[Resolved]Character Complaint - Phoebe Essel

[Kaed]

BYOND Key: Kaedwuff

Game ID: I don't have it, but it was That Round Where Engineering Cult Built Fucktons of Pylons

Player Byond Key: Nursiekitty(I think that's who plays Pheobe Essel?)

Staff involved: None.

Reason for complaint: Overly cowardly head of department.

Did you attempt to adminhelp the issue at the time? If so, what was the known action taken by administration/moderation? at the time I was just rolling my eyes and only after sleeping on it did I decide to post a complaint.

Approximate Date/Time: 3/21/2017, around 10-11pm CST

First of all, I'd like to preface this by saying I think it was somewhat entertaining and refreshing to see a non-combat role player show signs of intense fear of danger, fleeing from danger and hiding in lockers for extended periods. Phoebe Essel did a pretty good job of what is generally called 'fear roleplay', if in a bit of an inactive, hide somewhere silently for long periods way. When danger reared it's ugly head, Phoebe turned her tail and fled, etc.

However, I feel like this would have been a more reasonable behavior for someone who was not the Chief Medical Officer. This was the first time I've ever seen Essel taking that job position, but I haven't been around for several months. The problem was, during a highly active cult round, where many people were in trouble, including her entire medical team, she seems to have been off hiding in terror while the rest of her department was trying to rescue the wounded, or in some cases, fight off constructs in a combat retreat. While she is by no means obligated to go Commando Phoebe, I sort of assumed people in head position were granted that title because they had been determined to be trustworthy and responsible, and are supposed to take charge in a crisis, not run off and cower.

I don't have access to the medical channel as the Head of Personnel, so I can't know everything prior to being beaten to death by a juggernaut during someone's attempt to frantically do surgery on me, but posthumously, every time I looked at Essel, she was hiding in the genetics room locker. She came out at one point, saw Ickthar dead at the front of medbay, and did start attempting to clone him, but also abandoned him in the cryo tube to die a second time when she spotted danger.

Not everyone is expected to be a hero, but I feel like people who select head roles are expected to show a little more backbone and leadership in a crisis?

[TishinaStalker]

Regular crisis, sure, maybe. Depends on the situation, as always. Crisis involving blood coated walls, extra-dimensional abominations, and beings that have zero need or respect for organic life? I'd be terrified too. Cult is, for the most part, the one round type where I don't mind heads of staff wanting to avoid conflict like the plague; especially if the cultist is powered in droves. The only heads I believe that shouldn't do that is Captain and HoS due to loyalty implant and being the ones that this round type hinges on.

[Scheveningen]

The cultists were already wandering the halls as part of an Alt-Dimension Death Squad around the same time Essel chose to hide in a locker. For the cultists to be able to do this means they already overpowered station security and they were free to leave the pylon death trench and start either wantonly murdering or converting anyone they see.

And in no way at all do I expect a CMO to expose themselves to unnecessary danger in some half-arsed attempt in calling for an ERT. Such an attempt was not even possible what with the bridge power cut. The station was doomed, to blame it solely on a head of staff is insulting and a bit of an obtuse analysis of the situation, especially considering the amount of work I did as a cultist to make security's infrastructure doubt itself and collapse from the inside out... but I can't take all the credit.

But Nursie cannot really take credit at all for choosing to prioritize their own safety above anyone else's.

[witchbells]

This was a super intense round where shit hit the fan fast, at least on my side. As soon as the dead started showing up, so did the juggernauts and wraiths and all of that fun junk. In the time of two operations it took for me to get an officer (and a paramedic who had been attacked) people were being, again, from my point of view, essentially slaughtered left and right. Her doctors had been attacked, security was attacked, dead, or missing (or even a cultist) and a doctor is about the last person who would be able to stop them.

The head of security could not stop the cultists.

The head of personnel certainly was not able to stop the cultists.

The chief engineer was actively aiding the cultists, what with being a cultist.

When there was a clear consensus of "call the fucking shuttle" Phoebe tried to get the people who were more capable than her (including yourself and a few officers) cult constructs were occupying the bridge and barging into the medical bay. Then, yes, Phoebe took to hiding in a locker, because she could do precisely jackshit at this point to aid anyone she was supposed to besides trying clone them or telling them to run, hide, and find somewhere safe.

[sonicgotnuked]

This round, yeah.. I was a big reason why shit hit the fan fast. What do you expect a non-loyalty implanted CMO do when I, as the CE mind you, convert an entire department into a death trench and organize plans of attack. I was the head of the snake. I think all of my characters would ACTIVELY try and avoid the cult. ESPECIALLY with them slaughtering the entire crew and collapsing security. We where also attacking every single department after security fell... shit hit the fan, it hit it fast, it was valid.

[Kaed]

Alright, alright. Put into a light from a different perspective from my own obviously biased one, her behavior makes more sense. I guess just because I play a seasoned crusty old unathi who takes no fuckin guff, doesn't mean everyone else has to have the same determined attitude.

[Garnascus]

Due to Kaed's most recent post here i believe this complaint has been adequately responded to. I will lock and archive it within 24 hours.