Research Director
| RESEARCH & COMMAND STAFF | |
  Research Director |
Access: All Research Departments, Genetics, Robotics, Morgue, Bridge, Research Director's Office, Teleporter, AI Upload, Gateway, Brig, Mineral Storage, Tech Storage Additional Access: N/A Difficulty: Hard Supervisors: Captain, Executive Officer Duties: Supervise research efforts, ensure Robotics is in working order, make sure the AI and its Cyborgs aren't rogue, replacing them if they are Guides: Guide to Research and Development, Guide to toxins, Guide to xenobiology, Guide to genetics, Guide to robotics, Chain of Command, Guide to construction, Department Standard Operating Procedure Quote: Nobody has seen the scientist who was working with the E.X.P.E.R.I.-MENTOR lately, the Toxins lab is gone and took my office with it, R&D looks like a bizarro town of machines and Robotics has enough firepower to take over the ship. Oh, and something locked itself into Xenobiology but we haven't figured out yet what it is. |
So you're going to be the caretaker of a bunch of lobotomy patients with access to some of the most dangerous things on the ship! This is a brief overview of the Research Director's job, what he or she will inevitably face and how they can overcome adversity.
ROLE RULES:
- Never abandon the ship. You should never intentionally be on a different z-level from the ship without admin permission. This does not apply when docking with a station to retrieve an objective, though that should be delegated.
- Be active when playing a Head of Staff. If you’re playing a command role and need to go AFK, offline, or otherwise leave then adminhelp to notify admins. WHEN YOU LEAVE, DO NOT SUICIDE OR GO AFK on the spot unless it’s an emergency. Enter a cryopod to free up the job slot for someone else. Do not join a round as a Head of Staff if you know you cannot stay for the entire round.
- Do not play the department’s Head of Staff unless you have experience and a basic understanding of performing all of the department’s jobs.
- Know and follow Ship Law and Standard Operating Procedure.
- Heads of Staff are, unless otherwise stated, expected to follow the role-specific rules of their underlings in addition to their own.
Bare minimum requirements: Upgrade important Medbay equipment, know who has 6 maxcap bombs, and know how to deal with the silicons if they become less than friendly
Get It All Together
As the Research Director, your job is obviously to direct research. You have access to all things scientific.
Your Office
You arrive on the ship inside your office next to Xenobiology. You have the front seat if (read: when) it catches on fire. So sit back and enjoy the view. Remember that you have two of the most important boring consoles on the ship, but one of them happens to be the AI integrity restorer! Guard them with your life. In your office you have:
- An AI System Restorer (Revives dead AIs)
- A Robotics Control console (AI is rogue, blow the borgs!)
- An Exosuit Control console
- A camera monitor for supervising your laboratories
- Teleporter and AI Core circuit boards
- An Intellicard (Download the AI from its core, wipe it if it's rogue, steal it if you're rogue)
- A pAI
- A locker stocked with some alternate outfits and a flash
- A Reactive Teleporter Armor (Remember to turn it on before wearing)
- Your pet facehugger, Lamarr
You may wish to periodically check how many cyborgs there are on the robotics console and if any are no longer slaved to an AI, or has stopped functioning.
Directing Research 101
Scientists will be your primary subordinates. They will be working with the R&D, Toxins, and Xenobiology laboratories. You may want to ensure that all three labs are manned by assigning your scientists roles at the start of the shift. Toxins and xenobio labs usually don't need more than one scientist working there at a time, unless they're requesting help. Familiarize yourself with all sub-departments of Science and be prepared to fill in when something is needed.
Periodically sync the research computer in R&D so Robotics has access to the latest data. This also backs up your research data to the server, so if something happens to the research console the data can be easily restored. DO NOT FORGET THIS!
Don't forget to check on the Roboticists every now and again to ensure they are doing their jobs which is building and maintaining cyborgs, bots, and exosuits. Sync their research console if they haven't already, as well as their fabricators. Make sure they aren't building combat mechs without authorization, and try to convince them to put tracking beacons on their creations.
