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.
Kasumi Goto
11 Sep 2024, 8:20pm
“Ok… ok. Just, one second.”

Mostly, I needed a little extra time because I was still floating, and this was a scenario where my extra mass only made a negligible difference in how quickly I was coming back down.

At least, my landing spot was clear from any potential - human - obstruction, because without an atmosphere there was not much of a way for me to redirect or slow myself unless I threw something. Or fired a gun. And I definitely did not want to fire any weapons until we were inside the facility and certain it wouldn’t call for backup. Colliding with my companion in this manner would also not have been… the most pleasant, even with the certain soft part on my chest covered up.

Once down, I hopped over a little more lightly, having less distance to cover, and then fumbled about to get the rolled up line stuffed into the hiding spot - while being gentle as to not damage it. Of course, bent forward like that while using rock as a support to keep myself on the ground better, that presented… quite a certain view. Not much I could do about it, however. Once the line was tucked in neatly, with no risk of floating off, I dusted off the hand used to get it in there, turning toward my companion.

“There. Done. And… don’t, comment, on the view.”

But my tone indicated that I was expecting one. And wouldn’t actually really mind. Had our positions and bodies been inverted… I sure as hell would have been throwing a gaze or two as well.
Maul Montresor
12 Sep 2024, 9:11am
Willow Thorn
Vasil Vasilescu"Only thing I ask is that if there is anything left, don't do anything fancy. Just put it in a capsule and shoot it off into space to wander around the void."


"The eternal traveller, got it. "What about you Em? Any requests?" asked Willow getting ready to telepresence over to Vasil's ship.


He thought about it for a moment but there had always been an answer in the back of his mind for this exact question. The very place he went to remember and pay tribute to all the ones he'd lost. The final resting place being among the memories he'd made had always seemed fitting.

"Jackson's Lighthouse. When I go, whatever is left of me, leave it there."
Haraldsen
12 Sep 2024, 3:39pm
Kasumi Goto“There. Done. And… don’t, comment, on the view.”


"Nah, although the view from an asteroid has never been as special as today."

I left it at this good-natured innuendo and pointed in the direction where the ABEL facility was located. “I would suggest that we set off. The good thing is that nobody expects two hopping pedestrians to show up here... but we still have to be on our guard, especially when we get closer to the facility. I wouldn't be surprised if there was surveillance. Are you ready?”
Kasumi Goto
12 Sep 2024, 3:51pm
"Of course. Would, not be here, otherwise."

With that, I intended to set off for the facility, but studied the boulders for a little bit... thinking I could use them to launch myself. Then, decided against it, because the asteroid's gravitational pull was so weak that could have some rather unintended consequences. So I began to instead hop forward again, starting with going over those rocks, no fancy or funny moves involved.

The facility was still some distance out from our position, and this low G hopping was really just not making it any faster, mostly thanks to being stuck floating forward for what felt like ages... even if floating and feeling weightless was nice, I usually reserved it for those private times where I was alone. Right now, at best, I was feeling tense in anticipation of soon sneaking into another clandestine Azimuth site... hopefully, my odd and curvy appearance would not be too much of a hindrance to that, because it would be kind of hard to conceal.
Haraldsen
12 Sep 2024, 4:25pm
“I bet firing a projectile weapon here could lead to some interesting results...” I said to Kasumi as I pushed myself off and hopped forward.

The low gravity made each subsequent step feel almost like a slow-motion leap, as my boots barely touched the ground before propelling me forward again. When we weren't talking, the surrounding silence felt almost absolute, broken only by the sound of my own breathing, which was amplified in my suit. Nevertheless I checked our surroundings constantly, scanning for any signs of movement - but there seemed to be no one on the surface besides the two of us.

After some time passed, which almost felt like a litte eternity, we finally approached the crater. It was much wider than it seemed on the ship's display, but fortunately also less steep. The metal content of the soil had probably influenced the scanning and resulting display.

“I can already see the facility over there. Looks like there's not much going on... was probably wise to wait for the Type-7 to disappear. Let's go down there... while trying to stay in the shadows of the crater rim.”
Kasumi Goto
12 Sep 2024, 6:58pm
“Ok. But… let me have a look, first.”

