interest check & test drive #001.

[nebulamods]

welcome to nebula station. At some point approximately three to four months ago in your recent past, you were approached by a recruiter for Galactic Exploration, offering a paid position aboard the Nebula Station for a one-year minimum term after successful completion of a short training program. For a reason known only to you, you accepted this offer. Perhaps you were short on cash. Perhaps you were manipulated into it — did the recruiter know about your seventeen unpaid parking tickets, or the interplanetary bounty on your head, or the fact that your ex-spouse is hounding you for alimony that you decidedly don't want to pay? Regardless of the reason, your acceptance of the offer, enrollment in training, and subsequent successful completion has led you here: to a transport shuttle, and to your new life. After a flight of unknown length, you wake to the sounds of people moving around you, the familiar rustling of hands against fabric as your fellow travelers begin to jostle their bags and straighten their clothes after a long flight. Even in space, the urge to be the first one off the plane is still alive and well, and many people are clearly anxious to get moving. As if on cue, a polite, almost cheerful three-tone chime can be heard through the speakers in the wall and above each passenger. "Welcome," the voice that follows intones, all warm vowels and the kind of enthusiasm that can only be paid for, "to Nebula Station. We're glad you're here, and we look forward to helping you get settled. Please take a moment to gather your personal belongings, and when the captain gives the all-clear, head out in an orderly fashion to the gangway, where a member of our senior staff will be glad to welcome you to your new home-away-from-home."

getting settled. Upon first entry to the Station, you'll be greeted by a small group of bright-eyed, wide smiling crew members. These are Circle members — veterans aboard the Nebula Station who've opted to continue on for longer than their initial one-year commitment. They can be easily identified by the faintly glowing purple circle pinned onto their uniforms. Circle members have one primary job today: to activate crew IDs and issue welcome materials, within which you'll find a wide range of pertinent information. Of course, being that the Station is in space and supplies are limited, these materials come in a decidedly modern flavor. First: your ID. Less issuing and more activating, the Circle member assisting you will ask for you to roll up your right sleeve. Why? Because there, in a small purple square on your forearm, is your ID code. Much like a modern-day QR code, the randomized pattern of squares and shading identifies you to any appliance, door, or other feature of the Nebula Station as an active crew member. It also identifies you as someone with (or without) clearance to enter certain areas, such as your own bunk, the captains' quarters, or the brig. The code is a semi-permanent tattoo, intended to last three months' time, after which point you'll be issued a new one by ship medical staff. Please don't try to wash it off. Your arrival guide — along with your housing assignment, working schedule, and any other noteworthy pieces of information — can be found in your Galactic Exploration-issued tablet. Approximately 20 cms by 13 cms of aluminum alloy and hologlass, the tablet is admittedly not the most exciting thing to hold. However, it is extremely useful — and extremely pricey to replace. So don't lose it! Or break it! ("Or spill coffee on it," one Circle member might guiltily add. Odds are good it's happened before.) Once you've received your tablet, you're free to roam the ship. There's a lot to see ... where will you go? ◆ The Housing Bay is a popular first-stop for many new arrivals. As many new faces come in alone and without any connections aboard, it's Nebula tradition for new arrivals to be assigned an empty bunk in one of the Quad Rooms aboard. Like the name suggests, these rooms feature two full-size bunk beds and a small closet space per person, offering adequate sleeping space for four people ... but not much else. You might want to introduce yourself to your new roommates, or at the very least, you might want to claim your bunk. Not feeling the shared spaces vibe? There are a limited number of single, double, and triple rooms available aboard the Nebula, and if you're particularly charming, you might be able to convince the Circle staff to help you change your assignment! ◆ Not in the mood to catch any more Z's? That's okay! The Mess Hall is available for you any time of day, with a wide variety of dining options on-hand to suit your needs. There aren't any chefs, and no one will be around to bus your table, but you'll probably find you don't need them... much. • For those that prefer an easy approach, consider the replicators on the eastern wall of the hall! These can recreate (to... mostly successful ends) any food or drink you can think of. It might not be exactly what you had in mind, but is McDonald's coffee really that different from some single origin Nicaraguan dark roast? Probably not... right? • For those that like to get their hands dirty, the western wall features a small number of system kitchens, where adventurous chefs or the very bored can whip up dishes to their hearts' content. Just like your own personal episode of Chopped, there are both fridges and pantry shelves available with staple ingredients, as well as some strange intergalactic flavors to experiment with, but anything specific might require you to try your luck with the replicators. Have fun! Try not to catch anything on fire! ◆ In the mood for something a little more adventurous? No problem. There's always the Holodeck. Here, you can try your hands at a variety of programmed entertainment. Need to brush up on your skills? Try VR combat training, with options to practice in your choice of atmosphere and gravitational pull, or a more traditional shooting range with an AI coach to provide feedback after each shot. Looking for escape, not effort? Consider a fully-immersive holo travel session, with destinations from Alcatraz to Zulu available to visit for as long as you'd like to stay. The smallest holodeck stations can be utilized by solo visitors, with larger conference room-style stations available for groups up to 10.

