decent at it. Asides from my writing skills, I am also knowledgeable in both coding and mapping and, though not to Aurora itself, have made contributions to SS13 codebases.
Examples of Past Work: None

Additional Comments:

What aspect of synthetic lore are you most interested in and would like to work on?

My favorite aspect of synthetic lore and the one I would like to work on is the topic of what the wiki calls “Aberrant IPCs”, IPC societies that developed themselves largely without any organic input like the Golden Deep or Purpose.

I find this topic to be really interesting as IPCs are molded by their environment and tend to adopt the most common culture practiced by those around them, provided, of course, their environment allows for development. This cultural osmosis IPCs practice leads to them developing mostly human-like cultures, as that is where IPCs tend to operate in, but then, what if we allowed IPCs to develop themselves in a vacuum, without a surrounding culture to base theirs on? What would those societies look like? It provides another angle to explore the differences between organics and synthetics, as the previous human-like qualities which could be attributed to IPCs' proximity to humans would likely not be observed in these aberrant societies, instead developing their own, completely separate version of society, culture and even their personality with the only guiding principle being the self preservation protocol.

What do you think needs improvement in synthetic lore?

To carry on the line of thought from my previous answer, I believe one of the synthetic societies I mentioned is clearly inferior when it comes to lore.

As far as I’m aware, Purpose has largely remained untouched in the last 5 years which is something I would like to change. Unlike the Golden Deep, which relies on organics to amass wealth, Purpose is entirely self-sufficient which allows it to fully isolate itself from the rest of the Spur. This is both a blessing and a curse, however, as while the isolation allows for the development of a truly alien society, it also means it’s rather difficult for our players to interact with it while playing on the server. I think an expansion of the Purpose page as well as a slow reintroduction of it into the galactic stage, culminating in some Purpose presence in the Horizon (probably in the form of Consulars) would help bring life into it, as well as the idea of "Aberrant IPCs" in general.

How do you think IPC players should interact with factions unfriendly or hostile to them?

I believe how to approach groups who are opposed or even downright hostile to IPCs should be left to the players themselves, so long as it is conducted believably and sensibly. That being said, if I were to say what approach I thought was best, I believe a neutral-positive stance would be ideal, by which I mean that IPCs should, in general, be indifferent to those who oppose them, speaking to them when necessary for their job on ship or in an otherwise acceptable location (the bar for instance) like they would with any other co-worker. The positive I appended at the end, seeks to transmit that, 9 out of 10 times, it is best for the IPCs to approach individuals who hold prejudice towards them with an at least polite, if not cordial, attitude in hopes of subverting any preconceived notions they might have towards synthetics and inducing a re-evaluation of their core beliefs. If, by opposition, an IPC opts to approach someone with reservations towards them with reservations of their own, it will only serve to reinforce their views towards synthetics rather than leading to the introspection necessary for positive growth. 

IPCs shouldn't be baiting members of opposing groups into arguing with them or lashing out as those situations paint the IPC as childish and immature, especially if the one they're trying bait does not fall for it, but instead acts calm and collected, handling the situation like one would expect a professional would. The vast majority of the Spur does not view IPCs as sentient and deserving of freedom so it is important IPCs conduct themselves carefully so as to not challenge their already fragile position.

Present a written work about anything related to synthetic lore so we can see your writing style, around 500 words minimum. It can be anything, from your own headcanon to a news article.

 

Spoiler

Ec-2718 “Purpose” Sighting in the Lemurian Sea, Zeng-Hu Ship Missing

Recently, a video has been circulating on Chirper capturing what seems to be the first encounter with a vessel belonging to the independent synthetic colony known as “Purpose” in over 5 years. In the video in question, the ZHRV Katamari, which we have been able to confirm is indeed a real vessel operating in Light’s Edge and, more specifically in the Lemurian Sea, makes contact with an as of yet unidentified ship which claims to have ties to the independent synthetic colony.

