Anatomy of
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typical rescues like you would encounter them in #fuelrats
It should be noted that while these are amazing examples, rescues can vary wildly. It is, ultimately, up to the dispatch to make sure that the client is rescued smoothly. This means you should be prepared that your rescues may not look exactly like the ones you see below, but these will provide an overview of what you may expect to see.
About the bots...
The two bots that are squeaking in #fuelrats are <&RatMama[BOT]> and <Mechasqueak[BOT]>. The role of RatMama is to take the information clients enter into the FuelRats WebUI and announce the client in the IRC rescue channel. MechaSqueak recognizes that announcement and uses it to create a case. In addition, MechaSqueak reacts to commands done by the dispatcher, for example to give instructions to the client or assign rats to a case.
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Typical, Non-CR Rescue, Annotated
Names/Roles/Bots
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This is what you might see on IRC during a ‘typical’ rescue. “Bot” is our IRC bot, currently <Mechasqueak[BOT]>. Names/Roles are marked in RED and additional information on what exactly is going on is marked in BLUE
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BLUE
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<&RatMama[BOT]> |
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Incoming Client: |
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John Tops - System: Eravate - Platform: PC (Odyssey) - O2: OK - Language: English (en |
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) - IRC Nickname: |
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John_Tops |
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RATSIGNAL Case #3 PC (Odyssey) – CMDR John Tops – System: "ERAVATE" (K Orange dwarf 73.3 LY from Sol) – Language: English (en |
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) – Nick: John_Tops (RatMama announces the client. And MechaSqueak responds with the case creation.) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> !prep 3
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(Bot command that gives instructions on how to prepare to be rescued.) |
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<%MechaSqueak[BOT]> |
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John_Tops: Please exit supercruise and come to a |
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stop. Keep Life Support ON, and disable all |
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<Client> ok done
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other modules you can disable (you can't disable them all - instructions available if needed). If an oxygen countdown timer appears at all let us know right away. |
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jumps away and available to rescue. The case number #3 at the beginning indicates to dispatch that the rat called for case number 3.) |
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<Terekhov> #3 3j (3 jumps away and available to rescue.) |
<Dispatch> !go 7 Rat1 Rat2
(Usually if you call jumps, you start going before the dispatcher tells you; not all dispatchers will tell you to go. Depending on the current case load, Dispatch might assign you to the rescue alone, if it is not a code red, or they might assign two or even three rats, if it's <redacted>.)
<%> <Client>: Please add the following rat(s) to your friends list: rat1, rat2
<Dispatch> stand down Rat3
(Dispatch indicating Rat3 should not go, likely because Rat1 and Rat2 are much closer.)
<Rat1> rgr
<Rat2> omw
<Dispatch> !pcfr Client
<%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> John_Tops, let us know once you have done the module shutdown instructions (Only 2 rats got assigned to this case, probably because one was a lot further away and two rats are sufficient for a normal rescue. Since Toby was not assigned, they will not proceed to the rescue.) <%MechaSqueak[BOT]> John_Tops Please add the following 2 rats to your friends list: "NL Paradox", "Terekhov" |
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To send a friend request, go to the menu (Hit ESC), click |
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SOCIAL, and search for your rat(s) in the upper right. Click them, then click ADD FRIEND. (The client ALWAYS initiates the friend request. Only in very exceptional cases should the rat send the friend request. See A technical look at SOP for more info.) |
<Client> done
<Rat2> fr+ 1j
(Confirming receipt and acceptance of the friend request and updating on location. If they hadn’t yet received a request, they would write FR- (Friend Request negative) instead.)
<Rat1> fr+
<Dispatch> <Client> now please send them a wing invite.
<Dispatch> !pcwing Client
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<+NL_Paradox> #3 fr+ (Rats report that they have received and accepted the clients friend request.. If sufficient time has passed and no friend request was received, fr- can be reported) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> Perfect John_Tops, now invite your rats to a team (Dispatch asks the client to initiate the wing/team request. Like friend requests earlier, the client sends wing/team invites to the rats, not the other way around.) <%MechaSqueak[BOT]> John_Tops: To invite someone to your team |
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, go to the comms panel (Default key 2), hit ESC to get out of the chat box, and move to the |
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third panel (Default key E). Then select |
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your Rat(s) and select Invite to |
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<Client> ok sent
<Rat1> wr+ (Confirming that they’re in the wing. Like friend requests, WR- would indicate no wing request yet.)
<Rat2> wr+
<Dispatch> Client now please drop your wing beacon.
<Dispatch> !pcbeacon Client
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team (Both rats report that they have received and accepted the clients wing/team invite. Both wr+ and tm+ are common ways to indicate a successful wing creation.) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> John_Tops finally make sure your team beacon is active |
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beacon, go to the right |
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panel (Default key 4), navigate to the |
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SHIP tab (Default key Q), then in the FUNCTIONS sub-screen select BEACON and set it to WING/TEAM |
<Client> beacon set
(We need a wing beacon so we can find the client in the system.)
<Dispatch> Thanks Client
<Rat1> bc+ (Confirming they can see the beacon and en route.)
<Rat2> bc+
(In some cases, the client can be a considerable distance away from the main star. In these cases, it is preferable to report the distance to the beacon, so Dispatch can judge whether it's best to log the client out while you travel to them. Especially if they tried to supercruise to the next system over and are 20,000ls+ away.)
<Dispatch> Thanks, if you see that blue timer pop up let me know right away.
<Rat1> instance-
<Dispatch> rgr Rat1 try a manual drop.
