*snip*
What argument are you talking about? I stated my side of why I do things. Doesn't really look like an argument to me. It's important to me that people have faith in me doing my job as a security officer. Trust is important. You seem to have taken some of the things I said he wrong way, and completely misinterpreted others.
Allow me to elucidate you on several issues.
Firstly, what section of traitor items is an E-Sword or crossbow under? Isn't it "HIGHLY VISIBLE AND DANGEROUS WEAPONS"? That seems to at least imply they're well known and easily recognizable as lethal weapons, doesn't it? Plus the fact that they look like weapons. Security in real life does not fuck around with anything they vaguely think might be a weapon. And this is 2550, with high tech stuff all around. Bluespace, singularites, yadda yadda. I think energy swords would be common knowledge weapons by then to security on a restricted megacorp station. Or at least conceivable as weapons. And crossbows have been around forever. They can be easily seen as weapons.
I let Stealthy and Inconspicuous Weapons go generally, and Stealth and Camouflage Items unless they've given me a good reason to be suspicious. And even some of the more incongruous Devices and Tools. But the big obvious stuff will get you arrested. Probably thrown in the prison. Emags are always the most in the grey area for me really. I tend to let them go if the crime I brought them in for was minor enough for my character to not be overly suspicious. But if you tried to break into a secure area or murder someone, I'm already going to be suspecting you of being a syndicate, because we know there's syndicate from the report. In that case any odd tech is highly suspicious.
Next, please read the blue alert text and possibly green alert text next round you play. Privacy laws are suspended, and random searches are permitted under blue alert. Which the station is always on shortly after round start. People don't have to even act suspicious for us to search them legally and in-character.
If a fully grown adult walked into a police station clearly carrying what looks like a gun from a distance, what would you expect to happen? I'm sure nobody would pay any attention and let them carry on doing whatever they wanted to. No. The police would point their guns at them, tell them to drop their weapon, put their hands up, and then arrest them. Then they would look at the gun to see if its a fake.
You. Do. Not. Fuck. Around. With. Weapons. Cops don't, Security doesn't. Especially Security on a restricted research station owned by a dystopian megacorp.
Stunning and searching someone doesn't hurt anyone. Letting someone walk around with what may be a weapon out and just letting them go because "It might just be a toy, let them do whatever they want when we're on BLUE ALERT FOR SUBSTANTIATED ENEMY ACTIVITY." Is pretty ridiculous. This is not 2013 Earth. This is the 26th century in a far flung part of the galaxy ruled solely by a megacorporation. Hell, that wouldn't even fly on 2013 earth in most places. You can not just casually walk around with what looks like a weapon in your hands clearly viable and expect people to just ignore you. Especially in such a closed monitored environment like a restricted space station.
So, yes I can stun anybody who looks like they're holding a weapon. Because if its not a fake, then I just let someone with a lethal weapon go when they're not supposed to have a weapon. They should not be surprised when they get stunned for waving a fake one around. They should keep it in their bag, and play with their coworkers. If they run around the halls waving it around or let a sec officer see them with it, they do not get to complain when they get stunned, brigged, then searched. It's blue alert. It's what we do.
You seem to br accusing people of metaing even when they are simply RPing competent security, simply because it doesn't suit what you want. It has nothing to do with the way people would actually act or role playing. I have thought this stuff out. I usually try to think things out unless I'm in the middle of a gunfight, which I think is pretty normal. Have you ever even dealt with security personnel? Their job is security, and if they take their job seriously, especially on a RESTRICTED RESEARCH FACILITY, they're going to be suspicious. Because if they fuck up or let the wrong things slide, people DIE.
I only arrested people who committed a blatant crime. I only searched people who acted suspiciously, Even though random searches are permitted under blue alert, and we're on a tyrannical super corporation's station.
Also, simply because the sprites in a 32 bit game look identical does not mean they actually look identical. Which is why they have different descriptions when you look at them. Roleplay. As in, you are roleplaying you are on the station, not playing the game, which you don't seem to get. So no, the toy crossbow and actual crossbow do not actually look exactly alike. That would be impossible, because they are made of different materials and do entirely different things. Same for the sword. They may look similar enough to pass at a distance. But thats it. Hold them in your hands and look at them, and they are clearly not the same thing. Security is not THAT gullible
And also, yes, I WOULD probably immediately know that people could not have a lot of things, because this a restricted private research station owned by a dystopian megacorporation, where people aren't even allowed to have racy posters or lipstick. You think people weren't screened coming into the station? How much junk do people have in their pockets when they arrive on station? None. Because Nanotransen provides everything. The security personnel are fairly well acquainted with what is on the station, and what isn't, as well as who should have what. Otherwise they couldn't do their jobs or properly charge people for theft and return the stolen property. There are security posts in every section of the station, nearly, and security cameras everywhere. We have a pretty decent handle of what is and isn't on the station. I'm not saying we're psychic and know EVERYTHING though.
And another thing, when did I EVER say I brigged people for having emags. I only slap them with serious charges if they were doing something highly damaging to the station on top of having what might be illegal contraband tech if looked at closely enough. I've let people with emags go. What I said was simply why it was plausible for them to be suspicious.
I have never stunned and arrested somebody for carrying an emag. It's always for breaking and entering, or assault or something else. THEN I find the emag afterwards, and this criminal doing criminal deeds has this ID card that has clearly been modified. It looks very different from a station ID aside from being vaguely card-shaped. And if its their ID for another job why isn't their name or picture on it? There are no credit cards on the station because the only vaguely used currency is coin and theres nothing to buy on the station, its all provided by the corp. Hell, there probably aren't even credit cards in 2550. No one's ever given me a good mildly convincing explanation for them. Nobody ever even tried credit card or ID for another job, although I probably wouldn't buy either really. Your only job is for the corporation, and they would make damn sure to confiscate any ID from previous assignments.
I hope this has clarified why people may do things you think are meta, when they're really really not. Security really is in the most danger for meta, and I can see how some people can misinterpret things or get frustrated with them, I really can. People just need to remember their way of thinking isn't the only way of thinking, and that other people may have completely valid reasons for the things they do. Man this took a while to type up. But its important to me that people know why I do what I do.