Being Commander !!

[Rez_K'awil]

Re: Being Commander !!

I'm gonna have to agree with everyone who said that commanding is a full-time job. Unless it's a very underpopulated server, the commander's job is by far the most important. And especially hogging a tank when I could be using it to take a flag really ****es me off.

As for commanding tips, one of the least-known strategy involves spotting enemies (if you don't know how as commander, zoom in all the way, right-click, and choose "spotted") Most commanders just spot every enemy outside the UAV. However, spotting enemies at your own base is not going to do much unless you have people who are anal about keeping the assets alive. The best commanders I have run into will spot infantry that are close to me when I'm capping a flag, a sniper who's just around the corner, or an AA vehicle when I'm in a chopper. Ask yourself which things you would want things spotted if you were your troops. The more things you spot, the less your team is going to pay attention to it, so spot wisely.

[HowieMandel]

Re: Being Commander !!

Exactly Gimp. I mean, in that situation you described, there are so many commanders that would do nothing but sit and hide. Ok...maybe in the end it woulda worked out. But what you did, "saved" the day so to speak.
Thats just one of 100 reasons i could state that would warrent kicking an active commander, to be very, narrowminded.
Again, in the end, you either suck at being a commander, or you dont. Being active has nothing to do with it. If your a commander trying to be active, and suck, then you suck. If your a commander who just sits and hides, and suck, you suck.
So........ you either suck or you dont. Being active has nothing to do with it. I know some of you wanna be marines will disagree, but its simply not the case. not in this "GAME".

[HowieMandel]

Re: Being Commander !!

I'm gonna have to agree with everyone who said that commanding is a full-time job. Unless it's a very underpopulated server, the commander's job is by far the most important. And especially hogging a tank when I could be using it to take a flag really ****es me off.

As for commanding tips, one of the least-known strategy involves spotting enemies (if you don't know how as commander, zoom in all the way, right-click, and choose "spotted") Most commanders just spot every enemy outside the UAV. However, spotting enemies at your own base is not going to do much unless you have people who are anal about keeping the assets alive. The best commanders I have run into will spot infantry that are close to me when I'm capping a flag, a sniper who's just around the corner, or an AA vehicle when I'm in a chopper. Ask yourself which things you would want things spotted if you were your troops. The more things you spot, the less your team is going to pay attention to it, so spot wisely.

BUT!!!!!!!!!
you can do everything you just stated within 20 seconds. Within 20 seconds a commander can spot everything and anything that is or is gonna become vital within a minute or less. Anything other than that is fluff. I mean if there is a sniper 6 flags away and im 8 flags away, i dont really care. Especially when i get wacked by a knife at one of our own flags. the commander should have spotted that.
In the end...you can do a great job commanding within 20 seconds. That will allow you to play freely for 1 or more minutes, before doing the UAV/SCAN/SPOTTING/ ARTYING.........for 20 seconds. arghhhh
Maybe some can do both, some cant. My arguement is, kicking solely on the basis of a commander being active, is stupid. Really Stupid.

[bzorglub]

Re: Being Commander !!

its not hard, just use T to place uavs and supplies. also, if you're the first one into a flag and some teammates join you, run away from the flag capture radius and run back in because since you dont get 2 points for a flag capture, it will mean that instead of your teammates only getting a capture assits, they get full capture points and therefore helps your score.

Very Smart Tip,thanks !!!!
Also, when you're Commanding, always try to think to time requirements for badges, transport, ground defense, so on... 15 h on a TOW is quite long otherwise... :hmm:
Cheers.
BZ.

[WarGimp]

Re: Being Commander !!

Don't get me wrong, Howie... most of the time I see an active commander charging across the battle field, I want to put a round through the back of his head.

Come to think of it, I think I've done just that in a fit of frustration. Em... twice.

I don't think there's ever a legit time for a commander to fly. There's no possible way that you can really pay proper attention to the commander screen and functions, while keeping a bird in the air.

Big differance between some of the bonehead commanders I've seen and hiding on a rooftop so you can nail someone silly enough to cap the Hill flag on Mash.

[WarGimp]

Re: Being Commander !!

its not hard, just use T to place uavs and supplies. also, if you're the first one into a flag and some teammates join you, run away from the flag capture radius and run back in because since you dont get 2 points for a flag capture, it will mean that instead of your teammates only getting a capture assits, they get full capture points and therefore helps your score.

Oh God
Please Never
Ever

To do an effective job as commander, you simply MUST be paying attention to the big picture. Getting a job done quickly when you know what the map is doing is cool, but if you have to resort to using the T key, ya ain't gettin the job done right.