first mission. Getting settled — and getting acquainted — is only the beginning. By the beginning of your second week aboard the Nebula, you'll begin to notice the atmosphere (figuratively speaking; the air's still perfectly breathable) begin to shift. No longer in welcome mode, the staff is instead resuming preparations for the next Station Mission. As a neutral party in galactic politics, the Exploration's various ships and manned stations can be hired for a wide variety of purposes. Some are admittedly fairly monotonous or even boring — requests from distant ruling bodies to collect materials and supplies from their satellite planets or to deliver goods to colonies on the far end of an asteroid belt, for example. Others are exciting, but unfortunately poorly paying — such as a request from a well-known galactic events planner for warm bodies to fill up their next big outdoor festival, where having fun is part of the job but a paycheck might not be. And then there are the morally grey jobs, the ones that seem almost too straightforward upon first glance. The one coming up is a perfect example: a request from a small, but fairly well-off planet to provide hired security for a local mining organization. While not all aboard the Nebula are required to participate in a Station Mission, the main station will be docked in orbit above planet for as long as it takes to complete (or completely fail) the job. Those that volunteer to take part are promised to be paid handsomely for their time and attention. Mission Debrief: ◆ According to the ruling body, a band of guerrilla fighters from a recently independent former colony has arrived within the last few weeks, and their presence has created conflict that makes many of the workers feel unsafe traveling to their posts. While the local police force and government representatives have tried to resolve the situation, it has only led to increasing violence and bloodshed against the planet's own citizens. It's an unfortunate reality that the guerrilla fighters will need to be escorted off-planet — and while the ruling body certainly hopes this can be done without bloodshed, they've offered full immunity for any unfortunate fallout. ◆ But is it that straightforward? Can it be? It won't take any prospective attendees long to research the political atmosphere of the planet — or to discover that the mining organization and its employees are often rumored to be a polite front for a history of enslavement, with everyone from political prisoners to captured enemy forces and even debtors and petty criminals put to work in dangerous conditions. The recent independence of the local colony can be researched too, and those that choose to look into it will find evidence of a battle-weary but determined group that fought tooth and nail to evict unjust slaveowners from their homes. ◆ Those that opt to head down to the surface will have a few choices. Do you obey the request of your employer, the local government, despite the rumors and evidence that might paint them in an unjust light? Do you disobey it entirely, choosing to lend your body and mind to the guerilla forces fighting back against enslavement and cruelty? Or do you opt for something else altogether, a truly neutral third party simply taking advantage of the conflict for your own personal gain? Officially speaking, the Exploration only recognizes actions taken as authorized by the mission brief, but so long as you can find your way back to the shuttle at the end of it all, no one's likely to be any the wiser...

