Revert the rename of NTSO to NT Secuirity Consultant

[Maegor]

I do think Consultant is an awful name, but operative isn't that much better.

Maybe Security Lieutenant? Basically just a second in command to the HoS, to provide a trusted figure to delegate more important functions, instead of a supercop operative.

I like NTSO as a "slightly less responsibility HoS" and so that as HoS I can offload some responsibility into them, couldn't care less if the fancy gear got removed or moved into the Armory.

[KikiMofo]

I dont like the name Consultant but dunno what else to call it. I do agree that NTSO was too harsh of a name for it though. NTSO should be saved for the NTSO troops that come to fight syndies sometimes.

Also side note. If you see someone being too antag hunty with NTSO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Ahelp that. NTSO are white listed HoS and they should KNOW better. At the very least an admin can just tell them to calm down.

[Yellow]

Lieutenant/commander are still very militaristic

[Kotlol]

Okay how about this NTSO ...aka OFFICAL.

Or... Security Assistance? Like back up?

Or Squad Leader? (makes it seems like Swat but eh)

Or Security Personell?

Or the last one.. I swear; Security Support.

[Mouse]

Nanotrasen Emergency Response Detail

alternately, Nanotrasen Emergency Response Director

[Froggit_Dogget]

^^^^YES

[DioChasek]

Nanotrasen Early Retirement Director

[babayetu83]

why not make them into the warden

from what i remember on tg and other various servers that have a warden role they answer to the hos but are still above security officers

i dont really care either way, i think ntso sounds cooler so i can larp and be a tacticool agent

[DisturbHerb]

nanotrasen security contractor.

it distances the role from its NTSO connotations whilst also being more descriptive of its function compared to the world consultant.

[Slazenger]

The new name's silly for reasons stated above. If you need to change it:

NTSS - NanoTrasen Security Specialist

Again, as I've said in multiple HoS/NTSO-related threads, if there's a perception that people abuse the role and thus cause it to take on an unwanted "aura", perhaps we should deal with those individuals? Changing the name doesn't really change that perspective. Being HoS is quite literally volunteer work to help improve other players' fun and ensure the round can progress in a decent way for all involved. NTSO is a great way to unwind while another HoS takes over (as we swap back and forth between shifts) and you help support each other to share the load. That's they way I and several RP HoS's use the role.

[TheMaskedMan2]

it's be noted a bunch of times when the conversation about the role of ntso comes up, by frequent players and admins, that the ntso/c's role is outside of the chain of command and to work as a central command designated consultant to the on-station security team. the name reflects the design mantra.

we got a gun buff anyways.

Yes but in practice the NTSO is just Sec Officer+

I’d be fine with them being more of a CentComm representative for the Security team, but the current gameplay loop of them doesn’t encourage that at all.

I personally didn’t see a problem with the NTSO name, if people felt it was “Soldiery-Tacticool” i’d argue that’s literally how the role plays atm, and if peoples concerns where that- well, it’d take more than just a name change.

As well as what others have said, how people say HoS exists as volunteer work and NTSO exists as a windown from that? I’d argue a majority of HoS players and NTSO players barely talk at all with new people, and half the time just use it for the free gear and validhunting.

Like one above me said, I would rather just crack down on people who play these roles as just “Easier to Valid.” and the individuals instead of weird changes for entire roles.

[Danger Noodle]

This thread is really weird, the role didn't get changed at all. The entire point of the change was to make it less confusing to talk about the latejoin NT sec and the NT squad that get laser rifles which admins can enable. Yass wanted the squad version to be shortened to NTSO and change the abbreviation of the latejoin job. I don't mind it.

A couple other things:
-"SS" is not a good abbreviation
-Ahelp any HoS or NTSC players which are abusing their role
-Blueshield is not a thing on goon and never was
-NTSC's aren't even that well armed
-Changing the name to consultant will likely change nothing in the long term, maybe it will change what a new player sees in their head when hearing about them in passing but noone ever said "Nanotrasen security officer" so it's not going to happen often.

[Ikea]

Im going to go off topic for a bit, but while the reactions to this change may seem odd at first, I think they're part of a larger issue with how the hos job is framed (and to a less relevant here extent how security as a whole is framed culturally). This will sound off at first but stick with me, by offering a reward for a task, you frame the task as something that needs rewarding to be done instead of something that's a reward in itself. For an example of this, compare your friend saying "Hey do you want this lollipop?" versus your friend going "Ill pay you 20 bucks to eat this lollipop.". By offering external motivations for doing a task, you help frame it as a task that has enjoyment as a side effect at best or at worst punishment that needs compensation in order for you to do. There is an underlying assumption I've seen among a lot of HoS players that while rarely stated directly (or even consciously known), its often present. HoS is not a fun job in of itself that while occasionally has its downs, it's something you should play if you want to, it's a job that there's an obligation for you to play even if you don't enjoy it and any fun obtained from the job is an incidental side effect. This attitude sucks. Not only does it lead to HoS players needlessly putting themselves in rounds that they don't enjoy, it also leads to players dealing with hos players being sub par due to not really wanting to be there. Seriously hosii for the sake of yourself and others if you don't want to play hos, don't play hos, while the attitude of wanting to help is appreciated, the round will be ultimately be fine (most rounds go fine without hos and if something does go wrong that's what admins are there for).

