Welcome to duty commander!

[Tommygun]

I just attempted my first commander role today. (Done many on vanilla bf2) Im new enough to find it interesting at the mo but had some problems (Im pretty sure Ive checked the manual well)

1) No one could hear me despite me highlighting squads and the squads lighting up when pressing 'v'. (solved after the suggestion of holding the VoIP button for 10 secs)

2)I couldn't use UAV (I was Canadian forces on large desert map). I deployed (waited at least 3 mins for it to reach destination (ala manual) and zoomed all the way in to see 'lost satellite connection' and a black screen. I tried 'x' for magnification and stuff but no luck. What obvious thing did I miss?

3)A lot of people dont speak English.

4)Many Squads dont have leaders with Officer kits (not sure if that matters?)

I see the role (yes, Ive never played before as CO in PR) a coordinater and reminder system for all others gathering and combining intelligence and also gently cajoling squads to get them to do what you want them to do. I feel some simple explanatory details are always good to give some reasoning to your thinking.

Admittedly getting the screen up for the first time was not quite as wow as it is in vanilla bf. Ill stick at it tho....providing someone can help me with the UAV

edit..using 0.97

[Gracler]

I just attempted my first commander role today. (Done many on vanilla bf2) Im new enough to find it interesting at the mo but had some problems (Im pretty sure Ive checked the manual well)

1) No one could hear me despite me highlighting squads and the squads lighting up when pressing 'v'. (solved after the suggestion of holding the VoIP button for 10 secs)

2)I couldn't use UAV (I was Canadian forces on large desert map). I deployed (waited at least 3 mins for it to reach destination (ala manual) and zoomed all the way in to see 'lost satellite connection' and a black screen. I tried 'x' for magnification and stuff but no luck. What obvious thing did I miss?

3)A lot of people dont speak English.

4)Many Squads dont have leaders with Officer kits (not sure if that matters?)

I see the role (yes, Ive never played before as CO in PR) a coordinater and reminder system for all others gathering and combining intelligence and also gently cajoling squads to get them to do what you want them to do. I feel some simple explanatory details are always good to give some reasoning to your thinking.

Admittedly getting the screen up for the first time was not quite as wow as it is in vanilla bf. Ill stick at it tho....providing someone can help me with the UAV

edit..using 0.97

Good effort stepping up to become the commander

1) V by default talks to ALL squad-leaders no matter what you have selected.

B by default makes you talk to any Highlighted squads.....you can highlight more than 1 using a combination of Shift click and ctrl click.....same way windows selection works.

2) You need to find the ACV "Armored Command Vehicle" (it mostly looks like an APC)and "enter" it like a vehicle pressing E when your in the "tent" that surrounds the opening for the apc or whatever vehicle it is......you can locate it with your mini map as a specific black UAV icon.

Make sure you have an Officer kit (can be requested from the ACV)

You can Hold E pressed and move in and out of the tent if you have problems "getting in"

3) yes that can be a huge issue

4)Officer kit is not absolutely necessary. A Sniper kit works the same as a SL kit....and you can talk to the commander nomatter what kit you have.

[Gracler]

Double post....oops

[Elektro]

Depending on the map the commander dominates in this version. On Kashan all it takes is an uav lazing and the littlebird to rule the map.

Littlebird dominating kashan? Really

[Gracler]

Littlebird dominating kashan? Really

Guess he means Kiowa.....still i have never seen the Kiowa rule anything on kashan Im much more worried about the Jet's on 64

on 32 im worried about the apache and Havoc

on 16 you only have a kiowa without guided bombs so it has to dive in order to fight....then it gets taken out easy.

[Wicca]

Making the CO be the only one to be able to place assets in FOBs. Would definatly make it cool!

[Gracler]

Making the CO be the only one to be able to place assets in FOBs. Would definatly make it cool!

Agree.

I also liked it back when the Squad Leaders had to issue build requests for fobs to be built. I don't know why it was removed.

If the commander could decide as the only one where to place FOB assets it would just make it easier for him to manage.... I often as a Squad-leader been preparing for my excellent fob layout only to watch a random SL mess it up by placing random things.....just because he could.

[Rudd]

I also liked it back when the Squad Leaders had to issue build requests for fobs to be built. I don't know why it was removed.

I dunno, it might have something to do with teh vbf2 limitation put on commander markers etc?

[Trooper909]

Commander cant do anything a normal SL cant apart from stair at a glichy screen for 5mins or more than stair at a tiny part of the map for another 5mins rinse and replete lol a SL can place markers faster than you can as commander.

Aint gonna lie its boring as hell now and on top of that serves no real function.

Give commander some unique assets or something to build,Not a foreman like older versions but a few things to make it less boring and be of some use to the team.What to give him is for the suggestion forum.


Contradicting what I just said but on rare occasions I have seen a good commander turn a game but that depends on every single SL listing to him and that is so rare,But its still boring IMO even with a perfect team.

[Startrekern]

It is in my honest opinion that a Commander should be a requirement, and that listening to him should be a server rule.

This is one thing I've always had something of an obsession over; when I played as Commander back in old versions on the Alpha Project and TacticalGamer, I was always criticized heavily for not using the command post. People at the time didn't understand the value of commanding in the field and joining in the battle; "fighting commanders" or even commanders anywhere in harms' way were considered loathsome objects, or idiotic at worst. But I found that despite losing tools such as the UAV, I could command far better on a tactical level; using multiple squads and coordinating every second of an attack instead of waiting for five minutes for reports on what happened is always better, especially when you have mumble and everyone's using it. Convoys became tighter when you could give someone lagging behind or drifting off a friendly nudge back into proper position - defenses became stronger when you could place the assets yourself and have a better idea of the terrain you were facing so as to better position squads.

