[Resolved] Complaint Against Bath Salts Addict.

BYOND Key: HunterRS

Game ID: Every. Single. Round.

Player Byond Key: BathSaltsAddict

Staff involved: Nope

Reason for complaint: BathSaltsAddict, AKA Adolph Hammerstein, Powergames multiple times every round, saying his Character knows how to break into every door, and he is a warden a warden an a robotics, and multiple times he asks for Interim RD, when he doesn't even have the amount of experience. His records are here. http://prntscr.com/dl4qix. He also is a complete nazi, stated here by his records. http://prntscr.com/dl4r1m. He also abused the table lock during a rev round, by tabling multiple people over and over again for no reason. He somehow knows everything IC about RnD and Robotics and Warden, when he has 2 years robotics experience. He also knows how to use a teleporter to break and steal more metal for robotics. He also knows how to use security equipment as a robotisist. All I wish is either cut him down on his powergaming by containing him to one department or not break into secure places and know how to break doors every time, AND know how to do RnD.

Did you attempt to adminhelp the issue at the time? If so, what was the known action taken by administration/moderation? Try to do it.

Approximate Date/Time: Every Round.

Adolph's repeated beginning-shift looting has lead to Engineering sending the apprentices and technicians off to secure the metal and glass in EVA and the construction site before Adolph can grab it.

I also consider warden/roboticist to be a serious stretch of the imagination.

Adolph dashes to Tech Storage at round start for insulated gloves. Every time.

Adolph frequently cyborgs brains without authorization, stuffing brains into MMI's before asking permission to put them in the cyborg shell.

Attempting to deal with this IC, I am hearing other characters tell Manfred they are too afraid of what he'll do to refuse him.

Being named Adolph and playing as a blonde racial supremacist strikes me as a stretch of the name rules.

Adolph pepper-sprayed, dislocated my legs and threw me into the brig. At Central Command. There were several others in there handcuffed, bed-buckled, and knee-dislocated.

It is my position following several rounds of observation that Adolph is playing at a level more appropriate for TG-Station or another powergame-friendly site. I do not know about Adolph as a roleplayer, but I feel he should restrain himself to one department and avoid round-start routines that amount to how much he can get away with, every round.

I've heard some good things about him though, regarding roleplaying ability and the like. But the little meta/powergame/antagonism details push him into an 11. He needs a dial back so I can like the guy, because I do want to.

Adolph's routine is fairly aggravating, and seems to be only held afloat on the basis that 'Hey, nobody else uses it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯'. Responses to being caught in this instance usually variate from 'shut the fuck up' and other aggressive tones and responses denying the idea of it. Rather than order the metal from cargo for 40~ points and get them in three minutes, Adolph's daily routine has evolved and coalesced itself into something along the lines of this during most rounds or if exposed to like-minded characters:

1. Take insulated gloves from Tech Storage. While with access, he has no purpose to possess these in the slightest as his job has no active in-game electrical problems.

2. Use the gloves to break into E.V.A. or Teleporter Access to raid the Construction Site and pilfer it of it's metal. Very rarely does he ask for permission beforehand, likely out of concern of a large security detail or high hallway traffic.

3. Barricades his department with reinforced walls for the purpose of 'privacy'.

4. Produce combat exosuits while maintaining the ability to both drive and utilize them with stocked armaments.

5. In the presence of an antagonist and the ability to have access to the brain, will in fact MMI them prior to asking for permission, and then draw attention to the idea of borging the individual.

While not every round includes each and every point of this, most can be witnessed and identified throughout his round history and likely future activity. With consistency, he's often told off for it by Heads of Staff but continues to do it. He breaks common sense in continuously disregarding superior orders and breaks general immersion with the fact his records simply don't match up.

With memory, I can identify Adolph Hammerstein, the character, has having basic knowledge up to professionalism in:

Wardening, Security Regulations, Energy and Ballistic Weapon Handling, Combat Exosuit Piloting, Biomechanical Engineering (interaction with cyborgs), Robotics (androids, robots, basic constructs), Exosuit Mechanic, Research and Development, Hacking, "Artificial Intelligence Theory and Applications" for lack of a better term, and a couple shifts as a maintenance technician.

