2 replies to this topic

[Tickdoff Tank]

I see many people attempting to communicate in drops. This is a GOOD thing. I also see a decent amount of confusion as people react or don't react to the information that is reported. That is why the military has very strict comm protocols, strict protocols would NEVER work in MWO, but I think that a few tips may help others to relay information slightly better than they currently are.

1. The Phonetic Alphabet is your friend.

A: Alpha B: Bravo C: Charlie D: Delta E: Echo F: Foxtrot G: Golf H: Hotel
I: Indigo J: Juliet K: Kilo L: Lima

(the alphabet goes on, but since we only have 12 targets in a match there is no reason to go past Lima)

Please note that in Conquest the capture points are: Sigma, Kappa, Epsilon, Gamma, Theta. None of those should be confused with target designations.

2. Try to keep the information brief but pertinent. I had a professor in college that explained report writing as such: Your report should be like a girl's skirt. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.

A combat report should be something like: Movement in Charlie 4, 2 light mechs under ECM, or "Atlas Juliet 10 moving to Kappa 10, with friends" . It can be very easy to become long winded, and that is not always a bad thing, if nothing else is going on then the extra info can be useful, but in t large melee with many people focusing on several different targets too much information is distracting. If you have several things to say, break them up into small chunks:

"Atlas in Juliet 10 moving to Kappa 10, with friends" (wait a couple seconds for someone else to speak, or to see that no other communications are incoming) "TimberWolf and Warhawk supporting that Atlas, they are a bit strung out" (wait again) "I am moving to Kappa 11 to hit their flank, anyone able to give me a hand?"

3. If you have someone on your team that is giving information, but is not giving the team the kind of information needed, try to gently prod them to give you what is needed.

Pilot 1: "That Dire Wolf is open on the Left Torso, someone take it out"
Pilot 2: "Call the grid please"
Pilot 1: "Oh, umm... B 4 I think."
Pilot 2: "Copy Bravo 4, engaging Atlas Foxtrot" "Thanks Pilot 1"

4. If you want the team to do something, try to explain it, at least a little. I was in a match today with a good pilot who needed assistance but we did not know he was in trouble until he got upset that we did not help him.

Pilot 1: "Couple mechs moving Echo 5, on our left"
Pilot 2: "Guys in Hotel 7, we need to push into Indigo 7 before we get killed, move now"
Pilot 1: "3 mechs Echo 5"
Pilot 3: "Alpha is open rear torso"
Pilot 1: "Thanks, I got killed because no one helped me"
Pilot 2: "Did not know you needed help"
Pilot 1: "I said mechs in echo 5"
Pilot 2: "Thought you were spotting them, not attacking"

If Pilot 1 had said something like "3 mechs Echo 5, need assistance" or "Mechs E5, LRM boats, need help" the team could probably have done something about it (or at least tried, even if pilot 1 had still died).

However, just because you relay a distress call, it does not mean that everyone on the team is going to instantly stop what they are doing, nor should they. I have seen many games go straight to the crapper when half the team tries to help a pilot that got into a really bad situation.

5. If you are moving to help someone, try to let them know.

"Hunchie in Golf 5, coming to help you out from Golf 3", or "Hunchie in Golf 5 pull back a bit, and I can give you sniper support"

6. If a friendly mech is blocking your path, say something, BUT BE POLITE. We are all playing the same game.


I am sure their are plenty more tips that others can offer.

[RestosIII]

I agree with everything you said, but there's one problem: Majority of that requires VOIP, and I have a feeling it'll be awhile until I can get over that fear. Never have gotten the night and day difference between player reactions to chat vs VOIP ingame. At least 2/3rds of the time someone uses VOIP to call out, the team listens. Do the same calls or more in chat though, and MAYBE you'll get someone to notice every 10-15 matches.

[Tristan Winter]

Or maybe we just need some sort of tool to communicate, instead of our placeholder-teamchat system that deletes messages, has no scroll function, no filter function, no option to change colours, etc. If you stop shooting for a moment, while taking fire, to warn your team, you still risk your message being lost forever if a few players get killed. Your message just disappears into the aether.

So... maybe we need some sort of - bear with me - command wheel or radio commands?

Just a wacky idea I had.