So, this is something I’ve had on my mind for awhile, but, I figured with the role bloat issue and a number of other factors that this wouldn’t even be worth pursuing. But I figured it might be fun to at least talk about and maybe get the thinking juices flowing for potential other ideas or heavy amendments or revisions to this one. This is one of the reasons I’ve been wanting to get into DM code for BYOND, so I can push my other shitty, schizophrenic ideas straight onto the github.
The idea is to have a 5-7 slot role called ‘Shipside Marine,’ as the Almayer is a USCM vessel and not explicitly a Naval one, it still might be cool to have a shipside role for people who want to hang out and RP shipside and give more flavor to other roles- i.e. the Mess Technician and Corporate Liaison who are often short on choices for people to RP with or, in the CL’s case, exploit offer deals to. On major naval vessels in the actual U.S. Navy, shipside marines often guard the entrance to the CIC/AIC or other important areas such as on Aircraft Carriers, but again, this is a USCM vessel. Marines on board these vessels are fully within their rights to bust the ass of any sailor performing any shenanigans or that are trespassing. Obviously this would just be a license to grief or be an ass, as there’s a reason MP’s exist- which is why I also suggest that they either only spawn with service jackets and sidearm rigs (or nothing) and whatever accessories they choose, or, just give them access to the squad preps like Foxtrot otherwise.
Further, it might be fun lore-wise that these are marines that maybe got woken up by accident by ARES- or woken up for R&R since they’ve been in extended hypersleep. In my usual lurking as an MT I read through some of the emails in the req rooms personal computers and saw that 1st Platoon was decimated from a previous operation and is pretty much all just walking wounded, which could also be fun as well by allowing them to spawn with robotic limbs or… whatever, really. Again, I’m not a coder, I’m just spitballing. I should probably mention that these marines should probably be explicitly forbidden from deploying- if someone enjoys playing shipside roles, it doesn’t really take away from the greater marine force and gives them another option to roleplay with. Also might be good to have a timelock for this role to prevent new players from seeing it and jumping feetfirst into it.
This would… pretty much only be good as an RP role, as well as being able to hunt the occasional shipside xeno or pred, but that’s about it. Shipside can either be somewhat stimulating or boring, and this could at least open up more opportunities to provide more stimulating RP shipside that doesn’t just include outright griefing as an MT or whatever. I was mostly spurred on by this idea and motivated to put it to a post after seeing a combat technician and someone else literally form a black market shipside and sell things and unique items to shipside personnel, and was genuinely one of the neatest things I’ve seen someone do of their own volition.
Let me know what you think, I guess. Criticism, as always, is welcome. Just don’t be an ass; pretty please?