Moderator Application
Personal Information
Byond ID? ImHereToHelp
CM Character? Tom Dinkle/Trace Taylor
Are you 16 or older? Yes
Timezone EST
On average, how many hours are you available per week to moderate? Around 10-14. I observe a lot
Qualifications
Do you have any previous experience in being staff (not just SS13)? Nope
Do you play any servers aside from CM-SS13? Not actively. Played on BD a little bit but mostly a CM boy
Provide links to any previous Colonial Marines applications that you've made
Provide links to any previous Colonial Marines applications that you've made:
Are you currently a staff member elsewhere (not just SS13)? If so, where? I am not a staff member in any organization.
Have you ever been banned for more than 24 hours on Colonial Marines? I have never been banned, no.
Have you ever been banned for more than 24 hours on ANY server? If so, which server, when, and what for? I have not been banned on any other server.
Are you familiar with the chat program Discord (its use is required)? Yes
Communication is a vital part of being a Moderator. Are you willing to actively do so with the team? Of course. It helps that I am familiar with almost every staff member and I've yet to dislike a single one. I am happy to work with them.
Common Staff Situations
A player randomly shoots someone at round start and MPs have detained him. Ask the offender why they shot another player. If the player seems new and doesn't have bad notes, give a verbal warning and note them. If player has bad notes or is being rude, 3 hour ban.
A player ahelps that a predator has violated the honor code when killing him, what should you do? Moderators have no power over whitelisted players and thus I would give them the link to our Player Reports subforum and encourage them to make a report.
You see a player walking around the ship naked and clearly lost at roundstart. Im here to help! Well, the mentor is here to help first but if not, I will mentor them.
A player is being very rude to you in adminhelps, calling you names and arguing everything you say. He is requesting to speak to an Admin+ staff member. I like to believe that the time I've spent playing this game has given me a thick skin and I honestly would not be phased by their aggression. From what I understand, they have no right to speak to higher-ups but I would gladly give them the link to the Staff Report subforum and encourage them to create a report.
A player ahelps that a marine is named 'John Doe', how do you deal with this? John Doe? Seems like a very harmless name to me. I would take no action and inform the ahelper that it does not violate our naming rules.
You see a Maintenance Tech running around in armor and carrying a rifle. The security level is green and there has been no threat to the ship in the round at this point. The most IC issue I've ever seen. It is not my place to micromanage such things and thus would take no action.
A Marine ahelps that they were killed by a survivor. It is early round, the Marines have just landed, and the survivor claims that they were outright hostile to all Marines from the get-go and openly stated their intentions. How do you deal with this? This is a non-issue. Survivors have the right to be hostile as long as they do it from the very beginning and I will inform the player of this rule.
You receive an ahelp from a player stating that an MP has locked them up in permanent confinement for running into Requisitions and taking an attachment that was laying around. I would bwoink the MP asking for his side of the story. If I am not happy with his reply, tell him to free the marine and apply a note. If his reply tells another story, speak to the original ahelper and ask more questions. If the situation is too complex to make a fair decision at that moment in time, encourage the player to create a player report.
The round is stagnating. There are 30 marines and 4 aliens. The marines won't leave the ship, and the aliens won't attack. What would you do, to "encourage" the sides to engage each other? Sending a Queen Mother Directive is the easiest solution. I would force the xenos to board because this is the easiest way to end the round. There is no way you'll convince a battered low-pop marine force to board a dropship and attack with no barricades on the planet. It is more logistically sound to have xenos tough it out.
You are playing as a medic, and another medic overdoses all your patients and prevent marines from being revived. It seems like it may be on purpose. How do you deal with this situation? I would create an ahelp just like any other player and have another moderator look into it.
The round ends, a Marine starts shooting a hostile CLF member and the CLF member ahelps about being killed after the round ended. End of round grief only applies to players of allied factions. Hostile factions can still kill each other.
A Marine is running around disarming, punching and stealing gear at round start. You receive an ahelp from one of the victims. The disarms and punching can be resolved ICly via MPs as long as it isnt absolutely griefy, like if the round started and they just start shoving specs so they are late to their prep rooms. However, stealing gear is grief no matter what and I would be very stern with the offender and ask that they return all stolen gear. Then after apply a note.
You receive an ahelp from a Marine saying that he was killed by another Marine. When you ask the murderer why, he said it was because the other Marine had punched him. Improper escalation. Apply note and verbal warning. If very poor note history of similar behavior, 3 hour or a day ban depending on severity.
