A Cry For Help *RP Discussion*

[elantzb]

(The title has a double-meaning, hah.)

Folks, I think it's time that our community has an up-to-date, all-inclusive IC guide for dealing with distress beacon calls (say, like an excerpt from the USCM Contingency Manual).

After taking part in a recent discussion on the new Fog mechanics, I feel that having such a guide will not only set a standard for preserving our precious immersion, but will also give IC command characters more-defined grounds for preventing power-/meta-gaming. Not only would this take weight off of our Staff (admin-bombing those meta-rushing folks), but it could also provide some neat ideas for preventative game mechanics (See spoiler for those who hate links):

► Show Spoiler

Bear with me and lemme lay out my line-of-thinking.

Say a bunch of us get together and scan the forums (and maybe external lore sites) and start putting together an updated RP guide for distress call contingencies (make it read like an excerpt from the USCM database or something).

Now say that that guide comes up with something like, "Since you don't know what's going on, you need to sweep the affected area for clues..."

And then BAM, there's an idea. Maybe add some randomly-placed switches/triggers inside various domes on the colony, all of which need to be found/activated before the Fog will lift. Marines who decide to camp the Fog rather than follow these orders are *clearly* meta-gaming and should be dealt with by their superiors.

Now, this particular example only applies to marines, but I think that it illustrates my point that reasonable game mechanics can come about as a result of thinking with one's RP hat on.

But, I can't do it all on my own.

So, I invite everyone to share ideas for such a guide, big or small. Borrow from existing RP guides (with proper attribution, of course), read up on lore... hell, write up some neat flavor-texty prose if that's how you'd like to contribute. Depending on the community response, I could compile the suggestions into a guide, but if you guide-writers want to collaborate, feel free to volunteer.

EDIT: If you are a seasoned CO/BO/SL/CL (or any other officer), I encourage you to share your experiences/advice here regarding proper protocol, escalation-of-force, etc.

I cannot guarantee that this undertaking will fix all of our problems, or even go un-ignored by the powers-that-be. But I think that we ought to at least give this a shot.

"All right sweethearts, you heard the man and you know the drill. Assholes and elbows!"

[CrimsonAerospace]

I'm down and willing to contribute. I'll start writing up pages on my own free time and PM them over if that's good.

[NoahKirchner]

Xenopedia is a really, really, really good place to look for anything Weyland Yutani. As far as USCMC and Iron Bears, some of the older AVP games would be helpful, or some of the Aliens comics (those are really good for it)
AVP Extinction is really good for anything you need involving aliens as it's where the Ravager and Carrier came from.

[elantzb]

I'm down and willing to contribute. I'll start writing up pages on my own free time and PM them over if that's good.

Do it to it. Feel free to signalboost this thread too (within reasonable parameters, of course).

[elantzb]

Xenopedia is a really, really, really good place to look for anything Weyland Yutani. As far as USCMC and Iron Bears, some of the older AVP games would be helpful, or some of the Aliens comics (those are really good for it)
AVP Extinction is really good for anything you need involving aliens as it's where the Ravager and Carrier came from.

Other Aliens/AVP games are gaps in my knowledge, so if you have any specifics to share, please feel free.

[NoahKirchner]

Other Aliens/AVP games are gaps in my knowledge, so if you have any specifics to share, please feel free.

None in particular. My main knowledge is on Weyland Yutani and its operations and xenomorphs, USCMC is not my strong suit. I just know that they are sources of knowledge for it from things I've seen over the years.

[elantzb]

I have edited the OP to include a shout-out to seasoned in-game officers.

[NoahKirchner]

Do really good paperwork as CL. Really, paperwork can get you out of any situation far better than your handgun, and should be used at every possible situation.
Also, lie out of your ass (IC). Make shit up, say the "Company" told you to, play it like a scumbag to get your goals across nonlethally and you'll be far more successful and far less bant.

As far as what you should be striving to do, your loyalties should be as follows.
First to the company.
Second to yourself.
Third to the command staff of the USS Sulaco.
Fourth to everybody else.

You should attempt to ensure that anything Weyland related, be it the integrity of the colony, PMCs, or colonists are treated with respect/not damaged, and your primary goal is to relay information and requests between the marines and the Company. Occasionally you will get objectives, follow them as it can essentially be permission to be an antag.

Don't self antag. It's against the rules and you'll be bant.

[Renomaki]

Honestly, I think a good way to ensure that marines won't get bored is to give the CO a set of objectives to complete (recover this, repair that, protect this from harm, etc) that he can add to his briefing, so briefings aren't so predictable and marines have something to work towards besides the norm of building a camp and performing recon.