What? Most of this isn't even complimentary to each other.

His records are pretty niche and nifty too. Consists of "aryan superiority", vague datings of experience and no real information on how he got his records and degrees or so much as where. Employment almost just as obscure.

I don't really have anything against him, but what a crazy ride this character is. As a person, Adolph Hammerstein is fine, but then again I don't necessarily bother myself with trying to compensate his abrasive personality in-game unless I need to for the sake of the crew.

Honestly, Adolph has been a name that I absolutely hate when I see them in crew manifest and I hate working with him in science. He is extremely power gammy when it comes down to antags. For example when I was attempting some confused vampire shit. He is the first person to go out of his way in science and chase me down through the outpost. Hacking every door after me. During a malf round, he had some stupid reason and decided to disable a cyborg, Take out the MMI, Take out the brain from the MMI and throw it down disposals and almost removing that malf borg from the round because the brain was right on the mass driver at the end, making one of my engineering borgs having to break in and take the brain. Everyone is constantly sick of him inside science, and what I hear, inside a lot of different departments also. I honestly think he needs to tone the hell down and get a slap on the wrist.

He is a name that also a name that CONSTANTLY comes up on the discord voice, it got to the point where we all started plotting on how to prevent him starting his power gaming, eventually agreeing on making this complaint after it got to that point.

His OOC attitude is kinda iffy, he one time stated randomly in LOOC at me that the reason he says, "Ja" is for me. He also has zero constructive criticism when it comes down to it, telling Hunter that his AI is shit and to never play AI. Normally this could be a joke but the next round with the same AI, he complained to someone in LOOC about "That AI"

He honestly is a pain to work with, breaking into the RnD lab, getting force gloves also.

Hammerstein is particularly annoying....the only real upside to him is that he supplies security with a mech...usually. other than that, he usually steals most of the engineering supplies, harasses the captain for teleporter access. Also, he sings in german, has a thick german accent, is a nazi. his entire character is pure cringe.

Let's tackle a few things. More to come as I get to them.

 

Powergames multiple times every round

I'm not sure how stealing materials is exactly powergaming. It's an IC issue, regardless.

he is a warden a warden an a robotics,

These are literally the only two roles I play as this character.

he asks for Interim RD when he doesn't even have the amount of experience

This an IC issue regarding the person allowing the promotion. Most of the time I don't ask, and instead get offered it or someone tells me my records check out and they offer me the position. Likewise, there's more to being a head of staff than having as many degrees and PhDs as logically possible. A head of staff is expected to be able to handle conflicts and times of crisis with a steady hand and cleared head. Adolph tends to cut the shit and ceases to dick around if he's ever made interim, as you've seen.

He also is a complete nazi, stated here by his records. http://prntscr.com/dl4r1m

I'm not sure what you were taught in history class in school, but there's more to being a Nazi than an antiquated ideology regarding "race" (the term not even really being applicable in-universe because of other xeno races). Even then, I don't even play into that part of the record as much as it's there for the sake of something be there. I keep telling myself to remove it, but I don't get around to it.

He also abused the table lock during a rev round, by tabling multiple people over and over again for no reason

He somehow knows everything IC about RnD

He actually doesn't. Someone he knew gave him a list of what to deconstruct and he (read: I) mentally recall it every time he's forced to do RnD due to a lack of people willing or able. He legitimately can't for the life of him experiment with random objects. He just follows a pre-determined grocery list.

Robotics and Warden

Again, the only two jobs I play,

when he has 2 years robotics experience.

Two years on record. Multiple people have asked, and he's always stated he has been working for longer, but anything past two years he wasn't paid for due to muh backstory reasons.

He also knows how to use a teleporter

I don't think that's quite a hard thing to do, is it? Captains use it all the time.

He also knows how to use security equipment as a robotisist.

Well yeah. Everything barring antag actions are canon. Just because he's working Robotics one round doesn't mean he magically forgets everything involving Security.

containing him to one department

That's not within your grounds as a player, and this is a topic that has been touched upon many times by members of staff. Nearly every time they've taken a look at the records and told me everything checks out.

AND know how to do RnD.

As before. The list.