nebula network. Is there Facebook in space? Tinder? Instagram? Likely not, given the wide variety of species and cultures to be found amidst the stars, but where there is man (or humanoid creatures), there's communication. Aboard the Nebula, that communication can be found via the shipnet, or the local network. You'll have the opportunity to select a username of your choice — anything from @apple to @zenon.the.zequel is welcome. Just keep in mind you won't be able to change it without approval from a Station Master, so try to pick something at least somewhat understandable! As for content? The starry sky's the limit! Text, still picture, video, and audio are all supported.

notes & information Zetus Lapetus, y'all! Welcome to our interest check and tentative first test drive. As you'll probably notice if you opt to navigate your way around this comm or the posting journal, this is very much a work in progress. As such, everything is very much in a state of flux — so we're open to your questions, suggestions, comments, concerns, generalized thoughts, and everything else you might want to share with us! We've got a top level below for questions, and we absolutely look forward to answering them for you. If the answer we give doesn't jive with you, let's talk about it! Come back with alternatives, and who knows, we might take you up on them.

Comments

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS

[nebulamods]

Lay 'em on us. We're wide open and ready to answer the call. Want to chat privately? Send us a PM, and we'll get back to you ASAP*.

(*As soon as reasonably possible.)

Re: QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS

[proofofconcept]

Hello! Given the "your character agreed to come" mechanic, what's the deal for characters who are dead? Is it like a "time froze in the moment before death and they got the offer" type sitch? Or should we just try to avoid a canon point like that?

[nebulamods]

Good question! We want to ensure the character arrival mechanic functions as flexibly as possible, so we don't want to say there's only one right answer.

But to actually give some practical options: you could definitely go the "well, I almost died" route! You could also potentially involve some kind of Questionable Space Being that happened to catch a character just at the precipice of walking into That Bright Light. You can also avoid a canon point like that, if it makes more sense for you.

Honestly, we're happy to let you decide whatever makes the most sense for your character who may or may not be actually dead in canon! We're also happy to work with prospective players should they need help brainstorming a way to ICly get their character involved.

[brujaha]

Regarding CRAU... Yay or nay?

And for characters that require say, blood for sustenance? Would that be something that could be chanced with the replicators? Or will they need to work out something and nom on their fellow space-goers?

[nebulamods]

Officially speaking, we haven't decided exactly how we'd like to tackle CRAU. It is definitely something we are considering, but we want to make sure it's a fair approach for all sides. We'll absolutely have it hammered out before any next steps, though! (For TDM/interest check purposes: please feel welcome, because you are!)

For "non traditional" diets, we'd like to leave this up to player preference. The replicators will do their best — but if they're looking for taste preference, it might get wonky. Somebody looking for O Negative because it tastes better might have to settle for AB blood, that sort of thing, but no one will starve. Of course, if a vampire character really refuses the idea of artificial blood, well... they'll have to find alternatives, won't they?

[brujaha]

\o/ I'll play around on the TDM and wait to see what the official decision is!

This will actually make my vampire the happiest camper, I think. You mean she can feed without HURTING PEOPLE??? BEST SPACESHIP EVER! Just let her have her blood Capri Sun.

janus ( original )

[collimation]

( original character. nebulous (hah, get it) information in his profile )

arrival/settling;

[ there are a lot of reasons janus could have for taking this offer and pretty much every single one of them would have to boil down to "he needs to protect the crew for a change". being a pirate comes with a bounty and this time it came from his old crew, the captain having finally caught wind of where he (and the ship) were located. his piloting skills can only outrun for so long, and as much as he absolutely hates the thought of letting anyone else sit in his seat... well. being as far from them as he can for a while seems the safest bet.

so it sucks, being separated from them, but he likes people. not enough to share a room with three of them, though; not that he's a big stickler for privacy, but a man has needs, and there's no way he's going to be able to convince three different people to stay the hell out. so he schmoozes up to the first unoccupied station attendant that he can find, putting on every last ounce of charm he has, until he finally has her talked into changing his room assingment to one with just one other person.

