Goonhub
08-01-2020, 06:57 AM
Usual character name: Mouse Fitzgerald (in addition, I'm Tricky as a Clown, Mr. Chimpers as a Test Subject, and defective clown/defective mime as a Mime in case people have any positive or negative experiences with me under those names.)
BYOND username: Cthucky
Discord username (if you are on our discord): N/A, although I probably ought to join one of these days
Recommended by (if applicable): N/A
Goon servers you play: Goon2 or whatever it's called now. The one that isn't the roleplay server.
Reason for application: Oh boy. In part, the reason I'm applying is the major reason I started playing security again - frustration with bad security officers and the feeling that I could help improve the situation by setting an example or talking with/dealing with officers who are being shitty. (I also figured that by taking a security slot I could potentially prevent someone who was going to take it to grief from being able to take it, but that's not really relevant to HoS.)
Another reason, at least when I started contemplating applying, was that no HoSes were ever really on. I assume they just burned out. This was fine until the latest streamertide, where we suddenly got a whole bunch of new people on, including the inevitable "sign up as security first round and grief" people. The population was much higher, bad security was more common, and often I was the only remotely experienced officer on. At that point, I started considering applying for HoS not because I felt I was qualified (I felt I wasn't!) but because we needed HoSes on and, out of all the people who were regularly playing security, I had some of the most experience.
The event that took me from just entertaining the idea to actually being serious about the application wasn't even when I was playing as security. I was a doctor. I called someone an idiot for cloning a puritan, in a moment of frustration and exasperation. It was not the right thing to do. After round end, the person mentioned it, I apologized, and they said that it particularly hurt because they respected me, or looked up to me, or something along those lines. It was then that I finally actually understood that hey, maybe playing a game nearly daily for well over a year gets people to remember who you are. And maybe, if you're not a dick, they remember you in a positive way. I know it seems kind of silly written out like that, but it really was something that just never clicked in my head.
Also, I'm probably the only person to ever be told by an admin, while playing security, that I should have set the mime on fire earlier*.
Security experience (300 word minimum): While I've been playing SS13 for a decent period of time (since January 2019), I haven't played as security for that whole time. I don't recall when I first turned it on (I remember I had detective on at least during the Ssethtide, but I'm not sure if I had secoff enabled at that point), but it was probably at least a month. Eventually I got tired of the responsibility and rolling it constantly and turned it (along with most roles, honestly) off. That was around late 2019 I believe. Eventually, as I mentioned before, I turned it back on at some point in 2020, I believe a bit after the release of Kondaru although I had been latejoining as security for a some time before actually enabling it in preferences again. That's what I remember best, so that's what I'm mostly going to talk about.
Since turning it back on, I didn't really do much to distinguish myself at first. I don't think I was horrible, but I don't think I was really all that good. I was mostly just there. But we started getting HoS signups on fewer and fewer rounds, and I found myself the most senior security officer around more and more often. I found myself taking charge, giving orders to my fellow officers, stopping them when they were abusive, and trying to resolve conflicts between them and the crew. Sometimes the officers even listened. At times the captain or other heads would tell newer security officers to do something I didn't think security should have been doing, and I would vehemently tell everyone that no, we weren't arresting and executing this staffie for being rude. No, we're not authorizing the armory just so you can run around with cool guns. I found myself acting as the head of security, only without the access or the snazzy clothes. (except for that one round someone packet nerded the HoS locker open) As I got used to that, I started being the person who would take up the jacket and beret when he had an HoS but they suicided or ended up permadead. I was never quite sure I actually made them proud, but I asked a few times and they had no complaints at least.
One thing I've tried to do consistently, even before my hiatus from all jobs with responsibility, is to apply the law fairly and reasonably. If I arrest someone with traitor gear, weapons and other dangerous things go into the confiscated items locker. Syndie donk pockets? Advanced thermals? You can get them back when you're released. As much as I'd like to carry around the donk pockets for myself, they aren't mine. In general, if an item is dangerous enough to be confiscated from a civilian, it's too dangerous for security to use unless it's absolutely necessary. I've tried to avoid lethal force when stunning and cuffing is an option, a decision that has cost me a few times. But honestly, I'd willing to die if it means I don't kill an innocent. Way I see it, if you want to play the hero then you actually have to play the hero. That doesn't mean I'm not willing to kill antags - I just try to keep it an option of last resort.