Adolph's repeated beginning-shift looting has lead to Engineering sending the apprentices and technicians off to secure the metal and glass in EVA and the construction site before Adolph can grab it.

This is great. Conflict. This is what I love to create. I'm sorry it's an OOC frustration to you, however. I'm always impressed the creative things engineering comes up with to secure that fukken metal

I also consider warden/roboticist to be a serious stretch of the imagination.

How, exactly?

Adolph dashes to Tech Storage at round start for insulated gloves. Every time.

You work with synthetics and exosuits, you tend to bugger around with a lot of wiring. Even if mechanics-wise you can't get shocked, there's always a potential risk as well as cutting your hands on something. Insulated gloves are work gloves with the benefit of insulating against shocks. Anyone would get them. The only reason I see a lot of roboticists don't is because they actually don't know there are insulated gloves there, let alone the fact that they have access.

Adolph frequently cyborgs brains without authorization, stuffing brains into MMI's before asking permission to put them in the cyborg shell.

Regarding this, cyborged brains without paperwork are practically always that of antagonists, and entirely depends on the Captain/heads of staff. Many I've seen don't care if it happens, even to the point of being informed by Adolph himself before undergoing the procedure and them shrugging it off. If they do care, they usually drop it after paperwork gets filed after the fact.

Attempting to deal with this IC, I am hearing other characters tell Manfred they are too afraid of what he'll do to refuse him.

I don't know what Adolph has exactly done to make other people fear him to that point, but hey.

Being named Adolph and playing as a blonde racial supremacist strikes me as a stretch of the name rules.

Adolph is a common name. If he was named Adolf instead, it may be a little brow-raising. Blonde? Again, plenty of people are blonde. Racial supremacy? He honestly isn't aside from that tidbit regarding his records. While he might have a few ideals concerning it, but he's always of the opinion that as he is "superior", for lack of a better term, he has a duty to protect the weak when in dire need, and that always transcends race.

Adolph pepper-sprayed, dislocated my legs and threw me into the brig. At Central Command. There were several others in there handcuffed, bed-buckled, and knee-dislocated.

He was a traitor that round, and had been going through a long-standing spree of police brutality and manipulating the security team that he barely covered up including beating prisoners in the Brig, setting them on fire and other such things. That was my attempt at a gimmick, anyways. As for the reasoning, he asked for someone to bring cuffs to the holding cells but no one did.

restrain himself to one department

I feel you have no right to really request this, even considering staff have talked to me about this and pretty much every time told me this was okay.

and avoid round-start routines that amount to how much he can get away with, every round.

I've been gradually doing this less and less, and have instead been attempting to go through it bureaucratically with varying degrees of success.

I've heard some good things about him though, regarding roleplaying ability and the like. But the little meta/powergame/antagonism details push him into an 11.

He needs a dial back so I can like the guy, because I do want to.

I feel changing my character so you can like him is an unreasonable, and pretty impossible request. I can't please everyone, and I definitely don't aim to. Adolph is not a character people are supposed to take to instantly, and his actions do cause conflict. Simply put, I adore IC conflict. It's what makes rounds and interactions interesting, especially when you add into typical antagonist shenanigans that might be happening. Some rounds he truly gets to shine, and others he's more of a grey element. I don't ask that people like my character. Hell, sometimes I ask the opposite as I know there are people who can't differentiate IC and OOC. I propagate that willingly because I'm thick-skinned and can handle criticism, as I am attempting to do so now. I am, admittedly, disheartened that it got to the point of Hunter and his confidants making this complaint.

Again, the only two jobs I play.

That is honestly a lie, I see you working RnD also.

You are a warden, you have combat training, NT law, gun training, heavy military mech operations. This is around somewhere I would expect a brig warden at age 38. But you also show you have, robotics, science because you multiple times do RnD, a good IT skill because you know how to spam the ever living shit out of my chat when I was malf AI

[Game ID: b3Lr1f] there is a lot more spam.

Honestly, all the shit you do can be a IC issue, but this is way to far out of the IC line. You do not "only know two jobs."

I only have 3 main problems with this character.

1. The skillset:

Some parts make sense, others not so much. I could analyse some of the potentially worst stuff just now.

