XanderDox - 01JUN2457 - Captain

[Guest]

BYOND Key: oneonethreeeight

Player Byond Key: XanderDox

Staff involved: None were contacted. I wish to bring this up for review, however.

Reason for complaint: Active endorsement and suppressing of roleplay, by way of enforcing crew protection policies during code red that both do not reliably take into account crew safety and also force people out of being able to do the job they joined in to fill in favor of 'security'.

During the course of a changeling round in which several bodies were popping up, XanderDox, as Niklaus Nox, ordered all crew to be holed up in the civilian sector 'until further notice'. The following station announcement was as follows:

 

Priority Announcement

Attention. ALL non-security crew are to report to the Mess-Hall now. That is ALL, NON-SECURITY PERSONNEL

 

Okay. So, let's talk about the effect this kind of order will make.

 

• Anyone who is not security will be forced out of their departments and shoved into the bar to do 'super happy fun containment emergency safezone RP'
• As a result, non-security personnel will be watched and put under guard by designated security personnel. they can't encounter confirmed antags, can't get taken hostage, can't even roleplay with them in the slightest. The round is now an exclusive funfest where the only two battling parties are the antags and security.
  
• Scientists, for example, cannot do their job with research, as they are being forced into an area where they are not doing research. This is especially unhelpful when they only play to do their job with other scientists, who mutually join in as a scientist to do science things, not be forcibly shoved into a single area by someone who has the power to do so. Isn't this is a research station, by the way? Why are we suddenly prizing security of personnel against an unconfirmed threat and then throwing any sense of productivity or ability to ensure everyone is still doing their job on code red, down the shitter?

 

In short, there are far better solutions to confirmed hostile activity onboard the station. I don't care about the IC ramifications or reasoning for this course of action. It is forcing a stagnation of workplace productivity and forcing people to roleplay either one way or to roleplay it in the permabrig. This is a critical OOC issue, and one that can be made just as easily by someone who has the power and authority of the rank of Captain. Emergency or not, no one deserves to have the power to force anyone to drop everything they're doing unless there is a very clear and imminent threat to their life. Examples of such can include a released singularity or serial killing nuke ops not 20 tiles away from civilian positions.

Xander has been very quick to force designations of emergency safezones during code red situations, and has shown zero-tolerance and a severe lack of an ability to understand why this behavior is more harmful to the round than it is helpful.

When I challenged him in saying that he had no right to enforce that policy again in IC, and stated he was exceeding his official powers for doing this at a drop of a hat, he had this to say:

 

Niklaus Nox [145.9] says, "Yes, Code Red allows me to stop you from doing your job, Im the Captain."

 

I would like to open a dialogue with Xander here, as I would also like to address other issues regarding his playstyle as a captain that often grossly toe the line that his official powers outline. I would prefer no one else post with "can confirm, 0/10" unless their statements are backed up with either logs or tangible evidence, or post merely to stir up a shitstorm. Let's keep this professional and focused, please.

Approximate Date/Time: Repeated instances throughout last month, and today, 01JUN2015, approx. 7-8PM EST.

[Guest Menown]

Uh. One of the people there was a ling. They had us barricade the doors, and then turned on us, all without any security watch on us. So your first points are thrown out of the window.

[Jamini]

For one,I can attest to this happening on more than one occasion. To a point where I have had too outright ignore orders like this in both medical and engineering in order to actually perform my role and remain in a round. Personally, I severely dislike this sort of thing unless one is dealing with an obvious and omnipresent threat (multiple ops on-station killing everyone they see.)

Quite honestly, I feel it goes against the spirit of the game as well as outlined code red procedures. Red specifically states to remain within your department unless you have a call to a location. Forcing everyone to a central area goes against that and prohibits people even further from playing the role they wish to play.

If anything, as captain Xander should be encouraging security to work with medical, engineering, and science to resolve the proble at hand. Not locking everyone away so that security can freely hunt dem validkills. Each department brings unique skills to the table when dealing with an agressive antagonist, and as captain he should be striving to utilize those in emergencies. Not relying on the single, simplest, and often least-effective answer.

An example as such. A day or two ago Centurion wanted to set a stakeout for a mass-murderer. I was nearby, and was able to drastically help him improve his stakeout by providing bounce radios, a remote signaler to bolt a door, and some borrowed cleaner to remove some oil that had spilled from a door crush (accidental). That is the sort of interdepartmental cooperation and support that we should expect and encourage. Not locking people outside of sec up in a room away from the round antagonist.

[Frances]

Keep in mind IC and OOC behaviors are separate. The only thing you can really judge at a glance was the call, which might have been bad OOCly. Captain Nox getting pissy about it ICly and going all "I am the law, you must obey me" has little to do with Xander's attitude - Xander is simply roleplaying his character.

[Jamini]

Keep in mind IC and OOC behaviors are separate. The only thing you can really judge at a glance was the call, which might have been bad OOCly. Captain Nox getting pissy about it ICly and going all "I am the law, you must obey me" has little to do with Xander's attitude - Xander is simply roleplaying his character.

 

The role of a head of staff is partially an OOC one, to keep players involved and acting in the round and encourage them to RP. What Xander is doing in these instances is entirely counter to that.