janus kicks back in his new bed, stretching out with a clear view of the ceiling, only glancing up when the door opens to admit, he can only assume, his new roommate. he swings his feet back to the floor and pushes up to them, grin half-cocked as he holds out a hand. ]

Bunkin' here, huh? Name's Janus.

roaming;

[ there's definitely a difference between station life and pirate ship life, and mostly it has to do with sheer size. janus finds himself checking the map more often than he cares to, frowning each time he gets lost. he frowns extra hard when he's politely (but firmly) shooed away from the bridge; he just wanted to see what kind of setup they had going there! and maybe try to coerce his way into a seat just to get a feel for the controls! it's not like he was gonna suddenly blast them off to the other side of the galaxy or anything!

he skips the mess hall, not terribly hungry, and finds himself at the holodeck. a grin cracks his face and he immediately hops in, shifting his way through the options until he's thrust into a piloting simulation. anyone standing outside is going to realize pretty quickly that he's having a good time, if the yelling is any indication.

when he steps out again he's a little sweaty but he's glowing. he gestures over his shoulder with a grin to whoever's standing there. ]

Not quite as good at the real thing, but definitely worth a shot.

network; (u/n: acepilot)

so i've noticed a trend here and apparently there's like a whole bunch of you who've been stuck planetside for your whole lives?
didn't even know that space exploration was happening?
that sucks.
well.
welcome to the neverending expanse of space i guess.
what's up to those who've been here already.
anyone got any questions you can feel free to ask me i'll answer.
it might not be the right one or even a good one but it'll be an answer.

[chili_sauced]

What sorts of items/objects/weapons/vehicles??? from their own stuff would characters have access to, if any?

Haruhi Suzumiya | The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan

[uncommonsense]

[ It didn't take much convincing to get Haruhi to agree to this endeavor. Well okay, maybe a little bit of convincing to prove that they were legit, and that she was all but guaranteed to gain the bit of adventure she'd sought before to no avail. It meant that all things considered, she'd probably be losing out on college, but on the other hand, there had to be some kind of extraterrestrial schooling out in the world, right?

Right. ]

(new friends?)

[ After her training and learning that all of this was actually, 100% for real, she was certainly giddy when she had first made it to the station. Everything was so futuristic, so alien to her. Were she a bit younger (and hadn't gone through training) she'd be bopping around to here, there and everywhere to ask assorted questions! But no, she had to be good. At least for now, until she has a chance to meet someone.

Haruhi could be found in the housing bay, setting her stuff down and not even really checking to see if someone had already claimed a top bunk before climbing up to it and sitting down. Once she notices she's not alone-- ]

You're new too, right? [ Without waiting for an answer: ] This bed's really comfy, so I'm going to take this one, alright? If you see our other roommates, let them know too.

[ Without delay, she hops off the bunk and lands to get a better look at her new roommate. Whomever that may be.
==
She may also be found in the Holodeck, and if you open the door, you might just see her... struggling to stand still, arms folded, legs rattled, in the middle of what looks to be just straight up the surface of a domed city. Should you take one step in, you'll notice immediately-- she's cranked the gravity up a little bit. ]

Hm? Hey!

[ Haruhi calls out, not breaking her pose or turning her head. ]

Did you come to train too?

( met in training? )

[ Of course, it couldn't just be all exploring and friend-making. Haruhi hadn't trained for nothing of course, and part of that had to come down to actually tackling the missions provided to them. Part of her was chomping at the bits to go actually do this, but part of her was still... relatively nervous? It was serious for sure, if anyone messed up, they'd probably be sent back home, wouldn't they?

Well, no reason to think that far ahead.

Once the details become clearer, it starts to weigh on her a bit more. They were hired to stop an insurrection, and it sounded as if the fighters they were hired to talk to weren't really the bad guys in this situation.

At some point in that second week, she's at the mess hall, staring down intently at a lunch she had made for herself. There were spices she hadn't heard of before but blended together surprisingly well, assisting in her making a fairly decent facsimile of a bento she'd make at home. Choose to sit there, and after a moment, she'd ask. ]

Have you been on the surface yet?