Geneticists have the habit of monkeying themselves or abusing superpowers. If they manage to bypass your supervision and start abusing their powers, notify security immediately and have them stripped of rank.
Your Defense
At the start of each shift, the Research Director one of the more vulnerable heads of staff on board.. Given enough time, however, he can develop into a powerful, destructive force. You start with access to the Toxins and Xenobiology labs, which both can be used to your advantage if you're familiar with them (Which, being the Director of Science, you most certainly should be).
There is a Reactive Teleporter Armor in your locker - It is both a fantastic tool and a hilarious deathtrap. When it is activated, any physical contact (Hugging, stripping, grabbing, hitting) will cause the armor to shunt you away in a random direction. While can be incredibly useful, it can also be incredibly dangerous if you're near space. It can easily fling you out into the void, so be mindful of when you keep it on or off.
While you can produce a vast array of weapons, a large majority of them require a Firing Pin. These can be found in the Armory, or ordered from Cargo. While you cannot replicate the standard Electronic Firing Pins, you can create two unique versions: Testing Range pins, and Loyalty Pins. The former will give your gun the ability to be fired exclusivley on the Firing Range, for testing, while the latter will not fire for those who do not have a Loyalty Implant. Gear given to Security typically benefits from being pinned with them, as it prohibits their weapons from being used against them.
Lamarr
Inside the display case in your office is a surgically modified facehugger. It can no longer kill and implant its embryos inside a host body, but it still feels the need to leap on anyone in reach. It's usually best kept in its case. With a chameleon projector, Lamarr can be scanned to act as a fearsome disguise.
There's No I In Team
Your official responsibility is to ensure that nobody does anything they shouldn’t. This means making sure the Geneticists don’t turn the Captain into a monkey, that Roboticists don’t kidnap and borg the Clown, that Xenobio doesn't spawn angry mobs everywhere, that Telescience doesn't steal the nuke disk, that R&D doesn't see what happens when they put two bags of holding together, and that Toxins does not destroy the ship.
Do not try to stop Toxins from igniting itself; if they are stupid enough to set themselves on fire, no amount of shouting or threatening will stop them from doing so. As long as the fire is contained to Toxins, nobody gets hurt.
Nobody important, anyway.
In Case of Wizard, Assume Brace Position
With a wizard on board, Science can often find itself in all sorts of trouble - There are several high-risk items inside your department that the magical intruder might be after, and beyond that, your very life could be in danger! In fact, it probably is, between fireballs, animated objects, and polymorphed xenomorphs. Try to ride out the storm until it's time to go home; or, if the Wizard is horribly incompetent (As is often the case), settle down for a long shift of relative quiet. If the wizard has EI NATH then you have to focus more on Robotics, and deal with borging the steady stream of brains into a robotic army.
No Nuclear Fire Today
Sometimes, groups of angry terrorists with spiffy red hardsuits and scary black borgs will board the ship. They want to ruin your day, so make no mistakes and take no prisoners. It's pretty much a given that you'll be evacuating, so strap up on your favorite gear and get stuck in. Remember that two easy-access weapons of yours (The Telescopic Baton and Flamethrower) are both very effective against nuclear strike teams, being able to totally invalidate energy shields and swords. Just try not to get shot.
Computer Maintenance And You
In the event of AI damage or deactivation, there is a computer in your office which can be used to restore and repair its systems. Simply put an IntelliCard loaded with an AI into the console and start the process. The AI should be functional again at 50% integrity. This is a long process, but it is still usually better than having no AI at all.
In addition, it is possible to build a new AI from the circuit also found in your office. Using plasteel and glass, it is constructed just like any other computer up until the human brain is inserted (only if you want a new AI, else you'll get an empty core you can transfer existing AIs into). Keep the existence of the human component hush-hush! It's a trade secret! Please be aware that a freshly constructed AI comes with the default Asimov laws, unless you put a law circuit with a different lawset in during construction.
