Moderator Application - Ahana
What is your BYOND key?
Ahana
What is your Discord username?
Crimson#8122
Who is your CM character?
Laurencia Beck, Eleanor Tudor
Are you 16 or older?
Yes
Timezone:
Eastern Standard Timezone
Qualifications:
On average, how many hours are you available to moderate?
Typically around 15, it will fluctuate with work, class, and maintaining my health.
Do you have any previous experience in being staff (not just SS13)?
Yes, I have ample experience. I have been moderating communities for coming close to a decade now. I have moderated forums, different games, and different communities. I am currently a head of staff for a non-SS13 community. I started as a moderator years ago. I helped rebuild the system to be more autonomous, so it does require some of my time, but not much. It granted me a great understanding of staffing structure and enforcement and how to handle situations even though they may not be cut and pasted from SS13. I have been a moderator for various Discord chat rooms as well. I have also volunteered as staff in SS13 previously. I have been an administrator on three different servers: Persistence SS13 - Administrator (appeal management, staff training, maintenance of server like opening and closing, ticket handling) Runtime Station 13 - Administrator (ticket handling) Estrella Station 13 - Administrator (staff training, maintenance of the server, ticket handling) During my time as a staff volunteer, I received one SS13 report. It was from Persistence SS13. The report contained complaints about me playing Veggie Tales songs on the music bot Rhythm off YouTube, which our Discord used at the time. I got reprimanded for playing the Veggie Tales songs. Aside from those servers - I was also a part of the womenâs management club for SS13, Girl Power 13. Unfortunately, it was hacked and dismantled by the Host of Estrella station at the time. I have contacts for all previous positions, except the head of staff position, since I am the contact for such.
Do you play any servers aside from CM-SS13?
Not at this moment.
Provide links to any previous Colonial Marines applications that youâve made:
N/A.
Are you currently a staff member elsewhere (not just SS13)? If so, where?
Yes, I would not like to disclose where, however. I do not wish to entertain it on the forums. I do not believe it will impact my abilities to moderate here except in dire circumstances. I think select individuals would use it to strike at me, too. I am not currently a member of staff anywhere in SS13: Persistence SS13 - I got placed into the legacy staff department by the new management team. Runtime Station 13 - I resigned from the server on good terms. Estrella Station 13 - I was demoted, fired, rehired, promoted back, fired, and then banned through a long intrapersonal conflict with the host. I am one-hundred-percent willing to explain what happened here through DMs, as management previously moderated the content.
Have you ever been made for more than 24 hours on CM-SS13?
Yes, I have received one ban, the ban was over 24 hours from CM-SS13, but this was over a year ago.
Have you ever been banned for more than 24 hours on any SS13 server?
I do not believe Iâve been banned for over 24 hours from an SS13 server, aside from CM.
Are you familiar with Discord?
Yes
Communication is a vital part of being a Moderator. Are you willing to actively do so with the team?
Yes, I am willing to communicate with the team as a moderator. I have extensive experience with communication and training as well. I do not mind applying all skills I have of it with the staff team.
Common Situations:
A player randomly shoots someone at round start and MPs have detained him.
First, I would like to develop an understanding of the situation if it was not aHelped by any party. Sometimes things that seem random may have a story behind them - even early in the round.
I would first look at the logs available to me and ensure this is not a situation of proper escalation. Lethal escalation may be within the rules but not ML. If I look at the recent logs of both parties and determine that it may be grief/IE, I would proceed to PM both parties for their side. I would look deeper into the logs to see if I missed something or if there may be a story that did not appear at first while awaiting their responses.
With all the logs I can find, I will contrast the testimonies with them. If there are gaps - I will look specifically for those gaps and their context in the logs if possible. After pulling all the information I can, I will use my best judgment with the situation.
If I determine it is a rule violation, I would apply a note and check the playtimes of the player who breached the rules. If they are a newer player especially, it may be worthwhile to discuss why it is a violation and how to improve rather than close the ticket immediately. I would apply a ban or escalate bans if they have a history if necessary. However, I would prefer to try to tread lightly with newer players so that theyâre able to try to improve their behavior.
As for the victim of a rule break, if they cannot be fixed/treated ICly within a reasonable amount of time (or cannot at all), an aHeal would be appropriate. I prefer to leave it for in-character treatment; so it does not degrade the RP atmosphere further. I recognize that it may be even more unenjoyable for the player: so I will use my best judgment.
