accepted TheMaskedReader's Command Application

[TheMaskedReader]

BYOND key: TheMaskedReader

Discord Username: TheMaskedReader

Character names:

- Amanda Rutherford, Galina Sarkis, Elisa Manzanedo, (soon) Dayna Bowen-Kurtz

How long have you been playing on Aurora?
On and off since 2021, but I believe mostly since 2022 is when I got actually involved in things.

Have you received any administrative actions? And how serious were they?
By both my memory and the web integration's tracker, I have not recieved any negative administrative actions.

What do you think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff is, ingame?
I think that the OOC purpose of Heads of Staff are that they are there to provide their departments and the ship as a whole with communication, coordination, and interaction with the rest of the ship, ideally, acting in such a way as to ensure that players are engaging both mechanically and role-playing wise with other departments and players. However, they are also intended to guide and aid their department, acting as mentors and aides to newer players, being both welcoming and clear in helping them adjust to the server and/or department, both mechanically and in regard to expectations. In an ideal state, they enhance the game for other players and enable fun interactions that otherwise couldn't have occurred.

What do you think the OOC responsibilities of Whitelisted players are to other players, and how would you strive to uphold them?
Ultimately, as a whitelisted player, you're asking to be trusted, and with a Command Whitelist, specifically, you're asking to be trusted with the responsibility of making the round fun for other players, both through 'positive' (enabling/permissiveness) and 'negative' (being a narrative hurdle/handling matters when they go too far) means. Ultimately, the additional responsibilities granted to Command are granted in the name of allowing player freedom (and not just from the Command member), because if done well, a good Command member can elevate an entire department or round through wise use of their powers. If granted a whitelist, I'd want to try and utilize the responsibilities of whatever role I choose to play to enable other players to be creative, advance their own personal RP, and generally ensure that the department/ship as a whole is engaged both mechanically and narratively with what's going on in the round.

Explain how the recent events in the Spur changed your character and how they came to be employed on the SCCV Horizon.
Dayna Bowen-Kurtz was a Valkryie-born pilot who worked her way up into Nanotrasen captaincy from smaller outfits, mostly working on logistics vessels throughout the 2420s and 30s. She acquired a reputation for diligence and a meticulous eye for detail, which aided her in advancing into more sensitive work with the shipping of phoron and other valuable materials through more dangerous space, as the market expanded rapidly. A firm Biesellite patriot in an era where that was, at best, a fringe belief, she stood by Nanotrasen when Biesel sought indepedence in 2452, which only helped her career. Not forgetting her roots, she donated heavily to the Valkryian independence campaign as well, even as she moved from captaining logistics ships to training those who would captain them, acting as a consultant and trainer for Nanotrasen. However, with the second invasion of Biesel and the formation of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, she's been called back up to more active duty within the SCC, as the SCC expands endlessly in search of an end to the phoron scarcity. Having spent the last two years working as an SCC consultant for Orion Express after its founding, helping work out the foundations of their piloting training program, she's more than ready to return to the helm, and as the SCCV Horizon searches for phoron in the distant reaches of space, she's hoping that her consulting and managing expertise, along with her years of experience as a Captain, will provide her with the tools to make a few last contributions to Biesel's prosperity before she retires, as it faces troubles both domestic and abroad.

What roles do you plan on playing after the application is accepted?
Captain for the duration of the trial period, but I may create Liason or Consular characters after that.

Have you familiarized yourself with the wiki pages for the command roles?
Yes.

Characters you intend to use for command or have created for command. Include the job they will be taking:
Dayna Bowen-Kurtz, Captain.

Do you understand your whitelist is not permanent, and may be stripped following continuous administrative action?
Yes.

Have you linked your BYOND account to the Forums?
Yes.

Extra notes:
Nothing to say other than that I'll likely only be able to play a round or two a day most days during the trial period. I hope to be able to make an impression despite that, though!

[Rookie Eyes]

Quote

 In an ideal state, they enhance the game for other players and enable fun interactions that otherwise couldn't have occurred.

TheMaskedReader really embodies this statement well in their interactions with other characters in my experience as well as what I've seen in the discord. I'm fully confident that they can be trusted in a command capacity. Big +1. 

[Owen]

On trial until 15 November 2024. During this time, please try to play your command character(s) as much as you can to gather some feedback. If you are going to add any other characters during your trial, just make note of it here. Remember, you are allowed (and recommended) to link your application in OOC once per round. If you have any questions, please reach out over Discord. Good luck! 

[NerdyVampire]

I enjoyed playing traitor bridge crewman with her. The response was measured and she didn't jump the gun on antag activity. Even throughout she managed to favor roleplay over punishment, and engaged my gimmick in good faith. I did not have much opportunity to test her command presence in regards to other departments or command members.

[ASmallCuteCat]

I played half a round as an off-ship IAC Volunteer with TheMaskedReader as my Coordinator boss! I know it's not exactly an on-ship command role, but they did a great job delegating tasks, interacting with everyone around them, and coordinating (no pun intended) roleplay.

[Kaizr]

Beware of short response:

Solid player, RPer, and community member. Really have no criticism, been in a few rounds with Rutherford and they're a solid character. +1

[NerdyVampire]

Played a round with them as captain with some very tough situations and a lot of things to handle. I only communicated a bit with them personnally, but overheard their communications with others and I felt they had a good handle on balancing authority and being involved. Hope I get better opportunities to get to know them.

[Owen]

Accepted!