Bears Interview

What is your ckey?

Bear — 01/19/2024 7:04 PM
abigbear or a_big_bear depending

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 7:04 PM
The interview process is pretty straight forward. I will be asking a few quesions, then providing a few scenarios.
[7:04 PM]
Firstly
[7:04 PM]
Do you know the basic commands a moderator has access to?

Bear — 01/19/2024 7:05 PM
the basics, yeah, though I have never been in a moderator role

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 7:05 PM
Okay.
[7:06 PM]
When responding to the scenarios, you will not be judged on “right or wrong”. There is no wrong answer, there is only answers that are better than the others based on the way you handle it.
[7:06 PM]
Let me find the document with the perms on it (I’m on my phone)

Bear — 01/19/2024 7:06 PM
take your time

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 7:08 PM
Ok so. Basic powers you have as a trial mod are:

Admin PM's ("BWOINK!")
Aghosting, which allows you to pop out of your body, check something out, then click it or Reenter corpse to get back into your body. It'll show up as your character asleep on their feet the entire time you're aghosted.
Check AI laws.
Check Antagonists.
Checking the date when players joined the server.
De-Admin, which turns you back into a normal player for a round/however long you need. Hit it again to remod.
Check player notes, warnings, bans, so on.
Show player skills.
Staffwho will now show a lot more
Wind
The ability to go into someones player panel and give notes, warnings, tempbans and permabans (once your trial is done)
Defuse welder tanks by clicking on them.
You will be able to see ALL LOOCs. A little R will be in brackets for remote ones. You will also have a permanent AOOC as well as being able to read ghostchat at any time.
Access to MSAY, the Mod/Admin channel.
Viewing Variables (VV), though you probably won't use this past checking attack logs and such.
The ability to perma ban will be given when you successfully complete your trial after one month. Do you have any questions at this time?

Bear — 01/19/2024 7:09 PM
understood
[7:09 PM]
No questions so far

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 7:10 PM
Alright
[7:10 PM]
You touched on this in your application, but I’d like a bit more detail/reiteration. Mainly bc I can’t see the app rn.
[7:10 PM]
Why do you want to be a moderator?
[7:12 PM]
It’ll help me curate scenarios.

Bear — 01/19/2024 7:12 PM
A mutlitude of reasons. It has always been something I've had a small interest in. It's an important role that helps maintain the server environment and image we want to project and protect for everyone who is a part of the community. It's a service role, and while it may come with many challenges and unfunt topics, it is a vital piece of helping keep the server up to snuff. Beyond the basics of "wanting to give back" and so on, I also am doing this to help clarify and refine guidelines for multi rolling  with IC and OOC moderation as I have recently peeled back the barrier between CCIA and Mod/Mins
[7:13 PM]
I can go in more depth on this if you like, but I am trying to keep it to the point so we don't side rail too much.
[7:13 PM]
Just let me know!

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 7:14 PM
What is something you’d hope to see changed or improved upon about Aurora? And what is something you want to applaud?

Bear — 01/19/2024 7:16 PM
As I'm working on my reply
[7:16 PM]
Do you mean change fo the moderation teams? Or in general?
Bear
Do you mean change fo the moderation teams? Or in general?

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 7:16 PM
In general

Bear — 01/19/2024 7:20 PM
Its easier to applaud then move for a change. I am always reserved on changes as, while it is necessary to grow and evolve, changes should be weighed when handling a player base that can contain often sensitive things with ooc. In order to suggest a change, I'm a believer that you should have a solution in hand as well or at least an idea on how to change it. One small change I'd like to see is perhaps for all teams really except the lore team for the most part and that is polling the community. The reality is we are a community, and we need eachother to continue this space/environment. There is no one key incident I'm referring too here, but sometimes changes happen that the community has a large opinion on and it goes against what a collective would desire or recommend. Now this will not always mesh well with changes that NEED or must happen regardless of the desire, but it's something that is worth considering and at least allows people to voice their opinions whether it's on policies, game changes, or what have you.

Applauding is much easier. Our teams are professional, quick to help, and while not always immediately transparent the teams will take time to sit down and explain what is going and why to the best of the ability while also weighing other parties involved and not revealing TOO much in the same breath. I have seen many "scandals" in this community over the years, and while not every response has been perfect from my very limited and not completely informed point of view, I can say that they have all been handled with care and never above reproach for the things that may have gone wrong. We have a good system, and really always have in that regard. Staff complaints exist and there are many avenues to get other heads and opinions onboard.

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 10:02 PM
What, in your own words, is powergaming?

