The CL, a soulless corporate puppet best described as a wolf in sheep’s clothing is RP heavy role with massive potential. A good CL may as well give you the best round you’ve ever played if they can get some proper RP going. However that is the problem with this role. It is dependant on RP, something many who play it are mediocre at or straight up bad. With that goes also the lack of creativity (which I suffer from myself as CL). There have been voices that called for a way to make it easier for CL to be more fun even at the hands of not so good players including mine by adding things like paperwork so that they can always have something to do.
I realise that giving the CL something to do is not what will make the round more fun and interesting. What will, is giving the CL the tools to initiate RP in a form of objectives as well as, of course WY itself. That can be done by using that system Forest2001 talked about making where players can act as WY by faxing the CL rather than having staff do it. I do hope we get to see that at some point
WY after all is a multiplanetary corporation with near infinite funds and personnel. The way to go is to analyse every map the Almayer is deploying in and based of its lore to think of what the company would want off that map besides the obvious ones like “Don’t level the colony”. A very obvious one is for word to not get out that WY was messing around with xenos. Now how can that be incorporated into gameplay.
First of all there are clues that the outbreak was a result of WY messing with xenos. For example the survivors , especially researchers and the colony Liaison are the ones who were ordered to do what led to the outbreak and thus know everything about it. They must keep their mouth shut. The liaison shouldn’t be much of concern however the researchers need to be kept on a leash. Fax the CL and make sure they sign a NDA. If they do not or go do something that hurts company interests like talking to the CO about it send in a PMC squad to do an “employee transfer”. Make sure all WY employees sign the NDA and pay the civis to shut up. And here you go. Now the CL has a clear objective with clear directions and the potential to cause a ruckus that also gives the MPs better things to do than chase after naked MTs.
Another thing is the intel. All those papers and disks contain data from the colony and some of them may have been used to document their not so legal activities. So what do you do? You need to bury the dirt. How can that be done? Here are a few ideas. Send the CL a special code that is to be inputted into an ARES access ticket. That ticket will allow access to ARES core. You instruct them to go in and request intel data deletion. Once that is done you send in a PMC squad and pay the CO or the commander to retrieve a list of specific intel that were brought in by the IOs. That can get HC involved if the MPs or anyone else displeased enough messages them. And boom. You have provost up your ass and a whole mess that can be created giving the players involved the much wanted serotonin by not going through the routine round of distress signal. Now command has to interact with the CL as well as other marines and officers involved. Plus it opens slots for dead players that don’t want to end the round just yet.
Another intel incident could be that a disk designated top secret with a small chance to spawn is inserted into the intel computer. Those data are a big no no. Can’t have USCM finding them. Its defensive measures kick in and ARES has been hacked. Oh no external communications have been suddenly cut off. See can’t let unwanted eyes gaze upon the company’s close guarded secrets. A shuttle has been detected approaching. PMCs are moving in to secure the disk and are not in a mood for games. The CL is instructed to ensure safe retrieval of the disk using their tongue before the PMCs need to use their iron. WY can even try to bribe its way out of this unfortunate mishap. This data are the big fish of the big fish. So if the PMC can’t get them nobody will. Slap that Whiteout at the end of the round. Then initiate self destruct by external command. And poof. Another concern is no more. The WY executives can finish their scotch while gazing the view from their office without a care in the world. The WY haters may get the shootout they asked for. The CL and command get their chance to settle things peacefully and all the interaction they could ever ask for. And some players may get the chance to become an unstoppable killing machine that goes doom slayer mode on an entire ship. I see no loser here, unless you do not like to die at the end of the round.
During the outbreak valuable assets have been lost but have also escaped and reproduced. However the marines are moving in with loose rules of engagement. The company spent millions on this little project and would be very disappointed if it was all for nothing. The marines have managed to recover eggs from the colony. Only a fool would pass on the opportunity. Fax the CL and tell em to secure an egg. Send em resources in the form of paper in order to ensure the “transaction” is low profile. Then the PMCs join the party. Goal is grab the egg and get out. Oh wait the researchers have gone ham and are making…tamed xenomorphs? Fuck yeah! Who wouldn’t want a piece? I suppose having an egg of a different colour will look as good as fancy clothes in a closet. Slap that in the shuttle too. It’d be best to just grab the thing and run since the MPs are not known for their patience. Better be clear in the fax.
So what’s common in all these examples? The CL is faxed and has finally something of essence to do rather than bugging CIC for no reason. USCM has to interact with them since there are things at stake here. MPs get something substantial to do rather than drooling next to the health monitor all round. High potential of third parties being involved=more RP=more lives for that marine that walked head first into a warrior or that runner that stumbled practically sucking on the barrel of a pump shotgun at the start of the round. The distress signal routine brakes more often with less staff involvement and with potential to end the round with a completely different outcome.
When we have the liberty to determine what need to be done in a realistic and gameplay friendly manner there is infinite potential to change the game for the best via WY involvement. Covering up dirt could be only one of the things WY would want to do on the Almayer and now we can have players think of what that might be and even better, actually do that in game.
I am already hearing those who say that all this is just a shipside thing. Well obviously. The CL is a shipside role. Unless someone comes up with a way to involve the CL into the ground operation. Until then I am waiting with excitement for forest2001 to set up his system so that we can get even better shipside gameplay. And maybe one day even planetside. Forest just know that this will be one of the best things to happen in CM in my opinion and experience.