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+--- Thread: Jimmy Novach's HOS application 2. He's back (The man behind the mask) (/showthread.php?tid=24365)
Jimmy Novach's HOS application 2. He's back (The man behind the mask) - BurgerWithButter - 07-08-2025
Usual character name: Jimmy Novach/Katherine Novach/S.T.O.A.T
BYOND username: burgerwithbutter
Discord username (if you are on our discord): BurgerWithButter
Recommended by (if applicable): N/A
Goon servers you play: 4+RARELY 3
Reason for application:
Security has become my favorite role in this game. I've found myself enjoying taking a leader type role while playing. Helping newer officers, organizing the occasional raid, helping decide punishments and generally trying to make sure security has some amount of merit to it. I believe HOS will help me continue what I have been doing and open up opportunities to do more!
Security experience (300 word minimum):
A friend once said to me: "My first memories of you were that you were a shy rper with sec/greytide brain." Which is a simple and accurate observation that stuck with me. When I first started playing security as Jimmy Novach I was still learning SS13 and the culture of RP games. I was too shy to ask for help so I never received formal training. Instead learning by falling flat on my face and being told "Hey dumbass, you cant do that as a secoff, knock it off/do this instead."
Over time I slowly started to get the mechanical parts of security down, while learning the more complicated bits through trial by fire. I've been way too hard on antags. Then in an effort to improve been way too soft. It took me a long time to find a proper middle for those two "extremes". Knowing when to toss somebody in the brig/how long, when to just ticket or even give a silly punishment.
At a certain point in security I fell in love with forensics and more complicated criminal cases. Rolling detective and scanning every door for prints, playing coroner with the changeling's leftovers in the mourge and questioning witnesses for the missing medfab. This bit I would say immensely helped me become a better officer. I learned to interact with more then just other secoffs and antags. Maybe the Mdir saw some suspicious bartender lingering around medical, lets talk to them. This not only gave fun interaction with the rest of the crew, but when finally confronting whoever stole/killed/whatever I had tangible evidence to back arrests and talk in interrogation if needed. This also gave me the incentive to encourage others to "look into them more" before arrests. Not only allowing an antag more time to crime but give us a better case to stand on when we finally move in for an arrest.
The one thing I struggled with for a long time as a secoff was "petty matters". These were the cases that weren't antagonist shenanigans, more like those quarrels between 2 botanists that destroyed each others plants before attacking each other with chainsaws or the MD trying to fire their geneticist for being a shitter. For a long time I'd try to avoid those matters, pawning them off to the closest other secoff as I didn't want to deal with that type of people problems. Over time though I started viewing them as their own little mysteries. Sure there isn't a dead body or bomb to defuse, but helping resolve these small matters (75% of them are miscommunications and end with both parties satisfied) was very satisfying and fun!
Once I got a solid grip on security I took to training newer players whenever they popped up. I've a small "training program" that I go through in the hopes that anybody who goes through it doesn't have to go through the same experience I did learning security. Though with BYOND being DDOSed for so long not many new faces pop up so I'm unsure how effective my training is
All these experiences (and a lot more) I believe have helped make me a great secoff, and possibly a great Head of Security (Though thats for y'all to decide)
Answer two or more of the following:
- What advice would you give to other sec players?
For newer sec players: DONT GET DISCOURAGED! Your going to do somthing stupid or somthing shitty and you'll be told off. Just know that every big scary HOS or secmain has probably done the exact same thing. If somebody critques your actions and calls you shitsec, dont take that too harshly(though dont get yourself burnt out from playing TOO MUCH either)
For the existing secoffs, get silly with it! Theres plenty of moments in round to act all tough and gruff when Agent Syndi-Kate has has the station covered in TTVs and is making demands. Though when its quiet and the clown dumpsters you in the most elaborate prank known to space, you've gotta laugh at yourself(and you can be gruff and serious while playing along with a clown's gimmick, its DOABLE)
- What was one of your favorite security moments? (Either playing as a sec officer or interacting with one)
I cant decide whats better so ill tell two stories and NOBODY CAN STOP M-
Not too terribly long ago, a staff assistants leg disappeared while a botanist stood right next to them. Security flags Mr.Botany for arrest, he proclaims innocence and runs into hydroponics. I chase him in alone and get met with about 5 other botanists who send me into crit using the power of watermelons. After crawling out of hydroponics I get my bones and pride stitched back together by medical while organizing with other secoffs on comms. We agree to open the armory and conduct a raid on botany. I took point, entering and proclaiming "YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST!" before launching crowd control grenades at the botanists. What followed was a short battle of melons and batons with 3 secoffs quickly subduing the botanists choking on spicy air. Afterward we closed up the armory and had most of botany in the large brig cell. Made for a great story and fun gameplay!
This second moment is less long and less grand. On a paticularly boring extended round I managed to organize a game of liars dice in mainsec with another secoff, the captain and the clown. It was super fun!
- What game improvements or changes do you think would benefit security players?
I don't think security needs anything major at this point, everything we've got is more then enough. HOWEVER I would love for security to have more "fluff" items. Nothing thats really needed but would be cool to have. (As ive said on discord) reskin a spray can and give secoffs pepperspray(I've heard mixed opinions on this). Find a way to let cameras photograph multiple tiles. Give the detective a MURDERBOARD!! (Please note I have ZERO coding experience and the latter ideas are probably too much trouble for what they'd provide)
- Describe any differences in your playstyle when part of a full security team and when being the only security officer.
Often when im playing security is around 2-3 officers and maybe a detective. In that case ill go about like normal. Responding to whatever calls are nearby while letting others take whatever calls they beat me to/are too far for me/im too busy for.
