[Accepted] Sytic's I.P.C. Application

[Sytic]

BYOND Key: Sytic

Character Names: ODIN, James Foster

Species you are applying to play: Integrated Positronic Chassis, Baseline

What color do you plan on making your first alien character (Dionaea & IPCs exempt):

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes.

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Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question

Why do you wish to play this specific race: I feel like synthetics is a broad term for a reason, as it provides a lot of avenues for cool character concepts and a way to create new and exciting ways to roleplay a character, which you can’t do with other races. Synthetics are also a lot more different and varied rather than a few inhuman traits tacked onto an organic, like Dionae for instance, or some aspects of Vacura. There is also the topic of discussion of synthetic-organic relations. Due to a relatively new “thing” to exist and come up in the universe, synthetics are usually looked upon and looked after with caution in regards to their coworkers who may not know of them, for as every synthetic is different, they may replicate past (and horrific) actions. Each species has a different way of looking at synthetic organisms, such as the Skrell looking at them with horror or anger, for example. While these are stereotypes, they’re stereotypes based in fact- Synthetics have a long, and usually bloody, history. While these could be simple drones or more advanced, brutal positronic brains, the general populace doesn’t care, making relationship building a difficult aspect of a synthetic.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: While you may theoretically be able to make a humanbot 2.0, there’s a lot of different things you can do and perform as a true non-human. You can have a truly alien mind, having emotions that organics don’t understand, or requiring to learn and try to understand any organic emotions. You can do away with morality beyond utilons, and go simple straight and narrow- or accept that it won’t be a perfect moral compass, and feel the repercussions. There is also the quality of how being totally alien affects other organic life, as well. As you can’t determine exactly how they will feel, it is impossible to know exactly how each individual person may treat a synthetic organism, but there is a lot of other factors, such as the history of synthetics in their species, that brings along a stereotype that, while you are not ground to exist in, you can break out of it- Or let it mold you. Due to these select few elements, I think it’s obvious about what I like about Synthetics- They’re their own, so varied to be malleable to a player’s backstory, but held back by being truly alien.

 

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Character Name: ODIN

Please provide a short backstory for this character, approximately 2 paragraphs

ODIN was created by a small startup tech company, Onaco, based in the Mid Colonies. When they were built on the 20/03/2441, he was designed to be a multipurposed advanced courier unit. A unit that could go very long distances through Bluespace and general other forms of travel, before returning back to base, or wherever else he needed to go, taking the shortest possible route. While communications between the colonies wasn’t impossible or difficult, ODIN was built for longer, more personal messages to be carried out, over a longer distance. ODIN, the prototype, along with 12 other prototypes (such as a cook, a security unit, a clown) were eventually shoveled off and bought out as Onaco walked out on them, getting merged into another company, which eventually did the same thing as it's predecessor, the last one filing for bankruptcy. ODIN later on was sold to a large passenger ship, the CTC Bourbon.

As they branched out and were snapped up by various megacorporations, ODIN traveled around the middle colonies with the Bourbon, finding its way over all parts of the region. ODIN knew and talked to many spacers, scavengers, rogue elements and other units alike, gaining knowledge and a sense of personality. Due to ODIN's original programming, this complimented his original constructor's programming upon the unit, which was designed to be personal and friendly. ODIN is a unit of odd-job like character, with confidence and swagger to spare, but almost never goes it alone. While they were a multipurpose unit, they were found to be spectacularly terrible at maintaining something deemed to be “boring” for long periods of time, which became apparent due to a brief time at an Idris branch. However, during a brief stint at the private security team, ODIN was found to be good at morale building after their long time spent learning how to be friendly (giving them distinction among other units), negotiations, and weapons control.

ODIN is a unit which finds itself in a lot of different places for a lot of different reasons, just a blip on the radar, travelling through space over the past fifteen years with the Bourbon, further retreating back towards Sol and the Inner Colonies. Upon visiting the diverse Tau Ceti system, they decided to stay. ODIN was accepted aboard as a station-bound synthetic after selling themselves off to them, and if he were to obtain a chassis he would still be working there.

What do you like about this character?

I like ODIN because playing them feels different. They don’t have much of any personality beyond “goofy” and “serious”, leaving them to feel like a balance between the two. (They shouldn’t have, anyways. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.) Regardless of how relatable they are, this synthetic feels different. Weirdly whacky and fun for a moment, before coldly serious and alert the next. Almost like a sociopath in that regard, ODIN is only empathetic towards their utilon values, leaving them with no regard for empathy or other forms of emotion. ODIN is a synthetic which can be oddly creepy to have around, annoying, or fun. While this may be a dark view on the character, it is rare to see ODIN going against their usual friendly state.

How would you rate your role-playing ability? A perfect 5/7. In actuality, probably a 6 to 8/10, I'm not good at judging myself.