I took the railgun off my back and aimed it up, looking through its scope - no intent to actually fire it, but it allowed me to get a good look in from a distance, flicking through visual as well as thermal - with the primary, and only, belt, not too far from the star, anything human-made or human walking around would have stood out as being slightly cooler than the environment. There were a few unfriendly looking turrets mounted on top of the whole thing, but since we weren’t in a ship, those were not a concern.

“Hm… not, seeing guards. Or, robots. Cameras… might be too far, to see.”

I packed the weapon up again.

“Best, to be careful. Skimmers, could be released, on approach. And… well, you know, about cameras.”

With that, I stepped off the crater edge, letting momentum carry me downward. I intended to ride its slope down in the low gravity, or at least as far as it could carry me, as that felt a little less likely to be spotted than hopping around. Still, I’d likely need to do some of it to avoid any sharp obstacles, or just once the ground got flat enough.

Hopefully, the sensors of the facility were also not powerful enough to detect two people slowly making their way over to it, with the most obvious signature in the form of the shield turned off.
Haraldsen
12 Sep 2024, 9:45pm
I followed Kasumi and was about two-thirds of the way down when my suit's sensors alerted me to an object moving at slow speed far ahead of us near the facility.

“Look out!” I called out over comms and made an arm movement to indicate to duck. Fortunately, we were now completely in the shadow of the crater rim, which was already reducing our visibility considerably.

The object in front of us didn't seem too curious anyway. After a few minutes, the sensors in my suit told me that it was unmanned and also had a very large cavity that was almost three quarters of its length. Perhaps an automated vehicle used to mine or transport materials. It had obviously come from some kind of hangar for ground vehicles, as there was a large bulkhead wide open in the facility in front of us, which was slowly closing again.

“Apparently a false alarm. I was afraid there was a skimmer around or something similar. But it seems to be some kind of transporter. No crew, seemingly a slow moving vehicle with a large, empty cavity. Looks like it's heading for about a 3 o'clock position from where we are."
Kasumi Goto
12 Sep 2024, 10:27pm
“Probably, why I did not see it.”, I replied in a dry tone, now that it was evident no imminent danger was present.

“Should we, ride it, or continue walking? … hopping.”

I certainly did not envy this style of movement too much. Briefly contemplating to just be lazy once this Azimuth side was dealt with and wait for my companion to return with the anchor line and whatever that thruster pack was, I quickly cast this idea aside when realizing that the place going silent would draw attention itself, so we both needed to be gone as quickly as possible.

And maybe hopping on… whatever that vehicle was, was not too good of an idea either, and maybe even slower than hopping around the place, at that. Even with small thruster units keeping it hugging the ground, it was really not going very fast. Probably so it retained traction instead of flinging itself off the surface… or it just hovered. I hadn’t gotten a good enough look yet to be sure how it moved around.

But maybe that door was our easy way in… if it wasn’t monitored. So I pointed toward it and then looked at my companion to inquire for thoughts, on the idea.
Haraldsen
12 Sep 2024, 10:59pm
I saw my companion pointing towards the closing bulkhead of the vehicle hangar and couldn’t help but grin. Great minds think alike.

“Yes, that could be our way in,” I said over the comms. “I don’t know how often a vehicle like that goes in and out, but if we’re around the next time it happens, we can probably take advantage of it. The bulkhead is huge and moves very slowly.”

The likelihood was high that if automated vehicles were in use, the opening and closing of this bulkhead was also automated, likely reacting to the vehicles themselves. If that was the case, there would probably be no breathable atmosphere inside and therefore few, if any, workers. Nevertheless, we didn’t really know what to expect. Cameras, patrols, security androids, or skimmers could all be waiting for us.

“Shall we try our luck?” I asked, glancing at my companion.
Kasumi Goto
12 Sep 2024, 11:09pm
"I... see, no better way, from here.", I answered.

"So... whenever you want."

Holding myself ready to move, I gave the facility another look over, now that we were closer to it. Still no obvious signs of external security measures or guards, but that didn't mean there were none. If they required activity on the outside to be active, we would only know about any automated defenses when they turned on and started shooting at us.

Hopefully there were none of those big skimmer type drones around, as opposed to the ordinary model. One of those, would be... problematic. To say the least.
Haraldsen
14 Sep 2024, 1:02pm
“All right. Let's do this now.”

