Squads need direction.

 

We are all bound by the tactical constraints of network failure,

rage-quits, and the thousand disconnections that players are heir to.

Last night Dtacs had to leave his Squad Leader post for a couple of

minutes and said to me "Sandy, you're in charge while I'm gone".

Now, the issue of whether or not I did a good job is irrelevant.

The point is - I think (as a general principle) it may be good

for the squaddie to select someone they think they can trust

to take over direction of the squad in their absence. If the squaddie

is disconnected, then the SL position falls on whoever it falls on

and we can't choose direct succession. The real-life corollary

to SL death is apparent. The designated player can hold the squad

together tactically until the new SL (whoever it may be) grabs

responsibility by the testicles and gets an officer kit.

 

However, a designated sergeant is an interesting idea. Someone

who knows the mod and the map. Not a rule (as, let's face it,

rules tend to rapidly dissolve in the fog of our digital wars), but as a principle

upon which the notion that a Squad needs direction can rest.

 

Edit - this is a serious concept - not "you go the Sergeant and I'll go the

muppet with the sniper kit and you over there bring some beer".

Things tend to devolve into silliness rapidly in this part of the digital battlefield.

Edited October 19, 200915 yr by mandatory05

I usually roll pretty loose with my squads.... but have started bringing some snarl into my instructions if people are doing it wrong....

 

I think this is a good idea Sandy - brings a little more structure to the squad - and also a good opportunity for people who may not think they make a good SQL a little more confidence....

Edited October 20, 200915 yr by Sapper28

In the ADF its a Corporal leading and a Lance Corporal as the 2ic.

In the ADF its a Corporal leading and a Lance Corporal as the 2ic.

 

Roger That Vis !

 

i usually make a 2ic on start just so if i die n have to come back atleast someone is there to take temp control and keep morale up, otherwise they wonder like headless chooks!

lol was about to point that out vis , would be a good idea, just something that common SL's should get into the habit of doing, just b4 the round starts just point out to every1 in the squad that "put name here" is 2IC so if anything happens his SL kinda thing, then you could also split into fireteams pretty easily.

The thing that dtacs did correctly here, is he singled out one person (happens to be pretty good at the game too). He could have easily saud "SOMEBODY take over till I get back." Orders starting with SOMEBODY usually wind up being completed by NOBODY.

eg: "SOMEBODY grab that kit"

"SOMEBODY get that truck"

"SOMEBODY shoot that guy"

These orders are usually followed by the rest of the squad saying "are you gonna do it? or should I do it? or is he going to do it?" hence, nothing gets done.

 

Good squad leaders will assign the task to a single person, which leaves no confusion and no discussion. An even better squad leader will do a quick risk assessment and assign the task to the most competent person with the least risk to the whole squad/team.

Orders starting with SOMEBODY usually wind up being completed by NOBODY.

+1000. Well said.

A new PR tip :bulb:

I find this is the case anyway. Someone will usually take on the SL role or the squad disbands. Trying to pick someone at the start of the round seems like a good idea but wouldn't really make much difference.

Yeah...

I try to lead squads regularly at the moment...

I get the SL position dumped on me just as regularly...

most of the server regulars make great squad members...

some of the newer squad leaders are a little "prima donna" about it, though...

no names will be mentioned

 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

 

 

anyways, I'm just bouncing some ideas around...

 

Edited October 20, 200915 yr by mandatory05

It sounds like a good idea in my books.

Too often has a squad leader ctd or disconnected for some other reason and the squad disbands, which can suck majorly if all of the other squads are full.

Which they often can be.

 

So having someone reliable as a 2ic sounds like a plus

 

----------

 

can someone let me know how to delete a double post btw?

my internet was being a little bit weird, and it wasnt there the first time...

 

---------

 

aha! nvm, thanks noddy!

Edited October 20, 200915 yr by Atheos H-K

You can't delete them yourself mate to my knowledge but we moderators are usually quick on the uptake and knock them on the head for you.

Hurrah for that.

And good on them helping out a little forum n00b like me.

we but try

 

now... !s less chatter moar splatter

Yeah...

I try to lead squads regularly at the moment...

I get the SL position dumped on me just as regularly...

most of the server regulars make great squad members...

some of the newer squad leaders are a little "prima donna" about it, though...

no names will be mentioned

 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

 

 

anyways, I'm just bouncing some ideas around...

 

 

, these "prima donnas" (prime donne in Italian) were often regarded as egotistical, unreasonable and irritable, with a rather high opinion of themselves not shared by others.

 

love it !

I Always seem to figure that they give the officer a sidearm for a reason when he's giving orders but moving on from the unconfirmed reports of friendly fire..

