Addict64 - Staff Report: Enforcement Action Taken - Some random guy 3124
What’s your BYOND key:
Addict64
Round ID:
30281
Your character name:
Steele A.W. Phosphorus
Their BYOND key:
Some random guy 3124
What are you reporting?:
Enforcement Action Taken
Description of the incident:
During the round, I was the sole Bravo Comtech. I have a lot of experience as a comtech, most of it involves rounds like this one, where two marines are the only ones left behind to secure the entire landing site. This is a task that includes building defenses, patrolling the secured area and arranging the stockpile. I was thankful to have a rifleman willing to place barbed wires for me. The LZ was the one in the south west, with its only entrance and exit points towards the east and north. Given the circumstances, lack of manpower to watch over the FOB, protect the pilot and build, I started first with barricades around the wing of the eastern door, ensuring it was easily accessible and had space for supplies, I even coordinated with my lead to ensure supplies dropped within the cade line instead of outside it. Layers of metal and plasteel barricades, with plenty of entrances all funneling into the supplies centralized around the east door of the dropship.
Relevant to the note, which was issued for Rule 4, griefing, I elected to use walls, backed by reinforced barricades to cover the west and south doors of the Alamo (or in this round the Normandy since it had landed at least twice instead of the Alamo). My buddy marine in Bravo seemed enthusiastic about the walls (though personally, I felt like this might’ve leaned too far towards the lrp side of commentary with comments about a 47th president). It was a strategy which I theorized would secure the side entrances of the dropship, and importantly most of all not be harassed easily or be suddenly breached through by a Queen. In doing so, the FOB guards can more easily focus upon building, covering one another, and expanding (as much as you can with one builder anyways) into the wider landing area. Having the sides of the dropship secured by walls like so, can be ideal to prevent boarding, especially in the case where the marines collapse quickly, even more so if a ship is on auto pilot or the pilots don’t seem competent (I don’t know why both dropships were landing on the pad).
The round went south fast for the marines, the first sign was when the Normandy landed and I was given a squad order from the over watch terminal to fix comms. Steele is a cynical marine, and wasn’t surprised that not only did she have to build the FOB with only 2 marines including herself, now she had to fix comms exactly as she predicted shipside. In an incredibly short time after that order from overwatch (before I could even head out to follow it), the FOB was under siege and retreat was called. The hive including the queen was upon us, the landing turrets hadn’t even deactivated yet but they were going to in a short while.
Embattled I fought to protect that FOB as I could, I continued building for the marines to ensure better firing lines, I put my shotgun turret along the south east folding cade to protect a path in or out, the only one building. I could only do this with my mind resting sure that even with low man power following the retreat, we had the other entrances of the dropship well and truly secured. We might’ve even pushed out if something went our way. Marines planted themselves inside the supplies and cades and had time to gather in their surroundings and what defenses were there, command was attentive to the situation and how desperate we were for defeasible lines, which I like to see, short on engineers as we were.
The queen began to rotate to the south east, which was a better angle for the xenos since I had recently built more cades to cover and provide firing lines to the north east where the conflict started. I pivoted to cut off the xenos from flanking around the south west, I had my eyes on it, and could redirect any marines who might in desperation seek the walled off doors of the Alamo. Part of managing the FOB is guiding traffic, and watching for weaknesses in the lines. Ensuring a flush defensive line south would additionally free me from monitoring the position and directing that traffic, and prevent a xeno from using the aft as cover, so I built a barricade line designed to further suggest retreat was north towards the supplies, not around an unguarded dropship. A marine was well beyond the cades asking to be dragged just as I finished the line, it was still unwired and could be climbed over, but there really wasn’t anything I could do with the number of xenos on the other side of the cades, including the queen, to retrieve them. The Alamo lifted off prematurely, which was replaced by the Normandy (which squashed the only living marine who was with me south, not really on me that). I knew if I stayed south I’d be cut off and alone, but I had a brick of plastic explosives to open the aft if urgently required, but lacking vision on the situation north east and understanding that breaking the only cade line on the aft might cause a marine wipe aboard, and given Steele was alone in her situation since her buddy got flattened, Steele circled around alone. On my way, I didn’t notice any living marines who had died along the sides of the Alamo, and none who were dead (they might’ve been there in the dark or I was too focused watching for the enemy, a lot was going on). I sighted weeds, and decided to keep going gambling the hive was still south east or east, to which the Normandy pilot was given the spectacle of me then being capped. I’m not sure if they managed to lift off, but that would be the fault of what pilots there were, if they didn’t manage a successful evac.
