Create a better Station Alert Level system

[Guest]

Currently; we have Green (Standard Operation) , Blue (Non-standard, potential emergency), Red (Emergency), and Delta (Failsafe time aka nuke)

These are used for various emergencies, but only provide special powers to security, and are referred to in the code as 'Security Alerts' .

I propose we alter the alert system, and add various alerts for the different Heads of Staff, and each Head would have these available in their request consoles, and the Captain would have access to them all (plus his own) from the communication console.

This would remove the authentication swipers, effectively, and lends more power to our Heads of Staff as trusted individuals.

Station Alerts (for the Captain specifically)

Code Delta - The station's highest alert, authorizes the use of the nuclear device, to be used only in the event of severe biohazard (major slime escape, or highly deadly, incurable disease) . When swiped for, doesn't activate directly, prompts a request in Adminlogs (like a prayer kinda thing) to approve it, approval will send out the announcement, and fax the auth-code to the bridge. Probably will never be used but hey, might as well have it.

Code Red - Same old, but only the Captain is able to activate it.

Security Alerts

Code Green - The same old. (No threat)

Code Blue - The same old, with the change of Officers only being allowed to search if the Head of Security/Captain confirms vocally or PDA wise, this forgoes the warrant, but requires some level of oversight (Perceived threat)

Medical Alerts

Biohazard Alert - Used for any confirmed virus, Security are too fall under the command of the Chief Medical Officer if a Head of Security is not present, if one is, they should prioritize assisting medical. All personnel must maximized their suit sensors and submit to vaccination when prompted.

Mass Casualty Alert - Used when 10+ people have died during an emergency situation. Non-injured personnel are to leave the medical bay, and anyone with non-life threatening injuries are to wait outside the medical bay. Anyone without life-threatening injuries are breaking the regulation regarding trespassing. Personnel must maximize their suit sensors.

Engineering Alerts

Code Orange - Used for any breached location that is high-traffic, such as a hallway or major department. Not used for a location like the mining office, or the chapel. Any personnel entering the location that is breached (maybe an option for the CE to select the breached location and it autofilling into the announcement?) can be charged with trespassing and neglect of duty.

Research Alerts

Anomalous Activity Alert - Used when an anomaly from the outpost, or any other anomaly (Adminbus) is happening. Staff are too take extra precautions, an no non-science personnel are too enter science, doing so is a charge of infiltrating and neglect of duty. Crew should be prepared to receive further instructions from Command staff.

Phoron/Plasma Testing Leak - Used when toxins testing has issues. The area is too be locked down in all staff in/entering the starboard wing are to don internals. Non-engineering staff are not to enter the science department, and the Science department is too be evacuated. Until the issue is resolved, the confines of the research department are put under the control of the Chief Engineer.

Xenobiological Containment Breach - Used when slimes go cray and begin eating the entire station. Science is too be immediately locked down by the AI, staff are to navigate to a safe location without vents, and inform Security of any rogue slimes. Security are to arm themselves with fire-extinguishers and defend the station.

Likes, dislikes? Totally crude idea? Feel free to make suggestions/amends. I'm tired and dumb.

[Killerhurtz]

I love this distribution, but personally I would add a few:

Station Alert:

-Beta-One and Beta-Two: The station is under no latent threat but due to extreme circumstances, it requires evacuation. Beta-One means that everyone that is not strictly occupied with something important (so everyone but a few people in medical and engineering) head to Departures for evacuation within 20 minutes. Usually it's followed by an emergency shuttle call. Beta-Two is an extreme emergency, and would basically be used only for Colony events as it would indicate an immediate threat that warrants evacuating everyone to the outposts.

-Theta (For Chief Engineer): The engine is going critical (singulo released and confirmed dangerous, supermatter close to lamination, whatever does whatever and will kill everyone). AI is carded, all cyborgs are evacuated. Instantly calls an emergency shuttle. Everyone has to get to Departures unless it's compromized, then organized evacuation into whatever escape pods are available is organized.

Engineering:

-Code Brown. Basically, no one is trained in engine set-up and the existing energy stockpiles are low. Everyone is to wrap-up what they're doing and head to the bar to avoid being trapped, in anticipation to either help or evacuation.

Research:

-Code Lavender. For when the geneticist is being a fuckwad.

[Guest Menown]

How about a different idea.

Code Red: Security Alert. Displays major security alert with the ability for the HoS/Cap to assign the reason why through a prompt. Firealarms can be examined to show the reason/the alert will be present in newscasters.

Code Green: Medical Alert. Same as above, but for medical alerts.

