- Joined
- Sep 17, 2019
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- #1
The Problem
Civil Protection are all over the place and aren't really effective as an antagonist that promotes Citizen RP. They have no consistent image and it feels like they are essentially individuals. I understand that under each mask is an individual character, but it's at the point where they are no longer uniform in how they present themselves to the citizen faction. Keep in mind that I am not pointing out any specific units, nor am I implying in the slightest that players of Civil Protection are incompetent or incapable. I think this is a management issue in the end. Due to a lack of defined image, I find that there are three distinct types of CP units right now that each fail to promote a true antagonist faction:The Friendly Neighborhood Cop
These units ruin the image of the Civil Protection. They are way too nice. You walk up and ask how their day is and they gladly sit back and treat you like a bro. This is a slight exaggeration, but the point stands. They pose no real threat, both imminent or potential.Moronic Invasive Brute
These units encompass what I believe to be players who think that the only way to be threatening is through sheer force. That's all well and good (well, at least partially) but it's absolutely horrible for roleplay. These units do not care if you are engaged in Citizen RP, and even more impactful, they don't care about your actual character development. They will gladly fuck over your development on a whim because they have it in their head that the Civil Protection will just absolutely brutalize someone for no reason because they're "the big bad evil guys!"npc_metropolice
These units have absolutely no engagement at all. While they won't ruin your character development, they will absolutely ruin your Citizen RP, because they have bought in completely to the NPC role, either intentionally or unintentionally. The issue isn't that they are buying completely into the Civil Protection Unit archtype. It's that they are doing so from a very surface level understanding of a unit, one which is only seen in the beginning of Half Life 2. Citizens are gathered up, engaged in Citizen RP, which is already hard to come by? Tell them to isolate, because that's all they know to do. Citizen approaches them and tries to talk to them? Tell them to go away or just ignore them, because that's what they did in Half Life 2. These don't seem that bad, but it's a matter of completely wasted potential.The Result of this Problem
Right now, without a unified, concise image to the Civil Protection, they appear like a rag tag group of dudes that either ruin the vibe of the Civil Protection completely, ruin your character development, or ruin Citizen RP overall. They aren't representative of a totalitarian police force. This is not to say that the Civil Protection faction is in shambles or completely off the mark, but there is so much room for improvement and all it takes is the FL call and overhead to see it through. In the end, Citizen RP is lacking a threatening, yet engaging antagonist that promotes Citizen Roleplay, which is the ultimate goal of the Civil Protection.The (Potential) Solution
I think the Civil Protection need to have their image and behavior looked at and properly defined into something truly antagonistic, yet not to the point where it ruins Citizen RP. This may seem impossible, but it's a matter of balancing on a fine line of "Antagonistic" and "Conducive to Roleplay".Image: The Totalitarian Authority
The Civil Protection are the authority and enforcement of a totalitarian regime that seeks to survey and ultimately oppress its populace into either dormant pacification or impulsive support. Here is what they are not:1. They are not brutes.
The Civil Protection don't need to beat your skull in for simply looking at them funny, or talking out of line, or breaking out into a jog for a few seconds. They already know that, if they wanted to, they could either put you down if you are a rabid animal, or send you off to the Combine to be "improved" into something more useful. What they want is for you to be compliant when they aren't there, and they know that simply beating your skull in will probably do the opposite of that.2. They are not your friend.
The Civil Protection aren't there to help you. They aren't there to make sure that you are free of mental anguish, nor are they there to guarantee your safety. They're there to ensure that society as a whole is stable. Not happy, not miserable, just stable. They know that if they are friendly to their subjects, that citizens will assume that they lack the teeth to bite, or that they can just walk off and do whatever and the civil protection just won't care.3. They are not predictable.
The Civil Protection know that, if they do nothing but simply enforce the law, that they are working on the defensive. That is not strategically sound, nor is it a truly good defensive to purely be on defense. They know that in order to establish order and scare the populace, they need to be ever vigilant and aware of what its subjects are up too. They are not just the authority, they are the totalitarian authority. It's not enough for them to just tell you to be obedient, they have to be sure that you actually are being obedient.How to make the Civil Protection a true antagonist.