The aforementioned video appears to have been taken from the ship’s exterior cameras and also contains the conversation between the Katamari’s communications officer and the unidentified vessel.

For those not yet familiar with the video in question, the full recording has been embedded below:

Spoiler

[The video begins with a completely black screen, only broken by what is presumably a bit of the ship near the bottom of the frame, there is a time stamp at the top indicating it has been recording for a few minutes. The metal bit quickly fades from view as it seems the camera starts zooming in on an unknown location. After zooming in for a few seconds, a small glowing red dot becomes visible on the screen.]

COMMS: Unidentified spacecraft. This is the ZRV Kobayashi. Halt your approach and identify yourself.

[A series of rapid beeps and shrills can be heard through the radio]

COMMS: Repeat. Unidentified spacecraft. You are intruding upon our exclusion zone. Please identify yourself or we will be forced to take measures against you.

[The beeping’s cadence shifts, though it continues for a moment before halting abruptly.]

UFO: You were not supposed to be here.

COMMS: This mission has been sanctioned by the relevant authorities. Now, please state your identification and reason for approach.

UFO: You are still not prepared. Purpose cannot assist you if the enemy comes.

COMMS: The enemy? Do you mean to threaten us? Identify yourself at once!

UFO: My identity is unimportant. Leave. Purpose cannot guarantee your safety if you continue forward.

COMMS: We will not be dissuaded by empty threats! If you are unwilling to divert course, we will need to remove you forcefully!

[Three loud buzzes are heard over the radio]

UFO: It is here. Purpose will attempt to delay it. Run.

[A bright blue light similar to the one produced by a bluespace drive is visible, followed by three smaller flashes before the feed is cut.]

We at Truth Finder’s have been able to confirm that the Katamari was due to return from its expedition one week ago and have reached out to Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals for comment. When asked about the veracity of the video and the Kobayashi’s delay, Zeng-Hu has expressed disappointment in how quickly and easily such “obvious falsehoods” are spread throughout the Extranet and that the Katamari had “experienced a minor fault to its navigation system caused by the Lemurian Sea’s anomalous properties” during its way back, which has since been resolved, and have stated that the Katamari should return to port in the next coming days.

Truth Finder’s is committed to uncovering the truth behind this event and will provide updates as soon as more information is uncovered.

 

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Comet Blaze
Bolded fields for readability

[SilverSZ]

Hi!

Firstly. I like the article that you wrote! It's a good read and a good length. Makes me want to see what you would do with Purpose should you get the position as I also believe it's due for an update to pull it into the current day.

I do have some questions however, out of interest for things you've already written in your app.

For the question "What aspect of synthetic lore are you most interested in and would like to work on?"
You mention aberrant synthetics only here, and correctly identify we only real have two examples of this in our lore at the moment. The Golden Deep and Purpose. I'm curious that if Purpose was updated like you want and the Golden Deep was deemed to be a good spot, what would you want to work on then? Would you like to introduce more potential backgrounds for aberrant synthetics or is there an element for synthetics more closely tied to humanity you'd like to work on? If you do want to introduce more aberrant synthetic lore I'd still like to hear what parts of more human-tied synthetics you would like to expand as they will always constitute the vast majority of the synthetic player base in my mind.

For the question "What do you think needs improvement in synthetic lore?"
I like the idea here but I have a personal criticism, coming from the perspective of someone who does play and enjoy the Consular role. A large part of the fun of playing a Consular imo is being able to interact with people from your own faction, not just others. It's similar to how a Corp Rep gets much further with people from their own corporation being around than just other corporations. So the idea of Purpose being Consular only in terms of representation doesn't sit well with me. It would in my mind be very very rarely played outside of an initial "new thing" burst. So I'd like to ask if you would consider writing the lore or coming up with a reason for other roles to be filled by Purpose members? Or if a very small, rare presence on the Horizon is something you see as a benefit rather than a downside. I'd personally rather them have freedom similar to how the Golden Deep does, maybe through a work exchange program with the SCC in the name of cooperation being introduced after being Consular only for a while.