Code Orange: Engineering.

Code Purple: Research.

So on, so forth. This'll allow the heads that determine the reason behind the alert to give a better clarification as to why the alert is present, and what they've assigned as required from the crew.

Code White could be what our current Code Green is. Being an all-clear/normal operations.

[Zundy]

How about a different idea.

Code Red: Security Alert. Displays major security alert with the ability for the HoS/Cap to assign the reason why through a prompt. Firealarms can be examined to show the reason/the alert will be present in newscasters.

Code Green: Medical Alert. Same as above, but for medical alerts.

Code Orange: Engineering.

Code Purple: Research.

So on, so forth. This'll allow the heads that determine the reason behind the alert to give a better clarification as to why the alert is present, and what they've assigned as required from the crew.

Code White could be what our current Code Green is. Being an all-clear/normal operations.

 

This but only if everyone has to refer to it as "Station is X" for example, "Station is Green captain" or "SIG captain" hehehe

[Guest]

The thing is Meowy, by making them pre-made announcements, it provides actual authority to the words, allowing the Heads to type them makes them essentially normal orders, meaning they can't force suit sensors in their medical announcement unless it is pre-set to say so, unless we outright make a directive detailing the codes and how they affect the authority of the Heads.

[Guest]

I don't think (actually I know) it's a good idea to restrict code red to captain. This used to be a thing before and a lot of people disliked it. If there's a confirmed threat, there is a confirmed threat. Don't need ol'Commdom Lassarde to tell the heads of staff: And no, saying "You can go for the spare" is not a good reason to support restricting code red either.

Code-levels showing as security alert doesn't just mean it's a security issue. There's a security threat which means its everyone's issue. Obviously security will be involved because that's their job, make sure everyone is robusted and out of the way. A medical/engineering/biohazard/science emergency would still warrant as a security threat and warrant a code elevation. The relevant department and security are supposed to work together to make sure everything is better and cupcakes for all.

TL;DR:

- Sec stop being cockblocks and assist as needed.

- Non-sec departments clean out butts and let sec maintain order whilst you do your thing.

- Work as a team as expected by NT, and as you probably lied to your employer during job interview.

[Skull132]

Stuff like this should be kept stupid simple. Which is why I like Meowy's idea. With one alteration: keep code red as a serious, non-descript emergency. Code red would only be called when the previous alert level fails to deal with the issue.

Basically. Imagine an elevated alert level as the captain declaring an emergency, what code he chooses specifies the type of emergency. With code red being the, "Shit's so fucked I can't even begin to understand how to unfuck it."

[Guest Menown]

Oh, I fucked up. I imagined us as redsec for Code Red. Code Blue would work better, since it's Bluesec in our code.

Code Red could easily remain FUBAR alert.

[Gollee]

I'd advise using code green as a medical emergency, new players might have assumptions that green = good, which is a fair one to make. What about yellow or amber?

[Vanagandr]

Perhaps the same green/blue/red thing, but conditional? So, you set the alert, and then you set which type; Medical/Engineering/Security.

They're the same as they usually are, but with different departments getting extraordinary powers.

So:

Green: business as usual.

Blue: there's an emergency, and the department responsible for fixing it can use extraordinary measures, and people should cooperate with them and keep out of the way.

Red: there's a dire emergency, and the department responsible for fixing it can use any means necessary to contain and repair it.

So, for example, if there was an Engineering Blue Alert, and an Engineer told you to get out of the room and you didn't because it's my office in my department what the hell are you doing MUH RIGHTS, and he broke your arm and took your ID and made you get the fuck out, that's simply too bad for you; there's a Blue Alert, Engineering has more important things to do than worry about the feels of people who're getting underfoot.

Or, if there was a Red Medical Alert and some clown was trying to break out of Isolation while carrying Airborne Gibbington's, a nurse could point at a Security Officer and order him to laser that greyshit before he breaks the window. Well, a nurse can order anything she likes, but under a Medical Red she could give that order with the full and IC+OOC supported expectation that the Officer would Just Follow Orders.

And, of course, dear old Code Delta- 'Shit's Fucked, Evacuate'.

[SierraKomodo]

How about instead of new alert levels, we keep the current green/blue/red, and there's an additional prompt that lets you select what type of alert/department it pertains to which defines the message it displays. I.e., you go to the console, set blue alert, and then select 'Engineering' as the department. Instead of the security related message, you get this:

Blue Alert - Engineering!

There is a possible or confirmed issue with the station. All crew are to obey directions given by engineering staff, and avoid any areas reported as breached or otherwise dangerous. Engineering staff are now exempt from trespassing regulations, and the Chief Engineer has command priority.

