32 replies to this topic

[Rackminster]

I have lately taken to trying simple commands before a match gets underway and it's actually remarkably effective. In no way do I "lead them to victory" but I feel that the odds end up more in our favor.

The typical round where no one talks goes like this:

2 Mechs head left, 4 Mechs head right, 1 Mech Disconnects, a Scout runs off to never be heard from again. Everyone dies. I got tired of this in short order. Inevitably the opposition was grouped together - or grouped well enough to shred a 4-man team and decimate a 2-man team.

Now when a round is starting I simply type:

Stick together to live, scatter to die.

... and ...

Moving to guard (ridge/river/cave/water).

Suddenly the PUG tends to meander in that general direction and we all get to have a better fight than running off and dying in small groups.

... but if I don't type something, most of the time no one types anything and everyone just scatters. I know a PUG isn't a great team - I can't do voice comms due to personal reasons (I have to hear if one of my kids starts crying at night, so I don't even have my audio on).

What are some more effective ways of leading a PUG? Should I be trying to grab Command and issuing relay points, or pause more during fights to issue orders?

[Bguk]

It's true not much needs to be said. General directions are better than none. I love the ones who state "What's the plan?" at the beginning of a match. Instead of typing that, type a plan.

I've found that if you drive an ECM equipped D-DC most mechs tend to head your way. Not one word needs to be typed.

[Revolver Kirin]

I admit, I am usually one of those guys who asks what the plan is. I'm not the leader type. At this point, though, when I ask if there is a plan, I at least narrow it down to say... "lake or ridge?" on Forest Colony. Of course, half the time I get no response, so I go with emergency plan A: follow the largest grouping of mechs. Emergency plan B is sell my poor mech for as dear a cost as I can manage. I don't like plan B. It ends up getting used more than I would prefer.

[Rackminster]

Very true.

I've seen people asking for a plan and then getting angry when no one offers one. On each map there are only 2-3 ways to go that generally stand a chance at success for a PUG (more organized teams can get trickier) so every option is equally valid.

Forest:
Going Water (less common)
Going Hills (more common)
Going Cave (uncommon)

Frozen City:
Going Cave (uncommon)
Going Ridge (common)
Going Valley (rare, but effective for being rare)

Caustic:
Going Right (common)
Going Left (common)
Going Middle (to park and wait to see which way enemies come, uncommon)

River City:
Going Bridge/City or City/Bridge (uncommon)
Going Water/City or City/Water (common)

Some disasters happen when one side comes out as the other are gathering - like last night in Forest, when our team noted two stray mechs in the water on Thermal and stopped for form up and approach - only to discover that the entire enemy team aside from those two had gone through the cave and found everyone with their back to them.

[Corvus Antaka]

all the game needs is a basic VGS system like Tribes.

"Attack" - alpha, bravo, charlie, etc.

"Defend" base 1,2,3 (for conquest mode)

Attack base 1,2,3.

everything else can be handled with the map system. recording these basics and tying them toa VGS keybind system would help pugs tons, be much better than the c3 that seems unused now too.

[Taizan]

Rackminster, on 18 December 2012 - 06:38 AM, said:

What are some more effective ways of leading a PUG? Should I be trying to grab Command and issuing relay points, or pause more during fights to issue orders?

The command function works, most people will accept the move to / defend symbol. The other symbols like flank etc. don't work that well, especially if everyone flanks its not as successful (tactically).

[FerretGR]

You're doing the right thing, OP, and it sounds like you've had some success. Good on you.

My plan is very similar: when I PUG, I let people know what I'll be doing (if I'm scouting) and suggest a plan, ro ask if a plan sounds good (in all cases). I can't say for sure that it's improved things for me, but I enjoy PUGging, so there's that.

[Monkey Bone]

And if you want to "lead", don't give out orders directly. Suggestions.

What ****** me off most is people who try to be hot stuff & boss around, yet end up dying first.

[Panzerjotun]

Jules Gonzales, on 18 December 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

And if you want to "lead", don't give out orders directly. Suggestions.

What ****** me off most is people who try to be hot stuff & boss around, yet end up dying first.

I disagree. The Rambos off on their own adventure die first.

Edited by General Pace, 18 December 2012 - 08:08 AM.

[FerretGR]

Jules Gonzales, on 18 December 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

What ****** me off most is people who try to be hot stuff & boss around, yet end up dying first.

I LOLd last time this happened in a game I played. Myself and a buddy were practising scout stuff; both of us in Cicadas. I started my match as always, announcing on team chat "scouting 3 line" or what have you; at the same time, an armchair general was telling the group to stick together and approach the caldera together. He was pretty opposed to us scouting, so I asked him what he'd have us scouts do, and he told me he wanted us to stick with the group, and that was that. So I said okay and did as he asked. 30 seconds later, "armchair general killed by suchandsuch". Literally one minute into the match. Well done, general. Maybe if the scouts had been able to tell you that Atlas was on the other side of the ridge...

[Rhent]

Rackminster, on 18 December 2012 - 06:38 AM, said:

I have lately taken to trying simple commands before a match gets underway and it's actually remarkably effective. In no way do I "lead them to victory" but I feel that the odds end up more in our favor.

The typical round where no one talks goes like this:

2 Mechs head left, 4 Mechs head right, 1 Mech Disconnects, a Scout runs off to never be heard from again. Everyone dies. I got tired of this in short order. Inevitably the opposition was grouped together - or grouped well enough to shred a 4-man team and decimate a 2-man team.