The Civil Protection need to engage citizens on a personal level, but without ruining their character development, or interrupting Citizen RP. To do this, I propose...[The Combine Panopticon]
The Panopticon is a method of controlling a prison in which, to better control inmates, the guards sit inside a tower placed in the center of a cylindrical prison block.
The entire point of the panopticon is that the guards are able to watch everybody in the prison block from one position, and yet, the prisoners are unable to determine who the guards are actually watching. Not until the spotlight comes on and they pour out to execute justice.
The entire point of the panopticon is that the guards are able to watch everybody in the prison block from one position, and yet, the prisoners are unable to determine who the guards are actually watching. Not until the spotlight comes on and they pour out to execute justice.
So, how does this translate to HL2RP? In short, the Civil Protection need to be much more invasive in terms of engaging Citizens and making them feel like they are being watched and surveyed, without actually punishing them in any substantial manner. The entire point is to make the citizen feel that the Civil Protection are constantly observing them, always stalking them, always waiting in the grass like a tiger waiting for its prey to make the wrong move, before they lunge out and tear them to pieces. This creates a truly terrifying antagonist where you can't determine what they actually know about you. You don't know what they're thinking. You don't know if they are about to storm your apartment and put you down, or if they're just trying to scare you. Do you do nothing out of fear that they actually are preparing to attack? You are now doing exactly what they want. Do you do something anyways, because you think they are faking you out? That is when they strike.
How is this carried out in the day to day?
There are a multitude of ways to bring about this effect. Each of these are made to be antagonistic and, when combined, terrifying- without actually stopping Citizen RP or ruining character development. Here's a list:1. Constantly, silently, observe and watch citizens. Look at them constantly. Walk where they walk (in public places). Go through apartments and look around, saying as little as possible, before leaving. Wait for them to round a corner away from where you are standing, and then relocate yourself to where they are now and just stand near them some more. This makes citizens feel that they are constantly being watched. Don't just do arbitrary patrols through the city. Actually place yourself in areas where citizens are, and just watch them. Make it very obvious that they are being observed, and they will feel as though they are being spied on constantly. The panopticon is always watching, always looking. You don't know if they actually care or not, but they are looking.
2. Stop lone citizens and interrogate them. Ask them where they are walking. What they are doing. If they have friends. Who they were just talking to earlier. Ask them what they think of the Combine. Ask them if they've ever committed a crime before the occupation. Doub them. Say you don't believe them. Be short with them, yet pry into their answers. Make them nervous. This makes citizen players feel as if their character is being focused. The spot light in the panopticon is shining on your cell, and you see faint movement in the tower. Are they actually about to take you in? Are they just testing your nerve? Do they even really care what you say? That's up for your character to decide. This engages the player's character in a manner that is nervous and antagonistic without actually ruining their development.
3. Bag a lone, unoccupied citizen and bring them in for interrogation, before releasing them. If someone looks like they are just roaming around without a care in the world, looking for roleplay, just bag their character and bring them in. It doesn't matter if they've done a crime or not. The goal here isn't to prosecute them, it's just to gather info and make them know that, yes, the tiger does have claws, and it's teeth are around your neck and ready to end you at any moment. Unlike the previous method, this one can actually drop hints to current events that the citizen player does not know about. Ask them questions about currently active criminals and BOLs. Ask them questions about groups. Act like said person has been found in association with them. Make this player believe that they have been found guilty of a crime and make them believe that their character is about to meet their end for reasons completely outside of their control. Ask them about things they have no possible way of knowing. Then, wrap up the interrogation, and simply place them back outside. The entire point here is that you are giving a citizen player a tense, uneasy, and unsure moment of implied, or even "certain" doom- and then just let them go. Meanwhile, you are providing roleplay to someone who is probably looking for it, and letting them know that- hey, its not just citizens you have to worry about, cause one day, they may take you in once more, and you won't be coming back out.
4. Keep conversation responsive, professional, yet uneasy. When citizens approach, don't just ignore them and tell them go go away. Actually talk to them. This doesn't mean we're going to sit here and entertain them or be their friend, however. Sure, they'll have their questions answered, but not without a few questions. This is similar to method 2, but now you are asking them questions related to the questions they are asking. A citizen asks you which factory the workshift is at. Don't get irate with them. Don't swear at them. Don't tell them to fuck off and go away. Answer their question with another question. Why are you going to the workshift? To work? Don't you know that they've found criminals at workshifts? Are you a criminal? Do you plan to bomb the workshift today? No? Do you know somebody who is? You don't look like you're sure about that, but I'll believe you for now. It's down in Warehouse 3. Don't give me a reason to be there.
