User:Adhara In Space/RP-Primer

Rp primer stuff (not official)

the idea is for this to be a hotlinked page when u join the rp server? idk

please edit this with things you think would be a good idea for people to know

this isnt like, the be all end all rigid rp rules or anything, these arent all really enforced

but since rp is a community thing, this is what community members think is important for everyone to know / understand about rp

please be nice when editing this ok? no removing stuff u dont like cos u dont like it, ask people first

add cultural stuff, roleplay attitudes, roleplay need2knows, generally accepted lore, etc

Roleplaying Tips

When we speak of roleplaying, especially in an impermanent, round-based game like this, what we're really talking about is improvisation. That's right, we're doing improv! Nobody is expected to create detailed, realistic characters with deep, intricate backstories and well refined personalities. Anyone who does take the time to craft characters like this is totally awesome, but it is not a requirement to play or enjoy the game. What we do expect, however, is for players to communicate and react to each other in interesting ways. Ultimately, what separates roleplaying from other forms of play is the way in which players primarily interact through improvised communication and reactions. The following tips will help you interact with players in fun and interesting ways and encourage others around you to do the same!

1. Accept Information! The things you see and hear are actually happening! This is at the core of roleplaying and the easiest way to get into the perfect state of mind.

• You see a corpse, it's not just a blob of pixels, it's someone who used to be alive!
• You hear someone shouting about a vampire on the station, it's not just someone joking around, there's a real vampire somewhere!

Acceptance of information is what helps contribute to suspension of disbelief. This may be a goofy game, but we're also telling a story together!

2. React! Now that you've accepted this information as real, it's time to react! Almost any reaction that doesn't flat out deny the information will do. The important thing is to let others know that you're reacting. One of the pitfalls of roleplaying is getting caught in the "what would my character do?" loop. More often than not you'll be playing as a human. Just say or do what you would do!

• You've just seen a corpse! How do you react? You could call security! Or you could shout; "Oh my god, someone killed the clown again!"
• You've just heard someone shouting about vampires! How do you react? Would you cry out "I always knew they were real!" Or say "Where's the Chaplain when you need him?"

Reactions give everyone permission to react themselves, and this is how conversation and interesting scenarios come about!

3. Add! Now that you've reacted to information, it's time to add to it! Sometimes this will be as simple as asking a question or performing an action that pushes your the "story" forward. This is also a great place to start exaggerating!

• You've just reacted to finding a corpse! How do you add? You could ask "Who could have done such a thing Officer! We have to find the killer!" Or you could say "Officer, if this clown is cloned I'm going to be their personal bodyguard to make sure this doesn't happen again!"
• You've just reacted to hearing about Vampires! How do you add? You might say "Vampires should be given a chance to integrate into society!" Or you very well could say "Well, if there's no Chaplain, we'll have to ordain one of the Officers!" Or you could even say "I think I've seen a movie on this once! Should we go all Van Helsing on it?"

Adding to the situation gives everyone more information to react to and helps push the story in interesting directions!

4. Don't deny! The worst thing you can do is deny information! There will be cases where someone is being deliberately problematic and it's up to you to judge this (or ahelp it), but generally speaking to shut someone or something down is a missed opportunity and can suck the fun out of interaction.

• You find a corpse. You silently drag it to medbay and go back to doing your job. You don't ask for help, you don't make the situation known. A missed opportunity.
• Someone shouts about a vampire. You say "Shut up and let the Chaplain deal with it". Or you silently steal holy water from the chapel to protect yourself. Total shut down.

Good roleplaying and interaction comes when you play along with people and communicate! Don't deny or shut others down!

Remember that we're all playing this game together to have fun! As long as you make an effort to communicate and react with other people, you'll encourage others to do the same and everyone will have a good time!

Specific Roleplay Guidelines

Antagonist Awareness, or How to Avoid Accidental Metagaming

• Since some people use the vagueness surrounding this section of the rules to metagame without real consequence, a couple of community members have decided to try to more rigidly define it. (So, here goes! This is probably poo as a first draft, please help edit it.)

• In most situations, it's best to avoid using slang terms for antags. Things like "Nukies, Ling, Vamp" don't work very well because your average crewmember doesn't really deal with these enough to adopt a shortened version of its name. This doesn't really mean that you're forbidden from using these terms or anything. Like, if your character is some sorta grizzled detective who's worked on like 7 stations, and has seen his fair share of shit, it'd make sense for him to have developed some slang. But Bjork Johnson the chef might not have this slang under his belt, so, get creative with your replacements!

• Nuclear Operatives: All crew members undergo mandatory training to recognize the Syndicate's telltale red and black spacesuits. If they see one, they know that (typically) bad things are about to happen.

• Traitors: Most crew members know that people defect from NanoTrasen to the Syndicate for various reasons and may interfere with the shift with (or without) Syndicate gadgets/weaponry. (Instead of calling people who are wreaking havoc a traitor, here are a few other terms you can use: "[name] is rogue!", "[name] is a subversive element!", "[name] is being a real jerk!", "[name] is a criminal!", "[name] is an enemy to the company!") (could use more, i started blanking immediately)

• Syndicate Gear: Security would know more about general contraband, and specific departments would know more about contraband in their departments. If it's something like a pickpocket gun, that's obviously contraband. If it's something like a syringe gun, perhaps it could be experimental NT equipment? Something like that being contraband would be less obvious to your average crew member.

• NanoTrasen Special Operatives (NT-SO): All crew members know that NanoTrasen Special Operatives exist. They recognize that a person in NT armor with a gun and a bossy attitude should be listened to.