Now when a round is starting I simply type:

Stick together to live, scatter to die.

... and ...

Moving to guard (ridge/river/cave/water).

Suddenly the PUG tends to meander in that general direction and we all get to have a better fight than running off and dying in small groups.

... but if I don't type something, most of the time no one types anything and everyone just scatters. I know a PUG isn't a great team - I can't do voice comms due to personal reasons (I have to hear if one of my kids starts crying at night, so I don't even have my audio on).

What are some more effective ways of leading a PUG? Should I be trying to grab Command and issuing relay points, or pause more during fights to issue orders?

Take command of the map and use Marks to help people. Not everyone is going to follow, but it does help. With the advent of ECM, if you can mark where the enemy actually is, it can help people to maneuver. It also helps if you can ask your scouts to pack up and hit the other teams flanks right before you push. Either the scouts get some free backstabs or your heavies get some free backstabs. Either way, the chaos can help a lot.

[FerretGR]

Rhent, on 18 December 2012 - 08:16 AM, said:

It also helps if you can ask your scouts to pack up and hit the other teams flanks right before you push. Either the scouts get some free backstabs or your heavies get some free backstabs. Either way, the chaos can help a lot.

Agreed. A simple but effective strategy.

[Jman5]

It's nice to see others taking initiative when it comes to leading in PuGs.

One of the first things I do in all my pug games is make sure someone is scouting the most common rush path. So in Frozen City, I'll ask for a volunteer to keep an eye on the tunnel. If no one responds, then I volunteer myself while checking the map to see if anyone is silently going tunnel.

The next thing I do is give a general spot to defend. then I tell people to press B to view map so they can see the symbol on the coordinate.

The final thing I do is call out the enemy location.


Honestly, I hate leading. It's a pain in the *** and I would rather silently run around and do my thing. However, if I don't say anything 99% of the time no one will stand up and take control. So I do the minimum to get the ball rolling on our team. Personally, I find it's not the pugs who can't follow orders, it's the premades who run off and do their own thing without saying a word. (Until it's time to lay blame for their loss of course)

[Rackminster]

Jules Gonzales, on 18 December 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

And if you want to "lead", don't give out orders directly. Suggestions.

What ****** me off most is people who try to be hot stuff & boss around, yet end up dying first.

Agreed.

I never say "Pace, get your *** on the line. Target that Jenner"

Once the fight ensues, I don't say anything at all since I'm busy piloting a Mech. At best all I do is "I'm moving here" and let people come with me.

[Kaspirikay]

This is what I say at start :

"stick together"
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD"

[Monkey Bone]

Kaspirikay, on 18 December 2012 - 08:20 AM, said:

This is what I say at start :

"stick together"
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD"

And that is the point when i start shooting at you

[Snib]

Revolver Kirin, on 18 December 2012 - 06:47 AM, said:

I admit, I am usually one of those guys who asks what the plan is. I'm not the leader type. At this point, though, when I ask if there is a plan, I at least narrow it down to say... "lake or ridge?" on Forest Colony. Of course, half the time I get no response, so I go with emergency plan A: follow the largest grouping of mechs. Emergency plan B is sell my poor mech for as dear a cost as I can manage. I don't like plan B. It ends up getting used more than I would prefer.

I like those who ask for a plan because there's a chance they'll actually listen.

I like to scout and nothing is more frustrating than discovering that the enemy is e.g. rushing cave on Frozen City but your team completely ignores you telling them and stomps off to some remote corner of the map, only to then be surprised that they lost a minute later.

For the same reason, committing to a plan before your scouts have done their initial job often leads to disaster, so do not expect a good answer to a "what's the plan?" question before the countdown has run out. I usually suggest the team goes to a position which allows them to react when intel comes flowing in. Sometimes it works, but often people will just go where they always go, it's just the way people are.

Edited by Snib, 18 December 2012 - 08:29 AM.

[M4NTiC0R3X]

I am a PUG, I use the command function a lot because:

I understand key defend/assault points on the map.

&

I know when A.) happens B.) follows shortly after.

Sometimes they all listen to me and we pwn (good teamwork!).
Sometimes they all listen to me and we get pwned (good teamwork, slightly embarrased, nice try!).
Sometimes they don't listen at all and we pwn (well the enemy was total newbsauce!).
Others they don't listen at all and we get pwned (way to give me a death, newbs!).

[SuperPuppy]

Bguk, on 18 December 2012 - 06:41 AM, said:

I love the ones who state "What's the plan?" at the beginning of a match. Instead of typing that, type a plan.

I've found that if you drive an ECM equipped D-DC most mechs tend to head your way. Not one word needs to be typed.

I always ask for a plan, because I know whoever gives a straight answer is a vet who knows what he's doing (I'm hardly a vet).

But when no one answers, I always declare what I'm going to do (which I more pugs are now doing)... which is usually follow the assaults.

[Shredhead]

I always take lead when we are in a 4 man group. Basically a simple plan like left/right/tunnel/defend in [mapgrid] that I type while countdown, then I take command and set markers. It's important to add a little "pls" to every order so people don't get angry on you. When we meet the enemy I basically say where they come/are and "attack!". It's also important to set waypoints and regroup there, just wait for the slow ones to get up. What annoys me the most are "scouts" that don't even report enemies but die silently. I made it a habit to tell scouts to go the other way we take and report and go back to base if needed. Rate of success is very high that way.

Edited by Shredhead, 18 December 2012 - 08:45 AM.