User:Nullaurelian/Enforcers Manual Reformat ErisEN Draft

Ironhammer Advertisement

Ironhammer Security is hired by the Captain aboard the CEV "Eris" to provide both security and protection for the expedition. Their mission is to protect the ship and it's crew from outside hostiles while also keeping the peace between the various factions on the ship.

This page serves as a go to read for anyone wanting to play as an Ironhammer Security Operative. This Guide does not teach combat or it's mechanics on the CEV 'Eris' and it should not be seen as a guide to be robust. No amount of gear and perks can carry a dipshit.

The Agreement

Anyone working for Ironhammer Security (IHS) must understand The Agreement, what it means and how to enforce it. The Agreement is a combined document and charter that every organization aboard the CEV "Eris" abides by to prevent each faction from becoming hostile to one another. Vagabonds are the only members throughout the ship who may or may not have any idea what the Agreement is about.

IHS Operators answer to the Captain IN ADDITION to the IH Security Commander. IHS Operators are to follow the orders of the Captain when doing so would not contradict the directives of the Commander.

Though IHS is charged with enforcing the laws under The Agreement, the situation on the ground may require creative interpretation and initiative by the responding Operator. As such, the penalties under the Agreement should not be taken as absolutes, nor should the laws be interpreted literally. This does not mean that the Operator should be excessive in dealing out punishment, only that they have the leeway to be harsher or lenient as they see fit.

The Blue Paragraph

The Blue Paragraph represents effective misdemeanors and petty crimes including but not limited to:

• Theft
• Trespassing
• Vandalism
• Assault and/or Battery

Due to the minor nature of these offenses, those placed in Command Positions such as the Guild Merchant, Moebius Expedition Overseer, Moebius Biolab Officer, Technomancer Exultant, NeoTheology Preacher, First Officer, or Captain cannot be taken into custody for violation of the blue paragraph, but financial penalties may be imposed.

Blue Paragraph

Title	Description	Penalty
Theft	Unlawful possession or seizure of property of any inhabitant or organization aboard the CEV Eris.	7 minutes 1400 credits Fine should be applied to every consecutive stolen item regardless of brig time, and property should be returned to its rightful owner or parent organization.
Battery	Any attack or unwanted intrusion on another person not considered self-defense, regardless of injury caused.	10 minutes 3000 credits
Felony assault	Attack on person using lethal weaponry and equipment, attack on Ironhammer personnel, assault causing serious body harm and prolonged medical treatment.	20 minutes 8000 credits
Vandalism	Damage to any property - windows, airlocks, vital equipment - etc.	7 minutes 1200 credits
Infiltration	Infiltration into restricted areas without access or permission, breaking and entering.	5 minutes 700 credits
Culpable Negligence	Dereliction of duty, disobedience of orders, commission of crime against employing organization. May only be enforced at the specific request of an organizational head	7 minutes 700 credits In case of dismissal forfeiture of property should be accomplished.

The Red Paragraph

The Red Paragraph represents major criminal actions such as but not restricted to:

• Murder
• Sabotage
• Forced Conversion
• Mutinies and/or Collaboration with Prohibited Parties
• Unsanctioned Mutants

IHS reserves the right to punish ANY member of the factions for violation of the Red Paragraph regardless of position. When it comes to the Captain of the ship, an operative should use their discretion or leave the decision to an Inspector, the Gunnery Sergeant, or the IHS Commander.

