HoS application - Bartimeus973

[Bartimeus]

Usual character name: Viridis Varanis
BYOND username: bartimeus973
Discord username (if you are on our discord):  Bartimeus#0627
Recommended by (if applicable): Telareti, Tiresoup, Cal
Goon servers you play: Roleplay 3 (Morty), occasionally 4 (Sylvester)

Reason for application:
Having a head of security on the time is a great boon to any security team. Having someone that knows their way around the block, that can help newer security officers learn and that you can rely on when it comes to making tough judgment calls is a wonderful feeling that i wish happened a bit more consistently. Additionnaly, with the recent influx of new officers, there have been a few cases of malicious Sec Off actively working against the crew. While i understand that those situations are usually handled by an admin, having a HoS that can defuse tensions, stop the wrongfull actions of the offending security officer and hopefully even steer them into the right path greatly helps reduce the stress that security can go through on a shiftly basis. Finally, having a HoS means that in the case an officer is being a bit too harsh on an antagonist, for instance voting to borg a changeling on a first offense 30 minutes into the game, the sentence can be overruled in order to make it a bit more lenient and allow the round to keep up an interesting pace, while also hopefully teaching the security officer about kindness to the bad guys. For those aforementionned reasons i wish to apply for the Head of Security role.

Security experience (300 word minimum):
I had not played a lot of security up until my return from my hiatus. Since then i have quite often worn the badge and walked the halls watching out for trouble. My security shifts are often just walking around interacting with the different people on station and helping them out if they need a hand (its protect AND serve after all). I have been told i am quite quick to answer to calls however and will communicate often while doing so. Since my return to the server i have actively tried to make arrests more of a team effort, involving other security officers and often times relegating to them some duties, such as processing, or record updates, so that they everyone can feel included and useful.

I generally try to talk first on every occasion, never shooting first unless my life, or another crewmate's, is immediatly threatened. There is not many better feelings than catching an antagonist that has been rampaging around, sitting them down, showing them kindness and seeing them actually open up for some roleplay. As such i generally err on the lighter side of sentencing, with sentences of above three minutes being extremely rare. I also greatly enjoy modifying and looking up security records, as i find it to be an extremely powerful tool to relay information quickly and to avoid someone being caught and sentenced twice for a crime they already have been sentenced for. A simple line to describe what the crewmate has done and what his sentence was often saves a lot of time when it comes to avoiding unnecessary processing.

With the recent amount of security personnel coming onto the station, i have had the pleasure of leading around a few security assistants that barely knew anything about how the game worked. Showing them around security, explaining what they're supposed to do, leading them on to their first patrol or letting them handle desk work is always extremely gratifying. I think i have a rather martial way of explaining things, as such ive tried to make learning a bit of a more fun experience, with lighthearted jokes, by letting the assisstant try to capture stirstir (and survive), by sitting them down for a coffee and donut or by letting them perform the patrolling or forensics gathering process, only stepping in if they ask for help.

I consider myself relatively robust for the RP server, but since the hiatus i have harshly realised that piledriving others into the ground is fun for absolutely nobody. As such, i have modified the way i make arrests so that while i'll make a decent effort at catching the crimer, they are not absolutely cornered and often times have a chance to escape and keep the round going.



Answer two or more of the following:

• What advice would you give to other sec players?
  

1. - While security is about making sure the station doesnt devolve into a western shootout it isnt about obliterating every single threat to the station the second they appear. Using restraint and not shooting antagonists on sight, giving them an opportunity to see their plan come to fruition is very important when it comes to making sure the station stays animated.
   
2. - Talk. Talk all the time. Talk to people, find out about them and what they wanna do. Talk to defuse situations. Talk to keep the rest of the team in the loop. Communication is the backbone of a good security team.
   
3. - Executing an antag is not always the way to go, even when they have commited horrible crimes. Why not try a conditional release? Or try and send them to sci to test their abilities? It keeps people involved and gives everyone something to do.
   
4. - For forensic work, scan everything. The doors, the tables, the chairs, the captain's cat, the clown's banana peel... Its likely that whoever did some evil deed left behind some evidence one way or another. Additionally, you can piece together prints if you have multiple prints left by the same gloves!
   