[HowieMandel]

Re: Being Commander !!

Well, if your paying attention,
I still stand by my statement:
You can do all effective commanding within 20 seconds, with, a 1 minute break from all commanding duties. Within this 1 minute, I play. When time is up, i crank up the command screen again, and relay any important information, direct squads, and lay down some arty, drop supplies, then go back to keeping/ or helping get the next flag in line.

[Rez_K'awil]

Re: Being Commander !!

BUT!!!!!!!!!
you can do everything you just stated within 20 seconds. Within 20 seconds a commander can spot everything and anything that is or is gonna become vital within a minute or less. Anything other than that is fluff. I mean if there is a sniper 6 flags away and im 8 flags away, i dont really care. Especially when i get wacked by a knife at one of our own flags. the commander should have spotted that.
In the end...you can do a great job commanding within 20 seconds. That will allow you to play freely for 1 or more minutes, before doing the UAV/SCAN/SPOTTING/ ARTYING.........for 20 seconds. arghhhh
Maybe some can do both, some cant. My arguement is, kicking solely on the basis of a commander being active, is stupid. Really Stupid.

That may be, but other than yourself, how many people out there do you know that can spot all throw up a UAV, respond to supply requests, lay some arty down, spot all the infantry and AAs useful to know about, while driving around in a tank to cap flags? If you've played on the same type of servers I have, then you'll know there's not many. But if you can do what you say, more power to you, and no, you shouldn't be kicked solely on the basis of commanding in a tank. But like I said, most people can't do that. And why not allow your teammate, who's primary job is to cap flags, to take the tank and do so?

And I must say Howie, you look quite dashing with your shaved head and soul patch. It's a big step from Bobby's World.

[WarGimp]

Re: Being Commander !!

I prefer to be able to keep a hawk eye on my guys who are doing important things outside of the UAV radius. 90% or the time, I'm zoomed in on some squad making moves while the UAV is watching someplace else. I zoom out for scans and such, but usually I'm right in tight. You can't do that kind of detailed spotting and command when you're humpin it up the road.

[HowieMandel]

Re: Being Commander !!

Thanks. Stay tuned for some other.....altering details.

muahahahahahah

[GroundZero]

Re: Being Commander !!

Well, if your paying attention,
I still stand by my statement:
You can do all effective commanding within 20 seconds, with, a 1 minute break from all commanding duties. Within this 1 minute, I play. When time is up, i crank up the command screen again, and relay any important information, direct squads, and lay down some arty, drop supplies, then go back to keeping/ or helping get the next flag in line.

20 seconds? 1 min break?

you're joking right?

Commanding is a full time job , only arty and supplies would give you that break, or are you not bothering to use uav or scans?

I've a guide here for playing as commander http://www.bfnation.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22865

and if you're doing everything in that guide no way do you have time to run around as well, not on a full server anyway

[HowieMandel]

Re: Being Commander !!

hmmm.
Maybe my commanding sucks......... i'd like to see stats on commanding only, cuz for some reason, i think im pretty good at it.

[GroundZero]

Re: Being Commander !!

hmmm.
Maybe my commanding sucks......... i'd like to see stats on commanding only, cuz for some reason, i think im pretty good at it.

If theres a site like that i'd like to see it myself.

However afaik the only indication is the overall commander rank in the bfhq, which is score based rather than activity based.

Until the last few patches commander score was purely down to how well you played as commander as they were awarded points for arty and lost points for tk'ing with arty, so then maybe some sort of stats system could have been relevant, however now how well you do is down entirely to your team, and not a good indication at all

[WarGimp]

Re: Being Commander !!

If all you're seeing is what's right in your face, how do you know how your guys are doing on the other side of the map? For all ya know, they're sitting there surrounded by enemies at a vital CP, trying to fire off UAV requests that are auto-rejected because you've got it in-flight, and cursing the day you were born.


Some activity can be helpful, but most of the time you can do more while hiding. Also, remember that every kill you make takes potential points away from you.

There's a limited number of tickets. When you shoot someone, you don't get a point... but if someone else did, there score would go up and add to yours. Same goes for capping flags, making repairs, and blowing people up with artillery.

Infact, I rarely use artillery if I can help it. When I do, it's usually against some pesky sniper that I just know is going to be score points of my guys. Also using it defensively when the enemy is capping an undefended CP.
Oh, and AA has become a prioity target now too. Can't stand my flyboys whinging about overpowered AA!

[WarGimp]

Re: Being Commander !!

now how well you do is down entirely to your team, and not a good indication at all

Ah... that's the only thing a commander should be worried about. Getting the team to play well. That's the whole fuggin point.