[ Idly probing for information. She's certain she'll go down there, and she'd like to know what she's up against. ]

( or, on the network) (un; superdriver)

[ Texting? Audio? No thank you. Haruhi's right on the camera, a confident, mischievous look on her face. ]

Hey there, hey there! Everyone can hear me, right? So, I wanted to know right away, just so I get to know all of you better. How many of you have experience with all of this? Oh, or something like this? Have any of you actually met any aliens out there? Or what about any espers? Have any of you been in a black hole?

This is my first time in space, so I wanna get as much info as I can. That way I'll be a pro before the year's up. I bet learning a lot of the languages and customs'll be tough, but twelve months should be enough time.

This is Haruhi Suzumiya, over and out!

[ And she cuts the feed. Very, very proud of herself. ]

(( If you wanna mix and match between new and assumed meetings, feel free! Any questions or anything, my DMs are open. Hope to have fun! ))

[shinraheir]

piggybacking on this question because I would like to know this too and add to it, 'what about pets and/or fighting companions?'

Dr. Eva Rosalene | To the Moon / Finding Paradise

[takingchances]

[I] The Most Important Thing

[The rush to be the first one off the plane might be as normal and real as ever but so is the jet lag. Should she have jet lag? Can one get jet lag from whizzing on in a transport shuttle through what for all intents and purposes looked very much like space?

Eva waves a hand dismissively to herself.]

Oh who cares if it's possible. It's happening.

[And so Eva is shuffled through her entrance into the Station as she slips back into her Sigmund brand labcoat with all the enthusiasm of someone sleep-walking after a long night of work. It's a thoroughly familiar and comforting feeling.

Before she knows it she's got her crew ID activated (huh, on her arm, how convenient) and her tablet in one hand. With all this new information looming and ready to be consumed Eva knows her first task and goal.

Up comes the tablet, there she goes clicking past the welcome materials waiting to be read to find the most important thing - a map.]

There's got to be a cafeteria or something around here.

[II] Holodeck

[After a nice big cup of coffee and probably a few hours of sleep face down on her assigned bed, Eva is more prepared to face the welcoming materials. For a bit it's a lot like reliving her college days but once that's all done with, the next question is what's next.

It takes a few weeks to get an answer but when it comes she seems perfectly relaxed about it. She offers because as much fun as it is living out her nerd dreams inside that holodeck, it's not something she wants to do constantly.

Anyone else who has volunteered will quickly find that Eva is a no-nonsense, down to business sort of person. Within moments of volunteering she's already pulling up mission information on her tablet.]

We'll have to start this by researching the planet itself. The conflict too. There's got to be a reason they're fighting after all.

[III] Network

[ Text; un: what.the.cactus ]
Any of you have some favorite holodeck programs yet?
I'm no good at programming my own so if any of you have, I'd appreciate the chance to try them out.

[IV] Wildcard

[Feel free to hit me with any of the other prompts. PMs are open if you've got any questions!]

[lizardtits]

I've just got a couple questions that I don't see listed here-

-What kind of tone to you intend for this game to be? Is it a lighthearted jamjar aimed more to shenanigans and comedy, or is it a gritty, nebulous sort of space drama rife with Feelings and Emotions? Or are we going full Space Station 13 with comedy and murder in equal measure?

-How are you handling characters with existing powers / magic / etc? Are they keeping them, or will there be a cap put on them, or are you doing away with that entirely to put everything on an equal level?

Re: QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS

[faithlikeaseed]

Do we have a shrinky-dink mechanic for characters too big or too inhuman to inhuman to fit in the station?

Isabella d'Oro | OC (13th Age)

[dralchemist]

[a. arrival/getting situated]

[Curse you, Past Izzy. For thinking that this was a good idea and then actually deciding to go through with it. What the fuck were you thinking, going on some space mission? You're no astronaut. You could barely tolerate the Overworld.