5. Re-Educate to Educate, not to just Torture. Instead of just beating the shit out of citizens, actually re-educate them. The entire point is that you are breaking down what lead them to commit some sort of crime, and instilling obedience into them. First, unless you are willing to take the time to truly re-educate them, just let them off with a warning. Otherwise, it's time to re-educate. Bring them into the Nexus and put them in holding until it's their turn in the queue. Bring them into the interrogation room. Ask them why they did what they did. Demand answers. Throw in questions that aren't related. "Did you insult that officer because you are with the resistance? Do you really hate the civil protection?" Begin lecturing them. Tell them that they are an obedient citizen. A good citizen. Tell them that good citizens don't insult officers. Tell them that they do not insult officers, because they are a good citizen. Gaslight them into what you want them to be. This may sound weird, and that's because that's exactly the point. It's manipulation and brainwashing. It isn't accomplished in one re-education. In all reality, they'll probably do it again. As long as they aren't committing the more serious crimes though, that's all that matters.
6. Don't be brutal until you actually need to be, and leave their ending up to a interpretation. The previous methods have been listed because they are meant to make the citizen player uneasy and unsure. This all goes out the window if you just resort to beating them all the time. Then they are sure as to what you think. They know you. That isn't the goal here. You aren't kneecapping citizens. You aren't beating them senseless. That happens when they actually break the law and require it. They will feel threatened already from the previous actions. Their knees aren't shot out until they start running from you after committing crimes, or when they are beat into submission for being a little too close and irate. This also means that you don't just whip out a pistol and shoot them for shoving you. You not only have a baton, but it's also a fucking taser. You will win any form of fist fight, even alone, because you have a weapon made to deal with people in short range. Finally, don't just shoot characters to end them. Give them a truly harrowing ending. Putting bullets in brains is a complete waste in the Combine's eyes. That's a stalker right there that could be working on APCs or internal systems. At the very least, that's bio material that can be harvested for other synths to use. Dead, rotting corpses are useless. Furthermore, maybe the nearby Nova Prospekt (or equivelent) could get info from them. Simply put, bring them into jail, and then throw them on the transport train. Their ending is uncertain, but what is certain is that they will no longer exist in that city. Were they stalkerized? Released to another city? Turned into nutrient paste for synthetics? Brainwashed into an OTA unit? Who knows. That's up for the citizen player to decide, and it's far more interesting than just doming them and calling it a day.
7. Don't punish the populace for the actions of rebels. This is a big one, because it often causes Citizen RP to come to a grinding halt. It doesn't make sense both from a totalitarian perspective or a gameplay perspective. It ruins RP, and it doesn't actually inspire loyalty or obedience. It would realistically just make people more likely to go to the rebels, so long as the rebels weren't heartless monsters- and that's exactly what we seek to portray instead. Instead of punishing citizens arbitarily, make them think that their punishment is the direct result of anti-citizens. The rations are shut down for a few days. This is because the rebels struck a supply line and cut off food, and this has to be done in order to prevent greater famines in the future. You have a propaganda machine at the ready to demonize any threats, so don't become the target of your propaganda by doing exactly what it entails the rebels are doing. Misdirect and scapegoat. This is the specialty of totalitarian regimes. In Orwell's 1984, when terrorists strike in Oceania, the government doesn't respond by gathering up citizens and beating them senseless. They actually prefer that it did happen because it gives the government fuel. They eliminate the threat, and then tell citizens that valient police men stopped heartless monsters. Either way, in the end, the ultimate goal is stop punishing the citizen faction for the action of the rebel sub-faction. This already indicates that the rebels aren't really doing their job, so there's no point in doubling down on "Let's ignore Citizen RP" by further ruining Citizen RP.
