Chain of Command
The chain of command represents how orders are distributed throughout the station. It is part of a power structure: usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part of it. Starting from the most authorized, the Captain, through the Head of some Department, down to the lowliest subordinate to finally accomplish the task needed, to make the station function as efficiently as possible.
The Heads should not start doing the simplest tasks themselves unless the station is already beyond saving.
Demotion and Access
Heads can demote their staff by using the Identification Console and removing the subordinate's access to their department from their ID.
So if one of your guys isn't acting like an appropriate team player, don't hesitate to show them who's boss.
Heads of Staff
A.K.A. the command staff. These are the men and women charged with the administration of the station. Each of them has access to the Bridge and Brig, the keycard authentication devices, the command radio channel (accessed with :c), the ability to make station-wide announcements, access to identification consoles and may call/recall the Escape Shuttle using a communications console. They are also the targets during a Revolution.
Captain
The Commanding Officer with authority over the entire station. Eventually dies and has the Head of Personnel take over. Limited only by style - Just don't forget the disk. The only position that can issue death warrants without a trial.
Required knowledge: How the AI works. What other Heads should be doing.
Round-start to-do list: Check in with your Heads of Staff. Secure the nuclear authorization disk and give the pinpointer to someone trustworthy for maximum safety.
Main tasks: Make sure your heads are doing their jobs, figure out what needs to be done and delegate. Keep the disk close to you.
Main problems: Many high-risk items start in your office or directly in your possession. And your shiny gold id card is coveted by almost every troublemaker. Expect many attempts to be made in your life for these things.
Head of Personnel
Equal rank with all other non-captain Heads of Staff. Becomes acting Captain if the original Captain is dead or MIA. Responsible for staffing and HR-related duties. Authority over the service department, including the Janitor, Chef, Barman, Clown, Mime, Assistants, Lawyers, Chaplain, Curator, and Botanists.
The Head of Personnel can either be a Godsend or worse than a banana-flinging clown for the station. He can also savour the prestige or feel shackled to the ID computer. If you find yourself wearing teal, make the most of it by doing your job correctly.
1. Support the Captain.
Always be on the captain's side, at least publicly. Remember that since you'll take up his banner if, or more often when, he's slain, you're the de facto second in command. Be sure to work as a team to lead the crew. If he's demanding, be persuasive. If he's soft-spoken, be a taskmaster. This means anyone annoyed at his leadership style will likely follow yours, but it also means he has to trust you. Earn this trust by making frequent use of command chat (:c) and deferring to him on matters of great importance, like assigning new Heads or calling the shuttle. Recognize, however, that you do not outrank any other Heads of Staff. You are simply sitting at the Captain's right hand, entrusted to the keys to the station, while all other Heads must beg at your feet for access to so much as the bar. Don't let it go to your head, and the Head of Security won't brain you.
2. Uphold the Rights of Crewmen.
Only the Captain can authorize a death warrant, and you are sometimes tasked with judging trials under Space Law. You are normally considered the most impartial officer for this task, which prevents the appearance of a mere kangaroo court. Furthermore, Security often commits excesses and the Captain is either dead or personally involved in a case. For these reasons, you need to be sure to call for trials for high crimes before the accused gets left to rot in prison forever. While this may put you at odds with Security, you should find them fanatically loyal to the Captain, who hopefully makes clear his full confidence in you. This delicate balance of power prevents excesses against the crew. Almost always, a weak Captain and Head of Personnel will result in shitcurity.
3. Follow the Principle of Least Privilege.
When assigning new access levels or creating new jobs, ask yourself just how much access is needed to perform the task. If a hardworking engineer wants EVA access, consider if he really needs access or just for you to open the door for him while he gets a suit. If the chaplain is being proactive about finding bodies but often needs people to open doors, maybe the risk of giving him more access is less than the gain from increasing his effectiveness. Decisions like these keep the station more secure from thieves weaselling their way to their targets and cut down on the number of accidental arrests made by Security for assumed trespassing. Remember to write their increased access or privileged items on a sheet of paper and give it a good stamping so the janitor will be able to show why he's mopping Medbay's floors.
4. Talk to the Crew.
The Captain gets nervous when someone stands next to him for too long. The Head of Security is too busy beating the clown. The Research Director is on fire, the Chief Medical Officer is up to his elbows in gore, the Chief Engineer is trying to keep everyone warm and breathing in a vacuum, and the Quartermaster is busy selling crates and plasma. You're the only head able to take time and listen to the crew. Invite crewmen to talk to you when there are conflicts. Defuse the interpersonal and interdepartmental problems you discover during these conversations, and prevent grievances from becoming grief. Advocate on behalf of the shitcurity victims, and generally reduce the frequency and intensity of mutinies.