Bear — 01/19/2024 10:06 PM
Taking an advantage to give yourself an unrealistic advantage. I.e. a warden slipping a loaded and lethal .45 into his holster at round start to be prepared. A surgeon doing chemistry/pharmacy medications for the round and so on. While there may be people out there in the world who are this uber smart such as the surgeon pharmacist, we operate on 'average' characters.

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 10:08 PM
Do you think OOC standards are more important than IC Standards? Why, if you do - and should they be equally important, if so?

Bear — 01/19/2024 10:12 PM
Yes, I do, to an extent. IC situations can encompass and cover a lot. Plus the standard for IC rp is a skill. If i compared my RP to where I started in 2019 to now, my IC standard is night and day different. But ooc expectations remain the same. The Rules should be adhered to, and the ooc intent should be the same for everyone. We are all growing and learning as RP'rs, but in order to have an environment to grow and learn in, ooc standards have to be enforced and that is why it is mort important. Also a prime example of why OOC intervention takes priority over the IC moderation of this. A situation IC can be retconned and forgotten. An ooc incident cannot.
sorry fixed a few typos in therer
pain lol

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 10:18 PM
What is valid hunting?

Bear — 01/19/2024 10:22 PM
Playing to Win, in essence and using ooc knowledge/attitude to find and beat antagonists. It's an evolution of powergaming as well in that aspect. We know in every secret or voted antag rounds an antag is going to spawn. That's a given. But there is an expectation our characters play the round as if it were but another day and nothing beyond the canon events has ever happened. Even canon events don't give the excuse to "valid hunt". The term originates from hunting down "valid" antag interceptions/kills.

Examples: Purposefully scanning cams at the few entry points a merc shuttle will dock over and over again. Using the most minor infraction or offhand statement to unrealistically body someone who fits the profile of a ling or vamp.
The spirit of the game isn't to 'win', or to find the 'valid' at any cost. But to play and generate a story that is worth RP'ing

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 10:28 PM
Alright, last question before scenarios

Bear — 01/19/2024 10:29 PM
I'm ready...

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 10:29 PM
What is your biggest weakness as a player/staff member? Do you have anything you can’t/do not want to moderate?
Bear — 01/19/2024 10:32 PM

My history probably. I've had my handful of gamer moments as I've learned to grow on aurora. I'd never been in a community like this and tbvh I was subpar and not ready when I joined here. I survived by the grace of the people, especially admins/moderators, who took the time to explain and teach which has allowed me to become a somewhat (i hope) respectable player today. After that? I like to meme, though I believe I have a healthy handle on when to meme and when to be serious My staff in CCIA enjoy it at least they tell me they do.

As for moderation? No I'm not really turned off or think I'm incapable of anything the moderator role should require of me.

Mini Moose — 01/19/2024 10:33 PM
Okay. Give me some time to think up some scenarios.

Its a highpop round. Its escalating accordingly, no one seems to be whining, except in AOOC you see someone go "This is bullshit," then a ticket comes in from a security player that the person in AOOC has disconnected. What do you do first?

Bear — Yesterday at 6:01 PM
Okay, first thing is excuse myself, aghost or ghost to the area. What do I see?

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 6:17 PM
You see some security officers in full kit handcuffing a mercenary. The area is full of blood, spent casings, and there's one other dead mercenary - no dead officers.

Bear — Yesterday at 6:35 PM
Okay, first thing then is I bwoink the officer asking what happened, and check the disconnected merc's notes and history
[6:37 PM]
Additionally, is this a known player we have on say discord or something

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 7:27 PM
This isn't a known player, persay, you've seen them a few times but they arent super familiar.

"The Mercs started to shoot at us, so we shot back" is what the officer replies with.

Bear — Yesterday at 7:36 PM
I see, I bwoink the cuffed mercenary and ask what happened

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 7:38 PM
"Security powergamed, they geared up right when we arrived and gunned us down bc of a misclick! I said in looc it was a misclick!"

Bear — Yesterday at 7:42 PM
Am I able to scroll up and see if that's accurate to when the attack logs followed or was I deadminned. While doing that as well, I bwoink another security member to ask what happened and how they became aware of the armed mercenaries. In the same breath, I ask the first officer if they saw the looc before the shoot out

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 7:44 PM
You can. You can see in the looc chat that the person did say "Misclick, sorry" about 10 seconds befoe the firefight began.

"They shot at us, so we shot at them." is what the officer said "I don't let ooc dictate ic,"

the other officer said "the HoS told us to arm up whenever the ship was picked up passing the perimeter or whatever."