• Changelings: Most of the crew will only have heard rumors about an alien that wears other people's faces. People in research would be more likely to know that a creature like this could exist, and they might know how it could work and what its weaknesses or abilities were. The research director and some higher ups (like the captain, regional director, a CEO or a board member) would probably know that Nanotrasen has worked on creating a changeling in the past, and that one may have escaped.

• Conspirators: All crew members know that rude people will work together to accomplish their nefarious goals, because of their own personal motives; it just happens.

• Vampires: Since movies exist, all crew members know most, if not all about the concepts behind a vampire. However, all crew members would have trouble actually accepting that real vampires exist. The Chaplain would be more likely to know more about them.

• Werewolves: Similarly to Vampires, Werewolves likely wouldn't be a commonly believed nor accepted thing, but pretty much everyone who watches movies knows their classic weaknesses. The Chaplain would be more likely to know more about them.

• Wizards: Some crew members know about the Space Wizard Federation, and they know that it's a dangerous threat, known for sending crazy magical (or perhaps high-tech?) hobos to terrorize the station/ship.

• Blobs: While very few crewmembers would know of the existence, it's kinda easy to figure out how to deal with a blob. Researchers would be more prone to know specifics about blobs.

• Wraiths: Crew members may have heard the faintest whispers of rumors about spirits haunting the station/ship. The Chaplain would likely know a lot more.

• Gang (Leaders and -sters): Sometimes people get together and form gangs! It happens. Probably more believable than a straight up revolution.

• Revolutionaries: Crew members may have heard rumors about revolutions, but they're exactly that- rumors. Revolutions have never officially happened. Security would know the function of loyalty implants, and might know what a rev flash does.

• Spy Thieves: Similarly to Traitors, almost all crew members know that Syndicate operatives are a threat, and that they could be on board doing crime. A Syndicate operative thieving wouldn't be out of the ordinary, but it'd also be hard to distinguish Syndicate thieving from normal thieving.

• Zombies: Similarly to Vampires and Werewolves, Zombies wouldn't be a widely believed thing, but perhaps somewhat easily accepted? The Medical Director, Research Director, and Scientists would be more likely know more about their existence than most other crew members. Perhaps some even know about the workings of them! (but it isn't too hard to guess, as movies exist.)

Lore Primer

The year is 2053. You're an employee for Nanotrasen, a modern megacorporation. You could currently be working aboard any number of stations:

• Space Station 13, a shifting designation for a Nanotrasen research station that may take place on any number of stations. (Cogmap 1, Cogmap 2, Oshan, Mushroom, Donut, Kondaru)
• NSS Clarion, a travelling research ship that is heading to the blue giant in a binary star system in the Hyades cluster known as the Frontier.
• NSS Destiny, a travelling research ship that is heading to the red giant in the same binary star system.
• NSS Horizon, a travelling research ship that is headed towards no destination in particular.
• NCS Atlas, a travelling cartography shuttle that's set out to map the Frontier.
• NSS Manta, a submarine exploring the depths of Abzu in the Hyades cluster, on a mission from Nanotrasen.

If you're working on a ship, you likely live on the ship. There's a massive cryogenics system that freezes you while you're not working your shift. You probably get most of your food and drink from the on station facilities, and what you don't get there you might get from the space diner. You could also potentially be a stowaway on the vessel, if you don't like the thought of NT freezing you and waking you up when they need you. You might also rent an NT owned dorm or have your own small pod or some other tiny residence, but that's more likely to be something that you pretend doesn't exist because NT likes control.

For your background and education, assume that you have at least some education for most jobs. Even if it was attending an accelerated NT university or something of that sort, you're likely to have received some sort of formal training prior to being staffed on the station or ship. For higher staff positions, like heads of a department, assume that you have some sort of history working with the company. It's unlikely that you'd be promoted to department manager before demonstrating some competency in the position.

As for history, well, it depends on how old you are. If you're younger, you've probably only read about the corporate frontier wars, or heard about it from your parents. If you're older, you probably lived through it. You know that credits are a new NT controlled system of money, yet another aspect of your life they've taken over. You've heard of the syndicate before, as they're NT's big bad boogeyman. A collection of corporations that NT used as a step ladder to get to the top, and they're angry about they're mistreatment. Chances are if you're an employee, you view any sort of affiliation with the syndicate as Bad News, because either in the stories you've been told or personal experiences you've had, they're literally terrorists who want to kill you. You could be working for the syndicate as an undercover or sleeper agent if you're a traitor, or have past or present connections if you didn't, but its likely that most of the crew will frown upon that if its public. The syndicate, after all, are terrorists that have killed many many crew members whose only crime was working for a large company that has job security and pays well. It's only human to want to be able to provide for yourself and your family, right?

Common terms that may or may not have been explained to you yet?

• SSD - (TL;DR: more RP friendly version of Braindead) In universe, SSD or Space Sleep Disorder is a form of narcolepsy that makes people fall asleep standing up, with their eyes open. It's caused by the effect that long exposures to space have on the circadian rhythm, our bodies' "internal clock". In game, it is used to describe what happens when a player disconnects without using cryosleep and their unresponsive character is left standing there with a blank look on their face.

• Patho - Part of Medbay where diseases are made.

• Toxins - Part of Research where bombs are made.

• Hellburn - Running the engine by using the burn chamber to create a physics-defying fire that exponentially increases in heat, in exchange for loads of power. Rare is the hellburn that DOESN'T turn engineering/mechanics/cargo/mining into a hellscape, so they're often discouraged on the RP server do to the small maps that are usually played on.

• TTV - Tank Transfer Valve (bomb).

• Canbomb - Also a bomb.