- Energy and Ballistic Weapon Handling: I would expect any roboticist to have a basic understanding in this area, mainly for robotic and exosuit applications. They would realistically know how to install, maintain and use some of said weaponry for the applications that I mentioned, but I doubt that they would be very skilled in using these by themselves. It's not really a hard skill to learn (IC or OOC), but it's just that they would have spend time outside of work to really get good at that. With a security background it does make sense but I'll have to get to that later.

- Combat Exosuit Piloting: I wouldn't expect your average roboticist to have much skill and experience in actually operating exosuits of any type, less so if they were designed for combat situations. Unless they also had a very specific, intensive past in mechatronics or the military I would keep this at a basic level for most mechs, mainly because they wouldn't really have much time or opportunities to flesh out this skill proper. Roboticist + soldier would make sense. Roboticist + security officer? Not so much. Roboticist + Warden? Even less so.

- Biomechanical Engineering: This is probably the worst. I don't know Adolph's full skillset in this area but I don't really expect roboticists (only these with the main title) to have experience AT ALL in this field. Not only is this heavily related to medicine that deals with sensible parts of the body, but it's also unlikely to be taught as part of a robotics course in engineering schools due to that. Even if you had a PhD in Robotics I would keep this knowledge at a minimum, unless you also had a past in surgery or biomechanical engineering? This is why we have the biomechanical engineer alt title, really. So what do I expect of roboticists for this? To be to install MMIs in cyborgs (not actually put the brain inside one, that stuff is probably more sensible that you could assume) and to repair prosthetics, maybe with the assistance of a surgeon if it's sensible stuff like a mechanical heart or eyes. That's all. It's just a too specialized field that doesn't have a full synergy with robotics anyway. Even if he had obtained biomechanical skills from somewhere I doubt that he would be allowed to do anything related to it without qualifications as a biomechanical engineer and/or a medical license, as he only has Roboticist qualifications.

- Exosuit Mechanic: I expect roboticists to have at least basic skills in exosuit construction and maintenance, their degree of skill would vary in their degrees and experience. Someone with a PhD in robotics that can build most mechs flawlessly well? They have a PhD and they're related fields, believable enough. A roboticist that also has a degree in mechatronics? That's fine too. A lab assistant that only has a single bachelor's in robotics yet can build most mechs flawlessly well and fast? Probably not. Just go with something that makes sense and remember that specializations exist. Roboticists and Mechatronic Engineers require different degrees for the job position itself yet are widely similar. This isn't really an offender at all but worth of a mention regardless.

- Research and Development: This is really worth of a discussion. ICly, R&D is represented by destructive analyzers automatically breaking stuff apart and analyising their components to find out how they work and give you better research levels. Then, protolathes and circuit imprinters that print off items that can be used for analyzing or direct usage. How simplified is this process supposed to be? How hard would it really be? The R&D machines do get blueprints of sorts, so it can be assumed that everything is, indeed, done automatically. Yet the process could OOCly be vastly different, for instance, maybe you don't really get blueprints and have to design every item manually? Regardless, someone with specific experience in robotics would likely be able to work R&D at a basic level, mainly because they have the same machines (or related ones) in their own lab, and probably have the skillset to work much of it. Not really much of a problem unless R&D is rushed to very high levels with little RP. Like I said, a basic level.

- Hacking: Electrical engineering as a whole, basically. Roboticists are specifically trained for that, they work on wiring for robots and exosuits all the time. This really isn't an issue, they're practically electricians. It would make sense for them to be able to operate the wiring of many electrical devices other than robots and exosuits, what really wouldn't make that much sense is to have roboticists working on larger powernets (solars and repairing station wiring, for instance). Again it's not that much of a problem, it's just that other people don't realise the amount of skill that a roboticist in this area would have.

- IT: Why was this even mentioned in the thread? Good IT skills are part of the roboticist job and it's expected for them to know this at a high level for any sort of AI programming that their creations might require. Knowing advanced tcomms might be too much of a stretch but anything else isn't, period.

2. Working multiple jobs, the Roboticist + Warden combination:

Okay, this is quite sensible too. First off, it should be mentioned again that BSA has gotten permission from the administration team to be allowed to work these 2 jobs with the same character, he was probably allowed to do this as Adolph is relatively old (age 38) and presumably had the qualifications for both jobs (?) (will be looked at later). While rules-wise it's apparently allowed, it still doesn't seem that good for me.