 

I've started using more tactics when I SL recently, usually allocating tasks to people rather that the able to do everything and nothing 'Someone'. Definatly a good idea to allocate a 2ic before rushing South bridge again, eh?

I gave you charge Sandy because you were the most reliable person in that squad, and i know personally that you have the most experience.

 

I think the 2IC position should be given to the most experienced person in that squad, and to keep the specialists kit takers in line and make sure they are getting to their objective.

 

The one thing that got to me when we were playing sandy was how the rest of the squad would takes ages to get where i said they were supposed to, thats why i say you have X amount of seconds to get to the move marker. Obviously there are no punishments, but Max and enuf didn't seem to think that.

 

Numbers i believe you're correct in assigning kits to certain people, however saying 'X, take the LAT' could be a bad decision as you don't know if they are good at it or not. But when people take a kit when you say "take what you want" you naturally assume they are good with it, IE Shady taking the marksman on Barracuda.

 

I guess it comes down to the way the SL runs their squad, and as the squad system is hardcoded, its not going to become an official option.

It's a pity they can't make it so you can assign a 2ic. That night I only lasted another twenty

minutes before I had to leave to make dinner anyway...

 

I think that the whole multiple weapons choice thing from vanilla (unlockable

weapons) is something they *could* sensibly incorporate into PR - with kit variations

but that is another issue.

 

Yah DTACS, we tried to keep you alive... but you were standing behind

this little thing in an alley next to where they kept popping up... lol

I sympathise with your frustrations... (you're definitely not one of the prima donnas I was talking about !)

I usually find that the forum/game regulars are helpful and follow instructions very well

but those who are just after the kill-death ratio and personal glorification

don't give a crap, generally...

 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

 

Edit - thinking out loud again, but last night I had a good round

as MEC SL on Jabal. I discovered for the first time that it is possible

for a SL to effectively drive an APC while periodically requesting

(and dropping) the officer kits to set RPs and also command the squad.

It worked well in a largely defensive role which helped turn a

pair of 3's (i.e. we were being royally whipped, locked into Jabal city) into a straight flush (i.e. we won the battle).

Rep goes out to my squad... Krazzy, Pill_Monster, Beyer, TBirz and the others... Rep to the rest of the team, too

Edited October 21, 200915 yr by mandatory05

I'm an awful squad leader, I get angry and frustrated and start yelling and swearing....

 

I'd rather just do what I'm told I hate being angry when I'm trying to have fun.

The one thing that got to me when we were playing sandy was how the rest of the squad would takes ages to get where i said they were supposed to, thats why i say you have X amount of seconds to get to the move marker. Obviously there are no punishments, but Max and enuf didn't seem to think that.

 

I don't fully understand this statement - primarily the part where my name is mentioned (do you mean to say like?)... However I'll say this, you guys want to all walk across the street in a big f off group into a pkm or whatever, your call. Max had the para, I tried to stay relatively close to him as he was generally covering you, they aren't designed for close quarters combat and insurgents with paras are a serious pain in the ass, yeah? Covering fire goes a long way and when we are attempting to cross open ground and you are too busy yelling orders instead of covering us, of course we're going to take a little bit longer. But hey you gave us time frames and I got shot cause no-one covered, who's really at fault.

I didn't notice that statement. I wasn't heading there with it.

Not blaming anyone. That's not where I intended this to go.

Was talking about a general concept.

 

*zip*

I don't fully understand this statement - primarily the part where my name is mentioned (do you mean to say like?)... However I'll say this, you guys want to all walk across the street in a big f off group into a pkm or whatever, your call. Max had the para, I tried to stay relatively close to him as he was generally covering you, they aren't designed for close quarters combat and insurgents with paras are a serious pain in the ass, yeah? Covering fire goes a long way and when we are attempting to cross open ground and you are too busy yelling orders instead of covering us, of course we're going to take a little bit longer. But hey you gave us time frames and I got shot cause no-one covered, who's really at fault.

 

Then ask for cover, you have voice, use it. That was a big problem, people like max recently got mics, but they are embarrassed to talk. On the first cache (Fallujah) where it was in that building next to the river where we had the LAV support, i asked him to come down from a building 3 times to no avail, until i use a pissed off tone, he then comes down.

 

I apologize for using you as an example, in fact now that i look back on it you were actually doing what i asked.

 

I am not responsible for giving covering fire, in fact most of the time i found myself going across first, when the forward scout, the +SiN+ member (he had the same name as giga, can't recall atm) wasn't making the effort to stay up front.

 

I guess i am nitpicking, as the squad was EXCELLENT, im just pointing out faults which annoyed me.

Hopefully this thread gets back on topic now

 

But let this be a lesson for all - shoutouts are good when they are positive - but when not you open yourself up to be shouted down...... best to talk in general terms (i.e; without naming individuals) when talking about what could have worked better imo