Goonhub
12-29-2021, 06:50 AM
Usual character name: Sophie Garratt
BYOND username: Artifical Idiot
Discord username (if you are on our discord): Artifical Idiot#2598
Recommended by (if applicable):
Goon servers you play: RP Main
Reason for application: I hereby make this application for what could be argued one of the most stressful, challenging yet rewarding and demanding Command role ever in the history of Space Station 13. I greatly enjoy some of the nuanced and interesting stories during my time of Security yet there's many cases that I see a lot of influx of new security officers that are missing a great deal of leadership and guidance. Being a Head of such demanding department can make a big difference to working up fresh recruits to be competent members of a security team and make their gameplay much more enjoyable. As such, I find this role with prime opportunities to not only great engaging confrontations with the antagonists in a RP standpoint but to also give back to the people and work up the new players to be the best they can be while equally sharing the fun.
Security experience (300 word minimum):
I never touched Security until I got myself more comfortable and familiar with this server's control scheme, but I always kept a good eye to find what is different between the good RP security from the bad ones. Early security hours was me being rather clueless and seeking help and guidance from the more experienced players in Security. I often made use of mentor help and was sure to ask around of my colleagues and co-workers on how to effectively play Security well in a roleplay environment. The presence of a Head of Security simply gave me more self-confidence in knowing that, whenever I had trouble, I can fallback to this whitelisted member who will be far more knowledgeable of this department than anyone else.
Nowadays I find myself teaching new recruits the intricacies and nuances of station security and easing them into a role that would need one to be mentally ready for any given situation. And it was here I realised some of the many things that make security officers effective. I learnt to be adaptive of any given situation, especially when given new knowledge of a threat to the station my character wasn't wary of before. I developed far better incentives to work with my team and my colleagues to apprehend and arrest suspects, as with teamwork comes great rewards. The cherry ontop is to remember to relax, I'm never going to be the perfect security officer and that's boring, it's better for me to be an interesting, engaging character and lately I even find myself put into some very riveting roleplay plots that I never expected to come across, yet it is expected considering security has some of the most potential for roleplay.
Answer two or more of the following:
What advice would you give to other sec players?
Communication. Is. Key.
This can apply to working in any department but it is especially vital when working with members of Security. The Security department will end up having to talk, negotiate and communicate with the entire station as they are responsible for its safety. Learning to work together, be it even if an officer was mute or deaf and required an auditory headset, makes for a big part of being a good security officer and makes it even more fun knowing that you have good mates that can cover your back.
Play smart, play it safe.
You are but one man and while you are readily equipped to detain and disorient any would-be traitors to the station, you will never fully know what your suspect is capable of. They could be as non-threatening as a clown slipping you with banana peels all the time as their means of escape. Or as vicious as a well-tuned engineer setting up elaborate traps to get you and your team incapacitated. Play it smart and coordinate with your pals to make the most out of your equipment and cover up your allies' weaknesses, don't be afraid to work with the non-security department as well. They'll be more knowledgeable on the things you don't know the most.
Keep the round fun for all.
You are given the most tools to ruin someone's day and that can be a problem if you don't fully understand your role or are just a straight up asshole. Remember your limits and keep reminding yourself that you are playing with other people. Ask yourself whether what you are doing is going to ruin someone's day if you are on the receiving end of it. Not all arrests need to be you tossing someone in the brig. It could be a slap on their wrist, a ticket that looks silly, another wacky punishment like getting the perp pied in the face by the local clown. Just because you're a person of authority doesn't mean you can't have a little fun slide.
Words over actions.
Not all confrontation with a suspect needs to end with them being processed and brigged, there's going to be plenty of opportunity to de-escalate a whole situation simply by talking and not using force unless absolutely necessary. In the RP server, odds are you'll likely find people who would be more than happy to speak and interact with you with words, see how well you are able to negotiate with a suspect and make them put an end to their trouble. Even with a silly ticket or fine can suffice.
What was one of your favorite security moments?
