/tg/Station 13

The Quartermaster is just as much of a head as the CMO

At full staff, Cargo has 3 miners, 3 Cargo Techs, and the Quartermaster - That's seven people.
For comparison, Engineering has 5 Engis, 3 Atmo, 1 CE for 9 total, and Science's 5 Scientists, 2 Roboticists, 1 RD for 8 total.
In terms of map layout, Supply has a good quarter of the station - Cargo, Mining, Disposals, Tool Storage. If you wanna get really cheesy, there's also Mining's entire Z-level.
Most people look at the QM as a demi-head - The HoP rarely exerts his authority over the Cargo Bay, and people often go to the QM for supplies rather than anyone else.
Alongside all the other other departments, Supply has its own dedicated radio channel, its own departmental security office and officer, and its own color. The QM even has his own stamp, and his own unique jumpsuit.
In a Rev round, the Quartermaster, especially a robust QM, often tips the scales - Either through loyalty implants and attrition, or through passing out guns.
In Nations, the Cargo Bay is often considered its own nation, part of the glorious MSC Alliance and arrayed against its eternal enemy, the perfidious Atmosians and the nefarious Shitcuristanis.

The de facto head of cargo is the HoP, but the de jure head of cargo is the Quartermaster. If I'm going to be a head in all but name, why aren't I a real one? Why don't I have command channel on my headset and bridge/comms console access?

This post is 100% unbiased and not at all written by somebody who primarily plays Quartermaster

I agree and I don't even play cargo. QM is more of a head than CMO, I still don't know what the CMO is supposed to actually do, all I ever see is him screaming at genetics for powers.

BillWilson wrote:I agree and I don't even play cargo. QM is more of a head than CMO, I still don't know what the CMO is supposed to actually do, all I ever see is him screaming at genetics for powers.

The CMO is supposed to keep the medical doctors doing their job instead of ERP-ing, keep tabs on Viro to make sure he's not infecting himself with everything, keep an eye on genetics to make sure they aren't TK-xray-hulk griefing., make sure cryo is optimized and people are being cloned, make sure the chemists aren't making chloral/lube 4nr, and generally keep medbay functional instead of fucking around.

Often, though, the CMO is the one making chloral/lube, or ERP-ing. Or filling his hypo with chloral, or being dead in maint because someone mugged him for the hypo

100% agree. It'd make having to deal with the HoP barging in an ordering shit easier to deal with too, if QM was a proper head.

CMO does more shit than QM
1 cargo tech fulfills the full job expectations of a cargo team
CMO fills in any gaps in the medical team/keeps things on track
"but they ERP/fuck about"
blame the players not the job, that can happen to any position.

still QM could probably be a full head

Eh, I think having the QM be a head might unbalance Rev rounds slightly.

I mean, I don't massively object to the QM being a head. But it just seems like the QM does so little to warrant head status since, as noted a single Cargo Tech could do the entire role of Cargo very efficiently and there is little for Cargo to do anyway aside from orders.

Just seems redundant really, also this would bump the station heads from six to seven.

Steelpoint wrote:Eh, I think having the QM be a head might unbalance Rev rounds slightly.

Very probably, yeah.

Steelpoint wrote: I mean, I don't massively object to the QM being a head. But it just seems like the QM does so little to warrant head status since, as noted a single Cargo Tech could do the entire role of Cargo very efficiently and there is little for Cargo to do anyway aside from orders.

Being that one single cargo tech who does the entire role of Cargo very efficiently, I can't really counter that point. What I can say is that I wish I had more to do than guncargo or farmcargo or cratejew - Beside the point though. Outside of content and things to do, Supply is a proper department in its own right, comparable in all aspects to the other departments.

Steelpoint wrote: Just seems redundant really, also this would bump the station heads from six to seven.

The Quartermaster is just as much of a head as the CMO the cmo isn't a real head

If the CMO isn't a real head, neither is the CE

There are no heads because Nanotrasen is communist and in communism everyone is equal.

Steelpoint wrote:as noted a single Cargo Tech could do the entire role of Cargo very efficiently and there is little for Cargo to do anyway aside from orders.

Uh, correct me if I am wrong here, but I believe cargo covers both cargo orders and mining. I don't see one tech covering both of those.

