Commanding Officer Whitelist Application
Personal InformationByond ID? LilPenpusher
Player Name You Use Most? Misti Rockwell
Make a list of links to all of your ban appeals as well as whitelist and staff applications (both accepted and denied) submitted within the past year. For appeals, provide an additional ban reason and the appeal’s verdict next to the link. Lore Contributor Application [ACCEPTED]
Have you received any bans in the last month? No
What is your timezone in UTC? UTC +01
What is your discord username and handle? Nico#2608
Basic Questions & StoryWhat do you think is the job of a Commander? The Commanding Officer is an anchor for both roleplay and leadership.
Many shipside roles, such as the CL, will very much rely on a CO to be competant and engaging to roleplay with, expecting more than a simple shrug or to be ignored. This obviously goes beyond just the CL, though. People will, inevitably and understandably, expect a Commander to show good roleplaying ability and to be fun to engaging to be around. They should keep in character, and inspire others to do the same to foster a healthy environment in-game.
The latter of the two, leadership, is much more 'gameplay' focused. A Commander should always display an ability to not just 'inform' people but inspire, rally and actually lead them properly. A proper Commander should earn the respect of his men through actual trials and tribulations, not by spamming the Comms Console with threats of arrests or BE or similar. Good leadership WILL make or break an operation.
Why do you want to be a Commanding Officer? After having tried my hand at SO, and later XO, I found myself greatly enjoying leadership roles in CiC. XO, in particular, I find very fun to play, though unlike some people I actually find myself a little saddened that the CO has the 'privilege' to simply leave the XO in charge of operations while they handle roleplay situations such as with the CL, or even MPs.
Me, personally, I would very much like to dive into those sorts of situations myself. Those who know me already are aware that I greatly value roleplay in-game, and thus I personally consider CO a role worth striving towards, since it offers many avenues for exciting roleplaying situations, and isn't quite as limited as an XO.
What do you think you could contribute by being whitelisted? I would personally consider myself a very competent person at roleplay, and would have little to no issue to sticking to the HRP requirement (quotation needed) for CO rounds. As stated before, I would actually often prefer and enjoy this more than anything else. As a Commander, I would want to continue setting an example for fun and engaging roleplay, so as to perhaps set a little precedent for improving the health of rp standards across rounds, evne if it's little by little.
Of course, aside from roleplay, I also think I would be a capable and efficient member of the CiC crew. Quick with announcements, talkative over comms and tries to always keep in touch with the other major parties for the Op, primarily Squad leads, the RO, the MT/CE/Whoever is meant to load the OB and, of course, the rest of CiC. To me, communication has always been very important, not just inside of Command roles. I like to make people aware I'm not asleep.
How will your Commanding Officer behave? Describe their character. Misti tries to keep her cool in public, keeping a face of relative ease and laughing her issues off. She has an open ear for people's issues, and is generally a very empathetic personality. She is not a stranger to acting, and knows what is expected of her as part of her duties. Being incredibly drawn to her sense of duty and honour, she will make a great effort to appease the Marines by appearing as close to a friend, helper and ally as she can, so as to keep her soldiers close to heart and have them trust her.
In a more private environment, she will usually open up more, and criticize many people for their mistakes. She loathes the UA and USCM, but in the end accepts her charge. She finds her sense of duty to be above political or ideological preference, and thus disrespects those in the corps who share no such sense of duty or honour.
Name and briefly describe your Commanding Officer's own ship. The USS Yokosuka is a light-cruiser vessel, primarily designed for escort and thus screening duties.
The Ship sacrificed some of its ship-to-ship weaponry in favour of additional Anti-Aircraft mounts to fend off fighter and bomber craft, as well as slower-moving torpedoes and rockets, or any boarding vessels approaching.
Captain Rockwell initially protested against these changes, much preferring a stronger ship that could stand on its own, but such request was quickly turned down, as High Command found itself distrustful of entrusting anything of higher significance to a foreigner amidst their ranks whom they barely knew, all things considered.
