An answer or two.

Got a question or two... by Farseer Lolotea on 2010-01-04 13:22:00 UTC Reply

I'm thinking of starting on a second mission. I need to know a couple of things:

1) It says on the wiki: "Beds, chairs, cushions, and other items used for reclining are often never used in Response Centers, as it is common knowledge that as soon as one get comfortable in one, the console will beep." Does this mean that no one keeps such items, or just that they don't generally see much use?

2) How soundproof is a Response Center? As in, if Claypool were to shriek like a riled cat, would people hear it? And would she, in turn, hear any yells of "keep it down!" that might come in response to it?

Hmm.... by PitViperOfDoom on 2010-01-05 18:40:00 UTC Reply

1) I agree that it's completely up to the Agents, and you, of course.
2) Well, since we do operate by the Laws of Narrative Comedy, so in all likelihood yes, they will hear it. (Moreover, people will probably be cutting their nails or doing something besides that that requires precision at the precise moment, so angry yells will most likely follow.)
An answer or two. by Neshomeh on 2010-01-04 19:04:00 UTC Reply

1) If I may draw your attention to a previous line in the article in question: "Any other contents are up to the Agents that inhabit [the RC]." So, the agents can have whatever they want; it's just that Murphy's Law tends to prevent them from relaxing for long. But it's all for humor, so don't take it too seriously. {= )

2) I never really thought about this before. I think that people would definitely hear a scream like that, but wouldn't they also hear BEEPs from other people's consoles? Yet no one seems bothered by this. Hmm. HQ is weird.

~Neshomeh

Perhaps that's also up to the agents? by Sedri on 2010-01-04 22:43:00 UTC Reply

Not in every case, of course, but I can well imagine that some agents with over-sensitive hearing (or just really bad tempers) would take active steps to soundproof their RCs, either by snitching some useful canonical substance or bullying Maintainence into doing it. Though of course, that would force the default to be not-soundproof.
Re: An answer or two. by JulyFlame on 2010-01-04 19:28:00 UTC Reply

Well, it could be that the walls absorb the BEEPing because for HQ BEEPing is a generic sound and the walls are made of generic substance, and someone 'shrieking like a riled cat' isn't generic.

...Alternately, people just get used to a background noise of constant BEEPing.