Quartermaster
REASON: This page is a mess. All of parts about learning the basics should just go away. QM is a head now.
Quartermaster
Superiors: Captain
Difficulty: Medium
Guides: Guide to Paperwork, Guide to Mining, Supply Crates, Standard Operating Procedure (Command), Standard Operating Procedure (Supply)
Access: Cargo Bay, Cargo Office, Quartermaster's Office, Mail Room, Mining Station, Mining Station EVA, Maintenance, Mining Dock, Bridge, Vault
Duties: Order supplies and keep track of where they go, coordinate mining.
Departmental Head
Quartermaster
| Quartermaster • | Miner • | Explorer • | Cargo Tech |
Departmental Head
Captain
| Captain • | Head of Personnel • | Head of Security • | Chief Engineer • | Research Director • | Chief Medical Officer • | Quartermaster |
| Guide to Command • | Paperwork • | Faxes • | AI Modules • | Station Goals • | Purchasable Shuttles • | High-Risk Items • | Space Law • | Chain of Command • | Standard SOP • | Command SOP |
As a Quartermaster, your primary job is to oversee Cargo Technicians in redistributing things throughout the station. You also have authority over mining, and should try and coordinate the miners to meet the needs of the station. You are on the same level as all of the other heads of staff and do not outrank any of them. Your radio key is 'u', so prepending a message with '.u' will broadcast your voice on the Supply channel.
Management
As a Quartermaster, you have a couple of ways to work with your subordinates.
Cargo
There are three basic ways you can play it:
- Being a proactive Quartermaster by encouraging cargo techs to order crates based on current situations (Weapons crates if Aliens show up, an Emergency crate if a bomb goes off, etc.); To do this, you will need to keep an ear to the radio and an ear to the ground. You will need to be attuned to the needs of the station in the near-future, and be prepared to meet them when they arise. This is how to be a "Credit to the Team". Consult them on decisions and compensate for tasks where they're lacking.
- Being bureaucratic by forcing cargo technicians to make the crew fill out the proper forms, and thus ensuring that you have record of everyone who orders anything on file. To do this, you will need multiple copies of pre-made fillable forms and some sort of filing system. You should be aware that people rarely check paperwork, and most people have a low tolerance for paperwork. This is an excellent way to give people "the run-around", less so if you actually want people to have nice things.
- Letting your cargo techs order whatever people ask for with minimal paperwork. No fuss, no responsibility, no accountability. Efficient, but you might catch flak from Certain People, because you are, technically, supposed to do the full paperwork routine.
Any of them work, but keeping track of items ordered and delivered is usually a good idea.
Mining
You are also responsible for the success of Mining in procuring materials. Plasma could be especially beneficial for your department. Check on mining with the supply channel and Outpot Camera Monitor. Some ways you can help Mining include ordering medical supplies and organizing rescue missions for lost personnel. You can provide medical personnel, like paramedics, with guest passes for the retrieval.
Keeping Records
If you want to practice bureaucracy, remember to do it within reason. The intention is to leave a paper trail; both for RP reasons and that traitors (anybody) will be much less likely to order potentially dangerous things from you if they have to give you proof that they ordered it. You have a nifty little clipboard on your desk that can store every requisition form you get, so it's a good idea to use it. An assistant trying to order a Robotics crate or Plasma Assembly crate without good reason is likely to raise suspicions. Bureaucracy shouldn't significantly hinder the overall experience of players.
If someone wants a specific item you have, you could:
- Grab a piece of paper and make a form with name, department, requested item, and why they need it.
- Hand them the paper and pen and let them fill it out.
- Ask for a stamp from one of the appropriate heads to certify the order.
- Grab a crate or clipboard and toss the paper in there.
If someone wants something you don't have, you could:
- Tell them you don't have it.
- See if you can make it using the Autolathe.
- If you can, make it and follow the steps for a specific item.
- If not, have them order the crate AND fill out the paper.
People usually skip asking a Head of Staff, but it's still a good idea to do so unless it's a trivial item. You don't want to be passing circular saws off to mimes without somebody to cover for you, but feel free to give an assistant a wrench. Never forget, your job is to get Things for People. Again, whether you prioritize efficiency or accountability, is up to you.
The Budget
You should be knowledgeable about putting credits into the Supply Budget at this point. However, can use the Supply Budget for advantages outside of crates as well. As a member of Command, you are provided the Supply Department's account number and pin in IC > notes.
Use money from the Supply Budget for:
- Reasonable employee bonuses
- Compensation for non-department crew services
- Interdepartmental exchanges
The Loader MODSuit
Feeling a little more proactive in delivering those crates? Or is there a cargo tech you really trust to do all the hauling? Either way, there's a MODSuit in your office well-suited to hand-delivering those crates. Either put it on yourself or hand it over to a cargo tech that you think will get the most use out of it, and the hydraulic clamp module that's installed on it can, with an alt-click, load up to five crates without slowing the wearer down. Moving crates to and fro the shuttle and hand-delivering big orders has never been easier.
Black Market
Your Autolathe can be hacked to make nifty toys like RCDs and Flamethrowers. It's usually not advisable, or even needed, but it's an option if need be. You don't even need a multitool for this one. Just snip and fix till you find the one that turns off the blue light. Remember your Insulated Gloves - the green light will shock the autolathe, and the red one will render it non-functional until mended.
Hacking the MULE is pretty simple, too:
| Response from multitool | Effect if cut |
|---|---|
| The drive motor whines briefly. | Increases speed, disables motor if both wires are cut |
| You hear a radio crackle. | Disables PDA control |
| The charge light flickers. | Disables power |
| The external warning lights flash briefly. | Disables safety, awakens thirst for blood (DON'T DO THIS UNLESS YOU'RE A TRAITOR. EVEN THEN IT'S REALLY NOT A GOOD IDEA.) |
| The load platform clunks | Allows nonstandard cargo such as humans, cyborgs, and other bots |
Illegal goods 
Being a Traitor QM is one of the best things in the game. As a Quartermaster, you have direct and easy access to weapons and tools many other jobs do not have access to, and can easily conceal most of your nefarious deeds. One of the first things you should do is order and hide your choice of weaponry. If you're not feeling very subtle, cutting the cameras will alert the AI, but will also prevent it from directly acting against you. If you're feeling daring, order an Electromagnetic Card and use it on the ordering computer to get the Special Ops crate, which has sleepypens and EMP Grenades, among other things. Problem is, it makes it a dead giveaway that you're a traitor, so pocket what you want to keep, space what you don't, and send the crate back.
As a Quartermaster, doubly-so as a Traitor Quartermaster, you have access to everything that exists on-station and quite a few things that don't - What you can't order or fabricate, you can steal. The sky's the limit, kiddo. Go nuts.