[Guest Menown]

Code Schrodinger. An alert that is the only alert possible to select, and is active and inactive at all times. It's only to be used for when the station is in a constant state of unrest, and normal operations at the same time.

[hivefleetchicken]

Code Schrodinger. An alert that is the only alert possible to select, and is active and inactive at all times. It's only to be used for when the station is in a constant state of unrest, and normal operations at the same time.

 

Try harder.

[Skull132]

Making quick differentiation between those alerts would be more difficult, Sierra. Having fire alarms say which type of alert it is wouldn't make sense, so they'd flash blue in all cases of blue alert. Instead, having them flash a different colour would make discerning what alert it is nearly instantaneous. Here's what I propose, rolling with Meowy's concept:

We implement a colour for each department, while keeping green as standard operation and red as "all shit's fucked, run". And change the announcements to be like, for example: "Station wide medical emergency declared. Code White in effect. [blablabla, emergency powers to medical staff, bla]."

Thoughts?

[Guest Menown]

That'd work, Skull. Simple enough, yet detailed enough that people would know what the alerts mean.

You'd probably want to put a memo of the day thing up for it, however.

[CampinKiller]

How about instead of new alert levels, we keep the current green/blue/red, and there's an additional prompt that lets you select what type of alert/department it pertains to which defines the message it displays. I.e., you go to the console, set blue alert, and then select 'Engineering' as the department. Instead of the security related message, you get this:

Blue Alert - Engineering!

There is a possible or confirmed issue with the station. All crew are to obey directions given by engineering staff, and avoid any areas reported as breached or otherwise dangerous. Engineering staff are now exempt from trespassing regulations, and the Chief Engineer has command priority.

 

This, x100, though there should be a "stationwide" option.

Also, can we implement a siren/alarm for Code Red? It would make sense, considering it basically means major shit is happening and everyone's attention is needed.

[Skull132]

I'm curious, Campin. Read my idea, two posts before yours, and tell me which is better (mine or Sierra's) and why.

[Skull132]

Psst. Guys. Waiting on a little bit more feedback before I shove this into the works. Which of the two present end solutions is better, and why, or does it not matter?

[Vanagandr]

Psst. Guys. Waiting on a little bit more feedback before I shove this into the works. Which of the two present end solutions is better, and why, or does it not matter?

The colour-coded one would be better for quick identification, but I'd like the two-level thing as well; possibly "Brown - Yellow - RED" for Engineering, "Blue - Purple - RED" for Sec, "Green - White - RED" for Medical?

[Skull132]

I don't really see the point in that. Raised alert already means shit's going south, so do you need another phase to say that shit's going even more south, and then a final red alert?

[Lady_of_Ravens]

"Pink Alert: All hands to erogenous zones."

But, seriously, color-coded department-specific alerts sound good as there are a lot of moderate level threats which aren't necessarily about sec stuff. Like slime infestations, corrosive biomasses, hull breaches, and so on.

I wouldn't bother with changing red at all, though. Swiping can be complicated enough, particularly if the other person doesn't know what they're doing (it happens), and creating complex color codes will increase general confusion regarding current alert level.

[Jennalele]

What if we alter fire alarm sprites minorly to show a second light, then roll with Sierra's idea?

Code Blue Medical would be the code blue light, and then the secondary light lights up in white to show it as a medical alert, blue for security, yellow for engineering, etc.

[SierraKomodo]

Making quick differentiation between those alerts would be more difficult, Sierra. Having fire alarms say which type of alert it is wouldn't make sense, so they'd flash blue in all cases of blue alert. Instead, having them flash a different colour would make discerning what alert it is nearly instantaneous. Here's what I propose, rolling with Meowy's concept:

We implement a colour for each department, while keeping green as standard operation and red as "all shit's fucked, run". And change the announcements to be like, for example: "Station wide medical emergency declared. Code White in effect. [blablabla, emergency powers to medical staff, bla]."

Thoughts?

 

Hm, here's a thought. Have the fire alarms flash between 'white' and a color denoting which department the alert cover:

Engineering: Orange

Security: Blue

Medbay: Green

Research: Purple

If it's a global blue alert, then it just flashes white.

EDIT: We could also make it a 'Yellow Alert' instead of 'Blue', and use yellow instead of white as the flashing color.

[Guest]

Can we look into getting this done? It would be really nice to have.

[Skull132]

Since I'm already busying myself with DO stuff for this development cycle, I'll add it to the list.