Mentor Application - Bilary
Byond CKEY:
Bilary
Discord ID:
.f.f
Character Name(s):
Marine: Marilyn M. McMatherson
Xeno: BRAH
Why do you want to become a Mentor?:
I’ve been playing CM on-and-off since 2018, and recently I’ve started doing so again with the intention of becoming more involved in the community. Since then, I’ve been playing a lot of Squad Leader and FTL, and have also been spending a good amount of time learning new roles that I’ve never been comfortable doing before. During all of this, I’ve tried explaining mechanics in LOOC to new marines on how to use their equipment and giving tips to already established players on how to improve whenever possible (like teaching Engineers proper cade placment instad of just building straight lines). Becoming mentor would allow me to dedicate more time to teaching new players, since you are often constricted by having to deploy ASAP as important roles such as Squad Lead.
I know that CM has a brutal learning curve and the difference between a new player having a good first experience versus ragequitting forever often comes down to whether someone took the time to explain things. I want to be that person. I remember my first few rounds of CM, my first note is from when I frontlined as larva and died all the way back in 2018. I know what it’s like to be overwhelmed by SS13’s complexity and I have the patience to walk people through it step by step.
What gameplay areas do you know and which areas are you strong and weak in?:
I want to preface this by saying that you shouldn’t be deceived by my ingame playtime, which shows I have relatively low hours as both ComTech and Corpsman. Most of my playtime in those roles were from around 2020-2021 when playtime tracking was completely broken. If I had to guess, I’d say I have closer to over 100 hours in both these roles.
Ground Leadership: I know how to coordinate squads, manage fireteams, execute flanks, establish the FOB as Bravo SL, and most importantly how to actually get marines to listen to you. There have been several rounds where I saved the marine frontline from stalling by executing effective flanking maneuvers.
Engineering: Despite what my tracked hours say, I have solid engineering experience. I can teach FOB construction, cade placement, including how to effectively position cadelines, and how to keep them maintained under siege.
Medical: Same deal with tracked hours. I know triage, stabilization, what meds do what, surgery (including how to do instant/fast surgery), and how to keep marines alive in the field. I’m comfortable teaching new medics the fundamentals.
Marine Law & Command Structure: I understand how Marine Law works, minor/major/capital crimes and what ranks mean e.g who has authority over whom. I can also explain arrest procedures and NJP’s
General Marine Combat: I’d call myself a fairly robust player. I can, and have been, explaining to newbies how to actually shoot without friendly firing, inventory management, equipment usage and when to push and when to fall back.
Requisitions: I know how the system works and can teach new ROs the basics of supply drops and manning the req line, but I’m not an expert.
Intelligence Officer: I’ve been playing it recently and understand the role. A week ago I literally knew nothing and found it really overwhelming, but I’ve been rigorously dedicating myself to learning it and I’ve now reached a level where I find it simple and I can teach people how not to die immediately and how to do shipside intel analysis.
Pilot: I’ve been playing DCC the past few days and I’m actively learning it. I understand the basics now but I’ll need another week or two before I’m confident teaching CAS procedures.
Research: I genuinely have no clue how research works tbh. I know researchers make chemicals for stims and this is related to IO’s collecting chemical samples and synthesis papers, but the actual mechanics are a mystery to me.
CAS: Like I said, I’m learning dropship right now but I haven’t attempted CAS yet. Give me a few weeks and I’ll be competent enough to teach it, but right now this is a weak spot.
OT: I used to play this role a lot so I understand the general concept, you’re using chemicals to create various types of explosives. I know the fundamentals are still there in my head, but I’d need to relearn the specific chemical combinations and current crafting mechanics. I can explain to new players what OT does conceptually and point them to wiki resources, but I wouldn’t try to teach the actual chemical recipes or construction procedures until I’ve refreshed my knowledge of the current system.
CIC: I can explain to new players what CIC roles do conceptually and what their responsibilities are.
Xeno: Almost all my xeno hours are in lurker and runner, I’m good with hit-and-run and harassment tactics. However, I’m completely bad at frontline combat castes and playing most other xenomorphs. I don’t have experience with playing T3s, and I simply wouldn’t be able to teach someone how to effectively play crusher, praetorian, or most of the combat-focused castes. I can help new xeno players understand the basics of general xeno gameplay, but for anything involving front line castes or queen, I wouldn’t be able to help them.
How often are to able to play CM?:
Several times a week. I’m very active.
A screenshot or transcript of your human and xeno playtimes:
Marines (723.2 hr Total)
Rifleman 206.1 hr
Fireteam Leader 175.1 hr
Squad Leader 115.5 hr
Combat Technician 48.4 hr
Smartgunner 47.3 hr
Executive Officer 31.0 hr
Doctor 18.8 hr
Hospital Corpsman 17.5 hr
Maintenance Technician 16.5 hr
Staff Officer 11.2 hr
Intelligence Officer 10.0 hr
Cargo Technician 7.1 hr
Weapons Specialist 6.1 hr
Dropship Crew Chief 3.4 hr
Nurse 2.5 hr
Lieutenant Commander 1.0 hr
Veteran Honor Guard 1.0 hr
PMC Support Weapons Specialist 1.0 hr
Military Police 0.9 hr
Honor Guard 0.8 hr
Xeno (439.3 hr Total)
Lurker 191.1 hr
Runner 143.9 hr
Larva 72.1 hr
Drone 7.2 hr
Ravager 7.0 hr
Spitter 4.0 hr
Sentinel 3.8 hr
Defender 2.0 hr
Hivelord 1.9 hr
Queen 1.4 hr
Burrower 1.2 hr
Facehugger 1.2 hr
Boiler 1.2 hr
Warrior 0.9 hr
Crusher 0.2 hr
Praetorian 0.2 hr
Lesser Drone 0.1 hr
Researcher 0.6 hr
PMC Leader 0.6 hr
Gunship Pilot 0.4 hr
UPP Ryadovoy 0.2 hr
UPP Serzhant 0.2 hr
Ordnance Technician 0.2 hr
PMC Weapons Specialist 0.1 hr
Observer 631.0 hr
All-in-all total recorded hours: 1793.5. Probably closer to 2500 if we count the era playtime tracking was non-functional.,
Anything else you’d like to add?:
My biggest strength is that when I set my mind to something, I get it done. I’m not going to pretend I’m some know-it-all who has mastered every aspect of CM. The reality is there are still areas where I’m weak, particularly in some of the more specialized technical roles and non-ambush castes. But what I can promise is that I’m genuinely dedicated to learning them. I’m actively working to fill in those knowledge gaps, and I believe being a good mentor is about being honest about what you do and don’t know, being willing to learn alongside new players, and having the ability to say so when you don’t have the answer immediately. I’d rather admit “I need to double-check that” and come back with accurate information than give someone bad advice just to seem knowledgeable.