Yeah, but with mining as it is, nobody mines. Ever

the qm is only different from a normal CT in that he has an office and can go to mining
thats it
there is no extra responsibility, he has no special items (besides a stamp), he is just a CT with a fancy title
removal would be a better option than making him a head

What are you asking here besides bridge access exactly, HoP has always been the head in charge of supply and service, not sure why you're fussing. If anything, miners report to science more than QMs.

Do you want QM to be added to rev or something? Bridge access? Comms console? What would that serve?

The whole point is that the QM can be converted to rev if you get his shades off. With this he'll just be another lynch target. He's a mini-head for a reason. If you're asking for QM to gain more access and be able to overthrow the captain with retarded guncargo shit sorry Psy better luck next year

QM really only exists so you can get more points by stamping cargo crate papers with his stamp and sending them back. I could recode that to work with the 'accepted' stamp instead of the QM stamp and just remove QM, if you'd like.

Wait is this a joke thread or something

Cargo is fat with crew as it is, 2 miners should be taken out so there is one professional, and 2-3 slave miners doing all the digging and dying. Two cargo techs + QM is pointless as well, as at most only need one CT to be your feet. If you need more, that is what the HOP is for. As for disposals and tool storage being its 'area' I call bullshit, assistants got free access to those to run them themselves, and I've yet to ever really see a CT/QM wander into the disposal area to get them their share of recycled trash from the compactor, since most will just order a new crate of what they need than be Clean.

Don't confuse bloated workplaces with increased importance when the whole section is supposed to be the Hops purview. HoP laziness is not indicative of every round, and I've had plenty with useful, on-hand HoPs as I play QM. (Yes, I play QM, its probably second after mime and most know how much I like not having to talk to the crew)
I don't run QM like dickhead central either or order shit without reasoning like guns, so there is an obvious difference of styles as well playing into this.

The problem with supply being the HoP's territory is that it's already the QM's territory and the QM usually tells the HoP to bugger off. If the QM didn't exist, and the job was merged with HoP:

1) HoP would have more things to do
2) QM would be a real head
3) No more QM/HoP conflict

Easy.

I'd rather make the HoP lean more towards the service sector and just leave the QM as is

Have you ever heard the phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen"?

actually yeah on second thought the service sector is pretty fine as it is.

Yeah, more than one bartender behind the bar, more than one chef in the kitchen and it starts to get really crowded. What I'd like to see is more co-ordination between Service in general; Could you put that on the HoP? Make sure the Chef is getting his meat, make sure Botany is giving the chef useful plants, make sure the bartender isn't fucking off and/or too drunk to tend bars...

I mean, he's normally supposed to do that, but a lot of the time the HoP lacks focus as a job.

but service has no meaning except for botany so making it someone's job to manage them would be silly

The HoP really only fills shoes when there's no chef/bartender/botanists if anything, He has access to those places for a reason.

The worst part about the HoP not having a department besides his office means when he's a traitor he can get away with a ton of shit.

Honestly, the HoP being the new QM or the QM being in charge of access changes is how I should word it is probably a good idea but would take a lot of pre-planning and I'm not sure how it would work out on maps like metastation where the HoP office is a long way away from cargo and the service sector.

Qms are scum praise HoP. All QMs do is harass the cargo techs/ ignore the miners orrrr they initiate guncargo. Scum scum scum, make the QM spawn on a walled off space tile.

On a less ravening note new equipment meeting new job assignments is a good combo and also the HoP naturally can bypass ID locks on crates in case of emergency and grant access to the eva space suits if more personnel need to go to mining. Remove the QM office then move the hop office into cargo, Re fucking placed.

I can actually only understand the ranty half of your post.

I'd like to state that, if you merge the QM and the HoP, that's only going to make guncargo worse - Imagine, now every guncargo QM is told "We're replacing you with the HoP", so they go HoP. They give themselves all access, then order and open a bunch of shotguns, and now the QM doesn't even have to get emitters or access, he has it by default.

People newly assigned to jobs or job slots increased, might mean more equipment is needed. Cargo is the best source of equipment.

Incomptinence wrote:People newly assigned to jobs or job slots increased, might mean more equipment is needed. Cargo is the best source of equipment.

Yeah - On high pop rounds, I often see Engis coming in because engineering ran out of gloves, or chemists coming in because some chucklefuck stole the large beakers, or Viro/Xenobio coming in because they ran out of monkeys.