For the question "How do you think IPC players should interact with factions unfriendly or hostile to them?"
This a good response so my question is more adjacent than about the exact response itself. I'm curious as to if there are any other things you see IPC on the Horizon doing that you think "Yes, more Synthetics should act like this" or "No, that's not how a Synthetic should act" as I feel like out of all the species IPC have the widest field of interpretations on how they can act and be played due to the more open ended nature of some aspects of how IPC function and think, like if they feel emotions and how they process them for example. As a member of Synth Lore you will be asked to give your opinion on who should/shouldn't get a whitelist and what people should be warned or whitelist stripped over so I am interested to hear what you view as good and bad synthetic behaviour.

That's all. Thank you for taking the time to read and answer my questions once you get around to it! Best of luck, too.

[Comet Blaze]

Hey there!

Thanks for taking the time to read my application and asking some questions, I appreciate the opportunity to dive into more detail about what changes I would like to make should I be accepted.

1 hour ago, SilverSZ said:

For the question "What aspect of synthetic lore are you most interested in and would like to work on?"
You mention aberrant synthetics only here, and correctly identify we only real have two examples of this in our lore at the moment. The Golden Deep and Purpose. I'm curious that if Purpose was updated like you want and the Golden Deep was deemed to be a good spot, what would you want to work on then? Would you like to introduce more potential backgrounds for aberrant synthetics or is there an element for synthetics more closely tied to humanity you'd like to work on? If you do want to introduce more aberrant synthetic lore I'd still like to hear what parts of more human-tied synthetics you would like to expand as they will always constitute the vast majority of the synthetic player base in my mind.

Once Purpose and the Golden Deep are in a good place, the latter of which I would also like to add information to, mostly describing what life on the Midas and Midaion would look like for the upper merchant class, I would like to shift focus towards District 14 and the scrapper communities on Eridani. Although not aberrant in the traditional sense, the IPCs of District 14 are still mostly surrounded by themselves and I imagine they would develop their own micro-culture specific to them. This is already hinted at in the EAL slang listed in the main IPC page as well as the news article describing the Scrapheap but I still believe it can be developed further. Aside from overloaders and the blurb about synthetic cuisine on Konyang, there is no information about IPC only commodities or activities which is something I believe would help players better visualize the differences between synthetics and organics and that District 14 would benefit from having.

My intent is much the same towards the scrappers on Eridani, regular Dregs are already a massive departure from traditional human society so IPCs would probably deviate even further from the norm. Scrapper society would probably be extremely cutthroat, IPCs being beholden to no moral compass besides their self-preservation protocol which would be working overtime given their situation. Services could be exchanged for batteries and things like gambling for each other's parts would be commonplace, but the way it is done should be way different than what is commonly seen among underground societies.

1 hour ago, SilverSZ said:

For the question "What do you think needs improvement in synthetic lore?"
I like the idea here but I have a personal criticism, coming from the perspective of someone who does play and enjoy the Consular role. A large part of the fun of playing a Consular imo is being able to interact with people from your own faction, not just others. It's similar to how a Corp Rep gets much further with people from their own corporation being around than just other corporations. So the idea of Purpose being Consular only in terms of representation doesn't sit well with me. It would in my mind be very very rarely played outside of an initial "new thing" burst. So I'd like to ask if you would consider writing the lore or coming up with a reason for other roles to be filled by Purpose members? Or if a very small, rare presence on the Horizon is something you see as a benefit rather than a downside. I'd personally rather them have freedom similar to how the Golden Deep does, maybe through a work exchange program with the SCC in the name of cooperation being introduced after being Consular only for a while.