To finally get to the point I'm trying to make, things like NTSC in its current state and special spooktober jobs (alongside broader cultural side things but outside scope) frame HoS in a way that has negative consequences all across the board, as something that needs rewarding in order to be done. Through this lens, a lot of behavior shown in this thread make a lot more sense. A lot of the reactions at first may seem oddly disproportionate, after all this is just a minor name change, however currently NTSC is whether intentionally or not framed as the reward for HoS to where you get to get a break from being a team player to be independent tacticool officer. By changing the name, its seen as a threat to change the current state of the reward for the "punishment" of hos instead of being a simple name change.

[nefarious6th]

^^^
hos is the reward not the means to get to a reward. if the game or role isnt rewarding, stop playing. It's a hobby, not a job.

[Mr. Moriarty]

During this post, which will cover my views on why NTSCs recieved a name change, their equipment and role in Security, their presentation ingame, and my own views on the name change, I will be occasionally abbreviating roles where possible, so for the sake of clarity, and for posterity;
NTSO - NanoTrasen Special Operative, the Admin spawned, shoot-threats-on-sight role.
NTSC - NanoTrasen Security Consultant, the HoS Whitelisted latejoin role, expected to be trustworthy.

I do not believe the choice to change the NanoTrasen Security Operative's name was made solely out of a desire to make them seem less militaristic or "tacticool", although the choice of "consultant" definitely shows that this was the aim when choosing a new name. Recently, NanoTrasen Special Operatives were temporarily renamed to NanoTrasen Tactical Operatives, this was due to having two jobs with the same name abbreviation, similarly themed equipment, but vastly differing modus operandi is rather poor game design. However the Developer who created NanoTrasen Special Operatives wished for them to stay as NTSOs, so the choice was instead made to rename the then NanoTrasen Security Operatives to NanoTrasen Security Consultants. (This requires Admin confirmation, it is the current word of mouth.)

When discussing NTSCs, it is important to consider that most of their equipment is vastly outranked by anything a HoS has access to, in particular, their weaponry; the HoS's egun/Lawbringer is far more deadly than any of the NTSC's weapons. Regarding additional accesses, the only place an NTSC can access that an Officer cannot is the Bridge, or anything requiring Bridge access levels. What an NTSC does bring to the Security team however, is another whitelisted and trustworthy Security member, who if necessary, can step up and act as a second HoS, which from what I hear was very much appreciated during any of the major tides, the Ssethtide in particular. Otherwise, in my own experiences with the role, when all is as expected, NTSC just functions as a Security Officer without easy access to a forensics scanner, and can be trusted to act to the same same standards as a HoS.

This does still leave the question of why NTSCs were seen to be almost akin to wetwork agents or special security forces, which I believe is very much the fault of the theming of the role, rather than the role's tools. The NTSC's pressure suit appears as incredibly militaristic, and is identical to the NTSO's pressure suit, this is worsened by the NTSC's CBRN mask, pressure suit, helmet, and jumpsuit all being described as belonging to "NanoTrasen paramilitary" forces. While NTSCs can certainly be seen as trustworthy, fair, and generally as forces of good in their current and past states, it really only takes one person to spoil that reputation. If NTSCs are persistantly percieved by others as "NanoTrasen's cleanup detail", even despite the poor players being weeded out (which is always happening), then the issue lies with how the role of NTSCs is presented, and I would recommend a change in uniform, at least for the pressure suit.

Finally on to what this thread is actually about, I feel "consultant" does not describe the role of an NTSC appropriately. It feels closer to the name of a desk job, one that files paperwork, updates Security records, and deals with the beaurocratic side of Security (not that NTSCs can't do that), rather than an additonal member of the Security team, suited to dealing with crises quickly upon arrival (due to pre-prepared equipment), and acting as an aide to the HoS, or stepping up as a second one in times of need. As for a better name, if the presentation of NTSCs were not of concern, and it was only to make the abbreviation distinct from NTSOs, a suitable analogue for 'operative' would be 'agent', although I am more inclined to NanoTrasen Security Lieutenant, as I feel it better describes the role, if still being militaristic.