ROGUE AI – When the Spotlight Shines Your Way
The Robotics Control in your office will be your primary weapon against the deadly worldwide gangster communist frankenstein computer god! Using it, you can lock and detonate cyborgs, as well as view their relevant stats: This includes charge, selected module, operational status, and arguably most importantly, their status as slaved or otherwise to the AI(s). An unslaved Cyborg almost always warrants investigation if you have not received a notice from Robotics about unslaving a borg!
If you have reason to believe a cyborg is rogue, lock it down so you can find the cyborg and check its wiring. You can also deconstruct the borg frame in entirety to retrive and question the MMI, although whether or not it cooperates varies heavily. Only detonate the borg as a last resort - And even when you are considering doing so, remember that the detonation is a rather powerful explosion can severely injure nearby humans. Under no circumstances are you to waste valuable equipment to paranoia or rumors.
KNOW YOUR SILICON
There are three types of rogue silicons that you should be familiar with. Each has a slew of different options regarding how you can deal with it.
- Subverted: A traitor (Or unscrupulous Captain) has used either a Freeform module of a Hacked Law Module to upload a law (or several) that is dangerous to the crew
- Subverted AIs can be fixed very easily via using a Purge and Default board on an Upload Console.
- Subverted AIs cannot hack their cyborgs
- Subverted AIs can be downloaded to an Intellicard
- Traitor: The AI was supplied with a Zeroth law to acomplish it's objectives. This law cannot be removed.
- Traitor AIs cannot be turned into normal AIs. Capture/destruction is the only option.
- Traitor AIs can hack their cyborgs.
- Traitor AIs can be downloaded onto an Intellicard.
- Malfunctioning: The AI has an irremovable hacked law and the ability to hack APCs. It can access several special powers by spending it's CPU.
- Malfunctioning AIs cannot be fixed. They must be destroyed. They can and will shunt into a hacked APC before dying, requiring you to deconstruct the APC (ENTIRELY) to finish it off.
- Malfunctioning AIs can hack their cyborgs.
- Malfunctioning AIs have grown too strong and cannot be downloaded onto an Intellicard.
How To Tell A Traitor From A Disillusioned Doctor
A revolution is a bad time for both research and directing it - As such, you're in for a wild and dangerous ride where you will live as a robust freedom warrior or die the endless hordes of greyshirt commies. The sad reality is that you are extremely vulnerable, as you start in a department where dangerous things are easily put together, along with the fact that the high department population typically means there is a head revolutionary hidden somewhere inside. At the FIRST sign of danger, you need to be RD outski and get to Brig. This means:
- People flashing each other
- People following you around and not doing their job
- People milling around in firesuits with flamethrowers
You will either be one of the first to die (Along with the CMO) or the last in line, dragged kicking and screaming into the afterlife. Or, you will be a robust hero. The choice is yours.
AI Overpopulation: The Core Circuit And You
Whether to reduce the load on primary AI, circumvent AFKing players, increase your chances of survival during AI malfunction or just to increase information chaos, with this nifty AI Core circuit board found in your office and some additional components, you can make a second, working AI. Be sure to place it near an intercom or radio and you now have two working AIs on the ship.
Tips
- Lamarr can be used for internals.
- If you are doing particularly dangerous research with a particularly untrustworthy science team, remember that you can delete each technology from each server. Once research is complete, it's perfectly alright for you to entire that alcove of mysterious computers and superchilled air to delete the mech weapons from the Robotics server.
- You can restore dead AIs using the AI system integrity restorer consoles! There's one in the RD office, and one DIRECTLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE AI UPLOAD FOYER. That's right! When your AI dies, you don't have to fart around and say "uh, so, like, should we call the shuttle or something? or build a new one? herp?" Just use an intellicard on the destroyed AI core and slot it into the console! Wow! You're a helpful little furless monkey!
