Command Staff Training - Lieutenants

[Kenteko]

So a large problem that many people have come across is a feeling that either command staff is bad, overwhelmed, or simply shitters that use their position to manipulate/cause damage to people. While a good amount of this is policy based on playtime and inexperience, another bit is simply a lack of responsibility or training to manage things. It is because of this that I feel we should introduce lieutenant positions in (almost, not service) every department to help guide and assist the head when the situations merit. Each of the positions would likely be involved in the envelope of rule 5 with a simple goal: Don't leave your department. Two lieutenants already exist and they will be talked about. Simultaneously, all of the lieutenants should be given the remotes as opposed to the head, since it's their job to make sure their department is operating. Heads still control access (via tablet or their computers)

Following are the listed suggestions:
Security - Warden: Control the brig. Has the Compact Combat and Krav Maga gloves.
Supply - Quartermaster: Control cargo bay, sends people to get bounties, manages orders.
Engineering - Foreman: Runs the engine, first to respond to engine sabotages and grav gen, coordinates atmos mixes and what the engine will be run. Has an RPED, radproof hardsuit, mag boots and RCD.
Medical - Surgeon: Handles any round start surgeries that are needed. Watches health monitors and dispatches EMTs/doctors as needed. Starts with advanced surgery tools.
Science - Server Admin: Has a tablet linked to the communications console and gets the PDA code. Starts with an BRPED, hand drill, and tablet.

These goals would serve as a training post and the lieutenant to the department which will also allow for growth in the long run. One other thing I'd say is to make all budget cards start in the office, which lets the heads get first pick but allows the lieutenants to come in and grab them as the situation allows (which means that a war ops round would run a little better).

Thoughts?

[datorangebottle]

This won't fix the problem. The problem is with player quality as a whole, not with a lack of training. A shitter will be a shitter regardless of how much you try to train them not to be. These will end up being 'x+' positions- security officer+, cargo tech+ already exist and we really don't need extra positions that are just 'x + gamer gear'- or have better equipment than their superiors / start with stuff R&D makes.

Seriously, starting with a brped? A hand drill? Advanced surgery tools? NOBODY starts with advanced surgery tools, and the only roundstart advanced tools i know of besides the CE's set are on my favorite station, Delta. I know that doesn't seem like a point against them, but consider that it's made for massive crews, where such a position might be justified in nonsec noncargo departments.

[Kenteko]

This won't fix the problem. The problem is with player quality as a whole, not with a lack of training. A shitter will be a shitter regardless of how much you try to train them not to be. These will end up being 'x+' positions- security officer+, cargo tech+ already exist and we really don't need extra positions that are just 'x + gamer gear'- or have better equipment than their superiors / start with stuff R&D makes.

Seriously, starting with a brped? A hand drill? Advanced surgery tools? NOBODY starts with advanced surgery tools, and the only roundstart advanced tools i know of besides the CE's set are on my favorite station, Delta. I know that doesn't seem like a point against them, but consider that it's made for massive crews, where such a position might be justified in nonsec noncargo departments.

Honestly, I mostly tried to make gear that would make sense for their job while at the same time being a more parallel role, kinda like Krav Maga/Compact Combat. They are somewhat gamer gear, but at the same time they're good enough to do the job while basically serving as a kind of enforcer who can watch out for some things (or do necessary stuff like surgery). It also makes them targets, albeit lesser to the heads.

[datorangebottle]

You don't need advanced surgery tools to do surgery, surgery starts with all the equipment you need. Krav Maga is different in that it's not something that already exists in the game and is locked behind science.

Security needs the extra management because one guy can't handle that entire show.

Cargo needs the extra management because someone has to keep the cargo techs from running amok with gamer gear and the HoP is generally too busy changing IDs [or being hopcurity, ew].

The RD is already fucking irrelevant because they have nothing to do besides manage their crew. Giving someone else the ability to manage the department makes that even worse. Occasionally they'll fill in for a research position but it's not very often, especially post ssethtide. Generally, yes, these things go unmanaged- but they're not super important anyway, they require no upkeep and the most you'll usually get from it is some juicy gossip and, if you're lucky, you'll expose some kind of criminal plan. This also doesn't justify the roundstart BRPED.

The CMO has more of an argument due to them needing to make sure their doctors aren't literally killing people instead of healing them, but that falls under crew management. Sometimes they're filling in for Virology or Chemistry because one of those departments is literally not doing their job, or are sabotaging the crew.

Engineering almost definitely needs the extra bit of management, but again- this is because of shitters not knowing how to set anything up, and engineering emergencies.

In all honestly, most of this relies on shitters not taking the new roles, which is extremely unlikely without some sort of quiz or whitelist to unlock them(which won't happen)- and nonshitters taking the head roles and actually teaching the lieutenant what they need to know about the department.

[Kenteko]

The goals, long term, are more for setting up a little less autonomy and having more responsibility with the heads and lieutenants, with maybe even a soft "rework" towards the way staff and crews operate. This is more a step one. Over a long period, should lieutenants be successful, you could do things like "Convert Head of Personnel into captain's LT/XO and remove the all access computer" and then add a potential xeno command staff to even things out. Let me give examples.

Command Staff would consist of:
Captain with their First Mate
Head of Security with their Warden over security
Quartermaster with (new job named Coordinator or Head of Personnel) over Supply and Service
Chief Engineer with the Foreman over Engineering
Chief Medical Officer with the Surgeon over Medical
and Research Director with a System Administrator over science.
Add in a stand alone command staff Xeno Liaison/Spokesman which makes the spread even and allows command to focus on command while LTs to focus on more specific stuff.

Then, add a minor policy change that the new LT jobs are meant to handle the details while the heads handle the big stuff and abolish the all access computer. Let the LTs then be also responsible for giving people access to their departments/manning the front desk and you now raise the importance on the spare/captain access and make it that much harder to get full all access all around. This also creates more importance for various jobs (or hacking) and will make for a more robust system over all.

That's the ultimate goal, anyways.

[datorangebottle]

Let me make this clear- I like the idea of a command restructuring. I just don't think it'll work ideally, and I disagree with gamer gear that's not something new, especially when that something is locked behind science.

like, the fireproof hardsuit on the Foreman is fine, because there's only two or three on the station and the engineers often run off with the hardsuits without setting things up.

Giving the server administrator a BRPED at roundstart when science normally has to work for that is not okay. Neither are advanced surgery tools. Let science do their jobs.