Red Paragraph

Title	Description	Penalty
Murder	Bringing to clinical death, regardless of whether a person was brought back to life or not.	Incarceration Capital punishment at the discretion of Captain and Head of an accused’s organization.
Forced Conversion	Conversion to NeoTheology without express consent.	20 minutes 14000 credits
Sabotage	Wide-scale damage to hull plating, destruction of crucial equipment or other severe damage to the vessel.	25 minutes 2000-60000 credits dependent on damage. Capital punishment at the discretion of Captain and/or Head of an accused’s organization if damage is extensive.
Collaboration with prohibited organizations, mutiny	Any prohibited organization, such as Excelsior and other terrorist groups, this includes the use of prohibited equipment that is not authorized.	Incarceration Capital punishment at the discretion of Captain and/or Head of an accused’s organization.
Unsanctioned Organisms	Creation of or existence as a mutant, changelings and the likes of, creation of unlicensed shipboard AI or lawless synthetics. Reversible genetic damage is not equivalent to mutation for the purposes of this law.	Uncompromising termination of organism. Capital punishment of Creator at the discretion of the Captain, otherwise permanent incarceration.

IH Basics

This is a guide for the unrobust, the weary or newbie. If you are Chad Thundercock, grab master, vagabond nemesis, do whatever I guess. Disclaimer: this will not teach you the SS13 mechanics or the Eris codebase. Get familiar with it first, practice loadout management, quick item switching, hotkeys, reloading, then pick IH.

The IH Paradox

When it comes to working with your fellow IHS Operatives, there are two paradigms to follow:

1. You must always rely on your teammates: an operative's greatest strength is their fellow operative.
2. You must never rely on your teammates: the average operative is dumber than a rock and will hamper you.

What this means in plain English is that bring backup, but don't expect them to save the day. Whether it is making an arrest, raiding a suspected Excelsior cell or just patrolling the halls of the ship, try and bring a buddy. Despite this, do not get complacent with your backup - one dead operative can easily turn into two or more when dealing with a cunning antagonist and/or their buddies.

(Un)Common Sense

For many unsuspecting Operatives the first and only piece of advice they are give is "Shoot first, justify later". While this can be valid advice given the nature of a carrying crew, the situation is usually more complicated than that. One of the best indicators that a shoot-first mentality is valid is the ship's alert system. We will return to the subject of alerts later.

Sarge, I Think the Alert Level is Wrong

This being Eris of course the crew is often less than professional. As with all things, if you think the alert is wrong or you think the situation is going to be dangerous use your brain. Draw your weapon during Green Alert as necessary, use lethal force in defense of yourself and the ship. The following quote sums up these cases nicely.

"They are more like guidelines than what we call rules."

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from "shoot first" is the sadly-underutilized social interaction of asking politely but firmly. Playing nice doesn't just help with getting people to comply with reasonable requests, but also helps build your reputation as an officer who has their head on straight. If you act rationally, makes rational requests and escalate only when necessary the rest of the population is more likely to listen to you surprisingly enough. Barging into a faction's home turf guns blazing is a quick way to get shot at with lethal intent, regardless of whether you had good reason to or not.

Speaking of reasons, it is important to communicate clearly and effectively why IHS is here. Declaring why a person is being detained and giving them a chance to surrender peacefully (or at the very least submit to being cuffed in the case of extreme paranoia) is considered "legitimate and professional" thus enhancing your status as "reasonable cop". This also keeps (the legitimate) members of the suspect's department from acting up when you take them in. Bring them in, do your thing, let them go without treating them like an asshole, and I can guarantee they will not jump you with lethal ammo while you are taking a break in the club.

So when do you take off the kid gloves and break out the lethals? Generally when the ship is at Red Alert, when the perp starts shooting back or when the perp attempts to run away. Granted, all these situations are incredibly obvious but it is worth understanding that these are the most basic reasons. There are hundreds more that are not documented so USE YOUR OWN DAMN JUDGEMENT. You have lots of options for stunning or disabling most targets ranging from the humble Martin to flashbang grenades to the simple grab. Use what best fits the situation and goals.

