VileFault Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 (edited) BYOND key: VileFault Character names: Simon Bard, Enki Prototype V7.40 Also I was Valk, that one Merc that Unknown Murderer had a fun interrogation with. That has to be worth something. How long have you been playing on Aurora?: Maybe a tad over a month? It feels like so much long than that. Why do you wish to be on the whitelist?: Well I would give you some wishy-washy "I wanted to help the server" spiel, but that would only be half-true. Really, I just looked at a lot of heads of staff and thought that I could probably do better, and have more fun with the position. There! My naked ambition exposed! Why did you come to Aurora?: I used to play on Hypatia Station. Perhaps some of you know, but about a year ago drama happened. A few people on the development team got into a fight over nothing, and some high-up people got spiteful. The server was wiped, code was erased, etc.. I sort of drifted around, but never found any other place with the community of Hypatia that made me enjoy what is otherwise a mediocre game. Eventually I quit, only to inevitably drift back. Thus I found you folks. You seem decent enough. All my admin experiences have been good, and the RP is fair. You guys have an active forum, which is also a bonus. More important than any of that, however, is the fact that you seem to be at least momentarily escaping the cliques and personality-rot that killed Hypatia. Your dev team seems generally hopeful, forward-looking, and inviting. I appreciate that. Have you read the BS12 wiki on the head roles you plan on playing?: Yes. Many times. Hell, I read those for fun. Though the one on Telescience really needs an update. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph each. Give a definition of what you think roleplay is, and should be about: Well, on the face of things it is obviously about pretending to be a character, with traits and emotions separated from your own, for the entertainment of yourself and others. I like to think of it as running a virtual machine inside your head. Then again, you still have to be OOC conscious. Wordlessly ganking people, while practical and realistic, is probably not going to contribute to anyone's entertainment. There is another part of roleplaying that I want to mention, however, one that isn't talked about as much. You have the opportunity to actively shape other people's perception of the game. Say, for example, I am the Research Director. If I get called to a meeting to discuss the changeling (tragically underused antag, as unpopular an opinion as that may be) that security just captured, I have several options. I can be blunt, boring, and nonchalant, e.g. "This is clearly a 'ling. We need to dispose of this quickly, ideally by incineration, as their regenerative capabilities are quite considerable." That presents the threat as something dangerous, but mundane. It provides a sure way to eliminate it, and gives the command team confidence. If, instead, you talk only of vague rumors and incomplete findings, and paint a picture of a creature of terror that could be anywhere, anyone, at any time, then you have made the round infinitely more interesting, and creepy. If, when the HoS tells you that they have captured this organism you instead say "My God, [HoS]! You actually caught it..." or "You only set one guard? What?! Triple that! You will be lucky if the poor man isn't dead already!" then you have turned their attention to the utter horror that should accompany finding a creature that can nearly flawlessly impersonate any friend, and that thirsts for your very essence... What I am trying to say here is that roleplaying isn't just about playing a role; it is also about telling a story, whether you like it or not. Thus I try to be aware of the sort of story I am spinning for my mates on the NSS Aurora/Exodus What do you think the OOC purpose of a Head of Staff is, ingame?: Well, it gives the feeling of being part of a team. It also eliminates a lot of confusion and time-wasting. Subordinates are expected to trust a single person - it is their job to give orders. Democracy is so time-consuming. It can also give people in your department a sort of role model. Heads of Staff set the tone for the shift's RP. They are the example that others, especially newer folks with less clear visions of what their character is like, will both borrow from and define themselves in opposition to. It is the Head's job to have a strong, clear character with well-defined motivations to facilitate this - to be the personality-rock your department needs. What do you think the OOC responsibilities of Whitelisted players are to other players, and how would you strive to uphold them?: I am not sure that I will exactly consider myself responsible to other players, even if I am Whitelisted, but hold on! Don't deny me yet. I tend to think of RP as more of a reciprocal thing. If you are interesting and fun as a character, or at least visibly trying to spice things