Nikov's Head of Staff Application

[Nikov]

A Marine Chief Engineer holds complete responsibility for the operation of the engine room and any maintenance of machinery onboard the vessel. - http://www.alchemyrecruitment.com/maritime-job-sectors/crewing/chief-engineer

 

There is no, "well sir it was my underling's idea". Complete. A Chief Engineer, and indeed any good leader, is responsible for all that his team does or fails to do. If this means that he orders a thing be done his way rather than a proposed way, it is because the subordinate proposing the change is not responsible if the new way fails; the Chief Engineer is responsible. It isn't a simple give-and-take of compromise when one party isn't responsible for a failed idea. The weight is on his shoulders to make certain everything works, and if something fails terribly, the burden of the hard jobs is on him as well.

Additionally pressure regulators can be set to not regulate, in which case they are a backflow check valve. This is what I use them on the scrubber lines for up by the gas heater and cooler. If you're referring to the portable connector ports, those need to be a high volume pump because it fights a pressure gradient.

There has been one atmospheric tech who joins late, tears up what I established and spews profanity and abuse over the radio to the degree of lying to new players that I'm an idiot who opens plasma canisters. Oliver Stefan, was it? Yes, Manfred would have a god complex and be impossible to work with when treated like shit. This sickens me and I won't go into it further.

[Guest]

It seems as if what Nikov is saying (from the perspective of someone who has never touched atmos) is that he is replacing a PUMP, which must process air at a given rate, creating backlog.

With a VALVE, which with no regulator specified, will allow gas to flow at the maximum tube pressure, while preventing gas from coming back up the pipe.

If I'm spot on with that assumption, it seems like brilliant and elegant solution to pump limitations on distro.

And, you know. Also that you are, in fact, wrong.

[nbielinski]

**Snippy**

 

Right, so, I can tell atmospherics is not a strong suit here as I should remind you that, while the code for atmospherics is well done and all..

NO PUMP WILL EVER SEND GAS BACK THE WAY IT IS POINTING. THIS IS NOT HOW PUMPS WORK. YOU ARE WRONG

A pump is a one way street. It does not backlog and send gas back. That is the essence of a pump. And if you start your critic of a system by saying, "I don't understand nor have I ever touched the system." Maybe try and understand it before blatantly saying that I am wrong. So no. Your assumption is wrong. Please don't make assumptions in atmospherics. That is how issues are started.

Now I am going to wash my hands of this, let come what may. All I am saying is. This character will not make a good CE. He might some day make a good CE. But that day is not today. And I do apologize, you understand dealing with idiocy in atmospherics is hard to keep my temper with.

And a very small note Mr. Nikov. When Oliver came to see how Manfred was training the recruit. Manfred was explaining gas law to the new recruit. And I conferred with quite a few people.. now. If you'd like to know how much gas law correlates into actual in game mechanics.. well it doesn't. Yes I know someone will ask how the person I asked knows this, well they're an engineering student who had to study gas law. And they, myself, and others agree that teaching a new person gas law is about as useful as teaching them RnD at the same time trying to teach them atmospherics.

But I give up, you've pulled me down to your level and trumped me with persistence. Let come what may, let time and admins decide what is going to occur. I bow out of this rat race. Good day ladies and gentlemen.

[Killerhurtz]

Yeah no NBielinski, what Baddie said in regards of backlog is not pressure going backwards - it's that a pump is ALWAYS driven to increase pressure on one side until it either cannot or has reached it's target, while a valve simply allows, or not, the distribution of pressure - and that's brilliant.

[Nikov]

If you'd like to know how much gas law correlates into actual in game mechanics.. well it doesn't.

 

//Calculates the APPROXIMATE amount of moles that would need to be transferred to bring source and sink to the same pressure
/proc/calculate_equalize_moles(datum/gas_mixture/source, datum/gas_mixture/sink)
if(source.temperature == 0) return 0

//Make the approximation that the sink temperature is unchanged after transferring gas
var/source_volume = source.volume * source.group_multiplier
var/sink_volume = sink.volume * sink.group_multiplier

var/source_pressure = source.return_pressure()
var/sink_pressure = sink.return_pressure()

return (source_pressure - sink_pressure)/(R_IDEAL_GAS_EQUATION * (source.temperature/source_volume + sink.temperature/sink_volume))

 

I politely beg to differ.

[Guest]

Backlog being defined as additional gas behind the pump that has accumulated due to the pump's inefficient processing rate.

A valve, by comparison, acts using pressure differentials. If the pressure on x end is lesser than the pressure on y end the gas will flow based on density at the maximal rate to x, (slowing?) as it approaches the same pressure. It will not allow any gas transfer from y to x, however, due to the nature of the valve.

That's the point here, I think. It's faster. It's simpler. And it (I would imagine) prioritise distro according to necessity?

[Nikov]

Joe Grief, Toxins Researcher, gets a universal pipe adapter and connects waste to distribution, or connects a vent to the waste pipes. Joe Grief, Toxins Researcher then asks Atmospherics for a can of plasma. Atmos Bob puts plasma in the yellow line, pumps it to the grey line, connects the canister to the grey line, and fills the canister. He disconnects the canister and closes off the yellow line, then pumps the grey line to the purple line.

