Odyssey

Odyssey is a gamemode that is loosely based on the Game Master-Player format of many tabletop roleplaying games. An Odyssey round is made up of three main components: The away-site, the Storyteller, and the Actors. An ideal Odyssey round sees the Storyteller crafting a story for the Horizon to engage with. They then direct the Actors to carry out the story, and react to the Horizon and her crew.

While an ideal Odyssey round has a Storyteller, one is not required for Odyssey to be played. In this case, Actors are given greater freedom in deciding a story amongst themselves with the tools and away-site given to them. This may be tricky at times, but Admins are almost always there to help. Feel free to Ahelp for assistance, or to potentially seek out a Storyteller post-round start.

Canonicity

Unique to Odyssey is canonicity. Typically, antagonist rounds are entirely non-canon. However, with Odyssey, some rounds may include canon interactions and events. Often times, this is related to a Lore Arc or some section of Aurora's lore. This helps with bringing what is an otherwise distant but relevant topic closer to the players and/ by extension, characters. It also allows these stories to be remembered and referenced in future rounds, and potentially even Actor names!

Here is a breakdown of the difference between non-canon and canon rounds:

Non-Canon

Non-canon arounds are where the more intense stories occur. There are very few restrictions on what may happen. Anything from a zombie outbreak to a Lii'draic invasion could occur. This doesn't mean violence and conflict are required, however. Calm but crazier stories also fit in here, such as a bluespace-originating research team unfamiliar with the Orion Spur or with realspace. They may be peaceful, but the story itself wouldn't fit into a canonical round.

As with other antagonist rounds, everything that occurred relating to the Actors or Storyteller is non-canon and cannot be referenced in future rounds. Character deaths are non-canon as well.

Canon

Canon rounds are calmer than non-canon rounds. They are intended to being similar to Extended rounds, but with the ability to present a full story and incorporate certain lore elements if desired. However, this doesn't mean conflict is outright forbidden. Some rounds may be a simple diplomatic interaction with the Golden Deep or some other nation the Horizon may be visiting. Other rounds could be a tense crawl through a Nanotrasen research station taken over by greimorians with survivors desperately waiting for help. In both cases, the story presented is believable and not too violent as to deviate from the intended setting of the server. When in doubt, ask an admin.

All interactions in a canon round are accepted as fact, and may be referenced in future rounds. The only exception to this are 'character deaths'. All character deaths may be retconned as the player desires, unless a Staff says otherwise.

Away-site

Away-sites are the setting of an Odyssey round. It is intended for the story to be based around these sites, although that does not prohibit allowing events to flow over into other locations such as the Horizon itself. The away-site can be best described as the playground for the actors and storyteller to use in order to craft and enact the story. They provide a centrepoint for the events to unfold, and may help guide the story itself.

Away-sites are as varied as possible to offer a wide range of settings. They can be anything from an abandoned storage facility to an illegal cloning base to a ship. This is all to help the storyteller and actors tell an enticing story. By default, none of these facilities have an inherent tie into a certain group or location. The same away-site could be controlled by Zeng-hu or be controlled by the Empire of Dominia. The organizations involved are largely dictated by the storyteller who has the power to manipulate the site as they see fit. There are largely no restrictions on how this may happen or who may be used (although canon rounds may have some scrutiny applied), but it would be best to adapt to wherever the Horizon is during the Odyssey round. Perhaps the Horizon is in the Coalition of Colonies and has run across an abandoned Himean refinery station, or perhaps the Horizon is in Tau Ceti and has run across a destroyed 2nd Invasion TCFL ship. In that same vein, it would be odd to see a Dominian cloning facility in Solarian or Tau Ceti space. Be mindful, it could make all the difference.

How are they selected. Ask matt

Actors

Actors are the way by which a story is told to the Horizon. Without Actors, Odyssey would grind to a halt and cease to work. While the Storyteller has the tools and position to craft a story to tell and prepare, the Actors are the ones who truly make it happen, and how.

In a standard Odyssey round, any number of Actors can be chosen. The current limit is 4, however this can and may change during different rounds and away-site types. All Actors are given access to AOOC but are otherwise normal characters like every other antagonist type. Most of your equipment, access, etc. will be provided by a Storyteller.

