Clarifying Rule 2: Sanity - Xenomorph Threat

General Policy Feedback
1

Hi there, just a small bit of feedback of mostly of negligible severity over rule verbosity as posted on CM-SS13 Rules

The article as current to the time of posting reads:

Rule 2: Roleplay
Sanity

  • The USCM does not know there is a Xenomorph threat on the planet of operation unless that information is given in a custom event.

As of writing this, I believe the intention of the rule is so that marines are not roleplaying that they to face the Xenomorph threat, in order preserve the soul of the server’s roleplay (especially before first drop). However, without accompanied context the rule as written fails to accommodate several scenarios outside of a custom event run by staff such as when:

  • Spotting the Xenomorph threat via cameras, visual confirmation.
  • Receiving sensor tower information should it be repaired by survivors, this detects the Xenomorph threat planetside.
  • Entering dialog with survivors through the Almayer’s Weyland-Yutani radio key or that of a Radio Telephone Pack, of the situation groundside.

If enforced as written, the specified rule may be lead a player to be wrongfully ignorant when faced with what’s before them mechanically. Or, if the above are not meant to be a way to discover the Xenomorph threat, the mechanical abilities to collect this information before first drop should be limited to event interventions.

Therefore, I’d suggest slightly altered phrasing, perhaps something like:

Rule 2: Roleplay
Sanity

  • The USCM does not know there is a Xenomorph threat on the planet of operation unless that information is given in a custom event, or is collected through in character means during the operation.
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2

I’m pretty sure (and admins, feel free to correct me) that because we’re no longer doing First Contact, the above scenarios are totally fine and even expected. The rule is intended to prevent meta’ing too much, and hearing a survivor yell “oh my god there are fucking XENOMORPHS here holy SHIT!” when your character knows what xenos are is an in universe way of finding out, and therefore fine to act on that knowledge.

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3

Almayer does not know there are Xenos on the colony/station.

They do know what Xenos are and how to deal with them.

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