- Unlike what some Roboticists say, they answer to the RD. If they are too stubborn to remember that, make some time to demote them and ensure they don't go on a vengeful mech rampage later. Otherwise, sync your research often, and go check on 'em to eventually congratulate them on their job. Bring them sulfuric acid so they don't ask you for boards too often. Don't hesitate to steal some materials if the miners are dragging it all to robotics: and remember, 10 sheets of everything is enough to make a good chunk o' stuff.
- Episkopos' RnD Guide:
- The two non computer parts of a teleporter use telecrystals in their design, so you can get more than enough for max telesci by cannibalizing one of the abandoned ones in space.
- Sync up before upgrading your machines in RnD. ...fuck.
- If you have an assistant or extra Science crew, give one a RPED full of parts for said machines and a screwdriver, then send them to Medical to be useful. Fully upgraded clones spit out perfect clones. No retards, no defects. They can get dressed and back to bustin' heads.
- Timrod's RnD Guide:
- Mandurrrh RnD Guide:
- Bluespace RnD Guide:
- Imblyings's RnD Guide:
- RG4's RnD Guide:
Tips for Traitoring
Mad Science
The research director, like all heads of staff, make extremely dangerous traitors just by virtue of their access and departmental loyalty. You have so many ways to screw the ship over: bombs, guns, possible chemistry access, the power to make EVERY POSSIBLE AI UPLOAD BOARD, comms boards, bags of holding (and thus singulos), extra tracking beacons, mechs, an excuse to emag borgs... you can tear the ship apart and make them stay on it. While your underlings are less likely to fall in line than security or a horde of clowns ordered to create chaos, a majority of the time they'll let you get away with truly wicked deeds just for the sake of SCIENCE!
R&D becomes your personal armoury. With an emag you can override the firing pin on the guns you make and use them anywhere you please. A Bag of Holding is so big it can even hold shotguns and ion rifles. Technological shells can be used to produce some very special shotgun shells. If you go through the effort to build telescience equipment, you can teleport anything you want from and to anywhere you want. Don't forget illegal modules for cyborgs, which unlocks their locked module (laser for Secborg, pacid for medborg, diamond drill for minerborg, etc.) at the cost of damaging their interface, making it seem like they're emagged. You can also make the clusterbang launcher, for mechs, and the T.Y.R.A.N.T. module for AIs, with that illegal tech you got. Finally, with a portable chem dispenser, bluespace beakers and large grenade casings, you can have a wider range of grenades than Team Fortress Classic.
Less useful but still dangerous, robotics is a hive of scum and villainy even when staffed by decent sorts. If a head of staff drags in a corpse and orders it to be borged or just takes out the brain himself, generally speaking no questions will be asked and the deed will swiftly be done. The corpse and/or brain of your victim can then be given to the chef who generally believes meat is meat.
| Jobs on FTL13
| |
| Command | Captain, Executive Officer, Bridge Officer |
| Security | Head of Security, Security Officer, Master-at-Arms, Detective |
| Engineering | Chief Engineer, Ship Engineer, Atmospheric Technician |
| Supply | Quartermaster, Cargo Technician, Shaft Miner, Munitions Officer |
| Science | Research Director, Scientist, Roboticist |
| Medical | Chief Medical Officer, Medical Doctor, Chemist, Geneticist, Virologist |
| Service | Janitor, Bartender, Cook, Botanist, Clown, Mime |
| Civilian | Assistant, Lawyer, Chaplain, Librarian |
| Non-human | AI, Cyborg, Positronic Brain, Drone, Personal AI, Construct, Adamantine Golem, Ghost |
| Antagonists | Traitor, Changeling, Nuclear Operative, Wizard, Shadowling, Abductor, Xenomorph, Revenant, Space Ninja, Holoparasite, Swarmers, Blob, Devil, Clockwork Cult |
| Special | Centcom Official, Death Squad Officer, Emergency Response Officer, Ian |
| Races | Humans, Lizardperson, Flyperson, Plasmaman, Podman, Miscellaneous |