5. Manage your Department First.
While technically you can demote everyone whose ID you seize to the assistant, managing civilian workers not under another head is your immediate responsibility. Keeping janitors on task, directing the chef to throw a pizza party, and getting the records up to date is the first thing to do after assigning jobs and access changes. Demoting bad security officers or stepping in for an absent department head also falls on your desk, but going into other departments to micromanage in front of their heads is both bad form and likely to make you reviled. Always clear a demotion with their department head, or ideally, have all the Heads aware they can send troublesome employees your way to be sent to the mining base. This lets you focus on your immediate underlings and avoid stepping on toes.
Required knowledge: How to use the Identification Console. A rough idea of how access is distributed throughout the station. What Kitchen, Hydroponics and the Janitor should be doing?
Round-start to-do list: Stay at your desk for at least the first 10 minutes to manage the shift-start rush.
Main tasks: Manage IDs.
Main problems: Your department (the service department) doesn't ever acknowledge you as their boss. You must make that a thing of the past!
Head of Security
Although he technically has access, other Heads may deny him from entering their departments. In times of crisis, he may force himself into the position of acting Captain to better control the crisis. Oversees security matters with authority over Security Officers, the Warden and the Detective. Expected to detain and handle those who endanger the station, including other heads of staff, and in some cases, the Captain.
Required knowledge: How to use security equipment, a firm grasp of Space Law, and a rough idea of what kind of threats the station will have to face and how to deal with them.
Round-start to-do list: Get your officers to report in, if they don't, remind them that the security force doesn't work without teamwork and communication, and have them demoted if they're still acting like a lone mute wolf.
Main tasks: Try to keep the crew as safe as possible. Keep your officers from degenerating to shitcurity when things get rough.
Main problems: Assistants pushing each other is not a big problem, you shouldn't have to spend much time on those. Focus on the big fish instead.
Research Director
Oversees research efforts with authority over Scientists, Roboticists, and Geneticists. Maintains the integrity of the AI and its Cyborgs.
Required knowledge: Know how R&D works, how to upgrade machines, how xenobiology works, how genetics work and how robotics work.
Round-start to-do list: Make sure every sector is taken care of and fill in if needed. Ask if there are miners around and request the minerals the upgrades and Robotics both need.
Main tasks: Doing research. Watching over the cyborgs, the AI and the Science Team, and acting accordingly. Upgrading machines across the station.
Main problems: Bombs made in ordnance usually get sneaked out and exploded. Check on them from time to time. Malfs, emagged borgs and Mechs used irresponsibly.
Chief Engineer
Oversees the maintenance of the station, with authority over Station Engineers and Atmospheric Technicians. Authority over Telecoms maintenance.
Required knowledge: How telecommunications, atmospherics, solars and the supermatter work. How to deconstruct an APC.
Round-start to-do list: Have your team start the supermatter correctly and have power flowing to the station. Make sure the atmospheric system is set up correctly.
Main tasks: Listening to the radio for people yelling about station damage and delegating your engineers there with appropriate tools and materials.
Main problems: The station is bound to have explosions or at least minor holes in it during the shift. Learn how to tackle the exploded telecommunications -situation and you'll be irreplaceable in more than one shift, guaranteed.
Chief Medical Officer
If a Head of Staff is acting medically unstable, the CMO must disable and treat them till they are once again fit for duty (which could be never). Oversees station-wide medical issues with authority over the Virologist, Chemists and Medical Doctors.
Required knowledge: How to cure viruses and create vaccines. Formulas for the most common medicines. How to perform basic surgeries.
Round-start to-do list: Make an announcement to the crew about maxing out their suit sensors so you'll be able to help them when they get in trouble. Check that the cryogenic tubes get set up, possibly with a more efficient mixture of chemicals from the chemist.
Main tasks: Check the Crew Monitoring Console from time to time for dead/dying people.
Main problems: Medical jobs are a common choice for new players seeking a relevant role. So when not absent, dead, or traitorous, expect your staff to need constant babysitting and guidance on how to perform even basic treatments.
Quartermaster
In charge of the station's finances and supply sector which delivers materials, food, medicine, weapons, mail and other goods. Has authority over the Cargo Technicians and Shaft Miners.
