User:Adhara In Space/RP-Primer

Rp primer stuff

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

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

cultural stuff, roleplay attitudes, 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? Call security! Or shout "oh my god, someone killed the clown again!"
• You've just heard someone shouting about vampires! How do you react? 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 ask "Who could have done such a thing Officer! We have to find the killer!" Or you 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 say "Vampires should be given a chance to integrate into society!" Or you say "Well, if there's no Chaplain, we'll have to ordain one of the Officers!"

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.)

• 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 working for NanoTrasen, one of the few megacorps that's survived until modern day.

• Nanotrasen is immensely powerful and wealthy.

• NanoTransen is pretty shady.

• Plasma is a powerful fuel source that's been pretty much monopolized by Nanotrasen.

• You're out in the Frontier - a place far from home that's accessed through a wormhole called the Channel.

• A very well-know enemy of NanoTrasen is the Syndicate. Red space suits and turtlenecks are their signature outfit.

• The Syndicate has been known to send undercover or sleeper agents into Nanotrasen stations, who then destroy the stations from within.

• It's a relatively common rumor that Nanotrasen themselves clone you when you die, and that they "own" your soul.

• There is much more lore hidden throughout the world. Uncover it; if you dare!

(WIP dramatic reading: The year is 2053. You're an employee for Nanotrasen, an 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)
• NSS Clarion, A travelling research ship that is heading to the blue giant in a binary star system in the Hyades cluster.
• 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.)

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.