Elite roleplay: The galactic bar

INGABA (Inara Galactic Bar)

Welcome to the swankiest bar and most popular bar on station. Located in the Pilot's market and due to its close proximity to the docks is heavily frequented by pilots and all manner of crew, tourists, and layover passengers. Dark, smokey and trimmed in neon lights and bits of tinsel, InGaBa plays only the best music straight from Radio Sidewinder and local DJ star, Janten Groove.

There are various tabled and seated cubby holes that patrons can hold private conversations as well the main bar top where all assortments of drinks and bar food can be ordered up. On the back of the bar on various shelves, from all over the galaxy, the fines and rarest ales preside. next to the impressive collection are several screens that can usually be seen playing adverts or the CQC championships.

It is the most prominent choice for meeting up with other pilots to discuss business discreetly, whatever they may be...

Notice booking the InGaBa for private functions require a deposit of 250,000 CR to cover potential damages.

InGaBa drinks menu:
  • Cubeo Gold - Mid Whiskey
  • Achenar Blue - Upscale Whiskey
  • Kamadhenu Red - Red wine
  • Old Sol - Scotch
  • Barnard's Choice - Gin
  • Crown Jewel - Cocktail
  • Pegasi moon - Pirate Surprise!
  • Supernova - Cocktail
  • Barron's Head - Beer
  • Lavian Brandy
  • Alioth Sparkling - Sparkling Wine
  • Jaques' Quinentian Still - Gifted by a mysterious benefactor, two of these rare devices now distill single shots of whiskey from whatever is on hand for the patrons of 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.
06 Oct 2016, 2:07am
"Only what I heard them say. They were talking about getting away from some experiment." Sips some beer. "I'll let you in on something. Aktzin, Hermite Vision. I wasn't given access to any of the info, but the way it looked, those people were in for a lot of trouble if they were returned. You might get some info there." Smiles again.
06 Oct 2016, 11:44am
"Interesting," Cartlidge concluded, finishing off his drink, "it could still be a coincidence." He still wasn't sure that the two incidences were related, but he had been to the system before and figured it an easy trip from Inara, so it was worth checking out at least.

"Did any of them look..." he nodded towards Ten, who was focused on tapping some sort of sequence into her glass using her first two fingers of her prosthetic, "finished?"
06 Oct 2016, 12:11pm
"I didn't try to pry, but there were some that looked more.... Apologies." Nods to Ten "More smooth. They acted more human." Stares off into the distance for an instant, then snaps out. "We made it off the surface, and got run down by a couple Gunships. After that I didn't have much time to talk to anybody."
06 Oct 2016, 12:28pm
Cartlidge nodded and leaned in, as if a little more interested in the story now. "Can you tell me everything that had happened? Like, who gave you the contract, what exactly did you do, what happened to the victims, et cetera?"

Ten continued to look disinterested, almost as if she was deliberately trying not to listen.
06 Oct 2016, 2:21pm
Luke listened intently with great interest to Cartlidge and Cerse, all the while watching Ten as she appeared to remain voluntarily oblivious to the discussion. He noticed the pattern she was tapping out on her glass, but he was unable to place it.

"What is that you are tapping out Ten? It sounds somewhat familiar." He asked.
06 Oct 2016, 6:29pm
Ten continued to look at the wall, answering in her usual, monotone voice. "Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. It's a... favorite... of... mine."

Her eyes started to glaze over as she delved deeper into her own mind.

1812? Cartlidge thought, I wander if it's anything like that weird little tune the docking computer plays when turned on.
06 Oct 2016, 9:41pm
"Hmm... Not as familiar as I thought then." Luke frowned wondering why he thought he recognised it. "Must just be one of those songs or something, I dunno..."

Luke was about to take a drink when it occured to him, "Wait, a favourite of yours? That's something! Just gotta find someone who likes really old music then. Like, really old. My stuff is over a thousand years old but that?? That stuff predates it by like... A lot. About a hundred years if 1812 is the year, maybe more."

