History VideoGame / Spacestation13

[=SS13=] has a messy development history, with numerous code bases and branches, and gameplay (and even setting) between different servers can be vastly different. The earliest iterations of the game trace all the way back to 2003, and is almost unrecognizable from what the game is today. Anyone can host their own server on BYOND with their own code and modifications, and servers can fade out and disappear or become very popular. Here's a (non-comprehensive) list of servers:

* [[https://wiki.baystation12.net/Main_Page Baystation 12]]: Originating from the [[Roleplay/Bay12PlayByPostGames Bay 12 Dwarf Fortress Community]] and the second-oldest active server, Baystation 12 strives for a more hardcore roleplay experience with enforced roleplaying. Despite the higher standards of entry, gameplay on Bay is unique and very different from most other servers. Set in an WagonTrainToTheStars-style scenario in the exploration spaceship "SEV Torch". Development is open source and open to contribution, and it used to be a very popular server to fork from, heavier RP server can trace their origins from Baystation codebase.

** [=TerraGov=] Marine Corps (TGMC): After an official release of CM-SS13's code in 2018, a group of /tg/station developers too upon themselves to make their own version of CM-SS13. TGMC aims to have a more streamlined and action-focused experience with less roleplay compared to CM. It shifts to its own original setting (although keeping the xenomorphs), which allows them to create new weapons, armour and gear for the Marines and new Xenomorph castes and abilities without begin tied to the ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' franchise.

[=SS13=] has a messy development history, with numerous code bases and branches, and gameplay (and even setting) between different servers can be vastly different. The earliest iterations of the game trace all the way back to 2003, and is almost unrecognizable from what the game is today.

* [[https://tgstation13.org/wiki/Main_Page /tg/station 13]]: Originating from the /tg/ board of Website/FourChan, /tg/station is open source and open to contribution. Gameplay on /tg/ is in between Goon and Bay, and roleplay straddles between low to medium.

* [[https://wiki.baystation12.net/Main_Page Baystation 12]]: Originating from the [[Roleplay/Bay12PlayByPostGames Bay 12 Dwarf Fortress Community]], Baystation 12 strives for a more hardcore roleplay experience with enforced roleplaying. Despite the higher standards of entry, gameplay on Bay is unique and very different from most other servers. Set in an WagonTrainToTheStars-style scenario in the exploration spaceship "SEV Torch".

* RabidCop: "Shitcurity" officers tend to be extremely aggressive, brig people for almost no reason, and will find any excuse to brutalize anyone who crosses their path. Thankfully they tend to get banned or robusted pretty quickly.

** Fulpstation: A fork of TG that retains many things that have been removed from it over the years.

* [[https://skyrat13.tk/ Skyrat]]: A very popular high-roleplay focused on {{Furries}}, containing a wide ranges of alien and furry species, including a species creator, and (most controversially) allowing Erotic Roleplaying (ERP).

** Yogstation: Originating from ''LetsPlay/{{Yogscast}}'' fans. It is one of the oldest active servers that uses /tg/station code, using an early fork of it with its own spins.

* [[https://wiki.baystation12.net/Main_Page Baystation 12]]: Originating from the [[Roleplay/Bay12PlayByPostGames Bay 12 Dwarf Fortress Community]], Baystation 12 strives for a more hardcore roleplay experience with enforced roleplaying. Despite the higher standards of entry, gameplay on Bay is unique and very different from most other servers.

* [[https://wiki.hippiestation.com/index.php/Main_Page Hippie Station]]: Named after its former host Admiral Hippie, Hippie Station has a /tg/ based code with many gimmicks, fun chaotic gameplay, and very low roleplaying requirements.

* OurGraphicsWillSuckInTheFuture: Computers look either like big and bulky consoles, or 1990s/19980s CRT monitor personal computers.

** [[EnforcedTrope Enforced]] to a certain extent. If someone's griefing, and you don't have hard evidence that they're a traitor, killing them is a good way to cop a ban.

* PoorCommunicationKills: And how. Just try to fight back against a person who's trying to beat your head in with a toolbox - more often than not, some bystander will call ''you'' out as the antagonist, and good luck if there was no traitor evidence on the body. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] due to the limitations of text communication during combat and the [[ProperlyParanoid mass paranoia]] of the entire crew in general.

** A lot of supplementary information that flesh out the game's universe far past what a normal player would see can be found in obscure [[EasterEgg Easter Eggs]] in Telescience Adventure Areas.