A few minor tasks for the CO to assign would be interesting, and make being CO more fun because now you have some goals to work towards, and have to make use of your marines to achieve them. Meanwhile, the marines will have something to keep them on their toes, since then you won't know what the CO might ask during a briefing. It might mean less of the same old "two build, two patrol" objectives and more variety. Wouldn't be all that hard to program either, or at least the basic objectives anyways. More advanced ones might need some proper testing.

It would also make COs more desirable, since you know they will give better objectives to work on than the XO.

[elantzb]

Honestly, I think a good way to ensure that marines won't get bored is to give the CO a set of objectives to complete (recover this, repair that, protect this from harm, etc) that he can add to his briefing, so briefings aren't so predictable and marines have something to work towards besides the norm of building a camp and performing recon.

A few minor tasks for the CO to assign would be interesting, and make being CO more fun because now you have some goals to work towards, and have to make use of your marines to achieve them. Meanwhile, the marines will have something to keep them on their toes, since then you won't know what the CO might ask during a briefing. It might mean less of the same old "two build, two patrol" objectives and more variety. Wouldn't be all that hard to program either, or at least the basic objectives anyways. More advanced ones might need some proper testing.

It would also make COs more desirable, since you know they will give better objectives to work on than the XO.

Thanks for the input. Do you have any specific examples/ideas for tasks/procedures?

[Renomaki]

Thanks for the input. Do you have any specific examples/ideas for tasks/procedures?

The thing about that is that I am not quite a programmer, so I don't know what would be quite possible.. However, that doesn't mean I'm not able to think up some logical ideas.

The most easiest of objectives could be to recover high-value objects for Weyland (data disks, mech parts, documents, etc) and to secure them on the Sulico until the mission is complete. It would be like an Easter-Egg hunt for marines, although the object they seek may not always be easy to find.

Another type of objective could be to secure certain areas, keeping weeds from growing there and generally keeping damage at a certain location minimal. Maybe Weyland wants a certain building to be kept safe from hostile threats and the marines will be expected to hold the location and keep the xenos from fucking with it, cleaning up any weeds and repair whatever damage they can.

Maybe there might even be a more special objective every now and then, although what we could do that would not seem too out of place is tricky. After all, you have to ensure the objectives match up with the current RP situation. The marines aren't coming to loot plasma tanks or cause as much damage to the colony as possible. They have to be logical objectives that would be expected in the sort of operation the marines normally have here on SS13CM.

[elantzb]

The thing about that is that I am not quite a programmer, so I don't know what would be quite possible.. However, that doesn't mean I'm not able to think up some logical ideas.

This exactly, I'm not asking for game mechanics suggestions, just input on "what should the marines be doing once they hit the planet? What's the search-and-recover procedure that should be in everyone's heads (until a xeno shows up and changes the entire situation)?

...keeping weeds from growing there

A problem that I've noticed with the weeds is that in the MotD it states that marines "start knowing nothing about them" but there really isn't an IC way to discover that they aid the xenos. Maybe I'll start a suggestion thread for that one.

Maybe Weyland wants a certain building to be kept safe from hostile threats and the marines will be expected to hold the location

This is exactly the kind of info that I want to include here. A distress-call-response contingency would also include seeing to the Company's interests, to some degree.

the current RP situation... They have to be logical objectives that would be expected in the sort of operation the marines normally have here on SS13CM.

This is why I want to make this guide. I've yet to see (or at least don't often see) an Op start off sounding like it's by the books, with some sort of SOP that maintains the immersion/RP. The IC jump that I see between "We've received a vague distress call" to "So let's build a base with firelines and a surgery room" is too jarring most of the time and I think could be smoothed-out with better RP expectations in place.

I'm pretty sure I lost my point in there somewhere, but thanks for the responses and feel free to add more

[4thsurviver]

I just did a round as an acting commander BO and gave each squad specif buildings to check to make sure they all got checked. It didn't really slow them down though but it did stop the immediate rush to hydro. I also tried to get marines to get the direction the aliens were coming from. Then that way I can have them set up forward fortifications. The PO also brought me some documents from the colony about some experiments going on. I tried to link it to the body and hugger at science and the test monkeys to the one people saw burst.

I think being able to find more ways of learning aliens mechanics from documents or consoles around the map could help. The locations would have to be somewhat randomized to prevent people just rushing them. I think the aliens having more incentive to use they tunnels could help too. If they can strike form numerous tunnels and prevent a clear direction of attack being established it could stop marines moving north as soon as possible. Why go to hydro if aliens are striking from the south west and east?

