Commander Whitelist Application
Byond ID? Vicacrov
Player Name You Use Most? Frey Spencer, Gloria Meyers
Make a list of links to all of your applications and (job)ban appeals, including whitelist and staff apps, within the last year. Also, provide "Ban reason; Verdict" beside each (job)ban link Returning developer, no app
Have you received any ban within the last month? How long was it and what for? No
Do you understand that any player - even donors or staff members - can have their whitelist status revoked should they break our Server Rules or Roleplay Guidelines? Yes
How do you view the tool of Battlefield Execution to be used? What circumstances do you think it would be necessary to BE a member of the crew? Where do you think the Battlefield Execution Mechanic Differs from regular Execution and why? It's the absolute last resort tool. If someone cannot listen to orders, they actively undermine the operation or in general, everyone's round - and they don't learn from being brigged -, then they serve the Corps better in dchat. Execution would be still preferred but oftentimes these ne'er-do-wells will run up to the CIC anyhow, posing a danger to the CO or his officers.
Compared to normal executions, I see BE more as a self-defense mechanism and a deterrent to players who usually mess with officers. If someone endangers the CO or anyone in his vicinity, the MPs might not get there in time - furthermore, it's usually accompanied by a nice bouquet of major crimes, that'd together warrant either permabrig or an execution anyhow.
The Almayer is already a very lax vessel in the USCM, might have at least one person on board who you don't want to call names.
Regardless, I don't see myself using BE too often if ever. Most players go nuts on command because they are either frustrated or because command was silent the whole round. Under normal circumstances, both situations are fixable without flexing with my Mateba.
How will your Commanding Officer run his/her ship? Provide a detailed explanation on how he would handle situations that might commonly occur such as, a insubordinate Req, Engineering, MP, or Command Staff She is one of the more serious and less friendly officers but most of it is a facade. She believes that officers should keep a distance from their subordinates to maintain a level of professionality and to be always seen as an impartial side in conflicts - but in fact, she cares about her men, and she does it too much.
That being said, she would both act protective and somewhat petty. If someone was repeatedly going against her, she would not place them in the way of harm, but she would sometimes miss their words by accident; or let them into rooms that she would have no intention whatsoever to let them out. However, despite her somewhat childish nature, she would try to stay professional.
In case of insubordinance, it would differ from case to case, based on its severity. Knowing that the USS Almayer is not famous for its elite forces or its bored military police, she would be lenient; she would correct people wrongly addressing her or talking back to her, and she would only get them brigged if their behaviour interfered with the mission. In the end, the success of the operation and the safety of her men are what matter for her, and she would be ready to put aside her pride for the sake of them.
Micromanaging would be one of her weaknesses but she would do it in good faith. If requisitions, engineering, or the brig was underperforming, she would go there in person and first ask about their problems, then she would try to get them solved. Only due to time shortage or if said people were deaf to reason would she put them aside and do things herself.
What do you think is the job of a Commander? OOCly, to cater to the current players' playstyle to make the round fun for them. Putting delta on FOB duty or asking bravo to push to containers on LV at 12:30 might be surprising but said players did not choose those squads to do this.
ICly, it's their job to listen to everything and to make heads or tails of the current situation. Most often, an elaborate plan is not necessary to win - as long as information flows between the squads and between the squads and the Almayer, marines do just fine. Seeing the option of a flank or deciding when to call a retreat is obviously a very important aspect of any commanding role but for me, these are all secondary. I think, at least in ss13, command roles should put more emphasis on communication and logistics than fancy orders and rank-flexing.
As a player what do you think could be added for Commanding Officer to benefit the role? Changing this to what I think as a dev:
- XO/CO lacks helmet camera access which hinders their ability to see the groundside situation /a lot/. They have to kick out SOs of the software to glance at each squad before he would make any important strategic step.
- The ability to disable the OB cannon so trigger-happy SOs don't shoot their own squads.
- The ability to remotely assign people (IOs for example) to squads.
- An actual tool to make themselves seen and heard at briefing. I don't know yet how they could stand out even more but the megaphone messages get lost very easily during high pop.
- A way to share the tacmap instead of gyazoing the heck out of announcements.
What do you think you could contribute by being whitelisted? I usually play during lowpop when most CO players are asleep and there is a general staff shortage.
I'm also a super talkative and yet somewhat serious player, which is not that common among the COs I've seen. I'm ready to play both a highRP captain and a simple commanding role in a PvP game, depending on the current players.
Choose one of the following story topics to write about
"Thank you for coming, captain Chester - and congratulations on your recent promotion."
After a sharp salute, she slowly seated herself in front of the members of the Marine Board. She always thought that after two decades of service, no official situation would seem daunting to her. And yet, there she was: in the heart of the High Command base, staring back at admirals coming in all ranks and flavours.
The enormous room was unnerving, to say the least. The walls being completely white, her superior officers towering above her on a raised stage, looking down at her as if she was about to be court martialed - even though she knew she was not in trouble, she was tense.
She focused on keeping the cold, stern look on her face that she practiced for oh so long, and nodded.
"Thank you, sir."
"Now, let's get to the point, shall we?" the admiral asked with an almost jovial smile. "Your conduct has been exemplary so far, without any major incidents..." he said, looking down at a paper that he was clearly not bothered with reading. "The lack of exceptional results is a bit unfortunate, but well, not all of us can be heroes, can we?"
He paused for a second, obviously waiting for a laugh: to which Cassandra instantly responded with a polite half-smile. How humorous, she grumbled to herself, but her smile remained unwaivering. Seeing that his joke would not receive any further reactions, the admiral continued.
"So, captain - do you have any idea why did you receive a promotion and was summoned here?"
She felt her stomach tied in knots. Her first guess on her way to here was that she was just promoted due to her service time and then sent back to her patrol vessel... But the way the question was formulated hinted otherwise. Was she perhaps - being discharged for underperforming among the many marine officers? Is this a post-service promotion so that she would retire with a better paygrade?
"I don't know, sir," she replied in a monotonous voice, too distracted by her racing thoughts.
That last mission she was sent to, where she ordered a retreat despite the odds; was she too cautious there? Should she have risked the lives of her men in hope for a pat on the head from High Command? Should she have gone ahead, take the UPP soldiers as prisoners, losing some men in the process, but gaining...
"...is why we are reassigning you to another, bigger vessel than your current one."
She blinked, falling back to reality. Wait, she was not discharged: she was actually... Promoted? Her cautious nature finally paid off? Is it true after all, that with hard work and small risks, one can really reach the ranks of admiralty?
"Thus, your next vessel is the USS Almayer, a-"
"Fuck!"
A heavy silence fell upon the room. Seconds ticked in an awfully slow manner, slowing down even more as she realized she had actually said that.
...
This is fine.
The pounding of her heart got louder and louder in her ears, leaving her in a deafened state. Even though she refrained from curling her hands into fists, all her fingers screamed from getting strained. All that grace and collected air around her was washed away in the blink of an eye. This was it: the only time she met all these important people in one room, all gathering because of her, her only, private moment to shine; turning into a possible NJP if not worse, at the center of the very place one really did not want to meet the military police.
After a pause that seemed like eternity, she raised her gaze at the admiral sitting in the middle; and bit by bit a wide, dumb smile formed on her face.
"I am honoured, sir."