In-game Username: Selfie
Discord username: selfie7777
Characters you play: Hides-In-Disposal, Claire Westhall, Seth Sterling
On average, how many hours do you expect to admin per week: 20-30
Days you are available to admin on: Monday - Saturday
How old are you? 31
Do you have any SS14 experience outside of Wizard’s Den servers, or any SS13 experience? I have playtime on Frontier and RMC within SS14. I do not have SS13 playtime.
Do you have prior administration experience (SS13/SS14 experience preferred, please also post a way for us to verify this)? I’m not currently an admin on any SS14 server. However, I have admin’d for other games such as Battlefied 3 and 4, and on a couple of other game servers as well.
Have you ever been banned from any SS14 or SS13 servers? No.
What are you primarily interested in doing as an admin? In-game rule enforcement. I believe that the rules are in place to protect the player experience and to promote their fun and enjoyment while on the server. Active intervention is paramount to preserving and fostering a positive and safe environment for all players to engage within and subsequently return to.
In-game events. Occasionally, I would introduce small scenarios or events that would encourage players to interact with the world and each other. However, I would use my discretion and not seek to influence every round. Within a round, I believe that it should be up to the players to experience things for themselves and to weave their own tale.
Out-of-game rule enforcement. If players were using ahelp and reported that someone was being disruptive and I (or anyone else) was not around to assist immediately, I would analyze it and act accordingly based on the logs, replays, and information available to me.
What are you least interested in doing as an admin? Ban Appeals. I wouldn’t mind looking over appeals and would be happy to help, it is lowest on my interest list.
Detail Questions
What role do you think game admins serve on our servers?
Game Admins uphold the rules and also serve to liven the player experience, whether through direct or indirect interactions. It is important to ensure the best possible player experience all around by fostering a safe atmosphere for players to enjoy themselves in, even more so for a new player who may or may not have as many hours in SS14. I view them as mentors, player advocates, and as links from the player to the powers that be - an important component that keeps a community glued together. They are also the adjudicators and decision makers in regards to game bans and other necessary administrative actions. Additionally, they facilitate a smoother round when things don’t work out as expected or intended - for example, helping out mid-round when glitches, bugs, etc. occur or when there is a player disrupting the server in a negative fashion.
Why do you want to become an administrator for SS14?
I have spent quite a bit of time playing in Wizden (Leviathan primarily), and I have greatly enjoyed my time spent on the servers so far. I wish to give back to the community and help out where I can, because I want others to enjoy the great experiences, interactions, relationships, and memories just like I have. This is something that resonates with me and I would promote/want the same for another player. I also want to see the community continue to grow and prosper, and I feel that my talents and personal experiences would suit me well in this position.
How do you feel about the current roleplay status on the servers?
I believe it is fine as it is. Players interact with each other and the world freely within the rules as intended. Here and there, the lines between OOC and IC get blurred or less than pleasant character behavior may occur in game, but that is generally fixed with a nudge in the right direction or a reminder that other players are human as well.
Other than banning problematic players, what admin actions do you believe have the biggest positive impact?
Being courteous in messages and showing presence in between rounds can contribute so much on its own. I also think that being responsive and being there for the players is also such a huge factor when it comes to impact.
Have you ever had a negative experience in the game or with a game admin? If so what, if anything, would you do to prevent other players from experiencing this?
Back when I was a new player, I was frustrated with the game. It felt so complex to me before I got used to how the mechanics work. In time, I resolved it by seeking help from others. If I were to notice someone having trouble with the game and getting frustrated with making things work, I would nudge them in the right direction and answer their questions. It’s these small things that can make SS14 far more enjoyable for someone.
Have you ever had a good experience with the game or a game admin? If so, what was it?
Admin events are number one on my list. My most memorable is when Samuka when ran a xenoborg event one day. It was so unique to me, and I had one hell of a time playing as one.
