Here is a topic I feel that should be brought to debate and staff's attention.
A staff report wouldn't be adequated, because the focus are the RULES, instead of a person's actions.
(He did nothing wrong and acted 100% in the protocol.)
First I will relate the events that happened on the round. (I might miss a detail or even the exact order, but I will try my best at being faithful.)
► Show Spoiler
1 - I started playing as Tylor Harkonnen, in BRIDGE OFFICER's role. (He is a character I would describe as "gung-ho, trigger happy, easy to piss off, "more dakka is the answer"-minded and quite reckless - but brave and loyal to the extreme and not stupid in any sense".)
2 - Three survivors were rescued. One of those threatened to shoot the liaison. The liaison asked for help on MP channel, the commander went instead of MPs. I decided to escort the commander for her safety. Survivor refused to handle his primary weapon, Tylor held him at gunpoint and eventually the commander decided to allow him to keep the gun and turned him into a crew-member. - The survivors behaviour was markedly one of challenging and provoking the authorities. Actually, really good and intense roleplay, even in some thing he said like "do you really know how to use this gun?".
(In a later time, this survivor provoked Tylor again, saying he was pissed about not being able to take his gun. And Tylor mythbusted it on his words. Really good RP indeed. ^^)
3 - Going back to the bridge, Tylor visited the brig, looking for a taser. - He expected that survivor (armed and not "authority friendly") and his friends to cause trouble in the future. - But as there was no taser around, so he got a pepper spray, a flash bang, HUD sunglasses and a holster for his revolver.
Then he collected a pulse rifle, equipped AP rounds in it, packed it in wrapper and left by the bridge. (Just a provision, because some of the survivors had body armour.)
4 - The XO started acting weird (equipped marine armour and primary weapons, and apparently went to the planet, but told nothing to the command staff). The commander eventually dropped some amo and slavic weapon attachments by the bridge, and went SSD by his office.
XO later cryoed himself, and I had to retrieve the commander and cryo her too. Essencially making my character, and another bridge officer, the only command staff aboard the Sulaco.
- Tylor was already suspecting the CO and XO were incompetent, and here he confirmed it.
5 - MTs and the RO started a discussion through the radio, where the RO was refusing to order metal for them. I even suggested recycling some things ith the autolathe, but the MTs threatened to dismantle the Requisitions Office.
Tylor inspected the requisitions and noticed all was in peace and that the RO had a huge pile of high-tier primary weapons close to him (sniper rifles, heavy pulse rifles, double barreled shotgun,...).
AND by inspecting the cameras and squad consoles, Tylor noticed a suspicious activity aboard, where MTs were dragging all the vendors from cafeteria to an area inside a maint, and a Squad Leader was with them.
He questioned them through the radio, got no answer, and thought there was something fishy happening aboard (possibly a riot, a mutiny, or something similar). - But took no further actions.
6 - Tylor noticed a survivor SSD by cafeteria. (And this wasn't the one who got involved on hostilities.) He took him to the bridge, removed his bullet-proof body armour and MAR rifle, attached the "slavic" scope and wooden stock (the ones the commander had left by the bridge previously) to it, came out of the bridge and cryoed the survivor.
Tylor was actually intending to equip those and go to inspect the MTs and Squad Leader affairs by the maint, instead of using the Riot Armour and Automatic Shotgun that is available at the bridge.
WHY the survivor's equipment? - Just for serving as deterrents against a mutiny /riot situation, and also because the red lockers equipment is better leftreserved for use on hostile boardings or attempts to take over the bridge.
(And yes... As a PLAYER, I know that there was a possibility for it to be a secret fight club, bootleg bar or other harmless thing by the maint, instead of the MTs rioting and preparing to go with the SL to take over the Req's office. But even I wasn't sure, and Tylor know nothing about previous rounds or rounds where I played with other characters.)
7 - Finally? The other BO ordered a crate of Squad Leader Armour - for the sake of replacing a SL's helmet cam.
The RO refused, and started arguing throught the radio. The situation escalated to the point that this BO decided to go to the Req's office and take control of it.
Knowing about the large stash of weapons by the Req, and the RO's behaviour?
Tylor prepped himself with the survivor's armour and rifle, and escorted the other BO.
We had a discussion, the RO even got a rifle for himself, the BO and RO exchanged a lot of hostilities, Tylor placed some crates by the shuttle for more points (including crates from engi storage), ... but no real conflict happened.
