Elite roleplay: Off station

OFF STATION

Your ship, deep space, anything that is not happening inside the Citi Gateway or Ingaba...

General Roleplay Etiquette:

1. Control only the actions of your own character(s). (AKA: God Mode)
This doesn't matter how small the action is, even if it is as simple as scratching their nose or a direct reaction to something else that just happened. This applies to everything from casual conversation to full blown fight scenes. If you'd like someone to do something specific, PM that person, however keep in mind they are completely within their rights to say no. Especially if said action is inappropriate to their character and/or circumstance.

2. Don't brute force your way into another persons RP.
Approaching with a conversation starter is fine, or indeed some other small action. However charging in, guns blazing and disrupting the flow of another person/pair/groups conversation/arc is about as rude as doing so in real life. If something is going on that you'd like to participate in, be subtle about it. Put out a gentle hook for someone to take, but again, be aware that said hook may not be taken. If you fear it was simply unnoticed, PM the person or people it concerns. Or even leave a message in the OOC forums.

3. Good grammar and spelling is preferred.
We're not asking you to be perfect, but please at least demonstrate willingness. no1 iz gna tak u srsly usng txt spk. There's a wide variety of people here, many who speak English as a second, or even third language. There are even some with varying degrees of dyslexia and/or likely other issues that affect spelling/grammar. We accept them all here. However, people who aren't accepted, are those unwilling to accept polite correction. Remember that even a small thing like the placement of a comma, or the wrong use of there/their/they're can completely change the definition of an entire sentence.

4. Accept constructive criticism gracefully and politely.
If someone spots an issue with your writings, they may wish to help you improve that writing. They may do this through PM or even publicly air their thoughts on the OOC forum. If they have taken the time to be polite and explain what is wrong with your writing, the best way to behave is to respond in kind, using the same manner they have approached you with. It means they have taken an active interest in what you have written and wish to see more. Basically, you have a fan!

5. Don't take the actions or opinions of things done IN RP, to be directly relevant to the writers thoughts or opinions.
Basically, if some ones character calls your character a jackass, it doesn't mean the writer thinks you are a jackass. It's a ROLE they are PLAYING. Watch a movie. The argument between the characters isn't an argument between the actors involved. The same applies here.

6. It's not a popularity contest.
Your RP might be bustling with participants. You have 3 people off station in a fire fight, while another 2 are infiltrating the darkest areas of the station, meanwhile a group of 4 others are tracking your movements in an effort to stop you. Good for you, I'm sure it will be a thrilling read! But you know what? Sometimes the absolute BEST work, comes from two RP characters having a simple heart to heart. Both are valid, both are great, but NEITHER is categorically better than the other. Period.


Inara RP Etiquette:

1. Respect the setting and rules of the universe.
Inara is an Elite: Dangerous 3rd Party Tool. The RP Forums are set in the Elite: Dangerous universe. Elite: Dangerous has rules, as any fictional universe does from Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, or Game of Thrones to Star Trek. If you intend to RP within the Elite: Dangerous universe you are bound by the history and rules of that universe. Simply put, this RP forum is bound by the same rules as the game, so if it can't be done in the game, it is not permitted here. This applies to things from a 50Ly Jump Range on a normal, unmodified Sidewinder, to the destruction of entire stations.

2. Respect the characters created by others.
We have a wide variety of characters already here. It's expected that some will be similar, just as it's expected that two characters will be vastly different. Opinions of each persons character will naturally be varied, but all are valid provided they follow the rules of the universe. You are allowed to interact with, or avoid interaction with, any character in the RP forums. But you have no right to belittle others for their creation. You are not an authority figure on writing, nor are you directly affected by another persons imagination. You might not like it, but you MUST respect it.

3. Be caught up on current events before joining in.
You need basic things like character descriptions in order to interact with them. You also need to know what's going on in the surrounding areas. This is simply because the people you are hoping to RP with, might be gearing up to something that you might not want to be part of. Or simply that the most recent post, out of context, could leave a different impression on the goings on than if you gather that context. We don't expect you to read every single post from the beginning of the forums, just enough to get that basic understanding.