I'm an Ape TLDR

Being heavy-handed without good reason bands the crew against IH and then the entire department gets mobbed

Don't use lethals without good reason; you have stun tools available to you and people appreciate not being taken out of a round for small crimes

Divide and conquer by communicating reasons for arresting or use of lethal force; if you have good reason to arrest/kill most people are happy to at least stay out of the way

Use your brain you reprobate. Blindly following advice without considering context makes you an absolute tool

Codespeak

All official, first-party contractors of IHS (aka no mid-round hires) have access to a special tab of commands known as Codespeak. By clicking on a verb an Operative may report several bits of accurate information without having to type it out or reference their PDA. Additionally this information is encoded such that any eavesdroppers on the channel will not understand what is being said. However it is important to note that the phrases available are not very complex and they cannot be used to form plans in their base state.

Code Phrase contents

todo

Equipping Yourself

A single click's reach away

As soon as a fight breaks out, the clock starts ticking. Having access to equipment becomes paramount when the time taken to perform an extra click is the difference between getting killed and surviving the fight. It is important to have quick and easy access to the gear you need when you need it, ideally without having to click through multiple inventories.

For every operative inventory management is critical. This part of the guide is intended to help identify what items to prioritize and recommended locations for those items.

Gear

The core of an Operative's loadout is their gear - gear enables access to additional equipment and abilities. The following are highly recommended and are available to all Operatives at the start of the round, either in the lockers or on the Operative's inventory:

Item	Explanation
Satchel	The humble satchel doesn't carry much but has a secret: it's contents can be accessed without moving it into an empty hand first.
Stun Gloves	Stun Gloves are an evolution of the classic Stun Baton and enable Operatives to stun entities by activating THEN grabbing the target. These are powered by a medium energy cell and use 100 power per 'stun'.
Ironhammer Tactical Hud	Enables the ability to view the wanted status of all crew in line of sight as well as their Wanted status. Also protects Operatives against flash-like effects.
Ironhammer Tactical Belt	The Ironhammer Tactical Belt can hold up to six (6) items related to combat or security, regardless of the item's normal bulk. These are found in the Ironhammer Barracks lockers or in the Armory and may run out of stock.
Ironhammer Gasmask	The Ironhammer Gasmask protects operatives against chemical attacks against the eyes in addition to being a mask for the purpose of internals mask. These are found in the Ironhammer Barracks lockers or in the Armory and may run out of stock.

Additional gear also comes recommended, but may not be immediately available to Operatives as a result of needing to be found or purchased at the Operative's expense.

Item	Explanation
Holster	Allows the storage of a sidearm in the uniform slot. Stored sidearms may be accessed by hotkey "H" by default. There is no difference in these holsters and operatives may pick and choose freely.
Pouch (various)	Allows the storage of various items much like a satchel but with a smaller inventory. What items these pouches can store varies based on the type. Placed in the Operative's pocket slots, these can be used as an extender of pocket space except for the Large Generic Pouch which goes in the suit storage slot.

Implants and Prosthesis

One of the many things that become available as a round proceeds is access to various cybernetic prosthetics and implants. Prosthetics can be used to replace lost limbs or as upgrades to flesh and blood parts. Implants allow for access to various weapons and tools while taking up a minimum amount of space. These are all useful however they are beyond the scope of this guide.

Armor

Armor as the title implies protects the Operative against the various hazards on the CEV Eris. Operatives start with a set of Full Operative Armor and an Operator Helmet. This provides a basic level of protection against most common threats however as specific threats become identified Operatives should tailor their armor to best counter the equipment that the opposition is using.

Operator/Security Armor provides some protection, however it also has variants with modifiers that indicate what they protect against and where that protection extends to.

Modifier	Effect
Full	Covers Arms, Upper Body, Lower Body and Legs
Webbed	Has an internal inventory space like a jacket
Bulletproof	Increased protection against ballistic weapons
Ablative	Increased protection against energy weapons
Riot	Increased protection against melee weapons

Voidsuits

Observant visitors to the Armory may notice that IHS has sets of voidsuits and an armored rig in storage. It is recommended that Operators DO NOT use these pieces of equipment. While Voidsuits are desirable for use in space operations, the average shift will not require spacewalks. Meanwhile said voidsuits typically provide less protection than actual armor and slow down their users.