A debut of Simon Garratt against an enemy he didn't knew he needed. Sally Swindle. Props to them as I had many powerful roleplay moments that while still held bloodshed, the strongest moments came from the talks and negotiations, the choices that were made and not when security goes blazing around with their tasers. Even if it did had to cause Simon's loss of his beloved lizard tail. Sally Swindle played an amazing, riveting story-telling antagonist that Simon being the final piece of the puzzle to drive that main story home and became a fixated memory that I will never forget.
Equally as unforgettable is with Sophie Garratt, whom had a calmer, more relaxed round in Security. There were little problems in the station and everyone went about on their day. There were small investigations but largely no one was doing anything too drastic that calls for Security. So what does a lizard do when they're bored? Boop and pet other lizards. She made Raven Starling the victim of snoot boops and hugs but was counter-attacked and brutally assaulted with headpats by not one but two members of Security! The detective Raven Starling and deputized Security Donk Pockets! The adorable interactions continued till they got a drink at the bar and a group of lizards basked under a UV lamp inside the jazz lounge afterwards. They even managed to bring it to the shuttle!
What game improvements or changes do you think would benefit security players?
If there's something I would change about security, I would need more time to think about it. As it stands, Security is in a decent spot all things considered, especially if the players are competent and effective in their role. That being said, their kind of work can be a bit of a bore. I say my personal favourite would be what has been done in other codebases, assigning individual members of Security to be an overwatch in a specific department. Add security checkpoints and offices in specific departments such as medbay and cargo, which are already present on its own. This can help in a way that Security can be more flexible and respond to emergencies quicker as there may be one or more officers already stationed near an area where an emergency has been called. Not to mention that whatever department that officer is stationed on, he or she will be able to learn more about the department and understand how they operate. How do those doctors keep people alive? How did cargo make hundreds of thousands of credits already? It allows them to learn of other roles while still playing their own in protecting those lovely crewmembers.
Describe any differences in your playstyle when part of a full security team and when being the only security officer.
Playing in a full team of officers immediately makes me coordinate at the start of the round to ensure each and every officer knows what each other plans to do. I'll do my best to keep communications as active as possible, calling for situation reports and the condition of other officers. Relaying information is very important after all in Security. Likewise, I would even try to take up a sub-role as security. Pick up a first aid kit and fill it with basic medical supplies that the doctors would allow me to have and suddenly I'm a security medic. Bring mechanical tools in the event we have to break into areas with a power outage or chase a crafty engineer or mechanic. It allows you to diverse your playstyle while other members can supplement on your weaknesses.
Solo is a different story, being the only officer means I must remain versatile and adapt to situations. This also means I try my best to earn the trust of the crew and so that they may support me in my efforts to apprehend would be criminals. In many cases I'll do my best to gain assistance from other departments, such as medical or the research department and gain some sort of advantage. RP-wise, this means my character would learn new information. The research director can always inform me of the xeno behaviours of changelings and the medical director can give me some more details and information about various medications and poisons. Adaptability is my goal, to make sure I can respond to whatever threat should my presence be needed.
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.
What's a security gimmick that you've ran or wanted to run?
I've always wanted to try and run Security as if they were medieval town guards. They would apprehend criminals by loudly declaring their presence and stating the crimes that the criminal enacted and thusly attempt to apprehend them. Their stun baton is their less than lethal wood bludgeon to incapacitate criminals, the taser could be re-imagined as a crossbow that fired blunt projectiles to disorient the perpetrators and the officers are titled as footmen, man at arms and town guards rather than security officers. I already made the gimmick of giving the AI laws to title every crewmember based on the 14th century and I sure as hell will try again.
Draw a picture!
Previous bans (while this will not affect your application lying about it will): I believe I have none as of yet, to my knowledge at least.
To add to this, if you've read this far into the application, my gratitude. Many of you who do read this may not recognise me, nor recall who I am. I've only ever had a very select few from Goon I still keep in touch with, unsurprising as I've strayed away from the server for a couple of years but it still holds a dear place in my heart. It introduced me to the wacky world of Space Station 13 and became the catalyst to my eventual ventures beyond the realm of Goon and into other codebases. Special thanks towards Jan.antilles and DisturbHerb as my two loyalest of friends on the server, among many others who still are. Due to my inactivity, I have no expectations to be accepted, unless a miracle happens. You're all truly wonderful, take care and have a good one.