First of all, I should mention that we're talking about roboticist AND warden positions being worked by the same character. Both of these positions require ample education or experience. Robotics requires to be at least 25 years of age and have an applicable degree, same for Wardens except that these can ignore these requirements if they have 7 years experience in the field.

If I recall correctly, Adolph got a PhD in Robotics and then worked as a prison officer for... 4 years? Does he have any applicable security degrees by the time he started working at NT? Because if the current year is 2458 yet only worked as a prison officer since 2452, it's literally impossible that he has the required 7 years of required experience. Even less so if the prison station was destroyed in 2456 and started working at NT in 2457.

But let's try to be generous, let's assume that Adolph does have said degree or 7 years of experience. A new question arises: why? Why would you waste time and money for a PhD in a field, only to seek employment in an unrelated field after graduation? Was he unable to get a job in robotics despite of his ample education? Did he get sick of robotics by graduation and swore to himself to never do anything related to it again, only to change his mind later? I do know that Adolph has some under the table experience in working robotics (more than these 2 years), but the prison officer issue still remains. It's not that believable that he would continue to work as a Warden now that he has secured employment as a Roboticist for NT, mainly because the former pays less.

It just doesn't have any synergy at all, like I said. Robotics and prison officer positions really have no synergy, if he was a combat mech operator for the SA Army maybe, that would make more sense to have him working in security. But a prison officer? Not saying that it's impossible, it just seems to me that he would need a really good reason to degrade himself to such a relatively lowly position in the past and present.

I typically don't mind cross-department characters that much if this whole thing makes sense. Science + security in general is just too much, unless they're working in forensics which is a multi-disciplinary field. Forensics could go with just about anything if you think about it: atmospherics (fire investigators), other engineers in general, chemists, doctors, scientists. Any studious field + forensics could make sense, even more if working in that multi-disciplinary field was their plan since the start. But a scientist + officer, for instance? That's just too much and doesn't make any real sense, just take a look at the paygrade difference. They would likely just try to get into forensics at some point anyway, with their science knowledge.

So, robotics + warden doesn't seem that plausible. Robotics + forensics probably COULD make some sense but I guess it's probably too late for that now since they have played that character here for about a year now.

3. Some of his IC actions:

I only really dislike the fact that he keeps breaking into EVA for materials instead of asking engineering or cargo. Some would probably ask: "how is this an issue? That's just IC!"

There's one major issue with this, and it's the fact that Adolph has very likely been confronted about this in the past, yet risks arrest every round to get the materials he desires. Other characters (mainly in engineering, likely in security too) obviously know that this character tends to break into EVA every round so it's hard to believe that Adolph doesn't know this. Yet he keeps doing it.

Breaking into EVA and stealing stuff from there is a relatively serious charge, sabotage and petty theft at least. It's just not believable if a security character does this every round, this would start to fall under the realm of bad RP.

Edited December 19, 2016 by Guest

The Reason I am making this, is me and a few people talked about it, got an idea from staff, and they said to make an OOC report on Adolph, not an IC one. And It's not along the lines of you know all this stuff, RnD OOC is much harder, I just make it seem easy. But I also check the record, they do NOT match.

2016-10-16 18:43:01 || themuncorn || Character Adolph Hammerstein is qualified for job, complaint on qualification was brought up and addressed, is working on clearing up records.

 

Its possible to be both Warden and Roboticist.

If its useful is another question.

He admitted that he doesn't have the knowledge to be an RD, however, that doesn't stop people from promoting him.

So the Warden Hammerstein was in a Durand stomping around Departures mid-round to shoot carp through the windows. Why... why a warden needs to be out of the brig in a DURAND of all things is beyond me, much less shooting one head of staff and threatening to shoot another. And wearing a softsuit under it all, with half the armory in his backpack.

... Its too much.

Its possible to be both Warden and Roboticist.

If its useful is another question.

He admitted that he doesn't have the knowledge to be an RD, however, that doesn't stop people from promoting him.