8. Don't be over oppressive. Strike when struck, and strike back hard. The Civil Protection isn't individuals making up a team. It is a force. An entity of its own will. A single unit dying to a mob of angry citizens is no true loss. There's no reason to go around searching citizens constantly, tearing down what they are attempting to do (so long as it isn't brazenly and seriously illegal), or arbitarily punishing them for no purpose. This is because, in the very end, if a citizen actually twists off and tries to take you out- you will always win. You have the numbers. You have the weaponry. You have the tools. You don't need to search every citizen to see if they have a gun, because even if they do, what can they actually do with it? Shoot a few cops? Who cares? Six more cops are swarming in with guns and will kill them, and citizens know that. Let Citizens cut up a little bit. You're going to win the imminent battle, so unless there is suspicion that an actual mass rebellion is going to occur, or a riot, or some sort of unrest, don't even bother. The tiger is always there. It doesn't need to worry about weakening you because it can tear your throat out in one swipe anyways. One punch to its nose isn't going to truly hurt it, because in the end you won't be throwing punches for much longer.
2. Stop lone citizens and interrogate them. Ask them where they are walking. What they are doing. If they have friends. Who they were just talking to earlier. Ask them what they think of the Combine. Ask them if they've ever committed a crime before the occupation. Doub them. Say you don't believe them. Be short with them, yet pry into their answers. Make them nervous. This makes citizen players feel as if their character is being focused. The spot light in the panopticon is shining on your cell, and you see faint movement in the tower. Are they actually about to take you in? Are they just testing your nerve? Do they even really care what you say? That's up for your character to decide. This engages the player's character in a manner that is nervous and antagonistic without actually ruining their development.
3. Bag a lone, unoccupied citizen and bring them in for interrogation, before releasing them. If someone looks like they are just roaming around without a care in the world, looking for roleplay, just bag their character and bring them in. It doesn't matter if they've done a crime or not. The goal here isn't to prosecute them, it's just to gather info and make them know that, yes, the tiger does have claws, and it's teeth are around your neck and ready to end you at any moment. Unlike the previous method, this one can actually drop hints to current events that the citizen player does not know about. Ask them questions about currently active criminals and BOLs. Ask them questions about groups. Act like said person has been found in association with them. Make this player believe that they have been found guilty of a crime and make them believe that their character is about to meet their end for reasons completely outside of their control. Ask them about things they have no possible way of knowing. Then, wrap up the interrogation, and simply place them back outside. The entire point here is that you are giving a citizen player a tense, uneasy, and unsure moment of implied, or even "certain" doom- and then just let them go. Meanwhile, you are providing roleplay to someone who is probably looking for it, and letting them know that- hey, its not just citizens you have to worry about, cause one day, they may take you in once more, and you won't be coming back out.
4. Keep conversation responsive, professional, yet uneasy. When citizens approach, don't just ignore them and tell them go go away. Actually talk to them. This doesn't mean we're going to sit here and entertain them or be their friend, however. Sure, they'll have their questions answered, but not without a few questions. This is similar to method 2, but now you are asking them questions related to the questions they are asking. A citizen asks you which factory the workshift is at. Don't get irate with them. Don't swear at them. Don't tell them to fuck off and go away. Answer their question with another question. Why are you going to the workshift? To work? Don't you know that they've found criminals at workshifts? Are you a criminal? Do you plan to bomb the workshift today? No? Do you know somebody who is? You don't look like you're sure about that, but I'll believe you for now. It's down in Warehouse 3. Don't give me a reason to be there.
5. Re-Educate to Educate, not to just Torture. Instead of just beating the shit out of citizens, actually re-educate them. The entire point is that you are breaking down what lead them to commit some sort of crime, and instilling obedience into them. First, unless you are willing to take the time to truly re-educate them, just let them off with a warning. Otherwise, it's time to re-educate. Bring them into the Nexus and put them in holding until it's their turn in the queue. Bring them into the interrogation room. Ask them why they did what they did. Demand answers. Throw in questions that aren't related. "Did you insult that officer because you are with the resistance? Do you really hate the civil protection?" Begin lecturing them. Tell them that they are an obedient citizen. A good citizen. Tell them that good citizens don't insult officers. Tell them that they do not insult officers, because they are a good citizen. Gaslight them into what you want them to be. This may sound weird, and that's because that's exactly the point. It's manipulation and brainwashing. It isn't accomplished in one re-education. In all reality, they'll probably do it again. As long as they aren't committing the more serious crimes though, that's all that matters.
