Commander Whitelist Application
Byond ID? FGRSentinel
Player Name You Use Most? Goddard �Eagle� Pearsall
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 None.
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? Battlefield Executions are, in my opinion, a worst-case scenario option for a CO. It�s a tool that can immediately remove a Marine from the game and, therefore, one that I feel should never be used unless there�s absolutely no other options or the offense is grave and requires an immediate response. While a normal execution can only be given as punishment for serious or multiple Marine Law offenses and performed by the MPs or CMO, a BE can be used for a wider range of reasons by the CO him/herself and, therefore, a CO should never use it unless they�re absolutely willing to defend their reasoning and accept responsibility if their reasons aren�t acceptable.
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 For the most part, my Commanding Officer would believe in the philosophy given by George Patton: be decisive, be willing to lead by example, let capable groundside leaders and officers handle their Marines rather than micromanaging them, and ensure they know what they need to know if he can teach it to them.
As for how he would handle the given situations, it depends on the department, how many of them are insubordinate, and what exactly they�re doing:
For Requisitions and Engineering, identifying the troublemaker is important. If it�s someone with legitimate issues, they should be addressed and an attempt to correct the issue made first before considering any other course of action, especially if the entire department agrees with them. If nothing else can be done and they�re still doing their job as they should (ie, Req�s still sending down supplies and Engineering�s keeping power up) then an exact response depends on a case-by-case basis to prevent the situation from escalating. If they�re not doing their job, it�s entirely possible that the troublemakers will have to be brigged and the CO may have to handle their jobs personally, which is suboptimal.
In the event of insubordinate Command Staff, it again depends on the situation. If a SO refuses to follow orders or gives conflicting orders, they would be required to defend their decision and their orders when they run counter to my CO�s. So long as the orders they give are acceptable and don�t risk a mutiny, keeping everyone in line is less important than ensuring that the best course of action is taken. Unless there�s no choice but to brig or, worse, BE a SO or the XO, my CO would rather encourage his officers to think for themselves instead of being known as someone who shuts down all other suggestions.
Insubordinate MPs are, possibly, the most pressing concern for a CO outside of a mutiny or other such event. If it�s a single MP, they should most likely be brigged or given a lecture by the CMP. If it�s the CMP, it should be taken as a serious issue since they may try to disrupt the operation. If it�s the entire team, it�s unlikely they�ll listen to anything that�s said and a CO will have problems resolving it. As a result, I think my CO would handle such incidents with a gradual scale: correct, brig, contact HC, enlist the help of the SOs to detain the team, or, if absolutely nothing else works, execution.
What do you think is the job of a Commander? The most obvious, straightforward answer is that it�s the CO�s job to lead the Marines and maintain order. Beyond that, however, I feel that a CO�s job is to ensure the departments are running smoothly, that everyone knows what they�re supposed to do in their job, provide advice, and give encouragement where it�s needed.
If the CO knows how to do something and, more importantly, is allowed to icly know or explain how to do it, they should be willing and able to pass on that knowledge to others who either are struggling to understand the aspects of their role or are trying it out for the first time, be it a medic, engineer, Requisitions, an SL, or Command staff. While I�m not 100% certain if COs are allowed to competently explain systems they don�t icly have the skills to use, such as how to set up fire missions when they don�t have the knowledge to run most of the dropship�s systems, if they were allowed to do so it would be a good idea to pass along that knowledge to people playing fairly important roles.
As a player what do you think could be added for Commanding Officer to benefit the role? Beyond a few things that probably show my bias towards POs, not much that I can think of. Having the CO have some skill in piloting the dropships might make a lack of POs a bit easier to deal with or encourage COs to learn more about what POs do, but wouldn�t be necessary. Alternatives to the Mateba, such as a gun similar to the 88, and other custom weapons they can pick from may help differentiate each CO�s fighting style without using basic gear. Other than that, there�s not much I can think of.
What do you think you could contribute by being whitelisted? If nothing else, a fresh perspective. There�s been a few COs that have made an effort to learn how to play PO, but a large number don�t exactly know much about it. With the CAS rework over the last few months and the coming proposed changes, having someone with a vested interest in getting as much out of the PO role as possible in the CO or XO position means that, as changes are made in the future, the Marines will have someone who�s actively looking for ways to shake up the meta.