BYOND username: Artifical Idiot
Discord username (if you are on our discord): Artifical Idiot#2598
Recommended by (if applicable):
Goon servers you play: RP Main
Reason for application: I hereby make this application for what could be argued one of the most stressful, challenging yet rewarding and demanding Command role ever in the history of Space Station 13. I greatly enjoy some of the nuanced and interesting stories during my time of Security yet there's many cases that I see a lot of influx of new security officers that are missing a great deal of leadership and guidance. Being a Head of such demanding department can make a big difference to working up fresh recruits to be competent members of a security team and make their gameplay much more enjoyable. As such, I find this role with prime opportunities to not only great engaging confrontations with the antagonists in a RP standpoint but to also give back to the people and work up the new players to be the best they can be while equally sharing the fun.
Security experience (300 word minimum):
I never touched Security until I got myself more comfortable and familiar with this server's control scheme, but I always kept a good eye to find what is different between the good RP security from the bad ones. Early security hours was me being rather clueless and seeking help and guidance from the more experienced players in Security. I often made use of mentor help and was sure to ask around of my colleagues and co-workers on how to effectively play Security well in a roleplay environment. The presence of a Head of Security simply gave me more self-confidence in knowing that, whenever I had trouble, I can fallback to this whitelisted member who will be far more knowledgeable of this department than anyone else.
Nowadays I find myself teaching new recruits the intricacies and nuances of station security and easing them into a role that would need one to be mentally ready for any given situation. And it was here I realised some of the many things that make security officers effective. I learnt to be adaptive of any given situation, especially when given new knowledge of a threat to the station my character wasn't wary of before. I developed far better incentives to work with my team and my colleagues to apprehend and arrest suspects, as with teamwork comes great rewards. The cherry ontop is to remember to relax, I'm never going to be the perfect security officer and that's boring, it's better for me to be an interesting, engaging character and lately I even find myself put into some very riveting roleplay plots that I never expected to come across, yet it is expected considering security has some of the most potential for roleplay.
Answer two or more of the following:
What advice would you give to other sec players?
Communication. Is. Key.
This can apply to working in any department but it is especially vital when working with members of Security. The Security department will end up having to talk, negotiate and communicate with the entire station as they are responsible for its safety. Learning to work together, be it even if an officer was mute or deaf and required an auditory headset, makes for a big part of being a good security officer and makes it even more fun knowing that you have good mates that can cover your back.
Play smart, play it safe.
You are but one man and while you are readily equipped to detain and disorient any would-be traitors to the station, you will never fully know what your suspect is capable of. They could be as non-threatening as a clown slipping you with banana peels all the time as their means of escape. Or as vicious as a well-tuned engineer setting up elaborate traps to get you and your team incapacitated. Play it smart and coordinate with your pals to make the most out of your equipment and cover up your allies' weaknesses, don't be afraid to work with the non-security department as well. They'll be more knowledgeable on the things you don't know the most.
Keep the round fun for all.
You are given the most tools to ruin someone's day and that can be a problem if you don't fully understand your role or are just a straight up asshole. Remember your limits and keep reminding yourself that you are playing with other people. Ask yourself whether what you are doing is going to ruin someone's day if you are on the receiving end of it. Not all arrests need to be you tossing someone in the brig. It could be a slap on their wrist, a ticket that looks silly, another wacky punishment like getting the perp pied in the face by the local clown. Just because you're a person of authority doesn't mean you can't have a little fun slide.
Words over actions.
Not all confrontation with a suspect needs to end with them being processed and brigged, there's going to be plenty of opportunity to de-escalate a whole situation simply by talking and not using force unless absolutely necessary. In the RP server, odds are you'll likely find people who would be more than happy to speak and interact with you with words, see how well you are able to negotiate with a suspect and make them put an end to their trouble. Even with a silly ticket or fine can suffice.
What was one of your favorite security moments?