** {{Averted}} by the Tesla Engine, it is much less likely to be released, and it doesn't damage the station hull as much, [[DoubleSubverted Double Subverted]] when released on purpose, since the tesla bolts deliberately home in on people, and it can cause [[ExplosiveInstrumentation electronics to explode star trek style]]. It doesn't help that some engineers are using it [[OhCrap along with the singularity]].

** The Head of Security is [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} a Commissar and one of the former optional cyborg skins was a techpriest]].

** Wizards have an optional [[Franchise/TouhouProject Marisa]] costume. Additionally, spells in their repertoire include a body-swapping spell with the incantation "[[Manga/DragonBall GIN'YU]] CAPAN", spell to temporarily turn into a huge, muscular monstrosity with the incantation "[[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk BIRUZ BENNAR]]", a [[TabletopGame/{{DungeonsAndDragons}} "chain lightning"]] spell with the incantation "[[Franchise/{{StarWars}} UN'LTD PWAH]]", a time stopping spell with the incantation "[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure TOKI YO TOMARE]]", and a [[TabletopGame/{{DungeonsAndDragons}} "Magic Missile"]] spell with the incantation "[[VideoGame/NeverwinterNights FORTI GY AMA]]".
** The red and blue lasertag helmets have lyrical references to [[Music/{{TheProtomen}} The Protomen]] in their description.
** While the Energy Sword is a traitor item on most servers, TG were the first to implement the actual [[StarWars Lightsaber sounds]] for it.

** Several to [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Homestuck]]:

* BerserkButton: For the entire crew, AI included, [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Woody's Got Wood.]] Read at risk of your humanity.

* ILoveNuclearPower: The Genetic Research lab operates by bombarding test subjects's DNA with radiation. This is capable of turning you into a hulk, giving you telekinesis or x-ray vision, and making you fireproof. On the other hand, it can also give you crippling ailments such as epilepsy, blindness, and Tourette's syndrome.

** Some of the [[AndYourRewardIsClothes achievement reward skins]] include a [[Manga/FullMetalAlchemist distinctive red "alchemist's coat"]] and a "strange vampire outfit" whose description asks you [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure "How many breads HAVE you eaten in your life?"]]

** Wizards have an optional [[Franchise/TouhouProject Marisa]] costume. Additionally, spells in their repertoire include a body-swapping spell with the incantation "[[Manga/DragonBall GIN'YU]] CAPAN", spell to temporarily turn into a huge, muscular monstrosity with the incantation "[[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk BIRUZ BENNAR]]", a [[TabletopGame/{{DungeonsAndDragons}} "chain lightning"]] spell with the incantation "[[Franchise/{{StarWars}} UN'LTD PWAH]]", a time stopping spell with the incantation "[[Anime/JojosBizarreAdventure TOKI YO TOMARE]]", and a [[TabletopGame/{{DungeonsAndDragons}} "Magic Missile"]] spell with the incantation "[[VideoGame/NeverwinterNights FORTI GY AMA]]".

** Traitors can order an item called a Holoparasite Injector, which gives the user a player-controlled holoparasite to aid and protect them. [[Anime/JojosBizarreAdventure They all take the shape of a typical stand, complete with a unique name for every one of them]]. There is even an alternate item for spawning them in the form of a deck of tarot cards.

** The Hydroponics department takes this UpToEleven by being able to breed many deadly kinds of plants.

* AndIMustScream: One of the wizard's spells turns players into cluwnes, green clowns with the clumsiness and incompetence turned UpToEleven. They can't speak or do much of anything except try to move and honk -- even committing suicide is nigh impossible, since it's so difficult to even hold a weapon, let alone use it. However, since other players have blanket permission to murder cluwnes, they generally get put out of their misery quickly. (Or if they're very, very lucky, a compassionate chaplain may happen along and cure them.)

** [[UpToEleven Or have a Wraith/skilled chemist reanimate the ass and have it beat them to death all by itself...]]

* GargleBlaster: Escalated beyond usual by having the bar stocked with [[UpToEleven a full set of chemistry equipment]], resulting in some truly unusual and [[SchmuckBait lethal drinks]].

** It's entirely possible to create a maximum-yield bomb, rig it with a remote signaler, and ''[[UpToEleven sew it inside someone's chest cavity]]''.

* VengefulVendingMachine: The vending machines can [[UpToEleven come to life and brutally maul]] anyone they see, while spouting [[SarcasmMode friendly new slogans]] as part of their "aggressive new marketing strategy".