 

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Notes: Note: ODIN is currently a unit that has appeared onboard the station. Also, I feel a bit spooked at the time of writing, please mention any mistakes you find. I take feedback after every round I play as them,

it's a good opportunity to talk to me about any problems or if I have broken character.

Edited September 23, 2017 by Guest

[MattAtlas]

Sytic is an amazing player. ODIN has the really nice characteristic of having a personality. Not a dull one, a *fun* personality. Which makes ODIN a good character in my book. His RP in game is fantastic, rarely breaking character and keeping the RP itself entertaining.

Skimming over the application, it's good. I don't see any glaring flaws. A definite +1 from me, he deserves the whitelist.

[Bath Salts Addict]

I don't often do this, but Sytic deserves a +1. Their station-bound has a unique personality without crossing the line into meme-y behavior, and despite their character's quirks they definitely don't overdo it. He's a little green to the server, from what I see, but he's quickly adapting.

[Kaed]

Sytic may be new to this server, but he is not new to me. ODIN has been a synth character I have seen on other servers, and almost universally, I find their personality to be incredibly irritating. I do not enjoy synths who act childish and goofy. It has not improved since the last time I saw them hanging around on my old favorite server(s). If memory serves, they have a history of petty and childish behavior, that I seem to recall earned them some synth/server bans. Though to be fair, considering if my admittedly poor memory serves me right, I last heard they were in their early tween years.

It's entirely possible that they have matured somewhat in the period since I last saw them on SS13, However, I recently saw them reusing the same COOL DRINK joke I remember from a previous server, so I have some reservations on that account. If they're going to continue old trends, they will transpose ODIN in name and personality into every synth role they play, and the only thing different will they will be an unlawed synth that I can't tell to go away or stop when they're getting on my nerves.

I would really like them to try something different before they expand to IPCs, instead of just reusing the same tired ODIN personality that they have been using since Pheonix station. Explore new ground, try making a synth that has one of those 'alien mindsets' he mentions in his application.

[Sytic]

Sytic may be new to this server, but he is not new to me. ODIN has been a synth character I have seen on other servers, and almost universally, I find their personality to be incredibly irritating. I do not enjoy synths who act childish and goofy. It has not improved since the last time I saw them hanging around on my old favorite server(s). If memory serves, they have a history of petty and childish behavior, that I seem to recall earned them some synth/server bans. Though to be fair, considering if my admittedly poor memory serves me right, I last heard they were in their early tween years.

It's entirely possible that they have matured somewhat in the period since I last saw them on SS13, However, I recently saw them reusing the same COOL DRINK joke I remember from a previous server, so I have some reservations on that account. If they're going to continue old trends, they will transpose ODIN in name and personality into every synth role they play, and the only thing different will they will be an unlawed synth that I can't tell to go away or stop when they're getting on my nerves.

I would really like them to try something different before they expand to IPCs, instead of just reusing the same tired ODIN personality that they have been using since Pheonix station. Explore new ground, try making a synth that has one of those 'alien mindsets' he mentions in his application.

 

Hello, it's been a long time.

I won't attempt to derail your argument in the sense of ODIN is not new, and was irritating to some on my time on Unbound (aka: phoenix station). This is true, but a few things of note I'd like to convince you about, and a few things I'd like to deny.

Firstly, ODIN is, hopefully at least, evolving as a character. They were childish and shit when I played them at first, a Security unit who couldn't Security right by just goofing around with their buds. Somehow I wasn't in trouble for this, but I hope that I've convinced you I understand it, and am looking to better it. Secondly, I ask for feedback after every round. This will continue on until I can eventually see a solid ground for the character, and how they fit on Aurora. Finally, I understand this is a character which to some, annoying at best, insulting at worst, which is why I've tried my best to only talk to or influence them based on how they want to be talked to.

I also never got any synth, nor server bans. I wasn't directly told that the character was bad or terrible, unless in character. There were accidents, but this stems into me blowing my horn as an OOC player and general stupidity over the course of a couple of years. I like ODIN in name, and the character in general- Their oddly weird brain seems more fitting in a TV show than a real world item, able to switch between a fun personality into a serious one in a matter of seconds, which is where I got their inspiration from. Also, I'm not young. (Where did you get that from?) I like ODIN as a character, but do not feel comfortable playing a different lawed station role without some semblance of fun activity, whether it come through personality and connections to other players or not. When I am able to play ODIN, I get to have the fun roleplay connections, as well as the roleplay significance of being lawed. As well as the gameplay mechanics that revolve around being a cyborg. A (new) unlawed unit, however, I believe would be fun anyways. I get to make my own decisions while having a weird, frankly confusing outlook on the world.