Your story (potential topics listed below) Crrk. �Alright, cadets, let�s try this again,� came the casual tone of Goddard Pearsall as he let out a sigh. He took a sip from the can in his hand before continuing. �Loosen up the formation before you crash into each other�� He turned, keeping an eye on the craft flying overhead. �Better, you�re learning.� He nodded in satisfaction as he glanced around at the fields around him as he noticed a man approach. �Commandant, I wasn�t expecting to see you here,� he said with a small grin, holding the can up.�
�I like to make a habit of meeting the instructors here, Commander. I might not have been here for very long, but I don�t think I�ve heard of anyone with a story like yours,� the academy�s Commandant said, glancing at the formation overhead.
Pearsall took a slow sip from the can. �What did the old lady say about me in my file before she left?� he asked, a bit of bitterness in his voice.
�Not much, but everything regarding the final exam you took is blacked out.� The Commandant got a grunt from the other man before continuing. �I assume it has to do with the disaster that happened around that time.�
Pearsall paused before gesturing at the nearby ammo dump, his hand going across the line of nearby training craft. �I don�t like that they rebuilt everything the exact same way, you know, sir? I look at this line and I think of Jameson sitting at the third bird, Smith in the sixth, the old Commandant�s daughter in the first� And the dump going up in a fireball while they�re all prepping their birds because someone had a mental break and bombed the ammo stores,� he tapped the can quietly, seemingly deep in thought. �The entire line just went up one by one��
�And then you lost your expected posting?�
�And then I lost my expected posting because the old lady blamed me for not stopping our friend from going up, yeah. The Almayer wasn�t that bad, though. Not as bad as everyone says, at least,� Pearsall said, turning away from the academy to look back over the fields. �The hardest part was seeing all the fresh cadets getting sent there from the bottom of the class with no real idea of how to operate the dropships, though.�
�You tried your best to help where you could though, didn�t you?� the Commandant asked. �From what I heard you made an effort to ensure people knew what to do.�
�I did what I could, yeah. You sit in that cockpit long enough listening to Command relaying orders, the squads talking, you start to pick up on things. Do a few good strafing runs on some CLF, relay information from a squad when their SO falls asleep, and people start to notice, I guess,� Pearsall said as he took a sip from the can. �I went mad for a while knowing that I�d be stuck in the CIC when the promotion came, but I made due as a lieutenant, I guess. You talk enough and make sure everyone knows what they need to know and you can get a lot done.�
�So why did you leave when you were promoted to Executive Officer?� the Commandant asked.
Pearsall shrugged. �I guess I started to miss being behind the controls of one of the birds. Pilots like Athena meant the hangar was in good hands, so it just� felt like I wasn�t needed as much, anymore. I knew I likely wouldn�t have a chance at an assignment on a carrier or anything, so coming back here was the best chance I had to get back into what I signed up for.�
The two watched the wing finish up the exercise before the Commandant spoke up again. �But you�re not quite as happy being here as you did when you first reported for the assignment, are you?�
�I suppose� Maybe I just miss being out there,� Pearsall said, pointing up at the sky. �Sure, the Almayer had its quirks, it had more than its fair share of functioning lunatics, but it was home to me. Whenever I think of all the borderline insane operations we took part in, all the madness people like Jackson caused, the casual joking whenever someone got pulled up from combat, no matter what it�s always fond memories. Then I look around and I remember the faces of my old friends and the closed casket funerals of people who didn�t even make it to deployment�� He took a breath, shaking his head. �I start to feel like I made a mistake. But it doesn�t really matter at this point. The Almayer has a new Executive Officer and I�m here.�
The Commandant put a hand on Pearsall�s shoulder before speaking up. �You�ve been here for about six months, Commander. If memory serves, you may be coming for a potential promotion. There�s a few ships under the command of the Herculis branch that will have some Captain positions empty in the next month or so,� he said, causing the man to look at him suspiciously. �Perhaps you should consider putting in a request for one if your promotion comes through.�
Pearsall nodded after a moment before looking back up at the sky. �Maybe I should,� he muttered to himself before pausing. �Anything else, sir?�
�No, that�s all. Carry on, Commander,� the Commandant said as he turned to leave.