Your story (potential topics listed below)
ExperienceHow experienced are you with the position of a Squad Leader (SL)? Ok, this is gonna be a running theme for all roles, so I'll say straight away that I do not believe playtimes necessarily represent experience.
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Overall, I feel quite experienced as SL. I main Bravo, and so when I SL I will be playing a Tycoon game at FOB, which to me is rather refreshing given the need to oversee your Engies and Medics and needing to distribute guards and mats and whatnot. Even when I am not Bravo though, I know how to keep myself upright.
I know how to inspire people to rally around me, or yell loud enough to get the point across. In case of emergency I'll use the damn whistle to really hammer it home. I know how to JTac and will do so semi-frequently, though a Bravo SL I obviously have better to do than calling OBs usually. I'm active on Command comms and, when I'm Bravo, Req comms to keep everyone informed of what's going on and what's needed.
Objectively speaking, 13 hours of SL.
How experienced are you with the position of a Staff Officer (SO)? I only have 6 hours to my name as SO, but that doesn't sell the point entirely. SO, as many know, can just as easily be taken over by a CO or XO, since it's not like using OW consoles is theirs and their right alone. I've used ALL the CiC consoles aplenty, and know how to use Overwatch Consoles. Squad monitoring, helmet cams, direct messaging to squads and SLs, supply drops, OB coords and so on.
All of this, I do very well know, and although my SO hours themselves may be lacking, I 100% understand how to actually play the role.
How experienced are you with the position of a Department Head? Honestly? I have none. I've played CT and been acting RO many times, both as CT and XO, but I never outright joined a round as RO. I know how req works, and if needed I can most definitely sprint down there, hand out equipment and handle the ASRS.
I have no experience on CMO, or even any Medbay staff for that matter. I know certain surgeries and chems exist, but short of that, I do not actually know how to play them. That said, I *do* have 105 hours as Squad Medic, so I do know how to patch up wounded Marines on the field or in an emergency. To me, this, to a Commander, seems more relevant than knowing surgery. I still know very well how Doctors and the CMO play, and what their responsibilities are, though.
CMP I also have not explicitly played, though I have put in a dedicated effort to play MP and also Warden to get a proper and definite grasp on ML and SOP. The actual reason I haven't jumped onto CMP itself is that I don't want to be the Head of MPs, given the headache that ought to be. It's just not a role I want to be in, and that has to do more with how players treat you than a lack of understanding.
CE I also have never played, or OT/MT. I *have* played my fair share of Squad Engi, however, and know how to setup cades and other such field constructions. Same as with Medic, this, I believe, is by far more useful for a Commander to know than how to setup a reactor or how to brew maxcap grenades.
How experienced are you with the position of the Executive Officer (XO)? I have 22 hours of XO under my belt now, and have played the position a lot in recent days. I really, really enjoy it, as already outlined earlier, and feel as though I have a very solid grasp on it and its duties and responsibilities. I am always trying to be clear and talkative to other Command, including Squad Leaders, while keeping watchful eye via Helmet Cams and Tac Map, and using the Announcement system frequently to keep EVERYONE informed about major developments (which happen often).
How familiar are you with Marine Law and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)? Though I already believed I knew it beforehand, I decided to embark on a short journey of playing MP (and MW) to properly get a grasp of how ML and SOP is enforced in-game by MPs. By now, I feel as though I have a very solid grasp on things, though some of the veterans will still point out minor corrections in-game sometimes that I am always willing to accept. Again, I play MP to learn how to do it right, in the end.
I also know ho to operate the JAS and Brig overall.
ScenariosWhen do you believe a Battlefield Execution should be used? List some examples of scenarios in which a battlefield execution would be correctly used. Many people would instinctively type that a BE is a classic 'last resort' choice of action, and while yes I believe that is ALSO true, it is primarily an additional tool the Captain has (as opposed to an XO or SO) to dealing with dangerous individuals or behaviour that might otherwise have to go unchallenged. It's an effective way for the Captain to show who is in charge, and to remind everyone to stick to their tasks and not mess about. In other words, as the internet often lovingly puts it: "Fuck around and find out."