[nanotoxin]

Honestly, in my opinion, this is a high roleplay server. I don't doubt that containing civilians(meaning not security) to a localized, central area is something a real captain would do in this situation. I don't see Xander in any wrong here as literally tonnes of rp opens up when everyone's crammed into a little bar. Also, I would prefer my life to be safe, then for me to continue my work, but that's just me.

[Chaznoodles]

The first rule of improvisation is 'Yes, and...', meaning that when something happens, you go with it and adapt. Saying no stops the flow flat in it's tracks. Always go with the flow and adapt yourself around it, instead of complaining because someone does something you don't like. No offence meant.

[Serveris]

Keep in mind IC and OOC behaviors are separate. The only thing you can really judge at a glance was the call, which might have been bad OOCly. Captain Nox getting pissy about it ICly and going all "I am the law, you must obey me" has little to do with Xander's attitude - Xander is simply roleplaying his character.

 

I'll detest this. All of Xander's characters that I've seen seem perfectly in sync with his behaviour, opinions, and thoughts OOCly, and follow through with them in the form of actions. Quite frankly, they all seem to be self insert-esque and really have no sense of variation in them aside from appearance differences and minor backstory quirks. They all behave and operate the exact same way, from what I've seen.

This kind of behavior with Xander isn't and never has been exclusive to his character, Niklaus Nox.

His methodology with multiple command roles (including, again, roles typically reserved for other characters of his), is consistent in a way that they are frequently put at odds with other command players(numerous player complaints involving command experiences with them), those that choose to play as subordinate roles (such as non-security jobs in this particular incident), and even numerous incidents that have ended up leaving a sour taste in duty officer chat feeds.

In between using thinly constructed slippery slope conundrums and frankly mindnumbing illogical fallacies (http://i.imgur.com/L69hHBM.png), to childish declarations often contradicting the corporate regulations, usually along the lines of, 'Silence, I am the captain, do it anyway cause I say so,' they are apparently willing to disregard with or without having received a fax from CC, I definitely feel that some sort of talk needs to be had.

[Guest]

I can attest that to what Serveris is saying, but I don't think self-inserting is complaint worthy material in itself, just to make myself clear itself.

I've had my share of discussions over protocol and other pointless command politics with Xander and I can say their MO lies with strict observence of protocol sometimes to detrement of RP. Such as the mentioned habit on waiting for CC response, thus slowing the round progression. However, Xander has at times gone over them to further round progression as well, by slowing down the security steamroller.

[Guest]

None of my characters are actuallu self-insert except for their latent homosexuality. As to the complaint itself, the decision to move crew to the bar, while firstly suggested by me, was confirmed as viable and implemented my Head of Security. Yes, all crew were moved to the Central area. Why? Five crew members had been mysteriously picked off by something and slaughtered. Not to mention we had the possibility of a galactic war happening, the center of the station did seem like the best place. The antag was able to access the crew as they were left unguarded. Engineering got the chance to reinforce the center ring (that locked crew in with the antags) we had a small medical staff.

I abide by protocol and wait for CC response because I have been threatened with bans by staff for not doing so before.

And yes, my Captain is extremely arrogant of a character, that is who he is. He is the highest authority onboard as Captain and what he said gets done if its within regulations.

Also, numerous player complaints? I only ever recall one, and Ive never gotten an incident report.

[Guest]

Niklaus is a rich, arrogant Captain that cares a great deal for his crew too.

Vivian my CMO is a slighty teen-like, easy to anger Doctor.

Laurence Fisher is an intelligent RD that believes science comes before safety and ethics.

None of these characters are similar

[nanotoxin]

I don't think Xander was in the wrong about moving the crew to the bar.

However, the Godswoods characters, that I saw, were all the same, and with their departure, Niklaus has filled in their exact same shoes. As for the other two you menitioned, I've never seen you play them. I do believe your characters lack variety, but I do enjoy them.

[Guest]

I play a few other characters that are quieter and nonheads. My Godswood characters were all similar yes, because they were siblings and generally had the same mannerisims. Emma however, was never arrogant, and barely ever flaunted the fact that she had money. I wish people saw more of the good of my characters. Like Nik helping clean the kitchen or taking time to speak to the civillian staff. Or Emma going to the library to get a book on Unathi culture and giving it to a Cadet to read after calling a Unathi by their first name and not understanding why it was wrong. Or Laurence signing a nice cheque to an android who was saving up for an IPC.

[Baka]

The call itself of moving people to the bar. While it is a questionable of what has happened which made that judgement call, I don't feel it to be as big of an issue as there are heads of staff, as I have seen, move people to the bar and taper them out. It was perhaps Xander trying his best to control a situation that was ongoing and beyond their control. This tactic is as old as the hills. I can see ways for antags to exploit this tactic, as there was heighten awareness of danger.

Secondly, in regards to self-insert characters, I have the firm belief it is not uncommon for people to sprinkle in their personalities into a character to make them easier to play, or play a character out to live an ideal life they wish they have. I cannot fault Xander of having a character accused of self-insertion. The only thing that we ask for is that:

 

Characters must be believable, and well-rounded. No insane or psychotic characters. No Mary Sues.

 

Now. Unless you're really fucking deranged biting the heads off chickens, or Princess Robot Bubblegum from Planet Kawaiiuguu, self-inserts are not disallowed. However, the argument of "are self-inserts good for roleplay" is an entire different argument.

[Baka]

It's been a while since there's been replies to this thread, and I standby what I said, so I am going to lock and archive this thread.

Please PM me for questions or concerns.