I moved, a little more slowly and carefully this time, towards the facility, which was not too far away from us in the crater basin. From the looks of it, the facility was symmetrical, and probably had not one but two vehicle docks, each at the end of a kind of side wing that ran parallel to a central wing in the middle. In any case, both wings were equipped with a huge bulkhead in front of which the ground had been leveled.

However, due to the sheer size of the facility, we were only able to approach one of the wings at a time. As chance would have it, the one closest to us was the one where the vehicle came from we had spotted. As we approached it from an angle, I kept a constant eye on my surroundings and the sensors in my suit. But apart from the automated vehicle, which had moved quite a distance away from us by now, I couldn't see anything moving.

When we got close to the bulkhead, I took cover behind a bigger pile of rubble that had probably been created when the ground in front of the bulkhead had been leveled and made passable for vehicles.

“This seems like a good spot to wait for the next opening of the bulkhead. Randomius, that thing is huge... shouldn't be difficult for us to slip through. But watch out, keep an eye out for security measures like cameras.”
Kasumi Goto
14 Sep 2024, 3:52pm
“Ok. Go, ahead… will follow. You, may notice cameras, before me.”

I certainly wasn’t the one using a suit with all kinds of fancy scanners that I… wouldn’t bother getting myself because I barely saw the need when I didn’t do naughty things on a daily basis. But they would probably notice such devices before traditional eyesight did, and I kind of preferred my view of the world to be ‘normal’… or at least what the human eye perceived as normal.

“So… wait, here, for vehicle, or go close, while it is not yet open?”

Last edit: 14 Sep 2024, 4:01pm
Haraldsen
yesterday, 11:53am
“I suggest we wait here. The rubble will give us some cover, and we're close enough to the bulkhead to reach it easily once it's open.”

I thought for a moment.

“If a vehicle goes in, we could use it as cover. Otherwise, we go in as soon as it passes us... With any luck, it'll completely ignore us if we're not right in front of it and set off a collision alarm. What gives me more of a headache is what we might find inside. Walking through an open entrance has its advantages, but we might find us without cover and get spotted as soon as we are inside the building.... Would feel much better if we knew what it looked like in there.”
Kasumi Goto
yesterday, 2:27pm
“There, is… not much, of a way.”, I answered, not seeing any alternatives that were better, or ways to better know what awaited us.

And time was not necessarily on our side either, because we would likely want to be done here before that big Azimuth ship arrived. The facility going on alert once it was here would either make things significantly more complicated, or… outright impossible.

“I think, follow vehicle in, when, one comes. Slow, so… should, be easy, to follow.”
Maul Montresor
today, 6:44am
Some time had passed since he'd parted ways with Vasil and Willow but Maul had spent that time purchasing gear and favors with the allotted credits that Vasil had given. He sat aboard the Desumashin which was docked at the pirates fleet carrier repair station. Hiding his presence or identity was futile. Once his ship was docked, the powers at be had everything they needed to know anyhow, which wasn't much more than a name. Likely ID'd the moment he jumped into system. Pirates tend to have a knack for breaking rules and spotting trouble. Sometimes both went hand in hand.

It took greasing the palms of a worker on station but he now had a detailed blueprint file of the Anansi in his possession. According to talk amongst the people repairing the fleet carrier, it was proving to me a much more daunting task than initially perceived and wasn't paying nearly as much as they'd like. Maul was surrounded by holo screens with him at the center. Activating the comms holo, he sent Vasil a message.

"How's biz Vasil? 'Official appearance' sounded serious. Anyhoo, I'm sending you some deets for the Anansi job. Files and location attached. Files contain blueprints for each level of the carrier. I've got a few ideas on getting inside but she's buzzing with worker bees compared to last time. Complicates things a bit. Will hash out further details in person.

Careful entering the system btw. Eyes are everywhere. I'm sure Vodan or at least some of his cronies are still around here somewhere. If they catch wind that you're here, they may be a bit miffed, yeah? Maybe that's an angle we can work though, not sure. Let's just hope Vodan isn't personally vetting every ship that docks.

I'm docked on pad 13. Gonna pop out and do some recon after this sends. Got a feeling they upped security around the Anansi after the last hack."

Maul swiped the screens away and retrieved his modded Karma P-15 pistol and began preforming some precautionary light maintenance.

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