up, I will spend my time trying to make things more interesting for you. I have the same philosophy in Antag rounds. If someone does me an OOC favor, like playing along ICly with something they OOCly know is a trap, I will help them out. I certainly won't just kill them, and if it is Cult or Rev I will try to give them a new life as an Antag and find something fun for them to do. As a Head, I would have similar leverage. I would give people who showed the ability to create interesting situations the opportunity to do it more often, and try to involve as many people as possible. If someone is deliberately unhelpful or painfully dull, however, I don't feel obligated to waste my time giving them opportunities they will never seize. Sound fair? Oh, and obviously Whitelisted players should be able to explain things about the server, jobs, and RP generally. Though I would hope people would do that anyway. Making an effort to be helpful is good, m'kay? Please pick one of your characters for this section, and provide well articulated responses to the following questions. Character name: Dr. Simon Bard Character age: 59 Please provide a short biography of this character (approx 2 paragraphs): Simon Bard was born on Mars to two loving parents. Picturesque, right? His young father, just out of college, worked at Zeng-Hu Pharaceuticals, as a laboratory technician. It paid the bills, thought that is the most positive thing that could really be said for the work. His mother, on the other hand, never really worked. When he was born, she was in medical school, training as a general practitioner. The poor girl had always struggled with her mood swings, which led psychiatrists in her youth to diagnose her with Bipolar Mood Disorder. At the time, she was medicated, and going to therapy. She was stable, but by the time Bard was 5, she was in the toughest years of her medical residency. Long days, no sleep, high pressure - needless to say, she cracked. A horrible depressive episode hit her, and she dropped out of the program. She knew in her heart that she was worthless, and would disappoint everyone she loved. Bard's father, now tasked with raising his child alone, started to fray as well. When she turned to mania, his condition deteriorated further. No longer did she spend her days locked in the living quarters of their Martian biodome, instead she would leave the house without warning to embark on some spur of the moment shopping spree or misguided sexual escapade. Convinced she was cured, she couldn't be bothered with therapy or medication and Bard's father, now burdened with crushing debt and a second child (was it his?), couldn't possibily babysit his wife as well. Eventually, convinced she would destroy the future of his two children, he left his wife. The woman, for her part, fell into an inescapable pit of self-loathing and regret when she realized the weight of her actions; she committed suicide when Bard was 7, and Simon to this day blames his father for her death. This is the backdrop to Bard's life - but what of the man himself? That is, happily, a decidedly less tragic tale. By the time of his mother's death, his father realized he was not a normal child. He learned faster, and with joy - he was studying university-level physics by the time he entered primary school. His father, and educated man himself, recognized this as a way out of the situation the family was in. A full-ride scholarship to the prestigious Rexlen University was his ticket to the academic world. He thrived, and spend over a decade in college and graduate school, acquiring dual pHD's in Bluespace Theory and Volatile Chemical Engineering (Phoron Chemistry), along with two more undergraduate degrees in the sciences. When he finally left, he found dozens of mega-corporations eagerly waiting to snatch him up, and thought he detested the thought of following in his father's footsteps, the best offer can from Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. He was whisked away to their R&D facility on Luna, and rose to command of his own lab in just 4 years. He labored there for nearly 25 years. What caused him to leave? He never talks about it - and if he is forced, Dr. Bard will just say something vague and obfuscatory about pay negotiations. But we know better. Human experimentation. Knowledge, my friend, has a price, and in the world of hyper-capitalistic mega-corporations that price is all too often paid in blood. Though his work lead to the development of Clonexadone, he never received credit. That honor was reserved with those with the stomach to see the project through, whatever the cost. Despite threats and cajoling alike, he one day decided to walk away. To insure his own safety, lest Zeng-Hu try to tie up loose ends, he took a single hard copy of files proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the human experiments had taken place, and that high-level Zeng-Hu administrators had been aware of it. If anything happened to him, he said, a trusted associate would reveal the