Ghost roles are a unique system on the server that permits the spawning of certain mobs by ghosts observing the round. Most of the time, these roles are on a different ship in the sector the UNPV Horizon is inhabiting, and they can discover away sites, patrol the sector, roleplay with each other, and interact with the Horizon. To access ghost roles, use Join and press Ghost Spawner, or access the ghost spawner menu while observing by checking the Ghost tab.
Guidelines
- OFF-SHIP ROLES ARE NOT INHERENTLY ANTAGONISTS. This is important to get out of the way. While some gamemodes might have third-party assets with offship roles that are antagonistic, offship roles are not the same as rolling an antagonist. You are under the same rules of character believability as normal crewmembers.
- Playing offship roles like antagonists is considered self-antagging and should be generally avoided. While offship roles like pirates or smugglers can harass the Spark and the Intrepid when they're away from the Horizon, it should also be kept in mind that the Horizon is a massive cruiser with powerful armaments. If you're going to perform antagonistic actions against the crew, it might be best to keep it to stealing from them and driving them away with guns. Like any antagonist, this should have escalation and roleplay behind it.
- Be at least moderately familiar with the lore before spawning. It's a little awkward if you spawn in on the Kataphract vessel as Zosaa John, and proceed to act the way a Kataphract shouldn't.
- From an OOC standpoint, act like you would with your normal crewmember characters. If conflict makes sense, you are more then welcome to go for it. Don't do things you wouldn't do with a character you care about.
- You are not required to interact with the Horizon, but it's perfectly acceptable to do. You could be stopping for supplies, asking if you could use their facilities to relax after a long journey, or asking to sell goods and wares.
- On the other hand, don't immediately go to get involved in on-ship security situations. It's unfair and unfun if you show up to chase after a random Traitor on the ship, and can be considered validhunting.
- An exception to this is when the Horizon has put out a distress beacon and is on code red. You can respond to help out the crew then, but it has to be a very dire situation; you should send a message to administrators to ensure you're clear to get involved.
- Part of playing offship roles is understanding that there may be times where the ship does not require assistance, but also does not want you aboard to tell a story with them. If the Horizon is dealing with a Cult on board, don't be upset if they can't engage with your roleplay.
Common Offship Roles
With the Horizon operating in mostly civilized and explored space, throughout the course of its mission it will encounter those unassociated with the Horizon. Whether it be the crew of an Orion shipping vessel, or the low-paid workers of a space bar near local mining areas, these roles will be played by other players and provide a chance for the crew to interact with the world outside of the ship.
Keep in mind these are only a few of the offship roles that can be played, and are listed here as examples for what players should expect.
Charon Shipping Courier Ship
"Transporting Freedom!"
Supervisors: Charon Shipping Services
Tasked with delivering a multitude of packages across the spur, the CSS courier ship can be found in most regions of space, delivering its packages. It's crewed by a captain and team of couriers, who, like the ship, have travelled around the spur. Charon Shipping employs just about anyone, but captains are usually Elyran citizens.
Freebooters
"Bring me a bottle or two, me lad, bring me a bottle or four..."
Supervisors: The Freebooter Captain
You like to think of yourself as an adventurer and a businessman. Others, though, would call you a pirate, a bandit, and a thug. As a pirate, you're here to make money by any means necessary, but remember the guidelines for offships; don't bother the Horizon. Of course, this doesn't stop you from harassing the Horizon's shuttles, and any other ill-defended vessel unfortunate to be in your path.
You can spawn as any species on the Freebooter ship.
Tajaran Smugglers
"He has warrres, if you have crrredits."
Main articles: Tajara
Supervisors: Tajaran Smuggler Captains
You're a Tajara smuggler from snowy Azunal, out to make some money, sell your illegal goods, and run away from the law. Keep in mind that while you are a criminal, you're not a pirate and shouldn't act as such. You can defend your wares with force and covertly "repossess" some goods, of course. Most vessels associated with the Free Tajara Republic and Sacred Azunal Kingdom would love to get their hands on you, but you're on fairly good terms with Spacer Khazsanii flotillas, as you're often one of the few entities willing to deal with them.
If you don't have a Tajara whitelist, you can spawn as one of the smugglers. If you do, you can spawn as the smuggler captain.
Hegemony Akran Warriors
"Authority."
Main articles: Unathi
Supervisors: Chapter Leader
Akran are a warrior caste who serve the God-Kings of Moghes. As part of the Hegemony, they are begrudgingly shared with the other two Unathi worlds to ensure the three powers have power projection out in space. Traditional Akran are bred from birth and indoctrinated to worship their God-King as divine, and serve him or her without question. Since the start of the Hegemony Akran can now also be pulled from the other two worlds of Yzali and Zakkeran without any desire to worship the God-Kings.
These motley bands must work together to protect the Hegemony and travel the galaxy on various missions for their bickering homeworlds.
This particular band of Akran wields energy swords, shields, and various other weapons.
You can also spawn in as an Akran Recruit. You're likely young, a citizen of the Hegemony, and conducting one of your first missions out in the field.
Remember that the three worlds of the Unathi bicker, feud, scheme, extort, and despise one another but you and your team have worked together long enough to get to this point, and you should not have a hair trigger to attack each other.
Interstellar Aid Corps
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
Supervisors: The Interstellar Aid Corps board of directors
You're a humble volunteer of the Interstellar Aid Corps, travelling through all manner of conflict-fraught sectors of space to dispatch medical aid and disaster relief when needed. Along the way, you'll get in contact with other ships, probably be chased by pirates, and try to manage your limited medical supplies.