If someone calls me "shitsec", I try to take a look at my behavior to see if I crossed a line. I even wrote an ahelp on myself once because, after some thinking, I decided I may have gone too far. The moment was a bit spoiled when I happened to ask what happened to that person right before I was going to hit submit and learned that they got gibsharked, but if it weren't for that idle curiosity I would have seriously ahelped myself.
Answer two or more of the following:
Less tersely, it is incredibly important to talk to the crew and get to know them. If the crew doesn't trust you, you can't do your job effectively. If you don't trust the crew, then they're not going to trust you. That doesn't mean you should be stupid and just go with whatever you were told last, but don't automatically assume someone is evil.
In general, it's a good idea to tailor your competence to the real or perceived competence of the antags. This isn't just advice to security, by the way, it's a good thing to keep in mind for everyone. There's a lot of ways to take someone down quickly and with few if any counters, but unless that's the only option left then you probably shouldn't use them. If you're dealing with an obviously new antag who just isn't that good but they're trying, damn it, feel free to be more merciful. Feel free to make a few mistakes to give them a bit of a chance.
If someone is willing to put the effort into making a plausible excuse as to why they have contraband or are doing something antagonistic, then unless they're actively killing or maiming people it's polite to fall for it, at least at first. Even if you know for a fact their excuse is a lie. While not necessary, it's completely appropriate to be extra gullible when it comes to the clown, particularly if their excuse is creative and thoroughly implausible.
While you don't have to be completely reactive (some antags, like nukies, blobs, and lings need to be confronted immediately due to how dangerous they can be, and some traitor items are dangerous enough that the only way you're taking someone who has them down is through mass casualties or getting the drop on them), it's perfectly appropriate to not immediately arrest someone for having visible traitor gear and instead wait for them to use it.
Also let us clip our badges to our exosuit so we can be recognizable as security if we decide to use the different jumpsuits/helmets
Answer one or more of the following fun questions (because it's important for the HoS to be fun):![[Image: J9Fjvek.png]](https://i.imgur.com/J9Fjvek.png)
I was gonna try to make the uniforms red but then I realized I had no artistic talent whatsoever.
Previous bans (while this will not affect your application lying about it will): None. I've been Talked To by admins a few times, often for killing someone I thought was an antag who turned out not to be, and those should be considered as a mark against me. That said the only time I recall an admin talking to me over my behavior as a security officer was rapidly resolved in my favor and was certainly something.
*I was not the one who set the mime on fire, damn it. That was the wizard.
BYOND username: Cthucky
Discord username (if you are on our discord): N/A, although I probably ought to join one of these days
Recommended by (if applicable): N/A
Goon servers you play: Goon2 or whatever it's called now. The one that isn't the roleplay server.
Reason for application: Oh boy. In part, the reason I'm applying is the major reason I started playing security again - frustration with bad security officers and the feeling that I could help improve the situation by setting an example or talking with/dealing with officers who are being shitty. (I also figured that by taking a security slot I could potentially prevent someone who was going to take it to grief from being able to take it, but that's not really relevant to HoS.)
Another reason, at least when I started contemplating applying, was that no HoSes were ever really on. I assume they just burned out. This was fine until the latest streamertide, where we suddenly got a whole bunch of new people on, including the inevitable "sign up as security first round and grief" people. The population was much higher, bad security was more common, and often I was the only remotely experienced officer on. At that point, I started considering applying for HoS not because I felt I was qualified (I felt I wasn't!) but because we needed HoSes on and, out of all the people who were regularly playing security, I had some of the most experience.
The event that took me from just entertaining the idea to actually being serious about the application wasn't even when I was playing as security. I was a doctor. I called someone an idiot for cloning a puritan, in a moment of frustration and exasperation. It was not the right thing to do. After round end, the person mentioned it, I apologized, and they said that it particularly hurt because they respected me, or looked up to me, or something along those lines. It was then that I finally actually understood that hey, maybe playing a game nearly daily for well over a year gets people to remember who you are. And maybe, if you're not a dick, they remember you in a positive way. I know it seems kind of silly written out like that, but it really was something that just never clicked in my head.
Also, I'm probably the only person to ever be told by an admin, while playing security, that I should have set the mime on fire earlier*.
Security experience (300 word minimum): While I've been playing SS13 for a decent period of time (since January 2019), I haven't played as security for that whole time. I don't recall when I first turned it on (I remember I had detective on at least during the Ssethtide, but I'm not sure if I had secoff enabled at that point), but it was probably at least a month. Eventually I got tired of the responsibility and rolling it constantly and turned it (along with most roles, honestly) off. That was around late 2019 I believe. Eventually, as I mentioned before, I turned it back on at some point in 2020, I believe a bit after the release of Kondaru although I had been latejoining as security for a some time before actually enabling it in preferences again. That's what I remember best, so that's what I'm mostly going to talk about.