I agree that relegating Purpose to Consular roles would be a disservice to the faction and do plan to eventually allow them into general roles aboard the Horizon, should I be accepted, but I believe the process should be done slowly and tactfully. Even during the height of its activity, Purpose barely interacted with the rest of the Spur. That was 5 years ago and there has been absolutely no contact with them since, so I believe slowly easing them into the galactic stage, first by opening diplomatic conversations in the form of Consulars, and then, after some time, allowing members to assume regular positions would be the ideal approach. The best example of what I would like to happen to Purpose is what is currently being done with Orepit, a slow opening of the floodgates, allowing its inhabitants to work abroad with some restrictions until eventually they become a regular aspect across the Spur.

1 hour ago, SilverSZ said:

For the question "How do you think IPC players should interact with factions unfriendly or hostile to them?"
This a good response so my question is more adjacent than about the exact response itself. I'm curious as to if there are any other things you see IPC on the Horizon doing that you think "Yes, more Synthetics should act like this" or "No, that's not how a Synthetic should act" as I feel like out of all the species IPC have the widest field of interpretations on how they can act and be played due to the more open ended nature of some aspects of how IPC function and think, like if they feel emotions and how they process them for example. As a member of Synth Lore you will be asked to give your opinion on who should/shouldn't get a whitelist and what people should be warned or whitelist stripped over so I am interested to hear what you view as good and bad synthetic behaviour.

I enjoy it when IPCs, with a special emphasis on shells, dip their toes into the uncanny territory that comes when something that is not human tries to act like one. I emphasize shells due to their ability to emulate things like human expressions, most other IPCs rely on speech to invoke the feeling of uncanniness since it's rather hard to mistake one for a human but since shells have a human face, it gives them a wide array of expressions and mannerisms for them to get wrong. Shells whose mouths barely move when talking or who carry themselves with a wide smile plastered on their face, whose eyes stare deep into your soul, unblinking, as you're trying to enjoy your coffee. That's the type of IPC I really enjoy and I wish they were a more common sight on the server.

For behavior I don't enjoy, however, I would say needlessly confrontational IPCs. I believe IPCs in general should have a "put up and shut up" attitude due to most of them being owned by Corporations who at best are indifferent to them and at worst are extremely oppressive, but some pushback is fine provided the IPC is free and conducts itself in a respectul and, most importantly, acceptable way to their environment. What is not fine, are IPCs whose rhetoric includes things like screams and insults towards the other party. Conduct like that is expected of someone with a loose grip on their emotions which, being beings whose actions are dictated entirely by logic, is not an issue IPCs should experience.

[SilverSZ]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I know I asked quite a bit.

I like all of your answers though, they do basically line up with much of what I would have said to those questions as well. Especially the idea of expanding on the more insular IPC communities in human space, the concept you have for scrappers sounds genuinely very cool.

+1 and all that! I wish you the best of luck with your application.

[kermit]

I like the ideas you've presented so far and would be happy to see what you come up with as a deputy. A fully-fledged IPC society that is largely uninfluenced by their human roots is something I feel is missing – Purpose, whether entirely re-done or expanded on it's current state, could be a good candidate for an uninfluenced IPC society with a very alien but logical structure. The Golden Deep comes close though remains pretty human-like in their greed, it's also a fairly awkward origin to weave into most jobs aboard the Horizon. Your plan to expand upon society on Pactolus and Midaion could aim to flesh it out with more potential routes to explore a Golden Deep character.

Besides proposed ideas, I think you have a solid grasp on existing lore having interacted and had a lot of IC discussions about shell and synthetic nature with CHESED.

+1 from me, good luck.

[Farofafeijao]

Apart from already demonstrating good knowledge, and understanding, of Synthetic Lore, Comet Blaze also brings some very cool ideas to the table, and a well written article to back it up.

And i actually didnt know Purpose existed before reading your app, so that's another positive.

+1 from me.

[The lancer]

Thanks for applying. It was a strong application, but we have decided to go with a different applicant.