The thing is, that doesn't generate steady, reliable traffic. My two primary customers have always been virologists and roboticists - the former, for virus crates, which they need to get the good stuff, and the latter for ripley circuits because they didn't git gud. Everyone else already starts with everything they need to do their job to the best of their ability. Most rounds are too short for actual resupply to come into play - The most you'll see is a chef wanting more monkeys for meat. I'm willing to bet, though, that if Cargo could order direct upgrades to most station jobs, it'd see a lot more traffic. Stuff that wouldn't be available without cargo, or would otherwise improve a job experience. Better seeds for Botany, ones that don't come out of the machine. Special ingredients for the bartender/chef. Doctors Delight for Medbay, or stun revolvers for security.

I would be interested in seeing all the station's vending machines starting empty at round start, forcing cargo to order (Or at least start with a few refills) and fill them up. It would also give the Chef something to do in the mean time.

If the QM is a head (gross disgusting) should the HoP then need to ask them for permission for increasing any job over capacity or up to in the case of engineers? This equipment uses points which will then be the QM's (curses be upon them) domain.

Would a captain coming in and ordering things be considered power abusing theft on par with the captain looting and carrying the armoury? Since you know most of the important armoury items can be ordered that way.

I think the foul one needs no more rope, spawn the Quarter Monster in an Rwalled room with hostile "captain" mobs that whip them into proper shape*.

* The proper shape of a QM is a corpse

I think QM as a full head is unbalancing, but I do like the idea of them getting more standing.
As for resupplying the station, I normally see than when it gets bombed to shit but people are still alive, active and not willing to call the OMFGGTG shuttle.

AseaHeru wrote: people are still alive, active and not willing to call the OMFGGTG shuttle.

Which never happens because I literally see people calling the shuttle at even the mention, even in the case of a contained plasma leak and competent atmos techs. The real problem here is that people seem to think the entire point of the round is to end the round. And the classes which actually invest effort into things and get better as the round goes on are a minority left in the dust because a 3x3 hole opened up to space in primary tool storage. Engineers exist to repair things, atmos techs exist to fix plasma junk, and no the only solution ISN'T TO CALL THE SHUTTLE.

Rant ended.

HoP ruling over service just seems like a thing to mask that he's got shit all to do other than playing the access game. QM being a head makes sense due to aloof HoPs, but any slick player knows how to circumvent authority anyway.

Chef should be the QM of service and bully the bartender/botanists like gordon ramsay

Quartermaster should be a head because the HoP is always too busy to do it, and also because cargo+mining is a good size for a department.

But... balance!
And most HoPs just sit on there ass and either piss people off, greef or (Insert the totally-not-ERP-thing that they do here)

Rolan7 wrote:Quartermaster should be a head because the HoP is always too busy to do it, and also because cargo+mining is a good size for a department.

except there is no difference between the QM and a normal CT, and cargo is a useless department

mfw the QM will never, EVER be a real head

because theyre more useless than a CMO

miggles wrote:

Rolan7 wrote:Quartermaster should be a head because the HoP is always too busy to do it, and also because cargo+mining is a good size for a department.

except there is no difference between the QM and a normal CT, and cargo is a useless department

Miggles I respect you but not that opinion.

*the qm has more access and a fancier jumpsuit
*cargo is useless except in very specific situations

Cargo is useful in many situations actually , although I agree with the QM being just a fancier CT.

Well they have full mining access if they want to spend time playing the ergo-mining liked by two whole people other than the person who made it.

Suddenly anime avatars everywhere. I can't help but feel there's an exclusive clique/avatar conspiracy.

We erp.

I was working on making the QM a bit more important, by giving him a new traitor objective (optical material scanners), a trucker hat, and a cool coat, but I kinda lost interest. I support this idea wholeheartedly, though. The HoP should be Human Resources, not a glorified foreman.

Where the fuck is the QM's duster and cowboy boots someone was making

paprika wrote:Where the fuck is the QM's duster and cowboy boots someone was making

That was me. Here's a quick screenshot:

Never did get the sprite just right, though.

Yeah that duster is really long and the boots are really light.
Dusters usually cut off right above the boots.

SS13 mob scaling is so wonky and i applaud those who have mastered it

miggles wrote:Yeah that duster is really long and the boots are really light.
Dusters usually cut off right above the boots.

Snap let me do a little bit of changes.

There are a little bit more changes that I did but other then that this is what I did.

those boots are huge
they should be the size of jackboots, not magboots