4. Either subscribe to, or frequently check, the Roleplay: Q&A and OOC forum.
People may be discussing something relevant to you there, or even discussing you directly. Perhaps someone asked what the general consensus on the existence or non-existence of a certain object. Or we're just chatting about random gibberish. Either way, be aware of it and use it. If you're unsure about something, such as how guns would look and or behave, or even the music selection, use the OOC forum to ask. We don't have all of the answers, but the collective knowledge and logic usually allows us to overcome an issue and come to a decision on what should be allowed. Frontier Developments, and even David Braben himself, don't have the answers to every possible question that can be asked.

5. Large Scale events exploding out of nowhere are a complete no go.
We get it. Everyone wants their character to be noticed and for people to be tripping over themselves to interact with them. In some audiences, an introduction involving you blasting in for landing in a fiery wreckage of a ship, before cart wheeling out and sword fighting 35 Ninjas before whisking off with the local celebrity for a glorious night of passion, is in fact, cool. This is not one of those audiences. It is generally considered better to build your character up slowly over time. Eventually, you might even have a legitimate excuse to fight those Ninjas. Maybe even with other RP participants by your side.

6. Perfect characters are boring.
The point of a character arc, is that it is in fact, an arc shape. One who is morally unquestionable, fully kitted out and an infinite fountain of knowledge, cannot go through an arc. Give your character flaws. Be it a tendency towards befriending the wrong people, or a bad knee that frequently gives out at inopportune moments. It gives readers something to latch onto and empathise with. You can give your character exceptional capabilities at something, but it requires balance. She's a damn good pilot with no equal, but can't drive an SRV for peanuts. It can lead to some very interesting moments between characters, be it heartfelt or comedic.


Other Notes:
It should be noted that there can be exceptions to these points. For example, good grammar when a character is speaking is actually rare. Few people in real life actually speak with perfect eloquence after all. Or previously arranged actions during a fight scene, such as someone stumbling back after a punch. What's key to remember is context.

All in all, remember this is purely for fun. We have some seriously talented writers here, and others whose writing history starts and ends at high school. But many are willing to help out in whatever way they can. All it takes is that you ask nicely.

Also keep in mind that many people who RP here, also have logbook stories related to the character, or characters, they portray. If it looks like there's an "in joke" going on that you're unsure of, it's probably in those.

In fact, some users have even gone to the trouble of creating "alts" to RP with. If you read back far enough, it's usually pretty clear who has and hasn't, and which ones are the "alts". It's therefore not unheard of to see the apparent seizing of control of other characters. If you do spot one, point it out in the OOC section. If intervention is needed, it will be sorted quickly and (hopefully) politely.

Most, if not all RP participants here have Logbook stories pertaining to their character(s). These are for the reading pleasure of anyone who wishes to do so. While it can be useful to read them in order to gain a bit of backstory on a character you wish to interact with, it should not be assumed that your character shares that knowledge. Within the E:D Universe, these Logbooks either don't exist, or are private diaries kept by the characters. Either way, without explicit statements to say otherwise from the writer, your interactions should reflect that your character is in the dark about any information you, the writer/reader, have gained from reading the stories.
21 Aug 2021, 2:01pm
Michael rolls his eyes.

"That's where we went wrong. Named him and formed an attachment."
21 Aug 2021, 2:51pm
"Don't be so ruddy soft," Veronica says.

The audio continues, the sounds of the Misadventure being all that is heard for some time, until...

Ridge: "Is that a hole in the side?

Vayle: "Yeah, looks like an 'ole to me. No way of knowin' whether it's a new 'ole, though. Still, it's a way in, innit."

Veronica pauses the playback and checks the readout.

"It looks like that's the lot for the onboard chatter," she says. "We left the Misadventure on foot. A little later the ship was attacked and destroyed while still on the ground. And that's all she wrote."

She switches off the audio recording.

"It would appear that we got into the Thargoid structure through that 'ole we said we saw. An' then..."


Last edit: 21 Aug 2021, 2:56pm
21 Aug 2021, 6:22pm
Michael sits down, hunched over and rubbing eyes.

"And then we needed our asses saved "
22 Aug 2021, 11:26am
"Yeah," says Veronica, frowning in contemplation. "Ridge, I--"

She is interrupted by a beep from her dataslate.

