Moderator Application
Personal Information
Byond ID? Podrick Equus
CM Character? Sergio "Bucket" Burkett
Are you 16 or older? Yes
Timezone UTC−06:00
On average, how many hours are you available per week to moderate? 30+
Qualifications
Do you have any previous experience in being staff (not just SS13)? Not particularly
Do you play any servers aside from CM-SS13? Goonstation
Provide links to any previous Colonial Marines applications that you've made: N/A
Are you currently a staff member elsewhere (not just SS13)? If so, where? Technically not staff, but I'm a Mentor and whitelisted Head of Security on Goonstation
Have you ever been banned for more than 24 hours on Colonial Marines? No
Have you ever been banned for more than 24 hours on ANY server? If so, which server, when, and what for? I've never been banned anywhere
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? Sure am!
Common Staff Situations
A player randomly shoots someone at round start and MPs have detained him. I ask the player in question what their intentions were, to see if it was intentional or an accident. If it turns out to be intentional, and if they have no prior griefing history, I would ask them sternly not to do it again and apply a note to their ckey. If they have prior griefing history, I would apply a ban based upon their history, possibly after coordinating with other moderators on an applicable punishment.
A player ahelps that a predator has violated the honor code when killing him, what should you do? I ask the player for details on what the predator did and check logs to see if they match up. I also message the predator to get their side of the story as well. Should the predator be at fault, I... honestly I'm not sure what the punishment for that is, but I'd ask other moderators for help determining what to do from there.
You see a player walking around the ship naked and clearly lost at roundstart. I check to see if a SEA is around and notify them of the potential new player. If there isn't one available, I'd go out of my way to help them learn the ropes myself.
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'm not too familiar with the admin hierarchy here on CM, though I'd ask the player if they have read Rule 0.2. If they continue to argue, I'd tell them to make a staff complaint on the forums regarding the matter. If this isn't normal procedure, please correct me.
A player ahelps that a marine is named 'John Doe', how do you deal with this? Though in my personal opinion, the name "John Doe" holds no significance and is a fairly unassuming name, it did belong to a real, somewhat well known person, thus making it a violation of Rule 12. I would PM John Doe and tell him of this, and ask him what name he'd like his character to be instead.
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. If I see this happen IC, I'd ask them what they're doing with that equipment, and should they not want to return it, I'd go notify the MPs. If I see this happen while observing, I'd subtly give the MPs a hint that the MT is carrying things they shouldn't be carrying.
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? I PM the marine that I'll take care of it, and to sit tight for a minute. I ask the survivor if they'd read the Server Rules, specifically the part that states that survivors are not allowed to be hostile to marines. If they apologize, I apply a note to their account and let them continue as normal. If they refuse to comply, I apply a ban instead. If the dead marine isn't able to be revived by a medic, I aheal them.
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 tell the player I'll look into it. I message the MP asking for their side of the story, possibly checking chat logs to see if the story lines up. If its a misunderstanding, I inform the MP to instead apply the punishment for Trespassing and Theft. If the MP is abusing their power, I apply a note and an appropriate ban to them, then release the permabrigged player. In my eyes, Security roles should be held to a higher standard than most other jobs.
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? Personally, I'd try to inform both sides that if they don't finish the round soon, a dea-
[QUEEN MOTHER PSYCHIC COMMAND]
Hurry sisters, I have sensed an incoming bird containing extremely dangerous hosts. It will arrive in X minutes. You must take the skyhive quickly, otherwise I fear the worst.
...And as for what I'd send the marines, since I don't have ARES... I guess I'd just inform them in MOOC that they have X amount of time to complete the operation before Fun Times begin.
This allows dead players something to do (ERT) while they're waiting for the next round to start.
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 try to confirm with them to see they're doing this on purpose, and gauge their response. If they seem to be doing it on purpose, I admin PM them and ask them if they've read the Server Rules, specifically Rule 4. If they say they have, I inform them that they knowingly broke the rules and apply an appropriate punishment based upon their history. If they say they haven't, I tell them that its required to read the Server Rules and I still apply an appropriate punishment based upon their history.
The round ends, a Marine starts shooting a hostile CLF member and the CLF member ahelps about being killed after the round ended. I inform the CLF member that EORG does not apply to factions that are normally hostile to one another. If they continue to complain, I tell them again they can't be griefed by hostile factions and ignore further complaints.
A Marine is running around disarming, punching and stealing gear at round start. You receive an ahelp from one of the victims. I inform the victim that I'll look into it. I PM the offending marine, asking them if they've read the Server Rules, specifically Rule 4. Should they have no prior griefing history, I tell them to knock it off and apply a note to their account. If they have done this before, I apply an appropriate ban based upon their history.
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. I ask the offending marine why a punch warranted murder as a response. Regardless of their answer, I tell them that what they did was against the rules, specifically Rule 14. If they have no griefing history, I apply a note, and maybe a ban if they're being a jerk about it. If they have prior history, I apply an appropriate ban.