How are actors chosen/join the round   What are you. How do?

Storyteller

Storytellers require a Command whitelist. Abuse of the role will lead to a whitelist strip and/or staff action.

The Storyteller is an optional but powerful role within Odyssey. It is often how the story of the round is crafted and directed. You are put in a position of great power to make an engaging story for both the Horizon and the Actors.

Storytelling is not an exact science. Every storyteller will have their own style, preference, etc. However, there are some useful tips and ideas to mind when designing stories for Odyssey rounds. When designing a story, ask the following:

• Who is involved?
  • This often comes in the form of which organization(s) the Horizon (and by extension the SCC) will be interacting with.
  • Always check where the Horizon is located to determine who may be involved. It would be unusual to see Dominian sailors in Tau Ceti or Tajaran Kosmostrelki in Sol, for example. This could be the central plot point!
• What is happening?
  • This is the central event that drives the story. Treat it as a disruption to normalcy, and make sure to place it context of the away-site. Nothing happens in a vacuum. What was the away-site before the event happened? What caused the event? Is it too far gone, or is there hope of recovery?
  • Central events can be as minor as a meeting between the SCC and representatives from another organization or as major as the invasion of a black-site research facility, canonicity permitting. Take a look at recent lore events and articles for inspiration!
• Why should the Horizon care?
  • This is a major question. There needs to be a hook, something to draw in players and, at an in-character level, the Horizon's command team.
  • Do not hesitate to send a Central Command announcement as a hook. In most contexts, this works perfectly fine.
• How intense is this story?
  • Intensity is generally defined by how much conflict occurs, or how extreme it is. This does not equal deaths, just conflict. Having intense fighting between Security and rogue TCAF soldiers is highly intense whether anyone dies or not. On the other hand, 1 person dying due to an accident is not as intense, rather tragic or sad.
  • Keep in mind what the round's canonicity is. Canon rounds should always be lower in intensity, never rising to "high intensity". Non-canon rounds can be as intense as desired. If you're ever unsure about how intense your story is, ask an admin.

By answering these questions, you can effectively plan a story for the Horizon to engage with. You can go further and determine the finer details, and even plan out specific actions and events. Alternatively, it is perfectly acceptable to keep a general idea of your story and allow the actors and the Horizon to improvise things as they happen. Just make sure they stay on track and don't derail the story.

Powers

Admin-level powers they are given

Directing the Show

No show is ever completed alone. You have the vision and powers to create and direct, but you cannot effectively act out the drama. To aid you in the endeavour, actors are chosen at the beginning of an Odyssey round. They are the way which your story is played out, and how the Horizon interacts with what you have created. This all requires a great deal of communication and coordination. While a large part of coordinating an Odyssey round comes down to experience and the actors you are with, here are some helpful tips and suggestions.

Make ample use of AOOC. Never be afraid to inform your actors. Many aspects of Space Station 13 blossom with a lack of information, however a story will struggle to blossom if everyone doesn't communicate or is unaware of events. Avoid leaving your actors in the dark.

AOOC is additionally a useful space for talking with CCIA and, in cases where it does not warrant ahelping, Staff.

Know Thyself

Assuming all actors involved in the round are in agreement with the vision everyone has collaborated on, roles need to be taken and known. Talk with each actor and ensure they know what role they are playing in the story. If they are a leader of a Solarian Marine team, make sure they know who their marines are, and visa versa. Everyone should ideally know these pieces of information:

• Job
  • This is the in-character position. Is that actor a doctor, a security officer, an administrator?
• Organization
  • Who does the character align with? This could be a corporation, nation, etc.
• Story Role
  • What is the intended role of this character in the story? Are they an instigator, a moderator, etc.
• Story Beats
  • Every player needs to know the story beats so that the interactions with the Horizon can flow from beat to beat smoothly. It would harm the story's effect if an actor was not aware of a major story beat and accidently lead the Horizon astray.

Remember, you are in a position of power but this is a collaborative effort. You may be directing the show, but do not shut down feedback from your actors. Let them help shape the story itself, choose their own roles, or help direct other actors as well.