"It's a message," she says, "from Púrpura. 'Hanna Enterprise, hangar 3. Access code 6249'."
22 Aug 2021, 2:07pm
Michael cocks his head to the side. Suspicion leavens in his tone.

"For my ship, right?"
22 Aug 2021, 3:58pm
"Only one way to find out," replies Veronica with a shrug. She packs the analyser back into its locker, then leads the way forward to the flight decks.
22 Aug 2021, 9:59pm
Michael rises from his seat.

"Right," he says. "Let's go."
23 Aug 2021, 8:14am
The ocellus starport of Hanna Enterprise is only several dozen light seconds away from Cinder Rock, and so it's not long before the Smelly Egg is touching down within its cavernous docking area. Once the ship is secured, Veronica and Ridge disembark and make their way to hangar 3.
24 Aug 2021, 1:06pm
The door to hangar three closes behind Michael and Veronica. The first thing they see is a Krait Mk II, exactly like the one Michael used to fly. Its hull is an olive-grey affair, drab and no-nonsense.

Michael Ridge blinks, saying nothing, walking completely around the ship. At the base of its entry ramp is a datadisk. The Faulcon-DeLacy logo is emblazoned upon it.

Ridge squats down, picking it up and glancing over his shoulder at Veronica.

"What do you want to bet that this gets us in?"


Last edit: 24 Aug 2021, 5:25pm
25 Aug 2021, 8:16am
"Ain't very imaginative, though," replies Veronica. "Try sayin' open sesame first. An' wave yer 'ands about a bit. You never know."

She looks up at the underside of the vessel.
25 Aug 2021, 1:01pm
Michael rises, the datadisk in his hand. A weary smirk on lifts his lips.

"After the last few days we've had, I could go in for some dullness."

He turns, striding up the entryway ramp, inserting the datadisk into a reader slot. A computer voice greets him.

Welcome, pilot. Thank you for your Facing Delacy purchase. Initializing new owner parameters. Please state your name.

Michael draws himself up and speaks clearly.

"Michael Paxton Ridge."

Positive records match. Welcome, captain.

The entryway controls go from yellow to green, and the door slides open in a smooth, silent motion.
25 Aug 2021, 1:29pm
"Well?" asks Veronica, still standing at the foot of the entry ramp with a playful smile on her face. "What're yer waitin' for, a bleedin' fanfare? Hop in!"
25 Aug 2021, 1:43pm
Michael glances over his shoulder, his smile now more relaxed.

"C'mon."

The Krait Mk II is nearly fresh from the shipyard, the smells of rubber, paint, and newly-fabbed materials throughout. The bulkheads are clean and smooth, and the systems hum along in perfect working order. A low chill permeates throughout, giving the air a crisp feel. Michael gazes in wonder, calm but his heart pounding. He arrives at his stateroom, fresh with the aromas of leather and linen. The bunk is recessed into the bulkhead but pleasantly oversized, illuminated by soft cabin lights. Next to it is the private head, with a generous shower unit attached. A small built-in desk with a captain's terminal occupies the other side. A compact refrigeration unit is nearby.

He runs one hand along the leather of the chair before it, magnetically attached to the deck. He opens the refrigeration unit, a bottle of wine within and a note containing Faulcon Delacy's compliments.

Michael takes the bottle and turns toward Veronica. His smile remains, but the momentous relief spreading within him makes it a little difficult to speak.

"Reckon we could use a drink after all this."


Last edit: 25 Aug 2021, 2:05pm
25 Aug 2021, 2:28pm
Veronica nods her agreement.

"So," she says, watching Ridge open the bottle, "What are you gunna call yer new boat, then?"
25 Aug 2021, 2:41pm
In the cabinet below the refrigeration unit are a row of crystal glasses. Michael takes one and fills it, handing the glass of crimson liquid to his partner.

"I suppose that Misadventure 2 would be a little... unimaginative. I've been given a second chance. Maybe even a last chance."

He chuckles, pouring a glass for himself.

"The Last Chance?"

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ROLEPLAY ONLY! Respect the universe settings!
If you are new here, please try to at least partially involve in the ongoing stories and conversations instead of establishing a completely different "arc". You can always turn it to a different story later.