Lack of Commanders in games

[Wh33lman]

What was it that somebody said 'Commanding in PR is like a RTS game where every unit has a different AI'?

[Truism]

I think someone said it's like commanding an RTS where every unit has an AI that stops it from responding to commands.


The reason I don't command anymore is the same reason I don't do anything but core fighting functions. The moment I step into a specialist role and rock off with a small group to do my own thing, every Infantry Squad catches aids, the APCs and Armor start smoking pot and failing to contribute to the battle, and core counter roles (AA, HAT) just don't happen.

Things like commanding, recon, fire-base hunting, hardcore ambushing are like the icing on the cake. Every time I want to ice my team's cake, they don't make a cake and I'm left sitting no where near the front line watching my team's flags disappear :'(.

[Nyarlathotep]

I've recently started commanding because of this deficit; honestly you're still helpful even if all you do is help communicate between squads and try to keep things moving. It's definitely hard to get people to follow a plan (even if that plan is 'kay guys, get on the docks flag'), but there's plenty you can do without that. You can't fix stupid, but you can still provide situational awareness, right?

People probably don't do it because it's not that exciting, but then again being stuck with a completely discombobulated team is also unexciting.

[multiplan]

Originally Posted by Lange

Hey guys,
Just came back to PR last week after I installed it on my new laptop and I want to say its tons of fun and im enjoying it aot. I've played probably over 10 hours on servers so far and theres one thing I noticed.

On the servers i've played on it seems like most of the time no one will be commander for the team im on. Has anyone else noticed this? It seems like squads are made and the team just does what the SL says for their squad or what they think needs done and no one applys for commander.

Maybe it could just be my luck however if is this happens consistently theres reason for concern. Firstly, theres a lot that was done for the commander position in PR and if theirs no commander well then you loose all the things a commander can do. It seems maybe people just don't care enough to be one.

What do you all think?

Most of the suggestions on how to populate the command position, and there were many, were not implemented in the last release. Unfortunately it is a rare event in a pub game (esp. NA servers) to see a CO for a full round.

The UAV has not been a large enough team advantage to force the position, like the way the new AR zoom devastates and is always played. Have things regressed to squad play and not team play?

Maybe by 1.0 a new hook will be approved to draw and near mandate people to the CO position, until then the new CO tent is cool but just that.

[Trooper909]

You will only see commander on insurgentsy for the US team really as UAV and arty =OP bombs of doom.

[Rudd]

I sometimes command on TG, not often though as my playtime is limited atm and I like to get as much bang per minute as I can :P

[Bonsai]

Right now a CO has no possibility to influence his team until the round has started. And at that point the Squadleaders will have decided where they want to go and what they want to do during the fight. And will have informed their squadmembers accordingly. The way it should be - no question. But in public you will rather see 3 attack chopper squads for 1 chopper than a layout of different squads and roles that allows a CO to work with.

As i mentioned already somewhere else it is a hard job to convince squadleaders that you are a good commander in 90 seconds when at the same time the squads are being built and people ask for their roles and kits and so on.

It`s impossible to talk to up to 9 different squads explaining them what, where and how (which asset. i.e.) you are planning in this short time.

And what purpose does a commander (assuming that he has some sort of idea on how to win the battle) have if he cant influence the layout and the movement of the squads from the start.

What would improve things would be anything that allows a CO to pass his ideas (battleplans) to the team before the squads are made...

From my experience: Mumble and the SL channel have improved things already. If you are on a server with a mumble channel and if you have SLs in the mumble channel you can use up to 3 minutes (map load time + countdown) before the map starts to talk to people. And as you can talk to interested Squadleaders before the squadmembers start to contact them via VOIP chances to get squads organized the way you would like them to be is 500% higher.

During the game a CO has a lot of work to do if all SLs decide to run communications through him all the time and to keep him informed on what`s going on...and if he is doing his job.

But - any kind of points/cookies/benefits/whatever to encourage communications from squads to the CO and points/cookies/benefits/whatever for accepting the orders that come from the top would of course improve public gaming and the role of the CO.

[[R-DEV]AfterDune]

v0.9

[Bonsai]

I love them `s!

[anglomanii]

i cant understand why we still tie the platoon commanders to that bloody command trailer, he should be right up with his platoon, coordinating and seeing things up close, not in a trailer so far back.