When security is full I try to avoid a "too many cooks" situation. Letting others respond to calls, simply asking to radio whatever the issue was and if it was resolved. Thats one of the times when delegating officers to locations can be important, its very easy for 5 secoffs to stack up on one location for a call and that is NOT FUN for the vampire trying to kill their first victim.
The best comparison I could make is like being a police officer vs being a police sergeant. One being on the front and the other supervising and organizing from behind. (Though my IRL police/sec comparisons end there!)
- Write a poem to convey your thoughts on security/NanoTrasen/space/bees/anything related to SS13.
Call me Walt Whitman the way my poetry could lead to a D.E.A agent's death
Chasing traitors in the halls
An evil yellow peel falls
2 eyes, two buns and a red nose
Grab my baton OH NOES
On the ground I lie helpless
Cursing the honkmother for this...trangress?
- What's a security gimmick that you've ran or wanted to run?
The first is simple, I've always wanted to organize poker night on a slow round but I've yet to pull it off.
Second, once upon a time a certain Lemon Cake tried to get all of security to wear those awful bunny suits for easter, however almost nobody played along. I would love to run a halloween/christmas/easter costume gimmick for security at some point. Imagine being arrested and executed by Santa HOS and his elf secoffs.
- Draw a picture!
My art skills have not reached a level im comfortable sharing :waa:
No bans!
RE: Jimmy Novach's HOS application 2. He's back (The man behind the mask) - Awe21 - 07-08-2025
As security with security my interactions with Jimmy have always been positive. They interact on comms, respond to conversation, have funny things to say and do, and have that sort of semi-serious but focused approach to handling antagonists that I believe makes a great secoff. Not extremely serious, but still does the job and keeps the round moving.
As a non-secoff to Jimmy the experiences have always been the same. As an antag dealing with Jimmy, I'd call them a competent security officer who doesn't metagame and focuses on having fun. The former point is important, I think, because in a recent round when presented with the opportunity to scream "ling" at the first sign on drooling, they didn't, and instead played along with the situtation, making for a very enjoyable turn of events.
I do not remember any single negative or poor interaction with Jimmy Novach nor with them as a player in the community.
Fundamentally, I think the balance between laid-back-fun and doing-your-job is what makes a great HoS. The wheels turn and everyone has a good time.
RE: Jimmy Novach's HOS application 2. He's back (The man behind the mask) - Skotcher - 07-09-2025
I'll return to this thread at some point in the future, but I wanted to voice my thoughts about Jimmy as HoS. I primarily play on Goon3, but my experiences with Jimmy on Goon4 have been positive and enjoyable as both an antag and non-antag.
From what I've seen, they understand that reactivity is often better than proactivity when it comes to sec; they do not strike me as a player looking to "win" their encounters. I know Jimmy to be a capable and competent officer, and I've seen them lose conflicts (that I'm sure they could have "won") with grace to help encourage a fun situation for the round.
This isn't a +1 yet, as I would like to take some time to observe a few rounds and get some more measured feedback. Best of luck in your application!
RE: Jimmy Novach's HOS application 2. He's back (The man behind the mask) - joshie_bwoi - 07-12-2025
I’ll say all the usual good things about Jimmy — he’s industrious (deals with even Jailbird warrants diligently, proactively volunteers to take leads, patrols frequently), reliable (follows up on loose ends, gathers good evidence, communicates his intentions), and robust (a great officer to have as backup, can often “sniff out” when something’s wrong [he’s saved my ass without an alert a couple of times], and is combat ready but not aggressive). He’s taken newer players under his wing and patiently guided them a few times. He rarely complains.
That’s all well and good, but what makes Jimmy shine for me is that he always seems to have the integrity of the round at heart. Too many Security players, even Heads sometimes, get caught up chasing antags or overwhelmed with what’s going on and focus too much on punishing and eliminating “the bad guys”. Jimmy goes out of his way to not just protect his fellow officers but to give antagonists a chance to develop interesting bits. I’ve been an antag where Security tried to throw the book at me too quickly and too harshly early on and he swooped in an balanced them out. I’ve done a couple of bits as a lawyer with him opposing me and he took the time to hear our case out and played along with the bit judiciously. Sometimes, as an officer, you have to let go of your instinct to “win” or “prevail” and let interesting interactions come about. Jimmy always does this, by my observations.
Jimmy’s also a fun and fair antag to play against, which matters, I think, because a Head of Security who plays an antag role well will usually remember to give other antags their proper berth when the time comes. I know that I have personally gotten more understanding of antags when I’m security as I’ve done more rounds as a traitor.
All this to say that I fully trust Jimmy to behave in a way that keeps the shift fun for everyone and that’s an important quality in a Head of Security in my experience.
RE: Jimmy Novach's HOS application 2. He's back (The man behind the mask) - True_Blue_Flare - 07-19-2025
I've had only pleasant interactions with Jimmy Novach. He handles my randomly generated crimes from the jailbird trait fairly and interestingly (rather than just wordlessly ticketing me and clearing my record), and he'd been great to interact with as an antag. There was that round where I was a spief and, after berating me harshly for stealing people's limbs and poisoning them, gave me a second chance so I could keep moving and making stuff happen. More recently, I was an arcfiend while playing my character who's batshit insane, and as I was arrested, he encouraged my character to take her meds or otherwise get help. Past that point he wasn't particularly overbearing or anything either. He handles criminals and antags fairly, giving them chances to continue antagging and moving the round forward, while playing a character who's awesome to interact with.
Hell, if memory serves I'm pretty sure he's the one who taught me how to play secoff. Overall, great player, great character. I feel that he'd fit HoS well. If I was more articulate, I'd say more.