Alt Title; Telecom Technician.

[K0NFL1QT]

Telecoms is neat, but rarely used it seems. The sort of work you do there is so separate to anything else you'd do on the station, namely actual coding and the upkeep of machines not found anywhere else, that I think it deserves a dedicated role. I've spoken to people in OOC who would be interested in an alt engineer job dedicated to maintaining and operating the comm satellite, but either don't have a head white-list, or don't have an appropriate character at that level, due to the restriction of Chief Engineer, Research Director or Captain only. It's got food and drink vendors, hard-suits provided, beds, multiple channel monitors and one for direct manipulation of transmission code, an array of machinery that makes up the actual transmission network and the bits and bobs to try and improve or add to the network if you feel up to it. All of this to play with, but in doing so you're rather absent from the department you're supposed to be commanding back on the station, either coordinating repairs as a Chief Engineer or making sure Science isn't reduced to a smoldering hole as Research Director.

The responsibilities of a Telecom Technician would be;

-: Firstly, ensure communication channels are up and running. Make repairs as necessary.

-: Secondly, ensure unauthorized personnel aren't accessing your channels. Even if you can't stop them listening in, you can stop them being able to respond.

-: Improve or modify existing frequencies as needed.

Thoughts, ideas, criticisms?

[Conservatron]

I dig it. Also allows for someone to be subverted who isn't a head. I'd say give them telecoms access, but not formal teleporter so someone still needs to let them in to get to the job site

[Guest]

One problem, telecoms is off limits to all staff but CE/Captain/RD .... Since it's a secure area, with turrets set to lethal at round start.

[Conservatron]

creating another job position with engineering lobby and telecomms access would give them clearance to disable the lethals though.

I was always confused about the layout tbh. It seems designed for a permanent 4 man crew with 4 beds and the vending machine, has two space suits and the hardsuit, but the turrets can only be controlled from way past the sleeping area in the entry room.

[Susan]

Gonna say no. Telecomms doesn't break down anywhere near enough to have a technician on call on the station, literally paying someone to sit on their ass all shift.

It has always been my impression telecomms crews come from CentComm or someplace else off screen since their equipment is stored on the satellite (and why taking void suits is grand theft, because they're the only suits for said maintenance crews).

[Guest]

You could probably open up 3 slots for it, whitelist it, and if anyone's really interested in keeping tcoms up and productive, they can play it.

In return, maybe we can change the gameplay a little bit, perhaps some occasional issues with the tcoms hubs and servers not syncing properly, requiring routine maintenance, etc etc...

[Guest]

For the title, yeah kinda something I wanted but as a full time job on the station, I'm not sure.

One problem, telecoms is off limits to all staff but CE/Captain/RD .... Since it's a secure area, with turrets set to lethal at round start.

Easily solved with the right access level. Not a problem

You could probably open up 3 slots for it, whitelist it, and if anyone's really interested in keeping tcoms up and productive, they can play it.

In return, maybe we can change the gameplay a little bit, perhaps some occasional issues with the tcoms hubs and servers not syncing properly, requiring routine maintenance, etc etc...

Way too much work we have enouth things to do that changing the gameplay to make Tcomms worth being able to spend a shift there is a lot of work for very little return.

[K0NFL1QT]

The inevitable return of the great white telecom suggestion.

[Pyrociraptor]

Maybe add some random events (other than the ion. anomaly one that just cut down comms for a moment) that would either upload random scripts in Tcomms, or randomly damage some of the equipment there.

Honestly I want to play a Telecommunication Technician. Not only its an easy access for traitor with less suspicion (I mean, When the RD or the CE is on the Tcomm sat, you still watch out for anything, while you don't care if the guy supposed to be there is there.), but for me It would be a job with less interaction and more peace.

For exemple, list of random events that could happen:

• The Trojan event (the one that randomly set stupid filters in the PDA server, shocks random door etc..) could also upload some stupid scripts in Telecomm (For exemple one that would randomly cut out some words, making you sound like an idiot.)
  
• The Ionospheric failure one could maybe be prevented/fixed by the Telecomm Tech. by upgrading some of the machinery, for example.
  
• Add the Malf's "Quantum hack detected" as a random event where it would either A) Blow up/Damage some of the machinery, B) Also upload random scripts or interswitch comms (Aka someone speaking in the security channel will end up speaking in the common channel, leaking some precious informations~), and t hat would also allow to reduce Malf's metagame.

 

Also, I'd say one Telecomm Tech is enough per shift. Maybe Two.