I agree. I annoyed you, as a player. I don't exactly know how (but would love a PM or two on how to improve, please shoot me one of those) or when. But I've been making steps to try and find my character's place on Aurora, and will try and continue to do so. But you are free to think whatever you want to think, even if that's the same thought on a robot you've seen a year (maybe two?) ago.

Good to see you again, though. Have a lovely day, thanks for the response.

[Munks]

Retracting my complaints with this app.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Guest

[Sytic]

I feel like synthetics is a broad term for a reason, as it provides a lot of avenues for cool character concepts and a way to create new and exciting ways to roleplay a character, which you can’t do with other races.

You say this, but your presented character basically is just, as you put it, a humanbot.

: While you may theoretically be able to make a humanbot 2.0, there’s a lot of different things you can do and perform as a true non-human. You can have a truly alien mind, having emotions that organics don’t understand, or requiring to learn and try to understand any organic emotions. You can do away with morality beyond utilons, and go simple straight and narrow- or accept that it won’t be a perfect moral compass, and feel the repercussions.

If this is a highlight of playing synthetics to you, why does your character always just act like a normal person? The intention is not to act like a normal person. I'll try and reinforce this in the future, but a first impression is horrible for learning a character. The intention is for them to have no emotion beyond an interesting one which defines the character, and a simple one that I believe should be for all synthetics (a level of seriousness to dramatic situations).

I have seen your character around on the station many times and my personal experiences with the character as well as similar stores I've heard about ODIN is that they are a synthetic only on a technical basis and for all intents and purposes just act like a normal generic crewmember. Please mention when I do this- this is a breach of character. And the way you described it is a pretty unfortunate but accurate summary: they are 'goofy but serious' and have no personality beyond that. That's the intention. A synthetic is defined by what limited personality, and the events they've been through, as well as reactions to events, in my opinion. There could be no more generic way of describing a character than 'goofy but also sometimes serious'. In addition, the character is just 'bounces around job to job, they're so confident and good in everything they do even if they dont know what it is, Orders From Above to place them on the station for some reason even though they're so good at everything they should be higher up the ladder, and they still work here even though they're totally such a troublemaker and don't know when to quit'. Strawman. This isn't the intention, nor is anything mentioned about "up the ladder" or "good at everything" or "orders from above" (although similar so I can see where you got this one) or "such a troublemaker" (goofy != troublecauser). On the topic of "good at everything", I do not plan on being good at everything if I get an I.P.C. whitelist. That'd be obvious powergaming, and I only "do everything" as a cyborg because I don't have very much reason to not do everything, or at least try, when I am ordered to. I want to be useful and not reject orders and break laws, as well as prematurely fuck the round because "the cyborg didn't go the module I asked them to!!!". They bounce around from simple job to simple job (in their backstory, I can't do much about in the game), acting as a small dot on a userbase, only getting a brief stint as a service unit. They're confident, but not good. What I gather from this is that you're STILL going to just play a happy go lucky mischief human that happens to look like a robot. What is there with this that you can't do with other races, except being good at everything? Where is the alien mind, or incomprehensible motives or emotions that the humans just don't understand? A lack of empathy, and a lack of most human and alien emotions.

The presented character is only half the app, though, so even if the background isnt nobel prize worthy I'd at least hope that the roleplay itself would be interesting, but I can't even say if you would roleplay an IPC synth good because once again I only ever see you roleplay cyborgs as 'goofy but serious humanbot' and the last thing we need right now is more whitelists for people who take unique species and just play them like they're humans. Will agree, but unfortunately I do not have the skills (or roleplay situations) to convince you otherwise. As I do not know who you play, I cannot know if we've had any personal roleplay interactions where I've been terrible, and maybe you saw me off a first impression and got a bad feeling from it (understandable definitely) or if you've based all knowledge of the character from somebody else's response and my application.

-1

 

It's obvious I haven't put the character in enough solid ground to be respected by you, played well enough to the expectations of some players, or seen as respectable by some players. I'll redouble my efforts to adapt and hopefully make the character be seen as a respectable one later on in your eyes.

I will continue asking for how the character went over OOC every round, and keep in mind this application for the future.

Thank you for the feedback, please continue giving some.

[Sytic]

Revised backstory upon feedback, please see the above posts on the issues of the previous backstory, thank you.

[The Stryker]

ODIN is a good boy.

ODIN is a humanbot, but to be fair, most synths are, and far worse has been done. Sytic seems to get RPing a synthetic and the backstory covers why ODIN is a humanbot.

OOCly, Sytic seems cool enough.

This gets my +1.

[Kaed]

Stuff

 

You're right, I don't know your age. I just have a vague memory of you once getting into an OOC argument with someone and claiming you were 12. It's possible you were not telling the truth then, or it was someone else. I'll also take you at your word that you never received any bans, since it's been a long time since I saw you and I can barely remember the unbound days. And there were was more worse synths than you back then? Remember SPARKLES? I do.

