Tobias_reaper - Fax Responder Application

Fax Responder Application - Tobias_reaper

What is your BYOND key?

Tobias_reaper

What is your Discord ID?

aclockworkgent

What is your timezone in UTC?

UCT +00:00 currently

Player Name You Use Most?

Vaughn Russel

Ban Appeals, Whitelist and Staff Applications:

This is my first application here.

Have you been banned in the last 3 months?

No.

If so, why?

See above. Did once have a humorous glitch where my game showed me as job banned from everything until I relogged.



Have you read the role guidelines and expectations?

Naturally. (I have also just reread it to confirm Forest had not slipped in any changes, a sudden concern of mine since I had this WL before the application was a thing. Can confirm I am familiar.)

Why do you wish to become a Fax Responder?

I think it adds to the atmosphere of the game. Knowing that the world is not just you and the current operation, that there are other ships out there, there are different groups with their own agendas observing the operation.

For groups like the corporate liaison messages from corporate are a session changing moment, even if its a minor task, like secure this bit of intel. It reminds you there is this large corporation above you and gives you a sense of purpose, and helps you feel immersed.

The same thing can be said for the high command roles. A fax from High Command explaining they are aware of the situation, asking for a report, or if aid is needed, builds immersion, and helps you really feel like a member of a larger functioning military. A fax from a different military unit explaining your USCM highers have allowed you to keep a eye on the operation as TWE interests are involved helps build a sense of this larger story too, beyond the walls of the ship or the operation. A corporate fax requesting you please hold off on nuking the site until the company has had a chance to negotiate with your highers helps build a sense of this too, realising there is a bigger picture than just win or lose the op and hope to win another spec roll, you are leveling a important site and there are going to be political issues involved in that, making the big red button a important choice IC too.

I personally consider myself somewhat of a alien fan, and think that this minor detailing significantly helps build immersion. There are times where I am semi-free, not enough to actually sit and play a round to my best skill, both gameplay and RP wise, but I am free enough that I can respond to a fax in a high RP manner and improve someone’s round by making them just that little bit more immersed and interested in the larger picture of the universe. I would love to help do that for players. From a different perspective, in my early SO days I often sent Status reports to High command, and I remember how disappointed I was when no one answered, and how it made my round when someone did. If I can do that for someone else, it would just be returning the favor to this community I have grown quite fond of.

What do you consider the purpose of this role?

Well, the above. Help build peoples immersion and make them feel a little more in character, but also make staffs lives a tad easier. I think this new WL is a brilliant idea, as while I’m sure there are many, many staff that are interested in the wider lore of the universe and the RP aspect the more practical aspects of being staff often has to take priority. The purpose of this WL is to take a bit off staffs plate, as fax responders can handle certain tasks without bothering staff, and to help build the atmosphere of the game, In a way the wider community can take part.



What is your playtime in Command Roles?

80hrs XO, 70hrs SO

What is your playtime in Military Police Roles?

16hrs mp, 16hrs warden, 11hrs CMP

What is your playtime in Corporate Liaison?

24hr

What is your playtime in Civil Roles?

1hr

What, if any, is your playtime in Special Roles?

Interstellar Commerce Commission Corporate Liaison 2hrs
USCM-HC Communications Officer 13hrs.

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Et sic incipit amicis.

Questions, questions questions: ask away.
(On a minor note if I have made any grammatical screw ups in my actual application please also inform me otherwise it will bug me.)

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I assume its a bad sign when your post gets no response…

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usually it can take a while
apps are notorious for sometimes going a week with no activity

staff (or forest in this case) are usually either busy, or looking into of you’re good for the WL

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When would you consider it appropriate to use your phone?

If playing WY Responder, what objectives do you consider within your power to give the CL?

If playing Press Responder, what objectives do you consider within your power to give the CC?

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Good evening.

When to call:

Per the guidelines, the phone should be used in exceptional circumstances only. From my perspective, less is also more. If you call all the time it loses its impact.

Say I am the provost. I think a appropriate time to call would be if a important fax has gone unread, or they seem to not be obeying it, such as a appeal for a inmate about to be executed has been granted, but I see them still asking a green executive for permission to execute, or misleading a major. A strongly worded phone call from provost would be in order, to the brig phone if manned, or CIC if not, to check their faxes, and perhaps a Ahelp if i feel they have ignored it outright and not just made a error. (If a phone ever gets added to the execution chamber, I may be tempted to make a phone call from the governor type call on occasion stopping an execution. I feel that would be thematically appropriate, and would meet the exceptional circumstance rule.)

Say I am W-Y. There are very limited situations that warrant a phone call, as the CL is often very attentive to his fax machine. I can only really see it happening in the case of a event, where I have been told I can call them, or if they are planning something borderline antag without admin approval. Say for instance, research has discovered DNA disintegration, and the CL is sat in their office with the goons planning to storm in, shoot first and ask questions later, taking it by force. A sudden call to their phone desk from a special services assistant manager informing them there will be DIRE consequences if they take such actions, damaging highly sensitive marine relations, would be in order. (Plus, a Ahelp if they do it. Whiteout anyone?). Even in the case of a hijack if they are faxing me asking what to do, they are clearly able to read a fax I have OOC preprepared, I would send that instead of a phone call.