[K0NFL1QT]

Random events could be doable, but I'd like the alt title and access as an engineer role either way. Alt title, or separate role similar to atmos tech. How is an Engineer supposed to go from no telecom knowledge, to being responsible for the entire comm network without any prior experience? There should be an intermediary between no knowledge and Chief Engineer, where you can play with the systems safely or be guided by another more experienced comm engineer. And it would free the CE/RD to better manage their departments if they have staff on site who are trusted to manage the comm system.

[Chaznoodles]

No thanks. Sounds like a role purely for snowflakes to mute people they don't like.

[Nanako]

alt title and engineer access seems good. I dont see a need for anything deeper than that.

[K0NFL1QT]

No thanks. Sounds like a role purely for snowflakes to mute people they don't like.

 

/mute ChazNoodles

[UnknownMurder]

alt title and engineer access seems good. I dont see a need for anything deeper than that.

 

Agreed. I'm fine with having an ALT Title with Engineering Access, though. Should it have telecommunications technician access? It might spark some fun ic conflict with antagonists being able to be sneaky and access the telecommunications and mess with the machinery.

[TheGreatJorge]

Once I would completely agree with this, but well. Probably not today any more. I guess alternate title for engineer can never hurt. On one hand, I would prefer for the extra acess to be only grated to the engineer by head of department, as I am not quite sure what can happen, if you make telecomms acess that much more available. (And you may as well get rid of those turrets, as they will pose more risk than harm when people start using the area more frequently.) But on the other hand, if anyone would plan for events that would break or damage telecomms in a way that absolutely needs fixing, I dont want them to happen without anyone having acess to fix them. Other that that, there might still not be enough to do on telecomms (And playing with telecomms script is, at least for me, only for those special days of the year, rather than day after day.) encouraging people to simply play with the cript, however than may end up.

Oh, and did you know you can make a script that will quite precisely simulate the Rise of Nar-Sie message? I certainly can see fun in that.

[Ron]

telecoms is very complicated in terms of machinery if you don't know what you are doing. I'd rather not have someone fuck it up as radio is an important part of the round for people. Also, it seems like this job would very much be a joke job, or one that sits there and waits for someone to try to sabotage tcoms (IE. mercs) and screams over radio what's going on.

[TrickingTrapster]

Yeah, I see the same issue as everyone else here, namely there being nothing to do on Tcomms, not to mention they can listen in on channels they have no access to. I personally don't think it will add a whole lot to the roleplay, and there will be even less people on station. I would endorse some kind of "emergency route" to the tcomms satellite for if there is no CE or RD to handle it. And for antags to abuse.

[Conservatron]

i have no idea how many times a captain/ CE/ RD has conscripted xullie to rebuild telecoms

i mean, i've done it a few times now, but recordswise xullie has absolutely no training in tcoms systems. A title like this with access would be fantastic

[Conservatron]

alternative - communications technician

bundle it with the ability for intercoms to break and need repairs, among other station-bound communication devices (id love to be able to install new intercoms)

keep the teleporter access locked down, but they'll have the IC knowledge to repair telecoms.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

This would be an extremely specialized field, similar to xeno-archaeology.

It's a niche thing, so simply adding it as a new job would be a benefit to a small subset of players that are into t-comms. There's little inherent drawback except for t-comms now having an exponentially higher chance of suffering collateral damage when antags attack it.

If the job is added, because of the sensitive nature of T-comms, it should be behind the head whitelist similar to IAA?

[Zundy]

Just give engineers access and let them deal with it as "Maintenance Technicians" since they already exist as a roll and whilst they're not messing with t-comms, they can be upgrading equipment across the station.

Yes this may mean people will mess with t-comms and fuck it up, but why not trial it and see how it goes for a few weeks? Might be cool guis.

[Chaznoodles]

It'll result in certain groups of people muting people they don't like over comms if so, I can tell you that.

[Zundy]

It'll result in certain groups of people muting people they don't like over comms if so, I can tell you that.

 

If it makes sense in character¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If it doesn't then a help and let admins deal. Seems to be enough interest to warrant a little trial. If it turns out to cause unbearable salt then do away with it.

[Conservatron]

keep it simple

give them tcoms access, not teleporter room access. Keep them stationside unless needed on the satellite.

[Conservatron]

It'll result in certain groups of people muting people they don't like over comms if so, I can tell you that.

which will be dealt with by IA, muting people for no reason would be a abusing work privileges and would get you fired from any secure station.

muting someone is an IC action which can be dealt with by IC means