Scenarios in which I would resort to a BE, as such, would be, for example:
- I have deployed groundside and a Marine, in my DIRECT PRESENCE (if it's over radio I'd just ignore it, usually), is insulting my person and/or authority, and is mocking my ability to continue to command the operation, thus conducting an attempt to undermine my legitimate command and my presence on the ground.
- The Ship has been boarded by Xenos and we are holed up inside CiC, since that's where AA was set. I announce a counter-charge towards the discovered crash site, and a SO jumpts to the announcement console and orders Marines to ignore my command because 'it's suicidal'. Since it is shipside, I would usually have him arrested for Sedition charges. Since it's Delta Alert, it's a BE.
- I am speaking to the CMP about a MT who is wanted for possible subterfuge, working against the USCM. Said MT suddenly appears and reveals a Shotgun, blasting Slugs at the CMP and myself. This is a direct attempt on my life, and I would BE him in a heartbeat.
Under what circumstances do you believe it is legal to pardon a prisoner? What are some examples of crimes you would pardon, and those you would not? I believe it is viable and legal to pardon someone if they are either
1. Trustworthy and well-behaved, and I sternly believe their crime to have been a slip up rather than norm
2. They are DESPERATELY needed for groundside operations. Note that I am NOT a fan of pardoning Specs, Engies and so on simply because their jobs are rarer and somewhat impactful. If you commit a dumb crime, thinking you could get away due to a pardon, then you 100% deserve to serve your time in my opinion. That kind of mentality needs to be rotted out. A CO being present is not a get-out-of-jail-free card for Specs, and should never be.
As for actual crimes? First of all, no Capital Crimes obviously. The SL can cry as much as they want, but I am not allowed to pardon them after they C4'd the brig and caused a jailbreak, nor am I able to pardon someone charged with Desertion or Sedition. If I *really* wanted to pardon despite this, I would consider writing a Fax to HC about it, but I honestly doubt this would ever occur. Still, it's an option.
Crimes I would most likely consider to pardon are:
- FFP
- DtGP
- Assault (Assault can be classified as anything as mild as shoving someone over, which is quite silly to me)
- Manslaughter (if I had a GOOD witness that could explain that said manslaughter really was an accident/not deliberate/not due to sheer stupidity on the convict's part
Crimes I would probably NOT pardon:
- Theft (Go and ask people for shit, dont just take it)
- DASO (Stop being a Clown for a second and show some actual respect)
- Disorderly Conduct (Disrupt my briefing and you'll have your round disrupted with brig time. It's that simple)
- Neglect of Duty
- Assault with a deadly weapon (obvious)
What is your routine after starting the round as either a Staff Officer or Executive Officer? Assume you joined round-start and are inside your quarters. - Wake up
- Cry because didn't roll Spec
- Check Crew Manifest. Check Command staff first, check for a CO and SOs. Then check for POs because we need at least one, ideally. Then check Requisitions for at least one person. Look over and check if there's any MP presence.
- Leave my Dorms and move to the CiC Cubicle. Greet the SOs and greet the Captain if there is one
- Ask the Captain for their preferred LZ for the Op, and what time they want to hold briefing, and where. If there is no CO, I'll decide.
- Take another look at the manifest, this time looking at Squads. First glance always goes to Bravo, since they're the Fobbits. If Bravo doesn't have Engies, immediately consider sending MTs if there are any, or my Synth.
- Check the other 3 squads for manpower. Note that down in my head.
- Greet the CO (if there is one) and ask them if they want to hold the Briefing or if I ought to. Also ask whether they want to devise an overarching strategy for the beginning or not.