6. Don't be brutal until you actually need to be, and leave their ending up to a interpretation. The previous methods have been listed because they are meant to make the citizen player uneasy and unsure. This all goes out the window if you just resort to beating them all the time. Then they are sure as to what you think. They know you. That isn't the goal here. You aren't kneecapping citizens. You aren't beating them senseless. That happens when they actually break the law and require it. They will feel threatened already from the previous actions. Their knees aren't shot out until they start running from you after committing crimes, or when they are beat into submission for being a little too close and irate. This also means that you don't just whip out a pistol and shoot them for shoving you. You not only have a baton, but it's also a fucking taser. You will win any form of fist fight, even alone, because you have a weapon made to deal with people in short range. Finally, don't just shoot characters to end them. Give them a truly harrowing ending. Putting bullets in brains is a complete waste in the Combine's eyes. That's a stalker right there that could be working on APCs or internal systems. At the very least, that's bio material that can be harvested for other synths to use. Dead, rotting corpses are useless. Furthermore, maybe the nearby Nova Prospekt (or equivelent) could get info from them. Simply put, bring them into jail, and then throw them on the transport train. Their ending is uncertain, but what is certain is that they will no longer exist in that city. Were they stalkerized? Released to another city? Turned into nutrient paste for synthetics? Brainwashed into an OTA unit? Who knows. That's up for the citizen player to decide, and it's far more interesting than just doming them and calling it a day.
7. Don't punish the populace for the actions of rebels. This is a big one, because it often causes Citizen RP to come to a grinding halt. It doesn't make sense both from a totalitarian perspective or a gameplay perspective. It ruins RP, and it doesn't actually inspire loyalty or obedience. It would realistically just make people more likely to go to the rebels, so long as the rebels weren't heartless monsters- and that's exactly what we seek to portray instead. Instead of punishing citizens arbitarily, make them think that their punishment is the direct result of anti-citizens. The rations are shut down for a few days. This is because the rebels struck a supply line and cut off food, and this has to be done in order to prevent greater famines in the future. You have a propaganda machine at the ready to demonize any threats, so don't become the target of your propaganda by doing exactly what it entails the rebels are doing. Misdirect and scapegoat. This is the specialty of totalitarian regimes. In Orwell's 1984, when terrorists strike in Oceania, the government doesn't respond by gathering up citizens and beating them senseless. They actually prefer that it did happen because it gives the government fuel. They eliminate the threat, and then tell citizens that valient police men stopped heartless monsters. Either way, in the end, the ultimate goal is stop punishing the citizen faction for the action of the rebel sub-faction. This already indicates that the rebels aren't really doing their job, so there's no point in doubling down on "Let's ignore Citizen RP" by further ruining Citizen RP.
8. Don't be over oppressive. Strike when struck, and strike back hard. The Civil Protection isn't individuals making up a team. It is a force. An entity of its own will. A single unit dying to a mob of angry citizens is no true loss. There's no reason to go around searching citizens constantly, tearing down what they are attempting to do (so long as it isn't brazenly and seriously illegal), or arbitarily punishing them for no purpose. This is because, in the very end, if a citizen actually twists off and tries to take you out- you will always win. You have the numbers. You have the weaponry. You have the tools. You don't need to search every citizen to see if they have a gun, because even if they do, what can they actually do with it? Shoot a few cops? Who cares? Six more cops are swarming in with guns and will kill them, and citizens know that. Let Citizens cut up a little bit. You're going to win the imminent battle, so unless there is suspicion that an actual mass rebellion is going to occur, or a riot, or some sort of unrest, don't even bother. The tiger is always there. It doesn't need to worry about weakening you because it can tear your throat out in one swipe anyways. One punch to its nose isn't going to truly hurt it, because in the end you won't be throwing punches for much longer.
How does this effect Citizen RP?
With the methods listed above, no longer is Citizen RP in relation to Civil Protection just a matter of time before the Citizen RP is over. The Civil Protection are now an antagonist that is actually frightening and threatening, without being arbitarily anti-roleplay. Citizen players will feel as though they have a constant threat looming over them, always watching them and their every move- and yet, they will be able to do what they want. In an OOC way, it provides an atmosphere of "poking the bear." The bear is there, and its a clear threat. Its mere presence says "I am here, I'm stronger than you, and I'm your enemy. Go ahead, fuck around and find out." That is what the Civil Protection should be, unlike the current state in which its either just mauling you anyways or not even there.How does this effect Civil Protection RP?
