Remove Sec Officer, Replace It With Specialized Roles

[8bot]

Time to actually format this post so it's more legible than my usual shit.

In a recent thread regarding metaprotections surrounding security, I mentioned that security as it functions currently is inherently flawed and superfluous - thus the unique requirement for metaprotections. As Vekter properly stated in that thread, metaprotections exist because of the idea that everybody should be able to play their jobs without getting instantly fucked over and obliterated; He also correctly stated that there's an imbalance when applied to Security due to their role being picking fights with people, though we disagree on whether that's good or bad.

This got me thinking, and I came to the conclusion that Security Officers (as in, the rank and file grunts) quite literally only exist to arrest and robust. On paper that's fine, but there's nothing unique mechanically about them save for the gear they start with. Any spaceman can robust a bad man, or detain them, or anything like that, all in addition to their job's already existing mechanics and niche, but that's all Security Officers have. Thus, the meta protections that allow them to do this with a unique degree of leeway.

This hardly works out in practice. It often leads to frustration or ambiguous situations like the aforementioned thread, and even in the best case scenario, all a security officer brings to the round is making somebody tab out and watch Youtube for 5 minutes or gas tank suiciding in their cell.

The solution I have to circumvent this is as follows: Follow the design philosophy of detective, and introduce unique roles within the department that have unique abilities and purposes.

Maybe a Security Technician that is responsible for maintaining security systems - sensors, barriers, stuff like portable flashers but expanded on and made this job's specialty. Like a station-wide Warden.

Maybe an Intelligence Officer that, in addition to maybe getting info pertaining to what may happen on the shift (think roundstart reports, but more detailed and accurate). They could be given a way to receive reports that state something like, "Currently, there are [number] of [antagonist types] active on the station."

This next one I don't even personally agree with, but maintains the spirit of my idea: A role specialized to fighting Fauna so that miners can be safe.

Basically, give the roles actual purposes on the station beyond just being arrest bots.

A much, much smaller version of this idea could be taking a page out of Half Life: Blue Shift's book and just having them possess jobs in addition to being security. After all, in Black Mesa, Security Officers also worked as mechanics and technicians.

Interested to hear thoughts on this.

And to clarify, all these roles would still be able to arrest - they'd just have additional mechanics to make them actual jobs and not just red assistants who decide to validhunt.

[Longestarmlonglaw]

I mean... don't department security count? From my experience (and how i play department sec in general), if they're not arresting folks or fighting threats, they could be seen
Engineering: Be taught by an atmos tech how to make metal h20, but they fuck it up and both die, set up the engine, open air canisters to restore air, fix hull damage.
Medical: Mix medicine and stimulants, assist doctors in treatment, kick greytiders out.
Science: Ordnance, xenobiology, upgrading machinery, doing experi-sci scanning, genetics, robotics.
Supply: Make money, for GUNZZZZZZZ...

[8bot]

I've never really seen them function that way, but that's an anecdote vs. an anecdote. And when I've played departmental security before, I don't really have access to the tools required for the job, nor do I spawn with them. It just presents unnecessary hoops.

[Longestarmlonglaw]

I've never really seen them function that way, but that's an anecdote vs. an anecdote. And when I've played departmental security before, I don't really have access to the tools required for the job, nor do I spawn with them. It just presents unnecessary hoops.

I just usually ask, or break in. Guess you don't go through enough hoops compared to me. And department members are okay with me breaking in as long it's not their job im interrupting.

[8bot]

I just usually ask, or break in. Guess you don't go through enough hoops compared to me. And department members are okay with me breaking in as long it's not their job im interrupting.

That just adds credence to the red assistants criticism. We don't have to live this way.

[ekaterina]

The suggestion is interesting. Perhaps we should start out small and gather some feedback, by replacing two out of the six security officer slots with some specialised roles.

[bingusdingus]

I think we should just operate under Star Trek rules and assume that most NT employees have undergone some kind of combat training to prepare them for potential threats. I feel like most people are robust enough, and aren't afraid to hide that fact, that it would actually make sense why someone like a Medical Doctor would be able to kick your ass if need be, or why a Mime would know how to use a gun effectively. Have a small Security force for peacekeeping and otherwise give the station residents the tools to handle themselves when the need arises that are thematic ala the bartender's shotgun or medical syringe guns. Remove security as a department and have it integrated into each department as a designated role, those officers report to that department head rather than their own, decentralizing security. Any real "security" matters would actually fall to the heads on that decision, rather than giving a small paramilitary force the ability to enforce their decision on the station that can rival Command. It would make security feel less like a Military Junta that command are too meek to step on their toes. An armory and a prison of some kind would still need to exist, but maybe put the Warden in the vacant position that HoS left and give them the responsibility of deciding when to arm up the populace, and maintain the prison and weapons, make them the ones that are responsible for ordering guns and other armaments and distributing guards throughout departments. Give them the title "Constable" for the soulful DS9 reference. maybe constables would be the only head that could roll changeling but that actually sounds like a terrible idea.

To bring it back to Trek, there are phaser lockers that unlock when the alert rises for Starfleet personnel to defend themselves with. Maybe have something similar? Warden and Cargo are already all too keen to hand out lethal weapons as soon as they are able to anyways. It would be like the wall safes in pods that only unlock when it's delta alert.

[ekaterina]

decentralizing security (...) rather than giving a small paramilitary force the ability to enforce their decision on the station that can rival Command. It would make security feel less like a Military Junta that command are too meek to step on their toes

Is that what we want, though? Don't we want a rival force to command, noting that command can roll for antagonist?
Also I'm not seeing how this would work in MRP with its "stay in your lane" rules.

[Deathrobotpunch1]

your first mistake is thinking it’s possible for sec to cooperate with eachother