Combat Information Center (CIC) Guide

So, it's your first time as a Staff Officer, or you've been unfortunate enough to have the chain of command fall so that you are at the top. You've just entered the Combat Information Center for the first time, and you have no idea what you are doing or looking at.

Fear no more, for this guide will walk you through the functions of everything in the Combat Information Center (abbreviated as CIC going forth.)

The CIC is located on the second floor of the Almayer, on the west side locked behind blue command doors. Inside, there exists the four Overwatch Consoles, the live Tactical Map(s), Groundside Operations Console, command tablet, and Warship Control Console. There are also multiple ship security camera consoles, which will be covered but are not mutually exclusive to being in the CIC.

TELEPHONES

Within the CIC are five telephones. They are immensely important pieces of equipment as it is one of the few ways for marines and command to communicate with eachother if a communications relay is not online. There are five of these located in the CIC - Four of them paired up with a respective Overwatch Console (i.e., the phone on the desk with purple tiles underneath it is of the address "Charlie Overwatch") and one in the CIC bubble - the glass box where the executive or commanding officer typically sits labelled "Combat Information Center."

As a staff, executive, or even commanding officer, it is one of your highest priorities to answer the phones as it means someone on the other side is trying to tell you something that they think you need to know.

THE OVERWATCH CONSOLE

The Overwatch console(s), located on the west side of the CIC are perhaps the most important pieces of machinery in the CIC, and it is the primary responsibility of the Staff Officers to man them.

DASHBOARD:

The Overwatch Console must first be logged into in order to use. Deliberate amongst the other staff officers about who will be overwatching for which squad, or be assigned to one by the executive or commanding officer.

In the top right section you are able to view the name of the current overwatch operator and are able to log out by hitting the "Stop Overwatch" button. Use this to swap which squad the console is viewing if it is desired.

The button "Message Squad" will send every squad marine a message from overwatch accompanied by an audio queue. This works even while communications are down, and is easier to notice than normal radio messages!

SQUAD MONITOR:

Name - Click on a marine's name to view their helmet camera. If no helmet is worn, this option will not be available.

Role - Displays the role of the squad marine.

State - Displays the status of the marine - Alive, Unconscious (critical), or Dead. It will also specify if they are SSD or not.

Red Minus - Will hide a squad marine from the monitor. Use the "Show hidden" button to make these marines visible once again.

Green Arrow - Will promote a squad marine to Acting Squad Leader. This will give them the squad leader icon, make marine's SL trackers point to this marine, and give the marine the Command and JTAC frequencies in their radio. You can not promote dead marines to Acting Squad Leader.

SUPPLY DROP:

This tab allows you to input coordinates supplied to you by the marines groundside, and launch a crate on those coordinates that has been loaded by requisitions.

TACTICAL MAP:

This button will open a live version of the tactical map. It is functionally identical to opening the physical tactical maps located on the tables west and to the east of the CIC bubble.

GROUNDSIDE OPERATIONS CONSOLE

The Groundside Operation console is located in the CIC bubble - the glass box in the center of CIC. It has two primary functions - making an announcement and viewing Overwatch.

Making an announcement will send out the message as a Command Announcement, visible to all marines wearing a headset regardless of communications being online or location. A sound queue plays alongside the announcement once it it sent, and sending announcements has a 30 second cooldown.

Using Overwatch through the Groundside Operations Console is almost identical to using it on the Overwatch Console - save for missing the Supply Drop feature.

COMMAND TABLET

The Command Tablet spawns just above the CIC bubble, next to the north CIC armory door. It is a unique item in the sense that only one exists in the entire round. The current purpose of the Command Tablet is to be able to send command announcements from outside CIC. The cooldown on sending command announcements is not shared between the tablet and groundside operations console - meaning you can send more than one announcement per thirty seconds if necessary.

Typically, the highest ranking officer is to be given ownership of the tablet.

WARSHIP CONTROL CONSOLE

The Warship Control Console, located just below the Groundside Operations Console has the function of authorizing evacuation. Evacuation can only be authorized after a hijacked dropship crashes into the Almayer - not beforehand. Once evacuation is authorized, evacuation pods and the lifeboats may be launched at any time.