Bear — Yesterday at 7:51 PM
Alright, obviously I see several issues already, I next ask the HoS what escalation lead to lethal armaments of his security team
[7:52 PM]
I also check the officer's records to see if he has any additional incidents or warnings on notes

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 8:01 PM
"There's an unidentified craft inbound. Why wouldn't we arm?"
The player is well known but they are on their command trial.

There is nothing from the officer that shows that this has been a past issue.

Bear — Yesterday at 8:03 PM
Okay, ill check the HoS' history as well
[8:05 PM]
I'll get back to the officer on why, if he knew that the shot was a missclick, to explain a bit more on his "I dont let ooc dictate my ic" comment" And why he thought escalating to a lethal response for a missed shot was the appropriate thing to do while I wait for the HOS to ensure I have a complete view of the story

As it stands though, in a pure technical response, the merc team boarded with weapons drawn and opened fire. The issue here is, there as enough time to identify it was an accident. From what I can tell no one was hurt, and I'd double check that, but the "I don't let my ooc dictate my ic" is not the right approach here. This is not enough escalation at the end of the line to result to a gimmick ending round. Accidents happen, we have all missclicked, drawn a weapon by typing too fast for the box and hitting H, and so on. So not giving some level of ooc grace isn't okay, it's valid hunting in it's own way ESPECIALLY as he saw the LOOC message vs just not having seen it.

I'd explain to this officer after their response, seeing as this player has been a past issue, I would escalate this to a punishment. So when he as been an issue in the past, the question is whether he's been warned previously, how long ago it was, and/or just noted.

Then obv more about the trial HoS' history (edited)

Mini Moose
Two more scenarios. Faster ones.
A man named "Joe Bidet" joins the server. His character looks uncannily similar to a mix of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. He walks around and says "My fellow spessers. We must, take the fight, to, the, RU Aurora." (His grammar sucks) - When someone asks what that is, he goes "It's where all of the f*g lovers and commies are. Let's go cleanse it, brother!"
What do you do?

Bear — Yesterday at 8:27 PM
Wind him
Bwoink him, inform him this is a repeat issue, explain this is not acceptable behaviour and he will need to read the rules and appeal this on the forums and request a non trial to ban him

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 8:31 PM
"You're just anti american. You're literally hitler."
"What rules did i even break?"

Bear — Yesterday at 8:32 PM
This is troll behaviour, and I wont be baited into engaging it. I link him the rules page, give him a moment to ensure he sees it, then apply the ban or if still a trial have the overseeing staff apply the ban

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 8:33 PM
Got it.
Last scenario
A player who has been around for a while opens up a ticket
"Hey, the antagonists have not been doing anything basically all round. It's an hour and fifteen in, and we're still on code green. The antags have been just lollygagging and talking in the bar. Can you do something about it please?"
The round is Auto-traitor, four of the five traitors are working together in the bar, they're just hanging out - and chatting with everyone.

Bear — Yesterday at 8:35 PM
Interesting I take the ticket and then hop over to the bar in an aghost, see whats up while simultaneously hopping into AOOC reminding them we're an hour 15 in, and ask what their gimmick is

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 8:50 PM
"I've been planting seeds of doubt all round. I'm going to try and cause a mutiny."

Bear — Yesterday at 8:51 PM
alright, I ask them what their plan for escalation is, who they've recruited to their cause, and when they plan to do so
[8:52 PM]
Also, I check the antaggos notes/warnings rq

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 9:06 PM
The warnings and notes aren't too conclusive, aside from a temp ban six months ago for being overly violent as an antag.

"I haven't recruited anyone since I'm a traitr, but, people are mad so far."
"I'm going to march to the bridge soon with some people and demand pay raises."

Bear — Yesterday at 9:08 PM
Ok cool, I thank them and then simply observe for now replying to the ahelp saying it's been looked into. The goal is to drive a story. I can understand someone being overly cautious after eating a ban for bad escalation. It's part of why I stopped antagging for a long time bc i kept getting bonked about it and figured it was time to wisen up and learn a bit more b4 antagging again.
[9:09 PM]
I'd give the situation time. If he's building a story, its 1:15. I'd let him cook, watch, wait, and see what happens
[9:09 PM]
Also let them know in aooc im there if they need any help or guidance

Mini Moose — Yesterday at 9:10 PM
Sounds good
[9:10 PM]
Alright, that's all there is for he interview. thanks for being so patient

Bear — Yesterday at 9:11 PM
No trouble at all lol