5. - The brig is lonely but it doesnt have to be! Watch people in the brig and talk with them. Not only is it great for RP, its also a good way to learn some more tidbits of info about their motives, or to have some fun drama. Also making sure they do their full sentence and dont just bore a way through the bathroom wall is nice.
   
6. - A bit of shameless promotion, but i have written a simple guide to weaponry and pinned it to security's persistent board, "Viridis' arsenal guide", that i try and give a copy of to new players when they want some information about what their options are!
   

• What was one of your favorite security moments? (Either playing as a sec officer or interacting with one)
  

It's hard to think of a specific moment, as there are so many interesting things happening in security. If i have to single out one it would be a somewhat recent interaction where a QM and the detective worked together to arm up cargo and turned it into a weapon's shop. The situation slowly escalated and ended up with a shootout later in the round. While the combat was exhilarating, both sides were quite hurt by the assault and the detective managed to run away. After security recuperated and managed to track down the det, there was an extensive discussion in interrogation about their motives, the situation that transpired and the course of action to take. Considering the great amount of crimes and the fact the detective was not denying any charges, the captain sentenced him to a borging just as the shift was nearing its end. The borging process itself was a long and very enjoyable RP moment where everyone was involved and had a place in the story.

While i cannnot choose a singular moment that i think is the absolute best security experience i ever had, i remember this one fondly for several reasons. Firstly, it followed proper escalation. Security was aware of the threat, didnt take immediate action and simply watched. The shootout was not instantaneous but rather a culmination of the events. Second, i really appreciatte the effort the antagonists went through to give an enjoyable Rp moment, and as such security in turn let them explain their actions, recorded it and interacted throughout. It was overall a wonderful display or proper processing and handling of a tense situation that worked out for both sides.

• What game improvements or changes do you think would benefit security players?
  

A minor thing i have been thinking about is that while the helmet, armor and red suit are symbols of security, id love if the helmet and armor instead appeared in the officer's backpacks to instead incentivise them to only wear them when the situation requires it. Going around looking like a juggernaut is nice to feel safe, but the crew will respond positively to an officer that appears more laid back and dresses in simpler clothes when the situation is under control.

Another simple thing is that a few maps have the security camera console very close to the desk, like destiny for instance. I would love if every map was like it as it allows whoever is at the desk to watch the cams and be involved without having to leave the desk and miss whoever might come.

Also only having four mugs of coffee in security is probably a warcrime, we need more!

• Describe any differences in your playstyle when part of a full security team and when being the only security officer.
  

As a solo officer i am going to patrol maintenance much less often, in part to reduce the risk of being killed in a dark corner and leave the crew without any security and also because having a security officer actively showing their face around and going from department to department gives the crew confidence that in the event something bad happens they have someone to rely on.

In a full team i tend to man the desk if no one is there to handle it, updating records, watching cameras, handling the brig and occasionally discussing with the people coming to the desk. If the desk is taken i'll move around somewhat randomly until something happens, discussing with other officers about current situations so that we arent all patrolling on the same grounds.



Answer one or more of the following fun questions (because it's important for the HoS to be fun):

• Write a poem to convey your thoughts on security/NanoTrasen/space/bees/anything related to SS13.
  

Work is hard sometimes
Coffee is thirty credits
I'm going on a strike

• What's a security gimmick that you've ran or wanted to run?
  

A thing that is in most security rooms that i have litterally never seen used ever is the bail payment device. I would like to offer to release criminals without brig time if sufficient bail is paid, or to at least reduce their sentences if the bail is insufficient. Going undercover once in awhile is also a pretty effective gimmick when it comes to catching people off guard, and can be fun when done sporadically. While it is not security per se, being a Honkficcer as a clown was a wonderful time for some lighthearted fun, cuffing myself, gifting criminals gifts booby trapped with pie launchers, giving them swirlies etc... A nice break to give security some stress relief and making processing even more fun than usual.

• Draw a picture!
  

No greater pain than to run out of donuts or coffee.

Previous bans (while this will not affect your application lying about it will): None