Gods damn.]

[The whole ride up to the station, she's nervous. Not twitchy, but idly second and third and fourth guessing all of her choices up to now. All the pent up energy with no great outlet for it. As soon as she's let off the shuttle onto the station (and after the onboarding rigamarole), she's off like a shot. Where's a place to crash, to call her own, to convert into a sanctuary. Housing Bay, whatever assignment, cool.

If she's the first one in it's a damn miracle. Nobody else to clutter her thoughts, she can unpack and consider her situation and start fiddling with the Stuff that was given to her.

If not, then hello, say hi to your new roomie: a manic looking dragon.]

[b. roaming/getting bearings]

[Even though everybody's been issued their Handy Dandy Tablets^TM, Izzy still prefers to do things the best way she knows: pad and pencil. Collecting as much information in a new situation has always been her go-to strategy, and this is no different. Hand sketching the hallway configurations as she walks down them, taking note of and notes on tech that she's never seen before, drawing faces to put to names. The hand movement helps to ingrain it a little better in her head.

Doesn't really help, though, that with her snout looking down at what she's drawing while walking, she's very, very liable to run face-first into somebody she can't see in the periphery.]

[c. cooking/getting comfy]

[Learning about the food replicators piqued Izzy's interest before, but there's something about the way they work that weirds her out. Something unnatural. Needs experimentation later. But the kitchen... The kitchen! Apparently a chef's goddamn wet dream! Holy shit, maybe this place will actually be worth the year-long trek or something if she's going to have open access to a place like this!

A good chunk of her free time will probably be found here: sorting, tasting, and cataloguing all the ingredients she doesn't know, and trying out recipes to utilize the weird fruits and veggies and whatnot available to her. This is where she's in her home element, where she's the happiest. Expect a lot of plates labeled "TRY ME" available to the public when she's working.]

[d. the network/getting plugged in] [u/n: topchefizzy]

can somebody explain what the "holodeck" is besides a) a potential waste of time and b) the most untrustworthy illusion-enchanted set of rooms ive seen in a long long while?

Vax'ildan | Critical Role

[jengohshit]

arrival
Vax had to admit that this was...a much stranger place than he'd really expected. After extracting the requisite promises that his family wouldn't miss him, and that Vex might be offered the same opportunity to come with him, Vax had agreed, not fully grasping all the implications of space. After all, on his planet, there was absolutely plenty to worry about on the ground and in the air. He'd conceptualized this as another plane of existence, not unlike Elysium or the Feywild, but it was...clearly more than that.

He wandered the station with his bag slung over his shoulder, armor safely removed and stowed inside it -- it had been obvious from first waking up that it was going to make him stand out unnecessarily, and that wasn't what he wanted for this activity. No, much better to be in some kind of generic dark blue jumpsuit, hair in a low ponytail to give some camouflage to his pointed ears, looking like any other new arrival as he lifted unguarded items from pockets, bags, and surfaces. If something he stole turned out to belong to someone like him, he might give it back. Maybe.

mission
Vax smelled a fucking rat, but recent experiences had given him a modicum of caution, so for now, he was guarding the mines as instructed, wearing fairly elaborate black armor, a few daggers sheathed on his hip. His function seemed pretty much to be walking alongside miners as they went from their village to the mine. Nothing so far had happened, so it seemed his presence was enough of a deterrent to prevent the need for outright conflict. Probably the armor was doing some work for him in that job -- if he were some random freedom fighter with little other than a sharp knife, he probably wouldn't attack him either.

"What d'you think about all this?" he asked his partner, whoever they may be, as they walked away from the mine, having dropped off their latest charges. (Psst. That's you.) "Are we guarding slavers?"

network -- @v
this thing is weird but i think im figuring it out

but does any1 have tips to get good at typing

this taks me a lot longer than writing

network | u/n: topchefizzy

[dralchemist]

nah man, everybody planetside was too busy getting into political squabbles and minor wars i guess

and also figuring out how to use magic for increasingly morally dubious means

no time for space amidst all of that

[nebulamods]

Characters will have the opportunity to pack a reasonable number of personal belongings to bring with them, but this will be primarily limited to clothes, personal knick-knacks, and toiletries.

