[Implemented] Med Commands

[[TC]►Luke™◄]

I've noticed that on the server, when I'm a medic, I can only join accidents and not standard 'calltows'. I don't know if this applies to me only (a bug or something), or if all medics cannot join a !calltow. If it isn't a bug, please could you add this function in.

Also, will medics get a caution and hazard command? We serve the same function as tows but are not allowed to warn other road users. This is very dangerous as alot of the time medics get to the scene first or there is only a medic on the server.

As a seperate point, will medics ever get some sort of siren? I know it's generally excepted that we use stobes and audible sirens, but will we ever get a visual one? This would increase the response time to a call, and allow the road to become clear again without a crash resulting in an unhappy driver. If we are allowed, we should only be permitted to use it when we 'join a tow call' so it isn't abused. May I suggest it's a green/white flashing colour to help distinguish it apart from the cops. Even with a visual siren, people still may not be ablidged to move and it doesn't give meds' the right to blast through junctions. Also, when not on a task, medics can be chased.

Thanks for reading my suggestions, Luke

[◄Chuck►]

(2012-11-02 19:13)Lukey747 Wrote:  I've noticed that on the server, when I'm a medic, I can only join accidents and not standard 'calltows'. I don't know if this applies to me only (a bug or something), or if all medics cannot join a !calltow. If it isn't a bug, please could you add this function in.

That may not be the best solution but that's actually intended. IMO, meds are not there to do tow jobs, hence they're not dispatched if a tow only is requested.

(2012-11-02 19:13)Lukey747 Wrote:  Also, will medics get a caution and hazard command? We serve the same function as tows but are not allowed to warn other road users. This is very dangerous as alot of the time medics get to the scene first or there is only a medic on the server.

Well, that's rather a political question. Generally, they should be able but I'm afraid of situations where things get overdone. Where there was one tow before, there suddenly appear 2 meds and probably a res too, and all of them flashing around with caution and hazard signs, though there may be nothing interesting on the road.

(2012-11-02 19:13)Lukey747 Wrote:  As a seperate point, will medics ever get some sort of siren? I know it's generally excepted that we use stobes and audible sirens, but will we ever get a visual one? This would increase the response time to a call, and allow the road to become clear again without a crash resulting in an unhappy driver. If we are allowed, we should only be permitted to use it when we 'join a tow call' so it isn't abused. May I suggest it's a green/white flashing colour to help distinguish it apart from the cops. Even with a visual siren, people still may not be ablidged to move and it doesn't give meds' the right to blast through junctions. Also, when not on a task, medics can be chased.

Thanks for reading my suggestions, Luke

Strobes and audible sirens ok but visual sirens, abso-freaking-lutely, no.
Chases are privileged and that's good as it is. Allowing more people to use sirens will only create a lot of confusion to all others.

[[TC]►Luke™◄]

Ok Chuck, thanks for responding to my suggestions. But what if there are no TOWs online (or they're afk) and only a med is there? How are they going to control traffic, especially on corners? I can see what you mean aout the confusing caution and hazard signs, but I really think that med's should be able to use them. And as for the multiple meds and tows all using caution, how about there's a rule that only 1 caution is to be allowed at one crash scene, maybe in conjunction with a hazard sign if it's really dangerous?

[[TC]►Ras◄]

(2012-11-02 20:39)Lukey747 Wrote:  But what if there are no TOWs online (or they're afk) and only a med is there? How are they going to control traffic, especially on corners?

Generally, i only go [MED]/[RES] if there are at least one TOW online, so they can do the caution and towing job. If not, i usually choose to go TOW myself until another comes online.

[Seven]

I second everything you said Luke except the visual siren and only one MED being online and no TOWs. MED's are lucky they get to use Siren 4 & 5 at all, as Chuck said, chases are privilaged in clearing the roads so a Visual siren is unnecessary. As for being a MED when there are no TOWs; why not just change to TOW? You can use the signs and complete the job yourself then change to MED when a TOW arrives.

