Station Director

COMMAND STAFF

Station Director

Access: Everywhere Additional Access: N/A Difficulty: Very hard Supervisors: Corporate Regulations, Vir Law, and NanoTrasen Officials Duties: Be responsible for the station, manage your Heads of Staff, keep the crew alive, and be the ultimate [citation needed] authority onboard. Guides: Chain of Command, Corporate Regulations Quote: I don't care what they call me back on the station, I'm not a traitor. I'm a man of principles and standards. And if lives get in the way of those principles, so be it! I'd say I'm the better man here. Once they called me captain. But, once it's all said and done, I'll be a hero.

The Station Director, also known as the Colony Director on colonies, sometimes known as the Site Manager, the Overseer and the Captain on vessels, is in charge of the station and everyone on it. They make sure the crew is working and productive and any potential threats are seen to. They are expected to be able to command their Heads of Staff effectively, and have ultimate authority on the station.

The Station Director is the top of the chain of command. They command the Heads of Staff and have the final say in station decisions. The hold an all access ID, a large amount of unique equipment, and a luxurious cabin. The only one with potentially more power is the AI. This is a very important role and should only be played by experienced players.

Required knowledge: What the other Heads should be doing. How to reset the AI.

Round-start to-do list: Check in with your Heads of Staff. Secure valuable high-risk items in your office, such as the Spare ID.

Main tasks: Making sure your heads are doing their jobs, figure out what needs to be done and delegate.

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.

Bare minimum requirements: Secure the Spare ID. Only use your authority when it is really required, the Heads of Staff are there for a reason.

Being a Comdom

Equipment

There are many items in your office, but not all of them should be used all the time. Station Directors are not supposed to involve themselves in station matters, such as security, and you should not expect things to go wrong, so wearing your special armor and carrying a lethal energy on green alert is not expected or encouraged. You are allowed to carry a weapon for self-defense, though it should not be lethal. The 'chain of command' item is a novelty, and should really not leave your office. The telescopic baton relies on brute damage to topple the target, and does not stun in any way, so use it sparingly.

Your armor and helmet function as a space suit, but this does not mean you should be wearing it all the time. The antique laser gun in the glass case is an antique and should be treated as such, it shouldn't leave its case, and is highly valuable.

In some other places, the Station Director is tasked with safeguarding a 'nuclear authentication disk', however this is not the case here, as the idea of scuttling the station with a nuclear blast and condemning a crew of civilians to atomic hell isn't very sound in most situations. So don't start panicking if the 'FUKKEN DISK' is missing, since it doesn't exist.

The spare Station Director's ID, handheld teleporter, and other valuables should be placed somewhere secure, for example on your person, the secure _{[citation needed]} safe on your wall, or a secure _{[citation needed]} briefcase.

Authority

The Station Director has the final say on almost every matter on the station. If the Station Director tells someone to do something they better do it, or have an exceptionally good reason to not do so. Station Directors should follow Corporate Regulations and Security has the power to arrest the Station Director if they do not. The only time Corporate Regulations may be overridden is if there is an imminent and overwhelming threat to the station.

Situations where the Station Director's orders are overridden are rare, but may include orders that would cause unnecessary and large amounts of damage to people or property, or are simply outrageously stupid. For example, ordering the Chief Engineer to vent the bar of atmosphere as people are getting slightly tipsy. This is not the norm however, and generally people should follow whatever the Station Director says.

However, your crew is probably full of troublemakers and anarchists who wouldn't listen to you if you told them not to put their hand on a burning stove. In that case, judicious application of the chain of command may be in order. Delegating through your Heads of Staff may prove useful, as they're slightly more inclined to listen to you.

Controlling Command

The Station Director's main job is to lead and direct the station. The Station Director therefore has direct authority over the Heads of Staff, changing the alert level, going to red alert, contacting Central Command, calling the evacuation shuttle, and coordinating station-wide emergency evacuation and defense.

In the absence or lack of a head for a specific department, effort should be made by you, or the Head of Personnel to appoint one to each department. You should always have a fully functioning command staff.

