Admin Application: Repo

[Repo]

In-game Username:

Repo

 

Discord username:

Mr_T#7358

 

Characters you play:

Jax Bluebeard

 

How long have you been playing SS13 or SS14?

I recently started playing SS14 about 6 months ago, and I'm now at about 500 hours.

 

How many hours are you available per day:

On average, I'm probably available for 3-6 hours per day.

 

Days you are available on: I'm available most days in my evenings from approximately 11PM to 7AM (PST)(GMT-7).

 

Prior administration experience (SS13 experience recommended).

Although I don't have direct experience with Space Station administration, I've managed small game servers for close-knit friend groups. In these settings, I was responsible for ensuring the server's smooth operation, addressing technical issues, and resolving player disputes, mainly arguemnts about what mods to use, which often required a fair and impartial approach. Additionally, outside of gaming, I've worked in web server administration and managed a call center helpdesk team for several years. This experience taught me the importance of quick and efficient problem-solving, as I regularly dealt with technical issues and customer complaints - oh god, the complaints... I also developed strong mediation skills, as I often had to manage disagreements within the team or between team members and customers. I believe these experiences will be valuable in a the admin role, as they've prepared me to handle a wide range of challenges and conflicts.

 

Have you been banned from our game servers or SS13 servers before?

Yes, once before. I unknowingly attacked the grav generator as a spider, which I did not know at the time was wrong. I keep a much closer eye on the rules now, and regularly check up on them for updates to avoid similar situations in the future.

 

Now for the more essay-like questions:

What role do you think game admins serve on our servers?

 

Admins are the first port of call when shit hits the fan and you need to reach out. They uphold and enforce the server rules and guidelines when shitters get out of line, but have a softer touch when context allows it, ensuring a fair and balanced experience. Admins also act as mediators in conflicts and disputes, balancing the needs and perspectives of all involved parties and the greater station players to reach a fair resolution that will keep the station moving in a good direction. They play an important role in assisting new players, guiding them through the game mechanics, and clarifying any rule-related questions. Above all, admins ensure fair play and address any cheating or exploiting issues promptly, preserving the integrity of the game.

 

How do you feel about the current roleplay status on the server?

 

It's hit or miss. I try to make every shift an opportunity to create a story and most times, I manage to get a dynamic, immersive experience out of it. But my pain points at the moment include powergaming and mob justice. With powergaming, it seems to be an every-shift occurrence that I see a line of people at Engineering hoping to find a newbie engineer to get their free insulated gloves with no reasoning. More frustrating than classic powergaming is when players, for no roleplay reason, just jump a barrier or force their way into another department to demand or execute another player's task because they're impatient and think they know better, pushing out other players who may be trying to learn the ropes. This is definitely a case-by-case basis, but a bit more guidance feels necessary here, although it would require buy-in from the offending party. As for mob justice, I often see it when Security approaches any situation, either a mob will jump on a suspect before Security has a chance preventing the suspect a chance to escape within the mechanics, or they jump on the Security for making an honest mistake on a search or arrest or just for the sake of hating on Security. Potentially giving victims a second chance or the offenders a little nudge with a deterrent could stop this behavior.

 

How do players engage with each other in roleplay? Is it positive or negative?

 

Inter-player roleplay in LRP can be good to great, but is sometimes left by the wayside with some players either ignoring verbal forms of communication and taking what they want, or not coming up with some creative method to achieve their goals. Some of the admin-driven events really get people involved in the roleplay and teamwork. When these occur, I would like to explore ways to bring people together and dive into the story of the moment, rather than focusing solely on the mechanics.

I have not had much opportunity to play on salamander MRP as in my play time zone the population crashes to nothing but when I have its been quite good people stay to interact and you get the time of day to play out situations in contrast to the chaotic hell that sometimes occurs in LRP, which is also nice in its own way.

 

Why do you want to become an administrator for SS14?

 

I want to give back to a game and player base that has given me some of the best gaming moments I've experienced. I would hope that my administrative duties would allow me to give people some of the same experiences that I have had and let them enjoy some of the great mechanics the community puts so much work into. I would like to try to de-escalate situations in the first instance with communication. Words are quite powerful, and a small chat can reap more benefits than immediate action that can ostracize a player from the game. I've seen some creative admin solutions to problems with non-rule compliance. The toolbox for this game's admins seems quite vast. Like when CRT shows up because a department has rioted with another department, it feels like a great alternative solution to 10+ people group breaking a rule in a roleplay setting.

 

Thanks for reading my rambling team and thank you for all your hard work you all put in to this game.

[Chief_Engineer]

Application accepted, good luck during your trial period. Welcome to the admin team!