A debut of Simon Garratt against an enemy he didn't knew he needed. Sally Swindle. Props to them as I had many powerful roleplay moments that while still held bloodshed, the strongest moments came from the talks and negotiations, the choices that were made and not when security goes blazing around with their tasers. Even if it did had to cause Simon's loss of his beloved lizard tail. Sally Swindle played an amazing, riveting story-telling antagonist that Simon being the final piece of the puzzle to drive that main story home and became a fixated memory that I will never forget.
Equally as unforgettable is with Sophie Garratt, whom had a calmer, more relaxed round in Security. There were little problems in the station and everyone went about on their day. There were small investigations but largely no one was doing anything too drastic that calls for Security. So what does a lizard do when they're bored? Boop and pet other lizards. She made Raven Starling the victim of snoot boops and hugs but was counter-attacked and brutally assaulted with headpats by not one but two members of Security! The detective Raven Starling and deputized Security Donk Pockets! The adorable interactions continued till they got a drink at the bar and a group of lizards basked under a UV lamp inside the jazz lounge afterwards. They even managed to bring it to the shuttle!
What game improvements or changes do you think would benefit security players?
If there's something I would change about security, I would need more time to think about it. As it stands, Security is in a decent spot all things considered, especially if the players are competent and effective in their role. That being said, their kind of work can be a bit of a bore. I say my personal favourite would be what has been done in other codebases, assigning individual members of Security to be an overwatch in a specific department. Add security checkpoints and offices in specific departments such as medbay and cargo, which are already present on its own. This can help in a way that Security can be more flexible and respond to emergencies quicker as there may be one or more officers already stationed near an area where an emergency has been called. Not to mention that whatever department that officer is stationed on, he or she will be able to learn more about the department and understand how they operate. How do those doctors keep people alive? How did cargo make hundreds of thousands of credits already? It allows them to learn of other roles while still playing their own in protecting those lovely crewmembers.
Describe any differences in your playstyle when part of a full security team and when being the only security officer.
Playing in a full team of officers immediately makes me coordinate at the start of the round to ensure each and every officer knows what each other plans to do. I'll do my best to keep communications as active as possible, calling for situation reports and the condition of other officers. Relaying information is very important after all in Security. Likewise, I would even try to take up a sub-role as security. Pick up a first aid kit and fill it with basic medical supplies that the doctors would allow me to have and suddenly I'm a security medic. Bring mechanical tools in the event we have to break into areas with a power outage or chase a crafty engineer or mechanic. It allows you to diverse your playstyle while other members can supplement on your weaknesses.
Solo is a different story, being the only officer means I must remain versatile and adapt to situations. This also means I try my best to earn the trust of the crew and so that they may support me in my efforts to apprehend would be criminals. In many cases I'll do my best to gain assistance from other departments, such as medical or the research department and gain some sort of advantage. RP-wise, this means my character would learn new information. The research director can always inform me of the xeno behaviours of changelings and the medical director can give me some more details and information about various medications and poisons. Adaptability is my goal, to make sure I can respond to whatever threat should my presence be needed.
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.
What's a security gimmick that you've ran or wanted to run?
I've always wanted to try and run Security as if they were medieval town guards. They would apprehend criminals by loudly declaring their presence and stating the crimes that the criminal enacted and thusly attempt to apprehend them. Their stun baton is their less than lethal wood bludgeon to incapacitate criminals, the taser could be re-imagined as a crossbow that fired blunt projectiles to disorient the perpetrators and the officers are titled as footmen, man at arms and town guards rather than security officers. I already made the gimmick of giving the AI laws to title every crewmember based on the 14th century and I sure as hell will try again.
Draw a picture!
Previous bans (while this will not affect your application lying about it will): I believe I have none as of yet, to my knowledge at least.
To add to this, if you've read this far into the application, my gratitude. Many of you who do read this may not recognise me, nor recall who I am. I've only ever had a very select few from Goon I still keep in touch with, unsurprising as I've strayed away from the server for a couple of years but it still holds a dear place in my heart. It introduced me to the wacky world of Space Station 13 and became the catalyst to my eventual ventures beyond the realm of Goon and into other codebases. Special thanks towards Jan.antilles and DisturbHerb as my two loyalest of friends on the server, among many others who still are. Due to my inactivity, I have no expectations to be accepted, unless a miracle happens. You're all truly wonderful, take care and have a good one.