The IHS armored rig is typically used for high-risk operations as there is only one available. It's loss is a significant blow the abilities of the IHS force on the CEV Eris.

Tools

Gears and Armor expand an Operative's abilities by enabling them with protection and space, however Tools are what define what an Operative can do with that Gear and Armor. The following are highly recommended and are available to all Operatives at the start of the round, either in the lockers or on the Operative's inventory:

Item	Explanation
Crowbar	The humble crowbar is a versatile tool, capable of opening unpowered doors, jamming doors open or just being used as a crude bludgeon.
Screwdriver	The screwdriver is used to close up door electronic access panel, renabling the door assuming that is is powered and not bolted down. Also used to open up prosthetic maintenance panel for repairs.
FS FBG "Sierra"	Frozen Star's contribution to the flashbang market, the Sierra creates a large blinding and disorienting effect shortly after being primed. Unlike the "Simon", this one is not blocked by full face masks.
FS TGG "Simon"	The other Frozen Star non-lethal grenade, the Simon releases concentrated capsaicin shortly after being primed. Unlike the "Sierra", this one applies a pain effect due to it's payload.
Handcuffs	Handcuffs restrain a suspect's hands and prevents them from immediately reaching for a weapon or engaging in combat.
Zipties	Zipties restrain a suspect's hands. However these are specifically for restraining suspects that are wearing armored rig suits.
Welding Tool	The Welding Tool has multiple purposes, allowing the sealing or unsealing of doors as well as being used as the primary method of repairing prosthetic limbs. Doubles as a lighter. Remember that Welding Tools need to be refilled periodically.

Weapons

Weapons are the final component to an Operator's equipment. IHS has the best access to high-quality arms and armor at the beginning of the round. This lead in firearms and equipment quickly diminishes as the crew purchases, produce or find items on the ship.

This guide will avoid discussing the merits of the various weapons on the CEV Eris and instead will focus on tools available to Operatives without extra effort.

Weapon	Explanation
FS PDW E Martin	The Martin is the primary ranged stun sidearm for Operatives. Powered by small energy cells, the Martin can stun or kill targets based on the fire mode.
FS HG .35 Auto "Paco"	The Paco is the basic IHS ballistic sidearm. .35 Auto is a very common ammunition type and can be easily obtained. These are found in the Ironhammer Barracks lockers or in the Armory and may run out of stock.
FS CAR .25 CS "Sol"	The Sol is the primary rifle for Operatives. The Sol fires in either semi-automatic mode or in 3-round bursts. These are found in the Ironhammer Barracks lockers or in the Armory and may run out of stock.
Tactical Knife	When all else fails, a knife may save an Operative's life. Knives can be stored in an Operative's boots and provide basic utility in addition to being good for shanking a bitch. These are found in the Ironhammer Barracks lockers or in the Armory and may run out of stock.

Ammunition and upgrades

Without ammunition most firearms become very pretty bludgeons. Take ammunition and magazines appropriate to the weapons you use. For IHS Operatives the barracks secvendor machine provides a large quantity of rubber bullets free of charge on top of any magazines or ammunition packets in the lockers. It is recommended that new Operatives take .25 Caseless Rubber for their "Sol" and .35 Auto Lethals for their "Paco" as a backup unless there is a clear and present need to be fully armed with lethal ammunition.

Lethals?

Loading up with ballistic weapons brings up the question of what type of ammo to bring. IHS is often recommended to bring Rubber or other non-lethal rounds as these are both plentiful and less likely to cause damage to fellow operatives. As with everything, USE BEST JUDGEMENT when deciding to fill up on lethal or non-lethal rounds.