A player ahelps that a predator has violated the honor code when killing him, what should you do?
If a player aHelps that a predator violated the honor code somehow (in any case), I would inform them that staff cannot handle honor code violations.
I would inform them that they can aHelp if a predator violates server rules (like rule 1), that staff may intervene. Otherwise, it is a council issue.
I would give them a link to the forums and inform them that they may file a player report against the individual in question. I would also offer the Discord of an online councilor/senator if possible.
As a sendoff, I would double-check with them and not post/inquire with the councilor/senator until after the round finished to avoid metacommunication issues.
You see a player walking around the ship naked and clearly lost at roundstart.
If I witness a player wandering around naked and lost ICly and not in an important role (or SEA role), I would try to contact the SEA if there is one. If there is no SEA, I will do my best to get them situated while attempting to inform the mentor (or staff if necessary) team and try to get a SEA to assist them. The bare minimum of where to get gear, medical treatment, deployment, what they will be doing, and maybe LOOC for how to use the radio.
If I am in an important role, I will do my best to get a SEA to handle them (through the process I mentioned previously). If no SEA is available, I will try to stick them with an MP to go through things - or even an aSL if necessary. The worst comes to worst: I inform them to follow a buddy of sorts and shadow them if thereâs no way to avoid/delegate my duties in the role.
If I am observing and not in-game, I first search and make sure there is a SEA. If there is a SEA, I could try to inform them via fax or headset, if possible, about the ârecruit awakening.â If no IC resolutions are available, I could ask if another staff member wanted to assist as a SEA. If they wish to assist as a SEA, I could lobby them. Otherwise, ask to be lobbied to join as a SEA to help the newcomer if someone else does not prefer to do it.
A player is being very rude to you in adminhelps, calling you names and arguing everything you say. He is requesting to speak to an Admin+ staff member
If a player becomes extremely rude amidst a ticket, I would verbally warn them that, while I understand it may be frustrating, staff do not tolerate toxicity/hostility towards them, and continuing will incur a mute in the ticket. I also would choose to tell them that remaining respectful of each other will help us resolve the issue faster.
If the behavior continues, I will apply a temporary mute as per my warning.
If the player ever requested to speak to an admin or higher, I would inform them that players may not pick and choose who enforces policy. I would tell them that they may dispute staff actions on the forums with a staff report and that they are welcome to once the round ends.
A player ahelps that a marine is named âJohn Doeâ, how do you deal with this?
I would begin by marking the ticket and letting them know I am on the case.
I would PM the âJohn Doeâ player in question and notify them that name they are using violates rule nine. I would inform them it is breaching rule nine because âfamousâ names are not allowed.
I would offer to change their name to something of their request. If they cannot come up with a name, I will give them one and suggest they use it.
Regardless of the outcome, I would leave a note stating if they were compliant/understanding and whatnot. I would also make notable clarification if theyâre new to the server or possibly the game overall and make it clear it is a very light warning if true.
You see a Maintenance Tech running around in armor and carrying a rifle. The security level is green and there has been no threat to the ship in the round at this point
The maintenance technician in violation of SOP is an IC issue.
The most I could/would do here is monitor their behavior; make sure theyâre not crossing into LRP territory or exhibiting griefing behavior.
If it is emergent across a multitude of players or something starts getting excessive (like a bunker or something, without the intent to metagame hijack or any of the sorts), I would open it to IC resolution with a fax to MPs along the lines of âARES has reported an excessive amount of X, please investigate.â
A Marine ahelps that they were killed by a survivor. It is early round, the Marines have just landed, and the survivor claims that they were outright hostile to all Marines from the get-go and openly stated their intentions. How do you deal with this?
I would begin by marking the ticket and letting them know I am on the case.
As the survivor admits to being openly hostile to marines, unless this is an event or test where they are an antagonistic faction (CLF, UPP), I would let them know that survivors are no longer allowed to be combative towards the USCM. I would also let them know to keep an eye on this rule, as there are various PRs floating around that may alter this at some point.
I would leave a note on the survivorâs ckey and let IC resolution handle the survivor.
I would also monitor the marine and ensure he gets treated within a reasonable amount of time (especially does not go braindead). If they cannot be treated in a sensible amount of time (or goes braindead), I will aheal them: they were the victim of a rule violation.