You find out that there is an improper mutiny occuring. The mutineers are rallying together and preparing to storm the CIC. How would you attempt to resolve this situation? I've seen this happen numerous times and I will merely copy what I've seen other moderators do:
I would make an OOC announcement stating that this mutiny is improper and for all participating players to cease. If they continue, I would screen-wide admin sleep them and give one final warning to cease their mutiny. If players continue behavior, 3 hour ban and note.
There are minor racist comments going on IC. 9 of the 10 people are laughing and RPing but one player gets offended and Adminhelps about it. Key word is minor racist comments. Minor racism is an IC issue and I will inform the ahelper of this. If the offender was spamming the n-word like 50 times then I will speak to the player relax on the language.
A marine opens fire at round start in briefing killing multiple marines and instantly logs off. Textbook griefer. Tell me if I'm being too harsh but I would give a note, week ban and file for perma. And of course aheal all the victims.
You see a player playing a Xeno larva/chestburster run towards the frontlines straight from the Xeno hive the second they burst and die. This griefs the xeno faction by denying a respawn and it also destroys a xeno slot that a dead player could join. I would sternly talk to the offending player, inform them of their rule break and apply a note.
You see a Xeno memeing, saying AYYLMAO, REEEEEE etc in hivemind chat, as well as insulting the Queen. This is considered LRP and I will inform the player of this and give a note.
A Xeno player calls the shuttle a "dropship". A different Xeno player ahelps that it's low role play to call it a "dropship". Aliens don't have beat around the bush when they are making call outs. They don't have to say "Boomtuber" they could literally say "The robust Delta RPG spec is being treated by a medic at Hydroponics" and it would be fine because the Hivemind translates everything into something all xenos can understand.
So a xeno calling the shuttle a dropship is not a rulebreak and thus no action taken.
A Command staff player at briefing near round-start mentions there are aliens on the planet. You receive an ahelp from a marine regarding this. If it's the Captain, I would talk to Bancrose and ask how the hell did you guys approve of a player who doesn't know about the First Contact rule. If it's someone else, I will bwoink them and inform them of the First Contact rule and note their rule break.
You find a Marine killing another Marine on the EVAC Pod to take the last spot and claims it was RP as he was saving himself. There are two other marines in the pod along with him. I honestly do not know what I'd do. The most realistic answer I could give is ask for advice from senior staff members on msay and arbitrate based on the advice I am given. From a player PoV I would be biased against the offending marine, but from a moderator perspective I really do not know what to do.
A player insults you after you warn them for a minor issue and begins ranting in LOOC or dchat about staff and mentions you specifically, referring to you as an 'idiot' and a 'retard'. I experience this regularly as Captain. When I do, I would normally argue back or throw a few insults here and there. However, if the complaints are about me as a staff member, I will remember that I represent SS13:CM and thus will be patient with the player and inform them that making a staff report is a more productive venture.
A player ahelps saying he was hugged by a Xeno when he was ssd, and wants the larva be removed from him via admin powers. How do you handle the ahelp? Absolutely not. Tough cookie marine, go take your 20 minute medbay vacation.
You see a fellow staff member give wrong information in an Adminhelp or incorrectly enforce a rule. I will inform the staff member of their mistake in msay so they have the opportunity to correct themselves on their own terms as to avoid undermining their authority.
Two staff are arguing in msay if an ahelp is breaking a rule. Because the staff who took the ahelp thinks the player broke a rule, they ban the player based on their interpretation of the rules, with others thinking the person was fine. What would you do? I would bring this to the attention of their respective manager and stay out of their dispute.
Why would you like to become a moderator? I like the CM community and I am happy to be a part of it. Part of the reason why I and many others like it is because the staff team works so hard (for FREE) to make sure everything is running smoothly and disputes are arbitrated fairly. I would like to be a cog in this machine and I hope you'll give me the opportunity.
In your opinion, what is the most important quality for a moderator? The most important quality in a moderator is to see the power and authority you have as a burden. You will have to deal with bullshit that will get in the way of your own enjoyment of the round but you do it anyways because it's that tiny toil of love that makes the server more enjoyable for the rest of the players.
Anything else you I would like those reading my application to give me their own questions. I feel like I've metagamed the answers to the ones I have answered above because I've read a few moderator applications in the past, so I'd like some fresh questions so that you may properly gauge my ability to arbitrate.
Thank you for reading.