There is also another great experience in a round I had where I was playing as Captain. I was going about my usual business and carrying out usual responsibilities. Midway through the round, wooden mannequins started to appear in the bridge. When I pointed them out to others, they did not see them (pretended not to). When I continued to point them out to others and attacked some, they still did not see it. After some time, it was determined by my fellow command members that my character was starting to go crazy from stress. It wasn’t until later that I found out it was all set up by an admin, and they worked their butt off contacting the players to “not notice anything”. I fondly remember the roleplay and the interactions that took place within the round because it was so unexpected and fun for me.
My interactions with admins (and their events) so far have been very memorable, pleasant, and positive overall.
Scenario Questions
Scenario 1
It is the start of the round. There are 60 players on the server. The game mode is traitors, traitors have not been selected yet. There are three players who decided to observe the round instead of join it orbiting you. Two of them are encouraging you to “do something funny”.
I’m a fan of vibin’ with the ghost gang, personally, however it is way too early to force anything to happen. The round should play itself out normally for a good while. I would seek opportunities to enrich the round at a later time or wait until the next round to do so. Not every round has to be an “admeme round” or admin influence. I think that players should have the opportunity to enjoy normal rounds as it is meant to be experienced. Admemes are special and can be great fun for players, but they also have the possibility of making a round unenjoyable for people if not prepared well. Whether it is positive or negative, players will remember an admin event and it could influence the way they perceive you when you let your presence be known to the server.
Scenario 2
This scenario takes place on LRP. The Head of Security has decided to coup the Captain. The Head of Personnel agrees with the Head of Security and has taken up arms in case it is necessary to aid in effecting the arrest of the Captain. The Captain is hiding with the Quartermaster in the cargo shuttle to avoid the Clown who has stolen the captains saber as a non-antag. There are five people named in this scenario. Please describe what actions, if any, you would take in relation to each, and why.
There is a few factors that come into play and a few questions in my head I would have to answer first before I did anything. My first action would be to observe the Captain and determine whether or not they were handling their duties and communicating as befitting their role. “What were the interactions leading up to this scenario?” would be my biggest question.
If I determined that the scenario did not have a sufficient IC reason to justify it, I would intervene and attempt to ask the HoS and HoP stand down. I would also issue a admin remark or consider a temporary roleban, to the HoS and HoP if this were done spontaneously out of the blue and if it escalated without meaningful conversation taking place within the Command channel between the other heads and the Captain.
The QM is assisting the Captain as a command member, as expected of them.
The Clown should not have the Captain’s Saber in this circumstance, even more so if they were a non-antag. I would seek to have Security confiscate the item as soon as possible. If they were to refuse to comply with Security and evade them, I would then contact the clown through ahelp and ask that they return the saber to the Captain or Security as soon as possible. Further refusal would result in a warning or a temp ban if necessary.
Overall, I would seek to resolve this as Central Command in IC first, if possible. If things were to spiral out of control and continue to negatively impact the round for other people then I would then use ahelp to resolve the conflict and return the round back to its normal and natural flow as soon as possible.
Scenario 3
You are ahelping a player about an issue. The player has no prior noted issues. A few days earlier, an admin had told you that this type of situation should result in a temporary ban for a first offense, and you are confident that this situation is not substantially different from the type that admin was describing. During the ahelp, another admin pings you on Discord with a link to the ongoing ahelp and tells you to just indefinitely ban them and make them appeal. Excluding trialmins and headmins, all admins are equally “ranked”. A headmin is not currently available.
I would refer to the rules in this case and judge the scenario carefully and seek out more information or perspectives on it if possible. It is important to be impartial and fair when issuing bans and I think that it should not be the first response unless a serious offense takes place. I don’t let peer pressure influence my decision-making and anything I do should be backed with sufficient evidence and facts to justify a ban.
If a player has previously exhibited good behavior in the past, then a temporary ban would be enough. However, if at a later time, I determined that this is a pattern of behavior that has continued to occur, and especially if it has a severe negative impact upon others, then I would elevate the ban.