Some random guy 3124 then sends me a message along the lines of asking me why I had walled off the dropship. I replied in clarification that as I understood, critical locations can be walled up so long as there is an entryway that is not walled closed and instead protected by barricades, which was the east. Some random guy 3124 responded by iterating that the dropship pilot can just lock the doors, and walls prevent marines from boarding through the door. I responded along the lines that locking only works to a point, that however I do recognize the validity of an argument regarding potential drawbacks to limiting access, clarifying that I myself was someone who did not board due to the circumstances which I myself had arranged. Though, I had saved my brick of C4 as a way to allow marines who might need it entrance, I elected not to use it for my sole boarding, as to not compromise the defense, and that I was incredibly rushed as the only FOB builder during the round.
As I had also become a xenomorph during Hijack, I didn’t have the time to fully go into detail the finer points of my decision making as the Queen commanded the hive not split up and remain close to her, so I have done so here and now, while not under the distractions of an on-going round.
The note issued is as follows:
You have been noted by Some random guy 3124.
The note is : Rule 4 - Note - Player built a line of walls blocking the south and west entrances of the alamo, this lead to the deaths of a few marines as they were unable to get in, Player was told to not block entrances to the dropship using walls.
I lack a personal insight on how many players my actions may have impacted due to the embattled state all the way to my own death, though having this being interpreted as a conscious effort to grief marines is something I would like to argue against, and so invite another perspective to investigate the note as issued.
I had no intention to harm the efforts of defending the FOB, and argue that my actions instead ENSURED the dropship could take off as safely as possible with marines who desired it, the notably unguarded sides of the dropship were perhaps as protected as they could be given the circumstances of manpower and time. I’d hope that my personal reputation as a player who has been a die-hard Bravoid responsible for many superb FOBs, which is supported by earned medals from my fellows, I am always experimenting with strategy and trying to explore the possibilities of the engineering roles.
Perhaps Some random guy 3124 has a point, that it may be better to use barricades alone, though there are downsides such as the fragility of folding barricades (especially to a Queen), which can be in part addressed with more materials (and time of course), neither which I had. I would like to argue that this is at worst, a case of experimentation not leading to an intended outcome. I myself would like to know better how my fellow marines might’ve been affected to the north west of the landing site beyond my vision (though I have to wonder why marines would’ve left established and losing battle line cades, nestled against the dropship, only to head that way). Are walls that cut off directions always griefing then? The proximity of some entry points to the LZ are incredibly close to the dropship, like on LV-624, is any landing zone entrance or pathway walled off considered griefing, or only when it is directly next to the dropship doors where marines can at least still continue to travel around for an entrance?
I do not have any ill wish towards Some random guy 3124, they are just doing what they can to monitor and ensure fair and healthy play, during their service, Some random guy 3124 responded cordially and provided helpful links to pursue this report, and overall I see this as excellent behaviour. I hope it can be understood, that I also must do my part to ensure fair and equitable treatment, and that situations like these can become known and if deemed as an issue for all the future rounds, become known by others who might select comtech. This is my first note, in 1,636.7 hours of play, primarily as a Bravoid who builds the FOB. I wish to do well by the expectations laid out before me by the team, and if in this case, I have deservingly been punished for failing, I will strive to abide by whatever decision is laid before me regarding this round. I know it’s a lengthy post all this, so thank you for getting to the end.
Evidence:
As I never ghosted during the round, or anticipated a need to defend myself from a note, I did not take any screenshots, the round ended rather quickly. You’ll have to go into the logs or investigate in other ways.