(RO noticed Tylor was heavily armed. - And possibly it's the exact reason he didn't escalated the conflict with the other BO and is what I was intending to happen.)
8 - An Admin messaged-me. Invoked the "Don't equip armour or primary weapons before the first xenomorph boarding".
Told-me it's a bannable ofense. That he as going to place an annotation.- And HE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT here.
(So I unequipped everything by the bridge, and I even cryoed Tylor and abandoned that round for the sake of writing a post. - But I got a phone call, and had to do it in a later time.)
And he suggested that I must send the MARINES in absense of MP instead for dealing with the situation, "because they are better equipped".
Facts about my characters?
Erin? Would never put herself in danger by default.
Edgar and Erika? They take the necessary actions, and always follow the protocol. Only Erika is much braver than Edgar.
And Sadako and Tylor? Involve themselves in hostile situations by default. Where Tylor is more likely to make it worse when provoked, BUT also where Tylor is much more inclined to ignore the marine law in favour of the rioters / mutineers / criminals / ... (He wouldn't execute someone for treason, for example, while Sadako would be really happy about doing it.)
But putting my case elements aside? - Let's get into the many QUESTIONS needing answers. (Including the one about involving marines.)
"YOU ARE THE HIGHEST RANKING COMMAND STAFF ABOARD THE SULACO.
THERE ARE NO MPS AVAILABLE - OR THEY ARE VISIBLY OUTNUMBERED - OR EVEN EVEN ALREADY DOWNED.
AND THERE IS A RIOT, MUTINY, INFIGHT, MASSIVE DESERTION, MURDER (DONE BY THE LIAISON OR OTHERS) OR SIMILAR DANGEROUS AND UNLAWFUL SITUATION ABOARD, WHERE IT DOESN'T INVOLVE IRON BEARS, DEATH SQUAD, XENOMORPHS OR PREDATORS - ONLY THE SULACO'S CREW, LIAISON AND/OR ON THE MAXIMUM THE SURVIVORS.
----> WHAT IS OK OR NOT TO DO?"
1 - Can you grab non-lethal weapons for your protection? And - by extension - handcuffs and similar things?
Or this is, actually, against that rule stating that "You shouldn't do the MP's work"?
2 - Can you equip armour and get primary weapons, for effectivelly defending yourself (where visibly the danger involves others also having primary weapons and armour)?
Or this is in fact against the rule stating that "You must not equip armour and primary weapons before hostile boarding if you aren't a marine or aren't going to the planet"?
3 - Can you address the situation directly, for the sake of having a conversation for defusing it, but possibly having to resort to lethal force after the negotiation fails?
Or this is against the rule about escalation, so if you are command staff facing a mutiny or riot, you must first wait for melee attacks (or start them yourself) before resorting to firearms?
4 - It's OK - as command staff - to arrest this type of hostiles by helding them at gunpoint? Or by extension by using non-lethal weaponry and handcuffs? And them to do the whole brigging or executing proccess?
Or this is, also against that rule stating that "You shouldn't do the MP's work"?
5 - Can you dispatch some of the marines for dealing with the situation?
Or that also falls under the "You shouldn't do the MP's work" (and also would stale the round in favour of the xenomorphs)?
6 - Can you assemble a MILITIA, by arming the loyal MTs, resarcher, CE, Doctors, CMO or even survivors with sidearms and enlisting their aid? Or - at least - doing this for their own protection?
Or this is something you must never do?
7 - Can you issue non-lethal weaponry and handcuffs to the marines, to a militia, to the bridge officers or similar group?
Or this is actually a "NEVER" for having similarity with the MP's role?
8 - Can you lock yourself on the bridge, drop the shutters on the entire Sulaco and mash that "call the ERT" Button in a desperate attempt to regain control?
Or this is a "DON'T", because it would fall under the "Don't be a jerk" rule and stale the round?
9 - It would be OK to run away to the planet, hide in a a locker, cryo yourself or even kill yourself?
Or that is something against the "fill your command role / don't abandon it / don't kill yourself early in the round" or "don't be a jerk" rules?
P.S.:
I want the player's insights, and also the STAFF MEMBERS answers to the nine questions.
From this an important guideline for better rounds with interesting and rule-friendly roleplay will emerge.
Not just on my part, but also on the part of all the other players reading this topic.