Anyway, I'm getting off topic.

It's true that ODIN annoys me, but unfortunately, I don't really think I can offer you pointers. I think there is a fundamental difference in how we approach this game. When you play, I get the definite sense that ODIN exists as a release for you to act like a goofball and run around having shenanigans and fun. You say he can be serious, but I've never seen that, and I'm not really sure it matters for the point of this discussion right now. He's usually not serious.

I, on the other hand, enter the game to immerse myself in the role of a character and a setting. The goofiest you will generally see my characters acting is when they deadpan snark someone. When people start doing silly things in the spirit of 'it's just a game', it pulls me out of that sense of immersion and irritates me, like someone trying to have a business deal in a restaurant while there is a kid nearby loudly playing a video game on his 3DS.

I can't really say that means one of us is doing it wrong. Obviously, I'd prefer if more people played the same way I do, but I guess in the end of the day, it's still a game.

However, I'll tell you one thing you CAN do that might improve your roleplay - experience more. You've created ODIN and treat him as some sort of totem personality that you focus on with and continually try to refine. But that's giving you tunnel vision. Try something new, create a synthetic personality that is entirely different and try to roleplay them. For example, something that entirely juxtaposes ODIN, takes everything very literally, and doesn't understand metaphor or hyperbole. You can still create comedic situations to have fun in without being a goofball all the time.

It's really up to you, though. If you do get the IPC whitelist, at least try not be completely horrible. For instance, by getting a pet mouse every round and put on a set of kitty ears like some kind of cringy weeabo robot, then acting like a sulking manchild for the rest of the round because someone ate your fucking mouse.

Not that I'm naming any names.

[Sytic]

Stuff

 

You're right, I don't know your age. I just have a vague memory of you once getting into an OOC argument with someone and claiming you were 12. It's possible you were not telling the truth then, or it was someone else. I'll also take you at your word that you never received any bans, since it's been a long time since I saw you and I can barely remember the unbound days. And there were was more worse synths than you back then? Remember SPARKLES? I do. edit from sytic: don't bring me back to that hell

Anyway, I'm getting off topic.

It's true that ODIN annoys me, but unfortunately, I don't really think I can offer you pointers. I think there is a fundamental difference in how we approach this game. When you play, I get the definite sense that ODIN exists as a release for you to act like a goofball and run around having shenanigans and fun. You say he can be serious, but I've never seen that, and I'm not really sure it matters for the point of this discussion right now. He's usually not serious.

I, on the other hand, enter the game to immerse myself in the role of a character and a setting. The goofiest you will generally see my characters acting is when they deadpan snark someone. When people start doing silly things in the spirit of 'it's just a game', it pulls me out of that sense of immersion and irritates me, like someone trying to have a business deal in a restaurant while there is a kid nearby loudly playing a video game on his 3DS.

I can't really say that means one of us is doing it wrong. Obviously, I'd prefer if more people played the same way I do, but I guess in the end of the day, it's still a game.

However, I'll tell you one thing you CAN do that might improve your roleplay - experience more. You've created ODIN and treat him as some sort of totem personality that you focus on with and continually try to refine. But that's giving you tunnel vision. Try something new, create a synthetic personality that is entirely different and try to roleplay them. For example, something that entirely juxtaposes ODIN, takes everything very literally, and doesn't understand metaphor or hyperbole. You can still create comedic situations to have fun in without being a goofball all the time.

It's really up to you, though. If you do get the IPC whitelist, at least try not be completely horrible. For instance, by getting a pet mouse every round and put on a set of kitty ears like some kind of cringy weeabo robot, then acting like a sulking manchild for the rest of the round because someone ate your fucking mouse. edit from sytic: why is this a thing? why would sulking ever be beneficial for a robot to have.

Not that I'm naming any names.

 

I've actually been working on a medical type to fill this sort of thing! He has absolutely no sort of understanding for metaphor, and is highly grounded in his beliefs. They're very serious and prefer to take a public leader sort of role, or a peace talker of sorts, rather than an instigator.

I understand we're kind of two people across the same planet. Still on the same planet, but more or less doing completely different things. (Note: I don't actually look at ODIN's silliness and go "this is normal", they're designed to be that way. as if a bit wonky or weird in comparison to the regular, sane organic.) But that does not mean I won't listen and respond. (For the record, I have been trying to show more serious aspects of the character in recent rounds, notably during situations where people are flipping their shit already.)

I hope to surprise you with the new character sometime in the future!

[Sytic]

Still here, s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶s̶e̶l̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶o̶r̶s̶ taking feedback and stuff. Just thought I should post this since it's been a while since my last post, and I didn't want to be discredited for inactivity.

so uh yeah seeya

[CakeIsOssim]

Application accepted.