LOGISTICS STAFF
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 Cargo Technician |
Difficulty: Easy to Medium Requirements: None Access: Logistics, Maintenance Extended Access: Salvage, Orders Supervisors: Logistics Officer Subordinates: None Duties: Place orders for the crew. Guides: Supply Crates |
Cargo Technician's job is to supply the station's crew with what they need and dispose of excess items to get zorks in the bank. Cargo's responsibilities aren't too complicated. You take orders and keep items moving through the department as efficiently as possible. It's the execution that matters.
Orders typically are placed either by you or anyone else at the cargo request terminal in the front of the department. The order needs to be then approved by someone with 'Orders' access, typically the Logistics Officer. You may also get access from the LO to have Orders access yourself! Regardless, as the person submitting the order, you are the first line of defence against the worst Space Crime of all, budget mismanagement.
Your responsibilities
Your responsibilities as a cargo technician are, as described above, generally straightforward. You need to make money in order to fill requests for other departments and your own. If you don't have money, you won't have AME fuel, or guns when Syndicate have inevitably bombed out the armory. Most of the time the bulk of your cash comes from Salvage, but early on, having you or one of your fellow technicians go and raid the station's maintenance tunnels for items to sell is not a terrible idea.
Importantly, it is NOT your job to empty the station of everything worth selling/deconstructing. Hallways and maintenance tunnels may have things worth selling and are typically free-game. However regarding objects around a department, you may want to check with the Head of that Department first.
Do not take objects that would reasonably be useful where they are. For example selling chairs and tables at a bar, a vending machine in the hallways or medical supplies from Medical can be annoying to other players (regardless of how much they are worth or how low your funds are).
If low on funds, there are plenty of departments that can make you objects to sell (even Hydroponics can operate without power). Your role is to expect the unexpected and get funds and supplies BEFORE an emergency situation if possible.
If you think an order is suspicious, ask the crewmember for a stamp or to fill out a request so you have it in writing who requested it. If something expensive is being requested, ask the crewmember to provide something to trade for it. While orders are slow, it's also a good idea to grab things to sell.
Your equipment
As a cargo technician your equipment is very basic, though you do come with an appraisal tool in your pocket. This appraisal tool allows you to scan items about the station and determine their value. This will allow you to get some starting funds in your account while you wait for salvage to get items worth selling or for botany to make surplus plants.
Cargo Ordering Computer
You use the ordering computer to put in orders for the shuttle to buy from other stations. When you open the UI you should see a vast list of crates you can order; anything from dice games to firearms. When someone at the front desk asks for something it's your job to input what they asked for into the computer, preferably under their name. You can click on anything from the list to view its description and price. Just below that is the quantity you are ordering and the name of the person who ordered it as well as the reason it's being ordered. After you input what you want the order needs to be approved by someone with Orders access. This is typically the LO or Captain, however, the LO may upgrade your access to give you Orders access as well.
Cargo Request Computer
The request computer is what you use to recall and call the station's logistics shuttle. It is rather simple to learn however if you screw up it can easily mess up several orders.
Once you have some accepted orders you are going to want to call the shuttle meaning you should open the UI and find the call shuttle button. You should also see all the accepted orders under the button, these are the orders that will be on the shuttle.
After you dock the shuttle and unload it you are going to want to recall it. Once you move the shuttle 250m away from the station you can press the recall button which will have replaced the call button. Before you can call the shuttle again you will have to wait a short time. Recalling the shuttle when there is anything on the cargo pallets will sell those objects. Try to avoid calling the shuttle then immediately recalling it as it will sell all the orders you just called in. At a loss.
The Logistics Shuttle is also just that, for all of Logistics. There may be a time when Salvage wants to borrow it in order to ferry items or make major hauls. Always work with the rest of your department in order to make sure everyone can use the shuttle to their advantage.
Shuttle Console
This is what you use to actually pilot the shuttle. Once the shuttle is called it will appear a short distance out from the station. It's your job to locate the cargo docking ports and dock while avoiding punting the salvagers into deep space. (Usually, salvage is nearby cargo, which means that the 'unknown objects' that salvage draws in are usually nearby your docking area.)
Once you have unloaded the shuttle and have put all the items you wish to sell on, you will want to undock with the station and fly 250m away from it.
Left click the shuttle computer to take control of your shuttle.
Controls are:
- WASD to strafe forward, left, backwards and right,
- Q and E to spin left and right respectfully,
- Spacebar to brake. When in doubt, hold the brakes.
To select docking mode, right click the console and toggle mode. While in docking mode, A is for thrusting left and D is for thrusting right. This is useful for parallel parking.
External airlock [Docking] are used for docking with ships/stations that also have docking airlocks. Once you have two docking airlocks face to face, right click the docking airlock and select the Dock verb. If successful, the docks will both open and you will be attached to the other vessel.
Keeping Cargo tidy
Make sure to organize any spare items that might be making a mess on the floor. To get rid of any empty crates that you don't need, use a screwdriver to take them apart. Put whatever you don't need on tables or inside other crates.
A paper trail can be useful if you're trying to track down who ordered what for certain heads. Having folks fill out a paper, or just jotting down weird orders and stamping them with approved can help certain investigations and encourages extra roleplay, which is always good. It might even make your Logistics Officer happy to have proper paperwork.