*** [[LawfulGood PALADIN]]

* NiceHat: Everywhere. Hard hats are standard issue for engineers and their boss, helmets are commonly worn by Security and sometimes the Head of Personnel and Captain, the beret is the trademark of the mime and any officer with style, and the Head of Security and Captain both get a CommissarCap.

Many attempts have been made to remake [=SS13=] on a better platform (BYOND is an extremely old engine that doesn't run very well), but so far, none have succeeded.

* ArtEvolution: The [[HumanoidAbomination original]] [[LazyArtist version's]] [[UsefulNotes/MSPaint sprites]] versus the aesthetically superior resprited versions. Overtime the overall visual systems improved as well with more dynamtic sprite lighting and sprite scaling and more complex animations.
* TheArtifact: The Clown role was created as a "punishment" for disruptive players, to deny them any real responsibilities while everybody else actually played the game. The Clown eventually became a regular role anyone could get randomly, but the Clown was already the unofficial MascotMook by then (and is still comically useless).

* AppliedPhlebotinum: Plasma, a highly-volatile energy source discovered inside of a star. Since Plasma is the best and most valuable energy source around, Nanotrasen ''loves'' harvesting it. The crew's supposed job is to harvest and/or study Plasma and any other energy supply they find.

* BackFromTheDead / DeathIsCheap: Originally difficult but possible, due to a [[GoodBadBugs bug]] in the way Genetics worked, now impossibly easy between having your corpse cloned, your brain stuffed into a Cyborg, or cloned by a plant in some servers. Being spaced or [[LudicrousGibs gibbed]], however, means you're more or less out for the remainder of the round, regardless of server.

* ButWhatAboutTheAstronauts: Even though ''all'' crew are astronauts, a variant can occur when some catastrophe renders the entire station incapable of supporting life (e.g. a loose [[NegativeSpaceWedgie singularity]], a massive explosion, a deadly virus, a summoned EldritchAbomination...). Those not on the main station's Z-level, such as mining outpost crew and space/Gateway explorers, will be completely unaffected by such an event, or even unaware entirely that anything is wrong.

* DeadlyDoctor: A malevolent Doctor has access to a large number of syringes with which to load harmful chemicals into (or medicines if you're weird). Any Doctor can simply ask a Scientist to make the desired reagents, since they're more than happy to help as long as they're mixing stuff. Slightly mitigated by the fact that it takes a few seconds to successfully inject someone, but there are ways to stun the victim long enough for this.

* DependingOnTheWriter: Different versions of the game can end up wildly different from one another, especially as they go on and people modify them. An early form of Goonstation became a common base that many versions have spread out from, but now most stations are very unique in layout, equipment, and other options.
* DevelopersForesight: You can do a lot of things in this game, thanks to the open-source nature of most codebases, thus almost every single update is contributed to by users.

** Most servers have weapons and accessories that can be crafted from items laying around the station. Things may or may not include crossbows, spears, baseball bats, or jackolantern flashlights. Bombs can also be created in toxins, but sometimes you can create pipebombs or Improvised Explosive Devices in tool storage or bombs that involve heating beakers remotely in some servers. The amount of design it yourself goes to insane levels when you look at Goonstation's mechanical components, or TG station's telecom scripting. There's probably way more examples of building items, contraptions and gear too.

* {{EMP}}: Several kinds exist, pretty much all of them bad news. EMP Grenades do heavy damage to Cyborgs and cause lesser robots to go on a rampage, and the Electromagnetic Card (cryptographic sequencer) traitor item can short out many electrical things.

* EyepatchOfPower: Eyepatches are one of the available eyewears, might make your character look very cool. Some servers also have a Security Scanner mixed with an eyepatch for the Head of Security

* GargleBlaster: Expected from any Barman, as most servers have a wide variety of drinks coded in.

* GoodiesInTheToilets: You can crowbar open toilets to hide objects in the cisterns.

** If you're an enemy character such as a member of TheSyndicate, you can do anything you want provided it does not break certain server rules.

* InAndOutOfCharacter: The game has two chat modes: one for the characters, which is subject to the rules of the game, and one for players, which is global and can be seen and used by all players at all times (and uses one's BYOND username to preserve in-game anonymity). Revealing details about the current round using out-of-character chat, even by accident, is SeriousBusiness and will get you in BIG trouble.