While the primary goal of Civil Protection is to support Citizen RP, it can't be ignored that Civil Protection are also, themselves, characters. It should be assumed that anyone who joins the Civil Protection faction is doing it with the knowledge that their goal is to enhance the Citizen faction, but that doesn't mean that their characters are unimportant or that they are pretty much NPCs.In the end, I feel that this will actually connect Civil Protection characters a lot more with Citizens. As I've listed above, there are a lot of instances where a Civil Protection unit is in close, even intimate moments with another character. In fact, if the above are enforced by leadership, they are being told to go RP with people.
Does this mean that Civil Protection can no longer have individual flair? Not at all. They just can be as open or brazen about it. Civil Protection are professionals first and foremost, but they are humans second. Right now, they give off the perception of either being too human and friendly, or they are cruel robo cop monstrosities that hate all human life. With the above methods, they have chances to slip by their personal feelings. A question given to a citizen in interrogation may seem a little off. Is the unit actually trying to relate to the citizen? Do they feel sorry for them? Or is this just another trick to make you slip up? This creates a far more interesting dynamic. You are a human in a mask. You may like citizens, but citizens can't inherently trust you anymore if you are nice. This is the other side of the coin when becoming a unit. There are consequences when joining such a force. Vice versa, your personal hatred for a particular citizen is easily covered by what you are supposed to do anyways. You can't just go ballistic and strike them down, but now you can engage people in a manner that won't ruin the player's day, while also letting you be a nuisance too them.
Overall, for CP units, I think this will create a lot more interpersonal roleplay while creating a much more interesting force.
Execution: The Day to Day
In the end, I think the faction leads, should they actually approve of this, will know best how to execute it. What I will propose is just a potential option. Essentially, doing the work for them out of courtesy, because I'm an autist like that who likes to type things. So, here's a step by step guide of implementing this.1. Implement interrogations and manipulation into the "XRay" tag.
I don't know exactly how this system works, but it appears very similar to divisions and/or certifications. Helix does medical by the looks of it, but I've also noticed Xray on the roster. X-Ray from what I've read is about investigations. As I've listed above, part of turning the force into a true antagonist involves lots of interrogating and getting under people's skin. That should primarily be the job of X-Ray. Methods 2, 3, 5, and parts of 6 above are best performed by players who are truly interested in taking on a manipulative role. They should be the ones asking the questions, while other units are simply fluff in the background. It still perfectly fits the image "X-Ray" gives, in which they are seeing through citizens and looking into their psyche.
2. Define the image and pratices through handbooks/guides.
Edits will need to be made to the guide book to teach units how to act in the manners listed above. This cannot just be ordered without them having a resource to rely on that lets them know that this is normal behavior and is to be expected at all times. This is protocol, not an after thought.
3. Actively enforce it through leadership.
Rank Leaders, Dispatch, and I1s/I2s need to be ready to find units who stray from this protocol and correct them. Of course, be sure to practice good judgement when determining if this is a unit letting their character peak through the cracks a bit, or just a unit who is blatantly ignoring protocol. The idea is that, if multiple eyes are on one unit, that unit should be following protocol. If this is not enforced, then it just becomes an archaic instruction in the guide book that no one follows.
Overall Goal
The overall goal with this in execution is to promote Citizen RP. That is it. Obviously, these methods and images won't improve Citizen RP at all times in any circumstance. There will be some outlying circumstances where pulling someone aside and asking them questions may actually ruin Citizen RP. The goal of a Civil Protection player is to be able to spot when Citizen RP is happening, and letting it flourish whilst being a present threat- and only when said Citizen players have decided that it's time to poke the bear do you then whip out the stunstick and begin laying down justice.Thoughts? Let me know what you think down below in the comments. I was thinking about putting this in the CCC, but after talking with another faction lead, I determined that this'd be better of in the Suggestions forum so everyone can weigh in. I'm curious to see what you all think, and hope that the Civil Protection leads see the intent with this and agree with it.
. Anyone can freely make suggestions/critiques, you are literally just hurling insults and doing nothing else here.