By default, the purple line is connected directly to waste. Plasma is now in waste. By Joe Grief, plasma is now in distribution.

Joe Grief, or Jim Innocent, cause a room to drop below 101kpa. The vents turn on. Plasma is now in the station.

This is but one contingency, a worst-case. More commonly pressure rises in the waste line above what you can adjust pipes at and repairs are hindered elsewhere. Installing a back-flow valve prevents this from happening. A 15 kilowatt pump is not strictly required, although an option. It does draw power faster, but requires power. With AI cooperation, I have just proven pressure regulators operate without power. You just can't adjust them. In either case, a back-flow valve or a pump is needed to prevent atmospherics from polluting a pipe network accessed across the station. So I install one.

[Guest]

lmao what's all this arguing about. Can you discuss metaphysics in a different thread here?

4 pages of a head of staff application? If this were in any way understandably controversial, then maybe I'd understand. But as far as I know, Nikov has shown themselves to be an interesting roleplayer and more than capable enough to play their role, be it an atmos tech or an engineer. I would think that he is competent enough to be a CE, given he helped science out the other day with fitting 8 to 16 inch pipes. Should've chosen the 16 inch for more velocity and thus more force, tbh

Penis jokes aside, I'd endorse this application because of the amount of faith I have in the applicant's abilities to govern a department and manage day-to-day engineering operations.

[Frances]

I can't speak for Nikov's ability with engineering, though the fact that he was CE on other servers should be an indication he'd know his shit, unless proven otherwise.

Anyway, he's an amazing roleplayer, from the little I've seen. And by amazing, I don't only mean he did a good job at pretending to be someone else, I mean he was fun to see and interact with. And that's definitely the kind of character I'd like to see in a Head of staff role.

As for Manfred Hayden, he's an older guy who's serious, smart, and well-spoken. I think these are good enough qualities to make him CE, as long as he knows which end of the distro loop the air comes out of. I want CEs that can give a good show while being believable, not necessarily ideal role models devoid of imperfections.

[Guest]

Special backstories are often frowned upon, but are usually tolerated as far as they don't directly fuck with the lore or give your character an edge in forms of special knowledge restricted by rules, common sense or simple laws of physics. Term coined up for such character, whose use is often frowned upon, is snowflake. Since you made a disclaimer for your back story, I guess that you probably are aware of this and understand the implications. So, I'll move to my points.

If we ignore the plot hole of your character being literally a man from the past and is just as likely to be stuffed into lab then have his ass probed as he is to work for a corporation, that whoever sent him was probably self-aware enough to understand that they didn't own the gift of extreme foresight to assume that whatever they wanted the ship to do would not be relevant two centures later, this still leaves the issues of dates. Namely, your character started his journey after the invention of the warp drive. I don't know if you pulled the lore background from the Bay wiki (which is not ours), or ours (in which case I don't blame you since it's a clusterfuck), but this does not fit parameters of existing lore. I would ask for a fix if you really want to consider it a valid backstory.

On the other hand, while I might seem like an opressive autistic neckbeard, this fix would give you benifits of actually being able to use it on the station. It's a good backstory, one I've yet to see used on the server, and your character is literally a man from the past. I, while not representing the opinions of the lore staff, would definitely like to interact with your character. Imagine all the good stories about the good old days you can cook up. Of course, as long as it's kept within limits of reason.

What does not fixing the backstory leave you? Either eyerolls from some of the players or cool hush-hush backstory that's the traditionally the domain of the self-important snowflakes.

[Nikov]

Thank you, Bokaza, for moving to substantive criticism with the intention of moving to correcting faults. I appreciate the opportunity.

...is just as likely to be stuffed into lab then have his ass probed as he is to work for a corporation...

My understanding of the lore is that Mars is a fractured mass of city-states and nations in the present era, yet part of the Sol Alliance. While I am unsure what constitutes citizenship in the Sol Alliance, being a human born on Earth or Mars would almost certainly amount to birthright citizenship, and all rights and privileges thereof. Much of the crew did spend time in a Nanotrasen medical facility, however, they were of little scientific interest. The major concerns were diseases or immune system deficiencies causing problems. It is unlikely, after all, that they are the first sub-warp ship to be "lapped", nor the last.

...that whoever sent him was probably self-aware enough to understand that they didn't own the gift of extreme foresight to assume that whatever they wanted the ship to do would not be relevant two centures later...

That would depend, specifically, on what they were asked to do. Conducting gunboat diplomacy to open trade between Mars and Tau Ceti is one thing, but glassing a planet into post-atomic barbarism is a much more permanent mission. To military planners operating with the presumption of sub-light travel being insurmountable and hundred-year-missions being standard (much hard science fiction follows this theme), foresight is waived in favor of a commanding officer empowered to decide such things. Recall, 18th century wars could be declared, fought, and negotiated to peace between British and French officers as they wrangled over colonial lands months from diplomatic contact.

this still leaves the issues of dates. Namely, your character started his journey after the invention of the warp drive. I don't know if you pulled the lore background from the Bay wiki (which is not ours), or ours (in which case I don't blame you since it's a clusterfuck), but this does not fit parameters of existing lore. I would ask for a fix if you really want to consider it a valid backstory.