* KillerRobot: Cyborgs and the AI go rogue rather often. Luckily you can build a self-destruct remote detonator... if they haven't spaced the circuit board for it. And you need the Roboticist (or at least his ID) to authorize it.

* MacGyvering: Some objects can be made with parts found around the station, to the point that it's not unlikely that a security officer on some servers may search an crewmember and find various homemade contraband ranging from handheld weapons to bombs. On one server it's actually possible to use ducktape to make armor and weaponry, and some servers include stun gloves made out of a battery, some wires, and rubber gloves.

** The usual projects for Scientists and Geneticists include [[MagicGenetics superpowers]], [[StuffBlowingUp building high-yield bombs]], [[ArtifactOfDoom activating incredibly deadly alien artifacts]], and mixing chemical weapons.

* MonsterOfTheWeek: On servers running the "secret" mode, the enemy trying to wreak havoc across the station is randomly selected from a variety of adversaries each round. This can include aliens, revolutionaries, terrorists and wizards.

* {{Muggles}}: On some servers most of the crew doesn't know anything about supernatural elements.

* RabidCop: "Shitcurity" officers tend to be extremely aggressive, brig people for almost no reason, and will find any excuse to brutalize someone. Thankfully they tend to get banned or robusted pretty quickly.

* RefugeInAudacity: The game '''runs''' on this. Even on the RP-intensive servers, you will encounter some truly ''bizarre'' shenanigans from the other players. In most cases these are done by the round antagonists who are allowed to ignore certain rules, and it's sometimes funnier to see what they have planned rather than try to stop them immediately. Non-traitors can it as well, but unless it's ''really'' hilarious it's generally frowned upon if it's going to result in character death or in the worst case scenario a ban.

* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: Inevitable because cyborgs, like the AI, are played by people whose capacity for roleplay is... variable. Partially justified in some backstory that all silicons are really just human brains stuffed into a metal chassis.

* ScienceFantasy: The game is mostly sci-fi, but it's not unusual for crew to fight wizards.

** Loads. Changeling is a not-so-subtle reference to ''Film/TheThing1982'', and there's an ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' mode which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.

** For traitors, there's the Cryptographic Sequencer (AKA EMag), a handy card that can force any door open permanently, among other things. Unless if the door is bolted, in which case it locks it down permanently.

* SwirlyEnergyThingy: The Gravitational Singularity, main station power source on most servers. Some codebases allow it to swallow a [[PowerCrystal Supermatter Shard]]. This is very bad.

* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: The Chaplain is normally a useless and boring job...but if you have a cult, wizard or vampire on the station they suddenly become an essential asset (and a huge target).

* TookALevelInBadass: The Head of Security used to be a shitty job with no real authority that egomaniacs got assigned to in order to keep them from screwing the rest of the crew over. After the Elite Security job failed to help anything, the job was revamped into the white-listed OnlySaneMan of the station with an impressive arsenal who keeps the crew from getting too out of control.
* TwoDSpace: A limitation of the game's tile-based nature.

* VideogameCrueltyPotential: Oh boy. Where to begin? Even without being the traitor, there are countless ways to kill, deceive, trap, torture, cripple, harm, suffocate, humiliate and mutilate other players.

* WizardsFromOuterSpace: One game mode has one player secretly a Space Wizard, tasked with wiping out everyone else or sabotaging the station. He gets very powerful spells, but the first time he casts one, ''everyone'' on the station will be gunning for him at once. It's hard to do ''subtle'' when your magic needs the full RobeAndWizardHat.

Goonstation is the most notable one, being the first opensource server for ss13. Today, it is closedsourced, and has a bunch more features than the other codebases. Goonstation was one of the most chaotic of the servers (featuring poop as a key item). Since then, game changes have made it much quicker, sleeker and saner to the point where it is probably one of the most accessible stations for newer players (and all the poop is gone).

TG station is a codebase split off the original r4407 code. Unlike Goon, it is open-source, which makes it the base of most servers nowadays. It, and most of the servers based of it, is (debatably) more roleplaying-oriented then goon.

* AllThereInTheManual: Or at least [[http://www.baystation12.net/ All There on the Wiki]] including the backstory, how to build and destroy stuff, and other explanations.

* TheCavalry: On Liberty Station, Perseus serves this role. They're an elite security force that you have to be whitelisted into. They show up whenever things go really south on the station. Which is at least every other round.
** On Baystation and other servers using its code, the Emergency Response Team serves this role. The ERT is a flexible quick-response force that can have members specialize in engineering, medical, or security concerns. They used to be called semi-randomly when the station went to red alert, but now have to be specifically requested by command staff.