You receive an ahelp from a player stating that an MP has locked them up in permanent confinement for running into Requisitions and taking an attachment that was laying around.
I would begin by marking the ticket and letting them know I am on the case.
I would begin by double checking JAS logs to see if/why they were brigged. In this scenario, I am assuming they were left without JAS completed and just left in permanent confinement.
At first glance, this doesnât seem like maliciousness. I would message the MP who put them in perma, and work out what happened. Something may have come up that required the MP to drop the prisoner off securely, etc.
I would inform the MP (without due reason), you cannot leave prisoners 1) unattended 2) unprocessed for lengths of time
I would leave IC justification for the release of the prisoner via fax if the MP was in the wrong WITHOUT reason, and apply a note.
I would leave IC justification for the release of the prisoner via fax if the MP was in the wrong WITH sufficient reasoning to avoid a note (such as OOC circumstances, having to go afk, medical emergency of another prisoner, etc)
I would NOT leave IC justification for the release of the prisoner via fax if the MP was in a gray zone with AMPLE reasoning (emergency situation aboard the ship, etc), and would not apply a note.
The round is stagnating. There are 30 marines and 4 aliens. The marines wonât leave the ship, and the aliens wonât attack. What would you do, to âencourageâ the sides to engage each other?
I would prefer to leave this to admins+ to handle with their extended powers, however:
If itâs necessary that I begin the interventionary process, I would use HC/QM announcements to âpushâ both sides to actions the best I could. If things still donât change, I think OOC announcements should be made to inform the players ahead of time before round intervention processes are done ex, nuke, AA boiler. I would not reveal which side would receive help - and both would receive some to keep it looking fair, however one side would receive the extra oomph it needs. Although I canât do any of this, I would recommend it to any staff who CAN do this and are planning interventionary action.
The round ends, a Marine starts shooting a hostile CLF member and the CLF member ahelps about being killed after the round ended.
If itâs a time crunch, mark it an IC issue. Otherwise, take the time to inform the player that they ARE hostile factions, and allowed to KOS, even after round-end.
A Marine is running around disarming, punching and stealing gear at round start. You receive an ahelp from one of the victims.
I would begin by marking the ticket and letting them know I am on the case. I would investigate and if true:
Depends on the rank of the marine.
If theyâre any type of officer - I would note them for LRP.
Otherwise, unless this becomes a missing-specialist itemry case, itâs ultimately an IC issue (LRP/roundstart shenanigans if spec gear or unique itemry is stolen). I would probably send a fax informing MPs to investigate âreports of gear theft and tomfoolery by squad PFCâ - I wouldnât give a name, just cause to investigate. I would also inform the player that they may be borderlining on the âroundstart shenanigansâ rule if they are doing it en masse. If they somehow may it so grievous that itâs disrupting marines as a whole, I would apply a note.
You receive an ahelp from a Marine saying that he was killed by another Marine. When you ask the murderer why, he said it was because the other Marine had punched him.
I would begin by marking the ticket and letting them know I am on the case.
Iâd have to investigate. Was it intentional? Were they unarmored and boxing and he landed a lucky punch that broke his ribs and organs? Or was it IE where he escalated to a PB?
Based on the statement he said (leaning towards IE), Iâd ask for clarification of how he killed him, from both parties, and check it to logs.
I would apply a note for IE and (if medical cannot reasonably treat them in time), aHeal the victim.
You find out that there is an improper mutiny occuring. The mutineers are rallying together and preparing to storm the CIC. How would you attempt to resolve this situation?*
I would not take action until I KNOW they are trying to act without informing and getting staff permission first. Rallying and planning is fine. Trying to do it is a whole other game.
If they attempt to, I would aSleep the crowd. I would also LOOC that this is an improper mutiny, and inform them if they continue, sanctions will be placed.
I would not grant authorization for the mutiny as not to entertain improper mutinies, unless they have an extremely valid reason. I would place a note on the leader(s). I would make sure to clarify that the mutiny did not occur, it was prevented, but it was still being attempted.
There are minor racist comments going on IC. 9 of the 10 people are laughing and RPing but one player gets offended and Adminhelps about it
I would begin by marking the ticket and letting them know I am on the case.
I would check the logs and double check what was said. I would inform them that language like that is not permitted, and would leave a note. This would automatically escalate depending on what they said. (Slur, hate speech, etc).
A marine opens fire at round start in briefing killing multiple marines and instantly logs off.