Truly seeing the action, calling that mortar strike in yourself, doing supply runs to needy troops so as to keep that extra oomph or second APC on the battlefield that would otherwise have gone to logistics, saving squads from having to drive from base with the command rally, truly shaping the course of the match - this is what helps your team to win, not sitting in a box watching the UAV. Intel's important, but there are better uses of your time.

Forever I'll be a Fighting Commander.

[Arnoldio]

I tried to command few rounds but armour has mind of their own, and some SLs also do., and same applies to the squads, where there are bad SMs and everything goes to hell and tean us a faliure. I would love to command if people would be keen to listen and use intuition not just attack and die.

[Triggerfinger]

Making the CO be the only one to be able to place assets in FOBs. Would definatly make it cool!

That's just plain stupid, someone can just simply teamswitch or phok up the whole game by being commander and having atleast one friend as a squadleader who will not mutiny the commander.

Making so that a commander is required to place FOB would be better though there's no guaranty that it will be used properly.

[Gracler]

It is in my honest opinion that a Commander should be a requirement, and that listening to him should be a server rule.

This is one thing I've always had something of an obsession over; when I played as Commander back in old versions on the Alpha Project and TacticalGamer, I was always criticized heavily for not using the command post. People at the time didn't understand the value of commanding in the field and joining in the battle; "fighting commanders" or even commanders anywhere in harms' way were considered loathsome objects, or idiotic at worst. But I found that despite losing tools such as the UAV, I could command far better on a tactical level; using multiple squads and coordinating every second of an attack instead of waiting for five minutes for reports on what happened is always better, especially when you have mumble and everyone's using it. Convoys became tighter when you could give someone lagging behind or drifting off a friendly nudge back into proper position - defenses became stronger when you could place the assets yourself and have a better idea of the terrain you were facing so as to better position squads.

Truly seeing the action, calling that mortar strike in yourself, doing supply runs to needy troops so as to keep that extra oomph or second APC on the battlefield that would otherwise have gone to logistics, saving squads from having to drive from base with the command rally, truly shaping the course of the match - this is what helps your team to win, not sitting in a box watching the UAV. Intel's important, but there are better uses of your time.

Forever I'll be a Fighting Commander.

I agree that the commander often (not always) does a better job on the ground than using the UAV for 17 min and then drink coffee for another 13. Mostly on Insurgency maps the UAV picture will just look like an anthill and then it is easier to be on the ground.

I have gotten a LOT of complaints about this though....like ...WHY ARE YOU FIGHTING etc.... seems that most are not familiar with the concept of commander rally and quick coordination.

[Celestial1]

I was always criticized heavily for not using the command post.

I think people just wanted you to stay away from them so they wouldn't have to decipher your robot voice.

[Sgt. Mahi]

Guess he means Kiowa.....still i have never seen the Kiowa rule anything on kashan Im much more worried about the Jet's on 64

on 32 im worried about the apache and Havoc

on 16 you only have a kiowa without guided bombs so it has to dive in order to fight....then it gets taken out easy.

Make no mistake... I was commanding Kashan a while back with a good "MEC littlebird" pilot with a co-pilot. When there where no AA threats I just made sure to laze anything that moved on the mountains east of the bunkers and made sure no enemies could get a foothold up there by putting markers and lazing for the pilot... If you control those mountains you control the round.

[Lugi]

Problem
Commander is never used on public games, and if he is, all he does is some lasing and giving intel, instead of giving orders, coordinating the team etc.
Probable cause
Commander isn't necessary, because every single person on the battlefield has full and actual battle preview on the map. Objectives, friendlies position, sighted enemies locations.
Solution
Remove the map completely, just leave static topographical map for squadleaders with no markers.

Removing flags and leaving mainbases only would be also very helpful but on 128 player mode. What I would like to see is both base flags capable, but only if people were not doing any suicide actions just to make maximum damage to opponent (I guess something like the last one life event is the only way to make it like that).

[Wicca]

Yeah, and remove flags. And let the CO decide where and how the team deploys and attacks.

And what i meant, triggerfinger. Is that when there is a CO. Then noone can place fobs, without asking the CO.

Please dont call me stupid.

I agree with removing the "live" map. And letting the SLs figure out where they are from the sourroundings. Having blue "markers" would be nice too. to signify friendly positions.

[CaptainX]

I still think being commander would be boring as hell.

I also had experience with bad commanders: I was sl a tank squad and the dude was spamming on the global voip "V", talking to a single squad, I had to block him after I politely asked him for radio silence and he ignored, otherwise I couldn?t hear shit, it was on TG believe it or not.

protip: IF you ever go commander please learn how to use the voip keys.

[Gracler]

Giving the SL a topographical map with only the information they "place" themselves is definitely interesting. The commander has the live view of his troops and he can highlight objectives for the SL he chose....

gets a bit complicated on how it could ever be made and if it would work.....but i think that commanders will come from all directions if the guy playing commander actually feels like a necessary asset.....not just a guy with a few different skills than the SL.

Right now commander is like the rifleman anti-personel kit..... its there....but no one really needs it.

[Murphy]

There are enough TKs with friendlies on the map, please for the love of sanity don't mess with the maps!

I do thinking finding a perk to give would-be commanders a desire to lead would be a great solution, just not at the cost of the average grunts situational awareness.