Other

Now, onto an "optimal" loadout, and how to use your gun. Keep in mind, this is my personal loadout and what I suggest to new or not combat robust people. It works, is versatile and there is plenty of space for customization and variation. Don't hesitate to try your own loadout, find what you are comfortable with. It's worse to be a walking armory and not being able to manage your equipment under stress, than having only a small pistol you know how to use. Still, a basic all-inclusive loadout is helpful if you have no clue what to bring with you or what each thing does, so here it goes:

Storage:

The tac belt: Essential. What I put in it, regardless of loadout: crowbar, one flashbang (sierra in the sec vendor), flash and/or pepperspray. What I fill the space with, depending on inventory management requirements: ammo, cuffs, a second grenade (almost exclusively pepperspray grenade), a medium cell. I can't give you the perfect combo, you need to figure it you, but the belt should be reserved for what you want to have ready and easy to grab. If you are an operative, try this: crowbar, flashbang, either flash or pepperspray (better the flash, less counters for it), two sol magazines, one pistol magazine, one medium cell, cuffs. This should be enough for green alert and normal patrol.

The Pockets: Save exceptions, first pocket slot (leftmost) should have a pistol holster (the one you find in your locker), the second a flashlight. Make sure to change the flashlight battery with a 200s cell. In the pistol holster, put either your ballistic gun or your taser (by default and respectively, the Paco and Martin), depending on which gun you want to quick draw (H key) from a suit holster (explained), and which one you need to manually click to draw.

The Satchel: This is pretty much free game. Basically, you put whatever you can't put into your belt and pockets in here. What I personally carry in there: three S cells (spares for your taser and flashlight), one extra cuff (exclusively zipties), any extra ammo, misc tools (warrant projector, tape, screwdriver...) usually in a box, a spare grenade. In the end, this is the most varied part of the storage part, I can't give a perfect guide. If you are not new to SS13 and Eris, which you should not be if you are playing IH, you'll figure out how to optimize storage space. Always remember to keep things you need in your hands fast out of containers.

The Holster: Go down to the FS vendor in your lobby and buy one of the holsters there, there is no mechanical difference between them, and attach it to your jumpsuit. Holster a gun in there by clicking on it like the pocker holster, or better yet, use the H key for quick draw. Which of your pistols you put in it depends on you: the paco or the taser? whatever you feel like you want to fire fast without looking at your inventory.

The Ear Slot: Surprisingly versatile. Holds a bunch of small items, from handful of bullets, to a screwdriver, to hailers. Or cigaratte packets and cigars, if you want.

Armor:

Best option would be to grab a full bulletproof kit (body and helmet). I really don't recommend not wearing at least the body piece at all times, your basic operative armor is terrible for actual fights, this can buy precious survivability, and it covers all limbs unlike base armor. Take any helmet with it, if you don't want max protection. This does not apply to inspectors, and this is also where I mention how to be an inspector: keep wearing your fashionable coat (a little armored), investigate, find criminals, and don't get into firefights. Call the monkeys, also known as operatives, to do the dirty work. They will be equipped for it. You can do arrests, I mean, but bring the muscle. Let them get shot, you are too cool for that.

Guns:

For the purpose of this guide, don't bother with anything else for now, stick to these: Sol carbine, Paco, Martin. The first two are in your locker, the latter you spawn with. Sol in the suit slot, in case you were not sure, the pistols in the two holsters. The ammo for them is simple:

The Martin is versatile, Z in hand to change from stun, to lethal, to charge (ignore the latter). Keep it on stun unless you need to kill someone through glass, are out of lethal ammo or don't have time to reload. Btw, you can shoot through some airlocks with lasers, provided they let light through (i.e. the ones you can see through).

The Paco loaded exclusively with lethals, not joking. Pistols with rubbers are shit, just use the taser if you want to stun someone with a pistol. Grab two lethal mags with it, one in the gun and one spare (if you remember, in the belt). The Sergeanr or Commander will hand them to you if you ask, or buy them if they are not there.