Having a check list of things that marines need to discover could help slow them down too. So often I see marines go into nexus from the rasp and ignore the bloodbath there, that's generally the first sign that shit is fucked up.

If we have objectives to complete I'd prefer they would be bonus objectives that would be rewarded by high command or WY. Rewards like air strikes, ERTs, weapons and other supplies, maybe extra spec slots. Something the marines could live without but desperately crave.

[Renomaki]

This is why I want to make this guide. I've yet to see (or at least don't often see) an Op start off sounding like it's by the books, with some sort of SOP that maintains the immersion/RP. The IC jump that I see between "We've received a vague distress call" to "So let's build a base with firelines and a surgery room" is too jarring most of the time and I think could be smoothed-out with better RP expectations in place.

Honestly, I can understand why this is bothersome to some people. Why are marines who were requested to investigate a distress suddenly building a military base on the planet?

It is the reason why, when I happen to go CO, I don't call it an FoB right off the bat, but rather call it a "marine campsite", since honestly, it would be a pain to shuffle marines back and forth all the time, and it would be more effective to have a small base of operations from which to conduct what could be a lengthily operation. You can't just go there, spend an hour, go "its good" and then leave: You gotta take your time and make sure the planet is fully secure and that any and all colony members are safe. It IS a big jungle down there, and for all you know, there is probably more to it than the immediate map. Maybe there are facilities outside of the jungle that need inspecting too?

OOCly, though, marines need a place to rest, and not having an FoB to regroup at can be very distressing sometimes and can cause some people to feel lost and disorganized. It acts like a safe place where you can relax in the comfort of fellow marines, just as how the xeno's cave hives are a safe place for xenos to rest.

[CrimsonAerospace]

I'm liking the idea of adding in objectives, my original idea. It'd be interesting if Marines had to:

Hold a Building/Area (King of the Hill-esq thing. Aliens would maybe get a bonus if they held it.)
Capture Research/Device/Recordings (Simple scavenger hunt, find the fluff items and deliver them to Command)
VIP (Random Survivor spawns, isn't allowed to go up the Sulaco, must be protected at all costs. Could be a Researcher who spawns with Xeno Research items?)

And so on and some such.

[TheMaskedMan2]

I love this and encouraging more mechanics that force RP it will help improve the general environment of the server.

My one issue with this is you are going to have to have it give a mechanical benefit as well, because if not you just know everyone will be needlessly pissed. If anything it will give marines more to do before the fog goes down.

Anyways if there is anything you specifically need help with just say so. I'm all up for helping.

[Karmac]

Just a couple things I'd like to see squads doing;
Have one squad divvy up into 3 man patrol squads, if you've got an FOB squad make sure they're spread out, like have men posted at each entrance to the FOB rather than its actual lines, have another squad searching for evidence of what's gone on here, i.e. send them to research for a good dick-around there, and have your last squad as reserves, either leave them up in the Sulaco and have them hang in the cafeteria or drop them in the FOB, just to relax though, not for guard duty, they would be your rapid response team. I'd like to think this would remind people that they're allowed and encouraged to RP on the server instead of it being steely-eyed veterans wordlessly staring into the abyss, waiting for something to pop out.

(On my phone so wall of text is the best I can do for now)

[Renomaki]

Just a couple things I'd like to see squads doing;
Have one squad divvy up into 3 man patrol squads, if you've got an FOB squad make sure they're spread out, like have men posted at each entrance to the FOB rather than its actual lines, have another squad searching for evidence of what's gone on here, i.e. send them to research for a good dick-around there, and have your last squad as reserves, either leave them up in the Sulaco and have them hang in the cafeteria or drop them in the FOB, just to relax though, not for guard duty, they would be your rapid response team. I'd like to think this would remind people that they're allowed and encouraged to RP on the server instead of it being steely-eyed veterans wordlessly staring into the abyss, waiting for something to pop out.

(On my phone so wall of text is the best I can do for now)

I dunno, splitting up squads into smaller squads is a lot harder than it sounds...

It is easier to lead as an SL due to having enlarged text that people can notice, as well as the fact that SLs are normally mentally prepared to lead their squad. Having some random grunt suddenly be in charge of a small group of people can be very distressing (coming from personal experience), and it can be hard to get people to listen to you when your text gets blended in with the rest.

That, and for such a thing to work, you'd need every lad and lass in your squad to be a trustworthy, mature marine that is willing to listen to orders and not complain. Not everyone has those traits, and when you try more complicated set ups, no doubt most people will struggle to understand it, as I had learned during one time as an SL that tried to divide my squad into two, and ended up wasting time as a result because no one knew who to follow...

[Karmac]

Just something I'd like to see, I don't doubt your opinions are correct.