Character Complaint - Vershal Plaz

[Floggy]

BYOND Key: Floggy
Game ID: [cye-apOQ], other rounds
Player Byond Key/Character name: ARandoDude/Vershal Plaz
Staff involved: None
Reason for complaint: Failing to act as Command, refusal do to so in some cases. Powergaming, often zero to none communication (as CMO), and questionable asocial behaviour in some cases.  
Did you attempt to adminhelp the issue at the time? If so, what was the known action taken by administration/moderation?: No.
Approximate Date/Time: 18/02/2025 05:00 UTC +0

This round served as a clear example of the issues I have with Vershal Plaz as Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

My primary reference for this role is the CMO wiki page which outlines what a CMO should and should not do.

In this round, Plaz failed to keep the crew informed about the situation and instead assumed the role of a very mechanical paramedic and surgeon. From my character, June Dyer’s (a paramedic) perspective, she was immediately ordered on a rescue mission. After some roleplay and airlock issues, we lazily returned, only to find the horizon overtaken by hostiles. Naturally, Dyer was confused about what was going on.

I noticed Plaz running around in paramedic gear and assumed they were taking on first responder duties in the absence of the designated paramedic. However, there was a window of time where Plaz could have at least briefed the rescue team, including the paramedic, to pull back immediately.

Later, Dyer repeatedly asked Plaz to perform his primary job as a liaison and provide updates on the situation. Initially, he outright refused, then offered vague responses without detail.

Despite the presence of a paramedic, Plaz continued to act as a first responder. While this could be justified, he could have been more communicative about it. For an hour, it was incredibly difficult to get Plaz to engage in any way other than helping with patients.

Meanwhile, the medical bay descended into chaos. A surgeon decided to leave the bay and shot a warform, believing it was about to attack him. This could have been avoided if the acting CMO had been coordinating instead of performing mechanically heavy tasks.

While I understand many officers died despite Plaz’s help, that is part of the game. It’s not solely his responsibility to extract them from enemy fire and stabilize patients, especially when the crew is confused or assisting antagonists.

In conclusion, I do not believe Vershal Plaz is fulfilling the role of CMO effectively:

• He does not delegate the workload and instead silently performs surgeries and rescues, using ORs and paramedic equipment sparingly.
• He refuses to communicate between command, security, and medical, failing to inform his subordinates about the situation.

Additionally, I believe the following concerns should be addressed, though they are not directly related to this round:

• Plaz’s transition from paramedic to CMO is questionable. Before assuming the CMO role, he had to retcon his backstory to become a surgeon. However, he still uses paramedic equipment sparingly in violent rounds.
• His asocial tendencies are concerning. I’ll ask Penri’s player to clarify their character’s interactions with Plaz in this thread. 

 

I don't have any problems with the player, but the character is not performing well as CMO. Plaz could serve as a great surgeon or paramedic instead. Please don't take any offence towards yourself. 

Screenshots explanation: 

1. Dyer asking for the CMO to explain what's happening.
2. Plaz refuses to do so.
3. Plaz explains the situation briefly after Dyer repeats her question. 

Edited Tuesday at 22:24 by Floggy

[Loorey]

Hello, @CampinKiller and I will be handling the complaint. We'll be taking a look through everything and then follow-up. In the meantime, it would be great to hear the other perspective about this as well. 

[Loorey]

Hello again. I want to preface this by saying that you should have tried to ahelp and have issues resolved in the round; most of the things outlined in this complaint could have been handled that way.

Campin and I have discussed the complaint and spoken privately with ARandoDude and other involved players. After reviewing the situation, we came to the conclusion that there are no grounds for a whitelist strip—nothing outlined in the complaint warrants it. However, we will be addressing ARandoDude regarding his general behavior while playing as the CMO or command roles in general. If there's nothing else to be added to the complaint, I will be locking and archiving it soon.

[Floggy]

I have nothing to add, and I don't strive for the whitelist strip in case ARandoDude understands that there's an issue.