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 inform the marines in MOOC that all mutinies need to be ahelped, and try to organize it into an actual mutiny as best I can. Truthfully, I haven't participated in mutinies very much so I don't know the proper procedure with them.
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. I talk in MOOC telling people that racism is forbidden, and that further racist comments, no matter how small, will be met with harshly. It is my opinion that allowing racist and "almost racist" words simply lets undesirables hurt and insult the good folks of CM13 by treading the line. There is nothing funny about racism. Responses such as "but I didn't use a hard R" should be treated just the same as saying the full N word. Other situations such as PMCs talking about killing non-white troops also isn't funny. This is the one thing that I take personally.
A marine opens fire at round start in briefing killing multiple marines and instantly logs off. I permaban the offending marine. They clearly had no intention of ever following the rules, so should they have a change of heart later, I want to hear about it through a ban appeal on the forums. I may also adminheal any marines depending upon the situation.
You see a player playing a Xeno larva/chestburster run towards the frontlines straight from the Xeno hive the second they burst and die. I PM the player asking them what they were doing to gauge their response. I apply a note based upon their response, and also apply a short ban for suicide/griefing.
You see a Xeno memeing, saying AYYLMAO, REEEEEE etc in hivemind chat, as well as insulting the Queen. I (am beginning to sound like a broken record) PM the player asking them if they've read the server rules, specifically the Xenos section under Rule 2. I also inform them that LRP phrases aren't allowed. If they apologize, I let it slide. If they continue to behave this way, I apply a note to their account, and have the QM say that she will not tolerate insolence from a sister that insults their Queen and banish that xenomorph.
A Xeno player calls the shuttle a "dropship". A different Xeno player ahelps that it's low role play to call it a "dropship". This one is pretty tricky. Its toeing the line, for sure. I think I'd offer a gentle reminder to the player that said "dropship" to use the xeno slang instead, and that they are not in trouble.
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. I tell the marine that I'll take care of it. I inform the command staff member that they aren't allowed to know what's on the planet beforehand, and should they apologize, I let it slide.
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. My interpretation is that though Rule 14: Lethal Force technically allows this, since it was a "legitimate, explainable roleplay reason", Rule 4: No Griefing still takes precedence over it. Though we are attempting to roleplay realistic characters, at the end of the day we are still playing a game for fun. Murdering another player just so you can evacuate instead of them nets a worse emotional response for the victim than if they had died anywhere else leading up to that point, and may result in them permanently leaving the server if actions like this are allowed. It is my belief that we shouldn't allow behaviors that could lead to situations like this, since we're all just here to have fun.
Of course, if there is other staff on I would ask them for advice, but my above answer assumes that nobody else is on for me to consult.
I'm interested in learning what the proper way to handle this is.
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 inform them that if they really want to complain properly, then to make a complaint on the forums about me. I also tell them that insulting staff who are trying to help them is an unwise move.
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? Not sure what the proper procedure for this is.
I'd try to figure out what circumstances were surrounding the player. Were they on the front lines with the rest of the marines? Pushing alone? Either way, I'd try to console them and say that stuff like this happens sometimes, and I may provide them (without telling them directly) a minor boon to help them get to safety to get the larva removed IC, but only if it wouldn't negatively affect other players.
My thought process is that I want to try and turn an unfortunate experience into a memorable one, thus making the player happy and providing them with a fun story to share in the future.
You see a fellow staff member give wrong information in an Adminhelp or incorrectly enforce a rule. I would privately message that staff member and ask them if they're sure they handled an adminhelp correctly. I would also explain my thoughts on the matter, and should they reply with hostility towards me I would ~~question why they are a staff member in the first place~~ er, I mean inform another, higher ranked member of staff about the situation.
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? Personally this is why I disagree with the ticket system. Staff members should internally form a consensus on how to handle a situation, with the majority vote determining how an adminhelp is handled.
But to answer the question, I would report the situation to a higher member of staff, explaining that I believed the banning admin to have acted hastily and without properly consulting their fellow staff before issuing a ban. Even if they were correct in banning that player, its important that everyone is on the same page before a player is banned, warned, etc.
Why would you like to become a moderator? Because I really like this server, and I want to see it become a better place.
In your opinion, what is the most important quality for a moderator? Patience.
Anything else you "Anything else you"
I think you accidentally a word.
Despite me living in the UTC-6 time zone, I often stay up to the unholy hours of the morning and play during those periods.
Personally I do not like the ticket system, as I'm used to all mentorhelps on Goonstation being open for any mentor/admin to respond to (adminhelps also work this way). That way, any staff member can freely add on to or correct any response by another staff member should they have additional information relevant to the player.
Also full disclosure: I have no idea what powers Moderators get, so some of my answers may not be possible because I incorrectly assumed that I would have a certain power.