Fosstar's Long Shot HOS Application (oh no)
#1
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PEMDAS: PLEASE EXCUSE MY DOPE ASS SPACING

Usual character name: Montgommery Scott
BYOND username: Fosstar
Discord username (if you are on our discord): mosstar/fosstarreagan#1440
Recommended by (if applicable): Jan.antilles
Goon servers you play: RP overflow mainly, sometimes the main server


Reason for application:

    Considering I play a lot of security on the RP server I figured it might be good to take the plunge. I've noticed that there's a lot of rounds where security's quiet on :g and doesn't coordinate, commonly leading to stuff like murders not getting quickly resolved and officers getting absorbed in maint because they tried to solo a ling, and I feel like having someone like the HOS around to shout "everyone doing alright?" every few minutes would probably be useful. Along with that, I've also noticed that a lot of shifts have extremely new security teams, and while there's always amazing people in those teams, there's commonly not enough guidance to both keep them safe and prevent them doing stuff that makes the round less fun for everyone like forgetting to set timers. I want to become a HOS to help ensure security's cohesive, kind to the crew, and always working to make the round as fun as possible. I know that's probably a long shot and likely will only happen 10% of the time, but I still want to be able to try. Plus I want the spiffy beret PLEASE GIVE ME THE BERET IT'S WAY TOO COOL FOR A 2D SPRITE



Security experience (300-word minimum):

    Oh boy. I don't think I jumped into security until around 2019ish? Before then, I mainly played as a scientist or an engineer as I worried that I'd go power-mad and be a bit of a  jackass. I've been starting to play it a bit more recently, and I think I'm building up a good base of experience. I know how to set timers properly. I got enough experience with detective work to know when someone's acting like a bit of a shady bastard. I can grab prints pretty quickly, and I'll generally remember to yell over comms if something shitty's happening.

    I'm still a bit paranoid that I'll be shit as an officer, but that's decreased. I'm a far cry away from my days on TG where I'd tase people randomly, and I've had a few rounds on the RP server where I've never had to use my taser. I think I've become competent enough at assessing threats to know when it's the right time to go after the clown for slipping people in science and the botanists for making weed and when it's the wrong time, and know who deserves and who doesn't deserve a long sentence. In a way, I'd consider this application the end of a long redemption arc. I'm finally able to make my case that I'm a good quality security officer and see whether they believe that I'm deserving of the beret.

    I guess to wrap it up, I hope nothing in this application disregarding the part about the beret oh god it looks so spiffy comes off as powerhungry. I don't want HOS to be some Judge Dredd figure who delivers THE LAW in the form of copious beatings to every assistant who's being an ass with space lube. I want HOS to give back and help move rounds forward by doing stuff like hosting trials, giving creative punishments to antagonists, and generally helping out. Also AAAAAA this is getting incoherent I'm sorry for my ADD-addled ramblings. I want to give a special shoutout to Grammarly for making this not sound like complete garbage.



Answer two or more of the following:

    What advice would you give to other sec players?

1. Every antagonist tossed in perma is a story lost:

        The short of this is that whenever you toss a traitor in the brig, you're removing an opportunity for that traitor to create conflict outside of security. That can be warranted if they're rampaging, however you need to consider the tradeoff between preventing that antagonist from negatively impacting the round, your RP obligation to enforce space law, and the potential for that antagonist to positively drive the round forward. If every mystery novel ended in 50 pages because they caught the obvious killer, no one'd buy them. I'm not saying never arrest traitors, but I am saying, if someone's putting in an excellent effort to make the round more fun as a traitor or hell, even a ling or vampire (though they might still need a tracking implant), they deserve to walk free after you take their contraband and they've served their sentence.

2. You're not the Metropolice:

        If you see someone who's set to wanted, even if you think they might shank you or run, it's always best to ask them about it. A simple, "Hey, you're set to wanted, mind coming down to security so we can sort this out?" turns an adversarial situation into an amicable one. If you can't resolve the problem with communication, then, and only then, should you move to tasers or batons. You'll lose more, but you'll also make the shift more fun for everyone and help prevent the eternal cry of "SHITCURITY". This, of course, doesn't apply when you're dealing with people who attack first or someone who's mowing down officers, but use discretion and try to follow a good escalation of force.

3. Set the records J E S U S C H R I S T:

        There's nothing I'm not too fond of more than seeing someone set to arrest and not seeing anything in the records. I admit that this is a bit hypocritical as I often forget to set the records. but I do feel that if you set someone to arrest, you owe it to your team to tell them why you set them to arrest, either via the records or via comms. Also, when you brig someone, make sure to set them to released when you let them out, don't add insult to injury by letting Beepsky beat them up after they've already served their time.

4. Pick your battles:

        For low-level offenses with no victims or stuff that might lead to victims (consider a guy carrying pipebombs around in their backpack where it's obvious they intend to be a jerk), you should consider whether intervening will contribute to fun or take away from it. Brigging someone for a victimless crime is something I'm very apprehensive about.

5. Tickets and fines are your friend:

        Tying into the last point, if you see a staffie shoving the Clown a few times or a scientist selling meth, you should consider simply searching them and ticketing/fining them. It gets the point across and is much kinder than tossing them in a cell.

6. Remember to Roleplay:

        If someone comes up with an absurd story about a crime, investigate it, you may waste your time, but you've made someone's day and you're engaging with the crew.

