The Ill-Fated - Deputy Loremaster Application

[The_Ill_Fated]

1) What do you believe you can bring to the team as Deputy Loremaster?

I believe I can contribute a blend of worldbuilding expertise,  leadership experience, and broad technical knowledge that can support a wide span of Aurora’s lore.  More importantly, I want to play a part in helping to shift the lore from something many players see as a passive background, to something active and consistently relevant to the average round.  I think it essential that players and their characters be invested in the setting because their actions matter, because the lore is responsive, meaningful, and present, not just decorative.  

2) Do you have any experience managing a Team? The duties of a Deputy Loremaster often revolve around being a Project Lead, not necessarily just writing. This is especially true going forward.

Yes.  A substantial portion of my professional career has been spent in leadership roles across multiple fields.  I currently work as a project engineer, leading a team of nearly 40 people, and I have held positions in the past with over 100 under my direction.  

3) Aurora is starting development of NBT2, and as Deputy Loremaster, you will be heavily involved at a high level in this - what do you believe fundamentally needs fixing from a lore perspective that can be accomplished with NBT2?

NBT2 gives us the opportunity to address two issues that are interconnected.  

First, the background lore, despite its excellent story arcs, and high-quality events, is constrained by the current circumstances of the setting.  We are boxed in by a static status quo, which makes major shifts difficult to justify, or execute.  NBT2 will allow us to move the setting into a more dynamic state, where significant changes can occur naturally, and believably.  

Second, the average round lacks strong engagement with ongoing lore.  Event rounds and canon odysseys show 2 - 3x the usual player count, which clearly shows that everyone wants the lore to matter to them. Even small acknowledgements, articles, bulletins, IC announcements, go a long way.  Strengthening this connection in everyday rounds will make the lore more vibrant, and improve the server as a whole.  

4) On the other hand - what do you believe is the strongest point of our lore currently?

Aurora’s greatest strength lies in the sheer breadth of options available.  Within the bounds of the setting's believability, players can find, or create, cultures, origins, religions, identities that resonate with them, that they care about and are excited for.  The diversity, the flexibility, it allows players to engage with the setting in personal, meaningful ways.  It’s a beautiful, fun part of the server’s identity, and something that I believe should be strongly preserved moving forward.  

5) Furthermore, regarding NBT2, give a general description of how you think the logistics of such a massive rework should be done - I.E, what should be decided on and written first, and then what should follow? In general, no more than a paragraph.

A top-down approach is the most effective.  First define the core pillars of this new era: The unifying themes, tone, and structural foundations that are essential.  Once those are nailed down, and thoroughly understood, expand outwards into the supporting elements, how to integrate these changes into the factions, institutions, and cultural frameworks of the Spur.  This method keeps the worldbuild cohesive, while allowing the rest of the lore to be developed in an organized, intentional way.  

6) What timezone are you normally awake during?

I alternate between US Eastern and US Central timezones.

[triogenix]

Apologies it took me some time to get to your application, however thanks for applying! Got a few questions to sling your way

The following 1/(x) questions are about the OOC administration aspects. Please limit all answers to no more than one paragraph.

1/1. When the Lore Team is fully staffed, there are a total of twenty-one writers, one Deputy Loremaster, and one Loremaster; or in other words, two administrative managers and over twenty writers. While theoretically the deputy writers are under their relevant species writer instead of the Loremasters, in practice, writers are differentiated by team, with the Loremasters overseeing all teams. Do you think this is an effective way for the team to be run? Why or why not?

1/2. Assuming that you had complete and total permission to change the structure of the lore team in any way you wish - how would you structure it?

The following 2/(x) questions are about OOC aspects that show how you are to work with. Please limit all answers to no more than three sentences.

2/1. For the loreteam, the work for NBT2 will be large, tedious, and at times, frankly un-enjoyable. This goes doubly so for the LTA, as much of the interesting work will likely be done by individual teams. With that said, are you confident you'll be able to stick it out?

