Rewards for job performance

[poland spring]

So some other thread that wasn't even about this came up with the idea of INCENTIVES for actually doing your job.

Basically it'd be some cosmetic or marginally useful item like a skateboard or medkit that is cool and totally worth running into an inferno to mop the floor for as Janitor. 

I could see this creating a large amount of hilarity so I hijacked the idea shamelessly for my own thread.  Someone had to.

Edit: oh yeah and they'd show up in the next round. What kinda metrics would we want to use to judge whether items or points or whatever are awarded?

[The Grim Sleeper]

I'd like to raise the 'should we' and possible unintended consequences of 'concrete rewards'.
If the rewards are very high we might see "... try-hard janitors trying to break into the Medical Bay so they can keep it spotless, while the whole station disintegrates around them" which would be great.
But what might also happen is that people refuse to play as, say, janitors because the objectives are to hard.
If the rewards are very low, it would be a cute addition to the game, but ultimately have no 'corrective effect' on player behaviour whatsoever.

Are we aiming for some sort of goal with these rewards?

[Ed Venture]

These rewards should be given out rarely and they should be given to people for the following.

1: Doing your job well

2: Following your objectives (this includes antag objectives as well)

3: Having a history of not being shit/being fun to play the game with.

Whatever the rewards may be it is super important that they are available for everyone.

The goal for this idea is to have people take their roles a tad more serious with the incentive that they may be rewarded and engage with the events and the players of the round around them. Though the moment they demand a reward should be the moment where they are no longer eligible for the rewards. I think that cause a really wise man in my life taught me a very good life lesson and that was "You should not expect to be rewarded for doing the right thing" and really no one likes a person who feels entitled.


And rewards are a way to get people to take their roles more serious without resorting to invasive new rules some people want that would kill the spirit of goonstation.


What these rewards should be I have no clue but I think it's a great idea and would make for a great discussion.

Also we have rewards for medals so giving out rewards is not really a new thing but if the admins added this to the game at least we would have rewards with meaning for once and give player more incentives to interact and have fun.

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Job specific rewards should be something thrown on the table as well.

[poland spring]

People go through hell to get and keep cosmetic clothing items, all you would need to do would be to reskin an item someone would want to have anyway (insulated gloves come to mind) as something way cooler looking and whammo

[Noah Buttes]

More rewards for crew objectives would be good.

Rewards for antag objectives wouldn't really do anything, at least for me. I only ever follow my objectives when I feel like it or if I'm a changeling or vampire.

[poland spring]

Yeah antags tend to do pretty well without really needing to follow their objectives

[Firebarrage]

I would definitely like to see some small silly rewards for completing your objectives that would just appear in your inventory the next round like an heirloom item. It could be either something useful like spawning with galoshes next round, even as a non-janitor, as a reward for being such a good one last time, or it could just be a neat cosmetic item, like a worn-out captains hat for those who manage to keep theirs and be drunk by the end of the round.

Also I would look forward to the poor scientist trying to enforce safety procedures in chemistry to desperately try to keep it from getting scorched to hell/exploded that round.

[Vitatroll]

Measuring success is the biggest problem here. Reward who for what and how much? Rewards would probably have to be tied to jobs due to balancing issues. Certain jobs are always prone to more success; see engineering or botany. It's also possible that it would cause the issue of people running the same game over and over in the interest of efficiency, thus stifling creativity and spontaneity.

I like people being rewarded for effort, but we must tread carefully so that the very effect we seek is not the reverse of what is accomplished.

[Frank_Stein]

I figured, you'd just take the existing round score at the end, and if it beats the average, the players get points. During round prep time, they can spend points on frivolous shit., similiar to choosing traits

[Noah Buttes]

I figured, you'd just take the existing round score at the end, and if it beats the average, the players get points. During round prep time, they can spend points on frivolous shit., similiar to choosing traits

I miss the old style round score, I'm not a fan of the new letter grade system.

[Ed Venture]

I miss the old style round score, I'm not a fan of the new letter grade system.

Same here Noah

[poland spring]

This sounds cooler

[Vitatroll]

I miss the old round statistics. The score I never cared about 'cause, well,...



I'm still confused as to whether we're talking about station-wide perks, perks for departments, or perks for individuals. The scoring system would have to work differently for each.

[Frank_Stein]

I'm still confused as to whether we're talking about station-wide perks, perks for departments, or perks for individuals. The scoring system would have to work differently for each.

I would say points should be earned across all three. All players get points for a good station, all players in a department get points if that department performs well, and additional points are rewarded for reaching individual objectives. Generally, you should be able to get points without really trying very hard, but could get more if you go above and beyond. 

They all accumulate and are tied to byond accounts and can be spent preround on heirloom type items, and maybe some other junk that would be generally handy. Consider them company care packages.

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3: Having a history of not being shit/being fun to play the game with.

Maybe you could give other players some of your points at round end, as a sort of tip for good sportsmanship or doing something particularly creative or interesting that round.

[The Grim Sleeper]

Maybe you could give other players some of your points at round end, as a sort of tip for good sportsmanship or doing something particularly creative or interesting that round.

Isn't there a SS13 server (Hippy station or Weebo station or something) out there with a 'karma system' where everybody gets a +1 to give at the end of the round 'for good behaviour'?