As for Cautions and Hazards, I can understand Chuck's view on the scene, it is annoying pulling into a scene with 4 caution signs flashing and an odd hazard sign when there's only a guy in the kitty litter. However, to avoid this, perhaps (as Luke said) a rule be introduced liiting the use of Cautions and Hazards. It is (or should be) general knowledge that a Caution should only be used if a user is in a dangerous situation, E.G: On the road in the way of traffic and Hazards if there's more than one car involved or it's a blind corner / fast section. The new rule could be ''7.7. MEDs should not abuse the Caution and Hazard signs. These should be used by only one car (max 2 if one is a stationary Hazard car). For info on the usage of these signs, see section 8.''

So giving MED's permission to Caution's and Hazards would be very useful, a MED's job is not to do Tow jobs, just to control the road and assist the Tow upon request, but how is one meant to control traffic without the permissions to do so? From experience, flashing lights on your car and a siren does nothing, and parking in the middle of the road is plain foolish. It leaves MEDs with hardly any purpose at all.

[[TC]►Luke™◄]

I agree that the visual siren is a silly idea now (upon review), but why should meds have to be tows? I've never really seen an interest in being a tow, I like med because it's more of an emergency service. I think being a med would be alot safer with caution instead of parking on the corner of a busy highway with strobes and audible sirens you can only hear from 100m away. This should also apply to RES because they serve the same function as MEDs

[BMW-gek]

To be honest, I do not understand the rules for MED/RES on this point. I've seen couple of discussion threads on the forum this year and it doesn't make anything more clear about it.

[Seven]

There's no rules actually written down... Maybe it's soemthing I can work on now while I have nothing better to do? A Med/Res Guide?

I can dig around old threads that Admins have concluded on, and bring everything together in a guide including pictures and stuff before bringing it all together in a nice guide which after posted, admins, players and whoever can comment on thingas to change, add or remove.

[BMW-gek]

I know and read the medic guide. Still its a guide and not written rules of TC. So taking a blast to accident with the lights and strobes wouldn't lead to a ban.

[Seven]

Oh of course, just read Luke's guide, there's no need for me to make one xD

[[TC]»Elmo«]

(2012-11-02 21:56)TheSAgibbs Wrote:  I can dig around old threads that Admins have concluded on...

Good luck with that
There's very little that has been actually concluded regarding MED rules - we haven't really even got a conclusion on MED roles yet.

From memory, the only things so far:
Can't break road laws when not on a call (basically existing cop rules 4.1 and 4.2)
Can't use visual siren (restricted by InSim)

[railker]

[MED] (and I thought we were abolishing [RES], but guess not, makes sense) should be able to have Caution and Hazard rights, it's simply slightly foolish to not.

What NEEDS to happen is a set of rules for who does what depending on who's on the scene or available or responding. Something like ...

SOLO: MED/RES solo on server can perform a tow, and in a dangerous situation should warn on public channels and have Caution/Hazard. In line with this, perhaps MED/RES should be called to not just Major Accidents.

TRAFFIC CONTROL: MED/RES with TOW present on server should hold a position back from the scene as 'advanced warning' to drivers. COPs on scene can take priority for performing traffic control over MED/RES. (May need some rules for this).

DOGPILE: In a situation where there are lots of units available, there should be a MAX of 2 units performing traffic control, one for each direction of traffic as required. MED/RES should remain on scene if there is already traffic control and 'stand by', either in front of traffic control units and out of the way of the tow, or behind and on the shoulder in relation to traffic control units.

PRIORITY I: If there is only a TOW or MED/RES, they should either await the arrival of traffic control (and perhaps implement an InSim command for units to request traffic control units?; and in the case of a MED/RES, await the arrival of a TOW if one is responding) or use appropriate Caution/Hazard symbols and perform the tow solo with caution.