- If not, I'll draw up a plan, considering the details of the squads as previously mentioned
- Help at Req if it's absolutely needed because of no Req staff. Delay briefing if it's a super long line and there's LITERALLY nobody who could do it instead (no SEA, no Synth, no nothing).
- Hold Briefing.
- End briefing, Inform Pilot about scheduled dust off and rush back to CiC
- Once at CiC, punch the Briefing details into a consolidated announcement and post that, so that everyone has the orders on their screens.
- Play the gaaaaame
How would you handle insubordinate departments? State what you would do for each department if they were insubordinate. Military Police: Unless *I* fucked up severely and broke Military law, and they faxed HC and got an arrest order on me from the Provost Marshal, it is not allowed for the MPs to be insubordinate to me. Thus, if someone like the CMP actually were to behave like this, I would actually ahelp since it's a server rule break and an OOC issue.
Medical: Borderline impossible due to the nature of medbay. The closest thing that will happen is Researchers growing Xenos in Containment without telling anyone, or the CMO refusing to tell me. If so, I would have a stern talk with the CMO asking him why he didn't update me on such a situation, but in general, Medical doesn't really break too many bounds.
Req: Absolutely vital to the Operation, and thus super duper important to keep in line. I would personally, with an MP escort if possible, visit Req and try to talk things out with the RO or CTs. It's possible Req is just miffed about a lack of coords, or just overall communication. Or maybe they dropped mats and the crate got snatched by xenos because it was dropped way too close to the front, and all the mats went to waste? Who knows. It's probably not as severe as initially thought.
Engineering: If the MTs/CE shows such behaviour, I'd simply order their arrests. MTs, OTs and the CE are important but they aren't "important", so to speak. The Operation can and will continue even with all of Engineering in the Brig, if it gets that far. Only person I would be looking out for is the OT, but if that guy actually were to toss a custom nade at an MP that's a pretty solid attempt at murder. Also kinda based.
How would you handle an understaffed CIC? What if you and the XO are the only available CIC crew? ASSUMING that, despite the understaffed CiC, the other relevant departments had adequate staffing (so no CiC needed to fill in at req or deputized to enforce ML, yada yada) then I would tell the XO to handle the Overwatch consoles, while I carry on duties from the cubicle, watching helmet and tacmaps while continuously doing announcements. If the XO turned out to not be up to it, such as being new to the role, I'd swap roles with him and take OW duty instead, since that's more taxing. I don't want to ruin a person's experience of the job.
Assuming "undertaffed CiC" means JUST me? I would have to juggle in between the OW consoles as before, and rely on my trusty IPad to make announcements. There's no second person, so I would absolutely HAVE to be on top of my game and keep track of everyone and everything, including req, squad chats and more.
What would you do if you were deployed and a marine told you they were going to desert the operation? If said Marine is NOT face-to-face with me, I wouldn't pay it any mind. People always talk shit over comms, much of it boils down to battle chatter and rp, like two people saying "Fuck this man, Im going home!" but not actually leaving.
If they ARE in my direct presence, and tell me they are going to desert and abandon their post, then I would try my darndest to talk them out of it. Chances are they might be a fellow human being and can be talked sense into with the correct tone of voice. Show some compassion and understanding, tell them that, yes, we've ALL been there, and this 3 hour operation is VERY tiring and taxing on all of us, but we NEED you to MAKE it end, Soldier.
If they continued to disagree and tried to actually desert for real, I'd see myself forced to pull the trigger and resort to a BE, as I can't allow this sort of sentiment to go unpunished in my direct presence while in the AO and also being watched by OTHER soldiers, who might take this deserter as an example otherwise.
If they're a shitter about it, and try to rush past me in an attempt reach a Dropship to leave, or try to run and hide in a jungle, it's a straight BE. If you're a shitter, you don't get a stern talking and appeal to your feelsies, you get a bullet through the cranium.
ConfirmationsDo 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
Do you understand you cannot advertise or promote this application on any platform, including Discord? Yes
Do you also understand that you may not edit this application 1 hour after it has been posted? Yes