Another thought occured in quick succession, "Also, at least there's definitely some humanity left in you, machines don't have favourites."
07 Oct 2016, 7:53am
In a lower tone to Cartlidge. "It was supposed to be a simple pick up. I was contacted a while back by a representative of a Duke Whistmire. They said it was through proper channels, and they were close associates of Duval. Things were going well. I was told I was liberating slaves, and bringing them to Cubeo. They said it was all worked out, they were paid for, and all I had to do was show up. They even gave me a Clipper to show support, and my new status in the Empire."

Cerse shakes his head. "The only reason I signed on for this was to get some kudos, and a new ship." Jaw tightens. "I was used. After getting a beating, I was able to shake the Gunships. My ship was damaged pretty bad, as you might have seen." Looks out the window at the repairs going on. "I was a few jumps into Imperial space and I get a message to hold position. A Cutter with an escort of two Anacondas drop out of cruise and it's the same guy that gave me the jog. A Squire by the name of Persing." Look of amazement.

"What a Squire is doing with a Cutter?" Shrugs. "I'm not payed to ask questions though. We transferred the passengers over to the Cutter, and they beeline out of there. As soon as I start up my FSD, I get jumped by those same Gunships!" Looks at Ten, to Cartlidge, and then Luke. "I think I got pulled into some corporate espionage. It was too much of a coincidence. And why didn't the Cutter and the Anny's just take me out right there?" Runs a finger across his neck. "They set me up to be the fall guy."
07 Oct 2016, 8:03am
"If I had time, and the scanner, I woulda jumped after them, as soon as I saw those Gunships. But I got a little heated. I lost a nacelle before I was able to high wake out."
08 Oct 2016, 12:20pm
Cartlidge nodded as he listened intently to Cerse's story. There clearly must have been something going on. He didn't believe for a second that an organization of any sort would offer a pilot a 20 million credit ship for something so relatively simple. He had only heard rumors of such missions belonging to Jaques station, where pilots would have to travel half-way across the galaxy to complete the contract. Otherwise he was fairly certain stuff like that was usually reserved for community goals, and even then, it was usually a reward for the commanders who outperformed the majority of their peers.
"Interesting," he pulled out a datapad to start writing things down, "I'll definitely look into it. Maybe this 'Persing' guy wasn't exactly a squire like you thought?"

Meanwhile Ten had stopped tapping her glass, around the same time that Luke mentions something about old music and Cerse dropping the name “Whistmire.” Her eyes widen and face scrunches up, as if something so simple no longer made sense to her. By the end of Cerse’s story she could bear it no longer.

“Excuse me,” she said, pushing herself away from the bar and scrambling towards the exit at a rather brisk walking pace.
08 Oct 2016, 2:36pm
"Was it something I said?" Luke said in amazement, debating whether to go after her...
09 Oct 2016, 1:16am
"I hope that helped!" Watching Ten's exit. A confused look on his face.
09 Oct 2016, 6:53pm
Cartlidge stood up to follow Ten when his datapad made a small noise, beckoning him to answer it. The call was from Nick, so he reluctantly answered.
“What do you want? ...Seriously?” he sighed, “Whatever. Do you know where you are? ...Ok, see if you can find dock 5. I think that’s where we docked. We’ll figure it out from there.”

Meanwhile Ten stood just outside the bar, her head resting against the wall as if she were fighting the urge to puke. Brief glimpses of memory flashed through her mind, memories that couldn’t really be made sense of. They memories of experiences than actual events. They were things that she had felt, and could mostly be boiled down to a single word: pain.
09 Oct 2016, 7:31pm
Luke finished his drink in one big gulp and pushed away from the bar. "Sorry Cerse, excuse me."

He got up and was about to speak to Jacob when he got a call on his datapad. Instead he patted him on the shoulder and moved past him out the bar. He glanced around and spotted Ten leaning against the wall and approached her slowly.

"Is everything ok? Did I upset you? I promise I was just trying to help, but if I've pushed too hard, just tell me and I'll back off." He said gently.
12 Oct 2016, 1:12am
Nodding to both Cartlidge and Luke as they got up, he took another sip. "Good luck out there. Let me know if you need some help. I got a slightly new clipper rigged for combat." Shrugging, he downed the rest of the beer and signaled for another.

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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.