information to the world, in what would be a significant blow to the mega-corperation. Never did his former employers suspect that this trusted confidant was actually his mysterious sister - suffice it to say, she lived off the grid. But her's is a story for another time. Adrift once again, the man journeyed to Tau Ceti to join one of Nanotrasen's research stations in the hopes that the company could not only offer distraction, but also protection from the powerful hand of Zeng-Hu. Here, he focuses on his work. He tries to forget all that he has done, and all that has been done to him. Some days, needless to say, are better than others. What do you like about this character?: There is depth to him. I think any character worth playing should have layers under the surface that aren't immediately obvious, but that nonetheless guide their actions. He, for example, believes that his father abandoned his mother when she needed him most, and though he would never admit this to anyone he often worries obsessively over the possibiliy that he is similarly neglecting someone important to him. He also offers flexibility. He is just unhinged enough to make uncouth actions still seem IC. Also, the fact that his mother had Bipolar Disorder will tip savvy medical personnel off to the fact that he is more susceptible to it. As an Antag, I can sometimes play as if he had BPMD that emerged in his teens, but that he somehow self-medicated or hid it from psychiatric evaluations until his guilt and pain finally overwhelmed him. Lastly, his misguided work for Zeng-Hu has to potential to spawn some interesting situations. I included it in his "Exploitable Information." If the true nature of his later work were ever exposed, his leverage against Zeng-Hu would vanish! Worse still, they would have to assume that he leaked the information, an assumption that might well lead to the poor doctor's demise. Zeng-Hu must, after all, keep its more high profile assets inline. Thus, malicious actors could conceivably blackmail him into assisting in their treacherous machinations! What a tragedy that would be... What do you dislike about this character?: There is no denying that this man is a tad stereotypical. The mad scientist with the wacky ideas and the frizzy white hair is hardly a new invention. Bit dull, sometimes, just because of that. I have to work to show people that more exists than that. What do you think makes this character fit to be a head of staff?: He is obviously experienced. And Dr. Bard wants to have control, to be independant. He hated having people breathing down his neck in Zeng-Hu, and he especially hated how they could force him to do things he didn't want to do. In a way, despite being their boss, he wishes the same for his staff. Simon wants to give them freedoms he feels that he was denied. He also loves exploration. I see him as the sort of guy who will spend a great deal of time at the Outpost, utilizing opportunities that could only exist on the edge of known space. Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions. How would you rate your own roleplaying?: Not even sure what this is supposed to mean. I think it would be pointless to rate this kind of thing on a number scale. What I am really trying to say here is 10/10 - IGN. Extra notes: I think I have already written your eyes off, so to speak. I look forward to hearing whatever feedback you may have on my writing and my readiness for a Command Team role. Oh and I might seem like I have no sense of humor here, but I swear I do! I am not always serious, and though I like to think I hold myself to high standards in terms of RP, I am not snobbish when it comes to other people. I appreciate people trying to make fun for themselves and others, regardless of the form that takes. Edited August 18, 2016 by Guest Link to comment
VileFault Posted August 14, 2016 Author Share Posted August 14, 2016 (edited) Whew! This is a bit longer all put together than I was expecting. Obviously don't feel obligated to read all of this. Sorry~ Edited August 16, 2016 by Guest Link to comment
Tequilajoe Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Great at RP, actually smart and motivated enough to use telescience, probably wont let xenobiologists engulf the station with slimes and eldritch horrors. Overall a wonderful candidate for RD, I was amazed at how helpful he was in helping me understand and learn to use telescience. +1 Link to comment
Youbar Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 I would do an in-depth review of this application, but at that point, it'd be nitpicking. The character does appear to be quite stereotypical at first glance, which VileFault explains above, but given the depth and quality of the answers, I have no reason to believe he's not the three dimensional individual that he's made out to be. +1 Link to comment
TishinaStalker Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Application approved. Glory to Aurora. Link to comment
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