Bridge XO

[NethIafin]

 

I want to implement this (with help, hopefully)

Idea is to add new job to the field - XO. First - some bulletpoints about the role:

1) Title is Executive Officer

2) Access - assistant level + Bridge + Bridge meeting room

3) Mindshielded - so can't be any kind of traitor on roundstart

4) Second in command - so he assumes command if captain dies

5) Spawns at bridge in the middle chair

6) Has XO's Bowman headset with access to all departments

7) Has telebaton and no other weaponry or armor

8) Primary job is to monitor consoles and report any alert or issue that may happen. That doesn't mean they should sit at camera console and peek at every corner - that is AI's and warden's job

9) They are not in command unless captain is MIA. They are merely informing other members of command about incoming issues.

10) Unlike AI, their task is to asses the situation and digest it into consumable chunks for captain. After captain commanded something they have to ensure that the request is being worked on. They should update captain on the progress.

 

So why!?

Advantages:

1) Role for newbies in command, and for pros who like to RP

2) Freeing and forcing captain to do other, more important things - like monitoring completion of projects, actually deciding what to do with critical situations

3) If captain is ded/MIA/ not yet arrived, person with mindshield implant is much better on bridge, than hop, that CAN be traitor

4) Remove stress from HoPs, that are not ready for commanding duties, and actually have their own job to do.

5) Adds additional slot to already overpopped server

6) If we have more interactions, can be a person that raises/lowers the shield, changes orbit of the station, etc

 

Disadvantages:

1) Works only if captain has something actually to do. If admins give more events - this will be less of an issue

2) Might assume role of "Second Blueshield" (which should be forbidden by SoP) or "NT Rep" (but they deal with NT)

3) Might be a boring job

4) Captain might shift all blame from him onto XO, but it should be stated that captain is responsible for ALL actions made by XO and him, except violations of space law by XO himself

 

So please discuss... We had a really heated discussion in discord, and I doubt it will be less hot here=)

 

[scrubmcnoob]

colonial marines? :thinking:

[ZN23X]

 

I sort of like the idea tho it sounds like a Blueshield who isn't as well equipped with the added perk/disadvantage (depending in your view) of being 1 heartbeat from being in full command (which is NOT thenough best position for a command newbie). I feel CMO or CE are better for that as thier areas can be fully functional without them.

 

As for HOP stress n server pop, I saw someone playing as the HOPs assistant (obviously a civilian turned into the role) last night n thought THAT was a good idea.

 

Traitorous HOP being 1 heartbeat away from being captain can also be part of the excitement. Sort of like a Rouge AI.

 

Also pilot sometimes sits n watches cameras too...more access n less time consuming than flying around peeking through windows lol

 

[Shadeykins]

 

Ultimately a needless role that's going to mitigate the roles/responsibilities of the Captain/HoP and requires modification to the well-established Chain of Command that's been successfully implemented on the server for over two years. It's also another armed person on the bridge which is going to make business exceptionally harder for antags.

 

This is going to be a job with little to do that will ultimately result in the XO validhunting people via cameras, something we want to tamp down on (not encourage). There's really no need to inform anyone about issues, as most issues bubble up within a department and are handled by that departmental head or are so explicitly obvious that they're either well known or are immediately echoed on command comms by 3-4 people.

 

The argument about the HoP is also moot. The HoP stands at a desk and says "yes/no" to a few people before clicking a few buttons and giving them their ID back. Head of Personnel is in fact one of the ideal jobs to *learn* Command in the first place. If people want to learn about Command they can

 

* Intern as an assistant

* Read one of the hundred guides on the forums

* Read the wiki, which contains all the information you need

* Ghost and watch how command operates

* Play in a minor head position like CE, CMO, or RD.

 

tl;dr - mitigates the existing roles, powers and responsibilities of command members and makes life harder for antags

 

[Anticept]

 

Here's my thoughts on it.

 

The XO WOULD be a command position, HAVE the authority of the captain, EXCEPT where the captain has judged. Full access, full comms, full authority; except where executions or certain things require the captain himself (or acting captain).

 

The XO will likely be a boring job most of the time. But, when it rains, it pours. I accept that Paradise is NOT Colonial Marines, but I have played captain a few times where I really REALLY wished I had a second in command to handle some of the chaos.

 

Here's what I believe the benefits of that position will be:

 

- There's now clearly two commanding officers. Para is often chaos. This might help stabilize some of it.

- They share the load, and the responsibilities.

- Captain can attend executions more freely like he is supposed to.

- Can make an SoP that requires one of the two commanding officers to remain on the bridge at all times, with nuke disk under guard. If you have a really coked out captain that likes to walk everywhere, then the disk is always in a predictable place.

- Frees up the captain a bit to move about the station without carrying the disk on him at all times.

 

An XO would also make it reasonable to possibly consider whitelisting the captain, and requiring him to follow SoP. His presence will carry a lot more weight as a result. His word and orders would mean much more than it does now. To make a point, on CM (again, I accept that this is not CM, it's para, but hear me out), I walked into a room where there was trouble going on. The MPs had called me there. My presence alone carried a TON of weight, and immediately the issues quieted down. When I spoke, people intently listened, and the issue was de-escalated.

 

As for the HoP: they need to stay at their post, or be checking if cargo and service are operating properly. I wish we could expand this position a little bit more with background checks and such too so that there would be a bit more of a 'game' to people trying to transfer to other departments or claim they are someone else.

 

I really think this warrants some playtesting at least, to see what it would do in rounds. I intend to playtest an XO a few times, asking admins if I may promote someone, or they can be sent in an official manner from CC, to test the dynamics.