You can spawn as any species on an IAC ship.
Space Bar
"Come here often?"
Supervisors: Yourself
Seen in all areas of space, space bars have a simple goal; to serve food and drinks to their customers! You don't care just who they are, so long as they follow the golden rule of not making trouble for you or your other customers while they're docked.
You can spawn as any species in a space bar, but keep in mind some species (like IPC or Vaurca) may not have their essential amenities on the map.
Hephaestus Mining Vessel
"Our chariots carry beyond Olympus."
Supervisors: Hephaestus Industries
You're a crewman on a Cyclops-class Hephaestus Industries vessel. Your job is to mine asteroids, ship valuable minerals, and chase away any pirates who may be thinking of plundering your valuable bounties.
You can spawn as any species on a Hephaestus Mining Vessel, but remember that you can only be a K'laxan Vaurca employee.
Emergency Response Teams
In particularly dire cases, an admin may spawn an Emergency Response Team to respond to a distress beacon on the UNPV Horizon. Below are common types of ERTs that may show up when called.
Protectorate Emergency Response Team
"Preserving the past, protecting the present, planning for the future."
Supervisors: United Nations Interstellar Protectorate
A branch of the UNIP Peacekeeping forces, they can be found just about anywhere in the Protectorate and the frontier. Each team is armed and well-equipped to handle just about any threat to Protectorate vessels and can respond quickly to distress signals.
Nanotrasen Emergency Response Team
"Depth over breadth!"
Supervisors: Nanotrasen Corporation
A paramilitary response team employed by NanoTrasen, they are based from the NTCC Odin and other NanoTrasen vessels in the sector, and may venture out to assist the ship. These are heavily armed, well-trained specialists dedicated to remedying any number of emergencies that may result in them being called. NT-ERT consists entirely of contracted mercenaries who have found employment by NanoTrasen in Tau Ceti, and their numbers are quite immense.
Naturally, they don't assist Protectorate vessels solely out of the goodness of their own hearts.
Tau Ceti Armed Forces
"Keep our light of liberty shining!"
Supervisors: Tau Ceti Free Trade Zone
The Tau Ceti Foreign Legion was formerly the military entity in Tau Ceti known for its volunteer service, often utilized by immigrants seeking an easy path to citizenship. While the Tau Ceti Armed Forces has replaced them in most respects, some vessels are still out patrolling the sectors around Tau Ceti. The teams assigned to Biesel Legion Vessels consist of Prefects, Legionnaires, and Volunteers in descending order of expertise. Prefects are full-time enlisted individuals, Legionnaires are part time enlistee's with specialist training, while Volunteers may have any lesser degree of training to even the bare minimum.
In practice, they act as an extension of Nanotrasen's ambitions, and are notorious for multiple controversies surrounding the conflict on Mictlan. If they come rushing in to save the Horizon, be wary, for it might just tip the balance of power between the factions.
Akran Warriors
"For the Ensi!"
Main articles: Unathi
Supervisors: Chapter Leader
This particular band of Akran wields their flashy energy swords and shields, to do battle against whatever evil plagues the UNPV Horizon. They are unsurprisingly more focused on combat.
Freelance Mercenaries
"Show me the colour of your credits."
Main article: N/A
Supervisors: Your current employer
The Freelancers are an available ERT role that involves playing, well, freelance mercenaries. Your goal is aligned with those of your current employer; you’re an independent company of people-killers, after all. This is arguably the most simple of the available emergency response teams, but their kit is usually very powerful. Details are usually improvised.
The Protectorate has already paid for you to respond to any potential distress beacons around your area of operations. Do not asked to be paid by facility command once you respond.
Interstellar Aid Corps
"Medic here!"
Supervisors: The Interstellar Aid Corps board of directors
The Interstellar Aid Corps are an available ERT role that involves playing the volunteer members of the IAC. Your goal is to, no matter the circumstance, ensure the well-being of all individuals on the station with very little exception. Essentially, if they aren’t trying to murder you, you may as well be helping them no matter the circumstance. It’s not recommended to pick up this role without some basic medical knowledge in-game. It is important to understand as well that the IAC ERT is not going to hold your hand through conflict, as they lack any major weapons of their own.
Republican Kosmostrelki
"The Revolution continues!"
Main articles: Free Tajara Republic
Supervisors: The FTR Orbital Fleet
Republican Kosmostrelki are an available ERT comprised of extensively trained spaceborne infantry hailing from the nation of the Free Tajara Republic. Your goal as the ERT is the same as most others focused on combat, to defeat whatever is threatening the station. However, due to your extensive training, every member will have basic engineering and medical knowledge, along with two specialists.
Union Marine Detachment
"Solidarity forever!"
Main article: Union of Progressive Peoples
Supervisors: Union Fleet Command
The Union of Progressive Peoples Marine detachment is a available ERT comprised of a fireteam of armed forces from worlds such as Xanu, Himeo, and Vysoka. Though the nation is not on friendly terms with the Protectorate they, like all other nations, are obligated to come to the aid of a ship in need.
Eridani PMC Medical Response Team
"What can we do for you, esteemed colleague?"
Main article: Eridani Corporate Alliance
Supervisors: Eridani Private Military Corporation
The EPMC Medical Response Team is a available ERT comprised of an Eridani contractor group, such as Sekhmet Intergalactic, and its accompanying asset protection specialists, like Ringspire or Eagle Corp. They are mercenaries hired by the Protectorate to respond to potential distress signals onboard its installations, and are mostly focused on treating injuries and assisting medical department personnel.