The Sol, well, it is a different beast. As it is now, with lethal ammo it is a great gun, can take down anyone with no more than a magazine, accounting for misses and armor. Unless you can manage to reload the Martin really fast, which is clunky to do as is with all energy guns, got bigger cells for the martin or a bigger taser, take rubbers with the sol. It is not as good, no gun is with rubbers, but this is every day carry, not emergency. It'll do for normal threats and defensive shooting, since every rubber that hits inflicts pain and slowdown. I'm trying to teach you to arrest people and survive, which is hard to do since the easiest way to survive is to use lethal ammunition exclusively, which everyone but you will have plenty and ready on any alert level. Regardless, bring with two at least two lethal magazines for the sol, in your backpack/belt (separate from the rubbers), for when shit escalates and you need real firepower quick.

The sol with rubbers, and the martin, are what you will use to take criminals or anyone that resists arrest alive.

How the fuck do I reload?

Misleading title. You should know how to reload. Don't be IH if you do not how to. This section is all about how to use your equipment, when to use it and when not to. I'll be brief:

Name	Description
Crowbar	A must, always have one. Opens depowered airlocks and emergency shutters. You'd be surprised how many operatives were blocked, trapped, killed or suffocated by a powerless door or fire-alarm. Unironically your best melee weapon, especially vs roaches. Store it in the belt, where is it both easier to grab and occupies less space than in the satchel.
Flashbang	This one is a large area stun. Without eye protection, it knocks down and blinds people, and also deafens, blocking anyone in place, you included. Toss it, and run. Carry one, always useful against overwhelming odds and to retreat
Pepperspray grenade	Will blind, cause pain, and knock down anyone without face protection (gasmasks, balaclavas, voidsuits). Don't use if they have one of those things and/or you do not. With a gasmask and goggles on, you can safely hold it and detonate even in your hands, don't worry about being too close to it.
Flash	Blinds and knockdowns anyone without eye protection or not in a voidsuit, but they can still crawl and resist your grabs. Good tool for disarming and stunning people.
Pepperspray	Like a flash, it blinds people and knocks them down, but works differently (this also applies to the grenade version). Without eye protection, the target will be blinded. Without face protection, the target will be knocked down; this knockdown is 'upgraded': they won't be able to crawl or resist (like electricity stuns). Very good tool, useless if the target has face protection. It stuns for almost as long as it takes to cuff someone. Refill it at engineering, and you need to toggle the safety off before using it
Medium cell	This is used to power the stun gloves. When you use up even a bit of the gloves, change it at the first occasion, trust me. Make sure to always have a charged one in the gloves, and charge the spare when safe. You find these in lower armory (the one with all the racks, armor, and crates)
Small cells	Already mentioned, for the martin and flashlight. Also in lower armory.
Cuffs	For restraining criminals and other rabble. Find them in vendors and lower armory (in a box), and you spawn with one. Don't work on voidsuits and hardsuits.
Zipties	Technically worse cuffs (easier to break out of), but only these work on voids and hardsuits. Bring one normal cuff and one ziptie on you, at the very least, all the time.
Warrant Projector	Optional, but a cool gadget if only for the looks. Use it to select a created warrant (made with PDA) and use it on someone (i.e. click on them) to display the warrant.
Police tape	Useless, for all purposes. An RP tool, but you can get inventive with it (cordon places off, signal dangerous zones, broken floors...)
Hailer	Attracts attention by screaming loudly a phrase. Right click sets a different hail scream. Bonus because cool robocop voice. Useful, but situational. Arguably way more useful than the tape and warrant projector. I mentioned that rarely people will listen or comply immediately, but this can grab their attention.
Screwdriver	Used to close airlocks with their wires exposed. In case you did not know, an airlock with the panel open cannot be opened at all, unless without power or by swiping the ID (slow if you need to use the door again). A baby can block an entire IH kill team by exposing the wires on any airlock. Sits comfortably in the ear slot.
Knife	You put this one in your boots, and you can macro it to quick draw. Extreme backup, don't use this in combat unless you literally have nothing else. The knife is a tool: works like a screwdriver and wirecutters both, albeit slower. It can close exposed wires on an airlock, and even mend wire splicing (don't try it without insulated gloves). Pretty much an alternative or backup for the screwdriver.
Flashlight	Self explanatory. They have limited batteries unlike other codebases, so use them when needed and keep spare cells. Change the battery like an energy gun.
Paco (with lethals)	Backup gun when you need to use lethal force. Below average AP, good damage. Works well with unarmored or light armored opponents. Switch to it in a pinch or when you cannot afford the time to reload. Keep it topped up at all times. Ten shots, like all other non-revolvers; .35 pistol magazines.
Martin	Your main stun gun along with the sol. Ignore charge mode for now, keep it on stun and use lethal when a window is between you and the criminal and you want him dead, or when you want to finish a wounded off. Extremely low magazine: only 4 shots with 200s cells, what you have freely available in armory; takes S-cells.
Sol Carbine	Good with lethals, mediocre with rubbers. Main gun you will use, it will serve you well. Low recoil, burst fire mode (the only mode you should use), accurate, fast firing, 30 rnd magazine. Fits in a satchel or other big storage items; .25 magazines.
Ammo Packets	No reason why you cannot fit one or two of these in the box you spawn with. Lower Armory has freely available in the crates .35 and .25 rubber packets, you can get these from the Sec Vendors in barracks, and the Sgt or Lt can hand you over .35 lethal packets. You click on them with a magazine to refill them. Optional, but like the rest of your loadout, they are intended to keep you running and active without walking all the way to brig for rearmament for a long time. Top up spent or used magazines, and you won't run out of ammo save in the most extreme cases.

