Project Reality Forums

I have noticed that mumble SL to SL comms are not used a great deal.

Certain exceptions exist such as CAS and last minute cries for help; what I am referring to is more a pre emptive decision to coordinate with another infantry squad or armour.

Like for example two infantry squads attacking the same objective from two different approaches at the same time - why? Throw in a third element like armour or sniper team and you're dreaming....

1. Not enough patience to wait until squads are in position?
2. Too caught up in fighting to do anything planned and tactical?
3. It's too much too hope for from people that aren't in a clan, PRT, Tart or whatever together
4. Language issues.

We all wet our pants with new mumbles SL comms but as far as I can see it's not being used most the time for what god (DEV) intended.

The effect when it's done right is great, but it takes planning and patience for some, which not all have.

I've had all 3 tanks on Kashan waiting for a few min for a chopper to land with troops so that we could attack together, so that was 3 squads for me, trans inf and my own squad, plus a AA squad that I was trying to come over and cover us but never showed.

And then the inf had to talk to trans and the other inf so we didn't leave an area undefended. It was a lot of talking to get the attack done, but once we started to roll we took that village just like that. Going up against HAT, TOW, and a full inf sq with armor support, we only lost 1 tank from it.

The feeling you get when you pull stuff like that of though....

Well I guess on public, things are a bit harder to accomplish. Several squad members don't know what to do or how to play, you sometimes form a kind of tunnel vision focusing on babysitting those following you.

This often leads to a lot of mumble spam, and other outside messages are then likely to be ignored, since they are outside the visible (touchable) scope.

Some leaders use the "hold comms" thing to get the guys to shut up, but this can sometimes cause problems as many people don't know what they are doing when you say so.

When the members understand what has to be done, and they understand how you lead them, you as a squad leader can focus on other things. Most of the time you have to play on better servers and with people you know to focus on other things - Leading your entire team into combat instead of just your squad. Of course a good commander could pick up this role (communicating between squads), but usually they are just plain annoying and make no sense.

1. Internal-squad communications

2. External-squad communications

3. Forward thinking external-squad communications

Depending on your experience as a squad leader, your situation and your squad members - You wont be able to take care of phase 3 and then 2, if you lose phase 1 you are either playing a bad bf2 mod, or having a lone wolf killing spree.

I've had rather good experiences with it on a variety of servers. Some rules of thumb though, when you reach out to other squads...

They probably will reply if:

• The squad leader has an officer kit and is near an objective
• The squad is kitted out well and is not spread all over the map
• The squad is named something meaningful
• The squad has a decent KDR

They probably won't reply if:

• The SL has a sniper kit (or a variety of other specialist kits)
• The squad is named after some specialist infantry role (like recon or specopz)
• The squad is spread all over the map
• The squad is together but off in dream land doing some special divined mission. - If they do respond it'll probably be abrasive in my experience.

I usually have at least 1 decent squad-to-squad experience per round I play, but then again I push hard for good comms between squads, so maybe it's what we make of it.

I always use it when being a SL, and when you use it often msot of the time other SLs follow you. But most of the time it is just about calling out contacts and deciding who is moving in and not a extreme super plan of a high tactical level. But the start is there.

Answer, derp SLs. Nothing else. People are SL because they want their own group to play with or dont want to take orders... I ofcourse use it.
Being a squadleader is a responsibility. Tightly adminned servers solve that.

The advantages are high when two squads are supporting each other.

I think the biggest problem is patience.

3 minutes in game waiting to attack feels like e30 mins IRL.

Its used when its needed. But yeah, people should use staging areas when possible for a massed assault.

But I also notice patience issues, starting with drivers who race their tank without a plan to the front to get blown up, over to squadmembers, who get impatient if they are expected to wait someplace. People need to make up their mind if they want to play a tactical game or just load up a tactical game to feel distinct and superior to the COD crowd.

I think the main problem is the lack of protocol. What i mean is many people would like to use it and some do, however those who want to are deterred by the ineffectiveness of it all without proper radio procedures. Things such as people forgetting to mention which squad they are really bog down the comms.

It just needs a few loud (good) SL's to drive it (and others to use mumble).

Managing a coordinated assault is no small feat.

It's great when it works, but expect setbacks, lots of them.