PRIORITY II: Of course, if there's only one vehicle that requires a tow, the first TOW on scene responds until they, for whatever reason, pass off the tow to another TOW/MED/RES. A TOW also has priority over other units and authority to take over a TOW in progress. (May need some rules on this). Annoying when you have four vehicles trying to tow.

SAFETY: Once the crashed vehicle(s) are righted, TOW should ensure vehicle is capable of moving and arrange an escort if they require assistance to pit lane. If driver is AFK, ensure vehicle is off the road before the scene is "cleared".

Priority in the end should be to maintaining traffic flow, avoid blocking roads completely where possible, though most tows do require use of tarmac.

Think this covers my ideas on the matter well enough. Rip it apart, good feedback is what's going to make this feature effective and useful.

[Seven]

Just had a thought. 2 MEDS (With caution / Hazard permissions) could control traffic more realistically by:

Hazards mean, slow and prepare for a stop. You have 1 MED on the Northbound lane, and 1 on the Southbound lane. Working together they can control the flow of traffic aroudn the incident by working like traffic lights, Northbound goes, then south and so on. This could also be done with just 1 MED but it may be harder. This ''traffic light'' aspect can also make it more interesting for COPs, if a user is to run a ''Red light'' then the COP can pursue the offender and fine for whichever fine Right of way comes under.

It sounds silly, but it would make an accident a little more realistic rather than a MED just coming along and sitting on the side of the road with Cautions / Hazards on letting drivers sort how they get around the scene themselves.

[railker]

In a situation like that, traffic control would consist of effectively blocking the lane in a way to make it obvious that 'Yeah, you're dumb if you try and go by this, I'm obviously intentionally blocking the road'. If COPs are blocking the roads ... well they can make a report because they're doing traffic control, or pass it off to a MED to control while they pursue. That's a situational decision.

Also, units have 'FOLLOW ME' signs -- perhaps others can be added as required. Though I'm not sure on the traffic light aspect, it would help keep traffic flow while TOWs do their jobs.

[◄Chuck►]

(2012-11-03 00:46)TheSAgibbs Wrote:  Just had a thought. 2 MEDS (With caution / Hazard permissions) could control traffic more realistically by:

Hazards mean, slow and prepare for a stop. You have 1 MED on the Northbound lane, and 1 on the Southbound lane. Working together they can control the flow of traffic aroudn the incident by working like traffic lights, Northbound goes, then south and so on.

See that's the point. Meds are not meant to do traffic control by any means.

[KaraK [T]]

Meds are there to secure a scene, surely traffic control is a part of that.

[◄Chuck►]

Lol in what country? That expensive medical equipment is only decoration then?

[Seven]

Well there are no injured people in Live For Speed, if you're going to mention medical equipment, what's the point of having MED and RES at all?

[[TC]►BP◄]

(2012-11-03 09:27)TheSAgibbs Wrote:  Well there are no injured people in Live For Speed, if you're going to mention medical equipment, what's the point of having MED and RES at all?

MED and RES are not really official, correct me if I'm wrong but it was just something somebody came up with and just caught on. Due to the vast amount of people who used it, Chuck decided to make it a tiny bit more official by enabling them to respond to calls via InSim.

EDIT:

(2012-11-03 00:19)Elmo Wrote:  

(2012-11-02 21:56)TheSAgibbs Wrote:  I can dig around old threads that Admins have concluded on...

Good luck with that
There's very little that has been actually concluded regarding MED rules - we haven't really even got a conclusion on MED roles yet.

From memory, the only things so far:
Can't break road laws when not on a call (basically existing cop rules 4.1 and 4.2)
Can't use visual siren (restricted by InSim)

When you say MEDs can't break road rules etcetera, do you mean if they do they'd get chased or is it actually against the server rules? Just for clarification please.

[Seven]

Okay, so MED and RES are just a couple extra ranks rather than only COP, TOW and cruiser. What is their actual purpose in the game if it isn't traffic control at a scene or doing Tow jobs?