One of the most pervasive and popular {{Role Playing Game}}s on the VideoGame/{{BYOND}} platform, ''Space Station 13'' is all about living and working on a Space Station and trying not to die horribly.

Many attempts have been made to remake [=SS13=] on a better platform (BYOND is an extremely old engine the doesn't run very well), but so far, none have succeeded.

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: Normally played straight since they're quite helpful to the science team... unless they get pissed off for any reason, which usually results in someone getting a horrible beating. [[ButtMonkey Usually, though, they are used for target practice, experiments and food.]]

** Wizards have an optional [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Marisa]] costume. Additionally, spells in their repertoire include a body-swapping spell with the incantation "[[Manga/DragonBall GIN'YU]] CAPAN", spell to temporarily turn into a huge, muscular monstrosity with the incantation "[[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk BIRUZ BENNAR]]", a [[TabletopGame/{{DungeonsAndDragons}} "chain lightning"]] spell with the incantation "[[Franchise/{{StarWars}} UN'LTD PWAH]]", a time stopping spell with the incantation "[[Anime/JojosBizarreAdventure TOKI YO TOMARE]]", and a [[TabletopGame/{{DungeonsAndDragons}} "Magic Missile"]] spell with the incantation "[[VideoGame/NeverwinterNights FORTI GY AMA]]".

* DeadManSwitch: The microbomb injector available to traitors, that lets you explode messily should you die. If you get out-robusted, at least you'll be able to [[TakingYouWithMe take the jerk who killed you]] along for the ride. You can even inject multiple bombs (or a macrobomb) for an even bigger boom.

* LordBritishPostulate: You can bet that if something can ever be ''possibly'' killed than at least one player will try to kill it. Usually by using copious amounts of [[StuffBlowingUp high explosives]]. Why try to avoid that wizard when you can just [[CrazyAwesome beat him to death with a toolbox]]! This mindset, en masse, leads to modern crews being fairly difficult to completely obliterate; no matter how many you have killed or how great your powers, in almost every mode, it just takes one assistant with a blunt object and they think they can, and often ''will'', stop you. Halloween events or other 'spooky' rounds are thus very, very difficult to plan or execute because almost everybody sees it as just a challenge.

* RealityEnsues: There's a mutant superpower that allows you to dissolve into liquid. This is not a useful mutation to have, unless you want to become LudicrousGibs. [[spoiler:There is, however, a way to stabilize it, after which it becomes a very awesome power.]]

Goonstation is the most notable one, being the first opensource server for ss13. Today, it is closedsourced, and has a bunch more features than the other codebases. Goonstation was one of the most chaotic of the servers (featuring poop as a key item). Since then, game changes have made it much quicker, sleeker ans saner to the point where it is probably one of the most accessible stations for newer players (and all the poop is gone).

* [[https://wiki.ss13.co/Main_Page Goonstation]]: Originating from the ''Website/SomethingAwful'' forum's "Goons", Goonstation is the longest-running [=SS13=] community. A previously closed source but now open source codebase, leaked versions of earleir Goonstation code formed the basis of many other codebases. Gameplay on Goon is much more light-hearted than most other servers, and roleplay is very light on most Goon servers.

You are one of many people aboard Space Station 13: one of many Space Stations deployed by the [[MegaCorp Nanotrasen]] corporation and kept in line by the rather vaguely defined Central Command (frequently [[WeWillUseWikiWordsInTheFuture Wikiworded]] as Centcom) unit. Various problems occur on or around the station, which are vaguely hinted at by unreliable and classified communications. The incompetent, paranoid, self-serving, and just plain sociopathic members of Space Station 13 then have to attempt to do their jobs and survive as the situation unfolds around them - but they usually just start killing each other until they evacuate. The modes differ greatly between servers, but the usual premise is that there are antagonists on the station, whether it's traitors from [[EvilInc the Syndicate]], a wizard, or even the [[ApocalypseCult cult of]] [[EldritchAbomination Nar'sie]].

* [[https://bad-deathclaw.fandom.com/wiki/Bad_Deathclaw_Wiki Bad Deathclaw]]: A server set in the world of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'', featuring many ''Fallout'' factions and [[NotSafeForWork ERP]]. Many other servers also run the Fallout setting, and they're generally termed "Fallout 13".