Weapons are generally considered verboten to bring into a Galactic Exploration station, as they're intended to be a neutral party and not an arms dealership, but a sneaky cadet might get a knife or something easily concealable onboard. If they're caught... well, we'll have to see what happens.

Unfortunately, no personal vehicles, pets, or +1s of varying flavor will be permitted aboard.

[nebulamods]

1: We approach RP much like life. It can be a variety of things: sometimes it's relaxed and easy-going, sometimes it's outright comical, sometimes it's miserable and all you can do is just try to survive. Sometimes you feel like you're in the middle of 24 and nobody taught you how to be the replacement Jack Baeur, too!

Overall, though, our aim is to have fun. We don't think we could honestly promise to write a grimdark space horror saga where everyone's miserable all the time. We would be miserable all the time, too! But that said: we aren't aiming for Coffee Shop In Space. The Station Mission are intended to provide additional conflict and overarching plot for players who want that, and the Nebula Station itself is intended to provide both a backdrop for continuous storytelling and the opportunity for more lighthearted, relaxed play.

TL;DR -- we hope it's a little bit of everything, and our rule of thumb is "play what you want to play".


2: Much like CRAU, we're still deciding on the official powernerfing decision. What we are leaning towards, but haven't officially put the Stamp Of The Mod down on yet, is having characters mostly nerfed within the Station itself, but allowed to run wild and free beyond its borders. We are thinking Galactic Exploration would probably not want its recruits to blow up the very expensive space station if possible...

[nebulamods]

If your character is seventeen feet tall and would squish a human simply by giving them a single-digit high five, yes, they'll need to magically shrink down to Earth-people size to fit aboard. You can blame the Mysterious Recruiter for leaving that out of the sign up spiel.

"Too inhuman" is likely variable, given that it's deep space with other planets, but if you need to humanize your character so that others don't run away screaming, we give you the thumbs up. Let us know if you need any specific feedback for a particular character you have in mind.

network | u/n: lumiereparle

[semicharmed]

Hi! So forgive me if this is an overly personal question

but do you ever look out at the, you know, neverending expanse

and just feel like you're at the bottom of the ocean? And if you're not careful you might get crushed? It's not a BAD feeling, it's just

so vast

[goons]

Hey there, I love the premise so far, and I don't think this is going to even be a relevant question until further down the line, but suppose there's a physical altercation between crew members (playable characters). Is it the stance (or job) of the Circle members (or other NPCs) to try to break it up, are there rules of conduct aboard the ship, and how are they enforced?

Rude | FF7r

[goons]

I. Roomies?
As unsure as he was about all of this space stuff, it was rather nice to not have to worry about Shinra asking him to do things he was uncomfortable with. Didn't take away the things he'd already done, but way out here he thinks he can try to put it behind him and have better control over the things he does and why he does them.

First off was housing. There were a great variety of people around that didn't seem to be from home, and that was comforting until he realizes he'll have to share a room with one or two others. Seems like he's the first in his assigned unit, so he takes one of the lower bunks, claiming it simply by having a seat, then testing it out. Within minutes he's sound asleep--at least until he hears footsteps approaching.

Rude sits up quickly, bumps his head on the way to standing, and swears pretty loud before finally extending a gloved hand to the stranger. "It seems like we'll be room mates."

II. First Mission
There were whispers about whether or not they were deployed to the right side of this conflict, and the more he digs into it, the more questionable it seems. On one hand he's used to doing what was expected of him for a paycheck--professionalism, all of that. On the other, he'd thought he left that sort of thing behind him in Midgar. Rude isn't sure he can go back to that here.

