Goonhub
05-09-2022, 09:18 AM
Usual character name: Avery Alekseev or at-L.A.S.
BYOND username: Swinglow20
Discord username (if you are on our discord): swinglow20
Recommended by (if applicable):
Goon servers you play: I try to play on classic from time to time, but my bread and butter is RP
Reason for application + game experience (300 word minimum):
I've been playing the game since around mid to late 2020. I really love the game and the community, and while I'm not a master of all the mechanics in game, I love experimenting with stuff and exploring the different nooks the station has to offer.
When I first joined the server, I set out to learn robotics. I was taught surgery and how to maintain the silicons. This taught me a great deal about the nuances of the game from an unobtrusive perspective: I often interacted and dealt with the crew and their needs be it surgery or general medical help from a corner. This turned out to be a great way to transition in to the game. I've retained much of the training I received during that time, and surgery is still one of my favorite things to show off. Since then, I've dabbled with MDir, but I've found if I try to make myself too involved or controlling in medbay it rubs people the wrong way. Lately, I've found the best thing I can do as MDir is clean up the department, teach new faces, facilitate the other members of the department and attempt to mediate any issues that pop up.
I love teaching new doctors and roboticists the ropes, but I also love learning the new mechanics and chemicals that are being added, such as the new AI law rack. There's something very therapeutic about taking someone aside, teaching them, letting them experiment and watching them learn. It gives me a lot of joy to see players I helped slowly become a facet of the department.
The next department I experienced was silicon. This was mainly due to my involvement with robotics and my desire to see the perspective of the players I maintained regularly. It helped my understanding a lot, and it opened up a lot of avenues for RP. It took a while, but I learned the keybinds for borg, and what a borg can and cannot do. I know for a lot of players, AI is overwhelming, and the law-sets can be scary at times. With AI, I really enjoy the challenge. I don't know if it's just the way my brain works, but directing large quantities of radio chatter and swooping in to help the crew is extremely satisfying. This was my first experience working with the command staff. While I'm embarrassed to admit it, it was also a "learn your place" moment. The job really hammers in the station hierarchy, and I really learned this lesson on classic.
To this day it's still super fun to help out the AI's that crop up on the different servers. Most of them appreciate advice and tidbits that improve their gameplay. Once you overcome the keybinds and sensory overload, a lot of players have a blast with the job.
Eventually, I branched out in to security. I have a very rocky history with security. It's one of the most stressful jobs on the station, and while I love playing it and interacting with people as a secoff, I've had to overcome a lot of personal hurdles to feel comfortable playing it. Very often, I feel it prudent to limit how much I do or how often I play secoff. I know the basics on the mechanics of security, but there's a degree of nuance to most shifts: I had to learn how to properly asses and react to different situations.
For example, one of my failings came during my second or third secoff shift. I attempted to intimidate an antag after detaining them by threatening to hold them for the rest of the shift. A long discussion with the admins ensued. I regret my actions during the incident, but I do not regret that it happened. It started a process for me that forced me to try and empathize with the crew during shifts, and it's something I try to pass on to new secoffs when I can.
By that same token, I have a guilty pleasure during security shifts. It doesn't happen often, but once in a while new players will get antag and end up in a no win situation very early on in the shift. One of my favorite interactions came during an Oshan round with a new Vampire player. A rad storm forced us in to the brig, but I made sure to engage them in LOOC before I detained them to assure them it wasn't the end of their round. We had about a 10-15 minute discussion about the game where I asked them what they knew currently, what they would like to do with their shift, what their objectives were, and what they knew about the basics of vampire controls. They ended up enjoying the shift a lot more than I think they would have if they had just been brigged and branded for the rest of the shift.
My personal passions during the game are exploring A zones and enjoying the wacky mechanics the game has to offer. A personal project I've taken up recently is learning how the player pianos work and creating more music for the game to enjoy. It took a LOOOOT of practice, but I've finally got the fundamentals down pat. I've dipped my toes in to engineering and mechanical, but I am by no means a master in these departments. Beyond bartender, HoP, and janitor, I don't have much experience in the civilian departments.
The main reason I'm posting this application is for feedback. While I enjoy teaching new players and would love to do so in an official capacity, I recognize that I'm not a perfect person. I would love to hear how the community thinks I should improve. I've made a resolution to better myself and I think this is a good way to approach it.
Previous bans (while this will not affect your application lying about it will: I have been banned once, around November of 2021. I did something I should not have and reported myself for the incident, after which I served out my ban.