It is the Station Director's job to make sure that all the Heads of Staff are communicating and leading their departments properly, or making sure the Head of Personnel is doing it for him. They should not involve themselves directly in departmental matters unless asked by the Head of Staff responsible, however the Station Director may step in if they feel that the matter is being handled poorly.

For example, the Station Director should not have to tell the Chief Engineer to start the engine, a competent Chief should be able to do this themselves. If they can't, it falls to the Station Director to make the decision as to whether to demote the current head, promote someone to a head, or consult with that department as to the best course of action. The Station Director's job isn't to do others' work for them, but make sure that everything is being done correctly.

Controlling the Crew

As Station Director, you are in charge. There really is no way to tell you exactly how to run things, many people have different leadership styles. However, as Station Director, there are some things you should be aware of:

• Only involve yourself when there is nobody else available to do the job. If you get involved in every security matter when there's already a Head of Security, it is suggested you get a job change. If there isn't a head for a specific department, it may be ideal to get your Head of Personnel to assign a new one, if one exists. Otherwise you will need to do the promotion, if someone is willing.
• Delegate whenever you can. If someone says 'Station Director, there's a phoron leak!' then you order your Chief Engineer to go fix it. Do NOT attempt to fix it yourself. You will put yourself unnecessarily at risk, and your character may not even know how to fix it.
• Follow the Chain of Command. You command the Heads. The Heads command their departments. Try not to skip them in the decision making process. They are the ones who should know their own departments best.
• Keep calm and carry on. As Station Director, every shift should be a normal and productive working day. However, be prepared to deal with any or all of the following: Incompetent or absent Heads, subversive elements, angry crew members banging down the bridge door trying to get in, corrupted AI's on a war path, killer meteor strikes, faulty electrical gear, and the occasional aftermath of an Armageddon against the ship, thanks to a range of the above. And it's your job to manage it all. Good luck.

Controlling the AI

Uploading Laws to the AI isn’t something you should be doing lightly... unless you’re a traitor. Then go crazy.

Generally, maintaining the AI is something the Chief Engineer or Research Director should be doing, however sometimes an ion storm happens and you don't have one of those, so you should have a basic understanding on how to fix bad AI laws. Generally, all you need is a Reset board, and rarely an NT Default lawset board.

Uploading new laws is trickier, and requires a Freeform law module. Do not get angry with the AI if it does not want you uploading a new law, as law changes can easily go very, very wrong. Besides, uploading malicious or humiliating laws to the AI is also very against Corporate Regulations.

Keep in mind that if the AI announces you are in their upload, uploading laws, people will likely start getting very paranoid.

Those Assholes From Corporate

With your fancy title, medals, and luxurious excesses it's easy to forget that there is an outside, higher power scrutinizing your every move.

Contact with Central Command may be few and far between, but you're expected to follow any directives issued by them. Central Command might issue directives and updates on activities in your sector through the Communications Console located on the Bridge and your office.

Central Command, and your local government can be contacted with fax machines, located all around the station, generally in important administrative areas such as Head offices, the Warden's room in the brig, or the IA's office. Central Command can also be contacted directly with the Communications Console. NanoTrasen wishes to note that they expect their Command staff to take the initiative to resolve most manners on their own, and contacting Central Command should be reserved for serious manners. Even this, a response is not guaranteed.

Note that CentCom is portrayed by online admins and moderators, who are often busy administrating, moderating, and playing the game! If an Event Manager is on you're much more likely to get a response, as it is these masochist's joy to run events small and large to spice up the round.

If you're really unlucky, you might have to deal with a visit from an important person, from Central Command or otherwise. Official visits vary from standard performance reviews, internal investigations, safety and health inspections, VIPs, or some other kind of corporate or governmental meddling. Whatever the case may be, it is important that you try and keep them happy throughout their visit. If all else fails, just make sure you can't be blamed for anything that goes wrong.

Abandoning Ship

You are ultimately responsible for the station. In dire situations, it may be necessary to have your crew evacuate the premises, however this decision should not be taken lightly. Assuming you have a competent crew, you should try to handle whatever problem is threatening the station first, if possible. If this is not the case, it would still be best to try to handle the issue first, as its generally more fun for everyone compared to running away at the first sight of trouble.