(Sometimes, we have issues getting into the same instance as a client. This is where sending multiple rats on one rescue can help, as we have more chances to instance successfully with the client. It also helps to ensure that you are set up for direct port forwarding.)
<Rat2> visual on Client
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<+NL_Paradox> #3 bc+ (Rats report that they are in the clients system and have visual on their wing/team beacon) <Terekhov> #3 in ez (One rat informs dispatch that instancing failed because the client was in an Exclusion Zone. For more information see Instancing and Avoiding Unwanted PvP) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> John_Tops looks like you are a bit close to the star. Please do the following: (Rats report that the client successfully exited the Exclusion Zone and are now in supercruise) <Terekhov> #3 fuel+ (After dropping from supercruise, Terekhov could actually see the client, and confirmed that they’ve sent fuel to the client and received the "Fuel Transfer Complete" message. It’s important to confirm when the fuel transfer is completed, rather than it when it starts — mishaps can and do occur in the time between the limpet is launched and when it reports Fuel Transfer Complete. Refueling, fueling, refueled, fueled, fuel+ or any other variation of fuel should only be used upon success of the first limpet. It shouldn't be used if the rat is fuel scooping or for any other reason than successful refueling of a client) |
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<%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> !close 3 Terekhov (Dispatch confirms Terekhov as the rat that got the First Limpet to the client. The case is closed and the Terekhov can proceed with debriefing the client and filling out paperwork. For more info on debriefing see Standard Debriefing Protocol. ) <&MechaSqueak[BOT]> Successfully closed case #3 (John Tops). |
Typical, Non-CR Rescue, Unannotated
Names/Roles/Bots are marked in RED.
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<Dispatch> Great work guys, db&pw when ready.
<Dispatch> !clear Client Rat2
(Friendly reminder to debrief (db) and do rescue paperwork (pw), and completing the rescue from the dispatcher’s point of view. Rat2 got the first limpet across, so they’re responsible for this. By tagging the successful rat in the !)
An example case from #fuelrats
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| * Wyhx (4e14d504@Clk-D612F6D7.access.telenet.be) has joined #fuelrats
<&RatMama[BOT]> Incoming Client: WyhxJohn Tops - System: Arietis Sector CX-I A 10A10-0 - Platform: PCXB - O2: OK - Language: English (en -GB)) - IRC Nickname: John_Tops RATSIGNAL Case #5 Xbox – CMDR John Tops – System: "ARIETIS SECTOR CX-I A10-0" (Brown dwarf 133.4 LY from Sol) – Language: English (en) – Nick: John_Tops |
CR Rescue, Annotated
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<&RatMama[BOT]> Incoming Client: John Tops - System: Alpha Centauri - Platform: PS - O2: NOT OK - Language: English (en) - IRC Nickname: John_Tops (MechaSqueak automatically gives the client instructions to exit to the Main Menu) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> John_Tops please confirm that you've quit to main menu where you can see your ship in the hangar. (Dispatch gathers some basic information from the client, and puts it into the case information via the bot) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> !gofr 7 NL_Paradox Terekhov Toby_Charles (Dispatch assigns 3 rats to the Code Red case to increase the chance that the client can be saved in time) <%MechaSqueak[BOT]> John_Tops Please REMAIN at the main menu and add the following 3 rats to your friends list: "NL_Paradox3307", "Terekhov", "Toby Charles" (All rats report they have received and accepted the clients friend request and confirm that the client has indeed logged out to the main menu.) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> John_Tops without logging in, can you remember WHERE in the system you were? By the star, a planet or station or on the way to one? (After they assign the rats to the case, the dispatch continues to get information from the client to try and figure out their location in the system.) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> John_Tops I have a couple of instructions for you. Please only READ them for now, ok? (Dispatch provides the client with all the instructions they will need to perform their part of the rescue in quick succession. It is important to make sure the client DOES NOT log in to the game when given these instructions.) <John_Tops> OK i've read through them (Dispatch checks one last time to make sure everyone involved is ready before the client is given the go ahead to log into the game.) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> GO GO GO! John_Tops 1. Login to OPEN - 2. light your beacon - 3. invite your rats NL_Paradox Terekhov Toby_Charles to a wing - 4. report your o2 time in this chat and be ready to logout if I tell you to. (One rat reports that the client has entered open play, meaning the oxygen timer is ticking down now. There is also a confirmation that the system giving by the client is correct.) <+NL_Paradox> #7 wr+ bc+ 200kls (All of the Rats got the wing invite and can also see the client's activated beacon. They include a distance to the beacon in their call, which allows dispatch to estimate the arrival time of the rats and make crucial decisions for the safety of the client.) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> !quit 7 (Dispatch estimates that the rats will not be able to reach the client in time, so the client is instructed to exit to main menu again. The rats should then check immediately to see that the client actually logs out to the main menu.) <%MechaSqueak[BOT]> John_Tops: Please log out of the game immediately by pressing OPTIONS and selecting Exit followed by Exit to Main Menu! (Rat confirms that the client has exited to Main Menu, meaning the timer has stopped ticking down) <John_Tops> done (Rats take about 8 min to supercruise to the last observed position of the client.) <+NL_Paradox> #7 pos+ (Rats report they have arrived at the assumed position of the client.) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> John_Tops your rats are next to your location. Are you ready to repeat the previous instructions? (Client is instructed to reenter the game in Open and the dispatch repeats the beacon and wing instructions.) <%Toby_Charles> #7 open (Calls happen in quick succession now or are even omitted because rats are focusing on getting the fuel to the client in game as quickly as possible.) <%Velica_Foriana[Dispatch]> !close 7 Toby_Charles |