;HELP EXCEL

This is for when red alert or, occasionally, blue alert is in place. For when fecal matter hits the ventilation device. First thing: in red alert, toss away your equipment and start again. Seriously. Go back to brig asap if you can to rearm. Get full armor, ditch all the nice tools (warrants, tape, even cuffs if you must, but keep zipties. Remove all the rubber ammo, and get lethals for every gun if you do not have them, or get more. Get more grenades too, wear your gasmask, have oxy tanks on hand, make sure everything is accessible and fast to retrieve in your satchel. You are getting rid of all that is taking up space and is not necessary to kill and face true emergency and chaos. Make sure you have ammo for plenty of fights, because you can't count on retreating back to safety. Don't overload, of course, but better to have two magazines more than two less. Chances of death are at the same time higher and the usual compared to green alert. You are here to make it alive, of course. Or try your best to kill the baddies. The latter it best, even if you die trying.

Second thing, this (technically) gives you authority. Not that the crew will listen. Playing Eris, you know people are their own private armies armed to the teeth, and therefore will kill without trouble, be it either the commies or you trying to force them to obey. What red alert means, is that you have all the rights to be violent and not take anyone's shit. You ask someone to surrender and lay down their weapons, and they do everything but that? shoot them. Someone causes trouble? Shoot them. You are authorized to use lethal force, and you must enforce your authority. Compared to the other alert levels, the situation is even more delicate. You can't afford to being an asshole still and gun people down indiscriminately (despite what I told you before), but if you previously built trust in IH, you'll have more people on your side and shooting your enemy than you, even if they don't follow your orders. Break into departments, flash people, commit sweeping arrests, whatever it is, act fast and hard. this is the time of the 'shoot first, apologize later' philosophy. Everyone on Eris is out for themselves and/or their department, and you will do the same. Protect your department, protect your life at all costs even if it takes killing someone merely sketchy and innocent than nevertheless attacked or resisted, but now more than ever, don't be reckless and don't lose all common sense and caution.

