The Pitch:
Due to the heavy mechanical focus of the game, RP typically falls by the wayside. It can be pretty hard to encourage fellow players to follow along with RP hooks or prompts as well, since typically the more time you spend expressing your character means less time shining your loadout or tabbing-out for twenty minutes on the Alamo.
Hopefully, the Rifleman Incentive Program (R.I.P.) could help with this. In theory, it is a requisitions dumbwaiter disconnected from the main system, and loaded with 4,000 dollars. Similarly to the armories across the Almayer with their desirable MK1s and 221s: this is not something to be handed-out lightly, and is meant to incentivize round-start involvement and engagement. The XO or above (and perhaps MPs!) will be able to select a marine to have access to the terminal after completing a pre-determined task, and to spend their allowance as they wish.
Why Itâs Good For The Game:
The primary motivation for this idea was the amount of negative reinforcement in CM
- MPs
- BEs
- Late Deployments
- Missing first drop
- Waking up too late to get your desired role or equipment.
in addition to the fact that thereâs the dual issues of having no serious way to impact your chance of getting Specialist or Smartgunner versus someone whoâs going to take the kit, not use their microphone the entire game, and die in the caves after somehow using literally all of their ammo by the hour mark . . . and that some people just plainly donât want the responsibility that comes with performing a higher rank.
Therefore, why not a small addition that acts as a positive incentive, a roleplay promoter, and as more control over getting some special equipment than rolling for spec/SG?
These rewards are meant to be the prize for engaging in RP. Many other command players may be familiar with the sentiment of trying to get the marines involved in some sort of competition, exercise, micro-event, or even their own CO gimmick, and the only way they can reward participants is with . . . a medal two hours from now? Jones, maybe? One of the restricted weapons not supposed to leave a safe in CIC or the captainâs office unless the ship is on fire? Well now, itâs something that any marine can tailor-fit to their role and needs in that round!
I anticipate a concern over balance, but I chose the 4,000 dollar budget intentionally: anything you can buy with that amount of budget is too much for any one marine to use by themselves . . . but too much for a squad to benefit from. You could buy 6 HEDP, but not 25. Two HPRs, but not an M56D. A pizza crate, but not a mortar. Rather than simply rewarding one marine, I could see this as an excellent opportunity for the winner of a ship-wide boxing match to earn some metal or turrets for the FOB, or to butter-up the spec theyâre spotting for, or to share one of the fun restricted weapons (which typically come in crates of two) with a comrade for a unique bit of gameplay they usually wouldnât get without blowing vendor points or begging their SL.
To reiterate: This is a privilege to riflemen to reward them for engaging above the typical NPC-style expectations of them, and will hopefully be held to the same expectations as the CLâs briefcase or the special weapons locked around CIC that the contents wonât just get passed around like candy. Now, command can experiment more with involving marines in pre-drop events like church services, sports competitions, helping-out medical or req, and at least have something to interest marines to participate.