Even before the mission was given, they'd been promised good pay, and as it stands he's short on space funds, so the real decision is a hard one to make. Continue down the same path he left behind him, or let his morals dictate his actions. He's completely on the fence with this, and could use a push in either direction. Strangely enough he does miss that about being a Turk already. Taking orders is just so much more simple than having to decide what to do on his own.

"What are you planning to do about all this?" He'll ask the nearest comrade before making up his own mind about it. What harm could it do?

III. Network (un:rude)
I'm in search of a sparring partner.
I haven't gotten the chance to visit the holodeck just yet, but if I can interest anyone in some friendly weapons-free combat, do let me know.

IV. Wildcard
(Why not? I'm down for something random.)

cloud strife / ffvii

[meteorained]

arrival / housing.

( If anyone happened to ask, he doesn't really want to be here. It seems like a joke – is it? he can't tell just yet – and what they'd offered seemed too good to be true. Still, he's here, and he keeps catching himself looking out at empty space through the windows, uncertain as to how he feels about being somewhere completely foreign like this. He'd become a creature of habit after a while, so the change is jarring. At least he can go where he wants, even if he'd been forced to leave the majority of his weapons back home. The few pieces of materia he'd brought felt like a reconciliation for that; so, if anyone finds out, they'll just have to deal with it.

When he eventually makes it to the room he's supposed to be in, there seems to be some kind of mistake. Maybe? It only looks like a single, but there's someone else there. Cloud frowns, lingering in the doorway and feeling more than a little awkward. He's not particularly good with people, but... if this is where they'd directed him to go, then clearly whoever this is could find somewhere else. He shifts the bag thrown over his shoulder and drops it on the floor just inside, taking a few steps in. )

You should find another room. This one's mine. ( It's polite—if a command to get out could be called that. )

first mission.

( It's like Avalanche all over again.

He's being pulled into an unnecessary war without his consent, told less information than he likes, and – it doesn't sit well with him. On the ground, things are a mess, and it only seems to get worse the longer it goes on, sliding behind a wall to avoid enemy fire as he tries to figure out which way to go. Get back to the ship, wait for someone else to give him better intel. Find someone with better intel, at least. That's the plan, though he's nowhere near an extraction point, and it's how he happens upon another person from the station. He only recognizes them from their clothes, from the flash of the tattoo they'd been given. Still, it looks like they're in trouble, and as far as he's concerned, they are the allies in all of this. Cloud makes his way to them, dropping down to a knee in an attempt to look them over. )

Are you okay? ( He's got a healing materia with him, but that would only temporarily help if things were much worse than they appeared. )

network - ID / @cloud.s

( He really doesn't want to address everyone else on the station, but he needs a few things. )

Can anyone here make a sword?
I'll get you what you need.

( ...somehow. It probably isn't smart to broadcast his need for a weapon, and yet, here he is not caring whatsoever. )

wildcard.

( hit me up with something else if you'd like! just testing things here, so open to any kind of shenanigans. pm with questions or to hash out stuff c: canon point still being figured out but leaning towards somewhere in the original game. )

[nebulamods]

That's a really good question and one we hadn't considered (but probably should have, considering... the entire premise of space stations).

The Circle members themselves come from all walks of life, so to speak, but aren't inherently responsible for anything beyond being good representatives of space station life. They're kind of like the peer mentors at your college/university orientation! They've been around the block, and can help newer arrivals get acclimated and answer any questions they might have. There are, however, security crew members on 24 hours a day -- and those crew members would be responsible for breaking up any physical altercations on the station!

Characters who got into scuffles would likely be told to take that energy into the holodeck, where they can spar and fight in a safer environment. They'd also be told that killing or maiming each other is frowned upon, and that any costs incurred to their pummeling victims for anything beyond standard medical care would be involuntarily deducted from their paycheck. (Don't kill each other, please.)

[faithlikeaseed]

deadass stares at my typo

Great! In this case it's less "so inhuman people would run screaming" (which I mean she is but I'm hype to play that) & more "can't exist comfortably in the same atmosphere as humans". Handwaving the needed adaptations is fine with me if it's within the rules!