BYOND username: Swinglow20
Discord username (if you are on our discord): swinglow20
Recommended by (if applicable):
Goon servers you play: I try to play on classic from time to time, but my bread and butter is RP
Reason for application + game experience (300 word minimum):
I've been playing the game since around mid to late 2020. I really love the game and the community, and while I'm not a master of all the mechanics in game, I love experimenting with stuff and exploring the different nooks the station has to offer.
When I first joined the server, I set out to learn robotics. I was taught surgery and how to maintain the silicons. This taught me a great deal about the nuances of the game from an unobtrusive perspective: I often interacted and dealt with the crew and their needs be it surgery or general medical help from a corner. This turned out to be a great way to transition in to the game. I've retained much of the training I received during that time, and surgery is still one of my favorite things to show off. Since then, I've dabbled with MDir, but I've found if I try to make myself too involved or controlling in medbay it rubs people the wrong way. Lately, I've found the best thing I can do as MDir is clean up the department, teach new faces, facilitate the other members of the department and attempt to mediate any issues that pop up.
I love teaching new doctors and roboticists the ropes, but I also love learning the new mechanics and chemicals that are being added, such as the new AI law rack. There's something very therapeutic about taking someone aside, teaching them, letting them experiment and watching them learn. It gives me a lot of joy to see players I helped slowly become a facet of the department.
The next department I experienced was silicon. This was mainly due to my involvement with robotics and my desire to see the perspective of the players I maintained regularly. It helped my understanding a lot, and it opened up a lot of avenues for RP. It took a while, but I learned the keybinds for borg, and what a borg can and cannot do. I know for a lot of players, AI is overwhelming, and the law-sets can be scary at times. With AI, I really enjoy the challenge. I don't know if it's just the way my brain works, but directing large quantities of radio chatter and swooping in to help the crew is extremely satisfying. This was my first experience working with the command staff. While I'm embarrassed to admit it, it was also a "learn your place" moment. The job really hammers in the station hierarchy, and I really learned this lesson on classic.
To this day it's still super fun to help out the AI's that crop up on the different servers. Most of them appreciate advice and tidbits that improve their gameplay. Once you overcome the keybinds and sensory overload, a lot of players have a blast with the job.
Eventually, I branched out in to security. I have a very rocky history with security. It's one of the most stressful jobs on the station, and while I love playing it and interacting with people as a secoff, I've had to overcome a lot of personal hurdles to feel comfortable playing it. Very often, I feel it prudent to limit how much I do or how often I play secoff. I know the basics on the mechanics of security, but there's a degree of nuance to most shifts: I had to learn how to properly asses and react to different situations.
For example, one of my failings came during my second or third secoff shift. I attempted to intimidate an antag after detaining them by threatening to hold them for the rest of the shift. A long discussion with the admins ensued. I regret my actions during the incident, but I do not regret that it happened. It started a process for me that forced me to try and empathize with the crew during shifts, and it's something I try to pass on to new secoffs when I can.
By that same token, I have a guilty pleasure during security shifts. It doesn't happen often, but once in a while new players will get antag and end up in a no win situation very early on in the shift. One of my favorite interactions came during an Oshan round with a new Vampire player. A rad storm forced us in to the brig, but I made sure to engage them in LOOC before I detained them to assure them it wasn't the end of their round. We had about a 10-15 minute discussion about the game where I asked them what they knew currently, what they would like to do with their shift, what their objectives were, and what they knew about the basics of vampire controls. They ended up enjoying the shift a lot more than I think they would have if they had just been brigged and branded for the rest of the shift.
My personal passions during the game are exploring A zones and enjoying the wacky mechanics the game has to offer. A personal project I've taken up recently is learning how the player pianos work and creating more music for the game to enjoy. It took a LOOOOT of practice, but I've finally got the fundamentals down pat. I've dipped my toes in to engineering and mechanical, but I am by no means a master in these departments. Beyond bartender, HoP, and janitor, I don't have much experience in the civilian departments.
The main reason I'm posting this application is for feedback. While I enjoy teaching new players and would love to do so in an official capacity, I recognize that I'm not a perfect person. I would love to hear how the community thinks I should improve. I've made a resolution to better myself and I think this is a good way to approach it.
Previous bans (while this will not affect your application lying about it will: I have been banned once, around November of 2021. I did something I should not have and reported myself for the incident, after which I served out my ban.