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

    Gotta be the time on Atlas when I helped facilitate a democratic putz against the Captain for stealing the crew's money. The Captain was announcing all of his private logs and revealed that he was stealing a ton of money from the crew, so me and a few other officers got the HOP to approve a vote, the Captain played along, and after seven people signed on to the vote and a voice vote showed no objections, the Captain got demoted to Clown. I wish I remembered more as that was a fantastic shift.

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

    A way to mark people for searches instead of for arrests, a requirement that you set a reason for any arrest warrant or search warrant you put out, similar to the shuttle call system, and allowing fines below 250$ to be approved by another officer, along with the HOS, HOP, and Captain.
 

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: (Note: this is probably gonna be shit)
    There once was an officer from station 13
    His machinations for the crew made many green
    For he planned to outlaw weed
    Many crewmembers his plan caused to be peeved
    A botanist cornered him in the hall
    Forced a joint on him for the good of all
    A puff he took from the forbidden toke
    A laugh came from him as he choked on smoke
    "This weed is good, it tastes so great"
    He thought that the joint was the way to hell
    But after having a bit it was the clearest tell
    The weed was amazing, not a crime
    And so his soul was cleared of grime

Previous bans (while this will not affect your application lying about it will): Can't remember any? The only admin interactions I've had on goon in a while were getting bwoinked for walling off engineering as a borg and getting gibbed for uploading a shitty AI law. These are my notes: https://pastebin.com/hZ8pHisW

* correction, where I said "whether they believe that I'm deserving of the beret." that should be "whether everyone here thinks I'm deserving of the beret" I am not good at catching minor errors

The commas here are very bad I'm very sorry
#2
Yes!! I'm so happy to see Montgommery Scott apply for HoS! They are a great officer to play with, always thoughtful and fun. The writeup here, especially as far as advice to the crew, is really fantastic and makes me want to be a better sec officer. They walk that talk in game, and I hope more sec officers get the chance to learn from them as HoS!

+1 from Officer DeLaCreme, please give them the spiffy beret!
#3
+1

Fosstar is good and understanding(from experience). The app is great and demonstrates a clear understanding of ar pee sec.
#4
I distinctly recall Montgommery on RP being a positive influence in the team. I often see HoS' as more like heads of HR than forces of robustness, weighing up options and generally sussing out appropriate levels of resistance (or violence) to crime. 

Scott seems to know where the needle lands in these tough situations, both from their app and actions in game.

+1 from me.
#5
More confidence, my guy!
Montgomery is a great officer from the few rounds I've been able to play with them. Beyond that, the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of this application says a great deal about Fosstar's demeanor too; this isn't a responsibility they take lightly, and their framework for guidance on how to play security gives me a lot of confidence in their ability to serve as the kind of HoS that enhances the round, not just oversees it.

Also Fosstar's poem slaps, so that's at least worth an 8/10 on its own. Intriguing volta, perfect rhyming couples, vivid detail of the physical and metaphoric and potentially spiritual enlightenment of a security officer.

+1!
#6
Montgommery Scott is a name I recognize, and since I can't think of any negative reasons, it has to be because he's a good influence on sec.

Fosstar himself is also a pretty cool dude I think wouldn't abuse HoS and this entire app is pretty good.

My quick thoughts though.

Quote:There's nothing I'm not too fond of more than seeing someone set to arrest and not seeing anything in the records...but I do feel that if you set someone to arrest, you owe it to your team to tell them why you set them to arrest, either via the records or via comms. Also, when you brig someone, make sure to set them to released when you let them out, don't add insult to injury by letting Beepsky beat them up after they've already served their time.

For the love of god yes.  There's no real reason you can't put down a reason in the minor or major crime section.  Checking my PDA is the first thing I do when I see someone for arrest, as it's supposed to help determine if I just need to pull them aside and have a quick chat or if I'm supposed to assume the perp is dangerous and that talking to them first could get a man killed.  Asking why someone was set to arrest 15 minutes after they were set to arrest means I'm not going to know what it is.

Though you should set someone to incarcerated when they're in the brig.  If they break out you can always set them back to arrest to make Beepsky care again.  I mean, there's a whole device you can smack people with to change their arrest status as you bring them in.  Use it, guys.
#7
I have at least one -very- strong memory of Montgomery Scott being a good security, and debating whether or not to just call them Monty. Sure, give them the hat.
#8
I've seen him around a couple times and the sheer dedication to fun for all crew in these tips sets a gold standard for how security is meant to be played in my book. +1
#9
In the words of someone about 3 years ago
"Solid app: Check
Knows shit: Check
Seems cool: Check
Recognise the name: Check"

I may not have much personal experience with how Fosstar plays now but from what I remember years ago they've struck me as someone who values everyone's fun over their own, and as someone who wants to preserve everyone's fun. Their application is also incredibly long, detailed, and well written, and I absolutely think they would be a fantastic HoS.

+1 from me
#10
i thought you were HoS.
huh.

Either way, Montgommery Scott is a better secoff than most Hosses. Get in the hat.
#11
Yup, I recognize Montgommery Scott as being a great secoff from the times I've seen them on RP, and this application is great (what were you so worried about Foss?)

+1 from me
#12
Absolutely yes. Especially after I spent hours decoding the numbers station april fool's joke that was an SSTV gnome.


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