If an evacuation is called, it may be prudent to take the AI with you, as the Emergency Escape Shuttle contains an empty AI core. It may also be wise to don your special spacesuit, and stay in a secure location such as the Bridge or the Brig, until the Shuttle arrives.

When the Shuttle arrives, make sure that as many people board it as possible, however do not forget to ensure the safety of the most important people (Yourself, and Ian) as well.

You can launch the shuttle early with two Heads' ID's authentication. If you think this will prove necessary, try to bring the spare ID or make another one at the ID console. It's not often that a 10 minute launch window is safer than a 13 minute launch window, but sometimes every second counts.

If the Escape Shuttle is for whatever reason compromised or unsafe to board, there are several Escape Pods, which will automatically launch with the Shuttle.

Game Tips

• Don't go nuts and run off by yourself. Your not a one man army and no one else on the station has your level of access, rushing head along into a Medbay Cult, only to discover the rest of security dosn't have access to follow through the front doors to help you, can quickly lead to disaster.
• Remember that you should have a team of Command personnel or Command Secretaries at your side to make things easier. Running a station alone is both very difficult and foolish. If you need more help, you can promote competent people to Acting Head status.
• If someone is defying your authority for no good reason, feel free to show them who's boss and demote them. Security is generally willing to help with this, just make sure you don't go over your Head of Staff's head.
• You can demote Heads of Staff if required, however they can also demote you with a vote of no confidence (or by having a bigger gun), so avoid being a tyrant.

Roleplaying Tips

• In terms of roleplaying, you have a lot of freedom. You should really have some basic knowledge of how each department runs, and who the heads of them are, but outside that you could really have as much (or as little) knowledge as you want. You can play with a background in a certain field, but you should NOT be able to do everything (i.e. Being able to set-up the Engine single-handedly AND also knowing how to clone people AND knowing how to make bombs is probably going too far). Just remember though, a very incompetent Station Director doesn't make too many friends.
• Leave Security matters to security, you don't (and shouldn't) need to step in on every criminal situation. You are above the Head of Security in terms of command, but you should defer security matters to him. Only step in if you think that a decision could endanger the station or crew.
• Don't think that just because you're the Station Director, that you can do anything you want. That's the absolute worst thing to do. You're there to make sure everyone else is doing their job, not to do it for them.
• Your armor is heavy protective armor that is space capable. It is not for walking around in all the time, and would be anywhere from extremely uncomfortable to debilitating exhausting depending on your Station Director's physical strength and stamina to do so. There is an armored vest in your locker if you absolutely feel the need to wear armor when the full set isn't appropriate, but keep in mind you're on a fairly tame station, and you shouldn't be expecting to really need the armor under the majority of situations.

I am the Senate

As a Antag Station Director, you have possibly the easiest job on the station. You have access to most of the station, and have authority over most of the station. You may not even need to buy anything from your Uplink, but a Station Director draws many eyes towards themselves by just existing, and even moreso if they start to act suspiciously, so beware.

Also, Security is (in theory) loyal to their Regulations and SCG Law, and not you, so you may wish to refrain from doing blatantly illegal things around them.

Jobs on Polaris
	Command	Station Director, Head of Personnel, Command Secretary
	Security	Head of Security, Security Officer, Warden, Detective
	Engineering	Chief Engineer, Station Engineer, Atmospheric Technician
	Medical	Chief Medical Officer, Medical Doctor, Paramedic, Chemist, Psychologist
	Science	Research Director, Scientist, Roboticist, Xenobiologist, Xenobotanist, Xenoarcheologist, Explorer, Pilot
	Supply	Quartermaster, Cargo Technician, Shaft Miner
	Civilian	Assistant, Janitor, Bartender, Chef, Botanist, Chaplain, Librarian, Internal Affairs
	Synthetic	AI, Robot, Maintenance Drone, Personal AI
	Antagonists	Traitor, Changeling, Mercenary, Raider, Infiltrator, Cultist, Technomancer, Ninja, Revolutionary, Loyalist
	Special	Survivalist, Trained Drake, Emergency Response Team, Trader, Renegade