Mouse:Sandbox
 Quartermaster |
Alternate Titles: Deck Chief, Head of Supply, Logistics Coordinator, Supply Foreman, Union Requisitions Officer, Warehouse Supervisor
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As a Quartermaster, your primary job is to order equipment to help keep the station running. Make sure credits aren't wasted, kick the clown out, and make sure your Cargo Techs aren't getting into trouble - and pull their arses out of the fire when they do. You have three helpers to help you redistribute things throughout the station. You also have authority over mining, and should try and coordinate the Shaft Miners to meet the needs of the station -- primarily, this means passing on requests from Robotics, Research, and Engineering.
Supply Shuttle Console
"Who the hell blew all our credits on Wizard Costumes?"
As a member of command, you are held to a higher roleplay standard. As such, instances of LRP and violations of the character guidelines will be treated more severely. | |
General guidelines for all command positions are as follows:
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Who Can Demote?
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Acting Captain
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The Cargo Bay and your office is filled with paper, paper and more paper. Most importantly, there is a console to order items. Everything that people will expect you to order that cannot be procured from the autolathe will show up on the Supply Shuttle once it arrives at CentCom.
Each order will produce a requisition form, which is usually best just shoved in the adjacent filing cabinet and forgotten until Security kicks down your door demanding to know who flooded the station with shotguns and clown outfits. Try and make sure that you know who ordered what. Your console and the one in the Cargo Office are ID-locked, requiring Cargo Bay access to function, meaning that only your subordinates (Cargo Technicians) and Superiors (Captain) can order stuff unless they somehow got access.
Cargo Budget
You have a cargo budget card in your locker. You can insert cash directly into the card and the money will go to the cargo budget, but you cannot take cash out of it or use it to buy privately. Every order on your console requires you to spend credits. The pool of credits is also used for other station purchases, such as custom shuttles, and to fund large station projects. As the QM, it is your job to make sure the station has enough credits to do so. To withdraw physical cash you must use the a machine in the vault. Keep in mind that if the credits aren't spent, it all goes to NT.
Money Can Buy Many Peanuts
Money is useful, and can be exchanged for goods and services. There are a number of things you can do to ensure that the credits do not cease flowing.
- Stamp Requisition Forms. Approved for correct forms and denied for incorrect forms. Send them back on the shuttle, and direct your Cargo Techs to do the same.
- Ensure crates are being sent back on the shuttle, as you get a credit bonus when they arrive at Central Command.
- You can sell the various materials that mining bring back, typically for a decent profit. Make sure not to sell materials that are in high demand. Use your best judgement for this!
- Bounty cubes can be scanned for a small bonus. Direct your Cargo Techs to do this. This won't increase the amount of money you have on the budget card, but it's a nice thing to do.
Direct Deposit, Direct Theft
The Vault contains a machine that accepts physical space cash and coins and adds it to the cargo budget's total credits. This machine can also be robbed by unsavory individuals, causing you to lose credits, but there will be a loud warning ("Unauthorized credit withdrawal") if this happens. The Quartermaster can enter the vault by using the supply door remote, found in the QM's locker, and withdraw credits from the handy terminal located inside. Be warned that there is also a warning when you withdraw ("Authorized credit withdrawl"), it might be prudent to let people know you're headed to the vault to withdraw or you may end up meeting with Security when you leave.
Crates
Crates are the lifeblood of your department. Ideally, you'll be ordering quite a few of them. These can be delivered via MULEbot, via the mail office, via people picking them up, or your loyal workforce delivering them themselves. Not every station has a mail office, but every station has MULEs. Make sure that the most important crates are delivered first if you have to do it manually.
At the beginning of the round, expect a few orders from Medical and Engineering - typically advanced RCDs and Medipens, Mediguns, and Medical Technician Crates. Orders will come in throughout the shift, and when departmental orders are made a convenient alert is sent through the Supply channel.
Other Stuff
Running Mining
The mining subdepartment practically runs itself, but there is something that a judicious Quartermaster can do to keep it operational, which is to check in that the miners have not died. This is very easily done by asking over the Supply channel. If miners don't respond within a few minutes, or if their GPS is perfectly still, then they're probably dead and you should send someone to go and rescue them. Otherwise, ensure that the miner's delivery crates make it to them and consider setting up an RCF with a silo link so that they have access to some additional tools.
Running Bitrunning
They need mannitol. That is the main thing that Bitrunners need. Generally speaking, Bitrunning should rarely result in the deaths of the Bitrunners, but it's a good idea to check up on them if they've been suspiciously absent.
Missing Orders
Sometimes orders go missing, typically because someone left the shuttle open and they were jettisoned into space or because some dastardly individual squirreled them away. When orders go missing it is good form to reorder them on the department budget and get them to their intended recipient.
Tips
- Packaging paper allows you to wrap things up and put them in your backpack when they wouldn't otherwise fit, like space suits!
- Keep packaging paper and labellers outside the Bay in case people want to sell things to Central.
- The mail chutes can be used for crates, mail, or yourself if you walk into them (don't do that).
- Mail can be placed into filing cabinets, which can be painted the colours of departments, allowing for crew to easily find their mail when they visit the Bay.
Requisition Me a Beat(ing)
"Fun is Contraband. And we're all about contraband."
Many members of the station know that the QM can make things they aren't supposed to, and most security officers will overlook a little recreational hacking. Hack the Autolathe to make nifty toys like RCDs and Flamethrowers. You don't even need a multitool for this. Just snip and fix till you find the one that turns off the blue light - Remember your rubber gloves, because the green light makes it shock you.
It's common for the Quartermaster to, at the very least, enable the MULEbots' nonstandard cargo and speed the motor up, though you can also upgrade the power cell if you have spares. The MULE is one of your best tools as a Quartermaster, and can make your life (and subsequently the lives of the rest of the crew) so much better.
See here how to use a MULEbot.
There's also a certain way to open crates you shouldn't, if you can get your hands on it.
Being a good quest giver
As a Quartermaster, your meta-job is to provide others around you with something to do. You are a department head. You should delegate as many tasks as you can instead of doing everything yourself. If done properly, it actually makes your life easier, and others' lives more interesting. You should oversee the process and possibly rewards them for being good at it.
Here are some tasks worth delegating:
- Unloading the cargo shuttle when it arrives. Look at what has been delivered so that nothing gets stolen, and watch your Cargo Technicians unload everything. Rip shipping manifests and stamp them -- for the sake of security, it's better to do the paperwork yourself
- If a miner gets downed, send somebody to fetch a miners' body. A miner is considered down if they don't respond to radio for more than a few minutes after entering lavaland. It's a good idea to always tell your miners to take a GPS and rename it to their name with an asterisk in front (e.g. *Bob).
Stay active in the Supplies radio channel. Make sure you always know what your people are doing.