Check logs if I didnât witness it. Did he fire once and land lucky shots or something? If itâs evident (which, if itâs intentional, youâll probably see a long list of logs) that it was mass grief, apply a month ban and file for perma. Check for multikeying, etc.
You see a player playing a Xeno larva/chestburster run towards the frontlines straight from the Xeno hive the second they burst and die.
I would inform the larva that larvae are forbidden from being near dangerous places unless absolutely necessary (hive is under assault, they try to flee, etc). I would apply a rule 8 note for roleplay/suicide violation, suicide as larva.
You see a Xeno memeing, saying AYYLMAO, REEEEEE etc in hivemind chat, as well as insulting the Queen
I would inform the Xeno that netspeak is not allowed. I would note them for LRP. I would also make note to tell the player that they should generally not be insulting the queen unless thereâs extenuating circumstances, as they are a hivemind.
A Xeno player calls the shuttle a âdropshipâ. A different Xeno player ahelps that itâs low role play to call it a âdropshipâ.
I would begin by marking the ticket and letting them know I am on the case.
I would inform the player that the hivemind is a direct translation of thoughts to English. I would also inform the player that calling it a shuttle is in the direct quotes of the rules of being permitted. I would inform them that they donât know the names of specific things ex, factions, however generalized things such as âdropshipâ are allowed. I would tell them that, this, is not even an IC issue (itâs not an issue).
A Command staff player at briefing near round-start mentions there are aliens on the planet. You receive an ahelp from a marine regarding this.
I would begin by marking the ticket and letting them know I am on the case.
I would check logs, and ask the CIC player if they had any sources to learn there are aliens (fax from planetside, phone call, etc). If there are none, I would inform the player that while, this is no longer first-contact rules, they still donât know whatâs down there until they discover it.
If I were to apply a note for this, it would be for rule 2, roleplay, but I would make it extremely evident that it is a light warning, unless the player has a history with roleplay violations.
You find a Marine killing another Marine on the EVAC Pod to take the last spot and claims it was RP as he was saving himself. There are two other marines in the pod along with him.
This was a really weirdly-worded question. There were three guys on the escape pod (from my understanding) and he shot one, pulled him off, and took his spot. This is an IC issue. Risk of injury & life in the IE rule allow this. Unless this was ahelped, I donât think any investigation is required. If itâs ahelped, I can check if other pods were available nearby (within reason). If there were, it becomes an IE issue.
A player insults you after you warn them for a minor issue and begins ranting in LOOC or dchat about staff and mentions you specifically, referring to you as an âidiotâ and a âretardâ.
I would inform them that they will receive a mute if they continue the toxicity. Unless what they say is grievous, a mute should suffice.
A player ahelps saying he was hugged by a Xeno when he was ssd, and wants the larva be removed from him via admin powers. How do you handle the ahelp?
I would begin by marking the ticket.
I would inform the player that, unfortunately, nothing can be done and this was an IC issue. I would inform them that disconnecting could be manipulated for this in the future, and also tell them it likely would not even change anything - theyâre still stuck in the hive.
You see a fellow staff member give wrong information in an Adminhelp or incorrectly enforce a rule.
I would tell them in asay/msay the correct information/proper enforcement. My goal isnât to embarrass them, I wont interject in the ticket, but if they refuse to listen, I would report it to the respective manager.
Two staff are arguing in msay if an ahelp is breaking a rule. Because the staff who took the ahelp thinks the player broke a rule, they ban the player based on their interpretation of the rules, with others thinking the person was fine. What would you do?
Inform respective manager(s). As a moderator, I donât have the authority to make finalized rulings, so getting too involved wouldnât do anything except cause more rift or problems.
Final Details:
Why would you like to become a moderator?
Iâve been a member of digital staff for so long - I donât know what else to do.
Just joking. I want to help push the RP-friendly atmosphere. Iâd eventually love to help run/outright run my own events. I also just enjoy being staff, it helps me connect with more people in any community Iâm in, which leads to making many more friends.
In your opinion, what is the most important quality for a moderator?
The ability to improve. You might be perfectly unbiased, or perfectly knowledgeable in staff tools - but what happens if you canât improve upon your other skills, for the benefit of everybody?
Anything else you want to add?
Ask me questions, deliberately. I want to take a shot at them, even if I get them wrong, it just helps me improve for the future.