I did, originally, draw the dates from Bay12. Aurora has different histories and I intend to make them fit the parameters. If you could, lets discuss the earliest date for such an interstellar voyage to start. I am assuming the Zubrin drive worked out; its a nuclear-salt-water rocket that allows tremendous thrust and specific impulse and may well be our actual rocket to the near stars.

On the other hand, while I might seem like an opressive autistic neckbeard, this fix would give you benifits of actually being able to use it on the station. It's a good backstory, one I've yet to see used on the server, and your character is literally a man from the past. I, while not representing the opinions of the lore staff, would definitely like to interact with your character. Imagine all the good stories about the good old days you can cook up. Of course, as long as it's kept within limits of reason.

And I appreciate the compliment. So far roleplaying this character has brought wistful discussions of how he's never going home, misunderstandings from the severe cultural shifts, and his ever-prickly allergic reaction to Tajarans and xenophobic conditioning.

[Guest]

My understanding of the lore is that Mars is a fractured mass of city-states and nations in the present era, yet part of the Sol Alliance. While I am unsure what constitutes citizenship in the Sol Alliance, being a human born on Earth or Mars would almost certainly amount to birthright citizenship, and all rights and privileges thereof. Much of the crew did spend time in a Nanotrasen medical facility, however, they were of little scientific interest. The major concerns were diseases or immune system deficiencies causing problems. It is unlikely, after all, that they are the first sub-warp ship to be "lapped", nor the last.

Fair enough. That's a good explanation for the problem.

 

That would depend, specifically, on what they were asked to do. Conducting gunboat diplomacy to open trade between Mars and Tau Ceti is one thing, but glassing a planet into post-atomic barbarism is a much more permanent mission. To military planners operating with the presumption of sub-light travel being insurmountable and hundred-year-missions being standard (much hard science fiction follows this theme), foresight is waived in favor of a commanding officer empowered to decide such things. Recall, 18th century wars could be declared, fought, and negotiated to peace between British and French officers as they wrangled over colonial lands months from diplomatic contact.

I did, originally, draw the dates from Bay12. Aurora has different histories and I intend to make them fit the parameters. If you could, lets discuss the earliest date for such an interstellar voyage to start. I am assuming the Zubrin drive worked out; its a nuclear-salt-water rocket that allows tremendous thrust and specific impulse and may well be our actual rocket to the near stars.

Isn't it possible, that at sub-light speeds, they could've been easily contacted by light speed transmissions? As for the speeds used, this is the source you should be using: http://aurorastation.org/wiki/index.php?title=Timeline_of_Humanity

It was kinda lost somewhere out there so I don't blame you, but the date is today's day and month, year 2457. A two century jump would place him somewhere at ~2250 which is 100 years after your average intersteller trip was put at several months rather then a century. I think it's possible to put it as earily as 2100 if maybe you make it a generation colony ship or increase the sub-luminal speed (I haven't done the calculations if it's even possible) to where the time spent traveling to a more distant star would scale correctly while still not making him a senile old man. Basic stasis technology's not excluded either. It's probable that acceleration forces would be too much for human physique making it so that stasis is required for survival, like something seen in Event Horizon. Once the ship's stop accelerating, the period between the end of acceleration and deacceleration could easily transfer to decade or two awake, even if he wouldn't age while in stasis.

This kinda ties to the mission, though, a military ship would have no reason to go anywhere at that time. Think about it? Idk, maybe make it a top-secret possible alien threat and have it be turn out to be Skrell or something, which would explain them being xenophobic, the crew, I mean.

[Nikov]

Why, yes. That is a plausible reason for such a mission and its secrecy. Perhaps a habitable planet was detected sending radio waves or having its atmosphere carbonize from industrialization. Perhaps they decided there was no time to lose in heading off interstellar competition. And, perhaps, fear of civilian or political interference drove them to absolute secrecy; so much the ship's destination wasn't recorded and an accident invented. Maybe its still presumed floating in the Oort Cloud where it ran afoul of comet fragments, or as a manufactured conspiracy theory holds, an Earthling missile. Could explain why no one would send a message after it, and any messages intercepted, of course, would lack the needed authentication keys.

I've limited time to go over this now, but would love to over the weekend. The specifics of the trip's duration aren't important, but relative time aboard needs to be about twenty years. Maybe it was a NSR or maybe it was fusion, but the real question is how far is it to [REDACTED]. That's what can be plugged into the equation.

Or hand-wave the math, since I doubt anyone will run equations about special relativity while roleplaying. So far this has been effective.

[Guest]

Alrighty. I would consider the lore issue solved at this point, just move the launch period three hundred years so it fits for future reference, don't really need to fix it right now.

Although I don't know your RP abilities first hand, I will give you a +1 for a nicely written app and handling criticism very well. You seem like a responsible player.

[Nikov]

Having been open for a month, I would like this application either moving forward or any outstanding issues raised so I can address them before the weekend.

[TishinaStalker]

Application approved.

 

 

Glory to Aurora.