Since turning it back on, I didn't really do much to distinguish myself at first. I don't think I was horrible, but I don't think I was really all that good. I was mostly just there. But we started getting HoS signups on fewer and fewer rounds, and I found myself the most senior security officer around more and more often. I found myself taking charge, giving orders to my fellow officers, stopping them when they were abusive, and trying to resolve conflicts between them and the crew. Sometimes the officers even listened. At times the captain or other heads would tell newer security officers to do something I didn't think security should have been doing, and I would vehemently tell everyone that no, we weren't arresting and executing this staffie for being rude. No, we're not authorizing the armory just so you can run around with cool guns. I found myself acting as the head of security, only without the access or the snazzy clothes. (except for that one round someone packet nerded the HoS locker open) As I got used to that, I started being the person who would take up the jacket and beret when he had an HoS but they suicided or ended up permadead. I was never quite sure I actually made them proud, but I asked a few times and they had no complaints at least.
One thing I've tried to do consistently, even before my hiatus from all jobs with responsibility, is to apply the law fairly and reasonably. If I arrest someone with traitor gear, weapons and other dangerous things go into the confiscated items locker. Syndie donk pockets? Advanced thermals? You can get them back when you're released. As much as I'd like to carry around the donk pockets for myself, they aren't mine. In general, if an item is dangerous enough to be confiscated from a civilian, it's too dangerous for security to use unless it's absolutely necessary. I've tried to avoid lethal force when stunning and cuffing is an option, a decision that has cost me a few times. But honestly, I'd willing to die if it means I don't kill an innocent. Way I see it, if you want to play the hero then you actually have to play the hero. That doesn't mean I'm not willing to kill antags - I just try to keep it an option of last resort.
If someone calls me "shitsec", I try to take a look at my behavior to see if I crossed a line. I even wrote an ahelp on myself once because, after some thinking, I decided I may have gone too far. The moment was a bit spoiled when I happened to ask what happened to that person right before I was going to hit submit and learned that they got gibsharked, but if it weren't for that idle curiosity I would have seriously ahelped myself.
Answer two or more of the following:
- What advice would you give to other sec players?
Less tersely, it is incredibly important to talk to the crew and get to know them. If the crew doesn't trust you, you can't do your job effectively. If you don't trust the crew, then they're not going to trust you. That doesn't mean you should be stupid and just go with whatever you were told last, but don't automatically assume someone is evil.
In general, it's a good idea to tailor your competence to the real or perceived competence of the antags. This isn't just advice to security, by the way, it's a good thing to keep in mind for everyone. There's a lot of ways to take someone down quickly and with few if any counters, but unless that's the only option left then you probably shouldn't use them. If you're dealing with an obviously new antag who just isn't that good but they're trying, damn it, feel free to be more merciful. Feel free to make a few mistakes to give them a bit of a chance.
If someone is willing to put the effort into making a plausible excuse as to why they have contraband or are doing something antagonistic, then unless they're actively killing or maiming people it's polite to fall for it, at least at first. Even if you know for a fact their excuse is a lie. While not necessary, it's completely appropriate to be extra gullible when it comes to the clown, particularly if their excuse is creative and thoroughly implausible.
While you don't have to be completely reactive (some antags, like nukies, blobs, and lings need to be confronted immediately due to how dangerous they can be, and some traitor items are dangerous enough that the only way you're taking someone who has them down is through mass casualties or getting the drop on them), it's perfectly appropriate to not immediately arrest someone for having visible traitor gear and instead wait for them to use it.
- What was one of your favorite security moments? (Either playing as a sec officer or interacting with one)
- What game improvements or changes do you think would benefit security players?
Also let us clip our badges to our exosuit so we can be recognizable as security if we decide to use the different jumpsuits/helmets
- Describe any differences in your playstyle when part of a full security team and when being the only security officer.
Answer one or more of the following fun questions (because it's important for the HoS to be fun):
- Draw a picture!
I was gonna try to make the uniforms red but then I realized I had no artistic talent whatsoever.
Previous bans (while this will not affect your application lying about it will): None. I've been Talked To by admins a few times, often for killing someone I thought was an antag who turned out not to be, and those should be considered as a mark against me. That said the only time I recall an admin talking to me over my behavior as a security officer was rapidly resolved in my favor and was certainly something.
*I was not the one who set the mime on fire, damn it. That was the wizard.