Say I am some form of HC. Again, event phone calls I am told I can make are of course a situation I would do so. Beyond that, If there is a CLF/larva/pred/Marine on a UPP ship on HvH/ other significant threat aboard killing people or other significant crimes, and no one seems to of noticed, I would fax, and if no one seems to notice the fax, a brief phone call to the acting commander informing them “Ares has detected a unknown passenger aboard, committing acts of (XYZ). I urge you to check your secure fax line, this sort of communication is susceptible to being compromised. (High command station) main actual requests you investigate this situation and keep us informed via said secure fax line.” Would be in order. I feel this meets the exceptional circumstances line.

I would also on occasion, If I feel something particularly heroic and self sacrificing has taken place, and notice a radio pack, consider a phone call. Say hijack has occurred, and I notice a Staff Officer arm the self destruct and attempting to hold it. A phone call from high command saying something along the lines of “The marines, and admiral XYZ thank you for your service. You have been put forward for a purple heart.” Hang up. Would be in order. A phone call would NOT be placed to three low ranking marines in a pod, but might be considered if I notice a large number of marines have made it on a lifeboat, informing them rescue is on its way, or perhaps to condemn a commanders cowardice if I notice he is one of the last alive, in the cl’s pod.

CMB, and free press: I honestly struggle to see a realistic situation where I would be able to justify a phone call, except events. I could come up with some convoluted plot of a commander missing several faxes telling him the entire CMB team is being skinned by the mess tech, for shutting mess for health code violations at best. Perhaps I would call if some major crime like cannibalism in the mess is happening. I WOULD however call if a CMB team has overstepped and is trying to arrest marines without a HC transfer. A phone call to CIC while the CMB are in there, and then something akin to "pass the phone to the marshal. What the hell do you think you are doing. "

If playing WY Responder, what objectives do you consider within your power to give the CL?

Well, this is not particularly up for debate: its on the guidelines. I do think it is far more interesting for the liaison if you chain them together with a built in story: I will give some examples.

“Flight recorder XYZ has some information our friends in the company would rather remain confidential. Secure it to ensure it remains so.” (flight recorder colony side, and not in the Intel room.)

“We ask you please attempt to source the recovery of a alien body from the colony, discreetly”

“We ask you recover the ID located (location) in the colony. His body need not be recovered, his wife has been informed of his heart attack.” (clearly chest burst)

“Interview colonists from the area, and ensure they do not possess any knowledge of the confidential W-Y facility below. Any found to posses such knowledge, are to be asked to sign a NDA. Our friends in the company are willing to offer them a sum of $1,000,000, and housing.(and no more) for their compliance. Report any refusing parties and their names, but take no other action. The company will ensure such parties see reason at a later date. Marines do not matter, we have a arrangement with high command.”

“Interview officer XZY and provide the emotional support needed for them to recognize that it was CLF actions that lead to this outbreak and it is best this what they tell others. Once they prove their mental stability by removing delusions of Company involvement, a highly profitable PMC contract can be offered. They should be informed of this. Non-compliance is to be treated with calm acceptance, then reported so our in house incident team can help provide counseling for them to rid themselves of delusions.”

“The company is genuinely, completely unaware of what has happened here, and is requesting you interview survivors and marines to get a idea, so we can see if there is any opportunity here. $1000 compensation to interviewees is authorized.”

“This is a public relations nightmare, but easily contained. Our legal team and PR team believe the incident can be contained if you can get XYZ to sign a NDA in exchange for a life time consultant contract, of $1,000,000 per year. Ensure them, they need not provide more than a hours advice a year, and quality of advice will not be monitored. This is urgent. The losses even if they live to 200 will be far lesser than if you do not get this done. That is unacceptable.”

I think these are all reasonable, and provide room for further related requests if they CL achieves them.

If playing Press Responder, what objectives do you consider within your power to give the CC?

I assume this is the wildcard question, as there are no direct guidelines beyond general guidelines, but after taking a moment to give it some thought, I would treat them as a more mobile CL, with less direct relation to W-Y: So instead of:

Recover XZY from the colony, take photos of ABC.
Just interviewing survivors: Interview survivors for their perspective and fax transcripts. (potential for some nice interaction with the CL if I can arrange for W-Y to give a counter objective: get the same survivors to sign NDAs and refuse to talk to the press. If that fails, get the CC to not send a fax with the transcript).

Get XYZ to agree to exclusive interview rights for Penguin news (we are black and white, and read all over!)

Get XZY to agree to a exclusive docuseries deal with Cartoon Mouse network+

Ect. There are some other potentials to unique to the CC:

Wait until (Time) then get the perspective of the squad leads.

Record interviews of any officers in action you can and camera footage, including why they became officers, for use in a new officer recruitment drive.

Attempt to capture film or photos of strange new humanoid aliens sighted (only when marines start talking about them.)

On the slightly sillier end, weather reports, tours of spacious apartments suspiciously in need of new tenants, run advertisements, ect. I would alter my faxes to fit the type of correspondent.

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Accepted.

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