Required knowledge: Managing Cargo Tech, how to operate the Cargo Bay.
Round-start to-do list: Check how many Cargo Techs are on shift, and get them doing something useful such as collecting crates.
Main tasks: Processing crew order requests.
Main problems: Hostile and impatient crew members, syndicate sympathizers, miners not appreciating you taking some plasma for points, inept cargo techs, miners dying in the first five minutes, lava land lizards, and Security. Depending on your loyalty to the station you will either face problems from Security or revolutionaries/cultists/the greytide.
Acting Captainship
Whenever the Captain doesn't show up at the start of the shift one of the heads will become the Acting Captain. This means they get a paper biscuit which contains a code for the Captain's spare ID safe, which they return after a real Captain shows up.
The list of the hierarchy of who gets the Acting Captainship, the highest gets it:
- Head of Personnel
- Research Director
- Chief Engineer
- Chief Medical Officer
- Head of Security
- Quartermaster
In a situation where every head is absent, the Acting Captainship won't be forced on anyone. As such any crew member can get the Captain's spare ID safe code by requesting it at the communications console.
Mutiny 101
Mutiny is a crime in Space Law, but sometimes crimes have to be committed. If (Acting) Captain is an asshole, incompetent, or just a Traitor you might want to replace him with someone else. As a Head of Staff think of this as just a "gentle" coup.
Official Action
First thing you should try is sending a fax or a message to the Central Command about the horrible actions of Captain and ask for them to give an order to demote them.
This plan has little chance of success as Central Command is usually busy with more important matters to answer your petty calls, but it never hurts to try.
Forced Shifting
For mutiny, you need to sway the other Heads on your side for them to agree that Captain actually needs replacement. The most important to sway is the HoS as they control the station Security Department. Meet with them somewhere privately and explain everything bad about Captain, but make sure they won't rat you out or else entire plan is blown!
After you get Heads and HoS on your side, arm everyone up and meet Captain at some private place like Bridge. After meeting him demand that he gives up his position. If he refuses - detain them as peacefully as possible, as mostly likely he will immediately try to slip away with a Hand Teleporter. You can always find him with a Nuclear Pinpointer.
Now announce the Station that you're in charge and that Captain is a criminal, if they was shit Crew wouldn't mind the shift.
Other Management Roles
While the following jobs have management roles, they are not Heads of Staff and get none of the perks associated with being a Head of Staff.
Warden
Subordinate to the Head of Security.
Authority over the brig, Security Officers, and all personnel of equal rank and below as long as they are within the brig.
Required knowledge: Processing prisoners, managing Security operations and personnel and keeping the brig secure.
Round-start to-do list: Ensure the brig is secure, and check if there is an HoS/Sec Officers present.
Main tasks: Keeping the brig as secure as possible, ensuring no one attempts to loot the brig, keeping prisoners in check and ensuring they are released on schedule.
Main problems: Non-compliant Security Officers. HoP handing out Armory access. People attempting to break into the brig.
Veteran Security Advisor
Subordinate of the Head of Security, but HoS is expected to listen closely to words of VSA.
Your role is to advise HoS and Captain on matters of Security, for this you get a High-Volume headset with Security and Command, alongside Bridge access. Alongside with this you must mentor new Officers on how to do their job properly. But note that you're not meant to fight! Even though you have a gun, you're not meant to go around shooting people but teaching people on how to shoot people.
Required knowledge: How to properly operate Security, Space Law, and Strategy with Tactics in general
Round-start to-do list: Check-in with HoS and Captain, find out if there is any New Officers.
Main tasks: Advise HoS and Captain, Mentor New Officers
Main problems: Shitcurity, mentally challenged HoS and Captain, your disability and PTSD.
Centcom Official
Subordinate with the Captain while he is at the station.
Depending on his rank, he may have the authority to dismiss the Captain from his position, or even outrank the Captain. Otherwise, he possesses no actual authority over anyone on the station and is reliant on ingratiating himself with the command staff.
Required knowledge: The Chain of Command, knowing what your assigned task is from Central Command. Having good social skills.
Round-start to-do list: Inform the command staff of your presence.
Main tasks: Whatever Central Command assigned you.
Main problems: Suspicious Security Officers, non-compliant heads of staff and enemies of the corporation.
Captain Ian
The Captain the station deserves.
Authority over snacks. Obey.
Required knowledge: Yip!
Round-start to-do list: Get dressed.
Main tasks: Dance.
Main problems: Head of Personnel is often incompetent and needs watching over.