He shows he knows more then simple building dah robots. He also does science shit like RnD and AI programming. He also used to construct robotic lockdown/destroy computers in the robotics lab.

 

He honestly does all the security shit and I feel the only reason he cross jobs like this is because he wants to power game with a mech, he showed that running around inside a Durand for no reason with lethal weapons as a warden the entire round, he shows that when he is the first one to go chase down a antag, she shows it when he rushes a antag who has a bomb and abuses the table lock stun. He also one time stole the captains spare ID while there where heads of staff and went on a quest to kill the AI by himself with it.

Don't forget that he spammed the living shit out of me and my cyborgs chat for no reason with the AI reset while I was in the middle of talking to admins.

I see such behavior from a lot of characters, but Hammerstein's is particularly problematic since he plays so often and does it every round. What really gets me is that he's so damn rude on top of it all.

... Has anybody considered possibly filing an incident report about some of this?

... Has anybody considered possibly filing an incident report about some of this?

 

At least one active IR exists for him already.

... Has anybody considered possibly filing an incident report about some of this?

I think it is wayyy passed the incident reports.

... Has anybody considered possibly filing an incident report about some of this?

I think it is wayyy passed the incident reports.

Issue is, once a character starts powergaming it's no longer an IC issue, it becomes an OCC issue.

I noticed something about his character for a little of simply watching him. He seems to have a habit when mining is active to just make a Durand for really no reason fully loaded without any of commands knowledge. He throws in the excuse of science, "Directive Four" saying that it will be kept inside the robotics lab but one round he just ran around inside a Durand that he made before knowledge of the mercs hunting the mercs with it fully loaded.

I got some positives though. I stopped seeing him break into EVA, Break into the teleporter room and steal the metal, and he followes orders when it comes to it. I still think that full warden and robotics at the age of 39 is still a little much.

I noticed something about his character for a little of simply watching him. He seems to have a habit when mining is active to just make a Durand for really no reason fully loaded without any of commands knowledge. He throws in the excuse of science, "Directive Four" saying that it will be kept inside the robotics lab but one round he just ran around inside a Durand that he made before knowledge of the mercs hunting the mercs with it fully loaded.

I got some positives though. I stopped seeing him break into EVA, Break into the teleporter room and steal the metal, and he followes orders when it comes to it. I still think that full warden and robotics at the age of 39 is still a little much.

 

I see this alot actually from Hammerstein. The durand usually comes out, breaking directive 4 when antags show up.

I see this alot actually from Hammerstein. The durand usually comes out, breaking directive 4 when antags show up.

To add on to this, he most the time has zero reason to make it. This is power gaming because he 8/10 times has zero reason to build the Durand. Reference to earlier posts I made, I think the only reason why he cross jobs robotics and warden is because he wants to power game and valid hunt with a mech and shoot up any antags that show a little threat.

It is really frustrating to see people do shit like that, "Just in case shit goes down." I would love BSA to explain his reasoning to why he is making a Durand once mining materials shows up for zero reason.

 

I personally don't care if people cross job with snowflake level cross jobs, but when it is used to justify power gaming it will become a problem that warrants a complaint.

i gotta say i noticed this, he will make a durand in robotics for no reason, DNA imprint it and refuse to give it unless forced by a head of security/captain with a stamped form, even though you need to have the form before building the mech.

just seems like they're building it there just in case shit hits the fan and they could hop in to shoot up people.

I'll contact an admin up the chain to give some notice to this thread.

This is a notice that I'll be taking over this complaint, it should be resolved by this weekend.

Alright, so after looking into the matter with a panel of judges and executioners, I have the following verdict on the matter.

1) BSA was spoken to about when/why/how building a Durand would be acceptable, so that they would not be violating the rules regarding power-gaming.

2) That their character presently is not capable of doing Research and Development, as while they are simple mechanically but from a role-play wise is complex that requires serious education in the relevant degrees.

Any violation to these two points should be ahelped or brought up to myself with relevant evidence.

There have been certain reports that can be considered borderline ganking, but since this happened a while ago and no relevant information was posted for me to verify, I can't investigate those incidents. I advise next time such things happen to ahelp it so staff can deal with it. The remaining issues have been declared to be IC issues or justified. Locking and archiving.