Third thing, your superiors (and this is true to any alert level and situation) are your reference. You listen to them, and obey them to the best of your capabilities, and their orders take precedence over what I said. Your Sgt tells you to kill someone in green alert, or viceversa, take someone alive during red? You do it. The Lt says to flash and assault RnD, without taking the one person you need calmly? You do it. This, however, requires the superiors to actually know what they are doing. In a way, they are excluded from the IH paradox, and it is better that way. Even if they are as dumb as you, follow them; it will take the pressure of decisions off you, it's better than being passive. If they are dumber, or you think you have better judgement, ignore them. Remember, this way you take all the responsibility for shit going south and your own failure. If you really think charging engineering alone, do it, I don't care. Don't salt in deadchat you were gangbanged by technomancers, and remember the rest of IH will be in trouble because of your actions. Then again, if the commander tells you something clearly suicidal or which you cannot do, explain it to them, but only once. Tell them to fuck off, the second time.

Misc and Helpful Tips

- Whatever you are going, always watch closely your target regardless if you are arresting, interrogating or shooting them. It can mean the difference between your success or demise. A distracted operative is dead weight and free loot.

- No matter if you are taking someone in peacefully, always be ready to draw your gun and keep your mouse on your rifle. People love to gun you down suddendly and treacherously, and especially when you are typing (intentional or not).

- Most of the time, people will shoot you with lethals even if you merely poke them. Your average target won't care if he gets mortally injured, he wants to kill you, and he will succeed it even if he dies in the process or sits half an hour healing. Lethals are plain superior and the only reliable way to stop someone for good, everyone loads them because they don't need to take people alive.

- Almost as frequently as being welcomed with lethal force, people will resist and undermine whatever you do or say. IH has a bad reputation, mostly due to meta reasons since the average brainlet IH (from operative to commander) is a bully who cannot enforce his assholery. They know or think you are unrobust, clueless, unpleasant to play with and will generally only fuck them over regardless of innocence. They will take their chances to eliminate you and, again, they have all the tools to do so.

- Type with one hand, make every single spelling mistake until what you wrote is a new language entirely, speak in caveman talk, I don't care. Say what you want you say fast: the text box hinders you greatly as is typing. You need to be fast and responsive, after all. Don't stop in the corridors arguing with an arrested criminal, do that when they are buckled to a bed or chair.

- To avoid excessive typing, macro useful sentences ("Get down, please", "Down, now!", "You are under arrest, come peacefully and cuffed", "lay down your weapons", "stop!" etc) and your favorite one-liners. I recommend ALT + a number key. You can blurt them while running, reloading or performing any other task, and it saves your skin by avoiding to type an order to cease and desist.

- While you are at it, write before hand the arrest charges and copy-paste them in an instant as you announce an arrest. Works in place of or in conjuction with a warrant.

- Use common sense. Don't risk your life and equipment against impossible odds, don't over extend without support, don't travel with guns out when not in combat or about to be (mostly because you can be knocked down and robbed of your gun).

- Nothing kills an operative faster than misjuding the situation. Take your time to read the room and assess who you should shoot and who you should not. It's bad to kill the one person on your side, and having the antag kill you while you are with your guard down and wounded, and it's even worse killing an innocent or someone that will cause an uprising. Don't be anxious to validhunt.

- Keep your distance. It applies to any role. Much like in real life, if someone gets right in your face, he is likely planning to shank you, disarm you or grab-fu you.

- Learn all about grab combat, stuns and knockdowns. Flash + cuffs does not work on eris, they can crawl away and reset the cooldown. Against someone actively resisting, a full knock out or pain crit is required to restrain them. Also great is dislocating limbs: red grab someone, harm intent, and click on them when selecting a limb.

- Don't trust anyone

- Trust your fellow IH

- Don't trust your fellow IH too much

Now, activate those stun gloves, wear those jackboots and get killed show that vagabond who's boss.