2/2. How would you describe your work personality? IDK if that's an official term, that's just what I learned it as.

The following 3/(x) questions are based on your answers to Question Three. Please keep answers two paragraphs in length at most.

3/1. Please expand more on how you see NBT2 moving towards a more dynamic state. This can be answered through both OOC and IC means.

3/2. As a follow up - how would you try and stop stagnation from occurring over time? This can also be answered through both OOC and IC means.

3/3. Please also expand on how you envision strengthening the connection between lore and regular rounds.

 

Thank you. Remember, there are no incorrect answers! (Unless you go over the limit, that's an incorrect answer) Also - if you could get to these questions by atleast Sunday afternoon, though the sooner the better - that would be much appreciated by me.

Edited Saturday at 02:21 by triogenix

[The_Ill_Fated]

Hello, apologies for the delay. I'm traveling for the holidays right now.  

1/1. Do you think the current structure is effective? Why or why not?

I believe the current structure certainly has the potential to work successfully, I particularly believe that its structure enables a high degree of consistency that’s essential for the plans for NBT2. While I can see how this might cause bottlenecks, I think that is worth the uniformity of oversight as to allow a cohesive vision that’s critical for such a foundational rework.

1/2. How would you structure the lore team if you had full freedom to redesign it?

Honestly, I don’t currently possess the insight with the information I have right now. I think any adjustments would best be based on how the structure works as we progress towards NBT2. I.E. what works, what consistently bottlenecks, and what the team actually needs during NBT2 development. My priority would be a data-driven approach rather than reshaping the team according to personal preference, ensuring stability while letting real results guide any future restructuring

2/1. Are you confident you can stick out the tedious or uninteresting parts of NBT2 work?

Yes, long, tedious projects are something I’m already accustomed to in my professional life, and I understand that major reworks require substantial amounts of unglamorous groundwork. I’m fully capable of pushing through the less enjoyable stages to ensure the project reaches completion. Consistency and follow-through are two of my strongest professional habits in my opinion, and the end-goal is worth the labor.  

2/2. How would you describe your work personality?

I believe I am generally goal-oriented, communicative and somewhat structured. I believe clarity, accountability ensuring everyone understands the full breadth of both the purpose, and expectations of what we’re doing is essential.  

3/1. Please expand more on how you see NBT2 moving toward a more dynamic state.

NBT2 allows us to shift from a static corporate setting into a freelancer-driven universe where conflict, exploration, and change are natural parts of daily life. With the galaxy fragmented, and technology lost, and waiting to be recovered, characters have believable reasons to take risks and encounter danger without breaking canon. The contract-based gameplay loop, persistent technology tiers, and redesigned away sites create constant movement both IC and OOC, ensuring the setting evolves through player action supported, rather than constrained by the lore.  

3/2. How would you stop stagnation from occurring over time?

Stagnation is prevented by making the universe inherently unstable and by ensuring that gameplay/lore progression never fully plateaus. Contracts, rival freelancer groups, shifting resource scarcity, and evolving relic technologies give the IC world continuous pressure points that naturally generate change. I think the predominant problem will be, after we’ve achieved this, to keep it fresh and dynamic rather than a repeating cycle.  

3/3. How do you envision strengthening the connection between lore and regular rounds?

The new systems make lore directly tied to in-round actions: money earned or lost affects the ship, relic discoveries grant temporary mechanical advantages, and interactions with away ships become persistent narrative threads. Instead of lore being something players only read on the wiki, it becomes a feedback loop where what happens in a round has visible IC consequences. By letting round-to-round gameplay meaningfully influence the world, through persistent resources, evolving tech levels, and contract outcomes, the lore becomes something players actively experience and shape. Allowing players to make moderate, and minor changes to the settings through their actions

 

[triogenix]

Thank you for your application. However I have decided to go with another applicant. I hope to see you apply to more positions in the future however!